LIVING SIMPLY • NEWBORN ESSENTIALS

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eleven • twelve • thirteen • fourteen • fifteen • sixteen

Noble is now six weeks old and since we're moving out of the newborn phase, I thought I'd share a list of things we've gotten a lot of use out of. I learned a lesson after buying things for Ev - it's best to stick with simple things for babies. I made the mistake of buying tons of cute clothes for her and am paying the price now as I organize and try to sell box after box. This time I vowed to only buy things brand new that we could reuse. We're unsure whether we'll actually make the leap and have more babies after this, but we'll have what we need just in case. When I was pregnant with Ev, I poured over those 'baby registry checklists' and worried if I didn't have every little thing listed. This time around I had a better idea of what we would actually use and need (and have space for in an apartment). I really didn't even glance at a list. We spent considerably less this time while preparing for Noble, but I really don't feel like we're in need of anything. It feels good to be clutter free!

SLEEPING SPACE • I debated on going the bassinet route at all or just putting him straight into a crib, but (like always) we were unsure how long we'd be in this apartment and our bedroom is tiny. I didn't want to waste all that precious walking-around-the-bed space with a crib if we could use a bassinet until we moved into a bigger space. This was my inspiration for his 'nursery,' so I went on a scavenger hunt for all parts involved at a reasonable price and decided on the Jolly Jumper Rocking Moses Basket Stand, the Tadpoles Woven Palm Leaf Moses Basket, and an IKEA Rens Sheepskin for a mattress, which totaled around $100 - cheaper than any complete bassinet set I could find, and made of all natural materials. We just tuck a muslin blanket around the sheepskin to catch any spit-ups.

NURSING SPACE • The dreaded rocking chair search has been ongoing since I was pregnant with Evie. I'm convinced the perfect (affordable) one doesn't exist! I had originally decided to just settle for a glider because they're so darn comfortable (and so darn ugly), but I just couldn't pull the trigger. So I ended up going the next best route and settled on a classic, solid wood rocking chair with a nursing stool. It isn't horrendous, huge, or expensive, and it won't fall apart after just one baby. A My Brest Friend pillow was especially handy with Ev and I still have mine, but found that I used it less this time around since I was more comfortable breastfeeding and knew more about getting the proper latch, etc.

DIAPERING • I haven't talked much about our love for cloth diapering here, but briefly put - we're believers. As with most things, we prefer the simplest system - prefolds with a water proof cover. I tried pocket diapers for a few weeks with Ev and they were the bane of my existence, so we stuck with what we love and know. We already had Bummis organic prefolds from diapering Ev that we loved, but they were discontinued and I had heard good things about Green Mountain diapers, so I thought I'd try those. So far they are just as good, if not better than the Bummis ones. We use cheap washcloths from IKEA for cloth wipes. We also use Seventh Generation disposables at night and when we're running errands because - well, I'm not super mom.

BLANKETS • . . . because everyone knows blankets are the thing you need the most with a newborn. I'm sure you've heard of Aden + Anais Muslin swaddle blankets. I wasn't sure if they'd live up to the hype, but we love them. We have a bunch of different blankets and these are the only ones we reach for. Take my word - they're worth it! I also knew we'd need a heavier carseat/stroller blanket and I wanted a knit one made from natural materials (not acrylic). I found this wool + cotton blend one at H&M and it really is a steal for the quality. I also use it to take Noble's monthly growth pictures on, so it will end up being his keepsake blanket. I did the same thing for Ev and her blanket is here.

CLOTHING • Because we decided not to know the gender, my clothing shopping was limited this time around, but I really didn't mind as much as I thought I would. I believe babies should look like babies, not little men or baby dolls, so I naturally pick up fairly neutral clothing anyway. I'm a white onesie kind of Mama. When doing the limited amount of shopping I could do this time around, I opted for organic basics that we could use with the next baby. I had good luck at Old Navy and H & M. H & M has some especially affordable organic options.

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SOLO ROADTRIP WITH A TODDLER

one: melissa & doug reusable sticker pads • two: m & d latches board • three & four: color wonder paper and markers (we have this travel tote, but I really think a clip board would be a better option)

• five: water wow painting pads • six: fisher-price travel doodler • seven: finger puppets • eight & nine: lots and lots of stickers & a pad of paper • ten: a play and travel tray

Whew.

So there are approximately five million and one things to read out there to prepare for a road trip with a toddler, and plenty of them have tips that were helpful while we went on this grand adventure where vacation and the depths of parenting meet, but I found it nearly impossible to find anything geared toward a parent traveling alone with a child, in a car (not on a plane), for days (not a three or four hour trip). There are two groups of women I consider the strongest women - military women and New York City moms, and while it's been comically trying at times, I'm proud to have been in those two categories in my lifetime. There's something about the lack of public bathrooms, physical impossibility of carrying your stroller, child, and all other normal items down four flights of subway stairs, and the overall chaos of city life that can't help but challenge you and refine you into a stronger woman and mother. As far as military women go, we've moved four times this year and while that isn't the norm, plenty of military spouses have similar tales to tell. When I told my family about my plan to head to Missouri, the response I got was, 'Wait a second. You're going to drive 1,000 miles, alone, 20 weeks pregnant, with a two year old, in the middle of Winter, to go live in a hotel for three months?' And I just nodded and went on my merry way because I don't think twice about these sorts of things anymore or I start to panic. When you have no choices, you learn not think about something too long and you just buckle up and go. You realize quickly that you can make it through pretty much anything. Two days in the car with a screaming two year old? Buy some earplugs and drive through it. You'll get there eventually and everyone will recover. Luckily, my kid has been training for this her entire life, since this is her eighth road trip in her almost three years of life. She's a road trip pro, but I feel like I've become quite the 'pack up and go' pro too. Though she's probably a bit more agreeable in the car than most kids, I was still a little intimidated at the thought of driving solo and entertaining her sans iPad, since I'm usually the one entertaining her from the passenger seat while Alex is at the wheel. We made it through and dare I say, we actually enjoyed ourselves a little.
Here are some tips for a solo road trip with your kid:

- plan out your stops: After one too many times of listening to a baby screaming in the backseat while we frantically looked for a good place to stop, we started planning our stops ahead of time. It's amazing how much more peaceful a road trip can be when you know exactly where you're going. There are plenty of options when you're traveling in warm weather, but it's much more limited in the Winter. I mapped out the Chic-fil-a's along the way, so that I could have decent food to eat and she could have a place to burn off some energy. I also mapped out all the Starbucks along the way, so I knew where the point of no return (no coffee) was in places like Oklahoma, where you can go stretches of 100 miles without seeing a gas station, much less a coffee shop. I went so far as to write down the mile markers for every rest stop and welcome center on our route in case I was caught in a panic and needed to know how far away the next one was. In the warm weather months, it's smart to find a few parks along the way. Sometimes it can be a bit challenging to find parks in a place you aren't familiar with, but the easiest way I've found is to look on town and city websites for the place you plan on stopping or to simply pull up Google maps and zoom in at the streets around the interstate, looking for green spots, then googling the name to be sure it's a legitimate park. Bubbles and a soccer ball are good things to stash away if you have to stop at a place that doesn't have a playground, so they have something to do besides walk in circles.

There are also the holy grails of road trips with kids that are impossible to find online - rest stops with playgrounds. You people are in luck though (or at least you people who ever travel i-40 through New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma, or i-44 through Missouri) because I kept my eyes peeled and wrote down where they are on this particular route. i-40 Eastbound, there is one just past the New Mexico/Texas line at mile marker 129, while there is one Westbound just before the NM/TX line at mile marker 132. On i-44 in Southern Missouri, there are rest stops with playgrounds on both sides at mile marker 111.

- get and stay organized: Keep things contained - in the front seat and floor board I had a bag for toys, a bag for books and Highlights, a bag for cold snacks, and a bag for dry snacks. At each stop, I would pull out a few activities and snacks from the floorboard and put them in the passenger seat so they were reachable until the next stop to minimize the swerving across two lanes unintentionally while digging for a toy incidents, clean up the chaos that had happened in the backseat while I was driving, and pull up the next stop on the GPS. You always feel like you're in too big of a hurry to get back on the road to clean, but it makes a big difference in your sanity level.

- have a few new things up your sleeve: This is rookie advice, but don't bring all the same toys your kid has been playing with at home and expect them to be entertained for longer than say, five seconds. I'm not a huge proponent of buying my kid a new toy every week, but road trips are the exception. Keep in mind, simple things like stickers, tape, aluminum foil, or pipe cleaners can often keep them entertained far longer than any toy, especially because they're usually off limits at home. If we could have, a huge tote of library books would have been parked right next to Ev's seat so she could reach them all, but since we'll be gone for months that wasn't really an option. See the photo above and links for more road trip friendly toys. Also, don't underestimate the power of the Target dollar section and the like. Even if you don't want a bunch of junk floating around at home, $10 is worth a few hours of entertainment and you can throw it all out when you get home.

- try to keep to your normal schedule: Now some people swear by driving at night while their kid sleeps, but that's usually a recipe for disaster for us, so we try to stick to our normal schedule. We eat breakfast before we hit the road, have a 2-3 hour chunk of driving that needs to be filled with entertainment, stop for lunch and try our best to wear her out, get back on the road and declare it nap time so we can drive 60 miles with a full bladder but refuse to stop because she's sleeping, stop once more when she's finally awake and try to finish out the rest of the driving before dinner time. That kind of schedule limits you to eight hours of driving, nine tops, but we've just accepted that and don't push ourselves any further, which brings me to. . .

- have realistic expectations: Don't expect your toddler to ride six hours straight without protest, stay in the car during gas stops, or any other convenient, but crazy notions you may have. When you find yourself getting frustrated at their requests for something else to play with or the unceasing noise from the back seat, take a deep breathe and remind yourself they're two and this is a hard task for them. Muster up some patience.

- don't rush your stops: . . . or zone out on your phone at rest stops. Run, play games, be silly, be loud, climb in the play place with them and get crazy looks from all the other adults. Your kid will be much more willing to get back in the car if you've connected and played together, even for just a few minutes. There are also tons of ways to connect in the car. I would start a story and ask Ev to continue it, talk to her about what we were seeing outside the windows, ask her to sing me a song, teach her a new song, give her some sea creature stickers and ask her to color them an ocean/home and some food, etc.

- give in a little: We usually don't eat at fast food places period, but we rarely order kids meals or let Ev pick out her food. Road trips are the exception. We hardly let her down from the table to run and play during meal times either, but road trips are the exception on this too. Treat it a little bit like vacation.

- limit the sugar: While I'm all for giving in a little, a sugar hyped kid strapped into a car seat for hours is a force to be reckoned with. Try to pack healthy snacks and let the sugar splurges happen when they have time to run it all off. Be sure to open all packages and put everything into little snack packs that can be handed into the backseat without a worry of a huge mess. There's no reason to be passing a Costco bag of baby carrots back and forth the whole drive. A little basket with a few options for them to choose from that you can pass into the backseat might be fun too.

- save a few fun Pandora stations ahead of time: Good music makes everyone feel better when you're getting antsy in the car. And channel surfing while driving is no fun, so find some before you hit the road. Some of our favorite stations: indie singer-songwriter + classical relaxation are good for nap time, 90s alternative is good once you thumbs down some of the hard rock and thumbs up Matchbox 20 and the like, PG comedy is fun without running the risk of hearing your toddler repeating the F word from the backseat with the today's comedy station (and yes that happened on a past road trip), Ray Lamontagne will always be my perfect station, and Disney is fun for kids. We also have some old tapes in our middle console for backups when my phone doesn't get a good enough signal to use Pandora. Books on tape might be a good option to entertain you during nap time.

That's all I've got! If you have anything to add, feel free to comment below. I also thought it might be fun to share your favorite Pandora stations because we all need new music, even when we aren't road tripping!

ON MY SHELF • SUMMER READING LIST

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In my opinion, there are two summers - the first few weeks of Summer that could probably be categorized as Spring in which you feel motivated and adventurous, so you go to festivals and on picnics and explore new neighborhoods, then there's the rest of Summer when you can't bare to move too much in your house without being drenched in sweat, much less go for a walk on the streets, so you go into a Winter-like hibernation and that is what a Summer reading list is for, my friends. That miserable time of the year is coming and I'm not saying we're going to sit in the house the entire month of July - I'll make an effort to not do that because I know I'll be wishing for the hot days come Winter, but I also know I'll be making my way to the beach with a book and a cooler and that will be my to-do list for the day, many days this Summer. It feels really good to be able to say that because beach days were once a year events when I was a kid, probably less. The fact that we have so many backyards to choose from this Summer has me giddy! New York City has it all whether you're looking for sunny beaches, solitude in a lush, green park, a walk in a soulful, lively neighborhoods, or a moment to stand and marvel at the uplifting, towering skyscrapers. Anyway, books - I've put together a list of the ones I'll be throwing in my beach bag, but I also know of a ton that I've already read that would make good company in your beach chair. I love to talk nerd with anyone about books, so don't be shy. Enjoy!

Zazzle Favorites + A Giveaway! • CLOSED

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Mother's Day is Sunday (yes this Sunday - as in tomorrow), so I know I'm a little late to the game on this. Tons of these would make perfect Mother's Day gifts, but around here we don't hold to specific days when celebrating holidays. Christmas is celebrated basically from the day after Thanksgiving to mid-January and birthday celebrations are usually scattered throughout an entire week - or month. I've teamed up with Zazzle to bring you a little compilation of some of my favorite things that they offer (and a giveaway). I've always found that a person is either a useful or an indulgent gifts kind of person, so I tried to choose some things that fit into both of those categories. So if you haven't grabbed a gift for that special Mama in your life, consider this a sign that you should just send a belated gift! Zazzle has even made it super easy with a whole section dedicated to Mother's Day gifts, a list of Mother's Day gift ideas, and tons of Mother's Day card options. If you don't see anything you like there, don't worry! They have a bit of everything, which made it really easy to find things that appealed to my taste. I found vintage travel prints (they have a print for almost any place you can think of), a vintage food print that would look adorable hanging in anyone's kitchen, coffee mugs that will add a bit of color to your collection, some beautiful tea towels, a floral zipper bag that could be used for so many things (makeup, diaper bag trinkets, art supplies, you name it), an adorable tote bag for the knitters in your life, and they have tons of cute phone cases. On top of all the stylish options they offer, you can basically personalize anything - you can even use your Instagram photos! Looking for something specific, like gifts for a new mom? They have a section for that. What about your fellow Mama that sits in the stands with you? They have a section for that too! They even have a list of gifts for military Mamas.

The list of options here are endless and Zazzle is offering one HMRM reader a $50 gift certificate!
All you have to do is head over to their website, have a look around, and leave a comment below telling me what you would order if you won.
For an additional entry, follow me (@andrealanejacobs) on Instagram and leave a comment below with a link to your Instagram account. (All entries will be verified.) The giveaway ends and a winner will be chosen and announced Wednesday, May 14th at 8:00 P.M. EST. You can enter as many times as you like. For those of you who don't want to risk it and would like to order something before the giveaway ends, Zazzle is currently offering 15% off all orders with the use of the discount code LOVE4OURMOMS at checkout (expires on Mother's Day). Happy shopping and I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

*Please be sure to leave your email address in your comment, so I can easily contact you if you're the winner!

P.S. I didn't even have a chance to dive into their gifts for kids, but I did see this, this, this, and this that would look great hanging in any kid's room. I've also been on a hunt for the perfect library book bag for Ev for a few months now and this macaroni and cheese tote just might fit the bill.

Mother's Day Wishlist

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Mother's day is just around the corner (maybe a little too 'around the corner' for me to finally get around to posting a gift guide, but whatever). I love celebrating holidays, especially ones focused around appreciating your family members, but I don't like the commercialized side of holidays that fills your house with clutter and your pantry with junk food. Every time I go to pick out a gift for anyone, a story that my Dad told me about his own mom always comes to mind. He had heard her mention that she needed a new broom, so he went out and bought her one for the next holiday. She unwrapped it and was so offended and thought that her son was trying to imply she was a witch - she chased him out of the house with it! Now that I go back and reread that, it isn't such an exciting story after all, but I'm running with it. I guess it's one of those 'you had to be there' stories. . . Now I guess I take after my dad in that I generally like to buy and receive useful gifts, but for some reason Mother's Day is different. I think Mother's day (and Father's day) gifts should be indulgent - something she normally wouldn't buy herself, so I've rounded up a list of things that are sure to please the Mama or wife in your life (or yourself - I'm not above buying myself gifts at this point). My husband says I have an impressive knack for gift picking - that's gotta mean something, right?

Here's a simple little list of ideas: a stylish version of something functional (like the camera strap or phone case), some succulents and pretty pots for the hopeless houseplant killers out there (like me), a pair of sunglasses since beach weather is coming soon (hallelujah), a few pricey little body care or makeup items that she probably wouldn't buy for herself, a pair earrings you know she'll love (The New Mexico in my soul is really loving the modern turquoise jewelry options that are popping up lately), or a delicate ring. Also, BOOKS! How did I not think of books when I was putting this together? Books are always a good option. And wine (my favorite red). And candles. Never underestimate the power of a good candle as a gift.

Happy weekend, friends!

Toddler Stocking Stuffer Guide

Gift ideas are usually a breeze for me to come up with. Actually, I usually end up with too many gift ideas come Christmas shopping time and I have to seriously think about the best options for our budget. Stocking stuffers are a different story. So many lists of stocking stuffer ideas for kids are full of junk or things that I consider cheating, like a toothbrush. A toothbrush is not a fun thing for a kid to open on Christmas morning! So I sat down and came up with a list of (what I think are) good stocking stuffer ideas for toddlers. All of them are quality toys, not cheap plastic things that will break and be thrown away by New Years, and they're all fun, not body care items or candy/snacks. I definitely won't be giving Ev all of these, but I feel confident that I have plenty ideas to pull from and she will have a stuffed stocking to keep her entertained while Mama and Papa are cooking Christmas breakfast. A few of these seem like expensive options, but would fill up the stocking quickly.

One - Finger Cymbals($4): brass cymbals that are the perfect size for little hands.

Two - Metal Kazoo($5): a metal kazoo, perfect for those who are avoiding plastic toys.

Three - Hohner Blues Band Harmonica($7): a sturdy metal harmonica that will last.

Four - Haba Wooden Slide Whistle($13): a wooden slide whistle, with questionable reviews. I'm thinking of opting for a wooden train whistleinstead.

Five - Plan Toy Wooden Lacing Beads($18): a set of big wooden beads and thick string, perfect for little hands to manipulate.

Six - Battat Rainmaker($8): watching the beads move to the other end could be soothing for time-outs.

Seven - Safari Ltd. Wild Animals Toob($9): plastic animals are easy to find at the dollar store or Target dollar bin, but these have great reviews and seem like a great value; they also offer several different sets including zoo babies, ocean animals, pets, etc.

Eight - Cut And Peel Fruit Set($20): a wooden fruit set that includes fabric 'peels' and velcros together to allow little ones to 'cut' them up.

Nine - Plan Toys Wooden Baking Utensils($15): a set of sturdy wooden utensils for making plenty of mud pies.

Ten - 12 Piece Wooden Train and Vehicle Set ($15): a big set of wooden vehicles that are compatible with the IKEA, Thomas, and Brio train sets.

Eleven - 12 Farm Animal Stamps($17): a set of self inking animal stamps, so you don't have to mess with an ink pad; there are cheaper options available (like these dinosaur onesor these zoo animal ones), but the resin animal tops seem like a good option for little hands and are easier to identify.

Twelve - Stockmar Beeswax Block Crayons($14): a set of eight colors; block shape makes it easier for little toddler hands to hold, plus beeswax crayons will last for years.

More ideas: flash cards(we have these and Ev loves them!), a coloring book, finger puppets, stickers, play masks, small wooden blocks, wooden memory game(we got these on sale on zulily a few months ago, along with a wooden animals dominoes set from the same company), markers, colored pencils, bath toys, maracas, a musical triangle, a tiny tambourine, and small board books.

There are also tons of homemade stocking stuffer ideas on Pinterest!

What do your kids love to get in their stockings?

The first post in this series: Simple Toddler Gift Guide.