Here's another easy meal for you family + baby. These are meals we’ve cooked for ourselves and adapted for Jennings. We started baby-led weaning (BLW) over a month ago and it’s been great for Jennings and not as difficult as expected for us. I have a whole blog about starting BLW and all the things you need to know that you can read here:

Starting Solids/What You Need

 Tonight we had sloppy joes for dinner. 

Here's a look at how WE ate it and how SHE ate it.

JENNINGS'S PLATE:

- Ground Beef + Avocado: 

Sometimes ground beef can be hard for a baby to eat. You can either use it for meatballs or cut patties into strips OR add to a softer base like potato, sweet potato, or in this case, avocado. I just used our favorite mashing bowl (linked here) and then served on pre-loaded spoons. 

- Asparagus:

Sautéed in ghee until soft and easily pierced with a fork. Served whole. She loved these. Obviously it was more sucking than eating since she doesn't have teeth, but it was a hit. 

- "Smoothie":

In her forged feeder I served what we call a smoothie. It's essentially all the fresh berries we haven't eaten for the week that we've frozen (plus some almond butter) blended up into little ovals that fit in her feeder. The mold comes with the forged feeder and we just keep some in a container for times like these or for teething. 

OUR PLATE:

Our dinner was a true sloppy Joe. I ate my open because idk, I always have and served with some asparagus topped with some fresh parm. Super easy and a great meal for a week night. 

**I also tried the HEB Organics sloppy Joe sauce this time and it was sooooo good**

SHOP BLW MUST HAVES:

This part is all about Jennings and her sweet nursery. These are some of my most cherished photos. Nothing like seeing our little lady in the room she's going to grow up in. 

PART FOUR: Jennings + Her Nursery

It's our favorite room in the house and it's all hers. I designed this space when we first found out we were having a baby. Instinctually I knew she would be a little girl and I immediately made a design board that looks exactly like this space today.

 

So many sweet pictures to choose from but here's a few faves. As you can see, she loves books and her toys and her mom and dad, of course. 

All Photos Taken by Twinty Photography 

 I’m back with another easy meal for you family + baby. These are meals we’ve cooked for ourselves and adapted for Jennings. We started baby-led weaning (BLW) over a month ago and it’s been great for Jennings and not as difficult as expected for us. I have a whole blog about starting BLW and all the things you need to know that you can read here:

Starting Solids/What You Need

Tonight we had salmon bowls for dinner. 

Here's a look at how WE ate it and how SHE ate it.

JENNINGS'S PLATE:

- Salmon: 
Cut into strips (about two finger widths in size) and seasoned with avocado oil, dill, and fresh lemon. Baked in the oven and served whole.

- Cauliflower:

Roasted in the oven with avocado oil and served in large florets.

- Strawberry:

I prepped these organic strawberries this week. I always wash and cut the tops and store in my favorite fridge organizer (linked below). I served these whole and she is able to bite off just small pieces at a time.  

Another option would’ve been to give her cucumber. To prepare that I would simply slice in half and offer. Bigger is better when starting BLW. 

OUR PLATE:

I served our dinner in bowl form. These consisted of baked salmon (with lemon and chili oil) and roasted cauliflower over rice. I topped with diced cucumbers and drizzled some taziki sauce on top. 

As you can see, we were able to have a complete [and normal!] meal while adapting it to meet our baby's needs for starting solids! Plus, she loved it which you can tell in these photos:

SHOP BLW MUST HAVES:

 Well, the day came and went and wow, it was so special. 

At six months old, Jennings finally saw her first concert. We waited until she could see a show close to him [just in case we needed to leave lol] and I, selfishly, felt it was necessary her first concert be a Chase Rice one. 

photo credit: Sam Ehrnstein

Eddie and I met because of Chase so it only felt appropriate for Jennings to go to one of his shows first. We made the trip [45ish minutes] to Gonzales where Chase was playing Cattle Country Fest. She ended up napping in the car and for about an hour in the Doona once we got there. Thank goodness for the long nap because she ended up not taking another one stayed up about 2.5 hours after bedtime to see Uncle Chase play. LOL. 

She did great though and loved watching the lights during the set. We ended up staying for about five songs before her limit was reached and we needed to head home. 

If you are looking for a sign to take your baby somewhere that you are nervous to take them, this is it. I had a bit of anxiety about the process but everything was super smooth and I have zero regrets (and a lot of memories). 

Tip: change your baby into pajamas before the show so when you get home they are ready to transition into bedtime. She fell asleep on the ride home and back asleep at home within a few minutes of her diaper change. 

Not a ton to say so I'll just share a ton of pictures of our little music gal and link all the things below we had in our bag for a smooth day. 

photo credit: Evan De Stefano

photo credit: Evan De Stefano

photo credit: Evan De Stefano

photo credit: Sam Ehrnstein

photo credit: Sam Ehrnstein

SHOP OUR MUST-HAVES FOR THE DAY:

 Happy National Laundry Day!

Truthfully I didn't know it was a thing until I watched the Today Show this morning. BUT, I already had this post in the queue so I decided to move it up and share today. 

Having a baby has changed a few things in our laundry room ; mainly the types of products we use. I started swapping out our home cleaning products prior to getting pregnant but once we had Jennings, laundry items became a priority. 

Here's A Few Laundry of Our Must-Haves:

- Molly's Suds Laundry Powder:

This was highly recommend by several friends and at the top of my list when I researched laundry powders with clean ingredients. It contains no dyes, SLS, formaldehyde, parabens, or optical brighteners. We use the fragrance free option which also eliminates allergens to fragrance. We not only wash J's laundry with it, but our own. It's gentle enough for her but tough enough for adult stains and smells. 

- Molly's Suds Laundry Pods:

Same as above but in pod form which some washers list as their preferred option. 

- Molly's Suds Dryer Sheets:

We just started using the dryer sheets and they work great. Not a ton to say other than we use the fragrance free, they work, and they are a great clean option!

- Molly's Suds Oxygen Whitener:

Pre-treat, aka Oxyclean, is awful. Lol. I said it. It works but the ingredients are basically just all toxins. We swapped to the Molly's Suds version and it works just as well without all the bad stuff in it. It uses lemon to brighten whites and work as a natural bleaching agent. 

- Miss Mouth's Stain Spray:

An absolute MUST for babies ESPECIALLY once they start foods. Cannot recommend it enough. I just spray on the stain and wait 15 minutes before washing. Usually the stain is gone before the wash even happens. Below is a blueberry before and after 15 minutes of being sprayed. 

 

Shop The Items + Laundry Organization:

Summer is right around the corner and that means you [and your baby] will be spending more time outside in the heat/sun. I've started gathering items for Jennings and decided I'd share those on the blog for anyone else with babies and not sure where to start.

As a first-time mom, I used other moms as my resources plus added in a few items I know fit our lifestyle and needs. 

Also, I obviously have a baby girl so I focused this blog mostly on her/her needs but I also linked all the same items but for a boy belo! Don't worry y'all, I've got your "boy-mom" backs too!

 

MUST-HAVES FOR SUMMER:

- Sun Hat:

 I feel like in some ways, this is the most important item to have this summer for a baby. If you are going to be in the sun at all, I think having a hat on your baby should be a top priority. I looked for bright colors and a large brim when shopping for J's. 

- Swimsuit:

I'm not super sure how much she will need a swimsuit but we do live only a couple minutes from the lake so I went ahead and grabbed one for Jennings to have on hand in a month or so. I opted for one with long sleeves to help protect from the sun and also ABSOLUTELY NO BLUE! I've read bright whites and neon colors like orange and green are easiest to see in water. 

- Bug Spray:

If Jennings is anything like me, she's going to be a bug magnet. After a lot of research into finding the cleanest option for babies, I landed on Badger. It contains lemongrass, citronella, and rosemary and is a greta natural option to repel those bugs!

- Sunscreen: 

Along the same lines as the bug spray, I wanted something with clean ingredients if I'm rubbing it all over my baby. I decided to go with Roe Wellness since I was familiar with the brand after using their baby lotion on J for the last six months. I purchased both the lotion and the powder. I figure I'll keep the powder in the diaper bag since it's easy to carry and compact. I think it will be the perfect "on-the-go" option. 

- Sunglasses:

Not a necessity but if your baby will wear them, might as well add them to the cart. We have a couple pair for J and she does a great job of keeping them on. 

- Portable Fan:

If you've been around since my pregnancy days, you likely already own one. I had one for my pregnancy bag and transitioned it over to the stroller now that it's getting warmer. I love the one we have because it's bendable and able to attach anywhere. 

- Blanket/Mat:

If you are going to be outside, you'll need a blanket or playmat. I grabbed one that's water resistant. I think this will work great for wiping off the outside/water/dust/etc. It also folds up small. (ps....gonnna have a giveaway for one!)

- Water Toys:

I always look for silicone when purchasing toys going in water. I found a really cute bucket + toys set that would be great for pool days, lake days, or even on your beach trips. 

- Baby Pool:

Not a requirement but it's a fun one. Jennings loves taking bath so a quick little dip in a baby sized pool will be on our summer bucket list. 

- Fruit Feeder:

A great way for baby to cool off this summer! Add in some frozen fruits!

Additional Items:

- Cooler

- Swim Diapers

SHOP THE LINKS: