Bella Band Product Review/ Every Pregnant Woman Needs This!

Every pregnant mom needs the Bella Band, or a similar brand product. 


The Bellaband is a carefully constructed essential designed to hold up unbuttoned waistbands, loose maternity wear and garments that slip down around a late-pregnancy belly. Spend less time thinking about your pants and enjoy flaunting your belly!


How to wear the Bellaband:
Wear throughout and after pregnancy
Seamless construction
Specifically designed to expand and recover for pregnancy
Adjustable; wear full-length or fold for extra hold
High-density, ultra-soft knit blend
Fabric won't pill, fade or lose elasticity
New stay-put silicone strip offers more hold/keeps Bellaband from riding or rolling up
New longer length for extra coverage and flexibility
Care Instructions:Machine wash warm gentle cycle with like colors. Only non-chlorine bleach when needed. Tumble dry low. Do not iron.
Fiber Content: 84% Nylon/16% Spandex


I noticed that they now have a Bellaband with a lace trim available. And they come in 5 different colors including white, black, navy, and beige. 


The Bellaband allowed me to wear my pre-pregnancy jeans and pants for about 6 months! I wore my pants unbuttoned and unzipped with the Bellaband and it was so comfortable. The Bellaband just basically looked like an undershirt poking out from underneath my top. It was very comfortable to wear in the hot summer months too. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone! 


You can also buy similar brands at many stores, perhaps for even less money. I've seen similar products at BabiesRUs, Target, Walmart, on Amazon.com, Diapers.com, etc.

What Baby Products Should I Buy?

In this video I share my philosophy and advice for buying baby products. My top priorities when shopping for baby products were safety, quality, and price. We wanted to get the safest products that were high quality but also affordable. 


My tips for buying baby products include:
1. Research products online- you have to spend time researching different products online. Some of my helpful book links below will save you some time, but definitely look at things online you are interested in! Then if you can, go to an actual store to see them in person. 


2. Read product reviews- I wouldn't buy anything that doesn't have good product reviews. Of course there will always be a few negative reviews from an unfortunate consumer who bought something that had a broken piece in it, but that's by far the minority. Read BOTH the positive AND negative reviews. Why did something get a negative review? I relied heavily on product reviews.


3. Setting up baby registeries (you can register at Target, Walmart, BabiesRUs, Amazon.com, Diapers.com, etc.) Register at at least 2 different places and register for everything! Even if it's something you don't think you'll use for a year or so (like a potty training item). You will get so many things for your baby's first 3 months of life but then what will you do after that? If you register for items and receive them, you can always return them and use that money/credit towards other items.


4. Follow the Consumer Reports.com guidelines or check out their annual "Consumer Reports Best Baby Products A to Z Guide" (http://www.amazon.com/Best-Baby-Products-Consumer-Reports/dp/1933524243/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329436825&sr=1-1)


5. Ask family and friends for advice- but remember that something one person says is a "must have" may not really be. Remember, people have been having babies for thousands of years and it is only recently that all these products have become available. People raised their babies without swings, bouncers, rattles, etc. 


6. Do not purchase everything before the baby comes, only the must-have items. You can always buy items you "need" later. We found this to be very helpful. I always thought that if something is truly a "must have" item then I can always go get it later when I find out I truly need it. 


7. Check out some books from the library that list all the different baby products available. I used "The Baby Gizmo Buying Guide" and loved it! 


8. Price Match! A lot of stores will price match items! If you find an item online for a better price but don't want to pay S&H, a local store will likely price match it for you!


- I didn't mention this in the video, but this book is also a great resource: "Baby Bargains" 

Why Every New Mom Needs a Breast Pump

Here's my 2nd YouTube video. Please give me feedback on how you like my videos so far and be sure to subscribe to my channel! I also do a product review of my Avent Electric Pump Duo breast pump.


Reasons why every new mom needs a breast pump:
1. Helps relieve engorgement which in turn will help baby to latch on
2. Keeps milk supply up
3. Allows your baby to still have your breast milk through a bottle when you are not home
4. Allows you to supplement your baby with breast milk if your baby needs additional nutrition
5. Allows you to continue nursing your infant if you work part time or full time
6. Watch the video for all the reasons why you need a breast pump!

YouTube Channel Up and Running

It's finally happened! I posted my very very very first Youtube video. I'm hoping to post lots of videos on everything ranging from product reviews, advice for new moms, experienced moms, info on newborns/infants/toddlers, etc. It will go along with my posts on my blog. Be sure to subscribe to my channel also called "Mommyvignettes" to get updates!

Here's the direct link: http://www.youtube.com/user/Mommyvignettes

And there will always be a link at the top right of my blog!

DIY Yarn-Wrapped Crafts

I've seen these yarn-wrapped letters all over the place lately. So I decided to try making my own. It was very easy. You can find a ton of tutorials online by just googling "yarn-wrapped letters" (perhaps that's what brought you here!). 

All you need is:

- a cardboard letter of your choice. You can find these for very cheap ($1-$3) at almost any craft store. I got mine at Hobby Lobby and used my 40% off coupon so I got it for next to nothing. You can also get a letter made out of wood, paper mache, or styrofoam. Any of these will work depending on your preference. Since you are covering it with yarn you won't be able to tell what it is made out of. If you want the letter to be able to stand on its own, I would suggest a cardboard, foam, or paper mache letter vs. a wood one.

- hot glue gun (oh and scissors!)

- yarn of your color choice. I went with a bright-mustardy color since it fits in with Fall, Spring, and Summer decor. 

First you need to cover the edges of the letter where you won't be wrapping yarn. Simply cut small strips of yarn and glue them on.  Make sure to leave a little extra on both ends so you can glue it to the sides as well.

Then you simply keep wrapping with yarn! I ended up wrapping most of one side then unwrapping it and re-wrapping it in a different direction. I chose to make my letter not look so symmetrical. I liked the "messy" look of it better.

Once I had completely wrapped all the surfaces of the letter, I just wrapped around the entire thing in a criss-cross fashion.

When done, just use a dab of hot glue to secure the yarn to the back or bottom of the letter.

Voila!  A cute statement piece for any home decor!

What I love about this project is that it's so versatile and easy. You could also wrap yarn around letters to spell an entire name, a special word, or wrap yarn around a foam wreath (I think I might try that one).
This would also look really cute in a baby nursery. Or it could be a great wedding or baby gift!

Every letter will be different. You may find that wrapping yarn around an "L" or an "O" is easier than say an "E" or a "Q".

 Let me know what other ideas you've come up with that are yarn-inspired!