Made To Mommy

Documenting my new mom life

The Importance of “Me Time” When You’re A Mom

Whether you’re heads deep in the latest project at work, planning countless events, a working mom, a WFH home or a SAHM, “me time” is so important. This didn’t occur to me until my best friend insisted I join her at her wine club in beautiful Sonoma, Calif. (aka, Wine Country). Mind you, she asked and kept asking about three weeks ago, so I figured that’d be enough of a heads up for the hubby to watch our 15-month-old while I go and have a good time with a close friend.

Boy did I need that me time and girl time. I’ve been so in tune with my daughter since she was born last year, then my job when I came back from maternity leave, that I haven’t really taken the time – or the day – for myself. Sure, I’ve gotten mani/pedis since Jadyn was born, but I’ve never really ventured away from comfy clothes and hair in a bun since becoming a mom. Only the rare occasions of a wedding or special event will I get all spruced up.

Since becoming a mom, my focus has been on my child and what is good for her: healthy foods, what products to use, breastfeeding vs formula, is she hitting every milestone, etc, that I have forgotten what it’s like to really be me.

I have missed me.

I have missed getting dolled up just to go out with a friend for an afternoon.

I have missed putting on a cute outfit, perfume and fixing up my hair.

I have missed conversations that don’t revolve around my daughter (although, they all end up that way when your kid is cute!).

I have missed laughing over stupid-funny memes and stories.

I have missed not having to worry about getting home quickly because I felt bad about being out.

It feels so good to have a little of the old me back.

The question I’m asking myself now, is how do I actually keep a little of the old me front and center in this new, absolutely amazing life I have with my beautiful daughter and cozy family?

Short answer: sign up for a wine club.

That’s right, I took the plunge. I signed up for the same wine club my bestie took me to: Gloria Ferrer Vineyards. This will give me an excuse once every three months to venture away from my day-to-day, get dolled up, indulge in a free flight of bubbly and just be me. Granted, I’ll likely bring a friend or two so I don’t have to do it alone.

Since becoming a new mom (or dad!), how did you find your old self in your new life? I’d love to know, so please leave a comment below!

Advertisements

Stress-Free Makeup Routine

One question I get asked a lot is “how do you find the time to do a full face of makeup?”

The short answer is that I have my husband or mom watch Jadyn for 20 minutes while I quickly do my makeup. 

The long answer is that it hasn’t always been that way throughout the last year. Most days I’m in activewear with a messy bun and glasses getting things done for work, chores around the house, taking Jadyn to activities and running errands.  But now that I’m a mom with a 13-month old, I needed to hone my makeup routine, make it stress-free and easy to complete in 30 minutes or less. For perspective, before Jadyn arrived last year, I could take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour just to do my makeup. Part of that was I would clean my brushes the night before to make sure they were ready for the next day. To save time, I don’t clean my brushes nearly as often. I barely get around to dampening my beautyblender in all honesty. Here are the products I used and the way I applied to get this look:


Face / Lip Products:

Eye Products:

Okay, so first I always do my base/face makeup. I start off by hydrating my skin with the Hangover Rx primer and then curl my lashes. Next up is foundation and concealer, applying both with a beautyblender. Once my concealer is on and blended, I immediately set the concealer with the Born This Way setting powder, followed by the Cover Fx foundation powder to set the rest of my face and blend the foundation down to my neck for a seamless look. I keep the “bake” under my eyes for any eyeshadow fallout so it’s easy to wipe away (same goes for mascara that gets on your cheeks!).

Next I fill in my brows with the Colourpop pencil and spooly them out so they’re pretty even. I don’t use a brow gel to hold them in place because I usually take my makeup off once I get home from my outing. Using the Tarte eyeshadow palette, I do my eye makeup: base is a color closest to my skin, followed by a transition brown in the crease using windshield wiper motions with a blending brush, then I mix two of the pinks together to build up the color in a crease using a different blending brush and lastly I use a glittery gold on my lid. To make the color really pop I spray my brush with a bit of setting spray to enhance the color. I take a clean blending brush to blend the crease colors upward to get a full eye look.

Lastly is the remainder of my face. I wipe away all the bake with the foundation brush I used to apply the Cover Fx powder. Then, I grab a contour brush and apply the Make Up For Ever contour to right under my cheekbones and on my jawline (applying to the jawline helps me look skinnier! 😉 ). Then I apply highlighter on my cheeks, brow and on my Cupid’s bow. Last but certainly not least I apply my lipliner, liquid lipstick and set everything with setting spray.

This is definitely my go-to for quick and easy makeup for a date night, or just running errands.

What’s your go-to makeup routine? I’d love to know in the comments.

Sunday Funday: California Academy of Sciences

Wow! I haven’t blogged since my recap of Jadyn’s first birthday. Well, she’s 14 months old now and always wants to be on the go, go go. So, what better way to be on the go than to explore our own backyard. And by backyard I mean San Francisco.

I’ve lived in the Bay Area my entire life and have only been to the California Academy of Sciences in elementary school. I haven’t found the time to explore it since its remodel––until now. Now that my little one is so eager to get outside and explore, the hubby and I figured taking her to the California Academy of Sciences would be a great way to accomplish two things: first, to see how Jadyn does with crowds and second, to see the fish!

California Academy of Sciences is located in the beautiful and historic Golden Gate Park and lucky for us it wasn’t raining today. The fountains were going full blast and families (and tourists) were enjoying the outside and having lovely picnics (note to self, go back during summertime). The museum is literally a two-minute walk from the Music Concourse parking garage (you go through the park and cross the street to get to the main entrance of the museum). When you get to the California Academy of Sciences, you can either stand in line to purchase tickets the traditional way, or use the kiosk. We used the kiosk and paid general admission ($35 per person) and Jadyn was of course free since she’s under two years old. The moment we stepped into the museum, Jadyn immediately squealed with excitement.

Jadyn absolutely loves fish. We discovered this during our Thanksgiving trip to Oregon when we went to a fish store to look at some for grandpa Larry’s fish tank. Ever since then, anytime Jadyn sees a fish she loses it. So we immediately headed to the aquarium. To get to the aquarium we had to wander through the natural history exhibits. Jadyn saw giraffes and giggled with glee. Same goes for the owls, tigers and other birds we walked past to get to the aquarium.

We hopped on the elevator down to the aquarium level and the excitement and joy on Jadyn’s face was incredibly contagious. She was kicking and laughing and smiling in her stroller the moment we stopped at the first fish tank. The Steinhart Aquarium is absolutely beautiful and features over 900 unique species. We saw rockfish, coral, jellyfish, guppies, starfish, sand dollars, crabs, stingrays and so many other aquatic life. We spent most of our time wandering the aquarium.

We wanted to see the rainforest and experience butterflies and birds flying around us, but the line was ridiculously long and Jadyn was due for a nap.

There’s also a planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences, but Jadyn is a bit young to really appreciate it.

All in all, this was a great first time in a large crowd for Jadyn. She wasn’t phased by anything or any other outbursts from other kids. She did so well that she walked out of the museum with a stuffed animal giraffe and seal, courtesy of daddy’s wallet, and then fell asleep in the car on the way home.

  • First time really seeing fish!
  • Fish fun with mommy and daddy.
  • More fish, please!
  • Jellyfish! Daddy’s favorite.
  • Pooped!

MOM HACKS/TIPS WHEN YOU GO:

  • Restrooms are located on the main level featuring changing tables if necessary. There’s also a family restroom to make things a bit easier.
  • Water stations throughout to refill those bottles.
  • There’s a terrace restaurant and also a cafe featuring many different types of food (pizza, sushi, deli, grill, etc).
  • Bring snacks. Easy to feed your little while on the go!
  • Bring an extra jacket. While the museum is heated, San Francisco is notoriously cold, so be sure to dress in layers.
  • For older kiddos, you can plan events or even take part in sleepovers.

Have you ever been to the California Academy of Sciences? I’d love to hear about your experience. Leave a comment below.


Jadyn’s 1st Birthday

Jadyn officially turned 1 on January 2nd, but her birthday party was on the 6th. I took the day off work on her birthday and we spent the day out and about, just girls, and enjoyed some one-on-one time.

So much for “Planning Jadyn’s 1st Birthday: Part Two,” right? I got way too into planning the party and basically had zero time to sit down and write a part two blog post, but I am going to do a recap for you here.

In terms of decor, Amazon and Etsy were my go-tos for pretty much all decor. We ordered blush pink, white and gold (with confetti) balloons that we filled with air and decorated the living room with, as well as white, pink and gold pompoms. Those are still hanging where they were during the party as I want to put them in Jadyn’s bedroom, but not sure where yet.

Etsy was my go to for a lot of custom stuff. As you saw in Part One of the post, the main “attraction” for the party was the time capsule. That was a huge hit. Everyone who attended the party wrote a note for Jadyn to read when she turns 18. I’ll also be placing my yearly notes in there for her to read when she turns 18, as well. I purchased a first birthday chalkboard sign from ChalkType on Etsy. The designer was phenomenal to work with! She made a couple revisions and then I was able to print it out at home on card-stock and had it displayed during the party.

I also purchased Jadyn’s first birthday outfit on Etsy from Ritz & Glitz Boutique. After some serious delivery delay issues and miscommunication, her outfit finally arrived and it was beautiful! The tutu was a little on the tight side for an 18-month sized outfit, but Jadyn still looked adorable as ever (as you’ll see in the gallery below).

Jadyn’s smash cake was absolutely amazing. My best friend Eliana (who I’ve known since I was two, and who was there for Jadyn’s birth) made the cake. It was a stunning blush pink and white rose cake with gold glitter (and it was delicious, too!). I really think she should start a side biz of baking, but, you know, just my thoughts. 😉 We tried to get Jadyn to sit in her high chair (which I DIY’d a tutu to decorate it with), but as you can see from some of the photos, she was not having it.

Another thing that was really fun at the party was placing five different objects in front of Jadyn and see which one she picks. We placed a book, a pen, money, cell phone and headphones. She went for the pen first, money second! This little game is supposed to predict where Jadyn will go in life and what career she may pursue. My nail tech gave me the idea. 🙂 Looks like Jadyn will either take after daddy and be artistic, or will take after mommy and be a writer.

All in all, Jadyn’s first birthday was definitely one to remember. Thank you to our friends and family that braved the storm to help celebrate this little girl’s first trip around the sun. Check out the gallery below for some great shots from the party.

Happy birthday, my dear girl! We love you!

  • Time capsule station
  • Close-up of the time capsule station. I decorated the box myself
  • The party favors
  • The time capsule box & chalk sign
  • High chair tutu
  • Daddy & his girl
  • Mommy & her mini-me
  • Close up
  • The outfit!
  • The tutu
  • The cake!
  • Eliana & Jadyn
  • The trio
  • The trio strikes again
  • Jadyn and her BFF Isla
  • Cake with topper
  • Okay, maybe she’ll try it
  • She barely touched it
  • So, so delicate with the cake
  • Not having it
  • Yummy
  • It was delish
  • She chose the pen
  • Her first pair of “babyaitors”
  • Her favorite gift

Planning Jadyn’s First Birthday: Part One

I can’t believe it. My little girl is 11 months old today and I’m already in full-swing first birthday planning mode. Looking back at the last 11 months, I can truly say that this has been one heck of a ride and I can’t wait for more. 

Even though I know Jadyn won’t remember her first birthday, I want it to be memorable for our family and close friends. Keeping it simple for myself in terms of decor, I’m sticking with the same theme as my baby shower: blush pink and gold. And let me tell you Etsy has been my BFF so far in this planning and purchasing part.

For part one of this birthday party series, I’ll share what I’ve purchased so far (sans outfit, because that’s a surprise!!).

The Invite. Let’s be real: I kept it suuuuuper simple and easy by going with good old evite.com for my invitation. They have super cute first birthday invitations and  I was glad I found one in my theme colors. Also, the whole “ONEderful” thing is spot on to some of my decor.

Screenshot 2018-12-01 17.40.16.png

The Outfit. Ha! I won’t show a picture of it yet, but I’ll tell you that I ordered it from Etsy.

The Decor. Well, this will likely be a category in Part Two of this post once I have more, but the one thing I’m really excited about is the time capsule at her party. Everyone that attends needs to leave a message for her to be opened on her 18th birthday. I got this custom made for me by EllenPrintable on Etsy (woo!). Also, I purchased a “My First Year” frame at Macy’s Backstage (think Nordstrom Rack or HomeGoods) where I’ll be putting her monthly photos in and will have it by the time capsule table.

Screenshot 2018-12-01 17.57.30.png

The Smash Cake. I haven’t decided if I’m going to buy her smash cake or have my friend help me make it, but regardless, it needs a topper. Bought this one on Etsy from FancifulChaos.

il_570xN.1233619028_11iw

photo courtesy of Fanciful Chaos

The Favors. I’ve decided to make treat bags and I wanted the toppers to be custom made with the ONEderful and blush pink and gold theme. Enter Dreaming Mind Cards on Etsy. She was able to take my theme and make this beautiful treat topper.

Screenshot 2018-12-01 17.57.51.png

I can’t wait to share with you everything that I have pulled together for this birthday. This is just the beginning!

What did you do to celebrate your little one’s 1st birthday? Share in the comments below! 

 

A Letter to Working Moms

debby-hudson-705707-unsplash

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

From one working mom to another: you got this.

I don’t know how we do it. We spend nights caring for our sick babies and kids and then wake up early enough to get ourselves ready before we dive into our work email inboxes.

We take the time–during the workday–to sit on the floor with our little ones to play a game or complete a puzzle. We make sure that our kids eat their meals, often forgetting to feed ourselves until our stomachs growl so loudly. We make sure that our relationship with our partner or spouse is still strong, even though there are days when you just want to tear each other apart.

“You have the luxury of being at home with your little one while you work.” Yes, and us work-from-home moms love this, but it doesn’t mean it’s easy. Mom guilt comes into play: wanting to devote 100 to work and 100 to your kiddo is tough. To moms like me; I salute you.

To the moms who drop their little ones at daycare then head off to work and countdown the hours and minutes until you get to pick your little nugget up; I salute you. I don’t know how you do it.

To the moms who work a full eight-hour day, come home to their children, cook, clean and spend quality time with everyone, I salute you.

To the creative moms who can only find time to work on their projects while their little one’s asleep; I salute you.

To the first-time moms and new-again moms, I just want to remind you that you got this.

To the moms who just need a minute to cry it out, remember that you got this.

 

 

DockATot Grand: The Vacation Lifesaver

IMG_0995-edit.jpg

I have finally been able to take the time to sit down and write about our wonderful trip up north to South Lake Tahoe. Tahoe is so beautiful this time of year. You can spend time at the Lake, go check out the fabulous shops and have wonderful meals at Heavenly Village or just relax in your hotel room. I enjoyed all three. It was also exciting to take Jadyn on her first road trip (she is a champ in the car) and also share the Lake with her and dip her feet in for the first time.

The one thing I was worried about was the sleeping situation in the hotel. I’ve heard horror stories of vacations ruined because of a baby who couldn’t sleep or nap comfortably.

When I made the reservations, I made sure to get two queen beds because I figured I’d just co-sleep with Jadyn, but I needed a safe way to do that. Enter the DockATot Grand.

DockATot was kind enough to send me the Grand in the La Vie En Rose print (check out my Instagram highlights for the unboxing!), as well as the traveling case for it. I received the Grand a couple days before we left and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to see how Jadyn would react to it; she never had the deluxe as a newborn. Safe to say, I was worried for nothing. She took her two naps in the DockATot Grand the day we got it (after washing the cover, of course) and slept so soundly.

Now, while Jadyn is only six-months-old, the DockATot Deluxe is actually too small for her; she’s off-the-charts tall (28″!!), so the Grand definitely fit her a lot better. She not only napped well after exciting days up in Tahoe, but she slept soundly, too. Hotel beds aren’t necessarily the best so I was glad Jadyn had something familiar and comfortable to sleep in for two nights. Jadyn and I did co-sleep in one of the queen beds, and as a new mom, I barely slept checking on her every hour or so to make sure she was comfortable. She was. Check out her interesting sleeping position below.

IMG_0992-edit.jpg

Here are a few reasons why I absolutely love the DockATot, whether a Deluxe or Grand:

  • DockATot is a multi-functional lounger, co-sleeper and playtime lounger. During downtime in our hotel room, Jadyn was able to play with her toys while relaxing in her Grand.
  • It comes in two sizes: Deluxe for 0-8 months and Grand for 9-36 months. I put Jadyn in the Grand even though she’s six months, because she’s so long (28″!!) and won’t fit in the Deluxe anymore.
  • It’s handmade in Europe; designed in Sweden.
  • The DockATot Deluxe and Grand are all natural, 100% cotton and OEKO-TEX certified.
  • It’s an ideal micro-climate for babies and tots. This rang true for us in Tahoe. No fuss whatsoever from Jadyn when it came to sleeping and dozing in her Grand.
  • For when Jadyn is in the toddler bed transition stage, the Grand will be a perfect helper.

I felt good about having Jadyn fall asleep and wake up in something so high quality and safe for her. Here’s Jadyn just lounging about in her Grand.

IMG_0972-edit.jpg

DockATot offers a variety of covers to choose from, as well. The La Vie En Rose is my favorite, but there’s a cover to suit your style and your baby’s.

Thanks again, DockATot, for sending me the Grand to make my vacation sleeping situation a little easier.

IMG_0974-edit.jpg

Do you have a DockATot Deluxe or Grand? Let me know what you love about it in the comments below!

 

Prime Book Box for Kids

There is absolutely nothing I love more than sitting down with Jadyn and reading her a book–or four. Reading calms Jadyn down, so nowadays I find myself reading to her more often since she’s teething (poor thing!); it’s a great distraction for her. However, reading the classics over and over again gets tiring for baby and mama, so when my boss at Red Tricycle shared a link to Prime Book Box for Kids, I had to sign up to hopefully be invited!

Fast forward a week or two and BAM! I’m invited to sign up. 🙂

Prime Book Box for Kids is a book subscription service (you can choose your delivery frequency) where Amazon editors curate top picks for different age groups. Jadyn is in the baby-2 age range, so she receives four board books every box, but 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 receive two hardcover books. I love that I can go in and select the books, too. For example, with this first box, Amazon editors picked Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss for me, but we already have it so I was able to exchange for a different one. Did I mention that it’s 35% off retail? Even better. For roughly $25 per box, I get four books. Not too shabby. Here are the books we received in Jadyn’s first box:

IMG_0895.jpg

Gossie and Gertie by Olivier Dunrea

The I LOVE YOU Book by Todd Parr

Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree by Eileen Christelow

Backyard Bugs by Jill McDonald

I have read all of these to Jadyn at this point and I think she truly enjoys them. The bright colors really stand out and her interest peaks when she sees things she doesn’t recognize.

If you haven’t checked out Prime Book Box for Kids, I highly recommend you do and sign up for an invitation (only Prime members are eligible).

Did you sign up and receive your Prime Book Box for Kids? I’d love to know what you got in yours! Leave a comment below.

Five Pieces of Advice I Should Have Taken

Now that I’ve got this whole parenting thing kind of down–five months in–I can reflect on advice I received pre-baby and how right everyone was. Here are five pieces of advice I should have taken (accompanied by gifs!).

1. They grow really fast. You won’t even use your newborn-sized clothes for long. This rang true for us. Jadyn outgrew her newborn clothes in about two weeks.

via GIPHY

2. Sleep when your baby sleeps. It’s a lot harder to do than you think.

via GIPHY

3. Gone are the days of makeup and dressing nicely. This is partially true. Now that Jadyn is five months old, I’ve again started taking care of myself while devoting every waking moment to my child. Let me tell you–it feels GOOD to wear makeup again.

via GIPHY

4. Shedding those last five pounds is the hardest. SO true. I’m 20 pounds down since having Jadyn, however, these last few pounds are taking forever to lose. And then I want to keep losing, so it’s a lose-lose situation for me right now (no pun intended).

via GIPHY

5. Take it all in sans technology. As hard as it is to do, it’s worth trying. Now that we can record videos on our iPhones (remember the days of camcorders?!), recording every moment is just habit. Taking it all in and witnessing it through your own eyes rather than through a lens is special. Don’t forget it as your little one will change and grow way too fast.

via GIPHY

What pieces of advice did you hear over and over again but never took? I’d love to know so leave a comment below!

Starting Solids

I can’t believe I have a five month old. Jadyn is not only talking up a storm and can almost roll from back-to-tummy, but she’s now on solids a few times a day.

At her four month well-check, Jadyn’s pediatrician said we could start introducing solids. I always thought I had to wait till 6 months, but by the time Jadyn is 6 months, two of her meals during the day should just be solids. At four months, I thought she was still a little young to truly start, so if I was eating a banana or watermelon or cantaloupe, I’d let her try some. But once Jadyn hit four and a half months, I really thought about it and started thinking of different things to purée. Here are my go to combinations right now:

  • Sweet potato + apple
  • Sweet potato + carrot
  • Mashed bananas
  • Zucchini + apple (completely tastes like apple sauce)
  • Broccoli + apple

What I plan on trying next:

  • Peas
  • Pears + spinach + kale
  • Spinach + apple + sweet potato
  • Apple + spinach
  • Chicken + sweet potato
  • Cantaloupe
  • Watermelon (she already loves sucking the juices from melon!!)

With fruits, you don’t need to steam them (obviously)–puréeing is just fine. However, in order to keep the nutrients in the veggies, steaming is better than boiling. And one of the best gifts I received from my baby shower was the Béaba Babycook. It’s a one-stop-shop to steam and purée vegetables for your little one. I use it three times a week to make Jadyn’s concoctions. You can find the Babycook on Amazon. And for more recipe inspiration, I’ve been browsing ThinkBaby.org’s recipes page. They have some great combinations I need to try and also some tips and tricks for when Jadyn is in the toddler years.

Screenshot 2018-01-26 17.58.30

courtesy of Amazon.com

Obviously starting solids was a slight learning curve for Jadyn since she didn’t really know what to do with a spoon, but since I have the Béaba silicone spoons, I let her play with them for a few days and every day when we eat, she’s learning that a spoon helps get food in her mouth. It’s so cute!

I also have to give a shout out to Inspired Start. They sent me a couple samples of their apples and wheat pouches to try out. What I love about Inspired Start is that each pouch contains a couple teaspoons of a common allergen like wheat, tree nut, peanut, seafood or soy, and masks it in a sweeter fruit. We’ve used the apple and wheat pouch a few times and can easily say that Jadyn does not have a wheat allergy! You can find Inspired Start only on Amazon. IMG_0644 2.JPG

I’m so excited to learn what Jadyn is going to enjoy next! It’s always an adventure with her.

What food combinations did you try with your little one when you introduced solids? Leave a comment below!