This post was sponsored by WaterWipes as part of an Ambassador Program for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review. 

We’re quickly approaching two! I know I can’t believe it either. Where has the time gone? With Emerson’s birthday barely two months away it has me thinking about our first year at home, among other things.

I was lucky enough to spent 3[ish] months at home with Emerson before returning to work. Then I was fortunate enough to work from home a few days a week before deciding to become a independent contractor 100% of the time. But enough about me — let’s talk about my sweet baby girl.

One of our favorite products from the first year was WaterWipes a chemical free baby wipe that contains only two ingredients, 99.9% pure Irish water and 0.1% grapefruit seed extract. Our girl has sensitive skin and after making the switch we noticed a significant decrease in diaper rash.

WaterWipes are both durable and effective without containing any of the harmful chemicals that may be found in other baby wipes, providing a safer, natural option for your little one.

It’s products like WaterWipes that I love sharing with new moms.

What’s you favorite first year memory or product?

Check out what other WaterWipes are saying about The First Year.

The post The First Year: Cherish all the Little Things appeared first on a Happy Healthy Home.

Through my ambassadorship with FitApproach, I was given the opportunity to review Baby Strong Workout. This post was sponsored by Baby Strong Workout. and FitApproach. As always opinions 100% my own.

There are two reasons I workout. One, I like the way it makes me feel and, two, to set a good example for Emerson. Now that I have a daughter not only do I need to be able to keep up with her, but I want to show her what it means to be fit and healthy. Life isn’t about being thin, it’s about being strong and fit.

While I workout a TON [as in more than I care to admit] and consider myself in decent shape, I still struggle with the mom bod [The 5 Stages of the Mom Bod – Home Sweet Ruby] Oh, the mom bod. It’s amazing what our bodies can do, but your body postpartum is a totally different story. So soft, so squishy.

Today, I’m a solid 130 lbs [fit update coming soon]. While most of the time you can find me at Crossfit or Spin classes, there are days I can’t make it to the gym or want to squeeze in an extra core workout. In that case I turn to my Baby Strong Workout cards [20% off with code SWEATPINK, exp. 2/29/16] and Emerson becomes my kettlebell.

About Baby Strong Workout: Baby Strong Workout is a set of cards featuring “mommy & me” exercises and customizable workouts for new moms. Invented by a mom and personal trainer, Baby Strong requires only mom + baby and is for mommies of all sizes, shapes and fitness levels. Feel strong, confident, and happy!

Five Baby Strong Workout Moves to Love:

1. Wall Squat [Lower Body]
Stand with your back against the wall holding your baby close. With your back touching the wall, lower yourself down, ideally forming a 90 degree angle with your legs. I suggest holding for a minute. Try 10 rounds resting 30 seconds between each round.

2. Lunge [Lower Body]
Stand holding your baby close. Step your right foot forward and slowly [4-8 counts] lower yourself down into a comfortable lunge position until  your left thigh is parallel to the floor.  Pause at the bottom and slowly [4-8 counts] rise up and step your foot back to the standing position. Repeat and alternate between legs.

3. Russian Twists [Core]
I work on core EVERYDAY! Sit on the floor with your knees bent, holding your babying front of you. Lean back [keeping your back in natural alignment] to engage your core. Slowly twist baby to the right side. Pause then slowly twist to the left. Try 3 set of 10.

4. Boat Balance [Core]
Sit on the floor with your knees bent, holding your baby in front of you. Lean back [keeping your back in natural alignment]  to engage your core.  Slowly lift your knees up . pause and hold for 20 second. Repeat rest 5-10 seconds between each rep. You can increase the intensity of the exercise by straightening your arms/legs and lifting baby further out.

5. Baby Bridge [Core]
Lie face up on the floor with your knees bent, your feet flat on the floor, and your baby sitting at the pelvis level. Raise your hips so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Pause then lower your body back to the starting position.

Thoughts about Baby Strong Workout Cards

While working out with a baby is great when I’m in a pinch, It’s not something I do everyday. Plus, the older Emerson gets the harder it gets. Sometimes she would prefer to sit next to me and play with toys while I work on core.

Overall, the Baby Strong Workout cards are great for postpartum mamas just cleared for exercise or mama getting back into shape. Plus, they’re extremely easy to use. The deck includes a warm up, text and photo instructions for each exercise, four workout sections [upper body, lower body, core and total body],  as well as pre-made circuits.

Happy sweating!

The post Baby Strong appeared first on a Happy Healthy Home.

I know all the girl mamas can relate when I say GAP’s spring line is on point. Oh, the rompers, cute dresses, bathing suits, etc. I can’t help myself from wanting to buy everything!

While I haven’t hit purchase yet, I’m definitely going to pick up a few pieces. Maybe for her Easter basket Speaking of baskets I still need to order her one. I spaced last year, oops. Anyway I’m eying this and this one from PBK.

Back to all things cute and GAP…

Per usual, Gap is having a major sale. Kids & Baby Sale – Up to 40% off everything + extra 20% off [CODE: KBTREAT]. Restrictions Apply Exp. 01/30/2016

Don’t forget to shop through Ebates too and receive an additional 2% cash back! Not using Ebates sign up HERE.

The post Mini Me #GAPStyle appeared first on a Happy Healthy Home.

owl | fox | dress | moccasins

Emerson is turning one on Friday! Needless to say I’m in full planning mode. Her invitations went out a few weeks ago, but I still need to pull the rest of the party details together. We’re going with a wild one ‘woodland’ themed party.

The plan is to keep it minimal and modern. I mean she’s only turning one. Think burlap, wood rounds, fun treats and some pink and mint.

Above pretty much sums up what I’m thinking — various photos form the year. homemade cake, small bites, a cute crown or highchair banner, wild one print outs and a treat for later…. just to mention a few.

As for her outfit [because my sister is concerned] she’ll be rocking something sassy. A fur vest might even be involved. Either way I love how timeless the chambray dress and moccasins look.

Regarding her birthday gift we splurged and bought her a new carseat as her birthday/christmas gift. We’re practical parents/people. However, we’ll probably purchase a couple of new board books and contribute money to her college fund. Yes, girlfriend already as a college fund. It’s never too early to start saving!

It’s all coming together and we can’t wait to celebrate ONE year!

BOOKS ON HER LIST:

The post Wild + One Birthday Ideas appeared first on a Happy Healthy Home.

Oh my goodness, Emerson turns one in nine days! I really don’t know where the last year went. Her birthday party is set and I’ve mailed the invites, but it might be time to start working on party details. Until then lets chat about a few items we’ve loved over the last three months.

PBK My First Anywhere Chair [$89] – I’ve mentioned this chair before, but Emerson just loves this chair. In the last month she finally learned how to sit in it on her own. Oh and she can get out of it safely.

Plum Organics Super Puffs [ $21, 8pk] – Girlfriend would rather feed herself. When we’re on the go or she just needs a little something these are a lifesaver. We’ve tried other brands, but the Plum Organics Puffs don’t upset her tummy like other brands. We also like their pouches as well as Earth’s Best and Ella’s Kitchen.

Columbia Fleece Bunting [$26 on sale] – We love our bunting suits! This suit is perfect for fall, winter and early spring walks. We even have this down suit for snowy days.

Books – Emerson LOVES being read too. During the day if I’m sitting on the floor she’ll bring a book over and sit in my lap. It’s the cutest thing ever. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt [$6] is a household favorite.

VTech Busy Learners Activity Cube [$15 on sale] – Emerson has a lot of toys, but typically pulls the same toys out of her basket. This cube provides hours of entertainment and learning.

VTech Touch and Swipe Baby Phone [$14 on sale] – Girlfriend always wants to play with our phone, but now she has her own. On a side note, Emerson seems to really like her VTech toys.

Fisher-Price SnugaMonkey [$37] – Emerson absolutely LOVES this baby. It was a Christmas gift from Santa [aka Auntie Brittnay] and she’s been carrying it around the house ever since. It’s a sleepytime toy. When you push the stomach it glows and play soft tunes.

Nike Kids Free 5 (Infant/Toddler) [$48] – I picked up a pair for $13 at the Nike outlet! Baby shoes are just too cute.

Tommee Tippee Sippee Cup [$7, 2pk] – We’ve been introducing sippy cups over the last few months and Emerson seems to like these the best.

Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Diaper Rash Ointment [$6 on sale] – Hands down the BEST baby butt cream.

What are your must have toddler items?

The post Baby Gear | 9-12 Month Favorites appeared first on a Happy Healthy Home.

Graco SnugRide® Click Connect 30 Infant Car Seat

Let me tell you there are a lot of options out there. After researching for weeks I finally made a decision! Before I reveal which car seat we purchased let’s meet the top contenders.

There are 100s of car seats to choose from, but only a few are top contenders [IMO]. I’ve narrowed it down to a few worth looking at. Once you get to this point it all comes down to personal preference,  the baby, style, price and car fit. If purchasing online I suggest Amazon or Diapers.com because of the awesome free shipping and return policies. For a limited time, save 15% on select Baby Products sold and shipped by Amazon with code 15OFFBABY!

The below car seats include the following key features:
+ 5-point harness (two shoulder straps, two waist straps, and one strap between the legs that meet in the middle)
+ side-impact protection (extra foam or air pads at the side of baby’s head)
+ compatibility with the LATCH system (a way to fasten the base tightly without using seatbelts)

CHICCO
Chicco NextFit [$299] – Available in grey, pink/black and burgundy/black.
Chicco NextFit CX [$329] – Available in grey.
Chicco NextFit [$349] – Available in four colors including black, blue and pink.

BRITAX
Britax Marathon G4.1 [$289/ currently $199] – Available in six colors/prints including  black, kiwi and pink giraffe.
Britax USA Marathon ClickTight [$329/ currently $264] – Available in five colors including red, grey and purple.

MAXI-COSI
Maxi Cosi Pria 70 [$274] – Available in 15 colors black, grey, tan red, pink and various prints.
Maxi-Cosi Pria 85 [$299] – Available in nine colors including  black, navy, grey, pink and teal.


GRACO
Graco Size4Me 65  [$179/ currently $169] – Available in six colors/prints including black, green and tan.
Graco 4ever All-in-One [$299] – Available in black, red, pink, and black/white stripped. Includes booster seat option. You’ll never have to buy another car seat. Best bang for your buck.

OTHER
Diono Radian RXT [$289] – Available in six colors including black, red, tan, grey and purple.

Please note, there are a number of very safe optionss under $200, but I was in the market for something above just a basic car seat. [i.e., built-in cup holders, plush fabric, etc.]

We ended up purchasing the Maxi-Cosi Pria 85 in Loyal Grey! We’ve only had it for a few days, but we love it.  It came down to the Graco 4ever All-in-One Car Seat and Maxi-Cosi Pria 85. Each car seat had it’s pros and cons, but we loved the Maxi-Cosi Pria 85 features a little more.

Do you have kids? What convertible car seat did you purchase?

The post Convertible Car Seat Shopping Guide appeared first on a Happy Healthy Home.

Yup, I’m talking about Christmas pjs before Thanksgiving. You know you’ve been browsing sites looking for the prefect christmas pajamas for your little one. There’s just something about wearing new pajamas on christmas morning. Growing up we always opened one gift, picked out by our parents, on christmas eve. It was always a new pair of pajamas, that we quickly put on. Christmas photos are more fun when you have cute christmas pajamas on! I can’t wait to carry on the tradition with Emerson.

After searching high and low, I ended up buying this GAP pj set for Emerson. From $10 to $40 these pajama sets are the best of the bunch. Tip from your blogger — shop early before sizes run out.

Happy Shopping!

Have you purchased pjs for kiddos yet? What’s your Christmas morning tradition?

GAP
$23.96 [on-sale] – Festive Deer graphic sleep set [additional prints available]
$26.95 – Brannan bear print sleep set [available in red; one-piece black and pink]
$26.95 – Penguin print sleep set
$26.95 – Snow globe sleep set
$26.95 – Let it Snow sleep set
$27.96 [on-sale] – Festive snowman footed one-piece
$27.96 [on-sale] – Traditional printed sleep set [available in fa-la-la, dots and stripes]

OLD NAVY
$10 [on-sale] – Printed Deer PJ Set [dust bunny pink]
$12 [on-sale] – Snow-Horse Sleep Set in pink

$14 [on-sale] – Red Tree Set
$14 [on-sale] – Light Bulbs Printed Footed Sleeper

POTTERY BARN KIDS
$29.50 – Pin Dot One Piece Pajama
$36.50 – Santa’s Workshop Cotton Tight-Fit Pajama
$44 – Santa’s Sleigh Flannel Pajama
$44 – Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch Flannel Pajama

CARTER’S [Entire site is 50% + an extra 25% off with code: VETDAY25]
$20 [Sale: $10] – Snowman 2-Piece Snug Fit Cotton PJs
$20 [Sale:$10] – Red Polka Dot Fleece 1-piece

OSH KOSH B’GOSH [Entire site is 50% + an extra 25% off with code: VETDAY25]
$24 [Sale: $12] – One Piece Zip Snow Flake [Available in Red]
$24 [Sale: $12] – One Piece Zip Red Tree with Polka Dots
$26 [Sale: $13] – Dashing through the Snow Set

OTHER
$12.99 – Target Holiday Elf Pajama Set; Holiday Fairisle Pajamas
$34 – Nordstrom ‘My First Christmas’ Velour One-Piece
$38 – Nordstrom Holiday Print Organic Cotton Fitted One-Piece Pajamas
$36 – Janie & Jack Fair Isle Pajama Set [pink]

The post Baby + Toddler Christmas PJs appeared first on a Happy Healthy Home.

Technically Emerson turns nine months next week, but I think we’re safe to chat about some of our favorites over the last few months. We’re still loving and using some of the 3-6 month favorites too!

Highchair | Emerson has been eating from her big girl chair since she was six months old. She actually feeds herself too! We don’t have this particular highchair, but we do have one with wheels — it was a hand-me-down. I love this one because it’s a good mix of modern and functional.

Baby Brezza | We make Emerson’s food 90% of the time. The Brezza makes making baby food easy. It steams and cooks! All you have to do it wash and chop.

Walker | Someone really loves to stand. We introduced a walker around seven months. She’s been on the move ever since.

Toys | Emerson loves to sit and play! Other than the walker her go-to toys include the Sassy Rock and Roll Ring Stacker, Fisher-Price Butterfly Shape Sorter and Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Piggy Bank.

Bibs | Girlfriend LOVES to fee herself, but things can get messy. These bibs are great! They catch about 90% of the food she drops. Plus, you just rinse them off and they’re ready to go.

Fleece Sleepwear | It’s starting to get cooler at night so emerson is back to wearing fleece pjs. We love Carter’s because they are so affordable!

Childhood Blanket | Ah, the softest blanket in the world. We love our Lulujo Baby Childhood Blanket [c/o]. Check out our full review HERE.

What are some your 9-12 month favorites?

The post Baby Gear | 6-9 MONTH FAVORITES appeared first on a Happy Healthy Home.

First, OMG, I have a six month old! Tune in tomorrow for a full recap until then these are just a few of our favorite things.

Skip Hop Play Mat | We still use this — a lot. I like to place Emerson on her play mat for independent play in the morning. She lasts about 15-20 minutes most days, but sometimes she wants nothing to do with it.

Lulujo Baby Mini Muslins Cloths {c/o} | I raved about Lulujo Baby a few months back and we’re using them daily. I keep a mini muslin cloth in my purse and diaper bag at all times. Girlfriend even thinks they’re a toy and likes playing with them.

Halo SleepSack {c/o} | Emerson is still using her Halo SleepSack everyday — even for naps. I think it’s comforting to her. It’s as though she knows it’s bedtime when I put it on her.

Lamaze Baby Toy, Muffin the Moose | Stuffed animal meets baby toy. Emerson loves her moose. At this point she mainly chews on it.

BOB Stroller | We’re not running yet, but long walks and hills. Emerson loves the stroller and typically falls asleep before we make it home. The BOB is big so I haven’t traveled with it yet. Plus, she was really small our first two trips making it easy to just use our Boba Wrap. That wont be the case next time — so, we’ll see how it goes. I should note this is the only stroller we own so basically I’m going to make it work.

Bumbo | We started using the Bumbo right at 3 months and she loved sitting it in while we cooked dinner. Just recently she graduated to the highchair.

Carter’s Embroidered Romper | Summertime and the livin’s easy… We love our rompers. Between Carter’s and GapBaby I can’t help myself.

Vulli Sophie Giraffe | Every baby needs Sophie in their lives. We have the rattler size too. Word to the wise — you want both sizes. The rattler was perfect at 3 months. Like I mentioned above she puts EVERYTHING in her mouth and she love chewing on Sophie.

Ergobaby Performance Collection | We’re still big fans of baby wearing. These days we’ve been mostly using the Ergo. The buckles make it really easy to get on and off. However, our Boba & Happy wraps are much more comfortable.

Philips AVENT Natural Bottle | Back in May miss thing decided she didn’t want to take the bottle anymore. It was so hard the two days a week I was in the office. Well we figured it out. She didn’t like the Dr. Browns bottles anymore. Thank god I only had to try out one bottle! It took a few attempts, but after a week she decided she liked the Philips Avent Natural bottles and hasn’t looked back. She even like’s the Life Factory bottles which I’m very pleased about.

Babyganics Sunscreen SPF 50 | It’s summer so naturally we need sunscreen. This is by far our favorite. Honest was the worst — sooooo greasy.

Fisher-Price Jumperoo | Best $25 I’ve spent on Craigslist. These things can run about $100, but they are seriously worth it. Emerson LOVES the jumperoo. This particular jumperoo turns 360, has 12 interactive toys, various noises and three adjustable heights. I suggest buying used if you can since the weight limit is 25 lbs.

DOHM White Noise Machine | It’s doesn’t matter what you have — you’ll just want a white noise machine. I know a lot of other blogger who have the DOHM and love it. We were in a bind one night and just found static on an old clock radio and it worked! Best part we didn’t have to spend $50. That’s a win in my book. Anyway if you don’t have a old clock radio I would recommend buying this white nose machine.

Alright mamas what are some of your favorite 6-9 month items?

The post Baby Gear // 3-6 Month Favorites appeared first on a Happy Healthy Home.

We’ve tried a few different brands, but keep going back to the HALO® SleepSack® Wearable Blanket. We love that she has plenty of room to move, it’s sleeveless (nice for warm summer months), and zips open from her feet to neck. The zipper makes it nice for diaper changes. The sleepsack is available in a variety of prints/colors, materials (cotton or fleece) and sizes (up to 5T). I plan on buying a fleece sleepsack for winter — it gets cold in Tahoe! You can’t beat the price for peace of mind either. Plus, Emerson has learned when the sack goes on it’s time for bed. #winning

They also have a bassinet for parents wanting infants to sleep in their room during the first few months. My friend Jane actually has one and loves it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Baby Gear // HALO SleepSack Giveaway appeared first on a Happy Healthy Home.