In May I was lucky enough to have the most beautiful baby shower. The party featured tons of green and white, lots of succulents and of course some pretty amazing food. The best part however was spending a few hours connecting with other women about life and motherhood while celebrating my third and final baby.
My friend Jenni is a party planner extraordinaire and she put designed and but together the most perfect succulent baby shower along with the help of Lisa.
One of the big features of the party was the create your own terrarium station. This was such a fun activity and what a wonderful gift to send home with guests! I’d share my terrarium with you but I have to say my black thumb shows even though I had easy directions to follow. That hasn’t stopped me from displaying it in my living room because it brings me so much joy to walk past it everyday and be reminded of this special day.
While Jenni designed the party Lisa was so gracious and catered the entire shower which included this amazing DIY Avocado Toast Bar and an amazing Vegan Cheese Board. The delicious food didn’t end there however we also had vegan chicken and waffles and a platter of veggies with Toby’s Tofu Spread.
While all I really wanted this shower to be was a time to celebrate this baby and pregnancy Edith was pretty thrilled that gifts were also involved and she was thrilled to help open them. We were beyond spoiled by these lovely ladies and can’t wait for baby #3 to arrive so we can use everything.
A huge thank you to all the lovely ladies who were able to attend my shower and of course extra thanks to Jenni and Lisa who took time to plan, prepare and put on this amazing day.
Motherhood is rewarding, enlightening, fulfilling, and just overall incredible however it can also be lonely, isolating, challenging, frustrating and overwhelming. I entered motherhood with my husband by my side but without a strong group of mothers around me. I was the first of my close friends to get married and have children and while becoming a mother was incredible and I was thrilled those lonely, isolating, overwhelming feelings easily took over.
For me moving to Portland was such a shift and really helped to change my perspective in life and motherhood. I was forced to seek out opportunities to meet new people and when you have a 6 month old that means moms groups. I met other women just like me, new to motherhood and just trying to make our way through. I became more confident as a mother and as person and began to seek out more opportunities to meet people and that’s when I found Portland Bloggers and met some amazing creatives many of whom are women and many who are also navigating motherhood while following their passions. —
As I enter motherhood for the third time I am feeling anxious as we add another little human to our family but I am also comforted knowing that I have an amazing community here in Portland. I was reminded just how supported and lucky I am this past May when my girlfriends through an incredible succulent themed baby shower for me. It was more than I could have ever expected and it left me feeling so full of love, life and light. This baby will be entering the world filled with so much love and I feel that this time around (the last time around) I will also be entering motherhood with the love and support that I desired all those years ago.
I don’t know how it happened so fast but this last pregnancy is coming to it’s end and I am feeling the push to get things ready for this little ones arrival. My pregnancy with Edith had me preparing months in advance and anxiously waiting her arrival. The weeks ticked by so slowly and by the end we had our short list of names picked, the nursery furnished and decorated, and a stocked fridge and pantry ready for her to arrive at any moment.
With Alder we were way more relaxed but again prepared with the things we needed for his arrival Earth side and meals were prepared in the fridge and we had a line up of a few friends who offered to bring by meals.
This time around however we have two very lengthy lists of baby names, our small home never seems to stay clean and “ready” for the baby (because we all know the baby cares), and overall I just feel a bit anxious (and of course excited) about this babes arrival.
To help ease the anxiety I have created a list of things still to do to prepare for this babes arrival.
Stock My Pantry
Fill with nutritious snacks and easy to make meal ideas for postpartum and for my husband and littles.
Make a batch of granola.
Organize teas and infusions from The First 40 Days into jars (also buy jars and ingredients for infusions).
Prepare labor aid beverages.
Have easy snacks and meals prepared for birth (we are doing a home birth so food that is easy for my littles, husband and midwives to each).
Fill My Freezer
Batch cook broths, soups and hearty stews. <– this one I can almost check off! Today I made immune boosting broth, a kabocha red lentil soup and a batch of quinoa and green lentils that I will cook up with some broth to make a porridge.
Put together some healthy freezer meals for the family like these dairy free stuffed shells that have become a postpartum freezer essential over the years.
Put together easy lunch and dinner meal ideas for my husband
Get this baby to flip —> chiro, acupuncture, spinning babies (taking suggestions)
Create My Nest (aka get our room ready for baby)
Ask Yourself: What do we need for the space(s) in our home to be comfortable?
At 8 months pregnant snacking is an essential to my everyday life. Things are getting really crowded which means those big meals I once preferred have turned into small meals with snacks in between. I always have to have a snack on hand because if I don’t this mama gets hangry real fast and you don’t want to be caught in cross hairs (just ask my husband). So what snacks have been keeping me happy and satisfied right now? Keep reading to find out.
Simple Mills Crackers. I am telling you friends that these crackers are addictive. I have been ordering them off Thrive Market* for months now and my family and I go through them as soon as they show up at my door. Luckily I just found the mega boxes of them at our local Costco so instead we can go through one club sized box in a day instead of one of those tiny regular size boxes. Kombucha. My first pregnancy I was far too worrisome to indulge in kombucha but this third time around it’s a staple. It satisfies my desire for a special effervescent drink and it also helps keep my digestion in check. Don’t worry I rarely drink an entire bottle because I have two small children who are addicted to kombucha and like to “help me” drink it whenever I open a bottle.
Chocolate. When I speak of chocolate though it’s not just any chocolate it has to be Hu or eatingEvolved. These chocolates are both paleo and vegan and don’t contain all those extras that you just don’t need. I purchase both on Thrive Market because it’s the best deal that I have found and while the Hu can be a little pricey anyone who has had it will tell you it’s worth it.
Goodbites Date Cookies. No surprise here another Thrive Market find and no I’m not sponsored by them I bought my own membership and I shop via their site regularly because I find that it has the best prices and it’s delivered straight to my door. Anyways back to the cookies. These little date cookies are another household favorite and the best part these little treats are raw, organic, vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO. Based on all of those details they really shouldn’t taste as good as they do but they are delicious.
Better Beans (on toast). If you were to ask me what my one pregnancy craving is this time around it is beans on toast. Specifically Better Beans and even more specifically the Skillet Refried Red Beans. I had a very similar craving when I was pregnant with Edith however it was beans on brown rice tortillas with Vegenaise. I don’t know what it is but I could eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner (and have been known to).
What are your favorite snacks right now? Are you a sweet snacker or a savory? In general will gravitated towards savory foods but I do love a piece or five of some really delicious dark chocolate.
*This post is NOT sponsored however it does contain affiliate links where (*) are indicated.
Doing: Cleaning. Call it early nesting or just an a lack of keeping up on household chores but I feel like I spend most of my time purging and cleaning our house. We have a tiny house and with two kids I feel like we just keep accumulating more things without letting go of things. I recently went through boxes of kids clothes and shoes that I had been holding on to simple out of laziness. Finally I set up a consignment appointment and was able to get rid of a bunch of things and the remainder is being donated along with a massive amount of my old clothes that are either too worn or I just know I won’t be wearing in the near future when considering pregnancy and postpartum time.
I must be doing other things than cleaning though right? I have a really great and FREE Essential Oils for Pregnancy, Postpartum and Babies that starts next week (pssst there is still time to join us) and I am working on a Spring Detox starting the first week of April – I’ll share more when I create the group.
In other ‘doing’ news we went to Seattle for Neil’s birthday at the start of January and then we went to Vermont to visit family at the end of January. As for February the month just flew by and was mostly spent catching up on life after the holidays and all the snow that literally shut down Portland.
Thinking about: I am constantly thinking about all the things I want to get done before this baby arrives. I’m also thinking about what we need for when this baby arrives because after Alder was born we had decided on having no more children so we sold everything and now all we have is a carseat and a few swaddle blankets. I know babies don’t need a lot but for us we would like to get a nice reclining rocking chair, a bassinet, a new stock of cloth diapers and eventually we will need to figure out clothes for this baby. I (of course) want a new wrap and ring sling – what can I say it’s the babywearing educator in me and knowing that I will be wearing this baby most of the time. Comment below if you have suggestions for newborn products.
Watching: Moana. We took the kids to see Moana as their first theater movie when we were in Vermont and since then we have been watching it at home at least every twice per week and when we aren’t we are listening to the soundtrack. I have to say I would watch this movie and listen to the soundtrack even if we didn’t have littles – it is just so good. I also re-watched/finished Haven on Netflix and Neil and I have been watching Top Chef and This is Us on the weekends. What have you been watching? Any suggestions?
Looking forward to: I am looking forward to this weekend. We have no major plans except Edith’s ballet class and doing a big declutter dump, recycle and donation drop off. Otherwise we are just enjoying the weekend and I’m hoping I can get a bit more organizing done and some work. I am also looking forward to having a mama’s night out to see Matilda at Keller Auditorium. Apparently it is “The best musical since The Lion King” according to TIME Magazine. I have seen broadway production of The Lion King and it was pretty amazing so I am hoping that this lives up to TIME Magazines claim. For those of you who are in Portland the show is running 2/28-03/05 if you want to check it out for yourself.
Reading: I have been reading Essential Oils for Pregnancy, Birth & Babies by Stephanie Fritz aka The Essential Midwife. This book has been one of the resources for my upcoming class series and I have been reading it for my own pregnancy since this is my first really using essential oils. Otherwise my reading has been limited to kids books but I am taking suggestions if you have any.
Loving: Hu Chocolate that I buy off Thrive Market because it is the best deal and the best chocolate I have ever had.I could probably do an entire post on my favorite food items right now – would that be of interest to you? Not food related I have been loving my snoogle and eye mask because without them I don’t think I could sleep. Urban Oreganics Baby Balm that Neil got be for Christmas. This baby balm is wonderful for babies but also expecting mamas and really anyone who could use a really wonderful moisturizing balm. I use mine on my stomach post-shower to help with stretch marks and to soothe my itchy belly.
What are you currently doing, thinking about, watching, looking forward to, reading and/or loving?
This past Saturday Neil and I headed to Float On, a sensory deprivation float tank center here in SE Portland, for our very first floating experience. I’ll admit I was pretty excited but I also was feeling pretty anxious as well. The thought of closing myself in a tank, in the dark and just floating there really freaked me out however the benefits which include deep relaxation, stress & pain relief where pretty enticing.
Once we arrived I tried to calm my nerves by reading the Beginners Guide to Floating over and over but after the fifth time I was just making myself more anxious. So I put it down, grabbed a cup of herbal tea (caffeine is not recommended 4-6 hours before floating) and just tried to relax until it was time to float. Once it was time to float Neil and I were given a little tour of the float rooms. We had rooms 1 and 2– the ocean float rooms which are taller and have a light as well. Neil was lucky and got room #2 the room with the star lights on the ceiling of the tank (see photo below).
Once we were walked through the steps of floating and I realized just how in control of the situation I was I began to feel less anxious. It also helped when I found out the float tank only contained around a foot of water.
Now it’s time to actually float. I put in my ear plugs which transported me back to my childhood when I had tubes and had to wear ear plugs to swim. Anyways moving on.
I showered (check out the lighted shower) and then it was time to hop into the tank. I chose to bring in the neck noodle just in case I wanted to use it to support my neck (and I did).
photo credit http://floathq.com/
I climbed into the tank, closed the door, took a deep breath and turned out the light. I instantly felt super relaxed just floating there. Neil and I both agreed that while floating we felt both heavy and weightless at the same time. Being in the dark wasn’t strange at all, I actually found it completely relaxing and it wasn’t until I started feeling a little stuffy that I really noticed that I was closed in; you really just lose all sense of space. When I started to feel a little stuffy I felt around, grabbed the handle and popped open the door just a crack to let in a whoosh of cool air.
photo credit https://www.facebook.com/floatHQ
So what did I do while I floated? Nothing really. I just floated and I spent some time focusing on my breath. I actually thought that I would spend a lot of time thinking and brainstorming but instead my mind just calmed down and I really didn’t think about much at all. I just completely relaxed. I thought I might fall asleep as well but I didn’t, I just floated there with my eyes wide open until it was time to get out.
As I said above you lose all sense of space (unless you drift towards a wall and touch it) and you also lose all sense of time. I will admit I started to feel a little bit anxious towards the end because my life seems to revolve around the clock. I start my morning trying to help Neil get out of the house in time for work and then the day revolves around nap times and meal times so not knowing how much longer I had made me want to jump out and check my phone -and I almost did. It wasn’t because I wanted to be done but rather because I had no idea how much time had passed. In the end I didn’t jump out to check my phone because seconds later the music came on signaling that my float was over and it was time to get out, shower and be on my way.
The above photo is a perfect image of blissed out Neil. Seriously we both left in a positive state of mind. We were relaxed and just felt absolutely amazing.
Would I float again? YES! I would definitely float again and I think that the next time I will most likely be even more relaxed because all of those (silly) little anxieties I had won’t be there. I think knowing that I could get out of the tank whenever I felt the need (ie. just feeling uneasy, needing to go to the bathroom, get a drink of water, ect.) really made me feel in control and okay to do the float. Once I actually started the float I was kicking myself for not trying it sooner, especially when I was pregnant. I mean seriously what could be better than essentially feeling weightless while pregnant. Plus I truly believe water is a magical thing that just makes life better.
After floating I was thinking about how often I turn to water for therapeutic reasons for myself. I take a shower when I am feeling anxious or frustrated or a bath when I am feeling sore or just need to relax. I give the kids a bath or we do some sort of water play when they are cranky. So really floating is just another level of these things and when I think about it that way it makes so much sense to me why people love to do it.
Have you ever tried floating? Would you like to?
*Disclaimer: Float On provided Neil and I with free floats. I was not required to write a positive review and I received no compensation for this post.
I have always been interested in skin care products and make up but I really have never taken anytime to learn more and try products. I basically only use a shampoo/body wash combo, conditioner, deodorant (sometimes- hey just being honest) and when my skin is really dried out I might use a lotion but usually I just end up using a sample when I’m out at a store. I also have a little bit of make up but rarely wear it.
I know from the list above it would seem that I don’t really care about taking care of my skin and hair or taking time to put myself together. The thing is I DO want to take better care of hair and skin and look more put together but I honestly haven’t wanted to spend the money to invest in it, especially when I feel like I don’t know where to start. That’s where Mamamio Skincare comes in; they generously sent me a variety of samples of their pregnancy/postpartum skincare products and I’m ready to take on the challenge of using them.
As part of my Body After Baby journey I really want to take back myself. I want to not only feel healthy but I want to look healthy and put together. I know that being a mom doesn’t mean I have to look like a slob and that doing a few simple things for myself every day like washing my face (yeah I’m terrible and only wash my face in the shower which is like 3-4 days per week), put on a little lotion and/or body oil and also put on a little bit of make up (don’t worry I’m not going to crazy I’m talking just a little foundation, blush, mascara and lip gloss) is going to make me feel better. I think it will also make me feel more productive during the day and motivated to keep taking care of myself.
Today was the first day I used any of the Mamamio Skincare products and after washing my face, putting on some of the Tummy Rub Oil and Goodbye Stretch Mark Lotion I am already feeling a little better and I haven’t even gotten dressed yet. I need to remind myself that I do have 5-10 minutes per day to do a few little things like this for myself. If I feel good then I can be more focused and productive during the day and that’s better for me, my children and my husband. So I am here to say that I am challenging myself to 30 days of using these products and I will report back at the end of the month about how I feel. Also just for fun I’ll be doing a little giveaway of a few Mamamio Skincare products over on Naturally Family; you can check out the giveaway items over on the NF Instagram account.
What are your favorite skincare products? What is your beauty routine like? Any tips?
One of the big features of the party was the create your own terrarium station. This was such a fun activity and what a wonderful gift to send home with guests! I’d share my terrarium with you but I have to say my black thumb shows even though I had easy directions to follow. That hasn’t stopped me from displaying it in my living room because it brings me so much joy to walk past it everyday and be reminded of this special day.
Kombucha. My first pregnancy I was far too worrisome to indulge in kombucha but this third time around it’s a staple. It satisfies my desire for a special effervescent drink and it also helps keep my digestion in check. Don’t worry I rarely drink an entire bottle because I have two small children who are addicted to kombucha and like to “help me” drink it whenever I open a bottle. 
Once we arrived I tried to calm my nerves by reading the 
Once it was time to float Neil and I were given a little tour of the float rooms. We had 
