Sassy Toddlers

Look at the camera. Smile. Sit down. Stop hitting your sister. Stop hitting the dog with your stroller. Don’t throw that. Stay in your room until I come and get you. No, you can’t go outside without me! Stop pulling my hair! YOU HAVE TO WEAR PANTS!

The words on repeat at our house lately. And I have no clue how it happened. Hallen was seriously the easiest baby on the planet. No lie. I could have had quadruplet Hallen’s, and I could have survived easily. She didn’t need any help going to sleep, she nursed easily, she was great in the car, she didn’t need to be rocked or patted, and she honestly never cried! This all stopped once she hit the toddler stage. And the past two months have increasingly tough. She’s challenging me in every aspect of life. Everything is a fight. And now in the past week, she’s finally realized she can get out of her room without me coming to get her. So, wake up time has gone from 8:30 to 6:30, and nap time has shortened by an hour. SHe’s making me more tired than the newborn right now!

Her opinions are forming, and she’s starting to realize she has some authority to her own life it seems. I never thought she’d be this challenging. She was supposed to be my little bookworm. My introvert. My no timeout girl. Instead it’s been 20 timeouts before 10 in the morning lately. I know this is all just a phase. She definitely has her sweet moments still. That’s why we keep toddlers around, right?! They’re just so darn cute and funny! She pretends to sneeze, she tells you how much she loves every single part of you. She kisses your cheeks. She’s become quite the cuddle bug. Whenever Hazel is awake, she wants to hold her. She has the cutest little toddler voice. She’s obsessed with shoes.

And she loves to wear matching outfits. She’d rather match with Hazel, but she’ll settle for matching mommy. And I’m going to ride that train as long as she’ll let me. I LOVE these leggings from a small shop, Bean and Brea. They’re the perfect spring legging with the bright florals and white background.

Outfits:

Matching Leggings

My top is sold out online, but here is one similar option, and here is another.

Shoes//Similar summer shoe (they’re on my list to get! I love KORKS)

Hallen’s top

Hallen’s shoes are sold out, but here is one similar option, and here is another.

CA Souls

Delicate, unique, and meaningful. Three words that would describe the bracelets we received from CA Souls. A delicate piece of jewelry usually seems understated, which I love, but, these “understated” bracelets also make a big statement unknowingly to everyone’s eye. They’re morse code bracelets! You can customize it with a message you want or buy one that they’ve already made up.

My bracelet is 14k gold filled and spells out “mother” with both of the girls’ birthstones attached to it. And both of the girls have their own rose gold filled bracelet, which spells out their names. It’s like their first friendship bracelet!

CA Souls offers both bracelets and necklaces. I can see myself buying these for so many gifts and for my own mother! It’s one of those pieces you just don’t take off, because it’s not a cumbersome bracelet. You can just stack more on with it!

I do so much with my hands as a mother…I change diapers, give hugs to my babies when they’re sad, tuck them in at night, wipe messy mouths, read them books, blow noses, put their clothes on, play peekaboo, and make all my coffee for those sleepless nights. So, adorning my wrist with something I’ll see every time I’m embracing my role as a mother just seems right. When I see my bracelet, it reminds me that if I’m losing my temper, taking on too much, or playing dress up with my girls, that I’m a mother first, and everything else comes second right now.

My dress is still available, just not in this color! Two options here and here

Hallen’s top

Similar romper to the one Hazel is wearing

Vienna Springs

I love baby wearing. Love it. It’s so sweet when your little babe snuggles against your chest and you feel her breath on your skin. And right now, Hazel will only sleep when she’s being worn when we’re out and about. She’ll cry 45 minutes on a car ride, but once my husband or I get her out of the car and place her on our chest in my Vienna Springs ring sling, she instantly calms down. Her cry slows to that teeny little whimper while she catches her breath until she finally falls asleep so peacefully.

I’ve loved having this ring sling, because it frees up my hands when I’m out or even at home. Dinner time is always a toss up if she’ll nap by herself or not, and if she doesn’t, I’m usually wearing her while she nurses in the sling. I had tried nursing in another structured carrier I love, but the ring sling wins for nursing! There’s just less in the way, and if I want to be modest while I’m out, I cover myself with the “tail.”

The color is so beautiful. It’s a dusty pink with rose gold rings (It’s the desert rose color in chambray linen). I love that it’s made with natural fibers so that I don’t have to worry about what’s sitting right against Hazel’s skin. The cool thing about these slings is that I can use them until she’s 35 lbs, so technically I could wear Hallen in it, but since she’s in her sassy, independent phase, I haven’t been able to yet haha!

It’s so great knowing that Hazel is safe and sound in my Vienna Springs ring sling. Sometimes I just let her nap in it for her whole nap time just so I don’t have to be anxious about a baby sleeping when I walk away!

My outfit linked below:

Skirt//Tank//Flats//Floral Headband//Bracelet

LOLA

If you try to live your life as natural and as free of chemicals as possible, I’ve found a product for you! LOLA!

I received a box of tampons and ultra thin liners to try out, and I can say that I do love them. They’re sleek, aren’t uncomfortable, and they’re healthier than your traditional feminine products!

LOLA products are all organic cotton- no synthetic stuff, dyes, or toxins. It’s kind of scary when you start to research what’s in your products that you use every month! On top of an all organic, great for you product, these are delivered straight to your door every month, so that when “the time of the month” comes around, you don’t have to run to the store because you forgot to grab some tampons or pads last time you were there!

It matters what’s on underneath, right? There’s no need to worry about what’s going into your body when you have your cycle every month! Also pictured is a bralette from one of my favorite new shops! Mentionables just opened! It’s a model free lingerie shop. And I LOVE that they don’t use models! No need to compare yourselves to other women in lingerie or for your husband to have to scroll through photos of other women in lingerie if he wants to shop for you! I’ll definitely be buying a few more pieces.

Essential Oils & Nighttime Routines

I love essential oils. I don’t use them daily like I should, but I always know that “there’s an oil for that!” And when something is off in my body, I always like to try and work it out naturally instead of popping an Aspirin. I like to do that with my girls, too. I am so thankful for modern medicine, but I also know that there’s a lot we can do without.

That being said, I was sent these roller ball applicators for oils from Floating Feather Essentials to try out. I got the Calm and Wellness ones. I had never used a roller ball applicator for oils before this! It’s the best! It makes using oils so much easier. The calm is great for sleeping, which hellllooooo, I have a newborn, so I want sleep and I want her to sleep. I apply a little to my wrists and a little to the bottoms of her feet before bedtime every night. The Calm consists of cedar, lavender, and orange. All of which are supposed to be grounding and calming. Perfect potion for a great night’s sleep, right?!

The Wellness oil is a blend completely unique to Young Living. It’s called Thieves – clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary. It smells AMAZING!! So good for your immune system. I also put this on Hazel’s feet since there are a lot of pores.

And how cute is this little nightgown from Steel Sweet? I love putting Hazel in nightgowns at night for easy diaper changes. I really like the snaps on the end of this particular one. Keeps her nice and warm! It’s also good for a small application of oils on her feet!