 1. Travel Lap Tray // 2. Canvas Tote // 3. XL Disposable Toilet Covers // 4. Biodegradable Placemats // 5. Potette Potty Seat & Liners // 6. Wine Tote & Cooler // 7. Toddler Safety Backpack // 8. High Chair Harness // 9. Disinfecting Wipes // 10. Kids Tablet Case // 11. Kids Volume Limiting Headphones // 12. Hand Sanitizing Wipes // 13. Mini Crib Mattress Topper We are driving to Charleston, SC in a month- with a 4 year old and a 19 month old. It sounds crazy but we have made the 12 hour drive from New York with Lilly 3 times now, including last year when we drove with both kids. Our reasons for driving vs. flying include that my husband prefers not to fly if he can avoid it and we like the flexibility driving offers- leaving when we want and bringing everything we need from home.
Surprisingly, all of our trips have been successful and I believe with a lot of planning and the right gear, there is no reason to fear going on road trips with toddlers! Below are some of our tried and true must haves as well as some new gear we are incorporating this year since the kids are slightly older (one potty trained and no more bottles!!) 1. A travel lap tray is a new addition to our gear this year. Lilly will use this to house her tablet and other activities. I like that a tray will keep activities and snacks in place and off the floor. 2. A large, structured tote is everything when traveling in the car! We keep food, extra clothes, and a cooler organized in this tote and it’s the perfect size to place on the car floor. This tote has a wired top which keeps it open and accessible. It’s also a versatile item; we use it in the car and then we also use it while on vacation to tote all the things for the beach and pool. 3. These extra large toilet seat covers cover nearly the entire toilet surface and are coated on the underside to avoid leak through from yucky rest stop toilets! 4.I always bring disposable placemats for the kids when we travel. I don’t like creating waste so I love that these are biodegradable! 5. Now that Lilly is potty trained we are entering new road trip territory. This Potette potty seat is a life saver to keep in the car, not just for road trips but all the time. It can be used alone as a potty (with the liners) or on a large toilet as a training seat. Another plus- the liners are biodegradable! 6. Yes, a wine tote/cooler! No, I don’t carry wine on the road, but this tall cooler is a great space saver. Instead of a typical short wide cooler that gets buried under other items, a taller cooler remains easily accessible without taking up much horizontal floor or tote space. We use ours all.the.time. (And it’s great for toting wine too, of course). 7. Safety/ harness backpacks are a little controversial, but we are going to be utilizing this one for Cole this trip. While he will stay in the stroller if need be, there are certain crowded places I would like to let him explore but remain safe (for example, the aquarium). My view is that it doesn’t hurt but it could help, so why not. It also helps when the kids can carry some of their own items and this cute Dino backpack is insulated as well. 8. This high chair harness turns any chair into a high chair. It’s easy to fold up and carry everywhere to keep the littles safely seated. 9. Disinfecting Wipes!!! These use the power of peroxide and they kill Norovirus aka, the stomach bug (not all disinfecting wipes do!). Enough said. I use these when we are at hotels and rental homes to wipe down all of the germy surfaces (phones, remotes, bathrooms etc.) and I also carry some in my purse to wipe down shopping carts. 10. This tablet case has served us well for 2+ years. A tablet is essential for road trip success and this case is easy for the kids to carry and the handle also folds to stand. 11. Lilly has been using these kid’s headphones for two years as well. They adjust to fit and they are volume limiting. 12. I love these hand sanitizing wipes and have been using them for years. We always take them when we travel because they eliminate the need to wipe down little hands after a spray sanitizer. 13. A mini crib/pack and play mattress topper is not really for the road trip but rather, when we arrive. Cole is a great sleeper but when we are away from home he doesn’t sleep well at all. I did a lot of research and read a lot of comments from parents with the same issue stating that mattress toppers for travel cribs had solved their sleep issues. Travel cribs don’t have the most comfortable mattress pads so I am hoping this memory foam topper works for us this trip! This particular topper is sized for a “mini crib” and states it will not work for the pack and play, but this one does fit my pack and play model so just be aware of measurements and if this one doesn’t fit, there is another version that should. I’ll be showing these items on my Instagram Stories, so if you want an up close look at anything, be sure to head over to my Instagram feed. I’ll also be following up with a post about how we entertain the kids and keep everyone happy on the 12 hour ride, so stay tuned! Happy travels!
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 Cole just recently turned 10 months old and I am finally getting around to sharing his nursery! It should not have taken me this long to reveal but I kept going back and forth regarding what to do on the wall behind his crib. My original vision was wood planking, but that seemed too permanent and I like to change things up too often. Then I wanted birch tree wall paper, but I felt that came off a little too sophisticated for a nursery, so I nixed that idea as well. Cole's uncle created the most adorable woodland prints for him and they were perfect to place above his crib. I love that the space is minimal and serene, which is how I like to keep the nursery. This room had the same feel when it was Lilly's nursery and I knew I wanted to keep it for Cole. The major pieces of furniture (Crib, Chair, changing table, and dresser) are all pieces we left from when it was Lilly's. We changed out the rug and décor to make it Cole's. Sources and links for the items in his nursery are located below the last photo in this post. Enjoy!        The changing table is actually a bathroom vanity! It is the perfect height for changing and when we no longer need a changing table we can repurpose it in a bathroom renovation.    Crib: Similar Here & Here / Art Prints / Frames / Stuffed Deer / Chair: Ikea / Pillow / Ottoman / Area Rug / Faux Pelt: Target (Seasonal) / Deer Head Décor: Target (Seasonal) / Changing Table Vanity: Building Supply Auction / Baskets: Ikea / Curtains: Ikea / Side Table: Home Goods / Wall Color: Benjamin Moore Moonshine
Happy Mother's Day week! I am celebrating with a Mommy and Me post featuring a spring look that has been on repeat around here, thanks to lots of rain. Lilly is especially excited about all the spring showers because she is OBSESSED with rain boots (she wears them all. the. time. rain or not) and jumping in puddles. It's the cutest and I couldn't be happier to be collaborating with Kamik footwear on this post. I am loving our Kamik rainboots! If you have been following me for some time you know I refuse to spend hundreds of dollars on rubber rain boots, even if they are an outerwear staple. I was thrilled to learn about Kamik, their products and their dedication to sustainability. They are reasonabaly priced, well constructed, stylish, 73% of their products are made in North America and get this- they are recyclable! When your boots can no longer be worn, you can send them to a Kamik recycling center.
I've linked all of the pieces including our boots, below. You can also visit the Kamik website to view all of their rain and winter boot collections for men, women and kids. Happy Mother's Day! 
Mommy Yummy Reusable Packs / Naturesutton Natural Rubber Paci / Organic Cotton Paci Clip / HiccaPop Sleep Bumpers / Baybee Boutique Teething Jewlery / Jellycat London Bunny / Cozy Rider Stroller Seat/Board / Babo Botanicals 3- in -1 Wipes
Happy Friday! I get a lot of questions regarding certain products I feature in my Intsagram photos so I am going to try to put together a monthly roundup of popular items with links.
This month I put together a list of the baby/kids gear we have been loving and getting the most use out of. Click on any of the photos below or the product description to shop the items.  
This Stroller seat/board has been my most asked about item recently. I purchased this at random from Amazon because we hadn't yet decided on a double stroller and wanted to try other options. Lilly LOVES this! Se calls it her bike and will stay seated during the majority of most outings. It fits most strollers (we have a Britax be Agile), is easy to attach and the seat can be removed if you want to use it as a standing board only. (Lilly will alternate between sitting and standing even with the seat attached). Some reviews complain of it taking up too much space making it hard for the person pushing the stroller to walk. This can happen but I have found that it is easy enough to push the board to the side while walking and it will stay there, allowing me to walk comfortably. We now have a double stroller that we use on occasion but Lilly prefers this seat when she has the option. It is a great alternative to a double and it is under $120.
 
I was on the search for a paci holder and this guy won for a few reasons- I always go for organic options if I can. A few dollars more for a healthier product is never a question for me. This animal is also easily washable and has a pouch that houses a natural cornmeal bean bag that can be heated for soothing effects. I removed the bean bag and tuck away the 2nd clip (used to clip the holder to clothing etc) when its not in use. This holder comes with a pacifier but we don't use it so I can't attest to quality, etc.
 
I have only recently been introduced to natural rubber pacifiers through the many Mama friends I see using them on Instagram. I really liked the fact that they were natural and figured I would give it a try. At $9 a paci they are definitely on the pricier side but again, a healthier option was worth it for me. I also like the soft texture of the natural rubber. If Cole roles his face on it in the middle of the night its not hard or uncomfortable.
I underestimated the importance of teething jewelry until I had a teething baby. These cute pieces are a stylish solution for teething but also keeping babes busy while carrying and nursing too. There are even mini versions for your teething littles to wear. Cole and I use my necklace daily!
 
When we put Lilly into her big girl bed I knew safety bumpers/rails were a must but I didn't like the look of the standard rail type options. Through some searching I found HiccaPop bed bumpers. They have worked great! They fit under the fitted sheet and we haven't had any issues since Lilly started using them a few months ago. They are also PHTHALATE & BPA Free Polyurethane Foam with no flame retardants, waterproof and washable.
 
Lilly is going through a puree phase, meaning the only way I get fruits and veggies into her is via fruit and veggie packs or smoothies. This is my fault, I know, because those packs are just so convenient and we used them often and now its all she wants. Now that cole has started solids I have started making my own purees again (although not as much as I would like to) and using reusable packs helps keep it all cost effective. I tried these packs at random and they have been good; durable, easy to clean BPA free and large. I have also found that most caps from standard throw away packs fit these as well, so if you lose a cap there are usually plenty of replacements.
 
I love the adorable stuffed animals in the Jellycat line, Lilly and Cole each have at least one. I added these to the list because we recently got them "bashful bunnies" for Easter and they became fast favorites. These stuffed animals are great gifts!
 
These wipes are the only item on the list that are sponsored, meaning I received the wipes in return for trying them and providing an honest review. I am including them because we have been using the wipes for a couple of weeks and really like them! Cole and Lilly both have very sensitive skin and Cole was recently diagnosed with mild eczema so I am very careful what products I use on their skin. I don't know how to parent without wipes, so we have been through many brands. Natural, plant based are our favorites as they are usually the most gentle. These wipes are great because they are 99% natural, very effective and smell amazing! I don't use them exclusively as they are a little more expensive than standard wipes, but I love keeping a pack in my baby bag to wipe hands and faces on the go. The brand is also cruelty free and the wipe material is biodegradable.
I hope these links are helpful and if you see any items on my social feeds that you like or have questions about feel free to message me for info! Happy Weekend!
 Happy Friday! I am finally back to posting after a much needed break for the holidays. We have had a very busy start to the year around here and I have lots of great kids and mom stuff for you in the coming weeks. One of the products I have spent a bit of time really getting to know before reviewing for you all is the Kidloland app. Choosing apps for Lilly has always been a bit overwhelming for me. When browsing through learning apps there are thousands of results. Apps for shapes and colors, apps for reading, apps for puzzles, apps for numbers and counting and this list goes on and on. This is why an all in one educational app was so appealing to me. I dont have to download 25 different apps to get a well rounded collection for Lilly to use. It's one and done and geared towards kids ages 0-5 so they can grow with this app. Kidloland is also more affordable than I expected. You can choose monthly or annual subscriptions and you get access to thousands of activities, puzzles, stories, songs, etc. with new content added every month! Lilly loves exploring all of the different activities. I have been using the app to reinforce the things she is currently covering in nursery school as well as the things I feel she needs a little more work on. Currently we are working on numbers. The puzzles and counting activities are her favorite and they really help her grasp the concept. I love that I can let Lilly sit and play "her games" as she calls it, and I know that while she is having fun she is also learning and in my opinion that is the best way to learn! Many of the activities are interactive. She can press objects on the screen while reading a story or listening to a nursery rhyme and there are lots of fun surprises that pop up to keep little ones engaged and learning. Another huge plus to this app is it is perfect for travel! Kidloland saved us big time on a recent road trip. Once you download the content, Kidloland doesn't require internet access, so Lilly was more than happy to play her games and read her stories and we were happy to not have a cranky toddler during the 4 hour drive! If you have been looking into educational apps for your little ones, I highly reccomend Kidloland. It is truly an all in one interactive educational app that makes learning fun. Kidloland is available on itunes, the Google Play Store and Amazon Appstore. (click for links).  Playing Kidloland activities while on a weekend trip to visit family    Happy Friday! If you are like me, you have been doing lots of holiday shopping the past few weeks and noticing that some people are easier to shop for than others. My husband is not one of those people!. Every December I am faced with the same issue- what do I get my husband!? His hobby outside of work is hunting and he does a good job of letting me know what he wants in that department but I usually clear his list with his birthday and father's day gifts. By the time our anniversary and Christmas rolls around in December I am stumped as to what to get him. This year I wanted to get him something more meaningful and I thought a personalized engraved gift would be perfect. I partnered with Jord Wood Watches and they graciously offered me an engraved watch to gift to someone special and I jumped at the opportunity! Jord is now offering watch engraving on select collections or wood engraving on the gorgeous wood watch box. How fun is that!? You can see the details and cost for engraving options on their website. If you read my blog regularly, you know that I have my own Jord watch and love it. My husband had commented on the watch and that he liked the more rustic look of it. This is coming from someone who doesn't wear any jewlery, so the fact that he liked the Jord Watches blew my mind and gave me a gift idea (for once) ! I chose the Conway watch in Zebrawood and Dark Sandalwood for him. It has a silver face with cronograph details and stainless links inlaid on the links. I thought the stainless details gave it an edge while still keeping its refined design. I decided to have the watch engraved with 3 special dates: our wedding date, and our children's birthdates. It came out beautifully and I couldn not be happier to give my husband a thoughtful gift he can wear every day.  As a gift to you, I have included a special gift code. Click this link and enter your email to get a $25 gift code sent to your inbox to use towards any watch or service at woodwatches.com! Happy shopping!     Daddy's Girl!  Happy Friday! Today my husband and I are celebrating our 4 year wedding anniversary! I can't beleive it has been 4 years, its amazing how fast time passes! I absolutely loved all of the details of my wedding (thank god, because I spent nearly 2 years planning it!), I hinted in my Instagram post that I picked out my dress a year before even being engaged. I know that sounds crazy (like literally crazy) but we knew we wanted to get married. We had discussed it in detail. So knowing that, I had started to think about the things I would want for our big day. The most important detail for any girl is THE dress, I happened to stumble upon my dress while searching though countless websites and immediately thought "oh my, that is gorgeous!". I bookmarked it and went on with life. About a year later, I went back to the gowns I had saved and that dress was still my favorite. Of course, when I called a few local places that carried the designer, they didnt have the gown. It was a "last season" design and they could order it for me but I would not be able to try it on. I knew I loved the dress, but I was horrified at the thought of buying a gown without first trying it on. So I spent way too many hours locating 1 (yes in all of New York State) 1 bridal shop had it in their showroom to try on...I went into the City to try it on and that was it. It was my dress. Then another blow, this particular store was aking over $1500 more than any other boutique I had spoken to. Not very smart on their part, but the wedding industry is a billion dollar business and I'm sure when they realized they were the only boutique who had the dress to try, they assumed I was desperate. I left, without ordering the dress, and returned to one of the other boutiqes that carried the designer and had been extremely helpful during my search to find the gown to try on and I ordered it from them. Do your research ladies! It will save you thousands. Below are a few photos of that dress (I still love it so much) and some other fun snaps from our big fat Greek & Irish wedding. as well as all of the amazing vendors we worked with. Enjoy!   This Gorgeous woman is Stacy Doolan, The most AMAZING makeup artist!               Lots of Greek dancing and money throwing!  The Accountants     Dress: Aire Barcelona
Bridal Boutique:Lotus Bridal, Brooklyn, NY Photography: Lovemore Photo Makeup: Stacy Dollan, MUA  The holiday season is upon us and the first thing on our holiday agenda is holiday photos of the littles! I am excited to be partnering with Janie and Jack for this post to style photo ready looks for Lilly and Cole. When choosing looks for the kids, I always look for pieces that are classic yet modern and Janie and Jack delivers just that. Their collections are gorgeous. I especially love that they offer a wide range of styles from casual to special occasion to make it easy to find something for every event..        I chose an ivory cable knit sweater dress and cable knit tights for Lilly. I love the gold accents the buttons lend to it and I accessorized her look with a gold grosgrain ribbon headband and leather gold bow flats, The tailoring and details of the pieces are amazing and I love that the look is timeless and girly without being too frilly or over the top.      Cole's outfit was so much fun for me to style because this is his first Christmas and the first holiday I am shopping for a boy! For him I chose an ivory cable knit sweater, a plaid poplin shirt, navy corduroy pants and accessorized with the sweetest reindeer bowtie and wingtip crib shoes (so cute!). I had fun playing with different textures and patterns from the collections to select each piece and I am so impressed with their selections for the little men! Most retailers have a huge selection for girls and then you get to the boys section and it's limited. I also love their accessory selection for boys. Accessories really put that necessary finishing touch on a look and Janie and Jack really delivers! My personal favorites are the bowties. I am officially on the bowtie bandwagon after seeing Cole wearing his. So dapper!
I really love dressing for the holidays. Do you like dressing the kids in matching looks or just coordinating with color or patterns? Check out the Janie and Jack Holiday Collections and let me know your favorites!  Happy Weekend! We finally had some cooler temps here in New York this past week and got to break out some of our favorite new wool goodies from Lana Care. They sent me the items to review back in August before Cole was born and I have been waiting ever since to wear/use them. They did not disappoint! You will probably notice a trend of organic and eco-friendly clothing and home items in some of my more recent post. I have been making an effort to source more sustainable products in all areas of our daily life and I am very excited to partner with companies like Lana Care that offer such exceptional quality products for my family at a reasonable price point, Lana Care was founded in 1990 in Denmark by a Nurse / mother of 3 who wanted to design products that promote health and well being for mother and baby. Wool has so many amazing properties and the wool used to make all Lana Care products is strictly certified GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and IVN Best (exceeds even the GOTS standards) organic untreated wool. Any and all dyes used are also certified non toxic. Below are the items we have been using and a bit more about them.   Lana Care Wool Pants / Lana Care Wool Booties I love these wool baby pants and booties. Wool is warm but extremely breathable which allows the wearer to maintain a comfortable temperature and makes these items super comfy for baby.! Not to mention ADORABLE! The pants have an adjustable waistband to accommodate a growing baby and the booties can be worn alone or layered with regular socks.  I am always cold so these cozy footlets are perfect for sleeping in as well as inserts in rubber rain boots for a bit of added warmth. (remove them before walking on wood or tile floors though! The wool is soft as silk and very slippery on smooth surfaces.)  These shoe inserts are my new cold weather must have! They slip easily into any pair of boots to add warmth and comfort. Fun fact: wool stays warm even when wet, so they are perfect for the Little's rain and snow boots!  Baby/Toddler Pillow Organic bedding is a must for me. When I was pregnant with Lilly I started looking into the harmful chemicals used on most bedding and going forward I only considered organic or non toxic options for the kid's mattresses, pillows and most of their bed linens., The toddler pillow is the perfect size and thickness for little ones, The Lana Care Pillow contains only organic wool encased in a super soft organic sateen cotton cover. They come in Junior and Standard Adult sizes as well!  Wool breast pads are genius. The Lana Care pads are very large, made to cover the entire breast, not just the nipple and surrounding area. For reference, I am a 36 C and I got a medium. The warmth of the wool helps with circulation and helps prevent clogged ducts ( I haven't had any!). The wool also allows air flow and prevents the yucky things that can happen when you expose skin to moisture for too long. The breast cream is all natural lanolin, perfect for helping to heal dry or cracked nipples and you do not need to remove it before nursing your baby. FYI: the lanolin cream is great for healing any dry, irritated skin- I have also used it on my hands and lips! The all natural lanolin soap cleans the wool pads without exposing them to any chemicals as a laundry detergent may do. so your entire nursing experience is safe and healthy! Let me know some of your favorite cold weather products and brands!
     Onesie & Paci Clip: Finn + Emma / Pants: Carters / Boots: Old Navy Happy Monday guys, I hope you had a great weekend! Cole slept through the night for the first time and I am one happy and refreshed Mama!
If you have been following me on Instagram or reading my blog you know I am slightly obsessed with sourcing adorable clothing for the littles. It's one of my favorite things to do, so much so that I often shop more for them than myself! Another passion of mine is keeping my family safe and healthy, which is why I love finding brands that offer more than just great styles. Finn + Emma is one of those brands. Offering contemporary and modern designs and prints, all of their clothing, toys and accessories are constructed with high quality, natural and organic materials and eco- friendly, non-toxic dyes. They are also manufactured in Fair-Trade settings and the quality is amazing. I was so pleasantly surprised at the quality of the fabrics and how well they wear and wash. In the age of "fast fashion" where quantity often overshadows quality and the questionable conditions under which clothing is manufactured, it's refreshing to find brands that make clothing you can feel good about buying, Admittedly, I don't outfit my children in exclusively organic fashion, but I like to make better choices when and where I can. Whether it be the food we eat, the products we use or the clothes we wear, I like to limit my family's exposure to certain things. That to me is a major mommy win! Check the Finn + Emma Collections and if you if you see anything you like use this link for a 15% coupon for your purchase of $50 or more. Are you a fan of the sustainable fashion movement? I'd love to hear what brands you love and why! |
Hi! I'm Lisa, a wife and mommy who loves fashion, home decor and projects and sharing our favorite baby / kids gear and activities. Thanks for following along on my journey through Mommy Life. Styled.
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