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A special thanks to SneakPeek for sponsoring today's post.
The past few months have been a whirlwind filled with excitement, nervousness, pregnancy symptoms (hello, morning sickness!), and of course the impatience of wanting to know if our second child is a boy or a girl! I kid you not, from the second I found out I was pregnant, I started researching how early I could find out if it was a boy or a girl--I was that impatient.
Well, I have some really great news for you if you're just as crazy as me and you are dying to know super early!! Did you know that SneakPeek, which is an at-home early-gender DNA blood test, can be taken as early as 6 weeks?! They're 99.9% accurate, and the best part is you take it in the comfort of your own home on your time.
I'll be completely honest, I was nervous to do the test because I'm terrified of needles, but this was easy peasy. The best part for me personally was that you only feel the microneedles for a matter of a second and you never have to see them either. They're concealed in the SneakPeek Snap Test, which I highly recommend as your test option.
The directions that come in the box are very detailed, and there are also informational videos you can watch as well. From start to finish, the test took me about 20 minutes and you follow the instructions to prepare your sample and get it ready to be shipped back to SneakPeek to get your much-anticipated results! Shipping was faster than expected for me--even with the standard test, and results are delivered via email or text--whichever you choose when you register for your test.
Here are a few tips I learned along the way that I want to share with you if you decide to take a SneakPeek Snap test to find out the gender of your little one!
One // Sanitize your testing area really well.
Two // Follow all sanitizing and prep instructions for your arm/hands before and while taking the test.
Three // Drink tons of water 20 minutes before.
The more water you drink, the easier the test will be as your blood will mix properly with the solution inside the test to prepare it for shipping. I drank several glasses of water over the course of those twenty minutes to be sure that I would be hydrated enough.
If you live in the United States, Canada, Australia, or the U.K. be sure to check out SneakPeek!
Be sure to use my code: SPIAPR04 for $10 off your SneakPeek Test Kit!
The discount/coupon does not stack with any sales.
Now the moment you've all been waiting for...
IT'S A...
BOY!!
We are so thrilled to welcome another sweet boy to our family this October, and we just know that Bentley is going to be the best big brother to his little bro. Bentley started to say baby brother, and honestly, it's the cutest thing I've ever heard him say. They'll grow up to be the best of buds, and Bentley will show him the ropes on all things trash trucks, cars, and construction vehicles.
This pregnancy has already been so different from when I was pregnant with Bentley--it's so interesting to see how pregnancies differ and it makes me wonder what this little dude's personality will be like. He's already so loved, and we can't wait to meet him.
Team #boymama 💙
We are so beyond excited to announce we are expecting another sweet addition to our little family this fall! Bentley is so excited, but I'm not sure he quite understands what's happening just yet. He's so sweet. He points to my ever-growing belly and says baby and he gives baby kisses. There's no doubt, he will be the best big brother!
I guess this also helps explain why things have been quiet over here on the blog and on social. Growing a little baby is tiring and gosh, did the first trimester make me feel like I was hit by a bus, and then hit again. haha! Thankfully, now that I'm officially in the second trimester, the morning sickness has turned into sleepiness, which I'll take any day over being sick all day.
I'll be sure to give little updates throughout my pregnancy, and I plan on sharing any new items, hospital bag essentials, and newborn essentials we plan on using again. If there's anything else you'd like to see on the blog or over on Instagram, be sure to leave a comment or send me a DM!
I LOVE Valentine’s Day, and I love spoiling my little dude, too. I wanted to get him a few fun things, a couple yummy things, and a few new books. I ended up adding another fun toy because of my $$$ saving tip! Don't worry, I'll share that with you here, just like I did on Instagram!
Here's what I included in Bentley's Valentine's Day Basket:
I got the red heart basket from the dollar spot for only a dollar--totally worth it, and I'll be able to reuse it each year.
LeapFrog Play Phone
Dino Stickers--Bentley loves dinos! Think about what your kiddo is really into right now, and get them stickers or a small craft based around that!
A card that I know Bentley will really dig! He loves anything that has to do with construction vehicles, so I know he's going to love it!
His favorite candies are M&M's and Reeses. I mean, honestly, who doesn't love them?! I may or may not have gotten a Reeses or two for myself.
Check out your dollar spot for other fun crafts or toys. I grabbed two silly scents of playdough because I know that he'll just love to play with them together. He's two, so he won't play with it for long, but it will get him to sit down at a table for a few minutes. haha!
Board Books // Little Blue Truck's Valentine | Peek-a-Flap DINO | Happy Valentine's Day Mouse!
Okay, now for the best part, and yes, this is for now, but also for all the time
Did you know when shopping at Target, always, always check on Target Circle to compare the prices of..
📓Books (some of mine were half off online!!
🦖Kid’s toys (the play phone I added spontaneously went from $15 to $6!
👖Kid’s clothing (I bought a few baby/toddler-sized clearance items and some were a few dollars different!
When heading to checkout here are a few tips to make your life and the associate’s life easier for price-matching👇👇👇
💗Have them favorited in your Target Circle
✨Group the items that need to be price-matched together at the end
❤️Have your Target Circle App up and ready to show prices. Sometimes they’ll have a scanner to scan items on their own, and other times they have you scan!
💕Always check your personalized Target Circle in-app promos and coupons—often there are bonuses for rewards, $5 off X amount, and even % off your most-shopped items/sections.
All in all, it took me less than 2 minutes to know which items needed to be adjusted, and I saved almost $20 by simply price matching.
I love Target, but saving $$$ means more $$$ to spoil my sweet boy with!
Watch the Reel on Instagram!
Happy shopping and happy almost Valentine's Day!
A special thanks to Lovevery for gifting us this play kit in exchange for our honest opinion.
From the second we unboxed The Helper Play Kit, Bentley has been begging to play with the goodies inside. This is our first Play Kit from Lovevery and I have to tell you, it is so perfectly curated for your child’s age. The thought behind the toys and activities inside exceeded my expectations.
If you've never heard of Lovevery before, they're an age-based subscription box filled with curated play essentials your child is bound to love. They choose toys that fit perfectly in your child's developmental window, so you know that your child is benefiting from them. They offer boxes for your sweet newborn through your child's third year.
Here’s what was inside this box—The Helper Play Kit, which is for toddlers 25-27 months old--Bentley is 25 months for age reference!
Super Sustainable Sink with Bio-Based Cups & Plates
This is hands down Bentley’s favorite item from the box. He LOVES playing in the water. He’s practiced filling his cups, pouring them into each other, and “washing” his play dishes.
Drop & Match Dot Catcher
At first, we just let Bentley put the colors in where ever he wanted, but it’s such a great learning tool, too! We’ve been practicing matching our colors, and this makes it fun.
Felt Flowers in a Row
It’s cute to see Bentley sniff the felt flowers, but what’s even cuter is when he runs them over to me to give mama flowers. Melts my heart…even if they’re fake haha
Double-Sided Sunny Day Puzzle
We LOVE this puzzle. It is so unique, and we love that the same pieces are for both sides of the puzzle.
Anywhere Art Kit with Washable Tempera Paintsticks
We cannot wait to take this with us on the go-we know this will be perfect for road trips or even in restaurants!
Let’s Map It Out Routine Cards
We are huge fans of routine—I mean, when it comes to bedtime, what parent isn’t wanting to stay on routine so bedtime runs smoothly?! These cards are perfect to help with that!
Making Muffins Board Book
Once Bentley realized they were making blueberry muffins in the book, he was all into it. Blueberries are his favorite, and blueberry was his first “big” word!!
Lovevery also includes a Play Guide for those months with tips, developmental information, and even more at-home activities. If you have ever wanted to try Lovevery, I highly recommend it!
Click here to shop The Helper Play Kit or to browse the goodies Lovevery has to offer for you and your little one. Have you ever had a Lovevery box before?!
A special thanks to Fabletics for sponsoring today's post.
As we're a little more than halfway through January, I just have to ask...have you actually stuck with your New Year's resolutions?! This year, I kept mine super simple, but ones that would make a huge impact in my life--eating healthier, staying active, and decluttering our home.
I've started decluttering our home as we've renovated each room--when you have to pull everything out to install new flooring, it gets you in a get rid of it kind of mood, and that's exactly what I needed. I ended up filling ten trash bags with items to donate just from one room. Yep, you read that right. Why in the world did I need that much extra useless stuff?! So, as this year goes on, my goal is to go through each room, cabinet, built-in, and drawer to reduce the noise in our home. I find myself less anxious and stressed, and since Chris and I work from home, we want our home to feel beautiful and fully functional.
Another piece of my journey this year is to get healthier, eat healthier, and stay active. I will be honest, I am the worst when it comes to eating. I am that girl that forgets to eat if I get too focused on something--I've always been this way, and it's something I am working on staying consistent with.
One thing that has been a great way for me to remember to eat, and also get a boost of protein and energy is protein smoothies. I have been loving the Orgain protein powders and they don't taste too proteiny if you know what I mean. haha!
Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Banana Protein Smoothie
My "recipe" if you will, is super simple. I add lactose-free milk (I'm lactose intolerant), a scoop of protein powder (or two if I want an extra boost), a banana, heaping spoonful of peanut butter, and ice.
I blend everything up in my Nutri Bullet, and boom--a delish smoothie with a boost of protein and a boost of energy for me.
As I mentioned, the other part of getting healthier is staying active. For me, during the winter, it's a little hard to get out there in the cold with a toddler, so I've started eating healthier to start, and once it warms up, I'll add my walks back in. When I'm out on a walk, and yes, totally when I'm lounging at home, you can find me in Fabletics. The leggings are seriously so comfortable and soft, and the sports bras offer actual support.
This leopard set is one of my favorites. I have two others from Fabletics from several years ago, and I'm not going to lie, they get the most use! I always reach for the leopard print sets. This one has a little fun pop of color, too! It has a lime green stripe on a few of the seams, and I'm obsessed.
Something else I love about Fabletics is that even though I'm petite--(I'm only 5'2"!), the leggings aren't too long on me! I personally prefer the 7/8 styles because of the length, but even other styles like sweats and loungewear that I've shared in the past aren't too much on my petite frame.
If you've wanted to try Fabletics, you can get 2 bottoms for $24 plus 70% off everything else when you sign up to become a VIP. Monthly collections and weekly styles are released, so be sure to check back.
Have you worn Fabletics leggings before?!
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