The big feast is just one week away and I am determined to get a family photo before we stuff our faces. I have loved dressing a baby girl the last two years but this year I get to dress a boy too! Family or just sibling coordinating looks can be so easily done with a simple color palette and a complimentary print or two. I've linked up all my faves for little girls and baby boys and I own most of these items for my kids!
Its been chilly for several weeks in our neck of the woods so I've broken out all of our cold weather accessories. The kids needed a few new things and mama too! Pom hats never get old and I can barely handle Fallon in an infinity scarf. I'm grabbing my favorite cozy puffer vest in another color this year because they are just so perfect for a mom on the go. And I mean, you've got to have a little fun with your winter accessories so why not rock a light up unicorn hat or put antlers on your baby?! I've rounded up all of my favorites for
We did not find out Fallon was a girl until she was born so it was gender neutral everything up until that point. And then allllll the cute girly things came. I was more than set to go with newborn and 0-3 month clothing but by 3-6 months I was on my own. I just have the girl mom experience but my goodness it was so overwhelming diving into the world of dressing a baby girl. So I made it my mission to make daily outfits as easy and fun as possible and daddy friendly too.
I had read plenty of blog posts about capsule wardrobes for women but never any for kids. It seemed that the same basic principles would apply no matter the age though so I dove in. The first thing I like to do is "window shop" when it's time to size up and/or prepare for a season change. Browse your favorite stores and small shops online and put everything you initially like in your cart. This allows you to see everything together while bookmarking it and sometimes retailers will e-mail coupons to entice you to make that purchase. Once you've made your initial round, start going back and checking to see if you have items that are very similar, narrow down what you don't absolutely love and decide which expensive items are worth it. Then the real work begins. Go through and try to make outfits in your mind with the pieces you have chosen. Ideally each piece can be part of 3 or more different outfits. But of course there will be those pieces that only go with one top or one pair of tights and that's okay! You just want to make sure you don't have too many pieces that are
"solo items" so you maximize your options and get the most bang for your buck.
I purposely I am not doing this post in the style that I've seen it done before. Truthfully any capsule wardrobe is still personalized to the individual's own taste. So I wanted to give a basic outline of how to create your own as opposed to listing examples of each piece that should make it up. Not everyone likes stripes, some stick with basic solids, others go for bold pieces. Any style can be corralled into a capsule wardrobe so you can do you, just simplified. The key to the capsule wardrobe is the mix and match factor. If you love all kinds of prints and bright colors have solids to balance and coordinate with them all. Go with your favorite basics in those same colors you're always drawn to but grab pieces with fun details and textures to mix in. Get all the stripes but get all the neutrals. Your kid's (or your own) clothes, your call! But if you need a visual or some inspiration to get started, here you go.
I will go ahead and state the obvious, we take our pajama game very seriously around here. I just can't pass up a cute pair for Fallon and lately I've even found some cute options for mama too! There is just something so soothing about snuggling up for bed in comfy jams and you know we spend many a day never changing out of them. The softer the better, which is why I jumped at the chance to work with Finn + Emma.
Let's first talk about how incredibly amazing the material is! I wish all clothes were made of 100% organic cotton. Fallon is now wearing 2 piece sets and I can't get over how cute and grown up she looks in them. I love the fun prints and soft colors and she wears them out to run errands or on morning walks all the time since they basically double as outfits. We get compliments on them every time!
As a mom I love knowing that my baby girl is sleeping peacefully in non-toxic pajamas made with eco friendly dyes. As a person I love that Finn + Emma products are produced in fair trade settings. Supporting a company with strong core values that makes safe clothing and toys for my baby is my pleasure. You can find Fallon's giraffeor arrow print pajamas as well the entire collection of Finn + Emma products here. Keep your jam game strong.
I discovered Freshly Picked when I was pregnant with Fallon and could not get over how adorable they were! I mean little baby moccasins?! I bought a gender neutral pair since we did not know if we were having a boy or a girl and gushed over them when they arrived in the mail. The first time I put them on Fallon I was totally in love with how they looked on her little feet and never looked back.
Of course dressing Fallon up cute is really fun for me but I want her to be comfortable and her shoes to be high quality as little ones tend to beat them up. Freshly Picked checks all the boxes AND these little moccs are so easy to slip on and not so easy for Fallon to kick off. Miss thing is scooting around all over the place and standing up so any day now those little feet will be up and running. There's nothing like tiny bare toes in the grass on a summer day but when shoes are required you can bet we will reach for our Freshly Picked moccs.
There is something so sweet about the sound of little feet carrying through the house and soon that music will be on repeat for us. I can't wait to see Fallon toddling around in her moccs, learning to balance and looking like she's had one too many sippies of milk. Be prepared for little walker spam in the next few months with all our favorite Freshly Picked moccs on her feet.
This post was written in partnership with Freshly Picked but all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.
Spring is in the air and I'm working on a warmer weather wardrobe (say that 3 times fast!) for Fallon. This beautiful purple caught my eye last year and I'm even more drawn to it now. I've seen so many cute options for little ones and mamas in this shade so I thought I'd link some of my favorite items. Even my La Croix can is this color! Whether you're looking for an Easter outfit or just something pretty for Spring, lilac (or lavender or orchid or whatever else the stores are calling it) is perfect.
We never planned to find out if we were having a boy or a girl when I was pregnant so I knew the nursery would have to start off gender neutral. I had ideas floating around in my head and slowly they started to come together and I came across things I liked. The plan was to create a grey and white room with navy accents and add a pop of color once baby was born and we had a girl or a boy as the deciding factor. I didn't expect to just be finishing up with an 8 month old little girl but Fallon's room is even better than I dreamt it would be. Hopefully she loves it too when she's old enough to appreciate it. So much time, effort and love went into creating this little space just for her. I'll always have those fond memories of picking out the paint color with my dad, the letters for the alphabet with my mom and Chris choosing her crib. Every little detail was thought out and I'll never be sorry we took the extra time to get it right.
I linked as many items as possible but if you want to know where something else is from please e-mail me or direct message me on Instagram. You may very well be able to find some items in store even though I could not find them online to link.
As a lover of themes and holidays, dressing Fallon in festive duds makes me a stupid level of excited. I know a lot of people are not fond of Valentine's Day because it reminds those who do not have a significant other of that fact. But to me it's a day to celebrate love and that's something I don't think we should pass on in this world. My dad was my first Valentine and Chris will get to be Fallon's this year. I joked with him that we should call it Fallontine's Day. He didn't seem to find it as hilarious as I did. I'm going to go with it anyway. So if you're looking to dress your little Fallontine, ahem, Valentine, up in the colors of love then look no further. Grab these goodies from some of our favorite stores or go for something personalized like Fallon's hoodie with HandMade by Hillary.
If you take a peek inside my closet you will not see a lot of prints going on in there. I prefer to stick to my few favorites and leave the rest to accessorize with. Or just to provide a blank canvas for all the things my 6 month old will paint on me. Hashtag mom life. Naturally I dress my daughter in styles similar to my own and one of my all time favorite prints is camo. It's pretty hot right now and I am loving that I'm finding it everywhere for mama & mini! The best part is that it's completely gender neutral so I'm finally including the boy moms. Check out some of these we've been rocking or have our eyes on.
Dear Fallon, Happy first half birthday my precious little girl. In some ways it feels like 6 months has flown by and in others it's like I've been your mama my whole life. There are no words to describe how very much daddy and I love you but we do our best every day. You have grown to a healthy 15 lbs 13 oz and you are 26ish inches long. It's always hard to get a precise measurement of your height because you're constantly kicking those long, long legs. You love when mommy sings Itsy Bitsy Spider and calm down when your Pop hums with you in his arms. Daddy can send you into a fit of giggles tossing you around and making silly sounds. You love picking up everything you're able to get your sweet little hands on and investigating, especially mama's phone and the remote control. The poor kitties may be bald in the next few weeks if you keep "petting" them like you do. Your love for animals is already very strong and daddy and I can't wait to teach you all the sounds they make and go on many adventures at the zoo. We often call you our little monkey because you like to use your feet to do things almost as much as your hands. You've yet to meet a food you won't eat and you're so close to sitting up all by yourself. There's no teeth in that gummy smile just yet but don't you worry, we'll give you all the good stuff as soon as you can eat it! Sweet baby girl, your personality is shining through more and more each day and we couldn't possibly love it more. You're stubborn and willful and do things on your time. You're friendly and flirty with all the nice people we meet when we're out. You're smart and sassy and oh so curious. You want to do things by yourself, just as long as mommy or daddy is right there by your side. You're just perfect the way you are and you not ever let anybody tell you different. Being your mama is the best job in the whole world and I want you to know that no matter what you do, I will always be here to love you. XOXO Mama
As awesome as Christmas was, I'm ready to get back to normal and let things calm down a bit for the winter. I can't believe this is the last Friday of the year! I may or may not make a resolution, but I'll ponder that over my beverage tomorrow evening. In the meantime, Friday fun.
I made cranberry white chocolate muffins for a little holiday brunch and again on Christmas morning at our house. They were a big hit and everyone keeps asking me for the recipe. You're welcome.
If you're in the market for a pair of leggings that feel exactly like pjs but look exactly like pants, here you go. I got thesefor Christmas and I actually could sleep in them. They are the perfect addition to my momiform.
It's unlikely you will ever see Fallon without a bow if she isn't wearing a hat. Partially because I think she's so flippin' cute with a bow on fuzzy head and partially because people call her a boy without one. And it drives me nuts! Our newest favorite shop has some adorable options for any baby girl.
We are in the thick of sleep training and it's pretty clear Fallon likes to hold something to soothe herself. Have no fear, there's a Slumkerkins with her name on it (literally) on its way to us.
My friend sent me this article and it was just what I needed to read this week. I'll be 30 next year and if I spend the next decade of my life tired, untoned and chasing after kids, then won't i be lucky?!
One of my very favorite clothing companies for babes, June & January, is having an end of year sale with 40% off! Their hoodie jumpers are the best and I wish I could buy them in every single color for Fallon.
There is something about putting on pjs that just immediately lowers my stress level. I have my comfy clothes that sometimes double as clothes I wear out of the house but I really love me some cute pjs (that I almost never wear in public). Having a baby means I get to shop for pjs for both of us and oh man am I jealous of the selection for kiddos. Why don't they all come in my size?! It has already been so much fun rocking festive jams this month and you can bet we will keep it up until the new year. I could really go crazy buying them for every single day through Christmas but that would just be crazy. Or would it? In case you love having pj parties as much as we do, I thought I'd share some of my favorites for mama + munchkin.
Most days I try to get out of the house with Fallon, even if it's just to run through the Starbucks drive thru. She's a high stimulation kid so staying home all day bores her. Now that it seems the fall weather is here to stay, I'm loving all the beanie hats for mama and baby. I run cold, always, and wearing a coat while running errands is kind of a pain, especially now with a munchkin in tow. There isn't really much room in the cart anymore and I need both hands when I'm out and about. Fallon can't wear a coat in her carseat so really, throwing hats on both of us is the easiest thing to do, plus they are basically another way to accessorize! I've linked some of my favorites currently out there for you and your mini in case you wanna be beanie babes too. Can you tell we like pompoms?
Here we are again, another month has gone by. Fallon's 4 month check up was Monday and she's cruising along with her development and growing away. 13 lbs 14 oz, 25 inches of perfect baby girl. She was so brave getting her shots and only cried for about a second. We did learn that her knees are a little tight from her position in utero aka those long legs crunched up and her spending the last few weeks on her side. Luckily my sister is a PT so she's gong to show us some exercises to get those babies loosened up and we will be good to go.
I think one of the best parts of motherhood is watching Fallon's personality come out a little more every day. I love finding the things that make her laugh so I can do them over and over and over again. Her gummy smile won't be all gummy for much longer because she's working on popping a tooth through. We transitioned from bedside cradle to crib this month and this swaddle has been our saving grace for making her feel comfortable in her own space. Naps are still spotty but I'll take them whenever and wherever they happen at this point.
We started solids this week and oh man is it funny. Rice cereal was up first and she barely hesitated with the first bite then gobbled down the rest like she'd been doing it her whole life. I guess we're out of the running for parents of the year because we totally forgot to get baby spoons and ended up using a plastic one. Oops. We are now onto oatmeal and little miss piggy loves it. She's eating in her bumbo seat right now but we will have a shiny new high chair by this weekend for her to test drive. I can't even believe what a big girl she is already. I'm honestly not sad, just excited for all the fun things in store as she grows.
In the beginning tummy time was no problem and Fallon actually seemed to enjoy it. And then one day she decided she hates it. It's been a struggle for a while but finally last week she was happy about it again and I caught her rolling over on camera! I figured out that if I put her down on her belly right by the dogs she will tolerate it much longer since she is focused on them and what they are doing. I'm pretty sure they will be her biggest motivation to crawl since she has become more and more interested in them lately. I just love watching their interactions and seeing Fallon reach out for them and giggle when they lick her face as she grabs their fur.
Next month's update is going to feel like tomorrow!
