How to find a School Night Routine

DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

You’ve picked the kids up from school but now what right?

Getting a routine for a school routine that works for your family can be tough. Through trial and error you can find the perfect one for you and your kiddos.

After school kids are tired and worn out, school can be exhausting. So making a school routine that is relaxing and can move smoothly for you and your kids will benefit everyone.

Now the issue can be how to find the routine that works for you. You need to think about what you want out of the school night routines.

What is it that you want you evenings to look like.

There is plenty of things you can do in the evenings, here are some ideas on what to do after you get the kiddos home from school.

Homework:

I would say if your kids come home with homework knock it out first. Some teachers don’t send homework home, our school tries to get it all done in the class room so Lucy never has homework.

But when we get our nephews and niece in the afternoons I make them tackle the homework first.

This leaves the rest of the evening for more relaxing and fun. Get that nasty homework out of the way!

Snack time:

Having a small snack to hold them over until dinner time can help negate the whining of “Moooom I am hungry” and just some moodiness in general .

Kids play hard at school and are truly probably hungry after a long day.

Having a quick and easy snack right after school is always good to add into your routine.

Chores:

By giving your kids a chore that is age appropriate you start to teach them responsibilities. At 2-5 yrs old they should be capable of helping pick up their own toys.

Having a chore chart and a reward at the end of the week for them is a good motivational boost.

Looking at pinterest can give you tons of ideas for rewards and age appropriate chores.

Giving them a chore now can help them in the long run getting the importance of working hard and doing what you need done first.

Chores then fun and end the day doing something fun not taking out the trash.

Free time:

After coming home snack and homework, if your kids don’t have a daily chore letting them have some free play time is an excellent option.

Kids grow and thrive with a lot of play, so it’s great to schedule in some time for them to just be kids.

Playing is the best thing for kids really. I remember after doing chores, our mom let us have free play time and I would be elated.

Reading time:

After school is also a good time to give them, some reading time. Whether they read by themselves, or you sit down and read to them reading is a great activity for them.

Reading with your kids has huge benefits and is a great bonding experience. Reading is a nice relatively mess free activity for everyone.

Limit screen times:

There are a ton of studies that show a lot of it is not good for our kids development and brains.

Limiting screen time and allowing only minimal or no screen time at all on a school night is a solid idea.

We personally do not allow any screen time on a school night, Lucy does not have school on Fridays, so if she has a good week at school she may have a show Thursday night until dinner is done and then some screen time after her chores on Saturday and that is it.

If screens are apart of your evening routine, I would just try to keep it minimal or low stimulation.

Dinner:

Sit down to dinner as a family, take that time to talk to each other. It gives the family some built in time to share with each other.

Have some quick and simple staples for school nights since they are more hectic, but make a point to have dinner together as a family.

This gives a great opportunity to discuss the day. The highlights or lowlights of everyone’s day.

Clean up time:

Have a set time for them to clean up their toys before bed so you can start tomorrow with a clean/semi clean slate.

It can teach the kiddos that if we value our things we clean them up. I like to take this time to clean up dinner or finish any chores I started earlier.

If you also clean up when they do it shows them by example.

Bath/Jammies:

Let the kiddos pick out their jammies and also their clothes for the next day. This is a duh part of the routine but to be honest it’s one I skipped for the first little while, if the kids weren’t messy I would let them go to bed in their clothes, if they wanted.

Now we make a point to get pajamas on to really set the tone for getting ready for bed and to settle down.

We personally don’t do baths every night but on the nights we do bath after cleaning up and then putting on some clean Jammies.

Bedtime story/family time:

While bedtime and your nightly routine can feel monotonous but undoubtedly this sets the tone for so many memories.

Your kids will remember that your family prioritized time together.

Whether that is just sitting down and talking about your days or reading stories together, use sometime during your nightly routine to spend quality time with each other.

Reading a bedtime story is a great way to settle down and relax, there is also SO many benefits of reading to your children, win win.

Prayer:

Nothing more important you can do as a parent then teach your kids to pray. Stay strong and pray together as a family before the kids go to sleep.

Prayer will bring you to the Lord and also bring you closer to your family. Teach the kids how to pray and how important it is.

To spice it up make popsicle sticks filled with family and friends names. Let the kids pick one out a night and pray for that person and their family.

Teeth:

Cavities are everyone’s worst nightmare. Adding brushing your teeth to the nightly routine but at the same time it can be very easy to space when the busy day is coming to an end.

These may seem like a no brainer for bedtime but honestly it is easy to forget the simple things sometimes. And teeth brushing isn’t incredibly fun but there are ways to spice it up. We have the girls see how funny they can run to the bathroom and my husband does it with them.

Now it is one of the most loved parts of the nightly routine.

Bed:

Heading to bed will obviously be the end of the routine every time. The fun part is finding out what to do before bed. Do you guys do story last and while they’re lying in their beds, or do you do it before teeth?

There are endless combinations of an evening routine. Some combos will work, some will not. I would try one out for a week and if you can’t find a flow in there then try a different variety.

Example School night routine:

This is what our evening line up looks like, we have 4 kids ages 5,3,1, and 2 weeks and this is what we do after we get Lucy from school.

3:00 pm

Get Lucy from school

3:15 pm

Get home and have a snack

3:30pm

Free play time. This looks different every day, sometimes the girl’s color, go play outside, or go to our playroom and play. If I am sitting on the couch to nurse our son, I will offer to read to them. Most of the time one of the girls is glued to me for the entirety of this block of time.

4:00-4:30

I start dinner

5:00-5:20 ish

We eat dinner as a family. We discuss our days and it is the time my husband and I try to catch up. Once dinner is done we will let the kids have some sort of sweet treat for dessert.

6:00 pm

If it is a bath night (Monday and Wednesday are the only two school nights we give baths unless the girls are super dirty) after dessert is when the girls will get some more free time.

6:30 pm

Either after free time or bath time, this is our time that we clean up the house. I clean up the kitchen or my husband does (just depends who is holding the babe) while the kiddos clean up their toys.

7:00 pm

Bedtime story, scriptures, and prayer time. We read a chapter or two out of a chapter book every night, we also read this book (linked here) every night and we have since Lucy was roughly nine months old, then we read a passage/chapter out of the kids bible (we are currently reading this one linked here).

After we read the bible we say a prayer as a family. When the prayer is finished we go around and say the happiest part of our day.

7:15-7:30 pm

Teeth time! Bryton always brushes the girls teeth.

7:30-7:35 pm

To bed, we tuck the girls in, give them all a kiss and that’s it. Our kids for the most part sleep all night and stay in their rooms. We do have little people toys and books in the girls room. They are allowed to read all they want and play with the little people as long as they stay in their room and stay moderately quiet.

(I will link the girls favorite little people toys here)

And that is it. That is for the most part our school night routine, it is nothing glamours or complicated. Plenty of time spent together as a family just relaxing and winding down after the day.

Some nights are rougher and some are smooth as butter. That is life with kids, but this is the flow that we have found works best for us!

Good luck finding the best combination for your evening with your kids.

What is your favorite part of the bedtime routine?

Mine is reading bedtime stories.

How to prepare for another baby while having other kiddos.

Preparing for a baby can be daunting all by itself but preparing for a baby when you already have other kids. So what should you do??

Truly preparing for your second, third, fourth, or more children isn’t as scary as it seems. Here are some tips on what you should prepare for your next baby.

Create a list:

Writing down what you need to do will free up much needed mental space. It also gives you a visual of what you need to do before you little one arrives.

Having a nice list that you can cross off will also make you feel accomplished when preparing for baby! This will help you keep track of what you need while also managing everything you need to do for your other children.

Pull out all the newborn things:

Have your older kids help you pull out and sort anything and everything you saved for future little people.

If you didn’t save anything from previous children don’t worry about this step obviously. But if you do have things from your other kiddos making sure you sort through it and pull out what you need right after baby will help.

Having your other kiddos help you sort and talking about how this is something you used for them can be fun. Bring up memories of them as babies and have some fun.

Set up baby stations:

Setting up baby stations, where you have some diapers, wipes, a change of clothes or anything else you need from around the house will help you. You won’t have to get up and find what you need, you will have them at certain stations in your house.

I like to have one by our bed and by the couch since those are where I frequent. Again you can have your other kiddos help out with setting them up. Maybe even have them pick out a toy that they can leave in there to play with when they want.

Include the kids:

Including your other children will help decrease jealous and boost the sibling bond. Kids want to be included in your life and they will enjoy being included.

Include them in planning for what needs to be done for baby, the tasks you need to complete for baby. I let my girls fold their little brothers laundry and set up the baby stations so they are excited for when we get to use them.

Ask them what they think you should do to prepare for baby and really make them a piece of this family puzzle!

Laundry:

Man oh man the chore that never ends. But having babies’ laundry washed and put away (or at least washed and organized by size). Laundry can be the bane of my existence but it is such a weight off your shoulders to have it done before your little one makes their arrival.

Folding all those little clothes is so exciting preparing and imagining putting them in the cute outfits. Putting the laundry away and preparing that space for baby is a great nesting thing to do.

Talk to the kids about baby on the way:

Don’t skirt around the baby when it comes to talking to your kids. Even if your kids are super young, communicating is very important. We are expecting our 4th baby, our oldest is 5 and our youngest is 1, I talk about the baby in my belly just as much with our 1 yr old as I do with my 5 yr old.

Why the younger kids may not understand, it makes it a smoother transition to talk about the baby in your belly and then when baby comes home to say look here is your baby from mommy’s belly!

If you are doing a special task to prepare for baby (like their laundry or setting up the crib) explain to them what you are doing and why. Kids are curious and may have lots of questions or want to help.

Find a care plan for your kids when you’re in labor:

Lining up where your other kiddos are going is very important. Or if they are in school making sure that the person the kids will be staying with are on the list for pick up or emergency contact.

Will you keep your kids home and have a home birth, will they go to a grandparents house while you are in the hospital? How many nights will they be staying and if you go into labor in the middle of the night do they go to grandmas or does grandma come to your home?

There is a ton to work out and plan for who is watching the kids and what that looks like. Sit down with your husband and work out the details.

Freezer prep:

Not having to worry about dinner or snacks ready to go is amazing. If you have some dinners stashed into the freezer for after baby it will help. You don’t have to worry, it just needs to be thawed.

Having some crockpot meals in the freezer is my favorite thing to do. I will make a crockpot meal and double it and freeze the other portion for when we are postpartum. This way you don’t have to take a whole day to prep and plan meals but already have meals you know the family will eat!

Prepare postpartum care kit:

Preparing some things for you postpartum. A little stash of pads, padsicles (if you do that, I personally don’t do this but I have friends who swear by it), peri bottle, mom diapers, good comfy underwear, witch hazel, nipple cream, nursing pads, maybe some numbing spray or a sitz bath soak are all good ideas for some things for you postpartum.

You will need some extra care after having a baby and having it all set and ready to go is a helpful tip. This a major thing no matter what number baby this is and you deserve to be taken care of.

Stock up on snacks for you and kids:

Snacks are the corner stone of a child’s life I am certain of it. I don’t know about you by my kids are in need of a snack every 45 mins if not more frequently.

I like to have a stash of their favorites and my favorites postpartum so that I don’t worry about running out of them. It eases the mind to know we have another box of Goldfish in the pantry and in the snack drawer.

If you plan on breastfeeding, you will be hungry that is for sure, and having some good go to snacks prepared will always be a win.

Goals to have as a mother

Life changes when you welcome into the world your children. So, with that your goals are more likely to change and shift. What you want to be, do, and even see will shift with parenting. Making a list, a vision board, or even just a sticky note with your goals on it can help you achieve them.

Now, what are goals to have as a mother? Here is some great options, you will find some great ideas and goals to add into your every day life.

Spiritual

• Read the Bible every day

• Pray with your children

• Memorize verses about motherhood

• Embrace grace, for you and your children

• Find time to spend with the Lord everyday

• Keep a prayer journal

• Keep a gratitude journal

• Read the Bible with your children

• Volunteer

• Pray Daily

  If none of these stick out to you, think deeply about what a mother with a strong testimony and is close to the Lord does and start to try one of those things. Start with one habit one at a time so that you do not get overwhelmed. Begin with baby steps for each habit. Maybe that means 5 minutes a day, and the next week begin 10 minutes a day.

Physical:

• Take a walk everyday

• Do a 10 minute workout

• Stretch for 10-20 minutes a day

• Drink plenty of water

• Eat 3 healthy meals a day

• Sleep 6-8 hours a night

• Walk 10,000 steps

• Keep a workout log

• Meal prep snacks and meals

• Try a new type of workout

Taking care and moving our body that the Lord gave us is so important. He made our bodies to move, to eat food that nourishes us. By managing our health, we set the pace for later in life. Thankfully we have resources to know how much water to drink, healthy and tasty recipes, and even fun work outs! YouTube, Pinterest, or just a good ole fashion Google search will help you be inspired to move your body that the Lord knit together.

Relationships:

• Have a date night

• Make time once a month for friends

• Text someone you’ve been thinking about

• Tell someone what you appreciate and admire about them

• Pray for your husband and family

• Tell your spouse 10 things you love about him

• Listen to others when they speak

• Bring your friends a dinner/dessert to show you care

• Get your husband flowers

• Perform an act of service for your husband

  Relationships can be a hard thing to manage when you have children. Though we should not let them go by the wayside. When the kids are all grown and moving out it will be you and your husband, keeping the spark and love alive will save many fights and hurt feelings. Take time to nurture the relationships God has given you. Work to be the best support to your spouse and friends that you can be. Now, do not let it consume you and forget other things. Take time once a month to grow the relationships, or bi-weekly.

Mental Health:

• Journal daily

• Spend 10 minutes in silence

• 1 self care task a day

• Try a new hobby

• Create a routine that works for you and your family

• Limit Screen time

• Read 10 pages of a book a day

• Get some sunlight

• Practice mediation

• Ask for help

  Keeping your mental health in a good spot is important. Finding something that helps you will benefit not only you, but your children. Whether your mental health break is taking a walk, spending time with the Lord, or spending time in a good book, knowing yourself and what helps will be amazing. Screen time has been linked to anxiety issues, so maybe yourself care is for an hour a day you put the phone down and just read, or think of the blessings the Lord has given.

Conclusion:

Goals are a fabulous way to continue to grow yourself and your family. Find some that speak to you and start working on it! Do not stress if it is hard at first, work on consistency over how long you do the task for.

Ask for help, talk to your spouse about what new goal you have. Start a new goal as a family. Focus on being the best you that the Lord knows you can be.

Set maybe one at a time until it because a habit, trying to do a whole 180 will overwhelm you and bring you back to square one. You can do this Mama!

Memories do not need to be aesthetic to be good

We are in an age where everything is available and viewed by everyone and their mother. It can be so nice to stay in touch with family far away and be able to see what is going on in their lives. But it is a double edge sword, you can see so much on social media so you can also compare and see all what you’re not doing. It can be so disheartening to see the same thing you are doing (for example motherhood) but they’re doing it with a “better” aesthetic. It can be so fun to look on Pinterest and see beautiful photos and great inspiration and feel a little jealous because your photos don’t look like that or you aren’t in a time of life that your house looks like that or etc.

As a mother I have fallen into that hole. I love cozy, elegant, cottagey vibes. I would just love for every part of my life to resemble that. Basically I want to live in a beautiful home with a fancy hobbit. That is me. Now, that is not exactly how all of my life looks like. I would love some amazing play room, but currently its where we have our baby chicks since it is the only spot in the house that could fit their encloser. Eventually they will move outside, but that’s not what is going on right now. It does not fit the aesthetic I am going for.

But that doesn’t mean I do not make beautiful worthwhile memories with my family and children everyday. My kids LOVE having the chicks in there with them. They talk to them and play near them so well. They are enthralled with the fact that they get to play everyday next to fluffy and sweet chickens. That is the memory they will remember in a good light. THey don’t care that it doesn’t fit moms ideal playroom vision.

There is nothing wrong with dreaming and planning a life that you just love and love the look of it. I am always planning my dream floor plan for a home I want to build. I love it, I love to plan and dream. But I never want to be lost in the desire to be that person so damn bad I feel bad about the memories I make in our little home with my kids. I adore our sweet home the Lord has provided for us and I hope to never be lost in the envy of the world to be something that I am not right now.

I am a mother of 3 kids and pregnant with my 4th. We are sometimes messy, some times we are doing fun activities and other times we are reading second hand books on our furniture that has been passed down and is way older than my kids. But who cares? That couch has allowed us to spend countless hours reading, snuggling, and making good family memories.

Be happy with where you are, because you can make amazing memories without having the best outfit or the picture perfect moment. Letting go of the need for things to look aesthetic or to look like someone online will free up your heart to relish such sacred times. Your kids are not young forever and making memories that last will be the one of the most important thing you can do with them.

In such a digital age it is tough not to get stuck in the wishing this looked like this picture perfect environment. But the truth is God gave you these beautiful moments. Enjoying a moment is more important then making sure they look just right. Your kids will remember moments with love and happiness. Insisting that everything match your aesthetic can make you and your family unhappy. Refusing to buy certain things that you like because it wont quite match the rest of your house is silly. You and your life is already your aesthetic and having a tad bit of a hob glob of things that you like makes you unique. ( I have done this, found something I loved but didn’t fit with the “vibe” of my home. Freaking silly right?)

Instead of getting into the loop of oh I wish my house looked like ___ or like so and so’s. Let’s get into the loop of romanticizing where we are and what our lives look like. How beautiful it is that we even get to live and we get the joys of raising our children. Remembering to get grateful for our things and our life is a great start to making memories that will out last everything.

50 Journal Prompts for Moms

Journaling is a beautiful outlet for everyone, but in my opinion especially moms. I love writing down the little things from my days with the girls being so young. But some days I sit down to journal and I don’t know what to write. What to say?? You ever want to dive deep into your brain and really write about something that makes you think? Well, I do haha. So that is why I compiled my some of my favorite prompts to make me think more and expand on the basic, what I cooked and what sassy words Lucy said to me.

1. What was the happiest moment today?

2. What did the kids learn today?

3. How did I see the Lord’s hand in my life today?

4. How could I improve?

5. How was my cup filled today?

6. What made me smile today?

7. How did I spend time with God today?

8. What am I grateful for?

9. A memory with the kids that makes me smile?

10. An opportunity I am grateful for

11. What are core values I want my kids to have and how to instill them

12. My ideal day with the kids

13. What are each of the kids passions/interest

14. What are our family goals

15. 10 things that make me happy

16. What is currently my biggest stress? And how can I change/fix it

17. What actions can I take to simplify my life

18. If someone else described me as a person or a parent what would they say

19. What is my love language

20. What are my kids love languages

21. What makes me feel safe

22. Goals for this month

23. What makes me unique

24. What makes our family unique

25. How did I trust God today

26. How has motherhood changed me

27. How I want my home to feel

28. Advice I would give to a new mom

29. One thing I feel confident about as a parent

30. Has motherhood changed me

31. Do I like the changes of motherhood

32. Something I like about my postpartum body

33. 10 things that are hard about motherhood

34. Write a letter to each of the kids about what you love about them

35. Dream family vacation

36. My favorite time of day is

37. What has been the hardest transition into motherhood

38. What makes me belly laugh

39. How can I be more patient

40. How can I involve the Lord more in the kids life

41. I’m a good mom because

42. How could I improve the diet of my family

43. What is a craft I would love to do

44. What is something we could do as a family to bring us closer together

45. What is a wish I have for my kids

46. What are some fears I have for my children

47. Some of my favorite motherhood quotes

48. Write a quick prayer for each of the kids

49. What kind of mother does God need me to be

50. A bible verse that sticks out to me as a mom

Journaling is a great outlet and helps with mental health. The Office Ladies often bring in their journal entries in and look back on that, it is silly but that really inspired me to write down more and I have loved it. I like looking back and seeing what I found special to write down. Having a prompt really helps me write things down and remember more of the day or thoughts I had.

Hopefully these prompts help you write a journal entry that helps you think more about the day and remember the simple magic that life is. You got this Momma!

Work from home Mom schedule

DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

As a mom our lives are crazy in general with kids. But if you add in a job then it just makes life all the more chaotic. Though it does not need to be! Let me share with you the tips that help me get it all done, and be incredibly present with my littles.

Even if you do not work from home with kiddos, having your kids on a schedule is so crucial. They thrive knowing what will happen next and knowing their needs will be met.

Back in the day I worked in a law office as a paralegal, and my oldest daughter went to her Aunt’s while I worked. When I got off work we had no schedule, no routine. I was so worried about just filling in what ever I had missed with her through out the day.

I felt like I only got dinner and bed time with my own daughter due to my 8-5. Now don’t get me wrong, I loved my job and my boss. But that does not take away the feeling that I knew somebody else got the majority of her day Mon-Friday.

And when it comes to my kids, I am a bit selfish with my kids time. I want the majority. I love being with them and spending time with them. So it was a huge blessing in disguise when COVID hit and I was home all day with my little one.

That being said, I had 0 idea how to balance staying home full time with my 9 month old and also work full time as a paralegal. My daughter still nursed and needed plenty of attention. That is when I was on Youtube trying to figure out to balance it all. I found Jordan Page’s channel and I watched her Block Schedule Video, I will link it here. That video changed my life forever.

Flash forward to today, I am expecting my third baby in 4 years, work as a paralegal still but now full time from home, and I have the blog. Time management is a huge piece of my day and how I get things done. I still use the block schedule today. It will change how you think, work, and parent.

Using the block schedule will help you balance life, kids, and work in a way that is not stressful. I once read a book called “A Billion Hours of Good”, another life changer. I will link that book here. And teamed with the block schedule, I really do get 99% of what I want to get done, done.

In the book, the author talks about how 1% of your day is only 7 minutes. When I think about that and break my day down into blocks and also 7 minutes it changed everything. It does not take even 1% of my day to clean the bathroom, or start a load of laundry. Sometimes I will do certain tasks (like folding laundry) for only 7 minutes. It helps me stay up on it and not fall behind and it is only 1% of what I did that day!!!

Combining the 1% rule and a block schedule I can get so much done and still have oodles of time with my babies. Now how does the block schedule work and how do I use it as a busy mom and a employee? Lets get right into it.

Day in the life of a work from home mom of 3

DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO

I will be breaking down a generic day in our lives as a work from home mom of 3. My kids are 3 and under and it is busy and slow all at the same time.

Even if we stay home and do nothing there is so much happening just because there is kids there. Now not everyday is the exact same. Mondays we go to the library, Wednesday they have a play date, Friday we have a park play date. There is things that change.

And some weeks I have work meetings and some weeks I don’t but for the most part our schedule is the same.

I live with a block schedule and it has changed my life and has made it so easier. I’m not sure if it’s psychological. But since I’ve been doing the block schedule, I feel so much more productive and like a better person.

I have a whole post on block schedule that I will link here. I learned about it from Jordan page. I will also link her YouTube channel here. She is wonderful.

Block 1:

My first block is from 6-9. In that time I normally get up, hopefully at 6. I like to get up before the kids to start my work tasks and to start what we call first breakfast. This is the time I normally do things for myself, like shower and start my work to do list.

Around 6:30-7 Lyra wakes up and helps me make the rest of first breakfast. At this time normally Lennon and Lucy are still asleep so this is my one on one time with Lyra.

At 7:30 Lucy wakes up and the girls eat. Once they eat I start to clean up their breakfast and if I made a morning basket ( I set this aside the night before) then this is the time they play with it. Lennon is awake by then and I sit on the couch, read my bible, and nurse her.

Once I am done nursing we get our hair done and clothes on and read a book together. I really try ot make sure we read at least one book a day together.

They have free time for the rest of this block.

Block 2

At the start of block 2 which is 9 am through 11 am. We make second breakfast. This is when I eat. Normally second breakfast is eggs, yogurt, a bagel, or something else like that. If Bryton is home this is when he wakes up and if he is home he will make second breakfast.

After second breakfast I start on my “focus room” I dive more into that in my post about how I keep the house clean. I will link it here.

When I am finished I start working for the main lawyer that I work for. I make a to do list the night before and now is around the time that I start on that to do list.

The kids are little and do not understand yet that mom is working and I need to focus. While it is hard, it will not last forever and I know that.

How I normally get anything work wise done is this. I put my laptop or IPad on the counter, I wear the baby and then I put Lucy on the counter next to me.

I find that if in the beginning I include Lucy she will get bored and get down to go play and will play much longer.

Kids want to be in your world. Let your kids be with you and then when they are done watching you reply to emails they will play longer because they’ve had that connection and know mom is still there for you.

My dream is to eventually to be able to go to the spare room and work without being interrupted but I know with three kids 3 and under that will be later in life.

Block 3

11-1, is block 3. It is the lunch block and mid day clean up. I try to have the girls clean up whatever they were playing with and I start lunch. By the time lunch is done the house is mildly cleaned up.

Once lunch is done we finish cleaning up the house before I let Lucy have a movie. Lyra will not sit still for a movie and Lennon is too little.

But Lyra is so glued to me I try to sit, feed the baby and read while Lucy has her movie. It is the mid day wind down.

I like the house to be picked up before the movie though. This helps the house not get destroyed. We clean it 2x a day. But each time it is maybe 10 minutes.

Something that changed my mind about this too is the book A billion hours of good. The author breaks down time during the day.

14 minutes is ONE percent of your day. Insane right? So if I clean the house twice a day for 10 minutes that is 20 minutes. That is almost 3% of my day.

You will be so surprised how much you can do in 10 minutes and also, if you do it more than once the house will stay within a reasonable level.

Though don’t forget you have kids and the house CAN looked lived in. It CAN look good enough. Being a happy mom is more important.

Block 4

1-3 is block 4, and probably the busiest block to be honest. Once Lucy’s movie is done, I try to get them to play outside and burn off some energy. Truly if in any block the kids ask to go outside I am ALL about it.

Going outside is such a good thing for your kiddo. We are trying to do the 1,000 hours outside ( I want to write a post about this soon). But after screentime I really want the kids to get out and explore the world.

Some days I take them on a walk, or walk to the school up the street and play on the playground. I try to get a lot done in this block for the other attorney’s I work for.

But I found during the day this is when the kids have the hardest time being away from me. So I try to be present. Lucy is so good at playing by herself, but during this time of day she seeks me out for that connection.

So I try to really realize that and not be annoyed that she is up my butt and wants to hang on me. I want to stop if I can stop and give her that place to get that connection.

If we go outside I try to weed or do some yard work while they play. It does not always go that way, but that’s OKAY! My yard is not that great and weeded but I make that effort. One day they will play and I can weed in peace so for now momma, take a deep breath.

It is okay to not get it all done. There is tomorrow. You are in a new season and what will make something happen and a pattern is trying again.

I want a weed free yard, so every time we are outside I try to weed. But most days it doesn’t happen but having that mindset that it is okay it will be okay.

Block 5

3-6 another busy block, but a good one. If the kids are still wanting to play outside then we will play outside, but if they are done we go inside and wind down.

On the days Bryton works I start dinner at 5:40 so that is is done by the time he comes home. Sometimes the kids want to help and sometimes they are content to just play by themselves.

We recently got some new play doh toys and kinetic sand and I love to get them out in this block. Or a sensory bin, it is later in the day so your patience may be closer to being thin.

I know that about myself so I try to do crafts or activities during this block too so that I know they have something to grasp their attention while I need to do something.

If I do have any else work things to do I do them in this block. I try to clean up all my edges with my work stuff so that I can start tomorrow fresh or know that this task can wait till tomorrow.

Block 6

6-8 this is the last block because I was born 80 and I go to bed so early. After dinner I am starting a new routine where we read a chapter of a book, Lucy LOVES to read and if we haven’t read yet that dat I know that we will be able to get it during this time.

Even at 3 she will sit still and listen to a chapter or 2 from a book. We read some Junie B. Jones and now we are on some mermaid book that has pictures too.

After story time, we read a chapter from a bible book, I will link ours here. Then we say a prayer, say our happiest part of the day, and then we brush our teeth.

When our teeth are brushed Bryton and I sing the girls one song then we tuck them in, and then 9/10 they are good.

Some days they do not and bedtime is a battle but they have had this routine for years and they handle it very well.

Once they are asleep I try to work on the blog and Pinterest while watching a show. Some days I just need a break and I read a book and not worry about work.

Bryton always plays a video game and we kind of just sit next to each other while we do this. I love that we can just be there together.

If we ever need to talk about something then this is the time we do that too.

Conclusion

So there it is. In a nutshell that is what I do day to day with the three little. Now I didn’t really include too much about Lennon because at 3 months she is with me 24/7. I wear her a lot and if she is hungry no matter the block I stop and feed her.

I get what I get done with having such a little baby due to baby wearing her. I will link my wrap here.

She is strapped to me right now and passed out. I LOVE being able to “hold” her while doing other things. I feel like I am getting to give her enough attention and also the other girls.

Motherhood, its hard not bad.

DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

While motherhood is going to be the hardest thing you ever do it will also be the best thing you will ever do. But not many people talk about the good in my opinion. I was talking to my friend the other day who is expecting and she was telling me about how everyone tells her to just wait.

Just wait until their not sleeping, just wait for their attitude, just wait for poop all over. Oh just sleep while you can because you’ll never sleep again. Just wait you will never have time for you. Just wait for all the annoying kid shows. Just wait for this and that and they’re all negative.

My heart broke for her. She is expecting her first little babe and no one was telling her to good! She voiced to me how scared and worried she is because all anyone has to say to her is all the negative.

Now don’t get me wrong motherhood is HARD. BUT is is oh so sweet and good. Why are the just waits all the negative. It is never just wait for their firsts smile. Or when they light up when you enter a room. Just wait until you see them master something they have been working on. Just wait to watch their world expand and your heart explode. Just wait for their first reaction to food. Just wait to watch them play outside with friends.

I read this quote recently:

In the end I am the one who can give my children a happy mother who loves them.- Unknown

When we focus on all the negatives that come with motherhood it does not leave much room in our minds for the positive. You are the only one who can tackle what is your mindset and attitude towards your life.

I want my girls to look back and see that Mom chose to be happy. Chose us. She stayed home and loved it. She showed up everyday. You truly are the only one who can bring your kids a happy parent.

When I was younger I asked my mom what her dream job was. She told me it was staying home and loving on her kids. That memory became a core memory and I held onto that my mom was happy at home with us and that is what I wanted to do when I grew up.

I would tell people when I grew up I wanted to be a mom, and now I am here and I can see how hard it is. I want it even more. I want to be the one who gives my kids a happy mom who can help them see that motherhood is beautiful and worth more than anything.

So why not try? Some days I do a much better job at showing up happy then others. And that is okay. People are not perfect. But I am trying and showing up everyday.

Another quote I heard that hit home with me was one from Jordan Peterson, it goes like this.

Your children want the best relationship with you that they possibly could have. They’re 100% on board with that idea. Way more than anyone you’ve ever met in your life and that means you could have the best relationship with your children that you’ve ever had with anyone. That’s what they offer you and it’s up to you. that’s a good opportunity.

That really hit home. Because it is so true. Your kids want you to love them so much. With the cases I work I see children removed from their parents for awful abuse.

But something that always hits home to me, is those kids still love their parents and want to go back. They want their parents to pick them, to love them, and to have a better relationship.

Welcome your children into your world and you will always be better for it. It can be hard to have someone tagging along 24/7 but you will not regret it.

You will never regret trying to have the best relationship with your kids that you can. Another quote I think about daily is this.

Someday I’ll look back and say “I blinked and they were grown”. So I hope I also say “ But I saw it all, I soaked it all in. I was there for it all and it was great.”-Unknown

Seasons are short. Enjoy the mess and chaos. Soak it up. Now there are moments where you need to tell them go play while I finish this or hey mom needs 10 minutes alone.

Those moments are not what I am talking about. Everyone needs a break to be their best. I definitely do. But when I am with my kids I am 100% with them.

Several times a day I make them my #1 priority. So they know mom is here for me.

18 years is not the majority of your life, it will not be the majority of theirs. Childhood truly is short but so important. Take a breath, maybe take a break or find some you time. But remember you are doing God’s work and you’re doing a good job.

It is hard, but nothing lasting and worth while is simple and easy. It is difficult but that does not mean it is bad.

Sure it is hard, but what makes it harder is people drowning you and themselves in the negative. “I love my children but ____”

Venting does have its time and place but this is service to them and to God.

It is worth it. Motherhood is beautiful. It is ordained of God and is a role you will never regret. You will not be perfect and that is good.

Mistakes are where me make our biggest growth. It is about remembering this is hard but not bad, and it will be okay. You got this Momma!

The Joys of Motherhood

I often think people try to be relatable by talking about how hard motherhood is. And don’t get me wrong. It is extremely hard.

But I don’t think people are talking enough about how worth it and how beautiful it is. I think we should focus on being more relatable by showing the joy that is motherhood. The blessing that is motherhood. It is of God.

Being a mom is my favorite thing in the entire world. Watching your kids grow up is the most magical experience.

I am not saying that we should not talk about the lows of motherhood. But we should focus more on the highs of motherhood, which is far more important.

I work from home as a paralegal. One of the attorneys I work for represents kids in foster care. We got a new case and in a meeting I attended I felt like no one was encouraging the mother to continue trying.

No one was discussing the joys of motherhood and why she should not give up or give into any outside noise and to know mother hood is worth it and worth fighting for. No one told her that this was hard yes, but truly there is nothing more important or worth fighting for than your kids.

This is something so important to me. I find my self getting overstimulated and focusing on all the bad. Why do I do that to myself? That just spirals me into a bad spot.

When you focus on the negative more negative collects in your life. So why would you do that?? No one wants to collect the bad.

When I worked in an office I felt like I only parented on the weekends. Now I am with my kids 24/7. It can be overwhelming. But there is truly more beautiful moments than there is negative with motherhood. We just need to focus on them and see them.

Why as a society do we focus on the negative? I feel like we talk more about issues we have with our kids, their behaviors, what they can or can not do, etc.

Why?? My whole world changed when I began looking at every good thing God put us in our life. Instead of being upset my kids got up 10x last night I focused on, I was their comfort. I was there. I got the oppurtunity to be present. I know too well that not every parent gets that gift.

There is such a beauty to the day in and day out. The kids will not remember every meal I made, but they will know mom made meals, they will remember how we danced in the kitchen everyday. They will remember that they helped me cook.

I want to focus on that, instead of that when the kids do help me cook it takes 3x as long. Because who cares? I made a good memory with them, I got that time with that. That is irreplaceable.

Sure I did the same thing yesterday but that is amazing! There is joy in that. There is so much importance in being your child’s stability and safe person. So much happiness in being the one who is able to do homework with them and to keep and set the house boundaries.

I realized so much more after I hemmeroaged out after having my third baby that being able to simply BEING THERE, is so damn important. I was almost not there for anything ever again, but God gave me the ability to be their mother still.

To do all those mundane tasks and that is amazing.

If we as mothers dwell on the hardships of motherhood more than we dwell on the simple joys, we will see more bad and have a harder time.

Mindset is SO important in our world. It is important to keep our eyes on the Lord and the gifts he has given us through this wonderful children and the years we will get with them. I hope you dwell on the joys that motherhood brings.

10 Postpartum essentials

DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

As a new momma all you want to do is enjoy your newborn. Making sure you are ready for the season of life that comes after baby makes their arrival is important.

These have been my essentials for postpartum. I have narrowed the list down now that I am on my 3rd child. I have had all my kids close together so all of it stays fresh in my sleep deprived brain.

People often have these long, long list of things you will need for after baby. I made sure after my first one to have EVERYTHING that google told me I needed.

And guess what I didn’t even use half of the items more than once. They were full of fluff to pump the list up.

Here is what I consider truly the essentials, I use these items everyday. I did not put certain things on this list that I thought were obvious like onsies, diapers, pads, etc. There is somethings you just know you will need for your baby.

But these are the items that I used everyday that were not in my opinion as obvious. So let’s dive right into it shall we!?

Haakaa/handsfree pump:

Man oh man, the haakaa is a LIFESAVER. I have used the haakaa for all 3 of my kiddos and it is a huge reason that at 4 weeks postpartum I have 300+ oz in the freezer.

Using the Haakaa catches all the milk that would have just soaked into your shirt. It is beyond easy to use and you will able to get that freezer stash up and running.

Now if you do not have a haakaa or even if you do, I recommend a hands free pump. I have the Elvie stride. While it is a little expensive but such a wonderful investment. I have used it for the last two kiddos and I have LOVED it.

If my haakaa is dirty, baby slept through a feeding, or just want to pump I get out the Elvie Stride and pump away.

While still hands free. I do have a hand pump and used to have the medela where I had to hook up to the machine. It worked great and I don’t dislike the Medela, I am a mom of more than one kiddo.

So I need as many hands as I can and I also need to be as mobile as possible.

This makes the Haakaa or a handsfree pump a need. Leaves my hands available and gives me the ability to get up and snag someone a snack 1000x a day.

I will link the Haakaa I use here and the Elvie stride here.

Snacks:

Okay in general I am all about my food, but when I am breastfeeding I inhale everything.

With my oldest people asked “oh what does baby need? What can we bring her?” I remember thinking bring ME snacks so I can make her food.

Breastfeeding takes so much from your body and you need to make sure you are eating. So my second time around I stocked up with healthy ish snacks.

As a momma with a new baby even if you are not breastfeeding you may not have time to sit down and really eat. (It can be hard to remember to feed yourself!) So having snack stations or a stash somewhere of your favorite post partum snacks are will help.

I also have my less healthy snacks by my bed (maybe not the best idea but… it works for me). My reasoning for having my less healthy snacks by my bed is because if I am getting up multiple times through out the night I want to treat myself.

Right now my snack is peanut butter m&ms, and if I have to get up with Lennen or Lyra I let myself have a handful.

Its like my reward for getting up. Lennen has been a wonderful sleeper so I do not get an absurd amount of m&ms, but sometimes Lyra gets up and since she sleeps in a seperate room the effort it takes to go comfort her is a tad more I usually have my handful then.

She doesn’t get up every night, but anyway, I keep my candy next to my bed just so I can reward myself for giving up some sleep for my little people.

Diaper Stations:

You will be changing a million and one diapers. So having “stations” through out your house will help. I have a diaper basket next to my bed and next to the couch.

These are where I change the most diapers. I found it so helpful because I was not trying to track down in the house where the wipes are or get halfway through a diaper change and realize that I don’t have a diaper…

In my little diaper station by the couch I make sure to always to have diapers (in both sizes since I have 2 under 2 we have 2 in diapers), wipes, lotion, diaper cream, Aquaphor, and an outfit for Lennen since she is still having a fair amount of blow outs.

By my bed I have the same things and my midnight snacks, and a drink for me. During the day I tote around a tumbler and I make sure if I do not have a cup full of water at night that I get up and get one. I know I will be thirsty at 2:45.

Baby Wrap:

Being able to wear your baby changes everything I swear.

I used my sling wrap with all 3 girls and it is a LIFESAVER. I started using my infantino carrier with my second one because I found it easier to do somethings in that were slightly harder in the ring sling.

Having two hands to be able to make dinner, do laundry, tend to your other kids, or do anything you can think of is amazing.

You can get everything you need done and still hold your sweet one. Babies do not keep, so soaking up those moments is necessary.

Babies love to snuggle up and sleep, so being able to wear them gives you the bonding time you need. While still accomplishing everything on your to do list.

From the get go I get my baby in my wrap and vacuum. I love to do this to make sure they can sleep through sound. Layla especially loves to be worn and vacuum, might be a 3rd kid thing, but if it is too quiet she will not sleep.

So if Bryton is outside with the girls or takes them on an errand, I strap her in and vacuum. If not she is unhappy with me.
I wonder how 1950s wives got it all done while also having kids without a wrap or baby carrier. I would be useless without them.

They give you so much freedom as a momma. I can not recommend them enough.

I will link the ring sling I use here, and the infantino here.

Boppy:

Holy heck a doo, I love a boppy.

The amount of things you can do with them is amazing. I often use mine as a little cradle for my baby. But you can use it to help you nurse, prop baby up, do tummy time, and more.

An amazing quality of the Boppy is that it can grow with your baby.

When they are really little I use it more to help me nurse and to lay them down to do something really quick. But when they get older and are awake longer you can use it to prop them up so they can look around and look at you.

When Lyra was about 3-5 months I would set her up in the boppy and let her watch Lucy play. It was one of her favorite things to do. you can do this by laying her in the little circle, or you use it to help the baby do tummy time.

As she got older I used it to help her stay up as she learned to sit up.

I think a huge pro of the boppy is that you really get your moneys worth out of it. It does not age out for your baby after 3 months. You can use it for a long time. What is better than that?

Here is a link to the boppy I have used.

Mindset:

Truly I think this one is my most important tip for any mom with a new born. And don’t get me wrong it is tough.

But keeping your mindset in mind is SO crucial. We as a society get so darn caught up with negative thoughts and mindsets.

While postpartum depression and anxiety is very common, it does not need to destroy this time with your sweet baby.

I had postpartum with Lucy, and I cried a lot. I was so convinced she deserved a better mom, a better life than I could give her, and all these negative things.

Obviously I was wrong. God sent this baby to you because you will be the best momma to them. This is meant to be.

For my second daughter if I had any negative thought I would write down a positive affirmation and put it around the house. Some of the affirmations I would write was:

• I am a good mom

• I am exactly who my kids need

• I will stay calm, even in the midst of chaos

• I am strong and capable

• I find joy in the every day moments

• This is just a season of my life

This helped me get into a good mindset. Writing these things down helps you remember them, this is so helpful. This is one of the things that I think really helped not have bad post partum.

Once I had my 3rd baby it really hit me that this time while tough is SO SO fleeting. They do not stay little for long at all.

When these days and nights are overwhelming or exhausting I try to keep in mind that this will not last and is such short time frame.

If I do start having some negative thoughts or a rough day I sit down and tell myself this will not last and this is just hormones. My life is not bad, in fact I am blessed.

Keeping a positive and understanding mindset will change the whole experience. I wish I had starting doing affirmations and not letting the negative thoughts when my oldest was little, I think it would have helped SO much.

Water Bottle:

Keeping a tumbler or a reusable water bottle around is so important. When you are breastfeeding you need the extra water to help your supply and to keep yourself healthy.

And even if are not breastfeeding, your body just when through a marathon making and getting this sweet life out of you. So hydrating is really important.

By keeping a water bottle around it will help you remember to drink more water and to stay hydrated.

This is just important for you health in general. Personally I am obsessed with a cute tumbler, I collect them. I like to rotate a cute cup to help me stay hydrated.

I will link my favorite water bottle here.

Peri Bottle:

After you push a bowling ball out of a golf ball things down there are a bit tender. But the peri bottle is a God’s send.

Anything that will help you keep that area clean and not irritated is a huge blessing. Using the peri bottle will help you stay hygenic is such a win.

The hospital I delivered at gave me my Peri bottle but I know you can get one on amazon. I will link the one closet to what I use here.

Swing or Bouncer:

Babies love to move, rock, and swing. So a bouncer or a swing is a must for me. Having a space where I can put the baby and they stay asleep or they just stay happy because of the movement is amazing.

I love to be able to put the baby in the swing we have when I need to use the bathroom, or make the beds.

Even if they are the happiest in them all the time because sometimes babies just do NOT want to be put down, but having a space that you know they are safe if you put them in while you do something that you need to put the baby down for is great.

Lucy and Lennon love the swing we have but Lyra preferred the little bouncer chair we had. Each baby is different and has their own preferences.

Meal plan or freezer meals:

After having a baby that last thing I wanted to think about was making dinner. I just wanted to sit and snuggle my love bug.

We are blessed that our church community always brings dinners the first week we have a baby. They have done this all 3 babies. God has put wonderful people in our lives.

But when that week is over, I still don’t want to make dinner or think about what I need for it. So meal planning and freezser meals have been a gift from God.

Having a list of quick and easy meals for your post partum is a wonderful idea. I keep a book of our family favorites and will plan an meal around them. Meal planning makes dinner time SO much less stressful for me. I even have a whole post about it. I will link it here.

Freezer meals are a staple in our home. Crockpots are a blessing. I do at least 1 crock pot meal a week, while I make the dinner I make sure I double it and then freeze it.

With this method you can build up a stash of easy meals. Just pull it out the night before and then that morning throw it in the crock pot. Then BAM dinner is done.

By the time baby came I had a bunch of them saved up. So I didn’t have to sit and stress about what was dinner. I did not do this for Lucy, but it has been a huge relief for Lyra and Lennen.

Conclusion:

Postpartum is different for everyone, but these are the items I think are helpful and useful.

I found as a mom of multiples that a lot of things are nice to have but are NOT essential. Having a binky is nice and helpful but not needed and not every baby takes them. But if you baby likes a binky then they are an essential.

If you find something is super helpful for your everyday as a mom of a newborn then use it and don’t feel bad its not on some list that you read.

Your life is totally and completely yours, your child is completely yours and you are the best mom for them. You got this Momma!!

How to encourage independent play:

Struggling to get your kids to play by themselves? Well Momma, you are not alone. We’ve been there before too many times.

It is such a blessing when you can get your little one to play alone and you can get maybe a chore or two done.

Independent play is SO good for your kiddo, so it is a win win when we get our kids to play by themselves. Independent play is where their imagination can run wild and help them explore the world.
So let’s get into it! How do you get your kids to start playing on their own?

Set a Routine:

A routine for kids in general is crucial for kids in general but when encouraging independent play. You need to put it in your routine/schedule for independent.

We have a time block schedule, and I schedule it into our blocks for what I call free time. Which is just another way to say independent play. So my kids do know it’s scheduled portions of the day there is a time for them to just play.

Check timing

This one is just making sure that you’re giving your kids in age-appropriate amount of time to play. A five year old can play independently longer than an 18 month old.

The earlier you start them on independent play the better they’re going to be at it. My three-year-old is much better at playing by herself in my one year old is and that just comes with the territory of their age.

When trying to start your kids learning about independent play and how to independent play you need to remember how old they are and find times throughout your day to encourage independent play that are age-appropriate.

I would suggest just starting off in smaller time increments like 5-10 minutes for a one year-old. Or 10 to 20 minutes for a three-year-old.

Play With them

This one sounds a little counterproductive since were wanting them to play by themselves.

But kids do need you still we cannot expect them to play by themselves all day every day. They do need that connection with you, and see that you are a priority to them.

I make sure that I read to my girls every day and we play at least one game together or do an activity. I do try to get on the floor with the kids and I’ll play with them for about 10 minutes, and then I’ll let them know that they need to keep playing by themselves but mom needs to go do XYZ.

Sometimes they follow me but the more I have done this, the more they’ve stayed and played amongst themselves.

I’m not saying play with them for the entirety of white independent play, it’s just helpful when you’re starting out encouraging your kids to play independently that you do play with them for a little bit. And then step away and allow them to continue playing.

Connection

This one does go pretty hand-in-hand with playing with them first. If you spend some quality time connecting with your child they will do better with independent play.

This is why we block out some of our time every day for an activity or mom to play whatever game they want. I always make a point to spend one on one time with all of my kids at some point through the day. And read to them as well.

If you make the time to Connect with your child they will be healthier and happier in the long run and healthy and happy children will play independently.

It can be a lot of fun finding different ways to connect with your kids and finding out what they enjoy.

It’s important to find something different to connect with your kids with. My one year old loves to cook with me and help bake. So that’s something we do weekly.

My oldest loves to read which is why I make a point to sit down and read with her every day.

Don’t be afraid to get messy with it

Kids love to explore the world around them and get messy. I know as moms we want to clean up the mess. But it’s so good to sometimes let our kids make a mess.

Let them play in dirt. Set up a sensory bin that might be a little messy but you can wipe up.

Set them up with an art or craft that might involve maybe a little glitter or some thing.

Letting go of of the fear of letting your house or your kids get messy will help encourage them play independently. My kids LOVE to play in the dirt in our backyard. It means we get a bath at the end of every day, but they play in the dirt for a solid hour.

By letting them get dirty and doing activities that might make a mess we encourage them to explore their world and encourage independent play.

Toy rotation

This one is a big one. Kids off to get overwhelmed with how many toys they have how many options there are. You would think the more toys the more that they will play because they have so many options. Kids will get overstimulated with too many options.

I have a little blue bins that the kids toys go in and I will swap one of those bins out every week. I also will take certain toys that I noticed they are not playing with and put them in my closet. In about a month I might bring them back out and it’s like a whole new toy again and my kids will go off and play with that toy.

Even though they didn’t play with this toy a month ago and now they haven’t seen it for a month it becomes a whole new thing almost like Christmas morning. And they will play independently with that “new” toy.

Set the example:

Kids learn by watching you. You are the best example to your children that they are going to have.

By modeling independent time for just you it will encourage them to do that for themselves as well. My kids see me take time to journal, to read my Bible and every once in a while I read my Fiction books while they’re awake, or I’ll do a puzzle.

I want to see me taking time independently of them and doing something. By doing this it shows to them that it’s time to do independently. Obviously if the kids are rowdy it’s harder to do that, but I still try every day to model the behavior of independent “play” for me.

Conclusion

By adding these tips and tricks in to your life you will encourage your kids to play independently. Obviously the duration will get longer is their older and the more that you do encourage independent play. You can take a look at my blog post about time blocking to see when I do schedule in independent play/free time for the kids.

It doesn’t happen overnight, be calm and patient if your kid is new to playing independently. They are just kids they will pick it up quickly I promise.

Children’s imaginations are wonderful things and should be encouraged. As a mom independent play is crucial for me and getting things done throughout the house. I start encouraging independent play pretty much is soon as the kids can sit up.

So just stick with it you got this mama it’s gonna be awesome!

Meal Planning as a Mom

Meal planning is such a great strength to have truly for anyone but especially moms. It can save your budget, sanity, and is just nice to know what will be for dinner without any stress. Being in charge of what other people in your home is full time job all by itself I swear.

But having a meal plan will save you from so much stress and anxiety. It has SO many benefits and can be adapted to you and your families needs! How bomb is that? Meal planning sounds a bit overwhelming and hard to start but really it is easiest and super helpful!

Let’s break down the benefits of it and why it will make your life simpler, and as a momma making life easier is amazing and gives you more time to be the mom you want to be.

Saves you time:

As a mom or really as a person, time is not something we can get back and is often having a lot of time is few and far between. But when you meal plan it can free up time. You do not have to spend a whole bunch of time thinking of what to do for dinner, you all ready have it planned.

You also just spend an hour a week to plan out what you’re going to eat that week instead of spending an hour plus everyday thinking of what is for dinner, and what you are going to feed your family.

Once you get in a good groove of meal planning it will be easier and take less time. Which means now you have freed up more time to do other things! You can do something else on your to do list or an activity for your kids!

Reduces stress:

It truly can be so darn stressful having to worry about thinking of every meal you’re going to feed your family. When you plan out your meals you do not have to stress all day about what to pull out of the freezer for dinner or how to combine the random ingredients in your pantry to make something your toddler will actually eat.

This makes life easier to just know oh you know what tonight is chicken enchiladas let me pull out the chicken. You can cross that off your to do list, and then continue on your day. Not having to sit here and worry about dinner, will relief stress.

Anything that makes my life easier and reduces stress from my day is a win win. I love having less on my plate so I can spend more times with my sweet girls.

Helps save money:

Grocery budget is truly my week spot when it comes to groceries. When I go into a store with no plan and just buy what sounds good or what I think I can do with a certain ingredient I will over spend every. Single. Time. I can not help myself. Will I eat all these snack? Yes. Do I need them? No..

So when I have a set list, and a solid plan I can keep inside my budget. AND if I do grocery pick up I also come in under budget. What a freaking win am I right? Any extra I save in the grocery budget goes to my Starbucks fund, so I am always happy.

Meal planning can also reduce how much you eat out. I get how coinvent it is to just get take out if you can not think of anything to make, or if you took too long to decide and now the meat doesn’t have any time to thaw, or any number of reasons that dinner did not happen so just ordering or going out sounds soooo nice.

But it is not as nice for your wallet or budget, but having a plan will help you have less reason to go out to eat and spend more money then you need to. It is amazing! And now you can put that money towards something else.

Track your favorite meals:

When you write down and meal plan what you have to eat that week it is super easy to look back. Right? And when you look back you can remember or make note of what meals were a major hit!

I keep track in my recipe book of what my families favorites are. I try to make one of the favorites every week as well as try a new recipe once a week too. This way if we find a new favorite I can also add it into the rotation of favorite meals.

Also, I have at least one crock pot meal a week, and I double it so that I can freeze it. Then I have one freezer meal per week. It is just nice to have a rotation and a meal already prepped and just needing to be thawed.

This makes my life genuinely easier. Which I adore.

Just start:

Meal planning may seem super stressful, where do you start? How do you start something that might change how you do your daily life? Well as unhelpful as it sounds, you just need to start.

That may look different for everyone. Maybe you meal plan for just 3 days to start, or maybe you just jump right in for all 7 days. I like to write in pencil in my planner what I plan to make for that day of the week. BUT I write it down in pencil because I most likely will move around what we have that night.

When you decide to meal plan, it can be so overwhelming. Just takes it in bite size bits.

Think about time:

I don’t know about you but before I meal planned I would just cook what I thought sounded/easy or good that night. I for sure did not think about how much time it would take to make or bake it. So dinner time was sporadic. I would start at 4 but some recipes take a lot longer so I wasn’t done until 6 or later.

Yikes right? My poor kids and husband would be either starving or we would eat at about 4:15. It was a mess. I knew I wanted a set dinner time, so when I switched to meal planning, I would note how long the recipe said it would take.

This helped me keep a schedule for me and meal times. I found when I did this I noticed I had more time, because I knew how long and what I needed to do for dinner. So I could plan the day accordingly. Or if I knew I was going to have a super busy day one night this week, I could easily just swap a longer more complicated recipe for an easy or short one.

How I meal plan:

When you get into your own groove then your process may look much different than mine and that is important. You do not need to use my strategy to a t, because maybe it does not work well for you. But I know that looking at others methods can be helpful and give you inspiration. SO here is how I plan our meals.

• I pick a day each week, I do my grocery pick up on Thursdays, but I plan the meals out on Wednesday. So I need about 7 meals planned.

• Pantry cook, before sitting down I will look in the freezer, pantry, and fridge about what I already have and needs to be used up.

• Once I take note on what I have, I go to my hard back cook books. My favorites are Brenda Gantt which I will link here and my Gooseberry Patch book which I will link here. And my own recipe book for one of our favorites.

  I like to look through my hard copy books and plan out what I think sounds good. I do one of our favorite meals once a week, so I look through what I have starred and made note as a favorite.

• Now once I have picked from my cook books and my recipes. I turn to some of my favorite blogs or pinterest.

  I recently found a blog called Sally’s Baking Addiction and I am obsessed with her recipes. I will link her here. Another one of my favorites is Spaceships and Laserbeams, linked here. Baking with Josh and Ange, linked here. And Honeysuckle linked here.

  These are my favorite places online to look for dinners. If I still have slots that I need to fill for dinner I turn to the always wonderful Pinterest.

• Once I have all of my recipes planned out, I go to the Wal-mart app and I order on a grocery pick up and order what ingredients I may be missing and then I grab some staples I may need. Like milk, eggs, flour. We bake alot so we grow through these ingredients often. I also get snacks for my husbands job, and the kids about every other week and portion them out so that they last longer.

• When I do an online pick up I know that I save money. I have a hard time going into the store and not wanting everything in there. I love to eat guys!

That is how I meal plan! I sometimes will ask my husband if he wants something specific. I also will look at the schedule next week to make sure that I will have time to make the meals that I have picked out.

Conclusion:

Meal planning may seem super daunting and stressful, but truly it will simplify your life. You will have more time, more money, and less stress. Planning your dinners is such a blessing and will become such a great part of your week.

These tips are simple yet effective. Freeing up your life as a mom is so amazing! You got this momma.

What is your go to dinner?

8 Ways To have Patience with your Kids

As a mom, having patience is crucial. Kids melt down, have behaviors, and need a lot of attention. Which is normal, but doesn’t mean it isn’t any-less over stimulating as a parent.

But as a parent you of course want to be the best you can and also be the most patient momma. Having kids can be trying, don’t get me wrong it’s the BEST and sometimes the worst.. so keeping as much patience during the bad days is handy dandy.

Now it’s so much easier to say oh I want to be a super patient mom and then actually having the skills is harder. Kids are blessings and the best challenges ever.

They push you to expand your thoughts, your patience, how you see things, and how you react. So having tools in your toolbox to help you maintain your emotions and patience is amazing.

Here are the tools I put in my toolbox to help me be the patient Mom I want to be for my little ones.

1. Make Room for Connection:

Having time carved out that is there for just you and your kids is so important. They may be having behaviors, or are really clingy because they are striving to get your attention. Kids do need you and it seems like they want you ALL the time. But if you do make sure you show them that they are a priority and you have space for them.

Making room in your busy schedule will never be a negative thing for you or your kiddos. They are only little once, and spending some time of your time every day for one on one connection will be worth it.

Knowing what your kiddo likes to do will help you think of ideas to spend some quality time with your baby. Reading is my go to, when my kids need sometime with me I love to just sit down and read. Here is the link to a list of 50 of our favorite books to read.

2. Time for You:

You can not give to others if you do not give to yourself. Momma do not feel bad about filling your bucket before you start pouring into others. There is nothing to feel guilty about when you give yourself time and some self love.

Making sure that you spend some time just for yourself so that you have patience to give. If you do not have patience with yourself how can you be a great example to your kiddos. It is good for you kids to see Mom has patience with herself, and people around her.

Finding ways that you relax and can refuel yourself is crucial to being a patient Momma. It took me a while to find things that I can do through out the day to refill my bucket. Because your time is not your own anymore, but there is simple things we can find.

A way that I find time for myself is after the kids go to bed, I read a book, do a puzzle, or some sort of art project. It is a nice and calming activity that I look forward to and think about when things are chaotic.

3. Know your Stressors:

Oh boy, kids can be challenging, and being aware of the things that will over stimulate you is important. Then you can know that things are not bad, you’re just a person, and somethings may send you over the edge more than others.

For me, a ton of kids screaming overstimulates me (not infants for some reason, but screaming from 18 months on just overrides my brain). Of course, now screaming is a part of parenting. Kids yell and throw fits. It is not wrong, it is how they express things and how they show their feelings.

Knowing that this is not wrong and it will be okay. I remind myself that I am just overstimulated and need break is all. For some reason, knowing that something stresses you out can help you find coping skills for those situations.

When you know what will send you over the edge, then you can create a list of ways to calm down in the moment. It helps you identify those coping skills to help you stay a patient mom.

4. Take a Break:

As Moms we often convince ourselves that we do not need or deserve breaks. How that is the farthest thing from the truth. When you are a mom you are on call 24/7 and its often overlooked. When you start to feel your patience wane away take a deep breath and take a break.

When my 3 year old is having a hard time regulating her feelings we take a break in her room until she feels a bit better. Why should it be any different? If you are overwhelmed or having a hard time regulating taking a break is a great way to reset.

It does not need to be some long time, maybe just 3 minutes of a break can help restore some of the patience we need to raise our sweet kiddos!

5. Have a Reset Routine:

Ever since we got a reset routine it has changed our lives so drastically. Basically if we had a bad morning/ afternoon we do something to reset. Those events do not need to define our entire day.

Having a bad morning does not mean you had a bad day. Our reset routine is getting Starbucks, if we are having a tough go of it we go get a drink and some pup cups and then try again. By doing this we reset our feelings and then we just start again.

It has changed so much of how I see parenting. Yes things can be stressful but we can just reset it, go back to square one, and start again. I love it. It has helped me salvage so many days. It wasn’t a bad day just a tough moment and we reset and kept going!

6. Change Locations:

Maybe if you are at home, go to the park. Run to the grocery store. Changing your scenery is a great way to change the pace and help maybe calm you and your kiddos down. Being cooped up is no good for anyone.

Cabin fever is a real thing, and my kids definitely get it. And you don’t even have to leave your house to change locations. If you are having a lot of fits in the living room try moving to the kitchen and making some cookies.

If you guys are melting a lot in the kitchen, try playing outside instead. Changing your location can help both you and your kids reset your patience for the day. And maybe even will change how the theme of the day is going.

7. Remember the Season:

So this one can double as the weather season and also the season of life. We have some more meltdowns in the winter than any other season, I am sure that it is because we do not play outside as much. Colorado winters get cold! And I get an influx of cases at work so I have to work a tad bit more.

In winter, I just prepare myself that we may need more resets, and that we will be having some extra big feeling because we are not getting a ton of vitamin D or playing outside and getting energy out.

Also, remember that this is just a season of life. Your kids will not throw fits forever, they will not make these messes all the time. They do grow up, and this is just a passing season.

The phrase the days are long but the years are short is SO SO real. I try to embrace that while my kids need my attention ALL the time, and definitely throw some fits. This will pass and I know I will miss them being so little. I will miss the mess and miss the sound of their little feet scampering around and being as busy as can be.

8. Journal, Write down good memories:

It can be so fulfilling and relaxing to write down the things that do go well with your kiddos. It is easy to get caught up in the negative, especially if the negative is really loud (literally, fits are not quiet). But when we take the time to see the good, we will be able to see the good more.

Seeing the good in parenting will help us through the bad parts of parenting. I love sitting down at the end of the day and just putting down our day one paper and then looking back on it a year later helps me notice that oh boy that was a fun season.

For some reason focusing on the good really refuels my patience bucket. Just try it. I promise you will not regret writing down the good memories and filling your bucket.

Conclusion:

Patience is crucial with parenting, but hard to sometimes come by. Putting tools in your tool box so that you can be a more patient parent is so important. Learning and tryin different ways to get and keep patience isn’t hard. BUT it does require practice and trial and error.

If you have a bad day do not fret. Go to bed, reset and try again. We have been blessed with more days than just one. We can just start again in the morning and try to be the best you can be. Kids are forgiving and just love you.

So don’t worry, if you have a bad day with little to no patience but try the next day you will get better. It may be hard to see in the moment, but in a couple months you will be able to look back and say “Hey! I tried to gain patience and a reset routine and I did it”

You totally got this Momma!!! Keep your head up, you’re doing amazing.

How to Set New Year Resolutions as a Mom:

As a busy mom of 2 almost 3 I find it very easy to set new goals but not as easy to keep them going. This is especially true for my New Year Resolutions. There is something SO nice about the idea of a clean slate. The new year offers that clean slate automatically.

But keeping those resolutions is difficult, most resolutions are abandoned in February. We do not want to do that! I want to be the best Mom, wife, and person I can be. I know I can look back on the year, find where I fell short and change it in this next year. So can you!!!

You can set realistic and doable goals by following/thinking about these next few tips. They are not overcomplicated can help you stay focused on the goal of changing something you want to see a change in this New Year. You got this Momma!

Choose a Word:

For this tip, think of just one simple word that you want to focus on for a goal. This will break your goals down into a category and you can even make 2023 the year for changing multiple things for the category. Maybe you want to change several things about the way you parent. So you could pick the category of parenting and find all the goals that you have!

Some examples of categories that you could pick from are:

• Parenting

• Home

• Cleaning

• Cooking

• Budgeting

• Fitness

The list ideas are endless. Just pick one category in your life that you want to create one goal around. You can have multiple goals for the same group. It is just nice to have a section to put your goals.

Picking on a word/area to focus on is very helpful to just simplify the goals for your New Year Resolutions. As a young mom with 2 young girls, and another baby on the way, I LOVE to find ways to make my life simpler but also help it move forward in a direction that I love.

How to think of them:

So once you pick a focus word for your New Year Resolution it will be much easer to pick a goal. I’ll give you an example. Say I picked Cooking as my category that I want to work on this year. I can think about several different resolution ideas and pick one that really stands out for me.

• Eat out less

• Include the kids in planning meals

• Eat less junk

• Prepare healthier meals

• Food prep on Sundays

These are just some examples for one category. In this new year I want to bake more bread so that we do not have to buy it at the store anymore. I specifically LOVE sourdough, so for me a goal I have this year is to learn to make sourdough and bake it often.

Finding a goal that is very meaningful for you and your family is the best. Making a goal that is important to you personally will also help you encourage you to maintain that goal and help you be focused on the end goal.

I think homemade bread just tastes so much better and I want that in our lives more. So that will keep me focused. I want to add this to my kids lives and that motivates me. Find something that motivates you!

How to Keep them:

Create a step by step plan when you make your goals. This will help you simplify what you need to do and make it less overwhelming. As a mom of young kids I find it very helpful to break things down into bite size tasks. Breaking things down may help you even keep the goal going and motivated. Let’s go back to my bread goal.

My steps for this goal could be:

• look into bread recipes

• pick 3 and try them,

• find which one I like most

• make it weekly/as we need.

This is not some crazy complicated plan for my goal but just a few simple steps that will make the goal not be so overwhelming. I can gradually add this into our normal life without rocking the boat too much. Try to find what works best for you. Start slow to find out what does work best for you and your family.

That is really what matters, taking things and adapting them for YOU. You do not need to fit into a box and do what others are doing. Find a goal you like, and make steps that you can keep.

What to Remember:

Rome was not built in a day so expecting yourself to immediately have this huge change is unrealistic. Momma, remember to give yourself grace in this season. If you are trying to change something don’t forget you do not need to be perfect in that thing. Just continue to try.

Keeping in mind that even if we fall short of goal does not mean we failed or that we need to give up! Lasting change takes time, this is no different. Do not beat yourself up for having a day where you forget to do your goal, or don’t get it done. Just keep trying and don’t stop trying!

When you stop trying is when you fail. Dedication is important when making a new goal and keeping it.

Display goals:

Displaying your goals somewhere where you can see them each day will help remind and motivate you to keep going. Try making a vision board or just a photo of the goal. For my bread goal I could print out a cute picture of sourdough and hang it in my office to remind me to not give up and make our own bread.

Being able to see your goal/resultion can make sure you do not lose sight of the task at hand and what you are trying different. Pinterest is a great place for inspiration and vision boards.

Take a moment, sit down and figure out how you can display your resolution in your home so you can be reminded. This could even be a page with just a list of your new year resolutions. Have fun in creating a way for you to visually see your goal.

Dont give up! You got this!

15 Gift Ideas for 3 Year Old Girl

There should be no worry buying gifts for the little girls in your life! There is thoughtful and fun gifts without having the break the bank! I am adament about our budget, but our girls have plenty of toys and we always have gifts for the little loves in our lives. These are some of my absolute favorite finds this year for our girls.

Don’t over think the gifts, they are just a child and you are doing your best. These gifts are sure to win a great reaction from you littles in your life.

Without further ado here is the list I have created for gifts for a young girl under $30.

Now disclaimer, the prices may change on these, but when I was shopping they were all under $30.

The link for this cute shopping cart is here. This is one of my daughters favorite toys, they play with it everyday.

The link for this Barbie is here. Barbie is such a classic and a great gift option

The link for the Bee Activity is here. This is a great fine motor activity as well as a cute toy for them to love on.

The link for the dog toys is here. This is such a fun one if your kiddo loves animals.

The link for the stroller is here. They will love to walk around and play house.

The link for the princess tent is here. This makes a perfect fort for you little love.

The link for the baby doll is here. Baby dolls are a classic that not disappoint.

The link for the lite-brite is here. Another fine motor skill activity that can entertain for hours.

The link for Polly Pockets is here. Make sure your kids are okay with small toys with this one. But this is also a classic they will love.

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The link for the farm cornhole game is here. This activity helps with gross motor and is a ton of fun!

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The link for the build a garden is here. Spark their creativity with this simple and entertaining toy.

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The link for the interlocking building blocks is here. The options for this toy are endless, your little love will just adore it!

The link for the alphabet fish puzzle is here. Help your kiddo learn their ABCs with this fun fish magnet puzzle!

The link for the magnetic blocks is here. These will be a huge hit as a gift for your kids.

The link for the Doctor Set is here. Your little girl will love being able to play Doctor.