awesome-mom-skillz

There are so many amazing entries submitted to the #Momskillz contest, I couldn’t fit all my favorites into one post. So, today I’ve got 40 more moms bragging about what makes them awesome.

I’m also ready to announce the judges. I not only got some of my favorite bloggers to judge, I got their moms! The people who will have the tough, tough task of selecting their favorite #momskillz are…

Karen from Baby Sideburns (the mom who can rock a pair of tiger pants) and her mom, Angie from Fashion By Mayhem (the mom who makes paper dresses with her daughter) and her mom,  Amy from Pregnant Chicken (the mom who knows all the best baby gear) and her mom, Juliana from Rants from Mommyland (the mom who knows a kid-friendly substitution for every curse word) and her mom, Me (the mom who can rock an Elsa braid) and my mom.

Each one of us will pick our favorite entry which will make up the ten runner-ups (who each win a myCharge Razor) and then collectively, we will choose the grand prize winner who will win a myCharge Hub 6000 and an iPad Mini.

If you haven’t entered yet, I’m still taking submissions up through December 5th. Please note, you must subscribe to the myCharge newsletter to win. Full entry details at the bottom of this post.

Ready for 40 more ridiculously impressive #momskillz?

The Mom who is the master of surprise

@timidury: I spent 3.5 hours making hidden Mickey cupcakes for my daughter’s 2nd birthday all with a baby strapped to my chest. Did I mention that I’m three weeks post c-section?

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The Mom with crazy Packing Powers

Laura: I pack everything my family will need or want for a trip. Every time my husband is like, “Oh I bet you didn’t think to pack spare contacts for me.” Yes, I did. And SPF 80 sunscreen. And aloe vera for when he forgets to wear the sunscreen and gets burned. I also have Q-tips and contact lens cleaner and extra batteries and 50 other things most people never even realize they’ll need. Plus, I pack the night before within an hour and fit it all into one carry-on with tetris-like packing skills.

The Mom who Knows how to send a message

One Classy Motha: I can’t make those cutesy Bento box lunches— you know, like a scene from Frozen with Elsa made out of Yukon mashed potatoes and organic Nori noodles, but I CAN make an Anti-Bento box lunch using my kid’s lunch money. So much cheaper and faster… and great for communication!

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THE MOM WITH MADE AN AWESOME HOME FOR HER NEPHEWS

Lindsay: Our three nephews came to live with us in May from a really bad home situation. Five-year-old Mason couldn’t hold a pencil, didn’t know his ABCs, had never been in school, and has significant developmental delays. I can’t take full credit because his teachers are AMAZING, but he is now reading and LOVES school.

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The Mom with Quick Reflexes

Saushan: I can catch my boys JUST as they begin to fall down the stairs. I have done it several times. I whip around just as their little bodies start to tumble and clasp my hand down super hard on any body part I can reach. We once had friends over and the husband saw me catch my older son by his ankle. He said, “Whoa! That was like a ninja!” Damn right.

The mom who wows with frosting

Gio: No matter what my kids request I try my best to make it. This is a pic of my daughter’s castle cake.

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THE MOM WHO CAN FIND A TEDDY IN THE DARK

Ericka: My daughter has a bear lovie that she can’t sleep without. She also has a penchant for pushing the bear out of the crib while she sleeps. I have a ridiculous knack for checking the monitor at 3:00am, realizing the bear isn’t in the crib, crawling into her room unnoticed, finding the bear and replacing it before she realizes it’s gone.

THE MOM WHO TAKES HAND SEWN T-SHIRT REQUESTS

Melissa: I can rock out a personalized applique hand sewn special request birthday shirt for my kids with less than 24 hours notice.

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THE MOM with the all powerful MOM VOICE

Kate: My Superpower is my “Mom Voice”. It can stop wayward behavior just by saying my boys’ names. It is so powerful that it can even make other people’s children fall in line. Even if I wasn’t directing it at them! Which earns me either looks of gratitude or disapproval from other moms. It is a great Superpower but it must be used wisely!

The Mom who can dress up a waffle

@mriley919: When I asked Kendall what she wanted for breakfast, she said “kitty cat waffles”. Here you go, kid!

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The Mom with the GPS Tracker in her Brain

Jemi: I have 99.9% accuracy remembering where my 9 year-old and 7 year-old twins have left every item they MUST have, before the world spins off its axis— comfort blankets, teddy bears, favorite books. Kirby Nintendo DS cartridge that hasn’t seen any action in two months? School backpack, front zipper pocket. Hot pink Barbie stiletto barely larger than a walnut? Hiding under the cushion of the dog bed in the family room with three other Barbie accessories. My car keys? I can never find those.

THE MOM WHO MAKES her kids footwear

Melaw N: Just going to put this out there. Yeah, I made my three boys moccasins.

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The Mom Who Knows Everything About Star Wars

Billie: My ten and nine year-old sons often boast to their friends about how ‘my mom knows everything about Star Wars’. I honestly don’t care for Star Wars, I just got bored once while sitting in a waiting room for an uncomfortable length of time holding a Star Wars trivia book that my son had discarded. My ability to recall useless Star Wars knowledge has legitimately made me the hit of fourth grade birthday parties as I baffle all the kids by saying things like, “Did you know that Mace Windu was the only character to ever have a purple light saber?”

The Mom who uses her sewing machine for good

Robin: I sew my kids clothes. I recently finished making my kids matching PJs for Christmas!

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THE MOM WHO PUTS ON A BRAVE FACE AWARD

Joy: I am the best at getting out of bed, making breakfast, reading to, smiling, laughing and playing with my 17 month-old son and showing him that mommy can still smile and love her little man even though we just lost our second baby boy (34 weeks old) two weeks ago and I’m recovering from the c-section. I am the best (and so is my husband) at still being able to laugh with our little boy even though our hearts are broken, and we can show that to him, too.

The Mom who is Also an Awesome Stepmom

Kate: I’m a step-mom to a beautiful 5 year-old girl and my mom skill is making the transition back and forth from her mom’s house to our house as smooth as can be. She is changing and growing all the time and her needs change with it. New obsession with dogs? I will find a book at the library and craft her a pair of puppy ears from an old headband. She decides she now hates pants? Tights are in the drawer! Our lives are complicated but beautiful.

THE MOM WHO USES HER baby AS AN EXCELLENT PHOTO PROP

oobinxoo: My mom skills include photographing my son in holiday cards, using only items that can be made found in our 500 sq. ft. apartment.

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THE MOM WHO KEEPS THE MAGIC ALIVE

Fen: I am the queen of keeping the magic alive in our house without the kids suspecting parental involvement. After a business trip to Denmark, my husband brought home some Danish coins that have holes in the middle. Our then 4-ish year-old son somehow got the notion that these were magic coins and that if he put them under his pillow, candy would appear the next morning; thus the Sugar Plum Fairy was born. My son is now 9 and if he suspects anything, he doesn’t let on. He recently came across one of the Danish coins and wished the Sugar Plum Fairy would bring him a box of sugar cubes because his 4th grade class had done some science experiments with sugar cubes he wanted to try at home. The second my husband took him to soccer practice, I went off to buy a box of sugar cubes. Turns out though, sugar cubes aren’t sold in our local grocery stores, so I drove around for almost an hour, to five different stores just to find a box of cubed sugar so that our 9-year-old could hold on to magic just a little longer.

THE MOM WHO KNOWS WHEN TO WHIP OUT THE CAMERA

Crashlee143: I’m really good at capturing sweet moments on camera.

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The Mom who has mastered the whisper scream

Amy: I am the quietest yeller you’ve ever (not) heard. What happens when you’ve just put the baby to bed upstairs and you see a giant spider on the wall? You whisper scream for your husband to come up and kill it, without waking the baby. Stub your toe after a midnight feeding? Whisper scream. Dog trying to eat baby’s Hippo Hippo? Whisper scream. I’m sure other moms attempt this rare feat, but I am a Master.

The Mom who has school drop-off down to a science

@talsramirez: Let’s not dismiss the clear level of skill involved in getting two boys under the age of six up, fed, dressed, stuff gathered, shoes found, hair brushed, eye crusts wiped and safely delivered to school on time, often BEFORE I’ve had caffeine. I am going to accept this award on my son’s behalf.

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The Mom who can remove a splinter

Jessica: I rock at removing splinters…. doesn’t matter where they are, how deep they are, or how much my kid is screaming that their foot is falling off. I can grab a needle and pair of tweezers and have that splinter out in seconds.

The Mom Who Thwarted a Cake Catastrophe:

Lauren: For my son’s 3rd birthday, the theme was Construction Zone. The cake conveniently fell apart in the taxi on the way to the party, so I scooped up a huge hunk of broken cake and put it into the excavator (or maybe it was a front loader…need to ask my 4 yr old!) and the construction site got a lot more real.

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The Mom who never spills her wine

Fannery: I can drink a glass of wine while peeling kid #1 off my leg and wiping up the puke of kid #2, without spilling a drop. I GOT SKILLZ, Y’ALL. I can also inhale a candy bar while hiding in a closet in under 5 seconds. That took some training, because if you take the full 5, they find you and you have to share.

The mom Who knows how to mulit-task

@mscmommylife: I can wear all the babies!

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The Mom Who Makes Her Daughter Feel Loved

Melanie: When my daughter was two-years-old, she lost three significant people in her life all around the same time. Her daddy moved out (and disappeared for several months) and her grandparents (who took care of her every weekend while I worked) moved out of state. I have helped her adjust by reminding her she and I are a team and nothing can come between us. I even got a tattoo on my forearm as a visual reminder. I told her that as long as that tattoo is there, she knows I love her, and we are in this everyday together. She is now in kindergarten and doing great with no separation issues, because she knows her Momma is always where she says she will be and will never leave her questioning whether she is loved or lovable. We are a team. Period.

The Mom Who knows how to get through the day

Kerri: My mom skill is being able to entertain myself, sometimes at my family’s expense.

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The Mom with Excellent Aim

Allison: My mom skill is being able to toss my bra off from the toilet and have it land on the bathroom door handle.

The Mom who Understands the Spectrum

Kelly: I am the master of managing autistic children. Three of my four children are on the spectrum. Do you want to send me a link about the latest treatment or therapy? Too late. I researched it thoroughly a year ago. The inspirational video of an autistic child singing with Katy Perry? Old news. Yes, I’ve read about Temple Grandin. Yes, we’ve considered going gluten free. The reality is that if you’ve met one child with autism then you’ve met one child with autism. I have three and they are all brilliantly different. I can manage my son’s desperate need for sensory input while listening to my now-verbal-but-not-quite-understandable daughter. I’ve wrestled with meltdowns and insurance companies. I march into meetings about my child’s lesson plan (IEP) more informed than half of the teachers. I know where to take the kids when I need a break. I pass along any information and encouragement to newly diagnosed parents. This is ridiculously hard. But I’m damn good at it.

The Mom Who knows how to fit everything in the fridge

@lisacng: I’m pretty awesome at Refrigerator Tetris.

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The Mom who is really good at making stuff

Maura: My mom skill is making stuff. Any stuff. Playhouse, twin bed frames, knitted sweaters and hats, sewing halloween costumes, custom cakes, whatever. The best compliment I got from one of my kids was when she brought home her friend’s broken headband because she told her ‘my mom can fix it.” I wanted to cry. I think I did a little. I also love when my girls quickly correct everyone who thinks that daddy is the one building the playhouse out back.

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The Mom Who keeps it together for her kids

Cassandra: I am fantastically good at keeping my three children fed, clothed and smiling even though their dad, my husband died unexpectedly this past September. I feed them snacks, dinners, breakfasts and drinks. I keep a close eye on my teenager and have her thinking of her future. I answer any question my three-year-old has, no matter how illogical. I make baby noises and smile at my 6 month-old so much, she wakes up laughing. Every day, all of us are wearing pants and shoes. I am the best, simply the best at pretending we are fine. And I am proud of that.

The Mom Who sews her own Toys

Jennie: For my son’s birthday, I adapted a pattern to make it look like Lego Emmet.

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The Mom Who Can Put Contacts in her Baby’s Eyes

Lauren: My daughter was born with cataracts and has worn contacts since five months old. People always ask me, “Is it hard to put her contacts in?” Hello! I’m putting a tiny clear object into my 17 month-old’s eye! Yes, it is really freaking hard! But I, in my awesome Momminess, get those suckers in every single time.

The Mom who is freakishly good at fixing things

Kimberly: This laptop’s screen was so dim you could barely see it and I found this broken piece and fixed it. I’ve also fixed the iPod my 4 year-old dropped, the audio jack on a speaker that “mysteriously” broke off and a belt that broke after two uses. I glue shattered ceramic figurines and sew all sorts of clothing that has fallen apart. I am really good at fixing things. Like really, really good.

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The Mom with Super Sonic Hearing

Kristy: Even though our home is three levels and we have 14 month-old twins, there is no need for a baby monitor. I can be on the bottom floor with people talking and I can still hear them wake up from a nap on the top floor. And chances are, I can tell you which one it is. While my super sonic hearing has caused me many sleepless nights, it also saved one of our twins when he started choking/not breathing one night. I was able to swoop him up right away and figure out the problem.

The Mom who thinks her sister-in-law deserves a shout out

Jenna: I’m not good at anything, but my sister-in-law makes kick ass costumes for her son in a wheel chair.

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The Mom Who won’t let the food Allergies win

Amy: I am a food-allergy fighting ninja. My ingredient researching skills rival the FBI. My 3 year-old is allergic to thirty foods. Scared of needles? Not me. I can Epi-pen my kid at the gym, at a campfire, heck, right on our kitchen floor. I can provide hours of entertainment at the ER including glove-balloon animals and pre-packed allergy-safe treats. Want a dairy-free s’more at the ER? I got you covered little one.

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The Mom Who is Really Good at Explaining Things

Jen: I can boil down really difficult concepts into just a few concise, toddler-appropriate words. Gay marriage? “All families are different. ” Divorce? “Sometimes families change.” What’s a placenta? “Part of mommy’s tummy that feeds your sisters.” Thanks to my skills, my oldest is now able to explain things to her twin sisters. But the best was when she was two and blurted out this jem in the car: “Penis. It’s not a snack.” … awkward pause… awkward pause…”Peanuts. Those are a snack.”

The Mom with the Built-in Milk Factory

Alison: My super power is my breast milk production! I am such a pro at keeping my supply up that I’m able to donate to babies in need— I’ve donated to over five families so far! Just this morning in one pump session, in under ten minutes, I was able to pump 19oz.

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Since last time, I had a comment from someone bragging about their mom, I wanted to end with this comment from a grandmother bragging about her daughter.

The Grandma Who is Amazed by her Daughter’s Mom Skillz

Arlene: Can I brag about my daughter? She has three kids less than four years apart. She made herself an Elsa costume a few hours before a Halloween party because her 2 year-old was “Anna” and wanted a sister. The next week, she removed her dishwasher and installed a new one, while all three kids were awake! Her skillz also include throwing a “dried kiwi” birthday party when her 3 year-old insisted that “dried kiwi” was the only theme she wanted. She keeps her kids fed, her house clean and she home schools her 5 year-old. She can watch a YouTube video and learn to do anything! She amazes me!!

STILL WANT TO ENTER? BRAG ABOUT YOUR BEST MOM SKILL FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN AN IPAD MINI AND A MYCHARGE HUB 6000.

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The myCharge Hub 6000 is a portable charger with built-in cables and connectors for smartphones, tablets, e-readers or whatever device your little rugrat is choosing to drain the battery out of that day. You can get up to 27 hours of additional talk time, as well as integrated, quick-charge wall prongs.

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I will also give ten runner-ups a myCharge hot pink Razor Plus. The Razor Plus is super light, ultra-thin and delivers 13 hours of additional talk time for your smartphone.

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I’ll be picking my favorite entries (both written and photo entries) and then judges (to be determined) will pick the winners.

TO ENTER, YOU MUST COMPLETE THREE EASY STEPS:

1) Describe your mom skill in the comments below or post photo proof on the Mommy Shorts Facebook page or on Instagram with the hashtag #momskillz. Your description can as short or as long as you like. Something general or an isolated story of which you are particularly proud. If you enter through Instagram, you must follow and tag both @mommyshorts and@mycharge

2) Share this post in some way— like it on facebook, tweet it, pin it, etc.

3) Sign up for the myCharge newsletter using the email entry form below.

You can read the full rules here.

Good luck!