One of my great Mamma friends, Brittney Cooch, is a professional organizer for TLC Home, LLC and she agreed to share some great tips on ways to stay organized with a new babe. I'll certainly be using these tips over the next few weeks.

Welcoming a new baby to the family is certainly an exciting and joyful time.  Ideally, It’s a time to slow down and soak up all those sweet baby moments.  But between maintaining the home and juggling the family’s schedule, there are plenty of overwhelming challenges that may not feel you are “slowing down” at all.  Here are some tips for making the most of your time throughout your family’s transition…
 
Prep Before Arrival

• Try to nail down your family’s routines and schedules.  When baby arrives, the routines such as waking up, leaving the house, meal times, bath time, etc. will be smoother if they are already in place.  If one routine is too chaotic, take the time to consider what’s working and what’s not.  Then make changes. You may find that even a small change makes a big improvement. 
• Stock the house with food and household items in advance to lighten the amount of errands after baby arrives. 
• Save time cooking by making meals that can be frozen and served after baby arrives.
• Assign friends or family who are offering to help with certain tasks after the arrival. This could be cooking a meal, running an errand, taking an older child somewhere, etc. 

 
Meal Plan

• Plan for the upcoming week’s meals and shop accordingly. 
• Use some time during naptime to prep dinner or even fully cook the meal and then reheat at dinnertime. 
• Crockpot meals and casseroles can be cooked well in advance, placed in the freezer and then pulled out when needed. 
• Have snacks that are easy for older kids to access and eat on their own.
• You can consider having groceries and household items delivered to eliminate an errand. 

 
Keep up with Laundry

• Laundry can build up quickly and before you know it, you’re overwhelmed by the amount and you don’t even want to touch it. Try to throw a load in before the basket is totally full and overflowing.  Then you may find it less stressful and therefore, more willing to fold it and continue the process.

 
Chunk Cleaning

• Instead of cleaning the house and completing household tasks all in one day, break it up.  Allow yourself to accomplish a task one day and then another for as long as you need.  For example, on Monday clean the bathrooms, on Tuesday vacuum the downstairs, Wednesday wash the sheets, etc.  It may help to stick to a cleaning schedule each week.  Remember cleaning the sheets and certain tasks don’t need to be completed each week.  Phew!
• Consider hiring outside help to clean the house. 

 
Pick Up Clutter Daily

• Choose one time each day, maybe 10 minutes before bed or after school to clean up toys and items around the house and place them where they belong.  If it helps, involve the family in this routine.  Discuss the plan with the kids and stick to it everyday to develop a routine. 

 
Prepare In Advance

• Take some time each evening to review tomorrow’s schedule and prepare the family.  Pack snacks, lunches, outfits, etc. to save the scramble in the morning.  Or take the time to prep well before you actually plan to leave the house.  You want to avoid as many hiccups when leaving the house as possible.    

 
Delegate Help

• Be open to help. This could be help from your child, spouse, family, neighbor, or friend.  You may be surprised with tasks that your child can accomplish such as putting on their own shoes, grabbing their jacket, helping with trash, reading to the baby, etc.   Spouses can help with tasks around the home or with the children’s routines such as bath time.  Families, neighbors, and friends can take your older children places or grab you some milk from the store.  Lighten your load with help to allow yourself to accomplish something else.  That could just be to rest!

 
Keep Up With Your Planner

• Use your calendar regularly to write down the family’s events and keep your family on track.  You can make it accessible for all family members to see. 
• Try not to bombard your schedule with too many events; only fill your schedule with what you can handle. Some days that may only involve getting dressed and other days that may be an outing to the park or grocery store. Don't be afraid to skip certain events if you know it will be a time struggle.  Lighten your load!

 
Have Activities for Older Kids:

• Enroll your older children in enjoyable activities that will occupy their time and give you a break. 
• You can have activities for them at home that can be played independently.  You could break out new toys/activities overtime to spark their interest.   

 
Use Time Wisely

• When the kids are awake there is a high chance you won’t get much else done but care for them.  If you try to sit down at that computer and get some work done, you better believe that baby will be up on your lap in no time. They sense it and attack. Rather than struggling to get it done and causing both of you stress, complete it during naptime, nighttime, during a play date, with a mother’s helper, or during your child’s outing.

 
Be Gentle on Yourself

• Take time to yourself.  Before hopping into a task while the kids are napping, take a moment to unwind and put your feet up. 
• Sometimes you just need to break the family rules to have a moment to yourself -- allow them another donut hole or another half hour of TV. If it'll help you accomplish something and they're happy, then all is well!  Just go with it. 

 
It’s important to remember that your days will never be perfect.  You will have better days and moments than others.  That’s how motherhood goes – embrace it!   But with whatever areas you may struggle, I’m sure some of these tips can help you feel more comfortable as you manage your family and home during such an exciting time. 
 
I was so excited to meet Brittney and learn these awesome tips. For more tips on managing the home and family, follow along on her Instagram at britt_cooch or visit her website mytlchome.com.

A post written by one of my lovely Mamma friends.

Mastitis is the worst, right? My daughter is almost 17 months and we’re still breastfeeding. I enjoy it, she enjoys it, but we are finally in the process of weaning due to some upcoming travel and my tendency to get breast infections. We had a bear of a time breastfeeding at the beginning, so it’s a miracle and a blessing we’ve been able to last this long.

I wholeheartedly believe in modern medicine, but I’m also a big believer in natural remedies as a first line of defense. Since I get breast infections at the drop of a hat, I thought I’d share my (almost) fail-safe tips to stave off mastitis. I’ve had breast infections upwards of a dozen times, but I’ve only had full-blown mastitis requiring antibiotics once, and I have these natural remedies to thank for staving off more serious infections.

4 Steps to Stave Off Mastitis:

1.) Stop eating sugar immediately and continue avoiding sugar until your symptoms subside. This includes avoiding alcohol.

2.) Place thin slices of potato on the affected area. The easiest way to do this is to place the thin disks of potato (Russet works best) on a folded paper towel, place them potato-side down inside your bra, and then have the paper towel between the potatoes and your bra. Change these every few hours as they dry out (and get gross).

3.) Rub lavender oil (in a carrier oil) on the affected area. Mix a few drops of lavender oil in a carrier oil such a coconut or olive oil, and rub it on the affected area. I use the Doterra lavender oil, and I’ve also used other brands, but I prefer the Doterra. Try to do this while you’re taking a quick break from the potatoes because I’ve found that the potato and the lavender oil don’t feel great together.

4.) Apply Heat! I use a heated rice bag. This one is available through Amazon Prime. Rice microwaved in a sock does the trick just as well. (I'd also recommend the Boobease Therapy Pillows) 
​
Sometimes you’ll be able to beat it, other times you won’t, but if you start using these tricks as soon as you feel an infection coming on, you’ll have a good chance. If you have any other tips or tricks to help with breast infections, please share!

Last week, Ryan, Kennedy and I were so lucky to have the opportunity to be photographed by Lee Pettigrew Photography in our final weeks as a family of three. Despite Kennedy not wanting to let go of her grapes cup, be picked up (the least characteristic trait of hers) and the typical toddler troubles, Lee was able to capture some beautiful moments. Lee is a mother herself so she understands all of the crazy that goes along with getting a toddler to cooperate, phew! I definitely recommend checking her out if you're looking for photos! Her website is: http://www.leepettigrew.com/

Here are some of my favorites:

I am going to preface this by saying; I am going to do an official “potty training boot camp” in the next few weeks. Kennedy and I have been talking about the potty A LOT and we have the Baby Bjorn Potty in the first floor bathroom and the Baby Bjorn Potty seat in the second floor bathroom. She’s been telling me for the last few weeks when she poops or pees so I feel like she’s pretty ready. Well, last night was my first taste of what this whole magical journey will entail.  
 
My husband was at soccer so it was just Kennedy and I. It was the evening and I was tired but she told me she had to poop. I asked her if she wants to go on the potty and she doesn’t scream “NO” which I took as a good sign. I took off her diaper and tried to put her on her Baby Bjorn potty. She refused so, I then tried to put her on the big potty. Again, she refused (by this time poop is literally coming out of her butt). So, I kept her diaper off and kept her in the bathroom with the door open. She sat on the Baby Bjorn potty but every time she sat down she got poop on it which she then told me “Uh Oh” so I had to clean it up. This goes on forever and nothing materialized. I thought, okay maybe she’s done. Finally, she gets off the potty and closes the door on me and the dog in the bathroom (I can’t even remember why the dog is in the bathroom). I tried to get out but she has pretty much barricaded the door (luckily there's a window in the bathroom if I needed an escape). A couple of minutes later through the door I heard an “Uh Oh” and she let me out of the bathroom to discover a pile of poop on the rug. To make it even grosser, the dog tried to eat it.
 
If the thought of a diaperless child didn’t get me giddy, I might be putting this off for a long time :)

 In honor of World Breastfeeding Week and having weened my daughter a couple of months ago, I thought I would reminisce about the things I miss most about breastfeeding.

1. The snuggles. Don't get me wrong, Kennedy is still quite the snuggler but it isn't the same. There is something about that sweet time that makes those babies snuggle extra close.
2. The bond. There is something about breastfeeding that leads you to have this unique and special bond while you are doing it. Part nature and part nurture it really is such a special time.
3. The ease. Never again will you be able to leave the house without cut up fruit, a snack cup of puffs and a pouch. I seriously think my child overtakes my food consumption and I'm 7 months pregnant.
4. The laziness. I will never, EVER say a mother is lazy and I don't mean it in any negative way but there is a reason that the mother breastfeeds and not the father. It makes you stop and take those few minutes to just enjoy eachother because, let's be honest, there's really not much else to do during that time.
5. The night time routine. This was the last feeding I gave up and it really made me sad to do it. It was such a relaxing time for  both of us and it really helped Kennedy go down to sleep easier.
6. The power. There is something about breastfeeding that gives you a unique power over your child (for lack of a better word). Never again will I be able to breastfeed Kennedy back to sleep if she wakes up in the middle of the night or get her to go back down if she wakes up too early.
​7. The late night feedings. When Kennedy was little and it was the middle of the night, after she ate I would always hold her for a few more minutes to just appreciate her and how tiny she was. No matter how tired I was or how frustrated I was by the amount of times she had woken up  it gave me perspective.
8. The parenting style. No matter what Kennedy was upset about, it was a way to always calm her down. I'm not sure if it was the act of breastfeeding or just the time out but it always worked.
9. The peace and quiet. There was always an excuse to excuse yourself (not that I believe in that but if you need that time it's nice to have the opportunity). I found this most useful during family get togethers or big events where Kennedy (and I) both needed a few quiet minutes away from the masses.
10. The calories burned. Because let's be serious? Who doesn't want to be able to burn off calories while just sitting there :)

There really are so many reasons that I loved breastfeeding and it was definitely a sad time for me (and I'm sure her) to say goodbye to such a sweet, special time for us. Luckily, I won't have to miss it too much before number two comes along ;) So, cheers to World Breastfeeding Week and ALL the Breastfeeding Mamma's out there!

The other week I had the opportunity to take a three-day beach trip with three of my best Momma friends and their sweet babes. We stayed at my Mom’s house, a short walk from both the beach and the playground both proved to be key in our success. When we got there, the tenants from the previous week were still at my Mom’s house beginning the trip with a huge bout of crazy. I was nervous that we wouldn’t be able to recover but we did and quite gracefully, if I do say so myself. It’s certainly a different experience when it’s one on one with the kiddos without that second set of hands but we did it and it was fun and the perfect amount of crazy. We had a few key items that made our beach trip that much easier so I thought I would share to my fellow beach Mamma’s and Pappa’s.
 
A beach chair- my daughter can sit on a beach chair for hours at a time… it’s actually quite incredible.
 
Sunscreen/hat- because no one wants a burnt baby on their hands.
 
Sand toys- kids love digging in the sand, eating the sand, playing in the sand and putting sand in the baby pool. Kids eat sand… it’s not a big deal, you’re welcome.
 
A cooler full of snacks- there is nothing worse than a hangry baby. We brought lunch to the beach which was nice since we let the babies nap at home in the morning before bringing them down and wanted to be able to maximize our beach time.
 
Shade tent or umbrella- If you’re really lucky, you might even be able to get a kiddo to nap under one of these. If not, it’s still a nice place to play/hang out/each lunch in.
 
Blanket- even though the kids prefer the sand, it’s always nice to have somewhere that is a little less… sandy.
 
Baby carrier- if you have a little one, it’s so nice to be able to walk on the beach wearing the baby.
 
A book… just kidding ;)
 
Another thing we did was assign meals so each Mamma brought one (or two) for the group. It was so nice to not have to think about what we were eating and most meals were pretty easy to throw together. We had such a great time and will hopefully have the opportunity to do it again soon. Do you have any key pieces of advice for a beach trip?
​

As a new Mom, doesn't that seem to always be the question? The amount of time we spend talking and stressing about sleeping it's no wonder we (for the most part) don't get any! A new study came out today stating that letting your baby cry it out won't damage them for life (or that was the jist) but as a new Mom, do you really want to take that chance? And will that study take a new Mom who might be debating sleep training and push her over the edge to do it? Personally, I think it's such an individualized choice and a decision you need to make with your partner and that there is no study that would push me to do it. Am I crazy? Maybe. Did my child wake up in the middle of the night until she was THIRTEEN months old? Yes. Would I sleep train if I had to do it all over again? Nope. I just didn't think it was the right choice for me or, more importantly, for Kennedy. I thought (and still do think) that she was waking up because she needed me and I was alright with that. I was never a good sleeper, I'm still not, so, it made sense to me that Kennedy wouldn't be. I crawled in to bed with my parents until I was in middle school because I would wake up in the middle of the night scared to be alone. Would I want to leave my child in her crib "crying it out" if god forbid, she woke up terrified? Of course not and how do I know that being scared isn't exactly what's waking her up? On the other hand, I'm extremely lucky that I can be flexible and that there were days that I could be a zombie. I wasn't in an office trying to prove myself as a worker and hide my status as a new Mom. If I was, I probably would have felt differently and maybe I would have sleep trained. I think it's up to you and what's right for you, your spouse, your child and your family. Whatever you choose to do, I have no doubt that you will look back on those days and laugh at how much stress it caused you and you'll miss those nights where you snuggled that sweet baby back to sleep but for now, I know it's easier said than done :)

​I am sorry to have been MIA but we just got back from a two week vacation in Europe with Kennedy and it was amazing!  We traveled to Berlin, Vienna, Salzburg, Obertraun and Prague and loved each place just as much as the next! If you have the opportunity to take a trip with your little one, I would definitely recommend it. We did learn some things a long the way so I thought I would share my top ten travel tips on traveling with a little one under two.

1. Bring your own travel crib- we stayed in air bnb’s almost the entire time which was amazing because it (a) gave us a kitchen and (b) gave us a place to put Kennedy to sleep while we still hung out. We almost always had her sleeping in a different room than her so by bringing our Baby Bjorn Travel Crib (and her lovey) she always has consistency with a slight feeling of “home”, if you will.
2. Always bring a change of clothes for the baby in your backpack/diaper bag/carry on- I learned this one the hard way on more than one occasion. The first time I regretted not doing this was when we had a luggage snafu issue (aka we lost our luggage for about twelve hours) and all I had for Kennedy was what she was wearing… a romper that she did not love. It made it hard for her sleep sans clothes and it wasn’t the most appropriate outfit since we were traveling to the Alps. The second time was when Kennedy had a HUGE blowout on our hike UP the Alps. It was gross and everywhere and we had nothing to change her into #momfail. And because god forbid I learn my lesson, the third time was when she had a blowout on the flight home and had to go through border patrol in just her diaper and my sweatshirt draped over her. So, lesson learned. Always bring a second outfit for your child in your backpack. You’re welcome.
3. Get an umbrella stroller that reclines- We have the Maclaran Triumph and it was worth it’s weight in gold this trip. It’s light and it partially reclines so Kennedy took all of her naps while we were on the go… AMAZING. We had quite a few quiet lunches while she napped and even one dinner!
4. Screens are your friend- we are not huge into letting Kennedy watch TV or play on our phones or the iPad at home but for this trip, we let her go ham. She wasn’t always totally into it but it gave us some quiet on the plane and in restaurants, which was nice.
5. Be flexible- I can’t stress this enough, we didn’t have crazy full itineraries and we always tried to spend some time at the AMAZING European playgrounds everyday. If Kennedy was napping in her stroller, than we would skip the inside of the palaces and walk around the gardens, if Kennedy didn’t want to sit in the stroller anymore we would try and find somewhere for her to play. It’s her vacation too and if we had had too strict itineraries I think we would have been frustrated and disappointed.
6. Keep the baby fed- I don’t know if this is just Kennedy or not but if she isn’t fed, she’s hangry and no one wants a hangry baby on their hands. We always had fruit pouches on hand and tried to get to dinner on the earlier side so she wasn’t super hungry yet. We learned this one the hard way when we tried to take her to a 7:30pm dinner and she was just pissed. Keep that child fed and you’ll all be much happier (oh and bring a bib, trust me!)
7. Be a team with your partner- This is SO important and I really think it makes all the difference. We only had one baby with us so we took turns in places like planes and trains. If one of us needed to nap, than the other would take the baby and vice versa. Parenting is the biggest team sport you could ever play so take advantage of your teammate.
8. Bring a carrier- just having a stroller won’t always do it and if I didn’t have Ryan who carried Kennedy and the stroller up a bazillion steps I would have definitely needed to be able to wear her. Even with Ryan we wore her on hikes and through a lot of the airport and it was nice to have the option.
9. Let them eat the local food- You might only feed your child organic food and never let me touch pasta but you know what? Traveling is all about being immersed in the culture and if that culture means my child is eating schnitzel (and loving it) than I say go for it. It may be easy to be in control of your child’s everything at home but when you’re away you need to be flexible (see point 5) and let things go.
10. Have fun!- You’re doing a pretty amazing thing showing your child that there’s a world beyond the city or town that they live in. It’s such an educational experience for them (and YOU) and make sure you live it up! 

 
I’ve never met a vacation I didn’t love and this one was certainly no exception. Kennedy may be our biggest adventure yet but I also hope that she loves to be an adventurer and the first step for that is to take her on one! So, Mamas and Papas, don’t stress about the little things  (like the 8 hour plane ride), hopefully someone will let you have the whole row and it will all be smooth sailing from there (or atleast smooth enough for you to navigate!)

In the past couple of weeks I’ve been asked by a few of my working Mamma friends, “Do you regret leaving your job?” and every time I’ve said no and I’ve meant it. Was it scary? Terrifying. Was it something I ever thought I would do? Hell no. Was it easy? Nope. Has it been worth it? 150% YES! When I was debating whether or not I was going to leave my job to try to start my own business and spend time with Kennedy, I was talking to one of my dear Mamma friends and we were going over my options (she was an attorney so a good person to talk it through with!). She turned to me and said, “Your job is never going to love you back.” I’m pretty sure I went in and gave my two weeks that very next day (not really but it makes a good story).  And it’s SO true! Did I love my job? Truthfully? Not particularly. Did I love the recognition of being good at it? Absolutely. Did I love that recognition more than I loved spending every day watching my daughter learn and grow? Not one bit. If you love your job, I totally understand that going back wouldn’t even be a question, of course you would and you would succeed at it but as soon as you start questioning whether or not it’s right for you? It probably isn’t.
 
Cutting our household income in half was not something my husband or I took lightly. I drew out a budget and we talked about areas we could save money. We had just turned 31 and we have a mortgage and student loans and a new baby. I didn’t marry an established older man; I married my college sweetheart so we didn’t have a huge nest egg (although deciding to grow old with my guy is the best decision I ever made). Did it take getting used to? Yes. Did I have to re-evaluate my spending? Definitely. Did I need all those things I was buying online while spending 50-60 hours a week at my job? Nope. Did they make me happy? For a second… but that’s instant gratification and I’m here for the long haul.  So, Mamma, I hope you love what you do and I hope that it brings you all the joy in the world but, if it doesn’t, I’m here to tell you that you can make it work and that it will totally be worth it. 

I love meeting new Mamma's and Mamma's-to-be. It's one of the things that drew me to starting this business. It's such an exciting (and slightly terrifying) time in your life and being as prepared as possible makes the transition SO much easier! I often get emails from pregnant Mamma's asking about the timing of getting fitted for a nursing bra and it's almost like a trick question! When your pregnant and uncomfortable in your current bras, I always recommend that if you're going to invest in new bras, they should be nursing bras (if you're planning on breastfeeding) but many of times, your cup (and band) size in pregnancy is going to change after you have the baby. So, I usually recommend you try on a few nursing bras now that are designed to grow with you and could be worn towards the end of pregnancy when those underwires are so painful, but can also be worn well into your postpartum days (or you nursing career, if you will)! Three great options are: Cake Cotton Candy, Cake Rock Candy and Bella Materna Anytime Bra. I also always recommend grabbing a nursing tank top or nursing pajamas for the hospital. They are key when all you feel like is a milk machine! As for fitted cup sized nursing bras, I recommend waiting to get measured for those until a few weeks after you deliver when your milk is established but that is completely up to you! I'm always happy to meet pregnant Mamma's to get them set up for those first few weeks and then to come back later and meet the little one :) Perks of the job! 

Happy Spring and good luck to all pregnant Mamma's out there!