Blog Posts by MomFinds

But the more I thought about it, the more I began to think these "brat bans" could actually be a good idea. As annoyed as some people are by children, nothing annoys a parent more than someone who looks at their child in disdain for being a child. So maybe it's not such a bad idea to keep parents and these kid-haters separate. I feel like it would actually make shopping and traveling so much more enjoyable

Earlier this month my daughter turned 3, which means I made it through my first year of toddlerhood. Barely.

I kid, I kid. Sure babies are soft and cuddly, but in a lot of ways it's been more enjoyable to parent a toddler. Nothing compares to having your little one hug and kiss you back is amazing.

That being said, it's not all butterflies and I love yous. Dealing with a toddler is work. And just like there are things I wish I knew before I had a baby, there are even more things I wish I knew before my daughter became a toddler. Here are a few that come to mind:

1. Babies smell delightful, but toddlers, not so much. Maybe it's because it's the summer, but there are days when my precious sweet daughter who I love very much comes home smelling so badly I literally have to force myself to hug and kiss her.

2. You will never enjoy a meal at the same table as your toddler. The operative word here is "enjoy." Yes, you will eat. But the majority of the meals you'll have with your toddler will be consumed by bribing and/or forcing him/her to eat. By the time you've managed to get your toddler to eat 3 string beans, your own food will be cold and mushy and your kid will be harassing you for the ice cream you just bribed him with. Call it the Toddler Diet.

3. Let go of all your inhibitions about gross bodily functions and habits. This one was especially hard for me. Because toddlers have no sense of what is appropriate and acceptable, be prepared to see your toddler picking his/her nose, farting loudly, pulling out wedgies… in public. I thought the world was coming to an end when I caught my daughter biting her toenails on a NYC bus, but then she asked me to scratch her butt… on the bus. All in a days work as mom to a toddler.

4. Say goodbye to all your favorite TV shows. Or invest in Tivo because you won't be able to watch most of your grown-up shows in the presence of your toddler. I learned this the hard way while watching Basketball Wives when my daughter ever so sweetly said, "Mommy she said b---- ." Yikes!

Did you know that most babies are born during the summer months? You know what that means, right? Tons of summer birthday parties. I'm actually headed to one this weekend, which means I have to buckle down and decide on a gift for the little girl.

But here's something I never considered. Should I bring a gift for the birthday girl's brother, too?

If that questions sounds absurd to you, you're not alone. When a few of my coworkers first suggested the idea of a sibling gift, I was like WTF? I'm already driving all the way up north to the party with a present for the child we're celebrating. Isn't that enough?

Apparently not. Sibling gifts, which are typically smaller presents, are intended to help quell the jealousy factor. If you have a sibling, you know what I'm talking about. Nothing sucks more than seeing your brother or sister buried in awesome new toys and clothes while you've got the same old stuff you had the day before.

I totally get the point of a

I have a confession to make: my daughter is 2 years old and she's still breastfeeding. Actually, she's pushing 2½. She'll be 28 months next week, and from the way things are going, it doesn't look like she's interested in giving up the boob any time soon.

But I'm not complaining, at least not right this second. Sure, there are days when I wish she was done and over with it, but for the most part, I like the close bond we have when I'm nursing her. Plus, I haven't lost all the baby weight yet. I kid, I kid!

So how long will we keep this up? I nursed my son until he was 29 months old, so maybe it'll be the same this time around. I really don't know. All I know is that sooner or later there will come a time when my daughter will decide she no longer wants to breastfeed. In the meantime, I'm just grateful for this special time with her and enjoy wearing these.

What about you? How long did you nurse your child? And in case you want to know the secret to my breastfeeding

I know I am probably going to come across as spoiled, selfish, ungrateful, etc. But that's just a risk I'm willing to take because I think this has to be said: I don't want your hand-me-downs!

And there's a good chance the mom you're giving them to now doesn't really want them either. I know you spent a lot of time (and money!) picking out those adorable onesies and dresses and what-not for your baby--I get that. But that isn't reason enough to try to push your kid's worn clothes onto me. I know, firsthand, that kids pass gas, pee, poop and puke on their clothing and the idea of my daughter wearing something your daughter farted in just plain grosses me out.

Deep down, you probably hate hand-me-downs, too (unless you're BFF with Katie Holmes or Jessica Alba, that is). In theory, it should be admirable to try to save another mom some cash by offering clothes your child no longer wears. But for a lot of moms--even moms on a budget--shopping for your kids is actually kind

Yesterday I was watching an episode of Teen Mom and as if there wasn't enough to shock and awe me in that show, I was completely flabbergasted to see one of the teen's parents smoking a cigarette... right in front of his toddler stepson! Gross!

Living in NYC, I see this more than I wish I did. Women pushing their strollers smoking a cigarette or standing outside a restaurant smoking with their kid standing right next to them. I am totally one of those obnoxious people that takes obvious offense to people blowing their gross cigarette smoke in my direction and when my daughter is around, I have gone so for as to ask smokers to let us pass by them so she doesn't inhale the smoke.

I get that smoking cigarettes is an addiction, but really? In front of your kids? I have no idea if the stars above confine their smoking habits to when they are away from their children, but there's a very good chance they smoke in the houses they share with their kids. And in turn, their kids

While I like to think my fashion sense is pretty up to par, I will admit that my taste in television is questionable at best. I don't--and have never--get into those reality dating shows like The Bachelor or Flavor of Love, but I am a total sucker for the Bravo and VH1 shows about famous (and infamous) wives. Basketball Wives, Mob Wives, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Atlanta, the list goes on--I love them all.

More Like This: TV Makes Your Kid Fat, Dumb and Poorly Behaved

I'm sure I'm not the only one because these shows continue to get renewed, which means the ratings must be great. So here's what I've been wondering: have you ever noticed how much these women fight? The screaming matches are one thing, but I'm talking about the knock down, drag out fist fights. Is this really reality? Do real women actually fight like this? In case you missed there was an historic Mob Wives fight during the season finale.

My daughter turns three tomorrow and I'm so excited. Well, the truth is, only part of me is so excited.

While I'm not into making a big deal of my own birthday, I love going all out for my daughter's birthday. That's her above at her party last year and as has been our tradition for the past 2 years, we're having a shindig in the park this Sunday to celebrate.

RELATED: First Birthday Party Essentials

I've been making small preparations here and there for about a month or so now, but I have been in full-on freak out mode for the last two days. I've been checking the weather every 10 minutes, checking for any last-minute RSVPs every 15 minutes and adding more and more bullets to my to-do list every hour. It's crazy--she's only turning 3 for goodness sake!

RELATED: Birthday Party Invitations, Birthday Party Decor for Girls

The crazy thing is that I know my daughter will be happy to just see her friends and cousins and run through the sprinklers. All the stuff