Two words: Pantry Organization. Those two words make me so incredibly happy, and I'm hoping that my easy DIY pantry shelves and pantry organization inspires you to take on the project and get organized! There's nothing better than a beautiful and functional space.
As we were building our home, the pantry was one thing in our kitchen that was non-negotiable. They had tried telling us that our model didn't include a pantry...well, ya girl needs a place to store all of her carbs, so you bet they added in my pantry. Also, it was in our original floor plan, so thankfully I kept every single paper I was given.
Anywhoo, all I've gotta say is I may be thankful for my pantry, but I hated the way it looked. I don't know whose idea it was to invent the horrible white metal shelves that are literally everywhere in my house, but we are not friends. See below for the awful before...
Please tell me you hate that shelving as much as I do. haha! I felt like everything was falling through the shelving, they bend, and they were starting to come unsecured from the wall, and that was not going to fly with me. So, I did what any DIY addict would do, and I ripped them out.
The brackets and nails that hold the shelves in place are the worst and have their own special place in hell. They're a pain to remove and they leave huge holes in the wall because they have two drywall anchors built into each bracket.
If you're ever building a home, tell your builder not to install them in closets, have them take the price out of your build, and install your own closet systems after you go to settlement. I would have saved hours in labor if they had not been installed.
I filled each hole of course, and because the brackets ripped some of the drywall, I really had to work my magic and patch, sand, re-patch, and sand again. Luckily any imperfections are going to be close to where the new shelves were going to be installed, but I still didn't want to see any remnants of builder-grade nonsense.
Next up, we painted the inside of the pantry. Originally, we were going to paint it a white color that I had used for another project, because hello, free paint, but I ended up hating how the bright white looked and we used it as a base coat and then painted it all Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray 7029. Agreeable Gray is the color we painted 90% of our home, and it is the perfect "greige" color. It's such a calming color to me, and it matches any home decor style.
So Mom-Brain kicked in full force, and I completely forgot to take any other progress photos, but it's a super easy DIY project. Let me walk you through what you need to do.
Note: Our pantry width was 22 inches, our depth of shelves is 20 inches, and our ceiling is 9 feet.
First up, grab shelves from IKEA. Don't waste your money buying wood from Lowe's. I love Lowe's--it's my favorite place after Target, but the quality wood you need with a finished edge is super expensive, and I'm about to blow your mind with this hack...Okay, grab these shelves from IKEA. They are $10 or less depending on the depth you need! I personally used the IVAR 12" Deep Shelf for the top shelf, and I used the IVAR 20" Deep Shelf for the other shelves. I wanted the top shelf to be a little shorter so that I could easily get things in and out since it's super close to the top of the door frame.
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Pro Tip: When you are choosing your shelves at IKEA, be picky! There were over 200 to choose from, so I went through 25-30 shelves to find my favorites. They all have different knotting, coloring, and marks, so I found the ones that best matched the look I was going for.
Once all of the side supports were in and the shelves were installed, it was time to decorate and put back all of the food. I have always wanted a huge pantry with all glass and acrylic containers, but let's be honest, that's not real life, so, I found a realistic happy medium so that I could have my pretty pantry and it be functional at the same time.
The links below are affiliate links. This just means that I may get a tiny commission, at no cost to you should you choose to purchase something. Thanks for supporting ACF!
I used a mix of these storage and organization items:
Clear Plastic Containers (similar) | OXO Cereal Containers | Magnolia Wire Basket | Wicker Basket (similar) | Glass Containers with Bamboo Lid | Modern Labels
I was able to use the clear plastic organizers to for oils and sprays, packets, and more. I put a large marjority of my random baking necessities in one that is hidden behind the Magnolia wire basket. I filled the wire basket with the rest of my baking goods. I took all of my individually wrapped snacks out of their boxes and organized them in the clear plastic organizers and of course, the cereal are in the OXO containers. I love, love them!
I filled the glass containers with pasta and grains--I love the way they look in them. The bottom shelf I saved for boxes or containers I didn't want opened or for food items that I wanted hidden. No one needs to see my three boxes of Cheeze It's. haha! On the floor, I used a wicker basket for our breads and any other random/large items. I also have a fire extinguisher in the corner for kitchen emergencies.
I am in love with our pantry. It was an easy DIY project and I am so happy to have been able to throw those old wire shelves in the trash. haha!
What do you think about that IKEA shelf hack?
Amazing, right?!
As a new Mama, we're naturally more cautious & observant, and even before our sweet baby is here in our arms, we are naturally more particular with the items and products we choose to use for our baby. And guess what?! That's called being an amazing Mama!
I wanted to put together a list of my favorite newborn essentials and I'm sharing a little bit about them + why/how they've been helpful to me & my husband! Our little dude is three months old, so not only have I been trying out these products for the first time over the course of these three months, I have loved using them, and use pretty much all of them daily.
Newborn Essentials I Could Not Live Without
The links below are affiliate links. This just means that I may get a tiny commission, at no cost to you should you choose to purchase something. Thanks for supporting ACF!
HALO Bassinet + Extra HALO Bassinet Sheets
Okay, this is the first thing on my list for good reason. This bassinet is worth every dang penny. We originally had a different bassinet that was gifted to us off our registry. It was a travel bassinet, so I thought it would be perfect to keep it temporarily in our room and bring it to my parent's or in-law's house if we went there for the day. Whelp, the night we got home from the hospital, we put Bentley in the travel bassinet, and it was so wobbly that he flipped over right on his face. Talk about a scary moment.
Instantly, we knew that he would not be able to use that one, so first thing in the morning, Chris ran over to Target and got the HALO. When I tell you this bassinet is amazing, I'm going to say it again, because it's life-changing. This bassinet is worth the money and you will not regret it. I love that it has a mesh surround and Mamas--it swivels and bends down. After having a baby--whether naturally or by C-Section, you are not going to be able to move easily, hold yourself up, or bend, so the fact that you can swivel it towards yourself in bed and then the front bends in (it locks in place, too!), it makes it easier to take your baby out and put them back in. I know I used the side of the bassinet to help me get Bentley in and out, because my ab muscles were (and still are haha!) non-existent.
10/10 recommend the HALO. You will also want to get the HALO bassinet sheets. My biggest piece of advice with bassinet sheets--buy extras. In one night you might go through two or three of them due to an overwhelming amount of spit up or the inevitable blow out. If you're lazy a genius like us, when he spits up, we rotate the mattress so that the spit up is at his feet, especially if it's in the middle of the night.
The Nanit is the only other pricey item I'm sharing in this post, but I promise you, it's worth it. We splurged on the Nanit monitor because as a baby, I stopped breathing--twice. I know that I was terrified of the same thing happening to my baby, so I needed to know that while he was sleeping, he was okay.
The Nanit monitor uses special breathing bands or a swaddle--whichever your baby likes best, to track and monitor their breathing. Bentley hates being swaddled--even at two days old, so we've always been using the breathing bands. You wrap it around their chest and secure it with the velcro strips and let the monitor do its thing.
If we leave Bentley in the HALO for a nap or to let him continue sleeping in the morning, we can keep the Nanit app open on our phone or iPad and use it as a monitor. Once we transition Bentley into his crib, we'll be able to use it in there, too! For his bassinet, we used the multi-stand mount and attached it to a camera tripod. For his crib, we will use the wall mount since it will be permanent for a few years in his nursery.
These are our favorite diapers. We also love Huggies, but there's something about Pampers Pure that keeps me hooked. I personally love that they are dye & fragrance-free, so they are less likely to irritate your baby's skin! Bentley has never experienced diaper rash while using these, and he's never had a diaper leak or cause a blowout. We've tried other brands of diapers, but they never last as long, and he'll wake up in the middle of the night because he's wet. With Pampers Pure, he stays asleep all night (8-9 hours), and wakes up with a full diaper, but not a leaking diaper.
When I was preparing to go back to work once maternity leave was over, Chris and I needed to think of a solution for where he could put him down to nap or play while he was working or on a video conference call. That's when we discovered the Lulyboo Lounge To-Go. I actually saw another blogger chatting about it in her Instagram stories, and that's how I originally discovered it. Immediately, I had to check it out and see for myself what was so amazing about it.
Now, I'm the type of shopper that leaves the browser open overnight, and if I still want it, I'll buy it in a day or two. Well, the very next day, I went to open my browser, and I noticed that Lulyboo reached out to me saying they wanted to partner together. True story!!! That's when I knew that Lulyboo was definitely going to be a great fit for our family. It was meant to be!
There are a few features of the Lulyboo Lounge To-Go that I personally love and is what truly sold me on the Lulyboo Lounge To-Go. Not only is it safe for sleeping (thank you, breathable fabric!), it folds up into a convenient backpack if you're on-the-go. It also has a waterproof base, a removable canopy to use outside, and on top of all of that, it comes with two lounge pads and is completely machine washable!
Bentley has been playing more independently now, so he love, loves the toys you attach to the removable activity bar. The Lounge To-Go is definitely going to come in handy for us this summer. We plan on heading to my parent's house and then to the beach with my in-laws for overnight trips, so now Bentley will have a safe place to sleep.
Lulyboo also sent me their Changing Kit, and Chris has pretty much stolen it from me to use since I usually put everything I need in my handbag/totes when we head out. The Lulyboo changing kit has four different sized pockets, so not only can we put diapers & wipes in it, we can put a change of clothes, too! If Chris has to run out with Bentley, he has everything he needs all a compact kit. Also, this diaper changing kit is magical, because the diaper pocket doubles as a headrest--seriously so smart.
Be sure to use my code: KRISTEN15 for 15% off your Lulyboo purchase!!
Nobody wants to smell stinky diapers, so, do yourself a favor and buy a diaper genie for every floor in your house. We have one in our room (that will go into his nursery when he's in there permanently), and we have one next to his changing table in the living room. We stuff our Diaper Genie before we empty it, and it holds days--almost a week's worth of diapers, and we never smell any odors coming out of it during the week. It is so easy to use and it makes discarding dirty diapers so easy--especially with the foot pedal for hands-free use.
Convenience is key when it comes to changing a diaper, and well, pretty much everything now that there's a baby in the mix. The Bumbo changing pad does not require a changing pad cover, so if your baby gets poop or pee on the changing pad, all you do is simply wipe it off with a wipe! When you go to change a baby, sometimes they instinctively start to pee or poop when you take off their diaper--this has happened so many times, but the Bumbo changing pad is so easy to clean, it doesn't even phase me. It's stress-free & convenient.
A lot of people say you don't need a wipe warmer, but I disagree--especially if you have a boy. For the first week or so, we hadn't had the chance to set up our wipe warmer, so every time we went to change Bentley, he'd start peeing everywhere, and I mean everywhere. As soon as we started using the wipe warmer, getting changed and wiped wasn't a huge shock, so he didn't get startled and start peeing anymore. Wipe warmers are game-changers. Plus, who wants a cold wipe on their butt first thing in the morning?! Get that baby a warm wipe for their booty!
If it has snaps or buttons, don't even begin to think about using it for pajamas. At 2 in the morning, you're not going to have the energy or the brainpower to magically match up all of the snaps or buttons--that's where 2-Zip onesies come in handy. Zip, Zip, and you're done! Save the snaps or buttons for cute outfits during the daytime.
I have to sleep with a sound machine. It comes with the territory of currently living in a construction zone, but even still, sound machines are heavenly. I brought mine to the hospital with me, and I was so thankful to have it. Bentley got used to the sound from day one, and we've had it on my nightstand ever since. We play the simple white noise setting, and it helps block out random noises and it helps create a calming sleeping atmosphere.
When we are giving Bentley his last feeding for the night, we will dim the lights down, turn on the sound machine, and I think he knows that it's sleepy-time, because once his bottle is finished, he burps, and drifts off to sleep for the night.
Whether you get the baby book that I have linked or you find another or make your own, get yourself a baby book to help you document your baby's life. The one I have linked goes all the way to 5-years old & the first day of Kindergarten, which I love. It also has modern designs and isn't too "kiddish" looking. I have it on the shelf in our built-ins, and it looks like a gorgeous styled book.
These wood rounds are the cutest addition to your weekly & monthly photoshoots. There are even ones for your baby's first smile, 100 days old, and for in the hospital when they are born! They are such amazing quality and a really great price, too!
You will need a pile of burp cloths everywhere you look--on every floor, in your diaper bag, extras in the car, on the couch, on your nightstand. Honestly, just stock up on them, because you will always need one. My Mama handmade us tons of them, but since I can't link those, I'm linking my favorite ones that I was given as a gift! They work so well and really clean up spit up/drool with ease.
Best. Gift. Ever. We've been using his newborn lounger since we got home from the hospital. He loves to lay in his lounger, which has been perfect because he'll chill in it while we get things done around the house. I'll put him in the lounger while I'm getting ready or if I need to set him down while I make his bottle. We also bring it with us if we go to someone's house so that he has a place to lay and relax. We let him take mini naps in it, but they are supervised naps where we are sitting right next to him or across the room. Never ever leave your baby in the lounger to sleep unattended--it's not meant for that.
A diaper caddy or a basket is key for organization. My neighbor gave us this diaper caddy full of gifts for Bentley, and along with everything she gave us, we've used this diaper caddy every day. We currently have it on our dresser stocked full of diapers, wipes, baby lotion, his hairbrush, and a few other random things, and let me tell ya, it makes life so easy to have everything all organized in one place. On our changing table downstairs, we use this wicker basket to hold diapers.
Babies love, love high contrasting and bright things, so having high contrast books on hand is exciting entertainment for a newborn. Bentley can be screaming like crazy, and I show him a book, and he gets so happy & focused on the pictures. They're magic--pure magic.
Boogies are inevitable and so are sticky fingers, formula drips into your baby's neck, and even lint in between their toes. I love to use a Boogie wipe to wipe Bentley's face, neck, hands, and feet every day. I will usually use it morning & night, and usually at least once during the day as well. They are formulated with Aloe, Chamomile, and Vitamin E, so they are super gentle on the skin, and they're full of goodness to help keep your babies skin clean, germ-free, and soft.
It was just up until the last couple of weeks that Bentley hasn't needed gas drops before every feeding, but when he did, they were a life-saver. Bentley would scream after every feeding because his tummy would hurt, he'd have acid reflux, and end up throwing up everything he had just eaten. We started using Gas Drops before every feeding, and he wouldn't spit up as much and he wasn't screaming after every meal. We consulted with our pediatrician, so be sure to check with yours before using them--you might need to ask about switching formulas or changing your diet if you are breastfeeding. Either way, always consult your doctor first! :)
In the olden days, you just washed your baby in the kitchen sink. Whelp, I tried it, it's awful, and this baby tub is the perfect three-stage tub for your newborn and little one up to 25 pounds. Bentley loves to splash in his little tub and it's so much more convenient to only have to fill up a tiny baby tub where you can safely set them in and the netting helps support their head as you are washing them. *Note: Please don't leave your baby unattended--not even for a second.
A thick, hooded towel is also a must! I've found that the thick towels work best and it also keeps Bentley warm after a bath. He loves a super warm bath and so I scoop him out of his tub, quickly wrap him up in his towel, put the hood on, and hold him close to me to keep him warm as he dries off.
Activity gyms are perfect for practicing supervised tummy time and for also laying your baby on their back to play. Bentley is now 3 months old and is starting to love laying on his back talking to his toys that hang down. The activity gym that I linked is super aesthetically pleasing, has adorable toys, has a reversible mat, and has a mirror! Babies love to stare at themselves in the mirror, and when they do, it's the cutest thing ever. We're able to leave Bentley to play on his activity gym for 30 minutes or so while we eat dinner, clean up, or simply need him occupied for a little bit. Of course, we are right there in the room with him, but allowing him to independently play now is huge!
People always suggest trying out several different brands of bottles, so we had three brands to try, and let me tell you, Avent won by a landslide. We actually threw the other ones away because they were horrible. The other brands leaked and simply weren't good quality. We love the Avent bottles and I highly recommend the starter kit that I have linked. It has bottles, a bottle brush, and pacifiers! Avent is actually the brand of pacifier that we received in the hospital as well. Bentley was too small for the ones I brought into the hospital, and he ended up using a premie Avent one for the first few weeks.
The Avent bottle warmer is amazing. It has a timer on it that has come in handy when the day is flying by. A bottle is only good for 1-hour once it's been warmed up, so once the light turns off, that bottle is no good anymore. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes you'll heat up a bottle for a screaming baby and they'll magically fall asleep as you're waiting for the bottle to heat up. At that point, take the loss of the formula and take the win that your baby is finally asleep.
The Avent sterilizer is also a must-have for us. When babies are super little, it's recommended to sterilize their bottles after washing them. It's super easy to use, you put your bottles, nipples, and lids in it, fill the bottom with the proper amount of water, put it in the microwave, and boom--you have sanitized bottles.
P.S. We've been using this bottle soap.
Ever since I myself was a kid, seeing babies with caked up, snotty noses, and dirty ears always makes me cringe, and I told myself I would always make sure my baby was a clean bean. I have been loving the Johnson safety swabs to clean Bentley's ears and nose. They are safety swabs, so they only allow you to go so far in, so you don't accidentally shove a Q-Tip into your baby's ear or nose!
Infant Tylenol is one of those things where you hope you won't really need it, but it's best to have it on hand. We've only had to use it once, and it was after Bentley's 2-Month shots. Our pediatrician gave us a heads up that the shots & vaccinations that he received might make him develop a slight fever and be uncomfortable for a day or two, and it was safe to give him some infant Tylenol. He never developed much of a fever, but I could tell he was super uncomfortable, so I ended up giving him a couple of doses throughout the days following his vaccinations, and it helped him feel better.
Okay, last, but certainly not least, Folex!!! If you haven't heard of Folex before, you need it. It is by far the best stain remover ever! There have been countless times where Bentley has spit up on the couch, on us, and on the rug, and we've sprayed the stain with Folex, and it comes right out. It's magical, and I am forever obsessed with it. Yes, it's a little pricier than most cleaning products, but I promise you, it's worth it. Plus, a little goes a long way, so it lasts for months & months!
There you have it--all of the newborn essentials that I could not live without over the past three months and for a while still, I'm sure.
What are some newborn essentials that you could not live without?
Let me say that again...Feeding MY baby formula made ME a better mother.
Every new mother has their own journey, new challenges, and own experiences, and breastfeeding was not meant to be part of mine. When I was pregnant, I already felt like it wasn’t going to be for me, BUT, I wanted to at least try it—especially while I was in the hospital and would have professional help.
Now, when I say I tried it and it wasn’t for me, I kept going like you’re told to. "It gets better", they said. Nurses encouraged me to not give up so soon, so I didn’t, even though every part of my being said to stop. I kept trying, but the thing is, I HATED every second of it. I would count down the minutes until it would be over. My baby could feel my stress, which made him stressed, which made me even MORE stressed. It was a never-ending battle that I did not have the energy to fight.
When we left the hospital after our 24-hour stay, I got home with a 6lb baby who was STARVING and refused to latch & refused to breastfeed. I was sitting in bed with him thinking I was not cut out to be a mother—I wanted to give it all up right then and there. My mind was racing. I was overcome with anxiety, thoughts of doubt filled my mind, and I felt helpless. I was in tears as my baby was screaming and crying because he was so hungry.
It had been more than 8 hours since he hadn’t eaten, and that was it for me. I knew I needed to take care of MY baby MY way. My husband called the hospital to talk with one of my nurses who walked me out and helped me into the car just a little over 8 hours prior to the call. She walked us through the process of feeding our baby formula, and thankfully, we had some formula that was sent to us by a brand, because at 3 in the morning, we would have been out of luck finding an open store.
We put a 1 oz. bottle of formula on the bottle warmer for him, and I felt a weight be lifted from my shoulders. The second I put the bottle to his lips, he sucked that formula down so fast. Tears of relief streamed down my face, and for the first time in 8 hours, I could smile again. My husband and my mom were there with me, and they could both see how much happier I was—within an instant, and so was my baby.
As I’m writing this 3 months postpartum, I reflect back on that moment of pure relief. If I had let society bully me into thinking breastfeeding was the ONLY way to feed my baby, mentally, I know for a fact, I wouldn’t be okay. Listening to my body and my heart when my son was 33 hours old was a pivotal moment in motherhood for me.
Some would say giving up after “only” 33 hours was too soon, and for me, I say it was too long. I wish I had listened to my heart sooner. My baby was hungry, so I fed him, and I fed him formula. Don’t ever let lies fill your head. You know your body, and you know yourself. Make the right choice for YOU and YOUR baby, because everyone’s journey is different.
Listening to myself in that moment is why I truly believe I didn’t suffer from postpartum depression like my husband and I thought I might. Instead of being overcome by anxiety & depression, I felt empowered, I was confident in who I was and am now as a mother, and I don’t regret it--not even for a second.
So, I’ll say it again:
Feeding my baby formula made me a better mother.
I'm going to share one of my best-kept secrets for taking family photos. The weather is always so unpredictable for us. It could be gorgeous looking outside, but then the wind will be completely out of control. I got tired of having so many photoshoots ruined by the weather--especially when you spend hours planning outfits and getting the whole family ready.
My best-kept secret: Take perfect family photos year-round in a local greenhouse!
We love, love our local greenhouse. So many people go there to take photos. We've taken our family photos, I've taken blog photos, friends have taken blog photos there, and we also took my brother-in-law & sister-in-law's engagement photos there. It's always the perfect temperature year-round, so even if it's thirty degrees out and you want to wear a pretty floral dress, you can, because it's 80 degrees inside! In all honesty, by the time I'm done a photoshoot, I've started to break a sweat. haha!
The key to taking uninterrupted photos in a greenhouse is to find a gorgeous aisle off to the side and towards the back. Usually, we're shooting with our 50mm lens and will shoot in across the main aisle, but even on a busy day, we only had to stop shooting for a brief moment to let a few families pass through.
Also, since I know it will probably come up, or you might be thinking it now, I'd like to point out that everyone does an amazing job at social distancing. Since we were in an aisle off to the side, we were about 15-20 feet away from anyone else, so I felt completely comfortable removing my mask.
While we were shooting our family photos, Chris took the pics of me and Bentley, and I took the photos of him and Bentley. We are so lucky that my in-laws live close by and were able to meet us there to take the photo of the three of us. I love, love anytime we are able to get a photo of the three of us--that one is definitely getting printed.
Usually, after we're done shooting, we'll wander around the greenhouse and pick out a couple succulents or plants as a little thank you for the greenhouse owners allowing people to use it as a gorgeous backdrop.
So, there ya have it--my best-kept secret for taking family photos!
P.S. Look at this gorgeous ring shot I got of my sister-in-law's ring during their engagement shoot a couple years ago!
Have you ever taken photos in a greenhouse before?!
Cheers to the hall bathroom of my dreams that cost a little piece of my sanity! haha! I love, love the way our DIY tile turned out, but tile is not for the weak of heart. No--scratch that. Dark grout is not for the weak of heart. Dark grout looks amazing if and only if it is done properly, and boy, do you have to work fast and efficiently in order for it to look perfect when you're done. This was our second tile project ever, so we were pretty brave to do dark grout. As much of a pain it was to work with, I'm so happy with the way it looks in the space.
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