Thank you Instagram, We made it to 10K!

Thank you Instagram! 10K Instagram Followers. Cute 10K Pictures. Mom Bloggers on Instagram. How we got to 10K Instagram Followers. A Cotton Kandi Life THANK YOU! Thank you to everyone who wants to be a part of our little story. I had no idea when I started this Mom Blogger adventure just over a year ago that we would be here now. I started this blog {well, really revamped it from the craft blog it was} as a way to connect back into the world after I had Wyatt. Life was very confusing; we had babies, I became a WAHM and we moved away from everyone. We were all alone up here in this new town with all of the Sweet & Sticky… {aka Cash & Wyatt} I found a cozy second home here online {which 2012 Kandice would have never said} but more importantly I’ve been able to give more to the boys than I ever imagined.

Thank you Instagram

This blog, and it’s Instagram account are all about my 2 boys, Cash & Wyatt and what being a mother to them is like. It’s Sweet & Sticky every single day. But we survive. I survive because I’ve found a place where other moms understand. I’ve found a place where I can be honest, scared, in love with motherhood and completely frustrated in the same day. Instagram and the community of moms there is a safe place for me and I cannot believe how much my little community has grown! 10 THOUSAND PEOPLE!

They Earned It

Coincidentally, last week I also dropped the ten-thousandth dollar into the boys’ college savings accounts. That’s right, in just over a year we’ve made $10,000 for their future. If you’re new to the blog, and my blogging adventure, you can catch up here. In 2016 I dedicated all of the ACKL Income to them because this is all about and for THEM. Every penny from every ad, every sponsored post, and every referral code goes directly to their futures and all they have to do is smile and play while I take some pictures. The great thing about our Saving Account too is that it can be used for anything, not explicitly college. So no matter what they decide, they’ll have this there for them. You’ve helped me do that for them.

It’s teaching them to work hard…

As I brought this cake out to them they were very confused, as it was about 9 am… I told them “You guys are famous! You’re teaching kids how to have fun all over the world!” To which Cash responded, “It’s our JOB!” with a high five to his brother. That made them feel pretty proud. Some days I even try to explain to them that they’re earning money for college too. Cash currently wants to be a Dentist when he grows up, who fights fire on the side. He does understand that he’ll need to go to school to earn that and it’s currently his “job” right now to be a student and a kid. In the mornings when I ask him what he wants to do today he’ll say, “Let’s work in the Etsy Shop and take some pictures!” I think he get’s it. I think he’s understanding the results of hard work and earning… There is so much scaffolding there that I’m so grateful for, which he’ll undoubtedly benefit from in the future. Our little online commerce has helped me teach him that.

So thank you again…

If you’ve ever read a post, clicked a heart or followed along, Thank You! If you’ve ever shared a post on your page, tagged the blog or repinned a Pin of the Week, thank you! Thank you so much, from the bottom of our hearts for all of your support and love. Keep those hearts coming 😉 and we’ll do the same!

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Hi There! I’m Kandice

Wife, WAHM and mother to 2 Hooligan boys, sharing my Sweet & Sticky Story of Motherhood.

Life changes after 2 Toddlers {obviously} so now I’m sharing how I turn those every day #MomProblems into a Story of #MomWinning by building new Small Systems, Organizing Mom Routines and Making Mommy Money Online by Blogging.

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How To | DIY

Legit Mother’s Day Gifts Toddlers Can Make

Legit Mother's Day Gifts that Toddlers can Make. Handmade, DIY Gifts for Mother's Day Toddler Gifts. DIY Toddler Projects. Gifts babies can make. Unique Mother's Day Gifts. Handmade Gift Ideas for Mother's Day Mother’s Day is just around the corner and you know you need to make something special. You definitely want a gift with that sentimental touch of being handmade, but Mom’s babies are still only toddlers and they can’t do much. They can’t really write or much less spell, so how do you help them make a Mother’s Day Gift she’ll really love? Simple, you focus on what your beautiful babies can do, draw.

Legit Mother’s Day Gifts Toddlers Can Make

The internet is full of DIY Gifts that kids can make. Kids, who are crafty and can wield scissors. But there isn’t much out the for the babies past the Macaroni Necklace, and you already did that last year…. So here we go. Here are two simple, crafty gifts that your babies can give to Mom that she will really love and use.

Doodle Mom Mug

I know you’ve seen this project before with all the perfect little polka dots and drawn flowers, but babies can’t do that and this gift is from them. So, instead, for this handmade Mother’s Day Gift we go the doodle route.

All you Need

Oil Based Sharpie Paint Pens {you should already have theses from the Snowman Mugs}
Coffee Mug {buy in bulk at Dollar Tree too so all the Grandma’s and Aunts get one!}
Alphabet Stickers
Oven

You put the stickers on to spell Mom or whichever grandma or loved-one you wish. Create a space where the kids can reach the pens but where you can also help them so that they do not drop and break the mugs. For this round, I let Wyatt doodle in one color and Cash in another. We make it University of Oregon colors. #GoDucks

Then when they finish their Doodle Masterpiece {they will be so proud of their handmade work it will melt your heart} carefully peel off the stickers. Preheat your oven to 300* and let them bake for 30 minutes on a cookie sheet. This process sets the oil based markers so that they won’t wash off.

Wrap it up and your sentimental, toddler-made Mother’s Day Gift is ready to go!

Doodle Name Tote

I really love this one and use mine regularly. There is a little bit more adult help and equipment to this Mother’s Day Gift, but it is an exceptionally good one! You’re actually turning your toddlers’ artwork into a gift for mom. How much more special can you get?

All you need

Fabric Paper {you’ll need to make this ahead of time. See the Tutorial HERE}
Fabric Pens
Cricut Machine
Iron
Tote Bag

For this Mother’s Day Gift I used 2 colors of Fabric Paper, white which they doodled on and then a solid color as the shadow. After you make your Fabric Paper {learn how to do that HERE} have the babies draw all over it. I told them to cover as much of the white space as possible. I also removed the colors I didn’t want them to use which may make the drawing look mucky, like browns and grays.

When they’re done drawing, cut the Fabric Paper to fit on your Cricut Cut Mat. Know my Cricut is 10 years old and they don’t sell this model anymore, although they should since this beauty is still going strong!! Find yourself a Cricut Machine HERE

Legit Mother's Day Gifts that Toddlers can Make. Handmade, DIY Gifts for Mother's Day Toddler Gifts. DIY Toddler Projects. Gifts babies can make. Unique Mother's Day Gifts. Handmade Gift Ideas for Mother's Day Cut out your letters and then align them on your tote bag. Remove the lining on the back and press them on with your iron set to medium heat. For letters using a back color like mine shown, cut out another set using the SHADOW function on your Cricut. then first iron the Doodle letters onto the back color, then iron the back color/doodle combo onto the tote.

Mom is now ready to sport her new custom artwork tote bag!

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Hi There! I’m Kandice

Wife, WAHM and mother to 2 Hooligan boys, sharing my Sweet & Sticky Story of Motherhood.

Follow on Instagram too!

Mom Life Organizing

How to Plan Ahead Blogger Mom Snacks

How to plan ahead Mom Snacks. Mom Lunch Routines. Routines for Blogger Moms. Mom Life Hacks. Meal Planning for Moms. Mom doesn't eat solutions. Meal Prep Lunches. Plan ahead Lunch Ideas. WAHM Mom Hacks I think we’ve all been there. We hustle through our morning, reheat that coffee and then make lunch for the kids before shipping them off to naptime. We don’t sit down until we’re finally at the computer ready to start blogging, except you realize that you haven’t eaten anything all day except the 3-heat coffee. Now that you can finally focus on your work, you can’t actually focus because your body is crashing. You need some Mom Snacks.

How to Plan Ahead Mom Snacks

This actually happens to me all the time, I forget to eat. I know what you’re thinking, how is that possible when your kids are asking to eat every 10 minutes? I will tell you. I don’t eat when they are eating because they are distracted. When they’re at the counter eating I go switch the laundry, go to the bathroom all by myself and do another little chore without their little hands imposing. Emptying the dishwasher knife basket is a big one.

The Problem

This is common practice in my house actually, I do not take the time to eat because I have so many other things to do while they’re eating or not paying attention to me. I’m not going to waste a precious alone moment on eating.

Ideally, I’d be able to eat while we were reading or playing on The Mess Mat. But then, I’m showing them that it’s okay to walk around the house chewing, which it’s not. {at least we’d like to teach them it isn’t} Sometimes I pop an Aussie Bite {Costco awesomeness} while Wyatt has me anchored to the couch, but then he wants one too and all the sudden I have a trail of crumbs stretching 10 feet. So I avoid eating in front of them to prevent them asking for my food or role modeling scarf attacks. It’s a vicious cycle… you’d think I’d be thinner… {See how I Cheat Fitness at Home}

The Solution

Plan Ahead Meal Prep is a fantastic Mom Saver. I do Crock Pot Meal Planning which is a true savior for me on a weekly basis. I buy dinner groceries and then spend an evening filling freezer bags while dad watches the kids. Why should Mom’s lunch be any different? I now take that same hour after grocery shopping and Plan Ahead 5 Mom Snacks/Lunches.

Now back to that time-saving thing above about how I’m not wasting my precious kid-free moments on eating. The same concept applies here. I’m not going to consume a big lunch type meal and take up 20 minutes of naptime feeding myself. I’m just not. If you’re a Mom Blogger you know that your fingers need to be typing every second those baby eyes are closed, not holding a sandwich. So Mom Snacks are the way to go for me. I choose healthy, energy and protein-packed snacks that wake me up. But the best part, I can eat them with one hand!

Mom Snacks

Weren’t kid’s Lunchables a brilliant idea? They sure were when it comes to efficiency anyway. The same idea works for me when building my Mom Snacks. I use a Reusable, 3 Compartment container from California Home Goods. These are truly a brilliant product. They are slim, seal tight and are microwaveable, plus dishwasher safe!

I choose to fill mine with a variety of snack type food but you can easily fill them with salads, pasta and so much more. Did you know they sell cheese already cubes? They do. #MomWinning If I don’t have time to eat I certainly don’t have time to cube cheese.

I also recently discovered these amazing new crackers called Good Thins. You must try the Sweet Potato kind! I’m sort of a crunchy, salty person though, so whatever floats your boat.

Multiple Uses

These containers are perfect for kid’s lunches too. They are slim enough to fit in a backpack and take to school, or they’re also the perfect size for a toddler lap. I may even take them with me to family Holidays now just so I can be sure to bring home my own leftovers 😉 You can also slip them into your purse or diaper bag to take to restaurants for leftover storage.

The Bottom Line

I think we can all agree that Mom needs to eat during the day. But we can all also understand they sometimes she forgets. Obviously, the best option would be for her, and me to eat a full, healthy meal with my kids and not have to worry about multitasking. I’d be the most nutritious mom on Earth if I could pull that off, but I can’t. That’s the reality. At least I’m one step closer to success by even identifying this problem and making steps to solve it. I know my body needs more food than this, which I give it at dinner. But for now, this is the absolute best way I can pull together this #MomWin. I’m eating more now at lunch time with these Plan Ahead Mom Snacks than I have since I had Wyatt, which is a huge win for me. These little power boosts get me through to dinner time and I still feel like I didn’t waste a bunch of precious work time.

All Moms, and really all Bloggers, can benefit from these easy to carry, convenient snack containers. Plan ahead, box them up and bring them with you to your #naptimehustle computer work. You won’t regret it!

*This post is not sponsored by California Home Goods. They have no idea I’m writing it or that I even exist. I found these on my own and genuinely enjoy using them. I have included my affiliate link through Amazon.

Like what you read?

Hi There! I’m Kandice

Wife, WAHM and mother to 2 Hooligan boys, sharing my Sweet & Sticky Story of Motherhood.

Follow on Instagram too!