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Our Favorite Newborn Diapers

When we left the hospital with Georgie, we grabbed a handful of the Pampers Swaddlers diapers that were given to us during our stay. I had other diapers ready for us when we got home, but Sasha mentioned how much he loved the softness of the quilted liner and how snug the stretchy waistline felt in comparison to the ones we had used before. The material of the Pampers diapers truly felt like a blanket against her sweet newborn skin. When I got home, we ordered more Pampers Swaddlers – the Heart Quilts liner is two times softer than the every-day-of-the-year brand, and in having two different brands side-by-side to compare, I couldn’t agree more. Plus, the wetness indicator is helpful in knowing when it’s time to change Georgie’s diaper – although at this point, it still feels like that’s every 30 minutes of the day, ha!

I don’t mind changing her diaper all day, every day when it means I get to kiss her sweet belly and watch her smile back at me. I love every single day with our Georgie Girl.

Thank you to Pampers for sponsoring this post, and thank you to my readers for supporting the brands we really do love. As always, the opinions shared on Snapshots & My Thoughts are 100% honest.

Two Sweet & Simple Classroom Valentines from Minted

This post was written in collaboration with Minted! Thanks for supporting the brands we love.

For the past few years, Valentine’s Day has crept up on me, and I’ve always been running to the grocery store on February 13th to get classroom Valentine’s for the girls to hand out. Since I’ll have a newborn this year, I decided I would get ahead of the game and order something sweet, but simple, early and have them ready to go for the 14th. I found two designs that I thought matched the girls’ personalities at Minted, and ordered accompanying treats – heart lollipops for Isla’s class and Valentine’s rubber duckies for Emi’s. I stuck them in little clear bags, hole punched them and attached the cards with ribbon and voila, they were easy to assemble and inexpensive!

Unboxing our Fragrance Free Olay Whip

We clearly cannot contain our excited about the new launch of the Olay Whip moisturizer in a fragrance free option (see photographic evidence below). I received a box in the mail last week with a surprise in it – which included a fun balloon (the girls were so happy!) and Olay Regenerist Whip fragrance-free and Olay Total Effects Whip SPF25 fragrance-free. I’ve been using Whip religiously – morning and night – since February, and I’m loving the new fragrance-free version (Sasha appreciates it too!).

One of my very favorite people commented on my last Olay post and said, “I have used them forever because my sweet Nanny had beautiful skin up until the day she passed. She swore it was due to Oil of Olay. I love the fresh scent because it brings back such sweet memories of my precious grandmother!” I love this. I have products that remind me of my grandparents too. I am so aware that the girls watch me as I get ready in the morning, and I want them to know how important it is to take care of your skin. I want to create a generation of Olay-lovers too!

It was just a little too quiet the other morning, and I walked into my bathroom to find both Emi and her baby doll lathered in Olay Whip. Thank goodness it works as well as a $200 moisturizer, but retails for only $38.99. Emi is absent from some of the photos below because she was seriously distraught that I wouldn’t open the container for her  (until I caved at the end and gave her my almost-finished container). Lots of “MOMMA! OPEN!” going on. You can see a few videos with both girls in them in you watch my IG story today! I’ll do a full review of the two products in the next few weeks. Be on the lookout for that!

SlumberPod: The Must-Have Child Travel Accessory

Last year, we took a family trip to Destin when Emilia was 8 months old. We brought our BABYBJORN Travel Crib Light, set it up in the room near our bed, then proceeded to have her wake up throughout the night, and cry until we picked her up – she could see us right next to her, so why wouldn’t she? We moved her to the bathroom area, but that didn’t work either because she kept waking up when anyone went to the toilet. It was the best trip ever, but the worst sleep I’d had since she was a newborn. I was dreading the same situation for our recent trip to the UK when the wonderful ladies of SlumberPod reached out to me, asking to collaborate. All it took was a brief description and a photo of the product and I was SOLD.

SlumberPod is a light-weight blackout fabric ‘tent’ that is bottomless, so fits over travel cribs. It has a zipper in the front so you can easily access your child when they’re in their playard. I promise you: this is the best child travel invention ever. From the very first night, we put Emi into the crib which was inside the SlumberPod, slipped her favorite sound machine into the SlumberPod, zipped her up, and she slept. Right through the night, which was amazing because she was jet-lagged and because she would normally have been awake for every bathroom trip, Isla rustling, etc. The second night, she climbed through the opening, and tried to get into the crib, saying, “Night night! Night night!” I am not kidding, this thing is a dream.

I posted some videos to my Instagram story (saved under the UK highlight on my profile!) and woke up with more Direct Messages than I’d ever received before. People were eager to get their hands on a SlumberPod immediately (many requesting them for themselves, ha!). All of our friends at Jill’s wedding who had kids came and viewed the SlumberPod in our hotel room – it was like a celebrity guest. Everyone wants one!

AND the best thing is that you can pre-order your SlumberPod starting next Tuesday, when their KickStarter campaign launches. Click on the image below to sign up for notification. I truly believe these will sell out quickly, so make sure you are prepared for the launch!

FAQs That I Received:

  • How early can I get my SlumberPod? If you are one of the first people to order a SlumberPod on Tuesday, July 24 (goes live at 10am ET) and chose the $90 Early Bird option, you will receive your SlumberPod in late August (expedited shipping). Sign up to get notified of the launch so you can get this deal! 
  • How much does it cost? As mentioned above, if you are an Early Bird supporter, you can get the SlumberPod for $90, which is 30% (THIRTY!) percent off the anticipated retail price of $134.99 (plus $14.99 shipping). Other support options are available offering expedited shipping and discounts.
  • What are the dimensions of the SlumberPod when not in use? 17x6x5. It weighs about 7 pounds and has its own travel bag, which fit conveniently inside our BABYBJORN Travel Crib Light carrier.
  • Is it really dark in there? Yes, it’s pitch black. Sasha and I both sat under it in the daylight. It was like a tiny camping experience. The fabric is breathable, so you don’t have to worry about circulation while they’re inside!
  • Can I watch my child once they’re inside? There is a pouch on the side where you can add a baby monitor. Since Emilia is almost 18 months, we didn’t use this feature, but it’s very convenient for little babes!
  • Is it easy to setup? YES! I am so, so bad at installing or setting up anything. There are two poles that collapse into smaller pieces (but all attached). You make those into long poles, then slide them inside the holes of the tent on the top. It took no time at all! Dummy (me) proof! See setup directions below.

If you want to see more videos of the product, go to my Instagram and click on the UK highlight on my profile. There are videos of the girls in the SlumberPod there!

You can also follow SlumberPod on Instagram here.

 

Fearless at Thirty with Olay (Plus, a Giveaway!)

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Olay. The opinions and text are all mine. Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.

In February, I celebrated a big milestone birthday when I turned thirty. I’d been planning a trip to Paris with friends for years, and it turned out to be everything I’d ever dreamed of. It’s funny, because when I was in high school, thirty seemed so old. As I neared my thirties, people constantly told me that their thirties were the best years of their lives. I believe it too. Every year on my birthday, Sasha asks me what my favorite thing was from the past year and what I’m looking forward to in the coming year. This time, he asked what I was most excited about for this new decade. I would love to have one more baby, I want to continue to grow my photography business and spend more time teaching, I want to be involved in the girls’ schools in whatever capacity is available, I want to take a few trips with girlfriends, I want to go on more dates with Sasha, and last, but not least: I want to spend more time loving the skin I’m in. As I mentioned, one of my main goals is to continue growing my photography practice. Since I started my business three years ago, I have dreamed of having an in-home studio space where I can photograph clients and also teach classes. I currently just have a desk setup in our master bedroom (Sasha does too!). I used to have so much self-doubt when I started my photography business, and it has taken a lot of confidence and courage to get to where I am today. I wanted to teach classes for a long time but was worried nobody would sign up to take them!

Fortunately, this hasn’t been the case so far, and I’ve gotten such an adrenaline rush while teaching them. Being fearless has taken work but is way more fun than being nervous about what others think of you and Olay has been empowering women for many generations and I’m excited to share with you how being fearless and thirty has led me to accomplish a big dream of mine. My dream of having an at-home studio a reality in the house we’re building, and I’m incredibly excited for this room to be complete (very soon!). I chose wood paneling which I have painted Sherwin Williams Alabaster White, there are two big windows for natural light, and I am having a custom table built that seats up to eight people. In this space, I can teach classes, but also roll the table over and take headshots and portrait sessions thanks to the amazing natural light. In the fall, I hope to teach four or more classes every month! Below you’ll see the plans I have for this room.