The Everyday Archives — Page 11 of 18 — Everyday Cori By Corine Ingrassia

What To Pack For The Hospital When Having A C-Section

October 25, 2013 By Cori

OMG, you guys!!!!! My C-section is officially one week from today!

Next Friday, this time I will be holding our newest little person in my arms. The whole thing seems so crazy. Where did my pregnancy go?

I realized today that not only did the pregnancy seem to fly by because we have 2 children to keep up with this time around but also because of our move. While our household is as chaotic as any other family’s, I still like to feel like I have some sort of “organization to the chaos” if that makes any sense. But instead, we’ve been living out of boxes for 6 months not really knowing when we will be able to move into our permanent residence.

So I’ve spent 9 months, trying to remain sane with the “we have time” mentality, well at now 38 weeks we don’t have time, and I need to start washing baby clothes.

Last week, I finally got around to tackling packing my hospital bag for my c-section (Did I mention it’s NEXT Friday? …oh ok.), and while you would think I’d be a pro (being that it IS my 3rd time around), I totally wasn’t. That being said… I managed to pull it together and get it done because if there is one thing, my prior birthing and parenting experience has taught me, it is this:

[Tweet “When it comes to pregnancy and parenthood, its always best to have a plan and expect the opposite.”]

Video & List For Packing Your Hospital Bag

{Click here to view video on my YouTube Channel}

Ok, What’s in my bag?

– Large bag– preferably with wheels
– Cord Blood kit – We chose Viacord, but CBR is also an excellent choice.

Side note: My Dr advised against investing in Tissue banking by the way. So if you are thinking about storage, you may want to ask your doc’s opinion before picking a plan.

– Baby’s “take me home outfit” Instead of gender neutral we went with buying two outfits just for fun. One will inevitably be going back…but will it be the pink or the blue??
– Soft cotton pajamas I don’t like ANYTHING touching my c-section area, so I always opt for a nightgown. The one in my video is the before and after ruffle dress by Belabumbum.
– Robe Some people like to opt for a zip up sweatshirt, either way think layers! It can get quite chilly in the hospital. The Robe in my video is the Queen Bee Robe by Belabumbum.
– Warm Socks
– Comfy Bra Comfort is key. The nursing bra in my video is the Bravado Embrace Bra which is made of this magical material that fits like a glove. I’m hoping the Bamboo sleep bra arrives in time too, because I always sleep in sports bra and had no idea “sleep bras” even existed! 🙂
– Underwear If we are being honest here… the underwear after you deliver gets trashed no matter how you deliver. With a C-section, I highly recommend asking the hospital for a few extras of those mesh undies they provide. They’re disposable and by far the most comfortable for your incision.
– Phone charger
– Real deal camera We are bringing our Cannon t3i
– Belly Band-it belly support Ok, so like I said I don’t like anything touching my incision area, but I’ve heard great things about this product and so I am going to bring it with me to see how it goes. I may decided not to use it right away- we’ll see.
– Toiletries
- – Facial Wipes The ones in my video are Olay’s Fresh Effects Swipe Out. I also love the Neutrogena cleansing wipes. They’re thicker, softer and have more to a package.
- – Lotion The one in my video is Olay Fresh Effects– Long live moisture satin lotion (Whew! That’s a mouth full, huh?)
- – Contact Lenses & Case
- – Contact Solution
- – Body wash
- – Tooth brush & tooth paste
- – Hair ties and bobby pins
– Cosmetic-y things
- – Lip Balm The one in my video that I highly recommend EOS. BEST lip balm EVA, you guys!
- – BB Cream The one in my video is Garnier Skin Renewal.
- – Basic blush The one in my video is “The One Sweep” by L’oreal.
- – Mascara The one in my video is Benefit’s “They’re Real” mascara.
– Sibling and Daddy Gift It’s nice to make the siblings feel special. This is a big day for them! So we got gifts “from the baby” to the kids.

In my video, Laina’s gift is Molly Brown London’s pink bean necklace. It’s super cute and like Tiffany for girls. [My review here] Ry’s gift is a Miami Heat Jersey… hard to find something sentimental and exciting for an 8 yr old boy… but he’s going to love this!

– Mama’s Coming Home Outfit Like I said, I don’t want anything touching my incision area (per me)… so while sweats sound comfy, a dress is my only option. Finding a dress for the fall chill? Kind of challenging.

I found a comfy casual shirt dress on clearance at Motherhood that typically, I’d have paired with boots.

However, after much discussion… I came to the reality of.. boots are going to be impossibly hard to put on after the C-section. So I swapped them out for brown flats like the ones below-

As one person told me, who’s going to be looking at your feet when you have an adorable baby in your arms? 😉

What’s on my day of list

– License and insurance card
– Pillow
– Eye Glasses
– Makeup
– Camera battery
– Hair brush
– Double check for phone cord

** One update to the video… The Boppy. While I personally am not packing it this time, I’ve heard it is helpful for nursing moms. I also have personally found that if your car is a sedan it is excellent for c-section Moms to sit on, on the way home because it helps absorb some of the bumps. So in either of those cases? I say the Boppy is a bring!

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Ok… now to wash those itty bitty clothes.

Easy And Delicious Appetizer Idea: Pull Apart Pepperoni Bread

October 17, 2013 By Cori

The other day when we went to my mother’s house for dinner, she made this super delish Pepperoni Pull Apart Bread that I practically inhaled (read: the baby made me do it!).

I apologize for the lighting in this picture, the lighting in my mother’s house always throws yellow. But even with the yellow hue…. are you not drooling?

I posted about it’s deliciousness on instagram and immediately people were asking for the recipe.

My Mom found the recipe on Facebook, and from what I can tell, I believe it may have originated from one of my blog-friends, Karen at In the Kitchen With K P!

I love when my worlds collide.

Karen, whom I met in San Diego while attending BlogHer 2 years ago (3 years ago?) is always whipping up something drool-worthy. Between her blog and her instagram pics this lady has a way of always making me hungry!

I know we are always looking for fresh, new appetizer ideas when getting together with family and friends and this one is perfect for get togethers, holidays, as well as Sunday Football noshing.

The Recipe And Tips:

You can find Karen’s recipe for the Pull Apart Pepperoni Bread here.

The two things I would add that I know my mom changed up a bit is this–

1. PIZZERIA DOUGH IS THE BEST- If you can get pizza dough from your local pizzeria, do it! It makes it taste even better.

2. ADD A LIGHT COATING OF FLOUR – After spraying the bunt pan, my mom added a light coating of flour to prevent it from sticking. She decided to do this because on her first round with just the spray, it still stuck… not that that got in anyone’s way of gobbling it up right from the pan– but if you are making this to look pretty for company, or to bring to a party, you may want to make sure it doesn’t stick.

Getting Crafty With Printables + DIY Instagram Lamp!

October 2, 2013 By Cori

There is nothing I love more than a fun printable craft. Seriously, when it comes to crafting for a party, a DIY gift, I have relied on my handy dandy laptop and printer more times than I can count.

Today, I wanted to show you my latest and greatest printable party creation as well as share a super awesome DIY Instagram Lamp!

My kids know that when it is their birthday, no matter what their vision is, somehow, someway, Mom will make it happen. I’ve done Spiderman birthday parties, Night owl pajama parties, a LAZY TOWN birthday when literally nothing Lazy Town was even available in the states– each time, my secret weapon for pulling it all together has been computer and printer.

This year, my sassy 5 year old had a very specific birthday party theme in mind. She told us in no uncertain terms “I would like a cake with puppies … dressed like princesses” … unique, for sure.

But as strange of a request as it was, and as busy as life has been with the move and back to school, I was on a mission to make this Princess Puppy thing come to life.

To make this one-of-a-kind cake, I pulled out our laptop and began Googling for some inspiration.

HP TOUCH SMART LAPTOP — HP Pavilion Touch Smart Notebook– MSRP $299.99

Geek moment: I am obsessed with this touch screen and that I was able to customize my desktop apps.

Finally, I devised a plan. I would make a simple Kit-Kat cake that I’ve been seeing floating around pinterest and decorate it with some puppy princess cake toppers. Simple, easy, super impressive to a 5 year old.

When I found cute images of puppies dressed like princesses, I created a document with these various images, sent it to our printer, cut them out, and laminated them onto toothpicks with duck tape.

Birthday parties aren’t the only time printable crafts look impressive. Check this out!

DIY Instagram Lamp!

If you are an Instagram addict like I am, this is a crazy fun way to display some of those mobile photography skills you’ve acquired.

For Instructions click here

This project is just one of many featured on HP’s new crafty community site called HP Create!

This new community has a plethora of ideas and customizable printables from the HP Inspiration Crew for anyone looking for unique ways to capture, showcase and preserve special memories…even on a time crunch.

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Sponsored Post Disclosure: Complicated Mama has partnered with HP for this 3 part sponsored post series. An HP Pavilion TouchSmart 11 and an HP ENVY 4500 e-All-in-One printer was provided by HP as part of my participation.

Inside The Strut Moms Show At Lincoln Center + Look For Me Talking About My Bum In A Cottonelle TV Commercial {Squee!}

September 23, 2013 By Cori

It’s now been over two weeks since the very surreal moment I walked the runway at Lincoln Center for Cottonelle and the RBaby Foundation. I promised some pics and some more info about my involvement with Cottonelle for this project.

And being that today is the launch of Cottonelle’s “Let’s Talk Bums” Fashion Week commercial on CBS (more on that below), which highlights the night and the experience of me and my fellow Cottonelle Mama’s – {squee!!}, I thought today was the perfect day to share some more!

The Cottonelle Mama’s Ready To Take On The Catwalk!

(L to R: Me, Cait “The Honest Mother”, Melissa “Married My Sugar Daddy“, and Brianne “Stroller In The City“)

Glam me up!

Isn’t getting your hair styled the best thing ever? I recently got extensions put in my hair (which I’ll report more on once I’ve had them in for a full month), so I was loving the long loose curls the hair stylists were dolling up the Mom-models with.

The hair stylists were using the Sarah Potema Beach Waver that night, which is a curling iron that rotates and winds the hair with just a click of a button. I didn’t get to actually try it myself, but the process did go fast and the curls stayed put!Once hair and makeup was complete, I took a little sneak peek at the runway in all its glory.

And that’s when reality set in! …. Oh. My. God. This is real.

My shoes! O no! What shoes did they pick out? What if I can’t balance the belly? … What if the dress doesn’t fit!?! We were able to practice our strut before the show, so I raced back to get ready… cause I definitely need the practice. A

Although I did have to change my shoes after my test-walk, I’m happy to report it all worked out and I did not fall on my face.

I wore a cobalt blue Chiara Boni dress that was not maternity,but embraced the bump nicely.

The gorgeous rouching on one side makes it a dress that is flattering for all figures.

Sadly the $625 price tag? Made it something I had to return back to Bloomies.

Whomp, Whomp.

During the show, Cottonelle unvieled a one of a kind Cottonelle Couture dress, designed by and made completely out of toilet paper!

And let me tell you, the fab Cait Buchane ROCKED. IT….. along with her Cottonelle Wipes clutch.

It. Was. Awesome.

The experience was so empowering and I was honored to have teamed up with Cottonelle to be part of this incredible night of fashion and join these gorgeous ladies on the runway.

I was also SO very happy that both James and my mother were able to be there to experience it with me.

As an attendee of the star studded Fashion Week, their experience was much different than mine and I loved hearing about the fun the had spotting celebs both on the runway and in the crowd.

They spotted the Hilton Sisters, helped “Help Me Howard” take a picture, posed for a pic with former Yankee, Jorge Pasada, and my mother’s favorite Miami Housewife (twice … because the first one was blurry, so my Mom tracked her down again for a do-over. My mom kills me. ha )

And then when it was all over, my husband’s teenage dreams came true when he got to snap a pic with Melissa Joan Hart, which he immediately instagrammed with the caption “And, she explained it all” .

Seriously look at that grin below! He is hilarious.

So What About The Commercial???

During both the fitting and the Strut Moms Fashion Show, Cottonelle and CBS were documenting the model’s experience getting ready for the runway.

We spoke with Cottonelle Spokesperson, Cherry Healy, (whose British accent I am incredibly jealous of) about the Cottonelle Care Routine and shared our before and after thoughts on the show.

And TODAY, I’m excited to tell you… that commercial has begun airing on CBS!

My mother in law has already seen it during the CBS morning show today.

It will air two more times today, once during the Rachel Ray Show and again during the CBS 5 o’clock news.

Yes, I will be on National TV talk about my how I care for my derrière.

Just sayin– If you are a parent, or have ever changed a diaper in your life… you know what’s back there. Toilet paper is not enough, and what’s good for baby’s bum is good for mine. I’m not ashamed to admit it.

If you aren’t able to see me talk about my how I care for my derrière on national TV, there is always YouTube! Watch the Cottonelle Mom’s strut their bums down that runway!

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Disclosure: Cottonelle is a paid partner of Complicatedmama.com. I teamed up for the Lets Talk Bums campaign as as Cottonelle brand ambassador during the Strut Moms Fashion Show. All experiences and thoughts expressed are my own.

Strutting Bums Tonight At Lincoln Center For Cottonelle & Charity!

September 7, 2013 By Cori

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is here! As part of this big week style, tonight I am teaming up with Cottonelle to talk bums and walk the runway at Lincoln Center for the Strut Moms Fashion Show!

It has been a fun few weeks gearing up for today.. and while I would LOVE to share with you the gorgeous dress the bump and I will be donning tonight, I must keep you waiting just a bit longer.

However, I CAN share with you some photos from the fitting that did not make the final cut…

Dress 1: How Do I Love Thee Dress, by Bailey44 -$212| Dress 2: Deep Indigo Lace Dress, by Cynthia Steffee $268|

All available at Bloomingdales

Oh, how I loved that “How I Love Thee” dress.

I can also share with you my sparkly “Cottonelle Blue” mani and statement necklace I will be accessorizing with tonight.

Lets Talk Bums

The Cottonelle “Lets Talk Bums” Campaign is seriously so fun, you guys. It’s getting people (like myself) to open up and talk about how they care for their derrière… which is sort of a taboo topic amongst adults, and amuses my kids to no end.

“My mom’s talking about her butt” is a statement that has been giggled through out the house more times that I can count over the past few days.

I’m just saying…. wipes are not just for baby bottoms, you guys. You’ve no doubt changed your share of diapers. You’ve seen what’s back there. Dry paper is not enough and you know it. Own it.

So while we will be inside getting runway ready from brows to bums and documenting it along the way– outside on the streets of NYC, Cottonelle will be offering an upscale public restroom experience (located on Columbus Ave and 62nd Street) that will allow people to try out the Cottonelle Care Routine and enter to win tickets to the Fashion Show of their choice during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week!

I can’t wait to share more about this hilarious conversation and the Strut Mom’s Fashion Show next week.

LIVE Sneak Peeks!

You can get some sneak peeks of it all unfolding live by following Complicated Mama on Instagram and Twitter, and also by following the #LetsTalkBums #StrutMoms hashtags.

Strutting For A Cause

Before I leave for the show (seriously, I need to get in the shower), I wanted to share that tonight is not all about beauty and bums- it’s also about doing good.

At tonight’s Strut Moms show, each Mom model (Mom-del?) will be strutting their stuff for a cause.

The non-profit organization I will be strutting for tonight is The R Baby Foundation, a non-profit organization that is working hard every day to improve and set a standard in pediatric emergency care across the country.

Today there is no uniform definition of a Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) – and while each Pediatric Emergency Department may have varying degrees of trained specialists and equipment, and there is no uniform definition of a Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) and very little clarity provided to parents on how to identify the differences.

As a Mom, as well as a 3rd time expecting Mom who has already had the experience of having an infant in the NICU– this cause is one that is near and dear to my heart.

I would love, love, LOVE for you to take a minute as a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, person-with a child in their lives that they love, to educate yourself on this cause and how you can help.

{3 Scary Facts About The State Of Pediatric Emergency Care To Day That Every Parent Should Know}

Currently only 6% of Emergency Departments in the nation have the recommended pediatric supplies and equipment.
Emergency Room doctors spend only 8% of their training in pediatric emergencies; yet up to 1/3 of their future patients will be children.
Despite the fact that pediatric skills deteriorate quickly without practice, continuing education in pediatric care is not required or is extremely limited for many emergency medical technicians.

All of this can be changed.

The R Baby Foundation continues to be the voice of parents across the country, working with top hospitals and universities to develop training programs, and state legislature to change standards. This collective voice is growing and being heard …. and change is happening!

How you can help!

R Baby wants to ensure that they are doing everything they can to protect a mother’s most precious gift- her children.

Both of the below actions will help improve pediatric emergency care for babies and children nationwide

Make the voice of R Baby even louder, by signing their petition and inviting your friends to sign it as well.

Sign Here.

Make a donation in the name of a child or to honor the special mother in your life

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Ok, time to get my bum in the shower…. pray pray pray that this bump still fits in tonight’s dress!

Flatout Healthy Kids Lunch Ideas

July 2, 2013 By Cori

Living in a world of mac & cheese and chicken nuggets, I am always looking for fun new lunch and snack ideas for the kids.

Yesterday was a rather rainy, dreary day so the kids and I took the dreary day as an opportunity to get creative in the kitchen for their lunch.

Thanks to our friends at Flatout, we were in the know and had already stocked up on Flatout wraps from Sam’s Club (You all know how I love my Flatout bread, and being able to buy it in bulk ROCKS.)

So we hopped in the car and headed for the produce isle of our local grocery store.

The mission? To create a fun and fruit filled lunch and post-lunch snack. The kids picked the ingredients all on their own, and I must say I believe this mission was a successful one.

For Lunch

Ingredients:

– Flat out wrap

– Cream Cheese

– Vanilla Instant Pudding

– Granola

-Fruit variety of your choice

Instructions:

– Mix 4 oz of cream cheese with 2 tablespoons of vanilla instant pudding

– Spread mixture on Flatout bread

– Sprinkle granola and fruit on top of mixture and cut into pieces

Post- Lunch Healthy Snack

Ingredients:

– Flatout wrap

– Banana (1 banana can easily cover 2 wraps)

– Chocolate chips

– Peanut Butter

Directions:

– Spread peanut butter on wrap

– Cut up banana and sprinkle on top of peanut butter

– Sprinkle chocolate chips on wrap

– Roll up long way and cut into bites

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Giveaway!

Flatout wraps are my favorite. They are high in fiber and great for healthy lunches (and snacks).

Now that they are available in Sam’s Club I’m able to buy them in a bigger quantity for parties … or to freeze! (Yes, they keep well in the freezer!)

To celebrate their new place on the shelves at Sam’s Club I’m teaming up with Flat Out bread to offer one Complicated Mama reader a chance to win a 1 year Sam’s Club membership– Just in time for those summer BBQ’s! 🙂

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: To purchase FlatOut bread were provided a Sam’s Club for this post. As always the thoughts and opinions are my own.