8 More Must Have Podcasts for Women Part 2

Since publishing my blog post on 4 Must Have Podcasts for Moms, I have been knee deep in discovering and listening to podcasts. I am drawn to podcasts about motherhood, self help, business, and health. I'll search for a certain topic and browse through the recommendations or I will look at the top charts and featured pages. I found an amazing podcast recommendation list HERE. When I find a good podcast, I'll sometimes start from the first episode and binge listen.  I wanted to share a few more podcast recommendations, but these aren't just for moms!

Coffee + Crumbs - A fun podcast about the "beautifully hard work of raising children."

Therapy for Black Girls - I just discovered this podcast and I am hooked! It discusses personal development and mental health which can be a taboo subject in the African American community. The podcast host is also based in Atlanta, GA!

Respectful Parenting - A podcast that offers parenting advice from a gentle/peaceful parenting perspective.

Vibrant Happy Women - This is a wonderful show that interviews "women living happy lives even when life is hard."

From the Heart - I stumbled upon this podcast from a post on Instagram. The first episode I listened to was about manifesting abundance and I have enjoyed every episode ever since. Rachael is a yoga teacher, entrepreneur and a new mom and I love hearing her perspective on life.

Power of Moms Radio - This podcast helps you find the joy in motherhood, which on some days can be extremely hard.

Black Girl in Om - This show is right up my alley! Holistic living, yoga, self care, and wellness life perspectives from women of color to women of color.

The Mom Hour - The show hosts are experienced moms and give compassionate advice about motherhood.

These aren't all of the podcasts that I listen to but these are some of my favorites. I hope you will check out the podcasts mentioned. I truly enjoy listening to each of these and more. I think I may venture into the world of audio books next! What podcasts are you enjoying? Until next time.

April K.

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My Summer Wishlist

Happy first day of Summer!! It's summer time and I want new stuffs! No seriously, here are a few things that I have been eyeing and this season is the perfect season to pick them up. Check out what's on my summer wish list.

1. Beach Tent - I don't have any beach vacations planned for the summer but I do plan on taking a few trips to some local beaches. I love a good tan, but being in the sun all day can be exhausting. This beach tent should give Ava and I enough shade to not get burnt out so quickly and make the most of our day.

2. Mineral Sunscreen - Pacifica has a new sunscreen out and I would like to try it. The Pacifica brand is vegan and cruelty free as are all of the cosmetics that we use.

3. Floppy hat

4. Bow sandals

5. Purse - I am most certainly buying this amazing bag!

If I could only pick one item from this list to buy, it would definitely be that purse. What are you moms eyeing for the summer time? Leave a comment below! Until next time.

April K.

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Our Spring in Pictures

Spring, my favorite season, is coming to a close. I wanted to share a few of the springy things that Ava and I did this season. Check out our spring 2017 in pictures!

We got to pet baby animals.

We helped grandma in the garden. That's grandma in the back!

We played games on the balcony.

We went on a nature walk.

I had a birthday!!

We visited the botanical gardens.

We played with friends.

And we went to festivals.

I'm excited for what the summer will bring. I have fun things in mind for us to do. In the meantime, follow me on  Instagram to see what we are up to! Until next time.

Bad SAHM Habits to Break

Moming is hard, like really hard. Being a SAHM, it is so easy to fall into bad habits. No one is around to see that you haven't moved from the couch all day, and if you did move from the couch, it was to hand your little one the iPad so you can continue to sit on the couch lol. Or maybe that was just me?! I know I share all the fun, get up and go stuff that my daughter and I do on my blog but even though I have unicorn blood, I too can/have fallen prey to bad habits. Here are some of my bad habits below.

Wearing sweat pants - At one point, I was throwing on tshirts and sweats almost daily, I probably barely even combed my hair. Not anymore! I know we need to be comfortable chasing around the little people, but now my new idea of comfort is a dress and sandals or jeans, a cute top and flats. I have been making it a point to look nice when we leave the house because you never know when someone will offer to take a pic of you with your child, or you will run into an old friend. I definitely don't want the old friend thinking " man, she looks rough" lol.

Not packing snacks - No matter how much your little one eats before you leave the house, hearing, seeing, or smelling food will make them want to eat again, and they will whine until they get to eat! Case and point: I took my little person for a playdate. She had a full belly before we left the house and we weren't staying at the playdate long so I didn't bother bringing her snack. As soon as the other mom mentioned "snack" Ava wanted a snack. The whining began, and she wasn't even hungry!! So whatever you do, have some food stashed somewhere lol. Lesson learned!

Too much screen time - This is a biggie. Kids can be hypnotized by a screen whether it's a kindle, iPad, television, or computer. A hypnotized kid means a break for mom. Win, win right? Wrong!!! I have personally found that too much screen time for my daughter makes her a cranky, stubborn, mess. I made the mistake of letting Ava play games on the kindle or watch PBS Kids a little too much a few weeks ago. Of course when I tell her that it is time to move on to something else, the tantrums began and  it seemed to go on for days. #help So to eliminate this behavior, we cut the cable and Ava is a new person! She is pretending a ton more, we play together more, she is attentive, and she is listening better. I will occasionally let her watch Reading Rainbow or an animal documentary on Netflix, but having the TV on all day is non existent and I am happy with that.

Can you believe it? This well planned and organized mom was leaving the house wearing sweat pants and no snacks! Thankfully I realized what I was doing, it took a few pictures of me looking horrible to realize it lol. Do you have any bad mom habits? What are you doing to change? Leave a comment below! Until next time

April K.

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Guest Post: DIY Play Mat for Your Toddler by CaitsCozyCorner

You guys, I am excited to share my first guest post by Caitlin of CaitsCozyCorner! Check it out below.

When I first had my daughter a few years ago she was always on the move. She’d go from room to room without me knowing and it was hard to just keep track of her. Now as a toddler it can be even more daunting to figure out where she’s playing with various toy rooms or her bedroom. To make it easier, I wanted to create a simple DIY play mat that your toddler can use both in your home and on play dates or on the go. They are even great for baby showers too! This is the easiest and super simple to make. No really, just check out the steps below!

A bit of cutting and three rows of sewing (two if you have a four thread overlocker) and you'll be done. THAT easy! No really, I promise!

So, what do you need?

1. A feature fabric
2. Quilted backing fabric
3. Fancy trim

That's all!

(You could use wadding and a backing fabric, but, hey, buying pre-quilted backing fabric makes it sooo much easier if you’re like me! )

I used the width of the quilted backing fabric to determine the diameter of my play mat: 112cm (44").

So, I needed 112cm (44") of both my quilted backing fabric and my feature fabric. With my supplies in hand and less than an hour of time, I was ready to get this play mat started. So, let's do it friends.

1. Fold the feature fabric in half and then in half again.

2. Measure 56cm (22") from the corner where all the folds meet and mark at several points to form the edge of the circle.

3. Next, cut around the marked points of the circle through all four layers of fabric.

Use this circle as the template to cut the quilted backing fabric.

(If you're more on the ball than I was, you'll place your fabrics wrong sides together to do this so that you don't have to pull them apart and reposition them to start pinning. It’s a fun little trick)

4. With wrong sides together, pin the edges of the feature fabric and the quilted backing fabric together.

5. Stitch a small seam around the edge and overlock or, if you have a four thread overlocker, simply overlock the edge.

6. Place the trim on the edge so that it conceals the seam line and stitch to the edge of mat.

7. YOU DID IT. The on-trend, padded baby play mat is done. See how easy and simple that was?! You’re welcome!

My daughter loves eating and using her play mat for imaginative play, reading books or just putting together puzzles. She has such a great creative ideas that make it fun and enjoyable to watch as she brings her imagination to life. The best part is, I don’t get mad if she spills something on it either because I can throw it in the wash and it’ll be good as new again. It really is a lifesaver sometimes!

Not only is this a fun project to create with and for your kids, it makes a wonderful gift idea. If it is a gift, don’t forget to include a few play accessories to make it a complete play kit! The possibilities are really endless when it comes to making your own play mat for your toddler. Mine is gender neutral because I have a daughter and son but I love the idea of customizing your children’s own play mats too!

Image: Sewing Machine

If it’s your first time sewing, don’t forget to have the best sewing machine and tools to help you with your projects. SewingMachine is a local Atlanta family owned and operated sewing and embroidery machine distributor. Founded in Atlanta in 1983 as Southeast Sewing, the company went “virtual” in 1995 with its online company, Sewing Machine. Since that time, the company has grown to become one of the South’s leading dealers and authorized servicers for Brother, Singer, Consew, Juki, and Pfaff products. In addition to machine sales and service, Sewing Machine will offer classes for the beginner and advanced seamstress as well. Classes will also offer the opportunity to test different models of equipment before purchase. Sewing supplies and accessories for featured brands will be available for sale at the West Point store. So make sure you

You can’t go wrong with learning to making your own mats for your kids or even clothes down the road. Your toddler will love having their unique items made just for them out of love! You got this Mom!