GIFT GUIDE - UNCOMMON GOODS

Here are a few of our favorite things!

Uncommon Goods literally has something for everyone. Helloooo taco mobile. Anyone having a baby? Can we please get you a whole taco themed gift? Personally obsessed with the light box, and my kids are obsessed with the ice cream truck! Our friends, Haulin' Oats have their amazing oatmeal on here- and we can testify that the cinnamon girl flavor is to die for!

The best part about Uncommon Goods is that they promote small businesses, emerging designers, and hand makers. Each item has a story behind it and a bio of the artist. As makers ourselves, we SO appreciate that! They also keep sustainability in mind- helping the earth and helping us gift beautiful, handmade items? Yes please.

Scroll down for links.

Love that the ice cream truck is made out of very easily put together cardboard, so it can be disassembled easily when your kids are finished playing. Great for small spaces.

As a blogger/instagrammer, the light boxes are perfect props for styling photos! And we've been using this as our shop sign when we do markets.

Here are our favs below, but also check out these easy to shop gift guide links:

BABY GIFTS

CRAFT KITS

BABY SHOWER

BABY

teething mitt

taco mobile

finger puppet blanket

KIDS

balloon dog night lights

ice cream truck

make your own kaleidoscope

FOR HER

wine pearls

taco socks

nesting storage containers

haulin' oats oatmeal

lightbox

party sprinkles

FOR HIM

bloody mary mix

men's wooden watch

moscow mule carry on kit

DIY HALLOWEEN COSTUME FOR LITTLES - AC SLATER

Hey Preppy. As soon as my littlest started growing curls, I was like... AC Slater! I was (okay, still totally am) a huge Saved by the Bell fan. Kelly Kapowski is basically my idol, and when you're a kid of the 90's, it's pretty hard not to fall in love with Zack Morris. AC has this tough guy personality but is actually a softy- that describes Max to a T. He's a bruiser but the sweetest little boy. 

AC is an easy peasy costume. Scroll down for sources. 

More DIY costumes HERE and HERE!

Sources:

Tank top

Acid washed jeans

High tops- similar

Accesories: buddy band, tiger tail, football, and lots of hair gel!

3 MONTH UPDATE + MY MUST- HAVES

I know everyone says this, but I seriously cannot believe my baby boy is 3 months old (except for when I hold his 15 lb self). It feels like we just brought him home. The first quarter of his life has been such a blur, especially that first month and a half because I was so sleep deprived. I truly experienced exhaustion on a different level. But now.... here we are! No more family of 3 talk. We are a full on operating family of 4, and I love it. 

Sleeping / tummy or side sleeper. Hasn't been a fan of sleeping on his back from day one. He naps like a champ, and sleeps at night from about 10:30 - 3:30, then he wakes up for a feeding, but goes right back to sleep! :) He is still in our room. He sleeps in his little co-sleeper ( when we don't fall asleep together in our bed.... bad habit.)

Eating / Exclusively breast milk. It was still hard the first month, but we pushed through. It just hurts!! gah! I try to avoid the bottle as much as possible and give him that intimate nursing experience. I have been taking these supplements because my production slowed down once Remy's feedings became more scheduled. They have worked great for me! Also, we were introduced to Gerber Soothe drops ( a probiotic) to help Remy's tummy calm down and regulate itself. He didn't have reflux, but definitely had gas issues. Amazon is definitely the cheapest if you have Prime. Any moment out of my day to STOP and feed him and just take a breath has been good for the both of us! Forced relaxation if you will. 

Favorites / He loves "standing" and facing out. Music is a huge part of our family life, and he loves a good serenade ( even from me... yikes!) He can go from whining to pure joy and excitement if you will just talk to him. Looks like I have another social butterfly on my hands. He also loves mommy's nail colors on her nails, jewelry and grabbing big sis' curls.

My favorites / His entire little man body! He is squishy in all of the right places. He was born long and lean, and we really had to work on getting him into tip top squishy baby shape. We call him our "chunky little man". Hearing Amara say it is just the best ever!

I miss him so much when I am away from him. Having a little boy is so different already than a little girl. There is just a different connection there. He isn't getting married until he is like 50. ;)

Ok... my MUST. HAVES!!! The second time around is so different. You are over all of the stuff that just clutters your house. These are all things I would consider a need, as they really helped get us through the toughest 3 months we have experienced as parents so far.

Aden + Anais burpy bib & swaddles | There is just nothing softer!! I own and love the Aden + Anais for Target swaddles and bibs, but even those are not as soft as the originals. I fell in love with the burpy bibs when we had Amara. So convenient and genius!

Solly wrap | It took me seeeeveral tries to get this thing right. Once you dial it in, it is so helpful. I have used this so that I could be hands free while cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping. I never wrapped Amara and after using this, I don't know how I went without.

Nursing bras | these are the most comfortable nursing bras for sleeping!! I love this one in particular. These are the ones I use for daily wear.

Baby Sleepers | My MIL gave me one of these at my shower, and I went to purchase several more. They are the. softest. ever. They wash well also. The snaps are definitely annoying in the middle of the night, but I will choose softness over convenience for my baby any day.

Baby Shusher | I bought this a little later in the game. Remy was hating his car seat, having trouble falling asleep without being held, and he had his days and nights mixed up ( worst ever). I don't know that this is a game changer, BUT we do take it in the car sometimes for long travel days and he uses it to fall asleep in our room during naps and at night. It just helps cut out the noise that the rest of the family makes just outside where he sleeps. I would buy it again for sure!

Avent Pacis | There is just no other pacifier that works.

Baby swing | We have a much older version of this one that we were given when Amara came along. We love this thing. For the longest time, it was the only way he would fall asleep at 3 am while one of us laid on the couch to be close to him.  We use it everyday... pretty much before and after each naptime.

Diaper Bag | I loooooove this diaper bag. I love how it looks like a handbag in front, but has all of the hidden compartments and space that a diaper bag does. I don't need to take my own separate bag or pouch for my stuff. It has a mommy pouch! :)

Sanitizer & Paci wipes | any of these can be bought at any drugstore/Target. With a grabby toddler, we use lots and lots of sanitizer. I am a freak about washing hands, but when we can't, we go through this stuff so quickly. It is absolutely necessary!

Carseat/stroller spiral toy & Playmat | Remy has just started grabbing at his spiral toy in the carseat. It provides endless entertainment for him, and it has truly saved me on some car trips. We just broke out the play mat last week. These are lifesavers when they are over the swings. 

Bassinet | We use this stroller and absolutely LOVE it. People stop me all of the time to tell me how "cool" it is. It is quite heavy to get in and out of the car, but that is a small price to pay for how convenient it is, how many different configurations it has, and how easy it glides. I can literally steer it with one hand even with both seats on. The bassinet was purchased about a month after I had Remy because he completely freaked out on our first Nordstrom trip since being born. He didn't want the carseat, wrap or anything. I think that trip would have looked different had I had a "bed" for him to lay in. It was a nightmare because he stopped falling asleep in the carseat for the most part. The bassinet has been a game changer. It allows Remy to just stretch out and sleep while mommy shops.

Baby Bjorn | I have been using this lately because Remy is an angel baby when he is facing out. He doesn't make a peep. The solly only works when he is sleepy. We just ordered this carrier, as we are about to embark on a week long Disney vacay and it is a sweatbox in FL when we go. We wanted something breathable, although, it doesn't allow your baby to face out.  We will see how it goes. Also, the baby bjorn just has added waist support which is a huge must that the Ergo carrier already had. 

Tub | Remy has officially grown out of this, but man I love this thing. It makes it so easy to bathe your toddler in the bath (if they are somewhat independent) while bathing your baby in the sink. Such a lifesaver since I do most night routines alone. We just ordered this for the bathtub to accommodate his growing man body that I love so much. ;)

And last, but certainly NOT least.... boob care! ha. 

Breast pads & Boob Ease balm | I made sure that this go around I really was consistent with taking care of the "ladies". It can be so annoying to continuously apply a balm, but it makes all the difference in the world. I had a jar for home and a jar that I kept in my diaper bag. Also, these disposable breast pads are just the best. They are thin, but super absorbent. I even tried swapping to the Target brand, but they are just not the same in my opinion. 

Hope this was helpful to you second time or even NEW mamas. We would love to hear feedback on this post!! What product(s) are you surviving on right now?

-J

GIFT TAGS - FREE PRINTABLES

I made some gift tags for my baby mama friends, and thought you all might want to use these too! The "impractical" tag was for Jenni when she had Remy. I got her a ring with an "R" on it... completely impractical like I said, BUT I mean, still fun. The "push it" tag would be fun for a push present! Oh Salt-N-Pepa... the best. And a push present would be really fun for the new mama.

Push It Tag HERE

Impractical Tag HERE

-L

BOON SUDS BOTTLE WASHER REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!!!!

We are big Boon fans over here! How can you not be? Modern design, beautiful colors and major functionality are all things that appeal to these two mamas. Boon was kind enough to send us their new SUDS bottle washer for us to try out. It is peeeeeerfect timing since I am cleaning bottles for our little one that is due in just weeks. I was so excited to try it out, even though I already knew it would be a love at first use kind of thing. 

Dishwashers are great, but lets be real..... How many times do you go into the kitchen in the morning and need a bottle or sippy cup for your little, and realize you DID NOT run the dishwasher or you just still have a FULL SINK of dishes. There is nothing I hate more than a sink full of dishes greeting me in the morning. However... it happens! This SUDS friend of ours totally makes it a quick and slightly enjoyable process to clean a bottle quickly for your little. You simply put the bottle face down on the pump, and move it up and down so that the brush gets every inch of the bottle! GENIUS! Even my husband was intrigued!! Ladies.... this might be how we trick them into doing dishes?!

My only wish for this little gem is that you could actually wash the small inner parts of the bottle. It would be great if there was a smaller brush attachment of some sort to actually do the smaller pieces of the bottle that the milk passes through. We use Dr. Brown's bottles, which contain a couple of smaller pieces that need some scrubbing. However, I just toss those pieces in the bottom tray of the Sudsy, and it makes for a GREAT soaking tray! Sometimes, that may be all you need to get those small pieces clean. 

This is still a product I would highly recommend. Totally worth the $22.99 that it sells for. Especially if you don't have a dishwasher!! You could easily leave this in your sink full of soapy warm water so that you can just easily clean each bottle throughout the day. Sidenote: this is a great method of cleaning for a wine glass ( or two) that us mommies like to indulge in every night every now and then. ;)

Thank you, Boon! We are forever fans, and we truly love all of your products for us moms and our littles. 

**NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY**

Boon was kind enough to offer a SUDS bottle cleaner to one of our lucky readers!! You MUST Follow Boon on Instagram and us of course!

Tag a friend on our IG, and you are entered!!!

For an additional entry, leave a comment below telling us what you FAVORITE Boon product is after visiting their website HERE. There is just too much pretty to look at!

Happy Entering!!!

IT'S A......

We went to our 5th month check-up today, which is when we also find out the gender. We asked for the Ultrasound tech to put it in an envelope because we wanted to go get a balloon filled with confetti for us to pop and find out as a family. We thought it would be fun for Amara, and wanted to make it extra special.  Leah was sweet enough to let us pop by her entirely gorgeous and so spacious I am jealous new home. The plan was to video and take photos while we popped the balloon and watched the confetti fall and tell us what our sweet new addition would be. As we were setting up and getting ready to start snapping and filming.......

this happened.....

The balloon literally just popped on its own while my husband was walking around with it. The confetti was made of stars ( with really pointy edges), and we think it miraculously poked a hole in the bottom and BOOM! Just like that ( when we weren't even "ready") there was confetti all over the floor.  We all just stopped and stared in silence and in shock!! Number one, we couldn't believe that the balloon popped. I am a little bit of a control freak, so the fact that it didn't go as planned really caught me off guard. Ha! Secondly, wait..... is the BLUE????

 We really thought pink confetti was going to fall out of that balloon, even though we were totally open ( and maybe kind of hoping) for a boy. I felt immediate happiness for my husband who said he was so okay with either and just figured it was going to be a girl. I can't wait to watch him be a dad to a boy!!

We are ready for this new adventure, and are so excited!! After Amara ONLY speaking of a baby sister, and shutting people DOWN if they mentioned a baby brother, we thought it would be hard for her to accept. Honestly, there was an immediate smile on her face and she celebrated with us on our ride home better than I could have hoped for! After her nap today, she woke up and told me " baby brothers can be fun too!" My mama heart melted. We feel grateful for a healthy check up, and for God offering up the perfect addition to our little family of 3. 

Thanks for sharing in our joy!! 

XO!

-J

MY FIRST TRIMESTER....LOOKING BACK

15 week bump

After the pure joy, excitement and "oh my gosh, are we really having another baby?" moment that my husband and I experienced in the beginning of this pregnancy, all I could think about is how badly I wanted to blink my eyes and be in my second trimester. I mean the first trimester is for the birds.... seriously! I LOVE being pregnant, I embrace all of the little things that come with it, but I am a major sicky in the beginning, and it just sucks.

I was truly worried about how bad it would get. Could I still be a good mom to my 3 year old? Will I drive my husband to hate me? Am I being lazy? I would just tell myself that I need to push through it and deal, but my body shut that down real fast.... I literally couldn't get out of bed some days. I remember we found out we were pregnant just before we went to Disney in September, and I just kept asking God to keep me feeling good for the trip so I could enjoy it with my family. He did just that! Literally on the flight home, I started feeling that good ole nausea that you know is from a growing human, not a bad piece of meat.

As I reflect, it is really easy to say that the first trimester "wasn't that bad". I think God designed it that way so we "forget" and keep having kids. Sigh..... My husband travels for a living (he tours doing music), and even when he is home, he has writing sessions that go late and other commitments. I am so grateful that he was home for the majority of my sickness. SO GRATEFUL! Our moms both work during the day, and we have yet to put Amara in childcare. All that to say, I couldn't just fully depend on family that I am most comfortable with. However, we made it through! The hardest part for me was just not having an ounce of energy for my daughter. Getting up to brush my teeth ( which I didn't do most days) was a hardcore chore for me. 

Here are MY tips for making it through the first 3 months ( or longer for some of us :) :

Let people help you!

It is sooooo hard to just let someone take my child for me or come over and be in my house when it is a disaster and I look like I am on my last leg. Trust me.... I get it! However, your friends ( especially other moms who have been there) are such a great tool during this time. If they didn't want to help.... they wouldn't offer. Let them bring you those things you need (milk for your other child that can't be bribed with juice anymore) that you couldn't pick up at the grocery store because you didn't have the energy to go.

Listen to your body:

I can't take prenatal vitamins. They really upset my stomach/system, so I literally take kid gummy vitamins to get my folic acid. I crave coke when I am pregnant.... yes it has caffeine, and probably isn't the healthiest of things during the beginning, but it settles my stomach like no other. I like fries and everything else salty. My stomach would lose it if I tried to eat a sweet of any kind. I can sleep allllllll day. I get most of my energy ( which was still very little) in the late night hours. It was so important for me to just let my body do its thing. I just kept telling myself that it was just a phase, and all of these hours of tv that Amara was watching wouldn't ruin her. Right? There were no instagram posts of me eating a health salad or a juice from Whole Foods. You are not out to impress anyone.... just keep yourself alive! Haha! I tried meds to take away the intense nausea, even though I am highly opposed to taking even a headache medicine if it is unnecessary. I was desperate. The meds helped, but gave me a lot of weird side effects that were almost worse than the actual nausea, so I stopped.

Take lots of naps:

A nap a day is essential for me. Even as we are entering the second trimester, I continue to nap when Amara naps in the afternoon. Did I mention how grateful I am that she still naps? :) It just makes the 5-7 o'clock window much more doable. Normally, I am dragging around that time.

Don't "make more" for yourself:

You guys.... this has been my biggest lesson. There is so much that I was even doing for Amara that I didn't have to do. Me being in the bed a lot the last 3 months has really forced Amara to be more independent, and it has made me realize that things can still go on without me having my hand in every. little. step of the day. I am still embracing this lesson as my pregnancy goes on. I cannot carry her everywhere and every time she asks, or grab every little toy for her or get her a snack RIGHT when she asks. All of that has been a good lesson for both of us. 

Drink lots of water:

I struggle with this on a daily basis... pregnant or not. However, during this pregnancy, nothing as truly quenched the crazy thirst I will get in the middle of the night like water. I helps me fight dizziness, headaches, and even slight nausea at times. I am really trying to make a conscious effort to increase my intake daily.

Don't cut bangs if you don't already have them:

Yeah, just don't do that.

I have really enjoyed watching other mamas-to-be on Instagram and/or blogs that I follow. So much has changed even in 3 years, so it is fun to see what new products are out there, what they have chosen to differently the second time around, their style and so much more. Here are some of my favs to follow right now:

Naomi over at Love Taza

Brooke from Somewhere, Lately

Sarah Shabacon ( IG name sarahshabacon) from I Wear the Headress

Amy at Little Hip Squeaks

Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere

Thanks for reading! Have a beautiful weekend friends!!

-J 

A "TRIP AROUND THE WORLD" THEMED BABY SHOWER

We are going on a little "trip around the world" on this lovely Friday! We wanted to share a sweet shower that is just too cute to keep to ourselves. We love big over the top celebrations just as much as the next party enthusiast, but honestly swoon over small, charming celebrations such as this one. All of the little details are so perfect and sentimental. 

Sara is awaiting the arrival of her baby boy, and her sister, Beth, was the creative mind behind all of this perfection. Even her home is stunning and full of charming details.

Beth's blurb:

It took me a while to come up with a theme for the shower.  I didn't want to use cheesy baby blue bottles and the generic "it's a boy" banner.  Sara was obsessed with maps growing up and I think still is, and I knew she was using a globe in her nursery, so I thought it would be a fitting theme.  It all fit - Welcoming baby into the world, had Sara's personality, prepping baby for all the travels and experiences he'll have in life, and it wasn't a cheesy landscape.  So, with the globe idea, I scoured pinterest for ideas.  I found a cardstock book of travel theme scrapbooking paper and went to work! I made bunting with leftover twine and my hot glue gun.  I had extra old wooden boxes left over from my wedding, so I used those for different levels of display.  The wreath and framed welcome sign were made from paper of an atlas and I just freehanded the words in silver sharpie, and outlined them with black sharpie. My husband made most of the food, with the exception of the cake pops.  Those were a trial and error process as they were the first ones I had made.  I used blue candy melts from Joanns and gold sprinkles to give them a "globe" look and stuck them in styrofoam for stability and covered it with white rocks to continue the travel/world theme. Everything else just kinda fell together.  All of the little touches were completed last minute by things I had laying around my house.  The birds, books, extra globes, etc. were just extra items I use in my everyday decor. 

Sara's blurb:

I loved that beth tied items I love into the decor - maps, vintage plates, globes for the decor. In one of the wood crates on the mantle, she had vintage Nebraska and Pennsylvania state plates - the states my husband, Brad, and I were born in.  I also loved that she had the Dr. Suess "oh, the places you will go" book and used it as a guest book. it fit the theme perfectly and I'll treasure that with the written notes inside from my girls!

Thank you SO much Sara and Beth for sharing your photos with us!! Enjoy your weekend friends! When we are not posting here, we are Instagramming..... keep up with us here!