I know I know… I mentioned these adorable moccs on a previous post, but I needed to do another to talk about just how awesome they really are! I don’t know about you Mama’s out there, but when putting shoes on my babies feet, half the time they were off within a few minutes. I found myself constantly putting their tiny little shoes back on their tiny little feet over and over again… So most of the time I would just give up and socks it was, although those seem to constantly fall off as well.

I kept noticing a bunch of trendy Mama’s putting their little ones in these mini moccasins and thought, “I can’t wait to have babies, and see their precious feet in a pair!” When I found out I was pregnant with Lazar I think moccasins were the first item I purchased for him. The pair I purchased were cute, but the quality wasn’t as great as I was hoping for; and at the time I didn’t really know any better.  A close friend of mine recommended the brand she recently purchased (Phoebe Elliot), so I thought I would give them a shot. Glad I did, now I’m hooked on Phoebe Elliot moccasins! Not only are they 100% genuine leather, but they are functional and actually stay on! There are times I make sure to put Mila’s moccs on just so her socks will stay on too!

The colors are beautiful! If you are in search for a more vibrant color or an understated neutral tone, Phoebe will have what you are looking for! Her prices are extremely reasonable, especially because these moccs are 100% genuine leather as I mentioned earlier. You may be thinking these aren’t practical for my walking toddler, but let me assure you, my (almost) 1 1/2 year old has been walking for awhile now and his moccs have held up amazingly!

A family friend of ours who also happens to be a Chiropractor once told me that because Lazar is walking in the soft sole moccasins his feet are actually being strengthened and not limited or confined as his feet grow. Of course your little ones can’t wear moccasins forever! However, that would be adorable! I mean my husband always asks if Phoebe makes them in his size for crying out loud (hehe)!

Overall, my goal is to find great products and pass them along to you! All Mama’s out there are busy, whether you stay-at-home or leave the house for work daily, us Mama’s need to spread the word when we find something that works… Even if it is something as simple (but oh so cute) as moccasins.

I asked Phoebe if she would write a simple bio on herself and mention how she got into moccasin making and what inspires her to do so! She was so sweet and got back to me right away with this:

“I am 26, living in the PNW, best friends with my husband Ky, and follower of Jesus. I have always been the “creative type”, making this or that and a little in between. Even with my practically full time job of being a vintage dealer, I still find time to continue making the moccasins on the side. The moccasins had been something I started just for fun!

With many friends expecting; many baby showers to attend- and my previous experience working with leather- I picked it up as a hobby. They became popular in my local community very quickly! Little did I know it would spread even further to an online marketplace! I created all my patterns from scratch-drew every one out by hand which has gradually evolved over time.

I love the practicality of the moccasins. My inspiration often comes from the joy that they bring to a mamas life! Something so simple, yet fun and memorable. Life should be practical- but it should also be FUN! I can honestly say that each pair is made with love-and a squeal! ;)”

Currently the moccasins are available in three stores nationwide and via ETSY:
*My Eclectic Home / Snohomish, WA
*Eden & Faith Boutique / Portland, OR
*Rustic Nashville / Nashville, TN

Big thanks to Phoebe and all her hard work!

Have Faith Mama(s)…like Phoebe said, “Life should be practical- but it should also be FUN!”

XO

 

Hey Mama’s and all you hair loving ladies out there! I have been asked about my hair from time to time and thought it was the perfect opportunity to share how I achieve the trendy “beach wave” look! I recently got my hair done, and went drastic! I decided to take my ombre up a notch and go with a “lived in color” look… BLONDE! “Lived in color” isn’t ombre, but it still has a beautiful transition of color. It gives the look of outgrown roots…like you have lived with your colored hair for awhile (get it? wink wink)! sounds like it wouldn’t look good, but in my opinion its GORG! I am loving this blonde look and can’t wait to show you my favorite way of styling it! Maybe blondes really do have more fun!?! **Shout out to Jessica Rondinelli at Anagen 11 for creating this beautiful cut & color! Everyone should check out http://www.anagen11.com if you are looking for the trendiest, most stylish hair salon and stylist out there!

Let me just start off by saying, I am not a hairstylist I just genuinely like playing around with new looks! My goal is to help you ladies achieve this look with only 3 simple ingredients!

Ingredient #1: 1 inch barrel curling iron.

Ingredient #2: Flat iron.

Ingredient #3: Aveda Air Control hairspray.

I have found that the Hot Shot Tools brand works well which you can purchase at any Sally Beauty Supply store. I also love Aveda products and air control hairspray happens to be my favorite! If you haven’t tried this, I highly recommend it! **Perk: the smell is oh so wonderful! Of course your 1 inch curling iron, flat iron and aerosol hairspray will certainly work for this look as well!

Now that you have your 3 simple ingredients, it’s time to get started. You can begin with straight or  wavy hair as long as it’s dry! I am able to achieve this look with air-dried hair (which is crazy and wavy) and I have also achieved this look with straight (blowdried) hair. Today my hair happened to be straight:

I make sure to part my hair the way I want it to lay before I begin curling. Today, I decided to part it to the side, but a middle part also looks really fabulous with beachy waves! A rule-of-thumb I go by…always curl your hair away from your face.

You will want to clamp a piece of your hair with the top part of the curling iron faced up or to the back of your head and the bottom of the curling iron will be faced down or to the front of your face. When choosing a clump of hair; the amount you choose will determine the thickness of the curl. Choosing smaller pieces of hair will give it more of a messy/beachy look rather than really thick pieces of hair which may end up looking like one big wave. I definitely recommend choosing smaller pieces of hair as pictured:

I clamp my curling iron about an inch or two away from my scalp and curl back away from my face. Holding the curling iron with my hair wrapped around it, I make sure to leave at least 1 to 2 inches of hair out of the wrapped-curl (this is crucial for the beachy look). After I release the curl it will look like this:

I proceed by spraying this curl with the air control hairspray and letting it sit. After finishing the top layer of my hair I clip it up and continue this type of curling to the bottom half of my hair (don’t mind my broken clip…toddlers).

After finishing curling and hairspring the bottom half of my hair and releasing the pinned up hair,  it’s then time to bring the flat iron into the picture! I flat iron the tips of the hair I left out of the curling iron and I also like to straighten underneath hairs to give it a more sleek look:

Once I have gone through straightening the desired ends, I will typically go through and add a few more curls to the very top layer of my head. I usually make these pieces the smallest so it gives the illusion of more volume and dimension. Once I have finished adding the extra top curls I run my fingers through pulling pieces apart and spraying them with the hairspray. BOOM! That is it! The end result is practically as effortless looking as it was to accomplish:

Hope this was helpful! Now if only our hair ACTUALLY looked this way after leaving the beach! **Side note… this look literally only took me a maximum of 15 minutes! So all you busy Mama’s out there…there is hope to fabulous looking hair in a rush!

Have Faith Mama(s)… 3 simple ingredients can make a beachy–ful masterpiece!

XO

Ever since Lazar and Mila have been born, its been a bit of a trial-and-error game in our home! I found other Mama’s were full of advice, Google certainly helped along the way as well, but overall, I ultimately discovered what worked best; and although I am no expert, I have confidence in our little routine at this point. Like I said, it took a lot of trials and plenty of errors to get where we are today. Honestly, these sweet mini’s change so much, it can be hard to keep up some days! One day Lazar loves peanut butter toast and the next it’s as if it’s the yuckiest thing on earth!

There have been a fair amount of instances where other Mama’s will ask me questions about where I got the kiddos moccasins, our favorite bottle brand, or how we’ve gotten our babies to sleep through the night. I thought it would be helpful to put together a list of a few of our favorite things! Of course this list is purely what has worked for us and I am by no means assuring it will do the same for you. All kiddos are so different that is what I am sure of! My goal is to help as many Mama’s and Daddy’s out there as I possibly can! While putting together this list a certain song remained on repeat in my mind:

If you didn’t recognize those lyrics, they are from “The Sound of Music.” A wonderful movie/musical, which also happens to be one of my favorites (see what I did there?). Moving on… One of our all-time favorite things would be the Zipadeezip! We first found out about it when we were watching an episode of Shark Tank. They described it as a “swaddle transition.” Basically, they said if your baby liked to be swaddled eventually they will be able to break out of their swaddle, ultimately waking themselves up every time they would scare and break free from it. The Mom who designed this explained how well her child would sleep while in the Zipadeezip. It seemed to work every time her little one would scare… Her baby would feel the cloth around himself, soothing him back to sleep. Lazar loved to be swaddled so I figured (when he was ready) if anything it was like a blanket that he couldn’t kick off, so if it also helped him sleep it was a win-win for us (really not thinking it would actually work).

Just like the Mom on Shark Tank said, Lazar started breaking through his swaddle which was waking him up at night. I had completely forgotten about the Zipadeezip but Paul hadn’t. He suggested we try it and I’m so glad we did! Lazar slept through the night the first time he wore it and every night since! I have recommended this to a few new Mama’s out there and many of them rave about this glorified “pillow case” just like me! Mila never liked being swaddled so we put her in a Zipadeezip right away which worked amazing for her; as she’s been sleeping through the night ever since she was (a hair shy of) two months old. **You can purchase a Zipadeezip off of http://www.sleepingbaby.com.

There were times Lazar would get distracted and didn’t always want to sit and drink his bottle before bed, so I decided to hook up the sound machine I received at my baby shower…

This tiny little machine was just what Lazar needed. I would turn on the “rain” sound to block out any outside noise, I would also turn the projection screen on (pointed to the ceiling) so Lazar could watch it, distracting him just enough to eat his bottle and calm him. It has worked great in Mila’s nursery as well. Outside noise, like her big brother, don’t always provide the best sleep (haha). **You can find this “mybaby soundspa” machine at Target.

The final ingredient to our great sleep recipe as been Lavender Doterra essential oil. I put a few drops in the Doterra essential oils diffuser to fill the air in the kiddos rooms and I also rub the oil on the bottom of the their feet each night. I always put a few drops of lavender in the bath water since bath time is always before bed; it gives an extra soothing aroma in preparation for good sleep. These oils have been amazing and, of course fall on the list with the other favorites. We use Lavender (as I mentioned) and On Guard oil, this oil is an immune booster helping Lazar and Mila stay healthy. I also put On Guard oil in their diffusers and on the bottom of their feet daily. The benefits of essential oils are endless and I highly recommend them! **Message me if you need a provider.

Paul and I have done our best at trying to use only natural and organic products on our kiddos; The Honest Company is just that! I signed us up for the diaper bundle where we receive multiple packages of diapers (depending on size) and 4 packages of wipes. When you sign up for bundles you are then eligible to receive other Honest Company products at a discounted price. In the long run you end up saving money compared to going out and buying diapers at the store and this way they are delivered to your front door, which has been so helpful! On the website they give you the opportunity to edit your bundle so you don’t ever run out of diapers and so you don’t over accumulate diapers either. It’s worked great for us and I really do love their products! Some Honest Company staples are: honest diaper rash cream, honest nipple balm (if you plan on breastfeeding this is a neccesity) and of course, the diapers and wipes. It’s an added perk that their prints are so stinkin cute! **To find out more about Honest Company products and bundles go to: http://www.honest.com.

We have used The Honest Company shampoo/body wash and lotion which I really like (and still use here and there), but I prefer the sent of the Shea Moisture brand. If you haven’t used this, try it! It smells amazing, it works great, and it’s natural! I have used it on Lazar and Mila ever since they were newborns so the smell literally transports me back in time to those early bath moments and literally melts my heart! You will want to use it on yourself! **I buy it from Target.

After our oh-so-sweet bath time, I put the kiddos in their Zipadeezips, turn on their diffusers filled with the calming lavender aroma, plug in the noise makers and place them in their cribs. Every night I whisper, “I love you, sweet dreams” as I carefully shut their doors, I can’t help but miss them; already excited about the adventures the next day will bring for us! In the meantime, I like to have peace-of-mind that they are safe while sleeping. A friend of mine told me about the Angelcare monitor. This monitor has a sensor pad that goes under the crib mattress which detects movement. If for some reason your child would stop moving/breathing this monitor would pick that up and sound an alarm immediately. It is also a video monitor so you are able to see what your little ones are up to without potentially waking them by cracking open their bedroom door. When your babies get older there is a speaker option on the monitor so you can talk to them (“go back to bed”) without getting out of bed yourself! All-in-all a great purchase! **You can buy this monitor off of http://www.target.com or http://www.amazon.com.

Now that you have piece-of-mind when your mini is sleeping you can focus on other pesky things like boogers (haha)! Is there anything worse than seeing a big booger lodged in your babies nose? You can’t swipe it out and that “booger sucker” from the hospital is a lost cause that actually has been proven to be a mold filled disaster. Fret no more! The Nose Frida is amazing! Lazar actually giggles when I need to use it on him! I was skeptical about this thing, but I registered for it (because I was scan-crazy) and it really paid off. you literally place the large tube ever-so-slightly filling the babies nostril and …suck! Don’t worry there are these nifty little filters so you won’t be inhaling the irritating boogers for an unexpected snack! Mila has yet to fuss and cry when I’ve used it on her, she smiles and seems to find it relieving. It deserved a spot on the “favorites” list. **You can find this at Target.

Ok so your baby can breathe easy, booger free, now they are ready to eat. If you are nursing your baby, a boppy pillow is perfect for ultimate comfort. I love this pillow, but couldn’t stand the ugly (in my opinion) covers. So I went to Etsy to help me find a more stylish cover. The Horse and Dragon Shoppe has great options like the one I have pictured here: 

As I mentioned in “Lazar’s Birth Story” he didn’t nurse well. I eventually pumped every bottle for him. We ended up choosing the Munchkin Latch bottles and loved them; especially because Lazar’s tongue-tie made his latch so narrow, this bottle seemed to work well for him. There are so many good options out there, I believe it’s up to personal preference which one(s) you decide upon.**You can find this bottle at Target.

When you are on the search for something unique and cute Etsy is always a good idea! Here are a couple more Etsy shop finds and the final two favorites: Phoebe Elliot Moccs and Noxxaz (sag hat beanies and bow turban headbands). The quality of both these shops are amazing! The moccasins are made with 100% genuine leather and the beanies/headbands are so soft leaving no irritation on your babies delicate skin.

I really hope our FAVORITES will be able to help you and even become your favorites as well! **Many of these items can be found at Target (as I mentioned) but also in major department and baby stores as well.

Have Faith Mama(s)… failures today may just become FAVORITES tomorrow!

XO

 

 

 

 

After putting into words the birth stories of Lazar and Mila I decided it was only fitting to talk about what life is like now that they are both out of the womb! Giving birth to Lazar close to a year and a half ago was the best day of me and Paul’s lives! Becoming parents has been so extremely rewarding and also extremely exhausting! Not to mention the recovery of a c-section was way more intense and painful than I ever could’ve imagined! After going through 20+ hours of labor with no relief, my body was truly worn down. Adding the c-section on top of that, was a recipe for disaster (see Lazar’s Birth Story)! I couldn’t stand up straight let alone take a few steps, how in the world was I supposed to take care of a newborn baby?! I felt like I got run over by a bus! A LARGE bus (haha)! I remember feeling so overwhelmed sitting in that hospital bed, not allowing myself to take my eyes off of Lazar. I hated when the nurses would take him to the nursery, so I could “get some rest.” Honestly, when he was away from me, it just made me more restless than ever!  It was like, the second he was born, I no longer had control…he was out, and I felt like I was watching my heart being taken from here-to-there. The feeling of helplessness consumed me… I was in a fog (mainly from all the medications) I just didn’t feel like myself and it was throwing me for a loop!

I figured once we got home I would start to feel better… NOT the case! I couldn’t even get off the couch without Paul helping me. Physically I wasn’t myself (I was in so much pain) and mentally I knew I wasn’t myself either. I was over the moon in LOVE with Lazar it was amazing! I would look at him and just start crying, thinking, “I am so in love with this child!” I would hold him in my arms and watch him fall asleep and wonder how life could get any sweeter! However, there were times I just couldn’t shake the feeling of inadequacy… I sometimes thought, “this sweet baby deserves better, I don’t know what I’m doing, Lazar deserves the very best!” I would think to myself, “How can I be the very best for Lazar if I can’t even get off the couch by myself?” Tears would fall and another day would pass. Paul did an amazing job at reminding me that God chose ME to be Lazar’s Mama and that I needed to have confidence in that! All those thoughts of doubt and negativity were all the devil trying to steal my joy! I was determinded NOT to let that happen! I prayed and prayed, dove back into my daily Bible readings and would ask God to help me feel better, heal quicker and overall be the best Mama I could possibly be for Lazar! My pain began to subside over the weeks and I started to gain more and more confidence! I’m so thankful that having those brief feelings of indadequacy only lasted a short time after Lazar was born! Paul was, and still is, my rock and comfort in those weak moments, and without him I would be so lost! Our relationship has gotten stronger and more consumed with love for one another, more than I ever could’ve imagined! I thank God for that daily!

Unfortunately, some Mama’s endure much more pain such as “The Baby Blues” or even “Postpartum Depression.” These topics are so serious and not discussed enough. Todays new Mothers are surrounded by a false idea that everything has to be picture perfect.   Some of you Mama’s have had to endure a lot of sadness during what is supposed to be, one of the happiest times of your lives. In my opinion THE most important thing you can do is pray about these feelings and give them all up to The Lord! When you trust God whole heartedly to solve any issue or problem you are facing, He is absolutely there and wants to be the one to help! If things get too serious and just don’t seem to let up, that would be an appropriate time to talk to your Doctor. Like I said, I haven’t experienced the really tough emotions that can sometimes follow after birth, but I know it happens and every Mama has gone through their own struggles and battles at some point. I know when I am having a difficult day I can always lean on Gods Grace to pull me through! God also gave me the most amazingly supportive husband that loves our kids and I with his whole heart and with that, I couldn’t be more thankful!

One of my initial struggles as a new Mama, was when Lazar was born he ended up being “tongue-tied” (restricted mobility of the tongue) basically the little tendon under the tongue that connects to the bottom of the babies mouth can form in a way that restricts it (very common).  After Lazar was born, this restriction made nursing him practically impossible without excruciating pain, bleeding nipples, etc. This also caused me to get a breast infection called, Mastitis…I mean it was just the most awful pain! In a nutshell, Mastitis is a plugged or blocked milk duct in a woman’s breast that has become infected. The symptoms are comparable to the flew. The pain was excruciating and the best way to fix it, is by having your baby nurse on the infected breast as much as possible…OUCH!  The worst part was, we (the nurses and I) thought he just had a bad latch, which is what being tongue-tied causes (we just didn’t explore that opinion at the time), they suggested I use a nipple shield. The nipple shield is intended to help babies draw out your nipple if they don’t have a strong latch right away and because his latch was so narrow, he wasn’t receiving enough milk, causing a duct in my breast to become clogged and infected…Mastitis. The antibiotics cleared up the infection, but Lazar still struggled with nursing. I worked and worked at it with him, determined to get rid of the awful nipple shield (with a screaming fit from him almost every time) he just wasn’t having it! I finally made the decision to exclusively pump every bottle for the months that followed, until my milk inevitably started running out because I got pregnant with Wise Baby #2! Miss Mila!

I am completely convinced that God allowed Lazar to be tongue-tied so it would force me to pump, which ultimately led me to produce tons of storage bags of milk. Basically, after my milk supply dwindled because of my second pregnancy, I was still able to provide Lazar with my stored breastmilk. All apart of Gods wonderful plan! It wasn’t until we were in the hospital (when Mila was born) that the nurses finally confirmed Lazar was indeed tongue-tied and explained to me, “it is an easy “snip” to fix it!” Sheesh! Thanks for telling me now (haha)! **If your baby is having a difficult time latching or if breastfeeding is extremely painful ask the doctor or nurses to check to see if they are tongue-tied, especially before nurses push a nipple shield on you. A quick snip can immediately fix the problem and allow for a wonderful breastfeeding experience. Hospitals also offer lactation specialists that are extremely knowledgable and want to help! Don’t be afraid to ask! 🙂

As soon as Mila was born, I swear my heart doubled in size! Her birth story was certainly a lot less dramatic than Lazar’s (see Meeting Mila)! I had this preconceived idea that everything I went through with Lazar, was bound to happen with Mila…just silly, I know! I did have some of the same reactions after she was born, like I still hated when the nurses would take her out of the room, but this time around was SO different! This time around, I felt a confidence, this time around, I would think to myself, “I know exactly what to do! I got this!” Mila had a great latch and was breastfeeding perfectly! It was something I had prayed about ever since I found out I was pregnant! I desperately didn’t want to have to exclusively pump again, but I knew God had a plan and whatever was meant to happen was going to happen… I had faith that God had my very best interest in mind! I’m so very thankful His plan included a perfect latch! Being able to nurse Mila has been a sweet and special experience for me; and HOLY COW it’s a lot less work than exclusively pumping (haha)!

Once Paul and I started getting in a solid routine with Lazar and really feeling like we had this whole “parenting” thing down, God gave us Mila! The only way I can describe her is: AMAZING! She is the definition of a sweetheart! Being pregnant while raising a young child came with it’s challenges, but having a newborn while raising a young child has proven to be a crazy ride! Honestly there are plenty of moments during the day when both kiddos are crying and needing me at the same time and there is no way to make them both happy simultaneously… It’s a true test of patience! I remind myself in those moments how much I will miss these days! I even let out a chuckle sometimes like, “jeez this is crazy! But, it’s MY crazy!” Some mornings I dread when Paul says, “well, I gotta go to work.” I think to myself, “how can I possibly handle this alone?” EVERY SINGLE TIME, God comes through! He always gives me the motivation, energy and patience I need!

Each morning I wake up and thank God for allowing me to stay home and raise Lazar and Mila! I cannot imagine loading these two up evey morning and dropping them off. All those Mama’s and Daddy’s that need to do that to help provide for their families are doing an honorable job! However, I can NOT stand (for lack of a better word) how stay-at-home Moms/Dads get looked at like they have the easier end of the deal! Like it’s assumed I am sitting at home all day on my bum scrolling the web or reading the latest gossip mag! Sorry, that is just so naive and honestly, insensitive! A stay-at-home parent never leaves work, they don’t get a lunch break, sometimes not even a bathroom break (without a little mini pulling at your pant legs)! The truth is, each side of the spectrum could rant about how they have it harder than the other, but at the end of the day, each side has their positives and negatives. Personally, I am truly thankful for the position God has me in and frankly I wouldn’t change a thing! I have days where I feel so burnt out I don’t know why I ever thought raising one child was ever difficult… But then I remember the reality is, whether you have one or twenty-one children, or whether you stay at home or go to work each day, we all have our highs and lows! I believe we all need to rejoice over the highs and embrace the lows! One day we are all going to be wishing our kids were little again and if we focus too much on the negatives of life, we are going to miss out on all the beautiful positives!

Watching Lazar and Mila grow together has been so special for me to watch! Lazar truly adores Mila and gives her kisses with an “awwwww!” to follow any chance he gets! He calls her, “baybay” (in the cutest high-pitch voice) and sometimes would like to rough house with her, like all older brothers do of course! They nap around the same time everyday for about 3+ hours and go to bed at night around 7:30-8pm for about 12+ hours each! (I’ll be sharing my sleep tricks in a post to come!)

Somedays I just look at them and think, “God chose ME to be their Mama!” I have confidence in THAT & that thought alone, will bring tears of joy to me for the rest of my life!

Have Faith Mama(s)… Have confidence in knowing God has you exactly where you should be & live for all the beautiful positives in life!

XO