Beer in red Solo cups. Wine in plastic glasses. Snacks all around. Is this Happy Hour? No, it's a playdate. With kids.

A friend of mine just moved to the suburbs. When she was invited over for a Friday afternoon playdate, she brought fruit salad. The other moms brought wine. As the moms sat on the floor playing with puzzles along with their 2-year olds, they sipped Chardonnay. She said it was the best playdate she'd ever been on! They've since hosted every Friday playdate with beer or wine.

Perhaps this trend isn't so new. Moms and Dads have been letting loose with a beer or glass of wine for ages. Sometimes (and I can agree with this!) there's nothing better at the end of a long day. But at 3:00, with toddlers? That's when I start questioning: How many glasses of wine? Who drove home? And I know, we parents would never allow our nannies to do this. So why do we have a different standard for ourselves?

It might be that having a glass of wine at a playdate is a way for moms to loosen up a bit about always trying to appear perfect. It builds camaraderie, advice-sharing and long-lasting mom-friends. There's nothing wrong about any of that. I know my friend wasn't getting drunk. And she is a great mom. But I think you need to be on your toes when you're around young kids. And I think your mentality shifts as soon as that cork is popped. Your guard comes down.

But then again, maybe that's the point!

Tell me, what do you think? Would you ever drink on a playdate?

How many of you make your Halloween costumes? When I grew up, there wasn’t huge pressure to have the perfect costume. I could be a black cat in a simple leotard, homemade tail and face paint. No one in my neighborhood spent $50 on their costumes. Nor did they spend a lot of time.

Today, it seems different. Maybe it’s the high-pressure parents I know. Or maybe it’s just the catalogues I seem to receive. But all costumes seem to express perfection. And along with the cost of shipping, could cost a small fortune.

I say we go back to basics. That doesn’t mean scrounging up my old cat costume (!), but I think there is real beauty in being able to make a costume at home, with kids. Having it be cute and clever, but not gorgeous, perfect and pristine. You don’t need to have the best costume on the block. You just want your kids to feel special. And sometimes, making it together can make them feel like a star!

We recently created a list of 48 easy DIY Halloween costumes. The best part? You can make each one in 4-steps or less. These include group/family costumes and funny infant costumes (ideas you can make from a onesie). Most can be done with items you already have (Olympic swimmer,  Justin Bieber, Cowgirl). Some need construction paper and glue (Rainbow, Angry Birds, Box of Popcorn). Some of my favorites even include a how-to video we shot explaining the steps and showing a mom making the costumes and dressing her kids. It makes these costumes even easier!

See her explain how to make a Popcorn Box costume (white postal box, red Duck Tape, yellow tissue paper) :

An Astronaut costume (soda bottles, tissue paper, and Duck Tape)

An Ice Cream Sundae (t-shirts, leggings and construction paper).

 

And check our YouTube page for more Halloween how-to videos.

So tell me, do you feel stress over Halloween costumes? Would you ever make your own?

A friend of mine just recently hired a part-time nanny. She happens to be a stay-at-home mom and for 16 hours a week over three different days, she gets things done.

She goes to the grocery store, runs by the post office, picks up gifts for yet another birthday party, goes to her daughter's ballet class during her son's nap time, and sometimes, she even squeezes in some time at the gym. While she initially felt guilty about needing help, she said she gets things done faster and feels better about the time she's with her kids – because she's actually with them. Not to mention, they have a great nanny who engages them while she might not be able to.

This isn't someone I'd describe as wealthy. She told me that she and her husband decided to budget for a nanny, to help her mid-week peace-of-mind. (She said she was snapping at her husband as soon as he walked in the door, and her stress-level was hurting their relationship, let alone her relationship with her kids.) With two kids, and one on the way, she needed help.

As a working parent, this was so interesting to hear. First, I applaud anyone who can stop a stressed-out caregiver situation before it gets out of control. And – clearly as the founder of Care.com -- I love to hear that a babysitter, or part-time nanny can be a solution. But I also thought "I wonder how many stay at home parents could use some time to themselves – just to go grocery shopping!?"

Sometimes hiring a babysitter isn't a luxury. It's a sanity-keeper.

When you're home with your kids, there's no such thing as a lunch break. There's no such thing as running a little late. You are on every minute of every day. So instead of leaving work for an hour, you're spending double the time and energy getting the kids out the door, avoiding mid-store meltdowns and trying to make it through a doctor's appointment without raising your blood pressure (I have a friend who held her 1-year old on her stomach at a visit to the OB-GYN!).

So tell me, what is the hardest thing you do with your kids? Would you pay a sitter to care for your kids so you could spend more quality time with them later?