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Encouraging Tips for New Parents

POSTED June 18th AT 6:10pm

Being a new parent is hard, physically, mentally and emotionally. In addition to the demanding needs of a newborn, many new parents are sleep deprived, overwhelmed and filled with doubt about whether or not they can actually pull this off. While you can't do much about your newborn's need ...

When To Go To Bed Angry

POSTED June 18th AT 4:40pm

If you’re like me, you probably grew up hearing the phrase “Don’t go to bed angry” and when you entered into the world of dating, regarded this advice as healthy relationship law. You may have thought or still think that going to bed angry is a surefire way to damage your relationship and that those...

Why You Need Mom Friends

POSTED June 12th AT 1:35pm

When you think of mom friends, you might think of a group of women that sit around comparing their children, silently competing and vying for the hypothetical number one mom spot all while finishing off countless bottles of wine. This type of mom certainly does exist but is not a good representation...

Why Children Need Boundaries and Discipline

POSTED June 7th AT 1:35pm

Discipline has such a negative connotation to it because when many of us think of punishment, we think of the corporal forms of punishment of the past that our parents may have given to us. The thought of inflicting that same type of punishment on our own children makes us want to cringe…so we don’t...

Happily Ever After

POSTED May 14th AT 6:42pm

The concept of happily ever after is everywhere for as long as you can probably remember. When you were a kid, your books had fairy tale plots where everything always seemed to work out perfectly in the end. You turn on the TV and your favorite shows are full of daily humorous conflicts that couples...

The Gift of Failure

POSTED May 14th AT 6:05pm

From the moment you found out you were pregnant, you were probably determined to provide your child with a great life; most of that determination being driven by things that you considered to be lacking in your own childhood. Our desire as parents is to provide our children with a better life than w...

The Neglected Mama

POSTED May 9th AT 7:09pm

Most women spend so much time taking care of other’s that they forget how to be taken care of themselves. Not only do they forget, but they may even feel uncomfortable when someone else takes care of them. Women are usually the first to offer help to others but when its offered to them, they often r...

Your New Normal

POSTED May 9th AT 5:04pm

You’ve been looking forward to meeting your little one since the day you found out you were pregnant. That desire intensified as you felt the first kicks and reached a peak as you went into your last month of pregnancy and came within days of meeting your baby. You FINALLY delivered your baby and al...

Parenting Together

POSTED May 3rd AT 5:41pm

Whether you co-parent with someone that lives in a separate home or you parent with a partner or spouse under the same roof, bringing a child into your relationship can present challenges that test your relationship or ability to co-exist. Relationships, in general, are complex and ever-changing but...

Comparison Is The Thief Of Joy

POSTED April 26th AT 2:03am

We’ve all been in a situation before where another woman tells us about something amazing that happened in their life or career and we start to feel the pangs of envy creeping in. Or a friend tells us about something wonderful that their significant other does or did and our brain immediately starts...

10 Things Every Mom Should Do More Often

POSTED April 18th AT 4:41pm

Too often, moms neglect their own happiness and think that their sole source of joy has to come from their children. When you decide to have a child, being a mother does become your main role and most of your time is dedicated to being the best mom you can be...BUT you were someone before you became...

8 Ways Being A Mom Makes You a Better Person

POSTED April 11th AT 3:27pm

Being a mom is undoubtedly hard. There is no other job that requires a 24/7 commitment, has no training and that constantly changes from day to day. As a mom, there will be many days where you have no idea how you’ll get everything done but somehow you always do! Becoming a mother makes you a better...

You Know You're A Mom When...

POSTED April 2nd AT 8:29pm

Becoming a mother changes you in ways that you never imagined. There are many things about motherhood that we all experience in some way or another and that unites us as a tribe of moms. While there are many more common experiences that we all have as moms, these 8 "you know you're a mom w...

The Hardest Stage Of Parenting...Is Whatever Stage You're Currently Going Through...

POSTED March 26th AT 1:28am

From the minute you tell someone that you’re pregnant until your child is grown, there’s this weird competition that drives parents to prove that whatever stage of parenthood they’re in is indeed the hardest. When you're pregnant, puking your guts out, exhausted but unable to get sleep because ...

Parenting Was So Much Easier When I Raised My Non-Existent Children Hypothetically

POSTED March 21st AT 4:28pm

Everybody goes into pregnancy thinking they’re going to be the cool mom. The mom that’s always put together. You see frantic new moms with their babies that don’t seem to know what to do with the babies and you seriously don’t get why not. You have friends and family with children and you’re great w...

8 Ways to Make Time For Yourself

POSTED March 14th AT 3:16pm

As moms, we’re always being lectured that we need to take better care of ourselves. When I hear that being said, my initial reaction is…duh…but when am I supposed to do that? When I scour the internet for ways to practice better self-care, I find tons of ideas on WHAT to do but not a ...

Notes to Mommy

POSTED March 5th AT 7:33pm

When I first started off writing Notes to Mommy, it was when I was in the thick of taking care of a baby and it was meant to be something that I referenced if I was ever insane enough to contemplate a second child. A rational voice to combat the crazy baby fever. While I don’t have baby fever quite ...

Not Loving Every Part of Motherhood

POSTED February 21st AT 4:50pm

I didn’t love motherhood in the beginning. In a lot of ways, I didn’t even like it. I circled back and forth between thinking there was something wrong with me because I wasn’t head over heels in love with it, to feeling guilty because I felt like a bad mother to feeling ashamed because there are so...

The Perfect Time to Have Baby Number 2

POSTED February 14th AT 5:34pm

Before becoming pregnant, you may already have your perfect family planned in your head including genders, names, and age spacing between children. What you may find after having your first child is that reality differs from your former expectations. Motherhood is a little harder than you imagined i...

Let Them Be Little

POSTED February 6th AT 6:00pm

It feels as if much of life is spent waiting for the next stage of life to happen. When we’re small children, we can’t wait to be teenagers. When we’re in high school, we can’t wait to graduate and go to college or start working and when we’re dating, we can’t wait to be married and have kids. As I ...

8 Ways to Be A Good Mom

POSTED January 29th AT 8:04pm

Being a good mom is something that we all strive for but something that many of us feel we fall short of. Chances are that even someone that you think is a phenomenal mother, has days where she feels as if she's failing. While there is no way to be a perfect mother, there are many ways to be a ...

Letting Go and Letting Dad

POSTED January 25th AT 2:17am

Not too long after having my daughter, I started to notice myself getting frustrated more with my husband. The majority of my frustrations came from the realization that I was doing more work than he was with our daughter and around the house. Those frustrations were definitely exaggerated by sleep ...

10 Things My Daughter Has Taught Me

POSTED January 13th AT 6:57pm

We start out on our parenting journey with the goal to teach our children as much as we possibly can, but if we pay close attention and leave ourselves open to it, there is much that we can learn from them as well...1. Celebrate the small wins – I don’t know exactly when i...

When I Parent My Own Way, I Parent My Best Way

POSTED January 4th AT 9:38pm

No matter what you do as a parent, you will never be able to please everyone and you will drive yourself crazy if you try. I would like to say that I don’t care about what people think about me or my parenting style but that would be false. I do care…I care very much. I, just like many women have do...

A Great Life For My Child

POSTED December 27th AT 7:05pm

From the moment I found out that I was pregnant with my daughter Sydney, I was determined to provide her with a great life. I would make sure that she had everything that she needed and within reason, most of the things that she wanted. She would receive the best education and I would enroll her in ...

8 Things You Should Know About Breastfeeding

POSTED December 23rd AT 10:57am

Breastfeeding is one of the most natural things that a mom can do but also one of the hardest things that a mom can do. For some moms, its a breeze but most moms run into at least one issue that may cause them to like breastfeeding less than they assumed they would.  1. Breastfeedi...

Trust Your Gut

POSTED December 21st AT 8:18pm

If you’re like me, you may find yourself utterly confused by all the parenting information available to you. You may also find that depending on which friend or family member you talk to, you get many different types of advice about childrearing even from those you love and trust. I've found in...

The Hardest Parts of Motherhood

POSTED December 10th AT 3:26am

There are some things in motherhood that you can prepare for. You can take a class to learn how to swaddle or to change a diaper. You can go online and research things like developmental milestones and you can read a book for topics like sleep training and potty training. There are many, many more t...

Traveling With A Baby

POSTED December 6th AT 8:25pm

Traveling with a baby can bring about a whole range of emotions, none of them which are usually positive. Whether it’s a train, car or airplane, traveling with a little one tends to make us anxious and can cause us to dread a vacation more than looking forward to it.My husband and I traveled a ton b...

It's Potty Time!

POSTED November 30th AT 8:31pm

Potty training for some reason is the most dreaded of the milestones. As much as we hate changing diapers, transitioning our children out of diapers seems to be even worse for most parents. Before my daughter was even born, I gave some thought to potty training and didn’t feel either way about it. I...

7 Ways To Get An Early Start To Saving For College

POSTED November 19th AT 8:33pm

Saving for your baby is something that is never too early to start and with the cost of a college education getting increasingly more expensive, the more time you give yourself, the better. More often than not, a lack of action isn't because you don't want to save for your baby, but becaus...

I'm Just A Mom

POSTED November 14th AT 7:45pm

When you're younger and think of a future when you have a family, I don’t think you fully comprehend what the role of mother entails. We live in a time period where fathers do more than they ever have before, but many moms still take on the majority of the responsibility not just with the child...

A Few of Our Favorite Things

POSTED November 7th AT 3:02pm

With so many baby products and brands to filter through, it can be downright confusing finding the right fit for your baby! If you've ever bought a pack of diapers only to have your baby leak through them, a pack of bottles only to discover your baby won't latch or a bottle of lotion that ...

Until I Was A Mom

POSTED November 2nd AT 7:38pm

I used to be very critical of my mother and her mothering skills. At a certain point in time, my mother couldn’t do anything right. I was so critical of my mother that I would swear that when I became a mother, I would do exactly the opposite of what she did raising me. I was very critical of my mot...

5 Reasons Your Baby Isn't Sleeping

POSTED October 25th AT 7:19pm

The term sleeps like a baby is laughable when you actually have a baby because more often than not, babies don’t sleep. Well, they do sleep most of the day...but for 2 or 3-hour increments at a time which can brutal for you! Some babies are great natural sleepers and catch on at an early age but mor...

Why I Became A Mother

POSTED October 24th AT 6:38pm

I didn’t become a mom for some of the more traditional reasons that I think of about why women want to become moms. I was never the woman that dreamed about getting married and having kids. That's not to say that I didn’t want it, more so that I was indifferent to it all. If it happened, I'...

5 Financial Actions Every New Parent Should Take

POSTED October 18th AT 1:29am

Everything changes when you have a child. Now it's not just you anymore and the stakes increase dramatically. While you could afford to live on the edge before, now you are more cautious and constantly thinking about the future. These 5 actions are ones that should be considered and if possible...

Body Image

POSTED October 11th AT 8:06pm

We live in a society that is obsessed with body image. From an early age, women are judged based on how curvy they are and how physically fit they are (or aren’t). After having a baby, one of the first things that women worry about is getting back to their pre-pregnancy bodies. While I do believe th...

7 Things NOT to Say to a New Mom

POSTED October 8th AT 6:07pm

While I know that many people don't have bad intentions with the things they say to new moms, there are certain things that you should avoid saying altogether. Whether its because you're trying to offer help or if you're saying it because you don't have anything else to say, thes...

Third Trimester Must Haves

POSTED October 4th AT 1:13pm

It's been 27 long weeks and you've made it to the homestretch; the last trimester! You're probably both physically and emotionally ready to evict your little one by now! Rest assured, while it may seem like you've been pregnant forever, you'll soon have your beautiful baby i...

PERSPECTIVE

POSTED September 27th AT 7:41pm

If comparison is the thief of joy, then perspective is the thing that won’t necessarily bring your joy back but will bring YOU back to reality. Perspective is the way we see things and a change in perspective can often take us from a state of misery to one of happiness or at least acceptance.&nb...

7 Activities To Keep You From Going Stir Crazy This Winter

POSTED September 25th AT 3:23pm

Before having my daughter Sydney, Fall simply meant, I got to take out all of my cute boots and start layering my clothing. It also meant the start of pumpkin spiced everything edible! Now with a mobile toddler, for the first time, fall marks an impending winter. While I know that winter is still a ...

Thanks For The Unsolicited Parenting Advice…Said No Parent Ever…

POSTED September 22nd AT 3:46am

When it comes to parenting, everyone has an opinion, especially when it pertains to children that don’t belong to them! Probably the most frustrating thing about unsolicited advice is that half the people you meet tell you one thing while the other half tell you another…if you’re lucky. If you’re no...

My Life Before Motherhood

POSTED September 22nd AT 3:44am

When someone asks you what its like to be a parent one of the acceptable standard answers that you can give is “I don’t know what I did before my baby was born.” Implying that your life didn’t really start until you gave birth to your child. Yes, being a parent is life-changing in many good ways but...

You Can't Have It All

POSTED September 22nd AT 3:44am

Wait! Before you close this website page out of anger, give me a minute to explain! No, you can’t have it all nor do you WANT to have it all. Having it all is EXHAUSTING and the idea that you can have it all is part of the reason that so many mothers (and fathers) feel inadequate and like they’re fa...

5 Steps To Ditch Mom Guilt

POSTED September 22nd AT 3:43am

Mom guilt…that nagging voice in the back of your head that makes you believe that no matter how much you do, it isn’t enough. It’s the thing that makes you feel absolutely awful anytime you do anything for yourself, no matter how small.  Mom guilt is what keeps you up overthinking any and e...

A Buyer's Guide For New Moms

POSTED September 22nd AT 3:38am

You’ve found out your pregnant and you’re filled with a combination of emotions!  The first is excitement; you have a life growing inside of you, which in and of itself is a miracle. As you progress in your pregnancy, you realize that you actually need to buy stuff or add it to your registr...

The Marriage Toll

POSTED September 22nd AT 3:37am

When you have a baby, you’re told about the sleepless nights, the crying, the teething and everything that relates to the baby but you’re not really told about the toll that it can take on your marriage. I’d heard my married friends complain about their husbands, their lack of interactions or change...

Toddler Woes

POSTED September 22nd AT 3:36am

If ever there was a test of a parent’s patience, it’s when your complicit baby learns that they have choices and becomes a trying toddler. Suddenly the baby that would eat anything that you put in front of them refuses any and every food you offer and your baby that used to squeal with delight durin...

Body After Baby

POSTED September 22nd AT 3:35am

You’ve recently had your baby and after 9 months of hosting your little one, you’re ready to get your body back. Or maybe its been a few months or even years and you’ve been struggling to return back to your pre-baby glory but you’re finding that what worked for you in the past isn’t working for you...

A Little More Kindness, A Little Less Judgment

POSTED September 22nd AT 3:34am

We’re all human and as human beings, even if we don’t mean to, we judge other people.  We have our own ways of doing things and our own belief systems and its only natural to feel a certain way about people whose beliefs or way of doing things deviates from our own. We’re hard-wired to beli...

You Can't Pour From An Empty Cup

POSTED September 22nd AT 3:30am

Before having my daughter, I always vowed that I would never become the woman that completely lost herself to motherhood because I knew many women that this had happened to and how it affected them. Despite my strong resolve, it DID happen to me and it happened in less time than it took to grow the ...

Moms Have Feelings Too

POSTED September 22nd AT 3:29am

As moms, we have so much pressure on us.  Society expects us to be perfect and to transition into the role of motherhood seamlessly. To make matters even worse, if we turn on the TV or log in to our Facebook or Instagram pages, we see all these beautiful feeds that capture moms with babies ...

Tips To Get Your Baby To Take A Bottle

POSTED September 22nd AT 2:54am

If you plan on formula feeding, your baby is definitely going to have to take a bottle.  If your baby is breastfed, there’s a chance that at some point in time you’ll want to feed your baby from a bottle. It might be because you’re going back to work soon and won’t be the person primarily r...

Joyful Bundles

POSTED September 22nd AT 2:53am

Joyful Bundles was created because as a new mom, I found myself overwhelmed by the number of products to choose from for my daughter, Sydney when she was born. As a default, in most cases, I either used what the hospital gave me or what people I knew used. However what the hospital used didn’t alway...

9 Things To Do Before Having A Baby

POSTED September 20th AT 6:21pm

With so much societal pressure on women to get married and pop out babies, our brains are hardwired to be in relationships, which lead to marriage and eventually children. Even if we're enjoying our lives, we're always focused on the next step as opposed to living in the moment and truly a...

Lessons For My Child

POSTED September 18th AT 12:11am

As a mother, you want the best for your child. You want to give them everything that you had growing up as well as all of the things that you didn’t have but wish you had. Our goal as parents is to set our kids up to have a better life than we did. Having my daughter, Sydney, makes me constantly thi...

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