Mommy Wants Mayonnaise: Homeowner Edition

Check out the full series of Mommy Wants Mayonnaise: Navigating Tricky Communication and Mental Health in Motherhood here.

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Hi readers!

It’s hard to believe that in addition to becoming parents, we became first-time homeowners too! We quickly learned that it’s not uncommon for couples to learn that they are expecting and want to have a home or more space for their newborn. In our case, we were looking to buy a home before we learned we were pregnant, which only sped up the process! It’s been quite a journey and we feel very fortunate to have a home to grow into for years to come. In celebration of our first full year as homeowners, I wanted to share some favorites that have made our new house feel more like a home (and are great housewarming gifts ideas too)!

#1 Bathroom Organizer

#2 Air Purifier

#3 Cushy Door Closer

#4 Room Darkening Curtain Rod

#5 Wyze Rechargable Night Lights

#6 Wall-Mounted Drying Rack

#7 Bare Sheets

1. Bathroom Organizer- I can’t tell you how many people have complimented me on this simple, affordable, unobtrusive organizer for a half bathroom. Especially useful when you have a pedestal sink with no storage! Easy to assemble, it fits nicely into small spaces to store cleaners, toilet paper and other items you want handy yet out of sight.

2. Air purifier- A gift from loving family members who wanted us to have the cleanest air possible for our newborn, this air purifier gently moves and cleans the air and serves as an easy white-noise-machine while baby continues to sleep in our room.

3. Cushy Door Closer- I didn’t know these awesome things existed until we received one as a gift. Created to prevent slamming doors with sleeping babies in mind, it’s other purpose in our home is to allow us to kick open the garage door with our foot when our hands are full of baby or groceries coming from the car!

4. Room Darkening Curtain Rod- A game changer for folks who don’t sleep well with any kind of light coming through, these simple, modern curtain rods do the trick of preventing extra light from sneaking through the sides of your curtains, which makes daytime naps all the more easy for you and baby.

5. Wyze Rechargeable Night Lights- slim and sleek, these blend in with the baseboards while lighting your way in hallways or areas where you wouldn’t want full light that could wake others up. Essential for a new home where you are still learning the lay of the land in a half-awake state!

6. Wall-Mounted Laundry Drying Rack- Every household in my family has one! It helps us stay organized and is easy to use right in the laundry room without taking up a ton of space. This was one of my first purchases in our new house! It serves as an upgrade from laundry drying racks that are big and bulky.

7. Bare Sheets- Affordable and luxurious! My favorite part? They wash and dry so well that they don’t easily wrinkle coming out of the dryer– a must for a busy parent who finds themselves letting these sheets sit in the dryer a little longer to attend to baby’s needs first.

Mommy Wants Mayonnaise: Vulnerability was My Word for 2022

Check out the full series of Mommy Wants Mayonnaise: Navigating Tricky Communication and Mental Health in Motherhood here.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Hi Readers!

My word for 2022 was vulnerability. It’s a word I’d chosen thoughtfully, knowing it has been pivotal to my professional growth as a public speaker and trainer since 2019 and could be embraced even more so in my current goals. I also anticipated that it would come into play as a new mother in 2022, but could not even begin to imagine how much it would be a part of my life for my daughter’s first 10 months of life! I expected vulnerability to show up in a shifting identity (it did). I predicted that vulnerability would be a part of my experience when asking for help (it was). I was surprised at the vulnerability of naming to my spouse and family members how I wanted to change up my work ethic to be with her as much as possible (it has). 

Yet where vulnerability really showed up in full force was when my daughter got her first cold right before Thanksgiving. Parents share how hard it is to see their young child not feeling well. The lethargy, the fussiness, the clinginess, and the disruption to sleep. I honestly felt like I could handle those things when it was just a head cold, but then she got RSV the week immediately after, with no real respite in between. To make matters worse, I got sick right alongside her. After all, what parent is going to withhold affection or closeness when their baby is sick? I couldn’t bear the thought of staying away from her knowing that proximity and cuddles were helping her, in addition to regularly breastfeeding for food and comfort. So I wasn’t truly surprised to get symptoms alongside her, it was really just the matter of a perfect storm. 

I felt exposed and uncertain, truly vulnerable in response to two weeks of not feeling at 100% functional. Adding to the vulnerability, in addition to both my daughter and I getting sick, my sister, mom, and niece all got symptoms of RSV too. What an impact that had on our lives! I have been lucky to have parents who enjoy watching their granddaughters so my sister and I can work our own businesses. So in a matter of one day confirmed by the pediatrician, we were all pivoting to be more isolated from one another, resulting in a loss of childcare, social support, and reassurance in the face of vulnerability as a first-time parent of a sick baby. 

To make matters worse, my spouse was scheduled to be out of town traveling for four days, which arrived just as the RSV symptoms were making themselves known in my daughter’s body and my own. I had plenty of pity parties in my spouse’s absence as I attempted to give myself permission to rest and care for our baby, canceling a day of work and restricting us to our house for a long, four day weekend. On the bright side, I hadn’t actually confirmed any social plans that weekend so it was really easy to stay home. And yet the isolation made the vulnerability that much stronger. Was I doing this right? Was I doing enough? What if we didn’t get better by the next work week? What do I do about childcare if my parents aren’t on the mend? What will I tell my clients? Under some understandable stress, I had to embrace the vulnerability of not having all the answers–or solutions–figured out yet. It forced me to live in the moment and focus on rest and fluids for baby girl and myself as the top priority, with the next week remaining a giant question mark.

In the meantime, I recognize my experience as a first-time parent isn’t unique. There are plenty of parents who are stressed, overwhelmed, or devastated when their babies get sick. Here were a couple things that helped us battle RSV amidst so many other families this time of year.

#1 Top Loading Humidifier

#2 Lolleez Organic Sore Throat Soothing Pops

Zarbee’s Baby Soothing Chest Rub

#4 Hooded Towel

My spouse returned from his trip and I sat down to write this blog, knowing that the writing itself would be another way to process all that had happened. But we weren’t done yet. Not much later, my spouse indicated something was going on and he was worried he was contagious. Enter Week 3 of illness and vulnerability. My spouse had to keep his distance from myself and the baby as he got out of the window of contagion, and yet this time, I didn’t feel as alone. He was home, he tried to help where he could, and I knew that our daughter and I were almost through our symptoms, which made it that much more manageable. I am grateful to say we are all around 99% back to ourselves now and see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Curious what my word is for 2023? STREAMLINE. For lots of reasons! Until then, vulnerability has decided to show me it’s next level and I’m hopeful we are all stronger for it.

1. Humidifier–This top loading humidifier is a nightly blessing in our household where humidity is low and dry noses are frequent. With the congestion, coughing, and goopy nose and eyes of RSV, the humidifier became even more important every night!

2. Lolleez Organic Sore Throat Soothing Pops-my sister dropped these off in wanting to make sure my milk supply wasn’t negatively impacted by menthol in some cough drops. These taste like jam and still do the trick to soothe sore throats and reduce coughing!

3. Zarbee’s Soothing Chest Rub- nostalgic to those of us raised on Vicks Vapor Rub, here’s a safe and soothing baby version for congestion!

4. Hooded Towels- A favorite of mine to give at baby showers, the hooded towel helps when you are challenged to juggle a wet baby (by yourself) when navigating in and out of the tub or shower!

Mommy Wants Mayonnaise Must-Haves for Dads

Check out the full series of Mommy Wants Mayonnaise: Navigating Tricky Communication and Mental Health in Motherhood here.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Hi readers! I couldn’t leave out the dads and their favorites things as new parents! From practical to playful, I hope these items can benefit you as much as they have our family.

#1 Car Seat Protector

#2 Medela Sterilizing Bags

#3 Lovies

#4 Kinder Fluff Window Covers

#5 Glow in the Dark Blanket

1. Car Seat Protector–with mesh pockets for storing toys and the ability to blend in while protecting seats, the Daddy in Mommy Wants Mayonnaise was quick to buy a second one for his car after seeing the first one in action!

2. Medela Sterilizing Bags–a huge time saver when sterlizing bottles and nursing equipment. It helps Daddy stay on top of the materials while reducing the time needed to clean so he can get in a few more cuddles with baby instead!

3. Lovies–Daddy appreciates the comfort objects that support baby in adjusting to new places or longer car rides, especially if they can soothe baby when mommy isn’t readily available. Have mommy sleep with it or wear it around her neck to capture her scent that soothes baby. A plus? They are affordable so buy two just in case one gets misplaced!

4. Kinder Fluff Window Covers- Daddy in Mommy Wants Mayonnaise got excited that these were designed by pilots to block out UV rays and he loves the ease of putting them up on sunny days to protect baby in the car. A secondary function? If you need privacy, these are easy to put up when nursing baby in the back seat!

5. Glow in the Dark Blanket- Daddy’s favorite, it’s soft and glows in the dark, two things he enjoys as much as baby for mutual naps together!

Picking Your Top 10 Priorities for 2023

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

If you’ve read Perfectioneur: From Workaholic to Well-Balanced, or have watched my TEDx Talk The Burden of Busyness, you know how important it is to narrow focus as a driven professional in order to get things done. Our very nature is to come up with dozens of exciting ideas that we want to implement right away, which doesn’t always work well with balancing homelife, relationships, and rest. So how do we take those passion projects and make them a success? We learn to prioritize.

Start by writing down all the personal and professional goals that come to mind for 2023. You may have a couple or literally dozens depending on what you are thinking about.

When you see the list, begin to narrow it down based on what’s most important. If your word for the year is family, we would expect to see something related to family on the top 10 list, like planning a family vacation, visiting family in another state, learning something new as a family, having regular family dinners, etc. If your word for 2023 is growth, as just another example, perhaps you have a goal to learn a new skill or attend a new training that fills this need for you.

The challenge for most of us who aspire to a lot, is to hold ourselves to a limit of 10 goals at any one time. Once one goal is accomplished, another can be added, but only when something is off the list!

Part of this is psychology, part of it is retention. If our list gets too long, we forget what we are working towards. Just like a grocery list, if it gets too lengthy, we might lose track of what we are at the store to buy, and hopefully have a written or digital list to consult. The brain can only retain 7 +/- 2 things at any given time, so having a goal list of up to 10 things is ambitious and is above the maximum of we can expect a person to remember as they go about their lives.

Keep your written 10 goals handy as you jump into 2023. If someone approaches you with an opportunity or a project, ask yourself if it’s in alignment with your top 10 priorities. If it is, you can accept the opportunity with heaps of enthusiasm. If it’s not relevant to your top 10 in this moment, you would want to decline the invitation or hold off, asking them to reconnect with you at a later date.

Saying no is the hardest part of having a list of top 10 priorities. Not just to ourselves, but having to say no to opportunities or to other people. Consider practicing your “nos” and have them crafted in an email draft, making it that much easier to say no when the time comes. You’ve got this!

Identifying your Top 10 Priorities can be an empowering, challenging activity and you don’t have to do it alone! In fact, I just crafted my 2023 list amidst my two favorite entrepreneurial colleagues at our annual working retreat! We were able to reflect upon our progress on our 2022 goals and began to form our goals for the next year together, which I really enjoy. Who can join you in this endeavor? Who do you trust to hold you accountable?

By taking on the task of identifying your Top 10 Priorities, you are saying yes to focus, productivity, and a streamlined year of meeting your goals free of distraction! Grab the free Perfectioneur workbook for all 22 of our ideas for work-life balance for driven professionals at perfectioneur.com. I hope you’ll share what you come up with for your 2023 year!

Mommy Wants Mayonnaise Must-Haves for New Moms

Check out the full series of Mommy Wants Mayonnaise: Navigating Tricky Communication and Mental Health in Motherhood here.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Hi readers! This might be my favorite list yet! Check out my must-haves for new moms that are functional, fashionable, or make us feel human again after too many missed hours of sleep! I hope these items can benefit you as much as they have our family.

#1 Aloe Lipstick

#2 Nursing Necklace

#3 Clinique Under-Eye Cream

#4 Bearsland Nursing Shirts

#5 Sketchers Women’s Sandal

1. Aloe chapstick–balancing mom life and work life, this chapstick is nourishing and provides color to your lips that doesn’t rub off when kissing your baby! 

2. Nursing Necklace– this is something I wear daily. My daughter loves to fidget with it while nursing and finds it comforting while teething too. The design is stylish and more subtle than other nursing necklaces out there and it’s saved me from a ton of hair pulling by baby! *Check out the Etsy shop here.

3. Clinique Under Eye Cream–worried about dark circles from being up several times a night with baby? This cream is quick to apply and makes a difference.

4. Bearsland Nursing Shirts/Dresses--If you get a stain from baby, you don’t have to feel heartbroken because they are affordable and replaceable. Pay no mind to the washing instructions, they are still soft and wearable after dozens of washes.

5. Sketchers Sandals–Are you wanting comfortable sandals that stay on your feet for walks with baby while still having cute shoes to wear? These are fashionable, comfortable, and feel like you can walk in them all day with no risks of blisters thanks to foam soles and a stretchy strap design!

Mommy Wants Mayonnaise Must-Haves for Infants 6-9 Months

Check out the full series of Mommy Wants Mayonnaise: Navigating Tricky Communication and Mental Health in Motherhood here.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Hi readers! Now I’m grateful to share my favorite things for parents of infants 6-9 months and my reasoning for why they rank in the top five must-haves! I hope these items can benefit you as much as they have our family.

#1 Stacking Cups

#2 Learning Walker

#3 Wooden Puzzles

#4 Triple Paste Diaper Cream

#5 Baby Spoons

1. Stacking Cups–the best five dollars we’ve spent on a toy! Stackable and serves as great practice for drinking from cups in the future.

2. Learning Walker–Great for babies who love to stand and are ready to engage in play sitting, standing, and eventually pushing.

3. Wooden Puzzles–made of bright colors and made of wood that can be stacked, this toy helps a baby develop hand-eye coordination.

4. Triple Paste Diaper Cream–this stuff is magic. It’s worked better than other popular brands of diaper rash cream and is affordable too! 

5. Baby Spoons–as baby starts to play with purees and solids, having soft, chewable spoons can help them get excited about eating. Best tip we’ve received so far? Have some spoons for play and some for eating, this helps baby focus on the food instead of the spoon.

Billing Basics for Medicaid in Private Practice (for Colorado Clinicians)

Photo by Anete Lūsiņa on Unsplash

After navigating the steps of credentialing with state medicaid and Contracting with desired RAEs, you may find yourself unsure of how to start billing. You are not alone!

It’s a question that comes up frequently when providing consultation to colleagues wishing to take Medicaid in their practice. Let’s take a look at some setup steps as well as explore how to avoid common errors so you can start building your Medicaid caseload with confidence!*

1. Use an Electronic Health Record (EHR). Yes, I’m biased in having used one for 6 of my 7 years of private practice so far. I often wonder how I built a group practice that first year without it! For the purposes of this blog, I’m going to focus on the setup steps for SimplePractice.com, a popular option for therapists in my area. Not sure which EHR is the best fit for you? Google comparisons of features and pricing or talk to colleagues to see what they like about each one.

2. Input your Business Data. Under Settings in SimplePractice (SP), be sure to input your NPI, business address, and Tax ID, which will not only populate on claims but will also autopopulate on superbills for clients who request one.

3. Enter your client demographics. Gender, Address, Phone Number, and Date of Birth are all required to bill a Medicaid claim successfully. Enter each client into your client list in SP and fill out their information as thoroughly as you can. You may also give the client access to their own portal, allowing them sign documents and input a lot of this information themselves which could save you time.

4. A Diagnosis is Required. A mental health diagnosis must be entered into the client record to bill insurance for mental health services, including Medicaid. Be sure to record the diagnosis before generating your first claims, otherwise you’ll receive an error message!

5. Choose the Correct Payor ID. This is the most common mistake I see in Medicaid billing for therapists here in Colorado! For Colorado Access, which manages members in RAES 3 and 5, there are two payor options listed to choose from in the “Billing and Insurance” tab. The correct payor ID for Medicaid mental health services with Colorado Access RAES 3/5 is COACC Access Behavioral Care. Choosing the other option will send your claims to the medical department which will either delay payment or get kicked back to you.

6. Enter the Modifier. Required for the past two years, the HE modifier must be included in your claims for any and all mental health services rendered with Medicaid insurance. Claims that are missing the HE modifier, which basically indicates outpatient mental health services, will be rejected and sent back for correction.

So there you have it, six steps to getting your Medicaid claims submitted for processing through an EHR. Be sure to collect your Explanation of Benefits (EOB) for any claims that are paid out by Medicaid, in order to confirm what clients and sessions have been paid out successfully. Thank you for all you do for our community in serving Medicaid members. Still have questions? Book a professional consultation with me to be one step closer to Medicaid Mastery in Private Practice!

*Khara does not work for Medicaid and the information shared is based on her own experience. Be sure to connect with your Medicaid Liaison for further support and clarification on contracts, billing, systems and process

Mommy Wants Mayonnaise Must-Haves for Infants 3-6 Months

Check out the full series of Mommy Wants Mayonnaise: Navigating Tricky Communication and Mental Health in Motherhood here.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Hi readers! I’m excited to share my favorite things for parents of infants 3-6 months and my reasoning for why they rank in the top five must-haves! I hope these items can benefit you as much as they have our family.

#1 Penguin Teether

#2 Indestructibles Books

#3 Frozen Teethers

#4 Bathtub Shampoo Rinser

#5 Carrots Toy

1. Penguin Teether–An adorable teether that is easy for baby to grip, we found this teether was a favorite for it’s nipple-shaped ends and soft silicone. It’s shape and easy hand-holding design made it ideal for playing in the pool too!

2. Indestructibles Books–Gifted to us, we became instant fans of these books. Bright and colorful, their indestructible design allows baby to chew, pull, shake, and bend the books in their enthusiasm with no stress from parents.

3. Frozen teethers–A must-have for infants who start getting teeth! These ones have a satisfying texture that is easy to refrigerate and clean.

4. Bathtub Rinse–Soft-sided and easy to hold and clean, this is the perfect bathtub accessory that serves a function of rinsing a baby’s hair while also allowing some water play!

5. Carrots Toy–Although this toy should be used only under supervision, it’s a favorite for a teething baby and supports development of motor skills. Not to mention they are crafted well and have an appealing design for both baby and parent.

Mommy Wants Mayonnaise Must-Haves for Infants 0-3 Months

Check out the full series of Mommy Wants Mayonnaise: Navigating Tricky Communication and Mental Health in Motherhood here.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Hi readers! Here’s the list of my favorite things for parents of infants 0-3 months old! As well as my reasoning for why they rank in the top five must-haves! I hope these items can benefit you as much as they have our family.

#1 Bibs

#2 Crinkle Book

#3 Sophie the Giraffe Teether

#4 Stroller Fan

#5 Carter’s Rompers

1. Bibs–I know some parents won’t be a fan of the strings so be sure to remove them before naps. However, their soft material that mimics baby’s burp cloths and the scalloped edges make them ideal for parents who want something functional and fashionable without being distracting. Super absorbent and easy to swap after spit up, these have saved us from multiple wardrobe changes a day and never-ending loads of laundry!

2. Crinkle book–For baby’s first book, this one is a favorite! A satisfying crinkle sound and lots of black and white designs make it eye catching and fun for an infant who is still developing their ability to see color. Easy to clean and clips to a car seat for babies on the go.

3. Sophie the Giraffe Teether–This teether goes everywhere with our daughter. Easy to grip, she gets a satisfying chew and the rubber has a nostalgic smell for parents!

4. Stroller fan–This is the ultimate game-changer for babies who get too hot in cars or on walks during hot weather months. With its octopus legs, it attaches easily to all sorts of surfaces and the light source is helpful to see your baby in the backseat on early morning drives when it’s not quite light out.

5. Carter’s Rompers–for parents whose infants hate having onesies pulled over their heads or who require multiple changes after a blowout, these rompers are cute and so easy to put on with the snaps down the front. Our daughter wore these all summer with ease.

Mommy Wants Mayonnaise Must-Haves for Newborns

Check out the full series of Mommy Wants Mayonnaise: Navigating Tricky Communication and Mental Health in Motherhood here.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Hi readers! I’m excited to share my favorite things for parents of newborns and my reasoning for why they rank in the top five must-haves! I hope these items can benefit you as much as they have our family.

#1 Towel Clips

#2 Nightlight

#3 Bathing Sponge Pad

#4 Nose Frida

#5 Burp Cloths

1. Towel Clips–They work beautifully for clipping blankets to baby’s stroller to make quick adjustments like blocking wind and sun from baby’s face!

2. Nightlight –A must-have for late night feedings, this soft light doesn’t force baby or your partner to fully wake from the brightness. Easy to take along for travel as well.

3. Bathing Sponge Pad–We use this twice a day. It’s a simple, affordable way to do some basic baby hygiene without the full bath, such as washing baby’s face and hair or cleaning stuffy noses. It’s also easy to lift and store out of the way when not in use.

4. Nose Frida–Stuffy noses are a thing in Colorado with the dryness and weather change. This is a game changer and is easy to use while being of hygienic design itself!

5. Burp Cloths–A must-have for spit up and can serve as a comforting, transitional object in baby’s car seat while out and about. Plus, unlike other transitional objects, if you lose one, you have plenty more just like it!