Yesterday morning we had no plans for our weekend. Yesterday morning we had no plans for our weekend. But somehow we woke up in Savannah, GA this morning 🌅 The 4 of us piled into a one-bed hotel room (pretty much like real life 🙄) and Josh and I hung out in the lobby while the kids slept. This morning we explored down by the river and then headed up to Hilton Head since we'd never been. Then by 3 pm, we were headed home again! Love having people who will go on 24 hour adventures with me 🔥
• To be stronger • To feel better • To trai • To be stronger
• To feel better 
• To train my mind to know that hard things are good things
• To set an example 
• For longevity
• To get out of the house 
• To start the day on the right foot
• To listen to good music for a little while
• To have productive alone time

I just wanted to list a few "Why"s in case you were having a hard time finding yours today. Goodness knows I struggle some days but usually one of these pulls through for me ❤️

@nakd.sport
It might be a couple years later, but we're doing It might be a couple years later, but we're doing the same old stuff still today ☺️❤️
My Valentines 💘 #happyvalentinesday❤️ My Valentines 💘

#happyvalentinesday❤️
How many kids did you say you wanted growing up an How many kids did you say you wanted growing up and how many do you have (or hope for) now? Growing up I used to say I wanted 6 kids 😭💀💀 Love these babes but let's just say I have a new perspective these days 😂
The best sandles are the ones you can paint your n The best sandles are the ones you can paint your nails in 5 minutes after you should have already left 😂💅

@naotfootwear is one of my favorite all time brands for many reasons, but one of the best is the fact that when you purchase any shoe from naot.com, the order is fulfilled by the closest independent retailer to you. How genius is that?? #shopsmall #naottogether #naotic
Ok well by the time I'm posting this our snow has Ok well by the time I'm posting this our snow has already melted but the kids woke up to the best surprise today! ❄️❄️
Healthy habits > motivation Yeh? This seamless se Healthy habits > motivation
Yeh?

This seamless set that moves everywhere you do is called The Braden by @nakd.sport 🖤
#ad I love to pack @lifeseasons Clinical Immunity #ad I love to pack @lifeseasons Clinical Immunity Elderberry Drink powder mix in my bag to have on the go. The elderberry drink has vitamin C, vitamin d, and zinc plus the power of 300 elderberries to help increase my immune cell production and activation. PSSST - it also is amazingly soothing as a hot drink in the evening to boost my immune system before going to sleep and allowing my body to recover overnight. Hit the link in my stories to grab a pack of @lifeseasons Clinical Immunity Elderberry Drink and gummies! Use code CHELSEA for 15% off!

#clinicalimmunity 
#lifeseasonspartner
@lifeseasons
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Family, Kids, Sponsored, Toddler · May 10, 2018

How we handle our 3 year old’s bedtime routine

So David is 3. And I’m definitely not here to tell you that we’re pros at the whole bedtime routine thing. But what I will say is that kids love routine.

I remember back when I was pregnant with David, reading all kinds of parenting books. So many of them were the “latest” thing in parenting and all said that you should not put your baby on a schedule and that you should be sensitive to and follow their cures.

So I guess I wouldn’t say they were wrong.

So before I had David, I totally came to terms with the thought of having absolutely no schedule and just feeding/letting him nap based on his cues which I imagined would be totally sporadic. Then, baby comes along and guess what we find out…

After all the newborn craziness which is 100% sporadic and random, kids actually LOVE routine. They LOVE schedules!

Josh and I never had a moment when we decided on David’s bedtime. But, when he started to turn into a grump meister every night around 8 pm like clockwork, we knew that we should probably beat him to it and get him in bed by then.

That being said, just because his body was ready for sleep, that doesn’t mean his little mind was ready for sleep. Moms and dads, I’m sure you know the feeling. So Josh and I have tweaked and worked on his bedtime routine over the past few years and we think we’ve found something that really has helped calm David’s mind at the end of the day to the point where we’re usually able to say goodnight, walk out of the room, and he stays in bed and falls asleep.

Now, as he’s gotten older, we’ve learned that he’s pretty much just the night-owl type and he really doesn’t need much sleep for a 3 year old. Nowadays, if we try putting David to bed at 8, he’ll probably come out and sit in the hallway until one of us sees him and puts him back in bed. So we’ve been letting him stay up until 8:30-9 more recently.

Here’s what we do:

After dinner (6ish): Play time outside and/or bathtime

We like to do this because David usually has a lot of energy around this time of day and because the next step in the bedtime process is TV time. Getting David and Evy a good, solid hour of playtime before letting him watch TV just helps me feel better as a mom as well as helps him feel less like he’s missing out come bed time. Ev usually goes down to bed around this time and then David stays up a little later.

7pm: 45 minutes – 1 hour of TV time

For most of the day, we try to really limit David’s TV time. Trust me, he’d watch most of the day if we let him. But if we say, “No TV right now, Bud,” he almost always finds some way to use him imagination. But at the end of the day, let’s face it. Mom and dad are tired (I usually have some work to get done for the next day) so we let David have some TV time.

8pm: The last snack of the night

Once your child turns 3, he or she will become a master of stall tactics. What do you do? Beat them to it. Oh you’re hungry? Here’s a snack. I already refilled the water bottle in your room. All your favorite stuffed animals are already in your bed. Oh, you have everything you could possibly need to go to sleep? Great! *sinister smile*

8:15pm: Finally, bedtime.

Here’s where we head upstairs, brush our teeth, get our diaper changed, and change into juuust the right pair of pajamas. Once that’s done, David knows that we read exactly 2 books (we never budge on this. Ever. If we did, we would always have to read more than 2 books from that day forward), and we cuddle for exactly 1 minute (ok, it’s really more than 1 minute but we tell him one minute because he knows that means a short time and if he expects that from the start, he won’t beg you to stay once you try to leave).

Out of the two books we read with David, one is any book of his choosing, and the other is a story from his toddler Bible. David’s newest favorite book is close to our hearts because it’s all about our little man!

 

 

What he loves most about his Hooray Heroes personalized book is that HE is the one who gets to go on the adventure! As we read, David sees himself diving with dolphins and being pursued by pirates and discovering a buried treasure.

 

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He also LOVES to get in on his sister’s book which is all about the things she could be when she grows up! From a soccer player, to a writer, to a computer programmer! We had a lot of fun explaining to David all the different paths his and Evy’s life could take and what they could do when they grow up (and actually get to picture what that looks like!).

 

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What we love about the Hooray Heroes personalized books is the memories we make while reading them together as a family and the keepsakes they’ll become over David and Evy’s lifetime! Seeing the possibilities for what they can become and the amazing adventures they can have is truly precious and special for everyone! I loved going through the unique customization process and even getting a little spotlight in Evy’s book as her mama!

 

 

If you’re looking for a special gift or just a precious keepsake for you and your kids to enjoy together, check out the Hooray Heroes online store and customize a book for your little ones today!

 

In: Family, Kids, Sponsored, Toddler · Tagged: adventure, baby, bed, bedtime, book, child, family, fun, gift, kids, learn, noads, personalized, present, read, ritual, routine, sponsored, toddler, young

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Comments

  1. Kate says

    May 22, 2018 at 8:57 am

    We follow a very similar routine to yours, although we don’t do one last snack most nights. Definitely going to check out those books- super cute!

    Reply

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Hi! I'm Chelsea and we're the Damon's. We spent the last two years in WA state paying off student loans and just bought our first house in SC! I love a smooth black coffee, Josh's first love is the Seattle Sounders. Our kids are huge dorks and constantly make us laugh and we all love spending as much time outside as possible.

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Yesterday morning we had no plans for our weekend. Yesterday morning we had no plans for our weekend. But somehow we woke up in Savannah, GA this morning 🌅 The 4 of us piled into a one-bed hotel room (pretty much like real life 🙄) and Josh and I hung out in the lobby while the kids slept. This morning we explored down by the river and then headed up to Hilton Head since we'd never been. Then by 3 pm, we were headed home again! Love having people who will go on 24 hour adventures with me 🔥
• To be stronger • To feel better • To trai • To be stronger
• To feel better 
• To train my mind to know that hard things are good things
• To set an example 
• For longevity
• To get out of the house 
• To start the day on the right foot
• To listen to good music for a little while
• To have productive alone time

I just wanted to list a few "Why"s in case you were having a hard time finding yours today. Goodness knows I struggle some days but usually one of these pulls through for me ❤️

@nakd.sport
It might be a couple years later, but we're doing It might be a couple years later, but we're doing the same old stuff still today ☺️❤️
My Valentines 💘 #happyvalentinesday❤️ My Valentines 💘

#happyvalentinesday❤️

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Yesterday morning we had no plans for our weekend. Yesterday morning we had no plans for our weekend. But somehow we woke up in Savannah, GA this morning 🌅 The 4 of us piled into a one-bed hotel room (pretty much like real life 🙄) and Josh and I hung out in the lobby while the kids slept. This morning we explored down by the river and then headed up to Hilton Head since we'd never been. Then by 3 pm, we were headed home again! Love having people who will go on 24 hour adventures with me 🔥
• To be stronger • To feel better • To trai • To be stronger
• To feel better 
• To train my mind to know that hard things are good things
• To set an example 
• For longevity
• To get out of the house 
• To start the day on the right foot
• To listen to good music for a little while
• To have productive alone time

I just wanted to list a few "Why"s in case you were having a hard time finding yours today. Goodness knows I struggle some days but usually one of these pulls through for me ❤️

@nakd.sport
It might be a couple years later, but we're doing It might be a couple years later, but we're doing the same old stuff still today ☺️❤️
My Valentines 💘 #happyvalentinesday❤️ My Valentines 💘

#happyvalentinesday❤️
How many kids did you say you wanted growing up an How many kids did you say you wanted growing up and how many do you have (or hope for) now? Growing up I used to say I wanted 6 kids 😭💀💀 Love these babes but let's just say I have a new perspective these days 😂
The best sandles are the ones you can paint your n The best sandles are the ones you can paint your nails in 5 minutes after you should have already left 😂💅

@naotfootwear is one of my favorite all time brands for many reasons, but one of the best is the fact that when you purchase any shoe from naot.com, the order is fulfilled by the closest independent retailer to you. How genius is that?? #shopsmall #naottogether #naotic
Ok well by the time I'm posting this our snow has Ok well by the time I'm posting this our snow has already melted but the kids woke up to the best surprise today! ❄️❄️
Healthy habits > motivation Yeh? This seamless se Healthy habits > motivation
Yeh?

This seamless set that moves everywhere you do is called The Braden by @nakd.sport 🖤
#ad I love to pack @lifeseasons Clinical Immunity #ad I love to pack @lifeseasons Clinical Immunity Elderberry Drink powder mix in my bag to have on the go. The elderberry drink has vitamin C, vitamin d, and zinc plus the power of 300 elderberries to help increase my immune cell production and activation. PSSST - it also is amazingly soothing as a hot drink in the evening to boost my immune system before going to sleep and allowing my body to recover overnight. Hit the link in my stories to grab a pack of @lifeseasons Clinical Immunity Elderberry Drink and gummies! Use code CHELSEA for 15% off!

#clinicalimmunity 
#lifeseasonspartner
@lifeseasons
I’ve talked about this before but never to its f I’ve talked about this before but never to its full extent. 

6ish years ago I was working full-time as a doctor’s assistant and coming home to an 8-month-old baby while Josh worked 12-hour shifts until midnight. I was so busy that I felt like I was losing my sense of identity. 

That year I decided to start my blog. I kept it a secret for a while because I was embarrassed. I didn’t want anyone to think, “Who does she think she is? We’ve known her for years and she thinks she has something to say??”

But - I loved it! I wrote posts on everything! Random pizza recipes, how my run went that day, marriage, motherhood - I had absolutely no direction. But, I started sharing my blog and got a bunch of great feedback on my marriage and family posts. So, I decided to focus on that because that was, afterall, my favorite thing to write about anyway.

A few months later, I started pinning my posts on Pinterest and educating myself on what it meant to blog well, set up posts for good SEO, how to engage an audience, etc. I had a couple posts go viral on Pinterest and for a few months I had over 350,000 views on my blog/month.

Way late in the game, I started posting to Instagram in 2017. By then we had 2 babies and I had been working with brands for a while so I was able to quit my (at the time) part-time job to stay home with them which I was stoked about! 

Later that year, we packed up our stuff and moved to WA. The original plan was for Josh to find work and for me to continue blogging & be a SAHM. But, after several months later and finding it much harder for Josh to find work than we anticipated, I told him, "Hey, don't feel bad, I don't want you to feel pressure. I will look for work to take some of the pressure off."

So, I started applying for jobs in social media and content marketing. About a month into my search I made a profile on a job-matching platform called @scouted.io. A couple weeks later, I got an email from someone at Scouted saying that they were looking for someone to help with their content and they wanted to have a conversation. 

** Continued in comments **

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