I think we go through about a bottle of sunscreen a week in the summer. I find myself standing in the sunscreen aisle looking at every label for the safest ingredients, trying to find one at a reasonable price, and wondering what SPF number I should be using. Then it comes down to trying to decide if I should get the spray one that is convienent to put on them, or the rub-in one that I know I’m getting evenly on their skin, but takes forever to rub in.

A few weeks ago Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen reached out asking if I would try their sunscreen. I felt like I have tried out every sunscreen on the market, so I was eager to try out something new!

I was genuinely impressed with this sunscreen and here are 5 reasons why:

1. Made in Australia. Australia has implemented some of the highest, most demanding sunscreen standards in the world. Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen stays true to this by creating a formula that is clean & safe. It’s mineral-based and even doctor recommended.
2. Perfect on Sensitive Skin. Emery has the most sensitive skin as she has dealt with Eczema since she was a baby. I have to be so careful about the soap, lotions, and sunscreens I use on her. Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen is made just for sensitive skin and after using it on her, I can safely say that she hasn’t had any outbreaks due to this sunscreen!
3. Easy to rub-in. I’m not going to lie, when I saw it was a rub-in sunscreen, I was a little bummed it wasn’t a spray. Every other time I have used a rub-in sunscreen it feels like I’m going to rub their skin raw just trying to get the white to not show. BUT, it actually took me about the same amount of time rubbing in Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen as it did to use a spray sunscreen. I was completely shocked at how quickly it rubbed in with no white-residue showing and I felt so much better knowing I got every inch of their skin covered.
4. The ingredients. Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen is paraben, chemical, and fragrance-free. It’s made mineral-based and not chemical-based. Did you know that chemical sunscreens soak into your skin and absorb the sun’s rays AFTER they’ve entered your body. Mineral-based sunscreens, like Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreens, act like millions of tiny mirrors on top of your skin and reflect most of the sun’s rays BEFORE they enter your body.
5.  I made a change this year in trying to only use and buy safe products for our home & bodies. I’m excited that this sunscreen is one I feel good about using on my family.
6. The bottle turns colors! The girls thought it was so fun that the bottle was white when we were inside, and the moment we step outside in the sun, it turned bright pink! (the pink bottle is the baby formula and the blue is the kids formula) This is just a reminder to make sure to reapply throughout the day and cover up as the bottle turns to a colored bottle in the presence of harmful UV rays.

Here is a fun little video that we made with Liz Osban Photography showing why we are loving Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen this summer!

**Fun Fact: I sold Liz was on this sunscreen while we were shooting this video. Just by showing her how easy it rubbed in the girls skin and telling her it wasn’t full of chemicals like most sunscreens.

 I can honestly say that this is the sunscreen our family will be using from here on out. AND it comes straight to my door through Amazon! I hope if you are like me in the sunscreen aisle wondering which to buy, that you will give Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen a try– you won’t be sorry!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Blue Lizard Sunscreen. The opinions and text are all mine.XO

I can’t believe Briar is 2 months and I am just sharing these but honestly it’s taken me this long to decide which photos to share without oversharing. There were sooooo many good ones from this session mostly because my friend Anna Boardman is a photog genius. The girls absolutely love Anna (Anna Banana as they call her) which makes for such easy photos when they can just be their silly little selves. Not to mention that the photos were taken in our home– it made for the most comfortable environment for everyone. Even Garth made the comment that this was one of the best sessions we have ever done as a family. Mainly because we allowed the girls just to play and love on Briar. (and there were no bribes involved, which was a first ever)

Candid shots are my absolute favorite– especially in the home we built together as family.

Thank you so much Anna for these beautiful photos that we will treasure forever and ever.

XO

‘Tis the season to keep kids busy and happy!

I am so excited to be teaming up with one of my favorite companies, Petit Collage, to be sharing all our favorite games and activities that are perfect for the upcoming summer season. I love to have these all on hand for traveling or to assist as a “boredom buster” at home for the times the girls aren’t able to be outside playing. I have a closet full of most of these activities shown below that the girls can grab if they need something to do or if we are headed on a trip or to a restaurant.

The magnetic sets are my girls’ absolute favorite Petit Collage activity and I love that they now offer them in travel size! The Best Friends and Little Travelers are always a hit and almost always guarantee an extended amount of uninterrupted play when we get them out!

I hope you can find some of these ideas helpful because we all know that the days can be long and being prepared with activities for our kiddos can keep them happy while also saving our sanity!

Summer-Play Activities:

Beginner Puzzles // Floor Puzzles // 64-piece Puzzle Tin // 24-Piece Mini Puzzle // Memory Games // Pop-Out & Play Sets // Coloring Books // Sticker Activity Sets // Magnetic Sets // Animal Mask Craft // Toy Camera Craft //  Paper Doll Chain

Travel Activities:

Coloring Books // Sticker Activity Sets // Magnetic Travel Sets // Animal Face Origami // Paper Doll Kit // Backpacks

The best news is that if you are stocking your cart full of any of these items, Petit Collage has given me an exclusive discount code to share with you! Use the code: ADVENTURE for 20% your purchase!

Let me know what items you are excited to try out this summer with your kids!

XO

Briar turned a month yesterday and I am pretty sure I’m going to blink and we will be celebrating his first birthday. I’m trying to just soak in all his sweet newborn-ness as much as I can. I’m excited to share this post with you today because I have never been asked by so many people to share the information I am about to share with you. The day before Briar was born, I showed what was in my hospital bag on my Instagram stories and I shared about this “Lady Bits Spritz”. I explained how I used this spray with Emery a few weeks before she was born and I think it helped in me not tearing. My private messages on Instagram blew up asking to share the blend. So I thought a blog post was in order so that this information is easily attainable.

 I had started oils a couple months before Emery was born, so oils were new to me. I tore with Adelyn and had not even really heard of oils then, but with Emery I had a much better experience, and didn’t tear. I used the spray  the third time around again to help in preventing not tearing with Briar.

I began using the spray at about 36 weeks while pregnant with Emery and again with Briar. I feel like the spray also helped in my healing as I continued to use it after baby. SO you may be asking, what is in this “Lady Bits Spritz”??? (and YES, my mom and I both came up with this AMAZING name)

In a 2 oz glass spray bottle I filled the bottle half-way with witch hazel (alcohol free) and the other half with distilled water. Then using Young Living essential oils, I put 10 drops frankincense, 10 drops geranium, and 10 drops helichrysum. Shake and use um, you know spritz “down there”.

A few other ways I used oils during pregnancy, labor and postpartum:

Pregnancy: I was pretty careful during pregnancy to not use many oils as there are a few cautions with some but I did diffuse peppermint quite frequently to help with my nausea. The oil, Gentle Baby was also used from time to time on my belly to help with stretch marks.

Labor: I made sure to diffuse lavender and valor in my delivery room. At times when the contractions were so intense I would just take the bottle of lavender and breath it in. I feel like using oils during the labor process helped me to allow my body to progress through labor quickly. Breathing in lavender and trying to stay in a calm mindset helped me to not fight my contractions, but instead breath through them so that I could continue to dilate.

After Labor: After I had Briar, I continued to diffuse oils. I alternated between lavender, Peace & Calm, & Gentle Baby. The nurses all thought it was the neatest thing to be diffusing oils after delivery and even a couple of them gave suggestions on how to use oils with newborns.

Postpartum: I like to use the “Happy Mama” blend after baby. To make, take a glass roller bottle and put 5 drops Joy, 10 drops Orange and fill the rest of the bottle with fractionated coconut oil. I use this blend on my wrists, behind my ears, or on the back of my neck.

Oils have truly made such an impact on my life and we use them SO much in our home. From helping my girls with sleep, to supporting their immune system fight off illness– I continue to reach for my oils before using any medicine on them. I only use oils for my skin care routine and love how they can instantly change my mood when diffusing. I made a pledge this year to slowly switch all the products in our home to make sure they are safe and clean for my family. It’s been incredibly easy as Young Living offers laundry, cleaning, dish & even baby products.

If you have been interested in oils or have any questions, send me an email: samantha@hellotinylove.com

OR if you are ready to get started, you can purchase your starter kit HERE!( includes your membership to order oils and products at wholesale cost)A few of the oils I mentioned in my post above come in this kit and then you have the opportunity to order the others at a wholesale price!

Please message me if you have any questions! I would LOVE to help you get started in an oily lifestyle as it’s been the best decision I’ve made!

The information in this blog post is based upon my research and personal use of Young Living Essential Oils. I am not a doctor. Statements, products, and techniques mentioned have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

I have always wanted to get family photos in a desert location, so while we were on vacation in Scottsdale, AZ, my amazing friend Jen Griffith made this dream come true. The weather, location, and company couldn’t have been more perfect. I did maternity photos when I was pregnant with Adelyn, but not with Emery and I regret it so much. While being pregnant, I know it’s hard to find anything to wear and taking photos may be the last thing you want to do — but I encourage you to just do it. You will look back someday and truly treasure them. I am so excited to have these maternity images with my third, and last baby.

Dress // Ring // Adelyn & Emery’s Outfits 

xo

Can you believe that it was like yesterday that we were filling stockings for Christmas and now it’s time to fill Easter baskets! I always have so much fun filling the girls’ baskets each year as I try to do a few fun things and then a few things that they may be needing for the summer. I usually always include a book, something to wear, a stuffed animal, and something fun to do like chalk, game, or puzzle. It was fun to look at boy things this year and include them in my favorites round-up. I can’t wait to be putting together a boy basket next year!!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15

Hope some of these ideas help you fill your Easter baskets this year! If you are last minute like I am, there is still time to get all of these items before Easter!

xo