Review: Gro-Egg Digital Room Thermometer

To be honest, I'm not as vigilant as I should be when it comes to checking James' room temperature. So when I was offered to test out one of the Gro Company's products, I decided to try the Gro-Egg Digital Room Thermometer. 

If you haven't heard of a Gro-Egg, it's basically a room thermometer and nightlight in one. The light changes colour depending on whether the room is hot, cold or just right. 

We all know that a safe sleeping environment for our little ones is a room temperature of between 16-20 degrees, however this is not always possible. Sometimes it may be colder than this and other times it will be warmer, and knowing what the temperature is at a quick glance allows you to figure out what to dress your bub in for the night. If you're a little unsure you can always check the clothing guide that comes with the Gro-Egg.

The first thing I noticed about the Gro-Egg was the size. For some reason, I had pictured it to be a lot bigger than it was.. not that size matters in this case. In fact, I like that it's small enough to fit in the palm of my hand, making it easy to pack when travelling. 

The light is a little more subtle than your stock standard night light, but it gives out a nice glow. We've been using it in James' nursery for the last week and he loves it. It's been great for us too, just being able to pop our heads in and quickly see the temperature of the room. 

Now I'm keen to get one of the super cute Gro-shells for it..

I'm leaning towards the Owl, which do you like best?

xx

I Did It.. I Started My Own Lolly Buffet Business!

It's called Treat Me Sweet and this was my first event. I have to say I'm pretty pleased with how it all turned out. It was for a baby shower at one of my favourite bars in Canberra (the Loft), it was so much fun to organise and the client was really happy - phew!

I decided to start this business as a hobby more than anything else, just a creative outlet I guess (aside from blogging!).. plus I figure it doesn't hurt to make a little extra cash while we're saving for a new house (more on that later)

I can't believe I actually met one of my New Years Resolutions for once haha! How are your resolutions coming along?

xx

Toddler Table Makeover / Hack

This was James' first birthday present from me and his daddy. We figured he'd need a little table soon for colouring/eating and I wanted to make him something special that he could use for while.

I was inspired by the Ikea Hack of the Latt Table (which in Australia retails for $40).. but seeing as we don't have an Ikea near us I decided to get this Junior Table & Chair Set from Babies r Us (for $45).

My first step was to assemble the table, I used a drill to tighten the screws (a lot quicker than doing it manually). I then sanded the chairs so that I could spray paint them (in hindsight I wish I'd gone with regular paint as the spray paint kept bubbling and dripping - so annoying!).



I sprayed them with White Knights Squirts Spray Paint in Dusk Grey.

My next step was to cover the print with contact paper. I then traced the inside of the seat on a blank piece of paper to get the right measurements, I then cut this and used it as a template.



Once I'd cut the print I super-glued it to the chair.

I then repeated the same process for the table.

 I decided to make a different version for my beautiful niece for her birthday too..



I won't lie, it was very time consuming (especially the spray painting), but I'm really happy with how they both turned out. I love that they are unique and something the kiddies will be able to use for years to come.

What do you guys think?



xx

12 Month (One Year!) Postpartum / Baby Update!

Woohoo!! I survived my first year being a mum!! It's been so amazing to watch James grow from a teeny tiny baby into a little boy. I couldn't be prouder of my little side-kick. 

Body

With every week that passes, I'm feeling more and more like my old self. I don't think my body will ever look the way it did pre-baby but I'm okay with that - I've embraced it :) 

Height/Weight

I haven't had a chance to weigh James lately but he seems to be stretching out so I doubt he's put on much weight since last month (was 10.8kg). His height is roughly 79cms. 

Routine

We're still in the process of weaning James from his bottle and onto cow's milk. I'm back at work now (8am-2pm - 4 days) so his routine is a little different everyday depending on care but in general our day looks like this.. 

6.30am
Wakeup, Feed James Breakfast (Weetbix with Cow's Milk), 

Clean his Teeth

7am

Moisturise and Dress James, Head to Work (Rob drops James off at Care)

9am
 James Naps

10am

Playtime

11.15am

Lunch for James

12.15pm

James Naps

2.45pm

Pick James Up, Feed him when we get home (Cow's Milk in a Fruit Smoothie), 

3pm

Playtime 

4pm

Walk to the Park and Play

5pm
Tidy Up, Prepare Dinner

5.30pm
Have Dinner as a Family

6pm
Rob Baths, Moisturises and Dresses James

6.30pm

Rob Reads to James, Feeds him (Warm Cow's Milk from Bottle), Cleans his Teeth

7pm

James Sleeps, Pack his Bag for Care tomorrow, Chill Time

Sleeping

We've had a few rough nights as James' has been sick with a middle ear infection :( He was waking up every few hours in pain, even cuddles didn't help him settle - it was horrible. Luckily he's on antibiotics now and is starting to feel a lot better. No more screaming at night - thank god! 

Eating/Feeding

He's a great little eater! He pretty much eats everything you put in front of him. He's also starting using a spoon lately - I'm so proud!!

Sizes

No change here. He's still wearing Size 1 and is in cloth & toddler size disposable nappies. 

Milestones

He's not quite walking yet but I don't think it will be long! He's gaining more and more confidence and tests himself by pushing off things and standing on his own for short stints. His sense of humour is coming out more now too, he does things to make us laugh like scrunching his face up, and screeching as loud as he can with a huge grin on his face. He's totally obsessed with opening and closing drawers, doors and cupboards. He's learnt to say duck and cat this month too. He's become such a cuddler lately, I LOVE it! I think that's about it for this month. This might be James' last update for a while.. I'll probably do one at 18 months as I'm sure there will be lots to update you on by then!

xx

DIY Cake Smash

I couldn't resist doing a cake smash for James' first birthday! I think they are so adorable. I considered getting a professional shoot done but thought it would be more fun (and a lot cheaper) to do it myself. I did it the morning after his birthday party so that we could use his cake for the lolly buffet and "happy birthday" candle blow-out. The morning was a great time to do it as he was happy and full of beans (as opposed to tired and cranky which is what he was like at the end of his party).

I was originally planning to do it outside on the grass but it was raining and miserable so I decided to do it in the corner of the living room. Luckily we've got wooden floorboards so I didn't have to worry about hanging a drop sheet. I kept the props pretty simple with left over balloons from the party, a mulicoloured banner and giant letters. Cute, easy and inexpensive. You could also use other props like streamers, pom poms, chairs, chalkboards etc. Just don't go too overboard!

As I'm not the best baker in the world, I asked my friend to help make this gorgeous butter-cream beehive smash cake for James. I then added a few sugar bees (purchased from eBay) as a finishing touch. Photo-wise, I think it turned out really well. It also tasted amazing! James kept breaking pieces off and trying to give them to me - so I gobbled them up (it would have been rude to say no) and as you can see, James loved it too!




I kept him in the same outfit as his party to keep it consistent, plus I think it's adorable. I thought about making him a little crown - but knowing him, he'd rip it off straight away. I also think overalls would have been cute. A lot of bubs go topless for these shoots but I prefer it when they wear fun outfits (for girls I think tutu's are a must!).




This is definitely a two person job! One to take photos and the other to keep them from crawling off. Having two people also makes it easier to clean up! After the shoot, I cleaned James up (jumped in the shower with me) while Rob put the left over cake away and cleaned the floor.



I'm so happy with how the photos turned out and I think James had a great time digging into that cake. I definitely recommend doing your own cake smash if you've got the time (and a good camera) as they are so much fun!

xx

James' First Birthday

James is officially one today! I still can't believe it - my baby has grown into a little boy!

We had his party on Sunday (mother's day here in Australia) and as you can probably guess we went with a Winnie the Pooh theme. I started planning his birthday months ago haha. It was fun to organise although the day before and the day of were pretty exhausting! I think it was worth it though, as it was a fun afternoon for my little guy and everyone had a great time.

Unfortunately the weather was pretty miserable. We originally planned to have the party inside and outside (as our place is tiny) but squeezing us all inside and away from the rain, didn't end up being as bad as I thought it would be.

I set up my first ever lolly buffet and I'm really happy with how it turned out. As I mentioned earlier I'd love to start a small lolly buffet business, so this was my first step towards doing so. My gorgeous and talented friend Carol made the beehive cookies and smash cake - they looked amazing and tasted even better! We did a smash cake shoot the next day with James which was soo cute! I'll do a separate post on that soon.

I definitely think that James' 1st birthday party was a success. I have to be honest though, it was a lot more stressful than I had imagined a 1 year old's party to be.. but that's probably just my personality! I tend to get stressed about having everything perfect which, let's face it, it never is.. especially when there are babies involved!

xx

11 Month Postpartum / Baby Update!

One more month until this guy is ONE!!! Insane!!

Body

I think I must have lost some hair postpartum and not noticed until now (as I have a tonne of baby hair coming through). No matter what I do - it sticks out! It's so annoying haha. I'm down another 0.8kg (1.7lbs) since last month, so pretty much back to my pre-pregnancy weight - woohoo! I even slipped on my old jeans today and they actually fit! I'm not getting too excited though as I still need to lose 5.2kgs (11.4lbs) to be back to my normal weight. Hopefully once I'm back at work (coming up soon) I can start my morning exercise routine again.

Height/Weight

The little guy is now 10.8kg (23.8lbs). His height is still 77cms. 

Routine

We have officially weaned James off his dummy! It was WAAAAY easier than I thought it was going to be! It only took 3 days and now he doesn't even remember what's it's for. 

7am
Wakeup, Feed James (Formula)

8am

Have Breakfast with James, Clean his Teeth

8.30am

 Moisturise and Dress James, then put James down for his Nap

9am
Do Laundry & Housework while James Naps

10am

Have a Shower and Get Ready, then Play with James (Social Play) 

11.15am

Have Lunch with James

12.15pm

James Naps, Blog/Relax

2.30pm

Feed James (Cow's Milk), then Play with him 

(Cognitive/Physical Activities)

4pm

1hr Walk to Park (Outside Play) and Back

5pm
Put Toys Away, Prepare Dinner

5.30pm
Have Dinner as a Family

6pm
Rob Baths, Moisturises and Dresses James

6.30pm

Rob Reads to James, Feeds him (Formula) 

and Cleans his Teeth

7pm

James Sleeps

Sleeping

His sleep has been great (knock on wood). He had a few rough nights when he was teething but other than that he's slept through. 

Eating/Feeding

He definitely knows what he likes and doesn't like! He'll pretty much put anything into his mouth, but if he doesn't like it he quickly spits it out. We tested him with peanuts this month too and he's not allergic HOORAY! Bring on the peanut butter sandwiches!

Sizes

He's still in size 1 although they are starting to get a bit snug.

Milestones

Ah he's growing up so fast!! He's been cruising the house like crazy and standing on his own for a few seconds. He points to his nose, eyes and tongue when you ask him where they are - so clever! Four new teeth have popped through this month so he's got eight teeth now. It's getting harder and harder to change him as he likes to roll over and crawl away. He LOVES undoing his disposable nappy too, thank god we use cloth most of the time. He's a little chatter box this month saying dadda, mumma, nanna and yum. I'm going to miss him so much when I'm back at work :( only a few more weeks to go. On the plus side, his first birthday is coming up and I can't wait! It's going to be so cute!

xx

10 Month Postpartum / Baby Update!

Body

The weight seems to be coming off now that I've stopped breastfeeding (crazy as I used to think breastfeeding would help me lose weight!). I'm down 0.8kgs (1.7lbs) since last month, so only 1kg (2.2lbs) to go until I'm back at my pre-pregnancy weight. Although I'm aiming to lose more like 6kgs (13.2lbs), hopefully it just keeps coming off slowly.

Height/Weight

My 10 month old baby boy is now 10.3kg (22.7lbs) and his height is 77cms. 

Routine

We have finally dropped the dreamfeed (hallelujah!) and James is sleeping from 7am until 7pm. The next big challenge will be weaning him off the dummy! Apparently they start to depend on it more in the second year, so I really want it gone before he's one (which isn't far away! Eeep). 

7am
Wakeup, Feed James (Formula)

8am

Have Breakfast with James, Clean his Teeth

8.30am

 Moisturise and Dress James, then put James down for Nap

9am
Do Laundry & Housework while James Naps

10am

Have a Shower and Get Ready while James crawls around 

exploring the bathroom and hallway

11.15am

Have Lunch with James

12.15pm

James Naps, Blog/Relax

2.30pm

Feed James (Formula), Play with Him 

(Cognitive/Social/Physical Activities)

4pm

1hr Walk to Park (Outside Play) and Back

5pm
Put Toys Away, Prepare Dinner

5.30pm
Have Dinner as a Family

6pm
Rob Baths, Moisturises and Dresses James

6.30pm

Rob Reads to James, Feeds him (Formula) 

and Cleans his Teeth

7pm

James Sleeps, Relax Together (Freedom lol!)

Sleeping

His night sleep has been great! although he wakes up a few times and yells out (almost like he's had a bad dream) but soon self-settles. He's also down to 2 naps a day instead of 3 (he self weaned off his afternoon nap). Not sure if this is a good thing or bad thing!

Eating/Feeding

We found out the little man is allergic (or at least has a food intolerance) to tomatoes. He gets a bad rash around his mouth and behind his ears :( hopefully this is something he'll grow out of. 

Sizes

No change here. He's still in size 1.

Milestones

He's started to crawl on all fours (yaaay!). I think he still prefers commando style though as he gets there a little faster. He is so good at standing now and vary rarely falls if he's holding onto something. He's started cruising too. He loves cruising along the couch and tries his hardest to climb up it! His new obsession is eyelashes.. he loves playing with mine, rob's and his own - he's fascinated by them. The mini-tantrums have started this month too, crying whenever he doesn't get his way (his fake cry) - I'm finding it hard not to give into him. His two top front teeth have popped through and the ones next to them are starting to show as well. I seriously can't believe he'll be one in less than 2 months! So crazy that he'll be a toddler soon!

xx

PS. Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I've been busy getting our house ready to sell! Hopefully I'll find some time to post about that soon :)

9 Month Postpartum / Baby Update!

I can't believe my little guy is already 9 months old! He's growing up too fast :'(

Body

No more weight loss this month, in fact, I think I've probably put on a little bit of weight (I've been avoiding the scales!). I hurt my back helping hubby with some heavy lifting in the backyard and have basically been on bed rest for the last few weeks. I'm only now starting to feel okay. I can't wait until it's better so I can start exercising again! I might just start with low-impact exercises like walking, swimming and maybe pilates to strengthen my core. 

Height/Weight

James's weight gain has slowed down now that he's more mobile! He's 9.9kg (21.8lbs) which is  0.3kgs/0.6lbs more than last month. His height is still 75cms. 

Routine

No luck yet dropping the dream feed :( I'm sure we'll get there eventually! At the moment he's feeding at 9pm and waking up around midnight - I think out of habit more than hungry as he settles back to sleep without a feed. I've stopped breastfeeding completely which makes me a little sad but also relieved in a way as I feel like my body is my own again. 

7am
Wakeup, Feed James (Formula)

8am

Have Breakfast with James

8.30am

 Moisturise and Dress James, then put James down for Nap

9.15am
Have a Shower and Get Ready while James Naps

10am

Do Laundry & Housework while James plays (Jumperoo, Activity Table)

11.30am

Have Lunch with James

12.30pm

James Naps, Blog/Relax/Go Out

2.30pm

Feed James (Formula), Play with Him (Tummy Time, Reading, Games, TV)

4pm

1hr Walk to Park and Back

5.30pm
Have Dinner as a Family

6pm
Rob Baths James

6.30pm

Rob Reads James and Feeds him (Formula)

7pm

James Sleeps, Relax

9pm
Feed James (Formula), James Sleeps 

10pm

Go to Bed

Sleeping

His sleep has been pretty good apart from waking around midnight. I'm hoping he'll start sleeping through again soon, if not we may have to push his dream feed back to 10pm again :( His day sleeps have been good, although he doesn't sleep for as long during his lunchtime nap.

Eating/Feeding

He's a great little eater! He's mastered his pincer grasp and loves to feed himself now. Chomping on his spoon and not letting go is his new game, he thinks it's hilarious. 

Sizes

He's still in size 1 and toddler disposable nappies (although we use cloth nappies when we're at home)

Milestones

He's started commando style crawling, but hasn't quite mastered crawling on all fours yet. He's getting better and better every day though, so it won't be long now til he's full-on crawling - eeep how exciting! His favourite game at the moment is scrunching up his nose and sticking out his tongue at us. He mimics us too when we start doing it - too cute! He's obsessed with standing and gets upset when we sit him down again. He definitely knows what he wants and doesn't want and can be pretty stubborn! I think he's started teething again as I can see his top front teeth starting to make an appearance. He has been so happy this month, just laughing all the time - even at things he usually hates like getting dressed. He's so adorable and completely lights up my day! 

xx

8 Month Postpartum / Baby Update!

Body

 My weight has plateaued this month :( I've only lost 0.1kg (0.2lbs). Oh well, at least it's better than a gain.. I just need to be stricter with my diet this month and start walking more often (I've been a bit slack lately as it's so hot outside!). I really want to lose the last 1.8kgs (3.9lbs) at least, before I return to work in May. I've started weaning James to formula this month, as I got mastitis over the christmas break (for the fourth time!) and now one boob has stopped producing milk so I'm completely uneven! More on that later!

Height/Weight

The little guy is now 9.6kg (21.1lbs) which is 0.5kgs/1.11lbs more than last month. He's also had a growth spurt and is now 75cms tall. 

Routine

 I'm still working on cutting out the 10pm dream feed. I'm bringing it back by half an hour every few days then eventually I hope to stop altogether. As I mentioned, I'm trying to wean him off breastfeeding, so I'm doing a combination of breast and formula feeds. I'm also trying to get him to drink from a sippy cup as much as I can.

7am
Wakeup, Feed James (Breastfeed)

8am

Have Breakfast then Give James Solids

8.30am

 Moisturise and Dress James, then Tummy Time

9.30am
Have a Shower and Get Ready while James Naps

10.30am

Do Laundry & Housework while James plays in his Jumperoo

11.30am

Give James Solids

12.30pm

James Naps, Have Lunch, Blog/Relax/Go Out

2.30pm

Feed James (Formula), Play with Him (Tummy Time, Reading, Games)

4pm

Blog/Relax while James has a rest in his Bouncer

5pm
Give James Solids, Rob gets home from work & plays with James

5.30pm

Cook Dinner

6pm
Rob Baths James

6.30pm

Have Dinner, Feed James (Formula + Expressed Milk)

7pm

James Sleeps, Relax

9.30pm
Feed James (Formula + Expressed Milk), James Sleeps, Go to Bed

Sleeping

His sleep is a lot better than last month! He's back to sleeping 11-12 hours (woohoo!). He no longer needs his 4pm nap and actually sleeps better at night without it. Instead he just has some quiet time either in his cot or bouncer.

Eating/Feeding

I'm trying to give James as much finger foods as possible with just a small amount of purees (so he still learns how to use a spoon). He's gotten so much better at picking food up with his fingers and popping them straight in his mouth (as opposed to his eye, ear, hair etc like he used to!). 

"Really mum.. another picture?!"

Sizes

He's gone up to a size 1 (12-18 months) - where has my tiny baby gone!? He's also in size toddler disposable nappies! :O

Milestones

James is THIS close to crawling! He gets up on all fours and does this weird leap frog thing haha. I'm in no rush for him to start crawling though as I still need to baby-proof the house! He also started rolling both ways this month and hasn't stopped. He loves to sleep on his side (snuggled up to his favourite teddy nawww). He's got two teeth now (on the bottom) and has a new smile that he likes to flash us when we're being silly. He's started scrunching his face up as well when he doesn't like something or is processing new things, it's so funny to watch!  He's obsessed with saying "dada" (his first word!!) and said "mama" for about a day then got over it :( I'm loving this age, it's so much fun playing with him and seeing his reaction to new things. He's such a little boy now with his own cheeky/shy/sweet personality.

xx