Citrus Lane Box #5

Our fifth Citrus Lane box came last week, and it might be my favorite one yet.

I had a feeling this month's box would revolve around a fall theme, and while Citrus Lane's execution fell short, I was right, as the enclosed card states that these items were chosen with fall—and spending more time indoors—in mind. Interestingly enough, the big ticket item is a Skip Hop Hug & Hide Stroller Toy, and I, for one, don't typically push my kid around the house in his stroller, so they definitely deviated from their theme there, but what's that really matter, I guess? I clipped that sucker on Arlo's stroller, and we both fell in love with it immediately. We go for nice long walks several times a week—even more so now that it's nice and cool out—so we'll get a lot of use out of it.

The other items included in the box were Episencial Playful Wash, a completely organic and safe-for-the-eyes head-to-toe wash that I'll bust out as soon as Arlo's current soap is gone; Dr. Smith's Diaper Rash Ointment, which we'll probably never have a chance to use since Citrus Lane has us overstocked in the ointment department; Julep Nail Color, a polish I did test out, despite it not being a good color for me, and I'll vouch for the company's claim that the product is fast drying; and Charley Harper 123s by AMMO Books, which is our second favorite item this month.

The illustrations in this book are are gorgeous. I checked out the publisher, and apparently AMMO = American Modern, and the company celebrates the visual arts and pop culture, highlighting the works of unique designers, illustrators, photographers, and artists—and all of their items are awesome like this. They also offer puzzles, memory games (an Eames memory game!), flashcards, and coloring books. I plan to purchase the other two books in the Charley Harper collection, "ABCs" and "Colors," and I'll keep this company in mind next time I need to buy a gift for a kiddo. Target carries a very small selection of AMMO goodies, and they're way cheaper there. I'm so glad Citrus Lane introduced me to this company!

Citrus Lane Box #4

Our fourth Citrus Lane box arrived the other day, and it was a pleasant surprise, as usual. 

Woo-hoo!

This month's box contains a couple of nods to the start of a new school year, despite the fact that it's still a few years off for Arlo. Its contents include Cleo's Alphabet Book from Barefoot Books, a Little Stacker from Rich Frog, a bottle strap from Ah Goo Baby, sanitizing wipes from CleanWell that are made for hands and faces, a few samples of diaper rash cream from Weleda, and a trial offer for another monthly subscription service, FabKids—which starts at size 2T and isn't relevant to us.  

Here's a better image of the bottle strap, since you can' tell what it is in the first photo.

As awesome as it was to get a box of goodies in the mail, this was probably the most underwhelming box for us so far. A couple of the items, like the bottle strap and the stacker, are too "old" for Arlo right now—but I imagine they'll come in handy a few months from now. Citrus Lane seems to send some kind of diaper rash ointment every month, so we definitely have enough of this—especially since my lucky boy never has a red bottom.

Books are always a good thing, though, so I was happy to receive that. My favorite item this month is definitely the container of sanitizing wipes. We use wipes like this daily—gotta keep Arlo's little hands clean since he and Scooter both enjoy eating them. This container is packaged more conveniently than our typical pack of Boogie Wipes, and I'll probably purchase more when this container is gone.

I love that Citrus Lane introduces me to items I may not have stumbled upon otherwise, like this month's wipes or last month's Aden + Anais burpy bib—which I couldn't help but buy more of.

Love 'em!

Citrus Lane Box #3

Our third Citrus Lane box came two weeks ago, so I'm writing this post a little late—but we really enjoy two of the items included in the box, so I definitely wanted to make sure I shared this month's goodies.   

Yay!

July's theme is "journeying out from the house," and the items are meant to "keep you prepared wherever you go this summer." Its contents include a Tiny Love Pack & Go Mobile that folds down nicely for transport and clips onto anything for playtime, an Aden+Anais Burpy Bib that doubles as a burp cloth and a bib, Aden+Anais Mum+Bub Soothing Ointment that soothes anything from diaper rash to chapped lips, a NurturMe Organic Food Packet filled with quick-dried fruits and vegetables, Me4Kids Little Buddy Wipes that kill germs without the sting of alcohol, and some kind of offer to make your own Postagram postcard from your smartphone. 

It might actually make sense to do these posts a couple of weeks after receiving the box, because by now, we've had a chance to actually try out some of the products. We absolutely love the portable mobile. We've clipped it on the car seat, the stroller, and most of the time, it lives on the bouncy seat. Arlo goes crazy over it because it hangs down farther than the toys that are attached to the bouncy seat—so he can reach them really well and even shove them into his mouth. The bell on the mobile makes a really pretty chime-like sound, and the other gadgets on it add tons of visual and tactile interest. This might be Arlo's favorite thing in the world.

I wish the lighting was better. I freaking love this mobile.

I can't get enough of the Aden+Anais Burpy Bib. I get sad when I have to put it in the hamper. It's made of the soft muslin that Aden+Anais is known for, and could it be more convenient? A nice big burp cloth that snaps together and becomes a cute bib? Yes, please. We'll definitely be adding more of these to our collection soon. 

We haven't had a reason to use the ointment or wipes, but they're in the diaper bag, and I'm sure they'll come in handy someday!

Citrus Lane Box #2

Our friend Mel gave us a Citrus Lane subscription when Arlo was born. It's one of those things like Birchbox, where a present is left on your doorstep once a month, only this box is filled with surprises tailored specifically to the age of the recipient's child. What an amazing gift! Next time somebody I really love has a baby, I'm totally buying them a 6 month subscription.

Last month's box was awesome, but I never got around to sharing it with you, so I'll start off with this month's box, which is even more awesome. I wasn't expecting anything fun in the mail, so this really brightened my day. I was glad Arlo was napping when it arrived, so I didn't have to wait to tear into it.

Surprise!

How do the cats know, no matter where they are, that I've just brought a box into the house?

This month's theme is summer, so the goodies in the box are meant to "prepare you for a season of fun in the sun." Its contents include an iPlay sun protection hat, which is crazy because Danny and I tried to find one of these 2 days ago when we were out and about—to no avail; a Boon Odd Duck rubber ducky that's designed not to hold water, and therefore, won't collect mold; Episencial Soothing Cream that's made from minerals instead of chemicals; and Susan Brown's Foot Therapy Cream for Mama, which means somebody at Citrus Lane somehow knows that I could probably start a fire if I rubbed my feet together long enough.

Edgar's such a good sport.

What a great box of stuff! Can't wait to put everything to use. Be ready for some pictures of Arlo sporting that cute hat. Hello, summer!

Added 35 minutes after I originally published this post:

Edgar's still in the box, and the adorable hat is reversible!

Baby's 1st (and Only) In Utero Christmas

Yesterday, Danny and I made the 5-hour trek to Michigan to celebrate Christmas with my family. My sister had previously mentioned that she was going to bring a few things for Guido, since she has two babies and won't be able to make it to my shower in February.

Anyway, Aunt Rachel loves her nephew—because this is what we left with:

 

I know you can't tell much from that bad picture, but there's an activity table, 3 boxes of diapers, a few swaddles, a blanket (from my brother) a burp cloth, lots of socks, several outfits (a few are from my mom), a stack of books, a shopping cart cover, a few prints for the nursery, some nose drops, Q-tips, Orajel, one of those teething necklace thingies, a cute little police officer's hat, diaper wipes, face wipes, snack containers, a shopping cart cover, and the diaper bag I wanted.

And just for fun, which 3 things did I remove from the scene before taking the following photo?

Well, did you find all 3?? Danny's boots, Danny's coat, and a cat. 

A Surprise from Aunt Rachel

"If you know someone who has lost a child [...], and you're afraid to mention them because you think you might make them sad by reminding them that [their child] died, they didn't forget they died. You're not reminding them. What you're reminding them of is that you remember that [their child] lived, and that's a great, great gift." 

--Elizabeth  Edwards 

I just mentioned this the other day, but very few things make me happier than somebody acknowledging my lost babies. It doesn't happen very often, and I know it's not because people don't care. It's because they just don't know what to say.

My sister nailed it. Baby Celis got this sweet sheep in the mail from her today, and I got this perfect little note that got me all teary:

The note says, "Thinking about you and your little angels. Love you, Rachel." (I was going to refer to this photo as a blooper, but is it really? Every photo's better with a cat in it.)

In case anybody needs further proof that Danny's convinced this baby's a boy, this onesie also came in the mail today:

Danny got it from an Ebay shop, Little Munsters. (This is folded in half, by the way. I didn't want you to think I don't know the difference between a t-shirt and a onesie.) 

That's the first thing Danny's picked out for the baby all by himself. I guess a baby girl could rock it-- with the right accessories, maybe, as long as she's not one of those girls who looks like a boy until she's 2.

I may be guilty of buying a slightly girly onesie, but could you have resisted it?

Cute cute cute cute cute cute. Buy your own from Lucky Thirteen Design.

Didn't think so. 

Have I mentioned how difficult it is to find cute gender-neutral clothes??