In the last episode of season 2, Charmaine discusses a key part of motherhood that is rarely discussed: the tradeoffs. Join in on this honest conversation, as Char brainstorms different ways to navigate decision-making and tradeoffs with grace.

In the last of the Money Making Mama series, Charmaine gives ideas and tips for Work From Home jobs for busy moms, as well as some practical part-time job pointers. 

Stick around, and you'll hear Char spill the tea about MLMs and a recent motherhood and work article circulating social media.

You won't want to miss this informative and slightly spicy episode! There's only one more episode to round out the season after this, so click "Subscribe" and hang out!

Sources:

U.S. Department of Labor Blog: "Mothers' employment has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, but the child care crisis persists."

Women's Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor: "Childcare Prices in Local Areas"

Washington Post: "Mothers are leaving the workforce, erasing pandemic gains"

Federal Trade Commission: FTC staff report analyzes 70 MLM income disclosure statements

Federal Trade Commission: Business Guidance Concerning Multi-Level Marketing 

In today's episode, Charmaine dives deep into the world of content creation to see it from all angles, and whether this is a worthwhile pursuit for busy moms.

Join us Char in this lively discussion, and as always, we appreciate your feedback and reviews!

In today's episode, Charmaine dives into the details of writing and publishing books. She gives her experiences and advice on writing online and self-publishing on Amazon KDP specifically.

Click here to find Charmaine's self-published children's book, "Amos Takes the Skyway."

Have you ever looked at your baked creations or crafted items and thought, "I could sell these"? Before you leap from passionate hobbyist to small business owner, this candid deep-dive into the realities of handmade businesses might save you time, money, and heartache.

Drawing from her personal journey running a home bakery and creating wedding cakes, alongside observations of fellow crafter-entrepreneurs, Charmaine exposes the often-overlooked challenges behind those picture-perfect Instagram posts. 

Is this a worthwhile side hustle or just a hustle that takes away from your precious family time? Join us in today's frank conversation with actionable tips for moms looking for side income opportunities. 

Share your own craft business experiences with Charmaine at [email protected] – we'd love to hear your story!

Hey, mamas!

What if the secret to balancing motherhood and money-making was hidden in plain sight among America's most traditional communities? Drawing from my Mennonite upbringing and connections with Amish relatives, I reveal how these "plain" communities have mastered the art of integrating productive work with family life.

Unlike our modern separation between workplace and home, Amish and Mennonite cultures view homemaking as essential, valued work—not something secondary to "real" employment. This fundamental shift in perspective creates space for mothers to pursue income-generating activities without sacrificing family priorities.

In this episode, I list 5 major side jobs that Amish and Mennonite women tend to pursue. Could they be a good fit for your situation?

Stay tuned for the upcoming episodes continuing this money-making series, where I'll provide balanced perspectives on various side income opportunities for mothers. For more side incomes, listen to my episode from season 1, "Best Job Ideas for Busy SAHMs."

Find more articles and episodes on my personal portfolio/Internet home base: www.bycharmaine.com.

Hey there, mamas!

Let's talk about stuff.

Managing household products (aka stuff) and making purchasing decisions creates an invisible mental burden for moms that depletes our energy. 

We're wrestling with unprecedented amounts of stuff in our homes while trying to simplify our lives and find systems that work for our families.

In this illuminating and relateable episode, Char details how to finally stay on top of the constantly rolling hamster wheel of consumerism in gentle and sustainable ways. She also details how to make product decisions with more ease and conviction, in hopes of helping other overstimulated moms reduce stress and mental load.

For Char's ultimate list of favorite baby and kids items (only the very best made the list!) check out: https://chocolatefortheteach.com/kids-products/.

Thanks for tuning into A (Mostly) Stay-at-Home-Mom! 

Welcome to Episode 3 of Season 2 of the (Mostly) Stay-at-Home-Mom podcast! Today we tackle a hard but necessary topic: the detours of motherhood.

Motherhood rarely follows our carefully laid plans, but there's hope in finding community and balance when things go differently than expected. The journey of parenthood often includes struggles with fertility, difficult pregnancies, traumatic births, feeding challenges, and other unexpected difficulties.

• Motherhood struggles can feel isolating when it seems like you're the only one experiencing them
• Finding a community of people who understand your specific struggle provides validation and support
• We need to discern what we can control versus what we need to accept
• There's a balance between taking action to change situations and surrendering to what we cannot change
• The Serenity Prayer offers wisdom for motherhood: accepting what we cannot change, changing what we can
• Self-awareness helps us know when to push harder and when to step back and give ourselves grace

Have you ever wondered what life looks like when a passionate educator becomes a full-time mom who still loves teaching?

Our guest, math instruction YouTuber Ms. Beutl, takes us through her diverse teaching journey—from kindergarten classes to international teaching in South Korea, and ultimately to her dream position as a math curriculum specialist. Just when her career was peaking, motherhood changed everything. Ten months after landing her ideal role, she made the difficult decision to leave her career and focus on raising her daughter. This raw conversation explores both the challenges and unexpected joys of this major life pivot.

This episode is full of creative teaching-adjacent job ideas for the fellow teacher-turned-mom as well as practical advice and real-life stories from the motherhood trenches. 

Whether you're a teacher contemplating a similar transition, a parent struggling to maintain professional identity, or simply curious about balancing passion with parenthood, this conversation offers both practical strategies and emotional validation for your journey.

For skills-based math instruction videos for grades K-5, head to: Math with Ms. Beutl's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@MsBeutl.

Thanks for listening to A (Mostly) Stay-at-Home-Mom! 

Navigating the postpartum period can feel overwhelming, exhausting, and downright chaotic — but it doesn’t have to be that way. In this episode, I share simple, realistic tips that helped me not only survive but heal and restore during those early weeks with baby. Whether you’re a first-time mom or adding another little one to the mix, this gentle guide is for you. 

For my personal stories and tips about going back to work postpartum: https://chocolatefortheteach.com/life-as-a-postpartum-substitute-teacher-what-its-really-like/

How to manage pumping as a substitute teacher and mom: https://chocolatefortheteach.com/how-to-pump-as-a-substitute-teacher/

Thanks for listening in on season 2 of A (Mostly) Stay-at-Home-Mom podcast. I appreciate you being here!

xo Charmaine