Videos

Top 5 Mom Suits

As usual Every Sunday morning I receive a weekly Target ad. I slowly sip my coffee and browse thru all the things I want that week. This week was the offical start to summer with their BOGO half off on swim suits. Now 3 years ago I would have been in the smallest of smalls, letting my tight bum hang out and showing off my abs that I so tirelessly worked so hard for in the kitchen and the gym.  Well guess what ladies those days are long gone. My butt is no longer hard as a rock and my boobs are 8 times bigger and a lot lower not gonna lie, thank you breastfeeding. And don’t even get my started on my stomach. It happens to the best of us and I now have a new best friend that’s 18 months old. I wouldn’t change a thing. But that meant for the first time ever had to find something to wear in the pool every weekend that I felt confident and comfortable in. I was shockingly surprised at the wide variety Target has to offer. I ended up with two of these suits and I’m not disappointed. Well a little because when I got them they weren’t BOGO half off.  Happy shopping mamas. 

Lifestyle

Current Favorites I Can’t Live Without

I spend a lot of time trying to find the next best thing. Some are amazing; I can’t live without them. (Some I will never purchase again.) Here’s a list of items I have randomly bought that I am loving right now.

·       Daily Harvest Smoothies — I spend so much money on fruits and veggies that end up going bad and have to be thrown out. Enter the best invention ever. These smoothies are the easiest thing to make. Add your favorite liquid, like water, almond milk, regular milk, or even alcohol (for the days your kids have truly tested your patience). You can use the Promo Code “Hayden” for 3 free cups on your first order.

·       Amazon Fiddle Leaf Tree — This is probably my favorite random find on Amazon. I have ordered so many fake plants over the years and I finally found one that actually looks real. I recently purchased a second one to replace the large plant I keep killing on our patio.

·       Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter — As a busy mom, I have about 5 minutes to do my makeup so I like products that can do multiple things. I can mix this into my foundation, use it as a primer, or even use it as a highlighter. It’s the perfect, easy-to-use product for summer that actually makes you glow without looking like a glitter-bomb hit you in the face.

·       Ergobaby Sleeping Bag — We accidentally left Hayden’s Merlin Magic Sleep Suit at my parents’ house. It was becoming time to transition her out of it anyway so I rushed out to find something new that would hopefully keep her asleep that night, like the suit. It was as though we never transitioned: she didn’t even notice the difference and slept her usual 11 hours.

·       Fitbit Blaze — Hayden and I walk 6-8 miles a day and I love all the health info Fitbit gives you. I normally walk that much just so I can hit a certain amount of steps to feel like I have won a prize. And bonus, it also tracks my sleep, my heart rate, my period, my water intake, and my calories—in and out—for the day.

  • Click on photos below for shoppable links
Beauty

Sephora’s Spring Sale Favorites

As you probably already know Sephora isn’t one to have sales often but every Spring they have their Beauty Insider Bonus Sale. I have learned to take advantage of this. Your membership level is determined by the amount of money you spend per year. They are as follows :

  • Rouge- $1000+ per year
  • VIB- $350+ per year
  • Beauty Insider- FREE to join

The Year before I got pregnant I reached Rouge status. I feel like that was a major accomplishment. Either that or I just spend way too much money on makeup. These are some of my top favorites I have purchased over the years and still use to this day.

Rouge: 20% off with code HEYROUGE

VIB: 15% off with code HEYVIB

Beauty Insider: 10% off with code HEYINSIDER

 

 

Fashion

Favorite Target Maternity Finds

Shopping has always been my favorite activity in life. I assumed that when I got pregnant I was going to dress my bump to nine. Nope! When you’re exhausted, huge, uncomfortable and don’t wear a size 2 anymore the last thing on my mind was shopping. I spent the last few months in my husband underwear. On occasion I would have to put on our real clothes and I didn’t want to spend a ton for something I wouldn’t be wearing long. Target has upped its clothing game and I was able to find a lot of really inexpensive easy to wear pieces. These were my everyday causal favorites that didn’t break the bank.

 

 

 

Beauty

Favorite L’ange Products

Last summer I received an email from a company I had never heard of. L’ange. They wanted to send me some products, and if I liked them, do a Facebook Live on how I liked to use them. I was skeptical because I have crazy, curly unruly hair. Most products I have bought over the years are still sitting in my bathroom, 90 percent full.

Flash forward to today… I have repurchased multiple products from L’ange. That is unheard of for me.

The best part about this company is you can log on to Facebook at any time and watch someone doing their hair. And no, it’s not a professional hairstylist, it’s just an average person, like you or me.

They carry everything hair-related you could ever need: hot tools, shampoo, conditioner, styling products, and their newest item, hair extensions. Hands down, my favorite item is the Satin Nectar Nourishing Gloss. It takes my hair from crazy and frizzy to smooth and shiny. Their curling wands are also amazing. When I find the time in between naps and playtime to curl my hair, I know it’s worth it because it will last for days.

A little tip when purchasing a wand, there are two types: titanium is made for hard-to-curl hair and ceramic is for hair that holds curl easily. The Le Reve straightener is great for all you postpartum mamas, like me, that have a lot of regrowth around your face because the straightener is compact enough that it can really get the smaller pieces.

Happy shopping, Mamas!

Beauty

Stranded on a Deserted Island- 5 Beauty must haves

The first thing I do once Hayden goes down for a nap is scroll through my Instagram stories. One recently caught my eye: @courtney_shields inspired me to really think about what my favorite must-have-or-I’ll-die items are. She posed the question: “If you could only bring 5 makeup items to a desert island, what would you bring?” She added that a razor and deodorant were already included, and then–plot twist–you would be with a guy or girl you like. 

 First thing that came to mind was my Dior Mascara. Hands down, the best mascara I have ever tried. 

 I am not sure if hair products were included in this, but what I know is my hair has a mind of its own. With no blowdryer, I would have to have an oil of some kind so I wouldn’t scare my crush onto the next island.

 Now the true dilemma: a BB cream or the cult favorite,                                        

Hula Bronzer? I think being on an island I would already be tan so I’m going to go with my ride-or-die BareMinerals Complexion Rescue tinted moisturizer. It also has SPF in it, so now I am set with that too. 

 I am going to assume my lips would be dry, and based on the fact I’m obsessed with lip gloss, I would have to bring one with me. (I’m also going to assume that this island has no mirror; I don’t know about you, but I need one to do my brows so a brow gel is out.) 

And finally, a little bit of highlighting cream can be used for the apples of my cheeks, maybe as some eyeshadow, and for my shoulders, and duh, to highlight my décolletage.

 I am going to leave the actual survival stuff up to my crush because I will be too busy putting on makeup.

 

Lifestyle

Easy Last Minute Gift Ideas

Earlier in the week I teamed up with Big City Moms for a Facebook live video to share all my favorite quick and easy gift ideas for moms, baby and dads. If you’re like me and have waited to the very last minute to get your shopping done, then all of these products can be found in store and on Amazon (2 day shipping).  I have used each of these for awhile and can say they will make great gifts for any new mom or dad.  Happy shopping ladies.