Carter Sleeps: GoodNites Bed Mats

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and GoodNites, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #BetterNights  http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO

So my Carter-Man has been a star potty-trainer so far. We've been dabbling in the whole thing since 5-8 months (have you heard of elimination communication or early start potty training? You'll probably want to read about it--it's awesome).

Nighttime is a whole different story though. He has never been the type to wake up to use the potty, and we're in the process of switching to pull-ups/trainers at night. With the switch comes lots of leaks and accidents. So HELLO Target GoodNites Bed Mats. Total lifesaver. 

The genius who came up with the peel and stick back has my heart forever. I didn't realize before I got them that they would adhere to the sheet, and I wondered how the heck they'd stay put in the midst of Carter's flips and twirls (he's an active sleeper--basically he does gymnastics in the middle of the night). 

Carter sleeps in our bed with us (yaayy co-sleeping!!) so these mats are SO essential. Do you know how hard it is to change a King sized sheet in the middle of the night? It got to the point where I'd say forget it and just put a towel down wherever the leak happened (gross). These disposable mats are a MUCH better alternative to washing our sheets every other day (ain't nobody got time fo' dat)--that YouTube clip will never get old.

Whenever the boy springs a leak in the middle of the night, it's always at the bottom of his shirt/top of his pants, so the mat is large enough no matter which direction he decides to spin in.

If you want to try these out (why wouldn't you??) grab this coupon for $1.50 off at Target: http://coupons.target.com/goodnites-coupons It works for the GoodNites Bed Mats or the GoodNites Bedtime Underwear.

I'm Alive | Shopping Madness

Helloooo!!! Long time no talk! Life has been cra-hiz-nuts over here. I'm not accepting sponsors for the meantime, but I'll still be here chatting away randomly throughout the week. Since we last "spoke," Beauty Mavens has had a bridal consultation, two proms, and a big wedding! It has been nonstop and so much fun. I have LOTS of photos to post! Our big bridal expo in Boston is in just about a week!! There has been lots of and lots of preparation for that which is so time consuming, but so ridiculously fun at the same time.

Oh, and guess what. I had the happiest mail day of all time this weekend because my MAC Pro card came, which means....drum roll please....I get 40% off at MAC now! The skies have parted, the sun is shining down, and angels are serenading me. That's how it feels. Do you know the fun I am going to have with that discount? If my life wasn't complete before, it sure as heck is now.

You know what else would make my life complete?

THESE SHOES. They're the Jacey sandals from ShoeDazzle.

These are so fun. I would wear them every day. (You can find them here.)

I used to have a subscription to ShoeDazzle, but somewhere along the way I ended up canceling it. These shoes are sucking me back in. I love how summery they are. They make me yearn for 90 degree weather (which we're getting tomorrow!!)

I'm off to get some more work done, but I'll be back tomorrow with a Mia Mariu review and giveaway, as well as lots of makeup photos in the next couple of days!

Thanks to ShoeDazzle for sponsoring today's post.

Toddler Logic + Style

We finally have outside weather here (and by outside weather I mean warm enough to hang out outside without sweatshirts!) so we've been taking full advantage. 

Last week we hung out by a mulch pile. I guess this is what little boys like to do. 

hat + tee : Old Navy | leggings c/o Jennifer Ann | shoes: TOMS 

So Carter finally allows me to put his TOMS on him. It took a few weeks, but he's finally into them because I explained that they have the same name as Dada. Duh. Toddler logic. I don't know why it took me that long to think of that strategy.

I've learned that if you want your child to wear things other than pajamas and crocs, you have to think like a toddler. Luckily, these leggings took absolutely no convincing. I'm sure you guys have seen the Jennifer Ann leggings before (this girl is the sweetest. do you read her blog?) I want to own every print. 

So remember when I told you about the mulch pile?

And when the mulch got boring, we threw rocks in the drain.

Look at that baby butt!! Boys are the best. I could watch Carter throw rocks down the drain all day. I think I did the same until I was  like 13. (I'm completely serious).

Carter also rocked some skinny jeans this weekend that I got from ThredUp.com. Do you guys do this?? I am all for second hand clothes, especially for name brands. I can't help it. I have a thing for brands and there's nothing I can do about it. I have some True Religion jeans coming that I got for only $36 including shipping. Whaatt? Do you know how exciting that is?

This weekend we RELAXED (after a way too busy previous week). Tom played 48 holes of disc golf with my dad and Carter and I hung out at the park with Grammy on Saturday. On Sunday Carter got to see his two best buds. We tried to get a cousin picture, but they weren't having it. 

I'm not so patiently awaiting my MAC Pro Membership card. If it doesn't get here pronto, I'm going to start having seizures or something equally horrifying. 

Be sure to come back tomorrow for a Chic Nova giveaway and a few outfit pictures!

Friday's Letters: Houses, Nautical, Nephew

I really love that this link up exists (it's one of my favorites) because when I don't now what to post on a Friday (it's a hard day to get my brain to work well) it gives me ideas.

Dear Readers,
I haven't been able to think of good posts for a couple of days now. I am slightly overwhelmed with work right now. Also, we've started booking events over at Beauty Mavens! We're beyond excited, and we're also going to have a table at a bridal expo this summer in Boston! Cannot. Wait.

Dear Houses,
You're tough to shop around for. Although, I have to say I am pretty impressed with my ability to see beyond ugly trim and brown doors (I don't like medium wood colored interior doors for some reason! Give me white!!) I think my consumption of HGTV over the past few years as made me realize that cosmetic changes are super easy (and possibly even really fun?!). Bring on the ugly living rooms, I'm ready for you, brass and brick and weird fireplaces!

Dear Sephora Nail Art Things,
You're awesome. You work so well. We're going to be great friends.

Dear Spring Accessories,
I'm really feeling you right now, especially some of you nautical pieces. I got inspired to make a little collection of you. If it wasn't my birthday soon and if I didn't subsequently feel guilty about buying things for myself, I'd get a couple of you (although I did have to buy a Freebie Friday anchor bracelet yesterday here). I am also eyeing Lemon and Line bracelets. I would wear every single one and they'd be perfect for our Newport trip this summer!

1 | 2 | 3 |  4  | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

P.S. My nephew was born yesterday!!!! Ryan Henry (how cute is that?). I can't wait to hold him this weekend!! 

Must-Have Summer Cosmetics

1  //  2  //  3  //  4  //  5

1. Everyone needs a tan base for summer! This is getting delivered to my door step TOMORROW. It's needed...bad. (found out about this stuff from Aubrey).

2. I love using a shimmer/highlighting powder in the summer. I can't stand heavy makeup when it's hot and humid, but a little glow on the apples of your cheeks, on your forehead, your nose and your chin will do wonders! This is what I use whenever I don't want to look like death but don't have much time for lots of makeup either.

3. My new favorite inexpensive mascara! Stays on SO well, but isn't ridiculously difficult to remove like waterproof mascara. Eye tugging = wrinkles. No thanks.

4. My favorite lip balm eevveerr. It's mineral sunscreen so 1) it's healthy for you and 2) it doesn't have that horrible taste like regular SPF lip balms. Plus it's vanilla mint flavor, which = score. It also looks like you're wearing a subtle lip gloss. Except it's lip balm...and it has SPF...does life get much better than that?

5. I love using tropical/warm/delicious scents in the summer! No full-on strong perfumes for this girl (for some reason I think of that as more of a winter thing). I recently found this brand when I was at Whole Foods and to say I'm obsessed would be an understatement. I spent a good 10 minutes smelling all of the honey coconut scented products (this perfume, a lip balm, and a hand lotion), so rest assured, this is Positively Amy approved (does that even mean anything to you? haha But it should. I have one sensitive sniffer over here. I won't lead you astray when it comes to scented anything).

Like these ideas? Check out my summer makeup post from last year.

Hope you guys have a great weekend. I'm going to spend it working and kicking my butt with Blogilates.  xx

P.S. Remember my nuNAAT Brazilian Keratin hair products review? Go win a set for you and a friend! Be sure to say that Positively Amy referred you!

Rain Boots (littles + bigs): 'Tis the Season

image via

Since it's getting to be that rainy/wet season where puddles form on top of puddles and your jeans (or yoga pants, in my case) become a disgusting mess if they aren't securely tucked into rain boots, I thought I'd compile a little list of my favorites.

1, 2 + 3 / 4 / 5

I'm really liking the rain boots from Muddy Puddles, especially #3. Kate Middleton's future child while surely be wearing them (ha--but seriously).

And since we can't leave ourselves out of the rain boot goodness...

1 /  2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

Which boots are your favorite? The grey Hunter boots are on my wish list! I'm also really loving the brightness of #5! They're unique too, look at those babies up close--so pretty! (they're the "chef at the farmers" print).

This post contains links supported by Muddy Puddles. All opinions are honest and are my own.

Smile Brilliant! (+ giveaway!)

I have to confess something. I have a slight obsession with whitening my teeth. It's been going on for some time, but I took a long break while I was pregnant and nursing Carter. You know what that meant? I had some catching up to do (unfortunately). However, there was this little gem that brought my teeth back up to par in basically one day. I thought it would be selfish to withhold such magic from you, so I thought, why not a giveaway?

Tom has started making fun of me because I literally use this stuff every day. It's just like professional whitening, but you can do it at home without sitting in one of those awkward dentist chairs. Personally, I like to whiten while I blog, it's a good time. Oh, and funny story. Since I've been using this I thought I needed to get some Crest 3D White toothpaste to keep it up. The regular toothpaste claims to remove 80% of stains, and it came with this little sample that says it (superiorly) removes 90% of stains (whoa! 10 freaking % more?!) I literally hid the 90% one on Tom so I could use it all myself...he said I was selfish. And then I offered to get him his own Smile Brilliant set and he couldn't really argue with that. So there you go, endorsed by Tom too (he's a tough one to win over, that doubting Thomas).

The other day I was playing around with some dramatic makeup, but you can see my teeth in the picture (post whitening). This was the least awkward picture of my teeth I could come up with...I'm not about to give you a close up teeth and gums shot, sorry to disappoint...

What you'll get:

one whitening pen

one set of trays

one LED light

open to US/CAN

enter below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

P.S. Are you a blogger? If you'd like to review a set of your own, click here to apply.

Smile Brilliant provided this product for review. All opinions are honest and are my own.

an outfit post, gasp!

I know I don't do these all too often, but they're so much fun! Why don't I do them, you ask? 1. my personal photographer is a bit busy at work and only sees the light of day on Sundays (April, come NOW) and 2. I don't trust Carter with my camera. Maybe in a few years, haha. 

I'm ridiculously excited about my new dress from eshakti! Based on yesterday's post and this one right now, it's kind of been a nautical themed week around here. Can you tell I'm ready for spring and summer?! Enough of this cold drizzly not quite rain, not quite snow weather. I'm done.

You can find a similar skirt here.  You can get everything at eshakti custom fit to your measurements. Dresses also come without or without embroidery, strapless, without straps, you name it. The dress I'm wearing even has pockets! Who doesn't love a dress with pockets?

They even have bridesmaid dresses now! How convenient would it be for all of your bridesmaids to just order their dresses to their measurements? No searching through hundreds of dresses to find one that looks good on everybody and announcing your size in front of a crowd. 

I was going to get all in depth and tell you some momentous stories today, but I'm nearing figurative death as we speak. We had a mother of a meltdown at the grocery store today, and there's a nice large smattering of regurgitated refried beans, banana applesauce, and hot dogs waiting for me in the bathroom. Catch ya on the flip side. (wish me luck).

You're Going to Want This | Sentimental

Helloooo friends. Cute bag, right? I need to introduce you to Sweet Spot Bags aka my new obsession. There are a few reasons why you are going to love these: 1. they're adorable (so that one was obvious, I know) 2. they are printed with the coordinates of your favorite place! (hello all you sentimentals out there--I'm one of 'em) 3. CUSTOM. Custom colors, custom coordinates, everyone loves a custom purchase, am I right? 4. They're printed with the SUN. The sun! How cool is that? 

The coordinates up there ^^ are for the place we stayed in St. Thomas on our honeymoon! I knew instantly those were the coordinates that I wanted because thinking about that vacation immediately puts me into a good mood. It was two weeks, which is the longest vacation I've ever been on, and it was so relaxing because all of the wedding planning was OVER! No more calendar notes, no more appointments, fittings, and decisions. DONE-ZO. Plus Tom and I snorkeled every day, swam with sea turtles, and pet sharks, and you can't beat that (especially if you know how much I love/hat sharks all at the same time).

The little detail of the charm on the zipper was one of my favorite things. I love little sweet details. Just in case you get more than one of these (I wouldn't blame you), there is a little tag on the inside that has the location written out so you can remember which bag is for which location.

These bags are perfect little clutches for going out (love the nautical look of this one--I would use it with a summery outfit!), and they're also the perfect size to use as a cosmetic or toiletry bag on trips. I love how unique these bags are. They're definitely a conversation starter, for sure.

Need some ideas for coordinates for your own bag? The location of your wedding, where you grew up, the city your baby was born in, where you were proposed to, maybe where you met your best friend! It would make a fantastic gift for a girlfriend!

If you love Sweet Spot Bags as much as I do, go favorite them on Etsy and like them on Facebook!

What place would you choose for your coordinates? I want to know!

This is a sponsored post. Sweet Spot Bags provided this bag for review. All opinions are my own.

Easter Gift Ideas

$100 Target GC Giveaway!

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Since Easter is coming up fast, I thought it'd be fun to write a little post about Easter gifts. Since there isn't much candy Carter can have (thanks, dairy allergy!), or that I want him to have (so many scream choking hazard!) I like to concentrate on cute little "friends," baskets, and other fun Easter themed cuteness. Personal Creations was nice enough to send this adorable pajama bear to Carter!

He's in love, which I think is pretty obvious from the photos I got of him with "Bunny Bear"--I warned you that we're super creative with stuffed animal names. Carter has a thing for stuffed animals. He has plenty of them and he loves each and every one to death. Every day, he takes them out of one of his toy baskets and lines them all up in a half circle to face him, and then he plops himself down in the middle of it and stares at each of their little faces. Bunny Bear made it into the rotation very quickly, he's totally at home now, just in case you were worried about him getting lost in the shuffle. Carter's super organized with his stuffed animals, it's very serious business, I tell you.  

If you're in need of Easter gift ideas for your kiddos, nieces, nephews, or any cute kidlings in your life, head on over to Personal Creations' Easter  page and I promise you'll find something. Oh and here's a hint: kids love things with their name on it. Amen? Carter can't even read yet and I swear he's thrilled about it. 

Check out his snuggles with Bunny Bear.

Personal Creations supplied this product. All opinions are honest and are my own.

Sick Boy + Comforting Things

Carter woke up this morning with a fever. It's always a sad day when that happens. He's been lounging on the couch and really not doing much in general. His only source of happiness today is the iPad and his dog lovey, who is aptly named Doggy Blanky (we are original, I know). 

I thought, that since he isn't feeling so good, I'd come up with a few little items that would be comforting for sick kiddos. #1 and #4 also play soothing music, which is always a nice addition on sick days.

1-4 can be purchased at Baby Lurve | 5

I think the sheep and the giraffe would be my first choice. Or quite possibly the Aden + Anais issie bamboo security blankets. Have you felt their bamboo products? So soft you could cry, seriously. 

Baby Lurve also has lots of other sleep "friends" with night lights and music. We were always in need of those. The bear and seahorse ones are particularly adorable. 

I have a few other things to tell you today. 

I am meeting Andrea from Glam Hungry Mom and Jodi from Jodi Bean's Blog at a Boston Bloggers event on Monday! That is less than a week away! I am beyond excited to meet them! Stop by and check out their fabulousness ; )

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And if you haven't entered the $100 Target gift card giveaway, you should probably take part in that as well. Target is always a good time. 

This post is supported by Baby Lurve. 

Shopping: Marvels + Mistakes

Marvel #1: I've been on a little shopping rampage recently. This first item is NOT, I repeat NOT a mistake. I just got these boots:

{see them here}

And I can't wait for them to come!! I want to wear them with a nice pair of Kiki La 'Rue jeggings (they're restocking this week, and if you buy up the color and size I want...watch out!!) haha ; )

Marvel #2: I also got some fingerless gloves--my hands get super cold/numb when I type for a long time--not good, right? Maybe this will help for now.

Mistake #1: I'm almost (nope, definitely am) embarrassed to tell you that I bought this hat, but I'm going to share it anyway. It was on clearance for $8 so I figured--worst case scenario it sits in the closet or I give it to Carter as a fashion statement or something.

All right...here it goes...unleash your comments on this baby.

So...yeah. There it is. I have no idea why I bought this. Go ahead and give me your uncensored opinions, it's not going to hurt my feelings. I think I shall humor you and post a picture of me in it once it arrives. I'm actually laughing out loud right now at this purchase. Welcome to the bad decisions of Amy Beth--where you can always feel confident about your own shopping habits. Tom's pretty understanding about random crazy things that I decide to wear, but this....

Mistake #2: My new iPhone case:

{image via}

I really love the way this case looks...but...it's SHARP. Like, poke my eyes out, sharp. I don't really know why I thought these spikes were so amazing. I should have gone for something a little less dangerous, like this:

Find this more practical one here.

Sometimes it pays to impulse buy and sometimes...it doesn't. 

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Come back tomorrow for some Mommy Confessions. I'll be linking up with Heather and Megan. 

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Who's Pregnant? (not me)

Even though I'm not expecting number two right now, I still like looking at baby gear. It's all just getting cuter, and brighter, and more fun (if that's even possible).

We all know practicality, reviews and ease of use are important when it comes to what you'll be using for your baby, but let's face it...cuteness plays a huge factor too (at least for me! Main reason why I chose to cloth diaper! haha!)

I came up with a little list of The Cutest Baby Gear Ever for all of you expecting mamas out there. 

1. Cutest Lightweight Stroller:

So cute, so sleek, and I'm a sucker for black (it stays clean--well, relatively, as far as baby items go--thank you, spit up!)

2. Cutest Pack n Play/Travel Cot

An owl and a fox you say? Why yes, it is possible to get such cuteness all in one place. And it comes with a free sheet if you get it from Lollipop Lane!

3. Cutest Play Mat

There are no words. The picture says it all.

4. Cutest Hospital Bag

If you want to be the mom at the hospital with the cutest hospital bag of all time (because it matters....haha, OK, no, it doesn't matter, but this is a purchase you can rationalize because it's basically just a large tote/overnight bag. You could also use it as a diaper bag! And every mom needs one of those).

However, I am going to throw it out there that I was in such a dire state of nesting by the end of my pregnancy, that it absolutely DID matter what bag I brought to the hospital. Actually, it mattered so much that I brought two. One was a Vera Bradley floral diaper bag that my mother in law got for me and the other was a Timi & Leslie diaper bag that my mom got for me. I packed both to the brim with random "essentials" for me and Carter (and threw a toothbrush and a granola bar in there for Tom) ; ) Kidding again, he was well taken care of ; )

If you're like me and you absolutely need these things, go hit up Lollipop Lane and feast your eyes!! : )

This post is supported by Lollipop Lane. All photos courtesy of lollipoplane.co.uk

Makeup | Weekend | + Things

I love weekends because I get to spend as long as I want (for the most part) playing with makeup! Usually this doesn't last ridiculously long though because I don't really like missing out on time with my boys <3

But here's evidence of some of the fun I had yesterday:

This brings me to another subject entirely.

Do you feel HUGE pangs of anticipation when you know you have packages coming? Thanks to winning a couple of giveaways and doing a little extra online shopping I'm expecting some PACKAGES. It's really all I can think about.

It's so exciting because I totally have UPS envy of our next door neighbors. I'm pretty sure they buy 100% of everything online because UPS pays them a nice little visit EVERY DAY. And about 90% of the packages come from Amazon, Target and Crate & Barrel. (yeah, so I look out the window from time to time--you know you do it too!) : ) I wanted in on that action,so here it goes:

Coming My Way:
+a few accessories from Kintage
+these Blowfish shoes  (the zebra print)
+this pink studded spike iPhone case

I'm pretty excited.

Are you expecting any packages? Tell me all your shopping splurges. It's my favorite.

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+$100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway ends TONIGHT!

+Win 12 Months of Ad Space from 30 bloggers

+Win $25 Shop Credit to Sweet Potato Shop on Etsy

+Win a Kindle Fire

Sponsor Haps:

That Mama Gretchen: Win an Umi Ring Sling (there's a chevron print one!)

That Mama Greatchen: Win a batch of Lactation Cookies!

++want in on the next big giveaway? email me at amybdowlingATgmailDOTcom for details