10 Newborn Must haves

10 Must-haves for a Newborn 
From a First-Time-Mom 

Bringing home a baby for the first time is one of the most amazing yet tiring experiences I've ever had. Luckily we had registered or bought many things ahead of time that I found really came in handy. Some of the things here we did not have though, and I found them to be essential to the first few weeks. Especially once family leaves and you don't have help at home and do not want to venture out to the store on your own- thank god for online shopping! 
These are some things I think are lifesavers as a first time mom and will certainly make sure I have for the next baby! 

Some notes on my recommendations:
1. A VIDEO MONITOR
This particular monitor set is fabulous! We were on the fence about a video monitor then decided it was better if we could close the nursery door since we have cats. Although at night our 8 week old has still been sleeping in a bassinet in our room, at nap time I try to put her in her crib. This monitor has a scanning feature you can use from the video control unit and it even zooms! I can see her breathing without having to leave the living room and risk waking her! 
2. WUB-A-NUB
I registered and received this gift and was so thankful to have it from the beginning. Unfortunately our baby girl wasn't crazy about pacis or binkys from the beginning, but fortunately when she did take them she liked the SOOTHIE brand, which is the type connected to the Wub-a-nubs. Not only are they adorable with the animals, but the stuffed animal helps keep the binky in their mouth, as she has grown older she can also hold onto it. It has been a savior in the car because it rests on her chest so the binky doesn't just pop out and fall somewhere!
3. A SOUND MACHINE
I actually returned a more expensive one and LOVE this one. Some say it is not loud enough, but it works for us. It has many white noise sounds, music sounds, and allows you to plug in an mp3 player or phone. It also lights up with blue light like a nightlight for baby. We keep it in our room while the baby sleeps in the bassinet. We didn't start using it until she was ~2 weeks old and it was a savior for sleeping! I know for the next baby to start using it right away!
4. FABRIC CARRYING WRAP
There are many fabric wraps out there, I do like that the Moby wrap is a sturdy cotton material. It took some warming up but now my baby girl loves being carried in this, and falls asleep. It is convenient for different kinds of carries and even breastfeeding. Again, I would start using this right away on the next baby so they get familiar with it. I waited until my little one was too big to try the breastfeeding in it. 
5. INFANT TUB WITH SLING
This came recommended to me by a mom in the store, and it has been great. The first two weeks I literally washed my baby by laying her on a towel on the vanity and using a washcloth like they show you in the hospital. Again, for the future, with this tub you can just sit them in the sling and do a sponge bath. When we did get the tub she was big enough at 6 weeks to sit in the tub without the sling. It is a nice incline and the contours on the tub allow her to sit and I just hold her belly while I wash her. She loves bath time in this tub! 
6. FOOTIES W/ SNAPS AND ZIPS
I packed some super cute outfits to bring my baby girl home from the hospital in, which was great, however I really didn't think about how tricky it is to get onesies over a 3 day old baby's head! The first month I rotated her snappy and zippy footies and purchased several more. They are so so much easier to dress the baby in! 
7. HALO SLEEPSACK
I registered for these and ended up buying two more in the first coupe of weeks home with my baby. We had an escape artist from day one and she didn't like being swaddled in blankets. These allowed us to swaddle her safely and comfortably. She even wanted her arms out by two weeks. If we put her down in the bassinet without the swaddle sack she woke herself up very quickly, but with it she sleeps for hours now! We have a few of them since we put her in them every night. 
8. CAR WINDOW SHADES
We ended up taking several car rides with our baby girl before she was even a month old, and it definitely bothered her to have the sun coming into her eyes through the window. I ordered these after a few of the car trips but they would've been great to have from the beginning! These particular ones cling and are easily moved and I liked them better than the roll down kind. Also a great bargain on Amazon!
9. NOTEBOOK! 
It wasn't until about week 5 that I started wondering how mamas get their babies to sleep through the night at 6 or 8 weeks, because at that point it didn't seem like I could even get two hours still let alone 6 hours! As a career focused gal, I knew I wanted to get her on a schedule asap, so I started working on a schedule and keeping track of feedings, naps, etc. Once I decided on a schedule I wanted to put her on the notebook was essential to track day to day and got us right on track! We had a few 6 hour nights around the 7 week mark, and even some 7 hour nights just last week ~9 weeks old! 
10. NURSING BRAS & TANKS
I had read to buy some nursing bras before the baby came because you don't want to have to shop for them in the first few days or weeks at home. I HIGHLY recommend this! I bought both and packed them in my hospital bag. I cant say enough about this You! Lingerie brand, they have sexy styles so we still feel like pretty mamas, and I like the Gilligan & O'Malley tanks from target. I had plenty of bras and tanks for when I came home from the hospital and it just made life so much easier for feeding! 

Of course there are many other things that we had, car seat, stroller, swing, boppy, etc. But wanted to make a list of things I really didn't know would be essential until I had the experience!  

Gownie!

Baby be Mine 

Labor Gownie Review 

I have shared my birth story with most of my family but haven't taken the time to write it out, journal it, or share it on the internet, one of these days I will. I have friends that shared their birth stories on blogs and when expecting, I found it very helpful to read all the good, the bad, and the ugly so I could be "prepared". It still did not prepare me for my own adventure! One part of my birth story that I would like to share, since I have written about mama products previously, was the birthing gown that I went out of my way to purchase and wear for my baby girl's birth. 

Wearing a pretty gown was something I decided I wanted to do when our birthing class instructor mentioned it as not a totally crazy thing to do. She said "think about it, you are feeling less than glamorous, and at least there is one thing going for you, you have a pretty, cute gown on!". Sounded good to me, and I was glad I did it! I got SO many compliments from the nurse staff, and in the pictures I really did think it looked cute! When they made me change it to one of their gowns hours after the birth, I was wishing I had a second one, because it really was much better and I felt better in it! 


Baby be Mine Gownie from Amazon here

I purchased a Baby Be Mine "Gownie" in the pattern "Kate" (ironic!) because I wanted to wear pink for the birth of my baby girl, and also it is a good color on me. I purchased this on Amazon, but there are many sites and types of gowns out there. This one was perfect, no problems with anything getting in the way. And the snaps along the top front allow for breastfeeding!  Also I liked that the back had button snaps straight down the back so no "draft" aka no bum hanging out walking around the hall! There are lots of patterns to choose from too! 

Arriving in our hospital room!

  

Hooked up to monitors and waiting

Me and baby girl!

For other things in my hospital bag I've made a list here. I'd like to think I will remember all this for next time, but already the sleep deprivation and attention to my little bundle is making me realize it will be much harder to remember all this, so this is my way of reminding myself for the future too! 

Steak with mushrooms, onions, gorgonzola

Steak with mushrooms, onions and gorgonzola

My husband loves steak, and although a well cooked steak with salt and pepper is good, we come up with ways to keep it interesting from time to time.

This is a simple way to make a fancy steak dinner, this is a frequent meal for us without taking to much time. You can tailor the steak choice to your preference, and sizes needed. I typically eat a six oz steak and my husband more like eight oz.

Ingredients:
2 strip steaks ~6-8 oz each.
1/2 medium onion cut into strips
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola
Grill mates steak seasoning or the following: salt, pepper,
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine to cook (the rest to serve with the meal of course)
Shown here:
Green beans and baked potato as sides.

Method:
1.Season the steaks on both sides and let rest on a plate, you also want them to come to room temperature if they've been in the fridge.
2. Prep the baked potatoes, heat in the microwave for 5 mins before putting them in the oven at 350 wrapped in foil with olive oil drizzle, some salt and pepper.

3. Heat a pan on need high heat with the olive oil. When hot add onions and sweat until translucent.
4. Then add the mushrooms and deglaze the pan with the wine. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and let cook down. If the mushrooms look dry add some oil. When finished to tenderness desired transfer to small serving bowl.
5. In the same pan, sear the steaks on high heat on the stove, 3 mins on each side. Then transfer the pan to the oven for 3-5 mins to desired doneness. This should produce a medium cooked steak.
When done place steaks on a plate to rest.
6. I quickly add green beans to the pan with olive oil and a tsp of water. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve steak and top with cheese, onions and mushrooms. Plate with potato and green beans. Paired with cabernet savignon.

Beef Stew

CrockPot Beef Stew

Beef Stew is one of my favorite crock pot recipes, and is perfect for chilly rainy days.
This recipe is full of vegetables, some red wine and lots of flavor. 

Ingredients:
1 large onion chopped
1 cup  carrots cut up (I cut baby carrots in half)
1/2 cup celery, diced
2 cups potatoes (I use gold, about four small)
1 cup green beans (fresh or frozen)
1 cup corn (I use frozen which I always keep sound to throw into dishes)
2 packs stew beef (about 2.5-3 lbs)
1 cup favorite red wine, should be heavy like Cabernet Sauvignon. (Here I used a Malbec)
From here you can either use a store  bought pocket for ease, or make a broth.
For the broth:
3 cups beef broth
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
2  fresh thyme sprigs
1 large bay leaf
Salt and pepper

Method:
Add the stew beef to the crock pot and season generously with salt and pepper.

Prepare the vegetables and add to the crock.

Prepare the broth liquid and pour over crock contents.

Cook on low 7+ hours, or on high 5+ hours. Really the longer it cooks the better!

The thing I love about soups is they are hard to mess up. If you need more veggies or prefer something else, add it or leave it out, this is just my favorite mix. The red wine adds a little something and is perfect to drink with it!

Removing wallpaper

How To remove wallpaper! OR NOT! 

Most people who have done some home renovating or just updating, have run into the dreaded wallpaper removal. Although wallpapering is returning as a trend with bold patterns and stylish designs, that will someday also be torn down in disgust, it is not as easy to change as painting over a color, so it is frequently left on the walls for years and years becoming the "next owners problem".

So, to remove wallpaper, there are several approaches, and here is a basic rundown of the steps needed to remove it.

First method: STEAM

Removing a wallpaper mural with steam

1. Step one is to use a wallpaper scoring tool that can be purchased at any Home Depot, Lowes, or local hardware store. We used the PaperTiger tool shown below. *Note do not apply too much pressure as this will go through the paper and to the drywall.

2.  Step two is to steam the walls in sections and peel the paper off as you go. Scoring the wallpaper allows the steam to get under the paper to loosen the adhesive. We have a Shark steam mop which we used the flat attachment with

.
3. Step three is using a multi tool or paint scraper to remove the paper as well as the adhesive layer.

4. Finally, a sponge and some soapy water should remove any remaining gooey leftovers.

Removed and ready for prime and paint

So all that is great, and many people know that information. Also, there are many sites and DIY Network can probably guide many people through the same steps to successfully remove wallpaper. But what if there is no way you can remove the wall paper?? Here are some steps if you have a room like we did where some truly ugly atrocious wallpaper was applied onto plaster.  

Second method: PAINT

1. Determine there is no steaming off the wallpaper. This may result in a mess if you attack the whole wall like we did below. My tip would be if you suspect there is no drywall, on an old house for example, test a small spot- either peel the paper back and determine if it was applied onto drywall, painted drywall, or plaster, or use the paper tiger and steam on a small section. 

2. Decide to paint over the wallpaper. This is a better option than drywalling over the area, but that can also be done with 1/4" drywall- for that option I would recommend a professional.

3. Step one to paint over the wallpaper is to SEAL all THE SEAMS

4. Using a multi-tool or paint scraper, fill in the seams with drywall mud. Ensure to scrape them clean, do not leave a thick coating over the seam, just enough to smooth the seam or gap.

5. Sand all of the seams when the mud has dried. Patch up any spots that don't seem smooth.

6. Prime and Paint over said hideous wallpaper!

First, use a good primer, we used two coats to try and even out the lumps and bumps. You could use a better brand that only requires one coat, but I wanted to make sure the smoothness was there.

When primer coats are dried fully, paint over with final paint color. Again one or two coats depending on the paint. Using red, it is hard to get a solid first coat, so we made sure to buy premium paint since we didn't want to do this large room twice. Two coats of primer also helps with this. 

You will also notice the white woodwork has been painted. Follow my "how to paint wood paneling" for instructions on painting woodwork such as this for a bright white result! 

ENJOY the FINISHED RESULT:

A truly awesome rec room! 

Cork Wreath

 If you are a wine lover like we are, you probably have plenty of corks around, and there are lots of creative ways to display them. Here, I used a wreath ring to hold the corks in place and glued them to make a cork wreath!  The rings are available at Jo-Ann Fabrics, and probably also at Michaels craft stores in the wreath section. 

There is an outer and inner ring allowing the tension to hold the corks in place. It took some time to fit them all in without warping the whole ring, so I suggest having a large pile of corks available and adding and re-arranging them until you have a nice shape. 

 

To hold everything in place, I used a hot glue gun, running the glue along the entire outer edge, then along the inner edge, ensuring glue was holding each cork to the metal ring. 

 To hang, here on the back side of our fireplace we have two screws drilled into the brick. This can be done with a mortar bit and a power screwdriver. We have the screws there to hang seasonal decor, but it will now hold my all season rustic cork wreath! 

Note also, the large "M" is from Jo-Anns, it is a cardboard material and I simply glued a piece of thread to either side and hung it on the screws before finishing it off with the wreath.

Facing the change! 

Pregnancy brings about so many changes to your body and life. I heard all about how the hormones can wreck havoc on your skin and face. Since I frequently get blemishes (or okay giant hideous zits), I was not surprised to see my face breaking out frequently in the early months of pregnancy. 

I turned to the web to find any advice or tips on what works and didn't work on the worst of breakouts. Because of the risks or unknowns with many products, I was steering clear of anything with salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. Basic soaps and cleansers were not working either. 

Here are some of the products I tried and my results with them 


Determined, I somewhat splurged on this product, and found it to be mediocre at best. When I ended up finally going to my dermatologist he said lactic acid is very drying, so perhaps trying this with daily moisturizer would be helpful. 
My skin seems to hate every type of moisturizer and frequently says "no" by showing a ginormous red knob on my face the next day... 


                                          

Burt's Bees has been my saving grace, it leaves a menthol cool feeling after using it, and my dermatologist commended me for being so "organic" although he said this alone would probably not consistently keep breakouts away. 

In the end he was able to prescribe for me a tube of Erythromycin Gel (2%) which is basically high alcohol content, but it doesn't dry out my skin, and my skid was looking good very soon after using it. Now it looks even more radiant and I truly feel that "glow"! 

Mama products

Maternity Products!

This is a whole new world to me... but I am enjoying embracing the cool products they have out there to help with maternity for all of us newbies.



I purchased an Ingrid and Isabel BellaBand in black when I was only about 10 weeks, because I didn't want to wait for my pants to not fit before needing this



It is totally amazing! I am able to wear my work pants- business/business casual to work just like usual. I am now 17 weeks and still wearing the same pants! The black is useful because it goes with grey shades and black slacks and hides that the clasps are undone and the zipper is halfway down!

Highly recommend this. I purchased mine on Amazon with free Prime shipping.

After several weeks I realized I needed one in white, especially with the spring coming. Since the I&I brand is pricey I went with another brand for half the price. But you get what you pay for, although I like the tighter size I purchased, it doesn't have the rubbery lining inside that holds it in place and I found it riding up on me. Still worth it to get a few more weeks of wear out of my regular wardrobe!

Baby Be Mine $16.99





Another great discovery I've had was that GAP makes maternity wear!! Okay, not everyone is into Gap, they are by no means the trendiest brand in my book, but I do have one pair of GAP jeans that I loved to wear to work on Fridays and was so excited to find they have the EXACT pair in maternity with the maternity band! So I bought jeans and a pair of black dress pants, I am LOVING them for work.

Demi panel perfect trouser pants

     1969 full panel sexy boot jeans

The thing I love about them, is they sell in ankle length for my short legs. And they are worth every penny because I swear they will not fall apart even after 100 wears.

Baby is on the way!

PJ and I were blessed with the news of a baby to bring in the New Year. Good things to come in 2014, but there is so much to do and a finite timeline so we are trying to capture and savor every

moment and enjoy this new phase of our lives.

Join me on my adventure!