Hemming Birds Boutique Sneak Peek

Is there anything more important to a little one's wardrobe than a bib? Certainly not if you want to avoid 3..4..5 baths a day and piles on piles of laundry! This is why we are excited to bring you Hemming Birds Boutique! Launched in Spring of 2014 by two sister0in-laws with some amazing sewing experience, Hemming Birds has successfully brought you a high-quality, stylish product for your kiddos.

Why are we so excited? Because we are here to give you a sneak peek into their fall line as well as some new and exciting products (hint: you are the first to know!) The two snap Charlie Bibs that you see above are a part of the fall line as well as the Essential Burp Cloth! I cannot express to you first timers out there how essential a good burp cloth - or seven - is, Carter seemingly always spit up at least a little bit and no one had told me that we would need a cloth to catch it. For the first few weeks of his like we were stuck using cloth diaper inserts where we could find them until we were able to get out and supply ourselves with the burp cloths that we needed. I can testify that one too many times I had no cloth on hand and my shirt took quite the nasty beating.

The bandanna bib is a stylish alternative to your everyday bib option that adds just the right amount of flare to any outfit, and let's face it our children are much more stylish than we are on the day-to-day. Bandanna bibs are one of my favorite staple wardrobe items as well as a necessity when it comes to those many months of teething and the introduction to solids. We use a technique called Baby Led Weaning where we skip out on those messy purees and instead introduce our little one's to (baby sized) foods and let them experiment for themselves. This causes a mess of proportions you've never seen before. Having a good stock of bandanna bibs made clean up an absolute breeze!

Because we love Hemming Birds Boutique so much, we would love to offer you a coupon code good from today through Sunday October 4th! Be sure to use the code "DirtyDiapers" at check our for 20% off your order!

If you would like to browse the entire collection click HERE and be sure to visit them on instagram at @hemming_birds

- T

Wash With Water

When I found out that I was expecting Carter I can honestly say I was overwhelmed with worry the entire duration of his pregnancy, almost too much to enjoy the special time we had being so close. I kept thinking to myself "Only a few more weeks.. survive a few more weeks and he or she will be here and we won't have to worry anymore!"

I was very wrong.

The role of the worried mother only begins with pregnancy, what is hardest often comes after these precious little people enter our lives! Should we wake to feed them? Cloth or disposable? Do I vaccinate or not? Oh shoot.. he's sick.. The bumbo says not until 6 months, am I harming him if I use it at 5? The list goes on and it will only grow with time. One thing I found myself learning more about was how to incorporate as much naturalistic items and practices into my sons life as possible. If there was another, safer, less harmful way to handle things than that was exactly what my husband and I wanted to be able to do. We started on cloth diapers, using essential oils for all of lives little needs and even using natural soaps/shampoos/detergents on ourselves! So when we heard of Wash With Water for our son there was absolutely no hesitation.

I couldn't be more excited to share a product with you that I am so very passionate about. Something that founder and mother Stephanie takes to a whole new level is the mindset of not only putting our children first but the world that they will grow up in. Being environmentally friendly is just as critical to the process of raising our children because without a healthy world to grow up in they stand no chance.

All Wash With Water products are free of Petrochemicals, Phthalates, Sulfates, Parabens, Synthetic Colors, TEA, DEA, Silicons, PEGS, Dairy, Egg, Oat, Lactoperoxidase, Citrus Seed Extract, GMOs, Triclosan and Synthetic Dyes. If you want to put the cherry on top all products are also 100% vegan and cruelty free. By purchasing with such incredible companies we can all help our earths limited resources to create a world in which our children are limitless themselves.

Although I am one very small part of this world I am passionate about companies that I can support in order to do my part in aiding to make this world a better place. Raising happy, healthy children safely is all a mother could ever ask for.

Because I am so passionate about Wash With Water products I want to offer you a discount code for 20% off over Wash With Water by clicking HERE! BE sure to enter the code "tdddiaries" at purchase to claim 20% off of your entire order!

But wait.. there's more!

Want to enter to win $50.00 shop credit? Be sure to click HERE and see how! You can visit Wash With Water on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and fall in love just like our family has.

- T

The Things We Do Ft. Bitty B Design

These last few weeks before baby arrives I find myself slowly losing bits of my sanity.. being filled with so much excitement all I can do is sit here and refold sweet baby clothes, play with tiny baby socks and put stuffed animals into the swing, carseat, and nursing pillows. I promise you I am sane, just getting in a bit of extra practice!

Believe it or not underneath this cover is the Boppy pillow that I used to nurse Carter all those many months ago! What a better way to ring in a new baby than to reuse the same old items with a new twist? This Bitty B Design boppy cover is exactly what I needed to get myself excited! I remember all the long nights we spent nursing away (while my husband was fast asleep) and staring into each others tired eyes and the boppy was truly the only thing that helped me to hold him up. It is one of my must have items, so when the opportunity arose to get a Bitty B Design cover I wasn't about to pass it up!

Riley, being a mother herself, makes the softest sweetest covers and so much more by hand with love because she knows just how important your little one's are to you. This cover has to be the softest thing that we now own! Our little one will be soothed and comforted by this amazing fabric. She creates them all to fit perfectly, while still making it easy to remove and clean, which is critical as this cover is going to see it's fair share of spit up! The quality is absolutely unmatchable and clearly I cannot wait to put it to good use.

For the next 6 weeks I have no choice but to sit and watch Carters sock monkey enjoy the perfection that is our new an improved boppy but time flies and sooner than we know it will be filled with sweet newborn hands and toes!

To see how you can enter to win a Boppy cover of your own visit our instagram by clincking HERE. To see the rest of the Bitty B Design collection visit them on instagram @bittybdesign and visit there website by clicking HERE!

- T

SoYoung

For now this cooler bag is filled with goodies for a family picnic, if I'm not careful and decide to blink it will be filled with food for my sons first day of school. There is something so sweet about the idea of packing lunches for my children, all the fun and extravagant plans that I have (that mind you.. will probably not all happen) but it comes with the price of growing up! 

SoYoung provided us with the sweetest cooler bag to look forward to using once the day arrives that I send my oldest off to school. The features are endless! Coated linen exterior with fully insulated lining, detachable long strap for wearing as messenger bag or backpack, easy clean removable insert, extra mesh back pocket, PVC, Pthalate and BPA free and so much more! To be honest, I have never even owned a bag so nice! You even are given the option of purchasing a reusable ice pack to insert alongside your lunches to keep things cool! While the large cooler bag by SoYoung is one of their most versatile products it doesn't stop there, they also carry smaller lunch boxes, diaper bags as well as backpacks for your littles! All made with love and inspired by a mother herself you won't find any better anywhere else! 

Because we adore their variety of products so much what a better way to show them off other than to giveaway a cooler bag to one lucky reader? To see how to enter be sure to stop by our instagram by clicking HERE. If you wish to view the rest of SoYoung's line of products be sure to click HERE and visit them on instagram at @soyounginc

Best of luck!

- T

| Featured above : Gray Bicycle Large Cooler Bag | 

The Big Difference Ft. Little East Threads

I spend lots of these days day dreaming about life with this child that I haven't met yet. What life will be like with two children instead of one, how this child will teach me new things even though I've "been there done that", and I attempt to comprehend the love that will overwhelm us when he or she arrives. These are all the same dreams that I remember having while pregnant with Carter but there is a much different tone to them.

I've been weathered!

Going from one child to two is no easy task but there is something that I find much more comforting about this process. With Carter I only ever had these blissful ideas inside of my head of all the perfect and wonderful things that would be after he arrived and there was hardly any worry in the world! All I knew is that I was having a baby! God's most precious gift! But what I didn't know yet was that motherhood is not easy.

I could have never known about those long and sleepless nights, about all the decision making that was ahead of me, the constant fear that I was not doing enough and the mixed emotions of watching your infant grow into a toddler. This was never in my day dreams.

This time around I get it.. I don't know whether I'll have a good sleeper or one who doesn't know what sleep means, but I know all about what it's like to be pushed to a level of exhaustion I never thought I would experience. I don't know whether this baby will need to be held 24/7 or want their space, but I do remember the aching arms and have memorized the "mom sway". I get it. I know this baby is only this small for a moment.. they grow up. They get older and that's hard.

These day dreams are much different, but more realistic. I sit here often starring at the empty bassinet in the corner of our room just imagining a tiny little human filling that space. I am notorious for rocking in our rocking chair in the nursery just to familiarize myself with the sounds. And more often then not I find myself repetitively getting out tiny little infant sized clothing and knowing that one day I will have a child who will be wearing this!

The outfit you see above by Little East Threads bring a certain nostalgia about this whole process! I am actually having a baby and someday this little person will fill out these tiny pants! It doesn't get any more precious than that. Made with love by a mother herself you know that the clothing you receive is as good as it gets. Why don't they make adult sized clothing as soft as they can create clothing for an infant?

I'll probably look back on this experience with my second and laugh when I think of the dreams that I had, and on our third child I'll think that I know "even more" about what it will be like. But day dreams or not, there is no reality until these little one's arrive.

47 days little one.

- T

| Click HERE to see Little East Thread's entire collection | Visit them @littleeastthreads on IG |

We Won't let Go

There are memories of our children that we hold onto forever, one's that we write down to make sure that we don't ever forget and one's that maybe we would rather forget (cough cough.. being spit up on at 3 a.m.). To me, I don't only hold onto memories but I find myself hoarding special items that he has used and loved throughout his life. I can't and won't ever be able to let them go.

Items hold a sweet and special significance, they come along with hundreds of memories both blissful and tough. I cling to them as I remember the tiny infant that my son once was and often times beat myself up for not holding onto those moments longer when we were there. Yesterday is always gone and it is something that I can never get back.

Something special that we are able to give to my son is items from my husbands childhood that his mother held onto dearly through all of the years. And I intend to do the very same. To be able to watch my son grow and then be able to give him all of these items that are so special to me is something that I look forward to.

Of these special items is a PDS113 shirt that has Carters name on it, so special that my husband hesitates to even let him wear it! But what is a sweet shirt like this going to do without hundreds of wonderful memories? PDS113 specializes in custom clothing items for little one's for all of life's moments, from a sweet shirt to wear to a birthday party! This husband and wife team have amazed me with the care that they put into each and every one of their pieces. Our shirt will be worn (with great care!) and then put in a shadow box to add as a sweet memory to our sons room as he gets bigger and bigger beyond my control. To see their entire collection click HERE, and be sure to visit them on instagram at @pdsstudiostore for more!

Hold onto memories, hold onto moments, hold onto precious items and most of all hold onto your babies. Today is the youngest that they will ever be and tomorrow is always a new day.

- T

| Shirt : PDS113 | Coaster : House Of Mark | Bunny : From Great Grandma McNeil |

Babiators Review and Promo

What are Babiators? The sweetest toddler sized sunglasses around! I am happy to introduce to you the coolest sunglasses I have ever seen.. I want them in my own size. Babiators are durable child and toddler sized sunglasses that are sure to stun. Durability is something that cannot be understated during this phase of Carters life, where we go through sunglasses like there is no tomorrow. Being in the "do it myself" phase he wants to put them on, take them off, put them away and play with them all by himself which (as I'm sure you can imagine) has left us with a pile of broken sunglasses. I want so badly to be able to let him explore and make "big" decisions, like wearing sunglasses when we go outside. But because the costs can add up after braking pair after pair I can't let him. Until now! Our Babiators have been Carter tested and Mom approved, they won't be broken!

The idea behind Babiators was formed on a military base when when founder Molly saw the kids squinting in order to watch what was going on while their pilot moms and dads were standing shaded by sunglasses. After sharing the experience and creating the idea for stylish, durable sunglasses with her aviator husband they created the name that is "Babiators", couldn't get more fitting than that am I right? Since their start up in 2011 they have been thriving since, even being named by Forbes Magazine as one of America's 100 Most Promising Companies of 2014!

There isn't anything more satisfying than being able to purchase something that will last, and can by stylish all at the same time. Those two ideas never quite seem to align. I couldn't be more pleased with not only the quality of our sunglasses but the customer service is unbeatable. They treat every customer like family and truly understand how important our little one's are to us.

Because I love them so much I am here to offer you 20% off your purchase from Sep 15- Sep 30 using the code "DirtyDiapers20Off", to visit the entire Babiators collection click HERE and be sure to visit them on instagram @babiators

- T

ZM Apparel Shop Interview

Today we have the pleasure of starting everyone's week off right by introducing the ever amazing ZM Apparel with you! If you have yet to hear about their work, I am about to make your day. ZM Apparel is a rad and modern children's clothing brand based out of Houston, Texas created by two sisters Wendy and Weidy. I had the pleasure of interviewing the shop owners on how ZM Apparel came to be, and where they see business going in the future and it is safe to say these ladies are what Shop Small September is all about!

1. When was ZM Apparel created and what inspired your collection? ZM Apparel was created

in September 2014. Our collection was inspired by my son, Zayn, and all the other stylish

babes on Instagram. My sister and I decided to put our talents and ideas together to create

fun and rad tees and accessories for kids.

2. When starting out what were your goals, have you exceeded them? Starting out, our goal

was just to start a small business, doing what we love, to help our family out of some

financial struggles. We have definitely exceeded our goals. We have been overcome with all

the love and support that our shop has received since we opened.

3. Being a small business requires tender love and care, what about your business have you 

found requires most of your time and what is most rewarding? Customer service, such as

answering questions on Instagram or through emails, seems to require most of our time. We

try to answer every question and email that we receive because we want to provide the best

customer service in order to make people’s experience with ZM Apparel the best possible.

The most rewarding part is seeing pictures of so many cute and stylish babes rocking our

threads. Sometimes it still feels unreal!

4. In your free time what are you busy doing? In our free time we are busy working on new

designs and ideas for upcoming releases or we are working on ways to make different

aspects of our business better. Chasing around my very energetic two year and thinking of

little adventures for him to have.

5. If you weren't a shop owner, what could you see yourself doing? 

I think I would be a nurse. I am actually starting a nursing program at the end of September

because it is what I have always wanted to do. I love helping people and one day I hope to

become a labor/delivery nurse or neonatal nurse. I still plan to keep the shop open but it will

be a good plan to have a career to better me and my sons’ life.

6. How do you find balance between running a business and keeping up with all of life’s 

moments? There are many times were I have to work during nap times or late at night. After

all, I do have a two year old I spend most of my day chasing around and entertaining. But

finding balance is always possible. You just need to know when to stop and take some time

for yourself.

7. How often does ZM Apparel come out with new lines/pieces? ZM Apparel releases new

lines/pieces every couple months. We just released our Autumn/Winter collection, but we

are always working on new ideas/designs to release.

8. What are some of your favorite sales that you run in your shop? 

We try to have sales here and there for our customers but my favorite sales are the ones we

do around the holidays. It’s such a fun and crazy time of the year and we love being a part

of all the action!

9. Where do you see ZM Apparel in 5 years from now? In 5 years we plan on expanding our

small business into something bigger. We are moving from Houston, TX to Tampa, FL within

the next couple months. There we plan on opening an actual ZM Apparel store location!


And to make things better we have a giveaway just for you! Click HERE to see how you can enter to win a $20 shop credit to ZM Apparel. Want to see the rest of their line? Click HERE and visit them on instagram at @zm_apparel

- T

Say hello to...

After 32 weeks of being sure of the name we had planned for if our little bundle is a little lady it was difficult to realize that we no longer felt like we could use it. Calling her Penelope didn't seem "right", we couldn't say that was her name without feeling strange about it. After a long talk we came to the conclusion that we wanted to be just as passionate about our daughters name as we were for the name Henry (our boy name).

And that was that! The hunt was on.

I am the type who searches endlessly until I find something, which worked well with Carters pregnancy. This time around my husband and I couldn't seem to get on the same page in regards to a name and my searching was stressful if anything. I remember the moment that he said "Well.. what about Henry" and my heart felt whole! How could he not spend a minute searching and just pull such a wonderful name out of thin air?

Yet again I found myself searching and throwing out ideas left in right in hopes that AJ would like something.. anything. He will openly admit that he is overly picky about girls names, he wants the name of his daughter to carry her far in life and be something he can fall in love with. So I made sure to stay patient as I knew how much this meant for him.

After searching and searching we were sitting at dinner one evening and yet again, out of thin air he does it again. Pulls out one of the most beautiful names I have ever heard, and again my heart became whole. That's it, that's her name.

If we meet our second little man he will be Henry Brian Paslay

And if we introduce our first sweet girl she will be named Colbie Anne Paslay

Out of many many guesses congrats to @becks162 for being the only one to guess her name correctly! While it is far from common I love me a good solid, strong name for a bold and beautiful little girl. "Boy" names for girls is most definitely something that you have to have a special taste for. So with that, I can't wait to see you sweet Henry or Colbie!

With less than eight weeks we have much left to do, but names are set in stone and we are one step closer to the rest of our lives.

- T

32 Weeks and the Name Game

Hello little one, 32 fast weeks have gone by and there are 8 left until your presence graces our lives. It's hard to imagine life with you here and by our side, I forgot what life with a newborn was like! I can't fathom there being anyone but your brother and I to spend our days with and yet I cannot wait. But never in a million years could I have imagined myself begging you to stay put for each and every one of these last few weeks.

I am a perfectionist. I cannot rest until things are done and done correctly and it's both a blessing and a curse. Once I get started on a project, any project, it has to be finished in that same sitting. When we moved from Idaho to Washington I unpacked our entire home in a 24 hour period.. you heard me. Every box was emptied and every piece of furniture had a place. So it was no surprise to myself that once we conceived our second child, I soon became enthralled with the naming process. I am a person who is not too picky, I can gather a group of names that I enjoy and be settled, and this was our plan. We truly had no intentions of going into birth with only one name for either gender and that seemed like it made the most sense.

I quickly realized this was no easy task.

My husband on the other hand is the pickiest person alive when it comes to names. Somehow he knows someone who did something somewhere who had that name and therefor we cannot use it.. and we are talking "My third cousin twice removed had a goldfish who had babies and one of them happened to be named Stella". And thus.. the name is taken. Our personalities clash hard during this process and it was a god sent miracle that we chose Henry and Penelope after weeks on end of high stress over a situation that should be blissful!

The weeks went on and the names stayed the same, similarly to Carter's pregnancy. We had two names, on for each gender, they stuck and that was that! I was happy and felt good with the choices we had made. As the pregnancy has progressed more and more people around us started naming their little one's Penelope (you have fabulous taste!) and the name slowly started slipping away from me. Calling her Penelope didn't seem right. I wouldn't think of my daughter each time I said her name. It wasn't hers anymore. How could I feel this way about a child I've never met who may not even be a girl (I'll admit I had a good laugh)! But regardless.. we now have a problem.

Back to square one. And square one is hard.

A little less than 8 weeks until I am due and I have a nameless baby. My insides are turning at the thought of it. I've not only looked at the top 1000 names, I've look at the top 1000 names since the year of 1920 and cannot get myself and my husband to agree on one. So from here I guess we walk by faith, knowing that somehow her name will grace our minds and will fit her perfectly. Even if my personality doesn't mesh well with the idea.

So please little one, stay put for as long as you must to give us as much time as we need to sort through the plethora of names we have at our disposal and I promise that one way or another you will not be nameless!

Cheers to the chaos of it all, you are so worth it. I love you to pieces little one.

- T

To "InFinnity" and Beyond!

Welcome my friends to the glory that is InFinnity Bibs! Babies all go through the stage where mess and drool becomes unavoidable. If you choose not to partner your babe with a bib you are deciding willingly on 3x the laundry. So since most little one's go through months on end with a bib, should there be any reason it's not stylish?

This is where style meets bib and creates perfection. The InFinnity bib serves as a stylish scarf and a functional bib all in one. I always hated covering up Carters precious outfits with long bibs, it seemed counter productive yet I knew I didn't want him going through so many outfits in a day. Something that I appreciate about InFinnity Bibs is that they know how to make an infinity scarf look amazing on a boy! I've had Carter in scarves his whole life, but shopping for one that doesn't make people call him a little lady is difficult. Kate does away flawlessly with options that will compliment your little man's every day outfit!

The InFinnity Bib is made from 100% cotton that is then lined with your choice of white terry cloth or cotton flannel. They are all pre-washed to prevent any shrinking and they secure easily in the back with a snap! My son being the master mind he is can rip of any velcro attachment so the button certainly comes in handy. They have two nap options in order to give your bib room to grow alongside your littles! The surface area of the stylish bib is much larger than a regular bib allowing for a much longer wear-time and now can come in a reversible style!

Safe to say that we are in love and can assure you that you will be too. You can find Infinnity Bibs by clicking HERE as well as on instagram at @infinnitybibs

To see how you can enter to win a set of two bibs for yourself click HERE! Also be sure to use the code "Take15withDDD" for 15% off of your next purchase!

- T

Cover Me Ponchos

Get ready.. set.. SWOON! Welcome to the stylish bliss that is Cover Me Ponchos! For those who may not know, I nursed my oldest until he was 15 months old before he self weaned, this time in my life remains precious to me and I cannot wait to share the same beautiful bond with our second child and any future children to come our way. One of the many challenges that comes alongside nursing is finding your comfort zone when nursing in public. 

Thankfully at this day in age there are many amazing strides being taken to help support nursing mothers and the sexualization of the breast is becoming less of an issue, slowly but surely. One of the things I underestimated was the benefits of a good nursing cover! I went through all too many to find one that was not only comfortable to myself but to my son, and everything seemed to fall short. I wanted something that didn't scream "LOOK! There is a nursing child underneath this!", at that point I would be better off not using a cover at all. When I came across Cover Me Ponchos I knew I had hit the jackpot.

Since out littlest blessing has yet to join us earth side our poncho serves as an amazing fashion statement, and the most perfect of maternity shirts! Why is this beneficial? Because like I said earlier when I am nursing I want to get in - get out and do my job and continue on with my day without making it obvious as to what I am doing. This serves as a shirt, and a nursing cover that I don't have to twist and tackle to get over my head with a squirmy nursling!

As if if couldn't get any better, this gem can also be used as a carseat cover! Carter was a winter baby and our newest addition will be here this fall, a cover is essential to combat the cool air. One of the most difficult things about my time with Carter as an infant was throwing blankets over his carseat, not being about to grip the handle well and not have the ability to see him! This way you can have it all. 

We are so excited to be giving away one poncho by Cover Me Ponchos to a lucky winner! To see how to enter to win click HERE. BE sure to visit the entire collection over at www.covermeponchos.com/shop and on Instagram at @covermeponchos 

- T

Maternity Spam!

Maternity photos are something I wasn't able to get with Carter's pregnancy. In fact I have only a small handful of his pregnancy in photos as it is. This time around I knew that I desired the opportunity to capture this beautiful time in our lives in photos before it was over yet again, and thankfully we ran into the amazing August Muse Images who made our vision come to life!

I couldn't truly be any happier with how they turned out, a photo truly speaks a thousand words and to me these speak millions. I hope that you can see these photos and see the absolute undying love I have for this growing blessing inside of me. I want to radiate nothing but love for my children and my husband in this life.

Hope you enjoy the spam as much as I do!

If you live in the Portland/Vancouver area and are looking for a photographer who will make your life's most precious moments come to life, look no further. You can find August Muse Images by clicking the link HERE. 

Getting so close precious little one.

-T

Jillian B Designs and Giveaway

Coffee and Wine. The heart and soul off every mother, am I right? This wonderful piece is created by Jillian B Designs and we couldn't be happier to brag about her. It's hard for me to find statement jewelry in this day in age that isn't way too large or boastful with my smaller frame, and thankfully Jillian B Designs created just this!

I have always struggled being a jewelry person simply because I felt I could never pull off any of the looks that were "in" or wear pieces similar to my peers. Therefor I went for most of my life not wearing any jewelry at all. If you see me on a day to day basis my wedding ring is about all the bling you get! That's why I was ecstatic to collaborate with Jillian B Designs!

All of her pieces are personalized and hand stamped by Jillian herself and you can tell without hesitation that she puts her heart and soul into each one. Jewelry has always been a passion of hers and so falling into the business seemed almost like fate! You can also customize a piece to your liking as a special gift for someone! It truly doesn't get any better.

Because I adore Jillian and her collection so much we have decided to giveaway a Coffee & Wine necklace for one lucky winner! To enter the giveaway click HERE. Be sure to check out the entire collection of jewelry at www.jillianbdesigns.com and visit her on instagram at @jillianbdesigns

- T

Coming Home Outfit Ft. From Fro 2 Toe

There is nothing sweeter to a momma than planning the outfit that her new child will be coming home in. Something about knowing that so soon this outfit will smell of newborn bliss and comfort that sweet soft skin makes my heart melt. Many people have questioned our joy in waiting until birth to find out the gender of our kids, and one of the most frequently asked questions is "How do you buy clothes for your child if you don't know their gender?" Well. Viola! 

I am no fan of pinks and blue's.. I just never have been. Regardless of gender the clothes that draw my eye have always been a neutral palette so maybe I am just one of a lucky few! Grays, tans, cremes, whites and blacks are always where I find myself! Newborn shopping has never been difficult for someone like me. With Carter we chose a grey color palette for his coming home outfit and this time around I felt it was appropriate to change to a creme based palette and it couldn't have come together any sweeter.

We got the pants and knitted sweater from Baby Gap (my minor obsession..) and of course had to have a soft colored cloth diaper to go alongside. But I was more or less clueless what I should do about shoes. A November born babe needs a good pair of shoes to get from one place to another and I could've gone just about anywhere in regards to color. We were lucky to have ran into From Fro 2 Toe who worked with us to get the perfect pair. A neutral tan to complete our precious outfit! 

Not only are the moccasins the perfect color but they are so wonderfully made, I have always had a difficult time finding moccasins that I feel are thick enough while being put together so diligently. You can tell without a doubt that Santina takes her time with these 100% leather moccs and truly puts her heart and soul into each and every piece.

You can never go wrong with a good neutral palette, a big gender surprise and a sweet pair of newborn moccasins!

- T

| @fromfro2toe | www.fromfro2toe.com |

Mom N' Tot Box

We are so excited to be kicking off out Shop Small September series with the opening day of the fabulous Mom 'n Tot Box! Curious as to what this is? I don't blame you, prepare to be awestruck. I was blown away at the fabulous idea of being able to subscribe to a box of goodies for my kiddos and myself each month for 45.00 a month. You heard me. I get a box full of toys and goodies for my little one's that includes items for myself as well. I cannot stress this enough, even after you have kids you are still important! I've seen plenty of baby boxes on the market but never one that takes momma into mind as well.

Who is behind the genius? Rana is a mother of two young boys and is passionate about supporting small and local businesses when she would purchase items for her kiddos. Her husband owns his own business so she knew the value of shopping small and the extreme dedication and hard work that go into it. Rana saw an opportunity to start her own small business all while being able to support other small businesses at the same time! Thus Mom 'n Tot Box was born!

How does the Mom 'n Tot Box work? You pay one flat rate for the subscription that you would desire (1-6 months) and each month you will have goodies for you and your little one's delivered to your doorstep. All these goodies are from other small shops so you can feel good about the businesses that you are supporting and reap the benefit of getting new items every month!

There can't be anything that is quite as brilliant as this wonderful idea, and to be able to shop small is always in my favor. Be sure to go check out this sweet page by clicking HERE and you can also connect with them via instagram @momandtotbox

- T

| momandtotbox.com | @momandtotbox |

31 Week 3D Ultrasound

Safe to say that this little one loves hugging that placenta. Our supposed to be one hour appointment quickly turned into 2 with a shy baby making it terribly difficult to get any sorts of measurements! But hey that's okay, we will see him or her again here in about a month.

Good news is that even with GD (gestational diabetes) we don't have an abnormally large child, but one that is definitely on the "larger" side which we expected because of how large Carter was and still is. Carter was 9 pounds 2 ounces at birth and has been >75% in height, >90% in weight and at 99% head circumference his whole life! Can't say that I don't enjoy my chunky boy! This little one is growing beautifully and has such a sweet personality all their own. We fall more in love with each passing day.

We are measuring right on track with our due date, making us 31 weeks. And the little one is measuring in at just under 4 pounds, hence the beautiful chunky cheeks!

As smooshed as can be into the side of that placenta!

Baby had a funny obsession with playing with his/her ears! Above is a hand and an ear.

The sweetest tiny smirk

Looking perfectly like a little Paslay with that nose and those big cheeks!

We are 9 weeks out from hitting our due date, however if history repeats itself we could be looking at 11 weeks before we get to meet your sweet self. Beyond all else, know that you are so loved and eagerly awaited by the biggest loving family. We cannot wait for your arrival to help make our family more complete. Our hearts are whole today.

-T