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What Real Moms Need in their Diaper Bag or Purse

Thank you to HUGGIES for sponsoring today’s post and inspiring me to try HUGGIES WIPES AT WALMART! If you’re a blogger interested in working on fun partnerships like this, learn more about Linqia…

Being a mom is the most rewarding job in the world. But it’s also a messy one. Between diapers and potty training and mud and sticky snacks and play dates and colds and allergies and boogers and….Well, you know what I mean. It’s a never-ending job keeping kiddos clean. Not to mention all of the other messes in life – spills at home or in the car, germ-filled shopping carts and play areas, make-up removal, stained shirt on the way to work… and on and on and on. Which is why I’ve always kept a pack or two of Huggies® Wipes somewhere handy, to clean up pretty much any mess that comes my way, with a quickness. Because messes? Ain’t nobody got time for that…. :)

What moms really need in a diaper bag or purse to be prepared for anything - fun tips! [Read more…]

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5 Important Things I wish I’d Done Before My Baby Had Arrived

{Disclaimer: I received compensation to share this post and my thoughts about cord blood banking with you guys. But- this is my story, and all opinions are my own.}

One of these days I’ll get around to writing the full story about my unexpected journey to motherhood. But let’s just say – I’d never planned to become a mom. I didn’t feel comfortable holding a friend’s new baby. I knew nothing about babies. Then, after 5 years of dating, we unexpectedly found out we were expecting. Oh my.

5 Important Things I Wish I'd Done Before My Baby Was Born

I tried to prepare for Abby’s birth. I bought baby clothes. Set up a crib. Stocked up on supplies like diapers and wipes. But there are a few really important things I really wish I’d done before she arrived. Especially because she surprised me by coming 3 weeks early. {And keep reading until the end to find out how you can WIN $2,000 worth of baby gear!} [Read more…]

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The Difficult Path to Motherhood – Made Easier

This post is brought to you by The Stork OTC and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own.

My path to motherhood was….. Difficult. I’ve always wanted to tell the full story of that here on the blog, but haven’t done so yet. But, early May, watch for a series of posts, as we head to Mother’s Day, and my almost 5th year of being a mom. Until then, let’s talk about how difficult it can sometimes be to become a mother.

Becoming a mom - overcoming challenges [Read more…]

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The ONLY Car Seat You Ever Need to Buy

I participated in this sponsored campaign about the Evenflo Symphony DXL on behalf of One2One Network. All opinions stated are my own. #EvenfloPlatinum

Evenflo Car Seat Review

Evenflo: A Brand Moms Trust

When it comes to gear for our kids, we all have brands we love and trust. One of those in our house is Evenflo. I had an Evenflo stroller when Abby was a baby. I used a couple of different carriers, back when she was still small enough for me to carry around. We used a ton of their toddler feeding products. This is definitely a brand I feel confident in, and that has grown with us from the time Abby was an infant to now, as a 4 year old. [Read more…]

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Celebrating Motherhood and Your Baby’s First Moments

Thank you to JOHNSON’S Baby for partnering with me to share some awesome #favbabyfirsts with you guys in a compensated post. Hope you enjoy – and I hope you share your own too!

Ahhhhhh…. Motherhood. A burden and a blessing. Almost all good stuff though – right? Except for “those days,” … I know you know what I mean <3 There are so many “firsts” that are absolutely wonderous to behold – first words, first steps, seeing them grow into kiddos that discover new things. But there are also so many “firsts” that are exhausting – they learn to speak so they can back talk you, they walk so they can run away from you, they discover things they have no business messing with… It’s a huge process of love and frustration. But so totally worth it.

J&J Motherhood

To celebrate these firsts, and the wonder and joy of being a mother, JOHNSON’S Baby has a campaign called #FavBabyFirsts – which is all about sharing your most special first memories of your little one. To kickstart it, they invited me, and a couple of other awesome mom bloggers – Crazy Adventures in Parenting, and That Chic Mom – to join a live Google+ Hangout with the absolutely lovely and down to earth Tammin Sursok from Pretty Little Liars. It was kind of surreal to chat with someone who’s a celeb like that, with my hair in a messy bun and totally not prepared, lol. But it was awesome that as we chatted, you can see that no matter who you are – all moms go through these SAME types of feelings when you have a baby. I’ve always found that so beautiful and amazing. Check it out:

[Read more…]

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Potty Training Help – No Matter What Stage You’re In!

Big thank you to Pull-Ups for letting me share info about their Big Kid Academy, and all of the amazing free potty training tools and information they have. #Sponsored.

We’ve finally got potty training down, 99%. It was a challenge. Abby started before she was two – and did amazing, right off the bat. Then she was diagnosed with a seizure disorder, which was rough on all of us. So we kind of stalled on trying to push any new changes for a long time. Which also means I’m a pro at potty training – I’ve been doing it for a long time :) All kids are unique, all families are unique, and potty training can be a challenge. Don’t get discouraged, don’t try one of the “trendy methods” like 3-day potty training {only 23% of parents have tried this, and most admit it doesn’t work.} Take your time, and make sure to use Pull-Ups™ from the start.

Potty Training Tips: Getting Started and Keeping it Going

There are a lot of reasons to use Pull-Ups from the start of potty training, and I’ll share more later in this post. But first I want to share an amazingly awesome resource with you guys – whether you’re just getting started potty training, are in that middle stage and frustrated by a lack of progress, or are almost finished up. It’s the Pull-Ups Big Kid Academy, and you will LOVE it. I pinky promise. Check it out:

Pull-Up's Big Kid Academy Homepage - Potty training tips!

It’s super easy to enroll in the Pull-Up’s Big Kids Academy. Head to their website at Pull-Ups.com to get started. See that bright and cheerful homepage? It’s just waiting to help you get going, so click “Enroll Now” to join. Then add your info and what stage you are in on your potty training adventure to get signed up, so you get personalized tips to help you along the way.

Potty training tips from experts

Need some advice when things aren’t going as expected? Want to share a potty training tip with other parents? Well, the Pull-Ups Big Kid Academy site will build you a personalized dashboard filled with information, tips, and offers that are perfect for you and your little one. From articles that fit your potty training stage, to cool activities and ideas to make potty training fun, plus coupons and product info. Awesome, right?

Pull-Ups Readiness Quiz - How to figure out if kids are ready to potty train?

If you’re brand new to potty training, the Pull-Up’s Big Kid Academy site will share thing like the readiness quiz, so you can determine if your kiddo is ready to start potty training. These types of tips and tools will be right on your personalized dashboard.

Then you’ve got super fun interactive stuff on the site too – Like the potty dance videos. You’re kiddo can choose their favorite character, and it’ll show you a fun video of how to do the “Potty Dance.” The step by step directions are also included on the site. Why a potty dance? It gives kids a reason to celebrate when they have a big accomplishment – going potty! It makes it more fun, less like work. And, the songs remind them that pulling up their Pull-Up is being a big kid – versus having mom or dad give them a diaper. And if you’re the parent of a toddler, you know they do NOT want anything to do with being a baby anymore :) Pull-Ups help them get involved, and teach independence since they can pull them off and on by themselves. And they’re way more convenient and economical than a diaper too. {Get Huggies Pull-Ups Training Pants with Learning Designs on Amazon, and enroll in Subscribe and Save, so you never run out!}

And now – one of my FAVORITE potty training helpers… The Pull-Ups Time to Potty App! This was a lifesaver to us when getting Abby potty trained. Being a mom is a busy job, and it can be hard to always remember when to take a toddler to try to potty, especially if you’re on the go. But the app will give you regular reminders, to keep things consistent.

Potty Time App

And, kids love it – because every time they go potty successfully, they get a reward, since it unlocks super cool new games each time they go to the potty.  Abby would try to go the bathroom every 10 minutes just because she wanted new games :) If they have accidents, you add those in, and the timer will adjust the potty break time to be personalized to you. And it tracks your kiddo’s progress, so you can see how things are improving week by week!

Follow Meagan Paullin – Sunshine and Sippy Cups’s board Potty Training Tips on Pinterest.

So – what do you think? Join the conversation on the Pull-Ups Facebook page, or feel free to ask me questions ANY time over on my own Facebook page or on Twitter. And be sure to follow Pull-Ups on Pinterest – it’s a newer account, so make sure to share with your friends too. They’re growing it every day and it’s a great resource! :) I also have a rockin’ Potty Training Pinterest board you can check out too, above. And moms – give yourself a pat on the back. Potty training is challenging, but you’re doing a great job – no matter what stage you’re at! :)


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How to Raise Healthier, Happier Children

One of my favorite quotes about parenting is this one, “Your children will become what you are; so be what you want them to be.” – David Bly. I was so terrified to become a mom, and had a long, winding road that brought me to motherhood. But this quote was one I clung to – there are a lot of small things that, really, in the long run, don’t matter that much. Whether I cloth diaper or use disposables, whether I buy the coolest new baby gear, whether I know the “best” ways to do every thing… Well, she’s still going to make it through in one piece. The more important thing in the whole world to me is that she grows up to be kind. Someone who treats others with understanding and compassion, who gives back to those around her, who does her small part to make the world a little brighter and better. Oh yeah – and I want her to be funny. :) Which she totally is. So, I try to set the best example that I can, apologize when I’m wrong, and explain when I make mistakes. And along the way, I hope I’m teaching her some important lessons about living healthy and happy…

Making kids happy quote

“The Best Way to Make Children Good is to Make them Happy” –  Oscar Wilde [Read more…]

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