9 Tips for 9 Months

I've been thinking about the differences between my 2 pregnancies, and since it wasn't my first rodeo this time with my son, I tried some new things and carried on with other healthy things, so here are my 9 tips for the 9 months for a healthy pregnancy.

1. LET YOURSELF RELAX.  This time around I had to chase a 2 year old while I was feeling craptacular in the beginning.  I think I took more naps while she napped than I did when she was a newborn.  It's a whole other ballgame in the beginning when you have another little person to take care of.  I had to learn to let go and sit my booty down and take a breather.  I have no shame admitting that she maybe watched a lot of Bubble Guppies.  I still would give this advice to first time moms, allow yourself to relax and take a break because motherhood is certainly a balance between taking care of your kiddos and yourself- learn to let go and relax when needed.

2. CHIROPRACTIC CARE.  This was a game changer.  I never went to the chiropractor with my first.  My son was a 10 lb baby, actually 10 lb 4 ozs and I had lots of back and pelvic pain towards the end and it helped SOOOO much.  A postnatal adjustment is GOLDEN as well.  Growing a human being is hard, you need to take care of ourselves physically as well before and after they arrive with your whole body shifting!! I had a much faster delivery and faster recovery and I really feel like going to the chiropractor regularly, helped get baby boy and my body aligned and ready for delivery.

3. DRINK WATER. lots of it.  I'm so guilty of not drinking water in general.  Drinking lots of water can help with lots of pregnancy complaints- constipation, cramping, swelling, headaches- the list goes on and on.  I would try to jazz it up with fruit or with sparkling water.  I drank a ton of Pellegrino.  Pellegrino also helped with my nausea in the beginning.  I was lucky to not to have a ton of morning sickness but when I felt super icky in the beginning, I craved carbonation.  What I really wanted was a Mexican Coke in a glass bottle.

4. ESSENTIAL OILS:  I got the OK from my doctor to use essential oils as long as I was not ingesting them (ask your doctor on their stance on essential oils before using them)  Not that they are a cure all, but I have found that it helps support our systems especially with nausea and energy!  A good source for pregnancy and nursing essential oil info can be found here: http://essentialoilblogging.com/2014/07/16/pregnancy_safe_use_chart/

A good rule of thumb is to hold off from essential oils for the first trimester. A few of my favs, inhaling some ginger for morning sickness and diffusing citrus oils especially grapefruit at that 2 or 3 pm hour where I would be dragging and of course Lavender to relax me at night.

5. WHEN IN DOUBT, CALL THE DOCTOR- There is a lot of misinformation on the internet about lots of topics, so if you are having an issue or nervous about something instead of looking on online and seeing everything that could be going wrong, call your nurse or doctor.  Look for reputable research like your doctor so you can be informed and make the best decisions for yourself.  Whether or not it's taking Zofran (a drug used to prevent nausea which has been been claimed to cause birth defects), getting a vaccination while pregnant is a hot topic, setting up an induction (is it really necessary in certain situations).  If you well informed about a topic during your pregnancy, you can make the best decisions for yourself. Another place where you can look information on pregnancy is at the Recall Center.  You could type in the search field "pregnancy" and a bunch of different topics within pregnancy will pop up like the use of Zofran, other medications during pregnancy, and a hot topic of vaccinations while pregnant.  I have found some interesting articles there, obviously you want to discuss with your doctor as well any concerns or problems to decide on the best plan of attack.

6.  WALKING and YOGA- I know a lot of people can do cross fit and run while pregnant, but I'm not comfortable doing that when my belly starts getting big, plus walking and doing prenatal yoga is so therapeutic and relaxing to me, is great exercise and the yoga stretched\s and lengthens your body as it changes.  I love me some yoga.

7. ACUPUNCTURE: I am not a big fan of needles but acupuncture has done wonders for my body, with relaxation, my circulation and swelling, all my systems in general . I even went for a postpartum appointment and that was an amazing combo with chiropractic care.

8.  EATING WELL:  I feel like this is a given, but eating lots of protein and fruits and vegetables will help.  There is a lot of foods out there that can help with those pregnancy problems that I listed in #3  (drinking lots of water).  Of course treat yourself and indulge every once in a while but I know those greasy fries never did me any favors when I was pregnant, even though they were delicious haha.

9.  BREATHE! I remember worrying about everything the first time I was pregnant.  Worrying and stress is not good on yourself and not good on yourself while housing that beautiful baby.  Take a deep breath, put yo take a bath and breathe deeply.  Everything is about to change in a great way.  I was more calm this time around in general.


What else would you add to the list for a healthy pregnancy?  I would love to hear.

Is My Child Ready For Swim Lessons Yet? {guest post from Kaitlin Gardner}

The question of swim lessons really depends on age and the comfort of the child with water. While some kids might be the right age, if they are fearful of the water, some extra preparation might be needed before they are ready to take formal swim lessons.

Safety – the reason for it all. We all want our kids to enjoy the all the fun the water has to offer, but there are inherent risks in being around the water, so safety has to be a primary concern. It is reported by the Center For Disease Control that unintentional drowning is one of the biggest causes of death among young children. Formal swim lessons can lower that risk by as much as 88 percent. Teaching your child about the water can begin while they are really young. Here are some articles with more great information:

• When Can My Baby Take Swimming Lessons?
• How To Teach A Petrified Kid Not To Be Afraid Of Water
• Swimming Pool Safety: Layers of Protection

Early preparation. When a child might be a little young for formal swim lessons, they can still be introduced to the water. If Mommy and Me classes are available nearby, they are a great introduction to the water. If those classes aren’t available, the parents can take the child to the community pool (dressed in suitable swim diapers). Have Dad sit next to the pool holding the child, while Mom goes into the water, splashing, smiling  and laughing. If the child reaches for Mom, she should take him and hold him, and he is then well on his way to comfort with the water. Let him lean near the water and discover how much fun splashing can be. If the child is still laughing and smiling, lower hold the child and yourself into the water so that he can experience the sensation. By the time he is old enough for formal swim lessons, the whole atmosphere of the water will be very familiar.

For the frightened child. Not all kids respond the same way to being around the water. For the child who looks hesitant or even frightened by the water, the key is patience. Let that child grow accustomed to the water at their own pace. It might take several sessions of Dad holding the child while Mom models the fun before that child engages. Don’t rush it, and soon enough, that child will be reaching out for Mommy. Later, when that child is playing and splashing with his friends, you’ll be glad you went slow, so that the water became a positive experience.

Formal lessons. It is suggested that a child can be enrolled in formal swim lessons when they are around 3 or 4 years old. By that point, the child will have developed enough fundamental skills to be perform swimming movements, as well as being able to follow and retain the lesson being presented. The swim instructor can teach not only the different strokes, but emphasize safety around the water.

Only in the summer? While the first thought might be to take swim lessons during the summer, the fall and winter can actually be a great time. After school is out, the kids just want to play. If there is an indoor pool available, the kids can take lessons in the fall, when they are back into learning mode. Getting the lessons out of the way in the fall means that they’ll be ready for pool time next summer.

As you sit next to the community pool, watching your child swim and play with his friends, you can smile, knowing you have prepared him to safely enjoy all the pleasures of the water.

Kaitlin Gardner started An Apple Per Day to explore her passion for a green living lifestyle, and healthy family living. She and her husband have just moved to rural Pennsylvania, where they enjoy exploring the countryside to discover interesting and out of the way places. She is also learning how to paint watercolors. You can also find her on twitter here

Repurposing

oh my life gets busy, I didn't even realize that I haven't blogged an actual post (not sponsored, not a giveaway) in so long.  It always seems to happen that way!

So recently I crossed one thing off of my very lengthy to-do list and that was figuring out what I was going to do with Isla's coming home outfit from the hospital.  I feel like when you are the hospital, everything is so surreal- I had nurses convincing me to get some sleep and walking Isla up and down the hall to get her to go back to sleep, I had lactation consultants cheering me on and helping me continue to breastfeed (at my hospital anyway- I was lucky), it got real when we got home and not in a bad way but it just changes.  So anyway, I really wanted to do something special with her coming home outfit, even if we have another girl at some point, that will always be specifically Isla's outfit and I wouldn't want to reuse it, I know you can call me crazy- I guess I'm just sentimental that way.

When my father died, my mother had a quilt made of his clothes and she had given me a bear that was made out of one of my father's old corduroy suits.  It's actually in Isla's room now.  So I really wanted to do something like that and then it would be something that Isla could keep.  I'm not into shadow boxes and I can't even get Isla's baby book finished, let alone do scrapbooking, but kudos to those who can do it!

I recently found an adorable shop called Lily & Gus through another blog and she has adorable stuff and sells super cute bunnies around Easter and will do custom orders.  I contacted her and turns out she lives only 2 hours from here and I sent her pictures of Isla's outfit.  She wanted to use her coming home outfit as accent pieces and that I should sent something of mine or Logan's to use as the main piece.  I finally decided on a pair of super comfy tan velour pants that I've had since college and were falling apart and stretched out and ripped up at the bottoms.  Logan had been trying to convince me to throw them out, so he was excited to see them go.

I had a few choices in animals, I choose a bunny because I thought strawberries and the velour would look so sweet on a bunny and it did.  She did a wonderful job and I would definitely use her again!

By the way this is not a sponsored post, I just thought the bunny came out so cute and its such a good idea what she does that I would let others know about this.

 You can find Lily & Gus on Facebook and their website by clicking here

Freshly Picked Moccasins Review #2

Oh what a joy is it to be able to review moccasins for Freshly Picked.  I was pleased with my first pair- if you didn't see my post on that review you can check it out here.

We loved our first pair.  In fact, they still fit her and if I ask what shoes she wants to wear, she tells me "Mocc-a-sins"  Why are toddler so cute and frustrating at the same time?!  Anyway, since I had the opportunity to review another pair, I wanted to try something different than the blush color we had.  There are so many colors to choose from?!  I immediately fell in love with rose gold.  I love everything rose gold lately and even though it was another pink pair, I didn't care haha.  I did want to see if the shiny leather held up as well as my other pair!

Well, let me tell you Freshly Picked does not disappoint.  I even bought them in one size bigger and her old pair still fits and her new pair still has a little bit of room. They have a great sizing chart, you can just measure the little one's feet and compare it to the sizes on the chart. You can find this chart in the sizing section of their website which is http://freshlypicked.com

I was concerned that the shiny parts would dull or flake off, but they haven't yet! They wear just as well as the other pair we received and are super comfy.  They are so easy to get on and off and they do not fall off her feet.  Anyone sometimes have that problem, you go to put your kid in and out of their car seat and all of a sudden they only have one shoe on?!  I'm amazed these moccasins stay put.

The one thing different this time was the box it came in can open up to a Freshly Picked garden with stickers!  Isla had so much fun, playing with the stickers and the box.

Then she had to play with it on the stairs- but at least we get a good view of the moccasins!

And of course they still come in adorable bags with a sweet Freshly Picked pin!

We love our moccasins!

Now I know what you are thinking, $60 for a pair of kids shoes?  I would still say yes this is a good buy- they are real leather, they hold up amazingly, they don't fall off, and they are nicely made!  Her first pair is from February and they still fit- yep 8 months later!  You can't say that for a lot of shoes that A. they could fit up to 8 months and B. they haven't fallen apart after 8 months!  Yes, she wears these to the store, the playground, you name it!  We love our Freshly Picked moccasins and I'm sure you would too.  Go check them out at http://freshlypicked.com.  There are so many colors I still want to buy, it's so hard to choose! 

**Freshly Picked provided me with moccasins to review. The opinions I shared about the moccasins are my own, and Freshly Picked did not tell me what to say or how to say it.** 

Super Safety Tips!

 I am by no means supermom, but I would like my kiddo to be as safe as can be within our house.  I want her to have the freedom to explore and not have to be helicopter mom because she is getting into something that I could have prevented. So when Dropcam, (click on their name for info about them) asked me to join in on their Security Supermom Campaign- it make really think about what is an absolute necessity for us and what else I should be child proofing to make our home a safer place for our little one.  So just for today, I will be calling myself Safety Supermom and let's just call my little one, the villain.  Let's be honest here, toddlers can most certainly be villains, am I right moms?!

Speaking of supermoms, I will share a not so supermom moment of the week- our dining room table is where things go to die (magazines, paperwork, etc).  Obviously we don't do too much entertaining (I wish we did!) and also we need to get that organized!  My daughter loves to climb and sit in chairs and she climbed up and was sitting nicely, so I went to grab something in the other room and I heard it, NOTHING, you know the toddler silence, the silence you know something is up.  Oh yes, she was on the table crawling to grab something from the disorganized mess of a dining room table, yikes. We have since cleaned off the table, but there were some of her toys on there and she wanted to play.  Trying to stay organized and things picked up is difficult sometimes with a toddler, but use me as an example- DON'T PUT IT ON A TABLE haha.  I don't know if that is so much as a superpower as common sense but you move things to get it out of the way and to organize it later and they see it and want it and GO FOR IT!

It just goes to show that everyday is something new, something fun, and sometimes scary.  Here are some of my mommy safe tips on what works for us in our home.

Defying Gravity- My villain loves to apparently loves to scale walls, tables, sky scrapers (ok that was a little dramatic, but she was definitely scaling tables as stated above!).  We have a taller toy bin in our house and she loves to stand on the lower bins to reach up to the top.  We anchor that bad boy to the wall, as that could be a major hazard!  We wouldn't want these bigger items falling on the littles ones. So anchoring furniture to the walls is always a good thing with these climbers whether its a dresser, a bookcase, or a toy bin! Ok that is really Superdad with the hammer and nails, but I told him to do it for me and I supervised :)

Blocking Their Escape- the more mobile they get, the faster they get and even though my almost 2 year old is pretty good with stairs, I have to block off the bottom of the stairs with a gate.  We are working on blocking off the top of the stairs but I have found her many times upstairs wandering when I had no idea where she is or what she is up to (most of the time, bothering the cat). We also gate off our family room where I know its safe for her to play, if I have to leave the room for a minute- like I said, they are fast! Also, now my little one is tall taller to push open my glass door of my front door- so I've been locking that door so it doesn't send my little villain onto our concrete porch!

Tracking Device- I know a lot of people say they don't need a video monitor, but they are pretty nice on watching the little one in their room and what they are doing if they making noise or awake at night or in the mornings.  Our first video monitor died and we were almost in a panic not being able to see her waiting for the new one to come in haha.  But we can track that villain, to see if she is up to no good, in any trouble that supermom needs to help out with, or just ready to get up. When talking about these cameras and monitors, did you know that Dropcam also offers affordable security cameras that stream right to your computer or phone!  Be sure to click on the link above to find out more about Dropcam and the features of their security cameras.

Kryptonite- I'm talking about electricity and toxic chemicals (cleaners, dish washing pods, laundry detergent, etc). My little villain could have cared less about electrical outlets but now at 21 months old is getting more interested and have even tried pulling her nightlight out of the socket, so we definitely keep the ones that she can get to covered up with the plug covers.  Also moving the cleaners, soaps to a higher location or locking them up out of their reach so they can't get to them.  They just get so curious as well as my little one loves bowls, cups, bottles, probably more than her own toys sometimes!

Those are just a few of the safety tips that have really needed to happen in our home.  What childproofing have you had to do in your house?


image of the supermom came from: http://www.clipartlord.com/free-super-mom-clip-art/

toosum Snack Bars Review

I was recently sent 3 different flavors of toosum Snack Bars to try.  As a mom on the go and with a toddler who loves snacks, I am always looking for healthy foods for both of us to eat.  I was really excited when I was asked to test out the snack bars.

Let's talk a little bit about the company.  What does toosum mean?  It comes from the old English word "toothsome" and it means temptingly tasty and delicious.  Toosum's mission, as stated on their website, "To nourish a community of global citizens with delicious, healthful shelf-stable snack foods .  At toosum, we scour the world for the most wholesome ingredients and bring you 'Global Goodness.'" Also, the founder Peter Guyer had found that each region has it's own special goodness to share, for example- Slim bars were inspired by Asia with the cherries and plums.

toosum are gluten free, non GMO,  and only 100 calories per bar and the best part is...you can actually pronounce everything in the ingredients!  These bars did not last long in my house at all!  I received Slim bars that have cherries and plums, the Energize Bars with acai and cranberries, and the Digest bars with greek yogurt and blueberries.  For gluten free they are pretty good!

So I have to say that I was excited and a little skeptical at first because I am not gluten free (GASP, I know) but I do try to eat whole grains and things that are gluten free, so my family and I don't go into gluten, bloated, overload.  I have made plenty of gluten free snacks but the last gluten free granola bars that I had purchased, definitely left something to be desired!

The day I received them I was having coffee with a friend and had her try one and she instantly said, "this is pretty good for gluten free!"  I also handed one off to my daughter, who devoured it.  I thought the Energize and the Slim (which were my favorite) had a lot more flavor than the Digest that had the greek yogurt and the blueberries, but I'm sure everyone has their own opinions on what they like.    I just couldn't enough of both the Slim and Energize with the flavors of the cherries and plums as well as the cranberries and acai.  I guess I liked the combination of the more tart fruit.  My daughter on the other hand didn't care which flavor I gave her.  I thought the bars were nice and soft and packed a lot of goodness in with the fiber content and only being 100 calories. It is a great snack and I thought it filled me up.  I would love to try the Calm ones as well that has chamomile and coconut in them, yum!

So at the end of the day, if people are wondering can healthy and gluten free be delicious?  Well, my answer is yes!  Let's look at the ingredients, as you can see you can read and understand what each ingredient is!

Here are the benefits and the ingredients listed from their website:

Over all, I really enjoyed the bars and I would like to order more and have them in my pantry, my car, my diaper bag.  They are pretty tasty and really easy on the go snack, not to mention healthy!  I definitely would like to order some and take them with us to the pool this summer.  

Where can you get there snack bars?

You can purchase toosum bars on their website as well as get more info and FAQ about the products: www.toosum.com.  they can also be found on amazon now: find them here {affiliate link}

*toosum provided me with the healthy snack bars to review. The opinions I shared about the products are my own, and toosum did not tell me what to say or how to say it.** 

Mother's Day Printable

Happy Friday! 

Happy Mother's Day weekend to all the mamas out there and yes, your fur babies count!

I am a SUCKER for decorating for every holiday and I've been staring at a computer messing around for a little bit on learning photoshop and learning how to make my own printable.  So why not share what I've been working on it and who doesn't love chalkboard printables?!

The love a mother has for their child is indescribable and while there are really sweet and tearful quotes out there, I found a quote that make me laugh and recognizes how hard it is to be mama (some days more than others)

I framed mine and I put it up on my bookshelves around my fireplace. I may just have to keep moving it around my house because I kinda really like it!

All you have to do is right click on the image below and save it. 

 It's an 8 x 10 print so it's perfect to frame, you will just have to trim the edges to make it fit! I used thicker card stock but regular paper works too!

Here is the printable framed on my bookshelf.  I think it would also look awesome on wood or maybe even slap some mod podge on it and put it on a canvas to hang on a wall somewhere.  

Print it out for your mom, a friend, or yourself!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Snow Days!

Isla was way too little last year to go out into the snow, but lately Kansas City did not disappoint with snow!  Since we just got a little bit more snow, I figured I would share some sweet snow photos of Miss Thing.  She loved it…they may not be the best pictures, since they were on my phone, but we had fun.

and lastly, a video for the ultimate cuteness overload

Freshly Picked Moccasins {Review}

So if you didn't win my giveaway, you are probably contemplating whether or not to buy a pair, right?!

Well along with the giveaway, Freshly Picked has sent me a pair to review.  How could I even choose a color?! They even just came out with an adorable camo pair recently! If you haven't seen all the beautiful colors they have, you need to go to their shop immediately: http://shop.freshly-picked.com.    I decided on blush though because it just goes well with a lot of Isla's clothes.

I'll be honest, yes I bought a pair of knock off moccasins before because they were cheaper and guess what?  They lasted for about 5 wears before they started falling apart, seriously, I was bummed. So I was super interested to get my hands on a pair to see the difference in quality, color, etc because I have been stalking out Freshly Picked for a while and kinda obsessing over them on Instagram.

When I opened my mailbox and saw the package I was so excited.  Let's talk about about how cute the moccasins are along with the bag they come in and a pin.

The bottoms are my favorite part:  Yes, Isla was eating lunch and it was a must I had to put them on her immediately!  

Baby shoes are so cute, baby feet are my FAVORITE anyway

So Isla has been wearing them around now for about 2 weeks and they are wearing well.The moccasins are really thick, sturdy leather and very well made and sturdy stitching as you can see in the picture above.  Isla is very active and sliding down the stairs and running around and these bad boys stay put on her feet.  Even when I am pulling her out of the car seat, they definitely stay on her feet, which I have been having a problem with most of her boots this winter for some reason. Has other mamas out there been finding shoes in their driveway too?!  The elastic on the side stretches so you can get the shoe easily on and off, so you are not cramming the kiddos foot in there.

So I get this questions a lot, "oh they don't have hard soles?"  No they don't, however the bottoms are a thicker leather and Isla actually falls less than wearing shoes with a thick sole. Would I take her hiking in these moccasins, no, but they are great shoes for running around doing errands or just going to someone's house.  She even wore them to the mall the other day and I actually have them as a back up in my diaper bag right now. From things I have read as well, soft sole shoes are the way to go for kiddos who are just starting out walking and I believe it, I put this kid in a pair of running shoes and she is falling all over the place.

The other question I get, "they are how much?"  Yes, they retail for $60.  Yes, they have sales and do I think they are worth it...well YES. I bet they would get more use out of them than you think! The awesome size chart you can print out was am amazing tool to follow and Isla still has some room in them so she will be wearing this definitely into the spring, if not the summer.

So overall I love these Moccasins and I can't wait for the weather to be nicer so Isla can wear them more outside.

Check out Freshly Picked on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/freshlypicked and Instagram: http://instagram.com/freshlypicked to be up to date on their sales and new colors and/or patterns (like the adorable camo that just came out).

Here are pics of Miss Isla wearing the moccs. I feel like sometimes trying to get a picture of a toddler in their outfit is like trying to get a clear shot of a puma running.  After being defeated of chasing her around the house, we decided to go to the park on the swing, I knew I could get happy pictures that way and it was surprisingly 50 degrees out that day.

This is the best shot I could get of her inside the house, but can we also talk about how awesome my new dining room chairs are!

Be still my heart.

The flipped up fringe is from miss thing learning to slide down the stairs on her belly.

Who doesn't love an action shot with pigeon toe? :)

**Freshly Picked provided me with moccasins to review. The opinions I shared about the moccasins are my own, and Freshly Picked did not tell me what to say or how to say it.** 

1st Birthday Party

I had so much fun planning Isla's first birthday party.  I was just talking to someone on how the 1st birthday is such a milestone for parents, especially first time parents…you have successfully taken care of that child for an entire year!

I decided to do an ice cream bar party and while I was looking up invitations, I can across a shop that had first birthday invitation for an ice cram party with Isla's name already on it.  Turns out that shop owner has a daughter named Isla a few months older than my Isla and did an ice cream bar party!  oh and the picture of her sample invitation her Isla was in a dress that I also own
for my little thing.  SOOO weird. We decided we were long lost sisters! Any who, she also had printable decorations so it was great!  Here are some of our pictures from celebrating Isla's 1st birthday :) and one last picture collage from the lovely Vita Bella Photography in Niagara Falls, NY who did her smash cake session! I was also able to reuse her cupcake tree from her baby shower I had in Lewiston, NY.  Click here to check out one of my baby showers where I used the cupcake tree.

The invitations and decorations were from Alley 9 Creative Studio on Etsy

Cupcakes and smash cake from Small Cakes

Custom made onesie from Hudson and Ruthie On Etsy