IG Roundup

I haven't done an IG round up in forever and I get that it's kind of an "easy" post, but I wanted to share some stuff I've posted to IG, but haven't had a chance to talk more or review on the blog yet. So although you've seen all of these pics on IG already if you follow me there, here they are again but with some more info about it.

Ohmygoodness. The nesting period of this pregnancy has hit! I didn’t really experience the same urgency/need to do stuff for Ellie's nursery. I wanted to get it done, but the passion and urgency I feel for it is completely different now for Little Baby 2. I had a day off this past week and took full advantage of shopping til I dropped. I went to Kirkland’s and picked up some items for our living room/bedroom, then I went to Home Goods where I bought everything. The picture above doesn’t even show what I put into the cart on my way to check out, or what I had to store inside the laundry bag, or the items I had to carry in my arm to the front. Then, on top of that I went to Target and bought a few more house décor items. What the heck!?

We’ve slowed down on the decorating of our house because I wanted to wait for inspiration or new furniture (I really want a China Buffet and new dining table), but I’m sick of looking at our blank walls and decided it needed some freshening up. I bought mirrors, candlesticks, accent pieces, and I’m not nearly done, but I’m excited to bring our home together more. I’m not sure of everything I picked up will work for the space I intended it for, but I’ve learned my lesson about Home Goods and Kirklands- if you see it buy it immediately and return later if you change your mind. Things go so quickly there and it’s better to trust your gut about pieces. There are a few pieces I have in mind from Kirklands still that I may go back for (generic stuff they always have different items of like wall sconces, not a specific piece) if I decide to move some pieces we have around or the pieces I bought don’t work out.

These jammies are the best I’ve ever had! Did you sing that to the song tune? I totally did as I typed it. They are so extremely soft and comfortable. Matt and Ellie gave them to me for Mother’s Day and I’ve pretty much lived in them since. They’ll be great to wear while breastfeeding and I plan to take them to the hospital with me for after delivery. I bought my regular size, but I might buy a second pair a size up because I don’t want to stretch them out. Or maybe just another pair because they are the best pajamas and I need several sets.

I bought these clips from Jane from Etsy shop TinkerCrafts and we love them! I like to put bows and such in Ellie’s hair now that it’s long enough to put up. She wore headbands forever and then we had a short period of time where she didn’t want to wear headbands, but her hair wasn’t long enough for a clip alone or to put up yet. She loves to pick out matching bows or clips for her hair each morning and these are easy and simple to use. The clips are covered in a fabric so shimmery it looks like glitter, but since it’s not, there’s no fallout. She’s even worn her hair down a few times with these clips keeping her bangs out of her face, which I thought she would never wear her hair like that! She’s really active and likes her hair no fuss and out of her face, if I use a clip/bow that’s distracting or heavy for her she’ll rip that sucker right out.

My little sister is getting married this fall and the bridesmaids and I are throwing her a shower at my house later this summer. The invitations were just sent out and I absolutely love them! One of her bridesmaids who recently moved to the east coast isn’t able to come to the shower, but took charge of the invites (a huge help!) and she chose the most stunning invites I have ever seen. They’re from Etsy shop Ruby Ridge Studios and she showed me a preview of them and they were gorgeous, but in person they are simply beautiful. It’s the perfect invite for the feel of the shower and my sister’s style for her wedding- feminine, floral, and whimsical.

Sterling Forever was sweet enough to send me some items- the Raindrops Opaque Statement Necklace and their Double Pearl Stud . These were delivered over the weekend and they're so pretty. I'm really excited to wear them and have already started picking out a few outfits for each.

My blush addiction is getting carried away. I've been longing for another one to add to my collection and have been blogging about getting Dame as a dupe for my beloved and now discontinued Pink Swoon. When I went into to check out the blushes, Dame was pretty, but just wasn't doing it for me. I talked to one of the consultants and I picked out one of their newer Pro Longwear Blush called I'm A Lover. It's a beautiful pink with a blue base and has great pigment. I wore it for the first time Sunday and although it's has a great pigment, it's not too strong and is easy to build. It gives a great flush and is really quite pretty. I'll try and get a a pic of me wearing it.

Matt gave me these Nikes for my birthday and I absolutely love them. It feels like walking on air and I really wish I could wear them to work. I love wearing them for errands, but still use my old ugly ones for gardening because I don't want to get these grass or dirt stained.

Hope you're having a fantastic start to the short work week! I hope it goes by quickly for everyone!

What's On My Baby 2 Wish List

The nesting period is upon us, I've been making lists and checking them off and racking my brain about what we need and don't need for #2's arrival. Luckily, we have a ton of great stuff from Eleanor that we can use for our next little one (and any little ones after that!). A few weeks ago we went through the garage to kind of gather stuff up and all of it is still in pristine condition, even all of her newborn and 0-3 clothes. I didn't check the older sizing of clothes yet, but Ellie didn't really start playing hard and staining stuff until recently now that she's older and on the run. I've been trying to put together a list of items we would need for the second baby and have asked some of my mama friends what they needed and here's the list I have so far.

Take Home Outfit- Every baby needs a take home outfit that you put away for years and years to give them when they have their own children. I have all of Ellie's items, including her hospital bracelets, in a vaccuumed ziplock for her and will do the same for this little girl. I absolutely love this outfit, I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. I found it half off last week and scooped it up in a hot second.

Blankets- I obviously had to buy the matching blanket set for the outfit too. It was a given.

Stuffed Animal- One of the first things I bought for Ellie was a soft, adorable bunny and I wanted to get Little 2 one as well. We used the stuffed animal for maternity pictures, and for monthly updates to show how fast Ellie had grown in comparison. She loves her bunny and we keep it in her room and I know it will be something we have forever. Matt has a couple of stuffed animals his mother kept and I think it's so precious to have something that was so important to you as a child. I just bought this one last week and I can't wait for it to come in!

Book- I love and collect so many books for the girls. When I had Ellie I brought a BabyLit Alice in Wonderland book as a guest book for our visitors to sign and it's one of my favorite mementos. I plan to do it again and always tell expectant mothers to bring something for guests to sign and write notes. I'm gonna stick with the BabyLit books and love this Secret Garden for our little girl.

Headbands and Bows- Baby girls needs a ton of headbands and bows, duh. You can never have too many! We have a ton of sets from Ellie, but I can't resist this adorable Grow With Me Set from Willow Crowns. Ellie and I already have the bottom lace one and now we can all be triplets when we wear them together!

Muslin Blankets- These are the best blankets ever, just muslin blankets in general, we used several brands with Ellie. They're perfect all year and now Ellie uses hers all the time for herself or her dolls. I love the colors and prints in this set, still feminine, but not pink. We have so much pink stuff, and I love it, but I want to incorporate some more color for both my girls. I've seen this set at BRU, but they don't have it online. Even though I had Ellie just two years ago, so many new prints and sets have come out!

Diaper Genie- In theory, I would love to have Ellie potty trained before the baby comes, but I'm not sure if we will. Plus, her diaper pail is broken and we would need a new one anyways. We have one by Munchkin and want to pick this one up instead, it seems to be a better one than ours after using it at a friend's home.

Sound Machine- Ellie still uses hers, mostly for a nightlight now, but if we have people over we put the white noise on to help block out sounds and keep a constant noise for her to sleep better. I like that this one has a timer so it's not on all night, which is a nice feature and it also has images it can project onto the ceiling which could be cool.

Double Stroller- This has been one thing that I haven't looked too much into because I'm dreading it. Two of my mama friends said to get a jogger because it's more lightweight and easier to push/use and I believe them! I used one for a walk we did in April and it was like pushing air on a dirt path. Matt and I are going to look for one soon. I linked to this one because it fits the carseat we have so I wouldn't have to wake the baby transitioning her from car to stroller and such.

Tote Bag- We have a monogrammed bag we use all.the.time for Ellie and I want to get another one for this little babe. I love that this tote comes in different sizes and strap lengths and I'm really digging the lavender shade. I also love anything that can be monogrammed of course. My favorite part is that it zips! Woohoo!

Those are my top ten items for baby 2, I'm sure I'm missing something so please help! Let me know what you guys used/needed with your second babies and what strollers you like best.What has been the biggest life saver when your additional children arrived? Thanks for any tips, tricks, and ideas!

Baby 2 Bumpdate: Week 28

27 Weeks 4 Days

Hello third trimester! I can't believe it's already here, I feel like this pregnancy is just flying by. The other night before bed it dawned on me how soon our little girl will be here. I kept telling Matt (repeatedly) how we're going to have 2 girls in 2.5 months! Then I hurried and made a list of everything we still need to do to prepare the nursery- paint, curtains, and whatever else I find for decoration. 

I have a vague idea of what I want for our nursery and we've bought three things so far, but this weekend I finally found a great paint sample we're gonna test out and then paint the room if it works. I'm really excited about it and I'm crossing my fingers it looks just as good once it's on the walls. If it does, we'll probably paint our own bedroom the same color. This time around, I don't feel the same sense of urgency to decorate and finish the nursery as I did with Ellie, especially since I've realized how little you use the room the first few months.

Top from Pink Cherry Trees (bought last year through Jane) 

Jeans 

Sandals (Old Navy years ago, similar)

- This week I've been craving watermelon like crazy. It's been on my mind the last week or two and I finally found a great one at Costco and I think I ate half of it while cutting it up. 

- In terms of my energy, I'm feeling really great, but have noticed that I can tire easily and need to sit and relax for a few minutes and then feel back to normal. I've been sleeping a lot better and I think that has been the biggest help to keep my energy going. 

- Our little girl has been moving and stretching so much, I was able to get a great video of her moving around. There have been some days where my stomach/skin actually feel sore from all of the stretching. I love feeling her move inside and wonder what moves she's making and if she's comfortable or what she's doing.

- I had my first dream about her, I dreamt that I had woken up in a home that's not our own and had been put to sleep for the delivery. She was so beautiful, she looked just like Eleanor, but had really dark hair and a ton of it! Ellie was born with just some fuzz, but this little one in my dreams had a full head of hair and it was long on top. For some reason, I've always felt that she would have dark hair, but we'll see soon enough!

- This past weekend, on top of getting a paint sample, I bought our going home outfit and matching blankets for her. I also ordered a stuffed lamb for her to have and for comparison in monthly pictures of her growth. I bought a bunny for Eleanor and went with a lamb for our little number two, I considered buying the same one for number two, but decided they should each have their own (also, if they turn out to look like twins it will be easier to know who is who when I'm old and senile).

 

Now vs with Ellie at 27 Weeks 2 Days

When I look back on pictures, I feel as though I still look mostly the same as being pregnant with Eleanor. Sometimes I think I have more belly than before, but not much different elsewhere. My sister said my face is slimmer than before so that's always a win! My chubby Anderson cheeks are always a giveaway of weight gain for me. 

Hope you're having a fantastic week, thank you for following along on my pregnancy journey! I love all of the comments and emails from everyone, it really means so much to have created a bond with other women.

Product Review: Michael Kors Jet Set + What's in my bag

 

Michael Kors Large Jet Set Crossbody in Peanut

For the past few months, I've been wanting a good crossbody, but have hemmed and hawed over which one I wanted to get. I've gone back and forth about what shape I wanted and then what color- a fun bright color or a classic neutral? When I saw this bag online, I had to have it. I included it in my Lust List and used some reward points I earned from work to buy it.

I'm really happy with all of it, the size it perfect! It's just big enough to fit what you need, but still small and easy to wear. Inside, there's two smaller pockets and one large pocket that goes across the side. The peanut color is a fantastic neutral, it matches with everything and the gold details are gorgeous. I love the gold chain details on each side of the strap. If I had to come up with a drawback, I would say I wish the straps could turn a full circle, but I think that would only mess up the chain and that's why MK chose not to have that feature.

 

One question I get a lot is how much can I keep in it/how much does it hold? So here is what i typically keep in it when I use it: a long wallet, glosses (MAC Creme Cup Lipstick and Underage Gloss, NYX Creme Brulee Gloss), and some candy. There's still some extra room available for my  phone, keys, and sunglasses (I don't keep them in there permanently, just when I don't want to wear them- I'm afraid of breaking them) without any problem.

I'm very pleased with my purchase and I'm happy that I didn't buy one of the other purses I was looking at.  One of them was the Kate Spade Cobble Hill Mini Carson, I still love that purse and my sister has it- it's a great shape. I just didn't care much for the neutral colors and love the soft pink one, but didn't think I'd get to use it as much. The other one I was contemplating was the Michael Kors Cindy Large Dome Crossbody, but decided to pass based on the shape. I thought I wouldn't get as much room with the dome shape as I would with the Jet Set rectangle. I also prefer the classic look and lines of the Jet Set crossbody. I think the Cindy Dome would be better larger as a handbag.

I would give this crossbody a 10 out of 10 and would definitely recommend it anyone who is looking for a decent sized, still small crossbody. It's well made, I don't think it will lose its shape, and it a great staple for any wardrobe. It's perfect for errands and weekend trips, fits the necessities and is easy to get in and out of.

Baby 2 Bumpdate: Week 27

26 Weeks 4 Days

-On Sunday we celebrated Mother’s Day and it was an amazing day! We woke up early, got ready, made homemade donuts, and headed out for brunch at Matt’s sister’s home. The weather was perfect, brunch was delicious, and we spent the whole day outside together. Matt and Ellie gave me the cutest pj set that will be perfect for the hospital and breastfeeding after our little one arrives. Matt also framed a picture of Ellie, my Grandpa and myself from our last visit and the last time I saw him in a sweet frame. I choked up a bit because it was so thoughtful and I really miss my grandparents, there’s been so many times where I went to call him and realized I couldn’t. I still have several voicemails from him that I’ve saved so I can hear his voice whenever I want. Altogether, it was a very special day and I’m so thankful for our family.

-I’m still a bit emotional, I haven’t cried in a while, but I choke up so easily! For example, typing the above paragraph brought tears to my eyes.

-I haven’t really had any cravings this week, my appetite is healthy and I feel normal, nothing out of the ordinary.

-This past week, I haven’t really enjoyed getting dressed. I’ve been really picky about what I wear or how it makes me feel/look. I typically wear the same items to work (skinny slacks, blouse, or tank with cardigan) and I feel fine about my work wardrobe, but it’s the weekends that stump me. I’m going to have to start getting creative and change my perspective a bit so I can enjoy dressing this cute little bump.

Top // Jeans // Scarf (Target last year, similar) // Necklace

-I’ve started to think more about what items we need to be ready for our little girl. Thankfully, we have a lot of items in great condition from Ellie, but I’m wracking my brain to make sure that we’re prepared. I’ve picked out a few new outfits for our little girl, but I haven’t bought any of them yet. I’m not sure what I’m waiting for (besides maybe a sale), I guess I’m just more selective now that I’ve been through the first time parent rodeo before?

What are some of your must haves for your additional children? What did you find that you needed that you didn’t have with the first our needed a double of? Please share below!

Hope you’re all having a great week, thank you for reading and following along with my pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or recently pregnant and would like to share your story please leave your email below and I will contact you about being featured! I’d love to share different perspectives and experiences about pregnancies, births, the adjustment to motherhood, etc whether it was your first or fourth pregnancy.

Product Review: Fromm Beauty Square Thermal Brushes

1907 by Fromm Square Thermal Brushes

Fromm is a leading marketer of beauty essentials in the professional beauty community, products available only to beauty professional. Now, consumers are able to access the tools of the pros through 1907 by Fromm. The 1907 by Fromm line combines high-quality materials, authentic designs, and master craftsmanship to produce beautiful and contemporary hair products.

This month, the brand introduces the most revolutionary shape in brushes since the square paddle: the 1907 by Fromm Square Thermal Brushes. Available at Ulta stores and Ulta.com (all under $20!), this bronze brush series comes in three different sizes: small, medium and large. The Square Thermal brushes feature an innovative square shape that offers all-in-one blow-dry techniques – simply alter the position of the brush to straighten, create loose waves, or form tight curls. The flexibility of the barrel shape creates an all-inclusive tool, a necessity in the quest for the perfect blow-out.

When these came in the mail I couldn't wait to try them out! I am by no means a pro at giving myself a great blow out, but these inspired me to get to it. Since I'm somewhat lazy when it comes to doing my hair and live off 3rd and 4th day hair, I know that the importance of getting extra days out of your hair starts with a good blow out.

So I put product in my hair, busted out some tunes, and went to town with these brushes. My blow out wasn't perfect (mostly because of my lack of skills and upper body strength) but holy volume Batman! My hair was super sleek too. Usually the front of my hair gets a bit frizzy after blow drying it with a regular or paddle brush due to my cowlicks, but they were so smooth! Plus, it didn't take as much time as I expected it to because the rippled bristles increase contact with hair and cut the drying time down. Also, the bristles are not all prickly and hard like other round brushes I've used.

I am so excited about the brushes and happy I was able to give them a try. If you're a blow out queen or want to start, I would definitely recommend this product! It helps to give my hair extra volume that I wasn't getting before just by blow drying my hair upside down or with a paddle brush. I'm hoping to master the blow out with these brushes!

Thank you Fromm Beauty for sponsoring this post! The brushes were provided to me for consideration, all opinions are my own.

Baby 2 Bumpdate: Week 26

25 Weeks 1 Day

Top: Tulip Sleeve from Coco and Main bought via Jane // Jeans

Both items are non-maternity, I ordered the shirt in my normal size and it will probably last another 2 months. If I ordered up a size, it would probably fit til our little one arrives. The jeans are one of my favorites! I bought them before I was pregnant with Ellie in 1-2 sizes up and because the low cut fit cut below the belly, and only $8. I'm wearing them here without the top button done, which I just had to start doing. 

This past week has been so great, I've felt great, had lots of energy, and am really enjoying this stage of pregnancy.  I'm very thankful that I have easy pregnancies, I know not every is so lucky.

- Little girl has been moving so much! Just about everyone in the family has been able to feel her now. I love being able to feel her all the time. I love knowing that she's growing and getting stronger each day.

- We moved the guest bed and a dresser out of her room and now it's just empty except one lone dresser we're moving to the garage and some old night stands that we'll also be moving. We wanted to get some paint samples over our vacation break, but it just didn't happen. I'm hoping to get some picked out in the next week and have the hubs paint the room soon. I want a soft white with just a hint of gray- any suggestions?

- Cravings this week have been the fresh blueberries we picked last week and Sour Patch Ropes. Nothing too crazy.

- Ellie has been obsessed with dolls and having them swaddled. She wraps and unwraps them, takes them with her everywhere, she gives kisses to them, shows them around, and pushes them everywhere in her stroller. She's going to be such a great big sister!

- My sciatic nerve pain and leg cramps have subsided for the time being, thank the good Lord above! Those things were the worst.

25 Weeks 3 Days

Top // Jeans // Shoes

My top is Cynthia Rowley and I found it at TJ Maxx! I tried to find it online, but couldn't find it anywhere. I just got it last week so check your local stores. It's non-maternity, but I had to have it. I love the color and it's unlike anything else in my closet. The shoes are 3 years old from Reflection and they are my fave wedges. I wore these 5 hours and they had just started to hurt my feet in the 5th hour. Not bad for 6 months preggo!

- I am so emotional lately and choke up so easily. Matt and I saw Age of Adeline last week (really good, I would definitely suggest seeing it!), and I cried 3 different times during the movie. If I wasn't pregnant I don't think I ever would have even of choked up. Don't even bring up the Grey's Anatomy episode... Thankfully, I'm not emotional all day every day, but I am definitely feeling all the sappiness hormones bring on.

- I'm so excited for Mother's Day this weekend, a holiday I've always looked forward to being able to celebrate. I hope all of you mommies have a wonderful day celebrating the joy of motherhood and the journey it takes us on!

I'm still wanting to feature new mommies and other pregnant women in future posts to share their experience. Please leave your email below so I can send you an email and arrange your post! There's been a few of you who commented that you're interested (Ally and Mandy!), but I was unable to email you back from your comment/profile. Also, you do not have to have a blog to be featured, I have a few people lined up that are not bloggers, everyone is welcome!

Blueberry Picking

Dress (wearing a Medium Tall) // Sunnies 

Last week during our vacation, we went blueberry picking at a local farm in Temecula. It was so much fun and a great experience! We plan on going a few more times during the season. The farm is called the Temecula Berry Co, so if you leave near by the area, I would definitely suggest on making a trip! Each person gets a bucket to collect your goods and they have a giant field for you to pick the best berries from. they also have two small pigs named Bacon and Eggs and coop full of chickens for the kids to check out. They also have a tractor and small seat set ups for great picture taking. The berries are all natural and they don't use any pesticides, you just have to be wary of trying them straight from the vine because of bird droppings. They're seriously the best blueberries I've ever had in my life, so juicy and sweet! We've been putting them in our lemonade, on top of french toast, and eating them by the handfuls.

Hope you're all having a fantastic Monday! Thank you for reading!

Breaking the Paci Addiction

Last week we ditched the paci. We said goodbye, braced ourselves for meltdowns and long nights, and tried not to look back. Matt has hated the paci for months and has been wanting to get rid of it, but I kept telling him that Ellie wasn't ready yet. Now I realize that I wasn't ready for it. It was a small thing that kept her a "baby" still, when she was really upset it always soothed her, and if I'm completely honest it worked really well as a mute button when needed. I did want to ditch it well before our second baby arrived and Matt said this was the week.

We had last week off work and Ellie's molars were coming in, so if she was going to be fussy anyways, why not ditch the pacis now? I had pinned all kinds of different tips from Pinterest, talked to my cousins and friends about it, and we decided to just go cold turkey. Here's how it all went down...

Day 1: Tuesday morning we let her have her paci throughout the morning (she usually gets rid of it on her own around breakfast for the day) and we headed to the zoo. We had an extra one in the backpack, but she was fussy once we got to the zoo so we just went for it right then and there and told her we didn't have it anymore. It was epic. She screamed and screamed and we did our best to calm her down. We ate snacks, distracted her, relaxed in the shade, but decided to just head home.

This was the worst day, mostly because her molars were really bothering her and once we were home we ate some popsicles, turned on the bubble machine, and stayed outside. She napped on the way home without her paci in the car and I was terrified about how the night would go. We were outside in the sun for a few hours, ran some errands, ate dinner, and then relaxed into a movie (she's obsessed with the Despicable Me's right now), once bedtime hit she was so exhausted. We went upstairs, put her in her crib and she just rolled over without a fight and slept through the night. It was a success!

Day 2: She woke up at her typical time and was looking for her paci on the ground, thinking she had tossed it out during the night (the usual). When I told her we didn't have it anymore she cried and asked for it for 10 minutes and then was over it. She didn't mention it again. We kept her busy and outdoors, blueberry picking, exploring downtown, and eating lunch. She took her nap a bit later than normal, but went to sleep fine. She asked for it at bedtime and cried for her paci "Mine! Mine! Mine!", but we let her cry it out a whole 10 minutes then she gave up the fight and passed out. She did wake up around 4am and we brought her to bed with us where she slept great.

Day 3: We were on a roll at this point! She napped great, asked for her "mine" at naptime, looked for it and when we told it they were all gone she gave a quick pout face and was over it. The rest of the day was a breeze, she didn't ask for her paci at all, no meltdowns, and slept perfectly.

Day 4: Another great day. I couldn't believe it was going so well. She napped great, had tons of fun during the day playing with her cousins, we took them to a jump house, she napped liked a champ, went swimming, and passed out again like a light when it was bedtime.

Day 5: She found a paci. We were dead. I saw her with it and my heart sank. She was playing in the formal living room  and found one somewhere (they're always lost no matter how many we had found or bought, those dang little suckers!), and came running up the stairs with the biggest grin to show Matt and I. Her whole body language and expressions were like "look mom/dad, I found one! They're not all gone!!". We told her then that she was too old and couldn't have one anymore and to put it in the trash can. She didn't, but after a few minutes she put it away on her own and we threw it out. There was no fuss over it and she didn't ask for it again. She napped and slept great that day too. I was so afraid that finding that paci would put us back at square one and am so thankful she gave it up without a fight or bribery.

We totally kicked the paci all because of my husband. I never would have done it even though I knew we had to ditch it. I wasn't ready for it, I was scared it would be a traumatic experience, and I didn't think Ellie was ready either. I truly believe in knowing your children and when they're ready to do things. However, this was a huge lesson to me on that balance of knowing your children are ready for something and when to give them the push to be ready. As a parent, you want to teach your children, lead by example, and push them to reach their full potential. You want to give them the tools they need to reach their goals, to over come obstacles, and not to give up.

That may sound a bit deep just for breaking a toddler of their paci, but it really made me realize so much. I'm so happy that my husband stood his ground and said we're doing it. I was never going to be brave enough until it was too late and an even harder of a habit to break. Ellie did so good and really surprised me with how resilient children are.

If you're thinking about doing the same, here is the little advice I have to share:

-Start taking the paci away from them at first at certain times. Use it only for when they sleep, long car rides, etc.

-Then when you're ready to kick it totally, my advice would be to go cold turkey and keep them distracted. Every day we had activities planned, kept her busy, and she was having too much fun to worry about her paci and too tuckered out to put up much fight at night. It wasn't as big of a change to go without a paci since she typically didn't have it all day long, but to 100% honest, when we were home and she wanted it, I gave it her to her plenty of times.

-Once you take it away, you gotta stick to it. You can't give in to the screaming or crying. Do your best to soothe them another way and get them distracted.

-If you think it would help, maybe find another item that they could soothe themselves with. Eleanor already sleeps with 300+ dolls at night to cuddle, so that wasn't an option for us, but maybe if she didn't we would have gone that route.

What did you do to kick your child's bad habit? What are your tips to other mommies?