DESSERT TONIGHT
Food

How to Make Perfect Caramel Apples

By mamashighstrung
on October 29, 2014
Have you ever made Homemade Caramel Apples? I'm not talking about dipped apples made with those cute little caramel squares that you buy in packages in the supermarket. I'm talking about REAL, honest-to-God caramel apples that you make from ...more
AFFORDABLE & AWESOME
Style

4 Sources for Fabulous Plus-Size Jeans

By Ladyjwanderlust
on October 27, 2014
After spending some four hours in a department store with my mom today, I realized that there are some great plus-sized (size 12+) jean choices out there ... if you can afford them, that is. What about us girls who want great fit, but can't ...more
ONE GOOD REASON
Blogging & Social Media

Why I Blog Under a Pseudonym

By sharah
on October 30, 2014
My friend Karen announced her move from her semi-anonymous blog to her real-name space. I wish her all the strength and healing she can find in combining her separate pieces into one whole. I've always written under a pseudonym, and I have no ...more
HALLOWEEN
Work/Life

How to Keep Your Pets From Getting Scared on Halloween

By JoAnneApple
on October 29, 2014
Holidays can be a stressful time for our pets, and each one brings a new set of challenges. Halloween is no exception. A few simple tweaks to your Halloween routine, however, can go a long way toward keeping your pets safe. ...more
MAKE LIFE WORK
Work/Life

How Our Workplace Policies Are Keeping Women Poor

By VivienLabaton
on October 28, 2014
Beyoncé—a performer, working mother, and American icon— shows many of us the woman we want to be. But to state the obvious, we can’t all work it like Beyoncé. Literally. We can’t work, raise a child, and pay our bills like Beyoncé can, because ...more
Food

Pumpkin Spiced Brown Rice Crispy Treats with Pepitas

By lunabay
on October 30, 2014
There are several kids in our neighborhood who cannot eat the traditional Halloween candy. I learned of this several years ago when they came trick-or-treating at our house and as I was filling up their bags, one of the little girls, with a quivering voice and eyes welling up, said, "I can't eat that." Ever since I have made a special treat just for them on Halloween. ...more
Body Image

Just Another Day of Fighting the Fat

By YourTango.com
on October 30, 2014
At the tender age of 13, I twisted my body around in front of the full length mirror I'd purchased from the nearest K-Mart for $6.99. I used the business end of my inaugural pair of platform shoes and to my mom's chagrin, proceeded to hammer the mirror to the back of my bedroom door. Seventeen magazine and the stick-thin models contained within its glossy pages began a residency on my nightstand years before the walking hungry began gracing the pages of trash magazines like Us and In Touch. ...more
By Cavegirlc
OMG! I loved this!! I can totally relate to this! Thank you!more
Marriage and Commitment

8 Things Women Wish They Knew Before Getting Married

By FeministaJones
on October 30, 2014
 I wish I had known.......more
Entertainment

I Hate the Things You Love, Can We Still Be Friends?

By Vikki
on October 30, 2014
I cannot tell a lie. Maybe it's because I've never been good at lying. Or maybe I'm still traumatized from that time in 1986 when I told my mom that I was going to a late movie with friends but went to a party instead and awoke the next morning to a note that said simply, "Call me at work about last night."  Regardless of the reason, I am all about telling the truth...even when it gets me in trouble. So, today, I have a few things I must confess to you. ...more
By uppoppedafox
NinaBadzin BlogHer BWAH HA HA! Perfect response.more
Politics

Polls Show Support for Early Education. Will Voters Agree Nov. 4?

By Grace Hwang Lynch
on October 30, 2014
On November 4, voters in many states will decide on ballot measures for early childhood education, and recent polls report that most Americans support making preschool more accessible for all. The surveys show that voters in North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Colorado and Georgia view early learning as a priority at both the state and national level. Image Credit: First Five Years ...more
Family

25 Life Lessons I Want My Daughter to Know

By Kristy Moreno
on October 30, 2014
A while back, one of my now dear friends, Kari Kampakis, wrote an article titled, "If I Die Young." The article, in a nutshell, is a list of life lessons addressed to her daughters in the event something ever happens to her. I love Kari and her writing, and that post really resonated with me. She also encouraged others to do the same. ...more
By Kristy Moreno
It All Matters Mom Thanks for reading, Erin! It's one of my favorite posts to date. I'm sure ...more
Tweens & Teens

Can a Cell Phone Be a Teaching Tool for Your Tween?

By TheYankeeMomBlog
on October 30, 2014
A few weeks ago, my eleven-year-old daughter received a text message from her friend asking for a favor. Her friend "broke up" with her "boyfriend" and wanted my daughter to text him a nasty message. Of course, my daughter agreed; that is until I took control of the situation. Credit: goodncrazy....more
By LindaElizabeth
Think of the cell phone as candy and junk food.  Do you leave it lying around all over the place ...more
Work/Life

How Productive Is Your Productivity?

By speoples
on October 30, 2014
Several weeks ago, I went to the library with my son. While he stood in line to retrieve his prize for participating in a program, I went to retrieve a prize of my own: The 4-Hour Work Week, by Tim Ferriss. I went to the clerk’s desk for assistance:Me: I’d like to check if you have a book here.Clerk: Sure, I can assist you with that! What’s the name of the book?Me: The 4-Hour Work Week, by Tim Ferriss....more
Money

How to Make Your Own Maternity Jeans

By janssen.everyday
on October 29, 2014
Almost two years ago, I broke the zipper on a pair of my jeans (I've never done this before or since, happily), and I thought, "WHAT could you possibly do with a pair of jeans with a broken zipper?" And then I remembered that I'd made myself a pair of maternity jeans once upon a time, and this pair might be a chance for me to do it again, now that I knew a little better what I was doing. So I stashed them away for many many months until I was pregnant again....more
By designingbee1
This is a very great idea! I will definitely keep this in mind in the future!! Great tutorial, ...more
Work/Life

Help! My Friend Wants Me to Lie as a Job Reference

By Mouthy Housewives
on October 29, 2014
Dear Mouthy Housewives,I run a small internet-based business and over the years have had several employees. Recently, a good friend of mine asked me if she could use me as a professional reference. She has been a stay-at-home mom for about twelve years and is having a hard time finding a job. I want to help her, but I feel uncomfortable about lying. Is there any way this can be considered a "white lie"?Signed,I'm Not Her Boss...more
By nelle douville
No way. No no no. No!  For heaven's sake, I'm a convicted felon and would never lie about it. I ...more
Family

How Do You Help Your Kids Hold On To Their Cultural Identity?

By mom.me
on October 29, 2014
My husband is a Gujarati of Indian descent born and raised in Africa. Like me, he grew up in a household where his family’s cultural traditions, food, clothing and language were a source of pride and engrained in his childhood years. ...more
Work/Life

Would You Enjoy Working for $5 an Hour?

By SunshineyDay
on October 29, 2014
Over the years I've worked a lot of crummy jobs. I've worked a lot of low-paying jobs and jobs that paid all right but worked me to the bone. I've been undercompensated; I've done jobs that were above my pay grade because I would work for less than I was worth. And I wasn't happy, but I can honestly say that I'm happy now. I only make $5.00 an hour, and I am happier with that than ever before....more
By SunshineyDay
tessadoghor If God leads you there, it doesn't matter how much money you are making.  I also ...more
Books

When Publishing a Powerful Memoir Means Your Mother Won't Speak to You

By sarahanngilbert
on October 29, 2014
After Michelle Theall's book came out in February, her mother stopped talking to her. The story, which chronicles Michelle's childhood growing up in Texas, her struggle to come to terms with her sexuality and her tense relationship with her mother, a devoted Catholic, a hypochondriac and a constant critic, would be too painful to read, according to her mother. Instead, the book, which is now available in paperback would become a wall between them. ...more
By Harmony Hobbs
Thank you for sharing this. My mother struggles -- a LOT -- with my writing. It sucks.more
Family

My Education Ruined My Relationship With My Mom

By DrCurly
on October 29, 2014
“We got dressed to go to the gym, but decided to put our house on the market instead,” my mother casually delivered this news to me on the phone and across the 1100 miles that now separate us. She was in the middle of preparing dinner; I was in the middle of a powerwalk.I always talk to my mother in transit. It is my way of multitasking, and she despises it. (Of course, preparing dinner while on the phone with me is the only acceptable version of multitasking, if she even acknowledges it as multitasking in the first place.)...more
By DrCurly
cchinsethagid Thank you! I will definitely need a good dose of luck and wisdom.more
Family

5 Ways To Keep Poor Kids From Ruining Your Halloween If You're A Terrible Person

By elleroy
on October 29, 2014
Have you heard about the wicked wealthy witch who wrote a letter to Slate's Dear Prudence advice column complaining about her 1%-er neighborhood being overrun by mini vans full of less fortunate 99%-ers out to pilfer her mountain of full size $100,000 bars on Halloween? Here it is. Get ready to cringe and seethe simultaneously. ...more
By Karen Humphrey
if people have a problem with handing out candy, then don't. Nobody forces you to.more
Work/Life

I Support Brittany Maynard and Death With Dignity

By bluestmuse
on October 29, 2014
[Editor's Note: As of 10/302014, Brittany Maynard has delayed her plans to end her life.]It's not uncommon for Mr. T to look over and see tears running down my face when I'm watching TV or videos. Usually, I'm sniffling over silly fictional storylines, but last night I got close to a full-on cry fest while watching Brittany Maynard talk about her brain cancer. Maynard is currently famous (or infamous, depending on your side of this issue) for planning her death on the first of November....more
By Mas_s_art
LIBalways BluestMuse BlogHer ritaarens I am Indeed. Sorry for being unclear about that.more
Family

What's the Biggest Lie You Tell Your Kids?

By tonihammer
on October 29, 2014
Lying is bad. I know this. But all parents sometimes lie to our kids. Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy are prime examples of lies we tell our kids. We dress up the lie in cute stories and fun experiences, but in the end, it's a lie. The biggest lie I tell my children isn't dressed up in fairy tales or glitter, though. It's simple, plain, and three words. I'm almost done. ...more
Work/Life

Let's All Stop Worrying About Happiness

By PurpleClover
on October 28, 2014
There’s a perfume called Happy and it smells terrible on me. If they made a perfume called Curmudgeonly, it’d be my signature scent. Image: A.M. Kuchling...more
By DifferentThanAverage
I love this. I'm someone who often comes off as curmudgeonly, too.  But it's not necessarily ...more
Love & Sex

Sexual Healing: My Journey to Fat Acceptance

By writers_delite
on October 28, 2014
I finally see myself.            When I was about 14, I was slim and fit, but curvy—except I wasn’t. Like being light-skinned, I just imagined I was. At the time, I was 5’7” and hovered somewhere around 220 lbs. I was used to it; I’ve been fat most of my 27 years of life. However, I have been disconnected from that fat—a part of my body—for most of my life as well....more
By geletilari
BlogHer You are beautiful how you are.more
DIY

Mad Scientist Specimen Jar DIY

By Jennifer Perkins
on October 28, 2014
This year for my Halloween party, I decided to give my wet bar a "mad scientist" theme. I picked up beakers at the thrift store, displayed a Frankenstein head between bar glasses, and had fun making the final touch: specimen jars. ...more
Work/Life

How to Make the Most of Your Thrift Store Shopping

By thegomamas
on October 28, 2014
All of my friends know me well, so when I call and say, "Hey, you want to go out tomorrow?" they know that equates to giddily perusing though several thrift stores, hitting yard sales, or picking up stuff from Freecycle. Some decline unless I include lunch; others are as game as I am. ...more
By Peppylady 60
Great post. One thing I notice around here (North Idaho) in warmer weather it best to hit the ...more
Entertainment

10 Great Halloween TV Programs for Toddlers

By jayhawkmommy
on October 28, 2014
I have to confess that we watch a lot of TV in my house. I’m not proud of it, but it’s a fact of life. All of us love TV. I try to limit my girls’ viewing, but there are some days that I suck at that, too. Grace seems to love TV the most. If the TV sits idle and dark, she will find the remote, hand it to my husband or me, then say, “TV on.” She really doesn’t like it if I refuse to turn on the television, and has been known to pitch a fit. The TV stays off but the rest of us are miserable. ...more
By nomorenicegirl.com
We had to plan to watch It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. No on on-demand - just had to be ...more
Tweens & Teens

He's Army Strong, Mom's Still in Training

By Liz Thompson
on October 28, 2014
As a child, I remember reading about the Declaration of Independence in history class and quietly smiling to myself, thinking...THIS!...this is why my family is here. "Mom, I want to enlist into the military." But I cannot think of too many words, other than those my 15-year-old son has been saying, since he was 4 years old, that can simultaneously fill my heart with joy AND feel as if someone or something is trying to dig its way out of my chest, one spoonful at at a time. ...more
By Liz Thompson
writelynne Thank you, makes my heart happy to know this, and DITTO!more
Blogging & Social Media

Malcolm and Jillian Bedell Are Starting a Food Truck + More!

By The BlogHer Pub...
on October 28, 2014
Malcolm and Jillian Bedell of From Away recently launched a Kickstarter project to fund their newest venture -- a sandwich truck in Rockland, Maine. But not just any sandwich truck, as Malcom explains, "Not just sandwiches. Incredible sandwiches, baked on fresh, crusty bread and filled with braised meats and locally-produced cheeses. Highbrow sandwiches made with garlic-roasted asparagus and quick-pickled onions in the summer. Lowbrow sandwiches packed with homemade lamb chili and cheese in the winter." Visit Kickstarter to see more and to support 'Wich, Please. ...more
Health

6 Things to Say (or Not Say) to Your Infertile Friends

By camillep
on October 28, 2014
Generally speaking, I am a driven, overachieving, type-A person, probably like most of the women on BlogHer. And like most women, I get things done! Not so with conception. I recently navigated the toughest, most heart-wrenching experience of my life: infertility. My journey brought me to my knees and nearly broke me. I recently gave a Tedx talk on the experience, a journey filled with twists and turns, extreme hope and shattering heartbreak. It's not for the faint of heart. And I know I'm not alone. ...more
Family

How Should You Talk to Your Kids About Hemp and Marijuana?

By Kelli Martinelli
on October 28, 2014
"I really want to hang up my weed leaf tapestry in the basement," said my main mansky, Cransky, as we stood in the kitchen amongst piles of moving boxes. "So hang it up." "But it's got a giant WEED LEAF ON IT AND THERE ARE CHILDREN LIVING HERE." Cransky makes a potent point. But! The green times they are a-changin'. "Welllll, maybe we hang it up and it'll be a conversation starter about all the wonders of hemp," I responded....more
By Kia Slade
Hemp? Nope. I think we left that out of the drug talk.more
Family

5 Halloween Costumes for Your Princess-Hating Daughter

By mom.me
on October 27, 2014
I’m not trying to be one of those moms that is forcing her daughter to reject super girly things. Though I'm no fan of the color pink, I do love wearing dresses, skirts and makeup. My daughter? She’s not even two years old yet, but she’s a rough-and-tumble chic....more
By AlexandreaMerrell
I was a "Tom Boy" myself, a term that I don't like...but my favorite costume for Halloween was ...more
Food

Pumpkin Curry Soup With Coconut Milk

By Kalyn Denny
on October 27, 2014
Curry Pumpkin Soup from Life's Ambrosia ...more
By Kalyn Denny
@scrummylane BlogHerFood Love the idea of making it in a crock pot!more
Love & Sex

Who Am I? A Look at the Victims of Domestic Violence

By elfladychronicles
on October 27, 2014
Who am I? I am your mother, your daughter, your sister, your co-worker, your neighbor and your friend.  I am your nurse, your hair stylist, your chiropractor and your son’s piano teacher.  I am the lady in line next to you at the grocery store.  I am the woman sitting beside you Sunday morning at church.  And I am a victim of domestic violence....more
Work/Life

Drogheda

By Tea at Trianon
on November 19, 2014
Stephanie Mann discusses the bloody siege on that dark day in Irish history. According to the conventions of 17th century warfare, a besieged city that refused a summons to surrender and was then taken by storm could expect no mercy. Cromwell regarded the massacre at Drogheda as a righteous judgment on the Catholics who had slaughtered Protestant settlers in the Irish Uprising of 1641, a view that was probably shared by most Protestants at the time ....more
Family

Motherhood Pep Talk

By The Busy Budgeting Mama
on October 30, 2014
Being a mommy to one seems like forever ago! I wish someone would have told me back then that laundry baskets filled with unfolded clean laundry, is still a mama victory! I remember feeling overwhelmed with just one baby. ....more
Family

THE WOOD CLAN MEETS THE TORIVIO TRIBE

By a life made simple
on October 30, 2014
We ended off last post with a picture of the Torivio Tribe. We were so happy to finally meet them! Pat has been a follower for a few years now and had offered for us to stop by on our way through Moriarty last year ....more
Family

Halloween Party! Dankfest #18

By IROCKSOWHAT
on October 30, 2014
Happy Halloween! I'm excited to eat all of Wyatt's candy take Wyatt trick or treating! Halloween is a big deal over at my family's house ....more
Family

Swim With The Fishes

By Bebehblog
on October 30, 2014
The aquarium always does fun stuff for Halloween and we’ve been going since Evan was a baby. This year the costume dress up weekend was “Pirate and Princess” themed. Unfortunately, I spend a bazillion dollars on costumes that are not pirates or princesses but were TOTALLY aquarium appropriate…so the kids dressed up anyway ....more
DIY

Thrifty Thursday!

By Threadheads Unite
on October 30, 2014
Aaaaah! Those Two Words!! Thrifty Thursday! ...more
Family

Seven Halloween Movies for ChickenSh*ts

By Good Day, Regular People
on October 30, 2014
I'm a chickensh*t. I call myself that so many times in a day that not knowing its origin was driving me nuts. I found it, right there...more

Parenting and Self Doubt Seem To Go Hand in Hand

By abrown9929
on October 30, 2014
This morning I was reading in Exodus and read the passage where God calls Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery. Moses told God three times he couldn't do it.  "But Moses pleaded with the Lord, "O Lord, I'm just not a good speaker. I never have been, and I'm not now, even after you have spoken to me. I'm clumsy with words."(Exodus 4:10) ...more
DIY

Frugal Friday: 31 Days of All Things Home Edition #5~

By The Shabby Nest
on October 30, 2014
Welcome to the 5th edition of 31 Days of All Things Home Frugal Friday (how's that for a mouthful?) For today's Frugal Round-up, I'm sharing this great DIY marquee letters tutorial shared by Love Grows Wild. ...more
Health

Thank God for You My Mother, My Hero & My Friend – Part 2

By Five Spot Green Living
on October 30, 2014
Glioblastoma Multiforme I wrote just a few days ago about my mother suffering from a Grade IV Glioblastoma Multiforme brain tumor. She had been in a nursing home for a few weeks following a bad fall which likely was the result of a stroke and then she developed sepsis from a UTI infection as she […] ...more