As our littlest love is getting closer to a year and experiencing big milestones, I can’t help but reflect on how my approach to motherhood has changed. I am the first to admit I am a very type A person and prefer to have order and structure with things. Although I thrive within this type of environment, I have also seen the beauty in letting go.

I don’t know why I had told myself our older son had to do certain things within certain times to thrive. For example, if he was awake for 2 hours he needed to take a nap because that met his wake window and he could potentially become overtired. If we were out, we had to be home at a specific time to not mess up his night routine. If I didn’t follow the “wake, eat, play” schedule, I wasn’t doing it right. The list could go on.

I have quickly learned this time around that there is no one size fits all to babies and letting go to the expectations we create within our own mind is completely freeing. At the end of the day, we are the experts when it comes to our children and are doing what works best for our babies and families. What works great for one family, may not be the solution for another…and that is completely okay! Personally I feel like there is too much information regarding parenting styles and approaches. It can be completely overwhelming to new parents and create unwarranted stress/expectations.

One thing I have really practiced this time around is following our sons lead. It is amazing how babies will clearly communicate what they want or need when you figure out your child’s cues. It has made such a difference to me personally to not get caught up in anything he “should” be doing.

Although we have become way more relaxed with our younger son we still create structure/routine with the areas that are important to us. For example, we did sleep train around 4 months to create a solid night time routine. We have also placed time limits before intervening for naps and any night wakings, etc. Deciding what was most important to us as parents and our family dynamic helped us prioritize those few “non negotiables”.

Parenting will forever be a learning experience and I am so thankful for the continuous growth and perspective. I would love to know what has surprised you most!

As always, sending light and love.

Blessings,

Jac

My husband and I both enjoy cooking. We typically alternate making meals throughout the week and enjoy trying new recipes, or finding dishes to add to our rotation/meal list. We maybe eat out once every month because we prefer to cook at home. I have shared some posts on how we like to plan our meals and our mindset around food. You can check those out here: Balanced Eating, Meal Planning Tips , No Diet Lifestyle, 5 Ways To Incorporate More Vegetables.

I thought I would share five kitchen items we love and constantly use. I would love to know some of your go to items or favorites!

1.Glass Storage

I don’t know about you, but we love having leftovers or things that are already prepped and ready to go. We absolutely love these containers with the snap lids and use them daily for various foods. I also love having different sizes and options.

2.Smoothie Blender

I have shared multiple times that our family loves smoothies, especially for a quick and easy breakfast option. We love this one because you can take the cup with you, and have a smaller option for kids. We truly use this every day.

3.Dutch Oven

We have had a Dutch oven for awhile now, however just started using it regularly. I broke the lid to our crock pot which encouraged me to use it. We actually prefer the flavor of the Dutch oven over the crockpot and are using it for everything now! It is amazing!

4.Coffee Maker Combo

My husband and I love coffee. There is just something about it, and has become a big part of our morning routine. We love having a machine with a pot and k cup option. We use the pot when it is just us, however we like catering to company with the k cups for tea, decaf, or hot chocolate.

5.Water Cup

If you know us, you know we are also huge water drinkers. My husband and I typically drink around 120 ounces a day, and our son brings his water everywhere with him. We all have water cups that we use daily! I like having the 40 and 50 ounce options for myself!

As always, sending light and love.

Blessings,

Jac

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At the end of each year I like to assess all of our financial accounts, and create goals for the upcoming year. One of our goals always has to do with the boys accounts. When we had our older son, we decided to set up an account specifically for him. It can be used for school, car, activities, etc. When we had our second son, we immediately set up the same type of account. My parents did this for our family when we were kids and I am so appreciative and grateful for it.

I wanted to share three things to keep in mind or consider if you are wanting to set up some type of savings for your own children. You can also check out more financial posts here.

1.Decide Type Of Account

There are so many options, it can truly be overwhelming. What works best for one family, may not work for another. Talk to your spouse, and if possible a financial advisor to see which option would be most beneficial for your family. This is personalized depending on what you want to use the account for.

2.Know Long Term Goal

Have an idea or understanding what the account is intended for long term. Are you saving for tuition or a wedding? Do you want to use it for daily activities or experiences? Your goals will impact and influence the type of account you set up as well as how much you contribute.

3.Make A Plan

Just like with anything else, plan how and when you want to contribute to the account. Will you set up automatic withdrawals monthly or yearly? Do you plan to contribute when there is extra room in finances? Having a plan will help with consistency and reaching your set goals.

Do you have accounts designated for your children? I would love to know!

As always, sending light and love.

Blessings,

Jac