Parent's Choice Diapers and Being the Third Baby

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BabyDiapersSavings #CollectiveBias

Hi. This is Grace.
She wants me to tell you all about what it's like being the third baby.
Some people think it's all about late night feedings, diapers, and pacifiers,
but she knows that it's about so much more.

By the third baby mom and dad have wised up a bit and are much more
conscious about prices and products.
Gone are the days when you just buy something because it's cute or popular.
When you're the third baby, mom and dad want value, quality, and savings
all wrapped up into one product.



Enter Parent's Choice private label diapers from Walmart.
They are now more absorbent, have the rad wetness indicator, and will save you
$240 per year versus other national brands.
Find out if your local Walmart that carry the new and improved Parent's Choice diapers
by checking out this list!

When you're the third baby, you have to learn to roll with the punches.
Big brother and sister are busy little people, not to mention a social media mama,
so diaper changes could happen at any place,
at any time, and most of the time and most of the time not at home.
So, we have to make sure the diaper clutch is stocked with diapers at all times.



When you're the third baby, a diaper change can happen on a blanket,
on a park table at the park while waiting for big brother to get out of school!

When you're the third baby, a diaper change can happen while your big sister 

is putting a Merida wig on you so she can involve you in her dress-up extravaganza.

When you're the third baby, a diaper change can happen while you're

still in your jammies at 11:00am and it's time to leave for kindergarten pick-up.

When you're the third baby, a diaper change can happen on your mom's lap

at a media event because that's how we roll.

 When you're the third baby, it also means most days

 you go to kindergarten drop-off in your PJs.

When you're the third baby, you take a lot of naps in your stroller or car seat on your

way to dance or water polo and it feels like you always wake up some place different.

But being the third baby doesn't just mean diaper changes in strange places or naps on the go.

When you're the third baby, it also means you get extra snuggle time with mom

and naps in her arms while big brother and sister are gone to school.

When you're the third baby it means sister bonding time over movie

while mom makes dinner instead of chilling by yourself because there's

no one else around like when your brother was a baby.

When you're the third baby, it also means fun games with your awesome big brother.

He even lets you pull his hair just to hear you giggle!

Being the third baby comes lots of on-the-go diaper changes, 

but it also comes with perks for the baby and the mama.

There is lots and lots of love to go around and never a shortage of people

around that want to hold you.

And there are great money saving products like Parent's Choice diapers from Walmart

to make having a third baby in the home even more awesome than it already is!

So, if you like saving $240 a year, then print your Parent's Choice diapers coupon,

head to your local Walmart, and join the 3 out of 4 moms that agree that

Parent's Choice diapers are better than their current diaper brand of choice.

See for yourself: save money, live better!

15 Baby Products Every Mom Needs

Last week I shared my tips for creating your own birth announcements

and today I'm sharing some of my favorite baby products.

Some are products I've used with all three of my kids and some are

products that are new to me and I'm so glad that I found them.

All of these make great baby shower gifts for friends,

so even if you're not expecting, Pin this post for when you need a great

baby shower gift for a friend.

So, the 15 baby products every mom needs (in no particular order) are:

1. HoMedics SoundSpa On-the-Go

This is a new-to-me item and I LOVE IT SO MUCH!

Now you can take your white noise with you wherever you go.

When Grace was first born she loved the heartbeat sound and now the ocean

sound lulls us both to sleep every night.

2. Ju-Ju-Be Be Spicy Diaper Bag

I bought this beauty at a Ju-Ju-Be warehouse sale when Isabella was a toddler.

Since I already owned a Be Spicy in Black and Silver, it never got used and 

just got tucked away in the craft room closet. I love the Be Spicy because

it has lots of great pockets, a shoulder strap, and handles, and since it's made of the

great Ju-Ju-Be fabric, you can wipe it clean!

3. Aveeno Baby

I love the gentle, fragrance free soap and lotion option.

Isabella had sensitive skin and the Aveeno Baby products were great!

4. Carter's Just One You Burp Cloths Set

I'm always looking for the best burp cloths. Right now these are my favorite.

They are a cute jersey knit print on one side and absorbant terry cloth

on the other. There large size is great for catching projectile spit up too!

I've only been able to find them at Target,

but let me know if you see them some place else.

5. The Diaper Clutch

When JT was little I swore by my Diapees & Wipees case,

and even made a few of them myself for gifts and boutiques.

But The Diaper Clutch is so much cooler!

When you open the flap the wipes are just right there ready to use.

Plus, it comes it super cute fabric options.

6. Huggies Clutch 'n' Clean Refillable Baby Wipes
This pairs great with The Diaper Clutch!
It's a travel wipes container that opens like the disposable wipes
packs and fits perfectly in The Diaper Clutch.
This way I don't have to keep buying disposable travel wipes
and I can refill the Clutch 'n' Clean with the giant box of wipes
I get from Costco. Economical and Green :)

7. Lansinoh Soothies Gel Pads
I remember being a desperate first time mom at the breastfeeding clinic
at the local hospital with cracked, bleeding nipples and the lactation consultant
telling me that she had a product that would make me want to kiss her.
She was right - and I've been a Soothies lover ever since.
All my babies are super aggressive nursers that want to suck 24/7 and I
have extra sensitive nipples, so that doesn't make for a great combination.
When JT was a baby, Soothies were made by a different company and when I heard
that Lansinoh had taken over manufacturing when Isabella was a newborn I was really
worried that they wouldn't be the same. THEY WERE!
This time I took them to the hospital with me. They are the best ever.
Pop them in the fridge - even better!

8. The First Years Lanolin Free Nipple Butter
Others swear by lanolin - I now swear by Nipple Butter.
Did you know that lanolin comes from sheep's wool? Um, neither did I.
And since I am allergic to wool, that would be a good indicator of why lanolin
never helped my nipples heal when I was breastfeeding JT!!!!
Enter Nipple Butter. It's a plant based balm that contains essential milk
proteins and contains no mineral oil. It's fantastic.

9. Ergo Swaddler Set
I swear by swaddling. Swear by it. 

Since babies are not supposed to sleep on their backs since the Back to Sleep campaign,

swaddling is the only way newborns stay asleep for longer than 10 minutes.

You see, newborns have something called the Moro Reflex which makes it pretty

hard for them to sleep by themselves, in a large open space, on their backs -

which is everything they say makes a safe sleep space.

The Ergo Swaddler keeps your baby's hands close to their heart,

and nice and snug so sleeping on her back isn't as obnoxious.

I love how the Ergo Swaddler keeps the hands up by the chest, and not

plastered to the side, so they are really in a fetal position.

10. Pampers Swaddlers
Speaking of swaddlers . . . I love Pampers Swaddlers!
They are perfect for little newborn bums. They are the perfect size
and are oh, so soft.
Plus, the color-changing wetness indicator helps you avoid the side
peek at 1am to see if the diaper is wet.
I like Huggies when my babies are older and mobile, but I swear by swaddlers
for newborns and little babies. Tell your friends.


11. Triple Paste Medicated Ointment
If I love a product, I tell everyone about it.
So, when I was at the park at 37 weeks pregnant and the topic of
diaper rash came up with a friend and her mom who had recently had twins,
I told them I swear by Triple Paste.
I've tried them all - Butt Paste, Aquaphor, Desitin, burnt flour . . . what?
And hands down, Triple Paste kicks all of their butts.
No joke, a week later, my friend's mom grabbed me in the hall after church
and said, "You were right! That Triple Paste is amazing!"
One of the twins got a really bad diaper rash and nothing was working,
so she ran to the store to get some Triple Paste. Cleared up in 24 hours.
It's pricey, but worth every penny.
Plus, since it works, you don't have to use very much for very long.
You're welcome.



12. Petunia Pickle Bottom Sashay Satchel
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking,
"But you just said that you love your Ju-Ju-Be diaper bag."
Oh, and I do. But I have something of a diaper bag problem and
I'm glad to say that Petunia Pickle Bottom is part of that problem.
They are gorgeous and lovely and you can shop their outlet sales and save
yourself some change on these gorgeous bags.
I've had the Boxy Backpack, Cross Town Clutch, Wistful Weekender,
and I am currently carrying the Sashay Satchel.
I want them all in every print.
Someone stop me. Please.



13. 4 Moms mamaRoo
When I asked on Facebook what you mamas were loving on,
my friend Rachel chimed in that she loved her mamaRoo.
And since Rachel is super cool and her baby is too big for it now,
she let me borrow this super cool piece of baby gear.

The mamaRoo bounces and sways like you do and has built in white noise

nature sounds and an MP3 hook up.

Gracie loves it and so does my arm.

14. Joovy Scooter Stroller

It's called Purpleness - how could you not love it?!

When I asked on Facebook what stroller I should get, all of my 

friends and readers said JOOVY!

It's gorgeous, it's well made, and it's tall!

When you're 5'11" - a little umbrella stroller isn't going to cut it.

Plus, it's purple.

15. Feed Baby Pro App
You know how they send you home with that sheet where you're supposed
to keep track of feedings and wet diapers and which side you need to feed
the baby on and you do it for a couple of days and then you lose the paper and
start asking yourself - when was the last wet diaper?
Well, this app will keep you organized and on point.
As a breastfeeding mama, I'm hyper-vigilant about the wet diapers because
I want to know if Grace is eating enough.
Feed Baby Pro helps me keep track and remember which side I fed her on last.
You can also keep track of when you pumped, bottle fed or gave medicine.

I hope you found a new product that you'll love and cherish
and will make your life just a bit more fantastic.
Do you have something you love that you want me to know about?
Leave a comment and let me know all about it!

Five Tips for DIY Birth Announcements

When Grace was born, I knew I wanted to design her birth announcement myself.
I designed the birth announcements for both JT and Isabella,
and I wanted to make something special for Grace too
.
JT's was an actual paper craft announcement that had little polka dots in
various sizes that were hand punched by my fantastic mother.
It was a square design and I loved them.
They were totally a labor of love.
I need to find one and show you all!

Isabella's was a digital design that I made in Photoshop.
I totally stressed taking the picture for the announcement,
because newborn photography ain't no joke!
She wouldn't stay just so, I couldn't get the lighting right,
my black Moby wasn't cutting it as a backdrop and my postpartum
emotions were running on HIGH!!!



I decided that I would have Grace's newborn pictures taken by someone
more qualified than myself and save myself the stress this time.
Luckily, my friend Tiffany is a fantastic photographer,
lives down the street and is co-room mom with me and is all around
about the sweetest lady you'll ever meet.

Guess what? Even though I didn't take the pictures,
the whole shoot was still stressful!
Grace did not want to cooperate and refused to stay asleep and let us
mold her into the adorable newborn poses I had pinned on Pinterest.
She was wiggly and wanted her pluggy and it wasn't anything like I imagined.
Tiffany, on the other hand, was cool and collected and had done her
homework, so she knew that Grace most likely wouldn't cooperate.
Guess what? The photos still turned out adorable.



Her little personality shone through and when I got the images back from Tiffany,
my heart was full with memories of those first few days with my
squishy little newborn baby girl and all her personality.



I am so grateful for Tiffany and her patience with us that day.
I showed up an hour late and then I had to feed Grace because she was
already starving again after our 5 minutes car drive.
Tiffany spent a good two hours with us and all the time
she put me at ease and told me not to worry.
They were just the words I needed to hear at that point of being a new mom again.



The other great thing about having Tiffany do the shoot, was I got some pictures
of Grace and myself together.
::GASP::
I let someone take pictures of me?!
True. Story.
I was hesitant to do it, because on a normal day I don't pose for pictures,
let alone 9 days after having a baby.
However, I'm so glad I let her snap a few of us together.



This way, at least Grace will know she had a mother when she was born.
Maybe not when she's 5 because I never appear in any photos, but
at least there is proof I was there when she was a teeny tiny newborn.



After I got the photos back, I hunted around on Pinterest for design ideas.
I wanted something simple and sweet.
I also wanted a two-sided design so I could show off more of Tiffany's great photos.
Below is the final design.



So, my five tips for DIYing your own Birth Announcements are:

1. Have someone else take the pictures!
Even if it is just a tourist you find at Disneyland that has a fancy camera,
let someone else take the pictures and you be in charge of choosing
which cute headband the baby is going to wear.

2. Take the pictures within the first two weeks.
I'd say the first week if you're up for it, because my little Gracie
was already too alert by day 10 of life to be mold-able and so all the
fancy tricks I'd seen on Pinterest.

3. Search on Pinterest for design ideas.
There are so many great ideas out there that it can be overwhelming.
Perusing Pinterest while nursing in the middle of the night
 for ideas that others have pinned is a great way to narrow down to what
direction you want to go is a great way to pass the time.

4. Print double sided.
Do one large photo on the front to give Grandma the close
up she's been waiting to see and a collage on the back so you can
show off all the great pictures your friend Tiffany took for you.

5. Send a digital copy to local friends.
Stamps are EXPENSIVE!
Save some cash and email out a digital copy to people you see on a daily/weekly basis.
They've heard the birth story and seen your squishy a million times.
Send the hard copy to Grandma and Aunt Ida.
They appreciate the hard copy and will put it in their journal,
while your local friend will toss it next time they clean off the fridge.

Funky Giveaway: Freshly Picked Moccasins!!!!

UPDATE: Contest is over and a winner has been picked.
Thank you to all that entered!!!!

You don't even know how excited I am to share this with you today!!!!

I have been stalking Freshly Picked since I first found out about them a couple of years ago.

However, my kiddos were too big for the darling moccs and I was heartbroken

that these fantastic baby shoes would never be part of their lives.

So, when I found out last year that I was expecting, the first thing I did was visit

the Freshly Picked site and start plotting our collecting.

Besides being adorable with their fantastic color options and fringy uppers,

Freshly Picked moccs are made out of high quality leather or suede and are made

to outlast even the roughest toddlers shenanigans.

When my Frosted Rose moccs arrived in their cute little canvas bag that is
screened with the Freshly Picked logo, I dumped them out immediately,
because I wanted to feel the shoes and see if they were as soft as they looked.
Smooth. Like. Butter.



The Freshly Picked site makes it easy to get the right size for your wee one
with a size chart that you can either measure your child's foot
or match it to the printable grid.

Another thing I love about Freshly Picked is that they are always coming out
with new colors each season. I've had my eye on the Frosted Rose for awhile now,
but I am also currently dying over Glacier, Heirloom, Radiant Orchid, Ice Mint,
and, wait, I could go on and on and on - they are all just so gorgeous!

I know that my little Grace is going to look darling in her Freshly Picked moccs!

She ended up not being as big as my other two babies when she was born,

and has stayed pretty tiny, so her moccs don't quite fit yet.

That just means I get to enjoy these gorgeous little shoes for a little bit longer.

I'm so excited that Freshly Picked is collaborating with me to offer my readers a giveaway!

You can enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Just a few things - you must be a US citizen and at least 18 years old to enter.

You can repost the image below to enter on Instagram.

Be sure to come back and click the little button on Rafflecopter telling me you've done so!

 

Good luck!

The contest is open 5/1-5/8 at Midnight PST!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tutorial: Twin Heart Baby Onesies (and hairbow)

I feel like there is a deluge of twins being born into my life.
I have three friends having/had twins recently and my awesome younger brother
and his wife (who are BOTH twins themselves) just announced that they are having
twins this Fall!!!!!
So, when I saw a cute photo shoot of twins with adorable heart Onesies, I knew
that I needed to step outside of the box of my usual baby gift ideas, and make a set for the babies being born in a couple of months to a girl at church.


SUPPLIES:
*Wonder Under or other fusible web
* 2 baby Onesies or t-shirts
* Red fabric
* Heart shape template or Lifestyle Crafts Heart Nesting Dies
* Sewing machine
* Iron






STEP ONE
Following the package directions of your fusible web, adhere to a piece of fabric
that will fit your heart shaped template or the Evolution Die Cutting Machine.
(Remember when cutting fabric to use a cardboard shim.)
Cut TWO hearts that are backed with the fusible web.

My heart die didn't cut all the way through in a couple of places, so I just

went around and snipped with my scissors.

STEP TWO

Remove the paper backing from the fusible web, and line up the middle of the hearts 

with the side seams of the Onesies.

I dropped the middle dip of the heart 1.5" down from the armpit joint of the Onesie.

Iron the hearts onto the Onesies following the directions for the fusible web.

STEP THREE

You can skip this step if you'd like, but I did a zig zag stitch around the

edge of the hearts just because I thought it was cute.

This set of twins is a boy and girl combination, so I had to make a matching

bow and headband for the little girl.

I used the bow from the Knotty Gift Set to cut the bow and I paired it with my

no-ribbon loop interchangeable nylon headband and it was perfect!

I have a discount coupon code for my fun readers to use when shopping
at We R Memory Keepers/Lifestyle Craft!
Use the discount code FUNKY for 20% off your purchase!