Parenting Archives - Busy Moms Helper

Considering a Pool Fence for Safety?

May 11, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

One of the biggest things we wanted to take care of as soon as we moved into our new house was to install a pool fence. Once we chose which house we would be buying, knowing it had a pool (I admit it, it was a huge selling point for our family!), we took to the internet to find which option would be the best for us. I was surprised at how many different companies and types are available! We finally found the one that would work best for our family, and today I’m telling you all about our experience in case you’re also considering a pool fence for safety.

Just a note – we did NOT receive any compensation, discounts, anything at all in exchange for this post. Protect-A-Child doesn’t even know I’m writing this!

First of all, you need to decide what your main reason for having a pool fence is. For looks? To just keep out neighbor kids who may find their way into your yard? Large pets? Or do you have children that you want to keep safe from the potential dangers of a pool? Ours was the kids and pets, but I will say that I also wanted something that looked good, as well. Nobody wants an eyesore around their fabulous pool, right?

Some of the fences we looked at were more flimsy – if pushed hard enough by a large kid or animal, it could knock over and/or break. That definitely wasn’t what we wanted! We also found some that would work amazing – for a few years – but then would wear out or become too old to be sturdy. Finally we found one that would LAST a long while (they offer a limited lifetime warranty) and was extremely durable – Protect-A-Child!

The poles they use are semi-bendable, making them extremely unlikely to snap. When looking at them myself, the fabulous Greg (who was showing us the system) even had me TRY to put all my weight on it – but it moved just slightly. He even tried with his weight, and just a little give. Not enough to bend it over much, but just enough give to make it durable. My kids – and even my big, heavy dogs – aren’t going to be knocking these over or breaking them!

They’re inserted into holes in the cement (they drill the holes for you), and latched into place. You CAN remove them by giving the pole a certain twist and pulling it out. Not something a child could do themselves, but adults can if you’re in the mood to remove the fence – such as a pool party! For when you do want the poles out, they give you little caps to cover the cement holes – so water or other junk doesn’t get in there.

Each panel is about 3′ wide (can be cut shorter if the size demands, such as with our steps), and they’re connected at the top by a secure fastener that takes two strong hands to unhook.

Again, not something a kid can do. The mesh is sturdy, and doesn’t give when our heavy dogs lean or brush against it.

It comes in several colors, but I preferred the black option – Greg said most people like that one best, too. You can choose 3.5 foot or 4 foot. We originally were going to get the taller one just for extra safety, but after reading more and experience first-hand how secure and sturdy it was, we stuck with the 3.5 foot option. It looks much better, anyway! And don’t worry if you have steps or angles – they cut them to fit 🙂

The gate automatically closes and latches. To open, you pull up the handle and pull the gate open. There is a key lock as well, so you can really make it safe as needed.

They’ll come out and do a demo for you – really fast and simple. You get to see the poles, latches, netting, everything. They measure the area and discuss your options, then give you a no-obligation quote. After our demo, we talked a bit and decided to go with Protect-A-Child, so we gave Greg a call and scheduled out installation date. I was so impressed with the techs that came and did our installation, as well. Very professional, and much faster than I expected!

They measured everything out, making sure to check where/how we wanted the fence line. Then they go to work drilling the holes, measuring/cutting/sizing the panels, and getting it all put in. After they were done, they made sure I knew how everything worked – the gate, taking out/putting in the poles, unhooking the top latches, etc. They gave me the warranty papers and the invoice, I paid, and that was it!

Greg called later to make sure everything went well, and to let me know to call if anything needs adjusting (the gate may settle after a bit, then they come and adjust it really quick for you as needed). It was a super easy process, and more affordable than I expected! For our fence, we paid $16 per foot, plus the gate was $325 and then it was $25 for the lock-in feature (a no brainer, in my opinion). For our 102-feet of fencing, our total after tax was $2145.51. That’s INSTALLED, so no extra or hidden fees.

We LOVE our fence – not only does it look great, but we don’t have to worry about the dogs or the kids accidentally getting into the pool or some other potential danger like that. That piece of mind really makes me one happy mama!

How to Battle Daily Stress

May 8, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

As a busy mom (or dad) you have to wear a lot of hats. You’re juggling a lot of things at once, and the stress from all of these responsibilities can really start to add up over time. I’m already a pretty high-stress person, so when you add in the dozens of responsibilities I have to take on daily, it can be extremely overwhelming. Here’s some tips I’ve learned on how to battle daily stress – because we can’t run on ‘flight or fight’ forever!

Obviously, it’s important that we make time every day to help wind down from the stress of the day, lest it become too much. We don’t always have that option, but we can TRY to fit in even a few minutes to help us breathe and recover. Let’s take a look at a few ways to battle daily stress:

1. Unplug – Sometimes we just need to get away from it all. No electronics, no phones or social media, and no news. It can really help you unwind and relax after a very stressful day. Sometimes these things can push you over the edge even on a normal day, so unplugging is good for you. When hubby and I went on our big anniversary trip last year, it was the most relaxed I’ve ever been. We didn’t completely unwind, but compared to our normal days, it was a big difference!

2. Take a bath – A nice warm bath with bubbles or your favorite bath bomb can be just the right thing to help you relax at the end of a stressful day.

3. Get enough sleep – It may seem difficult when there is already so much to do but getting enough sleep each night will help you complete all of those tasks on your to-do list while also keeping your stress levels down. Never underestimate the importance of a good night’s sleep – or a nap!

4. Laugh often – Laughter really is good for the soul and when you can laugh some every day, you help release stress and it creates positive vibes that you will carry with you throughout the day. I’m so grateful that my hubby and kids keep me laughing every day, because sometimes that’s the only thing that helps me not get overwhelmed.

5. Talk to someone – Venting your frustrations, catching up with an old friend, or talking to your partner about your days are all ways to help battle daily stress. Don’t feel you need to just stay quiet and hold it all in. We’re meant to get through life TOGETHER, not alone.

What are your best tips to battle daily stress?

Household Safety Concern I Didn’t Know About

May 1, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

This post was sponsored by Window Covering Safety Council as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. #CordlessForKids #IC

As parents, it’s our main job to keep our family safe the best we can. Having helped my mom with her in-home daycare for many years, I already knew of many potential dangers when I became a mom. There’s still some that I didn’t learn about until later, though, and have had to adjust to keep my kids as safe as possible. One Household Safety Concern I Didn’t Know About until after having kids was cords on blinds – that was a big change we had to make!

It’s so easy to take care of the ‘larger’, more apparent items in your home when you have kids – baby gates on the stairs, outlet covers, knives put up high, those ‘kid leashes’ to help avoid getting lost or run away, etc. There’s a TON when you start to list them out! Until a few years into parenthood, I didn’t even think of the danger posed by corded blinds, and we all know that kids + cords do NOT mix!

Sadly, there’s plenty of stories out there of children who accidentally were strangled by random hanging items – be it cords, belts or similar. This is why it’s super important to use cordless window coverings and blinds in homes with young kids OR to use ones that have the cords inaccessible. I’d even go as far as to say that if you don’t have kids but do have pets, make sure either the cords are high enough your furry little ones don’t get tangled accidentally while playing or that you go with the cordless/inaccessible cords.

PSA: Only Use Cordless Window Coverings with Young Children from Window Covering Safety Council on Vimeo.

This is our first full week in our ‘new’ house – and it’s the first house we’ve owned that wasn’t actually NEW which meant we didn’t get to pick out the blinds ourselves to ensure they were safe. We’re learning all sorts household safety concerns with a 20-year-old house versus a newly built one, a big one being we need to check all the blinds, shades and window covers for cords.

Older window products with cords were a lot more common in the past, so I already am planning to switch some of the older corded ones with today’s safer products ASAP. If you’re not sure which items are the safer choice, just keep an eye out for the Best for Kids™ certification label while shopping in stores or online – it makes it simple to identify which products are the better choice for homes with young children.

Of course, there’s some household ‘dangers’ that we can’t always protect our kiddos from – such as that naptime they try so hard to put off!

Whether you’re also moving into a ‘new’ house, or just like refreshing your home for Springtime, it’s a great time to take some safety precautions that may be overlooked during the busy-ness of the rest of the year. You can even check out the Window Covering Safety Council on Facebook for more info to help you get your household safety concerns put to rest.

What household safety concerns were your biggest surprise?

When You’re Living Between Moves

April 30, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

We received a complimentary stay to facilitate this post. All opinions are mine alone. #myESA

As many of you know, the past two months have been a chaotic mess of moving from one house in a hurry, finding a new house at the last minute because our original pick fell through, then having almost a week when we were between houses before we could move in. So what do you do when you’re living between moves? Find a fantastic home-away-from-home, of course!

Seriously, I never want to deal with all the rushed packing and storage, extreme late nights to get it all done in time, or the emotional toll this has been on is. That being said, last week when we were between houses went much more smoothly than I could have imagined being temporarily homeless! Luckily, we were able to get a 2-bedroom suite at a local Extended Stay America that worked perfectly for our big family!

The kids weren’t quite sure at first about staying at a hotel for that long while still doing school, but as soon as we came in they LOVED it and were really excited. The great thing about an Extended Stay America is that the rooms come with kitchens, so you can still make meals as needed. This was perfect for the early morning breakfasts before school, then making the kids a tasty dinner after all the kids’ activities. It was also a great benefit because we had a place to store our fridge items while our own fridge was in storage!

We didn’t have to bring our own dishes, as they supplied what we needed – just let them know, and the friendly desk staff will help you out. One bathroom was a little weird for our family of 7, but it worked out fine for the week. It was a good size, plus had plenty of storage for our stuff. They had no problem supplying all the towels we needed, either.

The front room had TWO queen/full sized sofa beds, which our girls enjoyed. Keeping them separate form their brothers was a definite sanity-saver, since they’re ‘too cool’ to share with their younger siblings apparently! They fold up nice and easy, leaving it a great family room with little table and TV.

Behind that was a table that made it great for me working during the day – blogging never sleeps, after all! The free wi-fi was a blessing, and during the day the speed was just fine.

To store their stuff was a linen closet in the hall as well…

The smaller of the bedrooms, which the 3 boys shared, was to the side and had a closet that fit all their stuff.

The master room was in the back of the hallway, with a comfy bed and TV. The closet was surprisingly HUGE, which was perfect as we did have several pieces of luggage and other things we didn’t want in storage while we between houses.

The little bonuses made a huge difference while between moves…

Such as the goodies on the bed, plus a welcome card…

…and soaps, shampoo and dish detergent to make your stay feel right at home.

For how hectic the past several weeks have been, I’m so grateful that our time at Extended Stay America while between moves took some of the stress and chaos off of our family. It was like a wonderful mini vacation between everything, and helped us all unwind, relax and enjoy our time a bit more!

How do you deal with being between moves?

Common Health Mistakes Busy Moms Make

April 4, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

With 5 kids, we know what it’s like to be a busy parent. It seems like there’s always something to do, and as soon as you think you’ve caught up, there’s a load more things to get done. With all of our tasks there’s a whole list of Common Health Mistakes Busy Moms Make! I know I’m guilty of often letting my own health slide due to my attention to my family and many responsibilities. However, it’s important we don’t skip over our own health while caught up in our parenting duties, so here’s some tips to help!

Here’s some of the most common health mistakes busy moms make and what you can do about it:

Failing to plan meals in advance – You should pick a day of the week (Sunday is a popular choice) to plan your meals for the week. At the start of each day, you should know what is for dinner that night. This helps ensure you have a healthy meal every day. If you need some help and/or hate meal planning, nab our YEAR of weekly meal plans with recipes!

Not drinking enough water – It’s easy to skip water when you’re busy – and if you’re like me and don’t like drinking water anyway (blah!) it makes it even more challenging. If you’re feeling thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Invest in a great water bottle and take it with you everywhere you go so it’s handy. There’s also some fun apps for your phone to set reminders to drink throughout the day!

Eating fast food (too often) – When you’re busy and on the go a lot, it can be tempting to grab some junk food, packaged foods, or fast food. Heaven knows how much I love a good burger and fries! I know it’s not the healthiest option if I eat that too often, though. Avoid this and take healthy snacks with you in your bag in case you get hungry when away from home.

Not getting enough exercise – You keep meaning to go to the gym, really. It’s just that you’ve been so busy! Haha – I’ve said that so many times, I’ve lost count! Don’t use running around after the kids as an excuse and call it exercise. It’s important to make some time each day for real exercise. It will help your body and mind, and if you’re like me, can really help your mood 🙂

Having lots of fun staying healthy while playing with the kiddos! #24HourEsterC #ad
A post shared by Danielle (@busymomshelper) on Mar 16, 2015 at 7:31am PDT

Taking care of yourself is very important. If you don’t, you won’t be able to continue to care for everyone else. Like on airplanes when you should do your own oxygen mask BEFORE helping others!

What health mistake do you most often make?

How to Truly Find Balance in Your Life

March 30, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Does anyone else experience those times in life when you just sit there thinking ‘how the heck can I handle everything?’ With all that we busy moms are asked to do, it’s an extremely frustrating task to find balance with it all. And not every person has the same responsibilities or desires for their time! One mom may need to provide some or all of the family’s income. Another may be the main household ‘manager’. Still another may be a full-time chauffeur due to their kids’ many activities. Most of us do more than one of those things, too! So how do we manage our responsibilities with spending quality time with our families AND making time to care for ourselves? Here’s a few tips on How to Truly Find Balance in Your Life – hopefully they’ll help us with this stressful balancing act a bit!

We hear a lot of talk about “balance” these days. Balancing your personal life with your mom duties, balancing work and home life, balancing this-and-that – but what does it really mean? The first, and most important, thing to know about balance is that it is not static. It comes and goes and weaves in and out of your life as things change throughout your day, week, and months. You need to understand that it evolves and regularly be aware of it. Learn how to self-check to see if you are feeling balanced.

Just because you “find balance” doesn’t mean you will feel the same tomorrow. You may need to find it again. In time, it will get easier and easier to form good, positive habits that help you maintain balance in your life, but it is still a daily process. It isn’t something you just find and keep forever. It’s a constant struggle, like a constant balancing act we have to do – and it can change constantly as our roles, responsibilities and life challenges adjust.

Next, you also need to know that healthy eating and getting enough sleep each night will help you. It sounds basic – that’s because it is. It’s simple enough, yet many people struggle with it. You need to have your body and mind in the right place and this begins with healthy living.

Don’t be afraid to say no. Many of us moms find our lives getting kicked out of balance because we take on too many responsibilities or try to do too much. It’s important that we learn to say no and be comfortable doing so when the time comes. You can’t do everything, nor should you try.

Okay, so that sounds a lot easier than I think it is – but I think these few things are the most important steps for working towards balance. It’s okay if we don’t always get it perfect, but what matters most is that we’re trying – for our families sakes, as well as our own!

How do YOU best find balance in your life?

Fearless Learning Support at Explore Horizons

March 16, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Thank you to Explore Horizons for partnering with us on this post! #fearlesslearning #fearlesswriter #fearlesstesttaker #fearlessmath

Often when people hear ‘tutoring’, they think of help for those falling behind or struggling with certain aspects of their education. I’ll admit that I used to think that way, too! Since letting all of my kids try out the program available at Explore Horizons, it’s changed my perspective. I’ve learned that children of ANY level or ability can really benefit from Fearless Learning Support at Explore Horizons – whether it’s to catch up, stay strong or even get ahead!

With five kiddos, we have varying levels of learning – they each have their own strengths and weaknesses, and don’t all learn the exact same way. This can be hard to meet ALL their needs in a typical school setting, because they need more individualized help to really assist with their learning. That’s one reason I’ve loved the past few weeks at Explore Horizons, because their method is a ‘whole child’ approach. They provide tutoring for kids of all abilities in the Pre-K through 8th grades in math, reading and writing that’s engaging to the kids, making them actually EXCITED to learn. Every child receives a plan customized to their own individual needs, really increasing their likelihood of success. And when a child truly feels confident that they can succeed, that’s when they can truly conquer anything. It’s an amazing compliment to a school education, and can really give them a stronger foundation for success.

So how does this work, you may be asking? First, Explore Horizons has several locations available around the Dallas-Fort Worth area – so go to their site and locate the one nearest you. Contact them to schedule your child’s evaluation, which helps them put together a plan that will best assist and support your child’s educational needs. Once the plan is in place, they’ll explain how the sessions and such work. Basically, with the monthly fee you receive:

Up to two tutoring sessions per week, 75 minutes each
Professional educators
Individually tailored tutoring
Regular one-on-one parent progress meetings
Open homework clinic on Wednesday evenings
Reserved one-on-one tutoring session per month

You’re able to drop in during their operating hours without having to pre-book (super convenient if you don’t know you’re exact schedule in advance – just decide the day of!). Their customized plans align to your school district’s curriculum, and they offer preparation for test taking. With the STARR tests coming up, I loved being able to take my 4th grader to those STARR prep sessions for a little extra confidence and support for her! Oh, and they offer ne thing that would’ve helped ME a ton in my youth – handwriting development help!

I was nervous at first that my kids would be annoyed when I told them they were going to be attending a tutoring session – and they were, until they got there. They absolutely LOVED the staff, who were so friendly and knowledgeable (and patient – a huge benefit when working on learning) and the learning program is actually fun for the kids, so they look forward to attending each week. Some of my kids need a bit of extra help to catch up to their current level, while a few are ready to advance more but don’t receive that time or attention in school. Explore Horizons was perfect for this, because they cater it to that child’s particular needs and levels. It’s NOT just for kids who need extra help – my more advanced kids loved being able to work on more challenging things above their ‘normal’ grade, and it helped them feel more motivated to learn.

A typical session for us – we arrive and are greeted by the awesome staff. They call my kiddos ‘the clan’ because it’s FIVE of them 🙂 My kids write their name and arrival time on the sign-in sheet, and I’m told what time about they’ll be done. It’s typically 75 minutes long. They get their books, are assigned a station, and get working on their goals for that day with the assistance of the staff. Each station has up to six kids with one tutor helping just those kids – I love the smaller sizes, so they can really get the help, support and attention they need! After working their time, they have a ‘recharge station’ where they can play some games and have a little bit of earned fun. At the end, they’re given up to 4 lizard cards (depending on how many they earned for how well they did their goals for the day), and told how many spaces to move their name on the lizard chart – more on those rewards later though! Then they’re released to me at pick-up, and I’m updated of how each child did that day. I love the great communication between their team and us as parents – it takes a village, that’s for sure!

When kids feel like they’re able to learn – and enjoy it – a whole new world opens up and they really up their effort. I love how excited they are when they understand something new, or overcome something that they were struggling with before! That’s one thing that Explore Horizons believes in – creating a generation of fearless learners.

You’ll be kept updated of their progress each session, since when you pick them up one of their awesome staff lets you know what they worked on, what they may have struggled with a bit, and what they did amazing on (whether it’s asking for help, learning a new concept, or figuring out a new way to work a problem). The kids’ goals are clear from the start of each session, so they know what to work on. During your monthly progress meetings, they’ll give you a DETAILED report of how they’re doing, including what level they’re working at and with what average score and mastery scores. For example, I knew Black Widow was reading at a higher level than her grade, but didn’t realize she was doing really well in reading AND math at a whole grade level above where she’s at!

Their engaging program helps keep track of where the kids are at, and adjusts as needed. One of my twins is a bit lower in reading than his ‘actual grade level’ is, so the program adjusted to fit that AND adjusted to ensure that his math was where HE needed it, not where the grade level said. It’s great knowing that not only is the staff customizing their tutoring session, but the program they’re working on will cater to their individual needs, as well.

They also have a reward system – because we know kids LOVE rewards – in which they earn ‘lizard cards’. The kids get a kick out of these fun cards, which they can collect. They also move up the lizard chart to earn certificates, and there’s a prize shop where they can earn enough cards to ‘buy’ a cool prize. They’re so excited for it, and it gives them even more encouragement and motivation to do their best!

So what are you waiting for? You can find Explore Horizons on their website or on their social accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Mornings Saved with School Breakfast

March 5, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

This post is sponsored by the School Nutrition Associated for National School Breakfast Week. #NSBW18 #SchoolBreakfast #TrayTalk

I’m sure I’ve mentioned a time or two (or dozen) before how much I dislike mornings. It’s such a mad rush to get everyone up, ready and out the door – and we can just hope that nobody forgot something important! Unfortunately, for busy families it means not having time for a good breakfast, even though it’s one of the most important meals of the day. Luckily, mornings are saved with school breakfast – and this week we’re celebrating with National School Breakfast Week!

At our school, I know so many kids who rely on the school breakfast because it’s just not available at home – either due to time, finances or whatever reason. When I walk in the doors every morning with my kiddos in tow, we walk right past the lunchroom that’s bustling with kids enjoying a good start to the day. Plus, it’s a great time for them to chat with friends and prepare for the day ahead together! It’s also a relief to parents, knowing that if they just can’t make breakfast or lunch every day, their kids will still have a great option.

I’m thrilled that some important changes have been made to the school menus in the past decade – with more whole grains, fresh fruit and veggies, less sodium and sugar, and local ingredients or from scratch cooking when available. I know all you fellow busy moms understand the stress of making sure our kiddos eat more healthy – especially with so much junk around – so it means a lot to me as a parent to know that the offerings are better for them than when I was younger.

In fact, research shows that kids who participate in the school breakfast programs tend to eat more fruits, drink more milk and have a wider variety of foods than those who don’t eat breakfast. About 14 million kids eat school breakfast every school day – so that’s a lot of little ones getting better nutrition in their tummies!

I’ll fully admit that I HAVE to have breakfast every day – without it, I’m lethargic and honestly a total grump. I don’t mean to be, but I just can’t function well without starting my day with a good meal – and I know growing kids need it even more! It not only helps their mood and healthy weight, but students who eat breakfast are more likely to score higher on standardized tests, reach higher levels in math and reading, are able to concentrate and remember better, and be more alert throughout the day. YAY!

And did you know that some schools are adding Breakfast in the Classroom, Second Chance Breakfast, Grab and Go Breakfast and others? It’s their way to ensure every child has access to a healthy breakfast before school begins – because it’s heartbreaking how many little kiddos wouldn’t have breakfast at all if their school didn’t offer one!

So to celebrate National School Breakfast Week March 5th-9th this year, there’s going to be daily activities, new healthy menu items and awesome breakfast programs being implemented in school – just check out the TrayTalk.org blog and the Tray Talk Facebook page to join in on the fun! There you’ll also find some handy resources for parents or guardians, with things such as interviews and stories from school cafeterias and nutrition experts.

Here’s some extra fun for your kiddos as well – some cool school breakfast themed coloring sheets! Just go here and print or download 🙂

You can even get really playful with some photo prop printables – get the kids, classmates, teachers and – heck, even the principal to join in on this clever fun. I call this one “my banana!” 😉

Just print them onto cardstock, cut them out and either hold them up just like that or attach them to a craft stick or something. These sure made for some awesome pictures to celebrate National School Breakfast Week!

What’s your kiddos’ favorite breakfast?

Why Leftovers are a Busy Mom’s Best Friend

March 2, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Mornings are a rush, after school is a mad dash and bedtime is a marathon – daily life for busy parents is tough! We struggle to fit in all of the ‘have to do’ items, much less squeeze in some ‘nice to do’ ones. That leaves little time for relaxing, breathing or just spending quality time. This is why leftovers are a busy mom’s best friend – they’re easy, offer variety, avoid waste & really save on much-needed time!

In our family, the kids can pretty much expect that we have leftovers 2-3 nights a week. We usually arrange it to be during our busiest nights (usually dance days, since class goes from right after school until late) to be the most helpful. It’s written right into our weekly menu, so there’s no surprises – because we all know how kids can have a meltdown over one simple plan change! When we first started this years ago, I was against it and tried to stick to the ‘new meal every single night’ method – and it sucked. Luckily I learned to appreciate leftovers for our busy family, because it’s sure saved my sanity on numerous occasions!

Here’s some reasons leftovers can be a busy mom’s best friend

Cook Once, Eat Twice: cooking takes time – the meal prep, baking time, etc. If you make bigger batches, then you’re only spending that time once but getting maybe two meals out of it. It’s especially nice if you like more complex or time-consuming meals, because it averages out nicely when you spread it for more than just one dinner.

Less Waste: I know us parents hate it when food gets wasted because our kids don’t finish their plates, but what about the waste of leftovers if you don’t use it later? It may just sit in the fridge with good intentions, but then it goes bad and into the garbage before being enjoyed again. By planning for leftovers, it gives you a very real, specific time for you to pull those out and get the finished.

Quicker Meals on Busy Nights: Whether you’re like us and have some late nights because of the kids’ activities, or just have so many errands and such to do, not having to spend a ton of time preparing a whole new meal is a big relief. When we’re on our way home from dance class and I’m just thinking how tired I am, and how ready to go to sleep the kids are, it’s nice knowing that hubby’s just warming up some leftovers and we can all just sit, eat and get ready for bed.

If you’re looking for quicker, budget-friendly meals – be sure to check out our Meal Plan Ebook!

More Variety: I have some super picky eaters in my family, and it seems they’re all picky about different things – which makes for a big headache trying to whip up a meal that everyone will enjoy! On leftover nights it’s nice because we can heat up the remains of two or three different meals, meaning a wider range of things the kids can choose from. Those that liked that sticky finger casserole from the other night can have more of that, while the kids that preferred the mango chicken tacos can pick that. Hubby wants more of the spicy noodle soup? No problem!

Easy Meals to Take-Along: Not having to make something new for packing in your work lunch is really nice, especially if your morning prep is already rushed. I work from home, and since I have to squeeze in tons of work into just the school hours, it’s great to just pull something out of the fridge and heat it up really quick for my lunch. If it was something that took longer, I may make the excuse that I don’t have time and not eat – which I know isn’t healthy for me.

There’s so many ways leftovers can be a huge help for busy families – I know it’s been wonderful to plan on that regularly in my own household! Plus, I don’t have to decide on SEVEN different dinners each week. Instead, it’s just four or five plus two to three nights of leftovers – yay for more time and hassle saved!

If you want more help with your weekly meal planning, don’t miss out on our Meal Plan Ebook – it’s a whole YEAR of weekly meal plans already done for you, plus all the recipes in one handy pdf book. Plus, we kept the meals cost-effective, so the grocery cost averages to less than $5 per person per day!

Does your household do leftover nights?

Announcing the Busy Mom Bundle!

March 1, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

I’ve been working like crazy behind the scenes creating something for all my fellow busy moms out there to make your lives a bit easier, and maybe even more organized. I’m thrilled to finally announce the Busy Mom Bundle! We’ve taken several of our most popular products and are offering them as a complete set for all the parents out there – whether you need help organizing your families important files, want meal plans already done for you for a YEAR, love Disney activities, need a reliable planner, or help planning the best summer camp ever – this Busy Mom Bundle has practically EVERYTHING to help out!

From getting all your important files, documents & information together with the Family Home Binder, to having a whole year’s worth of weekly meal plans (with the recipes, of course) already done for you. Keep track of your schedule and tasks with our beautiful planner. You can even earn money hosting an awesome summer (or Spring Break) camp for kids with our FOUR different themed camp kits – or just enjoy them as bonus activities for your own kiddos!

Plus, both the Disneyland-California AND generic versions of our Unofficial Disney Activity & Autograph Books – perfect for that upcoming Disney trip, or just a great booklet for Disney lovers.

These fabulously fun and helpful books and kits sell individually for $2-$10 EACH (except the planner, it’s always free), but with the Busy Mom Bundle you can nab the whole set for just $8 – that’s less than the cost of ONE of the summer camp kits or the meal plan pack alone!

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So let me break it down a bit so you can see exactly what’s included in this incredible printable bundle pack…

Family Home Binder

4 Cover Designs
Weekly Tasks and To Do Spread
Page for listing household Utilities & Services information
School Information
Weekly Menu & Shopping List
Medical Forms
Family Emergency Plan, Map (fire escape route) & Contacts
Emergency Contact Sheet
Monthly Budget – one blank and one with some general expenses filled in
Babysitter Helper Sheet
Birthday List

2018 Printable Calendar & Weekly Planner

also includes 8 different covers (4 styles, each with the option for the stylized ribbon strip or without it)
This is normally a free printable anyway, so we’re just including in here since it’s also a helpful resource for busy moms

Summer Camp Kits – a great way to earn some extra cash!

The 4 themes include: Arts & Crafts, Wizard (aka Unofficial Harry Potter), Science and Superhero
Don’t want to do a camp? They still make great preschool themes, party plans & ideas or just awesome kid activities!
Each has:
- a cover
- tips and ideas for planning & organizing your camp
- themed food ideas
- activities, games, crafts and/or expiriments
- access to LOTS of free printables to assist in your camp, such as invitations, sign in/out sheets, name tags, coloring pages, photo booth cut-outs, banners, drink labels, food cards, etc.

Both Unofficial Disney Activity & Autograph Books (Disneyland-specific, and the generic version)

Pages for keeping memories and records from your Disney trip
Coloring sheets, games & activities
Plenty of styled & themed autograph pages (also work great for photo pages)
Disneyland version includes ride lists & height requirements

Meal Plan on a Budget

52 Weeks (a whole year) of weekly meal plans already done for you
Breakfast, lunch AND dinner
Recipes all included with page numbers for easy reference
Daily food costs average to less than $5 per person per day!
Blank shopping list for easy grocery list planning

Like I said, the Busy Mom Bundle will be only $8 – such a great savings from buying the printable sets individually! But here’s the thing – we’re celebrating this awesome kit by doing a TWO DAY SALE when it’s live – by selling it for just $7! Yup, when it becomes available in our shop next Tuesday, March 6th at 6am until Thursday, March 8th at 8am you can nab the ENTIRE kit for just $7 – that’s less than a single summer camp kit set or the meal plan book all alone.

So mark your calendars, because this amazing, parent-sanity-saving set will be available starting next week and you can save more by purchasing the first two days. WOOT WOOT!

Don’t want the whole bundle? Check out our other products HERE

Family Home Binder

Unofficial Disney Activity & Autograph Books

2018 Planner & Calendar

Summer Camp Kits or Kid Activity Packs

A YEAR of Meal Plans with Recipes – on a Budget!

Which of the printables would YOU most like to have?

Family Home Binder Printables

February 22, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Isn’t it such a pain to sort through a ton of documents and files to find the information you need, especially when you’re in a rush? Now you can keep all your family’s important info in one, easy place with these Family Home Binder Printables! We’ve got everything from medical forms and emergency contacts, to shopping lists and babysitter sheets, plus budgets and more to make your life as a busy mom much easier and organized.

After lots of asking around as to what people preferred, we made our home binder printables simple and clean-looking, while still being stylish with some pops of color. It goes perfectly with our 2018 Free Printable Planner, as well as our awesome 52 Weeks of Meal Plans (with recipes) Book! We tried to include the majority of lists and documents that a busy family would need, helping you keep track of everything in one, convenient place. Once you have the PDFs, you can print off as many as you’d like (such as with the monthly budget sheet or weekly menu and shopping lists) – for personal use only, of course 🙂 We even included several cover options, so you can print off whichever you like best.

What’s included in the Family Home Binder Printable pack?

4 Cover Designs – front and back (front has choice of ribbon decor or plain in that blue label piece)
Weekly Tasks and To Do Spread
Page for listing household Utilities & Services information
School Information
Weekly Menu & Shopping List
Medical Forms
Family Emergency Plan, Map (fire escape route) & Contacts
Emergency Contact Sheet
Monthly Budget – one blank and one with some general expenses filled in
Babysitter Helper Sheet
Birthday List

That’s a LOT of pages, but super important to have handy when your family needs them. You can nab the entire set now for just $1.99 – what a deal!

Let’s talk about the individual sheets now, shall we? Since many of us need help getting our tasks organized – otherwise we try to keep all our to do’s in our head – here’s the Weekly Tasks & To Do’s spread:

It has the days listed out along the top, and then to the left it’s divided into AM, PM or Eve (evening) so you can spread it out a bit by times, as desired.

One that many people forget to have on-hand is a list of their utility companies, contact information and account numbers – because we don’t really think about it until something happens and we need it RIGHT THEN. Now you can have them all neatly listed out on this sheet. We pre-filled some of the lines with the general types of utilities many people have, but it still has plenty of lines for adding in others as needed.

I never really thought to have a sheet of all my kids’ school information until we took a ‘parents only’ vacation and my uncles were watching them for almost 2 weeks.

Now you can print off a sheet for each school child, and have everything on there – from their homeroom teacher’s info, to their schedule (including bus) and more.

Along with having that easily accessible when you have a sitter, how about a BABYSITTER HELPER sheet? You can add the details for that particular time, plus things like what they should eat and what times. So useful!

For a long while I was using plain, boring paper to write out our family’s weekly menu – now it’s much more fun (and not such an eye-sore on my fridge) with this cute weekly menu that I can fill in.

This is the same design I use in our Meal Plan on a Budget Book, along with the fun shopping list page.

I’m crossing my fingers and knocking on wood right now as I type this (you know, just in case I jinx myself) – but we’ve only had to take a child to the emergency room ONE TIME. With 5 kids, that’s such a lucky blessing! When that did happen, though, I wish we had this medical form so I could have all of his information in one spot to take with us instead of trying to dig it all out and call hubby back home to find the stuff I just didn’t remember. Super stressful!

You can even use it when going to new doctors and such, since you can put all of their allergies, medications, past surgeries and the like on there. This page alone would’ve been well worth the mere $1.99 cost when we had our ER ordeal – and you can nab the whole set for that cost! Woot woot!

To go right along with that form – other emergencies can, unfortunately, happen to our families. Times like this, we don’t have a moment to spare – so it’s extremely important to have a plan. These emergency pages allow you spots to input your family’s emergency plans…

…including a sheet of more emergency contacts. We also included a mostly-blank page where you can draw out a rough idea of your home escape plan, for instances such as a fire.

This is great to practice with the kids regularly, so they know what to do should the worst happen.

Okay, now that we’ve covered those very urgent, hopefully-won’t-be-needed forms, let’s move on to something a little more fun – a place to put all those birthdays we try to keep in our minds constantly! Whether you just track your immediate family’s special days, or include every aunt, uncle and second-cousin-twice-removed, there’s spots for each month!

I know not everyone likes keeping a budget (I’m actually in love with budgeting, so for me it’s fun), but in case you do there’s a sheet to track all of your monthly finances!

We’ve included a sheet that’s partially filled in with common expenses, but also have one blank in case you really want full control over the items and order 🙂

Phew, that’s quite a ton of papers – but when you’ve got an entire family and household to care for it can be SUPER helpful to have all that information in one place. You can either put it in folders, staple it together, place it in a binder, or even just spiral-bind the packet yourself. Whatever you choose, this family home binder printable set is great for any busy mom, dad or family!

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This is included in our Busy Mom Bundle, along with other fabulous printable packs!

Check out our other products HERE

Unofficial Disney Activity & Autograph Books

2018 Planner & Calendar

Summer Camp Kits or Kid Activity Packs

A YEAR of Meal Plans plus Recipes – on a budget!

When You Need a Doctor On-The-Go

February 17, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Compensation was provided by Amwell via Momtrends. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Amwell or Momtrends.

As a busy mom of 5, we have plenty of reasons to need a doctor throughout the year. Right now it’s for that insane flu season – all but one of my kiddos has already gone through it (plus hubby – that was a challenge!). Other times, it’s for their eczema acting up, or my daughter’s asthma – maybe a possible ear infection, strep or allergies being unusually bad. Or the first time one of my kids got stung by a bee and I had no clue what I was suppose to do to help it. Whatever the reason, it’s not always possible to go in to your regular office – so I’m grateful for access to the Amwell app for when you need a doctor on-the-go.

You heard right – an APP that gives you access to a doctor! What’s great is that you can use your desktop OR mobile device, so even if your kid gets sick during a road trip or something, you can still pull out your phone and get help from board-certified, licensed doctors. My biggest worry is if/when my kids have a medical need, but it’s outside of normal office hours – if it’s not emergency room level, but still something I don’t want to wait until the next day or so to have addressed, I can sign on to Amwell and meet live with a doctor. Plus you can CHOOSE the doctor from their list! Okay, here’s how it works…

First, you create a log in. After your info is entered, they give you a list of doctors online right then – and even shows if they already have a patient at the moment so you may have to wait, or if they’re available! I like this option because I know there’s certain situations my girls would feel more comfortable talking with a female. Or, if you don’t have a preference of the doctor, you can just click for next available. And they give you the price first, so no surprises! You put if the patient is you or if it’s someone else (like your child), then input your concern.

One neat feature is the ability to invite others to join in the ‘meeting’ – this is great if a parent is somewhere else but still wants to be there to see what’s going on with their child’s sickness or concern.

I love that they also allow you to input any allergies, medications (and if you don’t know medication spelling, you can just start inputting the name then search for it – much easier!), and even a spot for IF you know vital signs and want to put those in as well. They give you the option to put in your insurance, then make sure you know the amount.

Here’s the great part – on this page (below) you can input a promo code, and I’ve got one to share with you! In that spot, just enter MOM30 for 25% off an urgent care visit with Amwell!

It’s also nice that they cover a wide range of needs – from minor sickness and injuries to wellness-type concerns. They can even assist with prescription refills! I heard they also employ behavioral therapists and registered dietitians, so really can assist with pretty much anything our kids throw at us. 😉 Did I mention they’re available 24 hours a day, all week long?

This week was a perfect example of when Amwell was a great resource for us – my daughter has had a weird rash on her chin (JUST her chin) for a couple of weeks now. She’s always had eczema, but never had an issue here – and no other spots on her skin were acting up. I didn’t want to take her clear in to an office plus pay a hefty price, so we pulled up the Amwell app on our phone and chatted with one of their pediatricians. This was one occasion when the ability to upload photos to the app (before you even begin talking with the doctor) was very helpful, since we got a shot of the exact spot of the rash and what it looked like.

It ended up just being a bad case of eczema, probably because her chin is more exposed to all our changing weather – but it was a relief to know it wasn’t something more, and he was able to give us some ideas on how best to get it healed quicker.

Like I said before, you can access them on your desktop at www.Amwell.com – or download it to your phone via the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store (where’s my fellow Android users?!) Don’t forget to use promo code MOM30 for 25% off an urgent care visit with them!

There’s plenty of times in the past I wish I’d known about Amwell, because kids can certainly spring all sorts of concerns, sickies and hurts on us when we’re not quite sure what we’re doing – and I’m sure you fellow parents can definitely relate! Now you can have more peace of mind and flexibility by using Amwell for access to a doctor on-the-go. Because you know that the times you may need it most won’t be the most convenient – that’s just the reality of parenthood!

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Announcing the Busy Mom Bundle!

Family Home Binder

2018 Printable Calendar & Weekly Planner

Summer Camp Kits – a great way to earn some extra cash!

Both Unofficial Disney Activity & Autograph Books (Disneyland-specific, and the generic version)

Meal Plan on a Budget

Don’t want the whole bundle? Check out our other products HERE

Which of the printables would YOU most like to have?

Family Home Binder Printables

This is included in our Busy Mom Bundle, along with other fabulous printable packs!

Check out our other products HERE

When You Need a Doctor On-The-Go

When would Amwell have been helpful for a situation you had?

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