love you, mean it

now that jake is seven months (!), i wanted to share the items we found most helpful when he was a newborn. buying things for an experience (parenthood) you've never been through before comes with a bit of trial and error. you can read recommendations and talk to friends, but since every kid/parent/house/etc. is different, you do have to see what works for you. 

i read a lot of pregnancy must-have lists before he was born, and hearing the perspective of many different people was helpful to me. the same can be said for baby stuff. there's a lot of things you can buy for a baby (duh) and reading other blog posts helped cut through the bs.

with that in mind, here's what i loved, didn't and a few things that surprised me. 

1. nosefrida. i saw this on so many blogs, i lost count. i really can't tell you how helpful it was when jake had a runny/stuffy nose over the winter a few times. he had a cold that lasted for quite a while, and this, along with some saline nose spray, was the only thing that gave him some relief and allowed him to breathe better. cannot recommend this enough.

2. white noise machine. when he was 8 weeks old, we moved him out of the bassinet (borrowed from a friend; highly recommend since you only use it for a bit) in our room and started having him sleep in his own room. we still use this white noise machine every night. it also plays music. we put on those tunes while we're getting him ready for bathtime to help emphasize that it's time to wind down and go to sleep. our house is pretty small, so the white noise in his room allows us to carry on with the rest of the night at normal volume levels. there's lots of different brands, but for us, white noise is essential.

3. the miracle blanket. when jake was brand new, he loved being swaddled. it was the only thing that kept him sleeping when he was super tiny. he's always been really into his hands and if he wasn't swaddled, he'd wake himself up almost instantly. the problem was that he could wriggle out of any blanket we tried, no matter how tightly we burrito'd him. the miracle blanket worked wonders for us. i was skeptical because it's a little expensive, but it allowed him to sleep peacefully so that's always gonna be a win.

4. skip hop bath kneeler. i didn't want to register for this at all. this was my husband's idea and i thought it was so dumb. i was all, "can't i just kneel on some towels?" lol NO. we give jake a bath every night to calm him down. with our tile floor, this mat has been awesome. it's not really that expensive (we got it as a shower gift), but i happily ate my slice of humble pie (tastes like swallowed pride with just a hint of embarrassment!) since my husband was totally right about this purchase. 

5. aden + anais blankets. these are also something i saw on every mommy blog on the planet. they're pricey and i wasn't sure he really needed them, but we use them for everything: nursing covers, overly air conditioned buildings, for sleep, carseat cover for naps, i love em. the cute patterns don't hurt either.

6. my brest friend. if you can get past the name, i highly recommend this over the boppy for breastfeeding, especially if you're having trouble with positioning. i had a rough couple weeks in the beginning and this was the only thing that worked for me. it's more supportive than the boppy, so once you get the hang of latching, you can kinda half sleep (kidding. sort of) in a hunched over position for those superfun 3 a.m. feedings. it looks kind of weird when you wear it, like a stiff, bulky tutu, but eh, whatever.

7. infant bathtub. i really wanted to like this. it just never worked for us and we ended up using the trusty old school sponge. when he was tiny, he couldn't sit in the seat and hated the infant "hammock" and when he was bigger, it was easy for him to slip out of the seat. maybe he's just an active kid, but we never used this.

8.  infant car seat neck support. i thought this was a must-purchase item. we used it once without a lot of luck. he's always had good neck control so he really only needed the additional support for a couple weeks. we could have done just as well rolling up a thin blanket (another use for the aden + anais blanket) into a makeshift neck supporter. this was a waste of money for us.

9. sleep gowns/sacks. ugh. i thought these would be awesome. no snapping/zipping in the middle of the night. but i found them to be a pain in the ass. on the ones we bought, the elastic was WAY TOO TIGHT so when you tried to move it up for a diaper change, it didn't really work. these get a big thumbs down from me, even though i know a lot of people fully endorse these for newborns.

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if you're expecting a little one, i hope this was helpful. you're bound to buy a couple things that you won't use or that won't work out like you thought they would, but that's ok. 

live and learn, right?

thirsty

drinking milk from a plastic cup is gross to me. see also: eating cereal out of a plastic bowl. i don't know why this grosses me out so much, but it does. 

when it comes to water, i don't mind drinking out of plastic containers as much, but now that i bring a reusable bottle to work every day, i've been wanting to make the switch. there's something a bit more refreshing about drinking water from glass.

here are six with a modern feel, even though the more i look at #5, the more it looks like sperm. pretty sure that's not what target was going for there.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

i also appreciate that none of these have straws. reusable straws never seem to get quite clean enough.

hackers

before we moved into our current home, i used to share a studio in dupont with my husband.

it was tiny, but i loved living downtown and got used to making the most out of tiny spaces. when we first moved into our house, it felt enormous by comparison. but three years in to homeownership and it's definitely starting to feel a little crammed.

if you're in a similar situation where every square foot matters, here's three ikea hacks that'll save space. also? no assembly required.

we don't have enough space in our bedroom for nightstands. for a while, we were charging our phones on the window ledges, but it wasn't super practical and they weren't easily accessible. mounting two ribba picture ledges ($9.99) to the wall has been a great solution for us. they take up zero floor space, they blend in nicely with our baseboards, and they hold things we'd normally have on a nightstand. as you can see, it holds an iphone almost perfectly and you still have room for other devices (like a tablet) and glasses (me) or a retainer case (husband). 

our pantry is another area where we keep needing extra space. we have a few shelves in there already, but since we cook a lot at home, when it's fully stocked, it can be hard to see everything that's in there. 

we mounted another ribba in there, and not only is it functional, i can also see and access everything that's inside.

when you live in tight quarters, vertical storage is your friend. this stainless steel wall shelf ($25) is supposed to be for your bathroom, but it fits right in with the other metal wall shelves we have holding our plates in the kitchen. it now holds the coffee grinder and some canisters we got from target and ikea.

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the house is always a work in progress and these changes have been fun new additions.

spotted

chic diaper-bag-that's-not-a-diaper-bag alert.

it's $165 at banana republic right now. today they're offering 35% off your purchase, but i bet they do another 40% off promotion soon.

i saw this in person over the weekend and it seems to be a nice quality and has pockets inside as well. 

nine long months

when i was pregnant with jake, i couldn't get enough of these pregnancy must-have lists. i thought it was helpful to use the experiences of many to be as prepared as possible.

let me also say this about being pregnant: except for a few weeks in the second trimester, i did not enjoy it. i didn't expect it to be this non-stop fun time, but i've heard a lot (and still hear) women say how much they loved pregnancy. i don't know if they are just into their rose-colored glasses or if hindsight is too kind, but that wasn't my experience. 

that being said, i kept my list to things that made it more bearable for me. everyone's degree of morning sickness (horrible), back pain (bad in the third trimester), feet swelling (fine until about 38 weeks) and anxiety (please) is different, so keep in mind that this is what worked for me. 

and congrats to any new or soon-to-be moms out there!

1. pregnancy pops. a friend send these to me right after i found out i was pregnant. my morning sickness was bad. everything on earth -- especially dairy products and coffee -- smelled disgusting. i didn't actually eat very much in the first trimester because i was so sick all the time and was so turned off by everything, but these were appealing to me. pretty much any sour candy would do the trick. sour candy and smoothies for three months. oh yes.

2. stretch mark oil. let's be clear about one thing: you're probably gonna get stretch marks. some people don't, some people do, some people say it's genetic, but it's a fact of life for most pregnant ladies. this oil worked for me in some areas but was not as effective in others. either way, it can't hurt to keep that expanding body nice and moisturized and i liked this oil.

3. 12 hours sleep by 12 weeks old. this book saved my life/sanity. a very good friend of mine used this books for working on sleep with her two daughters. her kids sleep so well that i actually read this book (it's super thin) before i was pregnant while visiting her once. jake took to it like a champ (i was so so nervous it wouldn't work) and it's the first thing i recommend to anyone about to have a kid. 

baby 411. i read a lot of this book while i was pregnant and found it insanely helpful. it picks up right where the what to expect-type books leave off and i felt so much more prepared about those first few weeks after birth. it's practical, easy-to-read, and a little funny. i still reference it constantly.

4. grapefruit pellegrino. my drink of choice for the length of my pregnancy. i drank a shitload of water also (recommended: always carry a water bottle), but sometimes a little citrusy fizzy flavor just tastes better.

5. tums. easy heartburn relief. i also started liking their mint flavor, but didn't find out about it until the end of pregnancy.

6. leggings. i liked the ones from motherhood best. some people prefer old navy's version, but the way i was carrying my weight, i much preferred the kind of leggings that went all the way over the stomach instead of stopping below the belly button. i lived in these, especially the second and third trimesters. definitely buy three or four pair.

7. netflix. toward the middle/end of pregnancy, good sleep sorta goes out the window. so i wound up watching a lot of netflix late at night when i couldn't sleep because i was giant and i literally had to pee every five minutes.

8. supportive shoes. i jumped on this train a little too late and tried to wear cute-ish shoes for longer than i should have. you don't have to go full on frumpy and wear something hideous, but your back and swollen feet will appreciate the extra support.

9. you tube. as i mentioned, i basically felt like crap for three months in the beginning and never felt like working out. when my appetite finally came back with a vengeance in the second trimester, i attempted to EAT ALL THE FOODS. not cute. so i started doing these videos (yoga, cardio) on youtube and it gave me a little more energy and i felt a little (a little) less guilty about consuming the most food anyone has ever eaten.

10. snoogle. since sleep kinda sucks AND YOU CAN'T SLEEP ON YOUR FREAKING BACK, i bought one of these pillows and it made sleep slightly more comfortable. it's no miracle worker, but i definitely slept better once i had it. it folds into all sorts of positions, too.

11. apps. i loved the what to expect app and the i'm expecting app. it just felt like a fun way to mark the passage of time, and i'd get excited to read the daily/monthly updates.

12. jewelry. when you're pregnant, you basically miss out on multiple seasons of being able to buy new fun clothes. but jewelry always fits. and it's how i satisfied my desire to shop.

13. a desk fan. if you're going to be pregnant over the summer, you might consider getting a small desk fan. i was so hot at work. you might even need this if you're pregnant in the cooler months. it saved me from being a sweaty mess.

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in addition to all of this, if you're shopping for baby stuff, don't forget that buy buy baby and babies 'r' us do price match. i found some killer deals by googling items while i was waiting to check out. if you can find it cheaper (and you almost always can), you can pay the cheaper price.

and i found most of my cute maternity clothes at target, asos and old navy. motherhood maternity/pea in the pod has some stuff there, but it can get expensive so watch for sales (they have them all the time). in the early stages of pregnancy, i also just wore larger sizes of "regular" non-maternity clothes. and those clothes will probably come in handy again right after your baby is here. 

that's all i got. 

if you think of anything i left off the list, let me know! 

dinner time

even though i have grocery shopping down to a science, planning meals for the week still feels like a task. i hate sitting there, trying to remember what our go-to meals are and hoping to use up any odds and ends left in the fridge. i hate throwing out food.

to help jog my memory, i bought an spiral-bound index card packet from cvs and started writing down meals we make at home frequently. it has 100 cards and i only came up with about 40 meals, so there's room to keep adding to it as new recipes become regulars.

on the flip side of each card, i wrote the ingredients. that way, we can easily check our pantry/fridge situation to see whether we already have stuff and don't go buying duplicates at the store. i didn't include things like salt, pepper and parmesan since i almost always have those things on hand.

so here's what mine looks like. 

i can easily flip through this when we're about to make a grocery store run and get meal ideas for the week. i find that it helps me avoid getting stuck in a rut and making the same meals all the time.

oh and if you want that carbonara recipe, here it is. so fast and so easy. healthy? not so much.

friday finds

here's a few things you can pick up this weekend without hurting your wallet too much. everything you see here is less than $50.

traveling and exploring new cities is one of my favorite things to do, so i'm really eyeing that book.

book | ring | necklaces | spatulas | shoe | clutch

i also just bought those shoes. we'll see how they work out, but i think they'll be perfect for work over the summer months.

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it's another beautiful day in may.

enjoy your weekend!

meow

two years ago, when we moved from our tiny dupont studio and into our current rowhouse, one of the things i was most excited about was being able to have a garden. i've always wanted to wear a cute sunhat, get my hands dirty and have some homegrown tomatoes and peppers.

last year, it didn't happen. with our wedding in june and with us traveling (what seemed like) almost every weekend in the summer, gardening just wasn't the priority. 

this year, things are different and i'm ready to try it out.

there's just one problem: our neighborhood is overrun with stray cats. 

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we used to park our car in the off-street parking space (my god that felt like a luxury after living downtown for so many years) and in the morning, the car would have no less than ten cats chilling on it. just sitting there.

now, even though i'm a dog person, i don't really mind these feline friends that much. they don't really cause any trouble and tend to keep to themselves for the most part.

but the thing is, they shit in our yard ALL THE TIME. everywhere. like you can't walk two feet without stepping in some. they've even been known to leave a present for us right on the front porch. so gross.

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we've brought this up to pretty much everyone we know. mostly, because it's kind of a funny "problem" to have and secondly, to get their take on how to have them stop crapping all over our yard.

we've heard everything: buy sprays at home depot (don't work), sprinkle red pepper flakes in your grass (nope), shoot them with a bb gun (um, never?). but nothing has worked.

i was talking with a coworker the other day who also happens to be an experienced gardener. i told her my concern, about growing catshit tomatoes instead of delicious ones, and she immediately introduced me to the scare crow.

see below.

this is a motion-activated device that shoots out a quick spray of water when something is walking through your lawn. i was intrigued. we'll only keep it in the backyard so as not to piss off and/or soak the mail carrier, but i think this has real promise.

i had always wanted a nontoxic and humane way of dealing with these cats and this seemed like the perfect thing. 

it arrived in the mail yesterday. and the reviews on amazon are some of the most glowing i've ever read.

if this works out, and we can actually have a garden this summer, i'm going to be pumped.

i'll let you know how it goes.

alvin corn

i love mnemonic devices. i think that's how i got through school. i made up some many little tricks for myself to memorize facts and it always really worked for me.

this post isn't exactly about  mnemonic devices, but in a way it is.

i'd like to introduce you all to my friend alvin corn. 

he's been hanging around my house, making it sparkling clean for a few months now so i thought i'd share the wealth. i first discovered this little clean freak via crunchy betty. which i think i stumbled upon via google.

anyways, long story short, alvin corn is short for the ingredients pictured below. when combined with warm water, they make an awesome replacement for windex.

seriously, it's great. the first time i used it, i went a little nuts and cleaned all of the exterior windows on our rowhouse, just to watch them shine. i will say it doesn't smell the best, but the odor fades pretty quickly. and i mean, does windex smell nice? 

i love how cheap this is to make and i love how non-toxic it is.

try it once and i swear you'll never go back to the blue stuff again.  

outta my way

pic by me | m street

if you've ever walked around in downtown dc, been in a sea of people on the mall or just found yourself in any crowded situation, i've got a great tip for you today.

don't you hate when you have to do that little dance with a stranger on the sidewalk? 

you know, that whole "which way are they going to go" and you end up awkwardly shifting your feet? 

well, kevin burg, part of the duo behind the ann street studio, made me aware of this little tip. i've been using it for months now, and it has yet to fail me. 

if you're coming up on someone who looks like the might run into you, look slightly to the right* and they'll go the other way every time. i work in georgetown and wisconsin avenue can get pretty packed during lunch, and i've used this almost daily.

it avoids that little "excuse me, pardon me, my bad" with someone you don't know. 

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*you can look left too, but i tend to look right. 

kitchen must-haves

i've shared a few kitchen tips before, so i thought i'd let you know about some items i find to be really useful in the kitchen. these are things i use frequently and that make my life easier.

1. a slow cooker. i have one that i use pretty frequently. i used to sorta scoff at the idea of owning one--it felt kinda old fashioned to me, but it's awesome coming home to dinner being ready to eat. this is one of my go-to recipes (tip: add salt and pepper). the one i currently own doesn't have a timer, but i'd like to upgrade to one that does (such as the one shown here).

2. mandoline slicer. if you want to slice something super thin, super fast and super accurately, you need one of these. homemade potato chips anyone?

3. a big ass cutting board. something sturdy like this butcher block one will always come in handy. i like to have a large surface area when i'm chopping.

4. a dutch oven. i got one of these as a gift last year and i freaking love it. it gives a nice sear on something if you're braising meats and it even bakes a mean no-knead (and almost no work) sourdough.

5. silpat. my mom's a big baker and she always had one of these. she gave me one a few years back and i've loved it for baking cookies. the mat helps them bake evenly and there's never any worry about them sticking to the mat. nothing sticks to this thing. you can even make some festive little parmesan crisps using this thing.

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have fun in the kitchen!

chunky

i've always been more into flats than heels.

i have a couple pairs of heels in the arsenal, for work and for the rare occasion i go out on the town.

so i have been really happy with these thicker heels i've seen lately. this is a heel i can get behind.

top image: madewell

from top: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

a little thickness for extra support? 

i like it. 

plus, the patent leather j crew ones are on sale at the moment. 

asos also has a couple pair that are much cheaper. 

score. 

sale time

i'm a dress lover.

in every season, really. 

but spring's warmer temperatures make wearing dresses even more fun.

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there's some decent sales* happening right now, and so i rounded up a few of my favorite dresses that are comfortable, affordable, and almost universally flattering.

get em while you can...

zara* not technically on sale, but i just liked it | madewell 

also, i don't usually go for full-length numbers, but these two from piperlime caught my eye. they'd be perfect for a plane trip and could easily be made more chic with some fun, simple accessories and a cute bag.

i also like that these pieces are pretty perfect for these transitional temperature days we're about to face: not hot, not cold, just somewhere in the middle.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

happy (almost) spring!

beauty faves

i've never been a huge make up person. 

i mean, i love trying new products, but you're not going to find 57 different eye shadows on my vanity.

but there are few products that i really love and have consistently bought over the years that i wanted to share. 

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 

eye makeup remover: i've been using this brand since high school. it's the only remover that truly does what it's supposed to do. there's no oily residue left behind and you can bet every last drop of even the toughest of mascara comes off with this stuff. my tip: thoroughly soak two cotton rounds with this stuff and gently press on your eye for at least 60 seconds. 

mascara: i've mentioned this mascara many times before, but, much like the remover, it's a staple for me and has been since college. there's not another mascara out there that works like this one does. it makes my thin blonde lashes pop all day long. two coats always, please.

clarisonic: yes yes yes. i don't think i need to say too much about this little gem since so many people own one and can attest to its smoothing power already. but i love mine. 

liner: i like a solid, thick (but not too thick) dark black line. this one stays on all day too. and even though the felt tip takes a bit of practice, once you figure it out, you'll love it too. 

dry shampoo: i hate the process of washing my hair every day. mostly because blow drying it all the time gets old fast. but i hate the feel and look of unclean hair and have loved having my handy dry shampoo to make things feel fresh again. 

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anything you can't live without?

now boarding all rows

i travel a lot.

in 2012, i think i traveled more than any other year. 

and as much as i hate unpacking after a trip (isn't it awful?), i actually love packing (psst: roll your clothes instead of folding them to maximize suitcase space). 

i haven't done a 'very necessary' post in a while, so i thought i'd share my carry-on essentials.

starting from up top:

scarf: i like to bring a lightweight scarf for chilly airplanes and drafty airports. you never know what the temps are going to be and i hate feeling cold.

comfortable clothes: for me, dresses offer the most comfort when sitting down for a long period of time. you can always find me in a dress when traveling.

socks: if i'm wearing flats or sandals, i always throw a pair of socks in my purse when i'm heading to the airport. there's nothing worse than having to remove your shoes in the security line and walk around that nasty airport floor barefoot. not happening.

a large purse with some structure: something big enough to hold all your essentials. for me, this includes travel reading material, something to snack on, a travel wallet, my precious mascara (can't buy it at CVS if luggage gets lost), toilet seat covers for airplane/airport bathrooms and a jewelry roll that holds all the accessories i'm bringing. i take no chances with my luggage being misplaced and potentially losing these forever.

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what are your travel necessities?

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check out my other 'very necessary' posts on tailgating, road trips, dressing for extreme heat and wet weather, and my office and outerwear essentials.