Congratulations… you are having a baby! You start thinking about how this magical moment will transform your life, and soon you will find yourself getting filled with anxiety. Diapers, Clothes, Baby Bags, Toys, Strollers, Bottles, the list goes on and on.

Luckily both your friends, and Freshen Your Life, are here for you. In this episode of the FYL Podcast, we explore how to create a baby registry list, so that your friends can help.

The post FYL 013: Your Ideal Baby Registry appeared first on Freshen Your Life.

I love to drink water. I feel like it is a cure-all for just about everything. I make it a priority for me and for my family to always carry water everywhere we go. About 7 years ago, I found my favorite water bottle company and have not looked back. Hydroflask! I have probably 10 different bottles and they last forever as long as you take good care of them. I cannot say enough good things about the bottle and I know there are other great ones out there but what I like the most is my water is always cold, they make several different sizes, they have some very fun colors and I love their accessories like the bottle covers and the lids. I do recommend to only use water in the bottles or they can start to take on the other flavors. But back to the why……drinking water helps with digestion, circulation, maintaining weight, keeping your skin clear and just so many other things. My best advice to everyone when it comes to water is, bring it with you…..drink throughout the day because the moment you are actually feeling thirsty…..your body is already dehydrated.

The post FYL 012: Why You Need To Drink More Water appeared first on Freshen Your Life.

Jenny: With sensitive skin, you can guarantee that I will favor the natural products for their simplicity. I like to keep it all simple and maybe sometimes too simple. In the morning, I use a mild facewash in the shower (Easy Going by Beauty Society) and then prior to drying my hair, I will use face lotion (Anytime Anywhere by Beauty Society). I stick to the basics like powder from Bare Minerals, Blush from Beauty Society and then mascara also from Beauty Society. Then at night, I wash my face with a warm Makeup Remover Cloth. I try to keep my skin looking young by using a retinol cream before bed.

Shaina: Give me all the oil, the thicker the lotion the better. My skin is normal to dry and I’ve never been great at washing my face. The older the get the more important my skincare routine has become. I only wash my face in the shower and I love Skin Authority moisturizing cream cleanser, it takes all my make up off, moisturizes and cleans deep. After I shower I use Hyaluronic Acid Serum. If I’m not showering at night I use the magic make up eraser. Just add warm water. I have been loving using Origins Drink up Intensive overnight mask when I wake my skin glows.

The post FYL 011: Our Skin Care Routine appeared first on Freshen Your Life.

In order for us to share what we believe are the pros and cons of childcare options, we decided to create what we call as the Pros vs. Cons list. This is a great way to clearly see what we are comparing and hope that this format makes it clear for you when making your decision. This decision is definitely one of the hardest you will have to make when having children. Their care provider has such an influence on your child and you cannot be frugal when it comes to this decision. Spend time wisely deciding what is best for you and your family.

The post FYL 010: Should You Take Your Kids to a Daycare or Get a Nanny appeared first on Freshen Your Life.

When I had Julianne (my oldest) I had an extremely hard pregnancy. I was diagnosed with preeclampsia but for most of my pregnancy, it was undiagnosed. Literally, the first 20 weeks of my pregnancy was so easy. I didn’t struggle with morning sickness at all. Almost to the day after I hit 20 weeks, I started swelling. I thought the amount of swelling that I experienced was normal and I knew my mom struggled with swelling and she had three easy pregnancies, so I wasn’t too concerned. Little did I know that swelling that early on is something to be concerned with. My nightly routine after a long day at work was to elevate and ice my legs and feet. I had several tests done to figure out why I was having consistent swelling. I had ultrasounds done on my legs to see if I had blood clots and also did the tests to see if I had protein in my urine to figure out if it was preeclampsia. I gained 60 pounds with the pregnancy and lost 50 pounds just in the first week after delivering. Let me just say it was hard on my body. I was considered high risk so I had no option but to continue to see my OBGYN and deliver at the hospital. 

So, when I became a pregnancy with Madelyn, I knew I wanted to have a better experience. After speaking with several people about their experience with a Midwife, I knew I had to try it. Everyone told me how much they enjoyed their deliveries and it was just a more personal experience. You don’t have several nurses interrupting you, it is one-on-one attention from the Midwife and her doula, you go home just 2 hours after delivery and the possibility of giving birth in a homelike atmosphere. All of this was very attractive to me. I was putting my faith in God and allowing him to be in control, that is how I felt about making the decision to go with a Midwife. My husband wasn’t exactly onboard with this idea. He was very nervous because after all, I had a hard pregnancy and delivery with our oldest. Not being in a hospital if something was to go wrong sounded like a bad idea. I introduced him to the Midwife I had chosen (After I met with one or two others) and from then on, I felt like he was completely onboard with the idea.  

The delivery couldn’t have gone better in my eyes. I delivered her naturally within 1 ½ hour and everything just happened as it should. The best part of my experience was that we were able to bring Madelyn home after 2 hours and she got to surprise her big sister (Julianne had no idea that I was going to have the baby) by walking down the stairs of our own home and totally catching her off guard. It was so great. The recovery was much easier especially because I was able to do it all naturally as with Julianne I did get an epidural. My advice to anyone who is struggling to make this decision is to go with your instinct. No one can tell you what is best for you. Don’t be persuaded to make a decision you are not comfortable with because delivery is an experience you won’t have but a few times in your lifetime and it should be the best experience for you and your baby. To hear more from Shaina and me on our experiences, subscribe and listen to us on YouTube. 

The post FYL 009: Delivering Your Baby With a Midwife vs Hospital appeared first on Freshen Your Life.

They say motherhood is all about giving and that you start practicing selflessness during pregnancy.  As a self-proclaimed “control freak”, 24 weeks of (unplanned) pregnancy has been nothing short of a wild ride. From working on aligning my body & mind, to realizing how hard it is to let go of control and accepting all of the unknowns, in-between, that come with pregnancy. 

As a woman who has never really dreamed of having children, an unplanned pregnancy can be very confusing. Especially considering that I haven’t experienced many of the symptoms that come with early pregnancy. Because of the lack of symptoms, it’s been a running joke that if we didn’t know I was pregnant, we wouldn’t know that I was pregnant. While I’m not complaining whatsoever about having a mild start on this journey, it becomes confusing when I try to wrap my head around the fact that I am indeed pregnant. Conflicting thoughts flood my mind, “I’m pregnant? But I don’t feel pregnant…” and these thoughts can quickly turn into an exhausting cycle.

Halfway through my pregnancy, I’m finally beginning to show and it has had its ups and downs. CON: my wardrobe selection varies from day-to-day; what fits today won’t necessarily fit tomorrow and what didn’t fit yesterday, may be a perfect fit today! Bizarre, right?! PRO:  I finally look pregnant; I don’t look like I’ve overindulged on sweets! Yippee!

My boyfriend, Sean, and I took the test together, at home. The moment I saw the positive sign, I broke down in tears. We laugh about it now because he thought that I was crying because the test was negative (tune into the podcast for an idea of how that dialogue went). The surge of emotion that is felt when that little + [positive] sign appears is indescribable. My support system was there to catch me in that moment; Sean was my rock. He was sweet, calm and realistic. He lovingly told me “I don’t have all of the answers, but we’re going to figure this out”. Thankfully, he’s maintained that cool demeanor because it’s kept me from panicking along the way.

The moment I found out I was pregnant, I felt like my world was collapsing around me. I suddenly belonged to what felt like a secret group of women who harbor the secret of pregnancy. Well, “secret” until it’s confirmed by the doctor and I could start announcing it. The shock wore off, little-by-little and each week brought new and exciting milestones.  Every moment, from announcing the pregnancy to feeling the first kicks, I find myself wondering how I ever entertained the thought of skipping out on this journey before!

So far, I feel that my biggest accomplishment has been the ability to stay patient with myself and embrace the changes that come with each day. Tune in to the podcast to hear Jenny and Shaina’s feedback on my big question: when in doubt, how do you know when to trust your gut?

The post FYL 008: Halfway Through Your First Pregnancy appeared first on Freshen Your Life.

Babywearing is one of the best ways to get things accomplished around the house as well as keeping the baby happy. It is so great for the 4th trimester to encourage physical development, aid in colic relief, bonding and comforting my baby. We alternate between a few different carriers depending on what we are doing.

The Baby Bjorn original is probably my favorite carrier. It is the most comfortable, easy to use and put on by myself, allows the baby to face in and out and simple. It looks like the actual one I have had been replaced with what is linked here.

The Ergo Original is one of the top-rated carriers available on the market. It is a super lightweight carrier and easy to adjust. My favorite benefit of this pack is the hood that gives the baby shade for napping. I would prefer using this pack for an older baby. It does require an infant insert which for some reason my babies haven’t liked to use. My Ergo only has the two positions but Shaina has the Ergo 360 which allows you to use it in 4 positions. I found a really nice sweatshirt to wear over the Ergo that is great for colder weather. The sweatshirt can also be used for other carriers. I tend to use it for my Bjorn over the front to cut down on wind chill. Check our YouTube video. More information available here.

The Baba Sling is probably the easiest carrier to use. Shaina loves it because it is so compact and easy to use with multiple positions. Unfortunately, it puts weight on your shoulder which makes it hard to wear for long periods of time and harder to breastfeed in. The Baba Sling is always in Shaina’s car because it is so easy to throw on. Check out our YouTube video on ways to wear the sling. Using a baby carrier at the store is great because it frees up room, allows you to be hands-free and for us, the oldest kids can sit in the cart. More information available here.

The Moby Wrap is a great option to use while at home once you understand how to put it on. We do not recommend that you the Moby wrap in public because of the 18 feet of fabric that drags on the ground. Shaina’s husband is a police officer which leaves her with kiddos 4 nights a week.  Have you ever tried to nurse a screaming baby while trying to make dinner, do dishes, change a poopy diaper, or brush your toddlers’ teeth? Don’t even get her started on the bedtime routine when she’s alone with these three.  That will have to be saved for another blog post.   What makes it great at home is that it is easy to breastfeed in, extremely comfortable and easy to take on the go. More information available here.

If you can only afford to get one carrier, we recommend going with the ergo. We definitely recommend adding some sort of baby carriers to your registry as they help in simplifying motherhood (and fatherhood).

The post FYL 007: Baby Carrier Reviews appeared first on Freshen Your Life.

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Being a mom is the most exhausting and rewarding job there is.  As a mom we wear many hats, we are wives, business owners, friends, sisters, daughters, all while these little human beings depend on us for everything.  The weight and stress of the role of a mom can leave us in a mom funk! This funk can impact every part of our lives and put pressure and stress on our marriages.  It is so important to follow these 7 self-love tips when we are exhausted.

Mom funk is inevitable but if you follow these 7 steps you will feel less exhausted, have a healthier marriage and be able to be a better mom.

The post FYL 005: 7 Self Love Tips for Exhausted Mothers appeared first on Freshen Your Life.

by Freshen Your Life

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