Hello, let me introduce myself first..
For the first 30 years of my life, everything was smooth and worry-free. I was my parents’ most beloved child, found my true love in college, and happily married him after graduation.
At work, I was my boss’s most valued employee. Whenever I was in charge of a project, colleagues would inevitably say, “Oh, then I’m totally at ease.” I was constantly named “Employee of the Year,” with generous bonuses every year.
Later, I started my own business. Within just three months, I had broken into the market and started making money. By the fifth month, I was earning twice my previous salary. Growth was steady month after month. Right when the business needed more hands, I serendipitously met an amazing partner, and the company reached a whole new level.
Really, it seemed like at every step, whatever I needed, a pair of hands would always place it right in front of me, just in time.
My Two Girls: Ellie & Mia
Meet Ellie, My Firstborn
In 2020, my husband and I decided to have a child. After trying for over a year, we finally got the news in 2021 that a little one was on the way. In 2022, we welcomed our first child, Ellie. She made me a mother.
She is utterly adorable—big eyes, rosy skin, chubby little hands. Every time I look at her, I can’t help but give her a kiss. She is pure joy, and I love her more each day.
But as a first-time mom, I faced unprecedented difficulties. The postpartum tearing wouldn’t heal, and the pain was excruciating. Clogged milk ducts made my breasts hard as rocks. The severe sleep deprivation… And what was even more crushing was that, with zero parenting experience, I was clueless when faced with her unexplained wailing, night terrors, refusal to nurse, constipation, diarrhea, fevers… I desperately searched online, longing for one accurate, truly useful answer!
It was during this time that I thought, once I make it through this “dark” path, I must leave a light on for other new moms.
And Then Came Mia
Ellie had just turned one when I got pregnant again. In 2024, we welcomed our second daughter, Mia.
Completely different from Ellie, Mia is a great eater and sleeper. Although she had her fussy moments in the first two months, starting almost from month three, she became super easygoing. She feeds on schedule, gradually sleeps through the night, loves her solid foods, and adapted quickly when I had to stop breastfeeding due to mastitis.
This made me realize just how vastly different babies can be! It made me even more determined to write about my experiences.
Why I Had to Start This Blog
The Catalyst: A Life Pivoted
After Mia was born, my business also began to decline sharply. I had no choice but to close it and become a full-time mom. My work no longer involves Excel and Word, but instead revolves around changing diapers, washing bottles, making baby food, and managing household chores…
This has been a monumental challenge for me. All my past achievements seem irrelevant now. Managing two young children has brought me a sense of frustration I’ve never known before.
The Daily Reality
They are always fighting over things. When one is in my arms, the other immediately demands to be held too. When I try to cook, Ellie wants me to read her a book. When I attempt to load the washing machine, Mia has a diaper blowout, and I must drop everything to change her…
By the time I finish all that, I see the cup of hot coffee on the table has gone cold again. And it’s not until evening that I remember, “Oh my goodness, the clothes are still in the hamper, unwashed!”
Of course, being a mom is filled with happiness, but that doesn’t negate how hard it is.
My Promise to You
Because I’ve walked this path myself, I won’t just tell you how joyful motherhood is, like many websites do. I want to share my real, unfiltered experiences so every new mom can find a “companion” here.
I want to tell you: you are not alone. What you’re going through, I’ve been there too. Your breakdowns, your helplessness, your moments of losing control—I’ve had them all. You don’t need to feel guilty. This is just a small, necessary stretch of the journey for every mom.
My Hope for This Space
I really want to share my parenting experiences—not just the warm, glowing moments, but to honestly document the pitfalls I’ve stumbled into, the tears I’ve shed, and the “survival wisdom” I’ve scraped together in utter exhaustion.
The Goal: A Mom’s Toolkit
I hope this blog becomes a “mom’s toolkit,” filled not with vague theories, but with:
- Practical Tips: Like how to quickly figure out why a baby is crying, tried-and-true methods for dealing with clogged ducts, or how to efficiently manage the daily grind with twins (or two under two) solo.
- Pitfall Avoidance Guides: Sharing the baby products I regret buying the most, and those “game-changer” parenting hacks. Letting you know which parenting anxieties you can let go of, and which principles are worth holding onto.
- A Community for Moms: I hope my stories connect me with more moms like you. We can cheer each other on in the comments, share our own tricks, turning the storms we face alone into a journey we walk together.
The Bigger Vision
My previous career taught me to analyze data, solve problems, and optimize processes. Now, I’m applying all those skills to this new “position” of Mom. I want to prove that a mom’s value is absolutely not confined to the home. The mindset, resilience, and creativity we built in our careers can shine just as brightly—perhaps even brighter—in this more complex, long-term “project” of raising humans, and can even be transformed into a force that helps others.
My hope is simple: that every mom who opens this blog can let out a sigh of relief and say, “So it’s not just me.” Then, she can find a bit of practical info, a dose of comforting solidarity, and return to her sweet, chaotic mom-life with a little more confidence and a little less weight on her shoulders.
This road? Let’s walk it together.
Cricket81
member
Re: Bad B's Favorite Recipes
PILEUPS
Ingredients:
baked chicken breast
hummus (roasted red pepper has best flavor for this)
ww tortillas
chopped tomatoes
chopped red onion
shredded cheese
I make this at least once a week, sometimes twice.
Bake a chicken breast or two in salsa, or cook however you want with some Mexican-y spices.
Then chop cooked chicken into small pieces (I usually make 2-3 at time so I have the fixins ready for another night).
Take a tortilla and spread it with hummus. Pile chopped chicken, tomatoes, red onion and shredded cheese on top. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 375ish (until toasty brown on top and edges are crisp). It ends up being like a messy healthy pizza. You can vary the ingredients- sometimes I add beans if I have them, chopped cilantro or avocado, etc.
A tried and true family favorite!
DH loves this one. I use boneless skinless chicken breasts and don't bake it for as long. I also have added a couple tablespoons of chicken stock to the sauce because it gets quite thick in the oven.
https://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/05/maple-dijon-chicken/
DS born 6/2013
Balsamic Roast Beef French Dip Sandwiches
https://addapinch.com/cooking/balsamic-roast-beef-french-dip-sandwich-recipe/#.UiuRQjDYtuI
Braised Short Ribs with Cheesy Grits
Not a quick recipe, but delicious!
https://www.browneyedbaker.com/braised-short-ribs-with-cheesy-grits-slow-cooker/
DS born 6/2013
Lasagna Soup
I make this one a lot!
https://thedeenbros.com/index.php/recipes/recipe_detail/bobbys_lighter_tastes_like_lasagna_soup/
Baked Herb Lemon Chicken
Another one we make a lot.
https://www.andicakes.com/2011/01/07/baked-herb-lemon-chicken/
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/chicken-marsala-recipe.html
I made it with mashed potatoes and broccoli one night.
You can pair it with anything though.
Cumin-Spiced Chicken with Chunky Tomato Sauce
https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/cumin-spiced-chicken-with-chunky-tomato-sauce-10000001896097/
DS born 6/2013
https://www.realsimple.com/m/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/red-curry-glazed-salmon
Excluding the water, you only need 4 ingredients (butter, apples, flour, sugar).
https://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/10/mollys-apple-tarte-tatin/
Love this and B does too. He stopped liking eggs so we tried this recipe that we normally have Christmas morning. Now we make a pan and freeze the squares individually.**
10 eggs
1/2 c flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
16 oz small curd cottage cheese
1 lb shredded jack cheese (cheddar is yummy too)
1/2 c butter, melted
2 cans (4oz each) diced green chiles
Preheat oven to 350. Beat eggs, add flour, baking powder, salt, cottage and jack cheese, butter and blend until smooth. Stir in chiles. Butter a 9x13" baking pan and pour mixture in. Bake for 35 mins or until golden brown on top.
**We can take one square right out of the freezer in the morning and nuke on 50% power for 1 1/2 mins, flip and do another 1-1 1/2 mins. Good with fruit.
DS born 6/2013
https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/03/baked-sweet-and-sour-chicken-recipe.html
my read shelf:
https://allrecipes.com/recipe/best-cream-of-broccoli-soup/
Edits for more info: The proportions in this recipe felt weird to me - I used 2 cups broth, 1 cup water, and a 12 ounce package of broccoli florets (along with the 2 onion and 1 celery stalk). This needs more cooking than the recipe calls for, more than twice as long. I added a dash of nutmeg, which I add to all creamy soups and sauces. I also added salt, which is oddly missing from the recipe.
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/one-pot-autumn-herb-roasted-chicken-butter-toasted-wild-rice-pilaf
Willman's fried meatballs
Ground beef
Ground pork
1 shredded carrot
1/2 bag of spinach, cooked and chopped
Worcestershire sauce
Garlic, Parsley, oregano, and pepper
1 egg
Parm cheese
Plain bread crumbs
Smush all in a bowl, roll into balls, and fry in 1/4 in sunflower oil for about 8 minutes, turning them to brown on all sides.
The best thing is you can make all the balls and freeze what you don't make. Just go from frozen to the pan for a quick meal.
#Bodymber14 #Bodygate #itsMillerTime
Bradley 05-04-11 & Tyler 06-18-13
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/03/17/skinny-banana-blueberry-muffins/
Add chocolate mini chips instead of blueberries and use 4 very ripe 6 in bananas (which is more than the recipe calls for). Also, recipe says you can make 15, I used every drop of batter to make 12.
#Bodymber14 #Bodygate #itsMillerTime
Bradley 05-04-11 & Tyler 06-18-13
Crock Pot Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers.
My meat went bad and I was already in the middle of making this when I realized it
https://www.number-2-pencil.com/2012/06/22/crock-pot-mexican-stuffed-bell-peppers/
https://www.closetcooking.com/2013/03/cuban-roast-pork-lechon-asado.html
This version doesn't require a marinade and looks pretty good also:
https://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-easy-dinner-recipes-cubanstyle-pork-shoulder-crock-pot-20140703-story.html
Skinny shrimp Alfredo pasta bake
https://damndelicious.net/2014/08/06/shrimp-alfredo-pasta-bake/#comment-85265
Lessons learned: have all your ingredients ready for the Alfredo sauce, include a clove of garlic when you boil your pasta (along with salt and a bit of evoo, so the noodles don't stick), and this is a very messy prep so beat save it for a night when you have assistance washing dishes
#Bodymber14 #Bodygate #itsMillerTime
Bradley 05-04-11 & Tyler 06-18-13
https://www.ohsweetbasil.com/2013/01/lasagna-soup-recipe.html
https://theadvocate.com/features/recipes/10860468-123/asparagus-prosciutto-bundles
We used regular butter and kosher salt (#notsofancy)