December Citrus Lane review (3-month-old box)

       My December Citrus Lane box for Graham came early this month, which was great because I was really hoping to get it before Christmas. It normally arrives anywhere between the 17th and 22nd of the month, and I think they are getting faster now that they are shipping with FedEx instead of their previous shipping partner. 
       I always look forward to the December edition of my Citrus Lane box because I figure they will do something extra special for the holidays. I was really pleased with Graham's box. This month's Citrus Lane boxes contained great brands like Pearhead, North American Bear Co., Melissa and Doug, Barefoot Books, HABA, and Episencial.  

           Here are the details on what we received in our box for our three-month-old son:

• Cozie from North American Bear Co. ($10.00): This super soft lovey is so cute. I don't know if Graham will become attached to a lovey because Owen never did so we'll have to see. I really like this one though and think its really adorable and perfectly sized for my little guy. It's also machine washable which is great since I'm sure it will get chewed on and dirty. I got the Flatocow version, but there are tons more on their website where they sell them as two-packs for $20. 

• Rira Clutching Toy from HABA ($9.49): I really like the HABA brand and this toy is no exception. I love that it is wooden and colorful and unlike any other baby toy that we have. This will definitely be going in Graham's stocking this year. HABA is a German company that makes wooden toys out of reforested timber. The wood is stained instead of painted so it won't flake off and is nontoxic for babies who teethe on them. 

• Handprint Keepsake from Pearhead ($14.95): I think that Citrus Lane sent these out last year to the under one age group too. I am really happy to get it this year because I have been the typical parent of a second child who does way less with the second kid than the first. We have tons of keepsakes from Owen's first Christmas, but haven't done much of anything with Graham. He is at a different age from Owen so he can't do as much, but I really wanted to do some type of handprint or footprint artwork with him. The homemade ornament similar to this that I did with Owen when he was a baby didn't work very well and one of them broke so I'm happy to have a foolproof kit to make the process easier this time. 

• Snuggly Lotion from Episencial ($4): I really like this brand and am always happy to see it in my Citrus Lane box. I really love the cherry scent and knowing that the lotion is organic and contains nourishing and hydrating ingredients like borage seed oil, avocado, flax oil, and primrose oil. 

       The retail value of this box is $38.44, which is more than $15 over what I paid for it since I subscribe for six months at a time and get these boxes monthly for $21 rather than the $25 if you pay monthly. It also came with a discounted offer to become a Barefoot Books member who can sell them. 
       If you are interested in signing up for Citrus Lane, you can use this LINK to get $10 when you start a subscription. It's my favorite subscription box for babies and toddlers from newborns to age 5. They have introduced us to a lot of great brands and products and are a fun treat to get in the mail each month. 

Graham is three months old!

     I'm late in posting this again, but we have had a really busy month with illness and visiting family and life with two kids in general.

        At three months old, Graham weighs about 13 pounds (nothing exact since we didn't have a doctor's appointment this month). This is more than Owen at that age. This past month Graham was also diagnosed with pertussis (aka whooping cough). This has made our boy pretty fussy as his cough wakes him frequently and we're not getting much sleep. He still has a little bit of a cough especially at night. I think for this reason, he will be later than his brother in starting to sleep through the night. Here is some other news on the Graham front:

Eating: 

       Graham still eats every 2.5 to three hours like clockwork. He eats four to five ounces at every feeding. He gets really mad if you try to burp him before he's had a couple ounces as if we regularly starve him. I have tried integrating some dairy back into my diet, but I think that is causing Graham to be fussier and spit up more so I think I'm going to have to cut it out completely again. 

       I am still pumping breastmilk for him and haven't had to supplement with formula. I pump about four times a day now and am still storing milk in the freezer. 

Sleeping: 

Graham is a pretty good sleeper for a sick baby. He is getting to be on a schedule now and will go down for naps about an hour and a half after we wakes to eat. This is helping in getting him to fall asleep faster and without all the drama. At night he generally falls asleep sometime around eight and then we try to feed him once more before we go to bed. He typically wakes up about twice during the night and early morning. He is still sleeping swaddled. 

Other Things I Want to Remember: 

      Graham  wears size 0-3 month clothing. He is about to be in size 3-6 months. He size one diapers when he isn't in cloth. We are pretty much in cloth full time now which I enjoy. 

      He has a pretty good amount of hair still, though it is rubbing thin on the back on his head (see photo below). His eyes are still blue, but if he is like Owen, they will begin to change sometime in the next month. 

       I am still amazed at how talkative Graham is. He coos a lot and "talks" to us. He is for sure really smiling now and is really close to laughing. I can't wait! 

       Another milestone reached is the ability to roll from his tummy to his back. He did this on Halloween. He had done it a couple times in the first few weeks after he was born, but I didn't really count it. 

       Graham also found his hands this month and loves putting them in his mouth.

      He enjoys music and really loves when I sing to him.

      He likes being on his playmat for limited amounts of time and enjoys looking at the toys hanging overhead and in the mirror. He does well at tummy time and can hold his head up really well. He has started reaching for and grabbing things like the little toys that hang from the playmat's arches. His favorite is the giraffe. 

       He is super strong and can hold his head up and look around. He hates laying flat now and fusses until we sit him up in our laps or stand him up. 

      Car rides are calming and he typically falls asleep in his carseat. We made the drive to Georgia for Thanksgiving and he did really well in the car again. 

       He loves being in the Moby Wrap and the Beco carrier. 

       He likes bathtime a lot more now. I tend to bathe him in the kitchen sink because it's a good level for me and it makes it easier. Bathtime tends to be quick before he gets upset.

       Graham thinks his big brother is awesome and loves looking around for him when he hears his voice. 

Awesome Citrus Lane deal!

     Citrus Lane has finally offered their big Black Friday deal for this year. This is my favorite time to continue my subscription because you can get such a great deal on a discounted subscription. These are the deals currently:

• Three months for $56 (25% off)
• Six months for $105 (30% off)
• One year for $196 (35% off)

If you have always wanted to try Citrus Lane, now is definitely the time to sign up. You can cancel anytime after your subscription is done or you can continue your subscription if you love it. Click through either of the links above to get this deal!

Citrus Lane review (31-month-old review)

 

       My November Citrus Lane box for Owen arrived today. It normally arrives anywhere between the 17th and 22nd of the month, so it was still pretty early as part of their normal delivery window, but I was impatient for it because I got our other box for our two-month-old last week. This month seemed to have a lot of unique items in it and a couple new brands, which was really nice to see. While I love all the brands they include like Green Toys and Skip Hop, I get excited when they put something brand new in there. 

    Owen loves opening his box each month. He is so cute because he looks through everything and then says, "Now take a picture." He definitely is used to my doing reviews on the boxes now and knows I have to take photos of everything before he gets to start playing with them. 

         This month's Citrus Lane boxes contained great brands like Green Toys, Boon, Bumkins, Faber Castell, Skip Hop, Good Boy Organics, and Tiny Prints. 

          Here are the details on what we received in our box for our 31-month-old son:

• Faber-Castell Doodle Pad and Beeswax Crayons ($2.49 & $4.99): I have never seen this brand in Citrus Lane's boxes before. Owen is still rather new to coloring and isn't interested in doing it for long so I may save these for when he is a bit older. Either way, they are a good quality brand and I am pleased to have received them. 

• Reusable Lunch Bag from Bumkins ($12.95): Since Owen doesn't go to daycare, we don't have much of a need for a lunch bag just yet, but it would be good for snacks or to pack a lunch when we're traveling. We prefer packing our own food and stopping at rest stops to eat when we are traveling so that Owen gets the opportunity to run around and expend some energy while we are on the road. This lunch bag has a super cute pattern and is made of wipeable, washable fabric that is free of lead, PVC, BPA, Phthalates, and vinyl.   

• Build-A-Sandwich from Green Toys ($16.99 for full set, so estimated $8): This toy is actually part of a larger 15-piece set called the Green Toys Sandwich Shop. Owen is really into play food right now so this was probably the thing he was most excited about seeing when he opened the box. The pieces stack together and are great for pretend play. They are made of recycled plastic and are free from BPA, phthalates, and PVC. 

• Good Boy Organics Organicasaurus Baked Organic Corn Snacks ($1): Owen will never be unhappy to receive snacks in his Citrus Lane box. These are particularly fun because we have never gotten them before and because they are shaped like dinosaurs. What little boy wouldn't love that? 

•  Four Sets of Address Labels and Free Shipping from Tiny Prints: This voucher is good for free address labels and free shipping from Tiny Prints. I am not including them in the value of the box because you have to spend $99 or more to redeem the deal. 

       The retail value of this box is $29.43, which is pretty low value compared to some previous months, but all the items included were useful and none of them will go unused. It's still my favorite subscription box for babies and toddlers from newborns to age 5. They have introduced us to a lot of great brands and products and are a fun treat to get in the mail each month. 

       If you are interested in signing up for Citrus Lane, you can use this LINK to get $10 when you start a subscription. The code TAKEHALF will take 50 percent off your purchase of a monthly subscription. Multi-month subscriptions are already discounted. 

       Currently, they have started offering a variety of subscriptions at different price points. You can select a Basic Box ($12/month), which contains two items, the Classic Box ($25/month), which is what they have always offered and includes four or five items, and the Deluxe Box ($49/month), which is the same as the Classic Box with additional premium toys and other products. 

Love with Food review (and special holiday deal!)

I was recently given the opportunity to review foodie snack subscription box Love with Food. I received the October box to review and enjoyed trying out all the goodies that came inside. 

Just the facts, Ma'am:

About: Love with Food helps you discover new all-natural or organic snacks you will love. Each month, Love With Food members receive a curated box of unique, hard-to-find, snacks delivered to their doors. 

The Cost: $12 a month or $10 a month with an annual subscription; a new deluxe box option costs $19.99 a month. 

The Products: Eight more more unique snacks that are organic, all natural, gluten-free, non-GMO, or free of artificial colors and flavors. The deluxe box includes 16-20 snacks. 

Extra: For every box purchased, a meal is donated to a hungry child in America.

Coupon: Use code FESTIVE2013 to receive $5 off your subscription (Valid through 12/1). And as an extra bonus, for every 6 or 12 month subscription purchased through December 1,  you will also receive a free two-year subscription to Rachael Ray Magazine. 

I already have a subscription to Rachael Ray Magazine. It is a fun read and I think this is a really great deal. This promotion is also valid for current subscribers who convert their subscription to a prepaid six or twelve month subscription. 

Each Love with Food box comes with an insert detailing the items included in that month's box. 

The October box was themed "Scary Delicious." It was the October box and instructed subscribers to keep an eye out for trick-or-treaters while enjoying their Love with Food box.

The little red box comes packed to the brim with snacks. 

Here's what came inside: 

• Dang Toasted Coconut Chips: This was my favorite snack from the box. The coconut "chips" were crunchy and delicious. If I saw them in the grocery store, I would definitely pick up another bag. They were the perfect blend of slightly salty with sweet.
• Silk City Snacks Chocolate Pizzele Crisps: These traditional Italian cookies were a pretty tasty snack. I shared them with Owen. They weren't super flavorful or chocolate-y, but a light crispy snack. But for only 100 calories a bag, I guess they aren't going to taste like an Oreo. 
• New World Caveman Cookies from Caveman Bakery: I really liked these "cookies." They aren't the texture of a normal cookie and are instead super moist and chewy. They tasted like Thanksgiving in a cookie with pumpkin, cranberry, maple syrup, and nut flavors like pecans and almonds all mixed together. And only 70 calories per cookie. 
• Blueberry Apple and Purple Carrot Happy Squeeze from Happy Family: We are very familiar with this brand as it was one of my favorites to buy for Owen when he was a baby and I didn't have time to make his food for him. Particularly when we were moving to Kentucky. I can't really get into eating these myself, but I think Owen will enjoy it. I will just have to squeeze it out into a bowl because I am a little nervous about all these pouch foods with all the news recently of recalls and spoiled food and finding gross things in them. There was also a coupon for $1 off two HappySqueeze pouches. 
• Kind Snacks Kind Bar in Cranberry Almond: I have eaten these before and really like them. I am always in need of a quick snack, particularly since I don't really get a chance to sit down and eat during the day. They are made with nuts, fruits, honey, and other spices. One bar has just 110 calories. 
• Vinaigerie Gingras Pixo Pearls: These are little "pearls" of apple cider vinegar. The company's website recommends including them in cocktails, barbecue sauce, salads, various appetizers and main dishes. I am a little apprehensive about trying them, but intrigued at the same time. 
• Triple Berry Glee Gum from Verve, Inc.: I don't chew gum often, but Tim definitely does. I had a piece for the sake of this review and I liked the flavor and it lasted for a while, but I think I will give the rest to him. These are made with brown rice and cane sugar. A 15 percent off code was also included. 
• Torie & Howard Organic Hard Candies: I am not a big hard candy person. I don't have the patience to suck on them and tend to chew them up. These are made from all natural fruit flavors. I got three pear and cinnamon flavored candies. The flavor is very good and taste almost exactly like eating a pear, not like what a created in a laboratory or factory version of what a pear tastes like. 
• Lean Cuisine Meal Coupon: Good for one Lean Cuisine Honestly Good Entree worth up to $4.99. Selections include Pomegranate Chicken, Lemongrass Salmon, and Honey Citrus Chicken. All sound pretty tasty and I figure it would be nice to have a quick lunch available on crazy days. 

This box was received for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own. 

Citrus Lane review (November box)

       My November Citrus Lane box for Graham came super early this month. It normally arrives anywhere between the 17th and 22nd of the month, but unexpectedly showed up on the 14th this month. They may be trying to send out boxes early because of the holiday this month. 

First look! 

Lots of good things in there! 

This month's Citrus Lane boxes contained great brands like Green Toys, Boon, Bumkins, Faber Castell, Skip Hop, and Tiny Prints. 

           Here are the details on what we received in our box for our two-month-old son:

• Twist Teether from Green Toys ($10.99): As I have mentioned before, we love Green Toys! They are made from recycled plastic and are made in the USA! This seems like a really fun baby toy: easy for baby to grasp, rounded edges for safety, plenty of textures to gnaw on, and it just looks like it would be really entertaining for a baby. 

• Starter Bib from Bumkins ($4.95): I love waterproof bibs like this with the pocket for babies. This one is made of lightweight odor and stain resistant fabric in a really cute car pattern. Just rinse and hang dry. We definitely need some of these for when Graham starts eating solids because we didn't keep any of Owen's bibs.  

• Lip Comfort from Purlisse ($16.00): This lip balm sure is fancy. I would never spend that much on lip balm. It is petroleum-free and contains shea and mango butters, vegetable butters, and jojoba oils to hydrate lips.  

• Clutch Dishwasher Basket from Boon ($11.99): This is a really cool dishwasher basket from Boon. The company makes the coolest looking products and we love all of them. We can definitely use this dishwasher basket since we wash Graham's bottles and pacifiers in the dishwasher. The color is a special combination designed just for Citrus Lane subscribers. I love how it holds bottle nipples so that dirty water doesn't get stuck up inside it since they all face up. 

•  Four Sets of Address Labels and Free Shipping from Tiny Prints: This voucher is good for free address labels and free shipping from Tiny Prints. The only problem is you have to make a minimum purchase of $99 to use it. That would be great if I ordered a ton of Christmas cards, but we don't really send that many and I have no need to spend that much. 

       The retail value of this box is $43.93, which is more than $20 over what I paid for it since I subscribe for six months at a time and get these boxes monthly for $21 rather than the $25 if you pay monthly. I probably won't use the Tiny Prints voucher because I don't want to spend $99 on Christmas cards, so I didn't count the price of the free address labels into the total. 
       If you are interested in signing up for Citrus Lane, you can use this LINK to get $10 when you start a subscription. It's my favorite subscription box for babies and toddlers from newborns to age 5. They have introduced us to a lot of great brands and products and are a fun treat to get in the mail each month. 

Halloween recap

     We had such a great Halloween this year. Halloween is so much fun now that Owen is old enough to trick-or-treat. Owen was an astronaut this year. He is still too young to really care what he is dressed as and I thought this costume would be a fun one that he can use as dress-up clothes as well. It came in size 2T/3T so it should still  fit him for a while. 
      This year we also had a infant at Halloween, which was different. I didn't want to go crazy or anything so I kept Graham's costume simple and then a friend loaned us one of their old costumes for him as well. 
       We also tried to replicate a cute idea I saw on Pinterest with the boys. As usual, it was a big Pinterest fail. I dressed Owen in his University of Georgia football jersey and dressed Graham as a football. Owen lately refuses to even look at the camera when I try to take pictures of him, much less smile and he was in a particularly toddler-ish mood that afternoon. He didn't want to hold Graham, which made Graham cry. It was super fun. Darn you Pinterest! 

Lots of tears were involved in this particular photo shoot.

Daddy tried to help out. Owen smiled. Not for the camera. 

This is the best shot that we got. 

     The weekend before Halloween, we went trick-or-treating with some friends who also have sons very close in age to our boys. Owen quickly figured out the whole trick-or-treating business and turned into a hoarding candy monster with about six grabby little hands. He and his friend Noah had a fabulous time. And we had a great time watching him have so much fun. 

My very serious astronaut. 

Owen and Noah held hands for much of the night shouting "CAN-DY! CAN-DY!"

Graham didn't dress up, but instead wore Halloween pajamas and snoozed in the Moby Wrap.

Graham's other costume was this borrowed cat costume. It was a bit too big, but he looked pretty stinkin' cute. 

Meow!

Graham is two months old!

Yay! I'm two months old!

     Again, my monthly post about Graham is late. I'm sensing a trend here. Life is still pretty busy. We're working on a routine, but some days are better than others. 

At two months old, Graham was:

Weight: 11 pounds, 15 ounces (half a pound more than Owen at that age, for those who might be wondering); 52nd percentile

Height: 23 inches long (.7 inches shorter than Owen at one month); 48th percentile

Head circumference: 35.5 cm

    He had his two-month doctor's appointment last week. The doctor was impressed with him and said he was doing really well. And he also enjoyed listening to Graham coo at my while we were talking about him. Graham received three vaccinations and one oral medication for Rotavirus. He did well with the vaccinations and didn't cry for very long. 

Eating: 

       Graham basically eats every 2.5 to three hours like clockwork. He eats about four ounces at every feeding. He gets really mad if you try to burp him before he's had a couple ounces as if we regularly starve him. Graham spits up a lot still, but not every time we feed him. Hopefully it will eventually get better. We talked to the doctor about reflux, but he recommended that I give up dairy products to see if that makes a difference. It seems to have helped him some, but he still has tummy troubles from time to time. 

       I am still pumping breastmilk for him and haven't had to supplement with formula. I pump about four times a day now and am still storing milk in the freezer. 

Sleeping: 

Graham is a pretty good sleeper. He still catnaps off and on throughout the day and his only long nap time is in the afternoon about the same time Owen refuses to nap  naps. At night he generally falls asleep sometime between nine and eleven and will sleep until about 2:30 in the morning when he typically wakes up to eat. He then goes back to sleep and wakes up sometime between 4 and 5 to eat again. He went for as long as five hours of sleep this past month, which was great. I wake up with him most often in the night, but Tim will help every so often. Graham sleeps in the Fisher Price Rock and Play just outside our bedroom door because I have trouble falling asleep if I can hear his little sleepy snores and snorts. He sleeps swaddled with a pacifier (which he spits out after falling asleep) and our white noise machine playing the sound of rain. He has a soft fleece blanket that he also likes to sleep with around his face (mostly during the day when I can watch him). It seems to make him feel all warm and secure and he can sleep unswaddled when I do that. 

      Graham is still pretty fussy in the evenings and getting him to go to sleep at night is still a challenge most nights. He really likes being held upright or being rocked in the dark in our room until he falls asleep. We need to start a nighttime routine with him, but its hard since we also have to take care of Owen. It will be easier once they can bathe together. 

Other Things I Want to Remember: 

      Graham  wears size 0-3 month clothing. He size one diapers when he isn't in cloth. We are pretty much in cloth full time now though and even traveled with it for the first time last month. 

      He has a pretty good amount of hair still, though it is rubbing thin on the back on his hard a little. It has lightened some and is almost blondish in some places around his face. His eyes are still dark blue, but unlike Owen's at that age, he doesn't have a dark brown ring around his iris or pupil to make it seem like they may turn brown. Who knows though? As he is getting older, he is starting to look more and more like Owen to me. There are subtle differences of course, but they are definitely going to look like brothers. 

       My favorite thing about Graham is how talkative he is. He coos a lot and "talks" to us. And while he's doing that, he smiles a ton. It is so sweet. He also loves looking at our faces while we are talking to him. You can tell that he recognizes our faces. He also loves to watch his big brother. Graham enjoys playing peek-a-boo and smiles really big when I pop back out from whatever I'm hiding my face behind. 

       Graham frequently has gassy smiles, but I also think we've seen some real ones. He has the cutest smile thanks to the dimple in his right cheek. My favorite smile is one he gives when he is wide awake and I'm wanting to go back to sleep in the mornings. It's like, "Hey, you're up! Great! Let's hang out!" 

      He enjoys music and really loves when I sing to him.

      He likes being on his playmat for limited amounts of time and enjoys looking at the toys hanging overhead and in the mirror. He does well at tummy time and can hold his head up really well. 

       He is super strong and can hold his head up and look around. He also likes sitting up and standing up on our laps. 

      Car rides are calming and he typically falls asleep in his carseat. We made our first road trip with him last month and he did really well. He cried some, but I was able to quiet him fairly quickly and he slept most of the way. 

       He loves being in the Moby Wrap and the Beco carrier. 

       He likes feeling secure and is startled by loud noises. 

       He likes bathtime a lot more now. I tend to bathe him in the kitchen sink because it's a good level for me and it makes it easier. Bathtime tends to be quick before he gets upset.

       I have been trying to get him on a schedule like I did with Owen at this age, but I haven't been that successful yet. The plan is to have him eat, then play, and then sleep in three hour increments, but he typically wakes up early from naps instead of sleeping until he needs to be fed again.  I think that he will begin sleeping for longer stints in the night once he starts napping more regularly during the day.