Toy Organization Basics

When people come over to my house they typically ask how we are able to prevent it from looking cluttered with kid toys because, well, we have kids. Lots of 'em. So today's post is all about how we wrangle kid toys while still maintaining function.

I have to start off by saying the following hasn't always been my method. When I was a very young first-time mother I think it was safe to say my only baby at the time had way too many toys, they overtook almost every room in the house, and quite honestly he didn't regularly play with many of them. With each new baby I had I learned you don't need near as much as you think in regards to kids. So toys got passed down, donated, trashed, and I became very mindful of I was bringing into our home. By the time baby three came along I was a well-oiled machine in that regard.
So here we go:

First and foremost be mindful of what toys you bring into your home. When my oldest had a birthday, or at Christmas, I felt the need to have the tree overflowing with gifts. Looking back, it was ridiculous. I think I thought that by giving my loads of "things" it helped show that I loved him lots! And I guess if that's someone's love language so be it, but it wasn't and isn't his.  As I've got older I'm no longer a materialistic idiot focused on quantity and I definitely know that gifts don't equal love. In fact, I feel as though many people that get and get and get things given to them don't have as much of an appreciation for things as others. 

Next, organization. Ever been to someone's house and it looks like a daycare threw up in their main living space? Yeah, that shit makes me panicky so it's a big motivator to keep our toys under control at our house. We've been fortunate enough to have a room solely for "playroom" purposes in every home we've lived in except one, and we only lived in that house for a single year and while Avery was an infant so it wasn't a big deal. If you have a room you can use as the "playroom" kudos to you. Use the playroom for just that, play. And then keep the toys in their bedrooms to a minimum, this way there's less mess spread throughout the house.

Living room toys. I'm not anti-toys in living spaces, but I definitely keep it to a minimum. I literally have one basket (pictured above. Similar one here) in my living room that is dedicated to toys and sometimes Avery will also bring a few toys from her play area into the living room as well (the two spaces are near one another) and that's fine so long as she's actively playing with them, when she's no longer playing I ask her to "clean up" and so far she happily obliges. Tip: From about the time she was 12 months I'd ask her to "clean up" then sing the clean up song as I put her toys away. At first, she obviously didn't help much as she didn't understand what I was asking of her, but after a few weeks of seeing me do this she understood and now seems to actually enjoy cleaning up and will sing the song as she's doing it, its pretty freaking cute. Now she can do it all by herself, it's not perfect, sometimes she'll Hulk-lift her baby's stroller into a basket when it clearly doesn't belong there but I thank her and then move it myself later when she's not around if I don't like where its at.

Everything should have a place. no joke, I used to think this was uptight and ridiculous but as the years have gone on I realize just how much more organized we are now that I follow that advice, toys included. This can also be coupled with the "one in, one out" rule for toys and other household objects alike. Basically, if I make a purchase of, say, a lamp (I have a thing with lamps) I have to 1. have a spot for it and 2. get rid of something else (preferable a lamp/similar object your'e buying) in the house before purchasing it. Also, I love using baskets (here are some the perfect size to fit in a bookcase) for organizing - they keep objects stored while still looking nice. So in Avery's room for example, I have a basket that goes in her bookcase for doll clothes, one for cars, one for random small toys, one for her train tracks and trains, etc. Bigger items just live out on the open shelves. I don't do traditional toy boxes, I tried it when my oldest was tiny and learned that I'm not a fan because I've noticed they are so large that toys tend to get "lost" in them and the kids would really have to dig and dig for their toys, whereas with smaller baskets things are 1. more easily organized and 2. they are easier to reach.

(Pictured above is this bookcase, we love it) 

If a toy is broken or pieces are missing they get tossed. Immediately. If they've outgrown the toy it gets donated. If its a toy they got a lot of use out of and is still in good shape I keep it for future siblings with the hopes that the next kiddo will get just as much enjoyment as the previous.

Clean up at the end of play time and at the end of each day. Before nap time, leaving the house, or bedtime I have the kids clean up their toys. This is especially important for itty bitty kids like my youngest (she's 23 months old). She sees that when she wake up or comes home all her toys are back in their designated spot so in her mind she knows that's where it belongs. I will notice her pull books out from her bookshelf, "read" them, then put them back, then move on to something else. Its impressive, and I think it has a lot to do with her knowing that's where they go when its time to clean up. Don't get it twisted, there are plenty of times she dumps an entire bin of toys out in her room and then runs down that hall and moves on to playing elsewhere, and that's cool too because she's so young. But when she's made a mess like that and then we relocate downstairs for whatever reason I ask her, "Can you clean up your toys, please?" And she'll sing her clean-up song while putting the toys back. Again, its not perfect but she understands what I'm asking and she obliges. Usually.

If you do have loads of toys and can't bring your self to part with them you can try what I eventually did with my oldest before I finally just went full-fledged toy-minimizing - I stored half of them away in bins and kept the other half out for him to play with. Every few weeks I swapped out a few toys and he loved it, it was like receiving a new gift since it had been out-of-sight-out-of-mind. Fast forward 17 years and now I don't even allow myself to own enough toys to have to store them away and its a really good feeling to not have so. much. stuff. Not just with toys but with STUFF in general in our home. I have found that if we only keep and buy things that we 1. NEED and 2. ABSOLUTELY LOVE then our home stays clutter-free, tidy, and that equals all of us feeling relaxed when we are home. I've heard it said that a clean home is a restful home and I have found that really is true. Don't get me wrong, there are days we tear up the kitchen baking pies from scratch or have a painting project that covers the entire deck. Having less things doesn't mean having less fun, it just means you have more time to devote to the fun.

Have more toy organizing tips? I'd love to hear them! 

Baby, Baby

Drinking tea and watching the pup stare at the rain falling on the windows while the babe naps. And as I sit here going through photos to fill some empty frames in her room I can't help but get all sappy while reminiscing on my pregnancy with her. And then I think about having another one and I feel like a first-time mom all over again in that I find myself putting it off because I'm terrified I can't love another the way I love her and the big kids. I know it's silly, and I know the love will be there but I still find myself having that thought. Which is weird because I had that same worry when pregnant with my second but each pregnancy after that it never once was a worry of mine. And now, here the hubby and I are talking about when would be a good time to add one last baby to complete our family and I have all these first-time mom feelings despite being a seasoned parent. I guess I just can't imagine dividing my attention even further, just not at the age Av is currently at. 

Having such a big age gap between her and the big kids has proven more beneficial than not. And one of the huge benefits is me having learned from the past. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change a thing because I'm a firm believer that every single thing/choice/experience brings you to where you currently are, and I'm currently in the best place I've ever been in life. But what I mean to say is through the big kids I've learned just how fleeting the years really are.  And everyone will tell you this; your parents, your co-workers, the older gentleman in the grocery check-out line and we all eventually learn it's so incredibly true. 

So I strive to appreciate and soak in as much of these kids as I can before they're packing their bags and heading off to university, which for E is in less than two years. And with Avery I just can't imagine having a newborn while she's still so young herself. 

This morning Avery slept until 8, I went to get her from her room after hearing her quietly say "Mom? Mom?" through the monitor. The house was quiet other than the light tapping of the rain on the windows because the morning hustle of backpacks, lunch boxes, breakfast, coffee, and school bus had came and went while she was still fast asleep up in her room. When she woke, I scooped her up and brought her into our bed and she nursed like she always does first thing when she wakes. She laid there between me and her daddy and she played with his hair and paused from nursing every minute or so to softly kiss Seth on his forehead. It's moments like that I don't want to miss due to running on four hours of sleep and in the other room soothing a newborn. Later in the morning, when we pulled ourselves out of bed she hurt her foot doing one of her typical daredevil moves and she immediately ran to me to be consoled (which for her is to nurse). So I dropped what I was doing and nursed her until she slid off my lap to go back to being mischievous. I couldn't imagine telling her to wait while i tended to a baby. 

I mean, I know it's silly. Whether a baby comes this year or five years from now I'll still have to deal with similar situations. But I just don't feel that desire right now. And you know what? That's okay.

All this to say, right when you think you have things figured out, life shows you that you have no idea! If you would've asked me a year ago I would've told you I wanted Av and our future babe to be as close in age as possible. And now I'm like, "we don't need to worry about a risk of twins until I'm over 35, right?!" 

Happy Thursday, friends. Go kiss your kiddos. Xx

Snacking on-the-go

Full Disclosure: The products in this post were provided to me at no cost, however all words and opinions are my own.

If your toddler is anything like mine, you stay prepped on your outings with an arsenal of goodies to tame the wild that inevitably comes during errand running. My diaper bag weighs about 4,376 pounds because I carry so much to keep her entertained, happy, and not grabbing everything within her reach. The struggles.

But not only does my little one want a snack when the time comes, she wants to do it herself. And that's just her personality. Always has been. She wants to do nearly everything herself. 

I started her on solids at around seven months old and she let me feed her for less than a week before she wanted to do it herself - so I let her because why not?! It made her happy and now she's awesome using utensils, well, relatively speaking. And she's awesome at keeping Samantha fed as well because I mean, come on, who could resist those puppy eyes. Literally. Puppy Eyes.

So when it comes to snacking on-the-go it's the same; she wants to do it herself. And after a few incidents of her spilling a box of raisins or dumping her crackers, I knew there had to be a product out there that could help. Enter; Ubbi. They have such cute products and the one that caught my eye immediately was their Tweet Snack Container. It's adorable (shaped like a bird), comes in fun colors (red, green, hot pink, robin's egg blue, and orange), and it's functional. 

The top is where the magic is; kids can get their hands in the container to reach their treats but the design prevents treats from falling out as well as kids from pulling out a massive handful at a time. 

And then there's the lid that snaps closed to keep snacks fresh. It latches well enough that it stays closed and opens easy enough that my 15 month old can flip it open when she decides it's snack time at the splash pad.

This is by far one of my favorite kid products I've used to date. We use our tweet snack containers everywhere; at home, in the car, in stores, you name it. 

They're available on Amazon or Buy Buy Baby. Check 'em out! And stay tuned because these will be included in an awesome giveaway coming up. Happy Thursday, friends!

Gift Buying Guide for Newborns

Full Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links

I was commiserating with a girlfriend of mine about how baby products have really come a long way from the time she and I had our last two babies (both of our youngest kids are nine years younger than their sibling closest in age) and decided that I'd share some baby products that are/were (she's already outgrown so many "baby" items) loved in our home and would make good gifts for any soon-to-be moms in your life. 

By the time kid number four was on her way onto the scene I already knew that a lot of baby items on the market are overkill. Babies are simple, as in they don't need a lot. And let me tell you, I was a wee bit overwhelmed with all the options since last having a kid. Like, they have machines that are like Kuerigs but they're for formula. Why? Scoop that mess into the bottle and flick your wrist a few times, why do we need a machine?!

Anyway, on with the show... 

Burp cloths. We were given loads of cute ones, but at the end of the day, these old school cloth diapers (that come in a ten pack) do the trick just as well (and hold more puke, pee, mystery stains). Buy one pack and that's all you'll need in the burp cloth department. Or you can opt for that cute three pack for the same price that have trucks or hearts on them, your call. 

Diapers. They're a must. If you're a cloth-diapering momma like myself, my faves are these. They're on the pricier side of the cloth world but are worth every penny. And you'll still be saving thousands in the long run when compared to disposables. 

If cloth ain't your thing, I got you covered. I used these disposables until Avery was about a month old because she was just too tiny for her cloth for those first few weeks. 

Coconut oil. Seriously, from using it as an all natural diaper rash cream to adding it to my homemade baby wipes the uses are endless (Chapstick, post pedicure upkeep, conditioner). Pro tip: Put it on your wet hair when you get out of the shower in the evening. Comb it through. Put  hair in a topknot. And rinse out in the morning. Your hair will be soft as buttah. Smooth as butt-ah? You know what I'm trying to say. Here's the link.

Swaddle. This particular one was my fave. These things are a Godsend. Back in 1937 when I had my oldest they didn't make these, you just had to learn to swaddle using a receiving blanket. Gasp! But nowadays, phew! Faaaaanccccyyyyy. Buy two. So you have one ready while the other is being washed. Trust me. 

Pacifier. I bought every paci in the land of pacis. Hashtag For Real For Real. And she only liked this one. So naturally, I bought stock in them. JK. But I did have about six of those suckers. Get it? Suckers. Hahaha. I seriously make myself laugh and then realise how much of a dweeb I am mid-laugh. Anyway, I had like 6 or 8 or something which is completely absurd but I'd lose them then find them as soon as I order another two-pack. She wasn't ever a huge paci user, which makes it even sillier that I had so many. None of my kids have ever been too interested in pacis for some reason and Av is no different. But when she was a sleepy infant it was the second best thing right after my boob. So if you ever saw my kid with her paci in her mouth as a baby, you knew to run! Because it was a sign that she was sleepy and would be a little terror! Cute. But a terror. 

Carrier. Okay, trust me on this one. Some days I wouldn't have gotten anything done without this. My little lady loves being held. So when she was a newborn and even still now when she's cranky or clingy I'll just "wear" her and go about my day. I've done more cooking, laundry, and puppy ball throwing while wearing her than not. PSA: If you're going to use the carrier often please invest in an ergonomic one rather than an narrow-based one. It's best for babe. I have and love this Tula, it's a little pricey when you see $20 narrow-based carriers at some stores but it is worth every penny.

Onesies. Babies poop and spit up a lot. Enough said. 

Boppy. Unless you want to tuck 26 pillows strategically under your arms and part of your back each time you nurse, treat yo'self...to a boppy, that is. 

Swing. Sweet God Almighty was this thing a lifesaver. And the seat comes off so you can use it as a bouncer without having to buy, well, a bouncer. Score! I wouldn't have showered for days if it weren't for this thing when Avery was a newborn. Get a swing. Your armpits will thank you. 

Bottles. I nurse. And my kid is perpetually attached to my hip so she's only drank from a bottle a handful of times, but when she has it's from these. She seems to like them well enough according to hubby. 

Drying rack. I bought this knowing I likely wouldn't use bottles often but wanted it "just in case". Well, as I stated above, little lady is hardly apart from me so bottles are rarely needed. But let me tell you, this thing lives on my kitchen counter and gets plenty of use. From drying her bowl, spoons, sippy cup, toys I've rinsed off, and even wine glasses, it's the perfect spot for drying so many things.

Books. We heart books on our house. I've read to all the kids since day one and I feel it's super important on many levels. Avery would lay and listen to the entire book The Adventures of Peter Rabbit when she was teeny tiny. Her current fave is this classic, which was her baby brother's that he so graciously gifted to her. She can be in a cranky mood and if I pick this up and say, "Do you wanna read your book?!" She lights up and gets the most adorable smile on her face. It melts my heart. And she'll sit in my lap while I read and act out the book. We read it so much that if she's busy banging on one page I can just recite the rest of the book becusse I have it memorised. Word for word, yall. I'm pretty sure that's a mom thing, right? Where you have at least three books and two cartoon theme songs memorised and have probably sang/recited them all before noon each day. Yeah, a total mom thing. 

So there it is folks, a newborn buying guide if you're looking to gift any new mommas things they will actually use or even if you're a first-time mom and don't want to get in the trap of buying allthething only to find out you wasted hundreds of dollars. If I could only have 11 things as a mom of a newborn these would be it. For real. Well, maybe I'd sub the bottles for a carseat because...safety. But you get the point.

Happy shopping, y'all!

Nuby Giveaway!

Happy weekend, friends! I've missed you all - we've had a busy couple of weeks with our international move but we are starting to get kiiiiiiinda settled and by 'settled' I mean we have a house filled to the brim with boxes, we'll get there I'm sure. 

Today I want to show you a super nifty gadget that as parents we've all thought "someone should make that." It's Nuby's Keepeez Cup Accessory. Have you ever been out shopping and given your little one their sippy cup just to hear it crash to the ground moments later? The worst, right? Because they want it back but now it's dirty and gross. Well with the Keepeez Cup Accessory there's no worry about rouge cups. One end of it attaches to your kiddo's sippy cup and the other end to the shopping cart (or high chair, or car seat, etc). The end that attached to your cup easily snaps on and off for you but it's trickier for the babe so there's no worry about them unbuckling it. We've used this on shopping trips, at mealtimes, and even when I'm wearing her in my Tula (even Ari has worn her as shown below) I'll just clip one end to a strap on my Tula and the other to the cup and boom! You're good to go!

And guess what, guys? Nuby wants to give one of YOU their Keepeez Cup Accessory! You will seriously love it! Just head over to my Instagram page for details on how to enter, it's super easy! 

Stay tuned, beautiful people because I'll be back next week with more fantastic Nuby products to show you such as the Feeding Bowls with Long Handle Spoons as well as the Fun Feeding Section Plate . And the Keepeez Cup Accessory is coming to Amazon this July! Just click the links to learn more and come back here next week to see our products in action with a full review. 

Now head on over to Instagram and enter to win! Best of luck. 

Full Disclosure: As a Nuby Parent Blogger I've been provided with the products mentioned in this post at no cost, however all words and opinions are my own.  

Tubby Todd

Full Disclose: The product in this post was provided to me at no cost. However all words and opinions are my own. 

I'm a bit of a natural-living mom, but I'm by no means crunchy. 

Trust me. I've met crunchy mamas and I'm not one. 

In the words of my girlfriend, "I'm the crunchiest noncrunchy mom ever." 

With that said, I still aim to be pretty natural in our lifestyle, especially when it comes to my children.

You'll find me in the aisles of the grocery store reading the back of product labels. No shame in my game. 

And while I've been able to find several bath products that are close to all-natural I struggled to find one that was completely natural, until I was introduced to Tubby Todd. 

Guys, this stuff is 100% natural. 100%! The nerd in me got way excited about that. 

My littlest lady loves the water. So baths have been our saving grace from the time she was born. Cranky? Give her a bath and she'll calm down. 

Tired but won't sleep. Papa or I hop in the shower with her and she'll fall asleep on our shoulder. Getting in too much mischief? Bath time! 

She's also at the age where I personally prefer to bathe her every day since she in everything everywhere we go! So it's important we have a natural, gentle yet effective wash. That's where Tubby Todd comes in; with all their ingredients being plant-based there's no second guessing what you're using on your kids. 

And let's talk about how amazing it smells. Heaven! 

My mom is a total hippy (love you, mom!). She was/is a total hipster before it had a name and was cool. So I get a lot of my natural ways from her, one being essential oils. I use them on a daily basis, whether it be diffusing, applying, cleaning with them, etc. Well Tubby Todd uses essential oils in their products! And in the wash is lavender essential oils, hellooooo sleepy time!

Pro tip: A little goes far. Just a dime size amount of wash will clean up your babes and makes for amazing bubbles, you would've thought I added the Tubby Todd Bubble Bath in the water.

And for my fellow cloth diapering mamas, their All Over Ointment is safe to use as a diaper cream, among other uses!

Do ya'll consider yourselves crunchy? Chewy? None of the above? 

Whatever your answer, you'll love Tubby Todd. Trust me, I'm not a doctor.

Doing Our Best

Some days I complete and put away countless loads of laundry, crochet a scarf, make my own soap, run four miles, do my nails, and clean the floors thrice (true story). And other days I shove the baby's leftovers from lunch in my mouth as I attempt to unload the dishwasher with the littlest on my hip, deem dinner a "fend for yourself" event, and eventually make it into the shower at midnight just to realise I forgot to use soap whilst in said shower. It happens, folks. 

Avery absolutely hates napping and that greatly diminishes my productivity on days when she protests. Which is most days. And it probably doesn't help the situation that I co-sleep. Which, I don't mind and actually prefer, but during the day I'd like for her to be able to nap in her crib so I can get certain things done or have a few minutes alone.

So I began a little nap routine where we eat brunch, then wash up, then go to her room, and I read her a book, nurse her then put her in her crib. We're good up until the "put her in her crib" part. Girlfriend has none of it. She'll either just start playing or crying. I refuse to let her cry-it-out despite Seth being in the old school "let her cry" camp although he's never done it either (easier said than done, huh babe?). I just can't do it. Everything in me tells me it's wrong (wrong for me, no judgement on others) because it just doesn't feel right. And I guess that's nature's design working, right? We are born to have a certain physical and emotional response to our offspring crying. To react to it. To help them. To soothe them. And even big, tough, Seth questioned me when the other day I put her in her crib and she started to fuss but I needed to pee so I walked into our bathroom and he said, "Don't let her cry!" 

Whoa there big man! I thought you were in the cry it out camp! 

Apparently he talks a good game but when he actually hears her cry he quickly changes his mind. I reassured him that I was simply going pee so she cried for all of 60 seconds. But still. I felt awful.

All this to say, after trying to pat, lull, shh, sing Av to sleep for two and a half hours she finally fell asleep, two feet from her crib, in my arms, while I sat in the chair nursing her. 

And you know, when I was trying to get her to sleep alone I felt so bad for her. I'd pick her up and comfort her each time she fussed then put her back down then she'd fuss so I'd pick her back up and I felt so guilty that I wasn't just nursing her to sleep like I normally do. I imagined she was so confused and just wanted to feel safe and warm and able to nap which for her meant being with me. And when she finally fell asleep in my arms she was finally happy and so was I. I've always had an attachment parenting style but I think maybe because I have one that's almost in college I find myself even more extreme with it nowadays. I just know how fast time goes. I've lived it. I look at my 16 year old and think, "Dude. I just had you like a year ago." But no, in less than two years he'll be off to college. 

So when I don't get to shower until midnight and the laundry is piling up I try my best not to stress about it because I'm never gonna say, "Boy, I wish I would've spent less time with Avery and more time keeping my house spotless." Nope. Instead, one day I'm gonna miss that she's perpetually attached to my hip and wants snuggles all day long. Because one day she too is gonna be 16, and I can't get this time back. 

So to any fellow moms that find themselves in a similar situation, you're not alone. You're doing you're best. Follow your instincts rather than ignoring them. They're there for a reason. And know that you will never regret all this time you are spending with your littles. And for the moms that have no problem letting their littles cry it out, you're not alone either. You, too, are doing your best. And the same way I don't let anyone make me feel bad for parenting the way that feels right in my heart, you shouldn't either. We are all doing what works for us and our families. 

Now I've gotta go - it's nap time, and my baby needs me.

Jack n' Jill

*Full Disclosure: I was provided with the items in this post at no cost. However, all opinions and words are my own. 

Each morning, without fail, our routine goes like this: wake up to a baby kicking my head, snuggle and chat with said baby, climb out of bed and head to the bathroom where the first thing we do is brush our teeth. Don't you worry, brushing our wild bed head is an immediate second. 

When it comes to my kids I'm unapologetically "that mom". Some may call it 'crunchy' but whatever it's called, I simply aim to utilise natural products as much as possible in our home and with our children. So when Jack n' Jill sent us their organic toothpaste and stage 2 silicone toothbrush we were excited to try them out. 

Having four kids, I know how brushing teeth can prove to be difficult at certain ages and with kids of certain personalities. And Avery has always been my baby that wants to do things herself such as eating and (attempting) getting dressed, so brushing her teeth has proven to be no different. Luckily, Jack n' Jill's stage 2 silicone toothbrush comes with a guard that you slip on the toothbrush to prevent your child from putting it too far in their mouth. And even without the guard Avery knew that the bristles are what belonged in her mouth and she happily brushed away. The silicone of the toothbrush feels soothing on her budding teeth. And when it comes to the toothpaste I don't worry about her swallowing it since it is made with natural ingredients.

The tube of toothpaste has a small hole allowing the perfect amount of toothpaste to come out with a simple squeeze. This feature is nice because again, if your child is independent and wants to squeeze the toothpaste out themselves you won't get a huge blob that comes out, just a nice little stream of the right amount. 

There are several flavours of toothpaste to try, so if your child loves a particular fruit you can grab that flavour and know he or she will enjoy it. We have the raspberry flavour and Avery didn't seem to notice it. She reacted no differently to the toothpaste being on her toothbrush as she would to nothing being on her toothbrush so I take that as a sign that she's not opposed to the flavour. And I actually liked that she wasn't trying to eat just the toothpaste. I think we've all had that kid that sucks the toothpaste off their toothbrush then asks for more.

With Avery at the age where she loves to feel needed and enjoys helping, I love that she can help with brushing her teeth and yet I don't have to worry about her little belly if she swallows some toothpaste or her gagging on her toothbrush due to putting it too far in her mouth.  

And while sucking up toothpaste may seem cute and harmless, did you know ordinary toothpastes contain enough fluoride in a single tube to harm several child if ingested? That's a scary thought since most of us don't think to lock toothpaste away as we would harmful cleaners. Fluoride, along with a slew of other dangerous ingredients, is why most ordinary toothpastes shouldn't be ingested. But young children don't always understand or have to willpower to spit their toothpaste back out. With Jack and Jill's Organic toothpastes that's not a problem because they are made with organic calendula  which soothes gums, and organic natural flavours, or, if you prefer there is a flavour free variety  Also, the toothpaste is fluoride free, sugar free, colour free, gluten free, and contains no preservatives. Bottom line? It doesn't contain the "junk" most ordinary toothpastes do. So if your little one doesn't understand to spit the toothpaste out or is simply stubborn you can rest easy knowing nothing harmful is in their system.  

And guys, even their packaging is minimal and recyclable! How brilliant is that?! 

Jack n' Jill are definitely a staple in our house now. I love when incorporating healthy items for my family and our environment is simple and easy. And I can rest assured that my kids aren't ingesting anything harmful. 

Go check out Jack n' Jill products on their website or in a store near you. They have numerous items to choose from, you won't be disappointed.

*Full Disclosure: I was provided with the items in this post at no cost. However, all opinions and words are my own. 

Avery's Art

In our house we love creating, whether it be painting, coloring, building, sewing, crocheting, you name it, we dig it. And our newest addition is getting right in on the fun too. I've known people that say, "Aww, I can't wait until my little one is old enough to make me some art to display!" Well guess what, folks? If they're outta the womb, they're old enough! I know one big concern is the safety of paints for babies under one, especially because they like to put EVERYTHING in their mouths. But fear not, I've got the perfect recipe for you and your little guy/gal and you'll have some adorable baby made art to display proudly.

You'll need:

1 cup flour

2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

Combine water and salt in a large pot. Cook on medium heat. Once the water mixture is heated slowly add flour, stirring constantly. Remove from heat once smooth and thick.

The consistency is that of yogurt, and after making this recipe I realized that I could've used just that - plain vanilla yogurt, then simply added food coloring to my liking. So give that a go as well.

We used a cupcake pan to place the "paint" in then we added different food coloring to each section until we liked the color.

Initally I taped a piece of paper to the counter, dropped some blobs of paint on the paper, then covered it with clear sheeting also taped to the counter (shown below, sorry for the terrible quality iPhone pics throughout this post) but Avery wasn't interested. 

I think her lack of interest was due to not being able to truly feel the texture of the paint. With four kids and a dog I'm no stranger to messes so I said screw it and took off the plastic sheeting and let her just grab the paint straight from the cupcake holders and paint it directly to the paper. She absolutely LOVED it.

Not only does this activity give you the cutest artwork made by your babe but it also gives them some much needed sensory play, so it's a win-win in my book. 

And I'm a sap so we framed her art, I mean, come on, its the first piece of art she made so naturally it has to go in a frame and be treasured forever. If you've ever been to my house you know that I decorate with both mine and my kiddos' art work, there's just something so wonderful about being surrounded by their works of art that they worked so hard on. I absolutely love when I see the kids digging in our craft closet and breaking out the canvases and paint. It make this creative momma happy. 

So if you ever thought your three month old was too young to make you some sweet art, think again ya'll. Happy painting!

Cloth Wipe Tutorial

We all cloth diaper for different reasons; some to save money, some to save the Earth, some to save our kids' tosh from chemicals, and some do it for a combination of the aforementioned reasons. I cloth diaper mainly for one reason: because I don't want the chemical from disposables on my babe for two years straight (or however long it'll take her to potty train). Saving the Earth and my pocket book are simply bonuses.

So along with cloth diapering, I use cloth wipes for simplicity's sake and also to avoid the chemicals in disposable wipes. With cloth you can just toss it all in the wet bag together, wash them with the diapers, and use them over and over just as you do the dipes. 

With disposables you have to keep a trash can near by to toss the wipes in with each diaper change then depending if it's a poopy diaper you have to get a baggie to tie it up in and toss it in the big bin outside as to not stink up the trash inside.

And those that money is their motivator? 

You can save soooo much by using cloth wipes as well

It take just minutes to make a batch of wipes. 

I usually need to make one batch every other day or every two days. And to make life even easier I do it while I make my coffee in the morning because I already have water boiling since I use a French Press to make my coffee.

What you need (per "batch):

1 baby wipe container

1 cup boiling water

1/2 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil

1/2 tablespoon Burt's Bees Baby wash (or baby wash of your choice, I just like the ingredients in Burt's the best)

Half your "wipes" (which would be 1/2 yard of fleece cut to size)

Don't let the "work" of needing to make a new batch of wipes every few days prevent you from using cloth wipes. The little work you have to do outweighs the work you'd have if you used disposable. Scout's honor.

The recipe above is for "one batch" AKA a single baby wipe container's worth of wipes.

I received disposable wipes as baby gifts so I used those up then saved the container.

For the wipes, I bought a yard of fleece and cut them using pinking sheers into the approximate size and shape of a disposable wipe so they'd fit in my container. I didn't measure, I just eyeballed it. One yard made enough wipes to fill both the big wipe containers I keep at home (one upstairs, one downstairs) as well as my three travel wipe containers I keep in each of our cars and in baby's diaper bag, which is all I need.

Some people get fancy and surge the edge of each wipe. Ain't nobody got time for that - they're wipes for pete's sake!. Cutting them with pinking sheers works just as well.

Once you cut up your wipes wash them as you would your cloth diapers.

Once washed, separate them evenly into two piles. Each of your piles is now going to be "one batch" of wipes if that makes sense. So in this recipe we are only dealing with one pile/batch. Keeping up?

Good.

I used to mix everything up in a bowl but I've started just mixing it in the measuring cup when I realized I could use one less dish in my always busy kitchen.

How to:

Pour a cup of boiling water into your measuring cup. Squeeze 1/2 tablespoon of Burt's Bees Baby Wash into your measuring spoon. Stir into the water. Using the same measuring spoon, scoop out 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil. The oil should scoop out easily because your measuring spoon is still warm from the water. Stir the coconut oil into the water and body wash mixture.

Next, remember that pile of cloth wipes? Put half of them in the wipe container and then pour half the water mixture evenly on to the wipes. Next, place the remaining half of the wipes into the wipe container then pour the rest of the water mixture on top. Take care to pour the water evenly over the wipes. You don't want to just dump it all in the middle because then the edges of your wipes will be dry and useless. The reason you want to only put half in at a time is because the fleece sucks up the water mixture really well and I found that when I placed the entire stack in the container then poured the entire mixture on top the mixture never made it down to the wipes near the bottom. By doing one half at a time you ensure the mixture will coat all your wipes.

Lastly, close the lid and shake it up to get any rogue water absorbed into the wipes. Et voila! You're done.

Do the same for the other pile of wipes into another container and you're all set!

I make a batch and then take a few out and put them in my travel case to keep in the car and diaper bag.

So easy!

Alright guys, I hope I was helpful and that your heads don't hurt from all the take half of the half of the half's half info. If you have any questions, need anything clarified, or want to share any cloth diaper/wipe tips leave me a comment below!

Tomorrow I'll be back with a post all about cloth diapering that I promised to write for a few people. So check back in if that's your kind of fun!

Mom(x4)

How is it having four kids? 

That's a question I get asked at least once a week.

The answer? No tougher than three. 

The kitchen floor gets swept like 67 times a day but that's been the norm around here for a while now so...

Everyone's experience as a parent is slightly different, of course. Many issues factor into how tough or easy parenting children ends up being. Not saying that parenting is easy. It's not. It's the most important job I will every do in my entire life. The only job I've willingly stepped into and would choose to do again and again. With that being said, when I say "easy" in this particular post, I'm simply saying I don't feel overwhelmed on a regular basis.

In my experience as a parent, having two kids is much easier than having one. 

It could be because my first two are close in age - 2 years 2 months apart to be precise. But having two was definitely "easier" than having one. Perhaps it's because they had each other as playmates as well as learning things from each other and trying to "keep up" with one another. Had there been an eight year age difference between number one and number two I'm certain my experience would have been different.

Now, with that said, having three is tougher than having two. Again, age difference is likely a big factor. But when number three came along I felt like I became a new parent all over again, as in, I had to find a new system by which I ran my household to keep it running smoothly. When my third was born I had him (newborn), a three year old, and a five year old. That ended up being tough for a bit. Baby three meant I had to stick to more of a schedule in order to have a clean house, clean and non-starving children, and make it to all their activities on time. With three kids I found myself doing laundry at least every other day. The carpets need vacuumed daily. The dishwasher ran twice daily. Some sort of craft being created the second we were cleaning up the previous craft. And the kitchen floor swept what seems like every two hours.  No joke. 

And all that housekeeping wasn't too big of a deal to me because I like to clean. But when it comes to schedules and time-keeping I'm not the best. Nowhere close. Ask those closest to me. I'm more of a goes with the flow, laid back, why-do-we-need-watches type person/mother/wife. So sticking to a schedule doesn't come naturally. It's something I work at every single day. Once I revamped my day-to-day schedule I settled in well as a mom of three. It didn't take long - a few months max to settle into a sweet little groove. And groove we did. For eight years before baby four was in the making. I didn't know what to expect when four came around but to my surprise it's no tougher than life with three.

Obviously there are changes in our daily lives with baby four here - my living areas have baby paraphernalia scattered throughout them. And Curious George is playing in the background each morning because my little girlfriend loves to see the fun colors. The floor needs a daily cleaning (sensing a theme here?), and laundry is going nonstop. I also I tote a diaper bag around now rather than one of my fancy beloved coach purses but it's not tougher, the details are just slightly different.

I also didn't know what to expect with the huge age differences. But I think that's actually been one reason why four isn't tougher than three. My oldest is 15. The one closest in age to the baby is 9. So it's not as if I'm chasing three toddlers in addition to caring for a newborn.

My two teenagers can cook, the three of them all bathe/shower themselves, they help out around the house with chores. So all of that is helpful. If I had four under four I know I'd be singing a different tune. But luckily that's not my reality!

So there's my answer: Life with four is not any more difficult than having three. My theory now is if you can do three, you can do 12. I guess we'll see if that holds true when we eventually add to our clan.

Big families definitely aren't for the faint of heart. It definitely keeps this momma busy. Some people look at me as if I have three heads when they find out I have four kids. Others smile with delight and share their desire to have a big family as well. I feel extremely grateful that I have always wanted a big family and that I've been able to make and raise one with my best friend in the world. I realize that not everyone can have their own children or as many as they desire. So I take this job of raising healthy, happy, productive children with pride, and I happily sweep the kitchen floor. Again.