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my go-to shop for baby clothes
I’ve been a fan of Zulily ever since my girl was born. A friend suggested I check it out for baby clothes when we were both feeding our newborns at all hours of the night. I remember texting each other deals that were ultimately bought at 4 a.m. In those hours, I was introduced to favorites like Robeez, Jack & Lily and Zutano. In a way, it was another insight into the newborn baby world that I would otherwise never know before becoming a parent. I learned the difference between 24 months and 2T clothing and baby vs toddler shoe size. Now, of course, Zulily has more than just baby…
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The Sleep Ritual That Works for Me
We all know the effects of a good night’s rest. We are calmer, more focused, less stressed and with more energy to handle what each day brings. Research on the subject of sleep has shown that it even clears waste from the brain and supports learning and memory. So while the body is sleeping, the brain is very much at work. It’s no surprise that while we understand how important sleep is, many of us don’t get enough of it. As a mom, it’s almost impossible. Whether it’s the stresses of the day looming over our heads at night or the to-do list for the next day, it can be difficult to…
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Hey Parents: Does Date Night Still Happen?
My husband and I went to Hawaii for our 10th anniversary. For the first time in a year and a half, we had the opportunity to slow down and truly relax in each other’s company. Usually, our daily communication revolves around things that need to get done and kids. Our date night lasted 5 days on a beach in warm weather without having to worry about getting someone a snack. We have a date night notification on our calendar that goes off every week and 99% of the time we dismiss it. At the end of the day we are spent, ready to relax and watch some TV by ourselves.…
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Arts and Crafts Station
We have a LOT of empty toilet paper rolls in our house. My daughter makes a point to go around the house and collect them for a future project. We have 2 freezer bags full of them ready to be created into something. When we moved into our new house, I knew we needed a space dedicated to arts and crafts. The kids are at an age where it’s something they like to do, and a space dedicated to that is important (mostly so craft paper and glue aren’t all over the house). There is a little nook in the kitchen area that has been granted that space as a…
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Our Kid’s Bedroom
When our kids were little, we had them share a room but split them up once we realized they kept waking each other up at night. Not in the sweet, playful way, but the crying, bedtime routine all over again way. With a toddler and infant, that was not something we wanted to go through every night. We made the guest room a separate kid’s bedroom. After the kids got older, our girl decided on her own to sleep in her brother’s room for company. His room started out as a guest room, so there was a full-sized bed there in addition to the crib. Over the years they would…
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Starting a Movie Night Tradition
Do you have a fun family tradition? We are at the place where our girl can sit through a new movie with us, and while our boy’s attention span is closer to 20 minutes before he starts getting restless and playing with his airplanes, it’s nice to think about starting a movie night tradition that just get better and better. We recently saw E.T and our girl was totally into it. I have forgotten so much of that movie that it really brought me back. Traditions help form stronger bonds and are unique to every family, which is what makes it super special. With so many good family movies out there, there…
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The New Year’s Eve Conundrum
What are you doing for New Year’s Eve this year? It’s so easy to treat the day like any other day, only to wake up on January 1st to do the same thing you’ve been doing for 8 months. So why celebrate? I’ll tell you why. My family has been celebrating NYE for as long as I can remember. When we were kids, my sisters and I would put on a show and perform a lip-sync and group dance to my parent’s friends. We would eat, dance, watch fireworks and go to bed really, really, really late. Ah, those were the days. When we got older and lived in Dallas,…
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How are you doing?
It’s been 7 months. 7 months of figuring out what our days looks like. What work, school, kids and connection with friends and family looks like. Some poured their energy into working out, others (ahem, me) decided to get on the sourdough baking wagon. It’s been almost a full year of uncertainty, adjusting, settling and then adjusting and settling again. Where do we go from here? What habits have you found comfort in? For me personally, I’ve embraced my natural waves, re-started my blog and have been journaling my story. I take the most comfort in letting it out on paper (or screen) as I can express myself best with…
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You Should Make a COVID-19 Time Capsule
When all of this started, the four of us were in limbo trying to figure out not only our feelings, but what we would do with this newfound time spent together. Inside. Without outside help. I was on the cusp of being able to have a few hours to myself for the first time during the summer while both kids were old enough to go to school and have it carried over in the Fall. So when everything shut down, all of that became null and void. Our family was thrown into different versions of our day: my husband had to figure out how to work from home with two…
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the one that’s hard to write
It’s taken me a while to write this post, mostly because I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to write it. But as a writer, this is how we heal. Writing, in a weird sense, gives permission to move forward. So here I am, writing this post, in a place where moving forward seems hopeful and happy. Postpartum depression is a real thing, happening to around 3 million moms each year, some may even be reading this right now. When my son was born, I found myself in unknown territory that went beyond the baby blues. The feelings of being inadequate, hopeless, sad, resentful and even selfish overwhelmed my already…
