Christmas 2015

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! It's hard to believe its over already, I'm kind of torn about the Christmas décor that is still scattered around our house.

We're still trying to get life in order this week but I wanted to stop by and share a few snaps from Rowan's first Christmas.

Rowan was a champ opening gifts, I was shocked how well he did ripping the paper off. He only had about 3 gifts to open plus his stocking but we spaced them out throughout the day since he really just wanted to play with his Puppy Activity House.

This Melissa & Doug sound puzzle and Pottery Barn Kids Anywhere chair (Sherpa sold out but I linked a similar one) were also huge hits.

Seriously why don't they make those chairs for adults? It's so soft, we're all obsessed. Now we just need to teach Rowan a more graceful way of getting down from his seat.

I'm so glad we had our little celebration at home because as I mentioned last week, we lost my Grandmother just before Christmas. Needless to say our time visiting family was not like we expected.  Christmas Day started early... like 4 AM-early, because our sweet boy was cutting 4 teeth. FOUR! Poor thing, he has been such a trooper.

I didn't take many photos on Christmas itself and we never managed to get a family photo, but I am so grateful that we were there with family.  We are very close and did our best to make it feel as normal as possible given the circumstances.

I also want to thank everyone for the sweet messages, flowers, and support. It is very much appreciated and I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderful this blogging community has been!

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From Our Family to Yours...

Merry Christmas and happy holidays from our family to yours!

Friends- I am sorry for the radio silence over here! It's been a whirlwind of a week (or two- I can't keep track of the days).

Part of that silence is because the world lost a beautiful person this week, my grandmother. Rowan won't remember her but I will remember for him how much she loved him and the rest of our family.

So this Christmas I'm hugging my family, my husband, and my sweet baby boy tighter than ever.

I hope that you all get to spend the holidays surrounded by those you love!

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Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, friends!! Only one more of these before Christmas and we are oh so excited over here!

Glad to be linking up again with Christina for my favorites from the week! Here goes...

ONE. Quick DIY Restoration Hardware Knockoff Shelves

 

I promised I'd share some details from these shelves from our Christmas decor post, they are so easy! I used this tutorial from 7th House on the Left, except after purchasing all of the pipe materials from Lowes and spending $70, I took them all back! Not long after, I found Supply House which had quick shipping and the materials were only $25. Waaaay better!

Our boards (leftover from our DIY coffee table) were 6" x 1" so to make two shelves I ordered four 3/4" x 6" Black Nipples, four 3/4" Black Caps, and four 3/4" Black Floor Flanges. Assemble the pipes and spray paint them before installing with heavy duty anchors. I did this project all by myself so its totally doable for us ladies!

TWO. $150 Minted Giveaway

Yesterday I shared this precious Minted custom artwork I had done for a gift for Rowan's grandparents and there is a $150 giveaway you can enter to win your own! You can also use it for holiday cards if you haven't ordered yours yet! Don't miss it!

THREE. Favorite Loungewear

Gap Cotton Leggings

Y'all these pants are the.best.ever. I love them so much that I own two pairs and I'm fighting the urge to buy another because there are so many fun patterns! They are perfect for cuddling around the house, chasing after a wild child, and make me feel less like I'm wearing pajama pants all day.

FOUR. Rowan's First Santa Visit

We took Rowan to see the James Island Festival of Lights last night and he had his first visit with Santa! He looked like he was about to lose it but the photographer cheered him up pretty quickly! I have to laugh because he is actually wearing longalls but they are riding up on him so bad.. oops!!

FIVE. Red Lipstick Help?!

This weekend we've got a date night on the agenda and I totally dropped the ball in my outfit planning for the wedding we are going to! I'm hoping I can pick up a little black dress and maybe venture out of my comfort zone with some red lipstick. I'm not usually a lipstick person, so if anyone has a recommendation please share!!

Hope you all have a fab + festive weekend!!

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Custom Letterpress Art + $150 Minted Giveaway {Closed}

I'm not sure what it is, but parents are the hardest to shop for when it comes to gifts. When I saw Minted's new custom art it hit me that something completely personalized would be absolutely perfect! Rowan is their only grandchild and even though he isn't quite advanced enough to draw them a picture yet, we can definitely use his hand and footprints!

I love the idea of creating a letterpress or foil print from your own design. Honestly you will make some mama or grandma's heart so happy with a personalized gift like this!

To start, I prepped myself with some paper, a baby-safe stamp, a scanner, and way too much confidence. Turns out, my almost 10-month old wants nothing to do with getting his hand and footprints done.

Shocker, right? If we did manage to get him to sit still long enough by bribing him with puffs, he thought it was hilarious to curl his toes or try to grab the paper. It was pretty darn cute but needless to say I had to go to plan B and use his newborn prints.

First I scanned Rowan's prints from his baby book, uploaded it to Pixlr Editor (kind of like a free version of Photoshop), and copied just the hand and footprints onto a white background.

If you're babe cooperates with the prints or you use a picture they have drawn, you can skip this step and just scan it onto your computer!

The next step was picking the orientation of my art and uploading the print to Minted, which was definitely the easiest part of this little project.

With the letterpress art, you can pick from tons of colors for the print but I went with black to keep with the original hand and foot prints.

Since these were Rowan's newborn prints, I thought adding Rowan's birth information would be a fun addition to his name at the bottom. So I shared the information in the "Special Requests" section for the Minted design team to review and I'm so happy they created my vision during the proofing process!


It's safe to say I'm crazy about how it came out and I'm totally jealous I didn't get myself one! They aren't the exact size of his original prints but they are pretty close and so, so precious.

How cute is the whitewashed herringbone pattern on this frame?! I've never purchased a frame from Minted but I couldn't pass this one up.

And because Minted is awesome, they are giving you a chance to win $150 credit! Use it for custom art like a drawing, wedding vows, a portrait of your first home, or even holiday cards!

To enter, follow this link and enter your information. You have until December 17th to enter. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I was provided custom art by Minted for the purposes of this review. 

As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

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Fa La La La

Life has been crazy busy the past week so I just wanted to pop in and share some photos of our Christmas decor! Since its our first Christmas in our new home and Rowan's first Christmas, I was so excited to go super traditional with the colors.

I was going crazy trying to finish decorating for a little Christmas party we had this past weekend with our friends and their babies. Despite the smoke detectors going off twice and my husband telling me Christmas music was not allowed because the NFL games were on (insert eye roll here), it was so much fun! Nothing like giving myself a little pressure to finish decorating. 

I'd like to say we have a perfectly styled coffee table or side tables, but the reality is my child will demolish any and all decor attempts. He is even starting to remove the corner guards on our DIY coffee table so I guess we'll be covering all wood furniture with rubber and bubble wrap.

Joking... Kind of.

Also if you've been around long enough you know I love me some DIY holiday decor but this year I just haven't had time so I stuck with my plaid tablecloth pillow and this DIY no-sew deer pillow. 

Stockings. Garland (Michael's Arts & Crafts).

Pillow (Home Goods).

DIY Christmas Tree Bow Tutorial

I actually decorated two trees- a faux one with only gold and silver ornaments which I neglected to take a photo of (I'll blame that one on mom brain... will share later this week!) and a live tree with all of our family ornaments.

Mercury Glass Christmas Tree. Faux Boxwood Plant. Winter Wonderland Printable.

I'm obsessed with these new DIY shelves in our kitchen area. More on these later this week!

And as promised, I decorated Rowan's nursery. However changing his diaper is like wrestling an alligator so putting a mini tree on his dresser was a big fat negative. I had to keep side table decor to a minimum for the same reason. He also noticed the garland I hung above his rocking chair and he wasn't a fan so we had to take that down. High maintenance over here!

Reindeer Knit Doll.

The music box was a gift from my grandma years ago when I was in high school. I used to keep it in my room and now I love having it in Rowan's room!

Cutest smocked PJs ever via Smocked Threads

Rowan has mostly left the Christmas trees alone but he is getting more and more gutsy so I don't think I'll be singing that tune for much longer. He is at the sweetest age right now, I wish he could stay this little forever!

If you saw on Instagram, Rowan will need tubes in his ears after his 4th ear infection in 2 months. I wanted to share that while on Instagram and this blog I try to stay positive and share festive photos, it's kind of my coping mechanism. It's not all pretty over here and I've been struggling to stay positive through all of the health (and sleep) struggles we've had.

So there's that. I just thought y'all should know our house is usually a train wreck and I've been buying extra concealrer for the bags under my eyes! And now that the babe is asleep, I'm off to have a little bit of this!

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Quick + Easy Dinners

I used to like making dinner. But being a wife, mama, full-time employee, and sometimes blogger leave me little time to devote to trying new recipes. Plus after Rowan is in bed its hard to resist the urge to sink into the couch with a big glass of wine.

I also blame the holiday season for making it really easy to call cookies an acceptable form of dinner. Or is that just me?

Anyway I've rounded up our favorite go-to recipes that are on repeat in our weekly menus! These are all picky-eater + husband-approved, can be made with very little effort and under 30 minutes (aside from the cooking part with the crockpot), and they make great leftovers.

Random tips for the busy girl boss or mama:

- Definitely don't forget to use crockpot liners for these, they might be the greatest invention ever.
- Prep your veggies for the week by chopping and then roasting or sauteing all at once. I find this makes it much more likely I will eat them and they won't go bad!

Skinny Crockpot Meatballs

Adapted Recipe via Skinnytaste

Grocery List: Ground beef, garlic, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, 1 egg, 2 cans of diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, Prego (or your favorite pasta sauce)

Recipe: In a large bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, garlic and cheese. Mix all of the ingredients and form small meatballs. Pour pasta sauce, canned tomatoes, parsley, and minced garlic into crockpot. Add meatballs, cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. Meatballs can be made ahead and frozen.

Don't judge, but I make cheater pasta sauce by adding 2 small cans of diced tomatoes with garlic and onion and fresh parsley to some Prego. And clearly I use whatever pasta we have on hand! #fancy

Crockpot Philly Cheesesteaks

Grocery List: Steak (I usually use shoulder steak), McCormicks Montreal Steak Seasoning, Garlic Salt, Beef Broth, Peppers, Onions, Provolone Cheese, and Hoagie rolls

Recipe:  Put the steak in your crockpot, fill with enough beef broth that it covers the steak (you can also use water if you don't have broth), and sprinkle some garlic salt and steak seasoning. I usually go pretty heavy with the steak seasoning because we love the flavor. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or until the steak shreds apart really easily.

Right before eating, saute peppers and onions. Place shredded steak and veggies in your hoagie roll, top with provolone cheese, and broil on low for 8-10 minutes.

Skinny Alfredo Sauce with Pasta and Roasted Veggies

Alfredo Recipe via Damn Delicious

Grocery List: Fettuccine or zoodles, milk, flour, butter, heavy cream, Neufchatel cheese (basically light cream cheese), garlic powder, parmesan cheese, roasted veggies

Recipe: I use this skinny alfredo recipe and its super easy, makes enough for a few meals, and its healthy-ish!  Melt butter in a saucepan, whisk in flour, and then gradually whisk in milk. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes while stirring. Add heavy cream and garlic powder until it thickens slightly, then add the cheeses until melted. Toss with pasta and veggies and top with pepper and some fresh parley if you're feeling fancy.

Skinny BBQ Chicken Chili

Adapted Recipe via Skinnytaste

Grocery List: Chicken (cook in crockpot on high for 4-5 hours or buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it), olive oil, sweet onion, garlic cloves, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, red pepper flakes, roasted red peppers in water (chopped), kidney beans (rinsed and drained), chicken broth, 2 cans diced tomatoes with green chiles, your favorite barbecue sauce, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream for topping

Recipe: I'm lazy about following this recipe so I basically just throw all of the ingredients in a pot on the stove or in my crockpot all at once. Cook for 20-30 minutes on the stovetop or on low in the crockpot for an hour or however long you feel like it? See I told you I'm lazy about this one. You can't really mess it up!

There you have it, our favorite meals for those crazy busy weeks when you don't feel like cooking! Any of your favorites that I should add to our menu?

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Our Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It's so hard getting back into the swing of things after a long break from work. And lets not even get into the amount of food I shoved in my face. Not sorry about eating these cookies though. Not one bit.

This year we hosted Thankgiving and my parents made the long drive to spend the weekend with us. It was so special having them here for Rowan's first Thanksgiving! It was also fun having my Mom here to show me how she makes all of my favorite dishes. And as a bonus for having a small crowd at home, I didn't really have to change out of anything besides my fat pants.

While our Thanksgiving was filled with lots of love, laughs and gratitude for our wonderful family and friends, we unfortunately had some sad and unexpected news with my grandma's health. I cannot wait to visit and wrap my arms around her in a few weeks. 

LOTS of leftovers!

Rowan was a champ with his first taste of Thanksgiving foods! He is definitely my child because he loved the small bites we gave him of pumpkin pie. Though I was shocked he gagged at mashed potatoes. Not sure what that is all about!

This photo was taken just seconds before R lunged for the ornaments. I cannot imagine how hectic its about to get with a live Christmas tree! Because yes we're totally putting up two :) He is cutting several teeth so having his Grandma here to help was critical to saving at least some of my sanity. And the wine, that helped too.

And now I'm off to finish my Christmas shopping online! Share some of your favorite deals!!

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Christmas Gifts for an Infant

All of our family members are on top of it with their Christmas shopping this year (unlike me!) and have asked for ideas for Rowan, so I've been racking my brain trying to think of things for his Christmas list.

I have known for a while that I wanted to get Rowan the Pottery Barn Kids Anywhere Chair but beyond that, I was having a hard time thinking of other options since the kid has more toys than an infant could possibly need. Then, after calling in reinforcements from Laura and Stephanie since they know what works for a baby in Rowan's age range, it hit me that I had to think more practically.

The "larger infant but not yet toddler" age range can be tough for gift giving, and I know Rowan will definitely love tapping on the boxes and ripping the paper off the most. But for the folks who are in the same boat or have babies who are getting more mobile, here are a few of Rowan's favorites and some that I've added to his list!

Need

We love these Bumkins bibs. They catch at least half of the finger food Rowan drops, which is a win in my book, plus they are super easy to clean. I also like these disposable bibs for in my diaper bag and plan to get Rowan some snack jars.

We were having a hard time keeping Rowan from standing in the bathtub so one day I moved him closer to the spout. After seeing his reflection in the hardware, he didn't try to stand up once! Vain, I know, but this bathtub mirror is a genius distraction that comes with bathtub crayons for when he is a little older. Other bathtub toys like this octopus and this floating plane are on his list to keep him busy. 

Play + Learn

Rowan is a big fan of reading at the moment so we're all about the books, especially festive ones like the Little Blue Truck's Christmas and Olive the Other Reindeer. I always search for books at Marshalls and TJ Maxx!

Those stores are also really good for finding Melissa & Doug toys under $10, like puzzles and this shape sorter.

Two other favorites for Rowan in the older infant stage have been this V Tech Activity Cube and the Sit-to-Stand Walker. He loves the lights and starts to dance the moment the music starts! And I swear the cube encouraged him to sit up (he loved being on his belly before) and he just started attempting to walk with the walker!

Want

I'm putting all of Baby Gap in the "want" list and you know its just because this mama cannot handle the cuteness. But I also love shopping small so the first thing I picked up was a Zubels knit dog doll. Its so soft, I know he is going to love it! I used the code SM25 for 25% off.  (Also I'm not getting paid to tell you how much I love Zubels products, they are just an affordable alternative to other knit dolls!)

I also really love Shop LuLu and Roo sweatpants (Rowan has these), Slouch Headwear beanies, all things monogrammed (like this adorable seersucker backpack), and Pehr bins for toy storage. FYI these bins fit IKEA storage units perfectly and come in tons of cute designs!

So there you have it! Lots of very affordable, small things to throw in a stocking or wrap up for some good photos by the tree! Anyone else thinking more practical gift for your little ones this year?!

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Confessions

Hi! It's been a while. I thought I'd finally show my face after hoarding myself in my house attempting to corral my active kid, work like a boss, and sew a fun piece for the Willow Crowns mini collection launching next week!

As I was listening to my annoying voice on a Snapchat video this week it dawned on me that I was using that as a confessional and thought it might be time to lay it all out in writing for those of you who are obviously on the edge of your seat waiting to hear from me. So here goes...

Slouch Headwear Hunter Green Beanie

1. I wish I looked that cute in slouchy hats.

2. My husband and I get to have our second date night in 9 months next week and we can't decide what to do or where to go. We can do so many activities! Kind of pathetic though that we can't narrow it down to anything besides cocktails.

3. We put no less than 4 pacifiers in Rowan's crib each night so that when he wakes up he can always find one. It's hilarious watching him do it on the monitor, actually works, and in the morning we find them in a pile next to him. That's right... he collects them while he is half-asleep. I find it so entertaining but I'm fully aware this might majorly suck when we wean him from the paci.

4. I have an unhealthy obsession with Pirouette rolled wafers. Also I can't pronounce the name of them despite taking French in college so there's that. 

5. We have 2 gallery walls and 2 mirrors that need hung, plus 3 bedrooms to paint, a laundry room to  add cabinets to, a formal dining room without furniture, and a room that looks like holiday decorations puked all over the place. Clearly we've been productive.

6. I recently had a very sweet reader tell me it looked like I had my act together. Let me assure you, that is not the case at all! I have myself together roughly 20% of the time, as in I have showered and made dinner before 8 PM. The other 80% of the time any ounce of "togetherness" comes at the expense of a missed lunch, wet hair thrown into a ponytail, or missed sleep. Seriously y'all.. hot mess express over here!

7. I've listened to Amy Vachal's cover of Hotline Bling more times than I'd like to admit.

8. I used to have a nose ring. Just a stud, no fancy bull rings over here. I got that over a tattoo on my 18th birthday because (luckily) the tattoo place was closed. Such a rebel. 

Okay now I'm off to have some vino. Happy almost Thursday, friends!

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Mini Christmas Style

Dare I say it, but we may be finally coming out of the fog that has been Rowan's ear infection and cold plaguing him the past few weeks. Whew! But if you see me try to pretend the bags under my eyes aren't there... K? Thanks!

I've been fueling with extra large coffees since Rowan was sick and normally I'd be annoyed that Starbucks has their red cups out so early, but this year I'm all about it. Give me all the Christmas things. There are only 6 more Fridays until Christmas, people!

Don't get me wrong, Thanksgiving has always been a favorite (who doesn't love stuffing their face with food for an entire day?) and I'm so excited to host my parents this year in our new home... but I'd be lying if I said I didn't fight the urge to put up a tree already.

I'm trying to soak up all of the festive goodness with our little family this year, so pardon me while I spam you with some baby photos in the most adorable Santa sweater ever.

Santa Hat, Sweater, Rattle and (not pictured, the cutest clip on toy Santa) c/o Zubels.

The knit fabric on this sweater is really soft, I love it on him so much. This moose option is also a festive fave! They are so well made and wash up really well!

Santa Hat, Sweater, Rattle and (not pictured, the cutest clip on toy Santa) c/o Zubels.

That rattle? He's obsessed. It's the perfect size for his little hand to hold. There are lots of other non-holiday rattles, such a great stocking stuffer idea mamas!

And if you can't tell this kid is on the move! He does.not.stop. I love it.

I honestly can't resist all things knit and fair isle for babies. Here are a few more of my favorites!

Zubels Moose Knit Doll. Holiday Outfit Set. Cable Pom Hat. Booties. Knit Jumpsuit.

Rowan has this winter trapper hat and I can attest that they make the softest sherpa/fur accessories for babies! I only buy during their Friends and Family sale because, yikes, but I can't pass up those booties!

I'm already scheming about decorating Rowan's nursery for Christmas. Definitely exercising major restraint by not purchasing Santa crib sheets, but that Zubels moose is most definitely going in his toy basket!

Is anyone else fighting the urge to put a Christmas tree up yet?! 

Disclosure: I received complimentary items from Zubels for the purposes of this collaboration. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own! Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!

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Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, friends! We're still nursing R's double ear infection over here so I apologize for my absence from this space lately!

Because I'm the most indecisive person in the world, we switched up the rug in our living room and I have to say I really love this new one! The problem is, it's actually more white than I anticipated and I'm thinking this one might be a better option since our chair, curtains, and throw blanket are definitely off-white. I know, total first world problems over here. (I can sense my husband's eyes rolling right about now)

We're feeling festive this week, especially after seeing Rowan in this adorable Zubels knit Santa hat! He is obsessed with the crochet rattle too, though he recently learned he can chuck it across the back seat of the car so that's been fun. But I'm obsessed with the Zubels knit dolls and I'm convinced Rowan needs this moose as part of his Christmas nursery decor (because yes, I'm totally decorating his room!).

Santa Hat and Rattle c/o Zubels. See more next week!

I admit I put zero effort into dinners this week. The upside to that is we ordered pizza from our favorite local restaurant last night and I got their five cheese caprese pizza. It was SO good and I'm definitely planning to recreate it! The menu says its got olive oil, garlic, feta, bleu, parmesan, mozzarella and provolone cheeses plus diced tomato, basil, and balsamic drizzle. Totally doable at home!

Super high quality iPhone snap.

If you're like me and you have a dog, kid, or husband, do yourself a favor and pick up some of the new Fresh Wave products at Target this weekend. I tried out some of their new products this week and I really like them! They are natural and non-toxic which is a must with a baby around! So far I've used the spray on Ruby's dog bed, the odor removing packs in R's diaper pail, and the gel in a closet where we store Ruby's food. Also considering moving the gel into my husband's car because, ew.

c/o Fresh Wave

Hope you all have a fab weekend! We're planning to take Rowan downtown this weekend and I'm really hoping we get the cool weather they are predicting. Totally over this 80 degree November weather!

Also stay tuned next week for some more festive goodness :)

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It Takes a Village

Being a mom is hard work.

I know I'm just stating the obvious here but since the very beginning of my pregnancy I think I underestimated the endless worry, sleepless nights, and most of all, the amount of love you can have for one tiny human being. How seeing him smile, crawl, and cuddle into your neck makes you completely forget that he just spit up all over you or gave you approximately 4 hours of sleep last night. 

Photo by Shannon Michele Photography

I was the first of my group of friends to have a baby so I had no one to ask about random pregnancy pains or what you really need on a registry.

Sometimes you just need to know you're not the only one dealing with two ear infections in a month and teething all at the same time.

Sometimes you need someone to say "been there, try saline before the nose frida!" Or just to agree, mom to mom, how bad it sucks (literally). Someone to remind me not to hate daycare for exposing Rowan to germs, and be thankful that its building his immune system.

Someone to encourage you to have that glass of wine at the end of the day because you deserve that glass of deliciousness. 

I honestly would have felt totally in the dark if it weren't for Stephanie and Laura being so sweet and reaching out to me, lending an ear, and throwing any and all advice they have my way. I'm sure they totally regretted offering when I text them endless first-time mom questions!

And with Jillian's baby girl just a month younger than Rowan, its been so great sharing all of these new, crazy, and fun experiences with a friend.

I know there are tons of mamas I'm not mentioning who have shared advice or just gave a collective "Amen" when I complained about the 4-month sleep regression. It really does take a village to help mentally and physically (thank you nursing mama friends!) navigate the world of Motherhood. So thank you ladies.

If you're expecting or a new mama, please don't hesitate to reach out! I may not know what the heck I'm talking about, but I can guarantee my kid also took his crazy pills at least once this week.

Because let's face it, men just don't understand our postpartum hair loss woes.

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