Thankful Thursday: 31 Mom Hacks

Are you ready for some tips, tricks and secrets veteran moms have sworn by for years?

Just a few household items, some creativity, and you can make those long summer parenting days just a little easier while keeping the kids happy, too!

Did you know according to a NEW Groupon survey, most parents are ready to send their kids BACK to school after 13 days of summer vacation?  Are you one of those parents?  I would have to disagree with this survey.  When Belinda was growing up, I loved summers.  It was a nice break from the craziness of school, sports, competitions and more.  When she was younger, she spend mid-week in Ocean Grove with family and weekends at home.  Once she got hooked on gymnastics – life changed but summers were fun.

These hacks may not change your life, but they might save your sanity – and give you more time for the things which really matter.

1. Save time in the morning by putting your children to bed in their school clothes. (Boy moms, especially, swear by this one!)  Would you do this?
2. Recycle used coffee creamer containers or use our Hide & Peek Pouch for on-the-go snacks. They fit perfectly in diaper bag bottle pockets and car cup holders.
3. Place two layers of fitted sheets and waterproof mattress pads over your little ones’ beds for easier cleanup of overnight accidents.  Genius!
4. Keep a portable, Cinch Sac or a Picnic Thermal Tote in your car for wet or soiled baby clothes.
5. Did you know the shoulder tabs on infant bodysuits are meant to help you pull a soiled outfit down instead of up over the baby’s head? Who would know this? LOL!
6. Save trips from the car to the house by keeping a Deluxe Utility Tote in your trunk for all of your shopping bags.
7. Use a makeup brush to apply diaper rash cream to help keep your hands clean.
8. Poke your ice pop’s stick through a cupcake liner to catch drippy messes and keep hands and clothes clean.
9. Cupcake liners are also an easy way to protect kids’ drinks from bugs during picnics. Just put one over a plastic cup and pop a straw through the top.
10. Make more room in your diaper bag by keeping an Essential Storage Tote, packed with an extra blanket, toys and a change of clothes, in the car.
11. Lay painter’s tape over your door locks to prevent toddlers from locking themselves in their room.
12. A pool noodle under the fitted sheet makes a great impromptu bedrail.
13. You can also cut a pool noodle in half lengthwise and wrap it around a door to prevent slammed fingers.
14. Line a collapsible Stand Tall Bin with a garbage bag to create an on-the-go trash can for camping trips.
15. Use a hanging shoe storage bag to organize blocks and other small toys.
16. Keep a sliced apple from browning before lunch by wrapping it in plastic wrap.
17. Detangle doll hair with a little dish soap and conditioner. OMG!  I wish I knew this before….
18. Use a pizza cutter to slice pancakes and waffles into bite-sized pieces for little fingers.
19. Make any footed PJs slip-proof with a little puffy paint on the soles of the feet.
20. Sunshine can be a surprisingly effective baby stain remover. Just leave the item of clothing outside to dry and watch the stain fade in just a few hours.

 

21. Fill a Double Duty Caddy with art supplies so it’s ready to go on rainy days.
22. You can machine wash your kids’ plastic building blocks and other toys in a mesh delicates bag. (Just don’t put them in the dryer!)
23. Hang bibs on the back of a highchair using removable hooks.
24. Free up space in your child’s lunch bag by using a frozen juice box as an ice pack.  Did you know lunch thermals were on sale this month????
25. In a pinch, you can quickly childproof cabinets with hair ties.
26. Store ice pops vertically in the freezer to make them easier to cut open.
27. An empty blow-up kiddie pool makes an impromptu play pen indoors or outdoors.
28. Pack kids’ outfits – tops, pants, socks and accessories – in individual bags or Zipper Pouches for easier travel.
29. Give each child his or her own Large Utility Tote to carry their laundry to the washer and back from the dryer.
30. Freeze homemade baby food in an ice cube tray for perfect portion sizes.
31. Create a giant dry erase mat with a dollar-store shower curtain.

What are some of YOUR favorite mom hacks? Share them with us….

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tips for a Successful Sports Season

Thank you Barb Webb Of Rural Mom for today’s tips..

Back to School means back to sports for many of parents.  The two often go hand-in-hand, and many times, the sports season begins even before the school year does! While the coach usually provides a list of necessary gear, like helmets, rackets, cleats, etc., they don’t always mention the other important items you’ll want to have on hand for a successful season.  I actually looked forward to the fall – the start of Belinda’s sports seasons (gymnastics, then field hockey then all-star cheerleading).  It was a crazy busy time but so much fun.

Here are a few products you and your sports star will be glad you have:

Water bottles. Being hydrated isn’t something moms just nag about. Kids who play sports expend tons of energy. Each drop of sweat is fluid lost from their body. It’s important they have a good water bottle to help keep them cool in warmer weather. Even in the coldest winter months they’re still running and sweating and need to keep the fluids coming.

Healthy snacks.  Whether or not they play sports, it’s important for growing bodies to receive proper nutrition. Sports kids need even more to fuel their bodies. Some easy snacks are things like fruits, veggies, and protein-packed yogurt and cheese. To keep the snacks fresh, use Thirty One’s Around-The-Clock Thermal.  When practices and games fall within meal times, this thermal will allow you to pack enough to keep everyone fueled up. It holds up to 15 lbs. and is generously sized to fit water bottles, sandwiches, and snacks.

Quality backpacks are also an important thing for sports kids to have. I love the Sling Back Pack. If you’ve got a kid who flings their bag of gear over their shoulder, a sling back pack is a good solution. It’s easy to carry, stylish, and holds everything they need. It’s the perfect pack for in school use, sports games, and for weekend trips as well.

Duffle bags. Our Thirty-One All-Packed duffle bag holds everything from tablets to laptops to knee pads, football helmets and snacks. One of my favorite features of this bag is the separate compartment for shoes, so the rest of the gear doesn’t get dirty. The bag also does double duty if we travel, holding enough clothes for a few days away from home. This is an especially attractive and versatile bag that will really work for anyone.

Thirty-One also offers personalization options, allowing you to customize items with your name, your team’s name, etc. I can’t even begin to tell you how helpful it is to have your child’s name on their bag when there are 30 of them laying on the ground after a game! You can also personalize using icons like soccer balls and cheerleading megaphones. Sports mom lesson #1: Label everything!

Another thing I’ve learned over the years is wipes are necessary long after the child is out of diapers. Whether they’re 5 or 15, they still spill things and/or get them on their clothes. And your car’s seats too! Wipes make short work of little messes. Sports gear gets a little messier, as you can imagine, and for that we use antibacterial wipes. Cleaning the equipment after use helps keep kids healthy. Wiping things down immediately also makes for easier deep cleaning later. Mud comes off a football helmet with less effort before it gets dried on!

How about keeping a plastic bag or laundry bag inside the kids’ bags. It makes it much easier to collect dirty uniforms after events. Most kids can’t seem to find the laundry basket if their life depends on it, so by providing the laundry bag inside their bags, You have a much better chance of washing those socks before they can stand on their own. Grab the bag and throw the stuff in the wash.

It should also be said sports gear isn’t something you should skimp on when it comes to quality. If you purchase a lower quality item at your local discount store, you’ll likely end up doing that two or three times throughout the year. Usually this happens at 9pm when your child says something like “Hey mom, I forgot to tell you there’s a big hole in this thing needed for 6am practice tomorrow.” It just makes more sense financially and from a convenience standpoint to buy the higher quality items the first time.

Sports seasons can get crazy, but it is likely the most fun that you’ll have while your kids are in school. There’s nothing quite as exciting as sitting on the sidelines cheering them on as they play hard and work as a team toward a goal. Being a sports mom is one of the most rewarding experiences ever, and with a little pre-planning and the right gear, you’re in for an awesome season.

Are you a sports mom? Do you have tips to share?

Have a ThirtyOne-deful day!

Are You on a Team?

WOOHOO! It is Friday!  Typically, weekends are not my favorite days of the week.  I start my 3 days of “work“.  What I do get excited about is FOOTBALL!  For those that know me, this was something new when hubby came into my life (15+ years ago).  When we were both off on Sundays, it was the thing we did.  Now, he is usually at work and I am racing home on Sunday to catch the end of a 1PM game and get ready for a 4:30PM game….

Opps… I “squirreled” just a little…

So, are you on a team?  Or were you ever?  Growing up, I was not on any sports teams. I was on the Yearbook and I would consider it an amazing team.  On the other hand, my daughter, Belinda, was on a sports team from the time she was about 6 years old.  We or I should say she did gymnastics, field hockey and was an all-star cheerleader.  I am grateful for those years because it taught her many lessons she might not have learned being an only child.

As a single mom, Belinda and I were a team.  Hubby and I are a team.  So, whether you think of it in those terms or not, all of us are a part of some team.

If you have your own direct sales business, maybe you have a team of women under you but I can almost guarantee  you have a team above you.

As a member of a team (any team), you are very special to the other members.  In direct sales, the women under you feel safe enough to have YOU as their sponsor and to have YOU as the one guiding them.  WOW!  Please, do not take it lightly. I know I don’t.

I am going to focus right now on your team in your direct sales business.

Make sure you get to know each person. Find out her ‘why’. Learn about her life. Care about her. Connect with her. Legitimately join her on this journey. She NEEDS you and is dying for you to guide her. Don’t let her down. This is one of the most important aspects of your job/business.  The women on your team came to you, sought you out, trusted you and are excited about something with YOU. Be a part of their life, jump in to it full force. Be there for them. Don’t let them down.

On the flip side, don’t hold their hand every step of the way. Guide them to the available resources. Give them a solid foundation to start on. Share your wisdom and knowledge.   Encourage their desire to learn more, how to have fun, how to get in the groove of THEIR business and help them figure out what gets them stoked. Your business and their business will be totally different,  It is a BEAUTIFUL and exciting thing,

Remember to work with her – you don’t work for her. Walk along side her, don’t pull her behind you. Lead her down the path SHE wants.  

It is so not about you or what you want –  it is ALWAYS about her. Make sure she knows how much you care.

What other teams can you apply these words of wisdom to?  Share with us what kind of team you are on….

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

How It All Began – The Bullying Story

On March 29th, 2013 I started my blog journey.  It was a challenge by Vanessa Coppes as a way to grow my business.  I didn’t get it.  How could blogging grow my business?  But I was up for a challenge.  Here is my first blog, one that touched the heart of many of my readers.

I just wanted to share how “bullying” can be hidden by our children. It doesn’t mean you are a bad parent, it just means that you may have taught your child the coping skills they need deal with the bullying from school mates. Bear with me as I share some background information..

I was a single mom for 14 years who worked full-time trying to provide all of the things that I had when I was growing up and more for my daughter, Belinda.  Isn’t that every parent’s wish – to give their child more?  I moved to a double wide trailer in a trailer park in an area that had a good school district, lots of children my daughter’s age and it was affordable.  My daughter was involved in a lot of activities outside of school – first competitive gymnastics, then field hockey then all-star cheering. This was my way of making sure Belinda stayed away from the “wrong crowd”. She went to public school until she was a Sophomore in HS when she asked to be changed to a private Christian school where our Pastor’s family taught and her friends went to school. Her reasons made sense so we juggled the budget and Belinda graduated from Pilgrim Academy – smiling, happy, ready for college & still living in the trailer park. Belinda traveled 13 hours to go college – Western Carolina University. I was heart-broken that she was so far away but after the first semester, she excelled – graduated with honors in the Honors College program.

Here is when the “clueless mom” found out what had really been happening…My daughter is a social worker that loves working with troubled kids. As she was preparing her applications for grad school for her Masters in Macro-Social Work, she had to write some essays as to why she felt she would belonged in this field. Since I am a grant-writer, she asked me to review her essays (like she usually did) to check grammar, etc. This is when I found out the “horror” of my daughter’s school years….

Belinda recounts many tales of verbal abuse from school mates because we lived in a trailer park that as the years passed became like the “projects” of the Township. She only invited her closest friends back to our house for sleep overs, parties, etc. I never really thought about it since I was working, juggling her activities and making sure that her homework was done. The truth was very few parents wanted their children to come over because of where we lived – not necessarily our home but the neighborhood. Belinda talks about how people used to call her “trailer trash”. The outside sports activities along with my example of what a strong woman could do is what she attributes to her success. Some called her a “snob” because she was involved in outside sports.  Then when she became active in church, more verbal abuse came.  Some of her friends from the trailer park fell into the lives that people expected – sexually active, lots of unsupervised parties, drugs, alcohol and more. I was blessed, Belinda didn’t do any of that. 

Many believe that if I was clueless about the verbal abuse, I would be clueless about everything else…My daughter and I had and still have an amazing relationship. When I asked her why she never told me, her response “I didn’t want to hurt you because I knew you were doing the best you could. The material things didn’t matter because you were always there for me”. My daughter has amazing attributes – self confidence, speaks her mind (sometimes without tack) and is forever looking to help the underserved youth in her community.  She tells me on a regular basis how she hopes to accomplish all that I have both professionally and personally. 

I wanted to share this to let people know that bullying isn’t always visible, it can happen to any child. As I travel back to our old hometown, I look around and ask my husband – was I that “clueless” about what life was like. His response is always the same – “You did what you had to do to make sure that Belinda had everything she needed even if it wasn’t always what she wanted. As a result, she is a bright, intelligent & confident woman who wants to take on the world to make it a better place”.

Since signing up to be a part of the Family Wellness & Beauty Day (event is over) for Kickin’ It Kids AntiBullying, God has pressed on my heart to share this story. This is an amazing cause and I truly believe that children who are visibly and “in’visibly” bullied can benefit from this type of program.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day1