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Fun and memorable way to celebrate your Girl Scouts’ achievements!

Whether you have a Daisy Scout and are in the process of earning petals or are working on a different badge or journey patch, grab these certificates to celebrate their hard work and dedication.

In the first year of Girl Scouts, you are likely working towards earning the Daisy flower badges. There are 11 total possible badges for the Daisy in your life – 1 promise center and 10 petals – each representing a core value of the Girl Scouts.

Make your life easier by downloading and printing these Daisy Petal Certificates to award your Daisy Scout. Don’t forget to use this Daisy Petal Tracker to keep yourself organized!

If you are working towards a different badge, say the World Thinking Day Patch or the Buddy Camper Badge, these fully customizable certificates are perfect for celebrating these accomplishments! They are entirely customizable in a few easy steps and reusable for all the different types of badges, patches, and journeys your girl achieves.

Chinese New Year falls on February 10th this year and 2024 is the year of the Dragon. Traditionally, adults hand out red envelopes with money inside them to children, family members, friends, and even coworkers to wish them luck, health, and abundance.

The amount you place inside the red envelope can vary depending on closeness of the relationship, but generally vary from $5-$100, ($5 for acquaintances, $10 for friends, $20+ for your own children, and $100+ for close elders).

Unfortunately (not really because it’s still money) the envelopes you usually find in stores and markets are pretty plain and very traditional. Hence I decided to design some that were a little cuter and more to my style to hand out this year.

Download and print these with the pdf file. Assembly requires some cutting and gluing, and takes less than a couple of minutes to do! I recommend using card stock paper for a more sturdy envelope. Each one prints on a US Letter sized sheet, and the final product fits US Dollars perfectly!

Start off the new year right by wishing others well with these red envelopes!

The cutest way to stay organized with your Daisies!

Download and print the Daisy Petal Chart and Tracker to easily keep track of which petals have been earned and given for each girl.

When you have a troop of 15+ girls, it can get awfully confusing and overwhelming to remember which girl earned what petals. And, with absences and/or changes in volunteers, it can be even harder to track whether those petals were handed out at the meetings.

Make your life easier by getting this Daisy Petal Chart and Tracker place it into your leader binder so you can focus on the more important parts, the girls and their experiences!

Also, recommend using a zipper pencil pouch or hard pencil case to hold all the petal badges, and these fun Daisy Petal Certificates to give to each girl for a memorable experience. You can present these during a meeting or ceremony, or hand them out to parents to honor their dedication and hard work.

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a place where newborns are taken to when they are in need of medical care. Some babies need life saving efforts, such as breathing support, others only need precautionary monitoring of sugar levels before going home in a few days.

Here, many doctors (neonatologists), nurses, and therapists work hand in hand to provide specialized care to these newborns.

 

A lot goes on in the walls of the NICU, and many different stories happen each day, some short, some long, but all are traumatic.

My daughter spent 148 days in the NICU after being born 3.5 months early. Here are the things that I wish someone told me.

You are about to experience some of the most unnatural motherly things (eg not being able to hold your baby when you want, not being able to feed your baby how you planned, etc).You will have to be OK with not having any control. It’s scary but the more you fight it, the harder it will be.

There are a lot of wires and tubes connected to your baby, and they are all connected to a machine that will beep A LOT. You are about to learn so many medical terms and you will have lots of questions. Bring a journal to not only write down your baby’s daily progress, but to write down questions that come to you throughout the day.

• You will be the most scared you will ever be and fear if your baby will live. Take it one

  day 

  hour at a time. Try to not focus on the unforeseen future.

You are going to see a lot of different things, babies with deformities, babies with their organs outside of their body, babies only weighing 1 pound, and even babies dying. This is going to be traumatic, whether it is your baby or not.

You are not going to like all of your nurses and you will have to advocate for your baby to have the best care. Find ones you do like and jive well with, and ask them to be one of your primary nurses. You will feel more at ease leaving your baby with them.

You are going to have to make very tough decisions. Some related to blood transfusions, surgeries, and what to give for nutrition. Ask questions, do your research, and trust yourself. Also know, whatever choice you decide, you made it with the best intentions and the knowledge you had at the moment.

You are going to feel extremely alone and isolated, even if you have a partner and/or family nearby. But, please please know, you are not. 1 out of 10 babies are born premature, this number jumps higher when you factor in other medical conditions that require NICU care.

You are going to feel anger and guilt at the world, and at yourself. This is a natural response. Acknowledge your emotions, and honor them.

You will have days where you don’t know if you can keep going. Remember it is OK to not be OK. Find ways to engage in self care here. Whether that’s taking a hot bath, going for a run, watching a movie, just do it.

You will lose all sense of time and feel helpless a lot. When you experience trauma, your mind and body react as if in survival mode, time isn’t important anymore. This is also a typical response to an untypical event.

Your relationship with the baby’s father is going to hit some hard times. Both of you are going through a lot. Allow yourselves space to do this, but also realize that you both could be a big asset to one another.

You are going to wonder how you will financially survive. And it will be a struggle to find the right choice for your family. Seek out resources with the hospital social worker. There may be medical programs your baby could qualify for that could lighten the financial burden.

You are going to question what you could have done differently so this never happened. Again, a very normal reaction. Our brains are wired to find the WHY. When we don’t have one, we look for anything that can explain it, usually that’s US. Know that this does not equate to actuality, but a grieving process.

You will feel defeated because your baby will make a step forward, and then take two steps back. And, it will happen in almost every aspect of their journey. Take a breath, take many. The NICU journey is a test of many things, patience, courage, endurance. Never is it a test of your worth. Don’t beat yourself up and don’t second guess your experience.

 

One thing is for certain, the NICU is filled with uncertainties. I will not say that it is a blessing, even though having access to this level of medical care is, but because sometimes stories do not end “happily”.

However, I will say this, whether you get to take your baby home or not, you are changed… forever. You witness the strength and courage of your little baby fighting to be here, and are overcome by this inexplicable love. Your heart is never the same. You develop this newfound appreciation for the little things in life and never, ever, take things for granted. Your precious baby did that–and that is what I take away from my 148-day NICU stint.

As a mom, your life gets busy. Whether you work outside of the home, inside of the home, or both, you are constantly juggling multiple things at once–your house duties, baby duties, work duties…some days it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day. At least, it does for me.

I am a work-at-home-mom (WAHM). I mostly stay at home with my girl (something I am very blessed to be able to do), but I also run a counseling program for a non-profit, teach psychology to college students, practice counseling, and blog. It can be a lot, but I LOVE all of it. And I wouldn’t change anything about it. So, anything to make my life easier is something I am willing to explore.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and love, or think my readers will find useful. View full disclaimer.

Here are 13 things that has made my life easier that I think some of you could also benefit from:

1. HEADPHONE ORGANIZER I can’t tell you how many times I have fumbled with my headphones trying to untangle them to answer a call or listen to some music. This inexpensive headphone organizer does the trick and comes in cute colors!
   
   
2. REVLON HAIR BRUSH DRYER When I first saw another mom rave about this, I was skeptical and thought it was gimmicky. But boy am I glad I was wrong. This thing is life changing! I can dry and style my hair in one go, and my hair looks so quaff within 10 mins!
   
   
3. LEGGINGS WITH POCKETS Do I need to say more? Every mom has a pair or two, or six of these and the pockets make running around easy. You can put your phone, card, and keys in them, so your hands are free to wrangle, I mean hold your child.
   
4. STARBUCKS READY BREW COFFEE I don’t know about you, but hot coffee seems like a unicorn these days. This actually tastes like the drinks from Starbucks and you can have it hot or cold!
5. NOT YOUR MOTHER’S DRY SHAMPOO So, I naturally have oily hair, and need to wash every day or every other day. But who has time for this?? NOT ME. Even with the revlon hair brush dryer, I am not one to want to style every single day. Now I can go 2-3 days and LOOK put together. Just don’t touch it.
6. GYMBOSS TIMER I wholeheartedly believe that working out should be prioritized. Now, I am not perfect and there are days where I don’t but those are usually when I am sick or physically unable to. I am also not one to go to the gym and work out for an hour either. I like short, intense workouts that will give me that good-feeling afterwards. This timer makes it possible for me to do this from the comforts of my own home. I usually do 50 seconds exercise, 10 seconds rest for a total of 12-15 minutes each morning. 
   
   
7. BULLET JOURNAL (BUJO) I need a way to organize my life, and my bujo lets me do just that. I use a blank dotted journal (like this one) and create my monthly and weekly spreads, the flexibility allows me to create what suits my life at the moment. It isn’t for everyone but it works for me because I can make lists, draw out plans, record important things anywhere without having multiple notebooks and planners to tote around. 
8. BLOCK SCHEDULER On top of my bujo, I find using block scheduling a necessity when it comes to organizing my time life so that I can get my tasks done. I first learned about block scheduling when I was in grad school and it was a life saver. You essentially block off time slots for specific tasks, like house chores, meal planning, work stuff, anything you can imagine. but I even use it to visualize my entire day, like when I have me time, when I can do house things, when I spend undivided baby time. Of course, my days don’t always follow this strict timeline but having a guide definitely helps me to keep on track on what is important to me.
9. OIL DIFFUSER Now I won’t get all earthy crunchy here but I do use an oil diffuser to help me have a better night’s rest. I diffuse lavender as I lay down for bed and I have noticed my sleep is of better quality. I have actually been able to sleep less but better, giving me more time to get stuff done.
   
   
10. SILICONE RING This may sound minuscule but wearing this instead of my wedding ring has made things bit easier. I used to get my ring caught on stuff and worried about it getting too dirty cleaning or doing projects, so I would constantly take it off and put it back on, which I almost lost one day in a parking lot! Plus, these rings are cheap and come it cute colors/designs. Both my husband and I rock these, and we love them.
11. POP SOCKET Now I know what you are thinking, we aren’t 16! But let me tell you how much it has made a difference. I use my phone a good bit, for work, for entertainment, for socializing (I FaceTime and Skype A LOT to stay in touch with people), for shopping (ahem) Amazon, and it makes holding my phone so much easier. No more weird indentation on my pinky!
12. GROCERY PICK UP This isn’t technically a “thing”, but more of a service. A direly needed service. I shop at Harris Teeter and love that I can do that from my phone and pick it up curbside. I would also mention delivery services but I use it VERY sparingly as they mark up items to compensate for the fees.
13. GOOD WATER BOTTLE I can’t stress how important it is to drink plenty of water. But sometimes you just don’t have time or you forget while doing a million things. I find having a highly accessible yet portable water bottle to be key. You don’t worry about it spilling and it requires minimal effort! I like ones with straws because I don’t have to “open” anything, but they aren’t entirely spill proof. If y’all have any suggestions on water bottles, I would love to know!

 

I would love to hear what you must-haves are. Leave a comment below! 

xx, Mary

I know what you are thinking…she doesn’t like to be a mom?!? (GASP) How not? Or…like most of us, you are thinking… FINALLY, SOMEONE ADMITS IT.

Being a mom is tough. It is the one “job” where you are not given any directions and yet are pressured to be phenomenal at it, all of the time. Of course, it isn’t always explicitly stated so, but the message is there.

I have been a mom for almost 20 months, and though it may not be anywhere as long as many of you, I wanted to share my experience and validate that sometimes being a mom isn’t rainbows and butterflies..

I don’t like being a mom because…

• I am winging it 20/7 of the time and the pressure to perform makes me sweat… and I don’t like to sweat
• I love to sleep and I don’t get to do that as much as I would like anymore
• I eat so fast that I don’t even taste my food so in turn I shove a lot more in a shorter amount of time on an infrequent basis which…see below
• My body is no longer mine. There are rolls in places I didn’t know could exist and bumps in places that I don’t want to list (hey, that just rhymed 😉 )
• I do everything in this hurried fashion because there is always a pair of arms tugging on me or this high pitch pterodactyl squeal coming at me in the most inopportune times
• I’ve lost my cool more times than I’d like to admit… I’ve yelled in frustration and have had to take A LOT of breaks and then sat on my kitchen floor crying. Yeah…not the glorious side of parenting.
• I get so worked up sometimes about doing “what’s right” and it gives me such anxiety
• We live in a world where we have to be vigilant of abductors and hurting another is commonplace, and it terrifies me to think of losing her
• Even when I am “alone” I am not away from the many tabs open in my mind
• I am plain old tired

Maybe this is just adulthood, magnified. Definitely magnified. Having to put another’s wellbeing before yours is the epitome of adulthood, except that as a mom, that person is no longer your significant other, friend, even your job….it’s now your own flesh and blood, one that you are solely responsible for to keep safe, healthy, and thriving.

So yes–I don’t like being a mom…but the truth is I love being a mom because…

I get a rush in being present with my daughter, living and learning as we go. I get to do something new each day and that’s freakin’ exhilarating.

I have learned to prioritize my health better so although I sleep less, I sleep well and have more time during daylight, I even make a point to exercise every morning to start my day

And as I lay down to go to sleep, I get this excitement to see my girl’s face in the morning. Like, I miss her even after spending many minutes begging getting her to sleep

Even though I don’t get to eat like I used to (all leisurely and crap), I do enjoy the times I get to even more.

She is the only one who knows how my heart sounds from inside, and how her body melts into mine when I hold her–like puzzle pieces coming together…that is priceless

When she raises her arms towards me, and I am so consumed with the fifteen tasks in front of me, I am blissfully reminded of her love for me and it is so beautiful

I often find that I am pushed to my limits, mainly my patience (if you know what I mean, of course you do), and each day I cherish how much I grow because of her

I love the force of being a mama-bear, it is this fire within me that makes me beam with pride. I wear my mama-bear crown high.

I believe wholeheartedly that she will make (has made) a difference in this world and I get a hand in that–that’s pretty amazing.

No matter how busy life gets and how tired I feel, I realize that after it is all said and done, I have been blessed with this gift. Not only is she a gift to me, what I am to her is also a gift. Who I am, who I strive to be for her, is nothing short of a gift.

You know, before her, I was never one to love children…in fact, I was bewildered how some people could get so giddy about children. But, now I know. Once you experience firsthand how amazing it is to see this little human being grow and learn right before your eyes, it changes you.

I get to witness a true miracle. She came into this world at 1lb 10oz and fought so hard to be here, and never ceases to amaze me with her resilience, strength, and courage. Getting to see how much she learns and grows every single day is nothing short of a blessing, and it literally makes my heart melt each time.

The sweet innocence in her eyes, and the silliness she brings into my day gives me so much joy that makes it ALL worth it. So when, I am in one of my ‘I dislike this mom stuff’ (which is totally OK), I remind myself that this exhaustion from the early years is a season of life for us, one that will drift and I will miss her arms coming towards me one day. So, I vow to stay as present as possible, be my best self for us, to be grateful, and cherish these sweet moments. Because this is the hardest job I will ever love.