Ashling Drew, Author at Joyful Messes

3 Unique Ways To Pamper Yourself Without Leaving Home

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PeopleRewardsClub #CollectiveBias As a mom, the idea of taking “me” time can be stressful. Just planning a time to go somewhere, making sure the kids are watched, then leaving and worrying…is it really “me” time? Sometimes a better way to go is to take a few minutes at home, where you can spend some time rejuvenating, rather than packing up to go somewhere. Especially with kids headed back to school this time of year, there’s just a bit of extra time while they are gone to allow yourself to take a small break. Here are 3 Ways You Can Pamper Yourself Without Leaving Home First, Kick Back with a Magazine: People Magazine has an amazing PEOPLE® Rewards Club that is simple, and special treat. The rewards system gives you a free copy of PEOPLE®…

A Better Day Begins With a Better Breakfast

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PerfectionWithPost #CerealAnytime #CollectiveBias 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 thiscashback offer from ibotta. And don’t forget to show recipes featuring Post cereals some love on Pinterest. Whatever you’re into, fuel it with Shredded Wheat. Now in three new exciting flavors ready to inspire your next pursuit.

My Plan To Heal Umbilical Hernia + Diastasis Recti with out Surgery

Three kids in less than 4 years. My oldest was about 3.5 when my youngest was born just 10 months ago. Since my second pregnancy, I had a little bump on the top of my belly button. I didn’t think much of it because my belly button stuck out a bit during pregnancy, so I thought it would take time to go back in. Well, I got pregnant with my third baby, and I didn’t think much of it because my belly button just stuck out again during pregnancy, and I am now 10 months postpartum, still with a bump on my belly button. My husband actually never really noticed it because its subtle, but you can feel it. I finally told him it was there, and he told me it’s a hernia. What?! Off to Google I went for some learning and research. According to some sources (my husband…

My Experience With IBS and Finally Finding Healing

My experience with IBS is just like many others. I was uncomfortable, bloated, gassy, constipated and more on a daily basis. I tried all the tricks both natural and over-the-counter to ease the symptoms, and I read stacks of books on nutrition. You can read my full story, or grab the digestive enzymes and probiotic kit that completely helped my IBS symptoms! I basically got myself a master’s degree in nutrition with the amount of research and full-scale experiments with various diets. I tried paleo for a while, I eliminated sugar, I ate clean, I eliminated all wheat and gluten for a while…nothing seemed to really solve the problem. If you are at a place where you are feeling overwhelmed, and you think you have IBS, I highly recommend this bundle with a wealth of information on healing your gut. There’s books, recipes and more that will really get you in the…

Surviving Meal Time and Veggies With Picky Toddlers

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BaronessPatches #CollectiveBias I’ve got three boys, two of which are picky eaters, the other one is a nine month old baby who wants to eat everything. He’d probably be happiest with wood chips and dirt, rather than the organic purees. Here’s the link I mentioned to the Sweepstakes for $4,295 in e-gift cards form Walmart and pizza gift cards yay!! #BaronessPatches #Sweepstakes (8/10 to 9/7) I’ve had my fair share of struggles with getting my toddlers to eat anything really. They just don’t want to slow down and eat. Playing, running, fighting, hiding…those things are all way more fun. I’ve had to really step up my veggie game to get these boys to even look at anything green. For a while, I resorted to actually putting bowls of food on the floor with…

A Way To Earn Money While Back To School Shopping

Its that time of year where we get excited to shop for cozy sweaters, fancy boots and felt hats. I am way too excited about my oldest heading into a small, Pre-K class. This post is sponsored by DOSH. All opinions are my own! He is wearing a uniform, but of course, I will still be doing some back-to-school shopping. I have a great way for all the mamas out there who don’t want to step foot in the mall with kids in tow. Suckers, strollers, snacks, movies…it’s all just stressful, so I checked into my DOSH app to see what kind of online savings we could find for back to school shopping. Turns out, there are some great deals at my favorite places for back-to-school clothes. Gap, Nordstrom Rack, Old Navy and Target all have great cash-back incentives for shopping online through DOSH. All you have to do is…

Workout Gear You Must Grab To Make Losing The Baby Weight Easier

Working out as a new mom is just not the same as it used to be! Your body is totally different. Everything has stretched and move, and now you are trying to put it back together, which is just uncomfortable. Motivation to lose the baby weight runs low as the sleepless nights add up, and the attempts to fit in a workout are just stressful. Losing the baby weight is such a challenge, so I put together a roundup of truly motivating items to make your workouts easier and more comfortable. These items are so helpful to new mamas working out at home or headed to the gym. It doesn’t matter where, but this is the gear that will motivate you to keep moving and hitting those goals. This post is sponsored by Multiwear Co. All opinions are my own! This post also contains affiliate links Important Gear To Make…

5 Rewards That Work to Help You Lose The Baby Weight + Ellie Active Wear Subscription Review

Anyone else struggle to get a workout in when you have to haul three babies to a gym or attempt to keep everyone busy while you try, for just 20 minutes to break a sweat. I know I do. Its stressful to think about trying to workout, let alone actually getting it done! I need some sort of reward. Something small to look forward too because as a mom, we need it! Here are seven rewards that work to help you lose the baby weight and stay on track! *this post contains affiliate links. Ellie kindly sent a complimentary subscription box for my honest opinion 🙂 If you are struggling to stay on track and stay motivated, I’ve been there, I am there really. I attempt to workout three days a week, and even that is hard, so let’s get into the rewards that work! One: Active wear Subscription First,…

Your First Day After Birth Meal Plan For Milk Supply and Recovery

After delivery is such a special time with a new baby. I am now 9 Months postpartum with my third baby, so I’ve been through the recovery process a few times now. I’ve also nursed three different babies. I get a lot of traffic and questions concerning what to eat for increasing milk supply, losing the baby weight and recovering from giving birth. There’s so much going on, I thought it would be helpful if I created a meal plan that is specifically designed for recovery and milk production to get you through your first day postpartum. All of these foods have a purpose. They are either super milk boosting, or they have healing benefits and nutrients for your body. I came up with this plan, so you don’t have to do much thinking or preparation on your first full day with your new baby! First-Day After Birth Meal Plan…

6 Foods To Scarf Down Immediately After Birth For Recovery

Giving birth is the ultimate motherhood marathon. Whether you triumphed with a natural birth or went for the help of modern medicine (me!!), you are a rockstar, and it’s important to fuel your body for healing. If this isn’t your first time giving birth, then you’ll know what I mean when I say that post-delivery, there’s a lot of healing that needs to happen. I try to stay as oblivious as possible to the damage done, and focus on the healing. Giving your body the nutrients it needs will help you heal faster and feel better sooner. This will enable you to be a better mama because you’ll be getting back to yourself sooner, rather than later. If you are struggling to lose the baby weight, I have a little program, where I go over how to lose the baby weight, specifically for breastfeeding mamas. I have meal plans,…

Ashling Drew