As I’ve been packing for the hospital over the last couple of days, I decided, hey! Why not blog about it? So here is a list of things I have packed in our baby girl’s diaper bag:

Cute Diaper Bag
Wipes
Diapers
Baby’s first aid kit
Onesies
Swaddles
Pacifiers
Paci Wipes
Hand and Face Wipes
Tylenol
Teething gel or tablets
Plastic bag (for dirty clothes or diapers)
Bottles/snacks
Snacks and water bottle for mom especially if you’re nursing.
Teething toy
Taggie Blanket
Thermometer

I ended up buying the Petunia Pickle Bottom Sashay Satchel in Paris Noir and could not be happier with it! I can wear it as a tote or as a backpack which is a huge deal to me! I also love all the pockets and storage it has since I will be putting 2 kid’s things in it this time around.

With H, I learned the hard way to never ever leave without a plastic bag and at least 2 outfits packed. I had a couple of bad accidents with him in the beginning and it was not pleasant.

Speaking of outfits, I absolutely love this TuTu Sweet In Pink Boutique. They have the cutest onesies, and you are in luck because they are giving one away to my lucky readers! Go to TSIPB’s Facebook page and choose the onesie you want from this album! Enter in the rafflecopter below! Good luck!

Ryan laughs at me because I call newborns “new babies.” I’m not sure why, but I always have. I mean, they ARE new. Anyways… when I saw this adorable onesie, I knew I had to have it. First of all, I decided at the beginning of the year that my color was going to be gold. I’ve been loving gold sparkly everything lately. With the phrase and the fast that the letters are all gold and sparkly, I just couldn’t say no to this one. My baby girl had to have it. I have obviously packed it in our hospital bag, because she needs to wear it while she is “new.” 🙂

Be sure to check out TuTu Sweet in Pink Boutique’s Etsy Shop // Facebook // Instagram to keep up with their adorable clothes! Enter their giveaway below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What did you include in your diaper bag? Did I leave anything out?

ONE.
First of all, thank you all so much for your support, encouragement and advice on this post the other day. It was overwhelming and so encouraging and reassuring to read your comments on your experience with having a second child. It definitely made me feel better to write what has been on my heart the last few weeks and to share my fears with you. I never imagined you would all be so supportive. THAT is why I blog. I love you guys!

TWO.
I will be 37 weeks pregnant tomorrow. Full term, y’all! I can’t believe how fast this pregnancy has been. I’m feeling pretty good minus the normal aches and pains that come with the end of pregnancy. I won’t go into detail, but you know… I’m definitely ready to have her now. I’m ready to see what she looks like! I will be sharing more photos of her nursery very soon! I basically used all of Hampton’s nursery furniture and just added in a little pink. 🙂 I am looking very forward to my Doctor appointment next week because we are having an ultrasound to measure baby girl and talk about possibly inducing. While I had a positive experience being induced with Hamp, I haven’t totally decided if I want to be induced again. I’ll keep you all posted as best I can, but for more updates, follow my Instagram!

THREE.
Mother’s Day is coming up in one month from today! Have you thought about what you’re getting your mom? I shared a fun idea for a gift basket for all new mother’s in your life yesterday! Be sure to check it out!

FOUR.
We are taking Hampton to see and ride Thomas the Train tomorrow! I can’t wait!! He will be so excited and I can’t wait to see his little face! Let’s just pray I don’t go into labor while on that train ride. It could happen…

FIVE.
I officially have an Etsy addiction. It’s bad. You will see that more and more in the coming weeks. I have a few exciting giveaways coming up and so definitely check back in! Especially if you or someone you know is having a baby girl!

What is your favorite Etsy shop for a baby girl? What do you have planned this weekend?

Easter is such a happy day. The weather was beautiful, our church service was wonderful, the food was outstanding, and as usual, my mom and mother-in-law really outdid themselves. Because we live near both of our families, we always get double the holiday fun. It can be hectic, but it is so much fun and we wouldn’t have it any other way. We enjoyed two fabulous meals, two egg hunts and lots of pictures. I tried to pick and choose just a few to share with you so you don’t have a Hampton overload, although he was pretty cute! 🙂

How was your Easter? Did you do anything Special?

Springtime is officially here and in full swing! The weather has been so beautiful and WARM (finally!!!) this week! Warm weather makes me want to do two things: swim and go on a picnic! Hampton and I went on a picnic last week and had so much fun, but this time we included Ryan! We had the perfect afternoon snack-time picnic yesterday, and really enjoyed being together. Of course, savings at Publix (more on these savings later) and Klondike Ice Cream Bars added to that enjoyment! Ryan actually got me hooked on these after I met him. What a bad influence he is! haha They are definitely one of my guilty pleasures.

For healthier snack alternatives, we  also pack:
-Yoplait
-Fiber One Chewy Bars
-Nature Valley Breakfast Biscuits
-Fruit

Publix is hosting a Snack Share and Save Event where you will save $5 on your purchase of $25 or more on participating snack items when you share with your friends! Find out more details here.

Giveaway Time!! Enter to win $15 paypal cash by entering in the rafflecopter below! I will choose a winner on April 23rd. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

P.S. Check out my post on How To Have The Perfect Picnic!

What do you like to take on your picnics? Don’t forget to check out these great savings at Publix!

Planning activities for toddlers can be stressful. Playdates are awesome for toddlers. All kids, really, but toddlers are tough. They are learning how to play and interact with others and what better way to learn than on a playdate? Hampton and I love playdates because it gives him time to play with other kids and gives me time to socialize with other adults. I love that time with friends because it is our time to swap stories about our kids as well as feeding off of each other for advice. It is so nice to have that support all while Hampton is being socialized. 😉 I wrote down a list of spring activities for toddlers the other day so that we could start checking some off of our list. These are also great ideas for playdates.

We love to host playdates at our house or go to other friend’s houses, but sometimes it is nice to get out and about and do something a little different. We have been out on two playdates just this week and it has been really wonderful. Here are a few playdate ideas to get you out of the house and out on the town.

Playdate Ideas:

• Park
• Picnic
• Zoo Day
• Make a Craft
• Building Blocks
• Playing Ball
• Swimming at your neighborhood or local YMCA pool
• Play in the sprinkler
• Children’s Museum
• Aquarium
• Play center (like Pump it Up)
• Pizza Restaurant or Chuck E Cheese’s
• Host a Toddler Olympics (with races, toss game etc.)
• Reading play date at your library (or someone’s home if you’re nervous about noise)
• Sensory activities (sand boxes, boxes of beans, rice, etc. that they can play in)
• Take them to a ball game
• Slip ‘N’ Slide
• Play with Chalk

I received product and compensation from Gerber and Mom Select, however, all experiences and opinions are 100% my own.

Saturday was one of those days. You know the ones I’m talking about? Where nothing seems to be going right? You think you have it all together and then all of a sudden, you realize how far behind you are? I had that moment on Saturday afternoon. I saw Hampton’s Easter basket, and while I have all of these wonderful Easter basket ideas for him, the only thing I have actually purchased is his Big Brother shirt. That’s it. Poor baby. So this is what his basket looked like at this moment:

Kind of sad. I also realized after he woke up from his nap that he had no snacks. He was completely out of snacks and I really really needed to go grocery shopping. So, what did I do? I loaded a fussy hungry toddler into the car and we drove to Target because Target is the cure-all.

Now for the happy part of the story. I had a win-win moment standing in the middle of Target. I went straight to the baby section to find all of his favorite Gerber Graduates snacks and hit the mother load. He was literally cheering as I picked out his favorite snacks. Happy baby, happy mommy. Then it hit me, I bought extra snacks to fill his Easter basket with! Genius! Now, he has lots of snacks that will get us through at least a couple of weeks and he also has more snacks that he will get in his Easter basket and be super excited about. I even bought a couple of their little entrees to keep around for lunch on the go when we are at play dates or grandma’s house!

Guess what? Gerber is giving away a free gift set when you purchase 10 Gerber Graduates products and upload your receipt to their site! How awesome is that? I uploaded my receipt and can’t wait to receive Hampton’s goodies! It doesn’t get any sweeter than free food and baby products for your little one.

Thank you, Gerber, for saving the day and Easter and for giving this weary mother her win-win moment of the week!

Have you had a win-win moment recently?

Lately, I’ve been noticing a lot of the little things. Hampton’s sleepy smile when he first wakes up in the mornings. The way he watches everything we do with such intent and interest. The fact that there is peanut butter on my window sills and spilled milk on my floor should bother me, right? But I love it! I love all of the evidence of my child learning, touching everything, exploring and playing. It makes me so happy when I see him discover something new. In the last couple of weeks he has started playing peekaboo – legit peekaboo, not the baby version of the game. He runs from me when I call him. He hides from me when he has done something wrong. He lays his head on my shoulder when I tell him “no” for whatever thing he has done in apology. He is growing up and changing so quickly. Most days I want him to still be my baby boy, but others, I realize how lucky I am that he is healthy enough to run, play, spill things, eat Pippa’s food, throw (and break) my bathroom scale, make messes and laugh. He is growing up, and while it breaks my heart in some ways, it makes me smile.

A couple of weeks ago, he came up to me holding a frame with a picture of a baby in it. He pointed and said “baby, baby” over and over. It made me smile, and cry a little (blame the hormones). It was comforting to know that just maybe he does understand more than we think he does. I know he has got this. He is going to be a great big brother to our little girl and I can’t wait!

Coming up with Easter Basket ideas for kids can be tough. Sure, toys are always fun, but if you’re practical like me, you won’t want to waste a lot of money on silly toys that they won’t ever pay attention to. I like to find useful and educational things to mix in with the fun things. That way, you don’t feel like you are wasting money or space in your home.

Easter Basket Ideas:

• Bath Toys
• Children’s First Bible
• Balls
• Bunny Slippers
• Board Books
• Beach Toys
• PJs
• Toy Cars
• Toddler’s First Crayons
• Little People Toys
• Puzzles
• Tickets to the Zoo
• Coloring Books
• Play Phone
• Brush
• Mirror
• Play-Doh Eggs
• Their favorite snacks ie. Goldfish, puffs, etc.
• DVD
• Summer hat (or baseball cap)
• Sippy Cups
• Clothes
• Blocks
• Swimsuit
• Bubbles
• Sunglasses
• Magnetic Letters for the Fridge
• Doll
• Monogrammed Basket Liner
• Plates/Bowls
• Rain Boots
• Chalk

• Thomas the Train Shaving Kit
• Reef Flip Flops
• Tickets to see Thomas the Train (locally)

What are you putting in your little one’s Easter basket?

These precious hospital hats are GREAT quality and I can’t wait for little SR to wear them! They would also make excellent gifts for your next baby shower! Be sure to check out Infanteenie Beenie on Etsy, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram!