All too often I spend my evening hours tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. When I do finally fall asleep, it doesn’t feel like deep sleep at all. Busy moms can’t afford to function on little to no sleep, but that doesn’t mean we don’t do it. You may be surprised to find out that you are the reason you’re not getting enough sleep! Here are some tips to help you get a better night’s sleep.

How to sleep better as a busy parent.

Avoid bright lights during the night

• Darkness makes our brain secrete melatonin, which makes us feel sleepy. However, when light is present, it does just the opposite! It causes the body to wake up, not fall asleep. Lower your light an hour or two before bedtime, and if you need to get up during the night, look for a dim night-light.

No screen time before bed

• Using your computer or phone during the day is no problem, but getting immersed in social media channels or e-mail before bedtime can actually keep you from falling asleep. These are considered stimulating activities and may keep your mind from winding down right before bedtime. Avoid stimulating activity before bed such as TV, thrilling novels, or big issue discussion.

Skip the afternoon coffee

• Your heart may have skipped a beat after reading this one, but trust me. Caffeine during midday can ruin your chance of a good night’s sleep later. Teas, coffee ice cream, and even decaf coffee can even keep you awake. If you find yourself having trouble falling asleep, keep your caffeine intake to a minimum after noon if possible.

Don’t watch the clock

• I bet you didn’t expect to see this one. It’s true that the act of checking the time can ruin your sleep. Clock-watching will transition you from sleepy to a slightly awakened state. Your mind wakes up, and you prolong sleep. Should you wake up in the middle of the night, fight the urge to look at the clock. People who don’t check the time, fall asleep much faster.

Don’t skip exercise

• Daily workouts are likely a memory of the past, but skipping that workout is a mistake! It’s important to exercise during the day to not only keep you fit, but help you sleep! Working out in the afternoon will leave you sleepy at bedtime, and keep you happier and healthier throughout the day.

Everyone has sleepless nights, it’s part of being a parent. If your sleep problems are happening more than once in awhile, give a couple of these tips a try.

Here are some more articles you might love!

• 12 Things you Should Clean Right Now
• How to Stay Organized as a Stay at Home Mom
• How to be a Positive Parent when you are Exhausted 

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Money management is a huge concern for many people. Whether they are struggling to pay their bills or worrying about the future, more and more people think about creating a budget to help control their personal finances. However, budgeting seems like a complicated task, involving a lot of math and time, and therefore it scares people. What they don’t know is that it is fairly easy to make a simple budget plan by looking at a monthly income and expenses.

Gather Financial Statements to Make a Simple Budget Plan

The first thing to do when creating a budget is to gather all financial statements from the previous month or two months. This includes everything from bank statements to bills to investments. Anything that deals with money coming in or going out should be included.

List Sources of Income for Your Budget

Make a list of all sources of income and the amount received in the previous month. When listing money from a paycheck, be sure to use the take-home pay as the income, not the amount before taxes, insurance, social security, and 401k contributions. Any other monthly sources of income should also be listed, such as alimony, child support, or anything else received each month.

List Monthly Expenses in the Budget Plan

Next, list all expenses for the previous month. Anything that was purchased or paid for should be included. It would be helpful to look at bank statements to make this list.

When listing expenses, put them into two categories: fixed and variable. Fixed expenses are expenses that do not change. For example:

• Mortgage or rent
• Car payments
• Auto insurance
• Cable/internet bill
• Credit card payments

Variable expenses are different each month. They include:

• Groceries
• Gas
• Entertainment
• Gifts
• Clothing

Compare Total Income vs. Total Expenses to Aid in Money Management

The next thing to do is add up the monthly income and monthly expenses and compare them. The goal is to have a total income equal to the total expenses. If the income is higher than the expenses, consider putting the extra money where it is needed. Pay more on credit cards and other debt. Put the extra money into a savings account or retirement plan.

If the expenses are higher than the income, some adjustments are needed. Look at the list of variable expenses and figure out what can be cut back. Perhaps new clothes are bought every week. Is that really necessary? Perhaps planning meals or buying in bulk can reduce the grocery bill. Remember, the goal is to have a total income match the total expenses.

Once someone sees where they are spending their money, it is easy to make the right choices. They realize where they are extravagant and what areas of their personal finances are suffering as a result. A simple budget plan is not a difficult task and can help anyone with his or her money management problems.

More money staving tips for when you are at Target!

• How to stop over-spending at Target.

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10 Uses for Dryer Sheets You Need To Try

Here are some genius uses for dryer sheets that you need to try out today! No matter what your favorite brand or scent is, you can benefit from these dryer sheet hacks below. We all know dryer sheets help soften up our clothes, offer a fragrant scent, and work at breaking down static in our clothes. But, I wanted to go beyond our laundry care, and share ways to save back used dryer sheets to use around your home.

Genius Uses for Dryer Sheets

Deodorant Marks

Nothing is worse than putting on an outfit to see deodorant marks on the sides of your shirt. Instead of a quick outfit change, grab an old dryer sheet and rub it back and forth over the spot where the deodorant is. This will instantly pull up the deodorant, so you know longer see the white residue on your garment.

Pet Hair

Take a dryer sheet and use it to rub over furniture, clothes, lampshades and more in your home. It will help to lift away any dog or cat hair that might be lingering. When you are done just toss the sheet and use a new one until your area is free of pet hair.
How do you use dryer sheets around your home?

Chrome

If you have chrome fixtures in your home, simply wipe clean as normal. Then take a used dryer sheet and buff the chrome to give it incredible shine. This can also help to repel water that might hit your chrome fixtures.

Dusting

Grab a dryer sheet (new or old) and use it to wipe down your wooden furniture, window blinds, and even baseboards. The dryer sheet will help to lift the dust, and it will cling to the dryer sheet.

Repelling Rodents

You can use dryer sheets to stuff into any holes you might find in your home where you think mice are getting in. This is a simple way to deter the rodents so they won’t come into your home. If you are unsure of where they are at, simply place dryer sheets in areas like attic or basement that gets minimal traffic.

Clean Your Iron

Just lay out a dryer sheet and set your iron to the lowest setting it has. Then allow your iron to warm up, then slowly rub your iron over the dryer sheet, and watch the residue disappear. Do this until all the residue is removed from the plate of the iron.

Static In Hair

Slip a dryer sheet into your purse for when you are on the go. If your hair is having a ton of static, just wipe the dryer sheet over your hair and instantly the static disappears.

Bug Cleaner on Vehicle

If your window or headlights are splattered with bugs this summer grab an old dryer sheet. Dampen the sheet and use it to scrub away bugs on your headlights and windshield. Don’t use the dryer sheet on the painted areas of your vehicle as this can scratch and ruin the pain. Once you wipe away the bugs, use another cloth to dry up any leftover mess.

Stuck On Food In Pots and Pans

Fill your pot or pan with warm water and soap and then toss in a dryer sheet. Let the pot sit for at least one hours and then go back and wash and rinse your pot. This will help to lift away any stuck on food that you are unable to get off the pot. Repeat the process as needed.

Scissors

If your scissors are not working as smooth as before and not cutting right, you can buff the blades with a used dryer sheet. To sharpen the blades fold aluminum foil together and cut through it. Then repeat buffing blades with dryer sheets. It will help lubricate your scissors for a clean and sharp cut.

Do you have any other creative way to use dryer sheets?

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The teenage years will find you wondering if your child has gone backward. Teenagers are very similar to toddlers in that the world seems to revolve around their wants, needs, and desires. It’s very difficult for parents who find themselves in their first teenager. The communication seems to break down during this stage in parenthood.

Your teenager wants to be on their own, yet they’re not quite ready to be an adult. If you’re wondering how in the world you can master talking with your teen, without getting angry, then you’re in luck. I have some tips to help guide you towards a positive relationship with your teen during these trying times.

Tips for Communicating Better with your Teen

Always Try To Understand

Even if you don’t understand or agree with your teen and what’s going on in their world, the best way to have better communication with your teen is to always try to understand. Whenever you’re engaging your teen in a conversation or they’ve started a conversation with you, always reply from a place of understanding so that they’ll continue to open up and communicate with you no matter what.

Remove Emotions

The last thing a teen wants to deal with is their parents’ emotional reactions to something they’re trying to pen up about. The biggest key to communicating better with your teen is to try to remove all parental and human feelings from the equation. Whenever you feel a strong emotional response to what your teen is saying, walk away or take a few deep breaths as you continue to hear what they have to say.

Make Time

Some teenagers simply won’t talk to you. They will hold it in and talk to their peers rather than coming to a parent to open up their thoughts, feelings and current experiences. The best way to encourage better communication with your teen is to make time for them. Whether it’s a 20-minute session during a meal or playing their favorite game with them, making time will help them open up more regularly.

Ask Honest Questions

Teenagers tend to be indecisive and avoidant if there’s an opening for that. They can also be very defensive due to their wonderful hormonal changes. It’s important that you ask honest questions that will encourage a solution driven response. As an example, if your teen is struggling to get up for school on time, as to why they think they may be sleeping in. This will open up the chance for a positive conversation.

Communicating better with your teen may feel like a project and a half, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. Following these simple tips for communicating better with your teen will ensure you’re able to know what’s going on in your teen’s life as well as be able to discuss important events as they come up in your teenagers’ life. Better communication with your teen is simply a positive stepping stone to being more included in their teenage world.

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You need to read through these game-changing maternity hacks if you are expecting! These maternity hacks will help you survive your pregnancy! Each day your body will be transforming as you are growing your little bundle of joy inside. Save yourself with these simple but effective maternity hacks!

THE BEST MATERNITY HACKS

Kinesio Tape 

You will find a lot of athletes use this tape for helping overcome an injury. Many women have found that using Kinesio tape can help relieve pressure, offer better blood circulation and offers excellent support to your growing bump. You can talk to your doctor about how to place tape properly or find tutorials online. 

Coconut Oil 

Skip the expensive creams and lotions and reach for your everyday coconut oil. Use this to massage on your belly to help with stretch marks and to help relieve the itch some women experience. 

Morning Sickness Supplies 

Never travel without having some essentials for your morning sickness. Saltine crackers, candied ginger chews, Jolly Ranchers, and snacks are always necessary. I also recommend carrying a bag or two with you in case you happen to get sick. I have heard so many stories of people getting sick all over themselves cause they had nothing with them. 

Belly Sleeping 

We all know belly sleeping during pregnancy is off limits. If you can’t find any other comfortable position invest in a pool floaty that is an inner tube. Stick your belly in the hole and then lay right on top of the tube. I hear it can be enjoyable. 

I highly recommend using a maternity pillow to wrap and shape around your body. This will help take a lot of pressure off your belly, back and hips. 

Stretch Those Jeans 

Use a rubber band to wrap around the buckle of your pants to help add a little more wiggle room in your jeans. Just hoop the rubber band around the open part of the fastener, and then with the hooped area secure it onto the button. This can help prevent you from investing in maternity jeans for a bit longer. 

Pads 

Sneezing, coughing, laughing too hard, can all leave you dribbling pee. Having pads on hand is a beautiful way to prevent accidents that happen during your later months of pregnancy. Also cutting a pad in half and applying to your bra can be a make-shift pad in case you leak milk. 

You will find that some women will leak milk later in pregnancy before the baby arrives. This is a hack you can use during and after pregnancy! 

Swollen Feet 

Limit your salt intake during your pregnancy, because in the end, you will become a lot more bloated in your feet, legs and even hands. One way to help with puffy feet is Tonic Water. The quinine will help to reduce any swelling you have. Ask your partner for a massage on your legs and feet, and it will help even more to get the swelling down as you sip.  

Safe Medications 

Download an app like MommyMeds to learn what is safe during pregnancy. Or if you have an iPhone or use Alexa, you can just ask them. This will help you to know if the medication you are considering is safe for pregnancy and even while breastfeeding. 

Bra Extenders 

These bra extenders are cheap and will help you get through your pregnancy without buying a ton of new bras. Then once you are at the end invest in some nursing bras and your all set. This will save you money! 

Kitchen Tongs or Claw 

Call it crazy but having kitchen tongs or a claw grabber with you in the shower or even around the home is helpful. When you become pretty big in the end months, it is torture trying to bend down. So if you drop that soap a little extra help from a claw or kitchen tongs will save you pain and discomfort! Trust me! 

What maternity hack have you found most helpful? 

Make sure to follow The Rockstar Mommy on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook!

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8 Things Productive Moms Do Before 9 am

Make Your Bed

Before you even start your day off, be sure to make your bed. This will help inspire a productive mindset and make you feel ready to take on the day. The process of making your bed helps you feel like you’re already winning at life and allows you to start the day with a winning mentality.

Start One Load of Laundry

Laundry is one of those never-ending tasks that can get quite daunting. Starting one load of laundry before 9 am allows you to feel like you’re tackling household chores before the busyness of the day sets in. Starting laundry at the beginning of the day will allow you to get more laundry done each day.

Drink Water

Water is a necessary part of human life, but it also works to hydrate you in a way nothing else can. Start your morning off right by drinking at least 16 ounces of water before you venture off to do your day to day tasks away from the house as a means to make your brain wake up and energize your body.

Empty the Dishwasher

If you’re like most moms, then you probably started the dishwasher after dinner the night before. This means your dishwasher has some clean dishes in it ready to take care of. Be sure that you start your day off by emptying the dishwasher so that you have on less thing to do later in the day.

Write a To Do List

Being able to have a to-do list that you work off of every day helps inspire a productive day because you have a road map, so to speak, for what needs to get done that day. This will allow you to keep your mind clear as you work to get things done before 9 am.

Plan Dinner

Every productive mom knows that planning what’s for dinner at the start of the day will help inspire a more productive day. Knowing what you’ll cook the family later in the day helps you to get the supplies ready and options out so that when dinner preparation time comes you’re ready to simply get the meal items together and cook without much extra time involved.

Get Dressed

Being a stay at home mom or work at home mom means there are many mornings that you neglect taking a shower and getting dressed. It’s much easier to just jump out of bed and start your day, but if you truly want to be more productive in life then it’s best to take a shower and get dressed before 9 am so that your mind and body are ready for the busy day ahead.

Exercise

Develop a simple exercise routine that helps inspire a productive day. This could be some stretches or yoga, perhaps a short 20-minute walk around town. There are no real rules for what type of exercise you should do before 9 am, but the key is to have some physical activity before 9 am to help you start the day off right and feel motivated to get everything completed.

These 8 things productive moms do before 9 am are a wonderful way to switch up your morning routine to ensure that you’re able to have a productive day no matter how much life throws at you. Use my tips shared today as a means to have more free time all the while getting stuff done.

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15 Self Care Tips to Make you a Better Mom

1. Enjoy the preschool moments where your youngest is off to school for a few hours, do something fun you enjoy or take a nap.
2. If you work from home or stay at home, take one weekly nap day where you bring the kids to school and come home to simply relax all day long.
3. Allow yourself time to transition between mom duties, this could be winding down to some music, reading a book for 20 minutes or taking a drive before switching gears.
4. Plan one night a week as bath night where you devote an hour to simply soaking in a warm bubble bath alone.
5. Get dressed up for no good reason, complete with makeup and jewelry.
6. Listen to music while you’re cooking dinner or doing household chores to keep your mood stable and happier.
7. Bring back an old hobby that you loved doing before the kids were born and make it a priority in your life.
8. Make plans to do something that you’ve never done before, just be certain you have a sitter ready to take the kids if your partner can’t stay with them.
9. Have a weekly social date with a close friend over a cup of tea or coffee to just socialize about life, interests and whatever else makes you happy.
10. Enjoy making a blanket fort with your kids and climb in to curl up and enjoy some childhood laughter after a long day.
11. Get outside and enjoy a nature walk or stroll around your community to soak in the sunshine and fresh air.
12. Plan a spa day with girlfriends complete with manicures and pedicures.
13. Make a reading bucket list and read at least thirty minutes every night before bed.
14. Make a list of things you want to do in the next month and enjoy the awesome feeling of accomplishment each time you check something off that list.
15. Start using meditation apps to feel more balanced during a busy day of motherhood.

These are all just a few self-care tips to make you a better mom. Each of these self care tips to be a better mom can be squeezed into even the busiest of schedules. Following my advice will help you feel better, act happier and really have a chance to keep your mind in a peaceful place.

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How to Stay Motivated and Organized as a Stay at Home Mom

Create a Realistic Schedule

Sit down and think about what you have to do in a single day. Write down necessary tasks and prioritize them in a list. Now that you have a list of prioritized daily tasks, it’s time to create a realistic schedule. Set specific times for each task and be sure to devote one hour of your day for break time.

Take Breaks

This leads us to the next step in staying motivated and organized as a stay at home mom, take breaks. The best way to keep from going insane is to schedule a minimum of two 15 minute breaks and one half hour lunch break every day.

Create a Budget

It’s important that you work to create a budget when you’re a stay at home mom so that you don’t stress out about finances. If your partner is the only one working then you both need to sit down and evaluate the income versus expenses to create a solid budget to stick with to keep financial peace.

Wake Up Before Kids

Let’s face it; your day is full of kids. Everything you do all day long will have something to do with your kids and your duties as a stay at home mom. This is why it’s very important for you to wake up before the kids get up. This can be your moment of peace to prepare for your chaotic day.

Meet with Friends

Having playdates with friends so that the kids can play and you can socialize at least once a week will help you to stay motivated as a stay at home mom. Having time to meet with friends and a chance to let your kids play together will help break up the mundane day to day lifestyle of a stay at home mom.

These are just a handful of ideas for you on how to to stay motivated and organized as a stay at home mom. Each of these tips will help guide you forward to feeling more relaxed and with more energy as each day passes during your stay at home mom days.

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5 Ways to Rock Being a Stay at Home Mom

Embrace the Strength of Your Choice

Be proud that you made the decision to be a stay at home mom. I’m sure this choice wasn’t an easy one but it was what you determined to be best for your family. Making the decision to be a stay at home mom is one that shows your strength in motherhood. So put that stay at home mom crown on and wear it proudly.

Set a Schedule

In order to get much of anything done, you’ll need to set a schedule during your stay at home mom journey.  Consider working around your child’s schedule for nap time as well as other down moments or independent play time to get your own “must do’s” done. This will help you keep stress at a minimum and allow you to get those necessary tasks done without your child underfoot.

Let go of Perfection

While being a stay at home mom means that you’ll be around your kids more often, it doesn’t mean you’ll get perfect children. Your child will still test boundaries, make messes and drive you absolutely crazy some days. Your home may not be as tidy as you wish and that’s okay. When it comes to learning how to rock being a stay at home mom, you need to let go of perfection.

Fall in Love with Delegating

Don’t forget that there are other family members in the house that can help with some of your tasks. Learn to fall in love and embrace the idea of delegating the tasks that may be more difficult to get done while taking care of your children to other people. Consider using a grocery delivery service and anything else that will help save some time while you’re busy with other tasks.

Be Present

Time will fly by faster than you ever imagined, so remember to always be present. Stop and listen when your children want to tell you something. Hear what your child is sharing with you. Pause your household chores to spend quality time with your child any chance you get. Be silly. Laugh a lot. Embrace these moments for one day you’ll blink and they’ll be teenagers.

There are so many ways you can rock being a stay at home mom, but these top 5 ways will surely lead you in the right direction. The biggest thing you need to do is to pat yourself on the back because this decision may not have been easy but you’ll be so happy that your family worked together to make this a possibility.

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5 Common Feeding mistakes Parents Make and How to Fix Them

Feeding kids isn’t easy. You may be feeding a picky eater, a kid with special dietary restrictions, or maybe you are just feeling a lot of pressure to raise healthy kids. You may be guilty of making these feeding mistakes, but it’s not because you are a flawed parent. Up until now, you probably just didn’t have all the things you needed! It’s time to finally turn those terrible feeding habits into something positive! Here’s how to do it.

Mistake 1: Bothering your kids while they’re eating

Did you know that 80% of parents control their child’s food intake at mealtime? When parents try to get their kids to eat more or less, they are teaching their kids not to listen to their natural instincts and teaching them bad eating habits. This can encourage eating when they aren’t hungry, and even sneaking food.

How can you fix this?

As a parent, your job is to decide what, when, and where your children will eat, but leave the how much and whether or not to eat up to your kids. This teaches your kids to learn the signs of when they are full and when they are still hungry.

Mistake 2: No meal structure

When there is no rhyme or reason to when kids get to eat, they are learning to eat out of habit and not out of hunger. This is keeping your kids from learning what hunger means, and can sometimes impact how much your child eats at mealtimes.

How can you fix this?

Structure meals and snacks at designated places and times such as the kitchen or dining room and at set times. When children want to leave after not eating much, remind them that they will have to wait until the next meal time and when it is.

Mistake 3: Alternative meals

We’ve all been there. It’s dinnertime and everyone is happily eating, except for one who refuses to eat. As a worried mom, we tend to whip up something for that child in case they don’t like the mealtime choice tonight. Children will learn to eat food with variety over time. When alternative choices are available, that is teaching your child to eat only a very small window of foods because they know another option will be waiting.

How to fix this?

Ask for input from the family when making meals, and stick with just one meal at dinner time. Allow variety with plated dinners and buffet style meals where your kids are able to serve themselves from time to time as well.

Mistake 4: Forcing vegetables on your kids

Every parent is worried that their kids aren’t eating enough fruits and veggies. Some even go to great lengths to get their children to eat their vegetables. 70% of young children are sensitive to some of the compounds that make up vegetables, and this will decrease over time. When we push vegetables on our kids, they learn to hate it and will be less likely to like them over time.

How to fix this?

Offer a variety of vegetables frequently and in a variety of different ways such as smoothies, salads, dips, etc without the pressure to eat them.

Mistake 5: Fixing behaviors that aren’t broken

Parents have a tendency to jump the gun when it comes to food-related behavior. Picky eating and wanting to eat what friends are eating are all part of normal food-related behaviors that children adopt as they get older. These “errors” shouldn’t be fixed during early childhood.

How to fix this?

Be prepared for each food stage in your child’s life and be flexible, and don’t take it personally. Be a good role model, and learn to work with your children.

Parents can become fearless feeders with the right tools! With these helpful tips, you’ll avoid making these food mistakes and teach your children to be healthy eaters as they grow.

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