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December, 2021 - melaninmamah

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Month: December 2021

How to sleep train your baby or toddler in five days

How to sleep train your baby or toddler in five days


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How to sleep train your baby or toddler? . I am sure that I am speaking for all moms out there when I say it is every mother’s dream to have a good sleep. We all dream of having a decent sleep without being interrupted by some baby screams. I remember being a new c-section mom who was recovering from a major surgery and grumpy because of the little to no sleep I was getting. All I can say is that it’s possible and after this, you will be just five days away from your beauty sleep.

The ebook I purchased about sleep training literally transformed my perspective on sleep training. I honestly can’t recommend it enough. You can get yourself a copy from here!. Have we ever taken the time as moms and tried to figure out why our kids won’t sleep?. Personally, before I knew anything about sleep training I solely focused on when and how I wanted my daughter to fall asleep and not so much on what she needed to sleep longer . Here’s our sleep training method below.

Our sleep training method

Here’s what I did.

Maybe babies aren’t sleeping well because they are hungry. This got me thinking and I began feeding her thirty minutes before her bedtime. Of course there are night feeds that we have to wake up for especially for new moms. However if they sleep with their tummies full, they will sleep for longer.

We all have different bath times in our homes. What I found to work for me at home was to bath my daughter in the afternoons. Putting her in a warm bath with some lavender flavoured body wash helped to relax her. Nothing beats a fresh clean diaper and clothes after a relaxing bath.

In the evening just before putting her to bed, I used to spend some time playing with her. We’d play with her toys, sing some songs or read short stories. I did all of these things to make sure that by the time she had to go to bed, she would be tired which would help her fall asleep faster.

Babies love calm spaces or quiet spaces. Limit the noise in the house or in your baby’s room. Some babies really love noise machines and they help them relax. Walk slowly, sing some soft lullabies. During this time I would rub her little back maybe gently touch her hair to help her relax even more.

The big step!

Place your baby in his/her crib and spend a minute comforting him/her. e.g. “shh shh” or continue singing softly.

Leave the room if your baby has a separate room. It was easier for me since we shared a room, I would simply walk away from her crib to my bed. If you see your baby starting to get restless or if they start crying you can just head over to their crib and comfort them without picking them up.

You can let your baby cry it out for a few minutes, it could be five to ten minutes or more depending on your choices. Honestly this is a hard process and it takes a lot of effort.. I also gave in the first few nights and let her sleep on my hands after her major breakdowns but it gets better! . What I know for sure is that you will give in until you get it right.

What you should know!

When you are starting out, it is going to be hard but you are going to get there. I remember dreading the evenings because I knew the whole nightmare was about to begin. That caused me a lot of anxiety. Seeing my baby upset was really hard but I knew I had to continue and stick it out.

Our results

It is so satisfying to see that all her screams and my tears were worth it. The fact that I was sometimes the one who would wake her up for some feeds during the night was a great achievement and a proud moment for me as her mother. I would love to know about your different journeys to sleep training on the comments section.

How to start a money making blog in 2022

How to start a money making blog in 2022

How to start a blog in 2022?. “Are blogs still a trend?”, “are blogs dead?”. These questions always confuse me because billions of people are constantly searching on Google or Pinterest for information. Blogging isn’t something that was done a long time ago that is now extinct. As long as search engines like Google and Pinterest still exist then there is no way blogging can run out of fashion. There are also misconceptions that certain niches are over saturated and that there isn’t any space for newbies. Here’s how to start a money making blog in 2022.

Do not let anyone discourage you because there is enough space in the blogging streets even for us as newbies. I won’t lie blogging is very competitive and as newbies we are coming in an industry where there are already many established bloggers hence we have to work hard and focus on the tiny things that sets us apart from the rest. The question is now how and where do you start when creating your blog?.

What is a blog?

A blog is a website that has articles about a specific subject and is typically run by an individual or a group of people. What is the purpose of a blog?. A blog aims to provide clarity, to inform, educate or entertain a user that comes into your website.

How much does it cost to start a money making blog?

The amount can range from $35,40 to $100 (R540 to R1500). When you are starting out, I recommend the basic hosting plan from bluehost. It is quite affordable however you can always upgrade if you wish to do so.

Five steps to start a money making blog in 2022

Identify your niche

As much as this sounds cliché and almost every blogger talks about it, it is very important. You need to do intensive research about the niche you are interested in. Is it a good niche with a large audience?. Will it be easy for you to personally produce content about that particular niche?. I always say go for something you love doing so that you won’t run out of ideas. There are different niches you can choose from.

Parenting

Lifestyle

Food

Photography

Travel

Beauty and fashion

Finance

Choose your blogging platform

After you have chosen your niche, it’s time to start the blog making process. You need to choose your blogging platform. Again when it comes to a blogging platform I recommend WordPress. Org. What we want most of us as bloggers is to own our content and websites and you can fully own your website on WordPress.

Choose a blog topic and a blog name

Once you know your niche and practically what your website will be about, you then need a name for your blog. The name of your blog should resonate to the type of content you will be producing and the type of niche you are in.

Buying hosting for your blog

As I have mentioned before, because of their affordable packages I recommend bluehost especially for new bloggers. Bluehost.com

Choose a blog theme

After paying for hosting, thereafter you should start customizing your website. The first thing is to choose a theme and set up relevant pages for your blog. There are hundreds of free themes available on WordPress.

Launch your website

After you have chosen a theme for your blog it is time to launch your website. There will be lots ot of information that you will learn as you go. We all have been there as new bloggers. You can’t consume everything at once. Therefore make sure that you constantly search and teach yourself about the things you don’t understand yet. Join Facebook groups and make friends in the blogging community.

Now that we have discussed the steps on how to start a successful blog, you are probably asking yourself, how do you make money blogging in 2022?. Blogging on it’s own won’t make any money for you as a blogger. There are four ways in which you can make money blogging. Running ads in your Website is the first option. Affiliate marketing is a second way in which you can make money from your blog. You can also make money through sponsored posts or by selling your own products on your blog.

 All of these options require a decent amount of traffic to your website. The only reason why you can’t monetize your blog from the beginning is because monetization of a blog requires traffic. Traffic will build up as time goes on. How do you then drive traffic to your website?. There are two search engines that drive massive traffic to blogs (Google and Pinterest). With Google, it can take time to grow or even appear on Google’s first page even if you have mastered SEO. You can grow a lot faster with Pinterest. It can take you around three to six months to grow and monetize your blog website using Pinterest.

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a visual search engine. Just like Google, people go to Pinterest looking for answers, inspiration or information. Before I started my blog I used to refer to Pinterest as a “picture app” because I had no idea how it worked. All I knew was it had great pictures. I am sure I am not the only one who viewed Pinterest like this. However after hearing a lot of bloggers rave about Pinterest I had to explore it and within two weeks I had 20k monthly impressions on Pinterest and the more impressions I have on there the more traffic I get into my website.

Growing on Pinterest is fast as you can tell by my growth however it also won’t happen overnight and you need to put in thhe work. You need to create and optimize business your account with as many keywords as possible in your niche, pin consistently, make sure your boards are named correctly and you need to create clickable pins. It sounds overwhelming I know and I won’t lie and say it’s easy but if a newbie like me could grow this fast anyone can.

Christmas tree decoration ideas

Christmas tree decoration ideas

Six Stunning Christmas tree decoration ideas

Here are some six stunning Christmas tree decoration ideas you can try out this Christmas. The Countdown to Christmas day has officially began. Are you tired of decorating your Christmas tree in that same old way?. If you are looking into adding a new touch into your Christmas tree decorations then this is the place for you.

Elegant Christmas tree decorations ideas

Elegant Christmas tree decoration ideas

I have been seeing a lot of families over the years master the elegant Christmas tree theme. For this idea you need a white tree or better yet you can spray the tree you already have with some fake snow to make it look white. White, gold and silver ornaments complete the whole look. You can also play around with some light coloured extra decorative items to complete the look. Here is an image above of an example of an elegant Christmas tree.

Red Christmas tree decorations ideas

Red themed Christmas tree decoration ideas

If you think of Christmas colours I am sure the colour red is the first to pop up in your mind. I love to incorporate red into my Christmas tree decorations. Red is the colour of the entire festive season and will never get out of fashion. For this theme, you can go for your Red and white ornaments. You can add other decorative items as well for final touches.

Colourful Christmas tree decorations

Colourful Christmas tree decoration ideas

If you are a fan of colour then this idea is for you. I love this idea because it is so colourful and not limiting. With this idea, you can use as many colours as you want. It is also a great way of creating Christmas tree. Kids love this theme because of all the colours and different decorative items used in this theme.

Christmas tree ideas for small spaces

Christmas tree ideas for small spaces

If you don’t have a big enough space to fit in a huge Christmas tree then this idea will be perfect for you. I too have limited space in my living room. Therefore I had to find a tree that would fit just right in my living room. To make up for the size of your Christmas tree, use something like a stool to elevate it and make it look longer. Using presents to surround the Christmas tree is also a good idea.

White Christmas tree decorations ideas

White Christmas tree decoration ideas

Does anyone want to have a white Christmas this year?. It is so easy to decorate a Christmas tree with a single colour. It is not only easy to decorate but it looks elegant and modern and not too cluttered. Check out the trees below with white ornaments to get some ideas if you are thinking of going with this idea.

Christmas tree with ribbons

Christmas tree decoration ideas

A lot of people are skeptical about adding ribbons to their Christmas trees. If you are not sure how to pull this idea off but would love to try it out, check the images below. I hope you found something that resonated with what you were looking for and happy festive season.