An Honest Living

Ten Things You Need on Your Baby Registry

2016-02-19T14:55:00.001-08:00

Registering for your cute little fetus is seriously the best thing ever. You get to choose the very first colors and objects that your child will see and love and grow with. How amazing is that? You are deciding where their life starts. Makes you wonder how different colors and objects encourage different outcomes for each child?? But that's a little too complex for this article, so maybe next time! Anyway, there are definitely certain things that are NECESSARY for the beginnings of parenthood, and then there are many things that are unnecessary as well. This post is mostly about the things you need, but I'll go ahead and post a few unnecessary things at the end.

1. Bottle cleaners
Seriously these things are fantastic. They make bottle cleaning a breeze (which is important because it's such a pain). I actually got a pack of two and even use one for cleaning cups and hard to reach spots on dishes. It is just made to clean hard to reach areas very well.

2. Pack 'N Play

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Yeah so these are great. We used this for baby to sleep in our bedroom for his first few months of life (I still can't believe how long ago that seems!). It worked great, and now we have a nice crib as well as diaper changing area for when we travel. The best part is that it easily shrinks into a nice rectangle and doesn't weigh much at all so it really is ideal for car trips

3. Boppy Pillow
ESPECIALLY if you are breastfeeding but even if you are not, this thing is great. It is a miracle for nursing, and I think I would have given up pretty quickly if I didn't have this. It brings baby to just the right spot for nursing so you don't have to break your arm. Even in the hospital when the lactation consultant is showing you what to do, they use a buttload of flimsy pillows to help you out, and that's all fine and good but to just need one pillow is really nice. Also it is just more comfortable for when you have your baby in your arms because baby sweats and makes your arms and lap all sweaty and a pillow just makes it better. Finally, this pillow helps your baby learn to sit up because it provides just enough support to do so. If you didn't catch it, I LOVE THIS THING!

4. Glider
I so wish I had one of these in our nursery. They are expensive but well worth it. I didn't think I would need one because we had a wooden rocking chair that I decided to pimp to make it comfortable and cute. It was alright. It didn't rock very well on our carpet and it squeaked. We have a cushiony glider in our living room that I think is ugly (thus the reason I used the wooden rocker) and I ended up just using that way more, which was not ideal because my husband was often trying to watch TV during the time I was rocking baby to sleep. Also it would have been nice to put my feet up, just sayin.

5. A transitionable car seat.
That's probably not a word, but I recommend getting a car seat that you can transition easily. I say this because car seats are expensive and baby grows so fast. You can get a car seat that lasts until they don't need a car seat/booster anymore, but I was told those are not great so I can't say if those are worth it or not, but at least get one that you know has larger sizes in the same brand and such so you can use the same base and not have to buy another for each car.

6. Music/Sound Maker
This was a game changer! Sometimes baby boy would cry and cry and music would be the only thing that would help! Now ours came with our Pack 'N Play, but if yours doesn't have that, go ahead and register for one. You will thank me later.

7. Diaper Changing Pads
A few simple changing pads will be so helpful when you are changing 8 diapers a day and don't want to have to go back to the nursery AGAIN. You can just change the kid on the floor with one of these. Boom. And while you're at it, just make yourself a little changing caddy with diapers, wipes, and a changing pad in it. Heck, you don't really even need a changing table if you don't want to pay a ton for it.

8. Baby Carrier

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You've gotta have one of these. They make your life so much easier!! Especially when you have a baby that just wants to be held all day and you got stuff to do. That thing will put your little angel to sleep in seconds. Whether you get a sling, a wrap, or a backpack style carrier, choose what makes sense to you. I personally loved the Moby Wrap, and no, it's really not that hard to wrap around you. Just get someone to help you figure it out before the baby comes. It's second nature to me now.

9. Diaper Pail
So apparently some people do not like these, but um what?? If you've ever changed the bag in one of those, they STINK on the inside! Big time! But yet, no stink on the outside! I seriously don't know what I'd do without one of these. Although if you want to save some money you can through the just wet diapers away in the trash because they don't usually stink too much.

10. A Really Great Stroller
Stroller are expensive. Heck, all baby stuff is expensive (Retailers totally take advantage of our willingness to overspend when it comes to baby). But you are really going to appreciate having a sturdy somewhat enclosed stroller when you are at the mall.

So those are my top ten Baby Registry Items. Here are a few things that don't need to be on your list:

Lanolin
If it is discovered that you plan to breastfeed, EVERYONE and their mother will get this for you. It is fantastic and well needed, but one bottle is way more than enough and people will get it for you anyway, so no need to register for it (and if somehow no one buys it for you, it is like $2).

Wipe warmer
If you want to use this, go for it, but for me it was something I didn't want to use except in winter because I didn't want my son to get used to it and then be out and about and have a cold wipe on his booty. It turned out I didn't use it at all. Like ever. I tried using it and it was more trouble than it was worth.

Grass Bottle Dryer

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Maybe if you plan on solely bottle feeding, this would be great. But I hardly needed this at all because I haven't used that many bottles. It's so cute! But honestly it just took up space on the counter in our itty bitty kitchen.

One Million Bottles
I got a huge pack of bottles for baby boy just for those times when we were out and about or he was in the care of someone else. I did NOT need more than like maybe 3 bottles. Again, if you plan to solely bottle feed, ignore this. But if you plan to nurse, having a bunch of bottles will just cause you to have a larger stack of used bottles that you have to wash.

Bulky Bathtub
I wash like so excited to use this tub we got. It is like a baby sized tub that goes in the regular tub and it comes with a shower sprayer! But really it is just a waste of space. After a while I ended up just getting this inflatable tub once my baby was able to sit up relatively well and it was amazing because you can just deflate and it takes up minimal space. I wish I had just gotten that though because a newborn bath seat fits into it just as well.

So that's my list! Good luck with your brand new sweetheart!

2016-02-15T09:35:00.003-08:00

So maybe you are wanting to save up for something special. Maybe you are a stay-at-home mom. Perhaps you just want a little extra cash in your pocket. Whatever the reason, you just want to have some extra money without having to work overtime every day. Well friends, I have a few solutions for you!! There are apps out there that give you money! Yes, you have read that correctly. Essentially FREE MONEY (I had to capitalize that because come on, those two words just draw people in). These apps hand you money for basically doing things you already do. Now just throwing this out there- you are not going to get like $1000 in no time with these apps, but they do provide ways of making a few extra bucks you can throw in the bank. Or at the bookstore clerk. Whatevs.

LOL you know this is hilarious.

I just want to throw out there that I personally use all of these apps and they are legitimate. I know some may be hesitant to trust stuff like this, but I promise they are all real and well-known among the frugal! And they also all pay out just like they say they will. Aaaand they are all FREEEE!

Ebates

Ebates is an app that gives you cash back when you shop online. This is so fantastic because a lot of times when people buy things online it is often a larger purchase, and you can get cash back on that! Awesome right? If you were going to buy it anyway, why not save some on it? Now it does not apply like a coupon, but instead your cash back collects on the Ebates app and they pay you every 3 months. However they also have a lot of coupons for the sites as well that you can use on your purchases. You can choose to be paid by check, paypal, or you can donate the money to charity. Easy peasy. Interested? Click [here]. (Side note: Ebates also has a website that you can use as well if you do not have a smart phone)

Receipt hog

Receipt Hog is pretty weird because you feed a pig receipts, but whatever? Anyway, it is also awesome! because you basically take a picture of all your receipts within a 2 week period and you get points for them. When you get 1000 points, you earn $5. There are also challenges as well as a slot machine that you can use in order to get more points. You can scan up to 20 receipts per week. There is also a sweepstakes each month and every time you scan a receipt you get an entered to win. Receipt Hog does not accept hand-written receipts, invoices, or movie ticket receipts. Besides that, every other receipt is free game. Easiest thing ever right? Click [here] to get this app.

Ibotta

Ibotta is sort of like a coupon app, but instead of bringing it to the store and scanning the coupons, you just simply choose which items you plan to buy or even the ones you already bought and each item earns you cash. This app is great for those of us who have a heart for saving money but dislike couponing or don't really understand it (me!). It's also pretty cool because there are bonuses you can try for as well. One of the bonuses is called "Teamwork" and basically if you are connected to the app through Facebook you automatically have a team of those who also have the Ibotta app and together you work towards getting the bonus by saving as much money as possible. Pretty cool huh? Click [here] to unleash awesome savings. (Side note: Ibotta has a website that you can use if you do not have a smart phone)

Checkout 51

So Checkout 51 is pretty much the same thing as Ibotta, so in a way there is not really much to explain here. It is laid out differently that Ibotta but serves the same purpose. So this is simply good to have because you can basically save double on something instead of just getting the cash back from one app. And of course there are different items on each app as well so you may find something that you planned to buy on Checkout 51 and not Ibotta. So are you interested in doubling your savings? Then go ahead and click [here] (Side note: Checkout 51 has a website that you can use if you do not have a smart phone)

Find & Save

So again, pretty similar to Ibotta and Checkout 51, so if you want to TRIPLE your cash, click [here]! Sure, perhaps having three of basically the same app may seem excessive, but when you are a stay-at-home mom and hey you want some extra cash, it is totally worth it! Click [here]

Shopkick

Okay so Shopkick is ballin. It is seriously an awesome app. The basic gist is that you earn money for going into stores. What? Yeah. You don't even have to buy anything. So if you are bored one day, you can literally go to like every store in town and just walk in and walk out, although I feel like that would be frowned upon. But still! Shopkick gives you points for walking in and you can also earn points for scanning specific bar codes in the store with your phone. Now this app is different because you do not necessarily earn cash but you do get gift cards. In this app you choose something that you want to save points for (you can change it anytime, it's just a goal setter) and then when you have enough you can get it. It is mostly gift cards but there are other things such as a KitchenAid mixer and a moped. But there are gift cards for many places from Amazon to Starbucks. Click [here]!

So there you have it! Some awesome cha-ching! apps. Now what are you waiting for?? Go make some money!

2016-02-07T20:31:00.003-08:00

Hey everybody! So I am a major YouTube junkie. There is such great content out there! So I will be creating regular posts that feature 5 awesome YouTube channels of a certain category. This week I will be feature beauty channels. These YouTubers are people who create fantastic videos filled with beauty tips, tricks, and tutorials. The ones I will be featuring are just a few of many, so there will be many more features to come!

YouTube Beauty Channels You Need to Check Out:

Bubzbeauty

Bubzbeauty was created by Lindy Tsang who is from Northern Ireland. She is easy to listen to because she has a really soothing accent! Besides that she has a mixture of awesome videos from makeup tutorials to DIY face masks. She has a large archive of really good content.

Michelle Phan

If you do not know who Michelle Phan is, you may have been living under a rock. Phan is well known for her immense success with YouTube. She has created multiple multimillion dollar companies stemming from her YouTube channel yet continues to make great videos. The majority of her content is makeup tutorials, but she does have quite a few fantastic DIY beauty videos.

Kandee Johnson

Kandee is a gem. She is extremely genuine and so very talented. Originally a celebrity makeup artist, Johnson now creates makeup tutorials on a regular basis as her day job. She is just straight up amazing. Even if you are not interested in makeup tutorials for yourself, if you want to watch some crazy awesome videos, check out her costume makeup videos, where she transforms into all sorts of characters from Justin Bieber to Barbie.

AprilAthena7

April is a very kindhearted person who is very relatable. She has many types of videos but her main ones seem to be hauls and reviews on beauty products. It is nice because she reviews both drugstore as well as high end beauty products.

Kayley Melissa

Kayley is a professional hair stylist. She is very talented and has a lot of unique hair tutorials to check out. She is very easy to follow and you can learn how to do a lot of seemingly complex hairstyles without a lot of hassle.

So those are my five beauty gurus on YouTube that you NEED to check out! Let me know, who are some of your favorite beauty YouTubers?

2016-02-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

I was the worst with money. If there was a Spenders Anonymous meeting, I would still have to go once a week as I would be in recovery. I am the ULTIMATE overspender. But thanks to Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace Program as well as working as a bank teller, I have come to learn a lot about the best ways to spend and save money.

Now I know EVERYONE who ever talks about budgeting generally brings up Dave Ramsey, and I bet there are people out there who get really annoyed by that, but the reason is because his methods really do work and they help even the worst spenders and those with the highest debt to have better finances. And while I love what Dave Ramsey has to offer, there are a few ways I have tweaked his methods to best fit my family and our situation.

Before I go into detail about my tips for you, here are the best reasons why you should start budgeting and saving RIGHT NOW. I especially am talking to those in their early twenties or even those who are just starting college, but this applies to everyone of all ages!

Someday you could be using this.

You need to be prepared.

The first step of Dave Ramsey's program is to save $1,000 for emergency use. This is so important because you never know what could happen. There could be a medical emergency or a pipe could burst in your home, and if you are not saving money, that could really hurt you financially. There is just a greater peace of mind knowing that you have most minor emergencies covered no matter what. (And you don't have to dig into your retirement account for it, either)

It feels so good.

Knowing exactly where your money goes is seriously the best feeling. Listen, I am not a Type A personality. I am not one to be 100% organized and anal about everything in my life being exact, so that should be a sign that it is not a personality trait to want to know exactly where every cent goes. It is simply a peace thing. If you want to be at peace, be on top of your money.

You will have way more time to save up.

Yeah duh, this is super obvious, but when you think about how much you can save if you start now versus starting a year from now, that could be like, thousands of dollars that you spent on things you didn't need that could already be saved up by now! Lol okay that sounds really stupid but seriously! That's why you need to start now!

It will keep you out of debt.

Okay now ignoring the horrible fact that most of us younger folks have about one million dollars in debt already due to student loans, budgeting and saving money will keep you out of debt. This is a key point to the idea of starting right now, especially at a younger age because you will be at a point in your life where you haven't had the chance yet to make horrible money decisions such as racking up $3,000 in credit card debt because you are a stupid kid who doesn't understand money (this is DEFINITELY not based on any sort of life experience I've ever had...). It is no fun at all to waste money on the ridiculously high credit card interest that you have accumulated when you could be spending it on something you actually want. Instead, budget and save wisely and you will never have to pay enormous amounts of debt back because your debt will basically never exist! You will be able to learn to save money without eating Ramen all day e'ryday.

Alright. So there are a few good reasons to start saving now. Next are a few good tips on how to get started, using Dave Ramsey methods + Kaity's two cents.

The outdated version of Excel

1. Work that Excel Spreadsheet.

Get super familiarized with Excel. If you don't understand it, Google or YouTube tutorials for how to use it. Because seriously, my budgeting spreadsheet is like one of my BFF's because it tells me the truth and not just what I want to hear, lol. Also because once you get it down, it is so easy to use and it is the best way to really see where your money is going.

2. Get friendly with Online Banking.

I would guess that 99% of banks today provide online banking. It is seriously the best tool. You can see all your accounts and at least with mine I can make instant online transfers, which makes it easy to put the money I want to save into a separate account. If your bank doesn't have online banking or if it is pretty janky, get to know your bank well. Seriously the people at the desks at banks are there to help you and that includes helping you choose the right accounts for your money and budgetary needs. They will help you find the best accounts to where you can earn the most interest as well (it's always nice to earn money for doing nothing).

3. Be sure to have multiple bank accounts.

Now you can always have the bare minimum of a single checking and a single savings account. No problem with that. If you are working the Dave Ramsey envelope system, you can just take cash out. But nowadays debit cards have become so much more user friendly, it may be easier for you to have multiple accounts where you can save for different things and have multiple debit cards as well which can be used in the same way as cash.

4. Start small.

If you are anything like me, you probably get really excited when you start something new and you want to go all in. I do this with everything from exercise to being friends with someone (everyone's like: back off! You're too much friend right now!). DON'T do that with your money! If you do you will give up saving in 10 seconds because you will be all like, "I have no money to spend on anything :( ". Allocate yourself money to spend on crap you don't need first of all so that you don't have withdrawal and suddenly spend everything. And then slowly build your savings account. Start with like $10 a month. That's a super easy amount, right? And then as you get the hang of budgeting and spending money accordingly, bump it up to what you feel comfortable spending.

5. Finally, help others.

How does this help, you ask? Well, in my experience since having my husband and I have had our own money to spend, when we give we receive tenfold. Don't have a fist clenched on your money when it comes to helping others. Have money set aside simply for giving. This is one area where you can allocate as much as you would like because there is no better gift than giving. God always provides what you need, especially when you are will to give.

So there you have it. There will be more posts along this line that will go into greater detail about finances, but for now, this is a basic starting point. I hope this can be useful to you and if you have any financial questions you can always ask!

Any good tips for first time budgeters??

2016-01-26T11:03:00.000-08:00

Human beings have a natural capacity to do absolutely anything we want in the whole world. Unfortunately, we also have a natural tendency to constrict ourselves. Why? It is the silliest thing in the world to hold yourself back from the things you truly want in life. It's time to break free from the chains! Here's how.

Throw insecurities out the window!

You are perfect in every way. Now believe that! Every human being was created just the way they are supposed to be. Do you have a big mole on your face? Who cares? If someone cares about that or makes fun of you, they are lame and not worth your time! If there is something about yourself that you just cannot get past, find (healthy) ways to change that. There is nothing wrong with change. It helps us grow and become our true selves. Just know that you really are great as you are.

Have emotions.

Today's culture seems to force us to keep all our feelings inside, especially if they do not coincide with popular opinion. It is seen as weak to cry. If you show excitement people may look at you weird. But how silly is that? We were made to have emotions. Let yourself feel. You do not necessarily have to embarrass yourself, but just make sure by holding in your emotions that you let them out at a later time instead of just getting rid of them altogether.

Enjoy yourself!

Be able to be alone and be happy. Keep yourself company from time to time! It is such a shame when people cannot stand to be around themselves. Find hobbies. Start writing in a journal to remind yourself how hilarious or witty or just plain awesome you are!

Don't let fear hold you back.

It is important to be physically healthy, but for goodness sake if you want a donut, eat a donut!! Why not? You will not get fat from eating a single donut. this applies to other areas too. If you want to go up and talk to someone, just do it. If you want to go skydiving, do it. Don't let fear hold you back from doing what you want. Be who you truly are by throwing fear out the window. If you find yourself feeling afraid, count to 5, then just do it. Give yourself those five seconds to be scared, and then move on.

These are a few ways to free yourself, and they will lead to a happier, healthier person. What do you do that makes you feel free?

2016-01-18T22:25:00.000-08:00

I have to be honest with you: I never thought I would become a mother. I mean, sure I always imagined it when I played house as a child, but as I grew older, the concept of caring for a mini human being seemed more and more like a never ending babysitting job without the stocked refrigerator. But alas, once marriage rolled around, the next step in life to was contemplating parenthood. After much planning and consideration during the first 2 1/2 years we were married...we ended up just winging it. Yup. And that is how I ended up pregnant!

So little and blissfully unaware of what's to come...

I have loved every second of motherhood, and now that I have gone through the experience of pregnancy and childbirth, there are a few things I wish I had known before I got pregnant. Here are ten of them:

1. Pregnancy can be really fun.

Despite the many complaints we all hear about pregnancy and the morning sickness that goes along with it, pregnancy can be pretty great. That moment you feel the first kick, having someone to talk to all the time (maybe I'm just weird), watching your belly grow (and not having to feel like a total fatty). Also, those doctor visits where you get to hear the heart beat and see your cute little jellybean squirming around! There is a lot of joy when it comes to pregnancy

2. You get really swollen.

Not everyone experiences the same symptoms during pregnancy, but one that I definitely experienced was swollen everything. My face, my arms, my legs, my belly too! (lol) My feet were so swollen that it actually hurt to walk, and putting my feet up didn't really make a difference either. Also nothing fit because of the swelling.

3. There is no such thing as a normal pregnancy.

No matter how many times you study "What to Expect When You're Expecting" (which you will, even if you say you won't, you will), there are still so many things that can happen to you that are strange or that you can't fix. For example, fiery heartburn doesn't go away until you have the baby, no matter how many bottles of Tums you go through each week. Or when it feels like the fetus is vibrating, there's no real explanation for it.

4. You can't really plan anything.

When I went into labor, things seemed to be going extremely well and progressing quickly, I was feeling great and ready to push out a baby. But after a few hours of just lying in a bed and doctors checking my progression, it was suddenly announced that I need to have a C-Section. I never in a million years thought that would happen. My mother gave birth to four children naturally with no significant issues. My sister had two babies with ease. I figured childbirth would be a breeze (what?). But it turned out the baby's head was trying so hard to enter this world that it caused my bladder and cervix to become swollen, which is not a good thing. The C-Section went great and everyone was healthy but it was not something I had expected. You have to simply be willing to go with the flow.

5. Baby Blues exist.

I knew that my hormones were on overload while I was pregnant, but little did I know what was going to occur when the baby left my body. I expected to be overjoyed and filled with motherly love, but was hit with sudden and excessive crying and sadness. I am not "just a sad person"! This was not "normal" for me. This is something that is common and is often ignored in the realm of motherhood. It is scary because you do not feel like the sadness will ever go away. But in most cases it does! However, if the sadness continues for more than two weeks, there were people at my hospital that were willing to call you and even do home visits if necessary in order to ensure that you are healthy and happy.

Back when my bump was still cute and not a beach ball!

6. It changes you.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but you have no idea, sweet, naive little child. I had the idea in my mind that nothing was going to change, but EVERYTHING did. And I don't just mean that you will get less sleep or there will be an extra person in the house-- your whole perspective changes. Your priorities are different. You don't think of yourself first anymore. Your baby becomes your whole world.

7. Walking is awesome.

Seriously, kudos to those moms that keep up serious exercising while pregnant--I was a wimp about that! I was tired and was on my feet all day and just wanted to lay around. So I did. But walking was therapeutic and a great gentle exercise. Also, it gets labor going, for real! There are a lot of different methods that people talk about for inducing labor but walking is number one!

8. It's okay to accept help.

Literally everyone wants to do everything for you. It's nice at times but other times if you are like me you may be a very independent person or really dig privacy and alone time. So for me it was a little difficult, but the help that we received came in many different forms, and I do not know where we would be without those kind souls.

9. People are going to treat you differently.

It's true. Some people will treat you like a baby. Others will finally start to treat you as an adult. Some friends will treat you like, well, not a friend. The truth is, you are moving into a different stage in your life and people just won't see you as the same person, despite the fact that you still feel like the same Lost fangirl you were before you got pregnant.

10. You will never experience anything like it.

It really is a one of a kind experience that cannot fully be understood until you've gone through it. You are going to laugh, you're going to cry, and you are going to wish things could just poof back to before this all happened sometimes. But most of all, you are finally going to understand what love means. You will never understand how you ever lived without this alien like creature. You will never, ever love anyone like you will love your child.

So there you have it. Ten things that I wish I had known before getting pregnant. Hopefully you will be able to gain some foresight and understand before or as you embark on this remarkable adventure.

Veteran moms, what are some things you wish you had known before having your first child?