Hi there!  Welcome!

Please, come on in…

I’m so excited you got a chance to stop by and visit!

Please, have a seat.  Just let me grab that stack of kiddie books off the couch for you…  Oh, and watch the floor; Hot Wheels can be dangerous!

Let me introduce myself.  Here, in the blog world, I go by OneMommy.  I am a SAHM to my 5 year-old daughter and 3 (almost 4) year-old son.  Before that?  I was a teacher.  If you think about it, I’m still teaching, just my class size is a lot smaller, the kids a lot shorter, and the pay comes in the form of hugs.

Hungry?  I mean, what’s a party without food, right?  Go ahead and indulge in a batch of the world’s best brownies.  I promise, they go fast!

Now, where was I?  Oh, yes, introductions!  I started There’s Just One Mommy a little over two years ago.  It’s the place I go to unwind, meet a lot of wonderful people, and realize that I’m not alone in this adventure of parenting.

Want to know  a little more about me?  Check out 22 Things I’ve Done.  (Do we have anything in common?)

If you have a few minutes, you may want to check out one of our top read posts:

• Making a Teapot Cake
• Cat in the Hat Craft
• My Confession
• Hand Print Sheep Craft

Don’t let the party end!  Keep in touch!  Check out There’s Just One Mommy  on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,  Google+, or follow my RSS Feed.

(And, if you’re looking for a way to keep the kids occupied while you’re at the party,  you might want to check out our top craft — the water bottle fish.)

The post Ultimate Blog Party 2013 first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

I’ve heard that one a few times.

And I’ve bit my tongue when the person speaking then pulls their brand-new Smart phone out of their designer handbag or helps slip brand new designer sneakers on their little one’s feet before walking out to their brand new SUV, all so they can get home to watch whatever show they’ve TiVoed.

Yes, I know, sometimes it really isn’t possible for every mom who wants to, to stay home.  There are single parents, there are homes where mom is the only one who is working at the time, there are huge medical bills that need to be paid.

I get that.

But then there are those who really could do it, if they truly wanted to.  So I’m going to share how we afford it.

I don’t have a new car.  It’s the same one I got before we married; it has over 100,000 miles on it, and I’m not planning on replacing it any time soon.  My husband’s truck?  Just as old with 150,000 miles.

New cell phone?  Uh, no.  Mine is 4 years old now.  And it is far from high-tech.  My cell phone makes phone calls.  That’s what phones are really for, right?  Actually, it can also take pictures, too.  That was a bonus I hadn’t expected with the phones we got free with our cell phone plan.  Free.  I like free.

Speaking of that phone plan; there is not texting or Internet on it.  I guess the phone can physically do those things (Once my daughter texted “A” from my phone to her daddy’s phone when she was a year old…The kid is light years ahead of us!), but not using those features and having a basic plan saves us money.

You won’t find cable t.v. at our house, nor do we have satellite or whatever other stuff there is for televisions today.  When the government decided everyone should have digital signals, we went with the converter box.  The basic one we could get with the government issued coupon.  What sucked is we had to build a huge antennae for the converter box to even work out here… But my husband and his dad installed it all themselves, saving us labor costs at least.

Kids clothes?  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, hand-me-downs rock!  Seriously.  So do consignment shops.  8 dollars for a winter coat that almost looks brand new?  I’ll take it!  After all, they will both outgrow their coats by the next year anyway.  Why spend 50 bucks for the latest Gymboree or Children’s Place item?

The same with toys.  Yes, my kids have had their share of new toys.  (After all, they are the only grandkids on my husband’s side of the family!)  But this year their birthday gifts from us came from the consignment shop.  I didn’t plan it, but when I saw them I knew they were perfect.  My daughter loves her My Little Pony island, and Monkey has played with his pirate ship every day since his May birthday.  How could I pass it up for 6 dollars?  And he doesn’t care how much I spent on it.  Trust me.

Grocery shopping?  Whenever possible I buy the generics.  Yes, coupons are great, but there are a lot of times that even with the coupon, the generic is just a better deal.  I admit it, I am a paper product snob, though.  I have tried our generics in paper towels and toilet paper and it just has to be the brands I grew up with for those.

Yes, the husband and I like to go out to eat, alone, when possible.  But it’s not a daily thing for sure!  Once a week, or so, we head out to catch dinner.  Sometimes we even splurge and get dessert. (Everyone needs to do that sometimes!)  If you look around you can find coupons for quite a few nice restaurants.  We have a local favorite that is family owned and always a great deal – dinner for 2 for $20 bucks is a nice treat without breaking the bank.  And we skip all the alcoholic drinks when dining out – that adds up!

Have a book habit?  The library has allowed us to have quite the reading selection without spending a dime.  (Well, except with overdues!)  And for all those kids books I want to have in our personal library without having to worry about the kids damaging a library book?  The used book store.  Love that place.

Movie habit?  No, we don’t have Netflix.  And we haven’t paid to rent a video at Blockbuster for years.  Again, the library has kept us quite happy.

Maid service?  Yeah… Don’t think so!

Designer purses?  Shoes?  Clothes?  Not my style!  And all my maternity wear?  It came from consignment shops.   I could probably count on one hand the items I have bought myself since weaning the maternity wear from my closet.  (And, yes, those items were sold again!)

Mani’s and pedi’s?  I have had one pedicure in my lifetime – oh, and it WAS wonderful!  But I can’t justify spending 30 dollars to do that on a regular basis.  Nor do I spend a lot on my hair cut/style.  Hey, if I can get the same cut during the 6 dollar special at a place like Great Clips, why go somewhere else and spend 30 or more?

Do I feel like I am giving anything up?

No.

Not. At. All.

I really don’t think there is much on this list that I would consider, even if I had the extra money.

But, even if I’d love to have all of that stuff, being able to spend this once in a lifetime opportunity to stay at home with our kids?  THAT is priceless.

It’s just an issue of what I value most.

My kids.

The post Taking Stock of What I Value Most first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Today’s Thankful Thursday post is based on a writing prompt from Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop…

Today I’m thankful for who I am.  As I’ve said before, I never imagined myself as a SAHM… I didn’t wind  up where I thought I’d be; there’s been bumps along the way, but I am so glad I’ve found myself where I truly belong.

 ***

Thankful for Who I Am 

I am a stay at home mom of 2.
I wonder what the future holds.
I hear graduation cheers and a silent house.
I see a future doctor or veterinarian and a class clown.
I want to keep them little forever.

I am a stay at home mom of 2.
I pretend to know what I’m doing.
I feel more love than I knew was possible.
I touch soft blonde curls and kiss pink cheeks.
I worry I’m not doing enough, that I’ll say the wrong things.
I cry on the days where I feel we fought all day.

I am a stay at home mom of 2.
I understand that they grow up way too fast.
I say, “I love you,” and hope they know it’s true.
I dream of bright futures and beautiful smiles.
I try to hold on to every moment, every memory.
I hope one day they will get to feel this love I have inside for them.

I am a stay at home mom of 2.

The post Thankful for Who I Am first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Welcome all party-goers (and my usual, wonderful readers)!  I’ve been looking forward to this moment ever since arriving to the party mid-week last year.  (Does that mean I was fashionably late?)

What’s a party without drinks and some yummy food to munch on while you mingle?  Thankfully my little helpers were right there, mixing up their specialty.  Of course, if you prefer something a little stronger (and real), there’s always the cupcake vodka my husband grabbed for me last Christmas.  Now where are those shot glasses…..?  Hmmm….

I know!  The cups from the play kitchen are the right size, and so much prettier, don’t you think?  Seriously, where are my manners?  I should introduce myself.

I’m OneMommy, and you’ve stumbled into my little spot of the web where I go to unwind, meet new friends, and try to get the never-ending Veggie Tale music out of my head.  I never pictured myself as a SAHM, and then I went back to teaching after our daughter was born.  That was the topic of my first Thankful Thursday post.  Now my days are filled with picture books, laughter, crafts, and trying to be the mommy my kids deserve.

Want to know more?  Check out 22 Things I’ve Done. (Once upon a time I used to shoot in pistol contests and actually won 2 pistols!)

Now, enough about me.

Grab a bite of fruit sushi and tell me a little about you.

The post Did Somebody Say Party??? first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Well…. It’s here!

It’s the one year anniversary of There’s Just One Mommy.  I started out this blog without much knowledge of the world of blogging.  In fact, I actually started it on January 12, using Weebly (has anyone even heard of it?), and when it crashed I found out there was no back up.  (See, I didn’t know much back then…) That day sucked.  But looking back I’m thankful – at least I only lost a couple weeks of work, and after a lot of tears and a very supportive husband I restarted using WordPress – so much better!

To celebrate, I’d like to highlight a post or two that stands out to me from each month this year:

• In January I shared a post that explains how this blog got its name.
• I started Thankful Thursday posts in February with this post on being a SAHM.
• In March I shared what I’ve learned from my kids.  (They truly can teach us a lot!)
• I shared our toilet paper tube dinosaurs in April (one of the first crafts I shared).
• In May I shared how I made my son’s car birthday cake.
• In June I shared ways to entertain toddlers/preschoolers in the car when driving on vacation.
• I ventured into the world of Twitter in July and shared my husband’s delicious brownie recipe.
• I had to face questions I wasn’t ready for in August.
• In September I learned what a do follow blog and took the kids on their first toddler/preschooler scavenger hunt.
• October included cleaning tips for moms and a mermaid castle cake for my little princess.
• In November I shared how cars were helping my son potty train.
• December saw my most read post, My Confession, as well as a tribute to the Day after Christmas.

Of course, writing is much more fun when there is someone reading your work.  I want to thank each and everyone of my followers who has joined me on my journey this past year.  I hope you’ll all be around for the next year of There’s Just One Mommy.  After all, we still have a lot of crafting, cooking, and laughing to do…

And if you are new, or if you are following through GFC (which won’t be around soon…), please consider following through Networked Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, email or my RSS feed.

The post There’s Just One Mommy Turns 1 Today! first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

I’ve been inspired by this week’s Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop to elaborate on just how I wound up changing career paths.

Flashback to just 2 weeks shy of 5 years ago today.  The doctor’s office had called with the results of the blood work I had had them run, hoping that all the home pregnancy tests were wrong, that there was some chance…  Miracle of miracles, the blood test had been positive – we were going to be parents!

My husband came home from work and I let him know the big news.  After all the hugging and what not he asked me if I planned on continuing to work once the baby was born.

I answered with an emphatic, “Yes!”  I mean, I loved teaching, watching the kids “get it,” creating lesson plans…  And what would I do all day just sitting at home, anyway?

Nine months flew by.  I had a whole new bunch of students.  I planned meticulously for my maternity leave, leaving notes about various lessons I loved teaching each year.

And then the time came for me to return to work.  And I didn’t want to.  We did a practice run, dropping my little girl off at my MIL’s early in the morning like we’d be doing when I returned to work.  I cried the entire 3 hours we left her there before heading back to check and see how she was doing.  Of course, she had slept most of that time.

Every Monday broke my heart, just thinking of another week of leaving her while I went to work.  As the school year slowly crawled to an end, I debated what to do.  I knew that health issues would mean my MIL would not be able to care for my little girl as she became more mobile.  I knew that I couldn’t imagine another year of waking up, dropping her off somewhere, and going to work.

Writing it now, I don’t know what the great debate was for…  Except that I felt like since I had originally said I wanted to keep teaching I wondered what my husband would say.  All the tears and sleepless nights wondering how to tell him how I felt were unnecessary.  He actually looked happy when I told him I wanted to stay home.  Like I said in my earlier post, he couldn’t have been more supportive.

And as for my love of teaching – well, I’m still teaching, every day.  I’m not limited by the confines of a classroom; the class size is a lot smaller now, and there isn’t a pay check, but watching them “get it,” planning activities and outings… I don’t know why I ever worried I’d get bored as a SAHM, every day is different, and they sure keep me on my toes!  And, for me, it’s the best career decision I ever made.

And something I am eternally grateful to be able to do.

What are you thankful for this week?

The post Choosing to Become a SAHM first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.