Mom Life - Joyful Messes

Staycations Solve Spring Break Problems

This is one of those times of the year when parents almost dread the fact that their kids are out of school. Why? It’s because they have to find something to occupy their time, especially if they still have to work every day. For those who can take the time away from work and spend it with the family, I want to encourage you not to dismiss the idea of a staycation, even during Spring Break, and here’s why. Traveling during Spring Break is EXPENSIVE Tourism is at its peak during Spring Break, so the hotel, entertainment, and hospitality industries look to make a lot of money from travelers. This drives up the prices of everything from gas to food prices. Yes, there are deals out there, but they are usually “get them when you see them” and can run out very quickly. You can create a staycation experience that…

Healthy Kids

5 Ways to Instill Good Dental Habits in Your Child

Raising a kid is perhaps one of the hardest jobs in the world. At the same time, it is also the most satisfying, especially if you see your child healthy and happy. Among others, one of the most difficult parts of being a parent is getting your child to develop a dental hygiene routine. A task as simple as toothbrushing can end up being a nightmare! If you are clueless about how to help your child build a better habit for oral health, we’ve got you. Keep reading and learn from the tips we’ll be sharing. Help Your Child Develop Good Dental Habits With These Five Tips From keeping toddlers entertained to teaching kids to become more responsible, parents have a long list of seemingly endless tasks. Below, however, we will focus on making sure that your child grows up prioritizing oral health. Go to the Dentist Early On …

Mom Hacks

10 Photography Tips to Capture Great Photos of Your Kids

As a parent, there’s nothing more precious to you than your children. And there’s something about children that just makes you want to capture every moment. Maybe it’s because they grow up so quickly, or maybe it’s the knowledge that these fleeting moments will never come again. Whatever the reason, capturing great photos of your kids is important – and not just for preserving memories. Photos can also be a great way to show off your little ones to family and friends or to create beautiful cards and keepsakes. Taking those pictures can be a lot of fun, but it can also be challenging. How do you get them to smile for the camera? How do you avoid getting a blurry photo? Read further to learn 10 photography tips that will help you take fantastic photos of your kids! Get down on their level Get down on their level.…

Mom Hacks

Pictures: A TRUE Family Affair

Ah, family pictures! We do them for about every holiday – Christmas, Easter, Halloween, etc. While those we give them to fawn and swoon over them, we chuckle and shake our heads for they know not what it took to get those near picture-perfect smiles! In this article, I want to share a few tips to help your next photoshoot to be one for the record books. Capturing those crucial milestones is important because we can all think of a time when we wished we had a picture of something or someone who may no longer be with us. With this in mind, let’s work through planning that picture-perfect photoshoot! Check your calendar The first thing you want to do is ensure that the family photoshoot isn’t during a busy time when the family has a gazillion activities going on at one time. The worst thing in the world to…

Mom Life

Introducing Baby to Your Pets

It is almost time for your new baby to arrive! You have the nursery set up, the closet and dresser full of tiny clothes, and the changing table is stocked with diapers and wipes. You also have an adorable and curious pet! When you are already a pet parent, having a baby will not only be a big change for you as a couple, but will also be a big change for your pet. Introducing your baby to your pets is a big deal! Here are a few tips and tricks to preparing your pet for the exciting day you bring your newborn home. Animals have a much more keen sense of smell than humans. Let your pet sniff your baby bump and teach them to be gentle and calm while saying your baby’s name or the word “baby”. Just as you train a dog to sit, lay down,…

Mom Life

Why It’s Important to Be Kind to Yourself as a Parent

As parents, we often get so completely wrapped up in our children that we forget to be kind to ourselves. And sure, that’s completely understandable – but it leaves us feeling tired, overspent, and often inadequate. Let’s explore why it’s so important to be kind to yourself as a parent and how to practice that kindness every day. Improve Your Mental and Physical Health Being kind to ourselves has been shown to improve both our physical and our mental health. At times of heightened stress, self-love is crucial. It’s what empowers us to cope better with the situation at hand. On the other hand, when we think self-deprecating thoughts, we become the one thing standing between ourselves and contentment. Feel More Energized Being overly critical of your actions, thoughts, or emotions drains your energy. As a parent, you will already have less energy available as usual. If you…

Kids Activities

8 Water Play Activities for Babies and Toddlers

There’s something oddly calming about a simple act of splashing water everywhere, isn’t it? For kids, water play activities present the perfect opportunity to actively explore with all their senses, enhance fine and gross motor skills, and have fun while doing so. Babies can start playing with water right out of the womb. As they grow older and consequently, develop better hand-eye coordination, you can introduce them to a whole new bunch of engaging water play activities involving STEM toys, water guns, sprinklers, sponges, etc. If you are looking for water play ideas that are a perfect combination of learning and entertainment, you have landed on just the right page. Here are 8 wicked good water play activities kids won’t be able to stop playing – Water Relay Race How about kicking off the list with something the whole family can enjoy? Relay races are fun and…

Mom Life

6 Ways to Maintain Freedom as a New Mom

Although tiny humans are quite demanding, having a newborn doesn’t mean that you are locked down until they walk and talk! With a few lifestyle changes, you can get that breather you need to keep you from drowning your sorrows in chocolate covered everything! Don’t base what freedom is for you by the trends and fads of today’s motherhood world, either! You’ll end up thinking that your baby is a ball and chain and not a bundle of joy. Here are a few things to think about when working to regain or maintain your freedom: Let people help you! In these challenging times, this can be tough; however, if you HAVE help, USE IT! Those who are offering don’t see you as the burden that they think you are to them. Whether it’s uninterrupted shower time, a nap, or unaccompanied trip to the grocery store, take what they…

Mom Hacks

Mom Hacks for Building Morning Routines

The joys of motherhood include so many things from the smell of a fresh, out of the bath baby to the adorable noises your baby makes. However having a newborn can really throw your normal routines out of sync! What is a mom to do? Create a NEW morning routine that includes your little one’s natural infant schedule! If you are a mom of a new baby PLUS a toddler, believe it or not this can make it even better! Here are a few hacks to help your mornings go from chaos to calm giving you more bonding moments and less blurry-eyed days! Make a Plan When it comes to morning routines, the best plan is to have a plan! This means starting your morning routine the night before. Now, before you start scratching your head or rolling your eyes in confusion or frustration, hear me out. When you…

Mom Hacks

How to Clean Your Home In Half the Time

Cleaning your home in half the time with kids following you around sounds impossible. And insane! But it’s actually doable. I know it might be quite difficult initially to attempt to clean your house, especially if you’re a new mom. Your newborn would want to cling to you naturally, which can make doing anything difficult. You might find yourself asking how to get anything done with your baby. But what if you have a toddler or worse, toddlers?? Now that can get really challenging! Don’t worry mama, it’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed at first. That’s a given. But there is a way to keep your house clean with little kids. And there are also some tricks in saving you more time in cleaning your home, even with your little ones around. So if you’re looking for quick ways and also long-term methods in…