Milkies | Review and Giveaway!

Warning: you are about to read a post about breast feeding.  Don't say I didn't warn you (men).

When I read about this product, I was immediately intrigued.  There are certain things people just don't tell you about pregnancy or motherhood and you learn as you go.

Which reminds me, are any of you interested in a mini-series of "What People Don't Tell You" in regards to those things?  I've been thinking it would have been convenient for me to have read before embarking on this journey.

One of those things is that when your breasts become full of milk, they will often leak.  I swear its like they sense the baby or something.  He cries.  They leak.  I look at him lovingly.  They leak.

I did not realize (due to good nursing pads) that while I am nursing on one side, the other side is continuously leaking as well.  No big deal - there's a nursing pad there.  Until you realize how much milk is leaking out and just being absorbed by that pad.

Breast milk is liquid gold.

That's where the Milk Saver comes into play!  While nursing on one side, you wear the Milk Saver inside your bra on the other side and it collects any leaking milk while you nurse.  What seems like such a simple concept, has been an amazing tool for me!  In one day I can collect 1-2 ounces of breast milk just from leaking.  That's half a bottle right now!

Milkies also sent me a Milkies Freeze to review and giveaway.  This thing is genius.  It organizes your frozen, bagged milk based on a first in, first out system.  It freed up a lot of space in my freezer and took out the guessing game when it came to figuring out which milk needed to be used up first.  Let's face it, even with good labeling, things can become disorganized or lost in a freezer.

Not just that, the Milkies Freeze also has a quick freeze feature.  You put your milk in the freezer bag and then set it on the metal plate atop the freezer for seconds and it is frozen and ready to put into the organizer.  Like I said, genius!  

So, Milkies has agreed to give away a Milk Saver and a Milkies Freezer!  There will be two winners: one will get the saver, one will get the freezer.  Sign up below via Rafflecopter so that you can be entered to win!

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Natures Beauty Box | Review && Giveaway

If you've been around for a while you know that I am a huge advocate of shopping small and local.

I try very hard to get the majority of my gifts handmade or made in the USA.  After all, I have my own small business and truly appreciate all of the support it receives each year from you as well as local friends and family.  (If you want to check out my new inventory for Christmas gifts, click here).

Now that I'm pregnant, I'm really trying to go green with my cleaning supplies, body products, etc.  I want baby boy to have as natural environment as possible.  If he is anything like me his skin will be super sensitive!

So, when my girlfriend blessed me with amazing gifts at my baby shower a few weeks ago, I knew I had to share them with you, but also share a little more about her company, Nature's Beauty Box Boutique!

Vittoria makes 100% natural beauty and body products for the whole family.  She blessed me with a beautiful gift basket with many of the items new moms and babes need: diaper rash cream, body butter, nipple cream, headache ointment, lip balm, and so much more.  I have already used several of the products and I can tell you they work wonders and smell fantastic.

Not only did she bless me with amazing gifts, but she has offered to give away a fantastic gift package to one of my readers by entering the Rafflecopter below!  And, if you are interested in buying gifts for family or friends, she is even offering all readers a 10% discount with the code: LULUSMIMI 

The gift package includes:

1 pink cotton candy chapstick, 1 pain and headache roll on relief, and

1 coconut body butter sample

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LillyBean Giveaway

I'm really excited to have let Rebecca of LillyBean take over my blog for the day for a few reasons.

1. We went to the same high school in the same small town and it's so exciting for me to see someone else doing what they love, being creative, and flourishing from where we came from.  2. She is a mom to 2 beautiful little girls and I love supporting moms who maintain that sense of self with creative outlets.  3. Her products are awesome.  I own them and love them and I think you will feel the same way.  Read more about her vision below and sign up to win a hat of choice!

*****

Hi there! I am Rebecca Jones of LillyBean and so excited to be a guest of Lindsay’s blog! Isn’t she just the cutest little prego you have ever seen?!?! Lindsay has asked me to tell you all a bit about my little business, and I promise, if you read it, there is a…wait for it…SPECTACULAR GIVEAWAY!

Here goes!

I am a stay at home Mama of 3 year old twin girlies. I start with this statement because they are the most important part of me and a huge inspiration for everything that comes out of LillyBean. In fact, if it were not for my girls, I am not sure that my business would even exist outside of my own head.

When I graduated from High School, it seemed natural to pursue Fine Art. I loved it, I mean seriously, who wouldn’t love painting and drawing instead of writing a paper?? However, there was always a bit of an inner struggle inside of me…what am I going to do with this piece??

I am a very practical person. I am also very thrifty. (Thrifty is so much more flattering than cheap, don’t you agree?) So when it came to making something, I always felt it had to serve a purpose. That’s a big NO-NO in art school. That would be considered a craft (gasp!)

But I like crafting, what is so wrong with that?? (this is said in my best whiney voice btw)

Anyway….I finished art school and married. I became an Academic Coordinator with a program for at-risk teens. Yes, I know, absolutely nothing to do with art. I liked it but never felt it was the end all be all of careers for me. Then we began the baby making process and we were blessed with twins. We decided (in the waiting room after the ultrasound) that I would become a stay at home Mom.

Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE BEING A MOM, but I also love me too and seriously missed being creative and having something for myself. I needed an outlet outside of changing diapers and cleaning up vomit and rocking my babes to sleep. A friend of mine was expecting a baby and rather than hitting up her baby registry like every good friend does, I decided to make her gift. I made her daughter monthly banner for the nursery that she could use to hang monthly photos. I also made some hair bows, my first shot at them. Everyone at the shower gushed and some even cried because it was so beautiful (just kidding about the crying part, though that is how I like to sometimes remember it in my head.)

I was contacted by two people after the shower to make more goodies…OMG, OMG. This was SUPER exciting to me because I felt that I might just be on to something! It started to snowball…..

I needed a business name and it was time to make a real go at this. My daughters’ names are Lillian (Lilly) and Stella. From birth we started calling Ms. Stella “Stella Bean” (like a jelly bean, get it?) It just seemed natural to name by little business LillyBean.

I grew up going to craft fairs and as small time as it seems, I always dreamed of one day having all of my creations on display for others to buy (and cherish forever and ever and ever.)

My mother gave me the push I needed to sign up for my first craft fair. And by push, I of course mean endless moral support, oh and a little financial backing hehe. I seriously underestimated how much work it would be to create a good inventory. I crafted during naptime and after bedtime. My mom drove 4 hours to help me out with my first show and an addiction was created! I made a bunch of money and was HOOKED!

I started with hair bows and have just let it evolve.  My hottest items at the moment as the weather gets cool are my crochet hats.  I started them last fall and they have become more and more popular. 

And now we are to the point of my GIVEAWAY! 

I will make one lucky winner a hat of their choice.  You will just need to pick out your color combo.  These are for children and adults!

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And I ship anywhere, so put your thinking caps on for holiday gift ideas!  Terrible pun, sadly intended.  I LOVE doing custom orders, so message me on FB or email me at  lillybeanjones@gmail.com; let's make something together!

Is her shop not adorable?!

I love everything about it: the special meaning behind the name, the products she carries,

and her heart for crafting.  I wish you luck!  What a great Christmas gift a nice crocheted hat would make for anyone...even yourself!

PinkBlush Maternity

When you are pregnant and you find an article of maternity clothing that makes you feel beautiful;  something special that makes your body feel like it still belongs to you and even though you are sharing it with a miracle, it is gorgeous.  When it is swollen, heavy, and tired... you get it.

I am not complaining about pregnancy - honestly, I've felt more beautiful with a bump than I did without one the months leading up to my pregnancy.  Something about a pregnant woman has always been gorgeous to me.  

When I found PinkBlush Maternity and realized that they provide trendy maternity clothes for great prices, I was so excited.  They have the cutest dresses, skirts, tops, and bottoms.  Knowing I had several weddings in the fall, I purchased this navy blue lace dress thinking I could style it differently so that I could wear it to each event and no one would know the difference!  

I will go ahead and say, most maternity clothes are very comfortable and this dress is no exception.  I felt beautiful all night long and I was even able to dance to Ice Ice Baby!  Can't wait to share that with Baby G when he gets here!

Link up your own celebrations below then scroll down to sign up to win a gift from PinkBlush!

Lucky for you, PinkBlush is offering one of my readers a $25 shop credit!  Just enter below to win:

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Holiday Garland Giveaway

You can see my DIY holiday garland here.

But, today you can register to win it here!

I'm giving away a 5 foot traditional holiday garland to one lucky reader.

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What better way to be frugal than to win a free gift?!