Where Have I Been?

Hi friends!  I just wanted to get on here and explain my absence because my blog has obviously been neglected this past month and a half.  At the beginning of July we lost two dear family members, then my hubby found out he got a new job so we put our house immediately on the market.  With showings after showings, searching for a new place, selling our house, now packing and moving I'm not finding any time or energy to put here in this space but I hope to as soon as we get settled in the next couple of weeks!! 

In the meantime feel free to follow me on Instagram to stay in touch! 

eShakti: Summer Favorites

Back in February, I was able to work with eShakti on a review of my shopping experience which you can read here.  Spoiler alert: I had nothing but good things to say!  I'm excited to share with you that they have revamped their site to make it an even more enjoyable experience for their buyers.

Some of their new additions to their already simple and shopper friendly website are new search categories like jumpsuits as well as thematic lines such as Bohemian & Contemporary.  I also love that they have a list of trend categories that are always current and this list makes them easily searchable!  As I said in my previous review, their customizable options are so awesome that anyone could find a perfect fit.  I could go on to say more but I think you will just have to check it out for yourself!

eShakti was so kind to give my readers a $35 gift coupon to use to try out their new and revamped site!   Please use the code CHARMINGHEART35 at checkout on any minimum order of $30.  This is such a good coupon code y'all!  The code is good until 6/30/2015.  Lastly, I wanted to share some of my summer favorites with you which are all linked below!

flamingo | kimono | pink dress
tunic | shorts | white dress

Now, can we talk about how much FUN that flamingo dress is!!??  I know one of you can pull it off!

You can find eShakti on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram & Twitter.

If you decide to shop with eShakti, I'd love to know what you find!  You can share with me in the comments, shoot me an email or tag me on Instagram.  Have a lovely day!

deal alert: toys

Hi loves!  This post is going to be really short but I was shopping earlier today on Amazon for some gifts and came across two of our favorite toys ever & saw that they were on major sale!  The flashcards are only $6 right now and most of the books are under $5 one is even just $2!  This is such a great deal that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share with you all & all of the items are Amazon Prime.  To make it easy I linked everything at the bottom of the post.  You're welcome! ;)

If you aren't familiar with Indestructibles books they are books that are drool, chew & tear proof.  I wash ours with soap and water and lay out to dry.  

 The flash cards are awesome because they have bright colors and awesome textures.  

N has played with these both of these things from baby stage and is still entertained by them now!  

flashcards

book | book | book

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

review: Nuby No Spill Flip It Cup

I'm just going to go ahead and say that this is the best sippy cup ever!  We have loved this style of cup and used it for months even before collaborating with Nuby.  It was THE sippy cup, after trying many others on the market, that helped Norah easily transition from bottle to sippy cup right before her first birthday.  

After shopping around for sippy cup after sippy cup, trying soft spouts, hard spouts, straw and traditional ones, I noticed the shape of this straw just looked different than all of the others and that the way it tapered towards the top resembled more of the nipple on a bottle.  I just knew that this was the one and lo and behold Norah was off of the bottle completely within a day or two! 

[about the product]

soft silicone straw

BPA free

easy to use flip top cap keeps things sanitary (my fav!!!)

lid clicks when secure - no leaks or spills

easy to grip shape

All of the above things are true especially when it comes to the spills or leaks.  It's the only cup I can trust Norah to walk around the house, climb on the couch and play upstairs with.  I cannot say enough good things about this product and I highly recommend this sippy cup!

You can purchase this cup here (designer series), here (3 pack) & here (single).  You can follow Nuby USA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Pinterest.

As always, I would love to hear what products made transitions for you and your little one smooth and easy.  Thanks so much for reading!

[I received this product for review but all opinion are always my own.]

product review: Bambo Nature Diapers

I'm always interested in finding and trying out "clean" products to replace things I use on a daily basis in all areas of my life.  Whether it be skincare, makeup, bath, household products and most importantly baby items.  I'll be honest though, we've always used Pampers and we have never really thought to try a more natural route I think because the conventional diaper is already so expensive and N has never had a reaction to them.  But, I will say I was so excited when Bambo Nature reached out to me to see if I wanted to try out their diapers for review because I know I might have some readers who might be on the hunt for the best "green" diaper.

 [a little about Bambo Nature]

-25 years of certified safe and eco friendly

-no animal testing

-free of gluten and all harmful chemicals

-maximum absorbency

-ultra soft

-no allergens, no perfumes 

-and so much more!

We've put these diapers to the test for about two weeks, well N did most of the testing! ;)  These diapers feel just as soft to the touch as our Pampers and they have a cute tiger design on the front. They stayed put even on my busy, always on the go little one and we never once had a leak or blow out!  Lastly, there was absolutely no skin irritation or diaper rash.

I would say that these diapers are very comparable to my trusty Pampers and would highly recommend them to anyone looking to go the more eco friendly and clean diaper route!

You can find Bambo Nature here or on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.  You can also purchase the diapers on Amazon! [nb/size 1, size2, size 3, size 4]

Do you have any favorite green or eco friendly baby products that you use and love?  I'd love to hear about them!

must have monday

I recently started 'Must Have Monday' on my blog because I simply love to share my favorites but I also love hearing what your favorite things are!  I'm so excited to start collaborating with other bloggers in this series where they will share a favorite of theirs as well.  If you're interested in joining me just send me an email (link in sidebar) or you're welcome to direct message me on Instagram.

My first guest is Lindsay from Middle of Somewhere and we are both sharing our favorite beauty products, probably my favorite category!  Lindsay is a soon to be new mama and as much as I want to tell her how much more amazing her life is about to be, as a mama myself I know that no one can exactly explain the feeling of meeting your baby for the first time.  Lindsay, I'm so excited for you! 

You can read Lindsay's Must Have post here and also find her on Instagram & Pinterest.

...

This week I chose a beauty product, the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette.  For those that know this palette you know it's pricey and for those that know me know that I prefer drugstore prices.  With all of the youtube videos I watch I kept seeing and hearing about this product over and over and over again that I just had to go into the store and see what it was all about AND I was instantly hooked!  All of the things they said about it, "it blurs all imperfections", "it gives a beautiful subtle glow", "it's like a highlighter and setting powder in one"... well, it does ALL of that AND more! 

After I apply my concealer, I apply the lightest shade (middle) under my eyes to set as well as on top of my eyelids.  I then apply the far left shade all over my face and then the far right shade as a bronzer.  I absolutely LOVE the way this makes my skin look with a subtle glow but absolutely no glitter!  The downside?  This product comes with a fifty eight dollar price tag but I will honestly say it's worth every penny & I will repurchase this over and over because I can't imagine doing my makeup without it.

Be sure to check out Lindsay's favorite(s) and we would LOVE to know what your beauty Must Haves are!

mother's day 2015

Our morning started out with my husband going to urgent care after four days of not feeling so well and four days of me telling him he should probably go to the doctor.. fourth times a charm?!  What is the deal with men and doctors?? ;)  Anyways, his diagnosis was a double ear infection as well as a sinus infection and he was a couple of days away from pneumonia.. yikes!  Needless to say he didn't get to spend the day with us which was a bummer but I'd rather him get rest and get well than feel like poo especially since we are leaving town in a week.

I got the cutest card from N that "she" colored all over as well as this Alex & Ani "mom" bracelet.  I started collecting these about a year ago, I just love how simple and dainty they are.  Also, the jingle sound is the best jingle sound ever!  I know that sounds weird but it's so subtle it's almost relaxing..

I also got the sweetest card filled with many words of appreciation from my husband, what more could a mama want?!  It was probably the sweetest card I've received from him and definitely brought me to tears.

N and I spent the day at my parents house with family which is always a great time.  I'm pretty sure N loves her Mia & Chief way more than me and I know they love her way more than me... but I'm totally okay with it!

I know people say it all the time about their own Mom, but I'm seriously beyond blessed to have mine!  I cannot imagine life without her... actually I can and it sounds terrible!  She does so much for me and I love her so very much.  I feel even more blessed that I can say all of those things about my Dad too!

Did you have any grand plans for Mother's Day or was your's laid back like mine?  Either way, I hope you all had the best day because all of you mama's deserve to be celebrated!