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PARENTING + THE HOLIDAYS

HOLIDAY GIFTING: A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

 Modern Mommy Doc


PUBLICATION DATE:

Nov 30, 2020

HOLIDAY GIFTING: A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

 Modern Mommy Doc

CATEGORY: PARENTING + THE HOLIDAYS

Mama, it’s finally here! Sleepy, slippered mornings waking up over hot coffee.


Winter light dancing across the floorboards. Mittened hands, cold noses, the smell of pine everywhere. Yes, the holiday season is officially upon us. And I think we can all agree that, after the year we’ve had, we need something worth celebrating. 

 

This Christmas Eve, you’ll find my family and me making our traditional raclette dinner. (Gooey cheese melted over bread and veggies — what’s not to love?!) And we will greet Christmas morning with panettone French toast as we always do. But some traditions will necessarily change. There’s light at the end of this crazy dark tunnel we call 2020, but the pandemic is still upon us, and so not everything is Christmas-as-usual.

 

With that in mind, I wanted to share a few ideas to help you make this a holiday season to remember. I know, I know — I’m not Oprah. But hopefully this list of family-friendly traditions and gift ideas (for your kids, for new parents in your life, or even yourself) is more attainable and, as a result, even more helpful. There are only so many puppy hoodies you can give away, after all.



Parenting Done Right


One of the best things about the holidays is how they make it easy to nail it in the parenting department. Cookies, books, decorations — sometimes it’s the simple stuff that kids (and parents) remember most. Here are three pandemic-proof ideas to help you get into the spirit of things:



1. Build a LEGO gingerbread house. You get all the Christmas vibes with none of the gloppy mess!


2. Make Christmas cookies from scratch and decorate them with as many sprinkles as humanly possible.


3. Read a favorite holiday book every day. Ours is When Santa Was a Baby, both for its humorous spin and its heartwarming message.



Gifts for Bookworms


Light up your little reader’s life with these foolproof page-turners.


1.  The Indestructibles series: Perfect for new parents or anyone with a toddler, this line of books combines engaging illustrations and simple themes with “pages” that can withstand virtually anything your little one can dish out.


2. The Pout-Pout Fish: So much of motherhood is spent trying to turn sour attitudes into something sweeter. Let this book do the heavy lifting for once.


3.  Chrysanthemum: Standing up to bullies and finding your true self? This book covers all the essentials.


4.  The Toot & Puddle series: Friendship and charming illustrations make this series by Holly Hobbie a hands-down win.


5.  Strictly No Elephants: This book does double duty with an entertaining story and an important message of inclusivity.


6.  The Wonderful Things You Will Be: This lovingly whimsical storyline lives up to the mesmerizing illustrations by Emily Winfield Martin.


7.  Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: Biographies of ballerinas, queens, inventors, and other role models become as fascinating as fairy tales thanks to some clever storytelling.


8. The Rabbit Listened: This sweet story underscores the value of being a good listener.


9. Ada Twist, Scientist: Rhyming text, a strong female protagonist, a celebration of STEM-inclined curiosity — this book ticks all the boxes.


10. The Little Gardener: Persistence is key in this tale of a gardener who learns to believe in himself.


11. Little People, BIG DREAMS box set: Inspiring Writers: What do Maya Angelou, Jane Austen, and Anne Frank have in common? They’re the “inspiring writers” featured in this trio of biographies for kids.



Gifts for Kids


Bring the magic to Christmas morning. 


1. Boat and Waves Stacking Toy by The Wandering Workshop: Handmade and with the option to personalize it, this is an heirloom to treasure.


2. Forest Elf by Fabelab: Inspire a flight of fancy in your little ones with this autumn-hued doll crafted from 100-percent organic cotton.


3. LeleLerele Doll: Perfect for an older child who wants a doll with a little more flair…but that is as cuddly as her lovey.


4. Espresso Machine by Tender Leaf: Just like Mama! Your littles can make their own morning joe with this colorful kid version.


5. Vet Set by Plan Toys: Replete with X-rays and a stethoscope, this playset is perfect for animal lovers of every age.


6. USA Puzzle by Puzzle + Poster: Give your littles a head start on geography class.


7. Rainbow Craft Kit: Even if crafting isn’t your thing, your kids will delight in this carryall of pom poms, beads, felt, glitter sheets, and more. (So much more.)


8. Science and STEM crates by KiwiCo: With options for kids of every age, these kits encourage creativity.



Gifts for New Parents


A new baby is the best present ever. But this list offers up some close seconds.


1. Teether Sets by Lucy Darling: What makes your baby’s drooly teething moments even cuter? Stylish teether sets!


2. Deluxe Newborn Gift Boxes by Modern Mommy Doc: All the essentials as curated by Modern Mommy Doc.


3. Barney Owl Chick by Jellycat: Every baby needs a lovey, and the Jellycat plush toys are the cuddliest.


4. Taking Care of You and Your Newborn: Get the scoop on everything you need to know about newborn care, from the first few days of life to finding childcare. Plus you’ll save 50% on it through December!




Gifts for Yourself(!)


Motherhood is full of sacrifices. Don’t make the holiday season one of them. Here are a few things to put yourself (or even a good friend) in a celebratory mood.


1. Knit Bedtime Long-Sleeve Pajamas by Madewell: Who says you can’t look good while lounging about on Saturday mornings?


2. Le Chain Necklace by Mejuri: Bold, bright, and beautiful…just like you!


3. My Favorite Things by Lather: Treat yourself to a fragrant, natural respite from daily life.


4. The Mama Reset Self-Care Retreat (at Home): Level up your motherhood game with strategies for setting goals, managing burnout, and mastering self-care. Even better: You can save 50 percent on it through December!

 


Mama, whatever you end up gifting, making, or doing this season, I hope that, above all, it adds a little sparkle to your celebrations. Happy Holidays!


The Overwhelmed Working Mom Freebie

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By No More Hot Mess Moms 25 Apr, 2024
Not sure how to navigate your next visit with your child's pediatrician? I've got you.
By SYSTEMIC CHANGE 18 Apr, 2024
About Our Guest: Whitney Casares, MD, MPH, FAAP, is a practicing board-certified pediatrician, author, speaker, and full-time working mom. Dr. Whitney is a Stanford University-trained private practice physician whose expertise spans the public health, direct patient care, and media worlds. She holds a Master of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health from The University of California, Berkeley, and a Journalism degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She is also CEO and Founder of Modern Mommy Doc. Dr. Whitney advocates for the success of career-driven caregivers in all facets of their lives, guiding them toward increased focus, happiness, and effectiveness despite the systemic challenges and inherent biases that threaten to undermine them. She speaks nationally about her Centered Life Blueprint, which teaches working caregivers how to pay attention to what matters most amid pressure, at multibillion-dollar corporations like Adidas and Nike, and at executive-level conferences. She is a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics and medical consultant for large-scale organizations, including Good Housekeeping magazine, Gerber, and L’Oreal (CeraVe). Her work has been featured in Forbes, Thrive Global, and TODAY Parenting. She is a regular contributor to Psychology Today. Dr. Whitney practices medicine in Portland, Oregon, where she and her husband raise their two young daughters. About the Episode: Dr. Whitney shares the principles she's learned as a solopreneur in the health and wellness space, the failures she's faced, and the truths she wishes she would have known from the very beginning. Episode Takeaways: This is not an episode about “how to grow a multimillion dollar business” or how to double your following overnight. I really shy away from talking about business because it’s disheartening to see that most of the people making online are people who are trying to teach you how to make money online. This is an episode that comes from many conversations I’ve had recently with people who are wanting to start a side hustle or even a full blown business, but are curious how to do that with the rest of life that’s going on around them. I’ve recently made a hugely drastic shift in my career and have moved from private practice into a company called Blueberry Pediatrics . It is a shift that still allows me to practice medicine as well as still running Modern Mommy Doc full time. The thinking behind this shift really is born out of these 8 tips I have about running a business while you’re working full time or maybe still taking care of your family. 1) Know your why. We’ve heard it a thousand times, but if we don’t know the driving force behind why we want to do a certain thing, it’s infinitely easier to stop doing it when things get hard. Ask yourself why you’re so committed to this one particular area. In my business, my why is to help, support, and encourage women (specifically working moms) so they don’t feel alone in their journey. So when I’m pulled away from my family for a time period or I’m exhausted from traveling, I remember the greater mission behind what I do. 2) Expect that you’re going to fail. I just pulled the plug on a project we had been working on at Modern Mommy Doc for two years: the Modern Mamas Club app. I thought it was going to be so valuable for moms, when in reality it was just duplicating what we already had. I learned so much through that process and at the beginning, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Failure is a natural part of growth. 3) Prepare to invest in your business. With your time, with your money, with your emotions. People ask me how I grew and I told them it took a lot of time and a lot of my own money. There were times that that was discouraging, but because all of this was tied to my why, I was able to push forward. 4) Figure out what you can outsource and what has to be done by you. At the beginning you might not have any money to outsource with. But set yourself up for success and know what you’ll hand off when you get to that point. Don’t waste time trying to do it all. 5) Network based on what you love & pay for good PR. When you want to grow your business, network with the people that you genuinely connect with, not just because you might get a sale. Figure out who it would be mutually beneficial for you to get to know. And when it comes to PR, you’ve gotta pay to play the game. PR isn’t for instant leads, but is also a long game like networking. You show up, do the interviews, and every once in a while something will pop and you might get a ton more exposure. 6) Prepare for other people to not be on your level and to try to pull you back down to theirs. No one wants the homeostasis to change. That’s why it’s so important to surround yourself (even virtually) who believe in you and/or who are on the same journey with you. It doesn’t have to be in the same industry, but look out for other working moms that you can get to know. 7) Give something back to yourself along the way. If you aren’t making a single dollar and giving it all away to the business, you’re down a quick path to resentment. I understand all the moms who just over-function and grind it out to get things done (I was one!) but you’ve got to get a reward from the thing that you’ve been putting so much into. A small way I do this is by working at a coffee shop a couple times a week. It reminds me that I’m so grateful for my job, that it’s flexible so that I work where I want, and that I’m in control of my life. A big way I do this is through a travel rotation with my kids and husband. Each trip I go on while consulting, I’ll rotate through taking one daughter, then the next, then my husband, then I’ll do a solo trip. These are trips they never would have been able to take on their own, and it’s a cool way my business gets to give back to my family. 8) The way you set up your business is a marker if you will be successful. Not the way you structure it, but the mindset you have around it. In fact, there are so many parallels between the way I run my business and the things I taught in my newest book, Doing It All: trying to build efficiency into how I do my tasks, batching my work, not spending extra time on stuff that doesn’t matter at all, swapping out for what others can do for me, pairing things that aren’t enjoyable with things that are, not letting things contaminate my time, and making sure my desk, home, and calendar are decluttered. More Blogs on this Topic: T he forgotten boundary: setting limits with yourself Thanks for the cookies in the breakroom, I’m still tired Wake up, working mama. Are you wasting your life? More Podcast Episodes on this Topic: T ranslating “mom skills” into “boss skills” How to be an ambitious, out of the box, career maker and an engaged mom How to claim your confidence as a working mom
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ON THE PODCAST


By SYSTEMIC CHANGE 18 Apr, 2024
About Our Guest: Whitney Casares, MD, MPH, FAAP, is a practicing board-certified pediatrician, author, speaker, and full-time working mom. Dr. Whitney is a Stanford University-trained private practice physician whose expertise spans the public health, direct patient care, and media worlds. She holds a Master of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health from The University of California, Berkeley, and a Journalism degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She is also CEO and Founder of Modern Mommy Doc. Dr. Whitney advocates for the success of career-driven caregivers in all facets of their lives, guiding them toward increased focus, happiness, and effectiveness despite the systemic challenges and inherent biases that threaten to undermine them. She speaks nationally about her Centered Life Blueprint, which teaches working caregivers how to pay attention to what matters most amid pressure, at multibillion-dollar corporations like Adidas and Nike, and at executive-level conferences. She is a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics and medical consultant for large-scale organizations, including Good Housekeeping magazine, Gerber, and L’Oreal (CeraVe). Her work has been featured in Forbes, Thrive Global, and TODAY Parenting. She is a regular contributor to Psychology Today. Dr. Whitney practices medicine in Portland, Oregon, where she and her husband raise their two young daughters. About the Episode: Dr. Whitney shares the principles she's learned as a solopreneur in the health and wellness space, the failures she's faced, and the truths she wishes she would have known from the very beginning. Episode Takeaways: This is not an episode about “how to grow a multimillion dollar business” or how to double your following overnight. I really shy away from talking about business because it’s disheartening to see that most of the people making online are people who are trying to teach you how to make money online. This is an episode that comes from many conversations I’ve had recently with people who are wanting to start a side hustle or even a full blown business, but are curious how to do that with the rest of life that’s going on around them. I’ve recently made a hugely drastic shift in my career and have moved from private practice into a company called Blueberry Pediatrics . It is a shift that still allows me to practice medicine as well as still running Modern Mommy Doc full time. The thinking behind this shift really is born out of these 8 tips I have about running a business while you’re working full time or maybe still taking care of your family. 1) Know your why. We’ve heard it a thousand times, but if we don’t know the driving force behind why we want to do a certain thing, it’s infinitely easier to stop doing it when things get hard. Ask yourself why you’re so committed to this one particular area. In my business, my why is to help, support, and encourage women (specifically working moms) so they don’t feel alone in their journey. So when I’m pulled away from my family for a time period or I’m exhausted from traveling, I remember the greater mission behind what I do. 2) Expect that you’re going to fail. I just pulled the plug on a project we had been working on at Modern Mommy Doc for two years: the Modern Mamas Club app. I thought it was going to be so valuable for moms, when in reality it was just duplicating what we already had. I learned so much through that process and at the beginning, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Failure is a natural part of growth. 3) Prepare to invest in your business. With your time, with your money, with your emotions. People ask me how I grew and I told them it took a lot of time and a lot of my own money. There were times that that was discouraging, but because all of this was tied to my why, I was able to push forward. 4) Figure out what you can outsource and what has to be done by you. At the beginning you might not have any money to outsource with. But set yourself up for success and know what you’ll hand off when you get to that point. Don’t waste time trying to do it all. 5) Network based on what you love & pay for good PR. When you want to grow your business, network with the people that you genuinely connect with, not just because you might get a sale. Figure out who it would be mutually beneficial for you to get to know. And when it comes to PR, you’ve gotta pay to play the game. PR isn’t for instant leads, but is also a long game like networking. You show up, do the interviews, and every once in a while something will pop and you might get a ton more exposure. 6) Prepare for other people to not be on your level and to try to pull you back down to theirs. No one wants the homeostasis to change. That’s why it’s so important to surround yourself (even virtually) who believe in you and/or who are on the same journey with you. It doesn’t have to be in the same industry, but look out for other working moms that you can get to know. 7) Give something back to yourself along the way. If you aren’t making a single dollar and giving it all away to the business, you’re down a quick path to resentment. I understand all the moms who just over-function and grind it out to get things done (I was one!) but you’ve got to get a reward from the thing that you’ve been putting so much into. A small way I do this is by working at a coffee shop a couple times a week. It reminds me that I’m so grateful for my job, that it’s flexible so that I work where I want, and that I’m in control of my life. A big way I do this is through a travel rotation with my kids and husband. Each trip I go on while consulting, I’ll rotate through taking one daughter, then the next, then my husband, then I’ll do a solo trip. These are trips they never would have been able to take on their own, and it’s a cool way my business gets to give back to my family. 8) The way you set up your business is a marker if you will be successful. Not the way you structure it, but the mindset you have around it. In fact, there are so many parallels between the way I run my business and the things I taught in my newest book, Doing It All: trying to build efficiency into how I do my tasks, batching my work, not spending extra time on stuff that doesn’t matter at all, swapping out for what others can do for me, pairing things that aren’t enjoyable with things that are, not letting things contaminate my time, and making sure my desk, home, and calendar are decluttered. More Blogs on this Topic: T he forgotten boundary: setting limits with yourself Thanks for the cookies in the breakroom, I’m still tired Wake up, working mama. Are you wasting your life? More Podcast Episodes on this Topic: T ranslating “mom skills” into “boss skills” How to be an ambitious, out of the box, career maker and an engaged mom How to claim your confidence as a working mom
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