Not sure about you but I’m all about less decisions. So every year I pick a theme for birthday gifts and I buy a bunch when they’re on sale.
Decision fatigue is real. This is just one less thing I want to think about.
Happy to celebrate birthdays! Some years it’s a book. some times it’s my favorite thing crayola ultra clean markers (seriously worth it) with a coloring book.
This year I picked games. So I’ve done some research and found some tried and true and a few newer games to help fill your gift closet.
I was one of those always shopped at Victoria secrets. But I had changed sizes with each baby and even as soon as I got pregnant don’t fit in my bras.
Here’s what I’ve switched to during and after having babies! Hope you find it helpful!
You can see all my mom must haves here. Disclosure: As an Amazon influencer I may receive a small commission if you purchase through my link at no additional cost to you.
These bra extenders helped me make it through my pregnancy. Make sure you get the right number of loops for your bra strap.
Once baby comes you’ll need something comfy. But that can hold the breast pads to keep from leaking milk. These ones keep you from leaking through to your shirt.
I like this bra tank to sleep in. Super soft and comfy. Has a clip for easy access. Also comfy enough to wear around the house. It rides up a bit so I wouldn’t wear it out unless you don’t mind your mid drift showing.
Then when you’re ready to get back in the gym and need a little more support while still nursing this one is great. It is super comfortable and supportive, which is much needed with these milk makers! Nothing worse than trying to give babe a snack and squeezing it under the sports bra only to spray milk everywhere…
welcome to Motherhood! Your whole world has changed! Congrats on bringing a little one into the world!
you will be able to keep wearing your maternity clothes for a while. I was quite disappointed to find lol but give yourself some grace and remember 9 months to put it on and 9 months to get it off.
After 3 babies I’ve had some time to find my favorites and I love to share the ones that work for me! As an Amazon influencer I may receive a small commission if you purchase through my link at no additional charge. Find all my picks here.
straight off the bat your going to need some new undies to get you through those first few weeks.
If you’re looking to do a little less laundry the Frida disposable ones are great.
Here is a great kit that’s got everything you need postpartum. Makes a great gift for a new mom! I got a basket with all these goodies and was so grateful!
Now you need some good nursing bras. You can find those in my recs here
I love these nursing shirts with a hidden zipper. Easy access and minimal mess.
Love the color options
There’s this fun sassy one I love too.
Hidden zipper
This deep V neck dress is great for easy access nursing.
Lots of great picks in my Amazon Shop and always adding new favorites!
I don’t know about you but I love to love to spoil my family and friends for Valentine’s Day.
If you’re looking for ideas on how you can show your loved ones some appreciation. This list is for you!
For the kids: some stickers, fun socks, a cute shirt or dress. Of course there’s candy but the new food pyramid guidelines say ZERO sugar for kids under four! Check the press release here.
I love these stickers because they are easy for the kids to use and easy for me to take off!
I also love springs to give to classmates. I usually pick these up at the dollar store. Print up some valentines and have the kids decorate and send to school. But you can find them here and avoid the store.
Another great class treat that’s not a sweet is pencils 💜 I love these.
Here’s a great combo with stickers and a pencil if you’re really wanting to spoil them.
These bracelets
Just a few ideas to get you thinking!
Hope you have a lovely Valentines Day and know that you are so loved by your creator, even if you don’t get a valentine 💜
How to make sure the house runs well after adding that second or third kid.
Upon waking take a moment to show gratitude.
Thank God for the day. Another chance to get it right, or do better than yesterday. Even when the sleep is scarce and the cuddles are starting to be obnoxious, a moment of gratitude and request for joy and peace can start the day off in the mindset for success.
2. When the day gets off track and are NOT going well, start singing!
Not sure about you, but I have a very hard time being mad or staying frustrated when I’m singing. Plus the kids may get entertained and start acting a little better than whatever set off the funky mood.
3. Drink a cup of water BEFORE caffeinating.
Your body gets dehydrated overnight. Show a good example to your kids and take care of your body. Did you know fatigue is a sign of dehydration??
4. Exercise when you can. Even a 5 min walk or a few squats while your coffee is brewing.
It’s the movement that will help wake you up in the morning. Get the blood flowing with some exercise before your coffee if you can manage. Lunges, squats, high knees, pushups off the counter, stretches in the doorway. Your body will thank you and you’ll be thinking clearer with the extra blood flow.
5. Prepare what you can AHEAD.
This is so that when your running behind or someone needs a change it’s potty break you’ve got a few things taken care of.
6. Aim to be early.
Then again, when you’re running behind, you’re still on time. And if you’re early, take a few mins to breathe and appreciate not having to drive rushed!
7. Everything has a place.
When things in your home have a place, it’s easier to find things, easier to tidy up and less mental work to go through your daily habits.
8. Enlist help!
Ask the Holy Spirit for a fresh wind when you feel your joy, patience or self-control waning. He is gracious to fill us when we ask!
Whether in the house or out of the house, find things to delegate. Dry cleaning, deep cleaning, meals are all things that can be pushed off your plate during the adjustment and infant stages.
9. Teach the children household chores early.
Find SOMETHING they can do reasonably well. Vacuuming and sweeping is always needed. My almost 3 year old girl can empty the silverware. My 5 year old boy does better making beds.
10. Take time to reflect.
Make adjustments for what is working, what could be done better and what someone else needs to do.
Remember this is just a season. It will be over before you know it.
If you have kids you know life does not stop. There are still holidays and birthdays and your children should be able to enjoy life with you.
When you’re having people over for dinner there’s a few things I’ve learned to help make it a successful event!
Prep kids before guests arrive. Let them know who is coming, what will happen and if they’re bringing something. Leave room in case things don’t go as planned. Don’t promise gifts or a particular food. Use “I think” or “sometimes” and “not always” to soften the expectation that things are not always the same. (We know pickups don’t always get everything in the bag.)
Give them space. The kids should know what space is for them to play in and they should be comfortable bringing a guest to their space to play with them, if they’re up for it! Also, it’s ok to just close the bedroom door and deal with the mess later. Your guests will understand!
Be a good host. Offer drinks upon arrival. Make sure your bathroom door is open, is stocked with paper, fresh towels and have a candle lit or spray out.
Timing is key. If your kids are starving and someone is running behind, that is a recipe for disaster. Give them a late snack or bigger snack so they are not hangry when guests arrive, whether a few minutes late or on time.
Food they like. This should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. There should be at least a couple things your kids like available to them. *Bonus if there’s something they are excited to eat. *Also don’t fuss if they do not eat much, they’ll make up for it at the next meal.
Make clean up easy. There will be a time for pulling out the fancy china, if you’ve got it. But when you have small children, nobody will think less of you for using paper plates. Unless someone is offering to do the dishes, make less work for everyone and use disposable. There are plenty of cute themed or seasonal plates if you want to feel fancy.
Put fresh toys out. The kids should have a play space not overly crowded with toys. There should be a handful of toys that can keep them occupied on their own while you are hosting. I find when I rotate out toys regularly they are more likely to be entertained longer and when there is less available, they can thoroughly enjoy what IS out.
Expect a mess. Don’t get upset if there’s a spill or toys out or food on the floor. That is just part of life. Not saying encourage the mess, but don’t get worked up when it happens. Be gracious if guests don’t clean up and grateful if they do offer.
Send a note of thanks! Even just a quick text to say “thanks for coming, it was great to have you” can mean a lot and make your guests feel welcomed to come again.
Do you have a tip that ensures your parties are a success with kids? Please share it!
In the age of the downswing from the strict spanking generation we are surrounded by”gentle” parents and kids that have more freedom.
Where do we want to land?
I don’t know about you but the gentle parenting thing, doesn’t work for me. I feel overly permissive, my kids walk all over me until I’m so frustrated I explode 🫣
The idea is that we want to love our kids the way God loves us. Not with strictness but with compassion, mercy and firm love.
He’s not flaky, inconsistent – happy and rested today and exhausted and edgy tomorrow.
He is full of grace and makes good of everything.
It is our job as parents to connect our kids with God. Show our kids his love, tell of his goodness, share how he is the giver of every good thing. Not to forget that he hates when we do wrong, does not align with evil and has a jealous love for us.
We can be loving and firm.
Have clear boundaries and discipline with grace.
If you haven’t already get yourself in the position to re-parent yourself.
As humans we are all flawed. We do the best we can to the best of our ability and we need to trust that God will fill in the gaps.
God is the perfect father, and while perfection on our part is impossible, we are called to excellence.
A great resource for dealing with your own wounds is inner healing prayer. One I can recommend is called Mining the Truth.
If you’ve ever been to therapy, think of this as 10 years of therapy in 2 hours.
Since God is the counselor, he can touch and heal things that would take a regular therapist years to help “process”.
The Intercessor will guide you through prayers and connect you to God to deal with your issues, relating to any topic.
Work on healing yourself so you don’t cause the same trauma to your kids that you’re working through.
Because often times whatever your kid does to trigger you is often due to your own issue, not because they’re trying to frustrate you.
Give yourself grace. Take some times to breath and think about the type of parent you want to be. Surround yourself with other like minded people to support you on your journey.
To get updates from me sign up for my email list here.
Having babies is expensive! And so are diapers. Let me share how I saved a few.
Did you know that babies instinctively don’t want to soil themselves?
Think about it…
🤨Does your baby cry when they’re wet or dirty?
😳Do they like to pee as soon as you take off the diaper?
😒Or poop as soon as you put on a fresh one?
That’s because they don’t WANT to soil themselves. I know, you’re thinking so what?
When your baby cries, they’re trying to tell you something.
Well ever heard of baby signs? My 2 month old baby has started signing back to me.
It’s true!
I’ve been signing to her milk and potty. And let me tell you my life has gotten so much easier now that I don’t have to guess what my baby wants.
She makes a “t” sign with her hand telling me she’s either wet or dirty or has a full tank ready to go.
She opens and shuts her hand signaling milk when she’s hungry!
It’s truly amazing what our babies are capable of!! Here’s my challenge to you.
Sign to your baby! See if you can tell when they are hungry or need a diaper change.
I started Elimination Communication with my first baby and saved hundreds of dollars by anticipating when he needed to go and offering him a potty during diaper changes or when I could tell he needed to poop.
You can check out this site to learn more about Elimination Communication.
Seriously, you know when your baby is pooping… why would you just let him finish when you can help him put it where it belongs.
I assure you not only will it save you diapers (and wipes) but also time and laundry!
I can count on one hand how many blow outs I’ve seen in my THREE babies!
Even if they start going in their diaper I can say wait and bring them to the bathroom or toilet and let them finish there.
You can see Andrea’s full book for all the info on EC.
Start with a baby potty and offer it during diaper changes, after feeding and upon waking. (we naturally don’t release pee thanks to hormones while we’re sleeping)
You can even just hold baby over the toilet or sink in the bathroom.
Pair this with cloth diapers for extra motivation to catch those poops. But don’t worry babies have poo is easy to clean when they are still drinking milk or formula.
Once they start solids it starts to really stink and you’ll need to get the most of it into the toilet but this diaper sprayer will help and doubles as a bidet once your little one is getting all the poops in the potty.
Did I mention my baby was completely out of diapers by 18 months?
Yes, even for naps and overnight.
And you can do it too! Save hundreds of dollars on diapers and get a closer bond plus build strong communication skills from the cradle 🥰
Just Confident 