The stuff of babes.

I have been wanting to write this post for some time. As many of my friends are now starting to have babies, or at least starting to think about it, I get asked about my favorite baby gear often. Frankly it's hard to remember what we used in each phase, but I'd like to have it written down also for my own future use!

I did a lot of research when registering, including asking friends what their favorites were. In the end, I did much of my shopping on Amazon after baby came and I got a better idea of what she needed. Some of the registry items that I was most excited about, baby girl mostly ignored or hated. The moral of the story? Every baby is different, and what works for one won't work for another. With that in mind, let's start with...

OUR ESSENTIALS: 

1. Amazon Mom: it's 99/year and so worth it. I save a ton of money on diapers and (especially) wipes and they are delivered to my door monthly. Plus the two day free shipping is amazing. If you forget a birthday, you can send out a present at the last minute. Christmas shopping, non-perishable groceries, and of course baby gear are just a click a way. Put a subscription to this on your registry if you don't already have Prime.

2. Britax Back Seat mirror: Peace of mind while you drive. It's priceless.

3. Video baby monitor: I did not think I needed this, and it was one of the last items that I received before baby came. Now I can't imagine life without it! Again, it is peace of mind. And now that she has gotten older, I like that I can see if she is actually waking up at night or just fussing and getting comfortable. Bottom line: I get to stay in bed longer! 

4. A glider: This was another thing that I did not think that I needed. "I don't like rocking! Wouldn't a big comfy chair work just as well for nursing?" I thought. Wrong. For Baby Girl, rocking is everything. It was a lifesaver during the early fussy phase. And now it's my favorite chair in the house! I purchased this one from Amazon. Funny story: My mom bought the same chair to have at her house, and the quality is not nearly as good. Use Amazon returns if necessary! 

5. Gerber soothe probiotic drops: These are referred to as colic drops. While Baby Girl didn't have colic, she did have really bad gastrointestinal issues, starting with acid reflux, then just terrible gas, and later on constipation. These drops helped to regulate her and ease some of her discomfort. 

6. Little Remedies Little Tummies Gas drops: Similarly, these drops seemed to calm our fussy baby in the time before I gave up all dairy. I don't know if it was just a placebo effect, but a dropper of this stuff plus her paci was very soothing. 

I know that toys and gear are all very baby specific, but read on! Understanding why things worked for my baby may still help you! Many of these items were purchased on Amazon Prime when nothing else worked, and they showed up no more than two days later to save the day!

GO-TO GEAR: 

1. Infantino Flip Front 2 Back Carrier: I used to watch my other mom friends easily managing cooking and cleaning while their babies slept peacefully cuddled up next to them in their mobi wrap. What a dream! My girl was not a cuddler for very long, and as soon as she got head control she was pushing against me trying to get free. We learned that her ideal position is to be held facing out so that she doesn't miss any of the action. This carrier was great for that- especially since I can flip her around if she does get sleepy (rarely). It is also very easy to use and get baby in and out of.

2. Bright Starts bouncer seat: We had a nice quality Snugamonkey bouncer on our registry, which Baby Girl did snooze in some at the beginning. But as she got more active, she was frustrated that she couldn't reach the monkeys above her head. I ordered the Bright Starts bouncer to keep at my parents, but ended up taking it home because she loved it so much! The toy bar hangs in front, so she could easily bat at the objects- a favorite activity from 3 months on. 

3. Mortimer the Moose and Freddie the Firefly: These crinkly stroller toys are so interactive, and perfect for when baby can start grasping at and holding things on his own. Especially when it came to Mortimer, this was a love story that lasted the whole year. 

4. Lambie the lovey: Now I know that there are differing opinions on loveys, especially when it comes to children sleeping with them. Our little one was mobile very early on and this in part led to our decision to let her sleep with Lambie, her lovey from Pottery Barn Kids. Now it is just her best friend. She snuggles up with it for naps and at night. She carries it around the house and buries her face in it when she is feeling sleepy. We ordered a back-up Lambie in case this one should ever disappear! I love how soft it is, and just the right size. It can be personalized, also, though we did not opt for this. 

5. Fisher Price Frog Sit me Up Floor Seat: Forget the bumbo seat. This chair offers higher support for heads and backs. There are crinkle toys attached for baby to play with, which keeps them busy for awhile. We also used it as a guest high chair when friends with babies came over later on. 

6. Graco Bumper Jumper: This was a fun way to keep baby occupied from about 5-7 months. She would happily bounce away in this jumper, which I hung in the doorway going into the Master bedroom, and I could actually get some cleaning down! I knew that she was ready for something like this because she had a lot of strength in her legs, would try to stand when I was holding her up, and loved when I bounced her up and down. 

7. Graco Table Fit High Chair: I love this chair. It is fit for a princess, which is exactly what we have. I love how easily you can adjust the height so it can slide right up to (and under) the table. Perfect for family meal time. The first one that I received was damaged, but thankfully it was very easy and free to return it on Amazon, and the next one was perfect! 

THINGS I WISH I'D HAD: 

1. A better stroller: At the mall, at the park, at the grocery store...I still get stroller envy. When I see those parents easily manuvering over bumpy sidewalks or tight corners, all while their drinks sit securily in the cup holders without splashing everywhere...I am jealous. Every time my sun shade gets stuck and I have to force it back. or when my wheels get stuck and it won't fold flat, I am reminded of the importance of spending at least a little more on a stroller. You use it everyday! It needs to be nice. You don't need the granddaddy of all strollers...but be a little more thoughtful about this one.

2. This arms free swaddle blanket: Swaddling this child just didn't happen. I broke a lot of sleep rules, but I was also desperate for sleep, so I went with what worked. Baby girl loved having her hands up by her face, and slept this way for months. I wish I had known about this swaddling option. 

3. Fisher Price Rock 'n Play: I am jealous every time I see my friends with new babies set their sweet little ones into this cozy little bed, push a button, and smile as their darlings snooze away. I needed this so much. 

THINGS I DIDN'T USE THAT OTHER MOMS LOVE:

1. A Boppy pillow: I could never figure out how to awkwardly get it around me, especially in the middle of the night. For some reason, just a standard pillow to prop up baby worked best for me.

2. The Ergo baby carrier: As previously stated, Baby Girl did not like facing towards me once she knew that she had other options. Also, I found it difficult to use the infant insert with a typically very fussy newborn.

3. The Sleep Sack: Since I wasn't using the swaddle version, it only created another layer for me to get through when changing diapers at night.

4. Fisher Price Kick n Play piano: I wanted this so much. It was highly recommended by a dear friend, and I was thrilled when I received it. I will say, now that she is older, Baby Girl loves to play the piano at its upright position. As a babe, there was minimal kicking or playing going on, however. The good thing was all of the toys are removable and she DID play with those.

If I think of other things I will have to create a second post, as this has already gotten much longer than I had intended! Best of luck and happy registering to all the expectant moms out there!

More Dairy-Free Fun!

I've been happy to find some tasty dairy-free substitutes lately. Some may even be better than the original! ;)

Here is one of my favorites:

Cornbread

1 box of Jiffy Mix

1 egg

1 can cream style corn

Mix ingredients together, pour into greased muffin tin, and bake 15-20 minutes at 400.

I also have continued with my dairy free baking. I definitely didn't bake this much before going dairy-free, but I guess I feel I deserve a treat more now. ;-)

Anyway, remember those muffins I made? Well I had pumpkin left over from the last batch I made, so I decided to try out a cookie instead. It was delicious- very cake-like. Here's the recipe, for any of my pumpkin loving friends and family! 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp milk
1 TB vanilla
1 11 oz bag chocolate chips

1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, oil, and egg in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir into the wet ingredients. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and ix well.

2. Add vanilla and chocolate chips and stir until combined.

3. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and drop cookies on by the spoonful. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. 

Snow Day DIY: Chalkboard Sign

Here's a quick project that's perfect for a cold snowy day like today! It may not look like Spring is coming anytime soon, but perhaps I can persuade it with cheery decor...

Anyway, did you know that Target's dollar section now includes home goods and craft supplies? I've been really impressed with their selection lately. At my last visit I picked up, among other things, a little chalkboard sign that I plan on using year round as part of my seasonal decor! 

When I brought it home, I whipped out my Martha Stewart stencil letters from Michael's, some chalk, and this is the result! 

Talk about an easy project, and that cute little chalkboard was only $3! I don't love how my handwriting tends to come out with chalk, so these stencil letters were the perfect solution. I could just fill them in rather than write anything. And the best part is how easy it will be to change and reuse! 

Stay tuned for my other two Target projects! And stay warm everyone!

Snow Day Soup & Cornbread!

Let me echo what everyone on the east coast of the United States is saying: it's cold. With temps well below freezing and negative wind chill values, it's just not fun to even try leaving the house. 

Perfect weather for steaming hot soup though! This recipe is one my mother made often growing up. It is best served with a side of cornbread, so I've included a dairy-free version of that also! Enjoy!

Vegetable Beef Soup

1/2 lb ground beef

2 cups water

1 can diced tomatoes

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 packet onion soup mix

1 package frozen mixed vegetables

1/2 tsp sugar

Brown the beef, drain, and combine with all other ingredients in medium pan. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and summer 10-15 minutes. 

Cornbread

1 package Jiffy mix

1 can cream style corn

1 egg

Combine all ingredients and pour into greased muffin tin. Bake at 400 for 15-20 min. 

Family Portraits

For Christmas this year I wanted to make a special gift for Joe's cousin and her family. She and I both gave birth to little girls this year, only three months apart! Since my daughter has no cousins, her second cousins are all the more important to us! 

I had to start by finding silhouette images that I could be happy with. I did this with a simple google search and by copying and pasting those images into MSWord. There are many options that are either part of Creative Commons or that can be downloaded for a small fee. I had to use the cropping and resizing tools to ensure that the silhouettes looked good together. Next I experimented with fonts. And lastly I did a test run. The result was nice, but to make it look a bit fancier, I headed to the scrapbook section at Michaels. The canvas and linen scrapbook sheets are thin enough to go through the printer, and the ink shows up great! 

A nice round frame finished it off perfectly! I liked it so much that I made one for our family too!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins (Dairy and Egg free!)

Starting a dairy-free diet right before the holidays is no easy task. In fact, the day that I started my diet, my mother started baking Christmas cookies. I knew I would need to find some dairy-free recipes that would satisfy my sweet tooth so that I wouldn't feel left out! 

I've tried cookies and muffins so far (stay posted for a wonderful super-chocolately cookie recipe!). Pinterest is full of easy pumpkin muffin recipes, many with just a few ingredients. I tweaked a couple of these to come up with something I love! The key for me is adding the dairy-free mini chocolate chips from Enjoy Life (you can enter your zip code on their website to find a seller nearby, but Target often carries them). Here is my take on a holiday favorite!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

INGREDIENTS

1 can Libby's Pumpkin Puree

1 box Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix

1/2 cup water

1 cup Enjoy Life Mini Chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Combine all ingredients and pour into a greased mini muffin pan. 

Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean!

It's that easy! The recipe makes about 30 mini muffins. They are so delicious and poppable! 

We're back!

It's sunny and about 63 degrees, as I sit rocking on the back porch of my parents' new house at the beach. There's no ocean view from here, but the palm trees and the distinct sea smell in the air remind me that I'm far from the hustle and bustle of the DC area. Baby girl, looking adorable in her Christmas onesie, is sitting on her grandmother's lap, rocking next to me. The past two months have been anything but boring. Becoming a mother has been wonderful and exhausting and challenging and the best thing ever.

One of the biggest challenges has been my daughter's excessive gas. It has been so hard seeing her obviously uncomfortable and not knowing what to do. We went through weeks of trying different things, all of which helped minimally, before finally deciding to do something more extreme. This cheese and ice cream and milk loving gal gave up all dairy. Since baby girl is exclusively breastfed, changing my diet was the best thing that we could do to help her. We were told it would take at least a week to see results, but I saw a change immediately. My sweet girl was playing more and crying less, and passing gas has become something that she can do in her sleep now, rather than while being held and screaming her head off. 

All of this is to say that I've decided to return to blogging because I need bloggers. I need the support and ideas and recipes of other moms who, for whatever reason, find themselves dealing with allergy restrictions. I need to hear that it gets easier, that I can provide for my baby, and that I don't have to give up chocolate to do so. And because I need that, I want to also provide that for someone else. 

So here we are, "Becoming Rustic Country" take-two. A new mom, a new normal, and a "new" blog!