You may know me as the blogger who travels all over California, but I actually do have a full-time office job working as a Marketing Manager for a Northern California surrogacy agency. I wanted to write this blog post because there are so many questions and concerns that potential surrogates have and the information available online is very limited.
Iβve seen so many happy families with their surrogacy babies and I know there are many more women out there who would make excellent surrogates. In general thereβs a shortage of qualified surrogates compared to the amount of Intended Parents waiting to get matched.
So buckle up! All of the conversations Iβve heard happen behind closed doors Iβm putting in this blog post because information is power. Your top 50 surrogacy questions answered with all brutal honesty I can muster. If thereβs something holding you back from filling out a surrogacy application, hopefully I can address your concern and put your mind at ease.
Read MoreBoth the current fashion trends of Fair Isle Knits and Wellington Boots are actually not trends at all, they are winter fashion staples going back many decades. But in modern day we aren't wearing these styles in exactly the same way as our grandmothers did. These days both fair isles prints and wellies come in an array of bright and colorful shades, making dark winter days much more cheerful.
Read MoreAs a busy mom, you know that thereβs never such a thing as too much money. Whether itβs for planning that next family vacation, back-to-school shopping, or simply a hefty grocery run, a few extra hundred dollars per month can stretch quite a long way.
If youβve been looking for a side hustle that is both lucrative and respects your busy schedule, this article is here to help! Weβll be showcasing five of the best side hustle ideas for mothers, including how you can easily get started.
Read MoreMoms, the unsung heroes of our lives, deserve all the appreciation and love for their tireless efforts. Balancing work, home, and personal life, they often make tons of sacrifices and put their own needs on the back burner for the kids, family, and they care about.
Busy moms have it a little bit, but they still manage to push through the challenges, keep the family intact, and raise successful kids. The woman who raised you automatically deserves some pampering and spoiling from time to time, so go ahead and spoil her whenever you can.
Here are some ideas on simple yet luxurious ways to make mom feel spoiled and pampered as you appreciate her for the hard work she puts in.
Read MorePregnancy beauty is the stuff of legend. Before you pop, your skin is glowing from the extra blood circulating through your body and your hair is lush from those pregnancy hormones.
After the baby comes? Not so much. Between a lack of sleep, adjusting to your new post pregnancy body, and the postpartum hair loss that affects up to 90% of all women after they give birth, it can be easy to feel out of control.
Fortunately because postpartum hair loss is so common, over the years women have come up with a host of natural remedies that can help you regrow those lost strands. Here are some of my favorites to help you get your groove, and your hair, back, naturally.
Read MoreOne of the many new experiences that youβll encounter after youβve had your baby is the realization that regular underwear is just not going to cut it anymore. At least for a while, anyway!
Youβre going to need panties that can keep large pads in place to absorb the bleeding, discharge, and possibly even incontinence that youβre going to deal with in the days, weeks, and possibly even months after youβve given birth.
Luckily, there's no need to ruin your Victoriaβs Secret lingerie or favorite Agent Provocateur thong. And chances are, you wonβt feel like wearing them either. Products known collectively as postpartum underwear are here to save the day. Theyβre the perfect option for new moms as they're designed specifically for this purpose.
Need a little more info on what postpartum underwear is and what it does? Not sure if you need to pack a pair or two into your hospital bag? Or just confused about the many options available? Letβs have a look at some of the most frequently asked questions new mothers ask about postpartum underwear and everything that goes along with it.
Read MoreAs modern parents, we think a lot about the future generations and how our actions today will impact our childβs tomorrow. At times it feels like a daunting task, saving the world from pollution and global warming. But the good news is that small and simple steps can make a difference. We donβt have to go to extremes to reduce our carbon footprint, collectively we all just need to make better choices. The future belongs to our children, and itβs up to us to protect it.
Read MoreEaster is one of those holidays thatβs perfect to celebrate with toddlers because itβs full of bright colors and baskets with eggs. And of course the bunnies are always a hit with little ones!
It doesnβt take much effort to make this springtime holiday memorable for your children. Consider starting any of these family fun traditions that you can bring back every year.
In this blog post I outline ten Easter activities that any parent can easily put together. Youβll find the classics such as egg dying and an Easter egg hunt, but also a few new ones that you probably havenβt heard of.
Read MoreIβve been a mama for almost 4 years now and weβve been using the Honest Diaper Subscription Service through the birth of two babies. At this point I feel confident in giving a through and informative review for anyone considering signing up.
My daughter is now 3.5 years old and my son just turned one year old. With Scout we began using Honest Diapers just a few months after she was born all the way until potty training with pull-ups. Iβm grateful to say that she is now fully potty trained and has graduated to big girl underwear, so now we only use the Honest Diaper service for my son Beau.
In this blog post I will break-down all the pros and cons of the Honest Diaper subscription service. This is not a sponsored post and Iβm more than willing to share the positives along with the pain points of this service.
Read MoreYou may have already discovered that shopping for maternity clothes can be a real drag. Itβs difficult to find cute attire that you actually want to wear, especially during the time of pregnancy when youβre already feeling big and bloated.
The good news is that thereβs actually plenty of non-maternity clothes that will get you through the 9 months of pregnancy. You will also find that these new wardrobe staples will come very much handy during your postpartum months while your body is adjusting back to normal.
In this blog post Iβm giving suggestions on cuts and styles of dresses, pants, tops, leggings, tunics and more that arenβt necessarily maternity clothes but you can wear for each trimester. After my two pregnancies Iβve learned a thing or two about hacking my closet to fit my growing baby bumps.
Because maternity clothes are so drab, my recommendation is to find wardrobe gems that celebrate pregnancy and mark the special occasion. Not to mention the fact that pretty dresses make motherhood more fun. You want to find clothes that make you feel good and ultimately extend your regular wardrobe. Depending on your style you may even want to flaunt your belly. Do you girl!
Read MoreWhen women celebrate other women, we all win! The below guide to throwing a modern feminist themed party can be used for all sorts of occasions. These tips are great for bachelorette parties, bridal showers, birthday parties, baby showers, Galentineβs Day and even #BOSSBABES graduation celebrations.
Read MoreAt this point Iβve been through pregnancy and postpartum twice with my two babies. And while each time was different and had its own challenges, there definitely were some similarities that most women experience.
Getting dressed both when pregnant and in the postpartum months can quite honestly be frustrating. Youβre dealing with weight gain, bloating, aches and pains, heavy bleeding and nursing. Thereβs a lot going on!
I highly recommend building a capsule wardrobe that can accommodate all these needs and make you feel comfortable. During the postpartum phase youβll pretty much do anything to make yourself feel a little better and cute clothes can do the trick!
Read MoreWith both of my pregnancies I was extremely curious to know the gender of my babies very early on. Gender reveal ultrasounds are usually around 20 weeks, and it can be a long and impatient wait for eager parents. When you finally know the big news, itβs so fun to make a formal announcement with a creative photo!
Read MoreWeβre about to re-enter the crazy world of labor and delivery, and then having a newborn. But this time around we also have a 2-year-old toddler in the mix, which definitely makes things a bit more complicated.
By the time your second baby arrives youβre already in full-blown parent mode. Fortunately we already know how some of the journey ahead will go, but learning to balance our attention to two children is a new experience.
Having the right gear can definitely make the transition easier for both the parents and the children. You may also want to refresh your baby gear with new and upgraded products. Some items can be re-used from your first baby, and others may have to replaced.
Read MoreThere are many moments in motherhood when youβre just too tired or busy to spend time in the kitchen cooking healthy meals from scratch. But that doesnβt mean you want to resort to fast food or overly processed junk food.
This guide will give you helpful tips that you can resort to when youβre crunched for time or in a pinch. Iβve also taken into account scenarios when youβre low on fresh groceries and freezer or pantry foods are your only option.
Read MoreWhen it comes to toys for our kids, we often think the fancier the better. But the reality is sometimes they can be so entertained by the simplest things. And if we are being honest, shiny new toys purchased from the store become βoldβ and uninteresting very quickly. The best part about using common household items is that many of them you have around your house will make perfect toys to entertain them for hours.
Read MoreThis blog post includes different categories of gifts for all types of women. Thereβs definitely no one size fits all when it comes to the wonderful ladies we are celebrating. This guide has goodies for pampering at home, home decor to inspire a project, cute kitchen finds, and little jewelry gems.
Read MoreMy daughter Scout will be turning two years old this upcoming spring. The winter time is a challenge for toddlers like Scout, she loves to be active and play outside. Battling cabin fever is a true reality for us parents, especially on cold and rainy days when we can't take them outside to the playground.
Currently in our city of Sacramento, California the days are filled with rain, and the temperatures are in the 40's. So Iβve been working on creating the perfect hygge home to make our winter hibernation warm and cozy.
Read MoreThe Danish hygge lifestyle is all about embracing everything warm and cozy during the cold days of winter. To achieve this state of ultimate cozy bliss, it does take some preparation and possibly shopping for a few investment pieces to complete your "hygge kit." Everyone has their own slightly different version of the perfect hygge winter, but there are some staple elements that most of us can agree upon and I've got them all on my list.
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