Ashlee and Her Tribe

Lifestyle + Motherhood Blog

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My Breastfeeding Journey

I wanted to share my journey nursing my daughter for 20 amazing months. Before I get started I want to say I know breastfeeding isn’t for everyone and some have a harder time with it than others. At the end of the day all that matters is baby and mom are happy and healthy. I was bottle fed and I turned out just fine. At least I think I did lol!

A little back story on my breastfeeding history with my other 2 kids. I have been blessed to have always had an easier time with nursing. My children always latched on right away and I never had a problem producing milk. I know some aren’t as lucky. The one piece of advice I can offer is don’t give up! Once you hit the 6 week mark it should get easier. If you struggle with milk supply try your best to nurse on demand. I have found from my experience nursing on demand is the KEY to things working out. Don’t worry about schedules and how often you should nurse. When the baby is showing signs that he or she wants to nurse do it and everything will fall into place. Some cues are smacking lips, eating his/her fists, rooting.. If the baby falls asleep at the breast before emptying try and undress them to wake them. If that doesn’t work let them sleep and eventually they will wake to nurse again. The early days are exhausting and it feels like all you do is nurse. These days will quickly end and it will all be worth it. I promise!  

Hudson- I nursed for 6 months. I went back to work and pumped for 2 more months, so he could take a bottle of breast milk while at daycare. I found pumping to be overwhelming and stopped. He then had Earth’s best formula around 8 months until he went straight to milk at 1 year. 

Everett- I became a stay-at-home mom so, I exclusively nursed him for a year. He never took a bottle and I was fine with that. Besides a few clogged milk ducts our nursing journey was wonderful. On the night of his 1st birthday I decided to end the relationship. I rocked and cuddled him then offered him his pacifier and placed him in his crib. I was sad the journey was over but happy to get back to myself. He asked to nurse a few times after I weaned and I would try my best to distract him or simply just hold him. 

Winter- We nursed for 20 months and I still cannot believe we went that long! I always envisioned exclusively nursing her for a year and then weaning her. I was home with her and never felt the need to offer a bottle. I hate to pump and found it easier to just pop her on the boob when she was hungry or needed extra comfort. Our nursing relationship was always when she wanted it and I was ok with that. When a year hit I didn’t feel ready to wean her. It may be because she is my 3rd baby and probably my last. I didn’t want it to end and either did she. I kept saying one more month and then I would wean. I was busy over the summer with the boys off from school and I just found it easier to nurse.

When Winter was around 16 months old we were down to about 4 nursing sessions a day. (Morning, before her nap, after her nap, and before bedtime). I eventually cut the session after her nap. I would offer her water and a snack. At 18 months I cut out all day time nursing sessions. I would make sure to snuggle her up if she seemed like she needed it. I then ended the AM session shortly after. If she asked for it I would distract her and offer her breakfast or her blanket. The last session I held on to was before bed. It was a special bonding time for the both of us. I found it peaceful and relaxing to connect with her as she drifted off to sleep.

One fall day I remember I looked at Winter and saw a little girl and not a baby. (Tears) Shortly after, I decided we would no longer nurse before bed. We laid in her bed talked about our day and sang a few songs while she held her blanket. When she wanted to nurse I told her “No all done mommy has a boo boo”. She seemed concerned and then whined a bit. I settled her into bed and she eventually fell asleep. The next night when she asked to nurse and I said all done she got very very upset. In fact she had a full blown tantrum. It broke my heart she kicked and screamed for it. I almost gave in but thought that won’t be good for either one of us. She eventually calmed down and I snuggled her and made sure she felt loved. She asked a few more times that week and would cry a little. She then caught on fast and was over it!

I was sore and engorged for about 1 week. I pumped a tiny bit 3x to relieve some pressure. I think around day 10 I dried up. For about 6 weeks after I felt unbalanced emotionally. I was a little depressed and happy to have my body back for myself all at the same time. I now feel back to myself as I write this post about 3.5 months later.

Nursing is such a special bond built on tears of frustration in the beginning. If you don’t give up it is worth it. I look back on time spent nursing and it warms my heart. My little girl is almost 2 now and she is so busy and independent. My boys are 7 and 6. I will forever cherish my time spent nursing them all. I am proud of my dedication and what my body is capable of!

xoxo

Ashlee

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Why you should slow down in your daily life.

The United States residents, in general, live a very fast-paced, hectic lifestyle with no time to slow down and really smell the roses. This is very different from how people live in Europe, especially in Italy.

In 1986, Italy founded the slow food movement, which promoted traditional, regional cuisine, as well as sustainable farming. The slow food movement progressed into a slow life movement.

Italy was the birthplace of another slow initiative as well – the Cittaslow movement that tries to improve the quality of life in cities by promoting a slower lifestyle, protecting the built and natural environment, and resisting standardization and celebrating the local uniqueness of cities. Now, Italy is known for their slow living and slow eating, which makes life much simpler, much easier, and much happier (for most, at least).

Since slow living promotes real food, happiness, and a stress-free style of living, it’s very good for your health. According to Very Well Mind, “When faced with chronic stress and an over-activated autonomic nervous system, people begin to see a negative impact on their health. The first symptoms are relatively mild, like chronic headaches and increased susceptibility to colds. With more exposure to chronic stress, however, more serious health problems may develop.

The effects of stress impact us emotionally as well, which is a truth both obvious and often ignored. While some stress may produce feelings of mild anxiety or frustration, prolonged stress can lead to burnout, anxiety disorders, and depression. A study of stress in America by the American Psychological Association shows that a large proportion of people (roughly one-quarter of respondents) feel their stress levels are harmful to their physical and emotional health and feel they aren’t doing enough to manage the stress. While short-term stress is usually harmless, prolonged stress can have serious implications for your health.”

Since a slow lifestyle promotes happiness, reduces stress, and helps your health thrive and flourish, I highly recommend slowing down, which will allow yourself to soak in the small moments – the moments that actually matter. Here are a few ways that you can slow down in your daily life:

Eat Real Food

The main goal behind the Italian slow eating movement was to promote real food. Food that is local, sustainable, and healthy. Although there is some processed food in Italy, there is not much. This makes meal and cooking times longer because you have to cook each ingredient, but the health benefits are very much so worth it. If there is anything to really soak in and use at home (from the Italian lifestyle), it is this. Avoid processed foods, shop at local farmers markets, and take the time to actually cook good, healthy meals for yourself.

Get Fresh Air Each Day

Getting fresh air each day will make you happier and healthier. It doesn’t matter what you are doing to get the fresh air – just do it. Take walks around the block or around the park, garden, do an outdoor workout, or read a book outside. Fresh air can actually help you boost your immune system, it can give you a greater sense of happiness, and it can energize you.

Work Less

I understand that you need to work, in order to make money, but do what you can to limit your workload, in order to reduce your stress. One great way of limiting your workload is by hiring help. For example, if you need marketing help, consider hiring a company such as NJ SEO for SEO Services NJ. NJ SEO is a full-service New Jersey marketing agency that provides and develops effective content strategies for forward-thinking companies. They offer professional SEO services that help websites increase their organic search score, which allows them to compete for the highest rankings, no matter how competitive the keywords are.

Matt Anton is the former online marketing manager of Liberty Travel and is currently in charge of client strategy and execution at NJ SEO. He is listed in the top 62 SEO marketers, has been cited as an SEO expert and has many endorsements and recommendations, as well. Matt, along with NJ SEO is committed to providing an outstanding service that is custom-made for each client, no matter how big or small the business is. If you are looking to turn your visitors into customers, improve your organic search ranking and gain more traffic without having to do the work yourself, then look no further than NJ SEO.

Be Present When it comes down to it, the whole premise behind the slow lifestyle movement is to be present in your life. Italians have slow meals to not only eat whole, healthy foods but also to allow themselves to spend time with their family and friends. Being present does not mean sitting behind a phone screen. Put your screens down, focus on the people you are with (and/or the things you are doing), and really allow yourself to soak in these memories that you are making.

So, as you can see, slowing down your daily life not only makes you happier but can help with your stress levels, as well. How are you going to start slowing down?


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My Christmas Tree Story

This blog post is in partnership with Tree Classics.

For me the holidays are like taking a trip down memory lane. I always think about traditions and happy experiences from years past. Nothing signifies this emotional feeling more than a Christmas tree. The ornaments are like chapters in my book of life. This year I had my mother who passed away in mind when I began envisioning my tree. My family always found peace in believing that cardinals help the departed communicate with us. I wanted my tree to be topped with a red cardinal in a beautiful golden feather nest in honor of my mom. We hung everyone in my family’s 1st Christmas ornaments. From my husbands, to mine, my brother’s and our 3 children’s.

Our tree is from Tree Classics it’s their Colorado Blue Spruce snap tree. It is prelit with LED lights that can be clear or colored with a click of a button. The snap technology makes it easy to put up and take down and store. It comes in 2 pieces. My favorite part about the tree is that after you fluff the branches it looks full and realistic! Our burgundy and gold velvet tree skirt and the burgundy and gold ornaments adds a regal look to our Christmas display. This is exactly what I had in mind when I partnered with Tree Classics because to me my mother was a women of class, elegance, and beauty.

I decorated the fireplace with our Pottery Barn monogrammed stocking. I wanted to do a silver and red color theme since our tree was done with touches of gold.
Our living room is decorated with red poinsettias. I want to get more for this room so when you walk in it’s a sea of red flowers.
I decorated the shelves in the living room with my mom’s Santa collection.
Dining room table all decorated for Christmas Eve dinner that we are hosting.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours! Thanks for reading my blog post. Leave me a comment below about what makes your Christmas tree special this year.
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Ashlee

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Kid’s Holiday Gift Guide 2018

Christmas is a special time of year. As a parent nothing is more rewarding then seeing the magic of Christmas through your children’s eyes! This is my 8th year celebrating Christmas as a mama. Based on my mom experience I thought I would round up my all time FAVORITE toys and list them for you below.
*You can directly shop the items listed by clicking on the bold title. I listed the price I found on the toys at the time I was creating this blog underneath the pictures. Some prices may change.
Ages 10 Months and above

Ages 2 years and up
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Older kids 4 years and up
This holiday season, give a gift that will keep on giving all year long! The IncrediBundles.com
Diaper Subscription Gift is the foolproof holiday present perfect for giving to anyone who is
expecting a baby or who has a little one in diapers.
Here’s how it works. You choose to give a 3-Month , 6-Month , 9-Month or Year of Diapers
Subscription. Upon your purchase, IncrediBundles.com will ship a beautiful announcement
package featuring a premium plush teddy bear that holds a certificate announcing your gift.
This certificate includes your recipient’s unique activation code that they can use to redeem their
diapers each month on IncrediBundles.com. It all comes bundled together in one of the
company’s trademark chic reusable storage boxes, perfect for presenting at a holiday event.
Recipients choose the brand and size diapers they would like to receive each month and select
from all of the major brands – Pampers, Huggies, Luvs and Members’ Mark. Their diapers are
delivered straight to their door each month!
Want to give a little one the gift of a lifetime love of reading? IncrediBundles.com makes it easy
with an assortment of Book Bundles perfect for gifting to babies and toddlers. Each
IncrediBundles.com Book Bundle features a carefully curated selection of the best titles for
babies and toddlers in premium board book formats. Our bestselling Baby’s First Books
Bundles and Bedtime Book Bundles are filled with books that are essential for any child’s first
library. Each IncrediBundles.com Book Bundle arrives beautifully packaged in one of the
company’s reusable storage containers, perfect for corralling books and toys stylishly
throughout the house.
Finally, be sure to check out IncrediBundles.com’s line of Bath Bundles . Babies and toddlers
are experts at getting dirty. An IncrediBundles.com Bath Bundle makes getting clean just as
fun! Each Bath Bundle features a fun animal-themed hooded bath towel along with an
assortment of fun toys that will make bath time their favorite time of day.
Looking for the foolproof holiday gift this season? IncrediBundles.com has you covered.
I hope you liked the gift ideas I listed in this blog post. I tried to do a lot of STEM, sensory, and imaginative play ideas all at different price and age points.
Wishing you and your family a blessed Holiday Season!
xoxo
Ashlee

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Winter’s Girly Bedroom

We have been working hard on turning Winter’s nursery into a girly sophisticated room she can grow into. Last year when we moved into our new house her nursery was painted a navy blue. (Scroll to the end of this post to see before pictures). I wanted to repaint the room right away. I decided to wait until we were ready to move her into a big girl bed. When Winter turned 18 months we felt it was time to start the process. I am so excited to share with you all her new beautiful room. I linked everything at the very end of this blog post!
Winter spent her first night in her new bed and it went amazingly. We kept her bedtime routine the same. I still nurse her before she goes down at night. I am ready to wean her but I understand this is a process. She is still holding on to that night time session so, I have been letting her have it very briefly. She understood that the rocking chair is now gone from her room. Instead of looking for me to sit and hold her she jumped into bed. I spent some time with her in her bed, and then when I was ready to leave I said good-night. I explained once again she would be sleeping in her bed. She whined for a few minutes. I kept watching the monitor like a crazy person. She actually stayed in the bed!! She rolled around a bit and snuggled with her favorite security blanket. She eventually fell asleep after 10 minutes in the opposite direction of her bed. She slept the whole night. In the morning I heard her talking to herself on the monitor. I went in her room and made a HUGE deal about how she did an awesome job sleeping in her bed. Now nap time has been a challenge because, it is light out and she can get out of the bed. I let her roam her room and then after a few minutes I put her back in her bed. I had to do this many times but eventually I won and she passed out for her nap.
If you are planning on transitioning your toddler to a bed don’t be nervous. Both my boys slept in big boy beds around 18 months too. We never had a problem. I never did a toddler bed, because I found them to be a waste. Children grow quickly and once you get them used to a toddler bed you will have to get them used to a “bigger” bed all over again.
Some tips for transitioning your child to a bed
  1. Talk to them about what is happening. Get them involved in the process. Take them bed/bedding shopping. Even at 18 months-2 years of age they understand!
  2. You can always start with the mattress on the floor the first few nights and then move it to the bed.
  3. Put up railings so they still feel safe and can’t roll out of the bed. We didn’t use rails this time but decided to arrange the bed against the wall and put the tall dresser on the other side.
  4. Keep your bedtime routine the same as it was when they were in the crib.
  5. Put a safety lock at the top of the door so they cannot get out in the middle of the night and roam the house (I never did this but I know mom’s who have).
  6. If they get out of bed be FIRM. Pick them up without giving them much of a reaction. The only thing you should say is “time for you to go to sleep in your big girl bed, Night night” Leave and shut the door. Repeat this process as much as possible. Don’t go in the room right away. Each time give them a few minutes before you go in. Give them little reaction and hardly any words. Let them know they are safe and you are there if they need you but it is time for sleep! I promise it gets easier and they give up and pass out.
  7. Use a security item (stuffed animal, special pillow, or in our case her beloved blanket) When I leave the room I tell her go night night with your blanky and that seems to give her peace.
  8. Sound machine, dark room, and calming oils help!
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Now on to the bedroom make-over
The first thing we did for her room make-over was say goodbye to the navy walls. We used a primer and then one coat of paint. Intense white by Benjamin Moore. I love this color because if it has a soft shade of grey to it. If you read my blog post on our master bedroom you will see I used that color in our room as well.
Winter’s bed is from a company I found on Instagram called Purveyor. They make custom beds in the USA. I noticed they did toddler house beds and I thought they were adorable! I decided not to do a toddler bed only because I didn’t want to have to transition her out and get another bed in a few years. I wanted a bed she can grow with and keep in the years to come. When I saw they did a canopy bed, I knew we had to have it for her. My husband and son put it together. Winter and I helped a little 😉 …

Her frilly and functional bedding is from a company called Beddy’s. I saw them on Shark Tank once and thought the idea of zip-up bedding was genius!! I spent awhile on their website trying to decide what set I wanted for her. They have a lot of great options. I love the color purple paired with gold. When I saw the lavender bedding I knew this was the set! I love how soft the fabric is. It is so easy to make the bed. I now want Beddy’s bedding for Hudson’s and Everett’s beds too. Their room needs a makeover that’s my on list.. Stay tuned for that blog post.

Lamps. I found these lamps on an Instagram page called Levtex Baby. I love the gold base because it matches the handles on her dressers perfectly. The flowers on the lamp shade are a soft pretty touch! I just love these lamps.
Wall decal with her name and gold dots really adds an extra tough to the grey walls. I wanted to do gold to tie in with the lamps, furniture knobs, and the gold dots on her blanket. It’s really pretty and is something she can keep up in the years to come. I love the felt circle garland in aqua. It adds a pop of color to her room without over doing it.
Before Pictures:

We spray painted Winter’s dresser knobs from navy to gold. First we soaked them in paint thinner to restore the original antique looking gold color. Then we spray painted them a chrome gold.
Below I linked everything listed. If I didn’t link something and you have a question leave it in the comments. Also share any tips in the comments for transitioning your toddler out of their crib.
Thanks for reading ,
xoxo
Ashlee
LINKS

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Anxiety + Butterfly Pea Flowers

I think a lot of us suffer from some sort of ANXIETY at different parts of our lives. Some of us may have it worse than others. I have always been a type A personality. I can get neurotic over things little that don’t really matter. For an example, if I know I have something that I need to do whether it is an Instagram post, household chores, pack for vacation, fill out my kids back to school forms….. I get consumed by the task I need to complete and I OBSESS over it all until its done. This can really take a toll on my every day life. When I start getting anxiety over the task, I don’t prioritize my time. I then go in a million directions at once. I will start to clean my closet, prep dinner, clean out that random junk drawer, fold the laundry, and worry about that sponsored Instagram post I need to get done. It’s a cycle and I burn myself out sometimes!!! If you are around me during my neurotic state I will probably burn you out too….
I don’t believe in taking medication (if you do that’s wonderful and I hope it helps). I tend to have a more holistic approach to health and wellness. I believe in eating the right foods, essential oils, mediation, yoga, chiropractic care, and herbal tea. I discovered Butterfly Pea Flowers. They’re dried tea leaves that are packed with antioxidants, flavonoids, and peptides. (Which are all amazing for your skin). For centuries, Asian cultures have used these flowers to help with anxiety, stress, cognitive health, skin care and hair health.
I use these flowers in the a tea form. I soak them in boiling water for 3-5 minutes and add a little honey. I drink this indigo colored tea while, I diffuse some lavender oil and frankincense and I feel like a new person!!!! You can add these flowers to your favorite smoothie or baking recipes as well as your coffee. If you are stressed, suffer from any type of anxiety, or want to up your antioxidants/health game, I encourage you to check out SouZen over on Amazon. Here is the direct link. https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_8?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sou+zen&sprefix=sou+zen+%2Caps%2C442&crid=1KF9U0EMNXOHW

Take a minute to unwind and get centered with this herbal tea. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
xoxo
Ashlee

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Let’s talk about DEODORANT

Hey guys I want to talk about natural deodorant: Why it‘s important to use a chemical free brand and what brands I recommend.
For years I have used Dove advanced care deodorant. I love the way it makes my underarms feel, it smells good, and actually works. I decided I wanted to “clean up” some of the toxic beauty products I use in my day to day life. I started with my skincare routine awhile back. To read that blog post about my natural skin care click here.
I wanted to change out mine and my husband’s deodorant for a less toxic brand. He used Degree and like I said I used Dove for years. Some of the ingredients found in these brands and other leading brands are
-Aluminum-linked to breast cancer, prostate cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.
-Parabens- disrupt hormonal balance, cancer, early puberty in children, organ toxicity
-Triclosan- Considered a pesticide by the FDA
-Phthalates- increases cell mutation, hormone disruption
-Propylene glycol- can cause damange to central nervous system, liver, and heart
(source: https://www.naturalnews.com/055197_deodorant_harmful_chemicals_natural_products.html)
I did some research and tried out 3 brands that have less toxic chemicals in them and real ingredients I can pronounce. I will add more brands to this post as I try them out down the line. If you have any you recommend please comment below!!!
So far I tried Tom’s of Maine, Native, and Schmidt’s
I ranked them by my favorite first and so on. I give you mine and Patrick’s honest opinions.
Hands down Schmidt’s is both mine and my husband’s FAVORITE deodorant. It has no aluminum, no propylene glycol, no artificial fragrance. It contains baking soda, arrowroot, coconut oil, cerifera wax, jojoba seed oil, bergamot essential oil, lime, and vitamin E. My favorite scent is the one pictured Bergamot lime. I also love the rose-vanilla. My husband had a really positive experience with the charcoal-magnesium one. Here is what I like about it: It actually works in hot humid weather. I can apply it in the AM and still smell fresh in the evening, it doesn’t get chalky, and it smells amazing. My husband who sweats a lot loves this brand and said it works really well.
The one negative I want to share is that it is hard when applying. You may want to warm it up a bit with your body heat or with the warm steam from the shower. If you have just shaved and apply it before warming it up, it can irritate your underarm. Be aware that if you have sensitive underarms make sure you soften it up a bit before applying.
This brand is paraben and aluminum free. They offer free shipping on their website. It contains baking soda, arrowroot powder, shea butter, coconut oil, beeswax, essential oils, and vitamin E. My husband likes the citrus and herbal musk scent. I love the lavender and rose scent. I think overall this brand works really well! It does appear clumpy under my arms after wearing for awhile. If I was going somewhere and I knew I was going to sweat A LOT, I would probably put on my Schmidt’s.
This brand is aluminum free and has no artificial fragrance or preservatives. It contains water, aloe juice leaf, sunflower seed oil, and acsorbic acid. I think this brand is ok in the winter time when you aren’t going to sweat much. I wish it had more essential oils in the ingreidents and baking soda. I honestly won’t buy this brand again. My husband reports it doesn’t work well at all.
I want to try Young Livings brand of deodorant next. I will add more to this list as I try them out. Please comment below and share any toxic free brands that are a must or a don’t.
Thanks for reading my post!
xoxo
Ashlee

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Peek Inside My Master Bedroom

I finally feel like I have a grown-up master bedroom and I am in love!!!! We decided we wanted to spruce up our bedroom with some easy inexpensive updates. Here is what we did: fresh paint, wallpaper accent wall, new bedding, and a new mattress! What a difference this all made. I now spend a lot of time chilling in bed with some relaxing essential oils diffusing, while I work on content for my Instagram page. Read below for updates. I linked all the sources.
Paint- I spent a lot of time over on Pinterest trying to find the perfect white paint color. If you start researching white paints it can be very overwhelming. I never realized how many different shades of white pop-up when you type it into google! I wanted something with some grey tones. I didn’t want it to be creamy or stark white. I finally decided to go with INTENSE WHITE OC-51 by Benjamin Moore. Let me tell you I LOVE this color. It is very sophisticated and tranquil. It’s the perfect balance of white with a tint of grey. I plan on using it in Winter’s bedroom, and basically the whole rest of the whole is getting repainted in this dreamy color! I think it looks good in any room in your home.
Accent wallpaper- Our cedar trees accent wallpaper is everything I wanted and more! It is very inviting and brings me a sense of peace. I have always been drawn to trees so, when I saw this wallpaper I knew I needed to have it. It is from B Darling. They have tons of options for wallpaper and decals. (Flowers, trees, ferns, animals, tribal print, tiles). The wallpaper is vinyl and is removable and damage free. I am not much of a DIY type of person, so I was nervous my husband and I wouldn’t be able to pull this off. It was so easy! The wallpaper came in 5 stripes that you peel off like a sticker. We started on the left side of the wall and hung it top from bottom. We rubbed our hands over the paper as we applied it in a circular motion to get any air bubbles out. We then used scissors at the bottom to cut off any extra paper. BAM it was done and looks great!

Bedding- If you want to update your room and don’t have the time or money I think the first thing you should consider is getting new bedding. My sheets, pillow shams, and duvet cover are from Linen and Hutch. Their bedding is so soft it’s like sleeping on a cloud. I have had their sheets for months and they are holding up nicely and wash really well every time! They have really pretty print options for sheets. If prints aren’t your thing they have solid bedding in any color you would need.
Mattress. Our old mattress was 10 years old and worn out. I wanted something that was firm yet soft and ecofriendly. You spend 1/3 of your life asleep so, it needed to be perfect. I discovered this company called My Green Mattress They handcraft all their mattress’s in Illinois, use organic cotton, American eco-wool, and organic Dunlop latex. The mattress is delivered to your home in a box and all you do is unopened and throw it on your bed.
Thanks for reading. I still need to get an area rug for the center of the room. If you have any suggestions please leave them below in the comment section. I hope you like our bedroom as much as I do. Our next project is redoing Winter’s room to a toddler/big girl room. I am so excited for this so please stay tuned for that blog post!
xoxo
Ashlee

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Father’s Day Gifting

I often struggle with ideas of what to do for my husband and my father for Father’s Day. This year, I am on the ball and thought I would share some ideas if you are unsure what to do:
1. Personalized wooden watch
This year we are gifting my husband with a hand-crafted personalized wooden watch from Tree Hut makes all their watches in California, and what I love most is that you can personalize the back of them. I decided to have “Hudson Everett Winter”engraved on the back of our watch. You can select any message you want. Tree hut is currently having a Father’s Day sale with free shipping on any order over $100 with code DAD.
2. Back Massager
I am going to gift my Father with a remote control back massager from HoMedics This can be used on any chair, comes with a remote, massages the neck, shoulders, and lower back. It also has a heat option! I think this is great to use while at home relaxing or while working at his desk in his office.
3. Sound Spa
Every dad (and mom so this gift is a win win for you too) could use a peaceful night sleep. A sound spa can really help relax you to sleep and allow you to get a peaceful night sleep. HoMedics has the perfect sound spa because it’s great to use in the bedroom or on the road while traveling. This sound spa has 12 sound options (rain & ocean are my favorite). You can set a timer to turn it off or leave it on all night. It is also portable and rechargeable. So he can take it while traveling.
4. Air Fryer
Let Dad enjoy all his favorite fried foods and cook them in the comfort of his own home with the GoWise What is air frying? It’s a new technology that cooks food by quickly circulating hot air around the food. You don’t need to fry anything in oil. It’s a much healthier way to cook. I would highly recommend this Air Fryer because it cooks food in half the time and the removable pan is so easy to clean. I don’t have to scrub any pots or clean up any mess on the stove. The Air Fryer comes with a recipe book too. (Beer battered fish tacos, steak, pork chops, french fries, avocado fries.. So many great ideas)!
5. Grill
A Kettle Charcoal Grill from Weber This grill is only $109 and is perfect for dad to BBQ with! He will love cooking up steaks, ribs, and chicken on this grill.
Thanks for stopping by and reading my gift ideas. If you have any other great ideas leave me them in the comments below.
Ashlee xoxo

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Mother’s Day must haves

I wanted to share some products I am currently obsessing over. I thought they would make great gifts for yourself or any mom in your life.
Fresh flowers from 1800-flowers. These flowers were beyond gorgeous and lasted over a week!!!
Must have cleaning product. My Shark steam mop. It makes cleaning the floor a breeze. It cleans sealed hard floors with just water! No need to worry about harsh chemicals and spending money on floor cleaner once you own this mop. It has a large removable tank that you fill with water. It is light-weight and very easy to push. It comes with two microfiber washable pads that pick up dirt and grime. I use this steam mop every night after dinner. My 3 kids are messy eaters so, there is always food, crumbs, and spills on my kitchen floor. I also use it in my foyer and other high traffic areas of the house because, the kids bring in a lot of dirt from the outside. It heats up and steams the floor within seconds. I would recommend this mop to any mother who has young children or pets! I would suggestion having an extension card handy if you plan on steaming a lot of area in one cleaning. This steam mop retails for $79.99. Visit www.sharkclean.com
My new go to face routine I would highly recommend to any mother who wants to up her skin game. I cannot say enough good things about Saranghae skin care.
1.Every night I use the Oil + Foam Cleanser. It is an oil cleaner so, after I use it my skin is soft and brighter. This cleanser deep cleans my pores and when I rub it in with warm water it creates a nice foam that washes away any makeup, dirt, and grime. There is truffle extract and gold in the ingredients. It honestly leaves my skin feeling supple and the smell is amazing.
2. Deep Radiance Essence + serum this contains 10% Phellinus Linteus Extract. This serum is designed to penetrate your outer epidermis layer and gives your skin the needed antioxidants and vitamins it needs to stay healthy. It keeps my skin soft and plump.
3. Focus Renewal Eye Cream contains 10% Sang Hwang mushroom, adenosine, vitamin B3 estalin and collagen. It helps fight eye wrinkles, brightens, and lifts around the eyes. Good bye dark circles.
4. Firm & Lift Regeneration Cream. This cream moisturizes and decreases the formation of free radicals, repairs damaged skin cell membranes, repairs hype-pigmentation and age spots. It contains 15% organic sang Hwang mushroom.
5. Premium facial sheet mask with antioxidants this is infused with CoQ10 and Hyaluronic acid, Pennywart and Chamomile flower. I leave this mask on for 20-60 minutes and when I take it off I let the serum soak into my skin over night. This mask is a game changer! I use it every other week to give my skin a dewy glow. The mask helps reduce wrinkles, eliminate redness and inflammation caused by stress and pollution.
Every mom wants a pair of comfy sandals these Birkenstock sandals are so fun for summer because they come in bright colors and are water-proof. They also come in several different styles.
Birthstone necklace or ring from Metalicious. The jewelry is handmade in New York. The detail on my necklace is just stunning. I wear it everyday since I received this.
Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse. I use this rinse once every two weeks in place of my shampoo and conditioner. The apple cider vinegar helps to clean my scalp by removing any impurities. It is infused with lavender extract, aloe vera, and argan oil. My hair is super soft and shiny right after washing with this. To maintain healthy shiny hair I try not to over wash. This rinse helps with that while keeping my scalp healthy and my hair shiny and soft.
I hope you all have an amazing Mother’s day. I look forward to spending the Day with the 3 who made me a mama!!!
xoxo
Ashlee