Jess, Author at Bliss This Mess

In Productive SAHM

The Best Budget Tips for Moms

March 25, 2022 No Comments

With gas prices, inflation, and cost of living rising, being a stay at home mom is becoming more difficult for a lot of families. As a stay at home mom myself, I know the importance of financial security in a marriage. Some of the most stressful periods of our relationship were because we had more days at the end of the month than we did money. With five kids, and one income, I have discovered some great stay at home mom budget tips. My husband is really good at making money, but he is also really great at spending it.…

In Family Fun

How to Raise Happy and Confident Kids

March 18, 2022 No Comments

All five of my kids have one thing in common; they light up every room they walk into. I hope they never stop believing they are capable of achieving everything they set their mind to. After all, as parents, our goal is to raise happy and confident kids. Did you know we are born with only two fears? The fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. All of the other insecurities, worries, fears, and doubts we burden ourselves with are learned and carried throughout the course of our life. I remember seeing a quote by Frederick Douglass that…

In Family Fun

Festive St. Patrick’s Day Snack-Shamrock Pretzel Pops

March 11, 2022 No Comments

A St. Patrick’s Day snack that’s sweet, salty, crunchy, and festive? You know I’m in! I’m all about finding fun ways to incorporate new holiday traditions with my kids. So when I saw this shamrock pretzel pop idea, I knew we had to give it a go! With only 5 ingredients, these are the perfect allergy friendly snack to enjoy at home, bring to a school party, or give to neighbors and friends! Better yet, they don’t require a whole lot of time either! So, are you read to get started? Ingredients Pretzel sticksPretzel twistsDark green candy meltsLight green candy…

In Family Fun

30 Spring Bucket List Activities Your Kids Will Love

March 4, 2022 1 Comment

We have made it to the first week of March and my mind is spinning with spring bucket list activities I can do with the kids! Last year, I created a fall bucket list challenge. It was a total blast spending that time with my kids as we tried to check off all 30 activities before the first day of winter! There’s only a couple of more weeks until the first day of spring and my kids are eagerly awaiting to get started on their spring bucket list. As a homeschool family, we aren’t limited to just spring break for…

In Productive SAHM

Age-Appropriate Chores for Kids 10 and Under

February 25, 2022 No Comments

Chores. The universal word for instantaneous groans, no matter what age your kids are. Despite how my kids feel about chores, I feel like I have finally overcome the most overwhelming phase of motherhood. It wasn’t long ago that I was reading about why motherhood is so exhausting. It’s not because we chase after kids all day or run on very little sleep, but rather the mental load that is required. Some of that mental load includes remembering to pay bills on time, grocery shop, budget, schedule appointments, and meal plan. Oh, and don’t forget to throw a little self…

In Homeschooling

Essential Items for New Homeschoolers

February 18, 2022 No Comments

This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. The opinions on these products are my own. I remember our first year of homeschooling. Pinterest had me convinced that we needed an extravagant homeschool room and bookshelves loaded with the best curriculum and manipulatives for every subject. I filled my Amazon cart with the best selling school supplies and cleared a large chunk of my living room to serve as our homeschool room. On the first day of school, I froze. I had all of this stuff and no idea what…

In Homeschooling

Why You Need To Homeschool with Miacademy

February 10, 2022 4 Comments

I was compensated with free product in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own and not influenced by Miacademy. Starting our homeschooling journey was more overwhelming than I expected it to be. My biggest challenge was finding a curriculum that was easy to teach and even more fun for my kids to learn. In a recent blog post, I listed 7 reasons why homeschooling was our best option. One of the reasons our family decided to homeschool was because it gave us the freedom to choose how to teach and what to teach.…

In Family Fun

5 Tips for a Happy and Successful Marriage

February 4, 2022 1 Comment

I got married at 18. My then boyfriend and I were dating for a few months when we found out we were pregnant with our first child. A month later, we were engaged and a month after that, we were married. Our life’s path suddenly changed and we were embracing it, together, forever. The odds weren’t necessarily in our favor. 50% of all marriages end in divorce and the median duration of first marriages that end is about 8 years. Whats worse is teenage marriages are two to three times more likely to end in divorce than marriages between people…

In Productive SAHM

What To Do When Fitness Goals Fail

January 28, 2022 No Comments

A few months ago, I wrote a post, My Journey to Becoming the Best Version of Myself. I was so excited to start building my home gym. What started as a lonesome stationary bike in the basement, soon included a rower, adjustable dumbbells and kettlebells, different types of resistance bands, and exercise mats. I was more than ready to start working towards my own health and fitness goals after dedicating the last ten years to raising our five kids. My goal was to lose 1.5 lbs. a week. At that pace, I would be about 30 lbs lighter by the…

In Productive SAHM

This Year in Review and How to Improve

December 31, 2021 No Comments

There’s only one day left of the year and I’m in total denial that we are about to ring in 2022. I used to love New Year’s Eve because, as a kid, I would spend some time thinking about goals and everything I wanted to accomplish in the next twelve months. It felt like a book with blank pages just waiting to be written and I was holding the pen. Then, you get older and get sucked into some of the pitfalls of adulthood and New Year’s feels more like a reset button. Congratulations! You now get to go through…