Nolan's Birth Story

Dearest Nolan, 

Thank you for giving me the second happiest day of my life.

Love, Mom

Nolan's original due date was July 31st. I elected to be induced on Monday, July 25th due to debilitating pelvic pain. I had been suffering from severe pain since around 18 weeks and I couldn't get this bundle of joy out of me fast enough. When you can't walk, it's time to evict! I really wanted to go into labor on my own and have the hurried dash to the hospital and all the chaos that comes with it, but I just couldn't deal with crawling to the bathroom 20x a day one moment longer.

We were supposed to arrive at the hospital by 8 am, but as usual, we were on Cuban time and we were late. I had preregistered with the hospital, so we only spent a few moments checking in before we were showed to our room. The room was huge, with lots of luxuries that we hadn't experienced with our first born. We were assigned a labor nurse that would be with me the entire birth and I fell fast in love with her. It was about 9:30 am when my OB first arrived to break my water. He asked if I had a birth plan, but my only plan was to avoid a c-section and pooping on the table.  I had managed both of these with almost an hour of pushing with my first, so I didn't consider these lofty goals.

I had been having Braxton Hicks for weeks, and contractions started almost immediately after my OB broke my water. Victor was starving, so I sent him down to breakfast before it ended at 10 am. While he was gone, I was resting peacefully and enjoying the labor pains. I knew this birth would most likely be our last and I wanted to savor and enjoy every moment...even the contractions. Moments later, the room started beeping, the intercom was buzzing with calls for my nurse, and the door burst open to a hurried nurse asking me to roll over and breathe deeply. I knew instantly that something was wrong and burst into tears. The baby was in distress and my blood pressure had dropped. Victor arrived back at the room just as things calmed down and my tears were starting to dry. My nurse did a wonderful job explaining what happened and that everything was back to normal.

Around 10:30 am I was contracting pretty regularly with my pain level at a 3 and only dilated to a 3-4. My husband was pushing for an epidural every 10 minutes, but I wanted to wait, for fear that it would slow down labor. I plugged in my headphones and listened to a recorded book and settled in for the long haul. Around 11:30 my OB came to check on me. My pain level was about a 4-5, and dilation was close to 4, but not much had changed. Things were pretty peaceful at this point. My mom and husband were working, the news was on tv, and I was silently bearing the pain with my recorded book.

Around noon is when the pain level increased to a 6. My nurse declared me dilated at a 5 and Victor was begging me to get an epidural. Apparently the pain was just too much for him to bear. I said I could wait and my labor nursed was very encouraging that I do so. At 12:30 I asked my husband to play some music. At 12:32 the pain suddenly shot to an 8 and I demanded he stop the music. After a few minutes at an 8, I caved and asked for the epidural. My nurse called for it and said she would administer pain meds to take the edge off until my epidural arrived in roughly 30 minutes. Those pain meds were a joke! It was like putting a bandaid on an amputee and expecting the bleeding to stop. I was now curled up on the side of the bed whimpering like a kicked dog and cursing the genius who decided that one anesthesiologist for two local hospitals was sufficient coverage. All the while, my supportive husband is repeating I told so's while holding my hand and shaking his head. Fuck you dude!

I looked at the clock at 12:45 and saw the red epidural cart in my room. Praise the modern medicine gods! Relief was near! Then, as suddenly as the pain shot to an 8, it was at a HOLY SHIT I'M DYING level. This must be what death feels like. I was screaming in pain, begging Victor to just let me go, as clearly this birth would be the end. I was sure I was dying. I kept looking at Victor through my tears while adamantly proclaiming that I was in fact dying. This pain will kill me, I promised him.  I was holding on to those bed rails like it was the edge of the Grand Canyon and I just lost footing.

I remember my nurse checking my dilation and within minutes the room was swarming with scrubs and I heard my OB's voice. I looked up at Victor with sad resolution, and said, "I'm not getting that epidural, am I?" -"Nope, sure not. You waited too long. And I don't want to scare you, but the doc is putting on a plastic face guard..." WTF! LIE TO ME! THIS IS WHEN YOU LIE TO ME! I looked over at my nurse and very calmly said, "Laurie, I've decided I'm okay with a c-section. Let's go ahead and prep me for surgery." Her laughter was unwelcome.

At this point, I felt the most incredible pain of my life rip through me and all birth plans were forgotten. Fuck it, I decided. I'm just going to let this pain happen. I'm going to give in to the feeling of shitting myself for half the hospital staff to see. I remember the OB lifting up my gown and me unapologetically saying to all, "this is it. I'm pooping. And I'm peeing. I'm doing it. I can't stop it and you're all going to see it!" Screams of THAT'S THE BABY provided me with the only relief I had felt in what seemed like hours. My OB threw my legs up and guided me through my one and only push. Nolan was born at 1:15 pm. The room became quiet and it seemed like the perfect time to clarify, "Soooo...I didn't poop?"

At this point the nurse was asking for a middle name. Hell, we had just decided on the first and I panicked. I wanted Nash, but Victor had taken a liking to bestowing him his namesake. I had never taken my husband for the 'junior' type and didn't really care for it. Quite frankly, I never liked that his name was Victor so I had called him Vicki for the first six years we spent as friends. However, fighting that fight seemed trivial when my pelvis had just separated from birth. Demanding morphine seemed like a better use of my time. The next 10 to 12 hours were very painful. My pelvis throbbed with pain from the separation and I spent most of the first night clicking that morphine drip. Luckily, Nolan was a peaceful newborn and slept the entire time we were in the hospital.

This birth was so different from Isla's. We had a wonderful hospital experience with 24 hour room service, extremely helpful nursing staff, and a giant bathtub for bubble baths. Introducing Isla to her little brother for the first time was magical. She had waited 9 long months to meet this baby and I couldn't wait to see her face light up at the sight of him.

Nolan Victor Fernandez

6 lb 8 oz 18.5" long

1:15 PM

July 25, 2016

For the love of blankets...and saving dollars

roses // navy stripe // traffic jam // poppy

Our linen closet could be a mini showroom for aden + anais. I have been purchasing their cotton muslin everything since before Isla was born. We even have two of the adult sized blankets that I snuggle with every night. Isla is now sleeping in a queen sized bed, but she still wants "Isla's blanket." We have a ton of swaddles, but those are becoming too small to keep up with her ninja night moves. They also don't provide a ton of warmth in our 68 degree house at night. This means I have been stocking up on the dream blankets as they are much thicker and extremely soft + cozy. At $49.50 a pop, this is getting to be quite an investment. 

I recently started following Little Unicorn on Instagram and absolutely love the prints on their version of the dream blanket. Best yet? They are available at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $39.99 after 20% online coupon. I just received Poppy on my doorstep and am in love. I also used Ebates to receive cash back. If you're an online shopper and not using Ebates, then you're missing out on hundreds of dollars a year. You live in crazy town if you don't take two minutes to sign up and use it for every online purchase.  

I will never stop loving aden + anais, but I have found a new love that is $10 cheaper with the same quality and packaging so luxe you'd think the blanket cost twice as much. We often gift aden + anais products as baby gifts, but these are going to replace them. I'm picturing a complete woodland friends gift basket for either a boy or girl with this quilt as the hero. I would include a few themed extras like these: wooden fox teether + jellycat bunny + this book and this book, 

Father's Day Gift Ideas

Always Cool Towel // Tegu Blocks // Headphones

Birchbox Man // Book // Copper Mug

I often struggle when gift shopping for my Baby Daddy. He has hobbies, but none that really lend themselves to creative gift giving. This year, I went searching and was delightfully surprised that I was able to put together the above options.

We live in Florida and it is already hot hot hot! We saw these Always Cool Towels at Costco recently and laughed over the absurdity of owning one....then we were at Disney the following weekend. Enough said.

I have recently fallen in love with Tegu brand magnetic blocks. I ordered a couple kits for my nephew so when I saw this new desk accessory I knew it would be a perfect addition to Victor's office.

Why have I never thought to buy the man some headphones?! He typically uses mine or the cheap and uncomfortable set that comes with the iPhone. He would never buy these for himself, but I know he'll be happy to have them.

The book appeared in my recommended items email from Amazon. I saw it, dropped my jaw, and scooped it up. I have serious concerns about Victor and his promise to give Isla everything she wants, needs, and perhaps doesn't deserve. Don't get me wrong, I never want my child to go without or feel the crushing weight of credit card debt that I felt after college. BUT, I also want her to learn the importance of hard work and learn to appreciate everything she is given or has earned. I don't want to just hand her a car, a degree, an iPhone 200... I want her to understand the value of these things and know what it takes to be able to afford them and care for them. I'm hoping this book will help us with these future decisions.

The Birchbox Man subscription is the perfect gift for someone like my brother. I think his Sephora Beauty Insider status rivals that of mine and my SIL's combined. I have tried for years to push my love of fancy products on Victor, but he still leaves the Art of Shaving tube under the sink and reaches for his crusty Gillette pump. I have come to accept this and appreciate the surplus funds going towards my French skincare addiction.

Have you had a Moscow Mule? No? You're welcome!

xo

Review // Munchkin Miracle 360 Cup

I am shakin' my tail feather over here! I have finally found a spill proof, easily cleaned, modern designed training cup that Miss Isla will actually drink out of - milk too!

When it comes to parenting, everyone has an opinion, even those without children of their own. As parents, we are already judging every decision we make and if you're like me, your main goal is to keep these tiny humans alive at all costs. Tips + tricks are always welcome, but I will roll my eyes and "whatever" you under my breath every time you say "I ought to // I should do // she's too old for a paci // Ice cream before dinner?" Well, this will blow your mind...my almost 2 1/2 year old still drinks from a bottle. I know. Your mind has been blown. You want to shake me and warn me of oral problems and future ortho estimates in an amortized (and laminated) schedule. My response? It's not a battle I'm willing to fight. She drinks out of a straw at restaurants, bottled water at the pool, regular cups at school, but insists on having her milk and water at home in a bottle.

Believe me, we have tried every cup out there. I have sat on the floor and cried along with her after she threw every single cup on the floor. I have gone through a gallon of milk in 30 minutes trying one cup after the other; all ended up cracked and spilling on the floor around us. Isla is one tenacious little shit when she wants something.

However, I always hit up the feeding aisle when shopping to see if there's any new miracle cup that will get this punk off the bottle. Enter the Munchkin Miracle 360 Cup. Miracle. Ha! No pun intended.

They make one with handles for younger tots too!

I offered this to her and not only did she drink the entire cup of milk that first time, but she has since requested it!! I am in sippy cup love!! I think she likes it for two reasons 1. You have to kinda suck or sip to get the liquid to flow. 2. She calls it her mommy cup because it resembles the Tervis Tumblers I always use. This cup is also completely spill and leak proof. There is a seal that only opens when you put your mouth to it and sip. I highly recommend this cup for every picky tot out there! They are kinda pricey - one for $7, but worth it. I will never buy another transition cup again.

Anyone need a box of 20+ random sippy cups?

You never know, until you know

My husband and I recently went away on a much anticipated trip of Munich and Prague. It was truly the best trip we have shared together in the past five years. I plan to post the deets of that trip very soon (I'm still editing photos).

I looked at my iperiod app (yes, there's an app for that) and saw that my monthly cycle was set to start the day we arrived in Europe - oh for eff's sake, really?! That's what I get for not checking dates prior to booking the flights... I stocked up on the necessary arsenal and off we went.

On the last day of our trip, we found ourselves outside of a pharmacy with an extra 2 Euro to burn, so I plucked it down for an I-know-I'm-not-but-we-got-this-extra-2-euro pregnancy test, took my change (yes, it was that cheap!), and headed to the hotel to grab our luggage.

My husband was off downing some free booze before our car arrived and I made haste to the nearest public bathroom - fun fact: I find myself armed with pregnancy tests in more public bathrooms than I do in my own at home.

The test said negative. Anyone who has ever peed on a stick will tell you that even when hoping for a negative result, the sight of one still stings and makes you wonder if you wasted all your good eggs on college and birth control.

The test was a twofer, so when I hadn't started a few days later (now 9 days late) I took the second test. Negative. Well shit! I guess I should call the doctor because I obviously have cancer!

Later that night: "why is there a pregnancy test in the bathroom? Are you still late?" asked my husband

"Ew, sorry, I'll just go throw that away."

Ummm, my previously negative result was now positive. Now, had this not happened one other time I would have thrown it away per package instructions, but I knew. I just knew it was right.

Pregnancy confirmed. Bank account less $14 - the Europeans know what's up with $1.50 price point! $14?! 

We were scared shitless! I had started to rethink my want of a second child due to the horrific attitude of my first - a girl can only get smacked in the face and screamed at so many times before she starts to empathize with China's one kid policy.

First thing out of Victor's mouth? "Is it mine?"

What the eff effity eff?! Did he just ask me that?!?! I swear he loves me... I swear we're happy... I just laughed and told him to get his wishful thinking in check.

Fast forward a week - I started what I knew in my heart of hearts was a miscarriage. I knew because I'd been down that road before and it ain't pretty. All of a sudden I knew. I knew we wanted this baby and we were meant to turn our threesome into a foursome. Unfortunately, it just wouldn't be with this baby at this time.

I had just went through one of the worst weeks in my professional career and came out of that stressful week with a face of acne and a miscarriage. A month went by and I no longer work for Chloe + Isabel. On my last day there, my husband left work early to be with me and console me. We spent the day talking, laughing, and eating candy in bed. As we were on our way to pick up Isla from school, he looked over at me and said, "this may be the first day of the rest of our lives." 

Wink wink ;)

As much as the loss hurt, I was so incredibly happy + grateful that I already had one back-talking, shin-kicking, hair-pulling monster of my own. I love you, Islaboo, and I am so happy I'm your mother and you're my daughter. You were the light of those dark days and I am forever grateful that I had you to snuggle and smooch on as I came to terms with the loss of another Fernandez baby. 

My heart goes out to all of you who have lost a child or never had the chance to. 

xo

Valentine's Day Shopping @ J Crew

Oh man, my J Crew shopping cart runneth over... Here are my top picks for Islaboo and moi for Valentine's Day.

Victor has said multiple times that he wants to get me a locket. I've never really had a want for one until I saw this beauty. Now I agree - I want him to want to get me a locket :) And that baseball tee? Isla needs it. She neeeeeeeeeds it! Being the DIY enthusiast that I am, I'm hoping Isla will be one as well. I can't wait to build a snow globe with her with this DIY Kit. She is going to love it!

The diaper cover is from PB Baby and it is sheer perfection! I love baby butts and I would love a baby butt with a big 'ol heart on it! I eat it - nom nom nom :)

tights // dress // sunglasses for mama // locket for mama // confetti glasses for mama // diaper cover // gold crown headband // barrette // jams // baseball tee // shopper // build your own snow globe

Questionable Parenting

 

Isla has become an absolute mess during her tantrums. There are times when I have to walk into the garage and let out a primal scream just to keep from effing losing it. You don't do that? Oh. Well, gold star for you.

Isla has an insanely wild and curly mullet. I use a spray bottle with water to mist her curls in the morning so she doesn't go to school looking like a hot mess. A couple nights ago she lost her shit because I wouldn't let her wipe her nose with the same tissue she just used to wipe her ass! I'm pretty carefree on most helicopter momisms, but HERE is where I draw the line! We've had too many cases of pink eye in the last two years to go willingly wiping our faces with feces! She was screaming, thrashing, hitting me, throwing everything she could reach...and then. I. Snapped. I silently snatched up that water bottle and sprayed that little monster right in her grill - yup, I did it. I sprayed my sweet baby in the face with a light mist of water. I think we were both shocked. She stopped crying and just looked at me - and then she laughed.

Fast forward to this morning. Victor was trying to wrestle her into her socks and she wasn't having it. Enter complete meltdown. I grabbed the spray bottle and pumped a nice dose of shut the eff up at her and...she laughed. Victor looked at me like I'd lost my mind. Maybe I have, or maybe I've found that water training my toddler will instantly stop manic meltdowns - time will tell...however, after screaming "I potty" for 30 minutes tonight during dinner, my husband looked at me and said. "Where's the water bottle?" Welcome to the dark side my love.

Gift ideas for the man who wants nothing

If the men in your life are as hard to shop for as mine are, then this gift list is for you! Victor is the hardest male I have ever had to shop for. I rounded up my faves under the tree for him this year and his fave from last year! Ps. I know my image is blurry, but I gave up on fixing it. I'm tired.

1. Steel Collar Stays - I hate finding those little plastic ones all over the house and he's lost almost all of the first pack I got for him 4 years ago.

2. He always needs new shades - and right now they are on sale!

3. This Dyson fan is perfect for the man allergic to dust in your life

4. I saw these pink Himalayan salt tequila shot glasses and knew he must have them. I'm going to swing by Total Wine to pick up the Patron to pair with them.

5. I have heard such great things about Dollar Shave Club. I bit the bullet and bought him a subscription. This man shaves every day, so I'm hoping these are a winner.

6. Hair gel is always running low in our house and this is the only brand I can get him to use that isn't from the dollar section in Target.

7. When all else fails, chuck a candy pooping reindeer in his stocking like I did :)

Happy Holidays!

xo

Fall Favorites + Holiday Gift Idea

brightening eye cream - moisturizer - wet brush 

brow gel - straw cup - foundation - kate spade tote

Even Floridans need to adjust their skincare, make-up, and fashion hauls for fall. The humidity is gone and dry hair and skin is here. I would never recommend a product that I wouldn't buy again.

I typically use a firming eye cream, but this brightening formula makes my newly acquired dark circles not so dark.

You MUST try this L'Occitane moisturizer! I feel like I am applying silk to my skin. Ahmayzing! I can tell such a difference in the texture of my skin at night when I'm cleansing. This is a keeper :)

I recently started enhancing my brows. My brows aren't thin, but they are very light. I first tried Anastasia brow gel and the wand was just too thick for me. I really like the super thin wand on this one by Tarte.

I do not wear foundation everyday, but when I do, I want full coverage without looking like I forested my face with a tub of brown icing. I typically use L'oreal Lumi, but I really like this formulation for drier skin. It is very light, dewy, and moisturizing. You may not like this if you're super oily.

I still heart my tangle teezer for brushing out my wet hair, but this wet brush has changed my life. Seriously. I use this while blow drying if I want a straight look. The bristles are special; they are very thin and flexible so as not to snag fragile, wet hair. I found mine at Target, but you can get it for less on Amazon.

My husband and I are huge fans of Shark Tank. I first saw this straw cup on the show a year or so ago. I kept meaning to buy it on amazon, but just never pulled the trigger. I literally squealed with delight when I saw these at Target. I scooped it up and was excited to see if Isla liked it. Verdict? She loves it and the weighted straw mean that she gets every last drop. Cons? It is not spill or leak proof. If your toddler tornado is anything like mine, then juice will spill when she tips it upside down and shakes it. Over and over and over...

Finally, I've been on the hunt for a new tote. I have searched and tried on and bought several, but have been consistently disappointed. I ordered this bag a few weeks ago and am in love. I like my totes to have structure, an outside pocket for phone + keys, and a center section that is sewn at the bottom. This is my first Kate Spade handbag purchase since college and I must say that I am impressed. The gold chain feels luxe and looks quite classy with sweats in the am when I drop Isla at daycare :)

Have you heard of POPSugar? I can't remember where I first saw it, but I recently ordered my first Must Have box for $39.99 and am now on my third monthly box. It is SO much fun to get a box full of great brands and products that I wouldn't normally purchase. In addition, the value of the boxes is always over $200 and can be up to $500. The below box included a scarf that retailed at $140 - would I ever pay that? No. BUT, it feels like butter and the coloring is very unique. I highly recommend joining and enjoying your first box...PLUS, there are always around 7-10 products, therefore you can order one box for $39.99 and get 7-10 gifts for holiday. Winning! Here is the link to join: Get your first Must Have Box HERE

The Get Fit With Us was a $25 Nike.com gift card - that practically paid for the box on its own. The box also included Nicole Miller Headphones and Rifle Paper Co. note cards. Seriously? This is the best $39.99 I spend all month :)

xo

Did you miss me?

We have been slammed with life the past couple of months. We have been packing for weeks, planning for Halloween, sick with everything Isla brings home from daycare, and I've been really busy with work. I have made a vow - I vow to post every week until the end of the year. I have so many Isla updates that I need to get down before I forget.

So here's the deal...we're moving! We are saying goodbye to our home for the past almost four years. We are leaving the urban life of downtown West Palm Beach and joining the soccer moms in Jupiter. We looked at a TON of properties. I'm sure our agent wanted to throat punch us at our inability to make a decision. We decided on a lovely community called Mallory Creek. We can't walk to crowded bars, the coast, work (for Victor), or the mall anymore. BUT, we can walk to the park, food truck invasion events, craft fairs, and our friend's house - knock, knock!

Here is the outside of our corner town home with plantation shutters (gah!), ceiling fans (clutch), laundry room (what is that?), and custom California Closets (we will have closets!)

Oh hey kitchen! We currently have 5 kitchen cabinets (not double cabinets) in our downtown condo with our dishes on a Pier 1 shelving unit (that has survived 22 months with a toddler tornado). This kitchen calls for a Williams & Sonoma trip. Oh, and that's our laundry room back there complete with a side by side (no more top loader for the Fernandez family!) and a mud sink. Oh, oh and shelves!!!

Speaking of shopping, we move the 12th, leave for a weekend vacation with friends on the 14th, and then Victor leaves for Denver the following Wednesday. While he's gone, I plan to hit up every home store within a 20 mile radius to stock up and decorate any. way. I. choose. Most wives might be a wee bit miffed that their betrothed is leaving them less than a week after moving, but me? I'm ecstatic! I can organize, decorate, paint, put up a back splash, hire a handy man to hang photos...ANYTHING I WANT! No time to FaceTime, boo, mama's busy with your Amex cleaning.

We have sold pretty much every piece of furniture we own (any one need a king size solid wood + leather sleigh bed?). I have been pinning and planning the rooms of this place for weeks. I'll do a complete home tour early December :) And before you ask, I'm not even waiting a day to put our Christmas tree!!

We plan to make the most of our last weekend in downtown - City Place shopping + Family Fun Fest,  a trip to Paper Source, walk to the beach, stroll along the Intercoastal, Brunch at Paris Bakery, early trip to our local Starbucks, nail appointment at my fave spot, wine at The Blind Monk, Dinner at Table 26...so much to do!

xoxo

An evening at the beach

I love the beach, but I'm not very fond of actually going to the beach. I prefer the pool to the beach for many reasons; no sand, no sharks, and it is an elevator ride away. However, the sand + salt does do amazing things for my piggies.

We recently took Isla to the beach, and I'm not ashamed to say this, but it was her first time at the beach. I know, I know. The Atlantic is less than a mile away and we are just now taking our almost 2 year old to the see the sand + water. Before you judge too harshly, let me tell you that she probably would not have survived had we taken her at an earlier age due to our poor parenting...

This is not the first day we almost killed the baby, and I'm sure it won't be the last, but it was definitely the most public display of near manslaughter we have endured!

All is fine + well...

until a wave break washes over her and has her completely submerged in salt + sand!

 You are seeing water, because my back is to the water and a huge wave just washed over me and is on its way to knocking over my sweet babe! I don't know how the camera survived, but am quite happy it did. There was a collective gasp from all of the beach bums around us. My primal scream might have drawn a wee bit of that attention...

This neglect and near drowning might have been excused the first time...but yes, it happened a second time! We almost let a second wave wash away our Islaboo...world's best parents here!

Me: "Cough it up, baby...get it all out...please don't "dry drown" later in your crib...OMG, is she going to dry drown?! We have to get out of here before someone calls DCFS..."

However, I did manage to get a couple snaps of sweet daddy + daughter moments before we fled the scene.

DIY Gift For Grandparent's Day

I've mentioned before how much Isla loves to color; she's an animal with a crayon! We recently dove into finger paints, and I use the word dove literally here :) 

I wanted to give Victor something made by Isla for his birthday and this framed I Luv U art turned out perfectly. I'm sharing now because Grandparent's Day is upon us and I know one Nana that will be giddy over her gift :)

We used washable finger paints in her favorite color family - purple. I cut the painting down to my frame size with a ruler + xacto knife. I then cut another piece of card stock to the same dimensions. I brushed mod podge on to the plain sheet and covered it with glitter. I then used my cricut to cut out the letters in her painting. You can freehand letters or use stencils if you don't have a cricut. Then just top the glittered sheet with the painting et voila!

I found the gold frame at my local Home Goods store :) Now Daddy + Nana have a little Picasso for their offices.

DIY Bracelet T-Bar Holder

My job calls for the need to have A TON of jewelry display items. I used to order quite a bit from an online company, but due to recent security breaches, I need to find alternatives for myself and my Chloe + Isabel merchies :)

Here is the first post of a three part DIY Jewelry Display Series - I hope you love it and have fun making it!! This is very easy to make, but here is the Etsy link if you would rather shop than get your hands dirty. 

DIY Bracelet T-Bar Holder

I had to go to both a craft store and Home Depot for the supplies I didn't have in hand. I used a solid pine dowel, but you can use an empty paper towel holder; just roll up an old catalog or magazine to shove inside for extra durability.

You will need:

10.5" wood dowel

Felt or paint to cover your dowel

Base - I used a crystal cans stick holder

Hot glue gun

Sandpaper

Cut mat

Ceramic birdie

Not pictured:

Ruler

Twine

Rotary cutter

Start by sanding the rough edges of your dowel and cleaning your base. You'll want to plug in your glue gun at this point as well.

If using felt, measure and mark the amount you'll need. Use a ruler and rotary cutter to cut your material. Tip: you'll want to cut two circles to cover each end of the dowel. Mark and cut these circles AFTER you've glued your large piece of felt to your dowel. Capish?

Place a thin line of glue along the edge of your felt; about a .5 cm in. Firmly press your dowel into the glue and roll it to the other edge. Place another line of glue and close the roll.

Glue on your two circles to each end and trim any excess you may have.

Center your dowel and place glue on your base. Press the dowel firmly on to the base. Now place glue on the bottom of your birdie and press + hold the birdie for about 45 seconds. My base was larger than my dowel and I could see run off from the glue. I cut a couple feet of twine, used a thin line of glue where the dowel meets the base, and then tightly round the twine around the base. Hot dog, problem solved!!

Let me know what you think!

XO

Flying Solo...Literally

Isla and I recently traveled to Ohio + Indiana for 16 days! This was not the first time Isla has flown, but it was the first time we have flown by ourselves. It was definitely an adventure and although I learned A LOT the last time we flew, it was obvious I still had a lot to learn about air travel with a toddler.

Luckily for us we had a non-stop flight. Other than crying everyday for a week before we left, I felt I was pretty prepared for our 2.5 hour flight. I learned last time that taking an entire stroller system and gate checking is a total shit show. This time I sized down with this stroller and ordered this and this for that and her car seat. Lesson 1? Check. The bags truly helped keep the seat and stroller clean and scratch free. I did gate check the stroller and curb check the car seat.

Speaking of curb check...my typically helpful baby daddy pretty much unloaded us and the car then took off! He was out of there so fast I swore the tires squealed. The curb check attendant took pity and waived all over weight limit fees and gave me priority boarding. Bless him!

So far so good...The last time we flew Isla wasn't standing on her own, let alone walking. Picture this: Mom and infant taking off winter clothes, unpacking laptop and iPad, getting out our carry on liquids, peeling back welly socks, using 2 hands to detach the car seat from the stroller, folding the stroller, putting it all on the belt...ON CHRISTMAS EVE AND HOLDING THE BABY THE ENTIRE TIME! What a cluster! Here comes lesson 2: carry on ONLY the essentials. I thought I was making quick work of getting everything on the belt until a female employee advised that I keep it moving. The only person to come over and help was a young guy :)

Still smooth sailing...we had some time so we popped in the only restaurant in the terminal and shared some dinner. She was an angel, ate her food with zero mess, and was completely entertained with her magic markers and magic coloring book :)

Oops, time flew and we need to get to the gate! We arrived 10 minutes prior to boarding. I gate checked her stroller and dug out the little bag with all of our meds; she was clearly suffering from allergies and needed some baby benadryl... All set and ready to go! Wait? What? Is that my child screaming at the top of her lungs and throwing herself around on the carpet? Yup. The little angel wanted to play with our bag full of meds and mama wouldn't let her. She threw such a tantrum that people were coming over and offering to soothe her. The gate called pre-boarding and I couldn't run there fast enough. Isla was still convulsing and screaming while I was trying to hand over our boarding passes, so I put her down. Of course she fell and wailed, "OOOOOOWWWWWEEEEEE!" making me look like the WORST mother ever. As we made our way to our seats, I saw eye rolls and heard lots of exaggerated whispers.

We made it! A row of three seats on a Southwest flight that wasn't full. There was not chance in hell someone was going to choose to sit next to us! Winning! For the next 30 minutes, she chilled in her seat, enjoyed some snacks, and said hi to everyone who passed our row.

Travel pillow - we use it in the car too!

At this point, the benadryl kicked in...I think I gave it to her too late and now she was loopy and over tired from missing her nap. She screamed and thrashed around for a good 20 minutes. I am always the one to get annoyed with crying babies kicking my seat, so this really affected me. I started bawling and couldn't stop. It was just too much for me. I vowed NEVER again to wait that long to treat her allergies... The flight attendants brought wine and never asked for payment - sympathy drinks. 

My comfy travel outfit : Isla's Blanket

Soon the benadryl kicked in and the wine felt warm. It was happy skies at 10,000 feet :)

DIY Heart Patch Baby Leggings

My husband and Isla are in Fort Myers this weekend, so I have had a very productive 24 hours. We typically clean one room a day. Therefore, the entire house is never clean at the same time unless Isla is out of town. In addition to cleaning and organizing, I spent a lot of time napping checking off some diy projects on my list. The weather has been gloomy and our pool is closed for repairs. We only have one car, so when I'm home alone on a rainy weekend, my entertainment is limited.

Isla is now 18 months and still not walking 100%. She takes more steps everyday, but still knee walking and crawling for part of the day. We only have carpet in the bedrooms, so Isla spends most of her day crawling around on tile. She has worn down the knees on some of my favorite leggings. I decided to patch a few pairs that still fit her.

I'm not going to lie, each knee patch took about 25-30 minutes. The sewing will take less time if you use a different stitch. I'm pretty happy how these turned out and I know she'll love the new hearts on her knees!

Obviously diy is more fun with a cocktail! The Tervis says it all :) World's Best Mediocre Mom

Gather your goods! You can see the worn knees on these gold polka dot leggings. You'll also need embroidery thread, a needle with a large eye, pins, felt, scissors, and a template for your shape. I did a heart, but you can really do any shape you'd like. Check out these and these for more ideas.

I cut a few paper heart templates before I settled on the right shape + size. Fold your felt in half, pin the template, and cut. Your felt won't have the shiny backside. This remnant was from a prior project that required heat-n-bond so that's why the backside of my felt is shiny.

I pinned the patches to the leggings to ensure minimal movement during my stitching.

I'm in love!

 My stitches aren't exact and I actually really like the look of the random placement. If your OCD won't allow for this, you can pre-mark your felt with your needle before you pin the patch on the pants; the needle will easily find the pin holes. Enjoy!

Happy Half Birthday, Islaboo!

We celebrated Isla's half birthday this week. The kid got screwed with a December birthday, so I decided to start celebrating her half birthday too. Grandma came to play and we celebrated with mini Nutella cakes. I used pound cake because I prefer it to angel food cake. We did a combo of Nutella and Lemon Curd. I always have lemon curd on hand to add to frosting. Have you ever added lemon curd to your fruit pizza frosting? Yummy!

Isla LOVES to color. This chickadee will color for well over an hour straight. She loved coloring with Grandma so much she gave her lots and lots of kisses. I'm headed to Ikea next weekend to pick up an art table I've had my eye on for a few months. I plan to stain it and add some gold paint to the legs. I'll share photos and DIY steps once it is complete.

I wish I had those lashes...

This little bug has changed so much! These are the photos I snapped when she was 6 months old and as much as I love the talking and walking (finally!) Isla, I miss the newborn Isla. I only hope our next babyboo is as photogenic as Islaboo.

Happy 1 1/2 Birthday Islaboo! We love you. Mmmmmmwah!