my top baby gear "must haves"

1) so to start off, i really wanted a simple looking crib that wouldn't take up much space  oh, and i really wanted it to be gray.  this Ikea one fit all of those requirements and bonus-it's only $119.00!  if you've ever shopped for cribs before you know that's a good deal! 

2) with our first baby we didn't have a rocking chair and now that we do have one, i don't know how we survived without one.  seriously-you need one. my main requirement was that it was easy to move because i knew i would be putting it in different places until peter was in his own room for good. this is the one we have, which i love(!), but it's unfortunately not available anymore.  here's a gorgeous similar one one in case you're interested in this style. p.s. it's on a great sale right now! 

3) okay, once again we didn't have one of these with baby #1 and it may not be a requirement with your first but it sure has been a life saver with two kids!  this bouncer is so stinkin' light i can lift it with a finger (while holding a baby, boom! new resume skill!)  this thing comes all over the house (and outside!) with us -- cause little man wants to partake in all of our exciting adventures and mom & dad get tired of holding his heavy little body so having somewhere to set him where he can still see all the action makes this the perfect solution. 

4) once I knew I was pregnant with baby #2 i knew one of the main items i wanted to have this time was a bassinet. and my requirements for it were strict. i wanted it to be small, have the ability to rock, be easily movable and lastly-- aesthetically pleasing.  this one surprisingly fit the bill perfectly!  it's super light-weight, has 3 different positions (stationary, wheels & rocking) and isn't hard on the eyes.  since I knew I would be having a c-section with this one i really wanted something that would be easy to move with baby inside of it and not require me to lift anything too heavy.  this bassinet was the perfect choice since the wheels make it super easy to transport without having to lift it!  i often move it one handed so you know it's gotta be light!

5) I feel like I need to dedicate an entire post to these wildbird slings cause that's how much i love mine. seriously- in love. this sling has been a life saver countless times when i'm out with both kids or even just at home!  i love that it takes up little to no room in my diaper bag, has many different "holding" options, is light-weight (cause hellooo texas heat!), can be used with BOTH kiddos (not at the same time of course, haha), has a super affordable price tag and lastly- it's.just.gorgeous (i cannot wait to see the fall line when it's released!). i could tell so many stories of times when this sling has saved my sanity but i'll spare you the boredom and just say that if you've been on the hunt for a great sling, these ones will not disappoint. 

6) so last, and certainly not least, is this diaper bag/backpack.  how gorgeous is this?! i started using a backpack as my diaper bag when zo was a baby and after buying 2 and having to repair one twice my husband insisted i found a sturdier one for myself, especially with baby #2 on the way. "umm you're giving me the green light to shop for a more expensive another bag?! yes please!" after searching for nicer diaper bags and coming across jujube's line i knew that was the brand for me. and then came the really hard part--picking one. i know, i know, #firstworldproblems. after hours and hours i finally decided on this one and my husband "surprised" me with it for Christmas. this thing is soooo nice!  if you're on the lookout for a sturdy diaper bag that's also stylish, check out jujube's line.  they know what's up.

that's it! I hope this post has been helpful for all you mommas out there!if you'd like to see more of my favorite baby items follow my Pinterest account where i have tons of pins/boards related to this topic. have a favorite baby gear "must have"? i'd love to hear about it in the comments below and don't forget to subscribe by email for new posts & updates!

 happy weekend! 

~amy 

always worth it

last night was rough. like really really rough.  peter was up literally every 5mins after going to bed for the night.  the poor little guy just needed to burp but sometimes we have the hardest time making that happen no matter what we try. and it didn't help that he was half-asleep most of the time, it's even more difficult getting him to burp when he's sleeping.  i was exhausted, upset & just plain done for the night. he already barely naps as it is during the day so at night i'm always praying for just one hour of relaxation--aka, wine & netflix.  needless to say a few tears may have been shed last night due to my frustrations... but, we made it through the night, just like we always do. i woke up next to peter's smiling face, cause to be honest, I just get too tired going back and forth from his crib to the bed and end up bringing him into bed with me.  and now since zo has transitioned to a toddler bed (and super well! may need to write a post about that topic...) she likes to come in and cuddle with us in the morning and it just about makes me cry all over again but for different reasons.  I love waking up next to my babies, seeing them cuddling with each other is just icing on the cake!  and it makes me so incredibly thankful to have these two precious people in my life and to have the honor of being their mother. so yes, last night was hard.  and I know we'll have many nights just like it. but waking up next to those smiling faces makes it all worth it.  always.

i just looked at the time and realized that peter has been asleep for over an hour now(!), praise the

 Lord & knock on wood!  now to finish this glass of wine before i jinx anything.  I'll leave you with a picture of this adorable smile, oh and i found Waldo... 

and I believe this is what the cool kids are calling #squadgoals 

~~amy  

friday favorites: lush edition

this post is in no way sponsored, i'm just obsessed with Lush and many of their products so i thought i'd put together a list of our favorites in case anyone out there is looking to jump on board the "lush addict" bandwagon but doesn't know where to begin. your first trip there can be slightly overwhelming considering the amount of products they have to offer, i know the first time i ventured inside i wanted to buy just about everything and didn't even know what most of it was. i just knew it looked awesome & smelled amazing.  i saw a funny photo the other day that said something about how being inside a lush store while it's flooding would be the most enjoyable flood of all time, and i'd have to agree.  so, without further ado, here are our lush family favorites!

we'll start with my favorites! first up--Ocean Salt: this came in a gift box my husband got for me and this was my favorite product in the set. i love the way it makes my face feel after using it and to be honest, it kinda tastes like a margarita.  not that I'm eating it or anything, I just notice the taste when the water is running down my face while I'm washing it off...*insert monkey with hands over eyes emoji*

-Dark Angels: after i ran out of the ocean salt scrub I decided to try this one to see how I liked it. I do like the ocean salt more but this is a good one for a nice deep cleanse.  and it's kinda fun to see yourself covered with charcoal...

-Grease Lightning : hands down, my favorite product i have tried so far is this tea tree cleanser.  i started using it when i was pregnant with peter due to my skin breaking out horribly and i was so surprised to see how effectively it worked at clearing it up!  i now use it nightly and if i put it on a blemish before i go to bed it's almost always guaranteed to help clear it up, sometimes even just over night!  seriously, this stuff is amazing. 

-Kalamazoo : I bought my husband this beard wash as a Christmas gift a few years ago and since then it has become a staple for him.  eventually i had to up the jar size I was buying cause he uses it so often!  highly recommend it for your bearded man. I also buy him some of the soap bars on occasion, this one has been his favorite but I really enjoy this one!

okay, their bathbombs are amazing. and this is coming from someone who still hasnt had a chance to use one yet due to not having the time to take a nice relaxing bath these days.  BUT- back when zo was around a year old she was going through a sleep regression. we just so happened to be christmas shopping at lush one day when an employee mentioned that we should get a bathbomb for her.  we laughed and were like "um she's a baby and not gonna get any use out of that." she then showed us this one made with chamomile & lavender and said it helps to really knock you out!  we were desperate so we figured what the hey, we'll try it. that night we broke it into a few pieces and let her throw one in the tub (she got a kick out of watching the bomb fizzle in the water) and if you haven't already guessed it, she slept like a rock that night! now every time I go it's almost impossible for me to leave without her requesting to smell every single bomb and pick one out for herself. and since she doesn't use as much water in the tub as a normal sized adult, we can typically get 2-3 uses from one bomb by braking it up. these also make the perfect gifts/stocking stuffers (holy cow, I'm already thinking about christmas!)!  i'm so looking forward to the night i get to use the one that i've got hidden away for myself... 

-the other three products are ones we don't use as often but are still really nice.   Whoosh: a super fun gelly like soap, zo cracks up when I let her touch it.  Dirty: this is a hair styling cream that I was hoping could replace the need for hairspray with zo but it makes her hair just a little too difficult to work with due to the matte consistency. i really like using it in my hair though and I'm pretty sure it'll really come in handy once peter's hair finally decides to show up! Lemony Flutter: this cuticle butter is soooo nice and I love the way it makes my fingers feel after using it. 

I hope this post has been helpful for anyone that's been curious about lush's products. i'd love to hear if you have a favorite one in the comment section & don't forget to subscribe by email for all future blog posts! 

xo, amy

bohemian vibes

for my first fashion post i'd like to start off by saying that since i'm currently breastfeeding my 5 month old i have to make sure every outfit i wear is easy access nursing approved.  i have a post in the works dedicated to fashion while breastfeeding so keep an eye out for that!  until then- here is a casual outfit that is nursing friendly, due to the flowy tank, and still stylish.  i'm loving this whole bohemian vibe summer & fall fashion has taken, it's so laid back and cute!  i got this kimono earlier this year but I've seen some adorable ones at target lately and it's all i can do to not buy them all... #targetdoesitagain 

p.s. how cute is my little photo-bomber?! 

kimono: target similar top: Francesca's similar, shorts banana republic similar, sandals: target