The Honest Company

The Honest Company Sample Kit

I mentioned here that I wanted to give the eco-friendly diaper another “go” when our gifted supply was dwindling. As much as I think it’s totally silly that every celebrity who gets pregnant wants to launch some kind of baby product line… I really like that Jessica Alba went the environmentally conscious route. The Honest Company offers chemical-free, non-toxic and totally cute diapers, wipes and a variety of other baby necessities. The best part? For $4.95 S&H you can order a free trial (above – just received mine a few days ago!). The diapers are adorable… and don’t feel half as bad as the Seventh Generation variety… my only (and pretty significant) problem… coincidence that we had blowouts in 3 out of 7 diapers? I seriously doubt it. The wipes are VERY thin but even THAT I could overlook for the environmentally-friendly factor… but blowouts… DEAL BREAKER. The lotion is olive oil based (pro), VERY moisturizing (pro), but smells like…. olive oil (con). I will say… I think the diapers may be a tiny bit big. Based on her size, the site suggested a size 2.  Although we’ll probably graduate at the end of this case… Liv still comfortably fits in a size 1 Pampers Swaddlers. SO… Either Honest runs small and I just don’t like the product  OR the size 2 we’re too big and caused aforementioned blowouts. Either way, I haven’t written the product off completely… would definitely give a second shot after we’ve worked our way through our gifted stockpile. The packaging is pretty darn cute, huh? I have a hard time believing that those bottles/tubes are biodegradable… but whatever.

Post Peanut Projects

My Big List of Post Peanut Projects

An ambitious (and growing) list of things I’d like to accomplish (this year) as a stay-at-home mommy

  • Create a Disaster/ Tornado Kit for the house and car
  • Take a Sewing Class, Finally take the sewing machine that I got for my birthday 3 years ago… learn to use it to accomplish several projects (Including… New Pillows for the Living Room Sofa, Curtains for Master Bedroom, Guest Bedroom and Liv’s Room)
  • Revamp Outdoor Living Spaces (New Planties, drought-friendly plants for beds, Cushions for Adirondack chairs, twinkle lights for arbor, porch swing, new grill solution, and of course… kill weeds.
  • Document Recipes for “Season’s of Love” Lifebook
  • Start Mommy Blog (whoohoo… I’m already making progress on this one!)
  • Update Liv’s baby book
  • Organize Photos in Picasa albums
  • Organize Office/ Re-do Office space so that’s it’s functional as Daniel’s “home office” with room to share for Music and Mommy stuffs
  • Put Wedding Photos in an Album
  • Order and Frame Wedding, Maternity and Newborn prints
  • Clean out craft closet, pantry/utility room, and kitchen cabinets
  • ReVamp Guest Bedroom
  • Open Etsy Shop to sell Found/Handmade (Read: things I sew) goodies
  • Replace fixtures throughout house (rather… remove. Rustoleum spray paint ’em and put ’em back on)
  • Postpartum slim down
  • Re-Finish + Sell old dining set

Poop Stains

All moms swear by something to remove stains… This concoction works. Equal parts: Wisk, Shout and Oxi Clean. Applied directly to the stain, scrub then soak in warm water for a few hours and pop in with the rest of the load. And my mom had the genius idea of using an old spice bottle (one with larger holes works best) to store a smaller amount of Oxi Clean for easier pouring and quick access.

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And the Thunder Rolls…

This little gal LOVES to be outside. Yesterday we sat on the porch for an hour talking about the weather and listening to the thunder in the distance.

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Momma Meg Loves: Things to Register For

As a first time momma I was TOTALLY clueless when creating a baby registry. I had no idea what I would need and want… I really only knew what I thought was cute. And it’s ALL cute. Especially when you’re having a girl! Here’s a list of the products I found most essential in my arsenal. Also – a list of the things I registered for… and/or purchased that I probably should have skipped or waited on.

Momma Meg Loves…

Baby Bjorn Air Mesh Baby Carrier

 

Baby Bjorn – I took Liv out for walks starting around 3 weeks. It was not only great for her… but good for me to get out at least once a day to get some fresh air and a little exercise. In the first few months, I used it at least once a day… most days more like 3 or 4 times. Found it especially useful to calm her when she just wanted to be held. The “Bjorn” brand works wonderfully for me – although at 4 months… looking into the future… I might have looked into something that converted into a backpack type carrier. Also – I registered for the grey/white mesh carrier because it claimed to be more “breathable”… but I probably should have opted for the “stain-hiding” classic black. Buy Here with a 20% off coupon, or Buy Here in All black mesh! Image From Here (Note: I wanted Liv to Love this sling SO badly… but she HATES it. Maybe once she likes to sit on my hip we can try it again… I REALLY wish we could figure out the whole nursing-while-baby-wearing thing… )

Edit: Instead of deleting the above blurb about the Baby Bjorn, I thought I’d leave it so you might see (if anyone actually refers to/ reads back this far) what I did LOVE about this product in the earlier stages. I could have predicted at about 4 months (See above) that we were growing out of the Bjorn. Olivia was a pretty petite baby so it really did work wonderfully for me for the first few months… didn’t strain my back, was comfortable, she seemed comfortable, etc. The last time we tried to use it was around 6 months – on our trip to CA. Still petite, I can’t bear to carry Olivia in it for more than a few minutes – she’s squished in there, the straps dig in to my shoulders and after 5 minutes I can already feel the backache coming on. After lots of careful research polling all my momma friends and experts, I’ve decided to invest in an Ergo Baby Carrier. (Just waiting for one to pop up on sale on Zulily, Totsy, Amazon, etc.)

Ergo Baby Carrier

 

Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Glazed Diaper Bag

Petunia Pickle Bottom Diaper Bag – If I had to pick one thing to SPLURGE on… this would be it. Ours was gifted by my Godmother to whom I will be forever grateful… because this is truly a wonderful bag! The reasons I love it are endless… so here are the top 3. First, most diaper bags come with a changing pad cover that folds and stores INSIDE the bag… so when you encounter that questionable public changing table, you have to dig through the diaper bag… find the pad… the wipeys and the diapeys… PPB makes things SO MUCH easier. the pad unzips and folds out from the side of the bag revealing two pockets… perfectly sized for diapers… and for wipes. Oh.. and a tiny pocket for travel-sized diaper rash cream. Two Words… EASY ACCESS. Also a really nice feature for changing diapers when you DON’T have access to a changing table… like… on a picnic blanket… or at a friend’s house. And BONUS… because it’s access from the outside of the bag… no lost storage space on the INSIDE of the bag. Second, PPB is waterproof! and the fold-out changing pad is machine washable. I can already tell that this bag will wear REALLY well through as many kiddos as I want to have (and for the price tag… it should!) Third, convertible straps allow PPB to be worn cross-body, over-the-shoulder, or as a backpack! Also fits REALLY well hanging our stroller! and Duh…the cute factor is obvious… Buy Here (lots of matching accessories too!) or Buy Here (discontinued prints are a little bit less expensive) Image from Here

WubbaNub

WubbaNub – Obviously not something I had heard of pre-#momlife. This pacifier (A soothie) is attached to a small stuffed animal friend… awesome because a) the stuffed animal acts as a weight making it easier to find when the pacifier falls out. b) most of the stuffed creatures have perfectly sized arms/legs for little hands to hold on to. c) they’re easier to find for mommy too! Buy Here (best variety) or Buy Here (for convenience) Image from Here

Aiden + Anais Bamboo Swaddle Blankets

Aiden + Anais Swaddle Blankets – These were something I put on my registry purely because I thought they were pretty. Soft and sheer… I just loved the way they looked and felt. We have both the bamboo blend and regular muslin variety. The bamboo are definitely softer and easier to swaddle with but pricier and don’t hold up as well after several washes. The muslin are lightweight enough to use as a nursing cover (especially nice when it’s too hot out to use one of those heavy canvas “hooter hiders”). I keep one of these blankets in my diaper bag at all times! Also worth mentioning – Aiden + Anais makes great burp rags too! Same soft material and darling prints…. also feature a great curved shape that fits as perfectly as a burp rag can over your shoulder and BONUS… snaps into a “bib” … which is great to snap around a stroller handle or car seat for easy access. Buy Here  or Buy Here (best variety) or Buy Here (for convenience) Image From Here

Sophie The Giraffe

Sophie The Giraffe & Sophie The Teether – Definitely worth every penny! I had a hard time justifying this purchase… but as soon as Liv was old enough to enjoy “toys”… Sophie quickly became a favorite. The feet are just the right size for tiny hands to hold on to and the “PURE” rubber is safe for drool-y exploring. Liv is almost 4.5 months old and unfortunately (to be confirmed by the pediatrician) at the very beginning stages of teething…. so we also invested in the Sophie Teether (who is fondly referred to as “Chewie” as to not create any confusion)… This version of Sophie is harder rubber and has ridged rings… great for teething… but also great for little hands to hold. Buy Here (Cheaper) or Here (In Stores) Image from Here

Angel Dear Giraffe Lovie

Angel Dear Giraffe Lovie – Don’t REALLY understand why this is Liv’s fav… but I picked it up at Baby Bliss (in a weak pregnant moment – I had a thing for all things giraffe… and this super plush… darling little giraffe “lovie” was too much to pass up). It’s slowly becoming a diaper bag staple… actually… it never really makes it in the bag… because it pretty much goes everywhere with Liv. Bumbo to Car Seat… even as we speak… she’s snuggled up, paci in one hand, Lovie in the other. Buy Here (Cheapest! $13!!) or Buy Here (In Stores)

Products I would RE-Think

The stroller – I’m convinced now (Yep, that’s right mom! I’ll admit I was wrong) expensive strollers are just that… expensive. Don’t get me wrong. There are lots of things that I love about my Peg Perego Switch Four stroller… and I AM glad I talked myself out of the uber fancy Uppa Baby or Bugaboo. I love that the stroller base + car seat snapped in combo is super easy to snap-in, fold-up, navigate, etc. The base is REALLY light weight… I can successfully collapse AND load the base one-handed (with an iced coffee in the other hand, of course!). We do get tons of use out of the bassinet, (that will later flip to face forward as the stroller seat) Olivia LOVES to lay down… and it allows her more room to wiggle around (READ: less likely to develop a flat spot from leaning head in one direction). Occasionally, I’ll strap her in, like a big girl and let her sit up slightly… Only downsides a) the straps are still to big for her at 4 months and b)without fastening the straps, she scoots down so far that her legs end up hanging off the end of the stroller. Things I dislike: a) the cup holder falls off… ALL the time. and it’s tiny. Not big enough for a larger drink… basically only big enough for a small plastic water bottle – which is probably the only thing I should be drinking) b) the basket (on the bottom) is not easy to access from the back because of the frame of the stroller… that’s just poor design. c) I wish that I had looked at something that had a handle bar that went all the way across as opposed to two handles. Daniel says our stroller handles are also too short for him to push… that’s just his fault for not wanting to go stroller shopping.

I’m already finding myself wanting a jogging stroller of some sort to use when we’re out walking or outdoors. I think I like this Tike Tech City X3 Swivel the best! Would welcome other thoughts.

The Carseat – again… I have a love/hate relationship with our car seat. We opted for the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP 30/30 which I was told was “the safest” option for baby. At 9 months pregnant – I probably would have believed ANYTHING the salesperson told me… especially concerning the necessity of at $250 Car Seat. I do believe that it is one of the safest on the market… and I am all for that. But this thing… WEIGHS A TON! Pro: Toned Arms Con:I probably won’t be able to carry it much longer. Even Daniel HATES carrying it for extended amounts of time… any further than car to restaurant, he insists that we bring the stroller.

The Crib Bedding – I should have listened… when my mother told me it was ridiculous to spend $300 on this crib bedding. Darling as it is… it a) doesn’t fit our crib well and b) the bumper (basically… the cute part) was safe for a whole 2 months before Liv started rolling over and smooshing her face up against the side of her crib. I should have just had fun with different printed sheets (like these from Dwell Studio)

The Bouncer Chair – I registered for a moderately priced… very muted… creamy color theme with precious little lambs and plush off-white cushioning. Not practical for MANY reasons…two of the biggest reasons being a) off-white and blowouts is a terrible combination and b)muted tones are NOT interesting for babies. pretty in your living room…but not entertaining for baby… and that’s really priority #1.

The Environmentally Friendly Diaper – As much as I REALLY wanted to make an effort at a more environmentally conscious diapering option… Seventh Generation diapers feel like paper bags… not to mention being the ugliest diapers you could possibly imagine. I registered and was gifted several packages…and after opening/using the first one.. I immediately packed ’em up and took them in to Babies R Us…. Exchanged for Pampers Swaddlers… which I love. And as guilty as I feel about the harsh chemicals on baby’s bottom and # of diapers I’m putting in a landfill somewhere… I hated those paper bags more. (Stay tuned for a review of these  eco-friendly diapers – We may go this route after we get through our gifted stash). Also – I would absolutely consider cloth diapering round 2. Or at least some sort of hybrid solution.

 

 

A Post about Liv

February 14, 2012

Words cannot begin to describe what an amazing experience having this baby girl was. Overall, I had a VERY uncomplicated, easy… even enjoyable pregnancy with Olivia. I experienced a moderate amount of nausea and general tiredness during the first 12 weeks but nothing as awful as I’ve heard others describe. At about 10 weeks, I made the decision to step down from my retail management position to Fine Jewelry sales to decrease my stress level and avoid a “4th quarter”  AKA holiday season in retail at 8 months pregnant. Around 12 weeks, like a switch was flipped, I felt like a whole new person. I’ve said before – I’m not sure if it was pregnancy or the healthier lifestyle (NO caffeine… or LIMITED caffeine, NO alcohol, healthier diet, less stressful job, etc.) but I’d never felt healthier and happier. I worked a full 40/hr work week up until 9 months… slowly cut back to around 30/hrs… but more or less worked up until a few days before Olivia was born.

Friday February 11th, I made the decision to leave work early thinking that labor was in my VERY near future. After several hours of pretty intense Braxton Hicks contractions I realized that I’d also not felt one of those precious kicks all day. Worried (first time mom), I decided to head to L&D Triage to make sure everything was OK. Slightly embarrassed when they told me everything was fine but encouraged that I was completely effaced and baby girl was already in the “go position.” Made it through the longest weekend of my life. Monday afternoon around 4pm, I started having more regular (still not time-able) contractions. Monday night, we continued on with normal everyday life, made a trip to central market for takeout, watched “Knocked Up” (Note: This is probably not the best movie to watch when you’re in labor). I think I finally mentioned that “this” was probably it and that we would probably be going to the hospital in the overnight hours around 8 o’clock. We decided to try to get some sleep. I was also determined to make sure that THIS really was IT… One false alarm for a first time mom is acceptable…2 is embarrassing. Daniel was successful (As always) at sleeping for a few hours. I slept in 15 minute increments… took a few baths… double checked that everything I needed was ready to go in my hospital bags (which had been packed and by the door for weeks). I still wasn’t experiencing much.. if any… real pain but since the contractions were definitely getting closer together. I decided to wake Daniel up and we headed to the hospital (Dallas Presbyterian) around 1am. We were moved from triage into a birthing suite by about 2:30. Since I wasn’t really in much pain, they told me I should sleep as much as I could… so I slept some more… in 15 min increments. About 4 am I was still only dilated to a 3, not much pain…I knew I wasn’t opposed to an epidural so when they offered and told me that now or later really made no difference, I decided that there was no time like the present…. So epidural around 4:30 am. More sleep until around 6:45.. When my doctor arrived, we agreed that a VERY minimal amount of Pitocin would be OK to get things going if necessary. The nurse felt like it would still be several hours until it “kicked things in to high gear” – gave me a tiny bit and told me to… yep, yet again… sleep a little bit more. My doctor also had decided to squeeze in an hour or so at the gym and… Nurse informed us that she would be leaving at 7am and the next nurse would be in to check on me shortly. At 7:15, our new nurse came in, followed by a few techs and a nursing student, flipped the lights on, started running through reports, charts, etc. and looked at me and said, “The baby’s heart rate has dropped a bit,” “Are you ready to push?” WHAT?! Wait a minute?! So many thoughts were flying through my head! What happened to my other nurse… the one who said it was going to be HOURS!? My doctor is at the gym! How can it be time already?! Oh, but it was. From 3 to 10cm in 30 min… Paged Doc Crites mid Zumba class… she got scrubbed in and Olivia was born at 9:53am.

Here are a few shots from Olivia’s newborn shoot at 12 days, by the talented Deena Riley. (Highly recommend for newborn portraits!)

A few things I’ll mention… 1) I definitely considered giving birth at a birth center down the street from our house with no pain meds. After meeting my doctor (I hadn’t had an annual exam in 3 years so first appointment, pregnant was SLIGHTLY embarrassing and yet I felt NO judgement) for the first time in June… I had pretty much abandoned that idea completely. 2)After such a wonderful and virtually pain-free delivery (I must have had the best epidural in the world) I’m still undecided as to wether I will try it the “other” way next time. Although I did feel somewhat “drugged” in the moments during/after… I was able to completely snap out of it as soon as I saw our precious baby girl. I also did not feel “robbed” of the experience… like less of a woman… or anything like that. 3)I probably should have done more reading and research on the cons for baby but Olivia scored a 9 on her apgar test both times and was perfectly healthy in every way.

The first 4 weeks – I was great about documenting little Olivia’s growth… quickly decided that a monthly documentation was totally sufficient. Oh! Holding Sophie for scale.

Hard to believe that little Liv will be 4 months old TOMORROW! I swear I love this girl more and more each day. Obviously I’m slightly biased, but every time I look at her I feel like she gets more beautiful. From the first few weeks – she’s had the most wonderful temperament. Sleeps wells, Eats well, generally happy… Sometimes I wonder, How did I get so lucky?

A Post about Us

New Year’s Eve 2006

Daniel and I met during my first semester at SMU. When I transferred after one semester (I didn’t realize that SMU required a uniform including Lacoste polos, seersucker dresses and BMWs.) we stayed friends long distance. We’d been on a few dates while I was living in Dallas but didn’t call it official for almost two years later. I decided to give him a long-distance chance – October 2005. We dated long distance through Summer of 2006 while I finished up my general ed at a local (So Cal) community college when I transfered back to SMU. After a lengthy protest concerning transfer credits, I decided to transfer, yet again, to Chapman University. That Summer, Daniel and I packed up and moved to Orange, CA.

New Year’s Eve 2007

I think we’d both agree that this was one of the BEST years of our lives. You know those summer’s  in high school that you would fondly remember as being completely carefree. You did “fun stuff” EVERY day. This was OUR summer. We spent days at the beach, made weekend trips to Big Bear and San Diego… became Disneyland pass holders. We spent most of our time outdoors, walking, hiking and exploring. We enjoyed everything that Southern California had to offer – All of the amazing perks I’d taken for granted growing up.

Spring 2008

After a year – Daniel packed up and headed back to the DFW area to take advantage of job offer he couldn’t turn down. Once again, we we dated long distance for a year- After one of the BEST years… this was one of the LONGEST. I was determined to finish up at Chapman before joining him in Dallas.

Summer 2009

The night before I graduated, May 2009, I picked Daniel up from the airport and played along with his request to go to “Table Rock” Beach to climb on the rocks and reminisce. When I was turned away, Daniel crouched down and peered into a tidepool. He called me over, claiming to have seen a starfish in the water. When I turned around to look he was already down on one knee. A few weeks later, we made the cross-country drive (yet, again!) and started planning our dream wedding.

Fall 2010

October 10, 2010, surrounded by our closest family and friends – Daniel and I said “I do” at the Pacific Edge Villa in Laguna Beach, CA just minutes away from where we got engaged. We both agree… hands down… best party EVER. The atmosphere was comfortable, casual and perfectly “us”.

Fall 2010

After honeymooning in Los Cabos Mexico, we returned home to Dallas and weeks later moved into our first house… A little vintage (actually VERY vintage – originally built in 1913) yellow house in historic area of East Dallas. We haven’t exactly made it around to making many BIG improvements… but couldn’t pass up the charm!

Summer 2011

In June of 2011, we found out that we were expecting a new addition to our little family. We celebrated the news with our families surrounding a family vacation to Hawaii and embarked on another crazy year!  After an exhausting first trimester, I made the decision to step down from my retail management position to commission sales. Daniel and I had talked a lot about parenting styles and both agreed that it would be best for me to stay home if we could afford it.

February 2012 

Our daughter, Olivia Kate, was born Valentine’s Day 02-14-2012, 6lbs 13 oz, 19 inches long. A week early, but perfectly healthy in every way! This little blessing has, without doubt, changed our lives in the most amazing and completely wonderful ways. We both are completely smitten with this little bundle and already cannot remember what life was like without her.

The Durch

In a post about our family, I should also mention our dog “Durch” (AKA “Duchess” – her given name). Our 9 year old, “troubled teenager” black labrador retriever. She’s not the sharpest tool in the shed, brightest crayon in the box… etc., despite her flaws (and there are MANY…) We love her and consider her excessive-shedding-self to be part of the family.

A Post about Me

New Mommy.

Relatively Newlywed.

Old Soul.

Good Cook.

Funny Jokes.

California Grown.

Southern Hospitality

Young, Broke, and Happy.

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