Tupelo Honey

hello, hello! 

it’s been a while, right?! the month of february was c-RA-zy. you have no idea. it’s taken most of march for us to recover from the madness and we’re still feeling a little punch-drunk from it all, but the dust has settled and with it came some much needed down time for the carmines. i have a fun little delaware lately post coming but in the meantime, i want to share with you some of our favorite items floating around the house these days. 

andy and i gave madeline the fisher price retro changeable disc camera for her 2nd birthday. the interchangeable discs have fun vintage pictures that tell stories and we love to sit and talk about what she sees in each picture through the viewfinder. for less than $15, this would make a great gift for your itty bitty loved ones. 

fisher price learning sounds projector

this was another gift we gave madeline for her birthday that she absolutely adores. this is basically a view finder on steroids- using view finder reels, images are projected onto the wall. if you use the learning sound reels, you can listen to fun facts & sound effects too… madeline loves mimicking the animal sounds! it comes with a few learning sound reels, but we’ve also purchased some non-sound reels like mickey mouse & they’re just as fun. the best part? at bedtime, you can swivel the lens and project images onto the ceiling for your kid to look at as they go to bed. very cool. 

step 2 fun flow play sink

madeline is obsessed with water. OB-SESSSSSSED.

a few months ago my parents gave madeline a folding step stool, which is pretty awesome except for the fact that it sent her water obsession into overdrive. this stool gave madeline the ability to reach sinks. and faucets. for a short time, water was everywhere. ((side note regarding the stool- this has become such a useful tool for us lately. madeline uses it to help us bake, prep dinner, climb on beds, brush her teeth, etc. instead of us having to purchase a stool for each floor, madeline can collapse the stool and take it from room to room herself. she is very independent these days and loves being able to control how involved she is with whatever it is that we’re doing.))

madeline’s favorite activity is pouring and measuring and splashing around so i was determined to find a way to let her play while conserving water. we finally decided on the fun flow play sink since it most resembled our kitchen sink (deeper than most tables) and came with a moveable faucet. just as the reviews warned us, the manual pump on the faucet was broken upon assembly. while i may not recommend this particular model, we have logged some serious hours with this toy (?) & i highly recommend a play sink (or something like it). 

and if you do decide to purchase a water table (especially in the winter time when you can’t play outside), might i also suggest one with a cover AND DEFINITELY something like THIS. 

soffe the giraffe teether

i am so late to the party on this one, the guests left hours ago… truth be told, madeline cruised through teething so i never had to purchase teething toys for her. charlie, on the other hand, got his first 2 teeth around 3.5-4 months old, has a few more on the way and seems to be in a world of pain right before they break through the skin. ENTER SOFFE. i don’t know what it is about this toy but babies love it, charlie loves it, therefore we love it. ((thanks for the gift, uncle zan/zuncle and aunt stephanie!!! xo))

LET’S TALK SKIN FOR A MOMENT. madeline has insanely sensitive skin, crazy allergies, and for a month last fall, she broke out in hives all day long. after working closely with our pediatrician, we got the hives under control but i will always be hyper-aware of everything we use on hers and charlie’s skin. we used to use THIS and THIS but when even the super sensitive version of california baby products made madeline break out upon contact in the bathtub, we were forced to give away our stash of CB and started using these next few products exclusively. (definitely not suggesting that aveeno or CB are bad products, btw. mads is just super-duper sensitive)

noodle & boo shampoo, bath wash, & bubble bath

AKA heaven in a bottle. i had never heard of noodle & boo until i received their essential care kit in a gift bag that was given to andy and i when we purchased our double stroller. i goggled the company when i got home to see what they were all about and i was pleasantly surprised to find out that every N&B formula is “hypoallergenic, clinically-tested to minimize risk of allergic reactions, and are dermatologist-tested to verify optimality for sensitive skin”. we LOVE LOVE LOVE noodle & boo products, especially the shampoo, bubble bath, body wash, and lotion. we use it on both charlie and madeline every other night during bath time and one bottle of each lasts us about 3 months. the price tag makes my heart and wallet weep but when it comes to the kiddos, it’s totally worth it. the smell is fresh, clean, and out of this world! seriously, i can’t say enough good things about this company. 

and if my raving review isn’t enough to convince you that this product is OMG AMAZING, check out all these celebrities who love noodle & boo too!

baby hugo chamomile & vanilla massage oil

with winter came dry heat and DRY SKIN. baby hugo was recommended to me by a sales associate at whole foods one day and i haven’t looked back. i use this on the babes post-bath and on my skin too. smells yummy and doesn’t leave you or your kids feeling… well, oily.

boogie wipes saline nose wipes 

when i first heard about boogie wipes, i thought to myself, “what a waste of money”.

then i went to cori’s house and she had a giant tub of them. “just try it” she said. and i did. and then i drove to target and bought every tub they had on their shelves. now i know i’ve gone semi-crunchy on you with the cloth diapering and the castile soap and the probiotics, but i will forever be a fan of these overpriced saline wipes. we’re currently out and waiting on a delivery (today!) and i can’t tell you how many times i’ve actually said out loud in the past few days “where are my boogie wipes?!”. they’re the only product i can use on madeline’s nose and face that not only breaks down the mucus and snot that sticks to her face, but keeps her skin from breaking down and getting raw and chapped when i have to wipe her nose 15,568 times a day (thank you, preschool). every time she sneezes i hear “mommy, towel”. before boogie wipes, i tried everything from baby wipes (7th gen, earth’s best, pampers sensitive) to warm washcloths, even my homemade baby wipes and nothing works as well as these. we keep a large tub at home and a travel pack in the diaper bag and purse. they are alcohol, pthalate and paraben free which makes this mama happy, and you can also heat these in the microwave as a warm treat to stuffy, snotty noses. 

just try it. 

dr. bronner’s magic pure castile soap

since becoming a parent to kids with sensitive skin, i’ve changed up my hair and skin care routine as well. i now use dr. bronner’s pure castile soap in lavender and eucalyptus as a body wash/shaving soap and carol’s homemade soaps for my face and hands. my favorite is her milk & oatmeal soap that i stock up on when i see her at local craft fairs but i can’t seem to find it on her site. if you’re interested in purchasing some, contact her directly. she’s so easy to work with! i also recommend her linen sprays and lotion bars. check her out. she’s good stuff. 

NEUMA hair products

post-pregnancy, my hair is a hot mess. i’m not ready to cave and cut short so after a consultation w/my hair dresser, we came up with a way to save the locks. this new regimen includes fancy shampoo and conditioner and argan hair treatment (post-wash, pre-dry oil for hair). i hate spending my hard-earned money on expensive hair products, but i promised myself i would do whatever it takes to make my hair healthy again and i can honestly say, NEUMA is saving my hair. i could tell a difference the moment i started using these products. because i was skeptical at first, i purchased the travel kit that included the products i mentioned above. the shampoo and conditioner in the kit lasted me 6 weeks (using sparingly but almost daily, and i have long hair) and i have enough argan treatment for a year (3-4 times a wk). i now buy the bigger bottles for home use but i like having the smaller bottles (that i fill myself) to take with me when we travel (same goes for the noodle & boo bottles). my hair salon also gives me 20% off NEUMA purchases if i bring them my old bottles to recycle. check and see if your salon will do the same for you, i’m pretty sure they will. here’s a little excerpt from the NEUMA website that explains their mission:

“NEUMA uses only renewable, beneficial plant-based ingredients - leaving you, and your hair, looking and feeling more beautiful. Our collection of professional performance beauty products contain ingredients which above all, do no harm - because like you, we care for earth and hair.

NEUMA is free of synthetic fragrance, sulfates, parabens, 1,4-dioxane, phthalates, glutens, neurotoxins, aluminum compounds, glycols, formaldehyde donors, ureas, carcinogens, environmental pollutants - a truly sustainable brand.

Organic raw materials, sustainable business practices and continuing membership 
as a global corporate citizen will make the difference in the long run. “

more good people, even better products. 

aden + anais swaddling blankets

i can’t believe i never knew about these until getting pregnant with charlie. why didn’t any of you tell me?! HELLO!! OVER HERE!!!! ::waves hands frantically over head::

i want to full on make-out with aden + anais blankets. all of them. we have quite the collection these days and use them for everything. the ones above are my favorite from the a+a collection and are perfect for swaddling & the car seat. they are very thin so i use 2 each night to swaddle charlie with before bedtime. charlie is as strong as an ox and these are the only blankets he can’t wiggle out of. not gonna lie though, i make a mean swaddle. target carries them (4 pack) and i’ve found that they are cheaper there than any site online. if you know where i can get them at a discount, hook a girl up already. i want to give them to all my friends. we have 7 (come in singles and packs of 3 or 4 online) but as far as i’m concerned, you can never have too many of these. 

aden + anais cozy wrap

IMO, the perfect baby blanket. the cozy wrap is a little thicker than the swaddling blankets so i use this to cover my babies at night and during the colder months when we’re out and about. it also makes a great nursing cover. i don’t recommend these to swaddle with though, too thick. 

aden + anais muslin dream blanket

we own 2 of these and they’re the largest and thickest of them all. we use them when we’re playing on the ground or snuggling on the couch.

we also own the a+a muslin sleeping bag. it was a great gift to receive but i wouldn’t have purchased it myself. my recommendation? register for it. 

radio flyer tricycle

my mom and dad gave madeline her first “bikecycle” for her 2nd birthday. aside from the fact that it’s red (!!), we love the classic, clean look and quality of this tricycle compared to the big, flashy, plastic ones. with 2 kids currently and more expected down the road, we love it when madeline receives gifts that she can one day pass down to her brother(s) and (hopefully) sisters. we haven’t taken to the sidewalks with this bad boy just yet but she rides it through the house on our hardwoods and LOVES IT. radio flyer “bikecycle” FTW. 

ahhh. my beloved bean bag. my parents bought this for madeline the last time they were here and although she gets a lot of use out of it, i’m the one who uses it the most. let me just say that BREASTFEEDING IS HARD WITH A NEWBORN AND A TODDLER. or at least it used to be. i hate disrupting whatever activity madeline’s involved in so i can go find a comfortable place to nurse. before the bean bag, i would nurse standing up or on desk & dining room table chairs (blah), the kitchen counter (?), madeline’s train set table, THE HARDWOOD FLOORS… anywhere i could find a place to sit down. now i can move (sometimes kick!) the bean bag to wherever the action is, plop down on it and BF charlie in comfort. even if you don’t BF, we love using the bean bag for charlie too. same applies to him- i can drag the bean bag around and set him on it whenever i need a free hand. LOOOOOOOOVE IT. love it love it love it. 

cloud b gentle giraffe sound machine w/4 soothing sounds

confession: my kids hate the soothe & glow seahorse. i know, i know, but whatever. it’s cool. what they DO love are the cloud b sound machines. madeline owned the sleep sheep but when we lost the sound machine insert, we purchased the giraffe for charlie.  so cute and provides the perfect white noise w/4 diff sound options every night at bedtime. bonus points for being travel size and having velcro straps to attach to car seats, pack-n-plays, cribs, swings, you name it. also? remember on parenthood when sydney is walking into the hospital and she has a gift for her new sibling but she never gets to give it to him because julia didn’t get the baby and OMG SO SAD? IT WAS THE GENTLE GIRAFFE. 

HABA TOYS!

haba haba haba toys. so fun!! last december i purchased a couple of groupons (or something like it) that gave me a HUGE discount on HABA toys. we had a very HABA christmas last year! i bought so many awesome toys for the kiddos, some are posted above but we seriously picked out 2 boxes worth of stuff- blocks, teethers for charlie, bath toys- and it’s all top quality stuff. need some great easter basket ideas without breaking the bank? GO HABA. you won’t be disappointed. 

soma intimates panties

i think it’s weird to discuss panties on my blog to complete strangers but i love soma so much i’m willing to overlook my hangup this one time to let you in on a little secret. I LOVE SOMA UNDERWEAR and here’s why- they have this vanishing edge silicone at the leg openings that prevents panty lines and keeps them from riding up.  they are the nicest intimates i own and worth every. dollar.  

lifefactory water bottles 

i don’t drink coffee or soda or juice. i drink (chug) milk and water. LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER. 

water can get awfully boring so i firmly believe that what you drink it out of shouldn’t be. i will make any excuse to buy new water bottles, i have a whole cabinet full of them. i have the one i use when we go walking, and the one i take to work, and the one that fits into the grooves of the treadmill perfectly, and the one i carry in my purse that won’t leak everywhere. my girlfriend shervin kept tweeting pictures of lifefactory bottles that i thought were so cool so when our whole foods opened last week, i picked up a charcoal colored one. this is another call for help- can you guys find these on the cheap? i heart them but just can’t justify the price. i’d really love to get some for the whole family, maybe the easter bunny will bring us some??

so anyway, there you have it. some of our must-haves these days. what are some of you and your family’s MUST HAVES? please share! 

xo

lindsay

***if this entry seems a little rushed it’s because i wrote this post already and tumblr deleted it. so annoyed.***

since having charlie, i’ve come to realize that i don’t need our crazy life to be perfect. i need it to be manageable. 

manageable.

it’s my new word. 

about a month ago i found myself knee-deep in creative party idea pins on pinterest and i was thisclose to ordering these gorgeous custom made paper dolls from england (that were made to look just like your child, too cool) when i finally snapped out of it- what was i doing?? madeline doesn’t need some fancy party, she wouldn’t get it. she needs balloons and a cake and family and a few close friends… that’s it. lindsay, make this party manageable i thought to myself. so i tucked the paper doll party theme in my back pocket for when madeline would appreciate it and went with something a little more modest. i was very pleased with the results and the best part? we only spent one afternoon/evening putting it all together. operation: manageable birthday party with minimal stress was, IMO, a success… 

sweet little banner i made with twine and scrapbooking paper from michael’s 

since the super bowl fell on the same day as madeline’s birthday, we decided to host a brunch so everyone could make it to their super bowl parities on time- this spread (with extra in the kitchen for backup) served about 30 people. we made scrambled eggs (my late grandmother’s recipe), bacon (my dad’s, it’s the best. the secret is the bacon press), brie and crackers (threw that out there at the last second)… 

donuts, fruit salad, mini pancake stacks w/mint and blueberries (idea from pinterest)… 

a little birdie filled w/syrup and french toast & strawberry skewers sprinkled w/powdered sugar (idea from pinterest). the quote on the chalkboard was also an idea i stumbled on while searching pinterest for inspiration. it comes from one of our favorite books and the second i saw it i knew it would make the perfect backdrop for madeline’s party. 

i have to laugh at this picture- this was all stuff i had leftover from previous parties that i found in our kitchen cabinets. my newest obsession is infused water. i chose cucumber for this particular occasion but i’ll throw anything into water and drink it- blueberries, mint, basil, peaches, oranges, strawberries. so yummy. 

(remnants of) the adult beverages station 

aunt stephanie was more than happy to help madeline learn how to ride her new “bikecycle” that grams and grandpa (pop pop) gave her. she hasn’t stopped riding it since!

cousins

this picture makes me so happy! i love how ben wrote “food store”- i refuse to erase it. the kids were having so much fun ringing up groceries with the cash register and baking goods in the kitchen for the market. 

ahhh, the leaning homemade (with love!) 4 layer strawberry shortcake i made at the last minute because the icing was melting and the strawberries were slipping off and we had no more room in the fridge to store it… but it was good. soooo good. and it finally tipped over after the last person was given a slice.  

make a wish!

look at the lean on that thing!!!! what a mess. 

madeline didn’t seem to mind though.

it was bound to happen. after three separate christmases and 9 days in NC, our house turned into a full blown disaster area overnight. at one point during the unpacking process i got so overwhelmed that i took everything the kids owned, tossed it in their room and shut the door. for once i figured out of sight, out of mind, right?? stuff was EVERYWHERE. i woke up on new year’s day stressed out but determined to get started on one of my yearly resolutions- simplify ALL THE THINGS. 

i decided to spend the first day of 2012 organizing and de-cluttering madeline and charlie’s room. i also wanted to continue working on making their shared nursery a little more gender neutral. charlie sleeps next to us in our room but we keep all of his clothes, blankets, and toys in their room.

i love a good before & after photo set, so here are a few that i took on my cell phone that day:

have you ever heard of eloise wilkin? i gave madeline a collection of eloise wilkin stories for christmas and we haven’t put the book down since. the stories are simple and endearing, reminiscent of the books my parents read to me as a child. i adore the artwork too and i’m hoping to purchase some of her prints for the nursery soon.

we also cherish our PK Hallinan collection. i know i’ve mentioned these books on here before- tj maxx and marshalls always have a few of his books in stock at a great discount. be sure to check ‘em out if you haven’t already. 

hey buddy! this little cutie woke up from his nap and decided to join us on the nursery tour.

my very helpful assistants and i took a break for a bit to play with the abby & emma magnetic dress up set madeline recently received from her aunt deb & cousin jack. i wasn’t sure how well she would do with these and thought i would have to put this gift away until later this year, but she knows exactly what to do! she’s such a fantastic little stylist and very opinionated- “no mommy, SHOES! no boots. shoes with knee socks!”. she’ll totally call me out if something doesn’t look good. hilarious. 

i love this activity because it’s something we can do together and it keeps her entertained for more than 15 min. ((that’s like, 3 hrs in toddler time))

madeline’s first authentic pair of cowboy boots purchased in austin, tx; a french children’s album; custom made wooden blocks that were gifted to us just after charlie was born. 

these blocks are really cool- you can order them for your loved one here.

by the time i was done with the room re-do, i had thrown away 3 bags of trash and set aside 5 huge bags to donate (part of our 1 good deed a week resolution, but that’s a topic for another post). and as for the stuff i decided to keep? let me introduce you to what i like to call my monica geller closets: 

hot mess, right?!?! there’s a method to my madness, i swear! i even designated the bottom half of one of the closets to new toys. whenever we’re bored and stuck inside, we’ll head over to the closet and pull out something new and fun to play with. fingers crossed this works- it’s been really cold and windy these past few days and i have a feeling this winter is going to be brutal.  

a mother’s work is never done though! i’m now logging off to tackle the laundry room- madeline’s been sick for the past 4 days and there isn’t a clean bed sheet or blanket in sight… wish me luck!

xo

lindsay