Tips For Creating Your Breastfeeding Space

Those few weeks before the arrival of your new tiny human you go through the nesting phase to make sure everything is set up; the nursery is decorated and crib is assembled, the diaper bag is packed, the baby clothes are all washed and folded and the freezer is packed with food. Just don't forget about your space, your breastfeeding spot.

Comfort and ease is the key! In the beginning you may want to choose a location in your home that you go to like a nursery, the bedroom, den or living room that provides enough space for you to sit back, relax and enjoy the experience. You will be spending hours in this chair so make sure you are comfortable and close to an outlet. Remember, you can never have enough pillows!

This space should have a comfortable chair, a supportive nursing pillow, pillows for your back or under your arms, small table and a basket. That table will be used for everything from glasses of water or tea to sip on while nursing and healthy snacks such as trail mix and protein bars for easy snacking. Nursing requires an increased intake of fluids and nutrients, so having this space ready and stocked will make this an easier transition for you and your little.

Keep a small basket of baby supplies to hold a few extra diapers, wipes, extra onesies, burp cloths, bum cream and other essentials. Also, don't forget about your essentials like lip chap, tucks pads, nipple cream, tissues, hair elastics, slippers, journal and a phone charger. This is a great way for your significant other or a family member to help you and restock when needed!

Remember this space doesn't have to be for just breastfeeding, it can also be used for pumping and bottle feeding as well. Being close to an outlet will help with a pump or bottle warmer. This comfortable space will help minimize stress, prevent injuries and allow you to enjoy those midnight feedings.

If at any point you are struggling with how to set up a fantastic space for feeding and bonding or establishing a positive feeding relationship with your baby, don't hesitate to ask for help! With over 22 months of breastfeeding experience, I am passionate about making sure new mom's have the support that they need. We have drop-in support groups, private consultations in the comfort of your own home, and even phone support to ensure your needs are being met!

 xoxo
Janice

Where The Wild Things Are #Nursery Reveal!

Now that we {finally} have a mattress for our little guy, I can go ahead and reveal his nursery!! Be prepared for a photo dump...it's worth it, though, I promise!

Soon, his monogram and beautiful name that I can't wait to say out loud, will be over top of his cubby-dresser! We opted for an EXPEDIT unit that we already had, added twine boxes from Ikea and then filled with out favorite things. One box has diapers, another crib sheets. The third has NB and 0-3 clothes, and the fourth has sleep sacks/hats/etc.

Our beautiful Where The Wild Things Are nesting dolls from Sweet Whimsy Designs. I absolutely love how these turned out, and we can switch them around, change places, as many times as we want!

 Oh his crib. It's the same crib that Owen used until he was 3 {and a half}, but with new linens. The mobile hanging over top is the piece that inspired his whole nursery, and the line of mobiles in my shop. The beautiful chevron carpet is from Mohawk Home. #ilovemymohawkrug

When we found out we were expecting a boy, I got in touch with Noogle right away to have my bloggy-bff Shizz design our wall art. This piece, Kind Of All Wild Things, is right inside the door.

A big big thank you to The Land of Nod for their hospitality at the Bump Club Chicago event last summer during BlogHer'13. I fell in love with this polka dot sheet, and sooooo wish we had a LoN locally so I could scoop up more! The beautiful crochet blanket is by Kimberly Poole Designs, and I can't wait to wrap our guy in it for photos with Lainie Hird Photography.

And finally, where I'll be rocking this sweet boy to sleep during storytime with Daddy...just like we did with Owen when he was a little babe. The wooden basket {from Homesense, we actually used this at our wedding for the programs} holds all of our receiving blankets, and I made the ultrasound throw pillow {tutorial HERE}

And what I see when I walk by this room...

Nothing short of dreamy.

DIY Chalky Finish Diaper Caddy #pregnancy #nursery

One of the most useful things that we had on hand at all times when Owen was a newborn was a diaper caddy. Ours was a chocolate brown wicker basket, that matched the color scheme of his room, and it held...

2 diapers
Wipes
Nasal aspirator
Diaper rash cream
Vaseline
Baby Vicks
Gripe Water
Medicine Dispenser

It was awesome to have on hand (especially in the middle of the night!) and I knew that I would want to use it again for this little guy. However...chocolate brown just doesn't match, so I had to do something to spruce it up.

Materials
Wicker basket
Americana Home Chalky Finish Paint (Everlasting and Relic)
Paint brush

This project is one of the simplest that I've done, and I love that the Chalky Finish Paint really only needed one coat. Quick and easy for an update like this to an existing piece of storage or home decor that you have in your home.

First, I painted the base with Relic and set it to dry.

Once dry, I carefully painted the handles with Everlasting.

Set to dry, and then fill with everything you need for a quick diaper change!

Americana Home Decor Chalky Finish Paint and Finishes are available at Home Depot.

Disclaimer: I am a part of the DecoArt Blogger Outreach Program. The project concept and opinions expressed are my own.

DIY Custom Lamp Project #baby #nursery #DIY

My first DIY project for the nursery, I knew, was going to be the lamp for the top of the dresser. I found one on Polyvore that I loved, but it also retailed at $110 and...well...that just was not going to happen!

So to get my lovely green lamp, I knew a DIY would be in order.

Materials

White lamp (I found this one at Walmart, by Mainstays, for $10)
Paint brush
Americana Multi Surface Satin in Green Beret and Leprechan (optional: Vanilla Shake)

First, take the lamp shade off your lamp and set it aside. Next, wipe your lamp base clean.

For the specific shade of green that I was looking for, I mixed my Green Beret and Leprechan paints 6:1. It created the perfect mossy dark grass green that I was looking for.

Apply your first coat of paint, and allow to dry; I like to let my Multi Surface Satin projects dry for an hour between coats. While your paint is drying, cover your paint cup with plastic wrap to make sure that you will have enough paint for your second coat, and any touch ups.

Once your first coat is dry, apply a second and allow it to dry for another hour.

Touch up any areas that may have dried too transparent for your liking, and allow to dry completely.

Put the lamp shade back on, add a very soft low wattage light bulb, and place in your nursery!

I'll Eat You Up I Love You So, a Where the Wild Things Are nursery with Mohawk Home #ilovemymohawkrug

I have been planning and replanning the baby nursery for months on end now, and have fine tuned every last element our little boys nursery. I am so head over heels in love with it!!

 

Since we are using our existing crib (1), and an EXPEDIT unit (6) that we already have, it's really just the accessories and decorative elements that we need.

Everything is centred around the story Where The Wild Things Are, so there will be a framed print or two, and certainly a crown on his dresser (ahhh!! HIS!!). To bring an element of texture, I love these storage boxes from IKEA (7). The EXPEDIT unit will act as his dresser, and these storage boxes as the drawers. I love their texture and stitching and when I saw them, knew that they would be perfect for this theme.

In terms of pattern, we are going to bring in a few patterned elements and I am so happy with our choice of area rug from Mohawk Home (3). The Pool Zig Zag Rug in blue brings a tone on tone pattern so as to keep it low key, but the darker lines pack a punch and give great definition.To say #ilovemymohawkrug is an understatement!

For sheets and curtains, we are keeping it simple. Polka dots in navy and white from the Land of Nod, then a little color blocking for the curtains. I haven't decided if I will DIY the curtains...a distinct possibility and a way for me to work in some metallics for his room. Perhaps swap out the mustard for some gold?

The lamp I am still working to find, and am confident that I will be able to find something locally sourced. Then to cap it all off, we have our Nighty Night Owl from CloudB (9).

There certainly are more elements to whip up for this little love, including a mobile, the crown, and who knows what else. Lots to do, and only a few months until he is here!

My favorite part of the nursery is the use of pattern and the pairing of the zig zag rug from Mohawk Home and the polka dots from Land of Nod. They compliment one another really well, and bring just enough pattern into the nursery to give it dimension and depth.

Now is your chance to win a Mohawk Home rug of your own!! Enter below! #ilovemymowhawkrug

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nighty Night Owl by CloubB #babygear

Ever wonder how we got our son to sleep 7pm-9am? Two words; Sleep Sheep. We've used the CloudB Sleep Sheep since he was born, along with a solid bed time routine, and its worked like a charm. Even now, he's 3.5years old and we still use his Sheep every night on the Ocean sound. If he ever has a nightmare, we flick it on and it lulls him back to sleep.

CloudB has a new sound machine snuggly on the market, called the Nighty Night Owl, so when I found out that we were expecting, I knew that it would be the perfect first gift for our baby.

Affectionately known as Mr. Owl in our house, this super soft lovie is quickly becoming a favourite. It has great new features, that I only wish we had four years ago when Owen was a wee babe. The new white noise machines from CloubB all have the soothing sounds that you know and love; heartbeat, rain, ocean and whales, and now feature a Smart Sensor, which you can set to low or high sensitivity. If babe stirs in the middle of the night, on goes your Nighty Night Owl, saving you a few winks and alot of stress.

 

One feature that we have grown to love is the 23 or 45 minute timer. This saves you from having to run back in, turn the Nighty Night Owl on when your baby hasn't quite settled into sleep yet, and rinse repeat a few minutes later. It also saves you from having to waste the battery by having it on all night. We always keep ours on the 45 minute timer.

And as always, the Nighty Night Owl comes with a story about how the Owl came to be, which is a nice little keepsake.

Sidenote: My son got really sick overnight on the weekend, and the only thing that he wanted after we cleaned him up and got him back to bed what the baby's Owl. That was the night that he named him Mr. Owl and the only thing that calmed him down enough to get settled back to sleep. I am so so so thankful for the Nighty Night Owl!

Watch for Mr. Owl in upcoming posts about the nursery, and life with a newborn this summer!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I was provided the Night Night Owl by Cloud B for the purposes of this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Mohawk Home Inspired Baby Girl and Baby Boy Nursery

When planning the new baby nursery, I immediately knew what colour palettes we would be using. I've had them planned for what seems like ever, and it really was just a matter of finding details to go with the inspiration.

For the girl nursery, we are going with a pretty girly, but not over the top, palette.


Color by COLOURlovers

Girly, but not over the top. The walls are currently in a tone called White Tulle - a very very soft grey. White trim. And there will be splashes of plum and raspberry in the artwork. Golden accents in the way of shimmer and glitter. Perfection.

When I found these two area rugs from Mohawk Home, I knew that both would be strong contenders and for entirely different reasons.

Fancy Trellis in Hot Pink by Mohawk Home gives the perfect pop of color and pattern to the baby girl nursery. Bringing a punch of color and pattern into the floor covering of your room is a great way to accessorize, while keeping the main elements {walls} neutral so the room can grow with your child. I love the quatrefoil pattern, and that the pink isn't too baby pink.

Big Bear in Tan would be great for the baby girl nursery as well. While no pattern, this super soft carpet would be great as baby grows and starts crawling. Luxurious, warm and soft. Perfect for a nursery, and for playing on when you get to the toddler years as well.

The baby boy nursery is a little darker with the color palette, but still rich colors and a warm atmosphere.


Color by COLOURlovers

Same light white grey walls and white trim, but this time with navy and emerald greens as the dominate tones. Mustard yellow to accent and brighten, and these two potential area rugs from Mohawk Home.

In Line in Twilight Pool from Mohawk Home would be a great area rug for a boys nursery. The dark tones are comforting and the stripes are so darn masculine. This area rug would certainly grow into any toddler, little boy and even teen room theme!

Another great option for the baby boy nursery is the Lascala Chevron area rug in Blue. This trendy patterned rug is soft, durable and boyish without being too boy. There are oh so many baby nursery themes that would suitable for this area rug as well; because of the seafoam undertones, a Pirate theme would be great, or a vintage airplane theme would be lovely too!

I cannot wait for our gender ultrasound next month, and to finalize our baby nursery design plans, featuring a beautiful area rug from Mohawk Home! Stay tuned for another post...you will have a from Mohawk Home and get to see our inspiration board for the boy or girl nursery!


Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. All opinions and views expressed are my own.