Mommy Must Haves: January Favorites

January is half-way over. Crazy! I've been super busy. Doing things like wiping snot, cleaning R's behind (at least it's a pretty cute behind), and slamming back peanut butter M&Ms. Just keeping the dream alive. Oh, and also working at my real job and doing some of my "own work." Most recently, I've done a few party invitations and some birthday banners for friends. I'm always adding things to my Etsy shop too, although I have not listed invitations on there just yet. I'm still trying to decide if I want to have to deal with the general population concerning invitations...Kidding! I'm sure most of you are the nicest people ever. In all seriousness, I really have conversed with some of the NICEST people on Etsy. It's a great little community of shoppers. Do let me know if you have something coming up and have paper needs. I can usually accommodate a quick turnaround. Seems like it's how I work best!

On to my January must-haves! This list came to me really easily this month, I even have a few things I'm saving for February...

Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs- OK so I am not tan. That's actually putting it mildly. I'm the opposite. I am pale. Snowflake-ish if you will. What's not fun for the snowflake girls is wearing a short skirt with no tights in January. Unless you have Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs. My girl Sally does it again with this awesome product. Just spray a little of this in your hand, then rub it onto your leg. Repeat until you aren't as snowflake-ish. You aren't going to look like you just returned from Barbados, but you will, however, have a nice glow a shade or two darker than you really are. I use the lightest version they make (light glow for fair skin tones) so as not to look spray-tanned orange. Remember mystic tan? If you aren't as pale as me, knock yourself out with Sally's medium or tan glows.

PJ Salvage Flannel Pajamas- Who doesn't love flannel? Sexy, right? I don't care. I am obsessing lately. I still can't get enough of my favorite Land's End flannel shirts and now I'm loving these PJs. Flannel feels so right on a cold January night. This brand has tons of cute patterns and their jammies are oh-so-soft.

eos Lip Balm- Nothing like the dead of winter to bring out the best in your lips. I am a lip balm addict and this is the best lip balm ever. There are tons of fun flavors and my current favorite is strawberry sorbet. It's sitting on my nightstand as we speak. I may or may not apply it 500 times before bed. The containers are cute little spheres with tops that twist on and off.

Essie nail polish in "Penny Talk"- I am still continuing my venture exploring new nail polish colors. I have been testing out lots of metallic shades lately and this is my hands-down favorite so far. It's a coppery-gold shade, and it doesn't have a streaky look like lots of metallic polishes do after being applied. And guess what the best thing about it is? It gets the job done in ONE coat. HOLLA. Ain't nobody got time for three coats of polish plus dry time. Not people with kids who need butt-wiping anyway.

Hope your January is spectacular in every way!

Baby Must Haves: Month Ten

Ten months have flown by since little R joined the Lombardi party. I'm already planning the big first birthday. Crazy. Here are our ten-month baby must haves!

Fisher Price Walker Toys - These are a blessing and a curse. Robby LOVES it. It is a total trip for me to see him walking with it. He kind of looks like a slow 85-year-old man cruising with his walker. Where did my baby go? I feel like he'll be moving out tomorrow....or worse, bringing home a girlfriend.....NOOOOOOO! Anyway, the only minor problem is this walker does increase the bruise rate going on at our house. Sometimes R gets a little industrious and starts running behind this thing which usually ends in a fall. I still think it's a must have! #anythingtobuymetenminutes

Aden and Anais Sleep Sacks - I love the idea of Robby cuddling up under blankets and having a peaceful night's sleep. However, he moves allllll over the place in his crib and blankets would never stay on him. Sleep sacks stay in place and keep him snug as a bug til morning (which is hopefully post 6:00 am). We tried to go without the sleep sack altogether and just put him down in footed jammies but he started waking up at 5:00 am.....I researched this on google (duh), and there is a little phenomenon known as a "temperature drop" around 4 am, causing some babies to wake up cold. Back to the sleep sack and more sleep. Yay!

Tommee Tippee Rubber Bibs - I love everything about these. It's so nice to be able to just throw them in the sink and rinse them off. Ten-month olds make a HUGE mess when they eat. Like ENORMOUS mess. This whole learning to self-feed thing is kinda painful for me to watch....lots of food ends up NOT being eaten. Actually, is he even eating at all? His belly certainly says so. These bibs have little pouches on them that catch lots of the falling food, which helps with clean-up. You can always find them on Amazon, and usually at Target.

Keter Baby Bath Tub Ring Seat - Robby is totally cray in the tub. (I know I just said "cray" and that I am over 30 and apparently should not use that word anymore according to an article on facebook but I really want to). If we did not have this tub seat, I am not sure how in the world we would give him a bath....It contains him and forces him to be somewhat still so we can clean him. And he really needs his bath these days so thank goodness for this. Boys are messy.

Ten months is a fun age. But it's very busy, I tell you. Robby's new favorite foods include tiny pieces of ham, turkey, and cheese. And don't get me started on Cheerios. The kid loves carbs and I think if I let him, he would only eat Cheerios. He is refusing to let me feed him with a spoon a lot of the time. He wants to do it himself now....Oy. Let's hope he remembers that mommy is in charge. I somehow feel that we are already in a losing battle on this...

Robby loves anything that makes noise. The more obnoxious the better. Favorite games are beating on anything and everything while screaming about it, licking the dishwasher, and hoarding kitchen utensils and tupperware with the rest of his toys. I had been wondering where my favorite spatula was....in the toy box, duh.

Happy Thursday everyone!

Our Christmas...and an Apple Dumpling Recipe!

We had so much fun over the Holidays this year. I had more fun watching Robby rip up the wrapping paper on his gifts than I did opening any of mine. Here's a little photo montage of how we spent Christmas!

It's safe to say we had a great time. We must have had too much fun and too little sleep though because shortly after Christmas, all three of us came down with 10-day long colds. Hello, DayQuil Severe. Hello, snotty Robby waking up at 5 am. Goodbye, my old friend sleep. Fun times! Hope your Holiday was filled with wellness!

Here is the Apple Dumpling recipe I made on Christmas Day. One of the ingredients may surprise you, but I guarantee you that it is DELICIOUS. You would never guess what's in there!

Apple Dumplings

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into wedges *Each apple should make 8 wedges

2 cans Crescent rolls *Have you noticed I love crescent rolls?

2 sticks butter, melted

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/4 cup Mountain Dew *I KNOW....but just try it. You won't be sorry, I promise!

• Preheat oven to 350. Unroll crescent rolls and separate into triangles. 
• Place two apple wedges on each triangle and roll to enclose the apples. Place in a greased 9x13 pan.
• Mix butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the rolls. 
• Add the Mountain Dew to the pan. 
• Bake for 40 minutes. Smell the goodness as it bakes.
• Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream. Try not to eat the whole pan in one sitting....it's really hard.

Baby Must Haves: Month Nine

Robby turned 9 months old on December 9! We have been having the most fun lately. I can see his little world opening up and he understands so much more now. I'm getting the best work out ever chasing him around the house. He crawls so fast. His favorite thing to do is look for cords to pull on. I am not sure what to do about this. Are we not supposed to have lamps? Sigh.

Childproofing the house kind of makes me cringe. I totally said I wouldn't change my house for kids (I love all things home decor), but I am slowly realizing that if I don't want to have to keep my eyes on him every second of every day, I am going to have to make some small changes. So basically a little childproofing = a lot more freedom for me. For now, I have only moved one glass side table out of the living room. Robby loves that glass table like he loves food. I may as well not buy him toys because he is a fan of glass tables, electrical cords and outlets, and kitchen utensils. Our pediatrician told us not to worry too much about outlets because your child would basically have to be standing in a puddle of water while sticking a metal fork into the outlet exactly right for something terrible to happen. I just love him. I did, however, still place outlet covers around the house. I have not, however, put up gates on our stairs yet.......#badmom  It's on the to-do list.

Here are our baby must haves for month nine!

California Baby Eczema Cream - This has been a lifesaver. About a month ago, Robby started getting the WORST dry skin. It turned into little red patches all over his back and tummy. I though he was dying of some rare disease (dramatic, much?).....turns out, it was Eczema. This cream is so awesome. It reduced the redness almost immediately and smells heavenly.

Baby Motrin - Robby cut two teeth a few days before he turned 9 months old. It was a brutal week. Motrin really helped him us get some sleep at night. Babies can't have Motrin until they are 6 months old, and it works so much better than Tylenol. It also lasts longer which usually equals more sleep. Yay! You know how I need my sleep...the hubs REALLY knows.

Graco Pack 'n Play - This truly is a must have these days. If I have to leave my kind-of-un-child-proofed living room for more than a minute, I stick Robby in his Pack 'n Play. He doesn't love it but I know he'll be safe in there. It's also great for taking a shower. Or for having to go into the kitchen to open a bottle of wine. Safety first!

Diaper Booster Pads - This one is weird but trust me, if you have what is known as a heavy wetter, you need these. I hear this is more of a problem with little boys than with little girls. Once Robby started sleeping all night, his diaper leaked sometimes. Then, if he woke up, he was pissed. Literally. I can't imagine it feels great to be laying on a cold, wet, sheet. I found these diaper pads on Amazon and they have worked SO well. You just stick them down the middle of the diaper and they create an extra absorbency layer. We only use them at night. They could probably come in handy if you know you won't be able to change a diaper in the daytime for a long period of time - maybe a road trip or something. Or maybe just if you're lazy. When Robby is older, I am sure his Dad is going to tell him he once wore women's maxi pads. Poor kid.

That's it for month nine!  I'll leave you with some nine-month photos and a little nine-month update on Mr. Robby for those who care.

As stated above, playing with electrical cords and kitchen utensils are favorite pastimes of Mr. R these days. Bath time is always fun, as is eating. Specifically, R still loves bananas. Puffs are also a fave, although half of them end up on the floor. Other yummy things R loves eating are shreds of chicken, applesauce, and sweet potatoes.

Robby wants to stand all the time now. He crawls all over the place looking for things he can pull up on. He took his first few steps with the assistance of his Fisher Price walker toy on Christmas Day. He crawled right up to it, grabbed the handle to stand up, and started walking. I feel like I may have an early walker on my hands! Yikes.

He is really busy. All.the.time. Is this all nine-month olds or just my baby?.....He has also become way more verbal than in the past. We hear lots of "Dada" and only sometimes "Mama" around here. Tear. Surely he will learn who is more important soon. ;)

Things that do NOT go over well at our house are diaper changes, rubbing R's face with Aquaphor, and taking things away from him. I wish I could reason with him and just explain why he can't chew on electrical cords. Why are they so much more inviting than his actual teethers? This brings an idea to mind....perhaps I should invent a teether that looks exactly like an electrical cord but would somehow be safe and not a strangulation hazard. Why are there so many hazards? Ugh. I'd buy almost anything to keep R busy so I can, you know, watch Real Housewives and shop on Amazon all day. Kidding. Kind of.

Hope everyone had a great holiday. Our Christmas recap and some yummy recipes are coming soon!

December Around My House: A Winter Storm, Christmas Decorations, and Chicken Noodle Soup

It's been a winter wonderland here this past week! Only in Texas can it be 80 degrees one day and drop to 20 degrees the next. Seeing white outside my window has me feeling totally festive and craving all things terrible for me. Hot chocolate. Cookies. Rice Krispie treats. #imstarving Why does cold weather make one hungry? Oh, I know. Because you're stuck in your house and food cures boredom. Oh well. 'Tis the Season!

I've been busy decorating for Christmas. I still wouldn't say I'm done but I've accomplished a lot. Being iced in for three days really helped my wine intake production level.....Merry Merry!

We kicked off the winter storm warning with some homemade chicken noodle soup. The hubs made it home just as the sleet/ice/snow/stuff started falling. Isn't R's little bowl of soup adorable? Let's be honest, he spilled it everywhere and only ate two bites of very mashed up chicken but I simply needed to see this most cutest ever tiny bowl of soup. I had to do it. #whatamess

Our roads remained icy for most of three days, during which we stayed in our PJs, worked from home (kind of), went "sledding" with friends, and helped people get their cars unstuck in front of our house. This was some thick ice. The neighborhood was pretty much an ice-skating rink. It had me totally wishing I had a pair of ice skates in my closet. Would have been SO.FUN! My fourth-grade ice-skating lessons could have been put to good use at last.

When we weren't busy laying around working, I got out our Christmas stuff. Most of it is stuff from last year, plus some new plaid ribbon I found. I wish it was Christmas all year. The thought of having to take this down in January makes me sad already!

Hope you are loving your December! Here's the recipe for the soup I made - just a good, basic chicken noodle soup. Delicious on a cold day.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

1 pound chicken breasts, uncooked
4 cups water
4 cups chicken stock
1 can cream of chicken
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
salt/pepper to taste
1 10-ounce bag frozen corn
2 cups egg noodles

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, and carrots for five minutes, or beginning to soften. Add garlic and saute a few minutes more. Add water, chicken stock, cream of chicken, chicken breasts, bay leaf, thyme, basil, salt & pepper, and corn to pot. Bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 30 minutes, or until chicken is done. Remove chicken, shred, and add back to pot. Add egg noodles to simmering soup and cook for about 8 more minutes. *You may need to add some water after putting the noodles in. I had to add about one cup.* Adjust seasonings to taste and enjoy!

Mommy Must Haves: December Favorites

Happy December! I'm sitting here inhaling the scent of my Winter candle from Bath and Body Works. The smell is DIVINE I tell you. It kinda creates that faux sensation that I'm relaxing in a cabin somewhere in Colorado watching the snow fall outside. But let's be clear. It's not just a cabin-y cabin. It's a cabin mansion with walls of windows and down feather comforters. And Nutella hot-chocolate. And Bailey's to go with said hot-chocolate. What a nice little escape. ;)

December is full of so many favorites that it was hard for me to narrow down the list. But I did it. Here are my December Mommy Must Haves!

Bath & Body Works White Barn Winter Candle - The smell is just divine. So wintery. So walk in the woods-y. So cabin in Colorado-y. Just get it. You'll love it! Christmas in a jar. MMMMM.

Land's End Flannel Tunics - These are Ah-MAZING. I was a little unsure when I ordered mine, but my love of Land's End shirts convinced me to go with it. I don't regret it. I'm thinking about getting the other colors and wearing them like every day. If you see me soon, I'll probably be wearing this. And I'm not apologizing for repeating.....Princess Kate repeats her favorite outfits, OK? Maybe not every day.

Boot Socks - SO much fun! These just add a touch of whimsy to your wardrobe. Great stocking stuffer idea. And I am really loving the product description they have for these on Amazon. PLEASE read it. Actually I'll just post it here for you. I think they consider these to be "leg warmers"......
     "A gorgeous soft leg warmer with classic cable knit design. Leg warmers used to be only used by dancers to keep their legs warm after stretching to prevent cramping. (HILARIOUS-do they really prevent cramping? I'm no dancer but I do get the occasional leg cramp....thank goodness I have these). Nowadays leg warmers are stylish and practical for anyone to use to keep warm. Girls can wear them over their stockings to keep warm on the way to school while business women can do the same on their way to work. It is easily removed and stored when you don't need it. Leg warmers have versatile functions and styles of use. You can use it as a leg warmer, pull up to thigh to keep it warm for slimmer adults or kids (bahaha! Someone please wear this as a thigh warmer and send me a pic), or even wear on arm as an arm warmer (WHAT?! EVEN better). For stylish looks you can push the leg warmer down to ankle for a scrunch sock look or over the top of your shoe and up your calf to create a boot look for your shoes, This is a great accessory to keep legs warm for girls and women of all ages during cool and cold weather. Available in various colors: White, Khaki, Gray and Black."

Please tell me you're laughing! I am. Order these at least on the premise of their creative description.

I am also LOVING these boot socks I found on Etsy. So cute with the ruffle detail.

Mario Badescu Super Collagen Mask - Bring the spa to your own bathroom! This face mask really does improve your skin's appearance and texture. It feels crazy after you've had it on for a few minutes. And by crazy I mean like someone has very very very tightly wrapped your face in saran wrap. But I think that just means its working. Leave it on for the full 20 minutes - you won't be disappointed. I've been loving this for a few months now but wanted to be sure it produced good results before sharing. Now if only I could figure out how to inject this stuff into my face. It does have collagen in it's name...Kidding!

I'm ALMOST done with Christmas decorations and hope to share later this week. Hope your Monday is mah-velous and your day is full of comfort and joy!

Baby Must Haves: Month Eight

Robby turned eight months old on November 9! We are getting closer to the one-year mark and I'm kind of freaking out. What happened to my teeny tiny baby? It's one of those best/worst at the same time kind of things. Best because you get (a little) more sleep as they get older and their little personalities evolve. Worst because you realize how fast time passes. Tear.

Here are our baby must haves for month eight!

• Nuby teething ring - Teething blows. This helps. Poor babies. Robby can be screaming bloody murder and this gets him calm immediately. He loves it! He also loves these that you can keep in the fridge.
• Sophie the Giraffe - Still loving Sophie. Not sure what it is about this toy but it is like baby crack. It's been a must have since about three months.
• Aden and Anais Security Blankets - We started letting Robby sleep with "lovies" when he was about 5 1/2 months old. He loves to rub these on his face while he sleeps. We put two in his crib, one at either end so he can always find one. They come in packs of two so it works out perfectly! Breathable, soft, hold up in the washer. Love them.
• Peg Perego Convertible Car Seat - We originally got the Britax Marathon for my car, which gets rave reviews but just didn't work out as our main car seat. The sides of the Marathon came up a little high which made it a huge pain to get Robby in and out of, especially in the rear-facing position. *By the way, how long are most people doing this rear-facing situation? I realize its all for safety but I can't wait until R can face the front. I think he'll be happier. With all the car seat rules, I feel like he may be in a car seat when I am dropping him off at school in 7th grade. That'll definitely get him some friends. Ha. I guess if all the other kids are doing it too, then we'll be ok. Come to think of it, I believe I may qualify to ride in a car seat. There is one out there, the Diono Radian that is built for occupants up to 120 pounds. (We also tried out the Radian but returned it. It was a BEAST! And I don't drive a Suburban, so it had to go). OK back to the Peg Perego. VERY easy to get R in and out. (lower sides), comfy, and easy to install. Made in Italy. Sleek-looking. Love those Italians. Pricey but worth the investment, considering how long they have to ride in a car seat.
• OXO Tot Sprout High Chair - We tried to get away with the Fisher-Price Space Saver chair and R hated it. He screamed every time I put him in it. This OXO chair is awesome. It looks modern and is a breeze to clean, which is always appreciated.
• Bag Balm - If your baby has had a bad case of diaper rash, I feel your pain. This stuff was apparently originally made to use on cow udders...but now has a cult following for diaper rash. (And after a little research I discovered that it is also a phenomenal moisturizer ladies). Slather it on baby's tiny hiney (or in R's case, large hiney), and see the results almost immediately. We were able to find it at a local mom and pop pharmacy in town, but you can always get it on Amazon.

Robby Eight-month Update

 Our little guy loves yogurt and bananas, taking baths, being outside, crawling around the house, and anything involving not being still.  Playing with Tupperware is a new favorite game. I keep saying I am going to get into a solid work out routine but chasing and carrying around all 21.8 pounds of him has proven to be pretty good exercise.

R is not a fan of most table foods yet. Except for ice cream. Don't judge. He hates anything involving being still. Diaper changes are like a wrestling match up in here. He's also not a fan of strangers getting up in his face at the grocery store.....sorry little old ladies. By the way, what is it about people that makes them think it is ok to TOUCH someone's child in public.....no wonder we have been sick. Ugh. #alwayscarryhandsanitizerwipes #OCDprobs

He drinks around 4 bottles a day with "food" three times in between his bottles. On a fussy day, sometimes we have to have 5 bottles. Fine by me if it makes him happy. Take that BabyWhisperer book! (Just kidding - I do actually give some credit to the Eat, Play, Sleep Routine and this book for helping us get Robby sleeping through the night). Most days he takes two naps that vary in length from 45 minutes to two hours. Let me tell you how I love those two hour nap days. I love them. I never let him sleep longer than that for fear he won't sleep well at night. And we simply must.sleep.at.night. He dropped his third nap about a month ago.

That about sums up month eight! My little turkey hopes you are all having the best November.