Making Parenting Goof-Proof With Ezy Dose Kids

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Brace yourselves, winter is coming and by winter I mean runny noses, coughs and colds. Being a nurse you would think I have anything health care related covered. Yet when it comes to my own kids I have had many #momfails when it comes to illnesses and ailments in my household. So let me just share with you my top three:

 

  1. When Willow had her first fever, I was that Mom who was calling the pediatrician at 2am asking how much medicine should give her. Only to realize I had lost the syringe to administer the medicine with. Nothing like ripping apart your medicine cabinet with a screaming baby in the middle of the night.
  2. If you are a parent I am sure you have had to use a device to suck the snot out of your kid’s nose at some point. Yes… I actually just said that… you will do anything for your kids am I right?? Our doctor told us to use this device in which you suck the snot out of your child’s nose through a tube. My husband and I might have done rock, paper, scissors to see who would take on this joyous duty. Needless to say, I ended up being assigned to the task, while my husband started dry heaving in the corner.
  3. I remember using a syringe trying to administer medicine into Willow’s mouth when she was baby. In my mind I was delicately putting tiny drops into her mouth, but instead I squirted the entire contents into the back of her throat causing her to cough, choke, and gag. Serious Mom fail.

In the moment these were all highly anxious situations in which I felt ill equipped and completely unprepared to care for my sick baby. Looking back now all I can say is you live, you learn and you need to laugh along the way to survive. Also, you need to stock your house with an arsenal of products to fight the never-ending runny nose phase my kids will most likely be in from October until March. With school back in session and the cold season fast approaching Ezy Dose Kids comes in handy and it is just that, easy. They have innovative products that help you make your little ones all better and make parenting a sick child goof-proof.

 

Ezy Dose Kids lets you take the worry out of tending to your children with amazing products like the True Easy Syringe that lets you precisely measure medicine down to the last drop. Where was that syringe when I needed it at 2 am?!

 

Oh, and they created a Nose-Pals that helps clear congestion. But Nose-Pals is the only product that allows you to BLOW into the device to create a suction. No more fighting over who has to suck the snot of your kid’s nose.  Which personally I think is a game changer for those with a weak stomach!

 

They also have a Medi-Pals that helps the medicine go down so your child doesn’t gag. The Medi-Pals unique split nipple design that dispenses the liquid down the inside of your child’s cheek. So therefore no more accidental choking your child with medicine…I know my kids are somewhere thanking the heavens for this one!

 

Ezy Dose Kids literally has you and your children covered for whatever germs come your way. Click here to get a 20% off the Ezy Dose Kids items on Amazon and learn more at Ezydosekids.com.

Photo Credit: Kate Hauschka 

I’ve partnered with Ezy Dose Kids on this post, all opinions expressed are my own.

 

My Healthy And Quick Salad Recipe

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Since sharing my journey to get back in shape and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, I have received several messages from my followers on Instagram asking me to post more recipes. So here we go!!!  This has been my go-to salad recipe that I make for lunch or dinner. It can be used as a side dish or you can easily add any protein to it, like salmon or chicken.

It is quick, only requiring five ingredients and is so simple that even Willow knows how to make it (she also loves to eat it…#momwin).

Ingredients:

  • Tomato
  • Cucumber ( I use English or Persian cucumbers depending on which is in my fridge)
  • Avocado
  • Lemon
  • Salt

Directions:

  1. Cut cucumber into halves
  2. Dice tomato
  3. Cube avocado
  4. Add all ingredients to bowl and mix
  5. Squeeze half a lemon over entire contents and stir
  6. Salt to taste!

Let me know if you try it and tag @thechicmamas so I can see your yummy salad!

Shop The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale With Trunk Club Women

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How many times do you look in your closet and say I have nothing to wear? Or maybe you just need a little help putting together a completed look.

How does a personal stylist sound? Someone that hand picks a tailored selection of clothes and accessories just for you based on your style, input and sizes.

Let me share a little something with you that I have been using to create many of my looks for the blog and everyday life. Trunk Club Women is a service that sets you up with your own personal stylist to help you build your wardrobe essentials! You can chat with your stylist online or in person at one of their six Trunk Club Clubhouses! I just had the best time shopping the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale with my stylist this past week at the Culver City Trunk Club Clubhouse.

 

 

How it works:

 

You share your size, style and fit preference with your personal stylist, who then hand picks specific items just for you! From clothes to jewelry to handbags, or even sunglasses, your Trunk Club personal stylist curates looks according to your input.

 

I told my personal stylist, Alex, that I was looking for fun summer and fall trends from the Nordstrom Anniversary sale (starting July 20th through August 5th there are tons of great deals during the Anniversary sale, starting from 25-50% off)! I also made sure to emphasize the type of fit I prefer or which body part I wanted to showcase. Since I am getting back in shape post babies, I like to show my arms and wear more loose fitting tops and dresses to flatter my post baby body.

Alex put together a preview full of items based on the above information from the sale and talked me through how to pair them together or with my existing closet. When you request a Trunk online, the curated Trunk preview comes straight to your email with photos and pricing where you can give feedback and/or swap things out before it ships. This time I went to Trunk Club’s LA Clubhouse, where I met Alex in person and let me tell you it was amazing!! She handed me a mimosa, and we tried on all the things!!! It was amazing to meet my stylist in person and try on so many looks. I scored on some awesome discounted pieces all from the Nordstrom Anniversary sale. So this year, skip the scrolling, pamper yourself and make an appointment at your local Trunk Club Clubhouse (located in LA, Chicago, Dallas, NY, Boston, and Washington, DC!) to shop the Nordstrom Anniversary sale! Sign up for Trunk Club here!

XO,

 

Tips to Becoming A Better You

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After having my twins, it has been hard to get back into the groove of self-care. So much of my time has gone to ensuring my family is well cared for and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Yet, in the long run I truly know that when I am the best version of myself this translates to every aspect of my life. Something that I try to do is set goals for myself to help me achieve my happy place of self-love.

I partnered with Secret to help drive awareness about their Clinical Strength deodorant, as they are a brand that is focused on helping women take action, be proactive, demand more, and achieve what they deserve. I have used Secret Deodorant since high school and it helps me stay dry through any obstacles that comes up when I try to achieve my goals. That’s because it offers faster, extra effective protection from unexpected sweat. See how I set my goals and stick to them below:

  1. Self-evaluate: Are you being the best version of yourself? This self-reflecting can actually be the hardest step, especially since we live in the digital world of social media where you can easily spend your time comparing yourself to others. So dig deep, and ask yourself are you being the best wife, mother, friend, business owner, daughter?
  2. Set benchmarks: How are you going to measure your goal? For me it is less about hitting a certain “number”, but more about creating the habit. For instance, instead of losing 10 pounds, I will set a goal of going to the gym 5 days a week.

 

3.    Find a partner: I find that setting a goal with someone else holds me more accountable in attaining my goals. For example, I might have a friend meet me at the gym.

     4.    Remember it takes time: There are scientific studies that show a habit takes about 21 days to form, and only a few days to break. So stick with it, remember that you are working on the best version of you and you will succeed!

Have you tried Secret Clinical Strength yet?? It is available at Amazon.

Thanks to Secret Deodorant for sponsoring this post.

 

Baby Box University!

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Anyone else get severe anxiety when your baby is napping?? I have been known to go into the nursery and stare at my kids to make sure they are breathing still. Of course this causes them to wake up and results in me army crawling towards the door so I don’t interrupt nap time! SIDS anxiety is real and definitely contributes to my lack of sleep.

Enter the Baby Box, a sustainably designed safe sleeping space for your baby. In Finland, these boxes have famously been used (in conjunction with education) to reduce the infant death rate to less than half of that in the U.S. The boxes also include premium baby products to support new parents as well.  With all the baby products on the market now, it can be overwhelming in which to choose and expensive for items that your newborn will outgrow. So here is the best part, the Baby Box is FREE!!!

Here is how the program works:

Parents simply sign-up at Baby Box University, watch a short series of videos selected by local experts, and then receive a free Baby Box.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Go to BabyBoxUniversity.com and sign-up for a free account
2. Click on “Choose a Course” and select the location closest to you
3. Watch the videos that are part of your course. This will take 15-20 minutes.
4. Take the quiz
5. Receive your free Baby Box, along with helpful samples like diapers, breast milk storage bags and more!

My Baby Box came when the boys were still in the NICU, but that didn’t stop me from putting it to use when my friends brought their babies over! How cute is little Max? He slept so well in the Baby Box, while we had a little girl’s catch up and dinner. I love that the box can be taken anywhere, put in any room and you know baby is sleeping safely when he or she is in the box.

 

Twin Gear: What You Need To Survive

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Okay ya’ll this list took me three months to create!!! There is a lot of information below and I tried to break it down into categories for you to make it easier to navigate. As we all know there is so much baby gear on the market that it can be overwhelming. These are the items that I have tried and used for the twins. I also added in some items that are also on my wish list too! Click on the links or images below to shop any gear!!

Sleeping/Nursery:

  1. Crib- loved this Babyletto Hudson Convertible crib for the price point since buying 2. I feel like we will really get our money’s worth as it grows with baby
  2. Crib Mattress/Mattress Cover-Babyletto Pure Core Non-Toxic Crib Mattress With Dry Waterproof Cover
  3. Twin Co-Sleeper- Halo Bassinet Twin Sleeper. Many asked if this is too bulky, I have to agree it is big but I think it saves more space than having two bassinets next to your bed. I also love that it rotates and has a side the easily slides down.
  4. Changing Table/Changing Pad- honestly we used our old dresser set up with changing table from when Willow as born to help save money. I will link a similar one here from Pottery Barn. 
  5. Changing Pad Covers-I really liked these from Copper and Pearl
  6. Glider or Rocking Chair-Seriouly found the coolest one from Micuna. The Magnet anchoring system allows two mini bassinets to be fixed simultaneously to the same rocking chair. Thus allowing the rocking chair to balance with two cribs at the same time.
  7. Noise Machine-Dohm Classic White Noise Machine which has two settings or levels of white noise. Which apparently is much better for kids than ocean waves or other sounds so it does not interrupt your baby’s sleep patterns.
  8. Baby Monitor-Summer Infant Panorama or Lollipop (much cuter and sleeker design that may fit the decor of your nursery better).
  9. Swaddling Gear: So far we found the boys like these two swaddles and they are so easy. Swaddle Me (zip up) or Swaddle Me (velcro)
  10. Dockatots-seriously love these!! Use them for everything!

 

Feeding:

  1. Willow Breast Pump-With an all-in-one design that allows you to move freely—no cords, no dangling bottles—Willow works quietly inside your bra and conveniently tracks milk volume through an app on your phone! I loved this one just for the convenience, but you can also call your insurance and see what pumps they cover for you.
  2. Breast feeding pillow-Twin Z Pillow, would die without this pillow. It allows you to feed both babies at once whether breast or bottle feeding. Make sure you buy a couple of covers so you can switch them out when it gets dirty.
  3. Bottle Warmer-I have always used this Kiinde warmer, as I also used the Kiinde breast milk storage bags. It easily heats fresh and frozen breast milk.
  4. Bottle Sanitizer-love this Baby Brezza sanitizer, it can be used for plastic, glass, pacifiers, etc.
  5. Formula Fed- This Baby Brezza Formula pro will save your life. Forget heating any bottles, it is like a Keurig for baby bottles!
  6. Bottles: With two babies we have tried them all. Here are some of our favorites as they have changed over the months for both Bodhi and Ranger. Como Tomo, Smilo, Dr. Brown and the current favorite MAM
  7. Bottle Brush-Oxo bottle brush, comes with it’s own stand. Cleans both bottle and has small brush included for cleaning nipples.
  8. High Chairs-We honestly have not bought these for the twins yet, but I am loving the Bloom Highchairs! They are sooo sleek, and I love that they recline. It is a total splurge, now let’s be real I bought Willow’s first highchair from IKEA.

 

Play Gear (I would just buy one of the items below, as you can rotate the twins through them for playing time. Unless you want two swings so they can both use them at the same time.)

  1. Word on the street is split, your baby will like either the Mama Roo or a regular baby Swing The boys have Mama Roos, but Willow was a swing kind of gal.
  2. Playmat: We got something easy that would fit both babies, like this Mat. Also this is a total splurge but love how this one looks from Lovevery
  3. Bouncy Seats
  4. Stationary Activity Center-they usually start using this around 4-6 months

 

Travel:

  1. Car Seats-loved the Nuna or Britax endeavors.  They have great safety ratings and super easy to install.
  2. Car Seat Cover- Love these so strangers can’t touch the babies by Itzy Ritzy
  3. Carrier-There is a twin carrier called the Weego, but when you need to divide and conquer Aj and I both have an Ergo 360. We like this can you carry the baby any way, on your chest or back.
  4. Stroller-we have one from Britax that the car seats click right into, and I am still on the lookout for a great everyday stroller. I would like one in which both babies can see (many of them are often blocked by the other baby seat.) This Mountain Buggy Duet  is on my wishlist.
  5. Diaper Bag-love the Paperclip Diaper bag that has a fold out changing station built in that is anti-microbial and anti-wet. This way your baby doesn’t need to touch the gross changing tables.

All Photos by: Kate Hauschka Photography

 

XO,

 

Welcome To The World

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Hello World! So if any of you follow me on Instagram, then you may already know that we welcomed our twin boys on Monday, March 5th! Ranger Joseph Buckley was born at 5:45pm weighing only 4 pounds 12 ounces and 2 minutes later he was joined by his brother, Bodhi Robert Buckley weighing in at 5 pounds.

Their journey into this world was quite the whirlwind. I had started having contractions the Thursday before they were born. I was admitted to the hospital to stop my labor and given medicine to halt any contractions. I was home by Friday afternoon. Then on Monday morning, my water broke, and I headed right back to the hospital. At this point there was no way to stop my labor, and the boys would be born that day.

My babies were born via C-section this time. Prior to going into labor there was concern about Ranger’s size and his lack of growth over the last weeks, and they were concerned he had IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction). Bodhi had a dilated aorta and was being monitored closely for this condition as well. The decision to have a C-section was made between my doctor, Aj and I due to all of these contributing factors.

Although I wish I had my twins naturally, I was happy they were delivered safely. I just have to say C-sections are a trip! It was a bizarre experience (as having babies naturally can be too!) and far different from what I had originally envisioned. I think it took my doctor all of  1o minutes to deliver both babies.

Photo Credit: Kate Hauschka

Since I was only 34 weeks along, Ranger and Bodhi had a bit of a rough start. They were immediately taken to the NICU post birth as their little lungs had not fully matured. I didn’t get to do any skin to skin, or hold my boys for about a week. I was only able to see them the night of the delivery, and then touch then on their heads and feet for so many days after they were born. The boys both needed support breathing and caught an infection as well. They ended up spending 23 days in the NICU, and many of those days were an emotional roller coaster. It was one of the happiest days of my life when were officially allowed to bring them home.

I took a much needed break from blogging to recover from birth, the NICU and to really be present with my family. I have received so many kind and supportive messages from all of my followers and readers over this time. Thank you so much for your continued support. If anyone has advice on twins, raising three kids or preserving my sanity… please leave me a message in the comments below

XOXO,

Nursing Bras You Need!

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Photo Credit: Kate Hauschka 

Post pregnancy, nursing bras are one of the most essential items to a new Mom. When shopping for a good nursing bra I always look for two things, comfort and support. They could literally match the bra of my 90 year old Nonnie and I would not care, as long as it is comfortable!

Then usually when I start to come out of the first month of post partum and actually feel like getting dressed I like to have a couple stylish nursing bras too (Like this Le Mystere Sexy Mama Nursing Bra, on sale now)!

I read several reviews, and took advice from my followers to compile a list of the best maternity bras out right now. See my list below!



Favorite places to shop for nursing bras:

Target (beware of the sleep bras though, they tend to shrink)

Nordstrom

H&M

Amazon

 

The Coolest Contraction Monitor: Bloom Life

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I had just finished my 10th patient of the day, and suddenly there it was again. A strange pressure, and an intense tightening of my pregnant belly. Since being pregnant with twins is a whole new ball game to me, I thought Baby B was doing his usual roll from one side of my stomach to the other. Then ten minutes later it happened once more, and then again about twenty minutes later. I had four more patients to go, and had several more of these episodes as I finished work. It occured to me that these “episodes” were happening more frequently, although at irregular intervals. Yet they were starting to make me nervous, but I was reassured by the fact that later that day I would be seeing my doctor.

 

I rolled into my appointment per usual, and nonchalantly explained what I had been experiencing throughout my work day to my doctor. My doctor turned to me with a stern face and said, “do you know how far apart these contractions are happening?”

 

Contractions?? Say What??

The truth is I didn’t know they were contractions, how many I had been having or how far apart they were. I only knew they were happening a few times an hour over the last several days. And just like that I was put on a machine to monitor for contractions and had a really fun ultrasound (and by fun I mean not fun at all) to ensure my cervix wasn’t shortening or opening.

 

We found that my contractions were irregular, not causing any progression of labor or cervical changes, and if I kept off my feet they would slow down. I felt so funny as nurse, and one time mom already that I didn’t realize these were fake contractions. If I was going through my OB rotation in nursing school I would have definitely failed at this point ( I blame my pregnancy brain, because in nursing school I actually got an A in this rotation)! The doctor sent me home, and told me this time to track any and all contractions so I could report my activity to him at my weekly visit.

 

As I was leaving I thought to myself that is super simple and I will come back with a full report.  Except I would have these contractions taking Willow to school, while driving, when checking out at the grocery store, then forget to capture the time, length, etc. Needless to say my report was not accurate the next time I saw the doctor. That’s when I stumbled upon Bloomlife, a women’s health company focused on improving the health of moms and babies.

 

Bloomlife created the world’s first clinically validated smart pregnancy tracker that automatically tracks and counts contractions for you sending the data directly to an app on your phone. It is a small sensor that sticks directly to your belly, so you can remain hands free. I actually forgot I was wearing it a few times. As you go about your daily activities, Bloomlife’s automated contraction tracking and timing does all the hard work for you from the comfort of home.

 

I know what your next question will be already. Is it safe and what is that little sensor pumping into your body?? Well, Bloomlife has been clinically validated for accuracy and safety. The award-winning sensor technology is 100% passive and simply listens and decodes the natural electrical chatter of the muscle without sending any energy into the body. Need I say more?!

 

My doctor was overly impressed with me during my last visit as I was able to show him my Bloomlife app complete with my contraction pattern bar and contraction stats! It’s simple, safe and accurate!

This device honestly brings comfort to any expecting Mother. Use code ChicMamas20 to receive $20 off your Bloomlife at checkout.

Photo Credit: Kate Hauschka 

The Most Stylish Maternity Brand: Pink Blush

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Getting bigger is never an easy thing, and dressing for a baby belly can feel difficult at times. When I was first pregnant with Willow, I had a hard time with my changing body. I constantly covered up with a giant muumuu. With this pregnancy, I have really learned to embrace and love my bump!

Since having more confidence in my pregnancy this go round, I have really enjoyed styling my bump. I have talked previously about how to shop while pregnant (see it HERE), but I wanted to share with you Pink Blush Maternity, a brand that has all you need for your maternity wardrobe.  Seriously they are a one stop shop, carrying everything from fitted florals, swinging maxi dresses, flattering wrap dresses to bathing suits for your growing belly.

I have worn their dresses to my gender reveal, on the red carpet and pretty much on the daily. They are stylish, yet comfortable making a Mama feel good! They have many on trend-items that won’t break the bank and help you keep your personal style alive!

Shop My Favorite Looks From Pink Blush:


Gender Reveal Dress:

Photo Credit: Kate Hauschka