Blogging Challenge: Day 6

Hi!
If you didn't notice, I am not planning on doing the Blogging Challenge over the weekend days. Those are reserved for family and fun!

On Saturday, we took the kids to the pumpkin/apple farm. We have gone the past 3 years (1 without kids, 2 with just Booger, and now with Chunk too!). Booger had a great time helping us pick out the bag of apples, the apple donuts, and her own small cider pumpkin sippy cup. She held onto that thing for the rest of the trip.

Then it was time to go to the other side with the fun activities and pumpkins! This was definitely her favorite part-- a giant slide (she even went down once by herself!), tractors to climb, animals to see. She loved the corn kernel "sandbox".
Chunk was in and out of sleep most of the time, but he loved looking around at everything and everyone while he was up!

Sunday was my best friend's baby's first birthday. I cannot believe he is already ONE! It seems like just yesterday we were getting our matching tattoos (2012), or rooming in college (2004-2005), or playing mancala, going swimming, seeing Titanic in the theatre and oogling over Leo, or playing badminton in my backyard. I've known this girl since before I was 10 years old (neither one of us knows exactly when we met!) and here we are, a handful of kids between us. Life is crazy, isn't it?

So on to Blogging Challenge

Day 6: Something You Fear

The easy way out of this challenge is to just say something like Spiders or Bees or those super creepy crawly things with 800 legs.

While those are all terrifying, thats not a challenge.

There are two things I genuinely fear, but one has been around longer than the other. One thing is losing my children. I get flashes of car crashes, accidents, kidnappings etc all. the. time. Probably the same as any parent, but its truly frightening. My stomach clenches, my heart seizes up, and I start to panic when I think of things that could happen.

But the one thing that has been around longer than my fear of losing my children is the fear of failure. I truly fear being a failure at things. A failure as a mother, a failure as a wife, a friend, a sister, a daughter, an employee, etc. Especially if it is something that I have total control over. If it's personal. I try to do my best, but sometimes my best is only so good. I take things personally, even if it was not my fault. I try to please everyone, try to be the problem solver, the middle man. I try to make everyone see both sides of the story, so that no one is too unhappy.

Failure is always a possibility. It's how you react to it, and grow from it that shapes who you are. It is something I will always have to work on, to tell myself to use it as a learning tool instead of a fear.

What is something that you fear?

Kiddo Krafts-- Mickey's Medals

Anyone else have a Mickey Clubhouse fan? Booger is obsessed! One of the newest episodes was Olympic- themed and called "Mickey's Sporty-thon". It had the Clubhouse members and friends doing all sorts of sports-- basketball, swimming, running, biking, etc.

At the end, they all got Mickey Medals.

So what does Booger need for when shes plays obstacle course in her playroom? A Mickey Medal, of course!

Now, before we go further into this Kiddo Kraft, know that I had to do this on the fly, so  there are spots I will explain how to do it better than I did!

You'll need:
**Tin foil
** ribbon
** Scissors
** Tape (I used scotch tape, but duct tape would probably stick to the foil better)
** hard circular object (cardboard would work well, so you could leave it inside the foil for structure)

Making the medals was pretty easy:

1. Take a piece of foil, wrap it around your circular object. I used a lid to a water cup, so I first wrapped it around, took out the lid, then flattened it back into the circle shape. This is where a piece of cardboard cut into a circle would be better-- wrap the tin foil around the cardboard and leave it in for structure.

2. Cut a piece of ribbon as long as needed to make the medal necklace length for your kiddo.

3. Tape the ribbon to the "medal" and voila! You can also decorate it, make different color medals for different places, etc. I did have a flower taped to one, but Booger didn't like it and ripped it off....

And that's it! Mickey Medals for everyone!

Stickers, Stickers, and more Stickers

I remember when Booger was tiny, under a year old, I saw a mom with a small child (maybe 6 years old) working on a sticker book together.

I expressed my thoughts to them-- how I love seeing them working together and how I couldn't wait until my daughter was old enough for stickers. The mom replied with a laugh and an "oh, just wait" type of answer.

And now I know why.

Stickers are the devil.

But, stickers are also the best thing ever. Booger L.O.V.E.S. stickers, even if she doesnt really use them right. She's not so much into placing stickers into a correct spot than she is just putting them onto paper wherever her fingers land. Usually all in one pile.

Exhibit A:

When we took a trip to WI last month, we bought her a new pad of stickers, Frozen themed of course. I kept the book up with me, and when she asked for some, I only gave her 1 sheet at a time, in order for them to last the whole 4-5 hour car ride each way.

This is what happened to those stickers:

She also found a love of stickers for her slide...

But anyway, to my point. Stickers are great for other reasons-- we have successfully used sticker charts for both potty training and changing to her toddler bed. How?

For potty training, we printed out a little game like maze. Every time she went on the potty, she got a sticker. After a certain amount of stickers, there were prizes (a cookie, a toy, a milkshake, etc). Once the game was done, stickers were done as well. Now, that didnt mean she was completely potty trained at the time, but it worked for long enough (a few days) for her to get the point of potty training. Going #2 on the potty took another few months to master, and a few more milkshake bribes.

Before we potty trained her, we also converted her crib into a toddler bed by removing the front railing. I was petrified of doing this because I had heard all the horror stories of kids waking up at 5am and jumping into bed with mom and dad, or going downstairs, or playing in their room. Booger can open all the doors in our house (except the ones that lead outside, thankfully), so I knew we would be doomed if she knew she could get out.

A few days before removing the side, we started telling her she would be sleeping in a big girl bed. Every time we talked about it (usually while rocking in the chair before nap or bed), we would always say "Now, in your big girl bed, you have to stay in bed until mama or dada come and get you. You can't get out until we come get you." I mean, we DRILLED this into her brain, having her repeat it over and over for us.

So when the big day came, I removed the side and repeated it again and again. Then, together, we went to make a sticker chart. For every time she successfully stayed in bed until we got her, she got a sticker. At the end of week 1, she got a treat. End of week 2 she got a book, then a toy, then a special outing (to see Dory- which coincided with her yay! you're officially pretty much potty trained outing).

I'm telling you, this girl will do ANYTHING for a sticker. Shes been in her big girl bed for almost 4 months, and has only gotten out once-- randomly a few weeks ago she left after a nap to go potty... I found her in the hallway. It was weird and scared the crap out of me.
But that was it. Not one other time has she left her room. She'll hang out in her bed talking to her stuffed animal for a while before I realize shes awake from a nap.

Our newest sticker chart is for Good Behavior.  We've fully entered the Terrible Twos, and are bordering the Threenager stage. Lots of "leave me alone" and "go away" and "no!" and other mean phrases. I'm trying to encourage more nice words, nice hands (no hitting), more please and thank you's, etc. I'm hoping a sticker chart will help... but the first day brought nothing, unfortunately. Today has been a bit better, but still might take some convincing on her part.

She gets stickers for good behavior, whether its spontaneous on her part (Husband asked me to get him a bottle of water yesterday, and she took it upon herself to take my bottle, bring it to the bathroom and fill it up just for him, So considerate!), whether its asked for- aka do this the nice way and get a sticker, or whether its a random act of kindness. She can also get stickers taken away for bad behavior.

Today at nap time, I told her that if she got into bed without jumping, screaming, yelling, flipping around etc, she could have TWO stickers. Going down for a nap has been quite the challenge here lately. Unfortunately, we not only did not get two stickers, we had a time out before falling asleep. I'm hoping the stickers have more power over her and she's not losing interest in them yet!

(Oh, by the way, she almost asked for the time out so she could use her glitter bottle! She finally came around and likes using it now!)

Do your kids love stickers? Do they use them the right way or just love to peel and stick? Have you had success with sticker charts?

Top 5- Items for Toddlers

Did you miss the Top 5 post from last month? Check it out here-- Top 5 items for babies.

This month is following a similar theme, but upping it to Toddlers. Here are my Top 5 items for kids aged 1.5-3.

1. Mini Trampoline

Once Booger got to the point where she needed creative ways to get her energy out, I knew we needed something inside the house. I wanted to get her one for Christmas, but we got her a slide instead (which she still loves). When the weather outside is too bad to send her out to run around, she can bounce!

2. Plastic Bowls and Plates

 (from Ikea)

We received other plates as gifts before, but these have held up the best. Unfortunately, when you have a toddler that throws bowls and plates on the wood floors, other items just cant hold up! These are dishwasher safe, and honestly, I use them for myself sometimes! And they come in a pack of 6 for only $2.49!

3. A DVR

If your kiddo is like mine and only likes to watch a few shows, you NEED to have those shows available at all times! Our bedroom TV has a DVR on it, and it literally only has Disney Jr shows (Sophia, Lion Guard, Mickey, Elena and Miles) plus some movies when they play them. This way, we always have a happy camper! I let her watch sometimes while I'm nursing Chunk and its so much easier to be able to press play instead of hoping a show she likes is on!

4. Puzzles

One thing I like about puzzle time is that there are so many ways to learn from them. Once the kid masters doing the actual puzzle itself, it doesn't end there! I always find a new way to play with Booger and puzzles-- I ask her to find a certain piece (where's the horse? where's the square?) or a certain color. I turn the pieces upside down and see if she can figure it out without looking at the picture part of each piece. I time her and see how fast she can finish a puzzle. She loves doing puzzles and never is bored with them!

5. Blanket, Animal, Lovie, something they love

Toddlers are great about finding one item and becoming obsessed with it. However, it's the items that last that make the difference. By this age, toddlers usually have a blanket or an animal they just cannot live without. Booger has 3 blankets and 2 dolls (a Minnie and a Corgi). They bring her comfort when shes upset, she shares them with her brother because they are important to her, she sleeps with them every night, she brings them to snuggle time, etc. While they are her favorites, they do have rules-- none of them go downstairs unless mama or dada say so. This way they stay clean, don't get lost, or ruined. But it's important for a kid at this stage to have something that brings comfort besides a person. They're learning to wean themselves from a parent, but still need a physical item to feel safe.

Those are my Top 5 items every Toddler needs! What are some other items you would add to the list?

Kiddo Krafts and Saving Mama's Sanity

Toddlers.

They suck.

The End.

How many mama's could write that book? These little pint sized dictators with their emotional roller coasters are exhausting. Perfectly fine one minute, then the world ends for twenty minutes, then they become a super cuddle bug and back to perfectly normal.

This was our house 5 times the other day. Yes, we had FIVE horrible, hysterical, manic, full blown meltdown tantrums. Three within the first 2 hours of the morning. I tried being nice. I tried being stern. I tried being strict, I tried ignoring. I tried everything I could think of to keep my sanity. It didn't work. By 3pm, both Booger and I were absolutely exhausted. And then she had one more.

We used to do time outs, but those have become super stressful for both her and I. We've tried 'time in's' but those usually end up with me being punched or scratched as she tries to escape, which becomes more stressful for her. We've tried quiet time in her room until she calms down, but that ends with multiple escape attempts, sometimes trashing her room, and usually prolongs the tantrum a bit until she is done. 


I've tried connecting the dots-- when does she have meltdowns? Is it because of something that happens, or at a certain time of day? I've found that most of them happen around the time she is getting hungry-- snack times, meal times, a while after a meal she didn't fully eat. If she doesn't end up eating all her breakfast, I know we'll have some tantrums that morning. Sometimes the first tantrum starts with me asking her to finish her breakfast...

So anyway, moving onto the Kiddo Kraft-- one item I've been thinking about using for a while is a Sensory Bottle. A DIY item where she can sit quietly and watch the glitter fall in order to get herself to calm down.

I'm hoping to make a couple of these bottles-- at least one to keep downstairs and one to keep upstairs. That way we can sit and offer the bottle when she gets crazy. Hopefully this solution will work for more than two days..

Materials:

** empty bottle (plastic water bottle, etc)
** glitter glue in your choice of color
** extra glitter
** water
** optional: small toys (legos, figurines, etc) to watch moving around the bottle

1. Empty, wash, and dry the bottle.

2. Pour glitter into the bottom (if you have multiple types, it makes for more to watch)

3. Squeeze glitter glue into bottle (tip: let the littles squeeze a bit, then take the cap off and do the rest yourself. We used about 1/2 bottle of glue for each bottle)

4. Fill almost to top (leave a bit for combining) with warm water
5. Add toys (optional)
6. Hot glue cap onto bottle
7. Shake, shake, shake, shake! It'll take a bit for it to all combine.

The more glitter glue you use, the longer it'll take to reach the bottom. My plan is to let her use the bottle until she feels calm, but you could tell a kiddo that time out is as long as it takes for the glitter to settle.

Kiddo Krafts-- Wonder Crayons

This is a kiddo kraft I've been meaning to do for over a week now, and we finally got the chance to do it this morning.
The best part about this one? It spanned over an hour and a half and I didn't even realize it! I was looking back on the time stamps on the pictures and was amazed-- time truly flew with this one.

Wonder Crayons

Materials--
**silicone baking mold
**oven
** crayons (perfect craft for all the broken, run down crayons at the bottom of the box)

1. Pre-heat oven to 175*

2. Peel paper from crayons, break into small pieces (Booger was very helpful and excited to do this. She loved being able to peel and break them without getting into trouble!)

3. Place broken pieces into mold (in hindsight, we should have only done max 3-4 per mold, some on the very top didn't melt as well)

4. Place into oven for 7-14 minutes (start low and check routinely), until crayons are melted. This is where some of the ones on top did not melt fully. It doesn't effect the use of the cray, just aesthetics. I did try to mix them a bit with a small knife-- maybe a toothpick would have helped more?

5. Once cooled (we went for a walk for 10-15 minutes to let cool), turn mold upside down and pop out-- note, it did stain my mold. Not sure if it comes out in the dishwasher or hand washing as I haven't tried yet.
If not fully cooled, place into freezer for a few minutes. Then, use a paper towel and rub the outside of the crayon (like washing off a strawberry). I found some residue that got on my fingers, and it seemed to wipe off with the paper towel. The crayons still left some color on our fingers, but nothing that couldn't be washed off in the sink.

6. Enjoy and color! We colored a nice picture for Papa. I probably wouldn't recommend the starfish shape, as the legs tend to wear quick with how hard Booger presses, but any shape should do the job! It's fun when the colors come out together- orange and blue with one swipe? Wow!

That's it! Over an hour and a half of entertainment (with a walk thrown in there) and now she has 6 new crayons to play with (3 are being sent as a present to her cousin). It reuses old broken crayons, lets them pick their favorite colors (let them choose which colors to put in each mold), and shows them how to make something new from something old!

I can see this as a great item for a party gift bag, part of a birthday present with coloring books, or just a fun activity for kiddos!

Kiddo Krafts-- Stained Glass Painting

We love crafts in this house. Play dough, beads, painting, coloring, you name it, we like it.
However, crafting with a toddler is difficult. Usually it takes longer to set up the activity than Booger actually spends doing it.
Paint, for example. Booger loves to paint and make pictures. She likes to paint wooden items like frames, birdhouses, letters, etc. Its a great activity. It only takes about 3-4 minutes to set up (put the paint in the cups, make sure she has a bib, paintbrush, etc). On some days though, the painting activity only lasts as long as 3 minutes. "All done painting!", she says after putting five brush strokes on the paper....

Safe to say, painting is a bit more of a rare occurrence at my house. But when I found this option, I knew she would be all for it. It entertained her for about 30 minutes, and she demanded I leave it on the window for later!

Stained Glass Painting:

Materials--
** Paint
** gallon sized Ziplock bags (double zippered on top is nice to make sure the paint stays in!)
** painters tape
** optional: q-tips, paint brush, anything soft to move the paint around

1. Squirt a generous amount of paint in each bag. We did 2 colors per bag, but you can do more if you want! Make sure theres a decent amount, it'll make it easier for the pictures to "erase" by spreading the paint back around.

2. Get most of the air out of the bag, and close up tight.

3. Using painters tape, adhere to a window, sliding door, floor, table, etc. The stained glass look comes from it being on a window or door, but it could be just as fun on a table if needed!

4. Let your kiddo make pictures with their fingers, paint brush, or anything they can find that won't puncture the bag.

Some things to do:
** use it as a learning tool: write numbers, letters, shapes, words
** pucker up and kiss it for an outline of lips!
** press your hands on it and see your hand print
** zig zag the middles to combine the colors (bonus if you have colors that make another one-- red and yellow to make orange in the middle)

Have fun!

5 Things I Do With My Kids Everyday

There are good days and bad days when living with an infant and a toddler. But no matter the way the day is going, there are a few things I make sure we do every day (when possible).


1. Read. 
Not only is reading super important when developing language skills, reading skills, comprehension and more, but its a great bonding time between parent and child. Booger loves her books and being read too. These days shes always on the go, so we don't always get a specific story time, but we will always read books before nap and bedtime. 100% of the time. We usually let her choose which books she wants to read. Most of them we've read dozens of times, and she knows all the words already. We'll pause every now and then and she'll fill in with the word, or sometimes the rest of the sentence. It only takes a few times for her to memorize a book, so we know she is really learning from reading!

Booger also loves reading to Chunk (or picking a book for me to read to both of them), so his story time is starting just as early as hers!

2. Exercise. 
This can be as little as dancing around the house to Disney songs on Pandora, or as big as going for a long walk outside. I recently bought Booger a mini toddler trampoline to help get some of her energy out. I recently read somewhere that toddlers should be getting between 60-90 minutes of exercise PER DAY. Anyone who has a toddler knows that the number could be exhausting for you as the parent. Some options we give Booger are: playing downstairs on her slide, tunnel, trampoline (we even made it into an obstacle course-- down the slide, through the tunnel, jump over a book, bounce on the bouncy ball, turn in circles, bounce on trampoline); going outside for a walk; playing with Cozmo in the backyard; playing chase in the upstairs hallway. If she hasn't gotten enough exercise in the day, we usually sense it around dinner time. She starts to get very fussy, whiny, frustrated and temper tantrums begin. With the addition of the trampoline, we can ask her to go bounce (or have her Minnie Mouse bounce) and she is able to expel some left over energy.

For Chunk, exercise is nursing (lots of energy spent there, did you know?), tummy time, playing under his play gym (the lil legs really go!), or dancing around with mama.

3. Go Outside.
Fresh air does wonders for kiddos. The sun also wears them out pretty nicely. I'll admit, now that Chunk is here, its more exhausting for me to get everyone outside, but we try to do it at least once. Whether its going for a walk (either kid in the stroller, but longer walks have Booger in the stroller and Chunk in his carrier on me), playing in the backyard, or going to the park or pool, we try to get some fresh air in their little lungs.

4. Laugh. 
At some point in Boogers young life, I called tickling "shaboogies". No idea how it started, but it stuck. Sometimes the Shaboogie Monster comes, sometimes she gives us shaboogies, sometimes we shaboogie Chunk-- all times end in hysterical laughter from all parties. How can you not laugh when hearing a baby or small child laugh? Its contagious.

My new favorite game is finding ways to make Chunk laugh. Yesterday, he laughed every time I cleared my throat, for about 5 minutes straight. It got to the point where Husband thought something was wrong with me because I was 'ahem-ing' so much! But Chunk loved it and hearing those small, throaty giggles get me every time.

5. Learn. 
Children learn through play. They learn by mimicking. They learn by watching. They learn by listening. Every day they are picking up new words, thoughts, sights, sounds, tastes, etc. There are times when I am conscious about making Booger learn (What color is that? How many are there? What does that mean?), and times when its a complete unconscious thing. Children are always watching and learning, so it's up to me as a parent to watch what I do and say.


We try to make every day a good day, but as parents of small children know, that is not always possible. We cannot control everything, but there are some things that we can try to do our best on. These 5 items are the ones I try to consciously control every day, in order to have good days!

15 minutes projects-- Shadow Boxing

No, I'm not talking about teaching the kiddos how to become a boxer! I'm talking about creating shadow boxes for their rooms!

After Chunk was born, I realized I needed to do something with the hospital bracelets, tiny baby socks, etc. Booger's bracelets were still sitting in a bin, doing nothing. It was one of those "I'll get around to it sometime" type of project that 2.5 years later never happened.

A few weeks ago, we popped into Michael's and found these boxes on sale. I didn't want something too big because A) they were more expensive and B) I didn't want it to be a large focal point in their rooms, but a small addition with little items. Yes, I marvel over the boxes with lots of pictures, baby items, coming home outfits and such, but considering I don't even know where Boogers outfit is, I knew I wanted just a small reminder of precious times.

 the box measures approx 6"x14"

A few days ago, I carved out some time to prep and finish the boxes. I gathered all the items I wanted to put in:
** hospital bracelets
** painted wooden initial
** baby socks
** hospital/baby picture
** ultrasound picture

I debated adding things like their height/weight/time born, etc but at the moment I left that out. I may go back and add it in the future.

Some other items you could add:
** coming home outfit
** family picture
** newborn sized diaper
** hat or other items worn in hospital
** baby blanket or portion of one
** babys footprints

The first fail I had was using the insert to cut out the background paper I wanted for each box. Upon lining it up in the box, the "duh" part of my brain went off-- the insert was smaller than the actual background. Returning to the drawing board, I used the background itself and cut a new piece.

 

Then it was just arranging and taping/pinning things down. There was a lot of trial and error that went into the arranging portion. Each time I would to go pop it into the frame, something would fall off, be too close to the edge, etc. Each box took a while. The bracelets and socks are pinned down using straight pins, everything else is taped.

Which led to fail #2. Chunk's letter fell after day 1. I went back and hot glued it (careful not to get it on the ultrasound pic, as I may want to remove/change/keep them later) to the background paper.

Husband hung both boxes while I was out of the house yesterday morning, and my heart practically burst when I saw them on the walls. Yes, Chunk is still a baby, but seeing his and Booger's boxes on the walls almost made me cry. 

Tucked into a corner, but still makes my heart flutter. Booger's box is in the same corner of her room, too.

I'm so happy with the new additions to their rooms!

Road Trip!

Yesterday we packed up the bags, loaded the car, and took a Road Trip!

Ok, I lied. It wasn't really a road trip. More like a short drive to see the in-laws. The trip still took just over 2 hours each way though. Thankfully, everything went smoother than the family above!

What are some tips and tricks I use for taking 2 kids on the road?

Tips:
** for a nursing baby, feed right before you get into the car. That way they'll be sleepy and full, which hopefully will lead them to sleep the whole ride. Chunk was up a bit, but was quiet and content during those brief moments.
** for older kids, try to leave close after a meal, so they are also full and not going to get cranky as soon as you get on the highway.
** for those in diapers-- change right before getting in the car. Bring many backups.
** for those that are potty trained-- use bathroom right before getting in car. If newly potty trained like Booger, use a Pull Up for the car ride. Booger did great, and the pull up was completely dry when we got to Grandpa's. She went straight to the potty and used it! Better safe than sorry though!
** pack snacks that are easy to eat and pass around the car. Fruit snacks, pretzels, grapes, Goldfish, etc. are all good options. Also, ones that won't cause a mess if spilled! Pack them in reusable items like snack cups or zip lock bags so they have a home in case you don't finish them (or said child decides he/she doesn't want them any more...)
**bring extra of everything-- each kid had an extra pair of pants, diaper/underwear/Pull Up, and shirt. I had an extra burp cloth, bib, wipes, and more. My bag weighed double what it normally does, but when Booger had a small #2 accident, I was glad for the backups!

Tricks:
**Let the kiddos choose what they want to play with. We keep a box of small toys by Boogers car seat. Before she gets in, she chooses a toy. For a longer drive, I let her choose a coloring book, some stickers, and any other small item from the house to bring into the car. That way, she knew what was coming, what to ask for, and didn't get upset from the surprise of an unwanted toy (because mommies can't ever choose the right thing, right?)
   *keep the bag of toys up front with you. Pass them back one at a time in sporadic intervals, so each toy is appreciated/wanted. Don't use the whole bag within the first hour!!
** because Booger was a bit cranky when we left, I used my car diffuser with some calming oils to get everyone relaxed and unwind in the car. Unfortunately, Booger did not take a nap on the way down as we assumed she would. She did sleep about an hour on the way home, but that was it. Thankfully, she went to bed at her normal time without a fight!
** Let babies cry. When Booger was little, she would cry the last 30 minutes of the ride home every. single. time. This time, Chunk cried almost the last hour. And guess what? There's nothing you can do about it. Booger was a bit cranky (no, I don't WANT the song on! Turn it off!) due to lack of sleep, so the last hour was interesting. Besides pulling over, which usually makes a baby crankier, you just have to let it go. Chunk got upset when the car stopped so I could take Booger to the bathroom at a rest stop, and it was downhill from there for him (never stop a moving car with a sleeping baby!)
   *this is if you know they aren't hungry, are safe in their seat, not cold/hot, etc. Luckily neither of my babies cared much about a dirty/wet diaper, so I knew that wasn't bothering him either. 

What are some of your tried and true tips/tricks for car rides with littles?

My Morning Routine

Are you fascinated with how people start their day like I am? How super successful people plan, execute, get started and have a productive day? I'm constantly pinning articles on Pinterest about how to get moving and get more done.

A lot of the time, it starts with getting up earlier. Thumbs down from me! But, with Chunk waking up during the night still, I did notice that waking up earlier has helped. My new rule is that if I am up after 5:30am, I stay up. Otherwise I won't wake back up in a timely manner! Since Chunk, I've had a horrible time waking up with alarms-- they'll go off, I'll turn it off, set another, and fall back asleep. I absolutely cannot wake up these days!

So what is my morning routine like?

5:30-6:30am (depending on if Chunk woke me up or an alarm/husband did)-- wake up, throw my FitBit on, head downstairs to make breakfast (if up before 6, I might start a blog post, or chill in bed with my iPad for a few). I try to get a jump start on things by making/setting the delay for the coffee the night before. That way its ready to go when I get downstairs.

6:30-7am: make breakfast for myself, husband, Booger and the dog. Let dog out. Eat breakfast. While eating breakfast, we watch the news/ Good Morning America and I make my daily To Do List.

7am: wake up Booger. Take her potty, downstairs for breakfast. Say goodbye to husband.

7:30am: Get Booger dressed, teeth brushed and onto mama's bed to do hair. Turn on Disney Jr while we do hair. Mama then gets dressed, ready for the day, and gets some work done on the computer. I usually open my EC planner and make sure it's up to date for the week. Continue a blog post or start creating one.

8:30am: Wake up Chunk. Get him dressed and fed.

9am: ready for the day! Start activities/play, go to the park, run errands, etc. Whatever has to be done in the day is usually done between 9-11am.

We try to have a pretty relaxed morning schedule, but we are creatures of habit. Both myself and Booger do best with strict routines, and we don't like to stray from them very much. Even on weekends when Husband and I tend to wake up later, it throws everything off and Booger can become quite the terror or have a more cranky day if so. She likes to be up at 7, down for her nap around 11:30. Usually wakes up by 1, eats lunch and continues on with the day. Interrupt any of that, and she's not a very happy camper. I'm the same way-- my morning routine has changed drastically since having kids, but there still is a routine I follow daily. Do I have to be up at 6 with my husband? Absolutely not. Do I wake up anyway to get the day started? For sure.

Come September, Booger is starting pre-school. She will be there Mondays and Fridays from 9:15-11:45am. So, our schedule will have to change a bit. Most likely, we will adjust all weekdays to follow that schedule so she's not thrown off on random days (especially Monday mornings!).

Well, its 8am here and that means I'm working on my planner and blogging! Time to wake up Chunk soon! Except today we're taking a road trip to my in-laws house so Husbands grandparents can  meet Chunk. Naps and the day will be thrown off, and I'm already expecting Booger to have a cranky evening as she normally does when we make this trip. She sleeps almost the whole way home, which means shes wide awake come bed time. I'll be posting how we get through a short road trip (2.5-3 hours) with kiddos tomorrow!

Calming the Toddler Tornado

Meet Booger:

I love my daughter. She is absolutely adorable, super smart, hysterical, full of life, the best big sister in the world, and an absolute terror.

In other words, she is a toddler.

And toddlers are assholes.

There is no way around it-- the mind of a toddler is finicky thing. You think men don't know what women want? Try figuring out what a toddler wants. If you think they want what they say they want, you're wrong. If you think they want the opposite of what they say they want, you're still wrong.

The moral of the story? You're wrong. Period. Don't try to reason with them. They bite. Don't try to get ahead of the game and assume you know they want a PBJ for lunch because that's their favorite food, because today they hate PBJ.

Did I mention they scream? They scream if you look at them wrong. They scream if you don't look at them. They scream if they want you to play with them, but will scream when you come over to play. They will run away to play with another toy and scream if you don't follow them. They will always burst into tears if you try to make a Lego house when they ask you to make a Lego house. Know why? Good, let me know, I haven't figured it out yet.

When Booger was born, I told myself I would be the best mom ever. I would never smack her butt, never have to raise my voice. She would listen to directions because we would talk and be close and I would raise her to be a wonderful person.

Then she became 2. I laugh at my ignorance and am grateful I already have very low expectations for Chunk. Trust me, the lower the expectation with a toddler, the better. The more sanity you'll save. The less you'll beat yourself up when things don't go exactly according to plan.

Today has been one of those trying days. The tears, the screams, the throwing, the hits. Since after nap and lunch, we've had maybe 10 minutes of peace in this house. Booger is a walking Tornado.

I have tried so many things to get her to calm down, especially when there is no reason to be freaking out in the first place. We've done time outs, time ins, quiet time in her room, and ignoring her until the tantrum stops. Currently, we are working with essential oils, or as Booger calls them, her "smellies". After a time out, I would let her sniff the cap of an oil, usually lavender or Peace and Calming. Whether its the deep breaths, the oil, or just taking her mind off the crazy, it worked.

Yesterday, I made her a diffuser bracelet. We put some White Angelica, Lavender, and Peace and Calming on it. Of course, within a few hours she managed to break it (it was an old, old bracelet of mine, so it was worn out already). For the short amount of time she had it on, however, the tantrums were minimal. If she started getting frustrated and angry, I told her to smell the bracelet and she calmed down. I even caught her doing it all by herself once.

I searched Amazon today for a kids bracelet and found one I think will work for Booger. She likes to be able to take it on and off, so the simple snap should be easy enough for her.

So many things haven't worked so far, but I'm hoping this gives some amount of peace back to our family. Toddlers are no joke. Between the 800 questions they ask every 3 minutes, to the crazy amount of energy they can have right before bedtime, to the complete mix of emotions within seconds, toddlers are a force to be reckoned with.

 I'll let you know how the bracelet works out, but in the meantime, let me know what ways you use to cope with a crazy toddler!

Top 5 Baby Items

Having a baby? Congratulations!
Overwhelmed at the amount of things a baby needs? Welcome to the club!
Every store you go to will show you a list of "must haves". Don't be fooled-- many of those items are not always needed. The store wants your business, right? The more items they put on the list, the more items you purchase.

So what does a baby need? That's today's Top 5!

(These are items I personally use every day with my two children. Tried and true by this mama! I am not being sponsored for this post, and all opinions are my own.)

1. Fisher Price Rock and Play

This is hands down the Number 1 item that should be on every mother's list. As a breastfeeding mother, waking up multiple times in the night and walking up and down a hallway did not seem appealing. With Booger, I knew I wanted something that could be next to my bed, easy to pick her up out of, and something that could soothe her at the same time. A typical bassinet did not call to me, and they were also mostly very expensive. At just barely $50 (different types have different pricing- check pricing before purchasing!), this Rock and Play fit all my requirements. It has a vibrating feature to soothe, rocks at a push of the hand (or leg as I do while still in bed), and is also easily portable.
I've heard from many other mothers that the small incline is great for babies with acid reflux as well.
It was the first item we pulled out of storage before Chunk came home. He's going to be staying in it until he sleeps through the night, just like Booger. After that, this handy item will be passed on to another deserving mama who wants a few extra minutes of sleep!
(This is the exact one I own- the puppy version)

2. Gerber Burp Cloths

Don't be fooled by the name Burp Cloth. Booger was not a burper, and these bad boys got the most use out of almost everything in our house. Because of their size, they became a makeshift diaper changing pad. They became a small blanket when she was tiny. Now we use them for Chunk's drool, nursing mishaps, and as "nose wipies" for Booger (appropriate?). There are still at least one in every room of the house. They come in so many different colors, and hold up amazingly well. They are thicker so they don't leak through.We have washed them probably a hundred times over the past 2.5 years, and they are still going strong!

3.  Play Gym

This is not the exact play gym that we have, but I linked it because of the musical Turtle in the middle. Ours is a cat, but the lights and sounds from it are what keep the kiddos laughing and cooing for quite some time! Both Booger and now Chunk love their play gym. If you buy some links separately, you can hook whatever your heart desires on the loops! At Chunks age, his hands spasm which hit the toys (you can add links to lower the toys towards the mat so they're closer to their hands), and he gets a massive thrill every time! He smiles and coos at the lights. All the toys are removable, so you can take them on the go (link to the car seat handle), re-position them, or anything you want. The arches also come off, so the mat is still usable as they get bigger.
(Here are the links I'm talking about-- they are also fantastic. Loop them around a toy and the high chair when going out to dinner so the throwing game is foiled. Loop around the car seat handle. Loop around the baby's wrist. Booger likes to pretend they are earrings now at her age. Endless possibilities!)




4. Boppy Pillow

Even if you're not a breastfeeding mama, the Boppy can come in handy in many other ways! Besides being amazing for nursing (holds the baby up higher so no back strain on mom), we use it as a pillow for the baby (resting under his neck/shoulders when on his back, or under his chest when on his tummy). Its fabulous for tummy time, as the baby isn't flat on their tummy which makes them slightly happier. I won't tell you how long it took me to realize it could be used for tummy time with Booger (ok, I will. It was about 2-3 months! Used Day 2 with Chunk....).
It also can be helpful when bottle feeding-- helps prop up moms arm/baby into a more comfortable position.
Lastly, not going to lie here-- Husband has used it as a real pillow on more than one occasion. Hey, if its the closest thing and you're exhausted... a pillow is a pillow!
(This is the cover we currently have for Chunk, and this is the one we used with Booger. Both machine washable and very durable. There are so many options to choose from, however!)

5. Aden + Anais Muslin Blankets 

I'll be honest-- I received these when Booger was born, and I barely used them. Sure, I threw them over her occasionally if I remembered when taking her outside. But having her born in the midst of the -30* weather, they weren't the first blanket I usually grabbed.
Chunk on the other hand, has been using them daily. Booger used a Halo sleep sack to sleep in every night (and had Chunk used it, it would have been my number 5 for sure!), but Chunk is a super sweater, and sleeps in a diaper with one of these muslin blankets as a "swaddle". He likes it rather loose and with his arms out, so its more like a wrap than a swaddle...
Also, since the weather has been so stinking hot lately, Chunk usually is toted around the house in just a onesie. So we keep another blanket downstairs for him if his legs get a bit chilly from the A/C. One also comes in the car for the A/C, and in the store sometimes for the A/C. Two different weather babies, two different stories!
Oh, and one of Booger's favorite activities is making sure Chunk is warm enough, and tucking his blanket in around him... so she makes sure we have one at all times as well!


So there you have it! My current Top 5 Baby items. What are your top items? Leave a comment and let me know!

Kiddo Krafts

So far, this summer has been gorgeous! It's been rather hot lately, but cool enough in the mornings to venture outside.
So yesterday, Booger and I had a special project in mind-- painting rocks!

First, we had to find the rocks. We strapped Chunk into the stroller, got our shoes and off on a walk we went.
What I didn't plan on was the shortage of rocks in my neighborhood...Who knew it would be so hard to find a decent sized rock? Luckily, after about 30 minutes of combing the streets, we found enough to satisfy both me and Booger-- though we may have stolen one or two from our own yard...

Once home, it was time for the Rock Wash. All it took was a small tub about 1/4- 1/2 full of water and a very excited toddler ready to get her hands wet! She washed, I dried, and we laid them out into the sun to finish drying completely.

After nap time, lunch and walking the dog, it was time to return to our (now super HOT) rocks. Mama had to hold them while she painted for a bit, until they cooled down enough for her tiny fingers. We used the same washable paint we use for painting pictures inside, so cleanup was easy. However, that does mean that the paint will probably come off in the rain, so keeping them outside will prove to be a problem. Our goal is to put them in a small flower pot in her play house and hope for the best...

Painting took about 30 minutes-- I would hand her the rock, she would paint however much she wanted on it, then it was set aside to dry. We came back to each rock once or twice to cover the whole thing. I put some special touches on some bigger ones, like a butterfly, heart, family initials, dog's name, etc. She was SO excited to show daddy when he came home from work. He barely got in the door before she was dragging him back to the deck!

 Little artist hard at work

All done!

It was a fantastic activity that helped span almost the whole day and included some physical exercise, mental exercise (choosing colors) and hand/eye coordination (painting). I call that a WIN in my book!