10 Favorite Tot Sleep Tips

I went to the Pediatrician the other day and while there read that half of all babies sleep through the night. That made me feel sad that mine didn't and also elated that I wasn't alone. While we are no sleep experts we feel like we have tried it all, read it all, and are starting to see some success so from one set of tired moms to another here are a few tips we have picked up over the years that work for US.

1-A good bedtime routine is key. You read about it everywhere but really sticking with it is another story. Once you establish a routine stick to it and the littles will at least know that bed is coming. Just don't feel like a bad parent when you have a routine in place and some nights are still so so hard. It happens to everyone just keep moving forward. So routine. Do WHAT works for you WHEN it works for you. Bath, PJs, Story, Teeth Brush, Prayers, Song, Bed. (Just an example)

2- Lotion those kiddies up. Use a lavender scented one to help send them into dreamland hopefully a bit sooner.  Use this one in the tub it doubles as a body and hair wash and smells like heaven in a bottle.

3-Just like adults, kids have an internal clock that will set itself to sleep and wake so try and be as consistent with a bedtime as you can each night. Even on weekends when possible. 

4-Let older toddlers choose their own bedding. They will be more likely to be excited about bedtime and going to bed if they are surrounded by items they chose themselves.

5-A good white noise machine is worth more than its weight in gold. We both swear by the Dohm Sound Conditioner. It has several different settings and is easy to transport should you need to take it on vacation or to Grandmas house for nap time. 

6-Leave the temperature slightly cooler and make sure they are in warm pjs, don't forget socks,  as most little ones don't keep a blanket on as they move around all night.

7-Blackout curtains are a real life saver especially in the summertime when it is light well until 9pm. Don't want to lay down serious cash for curtains? Take the cheap way out and hang black or navy blue flat bed sheets on the windows for the summer months. $5 at Walmart and you can hang them with Command Hooks so they come down easily during the day and when you are done with them. 

8-Use dim night lights in bedroom and hallway if they are scared of the dark or need to make bathroom runs during the night. It will help them see just enough without becoming fully awake using lights. These Green LED Night Lights have done the trick for years in our bedrooms.

9-If you child is of napping age, try and make sure they nap earlier in the day as late naps will definitely equal a later than normal bedtime and your routine that you worked so hard to keep will take a few nights or more to get back into.

10- Right before bed give yourself time for the little last minute things. Bathroom break if they are potty trained. Snuggle time with you to calm down and drift happily off to sleep and of course a goodnight kiss. 

Little Sleepy Head is offering 15% off their ENTIRE site using code: MYDEAL15

They have FUZZY pillowcases, toddler size pillows, and some of THE best smelling bath wash!

Good luck and we hope some of these tips help!! 

XO, Megyn &  Jordyn 

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VALENTINES DAY FAVORITES

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! 

We hope you had a treat filled day of love with whomever you chose to spend it with. We thought we'd give you a peek at our day and some of our favorite Valentines tips that we tried and loved this year. Some we will definitely be using next year and others we will be using for birthdays or other holidays before Valentines even rolls around again.

Enjoy!

White Chocolate Cupcake Toppers

All you need are sucker sticks, melted white chocolate, and wax paper. Once the chocolate is melted place the stick on wax paper and write (we put the chocolate in a plastic bag and cut the tip off) your design or word on or across the stick. Let it dry, or refrigerate until hard and place in your cupcakes. Genius! 

Sidewalk Chalk "Heart Attack" 

We used a cardboard cut out of a heart to trace hearts of all different colors on the neighbors walk. Then left a message. The kids loved helping and it was sweet and cute.

(Mostly) DIY Valentine Making

Targets Dollar Spot and the Dollar Store are great places for Holiday finds IF you get there early before all the good stuff is gone. 

Felt hearts stuffed with chocolate treats can do double duty for decor.

Whoopee Cushions because "Love Stinks"

More Target finds.

 Valentine Balloons

4 words. Dollar Store Must Haves!

The Perfect Man Gift

A six pack of soda with the tag "6 reasons I love You", include a treat if you want because we all know men love food.

Valentine Decor

Twine, Red XO's and lips, and clothes pins made an easy and non destructible Valentine banner.

Pin the Lips on Yourself Game

We got this idea from the Small Fry Blog and while we did a few things different it was such a cute game and the kids loved it. We used photos of our children that had closeups of their heads and then printed 8x8 photos at Costco. We laminated them. Cut out foam lips from craft foam, blindfolded them and they were set. The Small Fry Blog has a template for lips, mustache, and glasses that is great for the game but our local copy store was having issues so we made our own.

Valentines for Grandparents

We took balloons and flowers to the grandparents and had fun making cards to send in the mail a day or two before Valentines day. We also used some of our favorite Valentine pictures and sent photos in the cards. Grandparents love mail right?

Babies first Valentines Day

With no planning on our part we each bought the babes the same shirts for Valentines at different stores but on the same day. Great minds. Aren't they darling?

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Water You Waiting For: Our Favorite Summer Water Activities for Kids

Its summer. Its hot. The kids are tired of the old garden sprinkler. We have tried dozens of activities for the kids and while we don't claim to be experts by any means, we love to by outside, especially in the summer and we want something fun but simple. Sooo to maintain our mom sanity during the summer we've found that WATER in many forms is a must. So read on for some of our favorite tried and true ways to keep the kids cool while playing in the great outdoors. Hope you and your kids like them as much as we do. Oh, and one more recommendation, next time you are at the grocery store hit the frozen food aisle and pick up a non alcoholic Bacardi mixer. Pop it in the blender with water and ice and enjoy a smooth treat while the kiddos play. You can thank us later.

Pop Bottle DIY Sprinkler

Take a 2 Liter bottle or other plastic bottle and poke holes in it with scissors and a knife. This should be an adults job for obvious reasons. Take it out and attach it to the end of the hose with some duct tape. Its just different enough from the boring old sprinkler that the kids will love it. More holes equal more water.

DIY Water Blob 

These water blobs as they are called are all over Pinterest with varying levels of difficult instructions. We used duct tape and painters plastic to make smaller "blobs" so each child could have their own. Simple buy some plastic, fold it in half so all the sides match and duct tape well around the edges. Leave a small hole for the hose and fill it up with water. Cover the hole with tape and let the kids jump and play on it. You can make these as big or as small as you'd like. 

Kiddie Pools For All Ages

Even if your child has outgrown the kiddie pool, which lets be honest we still stick our feet in them. You can still fill them up with ice, toys, small squirt guns, kitchen utensils, and/or any number of other objects to make it new and different and not just a pool of water. This time of year usually has some great sales on them too. So keep your eyes out.

Paint With Water

Stop by the painter aisle at your local hardware store or even at Walmart and pick up a few cheap paint rollers. Fill sand buckets or any other bucket with water and let the kids "paint" the driveway, sidewalk, or deck with water. It dries fairly quickly and results in no mess for you as it is just water, and the kids love it. Smaller children like the water and the roller, while older children can practice drawing shapes, letters, or anything else they wish.

Dollar Store Finds

Hit up the local dollar store for cheap pool toys, squirt guns, and giant water squirt swords and nearly anything else you can think of and then hit the local lake, splash pad, or pool. If and when the toys break you won't feel too bad about it as it was only a buck.

Water Balloon Fights

Walmart and the dollar store sell packs of 100 water balloons for 1.00. Stock up and every now and again fill them up for the kids to have water fights with you, dad, each other, or just to play with the balloons. We started doing it about once a week and ambush Dad when he walks in from work. It has become something fun we do that the kids really look forward to.

Trampoline Sprinklers

You probably remember doing this as a kid. Our only warning is to make sure that the kids are supervised well as trampolines are slippery when wet. Place a sprinkler underneath and let the kids bounce. As they jump down it creates a double splash that is fun.

Freeze It

Freeze colored water in plastic gloves, small toys in easter eggs or ice cube trays. Peel the gloves off and let the kids play with the hands while they melt. Place them in a small swimming pool or plastic tub full of kids toys and let the kids cool off. These make a fun addition to a sensory table while the ice melts.

DIY Fruity Pops

Popsicle molds can be found at almost any store this time of year. Target, Ikea, Walmart, Smiths, Dollar Store. You name it they have them. Pick them up for a few dollars and let the kids help you make their own popsicles. It can be as simple as freezing their favorite juices or lemonade. You can also freeze smoothies, shakes, root beer floats, strawberry milk, yogurt or the ones pictured below  are coconut water with strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries in them. 

 Bubble Blowing

Sometimes the old classics work best. Some days it is just too hot to be outside and its best to wait for the evening hours and cooler temperatures to head outside and have some fun. We have really liked the bubble bases that hold 3 wands at a time and let the kids blow bubbles on their own. You can refill when you like and it lets several kids (and/or) you play at once.

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Lazy Lake Days with The Baby Cubby

If you don't know the two of us are both expecting babies this fall. Between the two of us it will be baby #4 and #5, which means we have been through our fair share of diaper bags. While on the hunt for new bags for the new babes The Baby Cubby asked us to review one of their bags and we love it. 

Diaper bags, in our minds must meet 3 main requirements:

• Multiple handles so it can be carried several different ways.
• Plenty of pockets and storage space for bit and small items.
• Every surface of the thing must be waterproof and/or wipeable.
• Its a nice added bonus if we like the way it looks. 

After spending a day at the lake with their bag we fell in love and are currently in the middle of an intense game of rock, paper, scissors to see who gets it. 

Why we love it:

• The large middle pocket easily holds diapers, wipes, a changing pad, snacks etc. 
• The front zips open and becomes your wallet should you choose to make it so. There are pockets for credit cards, museum memberships, and any other valuables you'd like to keep there. 
• A long shoulder strap lets you carry it across your body, or on your shoulder while two shorter handles let you carry it more like a purse.
• It comes with stroller straps to attach right to your stroller so you don't have to carry it at all. 
• All surfaces passed the wipe test as surprise surprise apple juice was spilled on it.
• Its well made and can take the use and abuse of being taken on our outdoor outings but still has style for trips around town and out with the girls.
• Two thumbs up for gender neutral. We are having boys, but this bag could easily be used for a girl which makes it usable for multiple children.

The Baby Cubby has given our readers at 10% discount. Use MEGYNJORDYN10 valid thru June 30!


IG: @MEGYNJORDYN

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Top 10 Pregnancy Must Haves

Hello Cyber World, Megyn here!! I took a small hiatus due to this growing little BOY. I gotta tell ya that first trimester just about killed me. We FOR SURE thought we had another little girl on the way (isn't that the common fact: you are more sick with girls) so we were pretty shocked when we found out we had a Mr. on the way!

With Jordyn having gone through two pregnancies and myself this being my second, this list is tried and true from one mama to another! Share with us what you have loved during your pregnancies!!

1 || Target Maternity Leggings || This one is a no brainer...what pregnant mama hasn't lived in stretchy pants. These are our favorites...cheap and cute.

2 || Body Pillow || It's not technically the actual pregnancy pillow but who wants to spend the money on one...when this pillow follows the same principle as the pregnancy pillow. We both have both used ours pretty much our whole pregnancy, it makes sleeping so much more comfortable to be able to have support between your legs.

3 || Tee's || These are cheap and well made quality...they hold up for your whole pregnancy and with the side ruching are flattering on your growing belly.

4 || Cotton Dresses || This dress seems to stretch with you as you grow...and not in an unflattering way. We are all about being kept cool while pregnant and with the knee length, short sleeves, and light material this one is a winner.

5 || BodyLotion || Tried and true with my first pregnancy, helps to relieve my dry, itchy skin and the smell is right on point.

6 || Prenatal Gummies || I didn't have a problem with prenatals with my first pregnancy but being as sick as I am I can't seem to keep down the Costco prenatals...too much iron i've been told. These gummies taste good and I can stomach them. The trick I've found is to take them in the middle of the day with lunch (or when you are feeling your best) try to avoid right before bed though.

7 Ovia Pregnancy App: The more commonly known apps which we have both used and loved are What To Expect and The Bump App but the Ovia App is more a little more detailed and gives you more info on your weekly updates as well as daily updates.

8 || Nike Shoes || These shoes are at a $40.00 discounted right now....so jump on it. Every pregnant woman wants to stay active with your pregnancy....that's hard to do without some good shoes. Not only do we love the comfort of these shoes (durable support shoes help so much with lower back pain) but they are neutral colors which can be worn with anything.

9 || Bra Extender || With a rib cage that is daily expanding these little things will be your best friend. If you like us want to wear your regular bra vs. a nursing bra during your pregnancy. Motherhood Maternity also carries bra extenders.

10 || Bringing Up Bebe || Aside from all the norm pregnancy books this New York Times Bestseller is a must read. An American Journalist has her baby in Paris and writes all about the "French Parenting" way of raising your kids.

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Social Media Know How From A Mom Who Knows How

Guest Post By Rachael Brandt. You can check out her blog So Loved here. Follower her on Instagram  @so.loved.co. She's our newest cyber friend and we love following her day to day posts.

Is social media good or bad? This is a question that has been asked a million times and will continue to be discussed forever. The way I see it, social media is a monster really, a monster with two heads:
1. Where you get sucked in and compare and compete.
2. Where you find inspiration, challenge, support, and friendship.

The first head to this beast is ugly. It makes us want what we don't have, think others lives are easier, pretties, and just plain better than ours. This head is dangerous and way too easy to get sucked into. The second head to the monster is the sweet spot. This is where you go to find inspiration, see good that others are doing, and to be encouraged.

Social media is this strange, wonderful space where people oceans apart can develop and maintain friendships with someone they have never met and may never meet face to face. This is the sweet spot because it makes the world a little smaller. In this space you can feel you are not alone. You are not the only one with a messy house and dirty laundry; wild children and unwashed hair. You can find people with similar stories, journeys and life experiences. you can help to encourage others dreams and be encouraged in your own as well.

Ultimately it all comes down to balance. Balance is the key to most things in life so why would social media be any different? Although the friendships that can be formed are good and helpful they should not replace those face to face friendships in our lives. If you find you are more discouraged than encouraged by a feed, unfollow!

For me it has come down to just finding time to be on social media and time to power down. I want to make sure my kids remember my face and not just the top of my head as I look down at my phone or computer all day long. I find that the benefits of social media far outweigh the bad as long as there is balance!

Lets just be honest for a minute, we put our best on social media for the world to see. Nine times out of ten you see the happy and not the sad, scared, or ugly. I think if we keep this in mind it will keep us from becoming overwhelmed with how "simple" or "normal" or "worse" our lives seem compared to "everyone" else.

I also believe there are seasons to our interaction with social media. I was way more involved when my first daughter was a newborn and I had just left work to stay hom... with a sleeping baby. While she slept I found DIY activities, and other mom's who encouraged me that this "new normal" would in fact feel normal someday soon.

Now that I have a 1 and 2 year old my social media interaction is slightly less. I use it for my business networking and finding encouragement that I am not the only mother still battling baby weight, toddler attitudes, sleep schedules etc... I still come across those people who would rather suck the good out of the world rather than add joy to it, just like in real life, but those are the people I choose not to associate myself with.

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