product review - merino kids

i always say that i'm going to be a better blogger, and i just keep being terrible.  isla has had a lot of trouble sleeping lately, and we are just very tired.  this post has been sort of a long time coming, as i've started it about 100 times, but i can definitely say that we have now been using this product since october, so i have plenty to say about it! 

i was asked to review the merino kids sleep sack last summer shortly after i had isla.  of course, she was very tiny, and it was very summery, so i wanted to wait until she was a little bigger and i was a little more comfortable.  she was also doing well with being swaddled, and i wanted to see how long that would last.  well, right around the time we moved into our new house (late october), she was done with the swaddle and we were ready to move on. we started using it as soon as she was done with the swaddle and the nights started getting colder!

about the merino kids sleep sack:

• it's made from superfine merino which means it's natural, itch-free and allergy safe.  
• it's fire-resistant without the chemicals that are in jammies
• grows with your child for up to two years (maybe longer if they're little like mine)
• regulates body temperature- insulates child when the air is cool and releases excess body heat when the temperature rises.  your baby stays warm and dry and won't overheat!
• machine washable!
• easy to get baby in and out
• has a belt aperture which enables the child to wear the sleep sack in a stroller or car seat!

my first impression of the merino kids sleep sack was that it was gigantic!  i think i could probably put ian inside of it comfortably (although i have not tried).  i was initially worried about putting isla in the sleep sack with it being so big, but it fit her perfectly (she was probably around 8-10 lbs at the time) and i knew that there was no way it could move up around her face.  the merino kids sleep sack snaps at one shoulder and then has snaps underneath each arm to make it tighter for smaller babies.  now that she is mobile, she can move easily in it, although she hasn't figured out how to stand in it yet (which is good for us).

since it has been very cold here (many nights in single digits and below zero this winter) and the windows in the house aren't the best, isla's room has stayed chilly despite our insulating efforts.  when she wakes up in the morning (or the middle of the night for that matter) she has been comfortably warm without feeling overheated.  she has a few pairs of jammies that are footless, and dave has put her in the merino kids sleep sack and she has had warm feet upon unzipping (warmer than mine are in socks)!

another benefit of merino is that it blocks odor.  this can be a good or bad thing.  we have another sleep sack that we use when this one is being washed (since we air dry it) and whenever she wakes up wearing it, i can always smell her diapers- not with this sleep sack- it is odor free!  it's also very easy to wash- i use a wool safe detergent and wash it on our handwash cycle and then lay it flat to dry.

the price of the merino kids sleep sack is $99.99- i know, you may be freaking out seeing that.  don't- this sleep sack is well-worth the price.  remember the other sleep sack that i use when this one is being washed (it's also the sleep sack we used with ian)?  that sleep sack is a size small and only covers the 10-16 pound range.  now isla is 8 months old and still within that range- so it wouldn't matter to us- but i know people who have babies that are almost out of that pound range at 2-3 months of age!  with one sleep sack that costs $20-$25 only lasting 2-3 months, you would need to buy one in every size s-xl just to get your child to their 2nd birthday.  with merino kids- 1 sleep sack has you covered from birth to 2 years, and maybe even longer based on your child's size!  they also have the toddler size sleep sack that goes from 2-4 years!

i also previously mentioned my worries about isla wearing the sleep sack during the summer- well, the merino kids sleep sack is perfect for baby to wear year-round because of its ability to regulate temperature.  in the summer, baby can just sleep in a onesie or even just a diaper and stay the perfect temperature.  it's perfect because the need for blankets is eliminated- no need to worry about whether or not your baby has pulled his or her blankie over their face!

one final thing i want to rave about is that the merino kids sleep sack is not made of fleece like some of the others.  i don't know why parents think fleece is such a wonderful thing, but it isn't!  not only can fleece be treated with chemicals to make it flame retardant, but it is also very warm- too warm!  once in a hurry, i took ian to the pediatrician in his jammies- a fleece blanket sleeper.  while there, the pediatrician informed me that wearing something like that, even in the dead of winter was a risk for overheating.  the other sleep sacks aren't quite as thick as blanket sleepers, but it's still fleece that's most likely being worn over jammies.  the one that we use as a substitute is not fleece, but a cotton/minky fabric.  i also mentioned earlier that the merino wool is itch-free and allergy safe- something that probably would've been a Godsend for ian's eczema as a baby!

overall, this sleep sack has been absolutely wonderful for us, a little cumbersome at her small size because of the extra material, but i know that it is only because there is so much extra room to grow into.  i see us using this for a couple years into the future and maybe longer if another baby ever comes along.

if you've managed to read through my really really long review, now you can see some really adorable pictures of the sleep sack in action on a super-cute baby!

 ready for bed!

 flipped over!

 wearing our merino kids to Disney on Ice!  staying very warm!

 one of my favorite features- you can buckle your child into their car seat/stroller/swing wearing the sleep sack.  this is going to be perfect for road trips!  someone was ready to get out of their car seat though and not happy!  

testing the sleep sack out in the swing!

*Disclaimer:  I received this item free of charge in exchange for reviewing the product.  All opinions expressed in this blog are mine and mine alone.

mama style - 3.1 phillip lim for target

i wanted to start doing some "mama style" posts- posts that will show you that becoming a mom doesn't mean you get to just wear yoga pants and a tshirt forever.  i won't front- i do wear yoga pants and a tshirt- at home.  moms- get cute, and get out of yo house! 

so, like most people in the world- i love designer collaborations.  the chance to own designer goods for a minimal amount of money is something that i think anyone can get behind.  i believe target started it all with their go international collection- which i owned a few pieces from long ago, but now they're everywhere it seems.

everyone on the interwebs seemed to be freaking out over the 3.1 phillip lim collection- me, not being able to pass up a good bargain went down to check it out.  let's say i no longer share that enthusiasm.  maybe it's because i just had a baby, and i've still got a little bit of baby weight.  maybe it's because i'm short- and i can't afford to carry extra weight.  i don't know- but i'm beginning to think these collections are made for skinny people only.  this one was certainly a punch in the proverbial crotch of my self-esteem.  i don't know what it is, but the sizing is ALL OVER THE PLACE for these collections- at least on me.  i tried on nearly everything my store had - my thoughts follow!

3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Sparkle Sweater...

Price: 39.99

3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Silky Skirt -Animal Print

Price: 29.99

thoughts:  the sweater was super-thick and would be perfect for winters up here, but i felt like it just hung on me and made me look dumpy.  plus, you can tell the sleeves have extra length on my arms, but i wish the sweater itself had more length.  maybe the sleeves are supposed to be scrunched up though?  this sweater was a medium and i felt fit me just fine.  the skirt- i really liked, although i don't wear a lot of skirts b\c i never know how to style them and i don't like how they sit on my waist- i would go back and buy this skirt on clearance.  i needed a 14 in this skirt (yes) which is 2-3 sizes bigger than the jeans i am currently wearing.  i like the skirt though, so i wouldn't let the number sway my decision.  i really wanted to try on the leopard print dress- but they didn't have it in the store on opening day- however, they did have it when i went to target yesterday, but i didn't get the chance to try it!

3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Sparkle Tank -Grey

Price: 24.99

 thoughts:  this tank was probably my favorite thing that i tried on, but i'm not paying $25 for one.  i'd definitely pick this up on clearance though! a medium worked for me in this style

3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Sparkle Dress - Blue

Price: 49.99

 thoughts:  this dress obviously didn't work for me.  on the left is a large, which hung on me like a potato sack.  on the right a medium- which was snug all over.  oh well.  a definite no.

3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Sweater Dress

Price: 44.99

thoughts:  this is the worst picture of me of all time to go on the interwebs.  the dress on me screamed "hey everyone, i just had a baby..."  ugh.  this was a medium.

3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Pullover -Navy/Emerald

Price: 34.99

thoughts:  i really liked this top, but i tried on a medium and a large and couldn't lift my arms up.  if anyone knows what that means- tell me, b\c even in my pre-baby days when i was much smaller i had the same issue with tops/jackets.  target had an xl when i was there yesterday, i might try that b\c this was my favorite thing from the look book. 

3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Silky Skirt -Navy

Price: 29.99

thoughts:  this fit well.  was the same as the animal print skirt. 

thoughts:  cute floral shirt dress, but i tried a large AND an xl and couldn't lift my arms up over my head- seriously.  wtf.  i don't have broad shoulders... what is up?

so overall, this collection was unfortunately a bust for me.  did you give it a try?  buy anything?  maybe i'll have better luck next time- and by next time i mean- today!  catherine malandrino for kohls!

reviews: nuvia cafe instant coffee

i am a fair weather coffee fan.  i will drink it daily for weeks straight and then hardly touch it for months.  this drives dave crazy.  he hates coming home from work and seeing coffee still sitting in the pot, or even worse: half a cup of coffee or more in a mug.  the only time i will drink coffee it seems is when i buy it (probably something about paying for it) & if we're at a dinner or something.  instant coffee is more up my alley- but the taste leaves a lot to be desired.  with that being said- i was a little skeptical about nuvia cafe when i found out it was instant coffee- that's how i used to drink my coffee when i lived in my apartment without a coffee maker.  it. was. awful.  however- nuvia cafe doesn't taste like instant coffee- and it actually tastes better than the coffee we've been brewing at home (sorry dear)!  i was pleasantly surprised!  dave & i are both fans of strong-flavored coffee- and nuvia has a delicious bold taste- just the way i like it.

made up of only 4 ingredients: sumatran arabica coffee that is infused with african mango seed, pomegranate &  ganoderma (all certified 100% organic).  so you're probably wondering what those ingredients are, especially since nuvia cafe says they're instant healthy coffee.  ganoderma is an ancient asian mushroom that's been used in traditional chinese medicine.  the ganoderma mushroom is thought to have many healing benefits- immunity booster, anti-tumor effects, blood pressure lowering.  nuvia cafe also is a premium appetite suppressant & supports healthy energy.  i can't really speak for the appetite suppressant- since i work out during the day, i find myself pretty hungry throughout, but i do feel like it gives me good energy without an afternoon crash- and I can still sleep at night without feeling wired!

i'm sold on the taste of nuvia cafe alone, but add in these health benefits, and i'm hooked.  i'll definitely be carrying some nuvia cafe with me when i go back to work next week! 

nuvia cafe can be ordered online, ships the next day and comes with a 30 day money back guarantee!  also be sure to check them on out on twitter or facebook! 

I received a sample of the above product to try for free and keep in exchange for a review.  I received no further compensation.  All opinions are honest & my own.

moving... it's so emotional

so, i've been very absent lately...  duh.  as i've mentioned before- we're moving.  in 10 short days we will be moving for the 3rd time in the almost 3 years that we have lived here.  now we're not moving far.... just a mere 15 miles, but it almost seems like a world away... 

here's the map.  feel free not to stalk me... 

dave will be closer to work, which is good for him... however, i will be farther away from both of my jobs.  i've been debating whether or not to put in a transfer to go to a store closer to me, but i already don't like my job enough as it is...  i'd hate starting over somewhere else, although there are 2 other stores within 4 miles of my home. 

work aside...  that has nothing to do with the emotions of moving.  we've been up here for almost 3 years, and there are still emotions from leaving atlanta to come here.  leaving the house we bought together, the house we came home to after our wedding.  the house that we made our home.  we were only there 18 months before we made the move to come up here.  we spent some time living with dave's parents before we moved into this house 2 years ago. 

when we moved in here i was almost 3 months from giving birth to ian.  it was the house we chose to live in as a new family.  this is where we painted his room, put together his crib, washed his itty bitty clothes.  it's where we chose his name, it's the room i would sneak into at night, long before he was born, and the room we still sneak into at night to check & see if he's still breathing to see how adorable he is when he sleeps.  this is the "home" that we brought him home to, where we saw his first smile, watched him crawl, where he took his first steps.  it's where we drank through a blizzard, and where my dad burned 40 lbs of ribs.  laughed until we cried, and cried until we laughed.  who knew there could be so many memories in one little place in such a short time. 

so again, we move.  and although we would have liked to have stayed- we asked to stay.  our rent is increasing, and the value is not.  we will move into another place, and it will be home for a while, but my question is this- when will our son, our family have a real place to call home.  one that isn't renewed by contract, one that we can fully make our own.  i have wiped the tears from my eyes walking into his room realizing that it won't be his room much longer... and that we still have to repaint!  but i realize this- maybe home for us isn't a physical place- at least not right now.  i guarantee it will come one day- where we own our own place again, the place that ian can say is "the house i grew up in."  just not right now.  for us...  home is wherever i’m with you.

so i remind myself that we haven't found our home, not just yet.  and these temporary places will have to do.  they may be where the memories happened, but i'm taking the memories with me.

i'll miss a few things about this place:  proximity to work.  proximity to everything (we're kinda moving to "the middle of nowhere"- not really, but compared to where we are now, yes).  giant closet in our room & in ian's room.  ian having his own bathroom in his room.  my garden.  no steps to get into the house.  attic space.  my lazy susan cabinet.  my shower curtain (again... really?!).  stairs... maybe.  finally being w\in 5 miles of chick fil a. 

what i won't miss:  lack of carpets.  having to vacuum/mop the white tile multiple times a day.  20 y/o heating system.  20 y/o washing machine.  all the mirrors.  vertical blinds.  garage door that doesn't open when the temp gets below 15.  my microwave.  my assy neighbors.  motorcycles racing down wise rd.  the skunks (oh, please don't tell me it smells like skunk in c-ville every night too).  white tile.  no carpet (it was worth saying again). 

so ready to make some new memories in our new place.  and can't wait to share it with you!!

oh baby, it's another baby?

no, sillies.  you must be effing crazy.  i am not having another baby right now, or anytime soon.  so, don't get your hopes up, and stop asking...

also, this isn't directed to anyone, or meant to insult anyone.  when people want to have babies is their business.  this is my disclaimer!

i did want to write on this because it seems a hot topic now- ian and all of his friends are nearing 1, and siblings are already on the way or in the works!  i on the other hand feel sometimes as if i am being looked at like i have 2 heads because i'm not in the process of making a sibling for my child...

my niece was born 3 weeks ago, and if you've been following my blog for quite some time, you'll remember that my other niece was also born the week of thanksgiving the previous year...  they are 1 year and 5 days apart.  and as much as this thrills some people to no end the thought of another cute cuddly baby in the house, all i can think about is my terrified sister-in-law who has a 1 year old that needs her, and she has a 3 week old that needs 100% of her attention.  she can't even pick up her 1 year old b\c she just had her 2nd c-section in as many years- and she lives 225 miles away from here, and her husband works all day, and their other daughter is in school.  she's tired, she's experiencing the baby blues, and she's trying to figure out this new baby, and she's trying to figure out nursing, and my niece doesn't get why mommy won't pick her up- and it's hard.  i know she'll figure it out, because she's awesome, but i think she would rather have spaced them out further.  and that's reason enough for me...

reasons for me to have another baby:
1.  they are cute and cuddly, and smell like babies, and tiny, and they have tiny cries, and clothes and yawns
2.  the actual experience of having a baby is awesome
3.  i love being pregnant, most people actually give a crap about you- plus it's fun to eat.
4.  my biological clock is ticking (i am under 35, so this does not apply to me)
5.  i have a lady condition that requires me to rapid fire babies (this does not apply to me- luckily b\c sadly i have many girlfriends with this issue- and it's just not fair)

reasons not to have another baby
1.  i would love to be pregnant again, but i must constantly remind myself that the experience of being pregnant is temporary
2.  babies grow up too fast- when i first had ian, i kept thinking about how he was going to grow so fast, and i wanted him to stay a baby forever.  yes, he has grown fast, and i wish he would stay a baby forever, but guess what, they all grow.
3.  i am not michelle duggar
4.  having a baby is a financial burden (yes, burden b\c you have no money- the baby itself is NOT a burden).  dave and i do not use credit cards (unless they say "ann taylor loft"...), so debt is not an option for us- however, after  not having credit card debt for 3 years, we have found ourselves having to use our 1 card b\c sometimes the money runs out before the month does, and another baby would be 2x the struggle.
5.  we are still paying for having ian after the insurance shenanigans
6.  i'm just enjoying ian.  i'm enjoying the hell out of him.  just.  him.


i had a friend who told me shortly after ian was born (she had just had her own baby as well) that if she never had another baby besides the one she had just had, that she would be content.  i thought she was crazy.  now, i can understand where she was coming from.  although i would love a little girl, i am perfectly content with ian- i even told dave that i would be happy if i didn't have another boy because i wanted ian to be our only boy- he's just that special.  first born babies are lucky:  they get mommy & daddy all to themselves- no sharing with siblings or competing for time.  i want ian to get as much one-on-one time before he has to share me with someone else.  i also don't want 2 babies in diapers, but that's another story.  so don't plan on me seeing yes or 2 pink lines or a plus sign or whatever your test reads for at least another year- or more.

and that's my take.

wean green cubes review

about wean green the company:  founded in canada in 2008 by melissa gunning, wean green is dedicated to providing parents with safe and environmental baby products that fit into every parent's diaper bag.
"we love researching environmentally friendly, modern, and unique baby products. we also love it when our diaper bags match our shoes! with this in mind, we created a company devoted to combining eco and chic in all of our products. our eco-chic designs make it possible for parents to choose environmental products without sacrificing style.  wean green grows with your baby, too. our wean cubes were designed with many secondary uses, including keeping cereal from spilling all over your purse!  our goal is to ensure that your eco-footprint does not grow faster than your baby's sweet little feet. the wean green team continues to design products that will meet the expectations of our weaners and their proud parents."  wean green means it when they say they are keeping their eco-footprint as small as your baby's feet:  their packaging is environmentally friendly and contains NO paper!  all of their invoicing and media kits are done electronically.

about wean green cubes:  wean green cubes are a safe way to store and transport food for your little one- they're bpa, pvc, phthalates and plasticizer free!  they are made from 100% recyclable glass that's durable enough for the dishwasher and to stand the heat of a microwave and the cold of the freezer (from my personal experience, don't accidentally send one flying off your kitchen counter onto your tile floor, b\c i'm pretty sure no glass can handle that).  wean cubes have smart clip lids that lock into place keeping air out of your food, and food out of your bag!

about my experience with wean green:  these cubes have changed our lives in the baby food department.  every night we were taking out our bowls, filling them with baby food, and covering them with plastic wrap that didnt' stick to the bowls.  heating food took forever... and traveling with the bowls, forget it.  we were using food storage containers that i'm sure weren't bpa free.  the wean green cubes eliminate all this mess.  we take the food straight from the freezer, pop 2 servings in the cubes and either go straight to the microwave or the refrigerator to thaw.  the cubes not only heat the food faster and more evenly- they also don't get hot!  i did manage to break one of my cubes by accidentally slinging it off the kitchen counter (there were tears involved), but that was more of a clumsy mommy thing.  they are also extremely easy to travel with- put the food in the cubes, clip the lid- and drop them into the diaper bag (they fit perfectly in the side bottle pockets.  no spills, no worries.  they clean easily and don't stain.  my husband raves about them EVERY TIME he uses them.  his words:  "these are totally awesome, i love them!"  i definitely wouldn't want to go back to life without them.  if you feed your baby, these are a MUST!

wean green cubes in action:

wean green cubes come in 4 delicious colors:  blueberry, raspberry, carrot & peas

up close and personal- tight fitting lids prevent spills and keep food fresh!

ian's food for the lunch & dinner- easy as can be!  (ian was eating plums & pumpkin for one meal, and mango & cauliflower for the other)

from the microwave, straight to the table!

interested in buying wean green cubes for your little weaner?  go to their website and during checkout enter the promo code "ohbaby"

disclaimer:  the opinions stated here are mine and mine only.  i was not compensated for this review, however, i did receive a sample of the product to try and review.