~FREE PRINTABLE~ Summer Planner

Oh, I don't know why, but I've always loved the idea of summer, and sun, and all things hot... 

Winter's a good time to stay in and cuddle but put me in summer and I'll be a ... happy snowman!!

If you are a mom of young kids, you just said that above in Olaf's voice. And now that song is stuck in your head. You're welcome.

Just like with my Winter, Spring, and Fall Planners, you can use this planner to keep track of everything you want to do or make in the summer.

Get it HERE!

You can check out my Pinterest boards to get ideas for Independence Day/summer activities.

Our summer is actually kind of crazy this year. Having two kids' birthdays back to back and kindy starting this fall, I am in DO ALL THE THINGS!!!!! mode and this has been a great way for me to stay on top of everything. And thanks to global warming, the weather has been abnormally cool, so we can do things instead of just stay in the house watching movies all day.

How is your summer going?

~FREE PRINTABLE~ Spring Planner

A lovely reader was kind enough to remind me that I hadn't posted my Spring Planner yet. She was very kind when really she she had every right to call my out as the lazy, forgetful bitch that I am. 

That said, here is the Spring Planner. Spring is a wonderful time for me. The weather gets warm, activities start up around town and we can get out of the house. And my anniversary is in May.
 

So it helps me to keep track of all the nice, spring things I want to do. Recipes I want to try, things I want to do and make. Everything is right here to help me enjoy the season to the fullest.

You can download your very own Spring Planner for free. 

You can also check out my Fall Planner and Winter Planner. 

Get some spring ideas on my Pinterest board and also get ideas for Earth Day, Mari Gras, St. Patrick's Day and more.

~FREE~ Winter Planner

It is my least season of all time and only partly b/c it contains my least favorite holiday - Christmas - but that doesn't mean there are plenty of fun things to do in winter. The nights are longer, lending perfectly to snuggling up inside and staying cozy. 

Since there are so many things to do and eat and craft and drink, I decided to make this Winter Planner. It's a great way to track everything you want to do. It has a Winter Bucket List, space for parties you want to host or attend, decorations you want, recipes you want to try, activities to do and crafts to make. Everything is all in one spot.

Download your free Winter Printable here!

And as a way to track what new fall recipes you want to try out, I have made some recipe cards for you. Just print and fill out!

HAPPY WINTER Y'ALL!!

Turkey Tom Thanksgiving Advent Calendar Craft ~FREE PRINTABLE~

As a foodie, I love Thanksgiving for all the food and all the wine that you can drink without being judged and the yoga pants that you can safely longue in after you have stuffed yourself.

But I also think it is important holiday for helping us remember just how lucky most of us are and that we have a lot to be thankful. So as a way to count down until Turkey Day and to be mindful of our blessings awesomeness, I have made this Turkey Tom Thanksgiving Advent Calendar.

Simply cut out the feathers and glue them, one for each day until Thanksgiving, onto Turkey Tom. To make it extra special, write one thing you are thankful for on each feather before gluing it on. When Thanksgiving arrives, you will have a beautiful, fat turkey full of everything you are thankful for.

Download your free Thanksgiving Advent Calendar Printable here!

You can also keep track of all things Thanksgiving with my Thanksgiving Pack in my Etsy shop.

I hope you have a wonderful and awesome Thanksgiving! 

Turkey Tom Day 1:

Fall Planner ~FREE PRINTABLE~

Despite what my drunk ass thought last week, this Friday is actually the first Friday of Fall.

It is my favorite season of all time and only partly b/c it contains my super, duper, most favoritest holiday ever - Halloween. Fall is the time you can snuggle inside with some hot apple cider but also enjoy the crisp air.

Since there are so many things to do and eat and craft and drink, I decided to make this Fall Planner. It's a great way to track everything you want to do. It has a Fall Bucket List, space for parties you want to host or attend, decorations you want, recipes you want to try, activities to do and crafts to make. Everything is all in one spot.

Download your free Fall Printable here!

And as a way to track what new fall recipes you want to try out, I have made some recipe cards for you. Just print and fill out!

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!

But remember; if you say 'pumpkin spice latte' three times in a mirror, a white girl in yoga pants will appear and tell you all the things she loves about fall.

You've been warned.

Father's Day ~FREE PRINTABLE~

Just like for Mother's Day, I created a FREE PRINTABLE to celebrate all things Dad.

This is a super cute way to document all the thoughts your littles have about their dads while they are still young and funny and in the "kids say the darnedest things" stage of life. That goes away all too soon, so what better way to capture it than with this printable.

You can download this FREE PRINTABLE here.

Need something cute to give to Dad this Father's Day? How about this I Love You to Pieces craft? 

Now to have The Good Daughter fill this out for The Good Husband. I wonder if she claims he is stinky, just like me. 

Mother's Day ~FREE PRINTABLE~

Mother's day is this Sunday. This is a day where us moms should be able to sleep in late, have well behaved and quiet children and a self cleaning house. Sadly, the likelihood of that happening is right up there with me waking up in the middle of a Channing Tatum and Shia LaBeouf sandwich, with the body of  Christina Hendricks and the hair of Kate Beckinsale and the bank account of Bill Gates. But I hope you can still have an amazing day.

One of the things I love about having children, is the simple wonder they have for everyday things. Being a cynical adult, I have lost all that magic and I get swallowed up by all the things I am doing wrong as a mom. So its nice to be able to see through the eyes of your children that you are actually a decent mom.

So I thought it would be nice for me to have something to keep forever as proof that my kids did once love me. Believe me, I am saving these babies for when The Good Daughter hits 12 and "GAWD YOU SUCK MOM!! WHATEVER!! I HATE YOU!!!" 

This I Love Mom printable is a great way to capture all that cute kid stuff they have in their head. Your kids get to write their favorite memory of you, all your favorite things and what makes you special. Best of all, it's FREE!

Get your copy here, give it to your husband shit, you know you will just do it on your own anyway, fill it out with your kids and then get it delivered to you with your breakfast in bed on Sunday. Unless your husband is like mine, in which case, you just get a bottle of tequila b.c he can't screw that up.

And, I do hope you have a happy Mother's Day. (Fill one out for you mom too!) 

P.S.: You will notice that not only is folding laundry the thing I am the best at, but I am also stinky (dirty hippy 4 LYFE!!) and look the best when I brush my hair. But the best thing about me is that I love The Good Daughter - her words. 

Did you miss Mother's Day? 

Don't worry. I will have one of these babies ready for Father's Day. Just check in June, um, whenever the hell Father's Day is. ;)

Homemade Valentine Coupons and a Free Printable

So, its Valentine's Day again and time for something special for The Good Daughter. 

Now that she has a lot of responsibilities, I thought it would be a great idea to make her a coupon book to get out of some of them. 

So I made her a Valentine coupon book full of coupons for things like "get out of time out." There is only one of those, for my sanity.

The rest are good for things like getting out of one chore or 15 minutes extra of tv/computer/game time.

There are also coupons for unlimited hugs and kisses and cuddles. 

I simply printed out the coupons on regular paper, cut them and punched two holes on the side. I cut a piece of pink cardstock and glued the title coupon to the front and tied it all together with some heart ribbon I had left over from last year's Valentines.

If you would like to make this Valentine coupon book with 16 love coupons, just click here for a free printable.

Breastfeeding Mother's Survival Kit

Now that I am experiencing all the joys of caring for a newborn again, I thought would share with you all the things I found that helped me survive the first few weeks nursing a newborn.

First, claim your territory. I personally like our single chair and footstool in the living room since it provides the most support when holding The Good Baby. So I plant my ass in the chair and everyone else can go away. I like to hold my babies, so I fill the DVR with The Walking Dead episodes and settle in for 12 hours of cuddle time with the baby.

Next I have gathered several essentials for the breastfeeding new mom and kept them close in a storage box. Since my ass is planted for a good chunk of the day, I need things I will use within reach, so I don't have to put the baby down and get up or ask The Good Husband and hear him bitch.

So what do I have in the breastfeeding mother's survival kit?

1. Lanolin - ohmygawd does breastfeeding hurt like a motherfucker in the first few weeks. Having a newborn Hoover on your nipples 12 times a day can lead to cracked, sore and bleeding nipples. Remember that time Tara Reid was at a Puff Daddy party and the strap on her dress fell down to reveal a really bad boob job that looked like wolverines had been gnawing on her tit? Yeah, your nipple will look like that. Slather that bitch up with lanolin and it will help.

2. Painkillers - b/c, let's face it, lanolin just won't be enough. If you have pushed your kid out of your vag or through the wall of your abdomen, you will be in pain. And the kind folks at the hospital should give you pain meds. You might worry about taking them and how it will effect your supply but let me just say - TAKE ALL THE MEDS. Seriously. Take them as often as you can until they run out.

3. Snacks - for the next few weeks, most of your meals will consist of things you can eat with one hand. Keep some shit, like this and this on hand.

4. Fenugreek - just to make sure your milk supply is at a healthy level.

5. Vitamin D drops - this is something new to me in the three years since I had The Good Daughter. but since I don't want TGB to get rickets or scurvy or whatever, I give him the drops.

6. Mylicon - your baby will probably be more gassy than your 80 year old uncle Jack and will fart louder than him too. but since you don't want to see your baby in pain with a belly full of gas, give him some drops at each feeding.

7. Spit up rags - the same immature system that causes your baby to have farts and explosive shits that will clear a room will also force stuff out the other end. be prepared to be puked on. it will remind you of college, only this time I hope you don't ruin your favorite shirt.

8. Boob therapy - you know that lanolin you have on hand for your sore nipples, well the rest of your boob will hurt too and you will need something to soothe it. Thera Pearl 3 in 1 Breast Therapy (the purple cloth, next to my phone on the photo) is an amazing product. You can heat it up to help with pumping or you can freeze it for when you are engorged and feel like you have 15 lbs bowling balls on your chest.

9. Nipple helpers - Latch Assist is another great product if you have flat or inverted nipples. I'm sorry you now know too much about my nipples.

10. Smart Phone - nothing sucks more than being up at 3 am and falling asleep while nursing your baby. You wake up in a panic thinking you might have dropped your baby or worse. So keep your phone on hand to keep your ass awake in the wee small hours.

11. Reading Material - for when you have watched all of The Walking Dead. A few breastfeeding books I have are this one, this one and this one. My aunt gave me that Supper Nanny book. I don't know if that is a passive aggressive comment on how we have done with The Good Daughter or not.

12. Snot sucker - you know that bulb syringe they give you in the hospital? Yeah, that ain't sucking shit out. Get this. Seriously.

13. Bink - I know this is controversial for a BFing mom, but I think they are a life saver.

14. Remote - once, while on maternity leave with TGD, I couldn't find the remote and had to sit through a marathon of Rambo movies. It was a horrible experience and whenever I hear Stalone's voice I get PTSD. Don't let that happen to you.

15. Boppy pillow - since both kids were c/s babies, I nursed them in the football hold for the longest time, while my incision healed. The boppy was a huge help in getting everyone comfortable and on the boob.

16. Baby Tracker - to help you keep track of the shit. literally.

Since you are BFing a baby, it is hard to see how many ounces they are eating a day. The best gauge is "output" aka shitty and pissy diapers. You will be told to keep track of how many of each your baby is making and that will tell you if they are getting enough milk.

Now normally you would think you would be able to keep track of that on your own, or remember the last breast you used to nurse, but in the dark haze of sleep deprivation you won't. Trust me. So I have created this tracker to keep track of how often you nurse and which side, when the baby sleeps and yup, how many pissy and shitty diapers you change in a day.

This will help you start to see a pattern over time. When TGS was up every two hours for the first two weeks, I thought he was broken and - holy shit! I don't remember your sister nursing this much - but when I checked her trackers, I saw that she was nursing every hour.

If you are expecting a new baby or just had one - Congrats!! You will get to sleep again sometime. You can also download a copy of this template here.

BotO - Babysitter Notes

I'm told that normal people leave their kids with babysitters while they enjoy a night out. We have done that once in the almost 3 years that The Good Daughter has been alive. We need to get out more. 

One source of anxiety for me the one time we left her with a sitter was making sure she knew what to do. I wish I had had this template then. It would have given me peace of mind and allowed me to enjoy the shitty movie The Good Husband and I went to see that night.

I also babysat a lot in high school and college. So much so, that I almost made as much money from my babysitting jobs than I did my actual job at the time. I would have loved something like this when I watched kids for a new family the first few times. Everything is laid out clearly and easily accessible. Hanging this on the fridge or next to the phone would have been super helpful. And by seeing all the areas on the template, it reduces the chance that Mom or Dad might forget to tell the sitter something. 

The template includes where you will be at while the sitter is watching your children,  emergency contact information for both parents and additional emergency contacts, instructions for each child including what and when they eat, if they have any homework, activities they are allowed to do, rules they need to follow, bath and bed times as well as any medication needed. In the event of a true emergency, the contact information for the police, fire and doctor are listed along with your address if the sitter needs to relay it.

The template will help relieve any anxiousness you might have when leaving your kids with a sitter. Now, just don't pick a shitty movie to see.

You can download a copy of this template for your Brains of the Operation aka Household Binder, here.

BotO - Pet Log and our new family member

This pretty girl right there is our newest family member. The Good Husband got her for me last Valentine's Day. And really, nothing says "I love you" like something else you have to clean up after. But she is a great dog considering I have never owned a pet before. Ever.

We got her from the local no-kill shelter and right off the bat she loved The Good Daughter and knew some commands but most importantly, she was house broken and crate trained. The shelter told us she was a mix of German Sheppard and Beagle. She has an amazing temperament and is very playful and loving. She really is a great dog. And she helps teach TGD some responsibility since it is her sole job to feed and water Foxy.

 

So now that I have a dog, I have to keep track of all the vet appointments and medicine we have to give her monthly. I created this Pet Log as part of my Brains of the Operation, aka Household Binder.

I included all the important information - pet name, age and breed, daily activity and food intake, vet contact information as well as a tracker for shots and heart worm medication. This helps me see, at a glance that Foxy is up to date on all her shots and if anyone were to ever petsit for us, they will know how much to feed and walk her daily. 

You can download this template for your own household binder here.

How to plan a party

I recently threw The Good Daughter one hell of a birthday party. It took a lot of planning. The last two weeks before her birthday were dedicated to buying and making decorations, games, decor and food.

I couldn't have done it without some sort of list and planning tools. I actually had an idea of the theme, games and menu way back in March. Yes March, for a birthday in June. And yes, I know I'm crazy.

this is my rough draft for the backyard layout of the party

But it was a huge relief for me to have everything written down and in one spot. That way I could go over it when I had free time and modify any detail.

The Good Husband could look at the list and know what the hell was going on too, so when the morning of her party came, he would know how to help me set up. The same with my mom and grandma.

So I decided to create a party planning template to go into my household binder, aka The Brains of the Operation.

I'll be planning parties for at least another 19 years for The Good Daughter as well as any additional kiddo we might have, so this will come in handy, even if for once a year. And besides, it's never too early to plan for next year.

Camping birthday next year?

You can download this template here for your own BotO.