Top 3 Essential Baby Items - Momma Monday

When I was pregnant and nearing "go-time", I stressed that I wasn't prepared enough or didn't have the right baby items stocked up. I would wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, dreaming that we would bring Sophie home and only then would I realize we were missing some key piece of baby-related furniture or clothing.

Looking back, I realize logically that if we were missing something we were only 10 miles away from all the local stores....not really a tragedy if we discovered something dire was missing from our baby inventory. But when you are about to be a mom for the first time, you tend not to be logical.

However, I came to find out that there are way too many baby items that are useless, not sensible and not needed at all (in my opinion).

Here are my three favorite items that I relied on religiously when Sophie was a baby....


1. Fisher Price My Little Lamb Sleeper

We used this in place of a bassinet and we LOVED it! Sophie slept in it for all naps and at night since the day she was born until about 3 months old (when we moved her to her crib full time).

It's so light and portable that it was no hassle at all dragging it from room to room. We also packed it up when we went on overnight trips or to someone's house and it was so convenient!

Hands down one of my all time favorite pieces of baby related haul. I could not have lived without this.

2. Infant Gowns
Forget the cutesy pajama's that snap up the front....for the first couple months Sophie lived in these dressing gowns. They are so easy and especially handy when you have to change the baby's diaper bleary eyed, in the middle of the night. Envision yourself trying to fiddle with snaps and zippers when you've been up every two hours and it's the middle of the night....forget about it. The dressing gown is so easy, no buttons/snaps/zippers to mess around with. It's just elastic on the bottom :)

3. Nursing Cover
There are millions out there and I've used two different ones and have no real preference on brand. But considering I breastfed for a year, I probably used my nursing cover more than any other baby related item I have.

They are so light and easy to tote along with you in the diaper bag and they work really well at covering you without you having to worry that people can see in the sides, or around you. Covers everything well without worry.

There are more items that came in very handy but if I had to pick three for the first couple months...these are definitely the top!

Try It Tuesday.....Going Green

Unless you don't ever read newspaper (do they even have newspapers anymore??), magazines, or go on Facebook, twitter, instagram or any other social media....you know that green smoothies/drinks/juices are all the rage still.

I'm not really a smoothie fan because they are usually loaded with calories and sugar but I have to admit I like the green juices. They are delicious and depending on how you make them, they are pretty darn good for you. Plus Sophie's great grandparents gave her a Vitamix for Christmas (she's one lucky girl) and it's so fun to use. 

My favorite green smoothie that I've been drinking a couple times a week lately is as follows:

- 1 cup of either water or coconut water

- Handful of spinach

- 2 stalks of celery

- Half a cucumber (skin left on)

- 1 lime or lemon (skin removed)

- Few sprigs of parsley and mint

- Half a banana, apple or pear

It's tasty, delicious and super easy to make. I drink it about 2-3 times a week in place of breakfast. 

I got this cute mug at TJ Maxx...a mustache still cracks me up.

Putting my RD hat on, I think a good tip is to keep the smoothies to 1 piece of fruit. Some recipes call for pineapple, apples, bananas, pears etc all in one and that much fruit can tend to spike your blood sugar levels. I like to try and use 3 vegetables for every 1 fruit. 

I'd love to hear your green juice recipes you like!

Momma "Minute" Monday

it's true that being a mom means a lot of running around, constantly changing diapers, wiping running noses, endless amounts of laundry, etc.

However, I think it's important to find time to relax, think, read a book, watch a favorite tv show, etc. It helps you unwind and gives you a chance to recharge.

One of my favorite morning weekday routines is the free time I have when Sophie (sometimes) takes a nap in the morning. The mornings can be pretty busy from the time we get up....there's milk to be drank, clothes to change, breakfast to make, and a lot of chasing after a fully energetic one year old.

Sophie usually goes down for a nap about 10am....just in time for me to make a cup of coffee and sit back while watching my morning indulgence....The Wendy Williams Show. I love the celebrity gossip and I think Wendy Williams is hilarious and fabulous.

Nothing helps me recharge like coffee, once in awhile biscotti and Wendy Williams.

What I Wore Wednesday

For Christmas, Dan got me this fabulous coat from Anthropology (no longer available...sorry) and at first I was hesitant if I liked it because it's so big and not fitted. But if I pair it with skinny jeans I absolutely love it! It's so warm and unique that I love it.

My apologies for the picture, it was a last minute "can-you-take-spic-real-quick-before-I-change-into-comfy-clothes kinda thing.

Step It Up (taking it to the streets)

Congrats to those that recognize the title of this post (hello fellow teen dance movie lovers!) This is my first Fitness Friday post!

One of my main goals is to lead an active lifestyle....rather than just have a generic goal of losing weight, exercising, eating healthy, etc. I'd prefer to just work on making fitness and health just an ordinary part of my everyday life.

Dan got me a Fitbit awhile ago and I've been using it everyday the past two weeks to really see how active I am throughout the day.

For those that don't know, a Fitbit is a small pedometer like device that tracks steps, calories burned, miles walked and then it wirelessly sinks up with your computer or phone to track progress. You can also enter foods eaten and active minutes of exercise to give you a picture of your fitness health each day.

The goal is to walk 10,000 steps a day. Before wearing the Fitbit I thought for sure I was walking at least 10,000 steps a day. After three days I realized I only average about 3,000 steps per day!! 

I really like the Fitbit because it's super small (I clip it onto my bra each morning when I get dressed) and it automatically sinks to the Fitbit App on my phone so I don't have to upload data, etc. 

So far it's been eye-opening at my lack of movement during the day and has also really helped me to fit in activities that help push me towards my goal of 10,000 steps a day. I started off at about 3,000 steps a day and now I am up towards the 5,000 steps a day mark. 

I better Get To Steppin'

Thankful Thursday

Today, as my commute took me just about 2 and 1/2 hours this morning, I am thankful for a car. I drove past many people in the city that were scurry about going to/from the subway, bus stops, etc. 

I'm so thankful to be able to sit in the comfort of my car with the heater on blast, my seat heater warming my booty, my podcast morning radio show playing and my cup of coffee. 

(photo courtesy of google images)

Trying to remember to enjoy and be thankful for the things in life we often take for granted.

Try It Tuesday

Let me just start off by saying: I do not consider myself a crafty person

Like most people, I often see something online (hello....pinterest) and think to myself "I could totally make that". Fast forward a few hours later and you'll find me covered in paint/glue/glitter/sawdust and on the verge of tears because I'm just not crafty.

However, that doesn't stop me from trying. Hence the "Try it Tuesday" category was born. My weekly dish on attempted crafts, recipes, etc. Be warned this includes the good, bad and the downright ugly.

Here is this week's inspiration:

This week's inspiration came from this website http://www.thecreativityexchange.com/2012/09/diy-gold-leaf-vase-how-to-paint-on-glass.html

I saw these gold leaf vases on the website and figured I'd give it a whirl. I had a bunch of large, plain glass vases sitting around and felt they could use some jazzing up.

Here is what I started with:

A plain glass vase, valspar metallic gold spray paint (at any local hardware store) and painters tape.



I placed the painter's tape on each vase where I wanted to clear lines of the design to be. I then filled up the center of each vase with newspaper just to keep any extra spray paint out of the inside of the vase, then wrapped the top with paint.


Then you just go to town spray painting the areas not covered by the tape.

Let it dry for a few minutes and peel off the tape....viola....cute gold vases. 

 Pretty easy...cheap and fast to make. I think this one was a WIN!