Real. Simple. Parenting.
I’m quickly becoming a huge advocate for backyard chickens. They’ve been amazing! But I think the biggest misconception around getting chickens is how much money it takes to get started, and then how expensive they are to take care of. So I thought I’d dispel the misinformation: how much does it cost to have backyard chickens? Really?
Check out my videos as well so you can see the products in action!
School is starting and we are doing our first “Playroom Tour!” Check out what we actually have in our playroom – these are the toys which have passed our safety and quality tests, and have passed the kids’ own tests as well. There are photos and a video tour, as well as item names and descriptions. Come see what’s in our playroom! Continue reading
We are new to the world of backyard chickens, and we’re loving it! The single biggest expense we had to research, however, was the chicken coop. Now that our girls are living outside full-time, I wanted to give you an honest review of our chicken coop kit: the good, the bad, and some tricks to help you love it as much as we do! This is my review of the Innovation Pet Deluxe Chicken Coop, complete with a video tour at the end! Continue reading
I’ve read about a thousand posts about self care for moms. And I always get anxious that taking care of myself means sacrificing quality time with my kids, or time to clean up and get work done. There are so many great ideas out there, but I feel guilty when I think about leaving my toddler crying on the floor so that I can sip my coffee while it’s still hot. I can’t enjoy my alone time with some of these extravagant ideas… and some I just plain can’t afford.
So here’s what I’ve done: I’ve looked at my own life and what works for our little family. I’ve looked at things which make me happy and recharge the batteries of my soul. And I’ve looked at things which are easily doable on a regular basis, when (gasp!) the kids are around. What’s made it into this article are the things which fit every one of those qualifications.
The result? Self care for the busy mom. These tips won’t make you feel like you’re a horrible mother, because your kids won’t suffer. You can take care of yourself while taking care of the kids, too.
Just remember: you can’t serve others when your cup is empty. It’s taken me years to admit this, but it’s true. So take care of yourself and be well, my friend. I’m in the trenches with you, but I’m still smiling! Continue reading
Cloth diapers are amazing. They’re versatile, adorable, comfortable, and economical. But they’re intimidating as hell to new or potential parents, partly because there are so many kinds. While a disposable is pretty basic – what you see is what you get – cloth diapers are a vast industry of options. Here I’ll break down the three main kinds of cloth diapers: the good, the bad, all of my experiences, plus photos! Bonus in summer 2018: look for the complete video tour at the end! Continue reading
The most common reason that people are leery to cloth diaper is because they do not know what to do about poop. Having someone’s bowel movements swishing around in my washing machine is not exactly my idea of a good time. Luckily for us all, there is the diaper sprayer. I chose the AquaNexis based on its combination of affordability and good reviews. I’ve been using it for a few weeks and I gotta tell you what I think! Check out the demo video at the end, too. Continue reading
Before I was a mother, I had never changed a diaper. Seriously. And luckily, my infant care class taught me how to change diapers on a plastic baby doll. But when you have a squirming, screaming baby at 2am, threatening to shower you with everything they’ve got left, classes and baby dolls aren’t a whole lot of help. Welcome to trial and error… at its finest. (Or messiest, whatever). Here are my recommendations for products and processes to keep you and Baby clean and happy when using disposable diapers. Look at the end of the article for a bonus video about newborn diaper changing!
© 2024 Real Simple Mama
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑
