Learn About the App: IFTTT & How It Can Simplify Your Life!

As a mama, I've learned that if I want to get anything accomplished I need to find some shortcuts. Instead of trying to speed home every afternoon or cutting a diaper change short, I've decided to try and make things I do anyways a little simpler with "IFTTT" or "If this, then that" - the app.

While initially setting up my applets took a little bit of time, now I don't have to take 3 actions to share my twitter photos on Instagram, because the app does that for me.

IFTTT lets you do more with the services you love and applets within the app help you bring together services you love. From pairing your Insta with your Twitter to pairing your phones GPS with your lighting system, IFTTT has so many applets that can help you. So, with that said, here's some ways you should be using IFTTT in your life.

1. Automatically wish your friends a Happy Birthday on Facebook - Ever felt like a total jerk because you ignored the notification for a buddy's birthday and never took a minute to write on their wall? Use IFTTT and you'll never have that happen again. Just sign up to send well wishes and the applet will do it for you!

2. Share Instagram photos to Twitter as a photo (not a link) - THIS is literally the reason why I originally started using IFTTT. It may seem lazy but it's nice, as a "momtog", to share photos on Instagram and have them share directly to my most beloved social media platform, twitter. If you love both Insta and Twitter as much as I do, then this is a useful applet for you.

3. Be your own weather person, know when it's going to pour - Don't fret about whether it'll rain or not tomorrow... IFTTT will let you know. Just sign up for a notification and you'll always know if it's going to rain!

4. No worries when dealing with photo storage - Using google drive, back up your Android photos and never worry about having to transfer photos to an external or deleting extras. As a mama with a passion for photographing her baby, this was a huge reason I fell in love with IFTTT.

5. Hit the lights without lifting a finger - If you have the Hue system, which I talk about here, then you have to check out the IFTTT applets that sync up with the lights! You can change your lights to blue lights when it's raining, have your lights automatically turn off when you leave home, press a button to make hue lights color loop and more. I'm obsessed with playing with my lights and IFTTT has made them even cooler!

6. Keep track of everything with Trello - Whether you've heard of Trello before or not, now is the time to start using this app and paired with IFTTT, you'll never forget anything again! I love using this app to keep track of upcoming assignments, appointments, and fun stuff too. The coolest part is I can label an email with a specific label and IFTTT will create a card in Trello for that event. Making time for everything just got a little easier.

Keep Things Fun with Ahoy Boutique Sheets in Your Nursery!

Thanks to Ahoy Boutique for sending over these gorgeous sheets to include in the Baby Shower Gift Guide, regardless all opinions expressed below are completely my own.

You guys, time just keeps flying by and I realized I haven't even finished telling you about all my favorites in my baby shower gift guide... so I'm back at it! Today's post is about one of the best parts of Delainey's room and something I change fairly regularly - the sheets!

While sheets may seem like a small detail in a nursery, they actually are a center point. The first thing I see after I see her, something always in photos of her in her crib, and definitely part of the room that really makes the theme come through. That's why when I decided I wanted a couple of custom sheets for my girl's crib, I turned to Ahoy Boutique.

This little Florida based etsy shop is one of my favorites, with so many unique children's bedding options it's hard not to change the theme of Delainey's room weekly. Whether you are doing a bold striped floral look or a muted swan princess look, Ahoy Boutique has bedding to match the theme of your child's room!

Since Delainey has a tropical themed mermaid room, we obviously loved the more tropical sheet options! When I saw the pineapples I knew she needed these and once I felt them in my hand, I just knew she'd love the softness! These babies are perfect for my baby!

The other sheet I chose for her nursery is the geometric mermaid print! It's a gorgeous mixture of all the colors of her nursery and equally as soft as the pineapple sheet! Made with the utmost detail, these sheets will last for years to come!

Speaking of years to come, I'm also pretty excited because in a few years, when it's time to change the theme to something Delainey likes, we could always find the perfect match in Ahoy Boutique's collection!

So take a minute and see what fits your theme... As you can see, we fell in love with the pineapples and the mermaid print, what do you love the most?

Interested in finding more awesome items for babies and new mamas?
Click here to check out my Baby Shower Gift Guide!

Light Up Your Life & Set The Vibe with Philips Hue

Thanks to Philips Hue for sponsoring today's discussion, regardless all opinions expressed below are completely my own.

Whether it's white light inviting you to study a little longer, purple light lulling you into a sense of relaxation, or yellow light reminding you of the sunset, light plays a pretty big role in the vibe a room gives. I never really thought much about lighting until I learned about the Philips Hue. This awesome little lighting system allows me to set the mood for every occasion right from my phone, it's the coolest new addition to our house and Delainey's pretty lucky to have it all in her room... and I'll be honest and share we may have to use parts of the beautiful Hue lighting system throughout our house now that I know how gorgeous it is.

We decided to spice up her room for Halloween, giving her gallery wall some needed pizz-azz, her overhead light also got a makeover, and we even have it all set to a motion sensor to make diaper changes in the middle of the night a breeze. We just walk in and the lights turn themselves on to a dimmer setting, based on my choices.

Whether you want the room to brighten at an exact time of day or you want to adjust the tones of the color of the lights, using the Philips Hue app with the Ambiance Starter kit, the Go, and the LightStrip is an entertaining way to give each day a colorful new view and each room in your home its own inviting vibe!

The Philips Hue Ambiance Starter Kit includes the bridge that connects everything, as well as 3 White & Color Ambiance bulbs - just install these bulbs in any regular light fixture and it's time to start getting fancy with your lights.

The motion sensor is a real life saver with a newborn in the house... and it'll make a nice little prank on Halloween. For now it's set up in Delainey's room for diaper changes but in a few days this little sensor will give us a warning that trick or treaters are about to ring. It'll be so convenient to know when little ones will be knocking for treats, especially if we light them up with a colorful fun setting.

The Philips Hue Go is the light I plan on having out front with the motion sensor, it's so handy and the perfect little travel light. You can use the app to adjust the colors or just push the button on the device to make it match the color you prefer!

The last item in my Philips list is the LightStrip Plus, the perfect way to illuminate anything you're proud of. We LOVE her gallery wall but it felt like it was missing something until the light strip was added. It's fun to make the room glow different colors and the gallery wall being lit up in all its glory was stunning.

With over 16 million colors and infinite possibilities, the ambiance you desire is readily available with Philips Hue. So we can add some orange and a pumpkin or two to Delainey's room to help her embrace the holiday and in a few weeks from now, we can add some green and red to give things a Christmas vibe. I'm loving how versatile the lights are and how simple they are to work. Speaking of simplicity, you can even set your whole light setup to adjust based on the colors of a photo you upload. I'm excited to play with this feature, as well as many other cool little tricks the Philips Hue line offers.

Are you ready to invest in a Philips Hue light system like this? You can find these cool new additions for your home at Amazon, the Apple Store, Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Home Depot, and MeetHue.com, among other retailers. If you choose to purchase via MeetHue.com, use the code "HueHalloween" through October 30th and receive 15% off all products all orders $100 and under!

Light Up Fall for a Friend + a $200 Giveaway! #Light4Night #LightUpFall

Thanks to Motion Activated Lights for sending over this awesomeness and sponsoring today's discussion, regardless all opinions expressed below are my own.

Fall is full of all kinds of awesomeness, it's like a gift every year when that little bit of chill in the air and pumpkin spice everything arrives. While there is numerous reasons to love fall, my least favorite part of the season is the fact that it gets darker earlier in the day... and with a newborn in our posse now (as of a month ago anyways), that means my hands are constantly full and it's sometimes hard to hit a light switch. I'm sure other moms can relate - with a babe in one arm, a bottle or a binky in that same hand, a diaper bag on the other arm, and a car seat in the other hand, I suppose I should say my arms and hands are pretty full nowadays. I've found a solution to my problem and no longer wander around in the dark when first entering our home in the evening or getting up in the middle of the night to soothe her, Motion Activated LED lights are the little addition to my house I didn't even know I needed until I had her.

I decided to place one of these handy little gadgets near the back door where we enter our house the most, it's so helpful whenever I have my hands full with Delainey, her car seat, and the like. Instead of dropping it all to hit a switch, I just walk into the room and I can instantly see, no matter how dark it is outside when I get home!

I didn't just make the entrance to our house easy to navigate in the dark though, I decided to add one of the lights into Delainey's room. Now instead of switching on the overhead light in her room to find her favorite blanket or grab an extra burp cloth, I just walk in and I can instantly see. The best part is the light is bright enough to illuminate her room without being too bright and waking her up.

Now that I discovered the best little night light for a nursery, I had to share the goodness with a friend that's expecting any day now. I decided gifting her a Motion LED light is a perfect, practical, and more personal addition to her gift from her registry. This little light has been a life saver for us, we just plug it in like a night light and on tough nights with D it's just enough light for us to wonder into her room for the necessities without being blinded by a bright light... We love our Motion LED light and I hope giving her one will help make the nights with her little newborn a tad bit easier!

Speaking of great gifts for friends, here's one for you. Enter to win a $200 Amazon Gift Card with the giveaway form below:

Motion LED Lights

Happiness Delivered: My POPSUGAR Must Have Box for September

Thanks to PopSugar for sending this box full of items I "must have", regardless all opinions expressed below are completely my own.

If you're a fan of subscription boxes, then the PopSugar Must Haves box is one you have to try! When you sign up for a subscription you sign yourself up to essentially receive a present from yourself in the mail, each month... with two different options, a subscription and a mini subscription!  It's the best way to get to know innovative brands and try out full-sized items for yourself and your home.

While I'm a few days late posting, I can't help but brag about what arrived in my Must Haves box in September.

We'll start with the cutest little hat on the block. This fashion must have from Jack + Lucy is so-in-right-now I can't get enough of it. If you want to add a bit of a chic vibe to your style, this little beauty is the best way to do so. Add to any fall outfit and your set for the day, no hairstyle or makeup required... yes please!

Speaking of hairstyles, if you've been struggling to get your hair to cooperate then the beauty must have is just what you need! Whether you blow dry, curl, flat iron, apply a handful of products, or all of the above, your hair likely goes through a lot - instead of adding more distress to try and repair the problem, send your hair to the "spa" instead. The Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask is the perfect way to treat your hair to what it really needs! It does the job in minutes and leaves your hair feeling silky and beautiful.

Feeling beautiful doesn't just start with your hair though, a little bit of lip gloss can make a girl glow... if it's the right gloss, that is! Another beauty must have from this box is Smith & Cult's Lip Lacquer in The Warning. It's an alarming color and perfect for a pop of color this fall! Plus, it's a paraben free formula, which helps extend the wear, whether it's worn with lipstick or by itself. If you're looking for a gloss that really helps make your beauty shine, The Warning may be the perfect option!

The next item in the box doesn't come with a warning but it does involve the E.R. The NCLA MANI-ER Tool kit is so handy, literally! In this tiny little pouch, you have everything you need to make touch ups and polish your mani, especially in an emergency situation.

Another item I think they included in the home must haves that may come in handy in an emergency outside the home is the Flint Lint Roller! It's conveniently sized to fit practically anywhere and winds up and down for use - keeping you dog fur and lint free in seconds flat!

The last item in the box is maybe my favorite. Since hubby is gluten-free I always get excited when I see yummy snacks that tote this designation and The Gluten Free Bites in Dark Chocolate Coconut are some of my new favorite snacks in our house. With just the right amount of coconut and dark chocolate to leave me craving another one, I love popping these little guys in my mouth to treat myself after a long day.

So there you have it, my most recent Must Haves box was amazing... I think we all can agree! Are you a Must Haves subscriber? Click here and order your own box (don't forget to use the code SHOP5, which never expires, to get $5 off your first box)! Also, if you feel like chatting, tell me about one item you hope arrives in your box when you sign up!

5 Fall Cleaning Tips For Busy Households

This review was made possible by iConnect Influencer Management, Febreze and Swiffer was compensated for my participation in this campaign, but all opinions are 100% mine.

Fall is here already... with cooler weather, stylish scarfs, colorful leaves, and pumpkin spice everything and I feel so happy about it all! While fall is such a happy time, it means my schedule is getting busier and with Delainey in the picture, things are really busy this year! If you're anything like me, you have a hundred commitments, a handful of appointments, and maybe even a newborn baby cooing at you. It's a busy time in my life, but so rewarding too! Instead of slacking off on my housekeeping, I've found ways to make keeping my house clean a little easier.

1. Use stylish storage to keep your stuff organized - It's true, we all have junk drawers and a closet full of stuff that we may need in the future. Instead of stuffing it all in a cubby and hoping it doesn't fall out when a guest visits, find some awesome storage options and give everything in your home "a place it belongs". I love a quick visit to The Container Store to get my stuff organized, with bins, bags, and storage options galore - I know they have everything I'll need to get my house in order!

2. Vacuum, spot-clean, and Febreze furniture, blankets, and cushions - While it's wise to do this regularly, with a busy lifestyle, sometimes you can only manage to deep clean furniture once a season! I highly suggest making sure you do this during the Fall, to get rid of stinky summertime smells and to refresh your home with awesome smells like Febreze Big Sur. Refreshing and inviting, your home feels new when you take the time to clean your furniture!

3. Wash the windows, drapes, and blinds - This may seem like you're overdoing the cleaning thing but it's so nice to have fresh windows to see the beautiful weather through! Take a few minutes while you're tidying things in each room and wipe down your windows and if you have some extra time, open the latch and wipe down the outside of the window as well! After your windows are nice and clean, use a duster to get the blinds or take down the drapes and give them a good wash - while they may not appear dirty, you'll notice how much dust goes flying if this isn't a regular chore on your list.

4. Deep clean the floors - Sweep, Swiffer, vacuum, and scrub all the places you walk often. These high traction areas are prone to dirt and while you may clean your floors often, it's good to deep clean these areas at lease once a season! I love using my Swiffer all year round, but scrubbing the floors is something I don't do as regularly but I definitely notice a difference when I do.

5. Organize closets and cupboards - Taking the time to change out your clothing from Summer wear to Winter coats is a good step in the right direction, but also take a moment to rid your closet of unwanted items. While you're at it, go through your cupboards and cabinets in your kitchen and bathroom and get rid of expired items - whether it's a spice that no longer seems to be as pungent or a compact that you've had for a little bit too long, purge and let it go!

It's that easy to get your house in order for the fall! Spend a few minutes each day completing each step and before you know it, your house will be spic n' span and you'll be relaxing watching Hocus Pocus and drinking a Pumpkin Spice Latte - after all, that's what fall is all about!

So tell me, do you have a favorite cleaning product? Do you have any fall cleaning tips you just have to share? Dish all the details in the comments below!

Entry-Form

Also, be sure to use the giveaway tools form above to enter to win a Swiffer WetJet & one full size Febreze product!

6 SIMPLE Ways to Help Save The Environment!

This post was sponsored by NEW! Tide purclean as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central.

I'll admit it, I'm a bit of a "hippie". While I'm not claiming to be the most eco-friendly, tree-hugging person on the planet, I do like the idea of doing my part to help save the earth and I love the notion of keeping this planet "green" for future generations. While we haven't gone as far as growing our own produce or composting yet... I am trying to make sure my family and I make little changes in our lives that will help our planet in the long run.

From choosing to cloth diaper while we are at home, to buying used clothing, and even choosing environmentally conscious cleaning products, we're doing our best to help this planet stay a little greener. Today I want to share a few different ways that we can all do our best to help this planet stay a little greener, especially if your a mama-to-be or a new parent:

As I mentioned one way we plan to do our part is cloth diapering while we are at home, once our babe arrives, of course. I'm sure it is going to be an adventure, I've been told to steer clear by a few people but I know in my heart of hearts that this is the best choice for our family. I think there will definitely be a learning curve but I'm looking forward to saving the earth one little clean booty at a time! If you're interested in learning more about the cloth diapering world, I highly suggest you check out some of the awesome CD groups on facebook!

The next way we do our best to keep the world green is buying used clothes. While this may not have a HUGE impact on the way the world works, it is one less item bought that warrants a company to manufacture more items. I love the idea of buying used when there is plenty of good merchandise on thrift store and consignment store shelves. I'll be honest and share the fact that we have bought our little princess plenty of new clothes... but most of my maternity clothing and a majority of her wardrobe have come from resale stores and I'm proud to say that! It's easy to find great deals on adorable items when you look for them and I think finding balance between buying new and used is a great way to help save the planet, even if it's just a small way of helping.

Another awesome way that we try and keep things green is buying our fruit and veggies locally - again, this may not have a huge impact but every little bit helps. While we stock up on our favorite produce, we're helping our local farmers and farmers markets flourish and in turn giving back to our area instead of large farming corporations that sell the same items in stores. It's not going to change the world overnight but if everyone shopped at farmers markets, it might change the world just a little bit.

We're also big advocates for recycling in our house! I receive LOTS of packages as a blogger so all of the cardboard we get goes straight into our recycling bin, with the occasional box being reused and sent off to a friend or family member! We also recycle boxes that our food comes in, bottles, papers, and anything else labeled as recycling friendly. This may be our biggest contribution to the environment and luckily, the neighborhood we live in provides us with a recycling container so it's easy as pie to set it out on the curb once a week and do our part!

Find Inspiration for Your Baby's Nursery & Give Back with Lorena Canals Rugs

Big Thanks to Lorena Canals for sending over this beautiful rug to include in my Baby Shower Gift Guide,
regardless all opinions expressed below are completely my own!

Getting Delainey's room together has been an adventure and we're not even closed to finished yet... We went from thinking we were going with a "Where the Wild Things Are" theme whenever we first found out we were expecting to deciding on a feminine mermaid theme once we knew our babe was a girl. We've went through a handful of different color schemes, because let's face it, I can be a bit indecisive at times. We've looked at a variety of furniture and finally decided on the pieces that we needed to be a part of her room; but one I item I knew was perfect from the get go, oddly enough, was the rug I found from Lorena Canals. Adding one of the washable rugs they make is a must for any nursery or children's room!

While it's true that most rugs for kiddos are soft and they are often used for tummy time, these beauties are washable and similar to a blanket in many ways yet they stay put and add the perfect stylish touch to any kid-friendly room! Plus, they get major bonus points from this mama to be because they fit in most standard washing machines! So there really are no worries when baby has a little spit up mishap during playtime, all you have to do is toss the rug into the wash during nap time and it'll be clean and ready for round two of playtime before baby even wakes up!

With a classic design that'll match her room through out the years, our Lorena Canals Mix Ramlal rug is going to be the perfect addition to all the changes her room undergoes through out the years. I love it's simple coloring and the fact it's uniquely made, just like all of their rugs... plus, since it's washable we don't have to worry about mishaps with finger paint or other fun adventures while she grows!

These rugs obviously aren't just your plain ol' big box store option though... Lorena Canals rugs undergo an extensive handmade elaboration process based on the selection of the best raw materials, the use of only natural dyes, the control of non-child labor in the production process, and the compliance of quality and safety standards for children - making these beauties even more unique!

The best part about Lorena Canals rugs though, is the fact the company provides schooling for children in Northern India! With the purchase of a Lorena Canals rug, you will help a child attend school. Lorena Canals believes that education is the key to mobility and vital to breaking the poverty cycle so they give back whenever possible. So not only are you rewarding your babe with an awesome new rug when you buy a Lorena Canals rug, you're rewarding another child with an education!

Sold in over 30 countries and promoted by so many amazing people including one of my favorite celebs, Chrissy Teigen, Lorena Canal rugs are the answer to spicing up the look of your nursery, no matter what them you choose.

Are you decorating your little darling's room in a pineapple theme? They have a rug for that.

What about a desert theme? They have a cactus rug you'll be gaga over.

With Ombre rugs in shades of emerald and coral to lavender blends, it was a little difficult to narrow down my choice between all of the beautiful options... but the classic look of the Mix Ramlal rug was the perfect choice for us and our nursery that I'll be officially unveiling soon! Are you looking for inspiration for your nursery? Check out these adorable baby rooms enhanced by a gorgeous Lorena Canals rug and leave me a little message sharing your favorite look in the comments below!

Interested in finding more awesome items for babies and new mamas?
Click here to check out my Baby Shower Gift Guide!

Stay Mosquito-Free Ths Summer with Orkin on Your Side!

This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of Orkin; however, all thoughts and  opinions are my own.

As a mama to be, I'm hyper aware of mentions of pregnancy on the news and when I heard about the Zika virus I pretty much had a panic attack on the spot. It's not that I travel to Mexico often or even plan on visiting any time soon, it's just the fact that we live in a pretty culturally diverse area with a beach that attracts people from all over the world... It's hard not to worry that one of the millions of tourists that visit my beautiful beachy hometown will be carrying the virus and all it takes is one bite from one mosquito and my baby and I are in danger.

Unfortunately, in Florida, your own backyard can be an excellent mosquito breeding ground - all they need is one bottle cap worth of standing water and babies are on their way! Instead of being able to focus on our summer plans, all I could think about was avoiding these pesky little creatures by all means possible. With the Zika virus and the West Nile virus making headlines, it's hard not to stress about mosquitoes.

Instead of spending all summer indoors worrying, hubby and I decided we needed to be proactive and take the mosquito problem head on. While we can't walk around annihilating every little blood sucker in our area we can keep them out of our yard and that's where Orkin comes into the picture. They've got mosquito control down to a science!

We've been getting Pest Control treatments for our house monthly since we moved in last May and we've never even seen a bug in our house. So when our lovely Orkin guy mentioned that they also offer a mosquito treatment for outdoors, we knew it was something we wanted to have done to protect our precious little babe, myself, and my husband as well.

With award-winning training and advanced technology, our Orkin Man was able to look for conditions that invite mosquitoes, tackled all the current issues we had that were breeding current infestations, and stopped the life cycle of these little nuisances to help reduce the number of them in my yard. With more than 160 hours of training (in just his first year), I have confidence in my Orkin guy and know that my property is protected from these pests because of his skills - now mosquitoes don't stand a chance!

I'm happy to say after these treatments I'm confident that our summer can be full of backyard fun without the worry! We're so confident, in fact, that we're actually planning on hosting our baby shower in our backyard in July and BBQ-ing with some of our other friends in just a week or two! It's nice to be at ease in our own backyard and I'm super thankful that Orkin was able to help protect my family. 

Are you wanting to do everything you can to protect your family and those around you that are expecting from the Zika virus? Find out how Orkin's treatments are the best Zika virus precaution and why you should treat your house today - it's totally worth it! Plus, check out this infographic for tips and tricks on how to deal with mosquito bites when they happen AND how to keep those pesky mosquitoes away!

The Perfect Baby Monitor!

This post was sponsored by Baby’s Journey as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received complimentary merchandise to facilitate my review.

In case you haven't heard the news, after years of hoping to become parents, we are finally expecting our little one in September and we couldn't be any more excited! With that said, we are already nesting like crazy and want to prepare the perfect room for our little bundle of joy, as you can probably imagine. I'm choosing fabrics for personalized blankets, picking out little trinkets to decorate the nursery furniture shelves with; I'm already washing and folding all of the adorable little clothing and obviously, trying to equip the room with the best of the best when it comes to her safety and well-being!

While I'm a newbie to this parenting stuff, I've heard from seasoned parents that choosing a baby monitor can be difficult. I've been told that you don't want to be stingy when it comes to being able to keep an eye on your precious bundle of joy and I tend to agree.

So after doing hours of research, I decided that the new AT&T Smart Sync monitor will work the best for our little family. This beauty from AT&T and Baby's Journey, an innovative children's products manufacturer, offers all of the features that I know we will use! Not only does it offer the ability to see my baby at any time, it also will come in handy for documenting (and sharing) our lives!

Once I received the Smart Sync monitor in the mail, I knew I made the right choice! This super cool and sleek little gadget is SO MUCH MORE than just a monitor; I know I'll just love being able to keep track of the little things like diaper changes and feedings while also keeping an eye on my angel at any time, from the monitor or my cell phone! This simple feature provides me with true peace of mind and allows my hubs and I the ability to co-parent easily!

Plus, as I mentioned, this monitor is made for sharing! If you know me, then you know this social media guru was pretty stoked to find out I can share photos directly to Twitter and Facebook whenever I want my family & friends to see the adorable baby doing something adorable or accomplishing a milestone like sleeping through the night or rolling over on her own, all of these memories can be documented and as you can imagine, I'm so excited to share each and every accomplishment!

I know the adjustment into parenthood will be unlike anything I've ever experienced before, I've been warned; but I find comfort in knowing I'll always be able to check on my darling baby no matter where I am with the Smart Sync monitor.  The monitors are now available online and in-store at Babies “R” Us locations. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/ATTSmartSync.