{Baby Swag} Easy Peasy Must Haves

A couple of weeks ago, I was at the park with another new mother and we started talking about different baby products that we use. She mentioned that she loves her Dr. Brown bottles, but is so sick and tired of washing every little part. I thought, less is more, my friend.  So these are just a few of the easy peasy products that I shared with her.

One - Two - Three - Four - Five

Playtex Drop-Ins System Nurser Bottles - When my husband suggested that we go with this bottle system, I thought he was crazy. Seriously, the 1980's called - they want their bottles back. Why would we go with something that's so old school when there have been tons of advances in baby bottles since? There is a reason why this system has been around for a lifetime - because it works. Baby K had really bad reflux and these were the only bottles that did not allow excess air to get into her tiny body. Yes, you always need to have the drop-in liners handy (which is kind of a negative), but it's so easy. Feed, dispose, done. 

Medela Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags - Sanitizing nipples (or breast pump accessories) becomes so easy with this bag. Wash items in soapy water, but in bag, microwave for a couple minutes and everything becomes sterile. You can use one bag 20 times before you toss it. Serious lifesaver, I'm telling you.

Enfamil Infant Formula Powder Single Serve - I love these "to-go" packets because there is no measuring involved (they are portion controlled - one stick equals 4 oz. of formula) and they conveniently fit into your diaper bag for easy feeding while out and about. Add water and you're done. 

Plum Organics Baby Food - Now, I have not used this brand of baby food just yet (but I will when Baby K gets used to the idea). I love how it's in a squeezable pouch, which is so easy to feed baby while on the go. 

Plum Organics Dispensing Spoon by Boon - This product affixes to the Plum Organics pouch for feeding your very little ones on the go. Additionally, Boon makes a dispensing spoon where you put the baby food into the handle and it dispenses from actual spoon. *Side Note - Munchkin makes one too. I do not love it.* By marrying the dispensing spoon straight to the pouch, feeding time just became much less messy and so much easier! 

These are just a few products that I've come across. I'd love to know other Easy Peasy products out there! 

{Adventures In} Ombre' Mini Cakes

My best friend of 20+ years is getting married this summer and her bridal shower is quickly approaching. It's up to the other bridesmaids and I to throw her an ah.maze.ing shower. And since I'm seriously loving the ombre' look that is everywhere right now, so why not make that the "theme" to her shower? I took to the internet and found a great tutorial here and decided to try my hand at making purple ombre' mini cakes. How did I do?

Pretty stinkin' cute, right?! 

These guys are not easy to make. Super cute in the end, but it takes a lot to get here. 

Ingredients:

1 box cake mix (I used vanilla)

1 container of frosting (I used vanilla)

Purple food coloring (I used Duff Electric Food Coloring) 

Equipment:

Hand Mixer

Round Cake Pans (I used 8" rounds)

4 small bowls 

Cookie Cutter (Roughly 3" round)

Directions:

Prepare cake mix according to the directions shown on the box. Split batter into 4 small bowls evenly. (Roughly 1 cup per bowl). 

Apply food coloring into each bowl starting with the darkest color first. I applied roughly 14 drops of purple food coloring into the first bowl, 5 in the second bowl, 2 in the third bowl and 1 in the fourth bowl (making it the lightest) . 

For some reason the pictures I take on my "good" camera are not true in color. Weird. 

Coat the cake pans in butter/shortening/whatever. Since I only have two - 8" round cake pans, I had to bake the batter in two batches. This wasn't as time consuming as I thought it would be because it only took 10 minutes to bake each batch.

Once your batches are done, place on a cooling rack and wait. Now comes the more difficult part (at least for me).

In order to make sure that your layers are straight, you have to make sure that your cake is level. I tried. I failed. I definitely need some practice. Once I felt that my layers were level enough, I began to construct the mini cakes. Starting with the darkest layer on the bottom, I added piped frosting in between all four layers. Until I got this:

Definitely not perfect. But still cute.

So, now that's it's done and it's somewhat of a success will I do it for her bridal shower? Not sure. I will need to make roughly 20 of these guys and since there is no frosting on the outside of the mini cake, it will dry out quickly. Like within minutes. I have a couple of months to perfect it, so who knows. I can always make ombre' cupcakes instead. :)

{Adventures In} Decorating the Nursery

I have one more pillow to sew before I'm ready to show off Baby K's nursery. But in the meantime, here's a sneak peek.

{Baby Swag} Must Haves for Baby

When I was pregnant, I researched EVERYTHING. Right down to which bathtub to buy - who knew there were SO many options! I definitely appreciated all the mom bloggers out there who told the good, the bad and the ugly of baby related purchases. I always swore that after Baby K was born, I would pay it forward and do the same. So below is my list of Top 8 baby swag that I cannot (and I mean cannot) live without.

One - Two - Three - Four - Five - Six - Seven - Eight

Uppababy Vista Stroller - I did not want to be replacing a cheap stroller every few months. After researching cheaper and more expensive strollers, I fell IN LOVE with this one. I will warn you, the Uppababy Vista is not cheap, but you definitely get what you pay for. It is stable and sturdy, yet isn't too heavy. It folds and opens fairly easy, yet isn't too bulky. The best part is that it grows with your baby. It comes with a bassinet option for when your baby is really little (which we did not use, but it was nice to have). You also have the option to purchase an attachment ($30) which will allow your Chicco, Graco or Maxi Cosi car seat to sit snug in the stroller as well. Glorious!

Fisher Price My Little Lamb Platinum Swing - I can't say enough good things about this swing. We originally purchased a Fisher Price Snugabunny Swing and after 1 week of using it, it was NOISY. I'm talking, gears shifting LOUD! I read that this was common, so we boxed it back up and returned it. I was apprehensive about purchasing another Fisher Price swing, but they are the best around, so we took our chances. I am so glad we did because this swing has it all! Most importantly, it plugs in with an A/C adaptor. No batteries required! It has a starlight show which keeps Baby K entertained. And it's cozy. Like, I want to curl up in the swing with her and take a nap, cozy.

Sassy Rings - These rings were one of the first things we gave to Baby K when she started holding on to things. She uses them everyday and cannot go anywhere without them. She is constantly gnawing on them even though she's isn't teething quite yet.  

Aden + Anais Swaddling Blankets - I love every single product this company makes. They could make toilet paper and I would probably buy it. They are not the cheapest swaddling blankets out there, but they are the best and worth every dime. They are much larger than most blankets and are made out of a gauzy material. Once your baby no longer needs/wants to be swaddled, they make great blankets to keep them cozy in car seats or in their swing. You will use them every day for the first year of your child's life (and then some). 

Petunia Pickle Bottom Diaper Bag - Again, not the cheapest diaper bag option out there. But, this one comes with a portable changing station in it. It has pockets for EVERYTHING. The outside of the bag is made from a water-resistant material so when you spill a bottle (and you will), it's easy clean up. Plus, they come in great patterns! 

Car Seat Cover - Keeps the germs out, keeps the sun out, and most importantly keeps strangers from gawking at your child. If you are handy with a sewing machine, there are plenty of templates out on the interweb, so just make your own. Etsy also has countless options as well. I use mine everyday - well worth it!

Pajamas - When I was pregnant, I didn't buy any of these. So very stupid. I wish someone would have told me that they Baby K would be living in them. Most days, I don't even change her out of her pajamas because they are perfect for playing and sleeping throughout the day. 

Aden + Anais Security Blankets - I am a huge fan of security blankets mainly because I still have (and sleep) with mine. Don't judge. Because of this, I am all for these mini blankets. It's the perfect size for her little hands and is made from the same breathable material that the swaddler blankets are made from so you don't have to worry about your baby smothering themselves. Again, great company. Go buy everything they make. You will not be disappointed. 

Next up...Baby K's nursery.

{Adventures In} Babies

                                                                    Cuteness. Overload.

{Monthly Baby Update} 6 Months

Still no hair. Cute as a bug. God love her.

It's hard to believe that Baby K is already 6 months old! Where does the time go?! I have no idea. But I will tell you that it hurts my heart. Big time.


Weight: 18.5 lbs. (90th percentile) Height: 27 inches (90th percentile) Clothing Size: We've progressed passed her 6 month clothing, are almost through her 9 month clothing and are comfortably fitting into her 12 month clothing already! I sense a shopping trip in my near future. Diaper Size: Just started Size 3. Feeding: She's also well versed in all things baby food. So much so, we're planning on starting her on real solids in the next couple of weeks. First up - avocado and blueberries! She's eating 5 meals a day. Meals 1, 3 & 5 consist only of formula (8oz). Meals 2 & 4 are baby food (fruit or vege) and a bottle (4 oz). Current fav? Peas. Can't. Get. Enough.  Milestones: Baby Girl is sitting up like crazy! In fact, that's all she wants to do. Put some rings and a mirror in front of her and she's content as can be! She also developed her first cold this week. Runny nose and cough that sounds like she's been smoking for 50 years. She's still smiling through it all, so she's definitely on the mend. Loves: All things rings! She has begun passing things from hand to hand, so she's happy to play with anything that shows that off! Coming in a very close second is her Jumperoo. Most days she can sit in that thing for 30-40 minutes. Giving mom some very precious baking or washing dishes time. (Currently one of mom's favorites too!) Hates: Tummy time. Cries the entire time.  Looking forward to: I know I'm going to kick myself later for saying this but, crawling. I can't tell you  how many times she seems anxious or irritated because she can't just "go". Being mobile will help, but it will also make our lives a complete hell. We have two flights of stairs. Enough said. 

{Adventures In} Couponing

Are you as obsessed with TLC's "Extreme Couponing" show as I am?! If you are into couponing and live in Southern California, you know that extreme couponing does not exist here. (I'm sure you can get close, but it will likely drive you crazy.) Local grocery stores no longer double coupons and now that shows like "Extreme Couponing" have become popular, retailers actually try to limit the amount of couponing one can do in a typical visit. So here's how to save a TON of money at Target - Extreme Modest Couponing Style.

General Guidelines:

• Use both manufacture coupons and Target coupons. They can be combined for even more savings!
• Wait until Target offers gift cards for specific items purchased. You can make money from purchasing items that you would ordinarily purchase anyway. 

Here is just a sample from a recent trip I made to Target:

Swaddlers Size 4 & 5 diapers - $37.99 each. I had 3 coupons, 2 that were from the manufacture ($3.00 off total) and 1 from Target ($1.50 off). Target had a promotion that if you bought 2 boxes, you'd receive a $20.00 gift card. Yes, you are buying $70.00 worth of diapers in one sitting, but you get a $20 gift card making your purchase $50.00.

Enfamil 23 oz. Formula - $22.99 each. I had 1 Target coupon ($5.00) off. Target had a promotion that if you bought 2 packages, you'd receive a $10.00 gift card. This makes your total $30.00!

Charmin Toilet Paper and Bounty Paper Towels - $15.99 each. I had 3 coupons, 2 that were from the manufacturer ($1.00 off total) and 1 from Target ($0.50 off). Target had a promotion that if you bought both items, you'd receive a $5.00 gift card. This makes your total $25.00!

Venus Razors - $15.59 for a 4 pk. of refill cartridges & $8.59 for a starter set. I had 2 coupons, 1 that was from the manufacturer ($5.00 off if you purchase both) and 1 from Target ($5.00 off if you purchase both). Less both coupons, that's $14.00 for 6 razors total! This is a perfect example of how using manufacturer and Target coupons can get you ridiculous savings!

So how did I do? When all was said and done, between sale prices, manufacturer coupons, Target coupons and gift cards, I saved $117.83. Holy hell, that's a lot of money!

Even though Extreme Couponing may be dead in Southern California, who says that you can't save a BOATLOAD of money anyway!