Nanny to Mommy

I love subscription boxes. They are my thing! I love getting a surprise box curated to you each month. Who doesn't? There are so many different ones out there. There is something for everyone. I recently was introduced to Vellabox which is a candle subscription box.

Every month they send you quality, small-batch, toxin-free, hand-poured candles. Vellabox has 3 different levels of subscription that recently changed names: the Lucerna (formerly Standard), the Ignis (formerly Aficionado), and the Vivere (formerly Luxe). I received the Vivere to review. The Vivere is $30 a month and includes an 8oz and 4oz candle with about 75 hours of burn time plus one surprise gift and always free shipping.

Here's what my box included:

Looking for personalized gifts for the little ones on your list? I See Me! has you covered! They have something for everyone and every occasion Lunchboxes, Puzzles, Coloring Books, Placemats, Stickers, and Growth Charts! My niece is kiddo number three in her family and has a December birthday too, so I really wanted to get her a personalized children's book. I decided to get her the My Snuggle Bunny Gift Set.


In this heartwarming personalized storybook, your child will hear all the ways that Snuggle Bunny loves him or her throughout the day. From a hug in the morning to snuggle time in the evening, the Snuggle Bunny counts ten ways that it expresses affection for your child. Written by award-winning author Maia Haag and illustrated by John Butler. Includes the book plus a cuddly plush bunny to snuggle with and a matching placemat!

Do you like creating a special gift? I love giving gift baskets. I like to personalize them. My favorite thing to put in gift baskets is quality extra virgin olive oil.

Extra Virgin is the absolute highest grade for olive oil. EVOO is extracted from fresh olives using a mechanical process without the use of excessive heat or any form of additives or solvents. EVOO has to have less than .8% free acidity, produced by the first pressing of the olive fruit. Kasandrinos International offers only the finest, freshest Greek organic extra virgin olive oil.

This post and giveaway were made possible by iConnect and Dreft. I was compensated for my participation in this campaign, but all opinions are 100% mine.

Hands down babies are messy. There are no questions about that. It's a given. But did you know that studies have shown that smashing, throwing, and playing with food can actually help babies learn? And science has confirmed what kids seem to instinctively know, that playing in the dirt and mud is fun! But did you know that it actually helps soothe, calm and relax children! But really, playing with mud can make kids happier!

I remember trying to keep my daughter away from the messy activities. I remember the first time we went to the lake and it rained, but she had a blast playing in the mud! Her favorite thing to do is still make mud pies. I learned better with baby #2. My son lives to get messy, he always has. And I would say that he was always my happier baby.

Pigskin Rapture: Four Days in the Life of Texas Football by Mac Engel and Ron Jenkins is a first-ever, one-of-a-kind, 360 degree look at the athletic and cultural phenomenon that is Texas football, and launched the new Lone Star Books imprint this fall. In a magical four-day period in autumn 2015, both of Texas’s NFL teams played at home on different days (Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans and New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys), a major high school rivalry was set for Friday night in West Texas (Midland Lee at Odessa Permian), and a fierce regional rivalry came to the Cotton Bowl on Saturday afternoon (Oklahoma vs. Texas).

Pigskin Rapture captures not just the action on the field, but all of the sights, sounds, and smells of a state smitten with football:

This conversation is sponsored by Boudreaux’s Butt Paste. All opinions are my own.

There is nothing like a smiling baby. My little man is two now, but he always has a smile on his face. We are working on potty training, but it hasn't been easy. He is still in diapers most of the time and not very willing to participate in the potty training process. He will even hide his mess from us. With all of that going on, I want to keep him smiling.

Photo by Kelly Creamer Photography

According to a 2016 survey by Boudreaux’s Butt Paste, 82% of respondents wish they had more ideas on how to prevent diaper rash. Boudreaux’s Butt Paste is a powerful and fast acting diaper rash prevention product yet is free of the harsh butt-irritating ingredients like Parabens, Preservatives, Dyes, Phthalates, and Talc ingredients included in some diaper rash ointments.