Breath Detection Baby Monitor

Hey guys! I was recently approached by a company to see if they could send me and test out their new baby monitor. I did my research before I said yes and was actually really excited about the concept of this system. The system that I have been testing out over the last few weeks is called the Smart Beat Baby Monitor with breath detection. As a first time mom, I was super anxious having Luke sleep in his room and actually he didn't sleep in there until he was around 8 months old I think (I really can't remember exactly). I had heard of a few companies that do a monitor system that alerts you when levels get too low, but most of those require them to wear something or lay on top of something, and I have heard mixed reviews about them being a little too sensitive. The last thing I wanted to do while I was getting my very precious (and rare) sleep, was to be alerted for something that wasn't even true, so I steered away from those ones. I was actually using a security camera and just zooming in on Luke to see if his back was moving up and down. But, as I'm sure you can imagine, that takes a lot of tedious work and time -- plus it only works if you are in the app. Since using this new system I am SO happy and impressed with it. It really gives me that peace of mind knowing that my baby is breathing well in his sleep.

I received my Smart Beat monitor in the mail a few weeks ago and it came in a super simple and sleek package. It only has two parts: the camera and the base. The set up was really easy, it comes with a small booklet that tells you to download the app and then that basically directs you how to do everything with short videos! I set up everything except for mounting it on the wall (which my husband did for me). I HIGHLY recommend mounting it because I first tried it just putting the camera on a shelf and I couldn't get as good of an angle and by mounting it you really get the best results!

This system has so many pros in my opinion. The camera quality is really clear and works great with the lights off too. You just open the app after you put baby to bed and click to start monitoring & click where baby is located. A small box appears on the baby's body and breath detection starts. It's actually super cool because after doing it enough times you can tell if your baby is awake by the breathing being higher and slowing down when they fall asleep. It will actually alert you too when baby has fallen asleep or woken up. It calls you when there is a breathing alert and the breathing has dropped too low. You will get an incoming call and it will say Breathing Alert. I have had a couple of them only because I went and got Luke out of his crib and didn't tell the app so it alerted me. After the alert it will ask you what was wrong, which I think is really cool too! They send you emails with tips on how to safely have your baby sleep in case the alerts were from a stuffed animal or blanket in the bed (which is not recommended at all). I am actually super excited to use this in the future on anymore babies that we might have! I think it would give me a lot more peace of mind especially on an infant, when they are so tiny and helpless! But I still do appreciate it on my 14 month old son.

I would say that the only real con is that the app drains your battery, so make sure you plug your phone in while you are sleeping! I am notorious for having a low battery so I especially need to be better with charging at night now.


**Where can you get it? You can purchase on their website www.mysmartbeat.com and receive $25 off by signing up for their newsletter! Or you can purchase on Amazon. They have a 1 year manufacturer's warranty and you can return it if you are not happy!**

Easy Fall Outfit Ideas

I hope I am not jumping the gun, but fall will be here before you know it and if you are anything like me, you LOVE fall fashion. I put together 8 easy fall outfit ideas with some great neutral, versatile pieces and some fun ones too :) Kept the same pair of shoes for 7 of them; which I found at Target on clearance for $12 in the Spring! I didn't have a brown pair of booties oddly enough. Loving warm tones for Fall (or basically every season really) and love how you can mix them with black still. Target has TONS of pieces that are in that color palette if you are like me and on a budget! Also, if you don't have a leather jacket, GO GET ONE! Sell some things you don't wear and go buy one! I've had this one for years and it has gotten soooo much use out of it! It's vegan leather actually and under $100, but looks super expensive. And FINALLY, I have been talking about these Mom Jeans from American Eagle nonstop, but seriously go try a pair on! They are so amazing. I have curves and find it hard to find boyfriend or Mom style jeans that still look flattering and these do the trick! Love the worn look and how timeless they are. I want them in black really bad and a pair with no holes so I can wear them to work on casual days. I hope you guys enjoy these outfits! I linked either each individual item or really similar ones!

Baby packing guide

I wanted to do a post on what I keep in my diaper bag/how I pack for a trip with a baby. I am not an absolute expert on packing for a baby, but I have picked up a few tips and tricks over the past few months that I found really helpful when packing for trips! We have gone on one long airplane trip (to Hawaii) and countless number of weekend getaways since having Luke. For me at least, when baby gets older it gets easier and you have less "stuff" you have to pack -- this was great for me because it can get super overwhelming at first!

Diaper Bag - I like to keep the diaper bag somewhere up front in the car so I can easily access it; I keep the rest of the stuff in the trunk to try to keep the clutter at a minimum (honestly though, its hard haha!)

A couple of gallon bags are always folded up and placed in the back pocket of the diaper bag just in case we aren't around a garbage and he has a dirty diaper or for wet/dirty clothes.

Wipes and Diapers (I usually just put a pack of wipes or if you have a small diaper bag do a ziplock with wipes to save room). I also ONLY try to put in 6 diapers or so in here to also save room. If we are going on a weekend getaway I will stuff a reusable grocery bag full of diapers and a pack of wipes and stick it in my trunk to take out when we get to our destination.

Hand sanitizer. Because, germs.

Itzyritzy Reusable Snack Bag: I actually use this as a medicine/toiletry bag and it works great!! I always keep the necessities in here because these things can be expensive and you don't use them a lot, so it is nice to bring them with! I keep dye-free tylenol in here and a syringe, teething tablets, nail clippers, saline spray for nose, nose frieda, wash cloth, hairbrush, travel-size container with baby wash, thermometer, toothbrush.

Beauty counter Baby Balm: this stuff is amazing and can be used for literally everything. Great thing to keep with! Can be used for rashes, dry skin, cuts, bumps, etc.

Sunscreen. I use Beautycounter (the lotion kind, not the spray) or Babyganics **I am a Beautycounter Consultant so email me if you are interested! I do make commission from it**

One pair of jammies and one extra outfit. I like to keep extra jammies because they are so easy to change into or if baby gets sick they are a lot more comfy for them! (rest of the clothes get packed in either my suitcase or my second diaper bag that I use just for clothes)

Bottle with two servings of formula. Just in case of emergency or if I decide to have a drink or something it is nice to have some extra stock!

Manual breast-pump; again, just in case!

Munchkin water bottle. My favorite "sippy cup" for Luke.

Swaddle blanket that could also be used as a nursing cover/blanket/changing pad/ etc.

Snacks/food; I usually just pack a couple of pouches, snacks and a spoon/bib. I will buy real food when we get to our destination.

Extras:

Baby carrier of some sort, High-chair (ours is so small we can take it apart and bring it anywhere!), whatever your baby will sleep in (pack and play, bassinet, etc.) A couple of toys. Luke honestly really isn't into toys that much, but bring a few small toys or books with! Usually babies are so amused with new environments that you don't need much!

For long road trips: Our baby does WAY better when there are no other people in the backseat with him. I try to time it right so he can nap almost the whole way, but if it is a super long road trip or your baby has a hard time falling asleep in the car they do make stands for phones or tablets that you can attach to the back of the seat. We got this one on Amazon and it worked great for our road trip to the Midwest.

https://rstyle.me/n/dp86nmchyb7
On the airplane:

The only thing I do different is I actually wear Luke in his carrier through security and I take 3 gallon bags and put inside each one: one diaper, wipes, extra outfit (I read this tip from someone else where they would put one diaper/wipes/change of clothes in each bag for each hour the plane-ride was...that way you can just grab one bag and go to the bathroom and change them if they need a diaper change/have a blow-out). I think that tip is great because if you have ever changed a diaper in an airplane bathroom, they are freakin' tiny!! So, less is definitely more.

Top 5 Favorite Non-Toxic Products

As some of you know, I am a consultant for Beautycounter, which is a safer beauty brand. I share lots of Beautycounter favorites on my Instagram, but I also have some favorite non-toxic products that are not Beautycounter brand and wanted to share those with you guys. I am all about trying to limit the amount of harmful chemicals and toxins in my life as much as I can, but still enjoy a good quality product. I am so happy that I have been easily able to swap some things out one-at-a-time in efforts to make my home a safer environment. I definitely believe in balance and not being extreme, but my motto is: every time you run out of a product, replace it with a cleaner, safer option! Here are my top 5 favorite non-toxic products of the moment:


1. Norwex Mop System

This thing is seriously AMAZING!! I have been using a cheap little mop with wet pads over the past few years and I love how well they work to clean my floor, but A) The pads are expensive and B) They are made with harmful chemicals and synthetic fragrances. I saw my IG friend from @paisleyprintsspokane post on her stories about this Non-Toxic Mopping system that looked like a more heavy-duty version of what I had been previously using. She said it was Norwex, which I had heard of before, but didn't know much about it besides the fact that it was non-toxic. She gave me the run-down on all of the details behind the product and how everything works. If you are interested in learning more about it you can research it or reach out to her on IG (the science/mechanics behind it all made perfect sense to me, but I want to make sure you get all of the bases covered, so make sure you ask someone who sells it!). It's basically a special cloth material made up of fibers that you just have to add water to and it effectively removes dirt and germs from your home/body/etc. She has been using it for years and said she had saved so much money on cleaning supplies because of the fact that you only have to use water and the quality is so amazing. I think it comes in a pretty rose gold color too! Seriously guys, this thing is amazing and makes me feel SO much better about my 1 year old crawling all over the floors and my dog eating scraps of food or chewing on toys that have touched the ground.

Lindsey's Norwex Link
http://www.lindseyjones3446.norwex.biz


2. Everyone Soap

This stuff is so great! It is really affordable and easily accessible, too. I see it at Target and the grocery store, which makes it nice because as much as I love to order stuff online, sometimes you just run out of something and need to run to the store ASAP to grab it! My favorite scent is the Coconut & Lemon scent. The soap is a 3-in-1 product so you can keep it anywhere that water is running! We use it in our shower as a body-wash and Chris uses it as a shampoo. We have it in our guest bathroom too and can also be used as a baby wash. Such a great product!



3. Doterra Lemongrass Essential Oil

My mom is a distributor for Doterra and she gave me this oil to put in my diffuser or add to a spray bottle for cleaning. I am not super brand-loyal on essential oils because I haven't really gotten super into them or anything, but I know I have a lot of friends that sell both Doterra or Young Living. I just really freakin LOVE this scent! It is sooo fresh and lemon-y. I put it in my Amazon bamboo color-changing diffuser and it just makes my house feel fresh and clean without spreading toxic fragrances into the air we are breathing!



4. Primally Pure Deodorant

I have only used the Charcoal Deodorant, but I know they have a bunch of other ones to pick from. I had messaged them before I purchased it and they said their best sellers are the Charcoal or the Blue Tansy, so I might try that one next. I just love this stuff and it actually works for me. I was super disappointed in a brand that I had tried prior after I found out they use Fragrance/Parfum in their products. I immediately found Primally Pure after this and have been obsessed. This is one of the first things you should change out in your beauty routine because conventional deodorants have so many toxic carcinogens in them. No one likes a stinky, sweaty armpit, and I think you guys will really like this brand!

https://primallypure.com/products/charcoal-deodorant

5. NKD SKN Self Tanner

I did a blog post a while back on this product (go to my beauty tab to read the whole post), but I have been using it for a lot longer now and have come to seriously LOVE this stuff! I don't know about you guys, but I feel 100% better with a nice tan on my fair-skin! I used to do the booth spray tans, which are nice because you don't have to apply anything yourself, but I know they use synthetic fragrances in the ones I was doing and some toxic preservatives too. Getting sprayed as often as I want to be tanned is also pretty expensive! The Dark Shade of the NKDSKN tanning mousse has been my favorite. It is so affordable and accessible, too. It runs about $20 and you can pick it up at Ulta! They have a bunch of other products too, but this has been my favorite. I actually just recently had to repurchase for the first time, so it lasted me a long time. Highly recommend!!

Amazon Fashion Favorites

Hey guys! I wanted to share with you guys some things from Amazon that are on my wishlist in case you have similar taste in style. I think these are all super good finds and almost all of them are affordable (I included the Frye boots, which are a little pricey, but such a good quality boot and you would really get a lot of wear for the price). I actually ordered the platform espadrilles, but they haven't come in the mail yet, so I will probably do a post on how to style them when I get them this week :) I am really wanting to get back into more consistently posting on here. I am sorry that I have been MIA, I think I can get easily caught up with wanting to be a perfectionist and thinking I need to have these perfect ideas or images to go with blogposts, when those aren't even the types of posts that I enjoy reading! I am actually thinking of starting up a YouTube Channel, but want to know if you guys would be interested. I actually used to have one a few years ago, but stopped posting because I was feeling a little uninspired. Anyways, I hope you guys like these items and think I will do Amazon or store-specific wish lists periodically.

Shop my Instagram

Cozy Loungewear

Hey guys! So, I was recently sent a pair of super cozy joggers from Pink Blush and I wanted to do a review on them. *Disclaimer: these were gifted to me, but I did get to pick them out amongst other pieces and as always I would never collaborate with a brand that I don't like myself!* If you guys didn't know, Pink Blush is a super cute online boutique for women. They are mostly known for their maternity clothing, but they also carry non-maternity clothing as well (I didn't know this until they reached out to me). I chose these super cozy lounge-y joggers because I noticed that I have been really reaching for lounge clothes over jeans lately and I only have black bottoms, so I wanted something a little different, but still in my neutral color palette. The joggers I chose come in two shades of gray. They are soooo buttery soft and stretchy! They have two big pockets, which are perfect for putting my cell phone or keys. I do find that these particular pants do run a little big, so make sure you size down, unless you want an oversized fit! I have already been wearing these nonstop to bed and around the house. I am sharing a couple of pictures that I took when I wore them a few different ways. You can easily throw on a plain tee or sweatshirt and slide sandals or a jean jacket and sneakers! So cute and casual. I think they would make GREAT coming home pants from the hospital or a great gift for a new mama. I will post the link below so you can shop them yourself. Make sure you check out all of their cute maternity clothes too if you are expecting!

Click the link below to shop the joggers!

http://www.pinkblushmaternity.com/p-45224-heather-grey-brushed-joggers.aspx?DepartmentID=2&utm_source=8146&utm_medium=collab

Sandals under $30

Summer is just around the corner and being a shoe person, I LOVE picking up a few pairs of affordable sandals before each summer so that I can change up all of my outfits! Gladiators, slides and platform sandals are my favorites for this summer, so that is what most of them are. I've picked up a few pairs from Walmart and Target that are under $20, but I wanted to include a bunch of different options all under $30! You guys know I love a good bargain, and I think these all are so cute for the price! Hope you enjoy! And if you end up getting any of them make sure you post a picture and tag me! I want to see them on!

Top baby buys: 6-9 months

Photo Credit: @ardourphoto

So, this time around I have less items because I just don't feel like I use as much stuff! Luke is currently almost 10 months old (omg where has the time gone?!) so I am a little late on this one :) Hope you guys enjoy and find these useful :)

1. Probably the best thing we bought during this time frame was the Ikea Antilop high-chair! It is seriously amazing! I LOVE how tiny it is. It's also extremely affordable and takes up no space in my house. I have seen a lot of girls I follow on Instagram use it and I just love the simplicity of how it looks. It's so easy to put together and the legs pop right off so you can bring it with you wherever you go. It's also such a life-saver for when you are trying to get things done around the house (just having a high-chair in general) and you can just put some snacks on the tray to occupy the baby and makes it really nice! I have even brought it to the hallway by the bathroom while I straighten my hair so I can keep Luke contained haha! I have heard people say the tray is really hard to put on and off and clean, but I just leave it on and clean it while it's still attached and haven't had any problems. This is also a great idea to keep an extra one at your parent's or in-law's because its so cheap!

Click the link below
https://tinyurl.com/yyejb8ry

2. Lillebaby Carrier (I think the Ergo is pretty similar): I really liked the Baby Bjorn for when Luke was little because it is SO easy to put on (the Lillebaby and Ergo's are a bit bulkier and have more pieces), but once he hit like 13 lbs or so it really killed my back because of how little support it has. My boss actually got me the Lillebaby and I had never heard of it before, but it is amazing! It has great back support, even with Luke weighing around 22 lbs right now. It is a little tricky to set up (I watched a few Youtube videos on it and eventually figured it out), but it is so worth it! This would be a great gift to go halves on for a good friend or sister for a shower!

3. This is not a baby buy, but something that I just HAD to include because whenever I go on a road trip it always comes in handy! If Luke is ever crying for a long period of time in the car and isn't tired, I play him this video on Youtube: Baby Rainbow Sensory Video. It is seriously magic and makes him stop instantly! I don't like to have him watch a whole lot of videos on my phone or anything, but this one is good for desperate times and it's mostly just a black screen with bright colored shapes!

4. Beautycounter Baby balm: Luke has super sensitive skin and this stuff works great for any kind of scratches or dry spots he has! I also used it as a moisture barrier on his chest when he had a bad teething rash and it helped everything heal! If you are interested you can use my link to shop it on the Beautycounter website (I am a consultant, so I do make commission off of it, but I swear I love this stuff!) This is an amazing multi-purpose product for babies and yourself! I use it on my cuticles and think it would make a great anti-stretch mark product too!

www.beautycounter.com/tiffanyoakes

5. Travel Stroller : We have the Nuna Pepp stroller and we have used it so much over the past few months! It is definitely not for off-roading or jogging, but it is the perfect travel stroller! It is so lightweight and folds down super flat. We took it on our Hawaii vacation and it was a life-saver! It pops-up so easily too! Definitely recommend getting the Nuna Pipa in a set with this because you basically get it for around $100-200 if you can find a sale!

6. Snacks: This is definitely my most cost-effective recommendation that I have given! I am not a Dr. by any means and not a baby-expert, so do your research on what kinds of foods are appropriate for your baby, but just snacks in general have been a huge life-saver! Especially for traveling on the airplane and going out to eat places, I like to break them up into super tiny pieces to make them last longer and it also helps them with their coordination! Our favorites are the Yogi's and Creamies by Happy Baby Organics and the Teether's by Happy Baby Organics.

7. Teething Kit: Teething can be super hard on babies and on parents too, so I found that having a little kit all prepared helped. In the kit I have: teething tablets, teething drops, teething toys that you can freeze and bibs. My favorite Teether's for Luke are the Itzy Ritzy teethers (they also have super cute teething mitts) and Sophie the Giraffe. I like the bandana bibs in this case because they can wear them with their outfits and don't look super obnoxious (these are mainly to just prevent the drool from sitting on their chest and causing a rash). I ordered a pack of organic ones from Amazon in black, white and gray for super cheap and they work great!

8. Crib Soother Aquarium: This thing is amazing! It has a few different settings you can choose so you can decide if you want ocean noise or classical music. It's basically just a little aquarium you can attach to the side of the crib for the baby to look at to help with falling asleep. Luckily, Luke does well in the car, otherwise this would be great to attach to the back of the seat too!

Top baby buys: 3-6 months

I feel like babies change sooo much so quickly, so I wanted to do a post on my favorite baby purchases for the last three months (that aren't already listed in my previous post). If you haven't checked out my 0-3 month favorite purchases make sure you check it out because almost all of those are still some of my favorite items during these last few months! During month 3 and 4, Luke started to be SO much more independent and has been a lot more okay with having me set him down and play for a while, which is great for the both of us! I am going to include favorites for both him and I and I'll post links to them all at the bottom! Also, let me know if you guys have any requests on blogposts that you want me to write! I would love to hear your feedback. :)


1. Exersaucer: I have this exact one and love it because it folds down to be completely flat (makes it great for travel!). It also converts to be a table for when he gets older and he can run toys across the top! Luke LOVES things with faces and I picked this one because it has big eyes on all of the characters. It doesn't seem too overwhelming either. For whatever reason, his favorite part of this is the bits of crunchy material on the seat that he grabs and chews on. He usually lets me put him in here for 15-20 min, which is awesome because he can play while I do some chores!

2. Boppy Lounger: This is something that I thought I would have used a lot more early on, but we haven't gotten much use until recently. Luke LOVES being on his back and grabbing his toes right now and with this lounger his head is elevated up just enough where he can see what's going on too! I usually throw a cozy blanket over the top of it and bring it everywhere (it's literally just a pillow so it's super light and makes for an easy spot to set baby down when you are doing chores or even taking a shower!). Plus, it's only $30, which is an amazing price point!

3. Lamb Plush: I got one of these as a gift from my friend after Luke was born. I was initially thinking this would be cute for milestone pictures, but I actually use it ALL THE TIME. We have hardwoods in our living room so it's really nice to have a flat, but cushy surface for Luke to do tummy time or just kick his feet around. I also bring this with me when we travel to change diapers on top of tables or harder surfaces (and throw a towel or blanket over the top). It rolls up to be super compact too.

4. Water Wipes: These are seriously the best wipes ever!! They are made of 99.9% water and 0.1% fruit extract, so they are super gentle on your baby. They always feel really "wet" and I only need one or two for all diapers. Luke has never gotten a diaper rash and I credit Water Wipes for that! They also make great wipes to just have around the house or in your car (to wipe off hands after eating or wipe spills around the car up with!)

5. Extra Diaper Bag: So good for overnight trips! I use one as my actual diaper bag and one with just all of his clothes and some extra toys. You really can use any one, but I have this one from Amazon. It's super affordable & fits quite a bit!

https://tinyurl.com/yd6hsero

6. Manual Breast Pump: This is sooo handy for anyone who is breast pumping and travels! I actually bought this because the motor on my pump went out and I was working the following the day, so I needed to buy something ASAP while I waited for my new pump to come. I hated using it at first because it really is quite a bit more work than the electric pump, but I have found several instances where it has come in handy! If you are going out to a wedding or date night without baby and you are planning on "pumping and dumping" (don't have to worry about storing the breast milk or anything). I went to a wedding and was gone for several hours and stored this in my tiny handbag super easily! It breaks down to be pretty compact so that was great. Also, road trips are a great instance where this comes in handy! If you have to pump to keep your supply up (or stop yourself from becoming completely engorged), but don't really want to stop you can use this in the car! Also, I highly recommend this exact one because I tried a cheaper one and it had way more parts and was harder to clean and use.

7. Mirror for Tummy Time: Luke hated tummy time so much until recently (he tolerates it, but it still isn't his favorite) & this really helped keep him happy. My mom got this on Amazon, but any mirror that stands up will do! Honestly, the quality of the actual mirror is pretty dull, but it does the job for them.

https://tinyurl.com/y7bss3h3

8. Nose Frida & Nail Frida: Baby fingernails grow so freakin fast! I clip Luke's once a week and I have (knock on wood) never cut the skin. The Nail Frida has a little extra window where you can see where you are about to clip down and the metal is super sharp so it clips them really easily. The Nose Frida has been a lifesaver too. I always felt like Luke was stuffed up in the morning so I started putting a little drop of saline in his nose and then using the Nose Frida to clear out his nostrils (I have heard you can overdo this, so I am not sure how frequently you can do it...maybe ask a doc!). It's SO easy and oddly satisfying (I know that sounds super gross, but everyone I know that has one says the same thing!). Worst thing ever though is when it's 2am and you are sleep deprived and accidentally suck the wrong end! So gross!

9. Bumbo Seat: I have a different version of this one, but I think the one with the tray is a better bang for your buck. Plus, the gray color is a lot cuter than the teal in my opinion :) This thing is awesome to put on the counter or table while you are cooking or eating (obviously you have to make sure you don't put it on the edge or anything!). I love how it's completely wipeable and compact so you can clean it off easily and bring it with you when traveling. This would be a great gift to get someone expecting a baby and even if you have a highchair this still serves a great purpose! I think Luke started using his at around 4.5-5 months and still uses it now at 6.5 months. We started feeding him solids in this seat too!