MAMBI "The Happy Planner" - Home Planner Overview

Price: $9.99
Where to Buy: Online here, Hobby Lobby, Select Michaels & Meijer Stores


What's Included: 45 sheets and 4 tabbed dividers. Each tab is a different section: To Do Lists, Meal Planner, Household Cleaning and Budget

I received the Home Planner for my birthday along with the Happy Planner from my mom. I was really excited because now I can keep all my meal planning and to do lists with me in my planner instead of having them in a separate notebook like I usually do. 



Like the Planner itself, the paper is good quality and beautifully designed. The dividers have cute designs/quotes on them. The home planner can just pop right in. The planner is a disc bound system so everything is easily removable. If you are going purchase the Home Planner consider also purchasing the larger discs ($4.99) Unless you want to take out some months like I did and store them for a later. Otherwise, your planner will probably be way to bulky which makes the pages harder to turn.

The first section is 9 To Do List pages. Each page is color coordinated with a space to put the date and of course check off each tab. This is nice because some days I'm busier. This lets me have a larger to do list so I'm not running out of room on my planner days. Also for projects-- Like re doing a room. I can make a very specific check list.

Secondly, The Meal Planner. This has to be my favorite part. This section has 16 weekly planning pages. There is a spot on the left to put your weekly meal plan and a spot down on the bottom that is labeled "occasion" just in case you have something special you are planning. On the right side is the coordinating grocery list. It is separated into categories like "canned goods" "produce" etc. This is super handy. You can also remove this page and take to the grocery store. However, I probably wouldn't. I would just make a second list because my lists seems to disappear or get destroyed on my shopping trips. Checking things off with a toddler & baby in tow is a challenge sometimes.

The Household Cleaning Schedule has some listed tasks prefilled. It also

has some blank spots for you to write in your own. There is a spot to check them off for each day of the week. Or you can re label that and write in who is going to do it (Like a chore chart). It's nice that some of these are filled already because it had some things I do forget to do. I do wish it had more space to fill in my own cleaning tasks. This section contains 8 pages. 

Finally, the Budget section. It has 7 pages of monthly budget categories. This section is one I most likely will not be using. I don't handle the bills in our household... My fiance does. I will give this section to my mom to add to her planner. 

The downfall of this planner is that you wont have enough of these sheets for an entire year so you will have to purchase another Home Planner if you do use them all up. It will probably last me a good while though because some weeks I really don't feel like meal planning. 

Ryan's 2 Months Old!

We made it through another month. This month has been such a long and scary one. On one hand I can say "Wow it's been 2 months already!!" and the other "Can this month be over please?"

This month is the month that Ryan developed Reflux. We've had an ER visit and 2 trips to the doctors (One for thrush & one for Reflux). It's been scary to say the least. However, it's been so much fun watching his personality shine. I've gotten my first real smile from him and even a slight chuckle. 


Since this month he was diagnosed with Reflux we have made a couple changes in how we do things. I've found that having him propped up in the boppy at night seems to help him more than in the Rock n' Play (still love it though!!). It also means less sleep for Momma. I sleep with my head right next to  him since most of the choking incidents have been while he was asleep. Most nights he sleeps pretty well. He goes to sleep around 8pm and will sleep until 12am--some nights he will even go until 2:30am. He usually wakes up around 6 and will cluster feed until 8am or so. In the morning he smiles and coos at me... it melts my heart! He's such a sweetie.

During the day he has been awake a lot more often. We've started to do a lot of time playing on the play mat. He loves looking at himself in the mirror. 


Ryan's eyes are still blue and his hair seems to be lightening up until a light brown. It's becoming a bit curlier as well. He's finally outgrown his newborn clothing and is in mostly 3 month size now. He weighs 11lbs 4oz. I noticed that carter's clothing runs a bit smaller so in some things he is still in 0/3 months. He's a little guy (46 percentile for growth). But he is healthy and growing great.  Liam was in 6 month clothing and weighed 13.5 lbs and was in the 90th percentile for growth. It's amazing how different babies are. 

Ryan

I hope next month brings more joy and that his Reflux issues are solved now that he is on Zantac for it. He has his 2 month check up on Tuesday so if anything changes I will add an update to this post then. He will be getting his vaccinations at this appointment.  

Liam 

PS.  Just for fun I thought I would include Liam's 1 month vs 2 months picture as well. He was born 8 lbs 6 oz & Ryan was born 7 lbs 12 oz. I see a lot of Liam in Ryan. It goes by so quick I feel like it was just yesterday I was taking these photos of Liam. I'm a lucky momma! 



UPDATE: June 2nd, 2015
Ryan was 11 lbs 11 oz 

First Impressions: Me & My Big Ideas Create 365 "The Happy Planner"

I recently received the new MAMBI Happy Planner for my birthday (I'll be 21 on June 5th!) from my mom. I'm very excited to start using it. I thought I would do an overview or first impressions of the planner for anyone who may be interested.

This planner was found at Michaels-- they are only available at select stores so it's best to just call and verify if they carry them before you drive there. They are also available at all Hobby Lobby locations and select Meijer's locations. You can also order it online from the Mambi Website (here!!).

The Planner itself comes in 5 different "versions" that all retail for $24.99. Each planner slightly varies but they all have the same weekly/monthly layout. Just the design features vary. The dimensions of the planner are 7.75" x 9.75" and the pages are just slightly smaller than that. It's basically the same size as the Erin Condren Life Planner. It begins in July 2015 and goes through December 2016. 

It's a disc bound planner. Which has it's ups and downs. Its nice that you can add to your planner as well as remove pages. However, if you are going to be constantly taking things in and out-- I worry that the pages may tear or bend. I love how easy it us to flip the planner around on itself so that you can only see one half of the week. On my Plum Paper Planner that is hard to do because the coils sometimes get all funky and make it hard to fold. 

On some of the monthly tab pages it features quotes and designs. The tabs themselves are not laminated but they are pretty sturdy. Each month has a "dashboard" that has places for goals, birthdays, holidays, etc. 

The weekly layout has "morning, afternoon, & evening" similar to the ECLP. The Planner I chose is called "My Life" this planner features quotes along the bottom of every other week spread. 

There is a number of accessories you can purchase for the planner as well as a 6 month expansion pack that is blank (comes with stickers so you can add the dates in yourself) for $9.99 and a home planner expansion pack for $9.99 (I purchased this online-- I will do a overview of that when it arrives). The home planner includes a meal planner, cleaning schedule, to do lists & budget. Each of them include their own tabbed divider. 

My mom and I split some of the accessories. We got the 6-pack pocket folders ($7.99), the 4-pack covers set ($4.99), 40 sheets of note/graph paper ($4.99), 2-pack insertable list notepads ($4.99). I got the gold foil sticker set ($4.99) and my mom got the expansion discs ($4.99).  

The 2 Covers I Chose

If you were going to add the 6 month expansion or the home planner, I recommend getting the larger discs. or taking out some of the months so that your planner isn't too bulky. 

Gold Foil Sticker Pack

The Pocket Folders I Chose 

All of the accessories are affordable and make it super easy to customize your planner. You could even purchase the stickers to use in a different planner. most of them fit perfectly in the ECLP. Other accessories they offer are: Dividers ($7.99), 2 different sets of sticky notes that pop into the planner ($4.99), Various sticker sets ($4.99),  2 different 2-packs of notepad list sets, Inspiration cards ($4.99) these remind me of Project Life cards that I've seen people use in their planners.  

I love that they offer so many options. You can really create a planner that is your own-- true to your style. Each planner is unique and beautiful. Having such a fun planner makes me want to actually use it. My life stays much more organized and I feel more productive. As well as being a creative outlet for me. I love scrapbooking but it's hard to find time to scrap with 2 little ones. Planning satisfies my craving to scrapbook and craft. So far, I'm excited to start using this planner and I hope it lives up to all the hype I've heard about it. 

The Planner & Accessories My Mom Picked Out

Copycat Recipe: Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade

One of my favorite drinks from Starbucks (Especially when the weather is warm!!) is the Passion Tea Lemonade. It's refreshing and delicious. I've found a way to make it at home. It's simple and cost friendly. 

What you will need: 

Tazo Passion Tea (I got mine at Safeway for $3.50 for a box of 20 bags)

Lemonade-- I used Minute Maid Light Lemonade ($2.50)

A large pitcher 

**If you like yours sweetened like I do you will also need a sweeten of your choice. I chose to make my own "Simple Syrup" for that all you need is: Sugar and Water.**

I start by boiling about 2 liters of water. I use about 10 bags of the tea and each bag makes 8 oz of tea so 8 oz x 10 is 80 oz (80oz = 2.36 liters). The pitcher I use has measurements on it so I measure the water in there and pour into a pot to boil. 

After it starts to boil I turn the heat off and put all 10 tea bags in to steep for about 15 minutes. Then I remove each tea bag and I like to squeeze the tea bag to get all the liquid out. 

I let that cool enough to pour into the pitcher. To that I add about 2 liters of the lemonade (just under actually--enough to fill the pitcher almost to the top). Now, if you don't like yours sweetened then that's it. Super easy.

To make the simple syrup I use all you need to do is boil 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar. I do this by putting it on medium heat and stirring until its all blended. I turn off the heat once it's combined and let it cool. Then add that to the pitcher. If that's not sweet enough then you can always make more using a 1:1 ratio of sugar & water. I've also sweetened mine with Stevia packets but to me it tastes more like the Starbucks drink with the syrup. 

I also like to add a few ice cubes to my tumbler cup and pour in the drink-- cover & shake to really blend it up nicely!

This is how I make my Copycat Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade. This whole recipe costs me about $5 (the price of just about 1 Venti!!) And makes a gallon! You can easily adjust this recipe to fit your liking. This is what I've found tastes the most like the Starbucks version. 

Newborn Essentials

After learning what I used and didn't use the first time around-- I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to purchase  for baby number 2. I tried to keep it practical and realistic. Obviously all babies are different and there is no telling what one baby might like but, I definitely knew what I liked and wanted. So, I've made a list of the items have have got us through the first 6 weeks of my babies life. Maybe this will help you decide what you want.

Okay, Number 1... Zip up sleepers. Forget the buttons. I mean who really wants to spend extra time fiddling with buttons when you can conveniently just zip it up in 1 second flat. I know I don't. I can't tell you how many times I miss button's Liam (my two year olds) sleepers when he was a newborn.

I've found a great place to get sleepers is Walmart. They have the Garanimals brand for $4.97. I Love the Carter's sleepers but it can be hard to find them in the zipper option. They also run about $8 when you catch a sale one them. I'm not above buying baby clothes second hand. Sometimes goodwill has them for a good price but it's hard to find baby clothes that don't have stains because between spit up and explosive baby poop it's hard to keep those things pristine.

My Babies Taking A Nap
AKA My Favorite time of the day! 

Number 2... I cannot say enough good things about this next item. The Fisher Price Rock n' Play Sleeper is a serious lifesaver. I got mine at Target on clearance with my first son for $34 and this time around I found one new in box on Craigslist for $25. It's portable and folds up nicely for travel to grandma's house and moves easy from room to room. It cradles them so they feel secure and it's also at an incline which helps with my little one's reflux. I swear my babies slept longer in it and it gives me the peace of mind that Ryan won't choke if he's just flat on his back. It also has a vibration setting on it. Our's is the "My Little Snugapuppy" which retails for $79.99 at Toys R Us (as of May 2015). So finding it for $25 was a steal.

Number 3... Sucking boogers out of a nose sounds absolutely disgusting. So a lot of people are put off by the Nose Frida. But, I can tell you that this thing is amazing. No boogers actually get into your mouth at all and there is a filter. It retails for $14.99 at Target. It's very simple. You stick the tube on the baby and suck. It will clear your little ones nose way better than the typical bulb syringe. I've even used it so suck out the extra salvia building in his mouth (due to his Reflux). This could really end up being a life saver. 

Number 4... Something I've always dreaded is clipping babies nails. They are so tiny and it's impossible to get them done at least for me. Even when they get older it's hard to keep their little hands still long enough to cut them. I invested in a "Zoli Buzz B. Nail Trimmer"-- I say invest because it's $35. I know $35 for a nail trimmer? Crazy. I thought so to until I realized how easy it was. It's essentially a nail filer. It comes with different filing disks that coordinate with your child's age. It's super gentle and won't harm your babies skin around the nail. I do Ryan's while he is sleeping and he doesn't even notice.



Number 5... The "My Breast Friend" nursing pillow is another product I don't think I could have been without. Especially during the first weeks of breast feeding. With Liam I had a Boppy pillow. It was great for propping baby up for sitting or tummy time but it always slid down and just wasn't very comfortable for nursing. The Breast Friend pillow has an adjustable strap that you can wrap around you to hold it in place. After having my c-section this was amazing to just strap where it felt comfortable. The pillow it's self is soft but firm so the baby stays in the position you want them in. There is also a handy little pocket where I kept my phone, nipple cream and any other nursing essentials. With the other pillow I found that I had a back ache. The Breast Friend pillow provided the support I needed.

There is so many products out there designed to make you and your newborns life easier. These are the ones I have found to have been super helpful for me. Obviously everyone is different and what I love you may not. It's all about finding what works for you!

Being a Mom is Scary

Seeing your baby stop breathing is one of a mom's worst nightmare. Well I experienced this twice this week. It's like watching your life in slow motion, fearing the worst and doing everything in your power to stop it. 

Monday Ryan was asleep in his Rock n' Play Sleeper; Liam and I were about to take a nap in bed next to him. When I heard a terrible noise. It was high pitched and was like a gasp for air. I sat up so quickly-- it was Ryan and he was turning blue. My heart dropped. I tried to recall all the things I've learned about infant CPR and choking. I picked him up and flipped him on his belly, patted his back and prayed that he was ok. He was struggling to breath and spit up was pooling in his mouth. He coughed and coughed and finally after what seemed like an hour he began to cry.  His cry was weak but it was sign he was ok-- Alive and Breathing. I called his doctor immediately and they told me to call 911.. I couldn't risk it happening again while I was driving. My mother in law was on her way over and we decided she would drive us to the children's ER. Ryan was basically back to normal.

In the ER they informed me that it is NORMAL for this to happen to babies.  What? You have got to be kidding me! My infant just turned blue and couldn't breath and that's normal? They told me he has reflux and that it's common for babies to do this and that it was good that he didn't give up on life and continued to try and catch his breath. Well, thanks. That was reassuring. They gave me the basic run down: Prop him up while feeding him, Keep him upwards afterwards for at least 30 minutes, Be sure to burp him..... I was already doing those things.

Fast forward to Saturday. Ryan was asleep in his carseat, we had just arrived to my mother in law's house. There goes that horrifying noise again. Ryan was choking again. We quickly un buckled him and did the same thing as before. This time we took the bulb syringe to suck out anything that was potentially building in his throat. He was coughing and choking on a clear thick mucus-y liquid. This lasted about a minute or two. It was awful and if I wasn't terrified of leaving him alone already-- I am now. The ER instructed if it happened again that we didn't have to go back in. 

I spent the whole night researching, googling and asking others if they have experienced this. Tuesday I am calling his doctor again and asking to be seen. I can't handle another one of these choking episodes. I've made a list of all this symptoms he has and both experiences are recorded on paper. I feel so alone... that I'm supposed to just be ok with it? It's normal? I know that there is a lot that can be worse but I'm still scared. I break down in tears looking at him. I can't get the fear to subside even for just a minute. I thought second babies were supposed to be easier. I was wrong. Obviously every baby is different. I know that. I just want him to be ok. 

If anyone has experienced this or had a baby with reflux please feel free to contact me. I would love to hear what you did to help your child, if it went away or anything.