Ashling Drew, Author at Joyful Messes

20 Fun and Easy Edible Christmas Crafts for Kids (2023)

The Christmas season is now truly approaching. We faintly hear the caroling of the younger kids down the street, drop the candy canes inside the socks that are placed near the chimney, and see the colorful Christmas tree that is the actual representation of the holiday spirit. Nowadays, Christmas decorations can be made in a fun way as DIY projects. Projects where you can grab a pair of scissors, and a sheet of construction paper to create your own Christmas decor linked by the hot glue with the help of the little hands. To be honest, my children are more interested in edible crafts which is a better way to celebrate the Christmas Holidays. The quality time from this is one of the most rewarding ideas ever. Easy edible Christmas crafts are a great way to celebrate the holiday season. With the perfect yummy supplies, the most wonderful time of…

100 Powerful and Strong Baby Boy Names with Meanings (2023)

Choosing the perfect baby boy’s name is a momentous decision for us parents. It’s a great choice that reflects your hopes, dreams, and values for your child. Choosing a perfect name is now associated with a strong meaning. Here in the United States, timeless, modern names are highly accepted. Meaning, it is a fusion of cultural, biblical figures, and even traditional names. It is very common for parents to choose a unisex name which is believed to have good fortune. Powerful baby boy names are often accustomed to their origin, and this blog talks about 100 unique baby boy names with powerful meanings for your little guy. Please enjoy! To begin with, one of the most popular, powerful baby boy names is Richard. Which means “brave ruler” and is well-known today. This strong name is a perfect choice for those parents who wish for their baby to set new traditions…

Awesome Advent Calendar Ideas for Kids, Tweens, and Teens

It’s that time of year when you put up the tree, decorate it in a fun way, and place small gifts under it. As my children huddle around the fireplace on Christmas morning, I can’t help but feel the warmth of their smiles and the joy that fills the room. However, before the big day, there is a tradition in our house where we give our children cool advent calendars. Whether you have a tween girl or big kids, advent calendars are a fantastic way to start the countdown from December 1st to Christmas Eve. You can purchase a refillable advent calendar from a nearby store or make one at home. My children aren’t big fans of the sweet treats found in store-bought advent calendars, so every year, I like to make my fun calendar at home with little boxes filled with daily surprises. Making an advent calendar at home…

Best Happy Birthday Quotes, Wishes, and Messages for Dad

Guide on crafting heartfelt birthday wishes for dads, including emotional messages and humor.

Holiday Stress: 4 Parenting Tips for How to Cope with It

There’s nothing more blissful than the holiday season. That is, as long as you live in the Hallmark movie universe. In real life, spending the holidays with kids and extended family can be stressful, overwhelming, exhausting, and, in some cases, even traumatizing. Based on the most recent data, it’s easy to conclude that a significant portion of people are not looking forward to Christmas this year. According to Statista, 18% of UK adults agree that Christmas is pure stress. 39% feel like there are too many expectations linked to Christmas. And 5% say their family always fights over the holidays. A survey from the APA conducted in November 2022 discovered that 31% of adults (and 39% of parents) expect to feel more stressed this holiday season, mainly due to the inability to afford holiday gifts and meals. Do you already know that the holiday season tends to be stressful in…

How To Workout Postpartum While Breastfeeding So You Don’t Affect Milk Supply

I’ve created this post as a guide to help you get started working out postpartum while you breastfeed. I’m willing to bet you’ve heard that exercise can affect your milk supply as a breastfeeding mama and you might be worried that you won’t be able to feed your baby. Good news: Working out postpartum does not affect your milk supply to the gravity you might expect. While exercising MIGHT affect your milk supply a bit, it certainly doesn’t mean your supply is going to disappear or even be drastically reduced. Postpartum workouts will not be the main cause for milk supply to drop. Let’s peel the onion back, shall we? Most mamas start dieting while exercising so the problem becomes a nutritional one, not a movement one. If you reduce calories, you may end up cutting out important, nutritious food that helps boost the milk supply. The key is learning…

Halloween Gender Reveal Ideas Both Spooky and Sweet

I need you to pause just a little bit as this is quite important. If you look at the reality of it, we may only get one chance to experience pregnancy in our lifetime. Maybe two, maybe three? Whatever your situation, the miracle of getting pregnant and then creating your own unique way to have a gender reveal to share the sex of your baby is something only momma can do. Yes, your whole family and close friends want know about your baby and help you spread the good news, but this is your choice. Don’t be shy to be selfish, but also do not be afraid to ask for help either. Again, this is your song you get to write. When do you find out the sex of your baby? The doctor will do an ultrasound photo between 16 to 20 weeks. It is highly likely the sex of…

Fun at Home Family Evening Activity Ideas for Kids

Let’s get one thing straight…. Your young kids do not care about how cool your car is, how much money you make, what you do for a living, that big sale you made, planning the kitchen remodel, or making the grocery list……these adult topics mean nothing to your kids whether they are little or older. They have one thing in common, they just want to spend time with YOU! Your time is now, and it is already beginning to dwindle. Think about it. Between all the millions of things you have to do as a mother, wife, cleaner, friend, organizer, chef, volunteer, advisor, and teacher…. spending time with your family members ranks extremely high on your list and even higher on your children’s list. A great thing and easy activity to schedule is a family fun activity or a family night activity. “But….. I am so busy and just trying…

What To Get In The Third Trimester To Ensure Breastfeeding Success

If you’re currently expecting and entering your third trimester, you’re likely reading everything you can about breastfeeding. Knowing that inspired me to put together a post sharing all the things you need to grab during your third trimester so that you can ensure breastfeeding success! In my breastfeeding journey, I began to work on my breast milk supply during the last few weeks of pregnancy and I seriously feel it helped me increase my milk supply quickly once the baby arrived. There are a few different things that you need to have on hand, ready to go before you give birth. Speaking of birth, if you’re planning to have a natural birth then you NEED to check out this class! I had unexpected natural births and if I had taken this course before I would’ve been much more prepared. Okay, let’s check out the top 6 most important things to…

Guava Family Travel Stroller and Crib Allow You to Have Adventures with Your Baby

Whether your idea of adventure takes you to grandma’s for a visit or camping at the beach, the Guava Family has travel solutions for you! Their products are designed to help you travel with a baby. Life might look a little different these days with a baby in tow but that doesn’t mean your adventurous spirit has to be put on hold. A portable crib that you can wear as a backpack through the airport and a stroller meant to take you and baby wherever you want to go are part of their travel solutions to help you navigate that big wide world. We lived in Australia when I had my first baby and we used products very similar to take our son on 36 flights in his first two years of life! We decided that we wanted to take advantage of seeing that beautiful part of the world and…

Ashling Drew