My new fave travel crib, your holiday movie mom persona, a cute last minute DIY gift, and more stuff from around the internet
One week until the big day, mamas!
I hope you’re not feeling completely overwhelmed with last minute to-dos, and are finding time to enjoy the festivities. (But if you’re still shopping for gifts, you can view all of my holiday shopping picks, here.) Moms work overtime making Christmas the most magical time of year for the whole family. So if you’re needing a little hype-up to get through the final days of preparations, I’m here to remind you that you are truly the season’s MVP. <3
READS
The best gifts for one-year-olds and for grandpas. (In a past life, pre-mom-hood, I worked in both the publishing and editorial side of magazine media. And this past week I had the opportunity to dip my toe back into that world, contributing to this guide and a few other pieces for Glamour.com!)
What type of holiday mom are you? (Betches is always making me laugh!)
The ultimate list of holiday movies to watch with the whole family.
REVIEW: Lotus Travel Crib
Guava sent me one of their GreenGuard Gold certified Lotus Travel Cribs to test out on a recent trip. (We brought it with us to California!) I’ve tried out a half dozen travel cribs and play yards since becoming a mom, and this is honestly one of my favorites. You’ll want to check it out if you’re traveling for the holidays and looking for a product that your kiddoes will love for both play and sleep. Or gift yourself and your partner this 15-lb travel crib — it’s 50% lighter than the competition — for your next vacay. Plus, it is currently $50 off its full price. Overall, I’d say this is best for kids under three years old, for checking onto airplanes and any road trip where trunk space is limited. Keep reading for my more detailed takeaways after testing the Lotus Travel Crib for the last few weeks.
Traveling with this crib is a breeze. It folds up super compact thanks to their trademarked 3D Z-Fold design and, thus, took up minimal space in the car. The Guava bag has backpack straps built in, which made carrying it through the airport (with our two million other bags) really easy for us (read: my husband) to manage.
IMO, it is a perfect size, but it is worth mentioning that it is not the largest portable crib I’ve tried. The mattress is about 3.45 ft x 1.95 ft, and the leg supports extend a bit beyond that. It’s great for us because most of the travel we do is in cities, where the hotel rooms are tight, and floor space can be limited. That said, it is very comfortable for my 18-month-old, and I’d guess it will be for another year and a half or so.
Assembling and disassembling the product is very intuitive. I first opened it up a few days prior to our trip to make sure I could figure it out. I followed the included instruction booklet, and it took me around six minutes. Packing it back into its bag took me only a few minutes. The next time I opened it at our hotel, it was much faster and I felt like a total pro. The design is innovative and just makes sense, which is super appreciated after a long day of travel.
The crib sheet washes and wears really well. I know it sounds like that should be a given, but I’ve had a few other high-end travel cribs with included sheets that have shrunken or literally fallen apart when washed. The Guava jersey cotton one is super soft and keeps its integrity after many washes.
My daughter loves the side zipper door so she can crawl in and out when we’re using it as more of a play pen. It’s also convenient if you’re nursing your child in the crib, then when they’ve fallen asleep, can quietly slip out and zip it up.
We haven’t used it yet, but our bundle came with a UPF 50+ shade cover. I’m super excited to try this out on our next trip to a beach or at a picnic in the spring. It can also be used to make a darker nap environment in hotel rooms or other bright areas.
*The section above featured a review of an item that was gifted to me.*
LAST MINUTE Gift Idea
My daughter is obsessed with looking at photos on my phone, I mean, find me a toddler who isn’t. (And if you’ve had the willpower to not allow this, I bow down to you!) Truly, multiple times a day she will ask me, “Photo of [friend of family member’s name].” So I decided to make her a photo album for a nostalgic ~ screen-free ~ iteration of this request. I ordered a bunch of same-day print photos on the Walmart app and this soft photo album from Amazon (that still arrives before the 25th!). I did a mix of photos of us with her, shots from our wedding, photos of family and friends and, of course, pictures of her cat, Beignet. I may write names or a little blurb about each photo with metallic markers to make it more of a ‘book.’ If your child is learning to read, this could be a fun gift for them, too!
SOCIAL SCROLL
Click if…
Your baby is absolutely not sleeping through the night
You did a lot of last minute holiday online shopping
You once thought you’d be a true no plastic toys household
You’re currently breastfeeding
Wishing a happy & healthy holiday to you and your family! Until next week. ❤️
Xo, Mads