Jul 28, 2015 | Mom Life
When I got home from running errands on Friday I had such a lovely surprise waiting for me – the most beautiful roses displayed so perfectly from my husband, our son, Jake, and our dog, Chester. Talk about the most perfect and special way to start the weekend!
When my husband and I were first dating he would send me roses every week and thereafter my love for flowers was born. It was then that I learned how much flowers can brighten your house and your mood.
The great thing about flowers is that there is a different species to fit every occasion and context. Let’s not forget plants either. I often use a mix of cactus, succulents, orchids, and bamboos to display in my house in addition to roses, hydrangeas, and lilies.
xo
Jenny
Jul 20, 2015 | Mom Life
One of my favorites things to do is entertain in my home. We bought our house three months after we got married back in 2012 and I really do love my house more each and every day. What I enjoy most about entertaining is having friends over to enjoy good wine, food, and company. When I was growing up, my parents always entertained and every Friday night we had Shabbat at our house. Now my husband and I carry on the tradition and we have Shabbat every Friday night too. It’s a tradition that we both grew up doing and we want Jake to partake in it as well. Of course, my husband’s favorite part about Shabbat is the Challah..
I find it really relaxing to set the table! Flowers always make the table look extra special. Depending on my mood I either use place mats or a table cloth. Pictured are place mats from Chilewich, plates from Crate & Barrel, silverware that we got for our wedding from my husband’s grandparents, and glasses from Bodem, which are my all time favorite! When I use a tablecloth it’s one that I got from the Marimeko store in LA years ago. Lastly, What I find really makes the dining table look extra special is using cloth napkins with ring holders.. The cloth napkins are from Crate & Barrel and for our wedding we were given the prettiest napkin ring holders from Four Seasons Design Group. www.fourseasonsdesigngroup.com. Since the pack only includes four and we usually entertain for six people I have two additional rings holders from Crate & Barrel.
Pictured below is a pattern cloth napkin that I got on sale at Crate & Barrel and a Riedel glass which I find are the best wine glasses because you can put them in the dishwasher without having to worry that they will break.
My favorite meal to cook is schnitzel, baked sweet potatoes, and an Asian salad:) Of course the company and the wine is the most important part!
Here’s to hosting!
Xoxo
Jenny
Jul 10, 2015 | Mom Life
Breastfeeding/ The Beginning
When I went to meet our pediatrician when I was 30 weeks pregnant all I heard was you must breastfeed… I also come from a family of all doctors & was told this was best for my baby. Luckily- when Jake was born he latched on right away.. However, No one really explained to me how difficult breastfeeding would be- the latching was the easy part- it was painful for me when he would latch on. I cringed every time my mom would hand me Jake to feed. While I loved the bonding aspect I couldn’t get over how painful it was. Not to mention the crazy feeding schedule of every two to three hours. I never took a lactation class prior to Jake being born – & I don’t think it would have helped given the need to have a baby first to understand the process.
We hired a nurse after his circumcision and I noticed that my nurse wasn’t so pro breastfeeding because I believe they want to fill the babies tummies so they sleep better.. So I was dealing with my nurse who wasn’t so fond of breastfeeding and my family members with the pressure to continue. When Jake was about 6 weeks I became so frustrated that I hired a lactation specialist to come to my house.. $200 later, I didn’t learn too much. If anything it was just helpful to have someone talk to me about the process that wasn’t a family member. What I did end up purchasing was the Breast Friend, which is fab because it gives you back support.
I continued to breastfeed because of the benefits for Jake/ but for me breastfeeding didn’t feel normal until I reached about three months. My goal in the beginning was to reach three months, but after three months I decided to go to six since it became to easy and was such a no brainer.
Benefits of Breastfeeding
There are obviously many benefits of breastfeeding & I researched that for every ounce you burn about 20 calories. Also, breastfeeding makes your uterus contract & go back to its place and also helps reduce bleeding. Breastfeeding also helps reduce the risks of different illnesses to your child.
I don’t judge those who don’t breastfeed, as I realize it’s not for everybody- but I will say that it gets easier over time and gives you a unique relationship with your child. When we traveled on an airplane it was so convenient to be able to put Jake on my nipple- he didn’t cry at all & the sucking helped with his ears..
Aftermath of Breastfeeding
Once 6 months reached I stopped breastfeeding and those 10 days after were really hard. The let down process is painful because it causes clogged ducks. I am so thankful to my husband who researched and found out that cabbage leaves help with the letdown process. I used cabbage leaves and sage tea to help with the process. For those 10 days I also wore sport bras. My breasts were so engorged that when I held Jake close to me my breasts were so tender and achy that it would hurt. I can say now that it has been almost 2 weeks since I stopped that my breasts feel normal and small!
Today I am so excited to wear normal bras and off the shoulder tops with a strapless bra! I am really happy that I breastfed for as long as I did & I know Jake is too☺
If you have any further questions on my experience don’t hesitate to reach out!!
xo
Jenny
Jun 23, 2015 | Mom Life
Now that we have traveled to Dallas, NYC, the Hamptons & Charleston, I now know the important items to pack and I want to share from trial and error, and, of course, over packing. I hope this is helpful J
Bugaboo VS. Maclaren: On our first trip to Dallas we brought the Nuna car seat along with our Bugaboo stroller base – the adapters are just amazing. My sister bought me the bag used to gate-check the car seat, an accessory that I highly recommend. I will say the Bugaboo is very heavy and bulky and not easy to travel with – hence we brought the Maclaren stroller for our New York trip. However, while strolling around NYC we really missed the Bugaboo because it glides easily over all the potholes, etc. Looking back, the Bugaboo would have been the perfect stroller for the City.
Car Seat: We rented a car to drive to the Hamptons. Instead of bringing our own car seat we ended up renting one and taking an Uber with a car seat to get to and from the City. In hindsight, we should have brought our own Nuna car seat since we are familiar with it…
Diapers: Because diapers take up so much space it’s easiest to send diapers via Amazon or buy them when you get to your destination. Another item to ship is a cheap bathtub J
Clothes: Also, when packing clothing I find that three outfits per day is a safe bet – chances are that if you have a boy you will get peed on at least once per day…. Some of my favorite baby brands are Splendid: the softest fabric and can generally be found on sale.. Kissy Kissy: great fabric and amazing rompers, and my favorite pair of sweats that Jake owns is his Hux Baby, they make him look like a mini hipster. To make the clothes last longer, it’s better to air dry.
Drying Rack: Since I’m breastfeeding as well as giving formula, I use bottles and have found that the “on the go drying rack” is key as it keeps bottles separate and organized.
Teething: When we were in New York, Jake was teething & waking up from discomfort. My sister in law who lives in NYC with two kids told me Camilia was the best for teething. We immediately went to buy it and we have been using it multiple time per day since then to alleviate pain caused by teething. With teething comes the sniffles, and the Nose Frida is the best!
We can’t wait to visit my sister, niece, and brother in law in Madison for the Fourth of July! I can’t believe Chase and I will celebrating six years since we met.
xoxo
Jenny
Apr 9, 2015 | Mom Life
The Bebe Au Lait has been one of the best purchases post pregnancy- I am able to breastfeed anywhere! If you need to meet friends at a restaurant, but it’s during your babies feeding time, it’s the perfect thing to wear. On my flight from Miami to Dallas it was a lifesaver☺ It’s stylish and lets the baby breathe.
During my pregnancy while I heard about other pregnant women who had to buy different size bras through their pregnancies, I was able to stick with one size wearing Top Secret Society. When I was working at a showroom in New York City, I represented the Top Secret brand and I always lived in these bras. They are just the perfect solution to wearing any shirt (seamless, etc)! Not only is the Top Secret Society bra super comfortable, but it is also very stylish and minimizes cup size. After trying various different Top Secret styles, my go-to has become the Lacy’s Secret.
At 39 weeks into my pregnancy my mom and I went to the mall in search for maternity bras – until then, I had no clue that I even needed one in order to breastfeed! I settled on bras made by destination maternity: one in black and one in nude. It was one of the few things I packed in advance to bring to the hospital. After I gave birth I started using these bras and they proved to be really uncomfortable and had bulges. Worst of all, they also made my boobs look like Mt. Everest and I was never able to get the hang of unsnapping one side. It was then that I that all I needed was Lacy’s Secret. The Top Secret Society Lacey’s Secret has – no underwire & seamless & at the same time looks great underneath clothes (I especially love them because they don’t make my breasts look so large and in charge).
I LIVE in these bras and they have made breastfeeding so much easier.. Another plus is that the Lansinoh pads are invisible under these bras ☺
These are some of the breast essentials after giving birth… more fashion and practical tips to follow.
Happy feeding!
www.topsecretsociety.com
www.bebeaulait.com
xoxo
jenny
