Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post but all thoughts and opinions are my own. In addition, this post contains some affiliate links - you don't pay more but I receive a small commission from purchases made after clicking.

Whether you are selling a product or service online, you're a blogger, or you own a brick and mortar store, you've probably run up against 2 incredibly daunting struggles: how to bring in traffic and how to get what you want from that traffic (sales, views, etc)!! Luckily for you, I've just completed a sponsored 30 day challenge centered around a new book, "Traffic Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Filling Your Websites and Funnels with Your Dream Customers" by Russell Brunson. Best-selling author & CEO of $100M software company ClickFunnels, Brunson has sold hundreds of thousands of his books focusing on his concept of sales funnels. In 2014, with partner Todd Dickerson, Brunson launched ClickFunnels, the fastest-growing non-venture backed software company in the world!

You may have a great idea for the most brilliant product or service the world has ever know, but how can the world actually get to know about it? If you're like most entrepreneurs, the main struggle is figuring out how to get that product or service to your customers so they know it exists and understand why they need to buy it. If you understand this essential skill, the art and science of getting consumers to find you, as detailed in Brunson's Traffic Secrets, you won't find yourself starting and failing like tens of thousands of other businesses out there. Instead, you'll likely find yourself increasing site traffic, followers, and sales exponentially!!

As a mommy blogger and as someone who has started and stopped a handful of online businesses that never really took off as I had hoped, I found Traffic Secrets incredibly enlightening. It goes deep into business and marketing strategy, but not so much that you feel in over your head. Everything is explained in a no nonsense way that's easy for anyone to understand. There are lots of personal anecdotes to keep it light, and inspiring, and TONS of items for your to-do list as you go through the book. He doesn't just say you gotta do this, this, and this. He actually provides space for you to brainstorm and make the essential lists such as who your ideal customer is, where they are spending their time, and how you can reach them. I'm simplifying it because it's just too much to go into, that's why you have to go ahead and get the book and put yourself to work building key relationships, learning about earned vs. paid traffic, creating funnels, and master evergreen traffic strategies to fill your website and funnels with your dream customers!

Does this sound like something that could help you with your current or upcoming business venture? OF COURSE IT DOES!! Learn more about Traffic Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Filling Your Websites and Funnels with Your Dream Customers as well as Russell Brunson's other best-selling books: DotCom Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Growing Your Company Online and Expert Secrets: Find Your Message, Build a Tribe and Change the World on trafficsecrets.com and Amazon (affiliate link) - all available in print or e-book format!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post but all thoughts and opinions are my own. In addition, this post contains some affiliate links - you don't pay more but I receive a small commission from purchases made after clicking.

Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own. This post also includes affiliate links - you don't pay more but we'll receive a small commission from purchases made after clicking.

If you're new here, you'll probably want to check out ​my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd blog posts about "Always Eat After 7 PM, The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight" by Joel Marion. This post serves as an update on how it's been going since I've been reading the book and implementing the 3-phase diet plan!

As anticipated, the skipping breakfast part was hardest for me, however it didn't take long before my body got the hang of it. Having a "huge" dinner and yummy protein-rich snack later in the evening seems to be doing the trick to tide me over through those 16-hours of fasting, during which I'm sleeping for most, so it's really not that bad. I actually skipped the after 7pm snack one night and noticed a BIG difference in my bedtime hunger, and even woke a few times in the night from hunger. So, that late night snack has really been doing wonders. I've pretty much been sticking to low fat cottage cheese with frozen blueberries - yum!! ​

​As Joel explains in the book, “Late-night eating also curbs calorie intake the next day. In a four-week study, dieters added a snack to their daily regimen 90 minutes after dinner every night, and check this out: late-night eaters ate an average of 397 fewer calories per day.” He also debunks the myth that late night eating just gets stored as fat, “Research shows that the average person’s metabolic rate is no different during sleep than during the day. In short, your metabolism doesn’t slow down at night. Nor does your body store fat at the end of the day. Whether it’s 8 am or 8 pm, you use food for energy the same way.” It's really cool to be on this new diet plan and despite late-night snacking, neigh, because of it, you still see the pounds coming off!

I wake up around 8am and start the day with one of the 3-minute fat-burning drinks recommended in the book. Super Greens (MetaboGreensTM) Drink (which was provided as part of this campaign) and black coffee were two recommendations in the book, but I ended kind of personalizing my morning routine. I blend together a scoop of MetaboGreens and a heaping tablespoon of instant coffee into 24 ounces of water and sip the whole morning til breaking the fast at lunch time. The first time I tried this concoction, I was less than impressed, but it really grew on me and now I love it! I actually just purchased another pack of MetaboGreens - I'm hooked!!

Water is key, for anyone, whether on a diet or not. “Water helps digest your food, expel wastes, regulate your temperature, protect your tissues, cushion your joints, and protect your spinal column, among many other vital functions. It is through water that hormones flow to the proper organs, that nutrients reach all cells, and that toxins are diluted and removed from the body.” He recommends getting half your body weight (pounds) in water (ounces). So if you weigh 200 pounds you should be getting at least 100 ounces. I calculated I'm getting about 90 ounces of water throughout the day - in straight water as well as in my various blends with protein and metabogreens.

The "fast" continues until lunchtime at around 12. Then I usually have dinner around 5:30pm with my kids, and a snack after they go to bed at about 7:30pm.

I'm not going to lie, the 2-week acceleration phase is pretty brutal, not because I was starving the whole time but it was just a drastic change of eating habits and meal planning to wrap my head around, oh and alcohol is discouraged during this phase. But what is very encouraging is seeing the weight come off much quicker than with other diets I've done in the past! And, they give great sample meal plans and weekly schedules, it's really not a huge deal, and I could even use those meals for my whole family! They also have AMAZING delicious recipes in the back of the book, some are super low or no carb (for the acceleration phase), others utilize what they call "super carbs" like certain veggies and beans, and always lots of protein.

They give you the first week to gradually quit the breakfast ritual, though I decided to start skipping that first meal cold turkey from day one. In the book they mention you don't have to skip breakfast during this week or at any point in the program, though results will be slower. I ended up losing 4 pounds during the first phase, which was exciting, but was excited to transition to phase 2 which is a tad more lenient by bringing your calorie intake up a bit and even allowing a cheat meal or day after eating clean for 6 days. This actually is beneficial and they go into great detail about how this works hormonally in the book, "Leptin levels decrease by about 50 percent after only one week of dieting. Fat loss slows down, and you feel bad psychologically. But because the relationship is linear, the opposite is also true: an increase in calorie intake results in an increase in leptin levels. And fortunately, it doesn’t take nearly as long for leptin to bump back up with a substantial increase in caloric intake—only about 12 to 24 hours. That’s right. It takes only one day of overfeeding or “cheat-ing” to bring levels back up to baseline." Can I get a hallelujah!? They figured out how to break the dieting plateau! On my cheat days, I enjoyed pizza and sushi. It really helps get you through the week of "dieting" knowing you had a day coming up that you were not allowed to eat normal again but were required to! HA!

In the next 2 weeks of the main phase, I lost another 2 pounds, which is pretty normal for myself on a diet, to lose about 1 pound a week. So after a month on the plan, I'm down 6 pounds and feel fantastic!! My energy is better than ever - I don't know if it's the intermittent fasting or simply the types of food I'm eating that help regulate energy and mood better but it's pretty amazing!!! I'm planning to stay at this phase until I've lost a total of 10 pounds, so probably 1 more month. Then I'll move to the lifestyle phase, to maintain this energy and weight for the long haul!

I definitely feel more energy being on this diet, and I am a lot more knowledgeable about how various foods interact with our bodies and minds. This book goes into such detail comparing various types of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates - not all carbs are bad, did you know!? “So, despite all the bad press over the years, certain carbohydrates play an important role in balancing your hormones and regulating your metabolic rate, while avoiding the dreaded weight loss plateaus that accompany conventional mainstream diets. Furthermore, when you eat these carbohydrates, you’ll feel much better than you would if you were following a traditional diet.”

I hope you were able to learn something through my adventure here. If interested, you can learn more about the book and how to purchase here. Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase.

Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed above are my own.

Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own. Affiliate links are also included - you don't pay more but I'll earn a small commission from purchases made after clicking.

If you haven't been following along, I'm participating in a paid blog campaign to read and try out "Always Eat After 7 PM, The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight" by Joel Marion (see first blog post here and author interview here). Joel Marion’s Always Eat After 7PM program makes dieting easy and eliminates 90% of reasons for resistance. My goals are to lose 5-10 pounds, adapt a new and healthier lifestyle in which I no longer have my typical 10 pound yoyo dieting pattern, and to learn what foods will boost my energy and regulate my moods.

I'm on day 24 of being on this new diet and it's definitely been an adjustment but overall it's going really well! I'm down 5 pounds but my energy is higher than ever! HOW!?!? What is this witchcraft!? HA! I've been taking alot of the author's supplements from his company BioTrust, which were provided free but I've actually already purchased a new pack of the Metabogreens and am planning to purchase a couple new packs of the low-carb protein powder as well. So, that says a lot! They're super healthy, and delicious!

I've found the book to be a quick and easy read, with great references to scientific studies (with explanations about how it applies to the diet), and amazing easy to follow recipes and eating schedules! I've always been terrible with meal planning, but the book really spells it out for you, with plenty of options so you can substitute items you don't have or don't like. He breaks it down into sample meal plans - for every day and every meal of the program (that's 14 days for the first "acceleration" phase, 14 sample daily menus for the "main" phase, and 14 sample daily menus for the maintenance "lifestyle" phase). You know what, there are even "cheat" days! And carbs? SURE!! 

​We’ve been traditionally taught to avoid carbs, have an early dinner, and never eat before bed. But the fact is, the latest scientific research shows us this earlier model is not the most ideal.  “Avoiding carbohydrates and restricting calories later in the day can have an adverse effect on your thyroid hormones, which play a major role in metabolism. When the thyroid fails to secrete enough of the hormones that control metabolism, this can trigger symptoms like fatigue, depression, weight gain, thinning hair, and dry skin.”

The most challenging times to curb hunger are just before bed and in the morning. By following the Always Eat After 7PM program, you have the most willpower to stay on the diet because you are eating during the hours when you are most hungry. This also puts you into both intermittent fasting increasing testosterone and your metabolism, while putting you into ketosis.  

​I think my favorite part of this program is the late night snacks, which I always thought you had to avoid when on a diet. One example is this indulgent but guilt-free Cherry Garcia Ice Cream! It's full of delicious flavor but no dairy. And the ingredients will actually boost melatonin, mental clarity, and heart health, while lowering insulin resistance!

The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase. Learn more about the book and how to purchase here.”

Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed above are my own.

Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

If you missed my last blog post about why I'm reading ​"Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight" by Joel Marion, check it out here. Basically, I think it sounds like a fascinating and life changing diet that hopefully will help me get away from my 10 pound up and down yoyo lifestyle, and have more energy throughout the day! 

Based on surprising science, Always Eat After 7 PM debunks popular diet myths and offers an easy-to-follow diet that accelerates fat-burning and allows you to indulge in your most intense food cravings: Eating the majority of your calories at night. We’ve been traditionally taught to avoid carbs, have an early dinner, and never eat before bed. But the fact is, the latest scientific research shows us this earlier model is not the most ideal  “Late-night eating also curbs calorie intake the next day. In a four-week study, dieters added a snack to their daily regimen 90 minutes after dinner every night, and check this out: late-night eaters ate an average of 397 fewer calories per day.” By learning what foods help keep my weight in check, increase my energy and regulate my moods, I have high hopes for this book changing my life!

Here are some interesting questions and answers from Eat After 7 PM author, Joel Marion:

What inspired you to write the book?
After authoring 6 best selling books it was glaringly obvious there were 2 huge misconceptions about dieting that needed to be exposed. The first is that you can't eat late at night or before bed, which science now shows is NOT true. And second, you can't eat large portions that satisfy your natural instinct. This book solves both these problems by providing an evidence-based, enjoyable approach to dieting that can be used by any person to quickly achieve their weight loss goals.

How long did it take for you to develop the diet?
It actually took several years of researching for me to discover the real science of eating late night. After a few years of tweaking and refining, I finally came up with a rapid fat loss solution that overcomes all the pitfalls of traditional diets.

How difficult is the Always Eat After 7 PM plan to follow?
It's not. And that's exactly why I wrote the book. While any diet is never truly easy, it can be more enjoyable and much easier to adhere to when you understand how Always Eat After 7pm works because it caters to our bodies natural instincts.

Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase. Learn more about the book and how to purchase here.

Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed above are my own.

Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own. This post also contains affiliate links, you won't pay more but we'll receive a small comission from purchases made after clicking.

I'll be the first to admit, I'm a long term yoyo dieter. My worst period was from the start of college (hello Freshman 15) through graduation into my first 2 years of working in Japan. During those 6 years I peaked and valleyed several times, getting as far as FORTY POUNDS over my self-determined goal weight. I've since buckled down and have gotten a better hold of my weight. For the past decade I've been able to  kept my upper limit within about 10 pounds of my goal weight. Well, outside of two pregnancies anyway, which was 25 pounds for my singleton and 35 pounds for my twins, all lost within a few months thanks to breastfeeding, thankfully. Mostly it's come down to living a generally healthier lifestyle and digging deep into a couple months of dieting as soon as my jeans get uncomfortably snug.

But it always seems to happen. Once I hit that goal weight again, I relax, my mindset changes little by little, and I start giving into the nightly deserts and daytime snacking. And the weight starts creeping back. It's a vicious cycle that I'm sure many out there can relate to. 

This is why I was so intrigued when I found a blogging campaign pop up for a new book:
Always Eat After 7PM: The Revolutionary Rule Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks-While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion (affiliate link). I'm being compensated to read the book and blog about my experience implementing the program, but all thoughts and opinions are my own, as always!!

 “Always Eat After 7 pm is a three-phase program that teaches you how to lose big by strategically eating big when you are naturally hungriest—in the evening. This may sound too good to be true, but let me assure you it is no gimmick. It’s all about making strategic and smart food swaps, and you can still eat your favorite foods.” The Always Eat After 7 PM plan consists of: The 14-day Acceleration Phase to kick-start the program and see rapid results, The Main Phase where you’ll learn exactly which foods to eat when in order to achieve your weight-loss goals, The Lifestyle Phase to keep the weight off for good.

As quoted above, a large part of the program is that you eat your biggest meal in the evening, and have a snack in the late evening. It sounds counterintuitive but the book goes into great detail to explain the science behind it. We’ve been traditionally taught to avoid carbs, have an early dinner, and never eat before bed. But the fact is, the latest scientific research shows us this earlier model is not the most ideal. “Specific higher-carbohydrate foods (including berries and cherries) support your fat-burning metabolism while you sleep, providing your body with a steady stream of fuel throughout the night. The trick is knowing how to combine them with other evening and pre-bedtime fat-burning foods to fuel your metabolism as you sleep.”

As part of this program, you are practicing intermittent fasting, which means going 16 hours without food (overnight) and skipping breakfast. I'm currently 12 days in on this diet and the "skipping breakfast" thing has been my  hardest adjustment, but actually has not been as bad as I'd feared because there are some simple "3-Minute Fat-Burning Morning Rituals" and even some small breakfast ideas for those who cannot skip. I've been blending in a scoop of BioTrust MetaboGreens (affiliate link) and some instant black coffee (both on the 3-minute fat-burning morning rituals list) into 24oz of water and sipping that all morning to keep my tummy at bay til I break my fast at noon for lunch with  my family. And before you ask, no it's not disgusting LOL! MetaboGreens includes polyphenols, prebiotic fiber, and 40 phytonutrient-rich raw greens, fruits, veggies, herbs, and spices, and is sweetened by Stevia, a sweetener that doesn't affect your blood sugar level.

Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase. Learn more about the book and how to purchase here.

Follow me along on this journey if interested in seeing how it goes, I'll be posting updates over the next few weeks! Any questions - ask away below!!

Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed above are my own.

Moving can be totally overwhelming, and expensive. But don't worry, I gotcha covered! I've moved internationally several times, and domestically with a toddler, and am now in the thick of selling our home and moving to a rental... with 3 kids... during a pandemic! PHEW! But anyway, this isn't a competition, I'm here to help you with a handy dandy checklist for moving to a new rental home - everything from how to search for a home to who to notify of change of address, booking a moving company, and much much more! Read on and leave a comment with any of your own tips, or questions!
​
**Disclaimer: there are some affiliate links below - You won't pay more but I'll receive a small commission from purchases made after clicking (it's one of the ways I fund the blog, of course)!

PURGE!!!
This is the time to go full on Konmarie - purge the heck out of your stuff!! Whatever doesn't bring you joy anymore or you haven't used it in a year, go ahead and sell, donate, or toss!! For inspiration, you can read or listen on Kindle to Marie Kondo's books "The LIfechanging Magic of Tidying Up" & "Spark Joy" (affiliate link) or you can watch her Netflix show "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo".

FIND A NEW RENTAL HOME:

• Have a realtor set up a search for you on MLS. They will include your parameters for size, price, location and can have emails sent to you daily. You will most likely owe a full month's rental fee to your realtor, and if the landlord is using a realtor, the two realtors usually split that fee. Best to confirm with your realtor. Realtors can be extremely helpful negotiating and showing you properties (or as currently, coordinating virtual tours or for you to meet the landlord for a contactless viewing).
• Check Zillow daily. You can find great properties for rent by owner or by property management and save big by cutting out a realtor. However, many properties are fake and being used as a means for a realtor to advertise and get you to call them. Or they're old and haven't been updated to show they're actually already rented. Still, worth checking!
• Check Craigslist but be very very skeptical and careful. Many of these are scams. The very occasional hidden gem can be found.
• Join local Facebook groups to get a vibe for the area, ask about schools, doctors, buying stuff you need used, etc. You can even inquire if anyone has or knows of a home going up for rent soon. I had a few leads this way, a couple actually had their home listed for sale but were open to renting instead, and you wouldn't be able to find it as a rental by searching on any site!
• Stalk the heck out of the neighborhood and town via Google Maps!! You can virtually "walk" down streets, get 360 views, find out the distance to the nearest Target and Pizzeria, you name it!! You can also look around to see if there's a nearby high tension wires (advisable to stay at least 3/4 mile from these)
• Check FEMA to see if it's a flood zone.

NOTIFY YOUR LANDLORD:
Check your lease and make sure you are giving your landlord property notification. Most require one month's notice. If breaking your lease and leaving early, you may still be responsible to fulfil the full term's rental fees, even if you're not there!! This happened to us when leaving our last rental, but management clarified that if I found a new tenant we'd be good. Thankfully I posted the rental in a local Facebook parenting group and within 2 days found a new tenant for them. PHEW!!​

BOOK A MOVING COMPANY:
There are TONS to choose from. Some are for local / same day service only, others specialize in long distance moves. Last time we moved within Brooklyn we were very happy with Shlepper's, and this time around they gave me the best quote again! Shleppers and Flatrate are both very popular and will give you a detailed quote (either coming to see what you have ahead of time or currently doing it all over the phone - you tell them exactly what's going, and be specific as you can). They don't charge hourly and won't hijack your stuff until you pay additional fees (yes, I've heard of other companies doing this, if you can believe it!!!). There are some companies going green, too, using biodiesel fuel and reusable boxes. You'll pay more but the Earth will thank you.​ And of course, if neither of your buildings have a stipulation about needing a licensed and insured moving company (mine does unfortunately), you can totally save $$$ by DIY moving  - rent a Uhaul truck and pay some friends in beer and pizza!

BUY MOVING BOXES (and pack)
​Book your moving company first since some will provide boxes. Movers Not Shakers, for example, is a "green" moving company and will drop off reusable plastic boxes and collect after the move. You should also check craigslist and FB marketplace to see if you can get free or cheap boxes from someone local who just moved - this will save money and the Earth! Otherwise, you'll have to buy them. You can find tons of options on Amazon (affiliate link), with other popular sites being Uboxes / Box Engine (who has really convenient kits based on home size, including bubbles, packing paper, tape etc), Uhaul, Home Depot, etc.​

CHANGE HOME/RENTERS INSURANCE
If going from one rental to another, you'll probably be keeping the same insurance and just updating with new address. If going from ownership to rental or vice versa, it'll be more complex. For renters insurance, you're just covering your own property and liability. If you'll have a pool or trampoline or anything especially risky, make sure you're covered plenty (some companies cover these, some only if they're fenced in, and others not at all). During my own search, I found Allstate to have the best price (though that could be because we already have car insurance with them), followed by USAA (I'm a member thanks to my dad's military service), Lemonade, and Geico.

CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS / FORWARD MAIL:
There are a tonnnnnnnnn you need to notify of your address change. As more and more things go paperless, this becomes less of a headache, but it's still a headache. Most important notification is probably USPS since they'll forward items from your old to new address for 1 year. But... some things don't end up forwarded. So, do your best to notify all of the following directly:

• Tax Agencies (IRS with this form, State Taxes)
• Your employer
• DMV (usually it's just online to update their system and they won't issue a new card, which is annoying since it's convenient to have as an ID when registering for school, library etc...)
• Car registration
• Social Security / Unemployment (if receiving benefits)
• Banks. Credit Cards, Investments, 401K
• Loan / Mortgage / Car Lease
• Insurance (car, home, medical, dental, life)
• Online shopping (you can do this as you use them but you might forget... Amazon, Paypal etc)
• Magazines & other subscriptions (including Costco)
• Friends & Family

FIX UP THE HOME YOU'RE LEAVING:
To avoid getting slammed with loss of your security deposit, be sure to check with your landlord what condition you're expected to leave your home in. You probably have to remove all nails, patch up holes, and paint back to neutral colors.​

UPDATE UTILITIES:
You'll need to schedule the date to stop previous utilities and start new ones. Gas, electricity, water, sewer, trash, phone, cable, internet, etc. Note that most internet providers will not let you out of a contract simply because you're moving, but rather only if they don't have service at your new home.

FIND A NEW DOCTOR/DENTIST:
​This can be tricky depending on your insurance, but hopefully rather painless. You should be able to log onto your insurance's website to change your doctor and address. ​

UNENROLL / ENROLL IN SCHOOLS:
You'll need to official unenroll from your old school and have them transfer records to your new school, where you'll need to register. Note that if you have younger children in Pre-K - 2nd grade, their birthday could mean they get held back or skip a year. For example, in NYC the age cutoff is December 31 and for most of New Jersey it's October 1. In some places children will be assessed and it'll be a discussion between parents and administration, but NYC public school system is very strict about not allowing a child to be held back when entering Pre-K, K and 1st grade - they MUST be turning the correct age  Jan 1 - Dec 31 (turning 4 for Pre-K, 5 for K, 6 for 1st grade), no matter what grade they last completed.

So, you're thinking of moving to New Jersey from NYC. But you have a young child and aren't sure if passing up on NYC's free Pre-K 4 All (UPK) program is worth it. After all, in most cases it'll mean having to pay for Pre-K 3 & 4, which is upward of $7k - 10K per year in most districts. And if that child has a late birthday between October 1 - December 31, they will enter Pre-K a year later in NJ than they would in NYC, so that's up to THREE YEARS extra of either fee-based preschool (or staying home). And let's say you have twins with late birthdays. You're looking at an extra $60k in schooling / child care for those 3 years. I know. It's a lot to take in. We've been hashing over it for years now. And I'm here to give you the info I've gleamed!! **There may be mistakes in here - please let me know if you find any errors or outdated info!!

UPK in NYC:

​My twins are currently enrolled in an amazing free Pre-K program here in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Getting in is a bit stressful as it's a lottery, but in NYC you are guaranteed a seat, though the location could end up being far from your home. We got lucky for all 3 of our kids getting seats at programs less than a mile (walkable) from our home. And nearly everyone does get into a school not too far away, though many avoid the stress by paying for their child to go to the 3's preschool program at that school, so they'll have first priority to get the free UPK seat. The rest of us simply list our top 12 schools in February and cross our fingers! The good news is you're waitlisted at the schools you ranked below the one you were offered. In our case this past year with the twins, we were offered our 11th school. But by September we'd been called by every single school we listed to be offered a seat! The program is amazing, even includes free lunch and snack. Unfortunately, due to Coronavirus, the school year got cut short by over 3 months early and we're pretty devastated. The teachers are still providing regular materials and activities for us to work on at home, and even calling to chat with my girls once a week.

Redshirting in NJ vs. NYC

​NYC does not allow redshirting, i.e. delaying entrance into elementary school. Simply put, if you live in NYC, your child enters kindergarten in September of the year they turn 5 (i.e. birthday cutoff of December 31). So if they were born December 31, they will be 4 when they enter Kindergarten and the baby of their grade. My son was born on December 25 so he started Pre-K at 3 years old, which was amazing as far as free child-care goes, but emotionally, he struggled big time in Pre-K and K. If you don't want to send them to Kindergarten, no problem, but they'll start 1st grade with that same cohort that they would have started Kindergarten with. You can't simply enter them into Kindergarten a year later. It appears New Jersey is more flexible here and many choose to send their child a year later.

​Most New Jersey districts set a minimum age of 5 years old by October 1 to start Kindergarten (list of later cutoffs coming below!). But let's say your child was born in September - you can discuss with that school to have your child wait to start Kindergarten the next year, when they're 6 years old. This minimum age continues through 1st grade, so if you're transferring your late birthday child from NYC, they would get held back for Pre-K, K, and 1st grade. After completing 1st grade (or is it 2nd? sorry I'm not 100% sure), it becomes a discussion with school administration as to whether you want to hold your child back or continue at their current grade level, knowing your child is likely 1-2 years younger than their classmates. It's not a huge deal in the younger grades, but once you get to middle and high school, emotionally and physically, I've heard across the board it's kind of a big deal and worth considering holding them back when they're younger.

NJ Towns with Late Birthday Cutoffs:

​The state has recommended a universal birthday cutoff of October 1, and nearly every school district in New Jersey has put this into effect. However... there are a handful of towns that have slightly later cutoffs, which is worth considering if you're desperate to get your kid into Kindergarten instead of having to pay for Pre-K. This may not be all-inclusive because I could not find a list, anywhere!!! This is a list I've personally compiled after researching, alot (please do comment below if you know of a town to add, or remove):​

5 years old by October 31:

• Monroe Township School District
• South Amboy Elementary School

5 years old by October 15:

• North Plainfield School District
• Perth Amboy Public Schools
• Tenafly Public Schools
• Township of Ocean Schools
• Wayne Township Public Schools (half day K)

NJ Towns with Universal Free Pre-K:
This 2019 list is compiled from Pre-K Our Way, where the towns are listed by county; ALL 3 and 4 year olds in these former Abbott and Expansion Districts can attend free preschool. From NJ Monthly: "Abbott districts—now referred to as “former Abbott districts” because the rules have been updated—are typically urban districts where poverty is commonplace and the education system found to be constitutionally inadequate. Extra state funding is pumped into the districts, from preschool through grade 12. The communities that have universal, free preschool include the 31 former Abbott districts, whose schools the state is required to fund under the Abbott rulings, and four additional districts—Red Bank, Little Egg Harbor, Fairfield and Woodbine—approved in 2003."

• Asbury Park Public Schools
• Bridgeton Public Schools
• Camden City Public Schools
• City of Burlington Public School District
• Elizabeth Public Schools
• Fairfield Township School District 
• Garfield Public Schools
• Gloucester City School District
• Harrison Public Schools 
• Hoboken Public Schools
• Irvington Public Schools
• Jersey City Public Schools
• Keansburg School District
• Little Egg Harbor Township School District
• Long Branch Public Schools
• Millville Public Schools
• Neptune Township Schools
• New Brunswick Public Schools
• Newark Public Schools
• Orange Board of Education
• Passaic City School District
• Paterson Public Schools
• Perth Amboy Public Schools
• Plainfield Public School District
• Pleasantville School District
• Pemberton Township School District 
• Phillipsburg School District
• Red Bank Borough Public Schools
• Salem City School District
• Trenton Public Schools
• Union City School District 
• Vineland Public Schools
• West New York School District
• Woodbine School District

NJ Towns with Free Pre-K for Some (via lottery):
** this 2019 list is compiled from Pre-K Our Way, where they're listed by county **

• Absecon Public School District
• Atlantic City School District
• Barnegat Township School District 
• Bayonne City School District
• Belleville Public Schools
• Bellmawr Public School District
• Belmar School District
• Belvidere School District
• Bergenfield Public School District 
• Berkeley Township School District
• Beverly City School District
• Bogota Public Schools
• Boonton Public Schools
• Bound Brook School District
• Bradley Beach Boro School District 
• Brick Township Public Schools
• Brigantine Public Schools
• Buena Regional School District
• Burlington Township School District
• Carteret Boro School District
• Clayton Public School District
• Clifton Public Schools 
• Collingswood Public Schools
• Dennis Township School District
• Dover School District (Victory Gardens)
• Eatontown Public Schools
• Edgewater Park Township School District
• Egg Harbor City School District
• Englewood City School District 
• Farmingdale Public School District
• Franklin Borough School District
• Franklin Township School District
• Freehold Borough School District
• Galloway Township Public Schools
• Glassboro Public Schools
• Gloucester Township Public Schools
• Greenwich Township School District
• Hackensack City School District 
• Haledon Boro School District
• Hamilton Township School District
• High Bridge School District
• Highlands Boro School District
• Hillside Township School District
• Hopewell Township School District 
• Jamesburg Boro School District
• Kearny School District
• Keyport Boro School District
• Lake Como School District 
• Lakehurst Boro School District
• Lakewood School District
• Lawrence Township Public Schools 
• Lindenwold Public Schools
• Logan Township School District
• Lower Township Elementary School District 
• Mannington Township School D istrict
• Mantua Township School District
• Maple Shade School District
• Maurice River Township School District 
• Middle Township Public School District
• Moonachie School District
• Montague Township School District
• Mount Ephraim Public Schools
• Mount Holly Township Public School District
• Morris School District
• National Park Elementary School District
• Neptune City School District
• Netcong School District
• Newton Public School District
• North Brunswick Township Schools
• Northfield City Community School District
• North Hanover Township School District
• North Plainfield Boro School District
• North Wildwood School District
• Oaklyn Public School District 
• Ocean City School District
• Ocean Township School District
• Ogdensburg Borough School District
• Paulsboro School District
• Pennsville School District
• Piscataway School District
• Pittsgrove Township School District
• Princeton Public Schools
• Rahway City School District
• Roselle Park School District
• Runnemede School District
• Sayreville Public Schools
• Somers Point School District
• Somerville Boro School District
• South Amboy City School District 
• South Orange-Maplewood School District
• South River Public Schools 
• Stafford Township School District
• Stillwater Township School District
• Stow Creek Township School District 
• Teaneck Public Schools
• Tuckerton Borough School District
• Township of Union Public Schools
• Union Beach School District
• Upper Deerfield Township Schools
• Ventnor City School District
• Washington Borough School District
• Waterford Township School District 
• West Deptford School District
• Weymouth Township School District
• Wharton Boro School District
• Wildwood City School District
• Wildwood Crest Boro School District
• Willingboro School District
• Winfield Township School District
• Woodland Park School District
• Woodlynne School District

NJ Towns with Half Day Kindergarten:
But wait, there's one more thing to take into consideration... some New Jersey towns don't have free full day kindergarten yet!!! Over 90% of NJ districts offer free full day kindergarten, but about 40 districts hadn't converted yet and only offer half day for free!!! Some people may see this as a plus, but most don't. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to tell from their websites alone, so we've researched and asked around and put together this very unofficial and incomplete list of some of the school districts that haven't converted to (free) full day programs yet (each year, more are converting to full day - 76% of schools had it in 2012 and 94% had it in 2019, so be sure to double check with the district):

• Berkeley Heights
• Cherry Hill
• Cranford (full day is a lottery and tuition is $720/month!)
• Chatham
• Edison
• Egg Harbor Township (set to switch to full day in 2020-2021 school year)
• Evesham Township (lottery for full day program, tuition $5500)
• Hillsborough
• Linwood
• Lopatcong (set to switch to full day in 2020-2021 school year)
• Monroe (set to switch to full day in 2020-2021 school year)
• Wayne (lottery for full day wraparound program; fee is $250/month)
• West Windsor-Plainsboro
• Westfield (has lottery fee-based full day WRAP program)

Other Things to Consider:

• All districts in New York State have universal free pre-kindergarten for children turning 4 by December 1 or December 31 of that school year. NYC is also gradually introducing free UPK-3, opening up in more zones each year for children turning 3 by December 31 of that school year.
• Other New York State school districts (outside of NYC) have an age cutoff of December 1 (aka 4 by December 1 to start Pre-K and 5 by December 1 to start Kindergarten)
• Children in Connecticut must be 5 on or before January 1 to enter Kindergarten.
• Each town has a different minimum distance from school for busing. I've seen some requiring you to walk or provide your own transportation if living as far as 1.5 miles from the school, but most have a limit of around .5 - 1 mile.

I first discovered the EggMazing Easter Egg Decorator (our review here) at the 2018 Toy Fair New York, then at the 2019 Toy Fair I excitedly found their TreeMendous Christmas Ornament Decorator (see our demo video here). And just a few months ago at the 2020 Toy Fair, I met their latest and dare I say it, greatest creation, the DinoMazing Dinosaur Egg Decorator, which is included in our Brighter Days Ahead Giveaway (enter to win here)!

​This company has really found an incredibly unique niche, and while we are paid to review and promote them, I can say from the bottom of my heart with complete honesty that my family is absolutely in love all 3 of these products!! Keep reading for my full review and demo video of the amazing DinoMazing!

THE DEMO:

THE REVIEW:
The DinoMazing machine works very similarly to the EggMazing and Treemendous in that you pop in 4 AA batteries, put your egg inside the machine, turn it on, and it spins while you color it with the included non-toxic markers. But this one goes above and beyond the previous two because decorating your dinosaur egg is just the beginning!!

Coloring your egg will EGGspose cracks in the egg, which look really cool but are purely aesthetic. The egg actually pops opens like any regular plastic easter egg right at the middle (which means you can put it back together and take it apart endlessly. When you open it, you'll find a sealed plastic baggy filled with (non-sticky mom-friendly) slime, from which you'll have to pull out the tiny dinosaur parts. Assemble them to make your dinosaur. Open up another egg to create a different type of dinosaur. And you know what? You can mix and match your dinosaur parts!!! My kids got really silly creating hybrids like the TyranoSteg (shown below left)! Or you can put the legs in the arm holes and head in the tail hole. Pretty fun!

Do note that some of these dinosaur parts are teeny tiny, so you'll want to be careful playing with these if you have babies or toddlers in the house. But other than that, have a ball! Boys and girls, parents and kids alike will absolutely love DinoMazing! It's definitely on my list of go-to birthday gifts for the 3-8 year old crowd!!

BUY IT!
You can buy the DinoMazing set (comes with 6 markers, 2 eggs, and the egg spinning machine) for $27.99 on Amazon (affiliate link), and you can buy a set of 6 additional eggs for $27.99 on Amazon (affiliate link).

WIN IT!!!
Don't forget you can win a DinoMazing set in my Brighter Days Ahead Giveaway (ending April 15)!!

EggMazing & Treemendous Demo Videos:

Most of us find ourselves in lockdown these days. Stuck at home while juggling work, our kids' remote learning, and 158 snack runs to the kitchen a day. It's hard. But we're the lucky ones. We're not stuck at home, we're SAFE at home. We're the ones not on the front lines exposed to the virus day in and out. We're the ones not sick enough to be in the hospital. So, let's take a moment to appreciate how lucky we are, to let our essential workers out there know how extremely grateful we are for them, and if you're so inclined, to enter this amazing giveaway for families - one lucky winner takes ALL the prizes listed below! Enter to win in the Rafflecopter box at the bottom, but first keep reading to learn more about the prizes!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by many of the brands included, and some links are affiliate links, meaning we receive a small commission from purchases made after clicking. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own and 100% unbiased!!

THE JACKPOT:

$100 Credit to DiscountGlasses.com
Whether looking for sunglasses (with or without prescription) or regular glasses, DiscountGlasses.com has a tremendous amount of styles for toddlers through adults, at great prices!! I'm kind of obsessed with their "20 for $20" monthly picks - it's where I found my new favorite pair, fun and flirty super lightweight Westend Cherry Creek glasses (bottom right in above photo)! If you're nervous about ordering glasses online, don't be! They have free shipping, 365 day free returns, and virtual try on for most frames. So what do you have to lose? Our grand prize winner will receive a $100 credit to DiscountGlasses.com. Don't miss my full review of DiscountGlasses.com from September here!

• SHOP: discountglasses.com

The DinoMazing Dinosaur Egg Decorator
You may or may not have seen my reviews of The EggMazing Easter Egg Decorator or the TreeMendous Christmas Ornament Decorator (if you haven't, be sure to click through to see them), and now this genius team is back with a brand new EGGstremely awesome toy: The DinoMazing Dino Egg Decorator!! It comes with 2 plastic eggs and 6 markers to use while the machine is spinning your egg. Coloring EGGsposes cracks in the egg, which aren't functional cracks but look cool!! You open it up from the middle like a regular reusable plastic Easter egg and inside you'll find a baggy with non-sticky (yes!! no mess!!) slime and pieces to a tiny dinosaur! Each egg's dino pieces can be mixed and matched. This is such a fun toy - great for birthday presents or even just a fun surprise to break up the boredom of covid-19 quarantines! Be sure to check out my YouTube demo video below and stay tuned for my full blog review!! Our grand prize winner will receive 1 DinoMazing set including the decorator, 2 eggs, and 6 markers.

• ​SHOP:

1. $27.99 on Amazon (affiliate link) for the machine with 2 eggs
2. $27.99 on Amazon (affiliate link) for an additional 6 eggs

$30 Credit from Tiny Human Clothing
With adorable designs for babies through adults, Tiny Human Clothing is a family-run Made in the USA apparel store featuring fun, positive, and authentic clothing utilizing advanced printing technology (take a look behind the scenes in this short YouTube video!). On their website you'll find unique clothing in infant body suits (sizes 6 - 24 months, $13.99), tees for adults  (sizes XS - 3XL, $24.95 - $29.95), and a full line of toddler and children's tees, long sleeve tees, hoodies and pullovers (2T-5T and kids' sizes S - XL, $13.99 - $26.95). Lots of great ways to play matchy match with your kids or whole family!! Our giveaway winner will receive $30 credit from Tiny Human Clothing (with free shipping)!

• SHOP: ​www.tinyhumanclothing.com

The Right Feet Foot Insoles
​Teaching kids left from right foot and which shoe goes on which foot is a real struggle, am I right?! The Right Feet is trying to make that lesson much simpler with their shoe inserts! Simply replace the shoe's original insoles with these by The Right Foot and your child will know immediately know the correct foot for each shoe! You can buy them on their website in 3 sizes: (196mm / Euro 27-28 / US 11 ; 207mm / Euro 29-30 / US 12 ; 217 / Euro 31-32 / US 13) for about $10 a pair. Our winner will receive 1 pair in their choice of size.

• SHOP: therightfeet.com

Wubba Water 6-Pack Electrolyte Drink
It's a good idea to stock up on an assortment of over the counter medicines and hydration drinks BEFORE illness hits your home, but did you know most electrolyte drinks out there for babies through adults contain some rather unexpected and unwanted ingredients - we're talking synthetic dyes, artificial flavors, and artificial sweeteners. No thanks, am I right!? That's why you should know about an organic and healthier alternative to Pedialyte: Wubba Water, a hydration drink marketed for kids but actually perfect for the whole family, that is free of synthetic dyes, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, and GMO's! Colored only with fruit and vegetable extracts and having only 1 gram of organic sugar per serving, Wubba Water is a healthier way to replenish water and electrolytes when sick (and get a Vitamin C boost to boot)! Our winner will receive 2 bottles of each flavor - blue raspberry, fruit punch, and orange, a $15 value.

• SHOP: at Whole Foods (in NYC, CT & NJ), at local health food stores (Maine - NJ), and  Amazon (affiliate link).
• NOTE: Please consult with your pediatrician about when, how much, and how often to give electrolyte drink to your sick child, especially if under 1 year old.

ENTER TO WIN BELOW:
Terms: Open to US residents ages 18 and over. Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM EST on April 15. Winner will be randomly chosen, emailed, and given 48 hours to confirm or a new winner will be selected. Good luck everyone!!!

updated: 3/31/20

Spread the Love, Not the Germs:

• Stay home!!!!
• When taking kids out for fresh air and exercise, maintain 6 feet distance from other humans you don't live with, i.e. NO PLAYDATES!!! And don't visit places where surfaces are likely to be touched by others, i.e. NO PLAYGROUNDS!!!
• Quarantine Rainbow Connection: Have your children draw a rainbow and put it in their window. Add your address here. View the map of rainbows here and look for them when out getting fresh air and exercise (while keeping proper social distancing!).
• Alt Side Parking Suspended through April 14
• Schools Closed through April 19

Local Support & Care for those in need:

• Bay Ridge Cares - offering relief and support to local areas (food shopping, running errands, dog walking, care packages, wellness checks, etc) - contact them if you know someone in need, or would like to volunteer
• Invisible Hands: free, safe deliveries for most at risk community members (sign up to volunteer or request a delivery)
• NYC DOE providing 3 free meals a day for all NYC children, available at 400 sites from M-F 7:30AM - 1:30PM. Click here for locations and hours.

Online Programs by Bay Ridge Businesses

• Bay Ridge Ballet - FREE ballet classes on their new YouTube channel
• Bay Ridge Jewish Center - will be offering Tot Shabbat and some other programs via FB live
• HY Martial Arts - free live Kung Fu classes on Facebook / Instagram, ages 5+, Tuesdays & Thursdays at 3PM. FREE but donations welcome.
• Music Together of Bay Ridge - spring semester will be online, with weekly group class via Zoom, and unlimited private Facebook lives, $115 per family from April 6, more info & register here.
• Urban Steam Lab: virtual science class held Tues & Thurs for 3 weeks (March 31 - April 16; 6 classes) for children in 3rd - 6th grades. $120 for first child, 66% discount for siblings, inclues science kit that can be picked up or delivered locally.​

FREE Online Programs (beyond Bay Ridge)

• Daily @ Various Times: Free Live Stage & Classes through KidPass
• Weekdays @ 11AM - Mornings with Papa Tom (FB Live Music Class), suggested donation $10
• Weekdays @ 11AM-1PM - Science Mom's YouTube Live "QuaranTime"​ (Science), FREE
• Weekdays @ 2 - 2:45PM (ages 8-12) - Live YT Art Class, Monster Art School with Steve Ellis
• Weekdays @ 3 - 3:45PM (ages 13+) - Live YT Art Class, Monster Art School with Steve Ellis​​
• Weekdays @ 3PM - Home Safari Facebook Lives at Cincinnati Zoo (Science), FREE
• The Buttons Band FB & IG Live music classes, Wed @ 11AM, Thurs @ 3:30PM, Sun @ 11AM
• FB Live Workouts by With Love Personal Training, FREE, various days/times
• ​Ongoing interactive homeschooling classes for various ages, organized by Emily Drabinski, the head librarian at CUNY's Graduate Center and her partner, Karen Miller, a history professor at Laguardia Community College, FREE
• List of 37+ children's musicians live online music classes
• List of children's book authors doing online readings

Local Deliveries:

• BookMark Shoppe store is closed but local deliveries receive 20% off online orders with code ADRIFB
• Bubbles & Suds -15% off laundry pickup/delivery for Bay Ridge Residents for next 2 weeks (March 16 - 30?)
• Most grocery stores will maintain their deliveries via phone, internet, or in-store. You can also try InstaCart for delivery from Costco, Aldies, Whole Foods, etc (currently need to schedule delivery a few days ahead), Fresh Direct (currently 1+ week booked out period), and Amazon Fresh (you'll need an Amazon Prime membership, get a free 30-day trial here).
• Leaky Barrel Wines & Sprits: call (718) 256-0346
• Cafes and restaurants can not allow dine-in but most are offering takeout pickup and delivery.

Other Helpful Info: COVID-19

• NY State Department of Health's COVID-19 Page
• CDC COVID-19 Page
• The Best Materials for DIY Masks​
• What "Non-Essential" vs. "Essential" businesses are and what must be closed

Other Helpful Info: Remote Learning

• NYC DOE Learn at Home Activities
• Parents Guide to Google Classroom
• Free Texas Instruments Software
• Download 300,000 free books from NYPL
• Scholastic Learn at Home Programs
• Virtual concerts, plays, and museums