When I was pregnant for the first time, I quickly registered for a humidifier that had good reviews and seemed to be well liked by parents everywhere. My son was born in December and immediately slept in our room. We didn’t use the humidifier until months later. Very quickly I decided that what we had was absolute CRAP. It left the ground around it soaking wet. It ran out of water within a few hours. The tank molded and was impossible to clean.
I knew I needed a different humidifier but was weary of making another poor purchasing decision. My criteria for a humidifier was pretty reasonable:
Large enough tank to run overnight without running out
Easy to clean parts
No mold
Doesn’t soak the ground around it
Ideally, no filter would be needed
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I searched and searched for another humidifier. A mom in one of my FB mom groups wrote a raving review about her humidifier. It did have a filter, but she was so happy with it, that I decided to take a leap of faith and try it out. Y’all- this humidifier is the BEST!
The opening of the tank is huge, making cleaning easy. PLUS, it is dishwasher safe.
It uses evaporation to humidify the air. This means it blows moisture off a wicking filter, helping it evaporative into the air quickly.
**Major Selling Point** There is a UV light inside that sanitizes the water before it reaches the filter. It kills up to 99.9% of bacteria, mold, fungus, and virus that could be present in the water.
I ordered my first unit in February of 2018 and another a year later. They run for a majority of the year in both of my kids’ rooms. I have never seen mold on either humidifier. It can run on high overnight for 12+ hours before running out of water (depending on how dry the air is). I replace the filter monthly, but using this off brand replacement filter keeps the cost very reasonable. The Honeywell Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier is now one of my main recommend items for all my pregnant friends.
You can’t ever make a second first impression, or so the saying goes. When I found out I was expecting our second baby, I knew I wanted to try anything and everything to make my son’s first impression of his new baby sister the best it could possibly be. After asking A LOT of seasoned moms, I came up with a game plan. Here is what we did:
This post contains affiliate links. See affiliate disclosure here.
Before Baby Arrives
Talk about their new sibling so they get used to the idea.
Read ALL the baby sibling books you can get your hands on. We have a ton and my kids LOVE THEM. These are our favorites:
Point out any and all kinds of babies – puppies, kittens, all the baby animals in any book or TV show they come in contact with. My son became obsessed with babies can couldn’t wait to have one of his own.
Talk to them about how they are also your baby.
If you are pregnant:
Have them point to your belly and say baby!
Let them feel the baby when it kicks.
Have them kiss your belly and give them praise when they do!
The Initial Meeting with the New Baby:
If possible, have baby in bassinet or have another adult other than mom and dad hold baby.
My daughter was born during flu season, so our first meeting was at home instead of in the hospital. The only extra step we took to accommodate for this was to have Riley playing outside when we arrived. We set up with baby laying on the bed so that he could easily get hugs and easily sit next to her.
Greet your older child(ren) before even acknowledging the new baby. Lots of hugs and kisses since they have probably gone a few days without seeing you. Make it all about them and how much you love them.
Introduce THEM to the new baby (not the new baby to them) and fill it with lots of compliments. “Adalyn, meet Riley your BIG brother. He is such a good sharer and he is wonderful at hugs and snuggles. You are so lucky to have Riley as your big brother”! – This may sound dumb but my son was BEAMING with pride when he met his sister.
Give them the option to hug, kiss, hold their new sibling but don’t force it. My son was ALL about the kisses but was not at all interested in holding his new sister. No big deal.
I took it a step further and wanted to help extend the goodwill we had created with the first meeting. To Riley’s delight, Adalyn had a Big Brother Bag of gifts prepared (here is a Big Sister option). One gift for the first week that she was home.
Two of these gifts were in the $5-10 dollar range.One was a big brother shirt (here is a big sister option). The rest were from the dollar store.
Every day that we opened a gift we make sure to verbalize, “Riley, look what Adalyn got you. She sure does love her BIG brother”!
Whenever those toys were played with, we reminded him that they were from her. She is 2 now and he still talks about “Adalyn got me this stuffed horse and these dinosaurs because she REALLY loves me”
After the First Meeting
Give your older kid(s) ways to help you when you are holding or nursing the baby. Bring me a towel, the remote, my cup, the paci. etc. Anything to help make them feel included.
THANK them out loud when they help you. “Thank you Riley for xyz, that was SO helpful”
Talk about them to their new sibling so that they can hear, “Wow Adalyn, that was so nice of Riley to bring you a pacifier. You are so lucky to have such a helpful brother”.
When you are helping your older kid(s) and their new sibling cries, talk to the baby. “Hold on Adalyn, mommy is helping Riley”. I found this one to be VERY helpful in making sure that Riley didn’t feel like I was only tending to Adalyn.
Let your older child refer to their new sibling as “Their baby”. My son still takes SO much pride in introducing his little sister to new people as HIS BABY. When she was baptized he walked around church telling everyone and anyone that “the little girl in white with water on her head” was HIS BABY.
When possible, do special things with just your older child. If they are showing any signs of regression behavior, make sure to talk up how only big kids like them can do that. “Only BIG kids like you can go on this slide. Adalyn is still too little to have this much fun”!
We are now expecting our third child and thanks to COVID-19, we will be having another at home introduction. My husband and I plan to use all the same tactics to introduce our new little boy to his older siblings.
Disclaimer: Jord Watch sent me this unique wooden timepiece in exchange for this blog post and review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% mine.
After months and months of planning, our European vacation is finally upon us. Packing for two small children while trying to minimize the amount of things that you pack, is no joke. There is nothing quite like quality time with family, seeing the world and making memories.
As we were making our travel plans, I was given the opportunity to check out one of these unique wooden timepieces from JORD Watches. Let’s just say I am in LOVE with it! I have been stalking JORD (pronounced Yode) for a long time on social media. Their unique wooden timepieces are so eye catching and stylish. I am thrilled that I received my timepiece before we left so that I can wear it throughout our trip. Travel can make you feel anything but glamorous, but this watch makes me feel like a million bucks. Not only does the watch make me feel great but it is incredibly lightweight which makes it perfect for travel.
Meet Cassia
The timepiece I selected was a beautiful watch in theCassia series. Made from ebony wood, which is known for its durability and hardness, this watch features a beautiful sable face. The wooden band integrates seamlessly into the face of the watch which allows it to be an uninterrupted circular design. I have never seen another wooden timepiece with such an innovative design.
Strikingly bold and beautiful, this unique wooden timepiece has a domed sapphire crystal glass. Sapphire glass is nearly twice as hard as normal glass and almost as hard as diamond. This means that it is almost impossible to scratch. Finally a watch that can handle it all, from vacationing in Europe with my kids, to surviving the normal challenges in the day in the life of a SAHM, without becoming scratched. I have ruined quite a few watches over the years from normal daily wear so I am thrilled that this unique wooden timepiece was built to last.
My JORD Watch came with a polishing cloth and a cleaning pen. The pen contains 4 applications of a custom-formulated cleaning oil created specifically for the care of wood watches.
Besides the fact that JORD Watches make the perfect travel and life accessory due to how durable and lightweight they are, another thing that makes the Cassia perfect for travel is that she will match so well with a variety of clothing options. The dark wood tones and neutral sable face will compliment my dressed down sightseeing attire. Just as easily as it will compliment my date night dress.
More Reasons to Love JORD Watches
Most watch backplates and all Cedar humidor presentation boxes are engravable.
The watches may be sized for the recipient.
Most watches have additional options for customization — mixing and matching faces and woods!
JORD offers free worldwide standard shipping!
Every watch comes with a one year warranty and options for return & exchange
JORD Wood Watches Giveaway
JORD is a St. Louis based company that offers many unique men’s and women’s watches, so you’re sure to find the perfect watch! Everyone who enters will receive 10% off AND the chance to win a $100 discount code towards a JORD watch of their own!
I am a breastfeeding mama that also works full-time away from home. That means that while I am at work, I have to pump. When I return from work each day, I have to prepare bottles for the next day at daycare. I love my babies, but the routine of pumping bottles can become a quick frustration. Our daycare requires our child’s name and the date on both the bottle and the bottle cap.
I won’t lie, the best part of my son weaning was that I no longer had to pump at work or prep bottles for daycare. My daughter has just started going to daycare 4 days a week, so we are back to the daycare bottle grind. I have searched and searched for products that help to make the process of prepping bottles faster and easier. Her bottles are also required to come in a labeled Ziploc bag each day. Here is my bottle set up:
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InchBug Orbit Labels
On the bottle itself is a silicon band that has our daughter’s name on it. InchBug has a bunch of colors and design options. We send 4 bottles with her each day, so I have 2 sets. 1 will go with her and the other will come to work with me to pump directly into. These bands can be reused on sippy cups later down the road.
InchBug Circle Label
Also from InchBug are the round name labels. These labels can withstand the dishwasher or being steam sterilized. These also come in a bunch of different colors and design options. They come in a pack of 20, so after labeling your bottle lids, you will likely have a few left over. I find it much easier to have her name permanently on her bottles and caps, rather than to have to rewrite it again each day on a piece of tape.
Why buy the cow when you get mama’s milk for free?
Name Bubbles Date Labels
We tried a BUNCH of different options for dating the bottles. I found that I really did not like to have to physically remove a sticker each day. Then make replacement labels. AND then replace them onto all of the bottles. The write-on labels from Name Bubbles are placed onto the bottles and bottle lids. They come with a marker and a pencil that allow you to write directly onto the labels. The pencil marking can be removed by being rubbed with your finger and warm water. The marker can be removed with rubbing alcohol. We just use the pencil and make sure to rub off the date when we are rinsing the bottles at the end of the day. At the end of each day, while prepping the bottles with nipples, I simply add the date to the lid and bottle. This system is SO MUCH EASIER for us. These labels are also dishwasher and steam sterilizer safe. Use this link to save $5 off your first order from Name Bubbles!
Reusable Ziploc Bag
Rather than using and throwing away a new Ziploc bag every day or every week, we have opted to use reusable ziploc bags this time around. To wash, you can hand wash or use the top rack of the dishwasher. We have two bags and use each for a week. We use the Planet Wise gallon sized bag. Besides clear, you can get this bag in a few different fun colors. Because we will be reusing these, I even used one of our Round InchBug labels to label her bags!
Breast milk is better than any udder milk!
When you are a pumping mom, the every day routines can start to feel so draining. This set up has made the bottle prep process less frustrating and less time-consuming for us. I can’t imagine ever going back to the time that we were writing names and dates on new pieces of tape each day.
Looking for a way to label clothing and other personal items? Look no farther…!
These are one of the most recommended items I have gotten from my readers. Save time, mess and effort apply these no iron kids daycare labels directly onto the surface without bothering with an iron. Name labels are water resistant and durable enough to withstand multiple washing machine and dryer cycles !!
Keep reading for more tips…!
I am going to let you all in on a little secret… pumping sucks. When my son was born, I was on a mission to breastfeed to at least a year, and nothing was going to stop me. My twelve week maternity leave came to an end and I was shocked at how much I hated the entire process of pumping. Carrying everything I needed to work was difficult. Storing all of my pump parts was a pain. Washing all those parts at the end of the day was such a strain on my husband and I. During my 14 months of pumping at work for my son, I picked up a few tricks to make the daily routine more manageable.
Invest in a Pump Bag
When I first started back at work, I would carry my purse, a lunchbox and a tote bag with my pump. I looked and felt ridiculous. At the three-month mark of pumping, I figured that there HAD to be a better option out there. Thankfully, there was! I discovered Sarah Wells’ pump bags and have never looked back! I am currently on baby number 2 and am using a Sarah Wells’ bag that I love. It has two insulated pockets on the sides. I fit my Spectra S2 pump and parts on one side and use the other side for an ice pack and 4-5 5oz bottles. In the main compartment of the bag I can easily fit my wallet, 1 bag filled with snacks, a cosmetics bag, my lunch and an insulated water bottle.
I make milk. What’s your superpower?
Use a Hands Free Pumping Bra
These allow you to have free use of your hands during your pumping sessions. Need I say more? There are a bunch of different options out there. I prefer the Simple Wishes hands free bra, because it has a huge range that it can be adjusted. Compared to other hands-free bras that I tried, I also found that this one held its shape and didn’t get floppy over time.
Rinse And Refrigerate Your Pump Parts Throughout The Day
In between pumping sessions, you can store your pump parts in the fridge and reuse them for your next pumping session. Just give them a quick rinse to remove any milk after your pumping session. Full disclaimer, sometimes I don’t even rinse them and just stick them into my wet bag. This will save you space in your bag from needing to bring another set of pump parts. It will also save you time from having to fully clean the pump parts after each pump session.
Pump Into The Bottles You Will Be Sending To Daycare
Pumping into bags may take up less space in your bag, but unless you will be freezing the milk, you are making more work for yourself later on. If you pump directly into the bottles that your baby will be using tomorrow, you will save so much time prepping bottles once you are home.
Keep a Spare set of Pump Parts at Work
This is a lesson that I learned the HARD way. I was already 20 minutes behind my pumping schedule, my boobs felt like they were going to explode and surprise, no membranes for my pump. There is nothing, I repeat, nothing worse than going to pump and discovering that you are missing parts. Balancing work and motherhood is hard enough without having a mid-day crisis. Do you attempt to hand express? Do you leave work and go home to pump? Learn from my mistake and have a spare set of parts at work as a back up.
I used to POP bottles and now I PUMP them!
If You Can, Leave Your Pump At Work
If you don’t utilize your pump at home or on the weekends, then there may not be a need for you to ever bring it home. My Spectra S2 weights 3.3 lbs. That’s a lot of extra weight to lug around when you consider all the other things that are also in your bag. If you do use it on the weekends, but not during the night, you can also leave it at work during the week and just bring it home for the weekend.
Use Machine Washable Wet Bags To Store Your Pump Parts Between Pumping Sessions
I have seen and tried a bunch of different options for storing my pump parts throughout the day. Tupperware is bulky in my bag and is not at all discreet sitting in the work refrigerator. Some bags specifically made for pump parts have to be hand washed and hung dry. I found this to be a pain in the butt during the week. Plus, those bags usually cost more. My perfect solution is machine washable wet bags. At the end of the week, they get washed and are ready for the next week. Having a bag ready to go the night before also helped by making it possible to pre-pack my pump parts the night before. The bags I use each have 2 compartments, so I can use each bag twice (one day in each compartment). These are super affordable on Amazon.
Invest in a Bottle Sterilizer
I stumbled across these while pregnant with my second baby and I am still mad that I didn’t have one while pumping for my first. With my bottle sterilizer, I now only have to lightly rinse my bottles and pump parts. They then go into the sterilizer and 45 minutes later they come out completely dry. Every day we save at least 10 minutes that used to be dedicated to cleaning bottles and pump parts. I also love the fact that each and every day my pump parts are actually sterilized, not just washed. I can fit 6 bottles and my pump parts in this sterilizer. We purchased this from Amazon and my husband refers to our bottle sterilizer as the best money we have ever spent.
I hope these tips help make your pumping journey better! Happy Pumping!
Note, I am not a veterinarian. This blog post is for information purposes only and shouldn’t be seen as medical advice. All information provided in this blog about is accurate and true to the best of my knowledge, but that there may be omissions, errors or mistakes.
Besides being a mom to my two sweet human babies, I am also a dog and cat mom. I have worked in the veterinary field for the past 7 years. Keeping your pets healthy so that you can in turn keep yourself and your kids healthy is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. Oftentimes the medical care for a pet that gets cut when babies start to enter the picture. Unfortunately, vaccines are one of those items that can easily become overlooked and overdue.
Riley and his “Commie”
Vaccines exist that protect your pet against diseases that are only transmitted between dogs or between cats. Other vaccines protect against zoonotic diseases, meaning diseases that can be spread from animals to humans. These are the vaccines we will talk about. Children under the age of 5 are at a greater risk of contracting zoonotic diseases. I am not here to sway you into reconsidering pet ownership. In fact, owning pets can have a huge positive impact on your children’s health. A 2012 Finnish study found that kids raised in homes with pets have fewer colds, fewer ear infections, and need fewer antibiotics in their first year of life than babies raised in pet-free homes. Pets have a great effect on kids, both on their immune systems and on their emotional development. However, as a pet owner, you need to take the necessary steps to keep your children safe.
You can easily keep you and your child safe by properly vaccinating your pets with the vaccines listed below.
Leptospirosis: (dog only vaccine)
Camden getting a treat while getting his Rabies vaccine
According to the CDC, “The bacteria that cause leptospirosis are spread through the urine of infected animals, which can get into water or soil and can survive there for weeks to months. Many different kinds of wild and domestic animals carry the bacterium.”
Symptoms can include, headache, fever, vomiting, jaundice and diarrhea.
Treated with antibiotics but may require IV fluids and hospitalization.
Rabies: (dog and cat vaccine)
The most common mode of rabies virus transmission is through the bite and virus-containing saliva of an infected host.
Once clinical signs of rabies appear, the disease is nearly always fatal, and treatment is typically supportive.
It is a legal requirement that you keep all of your pets up to date on this vaccine.
Low-cost vaccine clinics or your local animal control are good options if you are unable to afford routine care with your regular veterinarian. Keeping your pet up to date on all other vaccines recommended by your local vet, will help avoid your pet becoming sick with one of those diseases (Parvovirus, Distemper, Feline Leukemia, etc.). This in turn keep your child from the heartbreak of losing a pet to a preventable disease.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of treatment.
Stay posted for my upcoming blog post on “Pet Flea Prevention and your Child’s Health”.
Is there anything sweeter than picking out the details of your new baby’s nursery. Every detail we chose was so personal to me- what sheets would she lay her little head on? What glider would I nurse and rock her to sleep in? What artwork would grace the walls of her room? I always said that I didn’t want a pink nursery for a little girl, but with all the gorgeous florals that are in style right now, I couldn’t resist. Going towards blush instead of a typical pink is my last protest against pink! Like all good things, finding everything for her blush nursery took a lot more time and effort that I originally thought it would. The end result makes me so happy and her blush nursery is now my favorite room in our house!
This post contains affiliate links. See affiliate disclosure here.
Photo Cred: Vanessa Allen Photography
Shop the Look!
Furniture and Lighting:
Crib: DaVinci Meadow 4-in-1 Convertible Crib in White
Glider/Ottoman: Soho Comfort Upholstered Swivel Glider and Ottoman
Here are some of our favorite newborn photos from Adalyn’s photo shoot. We are so thankful to have been blessed with such a beautiful and healthy little baby girl. One day when we are old and gray, we will look back at these photos and remember this moment of our lives.
A daughter is one of the most beautiful gifts this world has to give. – By Laurel Atherton
A new baby is like the beginning of all things – wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities. – By Eda J. Le Shan
I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always,as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be. – By Robert Munsch
Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Rather than using and throwing away a new Ziploc bag every day or every week, we have opted to use reusable ziploc bags this time around. To wash, you can hand wash or use the top rack of the dishwasher. We have two bags and use each for a week. We use the 
Note, I am not a veterinarian. This blog post is for information purposes only and shouldn’t be seen as medical advice. All information provided in this blog about is accurate and true to the best of my knowledge, but that there may be omissions, errors or mistakes. 
