Jennifer Voorhees

I’m proud to introduce you to Allison Evans. Working Smarty Mom, she’s got her…

Too close together? Too far apart? What is the secret formula for when to have baby number two?

We just celebrated our daughter’s first birthday. As the cake finally settles in our bellies and is scraped off the floor, my husband and I start talking about baby number two. Baby number two has always been in the plan, but when has raised many questions. Let’s hear from both sides of the argument on whether or not we’re talking about this too soon or need to get-a-going.

Anyone who has had their identity stolen knows how vulnerable and angry it makes you. It’s an inconvenience contacting the bank, credit cards, etc. – to let them know that that somebody out there in this big world is trying to be you.

Lately, I’ve been experiencing a different kind of identity theft. One that still makes me feel vulnerable and angry at times and often requires explaining to others. I’ve been overtaken with being a mommy. It hit me like a ton of bricks when one day my husband told me that I wasn’t as fun as I once had been. At first it shocked me and made me mad. But he was right. I noticed that I hadn’t been laughing as much, wanting to do as much away from the baby, plain and simple…I wasn’t being my old self.

I’ve come to the realization – I’ll never be the “old me”. I’m super excited about that, because that means I’ve come into something more amazing. Having a daughter has made me a different person, but in a good way. There are certain aspects of my identity that I’m working on reclaiming, as I don’t want to lose myself while being a mama.

I recently came across new programming on Nickelodeon. No, it’s not a newly animated series, or another character over green screen, but rather programing that is totally and completely made for Mommies. It’s called “NickMom”.

I had seen a couple of TV commercials for the mommy-centric shows during my kid’s morning shows. I was intrigued. I watched it the other night and thought it was pretty entertaining. The show I watched had somewhat of a Tosh.O and Talk Soup feeling, called Parental Discretion. It had a host that was yukking it up showing clips and also showing her own video of her getting a tattoo. I thought she was hilarious. I think that the host can make or break a show like this and let me tell you, I thought this lady had the funny chops to keep the show light-hearted and comical. They also had an interview portion where the host would ask a panel of three women questions about topics. Some would consider it spicy for Nickelodeon as they talked about (gasp) S-E-X. Again, it was done with humor.

The 2012 Smarty Holiday Gift Guide is sponsored by Toys & Co in Cotswold and Park Road Shopping Center. Find everything on Santa’s list at Toys & Co! And, they will wrap every gift BEAUTIFULLY and oh-so-expertly. They are the toy experts so they will help you source a gift if you are not sure what to get.

‘Tis the season to be merry…and spoil the little ones. There are so many options out there and that’s where we come in. Smarties, we’re here to make it your holiday shopping easier for you! Here are some of our favorite gifts for ages 0-2 years.

What a fun and constantly changing time for these kiddos. There are so many great toys that work for this group.

Santa has come to town…all around town! Good ol’ Saint Nick is paying Charlotte a visit to find out what your kiddos want for Christmas this year. We got an early start and visited Santa a couple weeks ago. This was our daughter’s first visit to Santa, as if you couldn’t tell by the picture. I’m sure she will grow to love him.

Here are some Santas around town just waiting to find out what your kids want on Christmas morning. Click on the location to visit the sites. Times vary by location and day, so be sure to check!

Halloween is rapidly approaching! This is our first Halloween with our baby and we’re in the process of figuring out what she will be. We don’t have plans to go trick or treating this year, but look forward to dishing out the sugary treats to other kids in the neighborhood, as well as participating in our neighborhood Halloween parade and an office party. Much like other parents, I’m not inclined to spend bucko bucks on something she’ll really one wear less than a handful of times. I’ve been scouring the internet, and of course, Pinterest for ideas. Here are a few options that I came across that can be done for a minimal spend, but also go a little above and beyond the costumes we see every year.

I’m super excited to introduce Smarty Mom, Shanda Reid. She’s a Davidson-area Smarty for you fellow LKN followers. She is going to share with us her experience as a new Smarty Mom and how she was quite surprised when he decided to join the family a bit earlier than expected. Let’s get to know Shanda!

Smarty Mom Stats:

• Married to: Boston Reid
• Child(ren)/ age: Hudson 7 months
• Originally from: Smyrna, GA
• Occupation: Cosmetology Educator

I’m now a few months into this whole working mom gig. I’m still figuring out how to balance both, as it is a constant teeter-totter. One constant that I can rely on is my daycare. The group of ladies that help care for, teach and play with my daughter are exceptional. For anyone else that has a children in daycare, the value that they bring, more than just watching your kid while you work, speaks volumes. Recently however, a sign hanging on the entrance door bothered me as I picked up my daughter. It said, “No Cell Phones Permitted. Please leave your phone off and take time to speak to your teacher.” This concerned me as I just can’t imagine a parent doing this. This made me think of some things that I find to be successful with our daycare to develop a great partnership.

– Exactly what the sign said, take time to talk to the teacher. In the morning, ask about what your child’s day has in store for them. Our class has an activity calendar, but it doesn’t hurt to spark a conversation with the teacher about what’s on the agenda. In the evening, ask them about your child’s day. Did they play with the other kids well? What was their nap like? How did they eat today? I know a lot of this information is written down and provided on their activity log, but again, showing your teacher that you are aware goes a far way. I find that I learn a lot more about their day than what is written on the sheet.

We all want to take care of our families. We work hard to help keep a roof over our head, food on the table and clothes on our backs. To help protect our families, including ourselves, it’s critical to develop a will and plan. You never know what life will hand you, but the best thing you can do is be prepared.

My husband and I are in the process of doing our will and plan. It’s one of the toughest things we’ve done together. It makes you think about what you really want for yourself and your family. It’s not an easy task, but we know it’s an important one.

I’ve asked Allen Starrett, Managing Attorney at Starrett Law Firm to be a guest blogger on this topic. We are currently working with him on our will and plan. He has been great to work with and I would recommend other Smarty Pants to utilize his services. He’s even extending an offer just for Smarty Pants. Mention this post (code: CSP-JV10) and he will waive the consultation fee and give an extra 10% off services. This offer expires November 31, 2012 – so act quickly.