Tag Archives: reviews

We live in Florida. It’s hot. And when we aren’t in the rainy season, that sun is Intense. Yes, Intense with a capital I.

But that sun provides many glorious opportunities to be outside at the pool, beach, park, etc. which we can’t get enough of. We just need to make sure we cover ourselves with hats and plenty of sunscreen.

I was recently sent some samples of the new Coppertone CLEARLYSheer lotion and Coppertone ultraGUARD Continuous Spray courtesy of BzzAgent. (If you haven’t heard of BzzAgent, go check it out…it’s a free program where you can test out some amazing products in exchange for some honest Bzz!)

Here is more info about the two products I received:

Coppertone® ClearlySheer® Sunny Days Body Lotion

• Lightweight formulas feel clean and light, leaving barely a trace on skin
• Won’t clog pores or cause breakouts (clinically tested on acne-prone skin)
• Lotions appropriate for sensitive skin
• Moisturizing formulas help leave skin smooth and soft
• Fresh light citrus fragrance with soft floral base notes.
• Water resistant (80 minutes)
• Broad spectrum protection; helps decrease the risk of early skin aging caused by the sun

Coppertone® ultraGUARD® Continuous Spray

• Quick, even coverage
• Photostable, broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection
• Water resistant (80 minutes)
• Dermatologist tested
• Hypoallergenic
• Available in 6 fl. oz.
• Non-greasy
• Continuous Spray products spray at any angle

I had the opportunity to really put these products to the test twice recently….for seven days at Walt Disney World and a day at the beach, among several other pool days as well.

I really love the convenience of spray sunscreens, especially for hard to reach places like my back. Some people shy away from sprays, but I really saw the benefit of them for myself when I needed a quick application while in the parks. I brought along a little travel-sized Coppertone® ultraGUARD® Continuous Spray and could keep it in my bag or stroller and quickly spray myself when I felt I needed a reapplication on my shoulders/back/neck throughout the day. I didn’t have to get my hands greasy and I didn’t burn at all.

As far as the beach goes, I liked the spray because I could quickly apply it on myself, since I had a toddler ready and waiting to play, play, play! We usually stick to one particular sunscreen for Trent, since he has had a skin reaction to other sunscreens (being a fair-skinned red-head, we have to pay attention to ingredients and how well his skin does with lotions and such). But when I wanted to quickly put some more sunscreen on his legs after being in the water, I grabbed this sunscreen and gave him a quick spray…I didn’t have to stop him from what he was doing and his skin did fine with it. For kids, I do recommend starting out with a really good sunscreen lotion (not a spray) which Coppertone has some good options for, but the sprays can be a great quick solution for touchups and for adults.

The CLEARLYSheer Lotion for Sunny Days is perfect for everyday use or after a day at the beach, pool or amusement parks. You don’t realize how much sun you may get throughout the day with a few walks to and from your car or the store or during a walk in a neighborhood, but it all adds up and can still harm your skin. CLEARLYSheer Lotion for Sunny Days is a moisturizing lotion that includes SPF, so you can moisturize your skin and protect it without feeling like you have a layer of sunscreen on. It would also be great for other seasons as an everyday lotion, too.

With these products, Coppertone has you covered…protection, moisturizing and convenience!

Click here for a great coupon for $1.00 off any Coppertone product, except trial sizes.

Here are some fun sun facts:

I received these products for free from BzzAgent. Thanks for reading!

As the weeks pass by and the thought of having two little ones in the house gets closer to becoming a reality, I am savoring any relaxing moment I can get. However, with a toddler that likes to wake up late and go to sleep even later, those moments often come unexpectedly…which is why I tend to prefer watching a good tv series on Netflix as opposed to a full 2+ hour movie.

Don’t get me wrong, I love movies, but since we cut our satellite subscription, we rely on Netflix to give us some of our favorite shows…whether they were our favorites before or newfound favorites, if Trent goes down for a nap or even when we sit down to eat dinner, we can quickly select the next episode and watch it in less than an hour without any interruptions.

Ahhh…the life of a mom!

We just finished the entire Breaking Bad series from start to finish and absolutely loved it. Brett gets a little more free time than I do at night, so he recently just caught up on the Once Upon a Time series and Orange is the New Black. I have had Scandal, House of Cards and Orange is the New Black on my watch-list ready to go…I just need to decide which one I want to start! Which one would you pick?

Here are some ideas for shows you can enjoy on Netflix…save them for when the little ones go to sleep and enjoy some ME time!

1. Orange Is the New Black
2. Scandal
3. Pretty Little Liars
4. Sherlock
5. Breaking Bad
6. Parenthood

They also have some series’ from years past to watch in case you missed them while they were on tv.

1. Weeds
2. Call the Midwife
3. Freaks and Geeks
4. Shameless
5. Top of the Lake

I wish I could say I sit down with a nice adult beverage and a Pin-worthy snack to bring the entire experience together, but this pregnant gal can’t do that. Instead, it’s milk and Oreos, or something else that I probably shouldn’t be having, but enjoy oh-so-much. Whatever makes you happy, right?!

Of course, I have a party-animal child with a late bed time, so this is how my snack time usually goes…

This post was written by me as part of my membership in the Netflix Stream Team. All opinions are my own and honest. Thanks for reading!

I’m sure we all can think of at least one person we know that has had a crisis happen to them. It could come in the form of a medical emergency, death of a family member or natural disaster. Recent personal stories that come to mind for me are a friend that lost everything in Hurricane Sandy and had to completely rebuild and a death of a family member that didn’t have insurance or savings. Brett broke his foot just after we moved into the house and then had meningitis shortly after. Luckily, we had insurance and Brett barely ever took time off from work, but it’s situations like that which many people could use the help of family and friends to help them in their time of need. Even for people that are too shy or embarrassed to ask for help will often find the overwhelming goodness in people that want to help in any way they can.

GiveForward is a site that helps do just that. It is a place where people can go to submit their situation and family, friends and even strangers can contribute towards their needs. It’s like a crowdfunding site with the sole purpose of helping someone in their time of need.

GiveForward is the #1 platform to start a medical fundraiser, making it so easy for loved ones to help. And they have guidelines in place so you can be sure you won’t be overwhelmed with general fundraising efforts.

• Medical Expenses including travel, medical equipment and service animals
• Out-of-pocket living expenses that are associated with an illness or injury
• “Bucket lists” associated with a terminal illness
• Funeral expenses or memorial funds

Setting up a campaign couldn’t be easier:

With GiveForward, the beneficiary is guaranteed to receive 99.5% of the donations to their campaign. Campaigns can be shared via social media, making it easier to get the word out to as many people as possible. You can also post updates to your campaign page to keep everyone informed of the progress!

And pet owners rejoice! The Humane Society has endorsed GiveForward as an effective site for raising money to help with vet bills…so you can create a campaign for your fur child if the need arises.

More more information on GiveForward, check out their website here.

GiveForward also has an ambassador program, working with individuals that want to help spread the word and share unexpected joy. You can go here to learn more about becoming an ambassador.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of GiveForward. Thanks for reading!

Etsy is one of my favorite shops and these bookcases are just one reason why. Made from high quality repurposed materials, each custom bookcase comes with their own unique origins in historically inspired Americana - that is once again enjoyed today! They’ll add a truly unique feature to your home.

Can I admit something to you? Other than some maternity clothes before the trip, I haven’t purchased a single item of clothing for myself in over a year, at least. I used to go into stores and head straight to shoes or women’s clothing. But now, where do I go? Straight for the toddler section. Geeze, someone help me with a little girl on the way.

I just can’t help it…kids clothes are so adorable and fun to buy…for Trent and for other kids I know. So when Apericots contacted me to pick out something for Trent, I couldn’t have been more excited!

Apericots offer shirts for all members of your family, from infants all the way to adults, along with totes, pillow cases and other fun items. Their items have funny or cute sayings and pictures, with popular references to movies, music and current events.

They also have holiday/seasonal items…how cute are these shirt for babies/kids for Father’s Day?!

I went to their website and found so many cute/funny items! Knowing we’d be attending Star Wars Weekend at Walt Disney World, I originally started looking at the Star Wars items. However, when I saw this shirt, I just had to have it…for Trent, of course!

We did not watch Breaking Bad when it was on tv, but we have been binge watching it on Netflix the past few months and are now in the final season. Heisenberg is the pseudonym for the main character, Walter White. Anyone that watches the show might ask how this reference is appropriate for a toddler…to them I say “Because it adds ‘burger’ to the end!” Oh, and “Because it’s funny!”

The shirt came in a deep, bold red with dark black print. Trent is somewhere in the 2T to 3T range, so I ordered a 3T…which was a little big, but still fit. I’m glad he will get several uses out of it before he grows fast like toddlers do!

During our trip, we had reservations at a Star Wars dinner, so I thought it would be perfect for him to wear his red semi-villainous shirt to declare he was choosing the Dark Side!

It was really hot and humid out, and this shirt was great…it’s not heavy, so Trent seemed comfortable in it the entire night. Several people pointed it out and said they loved it! A definite conversation-starter!!

If only I could have found a similar hat for him to wear with his shirt!

Buy: Apericots.com

***GIVEAWAY!***

Lucky you! The amazing folks at Apericots are offering one lucky reader a $15 gift certificate to purchase anything in their store! Enter below!

Prize: $15 gift certificate to Apericots.com

Eligibility: Worldwide

Ends: Wednesday, June 18 at 11:59 pm EST

How to enter: Use the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received this product in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own and honest. Thanks for reading!

It’s no secret we’re Disney fans…we know it and so do all of our friends and family. Even complete strangers know it just by looking at us…Trent almost always has his Mickey hat on! He’s already been to Disney World 6 times and he’s not even 2 years old!

When creating Trent’s nursery and now a girl nursery, of course we had to find ways to sprinkle in some of that Disney magic in there. Trent’s baby shower was Disney-themed and you can be sure he received some cute Disney items as gifts before he was even born! Some of our baby items, including toys and feeding items, have Disney characters on it and family and friends will often send us photos of the fun Disney items they find while shopping.

But did you know you don’t have to travel to a Disney park to find the cutest Disney baby items?

That’s right! In fact, you don’t have to travel far at all, since Walmart offers the official Disney Baby Collection!

Disney Baby is focused on Creating magical moments right from the startâ„¢, with Positive family-bonding and everyday magical moments with a dash of magic that you can only expect from Disney.

When Trent was first born, we knew we wouldn’t be headed back to Disney World for a while, so we really loved that fact that we could find Disney items close to us without having to travel to the parks. I found such cute pajamas and other clothing items there, as well as fun toys and accessories.

They offer everything from clothes, to strollers, to bedding, and much more - with characters such as Mickey, Minnie, Winnie the Pooh, and more. Know someone that’s expecting? Or maybe you have a little one of your own that could use a dash of Disney magic? Here are some fun Disney Baby items that you can currently find…and since we’re expecting a little girl, I’ll put the focus on the Minnie Mouse products available at Walmart!

I really love this Minnie Mouse Coral Flowers Collection. It’s girly, but in a chic, not overly pink sort of way. I love the mix of pink, black and white. I also like that Disney Baby teamed up with Safety 1st to create quality baby gear. It features the following items:

o Disney Baby MINNIE MOUSE Coral Flowers Saunter Sport LC-22 Travel System from Safety 1st

Bring a little magic into your child’s day with the Disney Saunter Sport LC-22 Travel System in the Coral Flowers Minnie Mouse fashion. The stroller features a large storage basket, multiple cup holders and a multi-position seat recline to help make your journeys more enjoyable. The two-section stroller canopy has a window panel, letting you see baby while walking in stroller mode, and the infant car seat is extra lightweight for easy transfers between the car and wherever you want to go!

o Disney Baby MINNIE MOUSE Coral Flowers Care Center Play Yard from Safety 1st

Give your little character a magical place to rest and play with the Disney Care Center Play Yard in the Minnie Mouse Coral Flowers fashion. This adaptable play yard features a newborn bassinet with open-view, breathable mesh and an easy-reach changer with deluxe storage for quick and easy diaper changes. The spacious Disney Care Center Play Yard is ideal for rest or fun with an adorable Minnie Mouse design on the mattress pad.

To create a pretty-in-pink Minnie Mouse nursery, be sure to include this Disney Baby Minnie MouseSitting Pretty 3-Piece Crib Bedding Set!

When baby is on the move and ready to get around the house, keep the Disney Baby and Minnie Mouse fun alive with this Disney Baby Minnie Mouse Bows & Butterflies Walker.

Your baby girl will find the Disney Baby Minnie Mouse Bows & Butterflies Walker simply ear-resistible! This adorable walker is full of sweet and stylish fun with an electronic toy station that can be removed for floor play. The seat pad has three different height positions to provide some growing room for your little sweetheart and comes with two link loops to add baby’s favorites. Lights and sounds, piano keys, clicky flower with beads and an adorable Minnie bead chaser inspire playtime with Minnie. It’s all about the bow!

I also wanted to share this video from Disney Baby….how cute is that Toy Story Aliens hat on the baby in the swing?!

Go here to see all of the Disney Baby items available at Walmart!

This post is written by me and sponsored by Disney Baby. Thanks for reading!