SOCIAL MEDIA

· · · · ·

Mommy and Me Topknot Headband | Product Review and Giveaway

Monday, November 3, 2014

No comments
Happy Monday y'all!  I have a little something to get your day going....

BUT first, how adorable are these matching Mommy and Me headbands?!  Ever since having Emma, I am all about matching.  I couldn't resist purchasing these headbands from Positively Oakes. 

 
I'm pretty sure for a week straight I had this on my head and on my little's.  Normally this isn't something that I would wear, but I love it.  It seriously went with everything and I even put it on Emma when she was just running around in her diaper.  Ha!  It was the cutest.  They are so comfortable and didn't slip, which was great.  It's lightweight and such a great accessory for every day wear.  It was nice to just throw this on when just going to the grocery store and feel a little dolled up.  This is by far my favorite "go to" headband for Em.  And you can't beat the price.  I just ordered a few more and can't wait to get them!  I wouldn't be surprised if we don't end up with them all :)  The color shown is 'Cranberry' and her holiday collection is coming soon.

Now on to the really good stuff!  I have teamed up with Positively Oakes to offer a fabulous giveaway!  You will be winning a $15 shop gift card to Positively Oakes.  How exciting?!

Entry Rules :: 
Follow The Littlest Funk Blog
Follow me on Instagram
Enter on Instagram and tag #littlestfunkPOgiveaway
Click the buttons on the Rafflecopter below for extra entries.

a Rafflecopter giveaway Winner will be announced on Friday, November 7th. Good Luck!
 

Read More
at
· ·

Emma Grace | 5 months

Saturday, November 1, 2014

No comments
I feel like every time I finish posting about Emma's monthly update, the next month is here and I'm doing it all over again.  Slow. Down. Time.

How is it possible that I am going to have a 6 month old soon?  She is getting so big and I am loving each stage of her little life so far.  She is so sweet, fun and such a beautiful girl!  And a mess, and a little wild and well, she has a lot of personality.  Example:  She started "growling" at our dog Neko a few weeks ago and then laughs because she thinks it's funny.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to have my work cut out for me with this child ;)



Here are Em’s 5 month stats:
Weight: 14.13 lbs (59% percentile)
Length: 25 1/4 inches (69% percentile)
Milestones:  We have a crawler!  She is on the move ALL the time.  I can't get this girl to stay in one place.  Or out of the dog's toys or from eating every one's shoes (gross)!  Emma cut her second bottom tooth shortly after her first one last month.  She seriously went from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye from last month to this one.  Not only is she crawling, but she is able to sit herself up and she started pulling herself up on things.  She stood on her own (with a little help from help from her chair) the other day for almost 30 seconds!  What is this girl thinking?!  We already need to lower her crib and I don't even want to start the talk on baby proofing.  Did I mention the dog's toys and shoes?!  I think I lost five pounds this week just trying to keep up with her.  This month she also started wiggling her little fingers when we say hi or bye.  She amazes me :)
Sleep:  This has been a struggle for us lately.  We went on vacation and tried to keep her on schedule as much as we could, but it wasn't easy.  She was sleeping through the night, but is back to waking up around 4am to nurse (which I don't mind) and then sleeps until 8.  The hard part has been getting her to sleep.  She will be asleep for about an hour before she is up crying and has a hard time going back down.  Other than that, her naps have still been pretty good.  She is getting two during the day and we are happy about that.
Eating:  We have moved on to more veggies and some fruits.  She prefers her vegetables over fruits.  I hope this continues.  She still nurses around 5 times a day. 
Favorites:  Her favorite thing to do right now is basically get into every possible thing that she can.  She loves chasing the dog and sucking her thumb.  She still LOVES bath time and reading books.  She is pretty much over Curious George, but likes Baby Genius and a few other movies.  She will even cuddle and watch Chopped with me sometimes.  She loves going out for walks downtown.  I think it's the people watching that she enjoys ;)  She thinks I'm funny and likes when we sing the Itsy Bitsy Spider...it gets her every time.
Dislikes:  She does not like her carseat at all these days.  It is a struggle to get her in it and she cries until we are in the car and moving.  Now that she can crawl, she doesn't like to be her chair for very long.  She does like her diaper changed when she's tired and fights us every time we try to put clothes on her.  She would be perfectly happy going around naked all the time.
Clothes:  She is still in 3-6 month clothes, but is fitting into some 9 month bottoms.

Aly
Read More
at
· ·

Recipe | Whole-Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

1 comment
I am always looking for ways to save time in the kitchen, but still be able to cook a good meal.  I knew things would be a little crazy around our house when Emma was born so I started looking for "freezer-friendly" ideas.

I came across a recipe for Whole-Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes and fell in love with them.  They are so good and very easy to make.  The best part-you can freeze them and they still taste just as good after you re-heat them.

I have made them probably a dozen times since having Emma, so I thought I would share my take on the recipe:


Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl.  Combine the eggs, milk and oil in a separate bowl.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add egg mixture and chocolate chips (1/3 cup).  Stir just until moistened.

Cook on grease griddle.  Serve and enjoy or freeze for a later time.

This recipe made 10 large pancakes for us and I love that I can freeze the leftovers.  It's such a quick fix in the mornings.

*Nursing moms:  I added 2 tablespoons of Brewer's yeast.
*Spice it up: These would also be really good with some cinnamon or pumpkin spice.  Right now, you can also get pumpkin spice chips!

To Freeze: Lay out your pancakes on a cookie sheet allow them to cool/freeze in the freezer for about 30 minutes.  Once frozen, store them in an airtight freezer bag or container.

To Thaw:  Take out as many pancakes as you wish and heat in the microwave for about a minute or two.  You can also heat them in the oven on 350 for 15 minutes or until warm.

Original recipe and for substitutions go to http://moneysavingmom.com/2010/09/whole-wheat-chocolate-chip-pancake-recipe.html 


Read More
at
· ·

Book Love | Breastfeeding

Sunday, October 19, 2014

No comments
Breastfeeding is a B*
But, We Lovingly Do it Anyways
By Cassi Clark
 
"These are our stories of the amazing, and amazingly hard, time that is feeding an infant. Our stories are partly funny, partly irreverent, way too graphic and totally awesome, all at once."
-Cassi Clark
 
Wow, this quote could not be more true.  This read was hilarious.  This book is about the author's experience with breastfeeding as well as stories from other nursing mothers.  It is intended to be humorous and entertaining as well as give very real what to expect situations.  It is judgment free and great for those who are struggling or just needs reassurance.
 

 
I love finding new books on breastfeeding and anything that will give me a little boost of encouragement when needed...or just a good laugh.  I have still have hard days with nursing, especially now that Emma has teeth.  Ouch-I think that's all I need to say about that! So, this was great to break up some of those boring books on "what to do".
 
This is definitely a book I would recommend reading.  You can head over to Amazon and get a copy now :) 
 
Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
 
 
 


 
Read More
at

Emma | Starting Solids

No comments
Our baby girl is getting sooo big!...And we have moved on to solids.  It still doesn't seem real that we have a baby, not to mention a baby who is almost half a year old and eating something other than breast milk now.

To top that off, I have NO idea what I'm doing!  Any other new mommies feel this way, or am I the only one?  I mean, I know it's not that simple, but these little babes should really come with instruction manuals.  Especially when introducing solids.  I was so nervous about this part of her milestones.  When do I start?  What should I feed her?  What if I start too early?  Seriously....instruction manual.

I read that you shouldn't give breastfed babies anything besides breast milk for the first six months of their life.  Our pediatrician, however, told us that whenever I was ready we could begin introducing solids, because let's be honest, this has been an emotional roller coaster for this mama.  All the information out there can be so overwhelming.  So, hopefully my experience can be helpful to any of you who have questions like I did.

This has turned out to be such a great time with Emma.  I could tell she was ready and we are going on almost 4 weeks of solids and have tried a different food each week.  We have tried oatmeal (loves), carrots (not a fan, but we will be returning to this later), avocado (likes) and pumpkin with a little nutmeg and cinnamon (loves-just like her mama).  I have let her chew on a banana, which she also likes.  It is so cute to see her little baby teeth dig into the banana.  I'm a mess for anything this girl does! 

You can check out this YouTube video here of Emma's first time eating oatmeal!


How she first felt about avocado. Ha!


We are still on a pretty good schedule and she is only eating solids at dinner time with us.  I am still breastfeeding all the other times and think it's important that I continue to do this.  I plan to wait and start more solids throughout the day after she is six months old.  However, I have learned that plans don't always work when you have a baby.  So, we'll see :)

My favorite product that has been a huge help in this process is the Beaba Babycook.  This thing is amazing!  It steams, blends and reheats veggies, fruits and meats.  It is easy to clean with not many parts.  It feels so good to be able to make food for Emma and know exactly what is going in her little body.  And one of the best parts is that you can make the food ahead of time and freeze it.  Two carrots made 4 meals!!


On a side note: I have read a little about Baby-Led Weaning instead of starting with pureed foods, which you can read about here and here.  I have found both articles useful.  I am considering doing a mix of the two and begin adding some very soft finger foods to feed herself.  She shows a lot of interest in wanting to do things herself.

Here is link to Lucie's List on Starting Solids.  If you are a mommy and not subscribed to her blog, you really should.  It's really great information and she is so funny.

What are some of your kiddos favorite foods?  Any suggestions?  Advice?

Update: Since starting solids, Emma has tried spinach, peas and asparagus and LOVES her veggies. 
Read More
at
· · · ·

Going Gold

Friday, September 19, 2014

No comments

The Littlest Funk has gone gold for Childhood Cancer Awareness.  We have a fun gold and white polka dot scarf up for sale and all proceeds will go to help fund my sweet cousin, Ashlei, who has teamed up with the St. Baldrick Research Foundation.  She will be shaving her head in December and the money she raises will go towards pediatric cancer research. 

Ashlei and her husband Rocky's son, D.J., was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor when he was just 17 months old.  He is now 4 years old and continues to stay strong and fight.  He is such a Warrior!
You can read all about his story and their incredible faith here.  God is so good!

DJ and his brother, Jax, who are HUGE Dallas Cowboys fans :)
"Through all the heartache, disappointments, victories and triumphs we praise the Lord for continually seeing us through it all." -Ashlei Mojica
Be sure to watch this video Ashlei posted about the #whippingchildhoodcancer challenge and some facts about childhood cancer.

For more information on Childhood Cancer go here.

Mommy and Mini Set: $20
Adult: $15
Child: $10
Bibdana: $6
You can also make a donation at www.stbaldricks.org/participants/teamdj
 
Aly
Read More
at
· · ·

4 Month Update | Emma Grace

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

No comments
Seriously, can someone tell my baby to stop growing?!  It still feels like yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital.  She amazes me every day with what she is learning and everything she is doing now. 

 

Here is Emma’s 4 month update:
Age: 4 months
Weight: 14.5 lbs (60% percentile)
Length: 24 3/4 inches (40% percentile)
Milestones:  We have a tooth!  I'm still working on getting a picture.  She won't sit still long enough for me to take it.  It was a rough week, but I was so happy when her little tooth popped through.  It's so funny to see her play with it.  And we are working on tooth #2.  Sheesh!  This girl loves to talk!  She learned to roll over from her back to her tummy and is getting the hang of tummy to back (She’s not a fan of tummy time).  She is laughing a lot more now.  She is constantly making so many different sounds and loves when we talk to her.  She is doing much better at grabbing her toys that are in front of her and actually holding onto them.  I get so excited when she does something new or improves on something.  Most of the time it makes me sob.  I'm a mess for this girl!
Sleep:  Emma loves to sleep!  She is still doing really well and is sleeping in her room.  We (Michael) decided to put her in her room at 3 weeks old.  I was a wreck, but it worked out and she has been such a great sleeper.  She is going through a bit of a rough patch right now where she is waking up around 3am to nurse.  It is a little harder to get her to go to sleep too.  Besides what we are going through now, her schedule has been bathing at 8pm and asleep by 830 and sleeps until 530am (almost 9 hours!!), wakes to nurse and then sound asleep again until 9.  Some mornings 10am!!  She is taking two naps during the day as well and they last between 1 ½ to 2 hours long.  She is definitely a happy baby when she wakes up.  I love to see her sweet, silly smile.
Eating:  She is still nursing very well and I hope we continue to keep going strong.  This girl loves to eat!  I have noticed these last few weeks that she has been wanting to nurse a little longer before bed and this momma is not complaining!  Being able to nurse my sweet baby has been such a blessing and I have truly enjoyed the bonding experience that I get to share with Em.  Even if it is 3 o’clock in the morning! 
Favorites:  She really enjoys watching Curious George, Mickey Mouse Playhouse and VeggieTales.  She giggles every time we put them on for her.  She likes her play mat and her chair.  We decided to go with the Sit-Me-Up seat rather than the Bumbo and couldn't be happier with our decision.  Her favorite thing to do right now is grab her toes and try to chew on them.  I obviously don’t feed her enough ;).  She is crazy about bath time.  She loves to kick her feet and splash water all over the place, but it also really calms her down and some nights she will just sit there and soak it all in.  She is the sweetest!  Michael's brother, Brandon, bought Emma a talking and singing puppy named Scout that Emma just loves.  She smiles so big when we turn him on.  Apparently, you are able to program Scout, so he says her name….and he likes empanadas.  Ha!  I think it might be more entertaining for the adults than Emma.
Dislikes:  Her pacifier when she is fighting her sleep.  She rarely takes it in the first place, but she another baby when she is fighting her sleep.  She occasionally does not like being put in her car seat and does not like when the car stops moving.  She is a baby on the move...sort of-She does not like to be in one spot at a time for very long.  She is so alert and always wants to know what going on around her. 
Clothes:  My big girl has pretty much grown out of everything 0-3.  We just bought her some new jammies and she poked holes in the toes of them within the week.  She is wearing a lot of 3-6 month clothes right now and can fit into some of her 6 months clothes.  Again-someone please tell her to stop growing so fast!
We have been so blessed with such an “easy” baby and can’t wait to see what this next month brings.


Aly

Any mommies have advice on what the next few months have in store for us?
Read More
at
· · ·

Fall Favorites-Part I

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

No comments
Woo Hoo!!  It’s (almost) Fall y’all!  In honor of “the” PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte) officially becoming available today, I thought I would fill you in on some of my Fall favorites.  Fall is definitely my favorite time of the year.  As cliché as it is, I do love the smells, the sounds, the food, pumpkin, basically everything there is to love about Fall.
I did go to Starbucks this morning and didn’t order a PSL (I know-crazy, right?!).  I have to admit that I’ve been ordering PSL’s since last week :/  Instead, I ordered a Chai Tea Latte but added pumpkin and Soy…y’all was ah-mazing.  I had to share and thought you should try it out too.
I remember when Michael and I had our first Fall together and how obsessive I became over anything pumpkin.  I’m surprised I didn’t run him off!  I remember him saying, “Man, I knew you liked pumpkin, but don’t you think you’re going a little overboard?”  What?!  Now, I’m surprised he didn’t run ME off.
Here are a few of my favorites for this upcoming Fall season:
 
  1. PSL-YUM!  I don’t think I need to say anything else about this wonderful beverage.
  2. Scarves.  They are the perfect accessory to any outfit.  I am in love with this new J. Crew infinity scarf.  I love the fringe.
  3. Football.  We are Bears fans in our household and are so excited to see what this season brings for us. (Sorry to all of my family who are HUGE Cowboys fans).
  4. Pumpkin bread.  Here is a recipe for a twist on pumpkin bread.  It’s sooo delicious! Who am I kidding though, give me pumpkin everything.  I will have another post soon with some of my favorite pumpkin recipes.
  5. Boots.  All types.  There is something about a good pair of boots that make a girl feel good.  I am dying over these Michael Kors ankle boots right now!
 
I could go on and on about my favorite Fall things.  That’s why this is just part 1!  
 
What are some of your Fall favorites for this year?

Read More
at
· · ·

Open for Business

Saturday, August 30, 2014

No comments
It's hard to even begin describing how I feel right now.  I'm nervous and excited all at the same time.  I have officially opened a small online boutique of  clothes, handmade accessories and other goodies for Mommy and Baby, mommy-to-be and even some items for Daddy (of course, you don't have to be a parent to purchase and/or wear our items!). 
 
This is something that I have been working on for a while now.  I love being a mommy to a girl!  It's so much fun and I love making things for her and dressing her up.   I was inspired by some of my mommy friends and bloggers to be creative and start something of my own. 
.



You can go to www.thelittlestfunk.com to shop your BIG heart out!  Be sure to enter the code FREESHIP for free shipping over Labor Day weekend.  And follow @thelittlestfunk on Instagram and The Littlest Funk on Facebook for all the latest details

I will be working hard on adding new items to the shop often along with having some fun giveaways.  If there is something you would like to see in my shop, just let me know!  I can and have made some custom items for people as well.  You don't want to miss out :) 
Read More
at
· ·

Don't Worry, Have a Cookie

Thursday, August 21, 2014

No comments
A few days ago I was able to catch up with a good friend of mine who just had a sweet little boy.  It was nice to sit down with someone who didn't mind all this baby talk.  We chatted all about being first time mommy's and some of our struggles.  I was reminded how hard breastfeeding can be in the beginning.  Although it wasn't that long ago, I had already forgotten what a challenge it was for myself and Emma. 

Breastfeeding isn't for everyone and it also comes easier for some than others.  I was one of those that had to work on it.  I remember I would cringe and start crying before Emma would even latch on.  She got the hang of latching on to my left breast pretty quickly, but the right was a completely different story.  She couldn't quite get it and I was in a lot of pain for the first month and a half.  I tried everything from pumping beforehand, nipple shields, changing her position...everything I could think of and read about.  There were many days where I really didn't think I could do it.  The more I worried about it, the worse it got until one day I decided that we were going to do this.  It was the best thing for Emma and I wasn't going to stress over something I couldn't necessarily control.  I left it all up to Him and knew it would work itself out.

"Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you."  1 Peter 5:7

I remember when Emma finally had a great latch for the first time that wasn't painful.  I continued to cry, but it was because I was so happy!  I even yelled at Michael to come check it out.  Ha!

Through our struggles, I learned how important it is to set goals.  For us, I try to make it to the next month.  This Saturday will make 16 weeks and going strong!  For you, it could be just to make it through the week or even day to day.  Every day that I am able to provide for my sweet baby, is just that, one more day that I'm providing the nutrients that she needs to grow healthy.

Since then, we haven't had much trouble with nursing and I love getting this experience with Emma.  However,  I have gone back to work full-time and that was another challenge of its own.  Trying to keep up with work and keep a consistent pumping schedule along with her nursing schedule can be tough.  I began to notice a decrease in my milk supply as well. 

Another lesson I learned through this, is how important it is to take of myself.  I drink a lot water, eat well (most of the time) and snack on these amazing No-Bake Lactation Cookies  that I got from another mommy blogger.  I've made three batches since having Emma, so I thought I would share :)  I add 1/2 cup of Chia seeds to mine, any nut of your choice (walnuts, almonds and cashews are the best for your milk supply) and dark cocoa instead of unsweetened cocoa.  These are soooo good and I notice a big difference when I incorporate oats into my diet daily.

I am thankful every day for being able to have the opportunity to bond with my baby in a way that no one else will ever be able to do with her.  At the end of the day, being a mommy can be exhausting, but I am so glad that I get to do it again the next day.

So, when you start to worry about your next nursing session, pumping or your milk supply, DON'T.  Just stop, take a breath, say a little prayer and then relax and enjoy a cookie :)

What has been some of your struggles as mommies?  What advice would you give?


  Aly
No-Bake Lactation Cookies
Yum!
Read More
at

Mommy Blog Train

Monday, August 18, 2014

No comments
Hey ya'll!  Its happening...I'm jumping on the mommy bloggin' train and I can't wait to see where and how far this train goes, what adventures I can get into and, of course, tell you all about my life as a Christ follower, a first time mommy and a soon-to-be wife. 

A little about me-My name is Alyssa and I am engaged to a wonderful, hilarious (he'll love that I added that) and super sweet man who daily makes me want to be a better human being.  Michael and I have a beautiful baby girl who is growing a lot faster than I want and could have ever known was possible and a dog named Neko.  We are extremely blessed! 

I have really been wanting to start a blog for a while and what better time than now, when I have a full-time job, an almost four month old, a fiancé, a dog....and the list goes on.  Ha!

I'm sure I will be asking for a lot of advice as well as giving advice from things that I learn through my sweet daughter, Emma.  I'm excited to share our lives with y'all, meet new people and other mommies who love doing the same thing! 

Thanks for following my blog and I hope you enjoy!



Aly

Read More
at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)