Review & Giveaway! Infanteenie Baby Beenies!

You guys, this company makes the most adorable baby beenies for your little one and I'm so excited to share with you about them and host a GIVEAWAY for a lucky one of you to win for your precious little bundle or for a friend! Not only is the owner about the sweetest person I've ever worked with, but she has an amazing talent and passion to make these infant hats all by hand, ensuring the highest quality, comfort and style. Her shop name is Infanteenie Beenie and she also sells over on etsy.
When Blair was born, I packed my hospital bag of little headbands so that I could take cute announcement pictures, as well as have them for when the hospital photographer came around. Which sounded really good in my head beforehand, but when the time came the headbands were too big on her, and the ornate flower piece was leaving marks on her sensitive little forehead, and realistically, no matter how adorable they might have been, those fancy headbands aren't really fitting for a fresh out of the womb delicate baby head. Which is why I love this company so much - because these beenies are legit the softest fabric you will ever feel, made of cotton but with a lot of stretch to them, and there is nothing protruding or hard or sticking out that will cause any discomfort or leave any marks anywhere. You can choose from a variety of boy and girl beenies, and even get it personalized with your baby's name or initials. And did I mention they're the cutest little things ever?
I'm so excited to pack our baby's hospital bag with these hats, we have one for if its a boy (yes, the name will be Kingston;)) and the other blue and pink bow beenie if its a girl (no girl names picked out yet! Or should I say decided on. Chris likes Havana. I like Ellie and Sienna. Thoughts?)
To Enter:
Okay so to enter, ALL you have to do is leave a comment below on this blog post telling me which beenie you would choose if you won!!
**Please be sure to leave your email on your post so I know how to contact you if you're the lucky winner! Good luck! :)

Giveaway will run for 2 weeks from today and will officially close on 6/7/2016 at 12pm.

DIY Homemade Eczema Salve

Poor Landon has struggled with eczema his whole life, and I finally, after 5 years of the battle, decided to try making my own, natural homemade salve with essential oils. I've been seeing how much my essential oils have been helping my skin and I know that some contain incredible healing, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties so I finally set aside the time to make this and we're SO thrilled with the result.
This recipe is more of a salve - which by definition is a fatty semi-solid oil-based mixture and what most homemade recipes on the Internet actually are (not creams, which are water-based and contain emulsifiers and preservatives). So this is a bit harder/thicker and when massaged onto your hands or body it dissolves into your skin. It can liquefy if stored in a warm place, so if you live in a warm climate and that is too messy for you, you can store it in your refrigerator to keep the hardener salve texture. Typically any room that is 72 degrees or below will keep it at a really nice consistency.

Please note that this is not a cure for eczema, but that it has helped us keep it at bay. Eczema can be caused by a variety of other triggers including:

• food allergies, commonly, dairy, nuts, eggs, soy and wheat (we cut milk out of Landon's diet when his flare-ups were REALLY bad like bleeding open sores bad and it made a huge difference).
• stress, which is not a cause but can make symptoms worse
• hormonal changes
• poor digestion
• low stomach acid
• a weak immune system
• a family history of allergies and eczema

Eczema likely surfaces because something internally is off balance, and your skin is affected because your system is trying to detoxify itself. So addressing your or your child's overall health should be your primary concern to really end the flare ups.

Many store-bought eczema creams are petroleum-based, which means they’re not environmentally friendly and definitely not as good for skin as their marketing claims. (You guys probably already knew that, but if you’d like to read more, check out this article). The problem with steroid creams, which are almost always prescribed to eczema patients, is that they don’t get to the root of the problem. They are topically applied and trigger specific hormones in the body to inhibit the allergic response. Becoming dependent on these creams comes with side-affects, and we really don't want to be putting a lot of steroids on our kids' little bodies and delicate skin.

So we've been using this salve for about a month now and it's been really amazing. There are only 2 ingredients in it -- (organic, unrefined) coconut oil and shea butter, along with lavender eo, tea tree eo, and frankincense eo, all known for their amazing anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and healing properties. 

What You Need:
- a double boiler
- 1/2 cup raw, unrefined coconut oil
- 1/2 cup raw, unrefined shea butter (I used and would recommend this one from Better Shea Butter on Amazon).
- 15 drops lavender essential oil
- 15 drops tea tree essential oil
- 10 drops frankincense essential oil

Directions:
1. Using a double boiler or similar setup (can use a small pot within a larger pot), melt down the shea butter and coconut oil until they’re combined.

2. When the coconut oil and shea butter are in a liquid state, take off from the heat and let cool for a minute before adding the lavender, frankincense and tea tree oils. Stir to combine.

3. Continue to allow your mixture to cool and it will begin to solidify. If, like me, you are impatient, you can put the solution in the refrigerator. When your solution has thickened up, but is still liquid, give it the first round of mixing. As the solution solidifies, mix every ten minutes or so, until it is at your desired solid state (similar to a softer lotion consistency). Once its at your desired consistency, transfer to a mason jar or other container or jar.

4. You can store this at room temperature or in the refrigerator, depending on how solid you would like it to remain.
5. Apply sparingly at first, as with any new skincare cream, and then apply as liberally as needed if your skin reacts well to it.
Some Other Helpful Tips on Combatting Eczema:
– Keep the skin moisturized. Use raw shea butter and/or coconut oil in addition to the homemade eczema cream, if needed.
– Limit baths (especially in the winter).
– If using commercial dairy products cut them out. If we use raw milk products or other non-dairy products like almond milk, it tends to keep Landon's eczema at bay.
– Refrain from using commercial detergents. I haven't gotten around to making my own (yet!) but for now we use detergents that are free of any dyes or scents. You can find them in any cleaning aisle! This has helped immensely with my husband's eczema as well as Landon's.

I hope this helps you guys! And of course......this item is now up in my etsy shop :) So if you don't feel like making yourself head on over there to purchase your own. And as with all my products, I offer 100% guarantee, so if you're not happy with the product for any reason, I'll refund you 100% :)

Bits of Life Lately

Hammock is back up ☀️

Helping me spruce up our front doorstep. Plus another 12 seedlings for the garden. Can't.wait. 

Taking them to a 'new playground' makes them so, so happy.

From last month actually, headed to a charity event downtown. Can't get enough of this man in suspenders 🔥

Complimentary Mother's Day goodies in all Extract orders this week! Yummy lavender + chamomile bath salts that will leave you feeling drugged 👌🏻

Princess Blair of House Bauman, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons. (Game of Thrones anyone?)

Love you all, Happy Hump Day!

Placenta Banking with LifeBankUSA

I donated Blair's cord blood after her birth to LifeBankUSA and blogged about them here, and am happy to come back today to share with you their Placenta Banking service. This company is doing amazing things for people and I am so thrilled to share with you guys and help spread the word of storing your baby's cord blood and placenta or otherwise donating it for a life-saving cause.
I never thought about storing the placenta, as I had honestly just never heard about the option or service available to do it, but I was so inspired to do this for this pregnancy after reading this story about Quentin, a little boy whose life was saved using his sister’s placenta and cord blood. You can read this amazing story here.
Many of you know the importance and advantages of banking your baby's cord blood, but may not know the importance of placenta banking. Placenta blood is the blood that’s left in the placenta after birth. During your pregnancy, the placenta provides your baby with oxygen, water and essential nutrients and protects your baby against infection. After birth, your baby no longer needs the placenta, but the usefulness of the placenta doesn’t end with delivery -- Like the umbilical cord, the placenta blood is a rich source of stem cells which can be collected and stored in case your child or a close family member needs them someday. Just like the stem cells found in cord blood, the stem cells found in the placenta can be used for life-saving transplants to treat diseases such as leukemia, certain metabolic abnormalities and inherited diseases of the immune system or red blood cells. Stem cell transplants work by replacing other cells in the body that have either been destroyed or stopped working properly.
Adding placenta blood banking can make your cord blood collection even more powerful by potentially doubling the number of stem cells that are collected and preserved. Here's a few reasons I found about why having more stem cells matters:
- Research studies have shown that transplanting more stem cells can improve transplant success and survival.
- Preserving more stem cells means they may be used to treat more than one health condition that may affect your child or other close family member in the future.
- Placenta blood increases other types of stem cells that have shown promise in regenerative medicine, an area of groundbreaking clinical research that involves the use of stem cells to repair or regrow damaged tissues and organs.

LifebankUSA is the only company out there that offers this unique opportunity to save more stem cells. Since 2006, LifebankUSA has been the only private cord blood bank to offer parents the option of adding placenta blood banking to cord blood banking. And these stem cells are being put to work and doing amazing things – as of July 2015, LifebankUSA has released 19 placenta blood units for transplant in patients ranging from 3 months old to 45 years of age. LifebankUSA is also the first and only private cord blood bank to provide a unit of stem cells from placenta blood for a successful transplant. And they are nationwide - so they will collect anywhere, at any hospital you're delivering at.
I know when you are pregnant, you have about 1,000 things on your mind every minute, but going through LifeBankUSA for your baby's cord blood and placental banking will definitely help give you greater peace of mind, and the process is really so easy, you will be so happy you did.

Must-Have (& Favorite) Items for Your Baby Registry! {& Also what NOT to register for}

As a coming on third time around mom, I feel like I really have the baby items down that we need for baby #3. I also feel many times when I'm shopping off of someone else's baby registry I see so many items they will come to find they really don't need! & thinking back to when I did Landon's registry 6 years ago, I'm seeing there are SO many new amazing baby products on the market that didn't exist back then, or that I just didn't know about being a first time mom and the first mom of all my friends to get pregnant.
I've been thinking about this post for some time now, and wanted to compile a complete and very best list possible. I really limited this list to items you need. Of course there will be items you really just want as well as other personal décor and storage items, and you should feel free to register for those too! But for the sake of necessities, just these items are sure to carry you through :)

FEEDING:
- breast pump
         -most insurances now cover these so call your insurance before registering and see
- nursing pads
         - I actually never needed these, but I believe most breastfeeding moms do - you can always wait and see and AmazonPrime those when you get home from the hospital.
- 6 bottles
        - We liked Avent, and also the medela ones that worked with our pump. The slow-flow nipples they give you in the hospital we used on the medela bottles and they worked great. You only need the 4 oz bottles for about the first 6 months, then 8 oz bottles after that.
- bottle brush
- nursing cover up (optional;))
- I would leave out burb cloths, because you will undoubtedly receive these but even if you don't, kitchen cloths work just as fine. Plus I hate to tell you but 99% of the time the spit up is going to come at you completely un-prepared for.

GEAR:
- car seat
- bouncer or swing
- diaper bag
- stroller
        - we loved the Snap 'n Go for the infant bucket seat - never had it with Landon but we did with Blair and it is amazing. Will be using it again for Baby 3.
       - Once they outgrow bucket seat, we went straight to umbrella stroller and chose the Uppa Baby G-Lite - love, love, love.
- monitor
- car mirror
        - We love our Royal Rascals Baby Safe Mirror. - Super easy to install, adjustable, shatterproof, & comes with a lifetime warranty.
- The Mommy Hook
        - This thing is such a little lifesaver! It hooks onto your stroller to help you carry your shopping bag, baby bag, purse, and the million other bags upon becoming crazy bag ladies.
- Wrap
        - I have and use the Wrap 'n Wear. Similar to the Moby, but much thinner material - a breathable, almost gauze-like material. Used for both Landon and Blair and loved it. Can use it 12 different ways too - including a side/hip wrap for when they get a little older. It also comes with an instructional DVD showing you how to use all the different positions which is super helpful.
- I would personally leave out the Diaper Pail here. We had the Genie with Landon and ended up having to buy the expensive re-fills every time I went to Target. Finally just dumped it and use a regular trash, and just put poopy diapers in plastic grocery bags before putting in the trash - it's been a lot more affordable and much easier too.
- Play Yard I would also leave out - my kids hated being in there, and ultimately you need to watch them 24/7 anyway when they are young so it doesn't really serve it's purpose. If you need to take the dog out or be away from baby real quick and need a safe place to put them for a minute alone, can always use the crib.

HEALTH/GROOMING:
- Diapers
        We used a mix of cloth and disposables. LOVE Everyday Happy diapers, which are disposable but non-toxic and made with 100% sustainable materials. They're made with SFI-certified wood pulp from sustainably managed USA forests, so they are chlorine-free, preventing harmful dioxin formation. And they have ultra absorbent hybrid core wicks moisture away making them feel super comfortable. I've also found leaks/blow outs to be best contained best with these diapers as they have strong reusable grip tape and double leak guards. Additional bonus?? They're at great prices and delivered directly to your door to last you a month's supply if you sign up for their diaper care kit.
- Wipes
        - again, love Everyday Happy bamboo baby wipes for that super sensitive newborn skin. They're infused with aloe vera, vitamin E and cucumber extract, & are perfect for delicate skin.
- diaper ointment
        - Burt's Bees is our fave. Smells awesome, is 100% natural, and works the best by a long haul.
- pacis
- rectal thermometer
- nail clippers/files
- NoseFrida
- if boy/circumcised, gauze pads
- baby wash/shampoo
- infant bathtub
- 3 baby towels/washcloths. Can just use facial washcloths if you already have, no real need then to buy baby washcloths.

NURSERY
- crib
- mattress
- bassinet or moses basket
        -we have & love this one from Trend Lab. This is another product we didn't have for Landon but I got with Blair. It was great for those beginning weeks because you could take baby with you anywhere while you needed to do something - outside the shower while you showered, in the kitchen while you cooked, etc.
- glider or rocking chair
- a dresser or changing table.
        - Been seeing many people use the top of dresser as changing table - wish I thought about that before purchasing our changing table with Landon - makes much more sense!
- hamper
- 2 fitted crib sheets
- 1 changing pad
- 2 changing pad covers

CLOTHING:
- 6-8 bodysuits
- 6-8 side-snap t-shirts
- 2 hats
- 6-8 pairs of socks
- 3 swaddle blankets
        - we love Just Born swaddles, made with 100% cotton muslin. so soft and adorable designs! Also love their Simply Secure swaddle wrap.
- 6-8 pairs of pants
- 2 sweaters/hoodies
I would personally leave out all clothing and blanket items on your registry, because people love to buy these things for you anyway and you will have a surplus. Just a checklist to keep on hand after your baby shower to make sure you have enough of the basics.

I also left out toys and books because again these are items you will receive a ton of, and babies really do not need any toys until about 6-9 months old anyway.

I hope this list helps and remember that lots of baby gear items you can now find at consignment or pre-used, so check out those types of places too. And borrow from friends! Lots of these items are only used within first 6 months and they can be pricey for such a short period of time, so see what you can borrow that someone is no longer using. One last thing to remember is that Amazon Prime is only a few clicks away and 2 days later it will appear on your door step. So anything you didn't get and come to realize you wish you had, its no big deal at all to just order it once the baby is here.
Happy nesting!!

Nowvel Photo Book Giveaway!!

Just received our photo book from our Florida vacation from Nowvel and love it so much!!! I am so excited to offer one of you lucky guys a chance to win your own today!!

Unlike other online photo books this is an actual app on your phone that you can literally just select photos from your camera roll to be placed in the album. So it doesn't take up all your hard drive storage on your computer AND you don't have to transfer photos to your computer!! Every mom's worst inconvenience;) I take SO many pictures of my kids and have so many photos on my phone, which then just get transferred to my hard drive, and I feel like so many gorgeous photos ultimately just get lost in a digital heap or icloud somewhere up there. And creating a photo book felt like making a scrapbook - it would take legit weeks for me to complete and I would stress about making it perfect, agonizing over the correct placement and order of each and every photo.
Now, with Nowvel, this is completely different, and SO AMAZING! It is literally the easiest thing to do now - their software picks and groups your personally selected photos from facebook or your iPhone and automatically generates them into a photo book FOR you. - but don't worry you Type-A personalities, you can still move around, edit, crop all you want, they just make it about a gajillion times easier on you already time-pressed mamas.
They have some super cute cover styles to choose from, it was really hard to pick which one to go with, but I opted for the tropical lime green 'hello' script because it went so well the overall color scheme of my photos. 

And the quality of their books are top notch - their books are printed with super thick, stiff paper stock that lays completely flat when open. They can showcase a single photo across both pages and their books cost $20 flat. Here are a few of my favorite pages from our book:

I know that was a lot, but I literally love every single page so much. The finished product shocked me with how good it came out - Every photo was perfectly placed and the resolution of all the images came out looking like I used a high tech camera. We will definitely be using this app to make photo books for family events, parties, and gifts for others. Speaking of gifts- this would make a great personal Mother's Day gift!

How To Enter:
Leave a comment on this blog post telling me what kind of photobook you would make if you win!!
Please leave your email address on your comment so I know how to contact you if you're the lucky winner!

And if you don't win this giveaway, fret not! You can use promo code "CORNER" for $5 off your order. 

This giveaway and promo code will expire on 4/26/16. Winner will be chosen at random and emailed with the email they provide in the comment. Good luck!!!

Mixed Berry Smoothie

Been making smoothies a ton since the start of my pregnancy -  It's been a great way to up our vitamin C with all these colds around us, and the kids absolutely love them so it's an easy way to whip up something quick & healthy for them and that they'll actually gobble all up.
Here is one we've been making a lot lately, a mixed berry one made with R.W. Knudsen Family's Just Blueberry Juice. We love R.W. Knudsen Juice brand because they stand by wholesome ingredients without any artificial flavors or preservatives - they are made from organic single-fruits, with no added sweeteners and completely sweetened 100% by the juices straight from the fruit, and they taste absolutely delicious. The R.W. Knudsen Family offers over 100 types of natural, organic fruit and vegetable juices, as well as celebratory beverages, bubbly Spritzers, and natural sports drinks, and you can find them at your local grocery stores, Walmart, and Target.

Berry Smoothie: What You Will Need:
- 1/2 cup vanilla or plain Greek Yogurt
- 2 tablespoons blueberryjuice (R.W. Knudsen Family Just Blueberry Juice is our favorite)
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries
- 1 banana
- Some other optional healthy add in's or toppings are a tablespoon of coconut oil, a tablespoon of hemp seeds, a tablespoon of chia seeds, PB2 powder, or protein powder.

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in blender. Cover and process until smooth.
2. Top with frozen blueberries, coconut flakes, chia seeds, or any other toppings you fancy & enjoy!

Random Updates

Finally getting back into the swing of real life again after 2 weeks in beautiful Florida with family. A couple little bits to share with you!

- Mumma's Corner was featured in Better Homes and Gardens! They featured Blair's gender reveal party we hosted 2 years ago. You can check it out here.

- Top Baby Blogs has rest their rankings!! Mumma's Corner has continually been within the top 15 and I would love love love your support to keep us there and maybe move us up a few notches if you love us ;) Being ranked on this site has led to so many great opportunities with companies, giveaways, and connections so I would really appreciate your continued support! All you need to do is click on this link, and then click the owl on the left. (And you CAN vote once every day!)

- I am putting together a team of people to help me promote my etsy shop, Extract Skincare. I'm looking for people who are into natural skincare and would like to try my product out (for free!) and post about it on your blog or other social media outlets (facebook or instagram). If you are interested in receiving your own custom made facial cleanser in exchange for a blog post or other social media post, please email me at mummascorner@gmail.com with the subject line "Extract Promotion Team"

- Stay posted for some amazing baby items I will be giving away soon - coming up in the pipeline is The Mommy Hook, a pair of Freshly Picked baby moccasins, Just Born swaddle wrap and muslin swaddle blankets, and MORE!

Cocoa Beach

Spent our last couple of days on beautiful Cocoa Beach. We stayed here 2 years ago when Blair was only 4 months old, and it was so fun to be back and see her really experience the beach and go to all our favorite places again. Missing our vacation so much already...

Disney!

We did a day at Disney World and of course had such an amazing, magical day. The pictures pretty much speak for themselves .. ✨