Sleepsack Spotlight: baby dee dee

Do you sleep sack? We are a total sleep sack family. Jonas wore a sleep sack until he was a little over 2 years old! And the only reason we stopped was because he was able to climb out of his crib. We swaddled him when he was super small but then transitioned into the sleep sack world shortly after because we didn't want any loose blankets in his crib. Knowing your child is always warm and safe is a win win. When Jonas got older and a lot of his friends were in their cribs with blankets I decided to give it a try. In short: it didn't work out. The blankets were on him when I put him to bed but not long after they were all tangled up at the bottom of his crib and he was cold and crying. Time to find a bigger sleep sack, and we never looked back!

I knew when we had Ivy we would continue this method of keeping our baby warm at night. I am so excited for the baby dee dee sleep nest. I love how the shoulder straps on the baby dee dee have snaps so I don't have to struggle to get Ivy's arms through the arm holes if she is already asleep. I was all set to sleep sack her up at night already (since we actually don't swaddle her anymore) but it's still mid 90s here in California! I probably would have been better off getting a nest lite or nest tee, two styles that aren't quite as warm.

Tell me, how do your babies keep warm at night?

For my readers, click here, to get 20% off your next purchase at baby dee dee. The code will automatically be deducted at checkout. 

Nursing Covers

When I nursed Jonas out and about I often used a nursing cover. And looking back, it was more like a shower curtain. It was big, obvious, and kind of cringe worthy. This time around I don't feel the need to cover up while nursing Ivy. Mainly because while watching Jonas, that is just one extra step that I don't have time for! But I know there are some places that I wouldn't mind a little extra coverage, especially in the beginning when we are working on Ivy's latch.

I was so excited to try two new nursing covers that are chic and super versatile. Enter: the Mamachic scarf and the NuRoo nursing scarf.

Both scarfs can be worn an endless amount of ways that do or don't necessitate a nursing baby. :) They have easy snaps that can help adjust how you want to wear it. I love the NuRoo for summer since the material is more lightweight and fits with my summer wardrobe seamlessly. It is also made from wrinkle-free fabric that I don't feel bad smashing into my diaper bag. On the flip side, I am excited for the weather to get a little cooler so I can use my Mamachic scarf more often, as the fabric is heavier (and really luxurious-feeling!). I also love that the Mamachic is made in the USA with sustainable materials. Bonus points!

I think either of these would make a great gift for a baby shower. Pre-order your Mamachic here ($85) and purchase the NuRoo here ($29.99).

Premama Lactation Drink: Gearing up for baby #2!

As I am less than two weeks away from my due date I find myself more concerned with how Jonas is going to transition than all the preparation needed for the new baby! I was happy to hear from Premama and about their products because it was a great reminder that I need to be thinking about myself and my milk supply. I nursed Jonas for 15 months and hope to do another long run with baby #2.

I know Fenugreek really works, but sometimes it is hard to remember to take another vitamin. Since you need to make sure to drink plenty of liquids while breastfeeding, these Premama Lactation drink mixes seem like the perfect solution! They are packed with Fenugreek, Fennel Seed, Blessed Thistle and more. I also love the convenience of the little packets that I can easily stash in my kitchen, purse and car. I can't wait to include this in my daily routine once the baby arrives!

I am off to pack my hospital bag and these will definitely be included in my stash.

Instantly Framed

 We recently had a few rooms in our house painted (Behr Dolphin Fin!) and there's nothing like fresh paint to make you want to hang up new prints and art work. It was the perfect timing to try out Instantly Framed, the app that instantly frames your Instagram photos. The app is free and once you download that, sync it with your Instagram, you order within seconds! The whole process from start to finish is faster than any other site out there, and it is framed when you get it! I normally waste over an hour on sites like Shutterfly but then I still only have prints at the end of the transaction. The bonus points is that I could do this all from my iPhone! Normally when I open my laptop Jonas begs me to "watch something 'puter" so I normally avoid opening it to skip that conversation altogether.

Quick and painless and in a few days I had perfectly packaged artwork ready to hang on my wall! No adding screws into pre-drilled holes or anything like that. Thank you Instantly Framed!

Vacation book for your toddler

Every night before bed I read Jonas some books and lately he always requests the Shutterfly book I made about our vacation to Mexico. He loves looking at the pictures and exclaiming words and things he recognizes. But the book is a little busy, I must admit. I decided to make a kid friendly book for him to read and to remember our trip by! I used Pinhole Press since I have used them before and was happy with the quality. Totally not a sponsored post, just a happy repeat customer!

Here are some snippets of Jonas' Mexico book :)

If you want to make one, it's the Mini Storybook of Names and Faces. Its a board book, but not laminated, so not suitable for the teething baby months. (Or is my child the only one that ate board books?) We made Jonas one for Christmas, with pictures and names of all our family members and he went bonkers!! A book we will for sure treasure for years and years. Can't wait to take another trip to add to his travel library!

Half Moon Bay

We recently took advantage of a photoshoot with one of our favorite photographers before she moves out of state. If you are in the Portland or Seattle area, check out Catie Coyle!

Jonas at 18 months, I can't stand it. Too much fun. 

(He's 20 months today!)

Sea Buckthorn

I am usually the last to know about the new superfruit. It shows too because I was the only one of my friends that couldn't correctly pronounce acai a few years ago. The new superfruit is Sea Buckthorn and don't worry, Dr. Oz has already endorsed it. I know some of you take what he says as gospel. So, the rundown: it is known to help with weight loss, aide healthy digestion and makes your skin look beautiful. Sign me up.

I was gifted this Seabuck Wonders exfoliating facial cleanser and soft gels to try out and after using them for about a month I can tell you how great they are! First off, you don't want your exfoliator to rip off your skin like that awful stuff I used as a teenager (St. Ives Apricot, what?). This cleanser has the smallest exfoliants to gently scoff off any dead skin and I haven't had a single breakout since using it. Since I don't eat fish it's important for me to get my Omegas in, which is why I love these soft gels. Once I run out, I am definitely going to be buying some!

OK, I have to ask, is this the first you have heard about Sea Buckthorn oil? And are you completely obsessed with oils, like me? :)

Lately

It's been a week since we got back from our trip to Mexico and I am having the post vacation blues! I guess that just means I need to start planning our next trip. :) Here's what I've been up to this week:

Going through pictures from our vacation. Love this one of me and my guy swimming. 

Having fun putting together Jonas' (candy-less) Easter basket this year. 

Gotta detox after all the burritos and margaritas I consumed. This is my new favorite tea!

Jonas inside: throwing things, fussy, kind of acting up.
Jonas outside: see above.

The cutest little colored Miffys, ever.

Movie night in

Having a young kid means that I am just now getting around to watching Oscar nominated movies. We did manage to see American Hustle, but that was the only one. I wanted to see The Wolf of Wall Street in the theaters but with its 3 hour length, traveling to and from the theater, maybe getting a meal, that's like 6 hours of babysitting we would need to find! Not happening. The best thing about watching these movies at home is that you get to control your snacks. ;)

Since you have to have popcorn my new favorite is anything by Popcorn, Indiana. The ingredient list for the Movie Theater flavor is: popcorn, non-GMO canola oil, organic clarified butter, salt. That's it! And if you've read recent studies on the fat content (and not to mention chemicals in that "butter") of movie theater popcorn, you know how we are in need of better options. And because in my house we like ice cream (me) and sorbet (Jon) we turn to Ciao Bella. Cutest packaging, best flavors (blood orange, we love!) and good quality ingredients! Who cares we are seeing movie months late when we have the best munchies?

Sayulita

Yesterday I picked up our Mexican pesos that I ordered from our bank and now I feel like this trip is real! So excited to explore a part of Mexico I have never been to before. For those of you unfamiliar, Sayulita can be described as a sleepy hippie/surfer town about 30 miles from Puerto Vallerta. Lots of yoga retreats are also held here, hopefully I can make it to a couple classes! Of course our neighbor tells us that was a better description 10 years ago and that's its changed so much. There are still no high rise hotels or Senor Frogs so I think we're okay. ;)