Category: Ariel - BUSY NEST NEWS

Mamasaurus & Papasaurus

16/5/2018

By Ariel

In which Ariel discusses Mamasaurus and Papasaurus by Stephan Lomp. Though she was initially less than enthused these books are perfect for toddler paleontologists. This post contains affiliate links. By using them you help keep Busy Nest News up and running. Thank you for your continued support!

Mamasaurus & Papasaurus
By Stephan Lomp

Mamasaurus & Babysaurus by Stephan Lomp featured on BusyNestNews.com

I will admit, I chose Mamasaurus and Papasaurus by Stephan Lomp based solely on their name. How cute! How clever! But after our initial read, I was less than enthused. It wasn’t the first time that Bean loved a book that I was only half-heartedly amused by and it certainly won’t be the last! She was hooked from the start but I was irritated - for no reason that I could easily articulate. But over a week of repeated rereads I have come to see the charm they hold for a toddler fascinated by dinosaurs.

Self-care: What It Is & What It Isn't

2/5/2018

By Ariel

In which Ariel discusses self-care - the ambiguous call to prioritize you. What is self-care? What isn't self-care? Is it an indulgence or is it a discipline? Is it mani/pedis and facials or is it eating salads and pumping iron? Or D - all of the above?

Despite the fact that I - like many of you- have read countless articles on self-care and why we should be prioritizing it - I have yet to find a satisfying answer to the question “what is self-care?”

Run Like a Mother

30/4/2018

by Brianna

A special book review for Mother's Day. Brianna and Ariel discuss a book just for moms. Not exactly a parenting book, so much as a book for parents. That will make them better parents. That has nothing to do with parenting. You'll see. This article has affiliate links in it. By using them to get the book, you're keeping Busy Nest News going. Thanks for your continued support!

Summary of Run Like a Mother: How to Get Moving-- and Not Lose Your Family, Job, or Sanity, by Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea

For May, the month of Mother’s Day, we decided to read a special sort of parenting book. Run Like a Mother, by Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea, is a book for moms. In it, McDowell and Shea have a conversation with each other and the reader about what it takes to be a mother/runner. They detail their own struggles and triumphs with staying active after having kids, and offer readers solid advice on everything from just finding the time to preventing and rehabbing injuries (whether said injuries were brought on by running trails or slipping on toys). They cover selecting the right footwear, embarrassing playlists, setting reasonable goals, and how to stay relatively safe and comfortable on a run.

Review of Run Like a Mother on BusyNestNews.com

Links We Learned From Vol. 3 No. 1

28/4/2018

By Ariel

In which Ariel discusses four links that got her thinking in the last few weeks. What if there was a way to get the most out of your Netflix binge? Should we jump while we still can? Is a date morning the solution to the challenge of scheduling date night? Are we rushing labor and delivery to the detriment of mothers and infants? Read on to find out!

Links We Learned From Vol. 3 No. 1

Brianna and I are readers - readers of books, readers of articles, readers of blogs etc. We read. When we find something interesting, absurd or promising, we share it with the other. That is the beauty of sharing this crazy wild journey that we call parenthood. Twice the resources! This is a curated list of links (in no particular order) that I think will have a significant impact on how I parent.

The Runaway Bunny: Review & Craft

20/4/2018

By Ariel

In which Ariel discusses the classic The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown - a sweeping epic tale of the creatives ways our children will test our resolve and the lengths we will go to to love them. Pair this with a military-themed craft and you have an activity that opens up discussions around what being a military family means. This post contains affiliate links. By using them you help keep Busy Nest News up and running. Thank you for your continued support!

The Runaway Bunny
By Margaret Wise Brown

Since the military community comprises such a small percentage of our population, we can’t always easily find books that reflect the challenges our families face. We are forced to either create our own which is becoming a more realistic option as time goes by. Just take a look at My Daddy Sleeps Everywhere! Or we can make classic stories that address timeless dilemmas, like The Kissing Hand our own by adding our own twist. The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd is one such classic that lends itself well to retellings.

Mother's Day Gifts for...

20/4/2018

By Ariel and Brianna

In which Ariel and Brianna gently nudge their families toward fantastic gift ideas for them. Ahem! Is the mom you are purchasing for a coffee lover or a jet-setter? Is she a mom married to the military or simply a multi-tasking mom who always needs a third hand? Chances are she falls into one of these categories. If so, we have ideas to jump-start your Mother's Day shopping! This post contains affiliate links. By using them you help keep Busy Nest News up and running. Thank you for your continued support!

Planning to Parent: Thriving During A Deployment

13/4/2018

In which Ariel shares what areas she focuses on when planning for a deployment - how to nurture your child's relationship with their deployed parent, how to nurture your own relationship with your deployed partner, how to keep the routine going when you are solo parenting and how to make sure you still have energy left to take care of yourself.

Planning to Parent: Thriving During a Deployment on BusyNestNews.com

Why Do You Need to Plan for a Deployment?

Living through a deployment is the most challenging part of being a military spouse. It is also – ironically – the most romanticized part. Though my husband is no longer active duty, his job keeps him away from home for months on end, several times a year. How do we make it through relatively unscathed? We have a plan in place and do not deviate from it (often).

So while your civilian friends are picturing perfumed letters and wistfully staring at the sky, pre-deployment for us looks like A Beautiful Mind with more laundry and lists - to-do lists, checklists, lists of lists, lists scrawled on post-it notes, lists scrawled on the whiteboard, half-washed off lists on hands and the list goes on. I have heard from multiple sources, including Brianna, that this listomania is not uncommon.

Having a well-thought-out plan in place during a deployment takes the guesswork out of stressful situations. And when you are solo parenting, everything can become stressful at the drop of a hat - even Skyping with your spouse. How horrible is that? When you want to see them, but the kids are dirty, the dishes are overflowing and the plumber is about the come over to fix the dishwasher that broke the second your spouse deployed. So you Skype - and you are genuinely excited to see them because you miss them - but you find yourself snapping at the kids and being short with your spouse, because this needs to get done and that deadline is coming up. The point is, if you aren’t intentional about the deployment, life will get in the way.

This is not going to be a how-to on planning for deployment. There is no magic bullet. No one approach to deployment will work for everyone, because every family and every deployment is different. Each of our families has unique strengths and a diverse array of needs that should be taken into account. What this is, is a reminder of the - often overlooked - areas we should be intentionally planning for. It's important to plan ahead for when things go right or wrong. So accept that things will go wrong and be as ready as you can anyway.

Throughout this article I often use “you” to refer to you AND your spouse. While you, the at-home partner, may shoulder much of the responsibility for making sure the plan unfurls with minimal hiccups, you cannot plan without input from your spouse. You both need to be on board or someone will end up dissapointed.

Deployment Dolls

6/4/2018

By Ariel

In which Ariel discusses how personalized dolls - sometimes referred to as deployment dolls, since they are frequently used by military families - can help your little one deal with separation anxiety.

Plushies With a Personal Touch

During a deployment finding comfort in the absence of your loved ones can seem like an impossible task. If you are lucky you may be able to hear their voice or see their face but something is missing - touch. You cannot steal kisses or snatch hugs. You and your children feel this loss keenly, like an ache. One item that helps to fill this void are stuffed animals. Think about it; it makes sense. When I want an example of our most basic nature as human beings I watch my daughter. What does she turn to first when she needs comfort and my husband and I are otherwise occupied? Her luvvie. There is a reason most children have beds overflowing with plushies and bins vomiting up soft cuddlies - when we need comfort - physical comfort is the easiest to achieve with a pleasing texture or the act of putting our arms around something warm. Deployment dolls take the classic stuffed animals and make it personal.

Deployment Dolls on BusyNestNews.com

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

31/3/2018

By Brianna and Ariel

In which Brianna and Ariel discuss Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth. What is grit and how do we cultivate it in ourselves and in our children? Duckworth shows us how. This post contains affiliate links. By using them you help keep Busy Nest Nest up and running. Thank you for your continued support!

Summary, Review and Discussion of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth on BusyNestNews.com

Summary: Grit by Angela Duckworth

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth tackles the age-old question - why are some people more successful than others? Our natural tendency is to point out inborn talent as the deciding factor. Duckworth has her own theory. She believes success can be attributed to grit - a special blend of passion and persistence that allows us to improve exponentially.

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn: A Story of Connecting Over Distance

28/3/2018

By Ariel

In which Ariel discusses The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn - a simple story with a profound message for those of us dealing with both short and long term separations. This post contains affiliate links. By using them you help keep Busy Nest News up and running. Thank you for your continued support!

For month of the military child, we are choosing books that can be used to foster and strengthen relationships over long distances, such as deployments - books like The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. Being away from your loved ones is hard. Period. But it doesn’t mean your relationship or your spouse's relationship with your child has to suffer. If you plan for it, deployments provide a unique opportunity to connect in meaningful ways.

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn featured on BusyNestNews.com