Sarah Powers

Sarah Powers
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Sarah Powers is a freelance writer, sporadic blogger, and mom of three who now lives in Southern California after nearly a decade in Scottsdale. She co-hosts The Mom Hour podcast and has been published in Raising Arizona Kids magazine and online at The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Babble, Scary Mommy, and Mamalode. You can find Sarah on Twitter, Instagram, and at her blog, Powers of Mine.
scorpions

7 Things I’ve Learned {the hard way} About Scorpions

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It was March 2010, about three months after we had moved into our current home. I was seven months pregnant with baby number two. Our nearly-two-year-old had woken early on a Saturday morning and...

Baby’s First Birthday Gift Ideas

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This is an updated post from 2014;we love Sarah and her brilliant ideas, and thought we would make sure you didn't miss the roundup of first birthday gift ideas! A few weeks ago we celebrated...
preschool

Mommy SOS | Preschools in Scottsdale

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Originally published four years ago, this popular article is being brought back during the Season of Preschool Hunting as it includes over 100 comments (from 2012 through the end of 2015) from parents just...

6 Phoenix / Scottsdale Indoor Play Destinations for Preschoolers

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What is with this WEATHER?!  Okay, the freeze may be thawing - and while this article was originally in May 2014 to help us during those long, hot summers indoors, it's just as applicable for...

Best Playgrounds in Scottsdale & North Phoenix {interactive map!}

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Are you new to the Scottsdale/Phoenix area or visiting from out of state? Welcome! Maybe your wee babe has grown into a busy toddler who is ready to explore our local parks and playgrounds, or...
sunset, Arizona

No Longer A Scottsdale Mom, But Always A Friend Of SMB

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“Sarah Powers is...” For years now, I have been starting sentences with those three little words. Usually they end something like this: “Sarah Powers is brilliant!”“Sarah Powers is hilarious!”“Sarah Powers is encouraging”   My favorite of these sentences...

Maternity Leave on a Budget: 10 Things for New Moms To Do for $10...

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Hi mamas! This post about maternity leave on a budget is so timely for summertime in the Valley, and since we recently met a bunch of new moms at Mom's On The Move, we...

You Already Own These Irresistible Backyard Water Toys (You Just Didn’t Know It)

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Our family has made some great purchases over the years when it comes to backyard water play. From baby's first mini splash mat to a full-sized slip 'n slide last year, it seems like...

15 Amazing Things About Spring in Scottsdale {as seen through my Instagram stream}

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I went on record last fall as quite possibly the Valley's most bitter mom when I ranted about our lack of autumn crispness and Starbucks's insistence on pushing pumpkin spice on us anyway. While...

Entrepreneurial Mamas: This one’s for you!

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When I decided to stay home full time after having my second baby, I had secret hopes that "stay-at-home" would evolve into "work-part-time-from-home-doing-something-I-love" as my kids grew. I had no plan or even a...

Christmas in Scottsdale Without the Wait: How to beat the crowds and avoid the...

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I don't like lines. I don't like crowds. I don't like waiting in lines or pushing through crowds - especially with small, hungry, tired, and over-sugared people asking "How much longer?" every 23 seconds. But, SIGH....
camera settings

Save Money on Holiday Cards with a DIY Family Photo Shoot

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This year, a professional family photo shoot is not in the budget for us. I love our local Scottsdale and Phoenix photographers (see footnote for a list of ones I've worked with personally), and I have happily paid...

Halloween Books for Preschoolers: 5 scare-free stories for sensitive souls

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Ah, the imagination of a preschooler. Imaginary friends. Pretend play with dolls and superheroes. Make-believe reenactments of favorite movies (with mandatory participation by parents, of course). But with that magical imagination also comes a very...

Björn, Moby & Ergo: 3 Baby Carriers Compared

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I have three children. I also have three baby carriers (babywearing contraptions, if you will). Like my children, each of the carriers has qualities that I love and other attributes that are, shall we...
holiday crafts DIY traditions things to do

Your Pre-Holiday Links Roundup: Traditions, Crafts, Things to Do & More!

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Halloween is behind us. November is here (and so are the red holiday Starbucks cups!). I'm feeling the urge to get organized for the holiday season! If you're looking ahead too, here are some links from our...

Election 2012: What Matters to Me {Sarah}

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Do you talk about politics with your girlfriends? I don’t. Maybe it’s because the chaos of actually raising our country’s future citizens - distributing snacks, regulating bedtimes and debating between the splash pad or...

How to Plant a Garden in Arizona {without getting your hands dirty}

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Are you interested in planting a backyard vegetable garden in Arizona? We just recently started the process! Here's how I managed to get through planting season without breaking a sweat or getting my hands...

Mommy SOS | Breaking Down the Kindergarten Search

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Happy Labor Day! Labor Day traditionally marks the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year - even though many Scottsdale and Phoenix-area kids have been back in the classroom for almost...

{Pregnancy Week} 5 Resolutions for My Last Pregnancy

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It's Pregnancy Week here on Scottsdale Moms Blog! If you are just tuning in, be sure to read the rest of the week's posts here. This is my last pregnancy. I mean, technically we haven’t scheduled...

Four Things That Helped My Morning Sickness (and one that didn’t)

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I am fifteen weeks pregnant with our third baby.* This means that I have survived a grand total of three first trimesters, and each has been as unpleasant as the last. Nausea comes on...

Archives Week! My Favorite Post of Cate’s

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It’s Archives Week here at SMB, and this morning I’m featuring my favorite post of Cate's. You can read all her posts here. I actually have a few favorite posts of Cate's. Although I'm not a homeschooler,...

DIY Kid Art Gallery | Use Shadow Boxes to Display Kids’ Artwork

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There are a million and one ideas out there on creatively displaying, saving and memorializing kids' artwork. Bottom line: it's impossible to preserve every last preschool glitter project or finger-painted masterpiece. Here's just one...

Spring Training Baseball with Kids (what you need to know)

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Take me out to Spring Training, Grab a seat on the lawn. Bring me some snacks and a sippy cup; I won't wear that hat (don't even try!) for it's Really close to my...

Children & Oral Health: Frequently Asked Questions

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Raise your hand if you currently have a child who is teething in your house. Yep, that's what I thought - nearly all of us! My kids start early (symptoms at 3 months, actual...

Holiday Birthdays: Do You Have One? Does Your Child?

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This weekend we went to the Train Park. Everywhere we looked, birthday parties and their accoutrement - balloons, streamers, piñatas and frosting-smeared table coverings - added a festive feel to an already spectacularly gorgeous...

Opting Out of the Mommy Wars

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Did you catch the drama sparked by Anderson Cooper's daytime talk show Anderson last week? If you missed it, here's the rundown: Anderson let a panel of moms debate who is happier: stay-at-home moms or those who...

New in Town? Welcome to Scottsdale!

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My husband (then-fiancé) and I moved to Scottsdale from Chicago exactly seven years ago this week. If you've lived here longer than five minutes, you know that this area attracts transplants like no other...

Thrifting in Scottsdale? Let’s Discuss…

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From early high school through my mid-twenties I was an expert thrift store shopper. I knew every nearby Salvation Army, Goodwill, thrift and vintage store like the back of my hand. I loved the...

Editor’s Pick: Top Posts of 2011

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What a year! In 2011 Scottsdale Moms Blog celebrated its first birthday, co-founders Joy and Steph each added a little one to their families (as did contributors Cate and Jenet!), and our team grew...

Sedona with Kids: A Perfect Day Trip & Mini-Hike

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Can I tell you guys how much I love our Facebook community? While in the throes of planning Thanksgiving dinner and getting ready to host my in-laws for a long weekend last month, I...