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Everything You Need to Know About Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event

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Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event is back from 4/22-5/4, 2019 and we are breaking down everything you need to know about the Target’s carseat trade-in event! 

The time has returned!  At least once a year Target does their carseat trade-in event! And it’s coming up quickly!  The next event will be held from April 22nd through May 4, 2019. Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event is one of their most beloved events for parents and there’s a good reason why!

Carseats are notoriously one of the most expensive things on the market when you have a child and usually you need at least two different ones as your child grows.  Plus, it’s one of the most important things that you are going to purchase.

Target originally introduced this event in 2016 and since then has recycled more than 500,000 carseats which equals more than 7.4 million pounds of material.

What Can I Take to Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event?

One of the top questions that we see are parents wondering what type of carseats Target will take for their trade-in event?  Target will take any:

  • infant carseats (bucket seats)
  • convertible carseats (carseats that allow rear and forward facing)
  • harnessed carseats (seats with a 5-pt harness)
  • high back booster seats
  • no back booster seats
  • bases

Can I trade in an expired carseat at Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event?

Yes! Target will take back any expired carseat at their trade in event.  Carseats expire, not to force you to buy a new one, but simple because the materials can wear down over time.  Most carseats have a 6-12 years expiration date on them, so they last for many years, but they do in fact expire and you definitely want to trade those in for a newer model.

Will they take a damaged carseat at Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event?

Yes!  If your carseat has any damage, whether from a car accident, left outside, food disaster and other mishap, Target will accept them during the trade-in event.

Where do I have to take my carseat for Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event?

You can take the carseat that you are trading in to your local Target location (make sure they are participating here first).  Once inside, there will be drop off bins located at Guest Services.

What is the benefit of trading in my old carseat at Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event?

If you bring a carseat to the Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event, you will be presented with a 20% off coupon. The coupon does not have to be used for a carseat only. The 20% off coupon can be used for a new carseat, base, travel system, stroller or other baby home gear.  According to Target’s website, baby home gear includes, high chairs, rockers and bouncers, playards, or swings.

The coupon is good in combination with other sales going on in the store, such as 10% off baby items, according to Target.

How long is the coupon good to use once I receive it?

You are able to use the 20% off coupon immediately upon receiving it.  It will expire on May 11, 2019. You are able to use the coupon online or in person.

What happens to the carseats that are turned in during Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event?

According to one site, all the recycled car seats taken during Target’s Carseat Trade-In Event are taken by Waste Management.  They then, make carpet padding, plastic buckets, and materials like steel beams for construction from the carseats. This is much better than any curbside pickup that your local trash pick up may do because typically the seats just end up in the landfill at that time.

More posts you may be interested in: 

Just because you are on a budget, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be able to maximize your limit for a great seat.  These four carseats are all under $100 and will allow most children to rearface until 2 years old. 

One in four parents are using their carseats incorrectly.  Read up on these 20 Common Car Seat safety mistakes! 

The Truth of Going from 1 to 2 Kids

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The Truth of Going from 1 to 2 Kids is an award-winning piece about the realness in motherhood in going from having one child to take care of to now having two. All the obstacles that come along with parenting more than one child are daunting. 

going from 1 to 2 kids

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Folks, I’m just going to throw it out there and be completely blunt.

This sh*t is f*cking hard.

Okay, deep breathe.  Exhale.

You know how people are like labor is hard, but they don’t tell you HOW hard it really is and then you are laying (or squatting, or whatever your preferred birthing position is) on the hospital bed screaming in pain, yelling at your doctor that your vagina is on fire.  Same sh*t happened with this.  People were all, “oh, going from one to two was harder than when I went from 6 to 7.”  But they don’t keep it real.

So let me keep it real with you.

You will never sleep. And this isn’t like never sleeping when you only have one. You get the big kid down, then you go lay the baby down, the big kid gets up.  Then you get them both down again and the baby is up. For some reason your toddler decided she wanted to be one of 0.04% of kids that didn’t give up breastfeeding so now you find yourself tandem nursing them both and the big kid is nursing more than the damn baby.  LIKE. FOR REAL.  Just Stop it.  Except when I’m engorged and then I’ll happily let you nurse. Otherwise, back up and have another cookie.

Speaking of cookies, hide those everywhere.  I mean behind the couch, random drawers, under your pillow. EVERYWHERE. Because the older one is going to flip their lid at random times because you are naturally stuck under a nursing baby every 25.3 minutes around the clock.  Cookies help.  Chocolate preferably.  Make sure you put some extra in there for yourself, because you forgot to eat breakfast and lunch and it’s 3:00pm. Go ahead and order pizza because you forgot to thaw out the chicken for dinner tonight.

Once the baby starts crawling, the older one suddenly learns how to hit and bite and pinch and scream because EVERYTHINGGGG is THEIR TOY!  Everything.  Their actual toys.  The baby’s toys.  Your cell phone. Your socks, dishes, and underwear.  Essentially anything that the baby can touch is theirs and will cause them to go ape sh*t the moment the baby touches it.

Someone is not going to be showering.  Whether it’s you, the big one, or the baby, maybe all of the above, there’s just not enough hours.  It’s probably going to be the baby, because hormones have you smelling less than fantastic, showering the toddler get you 6.8 minutes of peace (add color tablets to the tub for 10 minutes), and the baby only spit up twice today, so she’ll be good for another 4 or 5 days.

Just start eating your food straight from the fridge. You will never eat another hot meal until your kids are 12 so just get used to it now. The literal moment that you sit a pipping hot plate of food down, your mouth starts salivating because you haven’t ate all day (except for the random slice of orange, 4 blueberries, 1/2 a pbj sandwich, and cookie crumbs your toddler left behind), the baby will start screaming.  And not like just a little cry, like full fledge scream like someone poked her in the eye (which also may have actually happened if you forget to sit the toddler down to the table).

But I digress. Somehow the moments where you catch them chatting, holding hands, and laughing together, make all the craziness worth it. And then, as if it’s not already hard, the mom guilt will kick in.  You will realize that the big one is growing up too fast, you haven’t spent enough time with them, and you will break down in uncontrollable sobbing to your significant other, telling them that you are a horrible parent and they will look at you like you have five heads.

Carry on. Be strong.

going from 1 to 2

This post won a 2017 VOTY award from BlogHer for best written short piece. Here’s some other posts that you may enjoy on our site: 

This post was originally published on 1/8/2016 and has been since updated to add other related posts. 

100+ Protein Packed Postpartum Snacks

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All new moms need healthy and delicious snacks after having a baby! Grab our list of more than 100 protein packed postpartum snacks to keep moms energized and fueled. 

Congratulations!!!! If you are reading this list of 100+ postpartum snacks, you likely just had a baby. You are now going to be hungry non-stop. Think you were hungry when you were pregnant!? Wrong.

via GIPHY

Before you continue reading this, I want you to learn from my experience. While I only have two kids and some would say that’s not a ton of experience, I do know how I felt during postpartum days.  No one can understand that unless they have kids.  And no matter what happened the first time around and how much your brain has pushed out of your memory, the second time around doesn’t make postpartum any easier.  So I want you to follow these few simple steps no matter if this is your first baby or your 9th.

  1. Scroll down through the list and pick your Top 5 choices
  2. Send the ideas to your partner or family member helping you
  3. Ask them to make it for you

Part of becoming a new mom is learning to ask for help. Especially if you have other kids, you need all the help you can get.  One of the most important things that you can during postpartum time, is making sure you keep yourself hydrated and fueled to take care of baby.

Now, back to the hunger….

There is nothing like newly postpartum mom hunger. I understand why some mother mammals eat their young. THEY’RE FREAKING HUNGRY. Give them a bit more to eat!

As a new mom, you also don’t feel like cooking anything. This means you need quick, simple, healthy, delicious. We’ve complied a list of great postpartum snacks for anyone.

If you happen to be here and you are not a new mom, you are likely looking for something that you can put together for them.  Kuddos! You’ll definitely want to save this list and over the next 6 months to a year, any time you see this mama, take her a snack.

Why Does a New Mom Need Healthy snacks?

Umm, she just gave birth to a whole human being. That took a lot of energy! In all seriousness, birthing a baby vaginally or by Cesarean is a lot of work.  For the last nine months, mama has had all her organs pushed and shoved, grown new organs, and then expelled all of them for the sake of a tiny little being that is now going to keep her up for hours and hours every night.

It’s exhausting giving birth AND having a newborn. Her body is going to expend a lot of energy getting her body’s organs back into place and realigning other bodily functions. This takes a minimum of six to eight weeks to happen, but often even longer.

Now, if the mama is breastfeeding, she’s going to need even more. She’s physically producing milk which is burning a ton of calories.  In order to continue to make milk, she needs breastfeeding snacks that are healthy for her.

How Many Healthy Snacks Does a New Mom Need?

Overall, a new mom needs between 1800 and 2200 calories a day.  Because moms are always on the go, some of these could be in snack form, like the protein energy bites or avocado toast listed below. If a new mom is breastfeeding, she’ll need to increase her calories by another 500-800 a day. Also, if cleared for working out or tandem nursing (either twins or an older children), she’ll need even more. It’s best to talk to a lactation specialist if breastfeeding or other care physician, like a dietician to get a correct number of caloric intake for each specific person.

What are the best healthy snacks for a new mom? 

We’ve rounded up 100+ Protein Packed Postpartum Snacks that are amazing and just what you need as you transition into this new time in your life. Whether this is baby #1 or #6, you still have to eat. Most of these recipes are easy to make or no bake, but there are a few that requires baking. Make sure you have someone else make those ones for you!

Side note: whether you are breastfeeding or not, these are all great snacks for postpartum mothers. Your body needs fuel to recover and heal and you need to make sure you are getting proper nutrition so you have the energy to keep going.

100+ Delicious Postpartum Snacks for New Moms


Best of luck on this amazing journey of motherhood!

Some things that may help you through the transition:


Other Posts You Might Be Interested In

breastfeeding myths

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This post was originally publish on 3/21/2017. Updated on 10/10/2018 and reupdated on 3/25/2019.

FREE Breastfeeding Pumping Signs

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Breastfeeding and being a working mom isn’t easy! We’ve made a few FREE breastfeeding pumping signs for your office or pumping area that you can easily put up while pumping. 

We realize that being a working mom outside of the home that needs to pump isn’t easy. Despite clear cut laws in most states about the rights breastfeeding/pumping moms have, you often have to jump through hoops just for adequate times and space to pump.  It’s as though people think leaving your baby is easy.  As though, you have nothing else to do than give someone a hard time about giving you a space other than a bathroom to pump in multiple times a day.  It’s really infuriating that we are still fighting for these simple things. These basic rights for our babies.

Why May You Need a Breastfeeding Pumping Sign

You finally get a pumping space and people decide to keep barging in the door. Talk about a let down mood buster. Constantly having to worry about people coming in while you are pumping is enough to stress anyone out on top of the already stressful situation that pumping at work presents.

Even if you don’t have the issue of people coming in and out of your space unannounced, you may just want a breastfeeding pumping sign for privacy or just because you are the type of person that loves decorating and want to put something up.  No matter your reason for wanting a breastfeeding pumping sign for work, we guarantee that you will love at least one of the signs that we’ve made.

We wanted to take some time and create a few signs for you to print out and be able to put on the door of your pumping space.  While we wish that we could ensure that no one will ever walk in on you, there’s always that risk.  Hopefully, our signs help!

They are completely FREE for you to print out as often as needed. Our only ask is that you share our link with your pumping friends so they have access to them as well!

Tip: On the signs that says “Come back in ____ minutes”, print these out and laminate them. Then, you can use a dry erase marker to write on over and over again.

Scroll down to get the FREE breastfeeding pumping sign(s) of your choice! 

Lactation Recipes – 

Breastfeeding is already hard.  If you would like some delicious lactation recipes, then check out our 15 Lactation Boosting Recipes.  Multiple smoothie amounts, cookies, muffins, pancakes and more.  These delicious recipes will knock your socks off.  Make sure to try the Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake — our #1 post for more than 5 years!  As well as our super popular lactation energy bites – just 6 ingredients and under 10 minutes to make, these are a huge hit!

Some breastfeeding words of encouragement: 

I know you are here looking for breastfeeding pumping signs for work, but as a mama who nursed both of her kids to 3yo and 4yo, I feel like I wouldn’t be doing my due diligence without sharing a little breastfeeding encouragement.  #1 – you are doing great.  I feel like I needed to hear that more than I did.  Breastfeeding is not easy.  It’s often secluded and shunned, which can cause moms to have a heightened risk of anxiety and nervousness. However, you are doing great.

Just remember that you are doing this for the most important reason ever – to feed your baby for as long as you can. Pumping is one of the harder jobs ever, but you can succeed. Just keep up doing all the hard work that you are doing! You got this mama!

Another post you may be interested in is 50 breastfeeding myths busted! 

 

Grab any of the breastfeeding pumping signs to print at .

 

Grab any of these breastfeeding pumping signs to print at .

Make sure that you save our breastfeeding pumping signs to Pinterest so that you always have them easily accessible. 

This post was originally published on 3/8/2017 and was updated with new signs and more information on 3/18/2019.

Maybe We Should Stop Focusing Solely on College Admissions as “THEE WAY”

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Maybe We Should Stop Focusing Solely on College Admissions as “THEE WAY” is a post about how we are doing a huge disservice to our children by saying they aren’t great if they don’t go to college.  

A bomb shell dropped today. Celebrities and socialites were charged with fraud in paying their way into elite schools in order for their children to gain entrance into these universities. There are reports that they bribed athletic coaches, admissions people, college entrance test personal and more.

Now, if you ask me, I thought this was something that we had all already known occurred. That’s how libraries and football stadiums get named after donors, no? Well to do parents have paid their way into everything. From varsity sports team placements in high school to a spot in Ivy League schools.  All you needed to do was pay off the right person and your child could have whatever they wanted. Regardless of that, there’s something else that we truly need to focus on in the wake of this “scandal”.

Why are we forcing children to think college is the absolute end all be all?

College was traditionally seen as something only the elite could do.  Around the time of the later “Baby Boomers” and “Gen X”, they started attending college more frequently and we saw a push from them for their children to go to college.  This push from them created a system that allowed colleges to continue to raise tuition prices to astronomical levels.  Tuition rates in the past decade have risen 213%, to a point where most people simply can’t afford it without going into serious debt. Yet and still, we see many people assuming that their children with graduate high school and go right to college.

Not only do “we” want them to go to college, but we want them to go to THEE best colleges and universities.  Community colleges are frowned upon. Ivy League and upper level state universities are seen as token ways to ensuring a successful individual. But is it?

We are putting pressure on our children to reach insurmountable goals in order to say “look at our trophy”. 

This is exactly what has happened in at least one of the scandal cases.  Lori Loughlin’s daughter said she didn’t even care about school. So why was she there, to put her on a pedestal of look where my child is?  Her daughter Olivia has almost 2 million YouTube subscribers and over 1 million Instagram followers.  She has endorsements, a makeup collection and more.  This sick and twisted version that our children have to go to college has to end.

Here’s a child that didn’t care to go to school and instead of her parents believing in a business she could create out of a passion (social media), they allegedly threw $500,000 away on a bribe.  Think about that. $500,000 you could have invested in photographers, coaches, and more to actually truly make your child a better businesswoman, but instead you threw it away and she will likely be kicked out of school.

And who wins in that scenario? Certainly not the child.

And thinking on a more normal scale, because most of us don’t have even $50,000 we can throw away on a bribe, doesn’t the same apply for our children? Why are we so set that this is the only way?

The average college student graduates with almost $40,000 in debt. They likely still have no idea what they want to do in life. And now have to find a place to live, apply for jobs, etc. All while now figuring out how to make these payments that now on average are $330 a month.

Can you not be proud of your child for getting a trade job? Could you not support them for starting their own business? How about we focus on teaching our children ways to become better and more responsible citizens of the world instead of saying my one goal is to get them to graduate and then off to the absolute best university that we can get them placed in when they turn 18.

1 in 5 college students are diagnosed with depression and maybe, just maybe, it’s because we are focusing that they must go to college instead of helping them see and nurture their talents.

Maybe We Should Stop Focusing Solely on College Admissions as “THEE WAY”

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The Last Time She Called Me Mama

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The Last Time She Called Me Mama is a post about how the changing seasons of motherhood can hit us at the least expected times. 

I was stubborn as they come when I was little. My mom readily admitted when I was growing up that had I been the first child, I would have been the only. I am the last child. I’m still stubborn to this day. I am opinionated and usually voice my thoughts loudly, even when maybe I shouldn’t. Okay, a lot of times I probably shouldn’t. Yet and Still, my mom still calls me her baby. As stubborn as I may have been, there’s no greater love than hers. I didn’t understand that love and all that came with it until I gave birth to my first.

There’s something about becoming a mama that changes the way you love.

The deep, never ending, yearning love that you only have for your children. That makes you want to go to the ends of the world to protect them at all costs. The love that no matter how frustrating they can make you, if they get hurts 35 seconds later you will run to them. You will run fast and coddle them to ease their pain.

I should have known that I was going to get payback for being as stubborn as I was. But I never knew it would happen so quickly. My first daughter refused for the longest time to say mama. It was always dada this and dada that. I remember my heart bursting the first time I heard mama. It’s one of those moments that you go around texting and calling everyone, making sure to post on Facebook and Instagram. Somehow the first “mama” and your kid pooping on the toilet are both in that list, but I digress, that isn’t the point.

The first time I heard mama, my heart exploded.

I knew I was a mama, but hearing this tiny little thing say mama is something so damn special. There’s many moments in parenting that are like that. But this is one of the most special.

She’s 6 now, and a lot of things have changed during the last few years. There’s been many more firsts and watching her grow has been beyond amazing (and challenging). The other day though, in the midst of everything, as we were opening new Christmas toys and setting up new terrariums and building Legos, I heard “mom”.

“Hey, mom.”

It was like a punch in the gut. I wasn’t sure what in that moment really made me think about it or ponder the way things have been changing over the last few months. Teeth are falling out, she’s learning to read, and growing into her own personality. But I caught myself wondering, when was the last time she called me Mama? Or Mommy? When did I become mom?

I didn’t cry in front of her (though I do often), but later that night, I got her ready for bed, laid her down and got her to sleep.  It was in that moment that I really allowed myself to feel the weight of those earlier moments.  “Mom.”  Tears poured from my eyes as I thought that she’s 6 now. These moments are going to happen way more often now that she’s growing up.  Six now means that if we double that just 2 more times, she’s on her own.  I’m closer now to her being a teenager than being my newborn and the weight of those thoughts is just so heavy.

It’s the first, I’m sure of many, gut wrenching moments in parenthood that I’m going to realize that my little girl is growing into a bigger girls. Sure, every season I’m changing clothes into bigger sizes, she no longer depends on breastmilk and her car seat is no longer rear facing, but it’s such a sucker punch when you realize that was one of most joyous moments of your life, is forever changed.

Since then, I’ve tried to make a mental note and while on occasion a Mama has slipped out, mom is usually the describing name that I get addressed as most frequently.

I’m not sure the last time she called me Mommy, but I know I’ll always be her mommy and forever and always she will always be my little girl. (As stubborn as she may be) 

 

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They’re Not Really Your Friends

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This post, They’re not really your friends, is about the misconception of the social media era. It discusses the issues that arise when people believe social media follows equals friendship.   

Friend (noun): a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection  (Family and romantic partners are usually excluded from this definition)

I remember a few years after Andrew (my fiancé) and I started dating, I was talking about “a friend.” He stopped me and said, “who are we talking about?” “Oh, my friend X,”. He looked at me and said, “why do you call everyone your friend? You don’t really know that person, y’all barely talk.

It’s easier sometimes to just call people your friends. Sometimes it also makes you feel good about yourself if you don’t have many close friends. Everyone wants to be the “popular” person, but very few are. I was well into my adulthood when I realized that I was never going to be one of those girls. I wasn’t one in middle or high school. And college was a bust too. I never got into one crowd and I sort of blew with the wind. It took me a long time to realize that there’s nothing wrong with that. And to be honest, it’s something I still have to work on.

Everyone wants to have friends. Everyone wants to be the even “sort of” popular person. Social media has pushed us even more to be on the up and up, in the know and keeping up with what everyone is doing. Have you watched the last shows, got your kids the latest clothes and best believe you should be sporting the latest tech gadgets – no longer if but how many Alexas do you own?

It’s so easy to get sucked into the desire to be everyone’s friends and call everyone your friend.

Unfortunately, They’re not really your friends.

“If someone doesn’t have your phone number, they aren’t really your friend”.

That seems like a simple enough  explanation right? We aren’t in middle school anymore. We aren’t writing KIT on a piece of paper and waiting around the phone for our friend to call us on our parents house line (or beep us or call our first cellphone but only after 7pm).

Everyone has a cellphone. Instantly, we can communicate with the entire world around us 24 hours a day. How can you say you are truly friends with someone if you don’t have a reliable source of communication with them?

It’s something I heard in one of the many groups I’m in on Facebook a few months ago. I can’t remember the group or the person that said it but the sentiment has stayed with me.

Facebook goes down (more regularly lately than in the past it seems). If it stayed down forever how many of those “friends” would you still talk to? How many of them are you trying to keep up with that could care or less if they ever spoke to you again if it never came back up? What is the number of times you realized that you were no longer “friends” with someone that you had previously  spent a good portion of time conversing with, sharing laughs and likeminded conversations.

Unfortunately, They’re not really your friends. None of them.

Even though I’ve had numerous reminders of this throughout the last few years, sometimes things need to happen to you for you to really realize it. A few years ago, a friend got off Facebook and said, “No one will check on your if you get off social media.” I laughed and brushed it off. I’ve taken a day off here and a weekend off there, but recently was offline for almost a week due to illness.

Want to know how many friends I had checking up on me? Two. That’s not to say I only have two friends, but sometimes it takes a moment like that to realize that the subtle messages you’ve been receiving are really true. You can have 17 million Instagram followers and 5000 Facebook friends, but what does that mean at the end of the day? Does it even matter if you don’t have a true form of actual communication with them?

Unfortunately, They’re not really your friends.

So who is?

You know who truly matters at the end of the day. Your family. The people that hug you tight and laugh with you, are there when you cry, and continue to check on you. While Facebook or Instagram may be an outlet or a way to escape for a few minutes, I encourage you, starting today, to put down the phone and actually spend more time with the people right there in front of you.

Take your kids for a walk. Go to dinner with a friend. Play a board game with your significant other. Strike up a conversation with the person at the gym who doesn’t have their phone out. You may be missing real connection with real people because your worries about people in a box, connected through data points, who would never check on you if you never logged in again.

Unfortunately, they’re not really your friends.

Kids Need to Set Goals Too

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Everyone needs motivation and the ability to see themselves setting and achieving goals.  No matter the age of the person, the benefits are great of setting goals. But most especially, kids need to set goals too.

Kids dream.  All the time they are constantly dreaming about things to do, places to go, how to drive you crazy for the day.  No matter what, they are always thinking of things. It’s one of the reasons why (as annoying as it can be sometimes) they consistently talk or have a hard time falling asleep.  They are learning so much everyday that it’s hard not to dream, imagine, and think of all those things. As soon as you start taking them on trips or opening their mind to new things, their minds will begin to wander. It’s beautiful really. Seeing them grow and development in that way. It’s such a joy when they randomly ask to go somewhere, eat something, or learn something new. And it’s all because of seeds that are being constantly planted in their head.

It’s for that very reason that all kid’s should have goals.

It’s easy for us as adults to have dreams and they simply remain dreams. And to be quite honest, there’s nothing wrong with having dreams that remain simply that. It gives you something to ponder and wonder and those things are always great to have.  However, as the quote goes, “your dreams are only your dreams until you write them down. …then, they are goals.”

Every year, we make goals.  Some people call them resolutions, but for many, we call them goals. Everyone wants something that is attainable and within reach, but goals give you something to strive for. Obviously some goals are smaller, while others are much bigger.  No matter your goals though, they are important.  And just like we have goals, we need our kids to set goals too.

Kids need to set goals too. 

From an earlier age, kids need to be setting their goals. By doing this, we are helping them learn that they should create a plan to achieve the things that they want to happen and how to act upon them.  It gives them something to look forward too and also teaches them so much more.

Goals help kid’s learn to focus on a task. Additionally, they trigger positive behaviors. They help to motivate and inspire them to achieve something. And probably one of the absolutely most important goals is that it builds characters.  Setting goals gives kids the ability to practice self-mastery or self-discipline.  When they set a goal, and then achieve it they are building themselves up for something greater.  They are able to see themselves as a person who can actually achieve something and ohhh how important it is for anyone, no matter their age, is see that they are able to achieve what they set out to do.

How do I have kids set goals?

The great news is that this isn’t some hard task that is going to take up a ton of your time. Especially if your child(ren) are under the age of 10, then this activity should take no more than 5-10 minutes. Once your child starting becoming a tween, and absolutely a teenager, this should be something that is well thought out and does take a little more time to do. However, I still wouldn’t expect it to take longer than 30-60 minutes.

Typically as adults we try to set goals in a series of categories.  Usually they are about finances, family, fitness and/or health, self-improvement and fun. However, for younger kids the use of categories isn’t important. Although, they would be great for older kids.

For younger kids, the best way to get them to start learning and exploring more about setting goals is to simply ask them “what would you like to do this year”. Let them guide the answers and come up with as many or as little as they want to. Try your best not to guide them into answers; however, if you see they are having a hard time, then you can give them tips about ideas – such as places they would like to go or travel too, something they would like to learn. Feel free to ask them to get more specific. For example, our oldest daughter wants to ensure she’s reading by the end of the year. I asked her how many books she thinks we should read and she gave me a number. Clarifying or expanding on an answer is great.

What age should I start having my kids set goals?

Three. You won’t get much of a response typically. But even just a few things to start them on their journey of setting and achieving goals is so important. As your child(ren) gets older, they will start thinking of more things (sometimes a little crazy depending on the age). Use the earlier years to really build a foundation and focus on the things that they truly want to accomplish over the next year.

This is our 3 Year Old’s Goal List: 

And this is our 6 Year Old’s Goal List: 

This is just a guide in helping your kids to set their own goals and learning how to achieve them.  No matter what, just remember that kids need to set goals too. 

Christmas Gifts Your Kids Are Guaranteed To Play With

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While this post about Christmas Gifts Your Kids Are Guaranteed To Play With is satirical in nature, the truth is these are really things your kids would play with longer than anything you are likely to buy them. 

Trying to decide what gifts to get our kids for the holidays is such a toss up. Do we get them things that we think they want, they need, they asked for? Which one or combination of ones is the best choice? That seems to be a question that every single parent asks every single year.  You would think by now that we’ve figured it out. Wrong.

Do We Give Gifts We Think They Want?

The first option, gifts we THINK they want. In someways this option is in a way us reliving out our own childhood. Gifts that maybe we didn’t get because it cost our parents too much or our parents didn’t like the idea. Now that we are in control of the gift giving sometimes that comes into play a little. At least I know here is does.

Sure there’s the whole, I know what they will play with or I know they’ve been asking for XYZ for a few months now. But I think there’s definitely a small part of every parent that wants to (and sometimes does) get a gift that they themselves wished for when they were little in hopes that it really is a magical thing for their own kid. And partly because WE want to play with it and see how it is. 

Do We Give Gifts They Need?

The next option, things we KNOW they need, aren’t things that they actually want. Look, I know….budget. You are trying to optimize the number of presents they have to open while not spending a $100 on every box that they have to unwrap. However, opening up a huge pack of socks and/or underwear isn’t their idea of a good time. Neither is a new toothbrush or body wash in their stocking.

Yes, it sure does help our spending later in the year. But truly, this is an idea that we likely just need to toss to the wind.

Do We Give Gifts They Ask For?

And then there’s the gifts that they ask for themselves. Now, if you’ve been a parent for more than 3 minutes, then you know sometimes kids make demands that are unreasonable. Why no, love child of mine, you cannot have the motorized Lamborghini, Barbie’s Superdeduper Ultimate Deluxe dreamhouse, the biggest set of legos known to man, and all of the bikes and helmets you see in the store. Their asks are typically completely unreasonable. Though one year my oldest did ask for a vacuum and used it for 23 minutes before never touching it again another day in her life.

So what gifts do we actually get them?

Don’t worry. I have figured out the answer and it’s going to be the best set of gifts you have ever bought. I mean these are Christmas gifts your kids are guaranteed to play with for more than 2 minutes before moving onto something else. Now, before we get into the list let me preface this with my suggestion that these gifts are in the 1-8ish year old age range. I’d venture to say that some of these could be used for an older crowd also but it totally depends on the nature of your child(ren).

These gift ideas that I’m going to share with you will have you way under budget- like seriously way under budget. You can actually get that new [insert thing you’ve been wanting] and not even feel guilty about it because you’re so under budget. Also, you will actually now have more time alone to finish that plate of hot food that you never get to enjoy.  So you’re welcome.

Now, without further ado… Christmas Gifts Your Kids Are Guaranteed To Play With

  • Cardboard boxes

    • It’s the ultimate toy. Nothing else is really needed.  Grab a bunch of different sizes and let them have at it.

  • Toilet paper rolls

    • My kid’s actually fight over who gets the toilet paper or paper towel rolls when they are empty.

  • Laundry baskets

    • It’s rodeo heaven around here in a laundry basket.  How fast can you go? Hide underneath it. Make it into a crib.  Endless possibilities.

  • Empty plastic bottles

    • They will stuff things inside, empty it, and repeat for hours.

  • Sealable sandwich bags

    • See above.

  • Empty plastic or reusable bags

    • They swear they are going places and will use it as a purse, luggage, or storage container. Just let them have at it.

  • Clothes hangers

    • If you really want to see a kid’s imagination at work, hand them some hangers. It’s hilarious.

  • Unusable cellphone

    • They want to mimic you. It’s better if it can at least light up and allow them to move around a screen, but even if it doesn’t and is truly unusable, they will still play with it.

  • Pots and pots

    • It’s the oldest household item used by a kid.  If you dare, hand them a wooden spoon along with it.

  • Bag of beans or dry pasta

    • Paired with a plastic bottle and they will play for hours.

  • Sticks from outside

    • Have to be careful with these, but they do last forever in the fun zone.

  • Maxi Pads and Tampons

    • I am amazed at how long a kid will play with these.

  • Old High Heel Shoes 

    • Girl or boy doesn’t matter, they think it’s hilarious to try to walk in them.

  • Potatoes

    • They will turn it in a baby or a host of a million other things, but the point is they will play forever.

  • Pinecones

    • I think they are prickly but kids seem to love doing things with pinecones.

  • Roll of tape or bottle of glue

    • This is the height of kid fun.

  • Plastic Cups

    • I’ve seen some pretty crazy things happen with a few plastic cups and lots of fun. Give it a try.

  • Towels or Blankets

    • Forts, forts, forts. No other commentary needed.

  • Spoons or Whisks

    • Just another one of the weird household things kids will play with forever.

  • Tissue Box

    • Pull tissues out. Put them back in. Repeat. Wipe something up, make it a doll blanket, use the box for some random craft. Lots of fun to a kid.

  • Leaves

    • One day my kids brought in a pile of leaves and played with them for over an hour. My mind was blown.

  • Plastic Containers and Large Bowls

    • There’s a reason that they won’t leave your drawer of “Tupperware” alone, it’s amazing to them. They will stack, restack, and sort for endless amounts of time.

So which idea do you think you little one(s) would like the best? Happy shopping!

PIN this list of Christmas Gifts Your Kids Are Guaranteed To Play With for later: 

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A Co-Sleeping, Breastfeeding Holiday Tune

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Everyone is in super holiday overdrive at this point in the year.  No matter what holiday you celebrate, you are either exhausted from already celebrating or exhausted from the preparations of celebrating. While we, as breastfeeding mothers, often use our little ones as a way to excuse ourselves from the holiday festivities when we feel like we’ve had a little too much of drunk Aunt Sammie’s chatter, nothing quite makes you more exhausted after the holidays than a middle of the night gym-nurse-tics session.

Worried about being around unsupportive family for the holidays?  Check out our post about “How to Respond when Someone Asks are you STILL breastfeeding?“

When this little gem came across my eyes in one of my breastfeeding support groups on Facebook, I knew immediately that I had to reach out and ask permission if we could share it.  Every breastfeeding mom on the planet will giggle to this one! We can all relate to the crazy antics that we have to put up with when nursing our little kiddos.

Of course, this is meant to be humorous.

Thanks again to Arielle for letting us share this Co-Sleeping, Breastfeeding Holiday Tune!  We hope you enjoyyyy!!! Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from us!

co sleeping breastfeeding holiday jam

We hope you enjoyed this little jam!  Arielle stated that she found the inspiration for writing the song during a 2am nursing session with her little one. She surely made us giggle with this co-sleeping, breastfeeding tune and we’re hoping to hear more from her in the future.  I really don’t know that I can ever sing Jingle Bells the same again!

Happy Holidays everyone!

If you like this post, please share it with other and in your favorite breastfeeding hangout spots on the internet.

Are you looking for parenting tips? Check out some of our best posts! 

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This post was originally published on 12/19/15. It has since been updated.

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