DownEast Basics Review & Giveaway (Girls) *CLOSED*

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Since I've had a TON of items from DownEast Basics already, I really wanted to get one for Avery too. This time I got lucky. The PR Rep was very nice and offered us each an item! I chose the Tuxedo Sequin Henley in the Totally Teal color from their Girls line for Avery. 

I got it in a Size 4 and it fits her great!

She looks so grown up :(

I love this top on her. It's a gorgeous color. Brings out her blue eyes and it just looks great. I love the sequin touches and that the arms are cuffed. Super cute! It also has Tulle on it along with the sequins and it's just super cute. It's cute for a toddler, but it's also grown up looking all at once. 

I love the color. The quality is amazing just like all of DownEast's items and I'm just in love with it. 

I'm so happy that Avery can start her DE collection now too!!!

It also comes in a mustard color

Here's some more of my favorites

Adorable stuff as usual. DownEast has outdone themselves again!

Price: The Henley is $16.99. So worth it. And those Boyfriend Jeans are $36.99.

Overall: *****

*Disclaimer* I received an item directly from DownEast basics in exchange for a review. I was not paid to try out these products*

A big thank you goes out to DownEast Basics for allowing me to review this product and offering a giveaway

DownEast Basics Review & Giveaway (Women) *CLOSED*

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You all know about my love affair with DownEast Basics. I love their clothes. They're cute, affordable and are high quality. Every single month they have New Arrivals which definitely keeps everything up to date!

I received a lovely cardigan. Something I could wear pregnant or not. So I'll get a lot of use out of it. I got the Roundabout Cardi in the Ginger Spice Color

I got it in a size medium. It fits me great. It's nice and flowy. It's a bit long so it covers everything. The color is so gorgeous for fall. It's all open in the front so it's perfect for pregnancy. I just love everything about it. 

It's kind of thin, but is great for fall when you just need a bit of extra covering. The quality is really nice and it's soft. It's been washed a couple times and still looks like new. I just adore it! I love the color. 

It also comes in a Kangaroo color

So they're both great for fall. 

That's how it fits on me too. It falls so nicely! I just love everything about it. 

This was from the New Arrivals in September. So here's some from this month.

Those all also come in black!

They also have a girls section and a home section as well as accessories!

Price: The Cardigan I received is $36.99 and oh so worth it!

Overall: *****

*Disclaimer* I received an item directly from DownEast basics in exchange for a review. I was not paid to try out these products*

A big thank you goes out to DownEast Basics for allowing me to review this product and offering a giveaway

Bathtub Soap Crayon Recipe!

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These are SOOO getting made here!
Avery would just love these!

http://www.kiboomu.com/2011/05/30/our-favorite-bathtub-soap-crayons-recipe/

This Bathtub Soap Crayon recipe for kids is one of our favorites!  It’s makes for a great summer craft and kids just love bathtub time when they have their bathtub crayons to play with!

Craft supplies:

• 1 cup grated Ivory soap or Ivory Snow flakes
• Warm water
• 4 Bowls
• Food coloring

Craft instructions:

Have the children grate a bar of soap, making one cup of soap.

Next, have the children divide the cup of soap into 4 bowls.

Then, have the children add water and several drops of different food coloring into each bowl, and mix.

Encourage the children to stir the mixture until the soap mixture forms a thick dough.  Add more water or soap shavings to get the right consistency.

Once the dough is firm, have the children shape it into crayons by hand or press it into ice cube molds.

Place the soap crayons in the freezer for 10 minutes, and then pop them out of the mold.

Let the bath tub soap crayons dry 1 to 2 days.

Once ready, let your children color in the tub!

Wild Mountain Mommies Review & Giveaway *CLOSED*

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This here begins my cloth diaper reviews again!

I'm so excited to get back into it!!

This one is from the wonderful Wild Mountain Mommies. She very generously sent me a Newborn Diaper to review

 Wipes is fleece on this side and flannel on the print side.

 Umbilical Snapped Down

 And it unsnapped

 Fleece Inside

 Pocket Diaper

 Itty Bitty insert

I am in love with this diaper. I've always loved Ooga, but never had an ooga diaper until now. She surprised me. I just told her a boy newborn and this is what she came up with. I love it. I love all the different colored snaps she used too.

It looks like it would fit a newborn very well. Her newborn claims 6-14. I would agree with 6 and possibly 14 if you have a longer skinnier baby. I don't know how well it would fit a chunky short 14 pound baby though. But I know we'll probably get 2 good months out of this diaper.

It has fleece inside which wicks away moisture well. As does the microfiber insert. So I love that my baby's bum will be dry. 

I love the wipe. It's a generous size. Flannel is absorbent and great for wiping up messes and the fleece on the other side is nice for my hand to not get wet as fleece is water resistant. OR I can use the fleece side to wipe and have it be extra soft on baby's bum.

I love this diaper and can't wait to use it!!!

Price: Her Small Printed PUL (like I received) is $11.49. That's a pocket diaper without an insert. But her OS are just $13.99!

Overall: *****

*Disclaimer* I received an item directly from Wild Mountain Mommies in exchange for a review. I was not paid to try out these products*

A big thank you goes out to Wild Mountain Mommies for allowing me to review this product and offering a giveaway

Purewool Review & Giveaway *CLOSED*

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I have been really knitting up a storm lately. For this baby I have been knitting longies and hats mostly. I need to do a hat/bootie set that matches his coming home outfit though! 

Purewool was very generous and sent me 3 skeins for review. Purewool is known for their good quality yarn but with a very affordable price. Very comparable to the wool you see at craft stores. Their shipping is expensive, but if you can get in on a co-op they are usually about $7 per skein plus a couple dollars for shipping!

They sent me 3 girl colors. I asked for boy, but she's from uruguay and didn't understand. I should've said MALE colors! I was sent the Beautiful (purple, green, blue), Praia (yellow, green, pink), and lastly what I believe to be Kasen (I can't find a link to it anywhere!)

These are all a Merino Worsted that I was sent. 

Here's the thing. Since I need boy or neutral colors I asked the rep if she would allow me to trade these for boyish colors and review the ones that I had already knit up. She said that was JUST FINE!

I found a mama who took the pink and the Praia from me and in return she sent me Mysterious and Leaves

Here is mysterious knit up

Here is leaves knit up

NEITHER KNIT BY ME!

So I have those 2 colorways to knit up and work with still. 

I have another one called Blue Warrior that I need to do as well. 

Here is one that I have done. This is Purewool's Karpatos Colorway

 One side of hat

 Other side

I put Paton's (found at Joann's) black trim with it. It's not a perfect match, but I think it makes it look very handsome! These are both newborn size. I can't wait to put him in these!!

It was 1ply Merino Worsted and I just adored working with it. It was easy to work with, wasn't too fuzzy. And the coloring worked out perfectly on the longies. There was no pooling at all like there was with the hat.

I can not wait to work with Blue Warrior, Leaves and Mysterious and see how they work up. 

Price: On their website the skeins are right around $9 each, but shipping is not cheap since it's coming from Uruguay.

Overall: ***** love working with Purewool. 

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*Disclaimer* I received an item directly from Purewool in exchange for a review. I was not paid to try out these products*

A big thank you goes out to Purewool for allowing me to review this product and offering a giveaway

Peter Rabbit Organics Review & Giveaway *CLOSED*

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When Avery was little we didn't eat organic anything. We were on food stamps and just got by on whatever we could. Our dinners usually consisted of easy like hamburger helper or side dish meals. Once we moved into this house I got a lot better. Making meals, then making them mostly from scratch. And now about 30% of what we buy is organic. If I can try my hardest for my family in making them healthier I will. 

A good start is Peter Rabbit Organics for your toddlers. I have received a couple samplers from them in the past and I just got another one. I couldn't refuse it. Avery still loves these pouches and this was no exception. 

We received one in each of their 6 flavors. Actually, now I see that they have a Peach and Apple flavor as well that we didn't get. Sounds yummy!

Avery devours these though. They have fruit ones and then they have veggie/fruit flavors. These are great ways for her to get in her daily intake, especially of the veggies. I loved giving her one of the veggie ones at lunch time along with her sandwich. 

She loves them and these were all gone within a week. She had one a day. 

I think these are great for an older infant who is trying to be more independent and doesn't want to eat from a spoon, they can just slurp them up. Or you can squeeze it onto a spoon for a younger infant and feed them. 

I think these are great all the way up to school age children and they're perfect for a lunch box, snack in the car on the way home or great for an after school activity snack. They are small and compact, but pack a healthy punch!

All the pouches are 100% organic fruits and/or vegetables and nothing else. They all have Lemon Juice concentrate in them to remain their colors and flavors, but other than that just fruits and vegetables. 

These are sold in Starbucks Locations. Buy Buy Baby, Publix, Whole Foods and more. And also online at Babies R Us, Amazon and Diapers.com

Price: Babies R Us online has 10 packs for $11.98 on sale from $17.99 so this is a great sale!

Overall: *****

*Disclaimer* I received an item directly from Peter Rabbit in exchange for a review. I was not paid to try out these products*

A big thank you goes out to Peter Rabbit for allowing me to review this product and offering a giveaway

31 weeks

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Yes I'm there already! I seriously can not believe that I'm 31 weeks along already!
In less than one week I will have 8 weeks left and will officially be 8 months pregnant!!

I'm feeling it too.
With Avery I gained 15 pounds. So far I'm at 26. I'm hoping it really tapers off from here on out though!

At 30 weeks with Avery I stopped gaining weight. I would gain a pound and then lose it the next week. So I'm hoping that remains this time too. I'm not that concerned about it, but I know the more I gain the harder it will be to lose.
I do remember that I gained 15 pounds with Avery and the day I left the hospital I was 23 pounds lighter.

I feel so big!!!!!!

Artisan Artifacts Review & Giveaway *CLOSED*

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I love candles. Always have, always will. But with a child in the house sometimes they're not the safest. I've never had a problem with Avery touching our candles. We have a large island type area in the kitchen and in the middle of it Avery can't reach, so this is a bonus. But you never know when a ball will get thrown and knock it down. 

So I've recently fallen in love with warmers and candle wax that melts in the warmer! Artisan Artifacts has some lovely scents in her Soy Tart Melts. I love that they're made of soy. 

I received 2 bars for review in the Aspen Winter and Loving Spell

 Just so you can see the colors, but also how the Loving Spell ones had popped out.

The loving spell had arrived in pretty bad shape. It wasn't full and they had popped out and were all cracked. BUT it didn't change anything about how it smelled or how it melted. 

I put one section of loving spell plus a couple little loose pieces into my Scentsy warmer and let it do it's thing. If you like the ever popular Love Spell scent from a certain manufacturer then you will DEFINITELY love this scent! It smells identical and it's a great smell to infuse the house with. 

That 1 piece has been in my warmer for over a week now and been burnt every day for several hours and it still smells strong. Sometimes I don't smell it, but if I go outside for a minute and come back in I can easily smell it. Even if I'm in the bedroom for a few minutes and then come back into the living room I smell it. 

The aspen winter I will love in a month or so from now! It's very piney. Very winter smelling so I don't want to use it now, but I love the smell of it. It's strong but smells delicious and I know it will be a hit with anyone who comes into the house while it's melted. 

I love the use of melts with a warmer. They're safer. Remember the story of Bella who jumped over the counter while the warmer was on? Wax was EVERYWHERE but there was nothing that caught fire!

USE CODE HA15OFF FOR 15% OFF YOUR ORDER (THIS IS AN UNLIMITED CODE)

Price: Her wax melts are just $2.50 each!! This is AWESOME! Her shipping is $3 for the first item and $1 for each additional item. 

Overall: *****

Giveaway Ends November 5th at 11:59 PM EST

*Disclaimer* I received an item directly from Artisan Artifacts in exchange for a review. I was not paid to try out these products*

A big thank you goes out to Artisan Artifacts for allowing me to review this product and offering a giveaway

Exederm Review & Giveaway *CLOSED*

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Avery and I both have eczema. Mine is in the weirdest of places though. I have it behind my ear, in between my breasts and 2 other places I'd rather not mention. I also get it on my upper arms. 

Avery has it on her back mainly. Eczema is a weird thing. It flares up at times and is fine at others and when it flares up it's uber annoying. Right now I have it behind my ear that's flared up. It's all itchy and red. It hurts too. 

When I was offered the chance to review Exederm I was elated. This would be great for both Avery and I. 

I received 5 products from the Baby Line. Actually 4 and one Flare Cream for myself

 How thick the Intensive Moisturizer is.

Since we're full force in fall now (about 45 today) with winter quickly approaching I've been putting the Intensive Moisturizer on Avery every morning. It helps keep her skin nourished and it helps keep her eczema at bay. A little bit goes a really long way with this, but it's not greasy and it absorbs in nicely. 

The baby wash leaked in the box because it had been opened (the twist spout was already twisted) so everything got wash on it, but it's all still usable and I like that I have these products to use. Since I'll be having a winter baby I like that I have this wash and lotion to use on him. He will probably have sensitive skin or eczema as well so I'm keeping these around to use on him. 

I have been using the flare control cream, it's AWESOME! I use it when I do flare up like behind my ear. And if I put it on twice a day usually within 1-2 days my flare is completely controlled and all cleared up. This stuff works!!

October is Eczema Awareness Month so this was the perfect time to receive this kit.

You can buy these products at Buy Buy Baby, Target online, Amazon and Drugstore.com. Some other little drug stores have them too. 

Price: Each product is between $12.99 and $14.99 this is a bit expensive, but this stuff works and a little goes a long way. 

Overall: *****

*Disclaimer* I received an item directly from Exederm in exchange for a review. I was not paid to try out these products*

A big thank you goes out to Exederm for allowing me to review this product and offering a giveaway

Popcorn Factory & Cheryl's Review & Giveaway *CLOSED*

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Again I usually don't post 2 companies reviews together, but these ones go together very well as they're both Halloween!

I love Halloween. The Decorations are cute, costumes are cute and I love the general idea of it. 

So when I had a chance to review something from both Popcorn Factory and Cheryl's I was excited!!

From the Popcorn Factory I received a BOO tin which had 3 varieties of popcorn inside

 All Natural Butter, Robust Cheese and Secret Recipe Caramel!

Oh yum yum!! They were all delicious. I love me some good ole cheese popcorn though! They truly have the best I have tasted. The butter was good as well since it's all natural that's a big + for me! And the Caramel was delicious too. 

The tin is cute and It's great for reusing. I have washed it out and kept it but I'm not sure what to do with it yet. I'll think of something. The popcorn is divided with a divider so all your flavors stay alone, this is a nice feature.

Did you know that October is National Popcorn Month? More reason for me to eat all I want. I'm a huge popcorn fan.

From Cheryl's I received a Boo Cookie. It's a little ghost and it's like a card that you can send to the recipient of your choice. It's a cookie card!

Unfortunately mine came all cracked

But it was still absolutely delicious! I love the idea behind it. They're just $5 shipped so not much more than a card and it means more and says you're thinking about them. I think it's a cute idea, affordable and a way to bring a smile to someone's face the less conventional way. 

Mine came with the $5 gift card too off next purchase! So sweet. 

Price: The Popcorn Tin in the 2 gallon which I received is $30. The Cookie is just $5 SHIPPED!!

Overall: *****

*Disclaimer* I received an item directly from Popcorn Factory & Cheryl's in exchange for a review. I was not paid to try out these products*

A big thank you goes out to Popcorn Factory & Cheryl's for allowing me to review this product and offering a giveaway

Aden & Anais Review

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I have reviewed a set of Aden & Anais Receiving Blankets in the past, I can't wait to use them on this baby once he arrives. But this time we received something different. 

We got to review the Star Bright Cozy Sleeping Bag. It's 4 layers of muslin so it's super warm and will be perfect for a winter baby

We got a size Small which is good up to 6 months

 It unzips from the bottom, so this makes changes easier and less of a chance of pinching baby's chin.

It's really thick so it will be super warm for him. For a winter baby this is nice. Since blankets shouldn't be surrounding a newborn this is really the only thing they should be able to use!

They have the same ones in a single layer of muslin which is great for every day and in the summer. Muslin is very breathable and even in this 4 layer cozy one it's still breathable. 

October is SIDS Awareness month and Aden + Anais is a proud sponsor of the CJ Foundation. The CJ Foundation is a national non-profit organization that is dedicated to eliminating the tragedy of sudden unexpected infant and early childhood deaths, supporting grieving families, advancing medical research, furthering parent and professional education and advocating for the health and survival of all children. According to the CDC there are about 4,600 Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID) in the U.S. every year. About 1,700 of those deaths are sleep-related and the babies are either bed sharing or are in a crib with blankets or other soft items. Safe sleeping environments, including using sleep bags like the one we reviewed instead of regular blankets can reduce the risk of SIDS and accidental suffocation. Take a few moments and familiarize yourself with the CJ Foundation and if you don't currently use sleep bags for your baby, please make the change. Aden + Anais is the leading partner with he CJ Foundation in the SIDS Sleep in Safety, Grow in Style (SSGS) Campaign. This campaign is designed to educate others with positive information about safe sleep practices and accurate images of safe sleep environments that do not sacrifice style. For more information on this incredible campaign, visit the website or find them on Facebook. 

It's very important information!

Price: The 4 layer cozy is $45 and the single layer is $32. 

Overall: *****

*Disclaimer* I received an item directly from Aden & Anais in exchange for a review. I was not paid to try out these products*

Tropical Traditions Review & Giveaway *CLOSED*

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Oh my profound love for Tropical Traditions. I seriously LOVE this company and every time they send me something new I'm super excited to try it, but I always love it just as much as the last product, if not more! 

This time I received a sampler of their Deodorant. And yet again I'm in love. 

The Frankincense is my least favorite, but it smells okay once it dries. My favorite is the Lavender. It smells so good going on and smells great when it's dry too. 

I'm an avid Dove deodorant user, It works best, feels best and is just my favorite. But now I think I have a new favorite. Tropical Traditions to the rescue. I'm in love with these deodorants! They go on smoothly and smell nice and they work which is the best part. 

The Classic one is really nice too. It has Cedarwood, Geranium, Tea Tree and patchouli in it. It's nice a mild. 

The Lavender has Lavender, Lemon and Rosemary

And the Frankincense has Frankincense and Sandalwood. 

They all have Grapefruit seed and Jojoba oil. And of course they're made with Virgin Coconut Oil as well! 

So yummy!

Price: They are $8.50 each on sale right now, which is pricey. 

Overall: *****

*Disclaimer* I received an item directly from Tropical Traditions in exchange for a review. I was not paid to try out these products*

A big thank you goes out to Tropical Traditions for allowing me to review this product and offering a giveaway