Decluttering: Tips To Get You Started!

Decluttering. It is a tedious task but a very important one in order to keep your house tidy and organized. As humans, we tend to collect a lot of things and they add up fast resulting in a hoard. (*Ahem* Hoarders...) I have found that it is easier to go through your stuff and decide what you need and what you don't about every six months or so instead of waiting until spring every year and ending up overwhelmed. To help you guys out with getting some junk out of your life I have compiled a list of a few tips and tricks to get you headed in the right direction.

1. The Hanger Trick

When you go to do your organizing and decluttering, turn all of your hangers backwards. Then when you wear something put the hanger back in the closet the right way around. Next time you go to declutter, take everything that you haven't turned around out and get rid of it. If you haven't worn it in six months time chances are that you won't be needing it.

      2. Out of sight, out of mind.

Sometimes it is really easy to set things on a surface such as a counter, a dresser, or a shelf and decide that it goes there. This may be because it will be easier to access or because you think that is a good place for it but I like to follow this simple rule: If you don't use it every day it doesn't need to be on a surface!

     3. Get rewarded for decluttering!

A great way to get motivated to get rid of more things is to sell them. You can sell any old clothes that are in good condition on Poshmark, Ebay, or at a local consignment shop. Anything other than clothes you want to get rid of you can sell on Ebay or have a garage sale! Then you can use the money you earn to buy things that you will use. 

     4. Get rid of duplicates.

This may seem like a no-brainer but you would not believe how many people hang on to three of the same pink cardigans "Just in case." This is, of course, a bad idea because you can only wear one pink cardigan at a time. The same goes for makeup, shoes, etc. Getting rid of duplicates can significantly downsize what you own and give the clothes you keep a better chance of being well-loved!

     5. Don't add to the mess!

This one is again a no-brainer but it is definitely worth mentioning! While you are decluttering and before you declutter, try to avoid purchasing anything new. This will set you back and add to the plethora of items you will need to go through. All it will end up doing is discouraging yourself. Instead, try rewarding yourself with something when you have gotten rid of everything you don't need. This reward could be a new pair of shoes that you have nothing like, that new leather jacket you have been eyeing, or a new piece of home decor. Whatever makes you happy can be a great incentive to work harder to declutter your home.

Decluttering is the first and most important step in becoming more organized and efficient in your home. Yes, it can be frustrating and stressful. It is definitely a lot of work but I can promise you that after it is done you will be able to sit back, breathe a sigh of relief, and enjoy your nice, clean home. 

NEW UPLOAD/POSTING SCHEDULE!

Hey loves,

Just wanted to come up here and give you all a quick update! So I have been working on getting on more of a regular schedule when it comes to my videos and blog posts. I want to grow my audience as well as get more content out there for you guys! So from now on this will be my upload/post schedule:

Wednesdays: YouTube Video
Saturdays: Blog Post

This of course does not change my daily vlogging in any way! Sometime in the future I'd like to move into doing two videos a week and having a day that I do baby/mommy related videos and a day that I do beauty/lifestyle videos. For now it would be a lot to take on so I'm gonna start small! :)

Thanks so much for all of your love and support!
I love you guys so very much!

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-xILGVjOVf8bg6yYUa08cg
Daily Vlogging Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV8Kiy5vMQdnwyQg_aKMsrg

The Truth About Being A Freelance Writer... Spoiler Alert: It Sucks!

I have now been a freelance writer for almost 6 months and, frankly, it sucks. You submit thousands upon thousands of applications to do three hours worth of work and get paid $60 until god knows when when you will get another job that you will work three hours and get paid probably less.

It's hard to never know when your next paycheck is going to come, I was one of the lucky few who found a job in the first month or so that gives me consistent work. I love this job and I still work it every day. Unfortunately, I only make $300 a month right now! This is not anything against the client I have right now of course because he is great, but I need to vent. You can see where I am coming from when I say that freelancing sucks.

It's hard and exhausting and it sucks everything you have out of you to constantly get rejected. Spending hours scrolling through job postings hoping to find anything. It is exhausting.

The one good thing that I can say about freelancing is that it allows me to stay at home with my son. My beautiful, intelligent, adorable, chubby son. I get to cherish every moment of his life and I get to watch him as he grows and learns and becomes this amazing little boy.

That is why I freelance. That is the only reason I still have this job (not the consistent one. Let me reiterate I love that job) because, honestly, it might be harder than any job I have ever had. He keeps me going and he is what makes me get out of bed in the morning.

If you don't have a child and you are considering freelancing, definitely think long and hard about it before quitting your day job...

Mamaway Prenatal and Postpartum Support Belt Review!

Hey guys!

Sorry to shove two "sponsored" posts at you in a row but I also wanted to talk about this product I received from Mamaway! When I received this I was very excited because I was under the impression that it was a waist trainer style product. This was not because the company lied to me or anything it was because I WAS NOT PAYING ATTENTION. So even though I did not need this product I still tried it out to do a review for you guys and so here it is:

Let's start with the good parts... This belt has metal boning in the back part to support your back. This would be very helpful for during pregnancy for obvious reasons as well as after birth because (no one tells you this but...) you are going to have a lot of back (and butt) pain after giving birth. The back support part goes way up the back to make sure that you have support everywhere but it is the most supportive of the lower back which is the most important anyways!

It has six different areas that fasten together. First is the main part that fastens together to secure the entire thing and that is the main source of support. the other four fasten to the belt itself which helps you to customize the way that you want the belt to fit. This really helps to ensure that you are getting the best fit and the best support possible.

Now for the not-so-good... These belts run very small in my opinion. As someone who usually wears a small, I expected the medium I ordered to fit perfectly (because I anticipated it to be a little small). However, the medium is still too tight unless it is the absolute loosest it can possibly be then it is a perfect, but still snug, fit. If you are planning on ordering I would definitely advise keeping that in mind. I'd also like to mention the fact that it had a strong chemical (and slightly fishy) smell when it came out of the package. That went away soon after it was opened though. I also wish the part that held the stomach was longer and covered more stomach area!

Overall, I think that it would work really well for a pregnant woman and probably decently well for someone more recently postpartum. For me personally it really didn't do too much I am sad to say. I wish that it had worked out better but maybe next time, Mamaway!

P.S. When I realized my review wasn't going to be 100% cheerful and I wouldn't be singing this belt's praises I contacted the company to see if they just did not want me to write this and they encouraged me to carry on with the 100% honest review. If you ask me that shows that this company has great morals and really cares about how their product is and what they are supplying to their consumer! This impressed me and I am very happy to work with this company!

I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Mamaway Ring Sling Review

The one product that one baby product I wanted the most when I had my son was a baby-wearing wrap/carrier/sling whatever. I never got one and I was super sad about it so when I got a chance to try this wrap out I jumped on it. My son is one of those babies that does not want to be put down and that makes it difficult for me to get anything done and that is where this comes in handy.

I really do like it! It is a nice color and the pattern is very boyish and adorable. The fabric is a soft but very sturdy, almost bedsheet-like material. I am glad that it is that type of material as opposed to cotton because I feel like cotton would be very droopy and not as sturdy or safe for this particular kind of baby carrier.

My son loves being in this and I love being able to put him in this and continue with whatever I am doing. I have worn this while cooking, sweeping, taking out the garbage, checking the mail, and just about anything else you can think of. It holds him well and doesn't pinch him.

One thing I will say is that you do need to switch the side that the sling is on the shoulder because it will press down on that shoulder and make it sore otherwise. I tend to switch it every half hour to hour depending on how long he is in the sling and this just helps to ensure that my shoulders don't ache later on.

Overall, I have to say that I really enjoy this sling. I think it is a really great product and it does it's job really well. I like the freedom it gives me and Ben loves that it lets me carry him pretty much constantly.

Here is a full review and demo:

You can buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PFGV5JE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=

I received this product for free in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion. All opinions are 100% my own.

Packing List For Overnight Trips With A Baby

Going places overnight with a baby is difficult and stressful. It is a constant back-and-forth of "I think that's everything." and "What am I forgetting?!" After multiple overnight trips with my now eight month old I have basically found out what I need and what is not necessary. So to help all of you out I made up a list.

DISCLAIMER:
Some of these things may not apply to you and your baby. (I even added some that don't apply to my baby just to make sure I covered everything) Just ignore what doesn't apply to you!

• Two pairs of pajamas (in case of a middle of the night diaper mishap)
• Two outfits (because you just KNOW that if you only bring one something terrible will happen to it)
• Formula and bottles (unless you breastfeed)
• Soothers
• Any lotions or things like that that you will use for his/her bedtime routine
• Baby food and snacks
• Spoons and bowls
• Sippy cup
• Blankets (A couple to be safe!)
• Plastic bags (For dirty diapers)
• Ziploc bags (For dirty clothes)
• Hand sanitizer
• Pack N' Play
• Stroller/Car seat
• Breast pump (if you use one)
• Diaper bag stocked with:

1. Diapers
2. Wipes
3. 2 burp cloths or receiving blankets
4. Baby powder or diaper cream (or both)
5. Toys and books
6. Changing pad
7. First Aid Kit

These are just the things that I know make overnight trips easier on me and my son! If you have any additional things that I forgot to add please feel free to comment them! 

Thanks for reading!