But most importantly, its not about the day itself,
love should be celebrated all year around.
And nothing is more important than quality time together.
Happy Shopping!
xxx,Victoria
Sleeping bebe tips
This little babe loves her sleep,
and as long as mommy sticks to her schedule,
then baby is happy!
Love you to the moon & back swaddle by Bebe au Lait
I would like to share what helps Esmae sleep, but I will say that I believe some babies just love sleep more than others, so these tips may or may not work for you!
Here is her schedule:
9:30/10pm Bedtime
4/4:30am First Feeding
6:30am Second feeding
9:30 Wake and play time
10:15/10:30am-12:30 First nap
12:45/1pm-3:30pm Second nap
5-6:30/7pm Last nap
Ive noticed on rainy days, she combines her first and second nap (10:30-3pm)
Here are a few things we do to help her sleep longer and more comfortable:
1. Comfort! I either put on comfy cotton clothing, or strip her down to her onesie for sleep and nap time.
2. Temperature – I keep the room around 71-72 degrees F to keep her warm and comfortable, if she’s too hot, she will wake and fuss.
3. Swaddling! Until about 1 week ago, I used to swaddle her tightly for all naps and all night, she slept wonderfully. But this past week I’ve been just wrapping the swaddle loosely around her arms to prevent her from waking herself. For the first few days I noticed she would sleep less, but about 4-5 days in she’s back to her regular sleeping cycles. Swaddling helps a baby feel safe and secure, and I swaddled from the start. Sometimes when I would swaddle her, she would fuss for a few minutes, but once she feels secure she immediately calmed down and knew it was time for bed.
4. Sound and Music – When Esmae is drowsy or sleepy I play classical music or white noise (rain or ocean waves) and I keep it on the entire time she is sleeping. Noise helps her sleep longer I’ve noticed.
5. Essential Oils – If you are a mommy with a tiny baby then a diffuser is a must. Most of the time I put lavender or eucalyptus in the water and let it fill the room for naps. Peppermint is amazing if your little one is congested or has a stuffy nose (I run it over night).
6. Skin to skin – A mother’s touch is a powerful thing, and Esmae loves is when I stroke her forehead, and hair when she’s sleepy. Helps put baby fall asleep and stay asleep.
7. Swing – On days when mommy needs to get more done, I place her in a baby swing (with music and diffuser on) and let her lightly swing her entire nap. She take 3-4.5 hour naps when i do this.
These are little tips that help us, so I hope they will help you too. Esmae sleeps a lot because we established this nap schedule from the start. I helped her on days when she had a harder time falling asleep or staying a sleep by singing to her, holding her, and comforting her. Now that her sleep schedule is instilled in her, she sticks to it daily. The only down side is that when we go out for the day, it messes with her naps and they usually become shorter. Those moments usually require more cuddles though, but I don’t mind one bit.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave then below and I will answer
each and every single one of them.Thank you for reading!
each and every single one of them.Thank you for reading!
Xo,
Victoria
Christmas Shopping and Cyber Monday
Im not sure if you know, but I do about 90% of my Christmas shopping
online, on CYBER MONDAY.
I love having the luxury of laying in my bed, playing with my sweet little girl
while I Christmas shop for my friends, siblings and Esmae’s cousins!
I’ve linked some of the websites I regularly shop at with some of the amazing deals they
have going on today!
Happy Shopping!
a special Christmas this year
It’s been three months.
I can’t believe for the past three months I have
been a mom to a new and beautiful baby girl. I’ve taken a good chunk of time
off to enjoy my little girl to pieces, but now that we are on a good routine,
life can get back to normal.
To say that life is different is the biggest understatement of the year, but
it’s absolutely rewarding. I am so excited to have this new life join us for
the holidays! We had a lot of fun decorating the house for the holidays,
and everything has a little touch of pink in it, in honor of Esmae’s first Christmas.
Enjoy a little peak into our holiday decor.
More posts to come soon…
Thanks for stopping by,
xo
Victoria
Bebe Esmae’s Nursery..
Details:
Crib, Bedding, Changing Table, Chandelier & Armoire – RH Baby & Child
Pram Stroller – Inglesina
Angel Wings Rug – Lorena Canal Rugs
Chair – Marshalls (Similar Here)
Fluffy Puff – Target (Similar Here)
Rocker Toy – RH Baby & Child
Stackable Animals – Pottery Barn
Baby Monitor on Changing table – Withings
Scalloped Metal Tins – RH Baby & Child
Other toys & Accessories – Gifted by friends & family
Some products sponsored by Inglesina, Withings & Lorena Canal Rugs
I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions on Bebe Esmae’s Nursery!
Leave them in the comments below!
Thanks for stopping by!
Xo,
Victoria
Meeting Esmae Harper
My Labor and Delivery Story
I can’t believe it’s been a week already. It seems like it was just yesterday.
I am so grateful to God for blessing me with a great labor and a perfect little baby girl.
Many of you asked that I share this, so here is my labor & delivery story:
It was about 9:30/10pm and I was at home cleaning up my closet and doing last minute
laundry, when suddenly I felt my water break. I couldn’t believe it, I felt terrified
and excited at the same time. Immediately I called my husband who was at
work at the time and told him to drop what he was doing and come home immediately.
In the meantime I called my doctor and asked her what to do. She said to go straight
to the hospital, and we did just that. My contractions started picking up pretty quickly
as we arrived to the hospital. We had to check in and fill out some paperwork while
the staff got everything ready. Before they gave me a room, a nurse took me into
the triage room, to make sure my water was indeed broken. Since it was, we received
a room right away and began the IV’s, blood pressure checks and all that jazz.
I was 4cm when they checked me, and it was about midnight at this point.
My contractions were at a level 5-6 pain-wise and I was breathing through them just fine.
The nurse said I’d probably deliver by 8/9am so we had some time to wait.
My contractions began to be about 1 minute apart and the pain level went from a 6 to
a 8-9. I couldn’t catch my breath at times, so I asked for my epideral.
It took about an hour for the anesthesiologist to get to my room, and I was terrified.
My whole body was tense and I was shaking nonstop. At this point my husband was
getting a little lightheaded just watching me go through this (poor guy). Little did I know
the epideral was painless to receive and worked very quickly! And gosh is it AMAZING!
I felt absolutely nothing, and was planning on taking a nice long nap until morning
when the PA came in and wanted to check if I dilated in the past hour.
At this point it was about 2:00 am, and I was 10cm! “You’re ready to push” she said;
I was in shock and so not ready. She said lets to two practice pushes before the
doctor comes in. The first push was a good one; again I felt nothing. The second
push was apparently even better and the baby’s head started to crown! “Stop pushing”
she said! “I see the baby’s head”. She goes “the baby has hair”, “how much hair?” I asked.
Hahaha! “A good amount, want to see in a mirror?” she asked. Nope! I said! LOL.
The PA asked the nurse to get the doctor so that I can deliver, but he was reoccupied
delivering twins a few doors down. “Don’t push, don’t sneeze, don’t cough” she said.
We will wait for the doctor if we can to deliver this baby. About 45 minutes later the
doctor comes in, introduced himself and said, “let’s have this baby”! I pushed for about 4-5
minutes and she was out!
It was so surreal, so fast; I couldn’t even register in my mind what had happened.
I was in pure shock. I found it amazing that I felt nothing, no pain, and just a tiny little bit
of pressure. Next time, I’m asking for the epideral even earlier! LOL.
They handed me my baby girl and my hubby and I kissed her right away. We did
delayed cord clamping (read about benefits here) and hubs cut the umbilical cord.
Everything happened so fast!
Esmae Harper was born on August 12, 2016 weighing 6.10pounds, 19.5” long.
My labor was about 4 hours from start to finish and it was a experience of a lifetime!
Thank you for reading and have a blessed day!
xo,
Victoria
Pregnancy Skincare Routine
Lets talk skincare!
Something I’ve learned about being pregnant is that pregnancy changes not only your
body, hormones, & overall appearance; it also completely changes your skin!
Although everyone is completely different, I’ve learned that my skin in particular takes
pregnancy a bit rough. So with that being said, I’m working on
doing everything I can to take care of my skin now
and make the postpartum process go by a bit smoother.
Some things I am currently doing:
Moisturizing
Getting pregnancy safe facials
Moisturizing some more!
Cleansing with my Clarisonic (1-3 x weekly)
Using the products mentioned above (not daily, but as often as I can)
Description of Products
Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner:
This stuff is amazing! I love it because you use it in the shower, and the result is amazing. It’s pretty much a lotion you put in the shower, and this conditioner leaves your skin so soft and moisturized! During pregnancy moisturizing is everything, so I make sure I have this stuff in bulk at all times!
Sunday Riley’s Good Genes:
I have recently started using this Good Genes product because I used the Luna oil previously. Once I found out I was expecting, I put the Luna Oil aside (because it contains an ingredient similar to retinol – not pregnancy safe), and began using the Good Genes as a nighttime treatment on my face. I must share that my skin has transformed with this.
Pregnancy (& a combination of school/work/rotations/moving into a new home -stress) has caused me to breakout a lot more than usual and this stuff is repairing my skin daily! I highly recommend this product!
Burt’s Bees Belly Butter:
I’ve recently begun using this belly butter to prevent stretch marks! I try to use it 43-5 times a week before bedtime or after a shower. My skin feels so soft and moisturized after this butter! Since I am prone to stretch marks, I am hoping to avoid getting them during pregnancy (which is why I’ve been moisturizing like a crazy person!)
Bio Oil:
I lot of people rave about Bio Oil, especially in Europe! So I decided since it was very affordable, why not give it a try. I’ve researched that many people have had some serious healing using Bio Oil, and women all over the world swear by it for preventing stretch marks! I try to use it often, because it absorbs into your skin so quickly. There is a lot of research on bio oil, and the results have been amazing!
Coconut Body Milk:
On days I’m not covering myself in oil, I at least try to moisturize my skin with an organic moisturizer. I have been using this body coconut milk moisturizer since before I was pregnant, and the scent alone brings me to the state of relaxation and comfort.
La Mer Moisturizer:
Something that I have never experience before are dry patches on my face. I know La Mer is the crème de la crème of skin care, so I was excited to try this moisturizer on days I feel that my face needs a little more love. I will definably say this crème is very moisturizing and makes your skin feel like a feather, but this is not a cream I can use daily. This cream is not for everyone, but I think it’s worth giving it a try. I try to use it about 1-2 times a week for deep moisture and I love it. If you don’t have oily skin, I definitely recommend this cream!
Aqua Bomb:
This is my go-to, must have, daily facial moisturizer. I don’t know what this stuff does to my skin, but my skin loves this product. I love how my make up applies after I blend this into my face and this has been the only facial moisturizer I have repurchased about 5-8 times already. Highly recommend, if you are looking for something new!
*Disclaimer: Although there are a lot of products mentioned above, I do not use everything daily, but rotate things around as needed. In an ideal world I would love to bathe in some of this stuff twice a day, but as most people I work, go to school, and have many responsibilities therefore I am happy if I can use most of this stuff 3-5 times a week. A saying I constantly think about is “Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t have enough time in the day for everything, do your best to take care of yourself”.
Thanks for stopping by!
I would love to read what you used & loved during pregnancy,
share in the comments below!
XO,
Victoria
Travel Diaries: Venice, Italy
Venice is truly the most romantic city in the World!!!
Where we stayed: Hilton Molino Stucky Venice
I don’t even know where to begin when it comes to Venice. Venice, Italy is by far THE MOST ROMANTIC CITY we have ever visited. The people, food, location, shopping, and most importantly site seeing was absolutely amazing. We loved the idea of traveling around by boat, and there is so much to see behind every corner.
One big tip is to stay at a hotel on the main island in Venice, that way you are not wasting too much time traveling back and forth from your hotel and shops/restaurants. We stayed at the Hilton Molino, and although our suite was pretty nice and roomy, I would try something else next time. When booking a hotel room, make sure your hotel room includes air conditioning! Because about half of the hotels do not offer it.
What/Where we ate: Similarly to Florence, finding a place to eat in Venice was not an issue at all. The streets are filled with cafes and restaurants and it’s difficult to narrow it to just one. The pizza, pasta, gelato, and pastries are amazing in Venice, and you already know we tried very hard to try everything we could!
How we got around: While exploring Venice we mainly walked everywhere, but to travel from island to island we often took a private water taxi, or hopped on a shuttle boat.
For those who are looking to add Venice to their future trip, 2-4 days is a great amount of time to cover everything you will want to see.
From our travels in Italy, we also discovered that Venice was the most expensive city to not only stay in, but enjoy as well. Gondola rides can cost close to a few hundred dollars for 45-60min etc, private water taxis can range from 60-90 euros to your destination (one way) , and the hotels tend to be a lot pricier that those compared to Rome and Florence. So do your research and be careful.
Venice is also full of a lot of tourists, so ladies bring a small cross body bag and keep it close and in eye site at all times.
Orange Almond Cake
A light, moist, healthy version of a coffee cake..
Prep time: 1 hr 5 min
Yield: 6-8 servings
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
2 large oranges
1/2 cup raw organic honey ( or maple syrup)
250g almond meal (approx 1 cup)
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Heilala vanilla powder or vanilla extract
For the Glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2-4 tbsp lemon or orange juice (start with 2 tbsp and add more for desired consistency)
1/2 tsp Heilala vanilla powder
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted on a warm skillet with a dash of cinnamon – optional garnish
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350* F. Spray a 8-9″ baking dish with nonstick baking spray.
2. Boil oranges in a saucepan of water for 1 hour (topping with water as needed). Allow to cool slightly before pureeing whole oranges, pips rind and all, in a food processor until smooth and fluffy.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and honey together. Then add in orange puree and fold in almond meal.
4. Mix lemon juice and baking soda together, until fizzy and baking soda is dissolved. Add to batter.
5. Pour batter into baking pan and bake for 1 hour.
6. For the sauce: In a small bowl combine powdered sugar, vanilla and 2 tbsp lemon juice. Add more lemon juice until desired consistency achieved.
7. Remove cake from oven, let it cool completely in bang dish before removing. Flip upside down to remove cake unto a cake platter, drizzle with glaze and top with toasted walnuts if desired.
Refrigerate covered for up to one week.
This post is sponsored by Heilala Vanilla
Share your food photos with me on instagram with #eatcleanwithvictoria or tag @allthingsvictoria
Xo,
Xo,
Victoria
Cherry Tea Cake
CAKE, CAKE BABY!
I don’t know if this is a part of nesting, or if this is part of a pregnancy craving I am
I don’t know if this is a part of nesting, or if this is part of a pregnancy craving I am
experiencing in the last days of my pregnancy, but lately I have been baking on a daily
basis. I wanted to bake something to go with my breakfast tea, so one week I created this
batter recipe and topped it with peaches (let me tell you it was amazing). This time around
I added cherries that were lonely in my pantry. I don’t know which was better, but I do
know this quick and easy recipe is a keeper!
Prep Time: 20-35 Min
Yield: 8-10 servings
Ingredients:
1/4c unsweetened Desiccated Coconut
3/4c Almond Meal/flour
1/2c white flour or can substitute with ground steel cut oats
1 tsp Heilala ground vanilla powder or vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2c coconut oil, melted
3/4c pure grade A Maple Syrup
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp baking soda
1 – 24.7oz jar of Dark Morello Cherries (I bought mine at Trader Joes)
2 tbsp 10x Confectioners Sugar – Garnish
1 Baking Dish sprayed with non stick baking spray
Directions:
* Preheat oven to 350*F
1. In a large bowl, combine coconut, almond meal, white flour and vanilla.
2. In a smaller bowl whisk together eggs, coconut oil, and maple syrup.
3. Pour the egg and oil mixture into the flour mixture and mix until well combined.
4. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice with baking soda. Watch out because it
will fizz! Mix until soda dissolves, and pour the fizzy mixture into the batter and
mix until combined.
By combining the lemon juice with the baking soda, you remove the soda taste
from the cake, but still give the cake the benefits of adding baking soda).
5. Pour the batter into your baking dish and top with dark morello cherries. Bake
for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Baking time will depend on
the size of your baking dish. (*Note: I use an 11.5″anthropologie pie dish)
6. Once toothpick comes out clean, remove from oven and allow to cool 15-20
minutes. Garnish with a dusting of confectioners sugar and enjoy with a cup of
afternoon tea!
This post is sponsored by Heilala Vanilla.
Share your food photos with me on instagram with
#eatcleanwithvictoriaXo,
Victoria
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