Today sadly marked the last day of my daughter’s preschool, and her class celebrated (although I didn’t feel like celebrating — I cherished those two hours) with a picnic at the park. It was mighty hot (105!), and we’ve spent the rest of the afternoon trying to cool off.

Wish I were her:

The school year is coming to a close, and kids everywhere are jumping for joy, but mothers are breathing a heavy sigh. As a child, summer represented everlasting free time, but now that you’re the mom it means all free time is lost. (Good luck getting your second grader to take a nap!) Plus the dreaded “Mom I’m bored!” cries are just a few days away.

We thought it might be a good time to introduce you to Project of the Month Club — designed to take the hassle out of arts and crafts projects. It is difficult to come up with creative project ideas, and honestly, who wants to go to the craft store with all the kids in tow? Instead they come up with the ideas, get you all the supplies, and send it over. At first glance the prices seem a bit steep, but considering that shipping is included, they are pretty close to what you would spend buying the supplies yourself.

With the kids taken care of, you may even have time for a project of your own — only we’re pretty sure you don’t need any help coming up with that one.

The ladies on Desperate Housewives have great wardrobes, but here in reality, a mom’s wardrobe is much more likely to consist of comfy sweats, old tees and bathrobes — it isn’t a pretty job, but somebody has to do it.

Honestly, I never would have guessed how frequently as a mom I’d end up making dinner in my pajamas… from the night before. Of course, it is always my intent to shower and dress, but sometimes things just come up (so you should call first before coming over).

And what footwear is the perfect compliment? Slippers, of course.

Since I live in Phoenix, those fuzzy slippers are not at all appealing when it is 100-plus degrees outside, which is why I’m currently in love with this lightweight cotton pair. They’re soft and comfy, but not too cozy — just right for Summer.

As much as I hate it, I have this picture of the “perfect mother” in my head. Naturally, there is no way I could ever live up to this image of a woman who can cook, clean and sew (probably at the same time), and who never so much as raises her voice at her adorable, curly-haired kids.

Well I did get the curly-haired kids part right, but aside from that I simply have no hope. In truth, there probably isn’t a mom out there that can live up to that standard (and if you can, please, for the sake of the rest of us, keep it to yourself).

So back in December, I attempted homemade jam for the first time. I was planning a Christmas party that involved homemade bread (that was really the frozen dough that you stick into pans and bake at home so you can feel like it is homemade. Sadly even making bread this way was a lot of work for me), jam and hot cocoa. ‘Tis the season for tight budgets, so I was trying to come up with a menu that was inexpensive, but didn’t seem cheap.

I wanted homemade jam and hadn’t a clue how to make it. So I asked my mother in law (a farmer’s wife and mother of seven who very nearly fits the super-mom description above), if she would give me a few bottles of her yummy jam to take home with me at Thanksgiving. Of course she obliged, but on the 14-hour journey home our ice chest took an unfortunate spill out of the van, and all the jam bottles broke. I considered for about 30 seconds trying to somehow salvage the jam, but there was no safe way with the broken glass.

Back at home, my mother-in-law suggested that I make jam myself and promised that I could do it. Much to my surprise, it turned out beautifully. I had one of those splendid moments when I almost felt like that perfect mom.

I don’t want to dwell too much on how easy it was to make homemade freezer jam because that will only diminish my huge sense of accomplish at mastering such a super-mommish task. So instead, I will share my recipe, and a reminder that it is strawberry season — if you hurry, you can probably get your berries on sale! read more

It was one of those rare afternoons when both my girls were down for a nap, the toys were picked up, our condo was in some sort of organized and clean order, and I had taken care of the essentials for myself (I was showered and had eaten). I decided I would get started on dinner for the evening.

I looked at my list of dinners I planned for that week, and tonight’s meal was red beans and rice. Running my finger down the list of ingredients on the recipe card, I decided I had the time to chop everything before the girls woke up.

Soon onion, celery, and green pepper were all in neat piles on my cutting board ready to be sautéed and not a peep had come from the girls’ room. I glanced at the rest of the ingredients and read the steps for the recipe. If I worked quickly, I guessed that I could prepare everything now and just let it simmer until dinner. Then all that needed to be done would be to cook the rice. Easy.

I decided to make a go of it. I was excited. I was racing against a clock that had an unknown time limit. And even though I knew the potential for things to get crazy when the girls woke up was great, the excitement of getting something done was too much for me to stop. I grabbed the andouille sausage from the freezer and dropped it in the pot just when my 5 month old Harper woke up. Like most babies who are on a 2 1/2 to 3-hour feeding schedule, I knew Harper would be hungry and not willing to wait until the sausage was a “nice, golden brown” like the recipe called for. But I didn’t want to stop cooking, so I gambled I could do two things at once. I put the lid on the pot, turned the stove to medium-high, and quickly made a bottle for Harper. read more

Pulling an all-nighter has a completely different meaning once you’re a parent. Last night, about 20 minutes after we had tucked the kiddos into bed, our youngest threw up. (Happy Mother’s Day to me!)

We did our best to clean things up, and make her comfortable. Then I settled in bed next to her for the night, praying the episode would not be repeated. That hope only lasted about ten minutes — she was sick again, and then it was my oldest’s turn.

With two kids puking and three sets of bedding to wash, we obviously didn’t get much sleep. Just when I had lulled into an almost sleep, I was repeatedly jarred awake again by a sick child. Forget water boarding, this is torture!

What are the things that you can’t live without? I don’t mean water and air. Beyond the basic necessities, what are the little luxuries that make your life as a mom easier, better, happier? We’re curious about what things help keep other moms sane; so we’re starting a new column featuring real moms and the five things they can’t live without. I’ll lead off…

Who: Bettijo B. Hirschi
What: Mother of two girls, graphic designer, writer and entrepreneur
Where: Phoenix, AZ

	1. Peanut Butter. I really love peanut butter, but I can only eat the all-natural stuff (the kind you have to mix up). Laura Scudders has always been my favorite brand. (Just in case you care, Smuckers purchased Laura Scudders and their all-natural peanut butter is now exactly the same as Laura Scudders brand.) It drives me crazy when I go to other people’s houses with their so-called peanut butter — sorry JIF, Skippy and Peter Pan, you’ve got nothing on the real thing. My Dad (who will eat PB by the spoonful) instilled in me a healthy love of Peanut Butter and Honey Toast. It’s my go to when I need to eat something quick but substantial. I’m proud to say that my two daughters are already avid peanut butter eaters.
	2. Sateen Sheets. What is it they say about how much of your life is spent sleeping? Not enough, that’s for sure! I think the best moment of my entire day is when I slip between my incredibly smooth cotton sateen sheets — pure bliss! It would not be any fun if I didn’t have amazing sheets. What’s even more amazing is that they’re the Costco Kirkland Signature Brand. I bought my first set five years ago and will never have anything else. I now have two white and one cream set so I never have to sleep a night without them.
	3. Peppermint Oil. If I had to pick only one aroma, it would be peppermint — incredibly refreshing and deliciously sweet but never gives me a headache. In fact, it actually cures my headaches faster than Tylenol. Unlike some of my other favorites (eucalyptus), peppermint never smells medicinal and while it is potent, it’s somehow subtle at the same time. If my emotions start boiling over, taking a deep breath of this essential oil helps me regain control and focus.
	4. Pencil Skirt. Sometime while I was pregnant with my second daughter, I had an Aha! moment where I realized that anything other than a pencil skirt makes me look five times as big as I really am. This realization (probably bolstered by pregnancy hormones) led me to throw out every skirt in my closet that didn’t have this silhouette. A bit rash? Yes. But I haven’t had a moment’s regret over it. Putting on a sleek black skirt is the quickest way to trim down and a definite must for hiding any baby weight.
	5. Lindt Dark Chocolate Truffles. It’s more just chocolate that I can’t live without, but these incredibly creamy truffles are the ultimate decadence. The milk chocolate version is more popular, but even though I’m not a big dark chocolate fan, Lindt’s version of dark is richer without being bitter and more satisfying then their milk chocolate truffle.

What is on your list? Email us and we just might publish it!