Ashling Drew, Author at Joyful Messes

Tips To Help Daddy Bond With A Breastfeeding Baby

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SimplyBonding #CollectiveBias Breastfeeding a baby is such a special bond. Feeding a baby in general creates an important bond of trust and love. One that I feel so blessed to have experienced now with three little ones. I am still breastfeeding my 10-month old baby, and I think it’s important not to leave Daddy out on all this special bonding time. For first-time parents, it can be difficult to allow daddy an opportunity to bond with the baby. I never had my husband do the middle-of-the-night feedings because he had to work. I just reasoned that only one of us should be in a zombie-like state, and we don’t need him functioning half awake while working, so these ideas are all great ways to have daddy bond with the baby, without having him…

The Honest Way To Lose The Belly Pooch After Baby

Losing the pooch after baby is one of the most difficult aspects of postpartum weight loss. Sometimes it feels as though we can lose weight everywhere, BUT THE BELLY! The pooch can linger too long. But there are some honest realities when it comes to the pooch that need to be understood, to move forward and work that belly back down. I’ve had three babies now, and my stomach will never be the same, nor will it ever be super flat. That is a harsh reality, but through healing and specialized core work, you can repair your abs. Encourage them to come back together as much as possible. In this program, you can follow along with Pilates-based, diastasis repairing workouts. The program also has a three-week plan to heal your core. No PDF exercises, but real videos walking you through and causing you to correctly breathe, use your abs, and…

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte + Cozy Coffee Bar For Simple Entertaining

It’s the glorious time of year when the infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte makes its return. Each year I long for the simple, sweet and spicy treat. It’s actually a very simple recipe, which I’ve made numerous times as an ex-barista. I actually love making coffee, and if I wasn’t a mom, I would probably still be a barista living off of tips because I love the job. Anyways, I have a heavenly pumpkin spice latte recipe that will seriously have your friends knocking at your door at 7 am. This post contains affiliate links. I’ve also got a cute little coffee bar set up, which is easy to put together with items from the Target dollar spot, and great for hosting those cozy coffee mornings with friends. Why meet up at the local coffee shop and wait in line, when you can have your friends over for homemade treat at…

How To Get Your Kids To Leave You Alone

I am probably way behind on finally getting my kids to leave me alone, after almost 5 years of being a mother, but for some reason, I am just now figuring out some tricks to get my kids to leave me alone. Keeping up on cleaning, blogging, organizing, grocery shopping, paying bills…just life in general is IMPOSSIBLE when your kids won’t leave you alone to think. I still am struggling to get enough time alone, but I’ve now figured out a way to get them to give me some space for a decent enough time to clean the kitchen, check some emails or brush my teeth and put some makeup on. Nap time is a great time of course but as kids get older nap times shift and/or go away and you can’t always wait for nap time to take care of something. Just 30 Minutes In reality, it’s not…

5 Reasons Losing The Baby Weight Is So Darn Hard

I recently wrote about how I lost the baby weight by the 6 weeks postpartum. I am more than concerned that post makes the process sound easy. It’s not easy. Losing the baby weight is hard. Losing weight in general is hard. Keeping a fitness routine as a mom is hard. A gym is expensive and working out at home with kids is not fun. Losing weight after baby, while breastfeeding, is HARD! Staying motivated to lose the baby weight isn’t the hardest challenge we will face as mothers. Managing our homes, keeping our children alive, dealing with the wining, protecting our homes from sheer destruction and attempting to be a decent adult who wears clothes is actually really hard too. As moms we are thrown into a whole new world of hurdles to jump over and it never ends. Let’s jump into why specifically losing the baby weight is…

What I Love and Hate About Co-Sleeping + The Softest Nursing Bra

This post is sponsored by Bravado, but all opinions and thoughts are completely my own. I only accept sponsorship from products I know I love, and hope that you will too! #upliftingineveryway I wasn’t prepared for the tremendous sleep deprivation a newborn baby brings. There’s not really words to describe it. I remember it being worst with my first baby because I wasn’t used to it. I would try to sleep, then be jerked awake at the smallest sound of the baby making a noise. I also didn’t know how to get a baby on a sleeping schedule, without having him cry his lungs out, so it was a big mess of dark circles and zombie hair for the first few months. I was literally trying everything to get my new little bundle to sleep. A swing, crib, swaddling and bouncy chair. Nothing was working, and in pure desperation I…

Mom Survival Must-Haves for Traveling Alone With Kids

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc.. All opinions are mine alone. #ShineWithClearEyes #MyShiningMoment #CollectiveBias I’m feeling like a rock star today because I survived a red eye flight across country by myself. The trick is packing strategically. Moms on the go need to pack for survival both for themselves and their kids. Here’s what I brought with me that helped me fly solo with three kids under 5 and live to tell the tale! My first advice is to pack your own mom survival pack. The better mood you are in, the more fun and entertaining you’ll be able to do for your kids. They will feed off of your energy. Packing things to keep you comfortable and in a good mood is one of your biggest essentials. It will transform your experience, put everyone in a better mood, and you won’t spend a lot of money buying…

How To Start The Week Right – Breakfast!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PerfectionWithPost #CerealAnytime #CollectiveBias The reality of my life is that I don’t always get breakfast. I am more concerned about getting coffee down, things cleaned up and kids packed up. Cereal is actually a quick and easy option for me, and I love the tasty versions because I know I can even pack them in a baggy for the kids to eat in the car. A better day begins with a better breakfast, and having a breakfast that is packed with flavorful goodness is what every family deserves. With three new Shredded Wheat varieties from Post® Cereals available at Walmart, it’s easy to please adults and kids alike. You can try out these delicious new varieties with this cashback offer from ibotta. And don’t forget to show recipes featuring Post cereals some love on Pinterest. Whatever…

6 Super foods You Will Actually Eat for a Belly-Only Pregnancy

There’s a lot of lists of super foods for pregnancy out there. Many of them are full of green goodies, that a lot of normal pregnant women don’t really want to eat, especially when pregnant. I mean, let’s get real, how many of us get a craving to munch on spinach leaves? Or want to gobble up heads of broccoli? Yeah, I lived off nachos the first 20 weeks really, so let’s be honest about these food lists. Sure, we can attempt to saute the spinach into something manageable, but it’s not the first choice. I recently discussed how to have a belly only pregnancy, and I wanted to also talk about some foods to help with that as well. Luckily, I’ve done my homework, as well as figured out some great super foods that you will actually eat after being pregnant three times now. Here are some that are…

6 On-The-Go Items You Must Pack To Keep Up Your Postpartum Weight Loss

This shop has been compensated by CollectiveBias, Inc. on behalf of its advertiser, ZonePerfect. #MyLittleWins #CollectiveBias I’ve found, that if I don’t pack myself some healthy snacks, then there are some not-so-great choices that happen. Chocolate bar in the check out line at the store, half a bag of crackers two-weeks-old in the bottom of my purse, or baby cookies that are not meant for teeth…these are all true decisions I have made, in my not-so great and healthy moments. But, after a few repeated incidents, I have learned to plan ahead, so I don’t have to make choices like these anymore. Packing healthier options is super important to help us mamas stick to our goals of losing the baby weight. It is the times when we are out of energy, on the run and stressed when we give in to the candy bars, crackers or cheeseburgers. Packing the perfect,…

Ashling Drew