A Cleaning Tip for Removing Nail Polish from Your Couch!

Ladies love nail polish. Weather you're a paralegal trying to look a bit more put together in the office, or a stay at home mother just looking to add a flair to your wardrobe. I have many different colors of nail polish in my home. And try as I might to keep them away from my children, they managed to find a lovely bottle of dark purple nail polish. Being that they are two and love to paint, my couch received a very lovely Jackson Pollock make-over. Needless to say I freaked out. I have a nice micro-fiber sectional that was now destroyed. I tried everything I could think of to fix it and believe it or not I was able to completely clean my couch. Here is how I managed to remove dark purple nail polish completely from my tan couch.

Step 1: Oxi-Clean
Use the Product Oxi-Clean with water to create a paste. Cover the entire affected area with the paste. Allow to sit until the paste becomes crunchy.

Step 2: Remove the excess Oxi-clean.
You don't want to wet the spot at this time. Just use a small broom or your hand to rub off the hard pieces of the oxi-clean that still remains.

Step 3: Nail Polish Remover.
Using a non acetone nail polish remover, gently apply it directly to the surface of the coach. Use a paper towel to blot away the color from the nail polish.

Step 4: Use a Spot shampooer to clean the area.
Using just clean water, rinse the remaining oxi-clean and nail polisher remover from the fabric. If a shampooer is not available, use a damp sponge and moisten the area and blot away the excess.

Once the process has been completed and your couch has dried, your cushions should look as good as new. I know it seems like an involved process, but it's easier than replacing a sofa. The Oxi-clean acts as a barrier, keeping the color from bleeding in to the fabric. It also prevents the nail polish remover from damaging the fabric.  I would not recommend using this process on leather. I hope my adventures with my children can help you in the future.

Holidays as a Mom

When we were children, holidays were magical. They were filled with bright lights, presents, and laughs with family. They are some of our greatest memories. However, when you are an adult they are definitely more stressful. You have your finals in your online nursing courses and overtime at work. We are in over drive trying to pay for presents and clean for the in-laws. It's hard to feel anything but stress. Here are a few helpful tips to help take some stress off of your holiday season.

Tip 1: Make a schedule for the week of your holiday.
Holidays are incredibly busy, especially if you are traveling. Make a list of everything that you must accomplish before you are able to celebrate. Use this list to create a schedule of what will be accomplished and when. This will help you to feel more in control and less like you're living in the land of holiday chaos.

Tip 2: Buy your supplies before you need them.
If you know that you will be cooking dinner for guest, there is no harm in getting a jump on the grocery shopping. Last minute holiday grocery trips are far more hectic and time consuming.

Tip 3: Be realistic.
A large portion of our holiday stress comes from trying to be over the top. The truth is we only have so much energy to use. We are not super heroes, though we surely try. It's okay if you didn't get to the center piece made from lemon roses or if you weren't able to make all the side dishes you wanted. The real requirement for any spectacular family holiday is love.

Tip 4: Enjoy the little things.
Many times when I'm starting to become truly stressed out I ask my children if they are excited about the festivities. I ask them their favorite part of what is about to unfold. It helps me center myself and realize that they re already having a great time. It's also fun to take a break and share some hot cocoa or get a hug. It helps to remind us what the point of all this mayhem really is.

Tip 5: Wear your children out.
Holidays are magical, but for young children there is a lot of down time. This is a great chance to get them outside. Have the grandparents take the little ones outside to run a bit. This will help to reduce the number of bodies in the kitchen. Tired children are also more likely to behave at the dinner table.

Tip 6: It is alright to ask for help.
Especially when we are hosting the holidays, there is a lot of stress and anxiety about making everything perfect. Women are expected to be the home maker, chef, the nurturing mother, and attentive hostess. The truth is we do a great job juggling those hat, but every now and then it is just overwhelming. This is when it's time to delegate. Ask your spouse to run to the store if you're out of milk. Order a turkey for thanksgiving if you are not going to have the time or oven space to cook it. Ask your sister to watch the children while your preparing dinner. These are all great times to get a bit of help. Trust me they won't mind or think less of you for it.

As long as we are the engineers behind our children's holiday's they are always going to be a bit worry-some. But our parents tried to keep the magic alive for us and we owe it to our children to do the same. Parents are amazing and tough. We are creative and caring. We selflessly wear ourselves to the bone to give the best that we can to our children. Try to remember to take time for yourself this holiday season. Relax and have a laugh with your loved ones. After all, what is the point of all this work if you can't enjoy it with your children. I hope these tips will make relaxing this holiday season just a little bit easier.

Rebelling Against Mother-hood Stereotypes

Being a mother is the toughest job in the world. It is a guaranteed lifetime commitment and there is no retirement. It is very easy when juggling your many commitments to loose what makes you unique. Prior to becoming a parent you might have been known as a fantastic medical transcriptional or  as the attractive woman in chemistry class, but now you are the nurturing light in a tiny beings life. We define ourselves in many ways, but when our whole existence revolves around another person it's easy to put ourselves on the back burner and live strictly for our children.
The sad truth is that one day our children will become their own people and we will be left with a void in our self imagine. That is why it is incredibly important for mother's to maintain their individuality. As a society, we have an image of what a mother is supposed to be ingrained in us. When we think of a mom, we think of the stereotypical fifties house mom with fresh-baked cookies and a polka dotted dress. The truth is I don't know a single woman that is or wants to be that way. However, society sees motherhood as a time to try and conform to as close to that fifties image as you can. Too often, I see moms that hide their true selves to better fit the ideal mom. Mothers that once danced to their own beat are now becoming soccer moms with a mini van and a pink sweater from Old Navy. It's not natural to suppress your personality.
I personally have decided to rebel against the stereotype by having purple hair. This choice is not one for everyone, but I have always been a bit of a rocker chick and I feel it expresses my pre-motherhood self. Obviously, I don't have the time I once did to attend concerts and mingle with musicians, but I still listen to my hardcore music and am trying to stay true to myself. I have found that by maintaining my individuality, I am more prone encourage individuality in my children. I think it is important to encourage self awareness at a young age and I have been leading by example.
Don't get me wrong, motherhood forces you to rethink your priorities and for a lack of a better word grow up, but it doesn't mean you have to completely sacrifice yourself. I know when I first became a stay at home mom I was excited. I wanted to give my children all the love and affection in their younger years that they deserve. It didn't take long before I felt like Rosie from the Jetsons. I felt like a robot buzzing around my home mindless. I no longer felt like the opinionated passionate artistic person I once was. I was a mom-bot with no other purpose than to service the needs of my family from the moment I woke up until I went to bed. That's when I realized that to help my family I had to help myself.
I have been significantly happier just by making baby-sets towards blending the two me s together. Like the southern saying goes "If momma ain't happy no one's happy". By becoming a more complete version of my self I have been living a more fulfilled and happy life. Everyone has their own path to their true self, mine just happened to be through purple hair. I hope that my story inspires you to go out and reconnect with the real you.

Keeping Calm When Your Child is Throwing a Fit

It's every parents nightmare. You are having a busy day buying your Pharmacy tech books from the college bookstore and then it happens. Your child starts to melt down. She starts to fuss and pull on the magazine rack spilling the fashion magazines and college life magazines from the racks. You frantically try to pick up the mess without stepping out of line and that's when she starts screaming and flailing about. You can feel the heat rising up to your ears. How do you defuse your anger and calm your child? Here are a few tips for calming everyone down without having to leave without your books. These tips can be used for any melt down situation.

Tip 1: Take a Deep Breath.
Try and remember that your child is bored. This is not a place she would ever want to be. She also doesn't have the patience that you do. Many times your child feeds off your anxiety and if you are stressed it can escalate the problem.

Tip 2: Try and Distract your Child.
Often times your child's tantrums will get out of control because the child forgets why their upset. Try and start a game. My son's favorite distracting game was finding wild animals in normal places. He would look around and try to find tiger pictures in stores. You could also try I spy with colors or objects. It's easier than you think to distract your child. Keep encouraging your child to play the game.

Tip 3: Your Purse is a Wonderland.
Believe it or not, your purse may be the answer to your problem. In many cases, your purse may have a means of distraction. Many younger children enjoy playing with keys, while slightly older children might enjoy drawing on a receipt or scrap of paper. If you know you are going to a high stress area, trying bringing a few small toys that you know will easily distract your child.

Tip 4: Follow Through With Punishment.
If you warm your child that their actions have consequences, then you must follow through. By following through with you warning, it will deter your child from loosing control the next time. Being consistent shows your child you mean business. This is very important with children over 2 years old.  

Tip 5: Food is Your Best Friend:
Almost anywhere you go has some snack you can purchase. Try to stay away from candy, because you don't want to encourage your child to miss behave. Try a granola bar if available or crackers. It never hurts to keep a few back up snacks in your purse as a back up for all outings.  Children like dogs are very food oriented. It's a great way to distract them from just how bored they really are.

Tip 6: Be a Bit Silly.
It might seem a bit degrading, but kids love a clown. I'm not saying paint your face and put on a wig, but the essence of a clown is being silly. Make silly faces with your child and ask them to do it back to you. At this point, anything to prevent the full on melt down is worth it. You don't have to make faces the whole time. If you see your child start to become impatient, it's time to intervene.

All parents know that we fear taking our children in to these high pressure situations. In all honesty, we enjoy being at the school book store, or post-office about as much as they do. Try and keep that in mind as you calm them down. Maintaining a positive attitude is the key to surviving these little trials, but also the key to preventing future incidences. Eventually, your child will see that these trips are almost fun, as long as they behave. I hope these tips help you and your children in the future. It's never easy being a parent, but it's completely worth it.