What To Do If TTC is Taking Longer Than Expected


Don't Stress Out: Right after I got married my husband and I decided to TTC. I remember it being a long process and family and friends telling me to not stress out about it. That was the last thing I wanted to hear but when we stopped stressing out, things got easier and I felt healthier. I remember my doctor saying that reducing stress could help increase blood flow to the uterus which would make a better environment for TTC.

Make TTC Fun: After a while of TTC our first it seemed like a job and chore instead of something we should enjoy. As soon as we started to relax and become romantic and understanding with each other, TTC became something we enjoyed looking forward to.


Doctor's Help: If you are in your 30's or have been trying to conceive for at least a year it may be time to seek help from a doctor. I felt that my regular GYN doctor was taking it too easy and passive and being in my early 30's I wanted to be more aggressive. I saw an amazing RE (Reproductive Endocrinologist) and she covered all the bases to help me conceive my daughter.

Basal Temperature and Ovulation Test Strips: You may be missing the perfect window to TTC. Taking your basal body temperature as soon as you wake up in the morning and charting it can show you the best days to try. Ovulation test strips takes all of the guess work out and tells you when you are in your prime for TTC.


Astroglide TTC Trying to Conceive™: Is a lubricant that has a special formula for couples TTC. Astroglide TTC™ has adjusted pH levels and a consistency similar to CM (cervical mucus) that makes it the perfect environment for sperm. It is so simple to use too with pre-filled disposable applicators that make it easy to apply.

With a retail price of $12.99, Astroglide TTC™ is the best value compared to any other competitor. It also comes in pre-filled applicators so its easy to use and less messy than the traditional kind.


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Astroglide TTC™ sponsored this blog post. The opinions and text are all mine

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Getting Ready For PreK 3 with HP Ink Deal of Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off!

**This post is part of a sponsored campaign with HP and MomSelect. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


I have been casually homeschooling my toddler over the past year and a half. Whenever we have free time I take the opportunity to teach her something new. I first started getting ideas from homeschooling blogs and now I am obsessed with finding educational printables and lessons on Pinterest. I have gathered an incredible amount of resources in my board below. It is amazing how many great printables and resources I have found all over Pinterest. Be sure to look over the board and follow it because I will be constantly adding more resources.


I also like to create holiday themed printables that my toddler can have fun working on while celebrating the holiday.

Easy St. Patrick's Day Pom Pom Art + Printable
Cinco De Mayo Coloring and Magnetic Printable
Memorial Day Flag Fun with Stickers + Printable
Learn To Spell Toddler Flash Cards #Printable


Now that my toddler is three I want to make homeschooling more structured so I purchased a homeschooling plan and went to town printing lessons, activities and games and putting them into a learning binder. We will be starting in September and having a full prek 3 day of learning.

All these printables take lots of ink so I am super excited to share the promotion that HP has going on starting today! When you buy one Original HP Ink, you get a 2nd cartridge of equal or lesser value for 50% off. This is the best deal on HP ink since 2012 so please make sure to stock up! You can find HP ink and the deal at the HP website and retailers like Staples, Best Buy and Office Depot. The promotion starts on 7/26 and ends on 8/1.


What are you going to print out after you take advantage of the HP Ink Super Deal? 

Bartelli Soft Edge Automatic Can Opener

**I received the product below free for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good fit for my readers. All opinions are 100% my own.

I have been using the old fashioned manual can openers since I can remember. They work well when you first get them and then they start turning on you after a while. First you have to turn it a certain way for it to work and then you have to work like crazy squeezing and turning the handle until your hand hurts. That's when you know it's time to get a new one.

It was about that time to get a new one but then I decided to try something different. The Bartelli Soft Edge Automatic Can Opener came into my life at the perfect time!. I wanted a can opener that was automatic and that opened the can with a soft edge.

The first thing you have to do is get 4 AA batteries. I kind of wish it was rechargeable but the batteries should last a long time since I only open a few cans a week. It was super easy to use by just placing the guide on the edge of the can and pressing the button. The can opener works by itself so you don't have to place your hand on top or hold it. Once the opener goes all the way around the can you press the button again and it stops. It has a magnetic part underneath the opener that picks up the top. I love that I don't have to carefully pry open the lid like when you use a manual opener. The soft edge feature allows the lid to stay in place until you are ready to use the contents of the can.

I put the Bartelli Automatic Soft Edge can opener to good use by opening a can of crushed tomatoes and a can of tomato paste to make my Healthy Hearty Meat Sauce and Pasta Recipe.



The GB QBit Stroller Lets You Go Anywhere with Your Little Ones

**I received the product below free for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good fit for my readers. All opinions are 100% my own.


A couple of months ago I went to the New York Baby Show and got to see the latest products for pregnant mamas, babies and toddlers. One of my favorite picks of the show was the GB QBit Stroller. I was so impressed at how it folded up into a small cube and was super lightweight. About a month ago I was sent one for my review even before they came out to the public!


I have been using the GB QBit stroller for a month now and have to say that GB really thought out all the features that would be helpful to a parent. First of all I love that the stroller folds into a cube and stands up by itself. Every other stroller I have owned closed up long and narrow so I always had trouble leaning it against something to stand up or walking down the stairs with it being so long and banging all over the stairs.



I take the QBit stroller with me whenever we are going to be walking for a long time and I know my toddler will eventually get tired. Since we live in NYC and take public transportation a lot, it's nice to have the QBit fold into a cube and fit right underneath the seat on the bus or next to the seat on the train. I also love that it has a handy little travel bag right underneath the stroller seat. This is especially useful to keep the stroller clean when are on crowded NYC trains.


At only 15 pounds the stroller is also super easy for me to handle and really take it anywhere I am going. I feel completely safe as I hold my daughter's hand and the stroller in it's bag around my shoulder when we are walking down stairs. I love that the seat has a nice cushion and the harness makes my daughter secure. It also has a huge canopy that has great coverage when it is sunny outside. The spacious under seat storage is perfect for shopping trips or for my huge mommy bag and some toys.


The GB QBit Stroller is now available at Babies "R" Us stores and babiesrus.com in three beautiful colors and at specialty stores in two more colors.

Print Away Educational Printables and #NeverRunOut with Instant Ink

**I received the product below free for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good fit for my readers. All opinions are 100% my own.


For as long as I can remember I always loved crafting with printables. I started designing graphics and custom made all of the decorations and souvenirs for my sister's baby shower. I remember trying to do everything on a budget so I made everything myself instead of ordering from custom websites. Everything was coming along until I ran out of ink! Not only the black cartridge but the color one too. Back then cartridges were about 35 bucks each so buying that ink really set me back in my budget. Since then I started to only print what was extremely necessary like coupons and confirmations and only printed on the draft setting.


Now that I am homeschooling my toddler I saw the tremendous need to start printing again so HP Instant Ink came to the rescue! There are a lot of great homeschooling websites and pins that I wanted to print them all! With HP Instant Ink I #NeverRunOut of ink and I can print them all! With HP Instant Ink you are saving up to 50% on ink by having your HP Instant Ink eligible printer know when it is running out of ink and signaling a shipment of new ink right to your door. Instant Ink is extremely affordable too with packages ranging from $2.99 to $9.99 depending on how many pages you print monthly. I love that Instant Ink counts the number of pages you print and not what you print. You can print out all full-page photos if you wanted and it would still be the same price.
HP Instant Ink can be cancelled at any time and there is no annual fee however there is a really great 3-month offer.



I like to use our long car rides as fun learning time so I created these booklets that I could print and just take along with us. Making them is simple. All you have to do is print each page out and sew a long line of stitching to bind them. If you don't have a sewing machine you can just use a stapler.





Title Page
Colors Page
Letters Page
Numbers Page
Shapes Page
Coloring Pages

If you never ran out of ink, what would you print? 

Five Things I Do to Keep my Kid Safe During Summer Sports


I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.




About a year ago we got my daughter a cute little soccer ball and she has been kicking it around ever since. Once the dance season officially ended we enrolled her in a little soccer team with kids her age. She has been playing soccer for about a month now and since she enjoys it so much we enrolled her for another month in August.

Since the summer is here and  we are out and about with soccer, play dates, park days, beaches and more,these are the things I do to keep her safe.

1. Prepping Ahead: When I enrolled my daughter with the soccer organization I made sure to read as much as I could about them. I knew exactly what was expected of me as a parent and my daughter as a team player. Weeks before her first class I explained to her what was going on during class and got her excited about it. I was pleased that the soccer coaches emailed us the songs and cheers so that my daughter would be familiar with them.


2. Staying Hydrated: I make sure to always have ice cold water on hand during soccer class. On especially hot and sunny days the coaches stop on regular intervals for water breaks. My daughter loves water so this is super easy for us. I saw moms in her team begging kids to drink water and not juice so it is important that your child is used to drinking water.


3. Sunscreen: Whenever we are going out I make sure to slather on some sunscreen. We use a baby sunscreen that is waterproof and tear-free so I never have issues with sweat and dripping sunscreen hurting my daughter's eyes.


4. On-the-Go First Aid Kit: I always have antibacterial spray, bandages, ointment, after bite spray and sanitizer in my mommy bag.


5: Having piece of mind with accidental and supplemental coverage: Accidents are bound to happen and more often if your child plays summer sports. Aflac can help make sure you are prepared for the unexpected. A study from Bankrate.com showed that when it came to unexpected expenses like emergency room visits, only 38% of those that took the survey could cover the bill with money they already had on hand. With Aflac I know that if I find myself in a situation like this they have me covered and I don't have to deplete our bank accounts and savings. This is also especially important for us as a family with one income. Aflac’s new One Day PaySM promise can process accident claims in just one day so you can help get help you need right away.

How do you keep your kids safe in the summer? 

What I Wish I Knew About Buying a Car Seat

**I received the product below free for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good fit for my readers. All opinions are 100% my own.


I remember as soon as I became pregnant with my daughter I started the research on baby products. I also got advice and asked about experiences with every mom I knew. Car Seats and Strollers was on my husbands and I most important list so we took months to pick one. I did like the car seat we got and my daughter fit in it so comfortably and safely but after she quickly hit the max height it was time to switch. I was left with a car seat and stroller (I got the stroller where you click in the car seat) that I couldn't use. I did donate them to a friend in need but I did wish I could have made a wiser choice to be able to use it longer.


This is why I am so in love with our new car seat, the Evenflo Platinum Evolve 3-in-1 Combination Seat. It goes from 22 to 110 pounds. It has three different phases that easily transforms. You have the first phase which is a front facing high back harness booster, the second phase which is a high back booster and the final stage which is a no back booster. I was so happy to see that the Evenflo Platinum Evolve 3-in-1 Combination Seat was fully assembled and all I had to do was pull it out of the box. Their SureSafe installation made it so easy to install into our car with quick Connectors and Latch Guides. I can not tell you how long it was for us to install our first car seat. My husband and brother-in-law took like an hour with watching YouTube videos to be able to install it. I was proud that my husband installed this one quickly without any extra help.


As soon as I put my daughter into the 3-in-1 Combination Seat she was super comfortable. OUTLAST® Performance Fabric keeps her cooler when it's hot and warmer when it's cold. I was so surprised that she wasn't sweaty at all when we drove to the park in almost 90 degree weather. The top side head rests keeps her head upright whenever she takes a naps. That is a super plus for my husband and I who dreaded her naps in the car with a flopping head. Now we welcome those restful naps after a long car ride. My toddler loves the dual cup holders because she feels like a big girl because she can get her water bottle herself whenever she wants a sip. She uses the other cup holder to hold her favorite little princesses.





I love that this is the last car seat we have to buy for her and will confidently use is as she grows. Click on the link find out more features about the Evenflo Platinum Evolve 3-in-1 Combination Seat and purchase it at Babies R Us.

Evenflo® is taking extended use and comfort to the next level with the introduction of the Evenflo Platinum Evolve 3-in-1 Combination Seat. Visit Evenflo.com for more information.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Evenflo®. The opinions and text are all mine.

Pretty Hands and Nails Thanks to TrueLipids Ultimate Eczema Kit

**I received the product below free for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good fit for my readers. All opinions are 100% my own.

I have been dealing with Eczema and really dry skin for a while now and have been getting really red and itchy hands. I tend to wash my hands a lot with having a toddler around so my hands get irritated with hand washing and frequent use of hand sanitizer. I have tried many lotions and creams but nothing really worked long enough. I had to continue reapplying the creams and lotions really soon after applying it the first time.  I tried treating myself to DIY manicures but gave up with how dry and red my fingers looked especially around the cuticles.


I got to try the TrueLipids Ultimate Eczema Kit and love that it has three different products to solve your itchy skin problems. I first used the TrueLipids Eczema Experts Anti-Itch 1% Hydrocortisone Barrier Cream on the areas that were really red and itchy right before. Then I applied the TrueLipids Relieve & Protect Ointment on top so that it could keep everything together and work while I slept. I was surprised that the skin felt soft and I didn't feel any itching when I woke up. After almost a week of use morning and night my the red areas on my hands went down considerably and the itchiness was almost non-existent. After a few more days I stopped using the 1% Hydrocortisone Barrier Cream and replaced it with the  TrueLipids TrueTherapy Ceramide+ Cream. I continued to use the TrueLipids Relieve & Protect Ointment on top.


I have used many, many different brands and even a prescribed cream for my eczema and the TrueLipids brand has been the only one that has taken away the redness and itchiness without me having to reapply it numerous times a day. Now I can sport my cute nail polish colors and designs without worrying about it bring attention to my eczema.


The Kit was created by Dermatologist Dr. Cheryl Lee Eberting and it is designed to provide relief from the itching, irritation, inflammation and redness associated with eczema. Click on the link to learn more about the TrueLipids Ultimate Eczema Kit.

HABA makes play fun and educational at the same time!

**I received the product below free for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good fit for my readers. All opinions are 100% my own.


If you are looking for fun, great quality and educational toys for your kids you have to check out the HABA brand. Last month I got to view a selection of their amazing toys for babies up to 8+ years. I was so excited when I got contacted to review some of their toys that I jumped at the opportunity.

HABA is a wood manufacturing company best known for their amazing wooden toys. They are expanding their toy catalog to plush and even textile toys that are all brilliantly made. I love that most of their toys have some kind of education aspect to it.


My daughter got to try out the Dress-Up Doll Lilli Magnetic Game. It comes with a metal container, 4 background scenes and 54 magnetic pieces that include clothes, hairstyles, accessories and even some cute little pets.


I love that you can put the scenes right into the back of the tin and the doll and clothes stick right onto it. This makes it perfect for those long car rides we take with her. I love how she just picks the background and chooses the right clothes. Her favorite is the school background where she puts the perfect school outfit on and accessories Lilli with books and eyeglasses. Since the pieces are made out of magnets it is very durable and can make it through the hundreds of dress changes my daughter loves to make. I also love how all the pieces get stored right back into the tin when she is finished playing with them.



We also got to play with the Butterfly Threading Game. It comes with a huge colorful butterfly that is made out of thick wood.


It is extremely durable so I know my daughter will get lots of years out of this one. It also comes with 3 threads, 42 tiles and 2 double sided templates. My daughter loved all of the pieces that came with it and had fun playing with and stacking up the tiles.


I took the opportunity to go over the colors and shapes with her while she was playing. Then I showed her how to thread the tiles onto the string. She had fun doing that for a while and then I showed her how to add the tiles to the butterfly. I had her pick a template and helped her put the tiles on. She had so much fun playing with it and I had so much fun teaching her how to add the tiles.



HABA has so many more amazing toys and I will definitely be shopping around their website often. Their products are also available at major retailers too.

Which HABA toy is your favorite?