Black Friday.

The shopping event you’ve been dreading and waiting for all year long.

Once upon a time, you might have ran to your nearest DSW for some designer shoes. But now you have kids. All of your hard-earned cash goes into stocking up on the essentials and that ever-growing Christmas list. Now its more important than ever to save as much as you can in the limited time that you have.

 My husband and I usually take a tactical approach to Black Friday, but last year, as new parents of a breastfed newborn, we had to do things a little differently. We had to shop smarter, quicker, and more efficiently in between naps.

The end result?

Even more savings and way, way less stress.

If you’re trying to figure out how to get the best Black Friday deals, then I think you’ll really like the tips below. These tips have helped us save more on Black Friday, reduce your line-time, and even earn money.

[Read more…] about 5 Last-Minute Hacks to Save More on Black Friday

Last year, we decided to shop online for Black Friday. This decision wasn’t really tactical; it was made purely out of necessity because shopping with a breastfed newborn seemed like insanity. So, instead of waking up at the crack of dawn to go to some retailer, we researched the night before for the best Black Friday deals online. 

Do you know what we found? Massive savings and far less stress. 

There’s no doubt, Amazon has transformed the way moms shop. Now you don’t have to worry about dragging the kids through the mall or getting stampeded by competing shoppers. ALL of your Black Friday shopping can be done from the convenience of your home. This post serves to goals:

1. It’s an easy reference to find the best Black Friday Deals on Amazon for Baby and Kids. You’ll miss the good deals if you get caught up sifting through the crappy “Black Friday Junk”. This post will show you the best ones.

2.We’ll show you the tips and tricks you need to know to maximize your savings. If you can, read these tips before Black Friday so you can be prepared.

If you did stumble upon this article before Nov. 23rd, I highly recommend that you pin this post so you can view it on BF Weekend. We’ll be regularly updating with the best Black Friday deals on Amazon for baby and kids toys. You do not want to miss it!

[Read more…] about The Best Black Friday Deals on Amazon for Baby and Kids

If you’re reading this, your postpartum weight loss isn’t exactly going as you hoped.

Maybe you’ve tried several diets without success (or worse, you HAVE had success, but gained the weight back a couple weeks later). Or maybe you just don’t have the time or energy eat healthy or work out.

I get it…

Not only have I struggled to lose the baby weight, but I have struggled with a complete self-loathing that has marred almost every aspect of life postpartum.

So, before we dive into a few weight loss tips, I want to set the record straight:

Your weight has NO correlation to your beauty or self-worth.

You are beautiful RIGHT NOW. Be CONFIDENT in who you are right now. Yes, losing the baby weight is extremely important. But ONLY from a health standpoint.

I’m still struggling with my weight, but since I’ve given birth, I’ve lost nearly 35lbs. I have experimented with several diets, but I’ve found that a few small life-changes have impacted my weight loss the most. The journey of learning how to lose the baby weight can be a long one, but I hope that these tips help.

 

How to Lose the Baby Weight With 5 Simple Steps

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase from one of the links I will make a small commission at no charge to you. I only recommend what I trust. Blunders in Babyland does not diagnose, treat, or give out any professional advice for any medical conditions.

Eat a Good Breakfast

Healthy breakfasts aren’t just a gimmick. If you don’t start your day out right, chances are the rest of your daily diet will be a wreck too. A good breakfast feeds your body the calories and nutrients it needs to run for the rest of the day. If your breakfast is lacking in these qualities, your body will naturally try to make up for it later on in the day. This can easily lead to overeating.

But let’s not forget about the metabolic aspect of a good breakfast. A nutritious breakfast boosts your metabolism, allowing all of your healthy lunches and dinners to be that much more effective.

If you’re landing on this post BEFORE December 29th, onething you can do TODAY is join the free 5-Day Bootcamp to Better Breakfasts. It’s a five day email challenge designed to teach you how to eat nutritious breakfasts.

You’ll learn essential tips like:

• How to plan healthier breakfasts in advance
• How to keep your pantry, fridge and freezer stocked to encourage better meals
• How to easily incorporate veggies into your (TASTY) breakfasts
• How to save time and set yourself up for success by creating healthy AND convenience breakfasts

This is one small step toward learning how to lose the baby weight but it’s a POWERFUL one! If you’d like to join the free bootcamp, you can do it right here.

MEAL. PLANNING.

Meal planning saves you time, money, and calories. ALL extremely valuable commodities for new moms.

But, if you’re like me and struggle with 1. Never having the ENERGY to cook healthy meals. 2. Have absolutely no idea HOW to cook healthy meals. And 3. Have absolutely no INTEREST in cooking healthy meals… meal planning is absolutely essential for you.

If you’re interested in learning how to meal plan, my absolute favorite meal planning resource is the Ultimate Meal Planning Bundle (it’s a huge compilations of recipes, meal plans, and cookbooks that are bundled bi-annually).

When that’s not on sale, there a couple website that have some awesome meal plans and make ahead recipes:

• Meal Planning Mommies
• Living Well Spending Less
• Project Meal Plan

Don’t Work Out – HAVE FUN!

Yep, I said it. Don’t work out.

No, I’m not dismissing the importance of a good cardio workout. But when you’re learning how to lose the baby weight, you need to have attainable goals.

(Plus working out sucks for anyone that isn’t already physically fit).

Instead, focus on staying active. Working out is a single activity that you hate. Staying active is a lifestyle choice. Focus on doing the things that YOU love that get you off the couch. For example, are you a Doctor Who fan? Commit to watching your favorite Doctor Who episodes ONLY if your butt is on a recumbent bike.

SHORT ON TIME? PIN THIS POST FOR LATER!

Make SMALL Substitutions

This hack has REALLY helped with MY weight loss. I hope it helps you too!

Think about the habits that are sabotaging your weight loss efforts (E.g. for me it’s sweets, fast food, and lack of activity). Then, integrate small changes to conquer these habits. Focus on changing your lifestyle, one day at a time.

For example, I’ve completely eliminated sweets from my daily diet. It’s been this way for TWO. MONTHS.

And it all started with the simple goal of using stevia in my coffee, instead of sugar. This ONE change gave me the discipline and CONFIDENCE I needed to make bigger changes gradually.

Make your goal easily attainable. Make sure your steps are SMALL and include an end date. Then, once the habit has developed, you can decide to continue.

Plan Your Day

I’ve stood on my schedule soapbox time and time again when it comes to baby sleep training. The key to getting your baby to sleep through the night is an efficient yet flexible daily routine.

Do you know what I’m finding?

A flexible daily routine is also the key to YOUR weight loss. When you plan your day ahead of time you have more time. More time to be active, more time to eat healthy, more time to relax (which is also the key to weight loss).

Plan. Your. Day. Wisely.

ALWAYS Bring a Snack with You

Fast food is the devil…that I constantly indulge in.

It’s not because fast food is soooo good (though, I love me a good sandwich from Chick-fil-A…), it’s just so convenient and I’m so darn hungry. So, the best way to combat it is to MEAL PLAN and ALWAYS keep a snack with you to deal with the random hunger cravings. Carry some healthy and delicious in your purse, diaper bag, or glove compartment. Anywhere easily accessible!

If you’re struggling with losing the your baby weight, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. And you have absolutely NO reason to be down on yourself. You are beautiful just the way you are. You’re not lazy, you’re not weak. You’re human. And if you’re serious about developing a healthy lifestyle, you can do it! We can do it together!

In the meantime, if this post spoke to your heart, I’d love to hear from you! Tell me your story! AND I’d also love to hear what’s worked for you (or isn’t working). With your permission, I’d love to share your tips with the other ladies!

I hope to hear from you!

A baby keepsake is a single, powerful reminder of our children’s first moments.

When my daughter was born, I just wanted to savor every memory. From her little toes to the coos she made in her sleep, I wished that I could just stop time and replay those moments over and over again. At first, I was obsessed with saving every “special” outfit and taking  about a hundred photos.

Thank goodness someone had mercy on me and bought me a baby keepsake. It was a single bracelet with her initials. I love this little bracelet. I feel connected to my daughter every time I wear it. 

Baby keepsakes are powerful. If you don’t have one yet, I’ve have some amazing news: you have the chance to win one!

 Blunders in Babyland and Thoughtful Impressions has partnered to present this free baby keepsake giveaway.

Thoughtful Impressions specializes in creating personalized, engraved jewelry and keepsakes. For this giveaway, they will give one lucky mama a beautifully engraved necklace. 

Are you excited yet? Good!

Check out the form below to see how you can enter to win AND receive a 30% OFF coupon for any purchases at Thoughtful Impressions!

Giveaway Has Closed! Please Join Us Next Time!

 

Rules of the Contest

The full rules and conditions of this sweepstake can be found on the form, but here are a few items you should keep in mind.

 

What You’re Signing up For

By filling out the form, you will sign up for the Blunders in Babyland newsletter. It’s my bi-weekly newsletter that contains helpful tips for new and expecting moms. You can unsubscribe at any time, but I do need a valid email address so that I can use to contact you should you win.

 

Extra Instagram Entries

If you choose to follow me on Instagram as a bonus entry, make sure you fill out the correct name and email address on the form above so I will be able to connect the two entries.

Also, remember to tag a friend on this post so I will know that you are an entrant.

Photo Source: Thoughtful Impressions

Entry Deadline

All entries will be accepted until September 12th, 2018 at 11:59PM Pacific. The winner will be informed within a week. After that, you will have seven days to confirm that you have received my email and accept your prize. From that point, I’ll connect you with Thoughtful Impressions so you can get started on your personalized baby footprint necklace.

That’s the fun part!

 

In Order to Enter You Must:

• Must be 18 or older to enter
• U.S. Resident
• Provide a valid email address and first name (and last name or handle for Instagram entries) – Additional instructions provided above.

Please feel free to check out the rest of the terms and conditions on the order form above and don’t hesitate to email me at erin@blundersinbabyland.com if you have any questions!

I am so excited for you, Mama! Good luck!