We moved Mia down to her room a couple weeks ago, so our bedroom is finally (almost) back to normal!! This is a pretty typical daycare drop off outfit for me now that the mornings are getting cooler. Always toss on that hat to hide my #momhair ;)
We got tickets to a Cubs day game a couple weeks ago while Mia was in daycare, and it was so fun! Plus we managed to see a W which is always nice. The next day I had to go to immediate care though, it turned out I had a sinus infection! I thought something might be wrong when I had one drink at the game and thought I might die haha ;)
We had my parents babysit on a Sunday night, which meant we had to be back home pretty early so my mom could be home for her early "school night" bedtime ;) We just ran over to Lincoln Square for dinner on the patio at Bistro Campagne. Somehow we've been several times inside but this was the first time we sat outside, and it's really pretty back there, like a secret garden.
My chai habit got out a bit out of control for a while (especially when my doctor told me I should be getting more calcium - took that as permission to have one daily haha!), but we've reeled it back in ;)
Had to be downtown a bunch of days in a row a few weeks ago, and it was weirdly fun to get dressed up and wander the city. I may or may not have ended up at City Winery a couple times ;)
This sweater blazer was one of my best buys (Er, gift requests? My mom gave it to me for Christmas last year.) - I wear it all the time. Love how it dresses up my summer mom uniform of a tee shirt and shorts.
Another date night from this summer at Flora Fauna. The whole restaurant is so cute, but the food was the real standout here - some of the most creative but really good dishes I've had in a long time!
I know this outfit was in a blog post at the beginning of the summer, but I had to reshare since this top from last year is back in stock! The eyelet detail is so pretty :)
It feels like FOREVER since I posted about our newborn baby favorites. Oh remember when I could just leave Mia in the Dock-a-Tot for hours at a time?! Of course she's much more fun now, and actually playing and grabbing and laughing. There's just a little less downtime for mama ;)
Some of those favorites are actually still the same - those changing pad liners are still saving my life (and changing table... and car seat...) on the daily. I'm also still trying to squish Mia into her Magnetic Me onesie because not having to worry about snaps or zippers is the best :)
Our Favorite Baby Gear at Six Months
Now that we're past that newborn baby stage, here are a few of our favorites:
Sophie La Girafe - Okay, so I thought this thing was the most overrated and overpriced baby item of all time. I mean, really, what's the deal?! Um, turns out the deal is Mia LOVES this thing. Like, can't get enough. She's always making out with little Sophie, or hugging her, or chomping on her feet. We think she must be fun because she's got so many places to hold and she's soft and easy to chomp on. Just remember not to put her in the dishwasher or the bathtub!
IKEA High Chair(also available here, but try to buy from IKEA directly if you can as it's much cheaper) - We initially only registered for a travel high chair that could attach to our counter. I figured, why buy one more thing when we definitely needed the travel chair? Plus we live in the city, so the less stuff, the better. But, it turns out our travel chair is made of fabric and within three days of using it Mia started wiping out her mouth on the arms when she didn't like something. Yuck! I did not want to have to wash this thing all the time, so I started looking for alternatives. The IKEA high chair is a cult favorite for a reason. It's really easy to clean, it's easy to assemble (and travels really easily too if that's your thing!), it doesn't take up much space, and it's a streamlined modern design. Oh, and did I mention it's only $20?! Nuts, right? It is pretty bare bones and I'm unsure how it will work when Mia gets bigger, but for now (and for $20) it's definitely doing the trick. If your baby needs a footrest, I've heard a good hack is to put an exercise band around the legs! I did buy this little insert cushion too since Mia is still so little.
Gathre Mat(ABC version is currently sold out, but they do frequent restocks so check back soon!) - Instagram hit me HARD with ads for Gathre (I think because I was looking at Crystalin's?). I initially got a big leather blanket in the maxi size for going to the park - it's great because you can put it down on wet grass or sand and not get wet yourself, plus any spills (ahem: or baby accidents) just wipe right off. And it's big enough that I can fully lay down without having to touch any grass (does grass make anyone else itchy?). Pro tip though - don't get the double-sided version unless you're cool with your mat being twice the weight and size! Definitely not something I thought about ;) But anyway, after loving the big size I decided to go for a smaller one that would be easier to fold up and carry with us for spontaneous play moments outside or on our deck. We also brought it with for our trip to Wisconsin and it was great because it took up zero space in our bags. Now that we're eating solids, I have it on the floor under the high chair so I can just take it outside and shake it off or give it a quick wipe after meals.
Lovevery Play Gym and Kits (play gym also available here) - Jeff's stepmom signed us up for the Lovevery box subscription and got us the play gym, and I am so in love. The play gym is great because it's not ugly like so many play gyms so I don't mind having it in the living room, and it has a bunch of different sections to keep Mia's short attention span in check. We use it multiple times a day. The kits come every other month and are full of little toys made out of mainly wood and fabric that are designed for each developmental stage. At first, I was like, what is this box of crap? Because one of the boxes was literally just little rings and crinkle paper and random noisemakers (like a little cage with a jingle bell inside?). But now I am a total convert. Mia loves everything, they are by far her favorite toys (besides Sophie of course). Weirdly all of the other kids in our family (who are ages 10mos - 4 years) all loved the toys too! They're also like Montessori toys, teaching your kid how to learn and play. They also don't make crazy noises and sound effects so they won't drive you crazy. I also love the boxes because we get new toys every month and I don't have to think about it. I think I've literally bought one other toy for Mia so far. I think we're signed up for boxes just through the first year, but I'm definitely signing us up for the toddler boxes too!
Munchkin Formula Dispensers - When we started supplementing with formula, I initially was at a loss as to how to travel with it. Do I bring the giant formula container? Do I put measure the formula into a ziplock? Do I pre-measure into bottles and then guess at how much extra water to put in to account for the extra mass of the formula? Well I saw a mom using these containers instead and I literally hopped on Amazon immediately and ordered some. The bigger container has three sections that each hold enough formula for an 8 oz bottle, and the smaller container can hold one serving for an 8 oz bottle. They are perfect for sticking in the diaper bag. The reviews also say that parents who feed formula in the middle of the night like to pre-measure formula into them so their tired brains don't have to figure it out at three am. These little guys are game changers for sure.
Oh, BTW, while we're talking about it, we're using the Kirkland formula. Our pediatrician said that all formula is basically the same ingredients whether you go for name brand or generic, but this kind is sweetened without corn syrup (which weirdly is in a lot of formulas!) so it is our go-to. Much cheaper if you buy directly from Costco!
OXO Tot Glass Food Storage Containers - Is it dumb that I have two food storage items in this lineup? We started on solids a couple of weeks ago, and I'm making my own food so far. I love that these little containers have ounce measurements on them so I can keep track of how much Mia is eating. They also freeze nicely and can go in the dishwasher. I also chose them because they're glass, so I don't have to worry about gross plastic chemicals seeping into Mia's food.
SkipHop Activity Center - This was my one Prime Day purchase this year (can you tell I'm getting old?!) and I'm so happy with it so far. Mia is just figuring out how to spin herself around in it and how to play the little piano. She's literally sat in this for an hour straight. Worth every penny. Plus, it's cute ;)
Love To Dream Transition Swaddle Bag - At around 4 months we had to transition out of the swaddle because Mia started trying to roll over, so I ordered one of these. It lets you transition your baby's arms out of the saddle one at a time, which makes it easier on the baby. We did three nights with one arm in, and then dropped the second no problem. If I had to do it again, I would have just bought the transition bag when Mia needed to move up a size, because she was in the medium swaddle with her arms in for about three weeks before I had to switch into the transition bags. We are still using the transition bags now for naps at daycare and at night, although she's about to outsize them.
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Happy long weekend!! We have lots of plans with our extended families this weekend, but I'm also hoping to get in a little relaxing and Mia hangs because it's my LAST weekend before I go back to work! That's right, maternity leave is OVER and starting Tuesday I have to figure out this whole working mom thing. I've heard that there's nothing harder than being a stay-at-home mom... except, well, being a working mom. Wish me luck!
Every month I post about my clothing budget. My budget per month is $350, which may seem like a lot to some and a little to others, but feels just right for me. You can read my thoughts on my 2018 budget here.
Well, this might just be the least exciting budget post ever! I triple checked my secret Pinterest board (how I keep track of my purchases every month!) and even looked into my closet to make sure I didn't buy anything else and forget about it. But nope, these were the only two keepers this month! I even questioned keeping the earrings, I had a hard time deciding if they were cool and modern or a little too old corporate business lady. Clearly I decided on the former.
I am currently waiting on this sweater to arrive (couldn't resist a good Madewell sale!) and have a feeling a few more fall pieces will be flying my way in September, so things should change a bit for next month's budget post ;)
Here's the damage for August:
EDIT: RETURNED. I just wasn't ever reaching for this top and wasn't excited to pull it out, so I decided to take it back. LOFT Leopard Print Top - originally $54.50, on sale $32.70. I saw this print in stores when I was making some returns, and it is so pretty in person!! It also comes in a pretty tank and work dress. I thought when I ordered it that it could work as a weekend top as well as a work top, but it doesn't work quite as well with my jeans as it does with black skinnies or a cute pencil skirt. LOFT Glitter Pull Through Hoop Earrings - originally $29.50, on sale $17.70. On that same trip into the store, I glanced over at the jewelry section while I was in line to return approximately one thousand items and realized that LOFT has some freaking adorable earrings right now. I combed through the selection online and ended up ordering these cute minimalistic beauties. I thought I had to be "done" with fun earrings for a while since Mia has hit the must grab everything and pull stage, but then I realized duh, she's going to daycare full time. Mommy just has to wait until after dropoff to put in her fun earrings. And try not to drop them on the floor of the train while doing so. Which I definitely haven't done during the morning rush hour commute. Definitely no.
Total spent: $17.70
Total saved: $11.80
I think that might be my lowest total since I started tracking this whole budget thing! I am on the hunt for shoes though which can be a pricey add - I returned over $500 worth of shoes to Nordstrom last week!! I'm looking for another pair of sock booties, some black mules or loafers, and maybe some taller boots too. So hopefully we'll see some of those in my September post!
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J.Crew is having a 40% off everything sale with code SUNSET, and I got so excited I just added over a thousand dollars worth of stuff to my cart, and then sadly removed a lot haha ;) A lot of my favorites are on sale, as you can see below, like my favorite jeans and sweater blazer and field jacket. Definitely my kind of fall sale!
I'm now five and a half months postpartum which means it's time for, you guessed it, hair loss. Yay for bodies being weird!
I actually thought I would escape this unfortunate part of postpartum life, because my hair did not get thicker at all while I was pregnant. But then, lo and behold, two weeks after I had Mia my hair stopped falling out and growing. What?! I mean, really I first noticed because I kept getting confused in the shower about whether or not I had shaved. Turns out I hadn't, my leg hair just wasn't growing! Once again, yay for bodies being weird!
But, since my hair got thicker, that meant that eventually it would have to shed back to normal, and oh my goodness it has been happening. I've been losing hair like crazy (our vacuum even broke - couldn't handle the shedding!!) for the past month or so, from all over my head but especially around the temples and my hairline.
I've actually always struggled with having extreme baby hairs, which really is what postpartum hair loss gives you. In middle school whenever I wore a ponytail I would shellac all of my baby hairs back to my head, and then eventually in high school I gave up and let them fly everywhere in all of their glory. I even cut bangs (and then kept them for almost 10 years!) as a way to camouflage the baby hairs. Over the years, they've given me lots of practice for keeping baby hairs under control.
Here are my top five tips for dealing with postpartum hair loss:
1. Part your hair when it's wet
A lot of tips for volume include waiting to part your hair until it's dry, but if you're trying to get baby hairs under control that's going to result in them standing straight up! My technique for years has been to get out of the shower and then comb and part my hair with a wide tooth comb while it's still wet. Then I go over my hair again with a fine tooth comb to make sure that my baby hairs are in place (this also helps keep my hair sleek and smooth!) and let them dry that way. I also part my baby hairs closer to the center even though I part my hair over to the side, as this also keeps them from standing up.
2. Change up your part to hide any sparse or bald spots
If you have any spots that are starting to thin on your part, change it up now before things get worse. That will give that spot a chance to recover without the stress of being directly on your part. Since my left temple is right on my part it has suffered the most, but since I shifted my part a little closer to center it has started to get better.
3. Keep your part when putting your hair in a ponytail
You may have noticed that whenever I wear my hair up, I don't push all of my hair straight back. Instead, I always keep the first inch or two of my hair parted (like here - wow that's a pregnant belly!). This allows my baby hairs to lay flat and stay camouflaged. When you try combing your hair straight back, that means those baby hairs are going to stick out and any sparse spots are going to show.
4. Use a toothbrush and hairspray
If you are trying for a style that isn't cooperating with your baby hairs, try putting hairspray on a toothbrush and using that to brush those little hairs into place! A toothbrush has much finer bristles than a brush or even a fine tooth comb, so it can catch those short little hairs and help them conform to your style.
5. Don't stress it!
Worrying about how your hair looks will just make things worse, as stress can increase hair loss! Just know that it's likely that no one else has noticed your hair, and that things should bounce back to normal soon.
Are there any other tips you've used that have worked? Let me know in the comments!
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Fall clothes are starting to show up in stores and I am here. for. it.
Of course I don't actually want to wear them yet, because for me fall means the end of maternity leave and the return to reality. But I can't really hate on the fall clothes. It isn't their fault.
