Lighten the Load
Together, we compiled a list of products and services we think have lightened our collective load as a family. Though nothing on this page has been the "magic" solution to our challenges, each has had a hand in making life just a little bit easier.
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Ps. We earn a commission from some of the items listed below. Most of the items we've listed simply because we love them. That said, when and where we can, we'll offer discounts or free trials through the vendors that choose to work with us.
The Fair Play Deck
You've heard us discussing cards and categories. Want to try it yourself? Pick up the Fair Play deck and start working through the conversation with your partner.
Fair Play Book
Even before you dig into the cards, reading this book can be tremendously helpful. It's a Best Friends meets Therapist kind of read.
Goodbye Stress Gummy
Let's be real - you won't say goodbye to all of your stress with these. But what these do for me is quiet the "noise" as I'm trying to go to sleep. Checklist running through my head? Gummy. Can't remember where I put the baseball stuff for tomorrow's practice? Gummy. Said something stupid at work? Two gummies.
Apps & Software
Ohai AI
​A New AI Personal Assistant — Scan school calendars and newsletters for key info to add to your schedule and to-do list. Ohai.ai manages your calendar, to-do list, and meal plans, plus scans emails for key info!
Shared
Shared brings everything essential together in one app - family calendars, budget tracking, to-do lists, documents, family contact information (hello, babysitter list!), and even includes a secure family chat.
Mightier
When our son showed some behavioral challenges at school, it stressed us both out. Talk about adding to the mental load - we met with school staff, formed plans of assistance, coached him at home...you name it. Then, we tried Mightier to help him learn how to calm himself down and things really started to change. It wasn't just Mightier that helped turn things around, but we know it certainly helped.
Lighten the Load with Kids
Collapsible Wagon
I debated over wagons way too long. But I'm really glad I found this one that's great for both kids and stuff. With the sun shade, the ability to pull or push, and the 300lb weight limit, I could put all three kids in here and not worry about a thing. And it folds down so small that it slips right into my car's trunk.
WiFi Humidifier
Could humidifiers get any harder to clean!?! This one has been, by far, the easiest to clean and refill. Do we still have to clean it regularly when we use it nightly in the winter? Yes. But does it take me 5 minutes or less instead of 20 minutes? Also yes. Plus, I love that we can make it warm mist and I can control it from my phone and set schedules for it to turn on and off.
Visual Timer for Kids
"It was mine!" "No, it was mine first!" UGH! This timer has resolved many battles in our home. The kids know to pick a length of time, set the timer, and when it goes off, it's the other person's turn. And since it counts down using the little marks around the clock, our son could use it even before he could read his numbers.
Sound Machine with Alarm Clock
{Tap, tap, tap} "Is it time to wake up yet, mama?"... It's 5:30am and your precious one is standing at the side of your bed, explaining that the sun is awake so it's time to get up. We love that we can program this light to turn green when it's time for our littlest to get out of bed. Plus, with the various routines we can set, he always knows when it's bedtime, too.
Compression Sheet
Our son struggled with sleep for quite a stretch and much later than any "sleep regression" should happen. We didn't want to use weighted blankets that are bulky, heavy, and hot. After some Googling about sensory disorders, I found these and they have changed the game of sleep for our son. He cozies into it at night and sleeps soundly all night long.
Table Protector
I finally bought my first "grown up" table for the kitchen and my kids promptly brought out their crayons and paper. Uh oh. Enter the clear writing pad that has saved my new table on more than one occasion. I can roll it up and tuck it away if we have guests over, but otherwise, it stays put.
When There's Vomit Involved
As a mom, one of my least favorite things to hear is, "Mom, I just threw up!" One of our kiddos also has motion sickness on airplanes and that can get tricky, too. These bags go with us everywhere and have rescued many of us from having to clean up a major mess. They fold flat so they can slip easily into a backpack or purse.
Kid Floatie for Safe Swimming
Does this floatie substitute for a lifeguard or keeping an eye on your kiddo? Nope. But it totally gives me peace of mind when I take the kids to the pool. And since our youngest is learning to swim, he knows how to do different strokes, but maybe doesn't have the stamina to be in the water for hours. This allows him to swim normally and give him a "boost" in the water.
Anti-Lice Shampoo and Conditioner
Right up there with vomit is dealing with lice. No, thank you. We have been using anti-lice shampoo and conditioner for years to prevent the little creepy crawlies from entering our heads and household. This one, out of all of them, smells the best to me and leaves our kids' hair feeling the cleanest (no oil feeling after washing). And now I'm itching...
Apple Watch Band for Kids
We have tried many Apple Watch bands for our kids. Yes, our kids have Apple Watches. For me, it's a safety thing. In an amusement park and get separated? Track, call, reunite. Walking home from school alone? Less heart palpitations for mom. In any case, getting a watch on and off can be hard and with the wrong band, the watch gets lost. These are easy enough for them to put on and take off alone.
Travel Lighter
Bring Less
When we travel, we usually pack only in backpacks. For our two-week Europe trip, we brought just four backpacks for the five of us. In order to pack that lightly, we used these travel laundry sheets in washers/dryers along the way - as well as a few hotel sinks! They work well because they function as both detergent and dryer sheet - no static cling, baby!
Travel Car Seat
Our son is still in a 3-point harness and that can make traveling really difficult. A few years ago, we found this awesome travel carset that positions the seatbelt exactly where you want it on little ones. It can be used on kiddos as small as 22lbs and our son has had no issues with it. While it doesn't have all of the safety features of a standard carseat, we love traveling with this and the peace of mind it gives.
Matein Backpack - Style #1
As we shared, when we went to Europe for two weeks, we brought only four backpacks. Now, when we travel, we almost always only use a backpack per person. Matein has been a brand we've trusted for years and they've never let us down. Each style is different so make sure you peek at all of the product images on Amazon to find just the right one.
Matein Backpack #2
This is another style backpack from Matein that we love. In fact, this is probably our family's most popular style. The inside straps really help keep things in place!
Matein Backpack - Style #3
I am telling you - this is the Matein of all the Mateins. Why? Because this thing was my workhorse whenever I had a newborn in the house. With a built-in cooler, I could take this to work and keep my lunch and pumped breastmilk cold. And private. It also fits a laptop, a ton of other stuff, and has the best pockets and water bottle holders.
Travel Backpack
We almost always travel with this because it's literally the size of your hand. So, it tucks super easily inside of our stuffed backpacks. When we want to just take a quick day trip wherever we're traveling, we pull this out and it becomes our backpack for the day (instead of having to empty things from our Matein backpacks). Plus if we buy too much on our trip...
Travel Booster
This inflatable booster is light to carry, inflates quickly, deflates quickly, and allows us to position the seatbelt right where our 10-year-old needs it in a rental car, Uber, or even on a bus.
iPad Case
For us, this has been the best iPad case we've ever purchased. It's easy enough to get the iPad in and out of the case, the kids can carry it, it protects the device during drops (believe me - our kids have tested that), and it has the best stand for holding the iPad upright on many surfaces.
Toilet Seat with Potty Training Seat
Eww, eww, eww is really how I feel about child potty seats. So, moving a potty seat on and off the toilet? Not my jam. I installed these on all our toilets and our kiddos learned to flip down the toddler seat when they were ready to go. Now, when we host families with little ones, our house is all ready for them to safely - and cleanly - go potty!
Dog Products
Dog Collar with Airtag Holder
We've got a jumper in our house. She sees fences as challenges. Games. So when she runs, we have to track her down. And while Airtags are awesome, anyone who has tried attaching one to a dog knows that most of the airtag holders fall apart - especially when the dogs play. This one basically locks the airtag in and despite having it for over a year, it looks brand new.
Dog Cone
Sadly, our dogs have had their share of health issues these past few years and some of those issues required us to put a cone on them to prevent them from licking something. While this cone isn't the answer to every dog injury, we found it keeps them from being able to reach about 80% of their body. Plus, it makes us laugh every time our little donut-head comes into the kitchen for a snack.
Dog Products
Water Less
Bird Watering Globes
Yes, these are really that cute sitting in your plants. For plants that need just a little bit of water, these are perfect. I nestle one in the pot, fill it to the top, and repeat the process the next week.
Grow Light
This grow light has a modern look and tucks neatly in with my plants. I prefer to put my grow lights toward the back of the plant, which gives it an elegant "backlit" look. Because of the timer feature, you literally set and forget this light. It turns on and off by itself, making sure your plant has the right amount of light during the day.
Watering Spikes
For plants that need more water - or for longer trips away - we use these plant spikes. We put the spike into the soil of the plant, fill a bottle (I like to save the prettiest wine bottles I find), and dump the bottle upside down into the spike. The water will then flow into the plant as the plant needs it. These are so easy to use that now our 10-year-old is on plant duty.
For The Mama
The Perfect Purse
When I became a mom, I became a purse snob. Not in the sense of needing an expensive purse, but needing one that had just the right storage. This purse is the closest thing to "perfect" I've ever found. I can easily store all of my things and when Legos get added to the mix, it's fine because there's room. And it comes in like eight colors so I never get bored.
Treadmill Desk
Sometimes I have to decide between getting a workout and getting stuff done. I bought this treadmill desk and now I can get steps and still mouse and type. It's really changed my mindset about what I "have time for" in any given day.
Pill Organizer
No, I'm not 95. But I am busy. With this pill organizer, I can set out my pills for one week (if I'm taking pills at multiple times a day) or for three weeks. And when I travel, I pop the little tubes out, throw them in my bag, and I'm all set. Nothing spills or falls out and I stay on track with my supplements and such.
Home Gym
Speaking of working out, I wasn't. At least not as much as I should. So, one Black Friday, I splurged on this machine on Amazon and after we spent about 3 hours putting it together ourselves (yes, it was actually easier than IKEA furniture), we've been using it and loving it ever since. Now, I can sneak down to the basement and get in a quick workout.
Owala FreeSip
If you know, you know. The Owala FreeSip is, hands down, the best water bottle on the market. On the planet. I love that I can open it with one hand (what mom has two hands free at a time!?!?! I want to meet her). And I love that the straw stays protected so I never worry about my straw getting dirty. I have literally replaced all our water bottles with Owalas.
Owala Stainless Straws
Okay, there's just one thing I do not like about our Owalas and that's the plastic straw. Plastic straws are hard to clean, filled with chemicals, and I think make the water taste funny. I bought these stainless steel straws so we can pop them right into the dishwasher and get the inside of the straw extra clean.
For Home
Steam Cleaner
Did I ever tell you about the time we parked with the kids to watch fireworks on July 4th and, just as I snuggled my son close on my lap to watch the first firework, he vomited all over my steering wheel, gear shift, seat... Yeah. We purchased this steamer around 3am when Qtips were no longer doing the trick at getting vomit out of the car crevices...
Mixer Lift
Clutter is one of the things that triggers my brain and pulls me off track. Making a mental list and then see a rogue sock? Yep - I totally forgot what I was doing. I installed these in two different cabinets in our kitchen. We use one for my mixmaster and another for our toaster oven. Both are now off the counter and out of my way!
Smart Oven
Speaking of my toaster oven, it's possibly my favorite appliance. I love all of my appliances and they're all workhorses in my kitchen, but this thing saves dinner several nights each week. Each year I cook our Thanksgiving turkey in it without compromising my oven space for all of the other dishes I need to make.
Organizing Baskets
As we shared on the show, we recently renovated our laundry room. In taking out the upper cabinets (that I'd always, without fail, smack my head on), I instead installed open shelving. And while I love the functionality of open shelving, it always looks cluttered. I used these bins to tuck everything into and now we can find what we're looking for!
Bin Labels
What good are bins without labels? If you can't see what's in the bin, you have to go from bin to bin to find what you need. I love using chalk labels because I can easily erase and re-label them as needed. I still don't love my own handwriting, but that's another issue for another day...
Plastic Storage Bins
You're sensing a theme, aren't you? Yes, I'm Type A and I love organization. These bins are everything I needed and more for our linen closet/medicine closet. First, they fit in our shallow closet without spilling over. They can be labeled easily with my label maker (any excuse to use that thing...), and they can be wiped clean if medicine spills inside.
Sheet Storage
Have you ever tried to use the sheet storage containers that make you fold the sheets perfectly in order to fit inside the storage bin? Did you also throw the storage container against the wall? No? Just me? Well, these storage containers are a bit bigger and have a large zipper, which means you can literally stuff the sheets in, zip it closed, and look organized.
Label Maker
You're not Type A unless you absolutely love your label maker. But if you're not Type A and still want to simplify, this thing is awesome. I use it to label just about everything - from the kids' school stuff to bins around the house, this helps everyone know where something is without calling out, "Mom! Where's my...."
Door Lock
I love this lock because our kids can let themselves into the house without carrying a house key (and losing a house key). Plus, I can set codes for people who come to our home - like our cleaning service or our trusted electrician. If I'm in a meeting, they just punch in a code and let themselves in without disrupting my meeting.
Stair Basket
Our stairs are both functional and incredibly dangerous. The kids pile everything on the stairs and it can quickly become a trip hazard. I bought a bin for our stairs going upstairs and another for our stairs going into the basement. Now, when someone needs something to go to a different floor but they don't intend to carry it there right away, they drop it into the bin. Once a week, we empty the bins.