The Beauty of Disconnecting

I've been thinking lately about the need for an app that can let people know on every digital medium I can be reached, that I am unavailable. Something that could with one button tell everyone on all four of my email addresses, Facebook messenger, Text message, phone calls, etc. that I am currently disconnected. I live a life that often requires that I be reached mornings, nights, and weekends. That is fine, I'm involved in a lot of things that require various people be able to reach me, but at times I just want to completely disconnect. 
I had many plans for today. This is my last free Saturday until August 29th as I have a few things going on and rehearsals for an all Black presentation of Othello I am producing and acting in (if you're in Philly, mark your calendar!) I wanted to do housework, among other things. We ended up spending the day at a friend's home and hanging in their pool most of the day. It was amazing, and just what I needed. 

After those pictures were taken Hubs got in the pool too and we all hung out, completely disconnected, and it was amazing. Where I usually would have been often checking my phone for e-mails and messages, I just relaxed and enjoyed myself. I was too far away to even see my phone lighting up, and didn't care to check it. Four adults, three children, and two dogs, just enjoying each other's company for a few hours. I immensely enjoyed that period of disconnection. 
Things happened while I was in pool mode, there are a few things I need to handle now that I'm settled home this Saturday evening, but the world didn't fall apart while I was away. I need to disconnect more often. 
P.S. - It was Sage's first time in the pool and she dug it. We got this baby float, which was nice because she could float around by herself and we didn't have to hold her the whole time. It also has a shade part but we didn't use it because we were under the shade of trees.
When is the last time you disconnected?

Nursery Tour

You may recall when I talked about possibly starting to vlog. I attempted to start out by just using my iPhone, but I just don't have enough space on my phone for extensive videos. At first I purchased a GoPro, but the one I got I felt like didn't really work for vlogging. I found the sound quality to be really lacking. So I returned it, cashed in a bunch of Amazon and Discover points and got a Panasonic HC-V270. I'm still getting used to it, but I really like it. 
For my first non-iPhone vlog, I bring you, a tour of Sage's room: 

LaNeshe Recommends: Baby Gear

This post contains affiliate links. 

You can get real carried away real quick when it comes to baby stuff. When we were purchasing stuff for BabyCakes I tried to do a lot of research and read a lot of "things you need, and things you don't need" lists. I can honestly say we haven't purchased anything that I thought was a waste of money. Here are some of my baby faves when it comes to large pieces. Graco Pack n' Play with reversible Napper and Changer $80

We've gotten a lot of use out of this, and I think we will for a while longer. When BabyCakes first came home she would sleep in the napper portion in our room. When she transitioned to sleeping in her room in her crib at night, we moved it to the living room and put her in it for naps. Once I went back to work I brought it with me to my office so she would have somewhere to play. When she got more mobile (I caught her planking on the side of it lol) I dropped the mattress down to turn it into a playpen, and now that is how she plays in it. This is also really good for travel to have something easy to setup for baby to sleep or play in while away. 

Fisher-Price Booster Seat - $25

This is the chair we have for BabyCakes to eat from. You can hook it onto any chair, so we co-opted one of our dining room set chairs for it. It's a simple little seat. Everything is plastic so it wipes down easily. She's very comfortable in it. 

Fisher-Price Cradle 'N Swing - $99

I got this $120 swing from Ross for only $70. I was SOOO excited when I found it. It was the only one, and I was 7 months pregnant, but I carried that sucker by myself out to a cab cause I could not pass up the deal. Plus, it was jungle themed like her room. This was a great buy. This was a lifesaver. In those early day when the only way I could get her to take a nap in a place that wasn't on my chest was in this swing. "Swing nap" was a coveted thing for us. That's when I would eat with both hands, and take a comfortable nap myself. It rotates so it can swing both side to side and front to back. I was sad when she got too heavy/mobile for this swing, but it's made it's way to a new home. 

Fisher-Price Sit-Me-Up Floor Seat with Tray - $40

There came a point where BabyCakes wanted to be sitting up when she was lounging, rather than reclined like in the swing, but she couldn't sit up on her own yet, so we got this chair. It actually came the day all three of us were battling a stomach bug. She loved it, thank God, because it gave me somewhere secure to put her while I laid around praying for us all to get better. She rarely eats in this, but it does have a snack tray. 

What Baby Gear is on your MUST HAVE list?