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Three Hacks to Get Your Child Napping

7/27/2019

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Getting my daughter to take a nap has been a nearly impossible task since the day she was born. She had a severe case of infant FOMO, needing to see and be a part of everything going on before her eyes could even focus, and it’s transitioned into frequent episodes of toddler no-nap-itis. For those of you struggling with these issues, know you are not alone.

Over the past few years, I’ve developed some sure fire ways to ensure she gets a nap so as to avoid tantrums and disasters later in the evening. Below are three strategies I hope you, too, can find useful!

  1. Plan a fun activity that will require your child to be awake!
    I always find that if I’m really excited about a specific activity - be it a play date or family photos - my daughter will without hesitation take a nap during that time. The key to this is you have to genuinely be excited about the activity, and, thus, feel torn between your disappointment that you cannot do said activity and joy that your toddler is napping. Daniel Tiger calls this “feeling two things at the same time.”

  2. Go for a drive!
    When I found out I was pregnant with my second, we bought a mid-sized SUV, which has been great for carting along a tandem stroller and all the other accessories two children come with. It’s also been a real gas guzzler because every other day, I use it as my instanap secret weapon. Turn up the lullabies, strap in your babies, and drive around the city for hours on end imagining what it would be like to live in the nice, big houses with children who nap in their beds! Bonus: I use this as an opportunity to drive through my favorite coffee shop and get a very fancy caffeinated beverage! With gas and lattes, is this method a bit pricey? Sure! But it’s an investment in my children and I’m a good mom.
  3. Forget about the nap!
    Sometimes I get so caught up in cleaning up toys and preventing my children from sticking markers in our dogs’ ears that I forget about naps altogether! Usually when this happens, I am reminded around 4:00 when everyone has a meltdown at the same time. Never fear! Turn on Curious George, hand over a cheese stick, and kick your feet up. The day is almost over and they’ll get a nap tomorrow. You scheduled your family photos, so it’s a guarantee!

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Sisterhood of the traveling Postpartum Pants

7/26/2019

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Pre and post baby black leggings were my BFF.  They stretched and supported in all the right places. Easy to wash (or not wash) and they are the best at hiding milk stains. 

After a few weeks postpartum, I had a need for something to make me feel less like a monster made of spandex and more like something resembling my pre-baby self. 

So little ol’ silly me decided to try on all my pre-baby clothes. It. Was. Horrible.  Nothing fit.  Not even close to fitting.  I ended up in tears, calling my mom, thinking she could make this all go away.  She simply said “Let’s go get you something that fits you now’.
So away we went, to the mall. With one simple goal: To find a pair of jeans that I felt good in.  ​
Y’all, this was hard.  Facing my new body was tough.  In addition to being a hormonal mess, I was now face-to-face with my body in floor length mirror with the not-so-flattering florescent lighting.  I didn’t know what size I was. And having to stop every so often to either nurse or change a diaper, well, it made for a long process.

​I left empty handed.  But I was determined. 

A few days later I walked into a local boutique with low expectations.  A trendy pair of boyfriend jeans caught my eye. After my lesson in the mall, I knew to grab a few sizes.  Then, with a zip and a button, I was looking in a mirror and I didn’t hate what I saw. 

These jeans were magic. 
It’s hard having a baby.  Everything changes all at once and, if you’re like me, you try and grasp onto something that makes you feel like, well, you.  For me that was jeans.
 While these bad boys didn’t help my child sleep at night, they did provide me with a much needed boost. They helped me take a step to learn to love myself now, my body now.  Not what it was, not what it might be, but how it is in the floor length mirror with florescent lighting. 

My best friend recently had her second child.  Once she reached the ‘I feel like a spandex monster’ point, I knew exactly what she needed. 

I gave her my postpartum jeans.  

They fit her perfectly. 

​I told you they were magic. 
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One Amazon Box, So Many Options

7/25/2019

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If you’re like me, you get a lot of deliveries from Amazon. Dog food, dish soap, and ALL THE TODDLER THINGS.  This equates to lots, and lots of boxes.

Here’s a quick list of 5 things you can do to repurpose those boxes AND entertain your child in the process.

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1. It’s not a box it’s a CAR RAMP
My son is currently obsessed with all things cars - so needless to say transforming our Amazon box into a ramp for his cars was a huge win. I MEAN LOOK AT THIS THING, IT’S HUGE. And, because I made it, I’ve created my son’s most precious possession and have a huge hand in all these #memories





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2. It’s not a box it’s a TUNNEL 
Wow. This is a magical box.  Look how it’s transformed into a magical tunnel! AMAZING! Not to brag, but this is pretty geniu


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3. It’s not a box it’s a TODDLER RAMP
Ok. So this is close to the car ramp, HOWEVER, this version has a toddler climbing up it which makes it TOTALLY NEW. 


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4. It’s not a box it’s a ROAD WITH BUMPS
Look, I never said this was a great list. I DID say here are 5 things you can do with you Amazon Prime box and I might have run out of ideas around 2.


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5. It’s not a box it’s a STEP STOOL
Yes.  This is a basket and not a box.  But use your imagination.  You could use an Amazon Prime box as a stool and HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!?






This post was not sponsored by Amazon Prime.  I wish it was. ​​​
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    TMJ

    Living that real mom life.

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