What You Should & Should Not Say About Food Allergies

Happy Thursday friends!

As some of you already know my son Graham was recently diagnosed with a peanut allergy.  Josh and I definitely did not see this coming.  We're bummed that our son can't enjoy peanut products like we do. (I eat PB&J literally once or twice a week.  Well, I used to.)  While we hate that this has happened we're very thankful that he's only allergic to peanuts.  We're also hopeful that his allergy will diminish over time.

Now on to the point.  I know this world of raising a child with a food allergy is new to me.  However, I am very familiar with the risks and lifestyle that comes with it.  I have numerous cousins and other family members with food allergies.  I've seen and heard enough to know that there are some things that you SHOULD NOT say to a parent of a child with food allergies.  Believe it or not I was told/asked all of these in the last few weeks.

1) Did you vaccinate him? 

OK I know what you're getting at here.  Unless you have the scientific evidence and statistical proof that there is a correlation between vaccinations and food allergies I really have no interest in continuing this conversation.  

2) Did you get your flu shot when you were pregnant?

Yep, sure did.  See my response to #1.

3) My child will take whatever he/she wants for lunch to school.

Well you sure are a winner, aren't you?  Why don't you do me a favor?  Picture your child with hives all over her body with her eyes almost swollen shut struggling to breathe and vomiting -  or even worse, picture her going into complete anaphylaxis shock.  Maybe you should have a little compassion and not be so self-centered.  Your child can have her PB&J when she gets home from school.  Yes I know it's annoying but is your child's peanut butter worth my child's trip to the ER?  Nope, sure isn't.

Whew, those got me fired up!  Let's end on a positive note, shall we?  

Now that you know what NOT to say, here are some great things to say to encourage &/or comfort the parent of a child with food allergies.

1) Can you show me how to use the Epipen (or in our case the Auvi-Q)?

Yes I would love to.  It's better to be safe than sorry!

2) What else is he/she allergic to?

Thank you for asking, it is so important to be aware of all the risks.

3) Keep Graham away from that casserole, there are peanuts in it.

Thank you for the warning! (I know in a perfect world there would be no peanut products at any family function but let's be honest sometimes your aunt just HAS to make her peanut butter pie.)

4) We will pray that he outgrows it!

Prayer is always welcomed, thank you.

Food allergy parents, do you have any to add?  Feel free to use this as a vent sesh, I just did!

6 Wardrobe Essentials For Spring

Hello friends!  

With this lovely spring weather comes spring cleaning.  You know what that means: more room for new clothes in your closet!  If you don't have anything from these categories considering adding one or more to your wardrobe.  These are timeless pieces that will take you from one season to the next.  Some of my favorites from each category are listed below.  Which ones are your faves?  

1 -- White Denim

2 -- Skater Skirt

3 -- Statement Necklace

4 -- Nude Heels

5 -- Blazer

6 -- Striped Maxi Dress

5 -- Blazer

As always, thank you for stopping by!

Monday Mix-Up: Family

Hello friends!

Today is an exciting day on the blog: it's the first Monday Mix Up!

Monday Mix Up is the weekly linkup with Regan from The Hollinsworth House and yours truly.  We thought it would be fun to pick a topic each week and post anything that relates to that topic.  We'll cover everything from food to fashion to our kiddos to everyday life.  (A little background on Regan: Regan and I became fast friends through Instagram.  We share the joy of being mommies and loving fashion!) For our first post Regan and I thought it would be perfect to start with a topic that means the most to us: FAMILY!

As most of you know I have a wonderful husband Josh and adorable little boy named Graham.  They are my world!  Every day is better with them in my life.  This weekend was a special weekend for our family because Josh's birthday was on Sunday!  We started our weekend on Saturday with a trip to Gainesville to visit Josh's family.  Josh's mom teaches kindergarten and her school's carnival was on Saturday so that was our first stop.  Graham really didn't know what to think about all of the excitement.  He mostly walked around and watched what all of the other kids were doing.

How cute is he?!

Fab Finds Friday: Zulily for the Kiddos!

Oh my goodness I hope you're sitting down for this!  

There is so much adorableness in this post that I can barely stand it.  I mean seriously?  Thanks Zulily for brightening my day with these ridiculously cute and ridiculously affordable finds!  If you haven't registered with Zulily yet you definitely should.  It costs nothing to access the brands you love at amazing prices.  Just make sure you act fast because they won't be available for long!

My favorite picks for the girls and boys are below.  Enjoy!

One || Two || Three || Four || Five ||

Six || Seven || Eight || Nine || Ten ||

One || Two || Three ||

Four || Five || Six || Seven ||

J. Crew Sale on Sale!

Hi friends!  

Did you know J. Crew sale items are an additional 40% off today (and some are 50% off)?  Yep, it's true!  There are so many things on sale it has literally taken me all night to pick my favorites.  You can shop these items straight from the widget below.  

Happy shopping!

3 Ways to Wear: Kimono Top

You know that one piece in your closet that you want to wear with everything?  That's how I feel about this gorgeous "Splash Your Way Through" Kimono from The Pink Nickel.  It is the quintessential spring cardigan!  It's so lightweight that you almost forget you're wearing it but then again it has this way of making you feel like royalty.  You need to experience it for yourself.

I'm thrilled to be partnering with The Pink Nickel today to style this piece for you.  If you aren't familiar with The Pink Nickel, it is a darling boutique serving the Jacksonville area and online community.  The owner Angela actually started the boutique strictly online and it has grown exponentially!  Her first location opened in Julington Creek less than a year ago and she'll be opening her second location at the beach soon.  The Pink Nickel has everything to offer from clothing to shoes to gorgeous jewelry.  If you live near Jacksonville you need to visit them!

As you can see from the pictures, I love the pink accents in this top.  Since I own so many pink pieces this was super easy for me to style!  I think my favorite outfit is the one with the Panama hat.  I'm pretty much obsessed with that hat.  It was the last one at my Target but there are still some available online here and here.  Josh says I'll never wear it but I'm looking forward to proving him wrong!

See below for additional pics and links to the other items I'm wearing.  As always, thank you for stopping by!  And a special thanks to The Pink Nickel!!

Option 1: Dress & Scarf

Target Scarf || Urban Outfitters Dress (old, similar, love this & this) ||

Bourbon & Boweties Bangles || Michael Kors Watch || 

Seychelles Wedges (old, similar, love these) || Maybelline Pink Pop Lipstick

Option 2: Panama Hat & Denim

 

Target Panama Hat || Target Pink Top || Gap Jeans ||

J. Crew Chain Necklace || James Michelle "Graham" Bar Necklace (similar)||

Tory Burch Earrings || Lulu's Heels (similar)

Option 3: Pink Skirt

J. Crew Factory Skirt (sold out, similar, similar, adorable!, splurge) ||

Forever 21 Tank (old, similar) || GiGi New York Clutch ||

Jessica Simpson Pumps (old, similar) || "Love" Necklace c/o AshleGryre

Linking up with Shanna for Random Wednesday!

10 Sanity-Saving Tips For Pumping Moms

Today I said goodbye to pumping.  After 11 months of pumping at work I am finally done!  I'm so proud of myself for sticking it out and making it this far.  I'll be honest there were times that I wasn't sure if I could do it.  Was my supply dropping?  Was the time spent away from my desk affecting my productivity?  Were my coworkers annoyed that I was always in the Mothers' Room?

I can now say confidently that the answer to all of those questions was NO!

I have been extremely blessed to work for a company that not only supports pumping moms but encourages us.  We have a Mothers' Room stocked with milk storage bags, pump wipes, lysol, hand sanitizer, lockers, a refrigerator, and much more.  I know I wouldn't have made it without my coworkers' support (especially my boss Jeff and fellow pumping mom Stacye).

To celebration this milestone I thought it would be fitting to share some tips I've learned from the past 11 months.  I hope these help and encourage the rest of you pumping moms to stick it out.  

YOU CAN DO IT!

1. Communicate your schedule with your boss.  As I mentioned before I've been blessed to have a boss who supported my pumping responsibility (that's what it is to me - my responsibility to my son). He always respected my time away from my desk and I respected his by communicating upfront when I would be unavailable.  (We actually use a shared calendar for the Mothers' Room, I highly recommend doing that and setting up recurring meetings on your calendar so others know when you're busy.)

2. Buy extra parts! This tip definitely saved my sanity.  One of the worst things about pumping is cleaning the various parts.  Save yourself some time each night by purchasing some spares.  I have the Medela Freestyle and rotate 6 sets of parts (I've built up my collection through these 11 months).

3. If pumping for a stash, lay storage bags flat to freeze.  This will save much-needed freezer space.  Seems so simple, right?  Just make sure you buy reliable bags that won't leak when you thaw the milk. (I like the Target brand, they're sturdy and have two zippers.)

4. If pumping for tomorrow's feeding, pump directly into the bottle. Take any extra milk and freeze it to use another time.  (This tip was from my fellow pumping mom Stacye. Thanks Stacye!) 

5. Always have hand sanitizer, paper towels, and pump wipes handy.  Pretty self-explanatory - be prepared!

6. Keep a pair of shorts in your bag.  Random, I know.  These shorts are for the days that you wear dresses without easy access.  If you have to take your dress off, you better have something else to put on!

7. Buy a hands-free bra.  I use the Medela brand but I'm sure other brands have similar ones.  This bra is a life-saver.  It really helps you take your mind off of the pump and just relax.  (Look ma, no hands!) 

8. Pump within the hour of when your baby eats.  You MUST make sure that your schedule is very close to your baby's.  Remember your body is supplying milk based on demand.  If that demands drops when you're away from your baby you risk having your supply drop too.  I know some moms can get away with pumping less frequently because they have an amazing supply but I'm not one of them.   

9. Don't get caught up in the numbers.  It's so difficult when you're pumping directly into a bottle to not worry about how much or how little you're getting out.  Keep in mind that babies are much better at this than any pump.  Also, as your baby gets older and starts eating solids your supply will drop naturally as he/she requires less milk from you.  You will notice this when you pump - don't worry, stay the course!  Just make sure you change your baby's bottle size based on how much you're pumping so you don't run out of milk. 

10. You don't have to clean the parts after every session.  This tip from Stacye saved my pumping life!  I was literally taking each piece apart, drying them, then cleaning them after every session (at the time I was pumping 3 times a day).  That was exhausting!  Stacye informed me that I can actually keep everything together and just refrigerate them until the next session.  Life saver!!!  I wrap mine in paper towels and put them in the cooler with the milk and keep them in the fridge.  Then at the end of the day (or end of the week depending on how lazy I feel) I wash them at home by hand and leave them out to dry.  (I highly recommend not using your dishwasher since it can alter the size of your parts which can make them less effective.)

My hope is that these tips not only save your sanity and valuable time but that they also encourage you.  A good friend once told me that "pumping mommas are warriors" and it's so true!  (Thanks Meagan!) Please let me know if you have any questions or any tips to add.  

P.S. - A great resource that helped me tremendously is Kelly Mom!