100 Ideas for a Mommy Break

Top 10 signs you need a Mom Break from Huggies.com:

1. You forget your name.

2. You start to think the smell of spit-up is kind of comforting.

3. You not only talk to the baby, you ask him for wardrobe advice.

4. Your most exciting revelation of the week: The ABC song and Twinkle Twinkle are exactly the same.

5. You refer to your husband as “Daddy.” Even in bed. And not in a sexy way.

6. You water the dog and feed the plant.

7. You have actual conversations with friends about the baby’s toots.

8. You catch yourself wondering if maybe those leftover strained peas would be good in an omelet.

9. Your idea of a fun time? Using shampoo and conditioner.

10. You forget the baby’s name.

All mom’s need a break sometime! As a stay-at-home mom I get those “why do you need a break” look when I mention something about being tired, having a long day, or wanting a break. No, I do not work a 9-5 job. But that doesn’t mean I don’t work! As a stay-at-home mom, I work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I do not get pay checks, sick days, or vacation time. I am required to do a long list of duties that include: maid, cook, taxi driver, nurse, teacher, personal shopper, and laundry service. The estimated cost of a stay-at-home mom’s salary is over $100,000 A WEEK. I am very grateful that I have a wonderful man that works so I am able to be a stay-at-home mom. Sure, sometimes it is difficult, but there is nowhere else I would rather be. 

Have you ever had those moments when you want to have a conversation that doesn’t involve who went into time out, the color your newborn’s poop, or just a conversation with someone who can talk back? Moms need a break. Not the 10 minute shower you get a day, the weekly trip to the grocery store, or the nightly task of making dinner for the family. I know being a mom is stressful and it doesn’t matter if we are a stay-at-home mom or a working mom, we still need a break! Hand the babies off to dad or take the kids to the grandparents’ house and enjoy some time to yourself. This list really plays on the idea of "look good, feel good!"

100 Ideas for a Mommy Break:

1.    Treat yourself to a new pair of shoes

2.   Plant a garden

3.    Redecorate a room

4.   Spend the day in bed

5.    Organize your closet

6.    Put fresh flowers around your house

7.     Go to lunch with the girls

8.    Try a new hair style

9.     Get a Mani and Pedi

10. Watch a marathon on your favorite TV show

11. Do some yoga

12.  Be a tourist in your own city

13.Buy new lipstick

14.  Buy some sexy sleepwear

15. Take a hot bath

16. Start reading a book

17. Get a massage

18. Hang up new pictures

19. Have a girls night out

20.  Go to the movies

21.  Bake cupcakes

22. Go on a shopping spree

23. Dye your hair

24. Go to the spa

25.  Do an at-home facial

26.  Watch your favorite chick flick

27. Read fashion and gossip magazines

28.  Buy a new perfume

29. Do your make up

30.Have a drink.. or two!

31.Have girl talk

32. Sign up for a gym class

33.  Get a tan

34. Update your iTunes collection

35.Sing karaoke

36.Go on a romantic date night with your man

37. Go dancing

38.Have a game night

39. Take a break from your diet

40.  Buy new jewelry

41.  Start a scrap book

42. Find a project at a flea market

43. Donate old clothes or toys

44. Watch the sunset at the lake or beach

45.  Make a recipe book

46.  Read a romance novel

47. Learn how to knit

48.  Work on your photography skills

49. Write a biography

50. Learn a new language

51. Go to an art museum

52.  Go to a candle store

53.Make pottery

54.  Learn how to belly dance

55. Buy a new dress

56. Have someone cook dinner for you

57. Go eat at a desert shop

58. Go for a walk

59. Buy new bras and panties

60. Update your Keurig coffee flavors

61. Update your nail polish collection

62.  Buy cute baking pans

63.Get a wax

64.  Buy a new purse

65. Buy new make-up

66. Try a new restaurant

67. Go to a concert

68. Stay the night at a fancy hotel and order room service

69. Hire a maid service for the day

70. Put all your pictures into photo albums

71. Get rid of clutter

72. Buy a new bedspread

73. Go to a sporting event

74. Go to the shooting range

75. Go swimming

76. Rent jet skis for the day

77.  Go tubing down a river

78. Go kayaking

79.  Shop around at a book store

80. Go for coffee with someone

81. Paint on a canvas

82.  Paint pottery

83.Try to make your own clothes

84.  Get your eyebrows done

85. Buy a new phone case

86. Buy a new wallet

87. Try to make a soufflé

88. Organize all of your important papers

89. Buy cute thank you notes

90. Start a work out DVD

91. Watch a black and white movie

92. Start a DIY project from Pinterest

93. Buy a new camera

94. Buy a scarf and learn different way to wear it

95. Go out for drinks with someone

96. Buy cute wall decorations

97.  Decorate your stair case

98. Plan a family vacation

99.  Make a family calendar with your family’s pictures
100. Organize your bathroom cabinets

Crescent Roll Burgers

I’m going to be completely honest.. I’m a horrible cook. But the good news is, that I’m getting better. I can’t make hamburgers, I know they are easy, but mine never turn out good. I let the guys cook the burgers. So, the last time I made burgers, it was no big deal, no special toppings or anything. I used those individual packaged slices of cheese, and somehow, one of the burgers had plastic on it. The thought of a burger makes me taste plastic. This is horrible I know. That was months ago, by the way. Well, the boyfriend has been begging for hamburgers. So I came up with a compromise.. meet the Crescent Roll Burger!

It is made with ground beef that is very well seasoned and grated cheese. Everything came out tasting delicious! No plastic and no complaints! I love this because it so quick and so easy to make. Plus it very kid friendly! I would recommend this for a quick and tasty meal!

Ingredients:

1 lb. Ground Beef

3 tbsp. of A1 Steak Sauce

½ tbsp. of Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp. of Onion Powder

2 cans of Refrigerated Crescent Rolls

1 cup of Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Brown the ground beef, drain and rinse it.

3. Add the steak sauce, worcestershire sauce, and onion powder to the beef and stir.

4. Take 2 triangle of the crescent rolls and pinch the seam together to make a bigger rectangle shape.

5. Place some of the meat, and some of the cheese into the crescent roll and roll together starting with the corners.

6. Place all of the crescent rolls onto a baking sheet lined with foil.

7. Bake for 14-18 minutes.

Enjoy :)

Teething Tips and Remedies

Most babies between 3 months and 12 months (according to webmd.com). Some babies will react fine to teething, with hardly any symptoms. Other babies will cry non-stop, won’t sleep and good luck if you ever want to go somewhere in public. I don’t blame them for being fussy and having a hard time sleeping, babies have never really experienced pain before. So, to them, a cutting a tooth can hurt pretty bad. The good news is, finding out what helps sooth your baby can save you a lot of time, and make your little one feel better. This is not medical advice, just simple tips from moms to moms. Always check with you baby’s Pediatrician to confirm or before giving your baby any medicine.  

Symptoms of a Teething Baby:

-Drool, Drool, and MORE DROOL

-Fussiness

-Chewing on Fingers or Toys

-Refusing to Eat or Drink

-Swollen or Sensitive Gums

-Problems Sleeping

-Low-grade Fever (debatable)

-Diarrhea (debatable)

-Pulling on Ears (due to fluid build up)

Check out one of these awesome baby teeth charts to track when your child's teeth should come in, and write down the day that they do!

1. Baby Teeth Chart from Turtle Soup Daily

2. Baby Teeth Chart from Anbesol Baby

There is no right way or wrong way when it comes to parenting and taking care of your baby. What works for one baby, might not work for another. This is a list of just a few things you can do at home to make your little on feel better. My advice is to know the signs and symptoms. Babies grow at different rates and they will cut teeth at different times too. Be aware of the most when most babies will cut certain teeth and try to keep track, that way when your little one isn’t feeling good, you will understand why and know how to help them!

1. Give them lots of love and attention: a lot of babies love to cuddle with their Mommy or Daddy when they’re sick and don’t feel good. Try not to force them to play, if they want to cuddle forget about the dishes that need to be done, call for take-out for dinner, and spend time snuggling up with your little one. Babies love to chew a lot, so letting them on your hand or finger is useful, but it hurts when they cut through their teeth!

2. A Cold Wash Cloth: the cold will help sooth babies gums. Try getting a pack of cheap soft wash cloths for babies, and soaking in cold water. You can let the baby chew on it, or wrap it around your finger and let them chew on it. If you go out, carry a wash cloth with you and order a glass of ice water to sooth your baby when you go out to eat.

3. Let Them Chew on a Raw Carrot: especially with their first teeth, babies will not be able to bite anything off of this. Let them chew on a cold raw carrot, watch them carefully if you let them hold it! It could be a choking hazard.

4. Other Frozen Fruits and Veggies: Use a mesh food teether and put frozen fruits or vegetables in them. If they are frozen, your baby won’t be able to bite off any parts, but it will still be cold, hard, and flavorful!

5. Teething Rings: love these. My baby was very young when she started teething, she couldn’t hold a toy in her hand.. so, when she started holding toys, the small teething rings were the best thing for her! And she loved being able to hold a toy all by herself. A lot of people will put these in the fridge or freeze them.

6. Sophie the Giraffe: I know a lot of people who have loved this! It’s a great toy that looks very fun and friendly, while giving the effects of helping to sooth a teething baby.

7. Pacifier Teethers: I love the whole Tommee Tippee collection. I’ve used pretty much all of their feeding products. This brand sells teethers that look like a pacifier on outside, but the baby is really chewing down on, on their gums. There is also one that is flavored, the Razbaby Razberry Teether. I wanted this, but couldn’t find it in a store when my baby started teething.

8. Gum Soothers: I love these. Most will come in a medical kit that you will buy or with a tooth and gum cleanser. My daughter loved the tooth and gum cleanser, it’s a rubber brush that goes over your finger. I bought it as her first tooth brush, to get into the habit of learning to brush our teeth. She loves it; she would probably sit there for an hour chewing with the rubber gum soother.

9. Amber Teething Necklace: I don’t know too much about these. They are made with Baltic Amber, a rock, which has an acid in it that works as a natural pain reliever. It works by the rocks, being heated up from contact on the skin and releasing an oil that is said to help with the inflammation and pain associated with teething. Now, after I researched this I found out, that they are NOT meant to be chewed on and could be hazardous. Also, they are not recommended for babies younger than 36 months. I’m not sure why other people have tried these, but they seem to be a popular “green” option, even though they aren’t recommended for babies of teething age!

10. Mommy’s Teething Necklace: There are necklaces that Mommy can wear and your baby can chew on. You can find some on etsy.com or try to find a tutorial to make your own. I have heard great things about these!

11. Teething Biscuits: my mother suggested these to me for my teething baby, however, I could not find them anywhere! There are a bunch of great recipes to make your own at home on the Wholesome Baby Food website.

11. Medicines: Although, it is not proven that babies get fevers because of teething, mine did. It’s just not proven, but many things in life have yet to be proven. Most Pediatrician’s will recommended giving a baby Tylenol (a pain reliever/fever reducer) when any fever occurs, because fevers can be dangerous to a young baby. It is NOT recommended to give your baby a pain reliever medicine for teething, when there is no fever.

12. Teething Tablets and Gels: They make a variety of teething tablets and gels. Teething gels, like Orajel, seem to numb the gums. Some parents are not ok with giving their baby medicine that has numbing medicine in it, but then again every parent is different. I recommend doing your research on teething medicines and talking to your child’s Pediatrician before giving them to your child. 

Read the article: “Are Teething Tablets Safe?”

Please comment and say what has helped your child the most when they were teething?