This post was created in partnership with buybuy BABY. All opinions are my own.

I was talking with a group of moms this week about the juggle of working with a baby, and each mom commented on how incredibly lucky I was to be able to stay home with Jane while working for myself. I’m coming up on two months since I officially took the blog full time and the work-from-home life has been both challenging and amazing. Hearing those moms share their perspective gave me a much-needed reminder of how wonderful it really is that I get to do a job I love and still get to spend all day with Jane. My “new normal” has not come without it’s challenges though. I’ve been working hard these past two months at finding my work/mom rhythm. Jane is three and a half months old, and only in those past two weeks have I finally started to feel some normalcy in our routine. Reading about other working mom and business owners’ workday routines is one of my guilty pleasures; I gobble up those articles and dig for tips I can apply to my own life. I thought it would be helpful to share a bit about what’s worked for us in our own routine, in the tools I use, and the products that are making my life a bit saner. read more

I am getting way too excited for Jane’s first Easter this year, it’s really her first big family holiday. I have her outfit all picked out — the cutest smocked floral easter dress and some little bunny shoes (these things are so darling and a total steal at Old Navy!). I also got a few little treats for an Easter basket even though I know she has no idea what’s going on– a soft book, some critter knee socks, and a cozy pair of bunny jammies (which I’ll pack for when she inevitably gets her Easter dress dirty). Let’s be real, it was a great excuse to buy things that I wanted for her! In my hunt for these Easter treats I found so many other darling Easter basket ideas for babies and toddlers that I thought I’d share them here, I’m earmarking a few of them for her basket next year too!   read more

When I was pregnant with Jane, I had an obsession with reading articles and blog posts about what other women packed in their hospital bags for labor (okay fine, I had two obsessions: hospital bag posts and spicy Indian food). Some women prepare for their labor experience by reading books on the delivery or working with a doula. I never made it past chapter 3 in What to Expect When You’re Expecting, and closed my eyes for most of the birthing class we took, but I was sure as heck going to have everything I possibly needed in my overnight bag! Part of the fascination with finding out what other women brought with them has to be rooted in my control-freak tendencies. So much of the delivery, I knew, was going to be out of my control (boy was I right!). Being ready with a well-packed bag was one of my little ways of feeling like I was prepared for anything that the hospital stay threw at me. read more

I have started this post on maybe ten different occasions now, and each time I sit down to write it I get a little stuck. I think part of it is that it’s called a “birth story” post and I honestly roll my eyes a bit when I see other people share those because I assume they’re going to be either gross and filled with graphic pictures of the actual birth. Or worse, they’re stories written by women that describe birth as the most fluffy, magical, beautiful experience and fail to mention the screaming and sweat and tears that went on during the delivery. So I guess I’ll start with the disclaimer that there are zero pictures of the actual birth in this blog post, you’re safe! Enjoy these cute pictures from Jane’s newborn photo session instead (by Bring to Light Photography). I’ll also mention that my story is a good mix of the happy fluffy snuggly baby moments with a bit of the sweat and screaming mixed in too. read more

It feels so appropriate that my last blog post was a 41-week pregnancy update, and I’m jumping back in after two weeks off from blogging to share the news of our little family addition! Jane Emerson Bowler was born on Friday, January 20th at 6:04pm after quite a few days of laboring, restless nights, doctor’s visits, and a surprise C-section for her grand finale! She is the absolute best 8 lb bundle of love that has ever existed (okay, I may be biased). We have been learning our new “normal” over the past two weeks, getting in lots of snuggles and sniffs of that delicious newborn baby smell in between a few sleepless nights. I’ve got lots of big plans to share a full birth story, posts about what I packed in my hospital bag, and how we’re surviving these first few weeks. But for now, I’ll leave with you a few candid pictures from the selection of hundreds I’ve already taken on my iPhone! Welcome to the world Miss Jane!  read more