baby travelling essentials

I am so freaking nervous for this plane ride with Avairy in just a couple of days. It's her first time on a plane so I have no clue how she'll handle it. She may sleep the entire time or be a complete nut because everything is so new and exciting.

We have a couple of hours on two separate flights so it may not be that bad, but we have a 4 hour layover that I'm dreading. Who knows though, the weather may be nice and we can do a little bit of exploring!

In the meantime, I want to be ready for anything that may happen while we're travelling. So, here's an idea of what I plan to bring with us.

{check list}

formula 

stroller (sturdy with a lot of extra storage room)

change of clothes 

travel meals 

disposable diaper bags (for soiled clothing)  

toys 

lots of diapers

wipes 

soother 

blankie

How adorable are those Honest diapers?? They're all natural and free of chemicals that give a lot of babies diaper rash and they are so fricken cute! They don't ship to Canada yet, but I would love to get some!

I figure I have to look at diapers every single day so why not add a little sunshine where the sun don't shine? ha. Plus, it would make it a lot more welcoming when changing poopy diapers.

I'm also loving the idea of these Organic Ella's Kitchen pouches. They're great for traveling, even on planes and come in a ton of different flavours. I'll definitely be picking up a bunch for the trip!

By the way, we had day 2 of playing in the grass and it went a whole lot better this time! She was crawling around in the grass a lot, but not after she seriously thought it over.

And I couldn't resist sharing this picture of Avairy during breakfast! A happy tummy makes a happy baby (especially if it's full of blueberries). 

The faces she's starting to make crack me up so much. She's definitely a sassy, little drama queen!

4 important feeding tips for your baby

I'm please to announce that Avairy is now an expert eater! These days you cannot get the food in her mouth fast enough. Not to mention how much she's starting to eat in one sitting!

It's so exciting giving those first spoonfuls of food to your little one, but it's also important to be aware what you're giving them as well. Thankfully, Jordan and I have the same views on this and are so strict when it comes to what we feed Avairy.

The way I look at it, babies are as pure as they come. They aren't tainted with cravings for sugary or salty foods. Let alone have any desire for them. Remember, you aren't hurting baby's feeling by not giving them those cute snack puffs because they wouldn't know they exist in the first place if you don't introduce them to it. Which brings me to tip #1.

Tip #1

By starting your baby off on healthy eating habits and continuing for the years to come, you can help encourage a proper diet. If there's anything I would highly stress on any mother, it's that no matter how much work it may seem or how small of an idea it may be, just do it. You'll help your children live longer and healthier in the long run.

Tip #2

Skip the juices and baby snacks. Most of these are filled with sugar, dyes and preservative chemicals. I almost got excited when I saw this box of organic baby crackers and thought it couldn't be that bad. Until I saw it had sugar in it. Maybe I'm too strict on this, but I think of it as this: there's only so much a baby can eat in one day so why waste it on things that don't benefit them in any way? You could give them a handful of rice cookies with no real benefits or give them a bowl of banana with plenty of nutrients.

Tip #3

Use organic or natural foods (if you can). Some people don't see the point and others may not want to spend more on what they can buy cheaper, either way it's up to you. But if you're interested in buying organic, but don't want to spend the dough, then check out this link to the Dirty Dozen and The Clean Fifteen. It shows you the fruits/vegetables with the most and least pesticides. So, save a few dollars by buying regular sweet potatoes since they're low in pesticides, but shuck a few bucks on things like strawberries that have a high pesticide content. The website also tells you how much chemicals are in a single fruit. For example, peaches were found to have more than 60 different pesticides! Yuck, not in ma baby! haha

Tip #4

Make your own baby food. Sound daunting? Not at all. One morning I made mashed cauliflower for Avairy and it took less than 30 minutes (including prep work!). You get the satisfaction of seeing them eat what you've made for them and knowing that some company didn't add a little of this and a little of that in there. Look out for a post on how to make your own organic baby food soon!

Lastly, have fun and get messy! This is all an exciting learning experience for both of you so if things get a little crazy, it's alright. Bibs and sponges were invented because babies exist. haha

Happy eatings!

The Big Soother Debate

For a while now I've been attempting to wean Avairy off her soother with no success. The first time went really well during naptime, but when bedtime came around it felt like a lost cause. I gave in after about 30 mins of her crying.

I tried again and no word but hell could better describe the experience! It took almost an hour for her to finally fall asleep with out the soother, but it wasn't easy. She cried the entire time and looked at me with eyes that were confused and begging me to make her feel better.

After I had to ask myself if I was doing the right thing. It's the worst feeling wanting whats best for your child and not knowing what best actually is. Gah.

Now the main reason I wanted her to give up the soother was because she started to wake up multiple times during the night to have it put back in her mouth. She's a breeze to put down to sleep (including when she wakes in the middle of the night) but getting up just for a soother was tiring.

So, for new mothers out there wondering whether they should or shouldn't start with a soother, here is my opinion.

• DON'T START. However, there are a few exceptions to where it would be ok. First off, babies are born with natural instincts to suck. The reason I got Avairy a soother was because she was starting to suck on her hands a lot and I didn't want her getting use to it. Ultimately, it's easier to take away a soother than a thumb. Looking back I probably would've waited a bit longer to see how it progressed though. Also, babies that are premature or suffer from acid reflux will benefit from using a soother. It's up to you what you decide, but I would suggest not doing it if you don't need to.

• If you do decide to use one, LIMIT THEIR SOOTHER USAGE. This is because it's not recommended for children over the age of 1 years old to use a soother because of their growing teeth. It can also cause ear infections from prolonged use. Keep it strictly for sleeping. Luckily, I already vowed to do this the minute I bought her one.

• NEVER ALTER A SOOTHER or try to use any of those "tricks" to wean a child off of it. I've seen some people suggest putting hot sauce on it or cutting the tip off in hopes they become uninterested. You don't want to risk pieces breaking off and the baby choking on it. If you want it gone that bad just take it away cold turkey and tough it out.

In the end, I've realized that it's not so bad for her to use it or maybe the look on her precious face when she was crying convinced me. haha. I figured since she only uses it at night so it won't ruin her teeth and she won't become overly attached to it. And as she gets older maybe (hopefully) she'll know enough to put it in her mouth herself. I can deal with waking up at night for a little bit longer. Afterall, I've already gone 6 months without sleep so what's a little more gonna do?

If you have any tips you want to share about soother weaning I would love to hear it. I'll keep it in my back pocket in case I dare to try again!

Pinterest Tuesday: mini green thumbs (gardening)

I think gardening can be such a peaceful way for someone to relieve stress. Not to mention how beautiful the end results can be. Now that Spring has arrived, it's a great time to start working on the garden!

Jordan and I both knew from the start that we wanted to teach Avairy about where foods came from and what's it like to grow it yourself. I literally get so giddy thinking about her getting muddy in her sun hat and gardening gloves! I couldn't resist myself from looking up tiny gardening equipment for her.

Gardening Bag | Pink Slip-ons | Paper Bag Shorts | Yellow Polka Dot Shirt | Pink Water Can | Polka Dot Gloves | Pink Trowel | Red Wheelbarrow

If that doesn't make you turn your children into green thumbs then hopefully today's Pinterest Tuesday will. Not only is this great way to bond, but it's also something they can be proud of. Especially when they see you making dinner with their vegetables.

Rainbow Garden | Stone Labels | Starter Pots | Growing Scraps | Garden Tic-Tac-Toe | Indoor Garden

Definitely check out the link for gardening with scraps. It'll change your life! You'll save a ton of money by growing these yourself and most of them can be done indoors. Imagine never having to buy garlic or lettuce again!  

Feel free to leave me some suggestions for next weeks Pinterest Tuesday!

Until then happy gardening!

mom & me monthly favourites (March)

This month we actually have some favourites that we had for awhile, but she recently became more interested in them as she got older. And our all-time favourites are still going strong on the top of me and baby's list if you wanted to check that out too.

My top suggestion for most useful would be the Nuby Nibblers. Avairy has gotten two teeth coming in now so she's been trying to bite on anything she can get her tiny hands on. This product was really good for soothing her gums and keeping her busy.

You either put fruits or vegetables into the mesh netting and they can chew/suck on it without choking on tiny pieces. What I did for Avairy was cut and peel some apples and put them in the freezer in ziplock bags. Then once it was snack time (or if her teeth were bugging her) , I would grab some up and she would sit happily for a good 30+ minutes.

As for my #1 favourite this month, it would definitely have to be the star leggings from Target. Oh my god. Let me tell you...they are so adorable! They fit her perfectly with plenty of room to grow and the material is nice and sturdy. I even dressed her in them 3 days in a row. If she was older she would not be having that!

Ok, so now for Avairy's top favourite! Her stroller! Like I said, she's had this for a long time now, but recently she gets a lot more excited when she's getting put in it. Maybe it's because she's sitting big-girl-style as Jordan and I like to say haha. I personally think it's a bit bulky now when I compare it to the more sleek, modern ones, but I still like it. It's one of those strollers where they get tossed and bumped around and still last you forever. That's what really matters here!

Also, I wanted to explain why there were nighttime diapers in our favourites again this month. I loved the Huggies one, even though every morning she smelled like pee. I just figured this was because the diapers were -- well full of pee. haha. Until one day I accidentally grabbed some Pampers instead of Huggies. I thought 'Ugh great. I hate Pampers. They feel so thin and cheap.', but they are fab-u-lous! She hasn't had a leak nor does wake up smelling like pee! However, I still love my regular everyday Huggies. :)

Feel free to share some products that you guys love. I wanna try them out and maybe one month they could be our new favourites!

clueless about post-partum

Pregnancy definitely tops any other life experiences I've had in my entire life. Which is a bit obvious because you don't go through anything close to this throughout your life. I use to say almost everyday of my pregnancy that I couldn't believe that a human being was being made inside ME, inside MY belly! Actually to this day I still say it occasionally as I'm feeding Avairy and her growing legs and arms are spilling over my lap.

But there are a couple of things I wish they warned you about in those pregnancy books. So for those first time mothers out there I want to give you some heads up! Here are my top 6 surprise experiences.

1. Those beautiful, luscious, thick, long locks you got from pregnancy...GONE. You will shed so much hair after giving birth that people will think you re-carpeted your floors. The worst part about it that you won't expect it until one day you're showering and you notice you have a pony tail in your hand. 

2. Your period will come back with a vengeance. It'll be so angry you've abandoned it for over 9 months that it's going to make you cry blood...down there. I know this may be gross for some of you, but its reality. When my period came back I went through some sort of 24-hour fever. Chills, sweats, fatigue, the works. Thankfully Avairy has amazing grandparents that watched her for the day because I couldn't even make it back up the stairs to her after grabbing a bottle. 

3. All those pregnancy books that say first time breast feeding will give you some 'soreness'...yeah, it's a typo. They meant to put pain! Your boobs will get so big, so fast that brushing your teeth is going to feel like you're holding basketballs with your elbows at the same time. Some women will be more lucky than others to not have problems, but I had no clue how hard and painful breastfeeding is. Sign up for some classes about breastfeeding and don't ever wish you had bigger boobs again.

4. You'll be surprised with how much you all of sudden hate your spouse. Don't be irrational and toss him into the yard just yet. Those would be the hormones. You'll have a moment where you think everything you're doing isn't good enough or that your spouse is the most useless person on the planet. Find some emotional support and breathe. It'll pass, but not without a lot of tears and maybe a bottle of wine.

5. People will give you advice and judge whether you like it or not. But keep in mind that even though you're a new, first time mom, you know best. You're gut and instinct will tell you so. Don't let someone's opinion veer you towards a direction you don't feel comfortable with. My mom gets really bad with this. It's like, I know mother, you've raised 4 kids, but organic is a real thing these days.

6. You will never know pain until you've experienced a contraction. On the other hand, you will never know bliss until you have one and get an epidural. The contractions were the worst part for me. It's almost like being electrocuted and all you can do is just take it. But once that epidural hits you'll be bouncing off the walls with relief. 

Regardless of the hardships you might endure during your pregnancy, you'll be crazy enough to do it again. That's because the amount of happiness and love your life is filled with now will completely outweigh it all.

mealtime must-haves & first food

Today was a big day for my little bug. She turned 5 months and had her first taste of solid foods! I was going back and forth between feeding her avocados, sweet potatoes or bananas. All great first foods, but in the end I chose to go with avocados. It has a ton of vitamins and is packed with good fats to help brain growth and development. Avairy was definitely ready about a week ago, but I wanted to wait for her 5 month birthday. Just to make the day extra special.

I'm so excited to share these adorable pictures of what she thought of her avocado lunch!

She didn't really care much for the avocado, but she was such a good sport about it! I'm not too worried because it is the first time trying something other than formula. She'll get the hang of it.

This picture gets me every time. haha If she were eating spinach I'd call her Little Miss Popeye! Toot toot!

ALL DONE!

I was so excited for today that it honestly felt like Christmas morning. I got to open up my Baby Bullet and finally use it. And let me tell you, the storage containers are stinkin' adorable! It gives you pretty much everything you'll need to make your own baby food. Really handy! So, when it's time for your little one to start solids it'll be helpful to buy everything you need beforehand. Here's some of our favourite finds for mealtime!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

I highly suggest buying silicone bibs with a crumb catcher. Ulubulu has really cute ones with a lot of different monster faces. I made the mistake of buying a plastic one and found it was too bulky. It kinda cut into her chin/face a lot so for the time being I just switched it up for a cloth bib.

If there's anything else that I'm missing on our list let me know! Also I would love to hear about your little one's favourite foods to eat, maybe Avairy can give it a go too.

losing baby weight

After having Avairy 4 months ago (5 months on Tuesday!) I vowed to get back into shape as soon as I could! Of course with the lack of sleep, I was extremely unmotivated. I yearned to be those amazing hot mamas that popped the baby out and looked like nothing ever happened. Unfortunately I wasn't one of those lucky ladies. Let's just say when I was pregnant I thought it was all going to my belly instead of my thighs. (I should've known better!) Today I'm trying to eat better and push myself to workout here and there. 

So I wanted to share with you guys some of the things I've been doing to get me a little closer to being that hot mama!

• Of course eating healthier. Try to slowly incorporate healthier foods into your diet over time. Eating healthy is a lifestyle and if you go cold turkey on all the junk foods right away you'll crash hard and binge.Try small steps like having a side salad instead of the fries. Have chocolate 1-2 times a week (this one is easier said then done). Cut out sodas and sugary juices. Have oatmeal with cinnamon instead of sweet cereals. By making these simple choices, you'll eventually start to feel better and not even notice you grabbed a bottle of water instead of the can of pop. 

• Record everything you eat. I know, it sounds like a huge drag and I use to hate whenever people suggested this, but seeing the good and the bad of what you eat on a day to day basis really gives you a reality check. I've been using this app called My Fitness Pal and it's amazing! You put in your weight and height and it gives you the proper amount of calories you should be eating. You then record your meals and your workouts and it lets you know how many calories you have left. Super handy!

• Workout with your baby. Believe it or not, when I first started using workout DVDs I had to do it while Avairy was awake! I would put her in her swinging chair and she would watch me jump and hop around. To her I was being silly ol' mommy and it made her laugh and she loved it. For me it keep me energized and positive trying to make her laugh while I did jumping jacks. Not to mention the bonus of seeing her happy and smiling. Then before I knew it, my workout was done! Also it might help to make sure baby is fed and comfortable so they don't get fussy in the middle of your workout. 

• Don't eat too late! Have your last meal well before your bedtime and if you must snack on something try to make it fruits or vegetables. Even some apple slices and oranges will surprisingly hold you off until lights out. Me and my boyfriend use to have dinner a couple of hours before bed and then wake up feeling so full and bloated that we would skip breakfast. By lunch we would be so hungry that we would grab something quick to eat like fast food. Then eat more crap after work because we were tired, making the cycle repeat itself. It's just not a good feeling!  

• Stay motivated. It's hard to keep the big picture in mind, so you have to constantly remind yourself everyday. It helps to keep a picture scrapbook of what you're striving towards. It can include celebrity bikini bods, inspirational words or pictures of your family. This is just for your eyes only so it can be as personal and honest as you want. I found an awesome account on Instagram that specifically posts pictures to motivate you towards exercising. You can check them out @reasonstobefit

Let me know if any of these have helped you or if you have any tips for me! And if all else fails you can always use the excuse of just having a baby so you're still working on losing weight. Although if you're still trying to make this excuse work 18 years later you might be outta luck! haha

getting ready...

I thought I would share with you what I've been doing to prepare for Avairy's first foods. Since she's turning 5 months on the 19th, I think now is a better time than any to introduce her to something with more taste to it. Not to mention she is definitely ready. She's always so curious and anxious to get her hands on whatever mommy and daddy are eating and you can't run from the waterfall of drool that I have to mop up when she sees someone eating something!

This is probably one of the most fun and exciting milestones babies will go through. But the best part about it all is choosing what to feed her first. I'm so excited to see the funny faces she'll make when she first tries a banana or some green beans! Don't worry, there will be plenty of pictures to show when the time comes.

So to prepare I've been read tons of books and websites on what to do and I've always come back to these two books. If you want to do some of your own research, I would suggest Cooking for Baby by Lisa Barnes and The Wholesome Baby Food Guide by Maggie Meade. But my all time favourite one would have to be Maggie Meade's book. If you don't feel like buying her book, her website is just as informative. Check it out at http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com she has awesome tips and recipes for every stage of feeding.

I've also been looking into some foods that are the most nutritious and easiest to digest. I wanted to stay away from the traditional (might I add myth) of feeding bland first foods like rice cereal. So far the top three fruits or vegetables are avocados, bananas, and sweet potatoes. They can be made into smooth and chunky consistencies very easily and pack a lot of punch in the nutritional department. 

In the meantime, I'm gonna leave you guys with this adorable picture. Try not to roll over and die from cuteness haha I'll keep you guys posted and let you know how everything turns out with Avairy!