Author: Rebecca Grace || Earnest Mom

Earnest Mom follows our journey from a school based system into home learning with my wild and free three - and regular momming life. S (15), E (10) and J (7) are my three who make me want to be a better person every single day. We love God, reading aloud, sharing stories, building blocks, nature hikes, family suppers, and trying to be kind caring humans to those around us. Home learning is a whole new world to us and we are so thankful that you have stopped in to join the ride. Follow us on Instagram @earnestmomblog Bless, Rebecca
Status

For the dads; an earnest recognition.

by Rebecca Grace || Earnest Mom ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Okay I am here to confess: Dads, we could not do it without you. Yup, us moms who hold our homes, families and the weight of the world on our shoulders – we need you! We need you when we are “fine,” when we are home with the kids all day or working full time jobs. We need you just as you are – the one we said “yes” to.

I remember bringing home earnest boy 1.0 almost 9 years ago. We were so green, we had no idea what we were doing and we drove home in shock, looking over our shoulders saying “are they really letting us take him home?” Newborns are crazy hard work as we get through getting to know this tiny little stranger that we have been gifted with – the demands were endless. Diaper changes, nursing, bathing, outfit changes, swaddling baby, backs to sleep. So much to learn and I know that had I not had earnest dad, I have no idea how I would have survived those first few newborn months.

Fast forward, ten years of marriage and three children later and I still have no idea how I could do this on my own.

We see you dads – we see you when you come home worn and tired from a long day’s work and can hear that mama needs a break, so you grab all the kids and snuggle up with them so she can have a minute to breathe. We see you in those moments before bedtime starts when mama is falling asleep on the couch and you wrestle with the kiddos on the floor. We see you when the baby won’t stop crying, mama is crying and you quietly take the baby to the other room to rock him and as you close the bedroom door you whisper “now rest my love.” I see you when, I am overwhelmed with the mess, the energy level, the noise volume and the non-stop “mom, mom, mom, moooOooooms” and you walk in and say “time to go downstairs” so I can get a few moments of peace. I see you when I get all worried about my mama worries and you reach out, hold me and tell me it will be okay.

This life is chaotic at times, quiet in others; it seems to be fleeting faster that I could have ever anticipated but there is no one else that I want sitting beside me in any of those times. All dads, you are so important and there is no one way to be a perfect dad but one million-billion ways to be a great one!

Thank you daddies – and thank you earnest dad. Thank you for working hard so I can stay home with our littles. Thank you for loving all of my quirks and passions, even the goofy ones. Thank you for keeping Christ the center of our marriage, our family and our home. And thank you for being the calm to my storm, the strength to my faults, the right to my wrong, the joy in my sorrow and the man of my life. Thank you for choosing me to ride along side you in this incredible ride of our lives. I appreciate you!

Mamas, join me in taking a moment to thank that support person in your life. The one person that helps makes sense of it all.

x. earnest mom.

Status

Motherhood: A wild and incredibly blessed ride!

by Rebecca Grace || Earnest Mom ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Wild and blessed, two words that can describe exactly where I am right now.

I am always shocked when I hear the words: ” I do not know how you do it” or “how do you get anything done in a day?” Honestly, I never feel like I hit the mark, I rarely feel like I have gotten anything done in a day and sometimes the only gage I have that I’ve accomplished something is by my husband’s reaction when he come in the door.

Seriously, as a stay at home mom to an 8, 4 and 1 year old my time feels like it is spent assessing risk factors from wild toddler antics, throwing snacks out like candy at a parade and refereeing disputes over claims of “bad words being said, walking passed someone too fast or slow, and simply not agreeing on the next show to watch on Netflix.” And yes, my children watch Netflix, I mean yeah, I could totally parent without screen time – I could also churn my own butter but let’s not get too crazy now.

Friends have told me how I seem to have it all together and that my kids are so lucky. I am here to tell you, looks are deceiving. There are days when I get up before my children, make the coffee and have laundry and dishes running before 9:00 am. Those days are rare. To be honest that happened once last week. The rest of the week looked more like me walking out of the bathroom to my two oldest using a half a stick of butter in each hand from the fridge to butter their toast because there was not any softened butter available. No kidding, this was last Wednesday and I chose to look at the fact that not only did they make their own snack, but they did as a team! Yay, MOM WIN!!! Another day I turn around from loading the dishwasher to my one year old eating a burnt waffle he took from the garbage. Perfection?! NO WAY, but like I said I am wildly blessed by this.

In my days as a stay at home mom I have learned to let go and let live. My children are growing so fast, right before my eyes and if I do not stop all of my busyness I will miss on theirs. My house is not always tidy, some days my sink of full of dishes and there have even been times that we have run out of clean laundry; but my kids are loved, happy, fed and safe. Those four elements are a language of love for this mama’s heart, and perspective is everything. My home may be messy but we have a place to live, my sink may have dishes but we have food to eat and laundry may be dirty but we have clothes to wear. My kids may be loud but they have a voice, they may be busy but their have a love of life to live. Pretty soon, in a blink, my kids will be on their own; the house will be perfectly clean and too quiet, and I will miss these wild and blessed days.

I know that I am in no way a perfect mom, but I know I have been made perfectly by God to grow these tiny humans He has given me. I hope that when I fall short I can give them an opportunity to see humility and compassion; when I make mistakes I can help them learn to forgive; and when I hold them, they feel what true love is. I am mothering the best way I know how, I know that the best of me as imperfect as I am is exactly what they need. By this mere fact, I am able to forgive myself the moments when they eat from the trash or use way too much butter, and find joy no matter what. This is us, this is our little life and our little home is massive in love, for truly we are wildly blessed.

Mamas, no matter what season you are in, please know you are perfect just as you are. I love the saying “to the world you are just a mom, but to your children you are the world.” Our little ones have this amazing God-given power to love us mamas unconditionally, let us too start loving ourselves unconditionally too. Doing our best everyday is the best we can for them, and even when we totally fail, guess what?! They will be right there, still loving us.

You are seen, you are loved and you are everything to those little eyes that look to you every morning. You are just what your family needs. Be wild and blessed, the days are long but the years are short.

x. earnest mom.

Status

Abby&Finn: Amazing Diapers, Amazing Company, Amazing Price.

by Rebecca Grace || Earnest Mom ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

$15.00 discount code and and additional $5.00 off referral link included in blog post. Note: this is not a sponsored review, all opinions are my own.

Feature photo courtesy of Abby&Finn.

Subscription boxes are all the rage today. From books to make-up to extravagant curations received quarterly – you can find a subscription for just about anything. As a mom of 3, with my youngest still in diapers I have been buying and trying diapers for about a decade now, and diaper subscriptions caught my interest. Abby&Finn Diapers have been the most impressive so far.

Abby&Finn were not the first subscription diapers I had tried, but they will be the last. Their quality (soft, strong and absorbent), price and “better for bottoms” make have changed me into a lifer. Here is their product information from their website:

Diaper Ingredients:
TCF (Totally chlorine free) wood pulp from sustainably managed forests; SAP (Super Absorbent Polymer) Sodium Polyacrylate; Topsheet, soft internal cover made of Polypropylene; Core wrap and Leg cuffs, made of soft Polypropylene; Acquisition Layer, made out of Polyester fibers; Backsheet, polypropylene fibers and polyethylene film for softness and liquid containment; Leg and crotch elastics, made of polyurethane.

Wipes Ingredients:
Water, Polysorbate 20, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernal Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol

Cruelty Free and Vegan:
They have signed PETA’s Statement of Assurance, which states that they do not conduct, contract out, or fund studies on animals in the development, manufacturing, testing, or marketing of our products, nor do they intend to do so.

My Earnest Little is a heavy wetter, especially at night and typically we would have to buy a size bigger for nighttime protection but with Abby&Finn no need, his size holds him day or night. If I did need a different size at night, I could do so in ONE subscription. Abby&Finn has the convenient option of ordering two different sizes in one box! Love it!

Photo: Courtesy of Abby&Finn

Now pricing, are they cost effective? YES. I am including some prices to show that Abby&Finn have created a high quality diaper service with low prices. Perfect for my budget and eco-conscious family of five. Below are the comparison of size 4 diapers in package sizes similar to Abby&Finn counts – cost is also broken down per diaper.

Subscription Brands:

Parasol Diapers Size 4 160 count for $84 breaking down to $0.52 per diaper

Abby&Finn Size 4 156 count for $45 breaking down to $0.29 per diaper

Honest Diapers Size 4 161 count for $61** breaking down to $0.39 per diaper
**A guesstimate since Honest currently does not offer an option for no wipes in a subscription, the full price of wipes is deducted from the full subscription price (79.95 – 18.95 = 61)

NOTE: The above brands are diapers that are FREE of latex, chlorine, fragrance and lotions and sustainably sourced.

Also: Shipping is factored into the prices.

Big Box Brands, available in big box retailers:

Pampers Swaddlers Diapers Size 4 150 count for $50.99 breaking down to $0.34 per diaper

Pampers Pure Diapers Size 4 80 count for $38.45 breaking down to $0.49 per diaper

Huggies Little Snugglers Diapers Size 4 144 count for $41.99 breaking down to $0.30 per diaper

Luvs Size 4 172 count for $29.99 breaking down to $0.18 per diaper

Seventh Generation Free and Clear Diapers Size 4 81 count for $45.36 breaking down to $0.56 per diaper.

NOTE: Only Seventh Generation and Pampers Pure are latex, chlorine, fragrance and lotion free as well as sustainably sourced in the above list.

Also: Pricing was based on availability from a local big box store and may not reflect current promotions, discounts or price reductions.

The price of Abby&Finn diapers comes in at the lowest for subscriptions boxes and second to lowest of the big box brands that do not meet the high quality standards nor are delivered to my front door. Hands down, having tried EVERY SINGLE diaper on this list the quantity, quality, and price of Abby&Finn cannot be beat!

As if Abby&Finn could not get any better, they are just as socially conscious as they are eco friendly which is first reflected in their name: ABBY is an anagram for baby, FINN is an acronym for Families In Need. Secondly, what they stand for is shown with their commitment to improving the lives of families who need it. With each monthly subscription they donate one diaper a day to families in need. Every time I receive one box, 30 diapers go to a family in need right here in the U.S. So wonderful.

Photo: Courtesy of Abby&Finn

How do you order?! It is super easy, click: Abby&Finn Subscription and choose your subscription, size, print and frequency. There are no tricks, pausing or canceling is easy and can be done in a few quick clicks. This link we get you $5.00 off your first bundle PLUS use time sensitive code: BLACKFRI15 for an additional $15.00 off of your first box ***LIMITED TIME OFFER SO ORDER FAST*** That works out to be $25 for your first diaper subscription meaning you would get size 4 diapers for just $0.16 per diaper (it is $10 more to include 240 wipes). NOTE you must use the referral link in this paragraph plus discount code to receive the full $20.00 savings. Once the discount code expires, the referral link will still get you $5.00 off of your first box.

Enjoy!

– earnest mom