Every Parent Needs This App

April 21, 2017

You know those times when you find an app or resource of any kind that blows your mind and you want to tell everyone to download/use it? Well, I feel that way about Tinybeans. I also feel that about cookies. But that’s a different story.

What is Tinybeans? 

I remember when I was pregnant, I decided to make a concerted effort to not be uber annoying and post photos constantly of Grace on Facebook (alas I still do that a lot). I wanted somewhere that I could be obnoxious about posting a million photos for those who want to see her a lot (our close family).

Originally, I wanted to just use the shared folders built into the iPhone. But B and various other family members don’t have iPhones and wouldn’t be able to contribute or see them.

Tinybeans was mentioned at a new-mom group I had attended. It’s an app where you can post photos and videos that are accessed invite-only! You then invite whomever you want to be able to view the photos and video via email or they can download the app and look at all the photos at once.

5 reasons I freaking love this app

  1. Easy to use. I get reminded every day to take a photo. And because of that, Grace has had her photo taken every single day of her life. Coming up on 12 months old, I’m so happy this happened. Whether or not that is something she’ll thank me for one day, has yet to be determined.
  2. Stay in touch. Breon’s mom lives in Michigan and my Grandma lives in Florida half the year. They don’t get to see Gracie all that often. But with this app, Grace appears every day in Grandma Linda’s and GG’s email.
  3. Go back in time. I love love love getting a blast from the past and seeing baby Grace from when she was born and how she has grown. It’s crazy to me that after only 11 months how different she is now. Her personality has been forming but to see how small she was, blows my mind!
  4. Mark milestones. I have to admit as time has gone by, I’ve forgotten to mark milestones. But this app allows you to add those in when they happen! I have instant gratification if I am trying to remember when she did something new.
  5. Comments. I love how my family comments and we have our own little commentary about the things she’s doing and how funny her faces are. They are something I look forward to seeing every morning!

It’s a free app so if you’re a new mom or even a seasoned pro, this app could make documenting your child’s life all that more fun! I love it.

My Top 12 Lusted Baby Products

December 29, 2016

With all the sales going on, I can’t help but drool over the adorable baby products. I wish that I could just buy whatever my heart desires, but she really doesn’t NEED all that much right now. So instead of adding to my cart, I thought I would add to my blog and maybe it will feel just as good. Enjoy my top 12 items that I am lusting over right now.

baby-wish-list

01. | 02. | 03. | 04. | 05. | 06. | 07. | 08. | 09. | 10. | 11. | 12.

This Baby Staple Is The Worst, Trust Me

October 5, 2016

When you’re pregnant, there are a lot of things to think and worry about. Is the baby kicking enough? Should I be doing kick counts even though my doctor told me not to? When should we register? What should we register for? Why is everything so expensive? That was me literally thinking about pregnancy and baby prep for all of 30 seconds.

pregnancy

When you have the baby, there is never ending worry coupled with advice on advice on advice on everything! From sleeping to eating to clothing. Trust me. I feel I have read it all. But there is ONE thing that really really pisses me off, mom friends. Yeah I’m calling ALLLL of you out! Why didn’t you warn me about this? Why did you let me spend money on this? Why did you get me gifts of this? WHYYYYYYYYY? 

Snap pajamas are #TheWorst AND they should be in the 8th circle of hell

Think I’m being dramatic? Okay, let me play out a typical scene in my house during most nights (with a snap PJ as the star of the show).

buymemeIt’s 7:15pm and we just got done with a favorite, bath time. YAY! It’s followed by the oh so delicious bottle. All smiles and happiness. Then we put on the lotions and the ointments (baby eczema is no joke, people). Then it’s diaper time. By this time she’s not so happy anymore. Who wants to wear a diaper when you can just be naked? I get it sweetie pie, but you gots to wear the diaper! So now we get to the part where I put nice, warm pajamas on my sweet little four month old. And she loses it. 

  1. The damn snaps take forever. We are talking like a minute and she’s crying even with the pacifier in her mouth.
  2. If you miss one or two snaps you have to start over.
  3. You might just say “F*ck it” and hand her to dad with misplaced snaps.
  4. You might then decide one night that those snap PJs make a wonderful fire starter.

I digress.

snaps2

We’ve put a no-snap ban on our household. Screw ’em AND whoever invented them! #LongLiveTheZipper

If you are pregnant, don’t get them. If you are getting a gift for a pregnant or adopting family, get ZIPPERS! For the love of God, GET ZIPPERS!

This PSA brought to you by a sleep deprived mom. And, for real, it’s mostly a joke. But I really do prefer zippers!

snaps

Sleep: A Mother’s Dream

September 29, 2016

When I had Grace, I knew that I wouldn’t sleep as much. Everyone knows this about babies. You just don’t get as much sleep. However, I also know that I don’t do “well” without sleep. After the first week of Grace’s life, Breon and I concocted a shift plan for sleeping. I had 5:00am – 8:00pm and he got 8:00pm – 5:00am. I got wonderful, glorious sleep… well sort of. Either way, Breon is a night owl and would be up anyways and I am a morning person, so it worked out.

Now that little miss sleeps pretty decent (8-11 hours, 1-4 wakes a night) we (Breon and I) are in a much better place. But the one thing that I truly love is our casper bed. It’s the best thing we bought since we moved into our house. It’s sooo comfy. And now that I am working out again (YAY) and trying to lose weight, getting quality sleep is so important. How important? I’ll let Casper explain…

casper_athlete_sleep_x2

As Grace gets close to the dreaded 4-month sleep regression, I can only hope that I will continue to get my restorative sleep.

I can’t recommend Casper mattresses enough. They are so comfy. I’m sure this sounds like an ad but it’s really not. I love how soft yet firm it is. Sure, it took me a week to get used to it but now I fall into like it’s a cloud. And you can’t go wrong with a 100-day return policy. YAY! If you’d like more information on their mattresses check them out here!

*Some of the above are affiliate links. But I still 100% stand behind this great company/mattress.