1. Gather your laundry and supplies.
2. Prepare your children for the experience.
3. Take along activities for the children.
4. Take along a lunch plan for the children.
5. Fold your clean laundry into baskets.
6. Go home and put everything away.
7. Make sure your laundry problem is fixed.

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This past weekend, I went camping with my husband and our 3 children. Our friends came too with their 2 kids and we all had a blast!

Now you might ask why in the world, we would want to leave the comfort of our home and our naptime routines, and drag our 5yo, 2yo, and 9mo kiddos out to live outdoors for a weekend?

Because it’s fun! And it’s not even that hard. Read on and I’ll tell you all I know about camping with kids.

Camping with kids is fun.

First things first, going on family adventures is fun and so worth the work of packing up the kids.

Don’t let fear hold you back! Is it work? Yes. But it’s not as much work as you think.

Seeing my kids light up with the excitement of camping, and spend a weekend exploring the outdoors, fishing, riding bikes, and playing with friends was food for my soul. THESE are memories we’ll look back on. And we won’t think of the work it took or skipped naps. We’ll remember the fun, the smiles, and the time spent together.

Keep expectations realistic.

Going into your camping trip, set your expectations and keep them realistic.

I knew that my toddler probably wouldn’t nap, so I chose not to stress about it. I planned that Monday would be our recovery/catch up day: long naps and an early bedtime!

During our camping weekend, I think my 9mo only took one good long nap in bed. The rest of the weekend he napped on me and in the baby carrier! I expected that, so I was prepared at nap times to sit with the baby or wear him.

Know your children’s needs, think about how they react when somewhere new, and plan for how to meet their needs in a realistic way while camping.

Prepare!

As with doing anything with young children, being prepared is half the battle!

While preparing to go camping with babies and toddlers, think about these things:

• Where will you set the baby to play, eat, or rest?
• How many diapers do you need to bring for the length of time you’ll be there?
• Will you be somewhere near a town that you can run and get things you may need, or will you be relying solely on what you pack?
• Come up with a sleeping arrangement that will work best for your young children. (my toddler and baby slept with me, hubby had to find his own spot for the weekend!)
• What toys and activities are appropriate to bring?
• How to plan so your children can safely participate in the activities available? (hiking, biking, fishing, swimming etc.)

Pack right

Think about your camping situation. Do you have a camper that is set up with your camping gear already? Or are you starting from scratch? What extra supplies do you need to bring to camp with your children?

I’d never been camping with my kids, and we were starting from scratch so I had to really plan and pack all the camping supplies I could think of!

Besides normal camping gear + food, this is what I packed for my kids (5yr, 2yr, & 9mo).

**disclaimer, anything linked is purely for your convenience because I love to share products I find useful with other moms! We don’t get any benefits from you using the links below.**

• Multiple sets of clothing for each child (a minimum of 2 extra per child, camping is dirty and it’s nice to have dry clothes to change into!)
• Jacket/Sweatshirt for each child
• Sunscreen
• Bug repellant (I use johnson & johnsons creamy baby oil as bug repellant for my baby & toddler- it works!)
• Baseball cap/sunhat for each child
• Towels
• Diapers + wipes for the length of time we’d be gone (plus a bunch of extra because I live in fear of running out!)
• Any favorite blankets + lovies or stuffed animals (comfort items!).
• Favorite snacks and junk foods (camping = vacation = fun food!)
• 1 Sippy cup/straw cup/or reusable water bottle for each child.
• Ergo baby carrier
• Beach blanket, I use one like this for a yard blanket and love it for my babies playing in the yard!
• Camp chair for each child
• Folding/camp highchair! This was my favorite find when prepping for camping this year. It was so handy to have a safe place to set Jasper (9mo) & for snacks/meals since he loves to munch on whatever everyone else is having!
• What I didn’t bring but wish I had, was my Pack n’ Play. So that my active 9mo would’ve had a safe place to play/crawl, can’t put an active baby on a blanket on the ground when there’s a campfire going!
• Toys! We brought a variety of baby toys, our bubble machine + extra bubbles, glow sticks, and some other odds n ends. I haven’t perfected our camping toy list, but I’m working on it!
• Bikes, for our 5 and 2yo. They had so much fun biking around the campground!
• Fishing poles. The campground we went to had a pond reserved for campers-only fishing; which was fun the for kids & dads!
• First aid kit, including bandages, antibiotic ointment, tweezers, children’s Benadryl, and adults allergy medicine.
• What I didn’t pack but should have, was extra shoes for each child! It rained and we ended up with wet shoes/socks and no extras. It didn’t matter for those of us wearing sandals, but my 5yo and husband ended up driving into town and buying dollar store crocs cause they had wet shoes!
• If we were going swimming, I’d also pack swimsuits and life jackets.

Regardless of how much I pack, I’m always plagued by the feeling that I forgot something, and I’m sure I’m missing things on this list! Feel free to comment or email back with suggestions to add to my list!

Once you’re there, relax and have fun!

One of my favorite things about camping is that I get to forget about the laundry, dishes, and house chores for a while and just relax in God’s beautiful creation! Cooking is more fun outdoors, cleanup is more fun outdoors, the kids have a blast, and it’s so fun to just sit at the fire with the Hubby and some good friends after the kids go to bed.

Camping is fun, but camping with children who find new joy in every stick, rock, and puddle opens your eyes to see the world fresh and new like they do. And that’s one of my favorite things about parenting my young ones.

So sit back mama, relax, and have fun exploring the outdoors with your babies. It takes prep work, but you won’t regret it!

You’ve got this, mama <3

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Raising 2 babies at once is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

My son was born when my daughter was 15 months old, and I found myself at home alone with them both just 9ish short days after he was born.

Juggling both their needs, making toddler friendly lunches and snacks while caring for my infant and recovering postpartum, and getting my toddler down for naps and bedtime were monumental tasks.

Every little thing was a battle. And managing simple tasks like putting in my contacts or taking a shower was a big deal.

I never felt more exhausted, hopeless, and alone than when my 2 under 2 were both crying at bedtime; hubby was working late, and anyone I typically relied on for help were unavailable.

But we survived it, and my life looks so different now.

All mamas have moments of exhaustion and overwhelm.

Times that by 2 when you’ve got double the babies. I know I was exhausted and overwhelmed! I have a huge respect for anyone who’s had twins, or who have 2 under 2 with multiple other children. It’s a challenge, but I know moms who’ve done it. And I did it with my 2 under 2.

That’s my message today.

It’s doable.

It’s exhausting, and overwhelming. You may have moments when you cry with your kids, and you may often wonder how you’re going to survive this season.

But it’s just that. A season.

This season won’t last forever.

My toddler just turned 2 and my baby is 9 months. My life is a night and day difference from what it was when they were 15mo and newborn!

The newborn stage is the hardest, but babies change and grow so fast!

Somewhere along the line, I realized that about every 2 weeks I could reflect and say, “hey this is easier!”

As your babies get older, things will get easier.

In the early days, you might just have to take it hour-by-hour and survive the day. I know I had days like that. But eventually the weeks will start to fly by.

Life with 2 under 2 gets easier.

Every day it gets easier. And that’s a promise.

Before you know it, your toddler will be turning 2. She’s no longer a baby, and while she still has many needs, she also helps with toy cleanup, brings the baby’s blanket when you need it, and melts your heart with her affection for her sibling.

I’m glad I had my babies so close together.

They’re already best friends. My 9mo is so cranky and “lost” if he’s awake while my toddler is napping. I don’t think he knows how to play by himself! He’s always so busy crawling after his sister chasing her around.

And my 2yo is much the same, she always comes find her brother first thing every morning. She completely bypasses me, squeezes her brother’s cheeks and says something along the lines of “hi! Good morning! Awwww I love you!”

Seeing the bond these two have, and the way they’re able to play so nicely together since they’re so close in age makes all those hard moments worth is. We survived the newborn baby stage and came out with two toddlers who are best friends. And I so look forward to seeing the way they grow up and learn more together as time goes on.  

You might be in the thick of it right now, but you’ve got this.

It might be a hard day, a hard week, or a hard couple of months. But you can do it! And you’re not alone.

Drop a comment or email back with your biggest struggle + your favorite thing about having 2 under 2!

The post Does Life with 2 Under 2 Get Easier? appeared first on Home Plain and Simple.

Why organize kid clothes?

Digging through a mountain of clothes in your child’s closet/dresser is a pain. Especially so if sizes are mixed, half the clothes are out of season, and you can only find half of the outfit you’re looking for on Sunday morning!

Keeping things (relatively) organized is the best way to save some frustration and make your mornings easier! And as a busy mom, anything that makes life easier… yes please!

Here are 5 Steps to Organize your kid’s Clothes:

1.      Keep a designated basket/box for outgrown clothes.

Whether it’s an empty diaper box or a cute decorative basket, keep an easy to access receptacle near where you keep your child’s clothes. When putting clean clothes away, sorting clothes, or just come across something that doesn’t fit- throw it into the basket.

2.      Sort through and put clothes away each time your child moves up a size. If you’re getting new clothes out, put the old ones away.

When your kid outgrows a size of clothing and it’s time to get out a new size, put the old ones away first! Some things may still fit, that’s okay. But once something is too small, put it in the basket, as time goes on all the too-small clothes will phase out of the dresser and into the basket.

Once a size is completely phased out take the clothes from the basket, sort items that need thrown away or donated and then store the rest in a tote in an out of the way space in your home.

By continually doing the work to keep too-small clothing away from the clothes that are actively being worn, it keeps your drawers clear for the clothing that you really need access to. And since you’re working at it as you go instead of all at once, it’s a much easier task.

3.      If clothes are out of season, put them away.

Same as with clothes that are too small, when the seasons start to change gradually phase clothes out.

As it gets warmer and your child starts wearing more short sleeves or dresses, throw the long-sleeved items and long pants that aren’t being worn anymore into the basket of unworn/too small clothes.  (keep a few pairs of pants and long sleeve shirts out for cool days, but put the majority away)

4.      Hang nice outfits, church clothes etc. keep the rest in drawers/cubbies/baskets.

I love dressers, so I sort each child’s dresser into one drawer for pajamas, one drawer for bottoms, one drawer for tops, and a drawer for socks & underwear.

My toddler doesn’t have a dresser, so we use a cubby shelf with organizer bins/baskets. Find a system that works for you and organize the clothes how you like!

5.      Don’t keep excess clothes.

Grandma bought clothes, aunty bought clothes, and your friend from work sent a garbage bag of hand-me-downs. You don’t have to keep it all! When you have too many things it just adds to the mess.

Sort through the clothes and keep what you like, what fits your life, and what your kid will be comfortable in. Put the rest in a box to donate or put in storage for the next kid. If necessary, make a list of anything else you need to buy to fill in your child’s wardrobe.

You’ve got this mama!

The post 5 Steps to Keep Your Child’s Clothes Organized appeared first on Home Plain and Simple.

Going outside with your baby + toddler

When you have a baby and a toddler, getting outside and doing fun activities can be hard. One child wants to run and explore and get into everything, while the other needs held/carried/in a stroller. It can be exhausting to manage!

It’s easy to dread going out with your babies, it’s a lot of work! But getting outside and having some active fun in the sun is incredible for your health and mindset, even if it’s just 15 minutes!

Getting out the door with a baby and a toddler:

Getting out the door is your biggest hurdle, but you’ve got this!

Check everyone’s diapers, grab a snack for your toddler, throw a jacket and some shoes on everyone and get out the door! But don’t forget your stroller or a baby carrier unless you feel like toting a baby around without a break for the next hour.

What am I going to do outside with my baby and toddler?

We love unstructured playtime outside, but it does get boring sometimes. So below I’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite activities + some that I want to do but haven’t yet!

Spring Activities for Young Children

Spring activities feel a little more limited to me. Where we live the weather is often erratic, with a few warm days and a lot of cool rainy days. Here are some of the things we love to do though!

• Walks in the stroller: We do this allllll the time. I have a double stroller that I just strap both kids into and away we go! I keep it short, so my toddler doesn’t get bored; and then let her run around in our yard and explore while I follow her around with baby brother still in the stroller.
• Riding baby bikes/trikes in the driveway: My toddler loves anything with wheels, so baby bikes (the kind with 4 wheels that she can propel just by pushing w/ her legs) keep her busy for quite a while! We also love our Radio Flyer tricycle that has a detachable handle I can use to push her around.
• Toddler led walks/yard exploration: Strap baby into a baby carrier and let your toddler run and explore in the yard/park/wherever. My almost 2yo could spend the whole day happily just running around picking up sticks, playing in the dirt, and constantly asking me “what’s that?” Guide your child to learn boundaries, safety, etc. but supervise without hovering, to let them explore and wander within those boundaries.
• Yard Work: Last year when my toddler wasn’t even 1 yet, our favorite spring activity was yard work! Picking up sticks, mulching, etc.. I’d let her crawl around the yard nearby, or sit in a stroller or pack ‘n play watching me. I didn’t get my work done very quickly, but it was fun! And Brynlee loved riding in the wheelbarrow or “helping” by throwing tiny handfuls of mulch from the pile into a bucket.

Summer Activities with Babies and Toddlers

Summer is one of my favorite seasons. Warm sunny days, where even if it’s going to be a hot one, you can squeeze in some outdoor fun first thing in the morning!

Some of our favorite summer activities are:

• Kiddie pool/sprinkler/play with hose
• Beach play/sandbox
• Camping
• Going to a 4-H/FFA fair to see all the animals
• Going to the park on playdates/swinging on a swingset
• Grilling and eating outside
• Exploring the farm and seeing all the animals at Grandma & Grandpa’s!

These activities are just a quick outline of what we like to do in the summer. Really though, our favorite thing is to just hang out outdoors with the people we love!

For just being outside and having fun, keeping outdoor toys and activities on hand will keep your toddler busy for ages! Some of our favorites are listed below.

Outdoor Toys & Activities for Young Children

• Baby bikes (propelled by feet), trike w/ handle
• Sidewalk Chalk
• Bubbles
• Balls of any kind
• Baby Slide
• Child size yard tools: trowel, rake, shovel, etc.
• Beach bucket w/ shovel (my toddler loves to just carry a bucket around and fill it with twigs, acorns, and rocks… had to teach her not to pick up deer droppings!)
• Sticks, rocks, mud, acorns, dandelions

Have Fun!

Being outside with yours kids is fun. Is it more work? Yes. Do I sometimes run in and out of the house 15 times before we have everything we need to be outside? Also yes. But it’s so worth it, and the kids love it!

You’ve got this, mama.

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Life with Littles

When you have young children and babies, it can be hard to find extra energy to give your spouse. 

The hardest for me was always the first 3ish months after having a baby. Newborns are SO needy, and when you breastfeed, they’re on your body all the time! 

Add in an active toddler, and you’re exhausted. You spend your whole day, every day, tending to the needs of these tiny people, and barely meeting your own needs. 

Nothing Left.

By the end of the day, you’re exhausted in every sense of the word. Mentally, physically, emotionally. 

I remember feeling SO drained at the end of the day. Bedtime was a nightmare with 2 under 2 at first. When I would FINALLY get the little ones to sleep, I’d drag my tired body to bed, without a shower because I was too tired.

Bedtime was when I finally had a moment alone with my husband to give him my attention, and I felt guilty that I was exhausted and had no energy left for him. 

I wanted to do better, give more of myself to my husband than the exhausted shell that was left at the end of the day. I needed time and space away from the kids, to give attention to myself and my husband.

Enter: Date Night.

We don’t have a set weekly date night or anything like that. Our schedules are too sporadic. But we try to go out together fairly often, usually 2-3 times a month.

It’s not about the date itself, where we go, or what we do. It’s about prioritizing each other and our relationship. 

We acknowledge that we need to be intentional about spending time together away from the kids. 

Sometimes I’m the one that says “hey, we need a date this week!” And other times it’s my husband who suggests it. 

Either way, it’s something we’ve talked about. Communication is important, and voicing your needs and expectations together is important too. 

My husband and I are both happier when we prioritize spending time together and talking in a setting where we can give each other our full attention. 

When mom and dad are happy, everyone in the home is happier. A happy marriage helps make a happy family. 

Beyond date night

Date night is our most intentional time together. 

But lately we’ve been squeezing in time after the kids go to sleep too. Just staying up a little later and watching a movie together feels good, we’re doing an “us” thing. Something that has nothing to do with the kids.  

Being intentional about your marriage doesn’t have to be serious, or a stiff scheduled date night, sometimes it’s as simple as sending funny texts or memes to each other throughout the day to stay connected. 

It’s so easy to get wrapped up with your young children and give them ALL of you. I certainly do it. Being a mama is amazing, but being intentional about being a wife too can be just as rewarding. 

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