favorite products
First of all, we had so much fun with this shoot. Who would have thought that a grocery store would be such a great setting? Evvie didn't quite understand what was happening but she seemed to have fun nonetheless.
Imperishable Clothing Co. is a faith based company that carries t-shirts for all ages, with a wide range of sayings. Their mission is to start conversations with their shirts, so that the gospel is spread throughout the world.
Read More"Hold me closer, tiny dancer..."
Yes, the familiar lyrics. But this shirt by Cheerily means something different to me.
I'm a dancer. I grew up dancing, majored in dance in college, and now I teach tiny dancers. It's my passion. I always wanted to be a professional dancer, but life happened, and I wouldn't have had it happen any other way. But I miss dancing like crazy, teaching 3 year olds is not really dancing. I miss the feeling when you're throwing your body around the room in ways you never would have imagined possible. You feel so free, so unstoppable, and so beautiful all at the same time.
Read MoreI love me some minimalism. I love me some neutrals. I love me some modern.
Littles Collection pulls at all my simplistic heart strings. Seriously the most gorgeous and minimal apparel for kids. Made in LA, your babe will look like that's where they belong.
This is the updated version of their so loved romper, complete with hidden snaps at the bottom for easy changing.
The straps can be tied as a halter, or brought behind and tied into loops on the inside of the body. I crossed them behind and tied them inside. This makes it versatile as well as gives the romper a longer span of life, because you can adjust the straps to your needs as baby grows. The neck is high enough, as well, that as you loosen the straps it won't go too low to show off that baby cleavage.
I am in love with Littles Collection. And not to mention that the owner/designer/maker, Jilian, is the absolute sweetest.
It's no secret that we are 100% obsessed with Hazel Village.
We bought Phoebe Fawn in NYC on our babymoon, and I was so excited to witness their friendship. I know, it sounds a little weird to call it a "friendship", but I remember truly seeing my dolls as friends when I was a child. I loved nothing more than sitting with my dolls, all their clothes spread out across the floor, setting up their little house, and playing to my hearts content.
The animals are hand made out of organic cotton, with the cutest accessories you ever did see. Different clothes are available for purchase, as well as matching outfits for your little.
Ever already loves her Phoebe Fawn and Lucy Owl, she'll grab them above any other toy within reach, and hug them, kiss them, roll around with them and throw them. Yep. True friendship.
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Ever's outfit:
June Park tank
Littles Collection bloomers
Winnie Winkle bow
Happy almost Father's Day! There's still time to get something special for that special baby daddy, so I did a little roundup of gift ideas for the minimalist fashionisto (not positive that's a word). I am always scrambling at the last minute for a gift, so buying something off the internet is usually out of the question. So this year I'm keeping my eyes open for some goodies early on so I don't miss out like I always do, this being my husband's first Father's Day, and all.
Everly B is a shop dedicated to handmade goodness for mom and baby, with the cutest tees, dresses, and rompers (oh my!). Run by a mama of 3, she knows what a kid needs to be comfortable.
Ever is wearing the Criss Cross Playsuit. This fabric is organic, so it's super soft, and I would actually love one in my size but I'm not sure it would look as cute.
I basically want everything in her shop, but this little playsuit stuck out to me above everything else. I love the flutter sleeves and criss cross back. So different than many other rompers on the market.
Romper by Everly B
Bow by Zozu Baby
Saturday morning loungin' with some watermelon water that tasted of summer (that Ever desperately wanted to try).
Another thing that has me so ready for summer is this dress from Pink Blush. Pink Blush is an online women's boutique. They're known for their maternity wear, but they have non maternity items too, and this dress happens to double as both. It's also nursing friendly, despite the high neck, because the arm holes are stretchy enough to pull open for easy access.
Ever was so fascinated by all the plant life.
She kept screaming at the plant.
Bring on the summer!
"Which stroller should we pick, Evvie?"
Okay, I so wish I knew about Gugu Guru when I was pregnant. It would have saved me a lot of stress and confusion. I had no idea what to register for so I registered for EVERYTHING. Actually three of everything, just in case. And I changed my registry about ten times, too.
Gugu Guru is a new baby registry website that makes unbiased, personalized product recommendations based on your lifestyle and personal style. Upon signing up, you take a fun quiz to let Gugu Guru know about your lifestyle, the clothing and decor styles you like, and your product preferences.
Step one:
You let them know your style. I obviously gravitate towards COMFORTABLE.
Next, your baby's style.
I think Ever needs everything seen here.
Then, your nursery style.
Once you've finished the style quiz, you're going to let them know a little bit about your preferences.
Then some lifestyle questions.
And voila! Your preferences are recorded and it takes you to the products. They give you a "perfect match" product recommendation so you can pick and choose to create your own personal baby registry.
No searching website after website to find what you're looking for, then adding the link into your registry, Gugu Guru makes suggestions for you and you choose from there. The products they recommend aren't only the top, name brand items, either. They will recommend those classic brands, but also new undiscovered brands and etsy treasures as well.
BUT, if they don't happen to have a product that you're dying to have on your registry, there's an option to add the URL yourself.
Also, a fun new tool that they added is the Gugu Concierge.
This is a personal shopping service where REAL people search high and low for the perfect products for you. I, for one, get so overwhelmed with all the options out there for the simplest things, and who needs any extra stress when you're pregnant? This service takes that burden off your shoulders and places it on a professional burden-holder/personal shopper/lifesaver. And there are 3 different packages you can choose from.
Overall, Gugu Guru would have been a lifesaver in my pregnancy. Now that Ever is here, though, I can still send my friends and family the link to my registry when they ask what we still need. As she grows, I'm always coming up with new things that she needs. And instead of stressing myself out by trying to research every detail of every product, I'll let Gugu Guru do the work for me.
This little Fringe Betty by Remie Co. is the epitomy of summer. There's a reason their motto is "we do comfortable", also, because the fabric is butter soft. Everything on their website has me drooling, but I chose this romper because I love this color on Ever and the fringe makes it different than any other brand. And we've gotta show off hose leg rolls, duh.
Ever's bow is by Fourth + Pierce.
Perfect for a day at the beach, or soaking up the summer sun at the park.
Fascinated by her shoes.
Disclaimer: we are not at the park, we are on a patch of grass in our apartment complex.
Winnie Winkle is a little handmade shop with the prettiest whimsical pieces. I'm in love with the colors and design of it all. In these photos Ever is wearing the mustard peplum tunic in a 6-12 month so it fits more like a dress right now, and the white dot classic bow. We are in love with everything this cute shop makes.
Babysprouts & Co is a modern baby apparel and accessory shop with the softest organic fabrics! They carry all the essentials you'll need for your baby and toddler. And right now they're having a huge sale on discontinued colors and products! From their sale I got all these cute things pictured below. The softest mint leggings, a hat, a bib, teething ring (that Ever LOVES), pacifier clips, and elastic headbands!
This Babysprouts teething ring is soaked in beeswax and olive oil for a soft feeling on your baby's sensitive gums. And Ever somehow figured out how to take the fabric off, but she loves playing with that, too!
This pacifier clip will ensure your baby's paci is never far away, and never on the dirty ground.
And the comfiest little pants.
Everything in the Babysprouts shop is such great quality, and made with lots of love for your little. If you're on a budget, click here to shop their close out inventory! And hurry fast before it's gone!
We are obsessed with all things June Park. Katie, the owner and designer, imagines up the most beautiful things and uses the softest organic fabrics.
Ever is currently wearing size 3-6m but this peplum tank is a size 6-12m. I LOVE that it's going to grow with her. No doubt it will be a wardrobe staple. And, of course, I couldn't leave her shop without basically buying her out, so you will definitely be seeing more June Park posts.
Ever's shoes are from Little Pine Outfitters, and her headband is from Fourth + Pierce. The perfect little summer outfit.
I'm constantly on the hunt for shirts that are nursing friendly, and I definitely scored with this one!
Minted Em Boutique is the cutest little online boutique with a ton of options for a nursing mama, and at an amazing price!
This top is the Oatmeal Babydoll. The fabric is so light and flowy I feel like I could fly, but also lay down and sleep because it's so comfortable.
The fit is obviously loose, but not frumpy looking, the way it lays is very flattering. And I'm even thinking, "maternity shirt for baby #2??"
Literally the perfect shirt. Comfortable ✔️
Flowy ✔️
Afforable ✔️
and nursing friendly ✔️
Laughing because she literally almost spit up into my mouth. But I dodged it.
And, of course, I can't have a post without the spotlight on Ever at some point 💁🏼. So, here she is.
Minted Em is offering my readers 20% off with code MORGANFAITH until Sunday April 24th at midnight!
Ever's outfit:
June Park shirt and leggings
Hadley Girl bow
Wild Explorer shoes
I'm probablyyyy a little too obsessed with Jean & June. The witty sayings, the minimalist design, the fact that I can twin my baby, it's just too much goodness.
My shirt says "stay golden" and Ever's onesie says "golden child". So cute and clever!
I promise she loves me...
Same outfit, different day. Duh.
Recently, I've been utilizing Ever's nap time and the millions of bounces I have to do to rock her to sleep, to get a mini workout in. No, it's not going to burn a thousand calories, but it will definitely build some muscle. Try it!
In a second position (heels in, toes out, legs wide), I plié (lower down) and lift. That usually doesn't put her to sleep, so I pulse it down. These tiny pulses trigger the small muscle fibers in your quadriceps, giving a long lean look instead of a bulky.
I also pulse and rock at the same time.
Staying in a low plie, pulse to the left straightening the right leg, and then pulse to the right straightening the left leg. Repeat.
Most of the time, she falls asleep after this one, but sometimes I move on to some different moves because my thighs can't handle it anymore.
Like, calf raises in first position (heels together, toes out), parallel (feet parallel, hip distance), and toes in heels out.
I'll also try out some lunges.
Lunge and lift. Then pulse it down in a lunge.
If she's still not asleep at this point, I go back to my plie pulses and rocks in second position (which you can also do in first position, but second has a greater range of motion).
And she's out.
When designing Ever's nursery there were many things we had to take into account, the biggest thing was space, or lack thereof. we live in a one bedroom apartment in southern california, because #coastallivingprices. so, when designing her nursery, we had to plan for it to be half of our bedroom. I still wanted it to be a space that would be her own, a space different from the rest of the apartment, where she would feel safe and secure. I also wanted it to have a girly feel, without an over abundance of pink. we loved the simple design of this Ikea crib, and the fact that the wood is untreated, it was perfect for the look we were going for. the print on the wall is of the verse Psalm 5:11 and was made by my talented friend, Sarah. these decals from Urban Walls add a little pop of fun to a boring white wall, and the heart garland from myheartsdesireshop was the perfect way to incorporate all the colors in my color scheme.
Ever loves getting her diaper changed. we doubled this Ikea dresser as a changing table with a burts bees baby changing pad cover. in the top drawer I keep her diapers and wipes for easy access, and the other drawers are home to clothes that can't be hung and clothes that don't fit her yet. we're very blessed to have 2 closets in our bedroom, so we converted one into a changing station to give ourselves some extra space in the room. I hung her sonogram pictures on the wall with wash tape on a whim, and mostly because I didn't know what else to do with them but wanted to incorporate them somehow, and now they are her favorite thing to look at when she's being changed. I swear she knows that it's her in the picture🙈. also, because we lacked in the storage area, these Target storage bins are perfect for blankets, shoes, headbands, and burp cloths. inside the closet I put in some hooks to hang a laundry basket, towels, and another hanging storage system that holds her socks, teethers, more headbands, and pacifiers. inside the closet are boxes of diapers on the shelf, and more blankets on the floor because blankets seem to be the favorite baby shower gift (😏), and her clothes hanging on pink hangers 💕
on the other side of the room, we utilized another empty corner to put up a teepee by Tnees Tpees. she doesn't quite understand how fun it is now, but hopefully when she's older it will be a little space of her own to escape into her imagination.
this is my favorite little corner of her space. this corner holds some of my favorite moments of bonding with my little lady. I had the prints on the wall made from The Written Word Shop on Etsy, one with an "E" for Ever, and the other says one of my favorite quotes: "have courage and be kind" from Cinderella. I DIYed the flower hanging with jute, tiny clothes pins, and dried flowers from old bouquets we kept and maybe some from the apartment garden outside 😁. we found this knock-off Eames rocking chair on Amazon, and the side table at the Goodwill.
overall, I don't see Ever's nursery as just another part of our bedroom but as a relaxing, simple, and whimsical little space that depicts Ever Joy in every way.
We were asked by Mini Style Blog to take photos for their upcoming feature with My Mila, and of course we said "yes" because Mini Style is easily one of my favorite blogs! Here's all the photos we took.
It's no surprise that new moms have a hard time getting to the gym. You have to find a babysitter, have enough stored milk if you're nursing, be struck by anxiety every second you're gone, etc etc etc. So I put my thinking cap on and came up with a few workout you can do at home using your baby. The good news: the bigger your baby, the better your workout! 12 pounds gets real heavy real fast. As always, listen to your body. If something hurts, don't do it, or check your form.
1. Plank to Down Dog
Starting from a plank position, kiss your babe on the forehead, then draw your hips up into a downward dog and kiss your babe on the belly. Reapeat 15X, tightening the core the entire time.
2. V-Ups
Sitting on your sacrum, the spot between the sit bones and tailbone, lean back far enough to feel gravity forcing your abs to engage, toes on the floor. Then, lift the toes and torso at the same time. Repeat 20X.
For stronger babies, you can hold their hands to give yourself a bigger range of motion.
3. The Russian Twist
Staying on the sacrum, abs engaged, twist left and tap your baby's toes on the floor, then do the same to the right. Right and left is one rep, do 20 reps total.
For an extra challenge, try lifting your toes off the floor and balancing.
4. Plie Squat
Starting in a wide second position, heels in toes out, lower into a squat, keeping your knees tracking over your toes, tailbone tucked, chest high, and hips right between your knees.
Then, straighten and raise your babe above your head.
5. Standing Twists
Staying in a nice low plie, core engaged, twist your baby to the right and left.
6. Inner Thigh Lifts
Laying down on your side, one leg extended, the other crossed in front. Flex the extended leg's foot then lift and lower.
Hold at the highest point the pulse up. Repeat each step 20X.
7. Tabletop Glutes
Starting on your hands and knees, toes pointed, lift and lower the leg straight to the back. Here you can experiment with pulses, tiny circle, extending and bending while flexing the hamstring, and so on. Also try bringing a bent knee directly to the side (think dog peeing on a fire hydrant) and repeating the same exercise.
8. The Pushup: Tricep version
On your knees or on your toes, make sure you're keeping the correct pushup form. Lower, keeping the biceps close into your sides, elbows going straight back, kiss your baby, and lift.
9. Stretch it out
Whatever feels good, make sure to stretch out the muscles you worked to avoid a bulky look (unless that's what you're going for).
My outfit: Beyond Yoga
Ever's outfit: June Park
This post is the first of a series I'm super excited about! I'll be highlighting different pieces from different brands that I've found that are perfect for a nursing mama.
After I had Ever, it didn't take long to realize that over half of my wardrobe wouldn't work for nursing, and every day I'm frustrated because I have nothing to wear. Of course, you can pull any shirt up, but that's just annoying because it falls back down as you're trying to feed. I much prefer something I can pull down, with easy and quick access.
So, today I'm highlighting this amazing romper, The Sylvie by Eva Jo Rompers
First of all, have you even seen this gorgeous color before?? I'm in love. And all the other color choices they have are gorgeous too!
Second, it feels like I'm wearing pjs. The fabric is heaven. So so soft and comfortable. I definitely see myself wearing this every week, if not multiple times a week. If not everyday...
Third, it's nursing friendly, of course, without being intended for nursing. There's a snap in the front for easy access to those milk makers. Mama's happy because she's not fussing trying to pull a t shirt up or a collar down and baby's happy because she doesn't have to wait very long to get what she wants!
And fourth, it's super versatile. I'm wearing sandals in these pictures, but it can so easily be dressed up with a pair of cute heels, or dressed down with some converse or birks.
Not a mama? Fret not. They have plenty of other rompers to choose from that are just as cute, comfy, and versatile. Support small business and shop small!
If you're a small business and think your products would be perfect for this series, contact me at letterstoeverjoy@gmail.com, I'd love to collab with you!
