A good number of us spent our youth playing with Barbies. Making them get married and have babies. They lived in their colossal Barbie Dream Houses, drove around their expensive Corvettes, and Barbie stayed home with the kids all while wearing her pearl earrings, with perfect hair, and perkier than ever boobs. Ken was rockin’ six pack abs and always brought home the bacon, all while maintaining their seamless landscaping. To say that Barbie didn’t prepare us for real life would be the understatement of the century.
Where is my mansion?
Why isn’t my hair perfect every day?
Where is my endless wardrobe?
Why is Barbie so unconcerned about her finances?
Why does my yard look like it’s straight out of Jumanji?
Barbie influenced us to believe that life was going to be the same for everyone. That we would all grow up to get married, have babies, and live the “American Dream.” Looking back, I wish someone had burned all of my Barbies and said “this isn’t real life.” Not only are many millennials not following Barbie’s lead, but we’re also coming to the realization that Barbie was a huge liar.
I am a millennial and in all reality, I followed the typical trajectory for a young twenty-something. I finished up my bachelor’s degree, got married a few months later, traveled a bit, bought a house in the city, and had a baby. I am the cliché of life. And while there might be some Freudian-subconscious-Barbie-impression shit going on somewhere deep in the darkest pits of my brain, this life is truly what I wanted, which is totally not to say that I don’t dream of what other versions of me I could have been at times. Could I have gone rogue and lived in South Africa or been a journalist for a prime time station or been a tattoo artist and shaved half of my head and had sweet ink up and down both arms? Definitely the latter. And, a tattoo sleeve could still totally happen sometime in between mom groups and my white collar job.
But what Barbie didn’t prepare me for is the emotion that comes with changing who you are when you become a mother. Barbie convinced me that nothing changed. She didn’t teach me that my “mansion” (aka- century home that needs work) would collect dust. That my new tiny human would actually spend most of his first year not sleeping and spitting up on me. And that Ken would also be exhausted and that the Corvette would probably be more like an unwashed SUV with maximum storage for a stroller and baby necessities. Worst yet? Barbie had no less than 30 pairs of heels. Where are my designers shoes? These days, I care so little about heels that I spend most days in a nice pair of Dr. Scholl’s flats. Attractive, I know.
Barbie didn’t have postpartum hair loss. She didn’t have stretch marks or bags under her eyes from staying up all night. She was peppy and most certainly never wore yoga pants. She didn’t have an identity crisis when trying to figure out how to balance being a working mom. And she definitely never seemed phased by the criticisms that are christened upon us as soon as our tiny humans are born. Her bank account was endless and she never worried about paying for diapers, organic baby food, and tuition to preschool. Barbie’s house wasn’t littered with entirely too many toys. She and Ken somehow still enjoyed romantic vacations next to their Malibu pools and didn’t think twice about hiring a random babysitter to watch their kids.
So here, in my late-twenties, I have serious misgivings about the impression that Barbie left upon me. And what I want moms to know is that it’s okay to be a hot mess. If this is the life you dreamed of, but you still don’t have it together day-to-day, welcome to the club. If you do have it together, please leave a detailed report in the comments so that the rest of us can figure life out. What I’ve learned in my year and a half of parenting is that you can be totally happy and also totally unprepared for life all at the same time.
And to Malibu Barbie, we say Bye Felicia.
– Katie
project just the time, the images and the time or just the images, so there’s options for everyone. They operate on an AC adaptor, which is included, or can be cordless with 3 C batteries.
t one-touch to set the alarm and to snooze if your little one is super stubborn in the mornings.
rd as easily to create crevices that bacteria can grow in. There seems to be a lot of back and forth about this subject, but the simple fact is, wood boards last longer. You can read more about bacteria and cutting boards 
As parents, we know that time management is essential. So essential that we write things down, put alarms on our phones, put sticky notes throughout our homes, we sync our phone’s calendars with your spouse’s and if you’re like me, you also put everything into a physical planner.
About this awesome day planner:
(like my mother, love you mom!), I’ll explain. It’s a small silicone ‘cup’ that you place in your vagina. It’s super bendy and flexible, and it kind of suction cups to the walls of your vagina. The cup catches all of the blood. Imagine a funnel (without the hole in the bottom), as long as the cup is in place, there are no leaks.
o). When my cycle ends, after I give it a good cleaning in the sink, I just put it in boiling water to sterilize it. They now sell a special DivaCup soap called 
Honestly, I wish I had an answer for all of your stay at home mom questions, but I don’t. I have tips and tricks that have worked for me and my family, but I guarantee that they won’t work for everyone.
It really is no secret that the Burrito Buzz moms have a love-hate relationship with sippy cups. We try and tell you about the ones we love and the ones that we hate. Sippy cups are part of life with kids. There’s no way to get around it. Either it’s an awesome cup or it leaks and makes you want to smash it into a million little pieces.
This is the same lid as above, just the opposite side.
This is a pretty typical cream. I felt it was more of a lotion than a cream. It is pretty thin and absorbs fairly quickly. As all of the calendula products do, this smells amazing! It’s the perfect amount moisture to keep your little one’s skin nourished daily, but is rich enough that it soothes dry and irritated skin. I have really sensitive, dry, and eczema prone skin, so I was slathering it on and I really like it!
The face cream was just a little thicker than the body cream and it smelled exactly the same. My littles don’t really get dry skin on their face, but they had awful baby acne and flakey faces as infants so I am sure this would have a God send when they were tiny. There aren’t many lotions specifically for a baby’s face.
ergoPouch offers many products and I will definitely be looking into more of them for my children for this coming winter. Swaddles, sleeping bags, sleep suit bags, sleep accessories, pajamas, and even PJs for mommy! You can check out all of their awesome products 
Merriam Webster defines vacation as “a period of time that a person spends away from home, school, or business usually in order to relax or travel.”
iece that my husband bought for me, so I always wear the same thing. I never wear anything too flashy or bulky, and I definitely stay away from jewelry that my kiddos could get a hold of and ruin. This bracelet has met all of my expectations!
exchange or return if you are not happy with the fit of your bracelet.
Check out Sashka Co. on their 
played by herself pretty well, but unless she was in a pack and play, it never lasted too long. That’s okay! Yes, children need to learn to play alone, but when they are growing, they are starving for information and constantly learning!
Aswith anything, TV is only okay in moderation. Make sure you child is active and not sitting in front of it all day! Also, remember to preview what your children watch first. They are tiny little parrots and there are a lot of things in “PG” movies that I wouldn’t want my kids saying or doing!
So here’s what I’m getting at: it’s okay to identify and acknowledge someone else’s struggle without being upset that they aren’t facing your exact struggle. Sometimes we all just need to talk about what’s going on to get through the day.
. I also used them for my daughter when she was younger. I never really shopped around or tried different ones, but these pacifiers seemed to work with my kids, so I stuck with them.
then I saw how well it glowed in the crib in the dark room at night. I was immediately sold. It was so much easier to find! And I didn’t wake my little one in the process! The only part that glows in the dark is the portion directly opposite the nipple, not the entire shield.
3. Symmetrical nipple is also “anti-slip”. I like that there isn’t a right or wrong side with these pacifiers. It just makes it more convenient and easier for babies to put their binkies in their mouth independently. It is also better for their incoming teeth. I honestly didn’t notice any differences with the “anti-slip.” You might notice this more with younger babies.
right back in their mouths. I wasn’t crazy about the scent. It wasn’t overpowering, it was just unpleasant to me. You could use these to clean any baby item – teethers, toys, pacifiers, etc. You can purchase MAM Pacifier wipes on Amazon for $3.99 here: 
We love my daughter’s name, but I am starting to question if it was a good choice. It means “Queen” and good Lord, she definitely plays the part! I have accepted that tantrums are just part of our day for the next year or two from what I hear from other parents. She is almost two and a half and the power struggle seems never ending.
The logical part (frontal cortex) of our brain doesn’t fully develop until we are 25 years old. A toddler physically can’t reason and react appropriately without being taught (over and over). Furthermore, there is a great deal of research that shows it is completely normal for a toddler or any person to have an angry reaction to what they perceive as distress. 
It is so easy to take the angry road. Believe me, been there, done that. And I don’t always keep my cool! Count to 5. Take deep breathes. Do whatever you have to do to stay calm before you dissipate a tantrum. If it is the 314th tantrum today and you just can’t deal, then be sure your child is safe from harm and walk away for a few minutes. If you are at this point in a public place, find a restroom, dressing room, quiet corner and set your child down, turn around and clear your head for a minute. If you are angry, chances are you aren’t going to discipline your child the way you should. Not only that, but your child needs you “to be the calm in their storm.” If you are just thunder and lightning to their little rain storm, you are just going to make it 100 times worse. Angry actions are easier than calm ones.
of a year if I ordered from another store.
or search for the items you know you need by name. I quickly added items to my cart (it shows the total in the corner and there is a $30 minimum) and when you’re ready to check out, you simply put in a credit or debit card number, check out and then you receive a detailed list of your order and pick-up instructions via email.
It was that simple.
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ubles
m and they have held up all this time. I could not wait to try their other products.
hours after bathtime. These products are free of phthalates, parabens, BPA, gluten and soy. Buy the lotion and body wash together on Amazon 
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er. I may have to buy the 
in a 12 oz bottle for under $15.95.
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for less than 20 dollars also or you can get it bundled with the Hair + Body Wash.
‘s the perfect size for both my 3 year old and 1 year old. It keeps them dry, warm and is gentle to their skin. I don’t have to worry about it being too small like most hooded towels, but it’s not too bulky either. 
can be found on Amazon for $29.95.
lue), and some of the prints are perfect for gender neutral gifts. I know I