if you followed along to my monthly challenges series last year, for each month of last year (I started in March 2018), I set a monthly challenge, where I practiced something new for the entire month (about 30 days). I didn’t want to preselect all the challenges for the entire year, because I’m always changing and there are always areas of my life that change and some need more help than others at certain times. ranging from taking daily walks outside to reducing my paper towel usage, I set a challenge and did my best to stick to it. It was a great way to stay focused on a particular goal and it was attainable, as it was on a...
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It all started with a shower.
Seriously. It did. But first, let me talk about what we were going through with Luca before we trained him off cosleeping.
Luca's sleep story
Luca started off a great sleeper - on his own, he started sleeping through the night by 9 weeks, from 7pm to 7am. We thought we were the luckiest parents ever! Then, around 6 months, he started teething real badly and would wake up all night. The only thing that would work was nursing him in the middle of the night. Instead of sitting in the rocking chair a la the newborn days, I took him into bed and side-lay nursed him and we'd all fall asleep peacefully until 6:30am. And then,...
Continue reading surprise, surprise, we're pregnant (again)! as one of three children in my family and for Lu, as one of four children in his family, we always knew we wanted more than one child, if we were blessed enough. how many children? let's get through #2 and see how it goes!
most of my friends who have more than two children say that going from 1 to 2 is much harder than going from 2 to 3 or even 3 to 4. they say you go from knowing how to handle a child and you've nailed down your routine and schedule and then the new baby just throws everyone for a loop. we're definitely nervous, but like with the first baby, we're...
Continue reading Well, technically, he's not 15 months old yet - he'll be 15 months on Christmas day!
My husband and I debated whether or not to even get Luca Christmas gifts (especially after reading this.) He has so much already, and the last thing he really needs is more toys! But, alas, we are having two Christmas celebrations - one in New Jersey at my apartment and one at my parents' home, where we'll all actually be for Christmas. Since Luca actually loves unwrapping things and general excitement, we couldn't resist getting him a few gifts.
When thinking about what to get him, I tried to think of development toys, toys he plays with when he's not at home and loves (like at...
Continue reading When Luca was 5 months old, I decided it was time to go back to work full-time and so we hired a nanny (more on how we found her and our thoughts on the whole thing, here and our 3-month nanny update, here.) Our nanny has become a part of our family, and I couldn't imagine life without her! She's amazing with Luca, reliable, trustworthy, dependable, understanding, and has honestly helped me through many stages of infancy and toddlerhood with her expertise (not only having 3 children herself - including twins!, but having nanny-ed for several other families, she has a lot of experience.)
Finding the balance between working full-time at home and having a nanny at home definitely has its challenges,...
Continue reading for each month of this year (I started in March), I'm going to be doing a monthly challenge, where I practice something NEW for the entire month (about 30 days). I didn't want to preselect all the challenges for the entire year, because I'm always changing and there are always areas of my life that change and some need more help than others at certain times.
let's start with a recap of the last month and then get into this month's challenge!
november's challenge: recap
november's challenge was to say goodbye to desserts/sweets until Thanksgiving. I "cheated" on this challenge twice - once I stress ate a box of cookies and the other time was while on vacation in Turks & Caicos with...
Continue reading When Luca was born, there was a bit of a September heat wave and it was really warm. I remember planning his delivery month thinking, "New Jersey weather is unpredictable, it could be in the 50s!" Well, it was warm, but I still prepared with winter gear on my baby registry and got all the necessities for bundling him up over the wintertime (and just in case it was chilly when he was born.)
For most of his infancy, he was in the cold weather. By the time we got out of the thick of winter, he was about 6-7 months old and by then, I knew how to bundle up my little bundle of joy! And now, as we head...
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It's that time of year - gifting season! Whether you're gifting something tangible (like a present!) or gifting an experience (like a trip!) or just gifting love, it's such a fun time of year to show your appreciation for your loved ones. To make that process a bit easier on you, I've made a gift guide for the man and the woman in your life (although both men and women could use a little bit of each!) Happy holiday shopping!
Holiday Gift Guide For Her
1. Diffuser: who doesn't need a little more zen in their life? I have this diffuser and love it. You could even gift the diffuser with a couple of essential oils to get her started.
2. Pom pom...
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for each month of this year (I started in March), I'm going to be doing a monthly challenge, where I practice something NEW for the entire month (about 30 days). I didn't want to preselect all the challenges for the entire year, because I'm always changing and there are always areas of my life that change and some need more help than others at certain times.
let's start with a recap of the last month and then get into this month's challenge!
october's challenge: recap
october's challenge was to set myself up for success in the morning by keeping the living space (living room, kitchen area, etc) clean and ready for a new day. that meant doing all the dishes, clearing the clutter,...
Continue reading when we were nearing Luca's first birthday, my husband and I decided that for the first time ever, we'd take a trip just the two of us, without the baby. for some reason, with Luca being 1, we felt ready. a month after Luca turned 1, was Lu's 40th birthday, so we wanted to do something new - go on an adventure! we're such beach vacationers (we've done most of the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Bermuda, etc) that we wanted something different. something new - something to discover together!
as a mother to a 13 month old and entrepreneur (and wife of an entrepreneur), getting to take long vacations is tough. Lu's birthday falls right before Thanksgiving and Christmas, so we couldn't...
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