Blog – Page 8 of 16 – Simplified Motherhood

10 Things You Need for Baby Before the Summer…

February 5, 2020January 4, 2021
by Jessica Whitney

I’ve found a ton of unique yet essential baby gear items you need to get to prepare for summer. I absolutely love summer and doing things outside, but living in Texas…it gets HOT here (at least compared to Colorado).

Thankfully, there’s a ton of baby beach gear, pool gear, and products to make mom life that much easier for me and my 3 kiddos!

I’m planning on getting some of these summer baby items for my almost 1 year old, especially to be at the pool (which is literally across the street).

I put together a list of all the essential baby items and a few momma items to survive the heat this summer. There’s no rhyme or reason to the order, sorry just picked some of my absolute favorites that I thought were unique!

If you’re expecting, here’s a minimalist yet detailed guide to the baby essentials for a registry – try here or if you’re looking for last minute items to throw in your hospital bag… I’ve got you covered too!

Okay, let’s talk summer baby stuff for 2019!

Psst if you have a newborn you might like… 12 Tips to Keep Your Newborn Cool This Summer

Motherhood + Parenting

13 Simple Gift Ideas Kids Absolutely Love

December 2, 2019December 11, 2024
by Jessica Whitney

Being intentional with your time, money, and relationships is so important in a world of more-more-more. Keeping simple toys in your home for your kids teaches them this same intentional behavior. From a young age, they learn to appreciate what they have, to truly play, and to grow their imaginations.

“Wise parents also think about the number of toys that children are given. While most toy rooms and bedrooms today are filled to the ceiling with toys, intentional parents learn to limit the number of toys that kids have to play with. I’m not anti-toy. I’m just pro-child. So do your child a favor today and limit their number of toys. (Just don’t tell them you got the idea from me.)”

– Joshua Becker

Declutter + Organize

10 Effective Tips to Organize and Declutter Toys

November 30, 2019December 11, 2024
by Jessica Whitney

In our home, there is a constant love/hate relationship with toys. I love seeing the look of joy on my kids’ faces when they open up a new present or enjoy a really great toy. Yet, the daily toy clutter does the opposite of bringing me joy.

According to a recent study, clutter actually affects our kids too. In the study, researchers analyzed whether or not clutter affected Kindergartener’s ability to learn in the classroom. The study confirmed that a child’s environment matters for their focus and attention, which is related to development.

This article simply reinforced my desire to better organize our playroom and declutter our toys, especially before the upcoming holiday season! I want to create a home where imaginations can develop, my kids can relax, be themselves, and find joy in the day to day moments. Part of this means keeping the home clean, organized, and clutter free!

Let’s talk about the keys to successfully organize your playroom once and for all!
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Mental Load & Mindset

The Power of Listening to Understand Not Correct

November 24, 2019June 4, 2025
by Jessica Whitney

Listening is often discounted as a powerful problem-solving tool. Honestly, most of us need to learn to do it better. And I include myself when I say that!

I remember a time sitting at a coffee shop with a friend. I wanted to share some frustration from work, to vent, to be seen, to be heard. Said friend is a good listener in my opinion. Yet, I walked away unsatisfied from the conversation.

She showed interest in what I had to say, but I didn’t feel complete afterward. I was left with that same weary feeling of “still being stuck with this frustrating situation.” Now, I don’t blame her, but it put me on a mission to learn how to hold a safe space for others to be truly authentic in a conversation. To learn how to put aside my own fears and boundaries in order to be an effective listener.

As a mom, we not only need to support our friends through listening, but we will be required to carefully listen to our children, spouses, and parents as life’s challenges and struggles inevitably find us.

We need to do whatever we can to become the best listeners we possibly can.

Mental Load & Mindset

Why You Need to Celebrate Your Childfree Era

November 21, 2019June 4, 2025
by Jessica Whitney

Many young mothers struggle with their identity and purpose and the pressure of young motherhood, in part, because we as a society never celebrate or close out the end of the childfree era. Our identity as moms becomes a self-identity crisis that I know I’ve struggled with.

Transitions are awkward things. You don’t know what to expect. Others don’t know what to expect from you. You’re moving away from an old stage to a new unknown.

Perhaps you said goodbye on purpose.

Perhaps you are moving into a new era begrudgingly.

Either way, the era is gone and it’s time to move forward.

One of the reasons young motherhood is so hard, in my humble opinion, is because of transition.

Baby Tips

The Coziest Safe Baby Sleep Sacks For Winter

October 21, 2019January 2, 2025
by Lindsay Lehne

When we first brought our baby girl home, I tried to swaddle her in a muslin blanket instead of a sleep sack because we didn’t own one and I didn’t really see a reason to invest in one (re: Baby Essentials List). But, my tiny Houdini impersonator had a way of wriggling out of her swaddle every single night and would wake up and cry because she was cold and her blanket was gone.

After two months of getting up 5-7 times a night to readjust her blanket, I finally took the plunge and invested in a fleece sleep sack for her and it was a complete game changer!! The velcro was super handy for making sure that the blanket stayed in place, she couldn’t wriggle out of it anymore, and the most beautiful part about it: she started to sleep through the night.

Insert hallelujahs and praise hands from tired parents everywhere!

Today, I wanted to share the joy of the best baby sleep sacks with you too!

Budgeting

14 Ways Real-Life Married Couples Handle Finances and Build…

October 8, 2019October 1, 2020
by Jessica Whitney

I polled one of my favorite mom groups for their best tips on how to handle finances as a married couple. From dividing and conquering to communication and trust, I combined my favorite responses to give you the most effective ways married couples handle finances!

These are the awesome responses I received! Feel free to add your own at the end!

Budgeting

7 Myths and Overall Popular Excuses Not to Budget

September 10, 2019September 19, 2019
by Jessica Whitney

According to Gallup, 32% of Americans do not keep a detailed household budget. This fact combined with the average household debt level of $135K makes me even more motivated to get the word out about the absolute FREEDOM that budgeting can bring you. I mean, jump for joy, loving money freedom.

All of this data tells me that most likely, if you’re reading this article, you’re looking for ways to become motivated or stay motivated to better manage your money, whether it be because you’re behind on bills, because you want to make a career change, or just because want to create a secure financial future for your family.

Before you begin your first budget, you need to understand the many commonly held myths and quite frankly, popular excuses for not budgeting. It’s time to get real, friend! Do any of these apply to you?

Budgeting

9 Steps To Get On a Budget When You’re…

August 8, 2019August 25, 2025
by Jessica Whitney

When you are already behind on bills, the thought of starting a budget seems overwhelming and just not worth your time. But in my opinion, what’s not worth your time, is the weight you are carrying around unnecessarily.

Here are some tips for how to start a budget when you are already behind on all the bills.

There are affiliate links in this post, this means when you click on a link and make a purchase, I might receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

New Mom Survival Guide

5 Things a New Mom Needs for Herself Post-Baby

June 25, 2019November 10, 2020
by Katlynne Tekurio

Becoming a mother is one of the best things to ever happen to us, as well as the hardest, most frustrating challenge. Your entire world changes and you lose control. You do not feel or act like yourself.

Here is a list of the best things a new mom needs for herself that will help you get your life back on track!

There are affiliate links in this post. This means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I might receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

Psst if you have a newborn you might like… 12 Tips to Keep Your Newborn Cool This Summer

Do you have a copy of the free simple budget printable?