Mommyhood Monday: First Month Baby Faves

Hope everyone is having a good, albeit incredibly rainy, start to their week! I have to say that I am very much so looking forward to any sign of my bff, the sun!  Being cooped up when you're finally ready to venture out after being cooped up was not exactly how we were hoping to spend our weekend! But, I will say that rainy, grey weekends make for the best family snuggles!

Speaking of snuggles, I can't believe that we've been snuggling with our sweet baby boy for 6 weeks now--whoa, time, slow down! I feel like this past week we really got to that sweet spot where we've come up for air and have found our groove, and it feels awesome!

Mommyhood is obviously now a huge part of my life, but I don't want my blog to go completely to one extreme. I'm aiming to try a little something called "Mommyhood Monday" that I devote to my musings on, you guessed it, mommyhood! I know when I was pregnant I scoured the blogosphere for any blog post I could find to help me prepare for being a mommy, and I find myself going back to those posts now that I'm in the thick of it. Now that I'm having my own experience with it, I'm ready to pay it forward and share my two cents in hopes that it might help someone out there! But really, I'm thinking it's going to be just as helpful for me use it as an outlet because, let's face it, motherhood is amazing, but it.is.hard. So, I'm excited to have my little Monday mommy-talk time for my own sanity, too!

Speaking of sanity, I wanted to kick off my Mommyhood Monday by sharing some of our absolute favorite baby items from Oliver's first month.

Without further ado...

{For Swaddling}

Everyone raves about the Aden & Anais swaddle blankets, and there's a reason. That reason being that they are fabulous, comfy, cute, and all things good. I especially loved the ones from the collaboration with the Honest Company for the sheer fact that came in extra fun patterns!

Runner up-- the Modern Burlap swaddle blankets. LOVE the black and white patterns, love that they're made from organic materials. Didn't find them quite as soft, though. But, they make for excellent backgrounds for baby photos. ;)

{For Burping}
We are big fans of the Burt's Bees burp cloths, as well as the Aden & Anais Organic Burp Cloth Bibs and the Green Sprouts Burp Cloth Bibs. I like having the variety of the more  traditional cloths, like the Burt's Bees, and the ones that are shaped like the A&A and Green Sprouts. Plus, I feel like you can never have too many burp cloths-- we have them everywhere!

{For Daytime Napping & Lounging}
When Oliver isn't in our arms or having floor/tummy time, he lives in either the Boppy Newborn Lounger or our Fisher Price swing! It is so helpful to have options to safely place baby when you need to do things, you know, like pee! We had heard that babies are usually particular about what they like when it comes to swings/bouncers/etc., and Oliver proved to be no different! He did not really care for the Rock-N-Play and would only go in it if he had already fallen asleep in our arms. We've also borrowed some bouncers from friends, and he's still making his mind up about those.

 

{For Nighttime Sleeping}
After reading Christina's post, we knew we 100% wanted to get some kind of movement monitor. We ended up going with the Snuza Hero and have been super pleased with it! I forgot to include these in my polyvore, but another must-have for us were the Summer Infant Swaddle Wraps-- anything to save time during nighttime diaper changes and feedings. Bonus-- you don't have to worry about loose blankets while your little one sleeps!

{For Diapering}
I've talked before about how we've been transitioning to a greener, cleaner lifestyle, so we knew we wanted to start out with the Honest Company diapers (with the hopes that we'd transition to cloth diapers down the road). We have been super pleased with these diapers, and again, it doesn't hurt that they have adorable patterns! Also, we quickly decided that we did not want to haul Oliver up the stairs every time he needed a diaper change, so we have loved having our Skip Hop Pronto Changing Station downstairs. Yes, we keep it super classy  and throw an old bath towel down under this and change him on the couch! #winning

{For Wearing}
I am obsessed with H&M's baby clothing because it meets my 2 biggest criteria-- 1.) super reasonably priced (think Old Navy prices or better!) and 2.) the clothing is super hip and fashion-forward. What makes me all caps OBSESSED with H&M's baby clothing is that many of their items are part of their "Conscious Collection" and made with organic cotton blend, while still maintaining that amazing price point. Win, win, win!

For basics, we've also really loved Burt's Bees pieces! They had a major sale this summer, and we were able to stock up on lots of good staples for Oliver!

And, I don't know about other babies, but Oliver's nails grow so fast and can get sharp, so we've been really thankful for the baby mittens to help keep him from scratching his face and  me (when he's feeding!). I know some mommas warned that they fall off, which did happen a little in the first few days, but after that, they've stayed on just fine!

{For Bath Time}
Hooded towels (we like the Burt's Bees ones) have been a must! Oliver will immediately stop crying as soon as he gets snuggled up in one of those babies! Also, not pictured above, are my all-time favorite wash cloths for baby-- the Brooklyn Bamboo Baby Washcloths are the softest, most amazing feeling things ever! I want to steal them for myself! 

{For Feeding & Feeding Accessories}
I can't believe I forgot to include the My Brestfriend and Boppy above! My bad! At first, I was having trouble with the Boppy and ended up buying the Brestfriend within the first 48 hours of being home from the hospital. Now, I've gotten the hang of both and use my Brestfriend upstairs and the Boppy downstairs. Overall, I think the Brestfriend is the better buy for just feeding, but I think the Boppy is also worth having because you can use it for feeding, and baby can lounge on it or rest your arms on it while holding baby! Plus, I know the Boppy has other uses down the road, so I don't even feel bad about having both!

Also, we're glad the Boon Drying Rack Lawn lived up to the hype! Early on I was having to supplement with formula (enter bottles and nipples galore), as well as pump (hello, nipple shields and pump parts), so thank goodness we had that drying rack to keep up with all of those little parts!

I also, have to give a shoutout to the Life Factory and Dr. Brown's glass bottles. We wanted to give glass bottles a try but were nervous about the fact that they'd, obviously, be breakable! These have both been amazing, and we love that they have the silicone sleeve options for extra protection! The Life Factory ones are like the "Lululemon" of bottles--fancy and pricier  than the others (but if you put them on your registry, someone might just buy them for you and make your day--thanks Kelly and Anna!)
*****

So, there you have it-- Our First Month Baby Faves!

And, hey, it's never too early to start thinking about baby #2, so what First Month Faves am I missing!?

 (Ok, I lied...up until 2 weeks ago  it was still #toosoon to even consider going through labor again! Having a cute baby to love on definitely helps you forget the not so fun parts!)

Good-bye, 2nd Trimester!

Oh, hey there, 3rd Trimester! You have certainly snuck up on us, but I am certainly happy to see you! I'm 26 weeks today, and we are officially in the home stretch!

The ever-growing baby bump!

2nd trimester was WAY friendlier to me than the 1st, and I got into my little groove and found myself really enjoying being pregnant...especially with the addition of a few comfort items!

I certainly had a major life-changing sleep moment with the addition of #1, thanks to my friend Kelly (who was so kind to let me borrow!). I kinda don't want to give it up, like ever! #2 has definitely been a must-have, and I try to apply it as religiously as possible (and swap between it and the Earth Mama Angel Baby Stretch Oil, which I might even like better!). And, whoa, holy thirst buds. I feel like I am thirsty all the live-long-day, so #3 became my new BFF.  It's completely natural to feel stressed or overwhelmed during pregnancy, what with growing another life and all, and my go to trick has been to dab a little of #4 or any lavender oil (we've also love the one we get at Whole Foods) on a tissue and just tuck it like a bib or rest it on my forehead (trick I learned from my guided meditation instructor!), and it totally helps me relax. I also finally broke down and bought #5 so I could stop wearing Kyle's boxers and feel at least slightly cute while lounging-- best $5 spent! And, towards the last few weeks of 2nd trimester I did start to notice a little swelling in my feet, so Kyle urged me to go ahead and invest in some #6 (a co-worker of his wore them all the time while pregnant!). I've just been putting them on for a bit before bed, and it's helped with the mild swelling. I'm sure I'll really be thankful for these in the 3rd trimester when the swelling picks up! Oh, and I forgot to include one major thing that helped make a huge difference in the excruciating hip pain I experienced while sleeping, which was the addition of a memory-foam mattress topper! This was not exactly an ideal way to spend the money we are so desperately trying to save, but I was miserable and barely sleeping from being in so much pain. It truly made such a huge difference! And, Kyle loves it too and says he's able to sleep much better since he doesn't feel me tossing and turning as much! #winwin

I've also been so thankful that my love of maxi-dresses the last two summers meant that I had a nice stash to rely on already, and with the addition of a few non-maternity ones from Old Navy (and 1 Loft) from this year, I've been pretty set on maternity teacher clothes. I also purchased a couple of cardigans from Old Navy in tall so that they'd be a little longer, which has helped make a lot of the sleeveless maxis appropriate for school! Add in a few basic tees & tanks from Gap Body (maternity) and Loft (non-maternity, ordered size up), a couple of pairs of maternity jeans,  and my loaner maternity clothes from my friends, Ally and Kelly, and I've been pretty pleased with how little I've had to spend while still not feeling like I've had to sacrifice on style! I've also been able to still wear some of my longer, more flowy non-maternity tops, which has been a life-saver, too!

I'll be back soon to blog about some of my favorite moments from the 2nd trimester!

Happy Saturday!

A Few of My Favorite Things Tres

I can't believe it is already December--the countdown to Christmas is on! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and maybe took advantage of Black Friday deals to knock a few things off "Gifts to Buy" list! I know I sure did, and I didn't even step a foot into a store--thank you online shopping.

I'm linking up with with Elise, April, Katie, and Zelle for the last installment of the 2nd Annual These are a Few of my Favorite Things linkup  to share some gift ideas for friends and family (all ideas are $100 of less!).

I tried to keep my list pretty gender neutral and appealing (hopefully) to lots of different kinds of folks. To me the perfect kind of gift to get from friends or family is something that I wouldn't necessarily splurge on or justify buying for myself but is still something you'll love and get a lot of use out of. And, I reckon that's the case with lots of peeps out there!

Check it out:

Gift Ideas: Friends & Family by luandcompany 

1. Cozy blanket/throw-- Who doesn't like to be wrapped up in something warm and soft on a cold day sipping hot cocoa on the couch? #noexplanationneeded

2.  Games-- Cards Against Humanity, Things, Scattergories, you name it. Easy gift. Lots of fun!

3. Wine Rack-- or anything wine-related, really! Classy and super practical because let's face it, every good dinner party needs good wine showcased.

4. Le Creuset Tea Kettle-- Their stuff is just so fun with all of the colors! I don't even like tea and want one! And, I know for a fact that my hubs has hinted about wanting one!

5. Tervis Tumblers-- Again, a fun yet super practical gift. Tons of different designs to appeal to just about anyone, and I especially love the sets. We got a set of 4 beach-themed ones for our wedding and love them.

6.  Passport Covers-- I never thought to have one until we traveled to Cabo this summer, and my brother and his fiancee had them. My passport looked so plain next to theirs! Not something you'd probably prioritize buying for yourself but would love if you got it as a present!

7. DVD Series-- I know with Netflix getting a series on DVD is becoming kind of irrelevant, but there are some that worth owning, like Friends, Game of Thrones, SATC, How I Met Your Mother--you know, the ones you go back to time and time again!

Well, there's my list! Make sure you link up because I'm loving seeing everyone else's ideas!

Stocking Stuffers

Yay for Round 2 of the 2nd Annual These are a Few of my Favorite Things linkup! I'm linking up with Elise, April, Katie, and Zelle to share some of my all time favorite stocking stuffers.

 Kyle and I always do stockings for each other, so this is kind of a big deal to me ;) Some years we do presents, too, but most years we just do stockings, so we have this down to a science!

I now give you my all time favesies as far as stocking stuffers go. You just can't go wrong with these:

Stocking Stuffers by luandcompany 

Stockings are a perfect place to put some of those smaller, girly items like hair ties, nail polish, lip glosses, and lotion. I am also a sucker for office-y supplies, like colored pens and stationary. Throw in a cute pair of earrings and a gift card (Starbucks, Loft, Barnes & Noble, Target, Gap--I don't turn down a gift card!) and I'm a happy camper! Oh, and let's not forget my favorite thongs (I especially have always loved the Gap body ones!), but that's an item that I maybe wouldn't open in front of all my in-laws ;)

And just throwing out a fun idea-- last Christmas with Kyle's family we each bought 2 items for everyone's stocking, which made it super fun. To give you an idea--Kyle put in gum and lottery tickets, and I bought everyone a pair of socks and I can't remember what else, but I definitely remember loving it--especially guessing who put contributed which items!

Happy stocking stuffing!