Modern Wrap: Mother of the Week

Modern Wrap 

Mother of the Week

Hello everyone! I was chosen to be Mother of the Week with Modern Wrap. This company chose 12 moms to model each of their wraps. I was chosen to model the "wine" colored wrap. As a "Mother of the Week" I was sent a wrap to model and a few questions to choose from and answer.

[[MWMotheroftheWeek]] Question 1: How have things changed between you and your husband/partner since you became a mother?

--Truthfully, a newborn puts a lot of stress on a marriage initially. Sleep deprivation is ugly on anyone! But then one day, we all just 'got' each other. It felt like overnight all three of us had it figured out...as much as any new parents could at least. Our relationship has changed for the better, we get to raise a baby together and watch her experience life. There is nothing better than watching him love our daughter & that father-daughter relationship is going to be amazing to watch develop. Having a daughter has made him a softer man with a bigger heart. Our relationship will always be different now because the way we love each other matters to someone else. Our relationship is deeper and tied together by our little babe. 

[[MWMotheroftheWeek]] Question 2: What has been the biggest surprise about motherhood?

--I think just how hard it is being a mother. I know all mothers will tell you it's the hardest job in the world, but you don't know it until you live it yourself. I think for the first few weeks I believed I was babysitting and someone was going to come and relieve me of this new 24/7 job. Given, I had mastitis for 6 weeks after birth and complications like that just add to the difficulty of a newborn, but still, being a mom is no joke! And then out of nowhere you get the hang of it and it's like you've been caring for this person all your life and you just get each other, that was another surprise of motherhood. Just out of nowhere clicking with my baby and even surprising myself with how much I love her. When someone else is holding her and she's crying and they ask, "what do you think she wants?" and I can respond immediately with, "she's tired", "she's gassy", "she's hungry", "she just wants to be close to me", or "she's trying to poop." I surprise myself! We can communicate through cries and coos. No words. Pretty crazy when you think about it. 

[[MWMotheroftheWeek]] Question 3: How did becoming a mother change you?

--This is a list that will continue to grow as I grow as a mother, but I've noticed I'm not "waiting" anymore. I'm not waiting for life to happen if that makes sense. Before my girl was born I waited for things like waiting to graduate college, waiting to get pregnant, waiting to move, waiting to have my baby... Then she was born and I just started taking things day-by-day and enjoying it. I think about the future and future plans every day, but I'm not waiting for big moments anymore. I'm just excited for them. Everyday has a big moment with our girl. A bigger smile, a giggle in her sleep, a look of happiness when she sees daddy after work. I feel fulfilled and feel like I have a purpose now. She looks at me like I'm just the greatest person in the world. She stares and I stare right back. I feel like I am capable of loving deeper because of her. 

These wraps are the softest, most light weight wraps I have ever used. I have multiple wraps from a few different brands/companies and these are by far the best ones I have ever used. I absolutely love mine. They have the cutest colors and patterns too, definitely worth checking them out!

I use my wraps for getting things done around the house, walking around, holding her close when she is feeling needy, and for some of her naps when I am out and about and don't want her crunched in her car seat all day. Baby wearing helps fussy babies that just want to be close to their momma's. Don't wait until they are are 3 months old either! I used mine the first day I brought her home from the hospital. Newborns cling to their mommas the first month and all they want is skin to skin contact and to feel and hear your heart beat again! If you are a momma-to-be definitely invest in one of their wraps. It is a lifesaver! My baby girl is super observant and loves the wrap because she can see everything and still be close to me.

You can use my personal promo code for my followers: SYDNEY15

Their shop here

Their instagram here 

This promo code will get you 15% off your purchase with Modern Wrap. They don't have just wraps either, take a peek at their nursing covers! This promo code is worth taking advantage of!

XO Sydney 

**I was sent all products free of charge, thank you for supporting the businesses that support our little fam**

Postpartum Must Haves

A Few Postpartum Must Haves

Here are a very FEW of my postpartum must haves. I will do a more extensive post for what mom needs postpartum soon, I am still experimenting with things and finding my favorites that I want to share with you all. For starters, here are a few items that will save both mom and babe!

Bibs: I use Aden & Anais bibs and Tommee Tippee bibs. I have a very spit-up prone babe and by spit up I mean projectile vomit...If you have a baby that easily gets an upset stomach, I suggest using bibs even before the solid food stage. It has saved me numerous outfit changes, you can only change a onesie so many times within 15 minutes before loosing your mind.

Bottles: I use the Tommee Tippee bottles for my little one. I researched bottles before giving birth to her and found these ones work really well for babies with sensitive tummies. I did not know if my baby was going to have a sensitive tummy or not, but I would have hated to experiment and have to make the switch so I just started her off with these ones and for now they do the trick!

Pacifiers: More specifically, Wubbanub pacifiers...these things will save you from spending hours looking under the couch and under the bed for your baby's pacifier. When my brother was born the hospital would give you the blue pacifier and I can't tell you how many of those things my mom had to stock up on. The little stuffed animal attached to the pacifier on the Wubbanub pacifiers prevents the need for stocking up. However, I did stock up anyway because the different animals are just too cute. They stay put on baby too and allow them to hold onto them and even put the pacifier back in their mouth.

Diaper Rash Cream: Those diaper rashes sneak up on you! You don't want your babe to suffer when they have one so it is best to always have it on hand. I use Bourdeaux's Butt Paste and The Honest Company diaper rash cream.

Burp rags:  I have an assortment of burp rags...and a lot of them, yet I still feel like I never have enough. My favorite ones to use are the muslin plain white burp rags, the Aden & Anais burp rags that convert into a bib and the cloth diaper squares, not the inserts. I use all of these and love all of them. Use these things like crazy.

Ergobaby: If you are going to get any kind of "wrap" I think I suggest getting the ergobaby. It is the most versatile and your baby can grow with it. Dad also doesn't feel girly using the ergo. The ergo has pockets and zippers and a head cover and can be worn multiple ways. Don't get me wrong, I use the cloth wraps every day also, but if you are only looking to get one baby carrier I would get the ergo. Unless you're like me and have 3 or more wraps and use them all....then get them all!

Lanolin: I use the Medela lanolin, but I have heard good things about the Lansinoh lanolin also! During the first month of breast feeding lather your poor nips in this stuff. I was a changed person after using it and purchased it way too late down the road. I could've saved my bleeding nipples way in advance!

Swaddle Blankets: I have the swaddle wrap things that are basically made ready like an easy pre-swaddle, but I prefer the old fashioned way...the way my mom always did it with my brothers and the way they do it in the hospital. I like to use 'receiving blankets' with a little bit of stretch in them and swaddle her super tight. They startle easily when they are so young and like to feel secure. My little girly loves to be swaddled and the tighter I swaddle her the longer she sleeps! I have the Aden & Anais swaddle blankets, but they are almost too thin and don't keep her warm. We use those for other things instead, but a lot of people love them so that is another option if you like the muslin material.

Baby Gas Relief: Just get it in advance because you are going to need it at some point. My girl was gassy immediately after coming home from the hospital and it took about a week for me to figure that out. She would get angry and fussy after eating. A lot of that is due to the fact that she would suck in a bunch of air when she was having trouble sucking because of clogged ducts and infections. She still gets gassy and I use the drops multiple times a day. Imagine how painful it is for us as adults to have bad gas pains and then imagine how difficult and painful it must be for such a little human...I try to give her them before eating sometimes too as well as after feeding...especially if she is having an upset tummy day.

Breast Milk Storage Bags: Once you start pumping these things will save you room in your freezer. They are also easy to grab and take on the go. They are not too big of bags that they take forever to defrost either. They are worth the money and it is easy to number and date the bags to know which ones to use and when. I love having bags of breast milk stored away for baby girl. Some weeks she has a growth spurt and is especially hungry and it may take a day for my supply to catch up with her so having breast milk on back up is always a plus for her and I!

These are just a very few items among a very long list of what mom and baby need postpartum, but if I was going to start a mom off I would say this is a good place to start!

Feel free to let me know some of your favorite baby items. I always love hearing about other products!

XOXO Sydney 

Shop Favorites: Bert and Bear

Bert and Bear

Etsy Shop 

The creator of Bert and Bear, Katie, was kind enough to send me some goodies for baby Elba. I chose the organic cotton diamond print fabric (I will link below). I love the color gray and the pop of peach was just girly enough!

I love all of her stuff, the boy stuff is to die for as well. 

The fabric is thick and cozy. Seriously, these things are so soft and warm...I want a pair.

I chose to be sent the 0-3MO size...which killed me and they fit her perfectly for her size. Of course they are a bit loose because she is still in some of her newborn clothes, but she has the perfect amount of growing room. The top knot headband fits her perfectly and is adjustable. I suggest ordering true to size!

AHHH nothing quite like baby feet and some adorable print leggings. They can easily change the look of a white onesie. My favorite way to dress Elba nowadays is a long sleeve onesie and some cute print leggings. It is easy for diaper changes and having few layers makes those messy explosions or spit-up massacres that much easier to change. 

The shop owner, Katie, made a discount code for my instagram/blog followers.

She is offering 10% off for a week & all you have to do is use the code SAVE10.

Elba's exact leggings HERE 

Bert and Bear Etsy Shop HERE

Follow her shop on instagram HERE

Katie is a dream to work with and so sweet. Go support her shop and purchase your little one a piece of coziness! Don't forget to use your discount code (see above).

XOXO Sydney 

**I was sent all products free of charge, thank you for supporting the businesses that support our little fam**

You! Lingerie Giveaway

You! Lingerie Giveaway 
[CLOSED]

Hello lovely ladies! This is for my mommy followers and nursing mommies. I have teamed up with You! Lingerie to run a giveaway for you all! 

These nursing bras are so incredibly comfy and gorgeous. I absolutely love mine! Mommies aren't confined to taupe and gray nursing bras. You can still have fun and be a mommy. I love the variety of colors and styles this company has to offer. I recommend them to every mommy out there! 

You can find all the details of the giveaway on my instagram HERE

Go to their website and check them out immediately!

I am wearing the Anastasia Maternity & Nursing Bra HERE

HERE is a direct link to their website!

HERE is a direct link to their instagram

XO Sydney 

Frank Body Cacao Coffee Scrub Review

I have been using the frank coffee scrub in the original scent for a few months now, there is another review on that scrub you can read here and I absolutely love it. I use it pretty consistently, maybe a few times a week and it has lasted me months. Zack uses it too so it gets double the use and still takes a while to deplete it. I am at the bottom of the bag finally with a few uses left which is why I decided to order another bag from frank. I was debating on sticking with the original, but they recently came out with the cacao scent and I haven't found many reviews on it so I thought it would benefit everyone if I branched out and decided to try the new cacao scent. I am SO GLAD I DID.

Zack got the package when it was delivered and I wasn't with him, so I demanded he open it to smell it when it arrived yesterday (they are really good about timely shipping by the way). He texted me back telling me it smells like amazing mocha goodness and it totally does. The first thing I did when I got home was smell it and it is so good. It is extremely different to the original scent. 

I would say the original scent has more citrus and fruitiness & the cacao scent smells really rich and yummy. It smells like a dark chocolate bar mixed with coffee and vanilla. It is so delicious. 

I primarily focus this scrub on my face, I have a lot of hyper pigmentation because of my skin tone. I have a really olive skin tone and for some reason I scar very easily on my face. I know that I must think it is worse than what other people see because everyone is their own worst critic, but it is still something that bothers me. Some weeks I will have really good skin, like right now, I don't really have any break outs...which is weird considering my hormones are crazy from being pregnant, but right now my skin is actually really good. My skin is mostly recovering from breakouts when I was in college during my most stressed out times. I usually use a retin-A and it helps with random dark spots that may appear, but because I am pregnant I have cut out retin-A completely. So instead I opt for frank coffee scrub. I use my clarisonic on days that I do not use the coffee scrub, but I have got to say it is a close call with who does a better job. 

Frank for stretch marks: I am pregnant and stretch marks are also a concern. I do not have any, I mean I have the few on my hips from when I was likely going through puberty in middle school and high school, but for the most part I just want to use something for prevention. So at night I use the frank bod scrub on my hips, belly and boobs. I do not want stretch marks, but I know some things are out of my control. I use Bio Oil, Palmer's cocoa butter, and a homemade organic body butter that I make and sell in my mom's store, oh and some vitamin E every now and then. But an important part in not getting stretch marks is sluffing off any dead skin and always regenerating new fresh skin cells and frank helps to do that!

Frank for face: Frank leaves my face really hydrated after using it so I do not use a moisturizer. First I clean off all my make up with either dove soap, coconut oil, or dial soap....then I scrub a little bit of frank on my face to sluff off the dead skin. I let the scrub sit on my face while I finish washing my hair, this helps to get the oil from the scrub absorbed into my skin....then I get out of the shower and dab my face off so I don't strip it of the oil and that is it. No moisturizer needed. I have extremely sensitive skin and frank has never, ever, ever broken me out, despite all of the oil in it! So for anyone with sensitive skin....in my opinion you will be fine!!!

Frank for legs: Another thing frank really helps with is getting a closer shave on your legs. I know it sounds weird but it seriously works. Have you ever shaved your legs and then like the morning after you wake up and you have razor sharp prickles...yeah don't lie. It always helps to exfoliate before you shave your legs because you get rid of the dead skin on top and then you get closer to the hair follicle. So I always like to scrub all over my legs and then use a shaving cream on top. The oil helps to prevent razor burn and I use the shaving cream for preventing razor burn and because I honestly forget what part of my leg I have shaved if I do not see that strip of shaving cream removed. Try before shaving it works wonders I can assure you!

My primary uses for frank:

Scarring

Stretch Marks

Shaving

Hydration

I know that frank advertises the scrub for cellulite and I have seen some crazy before and after pictures, but cellulite isn't my main concern so I mostly use it for the reasons above. Zack uses it because it smells amazing and it is hydrating, so there is a guy's perspective for you ladies! He loves it just as much as I do haha.

I absolutely LOVE this new scent and I am so happy I branched out and got the new one instead of sticking to the original. The original is a goodie and definitely worth getting, but oh my gosh the cacao one is my new favorite without a doubt. I still need to get my hands on the coconut and grapeseed one and believe me I will! 

Definitely go buy this! You will not regret it!

Frank website: http://frankbody.com/

Frank instagram: @frank_bod

XOXO

Sydney

Get Fit Like Fido!

I've collaborated up with DogVacay, an online dog boarding community, to talk a little bit about staying fit and healthy and some tips and fun workout ideas to incorporate into your workout schedule or to just mix up your daily routine!

As I mention in just about every blog post...I love my pup, Oak, and I constantly work out with him.  Having a healthy and fit dog has been beneficial to myself, especially during this pregnancy because it helps motivate me to get out there and stay active. However, I do love circuit workouts and although my circuit workouts have been more sparse since being pregnant I do love to incorporate them into my workout schedule when I can. 

DogVacay came to me with this cute idea to share with all of my readers. They teamed up with Certified Fitness Trainer & Registered Yoga Instructor & dog-lover, Julia Chan to create a workout that benefits both yourself and your loving pup!

Below I have included the DogVacay's Get Fit Like Fido circuit workout for you and pup! I am a fan of circuit workouts myself.  I love circuits that incorporate squats, jump squats, burpees, push-ups, lunges and more for that all-over body workout. You will be sore everywhere after a circuit workout, but it is the best kind of workout in my opinion and also often the quickest! It is important to warm-up and cool down with any workout...even this one below.  Maybe just take the doggy friend on a walk around the block first to loosen up those muscles and get some blood flowing, that's my favorite warm-up at least. I am always ready for a circuit workout after I go on a walk with my dog. The time frame can range to fit your schedule too. You can warm-up and get your heart rate pumping or do a lighter walk and get some stretching time in too. Cooling down is just as important and the circuit workout provided by DogVacay's Fit Like Fido has a few ideas for you! Some of these moves include some yoga positions for those yogis out there. I know I will be making use of the yoga positions with being pregnant to strengthen my muscles instead of overworking my body on a daily basis. 

Anyways, I thought this was a really cute idea that was brought to me and I thought I had to share it with you guys! Even if you don't have a dog and you are one of my readers that loves to work out it might be fun to just try the circuit anyways, maybe it will help you get out of a workout rut. Circuit training always gives me more energy, however, I can't say the same for your dog. Your puppy will likely be ready to pass out for the day. 

Save this image to your phone, your computer or wherever and you have it with you on the go!

XOXO

Sydney 

Frank Body Scrub Review

Okay, so I have been saying I will be posting a review about the.....

frank body scrub 

for a while now, but I wanted to make sure my skin wasn't sensitive to it and I could give you guys an accurate review. I have been using it for a little over two weeks now, a few times a week and I have had NO problems. I got it more-so just for trying it out...rather than for the benefits it claims...like being good for stretch marks and cellulite and some scarring. That said, I have not used it long enough to see "improvement" in any of those areas, but I will tell you that if you use this scrub before you shave your legs then you will have the softest legs, NEVER shave first and then apply that would just be painful haha.

I have applied it to my face as well as you can see and I have not experienced any breakouts due to the scrub, I have experienced normal hormonal break outs but nothing to attribute to the scrub, if anything it leaves my face smooth and hydrated!

I purchased the Original Scent/Scrub and I definitely want to try the coconut one. The Original scrub has an orange fragrance to it and almost chocolate scent too all combined with the yumminess of fresh brewed coffee. The packaging is actually kinda convenient, although it comes in a bag it is waterproof and easier to store than some jar or tub. 

Lucky for you guys they just made shipping to North America free as this is an Australia based brand. From what I gather this is a small company that is growing considerably and have had positive results with people who have tried it so its worth a shot!

If you wanna get a better feel for the product you can check out their instagram: @frank_bod

My instagram: @sydneysedillo 

I hope this was helpful and shed some light on a product that is getting a lot of hype right now!

Have a great day!

 Sydney