Let's Talk Razors

As a married woman, I want to do everything I can to stay desirable to my husband, but after you've been married for a while, sometimes you tend to let certain things slide. One thing that I used to let slide was shaving my legs. It was seemed like a hassle that I did not have the time for. I'd shave about once a week and to me, that was enough, especially because it was uncomfortable for me. For some reason, my legs always burned after shaving and if I waited longer between shavings, it wasn't quite as bad. But then I got to thinking, I'm sure my husband would appreciate having his wife come to bed with silky legs! To feel softness when he cuddles me. A stark contrast from the dirt and grime and general roughness that is his work day. I decided to make it a point to keep my legs shaved daily. You never know how much of an impact even a seemingly small change could make! However, I still had the issue of my legs burning after shavings and I had razor bumps all the time. UGH!

As you know, I LOVE free stuff. I am part of a website called Influenster that will sometimes send you products for you to test and review. Recently they sent me the new Gillette Venus Embrace Sensitive razor for me to try. Sensitive? As in, for sensitive skin? I mean sure, I have sensitive skin on my face but....on my legs? Is that why my legs burn after shaving? Is that why I can't get rid of my razor bumps?
After trying out the razor, I can say that the answer to those questions is YES! Since using this razor, I haven't had any of the problems that I had previously. No razor burn or bumps, no burning! Had I never received this razor to try, I probably would have never considered that I may have sensitive skin on my legs. If I had seen it in the store, I probably would have walked right past it! If you have similar issues as I did and are looking for relief, try this razor! I can almost guarantee you will notice a difference.
As a bonus, the razor itself is gorgeous. My favorite color. What are the chances? It also comes with a razor holder that suctions to the shower wall which is super convenient. I like that I can place it up high to where my son can't reach it.

It has 5 blades for a super smooth finish and is perfect for sensitive skin.

All in all, I am very impressed.
Good bye old razor, Hello Venus Embrace Sensitive!

Recovering

I took Dakota to play group/storytime last week to try and get some social interaction not only for him, but for me as well. At the first storytime on Tuesday he just wasn't his usual outgoing self! He clung to me the whole time and wouldn't even participate in the songs. I found this really odd since normally he loves to dance and sing and play with other children. I decided to take him to a Toddler Time the next day to help break him out of his shell. He did better this time and somewhat interacted with the other children. I think after a few more visits he will be really into it, but that's not the main focus of this post. 

While watching him play, there was one point where I saw him grab a block and almost as if in slow motion, I saw him bring it up to his mouth and in it went. In my head I was screaming 'NOOOOOOO!' I knew then and there....We were in trouble.

A couple of days later, there he was, waking up with snot all over his upper lip (I apologize for the mental image), watery eyes, and a cough. I knew it was coming, and there was nothing I could do about it. So I comforted my sick baby and tried to keep my other one as far away from him as possible. All while downing my Emergen-C, washing my hands every 2 seconds, and telling myself "DON'T GET SICK. You CANNOT get sick! You WILL NOT get sick!" Despite my best efforts, the next morning I woke up with a stuffy, runny nose, tired achy muscles, and a very sore throat. The next thing I knew, Levi's tiny little nose was getting stuffy...(Breastmilk worked wonders to help clear him up!)
5 days later we are all almost back to normal. I'm hoping this was a one-time ordeal and that now that we have built up our immune systems so that the next Toddler Time won't cause anything like this again. In the meantime I'll be teaching Koda not to put blocks in his mouth. ugh.
My one question?
How did my husband manage to get out of this one?

New Baby Must-Have's

Even though Levi is our second baby, we had just moved back to Texas from Germany and were still waiting for our belongings to arrive when he was born. We didn't have anything with us that we had for Dakota and basically had to start all over. I didn't realize how much stuff we would need! So I've compiled a list of "must-have's". I'll be honest, most of them are just things that are really nice to have but not necessarily essential. 

Mamaroo, Rockaroo, Swing or Bouncer

You'll need a place for the baby to be put down during the day. Even if you do tend to hold the baby most of the day, everyone needs a potty break now and then, even mommies. We have the 4moms Mamaroo and it's amazing. It's a bit more expensive than your regular baby swing but, in my opinion, it's worth it. It has 5 different speed settings, 5 different movement options, as well as a sound machine and a place for you to plug in your ipod to play your own music!

Boppy Pillow

Oh Boppy, how did I survive without you with Dakota? The Boppy is great for nursing and for letting baby lounge. I always keep mine close by for feedings and I like to use it to prop Levi up closer to his toys in his play gym and for tummy time. I had a different kind of pillow similar to the Boppy with Dakota but never used it because it was more 'boxy' and uncomfortable for Koda to lay on. Boppy is the way to go.

Diaper Backpack

I HATE traditional diaper bags. They are so bulky and just...a pain. We quickly switched to a backpack when Dakota was a newborn but with Levi we found a diaper bag that actually is a backpack! It has a pocket that is lined to keep things warm/cold and it came with a really nice changing pad with zipper pouches to hold wipes. It's roomy without being so big that you can lose things in it and much easier to carry than a traditional diaper bag.

Baby Gym

Now that Levi is almost 3 months he is beginning to want to play more and more often. A play gym is perfect for this age because they can lay on their back and look up at the toys and hit them to watch them swing and they are also perfect for tummy time. Ours even came with a little pillow specifically for tummy time!

Gripe Water

This stuff is magic in a bottle! We use it every day with Levi these days. They help with colic, gas, and hiccups. Even better, the one we use is all natural.

Baby Nail Clippers

Your sweet little baby will have the claws of a LION! They will scratch their face and yours constantly and they grow at the speed of light! I have to clip Levi's nails at least twice a week. Some have a magnifying glass attached so you can see their little nails better. Ours has a light, which I prefer to the magnifying glass.

 Snap & Go Stroller

Travel systems built specifically to match and carry your car seat are nice, but can be bulky and take up all or most of the trunk in your vehicle. The snap & go is a great alternative. It's compact, lightweight, fits any infant car seat, and even has cup holders, a compartment for keys/phone and a space underneath for your diaperbag and/or purse. Honestly, it's a lifesaver! 

Bassinet

Most likely, baby will not be willing to sleep in the crib immediately after bringing them home from the hospital. Also, you will want to have them near your for easier feedings and diaper changes in the middle of the night. The one we have folds up for easy transport for when we go stay somewhere overnight. It's much easier than lugging a pack n' play around. It even has a vibration setting and the base is curved so you can rock it.

Snuza Hero

This is probably the most important thing on my list. It can literally save your baby's life. It's a breathing/movement monitor that clips onto your baby's diaper and sets off an alarm if they stop breathing for a certain amount of time. For us, it has already paid for itself. I get more sleep because I'm not checking on Levi's breathing constantly and I know firsthand that it works. Thank God for Snuza!

Swaddle Blankets

Even though we don't swaddle Levi, we love our swaddle blankets! We use Aden + Anais swaddle blankets. They are so soft, perfect to use as a light blanket while out and about and they have seriously cute prints. If you're looking for a similar but less expensive option, Summer Infant is great. 

What are some baby items that are essential for your family? Leave a comment!

When Reality Hits

Have you ever had a moment that felt like time was standing still but also racing by at the same time? That's how I felt today when my son got a bo-bo. It was just like all the other ones that happen 10 times (or more) a day. He's playing, falls or runs into something, cries for a second, comes to get a mommy cuddle and then gets over and he's quickly on to his next activity. This time was no different, until I felt his little arms wrap around my shoulders when he came to get his little reassurance snuggle. His arm reached around to the middle of my back and all of the sudden, time stood still as I recalled how just a short time ago, his arms were so short that his fingertips couldn't even touch over the top of his head. Now his little arm was reaching around me, actually holding on to me and pulling me in. I soaked up the moment because I started feeling as though any second he was suddenly going to morph into this teenage boy, towering over me with big, heavy, muscular man arms.
While I am loving watching my little baby become a toddler and from there become a kid and so on, I am clinging to whatever little tiny bit of baby-ness there is left. I'm sure every mother feels the same way about her children. Each day he needs me less and less but I need him. I'm not ready to let go of the little kisses and hugs or him dragging his 'bankie' (blankie) around everywhere so that it's covered in dirt 5 minutes after I get it out of the dryer. These moments are so sweet, and so very fleeting. Now I understand why my parents say 'you'll always be my baby'. No matter how big and strong and manly my little baby boy becomes, to me, he truly will always be my baby.

Product Review: Fisher Price Little People City Skyway

One of my favorite things to do is get stuff FOR FREE and review them! It's SO easy to do and, c'mon, who doesn't like free stuff? I've been testing and reviewing for a site called bzzagent.com for a few months now and I am loving it! I'm now on my third 'campaign' and one of the things they sent me was this new toy by Fisher Price! It's from the Little People collection and it's a race track type set up called City Skyway.

It stands just over 3 feet tall and is recommended for 18 months to 4 years.
My (almost) 2 year old LOVES this thing! I mean LOVES! It is the one toy we have that keeps him occupied for more than 5 seconds. He likes to send both cars down one right after the other and watch them take a different lane every time. There are 3 different lanes that the cars can go down that are activated by these 'automatic switches'. Each time a car hits one side, it opens up the other so that when a car goes down it takes a different path than the one before it. All 3 paths end up coming out towards you and the center one even causes the car to jump! It also comes with 2 cars so it's great for both independent play and play with a friend.
As far as assembly goes, it comes with a lot of pieces but is pretty easy to put together and all you need is a screwdriver. It's really very sturdy once it's put together and the bases are nice and wide so it's not going to topple over unless someone puts a whole lot of effort into pushing it down.
The one and only thing I think I would change is the age range. I feel like children that are on the older side of the age range would get bored with it somewhat quickly but for about 2 years old- this thing is GOLDEN.

If you'd be interested in testing and reviewing products like this one, head over to bzzagent.com. It is 100% free, legit and so easy!

I was sent this product for review c/o Fisher Price and Bzzagent