A Little Nursery "Pinspiration" is Always Good For The Soul!

One of my favorite things to do during this pregnancy has been creating various Pinterest boards for my baby girl! I have had so much fun envisioning her Nursery which will be her own space to eventually play, have quiet time, imagine and create things. My vision encompasses soft, subtle colors (grey, pearl, ivory and light pink) along with some dainty touches to tie everything in together. I have to laugh because my mom always jokes with me. She had mentioned that maybe I would want to incorporate some purples or other fun girly colors. I told her I want the baby to have a mature space. She just laughs and says, "Danielle, your giving birth to a baby not a thirty year old!" Lol! Love my mom. I know she is right but I definitely have specific ideas for her room.  

So far my husband has painted the nursery and I chose a beautiful Benjamin Moore color called, "Storm." After painting the room it makes me want to take a paint brush to every room in our apartment! IF ONLY! This color was the first color I saw when doing research via Pinterest and I immediately fell in love. I have also ordered a wall decal with her initials that is monogrammed and in a beautiful gold script. Her furniture gets delivered this tuesday (WOO HOOOOO!!!) and slowly every little detail will come together.

Here are some pictures and samples of the Nursery and what will be going into her room this week! :)

Color: "Storm" made by Benjamin Moore. I would love to see this color in our future house!

Crib: Franklin & Ben

Dresser: Franklin & Ben

Canopy: The Butterfly Canopy from The Land of Nod

These are actually picture shelfs from Ikea. I am taking the idea from this photo and will be hanging them on the walls in order to create an organized book shelf where it will be easy to circulate her books. 

The Nursery furniture from Franklin & Ben was ordered from Nessalee Baby in Manalapan, NJ. They have another location in Livingston, NJ too! I really enjoyed working with them to pick out just the right furniture for her space. Their website makes it really easy to go on and see what exactly you are looking for and their prices vary from affordable to expensive. You really do have enough wiggle room to fulfill your dreams. The two pieces we ordered is considered, "forever furniture." The crib turns into a toddler bed and the dresser is big enough to carry her through some good adolescent years. We also ordered a removable changing area for the top of the dresser as another way to save on space. Check out their website at Nessalee Baby for all the latest and greatest in baby gear!

There are just a couple of more things I really want to add to my baby girl's Nursery. I have been doing some research on gliders but I definitely want something affordable and modern. If anyone has any suggestions on sites where I can find some good ones please comment below to let me know! All suggestions and links are appreciated! Everyone's help is definitely making this transition into motherhood so much more easier for me. As the bookshelf's go up and the decal gets added to the wall I will be sure to post pictures of the final outcome. I am so, so excited!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

XOXO,

Danielle

My Sweet Girl :)

Does anyone remember that blog post from August where I said, "My life is finally calming down?" HA! Apparently my life was truly just beginning and I will let my pictures speak for themselves...

I got engaged and married! (Married 12/20/2014)

Announced our beautiful surprise <3

IT'S A BABY GIRL!! Due 6/21/15.

I began to grow! This picture was around 20 weeks! :)

Fast forward to NOW! 30 weeks pregnant! I am almost there!!

It has been a whirlwind seven months and I just can't believe that I am going to be a Mommy! As I am writing this post my sweet baby is doing back flips in my belly. It is such a funny yet comforting feeling. I have had so many different feelings and mixed emotions about this journey my husband and I are about to embark on. When I found out I was pregnant I was in a state of utter shock. I finally was with the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and do everything "by the book" so to speak and BAM! Bombshell isn't even the term to describe it. I know there is no such thing as a timeline or even as a rule book but I just couldn't believe what was happening to me and, to us. Change was on the horizon for sure. Two new puppies and a baby on the way!? Both of our families were nothing but supportive and beyond thrilled for us! They supported us every step of the way. Let me tell you, it is such a beautiful thing when everyone who is important to you is on board with all of your decisions. Not only as individuals but as a couple as well. The beginning of my pregnancy was extremely hard on me. Everyone has questions for you and will give you their opinion whether you want it or not. You learn who your true friends are and who you just need to take a step back from. Sometimes there was just too much negativity for me to handle. I know other people's opinions and words should not matter. However, when it comes from people that you have invested a lot of yourself in and have seen those individuals through all of their happy moments you automatically expect the same in return. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work out that way. There was never any doubt in our minds as a couple the road we wanted to travel. Mommy and Daddy have become our new titles and we are nothing but excited (and nervous) for the road that lies ahead of us. There is no sugar coating these past seven months but when looking back on all of our events both my husband and I feel just as lucky and as blessed as we felt since day one. I must have done something so right in life to end up with an amazing man like him. I thank God every day for the path he has chosen for me. Without God nothing is possible. I am so thankful for this healthy glowing life inside of me. 

I have missed blogging so, SO much! Keri and I used to be able to write a new blog post every day of the week. Impending Mommy life has given me a swift kick in the butt! Although Keri and I won't be posting every single day I can't wait to put up weekly or weekend updates on here for everyone to see! Keri has so many beautiful things going on in her life as well! But I will let her catch you up on that in her own time! For everyone who has been following our blog since the beginning you were able to see just the Nanny in me. Now I can't wait to introduce the Mommy in me. I want to incorporate baby updates, more favorite baby and toddler gadgets, nursery updates (as I am currently designing our daughter's room) and of course once I give birth we can let the real fun begin!

I look forward to what the future has to hold! I have all of this excitement within me and can't wait for her special arrival! Thank you to everyone for your patience and to those who enjoy reading our blog as much as we enjoy writing it! 

XOXO,

Danielle 

Easy Peasy Dinner Time !

Since Thomas gets bored of eating the same old recipes again and again (who wouldn't?!) I am constantly wracking my brain to come up with new and fun recipes to expand his palate. At this point in the game he is a toddler and can eat anything that us adults are having. Which makes life way more easy and fun!

Also in the recent past few months I have been on a mission to cook more for myself as well! I would like to prove to myself that my cooking skills don't suck! (Verdict says... They don't! I really am a good cook!) :) Although, after a long day of chasing around a toddler sometimes my brain is mush and cooking is the last thing I want to do for myself! But, thank you to my AWESOME pinning skills ;) I have come across a winning recipe for not only me but for Thomas too! To top it off all you need are 8 simple ingredients which most of you have in your household anyway! 

Pasta Carbonara!

Ingredients:

1. 8 ounces Spaghetti
2. 2 large eggs
3. 3/4 cup grated parm cheese
4. 4 slices bacon (when cooking for Thomas I use Turkey bacon)
5. 4 cloves garlic, minced
6. Kosher salt
7. Black pepper to taste (optional)
8. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (I do not use this ingredient) 

What I did:

1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to box instructions. Feel free to use whatever kind of pasta tickles your fancy! Make sure you reserve a 1/2 cup of the boiling salted water!!
2. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs and the cheese. Just set it aside for later :)
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until brown and crispy 6-8 minutes. Side note: I chop up the bacon prior to the skillet. It cooks faster and is easier for Thomas to eat that way! After the bacon is cooked add the garlic to it for about 1 minute.
4. Reserve the excess fat (When I use turkey bacon there really isn't fat so I just set the skillet aside until its time to add the pasta to it.
5. Stir in the pasta and the egg mixture. Toss to combine. Season with the salt and pepper to taste. Add the reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. 

There you have it! A simple and yummy mommy/baby meal! SO VERY YUMMY!! 

XOXO,

D

My Most Favorite Baby Proofing Products, EVER!

A couple of weeks ago my girlfriend approached me asking me my opinion on what baby proofing supplies she should bring into her household. When it comes to baby proofing there are so many products on the market that all do the same thing it can truly make your head spin! Some parents do not mind screwing gates into their walls and other families simply prefer not to. I was so excited to be able to help her out and give her my opinion on what products I love that have worked well for me in all the households that I have nannied for. Again, this is all my own opinion and throughout the ten years I have been in this business I have found these products to be nothing less than fabulous! 

For starters, clear view stove knob covers. I have used them in countless households and they grow with your children. They are the best things ever! They are super easy for adults to open and close. They come in a five pack or ten pack.

Product can be found here.

The second of my favorites is a multi-purpose strap. I use these to lock toilet seats, fridge/freezer doors, and you can also use it to lock your oven. They do make oven locks separately however, more often than not oven locks do not work well for every oven out there. These multi-purpose straps DO work! Very well I may add! They come in all different size packs so you can pick and choose where you want to put them and how many you would like in your pack. 

Product can be found here.

Third on the list is foam bumpers for your living room coffee table. You can find these in different colors. They work really well when they are APPLIED CORRECTLY. They come with stickies but I have found that they do not work as well. You will need to use 3M double sided tape in order for these bumpers to be applied well. Once they are applied they work wonderfully!

Product can be found here.

The fourth product on my awesome list is by far one of my top most favorite baby proofing item out there! They are cabinet locks made by Kiscords! These cabinet locks are a BIG NO BRAINER! By far, the easiest locks for adults and children can never figure them out. Unless they are 5 or 6. But, by then there is not a huge demand for baby proofing (I would hope!) ;) I use these cabinet locks for Thomas and they work wonders in the household (Kitchen & Bathrooms). They come in black and white! I am a huge fan of amazon prime. These cabinet locks are not a prime item so they will take a little longer to ship than all the other items on this list. 

Product can be found here.

Number five on the list is outlet safety covers. These are AWESOME! They only "downside" to these (which for me is NOT a downside) is that you will need to replace all of the outlet covers in your home. However, I do not put a price on the safety of a child and this outlet cover no child will be able to stick their fingers into. I have used different outlet covers throughout my career and these by far are the BIG WINNERS! They come with the proper screws too! 

Product can be found here.

The sixth product on my list is, door knob covers for your bathroom, bedroom, office doors and of course basement/man cave door! Just really any door in your house. They come in black and white so you can match them to your doors to the best of your ability. I have used these in many households as well and they have always worked well! Easy use for adults and for children they just spin in circles as they try to figure them out. :) 

Product can be found here.

Lastly on my list is a safety gate! These are pricey but work AWESOME! It is made by First Years and it is called the "Everywhere Gate." This gate will last you forever and will grow with you and your family. It works with easy pressure mounting so you can take it with you when you travel or just to switch rooms with your child! Bonus, the gate is see through so your child can see you from the next room if you're in the kitchen. There is no need to screw into your walls or to get new hardware for your home. 

Product can be found here.

That completes my list of my most favorite baby proofing products, EVER!! Again, I am not a certified baby proofer however, I have found that these products have worked miracles for me endless times over the years. I have found comfort and a peace of mind when using each and every one of these products! All of these products on my list can be found off of Amazon Prime except the Kiscords Cabinet locks are not a prime item. Yet, well worth the standard shipping ;)

XOXO,

D

** ALL images found from Amazon.

What I Plan To Do Differently

I cannot believe it has been so long since I have written a blog post!! This summer has been jammed packed for me. Between vacation, work and preparing for a new baby, blogging has been pushed to the side. School starts NEXT WEEK!! (Picture me doing a dance and throwing confetti :) ) I definitely need the 2-3 weeks of morning hours while Makenna and Matthew are at school to get some stuff done before baby #2 comes. Which comes to the topic of my post… here is a list of 5 things that I plan to do differently than when I had Makenna. 

1. My entire birth plan. Honestly, I didn't even have one for Makenna. I went in with no instructions or wishes. I had a hard long labor and ended up with a c-section. I never ever thought I would have a c-section so I was totally unprepared! I knew I wanted to breastfeed but I never told the doctors and nurses to keep bottles and pacifiers away. If you read my breastfeeding  post, you know how much of a struggle breastfeeding was as a result. This time I am having a scheduled c-section and will be informing EVERYONE I see to not give bottles or pacifiers. My husband is on bottle/pacifier watch. I think I scared him when I told him that he is to under no circumstances let them give her anything. This is our child, unless she is under distress for some reason, they will be following OUR rules! I am also asking for a "gentle c-section." Where they allow skin to skin immediately after delivery like a normal birth does. 
2. If for some reason I cannot breastfeed without pumping and bottle feeding, I will only be doing so for 3 months. Pumping and bottle feeding is A LOT of work. I applaud anyone that can do it for a long period of time. Unfortunately, I already know I just don't have it in me. With two other toddlers to take care of, it would be way to stressful for me. 
3. Co-sleeping. This is not something we planned to do with Makenna. It just sort of happened. I do not regret it, but with baby #2 so things will be different. Makenna slept right in between us. Baby #2 will be in a co-sleeping crib next to our bed. Makenna became so dependent on me to sleep that it got a little ridiculous. I would just lay in bed and nurse her to sleep. Baby #2 will be nursed and then laid down in her crib to fall asleep. There will be NO nursing to sleep after 3 months.  

   

   This is how Makenna prefers to sleep

4. 

   Makenna finally using her crib bedding. 

   With Makenna I got a whole crib bedding set and accessories. I have to say the biggest waste of money to me is those crib bedding sets. No one uses the little comforter it comes with and bumpers aren't recommended anymore. Even the sheets aren't that soft. Though Makenna never slept in a crib, every single family I nannied for also never used the crib bedding. It just sits there taking up space. Makenna now uses the little comforter as a picnic blanket. Instead I just have random crib sheet and an Aden & Anais Dream Blanket. I got one for Makenna when she was a year old and she still sleeps with it every night. I just purchased another for baby #2. I honestly might buy one for myself. They are so comfortable!  
5. Using a babysitter. Whether is be family or a hired sitter, Makenna and baby #2 will be left with someone other than me. Makenna is my shadow. She is hardly ever left with anyone else. She has never been left with anyone besides family. (Matthew's family is considered our family too) My mom lives about an hour away and Michael's mom has a busier social schedule than me lol Its tough to find some time to go out without the kids. We definitely need to find a trusted babysitter!

So those are my top 5 things I plan to do differently. Of course, anyone that has kids knows nothing really goes as planned. 

Playing Catch Up...

I can't believe it has been so long since there has been a good blog post! I guess that is what happens when life takes over. Between Keri preparing for baby number two and my crazy schedule coming to a close there is just too much going on. It is only Wednesday (I mean Tuesday... point well taken!) and I have been up since 6am... vacuuming, washing the floors and doing laundry. Have I mentioned that it is my day off?!? Haha I guess thats what happens when you become a Mommy. A PUPPY Mommy that is! Recently, my boyfriend and I blessed our home with two of the sweetest baby puppies in this world! A beautiful German Shepard (DeeBo) and a sweet little yorkie (Tyson) -- who definitely lives up to his own name. Tyson tries his hardest to play with the big boys and I am pretty sure that Deebo thinks that his brother is a chew toy. He really is gentle with him however he has his moments of pawing him!

Just like when you have a newborn baby it takes time to get to know them, their needs and you truly have to listen to what they are trying to tell you. Are they hungry?, tired?, need to pee or poo? You need to put them on a schedule right away and you definitely cannot diverge from it. These babies of mine LOVE their schedule and have been doing an amazing job with crate training. FYI-- for any of you who get a new puppy, I have downloaded a baby lullaby music app to my IPAD. Every time they go into their individual crates I play the baby music app. They go right to sleep with NO whimpering or whining. It is amazing!!

Here are some pictures of the night we brought them home and just some proud puppy mommy pictures that I have captured over the past few days;

Here they are! The newest additions and the sweetest boys I know ;) What else can I say besides the fact that I am so excited for what is to come for me. Lately I just feel so blessed and lucky. I continue to pray that God keeps blessing me in life. I recently "retired" from all of my side jobs and had to say goodbye to some of the sweetest kids I know as well! I will definitely go back and visit and work from time to time but it feels good to focus on myself and my life at this time. Here are a couple of "selfies" from my last day! hehe ;)

Needless to say there is a lot of transition and change brewing in my life but all for the positive. I really am not used to devoting time to my own life but perhaps that is what has been missing. I feel happy, healthy and blessed! I truly am excited for the future! Now that life is settling down a bit expect more blog posts to begin flowing again. :)

P.S. If anyone has any new puppy tips for me it is VERY MUCH appreciated. Please comment below to give me some helpful tips and hints! Thank You!!!

XOXO,

D

Book Review Tuesday!

Recently I noticed that Thomas had a few new books added to his library shelf! Thomas is always getting hooked onto new and great children's books thanks to his awesome mama and my boss Rosie!

Last week Thomas had me pull a "bus book" off of his book shelf to read to him during lunch time. He loves buses, trucks and construction everything! Thomas is also a HUGE fan of, "The Wheels on the Bus." The board book I am about to introduce is not exactly the same thing however it teaches a wonder of fun math skills! 

This book for me is a new favorite! It really is addition and subtracting lessons in disguise. There are groups of dogs and cats that board the bus. Then, at different stops along the way groups of cats and dogs get off the bus in different numbers. For example, two dogs get dropped off at the boat, three cats board the airplane, two cats and two dogs get on the train, etc. The final passenger is a dog who ends up being the bus driver's pet. The awesome part about this book is if you want to begin to teach your toddler simple adding and subtracting lessons you can take cheerio's, puff's or whatever you would like to show them when one, two, three, or four animals board and leave the bus. They can count with you to see how many animals are left still sitting on the bus. 

As said above, Thomas loves his wheels on the bus song. So I take the opportunity to sing the song with him and go through all of his favorite motions! Since Byron Barton uses cats and dogs for his story you can include doing different animal noises in your wheels on the bus version to go with the theme of the book. It makes meal time more fun and relaxing for him, for sure! 

What stories and children's books would you love to see featured here on Play Dates & Sippy Cups? Comment below and let us know!

XOXO,

-D