Doing my best to take care of my family.

A Mother’s Anxiety: Cyber Bullying

If there’s one thing I truly enjoy, it’s motherhood. I just being a mom to my two kids. I never thought that family life could change me like this. Every second I spend with my kids is precious.

But of course, as a mother, I have my own worries and anxieties about my kids. One of which is cyber bullying. I know my kids are still pretty young to go online. Nonetheless, I am worried because by the time they are able to go online, the internet would be more advanced than it is for us today.

A Frightening Thought

When I was younger, bullying was just something that happened in school. A bunch of cool kids ganging up on an outcast was some kind of a regular thing in school. We all remember Molly Ringwald getting bullied by James Spader in Pretty In Pink but that ended well. My point is, bullying in my days weren’t so alarming. Most of the time, it only took place in school. But it’s different now and I fear for my kids.

With the onset of the internet, bullying has found its way online. Cyber bullying is now one of the scariest things that can happen to a child. The frightening part is that cyber bullying is just so rampant these days.

“More than half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online? So that means the chances are way too high that your teen is either being bullied or doing the bullying.”

Now, that’s a scary thought.

It’s Easier Online

The internet has made a lot of things very convenient for us. Thanks to the internet, we can bank, learn, hire services, and even shop online.

But unfortunately, the internet has also made cyber bullying very easy for the kids.

“It’s easier to type something out and be mean about it …”

For me, this is the downside of the social media. Clearly, the various social networks are easy means for kids to bully other kids online.

What’s A Mom To Do?

It really all boils down to how we can protect our kids from this kind of crime. What can we do to prevent cyber bullying?

“The biggest thing that we need to really focus in on is education, communication. If we educate the kids … there’s security concerns..there’s some other issues too…the big things are making sure that you’re telling your kids, talking to your kids about the dangers of social media …”

I definitely agree that I need to communicate with my kids about the dangers that surround them. Sad to these, the dangers that used to lurk us outside our homes are now in our homes.

“Stranger danger has always been something you teach your kids, But today, you should literally be, as a parent, be involved in making sure that they know that they’re not allowed to accept any connection request that are not known to them … and then communicating and letting them know that they can come to you and be a resource because fifty percent of kids don’t tell their parents that they’re being bullied.”

Hoping For A Better Future Online

Amidst my worry and anxiety about cyber bullying, I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will be better for my kids in a couple of years. With the massive awareness on cyber bullying, hopefully, we will have enough knowledge and tools to protect our kids from this horrifying crime called cyber bullying.

My Thoughts On Sittercity

categories: Babysitting

One of the concerns about Sittercity is the length of time it usually takes to find a sitter, according to CX Baby parenting site. In my case, it usually takes a couple of days. I must admit that I always take advantage of their four-step screening process, which includes a complete background check of the applicants. As a parent, I think it is wise to run a background check on my top applicants.

The Perils Of Hiring Just Anybody

I had always been used to hiring a sitter right away. I guess, I didn’t have much of choice back then. The first teenager that knocked on my door was hired. I couldn’t really select because I never had a pool applicants to start with. Then the day came when most of the teenagers in our area had to leave for college. So from the lean list of sitters, I ended up with none.

I had to start finding sitters outside our area. This was very scary because there was no way I could ever know more about the applicants. We all know for a fact that interviews aren’t very reliable. For all I know, I could have been interviewing a serial killer.

Aware of all the perils that come with hiring a sitter, I finally decided to give Sittercity a try.

I’m Finally Doing It Right

As much as I want to hire the first available sitter, I have come to realize the urgent need to finally do it right. Sittercity has raised the bar in childcare services. It has established an extensive and safe screening process, that we, parents, can always take advantage of.

Again, I must admit that the screening process does take some time to find the right sitter. But nonetheless, it does give me some peace of mind. Knowing that I’m choosing from a pool of professional child care experts gives me the feeling that I’m doing it right.

This Is What I Have To Say About Sittercity

In my case, I’m very happy to be part of the growing number that trusts Sittercity. Aside from the reliability, I can finally say that my kids are in good hands. Prior to joining the service, I had done a lot of research and found that most of the Sittercity reviews were positive. I really recommend this site to people looking for child care cause it’s a must have resource. To also save money in case you decide to join, I highly recommend that you use a promo code for Sittercity cause savings can really be significant.

I’m Not The Only One That’s Doing It Right

More and parents are turning to Sittercity because of the quality of childcare it provides. Sarah Burke Mullins, a mom of two, relies on her full-time Sittercity nanny. She has had her nanny for three years. She feels very secure in leaving her children at home with the nanny. She knows for sure that her children are getting the love, care, and attention they need. That explains why she has had the same Sittercity nanny for the last three years.

Another full-time working mom by the name of Teresa Zerr relies on an after-school sitter from Sittercity. The after-school sitter makes sure that her kids are fetched in school, brought home, and are well taken care of. She and Sarah Burke Mullins are just two of the many moms that rely on Sittercity.

This Mom’s Good With Bistro MD

categories: Health and Weight Loss

bistro-md-diet-salmon One of the reasons why I had gained so much was because I always ate all the leftovers of my kids. I simply could not avoid it. The food was too good to be thrown away. I couldn’t get myself to waste food so I ended up eating it all.

It took a while for me to see this was a problem until I saw a mirror reflection of myself. I couldn’t believe the image on the mirror. My petite body frame had expanded so much that I couldn’t even recognize myself. I felt really bad and disgusted with myself.

My Lame Excuse

At first, I made a lot of excuses. The first of my lame excuses was not having enough time to prepare my own meals. Hence, I ended up eating leftovers. The second of my lame excuses was not having enough time to exercise. But I figured, taking care of my kids and the whole house was good enough exercise for me. Running after the kids and cleaning the whole house was my physical exertion that gave me enough exercise. So I went back to my first lame excuse; not having enough time to prepare my own meals.

Soon after, I realized that I was neglecting myself. It’s not that I didn’t have time to prepare my own meals; I just didn’t prioritize myself. I was slowly letting myself go and found comfort in eating the leftovers. I had to do something quick. I had to pick up myself before it was too late.

Discovering Bistro MD

After seeing how much weight I had gained, I began to realize that I wouldn’t be able to take care of my family if I went on to neglect myself more. I had to shape up to do what I love most; taking care of my family.

I had heard about Bistro MD from a lot of people and also came across a review of Bistro MD on the savvywp.com diet program site. A lot of my friends were already on it. They seemed pretty happy and satisified with Bistro MD. More than the weight loss, they were able to develop better eating habits. And that was exactly what I needed; healthier eating habits. Just a side note, some of my friends are also using Diet-To-Go diet meal delivery services, a diet program that is similar to Bistro MD.

Dropping The Excess Weight With Bistro MD

Soon as I got on with Bistro MD, it didn’t take long for me to drop the pounds. I got really serious with Bistro MD. I ate it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was not hard to do that. One reason why it wasn’t so hard was because I could easily afford Bistro MD. Second reason was that the meals were all prepared and pre-portioned for me. I didn’t have to cook anything. It was just so easy, heating everything up in the oven. I soon saw amazing results without having to put in a lot of my time to prepare my own meals.

I can attest to the fact that Bistro MD works. Now, I have lost weight and feel a lot healthier. But the most important thing is that I eat better with the meals from Bistro MD. Bistro MD works well for this mom.

Hiring Safer Child Care Through Sittercity

categories: Babysitting

Among the preferred babysitting sites in the industry nowadays is Sittercity. Sittercity is a nationwide service company for babysitting and also senior caregiving. Such a service provider just like Sittercity spares parents time and effort in looking for the right sitter for their child. The particular website is, amazingly, a user-friendly subscription site where one can become a subscriber by simply paying out a reasonable fee so as to have access to the listings of all the nannies. Sittercity doesn’t just offer child care services, they are able to let all their members gain accessibility to their other services like pet sitting and also senior care.

Whenever I look back at the ways parents used to select a babysitter, I tremble. In retrospect, it was clearly implied that a child care provider had to be responsible but there just wasn’t any selection process. Babysitters were usually closely related to a certain somebody with in a circle of friends. Now, of course, we know the nice lady who lives down the street might be concealing a sinister background or that a friend’s sister might dangerously be living with a suspected child abuser.

I’m thankful parents can do affordable background and reference reviews nowadays. Sittercity should have really been around a long time ago. I am happy they’re finally available to really help keep kids safe.

My sister decided to use Sittercity after going through some very informative feedback and reviews on Sittercity. My sister’s son was not the kind of kid who was fun to care for. He was a naughty and curious kid. Given that fact, My sister was able to find a great sitter through Sittercity. She had the sheer patience as well as good skills to really take care of my nephew.

According to parenting site iParenting Life, there is no need to get worried if you are not the techie person. Sittercity is a very user-friendly site which allows you to access profiles of sitters right within your area. You can easily filter sitters based on your requirements and criteria.

Parents deserve to have every possible tool at their fingertips most specially when they are trying to search for someone to care for their kids. It’s a well-known fact that it’s unsafe to carelessly run an ad for a sitter in the newspapers or even on bulletin boards. Unfortunately, it sends out a signal to people that you are not very careful. Any one can just answer the ad post and give fake character references as well as work experience documentation. In case an applicant has got a shady history, how would you know? Sittercity provides you with all the tools you really need to carry out an extensive background at with just the click of a few buttons.

With Sittercity, all you have to really try and do is post all the details online. This easily allows the best babysitters to quickly apply for the job request. Amazingly, you can get numerous replies within twenty four hours of placing your ad. Soon after this, you can create your own short list and, most importantly, check out their profiles. This way, you can easily check out their work qualifications as well as their background.

You can try Sittercity or get started with using it with this Sittercity PROMO CODE from iParentingLife, which makes the service way more affordable. The service is really a great resource for parents who need childcare.

Angie’s List Can Help In Major Home Improvement Projects

categories: Home Improvement

angies-list-home-repair As a mom, I have realized that it takes a lot of time, effort, and money to maintain a home. Ideally speaking, regular maintenance and upkeep of a home is a must. This can help prevent any major damage to the house. But sometimes, it’s inevitable to overlook some major home improvement issues. More often than not, a hectic schedule gets in the way most especially if both you and your spouse have full-time jobs. But ignoring these major home improvement issues will definitely be more damaging in the long run. It will take more time to get it done and it will cost more. It’s better to do it right from the beginning.

Home Improvement Issues That Need Regular And Immediate Attention

According to Andy Lindus of Lindus Construction, there are seven major home improvement projects that shouldn’t be ignored.

The Leaking Roof

A leaking roof is not to be ignored. That’s why it’s best to regularly check on it. After all, it’s that part of the house that undergoes the most wear and tear. For example, the heavy snow and ice can really damage the roof. While the damage may not be visible and alarming, it wouldn’t hurt to check on it regularly.

Roofing specialists can help in assessing and maintaining this part of the house. Angie’s List can help locate the right roofing specialist.

Old Windows And Doors

Aside from their aesthetic purposes, the windows and the doors provide security and protection for the home. Making sure that the windows and doors are in tip top condition should always be a top priority.

There are contractors that specialize on doors and windows. According to what I found on angie’s list reviews home improvement, you can find a lot of qualified contractors on Angie’s List.

The Gutter

This is an important part of the house. The gutter controls the flow of the rain water, diverting it away from the exterior of the house. A functioning gutter can help prevent soil erosion and protect the exterior of the house. It’s therefore another part of the house that needs regular attention. Angie’s List has service providers that can clean, repair, and replace the gutter. By the way, you can also get some great savings if you use this angies list promo code 2014 and apply it to your membership.

Insulation

According to http://www.HomeownersLife.com, this part of the house, if ignored, can bring a lot of discomfort to the whole family. The insulation regulates the temperature inside the house. If it’s not properly maintained or regularly upgraded, it can also add more to the electric bills. Angie’s List can help in making the home more energy efficient.

Faucets and Toilets

Faucets and toilets are usually overlooked and in some cases, abused. The only time the homeowner pays attention to the faucet and toilet is when they’re leaking or not functioning well. That may be too late. A good plumber can help in maintaining the faucets and toilets. The best place to find that plumber is on Angie’s List.

Faulty Electrical Wiring

Faulty electrical wiring can really damage the house. It can also be very dangerous, putting the lives of the people living in it at risk. A lot of house fires have been linked to major electrical issues. That’s why it’s best that homeowners seek help from certified and licensed electricians. The certified and licensed electricians can only be found on Angie’s List.

Sump Pump

Professional plumbing is required in making sure that the sump pump is in good condition. If the sump pump is not working well, it can bring more damage and more cost to the house and the home owner respectively. Finding the right plumber shouldn’t be so hard with Angie’s List.

While it takes a lot of time and effort to get these major home improvement projects done, it really shouldn’t be too hard for the homeowner. With Angie’s List, homeowners can get all the help that they need.

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