T is for Truth: Perfect Timing. Perfect Advice.

I appreciate when people tell it to me straight. 

There is a time and place for sugar-coating, 

but when it comes to parenting advice, 

let's not...mmmk?

As a new Mom, I frequently question myself.

Questions like:

"Am I doing this right?",

"Why is this happening to me?",

"Did you poop, again?!"

In all seriousness, I found this article recently 

via one of my favorite mommy sites and it goes without saying, 

it definitely made me feel much much better about the thoughts in my head...

and that I'm not (entirely!) crazy. 

from google.

1. When people ask if your child sleeps through the night, just lie and say yes. It helps you avoid all that sleep advice. -Nancy

2. It's okay to mourn your old life and think, "Dear God what have we done!" -Lindsey

3. Ask for help. Accept help when offered. -Mom the Pirate

4. Supermom doesn't exist -Ducks in a Row

5. Ask yourself whether what you are upset about will be important in five years or even in five minutes. -Nancy

6. You're not a bad mom if you don't love every single stage of child-rearing. -Susan

7. Don't try to accomplish too much in any given day. Aim for one thing: grocery shopping, unloading the 

dishwasher, a walk around the block. But not all three. -Mommy Gearest

8. Read your baby, not your baby book. You are enough. -Leah

9. You'll never look back and wish you held your baby less. -Christine

10. It's perfectly okay to abandon a shopping cart full of groceries if your baby gets fussy. -Rachel S

11. Buy a pair of nice cotton pajamas and wear them for two weeks after birth to remind your family that you're still recovering. (And to remind your husband that you're not back to your bouncy self!) -Sarah

12. Don't compare your chaotic, sleepless life to other "edited" versions. -Rhiannon

13. Just when you think you've reached the best milestone with your baby, it keeps getting better. -Sheila

14. Beware of everyone who wants to tell you the right way to do things: breast feeding, foods, sleeping arrangements. They all want to sell you something. -Tess

15. It's okay to cry. And it's okay to be tired. Take a moment, recharge, and bury your face in your baby's neck. Breathe him in and stop for a moment, counting to ten. And then suddenly, it's all okay again. Repeat as necessary. - Mahta

16. Airline attendants tell the adult passengers to put their own oxygen masks on before helping small children. It's okay to let a baby cry for two minutes if you need to pee or to make a sandwich. -Karen

17. You're a good mom if you're doing your best. Don't let anyone tell you you're not. - Sheila

18. If you breast feed, bite on a leather belt before you chip a tooth from the initial pain. -Tess

19. Walk. With the baby. Even it's just to the corner. The fresh air will do you both good. -Pea to Pumpkin

20. The days are long but the years are short. -Rachel

21. This too shall pass. -Bree

All from here. 

I love all of them but the ones that hit home for me:

#5, 7, 8, 13, and 20. 

XOXO-LC

F is for Food: My Trader Joe's Favorites

I used to cook dinner all the time.

Then, a little baby came into my life...

and my time to cook a well balanced meal went down the drain.

Literally and Figuratively.

However, thank goodness for my love affair with TJ's. 

After the hype died down from the new Fort Worth location, 

I ventured in one day to see what all the fuss was about. 

Obviously everyone knew something I didn't...because it is AWESOME.

It has since become my new "go-to" grocery spot.

Thought I'd share some of my store favorites

that have made my "mom-on-the-go" life a little easier. 

And tastier, I might add!

 1. Any of their prepared salads- love the Asian Chicken and Pasadena 2. Frozen Organic Brown Rice | Orange Chicken | Beef & Broccoli- quick and super easy 3. Pre-cut/Pre-washed Kale- for this quick lunch fix 4. Butternut Squash Ravioli- I love it with my sage brown butter sauce, roasted brussels, and fruit 5. Turkey Meatballs- serve alone with your favorite marinara or make spaghetti + pair with TJ's prepared Caesar Salad. 6. Pesto- I throw it on hot pasta or these yummy sandwiches

 1. Mango Passion Fruit Blend Juice- by itself or in smoothies 2. 9 Grain Crunch Cereal- perfect when I'm in a rush 3. Powerberries-chocolate without the guilt plus energy & vitamins 4. Corn Dippers-you'll never eat another Frito again 5. Spicy Black Bean Dip- great with the corn dippers or with their beef/chicken mini tacos.

Check Out this website too.

[ gives legit TJ's reviews ]

Happy Shopping...er, Happy Eating, I should say!

XOXO-LC

A Day in the Life: Mr. C Says...

"One day you're going to love someone

more than you love me,

and that will make me sad..."

So not true Mr. C.

Pretty sure this boy loves you. A LOT.

XOXO- LC

R is for Random: Funny Baby Things

I have blogger "A.D.D." today. 

Therefore, you'll have to settle for some random funny things from Pintrest.

Hope you're all having a great day! 

story of my life.

fact.

I kinda love this.

daddy diaper FAIL.

seriously, that last one!!! 

XOXO-LC

R is for Random: "A Second a Day from Birth"

I need a video camera stat. 

This video inspired me.

Minus the fact that it was submitted by a Dad....

how incredibly sweet is that?!

from here.

I got teary eyed watching this 

(like a million times)

and it's not even my kid. 

I'm so doing this come Tripp's 1 year birthday. 

(and maybe every year of his life after that. don't judge me.)

It captures the good, the bad, and the most beautiful moments of that first year perfectly. 

Hope y'all are having a good week!

XOXO- LC

F is for Food: Breakfast Smoothies

I think I'm becoming a smoothie person. 

Did you know you can text your order in to Smoothie King?! 

(dangerous)

Did you also know they want like $8 a pop? 

Highway robbery people. 

Thus, I've been on the hunt to find a yummy recipe I can make at home. 

Success. 

Ingredients:

Makes about 2) 8oz. smoothies

• 1-2 tbsp Honey (you can always substitute Blue Agave)
• 1 tbsp Chia Seeds (I found mine at Sprouts)
• 1/2 banana
• 2 whole oranges, juice only
• 1 cup milk (can use almond, soy, anything you like)
• 1 cup frozen fruit of your choice (I used a berry/mango mix)
• handful of ice
• special equipment: Blender

Directions:
Put the frozen fruit, banana, Chia seeds, orange juice and milk in the blender. Puree. Add in honey (to taste) and ice. Puree or Pulse until ice is teeny tiny. Enjoy!

from top left:

{what chia seeds look like | portion and freeze | final product: get in my belly}

Cheers! 

XOXO-LC

S is for Stuff: lulufrost Code Rings

Happy Hump Day y'all!

This video has been cracking me up lately! 

Also, in other news...

I'm obsessed with these rings. 

(and I'm totally on board with rocking one of these turbans too!)

{from here and here}

I'm hoping they will find their way onto my hand one day! 

(SOON....please and thank you!)

And if you're wondering, I'd get 2 numbers "2"'s 

to signify little T's birthday day: 1/22/13.

XOXO- LC

R is for Random: Some Pinterest Favs

Happy Tuesday everyone! 

Little T has come down with some sort of cold this week. 

It's a deep cough, runny nose, can't stand to be put down kind of situation.

Poor sweet thing. 

Mr. C is currently feeding him a bottle...

which helps makes this post possible.

I got to thinking about Pinterest...

where I keep track of all the things I'll never actually get around to doing. 

(does anyone else feel overwhelmed by it at times?!)

| story of my life |

Anyways, thought I'd share some treasures I've pinned as of lately.
That have really come in handy...

A Mega List of Table Foods for Baby or Toddler

One of the Best "To-Do" Lists Before Baby I've Found

The Top 50 Etsy Baby Shops of 2013

Pictures to Take of Children each Month

The Coolest List of Activities for Kids By Age

Side bar- are these not the cutest sneaks ever?
Think I'll have to get T a pair...I just can't help myself.

from here.

Night Night!
XOXO-LC

R is for Random: Crying is Funny (sometimes)

Hopefully y'all have been missing me 

as much as I've been missing you.

(for the 50th time, I'm sorry!)

Where does time go?

Just have time for a quick note today.

Have y'all seen this website?! 

genius.

Think I might submit this of little T:

(now this was from a long time ago)

Oh my gosh. Pee my pants hilarious. 

Happy almost weekend!

XOXO- LC

T is for Truth: Got Milk?

You know how I've been thinking about stopping breast feeding ("BF") cold turkey right?

Welp, I happened upon this little gem of an article recently

and after reading it, has since made me have a change of heart. 

So I'll just go sit in the corner with my little violin, shame, and continue to BF...

There are many reasons as to why a woman cannot breast feed:

her body doesn't produce enough milk, child has a hard time latching on, it's painful, medication/illness, etc. 

I've come to find though that there are woman, many women in fact, who are so dedicated 

to giving their little ones breast milk that they decide to pump exclusively. 

I, by no means, would put myself in the "extreme pumping" category;

I pump at work and occasionally at home to keep up my supply but don't pump 24/7. 

That's a whole different cup of tea...or milk I should say. 

from here. 

I found this article and thought I'd share it with you all. 

I won't even attempt to top or take credit for this lady's legit post. Major high five to her.

She literally covers it all and then some...

everything from diet, to the best pumping products, cleaning/storage, and her little survival tips and tricks. 

(It's kinda long so Pin now and read it later!)

Hopefully someone reading this will find it helpful! 

You never know if this will be someone you know...or perhaps even yourself one day. 

XOXO- LC

B is for Baby: 168 Days Old

Hello Baby,

Today you are 5 months (oh my gosh), 2 weeks and 1 day old.
What in the world?!

Here's what you've been up to lately:

Rolling all around. From back to belly and then back again.
Holding onto your toes. And putting those toes in your mouth.
Working on sitting up, crawling, standing, and putting one foot in front of the other!

 Being observant. Always interested and exploring what's all around you.

Hanging out with your girl, Pip. 

You're reaching for her and always checking to see what she's doing. 

(and playing with mini Pip your G-Ma got you!)

Splish splashin' in the pool!

Oh, and Mom + Dad had a little night out...

Celebrating July 4th and experiencing fireworks for the first time!
You did so good and you loved it!

Love you so much little T,
XOXO- Mom

L is for Love: Playing Catch

It's never too early...

to start sport fundamentals.

Meet Tripp. A Future baseball player. 

Ladies, eat your heart out. 

XOXO- LC

R is for Random: Mommy Cool 101

We sold our house. We have to move in a month.

I'm freaking out. 

Therefore:

Something short and sweet today...

Have y'all ever visited this website?

It's one of my daily reads

and has all sorts of legit mommy things...

they keep me super cool. 

(well, they do what they can at least) 

XOXO-LC

D is for Design: Tripp's Room

I've been meaning to share these pictures for months.

You might remember this post from a while back...how did I do?!

Here's a glimpse into Baby T's first room.

A room that will forever be special and always his.

He can't quite talk yet, but I'm sure he'd say he loves how it turned out!

XOXO-LC

T is for Truth: Briefcases and Breast Pumps

I'm torn. 

Little T is about 5 months old now and I'm still breastfeeding (aka "BF").

Therefore, pumping at work. 

And now I need some advice...

Some days I feel like I've reached my limit. 

That I simply cannot, will not, and flat out don't want to BF anymore, specifically b/c of the pumping.

Then, after a long day's work, I can't wait to have that time with him.
There's something about that time that is really special. 

Pumping at work is critical to keeping up my supply so I can't have one without the other.

*SIDE BAR*

Even if you aren't BF, for whatever reason, (and there are many!) 

just having one/one time over the baby's meal helps develop an emotional bond. 

I feel like the physical closeness and eye contact during is important.

Babies just know and I'm sure are grateful whichever way they get nourishment.

This isn't a post about the benefits of BF-

 rather, (and probably more honestly) its a rant about the side effects.

. I remember getting so annoyed if people, usually nosy acquaintances, would ask me if I was going to BF. How the heck did I know whether or not I'd be able to? And besides, NONE YA BIZNAS!

from here.

I digress...

My goal for BF keeps getting longer and longer. 

(Now, I'm going for 6 months max)

Frankly, I've kind of surprised myself with how long I've lasted. 

But going back to work, knowing that I'd have to pump gave me anxiety. 

It's not easy. 

Rarely, it's a welcome relief in my busy schedule; but more often than not, it's a flat out hassle. 

I pump anywhere from 3-4 times a day (btw 8am-5pm) and it usually takes a solid 20 minutes each. 

That's an hour pumping I lose out of my work day. 5 X a week (doesn't seem like much) but it adds up.

Sometimes I'll have client meetings and won't pump for 5 hours. (yes, that hurts)

I've pumped in my car. In a handicap bathroom at the airport. (gross) In the middle of the night. 

In an electrical closet. In (several) random parking lots. While driving (don't report me)...

and the list goes on and on.

It goes without saying that the benefits of BF far out weigh the inconveniences and struggles.

I feel selfish saying this but I'm ready to have my body back. Completely. 

Little T is growing (like a champ) and is of (very) healthy weight.

And since he's started some formula and cereal, the kid isn't going to bed hungry.

I've never done this before so I'm doing my best to gauge how, when, and why to stop. 

Is it bad that I get excited by how much free time I think I'll have back?!

(which I'm sure will get filled with other fun things- not being sarcastic!)

Anyways, any advice/thoughts y'all have on pumping is welcome!

XOXO-LC

P is for Pregnancy: Pagers Are BACK!

I may have discovered the jackpot.

(maybe a little too late for me, but good for you pregnant peeps)

Have y'all heard of this website?

Here's how it works- 

You're rushing to the hospital because you're in labor. 

You don't have time to call the 50 million friends and family in your phone to give them status updates because your getting checked in, fighting through a contraction, or listening to your husband snore...

SO therefore, you sign up for this little free service that keeps everyone in the loop. 

You (or let's be real, your partner) calls one number, records a personalized message or text 

and PreggoPager sends it instantly to your address book. 

It's practically genius.

(why didn't I think of this?!)

I realize it's a little impersonal, at first. 

But let's be honest, we are all too attached to our technology these days.

Put the phones/ipads/crap aside people and enjoy the moment. 

There will be plenty of time to catch up with everyone in person or over the phone later.  

Y'all better put me in your address book!

XOXO-LC

F is for Food: Cake Batter Rice Crispies

This past weekend was a reason for celebrating.

It was our sweet Ninjie's birthday (and mine too!)

So I decided to whip up an old classic with a birthday twist:

Cake Batter Rice Crispies

You can follow me on Instagram by searching for user: "corneliusl"

Ingredients:

• 1 box of Rice Crispie cereal (or 8 cups)
• 1 1/2 bags of mini marsh mellows
• 1/3 cup of dry yellow cake mix 
• Sprinkles of your choice
• 6 tbsp of unsalted butter
• a pinch of sea salt

Directions:

In a large pot, melt butter over medium high heat. Add 1 bag of mini marsh mellows and melt down until everything is smooth. Stir in the cake mix. Add 8 cups of rice cereal and fold in with a non stick spatula. Once well combined,  turn off heat and add remaining 1/2 bag of marsh mellows, a pinch of salt, and (the entire container of!) sprinkles. Do not melt these marsh mellows, just mix in gently. Remove from stove and pour into non stick baking dish. Leave at room temperature to cool (about 20 min), then enjoy! Lasts about 3-5 days, or depends on how quickly you eat them all! 

*Trick: Wet your finger tips in cold water and gently press down on rice crispie to get it to be more compact and not stick to your fingers. 

Y'all. These.Are.So.Good.

ENJOY!

XOXO-LC

A Day in the Life

Just hanging with my gnomies.

C is for Clothes: It's Getting Hot in Here

This is totally unrelated to anything baby. 

I hope you don't mind. 

Since it's about to get real hot around here, 

thought I'd share some warm weather items I'm lusting over:

I'm still not sure how I feel about "playsuits" but I'm kinda loving this one.

And what about this one?!...


You.get.in.my.closet.now.
And you too please.

And this little number is so pretty. Perfect for a dressy alfresco dinner date.

However, these may have landed on our door step lately...
I was torn between these though...


This scarf is so fun I can't stand it.


I love everything about this look.
Only thing missing is some bedazzled earrings or a snazzy necklace.
Especially these shorts.


This is perfect for my 4 months post-partum body.
(Happy Mother's Day to me!)


I'm really into an "all white" look lately...and this would be perfect.
My sweet friend Natalie has this one though and I'm jealous!

I could go on and on...but I have to find a stopping point.
Think I'll pick up T early and go play! 
Have a great weekend y'all!
XOXO- LC

A Day in the Life: Tripp's Eyebrows...

Are hilarious.

And awesome. 

BLUESTEEL, anyone?!

XOXO- LC

B is for Baby: Lately

Hello Baby,

People always used to tell me how fast time goes once you have a little one. 

Boy, were they right. 

I think it goes by so fast because you are so.much.fun.

Here's a little snap shot of what you've been up to lately:

 Getting your snuggle on. 

Your sleep in your car seat, swing, and crib, but you prefer to cuddle with someone. 

 You prefer to stand, rather than sit. 

I think this has something to do with your personality!

You are so observant and interested in what's going on around you.

Trying rice cereal for the first time. 

You thought the spoon situation was kinda weird at first, but I'm thinking you like it. A lot. 

 Riding shotgun in your super cool stroller. 

Facing out for the first time. You like looking all around. 

You also like sleeping. 

Which I don't mind, of course!

 Tummy timing and sitting up. 

You're starting to reach for stuff and you've got a kung fu grip. 

Smiling. All the time. 

Even in your sleep. 

How are you 4 months old already?!

Love you x infinity,

XOXO- Mom