Next month Phil and I will be heading to Miami for a little Baby Moon. We didn’t get a chance to take one when I was pregnant with Maddie, so this time around we wanted to carve out some time just for us. I’ll be writing a whole post on this in a few weeks; but in the meantime I’ll share a few vacation goodies I’ve had my eyes on. We plan on doing a whole lot of NOTHING: breakfasts in robes, lounging by the pool, catching up on some good reads and relaxing just the two of us. I’ll be taking a carry on- possibly a first for me- so I’m planning on packing smarter and lighter for this trip.

Who’s ready for Happy Hour? 

Spring is here, meaning beach nights and BBQ’s are just around the corner. And if I’m being honest, I’m a little sad about missing rosé season pretty much in its entirety this year. When I was pregnant with MM I didn’t think about having a drink once. But this time around, I’ve missed a weekend margarita here and there.

When I first became pregnant with Maddie I remember heading to the bookstore and stocking up on all the pregnancy books.

It was in one such book, I believe it was Alicia Silverstone’s The Kind Mama, where some of my crazy pregnancy anxieties began. Now, in general this book, along with all the others I bought that day, was insightful; and gave some good advice. But it also introduced me to a host of things that I should avoid that I had never really thought about before. And it sent me into a bit of a tizzy.

Hi, friends! ICYMI: We’re expecting! I shared a little bit about our story on Instagram over the weekend, but I know not all of you have this platform so I thought I’d share it again over here:

I started 2019 off like so many did- By #konmari-ing the heck out of our home. Bedrooms, kitchen, kimono. All of it. And in effort to start the year off fresh, I finally tackled the closets that housed all the tiny odds and ends I kept in hopes of baby number ✌🏻

No, no. I'm not pregnant. Yet. As I mentioned {here} I found myself a bit shell-shocked after our last try at baby number two. It left me defeated, sad, and discouraged; for the time being. So we tabled the idea, and went back to enjoying our little family of three.

And now, nearly a year later, we are ready to get back on the horse, and try again. As us mamas do.

Schedule

Since the early newborn days with our girl, story time has been an integral part of our bedtime routine: bath time {with bubbles} followed by our favorite books in bed as a family. Classics like Goodnight Moon, Time For Bed, and Good Night, I Love You quickly made their way into our hearts.

Schedule

The days are long, but the years are short.

That's for certain.

Sleepless nights with an infant transform into nonstop days with a toddler (or two). All in an instant. After almost two years with my girl, its about the one thing I know for sure.  And throughout the last twenty-one months, I've asked myself time and time again "where did the time go?"

Schedule

The only thing better than receiving beautiful baby gifts, is finding the perfect treats for your dear friends and their bundles of joy.

Particularly when the goods aren't only gorgeous, but are organic and eco-friendly to boot.

I found Finn + Emma recently whilst shopping for a great friend's sweet baby girl- and I instantly fell in love with their whimsical prints and super green philosophy. Because I met  Finn + Emma via their website {here}, I didn't get to feel the quality of these charming garments until they actually arrived- and boy, was I pleasantly surprised.

Schedule

We're a sucker for story time over here. Big time. Ever since MM was a little babe, we've taken a few minutes at the end of the day to wind down and cuddle up with our favorite books.  We've collected a few tried and true favorites over the past year and half {here}; but I'm always on the constant hunt for more.

There's a whole LOT to plan when you're expecting. So it's no surprise that your hospital bag, and all the essentials a new mama will need, often goes overlooked. As the neurotic planner I am, I had mine packed a few weeks before MM was due: which turned out just peachy, seeing as the trickster was three weeks early.  That being said, I would have appreciated a service that fixed that little bag up for me; as baby brain and packing don't always mix, and I certainly missed a few must-haves.

Every now and then I come across a product that I just wish was around when MM was an itty-bitty newborn- must-haves that would have made my life all that much easier as a new mama. And then there are the products I find that just make me scream, "why didn't I think of that?!"

And when I came across baby company Cozy Cheekz, I found TWO such products: Cozy Cheekz Heated Changing Pad and the Cozy Cradle. 

A few months before Madeline was born I shared the start of what I referred to as her Neutral Nursery - the beginnings of a room for a baby girl, free of pinks and frills and anything too girly. I put my heart and soul into creating that room- artfully choosing pieces for every nook and cranny; envisioning our girl someday enjoying all of them. 

When I was pregnant and it came time to register for my shower, I was clueless. Beyond a car seat and stroller, there were so many "must haves" that I was in the dark about. With a little research, I unveiled a whole world of newborn essentials- from Diaper Genies and Mama Roo's to Nose Freidas and Baby Bjorns. Yes mamas, we need things like this for our bundle of joy. But we also need a few of the more beautiful but oh-so-necessary trinkets for baby- burp clothes and bibs, blankies and booties, onesies and sweaters. And when celebrating a mom-to-be, who doesn't love to add a bit of luxury when showering the ones we love?

A little over three years ago, I decided to make a change and embarked upon a career in education. I started with my own education- beginning my masters in early 2013; and I immediately fell in love. Being back in the classroom, learning, and interacting with both educators and little ones inspired me daily.

By the end of that year, I had landed a job in an elementary school. With virtually no practical experience, I learned on the job daily. Most of it came naturally to me, and I quickly found my niche in the upper grades. I felt comfortable in this upper-elementary world- consisting of interesting content and little humans that I could easily relate to.

When I would chat with co-workers and friends, they were always surprised by my gravitation- insisting that lower grades were more fun, and maybe "easier" to teach. For me, however, I found it terrifying. The reason why summed up in one word: singing...

A little over a year ago we celebrated our baby girl at a beautiful backyard baby shower- just a few weeks before she arrived.

We were so blessed to celebrate with family and friends, all of whom gifted us so many amazing things in hopes of making that journey into parenthood all that much easier.

The best part about these helpful tokens was that we were given essentials we could use throughout the first year of new parenthood. Some of my most favorite gifts have been the ones we couldn't necessarily use right away. Of course we love and needed the onesies, swaddles and binkies; but there's something about opening a gift or two every few months throughout that first year that makes you feel like a kid on Christmas the whole year through.

This B.O.B Stroller is one of those gifts.

I've been reading to Maddie Mae since the day she was born- my hospital bag packed with a few favorite bedtime stories, in addition to a loaded iPod to play her first lullabies.

And while she probably didn't understand the stories I read, I wanted to instill the act of reading into our daily routine- hoping it would someday perpetuate a love of books. And today, whenever I see Maddie light up at the pages, I'm grateful I made that a priority from the start.