What does a cute hat look like?

He wouldn't keep it on (hence the bad photo) but it is seriously the cutest hat I have ever put on his head. I got it from my friend Allie, who crochet'd it herself! We had a really fun time hanging out with her and her son will yesterday:



Yes that is Twilight on in the background, total baby material!


Ethan hasn't quite learned to share yet, he kept picking up this toy and walking away with it, so Will couldn't have it.

Allie has so many cute hats for sale on her Etsy shop, you should all check it out! I certainly have a soft spot for moms who have their own businesses, I like knowing that my money is going towards a family who needs it, and not a huge company.

Mommy App: Homeroutines

I haven't done an app review in a while, so I figured I'd let you all in on this secret. Homeroutines is a great app that uses the FlyLady model to keep your house organized and clean. The app allows you to plan your daily routine, in conjunction with a rotating schedule that will help keep your house immaculate! Here are a few screenshots:

Create your own routines, you can set a reminder or just play it by ear!

Using a system similar to FlyLady, you only spend 15 minutes a day deep cleaning your house, but manage to get a lot done!

Each zone rotates each week, and repeats each month.

Husband asking what you did today? Show him this list!

You can set certain routines to show up a certain day of the week. In my case, Mondays are grocery shopping and dusting day!

I have really gotten a lot of use out of this app! I am not a naturally organized person, although with the many applications I have on hand I feel that I have become much more so. The worst part about cleaning a house is feeling overwhelmed with how much there is to do, and I feel Homeroutines really addressed this. Who doesn't have 15 minutes a day to spend cleaning?

In addition to organizing your chores and routines, Homeroutines also features a to-do list, and a website that you can update from your desktop (www.my.homeroutines.com). It costs 3.99 from the apple app store, which is on the high end of the amount I'm willing to spend on a program. However, this is one of the few times I will say it is worth the money. I really couldn't live without this app.

Charmed Life from Bath and Body Works

My life is far from being charmed, but with this new lotion from Bath & Body Works I may be a step closer.





I actually received the above pictured lotion as a free gift, for purchasing my husband's shower gel (Citron by the way, smells amazing!). I love all their products, mostly due to the fact that they last so dang long! I'm pretty sure I have had my last bottle of shower gel for four or five months. Not to mention they smell amazing.

Anyhow, I really really love this fragrance. The bottle says it is a blend of pear, guava, and vanilla. I also detect a hint of musk, my favorite. It has a really clean and light fragrance, but manages to stick around for hours after you've applied it. I'm pretty sure it was fate that I got this sample, as I'm going to run out of gel soon. Charmed Life is next on my to buy list at BBB!

Mom App: Cozi Family Planner

So I haven't written about any good mom apps recently. Cozi is a great apps that helps me organize and sort my life; something any list addict (like myself) would love.

In order to use Cozi you must make a login name. What's great about this is it's not user specific, meaning your husband/significant other can log in with the same name and see the deets for the day. This brings new definition to the "honey do" list:






The shopping lists are great for groceries as you can sort them by section, or method or any other way you prefer to make a "real life" list.






This has been making my life super easy, I really just have to update my grocery list when I remember things we need to buy. You can also log into Cozi from your computer, which makes list making even more easy.

The family calendar is pretty amazing I have to say. It color codes the calendar by person, so you know who needs to be where, and when.









It's really handy for planning ahead. The best part is that Cozi is completely free! There are some ads included in the free version, but they aren't really intrusive. Check it out in the app store!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Mommy App # 1~ Baby Bix

When was the last time junior slept? How much did he eat? Is he getting enough sleep at night? Baby Bix is really great at helping Mom's remember, which definitely isnt our strong suit.

Baby Bix tracks feedings, diapers, sleep schedule, solids and more. It is really easy and covienient to track. You can either use the quick entry tab (which is easiest if your logging it right that second)






Or you can go back and set past events. Helpful if you were in a sleep deprived stupor at 3 AM. You can also log in via their website and track, and even email the logs. It's very handy, I wish I had it way back when I was a nanny. It would have made the communication between the parents and I much more efficient.







Handy summary page.








Ethan's sleep schedule so far today.








Baby Bix also tracks weight, height, and head measurements, along with firsts. As you can see, E is a tall dude :)

I totally recommend this app to any mom. You can get it through the iTunes app stores, and guess what? It's free!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

BlogPress awesomeness

Some of the cool features of BlogPress (an iPhone app for creating blogs) is the ability to add pictures and video straight from my phone! I sense that you guys will be hearing a lot more from me in the future .






Ethan loves his jumper!






Already a movie addict…








- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Public Service Announcement: Swag Bucks

For those of you who have not joined the swag bucks revolution, I have decided to do a easy to understand breakdown of the site and all it has to offer.

SwagBucks is a 100% free site that allows you to earn "swagbucks" to spend in their gift shop. They have tons of cool stuff in said gift shop, but the item I normally get is the 5 dollar Amazon Gift Card. You can earn swagbucks several different ways:

• Participate in the daily poll to earn 1 SB
• Check out their "trusted surveys" link for 1 SB
• Install the Swagbucks toolbar. I think you get points for installing it, and 1 point for everyday you refresh it.
• Search using the Swagbucks site, or toolbar. This is the most important one, as you can get several points for one search. You can win several times a day, but it's rare to win more than twice a day. 

You can also watch videos for SBs (but you have to watch 10 to earn 3 points), fill out surveys for major bucks, or actually buy from any of their sponsors. Surprisingly I've found some items I actually want. The livingsocial and groupon deals are especially nice.

A few tips: don't fill out your address on anything that you don't want to get in the mail. Especially for the No Obligation Special Offers, they will send you junk mail. If you don't mind it, go for it. I personally hate having to throw tons of mail out every day.

Anyhow, if you've decided you want to try it out visit www.swagbucks.com, and make sure to let them know that NillaWafers03 referred you!

5 must have items for a first time mom

 

Moby Wrap

Seriously was a lifesaver for me. Ethan was colicky from about a month and a half to three months, and this was the only thing that would calm him down! Sure, it's hard to get on, but once you get used to it you can do it with your eyes closed! I really didn't wear it much outside of my own home, but it's definitely the most comfortable carrier to wear.

Zippered Sleepers

 I hate hate hated the elastic band gowns when Ethan was a newborn, he hated them too! Instead of the sleepers with snaps, opt for the sleepers with zippers. One zip, and your baby is as naked as a jay bird! Really great for those 3 am, can barely open your eyes you are so tired, moments.

My Brest Friend

I remember going to Babies R Us to buy a shower gift for a friend, and laughing at the name of this contraption. Little did I know, 2 years later I would be shouting it's name from the mountain tops. I originally used a Boppy when Ethan was first born, and it made things a lot easier. However, as time wore on I noticed he was rolling a lot on it. My Brest Friend is totally flat, has a little lumbar support, and a pocket. I especially recommend it for well endowed women like me because we all know it's difficult to breastfeed when you have large ::ahem::

JJ Cole System 180 Diaper Bag

Alright, this is the best diaper bag EVER! I love it! I think I have used everything that is comes with every time we go out with Ethan. It's really roomy, my stuff will fit into it along with Ethan's. There are pockets galore, and if you know me, you know I love pockets! Even the pacifier holder is handy, it's nice to put it somewhere and know where it is going to be all the time. Not to mention it comes with stroller straps so you can hang it off the back, it is so nice to walk without a big bag. I can't recommend this bag enough!

SwaddleMe

Definitely couldn't live without this, even 6 months later. Ethan cannot go to sleep without it (which we are working on remedying). However, it's excellent for newborns even because it is so easy to use. I loved that I could change him while he was swaddled, and the velcro makes the swaddle more secure than a receiving blanket ever could. The only problem I have run across is that the cotton material will stretch, so the tabs won't line up and make it easy for him to break out of. I think I may have this problem because Ethan is a really skinny baby.

So that's it! My 5 must haves for a new mom.

My feet are having a love affair

For Christmas, my wonderful husband showered me with gifts of all kinds, but my absolute favorite gift was a pair of Target Uggs knockoffs. I wore them straight for a week and three days (yes those extra days matter!), and suddenly they began to fall apart at the seams. I went through several days of withdrawals (mainly cold feet) until we finally got to Target to return them. This is where I discovered Muk-Luks.

Muk-Luks are like a fusion of a very warm scarf, durable shoes, and a fluffy warm animal. I have to say I'm in love with these much much more than I was in love with my Fuggs, and I was head over heels for those things. They are incredibly warm and comfortable, I don't think I could have done better if I had gotten real Uggs anyways. Besides, the 19.99 price tag was amazing.

P.S. You can buy my exact pair here or find them everywhere online.

Look, my feet are smiling!