Brooks' Big News!

That's right! We're expecting our second little critter to arrive towards the end of January. That will make Brooks and the new baby almost exactly 2 years apart (B was born Feb. 2nd). It's even possible that they could share the same birthday! We don't know what we're having yet, but we can't wait to find out. Obviously, we're super excited! Hooray for baby #2!

Brooks Wilder: Sixteen Months

My little buddy loves summertime! He jumps at any chance he can get to go outside and play. Some of his favorite activities lately have been swimming, running through the sprinkler, and drawing with chalk. Also, you can't really tell in these photos, but the little guy has a pretty great tan from all of our outdoor merriment. He's already several shades darker than me, and I cover him in SPF 70! That's something he most definitely gets from his dad. His mother, on the other hand, remains a fine shade of translucency.

Height 2' 7"

Weight  23lbs

Says Mama, Dada, Bye, Hey, Dog, 'Kota (Dakota) 

Loves waving at people, watching the garbage truck go by, swimming, and running.

Hates being left alone, the vacuum, and not getting his way.

Learning to throw a mean tantrum, and brace himself when Dakota gets "the zoomies"... I don't have it on video yet, but here's an example.

Shirt - Lush Fashion Lounge // Trunks - Target // Sunglasses - GAP (similar) // Teething necklace - gifted (You can find one here.)

Waft Aromatics Essential Oils

I recently got the opportunity to partner with Waft Aromatics and share a couple of their amazing aromatherapy sprays! The bottles range from remedies for cramps and PMS to stress and insomnia. What's more, all of their sprays are made without synthetics, fillers, or other unnecessary ingredients, so all you get is the good stuff. Speaking of "good stuff", WA is offering FREE SHIPPING on all U.S. orders!

I picked out two sprays that I've really been in need of lately... "Hocus Focus" and "Release the Peace". Both of these oils have been living my my makeup bag lately because Lord knows I've been needing a little help with focusing and de-stressing! Between a puppy, toddler, work, and home life, I have very little chill time. 

Hocus Focus is made from a blend of peppermint and basil oil, which both promote mental clarity while relieving tension and anxiety. Can I get a case of these, please?! I loooooove this spray. The smell is so relaxing! I actually like to spray it around my house after Brooks goes to sleep to help myself unwind before bed.

Release the Peace does exactly what the name says. I spritz it into my hand, then cover my nose and inhale. The refreshing smell of lemon, chamomile, and marjoram oil melt away all the troubles of the day and my inner peace is restored! The scent is very light and fresh, which is something I'm definitely a fan of. To me, there's nothing worse than an overpowering or perfumey fragrance.

Basically Not Basic

There are two places I shop that I have found to be very hit-or-miss... they are Old Navy and H&M. It seems like, one season they'll have loads of cute patterns and styles, and the next, hardly anything. Maybe that's just me or the mood I'm in when I shop. However, one thing does hold true for each store. I can always find great basics at either place. These are staple pieces that I can incorporate into pretty much any outfit. I can also just put them all together and be super comfortable and casual, like I did here. Every piece shown is from either Old Navy or H&M and they're some of my favorite basics. 

Where do you shop for basics?

Dress- H&M // Chambray shirt, sandals, and necklace - Old Navy

5 Reasons to Own a Great Dane

We recently got a new puppy for Brooks! His name is Dakota. Cody drove twenty hours round-trip to Indiana to pick up our little snowflake. I was just going to have the breeder ship Dakota to us, but since Cody likes to drive and had some free time, he offered to make the trip while I stayed home with Brooks. I let B stay up late Tuesday night until Cody got home with the new puppy. We were so excited when the two walked through the door! Brooks took to the pup instantly and perfectly. He's so gentle with Dakota.... I can't say the same for the dog, though. Dakota loves to play and tackle Brooks which doesn't always end well, but we're working on that. He thinks B is just another rambunctious puppy. They love each other though.

If you've been reading my blog or following me on social media for a while, you've probably seen me post about my last Dane, Harper. It's a loooooong story and I loved her dearly, but we had to make a very hard decision to give her to a Dane rescue facility back in January. We knew we wanted to get another puppy eventually. One that could grow up with B and I knew I didn't want any other breed. Once you go Dane, you don't go back! Okay, that didn't rhyme, but you know what I mean. For those of you who don't know, I came up with a few reasons why Great Danes are the best dogs ever!.........

1. Great Danes are incredibly smart. They can learn a new command or trick in a matter of minutes! Though, when they're young puppies, it takes a bit longer.

2. They're big, sensitive babies. Their feelings will actually get hurt if you're too stern with them. 

3. They are good guard dogs. Even though they're gentle giants, they look and sound very intimidating. I always feel safe!

4. They don't require much grooming. They really only need a bath once a week and have their nails clipped every couple weeks.. That's about it.

5. They make great companions. Danes are so loyal, loving, and cuddly. They just want to love and be loved on.

Spring Staple from Anthropologie

This gorgeous skirt has quickly become one of my favorite spring staples. Not long ago, I was talking about how I couldn't stop wearing neutrals (here). I got stuck in a dark and gloomy rut, wearing pretty much only black, white, and grey. Although I love my neutrals, I've climbed out of that hole and welcomed bright colors back into my life with open arms. What better way to embrace our beautiful color spectrum than with this amazing Anthropologie skirt?! Oh. Em. Gee. The colors, the pattern, the quality of the fabric... it's perfection!

What are some of your spring staples?

Top - GAP // Skirt - Anthropologie (similar style) // Shoes - Old Navy // Necklace - Gorjana

Top 5 Must Haves for Babies and Tots

I'm no expert or veteran mom, but I've come across some pretty awesome products that have helped me survive or cope along this wonderful parenting journey. These items in particular have been extremely helpful in guiding us from infancy to toddlerhood....

1. Fisher-Price Apps There are loads of activity apps out there for little ones, but Brooks really likes these. He loves music and most of the activities in these apps involve a song or two. So whether he's learning about different animals or counting, he can always dance along. I especially love these because they hold his attention and keep him from having boredom outbursts for a surprisingly long time!

2. Skip Hop Moby Safety Bath Spout Cover I never realized how much B would bump his head on the spout when I transitioned him from a baby bathtub to our regular tub. It was a lot. Like, every time.. and not because I wasn't watching him. I could literally just blink and in that minuscule amount of time, he would bump his head on the spout. So, this is a lifesaver... or at least a concussion saver!

3. Intelex Plush Elephant Microwaveable Warmer Now, this comes in several kinds of animals, but I just really liked the elephant one. These stuffed animal warmers are great for bedtime! Not only are they cuddly and warm, but they contain dried lavender flowers so when you heat them up, the soothing scent of lavender lulls your little one to sleep. Zzzzzzzzz....

4. Munchkin Latch Trainer Sippy Cup Since Brooks was born, we've always used Latch bottles and he took to them perfectly. They didn't interfere at all with breastfeeding either! So, naturally, we picked up this sippy cup when he started drinking other fluids. Honestly, it's the best one we've tried so far. I've bought at least 5 or 6 other brands of sippy cups and somehow they ALL manage to leak. This one doesn't. It's a miracle cup! 

5. Baltic Amber Teething Necklace WHAT. IS. THIS. VOODOO. MAGIC. Seriously. I had heard about it from people at work. I was definitely skeptical when a girl told me that she noticed a difference in her child's behavior within 2 days of wearing one (or taking it off). So when a friend bought one for us, I put it on B... because what the heck. We had tried teething tablets and various teething toys to little or no avail. 

Alas, we put the necklace on Brooks (leaving it on 24/7 and making sure it kept in contact with his skin under his shirt) and within a couple days, he was significantly less fussy throughout the day and slept longer at night! You better believe I've been keeping that thing on him. Whether it is just giving some kind of placebo effect or the oil from the amber is actually absorbing into his skin, it seems to work! 

What are some life-saving products for babies/toddlers that you've come across? I'd love to check them out!