My Bundles of Joy with Huggies

As most of you know, we are a Huggies household. I remember bringing home my first baby, fumbling with different diapers and wondering when is the right time to size up. I was a brand new mom, I was exhausted, stressed out, and filled with so much love I thought my heart would burst. We quickly figured out that Huggies were best for us, we could rely on them to fit her just right, keep her dry through the night, and after a great customer experience with customer service, we became Huggies customers for life.

When I was a pro the second time around (ha!), I knew exactly what diapers we would need and Huggies have been there for us every step of the way with both of my daughters. Their new campaign is sharing your favorite Bundle of Joy moments and I can’t help but get emotional as my youngest Emma will be turning two soon, and will no longer be my youngest baby. We only have a few months left and she’ll become a big sister, a role her older sister has taken a shine to and tells me she’s going to teach Emma to be a good big sister like she is. It’s the cutest thing ever!

How I Pack for Toddlers with JJ Cole Backpack

I've been rocking a diaper bag for almost four years now and I definitely consider myself a pro. With two toddlers under my belt and a new baby coming this fall, I've learned all the essentials for any outing! Finding the right diaper bag can be a bit tough, JJ Cole offers a variety of options and features, styles, and I love their color options!

My diaper bag has been stuffed to the brim with all the baby necessities, then it changed as Ellie grew up. Then, I had to start over with Emma, but I knew exactly what I really needed and what we could go without. Now that they're both toddlers, it's probably the easiest diaper bag I've ever packed!

Baby Food Recipes with Gerber Lil' Bits

When we started Emma on solids, I did the same thing for her as I did for Eleanor and made all of her food myself. It’s important to me to know what I’m feeding them, the ingredients that went into making it, and ensuring that they’re getting the best to help their bodies develop. I also wanted to make sure that as I was introducing them to a wide variety of food with different flavors and textures.

Quick & Easy Toddler Snacks

Eleanor has always been a great eater, and I’m so thankful for that. Of course, she’s gone through spurts of being picky or eating a plain peanut butter sandwich for weeks at a time, but having her eat healthy has never been a challenge. Thinking of different meals and options for her has sometimes been tough, but I thought I’d share our favorites and go-to snacks, on the go treats, and what I pack for trips and playdates.

-Veggies
Ellie loves frozen sweet peas and they were perfect for her when she was teething too. She also loves carrots, broccoli, and cucumbers.

-Fruit
Her favorites are grapes and strawberries, but she also loves figs, blueberries, watermelon, plum, and apples.

-Savory Snacks
We love to have something else with our lunches or snacks that add a different texture than fruits or veggies. I make sure to always give her an extra item like veggie straws, string cheese, popcorn puffs, graham crackers, pretzels, or our new favorite Larabar Bars and Bites.

We don’t eat totally healthy all the time, there’s plenty of drive-thru chicken nuggets in our diets, but I really try to have healthy food available for ingredients and snacks for our family. It’s really important to me to teach my girls to eat healthy and pay attention to what they’re putting in their bodies. We can see a difference in how we feel and even our behavior (hello sugar crash) when we focus on eating good, natural foods that isn’t high in sugar, sodium, or has been heavily processed. That’s one reason why I’m so happy to have found Larabar at Sam’s Club. They’re delicious, easy to grab for a quick bite, and have simple natural ingredients (that I can read and pronounce). We enjoy both their bars (the apple pie is my favorite!) and the bites, and because they’re food made from real food, I never feel guilty about having them or giving them to our family. Larabar is gluten free, vegan friendly, and dairy free which makes for a great snack to have on hand in case any of our guests have allergies. My nephew is on a gluten free diet and we make sure to always have items on hand for him to eat when he comes by, and these are perfect for him! We just have a hard time keeping them on the shelves since we love them!

What are your favorite toddler snacks?

What's in my Diaper Bag with Huggies!

With Ellie, I packed everything in our diaper bag. If I thought I could maybe, possibly, use it, I stuck it in our diaper bag. Over the last two years, I've learned so much and now with a new little one, I have packing our diaper bag down to a T.

I've learned to really just pack the basics, which could be tucked into a tote bag or large purse, and head out the door. If we're going to be gone for a long time, I'll pack an additional bag to leave in the car- items like jammies, change of shoes, extra diapers and wipes. Wanna see what I have in my diaper bag?

1. Clothing
I always pack a change of clothes for the girls, one set for Ellie and two sets for Emma. I always make sure we have socks, in case something happens to theirs, it gets cold, or as an extra layer under jammies. I also always pack a soft swaddle blanket which serves so many purposes. It's nice to cover up the girls, as an extra layer, to swaddle, to use as a nursing cover in a pinch, or to lay on the ground to let Emma play on.

2. Toys
Depending on your child's age, I pack 1-2 small items to entertain them while we're out. Emma is in love with this elephant and it goes with us everywhere! Other good items to bring are rattles and teethers. If you're child takes a paci, always pack an extra two! Emma won't really take one, but we couldn't carry enough for Ellie when she was young.

3. Diapers and Wipes
The good stuff- diapers, wipes, and rash cream! A good rule of thumb for little babies is one diaper for every two hours you're gone. I have yet to really use this many diapers on a trip, but you just never know! It's better to have too many than too little. My biggest advice it to bring extra wipes! We use two wipes holders, one with our changing mat and one we keep as a spare at the bottom of our bag. We run out of wipes faster than anything else since we use them for so much.

Our diapers of choice from day one with both girls is Huggies. I've found that they fit the best from the very beginning, especially with their umbilical cord cutouts to help with healing. We had the least amount of blow outs and leaks with Huggies, and their wetness indicator is perfect to know when they need a change, especially when you're just adjusting to their feeding habits and establishing a routine.

One time I had to call their customer service line and the representative I spoke with was so nice and friendly. I remember getting off the phone and telling my friends about their exceptional customer service. That call alone really cemented my loyalty to them, they are an awesome company with products that help keep my babies' skin soft and protected.

Another mom tip I have is to buy your diapers in bulk! You go through them so quickly and I've priced them everywhere and I get mine at Sam's (along with popcorn, milk, and other yummy snacks). The girls love getting out of the house and trying samples, checking out their kid stuff, and we always get a snack on our way out. It's been a nice break while I was on maternity leave so sit and talk with Eleanor. What's awesome about being a member is that you can get store pick up or free shipping! Score!

What do you keep in your diaper bag? Any tricks or tips?

#SpreadCheer with Betty Crocker + $20 Giveaway!

One of my favorite Christmas memories is my Grandmother's cookies. She made all different kinds, but my personal favorite were her sugar cookies. They were amazing! She would have to make hundreds and we'd all eat them all up so she would have to hide them from the family. It was always a hunt when we came over and we only found them twice- buried in the snow! She was an amazing cook and baker and her treats always made us feel special.

Baking and cookies are something I want to share with my kids and loved ones. Now that I'm back to work, it's so hard to try and squeeze everything in on the weekends and nights before bedtime. I'm loving that Betty Crocker is here to help me through the holidays. Her cookie bags are simple to follow, make delicious cookies, and her cream cheese frosting is to die for.

This season, you can help #spreadcheer with Betty's new campaign to share the holiday spirit with friends, loved ones, and neighbors. It's so simple and a great activity to do with your littles and help teach them the joy of giving!

1. Download your coupon and grab your goodies at your local stores

2. Start baking easy holiday treats with your little elves

3. While you wait for cookies to finish baking, take advantage of their free printables! They have coloring pages for the kids, gift tags for the cookies, and door signs for the goodies!

4. Once your cookies have cooled- get to decorating! I hope our neighbors like sprinkles...

5. Tie up your cookies with the gift tags and drop them to your neighbors!

Our cookies turned out so good, we're baking them again this weekend! Can't beat a simple cookie mix, butter, and a single egg! It's so nice that these treats are so easy and quick to make. We had a great time baking and decorating them together and Ellie had so much fun delivering them to neighbors. The little boy above has been sick for a while and was ecstatic to have some treats! It was the sweetest moment, he couldn't believe they were his and it really brightened up his spirit.

Now for some fun and your chance to win $20 in PayPal Cash!!

Spread cheer with your family, snap a photo, then share it on your choice of social media with the hashtag #SpreadCheer and nominate two friends by tagging them to join in the fun! Come back and link to your share so I can check it out or tag me in your original post! I can't wait to see everyone's goodies!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Best Treatment for Diaper Rash

They tell you that each baby is different and it's so true! Emma is calm, loves being passed around from one family member to the next at parties, sleeps a ton, and is really relaxed. A totally different experience from our first baby! Another difference between our girls is Emma's sensitive skin. From the very beginning, she had really sensitive skin and I swear her little perfect cheeks were constantly changing between pink and red. It kind of threw me for a loop because my experience with diaper rash was never a big concern- it always cleared up rather quickly. I've had to learn some new tips and tricks with this little one and I wanted to share my experience like a good mommy blogger!

1. Change diapers often!
This is kind of a no brainer, but sometimes I would wait until the diaper was full or until she pooped to change her. I think everyone does this, but I'm still kind of embarrassed to put it out here. With Emma, probably for about the first month, we would have to change her diaper really often to keep her rash away. As soon as it started to disappear and we slacked, it would come immediately right back. Since rashes can happen at any diaper wearing age, I would suggest changing diapers anywhere between 2-3 hours, or less if you have an infant. This has been the biggest tip to keeping rashes at bay.

2. Change types or skip the wipes
Sometimes, changing brands or types of wipes can be an easy choice to keep away rashes. During Emma's first few weeks we had to switch ours to ones for sensitive skin. When she had a really bad rash that wouldn't go away, we skipped wipes altogether for a soft towel and water.

3. Let them go free
When in doubt, air it out! We haven't had to do this with Emma, but one time with Ellie we just let her be naked for a a while on a towel. It was all we could do to get that little sucker of a rash away! It helps to keep their skin from being rubbed or irritated from the diaper and gives them time to air out.

4. Lay it on thick
Another trick I learned is to slather the rash cream on THICK and often. A lot of it gets absorbed or rubbed into the diaper, so you need to really get a nice layer of cream on their sweet little tushie.The cream that's worked best for Emma is Desitin, it goes on really nice and clears up any signs of rash within a few hours or a day or two (depending on the severity). We use their maximum strength version, since it offers the maximum amount of zinc oxide, go big or go home is our motto. When she has a rash, or even the sign of one coming on, we wipe some cream on her at every diaper change.

If you're in need of some Desitin, or want to try it out for your little one, Target Cartwheel coupon is offering 25% off from 10/25-11/21! It's the perfect time to stock up!

What are some of your best rash tips that helped your babies? What worked the best for you?

Today's post is sponsored by DESITIN® cream, but all experiences and opinions are my own!

Why I Talk, Read, and Sing with my Children Every Day

Growing up, I was always an avid reader and still am today. My mother always took me to the library and read to me every night. One of my favorite memories of my grandmother is sitting on her lap and having her sing silly songs to me. Naturally, this is something that I do with my own children and love the memories we've created and time we spend together.

Although these are simple things, did you know how important they are for your children? Did you know that 90% of your child's brain is developed by age 5? Recent research even shows that more than 80% of a child’s brain is formed by the age of 3!! These first few years are critical for your children and you can set them up for success in easy and free ways! First 5 California has lots of creative and simple ways to incorporate talking, reading, and singing into your lives. Doing activities with your kids helps you to bond with them, create memories, but more importantly it stimulates their brain. Your child's brain is growing at such speed, it's important to take advantage of this precious time and help them absorb language skills, fine and gross motor skills, and help their brain develop!

One routine we've picked up recently, on top of reading 3-5 stories each night at bedtime (along with several songs), is reading time at our local library. Being on maternity leave, I was looking for different ways we could get out of the house each day and reading time is one of the biggest hits with Eleanor! Each week, we head to our library where we're read three books and then do a related craft after.

It's so much fun to watch Ellie get involved when asked questions about what's going on in the books and making a craft afterwards really helps her connect messages from the book. We've read books about colors, mysteries, and opposites so far.

This week we read stories about cows and afterwards made a really simple cow puppet that Ellie loved! She loves showing it off and can't wait to go back next week.

Another activity we love doing together is singing. We sing all kinds of songs (lately it's been ones from Annie), but our favorites are ones that have coordinating hand/body movements. It's really helped Ellie's motor skills, it's been amazing watching her try to mimic my movements to be able to copy them completely! Some of our favorite easy songs to sing is "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes", "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "If You're Happy (and you know it)", and "Wheels on the Bus".

First 5 California's site has amazing ideas based off your child's age- babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. There's something for everyone and has given me some new ideas for Emma to help stimulate muscle strength, motor skills, and emotional growth. I love the idea of gathering different textures around the house such as fabrics or kitchen utensils to help her sense of touch, visual tracking, and hand-eye coordination. This will also be a fun activity to get Eleanor involved with and help them bond.

Be sure to check out First 5 California for ways you can incorporate Talk.Read.Sing ® to your children each day and check out the Video + Downloads Tab at the top right for ways to turn every day tasks into fun exercises for kids!