Making a baby registry has been so much dang fun & now that my showers are this month, we are starting to get some packages in & I simply can’t handle it! Baby things are just so cute! Now, I haven’t used any of these items myself yet, but most of them come highly recommended from mama friends & positive internet reviews. I did my research and tried to find the most effective & affordable options, while still choosing quality & brands I knew and loved.
So without further ado, here are some of my fav registry items (& some have already been purchased for ussss) and the most recommended baby carriers because you know your girl needs to be hands free to get some work done!
& hey, new mama, remember that you know what is best for your baby. What works for someone else baby might not work for yours! For every “you must buy ________”, someone else will tell you that it is a waste of money. Just get all the things that you think you will need & do you, boo.
Let’s face it — maternity clothes just aren’t that cute & it’s a tough season for clothes in general. I went from “most of my clothes still fit” to “things are a little tight” to “I dont fit in my clothes, but maternity clothes are too big” to “oh hi belly, welcome to the party”. In those in between phases, it’s easy to feel awkward and not really know how to dress the bump. I was stuck here. I had some hand me downs from friends, but they all just hung on me because I wasn’t really bumping yet! So I hopped on over to Shein, ordered some maternity clothes & I’m going to show you what I got!
If you’re new around here, you might have missed when I shared about my miscarriage, but that is the basis for a lot of what I will share in today’s post. A few years ago, when I first started learning about toxins and what is in my products, I ditched lots of the products in my home for cleaner ones. I did it because I knew it was important for my husband, pups & future children to live in a home with clean ingredients in their household and personal care products. I knew I needed to educate myself and do better, so I started doing research and learned a lot about the products that I was putting in and on my body. Again, I am not completely toxin free (is that even possible?), but I try to make the best choices with the products I have.
Well it became reality for me quickly when we miscarried over a year ago. We wanted babies & as the months passed and we weren’t getting pregnant, I started swapping more and more products (& making hubby do the same). Through a lot of trial & error, we found some low tox products that we actually do love!
So without further ado, here are some of my favorite low tox products for pregnancy!
Any other recommendations or areas you need help in? Drop them in the comments. I’d be happy to help you find something that works for you!
If you’ve hung around my blog or my IG at all, you will know that I am obsessed with Thieves Household Cleaner. Its plant based goodness is the perfect cleaner for everything in my home. With a baby on the way & 3 dogs in the home, we have constant messes, but I want to clean up with something that I know wont harm my babies. I can use this product without fear of toxins or poison affecting those I love most. The back of the bottle literally says to rinse or drink water is ingested. Does your household cleaner say that?
According to the YL website, “Thieves Household Cleaner provides peace of mind by using only plant-based and naturally derived ingredients to effectively clean your home without taking synthetic shortcuts or using potentially harsh ingredients. Ultra-concentrated and non-abrasive, Thieves Household Cleaner is perfect for just about any surface and is infused with Young Living’s signature Thieves premium essential oil blend that will fill your home with a rich, spicy aroma.”
So let’s check out all the different ways that you can use THHC. I made some little graphics so you can just save them to your phone and access them quickly when needed!
Want to get your hands on this bottle of goodness? Just click here & you can grab your own bottle for only $23.50!
So let’s be honest, I am ready to start decorating, but mailing myself packages is currently a lot more appealing than actually going to a store to look (although I do love me some Home Goods & Hobby Lobby Fall Decor, too). So I gathered my favorite items from Amazon & Target to share with y’all so that you can decorate your house for fall too!
Target Fall Decor — all linked by clicking on the pictureAmazon Home Decor — all linked by clicking on the picture
If you grab something, let me know so we can be house decor twins!
When does fall actually begin? It seems like Starbs & Dunkin are releasing fall items sooner each year. Truly it wont feel like fall until probably November here in south Florida, but I’m still ready for all the fall diffuser blends. Back before I used my diffuser, I would light all my fall scented candles starting with back to school season. That always indicated the end of summer for me.
Well after learning all about the reasons that I shouldn’t burn candles, I had to get my fall fill with fall diffuser blends in my diffuser & it seriously doesn’t disappoint. I love that I can switch up the blends throughout the house and throughout the day in a few simple steps & that I’m supporting my health and immune system instead of causing damage to it.
Here are some of my current fav fall diffuser blends! Don’t forget to tag me on the gram if you try any of them!
Want to grab some of these oils to throw in your diffuser? Click here and pick the ones you want! Or if you dont already have a diffuser & want to grab a bundle, click here to get the queen aria that is in all of these pictures & add in a few fall scented oils with it!
One thing I missed a little was room sprays when I started diffusing. For the bathroom to make it smell better & especially in my classroom (before they allowed us to diffuse again). Room sprays were a simple way to make these rooms (& others) smell good again without all those toxic chemicals.
Room sprays are suuuuper easy to make. I ordered a small pack of 2 oz amber glass spray bottle on Amazon, then added the amounts of oils below (click here to grab the oils I used if you don’t have any). Top it off with a squirt of unscented witch hazel (to help water & oils mix) and fill it to the top with filtered room temp water. Spray at your hearts desire for a dreamy smelling space.
Apple Pie Room Spray — 6 drops ginger, 6 drops cinnamon bark, 6 drops clove & 4 drops nutmeg
Fall Nature Room Spray — 7 drops clove, 10 drops thieves & 6 drops cinnamon bar
*One disclaimer — not all of these oils are clear in color so be careful if spraying near white things or directly onto a surface. I recommend spraying in the air and letting it settle
Young Living’s special line for children ages 2+. These oils are prediluted for delicate skin so no dilution is required except for the most sensitive skin. These premium essential oil blends support children’s needs using the best nature has to offer.
Let’s look at the 6 KidScent oils —
KidPower:
helps inspire feelings of confidence, courage, and positivity at home & school
empowers & uplifts
aroma helps support feelings of emotional balance
Geneyus:
creates an atmosphere conducive to clarity, creativity, and alertness
grounding, meditative qualities
Owie:
naturally soothes dry and sensitive skin
helps promote feelings of wellness and is soothing to emotions in times of distress
helps release feelings of distress and discomfort
SleepIze:
can help children unwind and relax as part of a bedtime routine
promotes feelings of relaxation and tranquility and helps create a calming, restful atmosphere
SniffleEase:
provides a relaxing, quieting aroma that can be applied to chests or throats
helps ease feelings of discomfort and supports the feeling of normal, clear breathing
TummyGize:
has a naturally comforting and quieting aroma that may help when dealing with tiny tummies
apply while trying to ease feelings of discomfort
Soothes when used topically with massage
I cannot wait to put all of these on a cute Dino shelf in Ryders room soon! Sound like you need these for your kids? I’ll let you know how you can get your hands on them!
Heyyyyyy again! I’m just going to preface this whole post by reminding you that I am by no means an expert, but this is what I have been recommended & have found true in my own pregnancy.
First, you can always size up. Some maternity clothes are hard to wear again unless you are pregnant. If this is your first and you’re planning on many kiddos, then have at it, girl. Buy a new wardrobe. But for those of us who either don’t have this extra money orrr who are growing a baby bump a little slower than others, my first recommendation is to size up.
I spent my first 22 weeks so far living in oversized tees & leggings/biker shorts or the next size up athletic shorts (needed these about week 18). I figure I wont bounce back to my prebaby body for a while, and I live in Florida. We walk the dogs outside every day, so I will need athletic shorts and a size up will fit me longer in the month post partum. Plus I have something comfy & the right size to not pressure myself back into those size smalls. I have pretty much lived in these items and been very comfy. Lululemon aligns or even my amazon Lulu dupes stretch well to fit over my little bump so far and are still very comfy to workout in. In the coming weeks, I plan to size up in these also for the same reason as the shorts.
Buy a new bra or 3 in multiple sizes up. The one thing that seems to never stop growing are your boobs. I waited SOO long to ditch my little bralette because I have always been a B cup and couldn’t fathom the need for something bigger. But after basically ripping the fabric between my boobs one evening, I decided I needed to do better. For someone like me who still has “smaller” boobs, I went to Aerie & got some of their comfy bras. Light or no padding & supportive. I used to be able to walk around the house braless, but now I am wayyyyy more comfortable in a comfy Aerie bra. If you’re someone who always wears a regular bra, ignore this because you probably just want to invest in a real bra, but I’m not that girl. I’ve also heard to skip maternity bras & go straight to nursing bras or what you plan to nurse in to save some addition monies.
Okay, now for when you actually need maternity clothes (because there will probably be a time when you do) — choose a handful based on what your life consists of. Maybe its one pair of jeans, two pairs of leggings, a handful of tees/tanks, and a dress for your showers & maternity pictures. If you work in the professional world, choose a few pencil skirts that you can mix & match tops with. Tie your normal size tops in a little knot over those pencil skirts to switch up your outfits. If you are looking for inexpensive maternity choices, try Shein, Target, any second hand baby store (they usually have maternity clothes) or a friend who is done having babies. I recommend Pink Blush or Motherhood Maternity for a few staple items or for those shower dresses with pictures. Besides that, buy the basics that make you feel gorgeous & are also functional for your life.
Click on either of the above pics to shop those looks. But that’s all the advice I have for now. Maybe later in my journey, I can share more. But I truly believe there are no rules and you just need to pick what makes you feel good in your own sin!
Let’s take a peek at that accent wall that I was DYING for in the nursery! This was our inspiration after hours of scouring Pinterest.
If you didn’t know this already, my dad is SUPER talented, so I knew we would be able to figure it out pretty easily. All we did was add some wood (1×2 primed pine trim boards) to the wall of our choice in a pattern. Dad basically started with the off centered straight up & down one. From there, he worked at 45 degree angles to the left and 90 degree angles to the right. He always says to measure twice and cut once. He did this with each wood piece & then cut it with his table saw. He just hammered nails in, but you could definitely use a nail gun if you were putting up multiple pieces or doing a large wall. I will post some pictures of the process below.
Once we got the wood up, we took a caulk gun and caulked all the seems & over the nail holes if needed. We did have a little bend/warping in one part of the wall (old home in Florida), but the caulk did the trick and you can’t even tell.
&& this is the final product (still drying so that’s why it is a little discolored), but I am obsessed!!
Oh & here is our paint color — Sherwin Williams Wilderness Trail
Can’t wait to show you more when we put in more work!
hrmarciano 