Motherhood – the beautiful midpoint where fulfillment, love and devotion intersect with exhaustion, busyness and self deprivation. This land has deep roots that bare the most precious of all fruits.
Though this journey is filled with awe and wonder, certain trails can be difficult to navigate and near impossible to travel through alone.
Girl, It Ain’t Easy.
Balancing our roles as both an individual woman and loving mother can be tricky. Thank God we have one another to lean on and learn from.
That’s exactly where this post comes in.
You see, over the years, I have found products and ideas that have improved my momma life and/or woman life. I would be doing moms everywhere a disservice if I didn’t share these simple thoughts. If something has helped me out – I want it to help you out; hence, the need for “Hood” Tips Part 2: – Daily Motherhood Suggestions for Practical Life and “Hood” Tips Part 1: – Daily Womanhood Suggestions for Practical Life.
Now we’re not talking life-altering tips here; think small, daily suggestions that can make your life easier/better. These suggestions aren’t genius by any means but they are practical. They are real, tangible ideas or products. Moreover, these suggestions are basic practices/items that have in someway improved my life as a woman or mother.
My biggest hope for this post is that something here resonates with you and improves your life as well… even if it is a very minor improvement. Improvement is improvement no matter how small.
Motherhood
–Please note that I will receive a small commission on some of these products listed if you choose to purchase.–
Toothbrush for Kids
Ready for your kids to actually want to brush their teeth? The SonicareKids Electric toothbrush is awesome for kids 3+.
Download the SonicareKids app and use it each time they brush.
They will receive their very own “Sparkly” pet to care for. Sparkly will brush their teeth with them, showing exactly where and how much time to spend on each tooth. Each time your little one brushes their teeth for the allotted time, their Sparkly gets a gift.
Side note: Mommas, if you’re not using an electric toothbrush yet, I’m here to tell you it’s time. Nah, it’s past time; it’s overdue. Your teeth will thank you for it.
Elf on the Freaking Shelf
25 days. It’s only for 25 days.
You only have to move that cute little elf once a day for 25 days. No big deal, right?
Wrong.
About how many times did that little guy “forget” to move at Christmastime? Once? Twice? Two weeks? Ah… little man was quarantined; I get it. 😛
But really… us mommas have so much spinning on our plate… the last thing we need is the responsibility of a tiny magical elf.
This was the first year Sam (the elf) moved every single night. I didn’t forget once this year. Yep… I’m just that good.
Not really. I used my alarm clock.
And you should too. Every night at 9:45 p.m… “beep, beep, beep”. I lost count how many times the alarm saved me this past Christmas season.
Laundry Distribution
To be fair, this tip isn’t going help you stay caught up on laundry – it will just make finding your clean, non-put away clothes much easier. 😉
Purchase collapsible laundry hampers for each person in your family. (You can also share one with your husband – that’s what I do). You can find these just about anywhere for around $5. (One person doesn’t have to have be assigned a certain hamper either, just as long as you have enough.) When taking clothes out of the dryer – line the hampers up the same way each time. (In doing so, you will be much faster over time.) Mine go like this: Rony and me, Emma, Ellie and Sofia.
You could op for folding the clothes right into the hamper. (You go momma.) I don’t do that. I simply separate and distribute. My older girls are responsible for putting their own laundry. Later, I do the Marie Kondo folding method when putting away for my husband and me. (In doing so, you save room.) I generally don’t fold right away although I know I should. It’s just reality – it doesn’t happen most days.
Clean Up Timer
You know that area of your house that looks like a bomb exploded?
The place where markers are uncapped, nudist Barbies have escaped their home, random toys are scattered about – almost like an overdone Easter egg hunt, only no eggs? Oh… and don’t forget the bowl of stale Cheerios and plate of two brown apple slices.
Ya… that place. Your kids’ play area.
I know… you clean that mess up ALL THE TIME. But then there’s that one time you didn’t and now that play zone has become an all too familiar war zone.
Ugh. Your kids are over cleaning it. You’re beyond over cleaning it.
Next time, try something different. Make clean up into a game.
“Okay angels… I have an idea. How about we set the timer for 5 minutes. Let’s see how much we can put away. Once the timer goes off… we have to stop right away. How much do you think we can do? Do you think we can finish in time?”
This really does work for my kids (ages 3 and 6). You’ll be surprised how clean that room can get with 5 minutes of uninterrupted pick up time.
Side note: No, you can’t do it everyday… you know your kids are smarter than that… Try it every couple weeks. Let me know how it goes! – Happy cleaning. 😉
A Toy That Actually Keeps Their Attention
In search of a toy that your kids will actually play with continuously and won’t grow tired of?
Hello, Magnatiles.
You’ve probably heard of them or have seen them… or even own them. Hopefully you have enough for your babes to really unlock their creative potential. Magnatiles are an excellent sensory activity for ages 3+.
Make sure to purchase the large size; the smaller box doesn’t get them too far.
Mary Poppins Folder
Headed out to eat with your fam? Guess what? Your kids don’t have to be on your phone/tablet every time you go to a restaurant. You also don’t need a bag filled with toys to entertain them.
People have often commented on my “Mary Poppins bag” while out.
In reality – it’s just a folder and some markers.
Think ahead before you go out. Keep a folder packed with stickers, random coloring pages and blank paper. Be sure to refill and clean it out after every outing. As for markers, take them out of the box and put them into a sliding zip lock bag.
Side note: I get it… sometimes screen time is a last resort. Don’t worry momma… we’ve all been there. I just want to encourage you to keep this as a trump card and not the first option.
Phone Calendar for the Little Things
Momma bears – you have a lot going on in that household of yours. Make it easier on you; utilize your calendar for the little things.
Case in point: my little one has a weekly sound/letter for school. Instead of frantically looking for the paper every Friday morning, I enter all the sounds/letters into my calendar when I get the list.
Of course, this can apply to anything. Use your calendar for the little things. Schedule to call your grandma every 2 weeks. (She wants to hear from you.) Air filters need changing what, every 3 months? Onto the calendar it shall go. Does your dog take monthly medicine? You know what to do.
Where to Hide Christmas Presents
If you’re reading this and you have a basement in your house – I envy you.
For real.
I don’t care if your basement isn’t finished or if it’s so creepy your kids won’t venture down alone. Be grateful. You have one.
Just imagine how annoying it is to store things in your messy garage or limited attic space.
I’m guessing the majority of you classy basement owners hide Christmas presents somewhere down under. You probably have a secret spot perfectly made to hide your gifts.
Aren’t you lucky.
If you do have an allotted present hiding spot – this tip is not for you. For all my other basement-less mommas – do you struggle to find a place to hide Christmas gifts? Well, I’ve got an easy solution for you.
How many Christmas container bins do you have? The ones that take up pretty much all of your limited storage space. You know, those big plastic bins that are all different sizes and colors because you seem to buy another one each year. Ya… those. Hide your gifts in those containers!
When you take your decorations out… voilà… a magical spot opens up. My oblivious kids will walk right past those bins daily without giving them a second thought. Granted, this may not work with every kid. But for little ones (and oblivious older ones), it will do just fine.
Calendar App
How’s your phone calendar working out for you? Do you use the standard phone calendar?
For my iPhone users, does not having a monthly view with events listed bother you? Well… it bothered me. I wanted to be able to see my entire month with events listed… not little dots that I would have to click on to see what was going on that day. (Is this sounding petty?)
I found my solution in the Family Calendar App. This calendar is so useful, user friendly and free. (It also transfers everything from your iPhone calendar automatically.)
Why do I like it so much? Because I can get a screen shot of the entire month with everything listed. This app sends you a reminder 15 minutes before your scheduled event – huge bonus. I can also color code my family members making it easy to visualize my schedule. Lastly, you can directly share the calendar with other family members.
Last But Not Least – Every Mom’s Multitasking Must Have
I almost left this one out. I had it all written out but later thought…. “Eh… AirPods. Everyone knows about AirPods.”
But then I was at my daughters school – organizing for their massive school yard sale with my friend, Maria. After her 20 minute phone convo ended, I asked if she had AirPods. Her response? “AirPods? Those are rich people things”.
No, Maria. Airpods are not “rich people things”. 😛 (In her defense, she was referring to AirPod Pros which are more pricey.)
After that little convo, I decided to leave this in the post… hopefully my take on AirPods will enlighten more than just Maria. 😉
Worth The Cost
One way or another, momma’s gonna multitask. It doesn’t matter if you’re born with this skill or you learn it along the way – one thing is for sure: multitasking is a part of your daily momma life.
By far, my favorite tool that helps me multitask are AirPods.
I know, I know… they’re so common. You probably already own them (or something similar). But you know what? If there is one momma reading this who hasn’t committed to getting them – I’m hoping this will be the final push.
They are worth it.
Say goodbye to that strained neck while trying to wash the dishes/fold laundry/make dinner/sweep the floor while talking on the phone. Pop those bad boys in while making dinner and catch a bit of your show from your laptop or phone. When your little one comes in asking for a snack, “Sorry, I can’t hear you” always seems to buy me some time before dinner.
That’s All She Wrote
Alright mi amigas – that’s all for today. Please come on over and check out “Hood” Tips: Part 1 – Daily Womanhood Suggestions to Improve Practical Life. Let me know what you think of these suggestions in the comments below. Helpful? Obvious?
And if you really want to help a sister out, go ahead and subscribe. 😛
Thanks ladies!
Ludmila Keller says
Love the tips! I’m a mom of 3 and anything that makes my life easier is much appreciated 😉