Vote below in the comments using either the baby’s name or the number beside the picture!

Baby 1, Silas Mickey:

Baby 2, Aurora Morghan

Baby 3, Aurora Morghan:

Baby 4, Leah:

{And no, the lesson isn’t “Stop playing Candy Crush Saga and get stuff done”, surprisingly!}

One of the most popular search terms that brings people to my blog is “how to get stuff done with a baby” – check out this post if you haven’t read it yet – and it’s something I work with A LOT with my clients, so I think about it often.

Today, I had a realization while playing this game I am addicted to on my iPhone – Candy Crush Saga. Do you play it? It’s a typical matching game, like Bejeweled or Big Kahuna, where you have to get same-colored shapes next to each other to make them disappear. On each level, you have a goal to achieve, whether it’s getting rid of jelly squares or reaching a certain score, and of course the levels get harder as you move up.

It’s ironic that a complete time-waster would show us two important things about productivity, but I am all about finding lessons in unusual places, so here it is:

1) Keep coming back to the task at hand – In the game, you get a certain number of moves. If you run out before the goal is met, you have to start the level all over. Look at the picture – It’s very easy to get caught up in crushing candies in the middle, or making special candies. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, but if you do that too much, you won’t get rid of the jelly squares, and that’s the whole point. You always have to come back to the jelly squares.

It’s easy to get sidetracked in life. Looking up a recipe on Pinterest can lead to 3 hours of pinning hairstyles and the next thing you know you’re giving your kids cold hot dogs for dinner because it’s 7:30 pm. KEEP COMING BACK TO YOUR GOAL. If your goal is to get dinner made, look up the recipe, pin TWO hairstyles, and then make dinner. If your goal is to take your baby out for a walk, but while you’re picking out clothes for her you start organizing the closet, which leads to putting laundry in, which leads to… so on and so on, stop doing all that and GO FOR A WALK. Sometimes I even write my goal on the back of my hand, so that I am reminded of it every time I look down.

2) Eliminate the need for willpower!- Candy Crush gives you 5 lives. Once they’re gone, you have to wait for like 30 minutes to earn each one back. (You can also buy them, which is why they have this seemingly weird feature). I LOVE THIS. I know, when I start playing, I will be FORCED TO STOP once my lives are gone. Sometimes it takes longer than others depending on difficulty, but when I’m done, I have no choice but to be done. I feel no guilt about taking a Candy Crush break because I know it has a built-in ending, especially now that I’m on Level 125 (I know, I know – I’m the coolest.) and it is hard as hell.

Figure out a way to force yourself to stop. Plug your computer into an outlet timer so it shuts off after a certain number of minutes. Or, just set a timer for yourself (though that takes a little bit of willpower to actually listen to it). Tell a friend to call or text you at a certain time and remind you of what you need to do. If you need to do a task on the computer like writing or budgeting, unplug your router so you can’t be distracted by Facebook, or try one of these programs that lock you out of the internet. You get the idea!

We’re doing things a little differently this month – the lovely ladies at Milkmakers {www.milkmakers.com} who make cookies that not only boost milk supply, are also delicious! – have generously donated some of their cookies to our lucky winner! Combined with a $25 Etsy gift card, we will be rolling over the breastfeeding photo contest from March into April! Don’t worry, if you’ve already submitted your photo for March, it will be included!

Here’s how to enter:

Submit your photos via email to photos@mamasbestfriend.com along with this info {you can just copy + paste}:

Your name:

Your city & state:

Your website/blog {optional}:

Child’s name:

Child’s age (newborn-5years):

At the end of the month, I will post my favorites to Mama’s Best Friend’s blog  and voting will open up (by the 5^th). Whichever picture has the most comments by the last day of the month is our winner – so share your picture! You will be notified by email when the photos go up so you can start spreading the word.

The photos you submit may end up in a blog post or on one of my brochures… {don’t worry, it won’t count towards your 15 minutes of fame}. By submitting your pics, you give me the right to use them in my materials (see fine print below)  - I’ll credit you and link to your website if you gave me one, or keep you anonymous if you’d prefer. See here for the fine print.

But I don’t have breastfeeding photos!! That’s ok! You can help out by sharing our contest on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, and by signing up below to be notified of future contests {upcoming topics: outdoors, the beach, Mommy & Me}

PHOTOS email list 

Name:

Email:

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It’s March!

That means we want pictures of BREAST FEEDING for the Mama’s Best Friend Baby Smiles Photo Contest!

Submit your favorite pics and to win prizes! This month, it’s a $50 Magic Cabin Toys gift card!

I hate cheesy looking stock photos. I love real, candid pictures of kids & families livin’ life!

Here’s how it works:

Every month, we’ll have a theme. The theme for March is “Breast Feeding” !

 (*NOTE – your baby does not need to be smiling in the pic, that’s just the name of the contest!)

Submit your photos via email to photos@mamasbestfriend.com along with this info {you can just copy + paste}:

Your name:

Your city & state:

Your website/blog {optional}:

Child’s name:

Child’s age (newborn-5years):

 Don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook!

At the end of the month, I will post my favorites to Mama’s Best Friend’s blog (each picture will be its own blog post) and voting will open up (by the 5^th). Whichever picture has the most comments by the last day of the month is our winner – so share your picture! You will be notified by email when the photos go up so you can start spreading the word.

P.S. I love a professional, posed photo of a newborn in a funky knit hat or a family in white shirts on the beach as much as the next girl, but this is not what this contest is about. Real life, please!  (Professional candid photos are *ok* as long as you have the permission of both the photographer and the parent)

The photos you submit may end up in a blog post or on one of my brochures… {don’t worry, it won’t count towards your 15 minutes of fame}. By submitting your pics, you give me the right to use them in my materials (see fine print below)  - I’ll credit you and link to your website if you gave me one!

VOTING IS CLOSED!!!

Baby 1, Nicolette:

Baby 2, Cecelia:

Baby 3, Samantha:

Baby 4, Isabella:

Baby 5, Elisa:

Baby 6, Adriana:

Yesterday, I went out to my car to head to a client’s, and I saw this:

Sad car

Some stupid jerkface hit my sweet little car and did not leave a note! Who does that?! I’ll admit to bumping someone with my door in a tight parking lot occasionally, but THIS?! Shameful.

However, instead of stewing in my anger and frustration, I decided to challenge myself: I am going to pay for this repair entirely with money earned from NEW clients in the next few weeks! Which means I need to move beyond word-of-mouth referrals alone and start self-promoting! (Terrifying.) As a thank you for allowing me to do this, and for being so supportive, I’m offering a special on my Mini TLC consultation packages. What are they, you ask? I’m going to answer your question with a question (or 4…).

Do you wish your baby was a better sleeper?

Is parenting a bit tougher than you thought it would be?

Do you have a tough time finding a rhythm and flow (sleep, feeding, showering, activities) that works for your family?

Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by all the info out there, in books and online and through your friends and Mommy & Me moms and family, and you just don’t know who to listen to?

Do you want parenting to be more joyful, and less stressful?

You were super excited to become a parent – you had tons of plans, did all your research (or figured you’d just wing it) – but now that your little bundle of joy is here, things are not as… well… JOYFUL as you expected. You’re exhausted from lack of sleep, you’re constantly making decisions in every moment, trying to translate for someone who doesn’t speak a word of English and whose cries make you feel like there is a knife in your heart, and generally feeling FRUSTRATED, OVERWHELMED, and STRESSED. You need HELP, but you don’t even know where to look.

No matter what the question was (naps, bathing, breastfeeding, etc.) Devon replied quickly via email and text with thoughtful, clear answers. As situations arose I was in touch with her and in some instances she was even able to walk me through the process in the moment! Even though it seemed unlikely, having someone guiding us from the other side of the country who knew their stuff and really had their heart in the process was so much more effective than someone who did not right in our backyard.
Parker is nearly 8 months old now and my husband and I both feel more confident and self-assured in our parenting. Parker sleeps 12 hours through the night, is in the 90-95th percentile medically and is overall a happy, healthy baby with happy healthy parents, much thanks to Devon, Mama’s Best Friend – Certainly she is ours!
~Jocelyn, Trey, and Parker, San Jose CA

This is where I come in – I help new moms and dads get things straightened out so they can get back on their feet and back to focusing on all the myriad wonderful things about your baby – her little toes, her delicious cheeks, those cute little noises she makes when she’s sleeping… you know the ones. I help people suffering from stress, anxiety, and over-google-ation (it’s a thing!) to figure out exactly what is going to work for THEM and THEIR baby, not someone else’s, as well as exactly what to do next.

You want sleep? I’ll help you get your baby on a good sleep routine, so the whole family can be happier, healthier, and far less cranky.

Before I had my son so many questions ran through my head all the time. I thought about feeding schedules, sleep schedules, tummy time, teething, recovery from giving birth, etc. I could go on forever. Once I had him, my life changed (for the better!), but I realized that I needed help getting used to this change. I was absolutely exhausted. I found myself having a ton of anxiety. I wanted to try to find a way to make some sort of routine for the baby, my husband, and myself. I also had no idea how much I was supposed to feeding my son. Or how much he was supposed to be sleeping. Or how to have him sleep more than 3 hours at a time. That is when I turned to Devon!
The first time I met with Devon, she started us on the right path. She listened to my concerns, asked lots of questions, and taught me about feeding and sleep rhythms. I tried her suggestions right away – It worked!! Ever since I first spoke to Devon, my son is a well-fed baby who sleeps thought the night! I feel like a new woman! It also felt so great to know that she was there for me to reach out to whenever I had a question or needed some extra support. Meeting Devon was like meeting an angel! I had many doubts in myself about being a new mom. She really helped me believe in myself and give me the confidence I needed to get through the biggest change in my life. I am so thankful that I met Devon. I give her all the credit for my son being the well-fed, well-rested, and ever-so-happy baby that he is!
~Josephine, Jay, and CJ, Howell NJ

And how much for this quick turnaround to your family life? Normally, it’s $500 – and about to go up! But right now, I’m offering 12 spots in my Mini TLC program for only $397.

{And 10% goes to support continued Sandy relief efforts}

You get:

•  a 1-hour intake call or Skype session, where I find out all about your baby and you, and give you an initial plan (if you are in my local area of NJ, I will do this in-person). This is a super juicy interaction where you get to tell me ALLLL that’s been going on, and I ask lots of questions, all focused on YOU and YOUR BABY.

• 4 calls @ 30-mins each, scheduled as needed
• 6 weeks of unlimited email support for all your questions (What do I do now??) and celebrations (She slept 10 hours! Hooray!)

Sound tempting? Want to get started? Fill out this form  and we’ll get you set up with a package, or a free 15 minute “Get Acquainted” call to talk more about the process and how I can help. I can’t wait to help your family start feeling relaxed and joyful!

P.S. Are you expecting, or planning to adopt? My services are great for getting new moms off on the right foot and providing all the help and support you need in the early days of parenting! Check out my “Baby Instruction Manual” package {totally eligible for the special offer above}, or if you’re in the NJ/NYC/Philly area and want even more support, check out my Major TLC (aka live and in person!) packages or ask about “Good Night’s Sleep” overnight care.

It’s FEBRUARY!  

That means we want pictures of LOVE for the Mama’s Best Friend Baby Smiles Photo Contest!

Submit your favorite pics and to win prizes! This month, it’s a $50 ETSY gift card!

I hate cheesy looking stock photos. I love real, candid pictures of kids & families livin’ life!

Here’s how it works:

Every month, we’ll have a theme. The theme for February is “Love” – whatever is your interpretation of LOVE! (*NOTE – your baby does not need to be smiling in the pic, that’s just the name of the contest!)

Submit your photos via email to photos@mamasbestfriend.com along with this info {you can just copy + paste}:

Your name:

Your city & state:

Your website/blog {optional}:

Child’s name:

Child’s age (newborn-5years):

 Don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook!

At the end of the month, I will post my favorites to Mama’s Best Friend’s blog (each picture will be its own blog post) and voting will open up (by the 5^th). Whichever picture has the most comments by the last day of the month is our winner – so share your picture! You will be notified by email when the photos go up so you can start spreading the word.

P.S. I love a professional, posed photo of a newborn in a funky knit hat or a family in white shirts on the beach as much as the next girl, but this is not what this contest is about. Real life, please!  (Professional candid photos are *ok* as long as you have the permission of both the photographer and the parent)

The photos you submit may end up in a blog post or on one of my brochures… {don’t worry, it won’t count towards your 15 minutes of fame}. By submitting your pics, you give me the right to use them in my materials (see fine print below)  - I’ll credit you and link to your website if you gave me one!

VOTING IS NOW CLOSED!  Congrats to Samantha – our January “Sleeping Baby” Winner!

Here is the second half of the “Sleeping Babies”!  Vote below in the comments using either the baby’s name or the number beside the picture!

Baby 15, Scarlett:

Babies 16, Madison & Samuel: 

Babies 17, Danny & Gia:

Baby 18, Regan:

Baby 19, Nathan:

Babies 20, Emma & Leah:

Baby 21, Colin:

Baby 22, Bodie:

Baby 23, Carter:

Baby 24, Carter: 

Baby 25, Reed: 

Baby 26, Brayden:

Baby 27, Brayden:

Baby 28, Brayden:

VOTING IS NOW CLOSED!  Congrats to Samantha – our January “Sleeping Baby” Winner!

Here is the first half of the “Sleeping Babies”!  Vote below in the comments using either the baby’s name or the number beside the picture!

Baby 1, Abbey:

Baby 2, Abbey:

Baby 3, Samantha:

Baby 4, Lucas: 

Baby 5, Logan:

Baby 6, Andrew Robert:

Baby 7, Olivia:

Baby 8, Nico:

Baby 9, Isabella:

Baby 10, Isabella:

Baby 11, Vincent:

Baby 12, Leah:

Baby 13, John Andrew:

Baby 14, John Andrew:

Introducing the Mama’s Best Friend Baby Smiles Photo Contest!

Submit your favorite pics and to win prizes! This month, it’s a $50 Amazon gift card!

I hate cheesy looking stock photos. I love real, candid pictures of kids & families livin’ life!

Here’s how it works:

Every month, we’ll have a theme. The theme for January is “Silent Night” – sleeping baby pictures! (*NOTE – your baby does not need to be smiling in the pic, that’s just the name of the contest!)

Submit your photos via email to photos@mamasbestfriend.com along with this info {you can just copy + paste}:

Your name:

Your city & state:

Your website/blog {optional}:

Child’s name:

Child’s age (newborn-5years):

At the end of the month, I will post my favorites to Mama’s Best Friend’s blog (each picture will be its own blog post) and voting will open up (by the 5^th). Whichever picture has the most comments by the last day of the month is our winner – so share your picture! You will be notified by email when the photos go up so you can start spreading the word.

P.S. I love a professional, posed photo of a newborn in a funky knit hat or a family in white shirts on the beach as much as the next girl, but this is not what this contest is about. Real life, please!  (Professional candid photos are *ok* as long as you have the permission of both the photographer and the parent)

The photos you submit may end up in a blog post or on one of my brochures… {don’t worry, it won’t count towards your 15 minutes of fame}. By submitting your pics, you give me the right to use them in my materials (see fine print below)  - I’ll credit you and link to your website if you gave me one!

The Fine Print:

Devon Clement of Mama’s Best Friend invites you to participate in our “Baby Smiles Contest,” a fun contest where you can win a $50 Gift Card from Amazon (and other fun prizes!), just for sharing your baby’s smiles!

It’s easy to enter and win. You have until end of every month to post your Baby’s Smiles picture and a quick & easy form to our website.  The winners will be announced the 5th of the following month!  Simply follow the steps below and you’re registered to win!!!

How to Enter:

Step 1: Compose an email to: photos@mamasbestfriend.com.

Step 2: Copy and paste this form into the body of our email (then fill out):

Your name:

Your city & state:

Your website/blog {optional}:

Child’s name:

Child’s age (newborn-5years):

Step 3: Attach the picture of your Baby!

Step 4: Press Send!

Step 5: Share the Contest with your all your friends (Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+)!

**Please note: each person can submit up to three (3) times (three pictures) a month during the contest.**

Contest Details:

Contest begins on Monday, January 1, 2013, and runs each month until midnight of that month, with a total of ONE chance to enter and win EACH MONTH, there will also be 3 (three) overall winners announced for the YEAR.  Each participant is allowed to submit up to three (3) pictures a month, there will be one winner per month.  If necessary, we will contact the winner via email to request your email and mailing address, arrange for you to receive your prize.

Mama’s Best Friend Baby Smiles Contest Rules

1. No purchase necessary to enter the Mama’s Best Friend Baby Smiles Contest.
2. We reserve the right to reject any entries which we, in our sole and absolute discretion, deem offensive, violate any laws or unsuitable in any other manner.   Mama’s Best Friend is not required to provide any explanation for the rejection.
3. Three participants (winners) for the year, and one participant per month, will be appointed by the “votes” in the comments section on the picture posted as a blog (each picture will be its own blog post) and by the representatives of Mama’s Best Friend, based on the pictures given. The winners will be notified via email.  All decisions of the contest will be final and binding.
4. The Mama’s Best Friend Smiles Contest begins on January 1st and ends at 11:59 pm on last day of each month. Entries must be submitted before end of day on the last day of the month.

5. Entrants must be 18 years of age or older to enter the Contest. Entrants must also be legal residents of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico or the U.S. territories and possessions. Employees of Designs for Dental Health and its affiliates, and their immediate family members, are not eligible.

6. In entering the contest you subject yourself to both the Contest Rules and Legal Terms and Conditions.

Legal Terms and Conditions

General: Your entry into the Mama’s Best Friend Baby Smile Contest (the “Contest”) is subject to the Contest Rules, the following Legal Terms and Conditions, and all other guidelines, terms and conditions stated elsewhere on this site and all applicable laws, ordinances and regulations, including but not limited to all laws respecting intellectual property, trademarks, copyrights, rights of privacy, pornography and defamation. By entering the Contest, you accept and agree to be bound by the Contest Rules and these Legal Terms and Conditions. By entering this contest, you accept and agree that you are the owner to the rights of the picture(s) you post.  Mama’s Best Friend shall be the administrator of the Contest and shall sometimes be referred to as the “Administrator”.  Participants agree to the use by Mama’s Best Friend of their name, likeness, images submitted and/or prize information for promotional purposes in any medium without additional compensation to the extent permitted by law.  By entering this contest, you agree to receive communications and updates from Mama’s Best Friend.  Contest Period: The Yearly Mama’s Best Friend Baby Smile Contest begins at 12:00:00 a.m. (EST) on January 1st, 2013 and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. (EST) on December 31, 2013.  Entries submitted before or after the contest period will not be eligible for consideration.

Prizes: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­$50 gift card to Amazon (and other fun prizes!)

There will be three winners of the contest for the year and one per month.  All decisions of the contest will be final and binding. Mama’s Best Friend is responsible only for prize delivery it is not responsible for prize utility, quality or otherwise. Taxes and fees, if any, are the sole responsibility of winners. Winners shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless Mama’s Best Friend, its affiliates, subsidiaries, parents, directors, offices, and employees from and against any liabilities arising from or regarding taxes owed on the prize.

Verification of Winners and Delivery of Prizes: The Mama’s Best Friend prizes will only be awarded to the participants who responds to the message requesting their mailing address and email address. Mama’s Best Friend is not responsible if prize is returned as undeliverable or if entrant does not respond to prize notification message within 7 days after the date sent. Winners agree to the use by Mama’s Best Friend of their name, likeness, images submitted and/or prize information for promotional purposes in any medium without additional compensation to the extent permitted by law.  Contest void where prohibited.

Warning. Any attempt by an entrant to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of this sweepstakes is a violation of criminal and civil laws. Should such an attempt be made, sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such individual to the fullest extent permitted by law.