Wow, I spent this weekend going through bags and bins full of clothes that were in our storage unit. I have SO many old clothes and shoes that I haven't worn in years. The good news? Many of the clothes now fit since I lost 25lbs! And I was excited to find some very cute long-lost shoes for summer that I hadn't seen in ages. I'm set for summer. But my three kids? Not really.

We hit a consignment sale and picked up a bunch of clothing a couple weeks ago, but I wasn't able to find any shoes for them. Buying summer clothes and shoes for kids is kind of tough for me. They grow out of things so fast and are so darn hard on their stuff during the summer months when they're outside playing, that I really hate to spend a lot of money.

My daughter is kind of like her mommy, a bit of a shoe fiend. She has lots of cute flips flops, sneakers and sandals. They're easy to find, too. I pick them up on sale racks and even at yard sales. My poor boys, though, are totally lacking in the shoe department. My 12 year old has only one pair of sneakers. He's the hardest of all to buy for. I don't remember being this darn picky at 12. The worst part about buying for him is that I have to take him with me to be sure the shoes fit and that he's going to like them. I just haven't had the time to do that recently. So he's wearing sneakers and complaining about sweaty feet!

My little guy has a pair of cheap-o plastic Spiderman sandals that are getting him by for now. His feet grow fastest of all my kids. I know I'll need to get him something else before the end of the summer. I'm thinking these baby flip flops are adorable, and they're at a price I can afford. I'm just hoping we only have to buy one more pair before summer's over. The boy just never seems to stop growing!

How about you? What are your tips for purchasing summer shoes for multiple kids without going broke? I'd love to hear them!

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I so need to have The Talk with my kids. No, not that talk - I'm making their father have that one with them. (Just kidding!) The talk about being responsible with money. I have three kids. They're nearly 12, 10 and 3. My older kids don't really seem to have an understanding of money except for the fact that we don't usually have any. I know I need to start talking with them now if I want them to begin to have a good relationship with money and to be financially responsible in the future.

I Want It, and I Want it Now

My kids have inherited their mom's need for instant gratification. The minute they get some money for a gift or for an allowance, they want to go to the dollar store and spend it up. I've tried to talk to them about saving their money so that they can buy something cool instead of some piece of crap dollar store item. They've been so pleased when they've  been able to buy significant things with their money. For instance, my daughter was thrilled to be able to pay for her own ear piercing, and my son loves the telescope he was able to buy with some of his own money and a gift card from grandma. But it's so hard for them to resist that instant fix of buying something fun with their money right away.

My Friends Have...

We live in an area where there are some very wealthy families. Unfortunately, we're not one of those families. Our home is in a trailer park that just happens to be located in close proximity to some pretty fancy housing developments. So when their friends have a Wii, an iPod, a trampoline, a mini-fridge and television in their bedroom, a cell phone, etc., it can be pretty hard for them to understand why they can't have the same things. I've talked to them about the advantages we have now that I stay at home, and they seem to grasp that it's not so terrible to have to wait to get what you want. That doesn't mean that they don't feel a little jealous or upset when they see their friends get cool things.

We're Pretty Lucky

Even though they're certainly not the richest kids in their class, my kids know they have it pretty good. I talk to them often about our small home and how it's safe and warm and how lucky we are to always have food, as well as some fun stuff like toys, games and videos. They do get it, but I don't think they really have a grasp of what other families might be going through, how much harder others have it. I'd like to get them involved in volunteering or charity initiatives to really teach them about giving to others and being thankful for what you have.

The Talk

So what I need to do is sit them down to talk more often about money and their relationship with it. Thankfully, iVillage has recently launched a program to help moms like me do just that. It's called The Talk, and there's tons of information there about talking to your kids about money. There are also great resources, informative survey results and even a forum where we can get involved and talk to other parents about what they're doing to teach their kids about money. It's very cool. Here's a video that tells a little bit about the program.

What is also cool is that iVillage is giving away a $50 American Express gift card each week to a participant in their Weekly Sweeps Question. This week's question is "What do you see as the biggest waste of money among teens?"

It can be hard to talk to our kids about issues such as money, but I'm so glad there are resources like this to help. If you'd like to continue conversation from the iVillage forum on Twitter, look for the hashtag #HaveTheTalk. I'll be there talking!

*I was compensated for this post but believe in the program strongly. I know I need to address money with my kids more often and appreciate that I can get a little help along the way.

My God, am I cranky! For the last several days, I have been so on edge. I know what it is. My husband knows what it is. He may not like it, but he sort of understands it. Of course, it's PMS. But how the hell do you explain pre-menstrual syndrome to your kids? Poor things. They just think their mama's a nut job who snaps out at the littlest thing or bursts into tears over nothing. Damn.

My older kids are 9 and 11 now. So I've actually broached the subject somewhat with them. I think they're old enough to grasp the concept of something happening in a grown-up woman's body (raging hormones) that makes her crankier and moodier than usual. I've also told them that I try not to let PMS cause me to yell at them or to be angry over little things. They say they understand (kind of). But can they, really? And my little guy is only two - he couldn't possibly understand.

It's so frustrating. I know we all deal with it, but I feel so bad that the kids don't get why mom's being such a bitch. Especially when we go somewhere. Trips or outings are supposed to be fun, but I just get so on-edge when I'm out of my element during PMS. Poor kids. Damn mommy guilt.

At least I've taken proactive steps to talk to the kids about it. I hate feeling like there's NOTHING I can do about a situation or about my actions. I refuse to take that stance. So I've explained it to them the best I can. I'm also trying to use self-calming techniques like deep breathing and counting to ten. And, yes, I do take something. I totally believe in using prescriptions to help you be your best person.

What do you do when you're PMS'ing? Have you talked to your kids about it? Come on, help a mama out.

Photo by Katie Tegtmeyer

It's Mother's Day. The kids made me a very pretty flower pot. Bill got me a certificate for a half hour massage. Yes, Bill. I know! All that hinting worked. Then the kids and I decided to run to the grocery store to buy stuff to make chocolate chip cookies. Pretty ordinary day until we're walking down the frozen food aisle, and Noah grabs my arm, whispering, "it's Addison from Suite LIfe on Deck!"

At first, I figured it probably wasn't. But I knew the actress that plays Addison actually does live in our town and used to attend my children's elementary school when she was younger, so I supposed it was possible. So I asked the kids if they wanted to go say hello to her. Nope. They were too shy. Really? I knew they really wanted to meet her, so I took the mom initiative and found her in the next aisle.

Rachael Bell, a.k.a. Addison, agreed very cheerfully to say hello to my kids. She was such a sweet girl. She asked them if they watch the show, told them to be nice to their mom for Mother's Day, and posed for this picture.

It was cute how she joked about posing in front of the beef jerky. I admitted that the picture was kind of for me as well, since I write a blog and thought it would be fun to share with the other moms. Her dad asked if I wanted my picture taken with her also. Thought about it for a minute, but figured we'd already taken up enough of their Sunday, so we said goodbye.

The kids are still giddy. I printed copies of the picture for them to show their friends. It's been a pretty good Mother's Day.