As parents, we all want our lives to be as easy as possible. Cooking and meal planning can be stressful, but with some of these essential kitchen tools, you can take the stress out of it all!
I love easy. I love easy cleaning hacks, and I love anything that will make my time in the kitchen shorter. When my kids are hungry, they’re hungry. So there’s really no waiting allowed. I compiled a list of some of my favorite essential kitchen tools.
Continue readingTeacher gifts – arguably one of the most hot button topics in moms groups as the holidays (and end of the year parties) approach. I’ve polled some teachers and have created a great gift guide for those important teachers in your life!
The holidays are so amazing, aren’t they?
They certainly can be, but I find that the most stressful part of the holidays is finding the best gifts for everyone on your list. But on the top of almost everyone’s list (outside of family) are those teachers. The people who spend so much time with your kids, whether we’re talking daycare, preschool or elementary school. They are such an important part of your lives and your kids’ lives. We want to treat them right, am I right?
First, let me address the “do I need to get my teacher anything?” question. In short, no. You absolutely do not. To be honest, I did not have a list of who was giving gifts and who wasn’t giving gifts. It doesn’t make a teacher treat your kid differently (yes, I’ve heard that question before from parents!). Anything you decide to give is appreciated – whether it be a tiny piece of chocolate or a $50 Target gift card. It means you and your child were thinking of them and that warms their heart!
In my 10 years of teaching and managing, I have received some of the best and some of the most odd gifts you can imagine. In the mom’s groups I’m a part of on Facebook, every year around this time people are asking what we’re doing for our kids’ teachers. Almost always, you have teachers chime in and tell the moms what to get and what not to get.
With the help of my trusty old memory and my teacher mom friends, I have compiled a list for you. Things to get your kids’ teachers and things to take a hard pass on this year. Also, here is a free printable if you want your teachers to fill it out for you so you can get even better stuff.
So there you have it! A teacher gift guide written by teachers! Have fun đ
(This post contains affiliate links – meaning, if you purchase from any of these links, I will get a small kick back at no cost to you.)
Choosing gifts for your kiddos can be stressful. But it doesn’t have to be!
I’ve asked some moms of kids ages 0-5 what their children’s favorite toys/activities are and have compiled an Amazon list for you. Please feel free to add toys to the comments and I will periodically update the list!
Don’t get hung up on the age titles. A lot of these gifts can be useful for most of the ages – I just broke it up based on the ages that all the moms gave me. You may also see some repeats!
Under 1 year
1 year
2 years
3 years
4 years
5 years
All ages
Have an idea that I’m missing? Let me know in the comments! Happy Shopping!
So, you’re pregnant with your first baby. Yay babies!
I am sure by now, you have discovered that as soon as you make that fun, super cute Facebook announcement, EVERYONE is a baby expert and EVERYONE has the best advice out there.
“Cherish this time!”
“Breast is best!”
“You can’t hold a baby too much!”
“Don’t eat hot dogs!”
“Sleep when baby sleeps!”
“Do you have heartburn? That means baby will have hair. Buy some bows!”
“You are carrying low. You’re having a boy. I just know it.”
“Are you going to find out the gender? You totally shouldn’t!”
The list goes on. and on. and on. and on. so. much.
Now, I am no expert, but I went against a lot of this advice. I ate hot dogs, I had heartburn like a champ and both my babies had no hair, I had no idea what “carrying low” meant. But what I did learn in my 2 pregnancies is you have to take any and all advice with a grain of salt. The bottom line here is it is YOUR baby and if you make any mention at all about said baby, you’re going to get advice or suggestions.
In my moms group, I asked what everyone thought about this advice. I approached them with this question:
“Imagine you have a friend who knows NOTHING about being pregnant, having a baby, labor – nothing. What is one piece of actually helpful advice you would give them?”
The helpful advice started pouring in, and I’m here to compile it for you.
First and foremost – take any and all advice with a big old grain of salt. Like I said earlier, this is your baby. Whatever you (and your partner) decide will (probably) be the best decision. Don’t want to buy that fancy rock n play? Don’t. When I was pregnant with my second, it was all the rage. Everyone told me to buy it. I didn’t – because it was expensive and our house was tiny. Also, I had no intention of my kid rooming with us. And you know what? My kid is a great sleeper.
Accept all help offered. I wish I had followed this one more. If a friend of yours calls you up and asks “what do you need,” don’t be afraid to tell her “I need my dishes done.” But also don’t feel guilty if you want to be the one to do those dishes. Which brings me to my next point….
Ask for help. Don’t feel guilty if you’d rather do the dishes than sit with your newborn. Caring for a newborn can be incredibly overwhelming and exhausting. My oldest was an awful napper, so once I got him to sleep, I never wanted to start anything because chances are he was going to wake up in 45 minutes anyway.
Don’t be afraid to tell someone “no.” If someone wants to come over and you want alone time, do not be scared to tell them to buzz off. Maybe not in those words, but you know what I mean. đ
Hormones are real and they suck. You will hate and love your partner 15 times in one day and that is normal. You will laugh and cry at the same commercial. If you thought hormones were crazy when you were pregnant, just wait until your body is trying to level out after having the baby. This too, shall pass.
Don’t put your babe on a schedule just yet. You are 2 strangers getting to know each other. It’s going to take time to figure each other out, and that’s okay. Keep an open mind and expect the unexpected.
You are not a failure. I know you’re going to go through days where you think you are. If you and your baby survived the day, you did not fail.
What I feel to be most important – it’s okay if you don’t feel an instant connection with your baby. It really is. You are both strangers to each other and you’re supposed to just click. Sometimes you don’t. Sometimes it takes a few weeks, months, whatever. I wish someone had told me that it was okay to not feel that instant connection. I felt like a horrible mother. But trust me when I tell you, it will come.
And last, but certainly not least. If you have a boy, point that penis down when you change his diaper đ
I hope this helps. Is there something you would suggest to a newly pregnant friend that we didn’t list here? Tell us in the comments!
To the mom who just hardly made it to the grocery store looking halfway presentable herself, with her toddlerâs hair out of whack, no shoes and socks on (because she took them off in the car and you didnât feel like fishing around for them) and dirt on her sweet little pink pants. I apologize for thinking you didnât care enough to get you and your kid dressed and ready for the grocery store.
To the mom trying to leisurely stroll through the aisles of a clothing store while her toddler handles her cell phone like itâs an indestructible dog toy, just so she can get some peace while shopping, I apologize for thinking you are careless and spoil your kid because you are allowing her to play with your cellphone â your lifeline.
To the mom who hands her preschooler an iPad during dinner at a restaurant because itâs the only way you and your husband can enjoy some peace and quiet because you canât afford a babysitter or have no family to help you. I apologize for thinking âwhy donât you just have a conversation with him?â
To the mom who turns on the TV for her kids from 7am â 5pm just so she can have some time alone or because she doesnât feel like âmommingâ that day. I apologize for thinking you should really just spend time with your kids.
To the mom who dropped her kid off at daycare when she very clearly had the day off, I apologize for thinking you should be keeping him at home and spending time with him.
To the mom who âallowsâ her kid to climb into bed with her in the middle of the night or who climbs into his bed when he needs her because of a bad dream or just to fall asleep, I apologize for thinking you were just spoiling him â when in reality, that was the only way to get him to go back to sleep and at 3am, you do what you have to do.
To the mom at church on Christmas or Easter with her son in dress pants and a dress shirt but ratty old gym shoes because he refused to put on the nice ones you bought because they were âtoo tight,â and thatâs just not a battle you chose to fight that morning. I apologize for thinking you should be coming to church every Sunday and your son should have something much nicer on his feet than ratty old gym shoes.
To the mom running errands with her toddler (who can clearly walk) strapped to her back in a carrier because if you allowed her to walk, she would tear through the store like a tiny tornado. I apologize for thinking you should let her explore and learn how to walk properly through a store.
I apologize to all of these moms because I am that mom now.
My toddler’s favorite activity is tossing her shoes, socks and hair tie around the car on any trip longer than 30 seconds.
My preschooler spends more time in front of the TV than I’d like to admit so I can get stuff done and he wonât bother me.
I have handed my toddler my cellphone while it plays music so sheâll sit still in the cart at the store.
I have a carrier in my car at all times for quick errands when I donât feel like allowing her to run around like a crazy person.
I donât wear jeans simply because âbaby weightâ is now my normal, even though my kids are almost 5 and 2, and none of my jeans fit anymore. I donât want to spend the money on new ones and canât bear to go shopping, finding out what my true size might be.
I have âallowedâ my oldest to climb into bed with us in the middle of the night because he âneeded to.â I lay with my son every other night until he falls asleep because he âneeds it.â
My kid will spend hours in front of the iPad watching ridiculous YouTube videos so I can get stuff done or just not have to answer one of his 4000 questions of the day.
Now that I am a mom, we are all on the same team. So I donât judge you anymore â I salute you. I am happy that you found a way to get through your days with still keeping your sanity. Letâs keep supporting each other because you donât know what happened in that momâs house 15 minutes prior to the activity that youâre judging. And she knows nothing about yours.
