I'm IN: my (first) Influenster TLCVoxBox Review

***I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.  All opinions stated are my own.***

Well y'all, I finally received a VoxBox!  I was beyond thrilled to get the confirmation email and having it arrive on my doorstep was the cherry on top!  This particular Vox Box was for the Mother's of Influenster and aptly named the TLC Vox Box, so I can truly say being a mom pays off ;)  Here are my personal reviews of the products sent to me in the TLC Vox Box:

Neosporin is a First Aid staple in our house, so the Neosporin Neo to Go travel spray is great! I made up a mini kit that includes Neo to Go, some Band Aids, Puffs to Go (also included in the Vox Box) and a few cotton pads which I popped into my purse pending a Saturday Park Play date with 4 absolutely adorable girls all under the age of 5; as in 5 years, 3.5, 2, and 4 months old.  Do I expect a boo boo? No.  But it's always good to be prepared.  And no joke, I actually had to use it!  Kinsey stepped on some kind of bug with a stinger and the Neo to Go came to the rescue!

Puffs to Go- Because how many times can you really listen to, "Mom, take my booger" without grossing out?  They are soft and absorbant and the travel size fits perfectly in my purse.

AVON Anew Reversalist Express Wrinkle Smoother- My make up routine is basically 5 minutes: pressed powder, spot concealer, mascara, blusher, done.  I like the "natural look" and it doesn't take up much time.  Buuuut, I also have wrinkles that I wouldn't mind covering up.  The AVON Anew Wrinkle Smoother was easy to apply (just swipe with a finger and pat on) and it really did feel smooth.  I put it on after my face lotion and before my pressed powder.  Granted it isn't a miracle balm.  It took me 28 years to form the wrinkles after all, so a little cover up isn't going to make them disappear, but it did fill some in and made my skin look more even.  I can see how the benefits of using the whole system would be appealing and would consider purchasing them in another decade or so.

Before applying AVON Anew Reversalist Express Wrinkle Smoother:
My wrinkles. I have always been very expressive when talking.
Note- I creased my brow for emphasis.

After applying AVON Anew Reversalist Express Wrinkle Smoother:
It gave my forehead a smoother, more even skin tone.
Note- no facial manipulation.

The Shell Fuel Rewards Network Card- I don't have any particular "brand" ties when it comes to Gas Stations (I like to go for easy access and low prices) I was intrigued with the rewards it offered besides saving money on the gallon.  You can also link grocery store loyalty cards (I don't frequent these particular stores but I like the versatility and ease in which you can accumulate points) and redeem them on Shell's online mall of retailers that include my favorite Gap.com and gapkids.com.  For a full list of Perks visit here.

Ivory soap- I'm picky when it comes to the products I use on my skin, so when I saw the bar of Ivory soap, I of kinda cringed. I haven't used a bar of soap in I don't even know how long. The idea of it makes my already dry, sensitive skin scream out in pain.  I will give it kudos for being 99.44% pure though. So, the Preschool Teacher in me is dying to try this cool experiment: Ivory soap in the Microwave!

source

Breyer's Gelato Indulgences- Hi, I'm Whitney and I'm a sugar addict.  Ice cream is a weakness of mine.  BIG time.  I rewarded myself and Kinsey with the Raspberry Cheesecake flavor after a long wait at the Doctor's office (36 week check up!!!) and licked it up.  The gelato is creamy and light and the raspberry sauce is sweet and tangy, the only downer was the graham cracker crumble which was soggy and tasteless.  I will be trying the other flavors!

{Thank you Influenster for the opportunity to review these fabulous products!}

   
   

Becoming a Stay At Home Mom Part 2

For Part 1 of this series, click here.
For Part 3, click here.

I am very fortunate to have some amazing Stay At Home Mom friends that I was able to question "how they do what they do" so fabulously on a daily basis. Some of the information they gave me over-lapped and I consider those points to be of utmost importance when balancing life as a SAHM.  I sent out this SOS on Facebook a few months ago:

I am trying to prepare myself for making the jump from one to two babies and how to schedule my days at home with two, would you be able to give me any tips, routines, or general advice that works/worked for you? I know you're busy so whenever you have a moment I would greatly appreciate your input Thanks so much!

Whitney  

and these were the responses:  

{Plus a little background info on my relationship with each Mama}

I met my friend Kelly in 2008 working at Gap .  Our wedding anniversaries are one day apart so needless to say I will never be able to forget it.  She just had her third daughter and she has got her stuff together!  Our daughters are now friends in turn :)

I think the best thing u can remember, probably more so after baby #2, is just go with the flow. You have to be flexible especially when there's more than 1 otherwise it's just too stressful. Is Kinsey in any classes? I have Peyton & Scarlett in swimming & Peyton in dance... I need to find more... That's helped fill up time. Park dates, & walks... & I've gotten preschool/kindergarten books for Peyton Another thing, never beat yourself up if sometimes u just need to give her a movie day There isn't a more rewarding or exhausting job than being a stay at home mommy & we need a break too

Emily is the blogger behind Formerly Known as Emj and we've known each other before marriage and babies; our husbands were friends before we were and introduced us.  Ours has been a long- distance friendship, we have never lived in the same city together but when you find a kindred spirit, you just know.  She is now blessed with a daughter and a son.  This creative gal made her own Daily Schedule using Picmonkey(!!!) and was kind enough to send it my way:

Erika and I have a crazy intertwined relationship that spans a decade beginning in high school (we had the same Chemistry class together).  We worked for Gap at the same time, different locations and had a phone relationship, formerly met at Church and finally became solid friends taking ECE classes at our Community College.  She is crazy (there's that word again) talented, super funny and a Boy mom.  She blogs at Down the Aisle.  Erika wrote me out her Daily breakdown as follows:

I met Jessica through Brian's Aunt back in 2005.  They attended the same church and she and her husband were one of the first people we were introduced to when visiting (another long- distance friend).  The Johnson's have since started their own church and have added a third daughter to their brood.  I get to keep up with them through Jessica's blog A Million Things.  And just in case you were wondering, Brian's Aunt and her family now live in Arkansas (talk about long distance!)

Hi Whitney! I am terrible at responding to these!! So sorry I slacked. You know? It wasn't super terrible. It's all actually kind of a blur. Ha ha. So maybe it was? Kayla had already started preschool when Ashlyn was born so that helped. It was nice having a couple hours every other day with the baby. Even now, with both of the big girls in school - I get a ton of one on one time with Holland. That helps for general sanity. If preschool is not an option, maybe see if your Parks And Rec have any weekly classes? Painting, Music, etc? Mommy and Me Classes are great, too. And does your church have any activities for young moms/families? It helped me to keep busy and get out of the house as much as I could. Having 2 is awesome! I loved seeing their connection. Kinsey will love the baby, That is the best part. Hope you are feeling well and so excited for you guys!!

So, those are the pearls of wisdom and daily routines employed by some of my wonderful SAHM friends!  I hope their words inspire you as they did me :)

{Stay tuned for Part 3!}

   
   

Becoming a Stay At Home Mom: Part 1

For Part 2, click here.
For Part 3, click here.

It is a great blessing for me to be able to announce that I will become a Stay At Home Mom for a whole year once Baby Girl #2 is born in July!  And with that dream coming to fruition, I came to realize that I know nothing about being a SAHM!  As silly as that sounds, (since I have been a Mom for 3 years) I didn't get more than 2 months off when Kinsey was born and we never had to establish a staying at home routine.  And so began my quest to glean as much information from my friends and other Super Star SAHM's to aid me in my transition from Full- time Preschool teacher to a SAHM of my two girls. 

And here's where I got really lucky; Kilee at One little Momma announced a new series with other mom bloggers called "Must Ask Mama" where the panel of moms answer emails of reader questions and mine got featured!  An answered prayer, y'all!  Here was their expert advice:

TWO: "I am expecting my second daughter in July and will be taking a year off work to care for my babies. This is a dream come true but what has me worried is how to transition my 3 year old from a 3 days a week preschool (my current place of employment) to a routine at home with a newborn. How do you fit in everything when caring for two kids under 3 and still be able to shower and have a clean house? Any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you, lovely ladies."

Emily: "boy I could go on way too long in answering this one, because having four kiddies in four years has definitely forced me to get organized.haha The best way to condense it would be to stress the importance of lists and schedules! I wake up before any of my kids, or when I'm nursing my youngest in the morning I'll write out a timeline starting with the things that have to happen like meals and nap times, then fill in the spaces things that should happen like chores and errands, and whatever time's left over can go to the things that you'd like to happen, like showering and pinterest time.haha"

Erica: "Unfortunately I'm in the same boat as you at the moment so I'm not sure how to answer your question! I have a daughter who just turned two and a son that will be arriving any day now. I can tell you how I've been trying to prepare, though. I've created a room in my house that is childproof and has different Montessori-type activities for my two-year-old as well as a place for me to sit and nurse, set the baby down, check my e-mail, etc. This room will be my safe haven when things get chaotic. Other than that, I haven't quite figured out when I'll be cleaning the house, making dinner, taking showers, etc. I guess I'm just going to have to find my rhythm as it comes. My biggest hope is that I can figure out a way to get the two to nap at the same time so that I can have a break! Hah. Sorry I couldn't be more help."

Brittany: "Hi, congratulations on being able to stay home with your children! I don't have any expertise with having two children, but I have a lot of friends with two under age 2 and 3. For me (with just one baby), I take advantage of nap time on days when I need things done around the house or a shower. If I am in need of a shower and it isn't nap time, I usually put her in the exersaucer and give her a few puffs and turn on Daniel Tiger or Angelina Ballerina for 10 minutes while I take a quick shower. Most of the time I just shower at night when she is asleep. As far as getting things done around the house. I usually try to occupy my daughter in the room I am trying to clean with toys or other objects she is interested in. I typically just clean the room she is in while she is playing. Another thing I do is have a dry erase board on my fridge with a few tasks to do each day. This is helpful for my husband for when he is trying to be helpful around the house. My husband is a medical student, so he's not always to help out, but this is the way we communicate what needs to be done without having to ask, and it works for us. Good luck and enjoy every moment! I just know most mama's say the laundry can wait, so try not to stress over it :) "

Kilee: "I could write a few posts about how I run our home, but my best advice would be to feel confident, work out a loose schedule, and be patient. The best way I have found to get things done, keep our house together and be a good mom is to adopt an "I can do it" attitude. I have definitely had my overwhelmed days, but I am confident in myself and my ability to do it all. I am motivated and optimistic when I wake up everyday because I want to have a good day, I have things to do and I can't let myself get bogged down by a messy house or unhappy kids. We just work together and my kids have learned to expect how things go. My kids expect that I will get ready everyday in the morning and usually that is when they are eating breakfast. Because you have one little one and a baby, I'd recommend doing as much as you can while the baby sleeps but don't stop doing what you need to do just because the kids are up. I get ready with my kids in the bathroom- I shower while the baby lays outside the shower on the floor. I clean while my kids play or they clean with me. I try to follow a simple cleaning schedule where I pick up in the morning and at night and then clean certain areas of the home on each day of the week. Also when my kids were younger we would do the library on Mondays, play group on Wednesdays and a music group on Fridays. Its hard to have a set schedule because you have to be flexible with little ones, but a basic schedule is essential. And last I'd say be patient. With the first year of a new baby, as you know, things change all the time.  You are always in a new phase so you'll have to be really flexible and just keep working at it. Also I guess the last thing is that you need a hobby. You need a hobby to work on after the kids are in bed or before they are up or during naps. A hobby will make you happier and give your brain a break from being a SAHM. You will love it!"

{This is an on-going series, so if you need advice, email Lynzy at sparklingfootsteps@gmail.com}

Thank you so much, Ladies!  I'm a lover of information and I know this will help me transition to my new role, confidently! And as far as my quest for knowledge about becoming a SAHM?  It is still a work in progress that I will gladly be sharing with you along the way!  Thankfully I still have a couple more months to get a game plan together :)  

   
   

Month 8 Bump Update

How Far Along: 35 weeks:: Eighth month:: 3rd Trimester
Size of Baby: Baby #2 is the size of a squash.
Total Weight Gain: 26 pounds.  Its creeping up there and it makes me kinda depressed, not gonna lie. 
Maternity Clothes: All day, every day.
Gender: Another little Princess!
Movement: Little Girl is pretty much active all the time.  And in the middle of the night, of course.
Sleep: It is easy falling asleep but between the bathroom trips and acid reflux, I'm not getting quality shut eye.
What I Miss: Sleeping on my tummy, seeing my feet.
Cravings: Fruit and chocolate.  Preferably together. :)
Symptoms: Ankle and feet swelling, severe acid reflux, labored breathing.
Highlight of the Month: Celebrating with friends at my baby Shower!

Fave maternity shirt, hands down!

nine month