Tis the season for cold and flu and lets face it, it has been a long winter of bringing home germs from daycare. I always want natural health products to give my son and these cough and cold products from @hylandscanada are my go to. With Hylands cough and cold syrups, my son feels better in the day and sleeps better at night.
These products are alcohol free, sugar free, corn syrup free, artificial sweetener free, paraben and dye free, they also taste great and help ease symptoms and speed up the healing process. And we all know the heath of our kiddos is so important.
Hyland’s has been around since 1903 and has been trusted by generations of parents! Grabs your products at Amazon.ca or @loblawson
Purchasing a diaper bag is super important because this new bag will be with you all the time. Deciding on what kind is a personal preference. Some people like a shoulder bag, others a back pack, some like high end, others good value, whatever you decide just make sure its practical and provides the best use for when you’re out and about.
My first diaper bag that I received as a gift from my hubby functions as diaper bag and purse , I wanted one more on the stylish side but also functional. During the first few weeks with my son I was bringing out my purse and diaper bag but it felt way too hectic. Keep it simple and use one bag for everything. I love my original diaper bag (it was a push present from my hubby) but taking it placed like the beach and park was not ideal because I was extremely worried about getting it damaged.
Recently I had the privilege of trying out a backpack style diaper bag and it defiantly was a game changer. This Hafmall bag is perfect for trips to the park, beach, or anywhere else you are headed and plan to bring a lot of items. Its great quality and extremely spacious. I use both bags now – one for when we have functions – wedding, party etc, or quick trips to the store, and the other for the more adventurous activities or going away for an evening. https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=hafmall&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
Hafmall Diaper bag is great for on the go
Here are some tips when shopping for the perfect bag
~Easy to clean
~Good size – trust me you need more space than you think
~Gender neutral – dads you will be taking the bag too
~Won’t wear and tear (your bag spends a lot of time on the floor and being thrown around)
~Easy access to open and close with you need
~Compartments inside and out (I am not a fan of bags that have one big space, I like to keep things in certain pockets and compartments)
~Side pocket for cup or bottle
~Insulated pockets (my backpack diaper bag has this)
~Adjustable straps
~Easy to hang on the stroller
~ Be able to use it after your child has grown as a travel bag
Once you found your perfect bag, now you have to pack it. Carrying around unnecessary stuff just makes for more clutter and extra weight. Here is my list of diaper bag essentials that I have with me at all times
5-6 diapers all the time
Full pack of wipes
Change pad – my bag came with one (once child gets to toddler stage you can do without this)
Diaper rash cream – small tin
Baby lotion
Small hand sanitizer
Sunscreen (in the spring and summer months)
Container of crackers or my sons favourite less messy snacks
Bagged cookies
Veggie and fruit pouch/apple sauce – always have meal back up because you never know
Lollypops (good treat if a meltdown is about to happen or if you need a distraction)
Spoon
Sippy cup with fresh water
Empty bottle – or full bottle just depends when my son will be drinking it
A favourite book for my son
Change of clothes (depends where we are headed)
Baby nail file
Mommy nail file
Hair clip
Lip gloss
Wallet
Tylenol/Advil for mama
Cell phone
I hope this helps and makes selecting your bag and packing it a little easier
Working mom VS stay at home mom. Let me tell you they are both a job and hard as hell. Recently I have had the privilege of being both types of “moms”.
Working mom: From the time you wake up till you go to bed, it’s non stop. Some days you feel like you lost the battle. Mom guilt for going to work, not being able to balance mom life, work and social life. And your still expected to have dinner on the table. Sure it’s nice to have some “freedom” and maybe have a hot coffee, but let’s be real, sometimes it just sucks. You feel me? Stay at home mom: Still a non stop job but now your just chasing a child around and trying to maintain your sanity and a clean house. There is more of an expectation to have the house perfect, dinner ready, but have you tried doing all this work a toddler? Winters are long, minutes feel like hours, and lets not forget feeling isolated and lonely at times. And yes, your coffee is always cold.
So what’s the consensus – forget working mom and stay at home mom, being a MOM is a non stop job and the harder job I’ve ever had. Thank you to @lovechildorganics for helping make being a mom a little easier, whether its being home or going to work, the products make my toddler healthy and happy. https://lovechildorganics.com/ @mariabudaphoto for the amazing shot
When I was pregnant I was one of those moms that thought all my baby toys and furniture would match my house and that my house would not be taken over by baby stuff. YA RIGHT, now I laugh at myself and can’t believe I even thought that was possible. Now instead of worrying about which pillows and throws will match my decor, I’m looking for toys that are coloured and stimulate my son.
My toy space started out with a foam mat and a basket for little toys when my son was an infant. As he grew into a toddler things became a little more messy. Building blocks, balls, cars, puzzles, colouring books, crayons, books, musical toys, the list goes on. My basket did not do the trick anymore so I upgraded to a toy storage unit. I really loved this idea and used it for about six months but seeing the toys day after day just sitting in my living room started getting on my nerves. If you have a separate toy area this is a great idea, but if your house is like mine and is all open concept it might not be the best solution. The storage bin unit is from Canadian Tired and was $49.99.
What we used to have in our living space full of toys. Loved that my son could grab what he wanted but he would also just pull al the toys out at once.
After getting tired of that look, I decided to go with an all white storage unit that can keep all of my sons toys inside. I still use bins inside the storage unit to keep toys sorted and organized. I love the way it looks because it does match my decor and once all the toys are cleaned up it feels like I have my living space back again. I find that when my son does not see all the toys at once, he plays with a few toys at a time rather than running up and throwing all the toys he can see.
Along with the storage unit I bought a white table and chair were my son can eat, do crafts and colour. These items are from Ikea and were very inexpensive. The storage unit was $99.00 and the table and chair was $50.00. Here is what our new space looks like
Love these Johnson’s products for our bath & bed routine
I just can’t say enough about how much I love these products from Johnsons Baby. Since my son was just born I have always used the bedtime lavender body wash and bubble bath. It smells amazing and is proven to help improve your little one sleep.
The sensitive and dry skin head to toe line is also amazing. My son has also used this product since he was a newborn and his skin has been nothing but soft and silky. I received so many other brands at my baby shower and as gifts, but when I used those lotions on his skin he always broke out in a rash or had a skin irritation. Even the most expensive moisturizers caused skin irritation. With Johnson’s head to toe extra moisturizing baby cream his skin is always hydrated and rash free.
THE NAKED MAMA 