a lifestyle, family and travel blog
I've had this in my drafts now for well over a year and I wasn't sure if I would ever hit publish on it because it's a very personal story but also incredibly special and one I never want to forget. And as much as this blog is for you, it's also for me, and serves as a written record of life's ups and downs and everything in between. It just didn't make sense to leave out something so monumental and pivotal in my life so here we are - Palmer Anne's birth story.
Thinking of and making healthy-ish meals for Palmer's breakfast, lunch and dinner can get pretty daunting and often time consuming. Of all the meals though, I think breakfast is probably my favorite because we've got a pretty solid group of options we rotate through weekly. All of them can be made in under 10 minutes or prepared ahead of time and frozen for easy preparation. Click in to continue reading!
Traveling with a baby or toddler can be very intimidating and certainly isn't easy but a little planning and preparation can go a long way. Kevin and I have never shied away from a road trip and adding a baby to the mix definitely created a layer of complexity but it still hasn't stopped us. Especially now during the pandemic, car travel is the safest method for our family to get around with Palmer in tow.
SURPRISE, WE'RE PREGNANT! If you follow me on Instagram [@karavallari] then you know that we're expecting baby #2 this coming June. Kevin and I are beyond excited to be growing our family and can't wait to watch Palmer become a big sister! It still feels a little surreal to be on this journey again and I feel so blessed to be growing a second life.
I know the holidays are only a few short weeks behind us but I'm already excited for Valentine's Day! Here in Chicago there's not a whole lot to look forward to in January or February. The days are short, cold and we're still stuck at home for the foreseeable future [thank you, COVID] so why not go all out celebrating Valentine's Day this year!?
Over the last 18ish months, I've become a pro at packing for Palmer. Whether it's a short trip to visit my parents in the suburbs or a week long vacation, I've got you covered! Continue reading for a full check list on what to pack for every occasion!
It's crazy to think we're leaving this schedule behind after almost nine months! I honestly loved the two nap days because it gave me a ton of flexibility to get things done during two significant chunks of the day. Luckily, Palmer has always been a good sleeper and we never had any issues with her napping two plus hours 2x day and still sleeping through the night.
Fall fashion is one of my favorites and having a toddler to dress and shop for makes it even more fun. Living in San Diego, we definitely missed out on the oversized sweaters, chunky scarfs and warm puffy vests the past three seasons so we're going all out this year.
I can't believe my little baby is ONE! This past year has been filled with all sorts of baby firsts - breastfeeding, bottles, solids, crawling, new words - and it has absolutely flown by. I tend to be a realist so I went into motherhood with fairly modest expectations around the challenges that babies also present - sleepless nights, teething, blow outs, spit up, crying - and sure we experienced that all too but we definitely lucked out in the baby lottery with Palmer. She's fearless, independent, happy-go-lucky, stubborn, beautiful, curious and loving. She's the best thing that ever happened to us and I can't imagine our life without her.
As I mentioned in my post about Palmer's Schedule: 0 - 3 months, we took most of our cues from her natural circadian rhythms in order to determine her schedule moving forward. We were fortunate from the beginning because she never confused her days and nights and started sleeping through the night around seven weeks. I remember this vividly because we took her on her first trip to Chicago when she was just shy of two months and she slept the entire night each day we were there, I'm sure due in large part to the time change.
KARA VALLARI 