Surviving Sleepovers With GoodNites
Surviving A Sleepover: The Bedwetting Struggle
Sleepovers can be a monumental moment in a child's life. They look forward to and may even dream about their first sleepover at a friends house. It's a sign of them getting older, becoming brave, and doing something on their own.While day dreaming about their first sleepover, they may think about the movies they'll watch, get excited about staying up all night (even though they'll likely fall asleep much sooner than they think), and all the fun they're going to have. They're eagerly awaiting the moment a friend asks them to a sleepover and until then they're going to dream up the perfect sleepover.What about the child that fears being asked for their first sleepover?Instead of daydreaming they end up getting nightmares over what could happen. All they can think about is...What happens if I wet my bed during the sleepover? What will my friends think?Nighttime bedwetting is much more common than kids realize. It's not something they can be trained out of, rather their bodies need to mature. The brain is supposed to get triggered when an individual's bladder is full. In some cases, the brain doesn't get the message which results in them wetting the bed.This can make things like a sleepover terrifying. Children that struggle with bedwetting get scared to leave the house in fear of what can happen. Instead of missing out on sleepovers until the problem is resolvedInstead of missing out on sleepovers until the problem is resolved there are a few things you can do as a parent to make your child feel confident they'll survive their first sleepover.
What Parents Can Do Before A Sleepover
Positive Reinforcement
It can get frustrating cleaning your child's sheets every morning. However, the worst thing you can do is let your kids know how frustrated you are. Bedwetting is emotionally difficult for a child and they need to know their parents are in their corner. Instead, reinforce them when they do have a dry night. Let them know how proud you are.
Develop A Routine
Help your child to develop a nighttime routine that encourages them to use the bathroom before bed. By limiting fluids after dinner and having them empty their bladder, you decrease their chances of an accident.
Encourage Your Child
When a child struggles with bedwetting they can start to feel bad about themselves. Remind them that bedwetting isn't due to them not doing something well enough. Instead, it's their brain not getting the message from their bladder. As their bodies mature, their brain will learn to get the message. It just takes time.
Sleepover Survival Tips
Talk To Your Child
Before a sleepover, ask your child what they're worried about. It's important for them to be open and let you know their fears so you can develop a plan to put them at ease.
Make A Plan
The biggest fear for a child who struggles with bedwetting is what do I do if I wet the bed? Huggies GoodNites provide confidence for children. Pack a pair of GoodNites underwear in your child's bag. Before they go to bed, they can put them on. GoodNites underwear has an absorbent layer inside that will prevent them from soiling their bed. When they wake up the next morning, they can discreetly go to the bathroom and put the underwear in the garbage.
Talk To The Child's Parents
Before the sleepover, you can discuss your child's bedwetting with their friend's parents. Then they will be able to help the child if needed. It also provides an added layer of confidence for you child because they know they will have help if they need it.
Let Them Decide If They're Ready
At the end of the day, your child has to decide if they're ready for a sleepover. Don't push them if they aren't ready. They will let you know when they feel confident enough to take the step. In the meantime, go over your plan and do your best to help them solve any issues they may have with going to their first sleepover.
Where Can I Pick Up My Child's First Set Of GoodNites?
Huggies has always been a favorite in our house. From their natural care wipes to their GoodNites underwear, they have parents covered. They want to help parents make their lives easier and also provide natural resources for our kids.
10 Things Every Dog Lover Should Do This Summer
This post is sponsored by Evite. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Meet Bella, our beautiful freckled tongue dog. She was adopted into our family shortly after my husband and I were married and has been one of our best friends ever since. She's officially turned us into dog lovers!I've always loved dogs, but adopting one pushed my love into over drive. We got her when she was about 6 months old from a shelter. A few months later, we ended up welcoming our first little boy. Our dog went from our family pet, to our family protector. She was always looking out for our little boy. If he would cry she would even start barking and push us into the room!Five years and three kids later our dog has become the family dragon (when the kids decide she's no longer a dog), protector, best friend, comforter, and family member. Needless to say, we love our dog!
10 Things Every Dog Lover Needs To Do This Summer
Head Over To Your Local Doggy Park
Check out your local doggy park and bring the whole family! Your dog will meet new friends and get a change to socialize. By socializing your dog you help promote good behaviors by providing them with the opportunity for other dogs to show and remind them what to do. Dogs with good social skills also tend to be better trained and better family dogs overall.
Go On A Family Vacation
Book a pet friendly hotel or go camping with the family. Then you can bring your dog and enjoy your vacation together! Hotels are becoming more pet friendly over the years and encourage you to bring your pets along!
Throw A Pet Themed Party
Throw a pet pawty and invite your friends like we did! We decided to throw our son a Paw Patrol party for his third birthday and it was a hit! The evening was full of pet themed snacks, silly animal music, delicious Paw Patrol cake, and paw print decorations!
Doggy Friend Meet Up At The Park
Invite your friend's puppy pal along on your next play date at the park! Most parks are designed to bring your animals as long as their on a leash and you clean up after them. Kids look for our pup at our local park and run over when they see her!
Teach Your Dog A New Trick
Teach your dog a new trick this summer! Our kids decided to teach our dog the "vacuum trick." The whole week our kids decided to purposely drop things on the floor so our dog would come and eat it. Our kids thought it was amazing and our dog loved being spoiled with treats.
Go On A Family Walk After Dinner
Clean up dinner and then take the whole family for a walk around the neighborhood. It helps everyone get some exercise, gives you an opportunity to talk about your day, and helps everyone wind down before bed.
Adopt A New Family Friend
Head over to your local animal shelter and adopt a new friend! There are so many dogs looking for a loving home like yours! Afterwards you can even throw your pup an adoption party! Invite all of your friends and their pups to celebrate your new family member.
Set Your Dog Up On A Doggy Date
Do you have a friend with her ow doggy friend? If so, plan out a fun doggy date. You can invite them to go to a local hiking trail, meet at a dog park, or even a regular park. It helps your dog get out of the house and helps socialize them even more!
Set Up A Doggy Water Station
On our recent walk around our neighborhood we saw this! A little girl decided to set up a dog water station. We caught her while she was filling up the water bucket. She put out a little sign and reminded families to keep their pups hydrated while on walks! Set one up and invite the dogs around the neighborhood.
Host Your Very Own Pet Olympics
This final tip is for the ultimate dog lover! Are you up for the challenge? Invite all of your friends and their pups to their first dog olympics! Set up an obstacle course, make a fun little award, and getting the party started!
Enter Now
#PawtyPeople Photo Contest
Is your pet a pawty animal? Prove it! Enter our #PawtyPeople Photo Competition. To enter for a chance to win, just follow these steps:1. UPLOAD a photo of your pet being a summer pawty animal to our contest form or yourfavorite social media platform by 7/25. Make sure to use #PawtyPeople so your entry can becounted!2. SHARE your photo submission like crazy with all your friends so they can help vote starting7/26!3. VOTE every day from 7/26 to 8/11 to increase your chances of winning! *Limit one vote per person, per entry daily. Submission period ends 11:59:59 PM EST on July25, 2016. Voting period ends 11:59:59 PM EST on August 11, 2016.
Enter Now
Amazon Deals For The Whole Family!
Happy Amazon Prime Day!
Amazon Prime has become a HUGE favorite it my family. While my husband is away for work, I'm always looking for ways to simplify! Ordering things on Amazon has definitely done that!! I love being able to add things to my cart and getting them two days later!Seriously it's a life saver.You know what it's like getting all of your kids to the store, dealing with them fighting in the carts over the lack of space, and then searching the store for the items you need... Then you have a ton of kids like me and you have to shop at places where they have the double seated carts... Give me a shout out if you know what I'm talking about!
Him
Her
Gap Gift CardEssential Oil DiffuserAmazon KindleStila Make Up Set
Kids
Kid's TabletZoo Insulated Lunch BagsReusable Baby Food PouchesStar Night Light
I do receive a small commission from any sales made, but I only recommend items my family uses already and LOVE!
Ooma Telo: Your Very Own Smart Home Phone
This post is sponsored by Ooma Telo. As always, all opinions are my own and I'd only recommend products my family loves.
3 Reasons Our Family Fell In Love With The Ooma Telo
Blocks Unwanted Calls
Ooma Telo is known for its blacklisting feature. If you decide to purchase their premier service (only 9.99 extra a month) you get this amazing feature! It blacklists entire area codes and toll free area codes. You can even enter in up to 1000 additional phone numbers. Say goodbye to unwanted telemarketer calls during dinner time!
Ooma Telo is Budget Friendly
You can head over right now and see how much you can save a month with your very own Ooma Telo smart home phone. This home phone is designed to save you time and money! You'll be surprised at just how much you can save!
Connects With Your Devices To Make Life Easier
If you're like our family, you probably have a few devices at home. Ooma Telo can connect with your Apple Watch, Amazon Echo, Nest, Phillip Hue, and LIFX Smart lightbulbs! The whole point of buying those devices is to make your life simpler and Ooma Telo is taking it one step further!You can forward calls to your Apple watch, receive messages from Amazon Echo, or even receive safety alerts letting your know if it detects fire or carbon monoxide.
Helps Our Kids Gain More Independence
One of my absolute favorite features of the Ooma Telo is that it changes colors based on who's calling you! I am very picky with my kids when it comes to them answering our home phone. They can't answer unless they know who it is. The problem is that they're little and can't read the names on the phone. Ooma Telo has solved the problem! If someone we know is calling it turns green. If it's someone we don't know it turns red. Brilliant!
Simples Steps To Get Your Very Own Ooma Telo
Are you ready to get your own Ooma Telo?All you have to do is call Ooma Telo today! They can port your existing home phone from your current carrier to Ooma Telo for a one time fee of 39.99. They do all the hard work for you!Then you just need to order your device which is a one time fee of 99.99. After that you just have to worry about your monthly plan which can be as little as 9.99 a month.
An Added Bonus!
You can even add an international plan! This hit the sweet spot for our family. With family all over the world, it can be expensive calling family members in India. Not anymore! Now, our kids can call their Uthas, Pinnis, and Thatha anytime they want!
How Can You Win A Free Ooma Telo And More?
Do you want to win your very own Ooma Telo, one year of Premier Service, a Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide detector and one LIFX and Philips Hue smart light bulbs?All you need to do is calculate how much you will end up saving on your phone bill over the next 3 years, how long it will take, and let me know in the comments!
Simple Ways To Save Money This Summer
Simple Ways You Can Save Money This Summer
Organize Your Kid's Clothes By Season
Take the day to go through your kid's clothes. Then sort them by season and put the clothes you don't need in storage. As a parent, you know how quickly clothes can get lost. By sorting them, you can know exactly what you have available. I can't tell you how many times I end up heading to the store to pick up items, only to find them in my kids closet the next day.Organizing your kid's clothes can also help you get a little extra money by taking clothes that don't fit your kiddos to a local consignment shop.
Buy Snacks In Bulk
The most tempting thing over the summer is to buy snacks in individual wrappers for your kids. It makes it quick and easy to grab while you're out all day, but it's not as nice on your wallet. Instead, head to your local grocery store or a Sam's Club and buy your snacks in bulk.We started using a snack box a few months ago and it's save me a lot of money! My kids know exactly where they can look for snacks and I tell them to put snacks in their back packs before we leave the house. All you need to do is take you snacks and put them in individual and reusable containers. The containers even save you money because you can rinse them out and use them again when you're done.
Label Anything Your Kids Bring Out Of The House
How many times have your brought containers to a friends house or to a local splash pad and mixed them up? I've done it so many times! Then you don't want to be that parent and fight with someone over a container!Well, worry no more! You can start labeling items you bring our of the house! These labels are amazing! Your kids can customize them and you can choose what they say. They don't wash off in the dishwasher and you can choose the size! They have labels for inside your shoes, the tags on your clothes, and items like cups.Labels are a way better idea than using a sharpie because they don't wear off over time.
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How are you saving money this summer?
The Perfect Gifts For A New Mom Brought To You By Huggies
This post is brought to you by Huggies, "The first hug your baby will ever feel is from you, make sure the second hug is just as good with Huggies Little Snugglers diapers."When someone special in our life experiences something as wonderful as welcoming a newborn into the world, we want to show them how much we love them. We want them to know how excited we are for them. However, finding the perfect thing can be hard.Well, not anymore! Today, I'm partnering up with Huggies to tell you the perfect gifts you should buy the new mom in your life!
The Perfect Gifts For A New Mom Brought To You By Huggies
Meals
The last thing a sleep deprived parent wants to think about is cooking... Help them out by bringing them meals through out the first few weeks. You can prepare something simple, put it in a disposable dish, and drop it off around dinner time.
Snacks
A new mom needs to be eating regularly throughout the day to keep up her milk production and energy to keep up with her newborn's unusual sleep schedule. You can bring her tasty and healthy snacks like almonds, trail mix, grapes, or apples.
Huggies Little Snuggler Diapers
As a parent, you quickly learn just how many diapers a tiny baby can go through. Diapers are the perfect gift for a new mom! Especially Huggies Little Snugglers. These diapers are great because they have a gentle absorbing liner to make sure your newborn feels comfortable in their diapers and it means no leakage!My favorite part about the Huggies Little Snugglers is the wetness indicator! All you have to do is see if the little line on the front has changed colors and then you instantly know if your newborn needs a change! It makes it as simple as unbuttoning their little outfit rather than removing their clothes and taking their diaper off to check!
Time
The first few weeks as a parent are exhausting. A mother has just gone through labor and her body is trying to recover. She's also up every few hours throughout the day and night to feed and change her newborn's diapers.Be sure to offer her your time. Go over and offer to help her clean or just sit and chat. New moms can quickly feel cooped up the first few weeks. Offering to spend time with her will help her to feel refreshed.
Entertainment
A big majority of the first few months with a new baby is spent feeding them. New moms end up sitting and feeding their babies for hours every day. Bring them some entertainment to keep them busy while they feed their newborn. You can bring them a book, a magazine, or even a new movie.
Huggies Natural Wipes
Babies are messy. They create messes you didn't even know were possible. This means a new mom is always in need of wet wipes.Bring the new mom in your life a pack of Huggies Natural Wipes. They're great because their triple layer material cleans up even the big messes. The most important thing is they're gentle enough for your baby's newborn skin because they're full of aloe and vitamin E.
Something Cozy
New moms are tired, typically covered in spit up stains, and just want to be comfortable. Bring them something to make sure they are! You can bring them cozy socks, comfortable yoga pants, or even a comfortable nursing tank.
Where Can I Get These Gifts
Head over to Sam's Club today to pick up the special gifts for the new mom in your life! I love shopping at Sam's Club because they make it easy for families! They provide carts for big families like ours and have everything we could want from clothes to groceries.Sam's Club is even offering YOU a special deal the rest of this month!
Check out this great offer from Huggies!
Buy any two packages of Little Snugglers diapers and/or Natural Care wipes between 5/9/16-6/30/16, snap a photo of your receipt and email/text it to @Huggies by 7/15/16. You will receive a code and instructions within minutes to get your $10 Sam’s Club e-gift card.
BISSELL PowerForce Helix And A GIVEAWAY!
BISSELL PowerForce Helix Vacuum And A GIVEAWAY!
Can you believe it? Summer is right around the corner! As the weather starts to warm up and my kids begin to live outside in the pool, I'm noticing a big theme.They're tracking sand in from our sand box...The dog is shedding more than ever...The baby has decided stepping on crackers is a daily activity...Instead of worrying, I'm pulling out my NEW and amazing BISSELL PowerForce Helix vacuum cleaner!
Giveaway
Did I mention you can enter in to win your own BISSELL PowerForce Helix vacuum!!!!? All you have to do is leave a comment and give me one cleaning tip or tell me why you want a clean house for the summer. How easy is that!? Leave a comment today and get a chance at your very own BISSELL PowerForce Helix vacuum!