I’m back on this first Sunday of March with another Sunday Seven. If this is your first Sunday Seven post on Growing Haines, welcome! This series showcases some of my favorite blogs and websites that I come across week to week. Sometimes the week will have a theme, other times it’ll be just a random sampling of fun articles, tips or items I’m loving. So grab a cup of your favorite beverage and get ready for some Sunday reading.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. See my full disclosure here.
It Costs HOW Much for a Babysitter?
If you’re a mom of little kids, you may have an idea of how much a night out on the town will cost you if you have to hire a babysitter. We’ve been pretty lucky that our friends and family have been happy to help when we’ve been in a pinch, but we’re getting to the point where I think we need to have a babysitter available.
I came across this article on The Bump that shares how much parents are paying for babysitters across the nation for one to two kids. And to be honest, it’s quite surprising! I babysat quite a few kids when I was younger and I didn’t make near the amount of money parents are paying today, even with inflation considered.
Based on the most recent survey for this year, that nations average hourly rate for one child is just under $18. That’s 200 percent higher than the federal minimum wage. I guess if I ever lose my job, I should get back into the world of babysitting!
Get to Snackin’
I’m constantly on the lookout for new and healthy snack recipes for Ivy. And let’s be honest – they have to be easy and not require everything in the pantry to pull together. This working mama just doesn’t have the time for that.
I was quick to save this Healthy Spiced Apple Dip from Baby Foode that sounds simply delicious and and only requires 4 ingredients to make + the apples for dipping. All of the ingredients are items I typically have on-hand (and I’m guessing most families do as well) so I can quickly whip it together any day of the week.
Get It Done, Perfect or Not
One of the mama’s I follow on Instagram, Kelsey at GoldenThirty, recently published a blog post that really resonated me. It’s a topic that I know many other women struggle with as well: fear of failure and putting yourself out there.
Kelsey writes about how she’s learning to accept that done is better than perfection. That she just needs to get out and START something, even if it’s not going to be executed perfectly. And that’s exactly where I’m at too.
I find it’s so easy to hide behind my fears of failures to the point it becomes debilitating. And as the mom of a girl who will be very impressionable and will look to me to set examples, I realize I need to let go of that fear. I need to take the jump and push myself to do stuff that scares me. I need to set an example that everything doesn’t have to be perfect AND that people’s opinions of you shouldn’t define how you live your life. Because I want her to grow up to be strong and fearless.
Ok. Stepping off my soapbox now so that I can write up all the things I’m fearing I’ll fail at and how I can tackle them.
ABC’s: Teach & Eat
I’ve shared a few posts and activities from The Mama Notes in past Sunday Seven posts so it shouldn’t be a surprise I have another good one for you guys today. Caitlin (the mama behind the Mama Notes blog) is just full of amazing activity ideas for toddler and preschool-age kids.
If your kids are at the age where they’re starting to learn their ABCs, like Ivy is, this ABC print out is one you’ll want. And it works perfectly with the Trader Joe’s alphabet and number cinnamon cookies (which are delicious btw). The printout is free and the cookies are less than $4 (at least here in Minneapolis) so it’s a cheap activity that hopefully holds your kids attention long enough for you to enjoy some me-time.
Making Eco-Friendly Choices
I’m making an effort this year to be more eco-friendly by slowly transitioning to products that help eliminate so much waste in our daily lives. With so many companies offering up products that make the switch simple and affordable, it should hopefully be an easy transition.
Back in January, Camille Styles posted about 10 product swaps ideas that can make a big difference in avoiding waste. We’ve already implemented a few of these ideas in our house, including:
- Using less plastic snack/sandwich baggies in favor of reusable glass containers and/or reusable snack baggies
- Using wool dryers balls instead of dryer sheets. While these can be quite noisy in the dryer, I love that I can choose the scent I put on the dryer balls (I’ve just been using lavender but may change that up in a bit)
- Using reusable straws instead of buying disposable plastic ones (I love drinking from straws so this is the best alternative for me)
- Refilling old cleaning bottles with eco-friendly cleaners. This is still kind of a work in progress as some of the cleaners we have don’t have a refillable option (and may not be the most eco-friendly) but we’re getting there. My mother-in-law gifted us a Murchison-Hume counter spray (a brand mentioned in Camille’s post) and I’m IN LOVE with the scent. I use it on our counters all the time and it makes the kitchen smell so wonderful when I’m done.
We still have a ways to go, but some of the next products I’m interested in trying are the beeswax wraps (instead of using plastic wrap), the washable make-up remover pads and finding a solution for the plastic water bottles we always buy (I really need to find a good filter system to get away from the plastic water bottles).
Beach, Are You Ready for Summer?
Since we’re in March, it’s natural for any Minnesotan to start daydreaming about summer and warmer weather. I’ve started thinking about our spring and summer bucket lists. This year, I really want to make it to the beach as Ivy hasn’t had a ton of beach-time in her short 3-years even though we live in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”.
As any mom knows, taking a young kid to the beach requires a lot of stuff. So when I came across this super cute beach bag on Amazon I instantly put it on my wishlist. I’m a sucker for anything navy and the size of this bag is perfect to hold all the towels, change of clothes, sunscreens and water bottles a mom of young kids could need. I have a feeling I’ll be pulling the trigger on this bag very soon.
Speaking of Summer Days…
If we’re going to be spending some time at the beach, a swimsuit is obviously needed. Ivy’s growing like a weed right now so there’s zero chance that last year’s swimsuits will fit her well. I’ve done some early looking and found this adorable Tommy Bahama suit from Amazon (and it’s Prime-eligible) for less than $25. If I was in to wearing two-pieces these days, I’d love one of these in my size!
What’s to Come This Week
Before we head out, be sure to check back later this week to learn about our bedtime routine. We’ve hit some struggle spots over the last few months and I’m attempting to make it a little more fun but structured. If you have a toddler or preschooler who’s resisting bedtime, you might just find this helpful! And there will be a free printout for you to try with your own kids.