transitioning to two

my set | Boone's outfit | my bag | my shoes

photos by Ban Avenue Photography


Time is seriously flying, you guys! These pictures were taken a little over a month ago when Boone was just shy of 2 months old and I can't believe how much he's changed just in the past month. He has filled out a lot since then and is smiling all the time now which always makes my day! I love this stage right around 3-6 months...they're so sweet and squishy, not mobile yet so you aren't constantly chasing, and still nap quite a bit during the day. Boone is a super laid-back baby which has made the transition to 2 kids easier than I expected and we're very thankful. I'll be doing Boone's 3 month update soon (he turns 3 months tomorrow) and will share more details on his milestones then.

During my pregnancy, I honestly worried quite a bit about the transition from 1 to 2 kids. I'd heard nightmare stories from friends, feared how the change would impact Bear, and just knew a new human would rock our world a bit. Maybe I "over-prepared" myself and that's why it hasn't been what I expected, but we've been really lucky to find this transition pretty easy for the most part. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that Bear was 5 years old when Boone was born, so he's already very independent, potty trained, etc. I can only imagine that having a toddler and a new baby would be much more difficult. 

It hasn't been without it's struggles for us, though- don't let me fool you into thinking it's all been perfect rainbows and unicorns around here. Bear has definitely been testing us some lately which I know is normal but I'm doing my best to be patient with him while still enforcing our rules. Boone doesn't sleep through the night- he's up 3-4 times for feedings but always goes right back to sleep. Bear was sleeping through the night by around 2 months so I'm running on fumes most days but fueled by lots of coffee :). I knew I'd need to get out and about faster after Boone was born but I wasn't sure how easy that would actually be and so far, so good. I usually meet friends for lunch or have meetings while Bear is in school and I only have Boone because I'm still getting used to being at a restaurant or public place by myself with 2 kids. I can manage but it's less stressful if it's just Boone since he's usually napping through it all, anyway.

We are still learning and figuring out what works for us but if any of you are wanting to take the plunge from 1 to 2 kids, don't be afraid! I've been amazed with how much easier breastfeeding has been this time around since I already knew what to expect, and your confidence across the board will be significantly higher since you've done all this before. And if your first is a little older like Bear, they can be a good helper, too (most of the time). We are loving having 2 happy, healthy little boys and can't wait for all the adventures to come!
xo, Britt

nursing-friendly dresses

dress | sunglasses | bag | wedges | earrings

photos by Ban Avenue Photography


One of the questions I get asked most about on Instagram is about nursing-friendly clothing from other mamas and mamas-to-be. You wouldn't think this would be a challenging thing to find but believe it or not, it is! A lot of current styles have high necks, zip-up backs, etc. that make it difficult to breastfeed while wearing. Until you've nursed a baby out in public in something not conclusive to breastfeeding, it's hard to imagine how real the struggle can be. But believe me, it is- which is why I've rounded up some of the cutest nursing-friendly dresses for you mamas in the widget below! 
Just scroll and click on your favorites to shop. Some of these I own and love, others have great reviews and are currently in my cart.

We've had a busy but productive weekend and if you follow me on Instagram you may have seen some house-hunting we did on Saturday...more on that soon! So excited to share with you guys what our plans are in the upcoming weeks. This week will be another crazy busy one and somehow Boone turns 3 months old on Thursday- how can it be?! Cue all the waterworks for this mama. The past 3 months have flown by but been the sweetest and best of my life. Bear & Boone are so much fun and I'm so thankful to be their mama! In case you're reading this post and missed the post on breastfeeding tips, you can find it here. I'm far from an expert and only know what's worked for us, but maybe it will help a few of you who are wanting to breastfeed your baby.
Hope you've all had a great weekend!
xo, Britt

5 reasons to have a staycation

my swimsuit | Bear's swim set | Zach's rashguard | Zach's swimsuit | Boone's swimsuit | my cover-up | my sandals | my sunnies

photos by Ban Avenue Photography


I wanna talk about our swimwear for a second before I hop into the topic of this post! Y'all know by now that I'm obsessed with matching in any form- I used to match with Bear all the time when he was younger, now I'm having fun matching Bear and Boone. Thanks to Cabana Life, our entire family can match for fun in the sun! I nearly died when I saw these jelly fish suits for all three boys- Bear loves matching Zach and the quality is amazing. What I love most about the company, even more than the fun matchy-matchy swimwear, is their mission to promote sun safety. All of our suits are 50+ SPF and with the founder of Cabana Life being a skin cancer survivor herself, they take sun safety seriously. You'll receive $20 off your Cabana Life purchase with code ISPREADSUNSHINE, and every purchase contributes to delivering 1,000 free skin cancer screenings. You can save money and save lives which is something we all should get behind.

Now onto the staycation business! In case you haven't heard of this term, it's a vacation but in your current town or city- you're essentially "stay"ing put while in serious "vacation" mode. When you have a newborn baby like we do yet are itching to get out of the normal routine, a staycation is an amazing option! Houston boosts several stunning hotels with top notch ammentities (like the Hotel Alessandra where we are above), so it's a no-brainer for us to stay put while enjoying some quality time together. Below are a 5 reasons you should enjoy a staycation, too!

1. Because you're throwing away your salary. If you’re working full time, PTO days are part of your salary package. Therefore, if you don’t use them, you’re receiving less payment than you negotiated for your work. Companies have different policies for this ("use them or lose them", unlimited, etc.) so it's wise to check with HR when you start to find out your vacation situation (this is of the utmost importance, afte rall). You wouldn’t outright give part of your paycheck back to your company, so why would you leave money on the table and not use your PTO hours?!
2. It's easiest on the kids. No 12 hours strapped in a car seat asking to pee every 4 minutes. No long flights kicking the poor passenger in the seat in front of them. No schedules or sleep routines thrown off because of time differences. Your kids won't know the difference or that they're not actually on vacation- to them it's the exact same thing minus the pains of actually getting to a destination. Plus we all know happy kids=happy parents.
3. It's the least stressful vacation ever. No planning, no flight searching, no airport security, no waiting on passports for 3 months, no foreign food poisoning....it can be a spur of the moment decision which makes it all the more thrilling and fun, while still allowing you to relax and recharge. 
4. You save money. This is an obvious one but also possibly the biggest perk of all when it comes to a staycation versus a regular vacation. It's obviously much less expensive- the only cost you'll occur is a hotel should you choose to stay in one. No flights, gas money, rental cars, etc.
5. You can be a tourist in your hometown. Houston is a huge city and even though I've lived here for 8 years now, there's still so much I'm yet to see and do within Harris County. A staycation gives me the perfect excuse to learn more about this great place my family calls home, which in turn educates us on fun things to do when we have family and friends visiting!


I think it's time to plan our next staycation after writing this post :). Hope you'll take one soon, too!
xo, Britt