Uncategorized – Page 4 – the Whitney Michaels blog

Summer Essentials

July 10, 2017July 11, 2017essentials, kids, motherhood, products, Uncategorized1 Comment

Summer in So Cal brings longer days and so much sunshine! It used to mean spending weekends floating on a raft with a cocktail in hand, BBQing with friends and family every week, and staying up late to enjoy the warm summer nights. Fast forward a couple of years and adding 2 young kids to the mix, and our ideas of a summer day and night have changed a bit! We spend more time figuring out how to avoid the direct sun as we used to preparing cocktails and even though its still light out, our bedtime routine must stay consistent because tired kids are cranky kids!

Here’s a few things that are getting us through the summer!

Going to Grandma’s pool has been a favorite activity this summer! Pool time tip: wait until the afternoon! We’ve been going after nap time to help us get through those last couple of hours before dad gets home, and also to avoid that prime time sun! Even so, I love that the float we have has a shade and we also use UV protecting bucket hats for the girls. They don’t always keep them on, but we try! Aubrey LOVES to get out and go to the side to jump to us! But the 100 degree heat gets any type of floor way hot! Having on these non slip water shoes makes it so easy to transition from concrete to pool without worrying about burnt toes! They’re great at the splash pad or in our own yard when playing with the water table too! Speaking of – the water table is a genius idea! Small enough for it not to be such an ordeal to set up, but fun enough to provide hours of entertainment! We keep ours under the patio by a drain because this just screams “splash in me!” and “scoop it up and dump it out!” to our toddler apparently. But we love it! So easy to add sand toys, cups, rubber ducks, paint brushes (to “paint” the concrete with water) and the girls both have so much fun.

The last few items make my life so much easier! That striped bag is from Initials, Inc and literally can hold EVERYTHING you could possibly need on a summer day! Changes of clothes, towels, snacks, diapers & wipes, camera…you name it! I had mine personalized with WM because I also am using it when I travel with my essential oils set up, but they have all sorts of fun graphics or fonts to make it a perfect summer bag – and personalization is FREE! Packing up, making sure kids stay safe from the sun and in the water, and fed can be exhausting for this mom and you know what I usually forget? All of those things for myself! A large stainless steel cup is perfect because it will stay cold for so long and I love to add some combo of citrus essential oils, so I avoid plastic. The other savior this summer has been my Young Living after sun spray! I’ve unfortunately passed on my sensitive skin to my girls and even when taking precautions, the sun and chlorine are not so nice to us! I feel good using this spray on myself and the kids because its so clean and it brings a cool and refreshing relief whether we just feel hot or if the sun kissed us a little too hard! This is a brand new product this year and we are obsessed! (If you have no idea what I’m talking about with my citrus essential oils or Young Living, you can read up here or scroll around on my Instagram!)

Do you have any Summer Essentials that you can’t live without? I’d love for you to share!

Have a wonderful Summer!

Whitney

These are the days…

July 8, 2017July 8, 2017motherhood, Uncategorized2 Comments

These are the days.

The days you should “cherish every moment”. The days that “are going to fly by”. The days that “you’ll look back on one day and miss”. We’ve all been told by our moms, our friends, and that old lady at the grocery store that says “you’ve got your hands full!”.

This may be true. But these are also the hard days. The days that never seem to end. The days that turn into nights (you know – the time most people in the world are sleeping but you’re still awake with a baby). The days that you clean up the damage left by one tornado, only to turn around and find another devastation in the next room. These are the days that you notice at 3 pm that you’re still in your pajamas. Or you’re reaching for the dry shampoo for the third day in a row. These days you have every intention of doing “a load a day so you can keep up” with the laundry, but just remembered it’s been sitting in the wash since yesterday morning. These days, dinner ranges from home made enchiladas on a good day, to cheese quesadillas and beans the next because cooking is hard.

These are also the days that we need to give ourselves grace. We need to know that as long as your kids are fed, clean, and loved – they think you’re perfect. They don’t mind cheese quesadillas for the 3rd day in a row for lunch or the occasional baby wipes bath. They don’t care if you put on a bra today, or if you’re rocking the mom bun – again. In fact, my daughters newest request is “a big bun just like you!” Their innocent eyes don’t see those thoughts in your head comparing yourself to that “perfect Instagram mom”, or the guilt you are feeling for giving them noddles covered in powdered cheese. They see their perfect mom. Their perfect mom sings that special song she made up, does the hot dog dance with them in her pajamas at 3pm, and let’s them stand at the counter to stir in the powdered cheese and cook together!

We don’t have to be the perfect mom, the perfect wife, the perfect homemaker, the perfect employee…

We should be their perfect mom, a version of his perfect wife that this season of life allows, and the homemaker that makes us feel good! We may be that woman in the grocery store who thinks back on these long days and realizes they did fly by. For now, we must find joy in the little successes and know that its okay if you want to forget about those few moments when you felt crazy instead of cherishing them.

Photos by Alexandra Kayy Photography

Here’s to giving ourselves grace, and knowing that those pics on Instagram are a highlight reel (as are the photos above). I’m currently drinking cold coffee at 11am in pajamas.

xoxo

Whitney

Five on Friday

June 29, 2017June 30, 2017five on friday, Uncategorized2 Comments

I love linking up with women whom I follow and am inspired by – it is a great way to connect! 5 on Friday is a fun way to share a few things we are doing, places we’re loving, recipes we are eating, or things I’m finding inspiring! Happy FriYAY!

one| Just in case you haven’t heard, I’m a gal who loves her some office supplies! Planners, pens, notebooks, sticky notes, books – basically anything that helps me feel organized. It’s also a major bonus when it looks pretty and ends up being functional! You don’t want to know the amount of planners or journals I’ve purchased that I end up putting in a drawer after the first couple weeks! Enter Erin Condren. She and I have been in the longest committed planner relationship I’ve ever been in and I’m in love! I currently use 2 planners, one for everyday/personal/family things (neutral hourly) and one for my essential oils and blogging (neutral deluxe monthly). I’m so excited to have ordered my NEW one for next year (although let’s be real, I may move into it earlier!). I got a different format – the neutral vertical – and I’m hoping to combine both my personal and “business” books!

two| For a girl who loves to plan so much you’d think I’d be a meal planning machine, right? Nope. This is something I try so hard to be good at, but it always falls to the end of the list. I tend to be the type that runs to the store every-every other day or starts scouring the freezer for something easy at 5:00! A super easy meal that I always have on hand is tamales with beans and rice and/or salad! I always have beans and rice in the pantry, and the girls are always down for a quesadilla or bean and cheese burrito! These tamales are fresh, but freeze so well and are super yummy! I’ve found them at Pavillions and Costco! Perfect last minute meal!

three|Water Play! Summer has been in full effect for the past couple of weeks in So Cal, and the only way we’ve been making it outside is with a little H2O! The pool at Grandma’s, the splash pad with friends (love hanging with Sharon from Mama Chit Chat), or the water table under the patio have been our go-to’s! I’m loving the swimsuits I got for the girls a couple of months ago! Aubrey’s one shoulder is from the Gap outlet and Blake’s striped one is Babies r Us.

four|even though summer is not so different from the rest of the year for us (I don’t drop off the girls anywhere), the days are still longer and the heat seems to make them crazier and me more exhausted! The regularly scheduled things we do together (gymnastics and mommy and me) take a break so its up to me to get us up, out, and moving! A friend invited us on a little field trip this morning and we had so much fun feeding and learning about Alpacas at Alpacas and Beyond! If you’re in the area I highly recommend contacting Kim for a fun group outing!

five| I did some shopping in the LC by Lauren Conrad and juniors sections at Kohls the other day, and I’m loving the off the shoulder trend finds I picked up! Chambray, Coral, Gingham

Have a wonderful weekend!

Be sure to catch April, Christina, and Natasha!

Just Push Publish

June 29, 2017June 29, 2017motherhood, UncategorizedLeave a Comment

I am a planner and can tend to be a perfectionist. I’ve found that the biggest thing that comes from this combo is procrastination! Between the list making, drafting, preparing, and making sure everything is going to be just right, there’s never time to get anything accomplished.

As a mom, I’ve found perfection does not exist. I have to ignore the fact that my kitchen isn’t hardly ever clean, the laundry hampers are never empty, the dinner isn’t always ready on time (or made at all…thank goodness for takeout!), and we aren’t always going to look put together. I’ve also learned as a mom that life passes anyway. The days go on whether the house is cleaned or not. The girls grow one day older each night whether they get a bath or not. So I must do the things. Have a play date – even when it looks like a school bus of toddlers already destroyed your house, meet with a friend – even when you should be doing laundry instead, let them take the photo – even if you didn’t do your hair that day, and go after your goals – even when you feel like you need more time to prepare. I have realized I need to just jump in, not dip my toes and chicken out. Should I make a plan – yes. But should I use my fear of something not being perfect hold me back from making progress – definitely no! Baby steps are still steps forward. And that’s what I’m taking!

So here’s to opening up, connecting with others, and just pushing publish. Our lives aren’t perfect, but it’s the perfect life for us!

Xoxo

Whitney

Camping With Kids

June 19, 2017June 29, 2017kids, motherhood, parenthood, UncategorizedLeave a Comment

Summer is almost here and I’m so excited for the activities and trips that come with it! We have always loved to go camping, but once we had kids our scheduled trips were few and far between. We made it a priority to put some trips in the calendar this summer and I cannot wait to make memories together as a family. We recently switched our camping set up from a trailer to a motor home and we are also starting to camp again for the first time since our youngest could sleep in a rock n’ play. Both of which makes it totally different for us! We’ve been twice since our change up and I’m gonna share what is working (and what didn’t) for us with a few tips.

Think about your traveling set up. | Both girls were in rear facing car seats regularly in my car. Luckily we have seat belts in the dinette seats so we were able to place their seats facing the correct way while traveling. We did decide to rotate Aubrey’s seat to face forward since she’s over 2, and she LOVED that! It was so fun for her to watch out the window and be able to see us, especially since we were in a new surrounding! One thing I’ll have to figure out next time is something to put up in the middle of them if its sleeping time. It was so cute that they could see each other and touch hands…until they fell asleep, and then one woke up and woke up the other! Maybe I’ll put a poster board between their seats next time, haha! May sound silly, but if it works it will be worth it to get two napping kids!

Bring toys they haven’t seen in a while | I try to rotate their toys and books at home so they feel like they’re getting something new every now and again and don’t always see the same activities. When I was packing things for camping, I choose from the stuff I had put away. Once we had a moment to “play” with the things I brought, Aubrey was so excited to see the toys that she hasn’t played with in a while! Something I was sure to keep consistent was her bed time pals. The blankets she always has in her bed as well as the stuffed animals she loves were sure to be with us!

(loved using my adorable bags from my friend Kelli, you can check out her page here)

Stick to your bedtime routine as much as possible | sleep was my biggest concern. Our toddler has a pretty good routine down now so obviously I didn’t want to disturb it if at all possible. We were already worried about the fact that she normally sleeps in a crib and we would be putting her on the converted dinette bed. Things were different (my husband had to lay with her to fall asleep because she could just climb out, she got up extra early because the windows let in SO MUCH LIGHT at super early hours and her naps were a bit shorter) but I think the fact that we kept her routine the same helped keep it a smooth process. Just like at home, we did baths (super quick wash off no playing camping baths of course) and read books before bedtime. I also was sure to bring the essential oils I use for the girls and (since we had hookups) I was able to run the diffuser as well! Clearly she slept well, look at that bed head!

Prepare for lots of outside time | we spend time outside at home, but I’m definitely not used to entertaining two – 2 and under kids all day mostly outdoors! Hats, sunscreen, bubbles (so many bubbles), and ways to go for lots of walks. I carried Blake, our 10 month old, in the carrier a lot and we also have a compact/cheap umbrella stroller we brought that was perfect for when Aubrey got tired of walking.

Tagging along with the outdoor idea, think of the eating arrangement | Blake normally sits in her highchair and Aubrey is usually in a booster seat at the table. We brought Aubrey’s booster but it wasn’t really safe on the picnic bench. So it was difficult to get her to sit and eat. We finally figured out it worked on one of our folding chairs. We use the Mamas & Papas Snug Seat as a traveling high chair for Blake. Works great on the floor, or in the middle of a table. We call her our centerpiece! (you can see ours with the tray off in the background of the photos below)

Prepare for snacks | somehow everything takes longer to prepare while camping! I felt like we were eating breakfast later and the process of getting dinner ready was almost too much to bear for Aubrey since she didn’t have much to do on her own while we were cooking. Hungry kids = cranky kids! A banana in the morning while waiting for breakfast or grapes or crackers or something while waiting for dinner would have been a great idea!

What are your favorite tips or hacks for traveling with kids, camping or otherwise? I’d love to hear! Hope you have a fun summer with your littles!

Whitney

Make + Take

June 2, 2017June 29, 2017essential oils, event, UncategorizedLeave a Comment

One of the fun parts of using essential oils is being able to create your own products to use in your daily life. When you turn any project in to a party, its so much more fun in my eyes! I love hosting events, and getting to share the benefits of Young Living essential oils is an added bonus! I shared some details on Instagram a while back (@whitneymichaels_essentials) but wanted to share more details with you here!

Have no idea what essential oils are? Start HERE 🙂

Of course we displayed the Premium Starter Kit and had a few resources we love for our guests to look at. The Pocket Reference, Gentle Babies, Hello Glow, Lucy Libido, and some information cards from Young Living. We made it a little more personal by having bags for the gals to take home their goodies and a survey for the end. We learned their information for follow ups plus they entered for a little prize by filling it out!

When choosing what to make we wanted simple (to show that ANYONE can utilize oils), but we also wanted a recipe that was a little more involved since we had the perfect small group. Here’s what we made:

Bath Salts are something that make you feel like you’re at a spa, but are so simple! We used lemon and lavender oils, but adding about 10 drops of any oils to the base recipe is perfect! Another favorite of mine is 5-6 Stress Away and 3-4 Lime.

1 cup of Epsom Salt

1/4 cup of baking soda (if I’m just mixing it quick before my bath I don’t add this. Only when its going to be stored in a bag or jar.)

8-10 drops of essential oils

Rollers are probably the quickest, most portable, and least messy way to utilize oils in my opinion! For beginners a roller is a no brainer. Just tell them how and where to apply and they can use it right away! We offered two options: Immunity support or Energy support.

Immunity: 20 Thieves, 10 lemon, top with FCO

Energy: 9 Lemon, 6 Peppermint, 2 Frankincense, top with FCO

Our lip scrub recipe we found in the book, Hello Glow and I love the citrus scent!

1 TBS sugar

1 TBS coconut oil

1 drop of lime essential oils

Last was the Grapefruit + Mint body scrub, recipe courtesy of Jessica Garvin @grapefruitandgold. (We did one big recipe and then just divided it into 6 containers.)

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup sugar

zest of 1 grapefruit

10 drops of peppermint

30 drops of grapefruit

This scrub is a favorite of mine and all of our guests LOVED the fresh citrus scent!

We had a few snacks – chips and guac (with lime eo), taquitos (easy bake ahead), and fancied up some pre-made margaritas with a drop of orange eo in each glass…super yummy! They would have been even better if I remembered to make the Lime Salt I made for Cince de Mayo. Everyone was so intrigued by the fact that they were eating and drinking the oils as well! It’s a great way to teach about the different uses!

We sent everyone home with their goodies they made in the personalized bag, plus a sheet spray as a thank you made by our host, Brooke @lovegraceandgoldenroots.

One guest signed up as a member that evening after I sent her the information email and another who had just signed up the week before wanted to pursue the business side! yay! So happy to spread the love of oils…

I hope you have so much fun planning your next oily event!

XOXO,

Whitney

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(I’ll have a link to all of my favorite oily supplies on the Essential Oils page at the top of the blog soon!)

Essential Oils {in our home}

March 1, 2017June 29, 2017essential oils, house to home, UncategorizedLeave a Comment

essential-oils-home

I have been using essential oils in our day to day lives for almost a year now. I started by just learning about oils from a dear friend, using them occasionally and now I use oils all throughout my day! I’d love to share just how I use them for our home in this post!

Being a SAHM with two babies, it shouldn’t be a surprise when I say there is always…I repeat ALWAYS…a mess happening in our house! I’m always cleaning up something sticky – whether I am wiping children, toys, high chairs, or counter tops. For this, Thieves comes to my rescue! With Thieves Household Cleaner I’ve made multiple spray bottles. One for everyday cleaning {high chairs, quick floor spills, general counter top cleaning, etc.} and one for de-greasing {stuck on counter top messes, the inside of my microwave, stove top, etc.}. I reach for these bottles at least 10 times a day and love that I don’t have to worry about leaving behind harsh chemical residue on the girls’ highchairs or their toys! I added lemon essential oil to the heavy duty bottle and cannot get enough of the fresh scent of my clean kitchen!

Another item I couldn’t live without now is a diffuser in the kitchen! The kitchen really is the heart of our home and I feel like I spend at least 60% of my day in there! The first thing I do when I come out in the morning, after coffee of course, is start diffusing essential oils. If anyone in our family seems to be feeling a little run down or on the verge of catching a bug, Thieves + Orange is my go to! If I am up early and expecting some quiet time before the zoo wakes up, Stress Away is the way to go! For the week of Valentine’s Day, Jessica over at grapefruitandgold shared a recipe for “Candy Hearts” and I couldn’t get enough! After dinner while the dishes get done, I am obsessed with diffusing Purification + Lemon. I love that it cleans the kitchen air, not just perfuming over it! If I do this in the day time, particularly if I’ve made a hot lunch with a lingering scent I like adding Grapefruit to the mix too!

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Needless to say, I’m a bit oil crazed over here when it comes to keeping up with our messy home! Follow along with my Essentials Instagram to learn more about incorporating oils in your house. If you are interested in being apart of my amazing team, follow the link on the Essential Oils page at the top of the blog, or email me at whitneymichaelsessentials@gmail.com .

Favorites {battling the baby bug}

October 13, 2015June 29, 2017favorites, kids, Uncategorized2 Comments

since Friday, Aubrey has been fighting her first cold…so so sad for my mama heart! she has been surprisingly happy but overall a little more tired and clingy. I’ve been trying to stay away from any medicines right off the bat and have found a few must haves to get her through these snotty days!

one. {humidifier} I’ve basically had this going in her room every time I put her in there to sleep. I definitely noticed a difference when we were out yesterday and she napped without it twice! I think it just overall helps with her congestion.

two. {essential oil diffuser} yup, I jumped on that train! I didn’t go all in, but I borrowed my sister’s diffuser to see what it was all about and I’m definitely going to invest in my own! she recommended the breathe and lavender oils and I really think they’re doing the trick!

three. {NoseFrida} definitely not Aubrey’s favorite item and maybe one of the grosser things I can add to the “things I do as a mom” list, but I swear this snotsucker is easily just as addictive as it is disgusting! the satisfaction that comes from clearing out that goop from her poor little nose is disturbing. it truly pulls out so much and helps her breathe so much better!

along with these few items, I’ve done a few other things to hopefully help.

four. we put a few magazines under one side of her crib to elevate it a bit to hopefully keep any fluid out of her ears!

five. {extra sleep} we are definitely not on any type of regimented schedule around here, but I have noticed she’s been wanting to sleep much more. some days more often and some days for longer periods of time, but its definitely taken a toll on her energy levels.

six. {mama time} just in case she wasn’t clingy enough, we’ve spent lots of time nursing, cuddling, standing in the steamy bathroom, and sleeping {well she is sleeping while I awkwardly try not to let my arms fall asleep}. I’m soaking in the extra squeezes and kisses but hope she get a little bit of independence back soon!

it has been so hard to see her not feeling well, but I’m also kind of glad to get our first germ session out of the way {I’ve been overly protective and worried about it since she was born!}.

do you have any tried and true products or tips to help heal a sick baby?

Home Design: Master Bedroom

July 24, 2015June 29, 2017house to home, Uncategorized1 Comment

happy Friday! this week has just flown by {when do they not?} and I’m so excited for a weekend with the hubby home! although I’ve primarily documented my pregnancy and little one on this blog, I wanted to expand a bit into the realm of home renovation and decor over the next few months since we will be starting a complete renovation of our house! with a project this big, the design and decor aspects are both exciting and intimidating! since the project is still in planning mode {we are about 4-6 weeks out}, I’m excited to take you with me through the process of brainstorming, construction and final design! I’m sure a lot of the decor will be a slow process transitioning from our current furniture to new pieces once the house is finished, but a girl can dream! Am I right?!

first up, is our master bedroom. I really want to create a unified feeling throughout the whole house using mostly neutrals but I’ve also been obsessing over blues lately, especially navy so I want to incorporate that! I found this article on Pinterest about how to create a “whole home color palette” so I’ve been exploring that idea and using these inspiration boards that I’m creating as my plan! Stephanie, over on Olive & Tate just went through a huge home project {with a one year old and an amazing sense of humor} and I’ve been so excited for her “after” reveals and cannot wait for our own!

although I haven’t purchased any of this new furniture, I’ll link it all below just in case you love it as much as I do! clearly I’m obsessed with Pottery Barn, who isn’t?!

hope everyone enjoys FRIYAY and your weekend is full of sunshine and laughter!

Newborn Favorites

July 1, 2015June 29, 2017favorites, kids, products, UncategorizedLeave a Comment

now that Aubrey is past the newborn stage and we are finally getting into a groove, I wanted to share some of the things that we {mostly I} loved when she was a bitty {and still do}!

nipple balm. it took me over a month to try this cream. I had been using ‘boobease’, and lanolin in the beginning and they were no match for the not so good latch that Aubrey had. this stuff was a lifesaver!

maternity tank. I totally have a mom uniform, and these are apart of it! these Liz Lange tanks from Target are awesome! so soft, long and stretchy! perfect for nursing {I always like to pull the neck down instead of the whole shirt up}, can be worn on their own or under a sweater or button up.

leggings. also apart of the uniform! I’ve been wearing these Gap leggings throughout by pregnancy. they’re super soft, don’t fall down and I just love them!

bassinet. up until last night, literally, Aubrey has slept in the Halo Bassinest. I originally planned on using the rock n’ play for night time, but I was nervous about her preferring sleeping so cozy in there and on an incline. the bassinest has been great! I loved that I could roll over and see her right there, even reach over and touch her 100 times a night without getting up! #lazymomproblems one of the big things they advertise about this is the side that lowers so you can easily get out the baby from bed. I felt that it was a little awkward/difficult to push down, but I guess it helped out nonetheless! also, it has a wide base that sits on the floor. super stable, but for people with itty bitty bedrooms like me, it BARELY fit on the side of my bed!

nursing pillow. I have loved having the My Breast Friend pillow. I didn’t realize how much I took it for granted until I got a Boppy as a back up. the MBF pillow latches on, so it doesn’t scoot away from your stomach when the baby is laying there and it is also ridiculous looking but awesome that I could walk around the house and it would just help support her enough that I didn’t have to put her full weight on my arms! again… #lazymomproblems I do wish it wasn’t so difficult to get the cover on and off and that the pillow itself could be washed, but its foam so you can’t. also, the pocket is super convenient…phone, nursing bra pads, etc.

rock n play. even though I didn’t use the rock n play for bedtime, in the early weeks Aubrey napped in this all the time with me out in the living room! now, we use it for her to play in while I’m in the kitchen, when we are eating dinner, when I’m doing laundry and want to move her around the house! basically anytime she is over being on the floor and I can’t hold her that moment, this will buy us some extra time! I’ve always wished it had an attaching bar so she could have toys overhead! then when I bought one for our friends for their baby shower, the one they registered for had it!! its a bit late now, but I wish they had sold it separately!

swaddle. after one of our prep classes at Kaiser where they talked about the Halo Sleepsack, I had it in my head that it was the only one we should use because it was ‘Kaiser approved’. it ended up being great {even though I’ve tried other ones and am not so neurotic about it anymore}! she can still get her arms out sometimes, even when she was a few weeks she could, but I really like it!

water bottle. just like pregnancy, I am eating and drinking ALL. THE. TIME! a water bottle you love to carry around from room to room, or multiple to keep around the house, was essential. I noticed myself not having enough hands to carefully carry a cup, so a bottle has been perfect!

pacifier. even though Aubrey only used a pacifier correctly for like 2 weeks around 2.5 months, she still loves her Wubbanub pacifier! she chews on the side of it and cuddles geoffrey the giraffe all the time!

netflix. this is totally just for mom, but I’ve spent countless hours on the couch feeding, burping, and napping with the baby! I don’t think I could have made it through if I didn’t have 11 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy to get me to that 3 month mark!

I’m sure there are many more favorites, some being super obvious {what would I have done with out Scary Mommy and mom.me articles on Facebook at 1, 3 and 5 am}, but those are the ones that stood out in my forgetful mind! Aubrey is already approaching the 6 month mark and there are SO many new things about to happen and I’m so excited! eating, crawling, more interest in toys…anyone have any good recommendations for this stage? happy Monday friends!