Browsing Category Babies and Kids

All-Natural Postpartum Essentials for Mom & Baby (Items to Pack in your Hospital Bag)

Disclaimer: the following post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on them and purchase a product I may receive a rather small commission for referring you there! Just FYI! 🙂

 

Shockingly, when I entered the hospital to give birth to my first little boy, my bag wasn’t really overflowing with mommy and baby goods.  Some would say I actually packed rather lightly as a first time mom about to embark on the whole “charade” that is bringing a baby into the world, and the recovery that happens afterwards within the confines of those hospital walls. 

It’s not as though I am usually some high-maintenance woman - I can be, but we shouldn’t confuse can and am here, thank you.  It’s more so that I am a known hypochondriac, over-thinker, and paranoid over-packer.  I can’t help it.  Vacations?  Two suit cases packed full of every possible shoe I may need… sneakers, sandals, flip flops (yes there is a difference), flats, wedges, stilettos… 20 different outfit choices for a 7 day trip (because what girl doesn’t like to have options?)… ALL of my makeup, high straightener, curling wand, blow dryer, brush, toiletries… extra this, extra that..

You name it. 

I bring it.

But when I went to pack my hospital bag, I was surprised to see how much space I had in my average sized weekender bag. I remember the nurses complimenting me for being a first time mom who didn’t bring four suitcases in tow with her.

I remember that making me feel really good.

And while I sought the advice of my sister (two time mommy) on what was actually necessary to bring to minimize the amount that my husband would reluctantly end up be hauling down the L&D halls, I realized after my perfect baby was born just how little thought I had ACTUALLY put into the individual items I chose to bring with me… and the “free” products that I so willingly slathered on my torn lady-bits the hospital provided for me, and even those that they offered for my baby… All of a sudden, all those compliments I had received for being such a great, light hospital bag packer were moot.

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5 Trending Baby & Mommy Items We Love | 2017

I vividly remember being pregnant with my first son and simply falling in love with every baby thing that crossed my computer screen.  I was, although, very particular on brands I wanted – as I suppose most mommies-to-be probably are.  I had to have the top-of-the-line everything, and I spared no expense to give my baby all that I believed was the best.

This time around, being pregnant with baby BOY number 2, I have pretty much everything I need for his arrival: bins and bins of baby clothes I saved as Kaden grew out of them, bouncers, rockers, bottles, play mats, crib, pack-n-play, swaddles, baby bag… you name it, I have it.  There really isn’t much I need to go out and purchase, and having another boy has made that statement even more true: I’m saving a LOT of money on new clothes, and boy-specific items.

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Archer’s Completed Room; DIY Beach-Themed Boy’s Nursery for Under $200!

I am finally finishing my post about the major transformation of my son’s room. I originally wanted my children to share a room until we added on to our house; however, that did not work out. I was so stressed out about spending money on another room. I wish I could explain why I did not think about painting my old furniture or simply moving some items from my other area’s of the house - I will never know.  The good news is I finally figured out that I could do this and make a beautiful nursery.

We re-used several items from my daughter’s nursery like the crib, rocker, curtains and a few accessories. And then we updated the furniture by painting it a blue-gray that matched the bedding we chose perfectly. Lamps came from the old guest room, as did the mirror that we updated. My mother made the pillows out of some fabric I had lying around.

The photos we hung in his room were meant to be in our living room, then moved to the kid’s shared room, and then they set the theme for Archer’s own room. It is amazing what I found lying around the house to make a complete room. The biggest win for me though was keeping my daughter’s furniture unisex and classic. I also really love Ikea, as I get all of my frames, book shelves, and bins from there.

Archer's Room Guide

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Archer’s Room - Mirror DIY

As I mentioned before, while re-doing my son’s room I tried to use as many things I had in my house as possible so I could save money. As long as I had had my old furniture, I had this mirror as well. If anyone knows me at all… I honestly can only decorate with mirrors. It’s a bad habit of mine (I have a lot of mirrors). While I was picking out paint for my son’s room I found this new spray paint called Plutonium. It was the color that struck me, so I said… “why not! Let’s add some color to his room!” This project is super quick, and this spray paint dried in minutes. No joke. 

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Archer’s Room - Furniture DIY

When my son Archer was born, I made the initial choice to have my 16 month-old daughter and he share a room. This unfortunately did not work for very long, and my husband and I made the decision to split them up. One of the reasons I was so hesitant to split them was for money reasons;  I really I did not want to spend money on new furniture, decorations and everything else that comes with doing a baby room.  As I looked around my home, however, I realized what I already had: furniture, decorations, curtains and basically everything else I needed the whole time - I just was not paying attention.

We had already transitioned my daughter from her crib to a toddler bed, so that was an obvious given that her Serena and Lily crub would take center stage in his room.  In addition, I always prided myself on buying nice furniture that would last, and for the most part, stay in style. My college bedroom furniture (the dresser and nightstand) became my guest room furniture, and now is my son’s. With some new paint it looks amazing.

Check out this, and the next few posts, to see how I only spent $200 on my son’s nursery! 

Here is how I took an old, worn, wood-stained dresser and nightstand, to become fresh, clean, and beautiful staple bedroom pieces!

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All Natural / Organic Belly Butters & Oils to Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy

Being that I am well into my second trimester of my second pregnancy, my little bump has decided to make its appearance MUCH earlier than it did during my first.  I was more tone, athletic, and busy with my first pregnancy, so my growing baby didn’t really become noticeable until I was almost 7 months pregnant.  This time around has been a completely different ball game, and with a rather noticeable baby bump and extra itchy skin, I looked to an all-natural belly butter and oil to soothe the itch, and help prevent stretch marks this time around.

It’s important to note that it has been said that genetics plays the #1 role in whether or not you will develop stretch marks during your pregnancy: “If your mom or sister got them while they were pregnant, chances are you will, too.”  Heard that one?  Yeah, I’ve heard it enough as well.  It has also been noted that staying hydrated while pregnant (something we are supposed to do anyway - and, I am ashamed to say I am quite bad at) allows your skin to stretch easier.

I also believe that not gaining too much weight too quickly is also an important factor in whether or not you will develop stretch marks.  Unfortunately, that isn’t always in our hands when it comes to morning sickness, cravings, and, well, being pregnant in general - a girl gets hungry!  

In any case, a soothing belly butter or oil that is made to help prevent stretch marks, as well as ease itching discomfort, is well worth the extra effort in my opinion.  If not for the stretch marks - then definitely for the itching.

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Fall Must Haves for Babies & Toddlers

Lately, I have found myself swooning over so many baby and toddler items for the autumn season that I couldn’t keep from sharing them with you all.  I actually find that most of them are actually more essentials (with the exception of one or two - and a cute fox) for the cooler weather - not to mention, the flu season.  So if you’re looking for any must have items for this fall or even winter, look to my Fall Favorites list for a beginner’s guide to surviving the season, while also making your babes look super cute ;).

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1. Nordstrom Baby Footie | 2. Crane Air ‘Drop’ Humidifier | 3. Hudson Jeans Twill Pant | 4. Sperry Kids ‘Cruz Jr.’ Slip-On Boat Shoe | 5. Gap Baby Cozy Star Zip Hoodie (Sold Out �? See jacket below!)| 6. Janie & Jack Quilted Herringbone Vest | 7. Star Cotton Sweater | 8. Earth Mama Angel Baby Calming Lavender Lotion | 9. Petit Bateau Embroidered Beanie | 10. Aden + Anais Flannel Muslin Blanket | 11. The Honest Company Mountain Deer Diapers (Get $20 off your first bundle HERE!) | 12. Tucker + Tate Tiered Ruffle Dress | 13. Heart Graphic Body Suit Set (Sold out �? See similar style below!)| 14. Forest Flair Fox Stuffed Animal | 15. The Honest Company Breathe Easy Rub | 16. Classic Dot Moccasins in Cobblestone

If you’re curious why these are not only my favorite items at the moment, but why I also see them as Autumn staples, then feel free to read on… 

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Beachy and Clean; Nursery Wall Art

I couldn’t help but write a quick blog post about the beautifully, adorable prints I recently purchased on Minted.com to hang above my son’s crib in his room.  There are literally thousands of gorgeous, fun, silly, dark, colorful, you-name-it pieces of art on the site from artists all over the country; from photography, typography, drawings to beautiful, foil-pressed art pieces, there are so many amazing things to choose from.

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My style is relatively simple as it relates to my son’s room:  it’s beachy with a focus on being clean, elegant AND fun all at once.  Elegance in a little boy’s nursery?  Because isn’t your infant’s room or nursery really for you, anyway?  Come on.  I’ve focused on using grey and white backgrounds, with different hues of blue and driftwood-resembling elements, so when I sought after art to hang above his crib, I knew it needed to be all those colors mixed into one (or three different) piece(s).  

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Halloween Felt Board - A Simple Halloween Craft for Kids

We love Autumn in our house.  It’s definitely a memorable time of year with so many holidays in que, and that overwhelming feeling of childish emotions constantly being rushed back into your mind from your own past experiences.  Halloween has always been a fun time in my sister and I’s family home growing up.  My mom is the queen of small, yet BOUNTIFUL, holiday décor, and Halloween was no different than Christmas when it came to garnishing every door, wall, shelf and vessel in our house.  My siblings and I were all very lucky to have a talented mother who alone sewed and crafted each and every one of our Halloween costumes Every. Single. Year. 

Being a mother myself to a very rambunctious and happy 18 month old, I wanted to take some of that craftiness my own mom always showed us growing up, and incorporate a fun, hands-on Halloween experience for my own child – one that didn’t simply require finger-painting a poor, beautiful pumpkin plucked from a pumpkin patch thinking it’d be carved into something marvelous (albeit, that’ll probably be added to the list as the 31st of October rolls closer).  I have seen many people create the infamous felt Christmas trees for their toddlers to embellish during the holiday season, and thought I would take a page from that book and rework the idea to give it more of a ghoulish feel.

Thus, the Halloween felt board was created!

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Why I Stopped Judging What People Name their Kids… A rose by any other name….

We have all been there. The moment when you ask, “What are you naming the baby?”

We are excited for our expecting friend and aside from what sex the baby will be, we curiously need to know the name. The moment the name slips out of the parent’s mouths, we know a decision will be made to either ‘Like’, ‘Not Like’, ‘Need time to get used to’, ‘Love’, or ‘Hate’ the name.

Heaven forbid we totally dislike the name.

“Did you hear what so and so is naming their baby…”

“I really don’t like that name…”

“That kid has to grow up with that name… poor guy…”

I have done it. Guilty as charged. Somehow your decision to name your child “that” has personally offended me…  Yes, that is a tad dramatic, but I have made my decision to dislike the name YOU chose for YOUR child.

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