Mommy Testers

Our Time - The Couples Stroll

2015-01-20T15:47:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Joovy for gifting us the Joovy Qool stroller which has quickly become a part of our family routine and given us "our time." In emerging from the blinding fog that is the first few months of a baby, our family has begun to establish a bit of a routine. It's the little things. Kayla picks out her clothes for school the night before. Craig packs Kayla's lunch. I set up the coffee pot

Giving Back and Slowing Down

2014-12-21T22:20:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Step2 for donating these toys to a worthy cause as part of my Step2 ambassadorship! #PlayItForward A few months ago I surprised another mom just doing her best every day and shared it on Instagram. It was a small gesture, but a meaningful one to me in a world where we as moms are often so quick to look for faults and differences rather than common ground. So when my friends at Step2

Disney FROZEN FEVER DIY Spring Wreath

2014-12-09T15:59:00.001-08:00

Did you hear that Disney is releasing FROZEN FEVER this spring? That's right. If you heard the rumor that a follow up of sorts to FROZEN was coming then you're probably about as excited as Kayla. That would be SO FREAKING EXCITED!!!! I would be lying if I said I was unaffected by this news. Seeing the sheer joy that FROZEN has brought to my child (which I have chronicled through our DIY Ice

Holiday Kids' Table Ideas

2014-12-08T14:07:00.001-08:00

I'm sharing a kid-friendly holiday tablescape with you today. Thanks to Halos for sponsoring this post so I can share more kid-friendly Christmas DIY projects! #HalosFun This holiday season is a special one for our family because it's the first time since Kayla was an infant that we'll have my parents and all of my sisters under one roof. When I think of the holiday season, some of my favorite

This Baby Is A St. Jude Baby

2014-12-02T21:06:00.003-08:00

Last November I shared about a very special trip I took to an incredibly special place, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. It changed my life. Literally. Let me explain. I published this post on Thanksgiving day of 2013. I urge you to go read it because most of us have heard about St. Jude and have a general idea of what they do. However, there is just SO much more to the picture than

The Big Gift - Step2 Spin & Go Xtreme Cruiser

2014-11-17T14:11:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Step2 for sending the Step2 Spin & GO Xtreme Cruiser ride-on toy for us to check out as part of my ambassadorship with Step2. #Step2ambassador Considering that I recently had a baby, I think our "Christmas came early" photo should probably be the 15ish pound bundle of joy named Blake. However, if you want to talk about joy, I think the photo below says it all. Christmas for Kayla

Letting Go, Just A Little

2014-11-14T20:46:00.000-08:00

Three months ago, Blake entered our world. Since then, a lot of things have changed. First of all, we are now officially out of bedrooms. Second, we needed help. Badly. I very aggressively went back to my "job job" three weeks after having Blake. Technically, I never stopped working since I was responding to blog related emails from

2 Minute Curls - an Everyday Look with Conair Curl Secret

2014-11-10T09:40:00.000-08:00

I created my 2 minute curls using the Infiniti Pro by Conair® Curl Secret® as part of a sponsored post for #CollectiveBias #HeartMyHair I recently told you about my minor beauty rut. Okay, it was a full on self maintenance meltdown. The arrival of Blake very quickly ended my days of having an independent child and time for things like mascara. Then there was the hair. OH the hair. The hair

When YOU Become the Primary Breadwinner

2014-11-07T20:54:00.001-08:00

About two years ago I left my day job working in the fashion industry and decided to call the blogging world my new day job. To say it was scary is an understatement. I had supported myself 100% from the age of 19 and had always had multiple jobs, even when I was living at home in a very cushy suburb of NY. The thought of relying on my husband while working my way up...even though he was my

Chicco KeyFit 30 - The Easy to Install Car Seat

2014-11-06T15:17:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Chicco for sending me a KeyFit 30 car seat to review so I can share my thoughts with you. Even though Kayla is approaching six years old, the reality in our home is that I am the designated car seat installer, remover and adjuster. My husband wants nothing to do with it. I don't blame him. The thing about car seats is...they're a total pain. In fact, with some of them it seems like

Neighborhood Toy Store Day & Best Toys For Kids 2014

2014-11-04T11:29:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled to share about Neighborhood Toy Store Day, a cause that is very near to my heart. Thank you to ASTRA for sponsoring this post. #NeighborhoodToyStoreDay As someone who spends a fair amount of time with their head stuffed in a box of children's toys and games, there is a special day quickly approaching that I'm incredibly excited about. It's Christmas. It's obviously Christmas,

Joovy Moon Room - A Playard for those with Pets and Older Siblings

2014-10-26T20:12:00.004-07:00

We received the Joovy Moon Room to review as part of the #JoovyMom program. When you live with two gigantic furry, lickey dogs and a five year old who is the definition of a close talker, you need an escape. I'm not going to lie, prior to having Blake I sought refuge in the water closet of our master bathroom. Curled up on the floor with a cup of coffee and an Us Weekly that was at least

That Time I Forgot To Cut My Hair - Conair 3Q Dryer

2014-10-20T21:56:00.001-07:00

I was recently treated to a new Conair Infinity Pro 3Q blow dryer by my friends at Beautystat who also sponsored this post. #3QDryer #bstat When you have a child, you make sacrifices. Some are very clear - like goodbye weekend jaunts to Cabo, hello preschool tuition. Then there are more subtle transformations that happen over time. The next thing you know, you're wearing yoga pants pajama

Princess Reward System - A Princess Makeover For Behavior

2014-10-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

I created my easy princess reward system as a great way to give a princess makeover for behavior as part of a sponsored post for #CollectiveBias This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DisneyBeauties Lately I've noticed a trend. Kayla is often student of the day at school. Awesome. Before you think I'm that mom gloating about

5 Tips for Choosing Baby Bottles

2014-10-08T02:30:00.000-07:00

Here are 5 tips for choosing baby bottles. Thanks to my friends from Joovy for sending me some of the Joovy Boob bottles to try out. They have been wonderful and are without a doubt my favorite baby bottles so far! There are certain things you learn the second time around as a mom. Like that at some point you will utter the phrase "do not eat your toe lint!" only this time maybe you'll care

The First Few Weeks

2014-10-07T14:29:00.000-07:00

How do I describe the first few weeks? Amazing. Overwhelming. Ever so slightly terrifying. Snuggly. Incredibly sweet. Exhausting. It's been about 6 weeks since Blake entered our world. I mean, it's been 5 weeks since we entered Blake's world. There is nothing like a baby to take an otherwise fully functioning person and turn them into a homebound baby clutching couch potato. Don't get

The Best Mermaid Costume - Chasing Fireflies

2014-10-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

Want the best mermaid costume? Chasing Fireflies sent us a super high quality mermaid costume for Halloween this year and Kayla loved it! #ChasingTreats2014 It's that time of year again. The great Halloween costume debate. This year the struggle was real as Kayla flipped through the pages of the Chasing Fireflies catalogs that (I kid you not) she hides in her bed so she can try to read them

DIY Pattern Block Bookends - Target Toy Emporium

2014-10-01T06:42:00.004-07:00

I made my DIY Pattern Block Bookends with a great toy from the Target Toy Emporium. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TargetToys #CollectiveBias I think it goes without saying that I am eternally excited about toys. It is physically impossible for me to make a trip to Target without a stroll through the toy aisles. Which

Super Easy Doc McStuffins Slumber Party

2014-09-29T03:00:00.000-07:00

I created my easy Doc McStuffins slumber party and cereal treat Doc McStuffins cake as part of a sponsored post. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #JuniorCelebrates #CollectiveBias We recently discovered the joy of Doc McStuffins. Call us laggards. I know that at almost six, Kayla is kind of on the old side to be a Doc

The Cutest Personalized Baby Blankets - Atkinson Drive Gifts

2014-09-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Atkinson Drive Gifts for sending the cutest personalized baby blanket my way. I adore the alphabet swaddle and it's just perfect for newborn photos! Picking a baby name is tough. Or at least I thought it was. I know couples who struggle whittling down their list of twenty baby names and I am impressed. Craig and I had the hardest time coming up with just a few baby boy names that

Big & Little Brother Gift - Step2 Ford F150 Raptor

2014-09-12T22:30:00.000-07:00

I checked out the Step2 Ford F150 Raptor and created my Big and Little Brother Gift as a Step2 ambassador. Thanks to Step2 for sending the Ford F150 ride on toy my way! There is no question that becoming an older sibling can be tough. I've often worried about the nearly 6 year age gap between Kayla and Blake and wondered how that will play out. So far it's been amazing. But our age gap is

4moms mamaRoo - Win It!

2014-09-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

When I started thinking about baby gear while pregnant with Blake (which was almost immediately) I didn't have too many I-Must-Have-That-Or-Else items in mind, but at the top of my list was the 4moms mamaRoo. On one of my first "oh I'll just browse" shopping trips I spent a few minutes playing with it and checking out the settings. What struck me was how unlike a traditional swing it actually

Modern Marvel - Nook LilyPad Playmat

2014-09-02T21:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Nook for sending us the Nook LilyPad playmat to check out. It's probably the most stylish modern playmat for babies I've seen to date! So in case you've missed it, lately I've been ever so slightly fixated on nursery decor and all things cool for baby. Which is precisely why when I discovered the brand Nook Sleep Systems via my Instabuddy Numi Numi Design I was all excited. They

5 Tips for Cord Blood & Cord Tissue Collection

2014-08-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to work in partnership with Cryo-Cell to bring you these 5 tips for cord blood and cord tissue collection. They are helpful tips for storing your cord blood collection kit and what to do in the hospital. As you probably know by now, our highly anticipated arrival has arrived. The funny thing about childbirth is that it's one of life's (slightly scary) unscheduled surprises.

5 Tips for Introducing Your Dog to a New Baby

2014-08-20T13:39:00.003-07:00

Thanks to I and Love and You for sponsoring this post so I can share how to introduce your dog to a new baby. We love I and Love and You's dog treats. #Furreal It is no secret that our family is quickly expanding. Two years ago we added Charger and last summer someone thought it would be a brilliant idea to get a second dog. Okay, maybe that someone was me. I got the vibe that Charger