You’ ve got a newborn, or perhaps your due date is only a couple of weeks away, then I know that panic and worry is starting to set it because I've recently had a baby. It’s easy to think that your whole world is turning upside down, especially when you are up at hazy o’clock for the tenth time, for either a feed or a change. Having a new baby is going to be stressful, and no amount of effort will make that stress completely go away. But with simple tips you can ease the stress of it. At the end of the day, it is one of the happiest occasions of your life, and you shouldn’t let the stress of it all cloud your vision! So, here’s my top ways you can ease the stress of having a newborn, and allow yourself to relax into the process.

Babywearing

Day by day your newborn be learning new things, adapting to your home, and growing. Getting a really comfortable baby carrier for wearing your baby around the house is a good way of keeping them close while you go about your daily activities. Your baby will feel more relaxed and warm while they’re close to your chest, which in turn makes you more relaxed! Wearing your baby while you're out shopping keeps them from being fussy and keeps those extra germs at bay. Not to many people will reach out and touch the baby if they are that close to momma.
For more info on safe baby wearing check out this post:
https://yourcub.com/baby-carrier-safety/

A Routine Attempt

Not all routines work and at times will need to be adjusted but working on a routine of getting your newborn to sleep at night instead of during the day will make all the difference a sleep deprived mom needs. Try bathing them at exactly the same time, feeding them right before they go to sleep, and keeping the room at a perfect temperature will help to keep them asleep for longer. As a newborns, keep in mind you aren’t going to be able to keep them asleep all night. But within a month or so of trying a routine it is possible to have a full nights sleep.

Comfort & Play

Comfort is exactly what they’re going to be looking for, and they’ll search for that when you have contact with them. But play is also important, even though they’re only a newborn. You can get padded mats with little toys and interactive parts hanging down for them to stare at, and even try and touch. Find one that makes noises to stimulate their brain more! In terms of comfort, reading and singing to them before bed will actually really help!

Does the word crafting make you cringe? For me crafting was always a bit intimidating, but if you have never really looked into crafting before, you might be surprised at just how diverse this hobby can be and how many different things you can make. The joy of crafts is that you don't have to limit yourself to just paper and glue or needle and thread, which really excited me.

Crafts come in many shapes and forms. Pinterest is full of many ideas and there are tons of blogs that mainly teach DIY and various crafts. But with all those wonderful ideas, you still might be wondering what you can do to get started, and which projects you should begin with. We are going to take a look at just that, so that you can hopefully find yourself getting crafty in no time at all.

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Decide On Your Craft

First of all, you should think about what kind of crafting you would like to get into. If you are finding it hard to decide where to begin, you might want to just try out a few different ones and see what you enjoy most and what's more comfortable for you. Some of the most popular crafts are those which recycle cheap items to create genuinely useful and fun things. You might even decide that you want to get into something a little more sturdy like woodworking or pottery. Whatever you choose to do, make sure that it is something you can see yourself doing and that you would enjoy.


Get Ready

Once you are sure of which craft you want to get into, you will want to think about starting to get your home space ready for it. This means that you might want to think about finding the right kind of space at home, and it could be one of the most difficult parts of the whole process of getting ready. Most of the time you can do your crafts in any quiet corner of the house, but in some cases you will need more space than that. A spare bedroom or basement area is ideal to keep all your supplies together and out of sight.

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Find Your Supplies

Depending on what kind of crafting you decided on, there could be all sorts of supplies you will need in order to get started. The size of your work space is something you will need to consider when choosing your supplies. The dollar stores have many great items real cheap, second hand stores, and buy sell trade sites have cheap items but sometimes investing in good quality materials is best. Spend some time researching the tools you need and find your ideal glue gun for all your crafting needs. Whatever you decide to start with, there is no need to break the bank.


Start Small

Finally, think about starting with a small project which is both relatively easy and simple and yet challenging enough that you can give yourself something of a task to do. If you can do that, you will start to build the necessary skills, and it will mean that you are able to begin to think about what other projects you might want to do. Starting small will mean you are not discouraged if you happen to find it more difficult than you thought you would.

Last but not least, HAVE FUN!
If you start on a craft and it becomes more frustrating than fun, you might want to move on and try something new.

What is the latest craft you have made?

• You honey needs to be RAW, ORGANIC, preferably local.

• If you use any national brand honey that is not raw and organic, you have just put liquid sugar on your face. All the antibacterial properties have been almost all but depleted. Plus most store brand honeys have a higher water content which also greatly reduces the antibacterial properties effectiveness.

• IMPORTANT: Tie your hair back. Honey can be pretty annoying to get out of your hair!!

• Some sites will tell you to wet your face down before applying the honey, this is alright to do. But I prefer to use as little water as possible to make sure I am not watering down the antimicrobial  properties.
• Let the honey sit on your face as long as possibly, then rinse off by splashing water; or you can use a wash cloth gently wiping it off. Splash with cool water when done.

With the weather turning cool and winter fast approaching, dry chapped skin is right around the corner. Winters here in the mid-west can be brutal compared to the ones I prefer in the south. We actually get the dreaded snow, whipping wind, and freezing rain! I pray every year it wont snow, but somehow those prayers fall upon deaf ears! Ha!

Since my DD has mild eczema I foresee her skin getting worse this winter. We have finally got her skin calmed after switching to a plant derived laundry detergent and started bathing her in a gentle cleanser (Baby Dove). While I am not affiliated with them in product endorsements, I have to share that they are one of the brands on the National Eczema Associations list of products that are safe to use. I was using an organic baby wash, but just because it's a clean product does not mean it's a great choice for babies with eczema.

In case you did not know- eczema is a skin condition characterized by itchiness and inflammation of the skin. Also known as dermatitis, eczema is more prevalent in babies and young kids. According to my pediatrician it is more common with those who are fair skinned. Eczema usually appears on the face, knees and inside of the elbows but can show up anywhere on the body.

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• 3 tbsp unrefined shea butter 
• 2 tbsp cocoa butter 
• ¼ cup coconut oil 
• 1 tsp jojoba oil 
• 2 vitamin E capsules
• 1 tsp aloe vera gel 

Ok, so I know this is disgusting and embarrassing but at some point most of us go through it...my child received some head friends...you know, those nasty parasites that love clean hair!! Don't make me say it!!             LICE!!

After crying and being depressed I got online and googled everything I could about those nasty critters. Let's keep in mind that our hair is NEVER cut and is super long. Not just past the shoulders long, but to the bum long. I also did not want to spend a fortune on pesticide chemicals that could harm my child and I wanted to be sure I had enough for her hair, so I looked for home remedies. And this is what I found...


At the Head Lice Center they say Tea Tree Oil works wonders. There are some great tips and recipes on this site and how to treat this dreaded bug infestation. Here is another site that talks about the benefits of Tea Tree Oil and lice.

I found some great home remedies on how to shampoo and treat all of our hair, most of them come from threads and I choose what would work best for me and my daughter. We went with....

1 cup of olive oil and 20 drops tea tree oil~ we soaked our hair for 3 hours...wrapped it up in plastic wrap then a shower cap over that. I bought a couple cute bandanas from the store for a buck!! I did not want anyone knocking on our door and answering with all that plastic wrap on my head!! They would think I was crazy or something!!

Then after the 3 hours, I washed our hair in flea, tick and lice shampoo for kittens. Then I re-washed in Dawn dish soap, then rinsed in vinegar.

Of course I still had to remove all the eggs and check our hair daily for the next week or so, but it did work!

To prevent future occurrences, I started using these tips:

1- put 2-4 drops essential oil in shampoo (I use 2 drops peppermint/2 drops tea tree~BONUS: helps with dry, itchy scalp also!!)

2- put 2-4 drops essential oil in conditioner (I use peppermint oil)

3- put 2 drops peppermint oil in small spray water bottle and spritz onto hair each morning. Not only does it smell amazing but this repels them too.

Hopefully you can get by this school year without encountering this pest!

*I received this free in exchange for my honest opinion

We tend to take our senses for granted. But it’s extremely important that we monitor and maintain them, reaching out to relevant professionals if we ever experience a change or problem with any of our senses. For now, let’s focus on two of your senses that have a huge impact on your ability to live your life as you know it - your sight and your hearing!

Sight

The majority of us are extremely dependent on our sight. While you can make your way around the world and carry out day to day activities without sight, having good sight does make things a whole lot easier. You can practice eye exercises, which you can learn more about here, and you should check in at least once every two years. Booking an eye appointment allows a professional optometrist to conduct a series of tests that will highlight signs of visual deterioration, and will mean that you can be prescribed an accurate pair of lenses for glasses frames or contact lenses. It also allows your optician to identify signs of visual disease and other forms of disease, such as diabetes. Let’s take a moment to consider a few.

Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is otherwise referred to as “age related macular degeneration” or “ARMD”. It is a visual condition which results in a deterioration of sight, blurred vision, or absolutely no vision in the centre of an individual’s visual field. While there are rarely noticeable initial symptoms, however, an eye exam will be able to catch early signs, intermediate signs, or late signs of the disease. Luckily, macular degeneration will not generally result in complete blindness. But being unable to see anything in the centre of your field of vision can generally cause problems in regards to facial recognition, reading, driving, or carrying out other everyday activities that require a complete field of vision.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a medical condition that is a result of fluid within the eye putting pressure on your optic nerve. While you may not experience noticeable symptoms of this problem, your sight can deteriorate, and the condition can cause permanent sight loss. So, it’s extremely important that you attend regular eye tests, as this is the only way to identify and deal with this problem.

Diabetes

Now, when we think of diabetes, our first thoughts don’t really tend to centre around our eyes and vision. But eye tests can detect early warning signs, as diabetes can negatively affect the small capillaries in the eye’s retina. Identifying this problem early on can help you to reach out to other medical professionals who will be able to offer you treatment and lifestyle advice.

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Hearing

While we are aware that we should make relatively regular appointments with our local optometrist, we tend to be a bit more lax when it comes to our auditory health. This is probably because we generally associate hearing loss with the elderly. The imagery that springs to mind when we speak about hearing loss tends to be an OAP who is hard of hearing asking us to repeat ourselves time and time again. There are, of course, good reasons for this association. There are plenty of auditory issues that are directly linked to the ageing process. Our hearing is extremely dependent on small hairs that are located along our ear canals. These vibrate, but over the years, they can begin to flatten and become less effective in their role. This isn’t all too surprising - they’ll have experienced years’ worth of wear and tear. However, it’s extremely important that you are conscious of your hearing ability and note any minor changes that may take place, even while you are young. Problems can occur at any point, and generally speaking, the sooner you start to tackle hearing difficulties, the sooner you can seek help and be fitted with hearing aids or learn sign language to help you along the way should you suffer partial hearing loss or become deaf. Here are the four main types of hearing loss to familiarize yourself with.

• Sensorineural hearing loss - sensorineural hearing loss is generally a result of a flattening of the small hairs that exist within your ear canals. It is commonly associated with difficulties  in hearing or focusing on background noise or having a constant ringing sensation in your ears. Another common symptom is finding that people’s speech is muffled.
• Conductive hearing loss - if you ever find that everything sounds muffled or that everything sounds like it is being projected at a very low volume (perhaps you feel that you’d just like to turn the volume up on your whole life), there’s a chance that you could be suffering from conductive hearing loss. The causes of this condition can generally be boiled down to a hole in your ear drum, damage to the small bones that form your ear, or ear wax related blockages.
• Neural hearing loss - individuals suffering from neural hearing loss are generally born with dysfunctional auditory nerves, which transmits signals from the ear to the brain. However, your auditory nerve can be damaged through injury or accidents, so it’s always a good idea to be familiar with it as a potential problem.
• Mixed hearing loss - if you can identify with a combination of different aspects of the types of hearing loss mentioned above, you may be suffering from mixed hearing loss.

You do, of course, have three other main senses. However, hopefully, the above advice has helped you to know what to look out for when it comes to problems in regards to sight and hearing difficulties!

When my son had his birthday coming up, all I heard about was his desire to have an ice-cream cake and a BB gun. He talked about it a whole month before his birthday! I mean my family is addicted to ice-cream. Vanilla, chocolate, Oreo, Cookie dough, it doesn't matter! I hate to admit we go through a gallon of ice-cream a week. But, there are six of us eating it! It's just so creamy and delicious!


Well we bought him this really cool BB gun and now he just loves taking it out to the farm and practicing shooting cans. And trust me, there are lots of cans to shoot at. Going out to the farm is the only time my kids are allowed soda, and they take full advantage of that!


Going out to the farm is one of our favorite things to do. The kids love spending time out in the country with their grandparents. We love to spend time outdoors even if its just for a little walk. My daughter especially loves going out there and brushing the horses.


With my sons birthday fast approaching and a trip out to the grandparents, I needed to find an ice-cream cake recipe quick! So after scouring the internet I found that it is super easy to make and easily customized!

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And its so easy that anyone can make it...all you need is:

1- pudding mix (any flavor)
1- carton ice cream (any flavor)
Crust (you can do graham cracker crust, cookie crusts, ice-cream sandwiches!! Anything that you like!!)
1- cool whip
Any toppings (caramel, hot fudge, sprinkles)

Whip your pudding with milk. Now add your ice cream and beat together.
In your glass dish (9x13 is best) lay your crust of choice down.
Spread your pudding/ice-cream mix on top. Or do this in layers with cookie crumbles in the middle with hot fudge drizzle, then add more ice cream mix.
Now you can add your cool whip now or wait until you are ready to serve. Top with sprinkles or more cookie crumbles. Freeze this for two hours (or longer).

This was such a big hit with everyone that I am asked to make this all the time now!
I bring this out to church potlucks, family dinners, luncheons, you name it! I am almost famous!

What is your favorite dessert to bring to gatherings?

I am from Louisiana where seafood is next to oxygen in essentials. If you do not like seafood, we cannot be friends! Just kidding, but seriously, you are missing out!

Besides being highly-nutritious, it's delicious! But seafood is something many home-chefs are nervous about using. However, cooked correctly and with a complementing recipe, seafood is an incredible choice that will greatly enhance your cooking repertoire and provide a helpful boost of beneficial vitamins to your diet. If you’re looking to enhance your list of go-to recipes, then here are three seafood specials you may want to consider trying…

Crab cakes

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A classic choice that few people can resist, crab cakes are a wonderful way to incorporate seafood into your diet. You’ll first need to source your crabmeat; you can visit Citarella.com for details on the options available in this regard, and then collect together the following ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons of dry breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons of chopped parsley
1 medium egg
1 1/2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1/2 of ground mustard (dry)
Hot pepper sauce (optional)


Set your oven to broiler.
Mix together your crabmeat, bread crumbs, and parsley; set aside.
Beat the egg, mayonnaise, hot sauce, and mustard
Combine the crabmeat mix with the egg mix and form into patties
Broil until lightly brown in color


Coconut prawn curry

A delightfully fragrant and tasty choice, this coconut prawn curry adds an extra something special to the standard curry recipe. As Livestrong.com details, there’s plenty of nutrients thanks to the presence of the prawns, and the overall flavor is undeniably delightful. To try it for yourself, you will need:

1 pound of cooked and peeled prawns
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 cloves of garlic
Half a sweet onion, minched
1 can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of diced, fresh coriander

And the following ground spices:

1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder


Use a large frying pan to heat the oil.
Cook the onion in the hot oil for around five minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool to two minutes.
Add the spices and garlic to the oil and onion and stir over a low heat
Add the tomatoes and coconut milk
Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes
Stir the prawns and fresh coriander into the mixture and cook for one more minute



Oysters with spicy sauce

Not only are oysters delicious, but they also require relatively little in terms of accompaniments, making them a quick go-to choice for a rushed weekday evening.

First, you will need to shuck your oysters. If you have never done this before, then follow along with the video below:



When your oysters are shucked, you can eat them raw along with the following spicy sauce:

Half a cup of plain Greek yogurt
Half a lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning
¼ teaspoon of paprika



If you have been concerned about dabbling with seafood recipes in the past, the options above are a great starting point that allows you to experience the delight of seafood in the comfort of your own home. Enjoy!

This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Please view my policy page for more information.