Life as Kyla

lifestyle & motherhood

Affordable Boo Basket Ideas

I know it’s a little extra, I do. I love being a little extra though ha. The first time I saw a boo basket on social media I knew I was going to be starting the tradition with my own kids one day. It was finally my time to shine this year.

My goal with the boo basket I put together for my daughter Elsie was, it needed to be cute (duh), things she would actually use or play with, affordable, and reusable (year after year.) I think I hit all those goals. I want to help you do the same so I am going to show what I got her, and say where I got it, adding links when possible.

There were some things I did not include in the basket on Instagram because they did not fit well, but I will show them here as some *bonus* ideas!

Alright so let’s start with the basket and the custom basket tag! I love this custom wooden tag, it has the name etched/burned into the wood and has a leather tie. You can choose from different halloween themed shapes (a pumpkin, ghost, bat, spider, or a witch hat!) I love it so much, and it was really quick shipping considering it’s from an etsy shop.

Also I love this basket from Amazon, it is amazing and we use it for toys now, but it was also her Easter basket! It is so cute, affordable, and versatile.

Elsie loves books, and I have a picture book obsession so I picked up a few for her. I grabbed Vamperina Ballerina, My Little Pumpkin Pie, and Time for Halloween! Two out of the three of the books are board books which definitely are the best for Elsie right now, she loves to rip pages ha, but Vamperina was too cute to pass up!

I also grabbed this adorable pop it silicone bat. Elsie loves these and I thought the bat would be perfect for her basket.

I also found this precious witch hat headband at Target! It’s so cute and something she can definitely use year after year. She already had this little knit elephant from TJmaxx, but I grabbed it and put the little witch hat on it- boom, festive! You could also put a little witch hat on any other stuffed animal or doll for a cute and fun surprise.

I found these PJs at my TJmaxx! They were so affordable and way too cute to pass up. The beauty of TJMaxx is not every store has the same product, and you can’t just find it online, but that also stinks because I can’t link it. You can look in person at your TJMaxx or online at Target and Old Navy they have lots of options! I know Target has matching family Halloween pajamas! I also found these adorable ghost socks in the Target dollar spot for $1!

The ghost garland is also Tjmaxx! So cute! Sorry, I wish I could link the exact one, but I found one that’s similar here.

I also last minute picked up this fun home decoration that I thought she would think is so cool. Again, TJmaxx, so I can’t direct link, but you could find something similar at Lowes/Home Depot or Target! A fun tradition!

A few things I included that I haven’t mentioned yet are-

This tiktok shows some of these items mentioned as I put the basket together!

@kylasieges

Make a boo basket with me! This is for my one year old! #boobasket #boobasketideas #halloweenishere #halloween #BenefitOfBrows

♬ Teddy Bears Picnic – Henry Hall

I had so much fun putting this basket for her together, and she had even more fun looking through the basket today after her nap. I love creating traditions and making holidays fun and exciting, even if it is a little *extra* but I mean I’d rather be extra than basic, ha!

@kylasieges

Boo basket, and Elsie’s reaction. 🥺🎃 #boobasket #TakeTheDayOffChallenge #boobasketideas #halloween

♬ I Put a Spell on You – Working With Lemons

What do you include in YOUR boo baskets? Would you ever make a boo basket? I’d love to hear from you!

Happy Spooktober!

The Best 1st Birthday Amazon Gift Guide for Every Budget

*Post may contain affiliate links that if you purchase using them I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.*

As a Mom I have learned that I really appreciate montessori inspired toys and toys that teach a skill. The light up plastic toys are often cute and exciting at first, but they do not serve a purpose or teach a lesson. These sorts of toys really do not hold my daughter’s attention very long. I also love good quality open ended play toys for my daughter so I included some of that as well.

This gift guide is based on things you can find on Amazon, so you can create a wishlist and share it with family and friends when they inevitably ask what they want.

For my daughter’s birthday I bought her the ikea play kitchen, ours was used off FB marketplace and I have plans to redo it and make it super cute, so keep your eyes out for a blog post on my DIY! That being said I wanted to get play food for her kitchen. I did pick up the 2 sets of ikea play fruit and veggies, but the rest I got off of Amazon. Here are some of the favorites! If you want to shop this picture, just click it and it will take you to liketoknow.it where it is all linked for you! You can also pin the picture to save for future reference.

I love how the food goes together and she can really “cook” dishes! Like the spaghetti, stir fry, and even putting together sandwiches with her kit or making salads! So fun! Also love the color sort fruit and veggies! Play food, but also a great little game!

Click the picture to shop!

Next I have sensory and montessori inpired play items! Hardcore montessori Moms please don’t come for me with “THATS NOT MONTESSORI” lol I said INSPIRED. These toys are perfect for sensory play and sensory bins and open ended creative play. I also included the trays, which is the classic way of presenting montessori activities to your child. Also the scarves might seem random, but buy them- and watch how they become your kid’s favorite toy. The scarves are blankets, forts, capes, endless play!

Click the picture to shop!

Now this is a bunch of awesome toys for imaginative play. The sink runs and cycles the water so your child can pretend to wash dishes with you! The animal and bug figurines are perfect for language activities, sorts, and just pretend play. Cars, and peg people, and magnatiles all perfect for little imaginations, and toys that will grow with them through the years!

Click the picture to shop!

Finally this is my “random” other things I love category! Bibs and smocks for messy sensory play and art! A balance bike, I LOVE the neutral, but they have many other colors! Some Fat Brain toys that engage your baby’s brain! And a fun sort puzzle.

Click the picture to shop!

Some other things that are not on Amazon you might consider purchasing or asking for is a Lovevery subscription! This is a gift that keeps on giving, as Lovevery will send a box of toys every few months! These toys will be perfectly aligned with your child’s development and will even come with a guide for you as a parent to help know how to guide your child in these skills.

A nugget is another large purchase, but is one that keeps on giving! You can build all sorts of fun things for your baby to have fun and play with.

I hope this gift guide was helpful! If it was share it on Instagram and tag me @kylasieges! Or pin it to Pinterest so other Moms can find it. Let me know what other toys should be on this list in the comments!

5 Affirmations for C-Section Mamas

I can not even begin to express how crazy it is to me the hate c-section Mamas get. I have seen comments on social media saying the most hateful things like “you did not try hard enough” or “you can not call a cesarean a birth, it is just an extraction” or even “you took the easy way out.”

1.) You did not fail.

You did not fail because you ended up with a c-section. A cesarean is an important intervention and a blessing for many women and babies. It saves lives and keeps both Mama and baby safe. Whether you did not progress, you had a breech baby, you had multiples, whatever it was, you did not fail.

Say “I did not fail.”

2.) You are a strong bad ass warrior.

It takes a strong person to lay there awake while just over the paper curtain doctors cut you open and pull your guts out. If you do not think going through that, and then taking care of a baby makes you a strong bad ass then I do not know what will. Seriously just think about that- they cut through FIVE layers of your freakin body and then you got up and peed that day or the next day and took care of another human. That’s actually insane. You are amazing! Nothing short of a badass and do not forget it.

Say “I am a strong bad ass warrior.”

3.) You are just as bonded to your baby as Mom’s that delivered vaginally.

I saw a TikTok where a Mom was claiming that you are not as bonded to your baby if you have cesarean, and I am sorry, that’s just absurd. The second I saw her little face I would have done anything for her. I felt love like I have never felt before, my heart was bursting at the seams! I’m pretty sure it doesn’t matter which hole on your body your baby exits, your love is still unconditional. It does not change anything. I mean seriously think about that. It’s not even rational.

Say “I have an unbreakable bond with my baby.”

4.) Your birth is valid.

You are not less of a mother because you didn’t push the kid out your vag. Again, listen to that statement. Does pushing the kid out make you more worthy? You felt pressure while they shifted your guts. You felt the discomfort of birth. It was different, and the intense pain delayed, but c-section Mamas are a special type of badass. You worked to deliver that baby, and recovery was not fun either. Do not let anyone diminish the value of your birth.

Say, “My birth is valid.”

5.) Your birth was beautiful.

The birth of my daughter was beautiful. The relief that we were both okay, and that she was here, earth side was everything I could ever hope for. The beauty of the moment when she came into this world was not less than when a baby that comes into the world vaginally. She was lifted into the air, and as I watched her take her first breath and cry her first cry it brought tears to my eyes That moment was the best moment of my entire life. As I held her to my chest while they stitched me up was equally beautiful. For that moment I felt so warm, joyful, relieved, and grateful as time stood still.

Say “My birth was beautiful.”

I want to share a reel I made on Instagram that featured the beauty of the birth of my daughter.

For later-

I created this graphic for you to save to your phone, share on social media, or pin on pinterest for later!

XO,

3 Reasons You Should Buy the Lollipop Baby Monitor

When I was pregnant it was during the dead start of the first shut down for the pandemic. I was home 24/7 and one way I filled my time was to research baby products to add to my registry. I wanted the best products and to not regret my choices. For the most part this really paid off.

My one regret? Our baby monitor. I went with the Infant Optics monitor. it had a lot of reviews with the majority good. I liked that it was not a wifi monitor because it felt more secure, and it would still work if the wifi went out.

We started using it when my daughter moved to her room (she slept in our room in a pack and play until she was 9 months old.) She was sleeping through the night, but we were not! The monitor would beep constantly through the night claiming it was out of range. Keep in mind we live in a 1200 square foot home that’s all one story, so it definitely was NOT out of range. When it was not beeping the signal was cutting in and out and it kept making noises that woke us up as well. The monitor was NOT reliable and was also a huge nuisance.

When Lollipop baby monitor reached out to collaborate right around the time we were dealing with this issue I KNEW we had to give it a try. I am SO glad we did.

We LOVE the Lollipop monitor. It does not go out of range or beep all night. It is reliable and consistently monitors our baby- which is good because that’s the primary function of a baby monitor. It’s also super duper cute!

Here are the top three reasons you should give the Lollipop a try!

1.) You can stream from the camera anywhere (AND it’s really clear!)

I have been able to check in on Elsie if my Mom is watching her or when I have had appointments and left her with her Dad. It’s just nice to be able to always check on her. It also has GREAT signal and has only ever disconnected once which was when our wifi went out for about an hour, so not even the monitor’s fault!

2.) Easy to set up and travel with.

@kylasieges

Reply to @rylienbarnes NURSERY TOUR! #girlmom #nurserydecor #nurserytour #LiveFlowSweatDuet #QuickBooksVictoryPose

♬ A-O-K – Tai Verdes
This Tiktok features the Lollipop camera and what it looks like in my daughter’s nursery.

The installation was seamless and truly simple. I love that you have the option to twist it onto the crib or on the plastic twig it comes with.

3.) Awesome safety and security.

I was concerned about a wifi based camera not being secure enough. I did not want anyone watching my baby or being able to talk to her, which I have heard has happened in the past with other brands. Thankfully the Lollipop has safety features to make sure your child and camera is secure and protected. It also comes with cord covers for the monitor and even has a feature that can alert you when your toddler leaves their toddler bed! I think that will be so helpful when Elsie is in a bed she can get in and out of.

*Added bonuses are that you can buy another camera for more than one child or baby! If you have multiples or if you have a young child and a baby you can monitor them both on one app and one screen.

@kylasieges

We love that it always stays connected! The app also has so many awesome features! ✨🍭 #lollipop #lollipopbabycamera #momhack #babyregistrymusthaves

♬ SUNNY DAY – Matteo Rossanese

Have you tried the Lollipop camera? How do you like it?

XOXO,

Bilateral Knee Replacement Recovery as a Mom

I know there is no way that I am the first young Mom to get a joint replacement, but when I looked for information and help, there was not much to be found on the internet. I discussed why I needed bilateral knee replacements in THIS post if you would like to start there!

I had intentions to try to do a few update posts as I healed, but to be honest it was so difficult to do the most basic things that the last thing on my mind was logging on and blogging. I plan on talking about recovery here, broadly, and then I plan on doing another post about what was most helpful during recovery, because again I found very little information on this!

Surgery Day and the Hospital Stay

On March 3, 2021 I had Bilateral Total Knee Replacements (BTKR), yep, both knees on the same day at the age of 26. My daughter was a couple days shy of 6 months old when I had the surgery. Due to COVID and restrictions with the pandemic I had to go to OR prep by myself. I sat in the prep area alone for about 2 hours waiting to go back for surgery. It was so scary. All I really remember was crying and being so scared and just wanting it to be over.

They took me back and I woke up in recovery. Again, alone due to the restrictions. I had lost a lot of blood and I also was not handling the spinal well. My blood pressure continued dipping repeatedly to extremely low levels (60/40 at one point) and I kept feeling like I was really hot and going to be sick and then I’d pass out. It was my first experience with passing out, and I truly hated it. It was so scary. I could hear the nurses saying my name over and over telling me to open my eyes and to stay awake, but I physically could not. I remember at one point when I was awake begging them for my phone to talk to my husband because I was scared, they would not get it for me and said I needed to rest. I kept asking. I went back for my surgery at around 8:30 and was not up in my own room until 12 hours later once they finally got me stabilized and I got to see my husband, although he couldn’t stay long again because of restrictions.

The next morning at 11am I stood for the first time.

I remember that they wanted me to walk that night, but my bp was not stable so I could not even try because again I kept passing out. Due to this issue they could not give me any heavy pain killers, which was brutal to say the least.

I ended up having to stay longer than expected and did not leave until March 6. I was really sad about this because I missed Elsie’s half birthday.

I remember being in a lot of pain at the hospital and being really loopy. It was really so hard to walk and to hold my body weight up even with a walker. I remember getting into the car was extremely painful and I remember crying a bunch. Otherwise this time frame was pretty blurry.

The First Two Weeks

I was finally home with my baby, which did help me feel a little better, but wow those first two weeks are hell on Earth, not even going to lie. I was having a lot of nerve pain and everything was so hard. Again these first two weeks are a little foggy, what I do remember is lots of tears. I just was so helpless and immobilized. I felt like a horrible Mom. I was honestly harder for everyone to take care of than my daughter Elsie.

Everything is so hard. Standing is hard, walking is hard, getting a shower is nearly impossible. It really is all just HARD.

I had in-home physical therapy that came to me, which was essential. There was no way I was getting myself and Elsie in the car to go to outpatient therapy everyday! It was so nice having the physical therapist come to me.

Physical therapy was grueling, but obviously necessary. Word of advice? Do everything they tell you to do. The more you bend at first the more range of motion you will have. Do everything they say and more if you can.

Weeks 2-6

These weeks really test you, and your true grit. You are done being hurt. You just want to be better and feel more normal. Although your pain may be managed at this point, it is still pretty hard to do just about everything. This range of time though is when I saw the most improvement! Things just kept getting a little easier and easier. The pain was starting to subside to a tolerable level and I had my routine down pat at this point.

The mental and emotional side of things at this point was really difficult though. I just felt like I was a burden on everyone. The opioids (although I was taking a ton) were definitely causing some depression and I would often just cry feeling like I was missing important moments with my daughter or in frustration because I could not do things the way I wanted to do things.

I continued physical therapy, but I started outpatient therapy, which was nice. I could get out of the house and I started using the bike at therapy which really helped loosen my knees up.

Weeks 6-12

I felt like at week 6 I was returning to some normalcy, it was still hard, but I was able to push through. I still needed some help taking care of my daughter as I was still using a cane for stability in week 6, but my quad strength was coming back and things were feeling much better. I was experiencing a lot of tightness still, but it was improving.

By week 12 I was able to take care of my daughter independently. She has become quite mobile with crawling so I ended up investing in a playpen to contain her when she is enjoying floor time, but with this I was able to watch her on my own.

At 10 weeks after lots of PT I was able to get to the ground and play with my daughter (granted, me getting back up off the ground is NOT graceful, but it doesn’t have to be) and this made me so happy! The reason for getting the surgery was to eliminate limitations from my life so I can be the fun and involved Mom. Getting on the floor with her felt like such a win. Here is a picture of me sitting enjoying the waves on the beach with her really recently (exactly 3 months post op!)

This journey has been difficult. Within a two year time frame I went through fertility treatments/surgery, a difficult pregnancy, a csection and recovery, postpartum depression/anxiety, and bilateral total knee replacement.

I definitely think after this recovery it is time for a BREAK.

This journey has been hard, but I no longer have bone on bone pain in my knees. I still have tightness and muscle pain, but it is improving. My doctor and physical therapist have reminded me continuously joint replacements (ESPECIALLY TWO AT A TIME) is a marathon, not a sprint. They have told me it takes a full year to feel the full benefits of the surgery and to feel your best.

My options were live with bone on bone paint that got worse and worse, or get this surgery and have surgical pain that gets better! I think the before and after xrays speak for themselves!

If you or a loved one are facing a knee replacement or bilateral knee replacements, please reach out and ask any questions you want! I would love to help this community and provide information based on my own experiences. You can reach me on instagram @kylasieges or feel free to comment here!

Again I hope to put together a post with my must-haves for knee replacement recovery in the future so make sure to subscribe so you do not miss it!

Transforming my Home from Farmhouse to Boho on a Budget: PART 2 LIVING ROOM

In my last post I described how I flipped my kitchen and dining area to be more of a boho feel! Today I will be showing you my living room before and afters and how I flipped the room from farmhouse to boho with some easy and inexpensive changes!

Let’s start with the mantle’s before and after pictures! Slide to see the difference!

To update the mantle I started with the large round mirror which I found at Hobby Lobby for half off. It was $30! I then found some glass vases and I painted them with a mixture of acrylic paint and baking powder! You just add baking powder until it has a fluffy consistency! This gives your vases that texture like they are pottery! A super easy update and DIY that instantly made the perfect accessories for around the mirror.

This shows the consistency the paint needs to be! See what I mean it gets a little “fluffy”!
This was the glass vase before I painted it! You can get things like this for a quarter or two at a Goodwill or thrift store!

You can see they really go well with the mirror and shutters! I added some little fluffs I found at Hobby Lobby in the dried flower section to the one large vase! That vase was found at Homegoods! It is wood!

One of my favorite parts of the living room is the amazing basket wall I got from Thrifts and Wicks on instagram. You HAVE to check her out HERE. She is so sweet and easy to work with and helped me put together the most gorgeous basket wall! Since we live in a rental I used clear command hooks and a little bit of fishing line to hang them! It was SO easy, and I think really warms up the space and gives it that boho vibe!

I really love how the rug I picked worked well with the farmhouse, but looks AMAZING with the boho vibe as well! So versatile and not too expensive! I will link it on my liketoknow.it!

Also, I have to say it again- THE BASKET WALL! It really pulls it all together I am so in love!

I also got 2 sets of 2 throw pillows at Marshalls and Homegoods! I wanted to highlight the neutrals with black and cream! I also have black and white prints hanging behind the couch!

A couple throw pillows, some old vases and paint, a basket wall, and a mirror flipped this space pretty easily! I love how you can get a completely different feel in your home with just a few inexpensive changes!

I hope this helps if you too are planning to update your home decor.

xoxo,