Newborn Essentials

I know you're probably thinking, "newborn essentials...isn't this a little overdue?!" LOL! Why yes, yes it is.

My sister-in-law is due with their first baby in April, so I've been gathering newborn essentials for her. I thought I'd share it here, because I remember when I was expecting my first, I had NO CLUE what I really needed! 

Throughout the last 20 months, I've had a lot of time to reflect on those first few months and compile an "essentials" list for newborns. This, of course, is my personal opinion of what is necessary for newborn care in the first few months. Obviously having lots of blankets, burp cloths, bath soap, soft towels, wash cloths, etc. are all important, too. But these items are MY go-to BEST items!

 

Diapers and wipes (obv)- we've had a very good experience with Pampers. Jacob started in Swaddlers and is now in Cruisers. He also sleeps in Baby Dry at night. We also really love the Pampers sensitive wipes. I actually swear by these and will happily pay the extra $$ to avoid diaper rash! ((Jacob has never had a bad case of diaper rash- ever. Knock on wood.))

Triple Paste- on the same topic, I highly recommend this butt paste. We use it every single night. Lots of it! Works amazingly!

Zippered sleep & plays- any brand will work, and if you can find the ones with hand "pockets", that's even better! Your baby will LIVE in these the first few months!

Miracle blanket- I cannot say enough good things about this swaddle. It's truly a miracle. 

FP Rock & Play Sleeper- because of his reflux, Jacob preferred to sleep in an upright position. This thing is awesome! He slept in this, next to our bed, for the first couple months. It's also a great place for him to hangout during the day or when you gotta get something done.

Sound machine- Jacob still sleeps with his sound machine on FULL BLAST. He loves it! Even when he was sleeping in our room, we had the sound machine on the floor beside him. It helps drown out outside noises and also emulates being in their mommy's tummy (which is essentially what you're trying to duplicate for the first 3 months).
P.S.- we've owned 3 of these (they eventually die) and I would recommend buying the silver "spa" ones vs. the green "baby" ones. The spa ones get louder and last longer.

Boppy- I used this sucker multiple times a day every day for 13 months and I looooved it! It's a breastfeeding essential, in my opinion. I've heard people complain that theirs lost shape and got flat. I never had this issue. I bought the plain white one and used a couple different covers (so I could wash them easily, which WILL happen).

Puj Tub- we bathed Jacob in this, in the sink, until he was 5-6 months old. If he wasn't so HUGE, we would've kept him in there longer. It works great!

Honestly, that's it. These are the things I would recommend buying at the very beginning.

Good luck, mamas!

Toddler food idea - english muffin pizzas

Hi, I'm Kate. I'm a pizzaholic. Seriously, its a problem. But it didn't really become obvious until I posted two pizza recipes back to back. What the heck!?

 

This is more of an idea post than an actual recipe post. Jacob LOVES pizza, but its not really feasible for me to make a whole pizza (sauce and all) during the day. This is the perfect solution.

 

 

English muffin pizzas! You literally just layer the sauce, cheese and toppings right onto the English muffin and pop it in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

 

 

My only piece of advice is to toast the English muffins before putting everything on them and baking it. Toasting them ahead of time helps to cook them thoroughly and they turn out nice and crunchy!

Yum!!!

Homemade margherita pizza

Homemade pizza is a very popular meal in our house. We've evolved over the years from frozen store-bought pizza, to basic homemade, to full-blown pizza. We still haven't tackled the crust, but we probably will soon because I don't really care for the store-bought stuff.

 

Anyways...here's what we do. 

Start with the crust. Pre-heat oven to 400° and spread out the dough on a cookie sheet. 

Cook for 10ish minutes, or until the crust is nice and brown. Like so-

While the crust is cooking, you can make your sauce. We use these whole tomatoes (San Marzano is the best).

Pour the tomatoes in a bowl and mix around. Since they're whole tomatoes, you kinda gotta mash them up with your hands. Then add in 3-4 smashed garlic cloves, and 4-5 fresh basil leaves. That's it!

Once your crust is done, transfer it to a pizza stone or a rack. We happen to have 2 spare oven racks, so we use those!

Then layer your toppings. Pour a healthy amount of sauce on the crust, add 6-7 fresh basil leaves (covering the top), and then rip apart some fresh mozzarella. We generally use an entire ball of mozzarella per pizza. 

Then put the pizza back in the oven for another 10ish minutes or until the cheese is melted. 

 

 

That's it! So simple and delicious! If we tackle the crust- I'll let you know! ;)

Five on Friday - Spring Dreaming

Totally not related to this link-up, but I started Rodan + Fields yesterday and I'm so excited to see how it goes. I have seriously sensitive skin that is dry in the winter and oily in the summer. I've always had the hardest time finding face products that are sensitive enough, but still work. I've got my fingers crossed for this program, and I'll let you know how it goes!! Give me 2 weeks. :)

Now onto the good stuff. I'm linking up with some gorgeous gals for Five on Friday, yet again, and sharing FIVE items I'm goo-ing and gaa-ing over for spring. With the unseasonably warm weather we've had lately, I can't stop thinking about spring! Not to mention I've seen daffodils in full bloom already, and TONS of growth throughout the neighborhood. Woohoo! Can't wait!

So let's get started...

ONE.
These gorgeous Nikes. If you follow me on IG (@KateSoko), you know that I actually already got these from my hubby for Valentine's Day, and I luuuurve them!

TWO.
This striped dress. I'm really into stripes and this dress comes in tall, sooo I pretty much couldn't put this in my shopping bag quick enough.

THREE.
These skimmer jeans. I'm trying to talk myself into believing that white jeans are realistic with a crazy toddler. Yeah, good luck.

FOUR.
This denim jacket. I've never actually owned a denim jacket before, so I'm not 100% sold on it, but I'm hoping this one fits me good and I can try it out! Do any of y'all have one? You like it? They seem so versatile! And perfect for a busy mommy!

FIVE.
This super cute baseball tunic. How comfy does this shirt look?? I love a good baseball tee, and especially one that covers your bum! How perf!

So tell me- what else are y'all eyeing for spring?!

Valentine's Recap

Valentine's Day has come and gone. I get so excited about holidays and such, mostly because its a reason to make things extra special for Jacob, and they just fly by too fast! Not fair!

We hosted a few friends and their kiddos for a little Valentines play-date on Friday and it was such a blast!

Have I ever mentioned that I have the best neighbors? We're all around the same age and have kids roughly the same age (pre-school) and we all just get along really well. Our personalities are a lot alike. AND...they are stay-at-home-moms too! Yay!

Anywayss...they all came over, along with their 5 kids, and we sat out in my backyard and drank wine and attempted to have adult conversation while the kids wreaked havoc. So typical, but I seriously wouldn't change a thing! Or, maybe I would like for the 4 of us to go to a restaurant and sit on a patio and sip wine without the kids. A girl can dream, right?? But we all know that ain't happening, so this is the next best thing!

I took a few pictures of the spread before everyone arrived, which is a good thing because I only got ONE picture during the actual play-date. More on that in a sec... Now onto the food and goodies.

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While we were outside playing referee chatting, one of my friends glanced up in the sky and nearly threw her 4-month-old on the ground / choked while shouting "oh.my.god. its a plane.....in the sky....."

I honestly thought a plane was crashing, until she finally finished her sentence. "....writing in the sky!!!!!"

You would've thought the plane was writing a special message for US, the way we reacted! And I'm quite surprised none of my (other) neighbors came to check on us and/or the police didn't show up. We seriously screamed so loud! Hahha! I'm laughing so hard right now, just thinking about it. So hilarious!

So here's the only picture I managed to get during the actual play-date....of the sky writer....writing an I love you message to RPD. That dumb B. Hahhaahah!!

I hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day, and were able to spend it with the people you love.

Thanks again to Tiny Prints for the spectacular valentines!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

How cute was Jacob last year?! 8 months old here and just starting to crawl. 

He's changed so much over the last year. It's almost hard to believe! 20 months old, running everywhere and talking up a storm. And loves his dogs to pieces!

Love this little boy more than anything in this world. I'm so honored to be his mom.

Cheers, y'all! :) Have a great day!

Little Things - morning cuddles

Today I'm linking up with Jess and Ashley, and so many other mommy bloggers, to share a little thing that matters to me. 

Jacob's video monitor lost signal in the middle of the night (not the first time this has happened, but the first time we couldn't reconnect the two- ack!), so I had to move to the guest bedroom to be closer to him, and to hear him if he were to wake up. It was actually kinda nice.

And a total bonus- I laid there listening to him giggle and talk to himself this morning, and it totally made my day!

And I only had to take 5 steps to snatch him from his crib, and bring him back to bed for some extra sweet cuddles (with Boo, too).

I love this boy, and I especially love stopping to savor the little things. 

Coffee.

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One thing is certain around here- on Mondays, we drink coffee. Usually 3 cups. Why is that? I always have a "hangover" on Monday morning. Ack!

I'm by no means a coffee aficionado, but I feel like I've learned a little bit about coffee lately. How, you ask?

Josh and I started watching Dangerous Grounds back when it debuted in 2013, and we were instantly hooked. Not only does the host, Todd Carmichael, travel to incredible countries ALL over the world, but it's often pretty dangerous and always successful. He usually walks away with some of the world's BEST coffee straight from the farmer.

After watching one of the latest episodes, which described the coffee from Guerrero, Mexico as "tasting like wine", I knew I had to get my hands on some of it. 

Thankfully, Todd actually sells his coffee online here. He has TONS of different beans from all over the world, they all have descriptions, so you can buy what sounds good to you. 

The Guerrero coffee is so yummy! Not nearly as strong as I usually like, but the flavor is divine!

I love buying whole bean coffee because it gives me an excuse to use my coffee grinder. Coffee tastes so much better when its freshly ground. No?

I don't have a fancy coffee grinder or anything, but it works. And it definitely makes the house smell amazing. :)

 

Y'all check it out, and let me know what you think! Happy Monday!

--

P.S. This is not a sponsored post. I just legitimately love this coffee company, the TV show and everything they do.

Jacob - 20 months

Age: 20 months
Height: we don't go back until he's 2!
Weight: we don't go back until he's 2!
Milestones: I swear Jacob has gone through a major developmental phase recently. (maybe that's why he's been sleeping so terribly?!) He's talking up a storm lately, and really starting to remember everything. I mean, I can tell him a word/noise ONCE and he will remember it! I love hearing him say all the animals and their sounds. Literally the cutest thing ever! He said "teddy" the other morning and I almost flipped my shit! Who is this kid?!  I also noticed he's stacking items really well now- 3+ things now.
Sleep: After re-reading his 19-month update, it seems like his sleep is still very much the same. He still sleeps 11-12 hours at night, but his daytime sleep has really been lacking. I think he's finally coming out of this funk, but we'll see. Right now I'm just gauging his tiredness and reacting accordingly. Some days he takes 2 naps, others just 1.
Eating: I still hate mealtimes. Gah, will this ever get easier or better?? I really hope so!
Clothes size: 2T, and some 3T (mostly PJs)
Diaper size: Size 5 Cruisers
Teeth: 12 total, and I think his canines are starting to move now.
Best Moment: We've had a fun month. I can't think of any specific moments, its just been really good!
Worst Moment: Can't really think of anything??
Favorite toy: Right now he is L-O-V-I-N-G all his trucks- fire truck, dump truck, tractor, etc. He pushes them all around (complete with sound effects), crashes them into each other and stacks them. His Grandpa brought him a Melissa & Doug 18-wheeler with alphabet blocks this past weekend, and he LOVES that thing too, especially turning it over and spilling all 3216516 blocks everywhere.
Looking forward to: our Valentine's Day playdate will be a blast! My parents are also finally moving up to the metroplex, so I can't wait to go out to their lakehouse and spend more time together! Stay tuned because we'll be going on a Family Field Trip soon (one of my New Years Goals), and I'll be sharing a slew of field trip ideas for your family!

And a few outtakes for your viewing pleasure...

Blog facelift

So...if you've been on my blog this week, you've probably noticed things changing. During my "spare time" I've been working on a bit of a facelift for the ole blog. I wanted something a little more personal, that reflects me and my personal style. I really think (and hope) I've accomplished that! And, I'm so proud that I actually did it all myself!! Haha! Let me know what you think!

As we  s p r i n t  into the New Year (I mean, it's already February, y'all!), I'm trying to check things off my New Years Goals List. This blog being one of them.

I hope y'all love this space as much as I do, and hopefully everyone can find something they like!

Cheers, y'all!