Ashling Drew, Author at Joyful Messes

27 of The Most Important Baby Items To Get You Through The First Year

Shopping for baby items is one of my most favorite things to do while pregnant. It gets progressively less fun as you accumulate more and more with each child, but I remember with my first baby the world of excitement and cuteness as I shopped and researched what to get. Fast-forward to 5.5 years later, and I’ve survived the first year with baby three times. This is a super comprehensive list of the gear I KNOW you need to get through your first year. This is really the only list you need to survive and thrive, as well as grab some cute photos because everything is totally Instagram-worthy. These are also all items I still have and use, or used and handed to my younger sisters, so I they’ve been used for multiple babies in our family. First, if you haven’t signed up for a registry yet, Amazon is a…

18 Beautiful Ways To Organize The Messiest Spaces

Kitchen: Pan Organizers Pantry: Free Printable Labels! Dollar Store Pantry Kitchen Peg Board: Inspired By Charm Charger Station: Mail Center: Industry Standard Design Command Center: Landeeseelandeedo Laundry Room: Lilluna Bathroom: BHG Linen Closet: Simply Organized Key Organizer: A Beautiful Mess Office: Best Friends For Frosting Craft Room: DecoraTop Laundry Room: Kids Closet: Project Nursery Kids Closet: My Baby Doo Play Room: Project Nursery Play Room: Blesser House

5 Proven Tricks To Lose The Baby Weight Without Tanking Your Milk

Breastfeeding and postpartum weight loss are a hot topic for new mamas because balancing milk supply and weight loss can be super tricky. I think it’s safe to say that most mamas would choose a higher milk supply for their babies, rather than losing weight fast, but you can really do both. I’ve gained and lost over 25lbs with each pregnancy, and never had an issue with milk supply because of my nutrition. Nutrients are the key to losing the baby weight while keeping a healthy milk supply. Your body needs the building blocks to function properly. This includes balancing hormones correctly, creating enough breast milk and ultimately using the stored fat as fuel to produce breast milk. This is why we store fat when pregnant. So there is plenty of extra nutrients and fuel to use to create breast milk. We are supposed to lose weight while breastfeeding. When…

The Best Protein Powder For Pregnant Mamas and Growing Baby

I’ve been pregnant or nursing for over 5 years now. Every time I am pregnant, I do my best to include an organic, prenatal and postnatal protein powder that benefits both me and my baby. Its so important to get enough protein, yet it is often difficult because protein tastes like garbage. I don’t particularly like meat in general, and when I’m pregnant it is even worse. The only protein I like is cheese, and that’s not the best for achieving a belly-only pregnancy. This is where protein powder comes in!! I talk about this powder for breastfeeding mamas too in another post, because its really great for milk supply as well! Which means that you can keep using it when baby arrives, and it will help with your milk! I have some great, milk boosting smoothie bowl recipes that are so yummy (and pretty!), so save those for later,…

Baby Items Millennial Moms Will Adore from Companies Focused on Function, Quality and Design

As a millennial mama, I am just as concerned about function as I am about style. I am focused on minimalism, quality and aesthetic when it comes to baby items. There are some beautiful companies out there now that are the result of millennials pushing for better quality, better function and overall beautiful design. I mean, as millennials we want nothing but the highest standards! Well, I am so excited I’ve scored the internet to find a full list of these items, created by intentional companies to ease the minds of millennial mamas, while still keeping their gear totally instagram-worthy at all times. Here’s the complete list that you must add to your registry. If you haven’t got your registry started yet, the Amazon Baby Registry is awesome because you can get everything there! Who doesn’t shop on Amazon, and they give you $100 towards diapers and wipes!! Can’t go…

Protein Smoothie Bowls to Lose The Baby Weight, Not Your Milk!

Protein is a magical macro for breastfeeding and weight loss. I actually struggle to eat enough protein because I’m not a big fan of meat. I will eat chicken drenched in ketchup, or turkey burgers with lots of cheese and toppings, but I am really happy without the meat and just veggies. So, I opt for protein shakes as a way to help me get protein in. Protein is essential and important when you’re breastfeeding, and it’s a great tool for weight loss because it provides energy for your muscles and brain, while also requiring extra energy to digest. I find that the protein shakes are an amazing way to consume protein, in addition to other nutrients in a way that is not only palatable but super yummy! If you have trouble knowing what protein powder to get, please read about my favorite, super clean protein powder! Its the Ora…

How To Get A Trainer, for A Fraction of The Cost (less than $6 a Month!)

I write a lot about losing the baby weight and getting fit on this blog because I’ve gained and lost over 25 lbs three times now. I know how hard it can be to find time to workout, eat healthy when you have massive sugar cravings, or just survive when you have toddlers and babies pulling on you every second. I was able to lose the baby weight by 6 weeks postpartum because it is a habit now. I even wrote a free little book with all my secrets that I would love to give you! I have had a very difficult time making the most of any workout I can manage. Whether it was at the gym, when we had a membership, or now while I’m running with my jogging stroller (follow me on Insta to see my stories of running with kids!). I was just going through the…

Protein Powder Recipes For Milk Supply and Postpartum Weight Loss

Protein powder is one of the biggest tools I use for postpartum weight loss, as well as keeping up my milk supply. Lots of mamas worry that when they start losing weight, they will lose your milk supply. But, that’s not true. Your body wants to use the stored calories and nutrients in our fat cells to produce milk, and if you continue to supply your body with great nutrients, your body will have everything it needs to produce lots of milk. I’ve become a pro at breastfeeding, and I am just weaning my third baby now. If you need to increase your milk supply, check out these 5 foods (which also help with weight loss!), and save this post for later. It’s all the tips and tricks my sister and I (she pumped and nursed twins over a year while working part time!!) have learned. Moving into protein powder…

Minty Green Protein Shake For Milk Supply and Postpartum Weight Loss

This protein shake is so yummy, and full of super powers for milk supply!! I love this as a postpartum drink to give my body all the nutrients it needs to produce lots of milk, as well as help me lose the baby weight fast. (I lost it all by 6 weeks postpartum!). The run down of the shake is pretty simple, and I’ve laid out all the ingredients for you, to make sure you can whip it up quickly. Let’s go over the ingredients first: 13-15 cashews 1 scoop of protein powder (read all about my favorite protein powder, and the one I HIGHLY recommend) Half Avacado 1 cup Almond Milk (or milk of choice) 2 Cups Spinach 1 TBS Flaxseed 4 Packets Stevia (or sweetener of choice) 1-2 Mint Leaves (depending on how minty you want it) Handful or so of ice cubes I use a Ninja big…

5 Things Your Doctor Doesn’t Tell You at Your 6-Week Postpartum Checkup

I was so nervous for my first, 6-week postpartum check up, and totally shocked by my experiences that followed my check up. I remember getting ready to go in the room, new baby asleep in the car seat and waiting patiently for my doctor to come in. The experience itself was simple, quick and at-first, such a relief. I was given the “okay” and told everything was healed as it supposed too. I had a small tear during labor, and this was with my first baby, but was told it all healed up nicely. I walked out feeling excited and nervous all at the same time. What I wasn’t told was so much more. I walked out of there feeling happy that I survived my first birth and recovered by 6-weeks like you are “supposed” too. But, there was so much my doctor didn’t tell me, and some utterly painful…

Ashling Drew