A Day with Sarae

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Backpack Diaper Bag – Is it better than a regular diaper bag?

Moms, we all know how ridiculous hard it can be to get out the door with kids in tow. You are bringing half of your house stuffed into a diaper bag, and it feels like you’ve run a marathon by the time you make it to the car.

With my first child, I had the typical over the shoulder bag, but when I had my second, I soon realized that this bag wasn’t working anymore. I retired my trusty old diaper bag for a backpack diaper bag, and let me tell you, I never looked back.

Backpack diaper bags are WAY easier to carry.

(especially with multiple little humans)

I remember the last day I carried my old diaper bag. I was taking both kids to a Dr. Appointment when my daughter was two and a half, and my son was just a few months old, and of course I was running late. After cramming a bunch of last minute stuff into my now bulging diaper bag, I threw it over my shoulder while trying to pick up an infant car seat. – (complete with infant child) I then bent down to attempt to pick up my toddler whose legs were “too tired to walk” only to have the diaper bag swing off my shoulder, slam into said grumpy toddler, and send her sprawling across the floor… (and the mom award of the year goes to…. not me!) Once I finally managed to pick up my now crying daughter, I could hardly even walk straight because every step I took was followed up by that bag banging into the back of my legs. A constant, annoying reminder of how much stuff I was hauling around.

When I got home from that Dr. Appointment I got online, and started my search for a diaper bag that was easier to carry. I came across the KayBaby Diaper Backpack on Amazon, and I loved the look and design. It had great reviews, and was affordable, so I decided to give it a try! … You guys, it changed my relationship with diaper bags forever. Carrying a backpack is SO much easier than any kind of over the shoulder bag. It feels secure, doesn’t hurt my back, and the rest of my body is free for carrying and picking up other things.

The KayBaby Diaper Backpack can be easily organized.

This backpack has several pockets for easy storage. It has a pocket in the front with inside insulated pouches specifically designed to hold up to three bottles, and there is still more room in that pocket for a few toys, some pacifiers, or other small items. It also has two side pouches on the outside. One of those pouches is for baby wipes. It has a little slit in it so that wipes can be pulled directly out of the pouch. No more digging for the wipes and fiddling with the container while your baby is squirming all over the place. They are easily accessible right on the outside of your bag. SO GOOD.

The other side pouch on the outside could be used for babies favorite lovey, or to store a few diapers for grabbing quickly, but I actually use it for my own water bottle! It is perfect size for this, and makes it easy for me to grab while I am out and about.

The back of this bag is pretty awesome too. It has a zipper about half-way down, so that you can easily open, and get to the bottom of the backpack without having to pull everything out of it. I admit that I haven’t had to use this feature too much, but for the few times that I have used it, I was very happy it was there!

The inside has plenty of pockets as well, one being a zipper pocket which is a good spot for my phone, and wallet. I don’t know about you guys, but I pretty much use my diaper bag as my purse, because who wants to carry more than you have to at this point?? Not this girl.

It is stylish and neutral!

I love the way this bag looks, and even my husband isn’t embarrassed to carry it haha! It isn’t too girly, but isn’t masculine either. It is a beautiful neutral gray and goes with just about anything you can think of. Plus, it is SUPER easy to clean. The material for this bag is high quality Oxford fabric, is water resistant, and almost spit up resistant too. My son had just finished nursing in my car one day and I sat him up too quickly, causing him to projectile vomit all over my lovely backpack… Guess what guys, it wiped off with a baby wipe almost completely, and when I was able to truly wash it at home with a little soap, it looked (and smelled) brand new again. This is HUGE because diaper bags… They go through a lot. Poor things.

 

 

Durability and comfort for an affordable price.

This backpack is durable, comfortable, AND affordable. Hard to find these days, but its the truth. It has thick, strong, adjustable straps that are very easy on the shoulders. The bag is very sturdy. It holds its shape well instead of just flopping over like some other backpacks, and the opening is wide allowing you to get things in and out easily. I have had this bag for almost a year now, and it looks just as nice as the day I got it. Like I said, diaper bags go through a lot, so it is important to have one that lasts!

Backpack diaper bags are the way to go.

I have used a shoulder diaper bag, a regular Jansport backpack, and a purse for carrying all of my baby’s diaper bag items in the past, and none of them compared to how great this backpack is. It has all the right compartments for all the right things, and even comes with a cute little diaper changing pad! It’s stylish, easy to clean, good quality, comfortable, and doesn’t break the bank. Definitely a win in my book! 🙂

To check out more of my favorite must have baby items check out this post!

 

 

 

 

Craft supplies for kids – 20 basic supplies to make up a great first art box

We love doing crafts in our house! It is such an awesome way to spend intentional time with our kids, while helping them to be creative with their minds and hands. In this post I will show you 20 basic craft supplies for kids that are must haves for their first art box.

Our favorite and most used craft supplies (for my three year old)

 

1. Crayola Washable Markers – Markers are a must have! We use markers with so many projects. Crayola Markers are easily washable in case in ends up all over our child’s face instead of their project, because you know, life happens! 😉 We get the big ol’ fat ones because my kids are still young and like to see lots of bold color when they are working with markers, but an older child may prefer to have a little more control with a more fine tipped marker.

2. Crayola Crayons – Crayons are of course a wonderful coloring tool to have as well. My daughter loves how many colors you can get in the large boxes of crayons. Crayons are also really good for coloring over objects that are covered with a piece of paper. Like a leaf, for example.

3. Crayola Colored Pencils – My daughter is three and a half, and is just starting to become more concerned with staying in the lines within a picture. Colored pencils are her favorite tool to use when she is practicing this skill!

4. White Multi Purpose Paper – I usually just buy copy paper and keep it in a pretty basket on our craft shelf. This is good to have for drawing and coloring projects. It is easy for kids to just grab a sheet of paper and color away, keeping themselves occupied for a few minutes while you throw some lunch together!

5. Construction Paper – Also wonderful for all kind of crafts and creations. Construction paper is definitely a must!

6. White Cardstock Paper – It is nice to have a small (or large, whatever floats our boat!) collection of different sized card stock paper. We use this a lot for creating a more solid backing on art pieces, or for making cards for family and friends.

7. Child Safe Scissors – It is great to have a pair of scissors that you feel good about your toddler using. Learning to use scissors helps hand eye coordination and promotes development of fine motor skills! The ones that I have linked are our favorite child safe scissors. They don’t cut anything more than paper, but they actually do cut paper, unlike some of the other child safe scissors on the market. When your child is past the toddler years they can, of course, practice safety and use real scissors for bigger projects!

8. Elmer’s Glue – It is a good idea to get this in both liquid and stick form. You will make use of both kinds for sure!

9. Tape – Tape, tape, and more tape! My daughter loves her tape. Not only does she use it for crafts, but she also pretends that the pretty washi tapes are band aids for her stuffed animals! haha. Either way, it definitely comes in handy, and there are so many fun kinds to choose from.

10. Paints and brushes – There are so many kinds of paints you can buy for kids. My daughter loves any kind you can think of. A few of our favorites right now are just simple water colors ( We love this set by Melissa & Doug), and Do A Dot washable paint markers. They have a sponge tip applicator and can be used without water or brushes, so it makes for a little less mess.

11. Googly eyes!! – This is a big hit for most kids, it can instantly turn any project into a silly looking creature. I have to monitor my daughter’s use with these or else she would just have a whole sheet of paper covered in googly eyes. haha

12. Pipe Cleaners – There are good for all kinds of projects. Make flowers, or animals, or rings, or pretend glasses… The possibilities are endless!

13. Pom Poms – Pom poms are an awesome addition to your kids’ art box. They come in all sorts of colors and sizes and are fun for multiple crafting projects.

14. Popsicle Sticks – An awesome way to introduce building to toddlers! Make a tower, or a fence, or let them be creative with their own design.

15. Glitter – Now, this one may or may not make you very excited. It is messy… but, my daughter loves it, so we do break it out here and there, giving her pieces a final touch of glitz and glam!

16. Stickers – My daughter would stick stickers to things all day long if I let her. Her favorite ones are anything that has to do with animals.

17. Foam Shapes – Super fun way to decorate a craft, while learning about their shapes and colors.

18. Feathers – Great for making a picture of a bird, or decorating a mask!

19. Yarn – A fun color yarn can make wacky hair on a puppet, or drawing.

20. Play-Doh! – I know a lot of people don’t like the smell or messiness of play-doh, but seriously, it can keep my daughter occupied and happy for a very long time. It is a great way for them to get their creative juices flowing! This is an amazing set that comes with awesome tools for working with Play-Doh!

Of course there are several other amazing craft supplies available, but these are some of our favorites and most used! It is a great start for a young child’s art box.

Time to get our aprons on and get to work!

Crafting is super fun, but it can be a bit messy sometimes. Use an old T-shirt or one of these cute aprons to keep your kids from ruining good clothes. Then let them go to town with their creative little minds!

Consider getting your kids a little table to call their own. A special place for them to sit down and work on their master piece! It also saves the dining room table from the inevitable messes. We have one like this from IKEA and absolutely love it.

If you don’t have room for a little table, no worries, just put down some wax paper, or newspaper underneath your child’s art piece to protect your dining table.

Get in on the fun.

It is hard sometimes to put aside cleaning, or work that needs to get done around the house and just focus on being present with our kids. There will be times when you just can’t to do it. (laundry ain’t gunna do itself right?) But, it is SO important to sit down with them, put our to-do list to the side, and get in on the fun with them when we can. Dive into the art box, pull out some googly eyes and glue, and show them how to make a silly face. The best thing we can give to our kids is our love, attention, and time. They will remember sitting down to do crafts with you more than they will remember any one specific craft they make.

Be intentional. Be present. Build memories.

Until Next time!

-Sarae

 

 

 

 

Baby Registry Checklist and Must Haves – Plus My favorite items

I have been wanting to do this post for awhile now, and I am finally getting around to it now that my youngest is a year old!! Phew, that first year is a busy one!

This post is a compiled list of items that I had and actually USED for my two babies.

First of all I would HIGHLY recommend using Amazon to create at least one of your baby registries! There is an enormous amount of products available on Amazon, and they offer free shipping to any order over $25! You can also get completely free shipping on qualifying prime items if you have an Amazon Prime account. They offer 90 day returns on items that weren’t what you were expecting, and they even offer completion discounts once you are within 60 days of your due date! That means that when you give Amazon your due date, they will give up tp 15% off of your remaining items on your registry, that haven’t been purchased yet, once you are within 60 days of your due date! So cool!! I also loved that Amazon keeps track of who purchased what for you so you can write thank you notes when its all said and done.

With that said, lets move on to my baby registry checklist!

This first group of items are my favorite things that I personally LOVE, and have used a lot with one or both of my babies.

 

This is definitely my #1 must have baby item! I have gotten SO much use out of my ergo 360, and couldn’t imagine not having it. Worth every penny. (Click on the photo to view this item on Amazon, or click the link below.)

Ergobaby 360 on Amazon

The Moby Wrap is perfect for carrying around newborns. They love the closeness and warmth that it provides.

Moby Wrap Carrier on Amazon

Muslin swaddle blankets. The uses for these things are endless.

Muslin swaddle blankets on Amazon

Awesome diaper pail. Really keeps the stink contained! 😉

Ubbi Diaper pail on Amazon

This mini pack and play makes a perfect bassinet and travel crib! I love it’s compact size and versatility.

Graco mini pack and play on Amazon

Best nursing pillow, and can be used for so much more than just nursing your baby! It is a must have in my opinion.

Boppy Pillow on Amazon

Sleep sacks are a life saver. Literally! Keep your baby warm without having to worry. These were especially handy for me because neither of my babies liked being swaddled!

Sleepsacks on Amazon

Both of my kids sleep SO MUCH better with white noise!! It is definitely a must have for us. This little one is affordable and easily portable.

Sound Machine on Amazon

This, my friends, is the mimos pillow. It prevents and helps correct flat head syndrome, and it is completely breathable. This was a definite must have for my son who had torticollis, but it is a great tool to prevent flat head syndrome for any newborn!

Mimos pillow on Amazon

To read my entire review and experience with the mimos pillow click here – mimos pillow review

This baby monitor does not connect to your wifi, so its way less likely that someone would be able to hack in and see your baby. (Yes that happens…scary) It comes with two cameras, either for separate rooms, or for watching two kids at once. It also has a talk back feature so that you can try and soothe your baby through voice before going into the room. I love this set!

Motorola video baby monitor on Amazon

Three in one bumbo seat. Grows with your child! The grey insert is removable so that your child can fit when he or she gets bigger. The tray comes off and stores so nicely right on the back of the chair.

Bumbo seat on Amazon

Medela pump and style breast pump. If you are planning on breastfeeding, you absolutely need a pump. I tried a couple different kinds and this was hands down my favorite one. The price is 100% worth it. However, make sure you contact your health insurance provider before going out to buy one, because most insurance companies will cover the cost of one for you!

Medela Pump in Style Breast Pump on Amazon

I used this medela hand pump just as much if not more than I used my electric pump! This is great for just throwing in your diaper bag and bringing for emergencies or quick relief.

Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump on Amazon

I got this diaper backpack on Amazon and I absolutely LOVE IT. It has compartments for just about everything, and it is so much easier to carry a backpack rather than a shoulder bag… Like, a million times easier. Plus it is super cute, durable, and stains easily wash off of the surface.

KayBaby Diaper Backpack on Amazon

To read my full review on this backpack click here

A baby swing was a must have for my second baby, but not for my first. All babies are different. Some will love swings while others will not! For this reason, I recommend borrowing one from a friend, or finding a like new one on a sales site first. They aren’t super cheap, and your baby may not even like it. This one was my saving grace with my second though! It swings in different directions, plays music and soothing sounds, and has different swinging speeds.

baby swing on Amazon

 

 The next group of things will be other must have items to add on to your baby registry! These are items that I have either used and liked, or that are very similar to what I have used.

EATING/FEEDING LIST

Burt’s Bees Burp cloths. Burp clothes are definitely needed. Babies are so stinken cute, but they spit up. A lot. 🙂 I liked my burt’s bees burp cloths. They are cute, durable, and 100% organic cotton. But, my FAVORITE burp cloths are the old cloth diapers. They work the absolute best, so if you can find those, DO IT. 🙂

Burt’s Bees burp cloths

Bibs are a must as well. These ones are nice because they are water proof. They prevent your baby from getting wet, and are easy to wipe down for multiple uses before washing as well. They also have a convenient little pocket which manages to catch at least a few pieces of falling food! 😉

Waterproof bibs on Amazon

Bottles are good to have even if you plan on breastfeeding. At some point you will want to leave the house for awhile, so it will be nice if your baby is able to take a bottle too. I liked Dr. Browns for my second baby and Avent for my first baby. All babies have different preferences, so this one may take some trial and error!

Dr. Brown’s baby bottles on Amazon

Bottle warmers are definitely handy to have too. My first child liked her bottles very warm, and microwaves are a no no for heating up milk, so this did the job quickly and efficiently!

Philips AVENT Bottle Warmer on Amazon

Our highchair that we have was a hand me down wooden one by Eddie Bauer. It is a nice highchair, and it was free which was the best part, but it is not easy to clean, and I wish it folded up for better storage. I never did get another one, because FREE, and you all know that I like saving money! If I did get to pick my own though, I would probably go with a simple, easy to clean one like this Joovy Nook highchair.

Joovy Nook Highchair on Amazon

This is great for drying bottles. Sometimes you need to hand wash a few quickly, or sanitize all those pieces, and this is the perfect way to dry them afterwards. I have one just like this and I love it!

The First Years Spin Stack Drying Rack on Amazon

 

SLEEPING LIST 

I did not have this for my babies, but I wish I had. Obviously my babies are ok, and luckily I never truly NEEDED one of these. However, it would have saved me a lot of sleepless nights worrying about my loves. This little monitor is worn on your baby’s foot and it monitors their breathing and alerts you if they are not breathing well.

owlet baby monitor on Amazon

I have this crib for my son and absolutely love it! It’s simple, and chic, and its a very good price!

Grey Crib on Amazon

Velcro swaddle blankets are so nice for super fast, and easy swaddling that doesn’t come undone! My daughter liked being swaddled for her first few weeks, and my son didn’t like being swaddled at all. So I didn’t get a whole lot of use out of these, but they were my favorite blankets for swaddling by far.

velcro swaddle blankets on Amazon

 

BATHTIME LIST

This is a great baby bathtub! I did not have this one personally, but I know a few people who have had it and loved it. My advice is to go simple on the bathtub… I got a fancy “spa tub” one for my first baby, and it never worked right.

Baby Bathtub on Amazon

Enovoe Bamboo baby washcloths. These are organic and hypoallergenic, and they are cute neutral colors for little boys or girls.

Enovoe Bamboo Washcloths on Amazon

You will need some baby wash for sure. I really like the Burt’s Bees line. It’s natural, and safe, and smells yummy. 🙂

Burt’s Bees shampoo/wash on Amazon

Hooded Baby towels aren’t necessarily needed… you could just use regular bath towels, but I mean come on… I think they’re a must have 😉 SO cute. I have so many pictures of my kids in these things. That alone makes it worth it!

hooded adorable-ness on Amazon

 

MISCELANEOUS AND TOYS LIST

Gotta have a changing pad!

Changing pad on Amazon

 

It’s up to you if you want to offer a pacifier to your baby or not. I offered them to my kids, but only my second baby took to them. The basic Nuk pacifiers were his favorites!

NUK pacifiers on Amazon

This is not the playmat I had, but I wish it was!! haha.. SO precious. I did use the playmat that I had A LOT. For both babies. My first especially loved it and would whack at the toys for sometimes 30-45 minutes at a time!

Adorable playmat on Amazon

You will need some baby blankets for laying baby on, or for keeping them warm in their car seats, or just for snuggling with them on the couch. Trust me, you will want some! How cute is this chunky knit baby blanket!! So sweet.

Chunky Knit blankey on Amazon

I really should have put these on my most favorite list! I stinken love these things. They’re supposed to be for food. You can put frozen or fresh fruit in it so your baby doesn’t choke, which is great, but quite messy! I mostly use them to put ice cubes in for teething babes, and let me tell you… Both my kids looooved it.

Mesh food feeder on Amazon

These rattles are great. they have a soft side for chewing, and of course the hard side that rattles. My 3 year old daughter still likes to play with these and pretend they are weights when she and I work out together! haha

Baby Rattle on Amazon

You will love being able to see your baby while you drive to make sure theyre doing ok, and they will love to be able to see themselves, and you too!

Sonilove Baby Car Mirror on Amazon

 

Diapering list 

My favorite diapers that I used for both kiddos!

Pampers Swaddlers nebworn diapers on Amazon

My all time favorite baby wipes! So gentle for sensitive baby skin.

Water Wipes on Amazon

Butt Paste!!! This is my favorite diaper cream. 🙂 I just love it

Butt Paste on Amazon

You will definitely need either a travel system or a separate car seat and stroller as well. I didn’t love the travel system that I got for my first baby, and the stroller I got for my second was a hand me down. So be sure to check out your local Facebook sales for strollers because you can get great strollers for a really good deal. I’d recommend buying car seats new because you want to make sure they are not expired, and haven’t been in any accidents.

This is almost the same car seat that I got for my three year old, which can actually be used for a newborn as well with the inserts in it. I really like this car seat and it is a good price! I’d recommend getting a travel system or a carrying car seat for your newborn though, its so nice to be able to take the whole thing out of the car when they are sleeping!

safety 1st evenflo convertible car seat on Amazon

Definitely check out Amazon for your registry. They have the best prices, and you can add items from any store. There are awesome deals and ways to earn free diapers and wipes too! It’s seriously the best. I did my registry with Amazon and totally loved it. I wish I had known about it with my first!

 

 

 Most of all your baby just needs you, his family, and lots of kisses, hugs, and love. <3

What are your baby must haves? I’d love to hear about what you just couldn’t live without!

(This post contains affiliate links, but all thoughts and opinions are completely my own. Thank you for supporting my blog!) 

 

5 ways you can be frugal when you have kids

Being frugal when it’s just you, or just you and a significant other is pretty easy. Trying to live that lifestyle with little humans running around proves a little more difficult. However, it is not as difficult as it may seem. We trade a lot of money, for just a little more convenience, way too often, and we trade a lot of money for things that our kids don’t actually need. All of that money adds up into a decent chunk of cash that could have been used to pay off debt, go towards college, go towards retirement, or even towards a family vacation. When you’re trying to make a lifestyle change towards being more frugal, or living a simpler life, you have got to look ahead to the future and ask yourself what you want it to look like. If you want it to look like early retirement, or being able to pay for college for your kids, or being able to travel or go on missions trips, or investing in real estate, or maybe even being able to afford for one parent to stay home with the kids and not work. Whatever your dream may be, that is what you need to focus on. Every time you feel the urge to impulse buy that cute little dinosaur stuffed animal for your child who has been good all day, think about what you want your future to look like, explain that to your children in words they can understand, and read these helpful tips so that you can learn alternative options to try instead!

 

1.  Just say no to buying gifts as rewards for being good.

I’m not judging here. This used to be me. My daughter would be so good the whole time I was on one of my weekly shopping excursions, and I would see a toy that I would think was adorable.. (I’m a sucker for stuffed animals and so is my daughter) I’d surprise her by grabbing it and just handing it to her, and she’d get a huge smile across her face. Her day (and mine) would be totally made. It makes you feel good to treat your child, and I absolutely understand that, but even if you only do it every now and then, it can turn into this every time you go shopping. “Mommy, can I get a toy? I’m being good! Can I have that stuffed animal? Can I have that car? Can we go look at the other toys? I want a coloring book!”  This gets old really fast and soon it can turn into an argument. You try and tell your child “not today” and they don’t understand why sometimes when they’re good they get a toy and sometimes they don’t. Then they start whining and asking why, and soon enough they’re behavior actually isn’t good at all. This was beginning to happen to me and I knew I had to put a stop to it. Not only because the begging was not a trait I wanted my daughter to keep, but also because I realized that she didn’t need more toys, and simply put, it was a waste of money. Kids can learn to be good without receiving a toy for good behavior. Just a simple “I am so proud of you for being so good today. You are really growing up!” Will put the same smile on your child’s face, be easier on the wallet, and will also make for less clutter in your home!

If you would still like to do some kind of reward system, then try making a sticker chart. Every time your child behaves in public, let them put a sticker on the chart when they get home. Once they have received a certain amount of stickers, treat them to an experience. This does not have to cost money. Most kids are VERY easy to please. For a two or three year old, this can be as simple as going to their favorite playground, or having a movie night with mommy and daddy while eating popcorn, or helping mom (or dad) bake a special treat! For an older child try planning a fishing trip, or a family hike, or a trip to a farm if your child loves animals. We think these simple activities wont make our kids as happy because we may do these things with them already, but it actually overjoys them. They love any kind of opportunity to spend time with you. That’s all kids really want. Time with us, and our undivided attention and love.

My daughter loving time spent together as a family at the playground.

 

2. Kids. Are. Messy.  However, there is no need to use paper towels for every single mess.

I will always have paper towels. There are times when a mess is just too messy and it’s the best way to go. But I also think that they are overused. If you haven’t heard of Norwex cleaning products, you really should check them out! My favorite product is the Envirocloth. It is chemical free, cleans incredibly well, and the best part is that it is washable and reusable! You can use it for just about everything, and they can last for seven years or longer if you care for them properly. This will save you money not only on paper towels, but on cleaning sprays as well because, here is the other awesome part about these cloths, you don’t need any sprays or cleaning chemicals to use them… BONUS! Norwex cloths have definitely helped my budget when it comes to cleaning expenses!

Here’s the breakdown. Paper towels are roughly 3.6 cents per square foot, or 2.7 cents per sheet. I’ll use my family’s size as an example. Lets say I use paper towels for all my clean ups (which I admittedly used them WAY too much before) So after 3 meals, 2 snacks, 2 messes (of spit up on the floor and who knows what else!) 2 times of drying your hands after doing dishes, and wiping down counter tops… I think it’s safe to say you could easily use 12 sheets a day(or more) if that’s what you use for most of your cleaning when you have kids in the house. Plus add in regular window and mirror cleaning, lets estimate that adds an average of one more sheet per day. So let’s go with the number 13 sheets per day for a family of four. That equals out to 35 cents per day, which equals $10.50 per month. One envirocloth is $18 and it can last for 7 years. That means that in those 7 years you could save $882 just on paper towels. That’s not even including how much you will save on sprays and cleaning chemicals! It doesn’t sound like a lot, but if it’s one piece to your entire puzzle of savings, trust me. It adds up. Not to mention this is a MUCH greener alternative. Not only are you saying goodbye to harmful chemicals, but take a look at these numbers. If every household in the U.S. used just ONE less 70 sheet roll of paper towels in a year, that would save 544,000 trees. Taking it further… If every household in the U.S. used THREE less rolls per year, it would save 120,000 tons of waste that piles up on our planet, and it’d save $4.1 MILLION in landfill dumping fees. So while we are saving money, we can also help save our planet, and save our country money as well… bam…triple bonus.

Have I convinced you to try out Norwex yet?? I hope I have! 🙂  There are many more products available than just the cloths that I talked about too! Here are two consultants, that I know personally, that would love to help you start saving money (and the environment) through cleaning! Click their links below to view their catalogs.

Heather’s Norwex Business &  Abby’s Norwex Business

 

3. Accept hand-me-down clothes from family or friends, or buy secondhand clothing.

I know I know… It is ridiculous hard to resist that tiny little sweater with a fox peaking out of the pocket staring at you in Target just begging you to take it home and put it on your adorable tiny human. Guess what, I don’t even try to force myself to resist ALL of the time. Growing tiny humans and birthing tiny humans is a lot of fricken work, and if I want to buy them a brand new, adorable fox sweater once in awhile (and the budget allows for it) then gosh darn it, I’m gunna do it…. BUT, You for sure do not need to buy all brand new clothes for your child’s entire wardrobe. Babies grow out of things super fast, so a lot of times you can find very gently used adorable clothing at secondhand stores, or from friends looking to pass their kid’s clothing down, and sometimes even yard sales can be gold mines!! I actually have a blast searching for cheaper, but still super cute kids clothes. It is a fun challenge that I am always willing to take, and it saves me money too! 🙂 People also tend to buy way more clothes then is actually needed for their children. When looking at a new piece of clothing for your child ask yourself this question. “Am I buying this sweater because my child needs it, or am I buying this because it adorable even though my daughter already has five perfectly good sweaters in her closet.” Remember we are trying to focus on the big picture here. A little savings every month now, adds up to big savings for the future! Also, If family wants to give your children gifts for Christmas and Birthdays, ask them for the next size up in clothing that your child will be needing. That way you already have a good head start once they grow out of the size they are currently in.

*Don’t forget to give back! Go through your children’s clothes every season, and give in the same way that people may have given to you! Hand clothes down to others in need, while at the same time removing clutter, and not needed clothes from you children’s closets.

4. Limit eating out as much as possible.

Sometimes it is just way more convenient to hit a fast food drive through while you’re out and about running errands with the kids, I’ve been there and I get it! But you would be absolutely amazed at how much you can save if you just pack them (and yourself) a sandwich and some snacks for those trips instead. Plan ahead on the days you want to go out and pack a little lunch pail with goodies for everyone. Put one really yummy item in there so that you’re excited for your lunch. If you and your husband work outside of the home, pack lunches for your work days as well. This will not only save you a ton of money, but it will be healthier for everyone as well! I’m not trying to ruin all your fun by telling you to never eat out ever. But, instead of having it be a frequent event, turn it into something that is only for special occasions. Like a date night for you and your significant other, or a family get together, or a once a month breakfast out. Moderation is key!

5. When looking for baby gear, or even diapers, check your local Facebook sales groups first!

You’d be amazed at the amount of baby stuff sold on Facebook marketplace and other Facebook sales groups. I sometimes even find unopened boxes of diapers for up to $15 cheaper than what you would buy them for at the store! That’s a deal. I know most of us don’t have time to be driving around town picking up everything from people off of Facebook, but big ticket items can often be found for really great deals! I purchased a hardly used like new baby swing that retails for $120.00 for my youngest off of Facebook marketplace for only $50. It worked great, had no stains or odors, and I was super happy that I saved $70. Plus, when you get things for great prices like that, you can almost always sell them for the same price again when you are finished with the items as long as you keep them in good shape! That’s a win win. Advertisements can make us feel like we need the newest, best, most expensive things out there for our babies, but the truth is that most babies don’t even like all these gadgets. They mostly want to be held. So save your pennies, and if you think you need a swing or a bassinet… Check Facebook sales first. (I do not recommend buying car seats or cribs from Facebook.)

My swing that I got off Facebook Marketplace with my little sweetie sitting in it!

 

So let’s quickly go back through the list and come up with some quick numbers of just how much you could be saving in a year if you start applying these tips to your life now. I am going to show you numbers based on what my budget looked like before I made these changes, and what it looks like now that we have started implementing them. You, of course, will have to adjust these numbers accordingly based on what you spend on average in these areas.

  • Before we made these changes to our budget I was spending an average of $15 per month on little gifts here and there for Honor when she was behaving in public. This does not include gifts for holidays or her birthday. Just extra little gifts here and there for being good or just because. It wasn’t a lot, but even the little things you cut out can add up.
  • I still use paper towels sometimes, but not nearly as often. So lets say I am saving $6 a month on paper towels.
  • Now that I buy more second-hand and receive some hand-me-downs, I am saving on average about $25 a month on clothing for my kids. (would be more, but I do still buy some new items.)
  • My husband and I have recently lowered our eating out budget down by $35 a month. We’re trying hard to use our budget mostly for special occasions and not for convenience.
  • I have bought two items through Facebook marketplace this year that I needed for my baby boy. Both of those added up to $105 in savings, and both of them I re-sold for the same price that I purchased them at, which ended up making me another $85 dollars. So we will make it $190 in savings.

Guys…. this all adds up to a grand total of $1,162 per year!!! I hope I am not the only one excited about this… haha. Think about what you could do with this money. If you put it into a savings account that gave you some interest on your money, and you continue to put $1,162 into it every year, it will grow to over $20,000 in the span of 18 years. (You can keep applying these same money saving tips with older kids too!) $20,000 is a nice chunk of change to go towards college, retirement, paying off a mortgage, OR INVESTING AND RE-INVESTING… which, if you can’t tell, is what I would suggest you do with your hard earned (and saved) cash.

There are a lot of other ways you can save money with kids. These are just some of the areas that my husband and I have been focusing on lately, and we’re beginning to see the benefits from it! I know the transition into saving and away from impulse buying isn’t always an easy one. Start with doing one of these things and ease yourself into the process slowly. If you try to cut back on everything at once you may feel overwhelmed or even deprived. Start slow, be intentional with your purchases, and enjoy watching the savings build up. Soon it will encourage you to expand the amount you save, and you will be able to conquer all of the things on this list and more!

My husband and I are doing these things, not because we love money, or because we want to acquire some obscene amount of it just because. Our goal in this is to say no to consumerism, spend our money on things our family needs, and invest it wisely. We want to be prepared, free from financial burdens, able to help other’s in need, and able to chase our dreams! If that sounds like the kind of life you’d like to have too, then I am glad you’re here, and I hope you’ll stick around.

Want to learn ways you can invest the money you’re saving each month?? I hope so, because my husband and I want to tell you! Stay tuned for future posts on specific ways you can invest, and start making your money work hard for you for a change! If you’d like, subscribe to my e-mail list so that you will be sure not to miss any of these posts! 🙂

 

…and now for your inspirational, money saving, quote of the day…

  • “I love money. I love everything about it. I bought some pretty good stuff. Got me a $300 pair of socks. Got a fur sink. An electric dog polisher. A gasoline powered turtleneck sweater. And, of course, I bought some dumb stuff, too.” –Steve Martin

😉

Until next time!!

-Sarae

 

 

 

 

6 things to consider when deciding whether or not to move away from family with little kids

 

Imagine this…

Your baby is screaming because he needs a nap, and your toddler is crying because she wants someone to play with. The house is filled with boxes, and so much clutter that your head is spinning. Laundry piles are about to reach the ceiling. The dog is whining to go outside, and the dog fence has been taken down because you have to get your septic tank pumped, which is under the fence. There’s a pile of bills to pay, all of which need address changes so that you still get these bills when you make your move. You still have to make sure you find your family a new place to live, which needs renters insurance, and the electric put in your name. Don’t forget to sell your house, and make sure that you and your two little kids are not home every time there is a showing (usually in the evenings when kids are hungry and cranky) and OH YA… there’s a LIVE snake that somehow slithered its way into your car, that you have to find, and get out, the week of your big move… Yep.. that actually happened to me.

It’s no secret that moving is really stressful, but moving several states away with two little kids?? That’s a whole new ball game. There are several things to think about and consider before making the decision to move your kids away from family. It was definitely the hardest decision that my husband and I have ever made. Family is super important. Choosing to move your kids away from them shouldn’t be taken lightly. It will not only be hard for you and your little ones, but it will be heartbreaking for the family you’re leaving behind as well. Especially grandparents. So take the time to really think and pray over your decision.

That being said, here are 6 things that were deciding factors for my husband and I before we ultimately made the decision to move 600 miles away with a 3 year old and 5 month old. Keep in mind that this is written and meant for those who actually have a choice of whether to stay near family or move away.

  1. Do you have family and friends around you NOW that are able to help you with your move? If not, are you able to afford a moving company?

Moving is A LOT of work, but moving with little kids is pretty darn near impossible without help… a lot of help. We had our three year old stay with my grandparents for a few weekends leading up to the move, and had grandparents come over and entertain the kids while my husband and I packed and loaded up the truck. My parents and my husband’s mom drove down to North Carolina with us to help get our second vehicle down, and help with the kids and our dog during the whole process. We also had friends in North Carolina who helped us move stuff out of the truck and into the new apartment. I honestly don’t know how we could have done it without all of their help. We would have had to hire a moving company for sure, which can cost as much as $6,000 when moving out of a three bedroom home. So just keep that in mind for your moving budget if you don’t have people around that are physically able to help you. We used a company called U-Pack. They brought us a trailer, we packed and loaded it up ourselves, then they drove it to our new apartment for us, and we unloaded it. We were able to do this for about $1,300. That was the most affordable company we could find where we didn’t have to drive the truck ourselves, and it was definitely worth it!

2. Will your kids have more experiences and opportunities in the area you want to relocate to?

We took this into account when we were trying to make our decision about moving. It is hard moving kids away from their grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. It was especially hard for my 3 year old who had already formed strong relationships with a lot of them. So my husband and I made a pros and cons list, and this was one of our pros. We knew that the area we were moving to would provide a lot more experiences for them to take in, and if we stayed long term, it could present a lot more opportunities for them as well. We had been wanting to move here for awhile, and we loved all that the area had to offer.

This brings me to the next question…

3. Will moving allow you to spend more time with your kids?

This was the number one pro for us on our list. Moving for us meant that I could afford not to work, which meant A LOT more time together as a family. Why move to a beautiful new area, with tons of things to do and experience, if you never have to time to do those things together as a family?? Plus, if your kids are old enough to miss their family that they don’t see as much anymore, it’s important that they have plenty of quality time with you! It’s an adjustment for everyone, and your kiddos will need you by their side as much as possible to help them through the process. If moving would allow you to have more time to do life with your kids, then it could definitely be a great option for you.

4. Will you have the room to have family come stay with you, or the funds to travel home if you want to?

Have I mentioned that moving away from family is hard?? haha… You will miss them, and your kids who are old enough to understand will miss them too. My husband and I made sure that it was in the budget to be able to travel home at least twice a year. We want our kids to know their family. After all, the biggest con on our list of moving away was, of course, not being able to take our extended family (and friends!) with us. Re-work your budget, and re-work it again! Go to a cost of living comparison website like this one – Click here for website – to make sure that your new budget in a new city is as accurate as possible, so that you can plan to have the funds available to do as many visits home as you feel you will need.

5. Do you have any family or friends in the area that you are thinking of relocating to?

Let’s be honest.. raising kids is so rewarding, but it is one tough gig. The saying “it takes a village to raise a child” wasn’t something someone said just for the fun of it. It has a lot of truth to it. I’m not saying you absolutely can’t make it work if you don’t know anyone. You can make friends if you really push yourself to get out there and do it! But making true, close friendships takes time, and energy… both things that we as parents don’t have a whole lot of. My husband and I both have some family members in the area we moved to, and a few friends as well. That made the whole move seem a lot less daunting and more doable. Our kids mean everything to us.. but sometimes it’s nice to let someone else respond to their gazillion questions and requests to play for a few hours. 😉  We’re excited to get out there and make new friends as well, but it’s comforting to know that there are at least a few familiar faces around in case we’re feeling lonely, or needing a helping hand.

6. Will you always wonder “what if?” and regret it someday if you don’t give it a try?

This was a big deciding factor for us too. We’d talk for hours about the pros and cons, and we’d go back and forth from “yes lets do this!!!” to “what the heck are we thinking??” over and over and over again. We finally just decided that we had to try it. This is something we had been talking about even before we had kids. Moving South was a dream of mine, and we had a great opportunity with a lot of good things going for it. We knew if we didn’t take a leap of faith and try it, then we would have always wished we had. If you’re feeling like you’ll always wonder what it would’ve been like If you had done it, then maybe you should go ahead and do it so you don’t have to wonder. 😉

“I’d rather regret the things I have done than the things that I haven’t.” – Lucille Ball

 

There are plenty of other things to think about before choosing to make a big move with your little family, but these were the ones that stood out to us that helped us decide that it was a good move to make. Worst case scenario is that we really don’t like being so far away from family and we decide to move back. If that happens, at least we can say we tried and we know. So far we are loving all of the extra time we have together as a family, and we love the area. Since making the move, we have even begun to alter our lifestyle in some big ways, and we are really enjoying the growth and benefits that we are seeing from the changes we’re making! Read more about that in my last blog post –  Journey Towards Minimalism

We do of course miss our family in New York. It’s certainly not easy, but it’s an adventure and exploring is so fun!

Oh, and we’re MUCH closer to my favorite beach… Major bonus. 😉

 

 

 

Journey towards minimalism

 

It all started when we made a huge decision to move our little family over 600 miles away from the majority of our family, and out of our beloved first home. The home that we spent countless hours gutting and rebuilding with my father in-law and other help from family and friends. Our blood, sweat, and tears quite literally were poured into that house, and a piece of my heart will always remain there. The decision to leave was easily the hardest decision we have ever made, but we had gotten to this place in life where we realized we were seeing less of each other than ever before, and that was counter productive to our ultimate goals and dreams. We were starting to feel like we were more of roommates than a married couple.

Aaron worked a fairly normal work schedule, but typically had at least one late night meeting per week, and sometimes two. I worked as a hairdresser out of the basement of my home. I only worked 20-25 hours a week, but the majority of those hours were evenings and Saturdays. The evenings that I didn’t work were the evenings that Aaron tried to schedule his late night meetings so that I could be home with the kids, and of course he was home with the kids while I worked the other evenings. After I was done working on Saturdays, Aaron would usually spend the rest of the day mowing and doing other yardwork. Sunday was our family day. We’d go to church in the morning and then we would usually spend the afternoon with family or friends. The weekends always felt like a whirlwind and then it was back to the work week again in the blink of an eye. The time we had together as a whole family was scarce.

So we decided, why wait when we could have more time together now? There are other ways we could have accomplished this besides packing up our entire lives and moving several states away, but moving South was always a dream of mine, so we decided if we were going to make big changes anyways, why not try it in an area we’ve been talking about moving to for years.

Aaron ended up getting a job in North Carolina with a great company. We re-worked our budget several times so that we could afford for me to be able to stay home with the kids, and we found an apartment 12 minutes away from where he worked that had a pool and a playground.

Once we had everything in place we started selling what we didn’t want to bring, and packing what we did want to bring. We soon figured out that we had acquired a large amount of stuff, and I mean… it was a ridiculous amount of stuff…  We sold a ton of it, we gave things away, donated things, and threw out what we didn’t need and couldn’t donate. We even stored things that we thought we might need again eventually if we buy a house instead of renting an apartment. After all of that, we STILL had a lot of stuff. I couldn’t believe it. We filled a 26ft long trailer FULL of the remaining things we owned and had it driven to our new apartment in North Carolina. Our house in New York had about 3000 square feet including our basement and garage. Our new apartment has 1365 square feet. So we had to downsize quite a bit. It was the most stressful event that I have ever been through, and I don’t ever want to own (or move) that much junk again.

moving out of our first home

We’ve been living in our new apartment for a month now and we’re absolutely loving all of the extra time we have together as a family. We get to eat dinner together almost every single night. (Something that was rare before the move) Aaron gets off of work on Friday’s at noon, so we have two and a half day weekends every weekend, which feels like a week compared to what we had before. We’re realizing how important time together is and how much joy it brings to us all.

Since the move we have continued to get rid of more things, and it feels amazing. The less stuff you own, the less time you spend organizing it, putting things away, cleaning/washing things, and stressing about where it should all go. The more stuff you own, the more your stuff starts to own you. I want to spend as much time as I can with my family doing things that we love to do.

Another huge benefit from learning to give up what you don’t need and being happy with the things you already have is spending less money! When you are very intentional about your purchases, you end up spending a great deal less, and buying quality over quantity. We’re working hard to give up the impulsive buying and get out of the habit of consumerism. The less you buy, the more you save, and now we’re able to focus even more on reaching financial freedom goals. I don’t know about you, but I want my husband and I to be able to retire early WAY more than I want to have a wardrobe full of all the latest styles and trends. I love clothes, so this one is a tough one for me, but I’m chipping away slowly and realizing that I actually like owning less clothes. Keeping only the items I truly love makes picking out what I am going to wear so much easier and less stressful, and also makes my closet a lot prettier. 😉

We took an adventure moving to North Carolina and we decided to turn it into a new lifestyle as well. Spending less, saving and investing more, while also spending more time together. I’ll be writing more specifically about the things we are changing in our lives to make this happen in future posts. My hope is to inspire and encourage others who may be looking to do the same thing.

Until next time!

-Sarae

 

 

One of those days

 

  It’s been one of those days guys.

 

My five month old was a disaster through the night.. I think I got maybe three hours of sleep? My first child was a pro at sleeping through the night by 8 weeks old other than times of sickness, teething, or growth spurts. I was spoiled by that!

Around 7:30am ,when Jesse finally fell back to sleep after being awake yet again, I heard Honor wake up… so I dragged my tired body out of bed and slowly made my way to her bedroom. She didn’t say her normal “good morning mommy!” In her sweet little smiley way that she usually greets me, so immediately I knew that she had woken up crabby too.

-Starting to feel anxious.

I got some breakfast around while Jesse finally slept peacefully (go figure) and then Honor started begging me to make a fort. Her repetitive plea started to become foggy in my head as I looked around at my already messy house.. full of boxes being packed for our move at the end of August, toys strewn about, two baskets of unfolded laundry, opened mail (or should I say bills) needing to be paid on the kitchen counter, and was that old crusty food on Honor’s play table?? I tried to take a deep breath and calm down my building anxiety. I looked at Honor who was still repeating the same question of “can we built a fort mommy?” And I replied by asking if it were ok if we built a smaller fort than usual, one that maybe won’t take up the whole living room? At first she wasn’t thrilled about this idea, but as I started pulling out blankets and covering her little play table for her to go under she began to get a creeping smile across her little face.

Well… that smile did not last long because the second she went under there she slammed her head into the top of the table and the screaming began. I should’ve just build her the dang bigger fort that took over the living room.

-But. Anxiety.

Moments later Jesse awoke screaming.

-More. Anxiety.

It was only 10:00am and already I felt that feeling of failure tormenting my mind. I gave in and turned the TV on for Honor so I could tend to Jesse. When I came back out to the living room Honor quickly let me know that I chose the wrong TV show and she didn’t want that one! I then changed it three more times and she still wasn’t satisfied.

-Anxiety rising.

I decided we all needed to get out of the house. I packed everyone up and decided to go to Target and do some retail therapy shopping! I got myself a Dunkin coffee and headed to the store all while Honor was telling me that she didn’t want to go to Target. We arrived and almost immediately upon entering Honor was asking to go home. I told her to just let me get a couple clothing items for her and her brother and then we can go. Jesse started crying and I was trying to give him his pacifier every couple of minutes to get him to calm down.

-My anxiety is so bad I feel like crying.

I finally get Jesse to calm down and fall asleep and I’m deep into shopping mode then my sweet little Honor says, “mommy, I have to go potty…”  ughhh… part of me was thrilled that she told me in public that she had to go, and part of me was thinking seriously??? You just went before we left the house! I calmly said “ok, honey, we’ll go find the potty.” And I proceeded to take my full cart all the way back to the front of the store take both kids out of it and into the bathroom, helped her go potty, loaded them back into the cart, and finished up shopping. Which only was about five more minutes because Honor was whining terribly and kept repeating “I just wanna go hooooommmeee.” So I said, “ok Honey, let’s go home.” Can you tell she just wasn’t in the mood for shopping?

We get to the checkout line and Honor wants a sticker. I told her to ask nicely (which she did) and the cashier gave her a sticker. Aaaah a moment of silence from both kiddos while walking out to the car. I got Jesse in the car then pushed the cart over to the other side of the car to put Honor in. She then said to me “mommy I don’t want my sticker anymore.” So I said “ok, honey.” And I took it and threw it into a garbage bag I had in the car. Five second later Honor starts screaming, waking Jesse up and causing him to start screaming as well. I asked her why she was crying to which she replied. “I WANT MY STICKER!!!!!”

-Anxiety making me feel like my head is exploding.

In my frustration I told her no, that she has to learn that when she says she doesn’t want something like that anymore, that means I’m going to throw it away. The screaming ensued.

I took the kiddos home and got them fed and ready for naps. Honor started getting really snappy with me and being impolite so I made her sit in time out. Usually I make her sit in a chair in her bedroom until I can come talk to her. When I went in I found her like this

She told me she made a little house for herself to take time out in.. 😝 I couldn’t help but laugh, which then turned into this picture..

-Anxiety eased a bit.

After our laugh and chat about why we need to be polite, I told Honor it was time to use the potty and get ready for nap. She protested a little, but then decided to listen. I kindly asked her to sit on the potty a little longer after she did number one because she alwaaaayyyyysss does number two in her pull up minutes after I put her down for a nap.. she has gone on the potty a few times, but doesn’t like to, so I’ve been making her sit a little longer right before nap time which makes her very upset. She started screaming at me. “I DONT HAVE TO GO!!!” Which woke Jesse up and again he began crying.

-Anxiety building again. Bad thoughts entering in. Am I even a good mother? Why are my kids so miserable today?

I told her that if she did her poop on the potty then we could read extra books before nap time! She yelled “I don’t want to read any books!!!” So I said “ok then” and took her off the potty, and put her to bed without reading any books. More crying began because of course she actually DID want to read books. I told her that if she would have just talked to me nicely than we could’ve read together. Then I told her to have a wonderful nap, and that I loved her, and I left the room. She actually stopped crying pretty quickly to my surprise and started playing with her stuffed animals in the crib. So I let her be. Five minutes later… “Mommy I pooped my pants!!!” 😑 I got her changed and then at some point during that chaos I gave Jesse his pacifier and he had fallen back to sleep. So both kids were in their rooms and I had a moment alone.

-Anxiety lifting a little.

Then I decided to take a shower to try and relax and have some me time. Literally, three minutes after I got in I hear Jesse crying on the monitor.

-Anxiety back full force.

So I rushed as fast as I could to get out of the shower. His crying was getting intense as I wrapped up in a towel, so I ran out of the bathroom soaking wet and freezing to go get him. I hugged him close and he settled, but I had to put him back down for a few minutes on our bed so I could get dressed. I’ll tell ya… he was not having that.

I hurried to get dressed and then began to feed him. He is a comfort nurser so he calmed down immediately, but he must not have actually been hungry because five minutes later he unlatched and puked all over my freshly showered self and my freshly washed bed sheets. Really??

I put him down so I could get cleaned up which brought on some more serious crying from my little man. I think he had a belly ache because he laid there screaming, did a big, noisy poop, cried a little harder, then just totally passed out sleeping. Poor exhausted little guy.

 

After he fell asleep my anxiety told me to get up and clean, or pack some more things, or google “how to get my kid to poop on the potty”, or maybe read one of my many parenting books because today I felt like I failed.

-But I told my anxiety No.

I decided to sit next to my adorable sleeping child, and blog about my day, because even though my day has not exactly been a fun one to blog about, writing about it helps me relax and reflect on the good moments too.

Anxiety wanted me to focus on everything that went wrong about today and every difficult moment. I could have just stopped my post about my day here and led myself to believe that today was just no good. Instead I decided to be vulnerable about how anxiety paints my day, but forced myself to see the good moments of today, however small they may have been.

I thought about Honor and I having a pretend picnic this morning before the whining really began, I thought about Jesse rolling from his back to his belly and how proud I am of how far he has come since beginning physical therapy for his torticollis. I thought about Honor singing twinkle twinkle little star in Target and how she made at least five people smile and sing along with her. I thought about the other mom I saw in target with her two girls, probably ages four and six, whining about wanting to go to the toy section, meanwhile my baby was crying and Honor was whining to go home. We exchanged sympathetic glances to one another and smiled. We didn’t have to say anything at all. That simple moment made me feel so much more at ease just knowing I wasn’t alone. I thought about how Honor whispered “I love you mommy” on the way home from target, even though I didn’t give her sticker back to her. I thought about doing puzzles with Honor when we got home, and I thought about how I had the hiccups while feeding Jesse tonight and that is was making him laugh. 🙂

– I began to feel anxiety fading.

I struggle with anxiety. It isn’t severe, but it’s there. Always lingering trying to take ahold of me and ruin my day. Parts of today I let anxiety win, I said yes to it and let it take over my mood and my mind, and even didn’t do certain things because of it, but ultimately I chose to say no. When I could’ve gave up and let it continue to make my stomach sick and my head hurt, I said no, and I chose to change my thinking and reflect on the good of today.

I’m so thankful that I have two wonderful, healthy, and USUALLY happy kiddos.. I’m so thankful to be alive, and so thankful for every moment I get to spend with them even when I feel like I’m falling apart.

Anxiety is something I live with every day. It’s something I pray about constantly, and it’s something I have to fight to “let go and let God.” For me, I’ve found that just taking whatever moment I can, to stop and be grateful for the numerous amount of things that I have to be thankful for, totally calms my nerves and helps me relax, and writing things out has always been a huge stress reliever for me as well.

Life can be totally crazy sometimes, and being a parent isn’t always a sunny walk through the park, but there is always good. Even on “one of those days” there is always good and always things to be thankful for.

This day really was not a bad one. My anxiety tried to tell me that it was terrible, but it wasn’t! It was just one of those days.. where things are a little more tough then usual, but you know what? Tomorrow is a brand new day.

Tonight my husband was able to come home early from work and now he’s doing puzzles with Honor and working on learning letters with her, and my heart feels full. We have great friends coming over for dinner and I feel so happy and thankful for this day.. 🙂

 

-Anxiety gone.

 

 

 

 

 

Toddler’s Spring/Summer Wardrobe

This post is going to be fun because… well… I kinda love clothes. Especially little people clothes! 🙂 I’m going to be sharing with you all some of my favorite pieces that I have gotten for Honor so far for this Summer! Now, if only the weather would actually stay nice enough so that she could wear more of these things…. sigh…. but lets not talk about that!

Umm.. How cute is this adorable bunny dress!? Sometimes it is hard for me to get Honor to wear a dress. She is more of a leggings and T-shirt kind of gal.. I totally don’t blame her, I am too!! But she LOVES the little bunnies on this dress and has told me that it is “super comfy!” I think she thinks its just one big T-shirt and not so much a dress… She asked me why I didn’t put pants on her. haha..

This dress is from Babble Bear Boutique. It is amazing quality and super affordable. I highly recommend checking them out!

Can you tell she loves it?? 🙂

This adorable romper is also from Babble Bear Boutique! I love how it ties at the shoulders and the fabric is light and airy for summer.

 

Um… this outfit though guys… This has to be one of my favs that I picked up for Honor this year. Maybe because if it was in my size I would totally wear it too! haha… I got this adorable outfit from none other than good ol’ Target. Yes, they are Cat and Jack… Yes.. I love Cat and Jack. They make super comfy, cute, and affordable clothing, and they are perfect for all kinds of play! Did I mention they are SO CUTE!?.. just look at all the stripes! eek! The bow on the back of the tank also kills me. When I saw that, it just had to go in the cart. DONE DEAL. 🙂

 

This sweet little navy top also came from Target, and again Cat and Jack… You seriously cannot go wrong with them guys. I love the subtle flower print, and so does Honor. This top goes with so many different things which is just one of the reasons I picked it up!

 

Next up is another one of my absolute favorites! I cannot even get enough of this little dress!! Honor helped pick this one out for her Easter dress this year, and we simply love it! It’s perfectly floral (Honor and I are slightly obsessed with floral…. ok, mostly me)  and just the prettiest colors. Very girly, very soft. Just beautiful.. and how cute is it with those little brown sandals.. I mean… <3  We grabbed this dress at Old Navy this year! Again, super affordable, and great quality. Here she was wearing it on Easter Sunday 🙂

Here is another dress that totally makes me jealous that it’s not in my size… This is a Lularoe Mae dress. Guys, if you have not tried these dresses for your little girl, you are seriously missing out! They are so cute, wonderful quality.. and POCKETS. yes. There is nothing better. Worth every penny!

Honor was not into modeling this dress, but you can get an idea for how ridiculous cute it is. 🙂

Next on the list are these perfect little shorts! Also Target… you guessed it… Cat and Jack. Slight addiction. 🙂

The white ones are so girly and pretty and go with everything, and the grey ones just looked so comfortable. I loved all the different colors in the waistband and along the pocket trim. Just a pinch of fun!

Last but not least, I wanted to share some of the shoes Honor and I picked out this year for her summer wardrobe! Honor desperately needed some new sneakers, and we found the pink and teal sparkly ones at Toy’s R Us! Honor says they are very comfy, and she LOVES the sparkles. She picked them out all on her own. 🙂

The sandals on the other hand, I picked out, but she does still like them! The moccasin sandals, that I adore, are also from Toy’s R Us! They were having a special for buy one get the other pair 50% off and they were only around $16 to start with! So DUH! Totally had to get two pairs. The other sandals were from Old Navy. They had other colors as well and I definitely wanted Honor to have all of them, but I refrained and only got these. 🙂

 

Honor loves getting new clothes almost as much as her momma, but she is not a huge fan of modeling them for me yet.. she’d rather just take off the sizing stickers and put them all over her face, but hey, she’s two, and super adorable… so who cares. 😉

and you see that right…. she still wears 12-18 month clothes.. tiny lil’ thang. 😛

Stay tuned for some fall favorite wardrobe picks hopefully in September!

What we did for Mother’s Day!

My first Mother’s Day with two kiddos was a fun one. 🙂

Aaron and I woke up and had breakfast and coffee together while Honor played and Jesse sat in his swing for a little while. We decided to skip going to church because Honor is (finally) potty training really well and I didn’t want her to regress by having an accident at church, or get nervous if she had to go in the nursery without me there. I thought one more good solid week of no diapers would do her good before trying to hold it at church! But YAY for potty training!! She has gone a whole week with only three accidents. I am so proud. 🙂 That alone was a wonderful Mother’s Day gift! haha

After we all had eaten breakfast we decided to go for a walk. It was a little cool, and we got rained on a bit towards the end, but it was refreshing and felt great! I love going for a walk as a family. There is just something about it that lifts my spirits and makes me feel ready to conquer the day! On the way back home from our walk we stopped at the bridge so that Honor could throw stones in the water. (one of her favorite pastimes) She loves to help search for the stones and then listening to them go “KA-PLUNK!”

I also used it as a good bribing mechanism to get her to take some pictures with us as well 😉

And here is a segment of real life…. trying to show off my amazing exercise and stretching skills…. 🙂

I know, I’m pretty awesome…. you’re welcome… 😛 😉

After our walk we packed up and got ready to go out to my parent’s house for the day. We had good ol’ pizza and wings for lunch, and afterwards Honor made chocolate chip cookies with Grammy!

She has WAY more fun eating the dough than actually making it of course. 😉 I mean…. that’s the best part right??

And because I feel like a horrible mommy for not getting any pictures with my little Jesse yesterday, here is an adorable picture of him for you to feast your eyes on. 🙂

hehe… way too cute.. I got his outfit on Amazon Here. LOVE it! The stripes are navy though, not black… don’t be fooled! haha

Over all I’d say it was a very Happy Mother’s Day! 🙂  I am just so thankful for my two amazing little kiddos that have blessed me with the title of “Mommy”.. I just hope that I can be even half of the mother to them that my wonderful Mom has been for me. Love you Mom. <3

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the amazing Mommy’s out there. Don’t forget that you are a super hero.. On the incredibly fun days AND even on the crazy hard days when you want to just sit on the floor and rock back in forth in a corner somewhere….. You’re still a super hero. 🙂

I hope you all enjoyed your day too! What did you do to celebrate?

Latched Mama nursing sweatshirt review

 

 Soooo there’s this company that I LOVE called Latched Mama. This company is dedicated to making comfortable, cute, and stylish clothing for nursing mamas!! I am someone who likes to feel very covered at all times. I have nothing against public breastfeeding at all, but I, personally, feel more comfortable using a cover, or having no skin showing at all. That’s just me! But lets be real. Covers are a pain in the butt!! If your outside the wind might take them away, they are hot, uncomfortable, and most babies don’t like them and will rip them off. (don’t blame them, I wouldn’t want to eat under a blanket either!! ….. unless of course it is a blanket fort with my two year old, which is entirely acceptable ;))

When my two year old was a baby, I ended up mostly pumping and bottle feeding when we were out in public or visiting someone’s home because I just wasn’t comfortable using a cover, or going without a cover, and I couldn’t find any nursing clothes that I loved or felt comfortable using. Such a pain!! You lose all of the convenience of nursing when you pump and bottle feed! So when I got pregnant with my son, I started looking into more options. I stumbled upon Latched Mama and I am SO glad I did.

People who know me know that I am a bit of a hoodie hoarder… I love hoodies and living in upstate NY, I pretty much wear them every day when I am home at least 8 months out of the year! I hated having to lift up my hoodie when I would feed my daughter. It was uncomfortable and COLD!! When I saw that Latched mama sold nursing hoodies I was ALL OVER IT. I bought two. The lightweight nursing hoodie, and the regular, heavier nursing hoodie. The one I am going to talk about in this post is the lightweight hoodie!

This hoodie is fabulous and I have been practically living in it at home. It is not too warm, but plenty warm enough for around the house. It is stretchy and super comfortable, and the best part is that once I have my little one latched, no skin shows, from any angle! Of course if he popped off suddenly I may have a little issue, so I do keep a burp cloth near by for quick coverage if need be 😉 But just the fact that I was ok with my picture being taken while I was nursing my son proves that I am very comfortable breastfeeding in these clothes! I ordered the grey in size medium. I am 5’2” 120lbs and I like my hoodies to fit just a little bit loose. The medium is a perfect fit for me. Form fitting enough that I feel put together and not sloppy, but loose enough that I feel like I can breath and move around freely!

I typically like to use a cover or blanket just to get my son latched and then I am comfortable removing the cover. I would have never done that without Latched Mama clothing.. I feel like I have gained so much more freedom breastfeeding this time around and I am enjoying it so much more. One of my most favorite things is not having to lift up my shirt! I am always cold and lifting my shirt gives me goosebumps and also feels very unflattering with my post partum stomach all hanging out and about… ya.. we can keep that covered for now. Totally OK with me. ;P

Latched Mama also sells tops, tanks, pajamas, dresses, and some really cute hospital gowns to wear while giving birth instead of the ugly ones that hospitals provide! I personally got a few tanks, and dresses as well and will do a Latched Mama clothing haul post another time to show everything I have.. maybe even a video of it…. hmmmm. Comment below if you’d rather see a blog post or video of my haul and I’ll see what I can do! 🙂

If you’re a nursing mama, or soon to be one…. You’ve got to check out this website!!

Latched Mama website

Have a wonderful week!! <3

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