Parenting Tips

On Being Intentional With Time

April 3, 2017

I had a really good talk with my mom on the phone the other day. It was one of those conversations that I know I’ll remember. She said so many positive things to me that I have needed to hear for a long time. She filled me with life, and I can’t tell you what that did to me. In our conversation, she said something that really struck a chord with me on being intentional with our time. It may seem simple to some of you, but it had a major impact on me. Being a mother of three young children/babies is tough. Since having Weston, most days I’ve worn sweat pants and haven’t even bothered putting on make-up. That is a big deal for someone who loves fashion and enjoys being put together. I haven’t felt like myself.

Being Intentional With Our Time

Potty Training Woes

September 19, 2016

Potty training Hamp has been a huge struggle. He has good days and bad days, but he is still far from being completely potty trained. With our third baby coming in 7 (or less) weeks, I am feeling a lot of pressure to get him potty trained so that we don’t have three in diapers. He will be 3 in late October, so I feel like we should really be farther along than we are and it has been extremely frustrating for both of us.

Potty Training Woes

A Simple Remedy for Colic Babies

August 17, 2016

I received a free sample of [Gerber® Good Start® Soothe infant formula or Gerber Soothe® probiotic colic drops] from Gerber. My thoughts and opinions are by my own.

My oldest son had colic when he was 2 months old. It only lasted for 2 months, but it was the longest two months of my life. When I see or hear of a new mother struggling because she has a colicky baby, I feel so deeply for her. It is tough. It was one of the most trying times in my life. I’m not the type of person who can go no with life when I don’t get enough rest. I am the momster type if I don’t get any sleep and let’s just say that patience is not my strongest trait, either. Being in a position of not knowing why your baby is screaming for 9 hours straight is hard. Especially when you are exhausted, it’s 2a.m. and you have tried everything.

Gerber Good Start Colic

(Photo by Allison Hilyer Photography)

When It’s Too Hot To Play Outside…

August 1, 2016

Happy August, everyone! This year seems to be flying by. In just 3 short months, we will be moving into our new house and welcoming our baby boy into the world! It is hard to believe that we are so close. We have lots of exciting things happening this month. Hampton starts his preschool program, my birthday is next week, and we are going on our last summer vacation! Lots of fun to be had! This summer has been a really HOT one in Alabama. If you live in or have traveled to the deep south before, you know it is also very humid. Sweat + frizzy hair? Not a great mix. After taking the kids to the park last week, we have hardly been able to play outside. The playground equipment was too hot to play on so we weren’t able to do much and had to leave right after arriving there. This past weekend, we did a lot of cleaning and caught up on some laundry to prepare to Ryan’s travels this month. We spent most of our time inside.

When it's too hot to play outside

How to Avoid Embarrassing Moments as a Mom On The Go

February 23, 2016

Every Sunday morning seems to be extremely hectic. I’m not sure why, because we go out and about nearly every day and leave in the mornings for different errands, playdates and things. Why is it that Sundays are so crazy? Ryan and I are always rushing to get ourselves ready for church and our babies. We are normally not in the best of spirits and we (meaning me) often times forget so many things.

How to Avoid Embarrassing Moments As A Mom On The Go

Kid Friendly Healthy Recipes :: All Things Big And Small

February 13, 2016

Hi! I’m Annie from All Things Big and Small, where I share parenting tips & tricks, DIY home decor and organization, and my favorite ways to be a healthy mama. I am a 29 year old stay-at-home mom of two (3 year old and 9 month old) from the midwest, where we are DIYing our way to our dream home, while raising our kids and our two great danes. Each week, I try to share my favorite ways to decorate on a budget, to parent without losing your mind, and to organize your life so you can squeeze in some time for yourself! Life is crazy with little kids and I try to share ways to make it a little less hectic! Recently, I shared my favorite way to organize our grocery shopping and menu planning (with free downloadable and editable documents!) and how to make some DIY decorative clipboards for under $4.

I know you all are huge fans of Logan’s amazing recipes and her fitness posts (as am I), so I wanted to share my favorite kid friendly healthy recipes. Now, I have to say I am not an amazing cook but I do cook a lot! I would much rather bake; but alas, my kids cannot survive on cookies 😉 For anyone interested in healthy snacks for sweet lovers, make sure to check out healthy snacks for busy moms (like these protein pancakes below)!

Over the years, I have found some great recipes and tweaked them. So these are all of our adapted favorites and are perfect for busy families. My kids certainly aren’t perfect (and come dinner time I often want to pull my hair out😉 but, my one rule is that everyone needs to eat the same meal, and that the kids eat real food (even my nine month old!). Most of these recipes are gluten free but you can obviously use regular pasta in them instead if you would like! If you would like to see more of our meal plans, and download editable blank ones click here.

Cook’s Illustrated adapted Skillet Quinoa Pasta with Sausage and Spinach (easy and under 25 minutes) the quinoa tastes just like regular pasta!
Black Bean Chili with Swiss Chard and Butternut Squash (a great way to stretch your meat and incorporate veggies)
Quinoa Pasta with Pesto adapted from The Barefoot Contessa (simple, and easy substitution when you just need a quick lunch!) And if you feel up for it, just roast some veggies and toss them in it!
White Bean Soup with Kale from GOOP (great for baby led weaning!)
Israeli Couscous with Swiss Chard and Sausage (under 30 minute meal!)*not gluten free

Thank you so much Logan for having me today! It was such a treat to be featured! If you are interested in learning more about me, make sure to check out my blog, All Things Big and Small, where I share tips on motherhood, DIY, decor, and organization all with a side of humor!

5 Ways to Help Your Child Be Independent

October 5, 2015

This post is sponsored by Huggies but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

My son is almost 2 years old. It is so hard to believe. Time truly does fly when you’re raising kids. This whole parenting thing does not get any easier, either. He is running around all over the place and has more energy than I can keep up with most days. My daughter has also started rolling all over. She is still a month or two away from crawling, but she doesn’t let that stop her from getting to where she needs to be. In a few more months, I am going to be exhausted chasing after these two.

As I raise my babies, I am trying to keep in mind the importance of their independence. While it is so scary to think about, I know that the only way they will learn is through experience. I want them to feel confident enough to be independent people, try new things and be responsible adults one day. Teaching them early on is a great way to ensure their independence in the future. Obviously, they are still very young so they are still limited, but here are a few tips on how to help your child be independent :

1. Create a Safe Environment – childproof your house so that you and your baby can be confident in their exploration.

2. Be okay with Leaving Them Every Now and Then – this is the one I struggle with the most. I love my babies and I hate missing out on their lives. I love and need breaks often, but I have a hard time saying goodbye too much. In my mind, I feel bad pushing my kids off on someone else, but I’m learning that that’s not the way other’s see it. My trying to be responsible for my kids can result in Ryan and I not getting very much time away from them and that can be just as harmful for them as it is to our relationship. It’s healthy to be away from them sometimes. The tough part is learning to balance that time. Some parents send their kids off too much and others (me) have a hard time sending them away at all.

3. Set Them Up for Success – Choosing the right diaper for your baby once they start to really move around is key. For Hampton, that choice was easy. Huggies Little Movers have been an excellent choice for him because they move with him. I feel like it is a diaper that really keeps up with him.

4. Teach Your Child- Teaching your child right from wrong and what is and isn’t acceptable is so important. Teaching them will help them learn their boundaries and will help guide them in the right direction and give them a firm foundation to making wise decisions.

5. Let Your Child Help You – I love to let Hampton “help” me with laundry. He is totally infatuated with the dryer, so I always let him help me put the wet clothes into the dryer and push the big “start” button. He loves it and he is learning a great life skill.

Share photos of your baby on social media and use hashtag #SetBabyFree for a chance to be featured on the Huggies website!

How do you teach your child independence? Have you tried Huggies Little Movers?