Serendipity Mommy

For happy, healthy, thriving moms

Your Essential Guide to Balancing School, Work, and Family

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Do you want to go back to school but are having issues balancing school, work and family? Here’s how you can be the ultimate mom and still get a degree.

Meet Super Mom. She cooks, cleans, chauffeurs, helps with homework, and still finds time for herself. She has personal and professional goals and she’s working towards them, one schedule-packed day at a time.

While being a mom is already a full-time gig in itself, 70% of moms work. Modern motherhood has transformed, allowing us to take on additional roles and career prospects. We can be all things, while still balancing school work and family.

Mom fails…they happen. Read on for the best ways to avoid them, all while balancing your education, career, and family.

Education

Many moms wonder how to work full-time and go to school. Whether you’re finishing your degree or starting over in a fresh new field, it can be done.

Technology gives a full-time mom more opportunity to enhance her education from the comforts of home. Many top accredited universities offer online business programs, providing flexibility for working moms.

When balancing school work and family, it’s important to first do your research on online degree programs. Follow these tips for selecting online courses that are right for you and your family, or click here to learn more about the benefits and process of getting your MBA online.

Ah, the quiet hour. That time of the day when your child is either peacefully napping or has just gone down for the night. If you’re a full-time mom and student, this is where those time management skills are going to come into play.

Career

Who’s the boss? It may seem like your child is, but in reality, you report to a superior.

Maintaining open communication with work colleagues is key. Make sure they are well informed and have plenty of notice when it comes to appointments or school functions that may interfere with work hours.

Sundays are for meal prep, and it’s going to make your work week demands much more manageable. Pre-prepping or packing lunch for the week saves time and lets you use your lunch break to get in an extra study session.

Utilizing public transportation to and from work also frees up your schedule. Take the bus, train, or Uber, so you can study or answer work emails on the go.

Family

Repeat this: Mom hard, work hard, and play hard. Mothers don’t technically get days off, but weekends are still a time to unplug and unwind with family.

Pick family activities that are fun for children, but also give mom a much-needed break. Spend a day on the beach or at the park and pack a healthy picnic lunch. To stay social, join a new moms group or plan a playdate with a group of friends.

Take advantage of “Mommy and Me” classes that are available in your area, offering activities such as:

  • Cooking
  • Swimming
  • Art lab
  • Storytime
  • Yoga
  • Sing-alongs or music

Make Saturday nights a family fun meal that kids can help with, such as tacos or gourmet pizzas. To cut down on time spent at the grocery store, use a meal delivery service such as Blue Apron or Hello Fresh.

To maximize organization, use an easily accessible and color-coded family calendar to keep track of appointments, school functions, and family activities. Get creative with a giant chalkboard or go interactive with a family calendar app, such as Cozi.

Balancing School Work and Family like a Super Mom

Truth is, we are super moms and we can have a healthy work-life balance. Yet balancing school work and family doesn’t have to be a solo feat.

Repeat this: It’s ok to say no, and it’s ok to ask for help. Don’t feel bad turning down social events when you’re wiped out. Do ask your husband, friend or colleague for help if you’re feeling overwhelmed.

We are better mothers and role models when we are less stressed and successfully maintaining our super mom status. If you’re in need of more resources, check out these happy family tips for further empowerment and education.

7 Unconventional Ways to Choose A Wedding Anniversary Cake

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Well, if you’re searching for perfect anniversary cakes, chances are either you are about to celebrate a wedding anniversary or someone really close is about to do so. Either way, our heartiest congratulations to you! Anniversaries are a great reminder to renew your vows with your significant other and not to forget that this special day calls for the special things that you both want to relish together and make your anniversary day, a perfect one. And talking about special things, a happy anniversary cake is one of the most special ones. This constitutes to be the top-most highlight of your marriage anniversary day and you can’t just simply order online any ordinary cake as a necessary formality. Coming back to the delicious bites, couples are often very choosy about their cake and regard to taste only selective things when it comes down to the whole cake cutting ceremony. To help you out, we’ve narrowed down certain points which can help you select the exact grand dessert of your evening and mark the anniversary moment, a legendary one.

Favorite Flavor

While some couples might narrow down to a single favorite flavor, others might want a stack of all their favorite flavors underneath the dreamy-creamy layer. It’s a flavorful day, one should never hesitate while selecting their favorite flavor and celebrate their love in a flavorsome way. You can even go out to explore the variant fun flavors following a tasty testing method.

Timely Celebrations

Well, this one is no way near the anniversary cake selection criteria. It is about the unity of time as to when do you want to infuse flavorful love on the anniversary day. You can surprise the couple in the middle of the night or hand-deliver happiness at zero hours and be the first to celebrate.

Perfect Icing

Marriages are made in heaven and so, are these marriage anniversary cakes. Just like the flavor, the icing is an essential part of the selection of a cake. You can always choose from buttercream frosting which comes in an array of flavors or fondant, which is known for its ability to mold cakes into beautiful designs and give them a sleek shine. The choice is yours, make it perfect just like your marriage.

Single or Double?

Well, we all know you ain’t no single, your heart was stolen by this prettiest lady standing right next to you The question arises whether you wish your wedding cake to be a magnificent one with three-four layers decked up with flavors and beauty or wish to surprise them with a single-layered cake? The decked up ones can be infused with beautiful rosettes, while the single ones can be made fancy by customizing them into a double-heart shaped cake.

Hand-picked toppings

Cake toppers are the most crucial part of the cake. You can choose the traditional figurines or label them up with personal monograms. These customizable cake toppers are available in wide array of shapes and sizes. However, you can always opt for anniversary photo cakes that are basically anniversary cakes with a name and photo.

Intricate Design

The best anniversary cakes are available in a diverse array of shapes and sizes, and heart is one of them. You can either make it a hearty affair with a heart-shaped beauty or can opt for a regular square, rectangle or some other angular delicious love.

Follow Unconventional

Here’s a quick tip! When cakes are the essential part of the anniversary celebrations, you can go beyond the rainbows on your special day and surprise everyone with flavorful jar cakes, whimsical cupcakes, mysterious pastries, unconventional apple pies, delightful ice-creams and last of all, with delectable waffles and pancakes! There’s nothing wrong with going unconventional on your special day, after all, it’s your day, celebrate it the way you want.

Happy and Healthy: 5 Ways to Maintain a Vibrant Family Lifestyle

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Let’s face it –– moms work really hard to sustain the happiness of their family. Indeed, sometimes it can feel like an uphill battle trying to balance conflicting schedules, rambunctious children, and your own personal ambitions all at once. And while there may not be a magic catch-all solution to a mom’s many responsibilities, here are five ways you can plan to create a vibrant family lifestyle –– no matter how hectic your calendar might be:

Mix it Up

Keeping your children’s activities diverse will not only allow them to explore new things, but also help you maintain your sanity. Nothing can be quite as mind-numbing as planning out the same playdates week after week, so for your children’s benefit and your own, keep your days out fresh. Museums, theaters, sporting events, concerts, fairs, and zoos are just a few options you might want to consider.

Emphasize Wellness

In addition to preparing healthy snacks and encouraging your kids to exercise, you should also budget in time for annual trips to the doctor’s office. There’s simply no substitute for a professional with access to pediatric tubes, drawing needles, and other specific equipment to gauge your child’s health. Remember though, that making sure your child feels their best physically will help them deal with stress in school and beyond.

Nurture Independence

The idea might seem oxymoronic at first glance, but nurturing your child’s developing independence will help them grow as a person. Allow them to learn and question things on their own and provide them with resources like books, tablets, and art supplies to let their curiosity blossom further. In this instance, it’s actually for the best to let your child discover their interests on their own.

Introduce Choice

Giving your child options can help them feel more invested in a given activity or moment. So it’s perfectly acceptable to let them pick the music from time to time –– or even craft out an occasional Saturday of their own devising. Indulging your child from time-to-time won’t spoil them –– provided you do so sparingly.

Invite Friends

The best experiences are shared ones. So when at all possible, bring along your child’s friends when going out for an excursion. Not only will interacting with others help your little one sharpen their social skills, but building a strong relationship with the other parents at your child’s school or daycare can prove massively helpful in a pinch! It takes a village to raise a child after all.

25th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas for Your Parents

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A wedding anniversary is a milestone in the life of a couple that revives the love and commitment shared between them. And if it is your loving parents 25th wedding anniversary, then it is your responsibility to make this occasion memorable for them. Besides giving them a day to cherish the beautiful moments of their togetherness, an exclusive anniversary gift would brighten up their day.

So here we will discuss the 25th anniversary gift ideas that could help you in buying the best 25th wedding anniversary gifts for parents.

Silver Photo Frame

A photo frame is the best way to capture beautiful moments of life. A silver photo frame will be a symbolic gift for 25th anniversary celebration that you can give to your parents. You can put a picture from your parent’s wedding day and a picture of them taken on their 25th wedding anniversary in that frame. Your parents will be highly delighted on receiving such a thoughtful gift.

Couple’s Watch

A watch is an accessory that is worn by both men and women on a daily basis and special occasions. You can give a couple watch as the 25th wedding anniversary present to your parents. Whenever they wear these watches, it will remind them of your love and the beautiful moments that you all spent together. You can buy this silver jubilee gift from an online gift shop.

Vacation Tickets

We all know how hard our parents work throughout their lives to fulfil all our desires and wishes. You can convey your gratitude to them with an exciting gift on their silver wedding anniversary. Give your parents vacation tickets to an exotic location so that they could take some off from their routine and have fun together. It will be like a second honeymoon for them where they will make some more precious memories for the lifetime. If a vacation for two people is out of your price range, a getaway gift for your mom that will also be appreciated by your dad is a spa day or city break.

25th Anniversary Figurine

The precious couple figurine with the 25th anniversary tag is an excellent wedding gift for couples. Send it along with the gorgeous flower bouquet as 25th wedding anniversary gifts for your parents. They will cherish this token of love from your end, which can also be used for the home décor purpose.

Say It with a Custom Trophy

Marriage is a work in progress, and for your parents, that’s 25 years of commitment and dedication to each other and to the family. Never miss honoring and showing your appreciation for your parents with a customized trophy. From the style to the engraving, which can be a special message or the names of the children and grandchildren, the choice is yours. Throw a little ceremony for the award at the 25th-anniversary dinner or party.

The 25th wedding anniversary is a great occasion that calls for a grand celebration. You can choose from the gift ideas mentioned above to select a fantastic and memorable gift for your parent’s 25th marriage anniversary. You can also arrange a surprise party for them and invite all their near and dear ones to share the best day of their life. This is the most beautiful gift that you could give to your parents on the happiest day of their life.

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