Mom Life Archives - The Holtz House

0 In How To/ Mom Life/ The Best

Moby 2-in-1 Carrier + Hip Seat Review: The Perfect Carrier for the Mom On-the-Go

Being a mom is a tough gig, yet the most rewarding job I’ve ever had. Multitasking has quickly become a daily way of life for our family as we’re always on the go. Whenever I come across a product that makes mom life a bit more simple, it makes me so excited to share with you guys.

For this post, I’m happy to partner with Moby to share our new 2-in-1 Carrier + Hip Seat from Amazon. This baby carrier has been such a game changer for us. With Kinley at 8 months old, it’s so nice to be able to wear her out and about or even just around the home when I’m trying to keep up with the vacuuming or laundry. Here’s all the reasons to love this structured baby carrier:

One-size-fits-all — it’s so nice that this carrier can be used by myself, my husband, our caregiver, anyone! In the past, I’ve tried on other structured carriers and didn’t feel like I could get them tight enough to feel secure since I’m on the petite side. The 2-in-1 Carrier + Hip Seat has a great fit for all body types.

From infant to toddler — I loved how this carrier will last us from first snuggles to first steps. You can use this baby carrier from 4 months up until 48 months if you’d like!
Multiple options for wear — With 4 carrier options (both inward and outward) and 3 hip seat options you’re sure to find one that works best for your lifestyle. We like to use the outward carrier option on the go, the inward carrier option when she’s in need of a nap and the hip seat at home for up and down ease.
Comfortable to wear — As Kinley grows, it’s getting harder and harder to physically keep up with carrying her around. The Moby 2-in-1 Carrier + Hip Seat distributes her weight more evenly between my hips and shoulders. Also, the hard structure hip seat also provides additional comfort for me and better support for my little one.

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August 19, 2019 By The Holtz House

0 In Mom Life/ The Best/ Tips and Tricks

10 Reasons Why Basic Invite is Anything But Basic

This post has been sponsored by Basic Invite, but all opinions are my own.

It’s officially wedding season! So crazy to think my husband and I will be celebrating our 4th anniversary in one month. Where has the time gone?!

Looking back at our wedding planning process, I tended to stress over all the little details. Will the cake be okay in the humidity? What will happen if our ring bearer doesn’t want to walk down the aisle? Will our guests be able to find our venue in the middle of the country?

Let me give you a little tip, if you’re looking for no stress wedding invitations… Basic Invite is your go-to, and trust me, they are anything but basic! (Stick with me until the end where I’ll share a promo code.) Here’s 10 reasons why…

1- Endless Color Options – Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows customers almost unlimited color options with instant previews online. Once you select a design you can change the color of each element on the card to over 180 different color options. So, you can make sure the card is exactly how you want it – down to the littlest detail. This truly sets them apart from almost any other online stationery company. (They even just rolled out a new clear collection – simple + beautiful!)

Clear wedding invitations with white script from Basic Invite.

2- Custom Samples – Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows customers the ability to order a printed sample of their actual wedding invitation so they can see exactly how it will print as well as the paper quality before they ever have to place their final order. So genius… try before you buy. Here’s where you can find some wedding invitation examples.

3 – So Many Designs to Choose From – With over 1,000 wedding invitation sets, you can find everything from save the dates to wedding invitations and enclosure cards, wedding menus, wedding programs and even matching thank you cards!

Sage green ombre wedding invite with white script from Basic Invite.

4- Free Wedding Websites – Basic Invite’s new wedding websites are completely customizable just like their wedding invitations! These free wedding websites are mobile friendly and super easy to use. You can instantly upload all of your wedding details along with images and a map with directions which is super convenient for your guests. Choose from 180 custom colors and even choose a design to match your wedding invitation suite!

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July 1, 2019 By The Holtz House

0 In Mom Life

What to Pack in Your Pump Bag When Going Back to Work

It’s been two months since I’ve gone back to work after maternity leave… and I’ve survived! Some days I didn’t think it was possible. But here I am! Getting used to being away from my little girl for 10+ hours every day definitely has been an adjustment. Also, just getting back into the work flow has taken some getting used to. But I would say my biggest challenge has been pumping.

Kinley is exclusively breastfed and the whole experience overall has been pretty great for us. She had no issues latching in the hospital and she loves to eat! I’ve got plenty of milk, probably an over supply TBH which is why I’ve had mastitis twice already in the first 3 months. Ugh.

I realized early on that I hated pumping. It’s everything that breastfeeding isn’t. Cold, sterile and mechanical. No bonding… no special snuggles with my baby girl. Just suction. So I was already dreading it when thinking about going back to work.

Since then, I’ve gotten into the groove. And while I don’t love pumping…. it’s my goal to breastfeed for a full year. So I gotta make it work in the office! I’ve rounded up a list of all the things that I bring with me in my pump bag, and I thought it would be really helpful for other mamas heading back into the workforce after baby.

1. A cute pump bag – this may sound trivial to some, but if you’ve gotta lug it all over the place, it might as well be in a bag you like to carry. But also make sure it’s practical. I’ve linked my bag which is a backpack style, because my laptop bag is already an over the shoulder bag.

2. Parts bag – After I pump, I just rinse my parts and stick them in my parts bag in the fridge. At first I was just using a ziplock bag, but that wasn’t cutting it. With this parts bag, it gives you a bit of privacy in the public fridge in your workplace, but it’s also super convenient. It has a dry pocket, a wet pocket and even a wipeable staging mat for setup. I also don’t bring my pump bag home every single night, so I just grab my parts bag and toss it in my purse to take home to sanitize.

3. Cooler bag – you can always just use a regular lunch bag with an ice pack, but this one is super nice. It’s just the right size to stand up your storage baggies and prevent leaking. The patterns are so cute and keeps your milk discreet.

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May 7, 2019 By The Holtz House

0 In Bedroom/ Furniture/ Hobby Lobby/ Home Decor/ House Tour/ interior design/ Kirkland's/ Mom Life/ Nursery

Kinley’s Floral Farmhouse Nursery

Hi friends! I want to share with you the most special room in our home… Kinley’s nursery. When I found out we were having a girl, I knew the nursery theme would be floral farmhouse with touches of blush and gold.

The very first project that we took on for this room was installing a shiplap accent wall for behind the crib. So with the help of my husband’s uncle, we were able to knock out this project in one day. We ended up painting the shiplap to match the trim color which is Benjamin Moore White Dove and the rest of the room is a light greige color, Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter. Since the walls are very neutral, I knew all the pops of color would come from the decor.

Next up, we selected this crib in the color, Cloud. Since then, the color has been discontinued in this specific style, but I’ve found one that’s very similar here in Cloud. We loved how this convertible crib will accommodate our growing girl. It converts to a toddler bed, day bed and full-size bed.

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February 1, 2019 By The Holtz House

0 In Mom Life/ Our Story/ Tips and Tricks

5 Tips for Taking Beautiful Newborn Photos at the Hospital

I can’t even believe that our sweet baby girl will be two months old so soon! Time is flying by so fast, and I’m just trying to soak it all in. Stay little, Kinley Katherine.

I’m so happy that we have our newborn photos from the hospital to remind us of that special day. It truly feels like a blur now, because it all flew by in a second. I strongly recommend capturing these images that will last a lifetime.

During our hospital stay, we scheduled a photo shoot with Bella Baby Photography . They are on-site at hospitals throughout the country including the one we delivered in.

We couldn’t have been happier with our experience with Bella Baby. The whole shoot only took around 15 minutes, and we received our photos just 30 minutes later. Our photographer was so sweet and helped to pose us with baby to make sure that our photos turned out beautiful. The best part was that the actual photo session was complimentary. You don’t need to make the decision to purchase until you’re presented with the photo proofs.

After our wonderful experience, I’m sharing with you five tips for taking beautiful newborn photos at the hospital.

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January 25, 2019 By The Holtz House

0 In Mom Life/ Our Story

Kinley’s Birth Story

I can’t even believe that our sweet baby girl is already one month old. When they say time flies by once baby comes, it’s the truth. December 4, 2018 was such a special day in my life, and I hope that by documenting all the details here, I will always remember it like it was yesterday.

My pregnancy was a bit of a roller coaster throughout the past year. It was definitely filled with ups and downs. At our 20 week ultrasound appointment, we learned that Kinley was breech. I could actually feel her head as a hard spot under my right ribs. She was in a frank breech position where her legs were up next to her head, and she was sitting in a v-shape. They told us not to worry, because there was still so much time for her to flip over and get into the right position.

By our 36 week appointment, she still wasn’t flipped, and we started discussing the possibility of a c-section. We scheduled her birth date for December 6th at 39 weeks pending she didn’t flip before then. I knew that with the c-section my recovery was going to be much more difficult, but at the end of the day I just wanted what was safest for my baby.

Tuesday, December 4th started just like any other day. I began my maternity leave the day before, so I spent most of the day cleaning the house and preparing for baby’s arrival. I was having some lower back pain that day, but nothing out of the ordinary. That afternoon, my sister and I went to get mani/pedis as a last way to treat myself.

The gentleman who was giving me a pedicure kindly explained that this could cause me to go into labor. I laughed it off and told him to go ahead… I was scheduled for c-section in two days anyways. Not sure if he saw this as a challenge, because I had a really great foot and leg massage that day.

My sister dropped me off back at home around 6:15pm, and my husband, Jacoby, walked into the door five minutes later. We quickly chatted about our days, and I told him about my pedicure experience. I joked that we might need to go to the hospital that night. He wanted to use the bathroom, but I told him to let me go first and I would make it quick. (Not sure why… we have two bathrooms in our house. Haha.)

As soon as I sit down on the toilet, kaboom! I yell out to my husband, “Jacoby, my water just broke!” He told me to stop lying, and it wasn’t funny. I opened the door and once he saw my face, he knew I wasn’t kidding. I called my doctor, and he told me to head to the hospital and that I would be having my baby tonight. This was about 6:30pm.

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January 4, 2019 By The Holtz House

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