My Apologies

Hey everyone! Sorry for the disappearance!

It's been a while since i've posted anything new and I apologize. My life has well been extra hectic lately. I'd like to take a moment and share the excitement of my life at the moment. Being a young mom it can seem at times that the world is completely against you. Thankfully lately the odds have been in my favor. I am very fortunate to announce that...

I can now call myself a mom, a daughter, a student, a waitress, a blogger for youngmomsclub.com, and an intern event planner for Molly Maguire's

I feel like I am taking the right step towards an amazing future for my family. To have the chance to be able to achieve my career goals, not to mention dreams is a huge accomplishment to me. And I am more than excited to be able to be an example for my son that no matter what life throws at you, if you set your mind to it, you can achieve it. As well as, being a dreamer isn't unfortunate it's a blessing AND realistic.

Is there anything you've accomplished in your life that your proud of? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

Damsel in Defense

I just have to share with you this website I stumbled upon the other day. It's called damselindefense.com. Yes you read that right, Damsel in Defense NOT Damsel in Distress. 

Damsel in Defense is a company completely dedicated to the protection of women. They focus on selling quality defense products such as stun guns and pepper spray. They ensure that all of their products are made completely safe to handle and completely fashionable! I already have my eye on a couple stun guns I'd just love to have! 

Isn't this stun gun so cute?!?! It's called Tiny Take down and it fits in your purse!

Damsel in Defense has other products as well such as the Hermergency Kit which includes more basic essentials such as an emergency blanket, survival food, and jumper cables (which are pink by the way). It's the perfect kit to keep in your car just in case anything may happen. Other than the Hermergency Kit they also offer the Security On The Go Kit which has a cool gadget called: Where's Yo Baby?" (I couldn't help but laugh when I read this). It's a key chain alarm system that is battery operated and can be used as a wristband as well.

The best part about their products are that they all include a life time warranty. I completely applaud what the founders of this website created. Living near a major city security is a very important thing, especially as a women. Feel free to visit their website where you can purchase products, host a party, or become a sales associate for the products!

http://www.damselindefense.net/?view=featured

When Does Fighting in a Relationship Cross the Line of Domestic Abuse?

Believe it or not when you’re in an abusive relationship you normally aren't aware of it. Couples fight, that’s nothing new there is bound to be disagreements when you’re spending almost all of your time with another person. But, statistics show that one in four women will experience domestic violence in at least one relationship throughout her lifetime.

As a former victim of an abusive relationship, I wasn't aware of my situation until I was out of the relationship and able to reflect back on what I went through from an outsider’s point of view. When you’re in a relationship with someone who is physically or emotionally abusive it’s as if you’re in a complete daze. You are aware of the anger and hurt that is building up inside of you but it is not worth all the trouble it would take for you to leave. There have been times when I've tried to leave, countless times, but the ending result was always staying so my significant other wouldn't commit suicide.

“I'd lost myself in the abyss of someone else's tyranny...again.” 
― Cassandra Giovanni, Love Exactly

So how do you know if you’re in an abusive relationship?

The first step of getting out of an abusive relationship is recognizing that you are in one. It can be hard to uncover whether certain situations in a relationship are abusive or just argumentative. The number one indicator of an abusive relationship is if there is a pattern that is established. If your significant other is constantly putting you down or even putting his or her hands on you then that is a huge sign.

Another way to evaluate whether you’re in an abusive relationship is to ask yourself these questions:

Does your partner….

§ Embarrass you with put-downs?
§  Make you feel afraid?
§  Control who you see and when you can see them?
§  Tries to control what you where?
§  Doesn't want you to spend time with your friends and family and tries to control that?
§  Controls your finances and or takes your paycheck?
§  Threatens you?

§  Threatens to commit suicide if you try to leave?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above then it’s time to take a step back and reevaluate your relationship. Try looking in as an outsider; it’s important that you don’t let your feelings cloud your view. That is when you will truly see what you are dealing with and you will have a chance to save yourself.

The best part is that you don’t have to do it alone.

There is a lot of organizations and hot lines out there to help women who feel trapped inside abusive relationships. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available twenty four seven and is completely confidential. You can reach them at 1-800-799-7233. They will help you develop a safety plan uniquely tailored to you that will help you remain safe while leaving the relationship. You can also visit the website loveisrespect.org which will help you evaluate whether you’re in an abusive relationship and what the next steps are for you to take.

How to Help Your Little Ones Enjoy the Outside

As I sit outside on this beautiful April day I can't help but be happy. Warm weather has this magical capability of making even the grumpiest person happy. I know I was fulfilled with joy when I opened my door to go to church with the sun beating down on me. It was my son's first outside adventure as we took him to a park in the neighborhood. I got to dress him up in these adorable sunglasses and baseball cap. I also had the joy of wrestling to put sunscreen on him. The look on his face as I pushed him on the baby swing made my day. His eyes were wide with curiosity and his toothless smile didn't hesitate to convey his excitement. It's the small things that make life magnificent and it's easy to really notice those things when it's not below thirty degrees outside.

When your parents to an infant its difficult to find ways to play with him or her, especially when they are still really little. Below is a couple of ideas of things you can do with your little one outdoors! That way you both can share the magic of a beautiful day.


Backyard Tummy Time

If your little one isn't onto the crawling stage yet having tummy time outside is the perfect way to play outdoors. First lay a blanket on the grass in your backyard. Then, sit down and place the baby on his her tummy. It will be fun to watch your little one wiggle around. It will also be good motivation for your little one to lift his or her head to look around while strengthening their neck mussels.

Bubbles Mania
Almost all babies (at least the ones I've encountered) love bubbles. It's so funny to see their little hands reach up for the bubbles in awe. Take your little one outside to sit on the porch or in the lawn. You can either turn on a bubble machine or blow the bubbles yourself. Just make sure the bubbles you purchase are safe if consumed because your baby will most likely try to eat them.

Go On A Stroll
Pick a park near your home that has a scenic walkway the pack your stroller and go! Your baby will love the scenery around him or her and will enjoy the feeling of the movement. Going on a stroll will also benefit you whether it be for burning off that extra baby weight to erasing the stresses of the day. Both you and your baby will enjoy the ride.

Have A Bigger Bath Time
If you have an small inflatable baby pool blow it up in the back yard then fill it with water and bubbles. It's important to make sure the water is shallow. Next, fill the pool with as much of your baby's bath time toys as you can. Place your baby in the middle and watch as him or her splash around and play with both the bubbles and toys. It will allow your little one to cool off as well as yourself!

It's Almost That Time!

As Spring is approaching around the corner, the day I've been waiting for is almost here. My little boy is finally going to be six months! Other than the excitement of reaching half a year and all the milestones that come along with it like, him sitting up without my cautious hand and his little legs finally taking off into a crawl. I've mostly been anxious to introduce my baby boy to solid foods!

It's definitely a giant step for us. Learning to eat different foods is a part of our human nature. Evidently we will be saying bye bye to the bottle and hello to meals. 

I took it on myself to order my very own baby bullet two months ahead of time. It's been sitting in the corner of my kitchen still in the box just ready to be opened. The idea of making my baby his food instead of buying it delighted me. I loved the idea of becoming a baby Betty Crocker for my son. Well, that and the fact that the product advertised that it made a weeks worth of baby food in merely five minutes. 

If the baby bullet wasn't enough while I was baby window shopping on Amazon I came across a book I just had to have called "201 Organic Baby Purees". It's pretty interesting. My favorite part about it is that it organizes the recipes based on the baby's age also the recipes sound both delicious and healthy!

In honor of my excitement to start this food adventure with my little man I wanted to share with all of you baby food recipes and ideas that I found would be extremely fun to do!

Here's a chart I found on Pintrest that can help you keep track of what to feed your baby and how. It'd be helpful to print this out and hang it on the fridge in your kitchen for a quick reference.

You can print out this chart here.

Once A Month Meals

For moms that don't have a lot of time on their hands, whether your working two jobs, go to school, or juggling three kids this handy food website I found is absolutely perfect for a mom with a busy life style. It's called Once A Month Mom which you can find at onceamonthmeal.com. You can get an entire months of food recipes, grocery lists, step by step guides, and labels personalized for each month. The recipes are originally created for 9-12 month old but the recipes can also be used for the entire family. By signing up you will have access to a bunch of different recipes for multiple occasions. Basic membership is only $10 a month or $99 a year. 

You can find the sample recipe for the Apple Crisp here.

Weelicious 

Weelicious is a helpful website for all your cooking needs. The cool thing about this site is that it doesn't only provide recipes but products you can purchase as well to help making your kids food easier! I got my eye on their Wean Green baby food storage containers. They are made with tempered glass so it is easier to store food whether it be in the fridge or in your diaper bag! This website is definitely one that can be used as your little one grows. They provide recipes from baby food to school lunches and even family dinners. When you go on the website they have a search bar up top that asks "what do you want to cook today" and then asks you "who is it for?" The search bar makes it quicker for you to find that perfect recipe. The site also has a feature where you can sign up for one recipe sent to you a day. This is a cool choice if you want to try something new every day and as my son gets older is definitely something i'll be doing! Although there are free recipes online, you have the option of buying their recipe book called "Weelicious Lunches".  The book is recipes particularly for kids who are off to school and it's on Amazon for $16.94.

You can find this adorable recipe for Teddy Bear Toast here.

Nurture Baby

If you enjoy following blogs then this is the perfect recipe site for you. Nurture Baby is a blog consisting of baby and toddler food recipe. You can easily find the most popular recipe in the "trending post" as well as the newest recipes in the "newest post". They also give you the option of joining. When you join you are able to add your own recipes and see recipes that others have posted. You have this thing called a recipe box where it will store all the recipes you've posted and you'll be able to easily look back on. You can also add other recipes that you liked into your recipe box which is designed specifically for your little one. To join their website it costs you no money. Another cool thing about this site is that they provide a nutrition list with specific colored blocks so you can see how much your baby needs of each. There is a downloadable chart designed for babies one year and above.

You can find the recipe for Apple A Day here.

There are many other baby food sites out there! You can easily find recipes and ideas that you like best off of search engines like Google or websites like Pintrest. Homemade baby food is not only better for your little one but a lot more fun too! It will be an experience both you and your little one can enjoy.