Brown Mommy Diary

Motherhood & Lifestyle

Fun Toddler Outing: We Took A Trip To The Zoo!

Father with red nike shirt and black shorts, mom with blue jeans and a tie-dye t-shirt standing behind the stroller with toddler sitting in the stroller.

We took a trip to Zoo Atlanta! This was actually EJ’s first outing since the start of the pandemic. We are slowly easing our way back into activities, because there is so much that we want EJ to experience, because quite honestly he has missed out on a lot. 

Zoo Atlanta hosted our family for a fun, filled trip this past weekend! I wanted this to be a fun, safe outing for the entire family even though mask restrictions have been lifted for the state of Georgia. Zoo Atlanta has several safety measures in place. If you are considering taking your family, check out the current safety measures below. 

Toddler sitting in the stroller affixed next to a statue of a gorilla at Zoo Atlanta.
Toddler wearing a yellow rain jacket while sitting in an umbrella stroller at Zoo Atlanta.

Zoo Atlanta Safety Measures

  1. Employees wear masks
    1. Although I could not find this on their website, I observed all employees except for one wearing a mask
  2. Timed Ticketing
    1. General admission guests must select a time reservation 
    2. Daily capacity is limited
  3. Hand Sanitizing Stations
    1. Hand sanitizer stations were available throughout every part of the zoo
  4. Frequent cleaning/disinfecting touchpoints 
  5. Masks are recommended for general admission
  6. Masks are required for ages 2 and older for optional in-Zoo experiences

Our Zoo Trip Experience

We had a blast at Zoo Atlanta and here’s why! It was so easy to social distance and get a great view of the animals, because of the time reservation slots. Its a win, win situation! If you are considering bring a stroller, I would say go for it given the current circumstances. We did bring strollers, but it didn’t feel like a burden, because there was plenty of space to maneuver. 

I would highly recommend visiting the Zoo in the morning. We arrived at the zoo around 10 AM, which meant that the animals were visible and active. Due to the tropical storm last week, we experienced some rain during the second half of our visit. However, the experience was still enjoyable! The zoo itself is shaded very well with trees, which blocked most of the rain in certain areas, and there are covered viewing areas available too. If you know that there is a possibility of rain coming in the area that day, just bring rain jackets and/or umbrellas.  

Let’s talk about how I was a little nervous about taking EJ to the zoo. EJ is quite afraid of our family dog. So, I wasn’t really sure how he would feel about seeing other animals since this would technically be his first encounter with live animals outside of seeing our dog every day. Thank goodness the zoo was a hit!

If you’ve been thinking of engaging activities for your toddler, take them to the zoo! Zoo Atlanta is on my list for fun toddler activities. If you are ever in the Atlanta area, be sure to check out what all Zoo Atlanta has to offer.

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The ULTIMATE Hospital Bag Checklist

There’s just something about being prepared that eases my mind, which is why I created a hospital bag checklist that includes mommy, daddy, and baby. Packing your hospital bag is one of the many ways to prepare for the arrival of your new baby. As a first time mommy, I really had no idea what items to include in my bag, because this was literally my first rodeo. However, through this experience, I quickly discovered that most of the items that I packed in my bag were unnecessary, which is why I created a Hospital Bag Checklist from a minimalistic approach.

This hospital bag checklist is thorough, but without the fluff. What we fail to realize is that the hospital stay is at most 1-2 days given there are no complications. Therefore, there’s no need to pack as if we are there for an extended stay. 

Black pregnant woman image used for a blog post highlighting a hospital bag checklist
*Disclosure:This post may contain affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclaimer here.

What does the hospital provide?

Before and after the fact, this is probably the most sought out question. Based upon my experience, here’s a list of items that were provided by the Labor & Delivery department at the hospital where I gave birth. 

  • Postpartum Care (mesh underwear, postpartum pads, ice pads, peri wash bottle)
  • Diapers
  • Wipes
  • Blanket
  • Kimono Onesies
  • Hat
  • Pacifiers
  • Suction Bulb
  • Baby Brush/Comb
  • Gauze & Vaseline * (for baby boy circumcision procedure)
  • Services (Lactation Consultant)

My tip on the items provided by the hospital- stock up! The nurses were very generous with items, which is why I still have I have a surplus of unused items now. Along with the list of items that are provided by the hospital, here is a list of a few items that are commonly found on hospital bag checklists, but I found not necessary and listed them as optional. 

  • Nursing pads- In my opinion, they aren’t necessary because milk supply is not established. However, these are the nursing pads that I recommend. (bamboobies)
  • Nursing pillow- Lactation Consultant showed me how to use the pillows provided by the hospital to place the baby in a comfortable position for nursing. Once I returned home, I used my Brestfriend Nursing Pillow. 
  • Postpartum Care- I packed a package of Depends in my hospital bag. However, I did not use them until I returned home. If you prefer to purchase your own postpartum care items, I’ve seen some great reviews about the Frida Mom Postpartum Recovery Essentials Kit and The Honey Pot “Post-Partum Herbal Pads”.

Hospital Bag Checklist

Below you will find the hospital bag checklist that I have created. To print, click the image and it will open a new tab. I hope you find this checklist helpful either for yourself or someone that you know that will be welcoming a new bundle of joy. 

This ultimate hospital bag checklist is a complete, yet minimalistic. It is the perfect checklist that gives you everything you need to have in your bag when it is time to meet your little one.

As an added bonus, here are some of my favorite products that were really helpful in the newborn stage.

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Mother’s Day Gifts: The Ultimate Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Office stock photo
*Disclosure:This post may contain affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclaimer here.

Mother’s Day is around the corner, which means that it’s time to find those Mother’s Day gifts if you haven’t already. Honestly, Mother’s Day has snuck up on me- yikes, let’s jump right into this! I’m going to help us all out with my ultimate mother’s day gift guide that includes many of my favorites from major retail stores like Target. First, let me start by saying that I am amazed at the fact that I have a whole human being that calls me mama- like what the what!??!

Whether you are purchasing a gift for your mom or significant other, I’m sure you will be able to find at least one item that will suit their liking. Moreover, I know how difficult it can be to shop for someone, but hopefully this guide will make gifting a little bit easier this year. And if you’re like me, maybe it will make it a little easier to tell people what you want- ha! In this guide, there are visuals of all the Mother’s day gifts that I have selected. Categories range from beauty to home & garden. To look more in depth, just click the picture and it will take you directly to the assigned link.

From black-owned to convenient two-day shipping, this ultimate gift guide gives you various options. As you browse through this gift guide, think of ways to pair items. You can create a unique Mother’s Day gift basket of all the things that she likes. If this guide was helpful, please show your support by leaving a comment and/or subscribing to my email list.

Mother’s Day Gifts

Home & Garden

Beauty

Electronics & Crafts

Clothing & Shoes

Accessories

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