Friday Favorites

It's no secret we love Fridays around here, but we love Fridays before Spring Break even more.  That's right...we are turning off our alarm clocks for a week.  We've been on the go so much this winter that I'm excited about enjoying a stay-cation next week.  It will be full of some birthday celebrations, some downtime, some fun outings around town and some sleep.  

Today we're linking up with some of our favorite bloggers for Friday Favorites and I'm sharing a random assortment of my recent favorites. 

Before we went to the Super Bowl I ordered two new make-up products from Amazon that were recently recommended to me.  One is a primer and the other is a setting spray, both of which I have never used before.  The primer is a base for foundation that allows it to go on smoother and last longer.  The setting spray acts kind of like a hair spray. You spray it on after you are done applying your make up and it should help everything stay looking like it did when you first applied. 

I've really loved using these two products and think they really help with keeping my makeup looking great all day.  I put it on first thing in the morning and go hard all day long so whatever I do in the morning has to last me all day.  The primer is amazing. It seems watery when you first pump it out onto your hands, but when you put it on your face it totally transforms. It's hard to explain, but it is so silky and makes your face feel so smooth. I'm obsessed with it!  The setting spray smells really good and I think seems to do the trick.  I've really enjoyed using both! 

My DIY denim shorts have got to be my new favorite shorts. I've worn them several times so far and can't get enough. 

In fact, I wore them last weekend to Little Mama's cheer competition and when the Mr. saw me later that evening he asked if I got new shorts. 

I asked him if he read the blog or looked at our Instagram (he doesn't) so he was impressed to learn I had made them myself.  Let's be honest though...he was probably more impressed that I saved money by finding the denim at Goodwill and making them myself.  To see all of the details and directions to create some of your own check out the post HERE. 

To pair with those cute denim shorts I shared this adorable ATL tank I found at Target of all places.  Their whole line of local pride tops are amazing. They remind me of something you'd find at a local boutique instead of in your local Target.  The price is right (less than $15 each) so I ended up buying 3 different styles (HERE, HERE & HERE).

Not only does it look cute with my DIY denim shorts, but it also works out great for a top to work out in.  I usually wear a medium in tops for the length, but sized up to a large for these and I'm so glad I did. They shrank quite a bit when I washed/dried them and I honestly like the roomier fit.  Target is offering these featuring tons of cities so see all of the options HERE.

OK, I have to share these new protein bars that I recently discovered. I usually eat some sort of protein bar every afternoon between 3-5 PM because I'm usually getting hungry about that time and just need something to get me through to dinner.  It's usually the time I'm running kids around from place to place so I always throw one in my purse for on the go.  

Years ago I started using the term "cookie on a spoon" because I love to eat cookie dough that much.  I used to LOVE a cookie dough flavored bar that isn't made anymore. Last week I was determined to find something similar so I bought several different varieties and was pumped to find a winner.  Many were too grainy or too rubbery or didn't even taste like cookie dough AT ALL. But friends, when I took a bite into the Zone Perfect bar I needed the both hands raised emoji.  They are THAT good.



These are creamy, have the constancy of real cookie dough and are such a treat.  Seriously after lunch I start thinking about them and wondering when it will be time to have my afternoon snack.  My only complaint is that I wish they were bigger!  I've had the cookies and cream flavored one and the chocolate chip flavored one and both are amazing.  I stocked up on both because now my kids love them, too!  

Ending on a fun note, I have been listening to this song on repeat for a few weeks now.  This is pretty much how I do new songs. I'll download the ones I love, listen to them on repeat for a couple of weeks and then get over them, but not this one.  I can't get enough!

Have you heard it? Do you love it like me?  I like to play it loud, sing along, and pretend I have a good voice.  #CantStopWontStop

We hope everyone has a great weekend!  

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Joovy Caboose Graphite {Review}

One of my biggest challenges since I became a mom of three is feeling as though I haven't found a rhythm. I wake up each day and think,

"Today is going to be a great day! Everything I do will go smoothly and everyone will have a big huge smile on their faces. Let's do this!". 

Shortly after - usually somewhere between the moment those sweet first sips of caffeine hit my tongue and the time I hear the screeches of two children fighting over the same toy, followed by the wails of my formerly sleeping infant because they have voices of high pitched hyenas angels when they scream -  I falter slightly in this thinking.

I realize I am outnumbered 3 to 1. I have two hands and three lovely little humans to fill them. Each day has it ebbs and flows, and I wouldn't change this season of life for anything.

I do try my best to control anything that can make my days go smoother, and eventually get into that rhythm I am seeking. This includes finding the best baby gear. The last thing I want to think about during my day is how to change the batteries in that favorite bouncer, or adjust the straps in our carseat. I want my gear to be easy, convenient, and after thought it my day.

Finding the best stroller has been one of my top priorities. Mr. Cute teases me that I am the Stroller Queen of the South. I can huff at that, but he's not far off. We have 8 strollers currently residing in our garage. Eight. Yikes!

Again, outnumbered 3 to 1, so I need my stroller to be a lot of things - safe, easy, lightweight, have a lot of storage, the ability to make me dinner... Well, that's wishful thinking, but you get the idea.

Today I am going to talk about my ninth addition (because what's one more when you have eight?), and what quite possibly be the answer to make all of my stroller dreams come true.

I was recently given the opportunity to try the Joovy Caboose Graphite, and let me just tell you - get excited!

THE SKINNY
The Joovy Caboose Graphite is unlike any double stroller I've owned. This tandem designed stroller is compact in size (about the size of most single strollers I've owned), and at only 28 lbs fairly lightweight, yet can hold two children very easily.

One of my biggest complaints about double strollers has always been the size. The Joovy Caboose Graphite allows me to easily maneuver through doorways, stores, maintain my lane on the sidewalk, and takes up minimal space in my trunk.


ASSEMBLY
From box to first stroll, the Joovy Caboose Graphite took mere minutes to assemble. The stroller frame and seating came already assembled. All straps were in place and all remaining parts came with quick easy to read instructions.

With just a few clicks, and a quick pop on of some wheels we were off and rolling.

VERSATILITY
I think my absolute favorite feature of the Joovy Caboose Graphite is how versatile it is. My older two children have fierce independent streaks. They don't always like the idea of being contained in a stroller, and being strapped in is apparently the toddler equivalent to jail.

The Caboose is unique in that it can be arranged so many different ways to best suit both your needs and your child's sense of independence.


It can be set up for:

• Two seated areas (one on the front and one on the back). 

• One seated area and one standing area. A platform is attached to the back that can hold up to 45 lbs. 

• One seated infant in a reclined position (front; ages 3-6 months), one standing (back)
• One seated or standing area (back), and one infant carrier.

• Two front facing seated areas (with additional purchase of Joovy Rear Seat)

I was so impressed with the ease of being able to switch back and forth between the different seating options. The infant carrier attachment was just a quick snap and change from the cup holder, and fit any infant carrier. Any.

That means not buying any special travel system stroller to fit your specific infant car seat. Amazing!

It fit my infant carrier easily, and already had the straps conveniently stored on the stroller itself in organized pockets to lock the infant seat down securely in place.

I loved not having to worry about locating and carrying an extra part around to do this!

And needless to say my "need to be free" children loved that they could stand as we strolled, and loved getting to peek through at one another from the coveted rear seat - it's the little things people.

STORAGE
Storage is key for any mom, no matter how many children you have. That stroller basket is coveted space and needs to be able to hold anything and everything I might need for my day.

I found the Joovy Caboose Graphite's storage space to work well for what I need. I was able to easily access small items from the side and larger items from under the seated area. I would say the only downfall is that they child sitting on the back seat would have to get up to do this.

{Messy toddler fingers prints not included.}

The snack tray area is a great size and perfect for holding drinks, snacks, and anything else little toddler hands might need to get to or store on their stroll.

Overall I've been extremely pleased with the Joovy Caboose Graphite. I love that for this stage of life, I've found a stroller that can make my day a little bit easier and make my children a little bit happier.

Finding that rhythm in the little things will helps me create a greater rhythm in all things - at least until the next meltdown occurs over that coveted Paw Patrol toy I only have one of. No stroller can help with that.

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** I was gifted this stroller from Joovy in exchange for a review. All thoughts and general awesome opinions are my own. **

Roomba Review

Happy Thursday, friends!  I hope everyone is having a great week. I don't know why, but this week seems to be dragging for me and I keep thinking it is a day ahead in the week only to realized it isn't.  Don't you hate with that happens?!?!  I'm happy tomorrow is Friday though and excited about a 3-day weekend!

Today I wanted to share about my very favorite Christmas present I received.  If you remember back in December I included a Roomba on my Women's gift guide post and I was really hoping that I would receive one.

I have been wanting on for probably about 8 years now.  When we had our first golden retriever right after we got married we learned all about the dog hair and the shedding of golden's, but it didn't really bother me that much.

We were newly married with no kids and she was like our kid so we put up with it.  Plus, I was able to clean when I needed to and vacuuming or sweeping up the dog hair wasn't a big deal.

Well a few years after that we had a baby and then that baby started crawling around on the floor and while she became obsessed with our sweet Sydney, I because obsessive about cleaning the dog hair.

I had a few friends that had Roombas and I really started pressing for one, but because of the cost I never got one.

When we got our current dog, Walker, we knew he would become an important member of our family.  That is why we got another golden because we just knew how sweet and loyal they were.  He is constantly at our sides and we love that about him.

But last year I quickly remembered all about the dog hair and how much I couldn't stand it on the floor.  I had no problem sweeping on a daily basis and vacuuming as much as possible, but that combined with the kids' messes and crumbs made me feel like I was going to go crazy.  SO, I put the Roomba back on my wish-list and hinted every chance I got to the Mr. that it was REALLY what I wanted for Christmas.

Now the Mr. had mentioned to some of our neighbors that he had gotten this for me for Christmas back in December and they gave him so much grief for it.  They couldn't believe he was giving me a vacuum for Christmas and thought for sure I would be upset.  He knew I would love it though.  (And for the record, a regular vacuum would not have been a fun present, but one that works by itself, well that qualifies as the best gift ever!)

I was so happy and surprised on Christmas morning when I opened it because we said we weren't exchanging big gifts.  I set it up that afternoon and have been singing it's praises ever since!  Just last week Little Mama made the comment, "Look how cool this is...you are fixing us lunch and cleaning up in the kitchen and the Roomba is just cleaning at the same time." She got it!  That is exactly why I had wanted it.  It isn't because I'm lazy and I can't vacuum by myself.  It frees up so much of my time that I spent cleaning the crumbs and dog hair off the floor that I'm able to get other things done!

In case anyone is thinking about getting one I wanted to share my thoughts on how it has worked for us.

• I have it on the first floor and run it everyday.  
• You can set it up to run automatically and a scheduled time, but I just turn it on when I'm home and know I can pick up kids toys and stuff so it can really clean well.  
• Speaking of kids toys, only once has it sucked something up, but I was able to empty the canister and get it out.  
• One other time it sucked up a ribbon that was left on the floor.  It got tangled in the wheels, but it turned itself off and alerted me that something was wrong so I was quickly able to remove the ribbon and turn it back on.  
• Because of the dog hair the canister fills up so sometimes I will stop the Roomba, empty the canister, and then set it on it's way again.  
• Our dining room steps down and the first day we had it we were worried it would fall down that step as it was heading that direction, but y'all, this thing is so smart!  It got right to the edge and turned itself around.  
• The sensors on it are amazing.  It will go around legs of tables and furniture to get every possible place it can. 
• Our first floor is a combination of hardwoods, rugs and carpet and it transitions over each of those surfaces with no problem.  
• At first it looks like it is just moving around in a random matter and doing "X's" all of the floor, but somehow it gets it all. 
• It won't always finish one room before going to another area, but then will end up back in the room it was in.  Because of our open floor plan it kind of goes all over the place, which is fine with me! 
• It comes with a sensor you can put up if you want to block off certain rooms or keep it from going into a certain area, but I want everything cleaned so I haven't used that.  
• When it is done cleaning it goes back to the docking/charging station.  
• It will not clean my entire first floor before it needs to be docked to recharge, but we have a lot of area for it to cover so I just turn it back on once it has charged, if needed. 
• Maintenance on it is easy.  About once a week you have to clean the brushes, but it doesn't take long at all.  

If you can't tell, I'm seriously in love with this thing. I want another one for upstairs, but for now I'll just have to keep vacuuming the 2nd floor myself.  

We have the Roomba 655 Pet Series, but there are a range of available options.  See them all HERE.  I know these are pricy and that is why I had to wait so long to get one, but I'm just here to share that if you are thinking about it and wondering if it is really worth the money...trust me, IT IS!!!!  

 

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Savvy Sassy Sunday: Managing Our Mornings {Hello & SmartyPants}

It's a little hard for me to believe that my girls have been in school for over a month now. August 3rd was such an early start to the school year, but we had no other option than to jump right in and start surviving the crazy schedule that is our life.

They ride the bus most mornings and the bus comes early...like 6:52 AM early.  Yes, you read that right, they officially get on the bus at the crack of dawn.  If I was a morning person that might not be an issue, but I'm not.  I set my alarm for 5:30 AM and hit snooze until 6 AM.  This drives the Mr. crazy, but it's how I've always done mornings and how I'll always do them.  But, in the spirit of full disclosure, often times I hit snooze one too many times meaning that I'm up at 6:07 AM and rushing to get them up, dressed, fed, and out the door on time.  Needless to say, it's a rush against the clock and I look for every possible way to make our mornings run as smoothly as possible.

Two ways we try to manage our morning routines is having clothes picked out the night before and lunches packed and ready to go.  Now, having girls means there is always the last minute wardrobe issue, but for the most part this really helps.  I could not (or would not) be able to get up early enough to pack lunches in the morning so I have everything packed and prepped in the fridge the night before so that all I have to do is stick it in their lunch boxes with an ice pack.

One of the smartest things I started doing this year was using a School Morning Supply Kit.  In it I have everything I need, or might need, to remember for those rushed mornings.  A hair brush and hair spray to fix a last minute flyaway, medicine I might need to remember to give them, Hello toothpaste and extra tooth brushes for a quick brush after breakfast and SmartyPants Vitamins to start their day out as healthy as can be.

Just like those wardrobe issues I mentioned, there is often a last-minute hair style change, so having my supplies handy downstairs helps tremendously.  I have the mornings perfectly mapped out, minute-by-minute, and sending them back up to their bathrooms to brush would mean I'd have to wake them up earlier than I already do.  Being able to brush quickly downstairs saves us precious time and gets us out the door to the bus stop in time.

I've shared my love of Hello toothpaste before HERE and it is still our very favorite.  The kids love all of the flavors and often sneak their favorites out of each others' bathrooms.  I love that it is as natural as can be and free of things like artificial sweeteners and dyes. My kids love it because it just taste good.  Plain and simple.  That is all they care about and it has them happy to brush, so that makes me happy!

SmartyPants Vitamins are a new favorite in our house.  My kids love the idea of vitamins and we often try all sorts of different ones to find something that everyone can agree on.  I forget to give them to my kids half the time, but keeping them in my new School Morning Supply Kit has really helped me with remembering!

These SmartyPants Kids Complete Vitamins are perfect because they are an all-in-one gummy vitamin that my kids all love.  There is no way they are going to let me forget to give them out each morning.

We've also tried the Kids Complete + Fiber On-the-Go packs and, in fact, I packed them for our little Labor Day Weekend getaway this weekend.  They are perfect for travel and that way I am sure to keep up with giving my kids the vitamins they need, even when we are away from home.

The awesome people at SmartyPants wanted to do a giveaway for one of our readers!  Simply enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win a full month's supply of the Kids Complete Vitamins, as well as, a months supply of the Kids Complete + Fiber On-the-Go packs!  The winner will be announced the week of September 14th!

Maybe one of these days I'll learn to wake up earlier and start our mornings not being so rushed, but I know myself and I know that has a very slim chance of happening.  Instead I'll just stay as prepared and organized as I can and be thankful for great products like Hello and SmartyPants to start their school mornings off on the right foot!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

***I received these products as part of the Savvy Sassy Moms Product Scout Group.  All options are my own.***
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Transitioning Hair from Summer to Fall {CLEAR SCALP & HAIR™}

As soon as the kids start back to school we start looking forward to the change of seasons and everything that fall brings.  From cooler temperatures, to football season, the changing leaves and everything pumpkin, it's one of my favorite times of the year.  If we can't be enjoying the pool all day then I'm ready for the temperatures to cool off.  That's when I start browsing new fall fashions and dreaming about the days I can start wearing boots and puffer vests.  The past day or two the weather has been glorious and it's such a tease!  It will be a while down south before fall is in full force, but one thing that I'm not waiting on is getting my hair fall ready.

Most days in the summer my hair ends up in a ponytail because it's just way too hot to have it down.  In the fall though, I wear it down a lot more and so I want to be sure it is looking it's best.  I recently learned that weather can have a strong effect on our scalps.  Just as season changes do to our skin cells, the hair cycle can be the same.  In fact, studies have shown that seasonality can cause shedding, especially in the fall. I have really fine hair as it is, so shedding is the last thing I need.

I was happy to be introduced to CLEAR SCALP &  HAIR™ recently and have been using it for over a month now.  It's intense hydration nourishing shampoo and nourishing daily conditioner leave hair beautifully strong from root to tip.

For years most of us have probably been focused on the ends of our hair, but CLEAR SCALP &  HAIR™ encourages women to focus on the scalp, where 99% of hair's natural strength and beauty come from.  Hello!  I never would have thought about this, but it makes total and perfect sense!  It's kind of like soil is to a tree...a well-nourished scalp is the right foundation for strong, beautiful hair!

I really love the way it makes my hair feel and I feel good using it knowing that not only is it cleaning and conditioning my hair, but it's also working hard on my scalp.  Most women spend a lot of money on their hair whether it be on cuts, colors, etc.  I know I spend a fair chunk of change to keep my color looking great, so not having to break the bank with hair products is such a refreshing change!  Hair care is something we all take really seriously and I promise y'all will love CLEAR SCALP &  HAIR™!!! Your summer hair will thank you when fall rolls around!

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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.