{Sponsor Highlight}: September Large and Medium Sponsors

     Holy toledo, tomorrow is the first day of October. Sheesh! And here I am to shed a little light on our wonderful September sponsors. You've seen them on the sidebar, but now you can take a minute and a few clicks to really check them out!

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Large sponsor highlight

{Motherlove}

     This company is in full-support of breastfeeding mamas and natural living. 

     

     I didn't find out about Motherlove's More Milk Plus until my second baby. This is a MUST-HAVE for every breastfeeding mom or mom-to-be and I am constantly recommending it to mothers who are worried about their milk supply. I found that their tincture is more potent and does a better job than teas (although I still drank and loved my teas as well.) 

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{Three Sisters Jewelry Design}

    

      Personalized, chic, hand-stamped jewelry. I have 2 of their necklaces (gifts from the hubs) and I wear them all of the time. Perfect and timeless pieces that have meaning. I am in love with the colors in this new necklace (below.)

Isis

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Medium sponsor highlight

{Mama and the Dudes}

Crafty mama to two amazingly adorable twin boys with the raddest hair you'll ever see (trust me, see how they whip it like Willow Smith in this post. )

{Green Your Air}

My eco-friendly plant company.

{Marlowe & Co.}

Hilarious and sweet fam living the farm life. Read up on this week's viking adventure!

{Our Little Lentil}

Sweet breastfeeding mama to an adorable little lentil, aka Adelaide. Read up on their transition to daycare now that mama has to go back to work.

{Sequins and Candy Photography}

Check out her portfolio and follow her on her personal blog, Clean up on Aisle Four.

{Coastal Family Living}

Sweetest surf family, documenting their life and the beautiful things around them. Hear about their recent trip to Aspen here.

{Eclectic Bazaar}

A beautiful mix of home finds, fashion, diy and travels. Love this collection of unusual art she put together. She is also my bff in real life :)

Happy Friday Milk-friendlies, and make sure you come back on Monday because we are having a giveaway, woot woo!

XOXO,

Maryam

Nursing Clothes: Florals and Stripes

     I just wanted to share a few outfits that I keep finding myself wearing these days (as you can see from the photos at the end of this post.)

{Florals}

Breastfeeding in Style: Floral for Fall by milkfriendly featuring a kimono cardigan

{Stripes}

Breastfeeding in Style: Fall 2011 Essentials by milkfriendly featuring ballet shoes

     And you can see a video of me in that Undercover Mama tank too!

     I also got my Hex Bracelet in the mail yesterday! It's handmade by the lovely Fawn from Sequins and Candy Photography.

     You can buy your own on her personal blog Clean Up on Aisle Four (the paypal button is on the left-hand sidebar.)

XOXO,
MarMar

{Fortuna Family Happenings}: Fall and change is in the air

      It's that time again all you MaMaws, Pawpaws, Gramps and Grammies...time for some family and photo updates.

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     We are slowly settling into life back here in San Diego. We have been back from our trip to Hawaii  for over 2 weeks and the boys are STILL stuck on Hawaii time (they can't fall asleep before 11pm). We have done a good amount of coast-to-coast traveling, but this is the first time it's been so incredibly difficult to get back into the swing of things. I have been feeling that new mommy blanket of tiredness and I've been re-addicted to my morning cup of joe (my go-to: a latte with almond milk and agave syrup- yumlicious.)

    Sky's been wanting to go diaperless and has peed and pooped on the potty a few times (crazy how the second babe learns so very quickly.) We are also starting a little pre-school homeschooling here and Coral has been loving to trace his ABC's (any other preschool homeschoolers out there?)

     Last week we said goodbye to my grandfather aka Bapa, who's a legacy in his own right, while simultaneously welcoming a new great-grand baby Ruby (my cousin's daughter) into the world. The circles of life continue and I am so very thankful for the last memories I was able to have with my Bapa before he left this world for the next.

     We are still looking to make a move somewhere, right now it's either Hawaii or Tahoe. Two totally different climates and adventures and we are just waiting for things to pan out (ie-Brian needs to have some time to make some calls.) Tahoe is pretty exciting to me, would be amazing to enjoy and test out the mountains in the winter with the boys.

     That's about all I can remember for now, but here's the photos I promised...

{Sky Boy}

Crazy how a haircut can make them look so grown-up

 {Coral}

Milk Mustache

We are (attempting) to make Transformer costumes for the whole fam.

{When we went to Legoland with my whole family}

{When we went to the train museum/SD Zoo}

{When the boys went for a surf with Daddy Bri}

{Homemade Coconut French Toast}

{What I've been wearing}

     I *might* be a little obsessed with florals and stripes, wouldn't you say? And are you an instagram-er? Look for me (milkfriendly).

Here's to a happy and fruitful week!


Xoxo,
Mar

Breastfeeding Interview: Guest Blog with i love mazzy + zephyr

It's always refreshing to find and connect with other hip nursing moms. It makes me oh-so happy to think that we all share a special little bond with one another. This being said, I am on a mission to find and bring to you, other fabulous, breastfeedin' and bloggin'-mamas.

     So let's give a warm welcome to Shannon, the loving and gorgeous mom from i love mazzy + zephyr. 

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     Hello All! So happy that I was invited to write on this lovely blog. I am a stay at home mom in sunny L.A. I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter named Mazzy and an almost 4 month old son named Zephyr. I love my job and I feel it is a privilege to be able to watch my two children grow each day.

     Being a stay at home mom keeps me plenty busy but in my free time I like to write little tidbits about my life on my blog, i love mazzy + zephyr and partaking in some crafting and DIY. My husband restores vintage motorcycles and is an all around handy guy so it isn't a surprise that our daughter loves all things dirty and mechanical! 

     We try to have as much fun as we can every day and there is nothing we love more than a new adventure or a spontaneous roadtrip. I am also passionate about healthy eating and keeping my family healthy. Breastfeeding just goes hand in hand with the natural lifestyle we try to lead.

What were the top 2 reasons you decided to breastfeed?
     Breastfeeding for me wasn't something I gave too much thought. It felt completely natural to me even though I was not breastfed by my as a baby. My mom didn't have any education on breastfeeding and she was nudged along by the hospital and my grandmother to choose formula. When I became pregnant with my daughter I really felt strongly about breaking the cycle of formula feeding that had been in our family 2 generations. I also knew it was the healthiest option for myself and my babies. I breastfed my daughter Mazzy for 8 months. Breastfeeding started off easy for us but things got bumpy after only a couple months, we had issues with latching and I started her on solids at 4 months and my supply dropped. This time around I plan to delay solids until at least 6 months and I am looking into baby led weaning. I hope to make it to 2 years with my son! 

What's your breastfeeding "must-have" item?
      I feel like my breastfeeding experience is quite different this time around. I don't feel the need for as much stuff but my "must have" item is definitely the Boppy! It is so versatile and I use it daily for nursing, as a baby seat and tummy time.

Have you found yourself sacrificing style in order to be able to dress "milk-friendly"?

     I actually haven't even purchased a nursing tank yet, I still wear my regular clothes and just make sure I have easy access :) I like tops that button up and when warmer weather eventually comes (can't wait!) I have some cowl neck sweaters that are going to work great. 

Have you had any wardrobe malfunctions? If so, I'm sure there's a story, do tell!
     No wardrobe malfunctions to speak of, I have got some *looks* because I don't use a nursing cover. I don't see the need to personally, I am feeding my baby and if someone doesn't like it they can just look away. PLUS its been way too hot to cover up, he likes feeling the breeze on his face while he is eating.

Thanks Shannon! Want more? You can follow i love mazzy + zephyr on her blog.