Cluttered Home, Cluttered Mind? Why I'm choosing to Konmari my home.

I've ALWAYS been a disorganized mess. Even as a child and all through college and into adulthood I've never been able to have a clutter free organized space. My school binders were a systemless, no-way-am-I-gonna-find-what-I-need-to-study wreck.

And we aren't even going to discuss my closet!

When my parents would get on to me about my inability to be neat and say I will never be able to find anything I always responded with, "I know where everything is. If I put it away I won't remember where I put things." (This of course was not the same line of thinking that I had with my binder!)

Here I am, 25 years old with 15 years experience (😂) and living in my second home in a row with very little storage. Truth be told, this place has way less storage than the old place and while I did downsize when we moved, I obviously didn't do enough.

The truth is, I've been hanging on to clothes I haven't been able to wear in years. Socks past their primes and missing their mates. I have stuffed animals from when I was a child and ones my kids had that are shoved away and never see the light of day. I have handbags, purses, and shopping totes that just peek from their hiding places, wherever I have tried to stash them.

And the mountains of laundry that don't ever get put away due to lack of space and my lack of motivation are shameful!

Oh and last but not least, there is the ever growing Mount Paperest...bills, junk mail, medical paperwork...it's all contributing to the growing peak!!!!

So why am I dedicated to start getting my life in order starting right now, today?

The truth is I'm easily stressed. I have high anxiety. I have a short temper. The only place I feel "at home" and peaceful is in the woods but never ever here in my own home. Why don't I ever feel joyful and peaceful in my own home?

I think the answer is simple. My cluttered disorganized home is wreaking havoc and causing chaos in my mind and spirit!

I stumbled across a post in one of the online mom groups I'm in that highly recommended the Konmari method so I joined the Konmari group and excitedly purchased the book below authored by the self taught Queen of all things organizational, the Marie Kondo herself! (Konmari is a clever play on her name!)

So far I have made more progress in a couple of days of following her methods than years of attempting to declutter slowly and "bit by bit." She addresses why trying to declutter and organize over time doesn't work and doesn't lead to long term success. Her principles and plan for overhauling your home are simple and work!

So it is with a joyful and hopeful heart that I embark in the Konmari journey!!!

Light Blue for Laryngomalacia

July 10th was laryngomalacia awareness day and this year Coping With Latyngomalacia asked that those who wanted to show support and awareness for this airway defect paint their nails light blue.

❤️This year, I painted my nails light blue for my Little Fox, who is a Laryngomalacia warrior. ❤️

So, what exactly is Laryngomalacia? Laryngomalacia, or LM for short, is a congenital abnormality of the laryngeal cartilage that results in obstruction of the airway. I have had it described to me by a doctor as my son having a "floppy" larynx. LM is the most common cause of stridor (noisy breathing)  in infants.

Being the parent of a LM warrior can be a terrifying and stressful journey. It is scary when you hear stridor especially if you have never been exposed to the sounds of stridor, it is alarming. When your baby has every feed pour out of their mouth and nose, when you witness your child experience retractions while trying to breathe, when you are faced with lack of weight gin or worse weight loss, you are in a constant state of anxiety and fear while also being hyper alert to every little thing.

And then it happened. He stopped breathing. It was late at night and he just stopped breathing. I lifted him from the bassinet we had next to the bed and my heart regained its beat when I heard him take a breath.

I didn't sleep the rest of the night. I held him. I kissed him. And while holding him close on our front porch swing, I begged him to not leave me and to just breathe. I was overwhelmed with emotion.

The rest of the day was uneventful as far as his breathing was concerned. I was constantly on watch.

My husband was hopeful it was just a fluke.

The next night it happened again. But this time, after being unsuccessful in having him resume and continue breathing, 911 had to be called. The incident was labeled as an Apparent Life Threatening Event, or ALTE since he had stopped breathing over 30 seconds.

He was admitted for testing and observation for several nights and we ended up with a hospital grade apnea monitor for several months.

Thankfully we have not had another incident of an ALTE but I have hardly slept in 11 months. I check on him every night multiple times a night. Even with him sleeping right next to my side of the bed, those two incidents have left me unable to relax enough to sleep.

I'm an exhausted mess but this amazing little boy is worth every restless night. ❤️

*Not every baby with laryngomalacia will experience an Apparant Life Altering Event*

Why I Chose To Join Younique

There are so many "work from home" business opportunities out there. From food and wine to handbags and household goods, from makeup and clothing to jewelry and candles, there is a market for everything. So just how did I decide to become an independent Presenter for Younique?

It was quite unintentional, I assure you. I needed makeup. I had neglected my skin care and makeup needs and wants for quite some time. I had seen my cousin post about Younique so I ordered thinking nothing of it other than refreshing my makeup bag

I was immediately hooked! I loved the BB cream the minute I tried it and couldn't wait to get more. So I became a "kitnapper" just so I could get all the things and enjoy a 20% plus discount because what's better than awesome makeup and skin care?! Discounted and free makeup and skin care!!!! Yep...I did it for purely selfish reasons! 😂😂😂

But then, then I saw the sisterhood. I saw women cheering each other on. I saw women supporting each other through hard times. I saw women doing everything they can to "uplift, empower, and validate" each other.

And just when I thought things couldn't be better, I learned about the Younique Foundation. Younique actually created a retreat for women and adolescents that have suffered through sexual abuse to help them heal.  That alone is amazing to me!!!!! Click HERE to learn more about how Younique is changing lives!!

So why did I join Younique? Let me count the ways!!!

1. There are no website fees, inventory to keep, or auto ships.
2. Products are cruelty free
3. Younique is dedicated to healing those who have been affected by sexual abuse.
4. USA based
5. Products are long lasting and versatile
6. Work from anywhere
7. It's a sisterhood 
8. Get paid after every sale, no waiting.
9. Great discount and earn free products on what you use as well.
10. You can join just to save on your own personal use items, no selling required! I'm 

(If you would like to  change lives while bettering yours, message me!)

Funding My (Cloth and Carrier) Addictions!!

Cloth diapers and carriers are my addictions! 😂😂😂 No, I don't have crazy stashes BUT I would have all the fluff and babywearing things if I could!!!

There are several AMAZING cloth diapers and carriers that I'm on a mission to have so how will I make it happen?

Three little words: iBotta, eBates, Younique.

IBotta is an amazing free app that you can download to your phone and get money back on everyday purchases, especially groceries!! They also have special "challenges" that give you the opportunity to rack up more $$$ quickly. And right now, if you sign up and redeem your first rebate you get a $10 bonus! How generous is that?!? Click HERE to sign up for free!

eBates is another awesome free app that you can snag!! This one gives you money back on so many online stores it is unreal. AND they have added the option to redeem in store purchases as well. This is a must have to get before you start your holiday shopping!!! Trust me, you will want to purchase all the things through your eBates app to see your rebate amount rise!!! Sometimes eBates offers 2x or higher the cash back so you can really save some money.

I'll share some of my fave eBates participating stores below! And check out that referral incentive to do something you already do...shop!!! Click HERE to sign up and qualify for your sign up bonus!!

And as a busy mama I wanted a way I could help contribute to our household financially, fund my cloth diaper and carrier wants, AND reap the benefits of a great discount on products I already use so I signed up as an Independent Younique Presenter! Not only have I enjoyed those perks, but I also held a fundraiser for one of my favorite animal charities!

If you would like more information on starting up your own Younique business, make sure you follow my blog as I will share more about the Younique Journey in my next post!! If you want to check it out before then, click HERE!

See y'all tomorrow!!!

"R" Is For Reflux

Little Fox has been battling reflux from very early on. I have friends who tell me that they have friends who have "reflux babies" and that it is an easy fix once meds are on board.

While for many that may be true, there are those of us whose babies battle reflux, silent reflux and even Sandifer Syndrome and haven't found that "magical cure" yet.

The past few days have been exceptionally brutal. In fact, I brought him in to the pediatrician and we discussed upping his dosage due to his weight and growth and I was hopeful we would have relief. The pediatrician we saw was not his normal doctor as she was booked so we were scheduled with another doctor in the practice.

He did an exam, agreed to increase the dosage, told us to give it time to see a difference, and sent us on our way. My husband went and picked the newly prescribed medication up and brought it home.

The dosage had been DECREASED.

So here I am, yet another day/night of listening to and watching my baby boy suffer. At times, especially during and after feeds, he becomes inconsolable.

We both need sleep here!

He screams.
He arches.
He gets seizure like tremors.
He vomits.
He is restless.
He wakes easily.
He postures.
He pulls back from feeds.
His eyes roll.
He's gassy.
He has sour breath.
He chokes and gags...

The list goes on.

If your little one is struggling with reflux, research and educate yourself. I'm currently learning about MARCI dosing and other feed thickening options.

Most importantly, breathe. Breathe through the sleepless nights and the endless mugs of cold coffees.

Breathe through the never-ending loads of vomit soaked burp cloths, bibs, blankets, and clothes (baby's and yours!)

Breathe through the days you don't get a shower and barely get time to pee.

No shower, no make-up, no sleep.
Just breathe...

Breathe through arms that are sore from rocking and dinners that have gone cold.

Because as hard as it is for us, it is hard for our little ones, too.

So just breathe, and rock that baby longer....

Baby Must Haves!!!! Tula SSC For the win!

I thought I would do a few posts showcasing things I feel are must haves based on experience.

I'm starting with the Tula carrier because it has seriously been a very much used, convenient, handy item and I'm very happy with it AND Tulas are currently 30% off until 31 December 2016 making this the perfect time to snatch one up if you are on the fence!

I purchased my first Tula months before my rainbow baby was born and I just got a second Tula for Christmas! I have a deep love of narwhals and was super excited when Tula introduced the Narwhal print!

Why do I love Tula so much?

For starters, I'm a whole five foot 2 inches tall AND I'm plus sized. This can make finding anything to fit difficult, and I was worried about finding a carrier that fit well and was comfortable for long periods of wear time. My Tulas do not disappoint!

Secondly, there are so many beautiful, whimsical, and fun prints so there is something to meet a wide variety of styles and interests. I personally had a huge issue trying to settle on my first until I saw Undying Love and I just had to have it because zombies!

Undying Love
Mom's Milk Boutique exclusive

I also love how adjustable it is. The great part about the adjustment range is that the carrier can be comfortably used in many different body types. That is a great thing if you need to share your carrier with another person in your child's life!

Tulas may be considered pricey by some and it was definitely a splurge for us but one I wholeheartedly am glad we made.

So where can you get one? Well for starters you can hit up the Baby Tula website and use the code THX2016 or find them on any number of online retailer sites.

Personally I recommend visiting Nicki's Diapers to see if the print you want is available there. Not only are they honoring the 30% off Tula sale, but you get free shipping and it qualifies for a free gift as well! My free gift was a Nicki's Diapers brand cover in the now retired Lemon Houndstooth print. (Ironically I had almost placed an order for that exact print!)

The placement on my Narwhal Tula from Nicki's Diapers couldn't be more perfect!!! The amazing thing is, no placement request was given! So not only did I get a narwhal carrier, but I got a beautifully centered narwhal! There is never really a guarantee on placement so I'm super excited mine is so lovely!

Look at that centered narwhal!

If you have been on the fence about purchasing a Tula, now is the time to jump in feet first because they are a great price with the current sale! Just don't forget to grab an infant insert as well, if your baby isn't sitting on his own yet or doesn't have good head control!

Zombies and Pine Trees: Tula at the Tree Farm!

The holidays are fast approaching and here at our house, decorating for Santa came earlier than usual as we had to get our tree up and decorated before my husband went in for surgery.

So this past Sunday was spent taking in the sweet smell of pines at a nearby tree farm while seeking out our prized centerpiece for our holiday decor!

What better way to enjoy our leisurely stroll through rows of beautiful pines than baby wearing with our Tula?

Our Tula was my one baby gear splurge that I bought just for me. We are, as y'all may know, huge zombie lovers so when Mom's Milk Boutique announced their exclusive "Undying Love" print carrier, I knew I had to get my hands on one! (I even enlisted the help of a "stocking buddy" and she is actually the one who ended up scoring it for me!)

Yay for matching suck pads!

Little Fox is still not quite ready to be carried without the infant insert but we actually are quite find of it. When he is fussy, he starts to calm just at the sight of the gray infant insert. He knows what's coming!! Tula Time!

We had a great time wandering through the rows of fragrant greens and choosing "the one" that, like my zombie Tula, we knew we had to have!

At one point, I had a lady ask me excitedly, "Is that a Tula?!" When I told her it was, she asked if she could touch it and told me she loved the prints but didn't know if it was worth the cost. 

I told her I felt it was well worth it to me as it was very comfortable to wear in my opinion, was easy for me to get on and off, and that he loved to be carried in it. It made me feel good to share our experience with our Tula with someone else because we really do love it!

We spent a great deal of time looking at all of the beautiful trees but we kept coming back to one. After extensively searching, we decided to bring home "the one" that seemed to call to us.