Rachel Nardi-Brettman

Mental Load: My Coronavirus Thoughts

As a germaphobe, I thought I would be prepared for a pandemic. Going into the chaos of the Winter blues earlier this year to a full-blown pandemic has really been eye opening. I live with something called mysophobia. It’s essentially a fear of germs, like an extreme fear, while others may think my mental illness is silly or annoying, it’s something I battle with everyday and it is real. Some suffer from fibromyalgia, or a even a Hypersexuality, and while we take those things seriously, I feel like my fear of germs is often overlooked as just a weird quirk and a get over it mentality.

Virtual Target Run

It’s been since September 2019 that I have stepped into a Target store! Yeah, once my Target implemented Drive-Up, I never looked back because trying to get two kids rounded up and quiet so mama can shop was just not going to happen. Plus i’m a major germaphobe, so theres that. But now with the global Pandemic keeping everyone in-side, I kind of miss my gal pal Target and the thrill of finding new goodies in-store. While my wallet and husband are thankful, I have a major void to fill, so let’s go shopping…online of course!

USED AND ABUSED baby product edition

So you guys know, I have probably written about ten baby product blogs because there is so many different options out their and at each milestone in my kids life, they have needed different products. I had no idea what I was doing when I walked into Buy Buy Baby for the first time with my husband, trying to see what we liked for our first born, we walked out just nodding in pure shock at all the products available. We didn’t have a baby then so we had no idea. Now that I have had 2 babies, I am going to tell you all the products i’m obsessed with and ones that didn’t work for us.

2019 Reflection

Woohoo happy 2020 everyone! Another decade down.

A lot has happened this year, the birth of my daughter in February, I got a part-time job-like for a moment, and my son turned two in July. Umm, some weird events of 2019 is that it snowed, like i’m talking over 5 inches of fresh powder on Halloween and was warm on Christmas, WHAT! We celebrated almost all of babies firsts and the biggest obstacle of 2019 was that I finally felt strong enough to admit to my family and I am now comfortable with sharing it here, that I am suffering from some pretty intense depression and anxiety.

WINTER + HOLIDAY FAVORITES

Today marks 18 days till Christmas. Anyone else feel like that snuck up on them? I’m feeling really festive, but I need time to slow its roll so I can soak up my babes during this holiday season. Hot cocoa and a nice warm blanket sound like the perfect way to ring in the Holidays and winter weather to come.

My love hate relationship with the holidays

Let us deck the freaking halls, because as my title suggests, I have a love hate relationship with the holidays. I know blunt, but I do. The holidays bring on some major struggles.

DIY Jughead Jones Toddler Costume

Alrighty mama’s, I have a guilty pleasure and its Riverdale. Im a huge fan of the show and you can catch me Wednesday nights watching shamelessly. Riverdale is on The CW Network and for those of you who don’t know what it’s about, it’s an adaptation of the classic Archie comics. Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse) is the story’s narrator and one of the main characters so I thought, why not make my little dude Jughead for Halloween!

Dont touch my kids

In extension on a fellow mom friends blog Hands Off, I thought i’d too address an important issue that really, no one is talking about, the issue of strangers touching kids.

FALL FAVORITES

I feel like it was just Summer and I blinked. The weather changed and the leaves are starting to fall to the ground. Not to mention 100 sleeps till xmas! Say what! Before it starts to snow and jingle bells chime, I complied some of my favorite autumn inspired goodies.

Starting solids-round II

Food is everything in this household. Well, maybe this is just true for me, but we recently started London on solids and…she loves it! Parker was the worst ever when it came to eating his first foods, but London, she absolutely loves it. Everything I have given her has been a winner. She’s had, strawberries, avocado, banana, sweet potato, applesauce, apple sweet potato, apple mango and apple carrot. We spoon feed her or let her go to town with her Moss and Fawn Forage feeder and there has been zero refusal.