// Colic, Crying, and Really Really Cute Babies


I 100% believe "newborn amnesia" is the single reason humankind has continued to procreate. I remember being in the thick of colic and the incessant crying, always crying right alongside Linden. I thought I (we!) was doomed. Crying morning, noon, and night. Everyone wanted to tell me how to burp him or feed him or massage him, but nothing seemed to work. It's so hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you're eyeball deep in everything, you know? So many people would say "Don't worry! It gets better!" but I didn't think I could make it another month / week / day, or hour! Being a new parent is HARD! But... there's always a but, right? But those smiles! The smell! The giggles! The snuggles! Oh they make it all SO worth it and more! I'm pretty content with our family for the time being. I love the groove we've (finally!) found ourselves in, and we feel "right" for right now. Yet every time I catch a glimpse of a pregnant lady or a newborn baby, I yearn to experience that again. Sometimes I just have to text my friend Caitlin and have her bring me back down to Earth haha! Caitlin and I have texted each other non-stop for almost 2 years... ever since we found out the other was expecting. Now that our babies are only 12 days apart in age, we're constantly comparing notes and commiserating. When I text her and tell her I'm experiencing a serious case of baby fever, she reminds me of the late nights, early mornings, lack of sleep, and constant soundtrack of screaming that came from that sweet, precious little child. Looking at him now, you'd never imagine he could be capable of such a cry. Maybe that's why I bury the memory deep down, so I can just focus on all of the positives haha! 

After about 6 weeks of non-stop crying and belly aches for our newborn, we found the culprit. Gas build-up from the milk in his bottles. Once we started adding a digestive aide to Linden's feeds, his crying stopped almost instantly! It was a life saver. We stocked up on that stuff at Walgreens hardcore! I always had 2 or 3 bottles in his diaper bag, and 1 or 2 floating around the house. Linden stopped refusing the bottle and screaming after every feed. I remember telling Mike that we had found the holy grail of bottle feeding. Now Linden is 12 months old (!!!) and we just stopped using it. Now that his belly has "grown up" a bit, we don't have to worry so much about upset tummies and gas build up. But oh what a saving grace it was in the beginning! I've had several new mama friends express their concerns about colic and belly aches with their babies, and I always recommend a digestive aide like Colief right off the bat. Did you know colic affects roughly one in five babies?! Whether your baby has full blown colic or not, it's so good to be prepared! I don't think Linden had it quite as bad as some other babies, but it still took its toll on all of us physically and mentally. The solution can be as simple as a few drops directly in the bottle. If you breastfeed, you don't have to change anything in your diet. I really comes in handy for babies suffering from temporary lactose intolerance. And apparently studies have shown that excessive crying caused by TLI may be reduced as much as 40% when the milk is treated with Colief. Food for thought! 


If you're interested, Colief is giving away a pretty epic prize pack over on their site! You can win a $500 Walgreens gift card and a Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag, or you could be one of five weekly winners of a Colief prize pack! All you gotta do is share your #ColiefMOMent. Hurry, the giveaway ends on August 14th. You can also read more about colic-associated crying from temporary lactose intolerance in infants, and hear from real moms on their experience with colic (and how Colief helped!). Check out their Facebook for relevant information, too! Colief is available at your local Walgreens or online!

Did your kiddo suffer from colic? Any words of wisdom to share with other mamas currently in the thick of it? (I'm going to be that person and say this: It really does get better! Hang in there, mama! ♥)

xo KB

Colief® Infant Digestive Aid is a gluten-free dietary supplement for the reduction of colic-associated crying resulting from temporary lactose intolerance (TLI) in infants. Colief Infant Digestive Aid may help reduce the crying time associated with colic by breaking down the lactose in breast milk or infant formula, making it easier for infants to digest. To learn more, visit http://us.colief.com or LIKE the brand on Facebook.

This is a product-provided, sponsored conversation that contains affiliate links. All opinions, text and experiences are my own. Colief Infant Digestive Aid is a dietary supplement to provide relief due to colic-associated crying from temporary lactose intolerance (TLI). These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. The product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.


// 2 Minute DIY "Autumn-Inspired" Wreath

Michaels Makers - Ashland Wreath DIY
Michaels Makers - Ashland Wreath DIY
I looooove me a quick and easy DIY! The fewer tools needed, the better! Maybe I'm just a lazy crafter (?) at times, or maybe I just really really value efficiency. Whatever the reason, I'm always down for something that makes a major impact on a tiny financial or time budget. This is all of that and more!

As part of the Michaels Makers crew, I've become more and more familiar with the lines offered at my local Michaels stores. I think the vast majority of what I buy comes from the Ashland brand. Something about Ashland pieces just screams femininity! I have faux mason jar vases and silk flowers all over my house. It's like walking around a Parisian floral market on the street.

I wanted to do something for our blue (!!!) front door, but I was having a hard time deciding what direction to go with a wreath. I know it's still Summer, and I'm in absolutely no hurry to wish it away, but I fell in love with these wooden flowers and I had to snatch them up. I picked up this little grapevine wreath and a few packages of the Ashland wooden flowers in hopes that it'd make the perfect Autumn-inspired wreath. I didn't need glue, tape, or anything really! I just stuck the long wooden sticks into the wreath and then trimmed them with scissors. 

My absolute favorite part about this wreath is that nothing on it is permanent. If one of my flowers breaks or I really want to utilize more color, I just pull it out! Boom! Lazy crafting, right? Hey, I make no apologies for making things fast and easy! Everything I used was only a few bucks, too. Win/win! Now maybe I'll make one for our back door next...

Happy crafting! 

xo KB

PS; The Big Brand Sale is about to launch over at Michaels! It runs from Sunday August 2nd until Saturday August 8th, so if you want to make something fancy for your house, pop over then!

// Things I Love Thursday v.230

this stunning photo ♥
this is my DREAM HOUSE - seriously ♥
this DIY pineapple ukulele by chelsea is FANTASTIC ♥
these pretty little phones all lined up ♥
this looks like somewhere i'd like to be! ♥
this dress print! ♥
this stunning morganite ring! ♥
this super fun cake ♥
this tee! ♥


// Linden broke my candy dispenser while I was gone to California last weekend, and I'm thinking this would make for a very modern upgrade! And that candy! Lime Chipotle?!?! Pineapple Jalapeno?! Snap! I really want one to put on my desk haha





// 26 signs you went to a small high school.

// Want $40 to spend at Eshakti?! Here you go! (If you already have an account, sign up with a new email and BOOM! Moooonniessss! Pretty dresses!) The whole site is currently 50% off, and you can get an extra 20% automatically discounted if you use your phone or iPad! xo



// The emotional pain of being too poor to buy diapers. I seriously read this and cried. My heart hurts so badly for those babies and those families. If you can spare a few dollars, consider donating a box of diapers to your local food bank, women's shelter, etc! Parenting is hard enough even when you don't have to struggle for the next meal or diaper.




What are you loving this week?

xo KB

// Kraken of the Sea






This little number has been sitting around in my "drafts" folder for a while and I just now found it! Check out that super dead grass... ha! I'm not sure why I forgot to post this outfit, but here it is now. This just happened to be the one day my ridiculous top knot didn't look way bad, ya know? Anyway, I love this dress. The color of it reminds me of an old, worn out treasure map or something. And the ships and krakens are just the icing on the cake. Believe it or not this is actually the outfit I wore for Valentine's dinner with Mike earlier this year. It may not exactly be fancy or romantic, but I felt like a million bucks! Sourpuss just has a way with dresses, I swear. It doesn't matter what Sourpuss dress I have on, someone compliments it and has to know where it came from. I just love how "out of the box" their designs and patterns are. And they fit like a glove! Two thumbs way up from this girl!

I'm currently recuperating from a very whirlwind trip to California over this past weekend, and trying to get things ready for Toby to start school next week (!!!!). I don't know how our days always feel so hectic. Until next time...

ShoeMint flats

xo KB

// Cloth Diapering Made Simple - ft. Diaper Genie

 Cloth Diapering Made Simple ft. Diaper Genie
o1. BumGenius Diaper Sprayer // o2. Playtex Diaper Genie
o3. PlanetWise Wet Bag // o4. Spray Pal

When I first decided to cloth diaper with Linden, I was crazy intimidated and overwhelmed by all of the options out there. Types of diapers, brands, detergents, accessories, etc. I honestly had very little clue what I was doing when I started almost a year ago. Since then, I've learned a lot of ways to make our lives so much easier when it comes to our cloth routine. So many brands want to make you believe you have to use their detergents and their wet bags and and and... when in reality you just need to do what works for you and make sure you have a good wash routine. I've shared our love for cloth diapering over the last several months and I've been met with so many requests to share a blog post about our process. I have several post ideas in my head, but thought this might be a good place to start! 

Over the past year I've found a few products that really take the intimidation out of the whole cloth diapering process, and I'm hoping they'll help you, too! First up is the BumGenius Diaper Sprayer. We have this exact sprayer hooked up to our toilet and we're able to spray poopy diapers, wring them out, and toss them in the Playtex Diaper Genie (#2!). This thing is a heaven send! Seriously! I know plenty of people who get by just fine with their cloth routine and never have a sprayer. I am not one of those people. It makes things so much easier for us. I can't sing its praises enough. You don't need a fancy one, or this specific one. This is just the one we have and love. You can get a sprayer in the plumbing section of your local hardware store even! 

Up next: the Playtex Diaper Genie. Before we switched to the Diaper Genie, we were just using an open pail for our diapers. We have a stash big enough to last us a full week, but I generally wash them every 3-4 days. Our main problem with the open pail was that it was just too small to fit 4 days worth of diapers in, and Linden liked to run back to the bathroom and start throwing them all over the place. Yeah, not a good look. We haven't had much success with storing them in a wet bag because 1) we didn't have a wet bag big enough and 2) Linden liked to go get it and drag it around the house... See where I'm going with all of this? The Diaper Genie matches his room decor, is modern looking, and he can't get his tiny little hands on dirty diapers (!!! Praise!) We've been incredibly impressed with it thus far. The only thing I'd recommend from a cloth standpoint is perhaps a mesh/washable/reusable liner that could be purchased in place of the regular plastic liners. Speaking from an environmental standpoint, I think it'd be a better solution, but then again the Diaper Genie isn't typically marketed to cloth diapering parents. (But it should be because it's awesome). We picked ours up at our local Target!

The third accessory we love is the PlanetWise Wet Bags. We keep a wet bag in Linden's bag at all times so we can store wet and dirty diapers when we're on the go. Once we get home we spray them and toss them in the Diaper Genie. When laundry day rolls around, we toss the wet bag into the washer and then it's ready for its next use. 

Lastly, the Spray Pal! I'll admit that we don't actually have one of these. But I've heard so many cloth diapering friends sing its praises. Basically it's just a little shield that keeps all of the (dirty!) water from going all over the place when you spray. You don't have to have one (we just don't have one because we don't really have anywhere to store it), but it certainly comes in handy if you're not strategic about the angle you spray.

How cute is my little fluffy bum guy? I had to throw in a photo of him just because. This is what he was doing while I snapped a few photos of his room yesterday. While we're on the subject of the Diaper Genie, I thought I'd throw in a little info about Playtex's Mommy Time Rewards program! Each and every time you buy or register for Diaper Genie products, you can earn points toward some pretty fabulous rewards (like credit to your favorite online shops, for instance!) There's no shame in treating yourself to something nice when you're working day and night to be the best mama around. All you gotta do is snap a photo of your receipt or submit your registry HERE and then boom! Points are zooming your way. 

There's still a ton about cloth diapering that I'd love to share with y'all! If you have any specific questions about how we use cloth at home, please feel free to ask below! I'll use your questions as a starting point for future posts! Happy cloth diapering!

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥ 

Be sure to take advantage of the Diaper Genie “Mommy Time” Rewards Program! Earn points to use towards great rewards for yourself every time you buy or register for  Diaper Genie products.

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Diaper Genie® but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #PlaytexEssentials http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

xo KB

// Happy First Birthday, Linden Atlas Flynn!





Linden,
You are without a doubt the most incredible little boy. Your laugh is contagious, and your joy just lights up a room. You have brought so much joy to our lives. I love to wake up and hear your babbling, and then see your smiling face. There are just so many things I want to say, but I lack the words. You are one of life's best blessings. xo Mom 

(you know... in case he reads this blog one day... haha!)

This has without a doubt been the hardest, most stressful and terrifying year of my life. But it has also been the happiest. My days are spent with three of the most loving fellas, and it just wouldn't be the same without Linden. I promised myself I wouldn't cry when I wrote this, but here I am, sitting in the middle of Panera, being a weeping mess. I remember the very first time I heard Linden cry, and the first time he laid on my chest. I remember the long, sleepless nights, the reflux, the crying. But it all pales in comparison to the memories of endless snuggles, seeing him walk for the first time, hearing him say "mama" and learn sign language. My heart is just too full.

Here's to many more years with my sweet baby bear! 

xo KB

// Green Fields

Eshakti dress - This Charming Life by Kaelah Bee
Happy Wednesday! This outfit is by far one of my favorites. I snagged this dress for all of $5 during a recent Eshakti sale and I have worn it non-stop since it arrived. At first I wasn't sure If I'd really love the pattern or not, but I was sold the second I opened it. The yellow is a tad more "highlighter" in person, but still very subtle and easy to look at. Mike wasn't super sold on it, but I have no cares ever because this dress is PERFECTION. This is the dress I wore for Linden's party on Saturday, but since it was nearly 100 degrees I skipped the lightweight cardigan. I first grabbed this lavender cardigan because it was the closest thing to me when getting dressed. I didn't expect it to actually match, but I came to realize the light periwinkle color was the color of the cherry blossoms on the dress. Now I'm constantly feeling like a little bit of Spring in a hot and sweaty Summer. I didn't really get a very good snap of my necklace, but it's a gorgeous waterfall type triple-chain necklace with some really pretty blue settings. I also wore my fancy-pants koa wood and rose gold watch from JORD. I've never been much of a watch person, but this one is so pretty that I think I'll probably make an exception or seven haha
Eshakti dress - This Charming Life by Kaelah Bee
Eshakti dress - This Charming Life by Kaelah Bee
Eshakti dress - This Charming Life by Kaelah Bee
This week is a short one for me. I'm headed to California  later this week with the rest of the Michaels Makers (returning and new!) to take part in the first annual Michaels Makers Summit. We're being whisked away to Sonoma Valley to take part in some fun workshops, a whole lotta wine tasting, and some socializing, too. Maybe I'll come home with some new fabulous and crafty friends haha! We're taking Creativebug workshops on weaving, paper flowers, watercolors and more. And the super fun part is y'all get to take the classes alongside us if you want! They've expanded our group from the 30 makers last year to 50 (!!!!) this time around. It should be pretty fun! You can meet all of the other Makers here if you're interested.
Eshakti dress - This Charming Life by Kaelah Bee
Part of me is a little nervous to leave both of the boys in Mike's hands haha! Not because he's incompetent or anything - actually he's totally the opposite! But those boys... Phew! They are a handful and a half and it can be a lot to handle since he's not really used to being home 24/7. I know those boys will be super spoiled by the time I get home though haha. I'm also growing more and more sad (? heartbroken? nostalgic?) for Linden's birthday tomorrow. ONE! One whole year old! Ahhhh help! Today I just want to soak up the last remaining minutes of "eleven months" you know? My sweet baby will be a sweet toddler.... Wahhhhhhh! It's so exciting and sad at the same time. Bittersweet for sure.

Target flats

// Him + Honey : Nashville Film Portrait Photography

Him and Honey - Nashville Film Portrait Photography
Him and Honey - Nashville Film Portrait Photography
Him and Honey - Nashville Film Portrait Photography
Him and Honey - Nashville Film Portrait Photography
Him and Honey - Nashville Film Portrait Photography
Him and Honey - Nashville Film Portrait Photography
Him and Honey - Nashville Film Portrait Photography
Him and Honey - Nashville Film Portrait Photography
Him and Honey - Nashville Film Portrait Photography
Him and Honey - Nashville Film Portrait Photography
Him and Honey - Nashville Film Portrait Photography
Him and Honey - Nashville Film Portrait Photography
Him and Honey - Nashville Film Portrait Photography
Him and Honey - Nashville Film Portrait Photography
Him and Honey - Nashville Film Portrait Photography
Him and Honey - Nashville Film Portrait Photography
Him and Honey - Nashville Film Portrait Photography
We wanted to snap a few film photos of our little family before Linden turned one. We shot these a couple of weeks ago and printed them just in time for Linden's party. We wanted to be sure and capture him in "this moment" - a tiny pocket of time where he's the most precious little thing in the world haha! We know that's not sure to last. Toby wanted to test out his skills behind the lens, too, and he's responsible for a few of the photos, including the very last one above. We're trying to give Toby more and more room to grow and develop into a kid and it's been so fun to watch. Both he and Linden amaze me every day.

It may have just been an overcast day in the boonies, but I'll treasure these sweet photos forever!

xo KB

// Peach Dreams

Stitch Fix - This Charming Life by Kaelah Bee
Stitch Fix - This Charming Life by Kaelah Bee
This was one of those dresses where I was like "Oh man, this is *so* not flattering"... and then I wore it anyway! *Dancing sassy lady emoji* (Does anyone else use the dancing fancy lady to convey sass in text?! She's my go-to girl.) Peach probably isn't my ideal color to wear, and the dress was a little hugging and short, but it is so comfortable and easy to move around in. Plus the little lace detailing is just the best. It was in a recent Stitch Fix package that I received, and the whole box was an epic win. I'm wearing the same necklace as my last outfit, too. I added a ribbon to the back chain to make it several inches longer because otherwise it's pretty chunky.
Stitch Fix - This Charming Life by Kaelah Bee
Stitch Fix - This Charming Life by Kaelah Bee
Stitch Fix - This Charming Life by Kaelah Bee
This past weekend we celebrated Linden's birthday (!!!). It was SO much fun! And super duper insanely hot haha He had a blast though. So much so he conked out in his new Mini Cooper and almost fell face first into his blueberry pie. He napped hard afterward! I'll be sure to share more about the party later on. I need a nice long vacation after all of that hullabaloo but goodness knows ~*"business don't quit"*~ haha! 

I'll only be in the office two days this week but I'm going to try and make them count! I'm hoping to knock out some serious progress on a few projects and then spend the evenings trying to relax. We'll see how that goes. 

Did you do anything particularly exciting this weekend?

Papermoon "Cooper" dress via Stitch Fix
Mak cardigan via ModCloth
Stitch Fix necklace
Old Navy flats
Michael Kors "Gansevoort" bag

xo KB