Guest Post Archives - Painter Mommy

Rainy Day Decadence – 6 Lush Ways to Enjoy a Rainy Day at Home

October 20, 2021 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Photo: Dana Nestorova/Unsplash

Far too often, we squander beautiful rainy days on working or catching up on chores. Not today, friend! Instead, you are going to use the beautiful atmosphere of this dark and drizzly day to get cozy and indulge yourself – because you deserve it. For inspiration, here are six lush ways to enjoy a rainy day at home:

1. Budget Spa Day!

The average spa day costs three trillion dollars. Okay, maybe we’re exaggerating (a little), but having a budget DIY spa day at home still makes true economical sense.

Need an expensive facial? Look up DIY face masks and self-massage techniques. Want a heavenly steam room experience? Set up your essential oil diffuser in the bathroom and run a hot bath.

For now, you have all this spare time and the perfect rainy day ambiance, so it is absolutely essential that you schedule yourself in for ugly face masks, gross body maintenance, and yodeling to your favorite tunes in the bathroom!

2. Retail Therapy – Sofa-style

There is nothing more lovely than meandering around the shops, looking at everything on offer, and buying the odd treat or five. Even better is doing it in your PJ’s at home, swiping from shop to shop online without even lifting a finger. Did you know that shopping is actually proven to be good for you? So, if you need justification for this indulgence, remember it’s practically doctor’s orders.

3. Digital Lunch With The Girls

Being together in person may not be possible for you and your best girlfriends at the moment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy that giggly lunch together. Schedule an online event where you all ‘meet up’ with snacks and drinks for a long-overdue group chat. Catch up on everyone’s latest news, talk each other into (or out of) botox and cosmetic tattooing, and just generally fill your rainy day with laughter.

4. A Day Of Meals & Movies

Most American households spend about $3,000 dollars eating out every year. Although those meals can be nice, nothing quite beats an indulgent at-home meal, especially with movies to watch at the same time. Spend the day getting full and content while the rain pours outside.

5. Be Creative

Lots of people think to be creative you have to be good at the art or craft you are working on. The fact is, you don’t. Being creative is good for you, and this claim is backed by science. It releases dopamine in the brain, reduces stress, and can even help you work through trauma. Creativity is the perfect rainy day activity. Whether you garden, paint, cook, knit, or paper mache, you’ll get something out doing it, even if it looks like a child made it.

6. Pet Time!

Pets are scientifically good for us. It is proven that they can reduce our blood pressure, lower anxiety, and help combat depression. They also boost our oxytocin, which does all kinds of great things to the body. For that reason, pets of any kind are a fantastic way to spend a rainy day.

Smooshing their fur in your face, toggling their toe beans, booping their snoots, and just generally staring at them adoringly – it’s all pretty great. Both you and they will love a whole day of quality time indoors whilst the rain pours outside.

Hopefully, the six ideas above have given you tons of inspiration for your rainy day at home. Whether you spend it with your mutt or dry brushing your butt, as long as you truly indulge yourself, it will be a fantastic day that you well and truly deserve.

5 Tips To Be Productive At Home

April 7, 2021 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Thanks to the pandemic, we have been used to staying at home longer than we expected. Many people have found themselves gaining much weight because they might lay down on the sofa all day long. To help you to be healthy and productive at home, we want to share 5 useful tips.

Cultivate your hobby

We all have our own hobbies, but we usually can’t find enough time to do those things due to busy work schedules. Now it is the best time to further explore our potentials. No matter if you like to paint or play a musical instrument, you can find millions of free tutorials online to teach yourself.

Keep a workout schedule

Stop using the excuses of no gyms. If you want to exercise, you only need a yoga mat. The biggest downside of staying at home is that we don’t get enough exercise, so we have to intentionally execute our workout plans. It is true that you might not be able to do some exercises that you used to do in the gym, but you can still find numerous feasible exercises to keep you energetic and productive at home.

Work on home improvement projects

If you are really not a big fan of doing indoor exercises, you can look into DIY home projects, which might be fun to many people. For example, you can easily apply styrofoam ceiling tiles to cover your popcorn ceilings and install new vinyl floorings for your lovely home. For bigger home projects like window replacements, you can take advantage of your spare time to talk to different local window installers to get a better price.

Learn new skills

Learning new skills or knowledge is a little different from exploring your hobbies. It is more related to your career. For example, you can expand your knowledge by learning data analysis or even coding or programming. Now we have entered the big data era, you can improve your competitive advantage by equipping yourself with cutting edge skills. Not to mention that those knowledge might help you get a higher salary or even land a new job from a prominent IT company.

Get some side income

Money can always be the source of stress. Why not take advantage of the free time to get some extra income to support your family? It is true that you can’t expect too much return in the beginning, but if you can be persistent, you will be able to build up your own brand. For example, you can start your own YouTube Channel, work on SEO ranking as well as write blog posts. In the long run, you will get more audience so that you can earn passive income by participating in affiliate marketing programs.

Life changes so fast, and the only thing we can do is to adapt to the environment. Staying at home could be productive and happy. Don’t waste your time on your couch and do something meaningful today!

Happy and Healthy – 6 Tips For Ensuring Your Kids Are Getting The Nutrients They Need

February 5, 2021 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

All parents worry if they’re providing nutritional goodness for their kids, especially when dealing with picky eaters. How can you make sure your children are getting all the nutrients they need to grow?

Here are six simple tips to help you feel confident you’re feeding your kids everything their growing bodies need.

1. Consume calcium

Do you remember that song from nursery school about how important calcium is for teeth and bones? Well, you can ensure that your kids get their calcium intake by including calcium-rich foods like spinach, broccoli, and milk in their regular diet.

2. Milk your way to healthier choices

Since milk is so easy to consume, it’s vital to include it in your child’s diet. When it comes to the type of milk you choose to give to your child, it all depends on their age and needs.

Babies who are less than 12 months old must be breastfed exclusively. Toddlers older than a year and up to the age of two will do well to consume some a2 goodness. This refers to milk made from cows that exclusively produce the a2 protein. This means it contains all the goodness of milk, just without the digestive disturbances common to the a1 protein.

3. Serve snacks

You must keep in mind that children have smaller tummies. They cannot be satisfied with just eating breakfast, lunch, and supper.

The suggested number of snacks for children is two per day between their three main meals. Also, snacks must be healthy and evenly spaced out between meals. It is advisable to give a child a snack at least two hours before main meals.

Since children feel hungry between mealtimes, they are more likely to settle for a healthier treat if that’s what’s on offer for snacks.

4. Keep up the carbs

Children eat to gain energy and one food group that is known to provide lots of energy is carbohydrates. The good news is that it’s easy to incorporate carbs into your child’s diet.

Make sure that they’re eating balanced meals with fruits, vegetables, and grains and they’re good to go! You can prepare a potato side dish or include rice with dinner. Fresh brown bread is another easy and accessible source of carbohydrates for kids.

5. Be generous with your servings (but not too generous)

Usually, parents feel uncertain as to how much to feed their children. A rule of thumb is to always dish out less than you assume your child will eat. If your child is still hungry after the first serving, they can just ask for more.

The right amount of fat, iron, and calcium to give your child per meal is about a third of an adult serving.

6. Vitamins

All parents hear about how essential vitamins are for kids. Growing children need adequate vitamin intake to grow up healthy and strong. Luckily, nature takes care of us that way, so most foods include vitamins already.

For instance, red peppers and carrots are a good source of vitamin A. Some parents may also give children multivitamins each morning, but you must always consult with your pediatrician before giving your child any supplement.

Everything should be served in moderation. Be sure to incorporate all five essential food groups into your child’s diet, and remember that the healthier you keep your meals, the more your child will start to crave healthy things. Make a good impression and set the tone for nutritious eating from the onset. The rest will take care of itself.

Photo: Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash

Modern Mom – 5 Health And Safety Essentials For Parents In 2020

December 28, 2020 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Image: Unsplash/Henley Design Studio

We’re living in unprecedented times in the modern world. A global pandemic is something that we haven’t seen for generations. It’s naturally going to arouse anxiety, fear, and over-protectiveness from new mothers who understand how vulnerable their baby is to contracting illnesses. If you’re looking for convenient ways to feel reassured of your baby’s safety, here are five health and safety essentials for parents in 2020:

Keeping Germs At Bay

A baby bottle sterilizer is one of the easiest ways to keep germs at bay. A baby’s gut is incredibly susceptible to pathogens, so sterilizing bottles and feeding equipment after each and every use is vitally important, regardless of whether you’re using the bottles for breast milk or for baby formula. A sterilizer enables you to clean bottles and bottle equipment for a completely hygienic end result, keeping baby safe and parents reassured.

Baby Wipes For Baby Instead Of Hand Sanitizer

Babies are still adjusting to the harshness of the outside world, meaning their skin is delicate and sensitive. Using hand sanitizer on a baby’s skin is not safe and not recommended by healthcare professionals. For mothers who want reassurance that their baby is safe from germs, baby wet wipes serve as an ideal alternative. They’re gentle and won’t destroy the skin’s natural protective layers. Opt for hypoallergenic baby wipes for the safest option.

Nappy Rash Cream

This humble little product is one of the most versatile compounds a mother can have in her diaper bag. The best nappy rash cream works wonders for a variety of skin issues. It can even act as sunscreen if you run out of your usual brand. It can also act as aftersun care, drawing out the heat. Nappy rash cream is great for insect bites, burns, and stings. It can be a little bit tricky to apply because it’s a sticky consistency and doesn’t always smear effectively, but once you have it on, this product is as close as you can get to a cure-all for skin dramas.

Probiotics For Immunity: Taking Care Of Your Inner Microbiome

All of that sanitizer on your hands might be halting the spread of harmful germs and bacteria, but you’re also killing off colonies of helpful microbes that are essential to your immune system. You don’t need to stop sanitizing, especially with the pandemic being what it is.

However, if your gut lining isn’t in optimal health, you can experience mental fogginess, depression, anxiety, and reduced immune function. This means you’ll be more susceptible to harmful pathogens if your gut isn’t healthy. The remedy? Eat plenty of probiotics, including kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha tea, sourdough, and other fermented foods.

Comfort And Love: Health Boosting Emotions

Loving your baby and enjoying the rush of oxytocin that comes from close contact might be one of the most powerful ways you can protect both of you from illness. It turns out that the complex neuroendocrine system (the brain and hormones) are linked in extraordinary and dynamic ways.

A release of oxytocin can result in the production of cytokines such as IL-1?, nitric oxide, and prostaglandins. These cytokines help the brain to regulate the immune system better. How can you get a release of oxytocin for immune-boosting effects? Enjoy frequent cuddles and skin-on-skin time with your baby.

Feeling Prepared Is Important

If you’re an anxious mother, it’s a great idea to visit your pediatrician and get the best information available on how to protect your family. The reassurance of being prepared can help you stay calm and respond to challenges in a more constructive manner.

Baby Bounty – 7 Essentials That Should Always Be In Your Diaper Bag

December 10, 2020 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Packing a diaper bag is something you should only need to do once. From there, it’s a simple matter of keeping your supplies topped and adding anything you might require for a particular trip. It’s important to work with the basics that everyone needs but also add in the unique items that your baby might benefit from.

To help you perfect the packing process, here are seven essentials that should always be in your diaper bag:

Nappy Rash Cream

Nappy rash cream serves more than one purpose. There’s the obvious – it soothes sore skin affected by a nappy rash – but it serves a few other purposes too. The zinc oxide contained in creams like Sudocrem nappy rash cream can cool hot skin, making it a decent after-sun ointment if you don’t have any soothing aftersun gel handy. It’s also effective as an emergency sunscreen on young skin if you don’t have an alternative nearby.

Nappies

It goes without saying, but it’s surprisingly easy to overlook. You always need a few spare diapers/nappies in your diaper bag, so pack a few more than you believe you might need. The rising trend of organic cloth diapers (often made from organic cotton or bamboo) calls for a few waterproof bags too. There’s nothing as frustrating as trying to transport wet reusable nappies, so these bags will be lifesavers.

A Change Of Clothes

Young babies tend to spit up quite often as they haven’t quite developed the ability to keep everything down. While this is generally normal (except in diagnosed cases of reflux), it calls for some preparation ahead of time. Keep a fresh change of clothes handy in your diaper bag. Even for older babies, the possibility of spilling on themselves remains an ever-present risk, so a change of clothes is always useful.

A Burp Cloth

A burp cloth is usually made from some sort of toweling and it’s a useful tool for cleaning vomit, spilled beverages, and food mess. A burp cloth dipped in water also serves as a useful wipe for cleaning faces and hands, when needed.

A Blanket Or Comfort Toy

Each child has their own comfort item. A blanket is common as the fleece material is so soft and soothing. Children also sometimes have a particular toy they’ve bonded with. It’s imperative to include this in your diaper bag – weaning a child from their beloved comfort item doesn’t need to happen until they’re older.

A Bottle Of Water

Water is essential for all life on Earth, and it’s also essential for your diaper bag. Whether you need to quench your thirst or use it as lubrication with which to clean a dirty face, water is always useful to have on hand.

Baby Wipes

Baby wipes are gentle enough for use on young and sensitive skin but tough enough to remove dirt and a good number of germs too. Always opt for baby wipes as opposed to regular wet wipes as the latter are not designed for use on young children. They contain harsh ingredients, so it’s not uncommon for them to cause rashes if applied to baby skin.

Fill your diaper bag with the seven essentials above, and you’ll be armed and ready to handle any situations that may arise with your little one. Parents of children with allergies or other special needs can complete the bag with the medical supplies and other specific accessories needed.