style
Do hard things
Be kind to everyone you meet. You never know who lost an argument with a 3-year-old today.
Jump on it —22-month-old
My kids are the reason I wake up. Really early. Every morning. Try this mama: go to sleep. We all make sure that our toddlers get enough rest every night, so why deprive ourselves of the gift of rest? The dishes, work projects and even favorite Netflix shows can wait. Discover the magic of going to bed early. (No, really. Try it.). XO, TeamMotherly P.S. Arianna Huffington's new venture, Thrive, features sleep apps, resting tips and products to help you feel more balanced throughout the day. We love her 'Goodnight Smartphone' spoof on 'Goodnight Moon.' Nightie night! . Toddler this week: Your little one loves testing gravity—and your limits—by jumping. He's also refining his motor skills. Try this: Leverage that jumping power to get his toddler energy out. Try a kids gym. Do the hokey pokey. Practice hopscotch.
Let’s go —23-month-old
Get it girl. How did this even happen: In a few short weeks, your baby will be a two-year-old! The good news: Two is so not terrible. (In fact, two is kind of adorable.) The honest truth: It is still a lot of work. Warm up those mama muscles. You're about to negotiate with someone just under three-feet-tall. XO, TeamMotherly P.S. The sweetest second birthday invitations are at Minted. Toddler this week: Around now, your little one starts speaking in short sentences like, "Mama go." Try this: Repeat your toddler's sentences back to her to develop her conversation skills, "You want mama to go downstairs now? Okay baby, nightie night!"
Having another? —23-month-old
Say yes to new adventures. Just asking: Are you thinking about having another baby someday? Or are you D-O-N-E? (Whatever you're thinking is awesome, we're just curious!) Motherly offers expert tips for you when you are trying to conceive. (You can update your profile to "trying to get pregnant" at any time.) No pressure, just baby vibes. XO, TeamMotherly P.S. How one of Motherly's mama wrestles with being "done."❤️. Toddler this week: Your child's attention span is quite short—and this is perfectly normal. Try this: Follow your child's interest and engage with items that she is paying attention to—a good recipe for your relationship as your child grows up, too!
She’s got it ☑️—23-month-old
Messy bun + getting it done. You might be wearing yoga pants. You might be rocking a mom bun. You might be fueled by coffee and love. But you're definitely making this mom life look so good. XO, TeamMotherly P.S. Your new favorite loungewear. Toddler this week: Child has strong feelings and temper tantrums, including her new favorite word, "NO!" Try this: Now's the time to start reading up on parenting and discipline strategies to turn power struggles into cooperation. You've got this.
This is us —23-month-old
Home is where the wifi connects automatically. So—this is us now. Date nights on the couch. Saturday morning wake ups at 7 am. Mommy + me music class. Life after kids sure looks different. And we wouldn't have it any other way. XO, TeamMotherly P.S. This is Us, Catastrophe, Parenthood + Modern Family are some of our all-time-favorite shows about life as parents. What do you love to watch to laugh about this #momlife? Toddler this week: Your child is starting to develop some self-control. Try this: Set reasonable expectations of what your toddler can handle, but keep her to it! Heap praise on her for the good decisions she's made!
End of an era —23-month-old
Celebrate good times. You did it. Another year into the baby books. From your wobbly little walker to your confident toddler, baby + mama grew up so much this year. We're celebrating alongside you and your family. Get your party hats ready, it's almost time to celebrate! XO, TeamMotherlyP.S. Toddler this week: Your little one is trusting of adults and enjoys being in their company. Try this: Celebrate two! Marking milestones and creating family traditions makes memories that last a lifetime.
Happy birthday, baby —2-years-old!
Happy birthday! Don't let anyone tell you that two-year-olds are terrible. They are funny, sweet, curious and kind. (Yes, they are handful, but you've got this.) A wonderful new year awaits. Happy birthday to your sweet little one. XO, TeamMotherly P.S. Take time to celebrate what YOU did two years ago. This is all possible because of you, mama. (You're our hero.) And if you're looking for a party dress to celebrate the occasion, check out Rent the Runway's daytime collection. Because girl, you've still got it.Toddler this week: Your baby turns two! Try this: Take her in for her two-year checkup. Make sure her immunizations are up to date, and that she's meeting milestones.
The ride of your life —16-month-old
Just ride this wave. You can't fight it. Motherhood is a wild ride. But if you find a way to ride the waves (the tantrums, the work-life stress, the squeezed-in, we-are-tired-but-let's-do-this-sex) as they come, you just might find that you're really rolling with it. Just ride this wave, mama, one day at a time. XO, TeamMotherlyP.S. Keep date night sexy with our favorite simple tips. And our fave lingerie to spice it up for new mamas. You've got this. Toddler this week: At this stage, your toddler loves nothing more than feeling like a big boy with a ride-on toy. Try this: Indulge her with a Push + Ride racer and watch that toothy grin magically appear!
Get up + get it —17-month-old
Set a goal that makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning. Gonna be honest—the only thing that really gets us out of bed in the morning is the automatic coffee maker. ☕️ But maybe you've got bigger goals than getting to the espresso machine. Maybe you're dreaming of starting your own business. Maybe you're trying to spend less and save more. Maybe you're ready to take time off and start a new chapter as a stay-at-home mom. Whatever is getting you motivated, mama, go all the way.XO, TeamMotherlyP.S. Toddler this week: Your super-curious tot is all hands. All the time. Try this: Try handing your toddler edible "paints"—mixed yogurts and pureed foods + a paint brush. There's only so much damage she can do in her high chair—or the tub, and she'll have the time of her life painting away.
On my own —17-month-old
Own it, mama. One of the gifts of motherhood: You learn to care so much less about what other people think. In fact, you discover that the way you mother is often different (but not better or worse) than the way others do. If extended breastfeeding/cosleeping/homeschooling work for you, YAY. If you prefer formula feeds, crib rest and enrolling that cutie in daycare, AWESOME. Motherhood is hard enough, so we're all done with the judgment. Buh-bye to all that. XO, TeamMotherlyP.S. We are definitely not judging if you reward yourself for some awesome Momming with a special delivery from Goldbelly—which ships America's most legendary and iconic foods straight to your house. Send us a Joe's Pizza? Toddler this week: At 17 months, your child points to communicate all sorts of messages to you. Try this: Read up on why pointing is such a profound achievement for your tot—and what your child is trying to say. Aww, he's so smart!
Who’s in charge around here? —17-month-old
Mom like a boss. You are already an amazing mother. You love, you sacrifice, you work, you dream, you try, you fail—and then you get right back up and love on that little one again. This week, we hope you mom like the boss that you already are. You've got this. XO, TeamMotherly Toddler this week: Your sweet little thing might start to have temper tantrums. Try this: Empathize, no matter how ridiculous it seems. "I know honey, you really wanted to put spaghetti on your head." You can also name her emotions—which helps her understand them and (over time) moderate them.
Was that so hard? —17-month-old
Work hard. Mom hard. In motherhood, the easy things can be hard. Getting out the door? That's an adventure. Eating out with your toddler? Maybe next year. Saving money, but still watching your bank account balance go down? The struggle is real. But the struggle is also where you find your strength.XO, TeamMotherly P.S. Our favorite toddler sippy cups here, because that's one less mess you need to clean. Toddler this week: At this stage, your little one knows how to identify basic household objects and how to use them. Try this: Hand baby the hair brush and let her brush those beautiful locks.
The overwhelm is real —18-month-old
Embrace the chaos. One of the most common feelings we experience as moms is overwhelm. It seems no matter how hard we try, we're always behind on work, laundry and showers—not to mention date night. But we really believe that it's when we're feeling the most stressed that it's time to step back and give ourselves a break. So call in the reinforcements and give yourself a real day (or night, or hour) off. You'll come back to mom life refreshed and ready for another round. XO, TeamMotherly P.S. Expectful's momlife meditations bring the calm into your home. Try out their science-backed meditations here. Toddler this week: Starts playing pretend! Try this: Your little one will love playing 'mommy' and 'daddy' to a doll of their very own. We love these boy dolls and bought them for our sons. Little Daddy is the cutest game.
Life in color —18-month-old
Live colorfully. If you embrace it, this momlife can be a beautiful adventure. Do you ever just sit and marvel at how fun, miraculous and (at times) mind-blowing it all is? In the midst of the grind, we hope you take time to count those little fingers and toes, and thank the universe for the gift of your child. We do. XO, TeamMotherly P.S. Our toddlers love arts + crafts time at their Melissa & Doug's Standing Easel. Add a smock and drop cloth to make clean-up a breeze! Toddler this week: Good times ahead, as your toddler can follow 1-step verbal commands, for example, he stops when you say "Stop painting the walls !" (He can follow commands, but we can't promise he always will.) Try this: Try not to bark too many orders, instead focus on essential commands, especially ones around safety.
Motherly powers —18-month-old
I'm not a superhero—but I am a mom. So close enough. Motherhood gives you supersonic hearing. Motherly intuition. A sixth sense. Superhuman strength. So may you soar this week like the superhero that you are. XO, TeamMotherly P.S. Even superheroes need to take a break from time to time. Massage Envy's monthly massage plan gives you an amazing deal on a rub down every 30 days—easily the most relaxing hour all month. We're big fans. Toddler this week: Your baby can now easily eat with a spoon—but your supervision is still essential. Try this: Let baby self-feed, but stock up on Ikea's bib shirts.
Ch-ch-ch-changes —18-month-old
I'm not afraid of change. I'm afraid of staying the same. As soon as you get used to each stage in this momlife, something changes. Whether we're talking teething, naptimes, meals or milestones, it all transforms so quickly. Motherhood keeps you on your toes. The good news? You're becoming quite the skilled quick-change artist. XO, TeamMotherly P.S. The Dazzle SmarTrike 5-in-1 ride morphs from a reclining stroller to traditional stroller to guided trike, training trike, and finally a classic tricycle. POOF: Magic. ✨. Toddler this week: Can identify several body parts. Try this: Point out all of your little ones' parts by singing 'head, shoulders knees and toes.'
Motherhood, simplified ☕️ —19-month-old
Coffee is my star sign. Toddlers are adorable. And exhausting. That's why we've embraced the simple things: a good cup of coffee, a folded pile of laundry, a perfect pair of pants we rock every single day. Because in motherhood, less can be so much more. XO, TeamMotherly P.S. Getting rid of stuff can SAVE motherhood. Toddler this week: 'Sharing' is not in the vocabulary of most 19-month-olds. Try this: Encourage 'taking turns'
The runaround —19-month-old
Children are my cardio. Who needs the gym when you have a tiny tornado living in your house? Between cleaning up after meals, lugging loads of laundry, bending down to kiss little boo boos and running after your little one, you're already getting a work out in every single day. Build those mama muscles, lady. XO, TeamMotherly P.S. Burn off some of that toddler energy with a Gymnic Rody Horse with Rocking Base Ride On. Rody is the perfect way to harness that energy in a fun and safe way. Toddler this week: Your little one may reject the stroller (not to mention the car seat). Try this: Let your tot walk more places, and embrace choice when getting her into the carseat. "Should I put your left arm or right arm in first?" "Do you want to climb in?" Cooperation, FTW!