Body and Health
Chloe Ting’s Summer Shred Challenge
I’ll be the first to admit that I thought my body would’ve snapped back to its pre-pregnancy shape just a bit quicker… But given that I am seven months out from giving birth and still not quite where I want to be fitness wise, I figured it was time to kick things up a notch! While I’ve been a big fan of the Tone It Up girls in the past, this time I’m going with Chloe Ting.
I think you could probably pick any of her fitness challenges, which are totally free, and get good results.
While I’m definitely not being too hard on myself, you can see in the featured photos I have some thickness to my waist and even some “bra bulge” which I know can be addressed with toning exercises. I’m only on the first week of Chloe’s Summer Shred Series. And I’m already seeing improvement in my waist, strength, and posture!
LARQ Self-Cleaning Waterbottle
This is basically the Lamborghini of water bottles. So you can certainly file this away as an unnecessary purchase. But… I am obsessed with it. As someone who has always tried and failed to drink enough water, I have a few water bottles lying around. And while they are great in theory, they do get gummy and a bit stinky overtime.
The LARQ bottle has an integrated UV filter that kills bacteria. On the strongest setting, you can even use it to purify water! Super handy if you are travelling somewhere with less-than-safe tap water. Personally, I just appreciate being able to use a water bottle over and over again and not be turned off by strange buildup on the interior of the bottle!
Skincare and Beauty
The Inky List Blemish Duo
It’s pretty rare that an affordable product works as effectively as its more expensive counterparts. I’m pretty sure I’ve found the exception with The Inky List’s Succinic Acid Treatment and Mandelic Acid Treatment. The added green tone of the Succinic Acid Treatment is a nice touch, since this counteracts redness.
And when you shop on their official website, you save 15% with the bundle!
Kosas Air Brow Gel
I’ve always been a fan of brush on brow gel. They are a staple in my beauty routine. (Note: I’m having a good laugh at the term “beauty routine” now that I have a baby…) But this new formula by Kosas takes it to a new level. I have pretty long eyebrow hairs. And I even have a few that have gone white!
This formula is thick enough that it can coat each hair with a little bit of colour while also keeping the hairs pretty firmly in place. I like to just swiped this on with a little bit of concealer under my eyes and instantly look more awake and polished.
Lawless Forget The Filler Lip Plumping Mask
Another product category that is a staple in my routine are lip plumpers. But I’m definitely not going to risk transferring any jalapeño pepper infused lipgloss onto my babies delicate skin! So I decided to test out the hydrating and plumping lip mask from Lawless.
Aesthetically I really love how it makes my lips look! And formula-wise it’s clean and focusses more on hydration to create a fuller lip, instead of irritating ingredients. It feels nice and is super comfortable to wear, with only minimal stickiness compared to most lip plumpers. I’d say it feels like a hydrating lip balm with some minor minty tingling.
As as added bonus, you can use it to make matte lipsticks super glossy. It’s super versatile!
Skinceuticals and Odacite Hydration Treatments
Post-pregnancy my skin became more and more dehydrated looking. I’ve even noticed fine lines appearing around my eyes! There have been a few key skin products that have been helping with this—along with the obvious stuff like drinking more water.
Odacite makes several targeted oil-based serums that I love for addressing wrinkles and dehydration. But I was recently able to try a hydration gel-serum from Skinceuticals that made an overnight difference in my deeper wrinkles! I’ve linked all of them below.
Baby Stuff
The Skip Hop Padded Area Mat
Our little nugget has turned into quite the active scooter, roller, and flopper. While pillows can certainly do the trick to build a small padded fortress around her, they can only contain her flailing little body for so long. Usually she busts out and onto the hardwood floor with a thud followed by a wail.
This reversible mat has been a game changer! It’s padded enough that if she sits up and then falls forward she doesn’t hurt herself. And I especially like the chevron patterned side fits in with the nursery decor. But the reverse side features a fun and friendly map for baby to explore when they’re older. The material also wipes down easy and is spill resistant.
LOVEVERY Play Kits
I wasn’t sure that Play Kits would really be “worth the hype”, though my husband was keen on trying several of them. Out of the three different companies we tried, our our daughter’s hands-down favourite are the ones from LOVEVERY. She find the majority of items fascinating, and will return to or rediscover things from current or past kits frequently. Now that she’s into the 7-month age range, I’m really enjoying the cardboard books that are included. She adores the one called ‘I Love You All The Time’! I think most parents will appreciate the diversity of babies included in all the content that they send out. When I take stock of my baby’s favourite toys and books, the vast majority are from LOVEVERY.
I also have a coupon for LOVEVERY play kits and their activity center linked below.
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