Bags & Backpacks for Your Littles

I'm pretty sure that every expecting mom registers for a baby bag, and as much as my mommy friends insisted I NEEDED one, I just couldn't get on board. They are massive, bulky, unattractive, and quite frankly unnecessary. I just didn't want or need one, and after 2 newborns, 3 babies under one, and a toddler, my decision stands firm.  Maybe it's just me, but I never saw myself as the mom that packed everything but the kitchen sink for a trip to the grocery store. I think we live in an age of being over prepared for everything and buying excessively, and I have always preferred the minimal life. I bought a MamaRoo because quite frankly a baby swing is a must have item, but I don't think that my babies need multiple  "baby stations."  My point is don't think that you HAVE to have everything BuyBuyBaby recommends.  Go with your gut (and style) and remember that mommas have raised babies without activity saucers, jumperoos. light up play gyms, and vibrating chairs for generations. 

Wait weren't we talking about bags?? 

I have been using a simple camo green toddler backpack for all of my babes and it works just great. I keep a pack of wipes in the car ALWAYS, and only need to pack bottles, a change of clothes, snacks, and diapers. But since we are raising kiddos in foster care and have weekly visitations, one bag was just not cutting it. Using one bag and rotating everything out for every visit and my own personal use was just plain stupid and taxing on my already chaotic mind.  I needed more bags and have been on the hunt for stylish sacks for my babes (and myself). There is a world of wonderment outside of the Kate Spade baby bag with a built in changing pad, personal massage therapist, pacifier wipe pocket, and wine glass nook inside of the fifteenth pocket. Get my point? It's just too much!

My favorite finds:

                                         

                                           Indie Nook Totes (Several Other Styles Available) $10
                    Totes are great for visitations b/c you only need to pack the necessary items for 2 hours. 

Echino Toddler Backpack - Weepereas - $45

Reusable Lunch Bags by OhLittleRabbit $16

Great for packing lunch or a bottle set up

                                               Shinzi Katoh Insulated Lunch Bag - $27.50

                                                            

Insanely cute toddler backpacks by SWANKAROO $37

These sell out fast! Follow swankaroo on Instagram for updates on inventory.

Bunny Backpack - My Sweet Muffin $27.50

Herschel Settlement Kid's Backpack - My Sweet Muffin $39.95

Gifts for Baby - Celebrating a half birthday

Even though we have had 5 kids, our four month old is truly our 'first baby.' We have been through the trenches with him, and for the first time as parents we are watching a baby grow and reach all of the exciting milestones. He came to us by accident, but obviously it was so much more than that. On the day our first baby was leaving (we had already said goodbye to our 10 month old 2 days prior) I prayed ALL DAY LONG for our phone to ring. My friends kept saying that I should just enjoy a break, but I couldn't fathom a quiet house without a baby. 4 hours before our little girl was scheduled for pickup, the phone rang. There was a 6 day old baby boy available...were we interested??? At the time we were only on the call list for girls (quite frankly, the thought of preparing for both sexes 0-4 years overwhelmed me) and this little babe was from a different county (kids are ALWAYS placed in the same city). So CPS made a mistake, and so did our agency, but we couldn't have been happier. Our little bundle was so beautiful, but I had no clue what I was in for. He had sleeping, eating, and breathing issues and was up all night. At the time I had no information regarding the circumstances of his traumatic birth or that he was born premature. Unfortunately in foster care this 'important' information is not always relayed, and sometimes considered none of your business. His first 2 months were total chaos. There were so many times when I thought I was going to lose it, I had no idea how to make him happy or content. I felt like such a crappy momma. I worked the 5 S's around the clock, never slept, and was just a hot mess.

The joy of parenthood isn't all about the smiles, giggles, & love, it's about being tougher than you ever thought was possible. It's about pouring your heart & soul into a kid, even though you just want to crawl up into bed for a month. It's an exhausting and beautiful job!

In the last month we have seen a total turn around, he is such a happy little guy and is finally sleeping more than 2-3 hours, we've even had a couple of 7 hour stretches. He is absolutely perfect and has brought so much joy into our lives. Although in our hearts he is "our baby," his permanency is still in limbo and it looks like the fight will continue til the very end. All bio parents have at least one year to work their services (I will post on this soon), so it's going to be a long road!  Because we have no idea what the future holds, we want to celebrate everything with him. I have started planning a very happy half birthday party and I can't stop buying him gifts!

Shopping on the the internet is so much fun these days!  There are so many great shops and too many awesome options out there (it took me 2 hours to decide on a custom boppy cover on Etsy). Needless to say,  I am definitively going overboard. One of the perks of foster care is you can justify buying some pricier items, b/c you could potentially have babies in your house for years and years. But to save a little dough, I have started following my favorite shops on Instagram and there are always sales posted with 10-25% savings, which helps justify my spending!

Here's what our little prince is getting so far:

Indie Nook 'Juice" T-Shirt $22 

Snagged with an IG 20% Promo Code 

Loved by Hannah and Eli 'Man Cub' T-Shirt $34

Salt City Emporium 'Blue Deer' Leggings and Beanie 

Sale posted on IG - Leggings $11 & Beanie $6

I'm still a little torn on his stuffed animal and with the way things are going, I may just get all of them. I can't help but spoil him rotten!! But my thrifty self may just wait for the first shop that has a sale. 

Bla Bla Knit Dolls $44-56

They do not have an IG, but sometimes post PROMOCODE savings on their blog 

Mr.Fox by Maileg -A Little Bundle $33

This shop always has promo codes on their IG 

Babe's First Camera by PlanToys - A Little Bundle  $15

I have been extremely cautious about where my kid's toys are coming from/made of and I am so impressed with this company. More awesome toys here! 

Great Books for your Littles

As a new mom, I am constantly on the hunt for fabulous books for my babes. My mom was an avid book collector and I inherited about 200 baby books from her, but now that I am reading 5+ a day, I have noticed a massive influx in the donation pile. I absolutely adore the classics like Goodnight Moon (great for 'last call' sleep training), Eric Carle, The Carrot Seed, etc. but there are a ton of terrible reads out there!! Some have awful morals, boring story lines, or no story at all, and it's pretty frustrating to think that all of this junk is getting published.  I'm not going to name any names, but that one mousy ballerina is a little snot!

I will spare you from the baby book trash talk and focus on some must have finds for the new generation of readers. 

Art Books:

Petit Connoisseur: Art - Karen Salmansohn

Petit Connoisseur: Fashion - Karen Salmansohn

Andy Warhol's Colors - Susan Goldman Rubin

Mini Masters Series - Julie Merberg 

Learning Colors, Numbers, & Animals:

Orla Kiely Series 

Charley Harper Series 

Classic Lit:

Must have books from Jennifer Adams

Just too cute:

Taro Gomi 

I will always be a sucker for Moonbear's adventures by Frank Asch

And the Ahlberg's books

Mama's & Papa's- your baby loves looking at pictures, but she also loves to hear you talk. It is NEVER too early to start reading chapter books to your little ones. One of my babes (10 months) loved it and every night we read Harry Potter. No, she didn't get the story line or remember the characters, but she was getting at least 20 minutes of calm bonding time. If your little one does not like bedtime, but loves reading, take it up a notch with a big kid book. It's a great way to wind down those busy bodies!