Going into this project, we knew all of the planning might become overwhelming, however one thing we knew for sure was that we would be using all American Standard bathroom fixtures and accessories; one less thing to have to worry about.
Read MoreThis post was sponsored by Upswing Health as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
I’ve suffered with lower back pain for as long as I can remember and unfortunately, with 2 kids at home and social distancing, I no longer can go for the training sessions that I need to manage my pain. Seeing a physiotherapist and trainer was really the only way that helped alleviate my pain and with that no longer possible, I went on the hunt for another solution. I discovered Upswing Health, a web-based service that helps you treat your musculoskeletal injuries from the comfort of your home.
All Upswing Health services are currently FREE, so it’s an amazing time to try them out and see how they can help you! They have a library of more than 7,000 exercise videos curated by licensed physical therapists and their services can help the active, regardless of level, age or ability, to prevent and recover from injuries that might slow them down.
When you visit the Upswing Health website, they first do an initial assessment online and can offer you at-home exercises and detailed videos to help you with your injury! They also can connect you to a Certified Athletic Trainer and even arrange a telehealth visit with a primary care sports medicine physician for injuries that are more serious.
Once I discovered this service, I jumped right in and took the assessment online. I was then put in contact with Kelsey, a Certified Athletic Trainer by text. I was SHOCKED at how easy it was and how quickly I got the help that I needed!
My conversation with Kelsey was clear, to the point and she was so quick at getting me a plan to start me on my recovery.
Within 1 hour, I had a detailed program with exercises (I’m sharing a sneak peek below)! I received a personalized link and was able to download her program right on my computer to print out or use offline. I love how easy it was to follow the exercises at home without any help or doubt that I wasn’t doing them properly. Click here to get started today with Upswing Health. Here is an example of a few of the exercises I received from Kelsey:
Any type of musculoskeletal (MSK) issue can really impact your life and many of them can be treated from home without ever having to see a doctor. Lower back pain makes it difficult for me to play with my kids, clean up the house and sleep. Finding exercises that helped and I could do from the comfort of my home has been such a blessing. Because Upswing Health allows you to talk to a sports medicine doctor for free at home right now, there’s never been a better time to try it out! Click here to get started now!
This post was sponsored by the makers of ibi as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. We were sent a complimentary unit so we could share our real opinions with our readers.
Staying connected with family is more important than ever now that we aren’t able to see them as much as we usually do. But not surprisingly, being home with 2 kids all day has left me with less time to stay connected with friends and family. I’m so thankful to have discovered ibi TM by SanDisk, an amazing photo and video sharing option that allows me to quickly and easily stay in touch with friends and family!
ibi is a smart photo manager that not only backs up your favorite photos and videos in 1 place, but also allows you to easily share life’s most important memories with friends and family. During a time of social distancing, it’s allowed us to feel as connected as ever to the people that matter the most! While I love social media, not everyone in my family uses it and I don’t always share the super personal moments there. ibi allows me to share the important and not so picture perfect moments with my family so that they don’t feel as though they’re missing out on our best moments (like Boston’s first steps or Zane’s potty training).
Using it to share photos and videos is super simple. All you have to do is plug in your ibi, download the app, invite your friends and family to join (they can each have their own private storage area) and you start choosing which pictures you want to share with each person or group! I love how easy it is and how all my friends and family are in the same place. They can easily see all the pictures I’ve shared with them, get notifications (if they want) when I upload new pictures or videos and we can even comment on pictures right through the app!
One of my favorite features is how simple it is to start sharing memories by setting up your inner circle! Below are some screen shots from the set up so you can see how easy it really is:
My ibi also allows me to have peace of mind knowing that my pictures and videos are backed up in my home. All I did was turn on the automatic upload feature and ibi handles the rest! It will make sure all my memories are kept in one place without me needing to remember to upload them. Through the ibi app, you can also group your pictures into folders, so if you’re someone who loves organization, then this is the product for you!
So stop feeling guilty for not sending your grandparents, parents and family members as many pictures of your kids as you should and start using ibi! The smart photo manager that allows you to feel more connected than ever with the ones you love the most. Click here to learn more!
If you follow my Instagram stories, then you know I am not talented when it comes to DIY projects. Most of them just give my husband a reason to laugh or get upset... his reaction depends on how much money I wasted lol. My DIY failures extend to the kitchen (I can't cook and once gave myself salmonella poisoning), beauty (I once waxed off too much of my eyebrows and had a lopsided face for a month), and until recently included arts and crafts. I am SO proud to announce that for the FIRST TIME EVER, I had a DIY success!
I had such a bad pregnancy that I never really got around to fully decorating Zane's room because it was uncomfortable to breathe, let alone start hanging things on my walls. So now that my munchkin is here, I decided to spruce up his room a bit!
I bought some wood letters from Michael's Crafts and spray painted them a dark grey to match his room. (this part was a little bit of a failure because I almost sprayed myself in the face and put way too much on each letter so it took a few days to dry instead of 1 hour).... but the end result was great!
I then ordered grey triangle wall decals from Indigo to put around the letters! I opted for decals instead of painting the wall because I figured if I messed it up (there was a 90% chance that would happen), then I could easily take them off before my husband got home to avoid being ridiculed. Scroll through the pics below to see the final product!
Voila! A fully decorated wall for under $60!
Zane, like most 4 month olds, is beginning to discover his hands and feet, and does so by giving me swift kicks to the stomach and ripping out my hair any chance he gets. It's a good day for me when I don't get my eye poked by his tiny little precious fingers (that have a way of finding my pupil EVERY time he pokes my eye). As a result, I am always looking for ways to tire him out because I really can't afford to lose any more hair postpartum and one of these days he will end up giving me a black eye with his little feisty fists. So when I heard about iFloat Baby Spa, where babies float around in a pool and can kick and move freely (and without injury to me), I was in! It was a bonus that they also gave baby massages, because you know he isn't spoiled enough already.
Their website explains that the floatation and massage helps to improve socialization, strengthens bonding (because of the skin-to-skin contact), provides stimulation, promotes relaxation and better SLEEP, increases physical & cognitive development, boosts confidence & enhances well-being, improves coordination, and builds strength & develops learning skills. With all those benefits, how can you not try it at least once?... also please note the benefit SLEEP. Anything that will get me more sleep is worth a try.
I'll be honest, at first I was a bit skeptical and nervous because at first glance, it looks like the floatation device is a bit uncomfortable... but I knew right away by Zane's reaction that it was anything but that. At first he didn't know what to do and kind of just floated around looking confused (sort of like me at the gym... out of place trying to figure things out), but 10 minutes in he was a natural (like me at McDonalds). He was yelling, kicking, laughing and splashing water everywhere. 30 mins of floating time was up and it was time for the baby massage.
The masseuse is a registered massage therapist that specializes in baby massage. She gave him a head to toe massage using organic baby massage oil... and I think Zane's face says it all. We loved iFloat Baby Spa so much that we bought an unlimited ifloat and massage package for the month. In case you're wondering - he took a 2 hour nap after our first visit (YAY SLEEP!).
And for those of you who are thinking it... I'll just say it first. My 4 month old son has a better life than most of us. Floating around and getting massages 4 times a week.
My friend M. has always been the one I turn to for advice about pregnancy, children and life. She is happily married with 2 beautiful children. I remember like it was yesterday her telling me: Don't make any life changing decisions in the first two months after your baby arrives. You will hate your husband, but I promise it will pass and you will love him again... eventually.
I remember laughing a bit and thinking that although she was usually right, this time she was wrong. My husband is amazing, attentive, affectionate, goes out of his way for me, and will be the best father ever. There is no way I could hate him.
Fast forward a few weeks, baby arrives, we're in baby bliss. I am looking at the man who helped me create this beautiful and perfect little baby and I am thinking to myself that M. was totally wrong. How could anything ruin this perfect moment? My husband turns to me with this loving look in his eyes, opens his mouth and says: ."Sweetie I'm tired. I'm going to go to bed".
He. Is. Tired.
I pushed out an 8 pound baby that I carried around for 9 months (during which I didn't have a single good night sleep). I am breast feeding this screaming and colicky baby every 1 hour. I have stitches in my you know what that ache every time I breathe, and He. Is. Tired. I may have thrown something at him at that moment... It honestly is such a blur I don't remember, and unfortunately, it went downhill from there for the next 2 months. When I talk to the new moms around me, they all have different variations of the issues that I faced, but ultimately we all had the same sentiment: how were we crazy enough to marry our husbands and how do we get out of this marriage. I'll blame some of the hatred on the exhaustion and the hormones... but a lot of it is really because our husbands are just sometimes really clueless.
If I sum up the top idiotic things that our husbands did/said, it would include the following:
1. "Hunny the baby is crying and won't stop. Here, you take him... you know what to do!"
2. "I heard the baby crying all night... did you manage to sleep?" - yes. I slept through the high-pitched screaming of a newborn... said no mom EVER.
3. "It's so hard going to work when you have a newborn at home" - oh yeah? It's hard being able to pee when you want, and have adult conversations and to sit in your quiet office and gather your thoughts?
4. While the baby is screaming his head off "Is everything ok up there? Why is the baby crying" - for the same reason he's been crying since he was born you idiot.
5. "Your pregnancy wasn't that bad... we should have another one" - because you carried around a watermelon in your stomach that pushed on your sciatic nerve and gave you nausea that rivalled the worst hangover you've ever had? And you then pushed out that watermelon? I thought so.
6. "Can you please turn down the baby monitor. I'm trying to sleep and the noise from the baby is keeping me awake" (you may throw a pillow at his head when he says that one)
7. "I'm going to go for dinner with my friends while the baby sleeps... is that ok?" - ok so first off, the baby doesn't sleep. Second, no. It's not ok. I want us to suffer together.
8. "Sweetie the baby is crying! Are you going to go see what's wrong?" - thanks for letting me know! I was momentarily deaf and didn't hear the screaming baby down the hall. Let me run faster so that you aren't bothered by his crying.
9. "You're so lucky you're on mat leave. Where do I sign up? It is so much easier to be home than to go to work" - when he says that one, I recommend leaving him with the baby for 1 day while your cell phone is turned off. That's all it will take, and I guarantee you will never hear that again.
10. " Why are you so tired? Just sleep when the baby sleeps!" - yes... and all the laundry will magically get done, and the dog will get walked, and the groceries will appear in the fridge.
Being a new mom is such a whirlwind of emotions and unfortunately your husband will never understand what you are going through. He will never understand the shock of seeing your own body postpartum, he won't understand the surging hormones, he won't understand the exhaustion, and he definitely won't understand the physical recovery from labour and breast feeding.
I promise you however, that as things get easier with the baby and you start to fall into a routine, your husband will be able to contribute more and he will get on your nerves less (I didn't say not at all... just less). You will start to remember why you fell in love with him.... until the next baby arrives :)
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FollowLiving in a condo or a small house with a new baby can be challenging if you don't do it right! It's really easy as a first time mom to get caught up in all the gimics and cool gadgets that flood our social media streams (I'm a sucker and buy everything). What is really necessary and what really helps save space? Here are my top 5 recommendations to make condo living with a baby a breeze.
It's so tempting when you receive gifts for baby to rip them open and assemble them in anticipation of using them. Baby is 2 months now and the toy says it's good for babies 3 months+ so assembling it now will save time right? Perhaps... but it will also leave your rooms feeling cluttered and make you feel like you're missing space. Boxes are more easily stacked and hidden under cribs, in closets and in storage rooms than assembled toys are. Babies also develop at different rates, so a 3 month+ toy may only interest your little one at 4 months or maybe even 5 months. Moreoever, by the time your little one is ready to use this new toy, you may be able to put another one away! We recently got a Jumperoo as a gift and when assembled, it will measure about 3 feet long x 3 feet wide and 3 feet high, whereas the box fits perfectly under baby's crib.
I also recommend keeping the boxes for certain items so that you can easily store them when baby outgrows them. A couple great examples are your baby's infant car seat and vibrating chair. They are awkward shapes and will take up a lot of room in your storage unit or garage and may even get damaged unless you put them back in their box.
Pottery Barn has some really cute bins!
If you live in a condo or small house, chances are you don't have the space for a designated play room. As baby grows, toys, blankets and books will slowly invade the common living areas in your house so storage bins are a great way to keep the clutter off the floor. It will also save you from having to run from room to room trying to clean up toys all the time. Toy boxes are great for baby's room and they can double as a bench or reading nook when baby gets older :)
When looking for a dresser or extra piece of furniture for the baby room, I can't stress enough how much units with drawers and cupboards have saved our life. I was a bit apprehensive at first because who really wants to fold baby clothes, blankets and bibs, but they have been the secret to keeping my sanity! I have filled my drawers and cupboards with bins and baskets that leave me feeling as though there is organization amongst the chaos. There's a bin for baby's toiletries, a bin for cloths, a bin for burp towels, and bin for diapers etc. It also means that there is no wasted space and no need to buy teeny tiny hangers for baby clothes. Moreover, when I have a screaming baby and need to put things away fast, drawers conceal the mess until I have time to go back and put things away properly :)
Baby bath tubs take up SO MUCH space and when you live in a condo and are struggling as it is to find somewhere to put everything, compact is essential. We found an amazing collapsible bathtub by Boon called the NAKED bathtub that is great for infants and toddlers. It has two positions (incline and regular) that make it easy to use for parents and safe for baby. It also has a hanger built in so it can drip dry from your shower when you're done using it! I've included some pictures of it below! Another alternative is to give baby a bath in your sink, however depending on how big your baby is and how big your sink is, this isn't always an option.
It's a totally normal feeling to be so excited for the arrival of your new baby and to want to be overly prepared - especially when the nesting urge kicks in. But when living in a smaller space, I don't recommend stocking up on things that baby won't need for the first new months. Just as I recommended leaving toys in boxes until they will be used, I recommend buying items as you need them because other items will be able to be put away. An example in my life is Zane's rocking/swinging chair and a Play Yard. Both, I believe both are necessary and super helpful, however at Zane's age now, he uses the MamaRoo on a daily basis whereas he's too little to use a Play Yard - he can't move anywhere yet so I don't need to keep him confined. Instead of having both set up in my living room (which would take up a lot of room), once he outgrows the MamaRoo, I'll go and buy a Play Yard and put it where the MamaRoo currently is!
I hope this short list will help all you mamas! I could go on and on with space saving tips, but I'll save a few for a later date! Don't hesitate to reach out to me and let me know if you have any tips or questions. I would love to hear from you :)
xox Tovah
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