Category Archives: Blogs

2014 – A Year In Review

Posted on January 8 by Jillian416 • 2 Comments

Who doesn’t love looking back at the last year? It reminds you of what you’ve done, where you’ve come from and reminds you of projects / ideas you had and still need work. So, with that being said – here is Baby Doodah’s Year in Review!

Right off the bat, I think my favorite post was An Open Letter to the Woman in the Car Next to Mine. Simply because it was some of my best writing on this blog, to date. I am proud of what I wrote in that post and I hope that it helps others understand the true struggle that Binge Eating Disorder creates.

Does anyone else have two sets of resolutions? I have my business / professional goals and intentions and then I have my mom resolutons.

In 2014 I decided that I would come clean to the world that I suffer with Binge Eating Disorder. These were some of my most popular posts last year. I truly believe that is because people may relate in some form or another, my hope is that they find strength in my struggles and admission to those struggles.

I have Binge Eating Disorder
What it’s like on a daily basis, struggling with Binge Eating Disorder
What Someone with Binge Eating Disorder Really Looks Like
Coping with Binge Eating Disorder & the Loneliness of Having the Disorder
Why I Decided to Be Bold and Come Clean About my Binge Eating Struggles
Enough with the Lies Regarding Food Consumption
How I’m Working to Say NO to the Binge

In 2014 I took a much different stance on the holidays – I decided that I wouldn’t focus on the food only being around for one day and gorge myself. I decided to eat as if it were any other meal (and having a plan worked)!! Celebrate the Holidays, Not the Food.

Since I know all too well what it is like to suffer with Binge Eating Disorder or Emotional Eating, I wrote a post sharing signs that show you’re eating your emotions. My hope is that this post will help someone else recognize and overcome their struggle.

I loved this post! I do believe that the reward system can be very motivating to many people. It was for me!

We moved in 2014 (and will likely be moving again in 2015). I took some time to write some tips and tricks to move with a toddler.

Preparing Your Toddler for a Move
Packing to Move with a Toddler
Lessons Learned from Moving with a Toddler

I live in NY so our Winters can get pretty hairy, and driving in the snow is no easy feat! I decided to take some time to write out tips for Winter driving for parents.

My husband makes the best guacamole – I’d bet on it!! I was such a good and kind blogger and shared his AMAZING and (easy) recipe.

I guess I should really just say that my husband is an amazing cook! Here’s his (borrowed from his mom) meatloaf recipe– again it is so amazing!

Obviously I think having a boy rocks! And, of course I had to write about it! Why I think having a little boy rocks!

Do you use apps with your toddler? We only use specific ones, that have some sort of educational value. There particular apps were my favorite.

Need tips or motivation for making a meal plan? I wrote a post sharing my BEST tips for meal planning success.

And finally, the elusive potty training habit. 🙂 We haven’t gotten there, quite yet, but I believe Emmett is getting closer. Here’s what to look for to know when your child’s ready for potty training.

We are always looking for bigger better ways at managing our time, I started my slow dive into becoming a master of time management with this post.

The first few months of 2014 were some pretty tired ones for this house! We dealt with some serious toddler sleep regression.

Those were my top posts for all of 2014. It was really fun to go through my archives and see everything I had written. Because, believe it or not, it’s easy to forget everything – especially when your life is so busy. 🙂

Your turn!

Do you have a favorite post from the past year? I would love for you to share it in the comments below!

Filed Under: All About Me, Blogs, Family, Food & Recipes

Blogs I Read – Mommy Blogs

Posted on September 22 by Jillian416 • 2 Comments

I don’t know about anyone else, but I am constantly on the lookout for new, quality blogs to read. AND since word of mouth is the best way to share great blogs, I thought I’d dedicate this post entirely to some of my favorite Mommy Blogs. Enjoy!

My Favorite Mommy Blogs

A Healthy Slice of Life – I think my favorite thing about Brittany and A Healthy Slice of life is her Munchkin Meals link-up. Every first Thursday of the month she shares what her daughter is eating and provides a link-up for other mommies to share what they’re feeding their children. She also shares so much about her daughter, meal prep, the foods she eats and the different products she likes.

Ain’t No Mom Jeans – One of my absolute favorites! Shana shares great fashion finds for the momma. Clothes that are flattering to the leftover baby pooch, bras for saggy boobs and so much more. Shana was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and is currently undergoing chemo. Stop in, read her blog and wish her well. She is an inspiration!

BuyModernBaby.com – A great site for all the new modern finds for babies and kids. Some of the room designs they feature, are items I’d love to buy and decorate my next child’s room with. They’re so beautiful!

Fitness Cheerleader – Janice’s blog is a new find to me, but I’m thrilled that I found it. She’s a working mom with three little girls who also manages to workout and stay in great shape. This blog is highly motivational for me because I’m always struggling with balancing work, exercise, being a wife and being a mom.

Healthy Tipping Point – A favorite and an old standby. I love Caitlin’s blog, always have, always will! She is currently training for a half Iron Man and seeing how much she works out and continues to be a great mom is so SO inspirational.

Kath Eats Real Food – Kath’s blog has so much food inspiration. She shares all the foods she feeds her family and since she is a Registered Dietitian everything is very healthy AND it looks so delicious.

The Alpha Parent – If you’re considering breastfeeding, bookmark this blog! It is pro-breastfeeding, and helps you believe in yourself and your ability as a mother to nurse your baby. There are weekly stories called Triumphant Tuesdays, where mothers share their birth stories and how outside forces tried to thwart their efforts to breastfeed. Reading this blog helped me to understand there is NO excuse not to breastfeed. Check it out!

The Art of Making a Baby – Another standby for me! I’ve been reading this blog since just after Emmett was born. Elena’s photos are stunning (and her daughter is so flippin’ adorable), her articles are always full of great information for new and old moms.

This Little Chickpea – A new find I found while reading A Healthy Slice of Life’s Munchkin Meals link-up. She’s also a working mom, with two kids and manages to keep things healthy in her house. There’s some great motivation to be found here!

There you have it, my current favorite Mommy Blogs.

Your turn!

What mommy blogs do you read that I haven’t mentioned?

Filed Under: Blogs

Skinny Mom

Posted on June 10 by Jillian416 • 3 Comments

Readers! I have some very exciting news to share with you…

My Skinny Mom profile pic

I have been chosen to be a Resident Mom on the website, skinnymom.com. I am so honored and excited!! If you click on this link, Skinny Mom Resident Bloggers and scroll down to the “J’s,” you’ll see my lovely face and my bio, along with any articles I’ve written that have been published.

Skinny Mom is a website where moms can go to get the “Skinny” on “fitness, food, fashion and family.” I will be writing about all sorts of different things for them and I’m thrilled to be a part of their site.

So far two articles of mine have been published, “Limiting Screen Time in a Connected World” and “Take Advantage of the Extra Day Light with Post-Work Workouts,” lots more to come.

Please check out my articles and then bookmark the Skinny Mom website. There is an endless amount of information on the site! One of my favorite features, is the monthly dinner meal plans I get directly in my email box. The meals are delicious and definitely family friendly.

Thanks for all of your support!

Filed Under: All About Me, Blogs

Plate Share

Posted on January 27 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

Hi blog readers!!

I normally don’t ask much of you but today I’m asking that you help spread the word about an amazing idea an potentially amazing program. It’s called Plate Share the idea was created by Katie of Sweet Tater Blog. You can read all the details here.

[source]

The basic premise is this, “Plate share is a social food photo-sharing smart phone application that empowers each and every one of us to make charitable giving second nature by rounding your restaurant bill to the nearest dollar and donating the change to feed the hungry.” (Please read all the details on Katie’s blog)

Here’s how you can help!

If you believe in the Plate Share concept and want to see it come to life, here’s what you can do to draw attention:

Twitter

Follow @plateshare on Twitter
When you dine out, take a picture of your plate and tweet: “Hey @startupwkndCLT, this plate could help #endhunger. Support @sweettaterblog & the @plateshare project so I can donate $x.xx!” [Fill in the x’s with the amount of change it would take to round your bill to the nearest dollar.]
When you buy groceries, take a picture of your receipt and tweet: “Hey @startupwkndCLT, my groceries could help #endhunger. Support @sweettaterblog & the @plateshare project so I can donate $x.xx!” [Fill in the x’s with the amount of change it would take to round your bill to the nearest dollar.]
Tweet: “I believe in the @plateshare project. Support @sweettaterblog at @startupwkndCLT to help #endhunger”
Tweet: “Give change, make change. Support @sweettaterblog and the @plateshare project at @startupwkndCLT to help #endhunger”
Share the “Give Change, Make Change” photo below

Instagram

When you dine out, take a picture of your plate and add the caption: “Hey #startupwkndCLT, this plate could help #endhunger. Support @sweettaterblog & the @plateshare project so I can donate $x.xx! #plateshare” [Fill in the x’s with the amount of change it would take to round your bill to the nearest dollar.]
Share the “Give Change, Make Change” photo below