Baby Names Inspired by the West Coast

Choosing the perfect name for your baby can be so stressful. There are so many options out there. Do you love the West Coast in the US? I have a special love for Southern California and the West Coast in general. It will always hold a special place in my heart. Whether you are from the West Coast or just have a special connection to it like I do, I have just the thing for you! I have compiled a list of about 39 names (for both genders) inspired by the West Coast for all my fellow coastal lovers. You might find the perfect name for your little one.

Ana

Inspired by Santa Ana, CA.

Angel

Inspired by Los Angeles, CA. The city of Angels.

Barbara

Inspired by Santa Barbara, CA.

Berkeley

Inspired by the University of California, Berkeley.

Cali/Callie

Inspired by California’s nickname.

Calihan “Cali”

Inspired by California. For a boy, try this, and you could still use Cali as a nickname.

Carl

Inspired by Carlsbad, CA.

Carson

Inspired by Carson, CA, and Carson City, NV.

Catalina

Inspired by Catalina Island off the coast of CA.

Chandler

Inspired by Chandler, AZ.

Clara

Inspired by Santa Clara, CA.

Clarita

Inspired by Santa Clarita, CA.

Del

Inspired by Del Mar, CA, and Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island, CA.

Diego

Inspired by San Diego.

Eugene

Inspired by Eugene, OR.

Everett

Inspired by Everett, WA.

Francisco

Inspired by San Francisco, CA.

Glen

Inspired by Glendale, CA and Glendale, AZ.

Henderson

Inspired by Henderson, NV.

Holly

Inspired by Hollywood, CA.

Jose

Inspired by San Jose, CA.

Kent

Inspired by Kent, WA.

Kirk

Inspired by Kirkland, WA.

Marcos

Inspired by San Marcos, CA.

Maria

Inspired by Santa Maria, CA.

Mateo

Inspired by San Mateo, CA.

Monica

Inspired by Santa Monica, CA.

Oakland/Oakley

Inspired by Oakland, CA.

Ocean

Inspired by Oceanside, CA, and all the West Coast ocean views.

Phoenix

Inspired by Phoenix, AZ.

Portland/Porter

Inspired by Portland, OR.

Rosa

Inspired by Santa Rosa, CA.

Scott

Inspired by Scottsdale, AZ.

Simi

Inspired by the Simi Valley in CA.

Sunny

Inspired by Sunnyvale, CA, and all the coastal sunshine.

Torrance

Inspired by Torrance, CA.

Tracy

Inspired by Tracy, CA.

Victor

Inspired by Victorville, CA.

Weston

An English name meaning: from the western town.

I hope these names give you some inspiration while picking out the perfect name for your baby. I love names with special meaning, and if you love the West Coast, these are great options to consider. If you are still looking for other options, check out these lists: Baby Names Inspired by Flowers, Baby Names Inspired by the Sea, Baby Names Inspired by Christmas, Baby Names Inspired by Summer, and Baby Names Inspired by the Fall.

DIY Baby Washcloth

One of the simplest baby projects I’ve made is baby washcloths. I like to make a couple of new ones for each baby I have. You can customize them and use virtually any theme you want. They use minimal fabric and supplies and are very affordable to make. Plus, they can be made quickly and easily. Let me show you how to make your very own!

What You’ll Need

• Flannel fabric
• Diaper cloth fabric
• Thread
• Sewing machine
• Cutting tools

FLANNEL FABRIC
You will need enough flannel fabric for a 5 in. x 5 in. square. I have gotten fabric at Jo Ann’s, Hobby Lobby, Walmart, and online.

DIAPER CLOTH FABRIC
You will need enough diaper cloth fabric for two 5 in. x 5 in. squares. I usually buy diaper cloth by the bolt at Walmart. You could also use terry cloth for the backing, but I prefer to use the diaper cloth.

THREAD
Grab some colored thread that matches your fabric. This is for sewing around the edges.

SEWING MACHINE
For sewing everything together.

CUTTING TOOLS
You’ll need all your preferred items for cutting fabric.
1) A cutting board or table
2) Scissors or a rotary cutter
3) Measuring tools such as a measuring mat, ruler, etc.
4) A fabric pen or pencil to mark the fabric if you use one

Let’s Get Started

STEP #1
Measure and cut a 5 in. x 5 in. square of the flannel fabric.

STEP #2
Measure and cut TWO 5 in. x 5 in. squares of the diaper cloth fabric.

STEP #3
Lay the two diaper cloth squares on top of each other.

STEP #4
With the wrong sides together, lay the flannel fabric on top of the diaper cloth pieces.

STEP #5
Sew all three fabric pieces together. Make sure to leave about a 1- 2 inch gap for turning the fabric.

STEP #6
Cut the corners on the fabric. Trim fabric so all raw edges are even, if needed.

STEP #7
Turn fabric right side out using the 1-2in opening you left. Smooth and press around all edges.

STEP #8
Fold the 1-2 inch hole of the fabric inside to match the rest.

STEP #9
Starting on the 1-2 inch opening, sew all fabric together around the edges, closing the hole.

And there you have it! You can now make your very own baby washcloths for your little ones using your favorite fabrics. Happy creating!

Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum

I have been a huge “Little House on the Prairie” fan ever since I was a little kid. I grew up reading the books, watching the TV show, and pretending I was Laura Ingalls by running around in our hay field with my own bonnet. As I got older, I was more inspired by the fact that Laura Ingalls was a real person and her books are true stories. I think this is probably where my love of autobiographies came from.

It has always been on my bucket list to visit the Ingalls home(s). So when we moved from California to North Carolina, I knew making a pit stop to visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum in Missouri was a must-do!

Quick facts:

• The Rocky Ridge Farm white farmhouse remains as it was in 1957.
• The Wilders arrived in Mansfield from South Dakota on August 30, 1894.
• The Wilders bought the forty-acre farm with a 1-bedroom log cabin on the property. They built onto the house one room at a time.
• It took 17 years to finish all the home additions.
• The Little House books were written by hand at both homes on Rocky Ridge Farm.
• Rose Wilder had the Rock House built with modern conveniences for her parents as a Christmas gift when she returned home in 1928.
• Laura wrote the first four Little House books while living in the Rock House at age 65.
• Laura and Almanzo lived in the Rock House until 1936, when they returned to their beloved Farm House where they spent the rest of their days.

It is located in a small town. The Rocky Ridge Farm property contains two of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s houses: the Farm House and the Rock House. The Farm House is the one Almanzo built for Laura after they moved from South Dakota to Missouri as a married couple. Laura was only 4’11” in height, so everything in the house was custom-built for her size. The kitchen counters, stove, etc. are all lower than you would see in a typical house.

During our visit in summer 2015, they were doing construction on a new, bigger museum (which I hope to visit one day). While we were there, there was a small museum and gift shop on the property by the farmhouse. The Museum displayed clothes, books, quilts, belongings, etc. owned by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The gift shop had a wide variety of memorabilia items to choose from. We got a couple of teacup replicas of the same blue and white China dish pattern Laura owned and some other small trinkets.

The grave sites of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Almanzo Wilder, and their daughter Rose Wilder Lane are also located in the local town cemetery of Mansfield, MO. We drove by on our way out of town to visit.

Since our visit, they have added the new and bigger museum, restored the Wilder family walking trail (which was commonly used as a walking path between both houses), and a vegetable garden (which honors Laura’s passion for gardening and depicts a 19th-century garden).

Note:

During the time of our visit they did not allow you to take photos inside of the homes in order to help preserve the old and delicate items. Hence why I don’t have more photos.

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum is located at 3060 Highway A, Mansfield, Missouri 65704. You can learn more about the hours, info, events, etc. on their website here.

If you’re making your way through Missouri, I definitely recommend making this a pit stop along the way. You will not be disappointed!

Gender Reveal Theme Ideas

When it comes to gender reveal announcements and/or parties, there is no shortage of theme ideas to run with. Whether you plan to have a big party with family and friends or just a little celebration, you want a cute theme with photo ops.

I never did a big gender reveal party with any of my kids, but I always made sure to do some cute photos for a social media announcement. If you’re looking for some fun ideas to do on your own, you came to the right place! Here are some of the cutest and most creative themes I have discovered in my own search.

Pink or Blue

It’s an oldie but a classic. Why not just use the generic gender colors of pink and blue? With my first pregnancy, we did pictures holding blue and pink glitter and then blew the color of our baby. I love the photos!

He or She

Again, this is pretty generic, but I had a friend that did this theme with Hershey chocolate bars, and it was so cute. On some of the bars, they colored blue in the “HErsey,” and they colored pink on some of the “HERsey”. So simple and affordable but still cute.

Bows or Baseballs

This is my personal favorite as I love bows and baseball! With my daughter, I made her bow things and my son was baseball everything. This is a great option.

Tutus or Touchdowns

If one or both of the parents are ballet/dance or football fans, this one is perfect.

Staches or Lashes

This is another cutesy option that is easy to make your own décor and photo booth props using mustaches and eyelashes.

Prince or Princess

Perfect for the Disney lover! You could use specific ones from a Disney movie or just generic prince or princess decorations with crowns.

Buck or Doe

If you are an avid hunter, then this one is for you! You can still make it cute with Bambi or nursery cutesy deer.

Cupcake or Stud Muffin

If you love sweets or are doing a cake/cupcake reveal, why not try this theme?

Wheels or Heels

This is another of my favorites. Think cars, Hot Wheels, NASCAR, etc., and high heels, dress up, etc.

Layup or Makeup

This is perfect for the basketball and/or fashion fans.

Little Mister or Little Sister

If you have an older sibling (or more), why not try this simple and rhyming option? I used this as my announcement for my second pregnancy, where we held up Big Sister and Little Mister signs (see below), and I loved how it came out!

Guns or Glitter

This one is for the military or hunting dads out there. Like I’ve already mentioned, I love doing the glitter pictures. It would be easy for decorations.

Guns or Roses

A variation of the previous one but for rock and roll fans. Or for those who don’t like the glittery mess.

Dresses or Messes

Think cutesy dresses, tutus, things little girls love, etc., and dirt, monster trucks, dinosaurs, things little boys love, etc.

There are so many great ideas out there for gender reveal themes. What are your favorite ones? Have any other ideas I left out? Leave a comment below and let me know! Get creative and have fun making wonderful memories for you and your growing family!