Category: Motherhood

Happy Friday Friends!

So excited to bring you some new Mama Must Haves (check out past my last MMH’s guest post), over the past year and a half I have found some products that I absolutely love and can’t go without! I don’t know about you but when I had to register at Buy Buy baby I was so overwhelmed. I had NO clue what was good and what was necessary as a new mom. So if you are feeling that way hopefully this post can give you an idea of some really great products with mom’s STAMP of approval on them.

+ Sassy diaper sacks– I literally don’t go anywhere without these little guys. They really help cut the stinky diaper smell, so when your on a airplane and a blow out situation happens you want these in your bag!

+ Sassy Toys– Great for development with bright colors and bold patterns. These have been some of Blakely’s favorite toys and have kept her busy while out to dinner or on a airplane!

+ Babyganics products- As most of you know I am a big fan of babyganics from my previous post.  So I couldn’t do a mama must have without one of my favorites on the list. Their shampoo +body wash is so gentle and fragrance free, we have never had a “shampoo in the eye situation” at our house because it is so gentle!

+ Lavender oil- Kids sleep support is something that is really important to me! We have a wonderful sleeper in our house thanks to our wonderful sleep specialist, Cara of Taking Cara of babies- – see that post here.  As of recent I have been using lavender oil on her feet too, I dilute it in a couple drops of coconut oil. You don’t have to dilute it from what Young Living’s website. It states you can apply 2–4 drops directly to desired area and that dilution is not required, but I do dilute when I put it on Blakely. I don’t sell Young Living I just buy it, but if you are interested in learning more about oils in general check out Joys_Journey on Instagram and direct message her! She is a guru on oils and can walk you through the entire process!

+ Bumkins Silicone Grip Dish is the best grip dish I have found! Once stuck down it’s not moving, only mama can get that back up! When I was registering I put down the trendy and more expensive EZPZ mat, but Blakely easily moved this tray around and it made a mess. Don’t ask me why but the Bumkins dish truly works and it is cheaper, doesn’t get much better than that!

+ Birth Annoucement– So the last mama must have is truly for “mama” more than for baby. I think it’s so special to have a birth announcement for your little one that is unique and tailored to your baby.  I was blessed to have my best friend Alexandra of Fleurish Letters +Design create this incredible birth announcement for my daughter.  She illustrates everything by hand and it’s written in beautiful hand lettering. It’s definitely a wonderful keepsake, something that I will always treasure! Enter the giveaway for a chance to choose from the many theme announcements that are available. FIND FLEURISH LETTERS  + DESIGN ON:

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A clean house is a must for our family.

I do my best to always use baby-safe products when I’m cleaning, I never want to question could this be safe for Blakely. When Blakely was born I didn’t know what products to use, there are just so many out there! But I was won over by Babyganics because their products are formulated with plant-based, natural and certified organic ingredients.

Recently, Babyganics sent me some their fabulous products to try, some of these I already use daily and others were new to me. So today I’m excited to share 3 of my favorite Babyganics products. For reals though, using these products give me peace of mind that I’m using good and gentle cleaning products in our home.

Product 1: Babyganics Mineral Based Baby Sunscreen Lotion

This has been my go to sunscreen since Blakely was born. I love it because the ingredients are way more natural than other sunscreens, it’s non-allergenic and tear free.When you have a one year old who won’t sit still while putting on sunscreen an effortless application is a MUST! So I love how Babyganics applies, it rubs in the skin right away, has no strange sunscreen smell!

Product 2: Babyganics Face and Hand Wipes

The day these Babyganics goodies arrived at our door, Blakely had come down with her second cold ever. There were a lot of boogers and sneezes happening at our house, the face and hand wipes came in so handy that week. They are super gentle wipes, Blakely did not have any redness around her nose the entire cold. These wipes are very hydrating and they are unscented (unlike some other boogie wipes out there)!

Product 3: Babyganics Foaming Dish & Bottle Soap

It’s crazy how fast bottles add up in the sink. Every mom knows the faster the bottles can get cleaned and rinsed the better! Foam soap is great because there is alway less rinsing aka less water used, this soap takes off the residue and 100% gets rid of the stinky smell of formula.

What are your favorite Babyganics products?

Check out Babyganics on: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

**This post was sponsored by Babyganics,

Lets talk about life with a 15 month old child. SO many people said to me before Blakely was born, treasure every moment, every stage, every second. At that time I was like yes.. I know I will. I heard them say it but you don’t realize it until it has already happened that OMG my baby is already 15 months old. I now think about about all those times I wish I could have froze in time. If only we could! I will be the first to admit lately I know I cannot stop time, but I have been making an effort to slow down my days and learn how to treasure even the crazy moments Blakely and I have together.

Around 14 going on 15month I noticed big changes in Blakely. It was like “OK I am here I have arrived in the world, and I am ready to share all my feelings with you Mom and Dad.” We really saw her independence start to develop, she went form helpless in ways to independent. And yes… as a result we started to see extreme swings and “not so good” behavior. We really had to have a “Come to Jesus” moment and realize that the behavior often happens because she think she has the world figured out but she doesn’t yet and her getting frustrated about that is all apart of her developing her identity.

The next big change that is happening as we speak is the transition from two naps to one. I am proud to say we are still doing two naps (most days), thanks to the plan we got from Cara sleep expert from Taking Cara babies. Check out my post all about our sleep training experience here.  My major take away from sleep and a 15 month old is having a plan/routine (from birth) and sticking to it. Once we got on the plan from Cara, Blakely gets all rest she needs to make her and me happier throughout the day.  I am dreading the day of having to FULLY transition down to one nap but we can do it!

The other difference that has happened is just how active my little B has become, obviously I knew that this is going happen so each day we try to get outside and do an activity. Three days a week we go to FIT4MOM workout group and other days I try to have a play date or we go to the park to feed the ducks. This summer she has loved playing in this inflatable pool or playing with chalk and bubbles(the hurricane is awesome). Oh and the bubbles…. I never thought I would see this many bubbles in my life. BUT– it’s so much fun being with her and watching her enjoy and explore the world.

Okay- there is my gushy mom post about life with a 15 month old.

What are some of your favorite activities to do with your toddler, let me know in the comments below?

Xo- Whitney