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Mommy life

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What’s On The Outside Counts: Why We Choose JOHNSON’S® for our Bedtime Routine

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #JohnsonsLovesBaby #ChooseGentle #CollectiveBias

CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO DISCOVER MORE JOHNSON’S® PRODUCTS AT CVS!

I know I cant be the only one that feels like as mothers in the age of social media our decisions are constantly under a microscope. People are telling us whats best for our baby before they’re even born. You’re having a baby? You definitely need to breastfeed over formula. You had pizza at your one year olds’ birthday party? You’re horrible for not being a Pinterest mom and not serving homemade dinosaur shaped vegan chicken nuggets. Vaccinate? Poison. Don’t vaccinate? Selfish. What’s going into our child’s bodies is constantly critiqued and we often neglect to remember that what we use on the outside is just as important. 

I have super sensitive and dry skin so it wasn’t a surprise to me that in some form or another, both of my boys have the same issue. I was really excited to hear that with 50% fewer products,  JOHNSON’S® is new and improved inside and out. As a brand that we’ve all grown up with, I’m excited to have them as a part of the boys bedtime routine. 

If you know my children then you know ALL DAY LONG its a turn up. We try to make bath time the beginning of wind down time (so no joint baths or that’d be a disaster) & this is where  JOHNSON’S® excels. Both of my kids can win gold medals in the bath time swimming olympics so I love that JOHNSON’S® Baby Shampoo provides a mild, gentle clean that doesn’t irritate their eyes during bath time.

We follow up hair washing with JOHNSON’S® Bedtime Moisture Wash which, have you smelled lately?! It smells amazing and is designed to help relax babies before bed. Combining all of these things and finishing off with JOHNSON’s® Bedtime Lotion has made our routine not only smell amazing but worry free because there are no dyes or sulfates in their products. We can have the great smell, AND a clear conscience! 

This is his new picture face. Boys, right? *eyeroll*

This is his new picture face. Boys, right? *eyeroll*

But seriously, I’m ready to head back to CVS and stock up on ALL the things (especially since they’re running a special Buy 1, Get 1 50% on Johnson’s® Baby + Spend $20, Get $5 ExtraBucks)! It’s a problem when I wander into that baby aisle, AND my local CVS has a good makeup section! Take. my. coins.

Are you thinking about what you put on your baby just as much as what they consume? What products are a part of your bedtime routine? 

September 10, 2018 By
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My Second Child Made Me Forget Everything I THOUGHT I Knew About Parenting |#MomTruths

I feel like I’ve always been a pretty confident parent. If there is one thing that parenting has taught me it’s always been to follow my instincts and to trust my gut. I’m definitely not a perfect mom but I know that I try my hardest every single day and as long as my kids go to bed happy then I’ve succeeded. 

That being said, being a mom to two toddlers… two boys… two wild little beings…. is HARD AF! When Zayn was first born, I felt like I had it pretty under control. Then he started moving…. and LORD did he start moving. 

I’m convinced Zayn has “been here before”. There are some days I wonder if he was ever even a baby. He is nothing like his brother was at one year old. He’s a runner, a climber (I’ve left the room several times to come back and find him standing on the table), he can throw a tantrum that rivals the big toddlers and he knows what he wants. RJ has always been a busy body but NOTHING like Zayn. I long for silence and dread it at the same time because that usually means hes playing in the toilet. He is definitely giving me a run for my money. 

All that being said I love being their mommy. I love watching them grow into their own little people and seeing how their personalities differ and how they love the same things. Motherhood is truly a journey and just when you think you have it figured out they switch up on you. I thought I had parenting pretty figured out but Zayn came to show and prove that every little person is different and they all need love in different ways. 

How are your kids different? Was parenting your second child anything like your first? Lets talk in the comments! xoxo

August 14, 2018 By
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Confession Time: I’m SICK of Having to Put My Kids First

Every morning (or night if you will) my alarm goes off at 230am. I snooze like 5 times, and then I try to detach Zayn without waking him up, sneak out of the room and get dressed in the living room so that I can be at work at 3 effing 30. In the morning. Since James works overnight also, that means I have two kids I then have to (sometimes) dress and move in the middle of the night to their respective locations so that they aren’t left unsupervised. Thank God for family!

Zayn’s first winter was ROUGH. I found myself calling out of work pretty often to stay home because one or both kids were sick and ain’t nobody trying to take care of a sick child that isn’t  theirs in the middle of the night. Love em or not! Returning to work is always led with “Hey what happened?” and then upon explaining my situation (sick kids, 3am, no childcare…) I always get the “empathetic “well, you have to do what’s best for your family”.

And I’m going to be completely honest with y’all and say when it comes to work vs family, I’m tired of choosing my kids. Because…. I feel like it shouldn’t even be a “thing”. I’m honestly annoyed by the guilt I feel of letting someone else down every time I have to stay home to be with them. I just want to parent guilt-free. Back in December Zayn (at 5 months old) was hospitalized for Croup and I actually had someone look at me with confusion and say, “you could’ve left him there and just came to work it’s not like he could go anywhere.” Miss……. what?!?!

I completely get that for some people the money is the motive but no one tries to make you feel guilty when you miss your kids 4th school performance for your lil $15 an hour, so why do I get so much crap for choosing the opposite end? I’m over it. I’m completely tired of the fact that I even HAVE to make choosing my kids a big deal but I’d never choose anything else. I don’t get paid enough for all that.

What’s your work/life balance like? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

June 7, 2018 By
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Leveling Up My Mom Status | Mazda CX-9 Review

Thank you so much to Mazda for allowing us to drive the 2018 Mazda CX-9 free of charge in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions expressed belong to me. 

Thank you so much to Mazda for allowing us to drive the 2018 Mazda CX-9 free of charge in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions expressed belong to me. 

You’re not really a mom if someone doesn’t confirm it once they get into your car. Such was the case when I had a chance to review the Mazda CX-9 during the holidays. First of all, if you’ve been around for any amount of time then you’d know I have a LOVE for SUVs. The first 3 row SUV I drove was the and I continue to love that car TO THIS DAY!

So when I was given the chance by Mazda to review the CX-9, and I realized it was their 3 row SUV I couldn’t contain the excitement. A few days into having the car, on a trip to the store my friend was like “Wow this car is nice. It’s REALLY a mom car.” It could’ve been the view (below) that she saw once she was inside because the car had AMPLE space to store all our Christmas takeaways, but if the CX-9 is #Momcar goals then I’ll take it. *shrugs*

This car has to be what Mom dreams are made of. Gone are the days of the huge minivan, hello BOSE surround system, heated leather premium nappa leather (in the second row too!), and a completely driver focused experience. SKY-ACTIV and I-ACTIV technology provide some of the best safety features in vehicles of this class and put my obsessive mom worries to ease while driving. 

With most 3 row SUVs the downfall of having the third row is that you lose cargo space. That is definitely not the case with the CX-9. While we’re a family of 4, my extended family is HUGE and we made alot of stops over the holidays, we never were lacking trunk space for all the gifts we gave/received. Even with the third row up, the trunk was spacious and has the perfect amount of cargo space for….. Target hauls? 🙂

I definitely leveled up my mom status while driving this car and it comes really close to my love for the Sorento. If this is a perk of being a “real mom” then, ill take it! What kind of car do you drive? Are you looking to “level up” any time soon? 

The 2018 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring AWD starts at $40,470. For more information/spec check out Mazda’s official site here. 

January 12, 2018 By
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To The Introverted Mama With the High-Energy Child

I see you. 

I see you wanting to crawl into yourself and hide as a stranger makes small talk with you about how cute and happy your kid is. I know you hate it. But the very sight of your child bounding around in public is enough to make any stranger smile, stop and ask questions, and leave you hanging there in enough seconds of awkward silence to make you want to click your heels together three times and disappear. I know its hard. 

Introverts don’t do small talk!

I hear you.

Not literally of course. But your silence speaks volumes. Your little is loud enough for the both of you anyway. And I know you’re spending a good portion of your day wondering if your little person needs to make noise and be in contact with people ALL DAY. As exciting as it is for them it’s draining for you. 

You enjoy being alone.

I get it.

That after a long day of running, and screaming, and crying you just. need. time. And the little person you take care of is saying mommy for the 200th time….. that hour. You’re not sure if you’re going to make it. Patience is almost gone, and then the guilt comes. Because as much as you need time to get yourself together you feel bad that you can’t be more excited for them. It feels impossible. 

You need time to recharge.

I feel you. I am you. We got this. 

November 25, 2017 By
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