Happy Mother’s Day
Today will always be a very special day. I am writing this post the night before, tired from a full day of happily chasing my toddler. When I put him to bed, we have our special snuggle time and I feel it’s always our little time of gratitude together. We both see each other, and really feel in that moment. His sly little smile from behind the crib bars as he puckers up his tiny little lips to give me a goodnight kiss. I dreamed for so long to see that face in front of me. Becoming a mother is the best thing to ever happen to me and my most cherished responsibility. Being a mother is challenging myself to grow with another human and learn and adapt with him. The past few months, Otis has become to fascinated and in love with flowers. On our daily walks through the neighborhood, we walk down a few doors to our neighbors and Otis walks their path smelling all the flowers chanting “Flo flow” as he points to the different blooms. He sometimes doesn’t even get close to the flowers but takes in the deepest sniff in the air as he closes his eyes and concentrates. It just blows my mind being able to watch him grow and not only experience things but truly enjoy those experiences. We were able to run free in empty field as Otis pointed at the ocean he could see in the distance and running through the wild flowers. Pausing to smell them, pausing to point. Chatting away. He was in such a mood (the kissy face photo with his sour puss face is my FAVORITE) that day but it’s wild that even in those frantic toddler moments there is always beauty in them. Motherhood is far from perfect but that doesn’t mean you cant have the most beautiful moments together. Embrace the messiness and take pause to enjoy those small moments together. Many of you know we were in the process of an embryo transfer that got cancelled due to Covid-19 and while we wish our situation could be different now, I know our time will come soon to start back up. For all my fertility warriors out there feeling helpless especially on a day like today, I see you. My heart is sending your heart a hug because I know that dark struggle. Stay strong and never give up. Otis is my little miracle boy and I know he was worth the fight and his future sibling is worth that fight too. Happy Mothers Day friends. on me // dress: free people / hat: janessa leone / shoes: golden goose photos by Lua The post Happy Mother’s Day appeared first on eat.sleep.wear. - Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kimberly Lapides. Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/05/happy-mothers-day.html May 10, 2020 at 12:01AM
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Clover Baby & Kids + EatSleepWear Rainbows is here!
I am so happy to share my collab with Clover Baby & Kids is now LIVE on their website. I shared all of my favorite photos of Otis in this previous blog post but wanted to share today as you can finally purchase them! I collaborated with Nikki and Shannon, the co-owners of Clover Baby & Kids on this special new print to celebrate those parents that have battled infertility and finally got their miracle babies. Its about celebrating life and love. Rainbows are a celebration after the storm. A symbol of hope for those who have fought and continue to fight infertility. It’s a battle very near and dear to my heart after our 3 year fight for Otis and especially now after our recent cancelled frozen embryo transfer due to covid-19. The rainbow print just makes my heart smile and I hope it can brighten your own day. Whether you are buying it for your little one, or buying it for your coming miracle, it’s my sincere hope that this collection brings a smile to your face during these strange times in the world. After everything we went through, the ultimate gift is getting to enjoy Otis’ laugh and smiles and I am so thankful to be able to work on such a special project with other strong mothers. Tonight I bought a pajama set for my future little one and one for my nephew so he can match Otis. Please share photos with me if you purchase the rainbow print. I would love to see your little ones enjoying them. I have a discount code for 20% off most items Visit the Clover Baby & Kids x EatSleepWear Rainbow collection here I wrote a few posts on infertility and IVF and you can find them below: Prepping for FET (frozen embryo transfer) Preparing for IVF egg retrieval How to support a friend going through IVF The post Clover Baby & Kids + EatSleepWear Rainbows is here! appeared first on eat.sleep.wear. - Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kimberly Lapides. Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/04/clover-baby-kids-eatsleepwear-rainbows.html April 29, 2020 at 11:23PM
COVID-19 CANCELLED MY FROZEN EMBRYO TRANSFER
To be honest, I was never going to write this post until Monday came around. With this week being National Infertility Awareness week, my situation just hit me hard again and I was reminded that for me, being open and sharing my truth and struggles is something that not only helps me personally but hopefully helps others too. This Covid-19 world has become a super shitty time for so many people. Before I go into everything. Let me rewind. Many of you know that we struggled for a long time to bring Otis into the world. You can read all about our infertility and multiple rounds of IVF as I wrote a lot of pretty detailed posts throughout the process. After settling into life as a new mom, Blake and I both started to think about expanding our family. We have 3 frozen embryos that have been genetically tested and our plan moving forward was to do a FET (frozen embryo transfer) to expand our family. We made the decision not to try naturally based on my own anxieties about my egg quality being poor. Plus, to have these little miracle embryos is such a blessing. We worked so hard to get them and we wanted to give them a fighting chance. Sharing the start of our cycle and what ended up happening. I had started a FET diary on my computer to document what I was feeling and going through so tapping into that in the paragraphs below. STARTING MY FROZEN EMBRYO TRANSFER CYCLEWe decided to prep for a transfer at the end of March so that meant starting our treatment at the beginning of February. The first piece of the puzzle was doing a Hysteroscopy to take a look inside my uterus with a camera to make sure everything looked good to prep for a transfer. I remember the day I had the blood drawl in preparation for the procedure. It’s funny how quickly you fall back into these same routines of what now has seemed like a distant time away. After finally being in my own skin for about 2 months, here we were again. In my own skin meaning no breastfeeding and finally for once having my body literally to myself. The wildest thing after years of treatment and then being pregnant. Have to say, those 2 months were an incredible time to honor my own body and mind just being my own. Staring into a future of needles, meds, mood swings and anxiety had me on the edge of my seat. Maybe its PTSD from the years of treatments. It’s wild because it’s such a strange emotion. I am both calm and anxious at once. Is that even a thing?!? After going through this process before, there is a sense of calm in knowing what to expect. I also know that this really can work. Otis is sheer proof that the miracle possibility is something that is so real I can literally wrap my arms around him this second and hug him so hard and close. On the flip side, it’s heavy to know the journey that lies ahead and the obstacles ahead of us as well. So it’s this wild mix of emotions as I know those evil estrogen pills are on their way to my pharmacy and the countless needles that lie in my future. For a split second, I think about how much easier it would be if we could just be normal and conceive without all this baggage. But then I snap out of it. All the blood, sweat, tears and love we put into this process. All the work. Our precious embryos sitting frozen at the embryo bank. My mind instantly switches gears. It’s a privilege I get to look this battle in the eye again. And you know what? I’m a hell of a lot stronger than when I first started this journey and you bet the fight left in me is strong. FIRST DAY OF INJECTIONSI hoisted the giant cardboard box of medications onto our kitchen island. I took a deep breath because I knew what was ahead of me. The first shot of many and the first opportunity to prep for baby number 2. So exciting. Nerve wracking. Emotional. All the feelings. I decided that I was going to do it. Blake was next to me reading my protocol papers and telling me my dosage. I was starting my lupron injections. The lupron basically turns off your own hormones so you can sync everything with the hormones I will be taking soon. The injection is telling my body not to ovulate etc. It’s wild what these meds can do to help prepare for an embryo transfer. Wild. I pulled out the bag of orange insulin syringes. Funny that something so distant was feeling all too familiar. I pulled back the syringe to the 20 mark and I was ready to inject. I stood there for a second. Anticipating how it would feel again, psyching myself up. And BAM. I did it. And just like that, we were “IN IT” again. Holy crap guys. We were really in it. LEADING UP TO EMBRYO TRANSFEREverything was on track. Everything was going, dare I say, GREAT. Time was flying by and really before I knew it I was taking my estrogen pills and estrogen patches headed into the doctor’s office for scans to check my lining. I remember Dr. M saying how surprised she was that my lining was looking so good toward the beginning to the point I thought something might be wrong! Maybe things were just finally playing out without a struggle. Maybe things were finally syncing up perfectly with the universe. There was an odd sense of calm and peace and everything was shaping up to look great. RUMBLINGS OF COVID-19Covid-19 was starting to slowly creep into every part of daily life and I we quickly felt like we were on a race against the clock. What was really happening in the world? How was it going to trickle to us? It started to quickly become scarier by the day and it was always in the back of my mind that our fertility center might close. I was talking to a girlfriend on the East Coast who let me know at some point that her fertility clinic was closing and my heart instantly sunk. Was this all really happening?! COVID-19 I HATE YOUIt was March 16th that would darken this FET cycle for us. In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, it became clear that this was going to possibly affect my treatments. I feel like each day leading up to this started to become increasingly scary and left me feeling such fear looking into the unknown of what each new day would bring. The virus was spreading more quickly than ever and slowly but surely everything was starting to close. Of course like so many people out there I was glued to my phone. Waiting for updates from businesses, brands, and most importantly my fertility clinic and the CCRM. The CCRM is the facility that not only stores my embryos but performs the surgical and non surgical procedures of egg retrievals, iuis, and embryo transfers. The day before my doctor’s appointment, I was scrolling instagram and saw an update from the CCRM. My heart sank. It stated that at this time, they were still performing egg retrievals but had put a pause on all embryo transfers and iuis. The tears started to flow down my face. Of all reasons to have my cycle cancelled, it wasn’t my body’s fault, it was totally out of our control. This stupid virus was fucking up my whole treatment plan. After months of prep, and a month and half of medications, I was literally a week away from my transfer and it was cancelled in an instant. I sent the text to a close friend of mine. Blake was on a conference call, and I was mid convo with my friend. She called me immediately to say how sorry she was. And we both started crying. I just knew it. I was going to get cancelled and I had found out by casually scrolling my instagram. Brutal. Absolutely brutal. I still held on to a glimmer of hope for when I immediately called my doctors office. They were still waiting on feedback from our specific CCRM center and I would have to wait till the morning for a final word on whether I was getting cancelled. I woke up, showered, and got our whole family ready. Otis included! And packed us all into the car to head to the doctors. Keep in mind, we were in the middle of a quarantine to stop the spread of Covid-19 and didn’t have our nanny with us so Otis was coming with us to my appointment. We got 5 minutes down the road and I called my clinic. I let them know there was no way I was coming into the office if my cycle was getting cancelled. They placed me on hold and the receptionist said I was being cancelled. So we turned around and awaited a call from my doctor. I talked to my doctor later that day. In a way, I kind of felt awful for her too. Having to make all of these gut wrenching calls to tell patients why their cycles needed to be cancelled. I think in that moment, things shifted as I know the weight of all of this falls on so many people. She explained that since the effects of covid-19 on early pregnancy are so unknown, she was not comfortable compromising my healthy and strong embryo to these unknown circumstances. We talked for a bit and while it was a bitter pill to swallow, I agreed with her. It was better to put everything on hold until the world was in a more stable position and we had more information to implant an embryo for best chances of success. Also treatment and monitoring might become increasingly difficult to knowingly put myself at risk if I had any complications would just not be the right thing to do. WHAT’S NEXT?The honest answer is that we wait. We wait till the world starts to recover. We wait till our health care systems are not being overloaded. And we wait until our doctors office comes up with a plan to start treatment cycles again. Dealing with the repercussions of this pandemic world have left us all in a state of mourning. Mourning our past social lives, routines, and interactions. Not only was I mourning the state of the world, but I was mourning our cancelled cycle. While I am lucky to have doctors and a medical team that is putting my health and my future babies health first, the sting of being one week away from our transfer date is still fresh. It makes my heart ache knowing that others are going through the same and the worst of it, you can’t go to your girlfriends house to just get that hug you need right now. The solitude of quarantine kind of makes it an extra lonely time. But before it sounds like a doom and gloom story, I wake up everyday, looking at Otis and smiling. Every day I am lucky enough to spend with him and our family staying home and spending this time together. The advantage of being through this before is that I have seen first hand how all the emotional and physical drains of treatment can be worth it. I know for a fact that I am strong and that I can stare infertility in the eye and kick its fucking ass. Excuse my language (sorry Mom I know you are reading this!) but you know what, I did this before and I WILL do it again. To all my warriors out there that are feeling alone, scared, and hopeless I want you to know you have an army of women (and men!) behind you. The hardest thing to have through this process is hope but hope is what saw me through this the first time. Please know my heart is with you and whether you have shared your own journey with anyone else, I am here to support you. DM me. Email me. It might take me time to respond but if you need a friend, I am here. Don’t ever give up. Everyday I get to hear Otis’ laugh makes me so thankful I never gave up. Stay strong friends. A note about this old photo from before quarantine. I was struggling to find a photo that was appropriate for this subject. This specific photo always reminds me that there is such beauty in the world meant to be enjoyed with your loved ones. And I know one day, we will be looking at this same sunset together as a family of four. The post COVID-19 CANCELLED MY FROZEN EMBRYO TRANSFER appeared first on eat.sleep.wear. - Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kimberly Lapides. Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/04/covid-19-cancelled-my-frozen-embryo.html April 24, 2020 at 01:47AM
Rainbow babies after the storm
While it’s been dark in the world during this pandemic, I have been lucky to be home with Otis. He continues to always be a bright spot in our lives everyday no matter what is happening in the world. It’s wild because I always get the sweetest messages from friends and readers sending me DM’s about how Otis will brighten their day with the daily videos and peeks into our life that I share there. To say my smile grows every time I read that is the truth. Otis is a light in the storm in so many ways. If you aren’t familiar, it was a very tough road for us to find our way to Otis. I first shared our struggles with infertility in one of the hardest posts I never thought I would have needed to write. A round of IVF, Embryo Transfer that ended in the most heartbreak I have ever endured. We went through IVF round 2, and then IVF round 3 in what seemed like a never ended series of battles. Finally, after 2 years of fertility treatments and a second embryo transfer, the world became brighter for us when I got the call that I was pregnant. On August 25th, 2018, Otis was born into the world. To say he is a miracle is an understatement. So often I find myself staring at him and having tears well up just taking in his smile, holding him a little bit tighter, and really remembering just how special it is to have him with us. Those that have battled fertility are warriors. While you move past it, its never something you forget. In the end, it’s shown me the immense strength I never knew I had. It has always been a journey of tremendous challenge but also one filled with hope. And it leads me to share one of the most special collaborations I could share with you today to bring some thought and love to National Infertility Week. I had met Nikki (virtually) through my sister in law and became a huge fan of her brand, Clover Baby & Kids, and her sleep-to-play essentials for little ones. Nikki and her co-owner Shannon are a female founded, mom-led company. They launched the brand in November 2017 and oversee every aspect of the company. Nikki struggled with infertility so connecting with others who struggled was a passion of hers as well. I loved their clothes from the beginning with the most adorable hand painted prints, fun colors, and most of all super cozy for Otis. When they came to me with an idea to celebrate those parents that finally got their miracle babies, I was so excited to help spread the love and joy of celebrating such a special moment for those parents. Rainbows are a celebration after the storm. A symbol of hope for those who have fought and continue to fight infertility. The rainbow print is so special coming in two color schemes. I have always loved rainbows especially given our story and I love that this set is perfect for Otis as there are two different colors to choose what you vibe with more. It’s honestly a dream come true to work with these women on this project. There is not a day that passes that I don’t give thanks and celebrate Otis. Without hope and strength, he might not have been here. For all my fertility warriors out there fighting the fight, we are all with you. I see you. I feel you. My heart is hugging yours. Please don’t ever give up. Keep fighting. Given the unique atmosphere of the world, while we wait for the official launch of the rainbow collection, you can visit the preview page here where you can sign up to receive early access to shop it! Plus, signing up will automatically enter you to win two of the rainbow styles. We will randomly select one lucky winner once the product is available. Please help me to support one of my favorite small businesses as well as such an important cause. Thank you always, from the bottom of my heart for supporting my business that in turn, supports my family. Much love from myself, Otis and Blake. We hope you love the collection. Stay strong friends. Visit the Clover Baby & Kids x EatSleepWear Rainbow collection here I wrote a few posts on infertility and IVF and you can find them below: Prepping for FET (frozen embryo transfer) Preparing for IVF egg retrieval How to support a friend going through IVF The post Rainbow babies after the storm appeared first on eat.sleep.wear. - Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kimberly Lapides. Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/04/rainbow-babies-after-storm.html April 21, 2020 at 12:24AM
Easy lunch time cold pasta salad recipe with banza pasta
sdfdsf EASYLUNCH TIME COLD PASTA SALAD RECIPE WITH BANZA PASTAsdfdsf Makes lunch for 4 people Ingredients
Instructions
That’s it! I can not tell you how satisfying this meal was for a lunch. I basically just looked in my fridge and pantry to see what ingredients I had readily available. You can call it a pantry salad if you add in more canned veggies, beans and tuna. You could also easily use whatever vegetable you have in your fridge and top with a hard boiled egg for added protein. The dressing is nice and tangy with the white vine vinegar. Other quick and easy recipes: The post Easy lunch time cold pasta salad recipe with banza pasta appeared first on eat.sleep.wear. - Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kimberly Lapides. Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/04/easy-lunch-time-cold-pasta-salad-recipe.html April 08, 2020 at 11:26AM
Toddler Easter Basket
While it feels strange posting something like, I know a lot of parents are there are struggling to think of how to keep the world normal for your children during these hard times. I do everything possible to give Otis the best everyday we can at home during quarantine. I started prepping his Easter basket before the quarantine started but also have been able to get a few items shipped and be lucky enough to have my Sister pick things up for me on a trip to Target. We might not all be able to place orders or grab order pickups places. I am not leaving the house and Blake is the one that does all our out of the house errands right now (groceries and any prescriptions etc). So I haven’t been able to shop normally for his Easter basket but was so lucky to have some online lucky ordering a few things. Sharing a few things I am putting in his Easter basket. I was more concerned with some new toys to spark some interest for Otis and a fun way to do an Easter Egg hunt in our backyard. I have some of those mini cars already for Otis and I realized they perfectly fit into a plastic egg! I will fill my eggs with the cars and with some cereal or other snacks that fit inside. So I will share each item below and hope it inspires your Easter basket this year. Honestly, I am going to look through my garage to see what extra things I can throw in for Otis. Get resourceful and I highly suggest placing any orders today or Monday to ensure delivery. I wish I got this post up sooner… But quarantine means I am mom life 24/7. poppyjack shop custom tags: I love this local business and Monday is the last day to place an order for a custom name tag. There are a few different shapes to choose from as well. I got Otis this bunny for his basket. super bubble stick bubble gun: I actually already own this but it’s a super cute thing to pop into your Easter basket. little market basket: I actually bought the basket 2 weeks ago and they no longer sell it separately but they have a gift basket version here as well as some other baskets that would be perfect and also so cute to be reusable for your little one not just for Easter. I love supporting the artisans that are making these goods. The also have some SUPER cute stuffed animals here you can add in for the basket. We own the bunny and carrot already! slumberkins: These are Otis’ fav lovey and would make the sweetest little gift inside an Easter basket. color me happy snack puzzle: Oompa toys is a small business I love to support. They sell sustainable and organic toys. Otis loves puzzles right now so I thought this one would keep him busy. We are also teaching him colors now so this will come in handy! plastic eggs: I bought more of these reusable eggs. Otis loves them empty and plays with them often but I need some more for our easter egg hunt. apolis tote bag: We have a few apolis bags at home and what I love is that they are customizable! This tiny size is so perfect for a little one and there is still time to order with overnight shipping. Mattel Disney Pixar Cars 3 Die-Cast Mini Racers Blind Bag: I have a few of these cars already for Otis but I got a bigger set to place inside the plastic eggs for our Easter Egg Hunt. Otis is VERY into watching cars on Disney+ now. It’s making me so happy because I love those movies so much too. barnyard dance! book: Otis loves all the Sandra Boynton books and I love this one because of all the farm animals. sidewalk chalk: We actually only have 1 piece of sidewalk chalk one of our neighbors gave us for the sidewalk chalk challenge so I wanted to grab some more for Otis since now every time we walk by our neighbors and he sees theirs in their front yard he yells, “COLORS!” I ordered some for pickup from Target this week because Blake has to run out and grab us toilet paper because we are almost out. Otherwise it seems sidewalk chalk is hard to come by online but take a look around. This is the set I bought from Target but it’s only available for store pickup and not for shipping. Learning Resources Jumbo Farm Animals: Mommas and Babies: Otis is obsessed with farm animals so I ordered these figurines to work on his words etc. My friend Danielle recently shared these and I LOVED them and had to buy. She also has a great guide up here. bubbles: I bought this small pack of bubbles the last time I was out in the world more than a month ago but they still have them at Target. no-spill bubblin’ bucket: My sister picked these up for me at Target when she went. Otis is gonna lose his mind because I never give him the container for fear he is going to dump it out onto the ground. Will let you know how he likes these. grimms water waves nesting blocks: Otis loves the ocean so I thought this would be a fitting toy for him! Love supporting Oompa toys and thier small business. shop toddler easter basket goodies: The post Toddler Easter Basket appeared first on eat.sleep.wear. - Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kimberly Lapides. Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/04/toddler-easter-basket.html April 05, 2020 at 03:24PM
The “Home” Office
The world feels heavy amidst the Covid-19 crisis around the world. Blake, Otis and myself have been quarantined at home. It’s been a super challenging and scary time for all of us with all the unknowns. It’s been an anxiety ridden time for everyone and one thing Blake and I have vowed to do is to start each day fresh and celebrate everyday by making it a little extra special. We have been creating little projects for ourselves to keep our morale high and to above all, make us laugh. It’s no secret that we are obsessed with the Office. I couldn’t even tell you how many times I have rewatched the show. We all need Michael Scott more than ever!!! And also I watched this all through my pregnancy and Otis instantly loves the intro. So we decided to do a version of our own “Home” Office. Basically any opportunity to pull out Otis’ Dwight Schrute Costume is ok with me! I know the majority of you out there have transitioned from full time office jobs to wrangling your jobs at home, wrangling kids, and wrangling this new sense of normal. Just know that we are all in this together, and while the immediate time might be the most challenging that some of us have experienced, we are going to make it out of this stronger together. Much love from our family to yours. I hope you are all staying healthy and safe with your loved ones. It took us all week to make this video. We hope it brightens your day. xo, Kim, Blake, and Otis The post The “Home” Office appeared first on eat.sleep.wear. - Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kimberly Lapides. Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-home-office.html April 03, 2020 at 12:24AM
Monday Vibes
Let me tell you, it has been a ROUGH 2 weeks. Otis was sick with a cold 2 weeks ago and then 1 week ago, he got Hand Foot Mouth disease. It’s been beyond horrible to see Otis in pain and sick and just keep him comfortable these last 2 weeks. I have also been quarantined along with him at home because of all of it. Having a toddler and going through cold and flu season has been rough guys. I have never had more colds in my life but it is just part of life with a little one. Their immune systems are growing and they just get sick a lot. But, today, I am showering, doing my makeup, and getting ready for my girls to come over for a little bachelor viewing party. I CAN NOT WAIT. None of this info is related to this outfit but here we are. I have pretty much been living in these sneakers and long duster sweaters for weeks now. It’s basically my uniform. Basically I always need to be mobile so most of the shoes in my closet as of late are flats. I am craving another pair of golden goose sneakers but I bought these on like MEGA super sale on cyber Monday one year and can’t bring myself to even fathom spending the money on these unless I find them on super sale. Are you loving any other funky sneaker brands?? I am on the hunt. I am also actually craving some new dusters in my closet. Currently have my eye on this one because of the button details and this one because of the creamy tone and lightweight look. I feel like I don’t have many lighter dusters so I will be adding one to my closet. sweater: naked cashmere / top: astr the label / jeans: jbrand shop this look: The post Monday Vibes appeared first on eat.sleep.wear. - Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kimberly Lapides. Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/03/monday-vibes.html March 09, 2020 at 11:26AM
Kids Toy Storage and Toy Organizer Ideas
First of all… Otis’ smile in these photos… THIS KID IS TOO MUCH I CAN’T HANDLE IT. I of course say that in the most positive way possible. I might have fainted when I saw these photos of Otis leaning in for a kiss to his Mama. It’s honestly everything I dreamed of and more. I love this kid so much. Oh man. I could gush for hours about him. But! The reason for today’s post is to share some things about toy storage with you. Once the first birthday hits, I feel like in terms of baby/toddler stuff things start to explode in the house. You just start accumulating so much stuff and it’s near impossible to not have your house look like a literal toy shop. A friend of mine came over one day and said, “I am impressed by how your house still looks adult.” I think it’s because we have become creative with how we store Otis’ toys. Tips for Toddler Toy OrganizationRotate and Store your toys: What I started doing was grab a few Tupperware bins (I bought these) for the garage and cycle out some of Otis’ toys every month to inspire his playtime. I am going to be honest, sometimes it’s longer than a month when I remember to switch them out but the point is I don’t have everything we own out in our living room. Our house is small and we don’t have a playroom so everything that Otis plays with is in our living space or his room. If every toy we owned was out… our house would look insane. Rotating toys has been a fun way to surprise him with some “new toys” that he might have forgotten about it. Match toy storage to your decor: This might seem pretty straight forward and obvious but I think sometimes when it comes to toy storage, you automatically look for specific toy storage solutions for kids and they don’t necessarily blend with your own home aesthetics. For instance, I wanted to utilize the storage space under our bench so I choice these baskets from the citizenry. They are modern and blend with my decor theme and aren’t a typical kid toy bin. But in reality, they are SO practical. Otis will even grab a bin, drag it over and then we have 1 thing to play with. I recently separated them into different categories: legos, trains and other. It makes cleaning up easier knowing that everything has a place and a home. Also it’s great to hide it… at least a little bit. Utilize low shelves for kids toys: We have a small cabinet with a normally useless bottom shelf but I was able to store Otis’ books and puzzles on it. It’s at a perfect height for him to sit and pull what he wants out. It’s also out of eye view for the adults so it’s a hidden toy gem if you know what I mean. I encourage Otis to put them away also. Yes the way he does it is messy but I applaud his efforts and then I straighten it up so it looks good again. It makes a huge different creating stacks of books and puzzles to give the illusion of order. If you have low cabinets that are concealed, you can dedicate one to your toddler and open it up for play time and then close it up when playtime is over. I have crafts and other toys hidden in my media console. You can find all the sources for my living room decor HERE. Kim outfit // top: cotton on (similar) / jeans: jbrand toy baskets: the citizenry shop the post: The post Kids Toy Storage and Toy Organizer Ideas appeared first on eat.sleep.wear. - Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kimberly Lapides. Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/02/kids-toy-storage-and-toy-organizer-ideas.html February 27, 2020 at 10:36PM
Toddler Feeding Essentials: 18 months
Can we first talk about Otis’ tiny cute smile and those long flowing hair locks?!?! HOW CUTE IS HE. It’s always wild even looking back at photos from 1 month ago because he is just growing so fast. I love sharing bits and pieces of Otis’ journey through the world with you and feeding has been a popular topic. I last updated you on baby feeding tips and baby led weaning and starting solid foods here. At almost 18 months (next week!) there isn’t much that Otis won’t eat. He’s always been pretty adventurous when it comes to food and really has a zest for it. Mealtime is one of my favorites that we get to sit down and spend quality time together. Our breakfast chats over coffee are my favorite way to start the day. Sometimes we even share a meal with Otis’ grandparents and get to video them in while eating. So it’s become a really special little chunk of time for all us. Otis loves his eggs, fruit and waffles in the morning and is currently on a yogurt smoothy kick! His favorite fruit is currently blueberries and loves when Blake make’s bbq chicken on the grill. He is obsessed with brocollini and I think the only thing he has refused to eat because of the flavor is kale. And you know what, I don’t blame him. HA! I find such joy watching him eat and enjoy and excited to share all the items we are using and loving now. Toddler Feeding Essentials: 18 months1 grabease baby utensils: These have been out favorite utensils for Otis. The come recommended by occupational therapists and I love the choke protection shield to make sure they can’t swallow them. The handles are very ergonomic for his little hands and because they are shorter it’s easier for him to get the food into his mouth. We use both the fork and spoon and also own their toothbrush that we love as well. 2. stokke tripp trapp highchair: This high chair is pricey but we were lucky to have someone get it for us off our baby registry. I will say I think it’s worth every penny after using it for 1.5 years already. What I love is that it is super easy to clean and wipe down. Some of the pieces are dishwasher safe which also makes my life easier. Another amazing thing is that is very adjustable. So the chair is able to grow with baby from the newborn stages to toddler. The foot rest board is adjustable so it keeps them comfortable while they eat. Imagine sitting at a bar stool with no foot rest?? So many high chairs don’t have adjustable foot rests and this is a game changer. Also it’s aesthetically pleasing and blends in with our decor which is always an added bonus. I often get questions on how I keep the straps clean and the chair white. My secret is using a bib (for the most part) to cover the straps. Also I clean and white the chair down after every use. The chair has a great tray but now that Otis is older, we love that we can push this highchair to the table to have him really be part of each meal and eat together. 3. lollaland lollacup: We use this cup as a water cup for all of Otis’ meals. What I love about it is the handle detaches and the straw is made up of 2 very easy to clean pieces. I love the handles since he often tends to throw his water cup around at meal time so the handle portion makes it stable on the table. You can also use the cup without the handles too. It does leak a little bit out of the straw when it’s thrown off the table, but the spillage is not bad at all. 4. gathre bib: I love how easy this bib is to just scrub in the sink. The snaps are pretty sturdy so he can’t rip it off. 5. ezpz happy mat placemat: This is one of my favorite things. I often get asked how well this mat stays on the table. I will be honest, Otis can rip any plate off. Any plate. That being said, this was been my favorite for him because of its massive footprint, it’s harder for him to peel it off so it buys me some more time before he throws it all onto the floor. Sticks well for us and love that it keeps more mess off the table. It does take up alot of room storage wise but it’s basically always in our drying rack since we use it for every meal. Also it’s dishwasher friendly which is a big plus! 6. oxo tot transitions straw cup: This has been our favorite cup for Otis’ milk. Sometimes he has milk with his meals now that he is getting older and we use this cup. I tried a bunch and I love this one because the straw itself is VERY easy to clean. It’s essential. Also you can add a handle if need be or use it without. They spill a little bit for me when thrown but not a ton. So it’s not spill-proof but pretty decent. 7. contigo kids water bottle: I picked these up and they have been easy to use for Otis. I took him to the store and made sure he was able to push the button to release the straw and he had no problems. I like being able to see how much water is in the bottle and these were the most simple patterned ones I could find. 8. inglesina fast table chair: This is one of our favorite travel highchairs. It easily clips onto most tables or bars. We brought this to restaurants when Otis was too small for the ones they provide there. I also love to bring this to a friends house so that we can clip it onto the dining room table and have dinner together. For our everyday, we have it clipped onto our kitchen island for when I need to give Otis a quick snack in the kitchen and unload the dishwasher or clean up a little. 9. hiccapop omniboost travel booster seat with tray: This has been a gem and such a great creative solution for a highchair on the go inside and outside. We have used it in hotels (pictured above) and also bring it to parks, the beach etc when we want to sit Otis down and have a snack. It has an amazing little tray that attaches to the seat so it creates a nice little on the go environment. It’s so tiny and we just keep it in our car so in a pinch we have it with us to use. 10. Contigo Spill-Proof Kids Tumbler with Straw: These have been a favorite water cup and live up to their spill-proof name. For the most part, when tipped over it truly is spill-proof. Of course when it get’s really hot, I have noticed the water will bubble up the straw and spill out. But we love it and have a few. Also love that I can see the liquid level and the straws are super easy to clean in just 2 pieces. 11. contigo 13oz stainless steel kids autospout water bottle: This is similar to the clear water bottles but this is a good insulated version to bring to the park with us. 12. bapron bib: I LOVE these bibs because Otis can not rip them off. You put their arms through and tie behind their back so they really can’t take it off. These are machine washable which are amazing. I will say I wasn’t diligent washing them enough and really scrubbing after every meal and they can get a little smelly. So make sure to remember to give them a machine wash to keep them from getting smelly. 13. ezpz mini mat: This is the smaller version of the bigger mat we have. I have a few of these and I bring them to restaurants or use them when I don’t need my big mat. Super easy to clean and also dishwasher friendly. 14. skiphop zoo insulated food jar: I love to use this insulated jar for cold or hot foods from home on the go. I mostly use for cold foods and use it to stow cut up fruit etc. 15. munchkin snack catcher cup: Otis loves his snacks and I have a million snack cups. This is one of my favorites. 16. skiphop zoo snack cup: Another favorite snack cup because the animal designs are adorable and the lid is attached which makes for less food spilling all over the place. As a reminder I have discount code for the Feeding Littles feeding courses which I bought and used for Otis. I can not say enough good things about them. They are such an incredible resource for feeding ideas and tips especially for Toddlers. They were kind enough to offer $10 off either course with code: EATSLEEPWEAR since I blab on and on about them constantly It was such a valuable resource for us personally (and continues to be) and I am sure that it’s what has helped us nurture the adventurous little eater Otis is today. The post Toddler Feeding Essentials: 18 months appeared first on eat.sleep.wear. - Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kimberly Lapides. Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/02/toddler-feeding-essentials-18-months.html February 18, 2020 at 09:53AM |