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Monday, July 16, 2018

Prime Day!

It's one of my most favorite shopping days today, Amazon Prime Day! What exactly is Prime Day, you ask? A day of deep discounts and some of the best deals out there, all on Amazon, available exclusively to Prime members. If you're not a Prime member, Amazon is offering a 30 day free trial here, which is worth signing up for to have access to all of this goodness!

Prime day runs for 36 hours, starting at 3pm EST, so I'll be continuously updating this page for the best of the best. Some of these deals are "lightning deals", meaning they go-live at a certain time and are only available in limited quantities. For these, it's best to keep a close eye on the time if you're interested in snagging anything because they go FAST! 

 Below is a round-up of some of the deals already visible, which takes us through the first hour and a half or so. As mentioned, this will be refreshed as more becomes available to preview, so check back often! I'm doing the heavy lifing and sifting for you here to make it as easy as possible for you!

 First up is an early-access Amazon Device deal on the Fire HD Kids Edition Tablet, with flexible parental controls that allow you to manage usage limits, content access, and educational goals that can be managed through your child's device, or remotely from Amazon Parent Dashboard. This little tablet, in its heavy duty kid-proof case, gives you access to popular apps and games, videos, books, and educational content from PBS Kids, Nickelodeon, Disney, and more. This is marked down to $89.99 today from its normally stated price of $129. Get it now for any road trips or summer travel, or tuck it away for a future birthday. Truly, a steal!

Best of the Deals of the Day 
Instant Pot Duo
We have this Instant Pot (I paid a lot more for it than the Deal of the Day Price), and we absolutely love it. It makes the perfect serving size for 2-3 people. I hate leftovers and waste, and this allows me to make just enough and FAST. Truly, it's as amazing as everyone says it is.

Yeti Cooler
Deeply discounted. I know how much people love these.
JOOVY Caboose
People are obsessed with this stroller, and I've never seen it this cheap. The $100 discount will apply at checkout.
Roomba iRobot 671: Compatible with Alexa
Ohhh, goodness. We have this and IT ROCKS. Marked down to $230 from a normal price of $350. This is like a 5th member of our household.

KidKraft Kitchen
A great deal-of-the-day price. Makes a perfect Christmas gift :)
Radio Flier Tricycle
Marked down to only $34.99 today! 


Hape Wooden Easel
A fun activity to put outside in the warm weather months for mess-free painting at a great deal-of-the-day price. 
Jumperoo
We had this for the boys and it was a most-used baby item! Currently marked down to $69.99.
Fisher-Price Luv U Zoo Jumperoo

Glider/Ottoman
I love the modern aesthetic of this set. Swivels full 360 degrees and glides back and forth. Save an additional 20% at checkout. 
Babyletto Toco Swivel Glider and Stationary Ottoman, Coal Grey
Summer Infant Umbrella Stroller
This thing went to Europe with us TWICE before our second babe was born, and let me tell you, it is PERFECT for travel. I list all the reasons why over on my International Travel with Kids post, but in summary, it's super light, has a shoulder strap for carrying, reclines, and folds super easily.
Office Chair
This.Is.STUNNING. We're grabbing this for our home office. 

Cathedral Mirror
This piece is absolutely beautiful and is marked down to $89.99 today.

 House Plants
Yes, house plants are for sale on Amazon, and during Prime Day, they're all 20% off. Discount is applied at checkout. I love the succulents and aloe. Search on Costa Farms for all of the best options.
Sconce
Running around my house to see where I can put this beauty, marked down to only $45.99 today.


Jute Rug
On MAJOR sale today...we have one and love it.
Couch
We've seriously been eyeballing this comfy couch for the basement. This price makes it so tempting.

Distressed Rug
Perfect for a baby girl's nursery. 

Fringe Blanket
So pretty as an added accent to any space.
Bunk Beds
These are adorable at a great price. 
 Foam Climbers
These are one of our most loved toys. Oskar got these at 6 months and the boys continue to play with them 4 years later. On serious sale today, with an additional 20% off at checkout.

 Greenies Dog Treats
For all of you with pups, these are a favorite treat.

Steve Madden Greece Sandals
I LOVE THESE sandals. They're an extra 30% off at checkout, marking them down to $55.
Clairsonic Mia 2
If you have finicky skin, this is a miracle worker. Marked $60 off as a deal of the day.

Ray-Ban Sunglasses
On sale for only $84!
BOSE Headphones
Marked down to $125 from $279. These make a great Christmas gift.
 

**UPDATED AS OF 7/17**
Next up are deals that continue to go on lightning deal. I listed the time for each, as well as the link, but don't have visibility into the price until after the deal kicks off. If you're shopping for any of these products, check back after the stated time to reveal the discounted amount!

KidKraft Table and Chairs: 8:30 EST
This is an adorable set. 
Hand Steamer: 8:55 EST
Picking this up for Matt. The reviews look great, and anything to save time in the mornings.
Record Player: 9:05 EST
Such a cool feature to add nostalgia to your living space.
Healthy Feet Foot Cream: 10:05 EST
This product also debuted as one of my favorite Amazon purchases. It keeps my feet so soft. I use it after every shower. 
Rose Water Toner Spray: 11:05 EST
Getting this toner to go hand-in-hand with my rosehip oil from yesterday. 

Storage Basket: 11:45 EST
This is advertised as a laundry basket, but it's so pretty that I'd use it in a living room/play room space to toss toys into at the end of the day.

INDRESSME XL Cotton Rope Storage Basket Baby Laundry Basket Woven Baskets with Handle for Diaper Toy Off White Home Decor 16.0"x 15.0"x12.6"
My Quoteable Kid: 12:05 EST
I love giving this as a birthday gift for parents of toddlers to jot down all of the funny and amazing things they say. 

 Heart Waffle Maker: 12:30 EST
Start your mornings with waffle love.

 Wooden Picture Line: 1:05 EST
We got this to display pictures at Oskar's 1st birthday party and loved it so much that it became a permanent fixture on his bedroom wall. We love rotating out pictures from different occasions or vacations for him to look back and remember them.

 
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Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Denmark and Finland Adventures

We're back, baby! After 3 weeks on the road, we're re-grouping and doing laundry and getting back to our day-to-day, minus the sleep part of that equation. It's been a little while since I visited this space, so I wanted to share all about our trip and bombard you with pictures, because really, is there anything prettier than the Nordic countries in the summer? 

 Let me first, though, start off by saying this: traveling with kids is NOT easy. On the day we were supposed to depart, we made it to the airport only to find out that our perfectly pre-planned and scheduled 5:30pm flight to Chicago (which would have provided us with an international leg overnight for the kids from Chicago to Copenhagen) was delayed to midnight, which would have led to a missed international connection. The alternatives given were laughable. The first was to fly to Chicago and to sleep in the airport, and to catch a 10pm flight out the next evening. There were no hotels with any availability in the area due to all of the other delayed or cancelled flights, and the thought of 24 hours in an airport with 2 small kids is the stuff of my nightmares. The second option was to first fly to Houston, then to Frankfurt, then to Amsterdam, and finally to Copenhagen--a world tour of sorts. Finally, the last and final option, was to reschedule for the following day, with an added connection through Paris. Winner winner. Or so we thought.

 We showed up to the airport the next day ready to roll, and made it through to Chicago and Paris with flying colors. However, once we reached Paris, we were told there was a ticketing error and we had not, in fact, been ticketed through to Copenhagen by the agent. Parisians are notoriously unwilling to help and full of red-tape, and lets just say that this situation fit those stereotypes perfectly. I begged and pleaded for hours at their desk to please let us board the plane while the kids wailed and melted down in the background, and FINALLY we were told we could make it to our final destination--but WITHOUT our luggage. We got on the plane, but totally panicked, since we had 3 weeks worth of clothes and toiletries in our suitcase and only a few days in Copenhagen before flying on to Finland. I totally thought we were going to end up playing luggage tag with our suitcase around Europe, but to our total surprise, our luggage made it onto the same plane that we did--though missing a wheel and split down the seam. Matt had to drag that gimp of a suitcase through the cobbled streets of Denmark as clothes spilled out the side. Memories.

 Our second biggest challenge was a little monster called jet-lag. Our biggest struggle once there was lack of sleep during the night, leading to over-tired and cranky kids during the day. There were also lots of "naps" in strollers or no naps at all while trying to do all the things, which led to very challenging evenings at times. We also spent about half of our time in a city apartment, which was difficult with the amount of energy the boys tend to have. Unharnessed and with no outlet, their energy builds and they take it out on each other. If you want to challenge yourself as a parent, try keeping two boys occupied with no toys and older neighbors that share your living room wall. One day August went and rang all the doorbells as I was trying to haul our bags and double stroller into the elevator. Luckily, nobody seemed to be home. So there's that. I wanted to be transparent as far as all of this goes, because these pictures paint a seamless experience. This was most definitely not always the case. 

This little rant aside and out there, I also want to say this: it's getting easier. This is both of the boys' 3rd time to Europe so far, and they've done shockingly well on 16+ hrs of airplanes and layovers. This round, Oskar was even seated separately from me (though right across the aisle) and flipped through books or just talked to himself the whole flight home.  I was so proud of him. We definitely did lots and lots of kid-centered activities, but they didn't do half-bad (except for one horribly difficult day that comes to mind) during the adult stuff that Matt and I were interested in. Also, they play together now. They're interested in the same things and talk and make each other laugh, so they have travel companionship, so to speak. Ages 4 and 2 are much easier and worlds apart from 3 and 1. 

 Our first stop, Copenhagen, is the prettiest, most family friendly city. The people were so nice, the weather was perfection, and we used only public transportation or walking to get around, which is totally do-able. They have trains from the airport right into the city center, and we rented a character filled little Air BNB by the metro stop in Kongens Nytorv. We went to Tivoli, the second oldest and most whimsical amusement park in the world, strolled Nyhavn (that famous 17th-century canal), took a boat ride, visited all the bakeries, and most importantly, for our two little fanatics, occupied every Lego store in the city (Lego is Danish). We also stopped at all of the child-friendly parks throughout Copenhagen, one of which had puppet-theaters set up for the kids at regularly occurring intervals. On the second night, when jet-lag was really raging, we let the kids sleep in the stroller and treated ourselves to a little date at a taqueria recommended by Anthony Bourdain in the Meat Packing district, paired with the best margaritas known to mankind. Copenhagen, we loved you.












Then, it was on to Finland. My sister lives there now, and has for 5 years, which gets harder and harder the faster these babies grow. But, there is certainly nothing like seeing them reunited and the pure happiness in their eyes. Their bond is unbreakable and there are no moments of shyness or hesitation. It's like they were never apart. The days flew by and I had to scroll back through my pictures to remember everything we did. Our highlights were certainly our rented lake-side cabin, splashing in the water and playing with the rocks and sticks, rowing on the boat, some days spent in Helsinki, eating ice cream every chance we got, a quick trip Kiikunlähde, a naturally green-water spring, watching my Pappa quietly and steadfastly fill with happiness and pride from these boys who came to see him, wrestling with and loving on the boys' second-cousins--a new generation of best friends--and charming little Porvoo, a city on the southern coast of Finland.

























 Now, it's back to reality, back to work and back to school, and somehow vacation is over until Christmas. Taking a deep breath, but keeping these memories close, as we wait for next time. I read somewhere that you only have 18 summers with your kids, and this is one of them. I think we made it count so far.


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