July 2019 – Products I Love (or will love soon)

Hey everyone! Happy July! Here’s another list of products I’m loving this month. I’ll be adding more as the month goes on so check back once in awhile! Please follow my IG @because_mom_life and view my stories for product updates!

*If you’d like to support my blogging, the images and links below will take you directly to Amazon. I’ll get a small commission with absolutely no extra cost to you if you should decide to make a purchase. This is just so I can continue to blog. Let’s be real here, blogging can cost money and I have mouths to feed. Thanks in advance for any and all support! Much peace and love.

View previous months of products here

May 2019
June 2019

Versa Brella 4-Way Swiveling Sun Umbrella

Living close to the beach has it’s perks, yes, but it has never occurred to me until we moved here that we would have to carry EVERYTHING. In past years we would sit in a car for an hour or so looking for close parking and just walk straight into the sand with our belongings. This is no more, we tow everything and everyone on our bikes or walk with a wagon for a good 30 minutes before we reach the sea. Having shade once we get to the beach has been a struggle for me (especially if I’m going without the husband). Carry a canopy to the beach? With three kids 7 years and younger?

Oh, no thanks.

This clamp on umbrella is (I think) the best thing I’ve bought for the beach recently. The Versa Brella is Super light-weight and rolls up into a bag with a strap. You can change the angle of the umbrella to block the sun from pretty much any direction. Genius. I haven’t used it at the beach yet (still getting over the fear of taking my crazy kids to the beach by myself) but I’ll update asap.

David’s Tea – Feel Good Iced Teas

I’m not linking the actual item I have because I don’t see it on Amazon… Photo of the actual tea I have here:

I received this set as a birthday gift yesterday and I’m dying to try it asap… I’m just having a hard time getting over the fact that I’ll have to rip open the pretty packaging (anyone else out there like this?) Personally, I can’t wait to try the Mermaid Tea which is Spiruline Marine flavor that has a pineapple / butterfly pea / moringa flavor. This one has a really pretty mermaid blue color to it.

Starbucks Color Changing Cold Cups

Ok, So I get sucked into online fads once in awhile but I’m so glad I got sucked into this one. These cups are SO pretty… I just can’t. If you didn’t know already these cups are limited edition and sold out in all stores. If you want to get your hands on one you’ll have to pay the inflated price online… which is what I did… Because it’s my mo’f’in birthday and I can.

I’m linking the product into Amazon here but honestly you’ll find much better prices on eBay for this one. Tip: Try to find a seller who has sold more than one of this product and has a few reviews for this particular item already… because I can only imagine the number of people who might be selling fake cups on a platform like eBay. The seller I purchased from also bundled the marble hot cups into the order and I paid a total of $80 for all 5 of the color changing cold cups and 5 marble hot cups. Although this was the cheapest price I found for this product… Don’t tell my husband I spent $80 on plastic cups… thanks.

Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm – Sweet Violet

This product isn’t new what-so-ever but it’s something I’ve been using for YEARS. This is the only lip balm I’ve ever used to the end. The absolute end…as in I take a small brush and dig out the product from the base. This balm is my daily must have item and it’s perfect for daily use when I don’t feel like putting on lip stick. The sweet violet color is the only one I like and I feel it goes with pretty much any skin tone.

Crown Churroz – Korean Snack

Koreans? Making Churros? When I saw these at the Korean supermarket, I’ll be honest I was a bit skeptical because I just love Churros… You guys, They nailed it. These are amazing. Chunchy, cinnamon sugary, little sticks of joy. I’m pretty sure they’ll be cheaper at your local Korean market but I’m linking them to Amazon so you can take a closer look. Make sure you purchase the brand name “CROWN”. Knowing Korean brands there will be a few other companies trying to make a similar product right down to the packaging to attract customers.

Lowrey’s Bacon Curls Microwave Pork Rinds Chicharrones

Obviously, I’ve given up on any diets this month…

Ok, If you like pork rinds, you need this in your life. It will change you, I promise. I’ve gotten 3 people on Amazon subscription to this product just this past week.

My husband and I discovered this these pork rinds at the DOLLAR STORE. Yep… The 99 Cents Only store to be exact. These aren’t in the usual chip aisle so you’ll have to search for them. I thought a dollar for 1 bag was a good deal – it’s so much cheaper on Amazon! If you’re hesitant about buying a whole pack of 18 just try your local 99 Cents Only Store. If you like pork rinds I promise you’ll love these.

Imagine this: You have a microwave popcorn bag. You microwave it for a couple of minutes and when you rip open your bag there are hot, crackling and popping pork rinds. My life is complete ya’ll.

06/04/201906/12/2019

June 2019 – Products I Love (or will love soon)

Happy June everyone! It’s that time again. I’m starting my list of products I’ve discovered or loving this month. I’ll be featuring these products in more detail throughout the month of June so please follow! @because_mom_life

Products from May 2019 <- Check out this link to see the list of products I’ve purchased last month

MyBite Multivitamin Chocolate Chewables

I actually purchased the kids version of these at Target the other week and my kids LOVE them. My oldest always reminds me to grab them for him every morning! What I found interesting is that each bite (or serving) has less sugar than many of the gummy varieties of vitamins I took a look at the store that day. Kids love these, we don’t forget to eat them and they taste good!

Besiva Sand Free Beach Blanket

I still haven’t gone to the beach with this mat. After receiving it, i’m not too convinced it’ll even work as advertised. We’ll see I suppose, stay tuned!

SECRET KEY Lemon Sparkling Peeling Gel Exfoliater

A dear friend of mine has been raving about this product for awhile now and I’ve been fortunate enough to try it out (again) on our recent trip to Palm Springs. Yes, It was as good as I remember it to be! It’s a scub peel that exfoliates like CRAZY. I didn’t even know I had so much dead skin on my face before I used this stuff.

Directions: Use on a dry face and lightly scrub your skin. You’ll start to see literal chunks of dead skin come off your face (SO gross but amazing and oh so satisfying at the same time!) Wash off with warm water and gentle, I repeat: GENTLE face wash. It’s a peel; Don’t use it with other exfoliants. Skip sunbathing and other harsh chemicals on the skin for a couple of days afterwards. I’ve only tried this a few times but I would advise using this peel face wash once every 1-2 weeks.

Kristen Ess The One Signature Shampoo & Conditioner

I’m not adding any links to purchase this product because the Kristen Ess products sold on Amazon seem to have some bad reviews (possibly a counterfeit/expired item)? Besides, it’s half price at Target – $10.00 each! Smells amazing + feels amazing. I’ll update my review after a few weeks.

Trader Joe’s Mint Watermelon Tea

I have this product linked to Amazon just in case someone wanted more detailed info on it. If you do plan on purchasing, go straight to Trader Joe’s! A close friend of mine came over with a tin of this stuff and I instantly fell in l o v e.

Straight out of the tin this tea smells like watermelon bubblegum. You get a taste of mint on your first sip that gradually turns into a watermelon bubble gum-ish after taste. I’ve been brewing the Mint Watermelon Tea and mixing in Milo’s No Calorie Famous Sweet Tea and a handful of ice every afternoon and it’s life changing. (Milo’s sweet tea is available in SoCal at Walmart and Sam’s Club if anyone is interested.

Dashima (Kombu) Dried Kelp – For my hair

Dashima (Dashi Kombu) is AMAZING as a hair pack!

I know this product looks really random on this list but, just listen. I’ve been using this stuff I can’t even believe how much smoother my hair looks in just a couple of uses. I’m dedicating an entire blog to this within the week so stay tuned!

05/22/201905/22/2019

Toddler Eczema Update: Flip Over Cuffs

1 step forward, 3 steps back

TBH, It’s a pain in the butt having to apply lotion on my youngest as much as I do. Just how often you ask? Just today I’ve applied a 3 step regimen 3 times. It’s only 1:35PM. You know what’s a bigger pain in the butt? When you do all the “right” things and the Eczema is in the best case: the same, or in the worst case – cracked, bleeding, raw, and still itchy in the worst way. I guess if all these lotions, creams or ointments were solving the issue, all this stickiness would be worth while. (YES, I’ve tried natural remedies. Essential oils, diet change, getting rid of chemical detergents, etc etc and other holistic remedies) …. but rn, it’s not working.

UGH

In fact, even food triggers and allergens are a question mark. Example: We tried a piece of boiled egg one time and within 20-30 minutes Maverick broke out into hives on his chest, thighs and face. Since I only gave him 1 ingredient (egg) I was so sure this was the cause (because there’s egg in practically everything, right?) A week or two later my husband decided to try giving him a piece of fried egg and no reactions at all. So I tried another boiled egg a few days later and again no reaction! This isn’t the case for just eggs. It’s pretty much everything we own, everything Maverick touches, eats or is around. One day it’s the cause of a flare and another day it has zero effect on his eczema. Now we’re at a point where sometimes egg is ok, sometimes it’s not. Is our 18 mo starting to develop an immunity to things? Or it this life just playing with us?

I hate this game.

I’m frustrated, yes, and I’m tired asf. On bad days Maverick will wake up 2-3 times throughout the night screaming in pain, itching and tensely squirming his tired little body while I frantically spray water on him, change his diaper, and reapply ointments. This lack of sleep tends to leave me to be a shell of a woman the next day while his temper tantrums are at level 150 ALL DAY. It’s witching hour in my house 24/7 lately!

But I remain focused

I force myself to snap out of my funk because

1) I can’t be having a more difficult time than the actual person who has Eczema, right?

and

2) I have 2 other humans and a dog that rely on me to function. This might possibly be that “mom strength” that people talk about….Or it could just my level of caffeine intake. Whatever it is, Thank God for it.

Eczema Flares

When Maverick is going through an Eczema flare it starts off on his chest. I’ll see him tugging at his shirt around the neckline. This single sign is a guarantee that’ll I won’t be sleeping well that night. He rubs his face and eyes, a lot like when he’s tired. Light red patches will pop up around his eyes, chest, sides, shoulders, forearms and thighs. This quickly intensifies and wakes up his “trouble spots”. ( I don’t know the actual term for this, that’s just what I call them). These spots are thick and dry patches that never really go away. For Maverick these are behind the neck, on the elbows, hands, knees, and the worst spot: his ankles and tops of his feet.

Yup. This is what I see on a lot of days. It’s not an infection, it’s just a whole lot of scratching at his ankles and feet overnight. Yes, I use medication (topical steroids) but only on days like this where I know his skin won’t be able to handle anymore. In between I use lots of lotion, ointments, essential oils, diet changes, The skin needs some time to heal. I know a lot of moms and people out there who are judging me because I end up using steroids on my toddler, but you do you, and I’ll do me. We’re all in this together.

Cover it up

It doesn’t matter if my 18mo is going through a flare or has pristine skin that day, he needs to stay covered up. Long footed onesies are our current go-to outfit.

The moment I open his onesie to change a diaper, he’s back at it again! Scratching… more like clawing as his ankles and thighs. Yes, I’ve tried socks… all kinds of lengths and materials. He always pulls them off and goes back to scratching.

We don’t wear shoes in our house

This makes it difficult to have Maverick dressed in a footed PJs all day. As a walking (running and climbing) toddler he wants to walk himself outside to the car, at the park, at the supermarket, etc… Every time I need to get out of the house I have to change his outfit: from footed PJs to socks/pants/shirt. With this outfit change, he inevitably he pulls off his shoes and socks in the car or stroller and goes back to scratching away at his ankles and feet like a maniac. When we get back home from our outing, Maverick is left with raw ankles and feet so I change him back into his footed PJs with some lotion or ointment.

My Solution? Flip-Over Cuff Pants

Flip over cuffs are not a new idea what-so-ever. You’ll see it most often on baby onesies, but with gloves. My thought process: At home I’ll have the foot cuff covering his feet and I can just flip them open when we go out. Hopefully, he won’t be able to pull up his cuff pants (even when they are open) to scratch himself.

I decided this was a decent alternative to changing outfits 2-3 times a day and started my google search:

“flip over cuff pants”

“Eczema clothing cuffed pants”

“flip cuff baby pants”

“flip over foot cuff”

Nothing. It didn’t exsist.

Typically, a 2 year old doesn’t need covered hands or feet so I guess this was to be expected. Well… I did find a few options for sizes Newborn – 9 month. This wasn’t much help as Maverick is already 18 months old and is wearing 24 month sized clothing.

Fun Fact I found while searching: Did you know Aloe and moisturizer infused Eczema clothing exists? If you can afford 65$ for just the top and another 70$ for the bottoms of what looks like a 2 set PJ, by all means try it out.

F*K it, I’m just gonna make them myself.

I started searching for fold over cuff tutorials online and bumped into this one from Things For Boys. (Thank you for your post!)

Absolutely. Brilliant. This was it! Something simple, something that would work for the time being. Only problem: I can’t sew.

This left me to do the most obvious thing I could do – I called my mom who just happens to be a professional tailor on the other side of the country. I sent her photos of what I wanted, a yard of fabric from Walmart, and 7 pairs of toddler pants from Amazon.

Here’s the result

My mom is amazing. Here’s a video of the unboxing and a closer look at the pants.

She was able to make cuffs for 6 pairs of pants with the 1 yard of fabric.
She even pleated little ‘corners’ so Maverick’s heel would fit right in.
They work. Maverick is not scratching his ankles while they are covered which buys us a little time to heal the skin.
Another reason they work: At home we have his feet covered. When we go out I just flip the cuffs open and put on socks and shoes. I don’t know why but he doesn’t seem to try and scratch his ankles in the car anymore. Maybe his mind tricks him into thinking he still has a footed PJ on? Who cares, it’s working for now.
They’re a bit long. We have 1 pair that is shorter than the rest and that’s the 1 I’m using now. The rest of them are long enough to fit my 3 yo so… We’ll have to wait. I feel like my mom did this on purpose so we would be able to use the pants longer? I can’t complain, she spent her free time doing this for me.

Ok. So they’re A LOT long… My 3 year old can fit in the biggest one and she wears 5/6T.

My mom left the original cuff on the pants. Visually, they look nice but the pants feel a little too tight when the cuffs are open. (Too much fabric around the ankles).
They might get slippery. Usually, footed PJs have that rubbery fabric on the bottom for some traction but we don’t have that. Maverick hasn’t had an accident yet but I feel like I’ll have to add something soon.

It’s a work-in-progress

We definitely have a few things to tweak but I feel like we’re on the right track. Our end result is in no way perfect or complete but I hope this post can reach someone and it can spark an idea for you. Stay strong Eczema fam! Sending you guys much love and strength.

Maverick and his cute little chubby toddler feet

Disclosure: Yes, I have ads in my blog post! This is because if you click on the ads and buy something from Amazon using my link, I’ll get a small commission with absolutely no extra cost to you. This is just so I can continue to blog. Let’s be real here, blogging can cost money. Thanks in advance for any and all support. Much peace and love.

05/03/201905/23/2019

May 2019 – Products I Love (or will love soon)

Happy May everyone! I’ll be posting all the products I feature on my IG here. Will update with a review asap once I use them. Or, you can just follow me on Insta and check out my stories from time to time for quicker updates.

My Instagram—> @because_mom_life

If you’d like to support my blogging, some of the images and links below will take you directly to Amazon. I’ll get a small commission with absolutely no extra cost to you if you should decide to make a purchase. This is just so I can continue to blog. Let’s be real here, blogging can cost money and I have mouths to feed. Thanks in advance for any and all support! Much peace and love.

Disney Fantasy Gown Nightgown Pajamas

*These pajamas are SO flippin’ cute guys! I found them at* **Costco for $12.99** *but there are tons of them on Amazon for less than $20. We just purchased an Elsa and Belle gown earlier today.*

Melanie is OBSESSED with her Disney Elsa Nightgown.

Update 5/8/19: The glitter on this dress irritates my daughters skin. She had severe Eczema as a baby so she has sensitive skin. Washed 4 times and still glitter coming off… I’m in a tough situation because Melanie is asking to wear this dress 10000x a day. We’ll try again in a few more washes.

Purple For Brown Hair By Overtone

So.. if you haven’t noticed already, my hair is red. Not ginger red but red, red. I had my hair bleached about a year ago and didn’t like the look of my roots growing out. I absolutely don’t have the time (or money tbh) to sit in a salon for 4 hours getting my roots bleached again. My solution? Add color.

I found Overtone in my FB feed and decided to give it a try… Fell. In. *LOVE*.

Overtone is a colored hair conditioner/treatment so it colors your hair on top of making my frizzy damaged hair smooth. I opted for the Extreme Red set that cost me about $50. I’ve been using this product once every 1-2 weeks since October 2018 (6-7 months ago) and I still have some left. I have long shoulder/mid back length hair. SO worth the money.

This time I decided to try the Purple For Brown Hair color. Overtone offers a custom color kit with the Extreme Red and Extreme Purple color together and it looks amaze-ballz.

Ok, so I’m using the Purple For Brown color which could turn out a little different than what’s pictured.. I’ll update as soon as I can 🙂

Following are not affiliate links: I just really like this brand

https://overtone.co/ – they offer a ton of color options! Super quick and easy to use. I leave on my treatment for 5 minutes or less. Make sure to use gloves. Also, wipe down your shower afterwards.

https://overtone.co/collections/custom-color-kits/ – This is the link to the custom color kits they offer.

Overtone Review:

You guys. I did it.. and I can’t. I love Overtone. I washed my hair last night and left on the treatment for less than 5 minutes. Check out my hair this morning:

Enjoyee Hair Dryer Brush“>Enjoyee Hair Dryer Brush

This one was a little treat for myself on Mother’s Day! I recently cut my hair into long layers and I left the salon with silky smooth straight hair. Once I washed it, my hair went back to its frizzy damaged old self. I have a lot of hair, it’s just really thin. With years of at-home bleaching and years of perms and stuff, the ends are just always frizzy. I’m able to tame it down a bit with a straightener but it’s just not the same as getting a blow out from a salon. My hair looks a lot more polished when it’s curled but realistically, what mom of three has time for that? I’m tired of having my hair in a messy bun 24/7 so I’m trying this dryer brush. *Crossing Fingers*

Review: This brush saves me SO much time guys. It’s a dupe of the Revlon dryer brush which is currently priced at $47 on Amazon. I spent $35.00 on this and it was worth every penny. The ends of my hair are always pretty frizzy and this brush plus a small amount of defrizzing product solves all my hair issues every morning.

Bear Essentials Microfiber Camping and Travel Towel

I just received this lightweight travel towel from Bear Essentials in Teal. Saving it for this Memorial Day! Hoping to get some good use out of this at the pool. #ad

Furbo Pet Camera

Furbo was released in 2016 and honestly I don’t know what took me so long to get one. I just received mine yesterday and absolutely love it! Video quality is good. Audio is clear. App is easy to use and the Furbo is really easy to set up. Connect the Furbo to your wifi at home and you can watch your pet from anywhere. What I really like about the Furbo is that it has a “bark alert” and you can set your setting to high (sensitive to sounds) or low (not so sensitive to sounds. We needed this because our fur baby starts howling within 10 minutes of us leaving the house. There’s a 2-way speak and mic function and you can throw your pup some treats at any time. The only downside is the price. $200-250 is a little much for the average person – my suggestion: search on eBay, Craigslist, LetGo or somewhere similar for a gently used one.

7Senses Hanging Toiletry Bag

We travel quite a bit – nothing major overseas, just weekend getaways with the family to San Diego, Palm Springs, Vegas, and San Francisco. Ever since I discovered the hanging toiletry bag I can’t be without one on my trips. These types of bags can hang easily in the bathroom and can hold so much! (Kids, husbands, and my things). The exact one I have is pictured above!

04/19/201905/03/2019

Products I Love April 2019

Hey everyone! Hope April 2019 has been treating you wonderfully. I get a lot of questions about the products I post on my IG and IG Stories so I decided to make a page dedicated to just that on my blog. I’ll be updating this section of my blog as much as possible so please bookmark or follow me on Instagram (www.instagram.com/because_mom_life) for the latest. Click on any of the images below for the direct links!

Triple Cream : This stuff is one of the thickest lotions I’ve ever used. Sticky? Yes, but great for my kids eczema flares. Just lather on as needed! $24.99 on Amazon
Update: I’ve been using this cream for a little over a month now and after 3 tubs, I’m still happy with it!

Seat cushion by Purple: So if you haven’t been living under a rock you’ve seen the countless ads on your Facebook and Instagram feeds for a Purple Mattress. Unfortunately I’m not baller enough for the mattress but I DID get myself the seat cushion… and it’s amazing. $79.00 on Amazon
Update: My husband says his butt feels awesome 🙂 He sits on the computer for hours at a time to work and this seat cushion has been doing wonders for him.

Parenting Let’s Make A Game Of It: Great, easy and entertaining to read parenting book! I hate reading, but this was good. The Amazon Kindle version is only $2.99! No brainer.

Project Sunscreen: A ROLL ON sunscreen for kids and baby! No harsh chemicals, easy to apply, easy to carry… Seriously, one of my favorite products I’ve bumped into so far this year! $14.99 on website below

https://projectsunscreen.com/collections/all
Use code: HAVEABALL15 for 15% off

Update: After a month of using this product we still love it! Its just so easy to apply and carry around. Since it’s always strapped onto my baby bag we never forget it!

Natural Eyelash Growth Serum By Match Lash: This one I’m still in the process of using and getting results from. Tbh I haven’t been able to be consistent using this product but I wanted to add it here just in case anyone else had any input or experience using it before. $49.99 on Amazon
Update: whompwhompwhomp 🙁 Don’t like this product. Didn’t do much for my lashes and my eyes burned the next morning after application.

Medline Remedy Olivamine Calazime Skin Protectant Paste Cream: I was introduced to this product through a close friend and am really impressed with the results! I’ve been using this on areas of my kids skin that are really effected by eczema. It does have a “dry” feel to it almost like it could dry out the skin but it has quite the opposite effect! Only downside I’ve experienced is that it gets on clothes and leaves a white-ish residue. I’ll be going over this on my IG stories soon so stay tuned! $6.92 on Amazon
Update: Because of the color of the lotion it’s difficult to apply all throughout the day. But yes, it helps with the itching. If you try this lotion, prepare to have lotion residue on everything it touches.

Slime Bonanza Slime kit: I haven’t opened this one yet but I’ll be doing just that with my kids the first chance we get. (Most likely within a week or two). It has good reviews and has a decent price. $19.99 on Amazon
Update: I still haven’t opened this with my kids! Will add this to the May 2019 product list and finally review it.

Gellen Gel Nail Polish Top and Base Coat: I recently invested in a UV led lamp so I could do my nails at home. Saves so much time and money! This base and top coat has been absolutely perfect and my nails are now going on a week and half with no chips or peeling. (note: I do a lot of chores, dishes and bottle washing without gloves!) The set is only $7.99 on Amazon
Update: With this top coat and base, my home cured gel nails lasted almost 2 weeks. I don’t use gloves when washing dishes so 2 weeks is pretty good in my opinion.

Burt’s Bees Baby footed sleepers: I love Burt’s Bees because they use organic cotton. In terms of my youngest Maverick and his eczema, putting on massive amounts of lotion and keeping the area COVERED seems so help immensely. He’s old enough now where he can pull regular socks off so having footed clothing is a MUST. These are light enough so wear regularly, they have non-slip feet and are zippered. I purchased the 2 pack ( A Bee C/Stripe 2-pk ) for $27.00 on Amazon.
Update: So the bands around the wrists were a little too tight for Maverick so I had to cut them off. Whatever works I guess?

02/07/201904/22/2019

iBert Child Bicycle Safe-T-Seat Review: Beach Cruisin’ with my 14 month old

Your child is the most important part of your life, and you want to share the world with them. Living near the California coast I’ve found beach cruising to be a great way to do this. Not only can our entire family get some fresh air, our kids (ages 7, 2 and 1) can learn to love the feeling of a bike beneath them. MyiBert Child Safe-T-Seat is the perfect bike seat for my 14 month old.

Just a really quick view of the iBert Child Bicycle Seat.

I found that a lot of baby/child bike seats are made to be mounted on the back of the rider. Rear-mounted bike seats are obviously mounted behind you, making interaction very difficult. Here are the reasons why I went with a bike seat that mounts on the front of the bike:

iBert Child Bicycle Safe-T-Seat Is Mounted On The Front Of Your Bike

There is no drag on the bike with an iBert Child Bicycle Safe-T-Seat. The seat becomes part of the bike, thus making it easier to climb hills. (when compared to a bike trailer, Yes I have one, No I don’t use it anymore)
You can travel the bike paths that are inaccessible to others. I’m not as advanced of a rider so this wasn’t really an issue for me but I wanted to add it in here anyways).
The iBert Child Bicycle Safe-T-Seat on the front of the bike near the handlebars, allowing for easy interaction with your child. However, the seat is out of the way, causing no restrictions on your knees (even for tall people! I’m 5’7″)
The iBert Child Bicycle Safe-T-Seat is both safe and durable. Your child is seated in a very comfortable position and can see more than just your back, while still being completely protected. This seat also lasts for years and can even be left outside during rainy seasons. Not that Southern California has dramatic weather… but the material used to make this particular bike seat is durable.
The iBert Mount Bicycle Seat is made with both you and your child in mind. The seat attaches to the front of the bike, leaving plenty of space for your knees and comfortably fitting your child. Just a couple weeks ago my family and I went out for a 2 hour bike ride and baby Maverick (who is now 14 months) didn’t seem to have any complaints with comfort.
Installation of the iBert Child Bicycle Safe-T-Seat is very quick and easy. This seat can be installed in less than 5 minutes. ANYONE can do it! This means that there is no fumbling for tools to detach the seat and no time needed to convert your bike. Although I didn’t personally install the seat onto my bike (this is what husbands are for, right?) my husband was done with the seat installation in a matter of minutes.

Where to purchase the iBert Child Bicycle Safe-T-Seat

I actually found this item to be a bit pricey but was lucky enough to find a used one on Craigslist nearby. I would highly advise searching in your local area first before purchasing new-in-the-box from online or in stores. Amazon has the iBert bike seats listed for about $80-$100 and you may be able to find them in sporting goods or bike stores.

Do you have any experience with the iBert Child Bicycle Safe-T-Seat ?

Let me know of your pros and cons in the comments!

01/31/201904/18/2019

Because Mama Saves – L.O.L Surprise! Biggie Pet Amazon Sale, Just $20!

Hey everyone!

I’ve decided to start a section on my blog called ‘Because Mama Saves’. I’ll be posting sales and deals as I find them! No long blog post to read thru: just straight to the links! Today I’ll be posting about L.O.L Surprise Toys.

If you happen to click thru and the prices have changed, the sale is most likely over.

To receive updates, please follow me on Instagram @because_mom_life

Click the images to be forwarded to Amazon.

L.O.L Surprise! Biggie Pet Hop Hop Set $20 shipped on Amazon

L.O.L Surprise! Biggie Pets Hop Hop set original price $40, Now $20.

L.O.L Surprise! Biggie Pet MC Hammy Set $20 shipped on Amazon

L.O.L Surprise! Biggie Pet MC Hammy Set Original price $40, Now $20

L.O.L Surprise! Biggie Pet Dollmation Set $20 shipped on Amazon

L.O.L Surprise! Biggie Pet Dollmation Original price $40, Now $20

I’m not sure how long this sale will last, so glad these while you can! The L.O.L Surprise toys make a great gift for kids, even my 2 year old asks me for these ALL THE TIME. And for $20? Why not?!

01/29/201901/29/2019

Hot Vita Slimdown Gel, Because I’m a mom of 3

Having the perfect legs or abs is what every man and woman dreams of; unfortunately that is not necessarily always the case. After having 3 kids, No matter how much exercising and dieting I did, I still found a little excess fat hanging around my belly. (Ok, AND my arms, pooch, thighs, and my least fav: double chin.) Cardio, weight lifting and nutritional eating habits are all good for conditioning, toning, and health. But what about those little fatty deposits that you only know of?

Keeping up with my crazy kids and re-applying my Hot Vita Slimdown Gel at the park.

Losing weight through the usual exercise and diet route is still the ideal way for people to go when they want to trim down. If you have attempted all the lotions and potions, mainstream America has promised that will give you the perfect legs, thighs, and arms, without any success. You may just consider a simple, yet powerful product that is providing results to users: Hot Vita Slimdown Gel.

Hot Vita Products are available on Amazon!

What Is Hot Vita Slimdown Gel?

Took my Hot Vita Slimdown Gel with me on a beach bike ride just this past weekend.

Hot Vita Slimdown Gel is a nonprescriptive product that provides the skin with everything that is needed to reduce fat, repair kin tissue and increase blood flow and circulation; resulting in the breakdown and prevention of cellulite buildup in your body. Sound interesting? Read on.

How Does Hot Vita Slimdown Gel Work?

While exercising, dieting and eating nutritionally is very important for the total body. Hot Vita Slimdown Gel provides the body with the additional boost that is needed to speed up your body’s metabolism. In doing so, your body will burn more calories and store less fat in those difficult areas of the body.

What are the Ingredients?

The ingredients used to make Hot Vita Slimdown Gel have been traditionally used to help slim down. Among the ingredients contained in it, are all natural and others with great characteristics or features regarding our topic of interest.

Full list of the ingredients in Hot Vita Slimdown Gel – Available on Amazon

Advantages Of Hot Vita Slimdown Gel

The most common advantage in using Hot Vita Slimdown Gel is its anti-inflammatory effects. Muscle pain and swelling in sports injuries like tennis elbow and fractures and muscle trauma are widespread. Sports physicians highly recommend this cream as pain remedies for such situations. Accidentally slipped and hurt your hip, knee or back? Just had surgery? Having a massage, physiotherapy or oral pain relievers may not be enough. The calming and soothing properties of the cream can take away the pain and swelling making your recovery faster.

Your Hot Vita Slimdown Gel will help return the elasticity of your skin to help you get rid of those ripples that you see on some parts of your body and help you look your best. With the help of Hotvita Slimdown gel, you can get rid of visual cellulite, and your body can look svelte and slim the way you want it to.

I used up my first order of Hot Vita Slimdown Gel

Here’s my experience: Hot Vita Slimdown Gel is a product that is safe to use on a daily basis. There were no side effects to my skin. The product goes on smoothly and you can feel a slight burning and cooling within minutes (much like when you use Bengay, smells similar too). The smell and heated/cooling sensation seems to go away within the hour. I’ve really enjoyed using the product before and after workouts and for light muscle relief. Just this past weekend I used Hot Vita Slimdown Gel before bike riding with the kids at the beach and applied again at the park just an hour after.

But does it work?

I’m not sure if this product (or any product) would just magically melt my fat off within a week but I can definitely say it has smoothed out a lot of visible cellulite around my butt and thighs. I usually work out 1-2 a week for 30 minutes or so (so… not much at all) and go for walks with the kids and dog 2-3 times a week for about an hour. I feel like daily usage for 2-3 weeks would be a lot more effective which is why I’ll be buying the product again! 🙂

01/25/201904/22/2019

How Orgain Organic Protein Powder Helps Me As a Mom Of 3

Proteins аrе rеѕроnѕiblе in rераiring оur bоdу’ѕ muѕсlеѕ, bоnеѕ, inсluding аll оur bоdу сеllѕ. Thiѕ is thе rеаѕоn whу рrоtеin plays a vеrу ѕignifiсаnt rоlе in our bоdу’ѕ mеtаbоliѕm, and thiѕ is еѕресiаllу important if you are trying tо build your muѕсlеѕ. As a mom of 3 little ones (7yo and younger) thеrе are ѕеvеrаl other reasons whу I need a rеgulаr intake оf protein. Rеаd оn tо find out whу уоu need might need Orgain Organic Prоtеin Pоwdеr too.

Orgain Organic Protein Powder is available at your local Target stores

Prоtеin Helps Bооѕt Yоur Immune Sуѕtеm

As a full time mom and a full time boss I just don’t have the time to get sick. Prоtеin contains immunоglоbulin, a ѕubѕtаnсе thаt hеlрѕ tо enhance оur body’s immunity. Such ѕubѕtаnсе аlѕо helps in thе production of glutаthiоnе, famously known аѕ an аnti-оxidаnt. And аѕidе from bеing аn anti-oxidant, glutathione also performs ѕеvеrаl оthеr imроrtаnt functions in our body – it fights diѕеаѕе thаt cause free radicals and hеlрѕ in thе рrосеѕѕ оf detoxification as wеll аѕ DNA rераir.

“The amino acids that are found in protein form the building blocks of all the body’s cells – including the cells that power your immune system. If you don’t consume enough protein, you’ll manufacture fewer white blood cells to combat antigens,” – CNN (Click here for source).

Baby girl helping me with my overflowing Target cart

Whеу рrоtеin also hеlрѕ tо treat muscle ѕоrеnеѕѕ аnd еnѕurеѕ fаѕt rесоvеrу after a vеrу strenuous wоrkоut ie. Chasing your feral toddlers around the house, lifting car seats, strollers, 50 lbs kids 1000x a day. Just strapping your toddler in a seat can become a 10 minute ab and arm workout for sure.

Cоnѕuming an Orgain Organic Protein ѕhаkе in the mornings definitely helped with my energy levels throughout the day. Making a protein shake isn’t time consuming during my busy mornings. Orgain also offers pre-made grab-and-go options as well as shakes for kids (because you know you’ve had those mornings you woke up too late and don’t have time to feed your kids before school).

Prоtеin Can Help To Reduce Wеight

Another reason why you nееd рrоtеin powder whеn building your muѕсlеѕ is bесаuѕе it helps to induce wеight lоѕѕ in уоur body. In fасt, even реорlе whо аrе trуing tо lоѕе weight аnd not build muѕсlеѕ wоuld tаkе protein in оrdеr to hеlр thеm асhiеvе thеir ideal wеight. Regular intake оf protein роwdеr could hеlр you feel ѕо ѕаtiѕfiеd, thus, уоur fооd сrаvingѕ will bе lessened.

So, why Orgain Organic Protein Powder?

Certified Organic
Great Tasting! ( I especially love the chocolate flavor)
21g Plant Based Protein in every serving
0g Sugar (Organic Erythritol and Organic Stevia)

Check out Orgain and Target on Instagram:

@drinkorgain

@target

If you have the Target Cartwheel app, be sure to look out for deals!

If you’re more of an Amazon Prime kind of person you can purchase Orgain Organic Protein Powders and other Orgain products by clicking any of the Amazon links below and throughout this post.

08/29/201804/22/2019

Our End Of The Summer SoCal Family Getaway at Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa

Hey everyone! So it’s been a few days since we got back from our annual end of the summer family getaway. This year we closed our summer by staying at the Omni Ranchero Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, CA. I found this place to be a hidden gem for young families like us so I wanted to take a moment to share our experience with you guys as well as some tips and info we picked up.

Right now (End of August) is considered to be off season for the Coachella Valley so we were able to book rooms for a lot cheaper than usual. Our stay cost us about $180 a night plus resort fees (as opposed to $350/night). My oldest didn’t start school until today so the timing was perfect for us.

Here’s a short clip of our room. We didn’t opt for something super close to the pool for budget reasons but the 3 minute walk wasn’t unbearable. (Even in 106 degree weather with 3 kids).

Just a few tips/info for your stay with little ones at Omni Ranchero Las Palmas Resort & Spa Kiddie Pool

They have a separate adult pool so you don’t have to worry about you’re kids splashing to much or being ‘too loud’.
Your child CAN wear their own floatie even in the lazy river BUT they must hold on to a tube or be holding on to someone in a tube.
You must be 42″ or taller to go on a water slide.
Under 42″ must be with an adult in the lazy river.
Lazy pool area closes at 9pm, family pool closes at 10pm.

For this trip we spent 99% of our days in Splashtopia

This section of Omni Ranchero Las Palmas Resort & Spa includes the following:

Family Pool – where we watched Space Jam at night for the Dive-In movie

Water Slides – my toddler wasn’t tall enough to ride but my 6 yo said this was awesome

Splash Pad – My 6 yo spent hours jumping in the lazy river and running through the splash pad

Lazy River – where I spent most of my time lounging with baby Maverick

My toddlers favorite spot! Sandy Beach just off the lazy river

There were literally giant holes dug up by the kids here just the day before. This is the next morning after. Love how they keep everything well cleaned and maintained.

I ran into the pool area at 9:01am (pool opens at 9am) just to get clean photos for you guys! Hope they come in handy.

If you’re bringing a baby to Splashtopia here are a few tips:

Yes, you can bring a portable crib for your baby to lounge in! I wasn’t smart enough to think of this but I saw a few moms with cribs during my stay. (Why didn’t I think of that?!)
Bring a spray bottle with water so you can mist your baby if it’s too hot. (it was 106 when we went!)
Yes, babies in swim diapers are allowed in the family pools.

You don’t have to swim all day

Omni Ranchero Las Palmas Resort & Spa offers a schedule of events like Morning walks, Mermaid University, Poolside games, Ceramic Woodcraft painting, Omni Murder Mystery, Dive-In Movie, and Designer S’mores.

Of course, some of these activities are an additional fee

Ok, going on to my last tip:

If you’re going to hangout by the lazy pool here are the best spots:

Lounging by the lazy river? Try these spots.

Here’s why: Although all seats are covered by over-sized umbrellas, these spots are closest to the mist fence, offer the widest range of view and the waiters/waitresses walk by here a lot. When I walked in at 9:15am (opening time is 9) these spots were the first to be taken.

Conclusion

Thank You Omni Hotels! We loved our stay and the kids can’t wait to go back. This was only our first trip to Omni Ranchero Las Palmas Resort & Spa. I would say it’s a beginning to an annual tradition for our family. Have you visited before? Did you guys enjoy your stay?