I love the image quality of all the photos you post on your blog and Instagram account. What camera and/or lens do you use to capture these images? Would love to start off with a DSLR of good quality to take photos of my growing little girl. Do you have any recommendations?
We shoot with a Canon 5D Mark III and rotate between an EF 50mm and EF 35mm lens! Photography is definitely an investment and I gave some recommendations for a starter DSLR camera in last week’s post. Since I am a Canon user I would suggest the Rebel for beginners 🙂 The 60D is another great option but a little more expensive.
I am pregnant with our first and due in July. What do you suggest investing in for summer that could also be worn post delivery? Maternity clothes are so overwhelming!
Hm, that’s a tough question because you’ll be at the end of your pregnancy which means maternity clothes are really going to be your best friend. You’ll also want to live in stretchy everything once the baby is born! If you’re looking for dresses – I love Hatch’s collection which can be worn during and after pregnancy! I’m guessing you’ll probably want to live in dresses and I love their Bowtie Dress, the Georgie Jumper and the Tulip Dress. If you’re looking for something more casual then I love Ingrid & Isabel’s collection (their pieces are so comfortable!) although I think the shirring on their dresses feels more maternity.
I was wondering what age did you introduce tummy time to Charlie and did you have a favorite play mat you used? Any fun, learning items you used in the first few months?
We started tummy time with Charlie and Jack around 4 weeks old! Since they don’t see that well in the beginning we would usually just use a big printed blanket (like this or this) and then we love Skip Hop’s Activity Gym’s. We have this one and I just ordered this light up one! Charlie’s favorite toy in the beginning was this Silly Tails book and my nephew loved these (he is a couple months older than Jack!) so we are going to order them, too.
I am currently pregnant with our second child and am in a rut with lunches given ALL the pregnancy ‘do not eat’ guidelines! What were some of your go-to lunches during your pregnancies that were healthy & filling? I’m still running 3 times a week with our 18 month so I have a decent appetite on my workout days!
My go-to lunches were usually avocado toast topped lemon juice, salt and pepper, sliced radishes and cilantro, turkey lettuce wraps (I ate turkey but not deli meat turkey, sliced off the bone turkey!), almond butter toast with bananas and cinnamon, soup and salad, egg salad sandwiches, cottage cheese with avocado, tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette.
I saw where you said that you drink a gallon of water a day (wow!!). Do you have any tips and tricks on how you are able to get that much water in everyday?
I have a 24oz mason jar that I fill up 5x a day! I also think I’m weird in the fact that I love water. When I was little my mom never gave me juice, only water, and I think my body just craves it now. I sometimes tell Dave that I think I have a condition in which I am always thirsty. I always have to have 3 drinks at once time. But, when it comes to water there are definitely benefits! Throughout the day I always force myself to chug water in order to get something else (ha). So for example, if I want a coffee at 2pm I have to drink 2 glasses of water. If I want a glass of wine at 5pm, I have to drink another 2 glasses of water (and my glasses are big!). I do it more to dilute the caffeine and alcohol for my breast milk (I have no idea if that actually works, it’s just for piece of mind) but it also helps me get my ounces in!
As a new mom I am trying to figure out how to pump and travel (long car rides and airports). Any advice on what to bring to make it easier? I feel like a lot of place don’t have a private area to pump. Am I missing something?
Unfortunately there is nothing attractive about pumping, am I right? I sadly don’t have a great answer to this question because I probably lug the same large pumping bag that you do. My biggest tip is to buy an insulated lunch box and some ice packs for your expressed milk. I use this Scout Weekender Bag and this insulated lunch tote for travel. My pump also comes with this little cooler and icepacks that fit around my bottles (so convenient). And I have definitely been that girl who has pumped in a bathroom stall or the backseat of my car. Sadly, way more than a mother’s room which are NO WHERE TO BE FOUND.
My fiance and I live in an apartment in Seattle and are not sure when we will move into something of our own. I’m curious if you have any tips or takeaways for registering based on your experience getting married while living in an apartment and then moving into a home a few years later. I’m sure that you may have some great perspective having recently gone through the move!
I guess my biggest tip would be to register for neutral items! Pieces that you know will fit in with changing environments or even changing personal taste. For example, we registered for this casual dinner setting and I still love it. I also tried to go neutral with some of our bigger items like our Le Creuset dutch oven in matte white. We also decided against registering for bedding/towels and instead registered for a couple bigger items like luggage and a nice vacuum. Maybe that is a good route?
We currently live in Seattle and it rains sooooo much here so I’d love some cute/flattering rain gear recommendations. I’ve looked all over and I can’t seem to find a really nice coat anywhere that is flattering. It gets probably gets in the low 30’s in the dead of winter, but not much colder than that. I’m looking for something that keeps me dry, but i don’t want to look like I am wearing a trash bag. Can you help?
I can’t vouch for if these are warm or not but I can tell you they are cute! I LOVE this white/beige raincoat, especially for the price. It looks so expensive and I love the trench style. If you want something more casual, I have this Penfield parka in black and green – cute and surprisingly warm! I think this jacket looks like a good mix of warm and waterproof.
I’m looking for comfortable but flattering clothes that I have to wear to drop my daughter off at school and then run errands and hang with the kids. I’m still in the process of losing the baby weight so I’ve had a problem with shopping for stuff for myself, but I’m realizing that as I slowly get back to my ideal weight I still want to look cute and feel good in my clothes.
I’m a big fan of the leggings, tunic tee and long cardigan look! If I want to feel a little more put together I usually opt for jeans, my favorite sneakers, a loose tank and a long cardigan or an oversized sweater and ballet flats!
I need a new pair of pull-on waterproof boots for my commute in Chicago. I walk a total of 1 mile each way, and I’m on and off the bus. I’d like something I can get on / off quickly (aka no huge lace-up duck boots). What do you recommend?
I have and love the Hunter Chelsea boots! They are super easy to get on and off and don’t feel overly clunky. If you’re not walking in ankle deep puddles or snow you should be fine (which I think would be appropriate since Chicago is good about shoveling their sidewalks/walkways). You can see me wearing them here and here.
I have a bridal shower this February and would love your recommendation on tops/blouses to wear with black pixie pants (preferably under $100). The shower is around Valentine’s Day so something colorful for the event but could also be worn later would be wonderful.
Did you use a sleep technique with Charlie that you are going to do with Jack. Any recommendations of sleep techniques I should look into? Any advice or tips?
I’ve noticed in your posts that you use a pacifier with Jack. I have been reluctant to use a pacifier but have used it to soothe her when she is especially fussy. What is your strategy on pacifier use and if you used it with Charlie did he have a hard time weaning off?
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