BeautyCounter Kids

Eeek 2 days until Christmas!!!  Thankfully, holiday shopping is done for me, so all that's left is to enjoy this special time with my family.  Hello hot cocoa and cuddles!  :)

Now as a mom, I'm always thinking about my kids, and products for them.  But around the holidays I'm especially emotional about them.  Which leads me to this post.  My kids are the most important thing in my life, and my mission is always to keep them safe the best way I can.  Recently, I was introducted to BeautyCounter through my friend Gina, who is a member of their amazing team, and come to find out, this company has a kids line! 

If you're not familiar with BeautyCounter, it's okay.  I wasn't either, earlier this year.  But now is a great time to get familiar because the company is growing, and their mission is noteworthy.  Unfortunately and quite shockingly, the United States hasn't passed a major federal law regulating the safety of ingredients used in personal care products since 1938.  BeautyCounter is on a mission to change this, and "to get safer products in the hands of everyone".  You can read more about BeautyCounter's story and mission HERE.

Recently, my family had the opportunity to try out BeautyCounter's kids line of shampoo, conditoner and body wash.

The products we sampled were the Kids Bath Collection, which consisted of:
Nice Do Kids Shampoo
Not a Knot Kids Conditioner
Super Duper Clean Kids Body Wash

All the products are carefully crafted to be gentle, effective and kid-friendly.  Safe for daily use.  And isn't that what all moms are looking for?  Heck yes!!

I like to test these types of products out for a while before writing about them, but I had two quick observations the very first time we used them.

1.  They smell so good!  SO good. I'm all about good smelling products, and this one did not disappoint.  I hadn't read up on the products before I tried them out so I didn't know what to expect.  The body wash in particular really caught my attention.  In my opinion, the body wash has an amazing almost grapefruit-like scent that makes you just want to smell it over and over.  I always make sure to smell it after I put some on the washcloth, haha!  All three products just smell so fresh and clean.  Maybe it also comes from knowing that they have no questionable ingredients in them too. ;)

2.  The conditioner is amazing!  Prior to trying BeautyCounter, I always tended to buy the two-in-one shampoo/body wash products simply out of convenience.  My seven year old though, always had incredibly tangled hair after using those products and even with detanglers, I still had a hard time getting out all of her tangles.  When we used the shampoo and conditioner from BeautyCounter on her hair, I was amazed at how tangle free her hair was!  I was literally in shock.  I was just so used to her coming out of the bath with extremely tangled hair, and dreading having to brush it out.  Her hair is noticeably more silky and smooth after using BeautyCounter.

After using the trio of kids products for awhile, I can honestly say that as a mom I would absolutely recommend this Kids Bath Collection.  I do believe there's not a better feeling than knowing that the products you're putting on your kids is safe for their gentle skin.  The products do come at somewhat of a premium price, but with good reason.  And a little goes a long way so the bottles actually last quite a long time. 

If you're interested in checking out the Kids Bath Collection, or anything else from BeautyCounter's range of products including skin care and makeup, Gina is always ready and available to help you out!  Reach her and browse products via her website here.

And for a limited time only, selected products are on a 30% off winter special so go check them out!!!  Unfortunately, the Kids line is not on sale, but there are still other products in stock that you can score at this amazing discount so go now!  Again, website here ---> BeautyCounter With Gina.
 

Wishing you all a blessed holiday season with your loved ones! 

xo,
Carly

Thrill of the Ride with Nighthawk

Post sponsored by Rollplay, however all thoughts and opinions are my own.  

Is anyone else completely flabergasted that it's somehow Thanksgiving week, and the holidays are right around the corner?  Where did this year go?!?  Well whether we're ready or not, the holidays are upon us, and with that often comes gift giving.  If you're looking for a fun and unique gift for a child in your life, I've got a cool gift to consider!  

So my kids enjoy anything with wheels...bikes, scooters, skateboards, you name it, they ride them all.  However, we don't have any motorized toys, and I can't remember if they've ever even tried one before.  Enter in the Nighthawk, an adventerous ride from Rollplay and you can imagine my kids' excitement to try out something new!    

I love the compact design of the Nighthawk, and the fact that it seemed sturdy and well made.  After charging the rechargable battery for 24 hours, Shaylin and Landon were ready to take it out for a spin at the park.  

With two pedals - an accelerator and a brake - it seemed easy enough, but there was definitely a learning curve in riding the Nighthawk.  You have to first find your balance, and then learn how to steer by leaning towards the direction you want to go.  You can ride up to 6mph, which is perfect for them.

Once they got the hang of it, you couldn't pry them off of it!  They could have kept going all day except for the fact that mommy desperately needed lunch.  Oh they were NOT happy to be going home...so sorry kids...but I'm so glad they had such a fun time.  Our next outing will be to take it to an empty parking lot where they will have more space to ride around in circles.  Let me tell you...they can't wait!

Check out this clip of Shaylin and Landon experiencing the Nighthawk!

Now where can you find this fun ride?  Luckily, you can conveniently find the Nighthawk at Walmart.

Super fun!  Definitely kid recommended and mommy approved!

xo,

Carly

Cleaning with Grove Collaborative

Happy fall season everyone!  It seriously amazes me at how fast the seasons fly by.  One of my favorite things about fall would be all the cozy fall scents, but those scents don't only have to come in the form of a candle.  How about cleaning products?!  Let me rewind just a little bit.  

Being a mom of three kids means that I'm cleaning a LOT, every single day.  One day a while back, my hubby asked me to look into some all natural cleaning products for all the surfaces where the kids eat.  I was so thrown off!  For some reason I had never thought of that, I just used antibacterial cleaners everywhere thinking that I was killing all the germs but I didn't even think about the fact that those cleaning products might not be the best if the kids dropped food on it then ate it.  

I ended up trying out Method and Mrs. Meyers products that I found at my local Target because I saw that they were non-toxic, and have just continued to buy them ever since without really giving it much thought.  Fast forward many months later and I was perusing YouTube and found a whole community of mamas with cleaning videos and all of a sudden, I was hooked.  I became obsessed with cleaning!  I know that probably sounds incredibly weird to want to watch people clean their house.  But there was something motivating about watching these moms turn their house into a spotless masterpiece...even with kids.  And they were using the same products that I was using!  

The YouTube mamas though, had the same products but in much more interesting scents, which was intriguing to me.  You mean there are more than just lemon scents?!  I found out that a lot of these new and unique scents were offered through Grove Collaborative, which is a subscription service for all natural products.

From the Grove website:
"Every product we sell is backed by the Grove standard, which means that it's healthy, effective, eco-friendly, and affordable.  You can shop with confidence knowing everything you buy from us is good for you, your family, your home, and the planet."

Sounds fantastic to me!  I thought I'd give it a shot since I was buying these products at Target anyway, plus there was the incentive of a free gift.  Who doesn't love a free gift?!  Last month I signed up and scored 5 free products with a $20 purchase.  I was so excited.  Yes, excited to clean, lol!

I got the following products for free:
Mrs. Meyers Hand Soap
Mrs. Meyers Dish Soap
Mrs. Meyers Multisurface Cleaner
Walnut + Cellulose Scrubber Sponges
Glass Spray Bottle with Silicone Sleeve

To get this awesome free gift, I had to make a $20 purchase, which wasn't hard at all.  I bought the Method Daily Wood Cleaner that I use on our dining table because it was already a staple in our house.  My kids are not the cleanest eaters, and our table looks like a disaster after every meal.  This cleaner is safe to use on your wood tables daily, and I certainly do that.  

I also bought the Mrs. Meyers Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner in the limited edition fall scent MUM.  I am in love with this one!  What I love about the Mrs. Meyers products is that after you clean, the scent lingers kind of like a candle would, and the whole room just smells great.  

I didn't get a picture of these next two items, but I also bought the Grove Collaborative Stoneware Tray as a place to store my products in the kitchen.  

Photo credit: Grove Collaborative

And rounding out the $20 was the Method Heavy Duty Degreaser that I hadn't tried before, but planned to use around my stove area.  

For the free Mrs. Meyers products that I mentioned in the beginning, I decided to try the fall limited edition scent, Apple Cider.  I love the spicy scent of this and it really makes my house smell like fall!

If you happen to be buying these products anyway, or if you're interested in switching over to natural cleaners that happen to work well and smell AMAZING, I suggest signing up with Grove Collaborative.  You'll get a free Mrs. Meyers cleaning set when you sign up and make a $20 purchase and that alone is fun and worth it!  SIGN UP HERE , and let me know what you get and which scent is your favorite!  The next one I want to try is Geranium.  :)  Let me tell you, cleaning is so much more fun when you have these fun scents that make your house smell SO good.  Anything to make cleaning less boring is a win in my book.  Plus, these are safe for you AND the environment!

Happy cleaning!

xo,

Carly

Mom Musings: Preschool Volunteering

We've had a bunch of school year firsts in the last couple of weeks, and at the end of last week I had my first day volunteering in Aubri's 3-year old preschool class.  Last year I was able to regularly volunteer in Landon's 4-year old class, which I loved.  Aubri is fortunate enough to have the same awesome teacher this year.  I was thinking that it would be a smooth transition with both of us familiar with both the classroom and the teacher.  But I quickly learned that volunteering at preschool with Aubri in particular might be slightly different than I was used to.

 

Aubri as the classic third child is carefree and outgoing, which I love because she's fun.  But she's also got a bit of sass and stubbornness, which can be seen in her interactions with us at home.  Even though Aubri and I are very close, she likes to test me in ways that her older siblings never have.  While Shaylin and Landon seem to enjoy learning from me at home, and also like having me help out in class, Aubri is much less enthusiastic about both.  I think she likes having me at school, but she doesn't like me to necessarily help her while there.  She has always brushed me off when I have tried to teach her basic things like letters and numbers.  She also continues her "I can do it myself" attitude with me in class, exactly as if we were at home.  Sometimes she'll surprise me with what she knows though, which makes me wonder at times if she's just smarter than us all, and just messing with me. ;)

The first project I helped out with was a cutting project where the kids had to cut along short lines drawn on a green rectangle.  The end result would look like grass. While most of the kids welcomed me adjusting their grip and showing them how to cut, Aubri was quick to yank the scissors, push me away and declare she can do it.  She proceeded to cut the paper into a million tiny pieces and made quite a mess.  I gave her two chances and she cut up both into tiny pieces.  I began to fear that she'd be the only kid not to complete the project.  I decided I was going to give her one last sheet.  During the short time that I was helping another kid, all of a sudden I looked and she had cut the lines just fine all by herself.  I took turns helping out the other kids for the same amount of time during her first two attempts so the the amount of attention wasn't it.  She was deliberately doing the project wrong on purpose because she wanted to do it on her own terms and time.  I was incredibly frustrated at her approach, yet proud of her cutting at the same time.  What a mess!  I wish I had gotten a picture of the infamous sheet of "grass" and her previous pile of cutouts.

One thing is for sure, it will be an interesting year being with her in preschool, and a learning experience for me, for sure.  I hope we both are able to find the best way to work together and have fun while we're at it.  And I hope she grows to enjoy having me help teach her things. I'm excited for all that she will learn and the friendships she will make in preschool and am thankful that I'll be there to see a lot of it.  And I'm just looking forward to the time we will get together in this school environment. 

Let me know if you have had any similar teaching struggles with your kids and how you overcame them.  I'm always open to learning new tips and tricks!

(note: pics are from the first three days of school)

xo,

Carly 

First Days of School 2018

Last week all three of my kids had their first day of school - 2nd grade, kindergarten, and preschool.  And I have to say...I'm so glad our district started on Wednesday instead of Monday because I got so burnt out from those three days, I can't imagine if we had to jump straight into a five day week!

The night before school starts I always have the same thoughts running through my head...

Did we do enough this summer?  Did we spend enough actual quality time together?  Did I prep them enough for their upcoming grade?  I wish we had just a few more days to do something fun, etc...

Some days we did a ton, and some days we did nothing.  And I have to admit, we also had really tough days with having three kids home all day together, often times arguing, and getting in each other's way.  But overall I think we had a fun summer, and it went by way too fast.

Now that school has started, I definitely miss our leisurely summer mornings, as opposed to the chaotic early morning rush on school days.  But the smiles on my kids' faces about going to school sure helped a lot!  Shaylin and Landon are at the same school for the first time and I think they get a kick out of it.  Landon has been waiting for two years to be in Shaylin's former kindergarten teacher's class so he was especially excited to start school.

Aubri started preschool the following day and I think I'm still in denial.

With a July birthday, she is a young three, and with her being my baby it's especially hard to believe that she is school age already.  She is the only one that I have been home with from day one, so we are also very much used to being together all the time.  

I didn't have to actually leave her on the first day because it was an orientation day for both kids and parents. We got to explore the classroom, do a scavenger hunt, play outside, and meet some new friends.  But tomorrow I will be dropping her off so that will be the real test for both of us.  Fingers crossed for all smiles!

Sending the kids off to school is such an emotional time for a parent.  It's the start of a new season, which can be both exciting and nervewrecking. It's not always easy watching your child navigate new situations and new people.  You can never fully predict how the first day will go, and as the school year goes on too, we can only hope and pray that they will work hard, be confident in who they are, and surround themselves with friends that are kind, supportive, and uplifiting.  They grow up so fast...I really just hope they enjoy these elementary/preschool years and make lots of fun memories.

Here's to hoping that all of our kids out there have a fun and happy school year!

xo,
Carly

  

Summer Sunnies with DIFF Eyewear

If you live in a place like San Diego where the weather is pretty nice and sunny year-round, sunglasses are a common accessory to have on hand.  And I'm no exception.  In fact, I never leave home without a pair (or two) of sunglasses either in my purse, or in the car.  My sensitive eyes need it!

A while back I came across DIFF Eyewear while window shopping new sunnies, and was immediately intrigued by the company's #makeaDIFFerence mission.  Did you know that for every pair of sunglasses sold, DIFF donates a pair of reading glasses to someone in need?  Over the past few years, DIFF has donated over 620,000 pairs of eyeglasss.  Now that's a company I can get behind!  Read more about how DIFF gives back.

Since I am somewhat of a sunglasses addict, I recently decided that it was time (yet again) for a new pair.  I decided to go back to DIFF, and with this being my second pair from them, I thought it was a good time to finally do a blog post so here we are!

The style I chose to go with are The Cruz aviators in black + the grey gradient lens.  I wanted to try out one of their pink mirror lens glasses, but the one I wanted was sold out.  No worries though, because my go-to color for most accessories is black anyway!  

They're so lightweight on your face, and super comfortable to wear.  I also think they're the perfect size, and just a nice classic aviator style to add to your collection.  I'm a fan for sure!

Sidenote: Aubri's sunglasses aren't DIFF, but if your mini-me is looking for matching sunglasses, Lil DIFF sunglasses are available, which are smaller versions of some of your favorite styles.

If you're interested in trying out a pair of DIFF sunglasses, click HERE for a 20% off coupon!  

And one more pic, just because Shaylin never passes up a chance to tell me that she can almost wear my shoes and clothes...and apparently she can already wear my sunglasses too!  

And I think she wears them better than me!

xo,

Carly

Clearance Scores! | Old Navy & Kohls

Hellllooooo friends!  So it's been awhile, right?!  It's actually been a couple of months since my last blog post, which was posted right around the last day of school for my kids.  Not long after that, SUMMER hit and it's been a whirlwind ever since. 

We have a couple of weeks left in summer, but I decided now was a good time to jump back into the blog before the chaos of back to school starts.  Today I thought it would be fun to share my recent clearance shopping haul from Old Navy and Kohls.  

One thing about me...I am a bargain shopper.  I almost always shop sales and or with coupons, and truly dislike paying full price for anything.  Even it it's something expensive, I'll wait until I can get it on sale.  When it comes to clothes, I especially LOVE finding a good deal, and I always scan the clearance section when I'm shopping, just to see if I can score something.  It's always a fun challenge!

Last week I went to Old Navy with the intention of finding some clothes for the kids. I found some things for Aubri, but these two tops in particular were such great deals!  $2.97 each! 

Kids just grow too fast, and they get everything dirty or put holes in them so clothes for under $3 is right up my alley.  Especially with 3 kids.  And since it's still very warm here, these summery tops were great finds for Aubri.

Now on to Kohls.  If you're not a Kohls shopper, you really should be, AND you should also get their credit card.  They have amazing deals, coupons and discounts all the time and best of all, they let you stack deals.  Going in, I had the following:

30% off coupon for using my Kohls charge
$10 Kohls cash to redeem
$5 rewards
plus their California Tax Break 3 day savings of 10%
And yes...I got to use ALL of those deals on one transaction!

I found this Vera Wang bracelet that I liked, and after being on clearance and after my discounts, I got it for $3.87.  

But my best score of the day was this top that after all the discounts, I got for $1.20.  How insane is that?!?

If you have time this week, head over to Kohls because you'll earn $10 Kohls cash for every $50 spent through 8/12. Also, if you shop online with your Kohls charge, use code TRENDY30 for 30% off through 8/12.

And a couple of Old Navy deals for you:

Use code FREESHIP for free shipping on orders of $25 or more,
and everything online is 35% off today 8/6.

Check out her pose, lol!

Those are my clearance finds for this week!  If I come across any others I will be sure to share them.  Have a great week!

xo,

Carly

Ju-Ju-Be EVER Collection | Featuring the Everyday Tote

Ju-Ju-Be always has something new up their sleeve, and this new line of bags doesn't disappoint!  

On June 21st, Ju-Ju-Be will be launching the EVER Collection, a beautiful new line of vegan leather bags perfect for both days with kids, and days without.  This sleek collection consists of three styles, the Wherever Weekender, the Forever Backpack, and the Everyday Tote (featured here).  All three styles will be available in three colors: Noir (black), Brulee (camel) and Stone (gray).     

 I'm excited to share with you the Everyday Tote in Brulee, and thank you to Ju-Ju-Be for sending it over to review.  My first impression upon seeing the bag in person was that it looks like it's the perfect size, and once I picked it up I was sold because it's so LIGHTWEIGHT!  We are in potty training mode, so I am carrying some extra stuff these days, plus I always carry water and snacks for my kids so I need and appreciate a big bag.  

The Everyday Tote features amazing organization built right into the bag.  On the inside there are two bottle pockets on either end, four slip pockets (two on each side), and a long zipper pocket across the back.  There's also a key leash to hook your keys so they don't get lost in the bag.  On the outside there is a zipper pocket on each side.  The back pocket is felt lined for your tech, and the one on the front is a regular pocket. Also included is a lightly padded change pad, and a dustbag.  

What I also love about this new line is the stunning attention to detail on all areas of the bag. All of the hardware and zipper pulls have pretty details. 

And what exactly am I carrying for my two year old these days?  Check back soon for a "what's in my toddler bag" post!

In the meantime, go check out Ju-Ju-Be's Instagram for more pictures of the other styles and colors coming out in the EVER Collection. And don't forget, launch date is June 21st!  Can't wait!

xo,

Carly

Visit: Legoland California

One of the perks of living in Southern California is the abundance of fun attractions for families with young children.  We have done a lot of Sea World and San Diego Zoo visits over the years, but a couple of weeks ago, our family celebrated my daughter's 7th birthday with a trip to Legoland California.  If you come to our house you'd see just how far the LEGO love runs (ALL over the playroom to be exact) so you can imagine how excited the kids were!

At a tall seven years old, Shaylin was tall enough to go on a lot of rides herself.  This was a huge help for the rides that only sat two, as hubby and I could then each take one of the younger kids so we could all ride at the same time.  Aubri was too short to go on some rides. But I don't think she really noticed or minded when that did happen.  

Yep....Mommy does not do roller coasters.  :)  Aubri and I went on a boat ride instead!

One of the highlights for the birthday girl was going to Heartlake City to see the LEGO Friends perform on stage.    

Not gonna lie, Landon was pretty starstuck as well.  They have recently been watching LEGO Friends the TV show on Netflix and were familiar with the cast members.

Shaylin's favorite ride of the day was probably here at this driving school because you actually get to drive a car!  The street setup is pretty large and you can drive anywhere you want.  How fun, right?!  And tell me that LEGO man with the briefcase standing on the sidewalk isn't hilarious.  Haha!  This ride was for ages 7-12 so she just made it.  ;)

There are all types of cool things that I didn't get to take pictures of on this day such as Miniland USA, which is miniature versions of famous cities such as NYC, Las Vegas and Paris...all built with Legos.  There's also an impressive Star Wars section, and a ton more rides!  

We are heading back next month to check out the Water Park, which I've never been to and am excited to check out.  And speaking of water, at the end of the day the girls and I soaked the boys with water guns on their final ride.  It was awesome!

What a fun day!  Too bad I am missing the obligatory "kids completely passed out in the car" picture.  If you are thinking about a family fun day in So Cal, I definitely recommend Legoland California!  

xo,

Carly