9 Top Tips For New Parents

Image by Madlen Deutschenbaur from Pixabay 

If you’re starting a new family and you don’t know where to begin then don’t worry, you have
definitely come to the right place. There are so many important things to consider before your little
one arrives and although it may be scary, starting your own family is an incredibly exciting journey
to take. With that in mind, here are 10 top tips for new parents: 

- Make Sure You're Doing Your Research

One of the most important things you can do when you’re expecting a baby is to research as much as
you possibly can.Whether that means researching what to expect from pregnancy or researching how to increase your milk supply naturally, the more research you’re doing the better.From buying books to
following parenting influencers online, you will find there’s lots of useful information available
to you. For a guide to finding parenting influencers to follow, you can visit this site here. 

- Don't Be Afraid To Accept Help 

When you announce your pregnancy you will find that people are going to be more likely to offer
their help and assistance to you. Whilst you may feel as though you don’t need to accept, it’s
important you remember that it’s okay to accept help every once in a while. Whether that means
accepting help when it comes to buying some of the essentials or it means accepting help when it comes to your day-to-day activities, you need to remember that you can’t do absolutely everything. 

- Make The Most Out Of Opportunities To Sleep 

When your little one arrives you’re going to find it difficult to stick to a normal sleeping pattern. Although it may feel natural to sleep in the evenings, chances are that isn’t going to happen. The best way to ensure you’re getting enough rest is to sleep when your baby is sleeping. Whilst that may mean skipping out on housework or your day-to-day duties, you need to ensure you’re putting yourself first. 

- Do What You Think Is Best When It Comes To Breastfeeding

When it comes to parenting you’re going to hear a lot of different opinions when it comes to breastfeeding, however, it’s important you’re doing what you think is best. 

In most cases, you will find people will try to convince you to breastfeed regardless of your preference. Whilst it can be beneficial, it definitely isn’t the only option. For more information when it comes to considering breastfeeding or baby formula, you can visit this site here. 

- Recognise When Something Is Wrong And Speak To A Professional (baby sick or doctor)

One of the best things you can do when it comes to being a new parent is recognizing when something is wrong and when you need to speak to a professional. You’re going to be experiencing a lot of unusual feelings in your role as a new parent and in most cases, it’s completely normal. If you are concerned you may be experiencing something more serious, booking an appointment with your doctor is essential. They’ll be able to analyse how you’re feeling and advise you on how to proceed. 

On a similar note, if your baby is unwell and you think their symptoms are serious, you need to take them to see a doctor as soon as you possibly can. If you can’t reach a doctor, calling an emergency room should be your next point of call. 

- Always Be Prepared For Spillages

On a lighter note, you need to be sure you’re prepared for absolutely any spillage. From milk to baby food, raising a baby can be incredibly messy. Make sure you’re stocked up on baby wipes as you’re definitely going to need them on an hourly basis. 

If you’re concerned about using baby wipes daily, you might want to consider using muslin cloths instead. Although you won’t get as much use out of them, they’re much more environmentally friendly than baby wipes. For more advice when it comes to being environmentally friendly whilst raising a baby, you can visit this site here. 

 Make Sure You Have All Of The Essentials 

Another great tip for new parents is to ensure you have all of the essentials required to raise a baby. Although the list is never-ending, you need to be sure you have absolutely everything you need before they arrive. Whether that means stocking up on baby clothes or buying a Newton waterproof crib mattress, the more prepared you are the better. The list of items you will need is endless. There are many brands out there to choose the right gear from, such as Nuna, Premium Car Seats, Pushchairs, and Baby Gear AU, so ensure to do your research on the products you think you need. 
Other essentials include a crib, a stroller, a changing bag and a changing table.
 

- Ensure You're Still Sticking To A Healthy Diet And Exercising

Although it may be hard, you need to ensure you’re still sticking to a healthy diet once your little one arrives. Whilst this doesn’t mean you need to be sticking to a strict diet, you do need to watch what you eat and when you eat it. If you know you’re always going to be on the go, it might be worth researching quick and easy meals that are low in calories and high in nutritional value. 

When it comes to exercise, it is definitely going to be a struggle to fit it in around your new schedule. Whilst it may seem impossible, there are a number of ways you can be sure you’re still getting a decent amount of exercise each week. For more information when it comes to exercise whilst looking after your newborn, you can visit this site here. 

- Remember To Take Time For Yourself

Finally, it’s important you’re finding time for yourself. Although you’re going to be dedicating a lot of time to your little one, taking time for yourself is vital when it comes to your mental health post-pregnancy. Whether that means taking half an hour to read a book or relaxing with a glass of wine in bed, make the most out of the time you have. 

Are you expecting a new arrival soon? What do you need to consider to ensure you're as prepared as you can be? Let me know your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.   

Easy Ombre Painted Pumpkins

This easy pumpkin painting idea brings the style of ombre to your fall decor.

I love to decorate pumpkins! In years past I usually carved them, but we painted a lot of pumpkins on our facebook live show on Quirky Momma and I have to admit, I was hooked on the options painting brings to pumpkin decorating!

This was one of my favorite pumpkins! The pumpkin was a tiny one, and the technique was simple. With a brush, 3 colors of pink paint and some mod podge, this little beauty came together in just a few moments time and was admired by all who saw it in our yard!

Supplies needed:
A Paint brush
A Pumpkin
Mod Podge to seal
3 shades of paint (I used 3 shades of pink)

Directions:
Begin by painting the bottom the darkest shade of paint you want to use.
Use the second paint in a shade a little lighter than the bottom shade
Paint the top portion in the lightest shade.
After the paint has dried, use the mod podge to seal your pumpkin so that the wildlife is disinterested in eating it, and the weather doesn't wash your efforts away!

There you have an easy ombre pumpkin for fall decorating!

You can find all of my Halloween ideas here.

Favorites include:

Paper Plate Witch

Mumkins

Squishy Eye Sensory Bag

Squishy, silly, sensory play with a spooky feel just in time for Halloween!

We love sensory play! Bins, bag and sensory activities are always a hit with my kids!

I made this easy but oh so fun  spooky eyes sensory bag for Harper. It is perfect for Halloween and can be used in several ways. 

This bag makes a great stress reliever for little hands. Kids feel stress too, and squishing this bag helps them to relieve some of it. But, this spooky eye sensory bag is also a fun way to practice sorting skills.

This post contains affiliate links.

Supplies:
Hair gel
Zipper seal bag
Googly Eyes

Squeeze about 1/4 cup of hair gel into a zipper seal bag.

Add googly eyes.

Seal the bag.

If your child has a tendency to use rough hands or is a toddler, you might want to reinforce the sides of the bag with duct tape.

Invite your child to squish, squeeze and sort the spooky eyes sensory bag!

You might also like these  sensory activities.
Unicorn Fine Motor Play is a whimsical way to engage the senses.

In A Rush? How To Make A Short Vacation Worth The While!

Vacations are fun – we all know that. We love dipping our feet in the waters during a hot summer, or cozying up in a bed in the winter. We love looking up private jet rental cost and planning the ultimate luxury vacations we would take if money was no concern. We like touring around beautiful and dazzling destinations, and even eating great food. We love these things, that is, when we do these over a long week or a pre-planned vacation. What if we suddenly get a vacation, though? Isn’t that a bummer? Well, not really. You can make the most out of a short vacation! Here’s how!

Emergency travel funds can save the day. You might read in a lot of money advice articles that you should always have emergency funds with you. After all, we may never know when some emergencies will arrive. And that’s true. However, if you have spare funds outside your emergency funds, you might want to invest in an emergency travel fund. This allows you to not feel as guilty when having spontaneous short vacations. Here’s how you can use this to your advantage:

If possible, try to allot a particular portion of your salary into an emergency travel fund. This way, you’ll have the means to spend money without compromising your current budget and your current savings. You likely won’t be in a short vacation every day, so having emergency travel funds can come in handy should you come up to a similar situation. Practicality helps, and this is a trend a lot of travelers observe. In fact, around 55-percent of travelers worldwide are more determined to save money in their travels, and this means being smarter with their options.

Aside from saving actual money, try to take advantage of “free” coupons and discount promos you can get with ride sharing apps and other services. Don’t haphazardly use these promos, as you can take advantage of these when you’re in the mood for a vacation. These can be in the form of airline miles, discounts from ride sharing apps, or even free meals from fast food surveys and points.

Always take note of your location’s popularity. You might end up being in a place that’s either popular or not-so-popular with tourists. However, you’ll be surprised with the possibilities of being able to get an awesome tour regardless of your location. Remember, your location has spots to offer – it’s just that, it’s hard to appreciate them on the get-go if you’re on a limited time frame. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate them at all. With this in mind, you can actually consider the following:

Develop a habit of constantly checking out just how popular your current location is. Wherever you are, regardless if you’re on vacation, try to make yourself aware if there are

any nearby tourist spots or locations where you live or staying. That way, if you do get in the mood of having a short vacation, you won’t have to panic just finding a place to go. This is a trend a lot of people follow – in fact, Google

research states flights and hotels are booked around three (3) months in advance of actual trips. This is because of growing demand on researching everything about a vacation first. This might not be useful for short vacations, but you at least know apps are out there to help you out in a hurry because of sheer demand.

Try to join communities geared towards travel, and try to check out what they post as travel locations. You’ll likely stumble upon a tourist destination close to where you’re currently at, so you might want to take note of this location as something to visit eventually. Being constantly “on the loop” allows you to stay on top of your travel game when you suddenly find yourself in a vacation. The less panic you experience, the more you can enjoy the trip.

Try as much as possible to have lodgings near city centers. If possible, try to always have your lodgings near city centers. These might be a bit more expensive than usual, but this might be worth the while if you’re having a short vacation. The logic here is that there’s likely a ton of “hubs” or locations with multiple establishments near city centers. This goes for museums and other notable places as well. The closer you are to the proximity of city centers, the likely you’re able to travel to a lot of places in quick notice.

Make it a habit to position your location near city centers, especially when lodging. This allows you to always be near places of interest or tourist locations without having to worry about your commute or travel costs. This might mean your lodgings can be expensive, but this also helps you be nearer important locations like supermarkets, police stations, and hospitals.

Instead of city centers, you can also try to have lodgings near tourist locations. Travel apps and navigation apps can make this easy for you, as a ton of them offer options for you to check out hotels and lodgings but at the same time check nearby tourist locations. Even if you don’t get to check out these tourist attractions, the fact that you positioned yourself near these places gives you the opportunity to always check them out when you have the time.

Develop a mood for spontaneity. Another way to enjoy a short vacation is to slowly develop the attitude to enjoy one. Just because a vacation is short doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. And part of fully enjoying such a short experience is to develop the mindset for spontaneity. You won’t be sure what you can do at any given day, so if you have the time to do something you’ve never tried before, you might want to do it now.

Try to develop a mental state that lets you stay open for spontaneity. This isn’t easy to do, especially for those who aren’t into “sudden” vacations. However, try to do activities on-the-spot and see what makes these activities fun compared to when you plan for them. Understanding and appreciating why people like spontaneous activities can make you

prepared to appreciate them should you have short vacations as well.

If you’re an American Airlines employee, or if you have work that involves a lot of travel, you might be bummed to be stuck in a good place but not have the time to tour around. Don’t think of it this way. Whenever you have the chance to walk around, try savoring in the moment and getting into your system just how breathtaking these places are. You can slowly take note of interesting things you find to check out for when you actually have vacation days.

Try to list activities you want to do for spontaneous occasions in the first place. Do you prefer trying out new food, or trying out new activities? Are you okay with road trips, or do you like walking? Knowing what you want to do when you’re spontaneous opens up a ton of opportunities for you to enjoy a short vacation.

Build relationships with locals. When we say relationships, we don’t mean “as a couple.” Another way to enjoy a short vacation is to enjoy it with a local in the place. This is especially if you don’t know a lot about the place. Eating with a group of locals can give you an authentic experience, especially when it comes to exploring new places and trying out new food.

If you’re part of a travel community online, try to ask for tips where to eat and meet new locals. Or maybe you can ask to eat with local members of the community as well. This gives you a ton of room to meet locals in the area and have them share their experiences with you. Some of them might even help you get a quick tour or visit in some locations as well.

Remember, when meeting any of these people, ensure you do so in a public place or somewhere you can access police or people of authority immediately. When meeting with strangers, always let a relative know where you are and what you’re doing – especially take note of places you visit, plate numbers of cars, and don’t get drunk. Meeting with locals can be fun, but it’s better to be safe as well. Take a friend or two, if you do plan to be locals.

Short Vacations Can Be Fun!

With the above tips, hopefully we’ve been able to help you find out ways on how to enjoy short vacations. They might not be “the best” vacations, but they’re vacations nonetheless. And considering how hectic and busy today’s times are, we should make use of all the time and vacation days we get. Remember, it’s not about how long vacation days are, it’s how you make use of the time you have in order to maximize having fun!

Witch Window Cling

It is hard not to get in the spirit of things this Halloween with his hands on witch window cling craft!

This window cling was so much fun to make with the kids. I love that it gives them a chance to use their fine motor skills and practice scissor skills while making something so cute for your windows!

Supplies

Scissors

Clear Transparent Contact Paper

Green, Black, White, Purple Construction Paper

A scrap of pink or red paper

Have the kids tear and cut up the black, green and purple paper into small bits.

Make 2 small circles from a black square of paper.

Cut out small white circles for eyes and a small smile from the red or pink paper.

Begin by placing the small black circles on the contact paper, sticky side up.

Cover those with the white circles for eyes

Next form the nose, mouth and hat of the witch

Begin filling in the face with green bits of paper.

Fill in the remaining areas with purple.

Leave just a few areas uncovered so that the contact paper will stick to your window.

We thought these were really cute. They were fun to make and offered the kids a little challenge as the contact paper is sticky. 

You can find all of my Halloween ideas here.

Paper Plate Witch

Glam Pumpkin Makeover