Recent Posts

Preparing For Baby: Baby #3!

Preparing For Baby: Baby #3!

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. I have written extensively about my journeys preparing for my babies! I have a comprehensive “Baby Stuff List” that is perfect for a first time mom to reference when registering and wondering WHAT IS ALL OF THIS?!? 

A Pregnancy Journey

A Pregnancy Journey

***SENSITIVE TOPIC: fertility and infertility*** Since becoming pregnant with my third baby, I have been quieter than I wanted to be when it comes to sharing about my pregnancy and really just pregnancy in general on This is Real Mom. There are a lot of 

Taking Maternity Photos

Taking Maternity Photos

Earlier this month, I did a maternity photo session with Camille CD Photography, and it was such a fun and rewarding experience! This was my first experience having professional maternity photos done, with my first pregnancy I did take a few maternity photos that are 

Holiday Traditions: Making Valentine’s Day Special

Holiday Traditions: Making Valentine’s Day Special

This post contains affiliate links.See more information. One of the things I love to do for my kids is try to make holidays special. Even small holidays can give an excuse to celebrate and have a “party!” At Christmas, we do an Advent Calendar with 

Top Deals of 2019: $2 Diapers and Other Favorites

Top Deals of 2019: $2 Diapers and Other Favorites

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. Many of you follow my group, Naptime Deals, for the top daily deals for moms! I thought I would do a round-up post of a few of my personal favorite deals from 2019 that I purchased myself! Biggest 

Top Cyber Monday 2019 Deals

Top Cyber Monday 2019 Deals

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. Here are the top deals from Cyber Monday 2019!! Scroll down for the deals from Cyber Sunday and Small Business Saturday!! More deals can be found daily in my Facebook group, Naptime Deals! E-mail Subscribers are also the 

Top 2019 Black Friday Deals

Top 2019 Black Friday Deals

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. I have been rounding up the top Black Friday deals for moms in my Facebook group, and here is a summary of all the best deals that have surfaced starting on Sunday the 24th!!! Prices were current as 

How to Claim Your Free Amazon Registry Box

How to Claim Your Free Amazon Registry Box

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. One of the perks of creating an Amazon Registry is the amazing FREE box of goodies they send you! Some moms find it tricky to figure out how to claim it, so I am outlining the process here, 

Best Black Friday/Cyber Monday Deals of 2018

Best Black Friday/Cyber Monday Deals of 2018

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. Best Black Friday/Cyber Monday Deals of 2018 This is a round up of the best deals for moms from Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2018. Deals will vary from year to year, but it can be nice to get an 

Holiday Traditions

Holiday Traditions

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. Holiday Traditions My favorite time of the year is from Thanksgiving to Christmas! I love everything about the “most wonderful time of the year” including the shopping on Black Friday, the food, the music, the cool, brisk 

Holiday Gift Guide 2019

Holiday Gift Guide 2019

This post contains affiliate links.See more information. Holiday Gift Guide 2019 I can’t believe it’s that time of year again!! Here are my top picks this year for babies through preschoolers!! For updates on the biggest sales of the Holiday Season, be sure to follow 

A New Baby

A New Baby

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. Announcing a New Baby Adding to your family is such an exciting time! Telling your older child(ren) about the new expected arrival can be more fun with a little planning and a few small gifts! When we told 

Pizzelles

Pizzelles

Pizzelles This post contains affiliate links. See more information. We love Pizzelles! They are really simple and easy to make! You don’t even need an oven, but you do need this Pizzelle cookie press! Ingredients 3 eggs 3/4 cup white sugar 1/2 cup butter, melted 1 

The Best Lightweight Strollers

The Best Lightweight Strollers

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. The Best Lightweight Strollers One question I see asked A LOT among moms is: which lightweight stroller is the best? And, like almost every baby item out there, the best one for you depends on a variety of 

Making Food Fun

Making Food Fun

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. Making Food Fun Mealtimes can be stressful for a variety of reasons — picky kids, picky parents, not knowing what to serve, and fussy kids can all come together to create occasional chaos. I find that I always 

Prime Day Tips & Tricks

Prime Day Tips & Tricks

This post contains affiliate links. See more information.  Prime Day Tips & Tricks I love shopping! I have pretty much been a life-long shopper of things on sale, as whenever I enter a physical store I run straight to the back to check out the clearance 

Preparing for Baby: The Baby is Here

Preparing for Baby: The Baby is Here

I have already written extensively about what I have done with my babies in my baby stories, sleep stories, schedules, and secret to sleeping through the night. I have shared resources for pregnancy, registering, and how to organize the nursery. But I needed to add this 

And Now He’s Two!

And Now He’s Two!

Photo by Camille CD Photography How is my baby going to be two this week? Looking back at his newborn photos has me feeling very nostalgic about the past two years! I am so happy to be his mama and also so thankful for the 

How to Interview a Babysitter

How to Interview a Babysitter

This post contains affiliate links. See more information.  When my second baby was about 6 weeks old and my toddler was just over 2, I realized that I was going to need a little extra help in the coming months. I contacted students at the local 

Preparing for Baby: After the Baby Shower

Preparing for Baby: After the Baby Shower

This post contains affiliate links. See more information.  So much fun! And then… the party is over and everyone goes home! You may have received some things that you have never seen before and don’t know what you will do with! Where will you put everything? 

Baby Registry: Save, Spend, Splurge

Baby Registry: Save, Spend, Splurge

This is the list of resources I send to my pregnant friends whenever I find out they are expecting! You can view all of the other sections through these links: Pregnancy Resources, The Baby Stuff List, What Do I Really Need?, Nursery Gear, For Baby, Big Purchases, For Mom, Save, Spend, 

Traveling with Littles: A Weekend in Chicago

Traveling with Littles: A Weekend in Chicago

This post contains affiliate links. See more information.  We had a blast this past weekend visiting a new city — Chicago! I love traveling with my family even though traveling with littles is not always easy. I’ve written many of my tips and tricks for traveling 

5 Travel Tips plus Bonus Tip: Sleeping Away from Home!

5 Travel Tips plus Bonus Tip: Sleeping Away from Home!

This post contains affiliate links. See more information.  Here are some travel tips I recently shared with my Facebook group, Naptime Deals! Click here to join and follow along for great baby sales, deals, tips, recommendations, and more! Also, I have written more posts on travel 

Easy Christmas Cookies

Easy Christmas Cookies

I posted the story of how I ended up with this cookie recipe over on Instagram 🙂 Here is the Recipe, adapted from Betty Crocker’s Christmas Cookbook: 2 sticks softened butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour sprinkles Beat butter, sugar, and 

The Realities of Motherhood: Birth Stories

The Realities of Motherhood: Birth Stories

When I started the @thisisrealmom project, I set out to document everyday realities of motherhood. I was inspired by my own struggles, especially when it comes to expectations vs. reality. Here are some stories from myself as well as other mothers who can also relate 

Holiday Gift Guide!

Holiday Gift Guide!

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. My favorite holiday is just around the corner! Over in Naptime Deals I have organized lists of gift ideas by age and other members have added their ideas as well! It’s a great collection of holiday gift ideas! Clicking 

First Birthday Tradition: Birthday Book

First Birthday Tradition: Birthday Book

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. First Birthday Tradition We started a tradition at my son’s first birthday where we had a book sitting out at his party for everyone to write messages to him in. It is really special to look back and 

On the Airplane: What Worked For Me

On the Airplane: What Worked For Me

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. Little Airport Sticker Book (pictured above) On the Airplane Here are some photos and notes from our latest airplane trip. For more travel tips, check out Traveling with Littles: Tips and Tricks! These activities kept the littles entertained 

Teaching Kindness to Toddlers

Teaching Kindness to Toddlers

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. Have You Filled a Bucket Today? I recently pulled Have You Filled a Bucket Today? off the shelf to help my toddler understand why it is important to be kind to others. I wasn’t quite sure if it was 

How I Taught my Babies to Drink from a Straw Cup

How I Taught my Babies to Drink from a Straw Cup

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. Drinking from a Straw Cup I have been meaning to write this for a month, and it’s such a quick and easy trick that I don’t know why it took me so long! My son turned 11 

Traveling with a Two Year Old

Traveling with a Two Year Old

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. Traveling at age 2 Traveling at age 2 (he was 2.5 when we traveled) was the easiest age yet! I already posted about our airport and airplane experiences here, but I thought I would do a little follow 

The Secret to Sleeping Through the Night

The Secret to Sleeping Through the Night

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. Need More Sleep? Here’s what you need to know: The Secret to Sleeping Through the Night I have found that the secret to sleeping through the night is that it is a learned skill that some babies just 

Potty Training Essentials and Update

Potty Training Essentials and Update

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. Update Potty training has gone well for us! Of course there have been accidents here and there, but overall, 3 months in, I am happy we did it when we did and am confident that he was ready 

Traveling with Littles Tips and Tricks + Printable Packing List!

Traveling with Littles Tips and Tricks + Printable Packing List!

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. Pictured Above: Must-haves for flying with 2: Baby Carrier and Toddler Headphones Traveling with Littles Traveling with little ones is not easy. Anyone who says otherwise either isn’t telling the truth or hasn’t done it… However, for many 

For the Luck of the Irish: Blarney Stones

For the Luck of the Irish: Blarney Stones

This post contains affiliate links. See more information.  Blarney Stones Every year on St. Patrick’s day, my grandma makes Blarney Stones. I remember being at home one year when a package from her arrived in the mail: it was a box full of these unique treats! 

4 Unique Personalized Big Brother – Little Brother Gift Ideas

4 Unique Personalized Big Brother – Little Brother Gift Ideas

This post contains affiliate links. See more information.  Matching Big Brother – Little Brother shirts (also comes in sister varieties!) – This is now my son’s favorite shirt! We have had it for almost 9 months and it has been through countless washes and still looks great! 

2 under 2: Baby and Toddler Schedule

2 under 2: Baby and Toddler Schedule

This post contains affiliate links. See more information.  2 under 2: Everyone seems to be doing it, but no one is talking about how HARD it is. Taking care of these two has me feeling like we are a circus parade. Nevertheless we keep on keepin’ 

The Baby Stuff List: What Do I Really Need?

The Baby Stuff List: What Do I Really Need?

This is the list of resources I send to my pregnant friends whenever I find out they are expecting! You can view all of the other sections through these links: Pregnancy Resources, The Baby Stuff List, What Do I Really Need?, Nursery Gear, For Baby, Big Purchases, For Mom, Save, Spend, 

Chicken in a Bucket

Chicken in a Bucket

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. Chicken in a Bucket This is one of the easiest recipes I know how to make. Aunt Mary made this for us approximately 8 years ago, and I have been making it ever since. When she told us 

Potty Training

Potty Training

This post contains affiliate links. See more information. Potty Training On an incredibly cold December day we decided to start potty training our 2.5 year old. I had told myself I would just wait until he was completely ready, but we were at a point where