Favorite Things: 19 Months Old

Happy Wednesday!

Why do I seem so extra cheery today, you ask? Well it is Wednesday, which means we are 2 days closer to Spring Break!

I was called out of work earlier on Monday, Delilah had another fever. Not exactly sure what this one was about, I know she looked terrible, but after some medicine and a little TLC, she got back to her usual self and the fever was gone within a day. 

My husband is still sick. Delilah had her random fever. The weather has been doom and gloom. And for me. I am just trying not to loose my marbles and keep this ship floating. 

Look at me go.

I wanted to do a bit of an update of some of our favorite things. Delilah is changing by the minute and is growing into such a little girl, it has been really fun, and at times almost impossible, but we take each day at a time, meltdowns, messes, and kisses oh my!

She is starting to say small sentences, and today, actually told me "No! Mine!" when I asked her to give me a Raisinet. 

Up until this very moment, she didn't even like Raisinets. Interesting.

It was Go Texan day at her school, these are the pictures I could manage to get this morning.

She is just so cute, I almost forget what a little terror she can be. Almost.

We went to a Signing Connection class and she was having so much fun she could barely stand it, and the added bonus of the bubbles mixed with a tired, getting over a fever, toddler made for an interesting goodbye. And you all know, that by interesting, I mean whyinhelldoIeverleavemyhouse, body throwing, screaming, hitting me in the face, goodbye. One lady even looked at me, while she was pushing her sweet little quiet newborn, and said, "Well happy Tuesday to you."

Whoa.

I didn't know whether to throw my freakishly mad child at her or sit on the ground and cry with Delilah.

Just you wait lady. You may think your child will never act like that, oh but they will. Oh yes. They will.

(I know this because I actually had the thought in my mind, a few times, on our little outings about how well behaved Delilah was and we, I guess, just missed the tantrum phase. That's funny.)

Let's get to it!

Yoga Pretzels// Delilah is loving doing anything I am doing. These cards are a great way to interact with your little one and get some exercise in for yourself! I am excited as she gets older, she will really be able to get the moves down. As for now, the cards make for great throwing objects and taking them out and putting them in, one-by-one-by-one-by-one, is just as entertaining as the cute themes and pictures ;)

Freshly Picked Moccasins// We LOVE these shoes. The price tag is a little overwhelming  but they are great and so worth it. Delilah prefers these shoes over any other, and I have to say, I am with her on this one. They fit her well and she can wear them for months because of how flexible they are. I had to retire a couple of her other shoes because she outgrew them, and we only had them for 4 weeks, tops. She is still wearing the camo moccs, from 4-5 months ago! Enough said.

Ikea LATT Table// This was one of Delilah's Christmas presents and she has literally used it everyday. To eat, draw, spill water on, plank on, you name it, this table has been through it. The price is amazing and you can paint it to match anything. We put a dowel underneath the table with a paper roll so she always has a paper supply. It has been an essential in Delilah's World.

Little People// Delilah is starting to have quite the imagination. This little cottage is great for her to pretend with. We also bought the Little People Disney Princesses for her and she calls them all baby, talks to them, tells them "no", and they were even lucky enough to get a bath tonight.

Rocking Chair// We have a little nook in Delilah's room with her books and stuffed animals and this rocking chair. Her Granny bought it for her and she just loves it. I think it is important for them to have their own little spots and Delilah spends a lot of time "rocky rocky" in that chair while she is 'reading' books to herself.

Shirt// This shirt makes me laugh anytime Delilah wears it. Ain' that the truth.

Pea Crisps// We have backups of these. Peatohs.

There you have it! A few of Delilah's favorite things at 19 months old.

I did not include, but should not be forgotten about:

Booka (her blanket)

Flip up Books

Meghan Trainor

Sesame Street

the iPad Mini 

any form of anyone singing: Wheels on the Bus, Ring Around the Rosey, Row Row, Twinkle Twinkle, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, and Baa Baa Black Sheep

I cannot wait for nicer weather and see what kind of fun we can get into outside. It will be a mess. A hot, hot mess, whatever it will be. 

xoxoxo

Favorite Things: Freshly Picked Moccasins

The moment Delilah started walking, I knew exactly what shoes I wanted to get her. We started her off with these Stride Rite walker shoes and those were great and she still wears them on occasion. I loved the flower!

I have had my eye on these moccasins since before she was born, but with the hefty price tag, I wanted her to be walking before I made the investment. Fast forward an entire year, her Granny bought her first pair of Freshly Picked moccasins and I am in love. 

One of the hardest parts of buying these shoes was picking out which ones to get, they have so many cute colors and patterns, we decided on the Heirloom since I am loving gold and polkadots right now. 

Freshly Picked

Delilah has what the doctor called a "curly toe" on both feet. It is not a big deal, just one of her toes goes underneath the other. It is something that will work itself out with time. So she recommended Delilah have shoes that are not too tight, and these fit the bill! There is so much space in there, so even babies with super wide feet won't have a problem. 

The are made of leather and are so soft. I was worried about her slipping, since there isn't any traction on the bottom, but we have not had one problem. She gets it and runs around here full speed and they grip just fine. 

I am thinking that I maybe should have treated them before she wore them, we had a blueberry mishap, so one part of the fringe is blue, but you can barely noticed and it is working itself out. 

I took her outside and she played around and the hot cement didn't seem to bother her, another one of my worries. It's hot! We even went to an indoor play house where socks are required, and she was able to wear her moccasins because they are so soft!

We get so many compliments when we are out and I swear Delilah gets a little extra sassy when she has them on. 

See what I mean?

If these things didn't cost an arm and a leg, the only drawback, she would have every single color they make, but I am going to have to be selective since she will have only one or two pair at a time.

If you go like their Facebook page, you may just be a lucky winner on what seems to be monthly giveaways. Could you imagine, $200 worth of these shoes! Ok!

They are also super easy to slip on! And as soon as I get them out, Delilah gets so excited!

There is the sass again ;)

When they come in the mail, which is such an exciting day, they come in a super cute bag and include  stickers. The stickers were perfect for Delilah's kitchen, I think they add such a cute element. We love this kitchen set and all of the accessories, by the way :) I will just have to get her another pair of moccasins so we can get more stickers ;)

Freshly Picked Moccasins are one one of our favorite things!

On an unrelated note. My daughter has figured out how to take the cover off of the power outlets. It is now happening daily. So now, we have exposed power outlets and a choking hazard. Not sure what to do about this one. Just when I thought the house was completely baby proof, Delilah reminds me that her curiosity will out wit me, and baby proofing any day. 

 Please note, I am not paid to review any of these items, and that everything I say is my own opinion.

Favorite Things: Boon Highchair

Ahhhh the Boon highchair! It's been a year with this thing and I can say it is the best. If you didn't hear me, I will say it again. It. Is. The. Best.

We have probably put 882 miles on this thing just from rolling it around, it has also turned into Delilah's favorite past time: rolling the high chair around. She thinks its hilarious. And I get an extra 10 minutes of throwing putting dinner together. Having wheels on this also make for an easy clean up. There is a handle on the top of the chair that makes pulling/pushing super easy. Just push it around and pick up all of the food particles my daughter so thoughtfully and eagerly threw on the ground. When messes get tough, we bring in our live hoover: Rebar, the family vacuum machine dog.

The entire highchair is made out of wipeable material, making, once again, clean up a breeze. It comes with two tray covers that are both dishwasher safe. There is a padding that comes out as well, and cleans up really nice. Although the chair itself is white, it has been wiped clean of the toughest foods: beets, the weird yellow color of meat pouches, dried jam, etc. 

At first, it looks a little odd, a little modern a little retro, but it is made that way for a reason. It fits perfectly at our dinner table, and when I am feeding her in the kitchen, I can raise the chair up so she sits a little higher. 

The Boon highchair also has safety straps, we however decided to take them off. That was our own doing, and I do not recommend taking them off unless you know you are going to be there ALL the time watching your baby. It was a personal preference for us, and has worked well.

The only feature on the entire highchair that I would want improved is the tray. Anytime someone comes over and wants to put Delilah in or take her out of the high chair, we have to have a mini lesson. It takes some time to get used to, but honestly once you have done it 1,342 times you will have the hang of it. Also, not sure if it is something I am doing wrong, but sometimes the handle to take the tray off sticks and I have to wrangle it a bit to loosen it up so that I can get the tray latched. Otherwise, no other issues!

We have used this item countless times and I look forward to her experiencing more food in this highchair. I would recommend this product to any new mom and would put up a good argument as to why I think a family should replace their own highchair to get the Boon.

The Boon Highchair is one of our Favorite Things!

Not just for food!


 Please note, I am not paid to review any of these items, and that everything I say is my own opinion.

Favorite Things: Apps for Baby

File this one on the "Things I said I would never do list". I want Delilah to be able to play without the help of electronics, to have a wild imagination, to be able to make a castle out of blocks. I never thought I would have looked for apps on my iPad that she would want to play with. However, these days everything is electronic and I think moderation is key. I don't let her play with my phone, but I broke down and bought this case, which is really just another teething toy, but it catches the brunt of destructo baby. Here are the apps that we use and she really likes. Sometimes I watch her play them, I honestly think she wishes she could jump in the iPad, it is pretty funny to watch. 

1. Duck Duck Moose  - We have 3 of their apps, they are cute and have familiar songs. They cost a small fortune as far as apps are concerned, but Delilah loves them. Sadly, my husband and I find ourselves singing the songs long after the iPad has been put up. Her favorite is Itsy Bitsy, the navigation is smooth and even after the story ends they put in more 'activities'. Old Mac and Bus are good too, I just wish they were similar to Itsy Bitsy in the fact that they don't flow as well. You have to push the arrows to keep the song going, so for a younger baby it gets stuck on a page and interest is lost. I like how in all of the apps you can change the voice or music of the song, and is some instances record your own voice. Very cute animation.

2. Fisher Price Shapes & Colors - This one, out of all of the other Fisher Price apps, is the only one I allow on the iPad. Due to the fact that I can not handle the giggles and noises the others make. Complete personal preference, but if I had to hear the giggling one more time, we would have been out a iPad. There are two different levels you can choose, Delilah prefers Level 2, cute songs and animations. 

3. Peekaboo Barn - I love this app and so does Delilah. This is not a free one, but worth the money. I am thinking about getting the other Peekaboo apps as well. She gets so excited when the barn doors open up, and I swear she tries to repeat the animal names. The donkey gets me every time, so funny! I would say this is a must if you want to open the world of apps up for your baby ;)

4. Baby UI - My mother in law found this one. It is a little weird and the noises that come from the iPad are a little strange, but anywhere you touch on the screen, images start circling around. Good idea, simple, and engaging. 

5. You Tube - We have stumbled upon Baby Einstein on you tube and Delilah loves it. I don't know what they do or how they do it, but she gets glued to these videos. I really limit her time with Baby Einstein and mostly use it if we have to go somewhere like, oh being at the car shop for 2 hours when it was only supposed to take 15 minutes. You know, times like that.

There you have it! My small list for our favorite apps! What apps do you and your family like?

Delilah playing the Fisher Price Shapes & Colors.

Favorite Things: Thirty One Tote

To say this tote holds a lot is an understatement. I got this bag as a gift from my sister-in-law. It was something that I would never had bought myself, but is now something I can not live without. It is not a bag we use daily, but when we do use it, it is loved!

This is our go to travel bag. It holds all of Delilah's diapers, wipes, ointments, toiletries, food, eating supplies, her noise machine, tow truck, and her crib. Kidding about the last two, but seriously, it holds a lot!

For people who travel a lot, this is a must have item. If a spill or leak happens, you just wipe it away with one of the 1000 wipes it fits ;)

This tote is going to see a ton of beach, lake, and river trips in it's future!

There is an insert that fits in the holes in the straps, however I have not been able to find it online. I am sure if I new someone who sold Thirty One, I would be able to find it. Maybe. Other than having difficulty finding the accessories, this bag is a keeper.

The Thirty One Organizing Utility Tote is one of our Favorite Things!

Please note, I am not paid to review any of these items, and that everything I say is my own opinion.

Favorite Things: Book Edition

As soon as I found out I was pregnant one of the first things I thought about was, no more late night wine induced dance parties. The second thing I thought about was, lotion, must get a ton of lotion. The third thing was excitement about all of the books I knew I wanted to get. Ok, there were a few other thoughts in there but the later has really stuck. I love all of the books available for little children, I always have a running list of the thousand and one books I want to get. And I never pass up a cute book when we are out and about.  As of right now, we are staying away from wordy books, we have some, but she is not interested yet and gets a little wiggly when I read them to her. Here is a list of our One Year Favorite Books!

1. "Five Silly Monkeys" - We have probably read this book about 814 times, Delilah loves the rhythmic phrasing and dances every time we read it. The anticipation of the last page, "Nobody said anything about jumping on the couch" gets her every time. If anyone saw me reading this book to her, they would be convinced a crazy person took over, but hey, she loooooves it!

2. "Five Little Ladybugs" - This book has the same rhythmic patterns as "Five Silly Monkeys" but this is one of the books we read before bed, so I keep it mellow. It is such a sweet little story and we love how the last, lonely ladybug finds her home. Sorry for the spoiler ;)

3. "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?" - From day one this was a hit. I think the bold colors really grab her attention. I have gotten a little bored with the words, I sometimes have red birds and black sheep dance in my dreams, so we have started adding the animal sounds. Of course the rhythm in this book is a hit as well.

4. "Bath Time" - This is a book that stays in the bath, thanks to the plastic cover and soft pages. There is a surprise squeak at the end, that Delilah thinks is hilarious. Once again, I look like a crazy person reading this to her, but she loves it. I, no joke, read this to her 8 times last night in the bath. It never got old. Ever.

5. "123 Texas" - Living in a state with so much state pride, means Texas everything. So you better believe we have a few Texas books laying around. This book is very simple yet has vivid colors and we always count the objects on every page. Everytime. Every single object. 

6. "Toes Ears & Nose!" - This is the cutest book! It is a flip up book and we have sadly lost a few flip ups, but the story remains the same, nonetheless. She is getting interested in pointing out body parts, so this book helps with identifying all of the cute, cuddly parts!

7. "Flora and the Flamingo" - This is a beautiful book, so I don't let the destructo baby play with it like the others. Byron loves making up stories when he reads to Delilah, and this book is perfect for those two. It is a flip up book with no words, so the story is up to you!

8. "Alice in Wonderland" Little Master Carroll - Delilah loves the pictures on this book, she always points at it as we read it. A bedtime favorite!

9. "ABC Amazing Alphabet Book" - I love this book. It is so fun to read! You really can't go wrong with Dr. Seuss :)

So our favorite list ends here at 9 for right now. We have a running list like I mentioned before, and I can't wait to add these to Delilah's little library.

1. "The Hardworking Honeybee"

2. "Goodnight Austin"

3. "The Wide-Mouthed Frog"

**4."How Many Bugs in a Box" - This is a MUST have book, Delilah gets so excited when we read it. She rolls her little hands together in excitement ;)

5. "Yoga Pretzels"

6. "Flo and Wendell"

7. "The Cat at Night"

What books can your little babies not get enough of?

**Update**

Favorite Things: Monkey Mat

Summer is here! And that means a ton of time outside! 

I was out shopping, at you guessed it, The Natural Baby Company, and saw this cloth-like, blanket-ish, mat that can fold into a tiny pouch, so you can take it everywhere! The beach, park, an impromptu picnic. I had to have it! The corners are weighted down so a little breeze won't pick it up and the material is perfect for when spills happen, you just wipe it up! I was looking for something like this for the beach or the lake, and am really glad I stumble upon this Monkey Mat.

We gave it a whirl at Pflugerville Lake. It is hardly a lake but a source of water close by and great for little ones because of a beach area they made. I would go there all the time pregnant to sit like a beached whale relax my feet and swim around a bit. Delilah was in awe at the water and was trying to eat the sand/pebbles, but other than that loved it! I am going to get her some swim diapers and we will be ready to go! I also am looking at this bathing suit. I love this company and their bloomers, Delilah has a few and we loooove them!

The Monkey Mat fits perfect in my center console in the Jeep and will stay there all season! It is perfect for on the go, it dries fast, and is big enough to fit the entire family! Clean up is a breeze too! I was actually able throw it in the washer to clean up the remnants of Cheeto fingers and watermelon stickiness! It has quickly turned into one of our favorite things!

Update: I will say that after a couple of trips to the lake, the Monkey Mat had a hard time staying down with the wind. This lake is always unusually windy, so we still use it for less windier places ;)

Please note, I am not paid to review any of these items, and that everything I say is my own opinion.

Favorite Things: 3 Sprouts Hamper

Technically it's a clothes hamper, but I use it as Delilah's toy hamper! 3 Sprouts makes it and I love it. After a day of running around like a mad woman, taking every toy with her around the house, scooting her xylophone across the living room, it is nice to have something to throw put away all of her toys. I try not to let baby stuff invade every room in the house, I said "try". I feel like this helps corral some of her toys and I love the little print. 

I love 3 Sprouts and all of their organizing products. We have the stroller organizer and love it. I knew I wanted something for the living room for her toys and as I was shopping around I found this hamper. The deer is what caught my attention, I looked and looked and the deer was only available on the hamper, not one of their storage boxes. I loved it so much I was going to make it work. And make it work we did! Every night, my husband dutifully picks up all of the toys the baby tornado flung across the house and places them into the deer. It is sturdy enough to hold and stand upright, but soft enough for Delilah to use as a small mountain to climb on top of. The top unfolds and produces handles, I did not think I would use, but we do. So, you can take and conveniently place anywhere you would like. I am really looking forward to when Delilah walks and can take her deer with her wherever she goes.

The little hole at the top is also perfect for when the hamper is in place, but you find that lonely lost toy in the corner of no man's land, and you just toss it in there. Or have an impromptu "who can make it into the basket" game. A little competition is always welcome at our house. 

Needless to say, although we do not use the hamper for it's intended use, it has found it's way into our daily routine and is something we would be sad to not have. It is a great product, it takes a beating for sure, and the deer is so stinkin cute, I don't mind having it sit in the living room.

It also holds a ton! 

3 Sprouts Hamper is one of our Favorite Things!

 Please note, I am not paid to review any of these items, and that everything I say is my own opinion.

Favorite Things: NoseFrida

Delilah thankfully hasn't had too many colds, all though this last one was pretty rough, ending with an antibiotic and an ear infection. We made it through! When she was 2 months old she got her very first runny/stuffy nose. I tried and tried to figure out the aspirator, I even went as far as googling videos, just in case I was doing something wrong. I thought there had to be a better way to get the snot out of a baby's nose. Well everybody, there is! NoseFrida!

I absolutely love this product, and would buy it a million times over again. I will admit, it is a little weird and icky, but like I mentioned before, once you become a mom, you are sort of immune to these things. And if it meant a happier baby, or more importantly a more rested baby, I was in. I gave it an open mind and bought it, under $15 I might add, at this store. (I am now seeing it at every baby store I go into.) I went ahead and bought the filters as well. I am glad I did.

The first handful of times I used NoseFrida, I did not use saline solution with it. I honestly think it works fine if you don't use saline. I didn't notice any more snot in the tube, and honestly it is another step that requires wrangling your baby. When I did use the saline, it made the snot thinner, naturally, and cause it to run all the way up to the filter. Hence, the reason I was glad I had bought more. So, I will not be using saline with the NoseFrida from here on out.

Delilah, surprisingly, does pretty well with the process. When she is super congested, I lay her down on her changing table. I let her look at the NoseFrida and if she wants to hold it, I let her. I think it makes it less scary for her and less intrusive. My husband thinks I am crazy for letting her play with it, but it becomes familiar to her and in return easier for me. 

I put the red mouthpiece in my mouth, and position myself behind her head. That way if I am by myself, which I usually am, I can hold her head with my forearms and the NoseFrida with my hands. That position also allows me to have one free hand if I need to hold one of her arms down. It sounds a lot more complicated and scary than it actually is. It literally takes all of 2 minutes and you're done! 

Once we are in position, I place the tip of the tube in her nose and start sucking. I will admit, you need a little bit of lung power, but while you're sucking it helps if you move the tube around. You will immediately see snot come up into the tube, don't worry about snot getting into your mouth, I think it is physically impossible. Once you are done with one side, move to the next. You will be amazed at what all comes out of your baby nose. Delilah will immediately be able to breath and is instantly in a better mood. 

I tell everybody about this product, because it is that good. You just have to get over the fact that you are literally sucking snot out, but if by some chance, you get anything in your mouth, I think you will need to come up with a super hero name because you have super human powers. 

After we are finished, Delilah goes and plays and I wash out the NoseFrida. During a cold, I will just wash out the tube with water, making sure I get everything out and let it dry until the next use. At the end of the day I wash it with her bottles and set it on the rack to dry. Once I know we will not be using it for a while, I clean all of the parts with alcohol and replace the filter. Easy peasy.

The NoseFrida has been one of our Favorite Things for 9 months and counting!

 Please note, I am not paid to review any of these items, and that everything I say is my own opinion.

Cradle Cap and the Nook & Crannies: Coconut Oil

There has been a lot of hype around coconut oil these days. And honestly, I feel like it should have started sooner. Without going into too much detail, I came across coconut oil years ago. I was having a recurring problem and was getting prescribed super antibiotics by my then OBGYN. These antibiotics messed with my entire body, made me feel terrible, and only temporarily solved my problem. One the third round, I broke out in hives and decided that I would have to find an alternative way. I stumbled upon this website and it led me to coconut oil. I am one of those people who will try just about anything. Especially if I am in pain and need whatever is ailing me to stop, so I had an open mind. After a week or so of using the coconut oil as a topical ointment, I was just about cured. Along, with probiotics, that I still take daily and feel just as strongly about, and the use of the coconut oil, I was literally cured in a month or so and have not had a problem since. 

I am convinced that drinking water, taking probiotics, and using coconut oil would solve a lot of the problems we are having today. That is just my opinion and I will leave the soap box for another day.

I knew that I was going to use coconut oil in my daily regimens, I just didn't know to what extent. While I was pregnant, I got dandruff for the first time in my life. Not sure what that was about, but there were lots of things that popped up in my pregnancy that I feel like no one seemed to mention, or "forgot" about. Heh. But I slathered my head with coconut oil and took a shower, washed it out, and the dandruff was gone after 2 treatments. I also started getting extremely lazy with my nightly face washing routine, so coconut oil became, and still is, my face wash/make up remover. Just make sure you have a towel you don't mind getting make up on around. It has pretty much found a way into every, EVERY, aspect of our lives. If you catch my drift. 

Moving along. There were little surprises that I was not ready for when I entered motherhood. Getting pooped on, wiping away boogers, the weirdness of the whole belly button, umbilical cord falling off ::shudder:: I had no idea what cradle cap was, or did I know that white yeast would find itself in the nooks and crannies of my daughter. There was no place left unslathered by coconut oil, so I figured we would test it out and let it work it's magic on Delilah.

Let's start with the nook and crannies. I suppose when you think about it, under the neck and armpits would be a great spot for yeast development. It's warm, moist, and dark. I didn't however, think it would show up on my little innocent baby. I read all about it and found out that some babies get it so bad it bleeds. I was going to do my best to make sure that didn't happen with Delilah. As soon as I would see it, I would immediately wipe it away with a wet paper towel. I didn't want to use a wipe, in case it would sting her. I would apply a pea sized amount of coconut oil where it was forming, usually in her armpit and in her neck folds, I even found it in her elbow crease, and rub it in. I would do all of this after her bath, since that is when she would trap the most moisture in those little spots. Thankfully, with preventative measures, she only had a week or so of the yeast growth and it never bled. Yay! Coconut oil to the rescue!

I pinned a recipe on Pinterest, homemade coconut oil wipes, maybe you've seen it. I was going to make all of her wipes! But let's not get too crazy, once I realized what little time I had, I was not going to spend it making wipes, enter Pampers Sensitive Wipes! It was a good thought though…

Cradle Cap was such a weird phenomena to me. I had heard of it only briefly when my niece was a little baby, but that was the furthest thing from my mind when I was 20. 10 years later, it made another appearance and I was much more interested. I have googled and searched and guess what? Coconut oil saved the day on this one too! I first noticed a little dime sized spot on Delilah's head, I assumed it was the beginning of cradle cap, and it was. Seeing some of the pictures on Google freaked me out, so I was going to make it my goal to try to get rid of and keep it away. 

After every bath, which is and was every night (used soap every other day), I would put, again, a pea sized bit of coconut oil on her head and message away. My daughter was born without a lot of hair, so if your baby has a full head, you might want to do this before bath, or before bed and just see what you are working with in the morning. I bet coconut oil could make some amazing mohawks! Moving on, after I messaged the oil on her head, I used this brush, that I bought from the Natural Baby Company, to really work it in there. Delilah did not seem to mind ;)

jar

Luckily, we didn't have a problem with cradle cap. Anytime I would spot the slightest beginning of it, I would quickly do our coconut oil routine and it would just as quickly disappear. I think the trick is catching it before it gets too bad. I did make it a habit to "brush" her two hairs every night regardless, and I still do today.

You don't need a ton of coconut oil and if you have never worked with it before, it starts as a solid and then melts when you touch it. It has a melting point of 76 degrees. Really the stuff is amazing. To make it a little easier to handle, you can whip it like you would whipped cream. Put a couple drops of essential oils and you have a cocktail that no bacteria or yeast can mess with!

Favorite Things: Itzy Ritzy

I am a sucker for anything baby related. Being a mom has put a new spin on shopping. I consider it a hobby, therapeutic if you will, my husband might call it obsessive. In any case, I love finding new products and I love it even more when they work out!

My favorite store is The Natural Baby Company and Austin is lucky enough to have one. If you are a momma and live in the Austin area, you should check it out! If you are shopping for a friend who is about to have a baby, you should check it out! I try my hardest to find my way into that store at least once every couple of months. Their products are thoughtful, interesting, and have purpose. They also keep up with the latest items. If you can't tell, I love that store! On one of our many trips there, I walked away with a cute little snack bag. At the time Delilah was only 4 months old, so we could say it was a little bit of an impulse buy. Regardless, I have now bought two more of the Itzy Ritzy Snack Happens bags, because we use them so much! 

I fell in love with the colors of the Urban Jungle print. I later found the Urban Jungle pink print, but it was too late! I already had the matching set. I still love the colors even though it doesn't scream "girl".

When I bought the "Everything" bag, Delilah was pretty young, but lucky for me, was starting to eat solids. And I quickly became a little obsessed with all of the food pouch choices. And wouldn't you believe, a pouch, a spoon, and a bib, fit perfectly into one of these bags! Anytime we would leave the house, I would put Delilah's food into the bag and off we went!

I still use the bigger bags for her food, only I use tiny tupperware to put leftovers in. Once, she started having a snack time, I decided I wanted needed a smaller bag. They are perfect for the yogurt melts and puffs that she loves to eat!

(On a side note, not sure how it happened, but Delilah has preferred the Happy Baby brand of food, one day I noticed that I was buying everything Happy Baby. I find that very interesting and is also one of our Favorite Things.)

The bags were also, at a time, a lifesaver for when Delilah was having a meltdown in the car. I would hand her a closed Snack Happens bag and she would stare at the print, shake the bag, and manipulate the zipper. She is figuring out that the zipper opens the bag, so I have had to come up with another distractor. 

The best part of these bags is clean up. I will turn the bag inside out and clean with a little soap and water (while I'm doing the dishes for the night), and lay it out to dry. Simple as that! If the outside gets dirty, I just throw it in the washer and dryer. 

The Itzy Ritzy bag is one of our favorite things!

 Please note, I am not paid to review any of these items, and that everything I say is my own opinion.