Welcome!
Full-time in-house counsel, married to my college sweetheart, raising our family in New England unfortunately many, many states away from family.
No mommy wine or coffee chats here, but I do love - in no particular order - chai lattes, children’s party planning, photography, memory making, bargain hunting with a mix of luxury, traveling (sun & sand preferred) and list-making. I'm managing a few schedules now that two of our cubs are in school and in activities and have busy weekends full of birthday parties and solo parenting often full weeks at a time. We also have one cub with a rare disease and one with food allergies so I'm managing that, too. You can understand how list-making made the list of something I love.
Thank you for being here and following along!
J.
Quick Links
Back to School
Easter Basket
Children's Parties
Creative Types
Future Paleontologists
Audiobooks
Gift Closet: School-aged Children 4+
Ocean & Shark Obsessed
Games
Builders
Other Favorites
Gift Closet:
Little Girls
2+ Years Old
Our youngest skipped right over all of the traditional baby toys (think: water mats, stacking cups, shakers, stand-up music tables) and jumped into a world of dinosaurs, sharks, trains, cars, magnetic tiles, and bikes.
In an effort to be fair (& part wishful thinking that this would eliminate sibling squabbles...),we tried to find toys for her that we didn't have with the boys, while avoiding duplicates of ones we have (except in a few cases where a set builds upon something we already had).
She also received a kitchen upgrade (linked in white but also available in a French-ish blue)! I had DIYed a hand-me-down and while it held up for over five years and two moves, the 'marble' backsplash was coming down & the particle board supports were crumbling.
This list is a compilation of gifts we've found that hold her attention & she loves. Happy Gifting!
The Mini Collection
Minis. Travel-sized. Fun-sized. Child-sized. Convenience items.
Whatever you call them, I find myself gravitating toward these smaller items. Admittedly, I'm willing to pay a bit more per unit because I don't want to trade my time or energy for inconvenience.
What made the cut for this edition of the The Mini Collection:
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La Roche-Posay Hand Cream. Keep in car and apply while waiting in the pick up line.
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Owala 14oz. h20 Bottle. Save yourself the wrinkles, Stanley fans (Stans?). I have a larger one for home use, but this smaller size is A+.
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Collapsible Beach Buckets. Yes. Yes. Standard size that converts to a mini. No one fights. We take on every single beach trip with us.
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Travel Tide Sink Packets. Accidents Happen. Have used frequently while on vacations w/o access to a washing machine. No leaking!
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Pre-dosed antihistamines. For when you don't want or need to pack the entire medicine bottle.
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Insulated Medicine Travel Case. We can fit two sets of Epi Pens. I store other first aid supplies in it as well (see above) & it becomes an emergency kit.
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Magnetic Mini People. Pack in a mesh zip bag, store in your car, take to restaurants, on planes, church, doctor's offices, anywhere. All ages approved.
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Inflatable Booster Car Seat. Two can easily stuff into a tote bag/personal item when traveling by air or if your children are old enough to carry their own backpacks or carry-ons, won't take up much space there either. Great for rental car situations when you need to get 3 across. Check Age + Weight Limit.
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Mini Scissors. Keep one in travel/make-up bag. One in the car. One in your purse.
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Mini Handbag for a Lot Less. Comes w/strap & fits phone, CCs, keys, & Tums/GasX/Lactaid. Literally a 1/10th of the price of the designer version and currently on sale with an additional coupon. Other colorways. I have in the cream and this tan is in my shopping cart now.
For the Little Bookworms
One thing that makes me happy is that our children have a love for reading. It's hard to find books that keep a toddler and two young boys interested, engaged, and wanting to read but these have fit the bill.
Click on a book cover to add them to your family's library and if you have books that your Bookworms love, let me know!
*Commissionable Links*
Beat the Ick
If I gave you something cute for your new baby, I owe you another gift. What I should have given you is a pharmacy aisle worth of everything & anything to help beat the ick(s) that will, without a doubt, enter your house again...and again...and again.
So here's my gift to you - what you need to stock your medicine cabinet. Given our medical history and food allergies, we're sensitive to certain OTC meds so we opt for dye-free and 'clean' medicine (but still medicine) when we can.
You'll still have to supply the extra snuggles for your little ones, but once they're healthy (and you're now sick), I'm happy to take over.
Download Printable Version Here
*Commissionable Links*
NEWBORNS -
2 YEARS OLD
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SALINE WIPES (LIKE BOOGIE® WIPES)
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NEBULIZER + SALINE SOLUTION
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CHEST RUB (WE LIKE ZARABEES®)
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COOL MIST HUMIDIFIER
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BULB SYRINGE
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DYE-FREE ELECTROLYTES (1 YEAR+)
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BANDAIDS - IF LATEX ALLERGY OR SENSITIVE SKIN, TRY BAMBOO ONES
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ALOE OR SOME OTHER BURN RELIEF
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DYE-FREE INFANT PAIN & FEVER REDUCERS
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PRESCRIPTION ALLERGY MEDICINE/EPI PENS
ADAPT THE ABOVE AS THEY AGE & ADD:
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CHEWABLE INDIGESTION AIDS (PEPTO BISMOL® KIDS)
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ANTI-MOTION SICKNESS (LIKE CHILDREN’S GRAVOL™)
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ANTI-NAUSEA (LIKE CHILDREN’S EMETROL®)
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CHEWABLE CHILDREN PAIN RELIEVERS
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ANTIHISTAMINE CREAMS/HYDROCORTISONE CREAMS
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ANTIHISTAMINE CHEWABLES OR LIQUID
2+ YEARS OLD
3+ YEARS OLD
IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE, ADD:
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SORE THROAT LOLLIPOPS (WE LIKE LITTLE REMEDIES®)
4+ YEARS OLD
STOCK UP:
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COUGH & CHEST CONGESTION (WE LIKE GENEXA® BRAND)
DISCLAIMER: THIS IS PROVIDED FOR EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL ADVICE OR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
Growing my hair...again
Gone are the days of my long, thick, and very curly pregnancy hair. Each postpartum and baby-nurturing season has made it drier, straighter, and thinner.
In January 2023, it started falling out in clumps as I started to lose weight and it kept falling out as I steadily lost more weight. The worst of the shed finally stopped around November 2023.
While change is expected during each of these major life changes, it doesn't mean it's any easier to accept that you're leaving strands upon strands in the shower or on your brush.
Below is what I've been using to get my tresses growing and glowing again. The baby hairs are coming back, without another human baby this time!
* Commissionable Links*
Rogaine. Amazon has it's own generic you could try but I know this brand actually works. You can see the little baby hairs coming back in the bald/sparse spots and you finally see less of your scalp!! *I'm not a medical doctor so be sure to check with your healthcare provider for any questions or concerns over using this product.*
Silk Pillowcase. You have to protect the new hairs. Bonus to a silk pillow case is less friction on your face so this is wrinkle prevention, too.
Zenagen Shampoo. This helped stopped the breakage and 'fall'. I was shocked. Worth the price to me. Follow the instructions and leave it on for the recommended time.
Moroccan Oil All in One Conditioner. Their product line has been a favorite of mine since high school and using one means less hair products on my thinner strands to avoid build up while keeping frizz down while providing moisture without weighing it down.
COLOR WOW Xtra Large Bombshell Volumize. If I need extra volume, this has been great at creating it without making my hair feel crunchy.
The Ultimate Beach Packing List
It's snowing here in MA today (4.4.2024) but my mind is always thinking about our next beach trip! Our first was born in November and soon after, we got him a passport & Global Entry. Tip: do this while they are young and you're on maternity leave & the other parent is accessible to sign the forms at the Post Office. At 4 months, he had his first stamp on his passport from our trip to Turks & Caicos and we haven't slowed down, taking trips to places we want to explore, and our children are along for the ride.
Click below to see the beach packing list I've used for the last 7 years. Admittedly, it's been modified a bit as we've moved out of the baby stage, but this is my starting point every time I (emphasis intentional) pack for myself and three kids. Things that may be applicable to you and were on my packing list for a long time: pump & parts, charger to said pump, cooler/ice packs, breastmilk storage bags, formula in your carry on & checked luggage, travel crib/pack & play.
We largely travel to places where we cannot ship diapers, wipes, suntan lotion, or other items ahead or where we don't have family to collect or store things like car seats or bulky items like swim floaties for us, so we bring this all with us each trip. Tip: if you can do this - ship ahead or have family store bigger items for you - you should.
We even travel with our own bag of beach & pool toys - and it gets used all week long by kids and adults alike - and I'll share those links, too.
If we can and while our youngest still sleeps in one, we reserve a crib at the resort or hotel. Some hotels charge a nightly fee of something like $35 but that ends up being more than the cost to check a bag. If the hotel charges for a crib, we pack our trusty, six year old Guava Lotus Travel Crib and it counts as someone's checked luggage. We then pack it as full as it can be! For my full thoughts on whether it is worth the purchase, see my Post: MEGA Baby List.
