'Merica Moccs

I know I'm a few days late, and a few dollars short…but aren't these American flag moccasins adorable?!  LOVE Freshly Picked!

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Life Lately

Hello, out there.  Remember me?  It's been weeks since I've even opened feedly, and my latest glance at my own blog revealed a measly 11 posts this year.  Eleven.  Pathetic, I tell you.  My apologies  to the any loyal readers who are still out there.

While going back to work in January hasn't been consistent smooth sailing, I feel like we've finally fallen into a routine that's comfortable.  Needless to say, with only a few limited hours with my sweet girl, blogging has definitely been the short straw in terms of priorities.  However, I do really want to keep blogging, I love knowing that anecdotes of our life at this exact moment exist.  Words to capture the everyday snippets of our daily routine, the growth and sweet milestones of my daughter's life - so I can one day look back on these with warm nostalgia and remember when.

But between teaching 26 first graders all day long, running errands, making a semi-nutritious and/or healthy dinner, quality time with my husband, and of course playing, giggling, and loving up my daughter…sometimes at the end of the day, a heaping glass of red wine - boxed, of course ;) - and kicking my feet up while I indulge in an episode of Scandal is all I can manage.  And don't get me wrong, this is not a complaint in the slightest, as I sincerely love my life, and everything in it.  But truly, I'm curious, how do you find balance?  Somedays, I feel like I'm a master juggler, all the balls are gloriously floating through the air harmoniously in sync, others, it feels like I'm callously dropping balls left and right.  Is there a secret formula I am missing, or does it just take time and practice?  

What's your secret to balancing everything in your life?

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Cloth Diapering: How It's Going

You may remember way back when, my husband and I were considering doing cloth diapering. Well...we bit the bullet and jumped on the cloth diaper bandwagon, and I figured it was high time to report back on how it's going! Since our daughter's birth, we've been doing cloth diapers almost exclusively, and with great success! Our current stash is a hodgepode of cloth diapers.  Some I registered for on Amazon, others I picked up via zulily deals, and many I bought on consignment through local moms groups and craigslist, and finally the rest I purchased new.

For the first month to 6 weeks, we exclusively diapered using size 1 cotton prefolds, held on with a Snappi, underneath Thirsties Duo Wrap waterproof covers.  At this point, she was starting to outgrow size 1 prefold diapers, so we began using size 2 prefolds with the same waterproof covers, and started using some AIO (all in one) diapers. For you cloth diaper newbies, AIOs are basically a diaper cover that's fleece lined that you stuff with an insert (which resembles a cotton maxi pad).  These are designed to wick away the moisture from the baby, so when she pees, the wetness goes through the fleece layer, and soaks the cotton insert, keeping the baby feeling dry.  Then, you can reuse the cover if the baby just pees (just restuffing it with a new insert),  and if they poop,  you have to wash the whole thing.  

At about 6 weeks, we began adding in the following diapers - a combination of AIO’s (all-in-ones), waterproof covers, and cloth inserts.

- 7 Bum Genius 4.0 AIO diapers with inserts

- 4 Lotus Bumz diapers with inserts

- 1 Little Monsters cloth diapers

- 2 Flip diapers covers with inserts

- 6 GroVia shells with 6 Stay Dry Soaker pads

My favorites so far are BumGenius 4.0 and GroVia diapers.  I enjoy GroVia’s, (though the most expensive of our lot) because they have a convenient snap-in system, inserts snap into place, and can be easily removed and replaced. These diapers are extremely absorbent and suitable for nighttime wear.  BumGenius 4.0 I also really like, the fleece lining is soft, and wicks moisture away easily, keeping baby happy and dry.  We've had several wet leaks with the few Lotus Bumz and Little Monsters diapers we have, so those are always the last ones I use before doing laundry.  To date, we’ve had zero blow outs.  Zero!  And I'm told that's something to be proud of! There’s something to be said about a diaper cover, it holds all the mess in!

Once she has dirtied a diaper, we place said diaper in a waterproof wet bag.  These wetbags are our brilliant, by far my favorite kind! They zip closed and contain not only the messy diaper, but the smell as well!  Luckily, we haven’t had any problems with diaper odors infiltrating her nursery.  Once the wet bag is full of dirty diapers, it’s time to do laundry!  We keep 2-3 wetbags on hand (one extra is intended for day care), and alternate, so when one is being laundered, there are typically 1-2 others to contain any new dirty diapers.

Many people are discouraged from this form of cloth diapering due to the fact that you must launder the diapers yourselves. And while I’m only about 3 months in, I can say, it’s really not that bad.  Honestly!  We do laundry roughly every other day, sometimes every 3 days.  At this stage, she’s exclusively breastfeeding, and breastfed poo is more liquidy to begin with.  Translation, it washes off fairly easily.  We had been washing her diapers in our utility sink in our basement, where we pre-wash the diapers, rinsing off any solids, before a hot rinse in the washing machine, followed by a wash cycle using this cloth diaper detergent (cloth diaper detergents are recommended to preserve the life of the diapers and prevent any detergent residue build up).

For the skeptics, I'm here to tell you it can work. Will you spend more money upfront? Yes. Will you do more laundry? Yes. But is it worth it? In my opinion, a thousand times yes. We have bought maybe 5 packages of disposable diapers in 3 months. And at $9.99 - $24.99 a pop, those boxes aren't cheap! We still use disposables when traveling, to avoid doing laundry on the road, but I'm sure if you were really committed you could easily continue the cloth habit while on the move. So while our investment into cloth diapering was up front, I'm confident we will save hundreds, even thousands of dollars as our daughter grows, and ideally be able to use the diapers again when we decide to have more kids.

I'm a big advocate of this system, and believe it can work for your family, with a little research, preparation, and the stamina to follow through. If you have any queries, I'd be happy to answer questions or provide any insight from my own experience; email me at lovelylittlethingsblog {at} gmail {dot} com.

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Hospital Bag Essentials

I read dozens of these posts prior to my labor, and ended up bringing many items I never touched, or even took out of my hospital bag!  As such, I thought I'd do a post about the items I found MOST essential to have in my hospital bag.

1. Comfy slippers: hospital floors are hard, cold, and tiled.  During labor and after the birth, comfortable, cozy slippers make all the difference when everything else hurts.  I personally love these cute, cozy, and affordable ones!

2. DVDs: Since I was induced and later in my labor had an epidural, we had some opportunity for "down time," where not much visible action was happening on the baby front.  My husband packed a few of our favorite DVDs, which was a great way to pass the time and soothe any anxiety and anticipation I was feeling as we waited for our girl to debut.

3. Nursing bras: Purchasing a nursing bra pre-baby was difficult for me, I kept wondering if the size I was buying was accurate, but really had no way to know.  I ended up trying on a few while pregnant, and buying a size up from there, which worked out perfectly.  My favorite nursing bras then (and now) are the ones without underwire, especially Gilligan & O'Malley available at Target, and Elle MacPherson via Amazon.

4. Baby onesies: You're going to want at least one outfit to dress up your new little one, preferably one with a matching hat.  Our hospital offered a complimentary newborn photo shoot from which you could purchase prints, and of course we wanted our new babe to look her best!  In retrospect, I would buy newborn onesies with zips over snaps, it's just THAT much easier when you're dressing and undressing them every hour or so for diaper changes.

5. Nipple butter:  Laugh now, but you'll need this!  I preferred Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple butter to Lanolin.  The hospital will provide you with lanolin if needed, so you can see what works for you.  I found Earth Mama's brand to provide much more soothing relief in those first few weeks, plus it's all natural, organic, and has a pleasant scent as well.

6. Swaddle blankets: There are a million out there, but Swaddle Designs are hands down my favorite swaddle blankets, they're thicker and warmer than Aden & Anais' swaddle blankets (which we also liked), and come in a plethora of adorable designs, and can be used as blankets once you've decided to stop swaddling.

7. Socks: Your feet get cold!  Even if you have slippers, I'd recommend bringing at least two pairs of cozy socks to keep your tootsies warm during labor, delivery, and recovery.

8. Shampoo & Conditioner: Once you've been moved into recovery, are up and mobile, that first shower post delivery is wonderful!  Truly, it will revitalize you more than you can imagine!  While the hospital does provide shampoo and conditioner, it's typically the generic 3-in-1 gel, which personally doesn't do wonders for my hair. I brought little travel size bottles of my favorite shampoos, and I felt like a new woman afterward!

9. Hairbrush: This seems like the most obvious item, however, I almost forgot mine!  After an hour and a half of pushing, my hair got all messed and matted, and I was happy to have a hair brush on hand to smooth it over.

10. Lip Balm: Your lips will become chapped no doubt, and EOS brand was my favorite (especially honeydew and pomegranate).  These lip balms are super easy, because you can apply quickly without getting balm on your fingertips.

Guest Post: Where My Heart Resides

Next up is Ashlee of Where My Heart Resides!  I had the privilege of meeting Ashlee back in early June while she was in the Seattle area visiting friends.  She's a fabulous blogger, and mama to adorable, 16 month-old Everett.  Check out her blog here!

Six Gift Ideas for a New Mom 

So your wife/sister/daughter/best friend just had a baby and you’re on your way to the hospital but don’t want to show up empty-handed. Do you bring balloons? Flowers? Diamonds? Booze? A teddy bear for the baby? All of the above? Chances are you’ve already spoiled the baby rotten in the form of cute onesies and baby registry items, so this time around, it’s perfectly okay to focus on the new mom (and let's be real: she earned it!). Here are some of my favorite ideas for new mom gifts...

1. Something symbolic: A Peace Lily plant or succulent. The key to giving a “new life” gift is this---get one that won’t die. The best plants to give a new mom are the ones that require very little water and care, basically the types of plants that are the opposite of a newborn baby.

2. Something delicious: Food, food, and more food. One of the best gifts you can give a new mom is food that requires little to no preparation. Freezer meals, big bags of granola, and ready-to-eat snacks are all great choices. If cooking's not your thing, a gift certificate to local take-out would probably be more than welcome. 

3. Something beautiful: A ring or necklace with the new baby’s initial. One of my favorite gifts I received after having my son Everett was a tiny "e" ring from Catbird. If you're on a budget, Etsy also has a ton of affordable options for initial jewelry.

4. Something practical: A housecleaning gift certificate. My mother-in-law gave us six months of house cleaning after our son was born and it was amazing. Once a month, I left the house for three hours and wandered around Target before coming home to a sparkling clean kitchen and perfectly vacuumed carpets. Heaven!

5. Something that makes her feel pretty: A birchbox subscription. Birchbox is a monthly beauty box filled with skincare and makeup samples. In those first few sleep-deprived months, it can be difficult to feel pretty. I loved having makeup samples show up on my doorstep, and made a ritual of opening the box at the kitchen counter and immediately trying everything at once. I felt like a queen, despite my spit-up covered t-shirt, oily hair, and stretched out yoga pants.                                                                                      6. Something sentimental: A newspaper from the baby's day of birth. If you're on a strict budget but want to do something special, this is an easy gift and especially great for moms who like to keep memory boxes or scrapbooks.

All set with your new mom gift, but still want to get something special for the baby? Check out Iviebaby, Children Inspire Design, and Little Hip Squeaks for super cute, unique gift options! What was the best gift you received when you became a mom?

Guest Post: Free to Be Lea

Hello friends of Michelle! I'm Lea from Free to Be Lea, and I was thrilled and honored when Michelle asked me to guest post on Lovely Little Things!

This year I became a first time mommy myself, and I'm so excited for Michelle to meet her baby girl and experience the magic of motherhood. I had my baby boy (Tommy) last November, and it has been a beautiful ride, so I thought I'd share a few SIMPLE and helpful tips that have helped me along the way.

My son was born 3 months early. YES you read that right, 3 months! Thankfully he is happy, healthy and thriving. I can remember looking into that incubator and thinking two things. First...... I love him so much and second.... I wish he would hurry up and GROW so I can take him home! Well, guess what? He did grow, and he's been growing at a lightning speed ever since! I look back at old pictures and can't believe how much he changes from day to day, which brings me to my first tip.

Tip #1 

TAKE TONS OF PICTURES! 

Everyone tells you to enjoy it, because they grow so fast and it's true! Document it as much as you can. You don't want to miss a thing, so grab your camera, iphone, whatever. You'll be so glad you did.

Tip #2 

SLEEP!

Sleep when the baby sleeps. Seems easy enough right? It's what EVERYONE tells you to do! This was a tough one for me, because I love to take care of my house, cook, blog, facebook, whatever! I had to remind myself that to be a good mother to Tommy I had to take care of MYSELF first. Here's the secret. Babies sleep a lot, especially at first, so even if you sleep during just one of their naps you will feel refreshed and revived to not only be a good mother but to do the things you enjoy. I chose to sleep during my sons first morning nap. That way, I had more energy for the rest of the day. I'm also a bit lucky to have a husband who works from home. He takes Tommy for 2 hours in the morning so I can sleep in. I know. I'm a lucky girl!

Tip #3 

DON'T FORGET YOUR FURRY FRIEND!

It seems like people have a baby, and they forget their first babies. The animals! True, it's hard to give the same attention you used to give your pet when you have a new baby in the house, but they should be included as much as possible. Having a new baby is an adjustment for everyone, even your pet, so make sure to include them. Afterall, pets are part of the family too!  Even if it's just laying next to you on the couch while you feed the baby, make them feel included. Pets are great for children. Pets teach children to be gentle, loving and more compassionate adults. As you can see Tommy loves my little buddy Jake!

Tip #4

RELAX & ENJOY EVERY MOMENT!

As I said above, my baby was a preemie. The road has been a rollar coaster of challenges and emotions, but at the end of the day, I am blessed to have a healthy and happy baby boy! Being a new mom can be stressful at times, but I keep reminding myself to go with the flow. Trust your instincts. Every mother has them and they will never steer you wrong. Get rid of the baby books, limit the googling, appreciate other moms advice but listen to your baby! Every baby is different and you learn as you go.

Most of all enjoy every single moment. It's the toughest but most rewarding job you will ever have in your life. Don't get me wrong, I've had my days where I fantasized about having a nanny but then I realize I am blessed that I don't! I have the luxury of staying home with my son to be a full time mom. It's ME who gets to see all his firsts and not some nanny! I get to see his first gummy smile, giggle, roll, crawl, kiss, transition to solids, everything!  And I wouldn't trade that for the world! 

The Skinny on Diapers

Okay people, let's get down and dirty and talk diapers.  Feel free to tune out this post if this is of zero relevance to you.  As we're compiling a registry, my husband and I are weighing the possibility of trying cloth diapering for our little bundle come August.

My mom used cloth diapers for my sisters and I.  However, our early 80's diaper experience is slightly different that the cloth diapering cult that exists today.  Also, take into account, my mom used a diaper service for cleaning, which is available at an additional cost.

At present, most of my mom friends do disposables, but we are seriously contemplating cloth diapering for the cost-saving and environmentally friendly perspective.  Comparing the cost alone has been encouraging...because man, diapers are EXPENSIVE!  Who knew?  I sure didn't...and to think newborn/infant diapers add up quickly both in dollars and garbage.

My friend Baillie has a 7 month old son, as has embraced the cloth diapers with great success.  She has been hugely helpful in educating my husband and I on.  She even gave me a cloth diaper "tutorial" earlier this week (thanks Bay!), on top of even compiling a lengthy, information packed email to enlighten us on the concept.  Here are some pros & cons from her experience:

Cloth Diapering Pros

• Environmentally friendly
• Cost savings compared to disposables (Even with the extra laundry, the cost savings is substantial...especially considering you can re-use the same cloth diapers with the second child if you go with mostly gender neutral colors)
• No diaper rash 
• No blowouts 

Cloth Diapering Cons:

• Can take some time to get used to 
• Diapers can be huge at first (unless you buy sized diapers)
• More laundry

So I ask - what do the rest of you moms like?  Have you joined the cloth diaper bandwagon?  Are you a fan of disposables?  I've love to hear your thoughts, wisdom, and tales from your own experience just to get some feedback and perspective on all of the options out there.

Cravings

Pregnancy cravings are a funny thing.  I always grew up reading the cliches about women craving pickles with ice cream.  From my own family tree, I heard craving stories growing up.  My mom craved chocolate and Thai food with me (both foods I now adore), spicy Korean food with my sister (who consequently can't tolerate any spice).

I wasn't sure how my cravings would factor into this pregnancy gig, but they've been interesting to say the least.  Top cravings:

* Apples: for the first few weeks, I couldn't get enough apples.  I'd buy armfuls at the market and devour the entire supply by the end of day.  

+ Baguettes with Cold Butter: bread always sounds good when you're feeling nauseous, but I ate many a baguette with butter for dinner these past few weeks.  Channeling my inner-Francophile perhaps?

* Grapefruit: I've always enjoyed grapefruit, but never to this extent.  You know you are craving grapefruit, when you have to buy an extra bag of sugar to sustain your sprinkled-sugar-on-grapefruit morning ritual.  Or, felt a strong enough inkling to make a grapefruit poundcake...

+ Rootbeer: I don't drink soda, with the rare exception of an oversized soda at the movies, but lately root beer sounds amazing!  Barq's, A&W, even the good local Northwest variety, Crater Lake Rootbeer, the bubblier the better.  I think it all started with a lunch out at Taco Time with my first grade team, but whatever the reason, this craving has stuck around since the early weeks.

I've had other cravings here and there, but these have been the big 4.  In addition, I've also had plenty of food aversions as well; the smell of chicken cooking, really meat of any kind, pho, all of these foods that normally I enjoy have just held the "ick" factor.  Also, for the first trimester, I craved everything salty, rarely any sweets like cookies or candy.  Cravings are a funny business.

What did you crave during your pregnancy?

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Baby Love

One of my best friends Sarah had her beautiful baby girl last Friday. Her lovely little name is Olivia Rose - isn't she darling?! I'm so excited to meet her. Sarah and I have been friends since middle school, I can't believe she's a mom!!

Miss Olivia arrived bright and early on black Friday (the biggest shopping day of the year). The family is already teasing she was born to be a shopper just like her mama! Welcome to the world Olivia!

Congrats!

One of my best friends just announced she's pregnant! We've been friends since 7th grade and grown up together, so I'm incredibly excited for her, and to be an honorary "auntie."

P.S. I coincidentally found this card the day of the big bun-in-the-oven announcement!

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The Name Game

You may have heard the news...Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick welcomed twin girls via surrogate yesterday...but did you hear the names?

...Marion Loretta and Tabitha Hodge...

Yes, yes, I realize old-fashioned names are the trend these days, believe me as an elementary school teacher I know, seeing as I have to add a last initial to all of the popular duplicate names (ie. Cole W., Cole G., Cole S., etc. etc.). Apparently Ferris Buehler and Carrie Bradshaw also bought into the fad.

Not my fave...Thoughts?

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Debut

News Flash! The newest babies to join Brad & Angelina's brood are on display. Spotted at the Tokyo airport with matching baby bjorns, were Knox & Viv Jolie-Pitt, decked out in some snazzy headgear. A cap to match dad for Knox and a headwrap for Vivienne, even as infants this fam has an eye for style.

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New Arrivals

Guess who decided to show up this weekend? Newest additions to the ever-burgeoning Jolie-Pitt clan - twins Knox Leon & Vivienne Marcheline. Think Angelina Jolie has a thing for the "X" factor? MaddoX, PaX, and KnoX? Interesting...

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Little Monster

How cute is this monster hat for your little one? It even has tiny ears and growl worthy sharp teeth. Be prepared for the roaring that could occur as s(he) gets in character!

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Baby Love

Jessica Alba just became the latest celebrity to indulge in the timeless trend of unusual baby names. The Times announced her latest addition is...(drum roll please)...Honor. Yes, Honor. As in love, honor, and obey - although I'm pretty sure no one says the obey part anymore. Jessica's baby's full name is Honor Marie Warren.

Guessing she'll fit in fabulously with the other celeb tots. Can't say I'm surprised, she does have a father named Cash. What do you think about the newest Hollywood bambino? Any thoughts?

P.S. Don't you love her outfit in this picture? Cutest baby bump ever!

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The Rumors are True

TWINS - it's true!! Wanted costar Jack Black spills the beans on Brad and Angelina's newest additions. Looks like the Jolie-Pitt clan is becoming iconic as the modern day, world-traveling, multi-cultural Brady Bunch.

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Leap Year, Leap Frog

Leap year makes me thing of leap frog, or just frogs in general. Leap year is such an odd day, only popping up once every four years, just to keep us on our toes.

I actually have a student this year whose birthday falls on February 29th! The kids had a quite the laugh in class as we explained the concept of leap year, and that technically speaking, according to the calendar, he is only turning 2 today, and not 8 (his actual age).This talk of leap year and frogs is perfect considering my Mom's birthday is tomorrow, and she has a weakness for all things frogs. As part of my birthday gift to her, I picked up this frog Prince inspired night-light at PBK.
While scouring the store for more frog items, I saw these adorable little bath-wraps. And yes, they have frogs! Along with hippos, bunnies, and lambs. While they are a little too small for my mom, I thought these were too cute to not pass along.

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Fashionable Baby

I went out to breakfast with my Mom yesterday, and in the next booth over was a darling baby boy, about 6-months old with bright blue eyes, completely bald, appropriately wearing this. I went home and googled the shirt, and came to discover that there are hundreds of websites catered to parents who want to keep their infants fashionable. Here are a few funny finds for the parent with a sense of humor.
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