Is it weird to say ‘A gym changed my life’?
Sounds like a bunch of feel-good bullshit, right? Well, in my case, it’s not bullshit. And despite it sounding kind of silly, joining my gym was the impetus for incredible change in my life. Here’s how it happened.
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Why laser hair removal is the best thing ever
I’m pretty sure there’s some Sasquatch in my DNA (even if 23andMe disagrees), based solely on the amount of hair on my body. But thanks to the wonders of laser hair removal, my life has gotten a lot less hairy (pun intended).
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February Funk
It’s February in Iowa, and I’m depressed. Not in the funny-ha-ha way you mean it when your favorite restaurant closes. I’m really, truly, and clinically depressed. Which is terrifying to talk about in such a public way. But I’m not giving up.
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9 Reasons Alexa is Awesome
There’s a group of parents who refuse to jump on the smart speaker bandwagon, because the CIA might be listening. After having an Amazon Echo Dot, and Alexa, for three weeks now, I don’t care if the CIA is listening or not. I *love* our Alexa. And this is why.
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Potty-training My Stubborn Toddler: A Lesson in Economic Theory
We’d tried everything the parenting books and blogs suggest to get Squeak to use the toilet. We were coming up with a Big Fat Zero…until I abandoned the parenting advice and tested out an economic theory instead.
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This is why I stay
Friends who move away from Iowa love to post photos of sandy beaches and warm winter days, tagged with #thisiswhyimoved. But let’s be clear. Nobody stays in Iowa for the weather or the landscape. We stay for one very specific and important reason that cannot be outshined by an ocean view. So allow me to explain. Because #thisiswhyistay.
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How to survive IVF and infertility treatments
When a friend asked me what to expect with IVF—specifically, how to prepare ahead of time and how to cope throughout the process—I started thinking hard about what advice I would give someone about to start down the IVF trail. I enlisted the help of some friends, and we pulled together our best tips here.
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Riding in trucks with boys (a story of teenage stupidity)
Up ahead was a depression in the road, filled with water from a recent storm. Inside the cab of the truck, Eric swerved, and just like that, I was airborne, flying out of the back of the truck and into the darkness.
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Losing track of my kids at the fair (twice)
One of many fears parents have is losing track of a child in a crowd. Last week, at the Iowa State Fair, both Peanut and Squeak got away from me. In one situation, I was losing my mind. In the other, I remained calm, even though my child was missing for a lot longer. Here’s why.
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Waterpark Survival 101: Great Wolf Lodge, Wisconsin Dells
Waterparks are kid meccas, but they’re super overwhelming for parents. We’ve visited Great Wolf Lodge in the Waterpark Capitol of the World three years running—here’s what I’ve learned.
read moreAbout Me
Hiya! I'm Lydia, aka Peanut Mom. I live in Iowa with my husband and two pretty amazing iVF babies, both the result of frozen transfers. My daughter "Peanut" is five and my son "Squeak" is three. They keep things interesting and more than a little chaotic. Here I write about infertility, parenting, embryo donation, and life's absurdity with a big helping of humor. Welcome! Subscribe to PeanutMom
