baby gift love

i spent a little time making a care package of baby girl gifts for my aunt.  

a handful of urpies and burpies, a wristlet for her keys, a chic nursing cover and a monogramed diaper and wipes basket.  my favorite addition to this package was the basket, featuring the new baby's initials on the upcycled coffee sack basket with a soft pink lining.  

perfectly sized to fit a handful diapers and a box of wipes.  

of course, lots of pink and cute patterns.

grandma and grandpa will go by "weezer and geezer" {you know, from steel magnolias}.
the oilcloth tote will be perfect for trips to their house.  

i also included a little keepsake block with all the little one's statistics of her special birthday.  

i hope the new mommy loves it all.  

baby love

My best friend is having a baby girl in October.  We are headed to TX for the weekend to hand deliver a little gift...

My new favorite baby gift...  diaper caddy basket by SaraBear

 Filled with handmade burp cloths {rolled up and presented so cute} and a few extra essentials...
(wipes pop-up container, lots of diapers, lotions, and the like}. Handy, right at her finger tips. 

I can't wait to hold the little sweet.  I hope you love it, Erin.  

Happy Weekend...xo!

mommy gifts

I decided to repackage my Urpies and Burpies in my Etsy shop.  Now they are the perfect gift sets with a matching wristlet.  I wish I had an expecting girlfriend!

My favorites... Diaper totes

I'm on a DwellStudio kick these days.  Just love the modern prints and lines of their designs.  This is one of the best totes I've come across yet... and I do look!  Functional, fashionable - not too big, not too small.  Need I say more?  Simple.

One other bag I absolutely love - is definitely NOT a diaper tote, but I have been known for using everything but diaper bags to tote the diapers and wipes.  So, I must mention a non-diaper tote, tote.  With so many options, this bag would work for so many personalities.  Timbuk2 offers a "build your own" feature.  Love it!

Handmades by... Me!

I'm doing it.  I'm joining the online Etsy community of crafters and those who love handmades.  I still have lots to do before I "launch," but I'm getting excited for the projects ahead of me.  I still need to log my costs and figure out all the shipping details.  I'm waiting on my fabric tags to arrive in the mail and I need to organize my crafting area, too.  

I have so many ideas for my store, I just hope I don't get too eclectic.  I need to find my niche.  I'm going to start with the things I loved as a new mom - 

sweet burpies.  

I went to the fabric store to get a few things to get me started... I just loved seeing it all together.  I can't wait to see how it all turns out.   

I also think I will go forward with the tutus I make for B - they are simple and sweet and she just loves them.  I still need to get supplies for that project.  I have a few other ideas, but first things first and like I said, I don't want to be too eclectic.  

My Favorites... Boppy Pillow & Rocking Chair

For the record - I breast fed my two babies... B for 17-months and N for 15-months.  I'm so proud of it... It was not always easy, but once again, I did it for my babies.  With a degree in Human Nutrition, I know how important it is for Baby and Mom - when it's possible.  

Two things I used more than anything... my Boppy Pillow and Best Chair rocker.  

I could not get by without my Boppy pillow.  I took that thing everywhere.  I sacrificed a carry-on while flying for the comfort of my Boppy.  It made feeding so much easier.  I LOVE my Boppy and even though I have my body back to myself, I still use it.  I rock N with my Boppy.  The covers from Pottery Barn Kids are the softest ever.  They are so soothing!  I'll just say it again, I love my Boppy!

The Best Chair rocking chair was my splurge purchase when I was pregnant with our first.  It was gift from my grandparents and it was the BEST gift ever.  I will use this long after my kids want to be rocked.  

My Favorites... Cloth Diapers

It wouldn't be right if I didn't mention diapers in my blog.  B was in disposables up until about 18-months and then we switched her into cloth after deciding we would go with cloth for our second baby.  Once I did all the research and decided what kind of diapers to buy, we made the cloth commitment.  There are so many cloth diaper options out there, it made my head spin!  So many, I would hate to even hash it out again on this blog.  

In the end, my absolute favorites are the bumGenius 3.0 one-size diaper.  They fit babies 7-35lbs.  They come in many cute colors.  And as they say, they are the cloth diaper for every-day people.  They have a cover with an insert and close by stretch-to-fit velcro tabs.  

How do I deal with the poop?  I use an ImseVimse flushable liner in each diaper... you get the point, just toss the liner into the potty and flush!  Did you know your not suppose to toss poopy diapers into the trash?  You are actually suppose to flush the poo first?  Who does that?  

We wash the diapers every 2-3 days.  I bought just enough that we have to keep that schedule or we run out, plus any longer and that would be an even grosser load of laundry.  Speaking of laundering... you must use "special" detergent and you should not use fabric softeners. I use Charlie's Soap - I love it for everything and it's pretty economical. It can get kind of complicated.   

Anyway - this is the system that worked for my family and I thought I would pass it on.  By-the-way, we easily recovered the cost of the diapers within the first 6-months and we went "green" when it was oh so popular... it's work, but it's for our babies and their babies, right?  

My Favorites... Potty time!

On the verge of potty-training another munchin - I found the perfect little potty.  BabyBjorn has yet another wonderfully simple product.  It is ergonomic in design and offers a high splash guard with a bowl that is easy to remove and clean.  It doesn't take up a lot of space.  We are hoping it will be a good one to toss in the car on long trips, in case Nohlan is afraid of the public potties.  Not to mention, it's cute, too.  

We also loved the Boon potty bench.  It has two side storage areas, which holds toilet paper.  This potty bench also functions as a step stool (capable of supporting 300 pounds)!   The optional splash guard is a little high for my son, but this potty was great for my little girl.

  

My Favorites... Stroller

For the record - we went through a couple of strollers before settling on my favorite.  And let me be clear, we actually did not "settle."  I absolutely LOVE this stroller... Phil & Ted's Sport.  It's our everything stroller.  I take it everywhere and use it for everything.  It can be purchased with a doubles kit or you can wait and purchase it later... the back seat easily snaps on and off.  Suitable for newborns through 4 years!  If you even think you may have more than one child - this is your stroller. 

  

I am Mom...

I did that?!  Five oddly-disgusting things we do as "Mommy" (you do it, but never thought you would)...

1. Pick your baby up and sniff their bottom to see if it needs changed.
2. During the "toddler-years" you will almost always head off to Target, Church, or a Play-date with some schmootz on your shoulder... it's your new accessory.  
3. Pull the biggest boogers you've ever seen out of your child's nose - like you've done it for years, often without a tissue... where do I put it now?!  
4. While changing a diaper, you think to yourself, "Ah Ha, there are the peas from last night..." 
5. You try to catch vomit in your hands... yum.  

Motherhood is full of surprises.