tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48171710033828943732024-03-21T09:36:39.258-04:00Green Days Blue WavesNavigating this crazy life one day at a time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-15180541002649757152021-03-18T13:36:00.001-04:002021-03-18T13:36:07.957-04:00Travel nursing with family and pets? It can work!My family had been stuck in our Chicago apartment for six months when Little E's school system made the decision to start the school year with online learning. Papa E was already working remotely, and we were keeping our distance from friends and family due to my ongoing risk of COVID-19 exposure while working as a nurse. With the ability to take school and work on the road, we suddenly found ourselves with an odd bit of freedom despite the many restrictions in place. One week after the school announcement, I signed my first travel nursing contract. I am now on my third contract, and traveling has been an awesome choice for our family (even our two cats!). Keep reading for answers to a few of the most common questions I am asked.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfQqKInn3j3mtLiBpnHAvWdzEDwp6DVF4tVXZjCzj3MivD3Sxz_eEKkge_fszCb6gaHg4oQ8IjLI7UHuBHhN-p7C5o2XlRCx8tXUBGK7zWJjvRPonzYBPRjpmV7venCPJvZKCLH3u4qI/s1080/familyroadtrip.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfQqKInn3j3mtLiBpnHAvWdzEDwp6DVF4tVXZjCzj3MivD3Sxz_eEKkge_fszCb6gaHg4oQ8IjLI7UHuBHhN-p7C5o2XlRCx8tXUBGK7zWJjvRPonzYBPRjpmV7venCPJvZKCLH3u4qI/w400-h400/familyroadtrip.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><ul><li style="text-align: left;">How did you choose an agency to travel with?</li><ul><li style="text-align: left;">I ended up selecting an agency that was recommended by a friend who currently travels. I also did a lot of online research and spoke with several recruiters before making a final decision. Making a list of questions and priorities was helpful for me.<br /><br /></li></ul><li style="text-align: left;">How do you manage long drives with your cats?</li><ul><li style="text-align: left;">Our cats get very anxious in the car and are more comfortable when they can be together. Rather than using the small individual carriers that we typically use for things like trips to the vet, we purchased a large travel kennel that would give them space to stay together while still being able to move around. The 32" size took up two seats in the back of our Ford Fusion and left enough room for my son to sit comfortably. We maximized his space by using <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MXQJU7S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">this</a> backseat organizer from Amazon. We likely could have gone a little bit smaller but wanted space to be able to fit a small litter box during stops.<br /><br /></li><li style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqkLJQAA_Wleb3HJnbSQpPaG7IXJ_8wu_Cu4etMn5Dx08jtVF_M7USeCXLIubK7KinIlJ1VFmW-cD2NtBdFvISagNSgAxiFfrkGXAOav7yPq-6W3Nof3jpYImHUP2EuFNHZTXonn9iZg/s1280/cattransit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqkLJQAA_Wleb3HJnbSQpPaG7IXJ_8wu_Cu4etMn5Dx08jtVF_M7USeCXLIubK7KinIlJ1VFmW-cD2NtBdFvISagNSgAxiFfrkGXAOav7yPq-6W3Nof3jpYImHUP2EuFNHZTXonn9iZg/s320/cattransit.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /></li></ul><li style="text-align: left;">Which hotels let you stay with cats?</li><ul><li style="text-align: left;">There are actually many hotels that will allow you to bring cats or dogs along for an additional fee, but even within some of the major chains this can vary from location to location. Always call ahead to verify prior to making a reservation. Motel 6 is a standout because they allow up to two pets to stay totally free across all of their locations. This is a good no-frills option when you just need somewhere to spend the night while driving. Check out <a href="https://www.gopetfriendly.com/blog/nine-pet-friendly-hotel-chains-that-welcome-cats/" target="_blank">this article</a> from Go Pet Friendly for a list of nine hotel chains that allow cats.<br /> </li></ul><li style="text-align: left;">Is it difficult to find pet-friendly housing? What about housing with more than one bedroom?</li><ul><li style="text-align: left;">Working with a housing stipend rather than agency-provided housing gave us a lot more flexibility. Finding housing that allows pets can be difficult, but it is not impossible. We had good luck finding a cat-friendly unit with two bedrooms on Furnished Finder. Expect to pay a pet deposit, or even monthly pet rent in some cases. </li><li style="text-align: left;"> Availability can also vary quite a bit by location. If you're interested in traveling to a specific area, do a quick search on Furnished Finder or other housing sites with the appropriate filters (entire unit, allows pets, 2+ bedrooms, etc.) on to get an idea of how many options are available. Do this before submitting for contracts in an area to avoid a high-stress situation later on.</li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: left;">Let me know in the comments if there are any specific questions you would like answered!</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-14398602306995798572021-03-09T07:09:00.086-05:002021-03-18T13:36:36.892-04:00Skincare Faves + Giveaway!<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Long shifts, reusing PPE, increased hand sanitizing, and high stress levels have not been particularly kind to anyone's skin over the last year. Skin breakouts and dry hands continue to be common complaints from my friends and coworkers. Here are a few of the products that I use in my daily routine as a travel RN that have kept my skin healthy and clear. Check out the giveaway link at the end of the post for a chance to win your choice of one of the products listed or a $30 gift card to Ulta to select a favorite product of your own.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Favorite Cleanser</h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaD6uMsoTj4GDqaSrvmVNITmNyuFAwjecTxB_fbdfJKfm7kFpZPlOpjk3sq2bWtK7BsA4l-1EcNbAZM27-0zAlxD02fkxZmITg6l57XIlgdn25VigV1k-F_W-O1DKgUd_v2jMHEG972KI/s500/cleanser.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaD6uMsoTj4GDqaSrvmVNITmNyuFAwjecTxB_fbdfJKfm7kFpZPlOpjk3sq2bWtK7BsA4l-1EcNbAZM27-0zAlxD02fkxZmITg6l57XIlgdn25VigV1k-F_W-O1DKgUd_v2jMHEG972KI/s200/cleanser.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">L'Occitane En Provence</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.loccitane.com/en-us/immortelle-divine-foaming-cleansing-cream-27DF125I17.html" target="_blank">Immortelle Divine Foaming Cleansing Cream</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">$44.00 (4.2 oz)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I discovered this cleanser a few months ago and was completely hooked from the very first wash. It is now my primary cleanser, and I really can't say enough good things about it. My skin feels super soft and refreshed with every use. </div><h4 style="text-align: center;">Runner Up</h4><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdnhSj8ohAhAUGDtLYn1m-DXAqFA7LxmTET2Wzl0EAjUV5cSEEltwX2lm9ArroCzZHdMI5y93WThKDwYBchc8lnNleNMhbLGLkLKS_a5MIUD0j1hfefbh8l3LYbU6X-QqPBe8GYzgxT3o/s465/it-cosmetics-cleansers-confidence-in-a-cleanser-pack-shot.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="465" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdnhSj8ohAhAUGDtLYn1m-DXAqFA7LxmTET2Wzl0EAjUV5cSEEltwX2lm9ArroCzZHdMI5y93WThKDwYBchc8lnNleNMhbLGLkLKS_a5MIUD0j1hfefbh8l3LYbU6X-QqPBe8GYzgxT3o/s200/it-cosmetics-cleansers-confidence-in-a-cleanser-pack-shot.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">It Cosmetics </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.itcosmetics.com/skincare/confidence-in-a-cleanser/ITC_692.html" target="_blank">Confidence in a Cleanser</a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">$28.00 (5.0 oz)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Prior to discovering the immortelle cream, this was my daily cleanser. I still mix it into my routine a couple of times a week. It is very gentle and keeps my skin feeling clean without drying it out. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #073763;"><b>Tip: This periodically goes on sale at Ulta. Wait for a sale or prestige brand eligible coupon and then stock up. </b></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"> Favorite Moisturizer</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKUOMXez0b78KW6hA6-DCl0C6_qhOmfKn2neVqssc3uSwgL-hOi9OfffUStnqI-O7IlRdo-tgzTgyATvZqmPCvUrH6er9lt2G5VgIW0MlhPHNUekMrJK4mz6q-K6IfGLdH2M9dk-QOIQ/s2000/aqua.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKUOMXez0b78KW6hA6-DCl0C6_qhOmfKn2neVqssc3uSwgL-hOi9OfffUStnqI-O7IlRdo-tgzTgyATvZqmPCvUrH6er9lt2G5VgIW0MlhPHNUekMrJK4mz6q-K6IfGLdH2M9dk-QOIQ/s200/aqua.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">belif </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://belifusa.com/collections/moisturizers/products/the-true-cream-moisturizing-bomb?variant=14329840631867" target="_blank">The True Cream - Aqua Bomb</a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">$38.00 (1.68 oz) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My skin is generally dry with a few combination areas, and I use this cream daily after cleansing. It is moisturizing but lightweight and keeps my skin looking bright and feeling great.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="color: #073763;">Tip: Belif usually has a featured set available that has the full size cream plus 2-3 sample size products for the same $38.00 price as the cream alone. Check out the <a href="https://belifusa.com/products/moisture-festival-set?_pos=1&_sid=a34912fa5&_ss=r" target="_blank">Moisture Festival</a> set at belif or the <a href="https://www.ulta.com/aqua-favorites-fair-set?productId=pimprod2016327" target="_blank">Aqua Favorites</a> set at Ulta. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"> Favorite Hand Cream</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZY29fvsmg7vfGoSXPTX2Cw-iZSyA1kHd4j3bJkdfdd6CJ8D6ShnEz-qq1gRnSaG3E92a7vVfuuiCJ0YqB9a1-yOBjM2FD4ZFYOM8gYWOk4eNJNi1HklJ-W1RDadg6Fc8pYCyT_WLZnE/s500/handcream.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZY29fvsmg7vfGoSXPTX2Cw-iZSyA1kHd4j3bJkdfdd6CJ8D6ShnEz-qq1gRnSaG3E92a7vVfuuiCJ0YqB9a1-yOBjM2FD4ZFYOM8gYWOk4eNJNi1HklJ-W1RDadg6Fc8pYCyT_WLZnE/s200/handcream.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">L'Occitane en Provence </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.loccitane.com/en-us/shea-butter-hand-cream-01MA150K18.html" target="_blank">Shea Butter Hand Cream </a></div><div style="text-align: center;">$29.00 (5.2 oz)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This hand cream is thick and moisturizing but absorbs quickly and doesn't leave a greasy feeling after use. I keep a tube at home, in the car, and in my work bag. I have tried other hand cream products from L'Occitane with high hopes, but none of them work quite as well as the shea butter. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="color: #0c343d;">Tip: If you use as much hand cream as I do, skip the travel size. At $12.00 for a 1 oz tube, you'll be paying more than twice the cost per oz of the full size.</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Share in the comments what products have been helping you with skin care challenges this year, and don't forget to enter the giveaway below for a chance to win your choice of one of my favorite products or a $30 Ulta gift card. Entries will close on 3/16/21 at 11:59 pm EST.</div><br /><div><br /></div>
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="fe51104b1" data-template="60475c1c367cde044bd56724" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/fe51104b1/" id="rcwidget_u3lqz1cb" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">This post is not an ad or sponsored in any way.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-85310300677853714312020-07-06T20:02:00.001-04:002021-03-18T13:37:44.446-04:00Literati Club Sage Review (June 2020)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*Please note that the following post contains affiliate/referral links.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since Green Days Blue Waves was originally a blog that revolved around reviews of subscription boxes, it seems fitting to revisit those roots in this second take. We have been going through books like crazy over the last few months due to all of the time at home. I came across Literati while shopping for books online, and Little E just received his second box last week. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXfJbjYIactHEpLDv41hBSPcT9mr3wjzP3mGuHxMBp1GqALlQFvwvos9ZRZ4NSdL-T4Rr9R2RjMRtUybeNB6Wpc4IHUCDbZUHL4txeXxxmvwrLvSGAe7pjaDXjnU_t799juDxUITxCD8/s1600/thebox.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVo-cCpG2Mii6JeX-GXtWiBP-UIPvCHwUmfQPmV2Ik-6lD7xoplInFYUH034h87NYWm5pmiCwZVT2PIdVbOeASyQt1umevpe5gaOiPqjmpaotfv_g6WFqXS6SdSQIHehDbpp38RPhj3o/s3000/wholebox.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVo-cCpG2Mii6JeX-GXtWiBP-UIPvCHwUmfQPmV2Ik-6lD7xoplInFYUH034h87NYWm5pmiCwZVT2PIdVbOeASyQt1umevpe5gaOiPqjmpaotfv_g6WFqXS6SdSQIHehDbpp38RPhj3o/s320/wholebox.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div>Literati is a book subscription for children ages 0-12. Little E is signed up for Club Sage which features books curated for 7-9 year olds. Currently he receives a box monthly, but there is an option to decrease the frequency if desired. Each box contains five books along with an art print by a featured illustrator and fun extras such as "This book belongs to..." stickers. Boxes include a prepaid return label, and the recipient has seven days from delivery to explore the books and decide which to keep or return. Literati costs $9.99 per shipment in addition to the cost of any books you decide to keep. The theme for June was "The Brainiacs," and included the following books:<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNYxJ5GqFnrwsS1uMs3UxOx0v4-THzTbNJqEE5qo7Ak1IIHA7FCXYAeGcBi9VHNGlAB-SN9Gg5828496Z_DuR6fZs24UWK4uv_HuemCUZlFOlvwgoYfqyLwIo8yKQw9LldRhZYnE8xT8/s499/frindle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNYxJ5GqFnrwsS1uMs3UxOx0v4-THzTbNJqEE5qo7Ak1IIHA7FCXYAeGcBi9VHNGlAB-SN9Gg5828496Z_DuR6fZs24UWK4uv_HuemCUZlFOlvwgoYfqyLwIo8yKQw9LldRhZYnE8xT8/s320/frindle.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2BJ0yqR">Frindle by Andrew Clements</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Literati Club Price: $6.79</div><div style="text-align: center;">Amazon Price: $6.89</div><div style="text-align: center;">Savings: $0.10</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8orXNvi4Y8awrheDU5ImvLKfuHHvk6efzTFK2s2tQZmsblLBQJQm6HSjgeVi8YsInZB_NDXI7cbSjxFsNG3FsDQt_UQINPpQqxeqj4D2PJ_Z9qyLAjOYzqzc8AAWi9zV9RWwSXnaOo0/s499/picturemaze.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8orXNvi4Y8awrheDU5ImvLKfuHHvk6efzTFK2s2tQZmsblLBQJQm6HSjgeVi8YsInZB_NDXI7cbSjxFsNG3FsDQt_UQINPpQqxeqj4D2PJ_Z9qyLAjOYzqzc8AAWi9zV9RWwSXnaOo0/s320/picturemaze.jpg" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2AxwFcF">Picture Maze Puzzles for a Road Trip by Conceptis Puzzles<br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Literati Club Price: $7.70</div><div style="text-align: center;">Amazon Price: $7.95</div><div style="text-align: center;">Savings: $0.25</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVgXv2ki72tsTwe9tKcg5WWWeIrc23ui1cEjobn4CWLA_-FUEcJaET-OGiUMiZorXWe0vHbIs-zlcHsxmsv6MUGiOiDLE7_hyMl0rYKjisrVtx4Uxb6OTpdTO_qeBQbYczr996zw-NPk/s499/starrunner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVgXv2ki72tsTwe9tKcg5WWWeIrc23ui1cEjobn4CWLA_-FUEcJaET-OGiUMiZorXWe0vHbIs-zlcHsxmsv6MUGiOiDLE7_hyMl0rYKjisrVtx4Uxb6OTpdTO_qeBQbYczr996zw-NPk/s320/starrunner.jpg" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3eY2IBo">Legend of the Star Runner: A Timmi Tobbson Adventure (Solve-Them-Yourself Mysteries for Kids 8-12) by J. I. Wagner</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Literati Club Price: $13.49<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Amazon Price: $16.98<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Savings: $3.49</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLO-FjKvkE-r2ZqcLhnVK_MJ8wvaGGAO9Ag9Up3TZusamD0qT_SFaBLIDhCk9MA4_80cciLL_Cof6VAQ6XWDiwoLQ2iRm9mZw5zrO-d-YHeJiWkpLhL1Sjna-94HpI1Vjvvzt0iWZh_w/s499/dontcheckout.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="352" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLO-FjKvkE-r2ZqcLhnVK_MJ8wvaGGAO9Ag9Up3TZusamD0qT_SFaBLIDhCk9MA4_80cciLL_Cof6VAQ6XWDiwoLQ2iRm9mZw5zrO-d-YHeJiWkpLhL1Sjna-94HpI1Vjvvzt0iWZh_w/s320/dontcheckout.jpg" /> <br /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3iBxBOb">Don't Check Out This Book! by Kate Klise<br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div>Literati Club Price: $11.59<br /></div><div>Amazon Price: $11.99<br /></div>Savings: $0.32</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkt4FF0dxU_kNeoXshNOwS9BD2ghVNpEkMS6-8hk6_yaLkY-MtrTFe4ZWhNitjh7wqBWBAMo9w3EJuYnCsayibd2vDsWCXdx_QvsdB_gwmQJerMdQ4Ecd6iWxu2GSEio_rvRo1cvWp70/s499/bigquestions.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="347" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkt4FF0dxU_kNeoXshNOwS9BD2ghVNpEkMS6-8hk6_yaLkY-MtrTFe4ZWhNitjh7wqBWBAMo9w3EJuYnCsayibd2vDsWCXdx_QvsdB_gwmQJerMdQ4Ecd6iWxu2GSEio_rvRo1cvWp70/s320/bigquestions.jpg" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3iA6cw4">Big Questions from Little People: And Simple Answers from Great Minds by Gemma Elwin Harris</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div>Literati Club Price: $13.99<br /></div><div>Amazon Price: $24.99<br /></div>Savings: $11.00</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3uqtfJH5cQEkl4OpQ5CDnUdGNlArxWL2PxvdH0vYuBCTaMrU6l9flEuW2HRo5HbV_4jsaTO1V1CIIYeXRqjaspsYh4DfYivNaMw0N8eRUfY6MCBxu_DiMiRK_Jr-E1vs8J7kbKfHW5wk/s2048/sage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3uqtfJH5cQEkl4OpQ5CDnUdGNlArxWL2PxvdH0vYuBCTaMrU6l9flEuW2HRo5HbV_4jsaTO1V1CIIYeXRqjaspsYh4DfYivNaMw0N8eRUfY6MCBxu_DiMiRK_Jr-E1vs8J7kbKfHW5wk/s320/sage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Total Literati Club Price: $53.65 - additional 5% off for keeping all books ($2.68) = $50.97<br /></div><div>Total Amazon Price: $68.72</div><div>Total Savings: $17.75</div><div><br /></div><div>After the $9.99 subscription fee, that still leaves us with $7.76 in savings. We decided to keep the whole box this time as all of the selections were of interest. We haven't had time to dive into every book yet, but <u>Big Questions from Little People</u> was an instant favorite. As Little E has transitioned from Early Reader style books to more advanced reading, our goal has been to gradually start expanding his home book collection. I really like that Literati provides a wide variety of books, introducing us to selections we may not have chosen on our own. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>If you are interested in signing up for Literati using my referral link <a href="https://www.talkable.com/x/aA19CV">click here</a>, and we will both receive $20 in book bucks to use. <br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7Xlv_62Q42_-OvSdqQ-HdP7sIqdSoajyO2F4LacqWyh-Y35_JAR5SPGA3AI2Ae5iF8GIgIKQsFygJZ4NutLpMHbpaNMxBOKJq_IXMiEsAcYudvTOMUMzElNH_NdRmbycG19oUfedohQ/s2048/nametag.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7Xlv_62Q42_-OvSdqQ-HdP7sIqdSoajyO2F4LacqWyh-Y35_JAR5SPGA3AI2Ae5iF8GIgIKQsFygJZ4NutLpMHbpaNMxBOKJq_IXMiEsAcYudvTOMUMzElNH_NdRmbycG19oUfedohQ/s320/nametag.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*As an Amazon Associate I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-48835029889241789792020-07-05T19:49:00.000-04:002020-07-05T19:49:16.356-04:00Welcome Back<div>I created Green Days Blue Waves in 2013 as a brand new mom navigating the world of baby products. Seven years later, I hope to share a little bit of my current journey as I try to find my way back to a sense of balance. Today, I am exhausted... but tomorrow is a new day.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-65805558898479697532013-08-17T00:40:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:58:19.235-05:00Let's catch up! (July Boxes)It has been busy, busy, busy at the Frog home! Here are a few highlights from the boxes that I didn't get a chance to review in July:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RI2cquWHjL-GXzAZLrMQU1n6VbhS8_UXdkwkow2sBRoNKFRqARBYNSNEfWKZZNoRVti5zH5JQwbYQe9mm19dGRkd0Pd3vBRRMR-m7EfuA-mMLl_5Dx6KKZuhlRHzq8fJaZ1mQe5vJWUD/s1600/20130705_181949.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RI2cquWHjL-GXzAZLrMQU1n6VbhS8_UXdkwkow2sBRoNKFRqARBYNSNEfWKZZNoRVti5zH5JQwbYQe9mm19dGRkd0Pd3vBRRMR-m7EfuA-mMLl_5Dx6KKZuhlRHzq8fJaZ1mQe5vJWUD/s320/20130705_181949.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stork Stack: We were impressed with this box, and Froggy has really enjoyed playing with the caterpillar toy. Unfortunately, we lost the hat in the park the first and only time he wore it!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47oCeS93GkCTG9SP-p67ZAHBB9vVKt8-NFB5vO0ZyARXkrn_NKlmOObFfz23piYZu46Jb7kjYtDFyzn0G17kjSuCY1ni5Zknex61Yrmra0fBkRAmk0OeJFDb1DYS0iVjv7IM5TMp2OJA6/s1600/20130721_124516.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47oCeS93GkCTG9SP-p67ZAHBB9vVKt8-NFB5vO0ZyARXkrn_NKlmOObFfz23piYZu46Jb7kjYtDFyzn0G17kjSuCY1ni5Zknex61Yrmra0fBkRAmk0OeJFDb1DYS0iVjv7IM5TMp2OJA6/s320/20130721_124516.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Citrus Lane: Froggy was obsessed with the giraffe toy, but it ripped along one of the seams within a week. Most of the other items weren't a great fit for us.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0WOZuP8nWWt6vH8ul75JOVmPRYD8YZsuBjHASBjHoVo9wgNtxfS9R3uLqu1Ts6lRHrAK9f_GbW5BNvknQnGQdq59gwkt-au2dy3-mhUnIxlr51KzdxVhrQAjns3-k6HnWIKxxr-lCaW3/s1600/20130722_142646.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0WOZuP8nWWt6vH8ul75JOVmPRYD8YZsuBjHASBjHoVo9wgNtxfS9R3uLqu1Ts6lRHrAK9f_GbW5BNvknQnGQdq59gwkt-au2dy3-mhUnIxlr51KzdxVhrQAjns3-k6HnWIKxxr-lCaW3/s320/20130722_142646.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MommiesFirst: They obviously read my mind this month.The spoon and bib were exactly what we needed! I was a little meh on the lavender spray at first, but as soon as I used it, I loved it! <br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVReGbINH8Fmw0NvQtSD4fe4K5dU82SygwdNx5h9lG8XdfR6rAYGuWOky03JnljZvlNOEXG3ejsMt9Y2rurtR2Gp7WjHLugsNo2swxJpZPd00P_pQOHkF7jicMdt20QwHFWrRDBLwTth0e/s1600/20130722_182036.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVReGbINH8Fmw0NvQtSD4fe4K5dU82SygwdNx5h9lG8XdfR6rAYGuWOky03JnljZvlNOEXG3ejsMt9Y2rurtR2Gp7WjHLugsNo2swxJpZPd00P_pQOHkF7jicMdt20QwHFWrRDBLwTth0e/s320/20130722_182036.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This bib is perfect for Froggy, especially since he recently decided that he wants to be the one who handles getting the food filled spoon to his mouth.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />We got Naturebox and Graze in July as well, but those always eaten before I get a chance to take pictures. It's not my fault that they send such yummy snacks! I decided to cut back on baby boxes for August. We were starting to see a lot of repeat items each month. On the bright side, that means that I can hunt for some all new subscriptions to try! Does anyone have any suggestions?<br /><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-86351141593605657392013-07-16T01:22:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:56:45.648-05:00Local Spotlight: Green Envee Organics<div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>We received Green Envee's Soothing Aloe & Calendula nut-free children's lotion in one of our Stork Stacks and fell in love with it right away. We are very selective about what products we use on Froggy. This lotion does a great job of keeping his skin moisturized using only natural ingredients. It is also nut-free, which is awesome. Why expose him to any unnecessary allergens at this age? When I went online recently to look into ordering more, I found out that Green Envee is based right here in Illinois! I couldn't wait to share them with you.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEwdAA3E2xrCNHmWmNCBFS-RwdMFd2J9jH8kLBC_Q9iVeUA18x8hR1h4KRM-q0Xl3I1JdcBYEvHYAdbBVLo-45_Kr_s3EnWN4SXitjYE716d_YdKPLTTI1kFwHZgNe_WMIoCRxWxe0gCx/s1600/20130715_224029-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEwdAA3E2xrCNHmWmNCBFS-RwdMFd2J9jH8kLBC_Q9iVeUA18x8hR1h4KRM-q0Xl3I1JdcBYEvHYAdbBVLo-45_Kr_s3EnWN4SXitjYE716d_YdKPLTTI1kFwHZgNe_WMIoCRxWxe0gCx/s200/20130715_224029-1.jpg" width="160" /></a><br />Froggy approved!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both;">Green Envee Organics was started by two cousins named Tim and Bob, after Tim struggled to find a product that would work for his daughter's eczema and Bob's son was diagnosed with severe allergies. Their research into the subject revealed to them the many harmful chemicals found in most common products. Not wanting to use those products on themselves, let alone their children, Tim and Bob decided to try their hand at creating all natural body care products. The end result was Green Envee, a line of body care products that are handmade from only natural, organic ingredients. </div><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both;">Green Envee's goal is to focus on promoting holistic wellness within the mind, body, and spirit. Their product line is free of chemical fillers, GMOs, sulfates, parabens, and synthetic fragrances. In order to keep the planet looking just as good as their customers do, Green Envee uses only recyclable packaging and prints their biodegradable lables with soy ink. All of their products break down within a 48 hour period. They have even received a Champion Award from the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Database. </div><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both;">We love being able to support a local company with such a great mission. Head over to Green Envee's <a href="http://www.greenenvee.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a> to check them out for yourselves! </div><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both;">Green Envee has an awesome giveaway for you! One lucky Green Days Blue Waves reader will win a French Lavender and Chamomile gift set of a lotion, wash, and body oil valued at $60. You can enter to win using Rafflecopter below!</div><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both;"></div><center> <a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3b533f8/" id="rc-3b533f8" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-67032858785973750522013-07-11T20:51:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:56:12.899-05:00Thursday Thoughts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ramblingsofasuburbanmom.com/"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGWZo0MmMU8xELZ3Iqd-89eSPP39NX4kJNhIMbCf-YquRRdU4ssyOX0JgyJz7SMMRwkK7tfrSxq1wYg8ezn8sdYBWsKsmB-aJ9_GJDaWTKTKx0UNB_oG-t6KYvLpqnGkJ75ekWIPQjhWb/s320/ThursdayThoughts1-1024x1024.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm linking up with Jennifer over at Ramblings of a Suburban Mom for Thursday Thoughts!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">- I really need to go picture frame shopping. Froggy will be getting his third set of pictures done in a few weeks, and the first two sets are still sitting untouched in their folders.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">- Maybe I watched one too many episodes of Property Brothers, but the idea of buying a fixer-upper and renovating it ourselves is really starting to grow on me. I have been spending an unhealthy amount of time scouting potential options on Trulia. A break from HGTV is definitely in order!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">- I am seriously considering reupholstering our couch. My fear is that I won't be able to find the time to finish it, and our living room will end up sporting a half-naked couch for months. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">- Am I the only one who has been watching Switched at Birth? I was in tears at least three different times during Monday's episode. John finally appreciates Regina!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">- This summer is flying by. We haven't even made it to the beach yet! Usually I'm all about summer, but this year I'm actually looking forward to fall. Everything is just way too crowded right now. Outings with Froggy will be much more fun once the big kids are back in school and tourism isn't at its peak.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">- I'm still hunting for The Best Convertible Car Seat Ever. Any suggestions are hugely appreciated!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That's it for me today! What are your Thursday Thoughts?</div><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-13737308272988775812013-07-09T16:26:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:55:17.287-05:00Googaro July 2013 Review + Giveaway!Googaro delivers monthly care packages filled with top products for little ones ages 0-3. They currently offer 3, 6, and 12 month subscriptions for around $32 per box. Googaro launched their first boxes last month, and ours was a huge hit. I decided to go ahead and switch to the 6-12 month age category for July to start getting things that we can grow into. Since they are a new company, I was super excited to see if July would deliver as well as June did.<br /><br />Here is a look at our July Googabox for a 6-12 month old boy:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mldAtXBLykUyn0BlB5PHm_DP_S9ogFEYuvKupZD3COeCzFWQpw5KaHm9U7hmhVSwFbkJYLgIMMAgI7fuQOsA8jmexCdBz_ZH4Mr7YRnW2i4lmYxze1z6V4aTB8Aj-Z6aEQMpugM7M7W0/s1600/20130708_193833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mldAtXBLykUyn0BlB5PHm_DP_S9ogFEYuvKupZD3COeCzFWQpw5KaHm9U7hmhVSwFbkJYLgIMMAgI7fuQOsA8jmexCdBz_ZH4Mr7YRnW2i4lmYxze1z6V4aTB8Aj-Z6aEQMpugM7M7W0/s320/20130708_193833.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />The box was So. Full. I love it!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5QFCVsK2MIhJojS_1wTcXXnJ2JcmCUwRidnI3XNle3S3JzY3UaPmLJB144pYtR74C4uhu0_4MCO5rZAMv2IVRty1ORvZv1Pb_JWf8BX1DBUY6nyhe8sls22YTb8ePPr-xkLDsV6fI0OD/s1600/20130709_120236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5QFCVsK2MIhJojS_1wTcXXnJ2JcmCUwRidnI3XNle3S3JzY3UaPmLJB144pYtR74C4uhu0_4MCO5rZAMv2IVRty1ORvZv1Pb_JWf8BX1DBUY6nyhe8sls22YTb8ePPr-xkLDsV6fI0OD/s320/20130709_120236.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ah Goo Baby: Diaper Pouch/ $13.95 (ahgoobaby.com) - This is a really cool little pouch. It's machine washable and has a waterproof liner, so it would be a good addition to the diaper bag as a wet/soiled clothes bag. I'm thinking it could also be perfect for quick trips to the store or to grab food. I can keep it stocked with a couple of diapers and wipes and toss it in my bag instead of having to bring along The Beast (aka the diaper bag) for a twenty minute outing.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFuZDeIpdxaPeQcL_rIXZRXCdvKii7kKElw2zIP3dc1yZI3o4sgHzW6FIZHVnJ5nDHZ2-THwL3wClAVY-IaGq1cnUVUh-qhvS8PRgZHuX3HZrlkJ3uAxnj5_1qLiownvGODq3MfRnhNso8/s1600/20130709_120307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFuZDeIpdxaPeQcL_rIXZRXCdvKii7kKElw2zIP3dc1yZI3o4sgHzW6FIZHVnJ5nDHZ2-THwL3wClAVY-IaGq1cnUVUh-qhvS8PRgZHuX3HZrlkJ3uAxnj5_1qLiownvGODq3MfRnhNso8/s320/20130709_120307.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /> Plum Organics: Spinach, Peas, & Pear baby food pouch/ $1.40 (amazon.com) and Boon: Dispensing Spoon/ $4.88 (amazon.com) - I was actually just eyeing these spoons the other day in Target. I thought they might go nicely with my growing subscription box food pouch collection, and they totally do. Now I just need one of those snazzy food pouch organizers for the collection to be complete.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKHT1fL9hg2W9FM1g0VRyptgygCpn0xJM9A3rlNN6k-Rz4jS2BiLH16pcbQiSmH07XTOfNCHpUfnFJ05KwfXlYGVl6M4SL98H8DF-L358q5oEvxNLoEzwnIN0GJnbyAntzBZnYXfWzkK1/s1600/20130709_120528-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKHT1fL9hg2W9FM1g0VRyptgygCpn0xJM9A3rlNN6k-Rz4jS2BiLH16pcbQiSmH07XTOfNCHpUfnFJ05KwfXlYGVl6M4SL98H8DF-L358q5oEvxNLoEzwnIN0GJnbyAntzBZnYXfWzkK1/s320/20130709_120528-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sugarbooger: Snack Containers/ $7.50 (amazon.com) - I'm not familiar with the brand Sugarbooger, but I'm a fan of their name choice. These containers are so cute! I'm going to have to stop myself from getting all of the matching accessories I found when I was looking for the retail price. Does a five month old really need a lunch box? Probably not, but a mom can never have too many containers!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbz9DSnO_D1nqJuby618EgUujcKxiwuxUA47G1kcIbYut_wBkzop3sOI51obP180-1lCynRJz6VptBpv-zqwhnIER25qN2WG0WxjkSxBbkpI2LlmrKDEiL3gF499PNIJEuXVF7SY-EpGof/s1600/20130709_120620-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbz9DSnO_D1nqJuby618EgUujcKxiwuxUA47G1kcIbYut_wBkzop3sOI51obP180-1lCynRJz6VptBpv-zqwhnIER25qN2WG0WxjkSxBbkpI2LlmrKDEiL3gF499PNIJEuXVF7SY-EpGof/s320/20130709_120620-1.jpg" width="312" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWoOPi-3PM66On8rOS8nBUzZApZhTd-qltQwGsHBp3gNc-aW7uN_gCO-4954mb4UWKPOuxHkvejAF6IdBO2UpdLh2zFmICqx_hFEuB7rQfzOICn5MpLhmHUuIP9hqmAmdlSsqeUv2XPqzn/s1600/20130709_104059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWoOPi-3PM66On8rOS8nBUzZApZhTd-qltQwGsHBp3gNc-aW7uN_gCO-4954mb4UWKPOuxHkvejAF6IdBO2UpdLh2zFmICqx_hFEuB7rQfzOICn5MpLhmHUuIP9hqmAmdlSsqeUv2XPqzn/s320/20130709_104059.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lamaze: Clutch n Go Pyramid/ $9.95 (amazon.com) - I tried to be annoyed that we got a Lamaze toy again this month (not a huge fan of repeat brands so close together), but I couldn't do it. This thing is so cool! It has, at the very least, six different sensory activities built into it. I can see Froggy being able to play with it for a long time. He had a lot of fun moving the triangles when we first opened it, and then he eventually decided that it would make a good teether.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XFxMTbJ5T_xlPLXOn291y0FxSNurJafzXhtcB3INETyx2qA1YzZhN33x1BHulNpdAW0U-bbzIP5uacrnEw3ECmH6KBc8hEKDXMySiUydntT60SUIRBCrQafnQ7_VGEACfOX7EkRmNgLm/s1600/20130709_120410-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XFxMTbJ5T_xlPLXOn291y0FxSNurJafzXhtcB3INETyx2qA1YzZhN33x1BHulNpdAW0U-bbzIP5uacrnEw3ECmH6KBc8hEKDXMySiUydntT60SUIRBCrQafnQ7_VGEACfOX7EkRmNgLm/s320/20130709_120410-1.jpg" width="314" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Child's Play: Baby Books CD/ (retail value unknown) - Papa Frog and I are always looking for good CDs to play during car rides with Froggy, so we were happy to see this. I really like that it has both a song version and a spoken version of the stories.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsMh14f4sEeXv4lvpiRyuX4Ege0A4aEaaYEjuvsvCjh42S5-9l0mf11hjGh9V58wLrGJMJBqvD-zKHOkqGiG-i7jygl17XmeYTulxLyInFvQtTsoaivGGmRZYxv792P86h5zBwLYFWoCg/s1600/20130709_120344-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsMh14f4sEeXv4lvpiRyuX4Ege0A4aEaaYEjuvsvCjh42S5-9l0mf11hjGh9V58wLrGJMJBqvD-zKHOkqGiG-i7jygl17XmeYTulxLyInFvQtTsoaivGGmRZYxv792P86h5zBwLYFWoCg/s320/20130709_120344-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">Kiss My Face: Sport Lip Balm/ $2.61 (kissmyface.com) - A lip balm with SPF is perfect for summer, and this is going straight into my purse. For some reason my lip balms have a habit of mysteriously disappearing. I'll enjoy it while I can!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">The total value of July's box was $40.29, not including the value of the CD. Content wise, Googaro has been spot on for us two months in a row. Is it August yet? I'm ready for my next box! If you would like to subscribe, y</span>ou can use the promo code FROGGY10 at checkout for 10% off your <a href="http://www.googaro.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Googaro</a> subscription. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">Googaro has an awesome surprise for Green Days Blue Waves readers this month. You have until July 19th to enter to win a Googabox below! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3b533f7/" id="rc-3b533f7" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-1167722091916732852013-07-09T08:31:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:54:11.621-05:00Plated Review + Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Let me preface this review by saying that Rachael Ray, I am not. Coming up with meal ideas wasn't my strong suit before Froggy was born. After? Let's just say it's a good thing Papa Frog isn't picky. We eat spaghetti with Ragu sauce more often than I care to admit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I first read about Plated, I couldn't wait to share it with my fellow new moms. Plated makes meal planning quick and easy.You choose the recipes you want to cook, and Plated sends you not only the recipes, but everything that you need to cook them. The ingredients are delivered to you fresh and pre-measured. If you are anything like me, you're now thinking something along the lines of, "You're telling me that there is a service that could keep me from making last minute grocery runs with a teething five month old and a grumpy husband? Why was I not informed of this sooner!" The best part is that Plated's recipes can be made in 30 minutes or less, so even the busiest mamas can find time to cook a nice meal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is a look at my Plated experience:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My first set of plates were Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken with Homemade Tortilla Chips and Pico de Gallo. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVh106Ak_mBVQMMsEnFeH9N_wi3t5-z8GpaKQTRN7UZUILsrNNCkv0L8raoDLEHUoQapGtjwLl-GReXBlutP5pxpWXjclk7JyapN0S1O0L7NTIFIENvqcF7dzPVhcJ4PFBEWkXqospOG5/s1600/20130709_051246+(1).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVh106Ak_mBVQMMsEnFeH9N_wi3t5-z8GpaKQTRN7UZUILsrNNCkv0L8raoDLEHUoQapGtjwLl-GReXBlutP5pxpWXjclk7JyapN0S1O0L7NTIFIENvqcF7dzPVhcJ4PFBEWkXqospOG5/s320/20130709_051246+(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The recipe card<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBIRq-CRdUVG5ZFMN4nDsnL-SsaIRkmnZAfsRJvh8Ai_qctl-saUosEQOy66DzL8kum6nPY_xU3ZU9CBBqUEbj-AQba__wkaFBCZWmP55ZkowFTwuGq_gPZ0639eAZsC6g4L7mS8vnlcQ/s1600/PicsArt_1373339503219.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBIRq-CRdUVG5ZFMN4nDsnL-SsaIRkmnZAfsRJvh8Ai_qctl-saUosEQOy66DzL8kum6nPY_xU3ZU9CBBqUEbj-AQba__wkaFBCZWmP55ZkowFTwuGq_gPZ0639eAZsC6g4L7mS8vnlcQ/s320/PicsArt_1373339503219.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ingredients and Highlights<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRI1I9uFQuutu9AKqsjnvjMagVfpNKAqXMG4qqehpewaJB-M41CgGBBeuvBVQVT7eCbR6JGkGvjLbpzxEHyXY3Tqq6UmsWpLwbcsV3W8NDjyDQIf5eGPWoJsKNpQX6jw8c25jp28y3CsNe/s1600/20130709_051216.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRI1I9uFQuutu9AKqsjnvjMagVfpNKAqXMG4qqehpewaJB-M41CgGBBeuvBVQVT7eCbR6JGkGvjLbpzxEHyXY3Tqq6UmsWpLwbcsV3W8NDjyDQIf5eGPWoJsKNpQX6jw8c25jp28y3CsNe/s200/20130709_051216.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What their plate looked like<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjEup7QFcKElTmbpn4PLxhkGmGzJgg6wEuRjkJGwiyhEroN6gmzJ0sbmlTSlLAChKMHR_7TsteP8WDXh8PeMXq0Y1qTTLUxUXDoBmQXpsg2c5N8HJ7AnUfU7X2vuWpfPMFSAxjkC3NecI/s1600/20130703_193328-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjEup7QFcKElTmbpn4PLxhkGmGzJgg6wEuRjkJGwiyhEroN6gmzJ0sbmlTSlLAChKMHR_7TsteP8WDXh8PeMXq0Y1qTTLUxUXDoBmQXpsg2c5N8HJ7AnUfU7X2vuWpfPMFSAxjkC3NecI/s200/20130703_193328-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What my plate looked like <br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>My thoughts on the meal: Spicy chicken, indeed! I had to drink two full glasses of water to get rid of the sizzle, which means it was good (Papa Frog and I love spicy food). Apparently, I have a super oven. The recipe said to cook the tortilla chips for fifteen minutes. When I checked them at seven minutes, they were already a little on the crispy side. They were still yummy though, so no worries! I couldn't believe how simple it was to make pico de gallo. The built in bonus to Plated is that each meal is like a mini cooking lesson.<br /><div><br />My second set of plates were Red, White, and Bleu Burgers with Parsley Potato Chips.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8b5Na7LcjmQp-4wVKj5M4o8NJI2FFyHGhopzM0UHiLeuoJepqMvH4rRY5gjH5sMVISJnrCJN5CEkWBcUi6J72NZ1kpKgr1g9J0NxRx2bHHBh7qRSKQjtf21lC2zK8FlBazNGQNz5LCBda/s1600/20130709_051305+(1).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8b5Na7LcjmQp-4wVKj5M4o8NJI2FFyHGhopzM0UHiLeuoJepqMvH4rRY5gjH5sMVISJnrCJN5CEkWBcUi6J72NZ1kpKgr1g9J0NxRx2bHHBh7qRSKQjtf21lC2zK8FlBazNGQNz5LCBda/s320/20130709_051305+(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The recipe card<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuhG33YxSAcn0mOdj531Bsc7uaMFWkcokjmN7mvksmIyen-PG6jQ2dp_FL8HrlP17dyG9llOScVW1F_3ON-_sIkS8atrINDdA44MgodPGUY20cM1qpW03lrPkLNxgV0rGaXCw46GpiiPT/s1600/PicsArt_1373339167932.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuhG33YxSAcn0mOdj531Bsc7uaMFWkcokjmN7mvksmIyen-PG6jQ2dp_FL8HrlP17dyG9llOScVW1F_3ON-_sIkS8atrINDdA44MgodPGUY20cM1qpW03lrPkLNxgV0rGaXCw46GpiiPT/s320/PicsArt_1373339167932.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ingredients and Highlights <br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYnZ30-CvLbiJkqlFfhnh0NJ0OkNdvjyB-wXqqhAUHBTpCMMY2sM_dmauvxXHCVL9kJdHuEvEfFXE50k6bzVfbbFtKsFTKGG7GxgVzjZveIH_f844xW763i9upngvdp-D8bNgwJjn7z2L/s1600/20130709_051147.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYnZ30-CvLbiJkqlFfhnh0NJ0OkNdvjyB-wXqqhAUHBTpCMMY2sM_dmauvxXHCVL9kJdHuEvEfFXE50k6bzVfbbFtKsFTKGG7GxgVzjZveIH_f844xW763i9upngvdp-D8bNgwJjn7z2L/s200/20130709_051147.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What their plate looked like<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIRXMitahqAS1d5LzuvMENjMtM1QGEdBpyP8uu0wCMnFR_JplCD-I8wO5q3CgNsrbopz8eMY6urEa2vCOUPdVLOFtTpx7q5IHzZ8ve2Qd4_iXPOz_uvJadDEKE3F93m-g9J4UbMWr2_HM/s1600/20130707_200652.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIRXMitahqAS1d5LzuvMENjMtM1QGEdBpyP8uu0wCMnFR_JplCD-I8wO5q3CgNsrbopz8eMY6urEa2vCOUPdVLOFtTpx7q5IHzZ8ve2Qd4_iXPOz_uvJadDEKE3F93m-g9J4UbMWr2_HM/s200/20130707_200652.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What my plate looked like </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>My thoughts on the meal: Those were some big (and very delicious) burgers! Usually, I split a pound of ground beef into four patties. This recipe used a pound of ground beef for two. Even so, Papa Frog ate his in about two seconds and then started talking about how he wished he had another one. From my mini Plated cooking lesson, I now know how to caramelize onions and make my own potato chips. Food Network, here I come!<br /><br />If you want to add a gourmet touch to your weekly menu or are looking for a gift for a special mom, I highly recommend checking out <a href="http://www.plated.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Plated</a>!<br /><br />Plated is offering you guys an awesome giveaway! Two lucky Green Days Blue Waves readers will be selected to win four gourmet plates each. You can enter to win below!<br /><br /><a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3ccc3910/" id="rc-3ccc3910" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script><br /><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Disclosure: Four plates were provided to me, free of charge, for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own and were not in any way influenced by Plated. No further compensation was received for writing this review.</i></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-59555711771641119192013-07-08T16:17:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:51:20.199-05:00Time Flies When You're Having Fun!<p dir=ltr>It has been super quiet on the blog recently! How two full weeks went by without me noticing, I'm not quite sure. </p><p dir=ltr>Random Updates:</p><p dir=ltr>- I finally caught up on laundry that I had been behind on since I was put on bedrest at the end of November. I now have clothes to wear that I hadn't seen in months! </p><p dir=ltr>- Froggy started sitting himself up! He still needs a little help with balance, but he is going to be sitting unsupported any day now. My little baby is growing up.</p><p dir=ltr>- I started looking for a convertible carseat, because Froggy is almost at the height limit for the infant seat that came with our travel system. Seriously, already?!? Yesterday I was looking at the little Premie sized Carter's outfit that we brought him home in, and it's hard to believe he was ever that small.</p><p dir=ltr>- I've been indulging in some TV guilty pleasures like Keeping Up With the Kardashians (Don't you judge me!) and pretty much every show in ABC Family's current Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday line up. What do you think happened to John Kennish on Switched at Birth?? </p><p dir=ltr>- I learned that angel food cake + fresh strawberries + fresh blueberries + whipped cream = yum, yum, yum DELICIOSO (and a simple 4th of July themed dessert).</p><p dir=ltr>- I can no longer sit with Froggy in my lap while I eat. I looked away for half a second, and he grabbed my cheeseburger and tried to eat it. That's pretty ambitious for someone who's biggest meal consists of 8 oz of milk.</p><p dir=ltr>Posts Coming Soon:</p><p dir=ltr>- July Stork Stack Review<br>- July Googaro Review + Giveaway<br>- New Mama Meals! "Plated" Edition + Giveaway<br>- Local Spotlight: Green Envee + Giveaway</p><p dir=ltr>Be on the lookout this week for new reviews, giveaways, and more!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-10417970026351934052013-06-23T01:21:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:49:34.704-05:00Silent Sunday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJu_DkagvIAGOLit6djLi6KrY7oW1DmE5qQuXo5Y0run9bMS1457D8F88Da465GCcnwllSUHmx0BlVC9dsuLB_Mi4HSgL91tU6enrqezK_a7gF9XNL81e2MSh42S3Te3mUdHPJo5Jf6BoN/s1600/IMAG0717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJu_DkagvIAGOLit6djLi6KrY7oW1DmE5qQuXo5Y0run9bMS1457D8F88Da465GCcnwllSUHmx0BlVC9dsuLB_Mi4HSgL91tU6enrqezK_a7gF9XNL81e2MSh42S3Te3mUdHPJo5Jf6BoN/s400/IMAG0717.jpg" width="400" /> </a> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-69006812515218207802013-06-21T12:02:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:49:10.935-05:00June Must Have Giveaway<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our last baby box for June has been delivered, which means it's time for my Must Have Giveaway! This month, my must have item is Bob the Odd Duck from Boon that we received in our Citrus Lane box. I usually associate rubber ducks with the bath tub, but we had a ball with Bob at the pool. Even though it's a simple toy, the bright, graphic pattern is attention grabbing, and the movement of the water makes the duck "swim" back and forth.<br /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmx3M1j5C10OmUK0uM6WXvLAM1doA33wn47QRygxdH9h8KYZtOg7c_71y3pcEjtdynT43aHXsLi05HDnF0hahHrkmmi9LPcSnApgWkw11YjuCMHgxIr_wOMzjdMfvvFoI4wfc522xUHqF/s1600/PicsArt_1371822308198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmx3M1j5C10OmUK0uM6WXvLAM1doA33wn47QRygxdH9h8KYZtOg7c_71y3pcEjtdynT43aHXsLi05HDnF0hahHrkmmi9LPcSnApgWkw11YjuCMHgxIr_wOMzjdMfvvFoI4wfc522xUHqF/s320/PicsArt_1371822308198.jpg" width="230" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course, in the only non-blurry picture we got Bob decided to tip over. He did a good job of staying upright for most of our swim </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Enter to win using Rafflecopter below! The giveaway will end at 12:00 am on July 1st!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISWsPvQXxWsBWDi-ZFSozYLgvSDYO7FWa4Wbp6ii0E9Xm8fDv0KTu_IaF_d4eS4shHUAEgeY6bSnM480N3AHGt69_V5ptoYnokKmYYSlvYtoaOt-kpSpSjcCrdAfBlXdyqbFwsPp_tXz2/s1600/oddduck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISWsPvQXxWsBWDi-ZFSozYLgvSDYO7FWa4Wbp6ii0E9Xm8fDv0KTu_IaF_d4eS4shHUAEgeY6bSnM480N3AHGt69_V5ptoYnokKmYYSlvYtoaOt-kpSpSjcCrdAfBlXdyqbFwsPp_tXz2/s1600/oddduck.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Prize!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3b533f5/" id="rc-3b533f5" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script> </div><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-83154059155912216942013-06-21T11:03:00.001-04:002021-02-15T11:47:47.201-05:00Citrus Lane June 2013 Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Citrus Lane sends monthly boxes filled with 4-5 of the best products for your child's age and stage. Boxes are $25 per month for 1 and 3 month subscriptions, or $21 per month for 6 and 12 month subscriptions. We received a box for a five month old boy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is a look at our box:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg300tPdvZMq3513TGZxyLJeHWdlZmL0VOloSBQFwbjZZ8UjQTV89_pw7wpBMTst4ra6ePGYf1M9UEx6D3jnAuo-tRRqdLzNHndSyC3aSaiIU1U3pdg-gZdulFJy-dWPGMQdalNIBEeLRyv/s1600/20130620_125534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg300tPdvZMq3513TGZxyLJeHWdlZmL0VOloSBQFwbjZZ8UjQTV89_pw7wpBMTst4ra6ePGYf1M9UEx6D3jnAuo-tRRqdLzNHndSyC3aSaiIU1U3pdg-gZdulFJy-dWPGMQdalNIBEeLRyv/s320/20130620_125534.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I saw spoilers for this month's box and was really hoping we would get the Episencial Sunny Sunscreen. Most sunscreen shouldn't be used on babies under 6 months old, but their Sunny Sunscreen is safe for babies of all ages. I was really disappointed when I didn't see it in our box.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLG1eDa6_Jz4A3azwCp-jRBKSdFYbpYxgAwhZaVubrDqw_8lYIyILeqBDtIqDFqth6Dct0ID72nMwMAQkPF-RfVN-pzaKrh5DFGU_zrtVPwRFSZ4juvCngOetbQw9_X_Vdr1jndr0BtBcr/s1600/20130620_125553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLG1eDa6_Jz4A3azwCp-jRBKSdFYbpYxgAwhZaVubrDqw_8lYIyILeqBDtIqDFqth6Dct0ID72nMwMAQkPF-RfVN-pzaKrh5DFGU_zrtVPwRFSZ4juvCngOetbQw9_X_Vdr1jndr0BtBcr/s320/20130620_125553.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Boon: Odd Duck/ $10.36 (amazon.com) - This is Bob the duck, and he is pretty much awesome. The high contrast pattern is so fun and perfect for babies. Froggy can't get enough of looking at him. We had a great time playing with him in the pool yesterday.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTakAVRkITDVkwMnyZA_WRzR79l0VMH7F4yOXI7qjpKFwRcQhlaRaZtuMT255WVKc4Zjsjg95ZYxALfQD8NUK2dMP883uxP1eIPK50vtBg8hcDbssxNKiweMe70d4gxchBpxukg-wXBLEK/s1600/20130620_125640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTakAVRkITDVkwMnyZA_WRzR79l0VMH7F4yOXI7qjpKFwRcQhlaRaZtuMT255WVKc4Zjsjg95ZYxALfQD8NUK2dMP883uxP1eIPK50vtBg8hcDbssxNKiweMe70d4gxchBpxukg-wXBLEK/s320/20130620_125640.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy Baby Organic Baby Food: Stage 1 Pears/ $1.10 (amazon.com) - We plan on making most of Froggy's food ourselves, but I've been stocking up on these pouches through our boxes. They will be perfect to toss in the diaper bag when we are on the go and pressed for time. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQvgyguRnHegH5Bpxg1VeuYYc50eQOiBXwICn44v_OFZsaw86PlXHT3QEURPAT7aUNm0p_8VtVAHplRbsMMd13mg_fsigBCZxFsoHniJF4ScyzR2clNyNNU311mCwaDwMG-mMkUhCMk__/s1600/20130620_125720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQvgyguRnHegH5Bpxg1VeuYYc50eQOiBXwICn44v_OFZsaw86PlXHT3QEURPAT7aUNm0p_8VtVAHplRbsMMd13mg_fsigBCZxFsoHniJF4ScyzR2clNyNNU311mCwaDwMG-mMkUhCMk__/s320/20130620_125720.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">iPlay: Sun Protection Hat/ $13.99 for similar hat, exact print was not available (amazon.com) - We love iPlay products, and I've been in search of a good sun hat for Froggy. We have purchased three so far on our own. They either don't stay on his head or don't actually keep the sun out of his eyes. We put this one to the test when we were out walking yesterday, and it did a decent job. I really wish it had velcro instead of tie strings. Froggy + something tied = something untied, every time. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTcj7USiNlIElrDToR3jDKhiAzzV6rhcK8-LSESO6uXKzxzWATk8YVnrZYqWF8_Mc8-53LGnHNeVYZjn962EcJLkNCzWbzS2ndpd8KyhwLNvYXSt87D58WlrB3rzSRoMLnofmk8M8Lstd/s1600/20130620_125800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTcj7USiNlIElrDToR3jDKhiAzzV6rhcK8-LSESO6uXKzxzWATk8YVnrZYqWF8_Mc8-53LGnHNeVYZjn962EcJLkNCzWbzS2ndpd8KyhwLNvYXSt87D58WlrB3rzSRoMLnofmk8M8Lstd/s320/20130620_125800.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Susan Brown's Baby: Foot Therapy Cream/ $11.20 (amazon.com) and sampling kit - The foot therapy cream was this month's mom gift. I felt neutral about it. Pampering mom is great, but I really, really wanted the sunscreen. The sampling kit came with Sensitive Baby Diaper Therapy Cream and Sensitive Baby Nourishing Lotion, both of which I'm looking forward to trying on Froggy aka Mr. Sensitive Skin.</div><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The total value of the items in the June Citrus Lane box adds up to $36.65. Disappointment about not receiving the sunscreen aside, I am really happy with this box. The items included were from great brands, and we will definitely use everything. If you would like to sign up for Citrus Lane, using <a href="https://www.citruslane.com/invitedby/citrus.lane.620692" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">my referral link</a> will automatically take $10 off your first purchase at checkout. </div><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-1496608634043554712013-06-19T12:47:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:45:56.476-05:00MommiesFirst June 2013 Review + Giveaway!MommiesFirst was founded by a mom who wanted to make life less stressful for expectant and new mothers. Each month, MommiesFirst delivers personalized care packages filled with products selected for your baby (or you!). They offer boxes for each month of pregnancy and each month of baby's first year. Boxes are $30.00 monthly, with longer prepaid subscriptions available at a discount. Our June box was geared towards a 5 month old boy. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here is a look at our box:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HFs69Xd_aGsp1ojJ3r9pVMMwzMjmqXXZlkJG_8YZDfuj7k0ozJFXdEDA5tjFW9m6xz9DdjfyRAjOCPQjeKdEsRMgZ9mbGrpIDLGYbCfL5IVKWQDtSZ1VB3gs1KiflvJdDi_e6rISwm0T/s1600/20130618_235755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HFs69Xd_aGsp1ojJ3r9pVMMwzMjmqXXZlkJG_8YZDfuj7k0ozJFXdEDA5tjFW9m6xz9DdjfyRAjOCPQjeKdEsRMgZ9mbGrpIDLGYbCfL5IVKWQDtSZ1VB3gs1KiflvJdDi_e6rISwm0T/s320/20130618_235755.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I love seeing a full box! There was a personalized note included telling me all about Froggy's development at five months. It also revealed the theme for this box, which was "Medicine Cabinet." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAP9SSlUZH6_sIHSOEqIIx3ZXWsHi2IgAcxKabatCUyZSVmsgjHPyArXGX2Lj6DM6KA7JLbJaEb95ati_dtAWt-AYggFFbAKP7BQExzwXQksY0Hyp-1BBDl7yEYQ7kWWrEcJa3QwyuMoV/s1600/20130618_235905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAP9SSlUZH6_sIHSOEqIIx3ZXWsHi2IgAcxKabatCUyZSVmsgjHPyArXGX2Lj6DM6KA7JLbJaEb95ati_dtAWt-AYggFFbAKP7BQExzwXQksY0Hyp-1BBDl7yEYQ7kWWrEcJa3QwyuMoV/s320/20130618_235905.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_898624909"></span><span id="goog_898624910"></span>MommiesFirst has the best product information cards of any of the boxes we receive. They give super detailed information about each item and how to use it, plus they are held together with a diaper pin. I love that cute and personal touch!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxG_-v8CvZTvjQAiHELq8RhTSbfM4geBsFnXY9-w0AxZF2Po0XsPn4qzPMm3gIIt91jkbg_NMAfVoDWSM5a2qF_ffwPEkC2BewglukkF7yXhLIZCPHO884TrYmQYgTKnXC_6YUmIzJd_4e/s1600/20130619_000047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxG_-v8CvZTvjQAiHELq8RhTSbfM4geBsFnXY9-w0AxZF2Po0XsPn4qzPMm3gIIt91jkbg_NMAfVoDWSM5a2qF_ffwPEkC2BewglukkF7yXhLIZCPHO884TrYmQYgTKnXC_6YUmIzJd_4e/s320/20130619_000047.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Boogie Wipes/ $5.24 (amazon.com) - Boogie Wipes are awesome. Froggy hates having his nose wiped, but he tolerates these wipes much better than a cloth or tissue. Using Boogie Wipes also keeps the skin around his nose from getting irritated and raw after repeated wiping. They are very gentle.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSRN_Dpi8iaLmbataMSabTVmx_aOm1VadXR5deau_SNKnIIuVROvRGE72HErqLl2d9ODz3Du4tZn2pc8NHQJJN-EIM68vfY7GYBMWtsFPK7ST6YEBIJCcjjnK8yIAVSDk-CPii18twqqw/s1600/20130619_000116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSRN_Dpi8iaLmbataMSabTVmx_aOm1VadXR5deau_SNKnIIuVROvRGE72HErqLl2d9ODz3Du4tZn2pc8NHQJJN-EIM68vfY7GYBMWtsFPK7ST6YEBIJCcjjnK8yIAVSDk-CPii18twqqw/s320/20130619_000116.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Thera Wise: Vaporizing Rub/ $14.22 (CAD$14.50) (amazon.ca) - I love that this is a natural vapor rub that the whole family can use. MommiesFirst recommends applying the product to baby's back and the bottoms of his feet (under socks). Adults can rub it on their chests and throats. This will be going right into our medicine cabinet for the next person who gets a cold.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCzJfZz4pQeUZq9ZNJV64w8TdYg1an-kF5r-Yj3mtf4-s4SjR-xdVghpENhfAT6YrZGw7W-HKyFzW7X_udqJ20VuIm6FHqi1Xmc8YxpvAIOE4jb1IlLZL4VtwhFBtvjEJCe5q4oUKanUp/s1600/20130619_000104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCzJfZz4pQeUZq9ZNJV64w8TdYg1an-kF5r-Yj3mtf4-s4SjR-xdVghpENhfAT6YrZGw7W-HKyFzW7X_udqJ20VuIm6FHqi1Xmc8YxpvAIOE4jb1IlLZL4VtwhFBtvjEJCe5q4oUKanUp/s320/20130619_000104.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Thera Wise: Skin Healing Ointment/ $15.58 (CAD$15.89) (amazon.ca) - This is a plant therapy ointment that aids in healing wounds and reducing skin irritation. It isn't for babies but will be great for Papa Frog and me. I tend to be a little clumsy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWv1wdcXvzverVC78EV5SIR7yJjuP_hLDOSAeNykjb5NBFOmuCBZils553ZA3S8Ph9PPir0mSQ1jFkcbVeL_Q2XDKROVX_HEIJGvbx88PVfTbt7G5w1QS4BFrd-GYMth4ACPkOJDbySdPi/s1600/20130618_235924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWv1wdcXvzverVC78EV5SIR7yJjuP_hLDOSAeNykjb5NBFOmuCBZils553ZA3S8Ph9PPir0mSQ1jFkcbVeL_Q2XDKROVX_HEIJGvbx88PVfTbt7G5w1QS4BFrd-GYMth4ACPkOJDbySdPi/s320/20130618_235924.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Munchkin: Orajel Front Teeth Teething Toy/ $5.99 (amazon.com) - Froggy is really picky about teethers, so I didn't have high hopes for this. I gave it to him when he started getting fussy last night. Guess what? He actually liked it! I love that the Orajel teethers come in stages, so you can buy the one that targets whichever teeth are currently coming in.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjck-Y5ZVkO9eZs6gpy4XUe4LSvnbDSjKKD9AP3VkjTXb85n5SHeXcGu25z2LmT9kKXqfzrWmHdpnZ1ExwBgQE-e4ViX27RzZ2tD8hloHRTwyweygDnufytP7wSzg1yQSBQF9XSLQEkrKFh/s1600/20130619_000022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjck-Y5ZVkO9eZs6gpy4XUe4LSvnbDSjKKD9AP3VkjTXb85n5SHeXcGu25z2LmT9kKXqfzrWmHdpnZ1ExwBgQE-e4ViX27RzZ2tD8hloHRTwyweygDnufytP7wSzg1yQSBQF9XSLQEkrKFh/s320/20130619_000022.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Weleda: Wild Rose Smoothing Facial Lotion/ $18.99 (amazon.com) - I have heard a lot of good things about Weleda but haven't tried any of their products yet. This smells amazing, so I'm really looking forward to using it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dx17tRXhqXb7hUSaaI0PVQhLpIDNVrOmaWmpq1EFtRGCS3vdtql3e3v97L9Kr7MDsZgLnLYXv-puSzP2RKk8WA7NSqZRdwbJYKHk2L5wtOtSYU8jYbWvBoSIdX0TtZmHB_22-BUJG4wE/s1600/20130619_000002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dx17tRXhqXb7hUSaaI0PVQhLpIDNVrOmaWmpq1EFtRGCS3vdtql3e3v97L9Kr7MDsZgLnLYXv-puSzP2RKk8WA7NSqZRdwbJYKHk2L5wtOtSYU8jYbWvBoSIdX0TtZmHB_22-BUJG4wE/s320/20130619_000002.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Rocky Mountain Soap Company: Travel Size Dry Skin Body Butter/ $6.86 (CAD $7.00) (rockymountainsoap.com) and Citrouille Pumpkin Soap (Sample) - I wasn't familiar with Rocky Mountain Soap Company, so I looked them up online. I'm really impressed by them. Their soaps are handmade, and they use only safe, natural ingredients. The combination of the pumpkin soap and moisture stick has awesome reviews for kicking dry skin and eczema's butts. I think I'm going to stash these and break them out next winter.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqJ7p7iO4g_FmLiYtkdpmFQAhEoUi4h6Aw9fhHHqhyphenhyphenUGs9ntxSa7awLavH1qiTREu6LdypHZppD8esOx8cx0rA2WK0l3bkDpi9roPICMOA1UExMZ87Z9oRm2ATLk8ix8IW53CI2VGZuUS/s1600/20130618_235945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqJ7p7iO4g_FmLiYtkdpmFQAhEoUi4h6Aw9fhHHqhyphenhyphenUGs9ntxSa7awLavH1qiTREu6LdypHZppD8esOx8cx0rA2WK0l3bkDpi9roPICMOA1UExMZ87Z9oRm2ATLk8ix8IW53CI2VGZuUS/s320/20130618_235945.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Fyrefly Organic: Uplifting Tea (Sample) - I wasn't a big tea drinker before my pregnancy, but I've been liking it a lot more lately. If this tastes as good as it smells, we'll be in business. This tea, a warm bubble bath, and I are for sure going to have a date this weekend!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>The total value of our items this month, not including samples, was $66.88! That's more than twice the $30 cost of the box. I'm definitely a happy mama! If you would like to sign up for MommiesFirst, you can do so on <a href="http://www.mommiesfirst.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">their website</a>. If you are interested in trying a free box, then I have good news...<br /><br />MommiesFirst is giving one of their boxes away to a lucky Green Days Blue Waves reader! You can enter to win using Rafflecopter below!<br /><br /><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3b533f3/" id="rc-3b533f3" rel="nofollow"><br /></a></div><script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com70tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-27509374833113045562013-06-11T18:32:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:44:17.778-05:00Julep Maven June 2013 Review - It GirlI am less than thrilled with my Julep experience this month. I was under the impression that I was not receiving a box for June but was still charged and sent a box. I am extremely disappointed that I was unable to get in touch with customer service. They did not respond to my phone message or my email. I really like Julep's polishes and will more than likely continue to purchase them in the future, but I place a lot of value on quality customer service. I am not happy with the fact that I received no response whatsoever. <br /><br />Julep Maven is a subscription service that sends a box of nail polishes and/or beauty products to you for $19.99 per month. Members also receive 20% off and free shipping on their purchases from the Julep website. I received the It Girl box. Unlike some of the other Julep Maven options, the It Girl box includes three polishes and no beauty product. This month's colors were selected from Julep's new "Nantucket Nostalgia" collection. <br /><br />Here is a look at my box: <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiJAyyC1nTgSGbQmL6W9uccuP7xo7_5jmzcBcS9xW8KJBwlPpMr3gV9zKzmwELWvI2pGnXEM_5OZzWgRhkM6e1_l7a1pUWWJHoh2Gy6D8dfomFCpCSyxBr9SFWxdk3GManU5cvE7zPfNl/s1600/20130609_084636.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiJAyyC1nTgSGbQmL6W9uccuP7xo7_5jmzcBcS9xW8KJBwlPpMr3gV9zKzmwELWvI2pGnXEM_5OZzWgRhkM6e1_l7a1pUWWJHoh2Gy6D8dfomFCpCSyxBr9SFWxdk3GManU5cvE7zPfNl/s320/20130609_084636.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-SPNneaC2HEqszVNxf0FfuvCJDXFwGNmPrlEaGPXzoFjwlxBDgZeOBtDVuphZo4AgROfKx11G8kHbVTZIpuuESOJROkksdGgO4GKoxrvAb4ztm1uebHfkAySlKJgUFEsU7XCV6L7_ZGo/s1600/20130609_084831.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-SPNneaC2HEqszVNxf0FfuvCJDXFwGNmPrlEaGPXzoFjwlxBDgZeOBtDVuphZo4AgROfKx11G8kHbVTZIpuuESOJROkksdGgO4GKoxrvAb4ztm1uebHfkAySlKJgUFEsU7XCV6L7_ZGo/s320/20130609_084831.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The bonus treat this month was three pieces of saltwater taffy, which I thought was a really cute tie-in to the Nantucket theme. Papa Frog mentioned recently that he had never tried saltwater taffy. Now he has! (He's a fan.) My three colors were Nan, Bess, and Char.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxfuqlUSDrq6CkkqgHKsTtuR497hMjki-HBC17Dc-LDp-54TXz4irxLBFcqLYrluBKvI3X-uNneN2_S4opSJ5cqtb5kpsSkbzz-nZrPC6sj6Pm22P4Ifaq_Wo1UL6iKvN-_ET-o4CeNLx/s1600/20130611_150213.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxfuqlUSDrq6CkkqgHKsTtuR497hMjki-HBC17Dc-LDp-54TXz4irxLBFcqLYrluBKvI3X-uNneN2_S4opSJ5cqtb5kpsSkbzz-nZrPC6sj6Pm22P4Ifaq_Wo1UL6iKvN-_ET-o4CeNLx/s320/20130611_150213.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Nan: Nan is a pretty basic red polish, although it looks a tiny bit orangey to me. I don't really love or hate reds. They're just kind of "meh." I do think every woman should find their best shade of red and keep it on hand, because you can never go wrong with a classic red pedi.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjtlL3jMGYmH-0ks2-disLiCeG9yKtU7CFY7oOZBIEZ7MXZnjt-BsrpfbFD4C3FPtz-JM8uLl001Cd8D0_cm4aps45yCCAfwfiVpZjDy3t_M-0pFBzZfj6eJMx7AjSrbAulwV48G6eb9k/s1600/20130611_150138.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjtlL3jMGYmH-0ks2-disLiCeG9yKtU7CFY7oOZBIEZ7MXZnjt-BsrpfbFD4C3FPtz-JM8uLl001Cd8D0_cm4aps45yCCAfwfiVpZjDy3t_M-0pFBzZfj6eJMx7AjSrbAulwV48G6eb9k/s320/20130611_150138.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ahNs5l6A1D9a0Yd3CQz8UWycfrsg-kWGgq7Xtb2_kU0Q5kxezD935A2rOb6hT_XWsc-ztSJIBmlHC3jIW9RaJHFoqymHbKuwD6JmxPYP_Gf6kixLbhLAsQTf03kzFR4GSU1o3oPJl-dx/s1600/20130611_151944.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ahNs5l6A1D9a0Yd3CQz8UWycfrsg-kWGgq7Xtb2_kU0Q5kxezD935A2rOb6hT_XWsc-ztSJIBmlHC3jIW9RaJHFoqymHbKuwD6JmxPYP_Gf6kixLbhLAsQTf03kzFR4GSU1o3oPJl-dx/s320/20130611_151944.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Bess: Bess is a soft, pastel blue. I can't lie, I'm a little obsessed with this color. I opened the box, saw it, loved it, and put it on right away. I love pastels, especially during spring and summer, and my polish collection was seriously lacking a quality baby blue. Boom, problem solved!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlw0iawa5bcWVvAv_ImFAcMsfk-g4am16vPaKWq3DiVxaBoy3A5Z6zTj94IpXdYlYhxeV7Ev9MWcPmLHREV0syUzZba9smhiqExZYKyvCSG0ZvUn0UD9HorernnBR8oh9Sfgrt5HODEfjd/s1600/20130611_150151.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlw0iawa5bcWVvAv_ImFAcMsfk-g4am16vPaKWq3DiVxaBoy3A5Z6zTj94IpXdYlYhxeV7Ev9MWcPmLHREV0syUzZba9smhiqExZYKyvCSG0ZvUn0UD9HorernnBR8oh9Sfgrt5HODEfjd/s320/20130611_150151.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Char: Char is a really pretty deep blue that almost looks a little purple in certain lighting. I have at least four dresses that are close to this color, including one that I'm wearing to an event this weekend. Guess who's now going to be wearing sandals to show off her perfectly matched pedi? Yup, this girl. <br /><br />Had I not been ignored by customer service, I would have been really happy with my box. If you are interested in signing up for a Julep Maven subscription, you can do so on <a href="http://www.julep.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">their website</a>. Use code FREEBOX to try a box for the price of shipping. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-16895566226623266042013-06-09T13:57:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:41:53.990-05:00Googaro June 2013 ReviewI was so excited to get my first box from Googaro! Googaro is a subscription box service designed to simplify life for moms. All you have to do is give them your child's age (up to age 3) and gender, and their team will send a care package of 4-5 top-quality, mom-approved products to your door each month. Subscriptions are available for 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months. Monthly boxes start at $35.00, with longer subscriptions discounted. June was Googaro's very first month sending out boxes, so I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. Luckily, they didn't disappoint! I apologize in advance for the weird lighting in some of the pictures. My camera was determined to capture a glare when the overhead light was on.<br /><br />Here is a look at our Googabox for a 0-6 month old boy:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3Efk8dbFitbtEsXhPRLmuPGsyNH-K_rmbR5Gsg6T_k2_DAtqoH3jjhVQRazkXtFeZz9zwy2k1TateS6qcL7cDNIPxG8WUHuPtp_uFiwFEtV3nCxnw82rMbvfnEc6nVxX_NHgzB0eIPdY/s1600/20130608_121722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3Efk8dbFitbtEsXhPRLmuPGsyNH-K_rmbR5Gsg6T_k2_DAtqoH3jjhVQRazkXtFeZz9zwy2k1TateS6qcL7cDNIPxG8WUHuPtp_uFiwFEtV3nCxnw82rMbvfnEc6nVxX_NHgzB0eIPdY/s320/20130608_121722.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I usually skip putting up photos of the different tissue paper that comes inside of our boxes, but, seriously, how cute is that sticker? Maybe I'm biased because I love elephants, but still.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFYASi6udhYEHtNxrQs9DGf50q69V-HjO59YPE-K8S5LV97lrqeT-vU2AvOd5-FlI2O84YuqfuRLw8QabmkExhaH_RoeXUNILgeEIvJIQNPKDGdQLIkH7scauu3MGRAtadJCytAFdxLm9/s1600/20130609_084904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFYASi6udhYEHtNxrQs9DGf50q69V-HjO59YPE-K8S5LV97lrqeT-vU2AvOd5-FlI2O84YuqfuRLw8QabmkExhaH_RoeXUNILgeEIvJIQNPKDGdQLIkH7scauu3MGRAtadJCytAFdxLm9/s320/20130609_084904.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">At first glance, I was really impressed by how full the box looked. I also recognized several of our favorite brands.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLuAeWInYX48Hck00Fe7wsp_km4hNNjHHg77CSQjJ73o7k-nkez1A2T0H_pP_KSK85R9yd74f1T1gJ4OnawfBRk65QX5kJjbS3Qgygy1j3Pw3-uvYRrwCyb3vCbbMNPbHI2MMiRj5XQAbD/s1600/20130609_085458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLuAeWInYX48Hck00Fe7wsp_km4hNNjHHg77CSQjJ73o7k-nkez1A2T0H_pP_KSK85R9yd74f1T1gJ4OnawfBRk65QX5kJjbS3Qgygy1j3Pw3-uvYRrwCyb3vCbbMNPbHI2MMiRj5XQAbD/s320/20130609_085458.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Aden and Anais: Terry Velour Burpy Bib/ $11.95 (amazon.com) - Oh no, pink! Fortunately, Googaro has great customer service. I emailed them about the mistake, and they emailed me back the same day with an apology and an offer to send me an additional bib in the correct color. We love Aden and Anais, especially their burpy bibs. They are huge and can be thrown over your shoulder as a burp cloth or snapped around baby's neck as a bib. Froggy is determined to try to cover his clothes in milk at every feeding, and these bibs are the only ones that keep him clean. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMzF0oZ1e67AkUyQhnQp5CtWuS572kXaO7XfaL75RufX2tS1oUbohgRlmq7g9pDXUDh3VyW9Bk3PTgApl4F3dCqgKpy68bG49vJM-wSxp-oJF9hVHnKCHzACYLw81SR5HuxtEL8BlQ1bV/s1600/20130609_085111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMzF0oZ1e67AkUyQhnQp5CtWuS572kXaO7XfaL75RufX2tS1oUbohgRlmq7g9pDXUDh3VyW9Bk3PTgApl4F3dCqgKpy68bG49vJM-wSxp-oJF9hVHnKCHzACYLw81SR5HuxtEL8BlQ1bV/s320/20130609_085111.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Lamaze: Hula Girl Travel Toy/ $13.00 (amazon.com) - This hula girl is so cute! She has a loop that velcroes on to the stroller tray. As you push the stroller, she wobbles back and forth and makes a little jingle sound. The bright colors caught Froggy's attention as soon as I opened the box, and the hula girl's hair and skirt are perfect for grasping babies to grab hold of. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJMw6zZ58xcwTKjHaQZ5DfyGQuV7NxLC4kYkR50tPvke06GgmI1-6VJJXy5GTNGhr8tkLWVMzlAIP3w4XRkjrckDNMU8kRiTl3RCnbA0d1dpyOTLnOh1cdKSahITnso0wuGcVIozFIQLz/s1600/20130609_085139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJMw6zZ58xcwTKjHaQZ5DfyGQuV7NxLC4kYkR50tPvke06GgmI1-6VJJXy5GTNGhr8tkLWVMzlAIP3w4XRkjrckDNMU8kRiTl3RCnbA0d1dpyOTLnOh1cdKSahITnso0wuGcVIozFIQLz/s320/20130609_085139.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Mambino Organics: Happy Baby Soothing Stick/ $8.75 (amazon.com) - This will definitely come in handy for us. Froggy has sensitive skin, so I'm constantly on the lookout for gentle skin products with safe, natural ingredients.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsCmAJ4O3EDpwkehTzHpavKJMd8wSSBvjfbF7CoJT6pQ23D6egrqbsyM4l00IKCX5wsNTEz2i7tKc7CLSwokIMSTJJp2v1iek3vhgSstdAofJHJCHNs2x-5HKd02gZVGqBcQLqBxoi282/s1600/20130609_085332-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsCmAJ4O3EDpwkehTzHpavKJMd8wSSBvjfbF7CoJT6pQ23D6egrqbsyM4l00IKCX5wsNTEz2i7tKc7CLSwokIMSTJJp2v1iek3vhgSstdAofJHJCHNs2x-5HKd02gZVGqBcQLqBxoi282/s320/20130609_085332-1.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Seventh Generation: natural bottle and dish liquid/ $3.09 (amazon.com) - How did I not know this existed. We use regular Seventh Generation dish liquid and really like it, but it is very sudsy and takes a while to rinse. When you have a screaming baby who wants something Right Now, fifteen extra seconds of rinsing time feels like an eternity. I tried this out last night and found it to be a much easier rinse than the regular formula. I love that the bottle is full size instead of a sample or travel size.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vFdDj47xSbzESd_yE1o5G-4fIOaTtLjiDJ5eXGmAi3aWkphh6yWlAXB8aSS85I8ydpf7TCWvNRywQfpIpDXcwbLL3LmIl2EnvCZ5i2fhDkVWpW72x2-JkbjV6JKSjoQ5Z54W1QE_BmIO/s1600/20130609_085212-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vFdDj47xSbzESd_yE1o5G-4fIOaTtLjiDJ5eXGmAi3aWkphh6yWlAXB8aSS85I8ydpf7TCWvNRywQfpIpDXcwbLL3LmIl2EnvCZ5i2fhDkVWpW72x2-JkbjV6JKSjoQ5Z54W1QE_BmIO/s320/20130609_085212-1.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Mom, Dad and Baby: The Mommy Hook/ $8.50 (amazon.com) - If you read my blog last month you already know that I'm a big fan of "The Mommy Hook." It makes juggling bags, a stroller, and a baby (Froggy will only actually sit in the stroller about 30% of the time) a relatively sane experience. This one is green, which automatically makes it at least twice as cool as the one we already have.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The grand total for the items in our Googabox came to $45.29. That's really good considering the boxes are only $35.00, and shipping is free. I felt like the products were a nice mix of fun and practical. They also get major points for a quick and painless resolution to the bib mistake. No company is perfect, but I love doing business with companies that are all about a positive customer experience. If the coming months continue to be on par with June, I just might have a new favorite box service!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">If you would like to sign up for Googaro, you can do so on <a href="http://www.googaro.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">their website</a>. Until June 30th you can use code AWSNAP for $10 off of $40 or more or code FABMOM for 10% off of any purchase.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">PS: Be sure to check back next month. Googaro will be offering a surprise for a lucky reader!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-77616266380302414272013-06-07T13:27:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:40:48.837-05:00Stork Stack June 2013 Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For those of you who aren't familiar with Stork Stack, they are a subscription service that delivers a monthly care package of 5 carefully selected, high-quality products for mom and baby (up to age 3). Subscriptions start at $28 per month. Our June Stack arrived a few days later than usual. I stalked my tracking information all week and was starting to wonder if it had gotten lost. It finally showed up safe and sound yesterday evening. This month's theme was "Picnic Party," and our Stack was geared towards a four month old boy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is a look at our June Stack:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLkol8-XuLrvYn7W1ZKZogeQjeVflD8269d69tzijAlo7xRsC3JAlBp7JUWNWx33tucxpSsqw0X_z3rXhLAWSZUuZJA2PMFSkN4AxhO8J51qxuDNOyF_lavJNTbf0waiX0rDEDB2aUZh_/s1600/20130607_101744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLkol8-XuLrvYn7W1ZKZogeQjeVflD8269d69tzijAlo7xRsC3JAlBp7JUWNWx33tucxpSsqw0X_z3rXhLAWSZUuZJA2PMFSkN4AxhO8J51qxuDNOyF_lavJNTbf0waiX0rDEDB2aUZh_/s320/20130607_101744.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I peeked at spoilers this month and saw that four month olds seemed to get one of two possible Stacks. I was happy to see that we got this one, because the other had a couple of items that I felt were a little too old for Froggy.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpfrzzHz5l1WJkcopPCX-veLGpbfT0BpstTizRvaK2VIalTCJE9XQVUK5DPVKPphOwLPknPMYlc9oQCKnbpG8mwFaadPZWWPhoTXqzIu81ULFGBAsPpQJh0WWWR5yxM-DmNSDRLl0oJk6/s1600/20130607_101935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpfrzzHz5l1WJkcopPCX-veLGpbfT0BpstTizRvaK2VIalTCJE9XQVUK5DPVKPphOwLPknPMYlc9oQCKnbpG8mwFaadPZWWPhoTXqzIu81ULFGBAsPpQJh0WWWR5yxM-DmNSDRLl0oJk6/s320/20130607_101935.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sassy Baby: Freezies Watermelon Terry Teether/ $4.99 (amazon.com) - Papa Frog and I have actually been looking for a cloth teether. Chewing on washcloths is one of the only things that Froggy seems to find soothing during his teething episodes. This teether is made out of terry cloth, so it will be perfect for him. The instructions recommend soaking it in water and then freezing in a ziplock bag for an hour before giving it to baby.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVYicHhitrDYaW-Uj6gEABURv5xxeQwbBfiBUr4Bg0JH1c0MleAOzvb_uP8tCMoH-o-EEqHiK_-e8ovk-WXLFQoFqEK46xcH_c4yhJOoR1yrPcPoKmvVPLM4awqYh5T2Ow032GTgIxHrZ/s1600/20130607_102047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVYicHhitrDYaW-Uj6gEABURv5xxeQwbBfiBUr4Bg0JH1c0MleAOzvb_uP8tCMoH-o-EEqHiK_-e8ovk-WXLFQoFqEK46xcH_c4yhJOoR1yrPcPoKmvVPLM4awqYh5T2Ow032GTgIxHrZ/s320/20130607_102047.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Susan Brown's Baby: Moisturizing Cleansing Cloths/ $12.00 (amazon.com) - These wipes are oil free, chlorine free, dermatologist tested, and hypoallergenic. Froggy has sensitive skin, so I'm sure these will be great for him. That being said, I would never go out and spend $12.00 on a single tub of wipes, no matter how great they are.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXytkvsv9AG46B3xGrlK0zR4mbqI5QN8hmBtpAEdIETUsmRJyVYYQmKQSXcy76JESq2IIc7O7wya7d1pxOzmVRL4yItEcQCdLPjM1MctlVurNMLWJ1CReXasxnF_w77DYI4LWbkzK88Qs/s1600/20130607_102032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXytkvsv9AG46B3xGrlK0zR4mbqI5QN8hmBtpAEdIETUsmRJyVYYQmKQSXcy76JESq2IIc7O7wya7d1pxOzmVRL4yItEcQCdLPjM1MctlVurNMLWJ1CReXasxnF_w77DYI4LWbkzK88Qs/s320/20130607_102032.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Baby Paper/ $4.95 (pacifieronline.com) - Baby Paper is a fabric sheet of "paper" that makes a crinkling noise when touched. It's a simple concept, but babies go crazy for it. Froggy has a star made of a similar material and absolutely loves it.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrARJc79uIN5YGQgSQR5k8dO_hnaBadFlPeE6gqR0F2EADb15PJzg8sMs2_qNqL86tg26xncx2a1J3aAsvQF8Rd4lLH_suL3FWvvm-nYbbS3W_RSIFDeZmn47SZQA9B0SlvfBxvBx_m5S0/s1600/20130607_101840+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrARJc79uIN5YGQgSQR5k8dO_hnaBadFlPeE6gqR0F2EADb15PJzg8sMs2_qNqL86tg26xncx2a1J3aAsvQF8Rd4lLH_suL3FWvvm-nYbbS3W_RSIFDeZmn47SZQA9B0SlvfBxvBx_m5S0/s320/20130607_101840+(1).jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Under the Nile: Gingham Kimono/ $16.99 (gogreenbabyshop.com) - We love Under the Nile products, and this kimono gown is no exception. Their clothing is made with 100% organic Egyptian cotton. It's so soft! We have never really used gowns with Froggy (Papa Frog isn't a fan), but this would make an excellent baby shower gift.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqPyOK4w2z5eVbeLyXjRUJMWX7f1mHwtJuiUP-wnCKpd4df3NF46QRCyigzWgVZ61ohyphenhyphenUMtWs9rdmj8b5UKmox8GWYqsKqiqKZ2Q5WTEPPiwELEhus12TiaXnHyobcoscQ3kVOwHgu5zK/s1600/20130607_102004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqPyOK4w2z5eVbeLyXjRUJMWX7f1mHwtJuiUP-wnCKpd4df3NF46QRCyigzWgVZ61ohyphenhyphenUMtWs9rdmj8b5UKmox8GWYqsKqiqKZ2Q5WTEPPiwELEhus12TiaXnHyobcoscQ3kVOwHgu5zK/s320/20130607_102004.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">GimMe Health Foods: Roasted Seaweed Sheets/ $1.61 (amazon.com) - The seaweed snacks were this month's mom treat. I wasn't brave enough to try them, but according to Papa Frog they tasted like a mixture of old fish and broccoli. But hey, one of the purposes of these boxes is to try new things, right?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Using the lowest retail prices that I was able to find online, June's Stork Stack totaled in at $40.54. That's a pretty good value for $28. I really liked our Stack this month. I feel like it was a much better fit for us than May's Stack was. The theme was cute, and all of the items were age appropriate. I can definitely see myself buying everything but the seaweed and wipes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you would like to sign up for Stork Stack, you can do so on <a href="http://www.storkstack.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">their website</a>. Entering my referral code F6778981 at checkout will get us both $10 in Stork Bills. That will make your first Stack $18!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-82200178917460781072013-06-06T19:00:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:40:00.763-05:00Thursday Thoughts<span id="goog_1897990594"></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ramblingsofasuburbanmom.com/2013/06/thursday-thoughts-15/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img alt="Thursday Thoughts" class="size-large wp-image-10678 aligncenter" height="200" src="http://www.ramblingsofasuburbanmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ThursdayThoughts1-1024x1024.png" title="ThursdayThoughts1" width="200" /><span id="goog_1897990595"></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm linking up with Jennifer at <a href="http://www.ramblingsofasuburbanmom.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ramblings of a Suburban Mom</a> for the first time to share my Thursday Thoughts!</div><div class="separator" id="ssnoshadow" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">- I can't believe our Stork Stack isn't here yet! I've seen spoilers, and it looks like the perfect box for Froggy. My tracking information has it going everywhere in Illinois but here. On the bright side, the estimated delivery date for our first Googaro box is tomorrow! I can't wait to see how it measures up to the other baby boxes we get.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>- I signed Froggy and me up for a Mommy & Me swim group that starts this Tuesday. I'm now on the hunt for The Best Swim Diaper Ever. Does anyone have any suggestions?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">- Froggy is loving his little piano this week. He has officially figured out how it works and pushes the different keys and buttons all by himself. I love watching him learn and discover new things, but it makes me a little sad for some reason. These past four months have flown by so fast! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlkv7u-b8IZKtwgiRqe0yNVIKNWlufFholOiK4IfgICz5FmnTxp1_egk283atFFr7Qthpf3lBfpxNbYwKsZb51WwhgCs2Y65rg4jmaMSuPo-9xWSnlm9WUNAahODz7j7suG4NqkYYUsxf/s1600/froggyplays.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlkv7u-b8IZKtwgiRqe0yNVIKNWlufFholOiK4IfgICz5FmnTxp1_egk283atFFr7Qthpf3lBfpxNbYwKsZb51WwhgCs2Y65rg4jmaMSuPo-9xWSnlm9WUNAahODz7j7suG4NqkYYUsxf/s200/froggyplays.jpg" width="200" /></a><br /><br />- I got an email yesterday that said the first of this summer's "Jazzin' at the Shedd" events at the Shedd Aquarium is in just a couple of weeks. They're going to be showing a preview of the new aquatic show, and the new stingray touch exhibit will be open. I'm really excited!<br /><br />- Froggy pulled out a clump of my hair yesterday, and since he only seems to be getting more interested in playing with it I need a solution ASAP. My hair still isn't quite long enough to pull into a ponytail. Help me!!<br /><br />- I've been considering either changing my phone number or adding a home phone. I still have a Michigan area code on my cell even though we permanently moved back to Chicago over a year ago. It has just recently seemed to become a problem that I don't have a local number. I just know we wouldn't use a home phone, and I hate the hassle of switching numbers.<br /><br />I think that takes care of emptying out my head for now. What are your Thursday Thoughts? <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-44947268373192306932013-06-04T14:20:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:38:41.895-05:00You're Invited! + GiveawayI recently joined the <a href="http://www.stelladot.com/sites/bluewaves" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stella & Dot</a> team as one of their independent stylists. I'm so excited! I'm hosting my very first trunk show online, and you're invited! It started at 11:00 last night and will be open until June 24th. To celebrate, I'm giving away the Stella and Dot <a href="http://www.stelladot.com/shop/en_us/p/shop-by-pattern/ikat-pattern/la-totale-medium-navy-ikat" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">La Totale</a> in navy ikat. This is my go-to tote for this summer. It's roomy enough to hold both me and Froggy's things, and it closes with a zipper, not a snap. Plus, the print is so cute!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNr-RfduRINDOlml0kR9GJUwjpLxq6I3Ekvx-1Xe4jmzfNmoqU-VSHZaLe35Sv48lNbkHGmVNA2II5Ee-i3if5zXoH_qwBOb4b0sRprPPjxGSUqs7XefTGkkvDYIJgwCe0_LT_Ir-zu7m/s1600/latotale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNr-RfduRINDOlml0kR9GJUwjpLxq6I3Ekvx-1Xe4jmzfNmoqU-VSHZaLe35Sv48lNbkHGmVNA2II5Ee-i3if5zXoH_qwBOb4b0sRprPPjxGSUqs7XefTGkkvDYIJgwCe0_LT_Ir-zu7m/s320/latotale.jpg" width="209" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UI15mYYM_tCrd1jnxzmr7UJUhEm8gGvqJja3wdLmlQVTY9Xw2DkHUwn5IxTJhVzc6ZwdnPIL44ca4alkqf7Zags4TnPIegMXFHwzpdiTan4AsNvHKh2lKuKZhaFeAPBXfaTFeXZ6wvwY/s1600/latotale2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UI15mYYM_tCrd1jnxzmr7UJUhEm8gGvqJja3wdLmlQVTY9Xw2DkHUwn5IxTJhVzc6ZwdnPIL44ca4alkqf7Zags4TnPIegMXFHwzpdiTan4AsNvHKh2lKuKZhaFeAPBXfaTFeXZ6wvwY/s320/latotale2.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I would really appreciate you all taking the time to stop by <a href="http://www.stelladot.com/ts/mkkq5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">my trunk show</a> and look around. As a special thank you to those who do, there is a Rafflecopter bonus entry just for you! The contest will end at 12:00 am central time on June 25th. Enter to win below!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><center><a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3b533f2/" id="rc-3b533f2" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script></center><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-60291575028788965562013-06-02T11:57:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:37:53.558-05:00Silent Sunday<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_eH3yE4eXqGflccaf00ndJn4HZqeHWHjxQwFnzjrE5M1zlRWDUsVsQvkjGz6X8o1DSxfUuOBMnvA80mVNlD4tLVUJIfXlEa5AINlP5glJOM8EJhpU1PHt7hoE_T7jl8TwGkicH6R9egt9/s1600/20130601_114640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_eH3yE4eXqGflccaf00ndJn4HZqeHWHjxQwFnzjrE5M1zlRWDUsVsQvkjGz6X8o1DSxfUuOBMnvA80mVNlD4tLVUJIfXlEa5AINlP5glJOM8EJhpU1PHt7hoE_T7jl8TwGkicH6R9egt9/s640/20130601_114640.jpg" width="480" /> </a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-1472232669531179402013-05-30T15:20:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:37:19.372-05:00Bluum May 2013 Review - Tummy TimeBluum is a New York City based subscription box company that sends 4-5 items for mom and baby (up to age 3) each month. Their boxes cost $25 per month, but there are often introductory offers available for a discount on your first month. I decided to give them a try for myself after reading mixed reviews on the company. Bluum has a different theme for each age, and I was thrilled to see in my account that our theme was Tummy Time. Froggy spent his first three months hating Tummy Time and has just recently started to enjoy it. <br /><br />Here is a look at our box:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHtklkMsV1m8onwOkQ6h6TD2oq8o0MRskg0B529qYW1fl9P7D4VAzxfxzZ_Y6izj9q0tfNZl49WMN_K9eglmPZfBYr7sDj6bQqoNBoCnbPP_ZNGXJIYKxrhXNbg-umATvsRcFz3hdghKE/s1600/20130530_122120.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHtklkMsV1m8onwOkQ6h6TD2oq8o0MRskg0B529qYW1fl9P7D4VAzxfxzZ_Y6izj9q0tfNZl49WMN_K9eglmPZfBYr7sDj6bQqoNBoCnbPP_ZNGXJIYKxrhXNbg-umATvsRcFz3hdghKE/s320/20130530_122120.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My first impression was that I didn't see how the items in the box had anything to do with Tummy Time. There was an insert that talked about the importance of Tummy Time, but that was about it.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sYcwhyphenhyphenMQRaOD1_2MrdrpWHJ0ZjxH9vPf3iZdzvHZPUtQsd2RZRzvVcTi3BqN1v71apJxorkDhk0i5KVPk8aAqYnYDEFEKgbL3luffvyi772N5jGUM_4RFrFzRFjG7vmMzcX2DoY4qH4x/s1600/20130530_122338.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sYcwhyphenhyphenMQRaOD1_2MrdrpWHJ0ZjxH9vPf3iZdzvHZPUtQsd2RZRzvVcTi3BqN1v71apJxorkDhk0i5KVPk8aAqYnYDEFEKgbL3luffvyi772N5jGUM_4RFrFzRFjG7vmMzcX2DoY4qH4x/s320/20130530_122338.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a cyclops security blanket from Angel Dear. I love Angel Dear products, and this blanket is super soft and so cute. It retails for $11.19 on Amazon.com.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKwotzDJ_vQlEJv2Xy8ZFEpdC29hmWrkdeGKUaa3ZpuewjcMiFXX5g83FpkgQgiRAiO_mRl_ooXjliz4zvxqLKj_dQ5QEnrQo9CTepewaPp-MEl39uSzIlzBhrOZimSa8cRP4r8FokpEM/s1600/20130530_122221.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKwotzDJ_vQlEJv2Xy8ZFEpdC29hmWrkdeGKUaa3ZpuewjcMiFXX5g83FpkgQgiRAiO_mRl_ooXjliz4zvxqLKj_dQ5QEnrQo9CTepewaPp-MEl39uSzIlzBhrOZimSa8cRP4r8FokpEM/s320/20130530_122221.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a bubbly bird teether from Bkids. Froggy is actively teething now, and purchasing teethers for him has been very hit and miss so far. This isn't one I've seen before. Who knows, maybe it will be <i>the one</i>. The teether retails for $5.99 on Amazon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQln1pLTPKqJRyo5raa85Oo9BW0iajtPl-mkmyv_xeM0MxzPkUmrzPa-nt-YjUAYnWXicc0vosz7dSVnHfslupVUNGpGTTGDlsiEnRIb3AI90ftDZNRRSGKDeVcmGiQo6PLOkeffRqTG-/s1600/20130530_122158.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQln1pLTPKqJRyo5raa85Oo9BW0iajtPl-mkmyv_xeM0MxzPkUmrzPa-nt-YjUAYnWXicc0vosz7dSVnHfslupVUNGpGTTGDlsiEnRIb3AI90ftDZNRRSGKDeVcmGiQo6PLOkeffRqTG-/s320/20130530_122158.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a CD called Colors of Asia. I feel like it's a really random item to include in this type of box, but maybe they saw it as something to help mom relax? Froggy hasn't been a fan of this type of music so far, but I'll see if Papa Frog wants to listen to it during his meditation time. The CD retails for $12.99 on Amazon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HiYcWHzrM_Pf5qBQ-ulys1PWXcOM02QYgM5B4BOIhUKRsD4s1NnxwjJeYIoVWMzEa54dclM90y08cQBl8jBZx-ynABvH_aP4z-o34DPye4YLv7uXjGpnlGV-cMTjlzuIqlVfeirLK0VL/s1600/20130530_122319.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HiYcWHzrM_Pf5qBQ-ulys1PWXcOM02QYgM5B4BOIhUKRsD4s1NnxwjJeYIoVWMzEa54dclM90y08cQBl8jBZx-ynABvH_aP4z-o34DPye4YLv7uXjGpnlGV-cMTjlzuIqlVfeirLK0VL/s320/20130530_122319.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is an i ♥ boppy water bottle. There was also a $10 off a nursing pillow coupon (we already have one) and an ad for Boppy products. It looked like something I would be handed by a company at a convention booth for free. I was unable to find a retail value for this item as they're no longer available on Boppy's website.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't like to judge boxes by a single month, because I understand that tastes vary and even the best companies can have off months. That being said, this was not a good first impression at all. Technically, not including the water bottle, our box was worth $30.17. That's not a bad value, but the box left me feeling like someone went into a room blindfolded and grabbed four random items. They had nothing to do with the theme. Additionally, our box shipped a full week after the shipping date stated on Bluum's website with no explanation given for the delay. Red flag? Si. I'm going to need to be blown away next month to stay with them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you're interested in giving Bluum a try, they do have an awesome referral program. If you use <a href="http://bluum.me/101ZRsz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">my referral link</a>, I'll get a free box and you'll get 15 points towards a free box. Then, when one of your friends signs up using your link, you'll get a free box plus another 15 points towards a free box. You can earn even more points by reviewing the products you receive. Yay for free stuff!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-16618630021625410532013-05-29T18:33:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:35:34.082-05:00It's All About Feet!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuB2MqvUT5htPm1-GLBuD12bG9lmN4Isliid4pK5KUFAB3G9sVXlqCFdbCgIXVIyqlWz4xcXb21gDUReUgkVnN2OvJMZ4VwH1XTYVQG1_JIPWmlB_9SKB7XyeguNK2sWT-D8S-lzWVjIw7/s1600/20130529_163816.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuB2MqvUT5htPm1-GLBuD12bG9lmN4Isliid4pK5KUFAB3G9sVXlqCFdbCgIXVIyqlWz4xcXb21gDUReUgkVnN2OvJMZ4VwH1XTYVQG1_JIPWmlB_9SKB7XyeguNK2sWT-D8S-lzWVjIw7/s320/20130529_163816.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Baby Feet - Over the past couple of days, Froggy has really started discovering his feet. He's completely fascinated by them! Had I known he would spend hours playing with his feet, I might not have spent so much money on my big pile of The Best Toys Ever For Babies (aka Completely Useless Mess Makers) that Froggy has no interest in whatsoever. But no biggie, live and learn. I'm loving every second of seeing him begin to explore himself and his surroundings. It's pretty much the coolest thing ever.<br /><br />Mommy Feet - Pedicures were one of my favorite treats before Froggy was born, but since becoming a mom I have less time and less money. I'm constantly on the lookout for easy, cost efficient options that still allow me to relax and feel pampered. Here are two do-it-yourself ideas for an at-home pedi on a budget:<br /><ul><li>Milk Soak - Milk is actually really good at softening calluses. Add a cup of milk to a foot bath of warm water and soak for ten minutes. (For even more pampering add a couple of tablespoons of honey.)</li><li>Foot Scrub - You can make a simple and effective foot scrub by mixing sea salt and olive oil. I usually use about a teaspoon of sea salt for every tablespoon of olive oil. (For even more pampering puree a handful of strawberries and mix with your scrub.)</li></ul><br /><ul></ul><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-57366577193806149712013-05-25T00:46:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:31:56.025-05:00New Mama Meals: BBQ Chicken Sandwiches<div dir="ltr">I don't know how any new mother finds time to cook. Froggy is almost four months old, and I still haven't quite figured it out. One of the easiest menu items that I've been able to put together since having Froggy is barbecue chicken sandwiches using my crockpot. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Here's what you'll need:</div><div dir="ltr">A bottle of barbecue sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's)</div><div dir="ltr">1/2 a cup of Italian dressing (I have a giant bottle from Sam's just for the purpose of making these sandwiches)</div><div dir="ltr">2 tablespoons Brown Sugar </div><div dir="ltr">2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce</div><div dir="ltr">5ish chicken breasts </div><div dir="ltr">First, put the chicken breasts in the crockpot. Then, mix everything else together in a bowl and pour the mixture over the chicken breasts. Let it cook on high 3-4 hours or on low 6-8 hours, pull apart the chicken with a couple of forks, and voila! Throw it on some buns and enjoy! The best part is that these sandwiches are even yummier as leftovers, and the barbecue chicken freezes really well.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Do you have a go-to easy meal? Help your fellow mamas out and share it in the comments! </div><div dir="ltr"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-51654500230150515502013-05-22T21:18:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:30:38.203-05:00May Must Have Giveaway - Mommy Hook!It's always amazing to me how many awesome new products I discover in my boxes. Beginning with May, you will have the chance to win my favorite product of the month! This month, I'm giving away The Mommy Hook! Those of you who read my May Citrus Lane review know that I wasn't exactly thrilled to receive The Mommy Hook but was willing to give it a try. I took it with us to run errands this past Monday, and I am officially a believer! <br /><br />Here is my Mommy Hook in action: <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcu0evy1JkANHnnX5qZD9TD2DdMylQvL8ojaEGfE1y62O9CifvQyGyWT3o6LIzUhTChODtr7FKWoB4E41fYbnP_iTzkJvHP0bfTKr5YPsZ7Gj5haw3RDWR9_0avoQLbU67eoalAcPO8mn/s1600/20130520_161929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcu0evy1JkANHnnX5qZD9TD2DdMylQvL8ojaEGfE1y62O9CifvQyGyWT3o6LIzUhTChODtr7FKWoB4E41fYbnP_iTzkJvHP0bfTKr5YPsZ7Gj5haw3RDWR9_0avoQLbU67eoalAcPO8mn/s320/20130520_161929.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Seriously, that's probably the most organized I've looked or felt since Froggy was born. Using the Mommy Hook was so much easier than trying to juggle bags and the stroller and Froggy when he decided he was tired of sitting in the stroller. I was already loving it, but the best part was when we got home and it was pouring rain outside. Instead of standing in the rain trying to get our bags together, Papa Frog just had to grab the hook and go! I'm never going shopping without this thing again, and now one lucky reader won't have to either. You can enter to win using Rafflecopter below.</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3b533f1/" id="rc-3b533f1" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4817171003382894373.post-5142275255912047022013-05-21T17:11:00.000-04:002021-02-15T11:30:09.801-05:00MommiesFirst May 2013 Review - 4 month box<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I finally got my first MommiesFirst box! MommiesFirst is a subscription box company based in Toronto, Canada (luckily for USA mamas, they ship here too!). They aim to serve the mom-to-be and the new mom, with boxes for each month of pregnancy and each month of the first year of baby's life. I wish I had known about them while I was pregnant, but I'm still happy to find them now. MommiesFirst boxes cost CA$30.00 (US$29.19) per month.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We received the "Food 1.0 - Introducing Solids" box which targets the milestone of baby's first solids. Here is a look at our box:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZUcxCk3yLW5yYjexw2uD2Dv2Js01j4378byrqNWLYI0zyx4BAydWuB9nVau3cbO_AVB0hFG6wnoiq7s-HGUW5nZaCWnamT5x6YkQJj7h2VThJ8MMOXLQZ5AUlBEjaeVwwKrXjxPMjcjQ/s1600/20130521_125404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZUcxCk3yLW5yYjexw2uD2Dv2Js01j4378byrqNWLYI0zyx4BAydWuB9nVau3cbO_AVB0hFG6wnoiq7s-HGUW5nZaCWnamT5x6YkQJj7h2VThJ8MMOXLQZ5AUlBEjaeVwwKrXjxPMjcjQ/s320/20130521_125404.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The blue cards on the bottom right of the picture contain information about each item included and are held together with a diaper pin, which I thought was precious! MommiesFirst also included a personalized, hand addressed note with information about Froggy's next stage at four months. Those little things added a really nice touch to the box.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxqHb4U-VLfzVhWKox0vOvM-2vcePtkwqYfitIk2-vS4VdpfOZIeEcgwpz6tPIohZyO5bJawnHoQhwHaeLZzUfTHE2p1IUCb-LG7bzN3rKdC2NGP4HNAKoxZiHrUc8jJ7cC5fNt-V1XfW/s1600/20130521_125437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxqHb4U-VLfzVhWKox0vOvM-2vcePtkwqYfitIk2-vS4VdpfOZIeEcgwpz6tPIohZyO5bJawnHoQhwHaeLZzUfTHE2p1IUCb-LG7bzN3rKdC2NGP4HNAKoxZiHrUc8jJ7cC5fNt-V1XfW/s320/20130521_125437.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a fresh food feeder from Munchkin. I was really excited to see this in our box, because it's something we were already planning on purchasing. Froggy started teething last week, and a mommy friend advised us to try giving him one of these with a frozen breastmilk cube inside to teethe on. Now we don't have to go out and buy one! The two packs of these feeders on Amazon.com retail for $6.99, so I would place the value of this item at $3.50.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioknrgPmTfWJjTkmU8kBRqdj8f-KPPKLEC9euX_Yh3BXCYnGhkppwgDWV3tY6Fqih8fD1OU2sbZenKfrEF131SKsG9QLs7m8BPolg7pAWNPQndn42pNR9Qm0jQZ2-ciGxFxH6S1vkowRN0/s1600/20130521_125457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioknrgPmTfWJjTkmU8kBRqdj8f-KPPKLEC9euX_Yh3BXCYnGhkppwgDWV3tY6Fqih8fD1OU2sbZenKfrEF131SKsG9QLs7m8BPolg7pAWNPQndn42pNR9Qm0jQZ2-ciGxFxH6S1vkowRN0/s320/20130521_125457.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbSBDpOh437DFliQe0hKxS4j9LeSQDirZEJ6byxhqpRQTch-EWxUF5b_AtGf5UNN9zt_Ph4_i0_PhPfcK9k3kEozQYZA_s3NyCJ7QqOlCpqWCqL-ZnjsNyrGfBXRggmV5ku5ZCOuUVJr_/s1600/20130521_134133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbSBDpOh437DFliQe0hKxS4j9LeSQDirZEJ6byxhqpRQTch-EWxUF5b_AtGf5UNN9zt_Ph4_i0_PhPfcK9k3kEozQYZA_s3NyCJ7QqOlCpqWCqL-ZnjsNyrGfBXRggmV5ku5ZCOuUVJr_/s320/20130521_134133.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Even though Froggy hasn't started solids yet, he likes to "chew" on his Oogaa spoons when his gums are bothering him. I'm hoping these spoons will be winners for the same purpose. I gave him one to try out, but he doesn't seem to have quite mastered the concept. Oh well! The six pack of soft tip infant spoons from Munchkin retails on Amazon.com for $4.99.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6hoMMzWJF53Q2_PBupjLHUg-tsWac9LX5bOhzwIHgg2w1lSD3elcqO7lXN2G1hBAGfhFZ0X2bI9uVw79Adj6C8WKzaLjqrkOg5AM5CwuYKM3BIjwpux7IpnUqBk-_4U-t2enELC_wikH/s1600/20130521_125632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6hoMMzWJF53Q2_PBupjLHUg-tsWac9LX5bOhzwIHgg2w1lSD3elcqO7lXN2G1hBAGfhFZ0X2bI9uVw79Adj6C8WKzaLjqrkOg5AM5CwuYKM3BIjwpux7IpnUqBk-_4U-t2enELC_wikH/s320/20130521_125632.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> I'm a little bit obsessive about cleaning anything that goes in Froggy's mouth. I've honestly been dreading moving on to sippy cups, because the lids look impossible to get fully clean. This cleaning set will be perfect for me. The OXO tot cleaning set for straw and sippy cups retails for $4.99 on Amazon.com.<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_1CvrcR8NaEHukg3Zcqv-POMmWucLuDy-t_k6zrZ0rxNyiT6t16esC1eeyNE9WF7VNXU7sFXxnujkHVKx8kQ6osHfJBmP9ZlmFKprj4l6bU3114QybvQAldV0QQgliU7lnirudbsWDRH/s1600/20130521_125621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_1CvrcR8NaEHukg3Zcqv-POMmWucLuDy-t_k6zrZ0rxNyiT6t16esC1eeyNE9WF7VNXU7sFXxnujkHVKx8kQ6osHfJBmP9ZlmFKprj4l6bU3114QybvQAldV0QQgliU7lnirudbsWDRH/s320/20130521_125621.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a stage one organic pear pouch from Happy Baby organic baby food. We plan on making most of Froggy's food ourselves, but I'm still excited to try this once Froggy is a little older. It doesn't expire until September, which is nice. I think it would be great to have a few of these in the house to just toss in the diaper bag if we're in a hurry. Amazon.com sells these pouches in sixteen packs for $17.54, which works out to about $1.10 a pouch.<br /><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdoEfU_Z9w5Np8Ukysl3gDj8iAT_4catv8BhSruTxADy1GS2Ke-1BNZVJ_bkqokqNIUEl4P0NKDCdnXA-Flh7qGAwRkPcvUmfc7EIQxremabWS7hYxH-njiP2nEDnXh0dRHJmW3V-P-RT/s1600/20130521_125602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdoEfU_Z9w5Np8Ukysl3gDj8iAT_4catv8BhSruTxADy1GS2Ke-1BNZVJ_bkqokqNIUEl4P0NKDCdnXA-Flh7qGAwRkPcvUmfc7EIQxremabWS7hYxH-njiP2nEDnXh0dRHJmW3V-P-RT/s320/20130521_125602.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This DVD is called "Yummy in my Tummy - Healthy Eating Habits for Life" and is all about starting solids. It looks like a very informative resource, but I can't imagine being able to find the time to sit down and watch it. The DVD retails for CA$16.99 (US$16.55) on Amazon.Ca.<br /><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The total value of our box was $31.13. Overall, I felt like this was a really cute box. They hit the nail on the head with their theme choice, and it was one of the best executed themes that I've seen from any of our boxes. I loved the personal touches, and I could definitely feel that a lot of thought went into the box. Most of the items in the box were perfect for us. I was, however, disappointed that so much of the box's value came from the DVD, and I let the company know via their Facebook page. Within an hour, I received an email from the CEO of MommiesFirst, Lorena. She offered a further explanation for the product choices, her sincere apologies that I didn't love my box, and a full refund if I wanted (I declined). That response told me that I'm dealing with a company with integrity. First and foremost, they care about the customer experience, and that's the kind of company I want to do business with. I'm already looking forward to next month. If you would like to receive monthly boxes from MommiesFirst, you can sign up on their website <a href="http://www.mommiesfirst.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Here</a>.<br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1