Category Archives: Parenting

Meet Barnaby

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Kelley| Leave a comment

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter at all, you might have seen photos of our little elf popping up here and there, so I thought it was time to give him the “official” introduction.

Last year on Thanksgiving, Barnaby became a part of our family. Although he’s talked about all year long by my excited little man, he only shows up during the holiday’s. I’m sure you all know of the “Elf on a Shelf” tradition and it started for us last year.

Since we normally get our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving night, it was only appropriate for Barnaby to make his first appearance on the same night too. How he got his name is kind of a funny story….

Who has seen The Santa Claus movies? Everyone, right? Well… you know Bernard? For some weird reason, I always called him Barnaby. We decided to name our elf Barnaby so there really is an elf named Barnaby around our house!

Last year, I was a new “elf mom” so for the most part he just got moved every night and left a few surprises here and there. This year, we’re getting creative. On his first night, Barnaby brought the kids Christmas pj’s to wear for the holiday season!

So far, he’s toilet papered our tree, left a little hot chocolate and cookies surprise after the kids went on a walk around the neighborhood to see the lights, and stole mom’s magazine to catch up on celeb gossip with a midnight snack. We’ll have to wait and see what fun Barnaby continues to get into as we approach Christmas! He even made it onto WCNC Charlotte’s Pinterest page! They have a whole board dedicated to “Elf on a Shelf!”

Stay tuned for more elf fun – hopefully I’m a better “elf mom” this year! ;)

Do you have an “Elf on a Shelf?” What’s his (or her) name?

Posted in Baby & Kid Stuff, Parenting

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Healthy Snacks For Kids {Kashi Chocolate Soft Baked Squares}

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Kelley| Leave a comment

Today we had a super fun playdate. It wasn’t just any playdate, but a KASHI PLAYDATE! Yummy right!? We got to try out Kashi’s new Chocolate Soft Baked Squares and they were a hit!

Of course some of the kids ate a few bites then took off on the playground, but others chowed down until they were gone and us mama’s enjoyed some bites too! I think Lavery and Gracie loved them, don’t you think?


The best part of about Kashi Chocolate Soft Baked Squares is that it’s chocolate, but sweetened naturally, low calorie (160 per square) and are made with sweet potato and black beans. Your kids THINK they’re getting a chocolate treat, when in reality, they’re getting a chocolate and vegetable treat!

What did everyone think of them? They were a hit! Here are some of the great things about these healthy snacks that made us mom’s go crazy for them:

  • Made with real vegetables such as sweet potato and black beans
  • Naturally sweetened (which means they aren’t loaded with tons of CRAP!)
  • Made with SEVEN… yes, SEVEN whole grains
Kashi to me, has been a pretty trusted brand, so I didn’t doubt this was something we all would love. While I know us mom’s could tell the taste difference between these and something loaded with sugar, we were all pleasantly surprised at how delicious they were. Healthy snacks for all of our families is always a top priority and I know I’ll be keeping a stash of these in my pantry to help satisfy my ever so often sweet cravings!

Posted in Parenting, Reviews

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And Lavery Makes Four

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Kelley| Leave a comment

Last week, we had some family photos taken by Lora Lynch Photography! You might remember by post highlighted some of the photos she took of our family as we awaited Lavery’s arrival, and I couldn’t wait for her to capture some updates family pictures!

Right after Lavery was born, Lora Denton Photography took some amazing newborn photos, but I quickly realized…. we were now a family of four and I wanted some precious moments to capture our beginning moments as a family of four, not just three.

Lora did such a great job capuring these sweet moments and was able to make the best out of a rough situation (like our sweet 2 year old deciding he wanted nothing to do with the camera!) She still was so sweet and handled a 2 year old tantrum well and was able to capture some precious moments of him and of us with Lavery too!

Thank you so much Lora!

Posted in Parenting, The Crowe's Nest

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Successfully Cloth Diapering a Newborn

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Kelley| Leave a comment

I’m sure you’ve all seen my posts on Facebook or mentioned in other posts on here, but we have had so much success cloth diapering Miss Lavery since the day she was born! (Yes ! Even in the hospital!… Well sort of.) When we were packing for the hospital, we brought our own chlorine free disposables by Seventh Generation and GroVia Biosoakers and used them with cloth inserts. (By the way, if you click on any of the product links, it’s going to take you to my favorite cloth diapering store Jack Be Natural… where we buy all of our diapers and more!) Even the nurses in the hospital were using what we brought and Lavery has never once worn anything but a cloth diaper or chlorine free disposables occassionally in the very beginning! I’m so proud of us!

I want to tell you about some of my favorites. When we started cloth diapering Landyn, he was already 18 months old, so I started out and have used the entire time One Size Pocket Diapers. Our favorite brand with him was Kawaii, because they were so affordable and they seemed to fit him the best over any other brand. This time, we’ve used a variety of different options…. and I’ve found the options are endless! Adorable colors, patterns, different fit’s, snaps or velcro, All in Ones, Pockets, you name it – we have it!

I have become very fond of prefolds (which I never thought I would like.) I love the contour prefolds like this one from Imse Vimse with a Thirstie’s cover and I also love these Kissaluv’s fitteds with a cover too. They both fit her so well (and of course are adorable too!) But.. my all time favorite for fit, convenience, AND cuteness are the GroVia newborn All in Ones! These diapers are the BEST! I even have bought a One Size of the same diaper to try once she gets a little bigger and grows out of the newborn ones.

These diapers are so easy… no taking out inserts, no folding, no covers, just convenience and voila! I’ve even sunned them a few times and they still look brand new!

Cloth Diapering isn’t as hard as it seems

I’ve had lots of friends tell me they think I’m crazy to go through all the work of cloth diapering, but they couldn’t be more wrong! I’ve had lots of friends inquire about thinking about cloth diapering themselves or ask questions, because they have friends considering it and let me tell you…. I couldn’t praise it more! For so many reasons! Helping the environment, more cost effective, and how cute they are! I want to do this for all of the above and that’s why we do. I remember when I brought up cloth diapering to my husband. At first, I thought he would tell me I’m crazy and there was no way he would be on board, but to my surprise, he was all for it and he agrees with me about how important it is to us and our family! I don’t even use a diaper service, and washing myself isn’t all that bad! It’s so easy to do, and if you have kids and are doing a ton of laundry already, what’s one more load of diapers!? Check out this information found on Jack Be Natural about why cloth diapering is important and how you can benefit.

There are a few things to keep in mind. My biggest thing I like to remind people is to make sure you wash your diapers AND your clothes in a cloth diaper safe detergent. I feel it’s important to use a cloth diaper safe detergent regardless of washing cloth or not, becuase I want to avoid all of the chemicals that come in any of the other detergents. We have switched all of our household cleaning products to products that are safe. You wouldn’t hand your child a bottle of bleach and let them have at it, would you? We feel it’s important to use only safe products in our home for both environmental purposes and health purposes. One of my favorite resources on how to know what’s safe and what’s not and a place you can purchase all safe products for your home is Green i Am and I recommend you do too!

Lastly, I have to tell you about this awesome local company I have found recently that I love too! Aside from Jack Be Natural, Check out EcoMcBaby!All of these products are handmade and she makes some adorable stuff! I have the most adorable wet bag that I keep in Lavery’s diaper bag for dirty diapers on the go!

Jack Be Natural, EcoMcBaby, and Green i Am are all awesome resources if you or someone you know is interested in cloth diapering or learning about using more safe and natural products in your home. If anyone has any cloth diapering questions, please feel free to ask or check out any of the websites above! I don’t think you will be disappointed if you choose to learn more!

And to those of you thinking about or about to embark on a new cloth diapering journey…. I wish you luck and hope you’re journey is as successful as ours has been!

Here is Little Miss just three days old in on our favorite cloth diapers! (See! I didn’t lie when I told you they were absolutely adorable!!)

 

Posted in Baby & Kid Stuff, Parenting

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Life as a mommy of two… WHAT!?

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Kelley| 2 Comments

WHAT!?… That is what has been going through my mind the last few days. WHAT WAS I THINKING!? We were just starting to have it good. LC is communicating, he is more independent, I could relax in the mornings on the couch and snuggle with him while we watched a movie. What was I thinking wanting these late night feedings, early mornings, and exhausting days?

But then I look at Lavery’s beautiful face and gorgeous eyes… and compare her to my baby pictures and realize this is what life is all about. This is what I live for. My babies. My newborn baby and my big baby. I am so blessed and thankful and even on days like today…. days where I just need some quiet time by myself at the end of a disaster of a day… I’m still thankful and love every moment of watching them grow and being around for every part of it.

Days like today where LC is whiny, Lavery is whiny, LC wakes his sissy up, and the list goes on… days like this, I just need to sit down and remind myself… this too shall pass.

I have many updates I need to give. Lavery is almost 4 weeks old… REALLY!? Where has the time gone!? It happens WAY TOO FAST. I have also pulled out a few of my baby photos. All of this talk about her being my mini me (which I couldn’t be more thrilled about by the way!) But all this talk made me want to take a look at me when I was a baby. Can I just say…. HOLY COW! We are TWINS! I have got to scan those photos and show you to compare!

Lavery also had some FABULOUS newborn photos done I cannot wait to show you! I am just loving having a daughter to dress up in ruffles and bows and pink and flowers and… AHHH! LOVE IT!

LC has started talking… A LOT. He’s been talking for a while, but this is one trait I wish he would not have gotten from his mama!

And oh ya… look at how absolutely adorable this is!? This is my life… you jealous? I know we all “ooh and ahh” over our kids, but this photo is a glimpse into the love of my life and my days as a mommy of two (forget about the fact that I might have lost my sanity for a bit today or I probably walked around with spit up on my shirt for an hour….) THIS is what it’s all about!

Posted in Parenting, The Crowe's Nest

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WhatToExpect.com Partnership & Giveaway *CLOSED*

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Kelley| 7 Comments

When I was approached by WhatToExpect.com about partnering with their site, I was ecstatic! Of course I jumped to the opportunity! Having a toddler and being pregnant, I am on a constant quest for the best resources on giving me advice and guiding me through the journey of motherhood.

When I was pregnant with LC, I remember reading “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” and kind of freaking out a little bit, feeling somewhat overwhelmed at everything I was reading. I eventually stopped reading to take a step back and evaluate things on my own rather than letting a book scare me, but I have found myself in the last two years of being a parent to a growing toddler and now an expectant mom once again going back to that book to seek out information or advice. I never would have expected to be contacted by their websiteabout a partnership and build my persona as a Blogger in a an even bigger way through their website!

I blog about being a mom. That’s who I am and that’s what I know. Being a mom. I live for LC and I live for this baby growing inside of me. I turn to every possible resource to help me the best mom that I can be. I strive to inspire other moms and I look up to my mom friends. My whole world revolves around being a mom. Yes, I am a person aside from being a mom, but being a mom is my job, my pride, and my joy and I want to share my pride and joy with the world.

WhatToExpect.com is the website version of the “What to Expect” books. You can go onto this website and join a community of other mom’s, track your baby’s growth throghout pregnancy, and get information on conceiving to the growing baby inside your belly up through the toddler years! One of my favorite things to do even being pregnant for the second time is to read the pregnancy calendar each week and see a little glimpse of what this baby girl is developing this week and get a better idea of what’s baking in my belly.

WhatToExpect.com offers a variety of books you can find here including a brand new book you can pre-order called “What To Expect the Second Year.” How cool is that!? One of my favorite things about these books is they are so personalized. It’s not just one book filled with some information on the growth of your baby. It’s a series of books tailored to each stage of their development and lives. You can read them as your child grows.

The Giveaway

I love this giveaway! I love it, because it’s totally personalized to mom’s like me! Mom’s who are expecting their second baby and already have a toddler to chase around. And the best part!? There will be THREE winners! That’s right… THREE winners! Three lucky mama’s will be the winner’s of TWO great books. “What To Expect When You’re Expecting: 4th Edition” and “What To Expect The Toddler Years!”

Even if you aren’t expecting, but have a toddler, have any pregnant friends? Give one as a gift! Or Vice versa! These are great books with an abundance of resources you won’t want to miss out on!

Here’s How You Win!

Leave me a comment on this blog post with either your due date or child’s age and why you want to win! It’s that easy!

Get Additional Entries

If you want an extra chance to win, here’s two chances!

1. “Like” Forever’s Like a Dream & What To Expecton Facebook and leave a comment on my wall tagging us both in the post.

2. Follow me (Kelchristina) on Twitter and What To Expect and tag us both in a tweet!

The Giveaway will end ONE WEEK from today at midnight on May 2nd!

Good luck!

Posted in Giveaways, Parenting, Pregnancy

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The Mommies Network’s “Only Fools Text and Drive” Day

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Kelley| Leave a comment

This April Fools’ Day, The Mommies Network would like national community support in making it an official “Only Fools Text and Drive Day”. By launching a video where children tell parents how they feel about texting and driving, and passing it along through their 25,000+ members nationwide, they intend to do just that. To pass along the message that “Texting and Driving is For Fools”, the video encourages everyone to drive with their headlights on April 1, 2011.

Watch the video below and share it with your friends and family as a reminder not to text and drive!

Vlingo (http://www.vlingo.com/) has partnered with The Mommies Network to bring you an application for hands-free texting, emailing, searching and more – view the video for details on how to get this app for FREE!

Posted in Parenting

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Shopping at Jack Be Natural (& life potty training a toddler….)

Posted on January 22, 2011 by Kelley| Leave a comment

Well… potty training has begun! (sort of.) We started putting LC in training pants & sitting him on the potty regularly, and I will just say potty training is the most frustrating process I have encountered in motherhood thus far. However, thanks to Jack Be Natural and their completely adorable selection of training pants by Imse Vimse, it has made the experience a little bit better! At least LC looks cute, right?

A little about potty training:

1. Bribing your child with m&m’s is totally okay (and a big thank you to my friend Ashley for pointing that tactic out to me! haha)

2. Just, because your toddler sits on the potty for 20 minutes, doesn’t mean they will learn THAT is where they go… and if you leave them long after that 20 minutes without anything on, he WILL pee on the floor!

and 3. Thank goodness for Facebook! (Make sure you have a laptop before you start potty training, because it will come in handy for the amount of time you spend on the bathroom floor!)

I seriously have never sat in a bathroom longer in my life. It’s important to give him time on the potty, because I learned, my timing is WAY off! (Who would have thought a toddler’s pee schedule would be different from his pregnant mom’s!?) So far, the journey to teaching LC how to use the potty has been an experience I will always thought would be much easier. I know he’s sort of young to start (which is probably why he’ not entirely into it yet,) but I am 100% actually, make that 200% determined to have this child completely potty trained before baby #2 arrives (even if that means we will be up double during the night on potty/diaper/feeding duty!)

While we are on the topic of baby bottom’s (kind of, right?) I HAVE to tell you about this amazing “bum bum balm” my friend Stacy at Jack Be Natural had me try. Learning from my experience with the training pants, Imse Vimse is a brand I’ve come to love, so I was so excited to try their new bum bum balm on LC! Even in cloth diapers, we have some diaper rash issues here and there (although, it has been DRASTICALLY better since we made the switch to cloth diapers!!) I’ve tried all kinds of different kinds of cream’s (even prescriptions from the pediatrician,) BUT Imse Vime’s Bum Bum Balm is great! You have to try it! It’s a light feeling (not too thick like some of them) balm and we really love it! I kind of consider myself an expert on the baby bum with everything we’ve had to try, and this is definitely one of the my favorites, especially considering it’s 100% ALL NATURAL and safe with cloth diapers! Can’t go wrong!

I also want to point out, if you order from Jack Be Natural, check out their new cash rewards program! Mom’s love deals right!?

AND another bonus!? Jack Be Natural alos GIVES BACK TO CHARITY! One of my most recent orders was wrapped in Sinamay Natural Organza Mesh Ribbons which are made from 100% fibers. So at Jack Be Natural, you not only get eco-friendly products, but packaging too!!! 

The ribbon is made by artisans in remote villages around the world – creating jobs and fair wages for hard working communities. In addition to this charitable effort, Jack Be Natural also donates money to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital quarterly!

I can happily say I am proud to be a customer of Jack Be Natural, because they sell safe products that my family and I love and they give back too!

As we embark on this new potty training journey and we gear up for the arrival of another precious newborn, I am so thankful to have Jack Be Natural to turn to for products we love and trust!

With Love,

Posted in For Mom's, Parenting

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Forever’s Like a Dream on Facebook!

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Kelley| Leave a comment

So I decided to create a Facebook page for my Blog a while back, because let’s face it, the world is addicted to Facebook, right!? I wanted to create a page where I can get feedback from my readers, and where I can interact on more of a daily basis and also to market my Blog and everything about mommyhood that I love!

For those of you who have “liked” my page, THANK YOU! If you haven’t check me out on Facebook HERE… and if you have a Facebook page for your business or Blog, leave me a comment here with the link so I can check it out!

Welcome to the world of Social Networking & the addiction that comes with it!….

www.facebook.com/ForeversLikeaDream

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Jack Be Natural

Posted on August 26, 2010 by Kelley| Leave a comment

Ever since LC was born (and actually, in the belly,) I wanted to make sure my baby boy had nothing but the best. I researched for hours on hours for the best everything from what I should be eating during pregnancy and nursing to clothes. What I didn’t do however, was use cloth diapers. This was a decision I will forever regret. I wanted to so badly (not only for the obvious reasons of not rubbing chemicals all over my child’s soft bottom,) but also, because they are totally cute!

When I first thought about cloth diapering, I was picturing the white cloth folded and held together with pins. When I mentioned cloth diapers to Kyle, he thought the same thing. Ultimately, I thought it would be too expensive and more work and we decided not to. After researching more into it and realizing I was living in the 80′s thinking cloth diapers were STILL held together with pins, I decided I really wanted to give it a shot. Not only were the chemicals and health reasons a dead ringer for me, but also the economical and environmental advantages to cloth diapers too! I have made a conscious effort to be more “green” since becoming a mom and trying to do things more healthy for our bodies, but also for the planet too. Besides, the cost of cloth diapers was surprisingly NOT more expensive that disposables!

Lectures aside, cloth diapers were the better and more conscious decision for me and my family. Now that LC is 17 months, I have started to introduce potty training a little bit into his daily lifestyle. We all know how much my child loves Elmo, so the Elmo Potty Time DVD is a favorite in our house! Well I came across this product on another Blog called the “Potty Praiser” (more about that later) and when I searched the Potty Praiser online, I found Jack Be Natural!

“Jack turned Nimble into Natural. Next generation parenting… keeping our children safe and our planet healthy, naturally.” How amazing is THAT!? Jack Be Natural!? What a unique and PERFECT idea!! Then I started browsing their products, and I was in retail mommy heaven!!!!! Jack Be Natural carries the best of the best! FuzziBunz, BumGenius, LuSa Organics, Smart Mom Jewelry, Organic Kids….. are you LOVING IT!?

I was even more excited to see they had a Diaper Consignment Section, Jack Be Back (giving back to charity), and so much more! For those of you who know me, you know giving back to the community and charity work is so close to my heart, and this was something that really made me excited to give them my business! After waiting for their Grand Opening information, I sent them an e-mail asking some questions. Since they are an online store, I wanted a little but more information on a few of the products.

Stacy and John were nice enough to let me and my family into their home (aka : “warehouse”) and let me browse through their products. They answered all of the questions we had, and we left with more than what I had originally found after browsing online (and even a few weeks later went back for MORE!) I landed some really awesome products, and am already planning what to try next! We bought this AMAZING Baby Wipe Juice by LuSa Organics anyone who cloth diapers HAS to HAVE! It smells amazing, and works even better!

We also got an awesome stainless steel sippy cup by Organic Kidz that LC loves! We love the Klean Kanteen, and this was an awesome new brand to add to our stash! We got a Wet Bag (by Planet Wise, which is so great!) and I also HAD TO HAVE the “teething bling” by Smart Mom Jewelry (which is one of my newest favorites!) LC loves to chew on my jewelry, so this was an awesome new thing to add to my collection! (I even landed a Smart Mom Jewelry product review, which I am SO EXCITED about, so keep reading for that to come soon!!!!)

A few weeks later, we decided to order the NeatNik Saucer which is the coolest invention! Everyone has to HAVE ONE! ESPECIALLY if you’re a total germophobe like me!

We had the BEST experience with Jack Be Natural, and Jack has definitely brought the best products for mom’s to enjoy at ease with their precious little joys! Who doesn’t want the best for their children? Jack Be Natural brings you the best product & service! Check them out on Facebook and on their website at jackbenatural.com! You will NOT be disappointed!

And if you don’t cloth diaper or thought it was too hard or expensive, there is a lot of information on their site, and I urge you to research more, because it’s not as hard or as expensive as you may think!

Thank you to Stacy and John for coming up with this totally innovative and practical store to the Charlotte area and GOOD LUCK on this amazing business venture!

I look at cloth diapering and every parenting decision and product we buy for LC as an investment. An investment into our child’s healthy future. This is how I want every parent to look at what you are buying for your little one’s, because every decision we make now is impacting what we are getting ready for as they grow. Here is a picture of our little “investments” we made thanks to Jack Be Natural!

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With Love,

Posted in Baby & Kid Stuff, Parenting, Reviews