Nothing gets me in the mood for Valentine’s quite like a new heart sweater or adding some red suede pumps into my wardrobe!
I’m linking some of my favorites and will continue to add to the list as I find new pieces! Plus if you have any suggestions for options I should add to the mix, please send them my way. Hope you’re feeling the love too! 🙂
XOXO,
Keli
As a mother of two (a toddler and a 5 month old!) I’m always on the hunt for the latest and greatest baby gear. Here are some of my favorite finds — with exclusive discounts just for you!
This is the first baby-wearing shirt designed exclusively for dads — who are often left out of the baby gear world! This shirt allows dad to wear the baby — no straps, wraps, or hooks needed! It’s SO simple: just put on the shirt, place the baby inside, and you can wear the baby hands-free while getting that important bonding time.
Brandon loves to wear our baby in this shirt on morning walks to the coffee shop or hanging out at home. This makes a great baby shower gift or the perfect stocking stuffer for a Dad-To-Be. Don’t miss the mom version of this shirt too — you’ll be glad to have your hands back once they’re snug in the pouch!
BUY HERE – $75
This high-tech changing pad is more than meets the eye — it’s also a scale that can help new parents keep up with their baby’s measurements and feedings in a whole new way.
During those diaper changes you can keep track of the child’s wet and dirty diapers. This is important especially in those first several weeks when the baby’s doctor will ask you at the appointment how many diapers they’re having, #1 and #2. You can also keep notes in the app about any concerns, like diaper rashes etc.
One of the wonderful features about this changing pad is it allows breast-feeding moms to keep an eye on how many ounces the baby is actually drinking. Since this changing pad is also a SCALE, you just lay the baby down before breastfeeding and it records the baby’s weight. You lay him down again after the feeding, and it will record the new weight. The scale is so precise that it measures down to the ounce, so you can know how many ounces your baby just consumed.
The app is especially handy if you have multiple people caring for your baby, because your caregivers can each log feedings, weight, measurements, sleeping, and a variety of other important categories and the app syncs across multiple devices.
The downside to the Grow’s design is that you have to use the app to log everything, so keep that in mind if you’re not a fan of using your cell phone.
Baby monitors and cameras are one of the hardest things to find. Between picture quality, signal, and function locating the best camera is a challenge — but the Nanit is incredible. It’s like a Fitbit for Baby Sleep!
This camera boasts HD resolution video that streams over Wi-Fi and you can view live video or replays from anywhere (not just inside your home) which makes it easy for parents that have to be away from home to watch your child from afar. The night vision is excellent too. We have *never* had a problem with the video not working or the images being fuzzy. We went through two different camera brands when Braeden was a baby — both were unreliable at best.
Not only is the video quality crisp and clear but this camera takes it a step further by actually ANALYZING your baby’s sleep and provides tips for you and the baby to help optimize their rest. If you’re worried about how your child’s night was (or you’re just curious) you can watch a video summary, and all of the analytics are included in the app. Nanit also emails you with a weekly sleep summary to learn even more about your child’s sleep patterns and how they stack up against others their age.
The camera can actually detect when the parent or the caregiver is at the crib and knows the difference between parent motion and baby motion. Nanit also sends a push alert to you each time there’s sound or motion detected on the crib, so you can keep an eye on them from anywhere.We have been very happy with the Nanit Original, but the company has just released an upgraded model called the Nanit Plus ($279) with a few additional features. Also worth noting — Nanit offers a 45 day money back guarantee if for any reason you don’t like it (but I already know you will!)
BUY HERE – $199 (get an extra $20 off through my link!)
Among the most agonizing purchases for new parents are the car seat and stroller — the Doona is BOTH in one small and very functional package. We love how EASY the Doona is to operate and how simple it is to maneuver through a restaurant, crowded area, or even the grocery store.
The stroller just folds into itself to become the car seat — you put it on the base just like you would any other car seat without disrupting the baby or moving it out of a stroller and into a carseat. When you take Doona out of your car, just squeeze the lever underneath and the stroller wheels drop down and you’re ready to go.
The Doona has traveled with us inside small restaurants — simply wheel it up to the table — and even to places like the Renaissance Festival! It’s functional, durable, and one of a kind. It’s definitely not a jogging stroller, but babies need to be much older and have head control before using those anyway.
The price is just under $500 — that’s about what you would pay if you bought a stroller and car seat separately. The Doona pays for itself with convenience!
BUY HERE – $499 (Doona does not do promos, sales, or coupons, but if you buy here you can at least earn cash back AND have hassle-free returns if needed!)
This is the mac-daddy of baby tech for 2018! At first glance it’s a gorgeous heirloom-quality bassinet with a sleek, modern design. But the SNOO has even better function — this smart bassinet is amazing and the first of its kind!) It’s a powerful sleeping tool developed by Dr. Harvey Karp that mimics the motion that comforted your baby while in the womb. It uses white noise and motion to calm your baby to sleep AND help them sleep longer. When your baby is ready to nap you simply put them in the swaddle (they call it the ‘5 second swaddle’ because it’s so easy), press the “on” button, and SNOO goes to work gently rocking the baby to sleep.
If the baby cries, the power and shushing sound increases. It continues to level up if the babies cries more, to help calm the baby back down. The app allows you to remotely stop and start SNOO from your cell phone & will alert you if your baby needs your attention. The SNOO helped us get our son back to sleep SO many times, and in turn, helped us get much-needed sleep too.
The SNOO is an investment piece, but also comes with a 30 day money-back guarantee so if it doesn’t work for you, just send it back. SNOO allows you to order the device months in advance and schedule the delivery date near the baby’s due date. Your 30 day trial period begins at that point.
BUY HERE — $1160 (*** $400 OFF with code “KELI400” Valid this week, 1/7 – 1/11 ***)
I hope that was helpful! As always, send me an email, a DM on Instagram, or comment below with any feedback!
XOXO,
Keli
I’m working swiftly to put this post up & will update it as I can throughout the day. THIS is my favorite New Year’s Day sale, where you can find an extra 50% off EVERYTHING that has already been marked down. I shop this one every single year!
Michael Kors Silver Metallic Booties (was $225 – now $67!!)
Red Glitter / Rosegold Glitter Clutch (was $60-now $20)
Black Long Sleeve Silk Bodysuit ($120 – now $32)
Black Suede Bow Mules ($180 – now $54)
Glittered Scalloped Mules (was $90 – now $26)
V-Neck Button Knit Top (was $70 – now $20)
LOTS of Trina Turk (70% off or more)
TONS of Men’s Items — Brandon loves Roundtree & York’s Big & Tall and Performance line (60%+ off — Some shirts are under $15!!)
If you’ve known me for more than a minute, you probably know I love wine. Of course I can remember my in college days buying huge jugs of Riesling and every color of Yellow Tail because I loved how the bottles could make a rainbow on my countertop (purely for aesthetic, not the content inside right?! LOL) Since then my palate has refined slightly, and I thoroughly enjoy a big glass of chardonnay at the end of a crazy, kid-filled day.
So when Courtney Hopeful of Hopeful Wine asked me to give Scout & Cellar a try, I jumped all in — who wouldn’t want to drink a bunch of wine in the name of giving a comprehensive, genuine review?!
WHAT IS SCOUT & CELLAR?
Scout & Cellar is a relatively new company focused on bringing “clean-crafted wine” to consumers. Independent consultants like Courtney create their own business under the Scout & Cellar umbrella to bring you wines that are different from the rest of the pack because they don’t contain added sugars, synthetic pesticides, additional pesticides, and low sulfites. In short, all the crap that leads to morning-after-wine headaches.
Scout & Cellar is always changing their offerings but has identified smaller-batch vineyards to help them keep an eye on what’s being produced to ensure a quality product. They use sustainable and/or biodynamic farming methods, and their wines are lab-tested.
MY EXPERIENCE
Courtney identified that I like buttery, oaky chardonnay so she tailored her selections to send me the best of the best. I love that big, bold taste (forgive me because as much as I love to drink it, I probably don’t use the correct descriptions!) of brands like Rombauer, La Crema, etc. Scout & Cellar’s wines feel much lighter — not watery, just *lighter*. I grew to actually love this, because I could enjoy the taste with each sip. I can only assume that this difference in the “feel” has something to do with the lack of additives.
I enjoyed all of the bottles I tried — and never once felt groggy the next day. One night I drank an entire bottle (in the name of blogging, duh!) and another night I tried a couple glasses from two different bottles. Each time I felt refreshed when I got up the next morning, and it was actually surprising to me how accustomed I’ve become to feeling a little head fog from drinking other wines. Who knew?! Field House was definitely my favorite, Eulen was a very close second, and Vinas Olvidadas was a great Sauvignon Blanc that’s an easy-drinking crowd-pleaser.
The only one I didn’t love was the Rose, which was a bummer because the cans are the cutest, most portable and giftable little set I’ve ever seen. It could just be that I don’t know my rose, so feel free to give it a try!
HOW TO BUY
If you’d like to try Scout & Cellar and feel the difference for yourself, Courtney can take care of you! Scout & Cellar wine is only available through its consultants, so you won’t find it at your local store (good news is you just place your order online and it arrives to your doorstep!) Find her on IG at @hopefulwine or her Scout & Cellar page here.
Cheers!!
Keli
I have a love/hate relationship with my lashes — I love when they’re big and bold, and I hate when they’re practically invisible. Before figuring out how to apply lash extensions (literally learned this year — another blog post soon to come on this!) I religiously used a an eyelash curler everyday, and was always in pursuit of the latest mascara from the drugstore or beauty counter to give me length, volume, and curl.
I heard about “Lash Lifts” over a year ago before I was pregnant with Brock, but didn’t take the time to go get one and then once I was pregnant I felt like I should wait. So when Cru Day Spa invited me in to give it a try, I didn’t hesitate for a minute!
Cru is located in Sugarland in an easily accessible shopping center with plenty of parking. I was greeted by friendly staff when I arrived, and shown to their waiting room while I sipped a mimosa and completed pre-treatment paperwork.
Once inside the treatment room, my technician KJ briefly explained the process, which has four main elements: Lifting Solution, Curling Solution, Tint, and then Moisturize. They all start to blend together, so you really won’t know a difference. I should have done a better job cleaning my lashes beforehand because I had lash glue stuck in a few spots (sorry, KJ!) but once she cleaned them up we were ready to start.
The process reminded me of getting lash extensions because you’re laying on a table with your eyes closed and feel a sensation of someone moving your lashes. I believe this was when she was essentially putting them on a silicone pad that was on my eyelid. It did not hurt and there was not a chemical odor — just a faint smell like perm solution. I was anticipating a stronger chemical smell because I have the nose of a bloodhound, but it didn’t bother me at all.
I think my eyes were closed in total for about 30-45 minutes. Had I not been trying to pay close attention to the process, I could have easily fallen asleep.
When we were finished, I was thrilled to see the results! You don’t realize how much potential your stick-straight lashes until trying a lash lift, because even if you’re a wiz with an eyelash curler, that curl only lasts so long. Coupled with the lash tint, your lashes look instantly bolder without the help of mascara (though that will definitely enhance your results even more!) and it definitely opens your eyes. I think this process is perfect for anyone who wants better looking lashes without the cost, upkeep, and side effects of lash extensions or the daily maintenance of strip lashes. Waking up with curled lashes really does make a difference!
The results should last somewhere between 4-8 weeks.
Cru is offering a special discount for my readers and followers and the deal is truly incredible: a lash lift and lash tint for $49!!
If you’d like to give it a try, sign up here: bit.ly/KeliLashLift ! I can’t wait to hear about your experience!
XOXO,
Keli