Retractment of a favorite

I posted my favorites at the beginning of the week and I was on the fence about the tablet. It was not exactly what I had thought it would be. It was too difficult to type on (I know, that makes me sound super old) and Olivia is still pretty young to need a tablet. When she is a little bit older, we will possibly get one for her. I just couldn't find a need for it right now so I returned it. I ended up getting a laptop instead (which was only $40 more than the tablet). So far I really love the laptop, I had no idea that I could get one for so cheap. I'm not going to lie, Windows 8.1 is new to me so I am having a little bit of trouble navigating around it but Google has been a huge help. I may do a review on the laptop within the next few weeks but so far, so good!

The past few days have been pretty busy, I've either been working or running around with Liv. There has been a lot on my "to do" list that I have been meaning to get around to for a while now. Luckily today was my day off from work so I was able to get a lot of it done, I feel pretty accomplished. It's amazing what I can get done when I skip my afternoon nap, I love when I surprise myself. By the way, posting on my blog was on that list so I can check that off now too!

On Thursday I took Olivia to playgroup like always and she had so much fun. She was in the best mood (I wish I could say that all the time). She gets so excited when the teacher blows bubbles, all the kids do but Olivia and two other kids start yelling excitedly and run around trying to pop them all. It's so cute, everyone gets a kick out of them. After playgroup I had to stop by the store for some groceries. As we were walking down the aisle, Olivia spotted some Dora fruit snacks and started reaching for them so I let her hold them (bad move, I ended up buying them). When we got home, I tried them but they were a little too chewy and I'm paranoid of her choking so I never gave her any. I don't think she cared about anything but the box anyway. I'm pretty sure that seeing Dora on the box was Olivia's highlight of the day.

"Mommy, you can't say no to this adorable face!"

Today, I had to run a bunch of errands (returning the tablet, getting the laptop, going to the bank, picking up food, etc.) and it was pouring out the entire time, I was soaked by the end of it. I also had to do laundry, give Liv a bath and organize some stuff. Like I mentioned earlier, I got a lot done. I took Livy to one of the stores with me and every time we passed by a mirror, she would smile at herself and start playing with her hair. She is seriously my entertainment, I love her.

 Left: My mom sent me this picture while I was at work and it melted my heart.

Right: She has been obsessed with sitting in boxes/buckets lately. Silly girl.

September favorites

Another month has gone by (very quickly) and since tomorrow is my birthday, I decided to post my September favorites today!

Mommy & baby favorites for September.

Heartbeat necklace - I got this necklace from one of those discount sites (either Zulily or Plum district, I cant remember which one). Obviously I thought it was perfect since I have a  little heart baby toddler. I wear it all the time and I love it, the heart on the side is my favorite part. When Liv is older, I plan on getting one for her too.

Vtech Safe & Sound video & audio monitor - The video monitor we had previously ended up breaking after 5 or 6 months and I hated not having one. Olivia gets her legs stuck in the crib slats sometimes so it makes me feel so much better being able to see her on the monitor. Also, the paranoid heart mommy in me always wants to make sure she is breathing okay. I didn't think video monitors were really necessary at first but now I don't want to be without one, I love it! I like this one better than our last one because the screen is portable. There's also a zoom feature and it doesn't pick up much background noise. We can press a button and talk to Liv through the monitor but I haven't tried that yet because I think she will want me to get her out of the crib if she hears my voice. This was one of the less pricey monitors but I'm happy with it.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3: Kids edition - Okay, I just got this and I already have a love/hate relationship with it. I can't really use it for what I intended. I was hoping it would be sort of like a mini laptop that I could use for email and blogging but it's very difficult to type on (even with a Bluetooth keyboard). It's also pretty small, I wish I picked one with a bigger screen. On the other hand, it's potentially a great tablet for Liv. It's kid friendly, actually it's a kids tablet. In parent mode it can do everything a normal tablet can, I figured it would be perfect to share with her. It says for ages 3 and up but she plays games on my phone so I'm sure she will be able to figure it out. I've been playing around with it and there seems to be some cute apps for kids, I'm still not 100% sold though. I don't know if I should keep this or return it and just get a laptop. I'm very indecisive when it comes to big purchases, I'm going to let Liv play with it and then I'll decide.
*My decision: Retractment of a favorite.

Booboo buddies stuffed animal - Booboo buddies is such a great idea! They take gently used stuffed animals that have been donated and they stitch on a zipper (wherever your childs scar is). Olivia's is on the side of course (from her thoracotomy heart surgery). They also stitch on a cute little heart with a bandage over it. All children with heart defects get a Booboo buddy for free (you just have to pay for the shipping). I got this for Liv's heart surgery anniversary (February 27th) so I will be giving it to her then, I'm sure she will love it. If you want to find out more about Booboo buddies, they have a Facebook page you can check out.

Citrus Lane review - September 2014

Olivia's Citrus Lane box came a few days ago but I've been sick and so has Liv, of course she is my first priority but now I have some time since she is napping. Citrus Lane is a monthly subscription box for babies/toddlers. You pay a certain price per month depending on how long you want to subscribe (it’s cheaper for the longer subscriptions). Every month you receive four to five items for your child and sometimes something for you as well. The boxes are age and gender appropriate (or you can pick gender neutral). This box is for a 19 month old girl.

Everything Olivia got in her September Citrus Lane box.

Tea Collection bodysuit:

I really love this, it looks like a shirt but it's attached to a bodysuit. The pattern is adorable and I can't wait to try it on Livy. I knew we were getting this because I got to pick which size we wanted, I just didn't know what the pattern or color would be. I chose size 18-24 months, it may be a little big right now (she's wearing 12 month clothes) but I figured by the winter, it will be perfect! Even if it's still a little big, that's better than being too small. It seems like it's very good quality so I'm sure it will last a long time. I know it will be adorable on her, I'll have to take some pictures of her in it and post them soon. Retails for: $26.50 (wow!)

Boon links 3D foam bath pieces: We already have these. Well, we actually have the foam bath appliques but they are very similar, the only difference is that they are not 3D. I got them as an add on a while ago, now I wish that I had just waited. I know that's not Citrus Lanes fault but it's a bit of a bummer. Olivia loves playing with these in the bath so they will make a good gift for someone, I'm just not sure who yet. I may just end up just putting them up for sale or trade. Retails for: $11.99

 

Mrs. Meyers clean day dish soap:
This is a repeat. I like this dish soap, it smells so good but I still have some from last time they sent it (April). It's a little frustrating to get the same item twice, it's even the same exact scent (lemon verbena). I wasn't excited to get this, I'll use it but dish soap just isn't fun. Retails for: $2.99  

 

Happy Tot fruit and veggie blend:
Yawn. Yet another food pouch, I'm really over getting snacks. We have so many snacks for Liv and she isn't really a big fan of pouches. I'll still give it to her though, I don't want to waste it. I wouldn't be sad if they stopped sending snacks or at least these food pouches. Retails for: $1.39

 

 

Add ons:

I had to get these cute little puppet Halloween books as our add ons this month. They were practically free with coupon codes and credits. I think these will be the perfect little gifts for Liv on Halloween, I'm sure she will love them! I can't wait to read them to her before bed on Halloween and after of course.

 

We also got some coupons and a code for a free box but I wont be using it, so if you're interested in that just let me know and I will give it to the first person who asks. This months box was just okay for me, not the worst box we have gotten but not the best either. The total value of this box is about $42. Since the bodysuit was so expensive, I think the rest of the box was lacking but the value is definitely there. I bought the six month subscription and with coupons, I paid about $15 per month so it's worth it to me. If you're interested in getting a Citrus Lane subscription for your child, you can use my referral link to get 50% off your first box - Melissa's CL referral. It's a subscription so make sure you cancel after your receive your box or you will be charged again.