Just a few weeks ago we celebrated six months in our new home. On March 14, to be exact. I cannot believe we have lived here for half a year. It’s still so crazy at times to think we moved our little family of four, plus two fur babies, down south in the middle of a pandemic. But did it we did, and are so happy to be in our cozy home and to finally enjoy a bit of a routine. It was a tad hectic there for a bit- with so many changes and so little routine- but over the last few months we’ve found our groove again, and we’ve made a few simple changes that has helped make life just a little bit easier these days.

Ever since becoming a mom, there are a few products that have become year-round staples in our lives: Hand sanitizer? Check. Band-Aids? Check. Facial tissue? Double Check.

These are the things that fill our home these days. Because germs, and boo-boo’s and sniffling, itchy noses can happen twelve months out of the year now. And that’s just with one little running around the house.

A year ago I shared my 10 favorite Netflix shows for the littles. MM was just seven-months old, and admittedly, the shows were more for me than for her- kid-friendly shows for baby to hear in the background without driving mom crazy. 

Now that MM is nineteen-months old {tomorrow?!} many of those shows remain some of our very favorites

After a few weeks weeks of being steadfast homebodies, we are officially gearing up for a much needed family vacation- yay! Just a few days away, nothing too crazy- but a change of scenery before the holidays are in full swing. We're staying relatively local- road tripping just a few hours north to beautiful Old Saybrook, where the agenda includes: enjoying some yummy food, relaxing at the spa, perusing shops with MM and Nana, taking in the coast's fall foliage and a local fall festival. We've always loved taking these little trips here and there, but there's just something about discovering new places with MM that makes it all the more fun.

If your babe is anything like mine, mealtime can be messy. Since Maddie was itty bitty, bibs became a daily staple; and between the drool, formula, and food, there were times when she may have worn them all day long. While recently she's gotten much better at getting that avocado in her mouth rather than her newly laundered top, there are certain times when a bib is still a must. And there's nothing worse than scrambling for one at the very last minute. So in order to keep one close by for those messy meals, I've used this mom hack to always have one on hand.

When I look back on the holidays of my childhood, I have the fondest memories of our annual family photo shoots. Each year our mama would dress us in perfectly coordinating outfits- matching denims, white button downs, the occasional mixed print- and take us to our local park for our annual day of modeling. The fruits of these labors proudly displayed in our parents' homes- chambray-clad kiddos with goofy adolescent smiles. Some years were more awkward than others- in the most wonderful way possible- and I've always adored remembering different stages of our lives through those images.

For the first several months of her life, if not the first year, I was Madeline's blankie. She had plenty of real life blanket options- hand-knit ones, quilted ones, cotton ones and plush ones- but she was never really interested. Rather than warm up to one of those beauties, she preferred to cuddle her mama. And I happily obliged. But in the last few months this little lady has taken quite the liking to her blankets- one in particular, in fact. 

I'm guilty of it- I let my baby use my cell phone. I won't plop her down with it during the day, but I will use it in a pinch- most often when we are out and her normal toys are no longer keeping her entertained. With some research, I found there are actually a lot of fun, educational apps out there for baby.