Ever since I became a mother in 1991, I thought that Mother's Day was all about me. My own mother became an accessory to my big celebration of me.

My mother died in 2006, and I hate that Mother's Day is about me now. I wish I could go back and undo that. Here's a tribute to her that I had the presence of mind to write and give to her for her last Mother's Day.

I spent about two hours on my first Mother’s Day curled up on the floor of our walk-in closet, clutching the baby monitor as I waited for my eight-month-old son to wake up because I couldn’t stand the thought that someone else might hear him crying first. And for most of those two hours, I sobbed. Not just crying, but full-body, heaving sobs. Presumably, what set this off was the fact that my brother came over to help my husband cook dinner before I had cleaned the kitchen. It was the first family celebration I had hosted in our new home, and I was determined for it to be perfect. An untidy kitchen is not perfection. It took several weeks of getting over the incident and a great deal of perspective to realize that my meltdown that day had nothing to do with kitchens or family celebrations. It had everything to do with my stepson.

When your kids are little and everyone asks the oh-so-original question, "What do you want to be when you grow up Hannah?" Don't you just want to smack that person?

Me, too.

With the summer months approaching, it's usually an exciting time for families to start planning their vacations. This year it may not be as exciting with the continual climb of the gas prices. It's almost discouraging to those who desire to take road trips, especially for larger families which involve larger vehicles. These vehicles obviously suck the gas much quicker than the smaller cars out there. How do you plan for a vacation with such a dilemma?

Summer is just around the corner and most of us will only get busier as the warm months arrive. Here are some quick tips to keep you and the kids hydrated for those hot summer days without breaking the bank.

The position of 'motherhood' is the oldest occupation in the history of mankind. It is the "mother" of occupations, if you will. Mothers have been given the job of carrying, delivering and nurturing the next life. In most cases, it is the mother that is responsible for protection, nourishment and guidance.

Type-A Mom is now a year old. Isn't she just adorable? To give this occasion the proper honors, I felt we simply must have a contest. What better way to celebrate a birthday than with some presents. Not only can you enter to win some wonderful mom goodies, but you can get extra entries by helping create buzz about Type-A Mom. This comes just in time for Mother's Day, so be sure to enter for a chance to get a cool mom gift for yourself! There are more than $400 in mom prizes!