Wednesday, March 14, 2012

What’s in my bag: Diaper Bag Edition

021

A few expecting moms have asked me what I think are my “must haves.” You can see my list of favorites for her first two months here. Now that our little Sparrow is a bit older, we take her out of the house more and more which means being ready at all times for a diaper mishap. Here’s what’s currently floating around in my diaper bag!

014

Keep in mind I dumped out the contents after a weekend trip, so there are probably a few things that aren’t normally in here. That being said, away we go!

016

1. Gentle Naturals Baby Eczema Cream- I wrote about this in my previous post. It’s a bit greasy, but it works so well that we’ve continued to use it.

2. Nuk Pacifier- I had previously mentioned that V enjoys the Soothie Pacifiers, but she has since decided that Nuk is more her style. We also use Nuk bottles (these) so that’s probably why she likes them so much.

3. Burt's Bees Baby Bee Diaper Ointment- Little Bird had some redness. This stuff usually clears it right up. And it smells much better than most other diaper creams!

4. Carter's Mittens- Eczema = scratching.

5. Garanimals Wrist Rattles keep her entertained for a chunk of time. They come in a gift set but you can also buy them separately in stores.

6. Little Noses Saline helps loosen up the sinus gunk that’s going around

7. Walgreen's Gas Drops work like a charm almost instantly when she’s gassy (which is most of the time)

017

1. Carter's Pajamas they have all kinds but we tend to like the cotton ones for nighttime sleeping since we swaddle her and don’t want her getting too clammy (clamminess and eczema don’t mix)

2. Burp cloths- you can never have too many of these. We mostly use cloth diaper inserts as burp rags, but these are my favorite. They were handmade by Sarah Found Sarah Made from vintage fabric! I seriously love them.

3. Wet wipes case- this case was made by a friend. It’s really cute and so handy!

4. Let’s talk aspirators- if the hospital gives you one, take it home with you and DON’T lose it. They gave us this one when Vess was born and we have yet to find another one that actually works.

5. Medela bottle with extra formula for emergency feedings. (we use Parent’s Choice Gentle formula. It’s the WalMart brand and yes, I was super nervous about switching her from the expensive stuff- especially because she has reflux! But she didn’t even skip a beat. It’s about five dollars cheaper per container and she loves it!)

018

1. We also use Parent’s Choice Diapers. We’ve only had one blow-out in the month that we’ve been using them and they’re much cheaper. We’re sold!

2. This Aden + Anais swaddle blanket also made an appearance in the last post. We’re still using them, but less and less as she gets bigger.

3. Up & Up Hand Sanitizer Wipes are invaluable. I can’t find a link for them, but any hand sanitizer wipes will do. I use them ALL the time on grocery carts, toys, and of course, other people’s hands before they hold Vess.

019

The Bag itself is a Petunia Picklebottom bag. Sometimes I use my Jo Totes Camera bag too. They’re both so chic that they hardly look like a diaper bag!

This was fun! I hope you new moms got some good ideas for stocking your diaper bags too!

xo,

Chels

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Crazy Dreams

I'm not much of a 9-5 gal. I'm grateful for my job and all (I supervise administrative support at a claims management company here in OKC) but it doesn't exactly fit me to a T. Most days I feel like Christina Applegate a la "Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead." You know what I mean? Like I'm playing dress-up in my mom's closet, throwing a scarf over my blazer, and traipsing around an office building in my high heels like I'm a grown up. Kind of funny. Even though I'm happy with my job, I have plenty of daydreams about what I want to do "when I grow up." Here are just a few!

Singer in a Folk Band/ Wedding Singer
I've been singing on stage since I was four and I feel more comfortable there than I do pretty much anywhere. I would never want to do anything silly like audition for American Idol or be a pop star or a Grammy winner. I just want to sing good music. If I could make a living (and take my family with me!) touring the country in a van with a bunch of really talented musicians, or singing beautiful jazz classics at weddings I would totally do it!
singing at my brother's wedding in 2007


Vintage/ Coffee shop owner
I used to run my etsy shop regularly but since having the baby it's become impractical. It's very time consuming and I just don't have the energy to work a full-time job, raise a baby, love my husband, keep my house clean AND run the shop. Maybe when she's older and a little more independent, but for now, I'll just have to dream about owning a brick-and-mortar shop with a coffee shop attached. What fun it would be to own a shop as pretty as Elsie and Emma's!

 


Travel Journalist
This would be a dream. I mean, who wouldn't want to just pack up in a vintage RV (like Elizabeth's!)and roam the country writing and musing about people and places. I would just... die.


 
Maybe someday I'll test the waters on one of these ... but til then, they'll just remain daydreams!
xo, Chels


Thursday, March 1, 2012

Well what do we have here, ladies and gents? Could it be yours truly in satin boot flaps, fringe, and a cowboy hat? Yessiree. I don't really have much to say about this except that I was lamenting over my favorite pair of cowboy boots no longer fitting (pregnancy left my fit about a half size bigger) and I remembered this picture. And it's pretty badass is all. Just sayin.

Many thanks to my mom for making those boot flaps, kids. FROM MILK JUGS. The woman is a genius, i tell you.

I also like that my pose says, "I mean business, but I like to do business with a little sass...country style!"

Hope your week is wonderful so far!
xo,
Chels