The Teacher Diva

My List of Baby Essentials After Having Two Kids

One of the most requested posts as of late has been my baby essentials or to link certain things I'm sharing for Charlie.  I know it's taken me some time to get around to it, but I wanted to make sure I could recommend and use some of these items on Charlie before publishing this. Between George and Charlie, there have been certain things that I didn't end up loving, but what you see below are things I can confidently recommend as my baby essentials. I hope it's helpful, and let me know if I left anything out. I'll share what we keep in the rolling cart soon, as I know that's another popular topic in my DMs. ...

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What to Gift New Mamas

After sharing a thoughtful care package idea for new moms last week, I had some of you ask for more ideas, which I loved putting together. I've been on both sides - being the friend who wants to give a new mama a gift, and always being a new mom going through the tough newborn stage, so I think I have a good sense of what's helpful. Obviously every woman is different but I don't think you can go wrong with something cozy, something relaxing, something monogrammed, or something lux that you know she'll love. ...

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What I’m Living In Postpartum

It's taken me a few weeks to get this post together, but I definitely wanted to share what I'm actually living in postpartum this time around. Since Charlie's case was different from George's and I needed to go back to the hospital (sometimes multiple times a day) to be with him, drop off milk, etc., I ended up having to actually get dressed a lot more often than I did with George. And don't get me wrong, it wasn't cute, but postpartum is raw and real and I am totally OK with that! Not to mention I was still recovering from my C-section so truly, I had to be careful with what I was wearing so that I was decently comfortable. ...

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A Thoughtful Care Package Idea for New Moms

Once Charlie was born and we came home from the hospital, we were obviously happy to be home but also sad not to have Charlie with us (since he was still in the NICU). I was recovering from the C-section and everything that comes with delivery, and then on top of that, there were a lot of emotions with not having Charlie home, finally getting to see George again, dealing with some stuff George was going through, etc. It was a lot, not going to lie, and I know most new moms go through alllll similar emotions when first getting home. ...

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What I Took to the Hospital

As most of you know by now (and if you don't, head to the 'Charles' highlight on IGS if you're interested), we had Charlie much earlier than anticipated. So much so that I didn't have a hospital bag packed...or really anything ready, if I'm honest. So while I had intentions of sharing what I was packing for the hospital in my content calendar, our story didn't go that way. Instead, it was basically Austin tossing stuff in a bag for me, and then once I found out I'd be in the hospital indefinitely, a more curated packing job that I talked him through on Facetime. ...

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What She’d Love For Mother’s Day

With Mother's Day being just about a week away, I wanted to share a list of things I think all women in mother figure roles would appreciate - I know I would. Personally, I have this dog tag necklace on my wishlist, plus a couple smaller things I'm sharing in this post. From more budget-friendly gifts like this ribbed mug to one of my favorite skincare tools (that's on sale!) or personalized jewelry (I have and love this necklace for Geroge), there should be something for everyone on your list - or great inspo to send your guy. Happy early Mother's Day to everyone! ...

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12 Things Worth Buying on Amazon

By this point, you guys know I'm a big fan of Amazon - I mean, I think most of us are. Between the pandemic/going out less, the ease of their delivery, shopping for work and family/household stuff, I'm usually putting at least one order in a week. And while I do have good luck with most things, I definitely have sent a lot back. What I mean is while you can find gems on there, there are obviously items that don't live up to your standards too, and I'm pretty choosy with what I end up keeping. ...

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What I’m Wearing from Amazon During my Pregnancy

I did a Pregnancy Q+A on Instagram recently and a popular question that came up was where to shop for maternity clothes. But honestly, there's very few maternity brands that I like. With the exception of pants, I try to stick with stretchy or flowy non-maternity pieces that will accommodate the bump. I typically have good luck at Amazon and prefer to not spend a ton on tops or dresses that I'm not going to wear past the pregnancy. ...

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Candles Under $20 I Can’t Stop Burning

Alright soooo my candle collection is a little out of hand at this point but when I find a good one, I can't help but to buy one (...or two). Can you blame me? I feel like a lot of women are like this, right? I light a candle at least once a day, usually one in my office while I work and another in the living room or my bathroom in the evening, and love how they can set the mood - let alone let off a nice fragrance. So in my mind, you can just never have enough. ...

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7 Ideas for Valentine’s Day In

As I mentioned in this post with Gift Ideas for Valentine's Day, Austin and I usually keep things pretty casual. I think we did the whole Vday dinner out a couple times and realized that with the upcharges for dinner, long waits, and all that, we preferred to stay in. And now that we have George and baby on the way, it feels even more special to stay in and celebrate love at home. If you're staying in this year, here are some fun ideas that I've come up with to celebrate. Austin and I have actually done a few of these before and I'm thinking we'll go with a cheese board, chocolate tasting and a cute movie with George this year. ...

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