Category: Motherhood

Two Simple Hacks to Declutter Toys

Want to know how to declutter your children’s toys with two simple hacks? Stay tuned because I will go into detail of how I do so. Moms if any of you are like me I have a love/hate relationship with toys. I would like to get rid of them all but what type of mom would I be.

I’m not going to lie I hate for toys to be all over the place. With three children it’s never ending because it’s like I clean up just for them to mess it right up.

Recently I’ve changed the ways I declutter my children’s toys and today I am going to share my simple hacks. Moms some of you probably already do this but I want to explain in detail why I declutter this way.

Two Simple Hacks

  1. Dispose of loose toys
  2. Donate/giveaway toys that are no longer in use

First Hack

When I go through the kids toys I typically put everything on the floor. I start with toys that are together or look like they have everything and nothing missing. It helps that way because the loose toys will be left on the floor. Immediately I know that they are loose toys that serve no purpose anymore.

This is the part where it gets tricky. To avoid any confusion with my children I allow them to help me with this step. I do it this way to make them feel like they are apart of the process. I find this way helpful so they won’t feel like mommy is just trashing all of their toys.

Second Hack

I clean house every so often. Usually when I clean house I am going through things the kids have outgrown and toys that they just don’t play with anymore. For instance, my baby girl has a walker that she no longer uses. I plan to clean it up and donate it or give it to someone I know that needs it.

If you are a mom who struggles to find places to donate to I would recommend checking with your local county or state resources. I would search for shelters, church’s or even schools and see how you can donate items you may have.

With having three children I’ve learned that buying new gadgets becomes pointless.

Why?

As a parent I feel like when you have more than one child you start to buy the same things over and over and so it only makes sense to recycle a lot of the gadgets. For instance, walkers, swings and rockers can be kept around if you are planning to have more children. Now if you know for a fact that children are not in your future than I don’t see a problem with giving them away to someone that may be in immediate need of such items.

Every few months is when I declutter the kids toys because that’s when I usually swap out old things with new things. The funny thing is I don’t buy toys for my kids they usually get them on birthdays and holidays but I don’t allow them to open them all. They end up having these toys throughout the year and if I feel they deserve to open a new one I remind them of where they got the toy from.

These are the two simple hacks I use to declutter my children’s toys and if you have been trying to figure out the easiest way to declutter your children’s toys try these two hacks out and let me know your thoughts?

How I Survived My First Day Working at a Childcare Center?

Well Moms want to know how I survived my first day working at a Childcare Center?

I hope so.

My two youngest attend the Childcare Center.

Yikes right?

So before clocking in on my first day I didn’t know what to expect. By that, I mean not having experience working in a  childcare center I didn’t know if I would totally like being around the children, as though, I am a mother of three and I struggle to find time for self.

Boy was I wrong?

I love it! Even though I only work two days a week. Interacting with the children is definitely a joy.

As a working mother being physically present in the childcare center where your children attend is so different from just dropping/picking your child up from school. I found that being physically present you spend time to know more about your child in an educational setting while interacting with other children in their classroom. Most importantly, you get to know the staff in the childcare center and understand more about functionally of the center.

My middle child was so happy when he seen that I was assisting in his class that he automatically assumed he would get special treatment because I’m his mother. I had to cut that off real quick. He got treated just like the other’s.

P.S. This was the two year old class that I was in and let me just say moms talking to about 14 two year old’s is a never ending battle. They stay hungry. They stay thirsty. If they could eat and drink all day they would. Now I understand why the concept of assigned breakfast/lunch/afternoon snack exist. Most children are use to getting food/drinks when they feel like it but at school it’s more like a reward. It takes time for most children to get use to the assigned time schedule but they grow to like the idea of it because they really don’t have a choice.

As a parent, my son can eat all day and so having assigned blocks for food/drink cuts down on any opportunities to ask for it and it controls his body intake of food/drinks. We all know that the more they consume the more waste comes out which means more diapers or pull ups or bathroom trips. Any parent that buys pampers/pull-ups that’s an expense I’m sure we all can’t wait to do away with.

As I arrived to the childcare center I watched over the children as they took their nap and were to wake up shortly. After waking up they put up their cots and blankets. Snack is at three o’clock everyday so once they awake from their nap they are anticipating their snack. From snack they have circle/learning time and at about four fifteen they go outside until all the children are gone.

Because I come in the later part of the afternoon I am not present for most of their mornings which consist of educational material that is planned by the lead teacher. The afternoons are more relaxed but still educational.

I really believe now that parents (mothers/fathers) should spend at least 2-4 hours a month in their children’s class or as a floater at their school.

In this generation, as parents it’s important to be active in our children’s education because it let’s them know at an early age that it’s important. Consistency is key when setting an example around your child/children.

Mom’s do you volunteer at your children’s school? If so, what do you do?

Mom’s have you ever worked at a childcare center? If so, when and are you still there? If not, what made you leave?

I’m glad I could share this experience with you all and I look forward to many more stories similar.

Leave any comments below!!

 

 

Are You Seeking Breastfeeding Support?

Are You Seeking Breastfeeding Support?

Well I can definitely help you with that.

Or are you someone that looks down upon breastfeeding?

Have you turned your face up at a mother breastfeeding her baby before?

Why does the boob bother people so much when it’s being used to give a small one nutrients?

Well It Looks Like Our Government Has Agreed On A Breastfeeding Resolution.

 

 

Yes or No.

Well being a breastfeeding mother I guess. I need answers about what was the issue before the passing of the new law to make breastfeeding in public legal.

To some this may be the best news ever but for me it’s no biggie.

Thought #1: I Can’t Feed My Hungry Baby!!

I would assume this statement was for or from someone who can’t or couldn’t afford to buy formula for their little ones. Being a breastfeeding mother I have yet to say I can’t feed my hungry baby!

You want to know why?

To be honest, if I am out and about and baby girl is hungry I will definitely whip out my boob in a polite manner and feed baby girl because that’s what a breastfeeding mother would do. As long as I can produce milk my baby will eat from my boobs until stated otherwise.

A few places where I have fed baby girl with no cover up:

*restaurant

*in line at a place of business

*in my car

*at the mall

*on the airplane

*on the beach

*in a public bathroom

Have You Heard About The New Law Regarding Breastfeeding?

I promise I never knew it was illegal to do such a thing. It amazes me to think that feeding my baby from my boob makes other’s uncomfortable. Call me insensitive if you want but really some people just need to grow up. For example, men if you seen a woman in public feeding her baby how would you react? I am hoping that you would respect the mother but I know that some men would get disrespectful because they would take it as the woman is seeking attention. Not sure how feeding a baby is attention seeking but some will try to argue the point.

Reasons Why I Breastfeed?

For those that don’t know I am a mother of three and my breastfeeding story with all three of my children are completely different. After learning the importance of breastfeeding I made sure to educate myself of the benefits for myself and my children. The benefits are amazing and I wouldn’t have it no other way. For example, my 8 month old baby girl has yet to get sick or anything which is one of the benefits of being breastfed. Not one ear infection, cold, etc. I say all this to say mother’s sometimes when we educate ourselves on certain topics you become knowledgeable which sometimes changes your way of thinking. I am not trying to offend anyone so if you are a mother who feeds your baby formula this is not to shade you but to also encourage you to try something new as well. I will say breastfeeding is time consuming but tell me anything that’s good for you that is NOT time consuming!

I promise not to rant on and on about this but I wanted to throw my two cents in about the passing of breastfeeding in public now being legal because the government said so.

Mother’s I would love your input on this topic. Let’s talk!!

Continue reading Are You Seeking Breastfeeding Support?

I AM STRUGGLING… Please help!

Being a mother how do you handle time management?
Not in a million years did I think being a mother was EASY!
I knew it came with challenges, sad days and good days.
Now being a mother of three children I have experienced the challenges, sad days and good days of being a MOTHER.
Some days I have to put what I want to accomplish on the back burner to care for my children. Most days I say bump this and get to work on what I need to do. Is it hard? Yes most definitely. UPDATE: Now having a six month old whose schedule is very unpredictable is my first challenge. She still sleeps a lot and if she is not sleep she is up talking baby talk or eating. I am currently breastfeeding so she eats every three hours. My second challenge is my day to day with my one year old. UPDATE: He is two weeks away from being two years old. He is into everything. He likes electronics so he thinks he can use my cell phone, iPad or computer at any time. He has the weirdest eating habits. He likes o walk around the house with no diaper. I started potty training him but I must say it’s HARD. Remember my oldest is a five years old and I promise I potty trained her within a week. He don’t like to sit on his potty. We have had some boo boos. My oldest is in school during the day but when she comes home it’s another story. She is my big helper. Despite being a kid herself she has her ways but what kid doesn’t. It’s a daily struggle but I wouldn’t change it.
Time management is currently something I am working on. We all know that little ones have their own schedules. No matter how much you plan there will be breaks in between. I am a very detailed and organized person but sometimes I can get ahead of myself and try to do too much at once. i know I’m not the only person that does that.
I find myself stuck because I am trying to figure out what is most important and should be done first.
I believe in taking charge of every single minute you can. My daily to do list has every minute accounted for. When I create my to do list I anticipate I can follow it from start to finish. Boy do I trick myself. Most days I forget I am one person. I promise having a clone would help me out so much. So much for wishful thinking. Despite it all us mothers get it all done.
I say all this to say if you are a mother who is struggling to manage your children and work hang in there. You are not alone.

Breastfeeding Month: Guest Post #3

{Disclosure: My posts may contain affiliate links. If you use them I will receive commissions, at no extra cost to you.}
 
 
We hope you all enjoyed our first guest post on breastfeeding. Here I will be introducing our third guest post of the month.
 
 

Guest Blogger: Rachel Scott

 

 
3 facts about Guest: She has a 9 month old little girl, started her own blog to become a work at home mother and she is a wife of a veteran.


When I was growing up, and even when I was pregnant, all I heard was how important breastfeeding was for your child. Breast is best. That’s what they always told me. Breastfeeding was also the cheaper option (which was great for a family of one income and an Army Retirement). I expected that everyone would be open to me breastfeeding my daughter, but I was wrong.
 
I will never forget the day I was talking with my coworkers about being pregnant and everything that I needed before maternity leave. My boss, who is a women, looked at me and said, “You’re not planning on breastfeeding, are you?” She said this like it was a bad thing, like it would inconvenience the office if I did. I smiled and said that I was, but I was confused since this was supposed to be the best option. Our HR department still found a place for me to pump and I planned out when I would pump through out the day.
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Once my daughter was born, she had no problem latching. In fact, she was a cluster feeder. This meant that she would nurse every 30 to 45 minutes day and night. I thought for sure that I wasn’t making enough milk, but then I ended up with mastitis because I was producing too much. I expected this to mean I would be pumping enough at work for my daughters 4oz per bottle. I was wrong.
 
Turns out, you pump less than your child would eat. By the time I stopped nursing, my daughter was eating 30oz a day and I was only pumping 6oz to 8oz. We were having to supplement so much anyway that I just decided to stop breastfeeding. My healthy 9 month old is doing just fine on formula and weighing almost 21 pounds. It’s not that breast is best, fed is best.
 
 
Thank you for sharing your story with us Rachel!
Check out Rachel’s blog: www.tryingnottogocrazy.com



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Breastfeeding Month: Guest Post #2

{Disclosure: My posts may contain affiliate links. If you use them I will receive commissions, at no extra cost to you.}
 
 

We hope you all enjoyed our first guest post on breastfeeding. Here I will be introducing our second guest post of the month.


Haylee Galloway is a mom on a mission to combat overwhelm & burnout in the lives of working moms. She knows from experience how stress can impact both our physical & mental health, & lead to a feeling of despair. She created Maybe Sometime Mom to help working mothers manage their mommy mayhem & regain perspective about what it means to be successful.
     
Have you seen the latest post on Maybe Sometime Mom?

 

I Never Imagined I Would Be Breastfeeding A Toddler

 

Before I became a mom, I really didn’t give breastfeeding a thought. I could not comprehend why there was such a debate over it, both amongst moms and within our media. Once I became pregnant, however, things changed quickly and suddenly breastfeeding mattered!

 

The main reason I chose to breastfeed was for convenience and the high cost of formula. It made sense to me, having lived on a farm, that breastfeeding would be the clear choice.

 

But Oh My Goodness…The Pain!

 

I never expected it to hurt, but a few days after we arrived home, I took my daughter to town in search of a nipple shield to save myself from pure torture. It made a huge difference and I was able to continue breastfeeding her throughout my maternity leave.

 

Four months later, we had a problem. I had created a monster!!!!

 

It was time for me to go back to work, and the daycare called to let me know that she would not take a bottle. I had to nurse her in the car before I dropped her off, drive over on my lunch break, and then nurse her in the car again when I picked her up!

 

Since she had been nursing more often than that, and I wasn’t willing to give up on the daycare being able to bottle-feed her, I pumped at work daily.

 

In the file room.
My only other option was the bathroom, and that would just be weird.


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Since there wasn’t an electric outlet in the file room, I went through a TON of batteries in the first few months before investing in an extension cord.

 

The ladies at daycare were great and eventually convinced my daughter to sip milk from a spoon. And they fed her that way until she was old enough to start eating solids!

 

When she turned a year old, I tried to wean her, but she was not in agreement. I did stop pumping at that time because it was so much trouble.

 

Her second birthday came around, and though she was only nursing to sleep and for comfort, she still wasn’t ready to wean.

 

Since I felt such a connection to her during our nursing sessions after being at work all day, I let it continue.

 

Her third birthday passed this last December, and no amount of convincing will get her to give up her “nursie mommies.” So I can proudly say I am still nursing my daughter after a little over three years.
 
 
Thanks for sharing your story with us Haylee!

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