My Holiday Wishlist

Ultimately I really want some time for myself, a weekend away with D, a spa day...but here are the materialistic things...



























I really want a slow cooker/Crock Pot.  I've been seeing a ton of great recipes online and with L it's hard to prep dinner.  He is actually best in the morning (and most difficult around dinner time) so I could pop all the ingredients in to be ready in the evening.  I do however not like the idea of getting yet another appliance- but we have been trying it the old fashion way of a dutch oven style pot on the stove and it's hard to control the temp- nor would I want to leave it on if we step out of the house.






































Some shoes- I really need to purge my closet of the shoes I can no longer wear since having L (they are either too small or way too uncomfortable- my time in high heels is over).



















Nice sunglasses.  I know this is risky with a toddler, but I have been trying to find cheap glasses that I like and have only ended up disappointed and wasting money.  I have about 4 pairs now that are either uncomfortable, permanently blurry (no clue why?!?), don't fit well, or I just plain don't like.  I think it's time to fork over the cash for some I can appreciate....and hope L doesn't destroy them.

Rody for L

September Loves

Here are a few things I'm loving this month...

Trader Joe's Medjool Dates

I can't believe I never had a date by itself till earlier this week.  They taste like brown sugar and are actually good for you.  L loves them as well- oh and they are super soft and safe for babies.  D and I have been eating Lara bars for a while and have tossed around the idea of making our own (they are expensive!).  Well we finally did last night- following this recipe and they came out- in my opinion- better then the store bought ones.  These bars are going to be our go to baby/mommy/daddy snack from now on.

Bay Area Discovery Museum

D and I took L here a few days ago and I can't decide who had more fun- me, L, or D.  This place is A-MAZING for little kids and it's in beautiful Sausalito with views of the Golden Gate bridge.  So much safe exploring and exposure to nature.  The water was L's favorite and we had to change his clothes because he got so wet from splashing- even though they provided adorable mini aprons.  It's a bit expensive and I am kicking myself now for not getting a membership since I see us going there a lot in the future.

Habitat for Humanity Restore 

One of these opened near us and we wished we could have utilized it during all our renovations.  This will most likely be where we get the cabinets for the laundry room.

Smoothies 

We bought a new blender and I used it 4 times the day it arrived- L and I consume a lot of smoothies.  Our favorites right now: mixed frozen berries, 1 banana, 1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk, 1 handful of kale, 1/4 of an avocado, and a bit of ice or 2 bananas, 1 big spoonful of peanut butter, 1 handful of kale or spinach, 1 cup of almond milk, and a bit of ice. (image via pinterest)



Up All Night

So I know the show hasn't even aired yet but the preview looks hilarious (obviously having just became parents makes this right up our alley).  Bonus- we love Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph.  Really excited to watch it tonight.

Mom Groups

So far I'm really enjoying meeting these moms and kiddos...

Birthday Outfit

I'm still floored by cuteness when I look at these pictures of L in his bday outfit.  The bow tie is from etsy seller Baby By Stevie and it stayed on all day!  The shirt is just a plain button down from gymboree (it had buttons on the collar which really helped keep the bow in place).   The jeans are from Gap- as mentioned before, the Gap has great baby clothes right now.  His shoes are Livie & Luca and were the very first things I bought when I was pregnant (got a good deal on Baby Steals)- I didn't know if I was having a boy or girl but I thought they would be cute for either.

Enough of that- now enjoy the pictures:

Gifts for a 1 year old

L is quickly approaching age 1 so naturally I have started to think about his birthday party and potential gifts.  As for his party- I have no clue where to go with that- possible just a casual "open house" at our home- simple- convenient- air conditioned.

These are the gifts I have been eyeing:

Haba Building Blocks

Rody Horse

Chomp and Clack Push Toy

Mom Shoes

So we all hear about pregnancy changing our bodies, and yes, my body is different then before L- just not in the way I expected.  Fortunately I lost all the "baby weight"... though my shape feels a little different, but I can fit into all my old clothes.  My shoes however are a different story, I can no longer wear many of them.  I blame this in part on my feet growing (yes, feet grow and remain larger after pregnancy for many women), getting used to wearing only flip flops (its all I could wear at the end with the heat and the swelling), and some changes in my posture.  I have so many cute heals and it's just too uncomfortable to walk around in heals- add carrying a baby and it's just not doable.  So enter what I deem "mom shoes".  I got a pair of "as cute as possible" danskos with great arch support.  They are growing on me because they are red (love red shoes), and they are very comfy.

December 2010 Etsy Finds

1. The Fearless Hare print- with this Slovak proverb  "Fear is worse than misfortune itself" .  My mother is from Slovakia, last year I got her the fox print, and wanted to get this one this year, but time got in the way- there's always birthdays/mothers day.

2. Hand Knit Baby Duffle Coat- custom orders wool or cotton, can choose color and size.  Knitted baby clothing is just about my favorite thing, too bad I only know how to crochet...may be time to learn knitting.

3. Colorful Balls Locket- Nice coloring with a glass bead.  I have a thing for lockets, as seen in a previous post.

4. Red Iconic Camera Small Backpack- not necessarily a backpack for your camera, but could be.  I like the looks of the soft grey canvas with he brown leather looking zipper flaps.  I wanted to get this for D for Xmas, I guess there's always a belated gift.

5. Take Me For A Walk print- Absolutely adorable, vintage inspired, and perfect for a nursery as seen here.

6. Angel Wings Baby Wrap- GORGEOUS!  Nothing else needs to be said.

7. Wet Bags- made by Monkey Foot Designs, nice fabric selection in varying sizes.

8. Hand Knitted Red Pom Pom Hat- Again with the knitted baby products.  I ADORE this hat.  I actually first saw it here (great blog).  I wanted a hat at least like it, but I was so thrilled to find that it was available on Etsy. Babka purchased it for L- he will get it for Xmas.

9. Wool Baby Slippers- Cute!  Even though L can't walk yet, these would keep his toes nice and toasty.

10. Rainbow Felt Pillow- Would add a nice pop of color to any room.  Might be an easy DIY too...

Wrapped

Going with the theme of feeling rushed, D and I are almost all done with Xmas shopping/prep.  Last year 90% of our gifts were handmade/from Etsy.  This year we were not at all that prepared- meaning we didn't make orders in time.

We did however craft up some of the gifts, I will post them on here after the holidays.  But for now, here are the gifts, wrapped.

We used our old stendig calender paper (like Anna did here), and added left over yarn to tie bows or felt triangles (also left over from a project) strung on ribbon.

Lovely Locket

Saw this on A Cup of Jo and am in love.  How perfect for carrying a photo of L?  Maybe for Christmas...

View the etsy shop here.

Amazon Mom

I'm a big Amazon fan, I do a lot of online shopping and try to find the best deal. Many times the product I want is much cheaper at Amazon, and I can order everything I need in one place--so I only pay shipping once.  


Where else can you buy Grapefruit Seed Extract, a diaper bag, a therapy book, and a mouse trap (maybe a topic for another post) all in one place?  


Amazon now has a feature called Amazon Prime.  It costs $79 a year and you get free 2 day shipping on many products and some other benefits.  Well, I wasn't going to fork over $79 at this point in time, luckily there is another option; Amazon Mom.  Amazon Mom gives you the benefits of Amazon Prime for 3 months, plus extra discounts on products you "subscribe" to (such as reoccurring purchases for diapers and wipes).


From their site:

Amazon Mom is a free program for new and expecting parents featuring exclusive deals on a wide selection of brands and products to help solve all of your family's needs, plus:

• Exclusively for Amazon Mom members, receive an additional 15% discount on top of the standard 15% discount on select diapers and wipes when you sign up for Subscribe & Save delivery. Subscribe & Save shipping is always free, and you can change your delivery schedule or cancel at any time.
• Three months of FREE Two-Day shipping with Amazon Prime. For every $25 you spend within a single order in the Baby store, we'll grant you an additional month of Amazon Prime shipping benefits. You can earn up to one year of Amazon Prime shipping benefits from the date you joined Amazon Mom.

Amazon Mom is aimed at helping parents and caretakers--in the pre-natal days through the toddler years--use Amazon to find all the products their family needs, with great prices and fast shipping. If you have older kids, that's not a problem--you can still join Amazon Mom. Just keep in mind that some of the key benefits are specifically aimed at younger children (such as the 30% off diapers promotion).

To sign up, visit the Amazon Mom sign-up page. 

10 Things I'm Loving Right Now

I have been asked by a few people about which baby products I prefer or have found really helpful, and in the moment nothing came to mind- yay for sleep deprivation.  After some sleep and a quick inventory of what I use the most, I came up with this list.

1. iphone 4- This is number one for a reason, it serves so many functions; allows me to obsessively take pics, record video to document his milestones, entertain myself while nursing, has access to baby related apps, check my emails, send texts, listen to music....I could go on.  Recently I was stuck in stopped traffic alone with L, he began screaming and nothing I did would calm him down.  Granted there are very few things one can do from the front drivers seat when baby is in a rear facing car seat secured to the middle back seat.  If I reached my farthest I was able to touch his cheek.  But as much as I was amazed at the flexibility of my arm and reach-L wasn't very impressed.  He continued to cry, I called D trying to maintain some sanity.  Finally I turned Pandora on my iphone, to the lullaby station (L's favorite).  Shortly after L calmed down and fell asleep.  Pandora is awesome btw.  

2.  Fleurville diaper bag- I got the Re-Run Hanna (for about half the price on amazon).  This was not our original diaper bag, prior to this we had a messenger style from a different brand.  It never closed right, the strap was uncomfortable, and I found myself complaining about it every time we went any where.  Finally D said, "just buy another one if your gonna complain every tine."  So I did! What I was looking for was a zipper close, moderate size, durable strap, and just a bag I didn't have to fuss with. This one fits the bill, and it has a nice pattern.

3. Waterproof multi-use pads- I got these at my mom's suggestion and we use them all the time!  They go great on top of the diaper changing table- prevents the need to wash your changing pad cover every time there's a messy change.  We also use them as portable changing pads so at night we can change him right there in our bed and not worry about messing up the sheets.  They are even great for giving L naked diaper free time.

4. Vitamin D drops- Our pediatrician recommended that we supplement vitamin D to L since we are exclusively breast feeding.  Apparently not a lot of vitamin D transfers through breast milk, there's research supporting most Americans have a deficit of Vitamin D, and winter/rain is about to be upon us.  Here is a good blog post about it by an RD.  Most vitamin D supplements for infants come with added ingredients we didn't want to give L, or the ones that came free of those ingredients were oil like and he wouldn't take them.  But then we found Baby D Drops.  It take one drop to give you recommended amount of vitamin D, and you can put it directly on your nipple (L doesn't even notice it), or in a bottle- without worrying about flavor change.

5. Bouncer - Although he wouldn't sleep in it in the beginning, it now allows me to take a shower and watch him at the same time.  I think some sort of "seat" is a must have for the moments when you can't carry/wear your infant.  

6. Boppy - I use this for most nursing sessions at home.  I have heard the breastfriend is better, but I got a Boppy and have found it does what I need it to do- help me prop up L for easier nursing.  I usually have to use some extra pillows to prop it exactly how I want it, and at night we just use regular pillows in the bed.  So the boppy isn't perfect but I use it  A LOT, definitely worth the money.  I can also prop L in it- like while I am getting a wrap or sling on.

7. Babywearing- I wear L at least 80% of my waking hours.  It's been enormously helpful with L wanting to be held all the time, and me still wanting to be able to get a few things done.  Like right now (L in my Sakura Bloom Ring Sling) :

I currently also have the Babyhawk & Mobywrap. Mei tai's and ring slings are a lot easier to use on the go then wraps, and L seems to go through phases of which carrier he prefers- right now it's the ring sling.  We also have an Ergo, but will be using that when he is a little bigger.  I personally don't like taking L in his car seat or stroller while running errands.  The car seat is heavy and I can never get comfortable carrying it. The stroller is fine (if L will be in it without crying), but some places aren't convenient for a stroller (either allowable space or terrain).  Being able to be hands free and hold L close is awesome.

8. Dr. Sears Baby Book- I love that this book really fits with how I want to parent.  It also has a lot of information that has been immensely helpful with understanding L.  It goes from newborn to toddler so I see us referring back to it for years to come.

9. APNO - This should be given to every nursing mother with early nipple injuries. It stands for "all purpose nipple ointment" and was formulated by Dr. Newman

10. A Good Support System- Having a supportive partner and family members has been BIG DEAL to me. Having D be present with L is a life saver.  D changes diapers, wears down L at night, and gives me breaks when I am about to loose my mind.  L has a hard time falling asleep with me sometimes because he only wants to be nursed to sleep. With D he doesn't smell the milk so he allows to be soothed in other ways. My mom has also been a great help; running errands, cleaning, laundry, and helping out with L.  D's mom is going to babysit L on our first date night since his birth...it's not till Nov 30th, hopefully I will be ready to leave him.  And we have been extremely fortunate with hand-me-downs.  My Dad just had another boy, so my step mom and him have been very generous.  We really don't need to buy clothes for L for a long time, that doesn't stop me though...


And having a good support system is more then just help with the day to day, I have to say it's also important to be surrounded by people who support you with the way you want to parent.  

BabyLegs

L's BabyLegs arrived today.  BabyLegs are basically cute leg warmers that make diaper changes easier, no pants to take off and on - bonus, they allow for showing off diaper covers. I ordered the Newborn size so he could wear them now.  I was happy to find they are even made of organic cotton.  

They are having a sale right now too.  It's on their costume legs, but there are many that would work for every day, especially for girls.  Great deal for christmas presents - 7 pairs for under $30!