I can’t believe it’s already time to start saying Happy Holiday’s! Like where in the world did this year go!?
My family and I have had so much fun celebrating Halloween, the kids were Batman and a witch and the joy on their faces when they run around trick or treating is just precious. Halloween has always been one of my favorites but holidays in general are just my jam, especially as a mom.
We are fully ready to dive into the holiday season though and I’d be lying if I said my tree wasn’t up already because it is and I love it. Just like they say, turkey tastes just as good with your Christmas tree up 😜🎄
This year has been a tough one on and off though but especially these last few weeks actually but I’m faithful and hopeful it will all be ok in the end. You can only pray about the things you cannot control and that’s what I’ve been doing.
I’m really just ready to take a step back and relax this winter with my family. It’s been a big wake up call and one I wish I never would have gotten but family really is all that matters and the time you get to spend together is such a gift! It really, really is.
I feel like we worry too much about the things that don’t matter the most and I am definitely guilty of it.
My anxiety definitely gets in the way.
So let’s slow down, read those books you’ve had on your tbr for a while.
Watch those movies and shows that make you happy and relax.
Spend time with your family and loved ones.
Have game nights and date nights.
Just decompress.
That’s my goal the last two months of this year and I hope it’s yours too! (Last two months, so crazy!)
Thank you for letting me chat, sometimes I just come here to write because it helps get things out you want to say and do so I’m thankful for my readers ❤️
I swear, some days it feels like I just had my sweet babes. They sure were right when they said time flies when you’re raising kids.
I wish it would slow down.
I’ll tell ya what though, we have been BUSY. Busy busy with life and learning the new stage of “activities”
My son and I just went to kindergarten round up. Cue the waterworks because I can’t believe it, my mama heart is not ready! Even though I am so excited for him but secretly a little scared too.
T-ball sign ups are this week!! Let’s hope for some grass stained baseball pants and lots of fun.
Also, my two year old daughter has such a loud personality and needs to be busy so let’s throw in a fun dance class for her this Spring! I mean why not?
I just find myself all the time asking lately how did we get here already!?
What happened to the middle of the night bottle feeds and the sweet sweet smell of newborn baby.
I have loved every stage of motherhood no matter how hard it can be and I know I am still just at the beginning stages but I can’t help but feel sad about how big my babies are getting already.
At the same time though, it is so exciting experiencing all these firsts.
Motherhood is such a whirlwind.
Watching them become their little selves and learning and growing is such a gift.
I am just embracing this season of life.
Trying to slow down as much as I can and give my all to my family.
That’s what matters most to me.
So yay for early dinners because we have to get to practice and uniforms to wash.
Bring on this new season of parenting!
This mama is ready to take on the new title “sports mom”
For a patient person, my patience is thin and you know what? It’s ok.
Do I feel guilty about it? Sure.
Do I wish that every day could just be rainbows and butterflies? Absolutely.
This motherhood journey is not all rainbows and butterflies though, and boy don’t we know it.
The other day both my kids were crying. One because he couldn’t have a snack right before dinner and the other just because her big brother was crying and she thought she needed to as well.
A glass of wine and a bathroom break with the door actually shut and not being opened or pounded on sounded so amazing at that moment.
I feel like sometimes the pressure just builds up for us with every cry or every tantrum and it’s tough to not be bothered.
Throw in a long day at work and I am just exhausted thinking about it.
It’s hard to keep your head up as a mom.
I think sometimes we just feel beat down. Weather it be a rough night of sleep, a bad potty training day, a crying baby you just can’t seem to soothe, a guilty day of work when you just wish you were home, a sick kiddo that has you feeling miserable as well.
The list goes on and on.
It’s all ok though and I really hope you know that when you feel this way, how great of a mom you are.
It’s the toughest job in the world that you show up for every single day. But the reward? It’s the greatest of all time.
Keep your head up, make sure you take the breaks you need.
Take time for yourself, use your tribe of people when you need the help and DO NOT feel guilty about it.
Take a deep breath and know that the guilt will subside and there will be far more better days than bad ones.
Just know that you’re a wonderful mother and we are all in this together.
When your baby is teething, and you’re going through the stages of teething, it can be tough not knowing what to do.
Many questions come to mind, like what if he stops chewing for a week or two? Can food allergies cause my baby doesn’t enjoy his food anymore? Will my baby have bad breath because of her teeth coming in now?
Like so many other things in life, nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Here are some tips to help your baby through teething.
Signs Your Baby is Teething
If your baby is teething, you may notice a few signs. Wet cheeks from drool and more chewing on toys in the mouth are common. Some babies might get fussy, want to nurse more than usual, or wake up more at night.
You can also look for swollen gums and a red rash around the mouth. Some babies develop a fever when their teeth start coming in, but that’s not always the case. Here are some signs of teething to look out for:
Drooling
Chewing on things
Gums that feel swollen
A minor fever of 100-102 degrees Fahrenheit (rare)
How Long Does Baby Teething Last?
There is no set age for teething to begin because every child is different. However, most infants start teething between six and twelve months old. There are rare cases of early teething where babies can cut teeth as young as three months old or as late as fourteen months old.
There is also no set amount of time that teething lasts because it doesn’t stop until a baby’s teeth have all erupted through the gums. Teething may last up to three years in some children, but the average length is six to nine months.
During this time, your baby may go through several weeks or even months between cutting teeth. Once your baby has all twenty primary teeth, they will stop teething altogether, which means you won’t have to worry about it again until they get their permanent teeth at around age six or seven.
Use Teething rings and toys.
Your baby may feel relief by biting on something hard or cold. Try a rubber teething ring, a chilled washcloth, or a spoon cooled in the refrigerator (but not frozen).
When choosing a teething toy, make sure it’s soft and flexible, so your child doesn’t hurt himself if he falls while holding it. And be sure to choose one that’s BPA-free. Never tie a teething ring around your child’s neck or attach one to his crib — he could choke on it or become entangled in it if he rolls over while wearing it.
To soothe an older baby who can chew on solid food, try giving him a firm, unsweetened teething cracker to gnaw on. It also may help with drooling because your baby will swallow more saliva instead of dribbling it out as much as before.
A chilled pacifier or teething toy may provide extra soothing for your baby during the day (if you use pacifiers). Or try putting cooled boiling water from the tea kettle into ice cube trays and freeze them for homemade teething rings!
Cold food.
If your teething baby tends to grab whatever you’re eating and put it in their mouth, offer chilled foods such as applesauce or yogurt. You can also give frozen bananas, which some babies love.
You can also try cold liquids such as water from the refrigerator. Frozen fruit juice bars (made without sugar) are another option.
Don’t be surprised if your baby rejects solids during this time, even ones they usually enjoy. Most babies go through a stage where they lose interest in solids when they are around eight months old. It is called the “baby food strike.” It’s frustrating, but most babies come out of it within a few weeks on their own.
Rub your baby’s gums.
One of the primary side effects of teething is gum pain, and if you’ve ever had any experience with this yourself, you know that rubbing your gums can often provide good relief.
Your baby’s no different in this respect, so getting in there with a clean finger or—if your little one’s more averse to having fingers in their mouth—a wet gauze pad for a gentle massage may be all you need to give them some comfort.
(Bonus: This can also toughen up their gums for when their teeth start cutting through, so it’s worth doing on the regular even before they start teething.)
Pain Medications
Several different medications are available over the counter and by prescription to help relieve pain. However, it’s important to remember that before giving any medication to your baby, you should always consult with your pediatrician. Even natural pain relievers like teething tablets or acetaminophen can be dangerous if not used properly.
For example, ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory drug widely available over the counter and in generic form. While it won’t cause harm when used properly for short periods as directed, ibuprofen can have serious side effects for infants who are given too much or for too long. Too much of this medication can cause kidney failure in babies, and some studies have even linked high doses of ibuprofen to childhood asthma or allergic rhinitis (hay fever).
Try a little white noise.
In a quiet room, do you hear the sound of your refrigerator humming? Is the heat turning on? The coffee pot beeping when it’s done brewing? These are examples of white noise. White noise can also be played through recordings, like using a fan or an app on your phone.
Babies are used to hearing white noise while growing inside their mother’s womb because there is constant background noise from the mother’s breathing and heartbeat. White noise can help calm and soothe babies by blocking out new noises in their environment and helping them sleep.
You could try using a humidifier for added moisture and white noise in your baby’s room. If you’re out of town or flying with your baby, downloading an app that plays white noise might be helpful to keep them calm too!
Final Thoughts
Teething can be very stressful for many parents. Still, it’s essential to realize that teething does not inherently mean your baby will cry inconsolably or suffer from explosive bouts of rage. Sometimes, teething is just a part of growing up.
Children go through spurts at various stages in their lives, including when they are teething. No matter how your baby behaves during these times, it’s always important to look for the signs that something is off before assuming the worst.
Author Bio
Andrea is currently the head of content management at SpringHive Web Design Company, a digital agency that provides creative web design, social media marketing, email marketing, and search engine optimization services to small businesses and entrepreneurs. She is also a blog contributor at Baby Steps Preschool where she writes storytime themes, parenting tips, and seasonal activities to entertain children.
Since becoming a mom, I feel like sometimes Mother’s Day is more hectic than some normal days! Anyone else!?
Sure you get some relaxation, maybe breakfast in bed or a delicious dinner but sometimes it just ends up being a busy day in general and that’s not always a bad thing.
Lately though, I’ve just been feeling burnt out. Between mom life, work life, wife life, never ending housework. It’s a lot to keep up with.
So this Mother’s Day, fingers crossed I get to sleep in!
I wanted to share my favorite “Me Time” indulgences that keep me sane through this hectic wonderful life. Maybe they will inspire you to do something relaxing for yourself on this upcoming Mother’s Day weekend!
1. Reading
I have always been a big bookworm and it’s by far one of my favorite “me time” indulgences. Lately a couple times a week when I’m lucky enough to get the kids to bed early, I’ve been grabbing a good book and pouring a glass of wine.
2. Binge Watching Shows.
It doesn’t happen often, but when I get to sit down with my favorite snack and binge watch some shows it’s a great day! What are your favorite shows right now?
3. Self Care Days.
I am such a self care advocate and I really don’t do it as often as I should. Lately my favorite self care indulgence has been my new Auraglow teeth whitening kit.
I am an avid coffee drinker and it’s honestly helped so much, I was starting to get self conscious! If you would like to know more on my thoughts let me know and I can do a separate post.
4. Writing.
Sure I’m a blogger but one fun tid bit about me is I’ve always loved writing short stories. I’ve once thought about putting them all together into a short stories book but….dreams. Sometimes they are hard to follow. Writing is so soothing to me though, especially pen to paper.
So moms, let’s find some time to crunch in more “me time” in our days!
Let’s throw out the pressure, let’s throw out the guilt, let’s throw out the “I have to do everything” attitude and take some time for ourselves.
We deserve it and I hope all you moms out there have a wonderful Mother’s Day and know that you are doing an amazing job!
I know what it’s like to be completely frazzled to get things done with how busy you get being a mom. Being a wife. Being a career woman. It can get overwhelming.
I’m here to give you some tips on saving time and saving yourself from getting run down and fed up.
I hope you find some that help you below.
Get things ready the night before.
This is especially important if you have school aged kids. Put out their clothes, pack lunches, have things ready the night before. Or if you have young ones, I still love to have my toddlers clothes ready and all the baby’s bottles ready to go for the night and the next day.
Always have a to-go bag.
I always have my diaper bag packed for both my baby and my toddler but I feel like even if they were older, having a bag filled with small things to keep them busy and snacks is always so important to be able to grab on the way out the door.
Calendars and lists.
I am such a list person. I love writing out to-do lists and scheduling out my months in calendars. It really helps to put pen to paper for me and to keep appointments, meetings and family schedules on track.
Meal service delivery.
Seriously makes dinner time so much easier. The last thing I want to be doing is spending an hour preparing dinner after a busy day and the prices are so comparable to what you would buy for ingredients on your own at the store.
Meal prep.
Something I am so bad at but I know it would make my life so much easier. Meal prepping is a great way to save time for all three meals of the day. Crazy how much time during the day we spend on food.
Being present.
Something I’ve really tried to do this new year. Staying off social media. You can spend hours scrolling through reels and stories and your Facebook feed. I know this because I’ve done it, since staying off some social medias I really have freed up a lot of my time to make life easier by doing other things.
Routine.
Sticking with a routine is such a life saver. You know when bed time and wake up time is for your kids and it helps you get your tasks done either after bed or before wake up. Plus it’s just good all around for everyone in the family.
Although you still have your occasional date nights, Valentines Day sure does change once you become a parent.
The best part though? It’s still so much fun, but instead of romantic quiet dinners as a couple, it can become a loud family date night.
I’m here to give some great ideas to celebrate Valentines Day as a family. It is after all, a day full of love and what better way to spend it than with ALL the people you love the most?
Let’s check out some fun ideas for the family below 👇
Ice skating/ roller skating night out.
How fun does this sound? Ice skating is such a fun winter activity in general but I feel like it, along with roller skating if that’s what you prefer could be such a fun Valentines family date. I wish my kids were just a bit older so we could do this as a family this year!
Family game night.
These are always my favorite type of nights. Game nights are so fun for any type of night but it would be a great Valentines Day family date! Order a heart shaped pizza to go with it and you’re all set.
Movie night in or movie at the theatre.
There are finally good movies coming out again and movie nights are such a great classic family night idea.
A trip to the bookstore.
Grab a hot chocolate, a heart shaped treat and hit the book store! Pick out a good book and have a cozy family reading night.
Family karaoke night.
Along with game night, I think karaoke is so much fun even if I do have a terrible voice. Get creative and have fun! I’m sure the kids will love it as much as you do.
There is so much you can do to have a great Valentine’s Day while including the kiddo’s.
I hope some of these ideas helped you out and as always, thanks for reading!
With a busy bee of a toddler running around at all times, books and coloring are so important to have accessible when it’s time for some down time.
Redfin reached out to us and asked to write a short piece describing an at home learning area that would work well.
You can read the full article here but I thought it would make a fun post to show you the little nook my toddler has for all his fun activities.
When it comes to at home learning or activity areas it’s so important to have everything open and easily accessible because I feel like it makes less of a mess. That way your kids will see it automatically and be able to grab what they need.
I love using little bins for crayons, art stuff and activity books. I use this cute personalized basket for my toddler’s things.
Another great tip is storage cubes! I feel like they are so great for toy organizing, book organizing or even learning and school organizing.
Adding pops of colors with books and crayons are always great to keep your kids engaged.
I like to keep our seasonal or favorite books on this bench ottoman and a couple inside it as well for easy reading access since majority of our time is spent in our main living area.
Also it’s a great place to store toys away and still have your living space look nice!
So many fun ideas you can do for a little learning nook but these are some of my favorites!
What type of areas do you have for your children when it comes to their learning and activities?
From the moment those two pink lines show up, you are being told how hard being a parent is.
Constant crying, feeding on demand, diaper overloads.
And of course those 3am wake up cries.
But they never tell you the pure emotional exhaustion you will truly feel from trying to be the perfect mom.
And I’m not talking about I’ve just worked a week of 12 hour midnight shifts in a row…I’m talking your whole body is tired, your shoulders and neck are sore and kinked from constantly looking over at your baby, chasing after your toddler. Your mind is on auto-pilot and you forever hear crying even when they aren’t.
It’s just exhausting being a mom.
Period.
There’s no explanation needed.
It’s. Just. Hard.
You put all your energy into these tiny little humans that you have been so blessed to have.
Every thought is about them now.
How do I make my baby happy today?
Is my toddler getting too much screen time?
What can I do better so we sleep better at night?
How do I split up my attention equally?
How do I keep them healthy and safe always?
How can I be better?
How can I be perfect for them?
How do I make time for my husband? For my home? For my career?
That’s the root of it all. We always want to be better, we want to do better for our babies.
We want to be the perfect mom.
The one who looks flawless without a hint of dark circles under her eyes.
The one with hair that looks like she is able to wash and exfoliate regularly.
The one who never has a spot of spit up on her clothes or the smell of it radiating from them.
The one who looks like she’s never changed a blow out diaper in the Target bathrooms in her life.
The one who’s kids look like they would never have a tantrum in aisle 5 at the grocery store.
It’s impossible.
There’s no such thing as a perfect mom.
Yes, some might hide it way better than others but we all have one thing in common.
We are all exhausted.
We are all at some point everyday dealing with diaper overloads and spit up and drool stained clothing.
Meltdowns during the day and waking up to those 3am cries at night.
So don’t ever think you aren’t a good enough mom, please.
Because we’ve all been there.
We are all exhausted.
We are all emotional.
We are all so blessed to have these babies.
But one thing I hope to never happen to any mama’s in this world? You will never be alone in your feelings, EVER. Please just know that.
And if you ever need a reminder? Well, we are here even during those 3am wake up cries.
Quirky Workin' Mom's 