Last-Minute Christmas Gift Ideas

So your busy toddler kept you from actually doing any Christmas shopping? Or maybe you forgot about someone until the last minute. No worries! Here's my recommendations for 7 amazing last-minute (thank you Amazon Prime!) Christmas gifts! All items are IN STOCK and available for FREE TWO-DAY shipping. 

1. TILE. Perfect for that person who constantly loses their keys. Or purse. Or diaper bag. Just get one for everyone, aren't we all looking for "something"?
2. SONY DSLR Camera. great starter camera for someone who wants to get serious about picture taking. Or you just want to stop shelling out a couple hundred bucks for professional pictures of your precious baby.
3. PACKIT Freezer Bag (multiple colors and patterns). Great for a pumping mom. Or any mom. Or dad. Or anyone who likes to go on picnics!
4. Duck & Goose It's Time for Christmas Board Book. All kids needs a copy of this. Seriously.
5. BOSE SoundLink Bluetooth Speaker (multiple colors). Your husband needs this NOW. Great sound. Small speaker. Easy to use!
6. JJ Cole Outdoor Blanket (multiple colors). It folds into its own little briefcase and couldn't be better for days in the park, or keeping your infant away from nasty floor germs (know someone staying in a hotel during the holidays?)
7. A Woman's War. Don't know what to get grandpa or grandma? This beautiful photography book captures life during WWII. It's sure to be a hit with anyone born prior to 1960. 

Hope you all have an easy, stress-free Christmas. Don't forget, Amazon can wrap your gifts, too! Because isn't $3.95 worth your sanity on Christmas Eve? YES.

ExpectingHappiness is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. If you purchase items through the links above, it is no additional cost to you, but the author of this blog makes a small amount of money as compensation for her referrals. 

Winter Favorites from Milk Nursingwear

You all know that it's "that" time of year... The holidays, Christmas, New Years, winter!!! Time to do a little shopping for yourself to make your life easier and more beautiful!

The dress featured above is my favorite winter look from Milk Nursingwear- the layered zig zag nursing dress {http://www.milknursingwear.com/store/pc/Layered-zig-zag-nursing-dress-3p5624.htm}.

Fall Books for Baby

We love reading, and we love fall. So what could be better than to combine the two together?
Here's our Top 5 Favorite Fall Baby Books! {this post contains Affiliate Links}

To purchase any of these books, simply click on the link and it will take you to the Amazon listing.

#1 Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin

#2 Curious George Happy Halloween #3 Five Silly Turkeys #4 Redskins 101 #5 Hello, Hokie Bird

And why not pick up one of these adorable "SCARY CUTE" Osh Kosh Pumpkin Tee shirts, too? It even glows in the dark!

Happy Fall!

ExpectingHappiness is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. If you purchase items through the links above, it is no additional cost to you, but the author of this blog makes a small amount of money as compensation for her referrals. 

Get The Look!

I posted this photo of me getting ready for my family portraits and it got a LOT of interest. So I wanted to give you all a little peek into my inexpensive and easy beauty supplies! {this post contains Amazon Affiliate links}

Fighting for a Mother's Room

As there continues to be an equal number of women in the office, those women will inevitably be having children, and why not make their return to work better for them at a very small expense to the company? This is one of those small things that could cause someone to decide they just “can’t take it anymore” and leave the workforce. I believe that providing a room that is functional, convenient, and welcoming will play a big part in retention of female employees after they return from maternity leave.

AIA Guideline for Lactation Rooms:

http://www.aia.org/aiaucmp/groups/secure/documents/pdf/aiap037226.pdf

For reference, here are some other guidelines:

·         Washington University St Louis Lactation-Room-Design-Standard

·         MIT Lactation Room Requirements

·         Setting Up a Lactation Room

·         University of Oregon Lactation Room Standards

In the United States, 75 percent of mothers breastfeed their babies at birth, yet many wean their infants early due to lack of accommodation at the workplace. Recognizing the important health benefits that breastfeeding offers to both newborns and their mothers, the federal government passed legislation in 2010 requiring that employers provide both private space and adequate break time to breastfeeding employees who choose to pump.

The payoff is significant: more satisfied, loyal employees and cost savings to the business. These savings are seen in such areas as:

•          Retention of experienced employees;
•          Reduction in sick time taken by both moms and dads for children’s illnesses; and
•          Lower health care and insurance costs.

SOURCE:

The Business Case for Breastfeeding – Steps for Creating a Breastfeeding Friendly Worksite

Really comprehensive guide (see Page 11 for the “Best Practices”):

OPM- Guide for Establishing a Federal Nursing Mother’s Program

Have you talked to YOUR company about your Mother's Room?

Fresh Air with Fresh Wave!

Let me go off topic for a minute... every since I became pregnant, I cannot stand the smell of anything artificial. No candles, no perfume, NO air fresheners. When I walked by the Fresh Wave booth at MOMMYCON DC, I almost didn't stop. But I was intrigued by the NATURAL ingredients so I gave it a try. I opened up the odor removing gel when I got home and took a BIG whiff. NICE! Wait? I like this? WOW! It has a very soft organic scent and MORE importantly, removed the "organic scent" of dirty baby diapers from our diaper bin. 

Working Moms Lunch: September Recap

Here’s a quick recap of what we discussed at my company's September Working Moms Lunch:

Potty Training

It’s a crap shoot (literally)

Try the peer pressure approach of training at the same time as schoolmates

Enjoy them while they are babies J

Girl Scouts

Some moms in the office will be selling cookies soon, contact them to buy some yumminess!

Sign up for Girl Scouts starting with Kindergarten

Biting

It’s a phase

It stops by the time they are 9 years old 

Teachers should be aware of “warning signs” that child may bite soon

Sleeping Through the Night

Don’t expect it to happen until they are in grade school (and sometimes not even then)

You aren’t weird if your kids are going to be at 9pm.

StitchFix

Personal Shopping subscription (you can pick different intervals- every 1, 3, 6 months)

Sign up HERE

Here are a couple reviews I wrote of my monthly deliveries: http://www.expectinghappiness.com/search/label/stitchfix

ThredUp

Online Consignment Store for Womens and Childrens Clothing

Get a $20 credit to start!  http://www.thredup.com/r/YZAVSL

Here’s a review I wrote: http://www.expectinghappiness.com/2015/07/review-thredup.html

TrunkClub

Subscription service for Men

https://www.trunkclub.com/

Why it's OK to "Baby" your baby

A new mom posted in my breastfeeding support group message board that her pediatrician was "instructing" her to sleep train her less than one year old baby. She obviously felt hestitation, natrually. Here are my thoughts on this situation!

12 Reasons why Maternity Leave Should Be 12 Months

I was very lucky to take a 10 month maternity leave and it felt almost right. I support stay at home moms and working moms and I don't want anyone to have to chose between the two if they don't have to. Why not consider staying at your job (if possible), but taking a leave of absence?

Here's my 12 reasons why maternity  leave should be 12 months:

12) You need 12 months to get your own body back to some state of normal. Not sleeping and working long hours are not conducive to a healthy body (or mind).

Working Moms Lunch - August Recap

Once a month I host a company-wide lunch meeting for working moms. 

Here’s a summary of what we discussed:

SNACK IDEAS for Self-Feeding Babies:

·         Cream Cheese Sandwich

·         Freeze dried vegetables & fruits (peas, corn, strawberries) – available at Target

·         Sun Butter (similar to peanut butter, but made out of sunflower seeds)

·         YoBaby Yogurt Pouches

·         Crinkle Cutter (for cutting fruit and veggies)

·         Muffins with Vegetables cooked in

·         Scrambled Eggs

·         Pasta

·         Plum Organics Fruit and Grain Mish Mash (pouches)

·         Ella’s Kitchen Nibbly Fingers (little kid oat / cookies)

FINANCES:

·         Financial Planner:

Financial Advisor | Merrill Lynch | Global Wealth Management

WORKING PART TIME:

·         Ask your supervisor for what you want (whether its tele-work one day a week, or reducing hours to 35 per week)

·         There are several options for work schedules

·         PT20 is the minimum required to receive benefits

CLOTH SWIM DIAPERS:

·         Available at MOMS Market

·         Disposable swim diapers don’t hold in pee !

SUPPLEMENTING MOMS:

·         Ask your doctor for free samples and/or coupons

·         Sign up online for free coupons

BEFORE BABY

   
Ahhh the carefree baby-free days. I LOVE my daughter and would never trade her for ANYTHING.
However a coworker of mine is about to deliver and asked me for suggestions of what I would do before baby arrives.... 

My recommendations for some pre-baby fun:
·         Get a hair cut
·         Go grocery shopping
·         Get a mani / pedi
·         Watch a movie!
·         Go TO the movies!
·         Go for a walk by myself
·         Have a nice long dinner out with my husband
·         SLEEP IN!!!
·         Take a loooooong shower

I love my baby dearly and love my mommy life, but these are things I recommend for those child-free days before baby arrives. You won't WANT to do these things after your sweet child is in your life because as hard it is sounds to believe, I would rather push my daughter in a swing at the park than get a pedicure. It's true. Love you, baby.