5 Apps Every New Mom Should Download

July 1, 2020 · LIFESTYLE

If you're a new mom or you're adding another little blessing to your family soon, these five apps are total parenting game-changers!

Over the last few weeks, I've downloaded a few apps that have helped me keep my sanity as a new mama. Some were suggestions from friends, and others I stumbled upon and tried myself.

One of the benefits of being a modern mom is that we have the gift of technology to make parenting a little easier. In so many instances after using these apps, I've found myself wondering how parents functioned before smartphones! We sure are spoiled with technology - so we might as well use it to our advantage, right?

I'm sure there are many more helpful apps that I'm missing. (If so, let me know in the comments and help a mama out!) But after a little fine-tuning over the last month, I've come up with five favorites that I'd love to share with you today. I hope this list is helpful for you as you navigate the changes of life with baby!

This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing from these links doesn't cost you anything extra, but it does help me run my site and continue to provide free content. For more, read my Disclosure Policy.

The BabyTime app was suggested to me by a friend, and it was the first app I immediately used when Ella was born. Users can track feeding times, diaper changes, naps and more using the app. I found it super helpful especially during the first few weeks and during the midnight feedings. (Honestly, I don't know how women remembered which breast to feed from before tracking apps made it convenient!)

Another cool thing about the Babytime app is that you can compare the data you enter throughout the days, weeks and months of your baby's growth. This can help you track your baby's patterns and detect any issues over time.

Tap here to download the BabyTime app for free at the App Store, or here for the Google Play Store.

Lots of moms love Pampers diapers, including myself! Of all the brands I've tried, these are my favorite for Ella. They can be more expensive than generic brands, but I think they prevent diaper rash and blowouts much better than others.

If you like getting cash back (um, who doesn't?) download the Pampers Club app! Simply use the app to scan the code inside your Pampers diaper package and redeem points for rewards or cash back via PayPal.

Download the Pampers Club app at the App Store here, or at the Google Play Store here.

There are a lot of white noise apps to choose from, but the White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds app is my favorite. It has plenty of free options to choose from that are perfect for helping baby calm down and sleep. I find it so endearing to watch Ella's face soften and her eyelids get heavy when we turn the white noise on!

We have a white noise machine in Ella's room for bedtime, but the app is great for when she's napping elsewhere. Remember that your baby was used the the white noise of your heartbeat and circulatory system in the womb, so quiet rooms are actually pretty foreign to young babies. Using a white noise app or machine is very soothing for your little one.

Download the White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds app for free here at the App Store or here at the Google Play Store.

I'm still pretty new to The Wonder Weeks app, but I'm looking forward to using it over the coming weeks and months as Ella grows! The Wonder Weeks is actually a book you can read to learn all about your baby's growth and developmental "leaps."

When you download the app, you enter your baby's due date, and it will calculate approximately when each developmental leap will occur. It's nice to know ahead of time when your baby is going through these leaps so that you're not left wondering why your baby is suddenly so fussy! I'm a person who likes to know what's coming, so this app is comforting for me as a parent. Plus, it shows you tips on how to engage with your child through these developmental phases.

This app is $3.99 - a pretty cheap investment for your peace of mind, wouldn't you say? Get it here at the App store or here at the Google Play Store.

Confession: I hate scrapbooking. I even hate creating digital photo books, and I usually only make them after we go on a vacation. So I have hundreds, if not THOUSANDS of pictures on my phone that just sit there, never to be reminisced on again.

Until I found the Qeepsake app!

If you don't have time for scrapbooking but you want to save memories of your child quickly and digitally, this app is perfect. Qeepsake will send you prompt questions via text, and you can answer those questions and add your photos to the app. Over time, Qeepsake will collect these memories for you, and you may choose the option to create a book from these journal prompts to remember special moments as your baby grows. I personally really like the prompt questions - some of them are topics I wouldn't have thought to document on my own!

Currently I'm using the free version, but I may upgrade soon to get more question prompts sent to me throughout the week. You can download Qeepsake at the App Store here or at the Google Play Store here.

We Threw Our Dog a Birthday Party! (Yes, Really)

June 23, 2020 · LIFESTYLE

We did a very extra thing - we threw a dog birthday party for Sadie Belle!

Our sweet pup turned 1 this past week, and we couldn't not do anything about it, right? So, we did what any dog lover and The Office fanatic would do. We threw a Dwight Schrute-approved party!

I think we chose the Office theme because "IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY." just seemed fitting for a dog's party. I mean, we wanted to acknowledge Sadie's special day, but the ridiculousness of a dog party wasn't completely lost on us.

Sadie is pretty popular in our neighborhood - well, at least she thinks she is! So we invited our neighbors and some friends, ate hot dogs (pun intended) and threw a little dog birthday party! It was the best way to indulge in a little birthday cake, celebrate and socialize.

This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing from these links doesn't cost you anything extra, but it does help me run my site and continue to provide free content. For more, read my Disclosure Policy.

How to Throw a Bark-Worthy Dog Birthday Party

Every good birthday party needs guests, decorations, snacks and cake! Check out how our Party Planning Committee (read: my husband and I) put together Sadie's birthday party. Then, gather your friends and let the fun begin!

The Food

Quite honestly, you can go as big or as simple as you want. In the spirit of this party, we kept it punny and basic - we grilled hot dogs!

Stock up on plenty of hot dogs and buns as they tend to go fast, even with a small group. It's best to assume at least two hot dogs per person. I think we grilled up a package of 24 hot dogs for a group of around 10 people, and it was the perfect amount.

Don't forget condiments! Again, we kept it simple with the standards - ketchup, mustard and relish. But you can get creative here! Try chili cheese dogs, or even Chicago-style dogs for a fun twist.

As for drinks, we chose the BYOB route. Again, we kept our pup's party as simple as we could, but if you want to serve drinks, go for it!

And of course, don't forget snacks! chips, fresh fruit or cold salads make great sides to go with your hot dogs.

The whole family - look at Sadie's smile!

The Cakes

I made two cakes - one for Sadie, and one for our guests. Make sure you're not feeding your dog lots of sugary cake, or you might end up with a sick pup!

Sadie's cake was made with very basic, whole ingredients that I had on hand at home. I used this dog cake recipe, which uses bananas and peanut butter as the main ingredients. Then I frosted it with a simple peanut butter cream cheese frosting. Be careful not to over-frost your cake! Dogs shouldn't have too much cream cheese at a time as it is quite rich and high in fat. Again, you don't want a sick pup on her birthday!

For the humans, I made a box-mix sheet cake and frosted it with a homemade buttercream frosting. Honestly, cake baking and decorating isn't my strong suit, but it still turned out delicious! (Hit me up with your cake tips in the comments - I want to improve!)

The Decorations

This was honestly the most fun part of planning Sadie's birthday party! Fans of The Office will immediately recognize the infamous gray balloons and birthday banner.

We used gray and gold balloons. (Believe it or not, we couldn't find brown balloons... shocker, right?) Blow up the balloons, tape a streamer to them and hang them up with more tape. It literally took us a matter of minutes - definitely Dwight Schrute-approved.

We found the classic "IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY." banner for free here. You can print it from home and tape it together just like they did on the show.

Celebrating Your Pup

Sure, dogs don't know what birthdays are. To them, a birthday is just another day. Regardless, we wanted an reason to hang out with our friends and eat cake. And I suppose we tend to spoil our little Sadie Belle, too! She had so much fun playing with the neighbor kids, eating her special cake, and playing with her new toys!

Now, just wait for Ella's 1st birthday... I'm sure we will go all out!

Do you celebrate your dog's birthday? Let me know in the comments!

Here's to you, Sadie Belle!

Like this post? Make sure you share it with your friends on Facebook or Pinterest! Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for fitness inspiration, recipes, and all things lifestyle!

Welcome to the World, Ella Rose!

June 15, 2020 · LIFESTYLE

She's here!

Our sweet daughter Ella Rose was born on May 8, a whopping 7 pounds, 1 ounce. She is even more beautiful than I thought she’d be, and my heart is so full.

Over the last month, we’ve had family in and out of our home to visit our newest addition. It’s been a crazy whirlwind, but I’m really grateful. All of the extra helping hands have allowed me to get the rest I need while also caring for my newborn. (Yes, I even needed a break from blogging! I've been working on this one post for over a month now, but mama duty calls!)

All ready to go home from the hospital!

Here’s what we’ve learned about Ella over the course of a month:

Ella is an excellent eater and a super pooper!

She took to breastfeeding immediately and I’m pretty sure it’s her favorite thing to do. And three blowouts in her first week home proved that her digestive system works pretty well, too!

She has been a wonderful sleeper - thank goodness!

In the weeks leading up to delivery, I had a bit of anxiety about losing sleep at night. I have never functioned well on less than 7 hours of sleep each night, so I worried about interrupted sleep. Thankfully, Ella has already slept for long stretches at night. And when she wakes, I’ve been surprised to find that waking to feed her hasn’t been as exhausting as I thought it would be. (Well… until it’s time to get up in the morning!)

**She’s a little dramatic… but calms quickly when she gets what she wants.**

They say you can’t spoil a baby, at least for the first three months. I hope that’s true, because when miss Ella wants something, she makes sure we know it! But usually once we’ve figured out what she wants, she doesn’t carry on any further.

Ella is going to be a daddy’s girl for sure.

I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve handed her off to my husband for a bit of a break, and immediately she calms down. If I wasn’t so grateful for his magic touch, I might actually be a little jealous!

I love watching her personality grow as the days and weeks go by! We’ve learned when she’s happy, when she’s fussy, and what each varying cry means. I worried that caring for a newborn would be an intimidating learning curve for me, but she’s taught me to have patience, give myself grace, and go with the flow.

As for me, here’s what I’ve learned about motherhood:

The things that worried me the most about caring for a newborn have actually become some of the sweetest moments.

Don’t get me wrong - the 3 AM wake up calls and cluster feeding evenings have been challenging. But being able to provide comfort for my baby while seeing her soften and smile as I hold her is an irreplaceable feeling.

Sacrificing my needs and desires in order to care for my family has been a challenge.

I believe this is the task that God has called me to do, but that doesn’t mean it’s not hard! I find myself fighting off feelings of bitterness - usually out of sheer exhaustion - when I can’t even eat a meal in peace or take a shower. This is an adjustment that all new wives and mothers have to make, and I’m learning to submit all over again - this time, to serve the needs of both my husband and my daughter.

I have learned to accept and ask for help when I need it.

I threw my pride right out the window the moment my L&D nurses helped me go to the bathroom after giving birth! (Side note: shouts out to nurses. I have a whole new respect for y’all after my time in the hospital! You are amazing!)

For real though - I couldn’t have made it through the first few days and weeks with my newborn without help from my husband, mom and mother-in-law. They made meals, took care of Ella so that I could sleep, ran errands, and cleaned my house for me so that I didn’t feel like I was drowning.

Getting things done can no longer be a top priority for me.

I have always loved crossing tasks off a to-do list, but these days I’m lucky to accomplish one thing outside of caring for Ella. I often have to remind myself that she is only a baby for a short time. Cherishing these moments with her is far more important than vacuuming the house.

Taking It All In

It’s hard to describe the moments after we arrived home from the hospital with Ella. It just so happened to be Mother’s Day - my first, but not really. Just a year prior, I was grieving the loss of my first pregnancy on Mother’s Day. This year, I brought my second baby home.

We introduced her to our dog, and I walked her to her room. I sat with her in the chair, and rocked her to sleep as tears streamed down my face. This moment was all I had wanted - and after years of waiting, God granted me the sweetest blessing.

Everything has come full circle. Just yesterday in church, a dear friend and sister in Christ said to me, “It seems like just yesterday we were grieving!” And how true that rings! In the course of a year, God brought me from longing to expectant, to grieving and longing all over again, to expectant and joyous over my two beautiful babies. One we still grieve and long to meet one day, and the other we have the privilege of knowing and raising.

I am certain that God’s plan for me in all of this was good. All of these experiences from loss to joy strengthened my bond with my husband, made me a better mother for Ella, and taught me to choose joy in every circumstance. As I took in these first moments at home with Ella, I thanked God for all of it.

Everything has changed, yet it feels like we’ve had Ella forever. Our life as a little family has been so sweet over the last month! I’ll be sharing more updates here and there as we grow, but for now, thank you for following our journey up to this point. I hope our story has inspired and encouraged you in your walk, wherever you’re at.

5 Apps Every New Mom Should Download

If you're a new mom or you're adding another little blessing to your family soon, these five apps are total parenting game-changers!

This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing from these links doesn't cost you anything extra, but it does help me run my site and continue to provide free content. For more, read my Disclosure Policy.

Don’t Miss Out!

1. BabyTime

2. Pampers Club

3. White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds

4. The Wonder Weeks

5. Qeepsake

There you have it!

Yours truly,

Like this post? Make sure you share it with your friends on Facebook or Pinterest! Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for fitness inspiration, recipes, and all things lifestyle!

We Threw Our Dog a Birthday Party! (Yes, Really)

We did a very extra thing - we threw a dog birthday party for Sadie Belle!

This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing from these links doesn't cost you anything extra, but it does help me run my site and continue to provide free content. For more, read my Disclosure Policy.

Don’t Miss Out!

How to Throw a Bark-Worthy Dog Birthday Party

The Food

The Cakes

The Decorations

Celebrating Your Pup

Here's to you, Sadie Belle!

Like this post? Make sure you share it with your friends on Facebook or Pinterest! Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for fitness inspiration, recipes, and all things lifestyle!

Welcome to the World, Ella Rose!

She's here!

Here’s what we’ve learned about Ella over the course of a month:

Ella is an excellent eater and a super pooper!

She has been a wonderful sleeper - thank goodness!

**She’s a little dramatic… but calms quickly when she gets what she wants.**

Ella is going to be a daddy’s girl for sure.

As for me, here’s what I’ve learned about motherhood:

The things that worried me the most about caring for a newborn have actually become some of the sweetest moments.

Sacrificing my needs and desires in order to care for my family has been a challenge.

I have learned to accept and ask for help when I need it.

Getting things done can no longer be a top priority for me.

Taking It All In

With a grateful heart,

Stay Up-to-Date on New Posts!

Like this post? Make sure you share it with your friends on Facebook or Pinterest! Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for fitness inspiration, recipes, and all things lifestyle!