Friday Favorites

This weekend is all about getting my house ready for Valentine's Day. Here are some DIY V-Day decorations that I <3. 

Valentines Day Mantel by Landeelu

Love Yarn Letters by My Sisters Suitcase

valentine's Day pillowcases by Brit+Co

Little Gold Hearts by Style Within Reach

Iv Got a Crush on You Printables by Yellow Umbrella Designs

 Valentines Heart attack by House that Lars Built

Scratch off Valentines Cards by The story of Pat and Lindsay

Valentines Day Subway art by The Tomkat Studio

Button Burlap Heart by Southern Lovely

Modern Working Mama

Being a mother is the hardest yet most rewarding job I have ever had. There are days where you are exhausted between feedings, changings, washing bottles, cleaning cloths and trying to educate and entertain your baby and yet all it takes is one little smile or hug and it makes all the work worth it.

Returning to work when Layla was only 6 weeks old has to be one of the most difficult transitions of my life. Iv been back to work for a month now and to be honest, it has not gotten any easier. (To my credit, Iv stopped slowed down with the random sobbing outbursts that left my husband looking like a deer in headlights). Not only was it difficult to leave Layla but I am finding that it is hard to balance all that I need to get done in a day. For me, life post maternity leave is definitely been a challenge.
My intention for writing this is not to b!tch about being a working mother. Rather, I hope to share my feelings with other mothers that are in the same situation. Although it may not seem like it, and I have to remind myself of this all day when Im at work, you are not alone. I understand. Im right there with you.  Im praying for you.

Here are some articles I have found that offer advice for new working mothers:

Going Back to Work After Baby

By Amy Capetta

Returning To Work After Maternity Leave? Here’s How To SetYourself Up For A Smooth Transition By Alessandra Hickson

5 Tips For Returning to Work After Maternity Leave
By Barbara Rockwell

0-3 Months Products We Love

1. Munchkin Warm Glow Wipe Warmer     2. Graco Direct connet Digital Monitor  

3. Carters Pacifier Clip     4. Baby Breeza Formula Pro    5. Fisher-Price Rock'n Play Sleeper

6. Boppy Pillow 7. Avent Natural Glass Bottles  8. Nuk Pacifiers

Friday Favorites

I feel like I spend a lot of time conversing in baby talk recently. I'm seriously concerned that Im accidentally going to answer the phone or respond to an adult with "Hello my cutie booty" or some other overly high pitched rhyming nonsense that makes my daughter smile. My reading since Layla was born has become "Are you My Mother" or "Is your baby developmentally on target". Page turners, I know.
I was looking for something to read that did not require much commitment on my part but also used words with larger than 2 syllables when I ran across a few Kate Spade books at the library. Kate's writing is witty and enlightening and best of all, brief. I finished each book in two or three days during post feeding cat naps or just before I pass out night. For you baby free people, one rainy afternoon is sufficient.

Photo credit: Hayley of Ceriselle.org

There are 3 books in the series; Manners, Style and Occasions  My favorite was manners. Being in the world of education and living in South Florida, I feel like manners is a dying art that needs some reviving. Kate covers topics such as "How to each an orange with seeds in public" "The Etiquette of writing and receiving letters" or "Appropriate conversation at a social gathering". Some of the topics are kind of outdated, for example her tip about not sitting in front of short people at the movie theater while wearing your largest hat, but still made me laugh. Each book is very short, only about 100 pages long with pictures and many little captions.

Hopefully Ill have the time to actually read a novel in the near future (Hopefully before Layla starts to watch Nick Jr. I have previewed some of those shows and between the high pitch voices and repetition, Im going to need something to keep my brain cells alive.)

Until next time.

DIY Valentine's Day Headband

My recent obsession is baby accessories. Sun glasses, leg warmers, shoes… I'm all about it. With a little girl there, are a limitless amount of accessories to play with which can lead to spending a little mulla on unnecessary less than absolutely essential items.
Iv been searching on Pinterest for some cute diy baby accessories and got inspired to create some headbands. There are a ton of tutorials om the web about how to make headbands. I mixed and matched tutorials and played around with materials until I found a method that worked for me… and my wallet.
First, I browsed my local craft store for ribbon that I thought would make a cute headband. (Being that it was my first time making headbands I didn't realize that you could buy elastic ribbons specifically for headbands. But even after I discovered them I still decided to chose some non-elastics that I thought would be adorable and also worked out a little cheaper)

Your going to need:

1. Scizzors 2. Ribbon of your choice. I chose hearts for Valentine's day that I found at the craft store for $.99 3. Tape measure 4. Elastic ribbon (I got the 1/8 inch which was $1.50 compared to the 1/2 inch headband elastic ribbon which was $5.99 for the same length) 5. Glue gun

Step 1. Measure your baby's head (or the head of whoever the headband is for)

Step 2. Here's where you wish you paid attention in 3rd grad math. Take the head size and subtract 2 inches. That is the number of inches to cut your ribbon




Step 3. Cut 2 additional 1/2 inch pieces of ribbon (from spool not previously cut piece).

Step 4. Cut 3 inches of elastic

Step 5. Glue 1/2 inch (you can eyeball it) of your elastic to one edge of your ribbon. Repeat on the other side. 

 

Step 5. Glue 1/2 inch ribbon pieces over the elastic/ribbon bond made in step 4. This way you won't have the unsightly glue showing.

Step 6: Try on your super cute headband!

 Inside of headband. 

 Completed headband.

Adorable baby with completed headband.

I got a little headband crazy while making this one for Valentine's day, so I will post some more tutorials on how to make other types of headbands soon.

Happy Early Valentine's Day…. Love is in the air XOXO

Prayer for Teddy

When creating my Friday's Favorites post, I came a post from ABlondeAmbition that I thought was worth sharing. As the mother of an infant, words could not express how I would feel if I were going through what this family is going through. The following message is from Alex who writes over at Pink & Prosperous regarding a baby named Teddy who was recently diagnosed with a very, very rare disease called Menkes Syndrome. 

I am writing with a heavy heart to share the story of a dear friend of mine with an 8-month-old son who is going to die before his 3^rd birthday from a rare genetic disease called Menkes Syndrome, also known as “kinky hair syndrome.”

On November 14^th, Mary and Alex Fish were given the most devastating news a parent could ever receive: their seven-month-old son, Theodore, who is affectionately known as "Teddy”, was diagnosed with a terminal syndrome called Menkes. Menkes Syndrome affects approximately 1 in 450,000 male babies.  There are currently only a handful of documented cases in the entire United States that specialist, Dr. Stephen Kaler, is studying at the National Institute of Health.  

Her answer every time to the question of “What Can I do to Help?" is “Spread the Word,” So, I am reaching out to you in hopes that you will help me spread the word through your blog to create awareness about this rare syndrome that receives little to no medical attention or research funding. 

Mary created a CaringBridge page as an outlet to both update family and friends about Teddy's health and to spread the word about a relatively unknown syndrome, which currently has no cure. Their journey is documented almost daily by journal entries written by Mary, who as you will quickly learn, is an incredible mother. Every entry she writes is a reminder of what it is to be truly selfless, acting with only your child's best interest in mind. Teddy was dealt the most unfair hand, but he is so lucky to have quite possibly THE most amazing parents. 

Teddy's story may not be able to save other babies who currently suffer from Menkes, but it could create awareness and eventually lead to a cure. It could also empower mothers to trust their guts when they know something isn’t right. Because the syndrome is rare, many doctors dismissed her concerns about her child’s symptoms (such as distinctly kinky hair) because they lacked knowledge of Menkes.

If you could please take a moment to visit Teddy's Caring Bridge page here you’ll see pictures of sweet Baby Teddy, Mary and Alex and can read Mary's updates on their daily life and Teddy's health. You’ll see why Teddy's story deserves to be shared.  

Thank you for your support!

Friday Favorites

Becoming a mom has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. It has made me understand and feel more connected to my parents as well as family and friends who have kids in ways I never expected. Throughout my pregnancy and now that Layla has arrived I discovered a few mom blogs that Iv grown to love. These mamas share their lives with the world and help inspire, connect or just plain make other moms feel less crazy.

Here are some of my favorite mommy blogs 

1. Little Baby Garvin

I discovered this blog through Pinterest before I got pregnant. Jessica is super funny and crafty. Her chalkboards are so perfect and creative they inspired me to create my own… in which I failed miserable... but hers are still adorable just the same. She makes you feel like a part of her family, celebrating holidays, dropping the occasional F bomb (the story about Harpers tummy ache made me laugh out loud) and watching Harper grow up.

2. The HoneyBee

Andee is definitely a hot mom. Her style and post baby body pictures are completely angering (who looks that good right after having a baby???) inspiring. I first came across her sight when I was pregnant and looking for cute attire. She's a definitely a stylesperation… not a word but just go with it. I also love her healthy meal ideas for parents and baby.

3. Blonde Ambition Blog

I can't remember how I discovered Leslie from BlondeAmbitionBlog but it peeked my interest because we were around the same amount of weeks pregnant. Like me, she didn't seem like the type of pregger that used the growing bump as an excuse to be a frump. She seemed down to earth with some flare. Our baby girls were born only a few days apart and I love to peek into her sight to see how their new family is doing and of course, what momma and baby girl are wearing. 

Operation Organization

If you are like me, you look forward to starting the new year with a brand new office supplies… ok, maybe thats just me.
When I was a kid, the month of August meant getting brand new agenda with nothing but free space to plan and organize… again, probably just me. No judgement.
As I got older, office supplies got fancier + I don't have to ask my mom to for $ to support my habit = winning. I am currently obsessed with this Kate Spade 2014 agenda

Target also has some super cute planners and cute office accessories in the $1 Spot aka that 3 foot center of gravity that somehow always convinces me "I absolutely need that ($1 piece of nonsense I'm way too excited about)

Photo by Katie @ Dressedincotton.com

This year, one of my New Years resolutions this year is to start a journal. Who can write in a journal that isn't personalized and adorably cute??? Not that I don't always unfailingly complete all of my New Years resolutions, but I wasn't exactly committed to spending a ton of money on a pretty new journal. While packing up some Christmas supplies, I came up with an idea that cost me $Free.99 That way I won't feel so bad incase my journal dreams don't work out as I planned.

Materials: Composition notebook, pretty wrapping paper, glue (either stick or Elmer's glue), scissors and a pencil.

Step 1: Trace one side of the composition book, leaving out the black tape edge, onto wrapping paper. You can leave the black tape exposed like I did or use wash tape to change the color to match your paper. 

Step 2: Cut out traced wrapping paper
Step 3: Carefully glue wrapping paper onto the front and back of composition book. Make sure you glue the edges or it will fray.
Step 4: Chose a design for the title of your book. Create it, cut it out and past it onto the front. I chose this print from For Chic Sake. They also have cute monograms and other printables that I love love loved.

With a little one, a full time job and a full time life, Im gonna need a little planning and stress releasing to keep sane. Ill keep you updated on how that goes and any ideas I have to keep it all together. 

2 month update

Weight: 9.1 lbs

Height: 21 inches

Likes: Swimming in the bathtub, talking

Dislikes: Tummy Time, her play gym

Accomplishments: Was baptized 12/15/13, had her 1st set of shots, and got her ears peirced