17 holiday teacher gifts they actually want (no DIY!)

17 holiday teacher gifts they actually want (no DIY!)

If you’re like me, you want to show your appreciation to the teachers and other important adults in your children’s lives every holiday. I always want to give holiday teacher gifts, but I often come up short with ideas. Some years, I scour Pinterest for adorable, handmade teacher gift ideas; others, I just grab a handful of Starbucks or Target gift cards and call it good. This year, I wanted to change things up and give teacher gifts they actually want—and that support the local economy.

Here’s the thing, though. I don’t want to make cookie kits in a mason jar or craft rustic-painted signs out of wooden pallets I’ve reclaimed. Or maybe I would like to if I actually had the time to make those things. You see, most times when I try to DIY gifts, I get as far as buying the supplies—which then sit in my craft drawer for years, acquiring dust and guilt.

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one. (Do you feel that way too?) So I asked friends who are educators to share the holiday teacher gifts they actually want and can truly use—gifts that require zero DIY. And these ideas support local businesses instead of the giant corporations that, let’s be honest, don’t really need our dollars.

So this holiday, as you’re looking for gift ideas for teachers, childcare providers, coaches and more, take a peek below. I’m sure you’ll find inspiration for meaningful gifts for the grown-ups your kids love.

Holiday gift ideas for teachers under $25 / To & Fro Fam Read more

The essential breastfeeding gift guide for moms you love

The essential breastfeeding gift guide for moms you love

I recently asked a friend of mine who is a new mom how she was feeling. Her answer: “I’m good—but so tired.” Well of course! She—and you, breastfeeding moms—are busy sustaining a human being by creating food with your body (aka breastfeeding). And you definitely deserve pampering, which is why I’ve pulled together this breastfeeding gift guide!

Maybe you’re looking to buy yourself something nice. Maybe you want to gift something to a friend/sister/coworker who is a new mom and is breastfeeding. Maybe you want to conveniently leave this tab open so someone will take the hint and buy you what you need. Either way, this breastfeeding gift guide is sure to give you ideas for Christmas shopping, a birthday wish list or just because!

A breastfeeding gift guide: Gift ideas for moms // Ten Thousand Hour Mama

I breastfed my two kids for something like 38 months all together (but who’s counting—ha!). That’s a lot of experience, and a lot of trial and error. So instead of poring over hundreds of reviews or blindly searching through online listings, look on through this breastfeeding gift guide for wish list ideas.

And keep up the good work, mama! Read more

13 essential children’s books about starting school: Ease first day jitters

Getting ready for the first day of school? These essential children’s books about starting school will help your kids prep for the next big stage in their young lives: going back to school. (This post contains affiliate links.)

This is a big year in our family: It’s the first day of preschool for Kiwi and the first day of kindergarten for Peeper. (How did they get so big?!) Peeper is absolutely jazzed about starting school—in fact, the other day she asked when fall was, and when my answer wasn’t soon enough she started crying.

When you ask Kiwi how she feels about starting school, though, her response is more mixed (and impressively nuanced for a 3-year-old): She says, “I’m excited but also little bit scared.”

That ambivalence about a new experience is totally understandable—and probably very familiar to you, if you have kids getting ready for their first day of school.

That’s why we’ve been reading these children’s books about starting school. They’re silly, fun and relatable. These children’s books about starting school are also a perfect opportunity to talk through what to expect—and to discuss the mixed feelings your kids might have about the first day of school.

Back to school season is exciting - but not every child has what she needs to succeed. Here, 4 things your family can do to help. Ten Thousand Hour Mama
This was Peeper’s first day of school last year. She has grown so much!

So request these from the library or order them on Amazon Prime. You and your kids will love reading these books about starting school—I know we have.

Good luck, parents!

Getting ready for the first day of school? These 13 greatest children's books about starting school are perfect to prep for back to school. Ten Thousand Hour Mama

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The truth of motherhood: All the feelings of your baby growing up

The truth of motherhood: All the feelings of your baby growing up

The other day I was driving home when I saw the google maps car zipping along in front of me. I cracked up, which made my girls ask, “What are you laughing at, Mama?” Well, the funny way time passes was what made me laugh—but that would have made little sense to my kids, who just turned 3 and 5.

I told them a story instead. Read more

Tongue tie and breastfeeding: the undiagnosed reason BFing hurts

Tongue tie and breastfeeding: the undiagnosed reason BFing hurts

Moms, I’m pretty sure you’ll agree that your whole world changes when you deliver your baby and hold her in your arms for the first time. Your heart cracks open and comes together again in an entirely new way to make space for all the love you feel for the newest member of your family. In addition to the tsunami of feelings, though, can come the feeling of drowning in a wholly different way. When you first have your baby, you might wonder why breastfeeding is so hard, so painful, so frustrating. I learned this the hard way, and it took much too long for me to discover the reason why: tongue tie and breastfeeding is a combination that can turn out in truly horrible ways. Here’s the good news, though: You can fix your tongue tie and breastfeeding problems.

Tongue tie and breastfeeding: A fixable problem

Breastfeeding is hard for many women and babies, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. The first weeks of my older daughter Peeper’s life were filled with tears (from both Baby and Mom), slow or no weight gain, bleeding nipples and emotional turmoil. I searched for answers anywhere and everywhere, but the reason breastfeeding was so hard was closer: in my baby’s mouth.

Once I discovered the link between tongue tie and breastfeeding pain, my baby and I set off on the path to a happy, healthy breastfeeding relationship. I ended up breastfeeding Peeper for 14 months and Kiwi for 24 months—all because we corrected their tongue tie. Getting her tongue tie diagnosed also helped bring back my milk supply from almost nothing to being able to pump 5 ounces at a time.

Tongue tie and breastfeeding pain are often connected, but there's hope: My babies and I are proof. Ten Thousand Hour Mama

If you’re having trouble breastfeeding, I hope this post helps. If your baby has tongue tie, know that you’re not alone—and that fixing it may save your goals of breastfeeding.

The undiagnosed breastfeeding issue

When I gave birth to my first child, I knew I wanted to breastfeed. Yes, breastfeeding is good for both Baby and  Mama, but my breastfeeding goals were more instinctual and emotional. Something just felt right when Peeper scooched up, found my breast, and started nursing.

But breastfeeding also felt awful. It hurt. I thought pain while breastfeeding was normal; I figured the pain would go away. It didn’t, and after just 24 hours nursing my baby, my nipples were raw and sore.

Lactation consultants checked in on me, adjusted Peeper’s latch and referred me to breastfeeding advisers. I visited lactation experts three times a week, trying to fix my baby’s latch and get me some relief.

Tongue tie and breastfeeding problems often go hand-in-hand—and often go undiagnosed. Here's everything you need to know about tongue tie in babies. Ten Thousand Hour Mama

I had been nursing Peeper on bleeding nipples for a month before a lactation consultant asked me, “Has your baby been evaluated for tongue tie?”

My baby and I had seen at least a half-dozen lactation consultants and three pediatricians, and no one—not a single person—had suggested tongue tie affects breastfeeding. I had never even heard of tongue tie, so I didn’t know to ask about it.  But after I brought my baby to a pediatric ear, nose and throat doctor (ENT), he immediately diagnosed tongue tie.

A simple solution to save your breastfeeding relationship

Peeper’s tongue tie diagnosis didn’t come until she was 2 months old—quite late, considering she and I had struggled to breastfeed that entire time. Also during her first months, she ended up going hungry because my breast milk supply dropped from the lack of proper stimulation (from an incorrect latch due to the tongue tie) and pain.

Yet a few seconds and a pair of scissors corrected the tongue tie.

I was horrified that a doctor wanted to cut any part of my baby, but if one simple procedure would save our breastfeeding relationship, I was willing to try.

We didn’t see improvements in breastfeeding immediately. After all, Peeper had spent two months with restricted tongue movement from the tongue tie, so she had to unlearn months of muscle memory. What’s more, I had endured substantial nipple damage which took weeks to heal.

But eventually, Peeper and I relearned how to breastfeed. My breast milk supply returned, and Peeper started to nurse with a proper latch. She gained weight, and we resumed the beautiful breastfeeding relationship I’d dreamed of.

Does my baby have tongue tie?

While Peeper and I didn’t get help with her tongue tie until she was two months old, I knew what signs to look for with Kiwi, my second child.

Tongue tie and breastfeeding pain are often connected, but there's hope: My babies and I are proof. Ten Thousand Hour Mama

Kiwi showed many of the same signs of tongue tie that her big sister did.

The signs and symptoms of tongue tie in infants

  • A shortened frenulum, or vertical strip of tissue that connects the bottom of the tongue to the mouth. These tend to be thicker and they extend farther toward the tip of the tongue in many tongue-tied babies, limiting their ability to open wide and move their tongue. A shortened frenulum can be thought of as a short leash—it won’t let the tongue go as far as a typical tongue can move.
  • Pain while breastfeeding. Discomfort and even some pain is normal in the first days of breastfeeding as your body gets used to its new job, but extended and severe pain is not normal. Research shows that tongue tie accounts for many painful breastfeeding problems, so it’s important to consider tongue tie as one possible cause of breastfeeding pain.
  • Nipple damage. Tongue tie prevents a baby from opening his mouth wide enough to secure a good latch while breastfeeding. Tongue tied infants, then, have a shallower latch, and their sucking action may rub on your nipple, causing tissue damage.
    For me, I saw the worst nipple damage on the underside of my nipple, where my babies’ tongue would rub against while nursing.
  • Dribbling milk. A poor latch from tongue tie may cause a gap in between your breast and your baby’s mouth. I learned that milk dribbling out of your baby’s mouth is another sign of tongue tie.
  • Poor weight gain and low milk supply. The poor latch from tongue tie can make it hard for your baby to get enough breast milk. The pain from an improper latch, and the disrupted supply-and-demand feedback loop successful breastfeeding requires, can mean you don’t establish a good breast milk supply or that your supply drops.

What is tongue tie? What you need to know

Very few people—including pediatricians, even—have the most up-to-date information about tongue tie.

  1. Tongue tie can be anterior (marked by a frenulum that extends farther-than-average on the underside of the tongue) or posterior (a less obvious manifestation of the condition that still restricts tongue and mouth movement). Posterior tongue tie is less often diagnosed and less often corrected, despite research that shows correcting posterior tongue tie also improves breastfeeding.
  2. Tongue tie corrections involve a scissors or laser cutting the tissue on the underside of the tongue that restricts movement and flexibility. This is an outpatient procedure (meaning you won’t have to stay overnight). Doctors first numb the area and then cut the tissue, and babies heal quickly. It’s not fun for anyone, but it is safe. In a study of 3,000 infant tongue tie cases, not a single tongue tie revision went awry or caused side effects.
  3. Many tongue tie experts recommend “exercises” for parents to do post-procedure so the separated tissue does not heal back together. From my experience, these are emotionally hard—babies do not like many of the exercises—but crucial to preventing re-attachment (and a second round of the procedure).
  4. Experts don’t entirely know what causes tongue tie, but research suggests the condition is at least partly hereditary.

Fixing tongue tie ASAP

Although Peeper’s tongue tie was corrected late, Kiwi’s was corrected when she was eight days old. In many parts of the world, though, that would be considered late.

The bottom line for tongue tie correction: The sooner you correct an infant’s tongue tie, the better. An Australian study in the journal Breastfeeding Review showed that the later a baby’s tongue tie was released, the more likely a mother was to wean the baby early. In fact, the research showed, the sooner tongue tie is diagnosed and revised, the more mothers were satisfied with their breastfeeding relationship.

If you suspect tongue tie and breastfeeding pain are linked in your BFing problems, find an expert near you. Your family pediatrician, and even the average lactation consultant, might not be educated in the different presentations of tongue tie and how tongue tie affects breastfeeding. (For example, our pediatrician—whom I love and trust—saw no issue with either of my kids’ tongue anatomy, whereas experts flagged both children.)

Will correcting tongue tie help your baby and breastfeeding?

Only a medical specialist can tell you for sure if correcting a tongue tie will help your baby and fix breastfeeding problems; I’m definitely not an expert. But I have seen a monumental difference in my babies and in my breastfeeding issues after correcting tongue tie.

Tongue tie and breastfeeding pain are often connected, but there's hope: My babies and I are proof. Ten Thousand Hour Mama

Don’t take my word from it, though. A 2016 study of more than 200 babies found that infants who underwent tongue tie corrections saw breastfeeding improvements a week after the procedure—and that improvements continued for at least the first month. This trend held true for babies with posterior tongue tie (which is less often diagnosed, and which is what Kiwi had). What’s more, babies whose tongue ties were released were able to drink 155% more milk compared to before the procedure. (Side note: This article was authored by Dr. Bobak Ghaheri, one of the world’s leading experts on tongue tie and breastfeeding medicine, who also corrected Kiwi’s tongue tie. He has phenomenal tongue tie and breastfeeding resources on his web site.)

In addition, a different randomized, controlled study found that correcting a baby’s tongue tie was more effective in improving breastfeeding than intensive work with a qualified lactation consultant. In this study, 95% of the babies whose tongue ties were corrected were better able to breastfeed.

There are people out there who dismiss tongue tie as a fad, who will try to convince you tongue tie revision is an unnecessary and cruel procedure, and who will swear that your baby doesn’t have tongue tie despite showing all the signs and symptoms of tongue tie. But trust your gut and seek expert opinions if you think tongue tie and breastfeeding pain are linked for you. I’m so glad I did. After all, getting my babies’ tongue tie corrected enabled me to meet my goal of continuing to breastfeed. Fixing their tongue tie saved our breastfeeding relationship.

Again, I want to re-emphasize that I am not a medical professional. This post is based on peer-reviewed journal articles and studies, personal experience and medical advice I have received. This post is not meant to diagnose or treat anyone or any medical issue; rather, this post is meant to help struggling families get the information they need and advocate for themselves. 


If you’re looking to troubleshoot more breastfeeding problems, click these links because they have helped tens of thousands of other blog visitors. Here are my most popular breastfeeding posts:

How to increase your milk supply

How to fix a clogged duct

How to deal with unsupportive colleagues while you pump at work

7 best children’s books about bees: What we’re reading

When I first introduced the idea of beekeeping to my kids, Kiwi put on her grouchiest frowny face. “Me no like bees,” she said. “Bees sting me!” I tried to explain to her that honeybees are, in fact, mostly docile and that it’s wasps and hornets that aggressively sting, but the distinction was lost on my toddler. Yet I was determined to get the whole family on board with backyard beekeeping—and these wonderful children’s books about bees helped us get there!

We’ve had these children’s books about bees in our rotation for about a month now, and the girls have gone from going “eek!” whenever anyone said “bee” to asking to read these, playing bees (complete with waggle dances!) and asking to make our own mason bee houses.

With beekeeping season upon us—and with us about to set up our brand-new beehive—the timing for their enthusiasm about pollinators couldn’t be better.

Whether you’re interested in family beekeeping or you just want your kids to learn about these crucial pollinators, these children’s books about bees are a wonderful starting point!

The 7 best children's books about bees and honeybees. Ten Thousand Hour Mama Read more

12 reasons why I garden with my kids: Raising mini gardeners

12 reasons why I garden with my kids: Raising mini gardeners

Gardening with your kids has about a million benefits, but these are the top reasons I get out in the yard with my children. It’s not hard to garden with your kids. Try it and report back if you see any of these side perks, too! This post contains affiliate links. 

The other day, Peeper looked out the window and asked, “What’s on fire?” In a panic, I looked outside and saw not smoke—but clouds upon clouds of pollen wafting off a tree in our backyard. Spring is officially here, people.

(Now where’s my Claritin?)

As much as allergies annoy me, I am so ready for spring, partly because I can’t wait to garden with my kids! We’ve been talking a lot about what we want to plant, and we picked up some seeds from the garden store the other day. We’re raising bees this year, too, which will greatly benefit our garden—and influence what we plant, since I want to ensure we grow a pollinator-friendly garden.

But my aims to garden with my kids goes beyond providing food for our honeybees. Getting outside with my preschooler and toddler, connecting them to the natural world and teaching them responsibility by caring for plants are just a few reasons why gardening with my kids is at the top of my priorities.

Curious? Hungry? Excited for spring? Here are my top reasons why you should dig in with your little gardeners.

12 reasons to garden with kids. Ten Thousand Hour Mama Read more

6 ways to embrace self-care and feel more like yourself

6 ways to embrace self-care and feel more like yourself

At the beginning of February, I wrote about how I was feeling exhausted—physically, mentally and emotionally. So I made it my monthly resolution to restore and replenish. It’s been just a month since then, which isn’t a ton of time for big changes, but I can say this: I feel so much better. I feel more like myself. And I’m embracing self-care.

Meaningful change is gradual. Like crash diets or cramming for a test, intense bouts of self-reinvention rarely lead to lasting, sustained changes. What’s more, the all-out mentality isn’t exactly refreshing, is it?

So I approached my goal to restore and replenish less as a project and more of a practice in intentionality, self-reflection, self-care and even paring back.

The result: I feel more energized (even though I’m still tired—I blame nearly three years of raising a terrible sleeper). I feel happier. I feel more in touch with those I love. I feel more like myself.

These are the 6 things that helped me get here. I know that self-care isn’t a one-time deal; self-care is an ongoing practice to treat yourself as well as you treat others. So I’ll check in on this post going forward to remind myself of the things that helped me feel more like myself. I hope they help you, too.

6 self-care ideas for moms. Ten Thousand Hour Mama Read more

What can I do for gun reform? 5 steps you can take today

What can I do for gun reform? 5 steps you can take today

I haven’t been quiet about commonsense gun reform on this blog. The mass shooting in Parkland, Florida two  weeks ago is heartbreaking—and, shockingly, commonplace in our country. It is appalling that there is so little political will to do anything about it. I find myself asking, what can I do for gun reform?

Chances are, you want tighter gun control too, as does most of the country. According to a poll taken on February 20:

  • 97% of Americans want universal background checks
  • 67% of Americans want a nationwide ban on assault-style rifles, like the one used in the Parkland shooting
  • 83% of Americans want a mandatory waiting period to buy a gun

Want to turn these commonsense reforms into reality? Still wondering what you can do for gun reform? Read on. Read more

Prepare for Baby #2: A no stress guide from a two-time mom

When I was pregnant with my older daughter, I spent tons of time reading articles on how to prepare for your baby’s arrival. I could tell anyone who asked how far along I was, down to the day. I had no idea what to expect, so naturally I tried to prepare as much as I could. Fast forward to my second pregnancy, and things were a bit different. To prepare for Baby #2, I did a lot less—and I focused on only the essential tasks to get ready.

The different approach at times made me feel lazy, but looking back, I realized the no stress baby prep was precisely what I needed.

How to prepare for Baby #2: the essential tasks for a pregnant mom of a toddler. Ten Thousand Hour Mama Read more