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Jess

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Importance of Family Communication and How to Improve It

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With five kids, people are often surprised that my kids get along so well with each other. I’m extremely grateful that they often act more like good friends instead of sibling rivals. Since having kids, I have read A LOT of marriage and parenting books. A few years ago, I hit a wall, admitted I had no idea what I was doing (because I had never had kids before), and began learning new and effective ways to parent young children. There was always one common theme I read about; improve our communication with one another. From then on, I made…

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fall bucket list activities for family
In Family Fun

30 Fun Fall Activities to Put on Your Bucket List

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On the off chance that you’re going to label me as basic, I’m just going to go ahead and say it. I LOVE fall! I love the crisp, chilly morning air, the leaves changing colors, and all things pumpkin spice. My kids can’t wait to go to all of the fall festivals and they know that this season also brings trick or treating and Thanksgiving. There are also so many fun, fall activities to do with your family. Where do you start? With help from my kids, we have compiled a list of our favorite seasonal things to do. I…

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In Productive SAHM

6 Ways to Recover When You Hit Mommy Burnout

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With five kids, I feel like I have a higher threshold for dealing with bulls*t. I’m very thankful that Mommy burnout is far and few in between for me. But when it hits, it hits like a ton of bricks and this phase feels like it takes forever to end. It happened just last week. An irritable seven month old that went through her first sleep regression triggered a downward spiral of emotions for almost two weeks. My days consisted of sitting on the floor next to her to play and, if I even considered for one second trying to…

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In Crafts & DIY

How to Make a Cute Scarecrow for Your Front Porch

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Fall is quickly approaching and I am eager to start decorating. But there’s only one problem. I’m seriously lacking inspiration. I think that’s the problem with having a deep desire to be crafty but also having kids. There are a lot of great ideas out there that would never survive being in my house. I’ve always wanted to decorate our front porch area for the seasons and holidays but I didn’t really know where to start. But recently, I refurbished an old garden bench we had. Once I put it agains the front of our home, it started giving me…

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In Productive SAHM

My Journey to Becoming The Best Version of Myself

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Personal growth and development is such a powerful thing. I believe we should never become stagnant or comfortable with who we are. There is always room to improve! For the last handful of years, I have dedicated most of my time to growing our family. My kids have required all of my time, energy and focus. Even though I often hear how important it is for moms to regularly practice self care, I didn’t always prioritize it. I thought self care was more about finding things that I enjoy, and even though finding my own hobbies did bring me great…

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In Family Fun

Raising 5 Wonderful Kids in a Judgmental World

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Whenever we go out in public, we get some weird looks. I remember asking my husband when we first started dating, how many kids he wanted. At the time, he told me two. I was worried it would be a deal breaker when I told him I wanted four. Our inside joke is that after a little negotiating, we compromised on having six (hopefully). Sometime after having my third kid, I had this feeling I couldn’t shake that four kids wasn’t all we were meant to have. Then, after having our fourth child, I knew for certain that I wanted…

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In Family Fun

Welcoming a Baby into the World During a Pandemic

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We welcomed our fifth baby in January of 2021. We delivered at the same hospital as our other four and with the same doctor as the previous two kids. I thought I knew what to expect. After all, I could basically do this with my eyes closed. Or so we thought. Like a lot of people, COVID threw us a few curveballs. 1/10, I do not recommend having a baby during COVID. Although, our baby was the highlight of a rather weird and stressful year, the experience turned out to be a little depressing. Here’s why. The Hospital Was Tense…

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In Family Fun

The Most Important Lessons My Second Child Taught Me

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Last week my daughter, Mackenzie, turned six. She wasn’t my first kid. But she was the one that made me a “girl mom” and she is also leads the pack of our not-so-small girl gang with her three little sisters. Just like most birthdays, that day had me reminiscing over the last few years, wondering where the time went. It is so crazy looking back on her baby pictures and then looking at her now. I had no idea that such a beautiful, smart, and loving kid with a big, kind heart would come out of that little, bald baby.…

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In Family Fun

The Best Survival Guide to Family Road Trips

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I remember my very first road trip after becoming a mom. My son wasn’t even a week old yet and we were preparing for a 7 hour road trip to Durango for my sister’s wedding. I guess that’s one of the downfalls to living so far away from family; we are guaranteed at least one long road trip a year so we can spend time together. I had no idea what to expect, or even what to pack. So I literally packed everything and then regretted loading and unloading so much stuff. Things have changed since then. We now have…

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In Productive SAHM

Quick and Easy Instant Pot Recipes That Picky Eaters Love

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Do you struggle with nailing down a weekly dinner plan that is quick, easy, and one that impresses even the pickiest of eaters? I hate putting together a dinner plan. It is my most dreaded task of the week. Every week, I ask my kids if they have any dinner suggestions to help me put together a grocery list. As usual, my husband is either too hungry, not hungry, too tired, too hot, or too busy to think about dinner. My kids, on the other hand, will all suggest the same thing and then unenthusiastically groan when they find out…

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