By the time my children turned 1 year old, I was finally starting to trust my own parenting judgment. I wasn’t perfect; but I could diaper with one hand, balance a kid on my hip while doing the laundry and generally left the house wearing something other than pajamas.

You’re “in it.” Oh boy, are you in it. We all know that no one “gets” motherhood until you’re living and breathing it. Try explaining to a non-parent why you examine the various colors of your kid’s poop or the fascination of watching your child sleep and you’ll be met with blank stares or perhaps sympathetic murmurs that you should really get more sleep.

As the nation prepares to celebrate Independence Day or "America's birthday" as my kids call it, there are sure to be many reunions, BBQs and fireworks planned by households across America.

Here are some tips to help keep your family’s celebration healthy and safe this year

Our guest blogger this month is dad John Cave Osborne. You can read more about his messes and adventures with his wife, five kids and dog at www.johncaveosborne.com.

So, wow. Here I am on Mom Moments. Only I’m a dad. Which means that when it comes to messes, I dare say I’ve got most of you moms beat. Because I’m not afraid of a little dirt. In fact, some of my favorite family pastimes involve a lot of dirt.

Anyone who has stepped foot into my home knows that housekeeping and I have are not easy friends. While I know that there are times when I recognize my home warrants a big clean sweep, there are more times when it’s just easier to cut corners and slack off. I mean, who wants to spend their time cleaning when they can be playing with their kids or eating a ginormous bowl of ice cream?

As Father’s Day approaches, I can’t help but get a little sappy. While there are certainly things my husband does that drive me crazy (like staring at the box of crackers in the pantry while shouting, “Hey Honey! Where are the crackers?”), there are also things about him that I am crazy about. One of those things is how his parenting style makes me a better Mom.

As most parents who have potty-trained children know, just because the child is finally using the potty, doesn’t mean that you’re out of the woods. There are accidents and potty misses that seem to mark this rite of passage. It's not always pretty.

After a recent play date with a group of mommy friends and their preschool-aged kids, I realize that despite the differences between all our families, some universal truths are shared between Moms of preschoolers.

Our guest blogger this month is Vera Sweeney, a mother, lifestyle and parenting pro. She is the CEO of I’m Not Obsessed Media and founder of LadyAndTheBlog.com.

I have many passions in life—blogging, networking with moms and playing tennis—but being a mom is hands down my most treasured passion of all. But we all know that being a mom brings a boat load of responsibility, juggling and multi-tasking.

When I was a kid, Mother’s Day was important, but admittedly the same year after year. I would make Mom a card, and at school, we would work on some handcrafted gift — a key chain, a frame made from popsicle sticks, a pottery ashtray (hey, it was the ‘70s)— to be presented to her that weekend. I don’t recall my Mom ever using those gifts, but I do remember how great my Mom would make me feel as she opened my gift with wide-eyed enthusiasm that I now know was more for my satisfaction than her own.