Tuesday, April 21, 2015

A First Birthday Letter: To Our Last Little Baby

Oh Collins, I can't believe we're here.

Happy birthday. my sweet one, our last little baby. Today you turn one and although I stand here in shock and disbelief that we are here in this moment and you are one, I can say without a single doubt that I am immeasurably happy, grateful and satisfied to be here celebrating you on this day.


I say "satisfied" because in doing so, we are closing the door on a chapter of my life that has been nearly five years in the making. It is one thing to make the decision to stop having babies but it's a whole other emotional labyrinth accepting it. It's not that you are not enough because, believe me, you are more than enough and your Daddy and I could not have asked for a more amazing baby to end this chapter of our lives with. I mean, you want to talk about going out with a bang? You are our high note, Collins. Without a doubt. 

Selfishly it's a strange place to be in, knowing we are done having babies, that we get to now spend the rest of our lives focusing purely on raising you, enjoying you and your brothers and one day stepping back and admiring our handiwork. I just can't imagine what it's going to be like not getting pregnant three months from now, feeling that baby grow in that space beneath my heart, and a year from now, see my husband hold his newborn baby for the very first time. That's what our life has been like these last few years and in a way it's a little unnerving knowing that's not how this next year will go. 


Collins, you have given me the greatest gift I could have asked for this last year and it was the gift of being acutely aware of how quickly time passes by. It has been the constant reminder to slow down, be present and enjoy it all, even the exhausting parts. On one hand, even though I've slowed and soaked and enjoyed nearly every moment of your first year, there are moments when I still feel like it still wasn't enough. As if this first year wasn't long enough- as if it's somehow been miscalculated that we're here celebrating your birth day so soon, that I should have more time. More time to soak in your baby-ness before it's gone forever.

Between you and me, Collins, I don't really remember much of my first few days with your brothers. Sure I can recall bits and pieces here and there and pictures certainly help but with you, my last little baby, I remember our first few days together as if they were yesterday. I can sit here and with just the blink of my eye, it's as if I'm taken right back to our hospital suite. 


I remember the weight of you in my arms as I tucked your head on my chest, you curling your knees and feet up beneath your belly as I brushed my lips back and forth over the peach fuzz on your shoulders. I remember how awake and alert you were during the day and how I would cradle you in my lap, gazing into your big round eyes, trying desperately to imagine who you would grow up to look like, what you would be doing a year from now. 

I don't think I slept a wink those first two days, knowing that if I did, fearing that if I closed my eyes even for a minute that I would miss out on time spent alone with you. That's where you lucked out as our third- I was a pro at missing moments, wishing time away, waiting for the next big milestone by the time you arrived. And by that time I knew better. I knew to savor every middle of the night waking, even opting for the hospital bonus day so that I could have just one more day alone with you- before I had to share you with the rest of the world.  

And it has been nothing short of amazing, our last first year together. Today, those same knees and feet stretch all the way past my hips when I hold you, that peach fuzz long gone from your shoulders but I would be a fool not to spend time each day just staring into those large brown eyes of yours, still trying to imagine the kinds of thoughts you think behind them. And you still love that place between my neck and my shoulder. Please don't stop loving that space. Even when you're thirty. (Because that's not weird, right?)

Did you know that you were our easiest decision? With you, there was no question. When planning for your brothers, there was a whole lot of "are we ready?" "can we do this?" "are we crazy (again?)" talk and while we spent months ruminating on those questions, when the time came to pray and plan for you there simply was no question. It was as if we needed you and you were meant to be a part of this kind of Crazy all along.

Even though we needed you, prayed for you and waited anxiously to meet you, you slept in a nursery that bore your brother's name above the crib for the first eight months of your life. You came home to a space that wasn't your own and even though it means nothing in the grand scheme of things and you will never remember nor care, I always will. 

We prepared differently for you as the third baby than we did for your brothers, right down to celebrating their first birthdays with gross grandiosity. In two weeks we will celebrate you, surrounded by the greatest friends and family we could ever ask for and there will be no theme, other than the sheer celebration of you, our last little baby, and that will be enough because you are enough. I will always feel badly for the lack of undivided time and attention I've been able to give you just because you are our third, our last little baby but I hope that as you grow up you will never, ever feel slighted. 


Everyone always remarks what a perfectly content, wonderful, happy baby you are and if I had to think of three words to describe you, they would undoubtedly be "loved," "joyful" and "content." Your Daddy and I always joke that you're so quiet and mellow that it's easy to forget you are around but that last part isn't true at all. We could never forget you. The way you light up a room with your cheesy grin, the way your eyes sparkle beneath those insanely long lashes, the way you reach for us and wrap your arms as far as they'll reach around our necks when we hug you- you are our everything. There is nothing forgettable about you and our last first year together.

You are so happy. Like think of the happiest person you know and multiply it by one million. That's you, every single day. You begin the day with a smile and often go to sleep smiling too and every minute in between is spent giggling, shouting and laughing. It is impossible to have a bad day when you're near and people are drawn to you like a moth to a flame. 

I'd like to think that all three of you are destined for great things, but my sweet one, there is something extra special about you. I cannot wait to watch  you grow and share your light with the world.

All I ask from you, Collins, is that you continue to be patient with me as I mourn the last of the firsts. Years from now I know you'll want to laugh at me while I blink back tears over something as simple and as silly as your first t-ball game but try not to laugh too hard. It's bittersweet to watch you grow and selfish of me to want to keep you little forever but as your mother, as the woman who literally grew you in her own body from scratch, it's not easy letting you go. 


I keep waiting for a time when the sheer wonderment of being a mother to three incredible boys will wear off. Even during the hardest days, especially during the hardest of days, I'm reminded of what a blessing it is, being your mother and I stand in awe that I get to spend each day with you, with your brothers, doing exactly this.

Collins, you have brought so much more love, laughter and sheer joy to our family since you were born. More than we could ever imagine from someone so small. We all go absolutely crazy for you, your brothers even fighting over who gets to be the first to greet you in the morning when you wake. You made Maclane a big brother, one of the greatest gifts in the world and I feel sad knowing we'll never do the same for you. In a way, however, this keeps you the baby of the family indeterminately, and I'm definitely okay with that.

Deep down I know that although this part of our journey together is over, there is still so much adventure that lies ahead. Here's to growing up, to the both of us, to stumbling our way, together, through the years that lie ahead. You, desperate for independence and me, giving you the space you need to explore, all the while clinging to our last little baby. I love you so much, Scooby Bear.

Happy 1st Birthday, Collins Mason. We love you more than carrots! 
Love, Mommy, Daddy, Carter and Maclane. 

     
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Monday, April 20, 2015

Baptisms, Babies and Little Black Dresses.

I'm doing all that I can to avoid thinking that tonight is the last night I will put my baby to bed as a baby

Never mind the fact that he spends more time vertical walking, than crawling these days. and babbling and virtually hurtling towards toddlerdom, full speed ahead. Yes, I know what you're going to say. "But he'll always be your baby!" And I'm calling bullshit on that right now. Because yes, he'll always be the baby of the family but he won't always be twenty-three pounds and he won't always curl himself into a ball with his legs wrapped around my hip and his head tucked beneath my neck. He won't always eat his puffs with that adorable little pincer grasp and point that chubby little finger in the direction in which he wants you to carry him. 


He isn't going to be a baby for very much longer- I've been here before and I know that in like thirty-three minutes he'll be three years old and running circles around me and giving me attitude of the century while throwing the missalette on the floor of the church during his Baptism. And in like two weeks he'll be ready for college. So no, he won't always be my baby and that makes me sad. 

Yesterday, the Baptism of Maclane and Collins was a welcome distraction from this inevitable growing older. In fact, I was so focused on getting through the day and celebrating our two newest Catholics that I didn't even realize that Collins' birthday was just two sleeps later. 



Despite the priest wanting to initially baptize Maclane as "Marlene" and later, anointing "Connor" with holy Chrism, it was a beautiful celebration and I cannot wait to see how God works inside the hearts and minds of our boys. I don't spend a lot of time writing about our personal relationship with God- as a matter of fact I don't really talk aloud about it all that much either as my faith has always been kind of a private matter- but when we're gathered in Church, surrounded by family and friends that love our boys just as much as we do, it's really an incredible thing and I am so thankful for that. Our three boys are blessed with some pretty amazing godparents and I don't know if it's birthday eve hormones or what, but I'm so glad we have them in our lives to stand beside our sons.   





Let's pause for a moment and talk about that dress. That was not the initial dress I planned on wearing for the Baptism. In fact, that wasn't even the second dress I planned on wearing for the Baptism after I decided the second dress wasn't really church-appropriate.

That dress is the product of a late night (and one too many glasses of wine) spent on Rent the Runway searching for a romper to rent for Collins' first birthday coming up. On a whim, I rented that dress and figured that if it didn't fit right when it arrived that I still had two other options to choose from and really, what did I have to lose? 

But then it arrived and I fell in love with it and wished that I had a dress like that sitting in the back of my closet to pull out for events that require me to shave my legs and wear a real bra. I love that dress and wearing it rekindled my love for RTR. You can use my referral link to sign up and we both receive a $20 credit to put towards future orders. 

I mean really, it's a win-win if you ask me! I hate to say it but even my husband was a little disappointed when it came time to putting that dress back into the mailer bag last night...






Happy Baptism Day Collins Mason and Maclane Allen. We're so proud of the little boys you are becoming- now to soak up every last bit of baby in that little one on the left up there before he turns one tomorrow... 



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Friday, April 17, 2015

A Laptop-Tablet Mash Up for the Modern Mom (And Giveaway!)

Before I became a mother, I had one job. That job was working as a registered nurse in an acute care setting. I juggled very few things during that time- mostly striking a balance between long hours at the hospital and keeping a happy house and husband as a newlywed. Soon enough, the fog of newlywed-ed bliss cleared and with career shifts came major life changes such as a move south and a baby on the way. It wasn't long before I became a mother and a stay-at-home one at that!

As we began to settle ourselves down with deeper roots, I tested the work-from-home waters. In addition to being a brand new mother, I also became much more dedicated toward engaging brands and businesses within my blog. Over the last several years, not only did my blog become a working passion of mine but I also launched a photography business (in addition to adding two more babies to the mix!) 

Our life looks much, much different now than it did just five years ago and if you ever mentioned that I would not only be a mom of three boys but also the owner of not one but two businesses, I would have laughed and said, "not a chance!"

"Never say never," am I right?

I love every single second of our crazy busy days and I wouldn't trade them for the world. As a mom of three and business owner, it's been a difficult road to navigate. Sure there are contracts and deadlines to be met but at the same time, my family has been and always will be my number one priority. I've spent many long nights burning the candle at both ends, learning not only how to run a business from my home but also how to do so successfully and without detriment to my family. It hasn't always been easy and I'm sure I've failed both my family and a client on more than one occasion but in every instance, there's been a lesson learned and growth as both a mom and business owner.

As a mom and business owner, I'm always on the hunt for technology that allows me to transition seamlessly between roles. Whether I'm in Kindergarten prep-mode scouring Pinterest for readiness activities, in the pediatrician's office for a unforeseen fever, on the road doing some hands-on research for a brand or sitting down with a freshly swaddled newborn and her family in my at-home studio, I need to not only be accessible but also access email, apps and the Internet in a way that benefits myself, my family and my business.

The Lenovo YOGA 3 Pro is a tablet laptop mash-up that in layman's terms is "simply freaking amazing." It's ultra-thin, incredibly lightweight and boasts an incredible 6-hinge design that allows it to fold back a complete 360 degrees. Want to learn more about the YOGA 3 Pro and enter for the chance to WIN ONE? Head over here! 



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Thursday, April 16, 2015

Buying / Trying / Reading / Watching

It's been a long time since I've written a guest post for a fellow blogger but when E, from over at Teaching Sam and Scout, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to fill in for her while she loved all over her fresh baby girl. 


E has recently launched a new series on her blog "Buying, Trying, Reading, Watching" and it's such a fun and easy-going series to read and participate in. Head on over there today to see what I've been Buying, Trying, Reading and Watching lately and be sure to follow along in the series! You can see a sneak of what I've been buying lately, down below!

btrw banner

Buying :: Oh let's just say what should really be said here and that's "what haven't I been buying lately?" There's just something about the change in seasons, especially the transition from Winter to Spring, that always has me shopping for new pieces, often of the bold and bright variety, to breathe new life into my closet. This month not only did we celebrate Easter but we'll also be celebrating the baptism of our Middle Little and Littlest Little. You just name the occasion and I'll go out and buy a new dress for it- and although I intended to wear this Lilly Pulitzer shift for each of the celebrations, ultimately I ended up purchasing this number from Nordstrom too and even though it's sleeveless, I think I'm set on wearing it for the boys' baptism. See what I mean about bright and bold colors? 

Unfortunately, the desire to breathe new life into closets doesn't just end with me. Anticipating cool nights on the beach and the boat this summer, I ordered these striped half-zips for each of the boys during the recent JCrew Factory sale as well as some new t-shirts and shorts to get them through the start of the summer. In much less exciting news, we also had to purchase a new dishwasher this month which further solidified my status as "Officially Grown Up."



   
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Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Step Into Summer with Target Baby

Today I'm sharing summer wardrobe staples from Target Baby 
as part of a sponsored post for Socialstars #TargetCrowd

I have a funny feeling that we're going to skip Spring all together around here and jump head long into summer once Mother Nature gets her act together. When it's not thirty-five degrees and we're struggling with whether or not to pack away the winter coats, Summer appears to be elbowing her way in with long days full of sunshine and highs in the upper seventies.

We're most definitely not complaining about the warmth, however, as it gives us an excuse to sift through our summer wardrobe and pull out pieces that give mothers everywhere what they desire most: easy access to those delicious baby and toddler thighs! Gosh how I've missed seeing those chubby baby legs all winter long!



To see more of my Target Baby summer wardrobe picks, head here! You won't want to miss the crazy steal I got on a pair of jean shorts- I'll give you a hint, they were less than $5! 



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Monday, April 13, 2015

5 Thoughts on Baby-Wearing from a Reformed Baby-Wearer.


I hardly ever wore my first two babies. As a matter of fact, I can count on one hand the number of times that I wore my first, four and a half years ago. It wasn't something that worked for me back then nor was it something that made my life easier, or something I was overly passionate about. 

But then I had a third baby and unlike I had wished, a third arm and hand did not sprout from behind my back. I had three kids under the age of five and only two hands and I still had a house to run. Lunches to be made. Heinies to wipe, sippies to pour and hell, sometimes I even wanted to drink my coffee lukewarm. 

Something had to give and so I began dabbling in the world of baby-wearing. 

When he was an infant, I wore Collins in the K'tan . It's a sling-like soft carrier (very similar to wrap fabric) that you slipped on and tucked baby easily and safely inside. I think what scared me off from baby-wearing my first was two things: lack of knowledge and the insane, overwhelming amount of fabric of the Moby. The K'tan eliminated all of that. 

Around six weeks in, I transitioned from the K'tan to an SSC or a soft structured carrier like the Ergo. For what it's worth, the K'tan can be used from 8lbs. to 35lbs. That's like from newbornhood through pre-school but in order to keep up with the big boys, I needed something with a little more structure to it which is why I changed over to the Ergo. I've used both the Ergo and the comparable Beco Gemini and Beco Soleil and hands down my favorite of the three has been the Gemini, mostly because Collins prefers to be carried on the front, facing out, something that I could only do with my Gemini. From back carry, front carry to hip carry, we've tried and loved them all. I love my Beco carriers so much that I even became an ambassador for their brand!

At nearly 12 months old, I wear Collins daily. Yes, you read that right. I went from having hardly worn my first two babies to wearing my third nearly every single day of the week. Whether I'm running into the grocery store to pick up dinner, taking a family stroll through the neighborhood or just trying to empty the dishwasher, wearing Collins has made my life so. much. easier. 

In fact, here are 5 quick thoughts on baby-wearing from a reformed baby-wearer: 

1. Baby-wearing places your baby at optimum head-sniffing height. This way, you don't even need to sneak a whiff of that sweet smelling baby-ness- it's right there in front of your nose the whole time! 

2. Baby-wearing hides the post-partum belly pooch. At nearly 12 months post partum I wonder how long I can go on calling it that. But whatever the case, wearing your baby hides that extra little fluff around the middle better than SPANX. After all, you can take deep breaths on the regular while baby-wearing, something you can't always do while wearing SPANX. 

3. Baby-wearing allows you to get shit done. Things like emptying the dishwasher, eating your lunch with two hands and zooming Hot Wheels cars along an imaginary track with your three and five year old. 

4. Baby-wearing keeps strangers (and unwanted family members) from touching and/or holding your baby. Headed to a family reunion and don't want people groping your baby? Stick him in a wrap! Problem solved. 

5. Baby-wearing is an easy workout. Have you every tried vacuuming with twenty-seven pounds strapped to your chest? Calories burned, my friend. That's all that matters! 

Oh and did I mention optimum head-sniffing height? Because come on. You know you want to. There are even studies out there that talk about the increased bonding that occurs during baby-wearing, promoting healthy brain activity and all that good stuff- it just makes sense sometimes! 


Recently I started wearing Collins in a ring sling from Rockin Baby. When I first started, it was my first experience using a ring sling and although it took a few YouTube videos to get it just right, I've been a smitten kitten ever since (and judging by his face up there, you can tell he's loving it, too!) 

So what's so great about Rockin' Baby, you say? Well, for every sling purchased, they give away a Hero Sling to mothers who are in desperate need in Haiti and Kenya. That's also pretty amazing, if you ask me. 

I really like the Rose of My Heart reversible fabric sling because it keeps my baby close and my hands free. I also love that it's the perfect pop of floral among a very testosterone-heavy household. Easy to slip on and adjust with just the tug of the fabric, I like to keep my sling in the car and use it when I'm out running errands, such as pick-up and drop-off from pre-school and running into the grocery store.    

The folks at Rockin' Baby love to give and to help others so much that they've offered to give away the very same Rose of My Heart sling to one lucky ILYMTC reader! 

You can enter below using the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway


I received a sling free of charge from the kind folks at Rockin' Baby. 
All thoughts expressed are my own. Additional compensation was not received. 


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Friday, April 10, 2015

When The Last First Year Ends...

This is it. Our last first year. 

Our last little baby turns one this month and I'd like to say I'm handling it rather well when the truth is, I haven't paused long enough to let it sink in. It's so bittersweet, this raising babies thing. On one hand, you can't help but mourn the loss of that squishy newborn with his floppy head and curled up legs and deliciously fuzzy shoulders whose favorite place to land was that soft, sweaty crook in the nook of your neck but at the same time, you can't help but celebrate the amazing and incredible funny little human being that is currently toddling around your kitchen slamming his fingers in your drawers, babbling a mile a minute and leaving behind him a trail of teething cookie crumbs. 


When I think about our last first year coming to a close, I get the same kind of dizzying tickle in my stomach that I had all three times I saw those two pink lines appear for the very first time. That kind of feeling where you don't know whether to laugh or to cry but you pray to God that whatever happens next, you'll all be okay, even if it's been a really, really long time since you've last prayed for anything. 

In a sense, it's as if I've spent the last twelve months preparing for this very moment. When I became pregnant with Collins, I knew right away that he was going to be our last little baby and it was with that knowledge that I soaked up every last bit of my pregnancy, right down to the two annoyingly unplanned hospitalizations for pre-term labor shortly before he was born. 


I opted for the hospital "bonus day" after my third c-section because I selfishly wanted to keep him all to myself for just one more day before throwing caution to the wind and jumping head long into the madness that awaited us at home. That's the thing about third babies- you become achingly aware of how quickly time passes and I knew that once we walked through the threshold of our home, that I would blink and three months would pass. That even though I would silently beg for him to sleep through the night just once, that those sleepless nights would soon add up and he would be six months, eight months old and now, almost a year. 

And he's still not sleeping through the night. But I know that's okay and in some sick and twisted way, the knowledge of him being our last little baby made every one of those middle of the night wake ups a little sweeter, a little easier to deal with because I would remind myself that it would be something I wouldn't ever get the chance to do again. 

To wake to the squawking cries of a newborn and after two babies, immediately know how to soothe him. To rock and sway, swaddle and shush, my body moving in a way that has become almost instinctual. To lift a restless infant from his warm crib and fold his chubby little body against mine, taking note of the way his tiny body radiates heat in only the way that a chubby-bodied baby can. To nurse him into milk drunk oblivion and hold your breath as you lower him into his crib, hoping against all hope that he would remain sleeping. 

To stand there, long after you've done so, just watching the rise and fall of his chest, the flutter of his eyelids, the twitch of his toes and not even realize how long you've been standing there until you suddenly need to take a breath because you've been holding your breath the entire time so as not to wake him.


I look back over this last first year and realize that I can be anything but sad and for that, I am so grateful. Knowing he was our last little baby allowed me to be present more, to soak in every last bit of his first year and not shrug off the little moments, or the big ones too, just because I knew that I'd get to do it all over again sometime in the future.

I know that there are many lasts ahead of us yet and chances are, I'll remember them just as wistfully as the many lasts that have become mere lines of words in baby books and blog posts. The first t-ball game is actually just as exciting as the first steps, believe it or not. The first day of pre-school is just as emotional as the day you came home from the hospital and I can't wait for those last first's too although I know with certainty that I will be a snotty, blubbering mess.

Even though our last first year is coming to a close, I'd like to think that I'm still in the proverbial trenches of motherhood. I've still got diapers to change, sippy cups to fill and drippy noses to wipe. My oldest still calls me "Mommy" and that eases the sting of this growing up thing and further reminds me that the best is yet to come. 

Not to mention, it will be nice to get dressed one day and not have to worry about whether or not I can easily pull my boob out from the neckline of my shirt. 

Why yes, I do believe, last little baby, the best is yet to come. Thank you for giving me the best last first year I could have hoped for.  



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Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Sleep In A Jar... Thanks to Garnier!


I haven’t slept through the night since 2009.

Deep down I wish that I was kidding but the reality is I truly haven’t had a solid night of sleep since shortly before the birth of my first baby, which was four and a half years ago. At first it was because I was hugely pregnant. Then it was because I had a newborn and a very hungry newborn at that. That hungry newborn turned into a toddler who experienced night terrors and, before I knew it, I was pregnant again and thus began a vicious cycle of sleep deprivation.

Pregnancy insomnia, newborns, toddlers with a penchant for chilled water at 3am, babies who act as if their crib was filled with hot lava, and little big boys who just “didn’t wanna” sleep in their beds have all been the root cause for lack of sleep around these parts. Oh, and don’t forget the dog! Some nights, he’s just as guilty with his wet nose and direct access to my face.

Lack of sleep is not a good look on me. It ages me far more than my thirty-one years and three boys under the age of five do. It accentuates my crow's feet, dries out the skin around my eyes and my forehead and draws even more attention to the dark circles that have nestled in quite comfortably beneath my eyes. There’s a saying that goes, ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead” and sadly enough it’s become my mantra. Until that day arrives, however, I’ve decided just to fake it ‘til I make it.


So as not to scare off little children, my barista at Starbucks, fellow moms in the preschool pick-up line and my favorite bag boy at the local market, I’ve begun equipping myself with an arsenal of beauty products that help give me the appearance of the well-rested nights I only dream about. From elixirs to creams, concealers to oils, I have tried them all and the latest addition to my "Let’s Pretend I Slept Well" repertoire is the Ultra-Lift® Miracle Sleeping Cream™ Anti-Age + Anti-Fatigue Night Cream by Garnier.

Infused with key botanical ingredients such as lavender essential oil and enriched with rare plant extracts and adenosine that promised to have me waking up refreshed and radiant, I jumped aboard that train. With hyaluronic and hydroxyl acids known to boost cell turnover and intensely hydrate, causing wrinkles to appear less defined and skin to appear younger and firmer, I wasn’t only riding that train, I was driving that bad boy.


Having relatively sensitive, finicky skin, I’m often picky about what I’m slathering on my face before hitting the hay.  Products that I’ve tried in the past have either been too thick, too greasy or too slow to absorb, leaving my face feeling slimy, icky or too “full” of product.  

After just one night of using Garnier's Ultra-Lift® Miracle Sleeping Cream it was as if a true miracle really did occur. My skin felt softer and tighter, and there was a visible reduction in the dark circles beneath my eyes. I really did look as if I had gotten much more sleep than I had and I didn’t experience any of those negative reactions when applying the cream before bed. Very light, it goes on smooth and absorbs quickly. If only this cream could pour my children drinks and rub their backs at night, then I’d really be golden!

Until then, I’ll stick with applying the cream each night before bed. Although it has only been less than a week since I’ve started using this cream, I look forward to seeing additional visible results in the coming weeks. 

I’m also eager to try out a similar product--the Garnier Ultra-Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream: Anti-Age + Anti-Fatigue Eye Cream, an innovative gel-cream texture that combines the hydrating power of a cream with the light refreshing feel of a gel to visibly reduce signs of dark circles, bags and tired looking eyes.
If used together, it surely sounds like these two products could have me looking like I slept for days! Oh, now that’s the stuff my dreams are made of!

Can't get your nightly beauty sleep? Garnier has you covered with prizes that will make you look like you didn't miss a wink! Enter the Sleep With This Sweepstakes now for the chance to win Garnier's Ultra-Lift® Miracle Sleeping Cream, a Westin Heavenly® Bed and more. Plus receive a $1 coupon* to try Garnier's Ultra-Lift® Miracle Sleeping Cream out for yourself. Enter daily for a chance to win a Miracle Sleeping Cream product prize package!

Do you plan to try Garnier’s Ultra-Lift® Miracle Sleeping Cream™ Anti-Age + Anti-Fatigue Night Cream to help fight wrinkles and the signs of fatigue? Tell me in the comments below for a chance to win a $100 VISA gift card!
   
Entry Instructions:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
  1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
  2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
  3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
  4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 4/8/15 – 5/10/15.
Be sure to visit the Garnier brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!


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