These Are a Few of My Favorite Things!

Got that song stuck in your head now?

You're welcome.

I thought I'd do a light-hearted, end-of-the-week post and share some things I'm loving these days!  So, here are some Favorites on Friday:

*I know I've mentioned this before, but I am so obsessed with the Ugg Slippers my sister-in-law (Hi Beth!) got me for Christmas.  I got them in the sand color, and I wear them pretty much every second I'm at home.

*One word:  Ebates.  Do you ever shop online?  If so, do you use Ebates?  If not, you're CRAZY.  Anytime you shop online, if you go to Ebates first, and click on whatever website you're wanting to shop from, you will make money.  Seriously, it's that easy.  I've gotten many, many checks in the mail from Ebates so I can assure you it's legit.  And there are no strings attached.  So it totally helps me justify my online shopping addiction.

*These Vitamin D drops for babies!!  Because E is breastfed, we have to give him supplemental Vitamin D.  We assumed he'd do just fine with D-Vi-Sol, because CK loved it!  But he kept gagging and literally throwing it up.  So our pediatrician recommended the Carlson D drops, which are awesome.  It has a lot less added sugar and junk in it, and you literally drop one droplet onto your finger and let the baby suck it off.  The little jar contains a year's worth of drops, too.  So great!

*Frozen Reese hearts.  Pregnancy weight shmegnancy weight.  Put a Reese's heart (or tree or egg or whatever seasonal shape you can find) into the freezer, and pair it with a glass of red wine, and it's pretty much like heaven.

*Zulu Running Socks.  I bought these when I trained for and ran a half marathon a few years ago, and love them.  They never rub you or cause blisters and have the perfect amount of cushion.

*The miracle blanket.  CK never liked to be swaddled, but E loves it.  This blanket was a game-changer for helping him sleep, and as soon as I start wrapping him up in it, you can tell he just settles in and gets in sleep-mode.  Unfortunately, after using it day and night for four months, my big, butterball of a boy has just about outgrown it now and is too strong to stay swaddled.  But if you are pregnant or a mama to a new baby, I strongly recommend the miracle blanket!

*About 7:45pm.  Yep, that's my favorite time of day right now.  It's when I'm in E's room, nursing him one last time for the day and it's completely quiet, with one lamp lit.  It's like the whole world stands still.  It's always when I talked to God and thank him for my healthy babies, and also when I wonder how I ever got so lucky to be a mama, to be their mama.  Most of the time I don't let E nurse to sleep, because we always want to put him down awake.  But sometimes... sometimes I let him fade into his dreams, and I sit there and sip wine and peruse Instagram and stare at my little miracle.

*Cappuccino K-cups.  I have a Keurig like most of the world, and recently got some free samples of cappuccino k-cups.  Why have I never had these?!  They are soooo delicious!

*My Rodan + Fields Amp Needle Roller.  Y'all... I know I work for the company, so this sounds like a shameless plug.  But I recently got this tool for myself, and I am obsessed.  It's been all over magazines and Ellen and The Today Show, and our advertising budget is $0.  Which means we don't pay people to highlight our products... so if you see them, it means it's an actual positive review and the company wasn't paid to feature our stuff.  Anyway, this little tool takes 60 seconds to use, and literally erases fine lines and wrinkles... AND stretch marks!!!  I didn't get any stretch marks with CK, but my big ol' boy gave me a few lovely little lines on my tummy.  And while I'm proud of them and what they represent, I'm happy to bid them adieu!

*The Timehop App.  I LOVE when I get to pull up this app each day and see what I was up to one, two, three, four years ago.  It makes me so nostalgic!

*The Skimm.  I saw this advertised on Facebook one day, and decided to give it a try.  It's awesome!  I always want to know what's going on in the world, and often feel so ignorant when I hear people having conversations about current events.  But I rarely catch more than five minutes of the news, and who has time to read a newspaper?  Enter The Skimm.  You get an email in the morning, Monday-Friday.  The email is like the Cliff's notes version of what's going on around the world and in the news, and it's in layman's terms (and is often funny!).  I love it and feel like now I have a much better grasp of what is actually going on outside of the little town of Carrollton, Georgia.

*The Ergo!!  CK never liked to be worn in any sort of carrier.  Having two kids makes baby-wearing a MUST, especially when we run errands of any sort.  Last week I grocery-shopped while CK was at preschool, so it was just me and E, which basically felt like a vacation.  I sipped Starbucks, wore E in the Ergo while he snoozed, and bought groceries in peace!

*I know I've blogged about this before, but it was a long time ago.  Have y'all heard of Thred Up?  It's a website where you send clothes you don't want anymore (and you can send kids' clothes, too) and you get paid for them!  They send you a bag, you fill it up, send it back (NO CHARGE for the bag or shipping!) and then they inventory your clothes and pay you for them.  I just sent my third bag of clothes in and can't wait to get my check!

*This and This.  We all know I'm pretty much allergic to cooking, so it took years for me to even consider buying anything from Pampered Chef.  However, I'm now realizing that their stuff really does making life in the kitchen so much easier, especially if you pretty much only make tacos and spaghetti, like me.  The food chopper will dice up food in like a second... I never have to dice things by hand anymore.  And the salad choppers?  Obsessed.  They will shred any and everything, which will be especially helpful when E starts to eat food and I want to make bite-sized pieces for him.

*Cameron Kate.  Yes, despite my jokes about her being a threenager and wanting to sell her on Ebay, I still cannot get enough of her.  Because as trying and exhausting and HARD as it is to mother a strong-willed, emotionally-driven, stubborn three-year-old, she is equally adorable and loving and hilarious.  And don't even get me started about how amazing she is as a big sister.  And no matter how frustrating she can be, right when I'm about to lose it, she'll completely make me burst into laughter... or completely melt my heart.  Like the other day, when, out of nowhere, she came up and gave me the biggest hug and kiss and said, "Mommy... I just want to say, thank you for having a baby for us."  <3

*And, of course, my FOUR-MONTH-OLD Everette!  How has it already been 4 months?  I've said it before and I'll say it again, he truly is such a joy.  My smiley, happy, chatty, drooling, giggly miracle of a butterball.  It's been such a great month for our E, who continues to grow and thrive and make us so proud.  He loves to hear his own voice, and I can already tell he's going to have such a sweet nature and a silly personality.  His giggles just about make my heart explode.  He loves staring at ceiling fans and "talking" to them, and is getting really good at using his hands, grabbing toys, and putting any and everything in his mouth.  He loves to suck two fingers on his right hand!  His little neck is so strong, and while he still doesn't love tummy time, he's a pro at lying there and holding his head up.  And he loves looking at himself in the mirror!  Such a ham.  He's been trying to imitate us blowing raspberries, which is adorable.  We've started putting him in his Bumbo, exersaucer, and jumper, and I think he loves having new places to sit and explore.  He is still in awe of his big sister, and will not stop staring at her when she is in his gaze.  T, CK, and I are all pretty much obsessed with our sweet E, and we thank God everyday for choosing us to be his. 

TGIF, and have a great weekend!!