July 2017 / Kastles

Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat

7/27/2017

There are so many things to do and items to prepare before you welcome a new baby into your family. I think one of the most important items you purchase before your little one arrives is the car seat. It's an item you will use a lot, so you want to make sure it's super safe and awesome.

We've been lucky enough to test out the Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat this time around. It's different from the one we had with Emery and we like this one way better.

This picture was taken in the hospital right before we left to finally take Alder home. Looking back, I can't believe how teeny he was. The nice thing about this car seat is it comes with an awesome full-body newborn support insert, which offers support for smaller babies. Alder was 7'14 when he was born, so this insert was perfect for his little body

The 5-point harness with one-pull tightener keeps your little one securely seated in the car seat. It's very simple to use and easy to loosen when it's time to take them out. All you have to do is push down on the orange button and pull the straps, and it loosens.

The car seat comes with a stay-in-car base with an UAS management system. It makes it super effortless to take the car seat in and out of the car. You just click it in a place, and grab a little handle on the back when you want to take it out. It's also super light, which makes it easy to bring it along wherever we go.

It comes with a SuperCinch 1-pull LATCH tightener which ensures a tight and secure fit with your vehicle with a fraction of the effort. I know a lot of parents have concerns about making sure the car seat you pick out fits in your vehicle. The nice thing about this one is it comes with a ReclineSure levelling foot which helps to adjust it to fit the angle of your vehicle seat.

I love that the car seat straps come with these little pads to protect their neck. I remember with Emery's old car seat that the straps would rub against her neck & leave red marks.

*This Milk Snob Cover has been so awesome. It's great for throwing on top of the car seat to protect Alder from all the elements: sun, rainy, wind, etc. It also doubles as a nursing cover. I'm all about pieces that are multi-purpose, saves me time. Also added bonus that it's so darn cute! Check out all the other cute patterns they have here.*

I think one of our favourite features of this car seat, is how easy it is to rock when it's sitting on the ground. It gently rocks back and forth, which is great when you are out in public with a fussy baby. I got really sick with mastitis a few weeks ago & had to bring him with me to the doctors. He was overtired and getting fussy in the waiting room. There was no way I could physically swing the seat back and forth, so I just rocked him gently on the ground and he fell asleep. I was so grateful for this awesome seat.

This car seat is available for purchase at:

Babies R Us: http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=114985806

Best Buy: http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/chicco-chicco-keyfit-30-infant-car-seat-grey-black-7923751/10583291.aspx?

And Independent Retailers across Canada.

Make sure to check out Chicco Canada on Facebook for updates and their latest products.

<3 Kastles

Global Hug Your Kid Day

7/17/2017

Today is Global Hug Your Kid Day, and let me tell you there is nothing I love more then hugging my babies.

One of my favourite times to sneak in hugs with my little man is during diaper changes. The first two weeks of Alder's life, my husband literally changed every single one of his diapers as I was recovering from my c-section. As much as I appreciated that, I did miss out on those extra snuggles. I really cherish the time I get to spend changing Alder's diaper now and sneaking in extra hugs. Did you know that the average child requires over 5000 diaper changes in their lifetime? That's 5000 opportunities for hugs! Today I am sharing a few of my favourite diaper changing essentials and tips for skin-to-skin hugs.

My Diaper Changing Essentials:

Huggies Little Snugglers Diapers -My favourite diapers as they are super soft & have a "wetness indicator" to indicate to you when their diaper needs changing. The pocketed-back waistband also helps keep the mess inside where it belongs!

Huggies Natural Care Wipes-They are fragrance and alcohol free, hypoallergenic and have a touch of aloe and Vitamin E. Perfect for sensitive skin, which my babes have.

Consonant Healthy Baby Body Lotion-Massaging on lotion is a great way to relax and bond with your baby, and this lotion from Consonant is perfect for that. It's 100% natural and formulated without scent, colour, parabens or other harsh and irritating ingredients.

For Newborns-Charlotte's Bum Butter-This stuff is amazing, it smells so delicious and is perfect for protecting their little bottoms. It's a cocoa butter based cream made with all edible ingredients, 100% natural, food grade and organic.

Perfect Opportunities for Skin-to-Skin Hugs are:

-After Diaper Changes

-Before, After and During Feedings

-After Bath Time

Tips for Skin-to-Skin Hugs:

-Ideally sit up right in a rocking chair or regular chair

-Remove your bra and wear a shirt or blouse that opens in the front

-Place your baby on your bare chest in an upright position, wearing only a diaper

-Cover your baby with your shirt, gown or blanket

-Let your baby rest, this is not a time to play with your baby

-Now, simply relax and enjoy this unique bonding experience

-As you saw from my Father's Day post, is that Dads can also provide skin-to-skin hugs to their babies too-the more hugs the better!

What are your diaper changing essentials? When is your favourite time to have some skin-to-skin hugs with your babies?

<3 Kastles

Baby Shop

10 Essential Baby Registry Must-Haves

7/14/2017

One of the most exciting things when prepping for a new baby, especially as a first-time mMom is registering for all the fun & necessary baby items. It can also be super overwhelming as there are so many baby items out there and it's hard to know what you really need. Today, I'm sharing my thoughts on 10 Essential Baby Registry Items that were provided by Babies "R" Us and Huggies.

Items I wish I Registered For:

The Swaddle Sleep Sack:
This item just makes your life so much easier. Turns out, I'm a terrible swaddler and my children always seem to break free. This leaves me always paranoid they are going to kick the blanket to cover their face. A swaddle sleep sack helps keep them warm, zipped and swaddled in a matter of seconds. You never have to worry about them breaking free. You can start by having their arms swaddled inside and then you can easily transition them to arms out.

Nursing Pillow:

I remember seeing this item and thinking that I didn't need it. I thought I could just use a normal pillow and it would work just fine. I was wrong. Nursing can already be stressful enough, anything that makes it easier you will gladly welcome. Nursing with a normal pillow I found just didn't work as well and I was constantly adding extra pillows and blankets under baby for support. The shape and structure of the nursing pillow just made it so much easier.

Teething Toy:

Before having my first baby, I thought teething won't happen for a while and it will be fine. Yeah...teething can come out of nowhere and you will wish you registered for a teething toy. There is nothing more difficult than scrambling looking for something to ease your baby's pain. Having a teething toy on hand is definitely something you are going to want to have.

Registry Item Must Haves:

Receiving Blankets/Burp Blankets:You honestly can never have too many of these. They are useful for swaddling baby when they are teeny tiny, for throwing over your shoulder to catch any spit up and can be used to tuck around baby in the car seat. If your baby has reflux or spits up a ton, you will definitely want a ton of these.

Nursing Cover/Scarf:When it comes to nursing in public, it's really up to you what you feel comfortable with. When I first started nursing with my first born, I always used my cover. I was a new Mom and I struggled and was-insecure with nursing my daughter in public at first. It was nice to have a cover because of this.

Huggies Diapers and Wipes:This second time around, I really forgot how many diapers and wipes you go through. I didn't register for diapers & wipes with my first baby and I wish I had. You can never have enough-I would register for a couple different sizes of diapers as they grow so fast. What I really like about Huggies Little Snugglers is that there is a little line on the diaper, called a “wetness indicator” that changes color to indicate when you need to change your baby. It is so helpful, especially those first couple of days when they are so tiny and they really don't like getting their diaper changed. I also like that Huggies Natural Care wipes are fragrance/dye free. They also have aloe and vitamin E included so are gentle on baby’s delicate skin.

Diaper Genie:

Like I said, you go through so so many diapers and throwing them in a regular garbage can just doesn't work. Those tiny little diapers really start to smell, especially if it's hot out. With Emery, I didn't register for one, thinking we could just use a garbage can. Was I ever wrong. I remember us running out to go find one because it was getting so stinky. Plus, the Diaper Genie helps squish them down so it holds a lot more than a garbage can.

Useful but Not Totally Necessary Items (at least for me):

Stroller Clip:
This is such a small but very useful item. You don't realize how much stuff you might need when going out with baby, especially as they get bigger. This stroller clip is great for taking out on adventures so you can carry anything extra off the stroller. Especially great if you are out shopping.

Bottle:
When I was pregnant the first time, I didn't register for bottles or a pump because I planned on breastfeeding. Nursing my daughter didn't go great initially, so I had my parents run out and buy some bottles, formula and a pump just in case. Breastfeeding can be very hard, frustrating and might not go how you had hoped. Bottles and a pump are items that would be great to have on hand just in case, especially if you plan on bottle feeding. Whatever you choose to do or end up doing, remember fed is best and don't stress out about it.

If you are planning on registering at Babies-"R"-Us or have some items you need to get, now is the time to go. They are having an awesome sale running till until July.20th, including 40 % off Huggies Little Snugglers diapers and Natural Care Wipes.

When you registered, what items did you register for? What items did you find useful?

<3 Kastles

Baby Family Home

Peony Season

7/06/2017

Well, my favourite season has come and gone. It is so short lived but that's probably part of what makes it so special. That's right, I am talking about the lovely and Instagram favourite, Peony Season.

I am beyond blessed to have 6 different types of Peony bushes in my yard. They are vary a little in blooming times, so I get to enjoy them longer.

My dark pink ones changed a little bit this year and had the most beautiful ombre color to them. It just amazes me at how gorgeous each and every flower is. I just look at them and see God's handiwork.

Emery's Outfit details: Wylo & Co. Pants, Gap Sneakers and Old Navy Top.

One of my favourite things about Peony season this year is that Emery got to experience it with me and appreciate it. Every time I would cut some, she would come and be my little helper. It was so fun, and I look forward to doing this with her every year.