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Our Favorite Products for Mama & Baby this Summer
We’re the family that lives for summer time and spending it outdoors at the pool. Seriously – laying out by the pool is a weekend ritual (when we aren’t traveling). And let me tell you.. I used to be the girl that would go through almost a bottle of oil in a sitting (yes I hate to admit that), but now that I am older, covered in sun spots + scary looking moles, have to see the dermatologist on the reg, and have a baby of my own, I am WAY more paranoid about the long-term effects. I have turned into the girl that goes through a bottle of sunscreen in a sitting.
Since it is the 4th of July next week and most of you will be outdoors (and not to mention the fact that it’s currently 100 degrees in Texas) I figured it was about time to do a roundup of my favorite summer products!
I have pictured above and linked all of our favorite items below and the reasons why you need all of these things in your life and why we love them so much! And the good news? You can find ALL of these on Amazon prime! Wahoo!
- Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby Mineral Sunscreen – My son has a very fair skin tone, as I’m sure many of you have seen. We have went through probably 30 different types of sunscreen because so many made him either break out, or made his skin turn red (almost as if it was sunburn) but it would happen immediately after applying. We FINALLY found our all time favorite one and it is seriously THE BEST! It’s so good that Drew and I both lather in it now and when we do we look like cast members of Twilight all day until we have to literally scrub it off in the shower. It does not come off on its own.
- St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse – This is my new favorite self tanner! I have tried TONS and I mean TONS and most make me turn orange. I am definitely the type of person who loves having a good tan and with this one, it looks as if I just laid out all day in the sun. It doesn’t make you look orange like some of them do. It is a mousse so if you get this applicator mitt that goes with it, it makes it so easy to apply and it’s streak free! SCORE!
- Neutrogena Beach Defense Body Spray Sunscreen – Okay because let’s be honest.. Sometimes we need to look cute at the pool and do not want to look like twilight cast members in our photos and lathering in the lotion we love above WILL do that. So we have this as a second alternative. We will spray this about 30 minutes before we head outside and it is definitely a good alternative to the lotion. Just don’t spray this on your babies face (even if you cover his eyes) I learned the hard way on this. I tried it and it did work, but when Brady got in the pool, it got all in his eyes and it was not a good situation!
- Stearns Infant Classic Series Vest- This is probably the most important one. We have tried SO many different life jackets, puddle jumpers and a few different types of floats and floaties with Brady. Simply put – He hates all of them. BUT, my siser-in-law has this one and told us about it. Most of the ones we have tried don’t really keep his head out of the water. Sure, if he fell in, it would keep him from going to the bottom, BUT it doesn’t really allow him to roll to his back or keep his head out of the water. This life Jacket does allow them to roll to the back and prevents their head from going under. We have it in route to us now from Amazon prime, so I will let you know how it goes, but my sister-in-law swears by this! I also found this article super helpful when researching life jackets.
- i play. Baby Boys’ Flap Sun Protection Swim Hat- Not gonna lie.. Brady will NOT wear a swim hat to save his life, but we did order this one a while back and it is amazing.. If only he would wear it. We have tried several different ones and I have come to the conclusion that if he won’t wear this one, he won’t wear any of them, because this one is SO light weight and so awesome. Dries so quick. If your toddler wears hats, I recommend getting this one and if you have any tips/tricks to make them wear one just go right ahead and leave those in the comments for me!
- Stride Rite Water Shoe – Another thing we tested over and over haha! We literally tried around 6 different styles until we found a pair from Target that he would actually wear in the pool without having a tantrum! And then guess what? They gave him blisters! So I did some research and asked around and evidently these Stride Rite ones are amazing. They will arrive tomorrow, so I will let you know how they are. They also come in a ton of different colors!
- Sunday Afternoons Women’s Riviera Hat – Because every mama needs a good floppy hat for the pool that also doubles as something to throw on with a cute basic tee and jeans when she doesn’t want to wash her hair. This one is a perfect combination for both of those and I LOVE it!
- RayBan Folding Wayfarer Square Sunglasses – I have had these exact glasses now for like 5 years at least and they are seriously SO good! They are polarized and the absolute best. 🙂 And I swear this style looks good on everyone – men and women!
- Maui Babe After Browning Lotion – This stuff is so good! I used to lather up in Maui Babe growing lotion to tan, but now I apply the after browning, after I am out in the sun and it holds your color all summer long!
- Women’s Floral Chiffon Kimono Cardigan Summer Beachwear Swimsuit Cover- Up- Every mama also needs a cute Kimono this summer because not only is it a swim cover up, but you can also throw it on with a tank top, jean shorts and a cute pair of sandals and have a cute summer outfit. I have seen a ton of pregnant women wear these and it is cute too if you are expecting!
I would love to hear what your summer must haves are! Let me know in the comments and as always, thank you all for reading!
Xoxo- Julie
The Most Comfortable Pajamas Ever! Seriously Every Mama Needs Them!
Pink Hoodie | Pajama Pants | Coffee Mug
Photo credit goes to my mother-in-law! 🙂
When shopping at Target the other day for diapers, my cart must of had a bad wheel or something because the next thing I knew I had landed right smack in the middle of the pajama section. Story of my life right.. But I was so glad I did because I found these AMAZING pajamas! Truth be told these are so cute that I would wear them out of the house! You could also wear the hoodie with a cute pair of distressed jeans and tennis shoes out and about. If you’re on the hunt for some cute new “lounge around the house” apparel, you have to check these out. Our Target also had them in black and gray and you better believe I bought the black to wear as leggings. I normally wear a medium in pajamas, but I did size up in these because they are 94% modal and they may shrink. Also, I do not like my lounge clothes fitting tight. Do I care that they are pajama pants? Nope.. not one bit.
Give them a try and thank me later! 🙂
Oh and I also found this adorable mug! I could seriously drain my bank account on all of the cute Opal House stuff Target currently has. It is a major obsession of mine right now!
PS: If you follow my blog, you may have already came across a few of these images circulating around Facebook and those of you that have I want to (THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING). Starting a blog and putting yourself out there is not easy to do. In fact, it is very nerve racking and takes a LOT of hard work so seriously thank you to all of you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this page of mine! Now to get back to what I was saying… the reason you are seeing these around Facebook is because I set-up some ads to run to my blog and that’s what I am doing everyday for Social Lab Marketing. If any of you know an established business that is looking for a great Facebook Ads management company, have them reach out to us at hello@sociallabmarketing and let them know I referred you! We are looking to bring on a few extra clients this month and would love to work with you!
Xoxo- Julie
Graphic Tee’s For All
Brady’s Outfit: Shirt- Target | Shorts – Gymboree | Shoes – Nordstrom
Mama’s outfit: Shirt- Lucky Brand | Jeans – Nordstrom old (similar here) | Sandals – Madwell
Happy Thursday friends! Graphic tees are on trend right now and wanted to let you all know that Lucky Brand is having buy one get one half off on some styles like this one I am wearing! Trendy or not, I have always been a fan of a good graphic t-shirt! When I found this one I was sold. Not so much bc I love Pink Floyd, but I just loved the colors! 🙂
And here’s the deal you guys… As a mom, I know it’s just so easy to throw on leggings, your hair in a hat and head out the door, but if you just throw on a good graphic t- shirt, distressed jeans and cute sandals, it makes all the difference in how you look and feel.
Also – can we talk about Brady’s adorable outfit for a second? I’m obsessed with these checkered shorts ! They’re so adorable AND are on sale right now for $7.99 at Gymboree -score!
P.S. these photos really show what it’s like trying to take “blog photos” with a toddler. Haha. This is the best we could get and a big thanks to my Mother-In-Law for being my photographer lol! I also did a roundup of eight more of favorite graphic t-shirts right now if you just keep scrolling down! I hope you love them all as much as I do.
I have rounded up 8 other Graphic Tee’s I LOVE right now and a couple of these are part of the BOGO half off at lucky! All items are linked below the image to make your shopping easier!
White Rolling Stones Tee (LOVE)
Mimi Chica AC/DC Highway to Hell Tee
Endless Summer Tee (just got this one too!)
Journey Tee (just got this one too!)
Our Summer Trip to North Carolina
We had such a great trip to NC last week. We flew in on Thursday, June 7th and stayed until Saturday the 17th! We planned it around Drew’s work trip so it didn’t feel so long. 🙂 10 whole days away, but it was so good to see my family, take a break from this Texas heat, and reunite with old friends who I haven’t seen in years!
I was so nervous traveling with Brady alone. I have traveled with him alone several times before, but not since he is a toddler. It was so much easier as a baby when he could just sleep in my lap. This time, we planned it around nap time, so luckily on the way there he slept the whole way! The way back… now that was a different story, but we survived. I want to give props to all the mamas out there who travel with multiples. Alone or not, I can’t even imagine! Truthfully, I had a post planned on “how to pack light with a toddler” but as I was packing and taking pictures for the post, I realized I am not the best to give advice on this ha! So if any of you have great tips – please send them my way!
I wanted to share a few pictures below from our trip and hope you enjoy!
In the airport heading to NC. Shirt is old from Forever 21.
At my parents friends house and they had this Richard Petty shopping cart. Of course we naturally had to have a photo shoot in it! 🙂
And on the turtle…
And….. Freddy’s. It is our favorite!
My beautiful mama and I. Both dresses are from Card & Cloth Shop and shoes are Nordstrom Rack. Yes hers to, but they were from a few years back!
Swimming at Tanglewood!
He loved it.
My friend Laura and I. We met in 1998 when I moved to NC and have been friends ever since. Us with our boys! #boymoms
Posing for a picture before we head out for lunch.. Or trying.. 🙂
My college roommate, Mally and I at dinner in Charlotte at Superica.
My husbands Aunt Susan and I at dinner. Seriously love her!
And last but not least… I found these matching shirts at Target. You can check out our photoshoot of them here.
Thats a wrap from our trip! We had such a fun time to say the least! We will be traveling to Atlanta for the 4th and it will be the last time we don’t have to pay for Brady a ticket. So seriously.. if you guys have travel tips.. send my way! 🙂
Thanks for reading!
Xoxo- Julie
Current Loft Favorites
Ok first, don’t judge my selfies in this post or the mess in our room. If you follow me on Instagram you’re probably used to seeing this and if you aren’t following me, then you should be so you never miss any good deals! 🙂
I just got back from vacation and have yet to unpack. But first thing’s first… Loft is currently having 50% Off Select Full-Price Tops. The sale ends 6/20 so I had to share with you guys today! I found a few cute pieces from the sale and wanted to share just a few of my favorites! If you are in need of a few new summer tops, now is definitely the time to shop.
This eyelet cuff tee is so flattering on and would be so cute with some cut off shorts or distressed denim. Paired with these sandals.
Yes this is just a black basic tee.. big deal right? Let me tell you. It is a big deal because this is THE MOST COMFORTABLE T-SHIRT I HAVE EVER OWNED! Not even kidding. It comes in black, a light peach (pictured below) and gray. I own all of them and I would own every other color if they made it in more. Actually I think they have olive and white too, but are currently sold out of those. I would recommend dressing it up with these shorts.
The shirt runs TTS. I am wearing a medium for reference and it is still roomie.
SERIOUSLY THE BEST SHIRT…. EVER…. NOT EVEN KIDDING. Do yourself a favor and just order one and try it out. Runs TTS.
This SEA sweatshirt is so cute on! I sized up in this. I would wear this with shorts like these. Would be great for a beach trip to wear when it is chilly at night!
And last, but certainly not least.. These pants. OMG Can we say COMFORTABLE!! I am OBSESSED! They are actually not on sale, but worth every penny. You can dress these up with a cute top tucked in and wedges or just wear around the house! I’m wearing the ONYX color which online looks more purple, but they are more like a charcoal gray! Pants run TTS. I am normally a small or med in pants (depending on the fit) I got a Medium and I could have done a small also, but I like mine a little more baggy.
Head on over to Loft.com and check out all of the cute items they currently have and don’t forget the sale ends on 6/20 so you have one more day to shop!
Thanks for reading!
Xoxo- Julie
Mommy & Me Shirts From Target
Happy Monday, friends! I hope everyone had a great Father’s Day Weekend! I know we sure did! We got back from NC Saturday night, just in time to celebrate Father’s Day together! We spent the day yesterday by the pool grilling out and it was a great day to say the least.
I never thought I would be “that mom” who matched with her child, but when I found these two matching shirts at Target I couldn’t pass them up! Yes it was the same Target shopping trip where I found this cute blouse I told you about last week! If any of you mamas need cute, casual attire for you and baby, make sure you hit up Target right now! They have so many cute things for summer! I hope everyone has a great week!
Thanks for reading!
Xoxo- Julie
Working Out in the BEST Wal-Mart Leggings. Ever.
Outfit Details: Leggings – Wal-Mart | Tank Top: Old Navy | Shoes- Academy
And by working out I mean pushing my toddler around in this Little Tikes Coupe Car. In all seriousness though…. calling all you mamas who work out or run.. I found these amazing leggings from one of my all time favorite bloggers Loverly Grey. She posted about them on her Instagram last week and I had to have them. This girl gets me in so much trouble when it comes to shopping! You can see a few of my other finds from her here. If you guys work out though, seriously do yourself a favor and head on over to Wal-Mart.com and get these. You will thank us later! 🙂
Hope everyone has an amazing weekend!
Julie
Target for the Win!
Outfit Details: Top – Target | Jeans – Old (Similar Here) | Shoes- Target
How is it Thursday already? This week has seriously flown by! I have been in NC visiting my mom and stepdad and the weather has been so cool here compared to Texas! We ventured out to Target the other day for a few things I forgot to pack and I stumbled across this adorable top. Why is it that I cannot go into Target and just come out with what I need? They get me every time! Anyways, I’m headed to Charlotte today to work and meet up with a few old friends! I’m so excited and will be sure to post lots of pictures of my trip next week!
Thanks for reading!
Oh and PS: This is totally off topic, but another one of my favorite Retailers, Splendid, is having an online warehouse sale that starts TODAY! They have adorable clothes for mama and kids! Check it out here –> Shop the Splendid Online Warehouse Sale – deals starting at $19! Valid 6.14 – 6.24
Xoxo- Julie
2018’s Best Jumpsuit & Rompers That are Mama Friendly
Jumpsuits & Rompers are a must have this season. And the good news is, they are great for all of you mamas to throw on and go. I told you in my post here that I would be doing a roundup of my favorites that are mama friendly, cute and affordable. So here it is..And let me tell you, these posts aren’t as easy as they look. That’s because, when shopping online, I try to find items from my favorite retailers, that are affordable, have good reviews, comfortable and something a mom wouldn’t look “too young” for when bending over or chasing around a toddler.
Typically, I buy something I love and want to post and either it’s sold out by the time I go to share with you guys, or I look online and there are only a couple of sizes left. So I kept that in mind and most of these styles have plenty sizes available still (besides one or two of them have limited quantities) so act fast!
In addition, there a few options that are maternity and nursing friendly! Everything is linked below and you can click on the item and shop directly!
Thank you as always and I hope you love these pieces as much as I do! 🙂
Charlotte Russe:
5. Strapless Bow Culotte Jumpsuit
Nordstrom:
4. Free People Ballerina Tie Waist Romper
5. Black Maternity/ Nursing Romper (nursing/maternity friendly)
Target:
2.Floral Print Twist Front Jumpsuit
Loft:
1. Strappy Drawstring Jumpsuit
3. Blue Beach Border Tie Cutout Jumpsuit
4. Black Ruffle Back Jumpsuit (Available in Maternity Also)
