To my mind, doulas are magical, mystical angels.
Back in 2010, as a newly expectant mom-to-be, I really didn't know what a doula even was. I was lucky enough to find a local doula who worked with my husband and I long before my labor began and who held my hand for as long as I needed far beyond the birth of my baby.
Using a doula for both births of my children was a magical, rewarding experience for both my husband and myself.
My beloved doula Kelli (owner of Cabo Doula Services) and I decided to do a Q&A. I asked Kelli some questions about working with a doula that I thought might help new moms out there. We're sharing it here for anyone interested in learning more about understanding what a doula is and what he or she can bring to the table during one of the most intimate, amazing chapters of your life.
Thanks to Kelli for sharing this knowledge!
The physical presence of a doula has been statistically significant in reducing intervention rates and the need for pain management, therefore, allowing moms to have a more natural birth.
The number one way most moms find a doula is word of mouth. Typically, a local Mom who had a wonderful birthing experience with a doula and will share that knowledge with another expecting Mom. Another way to hunt is via DONA: Doulas of North America. They have an online directory that you can find a doula in your area whether it be in the United States or in another country.
Nowadays doulas are located all over the world so Google will undoubtedly be a worthy search tool. You can also look for recommendations for doulas in your area via Mommy Facebook groups or even in What To Expect or Babycenter communities.
Doulas spend a lot of time with mom discussing what she wants, what her mission and vision are for her birth ahead of time.
I spend time meeting with Mom and discussing her birth plan, seeing what worked for her last birth (if this is the second or third birth) and understanding her needs for this pregnancy and birth.
Listening is a very valuable part of the work that we do before birth.
I listen to her fears and worries. I'm deeply listening to what the mom needs.
Additionally, I give mom the information she needs to make the best possible decisions and plan for her birth. Each mom is different, each birth is completely unique, so Mom’s needs are always going to vary.
We discuss the birth plan, we might meet with the doctor, we might do a review of the location to ensure she will have everything she needs. We guide her to resources to get the information she needs to be able to create the birth of her dreams.
Whether that's going to be in a birthing center or a home birth or a hospital. If Mom wants a hospital birth, then she has to decide which hospital is best for her. We act as a guide and support along her journey, helping her understand what she can expect throughout the process.
Going through the birth plan will help guide us to what the mom is looking for and how we can help her with that.
It’s worth mentioning that communication between doula and Mom don’t just happen during birth.
Numerous calls and messages will be exchanged during the pregnancy and then especially when labor begins. A lot of questions come up that Mom maybe doesn’t feel comfortable asking a family member or husband about.
Questions like: ‘I have a certain kind of mucus;' perhaps she’s unsure if she just lost her mucus plug or maybe her water breaks. Maybe it’s a call because she’s worried about her water breaking and what wants to confirm the color the water should look like so we give a lot of guided information ahead of time.
During birth, a doula then will meet with the mom.
Prior to birth, we will have already discussed what time Mom wants us to be there. Perhaps we'll meet at home or at the hospital. Once we're with her, we're with her until the baby's born.
It’s typical for us to stay usually two to three hours after the birth to help with newborn latching and making sure mom and baby are doing well.
During the birth a doula, we hold your hand, we listen to the breathing and we either work with you in the breath with whatever breath technique that you learned. Recently, there's a lot of different techniques that are used now like vocalization. We put on music. We may or may not use essential oils depending on what’s been asked of us prior to birth.
We may or may not use flashcards or guided imagery so it just depends on what the mom has requested. There's a lot of massage that's usually done. We help to prepare the birthing environment; I like to create a spa-like feel to the room. There’s a lot involved as far as getting the room set up, making the mom comfortable, helping dad feel comfortable.
We check to see if mom needs water, we apply a cold towel, doing different massage techniques on hands and feet, getting on the floor, trying different positions, maybe using a birthing ball and generally helping her with the birth process to help her remain calm. We provide constant information, allowing the mom to be able to feel like she can express herself and really just going through the whole of the birth process with her and holding her hand through that.
Every hospital is different. Some hospitals allow us to be involved through the whole experience and other hospitals don't. A birth doula can be included at the point where you deliver and sometimes we have to wait outside of the room when you're delivering. It just depends on what your hospital’s policies are, who your doctor is and what their rules and regulations are but generally speaking, we're there during the labor and birth process.
We begin our active role when a mom is usually in active labor or sometimes in early labor.
A doula helps to clean and organize. I usually help with getting the baby's stuff together or sometimes we take pictures for the parents if they're busy doing other things. Helping with whatever tasks are necessary at the moment. We answer lots and lots of questions about breastfeeding, about meconium, about the baby's first bowel movement. We guide mom into what she can expect depending on what kind of birth she had and what kind of interventions were given.
After birth, we'll discuss if her birthing experience met her expectations and find out what her emotional experience was. About a week after the birth we regroup and see what went right and if it didn't or if anything changed, how does she feel about that or what would she have like to have done differently.
Most of the time moms are really thrilled when they have a doula. They're thrilled with the outcome of their birth and very pleased that everything usually goes to plan. And even when it doesn't go to plan, the best and most optimal decisions were made so that's always rewarding.
You want to get a feel and see if there's a good connection between the doula and the mom because the doula is really like a surrogate mom, sister or a best friend but with a lot of great information. She’s already been through the labor and birthing process with other Moms and Dads.
More than anything, it’s important to be on the same page with their philosophical views. When you're interviewing a doula, ask yourself if this person will make you feel that your needs will be heard.
Will this doula be the best person for you based on their philosophical views of birth and laboring? And for everyone, it's truly different.
In my bag of tricks I have my birthing ball, I have [???] which are giant big pads for mom and I have a really big Mexican blanket that I like to put on the floor so she can have room to get on hands and feet or do some exercises with.
I have little tiny massage balls that I use. For comfort measures, I use essential oils and massage oils. I have a special oil blend for labor and I have hot pads and cold pads which are great for lower back pain for mom.
I also use ambient spa music and electrical candles rather than regular ones for safety reasons.
Depending on where you're going to have your baby, what hospital, here in Mexico we kinda need extra stuff so I like to plan for in case for all worst-case scenarios in case we're gonna be there for a little while longer than we would normally expect. So for those things I also bring in my car changes of clothes, bedding, sheets and food for me, more than anything else so a lot of the stuff that I bring also is for me in case I have to be there for a long time.
It could be a challenge if a doula's perceived as somebody who's taking away the moment from the dad or the couple. A doula can be a challenge if she has very, very strong opinions, isn't really grounded and is using her beliefs to create problems with the nursing staff and the doctors.
Doulas need to be very respectful of the couple and very respectful of the doctors and nurses. Making sure that they are working in conjunction with and not against making sure that the doula is not talking over a mom, partner or for a couple. That the doula is really respecting the mom's wishes but also allowing the mom to be autonomous and to take her own initiative to be able to speak very clearly for herself.
A doula's job is to help remind the parents to stay focused on the birth plan, to give options or information, not to make any decisions for them. So in that respect, it's important that doulas create a very loving, respectful environment and try to use the best words possible when something needs to be accomplished so feelings aren't hurt and things can move very smoothly. Her job is to be a part of a very fluid team. We want a team that's working together and not working against anybody, right?
Part two coming soon....
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We like to believe that this will happen spontaneously and that your child will suddenly tell you - "Ready Mom, no more bottle!”- and that this same thing happens when it’s time to stop using a pacifier.
No more bottle, formula, pacifiers… everything magically stops. Right?
Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. Your child can’t wean him or herself from a bottle alone. Sadly, I have had isolated cases of children as old as 8 that STILL take a bottle to get to sleep. So I cannot express how important it is for parents to have a plan in place to wean their babies off their bottles.
Children are commonly weaned off their bottles between 2 - 4 years old. The biggest problem for parents is that bottles are used to facilitate a nap, or when their children are going to bed at night.
I'm not saying this to make you feel guilty, but you must be aware that continuing to employ these habits may bring on some serious problems for your children:
It is true that infants use suction to feel safe, relaxed, and even feel pleasure. In reality, babies don’t want the milk, he or she just wants to suck, but if it is accompanied by a few ounces of milk, then obviously they will swallow the milk whilst sucking.
There’s a high price to pay for encouraging bottle-feeding, and I'm not talking about what you spend in formula. In addition to the unnecessary consumption of extra (unneeded) calories, babies are left with traces of milk in their mouth and teeth. And in time, this will result in dental problems, along with some of the issues previously mentioned.
The best time to stop bottle-feeding is just after your baby's first birthday.
Because by then:
But how you do wean a baby from a bottle? That’s the question I get from many Moms who have tried multiple times, resulting in endless days of crying.
Here is my plan. It’s not the only plan out there, but for many of my patients, it has worked very well. All of my patients who have tried this method have been successful.
Step One: All caregivers of your baby need to be on board with the plan, and everyone needs to be in agreement with your approach. And everyone needs to understand:
The secret trick to this plan is this: if your baby gets so much as a sniff of insecurity from either parent or another caregiver about the bottle-weaning plan, I assure you that you are going to fail before you have even begun.
So don't try it if you are not 100% confident that this plan will succeed.
Step Two: We're going to use your baby's goodwill to succeed in our plan.
All kids like to give and receive gifts. So prepare a box that fits all their bottles (each and every one of them), as if you were going to make a gift.
Ideally, find one that you can wrap and add a big colorful gift ribbon around!
With your help, invite your child to help in a special "ceremony" of preparing a gift, and put each empty bottle (one by one) into the empty box. Explain briefly (without preaching) that we are going to give the bottles to another child who really needs them.
Step Three: And now it's the big day - We go together with our child and their gift to the home, business or office of our partner, friend, family member, or even a pediatrician, who receives it and is grateful to receive the "gift" for another baby and we tell baby that it is a very good and noble gesture.
I encourage you to do one more little thing. Now is the time to introduce a super-hero or a Disney Princess glass to your baby. Present your little one with a beautiful new drinking device and congratulate them once again for being so brave and caring.
And that's it.
Bottle feeding is over.
No more bottles at home.
Even though your child already knows, reassure them that their transition away from bottles was a good thing. Take out the new drinking glass again and remind your child that this will be their new way of drinking.
Of course, you have to be prepared for some crying and despair - that’s normal. But you will be surprised how soon it is before your baby no longer asks for a bottle of milk. That old habit will now be replaced with reading time and extra cuddles.
Developmentally speaking, this is the ideal time and plan to wean your baby off his or her bottle.
So give it a try. You have nothing to lose. I promise, seeing your baby grow, eat, and develop normally is worth the effort, and that is truly the best reward!
(I’m always delighted to receive these gift boxes full of bottles in my office - I have many children who give them away!)
Dr. Ramon Barragan is a Pediatric Specialist and Critical Medical Pediatrician from Mexico. Dr. Barragan lives in San Jose del Cabo with his beautiful wife and daughter, while growing a thriving pediatric practice for the past 20 years. To read more about, or connect with Dr. Barragan please visit his website Papas de Primeros.
Dr. Ramon Barragan is our resident pediatrician at Baja Baby. If you would like to try our EWG VERIFIED™ products, please check out our lavender travel kit. It's the perfect way to sample a few of our natural, safe skincare for children.
Disclaimer: This information is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease. All material provided on this Baja Baby Shop is provided for information purposes only. Always seek the advice of your own pediatrician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition.
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A good coach makes all the difference in whether a teammate feels valued, supported, and challenged to be the best participant they can, and I believe so much of that can be used in parenting.
I used to joke that having two kids, is like being a referee. You are there to manage the playing field (playroom) and when a disagreement (tantrum) breaks out, the referee is there to handle it. Although a referee plays an important part is making sure the playing field is fair, they play no part in the actual development of the player. They expect everyone to play the perfect game and wait for the moment they can declare a mess up.
As I took time to reflect on what makes a good coach, I have decided to hone in on how I can implement “coach parenting” vs. “referee parenting” for my kids.
As a mom, we are given one of the greatest responsibilities to learn and to listen to our children. No one else can do it for us, not a teacher, not a grandparent, not a babysitter. It is up to us to be their greatest support and greatest listener. It is also up to us to learn how each child needs to be understood and heard.
As a mom of two (a girl and a boy), I fully understand the difference in sibling personalities but even more so the difference in gender characteristics. I would be doing my son a disservice if I squelched his physical need to smash, stomp, and destroy everything in his path, just because his sister was not that way.
Just like I would hate to force my daughter to be more outgoing and gregarious like her brother when that is just not who she is. I have also learned that even though my son is loud and gregarious, he is very emotional and sensitive and needs to feel emotional support when an argument breaks out. Unlike Millie, who is less emotional and likes to understand the rules and know where her place is.
Each child is unique and perfect in their own way, and it's up to us as their coach to find the characteristics, learn them, and encourage them in who they are!
Someday's we just want to give up and allow our kids to do whatever they want and not be held accountable (trust me, been there!). But we are only hindering our children if we choose to be inconsistent and disengaged in our parenting. It is our job to challenge them to be the best they can be.
Challenge them to vocalize what they need, challenge them to share well, and speak kindness or try something a different way. Challenge them to ride a bike with no training wheels or go down the slide without mom.
If we allow ourselves to be a parent who builds up, challenges and strengthens our children, while they are still under our roof, hopefully, this will give them the confidence they need to take on real-life challenges down the road.
I try my hardest to be prepared for situations, but gosh its always when the disagreements breakout that I realize how behind I am on helping Millie and Amos feel prepared for a conflict. The kids and I have started talking about past conflicts and what we would choose to do differently in the future. This simply means talking about it before it happens (aka training players for the game!).
We talk about conflict in the car, at the dinner table, while we are playing, while we are on a walk, literally all the time. Taking time to talk through situations that could occur, or that have occurred, allows us to all grow and feel prepared for conflict ahead. Plus it gives us as parents the opportunity to apologize for reacting harshly or raising our voice when it wasn’t necessary.
Side note: speaking from experience, saying sorry to our kids is a humbling but extremely important part of being a good role model and a loving parent. If they can see and understand that mom and dad make mistakes and apologize, that it will only teach them to do the same!
This is a hard lesson to learn but an important one…our kids must learn that the world does not revolve around them. Obviously, this is an incredibly hard lesson to learn (even for adults) but it's important to help our kids see outside themselves and begin to appreciate the differences they have with their siblings.
Millie loves to play knowing that everyone has a role and that there are rules, whereas with Amos he likes to bounce around and do his own thing. You can only imagine that these playing styles can create some major conflict.
To help Millie and Amos appreciate one another for their differences, I must teach them the importance of validating one another in the way they choose to play or color or whatever.
This has been a major game-changer and has helped prevent frustration while the kiddos are playing and has especially helped Millie be more patient with her brother while they play.
Our kids will practice what they see. If we are speaking words of encouragement, love, and support to our spouse and to our kids, hopefully, they will begin to emulate those same traits. If we want our kids to be a supportive sibling and an encouraging friend, we must make sure we foster that environment in our home.
In our family, this looks like celebrating Millie when she learns to read another word and making sure Amos praises her win with us. This could also be praising Amos for being a good listener and making sure Millie is affirming him in his positive behavior too.
Another way we choose to foster a home full of love and support is by saying “I love you” and “I’m sorry” all throughout the day. I think these simple phrases are some of the most meaningful and impactful words we can share with our family.
The best part about all of this is that I have begun to hear Millie and Amos supporting one another when the other has a victory and they say I love you to one another daily.
As parents, it is our job to be our kid's greatest cheerleader and most supportive coach. To see our kids for who they are and their unique gifts and talents they were created with. It is our duty to challenge them in a loving way to be better and to try harder.
It is our job to offers lots of opportunities to talk about how we can be prepared for the hardships ahead. And last and most important it is our job as their coach and greatest cheerleader to be a safe place of love, support, and encouragement.
If you are struggling with sibling rivalry and feeling like all you are doing is playing referee, I challenge you to take on the posture of a coach in your parenting. I think this shift in your perspective will not only help you coach your kids but hopefully help you feel more prepared when conflict arises.
Abby is an awesome Mom and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, her beautiful children Amelia Grace, Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
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Baja Baby is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
]]>It is a word full of hope and love, a sweet and kind word coming from the depths of the heart.
The mother is everything - she is our consolation in sorrow, our hope in misery, and our strength in weakness.
She is the source of love, mercy, sympathy, and forgiveness.
Everything in nature bespeaks her.
The sun is the mother of earth and gives it its nourishment of heart, it never leaves the universe at night until it has put the earth to sleep to the song of the sea and the hymn of birds and brooks.
And this earth is the mother of trees and flowers.
It produces them, nurses them, and weans them.
The trees and flowers become kind mothers of their great fruits and seeds.
And the mother, the prototype of all existence, is the eternal spirit, full of beauty and love.
By Khalil Gibran
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2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. The purpose of Earth Day is to raise awareness about the destructive impact our actions as mankind have on our planet. And today I can think of no better thing to do than just that.
This year we are collectively honoring Earth Day while in quarantine. You may have noticed the news worldwide reports of clean skies and zero smog along the skylines of the big cities around the world.
Perhaps for the first time, city dwellers are getting to see their exposed skyline, sans pollution. The world's atmosphere is taking some time off while we are also forced to do the same. We are spending 24 hours a day with our little one while watching as more daily revelations unfold.
We have to have conversations with our children like never before. We try to explain what pandemics are and we tell them that collectively we must be united as we wait for this unprecedented storm to pass.
We mourn our life 'BC' (Before Coronavirus) as we grieve for fallen friends and family, for livelihoods, for our prior way of life. Simple things we took for granted are not the same. Our face masks cover the part of our faces that we use to communicate with.
I find myself forcing myself to smile as widely as I possibly can as I pass by strangers in the grocery store. If they notice the deepening of my eye crinkles, then I hope they will feel the warmth I want my smile to radiate through my masked face.
Here are a few simple things you can do today to support Earth Day with your children:
To honor Earth Day, Baja Baby is having a site-wide sale - 15% off all Baja Baby products. Use coupon code EARTHDAY15 to enjoy a discount off all products. Shop Baja Baby products now.
]]>If your family has been financially impacted by COVID-19, please check out my blog Forced to Make a Change on how to make your money go further when unplanned circumstances arise.
I have chosen to be a full-time stay at home mom for 4 years now and absolutely love it. I enjoy managing the home and raising my kids. Now that my oldest is almost 4 I have integrated homeschooling into our daily routine and thoroughly enjoy being the one to help educate and enlighten my daughter about the world around her.
Despite the unfortunate quarantine and social distancing, ultimately my day-to-day responsibilities haven't changed much in the current global pandemic. I am used to managing the home while multitasking and teaching my tiny kiddos, but I understand that not everyone chooses to stay at home or knows how to approach this type of work.
To help ease the not so easy times right now, I thought I would share my tips for staying tidy, some of my favorite cheap and kid-friendly meals, and part of our daily schedule.
First things first, have fun and respond to yourself and kids with grace. Your kids just want you to be happy and to love them well. Stay positive and thankful in these trying times and remember your children are not the problem, the world and the pandemic are the problem!
Being at home with my kids is less about academics (at this point) and more about teaching life skills and doing life together. This means including them in emptying the dishwasher, folding and putting away laundry, cleaning the house, and organizing.
I have made these activities a daily thing we do together, and sometimes a game. And when we’re done, we “reward” ourselves with playtime outside or some kind of fun screen time activity.
Life at home doesn’t have to be a drag. You don’t have to choose to view housework as pointless, and un-filling duties, but rather as a gift. Consider it a blessing to be able to have clothes to wear, dishes to put away, and ultimately a roof over your head.
TIP: I do a load of laundry every day. I start a load at night right after we put the kids to bed, and before I go to sleep, I put it in the dryer. In the morning the kids and I fold it while we are watching morning cartoons. After everything has been folded, we put them away immediately! As the day goes on, I throw clothes or dishtowels we used from the day into the washer, and by the end of the day, I start my laundry cycle over again. This prevents that dreaded build-up of laundry and allows for your kids to take part in the duties around the house.
TIP: Tidy up throughout the day. This doesn’t mean follow behind your kid picking up every toy they play with. But this does mean, cleaning up the kitchen after every meal, and having your kiddos help pick up toys before quiet time/nap time so you don’t have to spend your “break” picking up.
TIP: Make your beds. This not only gives you a great start to the day but allows you to start your day on a positive, tidy note. Get the kids involved with this too!
I designate time in the morning (usually after breakfast)- to educational time. This can mean, lots of different things: working on school (kindergarten for Millie and ABC’s and colors for Moose (aka Amos). This time may involve going on an adventure scavenger hike, doing a science experiment, making homemade play-dough…whatever it is, the time in the morning with the kids is dedicated to educational activities.
TIP: Put your phone away. Engage in what your kids are playing with. Get on the floor and immerse yourself if their education/playtime. Obviously, this isn’t an all-day thing, but choosing to make time for them and giving them your undivided attention is the key.
GO OUTSIDE! I'm not sure about your kids, but whenever mine step outside, it's like they stepped into their natural habitat, and I love it. They love to play in the dirt, hunt for the perfect rocks, and just run around. Nature is the best therapy out there, so if you're getting grumpy and they're starting to whine, do yourself a favor and go play outside!
TIP: Don't try and reinvent the wheel: From Pinterest to educational websites to accounts on Instagram, there are so many great ideas for creating fun and educational things to do with your kids. There are so many talented people out there who are gifted with teaching and creativity, look for those resources to help guide you.
My absolute favorite account to follow for fun daily activities is @BusyToddler on Instagram. My favorite website for print offs and home school stuff is Relaxed Homeschooling and Teachers Pay Teachers. Some of these resources you do have to pay for, but I found them to be the most helpful and educational for us!
TIP: Use screen time for education! There are so many reasons why screen time is a blessing. If you need a break to catch your breath, need to get some work done, or are just looking for another form of entertainment, don't allow yourself to feel guilt if you choose to implement some screen time.
Obviously set a time limit, but there are so many Apps and shows that are fun and educational, so why not make screen time a chance to learn as well.
TIP: Give yourself permission to take a break. When you're starting to feel overwhelmed or like you're getting nowhere, go on a walk, take a day off from school, or take a nap, whatever it is, you must give yourself permission to replenish your energy.
TIP: Meal plan for the week and go once a week to the store. This will save you money in the long run and keep you from worrying about “what’s for dinner” at the end of day. Here are a few of my go-to, EASY, KID-FRIENDLY & VERY CHEAP dinner ideas. (For more dinner ideas head over to my other blog 5 Quick Easy and Kid Friendly Meals)
(As a one-income family we must stay on a strict budget, so please know that these meals really are cheap and extremely easy)
Nothing I do with my family is revolutionary or new to anyone. But what I think may be different is the mindset I choose to have. I don’t see my kids as taking up “my time” or causing me to put my dreams on hold. Rather I choose to view these kids as my dream, my purpose my calling.
It's not because of them that I am choosing to put my goals and aspirations on hold, it’s because of them that I am to being molded and transformed into a better more selfless version of myself. These babies are a gift and they won’t need me like they do right now, ever again.
If you have been forced into a new role because of COVID-19, I encourage you to not lose hope and respond to yourself and kids with grace. I encourage you to think of this as a chance to shift your mindset.
Embrace the trials of having to multitask.
Embrace the new routine and the additional time you get with your kids.
Embrace the change and allow your kids to teach you something about life right now. Kids are resilient and continue to be joyful, creative, and determined. Try to embrace some of that as you are stretched thin. Be present, be grateful, and lean into the role that you have right now.
Abby is an awesome Mom and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, her beautiful children Amelia Grace, Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
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Baja Baby is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
]]>God has humbled us. Through the numbers in our budget we could see where we placed our priorities and where we allowed our pride to rule our decisions. Alex and I aren’t super high maintenance people. I’ve never been one to get my nails or hair done regularly, we don’t drive fancy cars, we don’t even have gym memberships but when our income was cut by 30% we HAD to be willing to cut things out of our life. Thankfully we were in a house we could afford, and we own our cars, but even with that, making ends meet has been hard. I totally understand that I could easily go out and get a job to make up for our income loss, but Alex and I have made it a priority for our family to have a parent at home full-time with the kiddos, so we had to make this new normal work. I know we are not the only ones facing this circumstance, so I thought it would share how we have decided to make our money go further!
These are just a few of the changes we have made to help us feel more in control of our money. By being forced to make decisions to simplify our budget and our overall consumption of stuff, it has freed up space in our lives to appreciate the simple things in life. Yes, we chose to pay for ballet and music class for the kids, but we view these experiences as far more valuable than the other line items we once deemed important. If you are facing a financial crisis, know that you are not alone! You can make it work, if you are willing to make some hard adjustments and sacrifices along the way.
Abby is an awesome Mom and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, her beautiful children Amelia Grace, Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
Follow Baja Baby on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram today!
Baja Baby is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
]]>I can remember as a child, absolutely loving the moment I got pick out my valentines at the store. I remember going through all of them and choosing the perfect one for my friends (and the boy I had a crush on of course.) Because I am now an adult and don’t get the satisfaction of picking out Valentine’s anymore, I thought it would be fun to incorporate the purpose of Valentines day in another way. My life is consumed with raising little humans, so there is no better time than now to involve them in spreading the love. If you’re looking for ways to involve and teach your kids about kindness this Valentines Day, check out a few of my ideas below!
Lead By Example
Our children learn so much more through what we do than what we say. Life is so crazy and busy with kiddos, and it can be easy to overlook how to bring joy to people. But honestly, keep is simple. The most meaningful acts of kindness are seen in the day to day. Tell your spouse how special they are and give them a hug and kiss (in front your kids!) Wake up early to make coffee and lunch for your spouse. Thank your babysitter for taking such good care your babies by giving them a gift card to their favorite coffee shop. If we want kiddos who are kind and thoughtful, we must teach them!
Take a Meal to a Family
What family out there wouldn’t love a free, hot and ready meal!? For no other reason other than to say “we love you,” choose a family this Valentine’s Day and take them a meal. I encourage you to involve your kids in the process too. Include your kids in the decision of who you will cook for and what you will make (even if it’s just a pizza and salad). Have them color a picture and put it in the package you drop at the doorstep. Like I have said before, kids learn so much more through what we do over what we say.
Send Homemade Valentines to Family
There is nothing sweeter to me than a scribbled page by my daughter. It absolutely melts my heart when she worked hard to make something just for me #heartmelted. How much more special will it be if your little ones make personalized Valentines for their Nana, Papaw, Aunties and Uncles? And possibly their siblings too? There are gobs of ideas all throughout Pinterest, but below are a few of my favorites that used at the Valentine's Day party I hosted. Again, keep it simple!
Make Goodies For Your Neighbors
During the holidays people are bombarded with all kinds of goodies, but once the dust settles from Christmas cookies and toffee, perhaps your neighbors are ready for another yummy treat. Choose an easy sweet mix that your kids can help make and spoon it into cute valentine baggies, pile them into the stroller and head out for delivery. This unexpected treat will not only bring a smile to their face but also shows your children the importance of building intentional relationships with their neighbors.
Have a Valentines Day Party
This is such a fun way to get all the little buddies together to craft and share in a meal. Like I say with everything, keep it simple and relaxed. Pick a few of your favorite crafts on Pinterest, cut some pb&j sandwiches into hearts and boom: Valentines Day party! It’s more about getting together with your friends and making traditions rather than having a big luxurious party. To capture the moment, put "Happy Valentines Day 2019" on a letter board and take some pics of the kiddos! A get together like this will teach your kids about the importance of community and celebrating in how to share kindness through food and fun.
Kindness is something we must teach our children, and we if don’t do it, who will? I want to encourage you to think outside the box this Valentines Day and use it this holiday as an opportunity to teach and share kindness. Your kiddos are listening but even more so, they are watching, so be kind.
Happy Valentine’s Day Mamas!
Abby is a Mom to two little ones and is an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
Follow Baja Baby on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram today!
Baja Baby was is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
]]>Marie Kondo talks about purging items in your life that don’t spark joy. She recommends going through items in categories. But she emphasizes the importance of thanking each item for what it has done for us. I love this idea. It allows us to thank the things we have held onto for far too long and move on in a healthy and respectful way.
The things we decide to keep are items that truly spark joy. When you hold a certain shirt and you can “feel” the happiness it gives you (a.k.a sparks joy) you keep it. I love all of this, but I thought, why should I just stop with my stuff, why not implement this mindset in every area of my life? So that’s what I’m doing…hold on to your horses if you want to join me in this journey of sparking joy where it matters and purging the rest.
Never have I been more humbled than the moment I had stare at the ginormous pile of clothes on my bed. The first step in the Marie Kondo method of tidying up, is to put every item of clothing on your bed…yes every item! You then have to touch and feel every item and decided which to keep based on which ones spark joy. I had to sift through old t-shirts, too many dresses, workout clothes and tons of pajamas in order to pair-down to the items that bring me joy. It was a long process and somewhat heart wrenching.
Lots of the clothing I chose to purge are items I had for over 10 years…embarrassing to say, but it's true. Although it was hard to put a lot of my clothes and shoes into bags and say goodbye, boy did it feel good! I took my nicer outdoor items to a local outdoor consignment store and got money for a lot my stuff, which made it easier to part ways with!
My wardrobe is anything but fancy (because I’m usually covered in food or breast milk) but since I have uncluttered my closet my clothing choices are items I love and items I wear. I am still making my way through the rest of my stuff, i.e books, and mementos…but it’s a start and my life already feel lighter. If you get nothing from this post, please do yourself a favor and go through your clothes!
Second up - Social media
Yes, social media. This is no way a part of Marie Kondo’s method of sparking joy, but it is part of mine. I have been thinking about taking a break from social media for a long time now. I have gone through weird comparison struggles through what I see on social media. From thinking my life isn’t adventurous enough or my kids aren’t smart enough or that I don’t wear enough makeup or that being at home full-time is hindering me from experiencing my full potential.
LIES.
These are all lies and I was fed up with it. But I also had to look inward and really evaluate why I was posting the things I was. Was it to share my beautiful babies and my life with the ones I love? Absolutely. But subconsciously was it also to prove something? Sadly, I think it was.
Comparison was my thief of joy.
I had gotten so caught up in sharing posts and stories with people that I don’t even have a normal relationship with, in order to gain what? Affirmation, to be seen, to prove something? Probably all of those things and more. But let me be honest, this decision was not an easy one. I really did enjoy posting fun things I did with my babies, and loved seeing what other people were up to as well, but being on social media became my way of “taking a break.”
The mindless scrolling was getting in the way of me being intentional with my husband after the kids were asleep, and was getting in the way of me be more productive around the house. Let’s face it, we all know how fast 45 minutes can go when we start looking at Facebook or Instagram. As if I needed anymore more reasons to end my relationship with social media, it didn’t happen until I found myself taking pictures and videos of my kids only to figure out when I could post them.
This was the final straw for me.
I finally decided to take control of the emotions that social media was making me feel and purge it all together. I’m not sure if I’m done with social media forever, but until I can figure out a healthy balance, it needed to be purged from my life. Girlfriend, if you’re reading this and agree with anything that I have said, I want to encourage you to evaluate your motivation behind social media. Maybe it’s nothing like how I was feeling and that's totally fine…but if there is any glimmer of similarity, I want to challenge you to take a break from it. Even if its for a day or week or maybe forever…but give yourself permission to step away if it’s not sparking joy in your life!
Last – The Unhealthy Relationship
There is one relationship in my life that is strained. It’s been this way from the get-go. From the moment I met this person I wasn’t accepted and have always felt that I fall short of their standard. As much as I would love to just cut this person out of my life, I don’t have the privilege of doing this. I am called to a higher standard, and I know this.
But Lord knows it’s a constant struggle to love them.
I am not going to say who this person is to respect them but the amount of conflict, tears, anxiety, and the sadness that this relationship has caused in my life, is ridiculous and it was time for me to make a change. Like I said, I cannot just purge this relationship, but I can purge the control this relationship has over my joy. Just as hard as it was having to stare at my pile of clothes, it was time that I stare my emotions in the face and work through the control this relationship has over me.
Talking to my husband and family has been so therapeutic, but going to a therapist is an even healthier step toward repairing the damage I feel from this person. Just like with my clothing and social media, this was not an easy decision for me to face, but I know it’s necessary if I truly want to experience joy to its fullest.
Never did I think that by choosing to organize my closet I would be faced with such deep introspective work. Turns out that if you give yourself the time to go through clothes, it opens up the flood gates to deeper emotional work. I want to encourage you to find the areas in your life that spark joy and to be brave enough to purge the rest. It may cause you to face big emotional giants, but I know it will lead to a more healthy “you” in the end. Be strong, be brave and spark joy mama bears!
Abby is a Mom to two little ones and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
Follow Baja Baby on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram today!
Baja Baby was is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
]]>Honestly, blogging takes a lot of effort. I have to create content and write it in a way that is relatable to someone I have never met. On top of that, I have to hope that what I am sharing offers advice, peace of mind or some sort of encouragement. This is a lot of pressure!
I choose to write about what I am going through. This mainly boils down to my motherhood journey, and really my whole life. My marriage, my children, my insecurities, my household, my dreams. Everything.
We get to choose who we share our life with, and I choose to share this part of my life with you. In no way do I think I have it all figured out and I will be the first one to admit this. I have been blessed people in my life who offer wisdom, encouragement and a different perspective. My hope is that the nuggets of truth I have gained from these relationships offer a valuable perspective as you go through your own motherhood journey. I think we if all shared more about how we found success in our life, it would break down the walls of comparison and judgement.
Whether my words offer help or none at all, my goal in whatever I write about is to be honest. I write with the hope that another mama reading it will know she’s not alone. I write about content that I wish I could find (#reallife). I write with the hope that my words allow another mama to do a better job than me and to learn from my mistakes. I write with the intention of revealing the good, the bad and the everything that I go through in this journey.
The hardest thing about motherhood is that no one has a manual. No child is the same and no marriage is the same, yet we all think we have it figured out. We are all trying to prove we can have it all…but spoiler alert, you can’t! And this is what I am learning. I have learned that you cannot be all things to all people. You absolutely cannot work full-time, be a full-time mom, have perfect kids, the perfect house, the perfect marriage and still be human, you just can’t, something will always give. I have learned that you must prioritize parts of your life and be okay with the outcome. I blog about why I choose to put my own “professional career” on hold during this season and make my marriage and kids the utmost priority.
Sometimes unloading on my husband at the end of the day isn’t the best option. The best of hubby’s want to “fix” our bad days which is wonderful, but in some situations, I just want to complain (can I get an amen!?) It’s like the words on a page allow for me to talk through my struggles in order to clear my mind and move forward. In a way, typing words onto a blank page has become a form of self-care and therapy for me.
Blogging may take a lot of effort and may push me outside of my comfort zone, but I know its worth it. It’s worth it because it allows me to celebrate the victories, reflect on the lows and challenge myself to be brave in my struggles.
As we walk into the new year I encourage you to be in the now. Allow yourself to be present in the good, strong in the bad and vulnerable when you need help. Maybe it’s blogging, maybe it's journaling, or maybe it's just finding a community, either way, get outside your comfort zone and challenge yourself to be the best version of yourself!
Abby is a Mom to two little ones and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
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Baja Baby is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
]]>The Eco-Excellence Awards are in their 8th year. Created by the NCW Magazine, over 500 products in various categories are submitted for approval. A panel of celebrity judges, influencers and experts painstakingly choose the finalists for each category. The finalists are then put to the public vote and the winners are chosen by whoever receives the most vote.
We care deeply about this particular award because the NCW Magazine wants to recognize companies that are committed to excellence in social and environmental sustainability.
Baja Baja is still 100% committed to ensuring that our products contain the safest, premium raw ingredients. For example, when you read the label of a skin or hair care product, you'll likely see that 'water' or 'purified water' is the base for the formulation. We at Baja Baby take our formulations to the next level. All our products contain Glacial Water, which is the base for all our formulations.
We choose this more costly option because glacial water is extracted (as you might guess) from slabs of glacial ice, which means it has zero contamination. The purity of glacial water cannot be understated, making it perfect for babies with sensitive skin types.
Of all the amazing oils that are available and used in skin and hair products today, we chose to use Organic Cold-Pressed Hemp Seed Oil. This oil is the SUPERFOOD of oils. The Hemp Seed Oil that we source is 100% edible and hyper-hydrating for the skin and hair of all children.
And finally, there's the way we preserve our products. There are so many cheap, effective preservatives to choose from, but the majority of them are chemicals. Baja Baby products are preserved using a trio of live enzymes, which make the products work like probiotics. Therefore, Baja Baby products do have a shorter shelf life than most skincare products, but the trade-off is that you are using 100% natural, safe luxurious skincare products on your most precious possessions - your kids.
If you're reading this and already a customer of Baja Baby, I'd like to thank you so very much for supporting us and voting for our product to become a winner. If you haven't tried Baja Baby products before, we'd love for you to give us a try. By joining our mailing list on the home page, you can receive a free bottle of Lavender Lotion today.
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As with any delivery in a hospital, after birth, you are transferred to the recovery floor where you stay for the next 24 hours or so. The nurses constantly come into your room to check you and your babies vitals.
At just a few hours of life, your baby gets his or her blood drawn and a hearing test. All of seemed routine and familiar, since Millie had it done just 2 years ago and everything was normal.
I can remember eating a club sandwich and watching Fixer Upper as the nurse was doing the routine hearing test on Amos. I honestly wasn’t paying much attention because I figured everything was normal. When the test was done, the nurse looked at me and said, “So both ears referred.”
What the heck did that mean!?
She then proceeded to tell me that it means he failed the hearing test and that Amos would need to come to the nursery for further testing. My heart started pounding and I couldn’t help but begin to think the worst…My son will never hear my voice. Tears filled my eyes and my husband and I did only what we knew to do.
Pray.
My precious Amos already had my whole heart. A full head of hair, long skinny toes, and brown almond-shaped eyes…he was perfect. The nurse had told us that we needed to wait 2 hours before we could do the next test and to bring him back when he was sleeping.
The next two hours I prayed that his ears would be cleared of all fluid and that the first hearing test was just a fluke. I can remember wheeling my perfect sleeping baby boy into the nursey. The nurse had me sit with him as she placed things all over his forehead and things in his ears. I couldn’t help but burst into tears, seeing my sweet newborn hooked up to a computer is one of the hardest things I have ever experienced.
As the test started, I closed my eyes. I rubbed Amos’s tiny newborn hand, laid my head on the hospital bassinet and prayed hard.
I prayed that God would free my son's ears of any fluid.
I prayed that being deaf would not be a part of my son's story.
I prayed with an expectancy that the test would be normal.
After 30 minutes, the test was complete. I looked at the screen and both ears had failed, again. My sweet sleeping baby may never hear me say “I love you.” He may never hear his sisters laugh and the way she says his name. The nurse told us we would need to come back in 3 days for further testing. The reality of having a deaf child was now something I had begun to contemplate.
At this point, Amos was not even a day old but had endured a triple cord wrap, failed hearing tests and would now experience high levels in his blood work. I hate that they have to prick the tiny feet of a newborn to get blood, but I am thankful they do it.
Amos’s bilirubin came back super high, which meant his jaundice levels were high. This can be very dangerous and can cause brain damage if not treated promptly. The pediatrician on call came into our room and explained to us the severity of getting bloodwork done again at his 3-day old appointment. This was a lot to handle. Not only were we having to comprehend possibly having a deaf baby boy, but now there was potential for brain damage?
Why God!? Why are you making my baby endure this? Why are you making us endure this? I was mad at God. Mad for not answering our prayers and mad for making these first moments with Amos emotionally challenging.
On top of all of this, I had my precious 21-month-old daughter at home that needed me. The weight of responsibility was very heavy. I needed to be strong for my daughter, who’s life was about to drastically change, and for my baby, who’s future was unknown.
Although I was mad at God, I knew that He loved Amos and had a plan for all of this. I couldn’t control the test results, I couldn’t control how Amos’s story was to be written, I couldn’t control anything. But I could pray, so that’s what I did.
Amos had already caused me to humble myself and trust God more than I ever had. I had to trust that God had everything under control. I had to relinquish my worry and trust that if Amos were to be deaf that God would orchestrate it to glorify Him.
Fast forward to our first days at home. I’m trying to heal, my milk is coming in, my daughter is trying to understand that baby brother is no longer in mommy’s belly but in her arms. It was a lot for everyone. Those first days at home were hard. I had to keep it together for my daughter and be strong for my baby boy.
The day had come for the follow-up hearing test as well as the additional bloodwork. We rode the elevator up to the 6th floor. Again, Amos was hooked up to a machine and given the same hearing test as before. This time Millie was with us.
Almost an hour later and the test was complete. The left ear had passed, but the right had not. The nurse proceeded to tell us that we would be referred to a pediatric audiologist. At this point, we had to begin accepting that Amos could be partially deaf.
Now let me be completely clear. I could care less about having a fully deaf or even partially deaf son, but my heart broke for the potential road ahead for my baby boy. No parent wants their child to endure anything hard. No parent wants their child to feel like they are not normal or have to face hardship because of how they were created.
But NO test result would change the unconditional love I had for my son.
By the end of the day, we received a call from the pediatrician who informed us that the bilirubin levels had decreased to a normal level and that we would not need to proceed with any more bloodwork. We rejoiced in this answer to prayer!
Just a few days later was our appointment with the pediatric audiologist. Thankfully my mom was able to hang out with Amelia while Alex met me at the doctor's office. I cannot begin to describe the feelings I had that day as we approached his appointment.
Although the days leading up to this appointment had been filled with lots of prayers, I was still anxious and weary of the answers we would get. The doctor made us feel very comfortable and explained how the test would be facilitated and what would happen next.
The doctor began the test by hooking electrodes up to Amos’s forehead and placing ear pieces inside his ears. As the test began, tears rolled down my face. This was the forth hearing test Amos had in only a week and a half of life. Please Lord, let us get some answers!
No more than 2 minutes went by and the doctor stopped the test. “He’s good!” I’m sorry what!? Our son could hear!? From both ears!? "Yes, he can absolutely hear from both ears." I immediately burst into tears, jumped up and hugged Alex. We both cried with a sense of relief. Our sweet baby boy could hear, not just from one ear but both!
Amos’s first weeks of life taught me a lot. I cried a ton and experienced more doubt than I ever have. But I also prayed more than I ever have. Before Amos was born I was nervous about the love I would have for him. I was so sure that I couldn’t love another baby like I loved Amelia, but boy was I wrong. I’m not saying that God allowed us to go through this to show me how to love my son, but I do know that the unconditional love I feel for Amos is immeasurable.
My Brave Amos has taught me so much already. Nothing is predictable in parenthood and nothing is in our control when it comes to having a child. Amos has been brave and God has carried him through it all and will continue to do so as his story is written.
When I am faced with trials that seem unbearable, I pray. When I am given answers that seem hard to accept, I pray. When life is out of my control, I pray.
Parenthood is freaking hard but when you add unanswered questions about your newborn to the mix, it makes it one big worrisome mess. My heart was shattered and then glued back together after enduring this trial with my baby boy. I hope you find something in my story to take with you and offer it to someone else who may be in the process of gluing their heart back together.
Abby is a Mom to two little ones and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
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Baja Baby is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
]]>I was a week late again.
Anxiously and uncomfortably awaiting the arrival of my baby boy. You get to the point with your second pregnancy of wanting to get on with life but also praying that they stay in there forever so you can live in denial that your life is rapidly changing.
I was pretty apprehensive about this delivery because of what I now refer to as trauma that I experienced from my daughter’s birth. I was unable to pee on my own after delivering her (funny, right? No, not really!) I was poked and prodded with catheter after catheter post delivery.
The pain and anxiety I experienced from that is something I will never forget. Not only was I incredibly swollen but I also had a 2-degree tear, so the last thing I needed was to be messed with down there. I was then sent home with a catheter for the first week of my daughter’s life.
This experience took away from me being able to connect fully with my daughter. All this to say, I’m sure you can understand why I was wary of labor and delivery again. (Go read my daughter’s birth story for more juicy details!)
Okay, moving on.
I had been dilated at 3cm for over two weeks, so at my 40-week appointment, I got my membranes stripped…nothing happened. So, we decided to schedule for induction the following Wednesday, June 6, at 7 am.
I can still vividly remember waking up at 4 am (Wednesday, June 6) with contractions, but not the gradual “nice contractions.” Oh no, these were the full force contractions that make you stop and take your breath away. They came and they came fast. Right away they were 3 minutes apart. I woke Alex up immediately and said, “It’s time babe! We have to go, NOW!”
I hobbled to our guest bedroom where my parents were sleeping and gave them Millie’s monitor. I remember crying and hugging my mom as we left, realizing the time had come to finally meet my son.
When we got to the hospital at 4:30, I was already at 8 cm. The contractions were one right on top of another. The pressure in my pelvis was strong and the contractions were more intense than ever; so Lord knows I wanted that epidural!
Just like with Millie's birth, my goal was to go as long as I could without relief and this time around I thought it might be "cool" to feel him dropping into the birth canal. What the heck was I thinking!?
As I waited for what seemed like an eternity for the anesthesiologist to get there, I used the Nitro gas. That stuff is such a joke, just go straight for the epidural people!
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I got the epidural! The relief you get with an epidural is nothing short of what heaven must feel like. But, it only lasted for 5 minutes! Thankfully it was just enough to get me to the finish line. I felt everything. Him dropping into the birth canal (which was so not cool) and the pressure oh Lord the pressure. I remember before it was time to push, the nurse gave me oxygen. I thought nothing of it but later I would understand why.
It was finally time to push.
3 minutes later, Amos Lee Akin was here. But the cry you expect to hear right away didn’t happen. In fact, his tiny neck was wrapped with the cord, 3 times. He was a shade of purple that I will never forget.
Remember earlier in my story when I was given oxygen?
This was why.
Apparently, as I was pushing, the nurses could see that Amos's oxygen levels were decreasing. Praise the Lord for amazing nurses and doctors! My OB and nurses frantically unwrapped the slippery cord from his neck and began rubbing his back and sucking the liquid. What again seemed like an eternity but was only about 15 seconds, and I finally heard that cry.
This was #mybraveamos.
In just 3 hours of labor and my son was here! All 8lbs 7oz of him was born at 7:35am on Wednesday, June 6...just 30 minutes after I had been planned to be induced. He breastfed almost immediately and stole my heart instantly.
To be completely honest, I was so nervous about the connection I would have with my second child. But in the weeks to come, Amos would teach me about a deeper love, an unconditional and heartbreaking love that I had never allowed myself to experience.
Follow along for more in Part 2 of Amos’s Birth Story.
Abby is a Mom to two little ones and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
Follow Baja Baby on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram today!
Baja Baby is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
]]>Amelia Grace,
My first born.
My first daughter.
My first everything.
The one who made me mama.
I want you to always know how precious you are to me. The last 21 months have been life changing, wonderful, messy and hilarious and some of the best times of my life. Although these first few years of your life will be just a sheer glimmer in your lifetime, for me they will be the months that changed everything for me.
I knew I would teach you things. Like how to crawl and walk, how to find your voice and how to put the perfect amount of chips in your sandwich. How to perfectly swaddle your baby doll, and how to sass your daddy. But what I didn’t know, is how much you would teach me.
You would teach me about a love that gets me excited to wake up every day. You would teach me to slow down and truly savor moments with you. You would teach me that our time together is the most important and everything else can wait. You would teach me that YOU will be the best thing I do in my life. You would teach me that I am capable and strong and to believe in myself because there is no other way I want you to view yourself.
If I could put into words the way you have shaped me and pushed me to be the best version of myself, I would, but no words would even be close to the adoration, purpose, and joy I get from being your mom.
Thank you, Millie girl, for sticking with me through these first 21 months of motherhood. Thank you for giving me the courage to take on another baby. Thank you for being the one that confirmed that motherhood is what God has created me for. Thank you for being your wonderful self.
Millie Grace, in just a few short days things are going to change. It won’t be just you and me anymore. Very soon, baby brother will join our tribe and things will change. You may be confused, jealous and not understand the shift in our family right away, but my prayer is that God is preparing you for your new role just like He is preparing me.
I don’t know how I will balance my attention evenly with you and your brother. I’m not sure how I will savor time with your tiny brother while you continue to blossom and grow too. But what I do know is that your daddy and I love you and have loved having you as our whole world the last 21 months. And soon, our world is going to be expanding and growing into something even more wonderful, but it will never take away what you are to us.
You were my first and will always be my first.
I love you sweet pea,
Mama
Abby is a first time Mom, and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
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Baja Baby was is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
]]>As a stay at home mom, my main job and attention is of course to my daughter, but my other full-time job is keeping the household a functioning machine. It takes lots of effort, organization and the drive to keep a home clean and tidy. It wasn’t until I decided to view my household responsibilities as a privilege and not a drag that I discovered some simple secrets to household happiness.
Secret #1: Have Cleaning Supplies In Each Bathroom
Having cleaning supplies in each bathroom has been a real game changer for my cleaning routine. I understand that for some this may seem like overkill, but for me, it takes the headache and effort out of having to transport the bucket of supplies from each bathroom (call me lazy, but I would recommend this if you have multiple full baths in your home!).
We have three full bathrooms in our house…the master, one downstairs and one upstairs, so having cleaning supplies for each bathroom just seemed to make sense. I clean each bathroom once a week, but on different days. The more consistently you clean your bathrooms the less gross they get, and the faster the cleaning process goes. I find a lot of pride in having a clean home and have decided to view scrubbing toilets and Windexing the mirrors as something to be thankful for.
God has given me so many things to be thankful for, and cleaning the house he has blessed us with is not something I will overlook. Knowing that I am creating a clean space for my family and friends to enjoy brings me happiness and allows me to change my poor attitude into gratitude. Below is a picture of my cleaning supplies for each bathroom and my cleaning routine.
1. I start with toilet bowl cleaner in the toilet
2. While that settles, I use the Softscrub and clean the sink and faucet
3. Next, I Windex the mirrors
4. Dust the light fixtures and the grooves around the bottom of the toilet
4. Next, I scrub the bathtub with Softscrub
5. My final step is the toilet. Scrub the bowl and wipe down the rest of the toilet with Clorox wipes.
**This whole process literally takes me 10 minutes!
Secret #2: Make The Bed Every Day
Who actually makes their bed every day!? We do! But it hasn’t always been this way. I thought it was so stupid to make your bed knowing that it would just get messed up again at the end of the day.
But guess what?
I had to choose to change my attitude about this as well, and view it as my first accomplishment of the day…and now I LOVE crawling into my nicely made bed at the end of the day. If you’re anything like me and think that making your bed is a waste of time, I urge you to do it for a week.
Every morning when you get out of bed, make it right then and there! Not only will you feel accomplished, but it will set you up for success the rest of your day!
Secret #3: Clean Up The Kitchen Before You Go To Bed
Maybe you already clean your kitchen before you go to bed, and if you do, WAY TO GO! Not only does the smell of dinner the next morning drive me nuts, but having dirty dishes to welcome me in the morning is the last thing I want with my morning cup o’ jo.
Again, this takes a lot of gusto, effort, and the right attitude to want to clean the kitchen after working all day long, but I promise it is worth it. You are setting yourself up for success for tomorrow and ending your day with pride of accomplishing another task.
Much like with cleaning the bathrooms, cleaning my kitchen has become an act of gratitude and thankfulness. Call me crazy but if you choose to view loading the dishwasher and wiping the counters as a gift and not an annoyance, it will bleed into other areas of your life.
Just saying!
Secret #4: Do One Load Of Laundry A Day
Laundry used to be my greatest fight. I would start the load but never follow through with completing it. The only explanation I have for this is laziness. My attitude about laundry changed when we finally got our own machines and honestly when I had a baby.
There have been seasons of our marriage when we didn’t have a washer or dryer, so we were stuck with taking trips to the laundromat. I vowed that once we had our own machines I would choose to be thankful that I get to stay in the comfort of my own home while I fold my delicates (haha). Once we had our daughter my attitude shifted as well.
When it was just Alex and I we could fend for ourselves, but nowadays I have a little kid who counts on me for clean clothes, bath towels, and bedding, so if I choose to be lazy about laundry I am doing a disservice to everyone in the family (including me and my yoga pants!)
Whatever the load of laundry may be, I do one load a day. Somedays its towels, and some days its only Millie’s clothes, honestly, it doesn’t really matter as long as I do one a day it elevates the exhaustion of “laundry day” and keeps the piles of clothes at bay! If you’re overwhelmed by the piles of clothes and are looking for a new way to win the laundry battle, I encourage you to try washing one load a day!
Maybe you’re reading this and think my recommendations are good in theory but not for you, that’s okay! Maybe you have a way of creating household happiness for your own family and its working for you, and if that’s the case more power to you mama, and please share your secrets!
But if you are anything like me and struggle with having a bad attitude toward household chores, I encourage you to try these simple secrets and more importantly examine your attitude.
Now that I am raising kiddos and I am responsible for creating hardworking and grateful people, it really causes me to look introspectively and make sure that the simple tasks of life are viewed as a privilege and completed with a thankful heart and not seen as a drag.
If you got something out of these tips, then go ahead and check out my other blog on some fast, cost-effective meal-times!
Abby is a Mom and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
Follow Baja Baby on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram today!
Baja Baby is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
]]>Our new home is about 2000 square feet 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms with a loft/family room upstairs! The loft is what sold us on the floor plan for our new home…This room could be a place for my kids to play, get messy and build memories without me feeling like I constantly have to pick up.
Turning the loft space into the dream playroom did require some major must haves…first, and foremost it must be FUN and be a technology free zone! Second, it must be gender neutral (baby brother is on the way), third it needs to have organization, forth, it needs to be a space that was pleasant for me to be in (since I will spend just as much time in there too) and lastly, a space for potential guests to sleep.
All the factors put together makes for quite the project…I have decided to document the process and share how things are progressing! The playroom isn’t quite finished yet, so read on to see how Operation Playroom Part 1 went!
The Beginning: The playroom is 16ft by 18ft room and a complete blank canvas. This was a dream come true and completely intimidating all at the same time. I had to determine a layout that worked with the space but was still efficient for toys and organization. I knew I wanted the space to have a focal wall that would set the feel for the rest of the room. I also wanted “stations” throughout the room to help make the space as efficient as possible. So...what says accent wall more than stripes and huge letters spelling “PLAY!?” Below are some pictures of the progress as we painted and de-cluttered the room!
*Side Note: To paint straight stripes, we bought a $20 laser level from Home Depot. We then determined the size of stripe we wanted and measured the whole wall from top to bottom divided it by the thickness of strip we wanted (I think we ended up doing 18" stripes). We ended up keeping the initial wall color (gray) and just added white stripes that matched the trim. This process was no big deal and took 3 evenings to accomplish. I LOVE the finished product!!
The Stations: I wanted a wall dedicated to cube organization for holding toys, a coloring corner with a table and coloring utensils, a cozy reading nook for snuggling up with books and a corner with a tent and stuffed animals for fort fun.
1. Cube Organization: I ended up purchasing white cubes from Target. Two 6-cube organizers and one 4-cube organizer. I determined these sizes based on the size of the room and the amount of storage I wanted. I also decided to do "bench like seating" on the lower cubes so it could be multi-functional. Below is a picture of the AMAZING finished striped wall with the storage cubes. Organization? Check! Cuteness Factor? Check! First station complete? Check!
2. Coloring Corner: Millie loves to paint and color and do all things crafting, so whats better than a little corner dedicated to just that!? We will eventually add in an art hanging system as well as a trimmed-out chalkboard, but for now this is what her adorable crafting corner looks like! I wanted a table was unique looking and not plastic. I found her this adorable wooden modern table and chairs at Walmart!
3. Reading Nook and Fort: the final two stations are a work in progress. I made the little tent as seen in the picture below (Check out my Etsy Store Mountain Baby Co to snag a tent for your kiddos too!) I am hoping to find a little faux fur rug and some other cozy qualities to finish out the fort section. As far as the reading nook, my vision for this part of the playroom are some bean bags and a sleeper sofa for a comfy place to sit and place for guests to sleep as well.
Be sure to watch for my next blog on Operation Playroom Part 2 for my final reveal of our playroom! If you have any ideas or ways to make the playroom even better, I would love to know them! Leave your ideas in the comment section below!
Abby is a Mom and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
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Baja Baby is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
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I am not writing this post to devalue the working parent in any way, but instead, I am writing this as a voice for the stay at home parent who rarely if ever receives recognition for their hard work.
Sometimes, as a stay at home parent, we question if what we do day in and day out is doing anything, or whether it’s important enough to sacrifice a second income…Well, I am here to reassure you that your job is the most important! I understand that not everyone has the choice to stay at home, but I also know multiple families who made great sacrifices so that one parent can be at home raising kids, so I do think that the choice is yours (to an extent).
This topic is near and dear to my heart as a 20 something millennial stay at home mom living in a somewhat selfish self-driven society.
A stay at home parent takes care of everything from chauffeur, to psychologist, money manager, chef and maid all while making sure tiny humans are alive and thriving. According to Salary.com a stay at home parent can easily clock in an average 94-hour work week with an estimated salary at $113,000.
Just to put this into perspective, a physician works a 54-hour work week earning on average $150,000. This is crazy to me. Again, this is not to devalue the importance or hard work of a physician but more so to show the number of hours of unpaid hard work a stay at home parent does in comparison to another career.
The sad thing about this projected salary, is that it has dropped over the years. This is due to stay at home parents feeling undervalued and turning in their role at home for a high paying job instead of the most important job: raising their kids.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but life is supposed to change when you choose to have a child. Your world is no longer revolving around you but is more importantly about raising up good human beings. Kids weren’t meant to be raised by a business model dedicated to watching, feeding, entertaining and disciplining them; no, in my opinion, this is the parent’s responsibility.
Home is a safe place where a child can learn who they are and discover the unique qualities, talents, and personalities they have to offer the world. By removing a child from this foundation and away from the adults who should be helping them discover this, we are doing a disservice to our children.
A recent article from The Spruce stated, “two studies state a parent being at home with the kids during the early stages is better for the kids than them being in childcare full-time. The studies from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Institute of Child Development of the University of Minnesota found that children who spend a large amount of their day in daycare experienced higher stress levels and aggression as opposed to those who stayed home.”
If this doesn’t convince you do hang up that suit and get knee deep in diapers and tantrums, I don’t know what will. The value of a parent staying at home to raise the kiddos immeasurable, and according to research is better for the overall wellbeing of a kiddo.
Trust me, I am in the trenches of raising little ones and I know full well, the work, patience, loneliness, and frustration that comes with being in this stage of life with littles. But guess what, the seemingly long days of tantrums, “no don’t touch that” and potty training, are ceasing.
And I hate to break it to you, but these days are not about us, it’s about making sure our children have the foundation they need to be successful as they grow up. It's about being present and available to our kids and teaching them the morals and values we deem important.
I have some really great days and some really hard ones that cause me to leave the room and take a breather, but in the end, I know that my days with at home with Millie are slowly counting down. In just a few short years, she’ll be heading off to school and will slowly need me less and less.
Someday, my time will be up and my job of shaping and molding Millie into the women she is supposed to be will be done, and I will be longing for the days that were messy, long and exhausting. So, in the hard moments, hours and days of being a stay at home parent, I try and remember that truth, and you should too because the value of taking the time to stay at home is ceasing.
Balance is important in every aspect of life, especially in parenting. Of course, there is value in staying at home to raise kids, but there is also value in making sure they are socialized and given opportunities to meet and interact with other people.
Take advantage of becoming part of a mom group, the public library or other clubs or organizations that will expose your child to fun learning experiences. Being at home with your kids does not mean you are sheltering them, it means you are the one raising them.
But for everyone’s well-being and sanity, build in some activities outside the four walls of your home to give balance to your and your child's life. This balance also goes for making sure you get time to yourself. This can look different for everyone, maybe it’s a few hours a week, or an evening with some friends, but taking the time to take care of yourself will only make you a better you and a better parent to your kids.
Whether you are reading as a stay at home parent, a working parent or maybe not a parent at all, I think it’s important to understand the value, hard work, devotion and selflessness that goes into being a stay at home parent. I know I can get caught up in questioning if my role at home is valuable especially when society, family or friends can cause us to question it.
So if you are a stay at home parent I hope you feel valuable, important and proud of the role you get to have. If you are a working parent, I hope you feel inspired to possibly making a career change. And if you have no kids at all, I want to encourage you to hug a parent and tell them how good of a job they are doing, because no parent can hear that too much!
Keep on keeping on Mama and Papa Bears, and know that you are not alone in the trenches of parenting!
Abby is a Mom and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
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Baja Baby is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
]]>My daughter Millie will be 21 months old when her baby brother is born, so even though she is young I know she can understand what is happening. So, to help our whole family prepare for what’s ahead, I have asked the experts (aka real moms) on how to prepare for baby #2 home!
Man, aren’t you thankful that there will always be people in your life that are a few steps ahead of you to speak wisdom into the challenges ahead, I know I sure am! I have broken up the tips into four main categories, so read on if you want some amazing tips on transitioning from one to two kids!
Laura recommends, “instead of just saying “baby” use the name you have chosen when you talk about the baby. This will not only familiarize your child with the name, but they will have a face to a name when baby is born!”
**I love this idea so much, except if you’re like me you haven’t decided on a name yet..oops!
My friend Jen states, “that I tried to include what life would be like when Baby Sister is born. Anytime we did something, I’d say, “this is how/what we’ll do when baby sister is here” or “baby sister is coming soon and she’s going to be a part of our family.”
Danika recommends involving big brother/sister as much as you can, “it will make them feel like they are a part of things... each task you do use as an opportunity to talk. For example, while you’re packing your hospital bag, what the plan will be for when you go into labor, and letting them help set up the nursery.”
Jen says “we try to state that the toys we have are “our toys” not “your toys,” unless they are her big girl toys.”
**This advice is brilliant to me, it instills sharing even before the new baby is there!
My friend Kayla states, “a baby doll is a great learning tool for any child. It can help teach them to be gentle, which a lesson to be learned overtime!”
**We actually bought Millie a doll for Christmas, and it has been a blast teaching her how to be a little mommy and care for a baby.
Gifts at The Hospital
Krystina states, “When we left for the hospital to have our little boy, I gave a gift to our daughter to help her feel special. And when she came to meet him at the hospital, she had a gift for him. I made sure it was just the four in the hospital room to make that initial meeting special."
Laura also says, “When they met each other for the first time we had them each bring a little gift to one another.”
Kayla also states, “I did a big brother gift for William and wrote in a book for him.”
**I love these ideas so much, they honestly bring tears to my eyes. It not only shows your oldest child that they’re important, but it allows for them to be part of welcoming the new baby by bringing them a special gift.
Let Big Brother/Sister Help with Chores
Laura had a great tip: “I let him help me do lots of baby things...folding her clothes, practicing changing a diaper on a doll, and even clipping the doll into her car seat.”
Danika recommends having them help be part of things. “Let her be in charge of getting the burp cloth, clean diaper and whatever else so that she feels important in her new role and not forgotten."
**I mean, who doesn't love to feel important!? I think this is a great tip, especially for my Millie girl who is the worlds biggest helper already. I know she will soak it up if I give her a task to help with baby brother.
One-On-One time with Big Brother/Big Sister
Krystina shared that, “Once we brought Shamus home, my husband would watch him for a little bit so I could take my daughter to the park, just us two. It’s important that the oldest one still gets special alone time.”
Jen also shares, “We tried to spend quality alone time with Evers right away after baby came, and we still do, that helps a lot.”
**Aww. This is a hard one for me to swallow. It just reminds me of the reality of no longer being able to give my one kiddo the full attention they're used to.
Special Activities While Mom Nurses
Jen states, “I made a box of activities for Evers to do on her own... sticker book and dried pinto bean bucket with scoops have been the hits.”
Megan also shares that, “I had little activities for my daughter so that she could do them for at “least a minute “while I fed baby.”
**Again, such a good idea with giving them activities they only get when mom is nursing. This takes the attention off them not getting attention, and puts it on the special toys they get to play with during this time.
Kayla told me “always remember you aren’t losing anything, you are only gaining more to your family!! Have complete and total grace with yourself, just like adjusting with one, you will with two.”
**This is such a good one to hold to. I must remember that I am not losing anything, but I am gaining something! I can tend to focus too much on how I am losing my time with Millie by bringing in another baby when really I am just gaining another little companion!
Jenny recommends, “be prepared to do things differently!! Every child is different, and the way you did/do things with your first born may not be what works for #2. From birth to feeding, swaddling, pacifiers, personality, everything could be different!”
**YIKES! Again, with these harsh reality checks. I have to remember that I am not actually birthing out another Millie, oh no, this little guy will be a completely different person!
Megan shares the importance of having a support system! Having struggled with postpartum, her second baby made her even more aware of the importance a community can have on this transition.
Rachel shares in the struggle of, "her oldest losing her baby phase so quickly”. She states, “There will be moments of internal struggle when your oldest wants you to hold her but baby is hungry. So, even though I am not able to pick up my oldest right when she wants me to, I am able to soak in the moment a little more when I do get to hold her.
When I get to put her to bed or lay on the couch with her, I soak it in! I smell her head and touch her hair... let the moment seep into my heart and mind. Every moment is just a little sweeter because I get to focus on her differently than I did before. I take her in differently.”
**I don’t know about you, but I am a blubbering snotty mess after reading Rachel’s advice, gosh but I love it and I am so thankful for that reminder…soak it in!
Rachel’s last little nugget of advice, which I love is, “Mommy first- mess second! Don't let a messy house ruin the moments with babies!”
**AMEN, SISTER!
Man oh man. These golden nuggets of truth and advice are something I will cling to as we wait for this second baby to arrive. When mamas choose to share their tips and open up about challenges they faced in the same transition, it makes it easier to step out in faith and take it on yourself.
I hope you find these tips and ideas as helpful and encouraging as I do! I want to give special thank you to all of my friends who participated in making this blog post possible, you know who you are, so THANK YOU!!
Abby is a first time Mom, and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
Follow Baja Baby on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram today!
Baja Baby is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
]]>Crockpot BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
2 lbs Chicken
1 C. BBQ Sauce
¼ Italian Dressing
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
¼ C. Brown Sugar
*Salt to taste
Directions
1. Season chicken breasts lightly and place in crockpot
2. In mixing bowl combine BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar, Worcestershire
3. pour over chicken, cook on high for 3-4 hours
4. shred chicken and cover for another 15 minutes
5. serve on buns or over rice
**Who doesn't love BBQ!? I acutally made this recipe for Millie's 1st Birthday, and it was such a hit that I've held onto it since. We typically serve this with some type of veggie and some tator tots :)
Tita’s Baked Spaghetti
Ingredients
1 Package of spaghetti
14 oz can stewed tomatoes
1 lb of Jimmy Dean sausage
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 C. Shredded cheddar cheese
9x13 dish
*Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Set oven to 350
2. Cook spaghetti according to package
3. On medium heat brown sausage in caste iron skillet with olive oil
4. Season with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper
5. Once browned, turn down heat to medium low and stir in stewed tomatoes, breaking apart tomato pieces
6. Remove from heat and set aside
7. To assemble spray 9x13 dish with Pam, pour in prepared spaghetti, sprinkle cheese evenly on top of spaghetti and finish with the sausage and tomato mixture
8. Bake for 20 minutes, let stand for 5 minutes before serving, serve with salad and French bread
**To be honest, in the winter time we eat this meal almost every week. It's so darn easy and a no fail. It's a nice alternative to your typical spaghetti and who doesn't love a baby covered in noddles and stained red from tomatoes. If you're making this one prepare for lots of leftovers or invite some friends over for dinner! I usually serve this with french bread and a Cesar salad...yum!
Sheet Pan Meal
Ingredients
2 medium chicken breasts chopped
1 cup bell pepper chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 zucchini chopped
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup tomatoes chopped or plum/grape
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 500 degree F.
2. Chop all the veggies into large pieces. In another cutting board chop the chicken into cubes.
3. Place the chicken and veggies in a medium roasting dish or sheet pan. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Toss to combine.
4. Bake for 15 minutes or until the veggies are charred and chicken is cooked. Enjoy with rice, pasta, or a salad.
**I have a hard time getting my hubby to eat broccoli (yes my husband, not my 18 month old). But this meal, turned him into a broccoli believer! I ended up serving this with sliced polenta. Millie approved of the flavor and colorful veggies!
Teriyaki Kabobs
Ingredients
1/3 C Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Garlic clove, minced
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp of season salt
1-1/2 lb Beef Top Sirloin, cut into 1-1/4” cubes
12 whole mushrooms
1 large pepper cut into 1-1/2 cubes
1 large onion, cut into wedges
*Pineapple wedged (optional)
Hot cooked rice
Directions
1. In a large bowl combine soy sauce, oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, salt. Pour marinade into gallon bag; add beef. Seal and refrigerate for 4-8 hours.
2. Drain meat but keep marinade. Alternate meat, mushrooms, pepper, onion, pineapple on metal or soaked wooden skewers
3. Grill uncovered for 3 minutes on each side, basting with marinade. Continuing turning and basting for 8-10 minutes until meat reaches desired doneness.
4. Serve with rice
**These Kabobs turned out so delicious! To be honest, my husband did the grilling, not me :) We served them with some edamame as well as brown rice. We had plenty of left overs and this is a Millie approved meal. This will definitely be a staple moving into Summer.
Slow Cooker Chicken Bowls
Ingredients
1 -1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, divided, plus more if needed
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup brown rice
1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 C of canned corn
**Optional toppings: Shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, sour cream, diced avocado, salsa, hot sauce, diced green onions, shredded lettuce
Directions
1. Combine the chicken breasts, diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup of chicken broth, chili powder, salt, and cumin in slow cooker. Make sure the chicken is covered, and add additional broth if needed. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Uncover and add the rice, beans, corn, and remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth. Cover and continue cooking on low for another 3 to 4 hours.
3. Check the rice periodically in the last hour of cooking, stirring once or twice to make sure the rice cooks evenly and adding more chicken broth if the mixture seems dry.
4. Remove chicken breast, shred and stir back into crockpot
5. Serve over salad, burrito bowl or burrito!
**Fair warning, this makes A TON OF FOOD! We had my parents over for dinner and we still had leftovers. I opted to serve it over a salad with plenty of toppings and chips and salsa. This one is super easy and delicious.
Well, there you have it! These are some of my old go to dinner recipes and now new favorites! I hope you enjoy giving these recipes a try. Have fun with them and make them how you want...maybe vegetarian or gluten-free, whatever works for you, I hope these are some winners for you. Happy cooking, Mama!
Abby is a Mom and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
Follow Baja Baby on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram today!
Baja Baby is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
]]>I love being there for bath time, and book reading and I love being the last person she sees when she goes to sleep; but with another baby on the way, I know that getting her familiar with someone other than mom and dad putting her to sleep at night is important. So, if you're preparing to leave your baby for the first time, check out my pointers to help you and your kiddo feel more comfortable with this big step in parenting.
To ease my nerves about leaving my Millie girl for the first time, we decided to have a staycation at a lovely winery about 15 minutes outside of town. Staying close gave me peace of mind knowing we could be home in 15 minutes but it was great balance because it still felt like a treat to go stay somewhere else.
If you’re lucky enough to have Nana and Papaw close, be sure you take advantage of this incredible blessing for your first overnight away! Thankfully my parents only live 45 minutes from us, so the commute to watch Millie for the first time away is no big deal.
For our first night away, I opted to have my parents come stay at our house instead of Millie stay at theirs. This made it easier to leave knowing that everything my parents would need was at our house, and that although mommy and daddy weren’t there, everything else was familiar.
First off, if your child has a specific routine they are used to for bedtime be sure to communicate that effectively to the person watching your baby. This will not only instill confidence in the person watching your baby, but it will make leaving easier. Amelia definitely likes things done a certain way, especially when it comes to bedtime. From her Baja Baby Creamsicle Bubble Bath, to brushing teeth and being lathered in Baja Baby Lavender Lotion, this girl is quite particular about her bedtime routine.
Because I know this about my first born, I wanted to make sure I communicated the details appropriately so everyone would have a successful evening. Long story short, I typed up a time line of when we start dinner and bath time and the essential items in between. This may seem overbearing to some of you, but it really helped me leave knowing that my parents were fully prepared and understood the expectations.
Also, make sure to communicate your wishes on knowing what is happening. I simply asked my mom to send me a text when Millie was asleep so I could know bedtime was a success for this first time away.
I know this can be easier said than done, but really try and give yourself permission to let go for an evening. Spending time away can give you a chance to sleep, shop or just catch up on your favorite TV show, either way you need to ditch the guilt you may experience by leaving your child and allow yourself to enjoy some much-needed time away.
Most importantly, know that your first time away from baby is supposed to be relaxing! Parenting is hard work, so make sure you give yourself permission to relax and enjoy your freedom. Whether you’re taking a solo trip, girls trip or a romantic getaway, make sure you do some preparation on the front end so you can relax while you’re away!
If you are getting ready to leave your baby for the first time, good for you! This is a huge milestone, so give yourself permission to do the prep work in the beginning if it makes you feel more comfortable. I hope my simple tips help you feel more confident and allow you to truly enjoy your time away because you deserve it!
Abby is a Mom and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
Follow Baja Baby on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram today!
Baja Baby is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
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This is something I often think about when I’m laying in bed going over the multiple lists in my head that need to be completed. Before my days became consumed with laundry, dirty dishes, and picking up toys, I had free time. Free time to get things done, very important things.
It's honestly comical to think about what I used to do before having babies. Talk about a stressful life. For your enjoyment but mostly for my own, here are some the activities that used to fill my time before babies…
Worrying about what cute workout outfit I would wear to my group fitness class was something I took for granted before having babies. Nowadays there is no discrepancy between workout clothes and pajamas. Comfort is all I care about.
Painting my fingernails and having ample time for the paint to dry. Oh, and then moving to my toenails too. Yeah, I can’t remember the last time I even attempted this.
Before having babies, I would spend a considerable amount of time contemplating how I would style my hair for the day. I could start with it straight, oh but then change my mind and curl it if I wanted to. These days I contemplate whether a shower is necessary? Eh, what’s one more day with the mom bun?
Cooking meals that take 45 minutes with fancy ingredients. No thank you! I need quick and easy. Gone are the days of gourmet kitchen cooking, mama needs to get ‘er done asap.
Taking pictures and videos of my dog because she was my child, and heaven forbid me miss a moment of her fetching a ball or snuggling. I love my puppy, but its laughable and almost embarrassing the number of pictures and videos I used to have of Maple dog (No shame at all to you doggy parents! I used to be one myself.) I would bet money that I don’t have a single picture of my dog on my phone since I've had Millie. Sorry pup.
Going to the movies past 7pm. I shudder at the thought of this. Between the expense and the possibility of falling asleep in the theatre…Cuddling on the couch with my hubby in some gross old t-shirt and sweats is way better (and cheaper!)
Shopping for no apparent reason but to browse every isle. No need for a quick Target run; you got time! These days I weigh the options of if it’s necessary to go buy more toilet paper?
Before having babies, sleeping in and wasting the weekend was my FAVORITE thing to do. Sleeping in is no longer a thing, my child is literally my alarm clock at 7am every morning.
Taking spontaneous weekend trips. A four-hour drive, just for In-n-Out, no problem! Again, I shudder at this thought. “We need to leave around nap time so Millie will sleep in the car, oh and did you bring the sound machine and lamby, please tell me you didn’t forget Lamby!?” Gone are the days of actually enjoying a trip…these days I need a vacation from my vacation.
As I sit here and reminisce about these things that used to fill my time before having babies, I can’t help but think how nice it would be to go back and relive those moments but then I remember what I have now!
I'll my currently reality of animal crackers, stacking blocks and bath time over my before kid-free time any day! I know there are days I may feel differently, but today I choose messy motherhood over some fancy meal with freshly painted fingernails in my adorable workout outfit!
So, if you’re feeling like I do somedays, and you want is to go back to “before having babies dreamland” remember that you have been given a huge privilege and responsibility. What fills your time now matters way more than the free time that came before being a mom!
Abby is a Mom and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
Follow Baja Baby on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram today!
Baja Baby is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
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With all this said, I know I am not the only mama with a smarty pants toddler on the move. To help you combat all the energy, I have put together some of Millie’s favorite toddler toys that help keep her occupied and offer some problem solving as well.
This adorable game was given to Millie from her Auntie Em and Uncle Kev for Christmas, and we LOVE IT! There are a dozen eggs in a carton, each with a different color and number on the inside. Not only do you match the correct colors together but the numbers as well. Amelia is learning how to match things correctly and is learning her colors at the same time. This game will continue to be one of her favorites for a while!
Another matching game for the win! This game has 24 matching bears in hilarious outfits that you put into pairs. Since Millie is too young for the memory matching game, I instead lay them all out face up and have her match all the pairs together. She loves it, and can match all the pairs perfectly now. I love that we can play with this game now but as she gets older she can play memory with it.
Blocks are a staple toy for any toddler! Although we bought ours used with a few blocks missing, they are originally from Pottery Barn and we love them! Millie’s blocks have letters and animals on them. For now we do animal noises but as she gets older she can use them to spell words. Millie has loved stacking blocks for a while now, but especially these days. We once watched an episode of Daniel Tiger stacking blocks and since then, blocks are an everyday activity. I am so proud of this girl because even at just 15 months old, she could stack 6 blocks all by herself and she is only getting better! If you don’t have blocks for your toddler, you should probably do yourself a favor and get a set today!
Out of all of her toys and puzzles, books are by far Amelia’s favorite activity. We have always made books a big part of Millie’s daily routine. We always read at least one book before nap time and bedtime and who knows how may in between. Millie has recently started “reading” to herself and her stuffed animals, which is so fun to see.
Books are also how I get a shower in during the day. I can leave pile of books with Millie on our bathroom floor and she is perfectly content looking at them while I jump is shower! (Side note: because I don’t have enough space for all the books she loves, we go to the Public Library at least once a week and pick out new books for her. This gets us out of the house and new and books into our hands weekly!) If your toddler is a book lover, I recommend getting yourself a library card!
We bought Amelia an adorable kitchen from Ikea for Christmas this year. She loves being in the kitchen while I cook, and I usually give her a bowl and a spatula for her to “stir” with, so we figured her own kitchen would be fun! Her little kitchen allows her to start pretending and she loves to make us cups of coffee with her tiny Keurig. This kitchen is so fun and is something that keeps her busy and helps her imagination grow.
Making sure your toddler has plenty of fun and challenging toys can be a tough battle to overcome. As a parent, we want to make sure we are giving our children what they need to learn and grow. I hope that my small list of Millie's Favorite Toddler Toys has given you some fun new ideas! I would love to know what other toys you use for your kiddos, comment below and share some of your favorite go to toys!
Abby is a Mom and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
Follow Baja Baby on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram today!
Baja Baby is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
]]>Jen and Kelly are the two mamas behind the idea, creation, and success of Baja Baby. Below is an interview all about the owners, what inspires them, the day in the life of a momtrepreneur, their greatest successes and so much more. Read on to be inspired and fall even more in love with Baja Baby!
Jen is originally from Northern Ireland and Kelly is from Lake Chelan, Washington.
What is your role at Baja Baby?
Jen is the brains behind ideas and marketing and Kelly is all things customer service and logistics.
Are you married? Any kids?
Both women are married. Jen has two young kiddos, a 9-year-old and 7-year-old, and two fur babies. Kelly has a 23-year-old 'kid' and one fur-baby.
Who inspires you?
Jen: “Anyone who juggles a family and a career is inspirational to me. It’s a difficult balance at the best of times and I get a lot of inspiration when I see females doing the best they can with the circumstances they have.”
Kelly: “My business partner Jenni. She has multiple businesses, two young children and masters it all with such grace. She is the idea person behind Baja Baby – we would be nothing without her.”
(Great answers ladies! Especially you Kelly. But you both are an inspiration to me!)
Do you have any hobbies?
Jen: “I love to travel; something that I haven’t done too much of since having babies. Most of my free time is spent with my family and doggies...I love baking with my kids and I’ve recently been doing quite a bit of home redecorating which I really enjoy.”
(Speaking of traveling, Jenni and her family are starting a new adventure this year by living fulltime in an RV and traveling with their kiddos!)
Kelly: “I love to workout – spinning, body sculpt, and bootcamp. My favorite all-time thing to do is spend time with my family.”
Favorite food, and why?
Jen: “Sushi… all day long! Can’t beat freshly made, melt-in-your-mouth sushi. Living in Cabo, we are spoiled for choice here.”
Kelly: “Sushi!!! It is fresh and healthy.”
(I think it’s hilarious that they answered the same on this one!)
What ignited your spark to start Baja Baby?
Jen: “I wanted to create something with my bestie! Kelly and I had ruminated over a couple of different business ideas over the years of dinners and laughs. We both bring very different skill sets to the table so I knew we could make a great team. Baja Baby was created one day while sitting in our sweat pants; we both have a love for quality products. Neither of us bats an eyelid at sending money on spa-quality skin and hair care for ourselves. I have an existing business which is a service-based company for babies; we thought it would be neat to pivot from that and develop a spa-level skincare line for kids.”
Kelly: “Jen and I had talked about starting a business together for a long time and we knew we would make a great team. Jen founded Baja Baby Gear years prior and it just made sense to keep the brand name somewhat similar and add to the business plan she had mastered. Baja Baby skincare was born.”
What was your initial vision for Baja Baby?
Jen: “The business was a spin-off from Baja Baby Gear – my local baby gear rental service here in Cabo. We didn’t have that much knowledge about the actual manufacturing process at the time. We found a good manufacturer and worked on what we believed to be the best skin care products that we could. Within a year, we realized that our original offering was very good – but it wasn’t the best it could be. So, in 2016 we went back to the drawing board and changed everything so we could be the best.”
Kelly: “We wanted to provide the entire family with products produced from the highest quality ingredients. Our children deserve to be pampered too!”
How do you two know each other?
Jen: “Our husbands initiated a major bromance on the golf course over 8 years ago! Our friendship developed because of their friendship. Soon we were going out for double-dates; what tipped us over the edge was a 3 week 2-month stay at Kelly’s house! My husband and I and our then 1-year old son stayed at their house while our new house was getting remodeled. After wayyyy overstaying our welcome, we were still friends so I guess our family-level friendship was solidified at that point.”
Kelly: “Our husbands were the matchmakers. But once you got us together there was no stopping us!”
What is your background in?
Jen: “I went to school to become an esthetician and massage therapy. Developing this line of products has brought me back to those years of studying ingredients and formulations. I have a lot of experience in customer care and I generally love working with people”
Kelly: “My background is in sales. Prior to moving to Cabo San Lucas, I sold dental supplies for 18 years.”
Describe a typical day as a business owner?
Jen: “Recently I began home-schooling my children, so I am with my 4 and 6-year old until early afternoon doing school activities. I drop them off to do afternoon activities after lunch and that’s when I can get to work. I work on my businesses until it’s time for dinner. After putting the kids to bed, then I either get back to work or watch some Netflix!”
Kelli: “A typical day consists of working out, then all day at my desk handling all things customer service, logistics, and Amazon management.
What has been your greatest success/failure as a business owner?
Jen: “I’m really proud of what we have achieved with our rebrand of Baja Baby and I consider that along with Kelly and I’s healthy friendship and business collaboration to be a great success. I have had many failures as a business owner, too many to list. I’m not going to sit here and say that I don’t regret any of them or that I wouldn’t change a thing – because I would. I wish I could go back and change many mistakes. Obviously, that’s not possible, so instead, I work really hard on making sure I don’t make the same mistakes repeatedly.”
Kelly: “My greatest success is the product that we have produced (thank you Jen). It truly is liquid gold. My greatest failure – where to begin -there are many! And we make them often, but that is how we got to where we are today. Owning your own business is scary, risky, stressful, hard, etc…. but you must go through the failures to really find the successes.”
If you could describe Baja Baby in one word, what would it be?
Jen: “LIQUID GOLD!”
Kelly: “SUPERIOR!”
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Jen: “Just that I am really grateful to Kelly for being my business partner and I hope more people come to know Baja Baby products and incorporate them into their lives. Because they truly are the best!”
These two ladies should be a HUGE inspiration to us all. From a sweet friendship, came an unbreakable partnership and from that came a vision to create something amazing the whole family could use, and from there Baja Baby was created. It is truly an honor to be working for such strong and determined businesswomen. If you are looking for an amazing company to support that produces liquid gold and superior products, Baja Baby is your company!
Abby is a Mom and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
Follow Baja Baby on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram today!
Baja Baby is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
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I was recently asked myself what my word for 2018 would be? To be completely honest, this notion of a theme word caught me off guard because I had no idea this was a 'thing'. Although I love the idea, I had to sit back and meditate on this for several days.
What word could be important enough to hold onto throughout the year?
What word would be special enough to frame my whole year and push me to be a better me?
After days of contemplating and thinking of what my life currently looks like, I decided on a phrase instead of a word.
I chose this phrase because it pushes me to make myself a priority. I love creating a home of solitude and safety for my husband and children. I love creating a space that is functional, organized and efficient. However, these aspects of my life consume me every day, and I have a really hard time turning them off…this is why I am pressing pause.
Whatever it looks like, I am choosing to give myself the freedom to do something for me every day. I see this as a walk by myself, a bubble bath or a coffee date with a good book. Whatever way it comes, a daily moment will be for me. In motherhood, we can tend to lose our sense of self while caring for everyone else. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my role as a wife and mother, but I have also learned that I can’t care for others if I don’t care for myself.
I chose this phrase because I’m a mother of little ones. My daughter is nearly 17 months old and is growing up so fast, too fast. She is learning new words every day and I can see her becoming more independent as each day passes…this is why I am pressing pause.
I am nearly 5 months pregnant with baby #2 and I am constantly thinking of what life will be like with two instead of sitting in the moment with my one…this is why I am pressing pause.
Instead of trying to document every little moment Millie and I have, I am choosing to press pause and take in the moment for just us.
I chose this phrase because I want to thrive in motherhood not just survive. A normal day basically consists of making food for a tiny human, potty training and folding clothes. It can be mundane, lonely and stressful all at the same time.
There are days I watch the clock and count down the hours until Alex comes home…this is why I am pressing pause. I don’t want to just survive my days, I want to savor them, and this is HARD.
This means I am choosing to pause and sit in the chaos of motherhood and not just survive through it.
I chose this phrase for so many reasons, some I am sure I haven’t even realized yet. As silly as it may seem to choose a word or phrase to set the stage for your year ahead, I want to challenge you to do it!
If anything, it will give you a chance to re-prioritize what is important and that should be enough of a reason for you to try!
Abby is a first time Mom, and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, gorgeous baby boy Amos and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
Follow Baja Baby on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram today!
Baja Baby was is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
]]>But let me tell you, although the second time around is just as exciting, it is immensely more difficult and not quite as blissful.
The second time around you don’t have the luxury of curling up in bed until nausea subsides, or taking a nap whenever you want because you’re tired. Oh no, now you have a little human who depends on you to make them food, play with them and change their smelly diapers.
No one warned me about how hard this would be…To assist you in surviving the first-trimester "blessings," check out my helpful tips that you won't find anywhere else!
Until now, my first-born Millie hadn't watched any TV. And not to worry, it is still very minimal - 15 minutes max. However, this mama needs some help getting her bearings in the morning…so Daniel Tiger has become my new best friend. Our new morning routine has become milk (for Millie), ginger ale (for Mommy), saltines and cuddles on the couch (for both). This routine has become a major lifesaver.
I had to put aside my strictness with the TV for now and allow myself time to function and get something in my stomach before I start the day. So, if you’re anything like me and are against any kind of TV for your little one, give yourself a break and allow your little one to watch 10-15 minutes in the morning. This will help you ease yourself into the day and allow your body to digest some food, you’ll thank me for it later!
Between the exhaustion and nausea, I have found myself multiple times a day curling up on the floor and handing toys to Millie. She thinks nothing of it and has loved having mommy at her level to crawl over and lay on, but little does she know that I am doing this for my own survival!
Do yourself a favor and buy a baby gate or baby corral and lay in that contained area while your child plays. This is a lifesaver for many reasons; heaven forbid you accidentally fall asleep, at least you know your child is contained and everything is baby-proofed (I am speaking for experience people, oops!) Give yourself permission to lay on the floor and play with your child if it helps you manage the not so great first trimester symptoms.
My nose is the one thing that has been getting me in trouble this pregnancy. The slightest smell of something that doesn’t settle well in my stomach will automatically result in dry heaves and eventually a trip to the toilet. I can usually handle the grossness of toddler poops, but right now I just can’t.
So, to protect you from running to the toilet and to save you from the unwanted dry heaving…put a good glob of Vicks vapor rub under your nose and wrap any piece of accessible clothing around your nose like a mask to help alleviate any smelly penetration!
Change the diaper as fast as possible, hold your breath and think happy thoughts…Trust me on this one.
#4 Scent-free whenever possible!While we're on the topic of smelly smells, now's a great time to mention that you can change out any products that have scents if they happen to make your stomach churn. My sense of smell is either totally off or incredibly heightened right now and so it's a great time to look for unscented product options.
Obviously Baja Baby products have an all-natural line of products that are completely fragrance-free that is PERFECT for all you Mama's suffering from smell sensitivity right now!
I know that all of us moms roll our eyes when people say to “nap when the baby naps.” But please, PLEASE nap when your toddler naps! These days, I live for nap time more than anything else. A small cat nap can do wonders for you and help you survive the rest of the day until your partner gets home!
So please, don’t try and get more done while your kid sleeps and instead allow yourself a break and a chance to rest too, you can thank me later!
This second pregnancy has pushed me to let go of a lot of things. I am having a hard enough time functioning at a normal level, that any extra energy I do have, I want to spend being intentional with my Millie girl and NOT cleaning, doing laundry or getting a work out in. My mom has always told me that dishes and clothes will always be there, so spend time where it matters! I have started to hold on to that truth in so many ways.
Sure my house may be a lot messier and the laundry pile may be bigger than normal and I may only be eating french bread and other carbs (because that is all that I can stomach) BUT my kid is happy and I feel like I am putting my energy where it matters!
Plus the moments I have with just me and Millie are becoming fewer and fewer as the days go; so a perfect home, empty laundry basket and calorie counting are the least of my worries! And they should be the least of your worries too, mama!
Abby is an awesome Mom and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, her beautiful children Amelia Grace, Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
Follow Baja Baby on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram today!
Baja Baby is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
]]>Whether you are a first time Mom or not, you have an instinctual feeling that something isn't right. Babies cry when they are hungry, tired, wet and when they're uncomfortable. Your Mommy instincts will fire off an internal alarm to let you know that something is up that's not on the 'norm' list.
In Reese's case, her crying was at its peak around feeding times. We didn't know it at the time, but her stomach hurt during and after feeding. Unbeknownst to us, this was one of the first signs of reflux symptoms.
First I thought it was my abundant milk flow that was causing Reese to choke and cough during a feed. Then I thought it was her feeding position. Maybe that was why she seemed so uncomfortable during an after a feed? And then I began to think that maybe she was getting too much fore-milk and not enough of the thicker hind-milk.
After switching positions numerous times and trying to pump first and then feed her after I had expressed some of the early milk, I thought her symptoms would go away.
But then came the Exorcist-style projectile vomiting. I have never witnessed anything like it before and in truth, it was terrifying. It was only at this stage did I begin to think she was maybe showing reflux symptoms or perhaps pyloric stenosis.
We used to giggle when Reese would stick her tongue out, in those few moments of the day when she wouldn't be crying. We thought she looked adorable.
She would be all wrapped up in her swaddle, nodding off for a nap and then out would pop her tongue. Her mouth would be in a circular shape and she would stick her tongue out, with her eyes closed tight.
Luckily for us, she did it during a visit to our pediatrician - who immediately told us that was a classic reflux symptom.
Who knew?
Unfortunately, allergies and reflux can go hand in hand for certain kids. This was definitely true for Reese. In addition to these other reflux symptoms, her weight plummeted as my anxiety soared (see photo beneath - she had done from 8 lbs 6 oz to just under 6 lbs in her first month).
I have to tell you - I felt like I had failed as a Mom when the doctor told us just how much weight she had lost. Big tears of frustration fell down my cheeks as I had been breastfeeding her for HOURS day and night. I had a milk supply big enough for 3 kids, so I couldn't understand why she was losing weight!
Visit your pediatrician, get second opinions, go see a homeopath. Do whatever you need to do to get the answers you are looking for. Of course, everyone and the aunt is going to give you their opinion on what's wrong with your baby. But ultimately you, Mama, are the only person who truly knows.
I know that it's hard to trust your gut (or even find it!) when you're soooo tired and stressed out. But dig deep and advocate for yourself and your baby to get to the bottom of what's going on.
Reese was born in 2013 and there really wasn't a lot of information about reflux symptoms online. Now I'm sure there are videos and blogs that will show you what the symptoms look like. Use this information as reinforcement to get yourself and your baby the support you need if it does turn out that he or she has reflux.
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Dealing with her newborn baby Reese back in June 2013 was one of the most challenging times of Jens' life. In fact, Baja Baby Unscented Body Lotion was inspired by Reese and made for all the children out there who have the most sensitive of skins or allergy-based skin conditions.
How many parents out there have inherently known that something wasn't quite right with their little one? How many of you are reading this now, completely sleep-deprived and feeling like you're at your wit's end because you just KNOW something isn't quite right?
Jen's firstborn Wyatt was a dream baby. When Reese arrived, she were expecting more of the same. But it wasn't quite as easy the second time around.
"Watching Reese be so miserable literally brought me to my knees on many occasions. I knew something was wrong because she cried so much. And no matter what I tried, nothing I did stopped her crying like her heart was going to break and nothing would stop the rashes breaking out over her body for no apparent reason."
Baja Baby skincare products are the end result of a tough learning curve as a Mom and as a business owner. We're proud to stand behind a safe, organic line of skincare products that all kids can use.
The products come in family-size white bottles. The most important feature of the label is the shiny silver stamp that Jen & Kelly created. This stamp represents not only the quality of the product inside the bottle, but it's a nod to all the Moms in the world that get up every day and do their best for their families. Life with babies is tough and I wanted the stamp to feel like a badge of honor to our clients. We want to say "We see how hard you work, we honor your commitment to your kids by putting the best products that we can on the market."
To know that you don't have to be concerned about the lotion you are applying to your child's skin is, quite frankly, a relief - and something that we are honored to provide. If just one Mother out there can enjoy a moment with their sensitive baby knowing the product they are using will feel great and do its job right, then we're more than satisfied with that result.
We understand deeply how tough being a Mother is, and how difficult it is to know what is going on with your baby when he/she can't speak. We wholeheartedly encourage all Mothers to be your baby's advocate; give them the best start in life by choosing only the safest products to use on their precious skin.
One of our team will reach out to you to ensure we are a good fit, and upon approval, you will receive your very own unique referral URL that you can forward. You receive a commission percentage for every sale that comes through that link. Plus you will forever have our gratitude for backing our company! :-)
I have had the pleasure of communicating with more than a few Baja Baby Brand Ambassador applicants since we rolled out our Affiliate program. What a joy it has been to speak with you all. I’ve loved speaking to Alyssa of Mother Bear Co. Alyssa is an expectant Mom who was literally on the verge of labor with her second baby. Even in this late stage of pregnancy, Alyssa deeply cares about the choices she is making as a parent for their little ones. Congrats on your new arrival Alyssa!
Then there’s Gina from Gina Marie Photography. Gina specializes in infant photography and her work is exceptional. Even more amazing is her commitment to the health and wellness of her little clients. We are so excited to welcome her to be a Baja Baby Brand Ambassador!
And then we have Life With A Baby. This awesome education and support-focused website provides expectant and Moms to your babies with all the support they could possibly need.
As you can see, we have welcomed a diverse group of Ambassadors and will continue to do so. If you are interested in becoming a Baja Baby Brand Ambassador, please visit our application sign-up link here. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at jen@bajababyshop.com.
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The choice my husband and I made for me be the stay-at-home Mom has been ingrained in our relationship since before Day 1 of our marriage. We have always been willing to make immense sacrifices both financially and personally to make this priority a reality. All of the decisions we make come with sacrifices; it's how we choose to move forward and see the blessing it in all that makes a difference.
When my husband and I were dating, we had conversations about family all the time. We both wanted kids but we also had the desire for one of us to stay at home. We wanted to make sure we were the ones instilling morals and a good foundation in their life; not a daycare, or a nanny or even grandparents. We always viewed being parents as an incredible blessing but also an immense responsibility, in that we would be the ones to raise them. This was a priority for our family from the very beginning, so we were determined to make that choice a reality.
It seems that the choice to be a stay-at-home is not the norm in society today. Today’s world is all about me. Going after what I want, when I want it. Making sure that my needs are met and that I feel important. Society doesn’t celebrate the selfless choice to be a stay-at-home Mom but instead celebrates when you put yourself first.
So, when you choose to be a stay-at-home Mom, the priorities that society sees as important are no longer important to you. Your needs are put on the back burner because your life now revolves around a tiny human who counts on you for everything.
Some days are really good, and other days are really hard. I am not looking for sympathy from anyone because this is a choice I made, however, I do need some understanding. Like most stay-at-home Moms, I feel alone in this journey. No one is seeing the day to day of feeding, entertaining and cleaning that goes on. No one understands that you don’t get a break from Mom-world until the end of the day when your partner comes home. No one is there to celebrate the victories with you or join in the challenges you face. No one is there to watch the kid so you can take a shower or even just go to the bathroom (silly I know, but it’s true). But no one gets to experience the adventures, memories, and love that I get to every day by being a stay-at-home Mom.
I know this choice is not for everyone, but for me, it was the right choice.
I have a lot to offer in the “professional world.” My resume is strong, I have a stellar degree with lots of accolades. I am determined, hard-working, organized and driven. These skills would obviously push anyone else to pursue a career outside the home, but for now, the type of parent (and spouse) I want to be and the type of profession I want cannot exist in the same life. I am sacrificing progressing my professional desires and goals. I am choosing to sacrifice the comradery, community and adult conversations people find in their workplace, for everyday life with my precious daughter.
With me being a stay-at-home Mom, we are sacrificing having a second income. We are a solo income family and that comes with lots of sacrifices. We don’t have expensive cars, a house or fancy things. We are on a tight budget that pushes us to say no to a lot of luxuries that other families with two incomes may have the privilege to say yes to.
Sure, I would love to live in a fancy house up in some adorable mountain town and drive my fancy Subaru to work every day. But instead, I live in the desert of Colorado. We choose to sacrifice beauty for cost of living. If we chose to live in our dream mountain town, I would have to sacrifice raising my kids for the luxury of a beautiful location, and that’s not a sacrifice I’m willing to make.
The idea of putting a professional career on hold for the unforeseeable future and learning to live with less may be a sacrifice to some, but for this stay-at-home Mom, it’s a no-brainer decision!
I know there are so many Moms out there who wish they could stay at home and don’t have the privilege of doing so, so please know I do not take this opportunity for granted because I see it as an incredible blessing and responsibility.
Because of the choice we made and the sacrifices that come with it, I have the privilege of being the one who raises our daughter. I have the privilege of being the one who creates her schedule and gets to experience all the firsts. I get the privilege of teaching my daughter her moral foundation.
As a stay-at-home Mom, I am blessed with being able to do life with my kid!
Whether your story matches mine, or not at all, know that the choices you make in life may have some sacrifices, however, there are always blessings to be found. Maybe your decision to go back to work is the best decision for you as a Mom, and I bet you are a better Mom because of it. But in that decision to go back to work there are sacrifices you have to make but blessings that evolve through that choice. Maybe you recently decided to switch from breastfeeding to formula. This choice may have some sacrifices depending on the situation but the result could be a huge blessing. By choosing to switch to formula-feeding you are no longer stressing about producing enough milk and can now rest in knowing your baby is getting what he or she needs.
Whatever choices you are having to make, and whatever sacrifices come from those decisions, know that there are always blessings to be found! Choosing to be a stay-at-home Mom is hard, but for us, the blessings far outweigh the hardships and sacrifices.
Abby is a Mom and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
Follow Baja Baby on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram today!
Baja Baby is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
]]>Yes, babies first birthday party is to celebrate what an incredible blessing your child is but more importantly it's to celebrate you surviving the first year of parenthood! Woohoo! I know some people may think I’m a little crazy to go overboard on the details for a tiny kids birthday, but I don’t care! No disrespect, I just want to make sure my baby girl is celebrated!
If you’re anything like me, DIY is where it’s at. I can tend to be a little picky and a perfectionist when it comes to decor and the vision I have for something, plus I like to save money. So, if you’re interested in how to stay organized, how to save money and how to make some super cute DIY decor, check out my birthday party pointers below!
This is the key to getting your ideas all in one place. From the theme, food, decor, and activities, this will be a major lifesaver for you! However, let me be the first to warn you that your kids birthday party probably won’t look like the Pinterest Party’s you find and that’s okay! Please, let me repeat PLEASE don’t get caught up in the unrealistic expectations of the Pinterest world. We all know the pressure we feel from Pinterest...so simply use it for ideas! You can see mine here.
2. Choose a theme
Choose a theme you love and that represents your babies first birthday party. Our theme was “Wildflowers.” This theme is close to my heart for many reasons. Growing up hiking and camping in the mountains exposed me to the wonder of wildflowers. I love how unique and sporadic wildflowers are and that there is no rhyme or reason to where they grow. Millie is our little wildflower: beautiful, unique, sporadic and colorful.
Choose the type and time of the party. Do you want a short, simple get together with just cake and ice cream, or would you rather serve a meal? Do you want only family or friends too? My advice is to do what you can handle!
We decided to do lunch and cupcakes, with our friends and family who love Millie and have been our support in the first year…and it worked great! (We had 25 people come and had it from 11-1pm). Be sure to choose a time for the party that you know your kiddo will be well rested and ready to party, aka after morning nap or an afternoon nap.
Organization Tip: If you decide to go the meal route, make sure you have an idea for the number of people you will feed. Next, map out a menu that has easy, make-ahead food. For Millie’s birthday, I did BBQ chicken sandwiches (in the crockpot) with potato salad, corn on the cob, watermelon, and chips…easy peasy! If you map out your menu a few weeks before you will know exactly what can be made beforehand, and know what you need to whip together the day of.
(I made Millie’s, but there are lots of options!) You can create your own from scratch, you can use a template online or can buy premade invitations at the store. You do what makes sense for you!
Money Saving Tip: DIY- If you’re creative and have a vision for the invitations, try making your own! I used the website Canva, and had them printed at my local Office Max for only $12!
If DIY is SO NOT YOU, that’s totally okay! Target and Hobby Lobby have already made invitations that you just fill in the blanks with.
If you are partial to DIY, check out Shutterfly or Tiny Prints. These websites have templates and you can easily change the color scheme and add a pic of your little one. Plus they always have deals going on!
4. DIY Decorations
DIY Tip: Banner for Highchair- go to your local hobby lobby or Joann’s Fabric and choose ribbons and fabrics that match your theme. Cut the ribbon and fabric in varying lengths and begin tying it onto the ribbon you will wrap around the highchair. This banner turned out so darn cute and became the focal point for the party!
Money Saving tip: Bake your own cake- You can buy a smash cake pan at your local grocery store that is the perfect size for your kiddos birthday! And while you’re there, do yourself a favor and buy boxed cake mix. Your baby is going to make a mess of cake anyway, so my advice is to save the money you would spend on a professional cake and put it towards something else! (I was a bad mom and bought the funfetti cake mix, yum!)
DIY Tip: Make the cake topper- With the left-over fabric and ribbon you have from the banner make a cute cake topper as the centerpiece for the food table. I cut little bunting flags and attached cardboard letters to them, and then attached it to wooden skewer sticks.
A year of Millie - Like most first-time moms, I was diligent about taking photos of Millie every month (I am sure she will be the only child I do this for, haha) I had every month photo printed off and pinned them on a ribbon and hung it as more decor. It was special for me to share these photos with our friends and family, plus they got to see the progression of growth and personality of Millie during her first year.
Cake Smash Photos - Yes, we did professional cake smashing photos and they turned out adorable, however, you can totally do them yourself! I made sure to carry over the Wildflower theme into the photo session so I could have the photos on display at her party, yet again as a cute addition to the decor!
5. Keep food simple
Crockpot meal- I have found that for big crowds, the crockpot a life saver! It’s a no-fail, make-ahead option, plus, it’s a self-serve option for your guests which elevates the pressure of you having to serve your guests. Another easy meal that feeds a lot of people are the subs you can buy at Sam’s or the grocery store. These are cheap and easy ways feed a lot of people!
Make ahead side- to save you work the day of the party, do yourself a favor and make the sides a day ahead. Like I said above, I did potato salad, watermelon, corn on the cob and chips as the sides for the BBQ chicken. The day before Millie’s party I made the potato salad, wrapped the cobs so they were ready to be grilled and cut up the watermelon.
DIY Tip: Time Capsule- this is a sweet interactive game that guests can participate in. The people we invited have been a huge support to us throughout our parenthood journey and have been babysitters for Millie, needless to say, they have invested a lot of time and love into Millie girl. The Time Capsule gives them a chance to answer questions about what they think she will be when she grows up, and how they know her…The answers are then placed in a time capsule for Millie to open when she is 18. If this idea doesn’t make you cry, I’m not sure what will!
Corn Hole and Tent outside for babies - For entertainment, we set up our corn hole set to keep people busy and occupied until lunch was ready. We also set up our camping awning in the backyard with a quilt and some toys for the babies.
MOST IMPORTANT TIP: Have FUN! Don’t let the planning, hosting and decorating take over the joy and purpose of the day. Something will probably go wrong, maybe your baby may choose to be a grouch that day or the cupcakes will spill everywhere or the food won’t be done in time, but it’s okay. Expect things to go wrong and you won’t be disappointed. Have fun with it!
Celebrating your baby’s first year of life is a HUGE deal and the fact that you survived is an even bigger deal! If you choose to go a little crazy like I did or not as crazy, I hope you found my tips to be helpful. Know that you are amazing for the surviving your first year as a mama and the years ahead just keep getting better and better!
Abby is a Mom and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
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Baja Baby is EWG VERIFIED™. For more information, please visit the EWG site.
]]>When our team first heard about the Eco Excellence Awards, we were very keen to be in the running, because they focus on companies who show excellence in social sustainability and environmental responsibility. These are matters close to the hearts of the Baja Baby Team, and so we crossed our fingers in the hope that we would be considered!
When we were selected as a finalist, it already felt like a WIN, because we were up against some other wonderful brands. Imagine our JOY when we found out that we had won in our category!
To be recognized in our category by not just the judges who put us in the finals, but then by a public vote is a huge honor.
It's an honor that we don't take for granted.
Our company has gone through a dramatic transformation in a very short space of time in our quest to become the best 100% natural skincare line for kids. As I'm sure you know, any time radical changes occur in our lives, even when they are self-induced, it can be a time of painful adjustment.
It's no understatement to say that Kelly and I agonized over the changes Baja Baby had to make. We knew that in order to become the best, everything had to be the best. The best manufacturing practices, the best raw ingredients, the best preservation methods and the best branding to represent what was inside our bottles.
The changes that we made to our formulations, our branding and our company were indeed challenging, but awards like these reassure us that we are doing the RIGHT thing for our customers!
We are so grateful to the NCW Magazine for the creation of these awards and for choosing us a finalist. Thank you to the public for voting Baja Baby as the WINNER of this awesome award!
If you are new to Baja Baby, sign up to our exclusive email list to receive a FREE full-size bottle of Award Winning Baja Baby product!
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