2023 Black Friday sales to shop

November 23, 2023

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Here’s a comprehensive list of the best Cyber Week sales of 2023.

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Easy, everyday outfits: no. 1

September 25, 2023

I’m back on the blog with easy outfits for early fall!

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What I Wore: Oct. 11 – 18

October 19, 2022

The weather is cooling down and the outfits are heating up. Here’s what I wore last week.

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Baby Gear – Skirt The Rules | NYC Style Blogger http://skirttherulesblog.com NYC Style Blogger Tue, 25 May 2021 21:01:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 What I Packed In My Hospital Bag http://skirttherulesblog.com/2021/05/26/what-i-packed-in-my-hospital-bag/ http://skirttherulesblog.com/2021/05/26/what-i-packed-in-my-hospital-bag/#respond Wed, 26 May 2021 11:00:00 +0000 http://skirttherulesblog.com/?p=20843

Sharing all of my hospital bag essentials, plus one thing I wish we had brought!

1. Soft, button up pajamas: I wore my hospital gown for my first night, but on the second day of our stay, I switched to these button up pajamas that I’ve had for years (a similar more affordable option here!). I bled pretty heavily for my first few days postpartum, so I skipped the cute robe (even though I packed one) and opted for dark, comfy pajamas instead. I love these because they’re made of a super soft jersey knit and the button up comes in handy if you’re planning to start breasfeeding at the hospital.

2. Nipple balm: Again, if you’re planning to breastfeed, nipple balm will be your best friend! I kept forgetting to put some on for my first few feedings and quickly felt chafed! I’ve been applying this organic nipple butter after every nursing. My lactation consultant also gave me these silicone nipple shells to wear in between feedings to protect my nipples from rubbing against anything, which have helped the chafing subside quicker. I also brought a nursing bra and nursing pads with me, but my milk took a few days to come in so I didn’t use the pads at the hospital.

3. 10′ phone charging cables: In researching what to pack in my hospital bag, I kept seeing this recommendation everywhere! I’m really glad we purchased a pack of extra long charging cables because all of the electric outlets in our room were definitely far away and difficult to reach!

4. Eye mask: This was the one thing I wish we had packed! After a restless night of contractions, followed by another restless night fueled by new parent adrenaline, we took quick naps whenever we could. I don’t normally sleep with an eye mask, but it would’ve come in handy to block out the sunlight and any ambient hospital light at night. At one point, I was wearing my reusable face mask on my eyes just to get a few minutes of proper shuteye!

5. Cozy blanket and pillow from home: This was another popular recommendation from everything I read since hospital bedding is notoriously thin. Surprisingly, my hospital pillows felt plusher than expected, but it was still nice to have the comforts of home with us. I ended up bring one pillow, two blankets – including my Barefoot Dreams blanket – as well as my travel neck pillow to make sure James and I were both comfortable.

6. Comfy going home outfit: Yes, I’m the psycho that put on makeup and a cute dress to go home in. But after spending two full days looking disheveled, sleep deprived and contained to a small hospital room, I wanted to have a few photos that I could look back at and cherish forever. I’d go for something loose fitting like this leopard tie strap dress or stretchy like my favorite maternity tank dress.

7. Fuzzy socks with grips: I typically run cold, especially in my hands and feet, so fuzzy socks are my jam. I actually didn’t own any with grips on the bottom, but they’re super helpful on the hospital tile – especially when you’re getting up / out of bed for the first time and might be a little weaker in the legs. My hospital actually provided me with some cheap socks with grips, but these ones are way better and they’ll come in hand again this winter!

8. Hair tie & hair brush: This kind of seems like a given (along with any toiletries you’d bring with you for travel), but it’s also something you might forget in the flurry of packing a hospital bag (because pregnancy brain).

9. Your favorite snacks: We headed to the hospital in the morning, so we missed breakfast and lunch for the day. After I got my epidural at 12:30 PM, I was able to eat a cup of jello before we went into active labor around 1:55 PM. After delivery, there was a long stretch of time before we were able to move to our recovery room. It was no surprise that I was ravenous after pushing out a human being, but thankfully I brought a few favorites like Sour Patch watermelons and club crackers to tide us over. Something about the savory butteriness of crackers that just hits the spot!

10. Rubber flip flops: Cheap, rubber flip flops (think Old Navy or Havianas) are handy for showers or just walking around the hospital floor.

11. Boppy nursing pillow: My hospital actually had a nursing pillow available in the room (you may want to call ahead to check!), but I preferred to bring my own and start getting familiar with it! I love our Boppy (we also have the newborn lounger), but I don’t love the feel of the standard cotton cover that it comes with, so I opted for this cozy cover made of a fleece material instead.

12. Onesies in different sizes: The day before I went into labor, I swung by Carter’s to stock up on a few more onesies and look for a going home outfit. There was one that I loved, but it only came a preemie size which I figured would be too small for him. I totally regret not buying it because to our surprise, he came out at 5 pounds and 5 ounces and was swimming in his newborn onesies! We opted for a cute zip up onesie to keep things simple (with everything happening on our discharge date, my brain and motor skills could not possibly handle buttoning up a 2-day old baby!).

13. Swaddle blanket: During our stay, we took advantage of the basic onesies and swaddles that our hospital provided, and I’m glad we did because he was a poop machine during his first two days! On our discharge day, we dressed him up in this striped onesie and wrapped him with a love print swaddle from this set for a few photos. Then, once it was time to get in the car seat, we took the swaddle off and used it as a blanket for the car ride home.

Other essentials:

Laptop / tablet
Camera, memory card, batteries, tripod (with the pandemic, we figured it’d be easier to take our own photos!)
Toiletries
Driver’s license and insurance card
Car seat
Travel essentials for your partner (e.g. change of clothes, jacket, pajamas, toiletries)

Here are a few things I packed but didn’t end up using:

Bathrobe: Considering the heavy flow of blood escaping me for the first few days, wearing a white bathrobe would not have been a good idea!
Nursing pads: Like I mentioned earlier, it took a few days for my milk to come in so I didn’t need to use the nursing pads since I didn’t experience any leakage. Of course, better to bring them than to not have them!
Postpartum recovery stuff: I actually didn’t pack any since our hospital provided all of it – ice pads, mesh underwear, witch hazel wipes, Dermoplast pain relieving spray, hemorrhoid cream, etc. I assume most hospitals will do the same, but it always helps to call ahead to ask. They also gave me whole goodie bag of extra postpartum supplies before I checked out!

]]> http://skirttherulesblog.com/2021/05/26/what-i-packed-in-my-hospital-bag/feed/ 0 Our Nursery Artwork from Minted http://skirttherulesblog.com/2021/05/18/our-nursery-artwork-from-minted/ http://skirttherulesblog.com/2021/05/18/our-nursery-artwork-from-minted/#respond Tue, 18 May 2021 11:00:00 +0000 http://skirttherulesblog.com/?p=20811

Sharing a peek into baby boy’s nursery!

Blue floral maxi dress (wearing an S – non-maternity, bump friendly!) / World map print (c/o Minted) / Navy abstract print 1 & 2 (c/o Minted – use code DANGFRAMES for 20% off frames on framed art prints) / Mint blackout curtains / Faux bird of paradise plant / Gold floor lamp / Wooden bookshelves / White wooden bassinet (c/o) / Striped storage boxes / Cream glider and storage ottoman / Blue area rug

If you had asked me a few weeks ago how prepping for baby was going along, I would’ve told you it wasn’t! While I had all of these visions of nursery decor inspo in my head, I’m a serial procrastinator and it wasn’t until t-minus one month that we really got our butts in gear! In late April, we finally shared our baby registry essentials with family and friends, and started buying a few other foundational pieces like this glider and storage ottoman, these wooden bookshelves and coastal blue blackout curtains.

Because we’re splitting our second bedroom between our office and our nursery, the space needs to be a balance of visually stimulating, but also put together. That’s why we’re relying so heavily on neutrals (whites, creams, woods) with a few pops of coastal colors sprinkled in between.

To tie the space together, Mint graciously gifted us these fun, yet timeless framed prints – we’re planning to put this beige map print over his crib (we’re using this white wooden bassinet for now) so he can dream of all the places he’ll visit one day. Then there are these two navy abstract prints, which we plan to put over his changing table as a fun way to explore different shapes. With each of these prints, you can actually customize the color palette and also the frames! And use code DANGFRAMES for 20% off frames for any framed art prints through May 31, 2021.

It’s finally coming together and I can’t wait for baby boy to see what is surely our favorite place in the apartment now!

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Today, I’m sharing what we included on our baby registry!

Babybjörn baby carrier mini / Babybjörn baby bouncer / Ubbi diaper pail / Bobby nursing pillow / Blue swaddle blankets / Baby bottle starter kit / WubbaNub sloth pacifier / Silicone baby bib / Baby bassinet / Baby bottle warmer / Burp cloths / Ingelsina dining table chair

Let me start by saying I’m a procrastinator at heart – it’s just in my nature and I find that I work best under the pressure of an impending deadline. James and I started researching registry essentials over Christmas after we our gender reveal. I did a bunch of research, added a few things to our Babylist registry and then kind of ignored it for the next four months …

We weren’t planning to have a baby shower prior to arrival because of the pandemic, so there wasn’t much of a rush to finalize things. And then it was t-minus one month until baby and we literally had nothing for baby boy – oops! With the help of my BFF and soon-to-be mother of two, along with some great reader recommendations, we finally got our asses into gear and shared a shower-by-mail registry with our family and friends (with a post-birthday bash to come later this summer or fall!).

And without further ado, here is what we added to our baby registry, as well as some highlights below.

Babybjörn baby carrier mini: James and I are constantly on-the-go and we know being hands-free will be crucial for getting stuff done around the apartment, as well as just being out and about in the city. I love that we’ll be able to wear baby boy close to us early on and then switch him to front-facing by five months so that he can experience the hustling, bustling world around us. Thanks for the rec and the gift, Auntie Em!

Bobby nursing pillow: A good nursing pillow was one of the most popular recommendations when I asked for advice on my Instagram. It’s simple, but I’m also a sucker for cute covers and have a few different options including this colorful jungle print. I plan on bringing my Boppy to the hospital with me!

Ubbi diaper pail: I’ve changed a total of one diaper in my entire life (it was my niece’s and highly supervised by my brother lol), so this should be interesting. Thankfully James has a lot more experience than I do, so I hereby declare him on diaper duty for the next few years. Kidding! But so many moms recommended the Ubbi diaper pail since you could use any trash bags instead of one specifically designed for the container. I’m curious to see how well it well it contains dirty diaper odors and will be sure report back!

Dr. Brown’s baby bottle starter kit: The amount of baby bottles out there is kind of mind-blowing, but the best advice that I saw was don’t invest in too many of one thing until you know what you babe prefers. We asked for this bottle starter kit, which is basically a variety pack that allows to to try out different nipples and bottle shapes.

RONBEI baby bassinet: Since baby boy will be sleeping in our bedroom for the first few months, I knew once we had a bassinet, I’d feel 1000x better about life. Thankfully it was one of the first things purchased off our registry! I liked the simple, modern design of this one, the mesh sides and the option to move the side panel down into a bedside sleeper option so that baby’s within an arm’s reach. Bonus points: it was easy to assemble and comes with a music box/mobile that made me tear up the first time we played it.

Graco baby swing / Baby skincare and bath set / UPPAbaby Minu stroller / Hatch sound machine / Zip up onesies / DockATot lounge / Lotus travel crib / Fisher-Price baby dome / OXO collapsible baby bath tub

UPPAbaby Minu stroller: Even if you’re not a mom or mom-to-be, chances are you’ve heard of UPPAbaby. The Vista and the Cruz are their most popular styles, and we were planning to go for the slightly more compact Cruz until we discovered their Minu option. The Minu is perfect for the urban city dweller – it’s super light (XX lbs versus the Cruz’ XX lbs and Vista’s XX lbs), which will make it easy to navigate the streets and subways of NYC. It’s also super compact and easy to fold up, which is perfect since storage space is incredibly limited. Between our city life and hopefully going on travels with baby, we found that the size and weight of the Minu is perfect for us.

DockATot Deluxe+ Stage One Dock: The Bentley of baby loungers – it seems like a steep price to pay, but so many people recommended it for baby to rest, play and lounge in or outside of the house. It’s also a good option for tummy time, plus the covers are washable and interchangeable (you know your girl likes options).

Hatch Baby Rest sound machine: A good sound machine was another top reader recommendation, and 4.8 out of 5 stars from 19,000+ reviews can’t be wrong, right? I like that it can be controlled with an app on your phone and that you can eventually use it to help teach your toddler a health sleep schedule. One of my BFFs actually upgraded us to the Rest+, which also has an audio monitor. Thanks Auntie B!

Fisher-Price baby dome: Considered me influenced! I saw this play dome on Caitlin’s Instagram stories, who used it to take her baby to the beach, hang out at the park, etc. I love that it’s a nice contained space for baby to play or nap while we enjoy the outdoors while also getting shade from the sun. I foresee a lot of Central Park outings with this!

Happiest Baby swaddle / Hatch smart changing table and scale / Solly baby wrap / Lovevery play kit subscription / Nursery humidifier / Baby animals high contrast board book / Look high contrast board book / Foldable foam play mat / Lovevery play gym / Developmental bumpy ball / Colorful rattle set

Lovevery play kit subscription: This recommendation (and subsequent gift) came from my brother. Every two months, they’ll send you a set of toys and activity cards aimed to promote baby’s development for that particular age – it’s the gift that keeps on giving! I also have their play gym on my wish list and love that it looks as beautiful as it is interactive.

UANLAUOFoldable foam play mat: Our nursery is also our office, and while I want the space to feel safe, warm and welcoming for our babe, I’m not keen on splashes of bright, primary colors everywhere! I added this foldable playmat to our registry so that he has a soft, safe space to crawl around, but something that we can still put away when it’s not in use. Also didn’t realize it until arrived, but it’s reversible and has a completely different print on the other side!

Happiest Baby swaddle: Swaddles are another popular registry must have to help mimic the womb and comfort baby to sleep. We got a pack of these cute, regular swaddle blankets, but also requested this zip-up swaddle in case our baby turns out to be an escape artist. Again, we’ll see what works best for our baby before investing in most things!

TaoTronics Humidifier: Humidifiers can help alleviate dry, itchy skin and create a more comfortable sleeping environment for baby – it’s especially helpful in colder months when to soothe sore throats or any upper respiratory tract symptoms. James found this one on Amazon (4.6 of 5 stars from nearly 9,000 reviews!) and we’ve started it to use it in our bedroom to … er … test it out before baby comes! I really like how modern it looks and how quiet it is. Just make sure you clean it regularly to avoid build up of mold or bacteria!

Hatch smart changing table and scale: A changing table that also doubles as a smart scale is obviously a nice-to-have, but not a need to have. James and I just happen to tech gadgets – especially those that help track the health and growth of baby! I also heard that the Keekaroo peanut changer is another popular option!

Mama friends – I would love to know if there’s anything I missed? Anything you couldn’t live without?

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