The Stir By CafeMom: Blogger Amy Kuras

This Hot Dad Does Something AMAZING Between the Sheets (VIDEO)

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:15:00 EDT

Post by Amy Kuras

What would you really like your husband to do in the bedroom? What fantasy makes your heart race?

Check out this video after the jump of a hot dad who delivers when he does something that would drive women wild -- something we all wish our husbands would do for us without being asked. Believe me, it's worth watching.

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

Yes, that's right ... this gorgeous, shirtless dad makes the HECK out of that bed! Fluff those sheets, baby. Hospital corners -- oh yeah! And he even places the throw pillows just so. Now that is some boudoir skill.

Hot Dads Doing Chores is hilarious because sometimes what puts us in the mood is not some sexy bedroom acrobatics, but our guy taking care of us and our families and helping around the house. I've been known to make shameless advances on my husband when he's doing the dishes in jeans and an undershirt; my friends report that fixing things, being sweet with the kids, and even mowing the lawn are all turn-ons.

And hey, even if a man who knows how to handle a duvet isn't your thing, you've got to admit this guy is not bad to look at. At all.

Are you turned on by your guy doing chores?

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Image via CafeMom Studios/YouTube

5 Travel Essentials to Keep Your Trip Fun and Hassle-Free

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:43:00 EDT

Post by Amy Kuras

Nothing ruins a vacation faster than hitting snags that should be avoidable...things like a cellphone that doesn't work, a lost or stolen passport, or a long plane delay with hungry, cranky, bored kids.

So we polled our well-traveled friends and came up with these top 5 travel essentials.

1) Travel wallet: It could be a money belt that goes around your waist or a wallet "necklace," but you need something that will allow you to keep your passport, money, and an emergency credit card at hand without attracting the attention of pickpockets like a purse would. Something that goes under your clothes is ideal, plus it leaves your hands free for taking photos or holding a bottle of water.

2) Disposable cellphone or rental phone: Phones from some carriers will not work overseas, but some plans will provide you with a rental phone that will. Otherwise, relatively inexpensive prepaid phones are easy to find in big cities. And even phones that work overseas could wallop you with big data charges if you merrily post all 483 pictures you took of the Eiffel Tower to Facebook without finding WiFi.

3) Travel chargers or adapters. If you're going to another country, a set of adapters that will fit foreign outlets and convert voltage is essential. How annoying would it be to truck your laptop across the world and not even be able to use it once you get to your destination because it's out of juice? And even if you are staying stateside, you'll want something that can charge your devices in the car...at least if you are like my husband and me, who invariably set off on a trip across the wide-open spaces with both phones near dead. A wall charger that can power a tablet and phone at the same time would be a good thing to toss in your bag as well.

4) Stashable, non-messy, non-perishable snacks. Imagine being stuck on a two-hour tarmac delay with a toddler...a hungry toddler. And all you have to offer her, if your flight attendant takes pity on you, is a teensy bag of airplane pretzels. It's like traveling with a bucket of snakes -- and you know how well those do on planes. If you're traveling by car, snacks can help stave off sibling crankiness and a 14th round of "Are we there yet?" Good choices include granola bars, little bags of trail mix, and fruit leather.

5) A bar of soap. You can use it to wash yourself and your clothes on the road or wash your hands at questionable rest stops, and it also keeps your luggage smelling fresh (a suitcase can build up some serious travel funk after a week).

What are your travel essentials?

Image via TravelSmith

This Mom Is a Breast Cancer Warrior and Has the Tattoo to Prove It (VIDEO)

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 07:34:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

The only thing that scares moms as much as losing a child is the fear that something could happen to us and we wouldn't be there for them as they are growing up.

Nicole, whom we meet in the latest episode of Tattoo Moms, faced that fear, and now she has a tattoo to show the world what she went through.

After waiting 15 years to have a child, she finally became a mom to a beautiful little girl. But when her daughter was only 19 months old, she found a lump in her breast and got the scary news: Cancer.

Within three weeks, she was doing chemo, which she kept up with for almost a year. And when she was done, she designed a tattoo to remind her of how she fought cancer and, more importantly, why she did: her daughter. Grab some tissues and watch her video, below.

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Her tattoo features the well-known pink ribbon overlaid with a butterfly, because that's her daughter's favorite thing. Next to the butterfly there is one word: "warrior." Because to Nicole, that shows she's not just a survivor, she's a fighter who battled cancer with all she had so she could be there for her little girl.

For more tales of brave moms, subscribe to CafeMom Studios on YouTube.

Do you have any tattoos that remind you of something you have fought and won?

Image via CafeMom Studios

Check Out This Creative Spin on Picture Hangers (VIDEO)

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 12:45:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

Finding a creative way to hang art is always a challenge. Nothing highlights your style or livens up a room more than nicely displayed prints or photos, however.

On the latest episode of Make It Fabulous, Andee shows us how to turn simple pant hangers into fancy mounts for pictures. A viewer asked for suggestions about how to hang vintage prints she'd inherited from her grandmother in her laundry room, and Andee came up with this idea, which plays off the laundry room theme using the hangers, spray paint, and glitter that looks a bit like bubbles. Check out the video below to see how she transforms them!

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To decorate the hangers, she spray-painted the wood part of the hangers using colors she had already used in the laundry room (you could also use contrasting colors that appear in the prints). Once they're dry, you run a bead of glue around the edges of the hangers and apply the glitter.

To mount the prints, Andee used canvases (you can find these in an arts and crafts store), cut the prints to size using an Exacto knife, and then mounted them on the canvas using spray adhesive.

To hang, she clamped the edge of the canvas into the hanger and staggered them on the wall.

I can think of some fun ways to adapt this technique if glitter isn't your style. You could use small river stones across all of the wood part (how cool would that look with a print of a beach scene?) or collage decorative paper or ribbon onto it. You could also hang them right by the ceiling and instead of prints, swag fabric between two or more hangers. With a little creativity, the possibilities are endless.

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How do you like to hang art?

Image via CafeMom Studios

Moms Do the Craziest Things While Driving: Funny or Scary? (VIDEO)

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 08:16:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

A few years ago when some states were moving to ban cell phone use in cars, pretty much every mom ever responded with "Can we ban driving with kids next? Because they are MUCH more of a driving distraction than any cell phone conversation."

Not to mention going anywhere in the car with kids is like a military invasion: you have to gather snacks, fill water bottles, make sure the car seat is buckled just right, deal with diapers or bathroom needs...no wonder it takes twice as long to get anywhere when you have kids in the car!

And if you think your life is nuts, the latest episode of Moms in the Wild gives moms at the wheel the Randall treatment. And you won't believe what he sees!

There is one mom putting on makeup while she drives her kid somewhere. And we're not talking a quick one-handed, no-look swipe of lip gloss at a red light; nope, she's steering with her knees while she looks in the rear-view mirror to apply eyeliner in a moving car. Her kid is clearly not happy with this, and she's all "oh, calm down."

Seriously? The best outcome in this situation is she gets a serious eye injury, the worst is she takes out herself, her kid and who knows who else with her inattention. I'm guilty of talking on the phone in the car and inadvertently teaching my kid the word "douchebag" when referring to another driver, but come on, makeup application? Yes, I'm judging. Watch this and see what you think!

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

What's the worst thing you've ever done with your kids in the car?

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Image via CafeMom Studios.

Playgrounds Bring Out Moms' Inner Honey Badger (VIDEO)

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 07:14:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

Playgrounds can bring out the worst behavior...screaming, not sharing, aggressive behavior on the playground equipment...ugh, it's the worst. And I am not even talking about the kids. Moms (and dads) can sometimes be the ones showing really horrible behavior.

Randall (of "Honey Badger" fame) tracks some mothers to the playground with their children and narrates their behavior in this latest episode of Moms in the Wild. It's funny how the playground types are exactly the same, everywhere: the mom yammering on her phone while she bounces her kid on one of those spring mounted ponies, the hovering mom who goes down the slide with her eight-year-old, and the severely overdressed mom who looks more like she's cruising the park for hot dads than taking her kids out to play.

But there's one secret about moms at the park that Randall doesn't know, but I bet all of us do:

We don't go to the park for our kids' good. We do it at least as much for ourselves. It makes them happy, which means they are pleasant to be around, and lets them run off some energy, which means they are hungry for dinner and ready for bed when the time comes. And after a whole long day of refereeing sibling fights, answering 3.2 million questions, and having multiple people talk in our ears at once, we need to get out of the house and be around other adults. Talking to even the judgiest sanctimommy can be a respite (for a few minutes at least) from finding eighteen different answers to "why is the sky blue?"

So bah, Randall, you don't even know. See if you recognize any playground types in this video:

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Do you love going to the park?

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Image via CafeMom Studios

Kids Gone Wild ... In Restaurants! (VIDEO)

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 11:24:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

I don't know what it is about restaurants that cause my kids to lose it entirely. They can be fully delightful children all day, but get them into a restaurant context and BOOM, cray-cray ensues.

I think a lot of things make this so tough…the judgy eyes of other diners, the fact you're not in control of how fast the food comes out, how it looks or what temperature it will be (which can trigger a meltdown in picky eaters), and the fact that an experience which used to be fun and relaxing has become a massive stress point. Thank heavens we have never crossed paths with Randall, he of the "honey badger" treatment. In this latest episode of Moms in The Wild, he follows several moms and their kids to restaurants.

We have friends who we love dearly, and whose kids play beautifully with ours, but when we all go out to eat together it is a horror show. Once my daughter and theirs knocked over a Christmas tree, another time we were told by a (very nasty) old lady that our kids were the worst ever. She should have seen the girl in this video!

Here's what I think…while some behavior is just not OK, a lot of it is just kids being kids, and life would be a lot easier if other people would chill out and accept that sometimes they have to see children acting like children in public. Wandering around and staring at other people? Not cool. Looking around from their own seat? Cute. Throwing or playing with food? Not cool. Using less than awesome table manners? Sometimes it happens. Like so many other things about parenting, restaurant dining would be easier if people would just lighten up.

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Have your kids ever embarrassed you terribly in a restaurant?

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Beautiful Ideas for Flower Planters That Are Easy to Put Together at Home (VIDEO)

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 12:25:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

Most of us are getting socked with a lot of winter weather right now, but spring is just around the corner. Whether you're dreaming of spring planting or just wanting to bring the outdoors in for a shot of color until the snow melts, you might be surprised at the creative containers in which you can plant flowers. All it takes is a little upcycling know-how.

Andee Dodson shows us, in this latest episode of Make It Fabulous, how to make flower planters from an old colander, a rubber rain boot, and a tin can. All you need is a little spray paint, some glitter glue, and a self-adhesive stencil with a pattern you like. Check it out below!

These are interesting ideas. I think a row of the stenciled tin cans would look great lined up in a windowsill, or on each end of the stair treads on porch steps. The cool thing is that you can really plant in anything that allows the plant's roots to expand and allows water to drain so the plant doesn't get waterlogged. I've even saved old coffee mugs to plant herbs in!

Check out the video:

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What do you think of Andee's ideas?

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Mom and Daughter Get Tattoos Together (VIDEO)

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 11:17:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

Did your mom ever tell you "you can't judge a book by its cover"? She's right, and in the latest episode of Tattoo Moms we have your proof.

Doris is a sweet-looking grandma from Wisconsin: gray hair, glasses, retired from the pickle factory. But in fact, she's kind of a nonconformist. Because most grandmas don't have tattoos running up their legs. But Doris does. She's got everything from a tattoo of a pickle to stars and dots representing her children and grandchildren.

Speaking of those children and grandchildren, she's gone to get a tattoo with almost all of them. We meet her daughter Cindy in the episode too.

Cindy is covered in tattoos too, from one honoring her late husband and their four gorgeous pet cats to a classic rose on her chest. As it turns out, tattooing is a family affair for them; they've even had a tattoo party at Doris's son's house, and usually at least two family members go to get tattoos together.

Doris seems, well, kind of awesome. She got her her first tattoo in her 40s, which was well before tattoos went mainstream. Watch the video and check her out:

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Does your mom or grandma have tattoos?

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Couple Gets Tattoos With a Secret Meaning (VIDEO)

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 15:29:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

Getting matching tattoos is a pretty common rite of passage for a couple. I've always thought it was kind of a questionable idea. Until now, because the latest episode of Tattoo Moms introduces us to a couple who has accomplished the matching tattoo thing in about the coolest way possible.

Sasha and Rob met as children and went to school together until she moved to Boston in high school. They met again in Boston several years later, and have been married almost 10 years (and are the parents of two adorable kids). On their seventh anniversary, they were off on a romantic weekend and decided they'd finally get the matching tattoos they'd been talking about for a long time. They decided on their entwined initials, and it was Rob who had the idea that elevated it from sweet to super-cool.

Instead of each of them getting the same tattoo, they each got half the design tattooed on their arm, so it only reveals its meaning when they are together but means nothing when they are apart. Awwwww ...

In the interests of full disclosure, I should note Sasha is an editor here at The Stir and I have been Facebook friends with her since shortly after I started occasionally writing for the site in 2010. She's one of my favorite people to chat with on Facebook but I never knew the tattoo story until now. Check out the whole tale:

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Would you get matching tattoos with a mate?

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How to Turn a Yard-Sale Table From Drab to Fab (VIDEO)

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 11:00:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

How often do you see a furniture piece at a garage sale and think it's cool but not quite right? Well, believe it or not, it's pretty easy to take those outdated pieces and turn them into something stylish with only a little bit of time, a few cans of spray paint, and some other inexpensive supplies.

Andee Dodson shows us how she spruced up a yard-sale hallway table in the latest episode of Make It Fabulous. Check out the video below to see her work her magic!

The most interesting part was that she etched a new pattern into the glass top of the table. Etching cream is readily available at craft stores, and it's surprisingly easy to use (keep the kids away, though!). Your results are limited only by your creativity. The rest was pretty easy: just add a little spray paint on the base and the wood frame where the glass rests, and voila! An instant update.

Check out the how-to and tell us what you think in the comments.

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Do you like Andee's project? Have you done anything similar?

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Woman Gets Tattoo to Honor Best Friend the Day After She Dies (VIDEO)

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 15:00:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

How often do you tell someone, "Sorry, I can't do (whatever fun thing) right now. We'll have to do it another day." Probably a lot. We've all done it, sometimes as a well-meaning blow-off and sometimes because we genuinely want to do whatever it is but can't carve out the time right then.

But sometimes "another day" never comes. That's what happened to Ingrid. She was going to get a tattoo with her best friend, Toya. But unexpectedly, Toya got sick and died the same week they had planned to get tattoos together. She was only 23.

Ingrid was devastated by the loss of her friend, who was also her son's special aunt. So she decided to get that tattoo the very day after Toya died, and use it both to honor her friend's memory and also to remind herself of the kind of person she wants to be… someone with integrity, who keeps her promises. Watch the video below to hear her touching story and check out her tattoos.

She now has several tattoos, and each honors someone she loves and reminds her that she wants to be the kind of person who does what she says she will do. It also reminds her that life is fleeting, and there is no time like right now.

It's sad that so often it takes losing someone to remind us of that awful fact, but we never know how long we have or how long someone might be in our lives. It is important to take advantage of the time we have, and we shouldn't need a tattoo to tell us.

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Do you have any tattoos with some life lesson behind them?

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Mom Gets Tattoo for Brother Who Committed Suicide (VIDEO)

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:39:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

Love tattoos or hate them, they definitely make a statement. Some are subtle -- a tiny symbol hidden away somewhere most people won't see -- and some are emphatic -- a large and vivid representation of the bearer's story.

Kathy's tattoo is of the second variety. It's a huge, intricate, bright piece that covers the length of her arm. Its central image is a Day of the Dead-style skeleton clad in a hat and T-shirt, playing a stand-up bass. It's arresting and a little disturbing if you don't know the reason for the imagery, but when you hear the story behind it, you see the beauty. Kathy's tattoo is a memorial to her brother, who committed suicide in 2008. Grab some tissues and check out the video below.

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

Kathy got her first tattoo, a back piece honoring her son, a long time ago (it was actually done by reality show tattoo artist Kat Von D). She always told her brother she would never get a tattoo on her arm, but when he died, she decided almost immediately that that would be a way she could honor him.

She kept adding pieces to the tattoo, and the artist she worked with became like a therapist as she told him her brother's story, Kathy says. Her brother was a talented bassist, which is why she chose the design of the skeleton playing the bass. He died less than a year after his girlfriend was killed in a car accident, and while he took his own life, Kathy believes he died of a broken heart.

Now, she says, it's like he's always with her because of the tattoo on her arm, acting as a reminder of him and of his music.

I was especially touched because I have a brother, and while you hear a lot about the bond between sisters, you rarely hear about how close a brother and sister can be. I thought it was really sweet that she chose to honor their relationship this way.

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What do you think of Kathy's tattoo?

Image via CafeMom Studios

Wacky Ways Moms Work Out With Their Kids (VIDEO)

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:25:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

Unless you are a fitness instructor or otherwise super-buff and graceful, you probably look pretty silly working out. I do, you do, everybody does.

However, we moms need our strength and endurance to keep up with these crazy kids of ours! We want to set a good example of living a healthy lifestyle, too.

Our buddy Randall (of Honey Badger fame) is always willing to point out our silliness in his series Moms in the Wild. In the latest episode, he follows a bunch of wild moms during their workouts ... workouts which incorporate their kids in sometimes crazy ways. Check it out!

Actually, working out with your baby is a pretty good idea ... they love the movements, it's a nice way to bond, and if you're going to be hefting around a 15-pound weight anyway ...

But some of this looks pretty ridiculous. What are those crazy moms doing during the stroller exercise class at the end? Is it really safe to bounce your baby like some of these moms are doing? And don't any of these women have access to what might just be the best invention known to mommyhood: A gym with childcare?

Watch these fitness buff mommies below and tell us what you think!

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

Do you work out with your baby?

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Turn a Cheap Vase Into an Expensive Looking Home Accessory (VIDEO)

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:16:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

I am not good at crafts. I think I am, but things never come out as well as I imagined when I started the project. Still, I love the idea of brightening my home and the homes of my friends with unique, handmade things.

But awesome craft projects don't have to cost a ton of money or require a lot of time or skill; it just requires ingenuity, patience, and the right materials.

Andee shows us how to make awesome, colorful vases and a super-cool lamp with just paint and some old glass items in the latest episode of Make It Fabulous.

All you need is craft paint, some old glass vases (like the boring ones you get with flowers) or jars, and for the lamp, you need LED lights and a special drill bit that cuts glass. The hardest part is drilling a hole to poke the LED lights through ... the rest is fast, easy, and looks great. For the vases, choose some colors of craft paint that you like and simply pour the paint in, swirl to coat the inside, and pour out the excess.

Watch the video below to get inspired!

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

Are you a crafty person?

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Mother Nature Hates Moms, But We Can Handle It (VIDEO)

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 08:28:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

Randall, he of the hilarious narration of nature videos, is back with another edition of Moms in the Wild. This time he's looking at the source of so many "you know you're a parent when" moments...the absolutely CRAZY stuff we will do to keep our kids entertained. Case in point: just today, I wandered through Target singing the "funny" version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" with my son. No, not singing was not an option. Neither was changing or muting the "in his UNDERWEAR!" part, at least for the four-year-old.

And I know I'm not alone in doing bizarre things to keep the kiddo happy.

From Gangnam Style dance marathons to using our own bodies as teeter-totters, we'll do a lot to keep our kids happy when it's too wet or cold or sweltering to go outside. As Randall puts it, "Mother Nature don't care."

I also loved the mom who "employed" her two kids as "office assistants". As a work-at-home mom, been there, done that, glad I discovered my phone's "mute" function.

Snark aside, these little scenes are actually pretty sweet. As much as we think they'll remember the big stuff, like trips or birthday parties, what will really make them look back fondly on their childhood is those little moments where we let go and just play with them, goofy as it may seem to us.

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

What's the strangest thing you've done to keep your kids entertained?

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Mom Gets Bittersweet Tattoo to Commemorate Her Miscarriages (VIDEO)

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 08:58:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

Tattoos used to be the mark of someone who was out of the mainstream and kind of hard-living ... but these days, tattoos are as common on sweet, gentle PTA moms as they once were on sailors and wild women. Lots of moms get tattoos to celebrate their children or mark milestones in an important personal journey.

That's what happened with Susan, who battled 13 years of infertility, spent thousands on surgeries and fertilization procedures, and worst of all, had two miscarriages. In fact, she was never able to carry a baby to term. But something beautiful came out of her sad story.

More from The Stir: When to Start Trying Again After a Miscarriage

She was looking on an Internet message board when she found a design that struck her heart: it depicted a broken outline of a heart with two tiny footprints inside. It represented how she felt about ending the quest to become pregnant and marked the memory of the babies she lost. "I felt like I needed to get this tattoo to truly mark the end of the journey, and put a stamp on it that we were here," she says. "They will always be in my heart even though I'm broken a little because they're not here."

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

As she points out, she didn't have any physical reminders of her babies ... no pictures, no ultrasound images, nothing to hold on to. So this tattoo was a way of marking their memory she could always carry with her.

Her story has a happy ending, though. Some years after they stopped their attempts to conceive, she and her husband were asked to adopt a baby boy. He's now a gorgeous, happy toddler and Susan lights up when she's with him.

Do you have any tattoos? What do they represent?

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Shocking Santa Claus Facts Straight From Kids (VIDEO)

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 20:18:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

By now, you're probably in full-out holiday frazzle and could really, really use a laugh. And who better to give you the giggles than kids, especially kids' insights on some of the deeper mysteries of their little lives?

Here's some holiday hilarity from some super-cute and super-funny kids. Host Terri asks a bunch of adorable kids some questions about what they really think of Santa Claus, and the results are nothing short of awesome.

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

My favorite lines:

Santa is "a weird, big, old guy."

There are 7 billion and 84 elves.

His hair was originally aquamarine.

He met Mrs. Claus in Florida.

He eats steak or chicken when he's not eating cookies (have to offset all those carbs, you know).

And there's more:

What hilarious beliefs about Santa do your kids have?

For more of motherhood..and childhood...unfiltered, check out CafeMom Studios on YouTube.

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Watch Grocery Shopping Moms Hilariously Behave Like the Infamous 'Honey Badger' (VIDEO)

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 20:47:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

Remember about a year ago when the honey badger video was getting circulated all over? And how hard you laughed and immediately started calling your kids honey badgers?

Well, now the people at CafeMom Studios are giving the honey badger treatment to us. That's right, moms, in our natural habitats. Randall (brilliant narrator of the honey badger video) is watching you for his new show Moms in the Wild.

And of course, the first video deals with one of the situations that will bring out the honey badger in any mom....grocery shopping with kids.

I will go to great lengths to avoid having to take both my kids to the grocery store, including shopping late at night after they're in bed. Going with just one of them is actually pretty fun...we chat, eat samples, choose new foods to try....but both? Oh hell no. They create a bad behavior vortex that draws the judgy eyes of judgement, and it's approximately a bajillion times more stress than it's worth.

That's my only major issue with this video: none of the moms loses their composure completely. The worst any one of them does...well, I'll let you watch the video, but chances are excellent you've done it or something like it. Perhaps it was one of those happy days when they're handing out wine samples so everyone was chill?

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

What's your worst supermarket story?

For more true tales of moms in the wild, subscribe to CafeMom Studios on YouTube and never miss an episode.

Image via CafeMom Studios.

Teenage Boys Are Truly Terrifying to Most Moms (VIDEO)

Sat, 08 Dec 2012 20:05:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

Confession time: I am terrified of the teen years with my son. Although I know my daughter and I are likely to have lots of slammed doors and screaming (let's just say the drama queen gene did not come from her father), I have next to no experience with teen boys and they are kind of scary to me.

So it's hard for me wrap my head around the idea that this sweet, adorable little punkin who loves his mama almost as much as he does his toy excavator will soon be taller than me and think I'm pretty annoying. Thank goodness I have Daphne Brodgon to tell me How to Be A Mom....or not.

In this latest episode, she takes us through a bunch of scenes with her teenage stepson. The funniest part is that while she's telling us what to do, each interaction with the kid plays out with hilarious awkwardness in real life. He starts talking about his girlfriend, she and her husband have a fight about why, exactly, her husband wants a picture of her; he confesses his dream for his college major, she bursts out laughing.

All I know is, parenting a teen has got to be tough, and parenting a teen boy has to be even worse for a lot of us moms. Watch what not to do below, and then give us your teen-parenting tips in the comments.

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How do you deal with parenting teens?

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Frustrated Guy Tries to Open a Toy Package and Boy, Do We Feel His Pain (VIDEO)

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 19:23:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

Christmas morning with kids is the best thing ever...until you actually have to take the toys out of that ridiculous packaging, usually while the kids are begging you to open it right now please please pleeeaaasseee...and you're wielding a knife or scissors on not enough sleep and too much coffee. Whoever invented these things hates parents, I think.

In the latest episode of Mom Vs. Man, Lauren O'Quinn gets an unsuspecting guy to attempt to take a toy out of its packaging in a minute or less.

Let me just say my daughter got this same toy for her birthday earlier this week, and based on that I can say this scene is unrealistic because no one is swearing under their breath or nearly losing a finger.

Check it out:

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

What's your favorite trick for getting toys out of their packaging?

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Mom Goes to Prison for Defending Daughter (VIDEO)

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 06:18:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

Most moms say we'd do just about anything to protect our children. But how far is too far?

Juanita, who we meet in the latest installment of Moms Behind Bars, landed pretty far on the other side of that line. Some guy bumped into her toddler daughter on the street, and the little girl fell down and was bleeding. Rather than yell at the guy and then calm down and tend to her daughter, Juanita went off. She screamed at him, hit him, cut his face (I'm going to guess with a knife), and pretty much lost her mind, including hiding in an abandoned building with her daughter after the assault until the cops went away and then going on the run for a few days.

She was already wanted for robbery and assault, so when the cops caught her, she got a long sentence: 25 years. And she's been trying to parent her kids from prison ever since.

We also meet her daughter, Chastity, who is in high school now and doing well despite a few blips. She talks about how seeing her mom once a month is better than nothing ... and wipes away tears while she says it. I wonder if going nuclear on some guy who hurt her daughter was worth it to Juanita, since she's ended up hurting her daughter far more by not being there for her. You can see the love she feels for Chastity; it radiates from the scenes where we see them together. And sadly, the prison social worker tells us that despite being imprisoned, Juanita has been the most consistent person in Chastity's life.

And to me that's exactly why programs like the one we've been following at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility are so important. These women have made enormous mistakes, but it doesn't mean they aren't capable of loving their children. Their children, on the other hand, love and need their mothers in whatever way they can have them. Maintaining that relationship is good for both sides, even when mom has made some serious mistakes and is not a role model.

Watch their story, and tell us what you think.

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

How far would you go to protect your child?

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How to Take Stress Out of Your Morning Routine

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 08:32:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

For the most part, I don't miss my pre-kids life at all, except for one thing: the morning routine. I could get up, nod at my husband in a friendly manner (we're not morning people), have an entire cup of coffee while it was still hot, and still be at work on time.

Not so much these days....it is a mad dash from the time my eyes open until the youngest is packed off to preschool.

I need help! Fortunately for me (and you), here it is:

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

I can relate to a lot of this, but DID YOU NOTICE?! In the midst of all this chaos while the mom trying to do a million things at once, her husband sits, calmly reading the newspaper. SERIOUSLY?? How does he get away with this?

We have a well-honed, divide-and-conquer routine in my house: He gets our daughter to school and leaves earlier, while I get my son to school and leave later, so we each deal with one kid. He does breakfast, I do outfits, which are laid out the night before, and we pack lunches the night before too. Those two things right there bring down the morning chaos level tremendously...that and the fact my husband does not sit there like a bump on a log while I run around like a maniac.

What's your morning routine like? How do you handle the stress?

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Drug Addict Mom Gets Her Baby Back After Breaking Baby's Kneecap (VIDEO)

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 09:10:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

All of us have made some horrendous mistake as parents that could have, or did, cause harm to our baby. Here's mine: I was rocketing down the expressway with my son in the car, glanced back at him in the rear view mirror....and realized I had not strapped him into his car seat. I still start shaking when I think of what could have happened.

So it's difficult for me to judge Angelina, who was in prison for selling drugs, which she did to feed her own addiction, and was pregnant when she was sentenced. Like most of the moms in this series, she was allowed to keep her baby with her in the prison nursery. But that didn't last long.

After a Halloween party, she was getting him ready for his bath and put him in his crib without raising the side, and he rolled out and ended up with a broken kneecap. He was taken from her, and she was devastated.

But here's where the benefits of keeping moms with their babies becomes apparent. Angelina got out a little early, and instead of going right back to the streets, she realized she needed to get her life on track. So she joined up with the program that also took in her son when she was in prison, called Hour Children, and is off drugs and working to become a substance abuse counselor.

Check out the video below; as Angelina says, "it's all about love."

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

What do you think of Angelina's story?

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Mom Confession: I Miss My Husband So I Sleep With My 5-Year-Old (VIDEO)

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 20:28:00 EST

Post by Amy Kuras

Every mom has, at one time or another, ended up with a kid or three in her bed. Nightmares, thunderstorms, or those inexplicable sleep problems that crop up and then go away as quickly as they came can all be to blame.

But that's your kids coming to you for comfort....what about expecting the same from them? That seems to be the deal with this mom who crawls into her 5-year-old son's bed every night after he's asleep. She says she knows it's probably bad for him, but she needs the comfort.

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

I'm going to quote Dr. Phil here: A child can't come into the world with a job. She's the mom; she should be comforting her child, not expecting him to comfort her. That is a heavy burden for a little kid to carry. I don't think she's creepy, but I do feel bad for her that she's never learned to sleep alone.

I think she should get a pet....it's a warm, living, breathing creature, and I find it very comforting to realize my cat is curled up by my feet or next to my pillow. Or, for goodness' sake, she should talk to her husband about how much she hates being alone at night and see if he can switch to a different shift. And I do think a little therapy to help her work through her anxieties, so she feels safe sleeping alone, might be helpful.

What do you think: sad, creepy, or no big deal?

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