SUMMER IS HERE!! when it comes to baby and toddler gear I tend to err on the side of less is more because honestly, they don’t need much! but as a mom of two I’ve found these items to be super handy / necessary in the hot, buggy, summer months!

While I’m not afraid of a little ibuprofen here and there when it comes to postpartum healing, I’d personally prefer to take as natural & holistic of an approach as possible. Focusing on nontoxic (or at least low tox!) products and nourishment.

When it comes to infant and toddler sleep, environment is one of the few things parents have the most control over. The goal is to create a space that is safe and calming. Both of these things can have a positive impact on your baby’s sleep. If the space doesn’t feel calming and relaxed to you, it probably won’t for your baby either. This does not mean you need to go out and buy a bunch of things to make a spa like environment for your baby either! Read more here!

There’s no denying that having a new baby or growing your family can cause your relationship to change. It’s incredibly common. There is so much newness and so much unknown happening that it’s normal to have new challenges arise with your partner. And, if you don’t come across new challenges in your relationship after becoming parents that’s amazing! Experiencing new challenges in your relationship (or not) isn’t an indicator of how “good of a couple” you are or how much you love one another or how good of parents you are. Here are some tips that hopefully help you along the way!

Before I get into any reasons why we personally chose a home birth - I want to be clear - there is no right or wrong way or place to give birth. How and where you give birth should be very personal choices and no matter where or how you do it - birth is an incredible experience. And of course, you can’t actually 100% plan birth either so we’re very content and at peace with the possibility of needing to transfer care to a hospital if need be!

It’s less about where you give birth and more about how you feel about your birth.

This post could really go 283 different ways but I thought I would touch a little on the various ways we’re preparing for a home birth. Both in the practical ways (birth supplies and such that would otherwise be provided when you show up to the hospital) to mentally preparing for a home birth and so on.

Understanding why your baby is waking at night (or why they’re suddenly waking more at night!) can help ease some of the stress/anxiety/frustration that can come with having a new baby and adjusting to their sleep habits. Read some of the top reasons babies wake at night here!

Of course during pregnancy (and often postpartum!) you’ll need some new clothes to support your changing body along the way. But, before you know it, pregnancy is over and you’re left with a bunch of close that become pretty impractical pretty quickly.

When it comes to the topic of babies and toddlers being independent I have a LOT to say. There are so many aspects of their lives that they CAN be independent in and a few that independence is just not realistic (or even appropriate for.) I’m never for forced independence. See how we’ve approached it here!

(hint: it isn’t their ability to calm themselves down when they’re in distress!)

The 7 books I’ve found to be incredibly helpful during my 3 years of pregnancy and motherhood! Books I’ve referred back to again and again and have helped on a variety of topics: natural pregnancy/childbirth prep, gentle/conscious/responsive parenting, infant and toddler development.

Your complete guide to why it’s important to ditch toxins while trying to conceive, pregnancy, and postpartum and HOW to do it without it being overwhelming!

Our daughter is now 27 months old and was never sleep trained. See how we’re all sleeping after two years of responding to her every time she woke.

It’s especially important to maintain optimum hydration during pregnancy and postpartum/breastfeeding as your body is working harder than it ever has before. here are four tasty, affordable, and extra hydrating beverages to keep you functioning well!

Things we wish we’d known with our first baby, what we plan to do the same the second time around (now that we’re “seasoned” parents!) and what we’ll do differently with this baby!

Swaddling your baby has become a somewhat controversial topic in recent years as new information comes to light. This post will take you through the pros and cons of swaddling and some tips if you do choose to swaddle your baby.

As Ruth gets older we’ve adapted our views on screen time (a little)! I’ve outlined why we made a few changes, what kinds of limits we have, and what kinds of things we let her watch!