Moms Talk Network

Looking For Resources & Information Just For You... The Busy Mom?

You've definitely come to the right place. Browse for tips and advice to help you make the right decision for you and your family.

How To Reconnect With Your Family

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

By Guest Blogger Aurelia Williams of Real Life Guidance.

People complain all the time about how busy they are with work, school, and activities. Family time seems to come in last place or is completely forgotten as the family becomes consumed with its responsibilities and activities.

Rather than becoming a family of strangers, simply take 30 minutes a day to reconnect. It doesn’t have to be a big event; in fact, being spontaneous with your activity will invite some giggles and everyone will be more relaxed.

Here are some simple tips for spending more family time together:

Television is one of the biggest distractions in our modern homes. The bigger the screen, the more entranced we become. Make a habit of turning off the television, especially during family dinner time, and spend time talking and listening to your family members.

Remember the “good ol’ days” by taking a walk down memory lane. Pull out the old family photo albums and share funny stories or remember a beloved relative who has passed away. Keep reading Mom!

What Exactly is Search Engine Optimization?

By Guest Blogger Elizabeth Ashe of Internet Marketing Strategy Diva and Make Money Online Diva.

Search Engine Optimization or SEO, is a term that is not relatively new, but it is not well understood either. People get confused between keyword phrases, spiders, and algorithms. However, it is not a hard concept once you grasp it and begin to utilize the principles of Search Engine Optimization.

To put it plainly, SEO is the process of improving traffic to a website from search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Dog Pile via natural search results for targeted key words. What one does, in essence, when it comes to Search Engine Optimization, is optimize a web site by improving certain aspects of the site in order to boost the traffic received from search engines.

Bottom line, Search Engine Optimization is all about creating a quality site so that people locate you on the web.

There are many techniques that can be used for your SEO efforts to be successful. You will want to consider the use of keywords in your content, on your navigation bar, and other prominent places on your site. Another thing that is very important is quality content that is original and makes use of keyword terms. Building relevant links is yet another important aspect as well as making sure there are no bumps in your site that may cause a search engine to falter as it searches, or crawls, your site. If you apply the principles such as those mentioned and others, then you should do fairly well in your Search Engine Optimization endeavors. Keep reading Mom!

The Top 5 Challenges Homeschoolers Working at Home Face

By Guest Blogger Pat Fenner of Network From Home.

We’ve been homeschooling for 14 years now, and up until recently we relied solely on a single income. With 5 children to feed (2 in college) it’s been nothing short of miraculous that we’ve been able to make it this far! My husband’s a hard worker, but the construction/remodeling business certainly has its ups and downs. As prices have soared and his industry continues to plunge to new depths, I’ve taken to building a home business as well. I’ve also spent some time talking and emailing other homeschoolers I know with their own businesses, and have come up with this (non-definitive, I’m sure!) list.

5. Let’s get the obvious out of the way: having the kids home all day…every day…365/24/7!

Now, for most homeschoolers, that’s really not a bad thing. After all, we have chosen this lifestyle. I know quite a few non-homeschooling WAHMs who say summer is their “downtime” and they punch it during the school year! We, however, don’t have that luxury. Therefore, in order to have a successful venture it is imperative to handle the next “hurdle”, which is… Keep reading Mom!

Morning Sickness Survival Tips

“Just eat a few saltines and you’ll be ok”.

I don’t know about you, but as someone who suffered with prolonged, severe morning sickness (which I affectionately call morning noon and night sickness), When I hear someone say this, I just want to slug them!

If you’re suffering with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, you’re not alone. Most women experience it to some degree during their first trimester. If you’re one of the unfortunate few whose symptoms last longer than the typical 6-12 weeks, I empathize. I’ve had the same experience with all 4 of my pregnancies. I have learned a few things that helped however, and I hope you can get some relief from your morning sickness with these tips.

1. Getting your blood sugar regulated is priority #1.

One theory about why morning sickness is worse in the morning (and for some women only occurs then) is because when you wake up from sleep, you have low blood sugar. For some pregnant woman, going 8 hours without food is just a bad idea.

You might find it helpful to eat a high protein snack before bed, and even to eat a bite each time you get up in the night to go to the bathroom. (Which in the beginning may be quite frequent!)

Personally, I found that what I did first thing in the morning was of paramount importance. I had to eat a few bites of food *while still lying down*. So I either put some food on a plate beside my bed or asked my husband bring me a snack first thing in the morning.

Don’t jump out of bed. Eat your snack slowly and lie still for a few minutes afterwards. Then slowly get up and immediately go to the kitchen and eat another bite. Again, emphasize protein. Keep reading Mom!

Your Money: Stepping Up to the Plate

You know what a bad hair day is, right? But have you ever had a bad *money* day? A day that becomes a week?

It all began when I made an online purchase at just under $100. I allowed three days for my echeck to clear. In the meantime, I emailed the seller.

He didn’t return my email.

(Strike One)

Once I received notice that my e-check had cleared, I waited an extra day, then emailed him again. He didn’t write back. At this point, I still didn’t have my purchase.

(Strike Two)

I dug up another email address from his site, sent him my receipt and proof of purchase, and asked him to send my product.

Later in the week, he wrote back with an apology. He also explained that his original email address was no longer valid. So, he was totally oblivious to my purchase.

Fair enough. These things happen. Right? But, then… Keep reading Mom!