February 13, 2017June 11, 2020 - Ashley 6 Comments

Tips To Make Dining Out With A Baby Less Stressful

One of the things that my husband and I loved to do pre-baby was going out to eat. During the dating phase of our relationship he lived in San Francisco, right in the heart of the Marina District, and I in downtown Sacramento. Both cities have great dining scenes (obviously San Francisco more so) and each weekend we would eat on the town at least once. After coming out of the newborn haze, I wanted to continue that tradition and bring Taylor out to eat with us but was honestly too intimidated to do so. During that time, people advised that we should take her out to eat while she still slept all the time; looking back we really should have taken advantage of that time because now I know that it becomes a whole lot more complicated when they are awake and needing to be entertained constantly.

Taylor is 10 months old now, and we’ve been out to eat with her about once per month for the last 6 months. Through trial and error and some interesting experiences at restaurants, we’ve learned a few tips and picked up items that make going out to eat a lot less stressful/messy and more enjoyable for mommy, daddy and baby.

Most recently Taylor attended a dinner put on by the law firm my employer contracts with and, although it didn’t go perfectly (i.e. I had to take her out to the car in the middle of the meal to nurse because she lost it a little bit as it got closer to bedtime), the tips and tricks I’m sharing today made it possible for me to feel confident bringing her to such a setting. We love getting out of the house on weekends with Taylor now, and she is used to being out and about which I think is good for her. I hope you find the following tips for dining out with a baby helpful for your family. I’ve also included suggestions to add to your Restaurant Kit for older babies and toddlers (see #8!):

10 Tips To Make Eating At A Restaurant With A BabyÂ Less Stressful

1.Dine early -We try to get the the restaurant around 5:30PM. Beat the crowd and have plenty of time before bedtime/witching hour? Win, win!

2. Pick a noisy restaurant – Babies cannot be expected to sit quietly for an hour or more (if you have one that does so without any effort of your own, consider yourself super blessed!). They WILL fuss, cry, screech, chat, and growl (or perhaps that’s just my child). It makes things a lot less stressful when you know your little noise maker will blend into the rest of the background noise.

3. Ask for a table for four – This way your babe has their own space and you can clear the area of all the things their little hands would want to grab. We learned our lesson during this particular trip out for Ph. We had a tiny table for two and spent most of the time trying to block Taylor from grabbing chili sauce, our napkins, spoons, bowls, etc.

As you can see, there was far too little room for error.

4. Buy this chair by Inglesina, and the tray that goes with it!- I can’t recommend this chair/tray combo enough and only wish we’d purchased it sooner. Taylor will NOT sit still in a highchair and one of us inevitably ends up with her on our lap, trying to keep her little mitts off our plates, for the majority of the meal. This chair, however, she loves sitting in and it does fit on most restaurant tables we’ve been to. Another really nice feature of this comfy chair is the pocket in the back where supplies like sanitizing wipes, a toy, spoons, bibs, etc.can be stored. I keep this seat in the car in it’s attached, travel-friendly carrying bag so that we don’t have to worry about forgetting it. The tray fits into the bag as well.

Happy baby in her own space at the table.

5. Have a Ziplock bag stashed with the following in the car or easy to grab on the way out the door.

Some of the essentials to make dining with a baby easier.

- Spoon – One of my best girlfriends recommended these recyclable, reusable or disposable baby spoons that are only $5.49 for a pack of 24 on Amazon. If you leave one on the table, it’s not too big a deal.
- Bib – These Burpy Bibs by Aidan and Anais are by far my favorite, portable bibs (they cover a lot of surface area!)
- Spill Proof Sippy Cup– keep it empty in your kit and fill it up once you arrive.

Wipes – Use natural hand, face and baby wipes to wipe down the table surface where your baby will touch/eat snacks from, and their hands/mouth after the meal. We use these by Babyganics:
Snacks (2 different kinds) – T’s top three favorite ~~baby cracks~~ snacks are Happy Baby Puffs, Yogis and Munchies (these are like healthy Cheetos for babes!). I order these three monthly on Amazon (if you don’t already have Amazon Prime – free 2-day shipping amongst other perks – it’s so worth signing up for an account HERE).
Pouches – just in case you forget to grab their food from the fridge or cupboard on the way out, you’ll have a portable dinner on hand. Our favorite pouches are made by Sprout, in this flavor, which you can purchase in a pack of 5 on Amazon.

6. Buy a mini cooler for homemade baby food that needs to be refrigerated, or just grab your jar/Tupperware of food if you’re heading straight to the restaurant. I use this one that’s actually meant to store breast milk, but fits and my homemade baby food jars perfectly as well.

7. Feed the baby directly after you order your food, so that by the time your meal arrives you’re able to actually eat it. If you have an older or baby-led weaning baby – order food for them as soon as you sit down!

8. Bring along a novel “toy” or an activity for older babies/toddlers– this could be something as simple as a straw from the restaurant. While you’re ~~scarfing down your food as quickly as possible~~ eating, baby can play with this novel item and/or eat some of their small snacks. Taylor LOVES plastic chopsticks – she’s quite the musician with those things! If you have an older baby or toddler who can complete activities like reusable sticker books, reusable activity books with water pens, coloring books (Twistable, self-sharpening crayons are awesome for this!), etc.

I would suggest upgrading from a Ziplock to a makeup/toiletry carrying case like one of the ones below to store all of your feeding and entertaining essentials. I got this fabulous idea from Blue i Style blog which has all sorts of amazing DIY organization tips. You can keep this Restaurant Kit with all the essentials you need to eliminate the stress of dining out with babes in your car. I purchased this floral cosmetic bag at Target (EDIT: The case I use has been sold out FOREVER – boooo – BUT I found this black one that would work just as well!!!), and linked two other patterns of the same bag below:

9. Don’t forget to make and bring along your Baby Car KitÂ in the case ofÂ a massive post-dinner poop – Trust me, you will never regret having everything you need on hand. Find out the essentials I pack in mine by reading this post.

10. Queue up an educational You Tube video Â on your iPhone – Okay, please don’t judge me, but after going through the bag of trick above I will let Taylor watch one particular video called “ABC’s” by ABC Kids TV. We reserve letting her do this as a last resort, but she absolutely LOVES that darn video and it’s honestly really nice to have her occupied while her dad and I get a few minutes to enjoy our meal and a bit of adult conversation.

There you have it! My top tips, tricks, and preparation to make the experience of dining out with a baby as stress-free as possible. Now, go make your kit and get out on the town!

What tips and tricks do you use to keep your baby, toddler or kiddo entertained when you go out to eat? I would love if youâ€™d share those ideas with me in the comments.

This is a post from my Packed to Perfection series. Be sure to check back for other posts in the Packed to Perfection Series as they are posted – I’ll be including free downloadable packing lists for each! Print, laminate (this laminating machine is $19.97 on Amazon.com – woo hoo!), stick the list in your bag, and never worry about forgetting something again! You can see other examples of ways to organize and pack for a baby or toddler in these existing posts: Diaper Bag for Baby, Packing Cubes, Working Mom’s Pumping Bag, Infant Daycare Bag, Baby/Toddler Car Kit, and Restaurant Kit for Babies/Toddlers.

Other Taylor-made Mama posts you may be interested in:

February 6, 2017June 11, 2020 - Ashley 8 Comments

Teething Baby Troubles & Solutions

Taylor has been steadily teething since she was 3 months old, and currently has mouthful of chompers, 6 to be exact, at only 9.5 months old. I know some mamas are not okay with this, but Iâ€™ve definitely given her Infant Tylenol Â before bedÂ and employed a variety of teethers Â over the last 6 months to help her get through the discomfort. The winners of the MANY versions weâ€™ve tried are this teether/pacifier combo and this ergonomic one by Dr. Brownâ€™s, a banana shaped terry cloth teether by Sassy, a frozen ring similar to this one, and these organic teething wafers by Happy Baby that Taylor loves to munch on.

About bout a month ago, at the onset of her sixth tooth, Taylor began to employ a new, all-natural teething remedy which involved biting my shoulder, belly, boob, arm, chin, etc. as hard as she could for relief. Fun, I know… Per usual, I took to Pinterest to troubleshoot this problem. Apparently, one way you can redirect this biting behavior is to offer your infant something appropriate to teeth on straight away and calmly say something like, no biting mama. I didn’t think it was very feasible to carry around a traditional teether in my hand or pocket all the time, and I knew I needed something I could provide to her instantly. Fortunately, I discovered the oh-so-stylish Mama & Little teething jewelry that I can have on and accessible anytime I have Taylor with me.

I now try to wear my necklaces and bracelet as often as possible when we are out and about so that I can instantly offer Taylor an appropriate, baby-safe silicone teether. It’s so easy for her to just grasp at my accessory, chomp down on the beads and get some (appropriate) relief. This functional yet on-trend jewelry also adds an element of style to my outfits as well – I don’t think anyone would ever know these pieces are meant to be teethers!

A few reasons I’m a Mama & Little teething jewelry fan:

1) the exposed cord design at the neck of the necklaces so that your hair doesn’t get tangled up in the silicone beads (genius, right?),

2) they launch a new collection each season, with on-trend colors and styles so these are actually necklaces a mama would want to wear sans drooly babe, and

3) each piece comes gift wrapped and in a super cute drawstring cotton pouch that you can use to keep the jewelry clean in your purse/diaper bag when you’re on the go and not wearing it.

So, if you have a teething baby and a mind for fashion, or are looking for a unique gift for a baby shower or mama-to-be (they also carry Gift Cards!), check out the 19 original necklace designs and coordinating bracelets on the Mama & Little website.

Use the code: TAYLORMADE at checkout for a 15% discount!

Taylor’s outfits // Kardashian Kids (chambray dress), Baby Gap (white eyelet top and denim jacket), Headband (KRZA by Krystle Dawn), Primary.com (black leggings – the BEST!)

My jewelry // Frida Silicone Teething Necklace, Rachel Silicone Teething Necklace (Black Licorice) and the Michelle Teething Bracelet (Cream)

My shirts // Stitch Fix (LOVE this service and can’t wait to share more details with you in an upcoming post)

Other Taylor-made Mama posts you may be interested in:

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. If you utilize a link to make a purchase, I make a small commission at no cost to you. THANK YOU!

January 24, 2017February 23, 2017 - Ashley

2017 Blog Reader’s Survey

*I originally sent our this survey as an email. However, many of you reached out to me yesterday to let me know that you were unable to submit the survey – thank you so much for letting me know!

Due to this error in processing, I’m embedding the survey below for your convenience.I really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and honest feedback by answering the questions in the short survey. It will help me tailor my posts to what YOU want to read about!

P.S. EVERYONE THAT COMPLETES THE READER’S SURVEY AND PROVIDES THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS IS ENTERED TO WIN A $10 STARBUCKS GIFT CARD!

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January 22, 2017June 11, 2020 - Ashley

First Valentine’s Day Gifts for Baby (and a few for Mama!)

One of the most exciting things about a baby’s first year is celebrating all of their first holidays. Pre-Taylor I was honestly not super into holidays (I know, such a Scrooge) but I have really enjoyed doing special things for each one this year, even though she is too young to remember. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so I’ve been perusing the internet looking for a couple of special gifts to give her. I searched for non-tacky, V-Day appropriate gifts that could be could be enjoyed year round and think I found some winners. As often happens when I’m web surfing, I also found several things I wouldn’t mind receiving on Valentine’s Day myself – or gifting to myself! I’d say as new moms we’ve earned to treat ourselves on a totally commercial holiday, right? Plus, between now and 1/31/17 you can save 15% off ILY Couture’s Valentine’s Day Collection using the Promo Code: HEARTILY. Their clothing is great quality and super cute on ; I’m thinking the “Be Mine” tops Mommy & Me twinning may have to happen this year….

Here are 10 Valentine’s day gift ideas for your Littlest Valentine AND a few that you may just want to pick up for yourself (or hint/pass along to your Big Valentine to get for you!).

For Baby

DIY Family Handprint framed
Bashful Poodle stuffed animal- Jellycat
Valentine’s Day Board book like: Huggy Kissy, Llama Llama I Love You, Happy Valentine’s Day Mouse, or Love From The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Wooden Heart Teether – this one can definitely be used year round!
Blush & Red Bibdanas – on sale right now too!
Snuggly Pajamas – Red or Pink (why, oh why, don’t they have these in my size?)
Pink Converse Allstars – Chuck Taylor
Teething Jewelry – Mama & Little – {save 10% at checkout with Discount Code: TAYLORMADE}
“Be Mine” onesie or tee -ILY Couture
Heart Taggie Blanket – DIY by www.lovecreatecelebrate.com

For Mama

“Be Mine” Top (because I can’t resist a good twinning opportunity) – ILY Couture
Blush Zip Around Wallet – Marc by Marc Jacobs
Perfume – J’adore by Dior (smells AMAZING)
RosÃ© Candle – Voluspa
Gift card for massage – Spafinder via Amazon.com
Comfy Robe -Barefoot Dreams

There you have a list of fun gifts for your baby’s first Valentine’s Day, and some things you may want to gift yourself. I still haven’t decided which to get for Taylor – which do you think is the best option? What was your favorite 1st holiday to celebrate with your baby?

If you liked this blog post I would really appreciate your quick vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs. Click HERE to cast a vote. Thank you!

P.S. Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE. Subscribers are automatically entered to win my bi-monthly Mama Must-Have Giveaways!

January 12, 2017February 2, 2017 - Ashley 14 Comments

How To Meet Your Fitness Goals In 2017

The New Year is a time when many of us re-dedicate ourselves to, overhaul or ramp up a fitness/nutrition routine. The gym parking lots are packed (I literally drove around, vulturing for a spot at 24 Hour Fitness this week for what seemed like an hour!) and mamas all over the country are buying dumbbell sets and resolving to complete their home workouts during nap time. Have you ever told yourself you were going to â€œget in shape” on January 1st but Â found yourself in the same place you were then by the end of the year? If getting in shape is a goal for you this new year, how will you make sure you make that happen for yourself?

This where strategic goal setting comes in – being realistic and specific about what exactly you are hoping to achieve and setting a goal that you can actually measure progress toward and accomplishment of.

A specific goal has a MUCH better chance of being accomplished that a general goal.

Nothing motivates me more than seeing measurable progress toward a fitness goal. I’ve dabbled in lots of different forms of fitness over the years (swimming, running, CrossFit, bodybuilding, cycling, etc.) but the part that keeps me coming back for more is setting, meeting and even surpassing goals I set for myself. From college until age 27 I was a runner, and although I was not winning any awards for speed, I was continually motivated by seeing my times on the track or at a race decrease as a result of my training plans.

At age 28 I found CrossFit and quickly became absolutely addicted to making measurable progress in strength, endurance and gymnastic skills. In CrossFit you keep track of basically everything, from the time it takes you to complete a particular workout, the maximum weight you can dead lift from the floor, the amount of strict pull ups you can complete, etc.

Scary lifting face but, hey, that’s a lot of weight!

Two things Iâ€™ve found helpful when it comes to setting and achieving my fitness goals over the years are:

1) Putting goals out there to a friend/s or family (or even on social media!). There is something about others knowing what you are trying to accomplish that creates instant accountability and motivation to stick to what you said you wanted to do.

2) Using strategic goal setting, such as a SMART goal format to develop and track progress toward goals.

SMART stands for:

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Achievable

R – Realistic

T – Time-based or Tangible

For example, although certainly realistic and achievable, â€œI will get in really good shape in 2017â€ Â is not specific, measurable or time-based:

What does â€œreally good shapeâ€ mean exactly? What components does this person consider as part of being in shape?
WhatÂ is the baseline for for each of those components?
What would be the indicators of progress toward getting into really good shape?
How would someone actually know if they met that 2017 goal?

If I had that goal (â€œI will get in really good shape in 2017â€Â )Â for myself (which I do in fact!) I would want to:

a)Â specifically define the components I personally consider part of being in shape or that I cared to focus on for the year (body fat %, strength,skill, speed, etc.)

b) find my baseline times/weights/numbers for those components

c)Â set a realistic goal based on my current baseline and what I know to be possible within a year given any physical or time/schedule limitations,

d) Â make sure that the components I choose to focus on can be tangibly tracked so that I can monitor my progress along the way.

Following this formula, a potential SMART goal for â€œgetting into really good shapeâ€ could be:

â€œBy January 1st, 2018 I will be able to run an 8:00 mile on a treadmill, do 10 consecutive push ups, hold a plank for 2 minutes, Â and have a body fat percentage of 20% or lessâ€ (the numbers would of course vary based on a current baseline for mile time, push-ups, planks and body fat).

Or even simpler, “I will join a gym and work out 3 days per week” would be a much more specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-based goal than ” I will get into shape.”

My Fitness SMART Goal for 2017:

I thought I would increase my chances of achieving my own SMART strength and fitness goal for 2017 by sharing it with you:

1. I want to regain some of the strength and fitness capacity I lost during pregnancy and the past 9 postpartum months during which I have not been able to physically lift or exert myself like I used to. In order to set a realistic, achievable goal, I need to consider my baseline times/weights/numbers and also that I have less time than I used to to workoutÂ (read about how I still stay motivated as a busy, working mamaÂ HERE!). I chose 6 elements to create my strength and fitness goal, so that I can tailor my workouts toward making progress in those areas. My 2017 Fitness SMART Goal is:

â€œâ€œBy January 1st, 2018 I will be able to run a 7:30 mile on a treadmill, do 15 consecutive push ups, hold a plank for 3+ minutes, add 50 pounds to my current deadlift and back squat max lifts, and complete 5 consecutive strict pull ups, and workout 3 times per week.”

So, What’s Next?

Once you have your SMART fitness goal/s established, you can create a plan to help you get there.

What are your fitness goals for 2017? I would love to read your goals in the comments! Could you make your goal aÂ SMART one?Â

Try out my Â Busy Mama’s Home workout program!

Sign up to receive blog updates and a Busy Mama’s Home Workout PlanÂ directly to your inbox to help kickstart your fitness goals:

January 2, 2017August 23, 2017 - Ashley 4 Comments

Top Tips For Successfully Pumping At Work

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Tomorrow I head back to work 4 days a week after a wonderful two weeks off with my family, which means it’s back to “pump life”! I was thinking about what I’ve learned thus far that has made it possible to continue my nursing relationship with my daughter (8.5 months) and wanted to shared my best advice in case you are or will also become a pumping mama. It’s definitely not easy to continue breastfeeding once you return to work after Maternity Leave, but it’s so worth it! I can offer the following tips, advice and hacks for making the process a little easier and hopefully more successful for you. It can definitely be done with a little strategizing and organization – the following tips have been learned over 5+ months of successful pumping on the job. I hope you find them helpful!

The tote I use for my pumping bag is this one by Sole Society, but here are several others that would be super cute:

1.Know Your Rights

Ask about a place a work with a locked door, not a bathroom, that can be your designated pumping area. It’s actually one of your legal rights as a breastfeeding mother. I’m very fortunate that my employer actually gave me an entirely new office with a locked door so that I could have the privacy I needed. I find I’m actually more productive during the time I pump as; once I set up and turn up the dial on my pump, I hammer away at checking and responding to emails. I save my emails for those times so that I have something specific and productive to tackle.

This bad boy fits right into my pumping bag.

2. Have a system for cleaning and readying pump and bottle parts at home

I come home, put the milk away (store any extra in the freezer if you produce more than baby eats), fill up a large pot with Breastmilk Removal Soap (seriously, this stuff is SO convenient – no scrubbing required) and super hot water. My mom (who watches Taylor while I’m at work) puts the bottle parts she uses in there as well throughout the day. Dump in all of the bottle and pump parts and soak for 5-10 minutes while you’re doing something else. What I usually do during this time is to ready the two spare bottles, 4 lids and my extra set of pump parts and place them in my pumping bag for the following day – that way all I have to do the next morning is pop in the freezer packs and walk out the door. After 5-10 minutes rinse all the parts with warm water and put on the rack to dry (I LOVE this one by Boon). To read more on my exact workday routine for nursing and pumping read this post.

3. Schedule Your Pump Sessions Like Appointments

Block off your pumping sessions on your calendar for the entire duration of the time you hope to breastfeed. For me this means I have blocked off 1-2 “BUSY” sessions per day through Taylor’s 1st birthday which is less than 4 months away at this point. This way neither my boss, colleagues or I schedule me for something during a time I need to pump. Schedule the pumping sessions for approximately when your baby is eating at home.

A sample of my schedule in Google Calendar; “busy'” in purple.

4. Utilize a Refrigerator or Cooler

One option to keep your pump parts sanitary between sessions would be to have a mini fridge in your office if you’re there all day. If not, you could store your parts in a ziplock bag or bottle cooler and throw them in the community fridge. I don’t feel quite comfortable doing the latter and am constantly on the go on workdays, so I use this Skip Hop bottle cooler, stored in my pumping bag, to keep the pump parts sanitary in between sessions. I wipe them first with these breast milk removal wipes to add an extra measure of sanitation.

5. DWP – Driving While Pumping

Sometimes, to make logistics work, I have to pump in the car whilst driving from one meeting to the next. Not ideal, but a mama’s gotta do what a mama’s gotta do! I carry a baggy of spare batteries in my car as well as an additional set of pumping parts in my Emergency Baby Car Kit (which is also my most popular post!) which is always in my car. It’s also helpful to have a hand pump in your car in case you a) do not have your pumping bag with you or b) you run out of battery power unexpectedly.

6. Don’t Freak Out

If you can’t pump twice during the day occasionally don’t freak out (like I did). Your body will likely still produce about the same amount of milk when you pump later in the day, it may just be a little more uncomfortable for you (make sure you have the BRA PADS in!). If you’re short for the day, and you don’t want to yet dip into your freezer stash (read all about how I built mine up during maternity leave in this post), you can pump after the baby goes to sleep at night and hopefully get an extra .5-2 ounces to add to your bottle for the next day. I’ve done that several times for peace of mind.

There you have my top 6 tips for making the pump life work as a working mom. I hope to breastfeed Taylor until her first birthday and will be relying on my tips to get us there, but I would LOVE to hear yours. Please leave me a comment with any additional advice, tips, and tricks you have!

Looking for even more information on returning to work as a pumping mom? Check out The Ultimate Guide To Survive Breast Pumping At Work over on Mom Loves Best – the guide covers everything from women’s rights, a week-by-week guide on how to prepare for your return, sample pumping schedules, and loads of useful tips for pumping moms. She even created a free infographic checklist for you visual learners:

P.S. If you’re still nursing, make sure to check out all my posts on breastfeeding & pumping.

December 27, 2016January 1, 2020 - Ashley

A Simple Way To Create A Christmas Card Memory Book

Want to preserve the magic of Christmas all year round?

I know I do, especially this year with it being Taylor’s first!

One of my favorite traditions of the holiday season (up there with my Xmas morning Monkey Bread) has always been receiving Christmas cards in the mail. Beginning around the end of November, I anticipate the mail each day hoping to receive a card with the beautiful, smiling faces of another friend or family. As a child, my mom always displayed each card our family received on our refrigerator, and I can remember admiring them every day and missing them when they were inevitably taken down. I honestly don’t have any ingenious way to display the cards we receive and should really step my game up at some point (I just use red twine similar to this and mini wooden clothespins) but I wanted to share the simple way I save the cards and keep them accessible (but not up on the wall) all year long.

The past few years I have been preserving our Christmas cards after the holiday season is over simply by hole punching them with a single hole punch and binding them with a single binder ring. I keep the cards for the previous year in a drawer that I can easily access throughout the new year whenever I want to see our loved ones; it is a good reminder to continue to pray for the health and well being of each family, not just during the Christmas season. Can you imagine how much more connected you would feel to your friends and family throughout the new year if you started your day with a cup of copy, sending prayers and/or positive thoughts for them out into the world? This is a goal I have for the new year – less focus on me and my needs, more on those of my friends and family.

This year I brought out the 2015 memory book and let Taylor flip through photos of my favorite people. Our family card last year (2015) featured a picture of AJ and I on our Honeymoon and a 20 week ultrasound of our baby girl. One of the most special photos from the hundreds I took at our various celebrations this Christmas season is Taylor looking at that card from a year ago. She was randomly flipping through and looking at the pictures, but paused and touched our faces in recognition when she got to our card. Sometimes I still can’t believe that our precious baby girl is now here with us, and that we get to celebrate all our Christmases from now on with her (pinch me!). I anticipate that as she grows older, she will truly love flipping through the cards throughout the year and identifying the faces and names of friends and family who she loves but doesn’t get to see all the time.

Here are the super simple and inexpensive supplies you’ll need to put together your own Holiday Card Memory Book for 2016:

1.) A set of loose-leaf binder rings. Stack your cards and hole punch in the top left corner with the second supply,

2.) A single hole punch.

3.) Put your own Holiday Card on top as the cover or use the one I created for our memory book this year [EDIT: updated to 2019 cover]:

If you would like to use my cover, enter your name and email address below and I will send it directly to your inbox!!

What do you do with all of your holiday cards once the new year begins? Leave a comment and let me know!

December 24, 2016December 27, 2016 - Ashley 4 Comments

Merry Christmas 2016 + a gift to you

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

This is definitely our most special Christmas yet, as it is Taylor’s first. Christmas is already a important celebration to us, but there is something even more magical this year. Today we’re heading out to spend time with our best friends, and then to church this evening (wish us luck getting through an hour with a squirmy 8.5 month old!).Whatever you do to celebrate, I hope that you have a lovely next few days full of yummy food, laughter, friends and family time.

I’m so thankful that you read this blog, and wanted to give a little early Christmas gift as a token of that appreciation. Below is a gift card to Starbucks loaded with $50; you just need to ask your barista to scan the barcode. Please use the card for just one drink so that as many people as possible can grab a festive beverage today (skinny peppermint mocha anyone?!). Enjoy! And, please forgive the “Hi Merry” – apparently I don’t know how to fill in fields properly : )

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Let me know what you get down in the comments!

December 22, 2016June 11, 2020 - Ashley 18 Comments

Mommin’ Ain’t Easy – 12 Things I Never Understood About Moms, Until I Became One

Thank you to threadtank.com for sending me the graphic t-shirts featured in this post.

I became a new mom at a ripe 32 years old, and I’m 33 now. I grew up thinking I’d be a young, stay at home mom, but this not-so-young, working mom wouldn’t change a thing about the timeline of my life. The moment Taylor was placed on my chest I felt a deep confirmation that God had been with me through everything I’ve experienced – the light and the dark – and worked all of that together for good. After all, he gave me the honor of raising the most beautiful being I’ve ever met. But, back to being 33.

As a not-so-young-mom, I’ve watched many people and almost all of my girl friends have babies before me. The latter has been a super great advantage because I have these amazing moms to emulate and field my gazillion new mama questions. I also now realize that there were so many things I didn’t quite understand about being a mom, especially a new mom, and how it impacts your decision making that make complete sense to me now that I am one myself.

Here are 12 things I never fully understood about mom life, that I SO get now:

1.Leaving your baby to stay overnight is either out of the question, or really, really {did I say really?} hard to do.

I have yet to leave Taylor overnight and it would take a momentous occasion for me to even consider doing so. I’ve already had to say no to several super fun opportunities because I’m just not ready to leave T overnight. Plus, having to bring and use the pump every few hours on an overnight really takes away some of the ‘fun’ element.

2. Going out to dinner with friends with a baby is sometimes more stress than it’s worth.

It’s not that we don’t want to get together with friends all the time (like we used to), it’s just that we can’t even be present when we’re trying to manage/wrangle a squirmy baby with a 2-minute attention span and a 7:00 PM bedtime.

3. Being selfish with night and weekend time. As a working mom it’s really hard to give up any of the time you do get to spend with your babe to anything or anyone else, no matter how much you enjoy their company. I ADORE my friends, but I have this thing inside me that feels guilty for spending any more time away from Taylor than I already do during the week.

As a working mom it’s really hard to give up any of the time you do get to spend with your babe to anything or anyone else, no matter how much you enjoy their company. I ADORE my friends, but I have this thing inside me that feels guilty for spending any more time away from Taylor than I already do during the week.

4. Next level tiredness. Before having a newborn and now an 8-month-old going through teething/sleep regression, I thought I understood what being tired felt like too. Since having Taylor I’ve put the coffee creamer away in the dish cupboard, forgotten work deadlines and where I left my keys embarrassingly too often, almost hit a man on a bike coming out of the Whole Food parking lot, and lost my $h*# on my poor husband for the smallest things ever, all on account of being so Mombie-status tired. Sleep deprivation is no joke, and I didn’t understand how impactful it would be.

5. Leaving careers (and salaries!) that took a lot of time and education to achieve to stay home with your babies.

I thought I would never consider the SAHM life, and be one of those rock star professionals who were ready to get back to work following Maternity Leave, especially because I have a job and colleagues I truly enjoy… Well, I’ve pined to be home with my baby girl since my first day back.

Shoes: Steve Madden // Denim: Vici Dolls // Graphic Tee: Thread Tank

6. Canceling plans last minute or being perpetually late to them.

With a baby/kids involved, there are just way too many variables in play (naps, tantrums, mom exhaustion, colds, blowouts, etc.). As much as I value being reliable and on time, my schedule is not only my own anymore and I’m thankful for my friends (moms and non-moms) who just get it.

7. Not answering texts or voicemails until days later, or at all.

Â Whereas I used to be a pretty insta-responder, I’m now totally guilty of this. I used to think there was no excuse for this, but you guys, “mom brain” is real.

8. Hiring a part time nanny as a stay at home mom.

I don’t have any friends who have actually done this and I’m not planning to anytime soon, Â but I definitely wouldn’t judge anyone who did. I actually find that it’s harder to get anything done or squeeze in a little “me time” on days I’m at home. On work days, at least I know I’ll have 20 minutes of solitude and podcast listening on my commute whereas stay at home mom rarely get any alone time to recharge (God bless you sweet SAHMs!). I now totally understand why, if you could afford to, a stay or work at home mom would hire a nanny and can see how that would allow for more balance/”me time”.

9. The desire to “Twin”.

I seriously thought this was the most ridiculous concept ever. Then I had an adorable little mini-me (I also always hated that phrase, and kinda still do) and now I can’t stop looking for the perfect twinning get ups.

Mama Bear Baseball Tee:Â Thread Tank // Headband: KRZA // Re-growth: Me

Taylor’s Baseball Tee: American Apparel (sold out on their site, but I found it on Amazon)

10. Persevering with breastfeeding.

I thought, ‘if it’s hard, why not just give up and switch to formula immediately?’ Well, now that I’m a mom and find myself still pumping/scheduling/sterilizing/worrying about supply/etc. after being back to work for 5+ months in order to continue breastfeeding my 8-month-old, I so get it. It’s not easy, Â but I’ve made the choice to do everything I can to make it work until it doesn’t anymore. That connection is something I’m not ready to let go of yet, and I hope I won’t have to anytime soon.

11. Pinterest.

I was a casual Pinterester pre-Taylor, but literally, the day after she was born I started curating all kinds of baby related boards with the best information and articles I could find. I spent hour upon hour reading from Pinterest during those round the clock newborn nursing sessions. Follow me at Taylormademama and save yourself a ton of time and research.

12. The crazy-making,heart-changing, life-altering love for a child.

I didn’t understand how much my heart could expand to even try to contain the love I have for my daughter. I would give anything to and do anything for her, and I’m sure I’ll make some crazy mama bear moves with her at the front of my mind.

And, mama, give yourself huge kudos and extra grace because Mommin’ ain’t an easy gig, but it’s the best one around.

Can you relate to any of my “now I get its”? What is something you didn’t understand about mom life until you became one yourself? I’d love if you would leave me a comment and let me know!

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Other Taylor-made Mama posts you may be interested in:

December 21, 2016October 5, 2017 - Ashley

Easy Monkey Bread Mini Recipe

This is a recipe my college roommates and I made entirely too often, back in the days when my metabolism was still moving at lightning speed (thank goodness). Flash forward ~~way~~ more than 10 years and I’m still enjoying this tried and true, easy-peasy recipe. I’ve made this Monkey Bread for my immediate family every year on Christmas morning as the recipe became and instant favorite and tradition When my husband came into the picture, he too fell in love with the tradition of Christmas Morning Monkey Bread; we even made it a couple years ago when we vacationed in Hawaii for Christmas – how’s that for a Mele Kalikimaka! In college, we would throw all the cinnamon-sugar coated dough into a bundt pan, bake and go at a massive pile of pull-apart yumminess with no regard for calories. However, in my post-college years – trying to limit my own intake jusssst a little, I started to make a mini version of this Monkey Bread using a muffin tin. Although my attempts to portion control almost always fail – it’s way too good to have just one -the presentation is super cute, the mini versions are perfect to serve to guests on individual plates.

AJ and I enjoyed the round of monkey bread yielded from the making of this post immensely, and even let Taylor have a little taste of cinnamon sugar. I can’t wait for her to be old enough to fully partake in this tradition with us! We’ll definitely be enjoying this treat, in our matching family Christmas pajamas, for years to come and I hope you enjoy this quick, easy and delicious recipe as well.

Easy Monkey Bread Minis

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 cans refrigerated biscuit dough (I used Pillsbury Grands)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter and brown sugar in a medium sauce pan on low, stirring regularly.
In a wide bowl, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon.
Cut biscuits into 6 pieces each.
Roll the biscuit pieces in the cinnamon sugar until thoroughly coated.
Place 5-6 biscuit pieces into each muffin tray cup (if you’re smarter than me you’ll remember to put foil liners in first!)
Spoon or pour 1 teaspoon butter/brown sugar mixture on top of each cup.
Bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes, or until done.
Let cool for several minutes, serve and enjoy!