things i love

i love lots. but here are a few things that i am really loving right now:

Original Sprout

i love everything about OS. it's vegan, free of anything "iffy", it smells divine, it's good for the entire family- etc etc. i was originally using it for the girls- but i've started using it too & i'm hooked.

Original Sprout is the best baby wash. and toddler wash. and wash wash.

Buddy Fruits

alex refuses to eat 95% of the time. i was at my wits end trying to keep something in her belly- and then we discovered these at Wal Mart. we gave her one & she sucked it down & asked for more. SOLD!

at 88 cents, they're the cheapest fruit in a pouch i've found & so far the healthiest. they've also got fruit snacks:

and alex will always say yes. so i keep our house well stocked with Buddy Fruits.

Boogie Wipes

it's winter. kids get cold. noses run. Boogie Wipes are a must.

Baggino Bibs

full coverage bibs. these save my sanity. alex can make a mess & all i have to do is toss the bib in the wash- underneath, her clothing is pristine. it's a win win.

Medela Pump In Style Advanced - Metro Bag

i make a lot of milk. A LOT. and this baby is the best pump ever. i used it with alex & i use it with brynn. its simple & easy to use- it's compact enough to carry around & it comes with everything you could possibly need. there's a reason Medela is the leader in breastfeeding pumps & supplies.

this pump has been worth every penny.

Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags

i love Medela- but i LOVE LOVE LOVE Lansinoh bags. they're much cheaper & much better than the Medela storage bags. they hold up to 8 oz without splitting & they freeze wonderfully.

i got through box after box of these & i swear by them.

Target

enough said.

Nick Jr.

i am not ashamed to admit that i use Nick Jr to watch my child. if i need a minute (or an hour) i simply turn it on & i feel pretty confident that alex will be sucked in. Yo Gabba Gabba, Nie Hao Kai Lan, Olivia, The Fresh BEat Band- the list goes on & on.

i LOVE you Nick Jr.

See Kai Run

the most adorable toddler shoes. they can be a little $$$ but i think most good shoes are. they have awesome sales/deals though- so you can really score. and the shoes last & last.

Livie & Luca

gorgeous. modern toddler shoes. fresh. $$$. ha. but i love them. soft leather & beautiful colors. they scuff up pretty easily- but they're so atheistically pleasing that it doesn't matter. i love them.

we just ordered a pair of the orange London Boots & i'm checking my mailbox daily in anticipation.

Tea Clothing

i love Tea. it's cute & modern toddler clothing. the colors are deep & pretty & the lines are simple & classic. i've purchased several pieces for the girls & i can't wait till this summer when they can rock their matching outfits: brynn / alex

like i said- i have more. but i think i'll divulge those in another post- there are far too many things.

spring & summer need to hurry up & arrive. i'm itching to get these girl's into minimal amounts of clothing & outside.

Boogie Wipes Review/GIVEAWAY!

CLOSED!


so, the awesome ladies ove at Boogie Wipes have agreed to give one of my readers 2 packs of 30 count fresh wipes (fresh, grape or menthol)!!!

here's my review on Boogie Wipes:

for as long as i can remember, i've been obsessive about snot.

if i see a kid digging in their nose- GET A TISSUE! if i see a kid with a runny nose- GET A TISSUE! if i see a kid with dried boogs on their face- GET A TISSUE!

eh- i don't do snot & boogers well. that's why when alex got her first cold i was in panic mode. you want me to suck out what with what?! have to pick off what?! i have to wipe what?! horrible- not to mention that her poor little nose was so raw from being suctioned & wiped with tissues that when she'd wake up with dried on snot i would just leave it as so not to traumatize her anymore.

well i found my snot savior- Boogie Wipes! a friend had actually purchased them for me as a joke (because i was always chasing her snotty kids around) and i stashed them away for later use. i pulled them out & slowly approached my 3 month old. she eyed me warily as i descended on her with the wipe in hand. as i went to wipe her nose she started freaking....then she stopped!

what is this? a wipe that doesn't hurt, burn, sting?! and it smells good to boot?!?! SUCCESS! my child simply sat there staring at me while i wiped the offending mucus away. and then she SMILED!! HOOORAY! i looked adoringly at the dirtied wipe & tossed it into the trash (after using it to wipe my own nose)- i love them.

so- since all i had on hand were little single packs i was really hoping that they came in a large count size- and they do! i found a 30 count pack and snatched it up (fresh scent)

i keep it on the counter in place of any tissues i used before (even my beloved vicks ones) why? because Boogie Wipes are the best! they're soft, they smell good, the perfect amount of wet, full of saline goodness & etc etc. i don't have to scrub my kid's poor little nose- a simple wiping takes care of any dried on snot. and i don't just use them for her. i use them for ME & the husband (and sometimes the dogs- oy)

so, before you go buy a box of regular tissues, consider grabbing a package of Boogie Wipes- once you go Boogie, you won't go back!

so- do you want to win two 30 count packs of these awesome things?! then this is what i encourage you to do:

1. follow Boogie Wipes on FaceBook: FB Page
2. follow Boogie Wipes on Twitter: Twitter Page
3. follow my blog & VOTE for me on Top Mommy Blogs & Top Baby Blogs!

go ahead & leave a comment for EACH of the above that you decide to do (i followed, i voted, etc etc) and that will up your chances of winning! and if you already follow them (or me) then go ahead & leave a comment saying so!!

this giveaway will be open until tomorrow night (Tues Feb 23) and i will use Random.org to pick the winner on Wed morning!
once the winner is chosen, i will have you e-mail me your info & i will pass it on the Boogie Wipes & they will ship your wipes directly to you.

good luck!

sick sick sick

i have a cold.
alex has a cold.

tis the season.

i'm 99% sure we picked it up at a friends house- she has 3 kids & 2 of them were fairly snotty & coughing while we were there. the next day- bam- i felt like crap and as of yesterday, bam- so does alex.
if i'd known before hand, i wouldn't have gone. no offense, i love them- but i hate being sick & i hate seeing alex suffer.

oh well. what's done is done.

anyway- so i shot out of bed @ 11:30pm last night because i hear alex snorting/coughing/choking. poor thing was so congested and miserable.

i used some saline drops & sucked out her nose & throat (which i felt bad about because i'd already done a ton of that earlier but i had no choice. i fed her, rocked her, vicksed her chest, swaddled her back up and put her back down. i also inclined the crap out of her. like, she might have well been sitting up. and then she slept much better. i woke up a inch to check on her, but the Angel Care monitor really puts my mind at ease that eveything is ok.

she slept till about 6 or so this morning, and then BAM- horrible. she woke up crying so i salined her nose & did a little more suction (i felt really bad now because now she had some bloody mucus- poor baby) then i changed her, fed her & stripped her down to her diaper.
she was actually pretty content at this point, she's been a real trooper.

but i wanted to break up some of her congestion- so i went ahead and started the shower. then i took a bowl, smeared Vicks in it (a good sized glob of it) and smeared more on a washcoth & put it in the bowl. i put that under the spray and WALLA! it was awesome. it helped her & me.

we sat in the closed up, steamy vicks goodness bathroom for a good 30 min or so. then i rinsed out the washcoth and wiped her nose with it. her eyes lit up like WHOA. then she started snuffling it- adorable....then i used it. nice.

i salined her nose once more- let it sit & only used tissues to wipe this time (then i realized that tissues suck & i broke out the Boogie Wipes a friend had gotten me as a "joke" actually- because i'm ANAL about snot- and those things kick ass). gotta give her poor nose a break. i dressed her, gave her a paci & she is happily napping for now.

whew. it sucked because i'd like nothing more than to stay home with her today- but i have a dentist appt & i have to go pick up a humidifier for her- so we'll make it as quick as possible.

thankfully my best friend is coming with me today to help out. i love her.
and that's that.

i should go change this snot covered t-shirt. gross.