City Moms Blog Network shares one mom's story and success with Apricot Lane Boutique.

This is my first year with three kids in some kind of school. Sure, one of them is in a baby school, but if you have a school supply list, back-to-school night and folder for artwork, it counts. Back to school this year brings us much-needed routine, but also fear for the logistics of solo parenting when my husband is out of town. Three drop-off times, three backpacks, three lunches on not enough coffee.

If I had to pick just one thing about back to school that I loathe/despise/dread each day, it’s the routine of lunch prep. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to set my alarm with a 15 minute buffer just to make lunches in the morning. I then end up throwing a whole bunch of random stuff from the fridge into the lunch boxes with a side of graham crackers for good measure.

Tuesday September 11, 2001. Most adults remember where they were on this fateful morning. This is my family's story... I kiss my husband goodbye. There is a beautiful crystal clear sky as I drive to work on the Garden State Parkway heading towards NYC. Andy makes his way to work on the 38th floor of the South Tower in the World Trade Center. We are newlyweds, only married 6 weeks, enjoying our new life in and around the city. The view of the Twin Towers is amazing.

Yes, you - precious mom friend trying to hold it together today. Yes, you - my other dear pal trying to balance life without kiddos. You both are so special to me. We all have so much in common, and yet so much not in common. No worries, my lovelies, I will not pretend to know what it is like to be you, I will not pretend that I know what it’s like to be in your shoes. For the sake of our autonomy as women, I cannot. I will not.

Every year on 9/11, my Facebook feed is filled with admonitions to “Never Forget.” I often shake my head and roll my eyes. Who are these people who can forget? Has anyone who was over the age of 12 at the time been able to forget? Those who slept in that day and didn’t see people plunging out of windows a hundred stories high to escape the flames. Can they forget?

Five years ago when I was 3 months pregnant with my first daughter, my mom passed away. Just like that, she was gone. It was the worst day of my life, it felt like the world caved in on me. What was supposed to be the happiest time of my life was clouded by the sad realization that I was going to experience motherhood without the person I needed the most by my side. I naturally always imagined that she would be there when I had my own children, it was unbearable to accept the fact that I had to do this without her.

My mother Karen and I have always been very close.  She owned a few hair care product salons at a few malls in Nebraska (while still working a full time corporate job). The day she got released from the...

Hi. I'm Steph - a kid-raising, lullaby-singing, tear-wiping and heart-holding mom of 3 little girls. I'm also a mom who is confident that I can change the world. Some might call it a huge cause to embrace, especially given my season of life and the current state of world affairs, but I'm seeing it happen right before my eyes and I'm confident that changing the world isn't just a personal mission of mine but a cause that every mom can (and should) support.

Early Sunday morning, the three of us boarded a plane bound for Guatemala City. There we would meet the team from FH and travel to Huehuetenego to visit the communities of Lopez, Luminoche, and Ical, a village that City Moms Blog Network would be partnering with to support and sponsor children.