Word for 2019: MORE

Last fall I began thinking about what my word for 2019 would be.  I started thinking about my goals and plans for the year, and it all came down to one word: MORE.

Goals

Cook More. Clean More. Blog More. Do More household projects.  Make our home a more organized and efficient space. (That’s a big one on my to-do list!)

Where I’m Coming From

Since having our baby, I’ve been just a wee bit consumed by that!  I love spending time with him, and it is so hard pulling myself away to do actual housework, blog work etc.  As a result, a lot of projects and daily activities just fell by the wayside last year.  Now that he is out of the infant stage, I still struggle to pull myself away, but I know I have to get things done!  I have to do MORE and be MORE!

I still believe that being present for my son and our family is MY MOST important job!  And I definitely don’t want to compromise that for the sake of mopping the floor!  But…I know that in order to be a leader and teach my son about being a responsible person, I MUST show that in my own life each day, so I am strategizing and working on ways that I can do more in our household and make sure we are running more efficiently.  At the same time, I’m also working on ways to get back to my blogging, to be more disciplined with that and to maintain a more regular schedule.

Hopefully this will help me to accomplish MORE this year.

I started journaling in my new planner, as I have done the past two or three years, and I decided I would share some of my notes with you.  Normally I don’t share things like this, especially as it is just total stream of consciousness, but I’m trying to “put myself out there” more.  Also, I thought my notes might inspire someone to write similar notes to themselves.

Be More…

do more, expect more, be more.

  • Be the good. Be the positive force.  Be the change you wish to see.

Know that you are made for more and you ARE MORE than you think you are.

Positivity: Find good things in every day through every challenge.  See the good. (It’s never that bad!)

YOU ARE

  • You are strong.
  • You are brave.
  • You are smart and confident.
  • You are a mom, a wife, and a leader.

BELIEVE

  • in God.
  • in Self.
  • in those you LOVE.

Accept Challenges.

  • Strive and Rise Above.
  • Thrive!
  • Never settle.
  • Always Be More.

So those are my notes: My mental challenge to myself to BE MORE!

And I hope through all these positive affirmations, I can challenge myself to DO MORE this year.

I’ve already started working on new strategies: I’ve started making changes to my daily routine and being more conscious and intentional about what I am doing.  And I am also working on ways to make more concrete plans for my weeks.

I, for one, struggle to come up with an exact daily or weekly schedule for myself.  For example, if I say, “Okay, on Mondays I will work on posts, either Monday will roll around and I simply won’t feel inspired to write.  Or else, I’ll have more pressing things to do in my household, and writing just will NOT be a priority.”  Similarly with housework, I often find sometimes I need to do a task only once a week.  Other times that same task may need to be done two or three times in a week.  Even with our cooking, I generally have a rough idea of what we are going to make for the week, but it is hard for us to nail down an exact meal plan for the week.  I’m working on being okay with that and understanding that it is okay to do what works, as long as I am getting things done!

BUT to help myself be a little more intentional, I made this daily planning printable.  In my planner I’m also making a list each week of projects I want to work on.  And I also have a printable goals planner to provide a quick overview.

What About You?

Do you have a word for 2019?  I’d love to hear about your goals and plans!

And if you have any tips for doing more each day or keeping a more efficient daily schedule, I’d love to hear your tips and ideas!  Please share your thoughts in the comments or give me a shout out on social media!

6 Baby Must-Haves for Cold and Flu Season

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. The opinions are my own.

6 Baby Must-Haves for Cold and Flu Season

My baby boy just turned a year old.  So far we’ve been pretty lucky in the doctor visiting department.  He got his first case of the sniffles a couple of months ago, and right now we are currently battling an ear infection and virus at the same time…but considering the fact that he’s already a year old, and I hear about so many people going back and forth to the doctor that first year, I am considering us very lucky!  Today I am talking about some items that I consider to be must-haves for the cold and flu season if you have a baby.

Before we get started I have a couple of disclaimers: First off, I am not a doctor.  The medicines discussed in today’s post were recommended by our pediatrician, and I’m just passing along the information.  Second, if your child is ill, always call your doctor for medical advice and to find out if you need to bring them in.

 

Nose Frida

Nasal Aspirator

First off, we have the NoseFrida. Before having our son, I saw this product and was very intrigued by it.  I watched a number of videos and read reviews before buying it.  A lot of people, including my husband are grossed out by this product, but once I tried, I realized you’re not going to get any actual baby snot in your mouth.  (And let’s be honest…even if you did, I’m sure you would live, and it wouldn’t be the worst thing that every happened.)

It DOES work!  My son doesn’t like having his nose sucked out; he cries, and so it can be a little difficult for me to use it on him, but he doesn’t like the bulb syringe either, and this works so much better than the bulb syringe.

We also have the Oogie Bear. It is also a nose cleaner and an ear cleaner.


Tylenol

Pain Reliever / Fever Reducer

Next we have Infant Tylenol. This is no brainer, I’m sure! I always keep this on hand, along with Infant Motrin. Our doctor explained that a lot of people like to rotate between these two, but she just recommends going with what works.

Thaxton takes both medicines well. He likes the taste, and both appear to help with his fever and pain.  I often choose Tylenol, because it can be taken every 4 hours, but depending on the situation and time of day, I might go with Motrin.  (Again, be sure to read labels and consult with your own doctor for proper dosing instructions.)

Zarbees

Cold Medicine

For running noses and coughs, our doctor recommends Zarbee’s Cough Syrup + Mucus. This is an all natural product.  Thaxton is too young to have other cold medicines, including children’s medicines, and so an all natural product like this is really our only option.  Our son loves the taste of this, so it’s very easy to give it to him.  If you’re buying, I do recommend getting a couple of bottles.  Our son had a stuffy nose for about a week, and the first couple of days we were giving him regular doses of this, and the dose was 4 mL each time, so about midway through the week, we had to go out and buy another bottle.

The main ingredients in this medicine are agave and ivy leaf.  You can go look up the benefits of those.  I should also caution you to be sure you get the product that says, “Baby” on it if you have a child under two.  Zarbee’s does have other products on the shelf alongside this one, which contain honey and should not be given to children under two.

Zarbees

Chest Rub

We also Zarbee’s Baby Soothing Chest Rub.  This is also an all natural product with eucalyptus, lavender, and beeswax.  It has a nice scent to it, and it definitely opens you up.  I usually rub in on Thaxton’s chest and on the bottom of his feet before bedtime, and he’s slept very well when he was sick, so I’d like to think it helped with his breathing.

Essential Oil Diffuser

Essential Oils

We love our Essential Oil Diffuser.  We have all of the oils in this kit, and anytime someone has a cold or is congested, we use Breathe Easy. from this kit.

Humidifier

Humidifier

Finally we have a Safety First Cool Mist Humidifer. I know a lot of people swear by these and actually run them all the time. We only run one when Thaxton is congested.  Again, I like to think that it helps.

 

I really hope you guys stay well this winter and can avoid the cold and flu season, but if not, I really hope that you find these tips for baby helpful!

And as always, I’d love to hear from you!  If you have a tip or product you use during cold and flu season, especially sometime that can help, babies, toddlers, and small children, I’d love to hear about it.  Leave your comments on this post, and also join the conversation on social media!