Monthly Archives: July 2022

Top 5 Self Help Books of All Time!

0
by

NOTE: This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products that I love. Please read my full disclosure here for more information.

We all love a good self-help book! They help us to organize our lives and motivate us toward greater success in all areas, including love, career, and finance!

Once in a while, you stumble across a self-help book which completely changes your world view and impacts your life in ways you could not have imagined.

In this post, I’m going to detail my top 5 self help books of all time, books which have opened my mind and caused me to question conventional thinking.

1) How to Win Friends and Influence People

This was the first self-help book I ever read. It is iconic for a reason. Probably the most jolting (and most important!) takeaway from this book is that most people do not care about you – they care about themselves. This book shows how to achieve success in all areas of life by recognizing this fact. For example, when having a conversation with someone, you will establish more rapport (and achieve more leverage) by taking an active interest in the other person and his or her life. Use the other person’s first name (if appropriate); a person’s own name is the most beautiful sound in the world to him or her. Smile. Allow the other person to save face if a mistake is made (we are all human!). Be a good listener. Many public figures praise this book for teaching them the people skills which enabled their rise to the top. Dale Carnegie is the author.

2) The Rules

In the age of feminism, this one is controversial. However, it is time-tested, and it works! In a nutshell, this book demonstrates, through numerous anecdotes and observations to which all women can relate, the ancient truth that men like to hunt. Men are also visual creatures; a slim figure and long wavy hair are two of the most potent mating calls to men. These features may not win a man’s heart, but they will draw him over to you for a conversation. He will never have a chance to fall in love with your loving heart, brilliant mind, or winsome wit if he is not first visually attracted to you! These are harsh truths, but truths nevertheless. For years, I had impeccable makeup. However, I never attracted dates until I lost weight and grew my hair long. In addition, men flock to sought-after women; despite what politically correct talking points proclaim, relationships do have a better chance of long-lasting success if the man pursues the woman first. This book is also a potent protection for women against dead-end relationships; if a man does not want to work hard for it, he was not that attracted to you to begin with (and the relationship has no potential)! The Rules was co-authored by Sherrie Schneider and Ellen Fein.

3) Wheat Belly

This book revolutionized my health 9 years ago. It helped me drop around 30 pounds within a few months and keep it off for a very long time. Packed with eye-opening information about the food industry, it reiterates that the bread we are eating today is not the same bread that our parents ate. Instead, it is genetically modified poison, and it is probably what is making us all fat. By eliminating or, at the very least, minimizing sugar and wheat products, losing weight is far easier. It demonstrates that the best diet for human beings is one rich in lean meats, vegetables, and fruit (in moderation). This book was written by Dr. William Davis.

4) The Secret

Although I’m not fully decided on all the tenets of this book, I’ve included it on the list because it has truly revolutionized my appreciation of the power of positive thinking. This book proposes many intriguing metaphysical principles, including assertions that thoughts impact reality on a strictly material level. While I cannot attest to that on a scientific basis, I do believe, when we have a vision in our minds as to the life we crave, and we cling to that vision, we are subconsciously arranging our actions to align with that goal, thereby increasing our chances of bringing that dream into existence. What we think and speak does have profound implications upon our lives. Even the Bible argues this fact. What we fear most is what often appears in our lives, and this book demonstrates why that is the case. This book is written by Rhonda Byrne.

5) Rich Dad, Poor Dad

I’m ending this blog post with perhaps the most explosive book in the bunch – and the only finance book. We’ve all heard the conventional, often-parroted wisdom for all high school and college graduates. Go to college, graduate school, and beyond. Find a good company to work for. Save as if your life depended on it. Work hard so that you will have a lot of money when you retire, and then you’ll have money to burn during your 10-15 year retirement before you die. We’ve all heard it. Robert Kiyosaki (the author) shatters these cliches. He shares the secrets of the ultra-rich – the “rich dads.” Among the countless provocative revelations in his book, he contends that the rich buy assets, not liabilities. Liabilities are purchases that quickly depreciate in value – such as clothes, luxury cars, golf clubs, etc. Assets are purchases that continue to make money over time, such as rental properties, stock, bonds, or intellectual property (royalties). He has some fascinating critiques about education. He does not disparage college, but he believes that advanced education as a whole creates debt slaves (a fact!) and should encourage entrepreneurship. I only wish I’d read this book in my early 20’s. I would probably be a millionaire by now – but it’s never too late to apply these concepts!

Pumping at Work Tips (How-to Guide and Must Haves!)

4
by

NOTE: This post contains affiliate links and codes, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links and codes, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products that I love. Please read my full disclosure here for more information.

INTRODUCTION

Breastfeeding (if one chooses to do so) is one of the biggest challenges of motherhood, but also one of its most rewarding aspects.

For full-time working mothers, especially new moms, pumping breast milk at the work site is a dreaded necessity. Pump breaks are essential in order to maintain milk supply while women are away from their babies (once maternity leave has ended). The first day back at work is particularly draining.

The good news is that, in most cases, employers are legally required to allow nursing moms reasonable break time to pump during work hours – in a private room other than a bathroom – for one year following delivery.

If Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) – a federal law – applies to you, your right to express milk at work is protected under the Break Time for Nursing Mothers law. If you are an hourly employee, you are likely covered by FLSA. (You may want to confirm with your HR department that you are covered.)

I’m going to compose a step-by-step pumping plan for work!

TIMING / FREQUENCY

You will need to express breast milk – on average – at the same intervals (more or less) as you would normally breastfeed your baby. My first pumping session was usually between 9-10 a.m., the second was during the lunch break, and the third pump break was usually between 4-5 when I was wrapping up my work for the day. This pumping schedule is important for preserving your milk supply and milk production away from your baby.

LENGTH OF PUMPING TIME

This varies from woman to woman. Some (lucky!) women are able to pump quite quickly – in as much time as 10 minutes. For others, it takes extra time for the milk to flow and for their breasts to empty fully. Personally, it took me 30 minutes (including setup and cleanup) to pump each session. Of note, looking at photos of your baby while you pump can help in this regard.

SPACE

If you do not have your own office, work places must provide a pumping space (not a bathroom!) to a breastfeeding employee if you are covered under FLSA (see above), and many have a dedicated lactation room.

METHOD

A pumping bra (allowing mom to remain hands-free) is crucial in order to complete work tasks while breastfeeding. Multitasking is key! It will help you avoid that rising feeling of panic that comes from getting behind on work while pumping.

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

1) In the morning…it is a good idea to place each phalange (with attached parts) in a separate gallon size ziploc plastic bag. You will place these 2 plastic bags in your breast pump bag, along with a sharpie pen, breast milk bags, and your breast pump + cord.

2) When you are ready to pump…the first thing you need to do is attach each phalange to each breast via hands-free pumping bra.

3) Pump!

4) When finished, you will need to pour the milk collected into the pre-sterilized milk bags stored in your pump bag; you will use the sharpie to label the time, date, and ounces of milk pumped.

5) Store milk in a refrigerator.

6) Clean pump parts (suggestions for this below).

7) Repeat at next pump.

8) When done for the day, take milk and pumping bag (containing pump parts) home, and immediately store milk in the freezer upon arrival. Make sure you have ice packs in the milk bag for the journey home (when your milk would be at room temperature).

9) Clean pump parts thoroughly with Dawn and water; allow to air dry on a paper towel or drying rack overnight.

CLEANING

This is probably one of the most trying aspects of pumping at work. For many, who have only a cubicle for their work space, finding a place to wash (and dry) breast pump parts is daunting. It takes time to wash pump parts, and finding a place to allow them to air dry can be difficult as well.

When I was pumping, I used to place my pump parts in a plastic bag in the refrigerator in between pumps in order to avoid washing pump parts between pump sessions. Although I did this successfully with no issues for both my children, the CDC now recommends washing between sessions regardless. Therefore, I do recommend washing the parts between sessions, per official health agency recommendations, in order to avoid bacterial contamination. The quickest way to do this is to employ special breast pump part cleaning wipes (more on this below, in my “Recommended Products” section).

RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS

1) Baby Buddha Breast Pump – I used Spectra for pumping with my first baby since it’s one of the pumps which most insurance plans cover. With my second child, however, I used the Baby Buddha Breast Pump. It was a complete game changer – it helps with portability, milk output, and increasing supply. Plus, it is a hands-free pump and, when paired with a pumping bra, a wearable pump! I was able to dramatically increase my pumping output at work with this pump! Plus, the pump itself is the size of an iPhone and hangs around your neck with a strap. It is not covered by insurance, but it is worth every penny! It is – far and away – the best breast pump. (Often times, you get what you pay for, and this is certainly the case here!) Although this pump is listed at $249.99 on the website, it is often on sale for $189.99. You can get a 10% discount when purchasing this pump at the website with this code – MAKEUPDIVA10. Please read my full review here.

Baby Buddha Breast Pump

2) Hands Free Pumping Bra – As stated above, a hands-free pumping bra is a must-have for pumping at work. It allows multitasking in a way which is impossible otherwise. I personally used the hands-free pumping bra from Motherhood Maternity (featured below).

3) Cleaning Wipes – Obviously, cleaning with Dawn and water is ideal, but, if time and space are lacking, these quick cleaning wipes from Medela are a Godsend! I also love cleaning baby toys with this as well.

4) Breast Milk Bags – These milk bags from Lansinoh are iconic, and for good reason. They rarely leak or burst, and they are easy to use. It’s not recommended to store more than 180 mL of milk in these bags.

5) Pump Bag – Having a good pump bag is essential. It allows you to store your pump and parts, as well as accessories such as breast milk bags and “the sharpie.” I used this one below, and it served me well.

6) Milk Storage Bags – While some pump bags (such as above), do contain a compartment for breast milk, some don’t (in which case you will need to find one such as below).

Hope this was helpful and that you found some great ideas! If you need additional information for your pumping needs, I recommend that you consult a certified lactation counselor.

Related: Baby Buddha Portable Breast Pump Review (with 10% Special Discount Code!)