Top Ten Baby Must Haves

Hi Everyone,

I'm back with my list of my top ten baby must haves! These are different then the essentials like clothing, diapers, cribs, high chair etc., these are just a few items I've found have come in handy while looking for a growing baby.

I haven't listed these in any particular order, so lets just dive right in!

1. Nursing Pillow:

If you are planning on breastfeeding your baby then I would definitely suggest investing in a good nursing pillow. But I have also found several other uses, like using as an arm support while you are cradling baby, using as a support if you are bottle feeding, using for tummy time and as your baby grows and begins to sit up on it's own its good to use for there support and to protect from hitting the ground hard if they topple over (which they definitely do!)

I have two nursing pillows, this one in "Hush" which I purchased online with a free promo code I got in a email after signing up for a bunch of baby related baby services and free samples.

http://www.nursingpillow.com

I also have a hand-me-down Jolly Jumper brand pillow which I received from my aunt. 

The Jolly Jumper brand pillow is much bigger and studier than the one I got for free online, I tend to keep that one upstairs in my bedroom where I nurse Everly when she wakes up and before she goes to bed. The smaller pillow I keep downstairs on the couch where I feed Everly throughout the day.

2. Playmat: 

I purchased the Fisher-Price Snugabunny Musical Gym playmat from Winners. Everly loves it, all the different toys hanging, the mirror and it plays music and lights up.

http://www.toysrus.com/buy/gyms-playmats/fisher-price-snugabunny-musical-gym-x2916-24067876

3. Exersaucer: 

Everly has always been  eager to stand, she hates sitting still and always wants to be standing up. It got to the point where she would just fuss and scream when I laid her down on her play mat (before she discovered how to roll and crawl around). My parents have an exersaucer at their house but it was just too big and bulky for us to keep in our new raised bungalow. So after doing some searching online we found the Evenflow 1-2-3 Tea for Me exersaucer on kijiji.ca for just $20, granted it needed some cleaning and was missing a few toys but she doesn't care and she loves being in it.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00275F8T4

4. Food Processor: 

If you decide to make your own baby food then having a food processor is a must if you want to get the purees as fine as possible. At first we were using the Baby Bullet, which worked okay for small amounts and very well steamed food, but as soon as I started doing bigger batches and stopped adding water the motor kept burning out. Which I've read is a problem most people have with the baby bullet. Luckily I have a Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus Food Processor I got as a wedding gift. It's amazing, very powerful and can handle any I throw at it so far. I do love the baby bullet storage containers, they are the perfect serving size for Everly right now and they are kind of adorable. But, that said, don't waste your money on a baby bullet, if you have the choice opt for a heavy duty food processor.

We deiced to make our own baby food because a; its cheaper and b; I know exactly what is going into her little belly. We have purchased, and will continue to purchase Ella's Kitchen organic baby food pouches as well. Which are very handy when we're out at a meal time, or at a restaurant. And Everly loves that she can feed herself with those pouches, she sucks them back in minutes. 

5. Baltic Amber Teething Necklace: 

Everly has been cursed with never ending teething and no teeth....it's a struggle. She's 8 1/2 months old now and has yet to cut any teeth, but she's been teething since she was about 3 months old. After a lot of tylenol and baby oragel I thought it was time to do some research on the new baby craze - amber teething necklaces. While at first I was hesitant about her wearing a necklace (choking hazard) I talked to some other moms and did some more research online and thought it was worth a try. The science behind the amber is that when the stones are warmed by the skin they release a natural oil that gives off a small amount of anti-inflammatory properties (so it could also be beneficial with people who have chronic pain like arthritis). 

We found Everly's necklace at The Baby Shack, a small baby store in Whitby, ON. It was only about $20 and they come in all different sizes and colors. We opted for the necklace, we put it on her ankle in the footie pajamas at night, and the light color amber since she's so pale. The good news is that she doesn't even notice the necklace at all and it seems to help quite a bit, if definitely has reduced her drooling. She does still have teething pain and nights where all she does is chew on her frozen teething toys and cries from pain so we give her some tylenol. So lets all say a little prayer that she sprouts some teeth soon, for all of our sakes. 

http://balticamberbaby.ca

6. Soft Toys: 

All babies need toys, to keep them entertained, to stimulate brain function and to help them learn. Everly has an abundance of soft toys from new ones to my old TY beanie babies, she loves her stuffies. Currently her favorites include: her Dolly (Mooshka Tots) Zana, Huskey stuffed animal and her Minnie and Mickey Mouse. 

7. Hard Toys: 

Lately as Everly has mastered sitting up by herself she's become increasingly interested in hard toys, such as Weeble Wobbles, Wooden Blocks and Fisher-Price school bus and playhouse. She has become so curious with her hard toys, pulling the toys out of the school bus and house, picking up every single block into her mouth. It's quite fascinating to watch her play with her big girl toys and seeing the excitement and concentration on her face and she grabs each thing.

8. Video Monitor: 

When we registered at Babies R Us my husband and I decided we didn't need a fancy new-fangled video monitor, we just decided to buy a regular old analog monitor. We received the video monitor from my mother-in-law for a baby shower gift and can I just say I've totally converted. I don't know what I would do without my video monitor! It's the Summer Infant Peek Plus Video Monitor. 

There is such a difference in the quality of sound, it doesn't cut in and out like my cheapy one, and I can actually see my baby! Watch her sleep and move around and check on her whenever I want. With our monitor you can actually download an app on your phone that streams the video feed. My husband loves that because with her nap schedule she sleeps while Mike's on break at work so he gets to check in on her during his break. 

http://www.summerinfant.com/monitoring/internet/connect-plus-video-monitor

9. Mesh Crib Bumper:

The safety standards for infants have drastically changed since I was a child, with these changes comes the big bumper discussion. These days bumpers are not recommended because they increase the risk of SIDs. That being said I was concerned that Everly would get her little arms and legs stuck in the rungs of her crib. Some genius out there developed the Mesh Crib Bumper. We've had no problems with it as of yet and makes me feel a little bit better about her moving around in her sleep. We have a green one, since our nursery was gender neutral when we didn't know what Everly would be, but they come in all different colors to suit any nursery theme. My mom purchased ours at Target, but the generally run for about $30.

http://www.toysrus.com/buy/nursery/breathablebaby-breathable-mesh-crib-liner-white-50502-2266849

10. Sleep Sacks: 

Last but not least are sleep sacks. I have to admit when I found out I was pregnant and doing all the baby research and came across sleep sacks, I was a little skeptical. But there's a reason these are so popular. Everly has become a little mover in her crib ever since she learned how to roll and scoot around. I feel so much better about her sleeping in her own room when she's in her sleep sack and her arms are free. It's getting colder here so she has that extra layer of warmth, and she's also free to move around. I can't imagine tucking her in yet, the blankets would tangle her up and it would just be a mess. We usually place her to sleep on her back in the middle of the crib, an hour later I'll look on our monitor and she'll have flipped herself onto her tummy and be sleeping in a corner of her crib. 

The only real negative thing I have to say about the Sleep Sack is that her little hands get so so cold. I'd try mittens but I have a feeling she wouldn't be too happy with that. 

http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=28818656

I actually don't have a photo of her in her sleep sack, we just made the transition into the sleep sacks last month so apparently I have yet to take one! 

So there you have it my Top Ten Baby Must Haves. Please let me know if you have anything else you and your absolutely can't live without! I'd love to hear from you!

Until Next Time!

Christine

Whats on my vanity...

This post will showcase how exactly I organize and style my vanity and the top of my dresser. I won't go into too much depth about the products and pieces of jewelry I have since I might end up doing a youtube video on that subject. Just depends if I can scrape together time to film and edit it later.

 First off we have my dresser, which I've had for as long as I can remember. Last year my husband refinished it and put on a dark stain which made it look 100x better. Still not sure if I will change out the original hardware or not, my husband doesn't want to but we'll see. On top of my dresser holds a good portion of my jewelry, all my rings and stud earrings. I also use it to display my perfume. Currently I just have a tea towel underneath everything so the wood doesn't get scratched. I will been on the look out for a nice lace doily or table runner to replace the towel.

This miniature bust I received from my brother for Christmas last year and it has become the home for my bracelets. It came with adorable little pins that you can arrange and I just hang my bracelets on them. Next to it are my cuff bracelets, a vase of fake calla lilies (my favorite flower) and two little bird figurines I also got form my brother for Christmas one year.

This little contained I've had ever since I was little, can't remember where it came from...but its the perfect little dish for my bobby pins.

All my stud earrings I pace in the black damask dish, all my rings are in the middle bowl and some hoops and smaller dangly earrings go in the white damask dish.

Currently my beautiful rose gold watch, which was a birthday gift from my husband, is sitting on my dresser as well. It's still in the box as I need to take it in to have a link removed.

My perfume collection consists of Calvin Klein Euphoria (which was my go to fragrance when I was in high school), Dior J'adore, Chanel Coco Noir and a roller ball of Nirvana by Elizabeth and James. I also have an antique looking purple glass perfume bottle that is empty at the moment. A compact my sister brought me home from Paris, a paris tin which holds some keepsakes and a fancy soap also are on display on my dresser.

My vanity is my favorite piece of furniture in my room. I've had it for a long time and am just now coming to appreciate the beauty of it. This is where I sit daily to do my hair and makeup. On top my vanity sits the majority of my makeup, makeup brushes, my stand mirror, a couple hair products, my straightener and some more fake Calla lilies with my wedding fascinator clipped onto them.

The majority of my makeup I keep in this acrylic makeup container. Last year I decided to purge my makeup collection and start investing in good quality pieces and build from there - much to my husband and bank account's dismay.

In the front left section I have all my bronzers, blushes, and a few of my good lipsticks. Brands include The Body Shop, Dior, YSL, NARS, Rimmel, Milani, MAC and Loreal.

Front Right section has my MAC Prolongwear foundation and concealer, a few MAC eyeshadows, Loreal Infallible eyeshadows and my Milani brow kit.

Back Left section has some more foundation, concealer and BB creams 

Middle and Right sections have all my mascara and eyeliners. I have a lot of mascara because i got a Sephora Favorites mascara kit for Christmas last year, I need to purge soon!

 My bottom drawer is kind of sparse, just holds my extra lip products and glosses, fake lashes, eye liner pencil sharpener and my eye lash curler.

The top drawer has my palettes, my Hourglass Ambient lighting palette, a couple Rimmel quads, my two Naked palettes and an old Lord and Taylor color palette. 

The two side drawers just have my body butter and more hair products such as pony tails, clips etc.

 The rest of my jewelry is displayed on the wall. This is my favorite corner of the room, I set this up with my mom just the other week.

My necklaces I have displayed on this adorable Paris hook.

And all my big earrings (which I haven't worn in ages - babies and shinny dangly earrings do not match!) I have hanging in this frame. This little DIY project I found on pinterest and I love the look of it.

So there you have it, a glimpse into my makeup and jewelry collection and display.

Let me know if you'd like to see a video on this!

The baby is crying! I've got to run!

See you next time!

Slow Cooker Chili and Fresh Baked Bread

Cold, rainy fall days call for some good old comfort food. My husband has been asking me to make Chili for a while now so yesterday I whipped up a quick batch in my beloved slow cooker. If you're a new mom or a stay at home parent you will know that slow cookers come in handy when you don't want to be bothered to make dinner in the evening, or if you just don't have the time. 

I never really follow a recipe when I make my Chili, usually I just through a bunch of stuff in and go. Yesterday my Chili consisted of:

1 Package Old el Paso Chili seasoning. (You can make your own with spices and herbs but I just happened to have a package handy)

2lbs browned Lean Ground Beef with 4 garlic cloves

1 can (28floz) Crushed Tomatoes

28oz Tomato Sauce (I use Presidents Choice Original tomato sauce)

1 Onion diced

1 very large Carrot diced

1 Large Can Red Kidney Beans (drained and rinsed)

1 Large Can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)

A generous squirt of Sriracha Sauce

Sea Salt and Fresh Gound Black Pepper to taste

Place in Slow Cooker for 6 Hours on High or 8 Hours on Low

Now you don't have to use these exact ingredient, everyone likes different flavors and textures in their Chili. I happened to use 4 gloves of garlic because I love garlic, crush tomatoes because my husband hates tomato chunks and I used a carrot because I had no peppers and it needed some sort of vegetable. 

Next time I might ad a little more heat, I think the Sriracha sauce mustve cooked down a bit and my husband loves spicy food. So next time I might experiment with paprika, cayenne paper and other hot sauces. 

For the fresh baked bread I used my handy dandy Black & Decker Bread Maker. My favorite bread to do in that is just a simple White Bread recipe (we're super unhealthy - sugar and gluten! OH MY!) But my husband loves him some white bread. He always comments that theres nothing better than freshly baked bread, and I have been instructed to make it weekly so we don't have to buy a loaf of bread every week. 

The white bread recipe I pulled from google. 

Place ingredients in bread machine in the following order:

1 1/2C Water

2 Tbsp Powdered Milk

2 Tbsp Shortening

3 Tbsp White Sugar

1 tsp Salt

4C All Purpose Flour

2 tsp yeast

Select desired cooking time on bread machine

So there you have it, a quick and easy meal which will cook away as you go about your day, and it leaves the house smelling delicious.

Post below if you have a specific chili or bread recipe you love!

See you next time!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving:

noun

1.

the act of giving thanks; grateful acknowledgment of benefits orfavors, especially to God.

For those of you who are also Canadian like myself, you would've celebrated Thanksgiving a couple weeks ago.

This year was a first for Everly, like the majority of holidays have been. For our little family we have three Thanksgiving dinners to arrange, travel to and provide food for. As Thanksgiving approached I found myself getting very anxious, making lists upon lists so I could remember what we needed to take, what we were going to wear, timing everything out to accommodate Everly's naps etc. Not to mention she was also massively constipated and beyond cranky. Didn't want to see anyone but me or Mike fussing every other minute. I had three apple pies to bake and was planning on doing pumpkin pie bars as well. The day I scheduled to do the pies Everly was a needy little fuss face. I called in reinforcements to help watch her while I tried to do these pies. The end result was not what I has envisioned. I expected perfect pastry, perfect filling, sparkling clean kitchen, happy baby, happy mommy. And what I got was the exact opposite. My pastry was dry and flakey, I didn't season the filling as much as I should've, my tiny kitchen was a disaster zone, my baby was crying the whole time and I started getting stress, beyond stressed. I only ended up getting two pies done. Then of course she chose that weekend to hit her 8 month sleep regression. I thought I was going to go insane.

But as I sat up feeding and cuddling her in the middle of the night, I found myself thinking I need to slow things down. The more agitated I became the easier it was for everything to feel like they were falling apart. I wasn't enjoying the precious moments with my baby like I should be. In the blink of an eye she will be grown, not wanting to cuddle only me, but wanting to be off with her friends and arguing with me about clothing and hairstyle choices.

So as the weekend passed I tried to be in the moment as much as possible, enjoying time with Everly, Mike, and my family and instead of wishing the days away I longed for them not to end. I think its a philosophy we can all attribute to every day. Life is so fleeting, babies grow too quick and moments don't last long. So while we're here we need to enjoy every step of the ride. Embrace every situation and cherish every second with our families and loved ones.

As I write this Everly is on the floor practicing her crawling, which is really a modified version of the worm in which was wiggles backwards and tries to grab Misha's toys then barfs all over the carpet. But just the fact that she's become to mobile is insane to me. Just a few months ago I could hold her in my arms and she wouldn't wiggle or yell to get into a standing position or grab at my face and hair. She would just lay and look up at me with her big beautiful eyes. And while I find myself missing those days I can't tell you how much fun she is now. With her silly little personality, her "words" and facial expressions. She's just a little delight, my delight.

So I would challenge everyone reading this to focus on what Thanksgiving really is and focus on your blessed life rather than the stresses and hard times. God gives us one life to live and fills our hearts with love and joy.

Below are a few of my favorite pictures from our Thanksgiving weekend.

Home Decor...or Something like that

What's this? Two posts in one day? You don't say? Someone must be on the productive train today.

Well I am! Everly is enjoying a nice long nap so I'm having some quality time with my dying laptop. Who wants to buy me a new one? Any takers?....I didn't think so.

No on to the purpose of this post, a quick look at some fancy home decor choices I've made with our new home. I am by no means an interior decorator and I'm not rich so I can't afford to do everything at one. These are just some pictures of some of my favorite things. Once the house is almost complete I'll post photos of each full room.

This is my favorite pillow, weird I know. But I picked it up at Target and love the way it goes with our furniture downstairs in our living room. We bought our 3 piece leather set off of kijiji (Canadian craigslist expect nicer) for only $350. It's in great condition and pretty comfortable. Next to it is a cheap little bookshelf we purchased from Canadian Tire for $30 just to house my dvd collection until we can thing up something better.

Everly's room is a work in progress. This is a photo of her closet, Mike is planning on putting a nice closet organizer in it and everything, but until then this is what its going to look like. Her closet doors were nasty wood paneled things so I took them up and put up some extra curtains, which I think looks quite cute. 

Everly's crib was a hand-me-down from my aunt which has come in handy. We also set up a video monitor which has been a life saver. With my bedroom being on the upper level having Everly down in the basement has been a hard transition. The video monitor makes it a lot easier.

Retro chair alert! This was my great grandfathers. My grandparents were in the process of sending it to the dump and I was in the process of looking for a comfortable rocker for the nursery. It was free so I took it. I will have it reupholstered eventually. Bought the awesome gold cushion at Target and her owl pillow came with her bed set.

I absolutely love Everly's bedroom furniture. I wanted to buy her french provincial bedroom furniture and found this dresser, a desk and a book shelf on kijiji for $75, Its amazing.

I love the hardware

This might be my favorite piece in the house right now. My mom bought this for me at HomeSense. It sits inside our front food and is the home to our keys, Mike's things and Misha's leashes.

I also love the fan's that came with the house. Inside our front door has a big ceiling perfect spot for these two pieces of artwork.

Some fall decor on my fireplace

This is some of my fancy China we registered for when we got married 3 years ago

New lamps from Target. Not sure if I love the shade or not, might buy something plainer.

And our beloved free piano. Got this from friends of Mike's aunt and Uncle.

Well that's a snapshot into our home. It's coming along. But I have to run, Everly has woken from her nap and starting to cry! uh oh!

See you next time!