Summer Essentials For Moms

Today I thought I would share some of my "Mom" Essential Items for Summer!  

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12

Be sure to check out the video below for my Mom Summer Essentials and check back tomorrow for my Kid version!!

**This Post Contains Affiliate Links**

My Mindset As A "Work Widow"

As I lay in my bed writing this post, having just done homework with, played with, fed, bathed, and put all the kids to bed myself, I am think about the next few weeks.  I know that I will not be seeing my husband for at least 2 weeks.  In that time, we will have a weekend trip away, tball practices, quite a few meltdowns, approximately 42ish meals #ISUCKatMath, and my birthday.  I am what I have heard referred to as a "work widow".  I am also tired just thinking about all that!

Now I am not even closely trying to relate this to being a full time single parent, a real widow, or a military wife.  My husband just works a lot of hours, in a career he loves.  Early mornings, late nights, weekends, red eye flights, across the country....nothing is off limits.

I have been told I handle it so well, by many people.  While I can't say I am the perfect wife who never complains, gets angry, or wishes we had a normal 9-5 Monday-Friday schedule, I try to stay as positive as possible about our situation and life in general.

So how do I do it?

First and Foremost, I We make the most of the time we have together.  When we do get a full weekend without anything on the calendar, I try to keep it that way.  We relax, go to the park, maybe enjoy a meal out, head to church as a family.  I also use this time to refuel a bit.  I will take a morning to myself, usually at the mall, just to get some time alone.  My husband is amazing at completely focusing on the kids when he is home.  He is great at playing for hours on end, even when he probably wishes he were catching up on sleep.

I plan and prepare.  Some say I over organize, or write to many lists, but especially now with three kids, I make sure I don't double book myself when it is just me and the kids.  We just can't schedule a dance class on a day where the kids have church school.  It CAN'T happen.  I also try to limit the errands that need ran with all three kids.

 

I always am thankful.  We are so lucky to be in the position we are.  I am able to stay home, my husband is in a great position at work, and him being busy means things are going well.  There are so many who go through the struggle of loosing a job, trying to find work.  Heck, that could be us.  I am just so grateful that my husband's hard work and long hours have provided for us in so many ways.

{Matthew and Lillian "helping" at Daddy's office Fall 2010}

I remind myself that he doesn't want to be away.  My husband is working to support and provide for his family.  Yes he is career driven, and loves his job, but he doesn't want to be away from us.  He is doing it for us.  He may get fancy hotel rooms, great meals out, but he is also working his tail off, it isn't a vacation, and you know what those hotel beds don't come with, 6am snuggles, which I know he misses!

{Matt and Joshua Summer 2013}

One word, FaceTime.  This was a game changer for us.  Luckily the kids really haven't had a time that they remember without being able to chat face to face with their Dad.  Sometimes if he is on the west coast with the time change it gets a bit tricky, but being able for them to see him really helps.

Prioritizing.  When Matt is away I put my nose to the grindstone (one of my former teachers or coaches used to say that all the time).  I realize that if I don't do something then it isn't going to get done.  I really focus on doing/being my best when he is away.  It makes it easier on him, if he knows that all is well at home.

#naptime.  I have admitted before to occasionally taking a nap during the kids nap time, and when my husband is gone, this happens pretty frequently.  I don't sleep at night so well without him home, so I make up for it during nap.

I am so proud of my husband, the person, husband, and father that he is.  I know that if I were to complain all the time about our situation, it would just make everyone miserable.

Bookshelf Organization and Some Favorite Books

I'll be the first to admit I am not a big book reader.  Maybe that will change someday, maybe not.  I am ok with it.  We literally have 1 shelf on 1 bookcase that contains real books, you know, ones that are not for the kids.  1 shelf.  Kids books, we probably have a few hundred #it'sbecomingaproblem.  

On said shelf my husband has about 5 books, either about the Yankees or Jerry Rice.  As for me.  My favorite fictional stories come from Nicholas Sparks.  I own in real book form every book he has written.  

Other than that my book collection is filled with books about cleaning, organizing, housewife stuff, motherhood things.  These books I do actually enjoy reading, and I read the same over and over.  

Below I am going to share some of my favorites with you.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 {Newer Editions Available}

5 {TOP PICK!} / 6 /  7 / 8

To see what else is on our bookshelf, be sure to watch the video below!

What are your favorite types of books to read?  Share below!

First Sleepover

As kids get bigger, they go through less of those "firsts".  For Joshua it seems like he is doing something for the first time everyday, but for Matthew, not so much.  

This weekend, he experienced his first sleepover.  He was so excited, his friend was so excited.  I was a nervous wreck.  Luckily the other boy's mom is a really good friend of mine, so that made me feel much better.  

Lilly was a mess that evening, we realized that in her entire life, she has never spent a night away from her big brother, they have stayed without us, but never without each other.  She cried, and moped around.  It was so sweet.

I am happy to report that he made it through the night, there was no driving in the middle of the night, or crying phone calls.  He was mad when it was time to go home.  He was the first out of the 5 boys to go to sleep and the last to wake up. 

The best part.... the next day I had all 3 kids napping at the same time.  Matthew doesn't nap anymore, but he snuggled up on the couch with me, and we all slept.  

Life As A Mom Of Three

So it has been a year as me being a mom of three.  I have learned so much in the past year.  I somehow come across so many people with 2 kids debating whether to try for a third or not.  For us there was such a big time period where we weren't sure whether to have another baby or be done after Lilly.  When Lilly was almost 3 we decided to try and  see how it goes.  We have never had problems getting pregnant.  And sure enough about a month after making the decision, we found out we were pregnant.

I never in a million years would have imagined the difference between having 2 kids to having 3.  While I know if we wouldn't of had Joshua my heart would have always ached for 1 more baby, the transition has made me a bit frazzled.  I no longer have it all together.  I actually am now late for things, I forget things, I say no to helping with things, because I am simply too busy.  Is Joshua worth it, absolutely 100%, that question is so laughable.  Would my life be different with just two kids, easier, less hectic.... well, yes.  I would have 9 hours a week right now to myself without any kids.  In the fall I would have both children in school all day.  I would have no bottles in the house, diapers would be a thing of the past, there would be no nighttime wake-ups.

Every season of life is a just that, a season, it will come and before I know it, it will be gone.  I would do anything to go back and relive the newborn days with all three of my babies.  Those are some of my happiest times in my life.

When people ask my opinion on having a third or sticking with two, I usually tell them that with three there is never a moment where someone other than yourself needs something.  Attention, food, cleaning, driven somewhere, you name it.  But seeing all three of my kids snuggled together, playing, or reading just melts my heart.  You will always wonder if you don't have another, but if you have another, you will never regret it.

I may never be 15 minutes early for every appointment again, supreme room mom, or be able to workout at the gym 5 mornings a week, but I have a full house.  Full of love, laughter, and....well, kids!

Just because I am a stay at home mom....

.....doesn't mean my house is always spotless.

....doesn't mean I want to sit and play barbies for hours.

.....doesn't mean my family eats a home cooked meal every night.

.....doesn't mean I have time/energy to workout everyday.

.....doesn't mean I don't need a good night sleep and should get up every time someone cries.

....doesn't mean I have time to be room mom, PTO lady, take snack to soccer every week lady.

.....doesn't mean I sit in front of the tv eating bon bons during nap time.

.....doesn't mean I need paint, do crafts, and spend every waking minute giving my children attention.

Some days (like yesterday) I breakdown, seeing myself a failure because I just wanted a half an hour of quiet, sitting to myself.  Not telling my 6 year old to clean up yet another mess, listening to my 4 year old go on and on and on and on and on and on all day....wonder where she gets that from, not pulling my 11 month old away from the bathroom door dozens of times a minute.  It isn't always perfect.  It's never perfect.  I am never going to play with my kids as much as I should, while having a spotless house, and a hot delicious dinner on the table each night. 

I don't know why I expect that out of myself.  I would think after 6 years of being a mother I would realize that my house will be clean in about 17 years when my children are gone......and I don't even want to think about that.

No matter how tiring, loud, exhausting, annoying, frustrating, gross, or messy each day gets, it is worth it.  It. Is. Worth. It.

Because I am a stay at home mom.....

....means I get to see every milestone.

....means I get to kiss every boo boo.

....means I get to cheer every base hit.

....means I get to be the homework helper each day.

.....and the snack maker.

....means I do occasionally if the stars align get to lay down for about 20 during nap time and close my eyes. Which is my saving grace. 

...means I get to be the first one they see after school dismissal.

....means I get to be the one to hear all about their adventures at school.

.....means I get to smell the straight out of the bath and into pjs smell.

.....means I get the bedtime snuggles reading stories.

.....means I get the good night kisses and I Love You Mommy.

31 Days 2013 - Day 1

{Day One}

Today I find it very fitting to first write about how thankful I am to be a Stay at Home Mom.  As I sit and read/listen to the potential Government shutdown, being in NoVA where there are so many friends, neighbors, and community members that would be affected by this, I feel so blessed.  

 

Thankfully, my husband will not be directly affected.  He will continue to go to work each day.  In fact for the past 7 years that we have been together on our own, he has provided.  I have stayed home since day one, and this is a gift that I will never be able to put into words how much it means.  

 

My happiness today, is simple.  I am happy and so blessed for my husband.  I would never be able to stay home without his support and constant encouragement.

So, Thanks Hun! I Love you!

31 Days.

I can't believe I am committing to this, as I have always been a Monday to Friday, no weekends blogger, but I am joining in the very popular 31 Days, with The Nester.  I have decided to document my happiness as a Stay at Home Mom, well a mom really.  I am taking a break from organizing, printables, tips/tricks, recipes, and focusing the next month on motherhood. 

So tomorrow it begins!  I will be adding the links each day to this post, also each will have a label of 31 Days 2013.

Please also follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as I document the entire month!

Day One

Dealing With Nightmares

When you have children you quickly learn that there is always something to worry about.  As a mom you want to make your child's life as carefree and innocent as possible.

Recently Matthew has started having nightmares.  It is terrible, thinking something is scaring your child so badly, and there isn't much you can do to stop or avoid it.  All of our children are great sleepers.  They have slept in their own bed in their own room from a very young age.  They rarely wake in the night.  When Matthew woke whimpering for me in the early hours of the morning we knew something was up.  Honestly, I thought he had an accident.  He instantly told me that he had a nightmare, and continued to recap the entire dream in detail.  We let him come sleep the last hour and a half in our bed, and we didn't think much of it the next day.  When we went to put the kids to bed, Matthew was not ok.  He didn't want to shut his eyes, he didn't want to be in his room.  My husband made him feel better by placing one of my loose fitting hair ties around his wrist to comfort him, saying that is what he does when he gets nightmares (so cute, right!)  **BTW, it has been about a week since we did this, and he hasn't had another nightmare since.  He still wears the hair tie at night, but has been sleeping great again.

Some other things we do to create a calm bedtime routine:

*We do the same routine every night at the same time.
*We shower, put on pjs brush teeth, get a drink
*We read stories in our bed.  They each pick 1 and then we read from a chapter book.
*We say prayers, go potty one more time and head to bed.
*In their rooms they each have a blanky (which they have had since birth) and a LeapFrog My Pal Scout.  In Matthew's room there is also a cd player that plays the same Lullaby CD That he has listened to since the day he came home from the hospital.
*They also each have nightlights in their room as well.


My heart can't handle these nightmares, so I hope so badly they go away soon.  In the mean time, while we lay at bedtime, talking a few minutes before lights out,  I am trying to make this a teachable moment.  Telling Matthew how it is so important to be brave.  That he is brave.  That the superheros he looks up to are brave.  To not be afraid.  That so many wonderful things happen as long as you are not scared.  Bravery is such a wonderful character trait, one that I do not have.  One that I so hope my boys develop, because when you are brave I feel you can confront the bad dreams you may have, and chase the good ones.

Five On Friday - We are Back To School!

I have been looking forward to Friday since the moment I woke up Tuesday morning.  The first week of school is always challenging, and the weekend is welcomed with open arms in this house! Linking up with the lovely Darci, Natasha, Christina, and April for 5 on Friday.  

{one}

Today Joshua is 8 months old!!!!  Let me tell you I am seeing more of this everyday.  He wants to be on the move SO badly.  

{two}

Although stressful and jammed pack for me, the first week of school for Matthew was great.  He is settled into his new classroom, and LOVES his 1st Grade teacher.  Of course that make me one happy mama!

{three}

The mornings have been cooler, and the sunshine in the afternoons has a nice breeze to go along with it, which means one thing, fall is slowly making its way to NoVA.  That coupled with the start of football season made me bust out the fall decor yesterday.  Autumn makes me happy.

{Four}

Go Steelers #blackandyellow #thatisall

{five}

Today is Lillian's preschool orientation and meet the teacher.  She is so ready for school, counting down the days.  I am excited for her, because I know she will love it.  Her and Matthew are so different.  He is reserved and quiet....Lilly is the exact opposite, she loves to be the center of attention, loud, animated.  It will be interesting to see how school is different for the two of them as well.  

Monday will be JD's 8 Month Update, then Tuesday I will share how Lilly's 1st Day of Preschool went!

Oh and If you are wondering how I {semi} keep it all together, check out my 10 time management tips for busy moms.

Lastly, I have decided to actually start using my blog's Facebook Page!  It is going to be the main spot where I share the school lunches I pack for my 1st grader, and snacks I take for my preschooler, so head over and like it to see my creations!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! 

10 Time Management Tips For Busy Moms

Moms are busy, there is no arguing that.  Life is chaotic with kids, no matter what their ages.  There are things you can do as a mom to make your life easier, and make you feel more in control.  I feel like good time management goes a long way in making days/weeks run more smoothly.

{one} Establish A Routine.  No matter what age of your children.  Kids love and thrive on knowing what to expect.  Knowing when they are eating, sleeping, bathing, playing.  Work hard to get on a routine that works for your family, and stick to it.  Every family is different, so it is hard to spell out what a routine should be.  If you want a look into our life check out this post!

{two} Get A Good Great Planner. This is such a personal preference.  I am in love, and have been for 3 years with my Erin Condren Life Planner.  I have also heard people love the Filofax,MomAgenda , or even making your own.  You can you ICal and sync with your spouse or family Google calender, but I suggest working on paper. From meal plans, to kids activities, to your husbands commitments,  Write everything down!  It will make life so much easier.  

{three} Enlist Your Kids for Help. Cleaning my 6 & 4 year olds rooms should NOT be my responsibility.  Yea, I may have to go through when I am in there dusting and sweeping and put away some things, but on the day to day, your kids should be able to help out by cleaning their bedrooms, toys, and also clearing their plates from meals.  After school, your school aged children should also get into the routine of taking care of putting their lunch items away, and hanging their book bag. 

{four} Take Advantage of Unusable Time. Sitting in the car during carpool, or waiting for CCD to be over, or gymnastics, is so frustrating to me.  I used to sit there thinking of all that could be done.  When in reality this is a great time to work.  First thing I do, make sure my car is cleaned up.  I mean you are in the car anyway, why not freshen it up.  Also making phone calls.  Lastly, I always have my planner with me, so I can meal plan, or make a list of things I want to accomplish the next day.  Doing billing, or writing letters would also be something you could easily do from the car.

{five} Sometimes Take The Juice Boxes. I have trouble with this, but it is ok to sign up to take something as simple as plates to the class party.  You don't ALWAYS have to make the cupcakes, or fruit sticks, or another awesome Pinterest find for the party.  Also you can say no once in awhile too, if your life is just too overloaded.

{six} Make A List.  Every night before I settle in to relax for the night, I make a to-do list for the next day.  Now the list hardly ever get completed, but it is nice to start each day with a plan.

{seven} Step Away, Just Take A Nap.  If everything is just too overwhelming, you don't know where to start, and your kids are down for their nap, join them.  Naps make everything better! 

{eight} Don't Run Errands With Your Kids.  I know this isn't always doable, but when you can run errands alone.  It goes so much faster when you don't have to strap and unstrap kids in and out of the car at every stop.  Not to mention you bypass the tantrums, slow walkers, kids running the isles.  When I can't go alone, I pick a time I have the least amount of children with me.  Why run to Target with all three kids on a Friday afternoon when I can go Monday morning with just the baby while the others are at school.

{nine} Go To Bed With A Semi-Clean House.  Sometimes this is so hard, but so worth it.  If you go to bed with your living room, dining room, and kitchen de-cluttered and put away, it will just make you happy the next morning.  No one like waking up knowing they are already behind for the day.  I am not talking vacuumed, dusted and spotless, just throw the toys in a toy box, make sure your sink is empty and all the dishes are done, counters are clean, and there aren't a ton of crumbs on the dining room table/floor. 

{ten} Don't Beat Yourself Up. Raising kids in hard work.  You can't do it all, no matter what!  Prioritize, and always stop to take time to sit back and just enjoy life.  It isn't about finishing a project, crossing items off a list, or having an immaculate house.  It's about enjoy the life you have created, and making memories your kids will treasure forever!

**Just to let y'all know, this post includes affiliate links!

SO WHAT!

Today seems like the perfect day to join in with Shannon over at Life After I Dew, and say so what to the hot mess that has been my life this week....so here goes!

So What if it is only the end of the second day of school and I am completely and totally exhausted, so what.

So What if I had to say a little white lie to Matthew last night.  He came over after baseball asking if I had seen him slide into home, I didn't see him, but said I did.... The worst part, I was too busy talking to the other baseball moms to see it, or see my daughter rolling in the dirt, so what.

So What, I may be a little too excited for all my favorite tv shows to return in the fall, even though I have no time to watch them, so what.

So What if today I took a nap instead of cleaning my kitchen, which in turn made it impossible to do later in the afternoon with a cranky baby, so I let him completely take over my kitchen, he even chewed on broccoli in the packaging (btw, why the broccoli I bought is in packaging I have no clue), so what.

So What if I have an extra long list of projects to complete while 2/3 kids are in school this fall, and I just know that about 3/4 of just won't get done, for about 5ish years, so what.

Life with three kids just keeps getting crazier by the day, it is NOT easy, but so worth it.

Today

I normally have my blog posts written a few days in advance, I don't have a huge backup of posts, but I try to get them done a 2-3 days before they publish.  It works for me.  

Today, I was going to start doing a monthly favorites.  Talking about my favorite products, toys, foods, whatevers from the previous month.  

But today, I am tired, no exhausted.  And life is only going to get a whole lot busier.  With 2/3 of the kids starting school, the other {this close} to crawling, my husband's work getting significantly busier again.   Yea, this mama is about to get a rude awakening.  No more long, slow, lazy summer days.  No more vacations, weekends as a family with no real plans.  

I go back to chauffeur, chef, tutor, groomer, tball mom, gymnastics mom, PTO vice-president, wife to a very hard working business man.  

So today, I really don't care what my favorite hair product was this month, or what toy my 7 month old chewed on all day.  Today I just want to rest.  

Basically today I am blogging about how I just don't feel like blogging today....lol.

Thankfully, we are staying in town this week, we thought about making one last trip of the summer, but I am so happy we are home.  I can prepare for the hectic time that I am about to face.  I can rest, play with my kids, get some alone time (hopefully), make some meals in advance, and maybe, just maybe get one morning to sleep in a bit.

Let the back to school madness begin.

A Letter

Last year, I was in your shoes.  I know the thoughts in your head, the feeling in your heart.  It isn't easy, letting go.  I was lucky, my son LOVES school, and was so excited to start on this new adventure.  It's funny because it always seems to be that way.  The things he is most excited for, I am terrified for on the inside.  

 

{The first and last day of Kindergarten, they change SO much throughout that short 9 months}

I wish I could say that it will get easier, after dropping them off on the first day.  Yea, you get into a routine, you see that they love it, and have so much fun.  For me, I still got so excited everyday when 3:15 came around and I got to go pick him up.  I was even more excited when summer arrived and I knew he was all mine for 2 1/2 months.  I cried the first morning I dropped him off at day camp this week....yep, smh, I of course waited till in the car, but it took me a good 5 minutes to get ahold of myself.  I just always want to protect him and be there for him.

 

I am unsure of how the drop off on the first day of First Grade will go, and the first time dropping Lilly off at preschool for the first time (I keep telling myself I will be fine).  I also keep thinking during the craziness/loudness in my house during the summer, that it will be so nice to have them back on a routine and in school....

 

Some tips I have learned along the way...

If possible, meet the teacher, see the classroom, this makes both you and your child more relaxed.

Spend the few days/weekend before school starts just having fun, together.  Maybe even make it a date day with just that child.

The morning of the first day...

Wake up and get ready before your child, prepare everything, that way you aren't feeling rushed, and you may even be able to sit and have breakfast together.

 Wear super big sunglasses, the bigger and more they make you look like a fly, the better. 

Hide the tissues, don't let them see you sad.

  Take a ton of pictures.  As many as you want, this day only happens once.

 Find something productive to do that first day.  After drop off meet some friends, head to work, go shop, anything to get your mind off it!

Lastly, give them a great big hug and tell them how proud you are.  

**I am not an emotional person, like at all.  I rarely cry, movies and such really don't affect me, but man these kids of mine, they have the equation to crack that.