I know what you're thinking, "You must be joking!" or else, "Not my toddler!"

Hear me out. The premise of this idea came from the book Toilet Training In Less Than A Day by Nathan H. Azrin, Ph.D and Richard M. Foxx, Ph.D.

I took this route with my oldest after trying Infant Potty Training or Potty Whispering, the Every-20-Minutes-To-The-Toilet method, the Candy-Reward method, and the healthier Sticker-Reward. This method is what finally made the whole potty training thing click for her. 

The basis of this method is staying positive and fully-focused on your toddler for the full 5 hours. I recommend doing this on an uncarpeted floor and in a room you can block off so that there are as little distractions as possible. 

Besides this, you'll need a toddler potty, wipes, a trashcan, a child-safe floor cleaner (for accidents- and they will happen!) and paper towels, about 8 pairs of toddler underwear, salty snacks (to make them thirsty) and a sweet drink (that won't actually...

I read an article about how moms tend to live behind the camera, taking picture after picture of their family. This particular article encouraged moms (and parents in general, really) to put down the camera and live in the moment.

We traveled 4 hours to get to see my husband’s sick father and ailing grandmother 2 days before Christmas. We stayed only a day but shared a couple meals with his dad, talked, laughed, and watched Christmas movies together. He got to see our 3 daughters again. He met our then, 8 month old son, Elijah, for what ended up being the first and last time. 

At one point Elijah sat with my husband but kept staring at his grandpa sitting next to him, so grandpa held out his hands. Elijah grinned and reached for him like he...

Tight finances recently had me calling out to God for help to diaper my toddler. My over-preparing mind wandered about Baby #4’s diapering future, too. Cloth Diapers to the rescue!

When I was pregnant with our first baby, I researched disposables versus cloth and found that obviously, cloth was the way to go for overall health- not only for baby’s skin but the planet as well (yes, cloth diapers to the rescue!) Here is a book that will help with the transition (and in thinking, too!) from disposable to cloth.

We went a couple different routes: pocket and tri-fold, mostly because at the time we could only do half of a small 32 cloth pocket diaper layette and made up the difference with the cheaper, classic tri-fold.

The pocket diapers we went with were BumGenius and they are awesome! Even after using them for different extended times with each of our three daughters, they have minimal wear and tear! We even got a large bag and a small bag for when we go on trips...

I’ll be 12 weeks in just three days and I have finally discovered my bump! I mean my real and actual Bump! When I stand I can hold it all in, for the most part, it’s just my Diastasis Recti… But when I laid down in bed the other night, I could definitely feel a bump! 

I was actually thinking there for a while that maybe it was some sort of fluke (in 3 consecutive pregnancy tests???) because I really wasn’t showing, you know? I felt certain symptoms; the fatigue, the morning sickness that lasted all day, the tender bits, and the like, but as for actually showing… I had nothing. 

When I had gotten pregnant the second and third times I showed right away but that could have been because I didn’t even try to suck it in (hahaha). This time I had been working on some exercises to strengthen the weak muscles before I had found out I was pregnant and not wanting it to go completely out the window in the first few...

I love autumn. I’m one of those people who’s favorite season starts in September and ends in December. Cool days and cooler nights, bonfires, falling leaves, hot chocolate, and hoodies…

I get a thrill bringing down and sorting through my fall and winter clothes…however, at this time, I’m 10 weeks along. Where most of my poochy belly is actually a food baby, my non-maternity clothes are too snug and stretched to ridiculousness which leaves me with my maternity clothes… Having worn them with a full-on 9-month belly, though, has left them a bit loose for my food baby.

Oh the fun first quarter of pregnancy

In every chapter of life, it seems like the social norm kind of changes a little. As children, we were told to leave the room when we had to pass gas, but how many of us as adults do that?

Bathroom talk, in general, was discouraged unless it was necessary to make a request of an adult, but now we (as pregnant women or as mothers) find ourselves openly sharing about how often we have to pee or the color, consistency, and even the smell of bowel movements- our own and our children’s.

Growing up, our private parts were private. Now, they have feelings and we discuss how they are feeling because everything changes when you are pregnant.

Everything is a symptom when you’re pregnant, too.

Have a headache? That’s probably because you’re pregnant.

Dry eyes? Pregnancy will do that to you.

Tender or sore lovely lady lumps? You must be pregnant!

Too much saliva? Pregnant

Not enough saliva? Pregnant

Tired? Food cravings or avoidances? Acne? Pregnant!...

Ok, so I’m a day late, sorry about that! Better late than never, right? *nervous emoji*. 

So here is the start of a series for my blog I'm hoping to do called, “Adventures in Pregnancy”.

Because 1. as a mom of 3 I thought I might know a thing or two that new(er) mommas might like to know, too, without having to learn via trial by fire like I did (not trying to come off presumptuous *nervous emoji again*), and 2. *drumroll* the fact that I am 7 weeks along with #4!

I thought this would provide the perfect opportunity for you to really get to know me Keep reading and join me on “Adventures in Pregnancy”!

We didn’t find out until I was already 3+ weeks along. For the first half of my first trimester I felt great; no nausea, I had energy, everything was good. Then I made the mistake of pointing this out to Joshua.

With our girls I remember morning sickness that came and went all throughout the day, but not this one…did that mean baby...

My mother ran her own daycare  for years while I was in elementary school. There are stories she’s told me about the number of times she had to battle lice- I’m talking several times in a year! It was a nightmare!

Fast forward 19 years and now I’ve got my own kids and I am the captain fighting the war on head lice.

My first (and so far only) battle just happened to begin ONE DAY before I went into labor with our third child, and they seemed to come out of nowhere. It was like they didn’t have them one day and then...

The itching and burning pain of pink eye can be mild if you’re able to catch it early, or it can turn you into a red-eyed gooey monster. Both suck, but I have a natural pink eye remedy that totally works!

*Lice and Pink Eye are two of the most common ailments of school-aged children and even homeschooling kids can’t escape!

We still venture out and try on hats or sunglasses at the store and push grocery carts with our bare hands. However they’re transferred, my point is everyone can get them and I have found a way to gently purge them without using harsh chemicals or avoiding overuse of antibiotics that has worked for us.

Young Living Essential Oils Pocket Reference

Not long ago I was that red-eyed gooey monster i mentioned earlier, so I went to the doctor and got the eye ointment and all was well that ended well. A few days later,...

Antibiotics. The doctor’s go-to for almost anything. But did you know that with prolonged use you can actually get more sick? Why not try a more gentle approach with absolutely no side effects? Lavender Essential Oil the Gentle Ear Infection Remedy. By using this oil, here are a few side effects from antibiotics you can avoid:

• Severe watery diarrhea and tummy (abdominal) cramps: signs of a serious bacterial infection
• Shortness of breath, hives, rash, swelling (of the lips, face, or tongue), fainting
• Vaginal itching or discharge
• White patches on the tongue
• Being sick (vomiting)

My eldest daughter has the misfortune of having very thick earwax.  To make matters worse, it tends to linger until she gets an ear infection or we have to go to the doctor to get her ears flushed out or both and no one likes that.Unfortunately, that’s what we had to do so we could clear up the infection. But before enlisting antibiotics I wanted to try a more gentle ear infection...