Bloomington Moms BlogBloomington Moms Blog is a collaborative blog written for local moms by local moms–providing community information and resources, parenting perspectives, and connection to a diverse group of women.
What comes to mind when you hear the term self-care? Indulgent spa treatment? A night out? Treating yourself? Does it make you feel additionally burdened to figure out a way to work this type of self-care into your life? We all know self-care is vital, but some seasons of life are simply too draining and [...]
“For Spanish, I need to make magdalenas. And it's for Friday.” I read this text from my 16-year-old son this week and mentally added this activity to the family schedule, hoping to help him avoid a midnight culinary session in our kitchen. Also, I had to ask him what magdalenas are, as I had never [...]
Several years ago I discovered a blog written by Garth Callaghan and began following his journey. He is also known as “Napkin Notes Dad” and has a special story. He had already been in the habit of sending daily notes in his daughter’s lunch. But after being diagnosed with cancer, he embarked on a simple but [...]
The Christmas mornings of my childhood were not complete without a breakfast that included our family’s traditional baked French toast. I cannot recall a Christmas without it since my mom clipped the recipe from the newspaper in the early 1980s. I still have that newspaper clipping, frayed and yellowed, in her recipe box. When I was [...]
I was recently inspired to write a letter to my younger self. My personal circumstances may be uncommon, but I think all moms can relate to feeling insecure at times in their role of motherhood or doubting their parenting abilities altogether. If you are a more experienced mom, what advice would you share with your [...]
Every season is cobbler season in our household. My mother-in-law shared her trusty cobbler recipe with me over 25 years ago, and it remains a family favorite. Cobbler preparation is low-key enough to accommodate help from young children, so it is easy to have your kids join you in the kitchen for this recipe. It [...]
"Mom, when are we doing our next Rock Drop?" My youngest child asked me this question last week, and I confess my heart instantly warmed. Last summer I introduced my kids to Kindness Rocks. It is a practice I hoped would become a new family tradition. So, I was delighted when my daughter asked about [...]
Podcasts have once again surged in popularity. Recently I became curious about podcast options for my elementary school-aged kids, so I began exploring. Podcasts are an excellent choice for quality, screen-free, no-cost entertainment. They also provide an auditory learning opportunity for the listener, which appeals to me as a parent. Here are some family-friendly podcasts [...]