February Stitch Fix

This was my 4th box from Stitch Fix, and it's my favorite one yet!  I was very intentional about scheduling this fix.  In my "notes" to the stylist I let her know that I wanted clothes that would be great for right after the birth and be nursing friendly.  I wanted items that would help hide my postpartum belly and look "springy" while still warm enough for our cold Colorado weather.  As soon as I opened the box I could tell that she'd listened to me and I was so excited to start trying on clothes!

None of the items are a great fit right now.  They are all intended for after the birth.  I'm pleased that I was able to try them all on and get a good idea for their potential fit. ;)   The first outfit I tried on was not my favorite, but I did still like the items.  The skirt felt so nice on both for the fit and fabric quality; I was sad that the print/color combo were just not quite "me."  I really liked the feel of the grey criss cross top that was chosen for me because it would be nursing friendly.  I wasn't sure if it would help in hiding my belly.  Obviously it's good at showing it off right now. :)

The pink top and cardigan were in colors and styles I'd requested.  The top will be great for spring and summer while the cardigan will keep me warmer while we're still in the cooler temps.  The cardigan will also be great pared with the top for nursing as it will help provide a bit of extra cover and privacy.  Right now I can just get the top over my belly, so I can't wear it, but I know I'm going to love being able to wear it right after baby is born.  It's always nice to have something pretty to wear right away.

This one is my favorite.  I'd requested more of a "romantic" look and this is what was sent to fill that request.  The top is in colors I'd requested and while the cut does accomedate my belly now it'll be perfect all through the spring and summer for hiding my mamma tummy and nursing the baby (while not looking like I'm wearing a maternity top).  I also love that the stylist pointed out that the tops she picked would look good with the pants I'd kept from my last fix.  I'd have figured it out eventually, but I appreciated the thoughtfulness.

I ended up keeping all 5 pieces.  I normally would not have, but I knew I was going to keep the 3 I loved.  The grey top was questionable and at first I'd decided to send it back.   Over the next few hours I keep thinking about it though and pulling it out.  There is a 25% discount for keeping all 5 items, plus I had credits making it cheaper to keep all 5 once I decided to keep the 4th item.  I'm thankful for a husband that is so sweet and encouraged me to keep them all.

Now they are all hanging in my closet waiting to be worn.  Ah, more practice in patience.  You know, 'cause waiting for baby to arrive is not practice enough.

***If you are interested in giving stitch fix a go I'd love it if you'd use my link.  I get credit when your first fix ships.  A big reason I was able to treat myself this time was because some sweet friends have been enjoying Stitch Fix through my link.  A BIG Thank You goes out to them from me. :)

The Nursery; with toddler bunk beds

You know in Peter Pan when the kids are talking about it being Wendy's last night in the nursery?  I never really understood why kids (not babies) were in the nursery.  Now I do.  We've always just had a boys' room and girls' room (and mom & dad's room), but that's not working anymore and we have some more flexibility in this house.  We've been setting up an nursery for kids 7 (at least) and under.

We started by converting 2 toddler size beds into a set of toddler size bunk beds.  Our 6 year old and 4 year old will be sleeping in these.  We used the two headboards for the bottom bunk and the two foot boards for the top.  The beds are well secured together with pegs and brackets.  ***Use extreme caution in attempting this.  This is not a method/use recommended by the manufacturer.  My husband is an experienced builder and had to alter the construction of the beds***

The nursery is close to mommy and daddy's room.  It is also near our main living area.  We were struggling with littles not cleaning up their messes, having a hard time finding their clothing, or getting into older siblings things.  This way we will be better able to supervise and help these little ones.

We think this will also give them a nice play space that they can have more freedom in.  We will not have to be quite as concerned about curious/mischievous little hands.  *Some toys will be stored out of the way in the closet, others will be out to play with.  We limit what our children have available to them and rotate the toys regularly.  We find them to be more content with what they have when we do this.

Once baby arrives we will be storing 4 children's clothes in this room.  Baby will likely sleep in our room for several months.  We will put a small crib or playpen in here when it is time for baby to join the others. *We're just using the shelves in the closet  and hanging many of the girls things for their clothes right now.  We're holding off on buying a dresser to (1)save for it (2)see if it is really necessary since it would be nice not to have one in there.

The biggest goal here was protecting some sweet relationships.  We could see that some kids were being provoked to wrath either through siblings or the situations we had put them in.  This was something that could be changed, and so we needed to do that.  It has been working out very well for everyone.

I thought I'd share the costs of doing this with you especially since this was a budget project.
Crib mattress- $57 we only needed one since we already had a spare

Toddler bed- $79x2 on Amazon  *while we would normally look for these on Craigslist we bought these new because they had to be the exact same bed to work for our purposes.

The pink toddler bed (with mattress) was purchased quite a while ago by finding it on Craigslist.  It was new, the child that originally owned it never slept in it.  I think it cost $55

*This had been the girls' room.  Our two older girls moved downstairs to a room we had left empty to allow for some growth.  That growth happened sooner than we thought it would. :)