My daughter started kindergarten this past fall (HOW DID THAT HAPPEN) and I got a taste of making daily lunches again when she attended a two-week kindergarten orientation camp last July at her new school. Add in my new single mom status and a toddler who is still going to the old daycare/preschool for another year (which means two drop-offs/pickups for a 1+ hour roundtrip) – and having to make lunch every day was the straw that almost broke my already-sore mom back.

I was originally thinking about labeling this “Toddler Sleep Tips, from One Tired Mother to Another,” but then I thought – wait a minute, I’m actually not tired. I mean, I am physically exhausted from caring for two children under the age of 5, and my body feels like it might break every time I am on solo for an entire weekend – but I’m not tired from lack of sleep. I am someone who has always done best with a solid 8 hours of sleep every night, and whether it’s because I need my sleep or because I believe sleep is extremely important for little people, I have been very focused on it from the start. Here are some of my sleep hacks for the toddler years…

Although I do not have any siblings myself, I have certainly heard about sibling rivalry and how some first-borns reject the new baby before he or she is even born. I had always wanted a brother or sister and loved the idea of a close sibling relationship, so this was something that I tried hard to cultivate from the time I was pregnant with my second. I’m sure there’s no tried and true way that will work for every child or every family, but here are some things that seemed to work well for mine…

I don’t know who I think I am to be writing a blog about self-care, because I am admittedly terrible about it. It took me 4.5 years after having my first kid just to take one night away. But I’m trying to be better about it, because I realize the toll it can take on a person to be too focused on others and not focused enough on yourself. Also, I’m over 40 now, and my hair is turning grayer by the minute, my skin has looked better, and my body hurts all of the time.

So here are a few things I’ve been trying to do lately. And if I can do them, you can do them too!

With the weather getting colder and the holidays coming up (hellllo, daycare/school closures), finding fun and engaging activities to do with your kids indoors is key. I am not naturally crafty, so when I bought a book on activities to do with my daughter as she was entering toddlerhood and flipped open to Sew your own finger puppets in just 42 simple steps!, I was like oh hell no. I do enjoy doing crafty little activities with my daughter, though, so I set out to find some things we could do that were engaging yet easy to execute.

Need gift ideas for babies and toddlers this holiday season? Look no further! We’ve got you covered for big and small gifts, ages 0-4, no matter what your child is into – puzzles & games, arts & crafts, things that go, musical instruments, building toys, educational toys, pretend play, dolls, and more.

I have now been through two second birthdays, with both a girl and a boy, so I know what’s alllll the rage for a 2-year-old. This list will give you and family members great ideas for what to get your little one, no matter what they’re into.

Few things can spark fear in a toddler mom’s eyes like the words “potty training.” It feels like such a huge thing – and unlike sleep training (if you chose to do that), potty training also means dealing with a toddler’s emotions, strong wills and stubbornness. Also unlike sleep training, it can be very messy until you get to the end state. Read on for my tips from personal experience and favorite products to help in the process.

I don’t know about you, but my days of high heels, small purses, dangly earrings, eye liner, and leather jackets are over – or at least on indefinite hold until my children get older. I need to be able to chase after them on a moment’s notice, carry everything we need in a day, not have my ear lobe ripped out, put on makeup in under a minute, and throw all of my clothes in the washing machine. Among other things. Here are my must-haves for life as a mom that check all the boxes, while still looking at least a little cute…

Carsickness is something that affects many young children and can turn fun outings into activities that you dread. My daughter started getting carsick around 18 months, and she would get sick on Every. Single. Car Ride.

If you’re caught by surprise, it can pretty much ruin your day. But fear not – once you learn the signs to look out for and the tips & tricks for handling it (or cleaning up after it), you can still enjoy a day out without it being much more than a hiccup.

Read on for my best tips…

Summer is here! Time to pack away those puffy coats and boots in exchange for sunscreen and beach toys. And the million other things you need to enjoy summer with young kids. Here’s my list of summer must-haves – including a few funsies for you…

Finding a new obstetrician when you get pregnant is the first big decision you’ll need to make during parenthood, and it can feel overwhelming. Typically an OB practice won’t take you on as a new patient until you are pregnant, and at the point you know and can call to make your first appointment, some are already booked for your due date month. (Say what?!?) But don’t worry – as long as you don’t have your heart set on one single practice or one single doctor, you will find a great practice to take care of you and your baby during your pregnancy and deliver you when the time comes. Before you start blindly calling around, there are a few things to consider…

If you have a little one who won’t touch veggies, it suddenly becomes your greatest mission in life to get healthy vegetables into them. But how? My 17-month-old will not even touch vegetables on his plate, except to throw them to the dog. I keep offering, of course, in the hope that one day he will start eating them – which I’m pretty sure is the definition of insanity. I’m going to keep making myself insane, but in the meantime, I’m getting very creative with ways to sneak veggies into him.

When my daughter was about 18 months old, I bought a cute looking book called “Read to Your Baby Every Day” with 30 nursery rhymes to read aloud to her. I could barely remember any from my childhood and wanted to jog my memory. Well, I have to say – I was horrified. Some seem cute at first glance, but most of them turned out to be creepy AF, super dark, or just plain weird. Let me give you some examples…

When my oldest was born, I started to try to sing to her and suddenly realized that I knew no lyrics to any songs. I used to listen to a lot of music, but it was either not really the kind of music that you would sing as a vocals-only standalone song or not the kind of thing you would be likely to sing to a baby; or I just hadn’t memorized anything well enough. I couldn’t think of any kid songs off the top of my head and had forgotten the lyrics to anything I’d learned once upon a time in children’s chorus and middle school choir.

Once my daughter got old enough to start going to mommy + me music classes and to learn songs in daycare, I realized that there were a ton of kid songs I knew or vaguely remembered and could easily re-memorize. Here are some of my favorite songs to sing to a baby or young child, along with the lyrics so you don’t need to go searching for them…

Ok, so you’ve gotten your little one into daycare (which is an amazing feat in some major metropolitan areas) and now you need to make sure you have everything you need. In addition to the required paperwork and health form (sometimes a specific one is required that you will need to request from your doctor’s office), the daycare should provide you with a list of supplies needed for the classroom. It’s typically something like this…

Whether you’re looking to refresh your little one’s play area, upgrade to more age-appropriate toys, or shop for a special occasion, this list will give you some great ideas for what to get babies and toddlers, ages 0-4 years.

So your little one is turning the big one? It’s such a milestone birthday – not only because you’ve survived the first year of parenting and they’ve made their first trip around the sun – but because they go from being babies to real little people. Some are walking, others are talking, and all are developing their personalities and becoming more and more engaging.

Whether you’re looking yourself for something special to get your almost-toddler or putting together a wish list for the relatives, Mom Crew has 10 tried and true ideas for you…

Of all the many things you were thinking about while pregnant, how you were going to prevent your baby from licking the stroller wheels was probably not one of them. But here we are. Read on for some of my favorite “mom hacks” for getting done things that you thought would be easy or never thought about at all…