Moments of Musing

Health Care Savings

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This post is sponsored by SingleCare but all opinions are my own.

As a soon-to-be mom of two, I understand the importance of health care savings. Mortgage, bills, and costs for caring for our firstborn are expensive enough so my husband and I are interested in ways we can cut corners and save money. Add in prenatal care, costs associated with banking Baby #2’s cord blood and tissue, and our future labor and delivery bill, and we could sure use all the health care savings we can get… That’s why SingleCare seems like a great service.

SingleCare offers savings on prescriptions, dental, vision, and on-demand virtual doctor visits. It benefits everyone, so no worries if you do not have insurance. Whether it’s a life-saving drug or a routine dental cleaning, it believes consumers should be able to compare costs for healthcare services and get care without worrying about networks, coverage limitations or deductibles. If you do have insurance, it is a good supplement because it can be cheaper than your copay. (We all know how costly copays can add up to be…)

The SingleCare pharmacy savings card is accepted nationwide at over 35,000 pharmacies, including Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, and Kroger’s. Simply bring your card to the pharmacy and ask the pharmacist to process your prescription using the BIN and PCN number found on your card. This extensive availability and simplicity of use is very convenient for consumers.

SingleCare’s number one goal is to help people save on the medications they need. It is free to join and members save money when they fill a prescription using their SingleCare card or when they visit a SingleCare dentist, optometrist, or have an online doctor visit. More savings equals more money to spend on things you like and want to do, such as vacations!

Blog + Instagram Goals 2018

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When the new year comes around, I make personal goals — this year, I decided to also put my blog and Instagram goals into writing. My hope is this will hold me accountable and maybe even help them manifest into reality. 


Blog Goals

  1. Continue creating authentic content. 
  2. Work on meaningful projects and collaborations. 
  3. Expand my reach — with both audience and brands.

Instagram Goals

  1. Get back to a more colorful feed theme. 
  2. Grow my account to reach more people and brands. 
  3. Meaningfully and successfully “revive” my #momentsofmusing project. 

*I also have numerical goals (X number of page views, X number of followers, X in profit) but I’ve decided to keep those private.

Do you make personal and professional goals for the year, or just one or the other?

New Year, New-ish Goals (2018)

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2017 was a year of growth for myself, my family, my blog, this account and the community I found on Instagram. 

– I grew as a mom, wife and individual.
– We are expecting Baby #2. 
– We bought a house. 

I hope for continued growth next year and beyond. This year, my new goals include:
– Increase in brand collaborations
– Growth in the audiences I reach
– To make our home office more of a base

As always, I pray for continued love, financial security, and good health for myself and my family. I also ask for prayers and good wishes for my cousin Abby. Any donation you can make to her fund is greatly appreciated.

2018 has big shoes to fill but I have a feeling it’ll do just fine matching up to (and hopefully surpassing) the overall amazing year that was 2017. 

Cheers to another big year ahead!

P.S. I launched a new Instagram giveaway to celebrate the new year — the winner gets a 10″x10″ letter board of choice. Enter HERE. Good luck. 

Favorite Posts of 2017

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Last year, I walked you all down memory lane with my Through the Years post. I enjoyed looking back and reflecting upon old posts and figured it’d be a good traditional post to write at the end of each year.

This year, my blog transformed. Both the name and space look very different than they ever have. I have taken on more work through my blog and my Instagram, which is connected to this space, and I have “met” many great people. It’s been quite a year.

Here are my favorite posts from 2017:

Time is a thief (AND a giver)

Don’t count Mondays out

A birth story of sorts

I’m a formula-feeding mama.

Give yourself grace, not guilt

Mompowered

The taboo baby blues

My “Return to Work” Realization

Ways to Beat the Post-Vacation Blues

How I Unplugged

LDR? Go For It.

Every Mom Works

10 Tips for Flying with a Baby

A Letter to my Little Love (Excerpts)

What Works (for You) is What’s Right

Love Your {Postpartum} Body – 5 Ways to Improve Your Postpartum Body Image

First Birthday Week Thoughts

Live Fully, Laugh Loudly, and Love.

Disney World with a Toddler

One Year Later: My Return-to-Work Reflections

When he reaches for my hand…

Fall 2017 Family Photos

We Bought a House!

We’ve Been Keeping a Secret

Baby #2 is a …

Here is my Instagram Best Nine. It seems like motherhood is the running and most popular theme:

And with that, I am checking out until 2018!

Thank you for reading and following along. I hope you have wonderful and safe New Year celebrations.

A Gift that Lasts Beyond the Holidays

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This post is sponsored by Cord Blood Registry, CBR®. All opinions are my own.
One day, while sitting in my doctor’s office, my husband and I came across a Cord Blood Registry (CBR) pamphlet. Prior to then, we had not given the process of preserving our baby’s cord blood stem cells and cord tissue much thought.

We did some research and decided it was the right decision for us. In fact, the collection of the baby’s cord blood and cord tissue was the only thing we could definitively plan for happening at labor and delivery.1 Even, and hopefully, if we never have to use the cord blood or tissue, which contain powerful stem cells, we have peace of mind knowing it’s preserved. We figured it was a gift our family would cherish. And, we do.

Preserved newborn stem cells are a perfect match to your child, and may even be a match for siblings or parents, providing the ability to use the cells for potential future uses depending on the condition and other factors.  In addition, cord blood may be used as a treatment option in a stem cell transplant, including treatments for various cancers, and blood, immune, and metabolic disorders.2

We decided to use CBR after speaking with my doctor. We had trust in CBR because they were the oldest and leading newborn stem cell preservation company, and felt secure knowing that the laboratory and storage facility is located in the dry, sunny climate of Tucson, Arizona.
We thought the process was easy, too. There are 5 simple steps to get setup with CBR:
1. Enroll with CBR online at cordblood.com/enroll or call us at 1-888-240-1996
2. CBR ships you a collection kit
3. Bring your kit to the hospital on your big day.
4. Call the medical courier after your baby is born and the cord blood has been collected by your healthcare professional.
5. Relax. CBR handles the rest and will let you know when they receive the cord blood and cord tissue.

This would make a great gift for a loved one this holiday season. It’s a meaningful gift that lasts past the holidays. In fact, we are planning to preserve our future baby’s stem cells, as well!

1. National Cord Blood Program website. http://www.nationalcordbloodprogram.org/qa/what_is_treated.html. Accessed February 2, 2016. 
2. Butler MG, Menitove JE. Umbilical cord blood banking: an update. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2011;28:669-676. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21617932)