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Baby Registry Guide: Newborn to 6 Month Essentials ($400+ Giveaway)

babyguide2When I sat down to write this post, I thought to myself, ‘I need to make a concise list of all essential items for a baby’s first five months.’ Then I listed all of the products we use on a day-to-day basis, and oh-my-gosh – it is quite the opposite of concise. Babies require lots and lots of stuff.

I felt very overwhelmed while creating a baby registry, even though I was fortunate enough to be given recommendations from a number of friends. I decided to register on Amazon.com – I’m so glad I did, as it was very convenient to have everything in one place. My list of essential baby items is pretty lengthy. I’ve provided a little description to each item which will hopefully help guide you! If you have further questions, please feel free to email me.

My absolute must-have items are Honest Co. Diapers and WipesMedela Contact Nipple ShieldSummer Infant Baby Zoom Wi-Fi Video Monitor, PacaPod Diaper BagFisher-Price Newborn Rock n’ Play SleeperMAM Pacifiersaden + anais Muslin Swaddle BlanketsBABYBJORN Bouncer Balance and Baby Carrier WeDr. Brown’s Wide Neck Bottles and Bottle Warmer, and Carter’s Onesies. So far, our favorite baby brands have been BABYBJORN, Honest Co. and Dr. Brown’s. We’ve tried a number of different items from each company, and swear by them all!

As part of the 0-6 month baby essentials post, I’m giving away a few of these must-have items (valued at over $400!), including a Dr. Brown’s Bottle Warmer ($45 value), BABYBJORN Bouncer Balance ($160 value), 4 packs of MAM Pacifiers ($25 value), a pack of Carter’s 0-3 mo. Onesies ($25 value) and a PacaPod Diaper Bag ($150 value). One winner will be drawn at random on Friday, November 5 at midnight.* Good luck!

Isla Loves: Dr. Brown’s (Giveaway)

One of the things an experienced mom will tell you when it comes to bottle feeding a baby is that you need to have a number of different bottle brands for your little one to try, as the silicone nipples are different shapes and sizes and you don’t know to which your baby will take. We bought three brands, and Isla would only drink from her Dr. Brown’s bottles – specifically the pink Natural Flow ones. The internal vent system works to mimic a mother’s breast production (watch this video), and the only negative thing I have to say about these bottles would be that I couldn’t figure out how to assemble it the first time (total new-mom-brain!). We were also gifted the Dr. Brown’s bottle warmer at one of my showers and love it. It’s small, easy to store in a kitchen cabinet and quick to heat up a bottle for a hungry baby.

Dr. Brown’s kindly sent me a few other products to try, and I have to genuinely tell you… I’m a serious brand lover now. Isla absolutely loved the PreVent Contour Shield Pacifier. The contoured surface makes it easy for Isla to keep the paci in her mouth. I love all of the colors and designs that the pacifiers come in too.dr. brown's bottle pacifiers gia pillow nursing breastfeeding wipes review baby girl

Family Photo 101: Outfits, Poses, Photographers

As crazy as this sounds, it is time to start planning your holiday card photo. My family has taken an annual photo every year since we moved to America in 1996, and I plan on keeping the tradition alive with our new little family. After 18 years of practice, I have lots of tips to share for photos: what to wear, how to pose, and who to use! These things are all very important. If you’ve got additional help hints, please share them in the comments below!


Outfit Tips 

  1. Coordinate everyone’s outfit colors, but don’t be too matchy-matchy. 
    It is important to pick colors that complement each other, but are not all the exact same. Not sure of a color scheme? You can use Adobe Kuler for inspiration.
  2. Observe your home decor before picking your outfits.
    We recently put up a new gallery wall in our kitchen and are only using professional photos (wedding, engagement, newborn, sister’s wedding, etc.). I realized that in all of the photos, we are wearing pastels – there is a coral color in every photo. I’ll continue this trend in our family photos this year, as they will be added to the frames. Is your house full of burgundy? Wear browns or deep reds. Do you have pops of yellow? Incorporate that into your outfits.
  3. Don’t wear all white or all black.
    The detail of your outfits gets lost when someone is in all black or white – with the exception of a dress. Try to vary your color from head to toe.
  4. Avoid too many patterns.
    One plaid shirt is okay, but don’t have two, unless they are in a very similar color scheme. Try to avoid big, bold patterns and stick to solid colors.
  5. Remember that textures and accessories are your friend.
    Add textures to your outfits, like scarves, belts or jewelry. Avoid anything that makes a strong statement, unless it coordinates closely to other family member’s outfits. Another great texture is a chambray (denim) shirt. And it complements almost all colors.
  6. Classic never goes out of style.
    I love a good silk blouse and jeans. Add heels or solid flats and a pretty gold necklace and you’re set. Something that is overly trendy may have you groaning in ten years time.
  7. Wear soft tones to complement skin tones.
    I love pastels on kids – cream and tan also look incredibly good. I would strongly advise against a bright color, as those are much  more difficult to pair together.
  8. Put your baby in something simple.
    Cute onesies and pants always look good in photos! I don’t recommend multiple outfit changes, but having your baby in a sweet formal outfit melts my heart (and others’, too!). Pick your outfits, then find a cute Carter’sBaby Gap, Old Navy, Zara or J. Crew Cuts (or Factory!) outfit to match.

For Herfamily photos - what to wear, photographers, natural light, film, poses, modern, trendy, classic, blazers, cream, white, gap, j. crew, banana republic, mom, babies, dad, kids

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Week in Review

Week three in Houston has passed, and life is showing no signs of slowing down. This past week, we visited lots of family and friends whom we hadn’t seen in almost three months – some who hadn’t met Isla yet. I was talked into doing back-to-back classes at Life Time Fitness with a close friend, and my body is still recovering. Overall, this week had many highlights, which I’ve captured below:

  • I went to Anthropologie, J. Crew, Carter’s, Kendra Scott and Baby Gapugh, feels good to be back). I subsequently ended up at The Container Store again for more slim-fit hangers.
  • We ate at Ruggles Green and Mary’z – two of our favorite restaurants (see full list of favorites), and I went grocery shopping at Whole Foods for the first time in months!
  • The weather is finally getting more bearable, so I was able to run outside on multiple days.
  • After going to the Durango Farmer’s Market all Saturday, we decided to head to one of the big ones in Houston (and bought lots of Sinfull Bakery goodies)
  • We went to my parent’s house for lunch to celebrate my dad’s birthday (happy birthday!)
  • Isla went to church for the first time (Bayou City Fellowship) and behaved swimmingly! Thank the good Lord.

Most importantly, this week marked the official stomach-to-back-to-stomach rolling and consistent, deep belly laughter from Isla. The former has me slightly nervous (she’s now getting tied into her changing station), and the latter has my heart smiling. That sound is pure joy.

Lastly, the winner of the Freshly Picked giveaway is Wendy J! I will be emailing you shortly. Thank you to everyone who entered.

How was your past week?
review5Her happy morning face // A friend lent us a mamaRoo – why didn’t we have this sooner?

Week in Review

Our first week back in Houston has come and gone, and ohmygosh, I am exhausted. I was so excited about seeing everyone that I might have overdone it by filling up our calendar to its capacity. I was out pretty much all of Monday and Tuesday with food poisoning, then spent the rest of the week seeing family and friends and running errands (so much dry cleaning!). Highlights from the week are captured below:

  • Isla meeting my grandma for the first time (her Great Grandma, or GG)
  • Signing up for a membership at Life Time Fitness and working out for the first time in three months
  • Isla’s playdates with with Lillian, her cousins (Ana, Mila and Lazo) and Ellery
  • Going to The Container Store after many months apart (yes, I’m addicted)
  • Taking Isla into the pool at our friend’s house for the first time (in her sweet Honest Company pineapple swim diaper from Kirby!)
  • Receiving our first Teil Duncan painting – one of her Bulls
  • Eating lunch at my parent’s house with one of my best friends, Andrew, who lives in Boston
  • Hosting two of our favorite friends for a dinner and serving these vegan brownies
  • Going to church at Bayou City Fellowship after being gone forever
  • Isla learning to laugh and doing it often (the cutest sound ever!)
  • And last, but not least, catching up with my best friend, McKenzie

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