Sneak Peek: Nursery Essentials

Posted in Baby, pregnancy by thechicagogoodlife

When we had our son, we looked everywhere for the perfect crib, rocker, and mattress. We wanted the perfect everything, I mean everything. I wanted our nursery to look like a Pinterest mom’s dream. But reality hit and it all comes with a price tag. Some cribs we were looking at were as high as $1,000 dollars. No thanks. That’s like a year supply of diapers! And don’t even get me started with a rocker….

Nursery furniture can come with a high price tag, but it is possible to find what you want without breaking the bank.

Crib

We first needed to find a crib that was within our price range, but most importantly met all the safety features. It was an added bonus if it we could find a convertible crib that would turn into a toddler bed.

With a lot of research, we found this Delta crib on Amazon. It has really good reviews and happens to be a 4-in-1 bed. WE LOVE IT! Honestly, I had never heard of the brand Delta, but I was impressed. I was also a little hesitant to order a crib online, but it took less than 30 minutes to put together and very sturdy AND he hasn’t climbed out of it, yet. It has a 3 position mattress height adjustments and fit’s a standard crib mattress. Within the next 6 months, we will convert it into a toddler bed. We will use this same crib when our daughter is born this winter. We are now avid Delta shoppers-and no I am not sponsored to say that 🙂

Crib Mattress

I remember putting zero thought into a crib mattress. Now looking back, I probably should have take a little more time picking one out. To my surprise, baby mattresses taking a beating over the years (I can spare you the details…) and now we found one that is better quality. This Sealy Ortho Rest has:

50 made coils are durability tested for lasting use; steel coils offer a firm foundation and excellent support
2 hypoallergenic layers offer cushioned comfort for infants and toddlers
Reinforced waterproof cover and binding resist liquids and stains

This is definitely an upgrade from what we originally had and will last us a long time. It’s affordable, reliable, and you can find it at Walmart.

Dresser

After we ordered the Delta crib and we were pleased with the quality of it, we went ahead and ordered the matching Delta dresser. Again, very impressed with Delta and the overall quality of it. Almost three years later, it’s sturdy and all drawers still work. Zero issues. Both kids will share the dresser and we hope to have it for years to come.

The attached changing kit does not come with it, but it is also Delta and you can nail it into the dresser, which we did. It prevents it from sliding around, especially as babies get squirmy during diaper changes. The strap is a nice feature in case you need to buckle them in if they are extra fussy.

Rocker

I am OBSESSED with our rocker. That might be the most adult thing I have ever said. Haha. When babies are first born, this is the most significant place you will spend with them. Just hours and hours of feedings, rocking, mom and dad eating and sleeping (hopefully for everyone). However, they are very, very expensive. Of course, I love the Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware rockers, but they are large and pricy. We also have a small space and wanted something that was both comfortable and on the smaller side. We again went with Delta and it’s perfect for us! Still going strong for us and it will be used quite a bit when our girl is born.

So that’s it! Those are the essentials. A lot of is definitely trial and error and finding what fits for your preferences. If you have any questions, let me know! I know that finding the perfect furniture can be super overwhelming. Plus combined with those pregnancy hormones, I know all about it!

As for the little stuff, you can see what noise machine (the one we use was actually ours for years before using it with Noah), monitor and other things we love here.

Now we wait and get ready for baby number 2!

As always, thanks for following along and you can sign up for weekly emails here and on Instagram.

Until next time,

Christine

The section on the crib mattress was in collaboration with Kolcraft, but all my opinions expressed are my own.

This post contains affiliate links, but all my opinions expressed are my own.

Honey nut cream cheese balls

Posted in Healthy & Fitness, recipe by thechicagogoodlife

For some reason, fall makes me want to bake and cook more, anyone else? I don’t know what it is. I like to wake up early, light my pumpkin candle, drink coffee and create some fun things in the kitchen. However, with a toddler and a baby one on the way, I don’t have all the time in the world now. I like to make things that are easy, kid-friendly and have some nutrients for my growing family.

We are a big cereal family, my son has a few bowls a week, it’s an easy, fast breakfast. But have you ever looked at the ingredients in some cereals? They are filled with sugar and have very little nutrients. I found Honey Nuts by Grainberry at Jewel Osco that is slowly becoming a favorite in our home. It is actually the first cereal to be made with Onyx Sorghum, which has many antioxidants that helps diabetes, heart problems and more. Honey Nuts have 33% less sugar than the leading brands, whole grain oats with no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, which we LOVE! And most importantly, it’s delicious and my son loves it. It’s a win-win.

I knew I had to create a snack using Honey Nuts, something easy and small for his tiny fingers.

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4Oct2018

Chicago Gourmet 2018 Recap

Posted in Chicago by thechicagogoodlife

Chicago Gourmet weekend is now over and I have to say, it was perfect. The weather was amazing (last year was over 95 degrees) and being sober, I was really on the hunt for good food.

Chicago Gourmet is a foodie and wine event that Bon Appetit magazine sponsors every year at Millennium Park. It brings together renowned chefs, restaurants, wine and spirits. There are tastings, book signings, cooking demos, and wine and cocktail seminars throughout the event. It is truly a “foodie” experience.

This year extra special because I got invited to a pre-party with COUNTRY Financial with a demo from Chef Tony Priolo from Piccolo Sogno, which is literally my top 5 favorite restaurants in Chicago. They sponsored the Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ tent, which was one of the best parts. Live music, BBQ, cocktails, and lot’s of photo opportunities.

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28Sep2018

Stroller Strides Review: A fitness class for moms

Posted in Chicago, family friendly, Healthy & Fitness, pregnancy by thechicagogoodlife

Ever since staying at home with Noah, finding time to workout was difficult. I missed that ‘me’ time. I also like to fill our days with lots of activities and keep busy, so when Fit4Mom reached out about Stroller Strides, it would be a great chance to get out of the house with him, all while getting my workout in.

I didn’t know much about what Stroller Strides was or how it worked. What I did know was that Noah had to sit in the stroller for a 60 minute class while I exercised. Excited to start, I was a little hesitant that he wouldn’t be able to stay in the stroller for that long while I had “mommy time”. He really didn’t like to be in the stroller much these days.

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26Sep2018

One month without a car in Chicago

Posted in Chicago by thechicagogoodlife

Like many Chicagoland residents, the traffic in the summer is outrageous. With all the increase in Ubers and Lyfts, I felt like these past few months have been even worse. For example, I was heading to the Western Suburbs this past July and my normal 45-50 minute commute turned into a 2 hour nightmare (I almost ran out of gas, but that’s a whole other story…). Traffic, parking, construction, and so on was driving me crazy.

I also was becoming too reliant on our car. We have so many forms of public transportation within steps of our home, why did I keep driving everywhere? I was spending so much money on parking and gas, but why? When Lyft asked me to join their #ditchwithlyft campaign, it was perfect timing. I knew it was time to ditch our car for the month and take more public transportation.

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17Sep2018

Pregnancy Update: Hello 3rd Trimester

Posted in pregnancy by thechicagogoodlife

As I am sitting here while Noah naps, I really can’t believe how fast this pregnancy is going compared to the first. I heard that when you have a toddler, the second pregnancy flies by. No talking or singing to the belly anymore, knowing what weekly ‘fruit’ you are, no more reading the pregnancy books and blogs…so on. I would say part of that true, but Noah has been giving so much love to her these days. It really warms my heart! But lately, there is so much happening every day, time just seems to get away. But we are slowly getting ready for her (mentally too!) and we are so excited for her arrival. Continue reading →

6Sep2018

Tips for throwing a kid-friendly Super Bowl party

Posted in entertaining by thechicagogoodlife

The Super Bowl is just around the corner and whether your home team is in it or not, the food and commercials are always the best part. Before kids, my Super Bowl Sunday would be spent out at brunch with bottomless mimosas and greasy food, but time has changed all that. Now, we usually have families here with kids and a few less mimosas. But it’s still so much fun, I look forward to it. I put together some ideas to serve at your party that are easy and every kid or adult will like.

There are some tricks I have learned through trial and error of from hosting a few football parties with lots of children. I know that an easy clean up is at the top of my list, especially with lots of kids around, faster the better. Snacks and appetizers ideal for small hands and also delicious for the adults is important too.

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31Aug2018

The “All American Family” Portrait with HP

Posted in Chicago, motherhood by thechicagogoodlife

When HP reached out looking for our aspect on what the American Family was, I felt two things. One, I was like, YES! I would love to share our family, our values and so on. What a cool experience right?! Family is one of the most important things in my life, in the world really. I couldn’t pass that up. And two, HP is an amazing company. It’s actually the computer I do all my blogging on. I got rid of my Mac a few years ago and have only been using this HP Envy Computer and just love it.

After a few rounds of interviews, a video submission and questionnaire, we made it in. I didn’t really know what to expect from the video shoot except I knew it was going to be a long day of filming with other families from the Chicagoland area. Continue reading →

28Aug2018

Blogging: Transition from a food to lifestyle blogger

Posted in Coffee with Christine, motherhood by thechicagogoodlife

This is kind of a rare topic for me. I don’t typically write about blogging or my process, which I can if that’s interesting, I just don’t think anyone would really care to read about it! (but please message me if you think differently!)

When I first started the Instagram account in 2015, I mainly focused on food. At that point in my life, it was just Manny and I. We dined out all the time, trying new restaurants, traveled and enjoyed being married, but as our family grew, things changed. Continue reading →

21Aug2018

Turkey Black Bean Sloppy Joe Recipe

Posted in recipe by thechicagogoodlife

I woke up with a serious pregnancy craving last week. I needed Sloppy Joe. It’s a childhood classic and I knew I had to make it for dinner. This recipe is a little lighter than the traditional recipe, but still very kid friendly (Noah devoured it). It’s also made with San Marzano tomatoes, but can easily be swapped out for tomato sauce.