Rock Shic

#479 Travel Inspirations – Just Us Girls

As you might know by now, I’m a big proponent for travel and the discovery of new home away from home, as I believe it enlivens the senses and helps you build long-lasting experiences that material things just simply cannot beget.  

Any getaway can be lovely and getting away with your significant other, or with your little family, is usually at the top of my to-do list.  However lately, I’ve also been toying with the idea of planning a girls-trip (it all began from a girls’ night out at Piora).  Every now and then, it's also nice to just venture away with your closest girlfriends (see my latest and greatest in Lisboa).  Some might even venture to say that this is an absolute necessity!  

This goes for whether you want to reconnect, enjoy a specific occasion together, or simply let loose.  As you can imagine, there are loads of destinations that are just perfect for your getaway with the girls!  So in this post, we have a guest feature that will take a look at the five best U.S. cities for just such a vacation – Austin, Montana, New York, Maui, and Seattle!

1) Austin, Texas

Noted by Red Books in a 2013 post on the best girlfriend getaways, Austin has a lot of the charm and intrigue of a big city without the general clutter and exhaustion. Known for its incredible indie music scene, Austin can be laid back and festive all at once, offering you and the girls a wonderful location to simply hang and reconnect.

2) Glacier National Park, Montana

If your group is into natural beauty and has a bit of a wild side, nothing tops Glacier National Park. Forget about the American southwest, because this is truly the most beautiful national park in the United States. It's also superb for hiking or camping. In an article detailing must-see destinations in the U.S., Dial-A-Flight notes that a stay in this park outside of the peak June-September season can offer you isolation with the nature and sights. If you're looking to reconnect with your friends, this seems like the perfect getway location! Glamping anyone?

3) New York, New York

This one is a no-brainer since it also happens to be yours-truly’s hometown.  Okay okay, maybe it's a common, tired vacation recommendation, but there's simply no place like it if you and the girls want to live large for a weekend! (You can also leave it to Rockshic to offer plenty of recs, be it culinary, shopping, or simply people-watching!).  You'll have the chance to indulge in world-class shopping & dining, spectacular tourism destinations, and catch a Broadway show or two (a recent highlight for me has definitely been Waiting for Godot)! With so many options, you're guaranteed to NEVER be bored.  Just make sure you save up plenty before the trip! 

4) Maui, Hawaii

Ummm… Maui brings me back to the summer of 2006, where I spent over a week in this tropical paradise with some of my closets friends (must go back!).  I’d do it again in a heart-beat, and would love to share with you some of my favorite moments from that trip almost eight years ago (can't even believe it's been that long!). 

If you have a particularly active bunch of girlfriends, Travel & Leisure recommends Maui as "sporty" getaway (it is also relentless beautiful and the surest way of feeling like you've just been transplated to another world entirely). Yoga is big at the resorts and there are plenty of light, healthy meal options. But the best way to enjoy Maui is simply to get out on the water, whether that means surfing, paddling, or just swimming. The article also recommends your group stay at Lumeria Maui, a relatively new resort that opened in 2012.

5) Seattle, Washington

Included as one of ten cities on Forbes' list of best weekend destinations, Seattle is ideal for the group of girls that includes some food and drink fanatics. The city itself is remarkably pleasant (when it's not being rained on), but it's the collection of wonderful restaurants, microbreweries, and even Northwestern wines that make Seattle so much fun for a quick getaway.

With these five recommendations, you and your friends are sure to have blast wherever you decide to go!  I can personally vouch for three of these five cities (the food in Seattle is simply FANTASTIC! Plus I’m dying to do a gastronomy trip to nearby Portland).  Also, Austin has always been on my list and I’m personally very, very intrigued by Montana. 

So there you have it, start packing and planning away ladies!

** Note: the following has been a sponsored post,with materials carefully selected and edited by Rockshic.  

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#478 A Night at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples: Reimagining Romance

We stayed at the Naples Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, with full access to the beach and is arguably quieter and more intimate than the larger, Naples Ritz-Carlton Resort.  It was the best of both worlds!

Over the holidays, hubs and I splurged on our first official night away from bubs.  It was the perfect time to do so, as we knew that we had help at home for young Nuke (aka my folks), and we were also close enough distance-wise that we could always turn around should anything (God forbid) happen.

I recall the feeling of sheer exaltation I felt upon arrival – a glass of welcoming champagne in hand, sun-hat and glasses shed immediately… sitting on the balcony of our hotel room whilst soaking in the glorious breeze and sunshine.

Ah, the peace and quiet!  Rejoice at last.

That’s the beauty of these lovely, well curated escapes, isn’t it – the ability to get away from it all, just you and your partner, even if it's for one day.  The remainder of the time spent at the Ritz Naples was plain lovely... exactly what we needed, really, as newbie parents. 

Hubby and I shed our layers of stress and worry with every step we took, and carried our kindles with us to the beach, where we admired a beautiful sunset together and enjoyed some delicious sea-side grub (lobster tacos anyone?) at the hotel’s Gumbo Limbo on the sand.  We then indulged in his and her massages at the hotel spa (decadence at the extreme), followed by a quiet, romantic dinner at the hotel restaurant Lemonía, overlooking the tranquil Tiburón Golf Club.  

In short, we got to do exactly what we've been meaning to do for a long time, which was to focus on each other (and yes, renew the romance as well, which is oh-so-key in any partner relationship).  

The best part?

After dinner, we took what remained of our bottle of Pinot Noir outdoors, and cuddled up next to a fire pit on the hotel’s Bella Vista terrace and gazed upon stars. 

“There’s the big dipper.”

I recall my love pointing to the sky, announcing his discovery triumphantly to me as I gamely observed by his side.  (He may or may not have been using a stargazing app, just saying).  Needless to say, that moment will stick with me forever, as it was just so uniquely perfect to us, and something we would have never gotten to savor back in our native Manhattan. 

After all, who needs to count dollars when they can be counting stars?

Oh and yes, true confessions of a novice mommy – I missed my little munchkin so much I had to go back and pick him up the very next day so that he could hang out with us by the pool. 

That’s the thing about motherhood I suppose, even though you can't wait to escape from all that fussing and chaos, you also learn to truly miss your baby when you’re way! 

A beautiful sunset on the private beach of the Ritz-Carlton Naples

 

My little munchkin having a nap by the pool! For more on baby sleeping habits, see <a href="http://www.rockshic.com/my-blog/2014/01/477-rockshics-guide-to-sleeping-babies.html" target="_blank" data-mce-href="http://www.rockshic.com/my-blog/2014/01/477-rockshics-guide-to-sleeping-babies.html">here</a>.

Care for a snuggle by the open fire? #cozy

 

A welcoming glass of bubbles at check-in!

 

Dinner -- awesome jambalaya at <a href="http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/NaplesGolf/Dining/Lemonia/Default.htm" target="_blank" data-mce-href="http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/NaplesGolf/Dining/Lemonia/Default.htm">Lemonia</a>

 

Relaxation for the senses at the <a href="http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Naples/Default.htm" target="_blank" data-mce-href="http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Naples/Default.htm">Ritz-Carlton Spa</a>&nbsp;#indulge

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#477 RockShic’s Guide to Sleeping Babies

 

My little sleeping Nukie with his MAM pacis (see tip #7).  More details on MAMbaby featured here. 

I’m no child development expert.  However, I love my child (plus I love sleep), and therefore have an intrinsic interest on the subject of sleep, or “sleep-training” my newborn.  I also get dozens of questions thrown my way on a daily basis from readers, friends, and colleagues alike on this very topic. So here goes my two cents on the very critical issue of sleep for bubs.

We were very lucky in that munchkin is now sleeping through the night (generally from 6:30pm to 6:30am – thereabouts), and has been sleeping through the night for some time now (since about 10/11 weeks-old,  or a little over two months).  We were also lucky that we didn’t have to formally “sleep train” him or implement the process of CIO, or “crying it out,” as the Nuke just sort of slipped into this pattern on his own.

… Or did he?

Some tips and lessons I've carved out along the way.

1)      Your baby needs to nap throughout the day.  Period.  Sleep begets sleep (just ask Harvey Karp), and this becomes all the more critical as your baby develops.  In the beginning 1-5 weeks, babies generally need to feed every 2-3-4 hours, so that doesn’t count (I suppose in that case they’re just forever napping!).  However, at some stage, you do need to be mindful of a general “napping” timeline.  A midwife friend of mine told me, when Nuke was 11 weeks, that as a general rule of thumb, babies should not be awake for more than 90 minutes at a time, and I found that to be a pretty useful framework.  Some of my son’s favorite places to nap are his swings and bouncers (a Godsend if you ask me!).  So far we've been fans of the Fisher-Price swings, lamb, puppy, bunny, we've got them all!  His favorite remains to be the Snugabunny Cradle 'N Swing (see here).  

One of our first nights in Southwest Florida (see Rockshic's Gulfcoast Living series), and munchkin falling asleep in his swing #RockshicBaby #heartmelty!

Cat-napping in his Fisher Price bouncer.  Less frequent than the swing, but it happens!

2)      Lullabies are an absolute key.  Most baby sleeping experts or books will tell you to stick by a routine when it comes to putting your baby down. For some it can be rather elaborate, for others, it seems extremely simple (bless them!).  I’ve found, overtime, that the best thing to do is to play something soothing for the Nuke.  We really like Baby Blanket Music tunes, it’s gentle enough for the little one, and also fun for the adult! (See prior feature here).  Additionally, I’ve recently discovered that both myself and the Nuke are fans of Lullaby Classics by Baby Einstein. I personally love it because I recognize so many of the songs that I used to play on the piano (I know I know… but like I said, something for the parent, so you’re not bored to tears with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star). 

Who buys CDs nowadays you ask?  Fair enough – but the good thing is, you could always download and consolidate them on your iPod, and this way you can pretty much play them anywhere!  My dad swears by Melody of the Night for our Nuke on iCloud.  I guess he’s just way cooler than I am.

 

My munchkin loves his Baby Blanket Tunes, hip for adults, soothing for babies. What's not to love? See link here for more details.

3)      For city moms, a stroll or a baby-carrying walk can do the trick.  For my little one, it still varies, because what worked the first few weeks (a stroll in his Bugaboo Chameleon, for instance, see week 1 and week 4), no longer works so effectively now.  However, toting him around in his baby Ergo still does the trick.   Now, if only the weather will improve!

 

Baby carrying at 13 weeks.

Baby carrying (and munchkin napping!) on the beach. For more details see here.  Also see link here for more baby-carrying on the beach.

4)      For moms who have access to a car, car-rides can be ah-mazing!  No joke.  I discovered this during munchkin’s first Thanksgiving at my parents' home.  It was also a difficult time for us, since he wasn’t eating very well and we discovered that car rides not only helped him nap, it also helped him sleep.  Double score!!

My little buddy sleeping peacefully in the back of the car. #mommybliss

5)      If you can, try to get help or a night nurse (especially during those first critical weeks).  I know that this is a loaded piece of advice, and I also recognize that we are lucky to have the resources, at least initially, to hire some help.  It’s not a perfect science, and you can always have family and even friends to help out.  But having somebody there the initial few weeks (we had a nurse up until Nukie was 9 weeks) is key, not only in aiding your ability to fuel up at night, but also in your capacity to observe and learn from your little one’s feeding and sleeping patterns.  We’ve also looked into the possibility of hiring somebody who does “professional sleep-training,” but the scheduling just didn’t work out.  I was told that post-partum doulas have worked magic for some folks.  At any rate, I can write a lengthy feature just on the topic of hiring help alone.  Another time, perhaps.

6)      Dream-feed.  Yes, I know this issue is controversial, and yes – I know that it doesn’t work for every baby.  However, nothing works for every baby since these little bundles are all tremendously unique – so here goes.  We started to dream feed when munchkin was about 2 months.  In fact, we were specifically advised by our pediatrician during his 2 months well visit to try it out.  It worked wonders for us, since Nukie was half asleep around his last feed of the day anyhow (typically ranging anywhere between 9-11pm).  Eventually, we decided to just let him sleep (if he doesn’t stir), and simply feed him while he’s in his own little dream world.  It’s not an exact science per se, but I’ve noticed that if the Nuke tanks up during the day, then his proclivity towards eating tapers off later on in the night (hence, minimal dream-feed needed).  However, if, on the other hand – he’s over-excited or thrown off his course during the day… and happens to feed less than usual, then he will dream-feed his heart out and eventually catch up.  Either way, dream-feeding the little tyke allows us to round out his eating schedule, which can be incredibly helpful to any parent, no less newbies such as ourselves.  

7) The magic of paci.  "These things are amazing!" I remember a friend of ours saying while I was still pregnant.  At the time, of course, I hadn't quite developed my true appreciation for the magic of the paci.  Mind you, not every baby takes to a paci, but the Nuke certainly does, and I'm pretty darn happy about it!  After all, sucking is a natural reflex that all babies, especially newborns, share.  Harvey Karp even included this as part of his 5 S's in his Happiest Baby on the Block book (Swaddling, Sucking, Shushing, Swinging, and Side/stomach position).  In my view, I'd rather have my baby suck on a paci than some stranger's finger (which did occur at the hospital, not lying).  

Again, this is a controversial subject, since some healthcare givers are concerned about the potential adverse impact which a pacifier might have on nursing (and weaning).  This wasn't an issue in our case, and I found that the pacifier does wonders to soothe our little peanut, particularly when he has his sporadic fits in the middle of the night.  Nuke's favorite pacis are the MAMbaby ones, which he'd taken to ever since coming home from the hospital (last featured here).  At around 4 months or so, he also became partial to his thumb, which has the added benefit of "self-soothing."  If it were up to me, I'd like him to stick with the paci rather than his thumb (easier to break away from later).  However, if it's 3am in the morning, and he prefers to self-soothe with his thumb, who am I to judge?

Either way... my recommendation for parents would be, if your baby takes to the paci, then by all accounts go for it!  There are many arguments for and against using one, but in reality, much like everything else, you need to do what's best for you.  Nuke is already beginning to wean himself away from his binkie during the day (we know parents who take their babies off of paci usage entirely by 6 months), but he's still a sucker for these little puppies (pun intended) overall!     

So there you have it!  A rough framework on the incredibly lengthy subject of sleep – recognizing, of course, that all babies are different and anything can change.  Having done some research, according to the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, 80% of babies are categorized as "easy," (i.e., good little nappers during the day, sound sleepers at night), while 20% of babies are just plain difficult and hard to read (i.e., lacking your standard sleepy cues such as yawns, eye rubs, yelps, ear pulling, etc).  A well-sleeping baby today may go off the rail while he’s teething, going through growth spurts, or any other developmental milestones/challenges that these munchkins get up to.  So nothing is to be taken for granted these days.

All the more reason to be battle-prepped, I say!

 

A well rested munchkin at 6am today. Mommy? Not so much.

 

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Well hello there internet!  It’s certainly been a while. 

Somehow this entire past week has completely snuck away from me, was it the same for you?? Sigh – so much for my beach resolutions.

I recently came across some photos taken for my guest role at the Bowery Boogie.  The weather’s been great and all here in the Gulf-Coast (notwithstanding the recent chill that’s been thrown our way, brrr), but I do miss my Bowery street-styles!

To me, this entire ensemble (shot right outside of the Intermix on 332 Bowery), is definitively downtown-New York – with a touch of androgyny and hipster-chic thrown in.  It’s also eclectic enough that you can pretty much sport it in cities across the globe and fit right in (hats & sunglasses a must!).  In many ways, it encapsulates how I'd dress myself on a lazy Sunday afternoon whilst running errands.

Besides – you know that I could never resist a man who knows how to accessorize.  Case in point here. 

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#475 NUNUNU – Presents with Presence

“I can’t imagine life without her.” A friend said today – referring to her 3 week old daughter.

Imagine!  My Nuke is a little over 4 months now, and not only do I fully concur with my friend’s sentiments, but I also realize how increasingly difficult it is to leave him, especially as he’s coming into his own now. 

It’s amazing to see their personalities come to life.  Of course, for this fashion-conscious mommy, this also means dressing my baby with threads befitting of that ‘Tude. 

I like to think of Baby Nuke’s style as “street-edge with a twist” – true form for a diaper dude who likes to hop from city to city (see Jetset baby).   

So imagine how pleased I was to come across this cool brand called NUNUNU, which offers easy chic with a touch of individuality, befitting of our urban tykes with attitude!!

Over the holidays, we gave Baby B one of NUNUNU’s signature star pieces to rock out on his own, along with mummy’s Christmas antlers (last seen on the beaches of Sanibel Island here!).  The ultra-soft and breathable fabric is perfect for the weather down here in Southwest Florida (and we can't wait to bring these pieces with us to New Zealand!).  The next day, we took him post-Christmas shopping (poor little fella), as hubs wanted to get first dibs on some electronic deals.

Speaking of which, I think the Nuke is beginning to develop his daddy’s “sneer,” per below.  

Sigh.

Like father, like son, I suppose. 

Good thing he’s wearing his NUNUNU to match that cheeky little humor of his!

 

Mr. Personality... playing with Grandma.  We got him this Baby Einstein Activity Gym that came with an eletronic toy with straps, lights and six classical tunes (score!).   

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#474 Post Baby Chic – Week 17 – Festivities on Venetian Bay

 

Hanging with my little man in front of the Venetian tree, <a href="http://www.babyhome.es/us/en/products/emotion" target="_blank" data-mce-href="http://www.babyhome.es/us/en/products/emotion">Babyhome Emotion stroller</a> in hand (last featured <a href="http://www.rockshic.com/my-blog/2013/10/431-baby-flair-spanish-style.html" target="_blank" data-mce-href="http://www.rockshic.com/my-blog/2013/10/431-baby-flair-spanish-style.html">here</a>)

 

Thanks, @VenetianNaples for the great memories!

Dress: From travels to Lisbon | Sunglasses: Kate Spade | Hat: Azalea Boutique (from San Francisco) | Necklace: Baked Beads | Bag: Gucci | Sandals (not seen): Havaianas in Pool Green | Earrings: Berks (from Boston)  

Munchkin is wearing: Onesie by Ralph Lauren in French Navy | Hat by Zutano, infant pastel solid sun hat

The holidays may be over but the fantastic memories still linger.  These photos were taken during our excursion to the Village on Venetian Bay a few days before the real deal (see our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day activities).  We had a real hoot strolling along the waterfront shops, with a little festive “snow” show, followed by some holiday caroling entertainment, as well as story-time with Mrs. Claus (which little Nuke was far too young for – better luck next year!).

The real icing on the cake, however, came with photos alongside Santa (doesn't it always?).  When handed an adorable framed photo of Nuke & Santa, this Manhattan mommy was pleasantly surprised to learn that everything was complimentary!

Woot!!

The weather, of course, was pleasant, if slightly balmy (I definitely consider myself a lucky gal to be able to escape the wintry conditions of the current Northeast).  I opted for a long halter dress which was purchased from my trip to Lisbon in the Spring (I got it at one of the concept shops outside of the Museu Coleção Berardo, see here).  As it happens, the dress is also reversible so I wore it again on Christmas day!   I’m still working on toning my arms (among other things), but I find that halters are generally more forgiving on the arms and shoulder. 

I dressed my little pudgy-boy in a simple Polo onesie.  Call me overprotective, but I was concerned about the evening chills.

Besides, the navy hue of Nukie's outfit goes quite well against Santa’s scarlet robe, wouldn’t you say?

 

My munchkin is looking a tad dazed and confused! To be fair it was past his bedtime.

 

Going for the "casual beachy" vibe. That's actually a <a href="http://shop.lululemon.com/home.jsp" target="_blank" data-mce-href="http://shop.lululemon.com/home.jsp">Lululemon top</a> I got from my <a href="http://www.bvyoga.com/" target="_blank" data-mce-href="http://www.bvyoga.com/">local Yoga Gym</a>, so as to combat the low-cut halter!

 

Santa plus swimsuits anyone? Gotta love Christmas in Florida!

 

Carolers outside the shops adds to the revelry

 

Rolling with my little fat boy in his favorite <a href="http://www.rockshic.com/my-blog/2013/10/431-baby-flair-spanish-style.html" target="_blank" data-mce-href="http://www.rockshic.com/my-blog/2013/10/431-baby-flair-spanish-style.html">lightweight stroller</a>! #babyhome #emotion

 

Three's company! #tistheseason #2013

 

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#473 Waiting for Godot

Hubby and I recently (okay, so I’m applying the term ‘recently’ rather librerally as it has been a while!) went and saw the play “Waiting for Godot” at the Cort Theatre (138 West 48^th street), starring the great Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf!!!) and Sir Patrick Stewart.

Having twice witnessed Patrick Stewart as MacBeth on Broadway, not to mention his one man tour-de-force in “A Christmas Carol” several years back, I knew that he would bring a solid presence and performance on stage.  However, this was the first time I’ve ever seen Ian in action and I was absolutely, positively blown away.  The man is a virtuoso, and every fiber of his being comes to life when he is in his element.

To be fair, “Waiting for Godot,” a tragicomedy by the playwright Samuel Beckett, is a very obtuse play, wrought with existentialist symbolisms and recurring motifs (Jean-Paul Sartre anyone?) that flew way over my head.  Hubby had read the book before coming and even he had a difficult time explaining the plot (or perhaps he just gave up on me). 

Still, in spite of my pedestrian understanding, I enjoyed the play tremendously – what better way to grapple the meaning behind the popularized and ironic idiom 'I'm waiting for Godot' than from the very source?  I can’t rave enough about the theatrical prowess of both actors, and I am super excited to see their other play, “No Man’s Land,” come February when we return from New Zealand! (Tickets booked just yesterday for the last evening showing, beyond excited!!).

I highly recommend seeing both plays (though I can only attest to the excellence of one for now) before it's too late, the limited engagements for these two shows ends March 2^nd.  You can also find a recent New York Times review here.  After all, this is probably the last time that we get the pleasure of seeing Xavier and Magneto, together on stage!!

P.S. I must admit that I only learned about the opening of these two plays whilst reading my weekly Time magazine in bed (original article here).  It does amaze me sometimes how fortunate I am, to live in a city where such great cultural excursions are at my fingertips! 

Oh, and did I mention that this theater excursion even brought us uptown to see the great Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center? 

Lucky gal! 

Stewart as Vladimir and McKellen as the adorable Estragon

A standing ovation for the two master thespians. I'll have to take better photos next time!

En route to the Cort, we passed by the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree #luckytiming

Rockefeller Christmas tree in its splendor

Pre-show aperos at Del Frisco's. Which, handily, is located right near from the theater.

The charming duo doing their thing.

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My little monkey, enjoying his crushed bananas #babycuisine

 

Our <a href="https://buysolodiner.com/" target="_blank" data-mce-href="https://buysolodiner.com/">Solo Diner</a> in <a href="https://buysolodiner.com/products/solo-diner/zigzag-grey" target="_blank" data-mce-href="https://buysolodiner.com/products/solo-diner/zigzag-grey">Zigzag Grey</a>, which goes oh-so-well with our <a href="http://www.oilostudio.com/Products/18-x-18-Band-Pillow--Pewter__BANP-P18-prd-.aspx" target="_blank" data-mce-href="http://www.oilostudio.com/Products/18-x-18-Band-Pillow--Pewter__BANP-P18-prd-.aspx">Oilo Band Pillow in Pewter</a>, wouldn't you say?&nbsp;

Our Solo Diner in Zigzag Grey, which goes oh-so-well with our Oilo Band Pillow in Pewter, wouldn't you say? 

New year, new rules – and that includes baby dining.

We recently had little Nuke’s four months baby wellness check-up, right here in Naples!  It was a fairly uneventful process, apart from the doctor suggesting that we start introducing solids to the little guy. 

“So what can he eat?”  Asks moi, the worrywart mummy.

“Oh, pretty much anything.” The doc replied... rather nonchalanatly.

... mashed up of course.  

So there you have it!  Off I went to the local store in pursuit of some potential baby cuisine.  “The only thing I would advise,” said the doc, “is that you stick with whatever you choose to feed him for a couple of days – so that he can adjust to its taste, before you introduce something else.”

Makes sense to me! (Although I really can’t wait for the Nuke to savor kimchi, just saying).

So what better moment than right now to have encountered this fantastic product called the Solo Diner?  It’s a uniquely stylish and portable dining chair for your baby before he/she evolves to a full-on high chair! (You can even use them interchangeably if you so choose!).  I like it because it allows both Nukie and I to have the perfect posture when I’m feeding him, and makes life infinitely easier and comfier for mom!  It also helps to prevent acid reflux, which is a double win for everybody.  

The best part?  The Solo Diner is super light (hence incredibly versatile), easy to wash and wipe clean (a must for any baby, particularly those being introduced to solids!), and very, very cute!!  As a matter of fact, you can even customize your own fabric (much like my beloved Bugaboo).  I went with the ZigZag Grey, which goes oh-so-well with my current home decor.  Functional and stylish, that's always been my motto!

Some things will never change.

 

We also use our <a href="https://buysolodiner.com/" target="_blank" data-mce-href="https://buysolodiner.com/">Solo Diner</a> for bottle-feeding, which, I must say, is slightly less messy ;) &nbsp;And yeup, that's our trusty <a href="http://www.rockshic.com/my-blog/2013/10/435-fuss-free-baby-and-mam.html" target="_blank" data-mce-href="http://www.rockshic.com/my-blog/2013/10/435-fuss-free-baby-and-mam.html">MAM</a> paci and clip that you see!

 

Trying out avocados for good measure! Although I think he favors bananas at the moment!

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Happy first day of 2014!

We had a very family-friendly New Year’s Eve, with a nice, cozy home-cooked meal followed by some bubbly and water-side fireworks. 

It was a nice, peaceful, and introspective opportunity to reminisce about the old year.  I didn’t have time to make a photo collage or anything (although that would have been nice), but we did marvel at how quickly our little munchkin has grown (over 19 pounds now!), and what a tremendous year it’s been.

To think that this time last year we had just found out that I was pregnant.  Never did I realize that life was going change so completely for the better.

Of course, mommy couldn’t help but play a little dress-up with Nukie, (glitters, feathers, & all!), as we all put on our party hats for the final countdown.   Well, almost all… the little one passed out well before 10pm (I was impressed that he even held on for that long!).

Happy New Year my friends!  May this year be better than the last, and may all of your dreams come true.

Here’s to a glorious 2014! Xx, Rockshic.

Mummy and Nukie, New Year's Eve Style

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