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Archives for July 2016

Stripes & Whites

Closet

July 27, 2016 by Drafts & Crafts

It’s that time of the year where we are wrapping up summer style and I am shopping summer sales. 

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{Top: Anthropologie} {Necklace: Anthropologie}
{Pants: Anthropologie} {Bag: Rebecca Minkoff, similar}
{Wedges: Target (old)} {Lips: SmashBox}

I hope everyone is enjoying sweet summer. Time is flying by so fast, especially now that I am a mama. Can you believe we are almost in August?? By the time July rolls around, I stop purchasing summer-y items. So no new bright-colored clothes or tropical pattern purchases. It may seem early, but fall fashion trends are already coming out. My favorite thing to do in July, which I did last year as well, is shop summer sales for neutral items that will transition into fall. Anthropologie is by far my favorite store to shop summer sales.

Up first, this black and white striped top from Anthro. The material is SO SOFT and I love the cut of the shirt. This top will pair perfectly with a green field jacket or jean jacket during the fall time. The necklace and white pants that I am wearing are also on sale! I went for a darker lip with this look and I can’t wait to rock this lip color the entire season of fall. My brother’s girlfriend turned me on to this matte gloss by SmashBox. I am obsessed, no more putting powder over my lipstick to get a matte finish! Are you excited for fall fashion? Have you shopped any summer sales or the Nordstrom anniversary sale yet?

Keep in touch,
Dani

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Feeding Tanner: Exclusively Pumping

Mommy & Misc

July 19, 2016 by Drafts and Crafts

Today, I am getting a little more personal and discussing my story of feeding baby Tanner. 

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{Cover for car seat/breastfeeding/grocery store cart: Sweetee Handmade}

Warning: long post ahead. Tanner is now 9 weeks old and instead of making a 2-month update, I decided to switch up my post and get a little more personal. As far as baby goes, Tanner is doing wonderful! He truly is a sweet baby, he is only fussy when he is hungry or has gas. He is becoming more alert and smiles ALL THE TIME, which just melts our hearts. He has my husband and I in the palm of his tiny hands! Tanner is sleeping a little longer some nights, which is so nice for this mama to catch up on some sleep.

A lot of people have asked me if Tanner is breast fed or formula fed, the answer is neither. Tanner takes breast milk in a bottle, known as exclusively pumping (EP). I really wanted to write this post because every mama out there should know that the only thing that matters when it comes to feeding your baby is that you are doing what is best for you and your baby. This is no matter if you breastfeed, pump, or give formula. I also wanted to talk more about exclusively pumping, since it is not a commonly discussed option.

As some of you already know, Tanner was in the NICU for one week immediately after birth. He was taking shallow breaths and having some trouble breathing due to fluid in his lungs from the c-section. Right after I was wheeled into my recovery room, there was this football-sized yellow machine waiting to meet me- the Medela hospital-grade breast pump. I wasn’t too sure about breast feeding from the beginning. To be honest, I am very self conscious about how large my breasts are and I didn’t know how I would feel about whipping a boob out to feed my baby, it just didn’t seem natural to me. I know it’s the most natural thing to do, but I was not sold that it was the option for me. However, knowing breast milk is like liquid gold, I was determined to give it a try.

Tanner was initially fed through a feeding tube, then moved to a bottle, and after 5 days, they let me attempt breast feeding him 2 times per day, which meant I was still pumping the other 6. After a week, I brought him home and was attempting to breast feed him for each feeding. It was going OK at first, then Tanner was having trouble latching on well around 2 weeks. He would fight the boob, eat for 5 minutes, and then fall asleep. I would put him down so I could pump to empty the rest of my milk and then he would scream. So I would pick him back up, he would fight the boob, fall asleep, and scream when I put him back down. This was happening for several nights at 2 am. With getting up through the night for two weeks, I was getting irritated, frustrated, and upset. I started thinking, I can’t do this, this will make me insane, and I will resent my baby. It is very difficult to be sleep deprived and have these thoughts. I felt like a complete failure of a mother.

Some friends pointed out a different option since latching on was difficult, exclusively pumping. It took days for me to convince myself that it was OK to EP. I felt like I was just giving up and that I was a bad mom for not trying harder. Looking back, I now know that I am doing MY BEST. What is best for my son and I is for me to remain sane and healthy so I can take good care of Tanner. So if you are or have struggled with feeding your baby, I am here to say, as long as you are feeding your baby, you are doing your BEST- no matter where you are in your journey. In the end, your health and your child’s health is the most important.

I think EP is not widely spoken about because there are a lot of wives tales to be cleared up. Most people think if your baby is not latching on, then you will stop producing milk. That is not true for all. I have read several stories about women EPing for 6 months and some for a year. It is crucial to pump just as much as your baby eats, at least 7-8 times a day. I pump every 3 hours, with the exception of one longer period in the middle of the night. I go around 5 hours at night without pumping and I try to sleep when Tanner is sleeping (at night). It’s not easy, I actually believe it is much harder. It’s twice the work: I feed him with a bottle, then pump, then clean all of the pump equipment- then it seems like it is time to repeat. It’s a lot of work, but it can be done. My personal goal is to be able to give Tanner breast milk for 6 months. I have tried to breast feed him recently, like in the photo above, but he would not stay latched on. I am freezing as much milk as possible incase my supply does decrease.

Once again, if you made it through all of this, then applause for you!! Thank you for reading part 1 of my feeding Tanner journey. If you have any questions about EPing or you need any encouragement, please reach out to me. I would also love to hear any and all feeding your baby stories. Us mamas gotta encourage each other! No matter what your story looks like, we can get through it together.

Keep in touch,
Dani

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Pop-tail Party

Craft Box, Kitchen

July 13, 2016 by Drafts & Crafts

Let’s face it, the summer heat is no joke and staying cool is important- we got you covered! Here are tips for hosting a backyard pop-tail party so you and your friends can beat the heat!

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A sweet friend of mine and event planner at LobaDesigns, Ashlyn, helped me host a pop-tail social last weekend. What is a pop-tail, you ask? It is when you pair a delicious popsicle with a complimentary beverage to make one excellent refreshment. I can assure you, a pop-tail is an awesome way to cool off this summer. We partnered with The Hyppo, a local shop here in Jacksonville, because they have THE BEST gourmet ice pops! Here are some simple tricks for pulling off the coolest (pun intended) summer hangout!

Any good party begins with inviting your favorite company! We invited our girlfriends to come over, kick back, and relax outback while sipping some tasty creations. I love to give my guests options so we decided to pair three different popsicle flavors with three adult refreshments:
1. Champagne Mango Pop with Champagne
2. Strawberry Pop with White Sangria
3. Watermelon Mint Pop with Watermelon Lemon Mojito.

It is important to choose popsicle flavors that will go nicely with the paired drink or cocktail. If you want to play it safe, a strawberry popsicle with a fruity sangria is a crowd pleaser. Finally, it’s not a party without decorations! Flowers and balloons are an easy way to turn any gathering into a party! We added some fun touches, like this DIY pineapple vase and these DIY palm balloons. To create a pineapple vase: cut the top off the pineapple, scoop out the inside with a spoon, and fill the pineapple with bright blooms and fresh water. To create a printed balloon: get latex balloons filled at the grocery store, draw your design on with a regular sharpie (not oil or paint base), and let them dry for 5 minutes so that your design does not smug.

Remember, if you are in the greater Jacksonville area, you can pick up some gourmet pops for your pop-tail party at The Hyppo’s Riverside, St. Augustine (2), or Gainesville (2) locations. How do you plan on beating the heat this summer?

Keep in touch,
Dani 

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summer kimono + DIY torn jeans

Closet

July 6, 2016 by Drafts & Crafts

Now that I bought this summer kimono from the cutest boutique in town, I am wanting to buy all the kimonos! I have linked some adorable ones so you can shop straight from the link.

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{Kimono: Momni Boutique In Jax- love this one and this one}
{Jeans: Forever 21– cut them myself but here
is an already torn pair for less than $10!!}
{Tank: Loft} {Flats: J. Crew (old)}
{Clutch: n/a similar $33! LOVE}
{Necklace: Kendra Scott}

Loving this simple summer look that I sported to date night with the hubster and bebe. This light-weight kimono has turned into my summertime chambray. What do I mean, you ask?? Well, I love to throw my favorite J. Crew chambray over everything I wear, but since it is summer, I am going to replace my beloved chambray with this kimono for now. I adore the print and tassels on this shear kimono that I picked up at Momni. Momni is a local boutique filled with trendy clothes and adorable gifts. Lucky for me, it is just a few blocks away from my house, right here in Murray Hill. If you are in need of a unqiue hostess or housewarming gift, I highly recommend taking a trip to Momni Boutique.

These black jeans are a no brainer. I picked them up for 10 bucks from Forever 21. While I do believe in purchasing a few pairs of designer jeans, I am not above owning less expensive jeans too. For the cost and how well they fit, I highly recommend purchasing a few pairs of Forever 21 denim. This particular pair was old, so I decided to play around with cutting them. I figured at $10, if I messed them up, I would not cry about it! If you want to cut your own:1. Put them on and mark the center of both knees with a pen. 2. Cut a straight line in the center of both knees 3. Make a few other small, random cuts in both legs 4. Take tweezers and pull some strings out of the cuts for a more “natural” look. Not talented enough to cut your own? No problem, I linked an already distressed pair for 8 bucks.. You are welcome! 🙂

Keep in touch,
Dani

2 Comments 
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