Musing Mommies Podcast Episode 141 Monday January 30th 2012

You are wandering through the grocery store, tossing the usual items in your cart when you spy a new item on the shelf that catches your eye. “Healthy!” it says. “Good for you!” it shouts. “Made from all natural ingredients!” it proclaims. So you toss it in the cart because you think you are making a healthy choice. But are you? Do you take the time to check the label, or do you trust that the dirty brown recycled packaging tells the whole truth?

This week the Musing Mommies Podcasters, Kim and Dawn, talk about what we really put in our grocery basket and what steps we take to make sure we are feeding our families the best possible foods we can afford. Tune in to find out what we think about what is in YOUR cart!

Also MuMo Dawn and Kim review Kristi Yamaguchi’s newest book It’s a Big World Little Pig.

Until next time,

~Dawn and Kim

Please share us with your friends and family! We can be found here: Facebook, Twitter, iTunes, Miro, Stitcher and on iPods and mp3 players around the world! We want to hear from you too, so contact us today and say HI!

Email: Kim (at) musingmommies.com -or- Dawn (at) musingmommies.com

LINKS:

Lies Women Believe

Kristi Yamaguchi

It’s a Big World Little Pig

Dream Big Little Pig

Musing Mommies Podcast Episode 89 Tuesday December 14th 2010

This week, Musing Mommies fashionistas Kim and Dawn tackle the subject of personal style.  The MuMos discuss the best places to shop, what looks great on any body type and what you need to do to create the perfect look for YOU.

uh…

Not really – Kim and Dawn need HELP!  Listen in as Kim discusses her shopping frustrations and her search for a personal style.  And as a bonus, Dawn reveals that she really, truly is a nut case.

Until next time,
~Dawn and Kim

Please share us with your friends! We are on Facebook, Twitter, iTunes, Miro, and on iPods and mp3 players around the world! We want to hear from you too, so contact us today and say HI!
Email: Kim or Dawn (at) musingmommies.com
Voicemail: 213-280-5327

Musing Mommies Podcast Episode 84 Monday November 8th 2010

Have you ever had just one of those weeks when everything is a mess or is stressful or is just down right crazy??  Is that every week for you too?  No, just me? Ok.  Well, after a crazy, hectic, stressful week for the Musing Mommies, Kim and Dawn are here to say, “We survived!!”

Listen in as we discuss adventures in nature, travel and single parenting and then stay tuned to find out where you can purchase a llama.

Seriously.

Until next time,
~Kim and Dawn

Please share us with your friends! We are on Facebook, Twitter, iTunes, Miro, and on iPods and mp3 players around the world! We want to hear from you too, so contact us today and say HI!
Email: Kim or Dawn (at) musingmommies.com
Voicemail: 213-280-5327

LINKS|Bits and Pieces|James Avery|Constructive Playthings|The Paragon|King Arthur Flour|The most important gift catalog in the world

Musing Mommies Podcast Episode 71 Monday August 10th 2010

Ok, you’ve refilled your anti-anxiety meds, you’ve stocked up on chocolate and you’ve had your massage and mani/pedi.  You are ready for Back to School!!

Oh wait – no, that’s not how we do it.  Or is it?

How do you get ready for Back to School? Well, here in the Austin area, school starts up in 2 weeks.  And this week on The Musing Mommies, Kim and Dawn talk about gearing up for sending the little ones off.  Listen in on our preparation, and let us know what your back to school ritual is by leaving us a comment below.

Until next time,
~Kim and Dawn

Download this episode (right click and save)

Musing Mommies Podcast Episode 67 Monday July 12th 2010

Ok, this time I am gonna do it! I bought the Sunday paper, I spent an hour clipping and clipping, I stuffed all the tiny pieces of paper into an organized pocket folder and I am off to the grocery store! Woo hoo, gonna save some money! Right?

Right?

WRONG!

I don’t know about you, but the $.25 here and the $.50 there doesn’t even make up for the $2 I spent on the newspaper! And half of the time I forget the coupon holder or I don’t get around using the coupons until they are expired. I spend more time cleaning out the “organized” holder of all the expired coupons than I spend using the darn things and saving money. There has to be a better way!!

Well guess what Musing Mommies, there IS! This week the Musing Mommies podcast has an exciting interview with THE Coupon Goddess!  And what a Goddess she is! You are not going to BELIEVE how much money the fabulous Melanie saves and even MAKES on her weekly shopping trips.

Melanie truly is a goddess too in that she helps Kim, Dawn and YOU find a simple way to start using those coupons, finding the deals and take the first step down the path to super savings. You must tune in to find out just how she does it, and how you can do it too.

Until next time,
~Kim and Dawn

LINKS|thecoupongodess|totally target|a full cup|hip 2 save|

{Guest Blogger}

Life Coach Susan Liddy, MA, PCC, CPCC

I’ve always said that moms have the toughest job on the planet. Not only do they care for their own children, but they often willingly take on responsibility for their children’s friends, their relatives’ children, and any other child who comes along needing mothering! In Mom’s heart, there is room for everyone and plenty of nurturing to go around… also for a husband or boyfriend, and one day maybe even her own parents.

It’s easy to see how a Mom could put herself last on the priority list… or worse… forget about herself entirely while she looks after everyone else.

Do you remember how you took care of yourself before you had children? What were your dreams? Ambitions? What was your daily routine like? Chances are, you made your needs important… and you allowed yourself free time just for you.

Of course, once you’re a mom, it’s no longer easy to fit in that workout, let alone make time for daydreams and other simple pleasures that you once took for granted. These days, you’re busy planning your day carefully, trying to fit it all in before time runs out.  A busy mom quickly learns to go with the flow in her tumultuous life. School meetings and appointments are often rescheduled; kids fall sick unexpectedly; soccer games get rained out and friends break plans. Not to mention, the unexpected surprise of a forgotten overdue bill that needs attention, a car breakdown, or any number of inconveniences that can wreak havoc on your day!

Despite all this… you must remember one thing. YOU are still just as important as you ever were. In fact, let me rephrase that. YOU are even MORE important than you ever were. So, Mom, please don’t forget, in the midst of caring for everyone else, that it is critical that you make time to take care of YOU!

Ways to care for yourself:

Plan out your schedule a day or two in advance so you can fit yourself in there somewhere. Develop a routine that you can stick to during “off hours” when things are the least hectic. For example, maybe you designate Sunday as shopping and cooking day. This way, you can prepare nutritious meals for your family in advance, then freeze single servings that they can heat and eat as needed. This will free up so much dinner making time Monday through Saturday, which will make your life a whole lot easier.

Have backup babysitters available. Wouldn’t it be great to know that there’s a stay-at-home mom in your neighborhood who has room to watch more child on a day when you really need it? Or how about having the freedom to take a Saturday night off while the kids stay at home in the care of a local teen or senior? Interview your sitters in advance and get referrals. If you can’t afford babysitting, do kid swaps with other parents.

Have once a week date night with your S.O…. and make it something special. Just because you’ve been married many years or had yourself a bunch of kids doesn’t make you any less deserving of a night out alone with the one you love. Go out to a nice restaurant, catch a movie, meet up with friends or have them take you out dancing. Wear that new skirt you bought and don’t forget the lipstick. Having a social life and a little romance now and then will keep a spring in your step and a sparkle in your eye. Mom needs that every once in a while!

Schedule group play dates for your children and other moms. As the kids socialize, so can you. This is also a great way to make new friends if you’re new to the neighborhood or just haven’t had the time to meet people. Seek out child-friendly places to take your kids, that you’ll also enjoy. If you have preschoolers, get everyone together for lunch at the local park where the little ones can swing and slide while you chitchat.

Take a day off! Even Mom needs to recharge her batteries every once in a while. If your children are in school, maybe instead of spending the day working, cleaning and paying bills, you can play hooky from your responsibilities for a spell. Hit the beach, spend the afternoon window shopping, meet an old friend for lunch or take in a local museum or other culture.

Finally, consider that you are a role model for your children. How you take care of yourself reflects not only on how they will treat themselves when they become adults, but also how much effort they’ll expect their own wives or husbands to put into self care. You want your kids to grow up feeling fulfilled and happy as adults, yes? Taking care of you is NOT selfish; it’s actually a gift to yourself and others. After all… the more you put in, the more you’ll get out in the way of a happy and fulfilled life.

About the Author:

Life Coach Susan Liddy, MA, PCC, CPCC is the founder and CEO of AspireLifeCoaching.org, a life coaching company on a mission to empower women globally. Susan is the author of the “Secrets to Ultimate Living; What you wish you knew when you were 20!” and an active contributor to many blogs, including her own blog, SecretsToUltimateLiving.com.

Click here to get FREE access to Life Coach Susan’s Passages to Empowerment Video Series: Passages to Empowerment Video Series

(We are helping to promote Susan’s programs. In gratitude, Susan pays us a commission for any referrals who sign up.)

I have a love/hate relationship with Grocery shopping!  I like to go by myself. I do not like going with the kids.  It’s just not fun or even very productive when they are with me.  So I schedule shopping when they are at school.  Now I like to browse, when I have time, up and down the isles reading ingredients and doing some comparison shopping. I also like to listen to my ipod. I get in some good podcast, audiobook, or music time in and it makes the trip more enjoyable.  I also like to go prepared. I try my best not to forget my reusable bags and my Cozi shopping list.

Now what really irks me is when I can’t find something I really need/want.  Like the special holiday creamer!  Why is it that out of the four grocers that I have closest to me only one of them has it in stock?  Grrr now I love my HEB and there are three very close to me. My fav being the furthest away. The HEB Plus and the older less attractive and smallest HEB being the closest. I really do not enjoy shopping at the old HEB. But for some reason they are the ONLY one carrying the special creamer right now.  Yet at the checkout I am printed a nice little coupon for this special creamer.  Doesn’t make sense to me. Here is a coupon but we won’t have it in stock for a couple of weeks.

So how do you feel about grocery shopping?  Do you love it?  Hate it? Won’t do it?  Or are you indifferent?

~Kim

That creamer is hard to find anywhere.  Every year it is a scramble to find the bottles in the stores.  And the stores don’t put it in the most obvious of places either.  They still can’t keep it on the shelves.

But shopping in general, yes, I love me some alone shopping time.  Shopping with the kids is a hassle.  Just to keep them happy you have to get the massive cart that is impossible to steer.  You have to bring snacks and beverages and 99% of the time I can’t just get what I came for because at some point I will get talked into buying something for the kids.  It is so nice to go alone and skip the toy grabber games at the end; to push the small cart or even, *gasp* carry a hand basket!  It is fun to peruse the specialty item section without having to worry about the baby pulling a pricey bottle of truffle oil off the shelves.

But, like Kim, I do hate it the most when the one item I go in for isn’t there. Grrr!

~Dawn

The Musing Mommies Kim and Dawn have some exciting news!

You know how much we talk about HEB.  We love it, we shop there and we buy the HEB products.  But, did you know that HEB sells more than just groceries?!?

I KNOW!

They do! HEB has thousands of items for every room in your home.  And this Halloween HEB wants you to know that they are your one-stop-shop for all things Halloween related.  HEB has costumes, makeup, decorations, candy and anything else you could need for a Spooktastic Celebration!

I know, I sound like a commercial.

Well, HEB contacted the Musing Mommies and they have generously offered us a chance to give our Texas listeners a very special gift!!!

You could win a $20 HEB Gift Card!!

All you have to do is leave us a comment in this post.

And because it wouldn’t be a MuMo giveaway without more than one way to enter, we are allowing you 2 chances at this awesome prize!!

1) leave a comment letting us know – What is your FAVORITE HEB brand item?

2) leave a separate comment telling us – WHERE is your favorite HEB store?

That’s all you have to do!

The Details:
Contest ends Friday, November 6th. Comments will be closed at 8PM CST.  We will select a winner by picking a random comment number through Random.org and the winner will be announced on our show and notified via email.

Contest open to Texas residents only, 18 years or older. HEB will ship the gift card to you.

How AWESOME is HEB?!? Many thanks to them!

We can’t wait to see what you shop for at HEB!
~Kim and Dawn

For information on what HEB has to offer this Halloween, please visit the following links:

o H-E-B Main Halloween page – http://bit.ly/HEBhalloween

o H-E-B Costumes – http://bit.ly/HEBcostumes

o H-E-B Halloween savings – http://bit.ly/HEBsavings

o H-E-B Halloween sweets and recipes – http://bit.ly/HEBsweets

Musing Mommies Podcast Episode 21, August 10th, 2009

Do you smell that? It’s that wonderful concoction of new sneakers, Big Chief notebooks and those impossibly fat pencils.  It’s new lunchboxes, the chemical smell from the new backpack and anxiety sweat all mixed into one.  Mmmmm!

It’s Back To School Time!! {and there was much rejoicing}

This week on Musing Mommies, Kim and Dawn discuss all things Back to School.  The MuMos tell you what you need (clothes, check! mimosas, check!), where the deals are (Tax Free Weekend anyone?!?) and how to cope (coffee, girl talk and of course, mimosas!).

So listen in as we help you get prepared to tackle the crowds and check everything off your list!

Until next time,
Kim and Dawn

~what’s that? No one uses Big Chief anymore?? Skinny pencils!! No way! :-O

Links: About.com|amazingmoms.com|school-lunch-ideas.com|lunchinabox.net|justbento.com

Musing Mommies Podcast Episode 13, June 14, 2009

Alright MuMo listeners – this may be the episode for YOU! Musing Mommies Kim and Dawn talk about ways to save MONEY!!! And we all need a little of that, right?  Whether you are looking to tighten your belt by saving money at home, on the go or on line, Kim and Dawn have tons of tips and information that will easily save you a few bucks.

Get comfy, get cozy and get ready to improve your budget! Click on the link below and enjoy!

Until next time,
Kim and Dawn

Links-[mommysavers][mamamoneysavers][mommyswishlist][gasbuddy][ebates][half price books][amazon kindle][craigslist][Fry's electronics][ebay motors][design your own water bottle][freecycle]