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Cutting Grocery Costs without Cutting Nutrition
Simple, healthy, and affordable ways to weather the rising price of food
by Karen Collins, R.D., American Institute of Cancer Research
Grocery prices are projected to increase again in 2008 – that’s following 2007’s highest annual increase in 17 years. But surviving these tough economic times doesn’t have to mean sacrificing good nutrition. Some simple strategies can help you cut food costs and eat more healthfully, too.
read more...
Some things should never be said...
by Kristyn Kusek Lewis
What Not to Say About Someone's Appearance
Don’t say: “You look good for your age.”
Why: Anything with a caveat like this is rude. It's saying, "You look great―compared with other old people. It's amazing you have all your own teeth."
Instead say: “You look great.”
read more...
7 love rules you need to break
‘Cosmopolitan’ magazine lists nonconventional tips for happier relationships
These relationship secrets go against conventional wisdom, but “Cosmo” believes in shaking things up. Colleen Rush shares seven new rules for today's relationships:
Just because you’ve always done something one way doesn’t mean it’s the right way. Remember how much your life improved when you finally gave up super-low-rise jeans, dating only bad boys, and dial-up modems? Relationship experts say that ditching the following seven love rules can be just as liberating — maybe more.
read more...
Holding Her Head High
Actress Janine Turner Inspires Single Mothers
New Book Uncovers Moving Stories of Single Mothers Throughout History
by Janine Turner
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Nashville, TN – History yields to all types of mothers. Helena Augusta, abandoned single mother of Constantine, helped forever change Christianity. Widowed single mother Belva Lockwood would become the first female presidential candidate in 1884. And Harriet Jacobs, a slave, chose to live in a small airless attic for 7 years so her children could have freedom while diligently fighting for her own freedom and her children's safety.
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read more...
Talking Books
by Stephanie Holbrook, on behalf of the National Library Service, Library of Congress
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Talking Books, a free program offered by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, helps provide eligible students with the reading materials they need to succeed. For blind and physically handicapped people, this nationwide program delivers classic literature, bestsellers and many magazines to keep them up to speed and on top of their studies. For host families who may not have the resources to care for a child with a disability, NLS Talking Books acts as a way to provide that family with a free method of providing the best and most comfortable living situation they can for their adopted family. A no cost program to host families who take in displaced families with blind or physically handicapped children. Please help promote this program on your web or in the material you give to host families. Please call 1-888-NLS-READ (1-888-657-7323) or go to www.loc.gov/nls/find.html for a directory of cooperating local libraries participating in the Talking Books program and for enrollment information.
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read more...
Single Mom Dating Tips from Ms. Single Mama
I have been a dating single mom for over two years now.
And the first thing I can tell you is this - it's not easy. First you have to get past your divorce, the heartbreak, the anger and the tears. And then, once you are finally ready to get back out there, you have to factor in the kids and their feelings.
Here are a few of my single mom dating advice articles that are a good base. Start here and then come back to my blog every day, because as you'll soon see - I'm learning as I go!
Ms. Single Mama advises on How to meet men as a single mom and date them, The good stuff: falling in love as a single mom, The not-so-good stuff: breaking up as a single mom.
read more...
Discover your personality type and what careers are best suited for you
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Day-to-Day section where all single mothers will find from articles to
researches, from tips for a new mom to things that matter to all Single Mothers.
All articles are courtesy of
Spirituality.Com otherwise noted.
Listing of Top Online Schools
Finding Reason to Live
by Jeremy Carper
I was saddened when I learned that a friend from many years ago committed
suicide. I'll call him Larry. Larry's depression, and his shocking death, had
come as a surprise to friends and family.
I remembered a time when I was in the same place—very sad and suicidal. For
months I had been spiraling downward. Nobody—my loving wife, my family, my
friends—was able to shake me out of it.
read more...
Single by choice
by Leslie - New York
Recently I attended several NYC meetings, asking mothers, tryers and thinkers
what advice they would give to women embarking on this adventure of single
motherhood. Suggestions ranged from follow your heart to practical tips on
finding babysitters.
First, for the thinkers
"I always knew I'd have a child regardless of my situation. Everything doesn't
have to be in place. You don't have to have the right amount of money. It
doesn't have to be the perfect situation or the perfect time. I always knew --
I'm a tryer because I ran up against the age barrier. I am planning my finances,
wanting to be between jobs when the baby's born to spend time with the baby.
Also, get a stable place to live before you become pregnant."
read more...
Holiday Cheer
by Kerry Hook - from
Suite101.com
It's the holidays, and my favorite time of the year. It's a chance to reconnect
with old friends, and make new ones, and a chance to teach my daughter that the
value of giving far outweighs receiving.
This time of the year provides an excellent opportunity to teach charity.
Although it shouldn't be the only time the lesson is taught, it is this time of
year that those without, feel the pain of hardship the most. Last year, I took
my daughter to the store and told her to pick out a present that she thought
would be nice to receive. She picked out a Barbie doll with ice skates, and
though it was difficult for her to part with it, she put into the box of gifts
for boys and girls less fortunate than herself. It was a difficult lesson for a
five-year-old, - she didn't want to part with the pretty Barbie. She was
delighted, when on Christmas Day; Santa left her this same Barbie, and a note
about how proud he was that she had given away a doll that she had wanted to
keep so badly.
read more...
My New Husband
by Eileen Stoecklin from
Spirituality.Com
For ten years I was married to a man who at times had physically abused me, but
this was nothing compared to the torment of his constant mental and emotional
abuse. I wanted him to change so we could have a loving family, but over time I
saw clearly that this was not going to happen.
My sister Mardell remembers how uncaring Kevin was. "The family just didn't seem
to matter to him," she says. "He would just leave for weeks at a time."
read more...
A Snow Shower of Spiritual Meaning
by Tom Black from
Spirituality.Com
I am sitting at my desk, and an unseasonable snow is falling outside my window.
One moment it drifts out of the sky like wandering confetti, another moment it
swirls and swoops across the landscape like a huge flock of tiny white birds.
The snow is soft and gentle like the fur on the bunny that right now twitches
his flake-ticked nose under one of the bushes in our front lawn.
read more...
Discovering True Motherhood
All around me in my childhood were nothing but weak and inhibited women.
Everywhere you looked in my hometown in the Middle East, it was the same story.
There was always a weak woman trotting behind a strong and fierce looking man.
Sadly, this even applied to my own mother. I adored her—she was nothing but
love—but I also hated her weakness. She couldn't stand up for us when our father
beat us. Often we stood up to him to protect her, but it never stopped us
getting it also. We used to beg her to leave him, but in the same breath we knew
he was our meal ticket—she would never have been able to support us in that
country. Her weak
read more...
Grace On & Off The Ice
by Katie Brown from from
Spirituality.Com
My daughter's coach, Nancy Ruedebusch, had a reputation for not taking any guff
from her ice-skaters. She expected her skaters to be gracious competitors and to
have a good work ethic. She was more concerned about their character development
than about their performance on the ice. She had coached top competitors,
including some who even competed in the Olympics.
read more...
Making wounded
That's how life can feel sometimes—we're still on our feet, but pretty beaten
up. Someone came to my office recently to talk about an emotional involvement
she knew was hopeless from the outset. I thought: "Been there, done that." My
friend's situation reminded me of how much mental baggage I still had parked at
my door.
read more...
Overcoming fears of parenting
by Meg Dendler from
Spirituality.Com
When my first child was born, I was overwhelmed with obsessive fears for her
safety and terrible nightmares about being unable to protect her from unseen
dangers. I had worked closely with infants and young children for a number of
years as a teacher, so my fears had nothing to do with a lack of understanding
about how to care for her.
read more...
The Poorhouse Lament
by Tina Russell from
Spirituality.Com
"Are we poor, Mom?" my eleven year old son asked me one day recently. I was a
bit taken aback by the question and curious why he was asking. He said there
wasn't any special reason, he was just wondering. But his question got me
thinking.
We are a very spiritual family and I had always stressed to my children that God
takes care of our needs. Many great things had happened to our family that had
shown God's love at work in our lives. There was the time that one of our
utilities was scheduled to be shut off. There was the time that one of our
utilities was scheduled to be shut off. The company had given me two extensions
and I was waiting for a late paycheck to arrive. I knew that God would help us,
in some fashion. When I called them to find out what time they were coming to
turn the utility off, the woman on the phone said, "You aren't scheduled for a
shut off, ma'am."
read more...
What do they know?
by Teri Worten Brooks from
SistersHelpingSisters.org
Even in today's sophisticated society, single parent families are often
stigmatized and thoughtlessly perceived as not entirely as functional as two
parent families. Most single moms can verify how such a stigma seems to linger
over our heads like a dark, ominous cloud. Men assume because we have children,
we are desperate for husbands, schools believe us to be operating with a
disability and very few churches have created ministries exclusively for us.
read more...
Finding security when leaving a job
by Peter Winterbottom from
Spirituality.Com
Our kids were two and three years old, and my wife and I were just barely paying
our rent and monthly expenses. But my marketing job didn't feel right. I
disagreed with decisions that were made by upper management that affected the
quality of our product and the way I was being asked to work with our clients.
"I really needed the job, but I didn't want it. I asked myself, 'What do I want
from a job?' " Was I trying to climb some ladder of success, or was I after
power or money? No. What I wanted was to do something I believed in and where I
felt I was making a unique contribution. The more I thought about what I
believed in, the more I knew I had to make a change.
read more...
Making Amends
by Tina Russell from
Spirituality.Com
The voice at the other end said, "I just want to make amends."
I almost dropped the phone. My prayers were being answered.
It was my ex-husband's wife. I had been praying for a resolution to our
conflicted relationship. And here she was, asking to talk to me!
read more...
Divine Day care
by Laura Matthews from
Spirituality.Com
My kids know from daycare.
Between the two of them, they were in ten different childcare situations before
the age of five. The stresses and changes in my life -- divorce, moving across
country, several different jobs -- required their care situations to change
frequently as well.
So, in light of the recent study about the effect of early daycare fluctuations
on children, I asked Carol and Chris (fourteen and nine now) if they thought all
those changes had left any kind of scar on them.
read more...
Handling sharks in my own home
Elizabeth G. Richards from
Spirituality.Com
When my daughters went off with their father for a two-week vacation, I shifted
with surprising ease from single parent to single person. I'd been to the movies
and dinner and was driving home in the Bronx, when I heard a radio report that
sharks had been sighted off the Jersey shore. The girls were staying right near
there.
read more...
Quiet down, there's an Angel coming
by Susan Boyd from
Spirituality.Com
My two-year-old never wanted to leave when I was ready. He would run away, or
scream, or hide, or all of the above.
A pattern had developed of me coaxing, then sternly commanding, and then
becoming angry. I did not like this behavior, and it got me nowhere in resolving
the problem. Obviously I needed a new tactic.
read more...
Question about an absent father
from Stephanie M.
It's really sad to tell your kid how his/her father left them. This is just
another true story of one of our SingleMom.com visitors like you.
I have a two and ½ year old daughter named Hayley. She just recently started
asking questions about her father, who left when I was still pregnant. Although
Hayley has never met her father, she realizes that other children do have
fathers and she has become very curious about that.
read more...
He left us
from SingleMom.com™ Forum
Imhere:
I was with him for 6 years. Last year he decided to leave for another woman and
now my daughter and I are trying to get our lives back on track. I know it is
very hard when you have a little baby. My daughter is 4 now. My husband left 1
month after her 3rd birthday.
read more...
Another frustrated Mom!
by Sally B.
I am a single mom that lives in Wisconsin and try to make ends meet. I have two
girls ages 7 and 8. One day my ex- husband came home and told me he wanted a
divorce... He was both verbally and physically abusive to me and still try the
mind games on me... We have been divorce since 1997...
read more...
Don' give up your dream!
by Monique Bussiere
When I found out that I was pregnant, I was only 17. I felt like my dreams to
become successful in a career were shattered. I have always wanted to become a
pharmacist and I knew that following my dreams to do this would require ten
times the work that I would need to do on my own. Especially since the father
decided he did not want to be involved. I decided to pursue my dream anyway.
People are always telling me to do something that won't require so much efforts
to get into the college because it would take some time away from my son. Yet, I
know that he will benefit in the end by being proud of the career I chose and we
will be financially stable.
read more...
Frustrated single mom
by S. Boss
I don't know where to begin but I'm so frustrated with life. I've been divorced
since 1991 and my ex husband still interferes with my life. He thinks he can
still abuse me because I was at fault for divorcing him! I divorced him
because he was an alcoholic and he hasn't been sober since...
read more...
I can do this... so can you
by Sheran Marie
Mother of Breanna 12 years, Desirea 9 years, Lexi Mae 23 months, & Levi 9 months
Somedays...
Somedays just waking up in the mornings, I feel anxiety. Make the bottles for
pre-school, get myself showered and dressed, fix my hair, and though I cut it
short, it seems it just takes longer to style, wake the babies, get them
dressed, wake the older girls, to start their day, because if I do not, past
experience tells me that I will come home at 4 PM and find them still in
pajamas. Provide a list of "Must Do's", "Must Not Do's", and "May Do If Must
Do's Are Finished."
read more...
Moving on
by La Juana R. Brown from
Spirituality.Com
At the time of my divorce I thought my world was ending. I felt sorry for myself
and my sons since it felt that we were all losing. Then something wonderful
happened. After the tears and the immediate effects, I rediscovered the path I
was on before detouring for a man I thought would grow with me. The onslaught of
pain shielded the beauty of moving on.
read more...
It's really not that bad
by Kathryn Tsintzas
First of all... I would like to thank you for creating this Web site! I think a
lot of us "single moms" feel all alone in this world. It's nice to know there
are others out there just like me.
None of my friends are single mothers, they are all "Happily Married?!" It just
makes it harder to relate to each other.
read more...
My son asked me for a father
by Janice Saunders from
Spirituality.Com
The day I realized I was going to be a mom, I went through many of the emotions
every woman feels: "Will I be a good mom?" "What will he/she look like?" 'Will
it be a boy or a girl?" I went through names and tried to imagine the face of my
newborn much in advance of the date of birth. Knowing I was going to be going it
alone, I also thought about how I would be a super mom we all want to be for our
kids, and that I would have some wonderfully brilliant and heartfelt saying for
my child when he asked about his other parent.
read more...
Less is more
by Lisa Henning, Dallas, TX - from Single Parents Online Networks
please
visit
www.SingleParentsOnline.net
I used to be called "Super Woman" or "Super Mom" by many friends and
acquaintances because I was involved in numerous school committees and church
groups. When I wasn't at a PTA meeting or at a church function I was shuttling
my three girls to softball, piano, guitar, and dance lessons, brownies and girl
scouts, or any other numerous activities from school. If a group at the school
or church needed a volunteer then I was always called, and nine times out of ten
I would cheerfully comply with their request. In my mind and heart I truly
believed that every thing I did was for my girls' benefit, thinking that just
because their father had walked out on us they were not going to be denied a
full and rewarding childhood. Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead!
read more...
Unrealistic
by Joy @ SingleMom.com™
Picture this... A woman flawlessly dressed, ready for work. Her children are
prepared for school, eagerly awaiting their mother in a perfectly clean house.
How realistic is this? Is this the way it is in your home when you are getting
ready for work and need to get the kids off to daycare or school?
read more...
Suddenly single mom
by Rebecca from
www.Stretcher.com
I became a single mother in 1994 when I chose to leave an abusive marriage. We
had our share of problems including our different opinions about money. My ex
was a compulsive spender and was usually at any given time half a year's income
in debt. I on the other hand have always been a saver. I do not know if this was
a learned behavior, perhaps, since my mother required me to save 10% of my
allowance and later my income and tithe another 10%. On my own, these numbers
have increased to 30/10. I live off of 60% of my income. This is not easy but it
is do-able.
read more...
Technological Literacy
From Edventures.com
A weekly newsletter for families and educators committed to building brighter
futures for kids in a technology-rich society.
THIS WEEK: AN INVITATION TO SUBSCRIBE AND CREATIVITY LESSONS!!
Thanks to everyone who has continued to write and request additional newsletters
as well as request access to prior issues. We took a break during the summer to
prepare a better system for managing our archives, to guarantee better service
for our readers, and to redesign the newsletter. The news in a nutshell:
read more...
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9 Cash-Saving Tips That Pay Big Bucks
complaintsboard.com
The expression "a penny saved is a penny earned" doesn't cut it these days. But saving a few dollars here and there can add up...
read
more...
Try out these Thanksgiving recipes from tasteofhome
You May Have Too Much Debt But You Also Have Options
How Life Works
If you feel like you're in over your head with personal debt, you're not alone. Millions of Americans have become overextended, many as a result of easy credit and the recessions. Credit cards, medical bills, personal loans and raising interest rates do not make a good financial mix.
read more...
Suze Orman's Recession Rescue Plan - helps you survive in times of financial crisis
OPRAH.com
Do you know what your family would do if you lost your job - or worse, your home? Financial expert Suze Orman is ready to help you
devise a recession rescue plan to survive - and possibly thrive - during this deepening financial crisis...
read more...
Could fat babies mean fat toddlers?
A new study from Harvard Medical School found that babies who gained weight quickly had a sharply higher risk of obesity. The study
followed close to 600 babies and found those in the top quarter of weight for their length at 6 months had a 40 percent higher risk of
obesity by age 3 than smaller babies.
read
more...
The 10-Ingredient Shopping Trip
By Tara Parker-Pope and Mark Bittman
... In his latest “How to Cook Everything” segment on the Today Show, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman makes it
surprisingly easy to cook a week’s worth of dinners with just a 10-ingredient shopping trip.
read
more...
Finding last-minute tuition money
There's still time to find funds for this semester's college tuition. But you'll have to move quickly.
By Gerri Willis
It's only a couple of weeks or even days until school begins. And if you don't think you'll be able to get a handle on your college
tuition bill, here with your guide to last minute money.
read more...
Short-term Payday Loans
econ4u.org
...Which are more expensive, late fees or short-term loans?...
A short-term payday loan can be a better option than overdraft fees, reconnect fees, late payment fees or a damaged credit rating when
the loan is repaid promptly. However, these loans are not suited for longer repayment periods...
Being realistic about budgeting can help avoid the need for short-term borrowing.
read more...
Your Just-in-Case Emergency Plan
by RealSimple
Who do you call if you can't make it home in time to meet the kids' bus? Who do
you trust to take in your mail when you're on vacation? Who do you trust with
the extra set of keys to your house?
read
more...
How to save $10,000 in 2009
By Liz Pulliam Weston
If you were hoping for a list of small tweaks you could make in your spending to save $10,000 a year, sorry. The reality is that
$10,000 is a lot of money. And saving big money usually means making big changes in the areas where we spend the most, such as:
Housing, Transportation, Food.
read
more...
The Super, Sexy, Single Mom on a Budget
by Renee Rayles
A quick reference guide designed for the busy, single mom who has
little time to read while running the mom taxi, cooking dinner, helping with homework, and trying to fit in a date night every now and
then.
32 and Counting? Finding Your Happily Ever After Today
by Gi Gi
The author talks about the struggles a single mom goes through and the discovery that you can have HEAT (Happily Ever After Today) just
as you are, being single, taking care of your kids...
read more...
Single Mothers &
Male Role-Models / Mentors
Single mothers carry an enormous load of responsibility, especially those having sole and/or primary custody of minor children. They
nourish, they nurture, they teach, they discipline, they shelter, they protect, and they provide… all without the assistance of another
equally-invested adult.
read more...
Your 5-minute guide to protecting your identity
20 steps to protect yourself from identity theft, and seven ways to clean up things if you become a victim.
read more...
TheOnlineMom.com offers parents and consumers a guide to the top-rated, age-appropriate, kid-tested and parent-approved tech toys and gifts.
read more...
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
by Jeff Kinney
For those wondering why tween boys don’t read very much, the answer is that more books aren’t like this...
read more...
Get more self-confidence
Psychiatrist Gail Saltz and body language expert Janine Driver discuss ways to gain more confidence.
read more...
Get back in the game! Dating after divorce
Dr. Laura Berman offers smart strategies for finding romance again
TODAYShow.com contributor
Dating is often a risky and adrenaline-pumping adventure, but when you date after divorce, hearts aren’t the only commodities on the line. Between kids, potential step-relations, money issues and exes, dating after divorce can be a tricky and stressful undertaking.
Rather than delve into this stress, many divorcees choose to isolate themselves from dating and romance.
read more...
HowToDoThings.com
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Is resource with a multitude of "How-To" topics. For instance, single moms can find helpful information about family life with informative articles on the topic of "Building a Family". HowToDoThings.com presents expert-contributed information on a wide variety of family-related topics, including adoption, pregnancy & birth, parenting, and celebrating family events. Some of our most popular articles are on subjects like "How to Understand a Fetal Monitor", "How to Prepare for Breast Feeding while Pregnant", "How to Set Up an Inflatable Birthing Pool", "How to Choose Nanny Agencies", and "How to Buy Infant or Baby Cribs".
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read more...
My Story as a Single Mom
by Gail Showalter
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Author Gail Showalter is looking for stories from single mothers to use as examples in a book that will reveal how personalities affect the different ways we handle difficulties. This submission should tell of a situation that you found yourself in as a single mother. It should tell what you did and relate that to your own personality and temperament. In other words, why you did what you did when another person of a different temperament probably would have done it entirely differently given the same circumstances. To find out more about the submission, CLICK HERE.
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read more...
The Breast Cancer Site
Please support the site sponsors, above, that make The Breast Cancer Site possible -- they pay for the mammograms your daily click provides. 100% of collected revenue from site sponsorships goes to pay for mammograms. Your click, along with others today, will fund free mammograms for women in need.
read more...
Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
Breast cancer affects all women, young and old, directly and indirectly. This is why the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation www.komen.org stresses the importance of the breast self exam, the mammogram and early detection during October and throughout the year.
read more...
Your opinion is worth something at Survey Adventure. We find survey companies
everyday that pay you for giving your opinion.
Let's face it. Companies need your input to make better products. Get cash for
giving your 2 cents.
 Start Now! Click Here
Teens Report Parental Inattention to Their Important "Rites of Passage" has high price tag
by Amanda Bach
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Almost half of America’s high school teens report parental inattention to what they consider to be key transitions during their adolescence, according to a SAAD.org study released. The study suggests that this lack of timely parental involvement in important “rites of passage” comes with a high price tag: the potential for dangerous behaviors that can lead to illness, injury, or death as teens seek alternative milestones to demonstrate growing maturity and independence.
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read more...
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