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baby

3 DIY Activities for Babies

April 16, 2020 by firstcomesfamily Leave a Comment

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know I’ve been posting the DIY activities I’ve been doing with our 11 month old girl. With the influx of lockdowns in states across the country, we are home with our babies A LOT more. Now is the time to do all of those activities with your babies that you pinned months ago. Here are my 3 activities that we gave a go in the past week! These activities get their neurons firing and senses overloaded.

Keep in mind, the attention span is 3 to 5 minutes per year of age. So don’t be surprised if your little one only finds joy in these for a minute or so.

Mess Free Painting

You will need:

-Paper

-Gallon Baggies

-Paint (preferably washable)

-Packing tape (a strong tape)

Take a sheet of a paper and put dabs of paint all over it. Carefully place in a gallon bag and zip. Tape bag down flat on a high chair, table or the floor. Then let your babe “finger paint”, moving the colors around, feeling the texture and explaining each color. When finished, take out the paper of the bag and let dry!

Sensory Spagetti

Things you’ll need:

-1/2 box Spaghetti or any pasta

-Pot (for boiling spaghetti)

-Strainer

-Food Coloring

-Baggies

-Oil (vegetable/olive)

Okay, this has been our favorite. Cook spaghetti as you normally would but leave it a little more al dente so that it doesn’t mush. Strain pasta and let dry a little. Separate the pasta into baggies (as many colors as you’d like) and place 10-20 drops of food coloring with a 1/2 tbsp of oil into each bag and shake up! Once coloring is even on pasta, rinse and strain so theres no excess coloring on it. Lay on a pan with paper towels to dry and soak additional colorings. Then place in a tub/container and play! It’s fun to point out colors and let them feel the textures. Warning: they will probably eat it!!

Colored Bag Hanging

Things You’ll Need:

-Gallon Baggies

-Water

-Food Coloring

-Strong Tape (I used packing tape)

Fill each bag with about 3 cups of water. Place 5-10 drops of food coloring in each bag (as many colors as you’d like). Zip bags up and tape to a glass door or even the stove window! Babies will love squeezing and seeing the colors shine. Our girl loved this and we kept it up for a few days!

Sensory activities are a great way to introduce new things to your child. They help stimulate the brain and create nueron pathways to improve sensory processing. It may take a bit for time to gather these activities but I’m sure they’ll be a hit to keep our crazy kiddos busy!

Filed Under: Toddler Activities, Uncategorized Tagged With: acitivity, baby

The Best Baby Black Friday Deals

November 22, 2019 by firstcomesfamily Leave a Comment

the best baby Black Friday deals 2019

*This post contains no affiliate links. Every item is something we love and receive no commission from you shopping these great items.*

It’s that time of year again! Time to get those credits cards out and snag some deals on our favorite baby items this Black Friday. Black Friday falls on November 29th, 2019 this year with some sales beginning November 25th. I’ve taken some time to put together the deals that have caught my eye already. Most are small shops that we love personally and others are items that just have a great price we can’t pass on!

Baby

Freshly Picked– 30% storewide starting 11/25. You can join their Fringe Rewards program to save an additional 20% on top of sale prices. They have the cutest moccasins and best leather diaper bags! (the Classic is on my list)

SnuggleMe Organic– Begins 11/18 at 6:30. Infant loungers are $68 (reg. $99), Toddler loungers are $99 (reg. $149), Infant covers are $35 (reg. $48), and Toddler covers are $45 (reg. $64). Text BLACKFRIDAY to 81787 for the secret link when sales go live!

Lou Lou and Company– They are offering exclusive sales every day before Black Friday! You must join their email list to get the daily discount code. You can sign up HERE.

Copper Pearl- 10% of all orders, 15% off orders over $75, and 20% off orders over $150 beginning 11/29 at 8 am MST. These are the softest swaddles! We have a few!

Kyte Baby– 25% site wide starting 11/29. They are offering a “Pre-Black Friday” sale with urge to fill your wishlist for easy purchasing when the sale goes live!

BabyBreez– 30% off sitewide now! Starting pajama shopping a little early with 30% site wide. Just use code FRIDAY30.

Lulu and Roo– 25% off sitewide + daily deals starting 11/26 at 12 AM MST. All of their super cute clothing is handmade! Made in the USA.

Bloom Headwraps– 25% storewide!

Target: Prices are good 11/28-30 with in store sales beginning at 5 pm.

  • – Graco Slim Fit 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat– 50% off bringing it to $115 + tax! This is a Car Seats for the Littles recommended seat!
  • – Ergobaby 360 All Carry Positions ergonomic baby carrier– 50% bringing it to $79.99 + tax! Love these because you can carry baby front facing and inward.
  • – Chicco Bravo travel system– $100 off bringing it to $279.99 + tax. This popular stroller has 4.5 stars on every site and is highly recommended among mamas!

Buy Buy Baby– They are listing ALL of their sale items on one page, HERE. Many sales are happening now!

Willow: Wearable Breast Pump- 15% off with code 150FF starting now to cyber Monday. They also have free shipping on all pumps!

Itzy Ritzy– 40% off on 11/25 only for Itzy Rewards members! Non-members can receive 40% on 11/26 with code EXTRA. 11/27-11/29 will have 30% off with code MAGICAL. They have everything from diaper bags to clothes!

Nanit Smart Baby Monitor– 20% off at Best Buy starting 11/29. There may possibly be a deal on their direct website as well.

These are my favorite Black Friday sales for 2019! I love the curation of small shops and our favorite products. I’d love to hear what deals you’re planning on snagging this year! Share below!

Filed Under: Gift Guides, Uncategorized Tagged With: baby, black friday, sales

Floral Baby Shower

April 17, 2019 by firstcomesfamily Leave a Comment

(photographer: Angel Adriana Photography)

When we found out we were having a baby girl, I was a little unsure what kind of theme I wanted to go with. We had our hearts set on a neutral safari themed room for a little boy but I knew that I want all pink for a girl. I wanted something that can grow with her and be trendy opposed to the traditional Winnie the Pooh or Mickey Mouse. We landed on a pink floral theme. Our wonderful extended family hosted this gorgeous shower for us and she did not disappoint!

Location

For all my Tampa locals, we decided to host it at Foundation Coffee Co. Tampa Heights. It is located in an old historic brick building just near Tampa Riverwalk. There is such charm in the fact that is located in a restored building. They have an door sitting area along with an eclectic outdoor space with greenery and a pergola. Outdoor seated roughly 40 people and very reasonably priced. We opted for the back patio since it was spring in Florida and couldn’t pass up the gorgeous weather.

Theme

Everything was stemmed from the actual wallpaper we used in the nursery. (You can find it HERE) We had custom napkins made with the actual wallpaper graphic. What a gorgeous touch!

Desserts

My favorite part, DUH! Our only request was great desserts and she did not disappoint when arranging them.

We had mini cupcakes which I’m all about! There was a Guinness Chocolate, Cookie Dough, and Vanilla. The cookie dough was so good, but I may be biased because I love chocolate chip cookies.

Of course there was cake, what is a baby shower without one? We had a simple white cake and vanilla buttercream naked cake from Publix. I was so impressed with the quality of the cake. Definitely would order another for an event.

For some grab and go desserts, we also had pretzel rods and cake pops. The cake pops were traditional vanilla flavor but the wow factor was the detail of design. Almost too good to eat!

Games

Since we had a co-ed shower, we tried to keep the games to a minimum so guys didn’t feel obligated. To appeal to the guys, we did a bottle chug race. This was a race of who can drink the apple juice out of the baby bottle the fastest! You could also do it with beer (guys would definitely like that LOL).

A fun way to stock up our diaper pile was to do a Diaper Raffle. We asked everyone to bring a pack of diapers and in return we chose a random name to win a prize.

A really nice touch was that my sister-in-law handed out advice cards. She asked everyone to write a piece of advice down for us. It was so sweet for us to read through these once we got home. Most advice was to sleep when possible, remember to date each other, and don’t worry about keeping your home clean.

Favors

At most showers, they give a favor that you usually toss away. Following along with our sugar addiction, we gave custom sugar cookies as our favors. They had a beautiful “V” for Vivian. Let me tell you, these things were delicious! I totally am a supporter of cookies as a favor at any event!

We were extremely blessed with family and friends who have given their unlimited love and support during our journey. It’s incredible what positivity and love a little baby brings to so many people. So incredible to showered with joy and love. We thank everyone along this road.

Filed Under: Pregnancy, Uncategorized Tagged With: baby, baby shower, pregnancy

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with a sprinkle of recipes + my faves
collabs: hellofirstcomesfamily@gmail.com
šŸ‘‡šŸ»Find My Links HEREšŸ‘‡šŸ»

shieann | tampa mom blogger
1 4 W E E K S ✨ I can’t believe we’re coas 1 4  W E E K S ✨

I can’t believe we’re coasting into the second trimester already! Second pregnancies truly fly by probably because I’m chasing after a toddler all day 🤪 I’ve only taken one bump pic at 5 weeks and figured I should document being 1/3 way to meeting our next babešŸ‘¶šŸ» I feel like I’m definitely starting to show way earlier this time around! 

2nd time mamasšŸ¤°šŸ» When did you start to show with baby #2?! 

#momblogger #momblog #pregnantmama #pregnantmom #14weekspregnant #maternity #bumpdate #secondtimemom #tampamom #momsofinstagram #momsofig #babynews #newbaby #babynumber2 #pregnant #pregnantstyle #pregnantlife #bumpstyle #ltkbump #targetstyle #pregnancyjourney #pregnancyfashion #maternitystyle #babybump
Happy Easter from our family to yours ā¤ļø Also Happy Easter from our family to yours ā¤ļø

Also, please know this is the best photo I have of her because she’ll only somewhat smile while eating m&msšŸ˜‚

#tampablogger #tampamomsblog #momblogger #momsofinstagram #easterbasket #catnjack #targetstyle #moments #momsofinsta #2yearsold #toddlerlife #toddlersofinstagram #toddlermomlife #toddlermom
Some people have asked if we know the gender and t Some people have asked if we know the gender and thanks to @sneakpeektest , we do šŸ˜†šŸ’™šŸ’—

@sneakpeektest is an early gender DNA test that can be done right at home! It takes about 20 minutes to do and has 99.9% accuracy. Once you send your sample in, you can find out the gender as fast as 72 hours (you can even have the results sent to a third person to do a reveal). 

Stay tuned for the reveal this week! What do you think we’re having?! Comment a šŸ’— or šŸ’™ below! 

#gifted #momlife #momblogger #sneakpeektest #genderreveal #pregnancyannouncement #bigsister #pregnancyjourney #tampabloggers #tampamom #boyorgirl #babyonboard #12weekspregnant #motherhoodjourney #motherhood #momoftwo #momsofinstagram #momsofig #momtobe #maternity #momblog
Our fam is growing by one little babe 🄰 We’re Our fam is growing by one little babe 🄰 We’re thrilled to announce that Baby #2 is arriving October 2021 šŸ’™šŸ’—

#pregnancyannouncement #pregnancyphotoshoot #pregnancystyle #babyannouncement #babynumber2 #12weekspregnant #momblogger #mombloggers #secondtimemom #genderreveal #pregnantstyle #maternityphotography #pregnancyreveal #momsofinstagram #momlifeisthebestlife #babyfever #momtobe #tampamom #tampablogger
We spent 1 week in NY (where I’m from) to see fa We spent 1 week in NY (where I’m from) to see family that we haven’t seen since 2019 and it was the best ever! We had plans of traveling up there often last year but well we know how that story goes šŸ™„ 

Every time we visit our family, it makes me wish I lived in the same city as them or even just driving distance. Being able get breakfast with my papa or hang out at my mom’s. But until they all move to Florida this is our usual.āœˆļø

šŸ‘Øā€šŸ‘©ā€šŸ‘§ā€šŸ‘¦Does your family live near you?! 

#momblogger #mombloggers #momsofinstagram #momsofinsta #oldnavystyle #oldnavykids #toddlerfashion #rochesterny #treetowncafe #toddlermomlife #traveling #mommyandme #tampamom #tampamoms #momswhoblog #momlifeisthebestlife #familytime
#AD When I was a teenager, I always thought I had #AD When I was a teenager, I always thought I had the worst skin yet everyone told me I had great skin. I think it was mostly because it didn’t look airbrushed like girls in makeup ads. Eventually into my twenties, I learned to love my skin. To love the way my cheeks get rosy. To love the way my eyes are shaped. To love the glisten of oily skin at the end of a long day. 

It makes me sad that I spent so many years wondering why my skin didn’t look like a magazine model’s. But it makes me even more happy that now at almost 27 (yikes that makes me feel oldšŸ˜†) I have finally accepted and embraced the beauty that I’ve had all along. @tula helps me day in and day out with their clean skincare products made of probiotics and superfoods! Let me tell you, I feel like my skin just left a spa after every cleanse ✨ 

Join me in @tula #EmbraceYourSkin and share your honest and real journey to loving your beautiful skinā¤ļø 
 
#TULAxUltaBeauty #embraceyourskin #TULAPartner @TULA @UltaBeauty
I remember being a little girl and helping my Dad I remember being a little girl and helping my Dad pack up our @igloocoolers for a day out! #AD 
#IglooPartner So it’s nostalgic to pack up our @igloocoolers Little Playmate for a picnic on the beach 
with my little one (obviously we have a pink one!) Two things are certain during our beach picnics: sand 
EVERYWHERE and cold snacks in our Little Playmate! This year the Playmate is celebrating 50 years since being released! To kick off the party, they’re rereleasing this retro design with the OG side button, The 
Little Playmate! You can watch the Igloo Playmate documentary to learn all about how it started here: 
http://bit.ly/3bKGNgI

#IglooCoolers, #IglooAnywhere, #LittlePlaymate, #50YearsofPlaymate
Hey, @lee_boogy can we go to Savannah, GA again an Hey, @lee_boogy can we go to Savannah, GA again and eat for 3 days straight? šŸ˜‹ This breakfast was from @bmatthewseatery  and I’m still dreaming about that biscuit šŸ˜

Every vacation, I like to thoroughly plan out where to eat. Literally, we never eat anywhere unless I’ve stalked it on IG, Yelp, and Facebook. I mean hey, I like good food and don’t want to be disappointed šŸ¤·šŸ»ā€ā™€ļø 

šŸ‘‹šŸ»Anyone else like this?! 

#bmattewseatery #savannahgeorgia #savannaheats #savannahfoodie #breakfastlover #travelgram #momblogger #momsofinstagram #couplestrip #yelp #savannahga #savannahfood #thingstodosavannah #weekendgetaways #weekendgetaway #georgiatravel #georgiatravelmoments
DIY 1st Birthday Set UpšŸ’• Vivian turned 1 right DIY 1st Birthday Set UpšŸ’•

Vivian turned 1 right in the middle of quarantine last year so we opted for a virtual party (everyone tuned in via FaceTime) but of course I still had to decorate for my girl! Here’s a few tips for anyone wanting to DIY their kiddos birthday party!

•Balloon Garlands from amazon are only like $10 and SO easy. Probably took us 20 mins to this (we blew them up with a bicycle pump)

•Pinterest everything! The tassels and name banner are both made by me and I found the tutorials on Pinterest!

•The cake is all box and store bought but I bought small cake pans to give it the cute small look! Again easy especially since she smashed it. Most grocery stores offer free smash cakes (ask the bakery!)

•Make an amazon wish list of gifts you’d like for your kiddo that way it’s easy for friends and family to mail them to you!

•Take tons of pictures! I can’t believe I’m already planned her 2nd birthday 😭

šŸŽˆWhat are your DIY party tips!? 

#tampamom #diypartydecor #diybirthday #firstbirthday #firstbirthdayparty #smashcake #pinterestinspired #diymom #balloongarland #graco #oneyearold #partyplanning #firstbirthdayparty #firstbirthdayphotoshoot #firstbirthdayideas #firstbirthdaydecor #mombloggers #momsofinsta #momsofinstagram #newmom #momanddaughter #mommyanddaughter #diymama #pinterestwin #diyballoongarland #diyparty
I talked on stories yesterday about how Vivian’s I talked on stories yesterday about how Vivian’s speech isn’t as advanced as other kiddos her age. It’s something I don’t chat about too much, but maybe I should. When I share these struggles, I’m simply doing it so that some other mom who is in a similar situation doesn’t feel alone. ā¤ļø

It takes a lot to be vulnerable and open on social media. Opening up with things that weigh on my mind isn’t easy, but I can tell you that the love and support I receive on here makes it so worth it. My favorite thing about this community is the support! It’s crazy how we live in a world physically lonely at times yet so full in our social media family!

ā¬‡ļøSoo, share your favorite blogger or IGer that is open, honest, and makes you feel like their friend! šŸ‘Æā€ā™€ļø
#AD Tell me if this sounds like you.. Picking up #AD  Tell me if this sounds like you.. Picking up toys ALL day long, running errands, giving baths and singing songs then realizing you forgot to feed yourself?! Because it’s literally me and it’s why I love Dole Boosted BlendsĀ® Protein for lunch when I’m busy with ya know, mom life šŸ˜… 

Dole Boosted BlendsĀ® Protein are made with blueberries and banana that blend perfectly with a protein boost of whey and almond butter to deliver a delicious smoothie that packs 10 grams of protein per serving that helps keep me full. Best part is that they are Gluten-Free and Non-GMO šŸ™ŒšŸ»

If you’re looking for a quick snack to keep you on track this new year, check out Dole Boosted BlendsĀ® Protein at your local Publix šŸ«šŸŒ 

#GetBlending #ad #DoleSunshine #DoleBoostedBlends @dolesunshine
Kicking off February the only way we know, with sw Kicking off February the only way we know, with sweets šŸ“ We went to @parkesdale for strawberry milkshakes and strawberry shortcake. It was AMAZING (we have an extra milkshake in the freezer šŸ˜‹) 

🄰I’m declaring that a trip to @parkesdale is now a February tradition for our family as it is for many other Tampa Bay families. 

šŸ’ŒWhat are your February traditions?! Valentine’s baskets? Heart pancakes? Share with me! 

#tampamom #plantcity #tampabay #momsofinstagram #momsofinsta #traditions #parenting #parents #firsttimemom #strawberryshortcake #strawberryfestival #momanddaughter #toddlervalentine #toddlermomlife #toddlersofinstagram #toddlerfashion #tampaflorida #motherhoodjourney
Are you even a mom if you don’t make cinnamon ro Are you even a mom if you don’t make cinnamon rolls into the shapes of hearts for Valentine’s Day?! I’ve seen this all over Instagram the last few years and had to do it with Vivian! She loved them and even ate them breakfast, lunch and dinneršŸ˜† 

Lately she has been the pickiest eater and she is soooo choosey with what she eats. I know kids get in phases but dang it makes me feel like I’m failing. Makes me feel like I’m not doing a good enough job of feeding her. I know I definitely could give her more fruits and veggies but still 😫

What’s the craziest thing your kid demanded to eat instead of the delicious meal you prepared?!šŸ˜†

#toddlerlife #toddlervalentine #valentinesnack #valentines #cinnamonrolls #heartshaped #mombloggers #momsofinstagram #momsofig #tampamom #momblogger #diymom #toddlermomlife #toddleractivities #bakingwithkids #pillowfort #momproblems #kidslunchideas #firsttimemom #motherhoodthroughinstagram #momproblems #toddlerfood #valentines #craftymom #momlifeisthebestlife
Ya know what’s ironic? Yesterday I hopped on sto Ya know what’s ironic? Yesterday I hopped on stories to chat about how I handle my toddler’s tantrums and the rest of the day was a nightmare of tantrums and today was the same šŸ™ƒ 

I got a DM yesterday saying that I’m a super mom and while that’s flattering, it’s far from the truth. Instagram is a highlight reel and while I try to be super transparent with y’all, not everything makes the cut to IG. Kinda like how I sat in my laundry room to take a few deep breaths while my kid was freaking the f out. Or how I just want to crumble and cry because I’m trying so hard but sometimes I just can’t keep up with the big feelings of my toddler 😭 

Although things look like rainbows and butterflies on Instagram, it definitely does not mean we have it all together. We’re all just hanging on by a thread by bedtime šŸ‘šŸ»šŸ˜“

#momsofinstagram #mombloggers #motherhoodunplugged #motherhoodjourney #motherhoodunhinged #honestmom #tampamom #toddlerlife #toddlermomlife #toddler #toddlerfashion #parenting #parentingtips #momlife #momlifestyle #motherly #postpartumjourney #momblogger #momproblems #bloggersofinstagram #theeverymom #motherhoodinspired #motherhoodsimplified #momssupportingmoms #igdaily #firsttimemom
Do you remember the last time you went on a vacati Do you remember the last time you went on a vacation to sleep?!

As a mom, the thing I look forward to on any trip is S L E E P😓  It’s crazy how you take for granted simple things like sleep and sitting in bed watching the show of your choice. But sometimes it’s SO needed. I’ve recently been focusing on filing my own cup up and this was exactly what I needed.😌

This past weekend my sister in law and I had a girls trip that our husbands actually surprised us with at @omniorlandofl šŸ‘šŸ» (they were buttering us up for their golf trip) We spent the day at the Spa and had my first hot stone massage šŸ™ŒšŸ» Swipe to see the making of this pic and my SIL falling off the bedšŸ˜‚

If you were to take a kid-free vaca right now, what would you be doing?!

#omnichampionsgate #momblogger #mombloggers #tampamom #orlando #orlandotrip #lovefl #girlstrip #momvacation #momsofinstagram #momsofinsta #momlife #travelphotography #travel #travelgram #motherhood #motherhoodunplugged #theeverygirl #spaday #momswhotravel #momlifeisthebestlife
Today, I lost my patience. More times than I’d l Today, I lost my patience. More times than I’d like.

And I can’t help but feel so guilty because of it. It’s not her fault that I’m having trouble handling my emotions while she’s learning to understand her own. But how many times can you say ā€œPlease stop touching thatā€?! Not every day is perfect. Some days she’s an angel, other days she’s a little devil. Each age has come with new challenges and boy is the toddler stage the hardest yet 😣 Constantly reminding myself that she still doesn’t have an understanding of her actions and emotions! I have to admit I use that as an affirmation almost and it truly has helped me parent better at times.

How do you handle the BIG feelings of toddlers? Help a mama out šŸ˜–

#momsofinstagram #toddlerparents #toddlerlife #momsofinsta #tampamom #momsofig #mombloggers #momblogger #parenting #parenthood #motherhoodunplugged #motherhoodthroughinstagram #motherhoodjourney #parentingadvice #mamasgirl #toddlerfashion #20monthsold #momblog #momshelpingmoms #parentingtips #toddlertantrums #motherhoodunhinged
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