Freckle Baby LLC // Small Shop Feature

I love finding products that are nice to look at and are functional as well.  I recently discovered a company called Freckle Baby and I have fallen in love with their bibs and blankets.  While the colors and prints are darling, these bad boys serve a much greater purpose!  They have a little leash snap so that you can attach a toy or pacifier...  This means no more dropped or lost toys/pacifiers!  Genius right!!

I like attaching a toy to the blanket while we're out so that Phayre can't drop it and get it dirty or accidentally leave it behind.  The blanket is really lightweight and fits nicely in her carseat or stroller.  The bib comes in handy when she's sitting in her highchair.  No more, "Hey mom, I dropped my toy for the 185th time so you can come pick it up again!"  Seriously a lifesaver when I'm trying to juggle two kids and the rest of what life is throwing at me!

Freckle Baby just started a crowd funding campaign on Kickstarter and you can score some awesome deals right now!  Early birds score the best deals so you need to hurry over!  You can grab a bib for as low as $12!  You can go straight to her campaign by clicking here!  She also has a contest going on where if you share the campaign and PIN IT on Pinterest you can win a NEW 2016 Gift Set. There will be 3 WINNERS!

Here are the Kickstarter deets: 

BEST EARLY BIRD SPECIAL (Limited to first 25 backers)

$12 (normally $18) for 1 Reversible Snap Leash Teething Bib

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL (Limited to first 30 backers)

$13 (normally $18) for 1 Reversible Snap Leash Teething Bib

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL (Limited to first 30 backers)

$20 (normally $24) for 1 Reversible Snap Leash Teething Bib + 1 Wooden Teething Ring

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL (Limited to first 30 backers)

$30 (normally $42) for 2 Reversible Snap Leash Teething Bib + 1 Wooden Teething Ring

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL (Limited to first 30 backers)

$48 (normally $60) 1 GIFT SET (includes: Bib, Hat, & Blanket)

So go grab yourself an awesome bib or blanket, I promise you'll thank me when you're not picking up your child's toy over and over!  These would also make great gifts if you know anyone who is expecting!

Xo

Marisa

Phayre // Eight Month Update

My sweet Phayre Golda is eight months old! E  i  g  h  t.  I'm trying really hard not to be that whiney mom that keeps complaining about my baby growing too fast, but you guys I can't help it!!! She really is growing way too fast and I'm just trying to hang on to every little babyish thing about her.

E I G H T  M O N T H S

Phayre is seriously the happiest baby ever.  She smiles all the time and is so easy going.  Whenever we go out she's smiling at strangers and waving her hands and feet in excitement.  She loves to sit and play with toys, but still hates being on her tummy.  We're pretty certain she'll never crawl... she has no interest in moving and Sloan pretty much brings her everything she wants.  She loves Sloan's toys over her own.  She say's "guh" on repeat alllllll day long.  "A guh, guh, guhhhhhhh."  I'm totally working on her to say mama though ;).  She is very ticklish and has a deep belly laugh.  When she's really focused on something, she blows these little puffs of air out of her mouth.  It's so cute!!!  Her thigh rolls just keep getting better and better and I'm obsessed.

She has finally come around to solid food (hooray!!).  She eats three meals a day and some snacks (girl never met a puff or mum-mum she didn't like!).  We are doing a combination of purees and baby led weaning.  I am making all of her baby food and she usually has bites of whatever we're eating.  Her favorites are pears and yogurt.  Sloan loves taking little bites of her food and feeding Phayre.  P went from loathing solid food to being quite the foodie!  She gets all excited and whines when she see's someone with food.  It's kind of embarrassing when she see's a stranger with food and starts screaming and waving her hands in the air.  Buuuut it's also hilarious :).

She's nursing every 3.5-4ish hours now.  She goes to sleep at 8pm and wakes up at 6am to nurse, then back to sleep until 8am.  She takes two naps a day, wears size three diapers, and size 6-12 month clothing.  She has so many nicknames... Phayre Bear, P, PG, Squish, and lately Sloan and I have been calling her "Gee Gee Bagooey" (how random is that?!).

"Mom, I'm done with photos."

I'm just so thankful for this sweet girl!  She's such a light in our lives and we feel so lucky that she's all ours.  Watching her and Sloan interact is truly magical, it fills me with such joy.  I look forward to watching her grow, but (here comes the whiney part) I just want time to slow down!  Ya hear that P?  Slow down sweet baby girl!!!

Easter fun!

We had such a wonderful (and full) Easter weekend!  Holidays with two little ladies just keep getting better and better.  I love that we're starting our own traditions as a family of four.  So many memories were made this weekend, lots that must be documented so that I never ever forget!  Get ready for picture overload... I told you guys it was a good weekend!

On Friday night we dyed eggs and this may have been Sloan's most favorite part of the whole weekend!  She chose the dye kit we used, she helped me put the eggs in the pot to be boiled, and she got everything all set up.  She totally ran the show and it was so fun watching her!  She let Phayre watch, but she most certainly was not allowed to touch the eggs (remind me to buy two egg dye kits next year!).  She also put sparkles on the eggs, so naturally they became princess eggs :).

On Saturday morning, we headed to Lee Farms for an Easter egg hunt.  Am I the only one that thinks little kids hunting eggs is the cutest thing ever?!  I loved watching Sloan fill her basket with eggs, she was so excited!  After the egg hunt, we walked around the farm and looked at animals (she LOVED the chicks, horses, and bunnies).  They also had cookie decorating, which I let Sloan do... she managed to pile on about three inches of frosting, sprinkles, and marshmallows onto one cookie.  Weirdest thing though... the cookie never made it home.  We just couldn't figure out how that happened?! ;-)

After the egg hunt, we went to brunch #mimosas.  Sloan brought her Easter basket inside and spent almost the entire time going though her new treasures.  Phayre was supposed to be asleep while we were there, but managed to stay awake through the whole meal and of course needed to nurse ;).  Phayre is loving baby led weaning, so she also enjoyed some bites of our meal and chowed down on a piece of french bread.  The meal was relatively quiet and definitely a success with two kids!  Love when that happens!

My nursing view.

We let Sloan stay up late watching movies in our bed on Saturday night, I love when we get to do special "big girl" things with her!  After Tangled and Beauty and The Beast, we were all exhausted and fell asleep.  It wasn't until 6am when Phayre woke up to nurse that I realize I never stuffed eggs or hid them around the house!  I knew it was supposed to rain on Sunday so I had planned on stuffing eggs and hiding them around the house on Saturday night so that Sloan could wake up and do a little egg hunt on Easter morning.  So, I nursed Phayre back to sleep and ran downstairs.  I stuffed all of the eggs, hid them around the house, and then tucked the girls baskets into their teepee in the playroom.  

By 7:45, both girls were up and we headed downstairs.  Sloan ran around finding all of the eggs and took turns putting them into hers and Phayre's baskets (such a good big sister)!  She found their baskets in the teepee and we spent the next hour looking at all their fun things!  Sloan loved her princess jasmine dress, baby doll (who she named Rae), and her glitter color wonder markers most.  Phayre loved the teeniest tiniest little Saltwater sandals that I got for her!  Ha, just kidding!  She chewed on them for a bit, but really only appreciated the puffs that were in her basket :).

 

Eric made us eggs benedict (which was served with more mimosas, duh) and we spent the entire day hanging out as a family.  It was so relaxed and we got some much needed quality time in.  We snuck out during a rain break and went on a family walk, spent hours pretend playing with Sloan's princess dolls, and read all of the girls new books that the Easter bunny had brought them!  Such a great Easter weekend and I am just so thankful!  He has risen, he has risen indeed!

Staying Mindful

Both girls are napping and as I sit here drinking my (second) iced coffee, I feel the need to write and reflect.  We have been going full speed ahead for awhile now and it is definitely wearing on me.  Our weeks are full of activities, play dates, errands, and other responsibilities.  While most of those things are fun, we really don't spend all that much time at home (outside of naps).  On top of these activities, I try to squeeze in time to respond to emails and messages, run Sloan and Co., and work on my blog.  Our weekends seem even crazier, family time just the four of us has been lacking.  I'm so thankful I have so many amazing things in my life, but I have definitely lost perspective lately.  Life feels unbalanced (again) and my babies are growing so quickly.  Sloan is almost three and is seriously turning into such a kid and not much of a toddler at all.  Phayre changes everyday and it actually overwhelms me how fast time is flying by with my second baby.  Side note: she has started saying "guh" and it is the cutest thing ever.  It's more like, "Guh, guh, uhhh guh, guh, guh!"

Anyways, lets get back on track... I woke up to Sloan calling for me this morning and when I walked into her room she said, "Mommy, can I help you make breaky today?"  I scooped her up and we headed downstairs.  P slept in so we got to make and eat breakfast just the two of us.  We sang her favorite songs and listed all the characters names in Disney movies (she loves doing this right now).  Phayre finally woke up and I nursed her while Sloan played quietly in her playroom.  While I looked down at P nursing and then up at Sloan playing so nicely, I was filled with so much gratitude.  I have a freaking amazing life!  Like really really incredible.  Not to mention, it's all I've ever dreamed of.  My husband is so kind and works harder than anyone I know so that I can stay home with not one, but two perfect little girls.  Our girls.  Our little blessings that we prayed, and hoped, and dreamed, and wished for.  

When I finished nursing P, I sat her on the floor and Sloan immediately started bringing her toys.  Another side note: P will never crawl, Sloan brings her everything :).  Sloan sat there talking to her sister and I stood above them in awe.  I had to snap a picture because that very normal, mundane moment just felt so incredible.  

I know what you're thinking, "Wow, why the sappy post Marisa?!"  And to be quite honest I'm not sure.  All I can say is that recently I've lost focus of whats important.  I have felt rushed and spread way too thin.  I've been doubting myself and wondering if I'm doing a good job, living in the moment enough, or being the best that I can be?  The truth is I probably haven't been doing all of those things well.  Sometimes life gets in the way and you can't sit and savor every single moment (ok maybe not sometimes, maybe most of the time).  But today I woke up mindful of these things and I gained some perspective.  I am a wife and mother before anything else.  I need to make sure that those areas of my life are taken care of first.  

Annnnnnd just like that my sweet little Phayre Bear is awake and cooing for her Mama.  And by cooing for me I mean, "A guh, guh, guhhhhhhhhhhhhh." :)

Xo

Marisa