The 21st Century SAHM

8 Reasons Why I’m Not Allowed to Shop at Whole Foods

December 26, 2015

I have a confession, something that no 2016 suburban SAHM should be admitting, out loud anyway. Here goes: I don’t shop at Whole Foods. (Gasp!) And my reasoning behind it isn’t really a good one. The truth is, the nearest Whole Foods is an extra 15 minute drive farther than the closest grocery store to my house. So mostly it’s just laziness that’s keeping me from the holy organic grail that is Whole Foods.

But honestly, if I did drag my three cranky kids those extra few miles to this all-natural Jessica Alba love sanctuary, I don’t think they’d let me in. Because the thing is, our household is stuck halfway between overachieving and pulling up the caboose on the mediocrity train. For example …

1. We drink organic milk, but it’s cow’s milk. Ugh, right? Milk from another animal?! Sickos we are.

2. I make my own homemade mac and cheese, but I use pre-packaged shredded cheese. Is it any better than the powdered-gonna-kill-my-whole-family-with-chemicals stuff in the box? I honestly don’t know. Continue Reading

When Will Your Child Poop? Find out in Science of Parenthood! (A book review)

The 21st Century SAHM

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December 23, 2015

Ok friends, this is the real deal. This is THE book to buy for yourself for those loooooong in the trenches days of parenthood when you desperately need some humor. This is also THE book to give as a gift to another parent—a parent also in the throes of it all, or someone who is about to be a parent (Ha! Guess what’s coming?!) and even a veteran parent whose kids are grown and gone and needs a reminder of how hilarious (and scientific!) it all was.

Science of Parenthood: Thoroughly Unscientific Explanations for Utterly Baffling Parenting Situations by Norine Dworkin-McDaniel and Jessica Ziegler is in its own category. Humor, science, stories, cartoons… There is no other book like it. You will learn such definitions as

Newton’s Third Law of (E)motion:

Unleashing the Inner Strengths of Young Women: A Review of Brave Girls

The 21st Century SAHM

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December 9, 2015

“What are you afraid will happen if you stand up for something you believe in?”

Brave Girls: Raising Young Women with Passion and Purpose to Become Powerful Leaders by Stacey Radin, PsyD & Leslie Goldman, asks this question. Why are girls afraid of being powerful? Why is the word “feminist” a dirty word? Through her description of a program called Unleashed, in which middle school girls work as animal rights activists to help and protect dogs, the concepts of power and feminism are broken down. And by the end, these are no longer bad words.

A passionate feminist herself, author Stacey Radin fought her entire life to prove herself and to be seen beyond the lowered expectations placed upon her because she was a girl. From being chastised for punching back because “girls don’t punch”, to being told she was “smarter than she looked”, Stacey often found herself frustrated at girls’ and women’s lack of power. It was this drive that molded her into what she self-describes as “headstrong and feisty, challenging and very independent”—characteristics many find unbecoming of women and girls, but characteristics that are crucial if they want to be leaders. Continue Reading