5 Solid Steps to Work Through Blogger Burnout

written by Alice Bolte

5 tips to avoid blogger burnout and work through it! An awesome blog post for beginners who are starting a blog, those who blog for money or for bloggers who are just burning out. These 5 straight to the point ideas and tips will help motivate you and give you inspiration to move forward and get out of that rut! You dreamed of a blog and you did it. All the hard work, late nights and visions of awesomeness have landed you where you may be now: in the land of blogger burnout. You don’t know what to write about or you have a million ideas but you can’t summon up the motivation to plow on. You are not alone. Blogger burnout has killed some amazing blogs.

I was there too.

For weeks….a month…two months, I thought about opening up a document and writing. I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

How did I start again? How can you start again?

1. Stop being a realist

Blogging was so much different than I thought it would be. I realized that to truly make $$$ blogging, content needed to be “others focused” and help readers solve a problem, a.k.a: “I can’t just write about anything and everything I want to!” In addition, I needed to write amazing titles that stood out, I needed to keyword properly, learn how to optimize the murky waters of social media and grow, grow, grow my network etc. etc.

It was overwhelming and the reality was…I wasn’t reaching my blog goals. They seemed so far away.

To truly move forward, you may need to do what I did and take a step back. I realized that focusing on “reality” was not going to help me right now. Success does not come to those who speak what is, but those who speak life into what will be. A great example of this is the amazing story of Jim Carrey:

December 10, 2017 2 comments

Living The Holidays

The Best Gifts For Him, Under $100

written by Alice Bolte

The perfect gifts for your boyfriend, dad, brother (….or whichever man in your life) is stumping you. No need to scour Pinterest any further! Your unique and awesome gifts are HERE.

I interviewed dozens of men in a range of ages just for this post, to find the absolute perfect gifts and I was surprised!!!

Men want PRACTICAL gifts. They really DO want t-shirts, socks, underwear etc. instead of some “cool” or unique, typical guy gifts. I listed the top brands they chose and all the coolest stuff they say they really want but wont buy for themselves (the perfect gifts).

Whether you’re looking for Christmas, a birthday, anniversary, or Valentine’s day gifts, these guys have got you covered. All 100% man approved. We’re talking the most requested brands, games, gadgets etc.

Here we go!

THE VERY BEST GIFTS FOR MEN

$25 AND UNDER:

H&M Easy-iron Shirt Slim fit H&M: $14.99 (multiple colors)
One of the top requests, from men, were nice dress shirts. Of all the nice dress shirts we’ve ever purchased through the years (Thomas has had a closet stuffed with them), this particular brand and style has been the absolute best. Now, the quality isn’t the best in the whole wide world (there are some beautiful pricey brands) but the cut and various patterns it comes in are bar none. If the man you are buying for isn’t into slim fit, try Van Heusen’s Men’s Poplin Fitted Solid Point Collar Dress Shirt. It’s been compared to some top notch brands. It runs a little on the larger side, so the “fitted” style is best.

December 3, 2017 16 comments

Babies Parenting Toddlers

Baby’s First Walking Shoes

written by Alice Bolte

Cute baby shoes for girls or a boy made just for walking. Skip the DIY, decoration, patterns, crochet, Jordans, boots, vans, nike, converse, Uggs and moccasins. You need to buy a walking shoe that is sturdy and built just for baby’s first steps! Here’s everything you need to know about buying the best first pair of baby walking shoes for your infant or toddler! This week, little Mae got her very first kicks. Sporting those neon teal and pink sneakers, she had a blast (giggling the whole time) in the beautiful summer weather. Through mud, scuffs, falls, grass, rocks and fun little puddles I held her two little hands as she smiled from ear-to-ear.

Not knowing what to expect, last week, I had taken her out around our complex to walk in some soft crib shoes. She stumbled in them and tore them up quickly on the concrete. That’s when the light bulb flickered on…soft shoes = bad for walking outside.

I had overheard two moms talking at the Children’s Museum (I promise I’m not always a weird eavesdropper) about how it’s important to buy a good pair of walking shoes. I was curious.

THE BEST BABY SHOES, FOR BABY’S FIRST STEPS

Why it’s important to buy a good pair of walking shoes

Your baby is developing his or her gate and walking pattern. A bad pair of cheap shoes will alter those steps and may inhibit their development. A.K.A. they may learn to walk weird.

This means you should skip out on flip-flops, wedges, boots, sandals with loose straps, and basically anything with a heel.

July 16, 2017 2 comments

Babies Parenting

Donating Breast Milk, The Process & Importance

written by Alice Bolte

Breast milk storage, increase, uses and facts for supply, production, and pumping, all within the benefits and guidelines to donate responsibly. Amazing interview for donating! A must know for all moms who have excess breast milk! How to sell breast milk? How to store breast milk properly? Should I donate my breast milk? Why do mothers donate their milk instead of selling? I had so many questions!

Our freezer was so jam packed with frozen milk bags that we shied away from the frozen isle at the grocery store. This may sound like a wonderful problem to have! It came at a cost. An in-home lactation specialist visited me earlier this year and we went through my options. I was having major supply issues and this was more vitally concerning because our baby was so small. The biggest solution was to pump, pump, pump. After a month of hard work, the concern was over and consequently, that freezer filled up!

At a community baby fair in Denver, I saw that there would be a milk bank present. So, we packed little Mae up and headed to the fair. It was time to answer all the questions I had about responsibly emptying the freezer full of breast milk we had.

At the Mother’s Milk Bank tent, I explained my situation and questions. The lady up front did her best Vanna White impression and presented me with Laraine Borman, Director of Outreach for Mother’s Milk Bank. “You need, Laraine,” she said, smiling.

Laraine answered all of my questions and I learned why donating was so vitally important! I felt like her answers were so important for all mommies to know that I asked to interview her and spread the word on SLL.

July 9, 2017 0 comment

Guest Posts Pregnancy Preparing For Baby

Top 10 Practical Tips on Bringing Baby Home – From an RN

written by Jess Speer

Bringing baby home advice from an RN. From choosing a pediatrician, meal prepping, and getting organized to car seat safety, nursing and at-home care - this is a fantastic checklist of must-know tips! Hi there! My name is Jess and I’m the gal behind the blog As The Speerit Moves You. By occupation I am a Registered Nurse, but my all-time favorite job is being a mom to my eight-month-old son, Landon. I am a first time mom and I’m loving every moment spent with him! Today I have compiled a list for you with, what I find to be, some of the most helpful tips to keep in mind when bringing baby home from the hospital. Hope you enjoy!

TOP 10 TIPS FOR BRINGING BABY HOME, FROM AN RN

1. GET ORGANIZED

I highly recommend getting a folder together to keep all important documents in one place. Sometimes the hospital allows you to fill out forms ahead of time, which they may want at the time you check in. By being organized from the start, you will have fast access to anything that you may need and a place to keep important information that the hospital may give you.

2. CHOOSE A PEDIATRICIAN ASAP

Do some research on pediatricians in your area before it’s ‘go time’. Nowadays it is even normal to interview your pediatrician. Take a tour of the office and see if you feel like it is a good fit for you- I know that I did! Ask whatever questions you may have. Find out if the pediatrician has access to the hospital you are delivering at. I found it so helpful that our pediatrician came to assess L in the hospital and he followed his care from there.

July 2, 2017 0 comment

Pregnancy Preparing For Baby

8 Baby Registry Must Haves, Often Overlooked!

written by Alice Bolte

Baby stuff for your baby registry (that are must haves!) and essentials for first time moms, often overlooked! This checklist has the best tips on Amazon items that are life savors! If you’re looking for what to put on your baby registry, look no further! Love this! Zipping through online stores, Pinterest and blog posts, you may feel overwhelmed by what exactly you need on your baby registry.

Even if you spent hours sifting through Pinterest pins, it’s likely you still aren’t exactly sure you’ve got everything you need. I sure had this feeling!

I am in the process of creating a super comprehensive, ultimate registry list but just as important were the top things I forgot to add to my registry that I really do regret!

UPDATE. Here it is! Make sure to check out:

8 BABY REGISTRY MUST HAVES, OFTEN OVERLOOKED!

1. NOSE FRIDA

FridaBaby Nasal Aspirator with 20 Extra Hygiene Filters
Babies don’t even breath through their mouths the first few months. It is very important to clear that breathing passage. This is why we are given that old fashioned bulb for free at the hospital. That bulb is terrible. Just Google baby bulb mold, look at the pictures and you will know what I am talking about! It’s almost impossible to clean those things. What’s even worse is the bulb’s hardcore suction can rupture your tiny beautiful new baby’s nasal passages.

June 25, 2017 0 comment