Product Reviews

3 Things We’re Doing This Fall to Promote Toddler Brain Growth & Development

November 16, 2017 by Laura Tucker 1 Comment

I received product and compensation from Mead Johnson Nutrition to create this post written by me. All experiences and opinions expressed in this post are my own and not those of Mead Johnson Nutrition. You can contact Mead Johnson Nutrition with product related questions or comments toll free at 1-888-777-3395.

Now that we’re finally breaking away from those humid summer afternoon temps and stepping into the coolness of fall, I’ve been itching to get outside with my 2 year old daughter and enjoy nature to the fullest. Because we live in a heavily wooded area, there’s tons of things outside that I would love for her to explore and discover, but because of the threat of snakes we’ve been sort-of cooped up inside over the last few months and unable to really dig into nature like we wanted to.

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Big Girl Bedroom Reveal: Summer Storytime Simplicity with Mouse + Magpie

July 6, 2017 by Laura Tucker 2 Comments

This post is brought to you by Mouse + Magpie and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own.

Over the long 4th of July weekend, I caught myself looking at photos that I took of my daughter during this time last year. I set them beside a photo that I had just taken of her that day, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw how much of a transformation my baby girl had made in just 1 short year. Instead of shooting off fireworks, my emotions decided to cue the waterworks instead as I was reminded that my little baby is no longer a baby anymore.

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The Cutest Name Labels for Back to School from Stuck On You!

July 3, 2017 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

I received the items mentioned from Stuck On You in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed within this post are 100% my own.

There are just 4 weeks left of summer before all of the kids that live in my area start shopping for school supplies and zipping up their brand new backpacks to head off to their first day of school. Can you believe that?! I mean, didn’t summer just start? It truly feels like school begins earlier and earlier every year!

When I was still in school, I would count down the days to when school started back. I absolutely adored school. For me, summer was fun for about 2 weeks, and then I longed to be close to all of my friends again and in an organized setting with a structured routine. I’d nearly squeal with joy when the school board released the shopping lists for my school. I’d very meticulously pick out the perfect (and cutest) school supplies and rearrange the contents of my backpack multiple times in preparation for the 1st day back. I would see to it that all of my items had my name written on them, and then I’d do the same thing for all of my little brother’s school supplies, too!

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Our Must-Have Pool Accessory This Summer

June 15, 2017 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

This post was sponsored by SwimWays as part of an Ambassador Program for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Have you ever been so hot that you were certain you could just melt onto the floor if you stood still long enough? I’ve been feeling the heat a lot here lately. In fact, earlier this morning when I stepped out onto my front porch, I encountered a wall of heat and humidity that hit me square in the face like a ton of bricks – so much so that it literally made me gasp with extreme displeasure over these offensive temperatures. I mean, it should NOT already be in the mid 80’s before I finish my morning cup of coffee, am I right? (Way to be rude, Mother Nature!)

Even though I always have a hard time acclimating to the heat, summer truly wouldn’t be summer if it wasn’t hot outside, and it’s a whole lot easier to not complain about the heat when you get to take a dip in a pool of cool refreshing water!
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How We’re Getting our Picky Toddler to Love Fruits and Veggies with Go & Grow by Similac Pouches

May 18, 2017 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

This post was developed in partnership with Similac. All opinions are my own.

When my sweet little two year old was just starting solid foods at 6 months old, I made almost all of her baby food myself. I loved the idea of knowing exactly what was going into her little body, and I wanted to be assured that she was getting the proper nutrients that her body needed to grow big and strong. I also hoped that by me introducing her to a wide variety of foods when she was a baby, that she would develop a love for all different kinds of foods (especially vegetables,) and that we could just totally skip that whole “picky toddler” struggle when she started to become more independent.

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Breastfeeding Questions? See a Lactation Consultant Anytime, Anywhere with Amwell!

May 17, 2017 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

Last night after church I was chatting with a friend about how busy life can get sometimes. It’s easy to often feel like we don’t have it all together and just need more hours in the day to get it all done! This week my sweet baby girl is turning the big TWO, and I’ve been running around like a crazy lady just trying to balance my work and home life while wearing many different hats: party planner, personal chef and chicken nugget cooker, chauffeur, potty training police, piggyback ride giver and kisser of boo-boos. (Parents – I know you feel me!)

And because I often have impeccably weird timing, I randomly decided to start thinking about when baby # 2 might come along and join in on all of the busyness we’re already juggling. (Notice I said thinking..not planning. We’re not ready just yet!) My mind started going in numerous different directions about my future pregnancy and all of the things that typically come along with it. I clearly needed one more thing to think about this week! 😉

One thing I know for sure I want to plan for better next time around is building a relationship with a lactation consultant and being proactive about asking questions in hopes that I’ll have a successful breastfeeding journey with my future children. As I was thinking about my previous breastfeeding experience and the things that ultimately made it not as successful as I had hoped for, I realized I actually had quite a few questions and concerns that I definitely wanted to talk to someone about before planning for another child.

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Discovering, Learning & GROWing with Mott’s Applesauce + FREE Special Offer!

May 15, 2017 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mott’s®.

When my daughter was born, everyone told me that babies grow up in the blink of an eye and to enjoy every moment with them while they’re small. They tried to tell me these things because they watched their own little ones grow up fast, but I just didn’t want to hear what they were saying. I didn’t want to think about my baby growing up so quickly. I (sort of selfishly) wanted my little baby to be small forever so I could always hold her in my arms.

Now my “baby” will be turning two in just a few days and I’m left sitting here in shock by how quickly she’s grown! (Seriously, why didn’t somebody warn me?!) Every day she seems to grow a little bit more in some way. She’s putting together sentences, turning somersaults, running around the playground with “big” kids and loves figuring out how things work. As much as I wish she’d slow down and stay my sweet little baby, I’ve found so much beauty in watching her grow. I’m one proud mama!

And because my little one is growing like a weed, I thought it’d be a fun activity to get outside with her this spring and teach her a little bit about how all of the pretty plants outside grow to be big and tall. I’ve been teaching her about how it’s important for us to choose yummy and healthy foods to help our own bodies grow big and strong, so teaching her about plants through interactive play seemed like a win/win. We swung by our local Walmart to pick up a few essentials we’d need to get our little garden started, plus we picked up a few of our favorite snacks by Mott’s!

My kiddo is CRAZY about applesauce. She eats applesauce every single day as a snack, and giving her Mott’s applesauce and juices makes me feel assured that she’s putting real fruity goodness into her body to provide her with an excellent source of vitamins to help her grow and be healthy. Mott’s applesauce recently released new unsweetened varieties of applesauce, so I feel even more assured that my daughter is having a healthy snack that is high quality and good for growing little body. I always stock up on the squeeze pouches because they’re perfect for on the go. Just toss in the diaper bag and head out the door!

You can find Mott’s sauce items in the apple/fruit sauce section and Mott’s juice items in the juice section of your local Walmart. I noticed that Mott’s also just came out with new juice pouches, so I made sure to pick up a pack of those, too! (I might or might not have snuck one of those juice pouches for myself on the ride home) 😉

It didn’t take long once I brought all the Mott’s sauces home that my daughter went to town eating them. Before I knew it, I had lots of little applesauce cups lying around that needed a new purpose! I was recently asked by Mott’s to share how we’re enjoying our Mott’s products, so I thought the cups would be the perfect thing to help us get a few seeds started in our garden this year. Plus, they’re the perfect size for little hands to hold!

I picked out a few of our favorite herbs and laid out all of the necessary “ingredients” we needed to learn about growing our own plants.

My daughter loved filling the cups with the soil. I encouraged her to get her hands dirty and that it was okay if she spilled some on the table. Children learn so much through actions, and some of the best lessons are learned while making a mess! If there’s no learning, there’s no growing!

After she put the soil into the cups, her daddy showed her how to water the seeds to feed them so that they’ll grow. She was really curious about how seeds and plants need “food” to help them grow just like we do, so she immediately took her watering can and ran around the yard watering other plants, too. It was a really fun time and such a sweet learning moment!

We labeled each of the little cups and have placed them in our window sill at home until they sprout. Once they sprout, we’ll transplant them into our garden at home so they’ll have plenty of room to grow. My daughter has been inquiring every day about if the plants have sprouted yet, and I know once they do she’ll be so excited!

While we’re waiting on our plants to grow, this sweet little thing passes the time by enjoying her favorite Mott’s unsweetened applesauce pouches. You really have to watch her, too. She knows exactly where I keep them in the pantry and she’ll go in there and sneak one when I’m not looking! I never mind her having more, though, because they really are the perfect snack to enjoy anytime, anywhere!

Special Offer:

This year, Mott’s and Walmart want to help you track your child’s growth and ensure that all children are given the chance to grow up big and strong and to be healthy. That’s why they’re giving you the opportunity to snag this super cute growth chart wall sticker, just for purchasing $10 of select Mott’s products!

Here’s how to get your growth chart:

Buy $10 worth of Mott’s juice or sauce at Walmart
Register for the offer on Motts.com/Walmart
Upload receipts on Motts.com/Walmart beginning now through 9/15/2017
The growth charts will be mailed to your home once receipts have been verified

That’s it, you guys! It’s so easy to register, and it’s such a fun little perk for buying our favorite snacks anyway! Every time my baby walks buy her new growth chart I get a little bit emotional. She’s growing so quickly, but I’m enjoying every moment of the ride! I’m really looking forward to tracking her growth, and I know that fueling her little body with Mott’s will keep us on track to growing to be healthy and strong!

Fun in the Sun and Sand: DIY Sand Play Table

May 9, 2017 by Laura Tucker 3 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BlueLizardSummer #CollectiveBias

I don’t know what the weather is like in your neck of the woods this month, but we’re already reaching some pretty high temps here in south Alabama. All of this gorgeous sunshine is really warming things up, and I can absolutely tell that this summer is going to be a scorcher! Just last week we had a few days where the temperature reached the 90’s, but luckily we haven’t had much of the usual horrible humidity hitting us just yet. The weather has been perfect for us to roll up our sleeves and get outside in the sun to play!

We’re currently in the process of building a home right down the road from our current house. My husband and his dad are doing much of the interior work themselves, so our afternoons are spent at our construction site playing and “helping” just so we can get a little family time in before the day is over. It didn’t take long for my toddler to find the two giant sand piles sitting in the yard once construction began, and they’ve been a huge source of entertainment for her nearly every day since we broke ground back in December!

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Is Your Toddler Ready for the Pool this Summer?

May 5, 2017 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

“This post was sponsored by SwimWays as part of an Ambassador Program for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.”

Summer may not be here just yet, but the temperatures here in south Alabama sure do feel like it! People have been getting their pools cleaned up and ready for the first splash of summer, and my little one is itching for some fun in the sun and to make some waves in the water! But before we break out the sunscreen and dip our toes in the pool this year, there are a few things that have been on my mind when it comes to introducing my (almost) 2 year old to the swimming pool.

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Spring Cloth Diapers and Accessories from Lil Eco!

April 6, 2017 by Laura Tucker 42 Comments

I received these products complimentary in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own. I only promote what I truly love!

Now that the weather has warmed up significantly here in Alabama, we’ve been heading outdoors and enjoying the fresh spring air as much as possible (with allergy nose spray in hand, of course. This pollen has me sneezing so much!) My daughter has always loved being outside, and she recently took notice of a sweet little bunny rabbit that has made his home somewhere around the outskirts of our property. Many times when we walk outside in the evening before the sun sets, she’ll find the bunny nibbling on grass in our front yard. Her little heart fills up with SO much excitement, you can just feel the joy radiating from her. It totally makes my heart melt, y’all!

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