A Summer Bucket List

Summer has officially arrived and I could not be happier! I am thrilled to be able to spend the next 10 weeks (or there about) with my LJ, soaking up all of his toddler silliness.  I'm going to create a Summer Bucket list of things to do with the little guy. This being my first summer as a mommy of a toddler (last summer he was too little to really do anything!), I need your help to create my list!

So, mamas....


What things would YOU put on a summer bucket list? 

It's HIP to be a Ju-Ju-Be Mama!

Well, I have a confession. My eyes were bigger than my... well, arms.

Many of you probably remember my Ju-Ju-Be BePrepared review from this past winter.  I was in L.O.V.E love with this bag. I still am, to be entirely honest. It  was the answer to an overpacking mama's prayers. I even, at one point, was able to fit a gigantic warehouse sized can of formula, a Fisher Price book and piano,  and a V-Tech catch-me kitty, on top of everything else I usually would bring.

But, as much as it killed me to admit, my husband was right. This bag was just too big for my daily trips to the store with only one child.  I often found myself just placing her down in the cart or even just grabbing a Ju-Ju-Be BeQuick to run in briefly to a store.

Now, please keep in mind that I LOVE this bag still, and that I would wholeheartedly recommend it for cloth diapering mothers, moms of more than one in diapers (or even a toddler and baby) and of course, the overpacking mama who doesn't mind the bulk.  Since I already have too many bags... I chose to sell my beautiful MJ BP prior to buying a new bag. She's on her way to another mama who I hope loves her as much if not more than I did :)

I spent about 2 days watching endless YouTube packing videos, debating between a BFF, a BRB 2.0 and a Hip. I didn't think I would like the Hip at first, thinking it looked too small. But being the crazy mama I am, I went to my nearest BuyBuyBaby and test packed both the BFF and the Hip with the actual contents of my diaper bag. Surprisingly, I found that I actually LOVED the Hip, and ended up getting a beautiful Onyx Blossoms bag :) I will post a review and packing photos soon, but I wanted to share my excitement and awe at my new beauty! :)

The time has come...

We're officially on weaning mode here at Casa de Mama.  For the past month or so, LJ has been incredibly squirmy when it came time to have our nightly nursing.  I no longer have been nursing him during the day, except for weekends. We still do have our nursing at bedtime following his night time bottle. But lately, he's been squirmy and nursing for half the time.

So I've begun the weaning process. I'm happy he has started to wean himself and that it's falling perfectly prior to his first birthday, but at the same time, I am saddened.  It's the first real step towards him becoming him own person. No longer will there be something that Mommy can do that nobody else can. But I am thrilled with his growth and development and can't wait to see him become the little boy he's destined to be.

Diaper rash... attack of the red tushy!

My poor little guy has had really bad bouts of diaper rash for about a week now. It will clear up fairly well with help of a little Desitin, but not long after it is back with a vengeance. Usually it doesn't seem to bother him much, but tonight, the poor little guy was wincing in pain when daddy was cleaning him up.

I've tried Coconut Oil, Aquaphor and  Desitin, but nothing seems to make it completely go away.

Ok, Mama-bloggers... help a mommy out! Any home remedies, or favorite retail creams out there? Preferable affordable!

Well, friends... this is a post I have been dreaming of making. If you remember back to the Wishlist Wednesday post from months ago... I digitally drooled over the beauty and organizational overload that is the Ju Ju Be Be Prepared, but at a price of $180, I did not foresee ever owning one of these beauties.  

Then I discovered the amazing world of B/S/T and adopted my very own, new to me, excellent condition Be Prepared in Mint Julep.  I. Am. In. Love. 

Everything I dreamed it would be, it is, and so so much more! I have probably watched every single "How I pack my diaper bag" video on youtube, looked up every possible review, and still, I get excited seeing new posts and videos. So here I am, offering you, my lovely readers a look into MY baby...my Be Prepared. 

A front view.  For those who are curious... this bag IS pretty huge.  Like, carry-on luggage/over night weekender bag huge. BUT if you're already considering a Be Prepared, you most likely are either: 

• a mommy who cloth diapers
• a mommy of multiple children (multiples or older/younger siblings)
• Like me... just an organization fiend and terrible overpacker :) 

Yes, this bag is large. When I looked at the dimensions, I did not think it would be truly that much larger than my previous bag, the J.J Cole Satchel (love that bag too!). Side by side, however, the BP is definitely taller and a bit deeper too.  

As you can see in the picture, I currently have the messenger strap attached. The bag does come with attached (i.e. cannot detach) tote straps which are nice, but if you pack a lot, it can be a bit awkward to carry on your shoulder. The straps fit nicely into the pockets (one behind the mommy pocket and the other in the back).  I'm very picky about straps though, so you may find them perfect :)   The messenger strap is awesome. It has the memory foam pad to help with load bearing pressure and adjusts easily.  I love the hardware too. Nice and strong and secure! 

In the picture below, you can see the lovely D ring that connects the messenger strap.  One of my biggest pet peeves with bags is that usually, the strap connector has that icky rubber coating, which inevitably cracks and means that ultimately...sometime down the road...you will need a replace the strap.  I do not foresee this happening as Ju Ju Be has the best and strongest hardware I have seen yet.  

One thing I do not love is that the mommy pocket tends to sag (you can kind of see this in the picture below). Keep in mind, however, that mine is an older "generation" and I believe they all come equipped with a snap built in now to keep the mommy pocket attached upright against the main compartment pocket.  It isn't a HUGE deal, but something I have found causes the bag to tip a bit. I will probably try attaching my own snap at some point. 

The Mommy Pocket.: I LOVE LOVE LOVE this pocket. Some of you may remember that my first diaper bag was the J.J. Cole 180 messenger style bag.  I liked this bag, and still use it as LJ's day care bag, but found the organizational pocket flap ineffective for moms as it only had slots. No real pouches or space for my super big Vera Bradley wallet.  As you can see below, Ju Ju Be did it again and has created a pocket that is perfect for moms! There is a mesh zip compartment where I currently keep my makeup.  I like this pocket especially because of its mesh, see through material, allowing easy access when on the go. I currently keep tissues in the next pocket, which I believe is intended to house a cell phone. I keep mine either in the side bottle pocket (see picture above) or in my pocket, so I made it my kleenex holder! I also do not keep sunglasses on me, so right now my sunglass pouch holds a lip gloss that I use frequently and a tide pen. There are more mesh pockets (no zipper, but nice elastic) along the bottom. I have only had this bag for about 3 weeks so I don't have it FULLY packed yet. I probably will ultimately keep store cards or library cards there.  I currently use the photo brag spots for coupons but will eventually put pics of my little man :) 

I also ADORE the key bungee cord.  I just toss my car keys into the pocket, but keep my store card key chain attached for easy access! 

Now onto the interior!

This is the main reason I bought this bag... the amazing gusseted interior that essentially makes every mommy the new Mary Poppins.  It's the clown car of diaper bags. Seriously.  

Below is a picture of my every day carrying.  In case you cannot tell...there is TONS of room left. Like, "could still fit a jacket, thick blanket, and a xylophone inside" tons of room left. The black bag is a Ju Ju Be Be Quick...my newest obsession. There are seriously hundreds of uses for these and I may have already bought another. Ideally, I want to have about 4! 

This one currently houses LJ's toys so that they are all in one easily accessed spot.  I plan on having another for diapers and wipes, and one eventually for clothes instead of keeping them in the pockets.  Oh  and one for food so we wont have any messes! I'm sure I'll find reasons for more too!

And here it is all unpacked.  Again, I don't even have half of what I could fit in there.  But the contents of daily use are: 

• Full wipes pack
• boogie wipes
• paci/table wipes
• small wash cloth
• spoon
• pair of socks
• 3 diapers
• digital camera
• baggie with snacks
• formula pack
• two long sleeved shirts
• one pair of pants
• one large burp cloth
• one bib
• light blanket (Aden and Anais) 
• nursing cover
• dumbo stuffed toy
• cell phone toy
• rattle penguin
• Baby Einstein music toy
• teether
• Makeup bag with medications 
• Not pictured: Tommee Tippee bottle. (the side pockets, which are insulated, hold these wonderfully!)

All packed!

I was all set to "officially" make this post when I decided I would just tell you all a little bit about how wonderfully I packed this bag for the past holiday weekend.  LJ spent his first night away at grandma's house last Friday.  I managed to fit all that I already mentioned, PLUS the following: 

• a LARGE Costco's Kirkland brand formula can
• an extra pair of pj's
• an extra change of clothes
• the V-Tech kitty toy (not sure what the real name is but it is rather large)
• A Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Puppy Piano.  

Yes... I fit formula and two LARGE toys in here too. And it zipped. Amazing.

There you have it folks. I hope you found this review helpful and I would love to hear about your Ju Ju Be addiction! 

Blessings...

It's the day after Christmas. I am sitting on our family room couch, Christmas tree glowing, dog at my feet, listening and watching my little boy giggle and squeal while bouncing and playing on Daddy's lap.  For the first time in a long while, the only thing on my mind is: joy. Not the commercialized holiday joy that I will admit to being obsessed over, but pure, unadulterated, raw emotional joy.

Life is not perfect. There are times when I think that winning the lottery would solve all of the world's problems. But you know what? I am truly, utterly blessed.

I have a career. I have a beautiful home, two cars (between my husband and my self), a loving (albeit sometimes OVERLY so) dog, a husband who is my best friend in the entire world, and a beautiful, happy, giggly and healthy baby boy who makes my heart grow larger each and every day that he touches my life.

Screw the lottery.

Calling all android tablet mamas!

So I just got a new Galaxy tab 7 and am looking for baby app suggestions!  My little guy loves to play, so suggest away!