Happy Sunday Everyone!

I have to say, Sunday’s can be pretty packed and intense, but they are still definitely my favorite day of the week. I get to get dressed up, my husband wears a suit that makes him look like James Bond,we dress up the kiddos, and all go to church, as a family. We get to learn and teach and spend time focusing on what is most important in out lives. Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and our Forever Family.

I recently heard about, and didn’t really want to chose not to read an article about a lady who pretty much said stay at home mothers are worthless. It made me really sad, as as much as I want to be angry as this woman, I more so just feel sad for her, and for what she must have grown up seeing as a child. Poor lady probably never had a chance. My focus on this blog post is not to rant against her, or to argue or anything like that, but simply to explain to anyone who wants to listen about why I personally have chosen to stay at home with my kids, and spend my time with them. I also have to say, that I know a ton of women who do both, work and take care of children, and some that just work! And I love you all! I know there are SO many different circumstances, and I KNOW that only YOU know what is best for you and your family {even if you end up never being married, or ever having children, I think you are amazing, just do YOUR best k?} And please…. PLEASE don’t rag on or look down on or say anything bad about anyone else… you just don’t know their situation.

*WHEW!* Okay that being said. One of my all time favorite talks is by Elder Jefferey R. Holland, titled “Because She Is a Mother”. It is basically what I read and listen to when I need a pick me up and I need some encouragement. For a while I would listen to it everyday {when I had my second child and was a bit overwhelmed by it all} It is wonderful, so uplifting and just makes you feel appreciated. When so many voices/articles/people {maybe sometime without even realizing it} make you feel worthless, and when someday’s, you just feel like you are doing the same things over and over again. Please read this article, is it just Amazing!

I also just wanted to share a few reasons why I chose, daily, to be a mother. Not to boast, or to brag, or anything like that but just to share a little bit about me, and maybe help those who don’t really understand why some women make the decision to be mothers.

Ever since I can remember, I have wanted to be a mommy! Even before I liked boys and knew I need to get married, I wanted to have my own children. My mother was always a great example of being a mother, and she always put a positive light on being a mother, she loved her job as a mother, and she loved us, and it showed. I am ever so grateful for that example I had growing up, and now.

I am a Mother because I know that it is the most important thing I can be doing right now. I know sometimes, it would be nice to go back to work and to be acknowledged, and see progress made, make money, and be able to SEE and get praise here and there, but I know that for me personally, I will do more and feel more joy, taking care of and spending time with my children at home.

I am a Mother because I know “the most precious jewels I will ever wear around my neck are the arms of my children”. One of my favorite quotes. Because I know nothing money could buy could replace how I feel about my children.

I am a Mother because I want to teach them and guide them and help them, just like my Heavenly Father taught me and guided me and helps me along the way in life. I want them to have someone to be there for them, and I want to help them gain a body to go with their sweet spirits and help them return to their Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ, too.

I am a Mother because I have prayed and I have asked my Heavenly Father what would be most beneficial for me to be doing in my life, and I got the answer that being married, and having children was what I needed to be doing right now.

I am a Mother because I know true happiness and joy is in the family, and that by serving my children and my family I can become more like my Savior Jesus Christ.

I am a Mother because I know my Heavenly Father has faith in me to raise these children, and has blessed me with them, and their sweet personalities. I will NEVER be alone in raising them, that no matter how weak, and silly I may be, I have help from my Heavenly Father and Savior to teach and help them along the way. {and of course my sweet husband}

I am a Mother because I Love it, and I feel more joy raising these sweet little ones than anything else I have ever done in my entire life. I love love LOVE it, and feel so sad for those who won’t ever feel that joy. I know also that some are not able to have children, and I know that everything will work out for them also, and that some do not marry, and some who would love to be mothers for some reason or another cannot, not even by their choice. I know things will work out perfectly for you, too

Happy February

Love,
Traci

The post Why I Choose {daily} To Be A Mother appeared first on A Mouse In My Kitchen.

I am expecting my third child pretty soon. I’ve been amazed at how much less stuff I feel like I need for this child. Granted, part of that is because I already have a lot of stuff from the other two kids, but a lot of it is the fact that I’ve realized that babies don’t really need all that much stuff. Diapers, wipes, a way to eat, a car seat, some clothes, somewhere to sleep, and arms to hold them. Babies really don’t NEED swings and toys and bottle warmers and all that other junk that people (stores mostly) tell you that you need. However, there are a few things that I have found REALLY help make motherhood a bit easier. 

1. A car seat mirror: This thing has been a life saver for me. You just put it on the back seat of your car so the baby can see themselves in it. Then, if you adjust your mirrors right, you can also see the baby and the baby can see you. It’s a great way to keep your child occupied and check on him/her every so often. 

2. Rock ‘N Play Sleeper: This was amazing to have for my daughter. She only wanted to sleep on an incline so this worked well. It is also super easy to fold up and take places. My daughter slept only in this until she was about six months old. 

3. SwaddleMe: A lot of babies love to be wrapped, but it can be kind of hard to get a blanket as tight as a baby wants it to be. My oldest would only sleep if he was wrapped in one of these. He also would sometimes want to be wrapped in it when he was awake. I think it helped him to limit his senses and not get overwhelmed by everything that was going on around him. 

4. A Baby Carrier: A good baby carrier is worth it’s weight in gold. There are SO many different carriers and some of them are really expensive. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on one but if you buy a $20 one, chances are you’re throwing your money away. My kids lived in carriers of one kind or another. It’s a great way to keep your hands free and comfort the baby at the same time. 

5. Forehead Thermometer: I’m not going to lie, I don’t actually have one of these. But I cannot tell you how often I wished I did. It is NOT fun to take a sick baby’s temperature under their arm print. And even if you can get a good reading, you always assume it’s wrong because of how much the baby is wiggling around. I really think this would be a great thing to have. 

There you have it. Five baby items that aren’t necessarily essential, but are REALLY nice to have. What baby item is/was your must have item? 

The post Five Nonessential Baby Items That Will Make Your Life Easier appeared first on A Mouse In My Kitchen.

Note: I am going to post some links in this post, however, they are NOT affiliate links. Just so you know

Anyone else live stinking far away from family? Haha, I love where I live, and I love enjoying new places, but taking my kids on long plane rides {or car rides!} and sometimes both! Gives me a GINORMOUS tummy ache. I may not be the most experienced flyer, but I am definitely experienced when it comes to flying with little kiddos. We lived in Florida for two years, and I took my sweet 18 month old from Gainesville, Florida to Basin City, Washington. Sounds simple enough right? Yeah, so this is how it went…

Gainesville, Florida–>Orlando, Florida {Two hour drive}
Orlando, Florida–>Atalanta, Georgia {1 hour flight}
Atlanta, Georgia–>Salt Lake City, Utah {4.5 hour flight}
Salt Lake City, Utah–>Spokane, Washington {2 hour flight}
Spokane, WA–> Basin City, WA {2 hour drive}

I am not going to lie, by the end of that trip, I was crying, and exhausted. Luckily, I had some very sweet stewardesses, and some very nice people around me {that is another post for sure!} Don’t forget, I did that AGAIN on the way back! {Just saying!}

And then! I have flown to Idaho by myself and a 2 1/2 year old and an 8 month old, and to Seattle, by myself. Not trying to brag, just want to share so you trust me a bit when I give some tips It IS doable, and you CAN do it all without sobbing. Besides, even if you have your husband or friend or family member with you it is still HARD to have little children with no attention span at all sit in one tiny space for more than 15 minutes. It’s great when they get to the point they will sit and watch shows, but even that doesn’t last very long! Here are a few things I use or do to help life be a bit simpler. Hopefully his helps out with some holiday travel ya’ll have coming up!
1. Check a bag, and then pack your carry on’s lightly! I know some airlines cost money to check a bag, but, it is SO WORTH IT. Then you don’t have to carry it while you are trying to carry your children and purse, and backpack, etc! Make sure you aren’t taking SO many things that you can’t carry them all comfortably. {and take into account you will be carrying your kids periodically. 18 month olds will still want you to carry them lots! Walking across the airport quickly trying to catch your connecting flight is hard when you are trying to rush little ones… just saying

2. Pack LOTS of snacks. I know this seems silly because I just said pack light, but snacks are a live saver for me. We pack sandwiches and convenient snacks that we don’t normally buy. Things that are easy to open, easy to eat, don’t make a crazy  mess, and you know your kids will like. {We take PB&J, Goldfish, applesauce & fruit squeezies, pre packed cheese and fruit, crackers, etc.} Make sure your kids aren’t hungry! A lot of flights have food you can buy, but a lot of shorter flights do not. Don’t let hunger ruin your flight! Which reminds me…

3. Bring your own waters for your children! {or whatever drink you prefer!} I like water, because when it spills, it dries, and it dries clear instead of sticky or pink. I am grateful the airlines serve complimentary drinks and snacks, BUT, those cups are AWFUL. There is no way my kid is going to keep that on their tray and not spill. I ALWAYS take waterbottles or sippy cups and then ask the stewardess to fill those with water. It’s too much of a hassle trying to wrangle a group of drinks. {I tried, I have had a lot of orange/apple/milk spilled on my clothes… no bueno}

4. Let them watch/play as much as they want! So normally, I am HUGE on only letting my children have a certain amount of “media” time. But if they are stuck in a small space and bored to death, I let them play the ipad/iphone/kindle AS MUCH as they want. My son is three, and the last trip it was really nice that he would sit and watch a show. It was especially helpful if I downloaded a few NEW shows, too. Amazon is really nice and you can buy and download episodes of their favorite Disney shows or movies! They aren’t very expensive and are SO worth it. Or, just add the digital copy you get with some dvds. Add some new games, etc. Just maybe don’t be quite as worried about media use when you are stuck on an airplane. It is worth it

5. Take various types of entertainment! I am glad I have a few electronic devices to let my kids use in flight, but, there is taxi-ing, and take off and landing, and, if you have a crazy long flight, your kids will get tired of watching things {I know, it happens! crazy!} Here are a few of my favorites: {These are NOT affiliate links}

Melissa and Doug Water Coloring Books
$6.19 on Amazon.com- These are amazing, you just fill the pen and you can color with water! Compact, clean and if you spill, it doesn’t make a mess! Very inexpensive, and kept my son busy for a LONG time. There are multiple pictures and types, I LOVE these!

Melissa and Doug Re-usable Stickers
$4.99 on Amazon.com- I love these, you can use them over and over, and my kids will use them for hours. They have cute backgrounds to put the stickers on and last a long time to play with!

I don’t have a link for these but right now, in Target’s dollar section {I have also seen these at Michaels} They have cute little packs with 4 crayons, a coloring book, and stickers for ONE DOLLAR. They are small and compact and in a cute little bag, and they have TONS of different characters to choose from! I got my son Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and an Avengers pack and my little girl a My Little Pony and Princess Sofia one for the flight there and back. They are so great! And take up only a tiny bit of space and are SO SO inexpensive! They were a huge blessing on the flight! {You could also just take a coloring book and crayons, I just loved the ease of these!}

Be creative! These are just a few ideas, but I would love hear some other things you have used!

6. Make a list or mental note of some fun sitting games/songs. I am so grateful in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints they have a book specifically for children’s songs. They are called the Children’s Songbook. they are WONDERFUL and have some really cute songs where you wiggle and do motions! This is SO GREAT for plane rides! And even if you don’t have that, look up some fun nursery rhymes and make some motions! One of my kids favorites is called “the Turtle song” “There was a little turtle his name was tiny Tim, we put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim, he drank up all the water, he ate up all the soap and now he’s sick in bed with a bubble in his throat, bubble bubble bubble, bubble bubble bubble, bubble bubble bubble, bubble bubble POP!” -Check it out on youtube, it’s cute and every kid LOVES it. Just check out some and learn the moves! Sing the ABC song, etc! It’s great because they get to move around and because they LOVE it!

My husband also makes up cute things as we go for our kids to do to make the flight more fun. The buttons on the armrest, he told my son helps the plane to go fast and take off, so when my husband says so, my son pushes it as hard as he can to help the plane go up in the air {he tells him as we are lifting off} my son LOVES it, and looks forward to taxing and take off! Help them ENJOY the experience! Let them use the walking staircase, escalator, elevator, etc! Allow for some fun, and not just stress

7. GET WIGGLES OUT WHEN YOU CAN! HOPEFULLY you have kind stewardesses, and if you do, take advantage! My Florida trip, my son and I were seated in the back of the plane and were able to walk around in the back a LOT. They were totally okay with it, and it helped a lot for an 18 month old on a 4 plus hour trip. I even saw one stewardess walking a baby up and down the isle to help out a stressed out Momma! How sweet is that! Get those wiggles out as best you can, take advantage also of time OFF The plane, RUN in the airport, let them CLIMB all over whatever they want, and LET THEM BE in the airport, give them some time to walk/run/wiggle etc! Use that time to your advantage. I really think it is silly that they offer to let people with children on first, yes, it is a nice thought, but I wait until the VERY END Of boarding to get on the plane, the less time sitting, the better.

8. Accept and Plan on using the yucky and gross airplane toilet to go potty/Changing Diapers. Have a game plan, and don’t stress when you have to use it! I took my three year old and 18 month old in the bathroom with me and we all did our business. It’s going to happen. Your diaper wearer is going to poo, and your toilet trained one is going to have to go at some point. Make a plan man! Make sure to have diapers, and make sure to have LOTS of wipes! I do also try my best to take my kids to the bathroom before boarding/get a fresh diaper/etc. But make a plan for in flight, too

9. Pack an extra shirt or set of clothes for your kiddos. I actually don’t do this every time, but I think it is a GREAT idea. It goes a long with having a LOT of wipes. You don’t know how the trip is going to affect your kiddo. I have seen a lot of poor kids throw up and then have to sit in it for a few more plan rides. Sad day! Have those wipes and maybe just an extra shirt handy!

10. Try your best not to stress. The hardest thing for me about flying is not how my children might act, but how others will react to them. I have heard a lot of horror stories about mean people, and I worry SO MUCH. I have finally gotten to the point, that I no longer care. I don’t look whens someone is glaring, and I just try my best to help MY children. You will NEVER EVER see that person again, and maybe, they have never had children and really just don’t get it. Don’t worry too much about what others think, and just keep calm and carry on I do try my best to have my children keep their feet down and NOT kick the person in front of them constantly, but things are going to happen. Focus on those who are supportive, and pray that you will have those people around you too for strength I pray pretty hard before trips by myself, and I have been blessed with some really sweet strangers. You will get some of both, but you rock, and I know are doing your best, just remember those kind people along the way and it will help a ton

You can do this! Happy Holiday Traveling! I would love to hear any tips and tricks you have, too!

Love,
Traci

The post Tips and Tricks for Flying with Small Children appeared first on A Mouse In My Kitchen.

I’ve always been told that it is important for a husband and wife to continue dating each other after they are married. It is important to be able to spend some time together, without children, and continue to get to know each other. My husband and I have been married four and a half years and there is still SO much I don’t know about this man. We are currently on a two day trip together, without children, and it has been so fun to get to know him better and to reconnect with him.

Since we can’t go on trips by ourselves all the time, we try to improvise when we are at home with date nights. Having little kids and trying to squeeze in date night is really hard. My husband is currently a college student and I am a stay at home mother, so money is tight. Paying for a babysitter, dinner, and a movie just isn’t feasible. So we usually opt for at home date nights instead.

Our kids go to bed around 7 or 7:30, so we have the rest of the night to ourselves. We like to set aside one day each week that we spend time with each other instead of on our own separate electronic devices (which is how we usually spend the evening). Here are some things we like to do on that night:

- catch up on our favorite series (I know.. not really a getting-to-know-you activity, but it gives us something to talk about and something to do together)

- play battleship (best date night game!)

- play cards

- make a dessert together (Traci is going to talk more about cooking for date night tomorrow, I think!)

- eat dinner together. On these nights, the kids eat something simple (mac & cheese… hot dogs..) and after we put them to bed, we  have a nice, peaceful dinner by ourselves. This is one of my favorites. It is really nice for me because I get to actually sit and enjoy dinner instead of getting up to get sippy cups and bibs and more milk and whatever else it is my kids are asking for. 

None of these date ideas are expensive or difficult. You don’t have to spend money to spend time with your spouse. The important thing is to make spending time with your spouse a priority. 

What do you do for date night? 

The post What About Date Night? appeared first on A Mouse In My Kitchen.

I wanted to share something with you that we have implemented in our family to make sure that our kiddos get more one on one time. When we had our first child, we felt like we got a LOT of time with our son, and didn’t ever feel like we didn’t get one on one time with him. Then we had little sister, and we felt a little bit like we weren’t getting much one on one time with our oldest. {babies are needy, yah know!?} So we started doing dates with our son on his birthday day of every month. SO toward the middle of the month my husband and I trade off taking our little boy on a “date”. Our little girl just turned one and we have started doing it on her birthday day every month, too! It is a lot of fun, and a really fun way to get to know your little one a little bit better, and improve that relationship one on one:

Here are a few ideas to get you started! You DO NOT need to spend ANY money! {though, you can!} The key with these dates is undivided attention, to get to bond with your child. No smartphone, no tablet, no business, no to do list, JUST Quality time with your child.

1. Take them out to dinner, or just ice cream!
2. Take them to the park and PLAY with them, don’t just play on your phone the whole time.
3. Make a special meal or treat with them.
4. Take them to a movie.
5. Take them on a long walk where you can talk.
6. Play games with them.
7. Read a book together.
8. Go on a Car ride together and just chat.
9. Go to the pet store {This is a BIG hit in our house!}
10. Take them hiking/biking/horseback riding/play basketball/catch etc!

These are just a few thoughts, but really think of it as a date with your kiddo! I have had a BLAST getting to do this with both of my kids because that time alone is SO special! And they feel special when you take that time with them! My son and I just laughed and laughed when we went to get frozen yogurt together, we both even snorted laughing we were having so much fun!

Let me know if you have any additional thoughts or questions! I know if you add this to your monthly routine, you will feel a strength in your relationship with your child.

Love,

Traci

The post Birthday Dates with your Kids appeared first on A Mouse In My Kitchen.