best part of the day

I will always cherish this.

DIY: Instagram sticker book

I love the fact that I can easily capture any and all of Ella's little moments on my phone.  I haven't given up on my DSLR but it is large and heavy.  It is a pain to carry in the diaper bag and I often miss the moment trying to whip it out.  The iPhone takes pretty decent photos and with Instagram it is so easy to instantly edit and share them.  My instagram photos are some of my favorites but I never knew what to do with them.  Then I learned how to use clear packing tape to make stickers and I've been addicted to turning my IG photos into stickers ever since.

Here is how I turn these photos into sticker books.

 Print the photos in color.  The photos should be 2in. x 2in. squares so the tape can easily fit over the photos.

Using clear packing tape, tape over the photos.  I made sure each photo was completely covered by one   piece of tape with no seams.

Then cut each photo out.

I bought several of these accordion photo books by Martha Stewart to hold my photos.  You can use anything.  The photos stick well to anything: paper, glass, plastic....get creative with where you display your photos.  I put several on glass votives so when the candles were lit the photos glowed.

We are not done yet though.  You need to get the tape sticky again.  To do that you soak the photos in water and rub of the paper with your fingers. 

The paper comes off easily leaving just the ink from the photo.  There will be a transparency to the photo where the ink was light or white.  You will also start to feel the stickiness of the tape.

Lay them upside down to dry a bit before using them.

 

I love my little photo book.  I plan to fill many of these.  I certainly have enough photos!

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!!

We are really excited to celebrate....

My poor daughter.  I make her do the most ridiculous things.  These are all going to show up for her graduation and/or wedding and she is going to hate it!

Love you Ella!  You are just too dang cute; I can't help myself.

Little Fishy Baby Hat

I'm super excited about the new baby hat pattern I created this past week.  I was inspired by Gap's adorable spring line of little aquatic baby hats.  So stinking cute.  The baby model helps of course...but I'm biased.

If you would like to make this hat for your little cutie you can purchase it in my Etsy site:  Sweet Pea Knits.  

 

I'm off to make one in every color of the rainbow...maybe with different goofy faces too.

So many possibilities!

Taking baby to the beach and enjoying it

We just got back from a relaxing and fun beach vacation with my family. It was Ella's first time at the beach and while I was so excited to share this new experience with her, I was also stressed and nervous.  Babies and sand just don't seem to mix to me - not to mention sun and water safety and coordinating feedings and naps.  I tried reading blogs and using Pinterest to get some useful tips but I mostly found adorable photos of babies on the beach and super cute bathing suits (I'll be sharing some of that too of course) but first here are some items that helped make our beach vaca a super fun success. 

sun tent.  swim float.  baby powder.  Aden&Anais blankets.  hand & face wipes.  sunscreen wipes.  sunscreen.  sun hat.  swim diaper.  baby pool.

I can't tell what I loved more, the small sun tent or the tiny swimming pool or which one Ella loved more.  Both were perfect for keeping her out of the sand which she loved - to eat.  The sun tent was great for staying cool while she played or napped.  I was actually able to sit back in the sun and relax while reading a book...that's right.  I read a book.  A whole book.  The pool required a bit more (a lot more) attention but it was so fun to play with her in the water in a safe and controlled environment.  We would occasionally take some dips in the ocean and play in the waves but with a small baby it was more comforting to let her splash in the pool and play with her buckets and shovels.

(Yes, we put Ella in a hot tub but only after cooling it WAY down.  Sometimes you are just too lazy to head to the pool.  Especially when the hot tub is right out your back door.)

The Swimways baby float was perfect for the pool.  Ella loves the water and she loved being able to kick her little legs and our arms loved being able to do nothing.  Really the thing that makes this float is amazing is the canopy and the fact that it collapses into a small little circle that fits in the case.  Thank you Aunt Kathi!

While blankets and the beach don't typically mix I found that they were pretty necessary.  Napping just isn't the same without something to cuddle and no one walking by on the beach wants to see me nursing.  Ella and I don't heavy blankets suffocating us though so the thin, cotton gauze blankets by Aden & Anais were cool and comfortable.

One thing I did learn from Pinterest/blogs was that baby powder easily removes sand from skin.  Try it.
I also used hand & face wipes to help keep her hands and face clean and free of sand.

Obviously sunscreen is the number one priority for babies at the beach.  Their soft baby skin is so sensitive and susceptible to the harsh sun rays.  My favorite sunscreen was babyganics.  It was easy to apply and really stayed on the skin through lots of fun playing.  One thing I had heard about before we left for the beach was sunscreen wipes.  I didn't have much luck finding them in a store by me and didn't have time to order online but I really wanted to use these wipes for applying sunscreen to her face and head.  I have heard these work great.  I think they would also be really helpful for re-applying sunscreen once you are already at the beach.  I don't know about you but I HATE applying sunscreen on the beach with the sand.  These seem to be much easier and less mess.  I plan to use these this summer for the pool and lake and will let you know what I think but I thought it was worth sharing they exist with you.  And they do come highly recommended.

Two other essentials were the sun hat and swim diaper.  The sun hat was really important for protecting her baldy but I learned the hard way that a chin strap is quite essential.  I used both disposable and washable swim diapers.  I had not issues with the disposable but I chose to invest in some washable diapers because we will be spending LOTS of time at the lake and pool.  Plus the washable diapers just seem so much softer and more comfortable for the babies.  I would rather wear fabric.


Hope this is helpful as you plan your next trip to the beach with little ones.  If you have any other suggestions or products that worked for you please share.  Happy Summer!!