November 12, 2018

Floral and Blush Nursery

November 12, 2018/ Michelle S

Now that introductions are out of the way, I can share Margo’s nursery with you!

Way back in May I shared my plans for converting my former craft room into the nursery. This was the first time that I fully planned out a room before starting. This is also my favorite room in the house. I’m sure there is some lesson there but I’ve never been great at that kind of thing.

What am I great at? Baby snuggling.

photo credit: Molly Timmerman Photography

The showstopper of this room is the ivy wallpaper from B Darling Decor. I’m crazy obsessed with it. Like I want to wallpaper ALL THE KINDS OF THINGS (a famous Clark quote around here). I need to do a separate post about installation. Quick summary: our marriage survived. It was touch-and-go that first hour but we were back to soulmate status the second hour. The issues were no fault of the wallpaper, just our crooked house. I still can’t stop staring at the wallpaper. Margo too. I’m assuming it’s excellent taste and not that whole “babies love black and white” thing.

Most importantly the wallpaper makes for a great backdrop for photos of my favorite people. I hadn’t even considered that before.

Now for more nursery photos. (I’ll link all sources at the end. Let me know if I forget anything.)

Floral and Blush Nursery, Girl Nursery, Wallpaper

We went with an IKEA Hemnes 8 drawer dresser over an heirloom piece. Kids are hard on things. Styles change. It just felt like the right decision for us currently. Assembly was as easy as IKEA assembly gets. Nate and I are both a little shocked at the quality (pleasantly shocked). Clark likes to run that pink ottoman into it daily to help with diaper changes. It’s handling that beating like a champ!

The chair is amazing. I’ve logged many hours in it over the past 12 weeks. It’s super comfortable. The perfect size. Rave reviews from everyone, including Ike. We’ve since added this small side table. Nate was going to build one and never got around to it. I needed a place for my water bottle, Haakaa (breastfeeding Mamas, you NEED this!), and pump. Amazon Prime for the win. (How did newborn Moms survive before?) We like it so much we’ve since ordered a second for by the crib to hold the AngelCare Monitor.

Many things in this room are the result of middle of the night pregnancy insomnia Pinterest scrolling. Like the rabbit print. It speaks to me. Nate hates it. I’m sure Margo will love it. (She has great taste, remember?) I found the “little lady” sign in the Hobby Lobby clearance section for $2! We use Ivy the Goat in Margo’s monthly photos. (As I’m typing this, I’m noticing an Ivy theme. Weird.)

The wire basket has the glamorous role of holding diapers and butt paste. (Not shown because we didn’t end up buying them until like a week before her arrival. We like to live on the edge.)

The bow holder is actually a towel holder. I wanted something that organized the bows but also made them easily accessible. Mission accomplished.

We used a double curtain rod to hang the curtains. They are room darkening but not black out. Layering them while closed helps to darken the room.

The “Sweet Dreams” art above the crib is another one of those insomnia deals. I had trouble deciding on this part of the room. Cheap prints with cheap frames equal cheap large scale art. (Dear Safety Police, they are hung on the walls and also secured with approximately 957,308 velcro command strips. I honestly don’t know if we’ll ever be able to remove them.)

The crib was Clark’s. We (also known as Nate) painted the dark wood toned base black because the room was clearly ruined if it wasn’t black.

I made the quilt this Summer. It was a labor of love. (I used these Robert Kaufman Blushing Bouquet charm packs.) Quilting and planning a nursery are the two things that help me bond with baby during pregnancy. I spend the time during these projects thinking about their arrival, personalities, etc. Sappy hormonal stuff. The quilt gets used during monthly photos.

The last project in this room was switching out the bi-fold closet doors. We plan to do this to the others in the house because it’s a fairly easy upgrade. Also kids and bi-fold doors make me nervous.

Nap time is over! Back to chasing a 3 year old with a baby strapped to me. Boy has time (and this room) changed since I started blogging 10 years ago! It’s messy and beautiful and I can’t see what the next 10 years brings!

Sources:

Ivy Wallpaper, IKEA Hemnes 8 Drawer Dresser, Rabbit Print, Sweet Dreams prints, Soho Comfort Glider, Ivy the Goat, Bow Holder, IKEA Ribba Frame, Quilt Charm Pack, Crib, Crib sheets, Curtains, Pink Ottoman (thrift store), Round mirror (similar), Wire basket (exact: Hobby Lobby, similar), Pink clock, “M”, changing pad cover, Wall color (Sherwin Williams Privilege Green)

November 09, 2018

Life Update

November 09, 2018/ Michelle S

Hey! I’m kind of getting the itch to blog again. Like 2008 blogging. You know, when blogging was fun and interactive. We’ll see how long the itch lasts!

Let’s start with a life update. I was going to share nursery photos but it feels weird to share that without properly introducing our newest family member.

Margo joined us on August 21st. Her labor was pretty uneventful. I ended up getting an epidural. I’m going to rank that up there on one of my best life decisions. I’m super thankful for a healthy pregnancy and equally thankful to no longer be pregnant. It was a tough 9 months but totally worth it. (File that under one of the parenting cliches that are annoyingly all true). Margo’s been a pretty easy baby from the start. (Minus that witching hour and hatred of the car seat. We all have our things.) Everyone describes her as “sweet” and I’d say that’s extremely accurate. Sweet baby Margo.

We’re all adjusting surprisingly well. The transition from one kid to two has been way easier for Nate and I. The lack of free time and constant demands of parenthood were a shock to us with Clark. We thought we were prepared and we most definitely were not. I don’t think parenthood is something you can actually prepare for until it happens. That shock isn’t there this time. Babies are exhausting but other than that, it sort of feels like she’s been here with us for way more than 11 weeks. Our little family feels complete.

Clark is crazy obsessed with his sister. He’s very concerned about where she is at and what she is doing. He LOVES to sing to her and her face lights up every time. I feel like they are going to be team trouble before I know it. Having a baby and a toddler is no joke but it’s exhaustingly fun.

Everyone always asks how poor Ike is handling life. He surprisingly really likes Margo. And she’s started to be very interested in him. They have a cute little relationship developing.

I have some house updates and a few crafty projects that I’d like to share. I do have to return to work in the next few weeks though so hopefully I find the time! Precious, precious time.

All photos: Molly Timmerman Photography

June 25, 2018

Baby Favorites (Baby Shower/Baby Registry)

June 25, 2018/ Michelle S

Now that we have one kid and one on the way, we're basically pros at this parenting thing. Wait. We have no clue what we're doing! (Just like everyone else!)

Today I'm going to share with you our favorite baby products. Babies are all different so what worked for us, may not work for you. (Or you may feel like certain products are garbage/not necessary/less safe. That's totally cool. We are all just trying to do what's best for our littles!) This post is for those clueless moms-to-be (like my former self!) that need a place to start or those of you looking for a great baby shower gift!

After living with a little person, I quickly learned babies don't actually need all that much. Especially in those first few months. The majority of baby items are just things that make your life easier. To assemble our registry, I read a lot of blog posts and pieced together the items that kept coming up over and over again. We created registries at Amazon and Target. The rest arrived via Amazon Prime when I was like "Crap! We really do need that!"

Click on the photos to be taken directly to the products! *affilate links included*

SLEEP

Precious, precious sleep.

We have the Baby Marley crib. It's been great. Zero complaints. I would totally buy this again (and probably will if we decide to keep Clark in his crib). The set up was easy. It's safe. It's cute. The Angelcare monitor is a total first world purchase but the peace of mind that came with it was worth every penny! A cool mist humidifier is a good thing to have on hand during the Winter months for those stuffy noses. Low moisture in a room can actually make a baby's stuffy nose worse. (The things you learn.)

I would register for sleepsacks in multiples of every size! They come in different patterns and fabric options. Our little guy slept better swaddled and our favorite swaddle, hands down, was the Ollie. It's definitely more money than I wanted to spend on a swaddle but it was the only one that would do the job with our little Houdini. (Our velcro did stop working after like 3 months but they replaced it with no questions asked. Excellent customer service!)

You'll need a crib mattress, matress pad protectors and crib sheets. I'd get 2 mattress pad protectors and 3-4 sheets. Sadly, barf happens!

I hadn't originally planned for Clark to sleep in our room. Babies sleep in cribs, right? I ended up feeling safer with Clark in our room for quite awhile (read up on the new guidelines to be safe!). I borrowed this Arms Reach from a friend and it was fantastic! I think we are actually going to set up the crib in our room this time. One less transition to make later.

We have a Nest camera with Clark but we are switching to this Amcrest camera for the new baby. The Nest times out often and isn't my favorite as a baby monitor. (We LOVE the doorbell though!)

I'd suggest a good sound machine. Because sleep is important. The one we have is no longer available but we do have the micro fan and love it. It's crazy how a tiny machine can produce so much noise! I think we'll be getting the Hatch for this baby.

Not pictured but totally needed for sleep are blackout curtains. I don't even care if they are ugly. Get some. You will thank me.

TOYS

I didn't originally register for a lot of toys but totally should have! They're fun to buy and you'll need them quicker than you realize. All of the following are baby Clark approved! (Esepcially those IKEA men. He's still obsessed with them!)

DIAPERING

We chose to go the disposable route but I do have a lot of friends that cloth diaper. I'd suggest doing research to see what is the best fit for your family!

All diapers have mixed reviews but we've had great luck with the Up & Up brand. The butt paste is a total must have. Clark had only one small rash in his almost two years of diaper wearing. (Pharmacist tip: Apply it with every diaper change as prevention during especially poopy times!)

The diaper genie gets mixed reviews. We received ours as a hand-me-down. No complaints. If it starts to smell, we empty it before it's full. Rocket science. The wipe warmer is usually laughed about but Clark stopped screaming during diaper changes when we turned it on so we kept with it. You don't mess with the lack of screaming with a sensitive baby.

Boring but useful registry items...the changing pad and cover. Those cover protectors were serious changing pad cover savers (so much easier to wash!).

BATH/HEALTH

Everyone recommended a first aid kit. I've really only used the clippers and comb out of this. The NoseFrida is super disgusting and I always made Nate do it. Gross but extremely effective. it works way better than the suction bulbs. Boogie wipes: buy stock!

Probably a parent specific thing but we use approximately 100 wash cloths in a week. We tried a few different bath soaps but the Burt's Bees won! I also like that's it's a body wash/shampoo in one! Any ol' towel will do but these animal towels are so fun (we have 3...because walruses!).

I don't feel strongly about a lot of baby products but this Angelcare tub is one I rave about it. We still use it at two. It keeps him confined and makes hair washing a breeze. Clark loves these bath pipes but those stacking cups up in the toy section are also a bath favorite. The bath caddy helps keep your tub clear of the toy mess!

These are my pharmacist approved infant meds! (Check with your pediatrician on the tylenol dosing!) I'd suggest having all of these on hand. You hate to think about your little one getting sick but it's better to be prepared!

FEEDING

Oh, the lawn! I was so happy to put this away but it was quite handy. Along with the bottle brush cleaner (that we still use for sippy cups!). Bottles are very specific. If you breastfeed, I do recommend giving the Munchkin Latch a try!

I'm a firm believer in fed is best! I did breastfeed for a year and these were my go-tos. I'd go with the best breast pump your insurance will cover (especially if you're a working mama!). I'd also buy a second set of pump parts. I finally broke down about 6 months in. Total game changer. Skip the breast pump specific bags and find a big ol' cheap one to do the job!

The standard bib will do at first but I have VERY strong feelings for these sleeved bibs. They are my new shower gift. We have 6. They have saved me from having to fight stains EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Love them. Want them in adult size for my husband.

We didn't register for big kid food supplies but these are our favorite.

Love all 3 of these! We're using the Ingenuity seat now as a toddler booster seat. The Ikea high chair had such mixed reviews but it looks so darn pretty. We have zero complaints about it. We did purchase the inflatable insert for his early dining days. It cleans easily and was inexpensive.

ON THE GO

We loved the ChicoKeyFit car seat. Easy to install. Easy in and out. We also liked that we only needed to purchase an extra base (verus a second car seat) beings we have two cars.

We also love the City Mini stroller. We walk almost every day and it's smooth sailing!

If you have a Winter baby, this car seat cover makes traveling a breeze!

Baby wearing was great for our lifestyle. Especially with a baby with colic! Clark pretty much lived in the Solly wrap for the first 3 months of his life. We then graduated to an Ergo. I'm going to try the Tula Free-to-Grow based on recommendations from friends. I like that it can be used right away without an insert!

There are so many great diaper bag options. The above two are the ones we own and love. They are the prefect size and Nate and I both feel comfortable carrying them. We started with a crossbody diaper bag but ended up preferring the backpack for convenience. If I had to choose between the two, I'd choose the first option. It's larger and has more pockets. It also looks a lot more expensive than it is. We have the Kanken in Frost Green and it's so pretty. I prefer this bag when we're headed out to run errands or somewhere the bag may get dirty. The diaper bag insert is great if you want to keep your own large purse! I originally thought I'd prefer the "keep my own purse" method but I've found it easier to have a separate diaper bag. This way I can leave it with grandparents, etc and not have to worry about making sure I have everything packed.

I'm generally not a "crazy" parent but I'm pro cart cover, especially in the early days and/or Winter. So. Many. Germs.

We recently purchased this car storage container and I LOVE IT. It keeps all things baby/toddler corralled. I have a small selection of toys that are reserved for longer car trips. Our son is only allowed to have these during the longer trips so it keeps them new. I keep this container in our mudroom and toss it in the car while packing. One less thing to have to worry about when traveling!

We travel fairly often and spending the extra on the 4Moms Breeze (versus a Pack and Play) has been totally worth it. It's set up is so easy! We also have this cheapo monitor for travel and it's worked out great.

OTHER HANDY ITEMS

The frog chair is totally ugly but Clark LOVED it. (There's a much cuter version out now!) And it allowed me to clean, cook, etc. Beautiful frog. I have fond feelings for this ugly seat.

We ended up receiving two Rock 'n Play and I'm glad we kept both. One for our bedroom and one for the main floor. Clark wasn't a swing fan but loved these.

This Exersaucer was a hit. And slightly easier on the eyes than others. Slightly.

You can never have enough swaddle blankets (aka burp cloths, blankies, stroller covers, couch protectors, dog blankets).

We had two of these Covered goods covers. One for the infant seat and one for nursing. Big fan!

TOTALLY NOT NECESSARY BUT GREAT ITEMS FOR NEW PARENTS

File these under totally not necessary but awesome.

The best things we did ourselves right after Clark was born was buy a Roomba, crawl into a super comfy bed and binge on Netflix shows.

I thought the Roomba was beyond frivolous when Nate originally purchased it but it is now considered a member of our family. It's not that we don't have time to vacuum our floors. It just that I'd rather spend that time doing something else.

Those Perfect Linen sheets are made of miracles. Seriously the softest sheets I've ever slept in. I originally received them as part of a sponsored post way back in the day and I'm still raving about them!

Also, make yourself some freezer meals! I was constantly thanking pregnant Michelle for her hard work.