As a young mom with kids just 18 months apart, plenty of people tell Whitney Fox she has her hands full. Haven’t we all heard that a time or two? She manages to keep things in perspective by focusing on quality – quality time with her family and quality goods for her girls.
Whitney voices her thoughts on motherhood today and shares how she uses our Born for This box in her childcare routine. And check out her blog and Instagram feed for a discount code on the box!
Tell us a little about you and your blog.
I’m a simple gal. I’m a mom and a wife. Both make me happier than I could have ever dreamt! I started my blog when I was a freshman in college, moving away from all my family and starting a new adventure. I wanted a way to easily update my family on what I was doing. I know my grandma appreciated it! It has just been going since then as my personal journal.
I really started to regularly blog when I became pregnant with my first daughter. One thing I always wished my mom had more of from my childhood was documented memories. More pictures, more stories, and more just day to day life. My mom had 5 kids under 5 so I can only imagine the time to journal was very minimal! My blog became an easy way that I could journal. All my pictures, a place to vent about current life, and a place to document moments of my kids.
You recently gave birth to your second girl and we loved your birth story. Tell us how bringing home baby number 2 has been for your family.
My girls are 18 months apart and my first girl has a huge personality. I wouldn’t say she was a “hard” baby, but she was -- actually still is-- pretty high maintenance. She keeps me on my toes, that’s for sure! I grew up close in age to all my siblings and always knew I wanted the same for my kids even if it meant some sacrifice and some hard times. I was prepared for chaos bringing home the new baby! I really just threw any expectations out the window and was planning on taking full advantage of my mom and sister living close by and I figured I would be begging for their help whenever I needed it, no shame! However, my new baby has been a dream. Total opposite from her big sister, she is the most mellow, relaxed, easygoing babe. It has really made the transition easy on all of us. The new baby lets me still have my one-on-one time with my first so I can make sure she doesn’t feel replaced or get jealous. I’m super grateful that the transition has been amazing and much, much easier than I was anticipating, I know our hard days will come, but for now I’ll enjoy the good ones!
One thing we've always loved about you is the sweet way you share about your relationship with your husband. What has amazed you about him as he's transitioned to a father?
Michael is the best dad! When we were dating and engaged, the “plan” was always to wait 2 years before trying for kids, no question, then one of the very first things he said to me on our wedding day was that we should start trying sooner….like asap. I was so taken back by it, but the way he said it, I knew he meant it. Three months later we were expecting our first girl!
You know how in most family’s there’s the “fun” parent and the “boring” parent? He’s totally the fun one! Now that the weather has warmed up a bit they are constantly in the yard, getting dirty, and laughing! I am a stay at home mom, but I don’t ever feel like I do more of the parenting. He always tells me that we are going to have all girls, and they will all be daddy’s girls cause he will spoil them too much! It’s amazed me to see just how much he focuses on and thinks about our girls and their future.
What do you look for when shopping for products for your girls?
Quality over anything. Babies are destructive! It can be frustrating to only get 1 or 2 uses out of something before it becomes trash. Second thing is budget friendly. I know those two things kind of go against each other, and I totally agree that you get what you pay for, but I also think sometimes we pay for the label versus the product. I’ve never been one to really care about the label….if I like the product, I like the product! I rarely spend over $10 on clothing for either of my girls…and why would I when they grow/get ruined, or get lost? Functionality is the last thing I look for. Will my daughter be able to move and play normally in this? If she’s irritated, I’ll probably get irritated, so I try to only purchase and use things that are going to make both of us comfortable.
Tell us about your favorite products in the box. How will you use them in your baby care routine?
My favorite product is the One Line A Day journal. It is the perfect way for moms to journal. Kids take up a lot of time, and most days I don’t have time to sit and write out the full events of that day so I love how simple this journal is. Literally one line a day. Sometimes I don’t necessarily use it to journal, but if Milan said something funny that day, I’ll jot that down! Really just anything I want to make sure I remember. Something that I think will be fun to go back and read with my girls 5 years from now!
Second favorite product is the Solly wrap. When I had my first, life kind of stopped, or really slowed down the first few months. Most days were spent just in bed cuddling. The second time around, life cannot slow down! I have an 18 month old with crazy energy…we have to do things or we all go crazy! This wrap has already helped me a ton stay on the go so I can keep up with my toddler.