Approaching the topic of pornography doesn’t have to be hard. But sometimes, we just need the right tools to help us guide the discussion. This helpful one-page printable guide will help as you try talking to your child about pornography. Check it out!

My husband and I have four boys, so we regularly have conversations with them about the harmful effects of pornography and things they can do to avoid it. So, I decided to design a brief guide with helpful tips and tricks that teens and tweens can integrate into their daily lives to help them stay away from pornography. Hopefully this will help parents as they do the same.

Print your one-page guide

Sometimes sweet and simple is the best approach. I designed this pornography guide with eleven brief tips of actionable things your kids can do to avoid pornography. Just purchase, download and print the 8.5×11 PDF by clicking on the link at the end of this blog post.

Eleven tips to teach your kids about porn

Each of the tips on the handout are geared towards teens, tweens and kids. You can take turns reading each tip and then discussing them. You can hang the poster on your fridge or encourage your child to hang it in their room so they don’t forget. Here’s the tips:

• Turn it off ASAP: When you stumble upon inappropriate pictures or videos, turn it off right away. Don’t hesitate.
• No bedrooms: It’s easier to be tempted to look at porn when you’re alone. So make it a rule that no phones or screens are allowed in your bedroom.
• Don’t be that cat: Curiosity killed the cat. So don’t let your curiosity tempt you to click on that ad, website or video that might lead to porn.
• Screen zombie: Limit your screen time each day to two hours or less. Get outside and interact with people, start a new hobby or join a club.
• Make a plan: Write down specific ways you will stay away from porn. Share your goals with a family and friends.
• Ignore the lies: Porn is addictive. It hurts relationships and mental health. It leads to anxiety, depression and so much more. Anyone who tells you otherwise is WRONG.
• Filter it up: Install filters and porn blockers on your computer and phone to prevent inappropriate websites and ads from popping up.
• Be a friend: If you know someone who is struggling with porn, love them, don’t judge them. Reach out.
• Let’s talk: Whether you are addicted to porn or not, it helps to talk about it. Find a support group.
• You can do it!: If you’re struggling with porn, you’re not alone. Enlist the help of loved ones and friends.
• Learn more: FighttheNewDrug.org, InternetSafety101.org, NoFap.com, BrainHeartWorld.org, ExodusCry.com, ProtectYoungEyes.com

What’s the big deal about porn?

Maybe kids might ask, what’s the big deal? Why is porn so bad? According to the American College of Pediatricians, consumption of pornography is associated with many negative emotional, psychological, sociological, and physical health outcomes.  These include increased rates of depression, anxiety, acting out and violent behavior, younger age of sexual debut, sexual promiscuity, increased risk of teen pregnancy, child sex abuse, sexual trafficking, and a distorted view of relationships between men and women.

If you want your kids to avoid the pain associated with any of these negative outcomes above, take the steps necessary to teach them today.

To purchase, download and print your one-page pornography guide for teens and tweens, click on the link below:

Pornography: A guide for teens and tweens

Let me know what you think of this printable guide in the comments below! Thanks!

More from My Silly Squirts: 11 money management tips for teens

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If you’re thinking about getting pregnant and have the luxury of planning ahead, timing is everything. Choosing the best time of year to have a baby will make your life so much easier. Trust me.

As a mother of five, I’ve had children at various times of the year. And I can attest that certain times of the year are much harder to begin raising a newborn than other times. Here’s my suggestion of when you should try to have a baby and why.

What is the best time of year to have a baby?

Springtime, specifically April. Why, you might ask? Let me tell you:

• Good weather: Springtime means nice weather and it will only get nicer heading into summer. This allows you to get outside and go for a walk right away. Lay a blanket in the backyard and let your baby relax in the shade.
• Mental health: I feel like nice weather helps with your mental health as well. Postpartum is real and when I can go outside and get some fresh air, I just feel better.
• Coats and sweaters: The weeks and months approaching your delivery are when you are the biggest. And since you’re having a spring baby, you can still hide your bulging stomach with a coat or sweater. If you were having a summer baby, it would be too hot and you would be forced to be on display everywhere you go.
• Cold and flu season: Fortunately for you, the cold and flu season is pretty much over when you have a baby in the spring and you and your baby won’t be at risk as much for sickness
• School: If you have other children, having a newborn in April will give you a couple of months of quiet during the day while your other children are at preschool or school.
• No major holidays: After Easter, at least in the United States, there’s not another major holiday for another few months. That way you can avoid large family gatherings with a newborn.
• Birthdays: Spring birthdays are also great for your child as they grow up because they can have a fun birthday party outside without the dreariness of winter.
• Exercise: The springtime weather also makes it easier for a new mom to rebound quickly and get outside and exercise. Once you get back to your normal self, you start to feel much better.
• Vacation flexibility: Babies born in the spring will have time to grow a bit before vacation time rolls around. Then you won’t be so worried about taking her out on a road trip.
• Comfortable third trimester: You body temperature naturally seems to rise during your third trimester. Fortunately, the weather is cooler during that time if you have an April baby and you won’t be as uncomfortable.
• Allergy season: Babies born during allergy season are actually able to develop a stronger immune system and a resilience to asthma.

Sometimes you can’t choose what time of year you are going to have your baby and that’s okay. You will still love him or her more than anything else in the world. I hope this list is helpful for you as your plan for your next pregnancy. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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The earlier you can help your teenagers learn how to responsibly manage their own money, the better. That’s why you need to read these 11 money management tips for teens to get the conversation started. Check it out!

My husband and I have always tried to teach our kids good money management skills. And although I know we’re not perfect at it, we have learned some important tips along the way. Here’s 11 money management tips for teens that are a must! And don’t forget to purchase and print the helpful poster and the end of this blog post that goes with it.

Tip #1: Ditch the piggy bank

Keep your money in a safe place by opening a savings account. This will
help you save for the future and avoid impulse purchases.

Tip #2: Wait 30 days

Avoid impulse spending by waiting 30 days before making large purchases. If you can afford it and still want it after 30 days, buy it.

Tip #3: Follow the 50/30/20 rule

Right when you get paid, divide your income into three categories: 50% for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings. Create this habit early on in life and it will be easier as an adult.

Tip #4: Get a job

The best way to learn how to manage money is by earning it. From babysitting to fast food to mowing lawns. find small ways to earn money that is only yours. You don’t have to wait until you are 16 years old to start earning money.

Tip #5: Create a budget and follow it

Don’t spend more money than you earn. The best way to do this is by creating a budget and sticking to it every month. Write down all of your expenses and compare it to your income. Make changes to your spending to you can still follow the 50/30/20 rule. Take advantage of the time you have living at home with your parents and you have no bills.

Tip #6: Consider your needs vs wants

It’s easy to spend your money on unnecessary items such as fast food, clothes, video games, school dances, etc. Don’t waste your money on dumb stuff. Spend it wisely.

Tip #7: Beware of debt

Avoid excessive debt. If you choose to get a credit card, pay off the balance monthly. Control your debt. Don’t let it control you. Except for a home mortgage or student loans, most other loans can be avoided.

Tip #8: Be generous

Use your money to help others. Don’t be stingy. Consider donating to a charity or your local church. You will never regret helping someone else.

Tip #9: Start investing now

Even teenager can invest their money. Learn the basics of investing so you can take advantage of compounding while you are young. Consider opening a custodial account with your parents.

Tip #10: Set financial goals

Where do you see yourself in 5, 10, 30 years? How much money do you want to have saved? Create specific and attainable financial goals and stick to them.

Tip #11: Don’t give up

If you go out to eat too much one month and go over your budget, learn from your mistakes. Be gracious with yourself. Get advice from your parents or other trusted adults who have had a lifetime of managing money.

Print this money management poster for your teen

All of the helpful tips in this blog post are outlined in an easy-to-read handout. Just click on the link below to purchase and print.

Money Management for Teens Poster

More from My Silly Squirts: Personal hygiene tips for tweens and teens

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Although showering every day might seem like a no-brainer to you, lots of teens and tweens need to be taught the basics of personal hygiene. That’s why I designed this helpful handout that outlines everything you need to teach your child about staying clean and smell-free. Check it out!

As a mom of five, I’m right in the middle of navigating how to teach my tweens how to maintain good hygiene. Some kids are more aware than others, but all of them need a parent or teacher to guide them through the basics. Here’s some pointers to get them started, plus a helpful printable handout at the end of this post.

#1: Pits, privates and face

It’s time for your teen to start shaving. They might need a little bit of help the first time they use one. They can decide what parts of their body they prefer to shave. Remind them to replace their razors every seven days of regular use. These Venus Comfort Glides razors are great for girls and Harry’s is always a great fit for boys.

#2: Shower daily

This might seem like a no-brainer to us, but teens need to be reminded to shower EVERY SINGLE DAY. Puberty brings hormonal changes that can lead to increased body odor, acne, and oily skin. If they don’t shower, they’re going to stink. We had to require my son to shower every night because he simply wasn’t doing it on his own.

#3: Trim and clean nails

Lots of germs like to hide underneath the nails. Regularly cleaning and trimming your nails should be done once a week. Toenails can be trimmed less often–about every 4-6 weeks. Buy some fingernail clippers just for your child so they don’t have to go searching around the house for them.

#4: Kill the stink

Some tweens can start using deodorant as early as fifth or sixth grade. These kids can be very active during the day and produce a ton of sweat. Plus, they don’t want to be the stinking kid at school. Make sure they aren’t using cologne, perfume or body spray to mask the smell of the sweat. Deodorant or antiperspirant is the only way to kill or prevent the growth of odor-causing bacteria.

#5: Fit check

Make sure your teen is washing their clothes regularly. Underwear, exercise clothes and socks need to be washed after being worn only one time. T-shirts and pants can be worn two or three times before needing to be washed. Many smells can be coming from that old shirt or pants they haven’t cleaned in weeks.

#6: What’s that smell?

If it smells like moldy cheese, it’s probably not coming from the fridge. Mostly likely your teenager needs to take off their gross socks and wash their feet. Make sure their shoes are clean and dry as well. Sometimes my son could never find a clean pair of socks so he would wear the same pair over and over. So gross.

#7: Zombie breath

If you’ve ever talked to someone with bad breath, it’s a definite turn-off. Some kids can’t make friends because their breath stinks. Well, that’s an easy fix. Tell your kids to brush their teeth morning and night and floss once per day. Bacteria tends to accumulate on the tongue, so you could even try a tongue scraper. Breath mints also help a lot.

#8: Zap your zits

Keep acne at bay by teaching your kids to wash their faces day and night. Use cleansers with salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. If your teen has chronic acne, consider visiting a dermatologist.

#9: Do the ‘do

Tweens and teens need to wash their hair often. If their hair is oily or if their scalp is itchy, they should wash it every day. They also need to brush and style their hair daily. My boys love Got 2b Glued hair gel. And although it’s kind of expensive, I buy it because it encourages them to do their hair every day.

#10: Catch some Zzzzs

During these developmental years, teens need more sleep than adults. Lack of sleep can lower energy levels, making it harder to maintain normal hygiene. It can also cause acne breakouts.

#11: Diet and exercise

Staying health overall effects your teen’s mental and physical health. When they feel good about themselves, it affects their outward appearance. Encourage healthy eating and regularly exercise.

Download your personal hygiene handout

I hope these ideas will help you as you’re teaching your tweens and teens about personal hygiene. I’ve compiled a one-page printable PDF that includes all of the information mentioned above. Click the link below to purchase and download.

Personal Hygiene for Teens and Tweens printable

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We all know that if you want your kids to be truly happy, they need to stop worrying about themselves and start serving other people. The best way to learn this is in the home as a family. So, I compiled a whole bunch of service ideas that you can do as a family starting right now. Check it out!

Of course, a lot of these ideas can be used outside of the family setting for young women activities, Relief Society activities and primary activity days. But, the whole point is to get kids serving and thinking of other people. Here’s the list!

Service ideas within the home

Here’s some ideas of ways you and your kids can serve each other within the walls of your own home:

• Birthday presents: Each of your kids use their own money and buy presents for each other on their birthdays
• Secret server: Have one child be a secret server each week and secretly perform acts of service for their siblings throughout the week. Then, everyone can guess who it was.
• Special Plate: Each person in the family gets a turn eating Sunday dinner on the “Special Plate”. During dinner, everyone goes around the table and says something nice about that person.
• Restaurant at home: Make a pretend restaurant at home and serve your children a fancy dinner.
• Chore charts: Give your kids a chore chart so they can learn to help their parents keep a clean and organized home.
• Heart notes: Write kind notes to each other on heart paper and hide them throughout the house
• Kindness jar: Place a penny, pom pom or other small object in a jar on the counter every time you see your kids do something nice to each other. Have a party when the jar is full.
• I love you circle: On each person’s birthday, sit in a circle and every takes turns saying two or three things they love about the birthday boy or girl
• Sharing: Always share with your kids. If they want a bite, share. If they want to sit on the good spot on the couch, share with them. Show them how to serve by doing it yourself.
• Teamwork activities: Assign your children chores that require two people and tell them they need to work together to finish the chore.
• Dinnertime Game: Use these fun placemats to gets your kids talking during dinner. Many of the tasks in the game allow everyone to say something nice to someone at the table.
• Prayers: Our family always has people we are praying for. Make it a family affair when you pray together to think of people who are in need.
• Spring cleaning: As a family, clean out all your clothes and toys and find items that can be donated to charity.

Serving during special occasions

During specific holidays and times of year, there are a lot of opportunities for families to really help other people. Here are some ideas:

• Dinner for neighbors: Ask around and find out who may be sick, recently had a baby or struggling with something. Make dinner as a family and deliver it.
• Heart Attack: Write encouraging notes on paper hearts and tape them on the door of someone who could use it.
• Birthday present donations: Encourage guests to bring a can of food or monetary donations that will be given to a local charity instead of your child receiving gifts.
• Sub for Santa: Have your kids do some chores to earn money and then go to the store and buy Christmas gifts for a family who could use it.
• Birthday song: Record a video of your family singing “Happy Birthday” and then send that video to friends and family on their birthdays
• Giving Machines: During Christmas time, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides Giving Machines all over the world where you can donate money to provide clean water, goats, meals, toys and other items to people all over the world.
• Babysitting: Volunteer your kids to help babysit while a young mom relaxes.
• Mother’s and Father’s Day: Ensure that dad helps all the kids get presents for mom on Mother’s day and vice versa.
• Easter: Leave an Easter basket on your friend or neighbor’s porch filled with encouraging messages of love and friendship
• You’ve Been Booe’d: Leave a basket of Halloween goodies on your neighbor’s porch with a note encouraging them to do the same until everyone in your neighborhood has felt the love.
• Summertime outdoor movie party: Project a movie in your front yard and invite the whole neighborhood. It helps everyone get to know each other and become friends.
• Teacher thank you gifts: During teach appreciation week, have your kids make their own basket of goodies to give their teacher.
• Birthday Surprise: Find out when your neighbor’s birthday is and surprise them with a cake on their birthday!
• Valentine’s Day: Have each of your kids make or write a nice note to each person in the family.
• Thanksgiving Gratitude: Write down why you are grateful for each person in the family and read them aloud during Thanksgiving dinner.
• Vacation stuffed animals: If you’re visiting a third world country, you can collect toys, stuffed animals, clothes and other supplies to give away to families or organizations in need
• Foreign exchange student: Our family hosted a teenage boy from Spain for one month in the summer. We took him everywhere and treated him like one of the family. Being a host family helps kids to look outside themselves to make that person feel welcome.

Serving in the community

• Food pantry: Host a neighborhood food drive and collect food from your neighbors and deliver it to the food pantry
• Community service project: Talk with your local city manager to see if there are any service projects that need to be done.
• Scouts: Sign your kids up for your local scout troop. They are super big on service.
• Cupcake fundraiser: Go door-to-door selling cupcakes and donate the proceeds to the local children’s hospital
• Car Wash fundraiser: Host a car wash fundraiser and donate the money to an organization.
• Yard Sale Fundraiser: Gather items from all of your neighbors and host a yard sale. Give all of the proceeds to a neighbor who has medical bills or is struggling.
• Just Serve.org: This is an awesome website where you can find volunteer opportunities in your area.
• Candy striper: Volunteer at a local hospital as a family
• 5k fun run: Sign up for a fun run as a family that donates all of the proceeds to a good cause
• Backpacks for kids: Many organizations accept food donations to give to students on the weekend who otherwise wouldn’t have food at home.

Random acts of service

• Lemonade stand: Give a big tip to some kids holding a lemonade stand
• Fast food drive in: Pay for the order of the person behind your in the drive thru
• Jesus Loves You Figurines: Leave these adorable figurines in random places around town for unexpected passerbys to find
• No soliciting signs: I have a sign on my door that says, “No soliciting, but don’t forget Jesus loves you”. Most of the time, I get a smile on my Ring doorbell from solicitors.
• Secret Door Dash: Surprise a friend, family member or stranger with a delicious surprise from Door Dash
• Homeless person: Buy lunch for a homeless person
• Tip your waiter: Give an extra big tip to your waiter
• Money stash: Hide $5 bills around Walmart with your kids
• Garden produce: Take your extra garden produce around to your neighbors
• Piano recital: Organize a small recital at an assisted living center to play for the residents
• Garbage clean up: Pick up garbage with your kids the next time your visit a park
• Spring Cleaning: Tell your kids to pick with clothes, shoes and toys they want to give away to charity.
• Shoveling: Hop in the truck and drive around looking for driveways to shovel in the winter

I hope these service ideas gets you excited to start serving with your kids. Let me know if you have any other fun service ideas in the comments below.

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The post 50+ service ideas you can do with your kids appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

Everyone knows who the Boys Scouts of America are. But have you ever considered whether or not your child should participate? As a Latter-day Saint, here’s my unique perspective on the pros and cons of joining this century-old youth organization. Take a look!

After more than 100 years of participation, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discontinued its relationship with the Boy Scouts of America in 2020. As a life-long member of the church, scouting was a big part of my family’s life. My dad was a scoutmaster for years. So, it was a bit of an adjustment when the announcement came. The question came to my mind, should I still enroll my own kids in scouting?

For several years after the announcement, my boys no longer participated in scouting. However, one day, my neighbor told me about a local scout troop that her son signed up for. Since I still loved scouting and knew how beneficial it could be, I enrolled my second oldest son. We haven’t looked back since. So, here’s a few things I’ve learned since that time and then you can decide if scouting is right for you. Check it out!

What is scouting?

Scouting America (formerly known as Boys Scouts of America) is an organization for youth ages 11 to 18 focusing on character development, leadership and outdoor exploration. It was established in 1910 and has more than one million youth members.

What are the pros of participating in scouts?

I believe the pros of scouting far outweigh the cons. Here are a few things that I have noticed since two of my boys have been enrolled.

Develop lifelong skills: Scouting helps kids learn how to develop essential skills that they will use for the rest of their life such as outdoor survival skills, first aid, time and money management, leadership and teamwork.

Learn how to serve: In order to obtain the highest recognition in scouting, a scout must complete more than 20 hours of service. This helps these boys look beyond themselves.

Become patriotic and respectful: These youth come to appreciate what it means to be a citizen of the United States of America and show respect for their country. They understand the importance of patriotism and being proud to be an American.

Provides a sense of accomplishment: Twice a year, my boys’ troop holds a Court of Honor to recognize all of the merit badges and rankings they has passed off. I’ve never seen my boys more proud of themselves than when they have accepted their awards for their hard work in front of their peers. It gives them a lot of confidence.

Brings family togetherness: Although scouting is an individual endeavor, as a family we are highly involved. My husband attends most of the campouts and I am constantly helping my boys pass off their rankings and merit badges. We really do get closer as a family thanks to scouting.

What are the cons of participating in scouting

Not any program is perfect and boys scouts is no exception. However, I have found that the cons of scouting are very manageable.

Expensive: Just like participating in a sport or other program, there are fees associated with scouting. With registration fees, scout camps, activities and gear, you’ll probably spend around $700 to $1000 per year.

Time consuming: An active scout troop should be holding one activity per week in addition to monthly camping trips. It is not only time consuming for the scout, it also requires a lot of time from the parents as well.

Tips and tricks to making the most of boy scouts

• Find a good troop: If you want your kids to participate in scouts, finding the right troop is the most important part. My sons are lucky because we have a troop with some amazing leaders who really care about the kids. They are super organized and involved. So, do your research before signing up for just any troop.
• Set realistic goals: The Eagle Scout award is the ultimate goal of every scout, but it takes years to get there. Help you scout set realistic, achievable goals so they don’t get discouraged. Create a timeline so they have something to work towards.
• Actively participate: If you are thinking that you’ll sign your child up for scouting and the leaders will do all of the work, then maybe you shouldn’t do it. Parents need to help A LOT. There is a fine line between doing the work for your child and helping them do it themselves.
• Make it a priority: I see so many kids who are dedicated to their dance team or their basketball team. They make it a priority. The same should be said for scouting. This isn’t a passive program.

I hope these tips will help you as you are researching boy scouts for your own kids. I am super appreciative of all the the scouting program has already done for my kids. It’s a really fantastic program and I think every youth should participate in it.

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The post Is Boy Scouts still worth it? A Latter-day Saints perspective appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

Having good table manners doesn’t necessarily come naturally for toddlers and kiddos. That’s something their parents need to teach them. So, it’s always nice to review some of the main table manners for kids to help them start off on the right foot. Check it out!

I have four boys and one little girl. Needless to say, I’ve had plenty of experience teaching children about table manners. Although it seems like a losing battle at times, it’s worth the effort. And your kids will thank you when they are adults. Here’s 12 table manners for kids that easy to teach.

#1: Don’t play with your food

This is a particularly hard one for those two- and three-year olds. They just loves digging their hands into the food and making a huge mess. A good way to enforce this is to make your child clean up the mess they made after playing with their food.

#2: Take small bites

My second oldest son is the biggest culprit of stuffing too much food in his mouth. He can basically fit an entire burrito in his mouth and it is disgusting. A good rule of thumb is if it is larger than a tablespoon, it’s too big to put in your mouth.

#3: Don’t complain about the food

Nothing makes the cook feel worse about their cooking than when someone says, “Ew, gross!” or “What is that?” Tell your kids that even if it looks disgusting, you don’t have to vocalize it. It’s rude and inappropriate.

#4: No electronics at the table

Dinnertime is family time. In order to avoid screen zombies during dinner, you can have your older children place their phones and other electronics in a basket. Then, you can have an actual conversation with your kids instead of refereeing the screens.

#5: No farting or burping

I feel like this rule shouldn’t even have to be explained. But, I have been to homes where people freely burped at the table. If my kids fart or burp at the table, they have dishes duty that night. No exceptions.

#6: Wait your turn to talk

I can’t tell you how many times my husband and I have been interrupted by children while we are talking at the table. This is a good practice for self-control and patience for everyone at the table. You can also have a “talking stick” that you pass around so every knows whose turn it is to talk.

#7: Clear your plates and utensils

Mom or dad shouldn’t have to clear the table after dinner. Everyone should have to help. All it takes is a few reminders after dinner and it will become second nature for your kids to clear their own plates and utensils.

#8: Ask to be excused

I really like this rule because some of my kids inhale their food in the first couple minutes of dinner and then take off into their rooms. Making your kids ask to be excused allows you to make them sit at the table a little longer and tell you how their day was.

#9: Say “please” and “thank you”

It is common curtesy to say “please” and “thank you” when asking to pass the food. And my kids definitely know they have to say “thank you” to the cook after each meal.

#10: Use your indoor voice

Sometimes I feel like I’m at a freaking zoo filled with monkeys during dinner time. There is crying and yelling and teasing and fighting. If kids can’t use their indoor voice, they go straight into time out until they can behave like a normal person.

#11: Wash your hands

This rule should really be at the top. Everyone needs to wash their hands before dinner. Keep hand soap and a towel handy before dinner so your kids have no excuses.

#12: Chew with your mouth closed

I always tell my kids that if they don’t chew with their mouths closed, they won’t get any dates when they are older. This one just requires constant reminding because, let’s be honest, I have seen adults do this.

I hope you liked all of these tips for table manners for kids. I’ve designed a simple 8.5×11 printable poster with all of these tips. You can hang it on your fridge or in your classroom. To purchase and download this printable, click on the link below.

Table Manners for Kids Printable

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Birthday parties can be complicated and stressful. But they don’t have to be. With a little bit of planning and self-control, your child can have a super memorable party while keeping your sanity at the same time. Here’s some tips to help you out.

I love throwing a good birthday party for each of my kids. They are only little for so long and I like to take advantage of each year. However, it is possible to go overboard. There’s a fine balance. That’s why over the years of throwing party after party, I’ve set my own parameters so that I’m happy and my kid is happy. Check it out.

Tip #1: Set a budget

I usually tell my kids that I am not going to spend more than $100 on their birthday party. That way, when my child asks if they can take their 10 friends to Disneyland, they already know the answer. No. If $100 sounds cheap, then set a different budget. But whatever your limit is, stick to it.

Tip #2: DIY the birthday cake

Custom cakes are sooooo expensive nowadays. You can spend $100 alone just on the cake. Instead, spend $5 on cake mix and store-bought frosting and call it good. The kids honestly don’t even care. You can also drop by your local bakery right before closing time and buy a bunch of half-off donuts and make a donut cake.

Tip #3: Request no gifts

This one sounds crazy, I know. But my son recently went to a birthday party and they requested bring a can of food for the local food pantry instead of a gift. It helps your child be less greedy and focus more on just having fun.

Tip #4: Recruit help from other parents

Nothing is more stressful than trying to host a birthday party with 10 wild 8-year-olds all by yourself. Try asking one of the moms or a friend to help you out during the party. More than likely, I’m sure they’ll say yes.

Tip #5: Send e-invites

There is no reason that you need to print a bunch of birthday invitations and hand- deliver them to all of your kids’ friends. It’s just a lot of extra work. Instead, hop on Etsy and spend $5 to customize and text your invite to all of your guests.

Tip #6: Buy your party decorations used

People sell used birthday party decorations on Facebook Marketplace all the time. That’s because they spent a fortune buying them even though they know they are never going to use them again. My son wanted a Mario birthday party and I bought an entire box of decorations on Facebook for $20. It saved me so much money.

Tip #7: Limit the guest list

Sometimes, birthday parties are so stressful because there are so many flipping kids! Instead, tell you child that they can invite two of their very best friends. With a smaller group, they can do something a little bit more expensive and it’s way less stress on your part. My son invited two of his friends to an art studio and all of them got to have a personalized painting session. They loved it.

Tip #8: Choose an all-inclusive birthday venue

If money’s not an issue, this is a really great option. Whether it’s a bounce house, museum, local pool or arcade, there are so many places that host birthday parties. All you have to do is show up and they take care of everything. Now, if that’s not stress-free, I don’t know what is.

Tip #9: Host “friend” parties every other year

I have a lot of friends who tell their kids that they can only have a big party with their friends every other year. During the off years, they get to go out to dinner and spend time together doing something fun as a family. This works for a lot of people. But, I still like to throw a party for my kids every year, ha ha.

Tip #10: Try a birthday scavenger hunt

Every kid loves a good scavenger hunt and it’s a fun game for any birthday party. They are pretty simple to set up and everyone gets a prize at the end. If it’s cold outside, you can do an indoor scavenger hunt. Or, if you want to be really adventurous, you can do a traveling scavenger hunt.

Tip #11: Make your kids help

There is no reason why mom needs to do all of the work. Have your child help decorate, make the cake, shop for supplies and definitely clean up after that party is over. It will help them appreciate all the work that goes into planning a fun birthday party.

Tip #12: Give experiences instead of gifts

Instead of buying your kids some random toy they will forget about a week later, give them experience birthday coupons. You can give them a lunch date with mom or 30 minutes of free screen time. The possibilities are limitless and you’ll be surprised how much they like it.

Tip #13: Say no to the piñata

Kids love piñatas but they are the worst! The kids go crazy and without fail, someone always get hit really hard with the stick. It is seriously chaos and honestly the kids don’t need more candy. I started saying no to piñatas several years ago and our birthday parties have been way less stressful.

Tip #14: Skip the goody bags

Goody bags at birthday parties are pretty much an unnecessary expense. The kids are completely happy playing games, eating ice cream and having fun with their friends. If you do want to give something away at the end of the party, try handing out a simple toy light a glow stick or a squirt gun with a thank you note on it.

Tip #15: Keep it to an hour

Yep, you heard me. One hour is plenty of time to host a simple birthday party in your home. Whenever I try to host a party for longer than an hour, I find myself trying to entertain a house full of kids for the last half hour. Short and sweet, that’s my motto.

What other tips do you have to keep your birthday parties simple and stress-free? Let me know in the comments below.

More from My Silly Squirts: 20 non-cake birthday ideas to celebrate your special day

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Potty training can be one of the toughest things you’ll have to do as a parent. Although I had already trained four kids in the past, my fifth child taught me some valuable potty training tips. Now I’m passing those on to you. Check it out!

I thought I knew everything there was to know in order to successfully potty train a toddler. Boy, was I wrong. When it was time to train my daughter–my fifth child–I did everything right but she still wasn’t trained. This wasn’t my first time. I was confused. Then, she taught me a thing or two. Here’s what I learned.

Tip #1: Wait until your child is ready

You probably hear this all the time because it’s true. If your child isn’t showing any interest in going to the bathroom, don’t force it. Most of the time, mom or dad is ready but not the child. If you try to force your child, they will most likely develop negative feelings towards potty training and it will take even longer. Stop the power struggle.

Here’s some signs that your toddler is ready for potty training success:

• Shows interest in other people going to the bathroom
• Takes off diaper and seems annoyed with wet diaper
• Stays dry after a nap or extended amount of time
• Hides when they go poo or pee
• Poops on schedule
• Can follow simple directions

Tip #2: One gender doesn’t potty train better than the other

People always told me that girls potty train faster than boys. Well, all of my boys potty trained in one day and my little girl literally took months. Each child’s personality is different and each should be treated independently from another. Don’t expect certain results from each child based on past experiences.

Tip #3: It’s okay to go back to diapers

Sometimes you don’t know if your child is ready until you start trying. I started potty training when my daughter turned three years old. I thought she was ready but after a few days of accident after accident with no successes, I put diapers back on her. She didn’t seem sad at all. She was happy to put the diaper back on. That was enough of an indication to me that she wasn’t ready. We tried again a couple of months later with much more success.

Tip #4: Positive reinforcement is always better

It is super easy to get upset when potty training. But putting a child in time out and disciplining them for having accidents may cause them to regress. They are just getting used to listening to what their body is telling them. Sometimes that takes a while. Let them learn at their own pace. Give them lots of praise every time they at least try. I love using a potty sticker chart or putting a special present on display as motivation. My daughter also did really well with her very own portable potty chair.

Tip #5: Continue life as normal during potty training

I used to clear my entire schedule so that I didn’t have anything planned during potty training time. But as a busy mom with four other kids, I stopped doing that with my fifth child. It’s just not a good idea or feasible. If I needed to go to the store, I would bring extra underwear and wet wipes and hope for the best. We even took my daughter on a five-hour road trip. She had some accidents but I think it helped her learn quicker.

Other potty training tips and tricks

• Host a potty party on the first day of potty training
• Let your child pick out their underwear
• Try potty training closer to age three or older
• Use a portable potty seat
• Let your child see other children their age use the potty
• Buy a potty stool
• Let your child wear disposable training pants at night
• Ready a potty book or watch potty movies to get them excited

Hopefully these potty training tips will help you as you are training your toddler. Good luck. Let me know how it goes in the comments below.

More from My Silly Squirts: How to transition to a toddler bed the quick and easy way

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With nearly half of marriages in the US ending in divorce, this unfortunate reality can be tough to handle. But don’t give up. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Here’s five practical tips to help you figure out how to get along after divorce with your ex-spouse.

So, I have been divorced for 14 years. Although, I am not an expert at divorce, I have learned a thing or two through personal past experiences. Here’s some tips that helped me get along with my ex-husband and move on with my life.

Tip #1: Start your divorce off on the right foot

When I met my ex-husband’s girlfriend, instead of treating her with disdain and anger, I gave her a hug. I told her that I hoped we could be friends one day. And 14 years later, we are friends. That one hug broke down a lot of walls and was an important step. It showed my ex-husband that whatever happened in the past, I was willing to be civil and cordial in the future. In return, my ex-husband has treated me with the same respect. It has made a huge difference.

Tip #2: Consider your ex-spouse’s feelings

Before you jump to conclusions and assume the worst, take a minute to consider how your ex-spouse might be feeling. My husband, Ray, was the one who taught me this important concept. As conversations would come up, I would often hear him say, “How do you think [your ex-husband] would feel about that?” My knee-jerk reaction would be, “Well, I don’t care what he thinks.” But after a while, I realized that was obviously not the right way to look at things.

Tip #3: Always be kind and respectful

But even if there is no reciprocation, it is still important to always be kind. You experience strong emotions during a divorce and a lot of the time, you don’t know how to handle this healing process. You’ll never regret being kind, but you will most certainly regret being unkind. For example, meet your ex-spouse halfway when dropping off kids and always say thank you when your ex-spouse is trying.

Tip #4: Don’t bad mouth your ex-spouse

Negativity breeds negativity. So, do not say negative things about your ex-spouse on social media or to anyone, especially in front of your children. It just makes you look bad and it prevents you from healing and moving on. Harboring and venting those resentful feelings is so completely exhausting. If you need to get something off your chest for your mental health, express those feelings to your therapist or a divorce support group, not your neighbor or sister.

Tip #5: Don’t bring up the past

I am not the same person I was when I got divorced. Neither is my ex-husband. So, that’s why when painful memories from the past creep into my mind, I don’t even entertain the thought. I got divorced more than 14 years ago, JUST LET IT GO! He’s changed. I’ve changed. We’ve gone our separate ways. When you bring up past issues, it creates painful emotions and memories. EVERYONE can see it except you and in the long run it will ruin future healthy relationships.

Tip #6: Let time heal wounds

It is so hard to see past the anger and hate, but as time goes by, it won’t sting as much as it did before. Especially when you are newly divorced, do not speak to your ex-husband or ex-wife when you are emotional. Take time to calm down. It may take a long time like months or years but you can have a bright future ahead of you. My divorce feels like a lifetime ago. It doesn’t hurt anymore. I am happy. He is happy. We’ve moved on.

Bonus tips and tricks for divorce

Here’s some other ways to build a healthy relationship with your former spouse:

• Include your ex-spouse when making major decisions about your children
• Reach out and find new friend groups and new connections
• Be open-minded when your ex-spouse finds potential partners
• Create your own support system with a family member, extended family or a best friend
• Take time for yourself before starting another romantic relationship
• Respect your child custody rules and work on your co-parenting relationship
• Involve your former spouse in major life changes that will impact him or her such as buying a new house, etc.
• Understand that the divorce process isn’t the same for everyone and embrace this new phase of life
• Don’t let the feelings of loneliness and finding love cloud your judgment

Important note: This article in no way condones abusive behavior whether mental, physical or emotional. If you are a victim of such abuse, please contact the appropriate authorities.

More from My Silly Squirts: 50 ways to co-parent and still get along

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I love to-do lists. It gives me so much satisfaction. But did you know it’s possible to make ineffective to-do lists? Yep. But, don’t worry. I’m here to help you get organized with these 10 tips to making an effective to do list. Check it out!

There are all types of to-do lists but we want to take a bad to-do list and turn it into a good to-do list. When I was in college, I heard a presentation about how to make an effective to-do list and it really stuck with me. Since that day, I have implemented the process and it has made a world of a difference in my productivity from day-to-day. So, let me share my wisdom with you.

Tip #1: Make a long list of ALL the things you need to do

The first step is the easiest. Inevitably, Mondays seem like the most overwhelming days. Fresh off the heels of the weekend, my mind is flooded with the millions of things that I need to get done that day and week. It’s best practice to make an action plan and write everything down. This written list doesn’t take much time and then I can better visualize how I’m actually going to get it done.

Here’s a daily to-do list that I designed that I like to use instead of a random scrap piece of paper. There’s plenty a slots to fill everything including a space for due dates. Don’t hold back. Put your entire list of tasks on there.

Tip #2: Prioritize each item on your list

Once you have a giant list of smaller tasks, put a number one next to the first task that is the most urgent. Then a number two next to the second-most urgent item. Continue this process until each item is prioritized. Then, don’t start on number two until number one is complete. In essence, you’re putting the most important stuff at the top of your to-do list into priority levels. Then, you will have peace of mind at the end of the day that everything on your list and your most important tasks and urgent tasks will eventually get done in the order that is the most appropriate.

Tip #3: Release some checklist endorphins

This might seem a no-brainer but make sure you mark off each item on your to-do list as you accomplish them. That’s because checking items on your to-do list actually releases endorphins. Yep. It makes you happy and gives you a feeling of accomplishment. So, celebrate when you complete tasks and give yourself credit for what you’ve already done. It’s a great way to stay motivated.

Tip #4: Divide your daily tasks onto a weekly to do list

If your daily list has gotten longer than you thought, divide your long list to separate lists and assign items to specific days of the week. That way, the next day, you don’t feel like you have to get everything done in one day. Plus, it helps you to be more organized and on top of everything that needs to get done. If a particular task is giving you a hard time, move it to a different daily routine.

Here’s my weekly to-do list that works great with the daily to-do list.

Tip #5: Don’t forget to include your meal planning

Whether you’re a mom of five or single, meal planning is an important part of a well-balance lifestyle. It’s unavoidably connected to your to-do list because, well, everyone eats. So, use this meal planning printable to write down your menu for the week as you’re completing your to do list.

Tip #6: Accomplish long-term goals with a monthly list

Sometimes we’re so hyper focused on the day-to-day that we forget about our long-term goals. Keeping a monthly task list close by when you’re writing your daily and weekly lists, will help you have a monthly action plan and keep your goals in perspective. Plus it helps you focus on new goals and bigger projects within a certain time period.

Hopefully with this popular method, you’ll have more free time for your personal tasks and help you make a more effective to do list and accomplish everything you want to accomplish. If written to do lists aren’t your thing, you could also try digital to-do lists on a to-do list app or a note-taking app. Let me know how it goes in the comments below.

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Your heart health is super important. But sometimes it seems like an overwhelming task to make the right lifestyle changes that will lower your risk of heart disease. Well, I’m here to tell you about one thing you can do everyday that will lower LDL cholesterol and give you back your life. I know because I did it myself. Check it out!

Important note: I am not a healthcare professional. I am simply telling my story of the successes I had with lowering my cholesterol. Please talk to your doctor for specific advice about steps you can make to lower LDL cholesterol levels.

What is LDL cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance in your blood vessels that restricts blood flow. According to the American Heart Association, LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol is considered bad because it contributes to fatty deposits in the arteries. This narrows the arteries and increases the risk for heart attack, stroke and peripheral artery disease. This shouldn’t be confused with HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol which is good cholesterol because a healthy level of it protects against heart attacks and stroke.

What motivated me to lower my cholesterol?

After my 40th birthday, I decided to face the music and got a blood test after my annual physical. My healthcare provider called me and said that my cholesterol was 134, which is apparently considered borderline high. An LDL cholesterol level below 100 is considered normal.

To add to the bad news, my A1C level, which determines your blood sugar level and is used to diagnose prediabetes, was 5.7%. This is the lowest level in which you are considered prediabetic.

Basically, I was welcomed into middle-age with high cholesterol and prediabetes. Although diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease runs in my family, I didn’t want that to be an excuse to not make a change in my life. Plus, I did NOT want to start taking a life-long pre-diabetic medication or cholesterol-lowering medications or be at risk of heart attack. So, I was determined to lower my cholesterol levels to a healthy range on my own. But it wasn’t eating whole grains or a Mediterranean diet that made the biggest difference.

What I did every to lower my LDL cholesterol

There were a lot of contributing factors I did to lower cholesterol, such as losing weight, making dietary changes such as eating less red meat (fast foods) and trans fats and eating more salads and soluble fiber and drinking less soda. However, over the course of an entire year in which I worked to lower my cholesterol, there was one thing that I did everyday that made the biggest difference. What was that, you might ask?

I walked between 15,000 to 20,000 steps every single day

Basically, I walked and walked and walked and it made a big difference. Any physical activity is good but studies show that a brisk 30-minute walk three times per week, even without weight loss, is shown to improve your cholesterol levels.

Many health experts say 10,000 should be your goal, so I wanted to see how doubling that number would impact my overall health. I was pleasantly surprised. My cholesterol went down and so did my weight! Combined with healthy eating, I lost 20 pounds and my LDL cholesterol decreased by 29 points! And, I also lowered my A1C from 5.7% to 5.6% which is considered normal. I didn’t have to get on prediabetic medication either.

Tips and tricks to walking 20,000 steps per day

Although I wasn’t able to walk 20,000 steps every single day, my daily average was between 15k and 20k consistently every month. It had such a positive effect on my overall health. Here’s how I did it:

• Buy a fitness tracker. I love my FitBit and this is a must if you’re going to be serious about walking everyday.
• Buy a nice pair of walking shoes. If you’re going to be putting on that many miles a day, your feet will need some support. I prefer Altra running shoes myself.
• Go on a long morning walk. The best way to fit in 20,000 steps in one day is to start early in the morning. I usually wake up at 5:45 a.m. and walk four miles. Then, the rest of my 20,000 steps naturally happen throughout the rest of the day.
• Involve family and friends. My husband is awesome because he’s always willing to go on a walk with me. Or find a friend to walk with. It makes walking more fun and enjoyable.
• Listen to podcasts. I really look forward to my long walks now because I get to listen to my favorite podcasts. Since I’m learning Spanish, I listen to DuoLingo. It kills two birds with one stone!
• Don’t let winter get you down. Although my step count went down a bit during the winter, I was able to still maintain a good daily average. If you bundle up with a warm coat, gloves and hat, you can walk in any weather.
• Consistency is key. When I was starting to walk more everyday, I really had to dig deep inside to find the motivation. It was super hard at first. But, the more consistently I walked everyday, the more I started to enjoy it.

Other positive side effects of walking more everyday

Aside from the fact that I lowered my cholesterol and lost weight, walking everyday has helped me in other ways. I believe my mental health is much better. When you walk 20,000 steps in a day, you are inevitably outside more often. I was able to have a moment to myself to think and ponder and de-stress.

Also, even though I’m not super sweaty and breathing hard, brisk walking is an aerobic exercise and is super healthy for you. It is also great for your joints and strengthens your muscles. And the list goes on.

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If you have a toddler who’s ready to move on from the crib to a bed, this is a big deal. But there is definitely and right way and a wrong way to make this change. So, let’s make your life easier. I’ll show you how to transition to a toddler bed the quickest and easiest way possible. Here we go!

So, my fifth and last child is ready for a toddler bed. From the moment you have a new baby up to young toddlers, there is one big change after another. But after transitioning four other toddlers to a bed, I have learned some tricks to move from your child’s crib super quick and easy. Check it out.

Tip #1: Wait until your toddler is ready

Ignore the fact that your neighbor’s 18-month-old is already sleeping in a bed. Each child will be ready for a bed at different ages. There is no best age for this big move. Consider it a gift to you that your toddler is approaching three years of age and still likes her crib. I knew it was the right time when my daughter just started crawling out of her crib. Because it’s basically a safety issue. If your child sleeps through the middle of the night, don’t interrupt her with this change until she is ready.

Tip #2: Use a convertible crib

Your baby has slept in the same crib since she was born. It is a safe space for her. That’s why a convertible 4-in-1 crib is so awesome. You can keep the same crib and crib mattress that your toddler loves and then convert it to a toddler bed with a side rail, a day bed and then finally a full twin bed with headboard. It makes a much smoother transition.

Tip #3: Make it a big event

Have your toddler watch you as you convert her crib to a big kid bed. Get excited about it and your toddler will get excited as well. Put the mattress on the lowest setting. Buy a new bedspread and bedding set that you know your toddler will love. Decorate her bed with pillows and all of her favorite stuffed animals. This is a big day!

Tip #4: Cover light switch or unscrew light bulb

The next step to transition to a toddler bed is to ease her into her new found independence and her own bed. The first thing your toddler is going to want to do is climb out of her bed and turn on the light. So … duct tape the light switch so she can’t turn it on. Or better yet, take the light bulb out. You can still have a lamp in her room. My daughter didn’t know how to turn on the lamp so it worked great.

Tip #5: Add a child-proof door handle

Your kid is going to get out of her bed and try to open the door. That is a certainty. The easy fix is just to add a child-proof door handle to your child’s bedroom door so they can’t open the door. Some parent might not agree with this approach, but this is the quickest and easiest way to teach your child that it’s bed time. If you keep going back in their room, they will milk it for all it’s worth. For a while, my son fell asleep on the floor next to the door or the side of the bed and that’s totally fine. They figure it out eventually and teaches them impulse control This works great during nap time too.

Tip #6: Don’t give into the tears

Even with the most solid bedtime routine, your child might have a hard time and cry a little bit when they are first getting used to their big bed. The first night is the hardest, but stay strong. This is a big transition. It’s okay if they cry for a little while in their room. They will learn how to soothe themselves and sleep on their own. If you’re worried, you can buy a baby video monitor. In a couple of weeks, they most likely will be loving their new-found freedom from this big milestone.

Tip #7: Focus on positive reinforcement

Try not to get upset with your child if they aren’t staying in their big-kid bed perfectly. You can give them a sticker chart and give them a small reward them when they do a good job. You can also give them their favorite stuffed animal to comfort them at night.

Hopefully these tips on how to transition to a toddler bed will help you with your own child. The most important thing is to avoid the sleepless nights for the whole family. Let me know if you have any additional tips in the comments below.

More from My Silly Squirts: 10 tips to potty training like a pro

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Getting a cell phone is a big deal for any teen or tween. But the world of cell phones has its own set of rules that everyone should know. That’s why I’ve compiled eleven essential cell phone etiquette rules that are helpful for teens, tweens and adults alike. Plus, you can print an awesome reference poster of appropriate cell phone behavior too. Check it out!

I work with a lot of teenagers from my local church. Most of them start getting their own cell phone around 11 or 12 years old. Some of them are very polite with their phones while have pretty poor cell phone etiquette. Sometimes, all these teenagers need is someone to explain to them what is acceptable behavior when it comes to a mobile phone. Here are some simple rules of cell phone etiquette.

#1: Talk quietly in public on your phone

When you are in public places such as a grocery store or public transportation, it is polite to speak quietly when you are on a phone call. No one wants to hear the juicy gossip that happened at lunch. Even if it is an important call, do not turn on your speaker or do a video call when you are talking to someone. It can be very loud and intrusive. Put in ear buds if you are listening to music or a podcast or watching a video in public spaces. You can also follow the 10-foot rule and give people their personal space.

#2: Think twice about the photos you send

Be tasteful when sending photos to others, especially on social media. If you’re wondering if a particular photo is appropriate, just remember, when in doubt, don’t send it. Any photo sent to someone will forever remain in cyber space and could come back to haunt you later. It’s called sextortion.

#3: Don’t be a phone zombie

Control your phone. Don’t let it control you. This is a good phone etiquette rule to live by for good reason. Throughout the day, if you find yourself interacting with your phone more than people, make a change. The right was to do this is to aim for 2 hours or less of screen time on your phone per day.

#4: Be respectful on group chats

Nothing is worse than being stuck on an irrelevant group chat all day long. This is one of my pet peeves. As a good rule of thumb, only reply on group chats if it applies to the entire group. Otherwise, send a separate individual text to the person who you want to talk to.

#5: Be present

When you are in a small group setting with friends, classmates or family or other social situations, put your phone away and give everyone your undivided attention. Be present, otherwise it’s just plain rude. This is particularly important when you on talking one-on-one with someone. If you’re constantly looking at your phone, that person is going to assume you are not that interested in talking to them. This also includes when you are sitting at the dinner table. If you have to talk on your phone during social gatherings, excuse yourself and find a secluded area or quiet place.

#6: Texting quiet time

If you are asking yourself, “Is it too late to text this person?”, then it probably is. As a general rule, it is best to avoid texting or calling someone between the hours of 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. Not everyone remembers to silence their phone at night and it’s never fun to be woken up by an unwelcome text message. Just use common sense.

#7: Don’t text and drive

This is obvious to most cell phone users, but I am the biggest culprit. Never drive and use your phone as the same time. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed. Pull over if you really need to look at your phone. It is incredibly rude and dangerous to put all of the lives of your passengers in jeopardy so you can catch up on your Facebook feed.

#8: Don’t touch other people’s mobile devices

Tweens and teens are the worst at this. My kids always want to use my phone. But even when you are with friends, people’s phone are their private property. Don’t touch anyone’s phone without their permission. It is bad manners.

#9: Follow the three C’s of texting

Polite text conversations are just as important as polite face-to-face conversations. Follow the three C’s of texting:

• No caps
• No cussing
• No crude language

If you are texting with all capital letters, that implies that you are yelling at the person you are texting. Also, don’t text anything that you wouldn’t say to someone’s face.

#10: Don’t forget the 24-hour rule

Have you ever texted someone and they seem to never text you back? Out of respect for the person texting you, try to respond to voicemails and text messages within 24 hours. Preferably, just respond immediately so you don’t forget. Of course, there are times when people purposely don’t reply to someone’s text, but that’s a different story.

#11: Silence your phone

There are certain situations where it is ALWAYS necessary to put your phone on silent mode. Although there are quite a few on the list, here’s some of the big ones:

• Movie theaters
• School
• Church
• Funerals
• Job interviews
• Business meeting
• Library
• Restaurant

In addition, don’t check your phone during scenarios either. Unless it is an emergency call, it can wait.

Download your printable cell phone etiquette poster

Where these cell phone etiquette tips helpful? I hope so. If you thought of any other new rules for cell phone manners, please include them in the comments below. If you would like to purchase and download a helpful cell phone etiquette poster that sums up everything discussed above, just click on the link below:

Cell Phone Etiquette Poster

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As a mother, do you ever feel like you are barely keeping your head above water? Being overwhelmed and stressed as a parent is not uncommon. In fact, it’s normal. But there are some simple things you can do to alleviate the day-to-day chaos and find balance once again. Here’s the best way to get started. Check it out!

So, I’ve got five kids. Like many stay-at-home moms and busy moms, sometimes I want to crawl into a cave and suck my thumb. Those are the bad days. However, most days don’t have to be like that. Through the years, I’ve learned how to be a more organized mom. Here’s some tips to stay organized as a mom and gain back your daily routine and your sanity.

Tip #1: Prioritize your to-do list

Everyone has a to-do list, but do you take the time to prioritize it? Many times, we get so overwhelmed with everything we have to do that we forget to start with the most important thing.

So here’s the first step. As a daily routine, I write down my daily tasks that I need to get done. Then, I put a number one next to the most important task. Next, I put a number two next to the task that is second in importance. I follow this process until every task is numbered according to importance. Finally, I don’t start working on item number two until number one is completed. You can rest assured that you will be getting everything done on your list, starting with the most important. This is an awesome morning routine to try starting. Check out this weekly family calendar white board to keep the entire family on track.

Tip #2: Only go grocery shopping once per week

Choose a day of the week in which you make a grocery list that will sustain your family for the entire week. Yes, this involves meal planning for weekly meals as well. My favorite day to do this is Monday morning. It forces me to be organized. I know in my head that I have meals planned for the whole week so I can stop stressing at 5 p.m. when everyone is hungry. Plus, I always spend at least $100 every time I go to the store. If I’m running to the store four or five times a week, that’s a lot of unnecessary money down the drain.

Tip #3: Delegate the household chores

A clean house is important. So, you shouldn’t have to do a load of laundry, wash all the dishes, clean the bathrooms, tidy the house, take our the garbage and vacuum every single day. The best way to fix this is to use your family. Here’s some of the best cleaning tips to keeping the chores manageable in your home:

• Laundry: Kids ages 8 and up do their own laundry. If you have tiny kids, try to do one load per day so it doesn’t get overwhelming.
• Chore day: Have a designated day when the kids do 5-10 chores after school.
• Dishes: Everyone is assigned one night when they have to do the dishes.
• 5-minute pickup: Gather the family before bed and everyone helps tidy the whole house. You’ll have less clutter around the house too.
• Diaper duty: You and your husband take turns changing the poopy diapers. It’s only fair.
• Chore wheel: It it’s hard to remember who does what, make a chore wheel that divides different tasks. It organizes the entire home.

Tip #4: Eliminate the unnecessary and learn to say no

Sometimes we feel like we have to do it all. But you don’t. So, you can tell your son’s teacher that you don’t have time to be the room mother this year. Or, you don’t have to homeschool each of your children just because that’s what everyone else is doing. Figure out what is truly essential and eliminate the rest.

Tip #5: Take time for yourself every day

Everyone needs a good work-life balance and mom life is a full-time job. But taking time for yourself doesn’t mean vegging on social media. Find a little bit of time each day to get some exercise, be by yourself and recharge your battery. When you have little kids, sometimes that is during nap time and that’s okay. This helps give you the energy to conquer the rest of the day. This might seem like a daunting task, but you can do it.

Tip #6: Don’t forget about family time

Sometimes we’re so busy trying to be organized, that we forget about spending time with each family member. This takes a little bit of time management but it’s worth it. At the end of the day, use the quiet time to read a book together, play a game or just talk about your day. Getting used to spending this quality time at specific times each day are the moments that are truly the most important.

I hope these ideas will help you as you navigate home life and work to be an organized mom. Let me know if you have any additional ideas on how to be organized as a mom in the comments below.

More from My Silly Squirts: Get your kids talking with the “Dinnertime Game”

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Kids and cars can be pretty scary sometimes, but it doesn’t have to be. There are some simple things that you can do to keep your child safe when they are in or around cars. Check out these child car safety tips that could save your child’s life.

I have five kids and I’m constantly worried about them when we’re around cars. Plus, I have to be super careful when I have a baby in a car seat. Hot car deaths are all too common around the world. So, let’s get started on some car safety tips to keep you and your kids safe.

Child safety while in the car

• Cell phone tax: Tell your kids that you owe them $1 every time they see you looking at your phone while you are driving so everyone can have a safe ride. Be a good example.
• Seatbelts: Don’t start driving until seatbelts are all on. They are the best possible protection. Make sure it runs over your child’s shoulder and sits above the upper thighs.
• Double buckling: It’s tempting to buckle two kids in a lap belt, but a child restraint isn’t meant for two. A seat belt fits only one person and lowers the risk of injury and risk of death.
• Front seat riders: Safety advocates recommend kids under 13 years of age ride in the back seat but if you must, push the seat as far back as possible to avoid contact with the air bags. Child passengers should sit in the back.
• Shoulder belt pads: If kids are constantly putting the shoulder belt behind them, buy a shoulder belt pad so it’s more comfortable.
• What about buses?: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, school buses are designed so that they’re highly visible and include safety features such as flashing red lights, cross-view mirrors and stop-sign arms. They also include protective seating, high crush standards and rollover protection features. So, just tell you child to stay seated on the bus. No running around.
• Tires: A best practice is to keep your tires rotated and in good working condition. In 2021, there were 622 motor vehicle traffic fatalities in tire-related crashes.
• Cell phone mount: Another good way to not get distracted by your phone while driving is to install a cell phone mount.
• No riding in the bed of a truck: In the event of a crash, everyone will be thrown out. It’s just unsafe to ride in the back of pickup trucks and you could avoid serious injury. As a vehicle owner, this is your responsibility.
• Buckle Booster: Make it super easy for your kids to put on their seatbelts with a Buckle Booster. They don’t have to dig to find a buried buckle. Then they have no excuse.
• Motorhomes: Every state has different laws for child and adult passengers in motorhomes. They are different from passenger vehicles. However, as inconvenient as it is, if you want your kids to be safe, it’s best to buckle them while in your motorhome.
• Honk the horn: Teach your older kids that it’s okay to honk the horn until someone come to help if they get stuck in the car.
• Distractions: If your baby is screaming and your toddlers are fighting, either ignore it or pull over. Don’t try to drive with one hand and parent with the other. This alone will prevent car crashes.
• Sleepy driver: If you’re tired, pull over and take a 10-minute nap. I have done this several times with five kids sitting in the back seat. Their safety is more important.
• Child locks: Make sure you lock your power windows and turn on the child lock so your kids can open the doors while you’re driving.

Car seat safety for kids

• Know the car seat age requirements height limits: There are three different type of car seats, rear-facing car seat, forward-facing car seat and a booster seat. Choose which is best for your young children and older children based on the illustration below.
• Car seat expiration dates: A child safety seat expires because the parts and materials used to keep your child safe gradually weaken or wear down after constant use and because of exposure to heat and cold. Check your car seat manual for details. Avoid buying a used car seat.
• Choose the right car seat: If ease and convenience will motivate you to have a safe car seat for your babies and toddlers, they sell all-in-one convertible seat that grows and adjust with your kids.
• Install your car seat correctly: You’d be surprised how many people do this wrong. Check out the American Academy of Pediatrics for details. Make sure the clip is at armpit level.
• Get your car seat checked: You can have a certified child passenger safety technician check your car seat to ensure proper installation.
• Newborns: If you have a newborn, as new parents, I would recommend not driving with them anywhere unless you have to. They cannot support their heads and you can’t hold their head while you drive. If you have to, try using some car seat support pads and have someone sit in the back seat.
• Child head support: I always worry about my kids head flopping around when they fall asleep in the car. Child head supports can fix that.
• Hot car death prevention: This can happen to the best of us. So on hot days, put one of your shoes next to your child or baby’s car seat. You won’t walk off with only one shoe on.
• Never leave a child alone in a car: This seems obvious, but sometimes it seems like a hassle to get your baby unbuckled when you’ll be “right back”. Don’t be tempted.
• Safety Car Seat Mirror: Could your child be choking and you don’t even know it? A child safety car seat mirror can help you keep an eye on your child through your rearview mirror while you drive.

Child safety around cars

• Parking Pal Car Magnet: Give your kids a safe place to stand and wait while everyone is getting out of the car. Teach them to put their hand on the magnet, which is the safest place, until everyone is ready to go, then no one gets hit by a car.
• Spot the Tot: In the United States, hundreds of kids have been killed by back over or front over accidents. These deaths and possibly the death of your own child can be prevented by simply walking around your car before you get in it.
• Parking lots: Use the S.T.A.R. method when teaching your kids about parking lot safety: Stop, Touch, Attention, Ready.
• School pick up: I’ll say it again, “Put your cell phone down.” Also, tell your kids not to run to the car as soon as they see you pull up. Your kids need to wait until you are stopped.
• Head count: When you’re on a road trip, believe it or not, it’s easy to forget a child at a gas station. Do a head count every time you get back into the car.
• Parked cars: Don’t ever allow your kids to play in a parked car. Your kids can accidentally put your car into gear and someone could get hurt.
• Car Emergency Kit: You never know when you might get stranded on the side of the road. That’s why a car emergency kit and winter coats could save you and your kids’ lives one day.
• Fixing a flat tire: Show your kids how to fix a flat tire. It’s a skill that could help them throughout their entire lives.

I hope these child car safety tips were helpful for you. And most of all, I hope that one day, it could save some lives. If you have any other car safety tips, leave them in the comments below.

More from My Silly Squirts: 10 of the best child-proofing products you didn’t know you needed

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Whether it’s keeping your kids safe or preventing messes, as a parent, your house needs to be prepped for kiddos. So, I’m here to help you out with some of the best child proofing products out there. Check it out!

Alright, let’s be real, I’ve got five kids. So, I am not a novice when it comes to child proofing a home. That’s why, after years parenting experience, I’m giving you the top products to keep your kids and your mind sane. Let’s get started!

#1: Furniture anchors

Years ago, my son was almost crushed by our large dresser. Luckily, I was there when he started climbing up the open drawers like a backyard playset. I stopped the dresser before it fell on him. This scenario can be completely avoided by installing furniture anchors on all of your dressers and tall pieces of furniture.

#2: Cordless blinds

More than 16,000 children in the US were treated in emergency departments for injuries caused by window blinds between 1990 and 2015, an average of almost two children every day, according to NPR.org. Essentially, these cords hang right at the perfect height for children to become entangled and hang themselves. We ALWAYS buy cordless blinds now. No exceptions.

#3: Floor vent trap

I’m not sure how many of you enjoy sticking your hand into your floor vents and pulling out clumps of hair, Cheerios and dead spiders, but I don’t love it. But that is a thing of the past with these awesome floor vent traps. I LOVE them. It catches all of the junk that falls in your floor vents. Clean up is a snap and it makes my life so much easier as a mom.

#4: Toilet lock

The other day my husband found my two-year-old daughter drinking from a cup of toilet water that she had freshly scooped out of the bowl. True story. Obviously, I didn’t have my toilet lock installed. It’s one of those child proofing products that you just have to have.

#5: Freezer lock

On multiple occasions, I have come home to find our freezer door wide open. My kids love their otter pops. So, after throwing out lots of expensive frozen food, I wised up and bought a freezer lock. Best investment ever.

#6: Cabinet and drawer locks

Cabinet and drawer locks are good for not only protecting your child from harmful cleaners or appliances, it can also prevent your child from making huge messes. Win! Win!

#7: Plug protectors

When my husband was a toddler, he stuck a paper clip into both the holes of an outlet. The electrical current threw his little body across the room. Luckily, he was okay, but outlets are dangerous. Get some plug protectors.

#8: Stove knob safety covers

Those little toddler hands love to touch stuff. Stove knobs are no exception. Aside from the fire danger, gas stoves will release carbon monoxide which is of course, very dangerous. Get some stove knob safety covers.

#9: Suction placemats

Inevitably, your baby or toddler will take her bowl of food and throw it onto the floor. You can minimized the frustration though with these awesome suction placemats.

#10: Outdoor water spigot lock

My kids are notorious for turning on the hose in the backyard and then leaving it on for hours and hours. You can prevent flooding and wasted water but throwing a water spigot lock on there. Problem solved.

Hopefully these child proofing products will help minimize accidents and make your life easier as a busy mom or dad. I know I’ll take all the help I can get!

More from My Silly Squirts: 10 things kids destroy and how to fix them

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As parents, sometimes it feels like we’re just disciplining our kids all the time. That’s why this new reward chart printable focuses on positive reinforcement in a simple way. It’s a called a Happy Chart. Check it out!

As a mother to five kids, sometimes I feel like I am just putting kids in time out all day long. I was tired of being the bad guy. So, I decided to make a simple reward chart that focuses on the good that my kids are doing instead of the bad. It almost seemed too simple but that’s the beauty of it. Look for the good and you’ll find it. Here’s how it works.

Download your reward chart printable

I designed these two 8.5×11 charts in two different designs depending on your child’s preference. You can print as many as you would like. My daughter liked the pink princess char the best. Just click on the link below to download your PDF. You can print it at home or email it to your local printer.

Click here to download your Happy Chart

Explain the chart to your child

Show the chart to your child and explain the rules. Tell them that anytime they say or do something good, you will put a motivational sticker on one of the squares. As soon as all of the squares are filled, you will take them to get a treat or reward. Make sure you ask them what they want for a reward. Keep in mind that this chart shouldn’t be used for discipline. Once a sticker gets put on there, they earned it. It can’t be taken back off.

Try to pay special close attention to the good things that your child is doing. Although some kids may seem naughtier than others, there is something good to find in every child. Even if it is something tiny, make sure you recognize it and reward your child accordingly. Pretty soon, you’ll notice your child trying harder and harder to do good things because of the chart.

Make it a big deal

To get your child super excited about their reward chart printable, let them pick out the stickers. And hang it up in a prominent location in your home so both of you are reminded of it each day.

I originally got this idea from my sister-in-law. She has a similar chart in her home that she created for her daughter who was having a hard time. The chart helped her realize that she is a good kid and that mom loves her. Ultimately, I hope this reward chart printable will improve behavior in your home and help your kids be happy as well.

Here’s a link to the PDF printable Happy Chart one more time if you didn’t see it above.

Click here to download your Happy Chart

More from My Silly Squirts: Fill-in-the-blank chore wheel

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If you have a toddler, then you most likely have crayon on your walls somewhere in your house. So, after five kids and many colorful walls, I decided to test which is the best way to remove crayon off walls. Check it out!

The other day, my 2-year-old daughter was being super quiet. That’s when you know trouble is brewin’. So, I came downstairs and discovered a beautiful mural of crayon artwork on my white wall. This wasn’t my first rodeo. Instead of getting frustrated, I decided to test out the various ways to remove crayon from white walls to see which worked the best. Here’s what I found out.

The WORST methods to get crayon off walls

• Distilled vinegar – White vinegar can be a great green way to clean but not for removing crayon from walls. I scrubbed and scrubbed but it didn’t come off really at all. Not worth the effort.
• Steel wool – Although steel wool can really scrub off soap scum and the like, this will damage your wall. It may get the crayon off but your wall will not end up looking better. You might have to repaint it.
• Glass cleaner – The cleaner just dripper down the wall and made a mess. If you still want to give this a try, get the foaming glass cleaner, but even then, it just didn’t remove the crayon very well.
• Mayonnaise – They say the oil from the mayo breaks down the wax in the crayons without damaging your walls. But, then you have greasy mayonnaise on your wall. I was kind of grossed out by this option.
• Simple Green – This product is safe for the environment and can clean really greasy stains but for some reason it just didn’t work very well for getting crayon off walls. But, I would recommend it for cleaning sinks, tile and stoves.

The BEST methods to get crayon off walls

Here’s five of the best ways that I found to wash crayon from your painted wall. Keep in mind that I was looking for the quickest and easy option, something that I could use to scrub really quickly and be done in about five minutes.

• Baking soda – You can make a paste with 3 parts baking soda and 1 part water and then gently rub it onto the wall. This was my least-favorite of the five best options simply because it takes a while.
• Dishwashing soap – Just like you would expect it, soap adheres the crayon that is sticking to the surface of the wall and removes it. It works and it came off pretty fast. Just make sure you wipe your wall clean with water to remove any residue.
• Toothpaste – I was legitimately surprised that this worked, but non-gel toothpaste contains mild abrasives (such as baking soda) to gently remove crayon marks without damaging the wall. So, it was easier than the baking soda option.
• Pencil eraser – Just like erasers remove pencil, apparently they remove crayon as well. It helps to wet down the pencil eraser a little bit before rubbing it on the wall. Although, it did seem a little bit tedious and I wouldn’t recommend using an eraser to remove crayon off a big section of a wall.
• WINNER! Magic Eraser – I can always rely on a Magic Eraser to get the job done. And that’s exactly what it did! Using an extra durable Magic Eraser, I just soaked it in water and the crayon markings came right off. It was quick and it was easy. The entire area was clean in 10 minutes.

Here’s a little video that I made showing how I tested each of these product methods.

Hopefully this blog post was helpful for you as you’re washing crayon off walls in your home. Whichever method you decide to use, make sure you take a picture of your child’s artwork. You’ll smile about it later on.

My Silly Squirts: 10 things kids destroy and how to fix them

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So you decided to make the plunge into the world of adult braces. Nice work. Even though having braces past your teenage years isn’t the most fun, I have tips that will make the process a little bit more bearable. Check it out!

I’m not going to lie, having braces as an adult is no fun. Some people might argue that, “It’s not so bad,” or “I didn’t mind it.” But, I think they’re lying, ha ha! However, after having braces for 18 months at 40 years old, I figured out some tips and tricks to make the experience a little bit more bearable.

Tip #1: Embrace your braces

When I first got my braces, I tried really hard not to smile. I felt like they were so ugly and I did everything in my power to not show them to anyone. Well, that is just depressing.

After months of trying to hide my braces, I finally embraced them. I started smiling more and figured, I don’t really care what other people think anymore. And guess what, I was happier. It’s amazing how when you try not to smile, how unhappy you start to feel. Plus, no one really gives a care if you have braces. You are your own worst critic.

Tip #2: Invest in the essentials

Braces make it so much harder to keep your teeth clean. That’s why you need to invest in some essential products to keep those pearly whites pearly. Trust me, it’s worth the extra dough. Here are some products that I couldn’t live without while I had braces:

• Water flosser – $30
• Electric toothbrush – $50-$100
• Orthodontic floss (with a stiff end) – $8

There are some other products that you might want to consider buying based on your situation. I didn’t buy al of these items below, but you might find them helpful:

• Wax – $20
• Pain medicine (for after each adjustment) – $10
• Mouth wash – $5
• Non-whitening toothpaste – $5

Tip #3: Do everything your orthodontist says

A sure fire way to not get your braces off as soon as humanely possibly is by NOT doing what your orthodontist says. For example, I was supposed to wear rubber bands at night–12-hours per day–for five months straight. I knew that if I didn’t, then I might have to have my braces on longer and I did not want that. I never missed a night and I was SO happy I did. I was able to get my braces off right on schedule.

Tip #4: Carry an orthodontic toothpick at all times

No one wants to see your spinach salad in your teeth. But you’re not always at home when you eat (obviously). I learned to carry an orthodontic toothpick in my purse all the time. That way, you can quickly clean your braces and remove any trace of your last meal.

Tip #5: Get good dental insurance

Dental insurance in the US is pretty pathetic. But there are some insurances that will cover adult braces. I had insurance through MetLife and they covered a lifetime benefit of $1,000 for my braces. So, in the end, after insurance, I paid about $3,000 for my braces. It’s pricey, but with good dental, it softens the sting when you swipe your credit card.

Bonus tip: You can do it!

The day that I got my braces off was the happiest day of my life (aside from my wedding day and the individual births of my five children, of course). As much as I complained about having braces, the end reward was completely worth it.

My friend on the other hand, hated her braces so bad that she got them off about six months early. So, she endured 9 months of torture and still ended up with crooked teeth. Moral of the story is, YOU CAN DO IT! Just envision your beautiful smile and before you know it, your adult braces journey will be over.

I hope blog post helps make your experience with braces as an adult a little less miserable. Let’s be honest, it’s still going to be miserable, but WORTH IT! Let me know how it goes in the comments below. I want to give a special thanks to Dr. Swenson and his staff at Swenson Orthodontics for doing an amazing job and dealing with my whining for 18 months. I highly recommend them if you live in Utah County. Thank you!

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We live in a different world today. Social media, pornography and cyberbullying are literally at the fingertips of our kids and teenagers. So parents need to take an involved and proactive approach to internet safety. That’s why I created an Internet Safety Contract and Poster for each member of our family. It keeps each person accountable and creates healthy online boundaries for the whole family. Check it out.

As a mother of four boys and one little girl, I can’t be naïve when it comes to the inappropriate and damaging content that my kids can find online. My hope is to teach my children the harmful affects of pornography and the dangers of the cyber world so that they can take that information and make good decisions when I’m not around.

What is an Internet Safety Contract?

An Internet Safety Contract is an agreement among family members to hold each other accountable while using the internet and other online resources. It is a new way to think about internet safety. It details written rules that each person in the family is asked to follow and requires the signature of each person involved. Each of the rules is designed to help family members while online and avoid the dangerous and damaging content that is so readily available.

Download your contract and quick-reference poster

I created an easy-to-understand contract and poster that explains the importance of being safe when using the Internet. This two-page package gives the top ten ways to stay safe on the Internet and a contract for kids and teens. Each member of the family can sign the contract and hang it in a prominent place in your home. Click on the link below to download and print your PDF today:

Click here to download your Internet Safety
Contract & Poster

Read and review as a family, classroom or youth group

We decided to sit down as a family and read each of the 10 ways to stay safe on the Internet. After each tip, we discussed what each of those items means. It was an awesome way to have an open conversation about the Internet. Here’s the 10 tips:

• Turn it off: If you see pornography (pictures or videos of people with little or no clothes on), turn it off right away and tell a parent or a trusted adult.
• Surf waves, not websites: Avoid mindless scrolling, chat rooms or unfamiliar websites. Always use the Internet with an objective in mind.
• Keep your info private: Don’t give out any personal information online without your parents’ permision. Avoid befriending someone online that you have never met in person.
• Email with caution: Never open an email from someone you don’t know and don’t give out your email to untrusted websites.
• Don’t close doors: Only use the Internet in high-traffic rooms in the house such as the kitchen or family room and keep your screen visible to everyone.
• Be kind: Do not bully or say unkind words towards anyone while using the Internet. Do not tolerate bullying by others either.
• Say no to swearing: Do not participate in inappropriate language or conversations while using the Internet.
• Be cautious with downloads: Do not download music, games or software without your parents’ permission. Hackers can install virus’, pornography and other malicious material onto your computer.
• Don’t buy stuff: Do not order anything online without your parents’ permission (even if it says it’s free).
• Think twice with pics: Do not post or send pictures that will embarrass, incriminate or jeopardize the privacy of you or anyone else. Once it’s posted, it will never go away.

Sign and commit

Our conversation about internet safety elevated to a different level as soon as I told my kids that they can’t use the Internet in our home unless they signed the contract. Then, all of a sudden, I think they realized how serious we were. As a family, we are committed to holding each other accountable to being safe on the Internet.

Although, ultimately, my children will have to decide for themselves if they want to follow the terms of the Internet Safety Contract, having a continual open conversation about cyber safety, is crucial. When children and teens know what is expected of them, it’s much easier to make better decisions.

Here’s a link to the PDF download one more time in case you missed it:

Click here to download your Internet Safety
Contract & Poster

I hope this information will be helpful for your family, students or youth group. Let me know what you thought in the comments below. Here’s some other helpful links to learn more about staying safe on the Internet:

• Fight the new drug: Standing up against Porn
• Pinwheel: Safe phones for kids (use coupon code Marie2022 for 10% discount)
• A guide to Internet safety for kids, teens and young adults

More from My Silly Squirts: 7 powerful resources to help teach your kids about pornography

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Being a stay at home mom is awesome but just like anything, it can have its ups and downs. But there are a few tips and tricks that can help you navigate this time in your life with less stress and more good memories.

I have been at stay at home mom ever since I started having kids 13 years ago. I have considered it one of the greatest blessings in my entire life. I want to be at home with my kids. It is very important to me. But, with that being said, being at home full time with your kids can be stressful. So, I’ve put together a list of tips and tricks to make your life a little bit easier as a SAHM. Check it out.

Summertime tips

Stay at home mom tips are super helpful during the summer, when all of your kids are at home and you need to keep your sanity. Here’s a few ideas:

• Outside – Go somewhere with your kids every single day.
• Museum pass – Buy an annual pass to a museum, waterpark or other venue that you know your kids will enjoy.
• Beach Ball Bucks – This simple rewards system will help provide the structure and motivation your kids need during the summer.
• Playgroups – Get together with other moms and kids in your neighborhood. Gather at a different park every week.
• Chore wheel – You shouldn’t have to clean the house by yourself every day. Assign your kids chores on a regular basis.
• Trampoline – This is by far the one item that will keep all of your kids’ attention for the longest.
• Garden – If you have the space, a garden is a great way to get your kids outside throughout the summer. Make them weed, harvest the vegetables and then cook them together as a family.
• Camping – Even if you’re not a camper, trust me, your kids will have no trouble staying entertained in the mountains. It’s a bit of work getting there but it’s such a great way to decompress and make some memories.
• Spontaneity – Have a food fight, a sleepover in the backyard or a random dance party after dinner. Mix up those routine days and make life fun.
• Summertime Door Poster – These posters can more than 200 summertime activities to keep your kids busy.
• Lemonade Stands – This is a summertime staple that keeps your kids busy for a few hours and they earn some money at the same time.
• Camps – Sign your kids up for scout camp, swimming camp or a sports camp.

School year tips

• Unbirthdays – Take each of your kids on a date night once a month. They need individual time with mom.
• Netflix and chill – If your kids are all in school, take a minute for yourself. Don’t feel guilty about turning on a show and relaxing for a bit.
• Mornings – You don’t have time to do anything except for help your kids get ready for school in the mornings. You’ll just get frustrated if you start on your “to do” list before they leave.
• Afternoons – Your kids need your undivided attention when they get home from school. It provides a lot of stability in a child’s life when they can depend on their mom being home for them everyday after school.
• Outside – Just like in the summertime, take time to go outside during the school year. Getting stuck inside folding laundry and cleaning the house all day makes you feel unproductive even though that is productive.
• Be present – It’s possible to be a stay at home mom without actually being there for your kids. Put aside your phone and “to do” list and spend time with your kids.

Time away from the kids

• Annual trip – Go on a trip with your spouse every single year.
• Working out – Find a friend who will workout with you several times a week. It’s great for adult conversation and your health
• Book group – This is another great way to do something for yourself and socializing with other adults.
• Girls’ Trip – Even if it’s just overnight, schedule some time to get away from your spouse and your kids. It’s one of the very important stay at home mom tips.
• Find your thing – Everyone needs a hobby or something that makes you feel accomplished outside of being a mom. I like blogging, going to yard sales and decorating for the holidays.
• Spirituality – Religion may not be your thing, but I find the greatest peace as a mother when I strengthen my relationship with God on a daily basis.
• Bedtime – Be strict with an early bedtime. Then you can have a few moments to yourself in the evening.
• Mom guilt – You dedicate everything to you kids, but mom guilt is a real thing. It’s okay to take time away from your kids.

Toddlers and babies

• Helping at school – If you have a baby or a toddler, don’t feel obligated to drag them to the elementary school to host a Christmas party for 25 kindergarteners. Wait until your kids are older. You don’t have to do it all.
• Screen time – Don’t feel guilty if you put your two-year-old (who refuses to take naps) in front of the TV for a bit while you get some stuff done.
• Bath time – Baths are a great way for moms to entertain the little ones and they love it too.
• Jogging stroller – Babies love walks.
• Preschool – Kids need to learn independence and moms need to let go. Preschool is a great way to start.
• Naps – It’s a sad day when babies transition out of naps, so take full advantage while they still do.
• Grocery store – Plan your shopping trips when someone can watch your kids. Your life will be so much easier.

Hopefully these stay at home mom tips will help you. Let me know if you have any other tips in the comments below.

More from My Silly Squirts: How to survive the grocery store with kids

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Want to connect with your kids on a new level? Parenting doesn’t always have to be about discipline and structure. Sometimes the best memories are made in the spur of the moment. So, here’s some super spontaneous ways to show your kids you love them.

It’s hard to find your inner child as a parent. As a mom, my five kids really just want me to play with them. Sometimes I need to put aside my calendar and to-do-list and just have fun with my kids while they are still young. Here’s 25 spontaneous parenting ideas to help you connect with your kids on a new level.

Surprise your kids

Play with your kids

I hope these ideas help you connect with your kids during your parenting journey. What other spontaneous ideas do you have? Leave them in the comments below.

More from My Silly Squirts: The easiest birthday present that every kid will love

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You can put it off for a while, but eventually, your child or teenager is going to need and REALLY want a cell phone. But with all of the options out there, how do you know which one is the safest and best option for your child? Well, here’s five reasons why we chose a Pinwheel phone for our teenager. Check it out.

As a mom of five kids, the reality of the electronic dangers that are available at the fingertips of these young kids is super scary. So, I really researched cell phone options for my oldest son before taking the plunge. I wanted to make sure he had the freedom of his own phone while maintaining the boundaries that any parent would be comfortable with. Here’s five reasons why I love Pinwheel:

What is a Pinwheel phone?

Pinwheel approaches cellphone ownership as a phased process that expands and changes as your child grows. Basically, you buy a Pinwheel phone (use coupon code Marie2022 for 10% discount) that has built-in software that allows the parent to manage the phone remotely from an app on their own phone. So, the parent is in control and but the child or teenager can take on more freedoms based on their age and maturity.

#5: It offers easy-to-use remote management

The entire process–from setup to maintenance–is super streamlined. Basically, I can see and control everything from my own phone using the Pinwheel Caregiver App. I’m not the best at computer stuff, but it was easy to navigate, even for me. Here’s some of the features that the app allows you to control:

The feature that I like the most is that I can set up different “Modes” throughout the day. So, I can create a “School mode” during which time my son can only text or call his emergency contacts and can only use specific apps. During “All Mode” for when he gets home from school, I can enable his music apps and he can text anyone on his contacts list.

#4: It’s high-quality and affordable

A Pinwheel phone is a high-quality Smartphone. It has tons of storage and nice camera and does everything that my Smartphone can do. You also get to choose the cell phone carrier. We chose Mint mobile because it’s only $15 per month. So, here’s the breakdown of what we have spent on my son’s cell phone thus far:

This might seem like a lot but this covers the cost of the phone, accessories and coverage for an entire year! After the cost of the phone, that ends up being only $21 per month. That’s a pretty good deal if you ask me. Plus, if you enter the coupon code Marie2022, you will get 10% your first order of $100 or more! This is an exclusive coupon only offered on my website.

#3: It provides age-based levels of functionality

Depending on how old your child is, you can allow access to different apps and functionalities on their phone. Here’s a breakdown that is suggested but you can set it up however you want:

Parent leads decision (ages 8-11)

Parent and child joint decisions (ages 11-14)

Child-led decisions (ages 14+)

#2: It teaches healthy digital habits

I encourage my son to have between 2 – 3 hours of screen time on his phone per day. Throughout the day, his phone will remind him to get outside, do something creative or serve someone. Also, as soon as it’s 9 p.m., he can’t text or use any of his apps. It forces him to basically create good habits when he’s younger so it won’t be as hard when he gets older.

#1: It’s safe

Out of all the things that a Pinwheel phone has to offer, this is what I like the best. I have the peace of mind knowing that my son doesn’t have a web browser or the YouTube app to access inappropriate material. And although Pinwheel doesn’t protect kids and teenagers from everything, it provides the tools necessary to teach your child in a healthy way. I love it so much and I would recommend it to everyone who wants a safe cell phone for their kids.

I hope this blog post was helpful as you are looking for a safe cell phone for your child or teenager. Let me know what you thought in the comments below.

Coupon code

Also, if you missed the coupon code for 10% off your first order of $100 or more, here it is one more time:

Marie2022

More from My Silly Squirts: How to survive the grocery store with kids

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Amid the craziness of shopping and parties and toys, toys, toys, here’s a meaningful way to remember Christ during the holidays with your family. It’s called a Gift for Jesus Christmas Tradition and you’re going to love it. Check it out.

So, I didn’t think of this tradition. My sister-in-law gave me the idea. We were at her house and she had a wrapped present under her Christmas tree with lots of strips of paper inside. It piqued my interest so she told me all about it. It’s so easy and so memorable. Check it out.

What is a Gift for Jesus Christmas Tradition?

Basically, you wrap a small box in Christmas wrapping paper or just place a bow on a simple box and attach the poem which reads:

What do I give the King of Kings,
who gave his life for me? …
Who brought peace to earth,
raised the dead and caused the blind to see?

There’s only one thing the Savior wants
from each of us this year,
Forgetting ourselves and taking time
to spread happiness and cheer.

So each day before Christmas,
take some time to help someone along their way,
Write down your good deeds then
read them aloud together on Christmas day.

Inside the box, place the Gift for Jesus forms inside with a pen and place the box under the Christmas tree. When someone in your family does something nice for someone, they can write it down and place it in the box. Continue this everyday throughout December. Finally, on Christmas day, open the box and read all of the good deeds that your family has performed.

Gather your supplies

This Christmas tradition doesn’t take much work at all. First, you’ll need a wrapped Christmas present that you can open and close easily. You could use these cute gift boxes with red ribbon and removable lids or you could go more vintage with these sturdy brown boxes with lids and just a big ribbon like I did.

Print your gift tags and forms

The Christmas tradition wouldn’t be complete without the gift tag. I wrote a cute little poem that explains the tradition. You can cut out the gift tag and tape it to the gift so everyone can read it.

I designed several small gift tags and two large gift tags depending on the size of your wrapped present. There is also a page with 16 forms that you can print and cutout. To print your gift tags and forms, just click on the link below:

Click here to print your Gift for Jesus gift tag and forms

Start serving!

Once your present is under the tree, you can start your Gift for Jesus Christmas Tradition. I told my kids that whoever has the most acts of service in the box on Christmas day gets a prize. It just gives them a little bit of motivation. But out of all the presents that you’ll open on Christmas day, I can guarantee that this gift will be the most rewarding.

Want to learn more about Jesus?

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe in Jesus and we try our best to follow his example by loving and serving others. If you want to learn more about Jesus and our beliefs, click here to find a chapel and worship services near you.

If you want to acquire more of the light of Jesus in your life and connect with a life coach, click here.

I hope this blog post was helpful as you start this new Gift for Jesus Christmas Tradition. Here’s the link to the gift tag and forms if you didn’t see it above.

Click here to print your Gift for Jesus gift tag and forms

More from My Silly Squirts: 15 kids Christmas crafts (cheap, easy and fun)

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Nowadays, there are so many baby products to choose from, sometimes it’s hard to figure out which ones you absolutely can’t live without. But trust, me, there are definitely ones that you can live without. So, here’s a list of baby essentials and non-essentials for the first year. Check it out!

When I became pregnant with my fifth and final baby, I had already gotten rid of all my baby stuff. So, when I started buying the essentials, I thought long and hard about what baby essentials and non-essentials for the first year I really needed. Because you can spend a lot of money and take up a lot of space in your house with baby stuff that you really don’t need. Here’s the list I put together.

20 Baby essentials for the first year

This isn’t a complete list of EVERYTHING that you’ll need for the first year, but it covers most of the main stuff. As a first-time parent, having a baby can be overwhelming, so just start with the absolute essentials and then consider the other non-essentials if you think you might need it.

• Swaddling blankets: Swaddling your baby is a must in my book. Learn how to swaddle your baby. You’ll thank me later.
• Stroller and car seat combo: This goes without saying.
• Bouncer: Until your baby can move around on her own, you’ll need a safe place to put her down when you’re at home
• Pack ‘n play with bedside bassinet: I used this for the first couple of weeks when my baby slept next to my bed and then I had the pack ‘n play to use whenever we went out of town.
• Electric breast pump: If you’re nursing, don’t even think about using a manual hand pump! Plus, most insurances will provide a free breast pump.
• Nursing cover/car seat cover: This is a two for one! Cover your boobies when you’re nursing and then cover your baby in her cart seat. Plus the nursing covers are so much better than they used to be. They actually cover you.
• Bottles: Even if you think you’re only going to nurse your baby, buy some bottles just in case.
• Diaper cream: Newborns poop a lot and sore bums are inevitable. Plus, Triple Paste is the best diaper cream.
• Baby bath: It’s always scary giving your newborn their first bath. A really good, safe baby bath is a must.
• Front carrier/wrap: Some moms prefer the wrap carrier. I prefer a front carrier. Either way, sometimes you want to keep your baby close around the house or when you’re out and about. This is a must.
• Diaper backpack: These are catered for the modern mom with everything you need on the go with a baby.
• Convertible crib: As your baby grows, you can switch the crib to a toddler bed.
• Plastic bib: Don’t buy any fabric bibs. These are so much easier.
• Infant Tylenol: When your baby won’t stop crying in the middle of the night, you’ll be glad you have this.
• Humidifier: These really do when your baby sleep better at night.
• Activity Center: Once my babies start to sit up around six months old, the bouncer won’t work anymore. An activity center helps will their development and keeps your baby entertained so you can get stuff done.
• Binky/binky clip: Don’t buy a binky without a binky clip. Your baby will spit it out and your binky will be lost in binky land for eternity.
• Baby fingernail clippers: These are made specifically for tiny baby fingers. Then you don’t have to worry about your newborn clawing her face to death.
• Baby snowsuit: If you live in a colder climate, you don’t have to feel like you’re stuck inside with baby all day. I took my baby on walks all winter long.
• High chair: I prefer the kind that attaches to a chair so it doesn’t take up extra space.

20 Baby non-essentials for the first year

Believe it or not, you don’t have to buy every baby product that is out there. There are some products that aren’t totally necessary but are more of a convenience. Here’s 20 items that you don’t really need when you have a baby.

• Bottle warmer – It takes just as long to warm water on the stove.
• Shoes – Babies usually just rip them off and plus they can’t even walk
• Nursing pillow – Just use a regular pillow
• Play mat – They tend to just take up space. My kids have never liked these.
• Bottle sterilizer – One word: dishwasher
• Diaper Genie – These start to stink up your house and plus you have to pay for the bag that go in them.
• Baby wipe warmer – For reals?
• Changing table – This is basically a glorified dresser that takes up space. Try a changing mat instead.
• Baby monitor – These are pricey. I just crack my baby’s door and listen for her.
• Bumbo – None of my kids like sitting in Bumbos and I think they aren’t totally safe.
• Baby food mill – Just use a blender.
• Formula dispenser – These are just the same amount of work as measuring your formula each time.
• Car mirror – I have never used one of these. I just don’t consider them essential.
• Teething toys – Just an excuse to buy more toys
• Noise machine – If your baby gets used to a noise machine, you have to have one anytime you go out of town.
• Crib bumper and bedding – Choking hazard
• Umbrella stroller – I usually don’t use these until my babies have outgrown their car seat/stroller combo.
• Grocery cart covers – Put a blanket in the cart if you’re worried about germs.
• Snack cups – These seem to take up a lot of space in my diaper bag. I prefer ziplock bags
• Jumparoos – I always worry about safety with these and I can’t ever find a place for them in my house

Well, there you have it. There’s 40 baby essentials and non-essentials for the first year. Hopefully this list will help you as you’re preparing for the arrival of your little one. Is there anything I should have added to one of these lists? Let me know in the comments below.

More from My Silly Squirts: Capture memories with this DIY newborn shadow box

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You’ve got 20 items on your grocery list and a baby and a toddler in tow. Sounds simple right? Any parent can tell you that it’s not. Going to the grocery store with kids is about as fun as sticking a burning hot fork in your eyeball. But don’t worry. I figured out how to survive going to the grocery store with babies, toddler, tweens and teenagers. Keep reading to learn my secret.

So, whether you like it or not, our tiny humans eat food and a lot of it. There’s simply no way around it. We have to go to the store. And after having five kids of my own, I’ve had my fair share of adventures to the grocery store. I’ve thought over and over, “There must be a better way.” And then one day, it came to me like a beacon of light straight down from grocery store gods. But here I am getting ahead of myself. Let me start at the beginning.

Once upon a time at the grocery store

Before I tell you how to survive the grocery store with kids, let me tell you the motivation behind all of this. When I had two toddlers and a baby at home, I decided to go to the store. My baby was buckled in the front of the cart and my two toddlers were roaming free like wild hyenas. I was almost finished shopping and my cart was completely full.

As I was turning my head to pick out some sliced ham, both of my toddlers decided to hang from the side of the cart like monkeys. Well, you can guess what happened next. Yep. The entire cart tipped over. It made the loudest noise ever and then crying and tears commenced. Thankfully, no one was hurt. However, by the time I could get my wits about me, just about everyone in the entire store had made their way over to the chaos. Everyone just wanted to help but really I just wanted to crawl inside of a dark cave and hide for the rest of the day.

If this story sounds familiar, you’re in good company. But sadly, this is not the first time something like this has happened. Going to the grocery store with kids is super hard. So, what’s to be done?

Here’s the secret

So, do you want to know how to survive the grocery store with kids? Well the answer is … DON’T TAKE YOUR KIDS TO THE STORE.

What?! That’s it? Yep.

This isn’t a joke. I’m completely, one hundred percent serious. It is less effort and a million times less stressful to find a babysitter or wait for your spouse to get home from work than it is to drag your kids to the store. My stress level dropped a bazillion times when I started doing this. Kids don’t like to go to the store. So, stop taking them. Just plan your week out so you don’t have to take them..

Other alternatives to the grocery store

There’s this new, glorious way to shop nowadays and it’s called online shopping! Halelujah! You put your kids down for a nap and then you sit down on the couch and shop straight from your computer. Although, I prefer to get out and go to the store, I like to shop online as a good alternative. And basically every grocery store offers curbside pickup and even delivery. Here’s some good online shopping options that I prefer:

• Macey’s
• Smith’s
• Harmon’s
• Amazon Family (Amazon Family is a program that gives Prime members some serious discounts on items like diapers, baby food, and more)

If you have to take your kids to the store …

Alright, if the above options don’t work out in your favor and you do have to take your kids to the store, here’s some tips and tricks that might make the outing a little bit more bearable:

• Parking: Park by the cart return (forget about spots closest to the store)
• Electronics: Give your child a tablet or your phone to play on.
• Fun carts: Pass on the “fun carts” that look like a car. Your kids will end up on the top of them, not in them.
• Ditch Walmart: Here’s 10 reasons not to shop at Walmart.
• Samples: These are your friend. They keep your kids entertained and happy.
• Mornings: This is when there are the least amount of people at the store. Crowded aisles don’t work well with kids.
• Car seats: Car seats take up the entire cart. Instead, opt for a baby front carrier. It’s a little bit more effort but way less hassle when you’re in the store.
• Grocery lists: Come to the store with a plan. If you’re wandering the aisles, disaster ensues.
• Cell phone: Put your phone away. As soon as you answer it, your kids go crazy.
• Expectations: Review the rules at the store with your kids before you head in. Kids like to be explained what’s expected of them and they usually behave better.

I hope some of these tips on how to survive the grocery store with kids will help you. Happy shopping!

Related link: 10 back-to-school must haves for boys

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Sleep is important for your and your baby. But both of you won’t get any sleep unless you develop healthy sleep habits from the beginning. So, here’s five tips to get you off on the right foot and make your life as a new mama easier and less-stressful. Check it out.

So I have been blessed with five beautiful children and all of those children were once babies. Although I’m not an expert on sleeping training babies, I have had five of them. I’ve learned a thing or two that works for our family. Hopefully I can pass my knowledge along to you so you can figure out the best sleep schedule and habits that will work for your family.

Habit #1: Develop a consistent bedtime sleep routine

The very first day that my baby comes home from the hospital, I create a consistent sleeping routine. Your routine might look different than mine, but the point is to do that same thing every night before you put your baby to bed. For me, I like to give my baby a warm bath. Then I rub lotion all over my baby and put her in a dry diaper and warm pajamas. Sometimes I like to keep the lights dim too.

After just a few times doing this, your baby will start to recognize when it’s time for bed. Just like as adults, we have bedtime routines, our babies should too. It helps relax your baby and get them prepared for a long night’s sleep.

Habit #2: Swaddle your baby

Every baby likes to be swaddled, at least when they are newborns. It makes them feel safe. I am a firm believer that consistent swaddling helps babies sleep much better much earlier on. Of course, as they get older, they will wiggle out of their swaddle and that’s okay. Swaddling triggers sleep habits in your baby’s head. They know that it’s time to go to bed or take a nap.

If you’re not sure how to best swaddle your baby, check out my blog post on how to swaddle a baby. It’s super simple and it will help you baby sleep safe and calm.

Habit #3: Put your baby’s crib in a different room

When my babies are newborns, they sleep in a bassinet right next to my bed for at least a couple of weeks to a month. But as soon as you put your baby in another room, you’ll think, why didn’t I do this sooner? Babies wake up at night and make noises. And every time your baby wakes up, you will wake up too. As long as you baby is in a crib without any obstructions, your baby will be fine. Trust me on this one.

Habit #4: Teach your baby who’s in charge

It’s easy to jump out of bed the instant your baby starts to cry, but resist the temptation. After your baby is 4 months old, they should be able to last the entire night without eating. That’s a good time to start sleep training. So, if your baby cries, wait for a minute. Then go check on her. Increase the amount of time you wait each time.

Some parents are opposed to the cry-it-out method, but I am not. I reached a point for each of my babies that I just let them cry it out for a couple of hours for a few nights in a row and then they would sleep through the night. Give them lots of love and attention during the day and make sure they know they’re not abandoned. But a sometimes all it takes is a few miserable nights and they’ll sleep amazing from there on out.

Habit #5: Resist the urge to pick your baby up

If you’re trying to sleep train your baby, stop picking her up out of the crib! Sing a song. Put her binky back in. Caress her face. But don’t pick her up. She’s not going to learned good sleep habits if she’s in your arms every time she wakes up.

Bonus tips for good sleep habits

• Keep a good perspective: This won’t last forever. Eventually babies grow up and eventually they will sleep on their own.
• Consider what you’re willing to put up with: If you don’t mind getting up in the middle of the night and feeding your baby, then do it! If you don’t care, then do whatever you think is best.
• Avoid Dr. Google: You may never find the answer you’re looking for my scouring the internet. Your mother’s intuition is the best resource you can find.
• Try a sleep aid: Sometimes you can help your baby fall asleep with a white noise machine or a battery-powered stuffed animal that plays music.

I hope these tips for good sleep habits will be helpful for you as you’re navigating the world of parenthood. You’re doing an amazing job!

Related link: Top confessions of an imperfect mommy blogger

The post 5 healthy sleep habits to start with your baby appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

An umbilical hernia in babies is more common than you might think. But when your baby’s belly button starts bulging out, your first reaction is to fix it right away. Although it’s not that simple, I found a temporary solution that I felt helped a lot.

When my baby girl was first born, her belly button was sticking out a little bit. However, it seemed like it started bulging out more and more. As the weeks went by and it didn’t go away, that’s why I started doing a little research and here’s what I found out.

What is an umbilical hernia?

An umbilical hernia happens when part of a child’s intestines bulges through the abdominal wall inside the belly button. It shows up as a bump under the belly button. The hernia isn’t painful and most don’t cause any problems, according to Kids Health. This occurs in about 20% of babies, which was more common than I realized.

How to get rid of them

I asked my baby’s doctor about it and he said that most umbilical hernias go away without doing anything at all. However, sometimes it can take up to three, four or even five years! In some cases, doctors can perform surgery if the hernia becomes incarcerated (or it can’t be easily reduced).

The perfect solution: umbilical belt

Since my baby’s doctor didn’t seem too concerned about her umbilical hernia, I still didn’t want her to have such an unsightly belly button for possibly years to come. I took to the internet and found a non-invasive solution that costs less than $20. It’s called an umbilical belt.

The belt fits snugly around my baby’s tummy directly over her belly button and attaches with velcro. There is a plastic bump on the belt that you place over the belly button and essentially pushes the hernia back in. It seems simple right? I had my doubts but I figured why not try it out.

I put the belt on my baby everyday and would take the belt off at night. After just two weeks, her belly button was back to normal. After a while, I would just leave the belt off and her belly button would still stay down. My doctor said that in the “olden days” moms used to tape a thimble onto their babies belly buttons. So this is essentially the same thing.

The material on the belt is super soft so it didn’t irritate my baby’s skin. Plus, it’s such a simple solution that I figured it couldn’t hurt to try it out and I was really happy with the results. Within less than a month, my baby didn’t even have to wear the belt anymore. Her belly button was back to normal.

I think the only thing that I would have done differently is bought two belts. After wearing the belt for several hours, it became very sweaty. It would have been nice to have two belts so that I could wash one while she was wearing the other. Other than that, I’m completely sold and I would recommend an umbilical belt to anyone whose baby has an umbilical hernia.

What other solutions have you come up with to resolve your baby’s hernia? Leave your comments below.

Related link: Molluscum: What is it and how do I treat it?

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It’s a touchy topic but none the less, very important. Am I going to breast feed? For some moms, there’s no question. But for other moms, it’s up for debate. For me, it was a tough decision but in the end, choosing not to nurse my fifth and last child was one of the best decisions I could have made. Here’s why.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog post does not constitute professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor or physician regarding the health of you and your baby.

#4: I already knew what it meant to breast feed

Prior to the birth of my fifth baby, I nursed all four of my other babies. I already knew how my body handled breast feeding. I understood what was required physically, mentally and emotionally in order to be a nursing mother. Had this been my first baby, it would have been a much tougher decision.

#3: I was worried about my baby’s health

I was diagnosed with preeclampsia during my pregnancy and was forced to deliver three and a half weeks early. My baby was only four pounds. Having nursed before, I knew that my body didn’t produce a lot of breast milk. As a result, I knew I would constantly be worrying whether or not my baby was getting enough nutrients. Her health was my main concern.

#2: I had four other kids at home

If I had decided to nurse, I would have needed to weigh my baby before and after breast feeding and top my baby off with a bottle of formula afterwards every time I nursed. Considering the fact that preemies need to be fed every two hours, I would basically be nursing all day long. With four other kids to take care of, it would have been very difficult.

#1: I had to consider my own mental health

I’m a happier and healthier mom when I’m not nursing. I’ve learned that about myself. Nursing isn’t for everyone and that’s okay. I didn’t feel guilty about not nursing at all. It’s a decision that is very personal and no one else should make that for you.

Hopefully this is helpful as you are considering whether or not you are going to breast feed. For some moms, they aren’t even able to nurse. And for some moms, nursing is a wonderful bonding experience. It’s different for everyone. When it comes down to it, all that matters is that you feed your baby.

For more information about nursing, check out these books and resources:

• Lactivate!: A User’s Guide to Breastfeeding
• Breastfeeding made simple: Seven natural laws for nursing
• The womanly art of breastfeeding
• Breastfeeding may not be your thing and that’s okay

Related link: My #1 post-partum regret

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Most of the time, life doesn’t work out the way you expect and you find yourself pregnant in your late 30s. Your doctor will mostly likely tell you that you’re at Advance Maternal Age, but what does that mean? Well, don’t stress. Here’s my experience on how I navigated this important time in my life.

Important note: I am not a healthcare professional. The tips suggested in this blog post are not endorsed by a doctor. For complete and accurate information regarding pregnancy and Advanced Maternal Age, please contact a healthcare professional.

So, I recently had my fifth child and I am 38 years old. It was always the plan to be done at 34 years old but then we decided to have one more. Although being pregnant at any age is difficult, it definitely has its own set of challenges at Advanced Maternal Age. But I’ve also learned some great tips to make this short 9 months of my life very manageable. Take a look.

What is Advanced Maternal Age?

According to the Mayo Clinic, many women are delaying pregnancy well into their 30s and beyond — and delivering healthy babies. It’s just that at age 35 or older, various risks become more discussion worthy, such as:

• It might take longer to get pregnant
• The risk of chromosome abnormalities is higher
• You’re more likely to have a multiple pregnancy
• The risk of pregnancy loss is higher
• You’re more likely to develop gestational diabetes
• You might need a C-section
• You’re more likely to to have a low birth weight baby and a premature birth

With all of that being said, more women are having kids later in life, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In 2010, 45.9 out of every 1,000 women aged 35 to 39 gave birth, and in 2018, that number was up to 52.6 out of every 1,000 women aged 35 to 39. So, don’t be afraid to have another child just because you are older.

Swollen ankles

I didn’t noticed a huge difference physically between this pregnancy and any of my four other pregnancies before I was placed in the high-risk category. I was still the same amount of tired. Heart burn was still constant and I was still gaining the same amount of weight. I think the only exception is that my ankles were swollen and I never had swollen ankles during pregnancy.

I developed preeclampsia

I’m not sure if I got preeclampsia because I was older, but I definitely didn’t have it during my other pregnancies. Basically, preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, most often the liver and kidneys. My blood pressure starting getting higher around 34 weeks. Immediately, my doctor implemented various precautions to ensure a safe delivery:

• Non-stress tests twice per week
• Blood samples once per week
• Steroid shots
• Weekly doctor visits
• Early induction at 37 weeks

At first I wondered what the big deal was but then I realized that doctors don’t mess around with high blood pressure. If you let it get too high, it can cause liver and kidney failure, seizures and other complications. So, in the end I was grateful because I ended up being induced at 36 weeks because my blood pressure was 183/100. If I had waited until I was 40 weeks along, me and my baby might not have survived.

I received magnesium sulfate

I had never heard of this drug before. But when I was in the delivery room, I was informed that I would be receiving magnesium sulfate to reduce the risk of seizures. The only draw back was that I had to be on the drug for a full 24 hours after I delivered the baby. Side effects of the drug included vomiting, hot and cold flashes, headache, nausea and exhaustion. In other words, you feel like you have the world’s worst flu. I am not going to lie, it was awful and miserable. Just when I wanted to be up and moving around and enjoying my baby, I was forced to stay in bed with a catheter and an IV. But the alternative was much worse, so I had to grin and bear it.

Worth it

Despite the physical challenges that I experienced, it was all worth it when I held my new baby in my arms. That little baby made me forget all the pain and struggles. She is beautiful and I feel so blessed to have her in my life. If you’re wondering if you are too old to have another baby, just consider the lifetime of joy and happiness that little baby will give you. It will make the nine months of being pregnant definitely worth it. Here’s a cute video of my boys meeting our cute baby for the first time.

What what your experience with having a baby at Advance Maternal Age? Leave your comments below.

Related link: My #1 post-partum regret: Don’t let this happen to you

The post Advanced Maternal Age: Pregnancy after age 35 appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

Being pregnant is so exciting! Every mom can’t wait for that big day when her new baby finally arrives. It’s like Christmas but for adults, ha ha! That’s why I created this adorable 40-week pregnancy countdown so you can mark off every week that you get closer to meeting your little one. Check it out.

So, I am well into my 30th week of pregnancy. This will be baby number five and we’re finally getting our girl. Yay! I have to admit even after having four babies, I still get nervous, excited and scared all at the same time. Plus, people are always asking me how far along I am. This printable is an easy way to keep track every step of the way and enjoy every moment. Check it out.

Download your pregnancy countdown

I designed three different countdowns depending on your tastes. Each one is cute though, ha ha. Just click on the link below to download your printable to hang in your home for 40 weeks!

Click here for your 40-week pregnancy countdown printable

Fill in the dates on the countdown

Once you’ve printed off your countdown, write down the beginning date of each week of your pregnancy. To figure out the exact weeks leading up to your due date, you can buy a pregnancy calculator wheel online. Or, you can use one of the many pregnancy due date calculators available online.

Start adding your stickers

The funnest part is adding your stickers each week. If you have kids, it’s also really fun to get them involved and let them add stickers week by week as well. I purchased my stickers at the Dollar Store. I tried to get some shimmery pastel-colored stickers that matched the colors of the printable. They turned out adorable.

I loved the way this pregnancy countdown turned out. It’s such a fun and easy way to remember this exciting time in your life. Although the struggles of pregnancy are real, it’s a time you’ll never forget. Good luck on your pregnancy. I’m including a link to the free PDF below if you missed it above.

Click here for your 40-week pregnancy countdown printable

Related link: Smash cake gender reveal

The post Expecting? 40-week pregnancy countdown printable appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

I’m currently pregnant with my fifth baby. Yeah, I know. And having done this four times before, I have learned a few things about being pregnant along the way. That’s why this time around, I have discovered five things that I no longer do during pregnancy that have made a big difference in my overall health and happiness. Check it out. See if these tips can help you too.

Although being pregnant is one of the most wonderful and life-changing experiences, it can also have its challenges. That’s why there are a few habits that I have changed to make the entire process a little bit easier.

#5: Spending hundreds of dollars on baby gear

From monitors to cribs to strollers, baby gear can get pretty pricey. And after having four babies already, I’m not about to spend hundreds more on items that I will just give to goodwill a year from now. There’s no shame in buying a rocking chair or bouncer second hand from a garage sale. Or graciously accepting your neighbor’s gently used high chair instead of spending $200 on a new one at Target.

#4: Googling everything

I read, “What to expect when you’re expecting” during my first pregnancy. And while very informative, pregnancy and parenting self-help books and online forums can really stress out an expectant mother. They tend to over-complicate and overwhelm instead of inform and instruct. So before you rush to your internet search browser, try asking your doctor first. Keep it simple.

#3: Counting calories

Every expectant mother worries about gaining too much weight. But counting your calories and obsessing over every extra pound will only stress you out. Yes, of course you’re going to gain weight, you’re supposed to! Just try to eat healthy and forget the rest. Although it seems like your body will never be the same, you’ll be surprised how fast you bounce back after you have your baby.

#2: Making exercise excuses

Aside from contact sports, skiing and rock climbing, you can basically continue all of the other exercises that you enjoyed before you were pregnant. That’s right. Running, swimming, weight-lifting, aerobics, kick boxing and cross fit. Since becoming pregnant, I have tried to workout at least 3-4 days per week consistently and it has made all the difference. I can honestly say that even at 38 years old, my fifth pregnancy has been my best because of it.

#1: Ignoring my intuition

If something doesn’t feel right, speak up! You are the one who is pregnant, not your doctor. This is particularly applicable during your delivery. These nurses and doctors deliver babies every day. Although it may seem like another day at work for them, it’s definitely new to you. Ask questions, voice your concerns and stand up for yourself when something doesn’t seem right. I remember leaving the hospital after my first baby feeling very unsure about breastfeeding. It was so difficult for me but I didn’t want to bother the nurses. But that’s why they are there, to help you.

I hope some of these tips will help you during the next nine months. Although being pregnant definitely has its challenges, the rewards (obviously) are worth it. Congrats on your bundle of joy!

Related link: Dr. Google vs. the new mom

The post Preggers? 5 things I stopped doing during my fifth pregnancy appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

Of all the ways that you can have a gender reveal, this one just might be the most fun. We combined the ever-popular smash cake with the energy of our four crazy boys and it couldn’t have turned out more exciting. Here’s how you can do this yourself as well.

Since this is our last child, we wanted to involve all four of our boys during the gender reveal. But all of the ideas on the Internet didn’t seem to fit. That’s when we thought of a smash cake. It was perfect. My boys were stoked and we had a blast watching. Here’s how we did it.

Gather your gender reveal supplies

The best part about revealing the gender of your baby with a smash cake is how EASY it is! You don’t need hardly any supplies at all. Here’s a list of items that you’ll need:

• Two box cake mixes
• Two containers of store-bought frosting
• Pink and blue plastic safety pins
• Blue, pink and black writing gel icing

Get everything ready for the reveal

First things first, bake your cake. I just combined the all of the ingredients for two store-bought cake mixes. Then pour your cake batter onto a butter cookie sheet and bake according to directions on the box. Then, ask your ultrasound tech to write down your baby’s gender and put it in an envelope. Give a friend or neighbor the envelope, frosting, cake and one plastic pink and blue safety pin. Then they can insert the correct safety pin into the cake and then frost it without you seeing.

Start digging!

You might want to pull out the camera for this part. Gather your kids and place the cake on a flat surface in the kitchen. It’s going to get really messy. Tell your kids to start digging through the cake. My kids really got into this. My two oldest boys smashed their faces into the cake right away. It actually took a little longer than I thought for my kids to find the safety pin. And guess what?! It’s a girl! We couldn’t believe it.

I started crying because I was so shocked. I thought for sure it was going to be a boy. Needless to say, we were all screaming in excitement. It was really the perfect way to find out what we were having. I would highly recommend it. Here’s a video of the entire experience for your viewing pleasure.

What other ideas do you have for a gender reveal? Leave your comments below

Related link: 40+ creative ways to announce your pregnancy

The post Gender Reveal Smash Cake for the whole family appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

I love a good gingerbread house party, but if you’ve got kids, sometimes it can become a bit chaotic. That’s why I’ve created a fail-proof list of tips to make the entire party a success. So take a look!

So, we have four little boys. Every year when we make gingerbread houses, it never fails that I have four kids asking for my help at the same time. I felt like it was a night full of chaos, tears and frustration. But this year, our gingerbread house party was going to be different. With a few small changes, our party ended up being super fun and frustration-free. Here’s what we did.

Tip #1: Assign guests to bring some candy

There are tons of different candies you can buy for your party but it can get expensive. If you are having guests come to your party, ask them to bring a bag or two of candy. Don’t limit yourself to items just in the candy aisle. There’s tons of different candies you can buy to make your gingerbread houses sugar-packed. Here’s some fun candy suggestions:

• Fruit by the foot
• Skittles
• Oreos
• Vanilla wafers
• Gummy bears
• Mini candy canes
• Neccos
• Pretzel sticks
• Andes mints
• Chocolate balls
• Hershey’s kisses
• Whoppers
• Sugar cones
• Twizzlers pull n’ peel
• Twizzlers nibs
• Melted Jolly Ranchers (for ponds and windows)
• Gum drops
• Cinnamon Imperials
• Spearmint wedges
• Santa candies
• Cinnamon bears
• Dots
• Tootsie rolls
• Mike & Ikes
• M&Ms
• Sixlets
• Holiday sprinkles
• Airheads
• Starbursts Minis
• Fruit leather
• Cracker Jacks
• Coconut flakes
• Christmas nougats
• Life savers
• Dum dums
• Reese’s Christmas trees
• Christmas candy corn
• Peppermint rounds
• Christmas gummy rings
• Old fashioned Christmas hard candy
• Peanut brittle
• Werther’s
• Rice Krispy Treats
• Milk duds
• Sweet Tarts ropes
• Smarties
• Peppermint bark
• Christmas nougats
• Nerds
• York Peppermint Patties
• Gum
• Tic Tacs
• Teddy Grahams

Tip #2: Separate candy into bags for each child

If you place all of the candy out on the table, sometimes it become a free-for-all. Little Tommy ends up not getting any M&Ms while Little Katie’s houses in covered with them. Avoid the tears and give each child an equal amount of everything.

Tip #3: Don’t use real gingerbread

Hosting a gingerbread house party is already a lot of work. So, don’t stress yourself out by making your own gingerbread. Sheesh! Graham crackers do the trick just fine. Or, if you want, you can buy a gingerbread house kit.

Tip #4: Use cardboard for the base

I just went through our recycle bin and cut up some old cardboard boxes. Then I just covered them with foil. That’s better than a paper plate which can be too small.

Tip #5: Assemble your houses BEFORE the party

It took me and hour and a half to assemble my kids houses before our party started. Then when we started the party, the kids could start right away on decorating their houses. It was perfect and I didn’t have four kids asking me to build their houses at the same time.

Tip #6: Glue houses together with hot glue

This is a must! Frosting takes longer to dry. Hot glue dries instantly and makes for a quick building process. Just make sure you have enough hot glue sticks because you’ll use a lot. Plus, we didn’t have one gingerbread house fall over the entire night. Success!

Tip #7: Use the right royal frosting recipe

You’ll still need frosting to glue all of the candy to your houses. But not all recipes are created equal. You need a thick royal frosting recipe that dries quickly. I found the perfect recipe that only calls for cream of tartar, powdered sugar and eggs white. We had eight gingerbread houses and I quadrupled this recipe. And make sure you make the frosting ahead of time.

Tip #8: Invest in frosting bulbs for kids

Of all my tips, I would recommend buying these frosting bulbs the most. They are perfect for little hands and easy to use. Just fill them up, screw on the cap and start frosting. No more dealing with sandwich bags or frosting bags. These are the bomb and will make your life so much easier.

I couldn’t have been happier with the way our gingerbread house party turned out. I wasn’t frantically rushing to help each child. Everyone was able to decorate their own houses without any drama. It was wonderful. Here’s house some of our houses turned out. So cute.

All in all our party was a huge success and it will quickly become a Christmas tradition in our home. What tips and tricks do you have to hosting a fun gingerbread house party? Leave your comments below.

Related link: 15 Kids Christmas Crafts

The post 8 tips to hosting a chaos-free gingerbread house party appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

Having an attitude of gratitude is something everyone can practice. It’s healing and happiness for the brain. That’s why I made a FREE daily gratitude chart that you can print at home and fill in every single day of the year. You’ll be happier before you know it. Check it out.

Recently, Russell M. Nelson, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, released a world-wide message of about the healing power of gratitude. He encouraged everyone, regardless of your religious beliefs, to have more gratitude in your life. So, I took this opportunity to create a FREE daily gratitude chart.

Download your FREE daily gratitude chart

I created three different versions of the same gratitude chart that you can download by clicking on the link below. You have the option of print a blue, orange or black and white-themed chart. Or just print them all! I offer this printable for FREE to all visitors of my blog, but if you’d like to show your support, feel free to buy me a taco .

Click here for your FREE Daily Gratitude Chart

Print and hang in your home

Print a copy of the daily gratitude chart for each member of your family. Have them write their name and the date at the top. Make sure you hang them in a prominent place in your home where everyone can see them. This is a great daily reminder of being grateful.

Record your thanks everyday

Each gratitude chart has 140 empty spaces on them. Take time every day to write down one thing that you are grateful for. Tell your kids that the only rule is that they can’t put down the same thing twice on the chart. You’ll be amazed at how taking a moment to be grateful everyday will change your outlook and attitude on life.

I am a firm believer that being grateful makes you happier. According to the Positive Psychology, when we express gratitude and receive the same, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions, and they make us feel ‘good’. They enhance our mood immediately, making us feel happy from the inside.

I hope these free printable charts will inspire more gratitude in your home. Let me know what you thought of it. Leave your comments below.

Related link: FREE Family Prayer Chart

The post Print your FREE daily gratitude chart (for all ages) appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

Whether it’s your first baby or your seventh, it’s always fun to announce it to family and friends. So, why not get creative when you announce your pregnancy and make it fun for everyone? Here’s 40+ creative ways to break the news.

So, we recently announced to our family that we are having our fifth baby in May! For years we thought we were done but fortunately people can change their minds. That’s why my family was so excited to hear the news. Below is a video of their reaction:

Here’s 40+ ideas to help you tell the exciting news to your family.

• Deliver a quail egg pregnancy announcement
• Place a Bun in the oven at home
• Wear a Bun in the oven Halloween costume
• Hand out Pregnancy reveal lottery tickets
• Give Dad pregnancy t-shirt
• Wrap a Christmas pregnancy ornament

• Take a video and send it to everyone
• Instead of saying “cheese” when taking a photo, say, “XXXX’s pregnant!”
• Wrap a framed photo of the ultrasound
• Sibling t-shirt pregnancy reveal
• Mail a personalized letter to each family member
• Scratch to reveal announcement cards

• Make a pregnancy reveal treasure hunt for your kids
• Wrap a baby doll and put it under the Christmas tree
• Cook a tiny toy baby in a cupcake or cake
• Reveal the actual pregnancy test
• Tie a pregnancy reveal bandana around your dog
• Design family Christmas card around the announcement
• Give your parents a grandparent onesie
• Place your announcement in a fortune cookie
• Give your kids “When mommy’s having a baby” book
• Put caution tape “Under construction” on future room for the nursery
• Wear a Thanksgiving “Turkey in the oven” t-shirt
• Ask to announce the pregnancy during a sporting event
• Color the baby reveal in sidewalk chalk in front of your house
• Give a baby reveal puzzle as a gift

• Play songs about babies all day until someone notices
• Watch “Look who’s talking” with your family
• Put a car seat in the back set of your husband’s car
• Give your mom a “Promoted to Grandma” mug
• Write the baby announcement on felt letter board and see who notices
• Place a “You’re going to be a daddy” spoon in the silverware drawer
• Share a box of donuts or pizza that says, “Eat up! Mommy doesn’t want to be the only one with a belly” on the inside of the lid
• Place a binky in an Easter egg
• Leave the ultrasound picture in your Elf on the Shelf’s hands
• Stick a “Pregnant on Board” bumper sticker on your car

• Give your husband a “Daddy to be” ribbon
• Make a diaper-changing emergency kit for your husband
• Buy the father-to-be a copy of “Dad” magazine
• Wrap a pair of newborn shoes
• Fill your house full of blue and pink balloons
• Hide items related to babies such as binkies, diapers and bottles throughout the house

I hope that you will be able to use at least one of these ideas when you announce your pregnancy to your family. Congratulations on the exciting news and good luck with the little one!

Related link: My #1 Post-partum regret

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To be completely blunt, divorce sucks. And when kids are involved it sucks even more. But it is possible to help your child cope with this separation easier. Don’t take it from me though. Here are 10 tips from 10 moms who have experienced divorce in their own lives.

My son was one year old when I got divorced. It seems like a lifetime ago, but the impacts of divorce can last a lifetime, especially for the children involved. That’s why I asked 10 moms who have been divorced (or directly affected by a divorce) for tips to help kids cope with divorce. Take a look!

Important note: In order to encourage uninhibited comments and to respect the privacy of these moms, the names have been changed. Their experiences, however, are real.

Kelly: Mom and Dad love you

Kelly–who got divorced when her daughter was very young–tried to help her daughter understand that both parents still love her very much. She explained to her daughter that people make their own choices and they don’t always align with your own and that takes them away from us. But they still love you.

Kelly also relied on the help and support that she received from her family. The men in her family would step in as “dad” when she needed it, so her daughter would never feel without. “Being raised by a village helped her grow to the best kid she is today,” Kelly said.

Jenny: I will never give up on you

Reflecting on her divorce, Jenny emphasized the importance of letting her three children (ages 12 down to 4 at the time) know that she would never leave or give up on them. “I messed up a lot and there was plenty of crazy going on but I never gave up. … It’s been 30 years and everything turned out fine,” Jenny said.

She learned how to listen to her children and really hear what they were saying. All three of them are now independent, happy adults with beautiful families of their own.

Jessica: I will never talk bad about your dad

Jessica received some great parenting advice from a friend when she was getting divorced.

• Never talk bad about the other parent in front of the children. If you need to vent, go to your car and call someone else. Children are allowed to love BOTH parents no matter what has happened. They are 50% of each parent. Bad-mouthing each other makes kids confused about who they really are since they are literally made up of both.

• Keep it civil. Your child should be able to have events in their lives with BOTH of their parents attending.
• Be honest with children at an age-appropriate level. Kids aren’t stupid. They can figure things out quite well. But they need unemotional truth even it if difficult to hear.

Lucy: You don’t ever have to pick sides

This amazing mother had five children with her ex-husband before they got divorced. She said the thing that has been the hardest for her kids is when one parent doesn’t respect the other parent. “Kids shouldn’t have to feel bad to love their parent. They shouldn’t have to feel that they have to pick sides. When I was a child, it was hard for me to watch my parents hate each other and use me as a toy for them to fight over,” Lucy said.

Lucy believes that a lot of problems would be solved by putting aside your feelings and respecting each other, parenting together and just being kind! “It doesn’t help anyone to be hating each other,” she said.

Aubrey: You can talk to a counselor

Expressing your feelings to a neutral professional third party can be very healing. This is true for not only the child but for the parent as well. Aubrey learned this first-hand when her daughter was struggling. Aside from sending her daughter to counseling on a regular basis, she has been in a lot of counseling for herself. It has helped both of them a lot.

Janice: I will be a good example to you

As the old saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.” Don’t do or say anything that you wouldn’t want your ex-spouse to do or say about you. Janice understood this early on with her four children after her divorce. No matter how much she disliked her ex-spouse and his actions, she refused to stoop to his level. With time, your children will see the difference. Don’t talk bad about your ex. Do not put him/her down or name call in front of your kids. Don’t vent to your kids about your ex.

Carrie: I will give you your space

Carrie didn’t totally trust her ex-spouse at first when her oldest child went to visit his dad. However, she knew that calling and texting her son while he was gone wouldn’t help matters much. It would just make her ex upset and her son confused. “Do not grill your kids every time they get home from their mom or dad’s house. And, do not text and call your child(ren) while they are gone. Let them enjoy their time with your ex,” Carrie said.

Lisa: I will focus on me so I can focus on you

You can’t take care of others if you’re not taking care of yourself. This rang true for my friend Lisa who has six children, three of which were from her first marriage. When she got divorced, she worked very hard to provide a very stable and consistent home life for her children. In order to do that, however, she made it a priority to find time for herself. “Try and take care of yourself because if you’re not a whole, complete person, you’re not going to have that to offer to your children during the really hard moments,” Lisa said.

Teresa: You don’t have to be the mediator

My friend Teresa, who is a divorced mother of three, said that her adult children were worried that they would have to be a mediator at all of their family functions when mom and dad were both there. She made it a point to let her kids see that she and her ex husband could be in the same room together without arguing. That provided a lot of comfort to her kids.

Heather: Your step-parents can help too

Heather has the unique perspective of a step mom. When she got married, she welcomed her stepson into her home as if he was one of her own. She had to figure out what was comfortable for both of them.

Here’s how Heather helped her stepson adjust to a new stepmom:

• Do not force your step child to call you mom or dad. Let them call you by your name until they decide they want to call you mom or dad which may be never.
• Don’t impose yourself on them. Let them come to you whether its for a hug or to talk.
• Treat all children in the home the same. Hold the same boundaries and expectations for your step-child as your own children.
• Do not say negative things about the child’s parents. If they come to you about their parent, try to just listen and empathize about what they are feeling.
• Try to take some 1-1 time with them. Ask them about their friends, school, interests, dislikes, etc. Go on a hike or get groceries together. Little mini social trips build trust and connection.
• Don’t take anything personally. Be open to the fluctuations of the relationship. You are the adult and it is your job to keep the environment calm.
• Make him feel special. One thing my step-son really appreciated was when he saw I had a picture of him up on the wall in my office.

Mandy: Perspective from an adult whose parents divorced

Mandy was in college when her parents divorce. Even though she wasn’t living at home at the time, it was devastating. Looking back however, she realized that she learned some valuable lessons along the way:

• There is joy in seeing my parents happy
• The best gift my parents gave me was the freedom to create my own relationship with each of them.
• My parents allowed time to be the healer for our family. 

“For me, it wasn’t realistic to fix the repercussions of the divorce with a bandaid and then act like everything was fine. We all had difficult feelings and emotions to work through on our own,” Mandy said.

• My parents put on a brave face out of respect for their shared family.
• Blended families can be great! It took sometime to get used to the new vision of our family. But over time my heart opened to loving my step parents and their families. I love what my family has become and how much my kids adore their grandparents and step-grandparents.

Thank you to all the the great moms who contributed to this blog post. Hopefully these tips were helpful. If anything, I hope this post helps you realize that you are not alone. Just keep trying and don’t give up.

Here’s a list of additional resources to help you child cope with divorce:

• Living with mom and living with dad (a children’s book about divorce)
• The list of things that will not change (a children’s book about divorce)
• Talking to children about divorce (a parent’s guide)

Related link: 50+ simple ways to co-parent and still get along

The post Kids and divorce: 10 coping tips from 10 divorced moms appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

Whether we like it or not, this pandemic is here to stay. So as we approach the school year and the inevitability of making our kids wear face masks on a regular basis, here are 10 ways to make the entire experience a little less miserable and a little more tolerable.

I’ll admit, I’m still getting used to wearing a face mask and I fought it for a long time. But here we are, so we’re going to make the most of it. Here’s some tips and tricks to making face masks easier to wear for kids.

#10: Don’t complain about face masks around your kids

This seems obvious but don’t complain about wearing a face mask so your kids don’t have any excuse to complain about theirs.

#9: Let your kids pick out their own fabric

I took my boys to the fabric store and let them pick out their own fabric and then I made a special face mask for each of them. They were actually excited to put them on.

#8: Help your kids decorate their own mask

There are tons of ways your kids can decorate their own mask and then they will be more excited to wear it and take care of it. Check out this cute post about eight different ways to decorate a mask.

#7: Simplify with face mask sets

You can buy face mask sets on Amazon that are for each day of the week. It also comes with a handy carrying case and daily schedule. They are adjustable and fit kids ages 3-11.

#6: Use a lanyard so they won’t get lost

We all know that as soon as our kids don’t have to wear their face masks anyone, they will yank them off and set them in some random place, never to be found again. These face mask lanyards will make our lives much easier.

#5: Teach your kids why masks are important

Understanding the “why” about face masks and how it relates to our safety and health is important to anyone. Even though wearing them isn’t fun, at least they will understand the need for it and in the end at least tolerate it. For more information about face coverings, check out the CDC guidelines.

#4: Provide incentive

Bribery goes a long way sometimes. You can give you kids a fun incentive if they wear their face mask at school all day long for each day of the week. Some ideas are a pizza night on the weekend, a fun activity with the family, a simple treat or best of all … money.

#3: Make sure they fit

When I made a face mask for each of my kids, I had to size them specifically to their individual faces. Make sure it doesn’t pull on their ears. And if they’re too loose they’ll just fall off all the time. If they are too tight, they can’t breathe. Here’s where I got my pattern for our face masks.

#2: Try the buddy system

If your child’s friend has the same mask as your child, they might be more likely to wear it throughout the day. Or even just providing an opportunity for your kid to see their friends wearing their masks before school starts might help as well.

#1: Keep masks clean

No one wants to wear a stinky mask. Plus, these masks are prone to carrying all types of bacteria. Wash your masks regularly to avoid other types of sicknesses.

Bonus tip: Try a face shield

Don’t knock it ’til you try it. Its easier to breath and your entire face is still visible. Give your kids the option and you might be surprised.

Hopefully these ideas will help you and your kids have a positive experience with wearing masks. And hopefully, this period in our lives won’t last forever and we’ll have become better from it.

Let me know what tips have worked for you. Leave your comments below.

Related link: Free daily fill-in-the-blank chore chart

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If I could choose between stabbing a fork in my eye and doing family photos, I would choose the fork. However, family photos (even with toddlers) are a necessary evil. You gotta have them. So, I’ve got five tips to make the experience a happy one. Check it out.

So, we’ve all been there. It’s family photo day. You spend all week getting haircuts and organizing outfits. On the day of, you end of yelling at your kids to smile and trying to pretend for at least one hour that you have a happy functioning family. Yeah, well, I didn’t want history to repeat itself, so I made a few changes that made a world of a difference. Here’s what I did.

Tip #1: Don’t overthink the outfits

Whether you believe it or not, you don’t need to buy brand new outfits for every person. Just find neutral solid colors. You can even do something with a small print too. More than anything, you just want everyone to be comfortable. There is no rule. Everyone can be wearing their PJs or shorts. Who cares? Do what you want but you don’t need to spend a fortune doing it.

Tip #2: Don’t leave haircuts for the same day

This is probably self-explanatory but if you try to do haircuts the same day as the photo session, you’ll get burned out for sure. Within the same week is perfect.

Tip #3: Let your photographer do the work

This will solve most of the stresses related to family photos. Don’t worry about getting your kids to smile. Stop trying to position everyone. And don’t worry about the lighting. Let the photographer do his/her job and you just smile. That’s why you’re paying them, right? Our photographer did an amazing job and if you hire the right professional, it will make your life so much easier.

Tip #4: Pick a location close to home

If it will take you more than 30 minutes to get to your photo session location, it is too far. By the time you get there, everyone will be super grumpy. We picked a quaint wooded park about 10 minutes from our house. Don’t draw out these family photos any longer than you have to.

Tip #5: Bribery works best

Sometimes kids need a bit of motivation to be on their best behavior. Our kids knew that if they wanted ice cream afterwards, they had to smile. Of course, it doesn’t always work but it’s worth a try. Think of what your kids want most and use that as your bribe.

Bonus tip: Stop comparing family photos

Who cares if your family photo isn’t as cute as the one your neighbor posted on Facebook? If you are happy with your family photos, then that is all that matters.

What ideas do you have for planning a stress-free family photo session? Leave your comments below.

Related link: Your soon-to-be favorite family tradition

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Teaching kids how to work can turn into a lot of work for the parents too. But this FREE printable chore wheel does all the work for you. Just fill it out and your kids will know how to do the rest. Plus your house will be cleaner! Win! Win! Check it out.

I feel like I do this every summer. I try to think of some elaborate plan to keep my kids busy. At least this time, they will be able to do their chores everyday. I love this chore chart because it’s easy for the kids to understand and I don’t have to think of chores for them to do everyday. Download yours below.

Print your FREE chore wheel

So, there are seven different chore wheel designs to choose from. I tried to do a variety that boys and girls would like. My boys really liked the man “dabbing” and the shark fin. Or you can print them all and rotate every so often. Just click on the link below:

Send the PDF to your local printer and print each copy of cardstock so they are really sturdy. I also laminated each of my chore wheels but that’s totally optional. You could even just print these at home as well.

Cut out and attach

Once you’ve printed your wheels, cut out each shape. Make sure you cut the pizza shape out. This is the part that will reveal the chore for that day. Try to leave a little bit at the tip of the pizza shape. That will leave a little bit of room for the brad.

I poked a hole in the middle of each wheel with a pin and then inserted the brad.

Fill in your chore wheels

So, every parent and every home has different chores that need to be done on a daily basis. That’s why you can customize your chore wheel with whatever chores you would like. I created a chart (see below) so determine which chores I wanted to include for which child.

If you’re not sure which daily chores you would like to assign your kids every day, take a look at the list below for some ideas:

• Sweeping
• Vacuuming
• Washing dishes
• Feeding pets
• Doing laundry
• Preparing meals
• Cleaning bathrooms
• Dusting
• Picking up after pets
• Make bed
• Clean bedroom
• Tidying
• Wipe down counters
• Pull weeds

Try to display your chore wheel in a prominent place in your home so your kids can easily access it. I put ours on our garage door. I hope your kids love these chore charts as much as we do!

What ideas do you have to get your kids to do their chores? Leave your comments below.

Related link: Summertime beach ball bucks

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Summer and bored kids is upon us once again. But you don’t have to just survive, you can thrive with these free printable Beach Ball Bucks. These simple rewards will provide the structure and motivation that your kids need. Print yours today!

Every summer, I face the same dilemma: How do I entertain my kids? They need structure but sometimes I don’t have the motivation to create some elaborate summertime game plan. That’s why I love the Beach Ball Bucks. Check it out.

Print your Beach Ball Bucks

So, just print out your Beach Ball Bucks by downloading the PDF below. I sent mine to the local copy store and printed it on cardstock so they would be a little bit more durable. Then just cut them out with a papercutter.

I included a “to do” list that you can print on the back of each of your Beach Ball Bucks if you choose. That way, each morning you can write down all the things that you want your child to do in order to earn that buck. But, that’s totally optional. You could just print the bucks single sided if you would like as well.

How to use the bucks

Included with the printable is a lists of ways that your kids can earn and spend their bucks. You can set the rules as to how they earn their bucks. Here’s just a few ideas:

• Daily chores = 1 buck
• Read 20 minutes = 1 buck
• Extra chores = 1 buck
• Good behavior = 1 buck

Of course, once they earn their bucks, they are going to want to spend them. Here’s some ideas on how they can spend them as well:

• One prize from the basket = 5 bucks
• One real dollar = 5 bucks
• 30 minutes screen time = 5 bucks
• Fun end-of-summer outing = 50 bucks

Here’s a video that I made explaining how these Beach Ball Bucks work.

Other summertime ideas

Of course, these bucks won’t keep your kids entertained all summer long. But it will help. I also found some pretty brilliant activities on Amazon that can keep those little hands busy.

• Summertime Activity Idea Box
• Age-appropriate summer workbooks
• 100+ science experiments for kids
• Outdoor Explorer and Bug-catching Kit
• Mega Craft Box

And here are some amazing subscription boxes that will blow your kids’ minds every month:

• Bitsbox: Coding
• Little Passports ages 6-10
• Raddish – Kids cooking
• Toy box monthly
• iBbeautiful for girls ages 6-12

I hope you guys like these Beach Ball Bucks as much as we do. Here’s to a stress-free summer full of structure and fun. Let me know how it goes for your family in the comments below.

Related link: Fun new water balloon game

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If you live in Utah and have a four-year-old, then Waterford UPSTART is for you! This FREE online kindergarten readiness program produces nothing but positive results–just ask my three boys. You’ll never regret investing in your child’s future. Check it out today.

This is NOT a paid promotion. I just love Waterford UPSTART so much, that I want other parents to know about it too. I have four boys and my three oldest have all participated and graduated from Upstart. And my youngest is going to start this fall. So, why is UPSTART so great? Keep reading to find out.

What is Wateford UPSTART?

Waterford UPSTART is basically free, online preschool for all four-year-olds living in Utah (pilot programs are also happening in other states) who will be entering kindergarten in one year. Here’s just a few things UPSTART offers:

• Personalized family education and coaching
• New computer and internet (if needed)
• Adaptive educational software

The average Waterford UPSTART graduate enters kindergarten reading at nearly a first-grade level and maintains their gains for years to come, according to their website.

Reason #1: It’s FREE!

It’s free thanks to generous sponsors, partners, grants, or local governments who want to see children succeed. Most preschools near my home in Utah County range from $85 to $130 per month for four-year-olds. That’s almost $1,200 per year. If money is tight, this is a huge blessing.

Plus, if you don’t have a computer and/or Internet at home, you can qualify to receive both during the duration of the program. Basically, money is no longer an issue in order to get your child enrolled in preschool.

Reason #2: It’s easy and caters to your child

Waterford uses its adaptive early learning software which teaches reading, match and science. The program gets harder the more your child learns. It’s so easy, that all three of my kids didn’t need any instruction. They were able to do it all on their own, everyday (which I loved the most).

Reason #3: It really works

All three of my kids did regular preschool in conjunction with UPSTART. Our preschool teacher said that she could always tell the which of her students were enrolled in UPSTART. They were simply more advanced in reading than the rest of the kids. My boys were all reading at first grade level before then entered kindergarten.

Reason #4: It gives you peace of mind

Every parent wants their child to succeed. We always worry if we are doing enough. UPSTART took away a lot of my stress because I knew my boys would be ready for kindergarten. It was amazing to see the progress that each of my kids made. They went from not even knowing their letters to reading full sentences and books.

Reason #5: It’s structured and organized

Waterford UPSTART works with you every step of the way to ensure your child is progressing. The program requires your child to go online for 15 minutes, five days per week. They keep an organized record of each child’s progression to ensure every child’s success. It forces me and my child to keep at it and the results are so rewarding. Plus, they are very flexible if you have to go out of town or miss a day here and there.

So, what are you waiting for? Call 1.800.669.4533 or visit waterfordupstart.org and register today! You won’t regret it.

Related link: 10 job ideas for kids to earn a little extra money

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Here’s the peace of mind you’ve been waiting for. These 72-hour kits are practical and require little maintenance! Just pack ’em and forget ’em (until you need them of course). Take a gander.

Right now, everyone around is panicking about the corona virus. Emergency preparedness is on everyone’s minds. So, I thought I would re-assess what is in our 72-hour kits to make sure we’re ready for that unexpected emergency.

Important note: I am in no way an emergency preparedness professional. This post is just what one family is doing to prepare for the future. Let me know in the comments below if you think there are things I should change or do differently. Or see what the professionals recommend by visiting ready.gov.

The items in our kits can be split into four different groups. Here they are:

72-hour kits: Supplies for kids and adults

Food and water

We decided to pack three Mountain House meals per person. That’s one meal a day per person. Since they are dehydrated, they are super light and they are super good. Plus, they last for 30 years! Just add boiling water and you’re set. I lived off these dehydrated meals for three days on a backpacking trip and they were delicious.

If you don’t want Mountain House meals, try freeze drying your own food! I also packed one water bottle for each person. Hopefully that will last long enough to get to another water source. You may want to carry more water than that, but consider how heavy your pack is. In my opinion, carrying more water than that just isn’t practical.

Clothing and blankets

I hear a lot of people who pack an outfit for each person. That’s great, but that means you’ll have to change out the outfits a few years down the road since your kids only get bigger. To avoid having to rotate anything in your 72-hour kits, I just pack an adult-sized jacket for each person. Of course, the jacket will be big on a kid, but it will still keep them warm.

Then I packed a long pair of socks and a small blanket. It’s amazing what a little blanket does to keep the morale up.

Hygiene and survival essentials

These items will help each person if they get separated from the group. They are the bare essentials:

• Spoon and fork
• Lighter
• Flashlight
• Earplugs (in case you’re housed in a gym or arena will other people)
• Toilet paper
• Face masks
• Hand warmers
• Mini first aid kit
• Emergency poncho
• Mylar rescue blanket

Since you never know what the weather will be like, you’ll want to be prepared for any situation.

Additional supplies for adults

You shouldn’t expect your kids to be able to carry too much. But there are some additional supplies that you will want. You can split these among mom and dad.

Survival gear

• Can opener
• Pliers
• Mess kit
• Collapsible shovel
• Water filter bottle attachment
• Pocket knife
• String
• Wrench
• Pain reliever
• Portable camping stove
• Hand crank solar radio
• Hatchet
• Work gloves
• Water purification tablets

Optional gear (but very useful)

Being able to have a portable potty, a sleep mask or a tent may seem like a luxury in an emergency they might be the difference between sanity and insanity. Here’s some extras we threw in:

• Five gallon bucket and toilet bucket lid
• Tube tent
• Plastic ground cover
• Sleep mask
• Hard candies
• Face cards
• Coffee filters (for water)
• Portable charger

I put all of the organized supplies and gear in six separate backpacks. Some people recommend storing each kit next to the bed of each person in the home. But my kids will get into their bags and scatter the contents all over the house. So, I decided to put all of our emergency packs in a cupboard under our counter and next to our garage door. Easy access. Just don’t store them outside if you don’t want your food to go bad.

So, what do you think of our 72-hour kits? Leave your comments below. Oh and here’s a link to a free printable checklist. If you’re looking for more emergency preparedness supplies, this Bluetti AC200L is a great mid-sized portable power station from Bluetti. It can power the appliances in your home if the power goes out and it is also portable and be used in your car as well.

Related link: How to build a fun family time capsule

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If you have kids, then chances are you’ve got a room full of toys, toys, toys! But there are must-have toys and then there are junk toys. Our house is full with four crazy boys. I’ve found the toys that have lasted the longest and withstand the test of time. Plus, there are some toys that simply aren’t worth you or your kids time. Check it out!

Let’s be honest, our kids are definitely over-stimulated with toys. And for some reason we just keep buying them. But I’ve been around the toy barn a time or two. I’ve learned what’s worth buying and keeping and what’s not. So, before you load up the good will box, consider keeping these must-have toys for years to come.

#1 Must-have toys: Legos

Of course, this toy definitely makes the list. Legos are simply amazing. Aside from promoting creativity and imagination, most kids love them! My boys can play Legos for hours and since they are so pricey, you don’t want to throw them out. We keep ours wrapped in a blanket so it’s easy clean up. Or you can try this Lego storage bin and play mat.

#2 Must-have: Costumes

We have a big chest full of costumes, dress ups and hats that we keep in our kids’ room. You’d be surprised how often they pull out the costumes and start playing. I usually collect my costumes at yard sales for a 1/10th of the cost brand new. I will always keep our costumes. They have a plethora of uses not only for my kids but one day for my grandkids too.

#3 Must-have: Little People

A good set of Little People will last through the years. Even if your kids outgrow them, you can always pull them out for visitors. They are adorable and spark that creativity once again. I bought a huge box of Little People at a yard sale and my kids love them. If you don’t want to store the accessories, just collect the figurines.

#4 Must-have: Wooden train sets

Wooden train sets and the trains are one of those must-have toys that increase in value through the years. You can always add to your collection. My boys arrange and re-arrange our train tracks over and over. They never seem to get tired of it. And unlike plastic train sets, wooden tracks are sturdy and last forever.

#5: Must have: Tonka Mighty Dump Truck

The Tonka Mighty Dump Truck is super durable and is worth the price tag. We have one for each of our boys. We had to paint ours red so we wouldn’t get them confused with the other dump trucks in our family. All of my kids’ cousins have them too. We take them camping and to the beach. I will always keep these dump trucks.

#1 Toys to Toss: Stuffed animals

Oh my heck! How do we accumulate so many stuffed animals? It’s crazy. Unfortunately, they are crazy germ collectors and a dime a dozen. So, with the exception of your child’s super favorite stuffed animal, I recommend going through a yearly purge of stuff animals. Otherwise, they will take over!

#2: Toys to toss: Remote-controlled cars

In all honesty, I don’t think my kids have ever owned a remote-controlled car that lasted more than a week. Most of them are junk. Ironically, that’s all my kids ever ask for. However, if your kids keep asking for a remote-controlled car, there is one exception to this rule. My son bought a Sphero Bolt that has exceeded all my expectations. It is amazing and indestructible but expensive.

#3 Toys to toss: Nerf guns

Don’t get me wrong, Nerf guns are fun. My boys love playing with them. But the bullets get scattered all around the house and then the guns start collecting dust. I would recommend slipping these babies in the Good Will box after a few months. Chances are, your kids won’t even notice.

#4 Toys to toss: Action figures

I am not a huge fan of toys that do all of the imagining for kids. There are so many action figures out there that makes tons of noises and sounds. They almost do all the thinking for your kid. I prefer a toy that requires building and more creativity.

#5 Toys to toss: Matchbox Cars

Similar to the stuffed animals, Matchbox cars start to accumulate quickly. Keep a handful of your favorites and toss the rest.

If you didn’t already notice, my top five must-have toys promote creativity, imagination and building. My toys to toss do the opposite. So, what do you think? Do you agree with my list? Leave your comments below.

Related link: 17 Board Games Perfect for Toddlers

The post Five must-have toys to keep. Five toys to toss. appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

You’ve already got a lot on your plate. I get it. But this family tradition is one you’ll want to pencil in every month. Your kids will love you for it and you’ll become closer to them in the process. Keep reading to get all the deets.

As we all know, it can be hard to find one-on-one time with our kids. Our families’ busy schedules cause us to live parallel lives, preventing us from really connecting with our kids.

My family is no exception. We have four boys who are still young and very impressionable. But we were just going through the motions. School. Dinner. Bed. My kids were growing up before my eyes and to a certain extent, I felt like I was missing it.

Our totes fave family tradition

One day, I read a blog post on my friend’s website (thanks Marcy). She started a tradition with her five boys called “unbirthdays”. We incorporated this amazing idea into our own family with a few tweaks. Here’s the basics and how you can start this family tradition as well.

Unbirthdays 101

First, at the beginning of each month, my husband sits down with each of our kids individually. They each pick which day during the month that they want to have their unbirthday. We write it down on the calendar so we don’t forget.

When each child’s unbirthday arrives, they get to stay up past their bedtime while the rest of our kids have to go to bed. Our boys think this is super awesome.

But the fun doesn’t end there. That child gets to pick what they want to do that night. The only rules for their unbirthday that night are that it can’t cost more than $5 and they can only stay up an hour past their bedtime.

Unbirthday ideas

The whole point of unbirthdays is to have one-on-one-time with your kids. So, we try really hard not to make them super extravagant. Here’s a few ideas to get you started:

• Play a board game or do a puzzle (check out Candy Grab)
• Get an ice cream cone or shake
• Watch a movie
• Buy a toy or treat at the Dollar Store
• Make cookies or a treat together (try homemade suckers)
• Ride bikes or go on a walk
• Make a craft (busy boxes are great for this)
• Get out the polymer clay
• Build a fort
• Jump on the trampoline

My younger boys almost always choose to go to the store and get a treat. However, my older boys really like watching a movie together. Just make sure you stick to your guns on the dollar limit. My oldest is always trying to think of more and more expensive ideas like going out to dinner or going skiing. Keep it simple.

Be consistent

Once you start doing this fun family tradition with your kids, they won’t let you forget each month. But, make sure you don’t forget either. My mom told me that one of her regrets when I was growing up was not doing more one-on-one date with each of her kids. So, don’t let those moment slip away. Start making memories with your kids today. Unbirthdays will soon become your favorite family tradition of all time.

What other ideas do you have for a family tradition? Leave your comments below.

Related link: How to build a fun family time capsule

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Where will your family be in 20 years? Take some guesses and build your very own family time capsule in the process. Your kids will love this fun activity–complete with free printables–that will be treasured for years to come.

Twenty years seems like a long ways away. But it will be there before you know it. So, why not capture a moment in time right now that your family will LOVE sharing together down the road? It’s super easy. Take a look.

Print your FREE family time capsule kit

To start your fun family time capsule, click on the link below to download your FREE kit. Here’s what it includes. I offer this printable for FREE to all visitors of my blog, but if you’d like to show your support, feel free to buy me a taco .

Click here for your FREE Family Time Capsule Kit

• Time capsule cover letter
• All about me
• Current events
• Family Faves
• My handprint
• Our family, our house
• Letter to me

Fill out your printables

What was life like 20 years ago? First off, no one had cell phones! What will life be like in 20 more years? Take a moment with your kids to fill out each form. Write down some of today’s current events, where you want to be in 20 years and your likes and dislikes. You’ll laugh at your old self 20 years down the road.

You can help your little ones who can’t write yet. It was funny to hear my kids’ answers as they thought about how many kids they want to have and what they want to be when they grow up.

Collect items for your capsule

Aside from your completed family time capsule printables, you can add anything else you might want to your capsule. But first, find a good study metal box to use as your time capsule. You can buy a simple time capsule keepsake. Or if you want to go all out, you can actually buy anti-corrosion waterproof stainless steel containers.

Here are some ideas of what items you can put in your time capsule:

• Journals/diaries
• Newspapers/magazines
• Jewelry
• Recipes
• Favorite toys
• CD of your favorite songs
• Vial of perfume
• Old glasses
• Tickets stubs
• Grocery store ads
• List of dreams
• Handmade items

Bury your time capsule

Of course, you don’t have to bury your time capsule. However, it’s an exciting way to finish off this fun activity with your kids. We found a good spot in our backyard by our lilac bush. Hopefully in 20 years we will remember that it’s there! Ha ha!

Although, it is a bit of work to gather all of these items, you’ll be so glad you did it 20 years down the road. I hope this will be a fun activity for your family. What other ideas do you have for a family time capsule? Leave your comments below.

Related link: FREE camping travel log

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Everyone wants to be happy, right? But sometimes we just need the right habits to get us there. I discovered two of these habits and they have made the biggest difference in my overall health and happiness. Here’s how you can you start these habits too.

After the birth of my fourth child, I knew I needed a change. I loved being a mother but something was missing. After cleaning my house for the millionth time and changing poopy diaper after poopy diaper, I needed some “me” time. Plus, those pre-baby jeans just weren’t fitting like they used to.

So, I started asking around a little bit. I found the change that I was searching for in the most unexpected way and it came in the form of two simple but life-changing habits.

Habit #1: Join an exercise group

I started exercising with a group of about three to four women three days a week at 6 a.m. Our workouts varied from Cross Fit, Kickboxing and even Step Aerobics. After just a couple of weeks, I felt healthier and stronger. Fast forward three and a half years and this is one of the best habits I have ever formed. I never have to plan or worry about getting my exercise. I always know when and where.

It’s amazing how much easier it is to get up in the morning when you know someone else is waiting for you. Otherwise, it is too easy to just hit the snooze button, especially when it is cold outside.

Before I joined my workout group, the only exercise I got was very inconsistent. I would go jogging here and there and I didn’t do any strength training. It felt awful. But now, things are different. I will never go back to exercising by myself.

Habit #2: Spend time with friends

We all have relationships in our lives. We might be a sister, a mother, a wife or a grandmother. But sometimes we can be surrounded by people everyday and still feel lonely. There is a void. That’s how I felt. Then I discovered this workout group. Women need other women. We’re social creatures and sometimes we just need another woman to talk to.

Fortunately, if you join an exercise group, the second habit is already done! Working out for one hour, three days a week with the other ladies in my group gives us a chance to catch up on each other’s lives. It’s like therapy but a whole lot cheaper!

Give these habits a try

I know what you’re thinking, this is nothing new. But you can’t knock it until you try it. Get some friends together and get a gym membership, workout at a park or start walking group. You will get your exercise and let go of the stresses in your life at the same time. These habits won’t solve all of your problems, but it will take care of two possibly neglected areas in your life. You’ll be surprised and happy with the results.

What other habits have you formed that have helped you in your life? Leave your comments below.

Related link: My number one post-partum regret

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Skiing with kids can be amazing but sometimes it can be a challenge. That’s why these kids snow skiing hacks will be a lifesaver. Check out these 20 tips when you’re carving the slopes with your little ones.

I didn’t grow up skiing. So, I learned right along side my kids. Even as an adult, skiing can be terrifying and miserable if you don’t learn the right way. So, here’s some tips that we’ve learned along the way that will hopefully help you too.

#1: Kids snow skiing hacks – Start at the right age

We start our kids skiing when they are in kindergarten. You can start then earlier but five years old seems to be a great age. Less tantrums and they catch on quickly.

#2: Consider a ski instructor

My husband’s aunt is a ski instructor at Brighton Ski Resort. She is generous enough to teach our kids on their first day of skiing. It starts them off on the right foot with someone who actually knows what they are doing. Here’s some ski school options for kids of all ages.

#3: Don’t force them down a hill

Those hills are steep. Wait until your kids are ready, not when you think they should be ready.

#4: Carry snacks for the lift

You can build up a mighty appetite while skiing. And kids love snacks. So, pack some little treats in your coat pocket like trail mix, kids protein bars, dried mango slices and s’mores energy bites.

#5: Buy hand warmers

Once your kids get cold, the fun is over. They will just want to go home. These hand warmers last 10 hours and they are awesome. Put them in your kids’ glove and boots. They will be toasty warm.

#6: Make your kids carry their own skiis

Don’t even carry your kids’ skiis even once or you’ll be carrying them every time. It is hard enough carrying your own.

#7: Build a ski storage rack

It’s a lot easier to pick up and go skiing with your kids if you have an organized place for all of your equipment. We built this awesome ski rack in our garage and it has made our lives so much easier.

#8: Just go skiing for a couple hours

When your kids are just starting out, a lot of ski resorts offer tow ropes for free. Your beginning skier can try out the bunny hill for a couple hours without getting burned out.

#9: Divide and conquer

If you’re going with kids with varying skill levels, bring multiple adults. You can’t chase one kid down the hill while tutoring another behind you. Don’t stress your self out.

#10: Take advantage of ski programs for kids

Ski Utah offers 5th and 6th graders deeply discounted season passports to any resort in Utah. Brighton Ski Resort allows all kids 10 and under to ski FREE! Most ski resorts offer deals throughout the year. Other websites such as Liftopia offer discounts when you purchase tickets in advance.

#11: Save money; pack a lunch

Of all the kids snow skiing hacks, this one is a no-brainer. The food at ski resorts is outrageously priced. A slice of pizza and a drink will cost you about $20. Pack your own lunch.

#12: Bring a thermos of hot chocolate

After a long morning of skiing, nothing boosts the moral more than a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Our kids count on it. Then it energizes them for the rest of the afternoon.

#13: Invest in a ski gear bag

You might have a place to store your kids’ skiis, but what about boots, gloves, helmet and other gear? Consider buying an everything boot bag. Then you’re not running around the house like a crazy person trying to find that lost glove.

#14: Bring friends or cousins along

My sons didn’t really stretch themselves until they went skiing with their cousins. All of a sudden, they wanted to be the first down the hill. It’s a great way to get out and take your kids out of their comfort zones.

#15: Don’t mess with ski poles

Little kids don’t need ski poles. It just gets them frustrated. Let them figure out how to ski first, then add the poles later.

#16: Buy a balaclava ski mask

You don’t usually forget gloves and boots. But sometimes we forget to protect our kids’ faces and necks. Investing in a balaclava ski mask is totally worth it.

#17: Make skiing a family affair

Skiing can be an amazing activity to do with your entire family. You get time to talk, exercise and enjoy the outdoor together. Then you actually get excited for the winter. And it’s something you can do your whole life!

#18: Buy second-hand skiis at the end of the season

I’ve found the best deals for skiis and gear is at the end of the ski season. There are a lot of second-hand ski stores that sell skiis at a big discount so they can get rid of their inventory before summer.

Hopefully these kids snow skiing hacks will help you this upcoming ski season. What ideas do you have when skiing with kids? Leave your comments below.

Related link: DIY ski rack

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New Year’s is upon us once again. You don’t want to let the memories of last year slip away. Print out this FREE Year in Review printable. Your kids will love coloring it and you will love looking back on yet another happy year.

Time flies by. If you don’t stop to take a minute to remember the happy times, you’ll forget them eventually. That’s why I put together this fun printable for my kids, so you can capture those memories together.

Print your Year in Review printable

This FREE printable is in black and white so your kids can color to their hearts’ content. It will work for the little ones up to the teens. For my four-year-old, I asked him the questions and filled in the answers for him.

Get your free Year in Review printable HERE.

Fill it out with your kids

We had fun together filling out the questions on the Year in Review printable. Make sure you fill in the correct year at the top of the page. I intentionally left it blank so you can re-use this printable year and year and compare.

I decided to fill one out as well and it was fun to look back on everything that happened last year. It also helps to use some nice markers with lots of colors. Your kids will love it.

After your kids have filled out their printables, insert each one into sheet protectors and compile them together in a three-ring binder. Our completed printables turned out so cute!

Check out these other New Year’s ideas

New Year’s is a great time to have a great time! Check out these ideas to start off your new year with a bang.

• Easy New Year’s Eve Party Ideas for Kids
• 10 New Year’s Even Minute to Win It Games
• New Year’s Eve Confetti Poppers
• 25 Fun things to do for New Year’s Eve

If you didn’t catch it before, get your free Year in Review printable HERE.

What other ideas do you have to celebrate the new year? Leave them in the comments below.

Related link: DIY Snow Globes with Oven-baked Clay

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Do your kids ever ask you how to earn a little extra money? If so, you’re not alone. So, here’s ten ideas to get the ball rolling and encourage your kids to take the reigns and earn money on their own. Take a look.

Kids are always thinking about that next cool toy to buy. So, I figure if they want to buy something, they’ve got to earn it on their own. Here’s some ideas to make your kids into hard workers and entrepreneurs as well.

#1: Door-to-door neighborhood sales

Sounds crazy, I know. But within your own neighborhood, your child can sell cookies for 50 cents each, bags of fresh-grown peas for $1 or pumpkins for $5 each. I went with my kids as they sold peas and they went like hot cakes. Even the mailman stopped to buy some. They made $20 in less than an hour!

#2: Weeding or yard work

When I was a kid, I earned a little extra money by weeding my grandma’s flower beds. I appreciated every cent that I earned. If grandma doesn’t live nearby, allow your kids to weed your own flower beds. Set your price and send them to work.

#3: Sell hot chocolate or lemonade

The classic lemonade stand isn’t a bad idea to earn a little extra money. But if it’s winter time, a hot chocolate stand is the way to go. When my son was six years old, he stood out in the cold and sold gallons of hot chocolate. I think everyone felt bad for a little kid standing out in the cold! Ha ha!

#4: Summer preschool or skills class

An 11-year-old girl in our neighborhood held a six-week mini preschool for toddlers for $50. The entire session was twice a week for a couple hours each. Supervised by her mother, the girl played games, made crafts and taught the alphabet to the kids. It was worth every penny.

Another idea is to have your child teach a class to younger kids using a skill they have already learned. Here’s some examples:

• Art
• Soccer skills (or other sports)
• Piano
• Unicycling
• Crafts

#5: Dog washing or walking service

My son came up with idea all by himself. I helped him design a flyer advertising a dog washing service. He charged $5 for a small dog all the way up to $15 for extra large dogs. He would pick the dog up and wash it at our house or wash it at their house. It worked out fabulously actually and he got quite a few customers.

#6: Babysitting

This is obviously a job for kids 12 and older, but it can be pretty lucrative if your child likes babysitting. We love our babysitters and they get to earn some extra money in the process. Here’s some fun ideas of things your kid can take with him/her when they babysit:

• Craft book
• 3D stickers
• A smart girl’s guide: Babysitting

#7: Hold a garage sale

If you’re like me, you collect a lot of junk. Why not hold a garage sale every summer and let your kids sell some of their toys. Just make sure they price the toys reasonably. You might be surprised how much money they make. My son sold some of his toys and made about $15.

#8: Newspaper route

The average minimum age for newspaper delivery is 13 but it may differ depending on the state you live in. The wages vary depending on the newspaper however, if you child is dedicated, it could be a great way to earn some extra money.

#9: Painting addresses on curbs

My teenage neighbor offer to pain our address on our curb for $15. That was an easy decision. It turned out great and he went away with some extra money. It doesn’t take much to get the right supplies. On Amazon, you can buy an entire curb painting kit for $20!

#10: House sitting/pet sitting

Everyone goes on vacation at one point. So, your child can advertise the opportunity for them to watch after their house and/or their pets while they are gone. It gives them peace of mind and your kid some extra dough.

What other ideas do you have for your kids to earn some extra money? Leave your comments below.

Related link: Tips to successfully move your kids to the basement

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Yep, it’s time to head back to school already! And with it comes a long shopping list. But if you have boys, I’ve got 10 things you won’t want to forget on your list this year. Check it out.

So, I have a preschooler, kindergartner, a first-grader and a fourth-grader–all boys. And they all have specific items that they want when school starts. Plus, there are also other items I’ve found that are particularly helpful. Here are my top ten.

#10: Backpack lock

My son had a kid in his class who was stealing items out of his backpack. So, these backpack locks are super helpful. Plus, my boys think they are super cool.

#9: Marvel Hand Sanitizer

Boys are dirty. But these Marvel hand sanitizers hook right on their backpacks or belt loops for easy access.

#8: Bentology Lunch Bag and Box Set for Boys

Soggy sandwiches are the worst. But this Bento box includes five containers and an ice pack that all fit in a durable sleeve with a handle. Plus there are like 20 different designs to choose from.

#7: Deodorant for boys

Nobody wants to be the stinky kid, but after running around at recess, boys start to stink. My son asked if he could bring deodorant to school so he doesn’t smell. Then I found Tom’s of Maine Wicked Cool Deodorant. It fits perfect in a backpack and your boys can put on a quick layer after recess.

#6: Stainless steel water bottle

Most teachers allow kids to keep water bottles at their desks. And apparently, it’s cool to put stickers on their water bottles too. Plus they stay hydrated!

#5: Tzowla Backpack

This isn’t just a backpack. It’s a super cool backpack because it’s water resistant, anti-theft capable and equipped with a USB charging port.

#4: Pokemon Cards

This continues to baffle me, but all of my boys love trading Pokemon cards, especially at school. So, get them a few, just to help them make friends at least.

#3: Avengers bike helmet

If your kid rides his bike to school, this is a must. But sometimes helmets aren’t “cool”. That’s why I like these Avengers helmets. My boys actually like wearing these.

#2: Kids Smartwatch Phone

We live in a different world. That’s why these Smartwatch Phones are awesome. You can make two-way voice calls, voice chat and locate. This will give you a ton of peace of mind.

#1: Child’s lift top desk and chair

Every boy needs a quiet, comfortable desk to sit at while he does homework after school. It makes it easy to establish lasting habits.

What back to school ideas do you have for boys? Leave your comments below.

Related link: Fill-in-the-blank first day of school printable

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Butt. Poop. Fart. As a mother of four boys, I hear it all. So, to teach my boys some manners, I wrote this simple rhyming story. It’s funny and easy for any child to understand. Print out your free story (pictures included) today!

I don’t have any girls, but I have four boys and all of them think saying potty words is pretty funny. Although it may seem like a wasted effort, I still need to teach my boys some manners. It’s not okay to burp or fart. It’s not polite to say potty words. And it’s definitely not okay to go pee outside. Use the toilet for pete’s sake!

Download and print

This simple story about manners can be printed below. You can either read the story without pictures or you can print and cut out the pictures and glue the words to the opposite side of each picture.

Click here to download Parker Potty Mouth story

I also added some popsicle sticks for an added touch that the kids seemed to like. The numbers on the text correspond with the numbers on the images, so it will be easy to match them up.

Pick your audience

The best thing about this story and that it can work in a small setting with just your family or you can use it in a classroom with a lot of kids. The optimal age group for this story is ages 3 to 10. But honestly any child can learn from it. My kids loved the story. Below is a video of me telling the story to them.

Other ideas to teach manners

Here’s some great resources to teach your kids about etiquette, manners and being polite:

• 50 Etiquette Lessons for Kids
• 365 Manners kids should know
• The Chocolate Chip Ghost (our favorite)
• Q’s Race to the Top (board game about social skills, manners and better behavior)

What ideas do you have to teach your kids about manners? Leave your comments below. Here’s a link to download the story one more time in case you missed it above:

Click here to download Parker Potty Mouth story

Related link: The Lie Monster: A printable story about honesty

Vector graphics provided by Vecteezy.

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So, you’re the volunteer soccer coach for your child’s team. If you’re like me, you’re not thrilled about it, but never fear. I’ve got everything you need to make this a fun and rewarding experience for everyone involved (with free printables). Take a look!

I have a love/hate relationship with soccer. I love that my kids love it, but it’s a big commitment. However, when it was my turn to be the soccer coach. I gained a greater appreciate for the responsibility. But one thing is for sure, you don’t have to have any past experience with soccer to be a coach. Here’s some tips that helped me and will hopefully help you.

Tip #1: Communicate via text (sometimes email)

Everyone is busy. Parents just want someone who will keep them informed and the team organized. The best way to do that is through text. I know! People hate being stuck in a dreaded group messaging thread, but you can’t make everyone happy.

The alternative is using a group messaging app like Whatsapp or GroupMe but then you have to get everyone on the team to download it. Sometimes it’s not worth the hassle. So, stick with texting. If you have to communicate a lot of information at once, you can send an email.

Tip #2: Assign each parent a game day to bring treat

Send an email and assign every parent a day to bring a treat. Tell them if that day doesn’t work for them, then call a different parent and switch. DON’T ask them to volunteer for a day. Take control. You’re the coach after all. Here’s some soccer treat ideas:

• Simple Sports Snacks
• Soccer goodie bags
• Cute and creative soccer snack ideas
• Free soccer snack printables

Tip #3: Assign parents to help with subbing

Tell the parents that they need to help with subbing the same day that they are bringing the treat. Then remind them a day or two before their assigned day. Below is a FREE printable subbing sheet that you can give the parents when they are assigned to help.

Tip #4: Make soccer practice fun

A 30- or 45-minute practice once a week will do fine. The kids get bored quick so here’s some tips to make practice interesting:

• Make every drill into a game.
• Instead of jogging to warm up, tell them to race to the tree.
• Play shark vs. fish (keep away).
• Reward the kids with a small treat if they perform certain tasks during the practice.
• Play kids against the coach.
• Move from each drill quickly.
• Leave plenty of time for scrimmage.

Here’s an awesome book to help: Fun Soccer Drills that Teach Soccer Skills to 5, 6, and 7 year olds

Tip #5: Don’t take the term “soccer coach” too seriously

If you wanted your kid to win every game and become a soccer star, then you shouldn’t have signed them up for rec soccer. Likewise, don’t be that coach who yells at everyone and gets way too worked up. This is supposed to be fun. Get super excited and have fun with the kids and they will love it.

What ideas do you have when coaching your child’s soccer team? Leave your comments below.

Related link: Soda-riffic DIY Coach Gift for Any Sports Team

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If you’re a co-parent, then you know how hard it can be to share your child(ren) with your ex-spouse. It’s probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. But it’s the small things that can make the biggest impact on the happiness of everyone involved. Take a look.

Disclaimer: So, I’m not a professional. I just want to share my experiences as a co-parent in hopes that it will make a difference to someone else. Divorces are as diverse as the people involved. None of these tips are rules that need to be followed. They are suggestions. Hopefully some of them will work for you.

Hopefully some of these ideas will help you. If you looked at the list above and thought, “There’s no way in heck I would do that,” that’s okay. What works for me may not work for you. However, I think out of all the things that you can’t control while co-parenting, focus on what you can control. That will make all the difference.

Important note: This post does in NO way condone mental or physical abuse from an ex-spouse. If you are in an abusive co-parenting situation, please seek out professional guidance and do whatever is necessary to protect you and your child(ren).

Here’s some other helpful posts from one co-parent to another:

• 10 tips to co-parenting
• How to co-parent successfully
• Why I chose parallel parenting over co-parenting
• 7 steps to healthy co-parenting with your ex
• 11 successful co-parenting commandments

Related link: Top 10 tips to potty training like a pro

The post 50+ Simple ways to co-parent and still get along appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

The day has finally arrived! My fourth and last child is potty training (queue choirs of angels singing from heaven). Although potty training is my least-favorite parenting responsibility, I have learned a thing or two to make it easier for you.

Although, I wish there were some hard fast rules that will guarantee potty training success in one day, it really depends on the child. But, one thing is for sure, you child WILL learn how to go potty. Don’t give up.

#10 – Prepare your child before potty training

A few months before I start potty training, I tell my kids, “Did you know when you turn three, you get to go potty on the big boy chair?” You can almost immediately see the wheels turning in their heads.

I also like to show them a potty training movie like “Elmo’s Potty Time” or “Potty Time with Bear.” These movies introduce the topic in a non-threatening way. I also love reading them potty books like, “Get Ready for Big Boy Pants,” and “Potty“.

#9: – Make the toilet less-scary

For a three-year-old, those toilets are tall and kind of scary. Some kids are legitimately worried about falling in. And for good reason. These cool trainer seats with a step stool ladder make the toilet just their size. You can also go with the classic soft trainer seat. That is what we use. If you have a boy, you could hang one of these frog urinals on the wall. They love aiming at the built-in target.

#8 – Throw a potty party

This is a big day, so make it a big deal. When my son woke up on the day he was supposed to be potty trained, there was a big pile of fun stuff on the kitchen table to kick off potty training day. Display everything from the underpants to the potty chart to the treats.

#7 – Buy a potty bear

I found a second-hand teddy bear and slapped a diaper on him. Then, in front of my son, I pretended that teddy was whispering in my ear that he had to go to the bathroom. We rush to the bathroom and I secretly plop some brown chunks of protein bar into the toilet. My son totally thought teddy was pooping. Then we put some big boy underpants on teddy.

Sure, enough, that’s when my son wanted to put on his big boy pants and try going to the potty as well. I have done this for all four of my boys and it works every time.

#6 – Print a potty punch card or sticker chart

My kids love to celebrate each and every time they go to the bathroom. I made these super cute potty punch cards. Every time they go potty, they get to punch a number on the card and once they get 10 punches, they get a prize!! Download your FREE PRINTABLE punch card below:

#5 – Use positive reinforcement

You’ve totally got to own it when you are potty training. Jump up and down. Clap and cheer. Make your little toddler feel like they are the cat’s meow. Do your best to make the experience and fun and enjoyable one.

Also, I like to give my kids a small treat like an M&M, gummy bear or jelly bean each time they go pee pee. And when they go poo poo, give them a bigger prize like a small dollar toy.

#4 – Be patient

Without fail, your child will poo their pants right after you told them no to. So, when your kid sees you getting frustrated, they will get stressed out too. Accidents happen and that’s okay. Your child has been used to going whenever and wherever they want for the first three years of their life. It takes some time to get used to it. Don’t let your blood boil. It won’t help at all!

I designed this cute and FREE potty instruction chart that you can hang right by your toilet. This will help you child understand the entire potty process.

#3 – Figure out what motivates your child

Some kids are mortified to go pee pee in their pants in front of their friends. Other kids don’t like the feel of messy pants. And some kids just want a treat or a reward. Whatever it is, do your best to figure it out and capitalize on it. For my son, LOVED his new Batman underpants, so I told him that if he pooped in his underpants I would throw them away. Done!

#2 – Wait until your child is ready

Age three is the magic number for me. I tried potty training before that and I would have to start over about six months later. There’s nothing wrong with waiting until they are three or even four! When they are ready it is like a million times easier.

#1 – NEVER put diapers or pull ups back on

Sounds crazy, right? Well, it’s not. You wouldn’t allow your child to ride in the car without buckling their seat belt, right? Otherwise, they’d think they didn’t have to do it every time. The same thing applies to potty training. If you only make them wear underpants just some of the time, they’re going to think they can still go in their pants some of the time. It works. Trust me.

I hope these tips help. Good luck with all of your potty training adventures! What other tips do you have when potty training? Leave your comments below.

Related link: Tips to successfully move your kids to the basement

Note: Vector graphics provided by Vecteezy

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Alright, let’s get real for a minute. Being a mommy blogger doesn’t mean I’m the perfect mom, far from it actually. Keeping track of four little boys is exhausting and a lot of the time, things fall through the cracks. So, here’s my top 15 confessions as an imperfect mommy blogger.

#15: My kids go to sleep in tomorrow’s outfit

Pajamas are overrated. Or I’m just too lazy.

#14: Candy and bubble gum is a food group in our home

I know for a fact that my kids will just hold out and not eat because they know they’ll be able to find something sweet to eat sooner or later.

#13: I use screen time as a babysitter

I’m not ashamed of this. Sometimes I need an hour to make phone calls, clean the house or just collapse on the couch. Check out this blog post about a 30-day no screen time experiment and you’ll see what I mean.

#12: The phrase, “Are you crying again mom?” is commonly heard

Sometimes I’m watching a sentimental TV commercial or sometimes I’m so completely overwhelmed that the tears just start coming. Either way, my kids are used to it by now.

#11: My kids wear shorts throughout the winter months

Sometimes it’s just not worth the fight.

#10: I let my baby sit in a poopy diaper if my husband will be home soon

What?! We take turns changing poopy diapers. If it’s his turn ….

#9: I binge on Netflix during nap time

Heck yeah! Fuller house!

#8: I would forego an epidural if it was a valid alternative to potty training 3 years later

You think I’m kidding? Potty training is awful. If you haven’t done it before, you should try it.

#7: In our house, Santa never gets credit for the presents

Seriously, he’s not real. I’m not going to shop and wrap presents for hours and not even get a “thank you.”

#6: Sometimes I forget whose toothbrush is belongs to who

The struggle is real. I’ve tried writing their names on them but it just rubs off. Hopefully, they know which one is their own.

#5: I only do laundry every two weeks because I hate it that much

Dishes aren’t so bad. You can get them done in ten minutes. But laundry seems to never end.

#4: My alter ego is the Hulk at bedtime

All I want at night is some peace and quiet. But kids always know how to manipulate their parents to staying up later. Well, I usually flip a lid and turn bright green.

#3: Our front lawn resembles a yard sale on most days

Why put all the wiggle carts and bikes away when they’re just going to get them all out again the next day?

#2 I sleep train my kids with ear plugs

They have to learn how to fall asleep on their own. Sometimes that takes a few nights of crying it out. I might as well get some sleep at the same time.

#1 The most I exercise during pregnancy is walking from the couch to the fridge

I know I’m not the only one on this one.

Hopefully after reading my mommy blogger confessions that you either can relate or feel a lot better about yourself as a mother. Either way, none of us is perfect, so let’s just laugh about it and enjoy the ride.

What mommy confessions do you have? Leave your comments below.

Related link: Dr. Google vs the new mom

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As of late, I was feeling stressed. Why? My house was a complete mess! I had to rectify the situation and get organized ASAP. Here’s some tips and tricks that I found along the way that I know will help you.

The main living areas of my house weren’t really messy. However inside the drawers, closets and bedrooms, there were mountains of junk. I felt like the junk was spilling over into peace of mind. It was getting crowded. So, I took one week and went organizing crazy. It was amazing what a difference it made.

So here’s some tips that will help you to get organized and de-stress.

Toss it and forget it

You haven’t used those size four Levis, old cell phones and college text books in years. So get rid of them. As a rule of thumb, if you haven’t used it in two years, get rid of it. Don’t hold onto that junk!

Bins and boxes for everything

From pencils to jewelry to staples and crafts. You need a tiny spot for all of your tiny things. You don’t even have to go to the store to find these boxes. Start with egg cartons, tupperware and shoe boxes. The dollar store is also a treasure trove for boxes and you won’t break the bank! If you want to buy them online, check out these interlocking drawer organizing bins or these foldable drawer dividers for all of your small clothing items.

Use a basement basket

If you have multiple levels in your home, put a basement basket by your stairs. As you tidy your home everyday, place the items that go in the basement inside your basket. When everything is cleaned on the main level of your home, take just ONE trip down to the basement and put away everything in your basket.

Everything should have a place

We all have that random counter space that collects all that random stuff. Pretty soon, that junk piles higher and higher and you won’t know where to find anything. Think logically where something should belong in the house and put it there. For example, fingernail clippers go in the bathroom drawer, batteries go in the fridge and socks go in the dresser. You get the idea.

Store toys and board games strategically

Keep your kids’ toys confined to the basement or their own individual bedrooms. Don’t store toys in the main living area of the home. It clutters your home and causes a constant mess. With that being said, store board games in a main area that your kids can reach easily. I used to store our board games in the basement on a high shelf. That didn’t stop my kids from getting the games down and losing the pieces all over the basement. Now, I store them in the TV stand of our living room.

Snow clothes and swim suits unite

This might seem counter intuitive, but I hate dragging the swim suits and winter clothes in and out of storage. Just put them together in organized drawers in a closet. Easy access regardless of the weather.

Dump and do it

If you need to organize your fridge, take EVERYTHING in the fridge and dump it on the counter. If you’re organizing the closet, take everything in the closet and dump it on the floor. Then throw away everything you don’t want or use. See what’s left and organize them neatly in tiny boxes.

Invest in a shoe cabinet

If you’ve ever rummaged through a big bucket of shoes and never found a matching pair, then you’ll understand why a shoe cabinet is worth the investment. Your kids will always know where to find their shoes because they have their own shoe drawer. I’ve done this for several years and I think my blood pressure has decreased significantly since then.

Make a placeholder for important papers

Instead of piling those important papers on that random counter space, hang a single pocket wall file in an inconspicuous place in your kitchen. Put all your important papers in labeled manila folders in there. Then, every quarter, transfer those papers into a more permanent spot like a filing cabinet or safe.

Train your kids to be organizers

All of this organizing won’t do you any good unless your kids keep it organized. Provide incentives when they do their part and punishments when they don’t. Here’s some good rules to follow:

• Backpacks go on hooks right after school
• Shoes go in shoe drawer right when you get home
• Don’t get out a different game or toy until the first one is put away
• No food outside of the kitchen
• Clean your bedroom and make your bed every day
• Clear the table and tidy kitchen after dinner

I hope these tips will help you get your home organized. It definitely helped me. I feel completely at ease and less stressed out when my home is tidy. It’s amazing how much better it makes me feel.

Related link: How to organize your kids’ shoes for good

Important note: Vector graphics provided by Vecteezy

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Do you remember where you were when you lost your first tooth? It’s an exciting time for kids when they lose a tooth. But sometimes we forget to capture those memories. So I found an easy and FREE way to remember and celebrate each lost tooth in your household.

Let’s be honest, I’m not huge fan of the Tooth Fairy or even Santa Claus for that matter. But it’s important to my kids, so I want to make a lost tooth a memorable occasion for them. That’s why I made these awesome printables.

Lost Teeth Chart

When your kid loses a tooth, print off the “Lost Teeth Chart” below. Cut out the “I lost my 1st tooth” circle and include it in a tiny bag with the money from the tooth fairy. When they wake up, they can attach the circle to their chart and hang it up on their wall. I offer this printable for FREE to all visitors of my blog, but if you’d like to show your support, feel free to buy me a taco .

My son was super excited. We wrote down where he was and what day he lost his first tooth. He also wanted to make sure that I hung his chart up somewhere that none of his other brothers could get it.

Lost tooth badge

As an added bonus, you can also give your child a cute badge that says, “I love my tooth!” They can pin it to their shirt and wear it all day or just hang it on their wall. It’s the little things. Download and print the badges below. I offer this printable for FREE to all visitors of my blog, but if you’d like to show your support, feel free to buy me a taco .

I guarantee you and your kids will love these free printables to help celebrate this fun milestone in their lives. I know my son did.

Here’s some other Tooth Fairy ideas that you might like:

• 15 Awesome Tooth Fairy ideas
• DIY Tooth Fair Pillows
• Tooth Fairy Coins
• The Toothless Monster

Related link: Play the “Dinnertime Game with these FREE printable mats”

The post FREE Tooth Fairy lost teeth chart and badge appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

Google is always right. Take for example the time when we bought a used fridge from the local online classifieds. As we were about to load our fridge into the back of our truck, we weren’t sure if we should transport the fridge on its back or standing upright. “Let’s Google it!” 

After a quick Google search, we felt confident (based on several websites) that we could transport the large appliance on its back. Yay! Problem solved. Until the next day and my milk was warm and all my frozen food was thawing out. What happened?!

Our Google search did not produce the correct answer. It resulted in a broken compressor. So, our steal-of-a-deal fridge after repairs, became a $700 purchase instead of a $300 purchase.

Mommy Googling

Does this story sound familiar to you?  It happens to all of us. We depend on Google to answer all of our questions, especially new moms. When I had my first baby, I went to the internet for everything. But a fridge is different than a baby. You can’t determine a fool-proof sleeping schedule based on the top ten search results. It’s much more complicated than that. 

You don’t want to risk “breaking” your baby like I did my fridge.

But I get it. You’re stressed out. You just had a baby and you have a ton of questions:

• Should I wake her up to feed?
• Why hasn’t she pooped yet today?
• Why is her poop green?
• How tight should I swaddle her?
• Why doesn’t she like to breastfeed?
• Should I co-sleep with my baby?
• How many layers does my baby need to go outside?

All you really care about when you have a new baby is her health and happiness. But are you looking to the wrong sources to get your information?

Take a step back

No one knows your baby better than you do. Before you Google your next baby question, ask yourself, “What does my gut tell me that I should do?” Nine times out of ten. That will be the right option.

After my second, third and fourth babies, I took a different approach. I left the internet alone and guess what, I wasn’t as stressed out. There’s no right way to parent. You just have to do what’s right for you.

Google searches are still okay

We live in the age of technology. Take advantage of it. Just don’t let it overpower your own mother’s intuition. Here’s a few tips to consider when your inevitable baby questions arise:

• Can I solve this myself? Swaddling. Nursing. Sleeping. If it has to do with your parenting style, most likely you’ll read about what everyone else does and then do it your own way anyway.
• Ask your doctor first. Medical professionals have gone to years of schooling. They know what they are doing.
• Don’t always assume the worst. Your baby has a small rash and the symptoms online all lead to CANCER! Get real. Change your laundry detergent and move on.
• Use online forums with caution. This mom said this and then this mom said this. Who is right? No one is right. Do it your way.
• Check your sources. There are reputable websites from universities and hospitals that provide fact-driven information that is very helpful. Check out HealthyChildren.org (sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics).
• Don’t take yourself too seriously. There’s a lot of great websites that help you feel like, “Okay, good, I’m not the only here.” Here’s a link to 10 great parenting websites.
• Take advantage of family. Mother knows best, at least some of the time. Plus, the internet won’t love your babies as much as grandma will.

Want to learn more? Check out these links to some interesting posts about Dr. Google.

• Top mom searches on Google
• Stop Googling and call your mother!
• 8 things parents should know about Internet advice

What tips do you have for new moms and the internet? Leave your comments below.

Related link: 10 Things Kids Destroy and How to Fix Them 

The post Dr. Google vs the new mom appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

Kids destroy everything. Okay, maybe not everything, but MOST everything. But before you give up all hope,  lot of these things can be repaired. So, don’t throw out your leather couch quite yet. Keep reading to learn more.

Let’s face it, kids are curious and sometimes that gets them into trouble. But I would rather have a house full of kids and broken things than an empty house. So, here’s some ways to fix the things our kids break.

1. Melted wax down the drain

My eight-year-old didn’t even realize what he was doing when he dumped the melted wax from our Scentsy down the kitchen sink. Here’s a video of how I fixed it. 

Important note:  Although this process worked for me, every sink and plumbing system is different. You may want to consult with a professional plumber.

2. Carpet stains

Fingernail polish, pee, poop and gum have all made appearances on our carpet. Ugh! Before you go postal on your kids, check out these links to remove your carpet stain.

• Poop or pee stains
• Fingernail polish 
• Chewing gum

3. Permanent marker stains

No matter how well I hide my permanent markers, my kids always find them. They figure the wall is a great place to showcase their artistic abilities. To learn how to remove permanent marker from your walls, click here.

4. Broken cabinet doors

Cabinet doors are not swings. If you hang on them, the screws will come loose or the door will split. I wish my kids understood that! Here’s how to fix two common cabinet door problems:

• Stripped cabinet door screw holes
• How to fix kitchen cabinets

5. Melted crayons in the car

I guess I can’t blame my kids for this one.  If I let them have crayons in the car, I better make sure I gather all the crayons up before I leave the car. Click here to learn how to remove melted crayons from the car seat.

6. Hole in the trampoline

Sometimes trampolines wear out and get holes with age and sometimes your kids take a sharp object to the mat. I hope yours isn’t the latter. Here’s how to fix a hole in your trampoline mat.

7. Vinyl fence holes/spray paint

It’s still a mystery as to which kid in our neighborhood when to town with a can of spray paint on our vinyl fence. But I know a great solution to fix it. Here’s some other vinyl fence repair ideas.

• Hole in vinyl fence
• Spray paint on vinyl fence

8. Balls down the toilet

It’s inevitable, if this hasn’t happen to you, it’s only a matter of time. Here’s how you remove a ball from the toilet.

9. Scratches on table

One of my kids (who will remain unnamed), etched a tic-tac-toe onto the top of our kitchen table. Awesome. Well, fortunately, this is fixable. Here’s how to remove scratches from wood furniture.

10. Rips on leather couch

My sister-in-law had a small rip in her leather couch that just kept getting bigger and bigger. Finally, she attached a piece of Levi jeans on the underside of the tear using Tear Mender (a leather and fabric adhesive). Then she stained that section with leather stain. Done!

What other ideas do you have for fixing the stuff your kids break? Leave your comments below.

Related link: How to help your kids love the dentist

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Let’s get real for a minute. There’s a lot of post-partum details that I’d rather not talk about. But after four babies, there’s one thing that I honestly regret NOT doing after my third baby was born. So, to save all you expecting mothers out there a lot of grief, I’m passing this one piece of advice on to you …

From the extra large granny panties to the bottles of nipple cream, there’s tons of post-partum products that you will gladly use immediately after you deliver your baby. Check out this post-partum care kit for new moms.

I was very grateful to the nurses and doctors who walked me through this turbulent time and made it as much of a pleasant experience as to be expected. However, after I delivered my third baby, I got a little over-confident.  I felt like I had done this enough times, that I knew what I was doing.

Bad idea.

Word to the wise. If your doctor tells you to do something, do it. Case in point: the stool softener.

 Post-partum drama

After I delivered my baby, I felt fine.  I didn’t think that I needed to take the stool softener. After all, I didn’t get constipated after my first two babies. Why would I get constipated now? (Duh, because I took the stool softener on my first two).

When I got home from the hospital, my prescribed bottle of stool softener sat on the counter untouched. A few days later, I needed to go poop. But instead of the normal stools that I was used to, it was a compacted brick inside my body.

No matter how hard I pushed, it wouldn’t budge. Tears filled my eyes. Aside from worrying if my stitches were going to tear, an even greater worry was that I would have to go to the emergency room for a manual disimpaction (a procedure to break up the hardened stool with a gloved and lubricated finger). It was awful.

I pushed so hard that my bum hole was bleeding. Yuck. I finally had success only to dread my next bowel movement with utter terror. Have I given you enough gory details yet?

Constipation: a real bummer

Needless to say, I started drinking tons of water, ate as much fiber as I could and of course started taking my stool softener. Only after several agonizing days, did my constipation ease and I felt a little bit of relief.

If you don’t want this to happen to you, the best thing you can do is to take your stool softener as prescribed by your doctor. If you’re still having trouble post-partum, follow these tips (source):

• Don’t wait to go to the bathroom, that just makes your stool harder and drier
• Eat high-fiber foods
• Drink plenty of water
• Go for a walk

If your doctor doesn’t prescribe a stool softener, you can also buy them over-the-counter here.

What causes post-partum constipation?

There’s a lot of contributing factor’s at work, but according to whattoexpect.com, there are three main culprits:

1.  Medication: The medication you received for postpartum pain may be the culprit. (If you’re no longer taking these drugs, your bowel movements should soon return to normal.)
2. Mind games:  If it just plain hurts to go (or to try going), you may be holding back to avoid the pain.  Your vaginal stitches won’t tear if you have a bowel movement, and neither will your surgical ones if you’ve had a C-section.
3. Clogged: You may be truly clogged up — not surprising considering all your digestive system (and the rest of your body) has been through.

Here’s some other links to helpful information about making your post-partum recovery a smooth one:

10 Self Care Tips for New Moms

Post-partum poop: And you thought the hard part was over

Labor nurse’s post-partum checklist

What tips do you have for avoiding post-partum constipation? Leave your comments below.

Related link: Top ten unique mommy-must haves

The post My #1 post-partum regret: Don’t let this happen to you appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

After four years of living in our rambler, it was time to move our kids down to the basement. It sounded simple enough, but it was a little tricky. The basement is dark and scary. But I discovered some simple ways to make the transition an easy one.

If you don’t have a second story and the number of people in your home keeps increasing, it’s time to do the right thing the easy way. Whether you have adult children or young kids, eventually, you are going to want them to move the basement bedroom and away from the main floor of your own home. So sometimes that means a little bit of tough love so you can have some personal space maintain good relationships with the entire family. Want to do it the easy and best way? Here’s some tips to help you out:

Prep your kids ahead of time

Kids like surprises, but not in this case. If possible, give your kids plenty of advanced notice of the upcoming move. That way it will give them time to prepare mentally and think about it. In our situation, we had a basement apartment, so I kept reminding our kids that when she moved out, they would be moving downstairs.

Move multiple kids down at once

If you only move one child down to the basement, you are setting yourself up for failure. I wouldn’t want to be down in the basement by myself. Neither do any of your kids, especially after all those scary movies. The right things to do is to plan on moving big brother and little brother down at the same time even if they won’t be sleeping in the same room.

Keep the basement well-lit

My kids have always been scared of the basement. Sometimes it’s a scary storage room or creaky stairs. That’s why it was essential that I plug in multiple LED night lights throughout the basement, up the stairs and down the hallway leading to my bedroom. They have a dusk to dawn sensor so they automatically turn on during the day. It eased my kids’ minds that if they woke up in the middle of the night and there was a night light on.

Decorate their bedrooms

Put some extra effort into organizing and arranging your kids’ bedrooms so it will be a comfortable and happy place where they will want to be. You don’t have to spend a fortune either. Make a play area for young children in your kids room. As long as it’s clean and cozy, they will love it. I made sure they have curtains to cover their windows at night.

Here’s some other great bedroom decorating ideas:

• 23 Best Playroom Decorating Ideas
• Ultimate kids bedroom makeover
• 10 tips for decorating kids bedrooms
• Glow-in-the-dark- ceiling stickers
• Bedroom decorating for boys
• Decorating ideas for girls rooms

Let your kids have a say

If you decorate your kids rooms exactly the way YOU want it, your kids may not love it. The only way to go is to allow them to have a say when you’re putting their bedrooms together. Let them pick out posters and decide what goes where. My oldest son wanted a floating shelf in his room where he could put all his action figure. Done!

Actually hang out in the basement

If you go to all this effort to make the lower level of your home a fun place for your kids, but then you never go down there, they will catch on really fast. It’s a good idea to make a basement room into the family room or a great room. Consider it an excuse to buy some new furniture and decorate. If it’s a place that you’ll want to be, your kids will want to be there as well. If your laundry room is downstairs, that helps too.

Spray for bugs

Our basements, like many others, are notorious for bugs and spiders. My friend told me that she moved her two kids downstairs but after a week, her son was covered in spider bites. Needless to say, they moved back upstairs. There are a lot of indoor bug sprays that will do that trick.

If you don’t have a finished basement yet and you have less space in your upstairs bedrooms, it might be time to finish your basement instead of moving to a new home. The best place for your kids is where they feel comfortable. But a remodel doesn’t have to cost much money if you plan it out. 

What other ideas do you have for successfully moving your kids into the basement? Leave your comments below.

Related link: How to help your kids love the dentist

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Dinnertime is the one time during the day that your family is together in one place. It’s precious time. So, I created “The Dinnertime Game” Place mats. They’re not just place mats. They are tools to facilitate meaningful conversations and lasting memories for all ages. Your kids will love it. Take a look!

Click on the link below to download your Dinnertime Game Placemats:

Dinnertime Game Printable Placemats

So, as a mother, you want your kids to talk to you, but sometimes it’s like pulling teeth. I hear it gets worse when they are teenagers. Well, The Dinnertime Game is a great way to get your kids talking in a non-threatening way.

Print and laminate place mats

The first thing you’ll want to do is send the Dinnertime Game Printable Placemats file to your local printer. I emailed the file to the UPS store and had them print all six pages on 11×17 cardstock and then laminate them.  They ended up being about $2 each, which isn’t bad.

Set place mats out for dinner

Now just set out the place mats and grab  some dice and you’re set. Each of the place mats are exactly the same except for the clipart pictures at the top. So, you’re keeping your table clean and having family bonding time simultaneously. Win-win!

Let the fun begin!

My kids couldn’t wait to try this out.  And it is so easy. Just take turns rolling the dice. Match you dice roll to the correct number on the place mats and then answer the corresponding question.

Almost all of the questions are opened-ended and the answers can vary from day-to-day. That way you can play this game over and over and it will constantly be changing. Plus, there are bonus rolls that might get your kids out of doing the dishes that night. Some of the other questions included:

• Say three nice things about the person across from you
• What was the best thing that happened to you today?
• What was the saddest thing that happened to you today?

You may want to add additional rules catered to your family. For example, we decided that if one person gets a bonus roll and doesn’t have to do the dishes, that no one else can get a bonus roll again that night.

Other conversation starter ideas

The Dinnertime Game Printable Placemats are just one idea. There’s tons of other conversation starter ideas out there to help connect with your kids during dinnertime. Here’s just a few:

• 150 Best Printable Conversation Starters for Kids
• How to improve your child’s mealtime behavior
• 50 Family Dinner Conversation Starters

What other ideas do you have to get the conversation going during your dinnertime? Leave your comments below.

Related link: 7 Powerful resources to help teach your kids about pornography

The post Play “The Dinnertime Game” with these printable place mats appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

Truth be told, I’m not a grandparent. But my kids have some AMAZING ones. So, when my neighbor mentioned that there’s nothing on Pinterest about grandparenting, I went to work. I interviewed several grandparents (including my parents and my mother-in-law) and asked them how to be a good grandparent.

How to be a good grandparent in a nutshell

1. Love them unconditionally
2. Start an electronics basket
3. Make a story time sock puppet
4. Learn how to connect virtually
5. Hire your grandkids to earn some money
6. Be open to babysitting
7. Leave disciplining to the parents
8. Focus on one-on-one time
9. Mail special birthday cards
10. Say “Yes” when you get invited
11. Baby-proof your house
12. Look at them in the eyes
13. Schedule a game night
14. Spoil them like crazy
15. Host a Lego play date
16. Host a cooking or mani/pedi date
17. Don’t forget about Grandpa
18. Give an open invitation to Sunday dinner
19. Make family vacations a priority
20. Attend extracurricular activities

#1: Love them unconditionally

This one almost goes without saying. But none of your grandkids need a critic, they need a grandparent to love them no matter what!

#2: Start an electronics basket

Two of my neighbors have an electronics basket inside their front door.  ALL of their grandkids (and kids) know that when they walk into their grandparent’s house, cell phones go in the basket. Set the expectation. You’ll only have a couple of hissy fits and then they get over it.

#3: Make a story time sock puppet

Reading books with your grand kids is probably one of the most rewarding things you can do. My neighbor took it a step further and made a sock puppet named Freddy. Her grand kids ask for a story from Freddy every time they come over. She even uses Freddy on Skype to tell stories to her grandkids who live out of state. Check out this post on how to make your own sock puppet or you can just buy one here.

#4: Learn how to connect virtually

If you don’t know what Skype, Marco Polo, FaceTime or Google Duo are, then you need to get with the program. These are apps that will help you stay connected to your grandkids. They are video calling apps.

But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. First, you need a Smart phone ASAP. Then you can log into Facebook and Instagram. If you don’t know how to do that, just ask one of your grandkids.

#5: Hire your grandkids to earn some money

I can’t tell you how many weeds I pulled working in the yard for my grandparents. They taught me the importance of hard work, plus I got to earn money. It’s a great excuse to see your grandkids more often and they’ll thank you for it later.

#6: Be open to babysitting

Last year, my husband and I went on a trip to France for 10 days. So, who watched our four kids that whole time? Yep, you guessed it, grandma and grandpa! It may be hard and very tiring to watch your grandkids overnight but your children will be incredibly grateful and your grandkids will love you even more.  I mean what kid doesn’t love a sleepover at grandmas?

#7: Leave disciplining to the parents

My mother-in-law said this one best. “You don’t have to be the mom. Just be the grandma. Let your mothers do the disciplining. You just get to love them.”

#8: Focus on one-on-one time

Sometimes when you have too many grand kids with you, you end up being a referee. Instead, try spending time with your grandkids one-on-one, especially during the teenage years.

#9: Mail special birthday cards

Kids LOVE mail (especially mail from a grandparent). So, even if your grand kids live next door, mail them a birthday card and slip in some money. That one simple thing will mean the world to them. Check out this post and this post on ideas for some homemade birthday cards.

#10: Say “yes” when you get invited

So, you can’t make it to the birthday party for your grandson. No big deal. But it only takes hearing the word “no” a few times and your kids will stop calling. Just prioritize. Is that calendar item more important than spending time with your grandkids? You decide.

#11: Baby-proof your house

My mom is wonderful at making her home welcoming to all of her grandchildren. The bottom drawer in her kitchen is filled with toys and her basement is catered to all things kids. The trick is to not freak out when your grand kids stand on the couch or spill a cup of water on the carpet. There are worse things. Just remember, you want them to come back.

#12: Look them in the eyes

Nothing says “I love you” more than 100 percent of your undivided attention. Pause, look them in the eyes and just listen every time you see them.

#13: Schedule a game night

Once a month, try to schedule a night with one of your children and his or her family. Pull all the board games out of the cupboard and have fun. Here’s 17 board games perfect for toddlers, if you need some ideas.

#14: Spoil them like crazy

I don’t give my kids gum. But, when my kids are with grandma, let get all the gum that they want. It’s like the saying goes, “The world needs Grandmas ‘cuz grandkids aren’t going to spoil themselves.”

#15: Host a Lego playdate 

Every grandparent with grandsons needs a huge box of random Legos. Those boys need something to play with when they come over! Better yet, buy a small box of Legos for each of your grandsons and invite them over to have a Lego playdate. But most importantly, sit down and play Legos with them. Click here for some fun Lego party ideas.

#16: Host a cooking or mani-pedi playdate 

Do you remember Glamour Shots? Well, I do, because my grandma took me and my cousin and sister there. We looked like we stepped out of a 80s music video and it was totally awesome. You can get a kids cooking kit and try some new recipes or pull out the spa kit and have a girls night. They will love it.

#17: Remember grandpa

Don’t worry Grandpa. We love you. Just make sure that Grandma doesn’t get all of the attention. You gotta work for that love.

#18: Give open invitations to Sunday dinner

Wherever there is free, home cookin’ the grandkids will follow. Sunday just wouldn’t be Sunday without dinner as a family.

#19: Make family vacations a priority

Every year, our family goes to Yellowstone. My days spends 11 months of the year planning fun activities for the grand kids specifically for our family vacation. He never fails to impress either. It means so much to our kids. These are the memories our kids will always hold close to their hearts.

#20: Go to the sports games and extracurricular activities

Call your kids right now and ask them for all of the schedules of all your grandkids extracurricular activities. Then show up.

What other ideas do you have for being an AMAZING grandparent? Leave your comments below.

Related article: Top 10 Unique Mom Must-Haves for mom and baby

The post How to be a good grandparent: 20 tips to help get you started appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

Which household items are unsafe for my kids? We all know to put the medicine, knives and cleaners out of reach, but there are other common household items in our own homes that may cause serious harm to our children. These are items that you wouldn’t think normally be a problem but in the right circumstances, may be harmful. Take a look at the following list of household items and how you can avoid any accidents in the future.

#1: Laundry detergent pods

Although super handy, these little pods look like candy to a little kids. Plus, they are the perfect size to pop in your mouth. According to the Poison Control website, if swallowed, serious effects can occur quickly. They include severe vomiting, severe breathing trouble, burns to the esophagus, and coma. The liquid from laundry pods also can cause burns to the eye and skin.

#2: Super Glue

Super glue, of course, is not good if ingested, but what if it gets on your hands? Well, my little one-year-old hated it on his hands so he ripped it off. And it left an awful scar after it healed. Then, a year later, my kids left the super glue out and he did it again! Although, not all kids will try to take the glue off their hands, it’s best to keep this household item hidden or on a high shelf.

If one of your kids do get it on his or her hands, here’s a post on how to remove it.

#3: Button Batteries

This is a scary one and it happened to my good friend. Her son found a button battery in an old remote control and swallowed it. Long story short, it started burning his esophagus! He was rushed to the hospital and doctors performed an emergency surgery to remove the battery. He was able to completely recover, but if my friend not responded as quick as she did, they might have had a completely different outcome.  You can read the entire story here.

This household item is easy to leave lying around because they are inside of common products such as remote controls. Anything that uses a button battery should be placed out of reach of children.

#4: Magnets

These fun little toys are also very dangerous, particularly high-powered magnets. From 2009 to 2013, roughly 2,900 children and teenagers went to the emergency room because they had ingested at least one high-powered magnet. Check out the full article here. If ingested, the magnets can cling to each other in different parts of the body and perforate an organ, causing severe damage.

Despite the efforts of consumer advocates, high-powered magnets are still allowed to be sold in store. But as for us, you won’t find any of these magnets in our home.

#5: Water beads

These innocent little beads have been super popular in our home for a long time. Little did I know they are one of those dangerous household items. If swallowed, the beads can continue to grow once inside the body, causing blockages and life-threatening damage. And the beads may not be visible on X-rays, according to healthychildren.org.

It’s best to not have these beads in your home if you have children under three years old. But even then, it’s kind of risky.

#6: Dressers

When my oldest was two years old, he decided to climb the open dresser drawers to the top. Of course, he didn’t get very far before it started to fall toward him to the ground. Luckily, I was right there and caught the dresser before it crushed him. It was a close call and gave me a really good scare.

It is easy to secure your dresser to the wall. Furniture wall anchor straps will do the trick. Plus, it will give you the peace of mind knowing there won’t be an accident when you’re not around. Dressers are common household items. If you don’t want to secure them to the wall, you can also buy child safety locks for the drawers so they at least can’t open them.

#7: Stools

They’re just stools right? Well, my kids scoot our stools everywhere. And so little toddlers, it can be dangerous if they scoot over to the oven, to the pantry to climb the shelves or the sink and the disposal. Plus, kids fall off stools all of the time and can break bones and receive head injuries. Sadly, it has happened to our kids more often than I care to admit.

The rule at our house is they are not allowed to stand on the stools. They are only for sitting. That prevents most of the accidents right there. If you want to take it a step further, you can buy a toddler standing tower for your kids to stand on and help at the counter. Or you can buy some stools with a backrest that adds another layer of protection.

#8: Hard candy, food, coins & toys

Choking is the leading cause of injury and death among children.

So, which choking hazards are the main culprits? Hard candy. Yep. In fact, according to the Huffington Post, between 2001 and 2009, more than 16,100 children ages 14 and younger visited the emergency room because they were choking on hard candy.

Here are some other culprits that you should keep an eye one when you have little ones running around:

• Hot Dogs
• Nuts
• Popcorn
• Chips
• French fries
• Legos
• Coins

Unfortunately, this is a hard one to monitor because well, we all have to eat. But we can eliminate a lot of hazards. Keep you house tidy and free of tiny toys. Don’t leave spare changing laying around. Stay close to your children during meal times. Don’t allow your kids to run around when they are eating something. You can also have an anti-choking device on hand that will easily dislodge an object stuck in a child’s throat.

#9: Window blinds

More than 16,000 children in the US were treated in emergency departments for injuries caused by window blinds between 1990 and 2015, an average of almost two children every day, according to NPR.org. The main danger are the cords that hang right at the perfect height for children to become entangled and essentially hang themselves.

Here are some great ideas to make these household items safer for your children. Some of these ideas include:

• Temporary – tuck cords up high
• Cut looped cords
• Install cordless blinds
• Install or use safety devices

#10: Treadmills

Treadmills have been called the healthy danger in your home. The most common types of injuries we see from treadmills are usually from kids are reaching, climbing or crawling onto a moving belt to reach a parent or sibling. Small fingers and hands will quickly get caught in the belt mechanism resulting in removal of skin and muscles, serious burns, fractures, amputations, and other injuries. Children can also be thrown from the equipment, resulting in larger fractures or concussions.

Here’s some tips to keep your children safe from treadmills:

• Store the emergency safety key in a separate place
• Keep unplugged when not in use
• Do not use when children are nearby
• Teach older children and teenagers the dangers of treadmills

What household items have you found that might cause harm or injury to your child(ren)?  Leave your comments below.

Related link: 7 Powerful Resources to Help Teach your Kids about Pornography

The post 10 dangerous household items that can harm or even kill your kids appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

Pornography. Either directly or indirectly, most of us have been affected by it. But it’s never too late to learn how to talk to kids about porn. That way they understand the vile poison that it is and hopefully avoid it like the plague. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of child-appropriate educational material available today. But, after scouring the internet, I found 7 powerful resources that you can use to educate your child about pornography:

Good pictures Bad pictures

Any parent would appreciate Good pictures Bad pictures which is a read-along story about a mom and a dad who teach their child what pornography is, why it’s dangerous and how to reject it.  With a 5-star rating and more than 493 reviews, parents highly-recommended this book for all ages. It’s an easy way to approach the subject in a non-threatening way. If you would like to reach a younger audience, try Good pictures Bad pictures jr.

What should I do when I see pornography?

Pornography can become a very depressing subject, but this video from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is uplifting and provides a sense of hope and happiness that even a small child can understand. It explains what pornography is and what to do if you encounter it.

The Trap

This illustrated book, published in 2008 for families with children ages 7-9, is a valuable resource to help parents teach their young children about the destructive nature of pornography, the sacredness of our bodies, and the love the Lord has for His children.

How pornography affects individuals

This video is a depiction from Fight the New Drug about why pornography is so destructive and how it affects individuals. It is simple and to the point. It is appropriate for any age.

First-hand experience

Also from Fight the New Drug, this first-hand experience from Elizabeth Smart may be difficult for younger children to watch. So you be the judge. But it a powerful example of the harmful effects of pornography. She explains how pornography directly affected the way her captor treated her.

What cigarette do you smoke doctor?

The irony in this video is laughable. Of course there is no doctor today who would recommend smoking cigarettes. It is damaging to your health. But we didn’t understand that concept years ago, just like we didn’t understand the impact of pornography on the brain. But now we do. It is as addictive and destructive as drugs.

3 conversations to have with your kids about porn

This podcast is more for parents than for children. A Catholic author and public speaker for the Chastity Project, Matt Fradd gets down to the details of how and why we should talk to our kids about pornography at an early age. You can also check out his blog post “You need to talk to your kids about porn.”

What other resources have you found helpful when teaching your kids about pornography? Leave your comments below.

Related link: 10 Unique Mom Must Haves for Kid and Baby

The post How to talk to kids about porn: 7 powerful resources appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

There are tons of mommy must-haves out there. For example, a car seat and a crib. Those are obvious. But then there’s the “other” mommy must-haves. These are the items that you generally don’t find on a baby registry, but you will NEED them nonetheless. So take a gander and this list and you’ll be running to the store in no time.

#10 Removable shower head

It’s much easier to hose off poop and vomit with one of these. Trust me.

#9 Magic Eraser

These little babies aren’t called “magic” for nothin’. When you’re two-year-old finds the permanent marker and decorates your walls with it, you’ll be glad you purchased this mommy must-have.

#8 Digital Thermometer

Whenever my kids start feeling sick, the first thing I always reach for is a thermometer. It’s a must in any home with kids. It gives you the peace of mind knowing you’re doing everything you can to help your sick child.

#7 Ear plugs

This mommy must-have is a necessary evil. Sometimes, when you’re riding in the car you’ve exhausted every option for calming your toddler. At that point, you just have to pull out the ear plugs. We always keep some spares in our car.

#6 Clear plastic tablecloth

The other day, my 7-year-old decided to carve a tic-tac-toe game into our kitchen table. I was not amused. We all use our kitchen tables for everything, that’s why it’s best to keep it protected.

#5 Shoe cabinet

Seriously. I bought one of these a few months ago and I am much-less stressed out. I don’t have to go on a shoe hunt every time we leave the house now. It’s awesome.

#4 Lanolin

Goodbye sore nipples. Just slather on this stuff EVERY TIME you nurse your baby. You’re always stressed out as a new mom. This will make your life easier from the beginning.

#3 The Snot Sucker

It sounds gross, but it works. And trust me, when you have a sick baby, you’ll be running to Walgreens to find anything to help your baby breathe. And those blue bulbs from the hospital don’t work great. So buy a snot sucker. You won’t be disappointed.

#2 Binkie clip

It’s such a simple thing but makes life so much easier. I can’t tell you how many times I have searched frantically in my baby’s car seat while trying to drive, just to find that blasted binkie! Or blindly felt around my baby’s crib in the dark for that lost binkie.

#1 Drinking fountain

Stop smirking. I’m being serious. You can install one of these in your house and you’ll have less dishes and more independently happy children running around.

What other unique mommy must-haves do you have in your home?

Related link: How to organize your kids’ shoes for good

The post Top 10 Unique Mommy Must-Haves for kid and baby appeared first on My Silly Squirts.

About four years ago, I was leaving Walmart and I was in the worst mood. I thought, “Why am I always grumpy when I leave this store?” That was the day that I decided once and for all that I was going to start grocery shopping somewhere else.

All of the sudden, I realized that low prices are NOT the most important part of grocery shopping. I spend more time at the grocery store than any other place during the week (aside from my home). Why should I torture myself by spending time at a place where I don’t like to be? So, take a look at my top 10 perks you WON’T find shopping at Walmart and see if you agree.

#1: Walmart doesn’t always have the lowest prices

People like shopping at Walmart because their prices are lower than everyone else. Well, I thought I would put that to the test. I went to Walmart and bought 14 grocery items. Then I went to Smith’s and bought the equivalent 14 items there as well.  Guess what? Smith’s was cheaper.

That doesn’t mean that everything at Smith’s or any other grocery store is cheaper than Walmart (see the chart below). However, you might be surprised to find out that you’re not really saving as much money as you think by shopping at Walmart.

#2: Short lines

One time when I was checking out at the grocery store, my one-year-old stood up in his seat in the cart. Then my three-year-old decided to give the cart a quick push. I caught all of this out of the corner of my eye. Thanks to my cat-like reflexes, I caught my one-year-old in mid air right before he landed on the hard floor.

It is experiences like these that motivate me to shop at grocery stores with the shortest lines.  I can honestly say that I have to wait in a long line EVERY time I go to Walmart. However, I almost never have to wait in line when I go to other grocery stores such as Smith’s or Macey’s or Harmon’s. Plus, other grocery stores usually have a sticker, a piece of candy or even a balloon to give my kids while I am waiting to pay for my groceries. Walmart does not.

#3: Friendly sales associates

I really enjoy shopping at a local grocery store called Harmon’s. They pride themselves in excellent customer service. From the bakery to the meat department, they go above and beyond to help me with whatever I need. I love it! I feel relaxed when I leave that store. And why wouldn’t I? Everyone was smiling at me everywhere I went. Unfortunately (and I know you can agree), the sales associates at Walmart are not very helpful nor friendly.

 #4: Samples & kid-friendly stuff

I probably grocery shop at Smith’s more than any other grocery store. That’s because they have all these wonderful samples throughout the entire. They give away apples, bananas and oranges for FREE in the produce department and the bakery always has a sample. Plus, each checkout line has a candy or a sticker for my kids. It keeps them happy and entertained the entire time.

#5: Specialty items

One day I went to Walmart to buy some Pop Rocks. I couldn’t find them anywhere in the candy aisle. There was a Walmart worker nearby so I asked where I could find them. She said, “Oh, those are specialty items. We don’t sell them at Walmart.” Really?

Although I would hardly consider Pop Rocks a specialty item, that meant I had to go to another store to find what I needed. There are many grocery stores out there that pride themselves in selling local and specialty items. That is just another way to show interest in a person who is gluten-intolerant or someone who wants a special ingredient for a new recipe.

#6: Delicious produce/bakery/meat/salad bar

Several years ago, I wanted to buy a large ham for a Sunday dinner. I went to Walmart and asked the butcher if he could slice the ham. He said no. Some crazy rule about the types of meat they were allowed to slice. So I took my business to Macey’s and they sliced the same ham, no questions asked. Quality service and quality food is important to me. It tell me that they care about their customers.

Although it may seem crazy, I LOVE going to certain grocery stores when I want to eat out for lunch or dinner. Harmons, for example, has amazing salad bars and deli food. It’s gourmet grocery shopping at its best.

#7: Baggers

This is a must for any mother. The last thing I want to worry about when I’m shopping is bagging all my groceries. I am usually busy chasing my kids around. Sometimes I just want to give the baggers a big hug after they load my groceries in my car. It’s the little things that make me want to come back. Walmart of course NEVER takes your groceries to your car.

#8: Bargain prices/sales

I have a friend who only shops at Target. She loves it there because they have a money-saving app called Cartwheel, Redcard (which saves 5% everyday), and online coupons. I love Smith’s because they give away a FREE item every Friday, have an easy-to-use app with exclusive coupons, reduced and clearance items, awesome coupons that they send you in the mail and discounts on gas.

Walmart, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to ever have anything on sale. If you want to find something on sale, you have to do all the work of price matching stuff and sometimes they don’t accept it.

#9: High-quality items

This is something I just have a hard time finding at Walmart. There is a reason why a lot of people don’t have a wedding gift registry at Walmart. It’s kind of a ghetto, low-quality place to shop.

#10: An overall pleasant shopping experience

If I am happier when I leave a grocery store, then I know it a place coming back to. I don’t ever feel that way when I leave Walmart so I just don’t go there very often.

So what do you think? Do you enjoy shopping at Walmart or not? Leave your comments below.

The post 10 reasons to shop somewhere other than Walmart appeared first on My Silly Squirts.