I get asked all the time where I buy Avé’s dance clothes, so I decided I would compile a post with some of my favorite toddler dance clothes!  There are fairly wide variety of items, But I can vouch for the quality of all the leo’s I list, which I feel is the number one thing that so many of us mama’s wrestle with when buying from online shops!

Tights:  I buy her tights at target or anywhere cheep.  Kids RUIN tights. lol

Leg warmers:  She has a few pairs, these from target in the dance section have been cute on her since about the time she turned two, but I LOVE these Cat and Jack ones too.  They are super fun and we get so many compliments on them.

Leotards:  This is obviously the most fun part! I will list them below, as well as caption some photos with a few (as well as where the bows I have paired them with are from).

Alice and Ames – super cute skirted leo’s that are a little longer, so they are great for wearing to more than dance. (they run small so SIZE UP. like I bought Avé a size 4 and she is still barely a 2t)

Remie girl – LOVE these.  They are well priced and such good quality.  Avé is tall for her age, but again I sized up.

The Magpie Co – super cute and their skirted Leo’s, similar to Alice and Ames can certainly be worn elsewhere!!

Morgan and Mae Co – Love their leotards AND added bonus is that you can get them with snaps.

Dance Bag: We only have one, because I wont lie, her Dance bag is my favorite thing ever, and there is just no need for others haha!! – we have this one, and I actually purchased it at a small shop but I found it on Amazon for you all!

Bows in this post: Lively Mae Bow Co. //  Pippa and Indy // Liv Love Create 

 

XO ARIN

What are your favorite toddler dance clothes shops or trends?  I’m sure this will be ever changing for me – I can’t get enough of dressing her for dance!!

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Our sweet Walker boy is 3 months old and growing like a weed.  He is a master sleeper averaging 8-11 hours for his first stretch of the night and then going back down until 7 ish.  He moved to his own room this month and sleeps in a the “swaddle up” swaddle now.

 He rolls from tummy to back sometimes, just started belly laughing like crazy, and he has the best smile ever!! This boy definitely loves his mommy!!

He naps like crap, and getting him on a good day time schedule with the constant drop offs and pick ups from schools has been a struggle, but I’m trying to remember that isn’t not his fault.

He is strong as an ox and reminds me so much physically of Jack as an infant.  Already weight bearing on his legs and so much head and neck control.

He went to Florida for the first time to stay at Grandma and Papas new house this month, so that meant his first plane rides, and also included his first trip to Disney World!

We love you so much sweet boy.  I can hardly remember life without you!!!

I have fallen more in love with baby wearing with each of my babies.  I think that’s partially due to finding better products, but even more so due to the fact that I haven’t figured out how to grow extra hands to take care of these children. I recently was asked to do a Lillebaby Carrier Review, and I love it!  I have been using the Lillebaby carrier with Walker for the past month or so and I only continue to love it more!

One thing I was struggling with our previous structured carrier was the use of the infant insert.  I found it really hard to get Walker in on my own and he seemed to struggle with getting comfortable.   The fact that the Lillebaby Carrier works from newborn to toddler with no need for an insert is HUGE for us.  The added back support has been a selling point for my husband, and the fact that in only a few seconds I can change the seat width to go from Avé (who still loves Daddy to wear her) to Walker is amazing.  So far our Lillebaby carrier has helped us survive countless zoo outings, some small family outings and even DISNEY WORLD (check it on my Disney world must haves list). One of the reasons I found it to be such an asset this past month is that you can unzip the outer fabric to a mesh that is more breathable.  We went to Disney World when it was roughly 300 degree’s out so anything that could help that booger to not overheat was a huge win for us.

I also probably sound like a broken record  here in my little blog land, but I am a HUGE sucker for stylish baby gear.  Its 2017 and I don’t see any reason for anything I use with my kiddos to not look as cute as the clothes I buy for myself and them.  Lillebaby Carriers come in SO many amazing prints, it was super hard for me to pick one, but this black and white with the gold hardware won me over.  I get more compliments on it from my girlfriends…and if you’re a mama like me, that goes a long way!

Are you a baby wearing fan?  If so whats your preferred method?  Definitely Check out the Lille Baby Carriers and report back to let me know what you think!!

*product was received in exchange for my review.  All opinions and thoughts are my own.  Read more about that here.  

 

XO ARIN

Alright, people.  We did the unthinkable, ( and totally exhausting) and headed to Disney last weekend with a 4-year-old, 2-year-old, and 2 month old.  It was a bit of a last-minute trip, but I thought I would talk about some of my Disney favorites for our trip, including everything from fashion to gear to help us survive.  Some of the ‘favorites’ are things we didn’t bring that I meant to and in hind site wish I had followed my gut and done so.

First I’m going to talk about my favorites when it comes to gear.  This would honestly be a great list to reference whether you’re hitting Disney World, the local zoo, or anything in between.

1. Backpack or Diaper bag backpack:  I love my Ju-ju-be BFF
2. Universal stroller side organizer:  This was such a lifesaver for us, and allowed for extra storage that was quickly and easily accessible for things like the map that we wanted often.
3. Stroller Alarm: This was the item I wish I brought and didn’t and I REGRET IT.  We brought a nice stroller, and I would have been much more comfortable leaving it with an alarm.
4. A ring sling or wrap:  I brought my Wildbird Ring Sling and it was amazing to have something tiny that fit in my bag for when Walker got fussy.
5. A clutch of some sort:  I love this Ju-Ju-Be Be Quick because its roomy.  I kept my ID, tickets, cash, phone, and credit card as well as wipes in this.  I could grab it when we went on rides to keep my valuables safe, and it hung over the handles to the stroller while we were walking, or slipped in the side organizer from #2.
6. Universal cup holder:  I added another cup holder to the stroller because with 4 people (and a baby) it never hurts!
7. A rider board:  We have rider boards for two of our strollers, and my favorite is easily our Orbit Stroller and rider board, but that is discontinued.  Any rider board is so helpful
8. Stroller Organizer:  Having an added space for things close to you and cup holders is NEVER a bad idea.  This one from Skip Hop is amazing.
9. Our Lille Baby Carrier:  So I know I said we Brought a ring sling, but we also brought our Lille Carrier because it was a great way to be able to carry either Walker or Avé if she got tired. I love that the Lille carrier fits newborn through toddler so it is a single piece of gear that works for all the kiddos.

 

Okay so on top of gear that keeps kiddos and parents happen and things moving well through the day, I also had so much fun shopping for the kids for the trip! Here are some of my Disney favorites!  Some we got for this trip and some we will get for next time!

1.  I did homemade Mouse ear bows for Avé that I already had, but I also love both this bow or this one for cute black and white bows!
2. Baby Gap had SUPER cute clothes for Walker, and even for the big kids, and so does Zara for bigger kids!
3. Love these Mini Melissa shoes for a little girl!! They were a must have.
4. I got Jacks cute shirt at Old Navy for super inexpensive and both kids had Mickey and Minnie PJs from there for the night before!
5. LOVED this blanket for Walker.  I knew he would be in a stroller all day and I wanted a thin blanket to keep the sun off him.  This one was sooo cute, but Avé did try to claim it as her own.

Next time we go I am hoping we have more time to prepare and I’m sure I will have even more Disney favorites and fashion up my sleeves.

Want to check out my friends favorites this week?  Hilary at The Ruff Life,  and Ashley at Joyfully Growing.

Check back next week to see some more favorites!! XO

ARIN

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If you’re new here, we just welcomed baby 3 to our family a couple months ago, and I was quickly reminded YET AGAIN how much I love sleep, and how I will do anything to get a good nights rest. I have been super blessed with overall great sleepers as babies, but I feel like I have gotten some new baby sleep favorites along the way.

On top of ‘stuff’ to help my babies sleep well, this time around I am lucky enough the amazing Newborn Sleep Survival Guide from Sleep & The City.  I am telling you that if you are looking for some help on getting your newborn to sleep well without harsh methods like CIO she is your gal, so CHECK IT OUT!

So on to my favorite items:

1. Love to Dream Swaddle Up: We recently transitioned Walker to this swaddle in preparation to unsaddle him.  This thing is AMAZING.  I love that its teaching him to sleep less restricted at this age while still partially swaddling him.
2. Playskool Favorites Lullaby Gloworm: I know – this is so 90’s…but all of my kids have used this. infant we have gone through 3, and this thing is AMAZING. we LOVE LOVE LOVE IT.
3. Dock-a-tot:  I wasn’t a believer, but I did a full review here, and truly think this little miracle worker is MORE than worth it.
4. Lulla-vibe: With Jack and Avé I used a pack and play that had a vibrate setting, but this time ours doesn’t, so I bought the lulla-vibe.  This time I bought this to solve that problem, but I use it all over the place. It is amazing.
5. Solly Baby Swaddles:  I love these swaddles.  We LOVE swaddle blankets, but these are the best ever!!  They are tight, but they give them room to move, so were our go to for the first week or two.
6. Ollie Swaddle: Okay, so again I did a full review here, but if I could tell you to buy one thing off this list it would be this.  It is NEEDED!!!!
7. HoMedics Sound Machine: I love that this is electric or battery operated.  It has a few sound options and great volume!
8. Infant Sleep Gowns: Seriously the only way to go when you’re doing night time diaper changes!! It’s amazing to not have to undress them at all!

 

I can assure you that between the sleep guide and these products you’ll have a much easier go of it with your newborn! Are there any products you swear by to get your babies to sleep?

 

 

XO Arin