The Mom Life
5/7/2020 0 Comments The Container Store Sale
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3/12/2020 0 Comments Cart/High Chair covers for baby
Obsessed is an understatement! Babies and toddlers are constantly touching things, putting things in their mouths including their hands, there is just no way to stop that. But with flu season and the new Covid-19 virus spreading like wildfire, there is an extra precautionary measure we can take with our little ones while at the grocery store, or restaurants.
I was honestly told that I would probably never use the cart/high chair cover before Emberly was born, but truth be told, we have used it since the first day Emberly was able to sit in a high chair and a cart. We LOVE it!!! It also covers the entire cart, including where we put our hands to push it. I never worry about her putting her hands all over the cart, or when she was teething, biting the cart. I of course still wipe down the cart first, but most are machine washable and PRIME!!
1/9/2020 0 Comments one year formula to milk transition: why I chose to put my baby on toddler formulaBy Jenni Brandon 1/9/2020
12 months was approaching quickly, and I felt I had a deadline with infant formula. I feel like it’s embedded in your head that once your baby turns a year old, you switch them to milk, unless of course you are nursing and continue to choose to nurse.
I was not overly thrilled of the switch because I knew our baby was getting every nutrient she needed. Sure, she was eating table food, but to keep up with exact nutrition of what your baby/toddler needs within food groups... it’s exhausting! My husband was super gung-ho about switching as soon as we possibly could. Yes, I knew she was getting her nutrients, but let’s be honest for a minute... formula is freaking EXPENSIVE!! So, when 12 months came along, we attempted the switch!
First I tried a full milk bottle and ended up dumping all of it. Then I tried half milk/half formula. Dumped that one too.
So now I’m not only wasting costly organic milk, but also that super expensive formula! I reached out to friends, I asked for advice on Facebook, I read article after article. I then decided to try 1/4 cup milk, 3/4 cup formula. Then it was 1/8 milk and 7/8 formula. Even the slightest bit of milk she knew! I just kept wasting, and wasting, and wasting. Cold, Luke warm, warm, warm to hot. Different cups, different bottles, same bottles... You name it, we tried it. I knew there was formula for toddlers. As much as I was over paying the prices for formula, I was even more over dumping all of the money I was spending down the drain with these wasted bottles.
Our daughter drank Similac Pro Advance after she stopped nursing. I started my research on Similac toddler formula which was when I found the Go and Grow by Similac toddler drink. To my surprise it was nearly half the price at just under $20!!
Similac was already a brand I have trusted since our baby was born, and the toddler drink had everything I was looking for; Non-GMO, helps with immune support, aids in brain and eye development with DHA, plus all of the other vitamins and nutrients she needs throughout the day! It says you only need one cup (8oz) per day, but I replaced her bottles with it (she is at two or three 5-7oz bottles per day). The transition was seamless! After all the failed attempts at milk, it was a huge relief. Our babe did not even know the difference! I mixed the toddler formula as I would the typical infant formula (one scoop per 2oz). We go through about one can every week/ week and a half. For less than $20 down from $39 for a can of formula, I am confident in what I am giving my toddler.
Eventually, I know that she will have to come off the toddler drink, but we will cross that bridge when the time comes. For now, our baby is a happy and healthy 16 month old and mama is able to enjoy my growing toddler without the additional pressure!
Every child is different. Some transition to milk with no problem, while others have the same struggle I went through. But despite what everyone said, I needed to do what was best for my baby, for my sanity, and ultimately for my bank acco
*Note: this is in no way a sponsored by or affiliated with Similac. Affiliate links may have a special code where we get a portion paid to us at no additional cost to you
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Walmart car seat trade-in event is already 4 days under way, but there is still plenty of time left to trade in your old car seat and get yourself a gift card! To celebrate National Baby Safety Month, Walmart has teamed up with TerraCycle who is ready to recycle your old car seats. From September 16-September 30th, bring your old car seat to the customer service desk at nearly 4,000 Walmarts across the country, and in turn receive a $30 gift card that can be used in-store OR online. *The trade-in does not include boosters, and only 2 car seats per household can be traded. Check for your nearest Walmart location here! 9/19/2019 0 Comments Cheesy Chicken Hashbrown BakeAs a busy Mom, I am always looking for quick and easy recipes that will be both kid friendly, and adult friendly. I used to make about three different meals for one meal to fit the needs of each person in my family, and I finally decided enough was enough. I try to make them as healthy as I can, but my philosophy is; if it hits at least 3 of the food groups, then that is good enough for me! Plus I can always make sides to help hit the other food groups that were missed. I love making this cheesy chicken hashbrown bake because it is super simple, and you can play around with the recipe a little bit to your liking. I make it with chicken, but it can also be made with pork chops. Follow along for a quick and easy dinner that everyone will enjoy! My husband has actually said that I made this dish everyday for the rest of his life, he would be perfectly content! Prep: 15 min. Cook Time: 45-50 min. Total Time: 55-60 min. Ingredients: * 1 lb chicken breast thin sliced (or pork chops) *1 package of hashbrown patties * 1(10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup (can also use cream of chicken or cream of mushroom) * 1/2 onion diced *1 tbsp olive oil *1/2 cup of milk * 1 cup sour cream * 1 1/2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese * Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder to your tasting Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 2. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste 3. In a large skillet preheat 1tbsp olive oil over medium/high heat. Brown chicken on both sides (approximately 3-5 minutes on each side). Set aside. 4. In a 13x9 inch baking dish, place hash brown patties on the bottom of the pan side by side (you may have to break a few in half to cover some of the sides), and add diced onion over top. 5. In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, soup, and milk. (For 1/2 cup of milk, fill the empty soup can half way- saves time and dishes ;)) Pour mixture over top of hash brown/onion. Sprinkle cheese over the top (You can use more or less, but just make sure it is covered). Place browned chicken on top of cheese. 6. Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until the potatoes are heated through and the chicken is fully cooked. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. 9/17/2019 0 Comments MAking changes...Just over one year ago, I became a first time Mommy to a beautiful baby girl, Emberly Autumn. She is my pride and joy. My greatest accomplishment.
At the end of 2018, I started my Perfectly Imperfect brand. Perfectly Imperfect was about being imperfect, but perfectly okay with it, and I wanted to start it because I felt like I had so much that I wanted to share, so many ideas that I wanted to put out there, and people I wanted to connect with. I started with things ranging from DIY to recipes, and beauty, travel, along with some baby things, and lifestyle. And what I lovved about blogging is that you can be authentic and true to yourself without any apologies for who you are. But I have slowly been realizing that I have not been my authentic self and true to myself, because I have been leaving the biggest part of my life out of the equation, and that was being a Mom. For over a year now, I have really been trying to find myself and revamp my life as a Mom while still trying to be 'me.' I cannot always cook, my house can be a disaster, and most days I don't brush my hair after a shower and live in leggings. But this is life. This is The Mom Life. The life I have always dreamed of and yearned for. After a year, I feel like I am finally getting back to myself, and there is so much of this journey that I am ready to share, that I want to share. Through re-branding into The Mom Life Blog, I want to be 100% transparent, and share every aspect of my life as a Mom. The ups, the downs, the inbetweens, my most loved products, what life really is. I am still going to be sharing a lot of lifestyle, mom/kid friendly recipes, house products, changes I have made, etc., because that is still a big part of life! This is The Mom Life Blog and I am so ready to take on this journey with all of you, and hope you are just as excited as I am! XOXO, Jenni 9/5/2019 0 Comments What's in my hospital bag?!PREPPING FOR BABY!
It has been just over one year since I welcomed my baby girl into the world! What a journey it has been. I think prepping for the hospital and what I needed and did not need was the most stressful. I have a lot of friends who are going to be welcoming their own bundle of joys soon, and one of the most asked questions I have gotten is; "What did you have in your hospital bag?"
Now anyone who knows me, knows that I pack enough for one week just for a one night stay. After being induced, I ended up having a c-section and was in the hospital for a total of 4 days!! Yes, 4 days!! Aside from Pinterest boards and bloggers, there really is no guidelines for what to bring. So here I have laid out all of the info on what the hospital provided me, what I brought, and some links for my favorites!! I also want to point out that I opted not to use nursing bras. I found them to be extremely uncomfortable. I stuck to nursing tanks, and put pads inside the nursing tanks.
LINKS FOR ITEMS IN MY HOSPITAL BAG:
(Some items such as swaddles, sleep sack, and baby gowns may not be exact to photo, but are either same brand or identical style)
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12/29/2018 0 Comments A WHIRLWIND OF 2018Every year I like to sit down and reflect on the events that have occurred throughout the past year. The good, the bad, the ugly. I also like to set the tone for the next year coming up and write down some of the things I am most looking forward to. This year is a little different because I am sitting down and sharing everything with all of you. Let me just first start with saying that 2018 has been one hell of a year, but has by far been my most favorite year. There are so many exciting things that have happened in my life. I definitely want to dig in deeper into some of the events, which I will do on future blog posts (stay tuned), but for now I want to share some brief special highlights. I would also love to hear about your special events from 2018, so make sure you comment below! February 2018 Two weeks before New Year's Eve last year, December 14th, I found out I was pregnant. What a crazy time in my life, and something that I definitely want to share with all of you in a separate blog post, stay tuned! I am 100% a planner, so we knew right away that we wanted to find out what were having. Now a lot of people wait until their 20 week appointment to find out, but when I was offered the opportunity to give a blood sample at 12 weeks and find out, I jumped right on it. It feels like yesterday that I received that phone call. I can still hear the nurses voice on the phone to this day. It was February 20th and I was in a work meeting when my phone went off. I kindly removed myself from the table and stepped into another room. The nurse said to me "Do you still want to know what you are having?" Immediately I stated "YES!" And she says "It looks like you are carrying a little girl." Tears of joy just overwhelmed my eyes. Sitting here now, I am getting emotional over it. It was the best phone call I have ever received. April 2018 My mans birthday is towards the end of April. Two days before his birthday, it was a Thursday and he just had to make it through closing that day before having a 4 day weekend. We were sitting at breakfast, and we were just thinking out loud saying how we should have gone somewhere for his birthday since we were both off. Low and behold, an hour of planning, and we were about to make our way to Richmond and Williamsburg, Virginia. While Jake went to work, I packed everything we needed. He got off an hour early (9pm), and we packed up the car and set off on our journey. We had never been on a vacation together, we had no idea where we were going, but we drove through the night and made it to Virginia the next day around 11am. I don't even think we slept in the car. In fact, we did not sleep until that night. Mind you, I was 4 months pregnant at this time too. We had the best time exploring unknown territory. The people were super friendly, the food was amazing, and it was surely a trip to remember!
July 2018 July 1st this year was my 30th Birthday. I actually do not have any photos from my birthday this year, nor was it really celebrated. I was 8 months pregnant, and we were moving into our new place. Not only trying to get everything put together before our baby arrived, it was the hottest weekend in Chicago. The temperatures with the heat index were well into the 100's, and although it was quite miserable, it is still a huge milestone turning 30. To my surprise, I was not mourning my 20's or dreading the road into my 30's. I mean I had the man of my dreams, our first place together, and a baby on the way. What more could I have asked for as I embarked on this next decade of my life? August 2018 My best month of the year. I had my first baby, Emberly Autumn. This will also be another separate blog post sharing my birth story because I absolutely want to connect with other Moms out there and hear your stories. But 29 hours of labor later and my beauty was born 7lbs 7oz. She has shown me how to love in a way that I did not know possible. She is my greatest blessing and brings so much joy to our lives. We love her so much!!
From finding out we were having a girl, to our first vacation, turning 30, having a baby, and getting engaged... it really has been such a magical year for me. I could not be more thankful for my life, my love, my family, and friends. Cheers to another year of adventures, memories, fun, love, and family.
Now lets hear your special moments of 2018 in the comments below! Cheers xo, Jenni 12/29/2018 0 Comments Let the Journey BeginWelcome to my site!
I want to share a little bit about myself and what you can expect from my blog. My name is Jenni. I am from a smaller suburb north of Chicago, Illinois right on the border of Illinois and Wisconsin. I gave birth to my beautiful baby girl, Emberly in August 2018. I have a wonderful fiance, Jake, who stands by my side and supports me unconditionally. With him came my wonderful step sons, Caden (8), and Bryce (3). I wanted to create a blog that was something for everybody. Something each and every single person can relate to in some sort of way. I will be taking through my journey in life, relationships, being a mom, a stepmom, all things baby, recipes, restaurants, places I have traveled, my favorite drinks, must have beauty products, etc. My goal is to be as transparent as possible because I want to connect with people all over, and hear your feedback, favorites, what you want to hear about, all things life! I am in no way perfect, I have my imperfections. Life can get crazy, but I am okay with being Perfectly Imperfect. Again, welcome to my site. Welcome to my life. Let the journey begin! Cheers xo, Jenni |
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