Spring Mommy Clothing Staples

Now in NO way am I saying that your wardrobe has to change after you have your children. These are just some clothing choices I decided to make after I had my daughter. I needed clothing that I could nurse in without feeling like a slob or looking like a teen mom ( I am twenty four years old but I still get the stares like I am a fifteen year old mother...) I like simple, easy, and comfortable but most important to me is diversity. I want to be able to interchange my wardrobe pieces. I am all for quality rather than quantity.

These are some of favorite items that are perfect for the spring time!

1. Rompers- Much like their cousin the sundress they are super easy to throw on and look great! Unlike that same cousin you don't have to worry about your child's foot getting caught in the skirt while you are picking them up and showing everyone what is underneath...

2. Teether necklaces- These are everywhere now and I love it! I was all about my statement necklaces until Madeline discovered how good they taste. I have been seeing some seriously adorable ones and I can wear them worry free.

3. Vneck tees- Solids, stripes, polka dots, LOVE them. They look great with jeans or my favorite white denim. I can nurse in them and they are comfy and affordable. Whats not to love?

4. Floaty scarves- I cannot tell you how many times I have had to use these as an emergency nursing cover. Plus, they add that little stylish touch that your outfit may lacking.

5. White denim- I ADORE white jeans. You can dress them up or wear with a tee. Either way you look great!

6. Nude gladiator sandals- These are a must for me. So much better than flip flops and can be worn with everything!

7. Comfortable flats- Trade out your sneakers (Once in a while!) for some comfy flats. You will look more polished and you can still run around.

8. Maxi dresses/skirts- Hides what needs to be hidden and comfortable. Enough said.

9. Chambray shirts- SUPER cute with white jeans and flats and you have buttons for fast feeding!

10. Post earrings- No more dangle earrings with babies around! Go for some super cute posts like these from Kate Spade.

-Mel

Madeline's Peter Rabbit Nursery

As soon as I found out I was having a girl I knew she would have a VERY feminine nursery. Bryce knew that I had a specific vision in mind and gave me full artistic freedom with the exception of the furniture. The only he asked was that the wood be a dark rich wood, which I was fine with. I started looking at crib bedding and went from there. I looked at Winnie the Pooh themes, woodland creatures, shabby chic, soooo many different styles. I really wanted to do a Beatrix Potter theme because the stories are very dear to my family and I love the light innocence of the art. 

I has seen that Pottery Barn Kids had a Peter Rabbit crib set that I liked but didn't feel that it was soft enough looking for the pinks and pastels I wanted. So I kept looking for sets EVERYWHERE. I kept seeing a beautiful but discontinued set from Pottery Barn Kids on Pinterest and assorted blogs. It seemed like I would never find it though.

Finally, one day I did my daily eBay check and there it was. The bumper and crib skirt, in all its sweet glory. I freaked out and did the buy it now price so fast I barely had time to read the info. It was practically brand new. The skirt still had the tags on it! I made the big bows myself to add a little more pink. 

Paint

Wall Colors: Flickering Firefly (KM5220) Bunny's Nose (KM5480) 

Ceiling color: La Paz Siesta (KM5025) The clouds were hand painted by my friend and I.

Furniture

Crib: Child Craft

Changing Table: Child Craft

Dresser: Child Craft

Ottoman: Target

Long Wall Shelves: Ikea LACK shelf

Short Wall Shelves: Ikea LACK shelf

The rocking chair was from my own Jenny Lind nursery set and the white rot iron book shelf was from Bryce's mother's childhood bedroom. 

Accents

Frames by shelves: Ikea Rectangular and Round (Pictures inside were from my nursery)

Frames by crib: Ikea with pictures from Etsy

Canopy: Ikea (I added the flowers around the hoop)

Bunny nightlight: Target

Curtains: Ikea

The framed outfits above the dresser are the outfit Madeline wore home from the hospital as well as my own. The shoes are also a little mother daughter treasure, her first pair atop my first pair. 

Shadow box frames and Baseball display boxes both from Michaels Craft Store.

-Mel

My Top 6 Most Useful Baby Gadgets

As I was writing a packing list for our trip to the snow this weekend, I was thinking about the things we could absolutely NOT forget. Diapers, wipes, extra warm clothing, etc. Most of these products came to mind. All of these are things we use everyday and I recommend them to all of my friends with babies.

1. Green Sprouts Glass Food Cubes- We are only a month into the solid food world and so far these are amazing! I make all of Madeline's food at home (soooo much easier than people think) and these little 2 ounce cubes are great for on the go. I fill and freeze them and they either thaw by the time she is ready to eat, place in a cup of hot water, or they are glass (with exception of the lid of course) so they are okay to microwave! No BPA, no funky plastic residue, super easy clean up, and they stack in the freezer/fridge. Win.

2. Brica Baby In Sight Magical Firefly Auto Mirror- This was on our registry and we never put her in the car without it. It has lights and music, but there are lights on the actual mirror that keep her fixated and calm. I LOVE that it has two settings for awake and sleepy. The music isn't super annoying and it has volume control. It has a standby setting so if it times out and she is still awake I can use the remote and turn it back on, the batteries even last a really good amount of time. It's worth every penny. 

3. Tiny Love Take Along Mobile- This is one of those products that you see and think "Why didn't I think of that?!" A mobile that you can clamp to anything. Genius! It comes with two clamps, one for adhering to cribs, pack and plays, bassinets, and another that clamps onto carseats, bouncer seats, swings, etc. PERFECT! (Also comes in a gender neutral color pattern, this is just the one we received)

4. Munchkin Lulla-Vibe Vibrating Mattress Pad Baby Soother- I had seen a video for this while pregnant and thought it was amazing. I was right. We placed it under the mattress in her crib and I can turn it on with my foot (I do have chimpanzee toes though so this may not work for you...) It vibrates her mattress and creates a white noise that makes nap time much easier. It fades the vibration as it turn off so there is no abrupt stop. When she was a newborn we put it in the carseat to help keep her asleep. Now that she sleeps in her crib all the time we leave it in place because it can be a pain to move. My only complaint is that the batteries do not last very long, but I would definitely still recommend and repurchase if needed.

5. The First Years Breastflow Freezer Milk Storage Organizer- When I started back to work my company was so wonderful in making a pumping space for me and making sure I was comfortable. They purchased this for me and I think it is wonderful! It stores the bags but it also has a partition that compresses the bags flat for easy storage. I love it! There is even a little insert that separates the frozen bags from the fresh ones to ensure that there is no melting.

6. Trend Lab Sherpa Fleece Crib Wrap Rail Cover- With teeth and standing comes bite marks on your baby's crib and chemicals in their mouths. Not good. After the first sighting of a bite mark I immediately bought this. She actually seems to enjoy chewing on it and playing with the ties. I can throw it in the washing machine and all is well!

-Mel

PB&J Lactation Yogurt

Lately for breakfast I have been enjoying this little milk boost treat!

I thought I would share.

PB&J Lactation Yogurt

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Fat free vanilla greek yogurt

Handful of raspberries (or any fruit you like)

1 tablespoon unsalted almond butter

1/2 Milkmakers oatmeal chocolate chip Lactation cookie (crushed) or make your own from this recipe here.

Okay so it isn't really peanut butter and jelly, but it does taste like it! I find lactation cookies to be very dry and difficult to actually enjoy but using them as granola is an easy and delicious way to gain the benefits. Almonds are a great source of protein and also boost lactation. The yogurt also is a great source of protein and tastes delicious with the fresh fruit. I love this for breakfast with a cup of Mothers Milk tea.

Hope you enjoy!

-Mel

My Baby Shower

My baby shower was such an amazing and exciting day. It was hosted for me by Bryce's Aunt Debbie and his mother Denise. It was all kept a secret from me and I was SO surprised and overwhelmed with excitement when I walked in. Since they made a lot of the decorations themselves I thought others would be able to gain some ideas. I will FOREVER be so grateful for their generosity that went into making that day so special for me.

There were three games played that my mother came up with. We played a "Mommy or Daddy?" game which had questions about Bryce and I, such as "Who weighed 9 pounds at birth?" and "Who auditioned to be in the movie Flubber?" and guests circled either the Mickey Mouse or the Minnie Mouse. This was loads of fun for me to watch and was also a great ice breaker. We also played a celebrity baby name match up, and The Price is Right but with baby products such as baby wash, teethers, wipes, etc. I (of course) got to keep all of the products afterward which was like getting another gift!

Since the guest list was over 50 it was held at a restaurant in Los Gatos, CA. A menu was created by the restaurant with a chicken dish, a beef dish, and a vegetarian option. 

They re-purposed some apothecary jars to be a candy bar! Rock candy, gummy bears, gum balls, sixlets, pixie sticks, lollipops, and candy kisses that said "it's a girl" were all in a tasty display.

The desert table included Minnie Mouse cupcakes, cake pops, mini cheesecakes, marshmallow pops,  and iced sugar cookies.

The gift table had an adorable clothesline made of ribbon and Aunt Debbie had made little Minnie Mouse onesies and a bib. She also made a beautiful basket with a pink tutu for the cards. I have it in Madeline's room now for burp cloths.

Next to the gift table there was a picture of me at 12 months old as well as my foot prints.

The favors were pink candied popcorn bags with adorable tags that said "She is going to pop!" Denise made all of the popcorn herself and it was delicious and adorable!

The handmade center pieces were vases with pink tulle glued as a tutu and styrofoam Minnie Mouse heads. There was also Minnie Mouse shaped confetti on every table which I kept for scrap booking.

My "Mommy to be" ribbon was purchased off an Etsy shop.

Bryce popped in for a bit to say hi!

I hope this gave you some ideas for what you may want at your own shower or maybe one you are planning. If you try anything (or even if you didn't) please leave a comment with a link to your shower pictures! I would LOVE to see them.

-Mel