Kayla

Y’all, literally nothing makes me happier than this sweet little girl. I love reading with her and seeing her interact with the books and giggling as we go through each story. Of course I love classic kids books like Goodnight, Moon or Where the Wild Things Are. And baby O loves board books. What I also love is creating custom books for baby. Wonderbly is the best for personalized books. This new book “Now You Are Here” lets you customize the parents and baby, so baby O can see families that look just like her family. You can create your own custom books @wonderbly! And not just for babies. There are options for older kids and adults. Get 15% off your purchase with code BA2SV4B5. Happy to answer any questions about the books or the process! #wonderblymoments #wonderblyambassador #personalizedgifts #babygift #newborn

June. People so often reflect at the new year on January 1, but the best time to reflect is at the start of your own new year - your birthday. June 16 pushed me into my 34th year and I have never been more thrilled with life. It’s incredible to have a supportive and loving husband (happy birthday as of yesterday), and to get to raise this tiny version of ourselves together. I love being a mom. It’s the coolest thing I’ve done so far.

I never wrote a review for The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias, but it was such an incredible book. It was heartbreaking, horrifying, and just absolutely haunting. A wild ride of a genre bending story that’s part horror, part crime story, part family drama. Anyways, I was thinking about how I never posted this picture that I love, and that felt like a shame, so I wanted to share it now. And I’m missing my purple hair, but more importantly, my shorter hair. It’s probably time for a haircut, since postpartum has my hair falling out anyway. Any tips on that front are much appreciated.

We didn’t need a ton of items for successful feeding pre-solids (up to the 6-month mark), but these items were our tried and trues. -Tommee Tippee bottles were hands down our favorite. We loved the bottle shape, the nipples, and the different flow sizes we could easily swap out. @tommeetippeenorthamerica -Thick muslin bandana shaped bibs were our go-tos. The snaps allowed for custom sizing, the bibs were large to catch all the drool and lost milk, and they looked super cute. These are from Konssy on Amazon. -Everyone’s favorite, a Boppy pillow, which was a little pricey for a pillow but so worth it! We had two covers to switch out, which was just the right amount of @boppycompany -We stuck with the muslin trend here because the fabric is just so absorbent! These were from Looxii on Amazon. -And while we’ve tried a couple of bottle warmers, the @philipsavent took the gold. The bottle sizes are customizable for perfect heating, you can see an estimated time through the blinking light, and this one worked faster than other brands. What were your feeding must-haves up to 6 months??

Hey mamas! Looking for a brand to take care of yourself the way you take care of your mini human? Check out @hellosaucymama - a mama-owned brand with products like boobie butter and soothing oils for mama and baby. Support mamas like you! Try Saucy Mama today! Gifted and paid for content.

Have you heard tankinis are back? I’ll be honest, when it comes to swimwear, I’m not going for a tankini, but I love this swim top as a tank for warm days. That’s right - wear it as a shirt! (And totally as a swim top if you love a tankini.) But let me tell you about this one - the Journey Swim Top from @sarahwellsbags because it’s perfect for pumping and nursing moms. The straps are velcro and release for nursing mamas, but it’s also a hands-free pumping top so it’s great for on-the-go and can be worn BRALESS (remember those days, pumping moms?). I’m just obsessed with the built-in pumping bra. SO FETCH, right? Quick disclaimer that I was kindly gifted this too from Sarah Wells though I’ve purchased many items from the shop on my own.

We’ve gotten to the point where it’s cold and windy in the morning, then 70 degrees in the afternoon. It’s nearly impossible to get dressed everyday. So it felt appropriate to post about A Winter in New York, which is actually mostly set during the fall. BOOK REVIEW: A Winter in New York by Josie Silver Has anyone ever read Josie Silver and not immediately wanted to read all her books? I’ve enjoyed all the books I’ve read from her though generally they tend to lean on the side of romantic but immensely sad. I’ll say that sure, A Winter in New York had some sad moments, but didn’t feel as overwhelming sad as others. I enjoyed the NYC setting, the great descriptive gelato moments, and the joys of found family. I also liked getting a bit of insight into Iris’s mom’s story, and wished there would’ve been more bits of it sprinkled about. There are parts of this book that aren’t perfectly wrapped up, but it made perfect sense in the way that there are moments in life that aren’t perfectly wrapped it. There are moments we miss out on or chances we don’t take. Pathways we miss and look back on with a “what if…?”. This is that kind of story in a lot of ways, but it’s also highly lovely and satisfying. My biggest annoyance related to this book is that the majority of it actually isn’t set in winter, and that irked me. Seriously, winter doesn’t start until late December (mere days before Christmas) and ends late March. Most of the book is a fall setting, though those frigid cold months of fall, it’s still not winter. Either way, I’ll keep reading stories from Josie Silver. They’re too enjoyable not to. Side note: I love that the gelato recipe is included in the back of the book!

I’m so excited because Mother’s Day is in just over a month. Last year, it was the day we told our family we were pregnant. This year, it’s my first Mother’s Day as a mommy. I love little O so much and this book will make any first time momma cry. Books at Wonderbly are totally customizable with names and avatars. It’s the absolute perfect gift for any first Mother’s Day. Get yours @wonderbly - use discount code BA2SV4B5 for 15% off your entire order. PS. There’s a Father’s Day version too - go ahead and snag one of those for June! #personalizedbooks #personalizedgifts #mothersday #giftsformom

Me showing up to work these days with a million bags since I’m a breast pumping mom. It doesn’t quit just because I’m at work. In fact, it’s some of the most exhausting work I’ve ever done! At least my bags are cute.

February dump.

I’m absolutely obsessed with creating personalized books at Wonderbly. You can create custom avatars, add your favorite people into the stories, add personalized messages, and more. They’re the perfect gifts for loved ones. This one will be a gift to my mom for her birthday later this month (shh, don’t tell her). It’s all about me, my mom (Nina), and little O. And yes, it made me cry. Through Monday, you can use my code SPECIALEC7EN4 at checkout to get 15% off your entire purchase + FREE SHIPPING at Wonderbly! My favorite thing is that once you customize it, you can preview the entire book before making your purchase. Get your’s today! #WonderblyAmbassador #wonderblyreadingchampion #wonderbly @wonderbly

My top diapering must-haves: Changing table by @sweeby.kids Changing pad by J & Joo Sanitizer from @purellbrand Tiny trash bags Baby wipes from @honest Diaper rash spray from @boogiewipes @huggies diapers @diapergenieofficial Full details and links on the blog @ apaperarrow.com