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