Getting Your Toddler to Go to Bed

We have been struggling for the last few months to get our 3 year old into bed at a decent hour.  Well over a year really.  Ever since we spent a summer in Michigan where it does not get dark until 11pm and people set fireworks off all summer long.  This can be incredibly difficult for someone who works from home and does most of their work after the kids are in bed.  Finally this week WE HAVE SUCCESS!!! (well so far)  I sat down and re-evaluated our night time routine and really analyzed what bad habits we had gotten in to.
Here is what I found:
 Because I was trying to get her to bed so I could get work done I was letting her control her bed time. Movie, sure.  Banana in bed, why not.  Sleep in my bed, yeah ok. Stay up till mommy is done, ugh ok.  Not a good plan. 
 Instead I sat down and wrote out what a perfect night would look like and created a routine from there.  Since she comes home from school so dirty, we often do bath time before dinner we do not have it included on our nightly routine.

7:00- pick up toys
7:30- wash face and brush teeth
8:00-story and prayer
8:30- lights out

If she gets done with her clean up and getting ready she gets an extra story which she loves.  Her and I even came up with this little chart to remind her what she need to do.  She picked out the pictures. :)

Fab Find Friday: Nature's Box

I LOVE me some monthly boxes sent to my house especially food and beauty products.   I have been a member of Nature's Box for a few months now and I have never been disappointed.  I actually just upgraded to 20 snacks a month just before writing this post.  I pack a snack bag in my purse, in my diaper bag and always a great treat in McKalyn's lunch box. I always choose the "Surprise me" option so I never know what I am going to get.  It is so amazing I my mom decided to get one for herself.  Check my Youtube channel later this month for my review of what yumminess arrives on my door step.

Read more about healthy food choices at Emily's Fitness Training

August Book of the Month: The 5 Love Languages

As we all know any marriage or relationship takes work.  A few years ago while talking with my friend Christy she told em about this book she had read, The 5 Love Languages  by Gary Chapman.  She said it literally changed her marriage and made her fall in love all over again.  I had picked up the book after she told me about it but hand not taken it off the shelf until a few days ago.  I love that it is a quick read so far.

"By learning the five love languages, you and your spouse will discover your unique love languages and learn practical steps in truly loving each other. Chapters are categorized by love language for easy reference, and each one ends with specific, simple steps to express a specific language to your spouse and guide your marriage in the right direction. A newly designed love languages assessment will help you understand and strengthen your relationship. You can build a lasting, loving marriage together." Read more here

Check out previous Books of the Month

Fab Find Friday: Honest Diapers

I am so excited to find Diapers that I absolutely love. When I had McKalyn 3 years ago I was very torn about between using cloth and disposable diapers. I am really big on recycling and hate creating more trash than I need to. Perhaps it is from the lesson on Trash Island I did of my 8th grade science class. I wanted the environmental friendliness of cloth diapers but the convenience of disposable. When she was a few weeks old I realized that cloth was just not practical. I was constantly changing her and she was one of those kids that would poo up to her shoulder blades. Not fun in cloth. So I decided to switch to a more convenient disposable diaper. I had been given a well known brand for my baby shower so I decied to give them a try. By the end of the day she was covered with a rash and by the end of 2 days she had a yeast infection!!! A 1 month old with a yeast infection! Really!! The factor that changed was the diaper I was using. I immediately got rid of the diapers and exchanged what I had left for another brand. I did my research (which I should have done before) and realized that even though the ones I had were "unscented" that did not mean that they were "fragrance free" but actually treated with a chemical to cover the smell. Huh? I also learned about the chemicals that are diapers to help them be more absorbent. One of which was banned from tampons do to toxicity. So now I am putting it on my daughter? Double huh?! I was already using Seventh Generation cleaning products so that is the brand I tried 1st and actually stayed with. I only had 2 complaints: 1.) the absorption was not the best. 2.) They are brown, like paper lunch bag brown. So not cute. Sigh....
Jump ahead 3 years later and I was reading an article on Jessica Alba and her new book Honest and her new company by the same name.  She like me was completely freaked out by chemicals in baby products and clothing.   She also recognized that using all natural and organic product can get VERY EXPENSIVE.  So she created her own line of non-toxic organic products for home and baby.  The trial was less than $6.00 so I though why not.   First let me say how much I love the designs available. I just finished up my sleeve of skull & cross bones and am now on sailboats.  So much cuter than lunch sack brown.  I love that they have a inner net like lining so the moisture is wicked away from Emerson's skin and he is less fussy.  They absorb well, so far only one accident that was my fault and well another blog post. I started using the New Born Sleeve of 40 last Sunday and it is now Friday and I am just finishing up.  That averages about 8 diapers a day which is normal.  I think I average more a day because my son's uncanny ability to poo immediately in a clean diaper.  Sigh.....

August Goals 2013

I can not believe it is August already!!!! Where has the time gone? Where the heck did July go? Seriously I think I just wrote my July goals! And is Emerson really 3 weeks old already? How can this be? Here is a pic of my little man. Big sister is so excited! As I sit down to write my August goals something has become very apparent to me. I have not really achieved any of my goals I have set for myself over the last 2 months. I mean I have some big ones, but not as many as I have set and not as many as I would like. So it is clear I need to reevaluate my goals and my priorities. My top 3 priorities have not changed they just got bigger. 1. Be present in my children's' lives and be there for them when they need me 2. Create a healthy environment for my family; mentally, physically, emotionally 3. Provide for all my family's financial needs With that being said I went through all my on-going and up coming projects, reevaluated, prioritized & reorganized them. I came up with this great system for keeping myself on track and from over piling on too many things. (Will be posting that later) I have also decided to narrow my August goals to one simple goal: Finish every project I started and do them one at a time. Granted that is probably going to take more than just one month especially with building my own business and the new addition to our family but that is ok. Just being able to actually cross items off my list one at a time will be so gratifying.

How I Start My Day

It is so important to start your day off right. Your morning determines the tone of the rest of your day. Your mindset is determined when you wake up. Ever heard the statement, "I woke up on the wrong side of the bed"? Well there is a lot of truth to that. If you start your day off grumpy and un-centered that is how you will spend the rest of your day. So how do you start our morning off on the right side of the bed everyday? Well, that is truly different for everyone. For some it means getting up early and getting in some exercise. It can also mean getting outside and enjoying some fresh air with morning tea or coffee. It ALL is about honoring what works for you and what your mind and body need. Growing up a gymnast my body is accustomed to working out in the evenings. If I even attempt to in the morning I am a big grumpy mess. It is a sure way for me to quit my workout half way through. However, the early morning my brain is focused and will retain everything. In high school I would get up early to do my homework as I rarely had time to after school so that is how my brain is trained. I love sitting and reading my Personal Development book. (click here for my book of the month). I can also bang out about half of my to-do list in the morning especially if the kids are asleep. I do have to be flexible especially with a 3 year old and a new born so my mornings are not always perfect, but I find when they are I end the day feeling soooo accomplished. Today was a good day. Here is what my morning looked like: 6:00 am- wake & feed Emerson 6:30 am- Morning cleanse while reading my devotional from The Daily Grind by family friend Susan Diamond (buy here) 6:45 am- Personal Development Book 10 minutes. I am finishing up Goal by Brian Tracy, again. (buy here) 7:00- Make coffee, journal, review goals for day, week & month. Look over to-do list for day. 7:30- Make breakfast for myself & McKalyn, usually eggs with Ezekiel toast or Oatmeal 8:00- McKalyn is a late sleeper so I usually have to get her up. Sit down and have breakfast with McKalyn 8:30- Take McKalyn to school 9:00- Begin my work day focused and refreshed.

Fab Find Friday: Alba Organics Sunscreen

I have been on a hunt for a sunscreen that does not burn McKalyn's little eyes AND provides protection all day in the hot Florida sun.  We have been using Neutrogena's spray but I am not in love with the idea of spraying her and the lotion burns her eyes and mine.  A week ago I was purchasing my favorite lotion (blog on the later) at Target and saw that Alba also offered a sunscreen so I thought why not. And with a $10 price tag it seemed like a reasonable risk.  I decided to put it to the test during a hot 4th of July Barbeque.  The weather was well over 90 degrees and humid. The kids played in the sun and water all day.  Even with the heat and humidity I was happy with how light the sunblock felt on my skin. Both McKalyn and I came home burn free and red eye free.

Click here to check it out.