When the weather shifts, it can be confusing to figure out how best to dress your little one for bed. It has always been important to us to ensure safe and snuggly sleep, and Spring feels like the best time for a gentle reminder of the recommendations.
TRUE STORY... with her firstborn pre-MiliMili, Kelsey struggled to find a sleep sack that was light enough to prevent her daughter from overheating during LA summers. We specifically created our first lightweight sleep sack to be soft and cozy, but to also help regulate a little one's temperature during sleep.
Rose had no idea how much their choices would impact her future. Her first child, Oliver was born with Craniosynostosis and had to wear a helmet for nearly the first year of his life. Overheating is very dangerous for a baby in a helmet, so MiliMili wearable blankets made from lightweight bamboo were the best way to keep him cool at night.
Click the mobile guide below to download for your everyday reminder.
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Hi, my name is Rose. I’m the cofounder of MiliMili and I have exclusively pumped with both of my sons. With all of my real-life experience and the research that I've done, I would say that I'm an expert in exclusive pumping—so here are some pump reviews, tips, and some of my favorite pumping supplies.
]]>Hi, my name is Rose. I’m the cofounder of MiliMili and I have exclusively pumped with both of my sons (currently clocking at over 1200 hrs of straight up pumping).
Both of my babies were born premature and they never latched. I pumped exclusively with my first until he was 8 months, then combo-fed with freezer stash. With my second, I've been over-producing, so I've needed to pump frequently to stave off mastitis. I'm still pumping at 9 months, but starting to transition to combo-feeding. With all of my real-life experience and the research that I've done, I would say that I'm an expert in exclusive pumping—so here are some pump reviews, tips, and some of my favorite pumping supplies.
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I currently have three pumps — the Spectra S1 (gifted), Ameda Mya Joy (received through health insurance), Willow GO (purchased on sale for myself).
Let’s start with the Spectra S1. This was gifted to me in my first pregnancy and I've kept it and used it for both babies. For me, this pump is nearly perfect. It has three main parts to clean between sessions and two backflow protectors that you’ll need to clean less frequently. The simplicity of the design makes it so easy to clean parts in between pumping sessions. The pump has a strong—but not unpleasant suction—that is very productive. I get the most yield from this pump. The portable battery is essential so that you’re not stuck in one by-an-outlet location while you’re pumping. The size of the pump isn’t the easiest for pumping outside of the home, however. The only things that would make this pump any better would be if it were smaller and if you could independently control the strength of each side—but if you’re in the market, it looks like both of these upgrades were factored into their newest SG Portable model. (I swear, there are new advancements in baby-gear the minute you give birth).
This go-around, I received the Ameda Mya Joy through my health insurance. This is a great little pump. If you have the choice between this one and the portable medela, I strongly recommend this one. Medela has GREAT pump accessories, but I personally never liked the suction of Medela pumps. The Ameda Mya Joy's parts are slightly harder to clean than the Spectra, but it has a very comfortable suction, great interface and options, and it’s so easy to carry around with you. Before I got my Willow Go, I used this one to pump out at restaurants and on planes, etc.
Finally, I purchased the Willow GO because, having had to go back to work at 4 mo postpartum, it was getting harder and harder to fit pumping into my workday, and I suffered an injury to one of my nipples that made it impossible to pump at the strengths that I was used to. Because I’m an over-producer, I couldn’t stop pumping without a long weaning process without risking mastitis. It’s amazing to have an in-bra pump. I can pump in the car on my way to kid drop-off, during meetings, etc. With my other pumps—I’ve pumped literally everywhere, but this makes it so much easier and more discreet. Drawbacks, it has a lot of parts to clean that have to be dry for it to function correctly (and there’s nothing worse than starting to pump and having to stop to re-adjust parts that aren’t suctioning well). This probably isn’t a big deal for anyone who is supplementing with pumping, but if you’re an exclusive pumper, you’ll definitely need to get multiple pump part sets. Also, the way that you empty out the collection cup can lead to spills when you’re tired and not concentrating, so if you’re concerned about saving every drop, pay attention here.
All-in-all, when you're deciding on a pump, think about how you’ll be using your pump most (at-home, on-the-go, exclusively or not), and you’ll be able to narrow down what will work best for you. And DM-me! I’m always happy to answer questions about my pumping journey!
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If you're exclusively pumping, make your goal 120 minutes per day. At first, before your milk has regulated, that can look like eight 15-minute sessions. Then, after around 4 months, you can transition to four 30-minute sessions.
If you are having issues with engorgement and need to prevent mastitis, Legendary Milk Sunflower Lecithin can help loosen fatty clogs. And if you feel a clog coming on, use a Haakaa Manual Breast Pump. Fill with warm (verging on hot) water, a tbsp of epsom salts, and attach to your nipple (over a sink for spillage). Let the breast soak for around 15 minutes and you should feel relief and see some milk leave the breast into the mix.
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A great water bottle to constantly hydrate and good snacks at the ready.
A good hands-free pumping bra. My favorites are the Cake Maternity Lotus Bra and Kindred Bravely Sublime Hands-Free Pumping Sports Bra.
The MiliMili Sleep Romper is the absolute best for comfort and ease of access.
On the go, I use breast pump wipes for a quick parts-clean.
And a good support system :) One benefit to pumping is that other people can help you.
Happy Pumping!
So download, print and share with your party attendees (and if you like them we'd love if you'd share photos from your party and tag us online!)
Click on each image to download the corresponding artwork as a PDF
Tropical Guest Book Cards (4"x4")
Printable Tropical Flower Crown (8.5"x11")
Flower Crown Assembly Instructions
Babyshower MadLibs Game (5"x7")
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Baby Shower Trivia Game (5"x7")
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Want to win at baby shower gifting too? Check these out:
Looking for the best baby shower gift for that new parent? Our sleep sacks are the perfect thing - fun, impactful, safe sleep promoting and super useful. (And hypoallergenic, breathable, and naturally antimicrobial too!)
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Here are the steps we take to get ready for a seamless, worry free, night out.
1. Create an Emergency Contact list
This is the most important piece for your night out and your bare minimum of prep for your sitter. Your emergency contact sheet should include your and your partner's contact numbers, your doctor's name/number, the address for the closest hospital or urgent care, and a list of any allergies.
(We designed our own handy magnets for this that also have space for notes and nap and bedtimes too! Want one? We'll ship you one for FREE if you sign up here for our email list. If you're already on our list shoot us a note and we'll send one your way!)
2. Write out your little's schedule
If you have the magnet above, you can do it there. Or just create a separate note with any nap times, wake times, bedtimes and food schedules for your child.
2. Prep Milk / Bottles
If your little takes a bottle, make sure you've thawed and/or pre-portioned out the bottles they will need with instructions on how to prep them. Labeling each bottle with the meal time also will help your sitter stay on schedule for feedings.
3. Set out any snacks/food they are allowed to have
Often I don't want to give my kids free reign of the snack cabinet and so much variety only makes it harder for them decide what they want to eat. So I'll set out a few pre-planned snacks on the counter so it's easier for my kids and the sitter to determine what's a viable food option for this particular babysitting experience.
4. Prep an easy dinner for older kids and babysitter
This is usually pizza, burgers, or mac n cheese because I know my kids love those foods and it makes the babysitting night so much more fun when they get one of eat their faves.
5. Set out the right warmth PJs + sleep sack near their crib/bed
Don't assume your babysitter knows that on a hot night your little needs to just wear a tshirt and a lightweight sleep sack. Lay out exactly what they will wear that night to ensure they don't overheat or run too cold while you're away.
6. Set out their favorite books
We are a house of avid readers, so our kid's bookshelves and baskets are overflowing with books. And the kids definitely have their favorites. Make it easier on your sitter so they don't have to hear 'not dat one' over and over - and layout your little one's faves.
7. Go have fun and enjoy your temporary freedom!
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Meet Katie Kaapcke - the designer behind our modern rainbow print for our collaboration with PRONOUN.
After a two-month long search process to find the perfect designer for this collection, created in collaboration with PRONOUN by Jesse Tyler Ferguson, we were elated to stumble upon Katie’s Instagram profile. She loved color, her paintings were layered and textured, and she is part of the very community that PRONOUN seeks to support. (If you’re looking for some fascinating Instagram reels to watch - check out her process videos where she takes you behind the scenes in creating her art.)
We thought it would be fun to do a little bit of a throwback and bring back our 20 Questions series*, so we could all learn a bit more about Katie.
*We let Katie pick and choose which questions to answer
Let’s do this!
An example of Katie's work from early in her career
It was a very long winding journey for me. As a child I was always creative, dance, baking, imagination, coloring and drawing/painting. My brother was naturally better at drawing than I was and I was obsessed with dance so that’s what I cultivated and I kind of talked myself out of art. I made my first comic book in high school and it was super weird like me. I then got started in graphic design in college and I was still dancing. Right when I turned 30 I picked up a pen and paint brush and started making my own comics again. My comics started to build some momentum in San Francisco and I started painting every day. I absolutely fell in love with watercolor and gouache and couldn’t stop creating. It made me super happy and helped me through a lot of difficult times with my mental health. A couple years later I got an office job that took up a lot of time and wasn’t really creating much. I decided to do a 365 day daily art challenge which also turned into several 100 day projects and that consistent daily practice really launched my art career. I kept creating consistently and showing up for my art and for myself and in the process falling in love with abstracts.
I absolutely fell in love with abstracts, so deeply. It’s the most expressive and free I’ve ever felt with painting. I still draw and illustrate and make both abstract and more illustrated patterns. Abstracts are just my heart and soul. I don’t like to limit my style, I like so many mediums, collage, drawing, painting in everything but oils (yet). I have different styles for different mediums and I love the freedom to express myself however I feel like at the moment. No limits, that’s my art style.
I wanted to express the spirit of pride and showcase trans pride with a little different spin. I didn’t want to do the traditional Pride rainbow colors but an interpretation of them. I wanted you to look at the print and feel the joy of Pride. I did a lot of illustrations on paper and digitally and started to play. My process always starts with play.
My family is originally from the east bay area but I moved around a lot as a kid and a bit as an adult. I’m a Californian and I love northern California. Southern California is beautiful but it’s just not for me.
Night owl mostly.
No screens, kindle only.
All of them! Purple is a favorite.
Tie between Venice Italy and the Cinque Terre.
a piece from Lee Bermejo
From a career perspective it was Lee Bermejo and Carlos D’Anda. They taught me a lot about creating artwork, never giving up, work ethic and kept me believing in myself. They were there at the beginning. I learned a lot being surrounded by successful comic book artists but Lee and Carlos taught me to always keep making. Even if it sucks which it often will or you think you are terrible. Never give up and never stop. Consistency always.
I’m most inspired by nature all over the world and the historic buildings and details of Europe. I love so much artwork and find all of it inspiring. I love comics, movies, abstracts, illustration, botanicals, really I love it all.
Not giving up and sharing my experiences as a person who suffers from mental illness and is queer.
I have short daily task lists and I tend to have less energy in the mornings so I do more of my administrative work in the mornings and painting in the afternoons and evenings. I’m productive because I consistently show up and I create whether I feel like it or not.
This year I want to grow the art licensing and pattern design sides of my business as well as get back into some in person shows.
Making sure I make time to move my body, yoga and running. It’s so easy for me to get caught up in work and not take a break.
'Know Your Magic II' by Katie Kaapcke
I haven’t really ever given up on anything. I’ve taken breaks, my interests have shifted to a new area but if I really love something I never give up on it.
I have some original artwork given to me by Lee Bermejo and I will always treasure it. It’s from a hard but special time in my life.
So many! I learned surface pattern design from Bonnie Christine’s @bonniechristine Immersion course and it was life changing. I love Heather Day @heatherday. Claira Heitzenrater brings the spooky witchy magic @virgosunstudio. Charlie J. Meyers is a crazy talented queer artist @charliejmeyers. I love @leebermejo’s work and Carlos D’Anda @c.deeanda.art. I also love graphic novelist Mari Naomi @marinaomiart. Nicolle Cure is one of my favorite abstract artists @nicollecure_art. Honestly I could go on and on. I love all art and I love comics and I can’t get enough!
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PRONOUN is the next generation for Tie The Knot, a non-profit established by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and husband Justin Mikita, seeking to advocate for equity, equality, and liberation for all within the LGBTQIA+ community. In addition, Pronoun exists as a safe space for believers, creators, and allies of equality to come together, learn, educate, and create.
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After having a child of their own, Jesse and Justin knew they had to continue marching in solidarity with all families, and reached out to MiliMili (pinch us!) back in 2021 about creating a very special collection of baby DO-GOODS, to inspire individuality and benefit equality organizations fighting in the trenches for liberation for all.
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In building MiliMili, our goal has always been to help families provide their best for their children, without sacrificing their sense of self. Because every family needs an ally.
As we design and select each print for our products, we are guided by the belief that all colors are for all children. Colors that are ‘gender neutral’ or 'boy colors' or 'girl colors' are simply societal constructs. Babies and children naturally gravitate to big bold colors —so if your baby boy loves pink or purple, or your baby girl loves green or black—why deny them the right to love a color?
So you can imagine how absolutely thrilled we were when PRONOUN approached us to help create this special, ultra-colorful collection for them in support of LGBTQIA+ rights.
(The icing on the cake? In the kick-off call Justin told us our sleep sacks were their favorite for their son, Beckett, and that they were the only ones their night nurse recommended using!)
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We knew this print for PRONOUN needed to be extra-special. On top of being bold and vibrant, like all our prints, we wanted it to represent the people and flags in the LGBTQIA+ community. We also knew it was of utmost importance to find an artist that not only jived with our overall vibe, but who also came from this community.
Enter the ultra-talented Katie Kaapcke. We found her Instagram and quickly became addicted to watching her painting progress videos. We adored her abstract style and use of color and were so happy when she agreed to create this print with us. We'll share more on her next week, but just know the process in creating this print with her was a dream and we are so happy with how it turned out.
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All of us involved have spent the past year pouring our heart and soul into creating this special, limited edition collection and we are so excited to finally be sharing it with you. All profits from the sale of items in this collection will go to PRONOUN and benefit impactful organizations that are fighting daily to achieve equality for us all.
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For more information or to get involved head to Pronoun.org
And almost everyone answered the same thing: a break.
No obligations. No over the top plans. No jewelry. Just a day to sleep in and rest.
So for those that want to gift their mama a day-off, we designed a little card you can print at home to wrap up and deliver to them that morning (preferably after they have already slept in!)
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And for those looking for something extra for mama to open that morning, we think our Power Nap Eye Mask and Sleep Romper, paired with a great book, some artisanal coffee or some bubbly + mango juice, make the perfect day-of-lounging gifts!
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Tummy time - you’ve heard it from the parenting books, from your pediatrician and probably social media too – you need to be doing it with your baby every day. But how does an overwhelmed and exhausted new parent fit yet another thing into their day? And what do you do if your baby doesn’t cooperate? As a pediatric physical therapist and self-proclaimed Milestone Magician, I’m here to share some of my tips & tricks with you. Here are 7 physical therapist approved ways to spice things up and take your baby’s tummy time from protests to productive in no time.
Take it outside!
When the weather’s nice, consider adding a whole new sensory experience in the mix by bringing your baby’s blanket outside for tummy time. Let them feel the grass and leaves with their fingers and toes and soak up the sunshine or feel the wind in their face. For extra spice, you could even blow bubbles.
Switch it up!
Have you always done tummy time on baby’s play mat? Try switching it up. New locations you could try include the bathroom, the kitchen, the nursery, the laundry room etc! Each new location will have different sights and sounds and sensory experiences for your baby.
Elevate it!
Tummy time doesn’t have to be on the floor. Try setting your baby on the table or the couch while you sit on the floor or in a chair face to face with them. Try tummy time up on their changing table after a diaper change. This is a great way to ensure you don’t forget to do it throughout the day.
Add water!
Use a tummy time water mat, water in a ziplock bag, or just a bit of water in a baking pan or muffin tin. Let baby splash in it while on their tummy. Play around with different temperatures of water, adding ice cubes, or placing toys in the water.
Read books!
Reading doesn’t have to always happen at bed time. Try propping a board book up during tummy time and reading to your baby.
Use your body!
Babies often crave the connection and regulation they get from being held. Use your lap or your chest to do baby’s tummy time to switch things up. You can also carry baby with their belly over your forearm and walk around to give them a different view point. When using your lap or your legs, you can vary the angle to make it easier or more challenging for baby.
Skip the clothes!
Finally, strip those clothes off. Naked tummy time (with or without diaper) gives baby the opportunity to get novel sensory input to their whole body. Just utilize a washable or wipeable surface in case of any accidents!
Remember, tummy time is a beneficial activity for your baby to master, but it’s not the only important position for their development. Give your baby a variety of play positions throughout the day including back play, side lying, tummy time and supported/held upright. If your child is struggling with tummy time, reach out to a pediatric physical therapist for support.
Want to learn more about appropriate baby milestones, child development, baby head shapes, and tummy time? Join us Tuesday, March 15th at 12:00pm PT for an Instagram live with Brita as we answer all your questions (and ours too - because we have a ton!)
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Want to be extra helpful and thoughtful when you visit your new parent friends?
These are our top five things to do and bring that are always appreciated when you make that newborn visit (hint hint: it's not 'helping' to hold the baby).
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When we first had babies we felt like while gaining one of the greatest loves of our lives, we simultaneously lost a part of ourselves. We were so focused on caring for baby that self-care went right out the window (nearly 5 years later we're still working on that one...)
Be an extra thoughtful guest by putting their self-care first: Eye masks to sneak in extra naps, dry shampoo to stretch between showers, comfy sweaters, nipple creams, and a big 'ol bottle of their favorite vino - anything to remind them that you care about THEM and not just that little bundle of joy they are caring for.
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Bringing food is pretty standard practice when visiting new parents, but we encourage you to take it a step further: bring food they can eat while you're there so they don't have to 'host', AND throw in frozen meals and groceries they can save to eat later too. You'll save them from cooking that evening - freeing up time to nap or enjoy that bottle of vino you brought with you.
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Everyone offers to hold the baby, but often the things parents of newborns need the most help with are around the house: do the dishes, fold the laundry, pick up toys, play with their older-kiddos, or take out the trash.
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Whether its their gnarly birth story, endless talk about all the cute stuff their newborn has done, or just to unload about how hard it t has all been - having someone to listen to means a lot during those hazy and exhausting newborn months.
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Your friends are SO happy to see you, but they are also likely exhausted. Plan to come for 60-90 minutes, chat, help out around the house, feed them, sneak in those baby snuggles (if the parents are cool with it), and then see yourself out when it's time.
(Setting an alarm on your phone can help with making sure you don't overstay your welcome!)
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Like math and reading, liking foods is something that has to be learned. When children start to attend school, they learn through play. This same tactic should be used for introducing foods. Children thrive in fun, creative, and positive environments - alternatively when pressure is placed on them, they are more likely to disengage and become disinterested.
As a parent it’s important to understand your and your child’s role in the feeding environment. When you do there is balance in the feeding relationship which, as the research has shown us, allows feeding to be successful. Your job is to decide what foods you want to offer your child, when you want to offer them and where the meal will take place. Your child’s job is to decide how much she is going to eat and even if she is going to eat at all. This mutual respect and trust is essential in feeding and will increase the chances of your child trying and enjoying new foods.
When your child begins to eat solids, it is an incredible opportunity and should be taken advantage of! This exploratory phase lends two important advantages: (1) you, as the parent, have arguably the most control over what your child eats during this time frame and (2) your child is much more likely to accept new foods. Keep introducing foods even if your child rejected them in the first place and keep the variety going. You will not regret it!
When your child is transitioning to solids, you have the power to decide the order in which you will introduce foods to her. So why continuously offer her something sweet? This may make it more difficult when it comes to your future offerings and her future acceptances and it’s understandable. Unlike for proteins and fats, carbohydrate digestion begins with enzymatic breakdown in the mouth - think about how sweet a piece of bread tastes while you’re chewing it! If you offer bitter foods before sweet ones, the literature tells us that your child may be more likely to accept these foods when they are school-aged.
One of the biggest myths that we like to bust here at Amenta Nutrition is that kids don’t like spicy food or that they only want plain foods - wrong! Did you ever consider that your child may be refusing food because it’s too bland and boring? Squeeze some lemon on that broccoli next time you offer it and let us know how it goes.
Exposure, exposure, exposure. Like mentioned above, kids need to learn to like foods. The more often they are exposed to them, the more likely they are to eventually like them. We now know that they need to be exposed (that can mean seeing, smelling, touching, OR tasting) a minimum of 10 times before considering the food something familiar.
Feeding kids is difficult. Implementing the above strategies may not lead to immediate success, but will vastly improve the chances of kids being comfortable around, accepting, and enjoying foods when they are school-aged and into adulthood. For as you may know, making a kid finish their green beans before allowing them to leave the table, does not mean they eat green beans as an adult - sound familiar to anyone?
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Want more tips and advice from Christine? Join us Monday, January 24th 2022 for an Instagram Live with her where we ask all the pressing questions on how to raise a happy and healthy little eater!
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Now in terms of gifts for babies, when the baby is really little we strongly believe in buying something that benefits the parent as well as child (since the little nugget will have no clue they are even receiving a gift.) So rather than another plush animal that will just go into a basket or a cute item of clothing they will probably wear once - opt for things that make the parent's life easier and foster positive child development (and if it looks good, even better.)
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Set an alarm! We will be competing on TwitchPitch on October 19th at 4pm PST!!!
What is Twitch Pitch? It’s a cool live stream competition aired on Twitch where we'll pitch to real investors for a chance to win a $25,000 cash prize (WOAH!!!) Plus - the audience gets to text in live during the show to vote for their favorite pitch.
In our episode Rose will do the main pitch, while both Kels will handle Q&A. We'll be competing against other brands from our Target Accelerator cohort and we LOVE all their products so the competition is going to be stiff.
That's where you come in - we need your help to make sure we win!
Want to support us on the show? Here's how:
1. Follow @lightship.capital on Twitch
2. Watch the entire show LIVE (4pm PST)
3. Vote for MiliMili during the show!
We are SO excited and can't wait to show you the pitch we've been working on this last month!
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A Mother's Haven is a shop and meeting place for new parents. They sell some of the best baby products out there and are THE place for new parent / mommy and me classes in The Valley.
You can visit them at
Hours:
Monday - Friday, 11AM - 4PM
Saturday, 11AM - 2PM
Sunday, Closed
]]>The mothers in Afghanistan right now are not losing just a part of themselves, but all of themselves. Their freedoms, their dreams, their communities, their lives. Even their children.
We needed to help.
So we will be donating 100% of profits from today and tomorrow's (8/21/21-8/22/21) sales to Miry's List and their efforts to help Afghan families resettling in the United States get back on their feet.
Miry's List is a local, Los Angeles-based non profit dedicated to welcoming new arrival refugee families into our community through inspired crowdsourcing solutions. They have set up a separate emergency action fund just to help Afghan families during this incredibly tumultuous and scary time.
They provide supplies, devices, and educational opportunity for the children resettling in the US, and so far in 2021 Miry's List has helped over 100 families - made up of 560 individual people (and 56 babies!) from Afghanistan, living in 21 states nationally.
We encourage you to check out their website and their current campaign to learn more.
As parents in such a privileged state here in the US we cannot imagine what these families are going through. Our hearts hurt for them, and we cannot help but cry as we watch the images of Afghan parents lifting their children up over the wall into the hands of foreign soldiers in hopes they can help them. And we know even for those that are able to escape Afghanistan, the road ahead as a refugee is an incredibly difficult one.
We hope you'll join us in supporting the efforts of Miry's List and their efforts to provide a better life for those resettling in the United States.
]]>Rose created this awesome set of coloring pages last fall for our iFundWomen campaign. Each page features a different element from some of our new and old prints, but our favorite of this mini-book is the 'design your own sleep sack' page. We admit to having printed out numerous copies of this ourselves and used it to ponder future print designs!
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Be sure to post and tag us on your kid's (or your!) creations!
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Our reply? A bold bralette.
We've been buying up a ton of bralettes ourselves to wear under our rompers (hello ultimate comfort!) and rounded up some of our favorites for your shopping pleasure:
THE NEON
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The Cosabella Never Say Never Sweetie bralette is my all time fave. I wore the nursing version after both kids (who am I kidding, I definitely still wear it), and because they come in a ton of cool colors, I've purchased a few more for my romper-wearing (last week's purchase was a plum color to wear under my Puebla Rosa Romper). Love love love it.
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Want something more sporty and with more back coverage? Rose is a big fan of this ultra-comfy Paloma Bra from the Girlfriend Collective. You'll have to shop around on the internet to find all their awesome colors though, as it seems each store has a different color stock. (This one was from Nordstrom.)
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THE SIMPLE BACK
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Free People makes so many great (and affordable) bralettes- but this Stella Neo bralette takes the cake. It is SO comfy and has such an elegant and simple back when paired with our sleep romper, AND it comes in lots of great colors. This Midnight Cowboy color looks fab paired with all our romper prints.
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Another color that pairs great with all our prints? This awesome coral tone from SKIMS. Their 'Fits Everybody Scoop Neck' Bralette has over 1.5k 5* reviews on Nordstrom and adds a great pop of color to your rompfit (just made that word up. Going to use it a lot now.)
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THE BOLD CHOICE
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Why settle for a simple back when you can really go big? The Free People One Adella Bralette has such a cool back detail that it begs to be worn with the low back of our sleep romper! Plus we're all for juxtaposing the silky soft fabric of the romper with the textured woven details of this bra.
And for the coolest bra to pair with the Kona Bana print romper - go for this Carbon38 Beach Riot Leah Top. So much color, so much fun, and super comfortable too. Pair it with a neon pink sandal and your rompfit is set (told you'd I'd be using it a lot.)
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TWO MORE WE LOVE
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Love the romper but less into showing your whole back? The TomboyX Essential Soft Bra looks like it was made to perfectly fill in the back on our sleep romper. They have a literal rainbow of color options (and a cool pride flag one too!) - but we're partial to this teal blue paired with our Playa Blue tie-dye print.
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If you don't mind showing a little back clasp action the Lively Long Lined Lace Bralette is also a super pretty option - especially in this tomato red color - and you can buy them in packs of 3!
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Okay those are our current faves. But we are ALWAYS on the lookout for more - so if you have a favorite bralette or top you wear under your romper to wear our, drop it here and we'll check it out!
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Holy moly this week we are SO excited to introduce to you to our Day in the Life parent because this awesome mama right here is Kels’s business mentor!
Meet Cinda Boomershine, the Atlanta-based mom to Belle & Rex and the founder of cinda b – the chic yet practical travel bag company. Cinda is married to her high school sweetheart, Mark (who is an AMAZING artist), and prior to founding cinda b was the television personality & interior designer for the show Movie and a Makeover. Though she still remains involved in the business, she actually sold cinda b a few years back to spend more time with her family – and you can follow along in their adventures and journey to buy a boat (they are buying one they can live on for A YEAR!) on her Instagram and YouTube accounts.
Cinda has been an invaluable resource for MiliMili and has become a fast friend. We are so excited to have her do this takeover tomorrow!
But before she does, let’s learn a little more about her with our favorite 20 questions:
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I am obsessed with travel (which is one of the reasons I started a travel bag company) so that is a tough question. We have been fortunate to travel so much and have fallen in love with so many fabulous places. I adore the south of France, Nepal, Antigua Guatemala, Koh Samui in Thailand and all of New Zealand. However, I have learned that any place I am with my family is my current favorite place — and that could be a tent in Utah, a cattle ranch in New Mexico, a camper van along Big Sur or just at home. We do our best to enjoy wherever we are when we are there.
The right decision is usually the hard decision.
We regularly foster animals through the Atlanta Humane Society. Last fall we fostered two kittens named Angelina and Jolie and ended up keeping them. It was a total foster fail but we adore them. We are also currently fostering an adorable 4 week old kitten named Bogy.
Gratitude is a big part of our family and our daily ritual. Every morning on our way to school, we each say three things we are grateful for. This morning, one of the things I was grateful for was my MiliMili Sleep Romper that I can sleep in AND wear to run carpool (and I may still be wearing it 4 hours later LOL). I am also grateful for the opportunity to meet new people through this blog.
The first thing I do every morning is snuggle my babies. They usually wake up first and crawl into bed with us before we all get up and going.
For almost 15 years, my husband and I have had a dream of moving onto a boat and doing the Great American Loop. The Great Loop is a way to circumnavigate the eastern seaboard of the United States and Canada. More people summit Mt. Everest every year than complete the loop — but the Loop is MUCH less risky. It takes about a year to complete and we hope to set in March of 2022. Ahoy!
My husband. We start every day with a big bear hug. It is good for the body and the soul.
A designer or a marine biologist. I ended up being a designer with a passion for protecting marine environments.
I founded cinda b, a line of weekend travel bags, totes and accessories. At our height when I sold my brand, we were in over 1000 stores nationwide and around the world. I also love to run and I pick up litter along my runs. I am pretty sure there are a good number of people in Atlanta who know me as the crazy trash lady.
A boat! After attempting to home school our kiddos during lockdown, we realized we are going to need a tutor on our grand adventure. Therefore, we are going to need a bigger boat.
Brunch is my favorite meal! I rotate between sweet and savory depending on my mood. But my favorite brunch item is one that has both. We have a local hole-in-the-wall restaurant that has what they call the Presidential Breakfast that has two scrambled eggs, French toast and bacon. That is a winner in my book.
My parents are both entrepreneurs and taught me that I could do anything I put my mind to. They not only led by example but have also been my biggest cheerleaders every step of the way. They consistently give me the tools and the courage to take risks and reach for the stars.
I struggle with getting everything done. My to-do list is forever full and there never seem to be enough hours in the day.
In 2015 I was sitting in my home office on a call with my team at cinda b when I saw our nanny blowing bubbles in the garden with our two babies. I had spent years trying to have those babies and right then and there I had an aha moment. I wanted to be the one blowing bubbles in the garden instead of the one stuck on a conference call. I had spent over a decade starting and growing cinda b to where it was but my wants and needs had changed. So we decided it was time to make a change. I sold cinda b — what I had always considered my first baby — so I could be the one to raise my real babies. It was the right decision but a small part of me will always feel like I gave up on the brand. However, I would do it again in a heartbeat. And cinda b is still going strong and I still get to consult. So I truly get the best of both worlds.
My dream Saturday is on a lake with family and friends soaking up the sunshine, wake surfing, laughing and drinking rose.
My best friend and I grew up across the street from each other so we have known each other our entire lives.
Absolutely! We’d love to live in France or Italy for a year.
Without a doubt the greatest gifts I have ever received are our two children. We had a very long journey to get them and I am forever grateful for those two precious souls that I get to mama.
Both. I tend to stay up late working to get stuff done after our kiddos go to sleep but I LOVE being up early in the morning too.
Anything I can dance to!
Even with the A/C on, it isn't uncommon for Remy's room to be 80*F when she goes down for bed. For a younger baby - that would be a scary SIDS risk of overheating. For toddlers like mine, it means it takes them longer to get comfortable and fall asleep - and more night wakings from being too hot (which, in turn, means less sleep for me.)
Here's how we battle those hot nights to get better sleep:
Choose the right fabrics
When its hot, your child needs to have lightweight and breathable clothing, sleep sacks, and sheets. So put away the fleece (we recommend you ditch this fabric entirely - since polyester is such a yucky, skin irritating, non-breathable, oil-based fabric) and opt for a nice bamboo or organic cotton muslin material instead. The cool thing about bamboo is that it is also moisture wicking and anti-microbial, so it won't get all gross and filled with sweat should your baby get too hot, and thus doesn't have to be washed as often.
Dress for the Temp
If your house stays over 75*F all night, we recommend just a t-shirt and a lightweight sleep sack (under .5 TOG).
If it's going to be over 80*F, you'll need just a t-shirt, or just a diaper + the lightest sack you can find (our lightweight sacks should do the trick!)
No full length PJs, no footies, no socks, no fleece, no extra blankets.
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Run a Fan
A fan can serve as both white noise and a way to cool the room without using as much electricity as the Air Conditioning. It will help circulate the air and keep your little one comfy.
Stay Hydrated
Make sure your little one drinks cool water before bed. Staying hydrated enables your body thermoregulate more efficiently, which in turn helps you get a better night sleep when its hot out!
Keep your Blinds Closed/Curtains Drawn
If you don't have them already - invest in some great blackout curtains and keep them closed ALL. DAY. LONG.
This will both help keep sunlight - and thus heat - from getting into the room via your windows, as well as create a darker environment (which promotes better sleep!)
Hint: These are also great tips for your own sleep! Just adjust 'sleep sack' to blanket or sheet and you'll be set!
Have any other great ways you keep your baby comfortable and cool at night? Let us know and we'll share your responses in our Instagram stories for other parents to benefit from!
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Meet Kristjana Hillberg - a South Dakota based military spouse, public relations pro, and parent to three kiddos (one of whom she co-parents - and drives drive back and forth across the state every other weekend for drop offs/pick ups!)
When she's not consulting with her clients on podcast and media placement, she enjoys thrifting and eating scones at the local bakery.
She has a pretty cool claim to fame too - but you'll have to read her responses to her 20 Questions here to find out what it is!
(And don't forget to follow along on her day-in-the-life tomorrow, Friday May 14th, on our Instagram!)
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I haven’t traveled the world (yet) but out of ALL of the places I’ve visited, I truly fell in love with the Dominican Republic. I loved the vibe. The locals. EVERYTHING! I went for a circus retreat...my flexibility was on point in that heat!
Each one of your babies is different. Make sure and parent them the way they need to be parented.
Our fierce tiger kitty, Fiona!
My husband. I don’t tell him enough, but having him as a partner...a true partner is so comforting. I know he’s always in my corner. He makes me laugh & helps me grow...it’s my favorite thing.
Make a latte :)
To create impact. To help others tell their stories!
My 8 year old girl Lily.
A Broadway star!!
I’ve been an aerialist in the circus!
Paying off our truck.
Ooooooo….either pancakes or eggs benedict! (and obvi, mimosa!)
So many people have touched my life. Depending on the time & decade, I’d say the most consistent person has been my mentor Alison.
Time blocking & preserving my energy. :)
I don’t give up too quickly...I gave up on the hope that everyone would like me or be attracted to the vibe I put out. It used to really matter to me. Now I try to really focus on alignment & intention around everything.
Teaching a barre class, sipping coffee with Kurt, playing with the kids, going on a family outing, and game night!
College. We each live in a different state, but we’re just as close as we were at 19.
1000000%
A piece of artwork that my girlfriend Jeanine made. I was at her home & commented on it, and a few months later she gifted it to me.
Neither...but I’d much rather wake up early than stay up late...UNLESS it’s laughing with my besties.
Gosh...all of it! I love music. I can get down to almost anything.
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Who is this badass mama rocking some serious Kamala Harris vibes? It's Priyanka Murthy, the Florida based mom, lawyer, entrepreneur and the CEO behind the tech-enabled, try-before-you-buy fine jewelry brand, Access79.
(The selection of jewelry on her site is UHMAZING. Please go check it out!)
Priyanka strives to prioritize what's most important. In lawyer fashion, a numbered list: 1. Ensuring her rambunctious 4yo guy, Raaghuv, feels loved and contributes to the world; 2. Being the professional advisor/lawyer and personal cheerleader for her exceedingly gregarious and deeply loving husband, Ragu, who is a cardiologist and technology investor; 3. Building Access79 into the world’s best jewelry discovery experience and mentoring the next generation of young leaders; 4. Seeing the world.
Before she takes over our Instagram tomorrow morning (Friday May 7th) - check out Priyanka's answers to our 20 Questions and get a glimpse inside this uber-impressive Mama:
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I am the most nomadic person in the world, I’ve lived in 6 countries and traveled to 73 others. I just can’t pick a favorite place in the traditional sense. So, I will say a joyful place dancing or racing with my 4 year old guy.
I don’t think, honestly, I’ve gotten any notably good advice that has stuck. But I can tell you one thing that I strive to do which is to enjoy being with my son and not see parenting as work all the time, but to actively take pleasure in parenting where I can.
Yes a rescue dog named Chandoo
My health and my family
Tell Siri to set the alarm for 10 minutes later and then wake up before the 10 minutes extra and drink the intentionally cold coffee my husband leaves on the nightstand every morning.
To raise a well-adjusted and independent child while still fulfilling all my professional aspirations and potential and helping my husband achieve his.
My babylove 4 yo boy Raaghuv
Secretary of State and Angela Bower Ad Exec on Who’s the Boss
I’m probably the most charismatic nerd you’ll ever meet
We have zero savings, every bit of savings we have is invested in our businesses, real estate, alternative currencies, stocks, etc.
Eggs benedict with salmon and a peach bellini
My dad and husband are tied. I hope that doesn’t sound antiquated or cliche but it’s so true!
Not feeling guilty for not being with my son throughout the day and for relying on our nanny to step in daily to do things I can’t because I am working.
I’ve given up on some friendships and family relationships that were not fulfilling and negative
Starting it off with running or jumping/playing outside with the family -- we are really active; going to a science class with my baby guy, eating lunch at home, doing something fun outside with my baby guy and my husband, coming home to do some light work for Access79, and then going to a dinner party at friends’ house (with the vaccine those have started back up!)
My husband is my best friend and I met him at a now defunct club in Chicago called Enclave. It was the day before Thanksgiving, November 2008 and we discussed politics while go-go dancers were in the background. I had a very strange acquaintance at the time who got kind of drunk and went around taking photos of everything, so believe it or not, there is a photo of us the first time we met
Oh yes for sure. I’d live in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, or Sydney, Australia
I literally have no sentimental attachment to any one thing. So I would say the opportunity to come to America. I was born in India and my family and I immigrated when I was in elementary school. I think that was a gift that changed my life.
Night owl for sure
1990s and 2000 Hip hop
But just because your significant other (or child) waits until the day before (or, eek, day-of) to grab their Mother's Day gifts doesn’t mean you have to end up with printed back rub coupons or corner-store treats.
For those that want the gift of sleep this Mother's Day (which was the most popular request when we asked Mom's last year!), your gifter can now order a Sleep Romper (even the day of!) and print out these handy little gift notification cards. So you get what you want, and they get the kudos of a fantastic gift - without having to awkwardly print out the receipt with the time stamp on it.
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Closing thought: can all those Type-A planner spouses please alert their ‘last minute gifter’ friends about holidays so Mama can get what she wants next Mother’s Day? A sad 68% of Moms surveyed said they didn’t think they’d be getting what they were hoping for this Mother’s Day, and those two data points HAVE to correlate. Right?
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