Angelcare Video and Sound Monitor Review
May 31, 2014

Angelcare Video and Sound Monitor Review

With a baby on the way, there have been so many different products to research. In the beginning of my search, I was totally overwhelmed. I did not know which products were good, which I really needed, etc. I read TONS of different blog reviews and recommendations on Amazon and asked other moms. I think that I have a pretty good registry going now which has most of the items we will need. One brand that I remember reading good things about is Angelcare . They are a company that makes different baby monitors. For my review, I was sent the AC1120 video and sound monitor to review. Even though our baby won't be here for awhile yet, my husband and I tested out this video monitor ourselves to make sure that we liked it and it worked well for once the baby is here. We ended up really liking the monitor and all of the features that it has. Here are some of our favorite features of the Angelcare Video and Sound Monitor: It has a LCD touch screen where from out of the room, you c

Tasty Snacks Review and Nick's Sticks Giveaway
May 28, 2014

Tasty Snacks Review and Nick's Sticks Giveaway

1. Brown Rice Triscuit Thin Crisps - I've always been a fan of Triscuit crackers for their crunchy, whole grain texture and simple ingredient list. I was recently offered to try the new new brown rice Triscuit Thin Crisps. Thy come in three flavors: cinnamon sugar, wasabi & soy sauce and sour cream and chive. All of the flavors are tasty! Especially the cinnamon sugar which tastes like dessert. They are a bit crispier than regular Triscuits. Note: these still use wheat and are not gluten-free FYI. 2.  Detour Smart Cranberry Flax Bars - I am already a big fan of the Detour Smart bars and was excited to try this new cranberry flax flavor. They are chewy and sweet and I love the addition of the flax which provides omega-3 fatty acids. Each bar has only 130 calories, 10 grams protein, 4 grams sugar and 3 grams fiber. They are gluten-free. A lot of the bars that I eat are around 200 calories. I am a person who loves to snack very often though so when I just need a little snac

Milk Nursingwear Review and Giveaway
May 27, 2014

Milk Nursingwear Review and Giveaway

I recently found a company called Milk Nursingwear which makes clothes specially for nursing. This can be very convenient if you have to nurse your baby in public. The clothing looks really nice and you could actually wear the items anytime whether you are a nursing mom or not. For my review, I was sent the tiered ruffle nursing dress in purple. The dress also comes in coral, teal and black. I love the ruffle design which makes it a great dress for summer. The material is stretchy and it actually fits me well right now during pregnancy (21 weeks pregnant in these pictures). It is a very comfortable dress as well. Once the baby comes, I would wear this dress for work for discreet pumping. You can dress it up with heels and jewelry or even dress it down with a casual sweater or zip-up sweatshirt. Under the boob area, it has a layer that can be lifted for very discreet nursing. The dress retails currently for $59. Giveaway The giveaway will be for a $35 gift certificate

Good Boy Organics BOPS Chips Review and Giveaway
May 26, 2014

Good Boy Organics BOPS Chips Review and Giveaway

Lately, chips have sounded like one of the most delicious snacks to me. The problem is that they are high in fat and calories. I recently found BOPS by Good Boy Organics which are Baked Organic Potato Snacks- a healthier version of chips. They come in four flavors: sour cream and onion, BBQ, sea salt and aged white cheddar. Right when I received these, I had to try the sour cream and onion chips. These have 65% less fat than regular potato chips. They are certified organic and certified gluten-free. They are non-GMO verified and are baked instead of fried. I really enjoyed this flavor of BOPS. They do taste a bit different than full-fat chips but what do you expect removing 65% of the fat? I found these to be very satisfying and liked that they are a bit thicker than regular potato chips. I had my sister over one night for a movie and she really enjoyed them as well. They are made with potato starch and flakes which is not at natural as regular potatoes but still a decent sn

Trend Lab Review
May 25, 2014

Trend Lab Review

Now that the news is out that we are expecting a baby girl in September, Troy and I are excited to start decorating her nursery. The color of the room is a light apple green which we painted when we first moved into our house. We don't have a specific design we are going for but are going to throw some pink items in there for a pink/green design. I recently found a company called Trend Lab when doing our registry and fell in love with some of their nursery bedding and accessories. I really like this grey chevron pattern that they have and am registered for that in a changing pad cover. For my review on the blog, I was sent a couple of items from the Paisley Park line. If you are in need of nursery bedding or accessories, I urge you to check out this company. They have many, many different patterns and designs that are very affordable on Amazon. I have so many designs that I like I was sent the Paisley Park changing pad cover and storage caddy to review. Since taking thes

16 Best Summer BBQ Salads
May 24, 2014

16 Best Summer BBQ Salads

In the summer, I love to grill most of our meals. Along with our grilled entree, I like to create healthy salads. I get so bored with making the same few things so I turn to all different types and nationalities of salads to compliment our meals. Any type of vegetables taste amazing in the summer and I love making different combinations to complete a meal. In fact, I could just eat a huge salad for a meal and be completely happy. Troy and I just planted some tomatoes, bell peppers, spinach and romaine lettuce which I hope grows well so I can use them for some of these recipes. Other favorite places to get veggies and fruit this summer are Eastern Market in Detroit which is a huge farmer's market and Randazzo's. Here are some of my must-make salad recipes for the summer: Check out Cold Summer Salads by Amanda Hernandez at Foodie.com Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Foodie.com. All opinions are my own. 

Wiley's Finest Fish Oil Review
May 24, 2014

Wiley's Finest Fish Oil Review

Wiley's Finest Fish Oil review including nutrition- omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. Wiley's Finest Fish Oil Review During pregnancy, I know how important it is to get the right amount of omega-3 fatty acids. It is important for both mom and baby and helps with baby's brain development. I currently do not take an omega-3 supplement everyday but if I do not eat foods rich in omega-3, I will take one. Some of my favorite forms of omega-3 in foods are chia seeds and ground flax. Everyday that I eat oatmeal, I sprinkle one or both of these on my oats for extra nutrition. I was recently sent a bottle of Wiley's Finest Prenatal DHA supplements to try. You have to take 2 per day which is less than many other pills which require 3-4 pills per day. They are made with Wild Alaskan fish. A serving contains 600 mg of DHA and 120 mg of EPA. Pregnant women have to be careful with mercury and these are mercury free. Wiley's Finest fish oil products are made and sourced

An Ode to Aunt Emma and Trina
May 24, 2014

An Ode to Aunt Emma and Trina

This has been a rough month for my family and I.  First, on April 30th, my parent's dog Trina passed away. We got her back in 2003 and she was a huge part of our lives. As you can tell by reading my blog, my dogs are not just dogs, they are part of the family. Trina was 10 1/2 when she passed away but it still was very hard. She had congestive heart failure and one evening after some struggles, she passed away. My dad, husband and sister buried her at my parent's farm which she loved with her tennis ball.  Trina was a huge part of our lives and she is very missed. I thought about writing this post right after she passed but it was too sensitive at that time and honestly, I didn't even want to talk about it with many people. I will miss Trina hitting me with her paw when she wants something. I will miss her crying every time we come over my parent's house. I will miss her wanting us to throw the ball for her every two seconds but holding onto the ball wit

Pink Blush Maternity Review and Giveaway
May 22, 2014

Pink Blush Maternity Review and Giveaway

I am so excited to share Pink Blush Maternity with you all because it is a brand that I have fallen quickly in love with. I was sent a couple of maternity maxi dresses to review and I like them both so much. Since receiving my items for review, I have already been shopping on their site since they have so many cute items. The first dress that I was sent is the navy blue floral print crochet top maxi dress. This dress is currently on sale for $39. A couple of weeks ago, I wore this dress to my sister-in-law-to-be's wedding shower. The dress is very comfortable and I got several compliments on it. What I really love about it is that it fits my growing belly while still being very stylish. Just because I am pregnant does not mean that I am okay with wearing ugly clothes (I'm talking to you Target maternity shorts...). I was also sent the navy blue mint green colorblock maxi dress from Pink Blush Maternity . This dress is so comfortable that it literally feels like I am wea

Dria Cover Review and Giveaway
May 21, 2014

Dria Cover Review and Giveaway

The Dria Cover is a product that is used for covering you up for nursing in public. I have read reviews about the Dria Cover on other blogs and have always heard about how soft it is and what a useful product it is. I was recently sent a couple of Dria Covers to review. Although the baby is not here yet, I opted to try this cover on. I agree with everyone else, it is extremely comfortable! The material is soft and seems to be high quality. It is a poncho for breastfeeding and feels like a jersey style t-shirt. It is actually very fashionable and could be worn for style out in public. I do plan to breastfeed and my husband and I are both interested in discretion so this cover should be very helpful. The striped cover seen above is the Oslo design and the tan one is the Solana. Most of the Dria Covers retail for $79.95. They also have a tie-dyed version and another striped one. I think that with a slim belt, these covers would be super cute as well. I look forward to using the

Sprint HTC One M8 Harman/Kardon Edition Review
May 20, 2014

Sprint HTC One M8 Harman/Kardon Edition Review

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Sprint. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and to thank me for participating. As part of my Sprint Ambassadorship , I was sent the  Sprint HTC One M8 Harman/Kardon Edition phone to review. I have been a Sprint customer for many years and currently have the Evo 4G phone. The first thing that I noticed about this new phone is that the screen is about 1/3 inch longer than my current phone. I love huge phones so this was a plus. My husband and I love to listen to music on our phones so this phone having nice Harman/Kardon speakers was a huge plus. This phone has technology that helps to restore compressed digital music and give you more like a headphone listening experience. I find the music to sound a lot clearer than on other phones which is awesome. I like the all-metal design of this phone. It looks very sleek and the colors are not like any phone I have had before. The phone has a

thinkThin Review and Giveaway
May 20, 2014

thinkThin Review and Giveaway

I was recently sent some of the new thinkThin Lean Protein and Fiber Bars to try. I had tried other thinkThin bars in the past which I've liked pretty well but these new bars are my favorite from ThinkThin. Each bar has 150 calories, 10 g protein, 5 g fiber and only 5 grams of sugar. They come in 5 awesome flavors including chunky chocolate peanut, salted caramel, honey drizzle peanut, chocolate almond brownie and cinnamon bun white chocolate. My hunger has been so out of control this week. I think that baby is having a big growth spurt or something. I have been snacking on these thinkThin bars through the day to help calm down this crazy hunger. My favorite bar has been the honey drizzle peanut. It is very chewy which I love and is coated in chocolate. The bar is decent sized for only 150 calories and tastes so good. The salted caramel and cinnamon bun white chocolate are other favorites. Something about the soft, chewiness of these bars is awesome and I would definitely

2nd Trimester Pregnancy Update
May 19, 2014

2nd Trimester Pregnancy Update

Besides baby/pregnancy reviews and giveaways, I have not updated you all on my pregnancy in awhile. I thought I would share some info about what is going on with me! I am currently 22 weeks pregnant and feeling well. # Weeks : 22 weeks pregnant (about 5 months) Symptoms : Overall, I am feeling excellent. I have been experiencing randomly occurring pains in my stomach.  I went to the doctor for it and he said that they are growing pains which are spasms happening in my uterus (totally normal). Some days, I am super tired, some days I feel fine. I feel run down a lot and try to take it easy as I need to. Sleep : *Knock on the wood*, sleep is going very well. I am sleeping 8-9 1/2 hours per night which is more than I was sleeping before pregnancy. I wake up once to use the bathroom each night and wake up a few other times in the night but fall right back asleep. Sex of baby : It's a girl!!!!!!!!!! Movement : YES!!! I have an anterior placenta which means that the placenta

Snuggy Baby Review and Giveaway
May 19, 2014

Snuggy Baby Review and Giveaway

Way before I found out I was pregnant, I knew that I wanted to be one of those babywearing moms. I loved the idea of having the baby close but also having your hands free to still get stuff done like cook dinner or clean the house. I recently found a company called Snuggy Baby which sells baby slings and wraps, cloth diapers, etc. For my review, I chose the charcoal gray baby wrap. This wrap retails for $55 on the Snuggy Baby website. It is made of 100% cotton. I liked that it is a neutral color and matches with most clothing. I almost chose black but I liked this option better. The wrap is 5 1/2 yards long and wraps up so you can hold the baby easily. I can't wait to be able to try this wrap! It is very soft and seems comparable to other popular brands of wraps. I like that it is neutral enough for both my husband and I to wear it. I can just see us taking the baby to the farmer's market, on walks, and wearing the baby around the house with this wrap. ***To receiv

Bluum Pregnancy and Baby Review
May 18, 2014

Bluum Pregnancy and Baby Review

Bluum is a monthly subscription box for mom and baby. It covers products from pregnancy through preschool. It is very customizable and you can give the information that you know and get a box filled with goodies appropriate for you. At the time that I chose my box, I did not know the sex so the company sent a gender neutral onesie. A one month subscription is $24.95, 3 months is $69, and 6 months is $126. I think that this would make an awesome shower gift and the box could be great for both pregnant women and baby. In my box, I received pregnant belly stickers, Preggie Pop drops for nausea, Boom Chicka Pop and Susan Brown's Baby foot therapy cream. I also received Sticky Bellies stickers for pregnant moms, The Pregnancy Puzzle book and a white onesie. I think that this Bluum box of goodies is very fun and I liked the combination of items put together. It would be neat to look forward to a monthly subscription of this service.

Gladditudes Maternity Review
May 17, 2014

Gladditudes Maternity Review

I was recently sent some super cute maternity tops and a onesie from Gladditudes . Gladditudes is a company that makes happy t-shirts for moms-to-be, dads, babies, teens, etc. When I saw their cute maternity tops, I knew that I wanted to try out some of those. I chose the top that says "Keep Calm and Carry a Baby". I wore this to work on a casual jeans day and love it! The shirt is so nice and long that it should fit me until the end of my pregnancy. It is stretchy too and a very nice material. I got so many compliments on this shirt! The little "Made with Love" onesie is adorable! I love this nesting shirt as well. These shirts come in all different sizes and I think would be great earlier in the pregnancy with a pair of leggings while the top is still long. Then later on, it will seem shorter because of the expanding belly. The colors are customizable on these shirts as well. I chose a hot pink color in this one for fun.The shirts are about in

Wall Slicks Vinyl Decal Review
May 16, 2014

Wall Slicks Vinyl Decal Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. I am so excited about this review today! I recently chose an awesome wall decal from Wall Slicks to review for our baby's room. I always loved seeing huge tree wall decals on walls and fell in love with nursery pictures that included these decals. Wall Slicks has some awesome options of decals I chose the Leafy Shade Tree decal seen above. Unfortunately, we do not have all of our furniture yet for baby's room to put up so I have not put up the decal yet since I do not know how it will all be arranged. I can't wait to do so though! The nursery is painted a light green color like the picture seen below and I chose a white decal to go on the wall. I really like the tree and think that it will look really nice. Wall Slicks make custom adhesive vinyl laser-cut wall decals. They are easy to apply and to remove as well. They are guaranteed not to leave residue which is great if you decide that you want to take t