Save Your Winter Lips with Carmex!

This is a sponsored post in paid partnership with Carmex.  I have used the product for years and all opinions expressed are 100% my own.  Thank you for supporting my blog, my family, and the brands we love!

I have super chapped lips all year long, but they're at their absolute worst in the cold winter months.  I remember when I was little, my lips would get so chapped and I would lick them constantly.  The licking would only make them worse and soon enough I would have red chapped skin all around my mouth.  As an adult, I have been an avid Carmex user (because I certainly can no longer pull off the red chapped skin all around my mouth look!).  The original tube is my go to, I have them everywhere-my diaper bag, my purse, car, etc.  It's super smooth and cooling, it also provides a protective barrier to help promote healing.

A few weeks ago I had major flashbacks when Sloan woke up with red chapped skin all around her mouth.  Poor girl got her mamas chapped lips and she had licked them all night.  I immediately grabbed my Carmex and put it all over her mouth and the chapped skin around her mouth.  The next time we were at Target I let her pick out her own chapstick and she chose the Carmex comfort care sugar plum stick.  It's packed with natural ingredients and contains a blend of oatmeal and cold pressed antioxidant rich seed oils.  It cleared her chapped lips and skin up so quickly!  I've gotten her a couple tubes now to keep in her school backpack and bedroom.  P chose the Carmex daily care strawberry stick which smells really yummy and has SPF 15.  She obsessively puts it on and it ends up on about 75% of her face :).

If you suffer from cold sores (which can be especially bad during the cold winter months and the hot summer months), make sure to try Carmex Cold Sore Treatment.  The cold sore treatment helps minimize the appearance and promote healing of cold sores and fever blisters.  It treats the seven symptoms of cold sores: pain, itchiness, dryness, cracking, redness, scabbing, and irritation.

Out with the sparkly princess lip glosses, in with moisturizing products that actually heal and protect!   If you suffer from dry chapped clips, make sure you pick up some Carmex.  There are several types and flavors to choose from and it's great for the whole family.

There are also some coupons on their website!

Slow Snow Days

The ol' blog has been quiet since Briar was born four months ago.  I start countless posts and never get around to finishing them... A habit I am really hoping to kick.  It's one of my 2018 goals to bring my blog back to life!  I want to share about our favorite products and processes, our everyday life, and everything else in between.

Last weekend we got to spend the weekend with some of our favorite people, in one of our favorite places.  My best friend Lexi (who is also Sloan's Godmother) has a family cabin up on Mt. Hood and we will pretty much drop everything when we get an invite up!  Lexi and I have been friends since high school and her family has pretty much taken Eric and I in, we love them so much!  

I love going up to the cabin because the snow is so beautiful, but mostly because all we do is eat, drink, and spend time as a family.  There aren't floors to be mopped, lawns to be mowed, or laundry to be folded.  It's only about an hour away from our house, but it feels worlds away from our busy everyday life.  Plus anytime I get to spend time with Lexi and watch our babies play is kind of the best ever!

I know someday these are going to be the weekends I long to have back so I'm going to soak them in every time we get the chance!

Safe Sleep with The Halo Bassinest Swivel Sleeper Luxe Plus

Well somehow time has flashed before my eyes and our little guy is four months old!  Briar may be our third baby, but when it comes to babies and sleep there is always some mama anxiety.  You want to make sure they're comfortable, safe, and sleeping through the night.  Well I've figured out the first two... we're definitely still working on the sleeping through the night part ;).

Since we brought B home from the hospital, he has been sleeping in the HALO Bassinest swivel sleeper luxe plus next to our bed.  I love this bassinet guys!  It looks nice in our room, is super convenient for those nighttime feedings, and keeps our little man safe while he sleeps.

The HALO Bassinest swivel sleeper luxe plus swivels 360 degrees so you can bring baby close to your bed.  The base of the bassinet slides about halfway under your bed and you can adjust the height so that it comes right up to your bed.  The 360 degree swivel allows you to easily get in and out of bed.  The side wall easily lowers so you can pull baby close for nighttime feedings (also helpful when you're trying to gently place them back in the bassinet once they're back to sleep).

We went with the Luxe series because of the added features.  My favorite feature is the floor light.  It's just enough light so that I can see while I'm nursing, but not bright enough to really wake up Briar or disturb Eric while he's sleeping.  Other features include 2 levels of vibration, soothing sounds and lullabies, and a back to bed reminder that reminds you to put baby back to bed 30 minutes after you've started feeding.

We also used the Bassinest newborn insert.  It provides a narrower sleep surface so that baby feels more secure.  It's made with a breathable mesh fabric so that baby feels comfortable and secure, but also stays safe.

I cannot believe we'll soon be packing up our bassinet and moving Briar into his nursery.  Why do they have to grow so fast??  I so love having him close to me at night! I have really loved the HALO Bassinest swivel sleeper luxe plus, if you're looking for a great bassinet make sure to check it out!  I hope your baby loves it as much as Briar and I have.

Now a little trip down memory lane...

A Year in Review: 2017

Happy New Year friends!!

I decided it's about time I dust off the old blog!

With a new year ahead of me, I feel so excited and hopeful.  I can't wait to see what this year has in store for my family.  2017 was SUCH an eventful year for us.  We had some of our highest highs, but also some of our lowest lows.  If I'm being honest, I am really just looking forward to a less eventful, but still full and fun 2018!  I wanted to share a quick recap of our 2017, before my tired mama brain forgets things :).

We started out the year full of joy and hope and wonder because we found out we were pregnant with our third baby!  Along with that joy came A LOT of puking.  I was so so sick during my first trimester.  So basically the first few months of the year consisted of take out, way too much tv, and piles and piles and piles of laundry.

At the end of January we told Eric's mom that we were expecting.  She was so surprised and excited for us.  We all hugged and shed a few happy tears.  We had no idea it would be our last conversation with her.  Eric's mom got sick and after an agonizing week in the hospital she passed away.  She was only 57 and truly the best grandmother I could have ever imagined for my children.  I can't even write about it now without crying... it was just so unexpected and tragic.  We miss you everyday Carrie and find peace knowing you are our angel and always watching over our family.  We love you so much!!

Shortly after Carrie passed away, we announced that we were pregnant.  Our friends and families excitement truly lifted us up in a time of such deep sorrow.  The little baby in my belly was our light, a light that shined down on us and helped us move forward and heal.

We found out that third baby was a BOY!!!

We traveled up to Seattle to visit friends.

We went to California to visit family and celebrate Sloan's fourth birthday in Disneyland!

I went on my first ever girls trip to Palm Springs.  It was like my own personal babymoon :).

Phayre turned into a toddler overnight by becoming potty trained, moving into her big girl room (with a big girl bed!), and giving up her pacifier.

Eric worked hard to close up his moms estate, which was very emotional and time consuming.  As all of that came to a close, we finally completed Briar's nursery.

We spent the summer soaking our girls in.  We filled our weekends with so many fun adventures, tons of sleepovers in our bed, and weekly trips to our favorite ice cream shop.

We went up to Seattle again and ate our way through our favorite city.

Phayre turned two!  She requested a pizza and lemonade party and that's just what she got!

After weeks and weeks of painful contractions, I made it to my induction date.  Leaving the girls and checking in was one of the most emotional and exciting moments of my life.  It was finally baby day!!!

Briar Calloway Brown was brown on August 18, 2017 at 1:50pm.  Weighing in at seven pounds six ounces, measuring 20.5 inches long, and stealing our hearts forever.  My brother and his girlfriend walking our girls in to meet their new baby brother will be a memory etched in my mind forever.

We adjusted to life with three littles!  We spent days in bed cuddling, but also got out and made the most of Eric's paternity leave.  We took our new little guy up to the mountain, the zoo, the beach, and on lots of fun outings.

We were tired.  We were overwhelmed at times.  We fought.  We forgave.  We gave ourselves and each other grace.  Through such a big transition, we hung on to each other.

Eric and I celebrated eight years of marriage!

Eric got lasik and said it was one of the best decision he ever made... outside of marrying me obviously ;).

Sloan started her last year of preschool.

We went on our first vacation as a family of five to Palm Springs.  It was the most wonderful vacation ever.  So much fun in the sun and even a little bit relaxing (as relaxing as vacation with three kids can be!).

We celebrated Halloween and Phayre declared it her favorite holiday ever (which is true because she still talks about it constantly).

Briar was dedicated at our church.

We celebrated our first friendsgiving with best friends and decided its our new tradition!  We asked our friends Kev and Liz to be Briar's Godparents at Thanksgiving dinner.  They said yes and Liz and I cried :).

We had the absolute most magical holiday season of all time.  We wrapped gifts together, decorated cookies and gingerbread houses, went to zoo lights, walked around our neighborhood at night to look at Christmas lights, and so many other fun things.  Christmas was just magic this year with our three.  Pure magic.

Like I said, it was an eventful year!  There were times or sorrow and sadness, but we walk out of 2017 feeling overwhelmingly blessed.  We had a healthy baby boy and so many fun adventures!  I'm ready for you 2018, I am so excited to see where you take us!!  

I have a feeling it's going to be a good year!  Thanks for following along babes,

M