* Feature Columns

Tackle It Tuesday #124
Hello Tacklers!
It is Lisa from Confessions of an Apron Queen here today. I am your new head tackler here at 5 Minutes for Mom and I am excited for my first day on the job…
There is a reason I wear an apron. It’s because I’m a messy cook. And it tends to get even messier [...]

5 Minutes for Books: Taking Care of Your Girls
Do you want to hear about even more great books and contests? Sign up for the 5 Minutes for Books newsletter.
It’s that time again. In October of each year the color is pink and we think about our girls a lot more than we usually do.
Because I have a pre-pubescent tween [...]

5 Minutes Around The Blogosphere - Week 53
ANNOUNCEMENTS
There’s a new meme in town called Three Word Thursdays. To participate, just post a photo that includes 3 WORDS in the photo which describe the photo. Stop by for more information and examples.
Glimpse is a new review blog that focuses specifically on Canadian products and services. This is their opening week and they’re celebrating by [...]

The Sampler - Mom Blogger Variety Show
5 Minutes for Mom brings you exclusive samplings from the best mom blogs in our weekly column, The Sampler, hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom contributing editor Shera, from A Frog In My Soup.
Today I’d like all of you to meet Lisa from Stop and Smell the Chocolates. Lisa is a thirty-something, stay-at-home mom [...]

5 Minutes for Fitness: Squats
I cringe when people tell me they don’t do squats because they “hurt their knees”. The squat is a fundamental part of our lives! In fact, it is considered an “activity of daily living” when performing fitness assessments on seniors.
Squats are an excellent exercise that can be done anywhere and require no equipment. They [...]

5 Minutes for Books — Vegan Lunch Box
I’m not a vegan. Nor are my children, but I do pack lunches, so the thought of getting some creative ideas for my two kiddos thrills me. With this in mind, I was eager to check out Vegan Lunch Box.
My biggest challenge is the three peanut-free (by school rules) lunches I have to [...]

5 Minutes Around the Blogosphere - Week 52
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Kim at What’s That Smell? is hosting a virtual baby shower and you’re all invited. Beginning Oct 1st, you can enter to win the grand prize prize pack which includes amazing products from 60 different sponsors valued at $2,600. There will also be smaller giveaways during the week so make sure you stop by and [...]

Tackle To Win???
If you aren’t a tackler yet, you might want to jump in…
Are you a regular tackler at our weekly carnival, Tackle It Tuesday? Or have you seen it and thought, “That sounds like a good idea. My house could use it. Maybe one day…”
Well, whether you have never tackled before, or you faithfully post every [...]
The Sampler - Time Doesn’t Have to Go By So Fast
5 Minutes for Mom brings you exclusive samplings from the best mom blogs in our weekly column, The Sampler, hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom contributing editor Shera, from A Frog In My Soup.
Today we are featuring a post written for us by Monica, who is new to the blogosphere. Her posts range from exercise [...]

5 Minutes for Fitness: No couch-slouching!
The new fall season of TV has started which means many of us are tempted to become a part of the sofa after the kids go to bed.
Instead of couch-slouching, why not get fit and enjoy your favorite shows at the same time?
Here are a few tips:
* Set up any exercise [...]

Tackle It Tuesday #122
Hello Tacklers!
It is me - Janice - and I am back!
But, just for a quick tackle visit. I am in the process of trying to choose a new 5M4M resident tackler.
(In case you missed last week. We are saying good bye to our fabulous resident tackler Carolyn so she can have a much [...]

5 Minutes for Books — Wife in the North
Judith O’Reilly agrees to move with her husband to northern sheep territory in England — away from her job, friends and beloved city of London. This is how she becomes Wife in the North.
The book is written journal style, and after reading several chapters, I thought that it seemed to be a [...]

5 Minutes Around the Blogosphere - Week 51
BLOG ANNOUNCEMENTS
Let’s celebrate the official start of Fall with pumpkin. Starting September 22, it’s Pumpkin Potpourri Week at Stop and Smell the Chocolates! There will be pumpkin facts, yummy recipes, opportunities to link up, and giveaways! Come on by…
Hosted by Michelle of Bleeding Espresso, Sara of Ms Adventures in Italy, and Jenn of The Leftover [...]

5 Minutes for Fitness: Run like a kid
My toddler is a sprinter. I bring him outside and he runs, and runs, and runs, and then runs some more. Occasionally he’ll take a quick break to examine a bug or to say “hi!” to a dog in a yard.
Very rarely does he ever ASK to stop running. Running gives him a [...]

Tackle It Tuesday #121
Hello Tacklers!
Today, we have another Featured Guest Tackler — Jen from 11th Heaven Homemaking Haven.
But before we begin, we have a different kind of tackle we need to mention. We are looking for a new Tackle it Tuesday editor to manage Tackle it Tuesday.
Carolyn has done such a wonderful job - including designing our [...]

5 Minutes for Books — The Harry Potter Collection
Are you wild about Harry?
It seems like everyone has an opinion. Some have avoided the series due to the themes of magic and sorcery. I posted yesterday on 5 Minutes for Books about why I decided to give it a try, and how that led to my daughter and I both [...]

Blankets for Brady’s Smile
Welcome to our new outreach here at 5 Minutes for Mom, 5 Minutes for Making a Difference, where we plan on sharing various organizations and outreach programs with you, in hopes that together we can do a little something to make a big difference.
Today, I am hoping that we can make such a difference for [...]
5 Minutes Around the Blogosphere - Week 50
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Stephanie from Adventures in Babywearing is about to have her baby and you could win either a Fisher-Price Clipo Figure Bucket or a Transformer Turbo Tooth Tune Toothbrush by guessing the delivery date. Hurry, she’s due any day now!
Ever wanted your very own Glenna Jean Bedding Set to decorate the nursery of your dreams? An [...]