Amy Troxell
Amy Troxell, native to AZ, studied structural-engineering at USC in LA in hopes of meeting the cute guy on the department’s ad. A degree and a full-time job later back in AZ, she met her now 10+ year structural-engineering husband. The two are blessed and busy raising their 4 kids (2 boys and 2 girls). Amy enjoys anything active. Whether it’s hiking, group fitness classes, coed-softball, playing in the backyard, driving the minivan, couponing, volunteering, or aiding at a school part-time, she’s constantly moving. Amy looks forward to sharing her thoughts, experiences, joys, and tears on this journey of motherhood with SMB.
What’s in Your Car? My 17 Mom-Car Essentials
When we become moms, our bodies change, our responsibilities change, and even our cars change. The transformation may be a completely new vehicle or simply the addition of a child seat in the back,...
Homework? Admit it… You Helicopter Parent, Too!
Helicopter parenting is a topic roaming around the internet now-a-days. Good, bad, or what have you, when it comes to MATH homework in this house: I AM A HELICOPTER PARENT! Take me away. Lock...
9 Ideas for Old Holiday Photo Greeting Cards
The holidays and cards go hand and hand. You send out greetings and receive warm wishing. Some present as folded artistic bulletins. However, most arrive to you in the form of smiling faces of...
Doll Neglect and You
Watch out, Moms and Dads everywhere. The struggle is real. It does exist. It can happen to you. Maybe you did not know about it, like me. Or, perhaps someone never properly taught you....
9 Ways to Be Your Kids’ Summer Camp Counselor
Do you ever feel like you need a second mortgage for your kids to survive the summer at all of the private camps throughout the valley? The most popular ones during the hot days...
Tips for Catching Spring Training Games with Kids
It is time to pull out the shorts, place on the hat, find the big picnic blanket, and lather up the sun screen, people! Sorry December, but the most wonderful time of the year...
Christmas 101: Back to the Basics
If my doctor cuffed my arm before Turkey Day and then today, on the first day of December, I am confident she would think I needed a massage, a bottle of wine, or heavy...
Just Being Mom Isn’t Enough
Do you remember the post Why Being a Mom is Enough? I read it. You should if you haven't. It's great but it's not entirely true. It's just being mom isn't enough.
Tough love, right?
This...
When Selling Baby Gear is Hard
A few weeks ago I experienced a parenting milestone that caught me completely off guard.
As a mom, I expected the tears over the obligatory first smile, first day of school, first lost tooth, etc....
Yo, Momma. Yo Gotta YONANAS!
What?!? That is right, ladies. This one is for you (and the kids, too, I suppose). Meet my new best friend... Yonanas!
It stalked me all hot, summer long during my "favorite" errand of super-sized...
Sharing Stories to Save Lives
A few weeks ago, SMB reposted a story about a Louisiana mother who publicly confessed she and her husband simply "forgot my kid in the car" while they went shopping at Home Depot.
While most...
The Citation for Parenting
Jail is not my biggest fear for my kids.
However, it is a great starting point for several of life lessons.
1. You cannot hit your sister/brother, even if they hit you first. You might...
14 Lessons Learned: A Preschooler’s Year Recap
The school year is officially over. Congratulations!
You made it. They made it. All parties survived. Lessons learned.
Looking back, why did the first day of preschool bring so many tears? You knew you made the right...
Confession of a Costco Shopper
Maybe it’s just me. Maybe it’s not.
I have a love-hate relationship with Costco. The world’s choice of cheeses, deliciously prepared salads, easily ordered cakes, a month's supply of toilet paper, healthy options for kids’...
A Perfect Activity for Family Night
I never want to miss out on the fun. I over-book our sweet family to a fault. Thank goodness my husband ropes us in for down time. So, when Friday night’s busy schedule would not...
4 Reasons Everyone Should Own a Face Painting Kit
You paid a significant amount of money to enter the amusement park. The place does not allow outside food. You know all-too-well that the park opens just late enough that by the time you...