What I'm Loving Lately: Mega Edition

Hi Everyone,
   It's a special super sized edition of What I'm Loving Lately with a bonus Baby Item section! Woohoo! There's a lot to love these days.

1. 2018 Books---I'm not sure how much reading I'll be able to do this year (hello newborn mommy life), but I have lots of books on my must read list. I'm almost done with my second book of the year and am thinking of doing monthly book posts instead of random ones here and there. Thoughts?

The first book I read this year and I LOVED it. I read it in 2 days, I couldn't put it down! 

2. Riverdale---I was in need of a new show for late night feedings and started Riverdale. I'm loving it! It's basically like Pretty Little Liars but with Archie comics characters. It's cheesy, involves a crime/mystery, it's a teen show, and it's right up my alley.

3. Hazelnut Lattes---I have been on a hazelnut latte kick lately. I needed a detox from the sugary overly sweet holiday drinks and a tall nonfat hazelnut latte is the perfect warm, creamy pick me up.

Lovin' lattes.....Hank's mini serta bed in the background (I write about it below!)

4. Simple Sugars---I first heard about this exfoliating moisturizer on Shark Tank and decided to order some this winter. I absolutely adore it. It's an all natural product that basically turns your shower into a fantastic smelling spa. My favorite scent? Cranberry. This stuff helps keep the winter dryness off my skin.

5. New Tunes: This weekend I went to see The Greatest Showman with my family (daddy and Hank had some guy time) and I loved it! I bought the soundtrack and it's great! I also like Eminem's new album, Revival. Now, Eminem might not be the best role model but his duets are my fave....Beyonce, Alicia Keyes, Pink, and Ed Sheeran on this one. So good!

Without further ado...Here are my fave baby products (so far!)....

Dr. Brown's Bottles: Ok, ok, so I was resisting these bottles. They seemed complicated and like they had too many parts. I want to feed my baby, not put a puzzle together, mmmkay? BUT....when Hank was about 2 weeks old we noticed he was making a huge mess when he'd drink and half the bottle ended up on his shirt (and when you're pumping, you do not want to see that hard earned milk dried up on the neck of a pair of footie jammies). We went to the baby store and the helpful employee asked, "Well, what type of nipple flow are you using?" Ummm, come again? Turns out they make bottle nipples for different stages of development. Who knew? Not me!  We picked up two kinds and Hank loved the preemie sized ones. We are thinking he's about graduated from that size but these bottles are working out well for us. And all the parts? Not a huge deal.

Baby gowns: Hank loves curling himself up in a little ball. I don't know if it's because he arrived early or what, but he often still lays like he did in the womb---legs together and pulled in, hands on head and all curled up. In fact, he hates wearing pants and having his legs stretched out. The gowns are the perfect solution. It's super easy to change him, no snaps involved, and when he was getting daily heel pricks at the lab the first week, the gowns allowed easy access. Plus he looks like a cute little glowworm when he wears them. Bonus.

Bath Body Scrubbers: We have lots of cute washcloths, but these little silicone scrubbies are perfect to bathe his soft skin and scalp. I got these at the baby store marketed as Baby Scrubbers but I've seen them recently in the cosmetics aisle labeled as facial scrubbers, too (that version is cheaper).

Diaper Genie: This was another baby item that I heard wasn't necessary but you know what? We love it. I'll admit I don't quite get how it works and emptying it and seeing all your precious one's waste is the stuff of nightmares, but it's pretty awesome sticking in a messy diaper right next to the changing table at 2 am and having no stink in the nursery.

Serta Infant Sleeper: This is, hands down, the best baby item we've bought and it's something AJ went and picked up for us a few days after we got home from the hospital. This thing has been a life saver. Hank loves to cuddle up to the edges wherever he sleeps and this bed has mesh sides so it's breathable. We call it his "toboggan" and the best part is it's super portable so we bring it downstairs for naps and he's contained (he's already started rolling over, so leaving him on the couch for a minute is not an option!). When we visit family, it'll be the perfect thing to fold up and take along so he can sleep in comfort on the go. It features vibration, a small light, music and ocean sounds. I cannot recommend this thing enough. Also, bassinet sheets fit in it perfectly. I think we'll use it inside the crib when he transitions there as well. This is the one we bought.

Boon Grass Drying Rack: I love this thing for bottles and pump parts! We bought the mini grass pad and "tree" and within 2 days being home, we got the whole yard and an additional flower. This thing is the best! AJ was skeptical of this thing when I was pregnant but now he agrees, the grass is essential for keeping bottles clean and dry!

Downstairs Changing Basket: We have a changing pad upstairs in Hank's nursery and that's great when we're upstairs but most days our living room downstairs is where we chill. Who's too lazy to walk upstairs to change a pee diaper? This girl! I filled a small basket with diapers, wipes, a spare onesie, and bibs and keep it downstairs. This mini "diaper station" is a must have for us.

Burp Cloth: We received some cute handmade ones as gifts and we adore them! We have at least a few in every room and our little guy is a messy eater (he gets it honestly, mama is too), so these guys are so necessary for us, especially when I don't want to put a bib on our little guy every time he eats.

Stuff I thought was necessary but we haven't found a huge need for:

-Fancy Baby washes and shampoos (we use Johnson's baby and it's perfect)
-Bottle Warmer (we turn the sink to hot water, fill a cup, stick the bottle in for 5 mins, and it's warmed!)
-Car seat Head support (I bought a super cute handmade one on Etsy. When we got our car seat installed at the police station, he told us anything you add to the car seat beyond what it came with can become a safety hazard. I explained to the officer it matched Hank's theme, was handmade, and didn't he think it was cute? The policeman did not agree).
-Crib mattress pad (I may or may not have had an attitude/cried trying to get this thing on the crib at 35 weeks pregnant. Then I realized the crib mattress was able to be wiped clean and was soft enough for our little man. That was $20 I didn't need to spend).

Hanging with Grandma

Lots of people told me not to bother with newborn clothes and diapers because babies grow so fast. We've gone to the store at least 3 times for more newborn diapers and thankfully a friend's donation of her kiddos' newborn clothes have been outfitting Hank for the past few weeks. Hank was born early, but he was over 6 lbs and he will be in newborn things for at least a few more weeks if not longer.

All products aside, these guys are my absolute most favorite:

Have a great week!

Savor Your Sparkle,
Leslie