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Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Are you looking for a mother’s day gift for you or Mom? I’ve got you covered with fun ideas for the kitchen and beyond.

mother's day gifts she will love

What will you be doing this Mother’s Day? Getting outside? Finally seeing your mom? It’s been a crazy year, so I hope this guide helps you find something fun for yourself AND something for your mom.

Healthy Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

From the image above (some links are commissionable but at no cost to you):

Olive & June-this is the best non-toxic nail polish on the market. Mom will look like she’s been to the salon, but without the price tag or the chemicals. Check out the new spring collection.

Chappywraps– blue hydrangeas maybe your mom’s favorite flower. Grab her a cozy wrap while she spends time with friends outside this season.

Caraway Non-Stick Healthy  Cookware– if mom is still cooking with the pans she got at her wedding, it may be time for an upgrade. This set is gorgeous, super easy to clean, not too heavy, and has a safe mineral-based nonstick coating. (no chemicals here!)

Onitsuka Tiger Serrano Sneakers– could these sneakers be any cuter for spring?! Get walking outside with this fun wardrobe update.

 

Mother's Day Favorite Beverage Gifts

Favorite Mother’s Day Gift Beverage Ideas

Seedlip Non-Alcoholic Spirit: What to drink when you are not drinking. This is a great alcohol alternative when you want something more exciting than water, but not looking for a buzz. There are lots of varieties but the Garden is a favorite.

2020 Gallivant Rosé– this will be a new favorite. From McDowell Valley in California, it’s a light, crisp rosé. Perfect to pair with any meal, but especially delicious enjoyed outside in the sun.

Tiny Footprint Coffee– this one is organic, fair trade, and delicious. Pair it with a new mug and present it during breakfast in bed for a win.

bonus Ember Mug– this is on my wish list, hint hint. Skip the trip to Starbucks and make your own coffee and tea, and it will stay WARM!

For the Gardener

Tall Raised Bed Planter-this is the easiest garden bed! No more bending over. And no more bunnies eating your lettuce!

Floret Farms Cut Flower Garden book– so pretty and inspirational. Breaks down when to plant, how to plant, and more.

Fifth Start Gardening Tool Set– my garden tools tend to get swiped…I’m keeping my own set in my own bag! The kneepad gets a ton of use while planting and weeding.

Kitchen Garden Revival-this book is inspiring our new garden layout coming this spring. Stay tuned for more updates. Grab your copy and start planning your kitchen garden, big or small.

 

What’s your favorite thing on the list? Come share in our Facebook group for other like-minded healthy women! Happy Mother’s Day.

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Are Video Baby Monitors Worth the Money?

This post is brought to you by VTech and The Motherhood celebrating the newest VTech Video Baby Monitor. All opinions are my own. 

Are baby video monitors worth the money?

I still remember the day we registered for baby gear while expecting our first child. It was overwhelming with all of the choices and baby gear I need. I tried to be mindful of not registering for everything, but it was hard. When it came to baby monitors, I had to decide whether to register for a standard one or a video one. Are they worth the extra money? This was over six years ago and I wish I had decided then to register for the video one.

Here’s why. Having a video monitors gives you peace of mind when the babies are infants all the way through even kindergarten and beyond. Today we own two video monitors and excited to test out the new VTech Safe & Sound monitor this month.

3 Favorite reasons why video baby monitors are great for Babies

  1. Turn the volume up really loud so you can hear them breathing. If you haven’t had a baby yet, you will be amazed how often you listen to make sure they are breathing. Stressful, but better if you can do it from another room and not risk waking a sleeping baby.
  2. Really see if a baby is truly awake, or just a little restless. It’s easier to wait it out if you can see the baby on-screen to better judge if you need to go into the room.
  3. They are just so sweet, and quiet, sleeping who wouldn’t want to peek in on them.

3 Favorite reasons why video baby monitors are great for Playrooms

  1. You get to hear what really happened amongst siblings.
  2. Kids get a little independent play time, while still being supervised.
  3. I can cook dinner upstairs while I watch the kids play safely in their playroom together.

The VTech’s Safe&Sound® Pan & Tilt Full Color Video Baby Monitor has been fun to test out. It has 3 of my must have’s in a baby monitor: a wide scanning area, temperature, and intercom. There are lots of other bells and whistles, but those three are key. It’s so easy to use my preschooler can talk on the intercom and change the direction of the camera. (Set up was done in under 5 minutes too!) For families with multiple children, or needing a camera in a playroom, additional cameras can be added to the same parent monitor. Our neighbor has this set-up for her girls and it’s great to find a monitor that can automatically cycle between different cameras.

Video Baby Monitor at home in the kitchen

I recently read Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting (now with Bébé Day by Day: 100 Keys to French Parenting). They spoke of “the pause” that french mothers took before immediately rushing in to a fussing baby. A video monitor helps you in that transition of letting a baby start to self soothe himself back to sleep. We had a video monitor for the first time with Connor from the time he was born. It has been great to hear him start to wake up, but hold off going in until I saw him wiggling around. As a toddler, it’s even more helpful as I can tell him “I’ll be right up” to keep him calm as he waits for me. Being the third child, he has been forced to wait for me at times. (most times.) Turns out he is the best sleeper in the house. I do think giving him the time to sometimes go back to sleep mid-nap has been valuable and I would be less apt to wait if I didn’t have the video monitor to gauge his needs.

Twitter Party Time!

What: Whether you’re enjoying your infant’s sweet little smiles or admiring your toddler’s growing independence, we know you never want to miss a moment with your children. Thankfully, VTech’s Safe&Sound® Pan & Tilt Full Color Video Baby Monitor has you covered. With features like remote pan, tilt and zoom to scan your child’s room, automatic night vision and digital transmission that’s private and secure, you can be sure you know exactly what’s happening with your little one during naptime or playtime! Join me for a Twitter party to learn more about this amazing product and to chat about general baby and child safety tips! 

When: Wednesday, February 18 at 1 p.m. ET

Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #VTechBaby hashtag to track the conversation. You can see the details and RSVP via this Vite: http://vite.io/themotherhood 

Hashtag: #VTechBaby

Prizes: During the party, we will be giving away five nursery safety baskets featuring VTech Safe&Sound® Pan & Tilt Full Color Video Baby Monitors to randomly selected participants who answer the trivia questions correctly. Prizes limited to U.S. participants only. 

Hosts: @TheMotherhood, @TMChatHost, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann

Tell me what you think? Are video baby monitors worth the higher cost? Do you wish you had them when your kids were little?

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Save Face this Spring with Beauty Tips for Allergy Sufferers (courtesy of ZYRTEC®)

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of ZYRTEC®.

5 beauty tips for dealing with seasonal allergies

Every spring it starts with a sniffle. Then itchy eyes. Once the itchy ears start, I know it’s officially allergy season. I’ve suffered from them since I was a teenager, and sadly they haven’t disappeared. Over the years, I’ve learned to plan ahead and pick up my ZYRTEC® so I avoid the puffy eyes and red nose look of ALLERGY FACE®. Somehow there are still times when I’ve forgotten to take it and pay the price with never-ending sneezing. As a busy mom, I don’t get a day off to recover from a tough allergies. At least ZYRTEC® starts working in an hour!

So what do you do if you end up with ALLERGY FACE® and you have a big event to go to, like a graduation or a wedding? Or just heading to the school pick up line? Here’s the plan from Jamie Greenberg, a celebrity makeup artist, who has created six makeup “looks” perfect for allergy sufferers trying to look their best. 

barest beauty makeup look

5 Tips to Help Allergy Sufferers Look their Best

  1. Clean your makeup brushes. Soak them in some castille soap and water for about 20 minutes and let them dry thoroughly.
  2. The 1-2-3 rule: keep blush no more than one year, mascara for about two months and check your lipstick for discoloration every three months.
  3. To compensate for irritated eyes, look for a concealer two shades darker than your skin tone. Be sure to pat on the concealer with your index finger or brush.
  4. Color correct redness by dabbing on a green-tinted concealer. The green tint can help combat redness. Lightly apply a skin-colored concealer over the green and any other uneven areas.
  5. Drink lots of water! Hydration is key to improving the look of your skin.
1-2-3 Beauty Rule

Pin this for later when you can’t remember the rule!

 

I had no idea that green tinted makeup could help alleviate some of the redness on my face.  Physicians Formula has a green-tinted concealer that has an EWG rating of a 2.

Also, a good moisturizer is also helpful when the skin around your nose gets a little chapped. I swear by Aquaphor for when anyone’s nose is in need of a little TLC during allergy or cold season.

 What do you do to save face during allergy season?

 

 

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of ZYRTEC®.
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Finding Time to Exercise Post Baby

In the four months since I’ve had my third baby, I’ve realized that making time to exercise is rather challenging. There is just more of everything else to do…laundry, cooking, cleaning, playing with another little being, and the list goes on. I’ve also realized that when I am able to sneak in some exercise, I feel a lot better throughout the rest of the day. So here I am trying to pull together some tips and reminders for myself on how I can create some time to exercise with the kids.

make time to exercise with the kids

One of the reasons I am paying more attention to my workout schedule is because I partnered with PlanetShoes on their Fit For Fall campaign. They sent me a pair of new sneakers (long over due!) and they are just adorable. Having cute sneakers is one of those silly things that just makes me happy when I get to go to the gym.

The first time I got up early to go for a run on the beach this summer, Madison came screaming out of the house after me wanting to join me. It was cold and bitter that day, but she came along and we “ran” the beach. I realized that carving out time for Mom to escape for a run isn’t going to happen anytime soon. Turns out there is a lot I can get done at the playground, even while wearing the baby.

I’ve been doing some of the exercises in this article, written by Parents magazine. It’s a full body workout using playground equipment. The slide lunge is a great one!

stroller workouts

Recently I discovered my love for stroller walks again. I did  it all the time when I had just one baby, but it got more complicated when I had two. It’s just as complicated now with three, but I can bring a double stroller and let Madison ride her bike now. It may not be super fast, but it’s a great way to get us all outside and moving our bodies.

There is still time for you to create a workout plan for the fall. Plus, share some of your goals on the Get Fit for Fall site and you could win your own pair of new shoes! Share your progress with friends and get new workout ideas from other community members. 

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