Today I want to talk about using a paper planner to create an organized, happy life. It has made a huge difference for me, and I want to share with you how I use mine.

Using a paper planner has helped my creativitiy, my intention and my gratitude to help build a life and business that I love.

Big thanks to this episode's sponsor Family Routines. If you're looking into getting safe routines that gives you more margins for the chaos that having a family brings.

Mentioned in this post:

• I use the Happy Planner (you can get good prices on Amazon)
• Using a Paper Planner with a Digital Calendar

Other posts on planners:

• Best Pens for Planners
• Best Planners for Moms
• Planner Tips
• Making your own stickers
• Best Life Planners

Producer: Drew Erickson

This week's episode is going to focus on what happens after baby. What's normal, what to watch for and I even have a guest on who JUST had a baby and is one of the best moms I know (but also struggling to keep her head above the water with baby #3). I can't wait to share it with you!

This week's guest is Katie Clark from Clarks Condensed. If you remember, I actually Katie on a few weeks ago on episode 005 right before she had her new baby to talk about getting ready for baby, and I wanted to have her own for this next episode about life after baby. You know Katie from Clarks Condensed, you can also find her on Instagram at The.Breastfeeding.Mamma.

This post was inspired by a couple of my postpartum posts (that I think you'll love)

• Postpartum Recovery (gives you 5 things to watch for to stay safe)
• Postpartum Comforts (this talks more about managing any pain or symptoms you have)

This post is sponsored by the Online Prenatal Class for Couples. When I took a class, it basically stopped after baby was born — but I go through step by step what to expect after birth and as you go home!

Mentioned in the post:

• My previous podcast on how to know if you're in labor
• We talk a TON on how to know when to go in in my Prenatal Class
• Informed consent is important when people are having medical procedures.
• Depends for after baby (a lot of people love these too)
• A Great Baby Carrier — she also has a post on babywearing.
• Can you hold a newborn too much?
• Positive Maternal Self Care Episode 028
• Katie's Breastfeeding group (we also have a Pregnancy group & Motherhood group together)

Other things that might interest you:

Tushy is one of my new favorite things for new moms — you can find my Tushy review & coupon code here

Katie has a great post on Postpartum Body Changes

How to know if you're going into labor

Ode to the New Mom — managing coming home with a new baby!

Second Baby Checklist — what you need to your second (or more) baby — including how to manage siblings.

Wearing a postpartum belt can help any pressure you're feeling!

Producer: Drew Erickson

Guys, today I am SO excited to do this Disneyland scavenger hunt with you! we're gonna walk through the park listening to some of my favorite sounds.

Of course, we love going to Disneyland — we book with Get Away Today and we JUST returned from a trip at Christmas time. It was magical as all get out. I'm still swooning from all the fun we had. And yes, I have used them since 1998.

Mentioned in this post:

• Headphones for loud rides
• Christmas at Disneyland
• Things that might scare your kids at Disneyland
• Podcast 008 on Best Time to go to Disneyland
• Disneyland Maxpass Tips

Other things you might find helpful:

• Pregnant at Disneyland
• Best places to eat at Disneyland
• Knotts Berry Farms vs Disneyland
• Food I hate at Disneyland that everyone else loves!

Plan your day at Disneyland or California Adventure

Gratitude is my superhero. It saved me when nothing else could, and today I want to talk about how I bring gratitude into my day, to give you some ideas on how to spark gratitude at your house!

This episode was inspired by a lot of things, but this post on hope kind of outlines how hope saved me when I was lost (and how it can save you too).

In this episode we're talking about the many ways that I incorporate gratitude into my day. Some links you might find helpful:

• How I use my planner
• Having Enough
• The Storie(s) of our job loss(es)

Producer: Drew Erickson

Just thinking about your own death is hard enough, but plunking down cold hard cash about it is almost too much to think about. Today I'm going to give you specific steps to get your will & living trust created, no matter your budget!

This post is inspired by my post on creating a Living Trust. You can find it right here: https://www.pullingcurls.com/will-living-trust/

Big thanks to our sponsor Family Routines — if things like wills/trust get you crazy inside, simplifying family life will help you a ton!

NOTE: In this episode, a couple of times I say "living will" but I mean living trust. A living will is about making healthcare decisions, a living trust sets up a trust for your family. Sorry about that.

Mentioned in this Episode (may be affiliate links)

• Giving Docs provided our will for free.
• The paralegal we used

Trust & Will or Legal Zoom are good online options to create your trust there.

Today we're going to talk about some myths and truths about going into labor. Things can be pretty miserable towards the end of pregnancy, and we will talk about some ways to get comfortable as well.

As a note, this podcast isn't AS G-rated as many of my other ones. We're talking about getting babies out…. so, yeah. [wink, wink]

This post was inspired by my How to Go Into Labor post, which you can see here: https://www.pullingcurls.com/ways-go-labor/

This week's guest is Mandy Irby — The Birth Nurse on Youtube. She is also the Creator of Birth Nurse Academy, where she shares valuable info on labor and birthing boldly! You can also find her on Instagram.

She is also a trauma-sensitive labor and delivery nurse and educator supporting bolder births everywhere. She's been a labor nurse for over eleven years and holds both advanced certifications in OB nursing. Mandy's also a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, Authorized Peanut Ball Trainer, Director of Education at [M]otherboard Birth, and recently she completed her Spinning Babies Parent Educator training and trains parents in it in Roanoke, Virginia.

Thank you to this week's Sponsor, The Online Prenatal Class for Couples. I have to say that the internet is FULL of weird lies — ESPECIALLY ways (many that aren't all that safe) to go into labor. It is nice to have a source you can trust!

In this episode we talk about:

• Why you may NOT want an elective induction
• Ways to go into labor
• Ways that DON'T put you in labor (unless it's coincidental)
• Will sex put you into labor?
• Is curb-walking magical?
• Ways to get comfy at the end of pregnancy

Other items that might interest you:

• Secrets of False Labor
• I recommend this labor ball
• Mandy has 125 labor positions you can download
• Best pregnancy podcasts
• To do before coming to the hospital
• When to call labor and delivery
• Birth Classes Online

Figure out how to take care of OURSELVES as WELL as our babies is a tough job. Tougher than most moms realize and we don't often have a good example of obtaining that fine line balance. Today I'm having my friend Bonnie Romney on to talk about how SHE makes it work in her house — hopefully, to give you some ideas of how it will work for you!

Bonnie Romney is in many plays in the Phoenix area. I mostly picked her because I like her story of having to put some of her passions away for a bit when her kids were tiny, and then how she has slowly started picking them back up. I have learned a lot from her, and I hope you will too!

This post was inspired by my Maternal Survival Post — which we talk about in this episode. It was a huge "aha" moment and I recommend you check out that post as well!

If you're looking for something to inspire a few parenting changes around your house — check out my free practical parenting course:

Big thanks to this episode's sponsor Family Routines. If you're looking to simplify routines at your house, to ALLOW for more time for you — that course is for you. Remember you can join for a month or a year — there is no obligation to stay once you've finished. Be sure to use the discount code mentioned in the episode.

In this episode:

• How do we preserve the person we were before we had kids
• Can/do you want to be the same person you were before you had kids?
• Self-care goals to have as children grow-up
• How hard it can be to have a newborn
• How time magically appears as your child gets older
• We'll talk about some ideas you could take as a hobby or finding things you enjoy (or become a serial hobbyist)
• Three tips to moms who want to make a change!

Other posts that might interest you:

• Pregnancy Emergencies
• PTA president ultimate tell-all
• Confessions of a Primary President
• Family Routines
• Ode to the New Mom

Producer: Drew Erickson.

Creating a cleaning schedule changed my life. I was so lost, with a stressful job, a new baby and in a new location and pulling my house together in a cleaning schedule made SUCH a change. I can't wait to share it with you!

This post is inspired by my post on my Cleaning Schedule Template. You can find it here: https://www.pullingcurls.com/the-benefits-of-weekly-cleaning-schedule/

You can actually get my actual cleaning schedule sent to you via email right here:

Big thanks to our sponsor The Organized Home. If you're truly looking to clean less — it is the COURSE FOR YOU! Nothing makes cleaning easier, than having all of your items put away. Be sure to use the coupon code mentioned in the episode!

Things I share in this episode:

• Why a cleaning schedule can be beneficial
• How to start about making a cleaning schedule
• The most important part of a cleaning schedule.

Mentioned in this post:

• My Robot Vacuum Wars
• Making a Cleaning Schedule work for YOU
• All of my cleaning & organization posts

Family Routines Course with the chapter on getting your family to clean on Saturdays

Let's talk about HOW to get kids to do homework, but ALSO how to help YOU know exactly WHY you are doing homework, so that you can be a more effective advocate, cheerleader and helper, when homework comes.

This episode has my friend JoAnn Crohn on. She is the mom behind No Guilt Mom, a former teacher, and the smartie behind Drama-Free Homework. She is also the creator of Homework 911 to help kids (yup,the course is FOR your kids) get better at homework. My daughter took it, and it's GREAT!

This post was inspired by this post on homework. If you liked the episode, that post just talks more about my feelings and what I learned during my talking with the teacher, and principal. You can find it here: https://www.pullingcurls.com/homework-and-stress/

This episode is sponsored by Family Routines: How to automate your housewife life. I must say that 90% of homework is just getting into a routine of it (and when you do, it makes high school SO much easier). I have a whole chapter on what we do, along with some helpful tips to make it work for your family. I'd love to see you inside! Be sure to use the coupon code mentioned in the episode.

In this episode we are talking:

• What teachers WANT parents doing with homework (and how to find out what that is)
• What DOES homework do in the younger grades?

Items mentioned in this post:

• An awesome timer to do homework with.
• Homework 911 Course

Producer: Drew Erickson

Labor is a lot more confusing than you think it might be — but, how do you KNOW you're going to labor. Hint: It's not just contractions… there's lots of parts of your body that want to get in on the show. Area's like your GI system, back pain and more. 🙂

FYI, Hilary has been an L&D nurse since 2001, but Please note the disclosure in the podcast and please contact your personal provider for any specific issues.

This post was inspired by my Am In Labor Quiz which you can find right here: https://www.pullingcurls.com/when-will-i-go-into-labor-quiz/

Big thanks to our sponsor: The Online Prenatal Class for Couples — it can be done in less time than you think, grab it today!

In this episode:

• We'll talk about back labor/front labor
• Also, what a contraction feels like
• GI issues can be a sign of labor (I'll even share a tip about having a BM while you're pushing)
• Mucus plugs (ew)
• What to do to prevent false labor
• Be SURE to keep doing Kick Counts

Other items you might find interesting:

• Learn about the Signs of labor — what to watch for (especially besides contractions!)
• Something people don't talk about often (can't imagine why) Changes in discharge can give you some signs!
• It sounds like you'd know — but my post on Am in labor or did I pee? is pretty popular, because they seem very similar! I have a whole post on water breaking.
• Wondering what all those numbers mean — Vaginal Exams will help you out! (has a video that explains it more!)
• False Labor — it's like labor in sheep's clothing
• True Labor — the real deal
• Woman giving birth in a taxi (FYI NOT PG, but not horrible)
• And, combine this all to know IF you are in labor!
• Ready to get him/her out? Learn my best ways to go into labor.
• Wondering how the Mucus Plug works? And what it means when it falls out?

Have you taken a Prenatal Class yet — and yes, I do think everyone should take a prenatal/hospital/childbirth class.

Once you're ready — don't forget my free hospital packing list:

Producer: Drew Erickson