Showing posts with label Parenting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parenting. Show all posts
A Spring Bucket List for Toddlers
Welcome Spring!
It is officially the first day of spring! I am so excited to be done with snow and cold! My daughter and I are ready to go out and play!
Must Have Features For a Pack 'n Play
Finding a pack 'n play, or any baby item, for the first time mom can seem like a daunting job. With all of the options available, it is no wonder that we need the full nine months to make a decision!
I was invited to attend an "At Home With Graco" Party in the Philadelphia Area to introduce us to the amazing features of the new Graco® Pack 'n Play® Playard Nearby Napper™. My only wish is that this brand new Graco® Pack 'n Play® Playard Nearby Napper™ was available when my baby was small.
Fourteen months ago, we had already chosen a Graco® Pack 'n Play. For us a Graco® Pack 'n Play was a no brainier. The quality of the product was obvious when we were trying them out in the store and we knew almost every one of our friends/relatives/neighbors had a Graco® Pack 'n Play.
What I love about Graco® Pack 'n Plays:
- The push button fold makes it so easy to fold up for travel.
- The changing station is sturdy and so convenient.
- The base pad is comfortable in the full sized bassinet as well as on the base for the playard option.
- Vibrating option and the sound machine are great options to have - you never know if your baby will need it.
- The colors are just so cute! And who thinks to include a bed skirt on a pack 'n play? Graco®!!
But these new additions make the Graco® choice an even easier one. The Graco® Pack 'n Play® Playard Nearby Napper™ really makes life on mom easier by having so many options in one convenient product. I know in our house, having multi-functional products were essential because of the lack of room that we had to store it all.
What makes the Graco® Pack 'n Play® Playard Nearby Napper™ different?
- There is a reversible bassinet in the playard. The flat nest bassinet easily flips to an inclined napper.
- The security on the reversible bassinet is superior. There is actually a lock/lift feature on the product so parents can rest assured that their baby will not accidentally flip over - either by their own force or a big brother or sister trying to rock the baby.
- I love the addition of the mobile. It is so nice to have a stimulating option to occupy your baby. {and it's easily removable!} My adorable little photo bomber seemed to like it :)
- The bassinet easily lifts out of the playard so the baby can rock on the floor next to you while you fold laundry, work or even just take a nap.
- Even though the bassinet rocks on the floor, there is also a locking mechanism on the bassinet legs to keep it still if you don't want it to rock. Say..your toddler loves to rock the baby.when they are asleep.finally.
The best part is that it grows with your child so they can use the playard as they get older as a napping place, a play area or just a safe spot in the house.
Take some time to check out the new features of this Graco® Pack 'n Play® Playard Nearby Napper™ and then make a list of who you can get it for!
Happy baby, happy house!
Disclosure: This was a sponsored post by Graco®. All comments and options are solely my own. You can see here my full disclosure here.
Breastfeeding Myths, Tips & Resources - One Year Later
When I was pregnant, I knew I really wanted to nurse. To me, nursing was something so natural, so special and so good for my baby. I took months learning everything I could about breastfeeding, even before I became a mom. My goal was a year. We are now at almost 23 months and my daughter is still nursing before bedtime. It is something so special for us. We (my husband and I) have decided that 2 years is our max.
I am sharing with you some myths that scared me in the beginning, some tips that I learned along the way and resources that helped me when I started to doubt or had questions.
Top 10 Items for Baby's First Year - One Year Later
As a first time mom, I had no idea what would work and not work for my baby. I went with Babies-R-Us and Buy Buy Baby's recommended items list and it was so overwhelming.
So to make things easier for you, I have put together a list of the Top 10 Baby Items for the First Year. These are the items we used most or because our "must have" items. Several items that are on this list were items recommended or gifted to me by other moms.
Rock n Play - Our rock-n-play was recommended to us from a friend. This allows the baby to sleep next to your bed like a bassinet but it is easily moved to anywhere in your house. Our daughter napped in this in her own room and even slept a couple nights in it in her room before we transitioned her to her crib. If our daughter woke in the middle of the night, I was known to just reach down and start rocking to try and calm her - worked half of the time.
We almost didn't even use this product because we were gifted a co-sleeper. However, our daughter had a lot of mucous from being born via c-section and was having trouble sleeping flat. The first night we switched her to this and she slept great {in combination with the Miracle Blanket - see below}
Some concerns that were brought to my attention with this product - 1) Baby will get a flat head because the plastic piece is hard. Our baby did not get a flat head. She was in this for all naps and bedtime. We held or wore her in a wrap the rest of the time. Most babies develop flat heads because they are laid down most of the time. Just as a precaution, we did add a hand towel folded up under the flap of the bunny as extra padding, just in the beginning when she wasn't moving much in her sleep. 2) Baby will have a hard time transitioning to a flat bed. We transitioned slowly. We gave our daughter a nap in the crib for a couple days. Then added a nap each time until it was time for her to sleep overnight. She did great.
Burt's Bees Multipurpose Ointment - This was not a product previously recommended to us. I was looking on the EWG for a product that we could understand what was in it and that had a good score. This product scored a 3 on the EWG scale. There are now some others that are higher rated, but we used this all the time. We slathered it on before her nighttime diaper and after almost every diaper change when she was dirtying her diapers a lot. We had ZERO diaper rashes. It is easily wiped off and easily applied.
Backpack Diaper Bag - This was a purchase my husband requested for when he took our baby out. We ended up getting this Fisher Price one but by friend got the Ju-Ju-Bee Back Pack for Mother's Day which I loved and wanted to buy {but restrained myself}. I usually use my coach bag as you will see in my "How to Pack a Diaper Bag" post, but we use this when we are out or when I carried her in the Ergo {almost made the list but may get it's own spotlight :)} . The Fisher Price one even comes with some labeled pockets for diapers, wipes {with a handy pop out container}, and pacifier. It is nice and spacious and is still prefect for outings like the aquarium, out for a walk or when my husband is with me. Best part - no hands needed :)
Nuby Teether - This teether came from a mom friend who tried so many teethers for her daughter. She gifted this one to me and it quickly became one of our daughter's favorite ones. I bought 3 more. I love that it comes with a protective case you can store it in. I tend to keep one in the freezer too. This is one teether that I always gift to new moms now.
Infant Probiotic - After 3 weeks of my baby girl crying in pain due to colic/gas, we were willing to do almost anything to make her feel better. We used a product called Tummy Calm {which we still do use when she has an upset tummy} and it worked wonders, but nothing compared to probiotics. We went and purchased the Gerber one at our local Walgreens and gave it a shot. We added the drops to some pumped milk once a day. After 3 days, our happy, curious and calm baby was back. We still give her probiotic but due to the price on the Gerber, we switched to a powder that we now mix into her food.
Infant Monitor with a Camera - We have been spoiled. We love, love, love being able to see our little angel sleeping in her crib. We love that we can see when she is crying if we have to go in, we watched her roll over for the first time in the crib and I watch her play with her stuffed animals in the morning, We use a Foscam Security Camera and our iPhones with an app to watch her. Won't people be able to break into my Foscam and wake up my baby - like that one article I saw? We keep our Foscam on our secure, in-home network wi-fi. The probability of someone actually choosing you to do this is probably low, but just in case, we have not opened the network up to outside viewing. So my husband cannot login at work and watch us. {Plus it would be a bit creepy to know someone can just login and watch your child sleep/you nurse - even if it's you or your husband}
Miracle Blanket - I was gifted this from my husband's cousin who has three kids herself. Honestly, when we got it, I thought, "There is no way that I would use this. Our baby will be sleeping great because I am going to do XYZ and I learned the perfect swaddle." Boy was I wrong. Our baby girl was a great sleeper...the best when she was in a swaddle, but she learned early on in the hospital how to break out of that swaddle. One night in a desperate attempt to get her to sleep, we pulled out this miracle blanket. It worked!!! She fought it at first {and every night/nap we put her in it} but within minutes she was sleeping and slept longer. 8 hours the first night in it! This is another gift I tend to give to mommies to be :)
*If you purchase this on the Miracle Blanket website, they usually have a buy more than 1 deal - I recommend at least 2, in case you need one in the middle of the night...we ended up with 4*
Jumperoo - We did register and recieve a different jumper but when it came to using it, it wasn't making the cut. It had a plate at the bottom and it was up to the child to make it push down. She was so tiny, she just sat there. Our daughter would jump on our knees so we knew she would do well in a jumper. We purchased this Rain Forest one and were so glad for Prime free 2-day shipping. As soon as we put her in it, there was joy on her face. This was by far her favorite activity for the longest time. Her first baby sign was jump. Even when she started cruising, she would crawl over to this and walk around it playing with the toys {but never wanted to get back in}.
Travel High Chair - I love having this travel high chair. It has come in handy so many times. We used it when we went out to lunch/dinner and our daughter was too young to sit in the restaurant high chairs. I have brought it to friend's/family's houses. I even brought it with me to a baby shower {the mom-to-be went out and purchased one too}. I have even used it in my house when little friends come to visit. It has even come in handy when I have needed a toddler seat for a friend, the tray is removable, We were gifted this one at my shower from one brilliant mom, but I am fully impressed with the one I featured. I love that it folds up for ease of storage/travel. The one we have is a bit bulky but it does the job.
Boppy - This was a wonder product for us. I know there are several kinds out there, so choose your weapon of choice. We used the boppy for every nursing session starting in the hospital {best thing I packed in my hospital bag} and continued when we got home until she no longer fit on it while nursing, around 4 months. It lived around me. She would fall asleep nursing and I would lay her down on it and have tow hands free. This is how I was able to complete the mobile for her room. When she got too big to use it for nursing, we would prop her up to practice sitting. I have even seen moms use it for tummy time when their kids didn't like it. She still loves to curl up in it and lay her little head down. I plan on keeping it around for a floor pillow for her when she gets older and wants to read on the floor.
Looking back on all of this makes me tear up a bit. It seems like only yesterday that we were fumbling around trying to use all of this for the first time. I hope this helps all of you first time moms.
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So to make things easier for you, I have put together a list of the Top 10 Baby Items for the First Year. These are the items we used most or because our "must have" items. Several items that are on this list were items recommended or gifted to me by other moms.
*Below links are Amazon Affiliate links. By clicking on the links and purchasing through Amazon, I will get a commission to not additional cost to you. See my full disclosure here. Thank you for supporting this blog.*
Rock n Play - Our rock-n-play was recommended to us from a friend. This allows the baby to sleep next to your bed like a bassinet but it is easily moved to anywhere in your house. Our daughter napped in this in her own room and even slept a couple nights in it in her room before we transitioned her to her crib. If our daughter woke in the middle of the night, I was known to just reach down and start rocking to try and calm her - worked half of the time.
We almost didn't even use this product because we were gifted a co-sleeper. However, our daughter had a lot of mucous from being born via c-section and was having trouble sleeping flat. The first night we switched her to this and she slept great {in combination with the Miracle Blanket - see below}
Some concerns that were brought to my attention with this product - 1) Baby will get a flat head because the plastic piece is hard. Our baby did not get a flat head. She was in this for all naps and bedtime. We held or wore her in a wrap the rest of the time. Most babies develop flat heads because they are laid down most of the time. Just as a precaution, we did add a hand towel folded up under the flap of the bunny as extra padding, just in the beginning when she wasn't moving much in her sleep. 2) Baby will have a hard time transitioning to a flat bed. We transitioned slowly. We gave our daughter a nap in the crib for a couple days. Then added a nap each time until it was time for her to sleep overnight. She did great.
Burt's Bees Multipurpose Ointment - This was not a product previously recommended to us. I was looking on the EWG for a product that we could understand what was in it and that had a good score. This product scored a 3 on the EWG scale. There are now some others that are higher rated, but we used this all the time. We slathered it on before her nighttime diaper and after almost every diaper change when she was dirtying her diapers a lot. We had ZERO diaper rashes. It is easily wiped off and easily applied.
Backpack Diaper Bag - This was a purchase my husband requested for when he took our baby out. We ended up getting this Fisher Price one but by friend got the Ju-Ju-Bee Back Pack for Mother's Day which I loved and wanted to buy {but restrained myself}. I usually use my coach bag as you will see in my "How to Pack a Diaper Bag" post, but we use this when we are out or when I carried her in the Ergo {almost made the list but may get it's own spotlight :)} . The Fisher Price one even comes with some labeled pockets for diapers, wipes {with a handy pop out container}, and pacifier. It is nice and spacious and is still prefect for outings like the aquarium, out for a walk or when my husband is with me. Best part - no hands needed :)
Nuby Teether - This teether came from a mom friend who tried so many teethers for her daughter. She gifted this one to me and it quickly became one of our daughter's favorite ones. I bought 3 more. I love that it comes with a protective case you can store it in. I tend to keep one in the freezer too. This is one teether that I always gift to new moms now.
Infant Probiotic - After 3 weeks of my baby girl crying in pain due to colic/gas, we were willing to do almost anything to make her feel better. We used a product called Tummy Calm {which we still do use when she has an upset tummy} and it worked wonders, but nothing compared to probiotics. We went and purchased the Gerber one at our local Walgreens and gave it a shot. We added the drops to some pumped milk once a day. After 3 days, our happy, curious and calm baby was back. We still give her probiotic but due to the price on the Gerber, we switched to a powder that we now mix into her food.
Infant Monitor with a Camera - We have been spoiled. We love, love, love being able to see our little angel sleeping in her crib. We love that we can see when she is crying if we have to go in, we watched her roll over for the first time in the crib and I watch her play with her stuffed animals in the morning, We use a Foscam Security Camera and our iPhones with an app to watch her. Won't people be able to break into my Foscam and wake up my baby - like that one article I saw? We keep our Foscam on our secure, in-home network wi-fi. The probability of someone actually choosing you to do this is probably low, but just in case, we have not opened the network up to outside viewing. So my husband cannot login at work and watch us. {Plus it would be a bit creepy to know someone can just login and watch your child sleep/you nurse - even if it's you or your husband}
Miracle Blanket - I was gifted this from my husband's cousin who has three kids herself. Honestly, when we got it, I thought, "There is no way that I would use this. Our baby will be sleeping great because I am going to do XYZ and I learned the perfect swaddle." Boy was I wrong. Our baby girl was a great sleeper...the best when she was in a swaddle, but she learned early on in the hospital how to break out of that swaddle. One night in a desperate attempt to get her to sleep, we pulled out this miracle blanket. It worked!!! She fought it at first {and every night/nap we put her in it} but within minutes she was sleeping and slept longer. 8 hours the first night in it! This is another gift I tend to give to mommies to be :)
*If you purchase this on the Miracle Blanket website, they usually have a buy more than 1 deal - I recommend at least 2, in case you need one in the middle of the night...we ended up with 4*
Jumperoo - We did register and recieve a different jumper but when it came to using it, it wasn't making the cut. It had a plate at the bottom and it was up to the child to make it push down. She was so tiny, she just sat there. Our daughter would jump on our knees so we knew she would do well in a jumper. We purchased this Rain Forest one and were so glad for Prime free 2-day shipping. As soon as we put her in it, there was joy on her face. This was by far her favorite activity for the longest time. Her first baby sign was jump. Even when she started cruising, she would crawl over to this and walk around it playing with the toys {but never wanted to get back in}.
Travel High Chair - I love having this travel high chair. It has come in handy so many times. We used it when we went out to lunch/dinner and our daughter was too young to sit in the restaurant high chairs. I have brought it to friend's/family's houses. I even brought it with me to a baby shower {the mom-to-be went out and purchased one too}. I have even used it in my house when little friends come to visit. It has even come in handy when I have needed a toddler seat for a friend, the tray is removable, We were gifted this one at my shower from one brilliant mom, but I am fully impressed with the one I featured. I love that it folds up for ease of storage/travel. The one we have is a bit bulky but it does the job.
Boppy - This was a wonder product for us. I know there are several kinds out there, so choose your weapon of choice. We used the boppy for every nursing session starting in the hospital {best thing I packed in my hospital bag} and continued when we got home until she no longer fit on it while nursing, around 4 months. It lived around me. She would fall asleep nursing and I would lay her down on it and have tow hands free. This is how I was able to complete the mobile for her room. When she got too big to use it for nursing, we would prop her up to practice sitting. I have even seen moms use it for tummy time when their kids didn't like it. She still loves to curl up in it and lay her little head down. I plan on keeping it around for a floor pillow for her when she gets older and wants to read on the floor.
Looking back on all of this makes me tear up a bit. It seems like only yesterday that we were fumbling around trying to use all of this for the first time. I hope this helps all of you first time moms.
Help the first time moms, what would you add to this list?
Follow my Parenting Tips & Tricks Pinterest Board for more resources and ideas.
Follow my Parenting Tips & Tricks Pinterest Board for more resources and ideas.
One Year Later Series
I cannot believe that I have a 1 year old toddler. This time last year was so different. New Years 2014: Rocking a newborn and watching the Mummers on mute. New Years 2015: Watching the Mummers, in between playing with Little People, telling my daughter to look at the animals on the screen and watching her dance along.
In case you missed the series, here are the stories you missed: Feel free to take a look and get some insight that I wish I had one year ago!
Top 10 Items for Baby's First Year
Breastfeeding: Myths, Tips & Resources
Creating a healthy, adventurous eater
In case you missed the series, here are the stories you missed: Feel free to take a look and get some insight that I wish I had one year ago!
Top 10 Items for Baby's First Year
Breastfeeding: Myths, Tips & Resources
Creating a healthy, adventurous eater
What is in my perfect diaper bag?
With so many of my friends and family that are pregnant and my daughter turning 1 in 1 1/2 months {eek}, I am finding myself reflecting on the last year.
I went to a baby shower for some of our best friends on Saturday and gifted her the diaper bag she had on her registry filled with the essentials. Some she registered for, some she didn't. Here is some of the things I included in her diaper bag:
The essentials that I needed {and I provided for my friend} are
- a change of clothes {I put a hat, socks, onesie, sleeper and bib in a ziplock bag}
- burp cloths
- lots of wipe options: baby wipes, table wipes, face wipes, etc.
- bags for dirty diapers
- teething toys
- mommy hook
- hand sanitizer
I actually had the same diaper bag {and a backpack} stocked with almost everything you see in that picture. I had a full stocked diaper bag. Obviously if you are bottle feeding you will need bottles and formula, breastfeeding, you will need breast pads {I stored these in a ziploc}
But now, I can say that after 11 months of packing a diaper bag, I have it down, and with less stuff.
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In my diaper bag {Coach purse turned diaper bag} This is what you will find:
I always have extra wipes readily available for the quick wipe down of a table or hands.
I store my diapers and wipes in a travel pouch. It is great because it is also quick to grab if I need to run into the bathroom with her or out for a quick errand.
I always have hand sanitizer available for quick access as well as other key essentials. Right now is Boogie Wipes and tissues.
I keep a bag full of toys for Seraphina, these are switched out and cleaned regularly. Here is what it looks like now. Full of rings and teethers.
The bag for diaper changes looks like this. I always carry sunscreen and the white cloths at the top are actually dry wipes with soap on them. All you have to do is run them under water and they are now soap wipes. {I cannot find them anywhere anymore..I think they were discontinued..sorry}
There you have it, my perfect diaper bag. There is even room for my small wallet/purse for my stuff.
I went to a baby shower for some of our best friends on Saturday and gifted her the diaper bag she had on her registry filled with the essentials. Some she registered for, some she didn't. Here is some of the things I included in her diaper bag:
The essentials that I needed {and I provided for my friend} are
- a change of clothes {I put a hat, socks, onesie, sleeper and bib in a ziplock bag}
- burp cloths
- lots of wipe options: baby wipes, table wipes, face wipes, etc.
- bags for dirty diapers
- teething toys
- mommy hook
- hand sanitizer
I actually had the same diaper bag {and a backpack} stocked with almost everything you see in that picture. I had a full stocked diaper bag. Obviously if you are bottle feeding you will need bottles and formula, breastfeeding, you will need breast pads {I stored these in a ziploc}
But now, I can say that after 11 months of packing a diaper bag, I have it down, and with less stuff.
In my diaper bag {Coach purse turned diaper bag} This is what you will find:
I always have extra wipes readily available for the quick wipe down of a table or hands.
I store my diapers and wipes in a travel pouch. It is great because it is also quick to grab if I need to run into the bathroom with her or out for a quick errand.
I always have hand sanitizer available for quick access as well as other key essentials. Right now is Boogie Wipes and tissues.
I keep a bag full of toys for Seraphina, these are switched out and cleaned regularly. Here is what it looks like now. Full of rings and teethers.
The bag for diaper changes looks like this. I always carry sunscreen and the white cloths at the top are actually dry wipes with soap on them. All you have to do is run them under water and they are now soap wipes. {I cannot find them anywhere anymore..I think they were discontinued..sorry}
There you have it, my perfect diaper bag. There is even room for my small wallet/purse for my stuff.
What would you add for younger children or take away as they get older?
When your best isn't good enough
Have you ever felt like nothing you do is good enough? Like everyone in the world is aginst you? You just can't keep up with the house, the kids, the laundry? You feel drained, depressed and just plain worthless.
I have. A lot more than I would like to. My husband always gets upset when I confide this to him, like it's his fault or he could change something. It wasn't and he can't. This is a ME problem. My insecurities, my shortcomings. It's only something I can change.
We talked about this one week at the Mom's group that I attend. It really impacted me and I have been thinking about this for weeks. I know that I am faced with this feeling of being worthless much more then I would like. And I found out there that there are many more women/moms who feel the same way. Some have better situations than I do and some do not, but I find it doesn't matter what financial/marital/education/spiritual position you are in, we are all faced with this feeling.
I have been doing some soul searching over the last couple weeks, really dwelling on this dilemma that I am faced with. What can I do when I feel worthless to realize my true worth? Here are some things that have helped me.
1. What are you good at? Make a list of 3-5 things that only I can do{or do best}or have done today/yesterday/this week .
2. Take a breath. Take some time for myself or do something I'm good at. Even 5 minutes to take a shower and use your special shampoo that smells amazing, dance to your favorite song, go for a run, do a quick craft, or even just take a nap.
This may sound selfish and will be very hard to do. But taking this 5 minutes will just clear your head so you can think clearly. Many times, this feeling comes because we are too stressed, too tired, too hurried to realize your value so our judgement is clouded.
3. Be Selfless. Do something for someone else. Take a meal to someone. Help someone with their groceries. Do anything for someone else. When we help others, we get this intrinsic satisfaction. It's not selfish or wrong to feel good when you help someone, I think that feeling was put there for a reason - so we would help people.
4. Pray. Meditate, do yoga or talk to God. Sit in silence. Quiet your heart. Quiet your mind. Think back to that list you wrote down {probably} quickly and think about everything that goes into each item you listed. You did that. You were the key to that being done.
5. Be You. Stop comparing yourself to others. Stop comparing yourself to someone's idealized view of you. You can only be the you that you are. You are only capable of whatever YOU can do.
I am for sure not the mom who is dressed to the nine's when they go to the store - I am the mom who is in jeans with snot stains and spit up on her shirt. I am not the mom who has the photo ready house {I would like to be} - no I shove everything into closets and hope no one notices the dust under the sofas when people come over. I am not even close to the perfect woman, mom or wife - but I am the best woman, mom and wife that I can be.
- Take a dollar bill, preferably brand new, no rips, tears or bends. How much is it worth? 100 pennies. This is you.
- Take that dollar bill and crumble it up. Throw it on the floor and step on it. You are representing life knocking you down, throwing you down and stepping on you.
- Pick that dollar bill up. Open it up. Doesn't look as pretty does it? But if you walked into a store, what would it be worth? 100 pennies. Realize you still have the same value as you did before life beat you down.
I keep my dollar bill on the refrigerator. I am in the kitchen most of the day and it serves as a constant reminder of what my true value is to...myself.
"People" {people in your present, past and in your thoughts} will always find ways to make you doubt yourself. They will always find a way to make you doubt your service to your home, your kids and your spouse. I have found in the last several weeks that these things help. They help to silence the "people" who I hear telling me I'm not good enough or I'm not doing enough. Specifically when I pray. When I pray, I am always brought back to the thoughts that I am always good enough for God. This page is in the last page of our book. I have ripped it out and keep it by my bedside.
I have. A lot more than I would like to. My husband always gets upset when I confide this to him, like it's his fault or he could change something. It wasn't and he can't. This is a ME problem. My insecurities, my shortcomings. It's only something I can change.
I have been doing some soul searching over the last couple weeks, really dwelling on this dilemma that I am faced with. What can I do when I feel worthless to realize my true worth? Here are some things that have helped me.
1. What are you good at? Make a list of 3-5 things that only I can do{or do best}or have done today/yesterday/this week .
2. Take a breath. Take some time for myself or do something I'm good at. Even 5 minutes to take a shower and use your special shampoo that smells amazing, dance to your favorite song, go for a run, do a quick craft, or even just take a nap.
This may sound selfish and will be very hard to do. But taking this 5 minutes will just clear your head so you can think clearly. Many times, this feeling comes because we are too stressed, too tired, too hurried to realize your value so our judgement is clouded.
3. Be Selfless. Do something for someone else. Take a meal to someone. Help someone with their groceries. Do anything for someone else. When we help others, we get this intrinsic satisfaction. It's not selfish or wrong to feel good when you help someone, I think that feeling was put there for a reason - so we would help people.
4. Pray. Meditate, do yoga or talk to God. Sit in silence. Quiet your heart. Quiet your mind. Think back to that list you wrote down {probably} quickly and think about everything that goes into each item you listed. You did that. You were the key to that being done.
5. Be You. Stop comparing yourself to others. Stop comparing yourself to someone's idealized view of you. You can only be the you that you are. You are only capable of whatever YOU can do.
I am for sure not the mom who is dressed to the nine's when they go to the store - I am the mom who is in jeans with snot stains and spit up on her shirt. I am not the mom who has the photo ready house {I would like to be} - no I shove everything into closets and hope no one notices the dust under the sofas when people come over. I am not even close to the perfect woman, mom or wife - but I am the best woman, mom and wife that I can be.
Do this exercise.
{We did this at our Mom's group so I am not taking credit for this, but it helped}
- Take a dollar bill, preferably brand new, no rips, tears or bends. How much is it worth? 100 pennies. This is you.
- Take that dollar bill and crumble it up. Throw it on the floor and step on it. You are representing life knocking you down, throwing you down and stepping on you.
- Pick that dollar bill up. Open it up. Doesn't look as pretty does it? But if you walked into a store, what would it be worth? 100 pennies. Realize you still have the same value as you did before life beat you down.
I keep my dollar bill on the refrigerator. I am in the kitchen most of the day and it serves as a constant reminder of what my true value is to...myself.
"People" {people in your present, past and in your thoughts} will always find ways to make you doubt yourself. They will always find a way to make you doubt your service to your home, your kids and your spouse. I have found in the last several weeks that these things help. They help to silence the "people" who I hear telling me I'm not good enough or I'm not doing enough. Specifically when I pray. When I pray, I am always brought back to the thoughts that I am always good enough for God. This page is in the last page of our book. I have ripped it out and keep it by my bedside.
What do you find most helpful when you are feeling like your best isn't good enough?
"New and Improved" Sick Baby First Aid Kit
My baby girl woke up later than usual on Halloween. I was jumping for joy that I got to enjoy my coffee and breakfast and got some other things done that I needed to do. But when she did wake up, she had a stuffy nose and cranky mood.
OH NO! My baby has a cold! I broke out the sick baby first-aid kit and got to work.
In our normal kit, we keep
Books - Always the comfort item. When she is sick we can read through her entire collection of books.
Boogie Wipes - This helps to avoid her nose from getting dry and chapped when we are wiping it a lot. I have one on each level of our home and keep one in the diaper bag.
Nose Frieda - Works so well when you get over that you are sucking your child's snot. For her first cold, we used the aspirator and she HATED it. We gave in and tried this. It is wonderful! You control how hard or how long the suction is and you can see how much you get out {and dishwasher safe}...TOTALLY recommended.
Humidifier - We use the warm mist humidifier. Many times the cool mist humidifier is recommended because of the chance of bacteria growth. We have never had a problem with it but we do rinse it everyday and soak the base chamber with vinegar once a week to avoid calcification buildup.
Saline Drops/Spray - Our daughter was not a fan of the spray, but it does work better if your child can take it. We do drops a couple times a day and always before we Nose Frieda. It really helps to clear out her nose.
Tylenol - We do check for fever but sometimes even without the fever she just doesn't feel good. We all know the feeling and take something to help take the edge off. We only use this if we need it, but it's nice to have on hand.
Wubbie - The wubbanub pacifiers are fantastic! Our daughter does not suck on a pacifier but chews. She also likes to snuggle with the stuffed animal attached. The giraffe is one of her favorites.
Warm Bath - When all else fails, there is nothing like a warm bath to make you feel better. We actually fill the tub with the shower so she gets extra steam to help with her nose. My husband also dims the lights and puts on spa music. {How do I get this treatment?}
This time, I added something new. I have been hearing all this great stuff about using essential oils but knew I wouldn't have a chance to go out and get them. I also wanted something edible in case she put it in her mouth {inevitable} so I thought about what I had on hand to make something that could help her stuffy nose.
So I made peppermint {extract} edible playdough.
I followed this recipe for oatmeal playdough, knowing that it was edible and would be ok if she had residue on her hands.
I added 1/8 - 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract to the dough as I was kneading it. I added a little at a time until I could smell the peppermint as I kneaded it.
She had a blast playing with it! At first, she wasn't sure what to do with it. She tasted it once {didn't like it} so it didn't go near her mouth again. Her nose started running like crazy, so obviously it was working to help unclog her stuffy nose. I played with her with it for a while and then she was ready to move on. We cleaned her up and played with some other toys.
Spirits brightened and she was breathing better. This will be added into the sick kid first aid kit for sure!
OH NO! My baby has a cold! I broke out the sick baby first-aid kit and got to work.
In our normal kit, we keep
Books - Always the comfort item. When she is sick we can read through her entire collection of books.
Boogie Wipes - This helps to avoid her nose from getting dry and chapped when we are wiping it a lot. I have one on each level of our home and keep one in the diaper bag.
Nose Frieda - Works so well when you get over that you are sucking your child's snot. For her first cold, we used the aspirator and she HATED it. We gave in and tried this. It is wonderful! You control how hard or how long the suction is and you can see how much you get out {and dishwasher safe}...TOTALLY recommended.
Humidifier - We use the warm mist humidifier. Many times the cool mist humidifier is recommended because of the chance of bacteria growth. We have never had a problem with it but we do rinse it everyday and soak the base chamber with vinegar once a week to avoid calcification buildup.
Saline Drops/Spray - Our daughter was not a fan of the spray, but it does work better if your child can take it. We do drops a couple times a day and always before we Nose Frieda. It really helps to clear out her nose.
Tylenol - We do check for fever but sometimes even without the fever she just doesn't feel good. We all know the feeling and take something to help take the edge off. We only use this if we need it, but it's nice to have on hand.
Wubbie - The wubbanub pacifiers are fantastic! Our daughter does not suck on a pacifier but chews. She also likes to snuggle with the stuffed animal attached. The giraffe is one of her favorites.
Warm Bath - When all else fails, there is nothing like a warm bath to make you feel better. We actually fill the tub with the shower so she gets extra steam to help with her nose. My husband also dims the lights and puts on spa music. {How do I get this treatment?}
This time, I added something new. I have been hearing all this great stuff about using essential oils but knew I wouldn't have a chance to go out and get them. I also wanted something edible in case she put it in her mouth {inevitable} so I thought about what I had on hand to make something that could help her stuffy nose.
So I made peppermint {extract} edible playdough.
I followed this recipe for oatmeal playdough, knowing that it was edible and would be ok if she had residue on her hands.
I added 1/8 - 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract to the dough as I was kneading it. I added a little at a time until I could smell the peppermint as I kneaded it.
She had a blast playing with it! At first, she wasn't sure what to do with it. She tasted it once {didn't like it} so it didn't go near her mouth again. Her nose started running like crazy, so obviously it was working to help unclog her stuffy nose. I played with her with it for a while and then she was ready to move on. We cleaned her up and played with some other toys.
What items can you not live without when your baby or child is sick?
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