Since we are heading into summer, I have gone through my son’s clothes to see what we need to get to update his summer wardrobe…(For reference, I have a 21 month old) Trying on clothes, we realized that it was time to make the switch over to a size 2T.
Not a big deal, right? I mean we’ve been upgrading his sizes seemingly every three months since he was born, and this is no different. Wrong.
So as we went on our weekly trip to Target I found myself in the clothing section to stock up on some shorts and t-shirts, and that’s when it hit me.
Your local Target may be the same as mine, but there is a large shelving unit that divides the baby clothes from the toddler clothes, and let me tell you...moving to the other side of that shelf hurts.
My baby is not a baby anymore. He’s walking, talking (more like demanding), playing on his own, eating without assistance, and just growing up. Don’t get me wrong, watching him grow and learn every day is just as exciting for me as it is for him. But it’s all moving too fast.
Thinking about planning his second birthday has me wondering how we got here so quickly. Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was swaddling him for bedtime and warming up his milk bottles? Yesterday I was rubbing gel on his gums for his first tooth. Yesterday I sat and watched as he crawled across the floor. Now I’m watching him run with my dog in the backyard.
I’m reminiscing on the good times of him being a baby, but conveniently leaving out the sleepless nights, the spit up, the eating every two hours, the being peed on….so it’s not all bad. But I miss my baby.
I miss my baby, yet I’m captivated by watching him grow. When he learns a new phrase, I’m obsessed with telling everyone. When he chooses Dada to read his bedtime story over me, I’m reminded how much I love that he can now make his own choices (even when those choices hurt my feelings).
If you’re still the parent of a baby, don’t take the bad times for granted. Remember that it’s all fleeting and one day you will miss having that time rocking your baby in the middle of the night. One day you’ll heat up your last bottle and miss the days when they couldn’t open the fridge and pull the juice out.
And parents of toddlers - I know the energy level of these children is slowly making us crazy. But one day, sooner than we think, we will cross the aisle at Target to the kids' section and wish it all back. Every block on the floor, every sippy cup, every sticky handprint on the wall.
You never know when the last time anything will be with your children. I saw a meme the other day that said “One day you’ll put your child down, and you’ll never pick them up again.” Enjoy the days with your littles. Even the chaotic days will be days that you will look back on and smile about.
Looking to join a supportive group of parents to go through life with? Get advice, ideas, comfort, and treats from the Teething Around VIP Group. Parenting is hard, but here’s your village.]]>Unfortunately, there are times when having to travel cannot be avoided, whether it’s a road trip, plane ride, or maybe even a cruise. When these…opportunities…for travel present themselves, how are we going to occupy our little ones, while also keeping our dwindling sanity intact?
Recently, I’ve taken a road trip with my 18 month old, and these are the things that made the trip smooth and (almost) stress free!
SNACKS
Seems obvious, right? If you’ve been a parent for more than five minutes, you already know that snacks are the way to go with literally anything you need to get done. But here’s the trick…making sure your toddler does not get tired of their snacks.
My son gets bored of snacks, so it was important to bring a myriad of snack choices. It’s also a good idea to keep the snacks handy for when you need to pull them out, somewhere that does not require you to get unbuckled and rummage through bags.
ENTERTAINMENT
Road tripping requires many hours of entertainment for your child. Anything can pass as entertainment for a toddler, but here were our choices:
Binkeys! My son is getting a bit older, so we try to limit binkey time, but on long car rides is when that rule goes flying out of the window. Cars are no friends to lost pacifiers, so make sure you clip it down somewhere using a Teething Around pacifier clip, so you can easily find it.
Toys. Best to bring a couple different options with you, but we always need to have his emotional support stuffed animal, something that makes noise, and something to chew on. And to ensure your toddler does not throw the toys across the car every 60 seconds, we use a Teething Around OSH Clip, so the toys are always right where they need to be.
Music/Shows. Before you embark on your journey, take a few minutes to download all of your child’s favorite media. For us, that’s episodes of Ms. Rachel, and the soundtrack to Badanamu.
Rotate between your forms of entertainment so your toddler always has something different to be given for when they ultimately become bored, don’t give them everything at once, or they will be overstimulated and become irritable, at least that has been my experience.
PIT STOPS
I detest making pit stops on road trips. I want to get to my destination as quickly as I possibly can. However, pit stops will help prevent those toddler tantrums. Sitting in the car for long periods of time is enough to make anyone get a bit stir crazy, but especially the tots.
Find pit stops that will enable your child to have the opportunity to stretch their legs and burn some energy. We like to look for large welcome centers where our son can run around inside the building to burn that energy off…hopefully leading them towards a solid nap when you get back in the car.
There’s no rule book to traveling with toddlers and there will be a lot of trial and error. Ultimately, you know your child best and what works best for you and your family. Follow your instincts.
Most importantly, don’t be too hard on yourself when you make a mistake. It’s nothing that can’t be fixed. Plus, if you forget to pack snacks one time, I promise you’ll never forget again!
Looking to join a supportive group of parents to go through life with? Get advice, ideas, comfort, and treats from the Teething Around VIP Group. Parenting is hard, but here’s your village. Use code "TABlog" to save 20% on our custom OSH Clip or custom Carseat Clip January 18th and 19th only!
]]>You may have heard that instead of making a list of resolutions, you choose one word to focus your year around. I love the idea of only keeping up with one thing. You have enough to deal with already without adding a list of resolutions on your plate, and that’s probably why by February 1 your new gym membership is already collecting dust. We’ve all been there.
One word gives you purpose, focus, and something to align your day to day choices to without it being a cumbersome list. And the meaning behind your word can be as diverse as you want it to be.
Imagine you choose the word “health” as your word for 2023. This can go beyond physical health. It can be aligned with your mental health, spiritual health, relational health…anything you need.
So when you have to make a choice during the day…rarely happens, I know, think about what would align best to your word.
How would choosing to interact with that coworker affect my mental health?
How would participating in this conversation affect my spiritual health?
How would eating this entire bag of Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos affect my physical health? (I can say that it didn’t help my physical health, but my mental health prospered on that one)
Being cognizant of your word allows you to make better choices when you focus on what it means to you.
For 2023, my chosen word is “Peace.” I’ve allowed chaos, intrusive thoughts, and much more to steal the peace out of my life this past year. I intend to use this word to be mindful about how I am allowing people and situations to affect me.
Here’s how I go about choosing my word:
Make a List
First I made a list of all the words that could apply to what I want for the year. Any word that popped into my head during my brainstorming went straight on the list. This is not the time to filter yourself. Whether serious or silly, write it all down! I usually end up with anywhere between 15-25 words.
Eliminate
Once you have made your completed list, then you begin to slim it down. This process may take more than one day. You will want to read and reread your list over and over, slowly eliminating options. Eventually you want to have your final words. Try to keep your finals down to 3-5 finalists to keep the selection narrow.
Final Choice
Making the final choice for your word is a personal experience. I choose a more spiritual route in my final word by praying about it, and seeing what God has for me. You may use a different method in choosing the word. You can meditate on it, journal about it, maybe you just take a nice hot bath and think on it in silence for a while. It’s completely up to you and needs no one else's input.
When you have your final word, put it somewhere that you can be reminded of it everyday! Put it on a post-it note and stick it in your closet. Add it to the home screen of your phone. Write it in the front of your planner. Tattoo it across your forehead. Whatever you need to do to remember the purpose you’ve given for your year.
May 2023 bring more triumphs than tribulations - more victories than valleys - more love than loss.
Happy New Year!
Looking to join a supportive group of parents to go through life with? Get advice, ideas, comfort, and treats from the Teething Around VIP Group. Parenting is hard, but here’s your village.
]]>For me, one of my favorite things to do on the weekends is to get up before anyone else in my house just so I can enjoy a hot coffee in peace and quiet…that’s a treat.
But sometimes I sleep in and my coffee time becomes chaotic. However, I REFUSE to give up on my coffee time. So in order to have my moment, I will use Bluey or Ms. Rachel as a babysitter for my toddler so I can drink my coffee without the fear of a flying toy landing in my mug (yes, that has happened before). Just as I settle in to enjoy my peppermint mocha coffee, the guilt sets in.
Are you really using the TV to occupy your child just so you can have a coffee? How lazy are you?
With that thought, one of two things happen, either I push the thought away and drink my coffee guiltily or I say goodbye to coffee time and hello to playing on the floor time, because I do not want to be the lazy parent.
We’ve all felt the lazy mom guilt at one point or another, or maybe several times a day (hi, that’s me). And you can’t lie to yourself about it either, you’ve seen the moms online who fill their days personalizing activity after activity for their child, then catch up on the chores during nap time, and clean the kitchen after everyone is asleep.
How do you compete with that? I shame myself all day for what I should be doing.
Scrolling through TikTok instead of folding laundry during nap time…shame.
Letting your child play alone instead of interacting with them the whole time…shame.
Heating up chicken nuggets for lunch instead of cooking a meal for them…shame.
Reading a book before bed instead of doing something productive around the house…shame.
We are fed day in and day out of the importance of productivity and the fear of being labeled as lazy. And the judgment never ends.
Well I’m here to say that it is okay to look after yourself, that will make you a BETTER parent, not a lazy one.
So what if you didn’t stay up completing a new DIY sensory activity out of pipe cleaners and a cardboard box – relaxing in that bubble bath has put you more at ease to be a happier parent in the morning.
Who cares that the laundry has been sitting in the dryer…at least they’re clean.
The point is, spending your Saturday afternoon lounging around the house having a movie marathon with your kids is not being lazy. It’s smart. You know when you need a break, or rest, or an hour long massage…so take it! Take the time to treat yourself in whatever way makes you feel happy and refreshed.
So this week when you’re at the end of a long day with work, kids, husbands, and the house is quiet…for the love of all things, put the dish sponge DOWN and do something for YOU. Those dishes will still be there in the morning, but this quiet time for yourself may not be.
For that bill that I don’t know how to pay.
For the sleepless nights with my newborn.
For the critique on the food I spent all day cooking.
For the headache from my screaming toddler.
The list could probably go on and on.
Even when things may be generally going well, that one thing, that hurdle, that tough season, is making it difficult to see where the good even is. Maybe it’s just me, but it feels like human nature to block out all the good things to hyper fixate on the one or five things going wrong. However…
Gratitude is a choice we make everyday.
There’s not a day I wake up when the first thing I do is start running through the day’s to-do list, and instead of being grateful that I woke up in a home with my family, I’m annoyed about all I have to accomplish that day.
This is not the way to live. You cling on to that low point or that intrusive thought and you keep swimming down with it. Before you know it, you’ve had a bad day by the end of breakfast.
Enough. Make the conscious effort to be grateful several times throughout the day.
Start the moment you open your eyes
If you’re a religious person, start by thanking God for allowing you experience another day, no matter what lies ahead. Remind yourself that whatever anxiety comes your way that “his mercies are new each morning.” Use your faith to encourage your thankfulness.
If you’re not a religious person, you still want to begin your day with the proper attitude. Try journaling and use it as a way to write down what is going right in your life before you begin to think about the negatives. If you are someone who needs more of a prompt to write with, there are some great Gratitude Journals that have prompts already there. Find what works for you.
The important thing for all of us is that before we even think about checking Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or heaven forbid…the NEWS, you begin your day with positive thoughts, and personal reflection about all you have to be grateful for.
Throughout the Day
Take a couple seconds several times throughout your day and make a mental note of something you’re grateful for.
I’m grateful my toddler just ate his lunch.
I’m grateful the dog didn’t pee in the house today.
I’m grateful I did NOT have to do any laundry today.
Whatever those little moments of gratitude are, be cognizant of them. It will help you remember all the little things that are going well instead of spending all day focusing on the stressors in your life.
Before bed
This is where I struggle to remember anything. By the time I’m preparing for bed, all I’m thinking about is if I hurry to get ready, I can be in bed scrolling through TikTok quicker - never taking the time to reflect on the day.
For you, this may be a good time to find yourself back in prayer. Reflect on those moments of gratefulness from the day and thank God for the good things He’s provided you that day.
Or you may find yourself back in your journal, writing down both the ups and the downs of the day and how you’ve handled it all.
Whichever way or method you choose, spend a couple minutes BEFORE you open your phone for your nighttime scroll to reflect on the day. Clear your mind and be at peace before you sleep.
Gratitude is a choice. It is not something to be done one day while sitting around a dinner table. To ease our stressed out minds and troubled spirits, we MUST make time for gratitude. Every. Single. Day.
So tomorrow, enjoy your turkey, pig out on pie, and remember to be thankful everyday.
Once again we find ourselves on the cusp of the holiday season. With this comes excitement, joy, magic, stress, exhaustion, and more gray hair.
]]>Plain and simple…we don’t. We survive. We get through it.
Shouldn’t we see this season as the time we get to celebrate all that we have with the ones we love? No stress, no fighting, just peace, love, and joy.
Unfortunately….
We have children, husbands, wives, partners, parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and so many more people that we suddenly have to entertain AT THE SAME TIME. It’s too much, too overwhelming. If you’re anything like me, you have two modes during this season:
As parents, we want to make this the most special time of year for our children at the expense of our own sanity. We love our children and want them to look back at these moments from their childhood with nothing less than pure happy memories. While behind closed doors we’re screaming into pillows because we ran out of scotch tape to wrap last minute presents on Christmas Eve and your spouse is cursing in traffic because you forgot to get the carrots for Santa’s reindeer.
Somewhere amidst all this chaos, there needs to be B A L A N C E. But where do we even start?
Start with NO. Easy. Simple. No
Be the advocate for you and your family. Everyone and their brother is having at least one holiday gathering, and if you say yes to all of it, you won’t have a moment to breathe. So…..
No Lydia, I can’t come to your Winter Solstice potluck.
No Carol, I can’t make it to your pre Thanksgiving dinner.
No Todd, I can’t bring the green bean casserole to the office party.
There is absolutely no shame in saying no to any of the 47 events you get invited to. They will survive. And honestly, how much better would it be to have a family pizza and pjs night while watching The Grinch? Probably better than forced conversation at your co-worker’s girlfriend’s ugly sweater party.
Set some boundaries
Let’s be real, extended family members are the worst part of the holidays for many of us, and they all have opinions about you and your children.
Cousin Barbara thinks your child is too chubby.
Uncle Frank thinks your child is too skinny.
Your teenage niece, Samantha, thinks the shoes you chose for your toddler are
“Cheugy.” (Insert eyeroll emoji)
Grandma is worried if the baby is too cold under their blanket.
By the end of the night, you’re fully ready to put a hole in the wall. Family, at times, seems to only have things to talk to you about when it’s criticizing your parenting choices. Even though it may be coming from a place of love, it still makes you crazy. Setting healthy boundaries with family members may be a daunting task, but once they are in place and understood, it will make holiday family gatherings smoother.
Simplify your Traditions
As parents, we burn ourselves out around the holidays by making the most of every moment for our children. Now there is nothing wrong with this until it becomes a heavy, day to day, burden on us. When it reaches that point, we become easily agitated, our fuses are shorter, we lose our patience quicker, and kids notice this. Yes, you stayed up all night decorating their playroom to look like Santa’s elves came and moved everything around and it looks amazing! However, you got no sleep, you yelled at your husband 12 times, and mayyyyybe the wine you had to take the edge off is still in your system. Your child may remember how cool it was to wake up to that sight, but they also heard you fighting last night, they see the anger on your face from lack of sleep, and that affects them too.
Don’t get me wrong, if you’re able to do all of these super awesome things and it doesn’t wear you down, keep going! But if it is a form of stress or anxiety, it may be time to let some of those traditions go. I can promise you, your child will survive without 7 different types of homemade holiday themed cookies.
Your children would rather do a handful of fun activities with happy parents, than have constant entertainment from angry ones.
We only ever want what is best for our children and we work ourselves to the bone to provide holiday magic because we love them so much! Keeping these three simple changes in mind will get you from suffering through to smiling through this holiday season.
Topic: What SEASON are you in?
The first thing that comes to mind is....Elizabeth its ummmmm spring....did you not know? But I'm not talking about your traditional fall, winter, spring, summer. See I think we go through seasons in our life yearly, monthly, weekly, and even sometimes daily. We have these "seasonal changes" as you can say whenever we are in a new stage in our life. Whenever we are going through something, working to be something new, changing a habit or aspect or our life, etc. So I ask what season are you currently going through? Is it a martial season of growth? Is it a motherhood journey or figuring out what kind of mom you are or how to even be a mom? Is it a friendship season where you are finding out what it means to have friends as an adult or how to be a friend with a new busy schedule? Is it a season of a new job or new passion your trying to pursue? A season of mental health awareness, trying to get out of a fog?
My season is a season of “figuring out the future”. You see new beginnings and new opportunities may excite many people but for me IT STRESSES ME OUT but in the best way at the same time. Yeah that made so much sense. My season is revolving around trying to find a balance in work and family, trying to grow my business, and looking into the future to find a way to make my life and work sustainable for my family. Did you feel that weight on my shoulders…I do. Seasons are not always fun….sometimes it rains…and rains HARD. But like the cliché goes….there is always a rainbow at the end of every storm. So yeah my season might be HARD right now but it is also exciting (in a scary but wonderful way). And I know at the end of all of the stress there will be a beautiful rainbow and an “Ah ha” moment that makes it all worth it.
So I ask you what is your season? Lay it on me and LET ME SUPPORT you through it. YOU ARE NOT ALONE! TA is community of moms that supports one another through every season!
]]>Easter is meant to be a symbol of hope, renewal, and new life. Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won't stay there. Easter is a time when God turned the inevitability of death into the invincibility of life.
I feel like it creates such a sense of community, joy, and love reminding us of the importance of family and friends!
I created these super cute goodies for Thatcher's pre-school class and Mazie's at home daycare. And if you know me you know it has to be CUTE but EASY! Here's a quick supply list and how to, so that you can make these yourself!
Supply List:
-Cheese Balls (walmart is $6.58 for the giant tub i used like a fourth link here)
-Cone Cellophane Bags (micheals $2.49 for 25 link here)
-Grass (micheals $2 on sale link here) but you could also make some out of construction paper
-Ribbon (i used what i had laying around)
-Scissors/Tape
-Tags (link the the ones I made here)
Assembly:
-Fill bags with cheese balls.
-Bunch up some grass and tie ribbon around the grass and the opening of the bag to close.
-Tape on your tag.
-DONE!
I hope you and your littles love this little treat! We are so excited for this Easter Sunday! We hope you have a good time with your family and friends!
]]>This may be super "extra" but kids are only young once! And I fully believe one of my superpowers is making something that took 10 minutes look like it took an hour!
As many of you know I used to be a Kindergarten teacher! I LOVED it so much! But then I had Thatcher Reign and I KNEW from the moment I laid eyes on him I would never be able to leave him. I seriously looked at Paul in the hospital like 2 hours after birth and was like um....I'm not going back to work. He just laughed and said we will talk about it. But in his heart he knew I was going to be a stay at home mom.
Being able to stay home with my kids and leave my career was such an amazing opportunity! I was blessed to be in a situation that allowed for that! But I quickly learned is wasn't always RAINBOWS and butterflies. It was hard...like a lot harder than you would ever think!
Even with as busy as Teething Around keeps me now, I am still a "stay at home mom" on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I have both kids home with me. And boy did they TEST me today! From the tantrums to the meltdowns, to the adjusting to new nap times (thanks daylight savings time), to the car sickness throw up all over the car on the way to Oma's....today was one of those days where your like I give up! But your a stay at home mom....there's no one else there....during the day at least...so you can't just give up...you can't just take a "lunch break". HARD....definitely HARD...not as easy as I thought it would be.
But then there are the RAINBOWS, the rewards. Like I never missed the first time they smiled, or the first time they said a new word, the first time they sat up, the first time they did anything. I was there for it all. BLESSED.
So as I come down to my office after this long HARD day. I sat and put together these class goodies thinking of how BLESSED I am to be able to be here for both the HARD times and the RAINBOW times. And after a day like today I needed this reminder.
So I say to you, stay at home mom, working mom, mom to be, can't even picture the day you'll be a mom woman....in the midst of those HARD times, remind yourself that the RAINBOWS make it all worth it!
Anyways....your here for the goods, or should I say goodies. Below is the supply list and the FREE tag download I made! Happy packaging! Clock yourself...10 minutes I swear!
Supply List:
-2x3 in bags
-Mike and Ikes (1 box from dollar tree filled 2 baggies)
-Carmel Candies (I bag filled 1 teacher baggie)
-Paper/Printer/Scissors/Stapler
Click HERE to download the TAGS!
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