To Horse or Not to Horse, the age old parenting question

Horses are incredible animals. With some reaching speeds as fast as 50 km/hour, it’s easy to see the power which these great beasts have hidden away. Of course, though, they aren’t just strong, as these large creatures also come with a huge deal of emotions which all need to be tended carefully. This leaves a lot of little boys and girls pining after a equestrian friend, but should you be giving it to them? To help you out with this, this post will be exploring some of the key pros and cons which come with an animal like this, giving you an idea of whether or not one would be right for you.

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What You Need to Know About Postpartum Depression Groups

Back in October, our second baby, Pip, was born.

postpartum depression is real, raw, emotional, scary, life threatening. it is a disease. How many women are affected? 1 in 5. that's 20%. you are not alone. it's more than just the baby blues. more than just overwhelm. more than just fatigue. find out what I learned and how it can help you in your own journey after your baby is born.As most newborns are, he was squishy, sleepy and cuddly. I was pretty prepared for this. What I wasn't prepared for was the emotions I would feel. To the point where I thought I had postpartum depression.

When Sweet Girl was born, I had absolutely ZERO negative effects. I was SO in love with being a mama and amazed at how we lucked out with such an easy baby (she slept through the night at 3 weeks!). Of course, I didn't expect future babies to be as perfect, but I also didn't expect what I experienced with Baby Pip.

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Easy & Inexpensive Valentine’s Day Ideas for Kids

Valentine's day can be challenging. Shortly after Christmas, who wants to spend more money! Find some inexpensive ways to entertain your kids this year. Cute and easy ideas to make it a memorable Valentine's Day with the kids. #vday #valentinesday #kids #frugal #inexpensive #fun #momblog Valentine's day can be challenging. Shortly after Christmas, who wants to spend more money! Find some inexpensive ways to entertain your kids this year. Cute and easy ideas to make it a memorable Valentine's Day with the kids. #vday #valentinesday #kids #frugal #inexpensive #fun #momblog

At the risk of having my woman card stripped, I'm being completely honest when I say that I never have been a fan of Valentine's Day.  Yes, it's nice to get flowers + chocolate, etc., but I really believe that every day should be used to show those around us that we love them.  Right?

That being said, V-Day grew in meaning for me in 2017.  My daughter's first Valentine's Day.

Growing up, my mom would always have a little something for us, and there would be cards and goodies to pass out at our school party.  We even had a coinciding week dedicated to a “secret friend” exchange.  It was exciting and all, but, was it really necessary?

Valentine's day can be challenging. Shortly after Christmas, who wants to spend more money! Find some inexpensive ways to entertain your kids this year. Cute and easy ideas to make it a memorable Valentine's Day with the kids. #vday #valentinesday #kids #frugal #inexpensive #fun #momblogNow that I'm a mama, I appreciate all the effort my own mother, the teachers, and my classmates' mothers put in to making our Valentine's Days memorable and fun, even if I didn't back then.

So, in the spirit of the season, I've been thinking of ways to make Sweet Girl's second and Pip's first Valentine's Day a good one.  While Pip will be a bit small (4 months) to really enjoy anything, I still feel the desire to make an effort for him.

Since it isn't really a true holiday, and since my husband is in school (final term, yay!), I'm brainstorming for inexpensive or free ways to celebrate the day of love.  Who knows, maybe you'll create a lasting tradition.

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How To Potty Train a Baby

Early potty training, because potty training is a marathon. it's a long learning experience. Learn how to potty train your toddler or baby. It's easy and fun. Lots of bonding time. Easy to do. Great for the family. you will be shocked at how well your child responds and how proud you all are!

Even before I became pregnant for the first time I knew I didn't want to be the family that had the 3 year old in diapers.  Early potty training, to me, was just going to be potty training.  I didn't consider it a “fad” or a “thing”.  It was just the way we were going to do it.

Fast forward to the delivery room, take 1.  I distinctly recall, with a slimy newborn on my chest, talking to the nurse about how we'll start training Sweet Girl at 9 months old.  Her reply was along the lines of “oh, you're one of those.”

Excuse me?

I didn't realize there were “those” to be categorized.  But, as I soon found out, with any parenting decision there will be distinct divisions and “sides”.  And yes, a lot of the time we are “those” parents.

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How to Turn a Onesie Into a T-Shirt

As parents we know the trouble that comes with onesies. By 9 months old, most kids are too old to be wearing them and they just become this massive hassle that is so not worth it. Ease some of the annoyance in your life by turning a onesie into a T-shirt. You’ll get more use out of it and it will save you time and energy during dressing and diaper changes. Win-win!

Can we dedicate today's post to one of the most adorable things on the planet?  No, I'm not talking about all the cute trick-or-treaters you had your way last night.  I'm talkin' about baby clothes!  All those teensy-weensy little garments that really have no reason for being so adorable other than they're, well, teensy-weensy.  Specifically, shirts.  We're going to talk about turning a onesie into a T-shirt!

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7 Ways Pregnancy 2 Differed from Pregnancy 1

Pregnancy differences between my first and second pregnancies. 7 elements that were different between baby 1 and baby 2 and what it meant for the sex of the babies. See what the different symptoms meant for me and my experience for being pregnant twice. Plus a FREE hospital bag checklist. If you’re expecting or hoping to become pregnant, this post is for you.

If you're new to hampersandhiccups.com, let me catch you up.  I have a 17  month old Sweet Girl, and we just welcomed our new bundle of joy – Pipsqueak.  You probably don't want to do the math, so I'll tell ya – that equates to me being pregnant for roughly 18 months out of the last 26.  69%!  While both pregnancies were relatively uneventful and, dare I say, easy, they were still pregnancies!  As I'm sure you've heard, no two pregnancies, births or babies are the same.  I can agree with this and I'm going to share with you 7 of my pregnancy differences.

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