Little Jungsters

Phew! This one is hard! I consider myself to be a pretty open book and very inclusive when it comes to new people and making friendships. I acquired this trait moving around a lot as a child. I would pride myself on introducing myself and really trying to get to know other kids, often being the new kid myself. But motherhood is an entirely different scenario. Mother’s are pretentious. Not always inviting. Rarely willing to branch out. I find, often, motherhood to be a bit isolating. Despite staying busy with story time at the library or bookstore, play ground meet ups, gymnastics classes and play dates, meeting and forming friendships with other moms hasn’t proven super tricky. I certainly try, but often I’m not greeted with the same enthusiasm I once had as the new kid in school. You can’t exactly start with, “...but do you vaccinate? Is your child a potential measles carrier?” That’s off putting; now isn’t it?! Truly, in a lot of ways motherhood is like a big old ...

While strolling the isles of Hobby Lobby yesterday an idea struck me and I immediately got into DIY mode. It all started with this bunny door hanger I noticed for $5 prior to the 40% off discount. I stuffed it into my cart as I skimmed for inspiration on how I’d finish the look. Greenery and moss get me every time, and my baby’s perfectly timed diaper situation had me scrambling in a hurry. {side note: Why can my husband scour Lowe’s home improvement for Over an hour without incident, but every. time. I take him to Hobby Lobby I have to leave to take care of a diaper emergency? The conspiracy} Here’s what you’ll need for this project: - bunny cutout (this one came with a string attached) - adhesive backed moss - sharpie and scissors - finishing detail such as ribbon and floral - hot glue gun     I laid the bunny cutout on my adhesive moss upside down, since it’s not symmetrical, and traced the outside edge on to the paper backing on the moss. Then, while ...

I've compiled a list of a few things my family deems necessary for an afternoon at the beach. I hope this is helpful in planning your summer family outings. I've linked the items below, too.  Beach Wagon : I think this one is obvious. Micha made so much fun of Americans for their beach wagons, but it's truly one of our best investments when we head to the beach for the day.  We load it with our chairs, a cooler, and the beach bag.  Of course, with Sebastian in tow we load it a little more... it's been such a great purchase! Sun Shade Tent : We've had this for a few years, because we used it when we went to the beach with Otis.  We like it alright, and it's lasted a while already.  However, every year we have to spend some awkward minutes figuring out the installation... so Micha suggests a pop up one instead.  It may not last as long, but the convenience would win- especially if you have a fussy baby in the sun during set up. Baby Dome...

This is probably the most talked about during the highs and lows of raising Sebastian.  Do we want a second baby, or are we complete?  From my perspective I am really perplexed.  I bounce back in forth all the time; usually in those highs and lows of parenting I find myself switching sides of the argument. I've imagined myself with two children for a large part of my life, and I'm not sure if that really carries a lot of weight in this decision or if it just adds more {self} pressure.   As far as Sebastian is concerned, I'd absolutely love for him to have siblings.  I think it's a different way of life, a different childhood when you can share it with another sibling.  Of course they will argue like cats and dogs at times, but in the end they will always have each other in their own personal highs and lows of life.  I want that for Sebastian.  Without a doubt, I want Sebastian to have a brother or sister.   Then, I t...

This post isn’t for the Mamas, except to provide some comfort in the fact that we all are just a little bit more similar. This post is for the husbands. Call it a cautionary tale. A what not to do. A bit of a self help guide. And a touch of comic relief for your wife... who wants to throat-punch you when you utter some really stupid sentences. {grin} :What do you want me to do? Guys, this might seem harmless, but it’s oh so offensive. Do not, I repeat do not, ever ask a woman what they want YOU to do. She will tell you “nothing,” because we refuse to be your task manager... save yourself on this one and take initiative. There’s always something to be done. Perhaps, attend to her needs, because the likelihood if her fore-fitting another bathroom trip or forgetting to prepare a glass of water before lifting her shirt for the eighth time today has left her neglecting some of her own needs. :The baby is hungry. Gentlemen, frankly those are fighting words. DODGE! Listen, t...

Sebastian is just beginning to play with toys, which naturally promotes the question from my husband about cleanliness. “How often should we clean his toys? Should we sanitize them?” I was scouring the Internet for some tips in cleaning toys and came across a helpful website I will be referencing. Feel free to use it too; sharing is caring after all. I just brought some old vintage; (I say vintage, but really they belonged to my dad abandoned uncle as children) toys from my grandmother’s house home to share with and display in Sebastian’s nursery. Now, you have to know that I have only seen one of these toys sitting in just the same east facing, far left position on a shelf in the guest bedroom of my grandmother’s house for me entire life. Yep. I was never allowed to play with said toy, until now. I brought it home, and I’ll be perfectly honest with you- after I clean it up a bit (hello dust and grime) it will find a forever home on a shelf. It’s  just too special to be inco...

As an individual whose seen their fair share of counseling couches, therefore it’s also fair to consider myself a pseudo-therapist too. Similar to the Dr. Googles in your lives. I am confident with my self diagnosis and thus the perfect script to go along with it. I have diagnosed myself with “Momxiety,” easily recognizable to the onlooker with decently gifted vision. Symptoms include a variety of easily overlooked thoughts and actions. My momxiety is responsible for forgetfulness. Don’t be alarmed as I'm not referring to the “I lost my baby” variety as much as the “I literally cannot keep up with my water glass so I have ninety-five sprinkled around the house,” flavor of forgetfulness. I'm also plagued with a sense of lost control when not driving the vehicle with my child in the back seat leading to looming eighteen-wheeler paranoia, drifting car radar vision, and a lens for all possible impending doom when compulsively fixated on the road and surrounding cars. F...

Me & Liz with my niece, Mikayla I almost can't tell the story about my sister and I being raised by different parents without sharing the crowd pleaser, as it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Long story short, I recognized at a young age that my mother  was not a good {moral} person.  I was so embarrassed by it, and more so I knew that I needed a strong support system to reach my goals, and she wasn't capable of providing that.  So, about a year into my parents divorce I began expressing a desire to switch custody. Within the first year of my parent's divorce my mother met and married another man.  Terrible idea, but no one asked me.  He was a former minister and removed from the Methodist church as he had cheated on his wife with a Russian order bride.  At least that was my eleven year old understanding, and that didn't come from my father-- whom refused to speak poorly of my mother and further disobeyed me to do so.  This man ...

What to pack in your hospital bag can be quite overwhelming.  I remember searching a number of websites for inspiration, but in all honestly your instinct isn't far off.  Pack what you think you'll need, sure... the rest will be provided. So, what did I pack?   While some of the items I packed were truly packed with selfish intention (read: photo props) the remainder of the items I tried to stick to necessities.   I do recommend touring your hospital or birthing facility prior to your main event, as they will inform you of the items they will provide.  My theory on this was, "I'm going  to reach my deductible anyway- why not utilize the hospital for all the necessities they would provide for "free" and save my stuff for when we return home."  I used the hospital bill to bank roll small purchases (like a hand pump) or items I was considering, but wasn't sure I would need depending on my labor and my child's preferences. This wo...

When considering this post I wanted to be sure to be authentic and share some items that we truly love and use daily, and I didn’t want to limit (or stretch) myself to a said number of items. Some of these items are more pricey, so I’ll share how we went about securing them for discounts. I’m a bargain shopper- the influx of expenses surrounding bringing a baby home is quite a lot... my advice, pace yourself. Snuggle Me (Organic)- A snuggle me is basically a pillow with a hammock like suspension center for babies to sleep in. It’s unique shape mimics the comfort of mother’s womb and makes the baby feel secure. Sebastian has slept in the snuggle me every night since he was a week old. For the first month of his life all his naps ans bedtime were in the snuggle me. We have two covers so they can be rotated when washing occurs. Also, an added bonus is that the pillow itself can be tossed into the washing machine and dried in the dryer without damaging or destroying the integrity of...

Our hospital did not have a photographer that took fresh baby photos, so Micha and I researched Pinterest (where else?) for some ideas to try on our own. Here’s what we came up with... Once we were home I knew I wanted newborn photos, but the professional price tag was a bit more than Micha could be convinced to fork over. He made a deal- he would take the photos and if I didn’t like them we could hire someone else- needless to say, I liked his. More so because he took them.            What Mama doesn’t need a Christmas pajama photo? Sebastian was one month old here and still super scrunchie and snugly.   Sebastian has really grown in the last two weeks, and looking back at these photos already make me a bit sad he's not so tiny.  This isn't looking promising for him as he only continues to grow.  Basically he's a grown man already. {sobbing}

Today was the day we (me and Sebastian- like he really has a say) have had planned to go out to lunch with my neighbor. We decided a few days ago that we would go out for lunch at a cute deli downtown. I should preface this with, yes we leave the house and often I feel like. I take Sebastian to home decor shops and craft stores Micha would never be caught dead joining me...since Sebastian doesn’t have a say, I tote home along and I’m one happy Mama. Anyhow, last night before I fell asleep I ran through in my head all the things I’d need to do I. The morning in order to make our lunch date on time. I knew I wanted to get a shower (hello motherhood where that’s not an everyday given), put on make up and fix my hair. I would have to feed the baby, let the dog out, change the baby’s clothes... I had it all laid out in my mind. And then my child slept for 6.5 consecutive hours for the first time in his life. Don’t get me wrong, I was so grateful for this... but it wasn’t allocated in my p...