Jess, Author at Bliss This Mess

In Productive SAHM

How to Become a Potty Training Professional

June 4, 2021 No Comments

Let me tell you, I look forward to the day when the only butt I’m wiping is my own! Out of my five kids, three are potty trained, and we are just about to begin the transition out of diapers with my fourth, who just turned two. I am very thankful that all of my kids have decided to potty train right after their second birthdays. Don’t get me wrong, I love celebrating this milestone and I also love not having to buy diapers for two kids at a time. But it’s a process…and a hectic process at that. When…

In Family Fun

Tips for Making it The Best Family Game Night Ever

June 1, 2021 No Comments

Who doesn’t love a family game night? Ours tend to get a little competitive. I’m trying to teach my kids to be gracious winners and also not to be sore losers. By the way, if you’re looking for a good book on this subject, I recommend, Sometimes You Win and Sometimes You Learn For Kids, by John Maxwell. Our kids earned a family game night as a reward for working together and completing all of their chores last week. The one game we could all agree on this time was Mario Party on the Nintendo Switch. My son was in…

In Productive SAHM

Quick Snack Organization with Dollar Tree Items

May 30, 2021 No Comments

Is anybody else a huge fan of The Home Edit show on Netflix? When that show was added, I’m pretty sure I binge watched all of the episodes during the first few days. It is inspiring and motivating to see what they can do with just about any space! With five kids, my house is chaos. We have recently implemented a chore chart in our house to help control the chaos and it is definitely helping. I dream of organization and everything having its own place. But I have come to accept my fate, that until these kids are out…

In Productive SAHM

5 of the Best Reminders for Motherhood

May 27, 2021 14 Comments

Motherhood is so rewarding! I remember feeling that way in the delivery room while holding my baby for the first time. I had no idea back then, how fulfilled I would feel now. For those of you that are checking out this blog for the first time, I have five wonderful kids. My oldest will be eight this year and my youngest is four months old. At this point in my parenting journey, I’m pretty experienced with the well-meaning stranger in public that says things like “wow, you’ve got your hands full” or “bless your heart.” But what they don’t…

In Crafts & DIY

How to Create a Functional Chore Chart for Multiple Kids

May 26, 2021 2 Comments

With a lot of kids, comes a lot of responsibilities. Have you ever said something to your kids, and instantly thought, “oh my gosh, I sound like my mother!?” Sometimes I can’t help myself when my kids come to me complaining they are bored. My first reaction is to say, “you’re bored? I’ll give you something to do!” What they find boring, I find overwhelming. In a desperate attempt to get more organized, I began searching the internet for inspiration on how to create a chore chart. I was surprised to find there aren’t many ideas that work for big…

In Family Fun

Tea for Two: How to Plan a Tea Party Birthday

May 25, 2021 No Comments

Last month, we celebrated our daughter’s second birthday. Because her first birthday was spent in quarantine, I wanted to do something really special this year. Most people look at me funny and remind me that she won’t even remember these years. But, I tend to be a little extra when it comes to planning things for my kids. Selfishly, I want those memories for me too…and the pictures! I grew up in the country. We raised cows, rode dirt bikes and four-wheelers, and played in the mud. So when I pictured my future, I thought I was destined to be…

In Crafts & DIY

DIY S’more Station Tutorial

May 24, 2021 No Comments

Roast a Marshmallow and Party S’more For my family and I, s’mores means the official start of summer. The combination of a gooey marshmallow, some melty chocolate, and a crunchy graham cracker really completes the perfect night with a toasty campfire under the stars. Last summer, Colorado, and many other states, experienced a horrific wildfire season. Out of an abundance of caution (and eventually a statewide fire ban), we didn’t have any campfires. Which also meant we didn’t enjoy a single s’more! I decided to take action this year and not let Colorado’s drought rain on my parade (although I…