2017 Reading Challenge

With having a baby this year, I was worried I wasn't going to be able to make my goal of reading 25 books this year! Thankfully as baby M got older (around 4 months) he napped longer thus giving me a chance to read while he slept! 

Out of all 25 books I read, the one I least liked happened to be the last one I read! I don't recommed reading "running into love." It was cheesy, and unrealistic. I almost didn't finish it. 

My top 3 picks of my favorite books read this year are:

The Glass Castle, The Orphan's Tale and The Girl Before. 

All 3 books are quite different from each other. The Glass Castle is a memoir that was recently made into a movie (skip the movie it doesn't do the book any justice) 

The Orphan's Tale deals with WWII and the germans and jews situation. The Girl Before was a "thriller" read. 

Any reviews on my books can be found on Goodreads! You can add me follow me here!

Christmas Jammies

 Every year I get one set of new PJs and they are usually winter ones that I ask for from my family. :)Seems silly, but it's something I look forward to each year! This year I chose these cute plaid ones! Very J crew esque but not with the price tag! I've linked as much as I could below! :) 

Link for PJs --- HERE

   

     

     

Gift Guide for Farmhouse Decor Friends

Who doesn't love Chip and Joanna Gaines, Shiplap, subway tile and a good magnolia wreath? 

Most homes today have a touch of Farmhouse look/decor to them. Here are my top pics for the Farmhouse at heart friends!

Tobacco Basket | Mason Jar Soap Dispenser | Barnwood Square Shelves | Farmhouse Sign | Pillow |

3 Tier Tray Mugs | Chip and Joanna Book | Farmhouse Book | Wreath |  Personalized Family Sign |

Butter Dish | HOME wall decor | Dish towels 

Gift Guide: Pet Lovers Edition!

For all my fellow Dog Mommas or Daddys out there This gift guide is for you! I've been a pet owner since I was a baby. I've always had a dog. Always. There's never not been a period of my life where I have been dog-less. Pets especially dogs, are a huge part of my life and of my family! Here's my top 14 gifts that I thought would be a great gift to give to your fellow friends or family members who adore dogs as much as I do! 

 Dog water Bottle -I mean anyone can use this- boy or girl, mom or dad. At work, at the gym or at home! 

Dog Bracelet- Perfect accessory for that friend or female family member which you can wear dressed up or dress down! 


Dog Photograph Book- A great additon to a coffee table book on display! 

Personalized Dog Pillow- This could be a cute additon for a throw pillow on the couch, bed or chair or heck even for your dog to lay on! 


Gold Charm Necklace- For friends or family that don't wear silver this is the perfect accessory!

Beer Dish Towel- for those with a sense of humor who enjoy not only their pet but often have a nice cold brew while perhaps helping out with the dishes in the kitchen! 

Rescue Ornament- speaks for its self. No matter whether your dog was adopted or not why not share the love and honor them with an ornament on the tree?

Personalized Dog Name on a frame- One can never have to many pet pictures in their home. 

Personalized Dog Breed Stationery- This was a really good Etsy find for me. Many Breeds to choose from and you can easily add whomever's name to the top of the paper for a nice finishing touch! 

Free Kisses Bandana- Okay so this is more for your dog, but I mean If I saw a dog out walking with this on I definitely would stop to make convo with the owner about the cute bandana their dog was wearing!

Greatest Dog Mom & Dad Mugs--you can find dog mugs pretty much anywhere these days and who doesn't love a personalized mug!? 

Dog Advent Dish Towel- Perfect to set out and use to dry those hands for the month of December! 

Doggy Heaven Frame- I know personally several friends who recently lost their beloved fur babies (mostly due to old age) and minted had these fabulous personalized frames. 

Everything is linked, click pictures below to score these awesome Doggie finds! 

     

Personalized Dog stationery Here

And seriously--For you dog How fun is this stuffed toy!?  You can purchase it here! 

Just call me Mrs. Clean Mrs. Clean

Okay so about 6 months ago back in Arizona, I was over at a neighbors house who has 2 large dogs. I had taken off my shoes inside her condo and I couldn't get over how clean her floors felt against my bare feet! I asked her what her secret was and she told me all about this mop!

If you guys have followed me on snapchat you've seen and heard my rant on how much I LOVE this mop and what a difference it's been on my floors. I had been using the disposable Swiffer wet jet but my floors NEVER felt or looked clean. Enter this mop!  

I do think that part of it's secret is using this cleaner  (which you can pick up at any Target or walmart or amazon!) 

I went from having Tile ceramic floors in AZ to real wood floors in OH and it works great on both surfaces! With a wood floor, always be careful that you have REALLY wrung out your mop! That's key to a clean floor without damaging your wood! 

For those of you who follow me on snapchat, you often saw how often I was snapping me cleaning my floor. It's probably the one thing I am super diligent about when it comes to cleaning. I just despise a dirty floor! I used to hate mopping like you wouldn't believe, but now it's kind of fun esp when you have a mop that cleans so effortlessly! 

And the mop head is SUPER easy to clean you just pop it off and throw it in the washing machine! I have yet to even buy a replacement head and I mop once a week! 

Hope this helps some of you! All 3 good friends of mine who have gotten this mop after I suggested it have loved it! 

Mop can also be purchased here 

Hidden Crown Hair Extensions

Hi Friends! Back in 2012 I first tried clip in extensions. I would see all these beauty bloggers sporting extra long full hair and thought to my self I've got to try this! 

And while I did like the longer length, I did NOT love that my head hurt tremendously from the clips after only a few hours of wearing them.

A year or two later I discovered Hidden Crown hair extensions. Essentially it's hair extensions on a wire. Don't think hard wire think like a stretchy bracelet wire or fishing line! Game changer for my sensitive head! My hair no longer hurts since the hair is just resting on my head like a headband of extra hair! The wire is a clear and you cannot see it in pictures or anything once you style your hair! I really wanted extensions that didn't hurt my head,  I kept thinking to myself is that even possible? Don't they all hurt!? False! Hidden Crown do NOT hurt! 

Here I am removing them so you can see me without them in as well. 

Here's me with no extensions in just took them off hence the messy hair at the top of my hair! 

I own/wear two different sets of the Hidden Crown extensions. I first purchased the 20" hidden crown hair extensions back in 2014. It's a lot of hair! My 20" ones are the LIGHT CARMEL HONEY BLONDE MIX-622. 

Then this year, I decided to lighten the load and purchase the Daydream extensions. These are less hair on the wire and I went with a shorter length. I also got a shade lighter 60/80P. 

Why did I get the lighter weight? Just for that reason, I felt like I didn't need as much hair as the original hidden crown halo had. 

Hair care/maintainance: I RARELY wash my extensions. They hold curl so well and because they aren't your real hair you don't have to worry about them getting oily as a normal head would get after a few days of not washing your hair. I don't use any product in my extensions such as hair spray, to make them last longer. I do spray the top layer of my regular hair to hold my own curls in. This seems to work well with my halo crown. 

Today only Hidden Crown is offering an extra percentage off their extensions since their site had issues for cyber monday's big sales! 

Snag yours today if you are interested! I know extensions can be pricy, but remember you are paying for HUMAN hair and the quality of kept and treated right will last you FOREVER! I still am using/wearing mine from 2014! To me, that's getting your money's worth out of them for sure! 

There are many "How to" tutorial videos on their website as well as on Youtube if you are needing help. I've watched many of them myself and have found all the questions I had answered by watching Bonnie B on Hidden Crown herself demonstrate the How tos. 




****This is NOT A sponsered post! Hidden Crown did not contact me to do a review--all thoughts/opinions are my own! I am just sharing to share since I do get asked often about my hair! 


Curling wands: I use both of these interchangeably: 
 

        

Nursery Update!

Since having our son, we have actually moved across country, so I thought it would be a good idea to update his room!

In my previous nursery pics, it was pictures of his room in our condo which we rented. I wasn't able to paint the walls there, but was able to in his new room! 

In a perfect world if money was no object, I would love to add a rug to his room as well as a poof to rest my legs on from sitting in the glider chair so much! But sadly those items weren't at the top of the list! 

 

A few other items also available to shop:

The Hamper is from Homegoods so I am unable to link it for y'all! The Wall shelf is from Kirklands and the Dresser and crib were a gift from my parents! The swaddle that hangs from the crib is from Modern Burlap! The map of italy I honestly cannot recall where I got it from it was one of the first things I got for his room and saved it for many months till I knew the "theme" of his room! 

And the wall color is---> Newburyport Blue by Benjamin Moore!

     

Must Have Baby Items 0-3 Months

One thing I have learned from being a first time mom/parent is that even though I got a ton of advice and recommendations of things I would need for my son, ultimately I could only take those recommendations with a grain of salt, as every baby is different and will have different needs as they grow.

Across the board, there did seem to be a few "Must have" items just about every friend of mine who recently had a baby did recommend. I decided to share those items with you, in case any of my readers are about to be a new first time mom and need to add these items to their baby registry!

1.) First thing on the list--SWADDLES! Most of my friends recommended the Aden& Anais swaddles! I have at least 3 sets of these and my son who is now 5 months still uses them. We went from swaddling him in them, to using them as light blankets to cover him with naps to blankets we now stretch out on the floor for tummy time and rolling around!

2.) Rock N Play. My husband and I chose to have our son sleep in this for the first 0-3 months. It is probably my #1 item out of all of these. Your baby will feel so cozy in it, it's on a slant which helps your baby with acid reflux and there are so many different models of them for sale. Ultimately we picked one that had vibration on it rather than the rocking motion. (I picked a swing for the constant motion) It was truly a blessing to be able to peer down at my son from my bed knowing he was safe in his own space.

3.) White Noise machine. First thing to mention is choose one that is portable!!!! Very important. Ours went with us when my son needed it to drown out the outside world if we had to take him with us somewhere in the car. It goes to Grandma's house when we visit and from my son's room to our room every night when we move things around from nap to bed time! I'm pretty sure my hubby and I can't sleep without it either! 

4.) Onesies. Don't bother with the cute and frilly outfits for the first few months. Your baby is going more than likely dislike having his arms and legs messed with for constant outfit changes you are going to ultimately want clothes that have easy access to their diapers! Not only will you want regular onesies, but LONG SLEEVED onesies that have the fold over mitten cuff part to keep their hands from scratching their precious face! We tried the mitten route, they didn't work but the long sleeved onesies with the fold over mitten do! I promise! You can find them HERE

5.) Mam pacifiers. These were recommended to me by several close friends. Intially we started my son on the Avent soothies pacis but he wasn't all that crazy about them! The second we popped the MAM ones in he was sold! That's what we use currently still even at 5 months old. I love that they have glow in the dark ones. This helps tremendously when they fall out and it's dark in your room and you are looking for it! 

6.) Boppy pillow. Your arm will thank you. Trust me. Regular pillows don't cut it. We tried it. The great thing about the boppy pillow is that you can use it for many other things to when it comes time for your child to practice laying face down you can use it to prop them up and over it. 

7.) Boppy Lounger. As much as my son slept for 8 hours a night in his Rock n Play, he slept a ton on the elephant lounger on the couch while my husband and I were napping or watching TV on the couch. We used this all the way up through 4 months. Remember those Aden and Anais swaddles I mentioned earlier? We always laid one over this boppy (as it doesn't have a changable pillowcase) so that way if a blowout or spit up occured we could easily throw the swaddle into the laundry! 

8.) Swing. As I mentioned before, I was very set on things that had vibration. This swing not only swings the baby, but has the vibration mode which my son happen to love. He's 5 months and still loves his swing when he needs a little time to chill. Now that he is much bigger, we won't be able to use it much longer as he is able to push up and out of it when he is getting frustrated! I chose the swing over the very expensive Mamaroo because I had heard from so many either your kid will love it or hate it (the Mamaroo) and for the price, I knew there were other movement things out there we could get try out. 

9.) Rechargable batteries. Remember that portable sound machine? Or the swing, rock n Play? All of which take batteries! Why drown your self in having to buy new new new all the time? We use these exact rechargable batteries in the white noise machine and our TV remotes and pretty much anything else in our house that takes a AA battery! We save so much money by not having to buy those batteries over and over and are helping the earth out! 

10.) Swaddles. Every baby is different when it comes to swaddling. My son is very strong, so he was often able to break out of velcro swaddles or blanket swaddles. The day he was born, we had brought these exact swaddles to the hospital which he loved. No velcro, all zip. He was snug as a bug in a rug! We transitioned him out of these around 2/1/2 months into the next swaddle.

11.) Love to Dream swaddle. Matteo started to let us know he wanted his arms out when swaddling around 2 months so we switched to this swaddle which is what he currently still sleeps in every night at 5 months old. WORTH EVERY PENNY. These keep him snug, with that swaddle feeling and he still has access to his hands but they keep his arms restricted so he isn't waking himself up with the startle reflux either. 

12. Transitonal Tub. Okay so here's the thing. There are quite a few tub options out there, but many of them are only good for the first few months then you have to come up with another way to bathe your kid since they have grown out of them. We love our Fisher price tub, We used the sling part of the tub till 4 months. Now my son is on to the section stage of the tub which is a little blue ledge.wedge piece that he can recline back onto the back part of the tub now that he is a partially sitting up. Once he is able to sit up all on his own, we can remove that from the tub, and just have him sit in it on his own! This tub also comes with 2 little toy scoops which are great for rinsing/washing your baby's hair! 

13. Burp cloths. Many different kinds are out there, ultimately I took as many as I could from the hospital and then stocked up on Burts bees. They absorb a lot and fold up great in our diaper bag. 

14. Aveeno bath. We got this exact bath set and haven't ran out of anything yet and my son is 5 months old! This stuff lasts! 



         

     

         

        

Little Bo Sweep

*This is NOT a sponsored post--just my honest review of something I invested what I feel is a good amount of $ in as a teacher on a budget! 

About 3 months ago I purchased a Bobi robot vacuum for our new home. In our new home, we have all wood floors (with the exception of the playroom which has carpet and bathrooms have laminate) I wanted to wait a few months so I could let everyone know my honest opinion on an investment on a robotic vacuum. 

First thing I did was research. Bobi vs competitor the Roomba. Reviews for each of these are all over the place. The main thing I was looking at was suction of hair. Human hair and dog hair are my biggest cuprits in my own home. Most of you know I have a Pomeranian, who doesn't shed much, but we get the occasional dust bunnies from her and the usual dust, dirt and debris. 

Pricewise, I found the Bobi to be a little more affordable and can do just as much as a Roomba can do featurewise. I went with the Bobi for this reason, and also because I heard the canister size was double the Roomba. 


In the video clips below you can watch how it operates in my home, and hear my commentary on it! 

So here we are 3 months out, and I can honestly tell you I don't know what I'd do without my Bobi! I am a busy first time mom, and I really wanted something that would help cut down on my cleaning each day/week. I am super anal about clean floors, now even moreso because I have a baby who isn't far from learning to crawl! 

If you have relatively clutter free floors, then the Bobi is for you! If you are someone who has a lot of things on the floor, then I am worried you'd find it more of a hassle to have to pick everything up off the floor beforehand. The Bobi WILL SUCK things you leave on the floor up! Case in point, my laptop cord was lying on the floor and the bobi did suck it up and get tangled. It didn't cause damage to it which was a good thing, but it did need to be untangled. 

Pet Hair. 
If you have a massively large dog with a lot of hair, be advised this may create more work for you than help you. I don't think these robotic vacuums are meant for that type of cleaning which sadly is what most people want them for. You need a dog/cat that doesn't shed like crazy, which is why I think it works best for me and my home since my dog sheds very little say compared to a husky or german shepard. 

Maintenance. 
The bin should be emptied daily for optimal performance in my opinion. I have let it gone two days max before remembering that I didn't empty the bin the day before.

Performace.
It does what it's supposed to do--get the annoying dust and dirt on your floor. However, if you have carpets on carpet pads, be advised that if they don't lie perfectly flat on your floor, sometimes the bobi can get stuck on a corner and will need you to move it along or reset it to go again. 

Mop.
The bobi has a mop feature, but I can honestly tell you I don't use it since I didn't purchase it for that reason. I usually use my Ocedars mop once a week for the whole floor. 


Will this replace your normal vacuum? No. Not for normal carpeted rooms I don't think so. You'd still need a normal vacuum to go over your floor. For your wood floors? The Bobi is the only vacuum I use on it. I don't use my big vacuum on them. It gets the job done. 

I hope this review helps some of you especially with BLACK FRIDAY tomorrow! Be sure to snatch it up while they last! 


Bobi Pet Vacuuum Bobi