It's Been 2 Months....Sorry!!!

Hello again.  I will spare you all from having to read the countless excuses that I have made for myself for not posting for the past 2 months......so all you need to know is that I am back and full of enthusiasm (and ideas and new baby products to report on!)  :)  So now that that is out of the way, I MUST fill you in on all that has happened during my hiatus:

1) Sasha is WALKING!
2) She turned one.....and we celebrated :)

Ok, when I started the list I thought that there would be a lot to report, but in all honesty this summer has been full playing outside, barbecuing, weekends with friends......plus running around and cleaning up after Sasha (a neverending, exhausting, and maddening process). 

On another note, 2 months ago I promised you guys pictures from our photoshoot with the amazingly wonderful VZ Moda Photography.  So please enjoy them and make an appointment for your little one IMMEDIATELY :)

     

Genious travel idea #1

Ok, so before the big Florida trip I was reading some traveling with babies blogs, most of which were completely unspectacular....and made up of information that most parents with any common sense can figure out without reading travel blogs.....BUT I did read a great tip from a mom that I thought was genious, until I thought of how it could be even more genious :)  So here is what I read:  that instead of trying to pack all of your necessities for baby (such as diapers, wipes, formula, and the list goes on and on and on!) you should ship a box full of necessities to the place that you are staying.  Most hotels will keep the box for you at the front desk if you call ahead and ask.  Now I thought that this was a REALLY good idea, but then I thought about the cost of shipping everything versus the cost of bringing another piece of luggage on the plane, and it didn't quite make sense. 

So here's MY twist on this: why not order all of you essentials from a website such as diapers.com or amazon.com, which offer FREE SHIPPING on most purchases over a certain dollar amount!  That way you don't have to lug all of the bulky essentials and you don't have to pay for shipping (not mention the fact that you don't have to go to the post office either!).  I know, I know.......GENIOUS!  You can thank me later :)



Another pic of Sasha with the new camera :)



PS - We did an amazing photoshoot for Sasha yesterday with a very talented photographer.  I can't wait to see all of the pics.....and share them with you :) :) :)

And.....I'm Back!

Hello lovelies :)  So sorry for my hiatus from the blogging world but I have been on hiatus from my regular life too!  My little family (Sasha, my hubby, and I......for those of you who don't know!) went on our first trip together to Florida.  It was a trip filled with firsts for Sasha: first flight, first time sleeping away from home, first time in the sand, first time in the ocean, first time going to the zoo, first time trying ice cream......and those were just the stand-out's!  All in all, it was one of the most memorable trips for my husband and I since we got to experience all of these things together.  Oh yes, and we got an amazing new camera (thanks to my mother-in-law) which my husband got quite skilled at using on this trip......honestly, it was just amazing to take pictures of Sasha!  I can't wait to share all of my newly found wisdom on traveling with a 10 and 1/2 month old....but in the meantime, I'm just reliving the trip through these pictures :)

The Shower Hug

The Shower Hug - $30 at showerhug.com

I am continuously coming across products now that would have been very useful when I was pregnant, breastfeeding, or anytime BEFORE now.  Well I recently discovered a new item that is apparently a miracle item for breastfeeding mamas.  It is called "The Shower Hug" and it is a therapeutic terry cloth wrap that provides comfort and support for your bustline, and soothes sensitive nipples........sounds nice, right?  Oh yeah, and apparently it also does wonders for recovering from plastic surgery on your breasts.......so you can use it now while breastfeeding, and later when you get your breasts fixed from all of the damage that breastfeeding caused, haha :)

Going Out to Eat With Baby

Going to a restaurant with a baby may seem almost impossible sometimes, but with the right tools it can be easy (or as easy as it can be taking a baby out to eat!).  Here's my list of must-haves that I always keep in my car:

 

Bright Starts Cozy Cart Cover - On Sale $26.50 (Original $29.99) at Amazon

1) Shopping Cart/High Chair Cover - Yes, I am one of those crazy moms that puts their baby in these covers when going out anywhere.....but if you only knew the amount of germs those high chairs and shopping carts hold you would also do it!  And plus my baby loves to put her mouth on EVERYTHING so this is a must-have.  sAlso, it has loops where you can attach toys for your little one to stay entertained.  This is the one that I have for Sasha, but you can pretty much get any one of them and it will serve the same purpose.

Summer Infant Tiny Diner - $10.99 at Amazon

Disposable Stick-On Placemat (30 Count) - $14.99 at Amazon

2) Placemats - Sasha loves to eat by herself nowadays, which means that she eats with her hands.  I have to lay out the crackers, fruit, etc. in front of her, and it feels pretty gross for her to be eating off of the table at a restaurant.  The first placemat that is pictured above is a reusable rubber placemat that can be wiped clean, has suction cups on the back, a built in scoop that catches th inevitable messes, and rolls into itself for easy storing.  If you think that this is too much of a hassle, there are also the disposable stick-on placemats that are pictured above.  They come in a variety of different designs, and you can buy generic ones from Babies R Us or Target for less money.  Both great options!

BooginHead SippiGrip - $5.99 at Amazon

3) SippiGrip - I have TONS of these SippiGrip's in my diaper bag and at home at all times!  They are so great because you can attach them to any sippy cup, bottle, or toy, and then attach the other side to a high chair, stroller, or any other thing.  This way, when Sasha decides that it is hilarious to throw her cups on the ground, I don't have to get up and wash it.  They come in every possible color combination too :)

These are the main MUST HAVES, but I always am well prepared with lots of food, snacks, bibs,a sippy cup, and wipes.  So make sure that your baby has plenty to keep busy with so that you can have a nice time when you go out next time :)

Making New Friends is Always Good.......Well, Sometimes!

One of the new habits I've recently picked up (after having Sasha!) is that I somehow find it ok to talk to random women with children in public places.  I've made a couple of friends at the park, another at Target, and some more at the mall.  My husband finds this hilarious, but I think it's nice that we mamas can bond over our little ones with perfect strangers :)  Anyway, the whole point of this story is that I met a mom this way who has a little girl Sasha's age....we talked a few times, and then she invited me to lunch with a mommy group who all have babies within a month of Sasha's age.  Since I really like her, of course, I said yes......but I was a little worried that I wouldn't fit it in since I'm not the typical stay-at-home mom in the area where I live.

The day of the lunch, I was getting dressed and considered my clothing options......I wanted to wear one of my flouncy tops with skinny jeans and heels, but then I reconsidered.  I decided to wear a cute t-shirt, with jeans, and some fashion sneakers......and thank G-D!  I showed up there, and I was by far the most dressed up as it was! Lunch was not as friendly as I had hoped....some of the moms said hi, while others didn't.  And literally no one asked me a single question about myself and only cared about Sasha's developmental milestones, and if their children are at the same levels.  It seemed like I had to prove Sasha's superiority in order to just keep up!  While it is definitely nice to have friends with babies, this is definitely not the kind of socializing I will be doing in the future.

The one thing that I did love about this lunch is that literally every one of the moms (including myself!) busted out their arsenal of accessories that we take in order to eat with our little ones.  I'm sure that it looked absolutely hilarious to any passerby, but all of these things are absolutely necessary (I swear!).  I will share my personal dining out essentials in tomorrow's post...so look out for it!

Enjoying the day at the park this weekend :)

Pity Party (For One!)

Hello Friends :) So sorry for brief my hiatus from the blogging world, but I am full of amazing excuses (of course!).  Here goes:

1) My husband got sick......so I had two children to take care of for days....oh yeah, plus my doggie babies :)
2) Sasha got sick as soon as my husband got better (this is the first time in her 9 month life!)
3) I got sick from Sasha because I (for some unknown reason!) didn't think that she could get me sick.....so I was kissing her from her head to toe as usual

So, you guys get it, right?!?  Am I allowed to throw myself a pity party?  I am forgiven?  Well, thank you very much!  Now we can move on to the interesting stuff!

2 years ago today I was standing on an island in Mexico with all of the most important people in my life, and getting married!!!!!  It was the most enchanting and unbelievable day....and truly one of the most amazing days of my life.  I want to share some of the fabulous pictures (done by the talented Paul Birman!!!!) from that day so that we can take a little walk down memory lane :)  By the way, check out his other work....it's slightly FANTASTIC!



My bridesmaids and I on the way to the island





Trash the Dress Shoot (Downtown Puerto Vallarta)