5 Secrets to Surviving Grocery Shopping with Your Babies

I think it's safe to say that grocery shopping with little people has the potential to BREAK. US. DOWN. It can be a daunting task. I've noticed  that our shopping experiences have usually been rough when I have failed to prepare not only my children ahead of time, but myself.  But lately, grocery shopping has been a fun experience for me and my girlies since I started consistently following these 5 guidelines! Here's to hoping they make your grocery shopping easier!


1. Go AFTER a meal and a nap!

If you can manage this, then no one will be starving or hungry during your grocery shopping endeavor! For us, that means we go right after my youngest daughter's first nap and lunchtime. The hungrier they are (and me for that matter), the more likely they will try to reach for anything and everything to put in the cart.  Tired children means cranky/irritable children which is NOT FUN in the middle of the grocery store.  So pick times of the day when everyone has a happy tummy and a happy face :).

2. Streamline/Organize your grocery list!

I used to jot down whatever came to my mind on my grocery list with no trace of order or organization.  That works when you can go to the store alone and have the time (and patience) to wonder aimlessly through the isles looking for scattered items on your list.  I realize now with my two little girls that that doesn't make our shopping experience pleasant or efficient. I suggest organizing your lists based on the layout of your store.  I go to the same store every week and know it like the back of my hand! We start on one end and finish at the other so I organize my list by sections.  This prevents me from dashing back and forth a hundred times!

3. Meal Plan!

This coincides with number 2 but I think it's still worth mentioning! If you are a mama on a clear mission, your time will be spent more wisely! Knowing exactly what I plan to make for my family each week keeps me motivated to finish the task at hand and even be excited about the ingredients I am purchasing.

4. Get a HUGE cup of your FAVORITE coffee and drink it on the way to the store!

You know what they say... Jesus and coffee all day everyday! Stopping by Starbucks to get a White Chocolate Mocha on Wednesdays (my grocery shopping day since it's Double Add day at Sprouts) is one of those "little things" in motherhood that keeps me calm and collected! I only get it once a week so it's a treat for me that automatically brightens my mood and makes me breath in deeply and just... sigh! I promise you will not be disappointed. Coffee is just THAT good, people.

5. PRAY PRAY PRAY!

Pray before during and after! I always have my kids "pray" in the car on the way to the grocery store (or anywhere for that matter) and have them ask Jesus to make our time productive and enjoyable! Also, offer up prayers of THANKSGIVING before, during and after.  It's much more difficult to be grouchy and on edge while shopping if you have the heart of gratitude for even being able to grocery shop.  I tell me girls all the time that there are people in the world who don't have the luxury of going to the store every week and buying all of the yummy and healthy foods they like! I also remind myself and my girls to be thankful that God has provided in such a way for us to be able to AFFORD eating the way we like to eat (organic, real food). So be THANKFUL! Even after you get home and you are unloading all of your groceries, just start thanking Jesus in the middle of your kitchen for his PROVISION and GRACE. And lastly, since my husband is the bread-winner in our family, I always try to make it a point to have myself and the kids personally thank HIM for working so hard each day and enabling me to do what I love (cooking healthy meals for my family).


So there you have it.  These are my 5 current secrets to walking out of those automatic doors at Sprouts alive and well each and every Wednesday.

Happy Shoppin'

Bryt xoxo

Flexible Daily Routine for Pre-schoolers and Toddlers

It's taken some time for our family to find a good rhythm.  Just when we think we have something figured out or are in a good flow, life happens and we find ourselves at square one again.  This is part of the reason why I like routines as opposed to schedules.  For me, schedules leave little room for error and don't bode well with my perfectionist tendencies.  I've noticed that when I have tried to stick to a rigorous schedule, I'm oftentimes left feeling discouraged and unmotivated after about 2 days.  But ROUTINES, on the other hand, give me the "wiggle room" that I personally need while my kids are the ages that they are.  It's easier for me to have goals instead of "deadlines", if you know what I mean, when it comes to the daily grind of mommyhood. SO, with that being said, here is our current routine that seems to be working great for our family! You will notice that other than bedtime (the one time we actually strive to not deviate from), there is lots of room for adjustments and spur of the moment outings and changes of plan.

6:30am-7:30am- Wake up.  I leave an hour for this because depending on how our nights go (if both kids sleep all the way through, sickness in the house, teething etc.) the kids (or me) may need a bit extra sleep. When the kids wake up, they join us in our bed. Even if we are all up at 6:30, we tend to lay their and snuggle, read books or just flat out stare at the ceiling until 7:30ish.

8:00am-9:00am- Breakfast time. Again, I leave an hour because sometimes I get delayed switching over laundry, making up beds or doing something way less productive (ahem...pinterest). The kids also will play for a bit too while I get breakfast ready.

9:00am-10:00am- Devotions/Morning reading time at the kitchen table.  I (or daddy depending on which day of the week it is) will usually read a short scripture passage with the kids and then pray with them while we are at the table. They also pray if they choose to.  Then I put a series of worship songs on my phone and read my Bible by myself while Noelle and Vivienne both "read" (meaning flip through the pages or occasionally rip them if you'er Vivienne lol) their little storybook Bibles and sing along to the worship music.  If the wheels aren't coming off, we then will read a few books of their choice.

10:00am-11:00am- I do a quick clean up from breakfast, get the girls dressed, then get them situated in their bedroom (so I can close their door to keep my Vivi from getting into things lol) and let them play together while I get dressed.

11:00am-12:30pm- Vivi takes her first nap and Noelle and I do her homeschooling "lessons" (blogpost about what we are doing for pre-school homeschooling coming soon :))

12:45pm-1:30pm- Lunch and story time at the table.

1:45pm-3:45pm- After cleaning up from lunch, this time slot is usually used for running errands, playdates, outdoor play for girls while I do housework/chores, the park etc.

4:00pm-5:00pm- Vivi takes her final nap of the day, I start making dinner and Noelle either watches a show/movie of her choice or engages in a quiet time hobby (coloring, crafting, board games etc.) She also will usually join me in the kitchen to help prepare dinner (home economics, people lol)

5:00pm-5:45pm- I put finishing touches on dinner, lay out everything needed for bath time/bedtime (pajamas, diaper, towels etc.) and the girls help me do a quick clean up of the living room and their bedroom.  At some point during this time, daddy gets home and plays with the girls as well!

5:45pm-6:30pm- Dinner at the table as a family.  Everything gets turned off and we all tune into each other to close out our night.  My husband will usually read a bit more scripture for all of us and bless the food before we eat together as well.

6:30pm-6:45pm- Daddy monitors bath time and tells stories while I clean the kitchen.  

6:45-7:00pm- Lights get turned down while my husband and I get the girls all dressed and ready for bed.  We then all snuggle up together and sing a few hymns (there's just something about singing them at bedtime, knowing that Christian mommas of old have more than likely sung them over their littles for centuries) as a family. Come Thou Fount is our current favorite.  Daddy then prays over them, we exchange an endless amount of hugs and kisses and...

7:00pm- Bedtime for the girls! We try really really hard to stick to 7pm.  There are nights when we have community group at church or decide to go out somewhere and we push it back, but most nights it's 7 sharp. We also will let Noelle stay up a bit later on Friday or Saturday night sense she's the BIG sister lol.

So there it is! Most of our days in a nutshell.  Like I said before, we are not rigid with this routine but rather use it as a general frame work.  There's always room for spontaneity and deviation, which is what our family needs with two young girlies! 

If your looking for a routine, try this out! Let me know how it goes!

Bryt xoxo

Hope for Homemaking

This past Christmas was BY FAR the best one yet with our little girls. Both of them seemed to really grasp and understand the Spirit of Christmas as well as the meaning. The month of December was filled with endless story time accounts of Jesus' birth, daily advent activities and scripture readings, cookies, cider, chai tea and just about anything and everything that makes the holiday season feel like... The holiday season.

But what really blessed my heart as a mother this year was watching my girls' imaginations embrace something very near and dear to my heart: homemaking. We decided that homemaking would be the "theme" of our Christmas presents this year for our daughters. We were extremely fortunate and found a gently used three piece kitchen set along with all the bells and whistles on Craigslist and also purchased their first "official" baby dolls and all of the fun accessories. I will never forget the looks on their faces when they came around the corner to discover the new imaginative world of play! Nothing warmed my heart more.

These gifts were intentional on my and my husband's part. We didn't just choose these items so that our kids could have more "stuff" or more things to keep them busy while we fulfill other obligations. In a lot of ways, these purchases were an act of faith and a display of hope. We hope our daughters will develop a love for homemaking. We hope they learn to value the art of making a home fun, safe and inviting. In a society where homemaking is not esteemed and is viewed as a secondary responsibility and a "lesser than" calling, we wish to inspire and empower them in that endeavor. No, homemakers will not be WHO they are nor be ALL that they do, but my prayer is that it will be something they love, value and cherish. Wives/mommies really are the heartbeat of the home life. I have faith that with each moment they spend making me pretend dinners and changing play diapers, their hearts will be shaped, molded and prepared to joyously assume the position of homemaker even in the face of its breakdown and demise. I have great hope for them. I have great hope for the art of homemaking. It may be lost in some respects, but all it takes are willing vessels and intentional esteeming of it to breath new life into the calling.  Revolutions and reformations of thought and practice where almost always birthed from the heart of one individual throughout history. Change doesn't always require an army of likeminded people. It can start with one mother, one daughter, one father, one son choosing to unashamedly recommit to the HOME. It takes one family choosing to view themselves as a potential powerful force in the world, just as God intended it to be.  It calls for one parental unit being resolute in its efforts to truly see their children as "arrows" and dedicating their lives to aiming them in the right direction before they let go and allow those children to reach their God-given targets.

So by faith and with great joy we are starting within our own home. By God's grace we will raise daughters (and Lord-willing, sons) who will allow God's Spirit to birth a passion and zeal for one of the very first communities ever established on earth: the family. 

Ah do I have hope. Great hope, indeed.

Give Them Jesus

Aren’t we all in the hustle and bustle of this holiday season? The aroma of yummy baked treats is filling the air of our homes. Christmas decor has taken over the mantle, coffee table, baker’s rack etc. In the midst of it all, we mommas are just trying to create at least some sort of Christmas nostalgia for our kids to remember when the child-like excitement over presents, Santa and cookies begins to dissipate. Oh, the mental stress that this task can bring! Will we have enough money? Is this season full of enough fun? Do my kids feel cheated that their home doesn’t look like the North Pole? Did we do all of the advent daily crafts I found on Pinterest? Are my chosen crafts as cool as my friends’? …It’s just too easy to get caught up in the things that don’t really matter when it’s all said and done. Am I saying that we shouldn’t decorate and do crafts and bake and do all of the things that add warmth and fun to the Christmas season? No! But I am saying that we need not let it bury us or discourage us. More than anything, our kids need to see Jesus this Christmas. They need to behold the little baby that would one day grow up and die for their sins. They need to see that the greatest gift of all was our God incarnate, bridging the chasm that stood between God and us. Santa is fun. Presents are awesome. Christmas trees are beautiful. But they NEED Jesus. I pray my kids behold their loving Savior this Christmas. I hope that with each gift that they open with their precious little hands, their hearts will simultaneously be opening to the the ever-powerful, life-changing message of the Gospel. One day their little feet won’t be pitter-pattering across the hall to open their presents. The thrill of sending a wish-list to Santa will be gone. Decorating the house will become less appealing overtime. But the message of the virgin birth of a sinless Savior who has reconciled us to God will increasingly grip and carry their hearts with each passing year! So give them Jesus. That’s what Christmas is all about.

10 ways to foster a love for reading in kids!

Books are a big deal in the McNeil household. Everything from Lectures to my Students, to Sense and Sensibility, to Fancy Nancy... you name it, we will try to read it.  Our lives get hectic and busy like everyone, but we always try to keep reading(anything and everything) as a top priority. It's really important to us that our children not only love to read, but that they become confident and competent readers as they grow older. I know some days (let's be real... a lot of days) it's easier to turn to other forms of entertainment when we're buried under laundry or trying to get dinner on the table, but with a little effort and consistency, reading books as a pass-time can become a very enjoyable experience for you and your kids! After a while, you may even catch your one year old  quietly sitting and looking through a book without any prompting:). Here are 10 ways to help your kids learn to love books:

Sweet baby Vivi

1. Have a variety-  fiction, non fiction, adventurous, dramatic, silly, sentimental....the possibilities are endless! My kids are easily bored with monotony so I try to mix it up! Soon I will post a reading list for toddlers/preschoolers.

2. Make them easily accessible- Put em' where they can find em'! Having a variety of books to choose from will be useless if they aren't within arms reach.  I like to keep a basket of books in each of the rooms of our home so that my kids can be lured in to the magical world of reading while they play.

Baskets keep books low to the ground but organized!

3. Be a fun and EXPRESSIVE narrator- This is key! I try to use vocal inflections and intonations to bring alive the written word. I've also noticed that reading their books on my own allows me to anticipate the exclamation marks and better narrate the cast of characters while reading to them.  Whoever enjoyed listening to a monotone narrator lacking in passion and enthusiasm?

"...I could hardly keep my seat. To hear those beautiful lines which have frequently almost driven me wild, pronounced with such impenetrable calmness, such dreadful indifference."
-Sense and Sensibility

My sentiments exactly, Marianne.

4. Have "scheduled" and spontaneous reading time-  Every morning during/after breakfast and our daily devotional (nothing fancy since my kids are little... just the Proverb of the day and a short prayer time), we try to read a few books of choice around the table (unless the wheels are coming off for little lady #2 in which case we move it elsewhere).  It's a nice way to make it through breakfast in one piece as their mom (hehe) AND a way to encourage them to practice sitting at the table as a family for longer periods of time.  I also try to have structured reading around lunchtime.  The rest of the day we read whenever the girls bring me a book or if they choose to plop down and flip through pictures.

My big girl Noelle browsing through one of her favorites, the Mercy Watson series.

5. Let your kids see you reading- Of course I can't get completely lost in a book while chasing little people, but they see stacks of books on our nightstands, countertops etc.  Sometimes I will even pick up a book and join them when they are looking through books just so they see I value spending leisure time in that fashion.

6. Regularly discuss current reading material-  For example, I am currently reading Anne of Green Gables (again) to my girls.  At random times during the day I will ask little lady #1 about the storyline, or mention the book if we encounter something/someone in our day that reminds us of the story. I also use portions of the book to reinforce character training. This not only aids in reading comprehension, but I feel will help lay a foundation for critical literary analysis in the future.

7.  START EARLY!- I can't stress this enough! Don't wait to see if your child will just randomly start to show interest in books. Chances are it will never happen.  From the moment that little baby starts coming out of the newborn coma, start reading! Research has shown time and time again just how beneficial reading to children early can be!When both of my girls were small babies, I started with touch and feel books that had very little wording but lots of color and texture. They loved them!

8.  Be patient- If you are like me, you may be chomping at the bit to read some of your favorite classic books to your kids.  Although they are wonderful, most of them are lacking in illustrations which initially hold the attention and encourage the imagination of our kids.  You don't want them to lose interest because their little minds can't keep up with chapter books. So I suggest easing into them  and even using condensed versions like the one pictured below to get them started.  They can delve into all the exciting extra details when they're older!

9.  Visit libraries/book stores- Nothing can and will encourage a child to read like seeing other children their age enjoying reading for fun!  The cool thing about libraries and bookstores like Barnes and Noble is you can also participate in scheduled and structured story times with other families!

10.  Be flexible- There are days when 1 or both of my girls are just NOT in the mood to read(or me for that matter) AT ALL. There's also days when I read one sentence from the first page only for them to smack it out of my hand and go for another book.   That same scenario is usually repeated with the next book! That's OK. The worst thing we could do is force reading.  We will occasionally go a whole day (or even a couple) without reading and others they will want to read constantly!  Sometimes you just have to go with the flow!


Any other tried and true ways to encourage/foster a love for reading? Feel free to comment below!

Happy reading,

Bryt xo

When living your dream isn't what you always dreamt...

For as far back as my memory will take me, all I wanted to be more than anything else in the world was a mother.  I desired it with every fiber of my being. I imagined having tons of children whom I would joyfully raise at home in a big country house with a white picket fence.  I would think of meals that I wanted to make for my babies, what I wanted to name them, how I wanted them to dress, wether or not I wanted boys, girls or a bit of both.  I would just DREAM, dream and dream some more. The pictures of my motherhood drawn in the imagination of my little mind were bright and vivid, filled with color and oozing of blissful, idyllic living!

The inexplainable impact of sleep deprivation never occurred to me.  The gripping fear of the "what-ifs" and "how-comes" never crossed my mind.  The painful realization that, like me, my children are sinners in need of a Savior was unforeseen. The reality that even the most mild-mannered of people lose their temper from time time did not fit into the image of me lovingly and gently smiling over my  giggling children while I whipped up a batch of homemade brownies, dressed to a tee (#stepfordstatus). That wasn't part of the dream.  In fact, in all honesty, there are moments when I'm not sure if I'm living in a nightmare LOL!

Most of the time I DO smile lovingly over my kids, but not always.  I DO try to dress nice ("nice" of course is relative).  You better believe that I love to make brownies (albeit not always homemade). AND my kids don't always put their utter depravity on full display, for everyone in the middle of the grocery store to stare in complete shock (Thank God for His grace towards me:)).

My little ladies:)

But this dream that I am living is amazing.  It's real. It's raw. It's sanctifying. It's perfectly beautiful in the messiest of ways! Although its easy to grow tired, discouraged, unmotivated, complacent and frustrated with the daily, mundane grind of motherhood, all I have to do is look into the sweet and gentle brown eyes of my girls and I am reminded of one thing: I AM A MOTHER! I AM LIVING MY DREAM! Jesus has brought it to pass! HE IS FAITHFUL.  That TRUTH fuels me when I'm tired from a long night up with a teething baby. That TRUTH inspires me when I'm lacking in creativity when it comes to homemaking. That TRUTH grounds me with a providential perspective of salvation and sanctification when I'm dealing with a 3 year old who thinks she's 30, convinced that she doesn't need to obey.

Every aspect of motherhood may not be exactly what I planned, but I'm praising Jesus today that It's far better than I could have ever dreamed or imagined.

"God can do anything, you know- far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!" 

Ephesians 3:20

Oh, yes. Yes He can.

What do I REALLY need for a new baby?

A dear friend of mine just recently gave birth to one of the SWEETEST baby girls I have ever seen! She and I talked multiple times about preparing for the baby, what she would need for labor/delivery and the first several weeks, etc. It got me thinking about/reflecting on my own experience.

My little lady #1, Noelle Elizabeth Grace, the day she was born!

When I first discovered I was pregnant with little lady #1, I could hardly wait to start browsing the isles of every baby store and begin my baby registry.  So there we were, me and Mr. Wonderful, strolling blissfully into a well known baby department store, ready to take on the world with those fun little gun-like thingys. My initial excitement and confidence quickly dwindled when I was handed the registry packet. There were over 200 items. Yes. 200!!!!!! that we supposedly needed for this little person. All I could think was, "THIS is impossible! I don't even require 200 items to survive everyday!" (Now I know that a lot of items on the list were meant for several months postpartum, but I was trying to mentally prepare for the "here and now". What did I REALLY need just to get from point A to B?) Because I was a hormonal, overwhelmed basket case, I just started crying right in the middle of the store and chose to come back another day.  I spoke with other moms and finally mustered the courage to start really planning for what I needed for baby.  Although I managed to buy  way less than 200 items, I still discovered that a good percentage of the things I had accumulated I never  really got around to using.  It wasn't until the up and coming birth of my little lady #2 that I  narrowed down my list of newborn essentials.  I've compiled two separate lists  for what I'm calling your "Birthing Bag" (some of us give birth at the hospital, birthing center, or at home so I feel like this name, as opposed to Hospital bag, includes everyone) and your first several weeks  at home with baby!

My little lady #2, Vivienne Elizabeth Faith, the day she was born!

BIRTHING BAG

For Baby:

1. A few plain onesies/sleepers
2. A "coming home" outfit
3. Diapers
4. Wipes
5. A few swaddling blankets
6. 2-3 Hats
7. Unscented baby lotion
8. Burp cloths
9. Pacifier (be careful with nipple confusion)

For Mama:

1. Pads (for postpartum bleeding)
2. Loose comfy clothes (shirts, undies, sweat pants, maxi skirts, etc.)
3. Nursing pads
4. Your own (unscented) body soap and lotion
5. All other usual toiletries
6. Bottom numbing cream or spray  (the Earth Mama Angel line is the best in my opinion and you can find it here)

7. Regular pads that have been soaked in witch hazel and frozen (this will help reduce swelling and the coolness will help ease soreness

FIRST WEEKS AT HOME FOR BABY

1. Your breasts/bottles
2. Swaddling blankets
3. 0-3 month onesies and sleepers (I'm saying this because I thought my babies would wear all of their adorable, fancier newborn clothes and they literally stayed in onesies and sleepers except for an occasional picture lol)
4. Burp cloths
5. Diapers
6. Wipes
7. Diaper Cream
8. A wrap/sling/carrier of some kind.  You can find my personal favorite here.  This is seriously the BEST. WRAP. EVER.  A lot of wraps are very bulky and caused me and my babies to feel too warm, but this wrap is the PERFECT fabric. I seriously cannot stress enough how much having a wrap helps in the early weeks, especially if you are dealing with a colicky baby!
9. A place for them to sleep (crib, bassinet, or your bed)
10. A car seat
11. A bouncer, rocker or swing of some sort to lay them in when you need your hands free!
12. HOMEMADE FROZEN MEALS (I'll blog about this soon.  After sweet friends and family delivered meals for the first week or so, it was nice to open my freezer to even more pre-made dinners.  It takes some time and planning leading up to your due date but it is SO. WORTH. IT.)


Well hey I think that's way less than 200 and we even had some overlaps from the lists! I'm sure I left out a few things since I'm already over a year postpartum and suffer from major forgetfulness.

What do you think, mamas? Anything else to add?

Mommy Wars

A while back I read a book about motherhood that tackled the idea of principle vs. method when it comes to rearing adorable little people.  The more time that goes by as a mommy and the more time I spend around other mommies I finally understand the author's passion about the issue.  Any mommy knows that it takes a matter of seconds for a fun afternoon at the park or swim at the pool with other moms and babes to turn volatile.  All someone has to do is mention schedules, feeding, discipline, education, the word "organic", essential oils, birth experiences or any other popular mommy topic.  We mommies are SO passionate and steadfast in our mothering convictions that asking us to speak to our views on any of those topics is essentially handing us a microphone, turning it up to the highest volume, placing us on the top of a mountain and giving us free reign to practically preach like a good ole' southern baptist preacher. Think dripping sweat from our brow, growling and thundering voice, jumping up and down, piercing eyes...you get the picture.  Whenever these topics arise it is SO easy to try to prove to everyone in the group that our way is the RIGHT way.  Now granted, there are some things in life that are just proven to be better choices than others.  Some things are not as "gray" as some of us wish they were just as some things are not as "black and white" even if we feel that they are.  In essence, we tend to confuse principle with method.

Here's an example:

In regards to feeding babies/toddlers/children, making sure that they are fed is the PRINCIPLE.  Choosing to make this happen with a feeding schedule vs. on demand, organic vs. nonorganic, breastfed vs. bottle-fed, are all METHODS of applying the principle.  None of those options are WRONG. Yes, some of those options may be more beneficial, but it doesn't make the alternate choices WRONG.  The most important thing is that we are applying the PRINCIPLE.  Our babies need to eat and they need to do so regularly.

Mommies often wage war with each other over issues that at the end of the day are not the most important.  As christian mommas, we should always seek to hold each other to the PRINCIPLES of motherhood. So if we notice that our friend prefers homeschooling to public school, or an organic homemade cake to a Costco cake, feeding on demand rather than a schedule, or perhaps a Diet Coke to a Kombucha then we should think twice before we get up on our high horse and start getting critical.  It DOESN'T mean that we can't share our convictions on those matters and even try to persuade our friends to maybe try it our way, but we shouldn't have the posture of "I have it all figured out and am without fallibility."  

The importance of us as mothers being WISE with our application of principles in the methods we choose cannot be stressed enough.  As mommies, we should be informed. Ignorance is not an excuse.  If you choose to breastfeed over bottle-feed with formula, then have good reasons for doing so and vice versa.  If your trying to decide between homeschooling and public school, then do some research! Ask questions! Talk to other moms. Reflect on your own educational history.  Seek the LORD's will and then make an educated and prayerful choice.  Always weigh out the pros and cons of various methods and prayerfully make good decisions!

I know what it feels like to be strongly convicted about something and have good reasons for it.  But my personal methods are not LAW and I have to remind myself of that everyday. So I hope that we mommies can come alongside of each other and support one another in upholding principles, but will be gentle and cautious in our recommending of methods. xoxo