Oct
2017

How to Automate Your Most Hated Household Chores

categories: LIVING

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How Many Household Chores Could You Automate? (Infographic)

by Natalie Atterbury | Love2Laundry

Always swamped with an endless to-do list? Always got a pile of laundry sitting in your back room which you keep putting off? Always forgetting things due to a hectic lifestyle? Make it easier on yourself and make time for the more important things in life by automating your household chores with technology. Sounds too good to be true right? Well, believe it or not, there’s now plenty of chore management apps and digital services out there that can really help you out.

With technology now booming more than ever, it’s time to make the most of what’s available to you and use it to your advantage. With cleaning the house, ironing, taking out the bins and washing the dishes amongst the most disliked household chores, you can pretty much get an app for any household chore these days. Although technology can’t physically pick up the vacuum and clean the carpet for you, it’s pretty close! What are you waiting for?

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Sep
2017

Financial Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make When You Have Young Children

categories: MONEY

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Avoid these seven common financial mistakes that families make all the time. Knowledge is power and you can learn from the savings mistakes made by others.

 

Financial Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make When You Have Young Children

by Josh Wilson | Personal Finance Blogger

 

Becoming a parent for the first time is an exciting — and overwhelming — time. The practical aspects of preparing for a new addition can be daunting.

This is particularly true when you combine the emotional ups and downs of saying goodbye to one chapter of your life with the advent of an entirely new chapter. In the process, many new parents forget a crucial aspect of preparing for their little ones: financial planning.

While it may not seem like an obvious item on the new to-do list, having a game plan for your money is critical to ensure that you stay on track with your financial goals. Read on to learn more about how you can avoid some common financial mistakes that many new parents make when they welcome a child into their family.

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Sep
2017

How To Find Cheap Jogging Strollers

categories: Parenting

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Tips to find cheap jogging strollers for the mom & baby on a budget. These strollers are a must-have for the postpartum mama trying to lose the baby weight!

by Sarah Snyder-Castañeda | Parenting Blogger

I’m not going to lie – I use my stroller for way more than its intended purpose. I use it to unload groceries, I put my child in it and walk around the house to entertain her. Let’s face it – strollers can become a pretty important staple in our lives. Whether you are expecting your first child or fifth, you may have wondered if you need a jogging stroller.

I’m going to argue that you don’t need one, but once you’ve tried one, you’re not going to want to go back. And contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be a jogger to appreciate them! While baby stuff is expensive, there are ways to ease the burden of buying a jogging stroller. Here are a few of my favorite tricks and tips for doing that.

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Aug
2017

A Guide to Personal Finance for Young Families

categories: MONEY

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Check out this guide to personal finance for young families. You will find out how to create a quick and easy financial plan for your family. Includes tips on coordinating family meetings to create a quick & easy budget, the best savings apps, saving for college, and more. Great tips & tricks for frugal living when you are just starting out after an expensive wedding, buying your first home or having a baby.

A Guide to Personal Finance for Young Families

by Jacob Evans | Personal Finance Blogger

 

When you find that special someone you love, you can get caught up in having a wedding, buying a house, or even having children, and your finances can get pushed way down on your priority list. This can really hurt your family in the long run, though.

 

While personal finance is important for everyone, it’s an especially important part of starting a family. You need to make sure you’re thinking about everyone’s needs in the short term with a budget but also in the long term by putting some money in savings.

 

Don’t be afraid to talk finances.

The most important thing when it comes to managing finances as a family is to maintain open communication about money. A lot of people just have anxiety around money. Money makes them feel nervous or ashamed.  But it really is the first step to getting on the right foot as a family.

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Jul
2017

Why Stay At Home Moms Have It Easy

categories: Mom Life

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Why the Stay-at-Home-Mom Has it Easy | Frugal Nesting | This is why I think being a Stay-At-Home-Mom is not actually the most difficult job. There is one specific reason. Let me know what you think.

 

Stop…Call off the Mob!

 

Yes, I realize that is a CRAZY thing to say, but I knew it would get your attention!  And it worked didn’t it?  Now before you get too angry with me and go on the defensive please hear me out.

 

Some of My Best Friends are Stay-At-Home-Moms

 

My own mother was a stay-at-home-mom and I couldn’t be more thankful for having that amazing experience growing up.  I saw just how hard she worked to run our household like a well-oiled machine.  And I saw how challenging it was for her.  Yet she did it with skill and grace and made it look easy.

 

So, no… of course being a stay-at-home-mom isn’t actually EASY.  Being a parent is hard work.  And being at home with the little ragamuffins and away from regular adult interaction all day is even more difficult.

 

Then pile on taking care of everything that goes into running a household.  Including cleaning, groceries, schedules, entertaining, and on and on.  All that “mental load” stuff is exhausting.

 

So please know that I am the first to agree that being a stay-at-home-mom is worth AT LEAST the $143,102 per year that Salary.com estimates.

 

But Wait There’s More

 

Then what if you had to do ALL of that (household management) PLUS work 40 hours per week, commute, AND pay someone else to raise your children?  Who in their right mind would do that?

 

But that is exactly what many working moms are expected to do.  All while carrying the ever present mom guilt and constantly hearing how being a stay-at-home-mom is the hardest job there is.  But no kudos for the working mom.

 

So I’m standing up in an effort to rock the boat and tell you why stay-at-home-moms have it easy. Or at least maybe ‘easy-er’.

 

More than anything it boils down to one thing and that is TIME.

 

Related Reading

3 Things You Need To Do BEFORE Date Night As A New Mom

The Unique Way We Pay for Childcare

 

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Jun
2017

The 10 Best Quick + Easy Cleaning Guides on Pinterest

categories: LIVING

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A curation of my very favorite quick & easy cleaning guides from Pinterest. These are perfect for every scenario from a quick pickup to spring deep cleaning!

 

Cleaning is so NOT my favorite thing to do, however, I want my house to be spotless.  Clearly, those two things don’t go together.  So I figured I have two options:

1 | Hire a cleaning lady

2 | Get my lazy butt up and do it myself

And since we are trying so very hard to be frugal and stay on a budget I just couldn’t justify hiring someone to come in and clean up after me.  So left option number two: do it my darn self.

But how?  Now, of course, I know how to clean…I’ve been doing it since I was just a kid.  But what is the BEST way?


Jun
2017

DIY Girls Room Decor Inspiration

categories: LIVING

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I love, love, love decorating!  There’s no way to get around it!  And I also love DIY projects…so fun!  These are some incredibly creative DIY girls room ideas that I’ve come across online and fallen in love with.  Check them out for supplies, instructions + tutorials.

You know that if I ever have a daughter I will be decorating her room using all of these ideas!  And I may just try some out for myself!  Moms, surprise your tween or teenage daughter with a bedroom makeover. College students, make your dorm room like home with a few of these super cute ideas!

 

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Jun
2017

The One Creative Thing Every Pregnant Mom Should Do

categories: BLOG, Pregnancy

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If you are a newly pregnant mom this is one of the first things you should do for yourself. It's so important to document your journey and maintain a method of self-care.

A Creative Idea for Every Pregnant Mom

Hey, Mama!  I am so excited for you…congratulations!  I am one of those crazy gals who truly loved being pregnant and I so hope it’s the same for you!

Pregnancy is such a wild time filled with excitement mixed with anxiety. Add to that a million questions about the unknown and some serious planning and you’ve got a lot on your plate as a newly pregnant mom!

One other thing that I recommend you add to the list is starting your very own personal blog right now.  And, “Why?” you might ask.  Well, I have some very good reasons for you!

Self Care Journaling

Pregnancy is such a crazy time.  It’s like a hormonal & emotional rollercoaster.  So self-care is truly vital for the well-being of every pregnant mom.

One great outlet for self-care is journaling.  And as much as we would all love to be those bullet journal people…for many of us it’s just not realistic.  However, journaling online is a much more sustainable option.

And blogging is, in many ways, like a form of online journaling.  It’s such a cathartic outlet to release your thoughts, emotions, struggles, and elation as you navigate these 40-ish weeks.  And doing so online is so simple and easy to maintain.

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Jun
2017

10 Ways to Beat the Heat with Kids

categories: LIVING

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Summer vacation without air conditioning is no fun...particularly when you are a parent. Check out these creative ways to beat the heat with kids. 

 

It is definitely getting to be summer time around here!  We just enjoyed a lovely Memorial Day weekend exploring our beautiful Pacific Northwest!  And it got HOT!  Which got me thinking about how challenging it can be to beat the heat with kids!

 

This year will be even more of a challenge for us than previous years because all of the boys will be home this summer!  GQ won’t be at daycare anymore since MR was able to ditch his 9-to-5 thanks to the success of his Uber side hustle!

 

It’s great for the family, but I’m sure they will both miss the air conditioning!

 

Why no air conditioning you ask?  Because we live in Seattle where air conditioning is the exception, not the rule.  Crazy, I know!  Particularly since we are both Mid-West transplants who grew up with A/C!

 

Related Reading

3 Things You Need To Do BEFORE Date Night As A New Mom

The Unique Way We Pay for Childcare

 

So what do we do?  Well…we get creative!  Below you will find a list of unique ways that we have found to beat the heat with kids!  So if you’re air-conditioning deprived like us I recommend giving these a try!  Or even if you just want to add some activities to your summer bucket list!

 

SPRAYGROUND

 

A sprayground (or splash pad/splash pool) is the modern version of heading to the neighborhood pool!  A sprayground is like a water playground.  They are typically creatively designed non-slip hardscapes with various types of sprinklers, sprayers, fountains, wade pools and other water nozzled features!

 

These are AWESOME on a hot & sunny day!  You don’t have to get in with your kids and there is no fear of drowning!  I feel like it’s much easier to just pick up & head to the sprayground that to pack up & plan a trip to the pool.

We only recently discovered these, but they are the best thing ever!  Here’s a  LOCAL LIST just in case you happen to live near us here Western Washington!

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May
2017

Bottle Refusal Solutions for Breastfed Babies

categories: Breastfeeding
Bottle Refusal

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Bottle Refusal: How To Get a Breastfed Baby to Take a Bottle. Tips to help you return to work from maternity leave or just go out of the house for a bit!

 

Preparing to Go Back to Work

Going back to work after maternity leave is one of the most difficult things a new mom will face.  There are so many emotions that come along with that transition.  You may feel like you are abandoning your baby.  Will their caregiver care for them properly?  What if something happens?  What if they forget you or you miss all of their milestones?  Those are just a tiny sampling of the thoughts that might race through your head.

There are so many things to think about and plan for.  But one of the things that you may not consider is how your baby will be fed in your absence.  Many moms who have been on maternity leave have been exclusively nursing and are confident in their choice to pump and continue to nurse after going back to work.  Bottle refusal is not even on their radar.

That was me.  And as my return to work date approached I was definitely dreading it. But making sure my baby was fed was not something I was particularly concerned about.  In fact, I’d never even heard of bottle refusal before.  That is until I had to go for a hair appointment about 2 weeks before returning to work.

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