mom of 4 Archives - Page 2 of 4 - I'm More Than a Mom

Bargain Shopping Basics

On a recent trip to Wisconsin, I dragged Jeff, Jack and Charlie to Goodwill to scope out some deals. We ended up finding some team T-shirts that we could wear to the football game we attended. But I don’t only enjoy going to Goodwill when I’m out of town. I happen to love finding bargains…

Coming Back On the Grid

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you know that my two “middles” spent almost the entire summer off the grid. They were away at summer camp for 7 weeks, with no phones, no social media. Just good, old-fashioned fun and outdoors. They both had a blast and I missed them terribly, of course.…

What Would You Do With 4 Days Alone?

Between soccer tournaments and sleep-away camp, the kids were really busy this summer. And when Jeff left for a four-day work trip, I found myself at home—alone—for four full days. No kids. No husband. And no plans. I honestly don’t remember the last time I’d had time alone at home like that. Before Jack was…

A Trip to Israel

If you follow me on Facebook (and if you don’t, why the heck not!?), you know that I recently spent two full weeks in Israel. My son Jack had the opportunity to represent the U.S. playing soccer in the 2017 World Maccabiah games (the Jewish Olympics) held in Israel. Jeff and I decided it would…

From Eating Out to Taking it Home

I admit it. We eat out a lot. Too much. Jeff and I were reviewing our credit card statement the other day and I kept seeing the same places pop up: Panera, Pei Wei, the supposedly healthy convenience foods we rely on as we head from one after-school activity to another. I was shocked to…

The Family That Works Out Together…

My family is definitely an active one. With my workouts, which various family members will join me for from time to time, and my kids’ sports, we are often found doing something active. Back in February, I posted on Facebook about starting tennis lessons. I had realized that so many of my “hobbies” were related…

Easy Tips for Shopping Healthy

Grocery shopping can be stressful, especially when you’re drawn to some of the foods that you know aren’t the best choices. The saying goes, “Abs are born in the kitchen,” but I don’t think that’s exactly true. They’re born in the grocery store! I’ve heard from friends and customers who have a hard time figuring…

A Ratterman Holiday

The holidays are wrapping up, and holidays often bring a lot of stress and anxiety for many households. Where do we celebrate? Who’s bringing what? What time to we need to be at which house? We’ve really perfected the holidays in our household, which makes for much happier and less stressful celebrations. Even though Jeff…

The Heat is On – Our Summer Schedule

Ahhh, Summer – school’s out, sun’s out and the pressure is on for parents (well, at least that’s how I feel). Summer in the Ratterman household includes the kids going to various day camps for most of the day, including tennis camp. This is both fun and builds skills plus teaches sportsmanship, so it’s a…

Back to School Transitions

Life is full of transitions, right? The transition from single to married, a couple to a family. Even my career underwent a major transition when I went from a corporate job to becoming a Beachbody coach. The first day of school is all about transitions too. This year three of my kids made huge transitions—into kindergarten,…