Real Mama Picks: Ariel Hoffman
Remaining healthy and active throughout my pregnancy was incredibly challenging. Despite always being a generally fit adult, pregnancy was hard for me to stay active and eat right. As I’ve become more immersed in the prenatal space, I’ve been lucky enough to connect with incredible providers who can guide and coach you throughout your pregnancy and postpartum journey. Regardless of your goals, Ariel is one of the best of the best because she gets it! As a mother herself, she understands the shifts in your body and life when baby enters the scene because she has been there.
Since I know it’s important to many of you to learn how other mamas use their baby gear, I’ve asked her to bring her mama knowledge to this space and offer her top 4 favorite baby products that she selected for her son. As a little background about Ariel, she is a New Yorker turned LA based wellness coach, master fitness trainer, entrepreneur and mother. She believes true fitness and strength can’t be measured by scales or by numbers. Perfection doesn’t exist. She helps you strive to find your own way to get fit, healthy, and happy, and to measure accomplishments based on what matters to you so you can get your groove back and keep it.
Ariel’s Picks
Halo SleepSacks
When my son was an infant, we used swaddles as well, but since he never liked to sleep with his arms in, the Halo gave perfect options for arms in or arms out, while still keeping him super snug, and with a baby who likes to kick a lot, it's also easy to get on and off of him . They have a range of sizes starting from infant, my son is in the large size now, so that they can grow into different sleepsacks very easily.
2. Lovevery:
I love this service! Every 2-3 months since my son was an infant, we get a curated box of toys that are put together based on their stage of development. I had a lot of anxiety when it came to buying a bunch of toys while not really knowing what was appropriate for what age, so this really is perfect. Great for people who live in smaller spaces and don't really want to clutter up the entire house with baby stuff, and....has the added benefit of being supportive in their brain and motor skill development.
3. Ikea High chair:
Ok, I think this is one of the best decisions that we made! I had a playdate with a friend who has twins, older than my son, and at the time, I asked her about where she got her high chairs, and she said this one! and the best part is that it was 20 bucks, and the even better part is cleaning it! it's sooooo easy! no cloth chair to have to deal with, or icky stuff ending up in the crevices. Just a simple wipe down. Hands down, perfect for us!
Prepping for Peanut Note: I do recommend adding a footrest to this seat for proper ergonomic alignment for meals.
4. Uppa Baby Vista Stroller:
I also love the Uppa Baby Vista Stroller with the Nuna infant car seat - Funny story, I actually had a complete meltdown in Buy Buy Baby when my husband and I went to look at strollers. I just couldn't handle all of the choices, plus figure out all of the safety requirements. It was seriously an overload for me, so my husband graciously took over this task, and we ended up going to a smaller store with fewer stroller options, and this combo seemed to hit all of the important things for us. It was super easy to push around, which ended up being very important because I had an unplanned c-section, which meant that it was really difficult to move for the first couple of months. This stroller made it very easy, and though you have to buy an adapter so the Nuna fits in the stroller, it was super easy and we are still using this stroller with my son who is now 21 months. Another perk is the color options so that your stroller stands out of a sea of black ones.
About the Author:
Ariel Hoffman, founder of Ariel Hoffman Wellness - Helps executives, entrepreneurs, and mothers who struggle with chronic stress, fatigue, and burnout create a personalized wellness practice that fits into their busy schedule so that they can feel energized, focused, and empowered to perform their best in business and in life.