I know, I’m like you and the notion of “back to school” makes me want to throw up a little bit. I am the mom who cries on the first day of school—sometimes bordering on a crazy person. Though my kids may drive me crazy at times, I love having them home and hate sending them back. But we must face the reality, and that is that the back to school season is quickly approaching and therefore it’s time to start thinking about it.

I’m not proposing that you start buying the crayons and the glue the minute that your kids get out of school, but thinking ahead can pay off. I like to think of it as little segments or phases. Partially because it helps me to stay sane, and partially because otherwise it can feel like you are literally throwing money out the window. If you take the approach of a little at a time, you will be much better for it.

Shop Ahead and Look For Bargains

I tell you that what drives me the craziest is the back to school clothes. These tiny little creates need so much stuff! The good news is that there are a great offering of Mom2Mom sales right here in Metro Detroit. This makes for a great way to get some basics together and not break the bank. You may also find that filling in the wardrobe needs from Target, Carter’s, or wherever you have coupons for is a tremendous help.

The school supplies aren’t as crazy as you think they are. Most schools post a list of the items that you need to bring by grade, so look for it. Otherwise most kids at the elementary school level aren’t going to need a lot of crazy stuff. I was amazed by this and found that I spent much more on lunch bags and all of that other gear than anything else.

I might advise that putting together some fun and creative lunch ideas can go a long way. You too will get to the point of HATING packing lunches and feel sick of the process. So do some research on Pinterest and make yourself a little list of go to lunch ideas. Works like a charm for you, and keeps your little ones interested in still eating their lunch in the short amount of time that they have.

Talk It Through For Them and For You

So much of the preparation for school to me is mental. When my daughter started kindergarten last fall I nearly lost it. Watching her walk in that door to begin her school career nearly had me on the ground sobbing. Thankfully I pulled it together, but I think that this was due in large part to us talking it through a lot before the first day. It worked to get her ready—and if I’m being honest it helped me to cope too!

Sure you want the cute little backpack, and I highly recommend Amazon for an inexpensive and wide selection. You want them to have a great lunch box or bag, and I would check out Target. Shop ahead and make your way through the list a little at a time. It will help you to get a grip and also to get what you need as you move forward. Involving your little student can help them to feel a part of things and make it a fun bonding activity too.

Back to school comes way too quickly these days, but with the right amount of preparation you can master it. Your little student is going to do great—and you will not need to be talked down from the ledge with the right amount of preparation. This may be the beginning of a new era, but it doesn’t need to be an expensive or crazy one.

Take things off the list little by little and your bank account and your sanity will stay intact. You may never get used to sending your little one to school, but being prepared in this area can at least make this process a little less painful. Good luck and save the tears for the car!

Alright, you know that “mom” who has the “perfect” kids and the “perfect” life? The mom who does everything she has ever pinned on Pinterest {and she has like 1,000 pins}?! Or the mom that makes that perfect teacher present, perfect birthday cake, or her kids do not know what sugar is?

You know who I’m talking about…

It’s me! Okay I’m the complete opposite. I actually looked at my pins the other day and laughed {then proudly deleted those pins}. Like I was really going to make cutesy lunches for my kids… who was I joking when I pinned that?

However, if you want to make cool lunches – This blog had some cute {and time consuming ideas!}

With the kids heading back to school, you are going to run into moms who are absolutely amazing at these things.

But this is the catch – you are no less of a mom.
Or if you are the crafty mom in the room – you are no better of a mom.

Whether your kid is eating a 3-course organic meal or a PB&J,
Whether you homeschool, public school, private school, unschool, or just remember school is starting,
Whether you are conservative, liberal, don’t care…

Whatever you are. You are made wonderfully! You have those incredible Mom things about you that fully qualify you to be an amazing mom to your children. Period. Your child isn’t missing out if their lunch doesn’t look “Pin-worthy.” Maybe you throw in a note to your child that says, “Hey, you are so talented! I’m proud of you!”

NO matter what don’t beat yourself up. You are an amazing mom! Let’s all agree to stop comparing ourselves to each other. Focus on the things that you do well as a mom and compliment where other moms do things well. We are to collaborate and help each other; not criticize!

So as you gear up to have your little ones head back to school. Remember this:

1. Your children were created for you!
2. Focus on the things you do really well.
3. Pinterest was not created as a test to compare how great of a Mom you are.
4. YOU ARE AN AMAZING MOM!

From myself and all the moms here at DMB, have a wonderful 2014-2015 school year!

Little Pnuts Toy Review

I’ll never forget that little voice saying, “Harper got mail”. She was so excited when I told her that the Little Pnuts package was just for her. I didn’t realize how exciting receiving mail would be to a 2 year old!!!

I’m a huge {huge} advocate for educational toys. I couldn’t believe how amazing these toys were when we opened the box.

Little Pnuts is a toy company developed by Melissa, a determined mother looking for high quality toys. This company sends special deliveries, eco-friendly, sustainable, natural and organic toys that arrive right on your doorstep. They hope to awaken imagination, creativity and play without turning on the television or any other electronic device.

Harper is only two so of course she wanted to rip into the box like it was Christmas. I on the other hand wanted to get the full Little Pnuts experience. I have to say, I loved opening the box and seeing that cute little sticker holding the tissue paper closed with the toys securely held inside. She tore open the paper and started yanking everything out. I had to be quick with the camera because I knew it wouldn’t last long.

Harper was instantly attracted to the blocks {Zoo Animal Block Puzzle}. I loved that they challenged her to put the animals together. While that part didn’t last long she loved stacking them and pushing them over. I can’t wait to work with her on matching them. The blocks are extremely sturdy and super durable (they were thrown across the room a time or two). Oh the whistle {Magical Sound Flute), it took a minute for her to figure it out but when she did, there was music in the air. She was so shocked she was making noise with her mouth. Let’s not forget the {Duo Puzzle Habitat}. She loved taking the pieces and placing the correct animal into its correct home (of course she had to make their noises).

Things that made this box aMaZiNg:

• The toys came with a booklet that described each product and what the intention of the toy was. I’m not going to deny we’ve bought a few toys that made absolutely no sense and lacked a little explanation.
• They were geared towards her age and specifically for a two-year-old toddler. I loved there wasn’t a huge age range. These toys are designed for developmental milestones from 0 months to 5 years.
• It a great gift for friends and family to give. Honestly, who really needs another toy that they’ll play with for a couple minutes and sadly it will end up at the bottom of the toy box in no time {Hint, hint Grandma and Grandpa}.
• These toys are colorful and engaging! What child doesn’t love bright colors?!
• You have the option to pay $25/month for quarterly delivery or an annual subscription of $240. When you think about what you already spend on toys + books adding in birthdays and holidays, this is an absolute steal.

What child doesn’t love receiving mail?! I have learned that it doesn’t matter what age they are and they’re excited! Receiving a quality product like this every 3 months (4 times a year) is well worth it. I’m not sure who will be looking forward to it more, my toddler or myself!!

Ready to win your own September, Back to School Shipment from Little Pnuts? Enter the rafflecopter giveaway below for your chance to win!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My darling Kinley just turned two. Seriously, I swear it is going by faster with the second than it did with my son. She is a strong-willed cookie who loves babies, dogs, and keeping up with her big brother.

As a mom, I’m always on the hunt for toys they would enjoy, but also are educational. And so when my grandma sent some “toy money” for her birthday {and some for Aiden, my son as well} we headed to every kids dream – TOYS’R’US!

After a lot of roaming, selections were made!

{Isn’t she the cutest?! I’m totally bias!}

Kinley snatched up another baby {I mean really we needed another one!} along with a bath tub and the game “Backyard Bingo,” which I will actually review after I show off my babes!

Aiden added some cars to his Thomas set, “little Legos” as we call them, and batteries! I just realized the batteries made it in the picture – they were for his Read With Me DVD! { http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Learning-System-Little/dp/B0009WLRNS}.

We have all been really enjoying Barnyard Bingo! This is the first game that we can really play together, I guess you could include Hungry, Hungry Hippos – educational in the fact the more those Hippos eat… the more likely you are to win {okay, yes and counting the balls!}. Anyways, it’s a fantastic game and I highly recommend for the early preschool crowd.

The game comes with four cards {a lot of stickers that are easy to place}, 12 chips, and the barn. There are three different ways to play, which I love since Kinley is still young.

1. Matching the colors. You can flip the cards over and then just simply match each color. First one to do so yells, “Bingo!”

2. Matching the color and animal. In the picture above this is exactly how you play. Again, first one to do so yells, “Bingo!”

3. If you are just playing with you and your child, then it suggest just pulling out a chip and talking about the color or the animal. Asking questions like “What sounds does the pig make?” It’s more of a fun educational tie.

AND what I love best is you can have one child playing one way and the other playing another. My son Aiden will match the animals, where Kinley is simply matching the colors until she gets the hang of the game. It encourages lots of discussion, especially about taking turns!

One thing that is tough about the game is actually opening the barn for the chip to come out. I don’t know if we just need to wear ours in a little, but Kinley cannot do this independently. Aiden can most the time, but really struggles.

Overall, this has become a favorite toy in our house!

Kinley winning her first game!

When you have kids you naturally assume that you are going to be dealing with grownups, right? I thought that when I became a mom I entered a very mature and supportive community…and yet I was shocked when the mama drama started early on. No matter how much you hear about the mommy wars or women not supporting each other, you will always be shocked the first time it happens.

We all know how it starts and that’s with the natural competition about milestones. Sure you think that your baby is doing great, crawling and babbling sweet little words—and then you see Jack. Wow this kid is only 9 months, how can that be? The mom proceeds to brag about how he was pulling himself up at 6 months and is uttering full words now at this tender age. While you smile on the outside, you kind of want to barf a little too.

Mama Drama Happens At All Ages and Stages

This is the earliest and perhaps the most innocent form of mama drama, but it continues on from there. The common areas for debate are usually the type that you find yourself avoiding. The breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding moms, the stay at home vs. the working moms, the attachment parenting vs. letting them cry it out moms—there seems no end to the platforms for which we all work against each other rather than respect and support each other.

As your child gets older the drama continues as you deal with some downright insecure and crazy moms. Sad but true the competition is alive and well with academics and activities. Are these moms trying to live out their life dream to be a ballet dancer? Did they do poorly in school and therefore they want their kid to be valedictorian? I personally have always helped to support my kids in doing well, but also placed realistic expectations on them too. Novel concept, huh?

So as I sit here and think about this with young children, I recognize that the mama drama will always be around. I find that being confident in who you are as a mother is the best anecdote. I also find that surrounding yourself with the normal ones and tuning out the super crazy ones works well. Sometimes you just have to recognize that you can’t keep up with the Joneses—and that maybe you don’t even want to!

Think About What Really Matters and Ignore The Rest

When you can say that your kids are healthy and happy, and that you are doing the best job that you can as mom then that’s a success. Forget the other stuff—there will always be something to worry about or some drama to get involved in if you seek it out. I have learned through trials and tribulations this to be true, and now I feel like I have grown as a mother because I can tune out the unnecessary drama. No time for it, and wow look how I’ve grown as a person!

I have such a wish that moms would unite and support each other. Rather than bashing each other for choices such as working or breastfeeding, that we would instead understand and appreciate each other’s differences. Moms are a very cool and unique niche and if we allowed ourselves we could be truly supportive. Don’t get me wrong—there are some truly amazing moms out there and they make for some of the best friends! You just have to know how to tune out the noise and never let yourself get sucked into the things that don’t matter in the end.

So why do I write this? For awareness, for new moms who can go in with their eyes wide open, and for those of us moms who are still trying to figure it out and hoping for a good support network. The next time that you feel judgmental about a mom who is sweating as she tries to wrangle her kids into the cart at Target, feel for her instead. Yes that may have happened to me, but that’s really not important here.

The next time you judge a working mom, consider that she may have to work. The point is that mama drama is so unnecessary and YOU can control how much of it you allow into your life. Be the exception to the rule and be the super cool mom that the other down to earth mamas can dig—your kids and you will be so much happier that you did!

When I became a mom I knew pennies would be pinched. So we did as most new/parent’s to be do and shopped around for best diaper and wipes prices. Little did I know that not even 2 months into mommy hood we found out that our sweet little Babycakes was allergic to disposable diapers :0/ What’s a {new} mom to do?! Cloth Diapers here we come!

Budget wise it was it actually made more sense, 1 upfront cost and then diapers for life! Only problem now was cost of special detergents to wash said super economical cloth diapers. The new style cloth diapers need to be washed in special detergents with no whiteners, scents, no fuss no muss and low suds! Oh and I have an HE washing machine!

After about 2 months of buying special and expensive detergents for just the diapers and wipes. I started doing some research and that’s when I found my fist recipe for homemade laundry detergent. Well the Hubster thought it was a waste of time, too much of hassle and not cost effective. But me being me I had to prove him wrong. After all he did quickly jump on board the breastfeeding, cloth diapering, & homemade baby food wagons!!

So there I was on the hunt for washing soda, borax and Fels Naptha {yeah what’s that?!}

First recipe I tried was for liquid {almost gel} detergent and honestly was a little time consuming. Then I found a powder version and fell in LOVE!

Now over the years and as my needs have changed I have tweaked the recipe and made it work for us. With 2 very messy little’s and stinky sweaty clothes from Hubster and I, I’ve added an oxy cleaner and  baking POWDER to help eliminate stains and odors!!

I hope you enjoy and also find your perfect blend! Here’s mine for you to give a whirl, recipe and tutorial!

Brandi’s Laundry Detergent Blend

takes approx. 15mins to make (with hand grating the soap)

Makes approx. 160 Loads.

 2 Cups Borax

2 Cups Washing Soda {different from baking soda}

2 cups SunOxy or Oxyclean {optional}

2 cups Baking Soda {also optional}

1 bar Zote {originally used pink one, now use half pink and half whitening}

First in a very large bowl shred your Zote (or Zote blends); I use the super fine side on my hand grater. I have found that it dissolves easier and less sudsy that way.

Now add each of the other ingredients one at a time mixing very well in between each. You want to make sure it is as evenly distributed as possible.

Guess what…YOU’RE DONE!

That was it!

I use 1 TBSP per load, I do adjust with dirtiness and smelliness of loads also.

Price breakdown per load

Borax – $3.97/ 76oz = $0.052/oz   x 16oz = $0.83

Washing Soda- $3.97/55oz = $0.72/oz   x 16oz = $1.12

Sun Oxy- $5.94/96oz = $0.063/oz x16oz = $1.28

Baking Soda- $3.47/40oz = $0.084/oz x16oz = $0.99

Zote – $0.97/bar

Total per batch is $5.19 divided by 160 loads

Is……. $0.03 per load!!!

I really hope you enjoy this recipe and have fun making your own detergent!

For those who like added scents to their laundry stay tuned for my scent booster hacks! How to make your own or make your store bought last 2-4x as long!

Farewell my Frugal friends!