motherhood - growth - living
Today we’re rounding up 30 fall themed lifestyle blog ideas to bring more traffic this autumn!
Fall is a big deal here on Long Island. The weather is beautiful, the leaves change in waves, pumpkin patches and corn mazes cover the North Fork. After some unbearably humid and hot summers, fall feels like a gift.
Read moreBaby M and I needed a quick, yet decadent breakfast to celebrate the end of the heat wave this summer. We tried this delicious oatmeal cake with sliced fruit and whipped cream drizzle and were not disappointed!
2 cups oatmeal
1.5-2 ripe or slightly-browning bananas
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
Maple syrup
Blueberries
Sliced strawberries
1. Preheat the oven to 300
2. Mash oatmeal and bananas in a bowl
3. Add in vanilla
4. Place a slip of parchment paper onto a baking sheet
5. Pour the mixture onto the parchment paper and form into a patty
6. Bake at 300 for 15 minutes
7. Whisk together heavy cream and sugar
8. Slice fruit
9. Once the oatmeal base has cooled, assemble your slice however you’d like!
What’s your go-to breakfast?
Let me know below!
O.
If you are interested in guest posting on Leaf and Steel, please check out our Guest Post page for guidelines!
Mark my words: my next nursery will be The Runaway Bunny themed.
It’s my favorite children’s book and it’s iconic imagery is absolutely inspiring. I collected items for my dream nursery below – now all I need is the baby 🙂
To be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of heavily themed nurseries (or themed weddings, parties, etc). I love simple motifs and little details. That’s why this inspo board isn’t loaded with bunnies; it’s a subtle interpretation.
I wanted to include different textures and colors inspired by the book. It’s a little bit whimsical, a little bit grandmillenial. It would be perfect for a little boy or a little girl!
Some of the links in the post are affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission, at no cost to you.
Did you do a theme for your child’s nursery?
Have you read The Runaway Bunny?
Let me know below!
O.
If you are interested in guest posting on Leaf and Steel, please check out our Guest Post page for guidelines!
Summer is here and things are starting to heat up! I’ve amassed some easy ways to keep your baby or toddler cool in the summer.
Here on Long Island, the temperatures can easily reach the high 90’s in June. On top of the stifling humidity, it can get pretty dang hot!
JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.Some of the links in the post are affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission, at no cost to you.
I’m always careful to make sure my toddler doesn’t get too hot. Some days, you just need to stay inside to protect yourself. However, we do try to get out as much as possible. There’s nothing quite like fresh air and sunshine!
Some days, it’s much to hot to stay out from 10-3pm, so we usually save our outdoor activities or errands ’til the end of the day.
Know the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
This is basic first aid that should be in your repertoire. Make sure to know the signs!
Always keep your baby and toddler hydrated! Whether that’s with water or breastmilk or both. We also love the Pedialyte hydrating ice pops on days when it’s super hot.
This nostalgic ice cream maker is sure to keep your little ones entertained and cool. I still remember using one in my childhood.
These ice pop makers are perfect for frozen treats.
Did you know you can also make breast milk popsicles?
This one is another quick ice cream maker.
A stroller fan is a registry must-have. It’s small enough to throw at the bottom of the stroller when you don’t need it.
This one is super cute! It is re-chargable via a USB port.
Who ever invented these is a genius! Simply freeze it and place it in the car seat or stroller for a few minutes before letting your little one sit. If it’s really hot I give my little one frozen teethers to hold onto while the car cools down.
Running through the sprinkler is a childhood classic. It seems only kids can tolerate the freezing cold hose water. My toddler also loves playing in her kiddie pool for as long as I’ll let her!
You can use old teething rings, your own coolers ice packs, or these fun ones for kids.
They are great to use in transition from activity to activity, or just as an extra way to keep cool!
Are you looking forward to summer? What do you to do help your kids beat the heat?
How do you keep cool?
Let me know below!
O.
If you are interested in guest posting on Leaf and Steel, please check out our Guest Post page for guidelines!
Baby M (should I be calling her toddler M now?) is obsessed with ‘side. She wakes up talking about ‘side. She goes to bed talking about ‘side. She doesn’t care if it’s raining or 95 degrees out, she only wants ‘side.
Read moreWe love our stroller from Madame Alexander!
Madame Alexander was so kind to gift us Lily, Baby M’s first and favorite baby doll!
Now, we have the perfect matching stroller.
If you’d like to read more about dolls and play, check out my post “Why Your Child Needs a Doll with Madame Alexander“.
Click here to see more accessories from Madame Alexander!
#gifted
One of my favorite things about being a mom is showing my daughter just how much I love her! There’s nothing quite like the bond between a mother and child. One of my jobs as a stay-at-home-mom, or any mom, really, is to make sure her world is filled with comfort, happiness, and love!
Since she is one, she is spoiled by simple pleasures. This is what I love about tiny children – they find joy in the smallest things. Yesterday, Baby M entertained herself with a half-filled sprinkle container, shaking it back and forth.
We all know the stories of the kids who would rather play with the cardboard box that the toy comes in rather than the actual toy, and those anecdotes are completely true!
We took her to a local holiday light show at Christmastime. It brought tears to my eyes to watch her little face light up with amazement. Last summer, we took her to a farm in Lancaster, PA, and she was absolutely ecstatic to see so many chickens.
There are some acts of kindness that I like to practice with my daughter every day. I want nothing more for her to feel safe, loved, and cared for. I have such fond memories of my own mother taking care of me with tender, loving care.
So, here are some of the ways I’ve been giving my girl the love she deserves lately!
This one is completely natural! Hugs, kisses, pats…showing constant affection for my baby shows her I’m here and I love her.
The easiest way to do this is to get a pack of cookie cutters. I use them on everything, from cucumbers to apples to sandwiches.
My baby loves a good bubble bath (who doesn’t?)! Burt’s Bees Bubble Bath is our soap of choice.
My husband and I set up her toys in the family room play area in different arrangements each night. I have a post on how to set up a learning center for your one-year-old here. I feel like Dwight Schrute setting up Michael’s action figures every night – ha! It makes every morning feel like Christmas morning.
Baby M is my “little adventure buddy”. Although I’m pretty introverted, having a built-in travel companion has been so much fun! We visit the local farm, the pet store, the library – anywhere we can go, we go! If it is winter where you are too, check out my post on 5 Free Indoor Places to Go with Baby.
We love being outdoors any chance we get. Even though Long Island winters are dark and gloomy, we try to get out anytime the weather warms up. Baby M loves to “travel” by stroller or wagon.
This one should go without saying! Labeling and validating my little one’s emotions helps both of us. It helps my daughter learn to identify her feelings and that all feelings are valid! It helps me because it causes me to slow down and put myself in her shoes rather than getting frustrated. She is right on the cusp of toddler-hood so it must be so hard for her to figure out what she needs and how to communicate to me! Empathy is key.
These are just some of the things I do to make my daughter feel loved and that help me feel like I’m being a “good mom”. If cutting sandwiches into shapes isn’t your thing, or you aren’t able to take them on adventures, that’s cool too.
Do you do any of these for your child? What was the most important thing your parent did for you growing up?
Let me know below!
O.
If you are interested in guest posting on Leaf and Steel, please check out our Guest Post page for guidelines!
2022’s word of the year is…drumroll please….COURAGE!
You may have heard of the idea of choosing a word of the year instead of or in addition to a New Year’s resolution.
Each year, my friends and I select a word for the New Year. We share them with each other and then check in throughout the year to see how much progress we’ve made with it!
This year, I’m going with courage.
I have so much that I want to accomplish in 2022, and I can’t do it without f
I remember being a preschool teacher and being SO anxious to talk to this, ahem, intense parent about their child’s behavior.
Right before I had to meet with them, I was discussing my fears with my boss, terrified.
“Don’t be scared,” she told me, before doubling back.
“Or be scared, and do it anyway”.
Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s being scared and doing it anyway.
That’s the kind of energy that I want to bring into 2022.
Choosing a word of the year can be a less stressful alternative to a New Year’s resolution. Resolutions are easily broken or difficult to maintain for a full year.
Picking a word that you’d like to bring into the New Year offers infinite opportunities for practice and growth with that principle.
There are plenty of lists out there online. Taking a few moments to meditate on what you are leaving behind in 2021 and what you want to cultivate in 2022 can be helpful.
I noticed that in 2021 I was holding myself back in a lot of areas of my life because the logistics of getting what I wanted seemed too complicated or scary. Part of why I chose my word was because I felt myself turning away from opportunities because I wasn’t willing to practice courage.
I wanted to leave all the self-doubt and fear in 2021.
Ironically, the word courage scares me. That’s how I know it’s something I need.
You practice it!
My word last year was discipline. I practiced discipline in my day to day life by exercising, writing consistently, and working hard to keep my house clean.
It’s cool to sit back at the end of the year and see how that principle has altered your life.
There have been a few years where I can’t even remember what mine was by the time the next ball drops, and that’s okay.
I think the important thing about New Year’s resolutions and choosing words is really about acknowledging that we still have room to grow and we are capable of change.
Do you choose a word for the New Year?
If so, what’s your word?
What do you want to bring into 2022?
Let me know below!
O.
Brrr! Winter is coming.
If your baby is interested in winter then these books could be a great place to start!
This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may make a small commission off of products that are purchased through these links, at no cost to you. You can read more about this process here.
I can’t wait until the day that my backyard is covered in snow and I can show my daughter the magical quiet of winter. I love how snow decorates the world around me. I love being snowed in, warm and cozy inside.
If your little one loves to read and is curious about the snow, check out the books below!
Do you like the snow? Do you have a favorite book on this list?
Let me know below!
O.
If your Instagram feed has become dull and boring, try following some of these mom influencers for inspiration!
I limit my Instagram use to maybe 10 minutes a day, if that. That’s 10 minutes a day of looking at other people’s lives (and inadvertently comparing myself to others).
For me, having social media on my laptop and not installed on my phone drastically cut down on how much I was on the site.
I used to have the app on my phone and would scroll constantly until I realized that it just didn’t make me feel good. All the “connecting” and peering into friends or strangers lives felt really weird.
A few months ago I had that revelation that social media wasn’t doing it for me. I would much rather be here, blogging and being honest, than posting photos trying to make other people feel some type of way.
Especially since becoming a mom, I felt like there was so much comparing on the app. Everyone had expensive baby gear or was down to their pre-pregnancy weight after like two days and it just didn’t make me feel good.
I hate to admit that, but it’s true.
I wasn’t feeling connected or inspired, which I consider the point of Instagram.
It was making me feel like a worse mother, wife, and woman.
That’s when I knew I needed a change.
More important than who I kept on my feed was who I left behind. I wrote about my experience with the dark world of baby sleep pages below. I’m so glad that I was able to see what was going on with me when I was constantly viewing those pages.
Your Baby Doesn’t Need to Sleep Through the Night
So, I did this massive unfollow and I muted dozens of friends or acquaintances that weren’t bringing me joy.
My feed is pretty sparse now, and I like it that way.
There are a few influencers I did end up keeping.
And I’ll tell you why.
I was craving honesty after my baby was born. I had such a great group of friends who gently told me hard truths of parenting. I wanted more. I wanted to see other moms who didn’t have their life together, ones that didn’t have it all figured out yet. I wanted to see other people standing up for what they believed in when it came to motherhood, not just women desperate to make a quick buck off of exploiting their kids or dragging out a gender reveal (what even are those) for a week in a half to boost engagement.
The mothers on this list aren’t constantly shilling unethical companies or just trying on clothes in front of a mirror. They are honestly sharing their stories of motherhood or doing so with style and letting you in on the behind the scenes of those perfect photo shoots.
I wanted to see pictures of authentic motherhood without bounds.
I hope you check out the following accounts and let me know what you think! I think we could all use some inspiration and connection in these cold winter months!
Do you have social media? Who do you follow for inspiration? Are you familiar with any o f the accounts above?
Let me know below!
O.
