I know that not everyone is traveling right now. Because my maternity leave starts soon, I’ll be staying at home for the next few months, myself! I’ve rounded up a few of the best things that I use at home. (Bonus points for all of the comfy and cozy goodies to help me brave another Northeast Ohio winter - especially with a newborn!)
I only recommend products that I use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. 
#1 - Wine Opener
I gifted this one to my parents last year, and immediately wished that I'd bought one for myself! It's sleek and practical, and looks great in any kitchen! My wine opener will be getting a lot of use after this baby is born! ;)  
#2 - Ring Doorbell
Something we use daily around here. With our Ring, I can see who's here (or which delivery I'm getting!) and can communicate with them if I need to. Bonus points for not ringing loudly through the house with a sleeping baby!  
#3 - Amazon Fire Stick
We cut cable years ago, and now exclusively use Amazon Fire Sticks on all of our TVs. My Fire Stick will be working overtime during my maternity leave!  
#4 - Loungewear
Between working from home, pregnancy, and my soon-to-be maternity leave, loungewear is basically my staple. While I love a good pair of Lululemon Aligns, I've also been a LONGTIME lover of these Under Armour leggings, which are more budget-friendly and available on Amazon. Also from Amazon are my favorite joggers (I have 4 pairs!) and I'm loving this loungewear set!
#5 - Speakers
We use Google smart speakers in our home. Did you know that my sister's name is Alexa? It's the sole reason that my family exclusively uses Google Home products! Amazon seems to have a major beef with Google, because they've pulled pretty much all of the Google Home devices off of their site! I also use a Beats Pill in my office, which I absolutely recommend to anyone who works from home.  
#6 - Yeti Rambler
We own a few of these and I use them every day. (My favorite is my Bimini Pink version!) I also own the straw lid in addition to the MagSlider lid that it comes with, and make my own iced coffee at home. Which leads me to number 7 on my list...
#7 - Ninja Coffee Bar
I don't know how I ever used a different coffee maker. I used to be a die-hard Keurig girl, but once I got this one, I never looked back. You can brew anything from 1 small cup to an entire carafe. Hot or iced coffee, extra rich or a classic brew. The combinations are endless! It also comes with a built-in milk frother. I can't recommend this enough!  
#8 - Home Workout Equipment
We recently expanded our home gym. We added this bench, these adjustable dumbbells, and resistance bands similar to these ones. Just don't forget my favorite home gym hack - attaching a stroller fan to your equipment to keep cool!
#9 - Cozy Blanket
While we all love a Barefoot Dreams blanket, those can cost a pretty penny. This Amazon dupe is fantastic!  
#10 - Water Bottles
I'm definitely one of those people who have water bottles in every single room. I've had my Hydroflask for years and am currently obsessed with the Disney prints on these Simple Modern bottles.
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One of the questions that I’ve gotten the most is “How will you handle maternity leave?”
Since I work from home, and have a "non-traditional" job, I'll also have a "non-traditional" maternity leave. Keep reading to learn more! I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. 
I’ll start with the fact that I am so very grateful that this is my job! Some things that help make this maternity leave a little easier:
Getting everything prepped ahead of time means a lot of extra work on the front end, but it will help me immensely once our little guy comes! This means designing and sending client packages earlier than I typically would. I also have pre-scheduled social media content that will go out on certain dates.
FAQs
Will you still be booking travel? Everything that can be completed in advance is out of the way. (Pre-scheduled client emails, etc.) Upon my return to the office after maternity leave, I will be focusing only on currently booked clients. After that, I will be slowly opening my books again for new clients. I will be limiting the number of clients I take on in the first few months back. Will you still answer emails or messages while on maternity leave? With a newborn, I simply will not have the time to personally answer the sheer number of messages and emails that I get weekly. Because of that, my auto-responder will go on as soon as I go into labor. Anyone with travel inquiries will have a form to complete, and those folks will then be wait-listed until I return to the office. Do you have anyone helping you? Of course! THE biggest reason that I chose Wave of a Wand Travel is the stellar team that I get to work with every day. Currently booked clients have a direct contact to one of our agency’s co-owners. (It bears repeating - I love this team!!) While I do have pre-scheduled social media content going out while I’m away, I’ll also be leaning on some of my team to help me with any Disney or Universal news that will need to be shared on social media or my website. Here at home, my husband works for a fantastic company that allows him to take a great paternity leave, so we’ll be together to tackle the newborn phase!
Any work that I can do in advance is just about done! Hopefully this allows me to be ready just in case he comes early, and we can enjoy some of this holiday season relaxing, too!
We can’t wait to soak up everything about this baby and our new life as a family of three! |
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