Almonds...You Can't Eat Just One!

I saw a post on the blog Urban Grace about these almonds. This blog is mainly an interior design blog, but the interior designer also happens to be pregnant and has made a few baby related posts. Well, I've known that almonds are one of those super foods for pregnant ladies, but I've never really liked the plain ones. Well, I happened to see these in the grocery store this weekend and decided to pick them up. They're awesome!! They're not dipped in chocolate...it's just a dusting so you don't really feel like you're pigging out on a candy bar. It just tastes like a really good healthy snack. I highly recommend them. You can get the jumbo size at Costco!

Gap Maternity

I have been very lucky to not have to buy many maternity items thanks to my friend Alison who generously let me borrow ALL of hers! But, these twins insist on growing rapidly as does my chest (when does that stop, or does it?) so I needed to pick up a few new things. I went to Gap Maternity to find some things for work. That didn't happen, but they had lots of cute casual things and some really really good sale items. All the shirts picture above were under $20!!! The pink plaid shirt also comes in blue and the bright pink tank with the ruffle neck comes in navy.

The bag...not a diaper bag, but I'm currently in the process of rationalizing how it could be a diaper bag. I'm not a skilled diaper bag user yet, but I'm guessing you need lots of pockets/flaps/zippers, etc. None in this bag:(

Happy Earth Day!

Here's a cool site I found that sells modern eco-friendly baby products. Newbornmom has products for the apparel, bathtime, bedtime, mealtime and playtime categories. Pretty cute stuff.

Pottery Barn Teen

Who knew PB Teen had the coolest stuff??? I found a ton more ideas for our nursery on this site than on the PB Kids site. They also have a really good sale section online. Above are just a few of my favorites. The only bummer is that they only have stores in NY and Georgia. Although, PB Kids here in Chicago is supposed to be carrying some of the items in the store by end of summer. You should definitely check out the site.

Gum Drop Pillows

I finally have a plan for our nursery, so I'm trying to put all the pieces together. My parents have this fabulous rocker in their basement that was my great grandmothers and they are the best because they are going to let me pain and re-upholster the chair. I think it's going to look great...I just hope it fits in the room! So, it needs an ottoman, right? If my mom is up to the task of helping me sew it after we make curtains, pillows and maybe some crib skirts...we might make this too. We have a lot of sewing to do!!

I think this is a great idea for any room and sounds like it wouldn't be too hard although I'm not really a skilled sewer. Here is a link to the Amy Butler pattern site.

Fun Site - Good Baby Name Finder

My husband and I are in the process of picking names and it's proving to be a difficult task. I've looked online at alot of baby name search engines and I like the one on The Cradle's site the best. The Cradle site itself is pretty nice too. It's kind of like Babycenter or The Bump.

But, the name finder is great. It let's you search by categories such as:

Clunky but cool names
Names all your friends will think are cool
Names kids consider cool
Three syllable standouts
Names dads like more than moms

They also have the regular search by origin and browse a-z options. This site definitely makes the task more fun!

My friend Shannon also suggested Baby Name Wizard which has tools like the namefinder, nameipedia, namemapper and namevoyager. I'm searching on that one next.

Stroller Found...I Think...

Ever since we found out we were having twins, I have been searching for the perfect stroller. By now I understand that the perfect stroller for twins (that doesn't cost $1,000!!) doesn't exist. BUT, I think I have finally found the next best thing. The Kolcraft Contours Options stroller is a double tandem stroller that allows for the seats to both face backward, to the front or facing each other. The BIG plus is that with the help of one $30 attachment, you can put two car seats in it...and it's kind of cute too! Did I mention it retails at Babies R Us for $219???

I haven't been able to test it or see it in person, but I have read all of the reviews. Sounds like the cons are that it is heavy (are there any double tandems that are light?) and folding it is a bit of a pain. Sounds like it also takes up a lot of room in most car trunks. But, all the twin reviews say it's worth it. So, I'm willing to give it a try since it's a stroller that can work from newborn to the toddler stage. You can order this stroller from a number of stores including Babies R Us, Target and Wal-mart.

Anyone know of parents using this stroller?

Pottery Barn Kids Blankets

We took our first stab at registering over the weekend and one of our stops was Pottery Barn Kids. We haven't registered there yet, but just stopped to check out a few things. While I was there, I spotted these adorable blankets right away.

Muslin Swaddles

I've seen these a few different places and hear they are really good because of there extra large size. These swaddles from Aden + Anis are 47 in x 47 in and are made from muslin. They have several cute designs and also make washcloths and bath towels from muslin. They are a bit pricey and since I've never used them, I'm not sure it's a must have, but thought I would post about it.

My sister-in-law also told me about the Miracle Swaddle that she has and loves. That one she said, is totally worth the money.

Fabric Ideas

Now that we know the twins are a boy and a girl, I am busy trying to figure out how we are going to decorate the nursery. I'm on the hunt for some color combo and fabric pattern ideas. This Etsy Fabric Shoppe has a ton of fabrics. It's great to get ideas on color combos and even how to put different patterns together...I always have a hard time with that. Lots of good inspiration here.

Baby Legs

My friend Beth who has a beautiful little girl, Kylie, posted a comment about Baby Legs and I think it's such a great idea. Baby leggings! The pics on the site are adorable and just make me giggle. I can't beleive how many different kinds of leggings they have. They are available at a ton of locations on chicago including Bullfrogs & Butterflies, Shorty's, Grow and Stinky Pants.

Can You Guess What Baby A and Baby B Are???

Duke and I were THRILLED today to find out we are going to have a baby boy and a baby girl!!! Today's appointment was so exciting and we couldn't be happier that we are having one of each. We found out that Baby A was a boy first and then had to wait about 20 minutes before the ultra sound technician got to Baby B. She told us Baby B was a girl and I had to ask if she was absolutely sure. 99.9% sure was the answer I got. We got a lot of great pics of the babies and they were moving around like crazy. Our little girl was doing some major dance moves in there and it took them a long time to get all of her measurements. Our little boy was very well behaved. I am 20 weeks and feeling great and now that we know what the babies are, we have lots of planning to do!! We'll keep you updated on the babies over the next few months.

Baby Calendar

I have heard from several new moms how helpful it is to have a little calendar to keep track of eating times, sleeping times, diaper changes etc. for newborns. I just saw this cute baby log on Posh Little blog. It's called the La La Log. I checked out the site Rosiebear.com and they have a bunch of great designs...even some for twins!

P.S. I'm very very excited for tomorrow because we have an ultrasound to find out the sex of the babies!!

Bright Pillows

I just saw these on the Fabulous Finds blog and love them! They are from an Etsy shop called Robin's Egg Pink. If you haven't been on Etsy before, definitely check it out. They have much more than baby stuff, but I'm going to spend some more time in the baby section and see what they have.

Two Good Finds

These two good finds come from my good friend Shannon who has a beautiful daughter named Libby. Check out her blog for the very cute Easter garland she just made!

The first is Ju Ju Be for diaper bags. The one pictured above would be great for both mother and father to use, but they also have a bunch of fun pattern choices and several different types of bags and accessories.

The second good find is for more nursery art. Litsy Designs has a nice selection of custom name plaques. Many of them would aslo be pretty easy to paint yourself with a few supplies from a craft store.

Washing Baby

I have always liked Method products and use several of them in our home. I'm sure their baby line has been out for a while, but since we were never in the market for diaper cream until recently, I never noticed them. Well, I noticed these products at the grocery store today and thought they were very cute. So far I've seen baby shampoo, diaper cream, bubble bath and lotion. I'm going to pick some up at Target before the little ones arrive.

Feeding Baby

I have been thinking about trying to make food for our twins when they're ready for baby food. I would like to give it a try mostly to save money. I've talked to a few other moms who have done this and they say it's really not that hard and does save you a few bucks. I won't know until I give it a try how hard or easy it is, but I have been looking at a few products that would help.

The Kidco Electric Food Mill blends and Puree's food and has a great price! The Beaba Babycook from Williams - Sonoma steams, blends, warms and defrosts...pretty impressive for such a small gadget.

Shorty's

We stopped in this cute little children's store on Milwaukee called Shorty's this weekend. It's mostly handmade items like clothes, hats, bibs, blankets, etc. But, they also have a small consignment section that had some pretty nice things. My husband made his first baby purchase at the store, these very cute never worn converse sneakers for $15! Hope one of the twins is a boy! We loved the cute onsies with fun sayings and there were also vintage t-shirts that had been made into onsies. It's worth a stop if you're in the neighborhood. It's at 1240 N Milwaukee.

The Red Balloon

Another tip from Alison is The Red Balloon. It's a local store at 2060 N Damen. I haven't been to the store, but I can tell how cute it is by the website. They have a really nice selection of classic books and will put together book gift buckets for you. Very cool!

Rosenberry Rooms

My friend Alison sent me a great website, Rosenberry Rooms. They have everything - furniture, baby gear, nursery art, decor, lighting, rugs...you name it, they've got it. It's a really cute site with tons and tons of products. Here are a few from the nursery art section since I'm on the artwork kick.