The Best Settings for Spectra S1 or Spectra S2 Breast Pump

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The Spectra S1 and S2 breast pumps are mom favorites! Finding the best settings can have a bit of a learning curve. The best settings for Spectra breast pump. Tips for Spectra breast pump. Spectra S1, Spectra S2

When it comes to breastfeeding, there are so many things for a new mom to learn. If you are going to be spending time away from your baby, then pumping breast milk is an important aspect to learn about. The Spectra S1 and S2 breast pumps favorite choices among moms. With multiple modes and settings, the Spectra pumps allow for each mom to customize her pumping sessions to meet her personal needs at the moment. It can be a bit overwhelming to begin with, as finding the right settings for you can take a bit of work. Check out this post for some suggestions for pumping with your Spectra breast pump and a suggested method that many moms consider to be the best settings for Spectra S1 or S2 breast pump.  read more

10 Ways to Budget for Maternity Leave

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How to budget for maternity leave so that you can afford to take some time off with your new baby.

When it comes to growing your family, there are a lot of things that go into the planning process! We’ve all heard the saying “having a baby changes everything.” It is so cliche, but I also don’t think that truer words have ever been spoken. Along with everything else in your home, having a baby will change your household finances. After the medical bill of pregnancy and birth, the first big expense of bringing a baby home could be taking some time off of work. There are several things that you can do to plan for the cost of taking maternity leave. Start saving up now with these 10 tips on how to budget for maternity leave.  read more

Pros and Cons of Cloth Diapering

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There are many pros and cons of cloth diapering. Deciding between cloth diapers versus disposable diapers is a big choice with many factors.

In recent years, cloth diapers have made a comeback in a huge way! Modern cloth diapers have come a long way from the folded hand-washed pieces of fabric that our grandparents used, and many parents are seeing the benefits of using them instead of disposables. Still, many parents (seemingly the majority of parents), continue to choose disposable diapers. Clearly there are pros and cons of using cloth diapers. So how do you decide between cloth and disposable diapers for your baby? What are the biggest pros and cons of cloth diapering? Check out this post for a quick and dirty overview of some of the deciding factors. read more

How Much Does it Cost to Have a Baby?

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How much does it cost to have a baby? Adding a little one to your home will have a huge impact on your family's finances. Check out this post to help answer the question - how much does it cost to have a baby? #newmom #newbaby #budget #expecting

Deciding when to add to your family is a huge decision that includes so many factors! For many families, one of the biggest questions comes down to finances – Can we afford to have a baby? How much does it cost to have a baby? The initial medical costs aside, adding a baby to the family will come with many recurring costs. If you are not a parent, it can be hard to know how having a baby will affect your family’s finances. Let’s take a look at the real costs of adding a baby to your household and try to answer the question – How much does it cost to have a baby? read more

Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt [Printable]

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Looking for a fun and safe family activity? Check out this Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt! Holiday activities, family activities, printable worksheet

The Holiday season is upon us, and Christmas festivities are getting started! I don’t know about you, but I could definitely use some holiday cheer to end out this crazy year. For many families, the holiday season is going to look a little different than years past. One tradition that can still be safely enjoyed is looking at Christmas lights. Many neighborhoods in the Milwaukee area go all out when it comes to decorating for Christmas! Just taking an evening drive can be a fun family activity this time of year. If you want to take it up a notch, you can turn a trip to look at Christmas lights into a family Christmas light scavenger hunt. read more

What is the Best Age Gap Between Siblings?

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Deciding when to add another child to your family is always a big decision! So what is the best age gap between siblings? #momlife #siblings #newbaby #familyplanning

 Before we had our first baby, my husband and I always wanted to have two children close together. He has a sister a year younger than he is and I have 4 younger siblings who are all around 2 years apart. As adults, we love having siblings close in age, and wanted that for our own children. I think the reality of parenting hit him harder than he expected. I noticed that in conversation, the phrase “when we have another baby…” became “IF we have another baby.” We clearly weren’t ready to have another one soon after our first was born, but I wasn’t convinced that we wanted our son to be an only child. This got me wondering – What is the best age gap between siblings? read more

The Best Nugget Alternatives for Every Budget

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These 10 kids couches and climbing toys are great gifts to consider as Nugget alternatives. Nugget couch ideas. Kids couch options.

With Christmas shopping season right around the corner, the Nugget kids couch is a popular topic of conversation among moms on social media. After their last drop, Nugget announced that the next release will be done using a lottery system. Even if you are lucky enough to purchase a Nugget, there is no way to guarantee that you will get one before Christmas at this point. This post will go through several Nugget alternatives for parents who are looking for a similar couch for your kiddos. The list includes 10 options that range in price from $299.00 down to $26.99 to make sure that there is a Nugget alternative for every budget. read more

15 Easy Ways to Eliminate Single Use Plastics from your Home

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Are you looking to save some money and reduce your family's environmental impact? Try cutting down on single use plastics. Reduce plastic waste. Eliminate plastic use. Avoid Disposable plastic. Reduce waste.

Have you ever thought about the amount of waste that your home creates on a regular basis? Take that one-step farther, and think about the amount of plastic waste that your family creates. There are so many disposable products that we use everyday, but don’t ever take the time to think about. I try to be conscious about the amount of waste that we create as a family. Not only does cutting down on waste help the environment, it helps to save money. Recently, I have tried to make a conscious effort to reduce our disposable plastic usage. There are so many products that I have easily replaced. Check out this post to see 14 ways that you can eliminate single use plastics from your home without too much effort. Some small changes will really help you to reduce plastic waste. read more

10 Things I Wish Someone Told Me About Breastfeeding

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Breastfeeding is hard work! There are so many potential bumps in the road, but you are not alone. Here are 10 things I wish someone had told me about breastfeeding.

A quick search on google or Pinterest will lead you to an absolutely overwhelming number of posts and articles about breastfeeding. Feeding your baby is such a huge part of motherhood, and it is something that many moms struggle with. Of course breastfeeding is a wonderful and natural thing that most mothers can do, but that doesn’t mean that it will come easily or feel natural in the beginning. Every mom and baby are different, so everyone’s feeding journey is different. It takes some trial and error to find what works best for you, and learning from others is a great way to learn what to try. Here are 10 things that I wish someone had told me about breastfeeding.  read more

DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint

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This DIY sidewalk chalk paint is super fun, easy to make, and only has three ingredients. Get the DIY sidewalk chalk paint recipe here.

This summer has been especially rough when it comes to ideas for keeping busy. With many parks and pools closed, it seems like it’s up to mom (or dad, babysitter, grandma, etc.) to come up with fun ideas for outdoor play. Last week, the kids and I made sidewalk chalk paint, and it was a blast! It only took three ingredients and a few minutes to mix up a batch. It really turned out to be a great activity, so I thought I would share it with you all. Check out this post for the recipe and to see how our DIY sidewalk chalk paint turned out. read more