Baby Registry Must Haves and Why You Should Register on Amazon

Does this sound familiar at all? You just found out that you are expecting and you cant sleep. (More on the first night that I learned of her here) Although it’s 2:00 AM and you have to work tomorrow,  you are 42 pages deep in Amazon reviews for the Mamaroo and Nose Frida. (that straw like thing that sucks boogies out of their nose)

nose frida(Don’t knock it until you try it, works way better than those icky nasal aspirators, easier to clean, and it doesn’t grow mold)

Ugh the dreaded registry. Yep, been there and done that.  To be quite honest, I don’t really want to do it again.  So many choices, so many mixed reviews.  Reviews are so subjective and it takes so long to make decisions when your mind is in a million places.

That is why I went ahead and took one for the team and created an Amazon Store where I linked all my favorites from Violet’s Registry in one place.  I spent hours reading reviews and consulting with my favorite Mama Bloggers as well as my Pediatrician.

Yep, I was a little cray cray as a first time expectant Mama but hey I waited 14 years! Enjoy and please reach out with any questions or comments.  I would love to know what you all think.

Note: This is an Affiliate Link and I do benefit from sales, so shop the link if you wish to support this Work from home Mama.

Click here to shop my Registry!

If you haven’t created an Amazon Baby registry yet, I would highly encourage you to do so.  We registered both at Amazon an Target and 90% of our Amazon registry was purchased and compared to 10% of our registry at Target.

  • Your guests will love the convenience of 2 day ship! let’s face it, we’ve all ran out the night before or even day of a shower to get a gift.
  • Amazon provides an option for them to ship it right to you without you having to disclose your address. So when the deliveries start showing up its like #Happymail everyday.
  • It organizes your Thank you list for you and allows you to send them electronically
  • Shop the biggest selection of brands and Products in one place.

♥♥♥ Shop Amazon – Create an Amazon Baby Registry ♥♥♥

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For All My Amazon Prime Kind of Moms 

Hi my name is Amber and shopping on Amazon is on of my favorite hobbies these days. (Shout out to Emily Dutton for gifting us with Prime) 💜

So if you’ve followed me on insta this month, you’ve seen all of Violet’s designer knock off threads. There are soooo many cute shops but they are hard to find.  

So I figured, why not pass on this valuable information? I’ll short list my 5 fav shops for Feb-March. 

But let’s have a little laugh first, shall we?  
Pre-baby: What are your hobbies? 

Oh, Culinary art, plate styling, running an online ministry, organic meal planning, forecasting homedecor trends, blogging

Two weeks into motherhood: What are your hobbies?
Cleaning formula out of chin rolls, Staking out the mailman while waiting for my Amazon Prime Boxes, Googling things like “xanthan gum, infant choking” and Seedy Poop. 💩

Ok let’s get this show on the road, we’ve got serious business to attend to. (Like cleaning chinrolls) 

  1. Honeys– ⚠️ They ship from China, so you’ll get them by Christmas. (Kidding, like 30 days tops) But it’s sooooo worth it. Promise. These were each less than $6
  2. Mignonandmignon– A couple of weeks before V was born, I decided I needed a little token of hope to wear around my neck. Something to remind me of his promises when I started to fear the unknown. This little handmade shop delivered just that for $20. I chose a “V” and a “J” in rose gold. Their bar necklaces are calling my name too. 
  3. Hudson Baby Company– I haven’t ordered here yet but I’m swooning over these milestone blankets and Boppy covers. Help me choose which of the two milestone blankets pictured below. 
  4. Canis– They have the cutest baby girl rompers in all the land but their baby boy threads are adorable too. 
  5. Meiliy– I remember lying in bed the night we found out about Violet, one of the last things that flashed through my mind before I finally drifted off to sleep was a vision of us in flower crowns. So of course I searched high and low for the perfect ones. 
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Nursery Thoughts

This room has been stored away in my mind for a few years now. I would dream it up in full detail. I wanted to capture just how beautiful and full of wonder his creation is. ​​As I sit in here and soak it all in, I’m reminded of all the nights that it felt like all I would have is this dream. I’m reminded of the sorrow,  tears and the heartache but mostly I’m reminded of all the times that hope whispered, trust me.  I’d like to tell you that I always did, that my faith was always stronger than my fear. But it wasn’t. You see after every night of sorrow, He brought the sun up in the morning to shine through my window. I felt its warmth on my face and those rays, they were just for me.  Photo credit:Danielle Johnson 

After every moment of jealousy over when would it ever be my turn, He would make my phone ring or my inbox buzz and there would be an encouraging message just for me. It was always exactly what my heart needed hear. After every isolating day and for every brick I built up around my heart, the spirit moved, rearranged and made my heart ready to love this little girl. 

My hope is that she gets to laugh, play and explore in this room. My prayer for her is bigger than that though. Tonight I pray that she feels her heavenly father’s love in the sunshine, His courage in the the way the wind blows through the trees, and His gentleness while watching animals play. But most of all I pray for her to learn sooner than I, that His unfailing love will always be stronger than her faith and her fear.

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Hey Beautiful, Drink Some Water With Me?


So, I have a little problem. Y’all know how much I looooove Coffee right? Well I’m not proud of this but sometimes I go days without drinking water. Yes I know, it’s terrible. I’ve been working on it though and here’s what I’ve learned…

1. I am the Queen of excuses when it comes to this whole “I hate drinking water” thing. Here is a legit list of my excuses so far this week (and it’s only Monday.)

  • My favorite cup is dirty
  • I need coffee or I’m going to die. 
  • Orange juice sounds better
  • It’s too cold. I’ll let it get room temp, then I’ll like it better 
  • Is this today’s water or yesterday’s water? I’ll go make coffee 

Y’all I realize how weak that sounds. So, No more excuses! 2.Pretty glasses really do help me drink more water Seriously, sounds crazy but it’s working. Crystal clear wine glasses and colbalt blue glass makes my water taste better. Plus it makes me feel like I’m at some fancy hotel when I look over and see it on my nightstand. So there’s that. 3. I want to teach my little girl to love herself and that means loving myself enough to take care of my body.  Did you know that every single cell in the human body needs water to function properly. We need water to regulate our temperature, to cushion and protect joints and organs and to help digestion move smoothly.This week I’m starting my very own water challenge. Comment if you want to join me. We can work out the details. 

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Boho Nursery Hairbow Holder DIY

Materials Needed:

  • Newly clipped vine that’s easily moldable 
  • Faux flowers (prewired work best) 
  • Floral wire 
  • Wire cutters 
  • Needle nose pliers
  • Scissors
  • Ribbon

Mold your vine into a circle and use floral wires to secure.  Then take a straight peice of vine and cut it so that it’s 1-2″ longer than the Diameter of the circle. This will make it easier to secure, you’ll clip it later.  

Notice I chose to face the overlapping part of the circle torwards the bottom of my peace sign. This way it will be be hidden under the ribbon.
Next you’ll take two more straight but slightly smaller pieces of vine and fasten each of them to the bottom the same way. Congrats you’ve just hand crafted an adorable little peace sign.✌🏼 It will serve as the foundation to your Hair Bow Holder. **Baller on a Budget tip (see my very first blog post to fully understand that reference)**

I only shop for floral when it’s 40% off or when I have coupons for one item 50% off.  Grand total for this project was $7. That might be a DIY record for me folks. 

These daisies are prewired and  came in a 5 pack for $2.99 from Jo-Ann FabricsNow the fun part, decorate this adorable little peace sign to your Boho-hippy loving- heart’s content. You can use butterflies, sunflowers, garland, whatever you like. I chose Violets because our little girl is due in a few weeks and her name is Violet. Finally grab a few different colors of ribbon and tie them to the base of your circle. I chose neutrals and earthtones to give it that soft Boho Nursery feel. (Yes, I consider gold-glitter an earth tone. Gold comes from the earth) Clip all your little girl’s hair bows onto the ribbon

Let me know if you have any questions. I hope you’ve enjoyed this DIY. I’d love to see yours if you give it a try, so tag me in your pictures on Instagram! 

Speaking of Instagram, are you following me there?  Word on the street is that I’m co-hosting a giveaway soon. Click here to follow so you don’t miss out!

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A Story about a Rug

I interrupt your political nonsense to bring you a story about a rug and hope.


Every trip to Target since June, this rug has made me sad, because it’s so perfect for a baby girl room. I would stand there and try to rationalize purchasing it but came to my senses each time. Not knowing when we would ever be matched or if it would even be a girl, I just couldn’t justify it. 
  But tonight, (God willing) our baby girl is due in 36 days. So tonight I loaded this bad boy in my “online cart” and with a few clicks, my heart flipped a switch. 

If you think this is a story about a rug you are wrong. It’s a story about hope. You see subliminally, I chose to walk down that isle and subject myself to the heartache, every single trip. It was as if my heart knew what it needed to see to keep the dream alive. 
Hope is funny that way. It hurts and it stretches us, far beyond what we think we are cable of. Then, just in time it reveals itself and like a light switch to your heart it illuminates the world around you. Letting you steal a glimpse of his promises, proving to you that he is faithful and hope is truth.

(Image is stock image, not my own) 

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A letter to my baby Girl on the first day I learned of Her

Sweet Baby Girl, 

Tonight is the first night I learned of you. I was talking to your Aunt Jessie when the phone rang. I practically hung up on her when I saw our agency on the other line. My heart stood still in my chest. 
Jerry called and said, “If you think this is Christmas call, you are wrong. If your think this is New Years call you are wrong. But if you  think that this is the day you were matched with a birth family, you are right.”  My world started spinning and my heart got caught in my throat. I just stood there smiling, speechless. Then, that very second I heard your daddy’s car in the driveway so I ran to the door, put Jerry on speaker phone and made him repeat the whole thing over again. The smile on your daddy’s face was one I’ve never before. I can’t even describe it but you’ll see it soon. I have a feeling that’s his smile just for you.Jerry told us of your first mommy and daddy and how much they love you. I’m excited to meet them. They told us that you were due March 1st. Next they said something that made me lose my breath, something that changed my life forever, something that woke my heart up. They said that you were girl! I screamed for joy and Jerry and Debbie joked saying it’s good to know that Amber is still there on the line. I was so quiet on the phone because I was trying to soak it all up, I wanted to remember everything. Luckily I have your daddy to help with that, he pulled out his phone and started taking notes. 

The moment where it all sank in and became real was when Jerry began to tell us that your mommy and daddy had a name in mind for you. When they said the name Violet, I saw your face for the first time. I saw my baby girl and my heart melted. That was the split second you became my daughter and it was also the moment you gave me what my heart needed most. You made me a momma. 

As I’m sitting here writing this I just want you to know that I’ll do whatever I can to make you feel complete, chosen, and cherished because thats what I’ve prayed for my whole life and tonight you were my answer.  It is my hope that your first mommy and daddy will always have a place in your life because I want you to feel double the love. 

I love you already baby girl, to the moon and back

Love, Mommy

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Thank you 2016

The year of letting go. Understanding loss, defeat. Learning patience. Laying down guilt for the last time. Picking up petals of peace and stashing them for cloudy days. Choosing Joy while exposing pain. Finding strength and beauty in the ashes of denial and rebirth in the rubble of my expectations. Taking refuge under his wings and finally grasping that he has felt it all with me. So much gained, nothing wasted. Bring on 2017

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Let’s not compare Heartache…

Infertility; It’s a pain that cannot be compared or measured.

Our journeys in this life are all so different.  Why do we feel the need  to prove that our hurts are worse or harder than anyone else’s?

Why is comparison our first reaction to someone else’s hurt?

I would never try to prove to a person fighting cancer that my pain compares to theirs.  I know that try as may, all the compassion in the world could never reach the crevices of her heart where fear and injustice has seeped in.  I can’t feel it for her.

I don’t know what it’s like for her to have to answer “how are you feeling?” over and over again. Or to worry about giving people the answer that they want to hear because people want positive news.

I don’t know what it’s like to have to look my children or spouse in the eyes and admit that I’m dying, so I would never compare.

I would just pray and make sure they knew it was OK to have bad days and assure them that I am on their team. I would just love them and help put them back-together when they fall apart  on their bad days…

(My perspective, not speaking for all of us)  I share this because this is what people with infertility need more than anything:

They just want you to stop comparing heartache, they don’t want you to try to fix it.

They want to be allowed to have bad days, they need you to still see them the same way when they come out of that cloudy day. They just want to know that you are on their team.

They just need you help them hold it together and in return they will do the same during your heartache…

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