The Beamer Buzz

Dirty Clothes? Clean them up!

2012-01-27T16:47:00.000-08:00

If you have a baby, or big kid, or messy husband.. stains are your worst enemy. AND if you happen to buy adorable clothes for your baby, big kid, or messy husband you are like me and cringe when you see that sauce stain, spot of mustard, or smear of chocolate. Reality is .. people eat, kids are kids, and clothes get worn. I am always on the look out for the next great detergent that hones in on the stain fighter.

I've NEVER been one to wash my clothes in anything but warm water. To me, cold is just not clean. So when I heard about the Tide Coldwater, I thought .. ehh not for me. But then I tried it and ...WOW!!! It washed my clothes just as good (if not better) than when I use my regular Tide with warm water AND its saves on energy (you're not using hot water) therefore saving on electricity and ultimately making the world a little greener.

Check out my video and see for yourself! My monkey boy does not get through a day without a clean meal, yet after using my Tide Coldwater his pjs were just as clean (and WHITE) as ever!!

Disclosure* I received compensation and a free Tide Product to write this review*

Starting My Blog Back Up !

2011-04-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

Unless you are Mohammad Ali or Michael Jordan, its pretty hard to make an infamous return. But for whats its worth- I started my blog back up!The last few blogs before my departure into labor, delivery, and life with an infant ended on a high with some awesome product reviews andthe excitement and anticipation of a new baby. Well here I am 8 months after my intense yet doable delivery with dozens of sleepless nights under my belt, a new job, and a new outlook on life. I hope theBeamerBuzz gives you everything you hoped for and more! Here’s to the next Chapter!

Say hello to my little monkey boy!

The "Must Haves"

2010-06-30T16:42:00.000-07:00

There are so many little devices and “must haves” for a person that spent the first 10 months of its life in a small confined area with no decorations or festive material. On our adventures of registering we decided, like many others, there were certain “must haves” our little guy just needed to have. You know- the car seat (obviously), stroller, swing, bouncy seat, etc. My biggest question with all of these nifty devices was how they would really be able to accommodate a newborn baby. We’ve heard there are certain things- like the swing- that are absolute “must haves” but how could the swing seat that comfortably fits a 4 month old (probably weighing over 12 pounds) also fit a newborn baby weighing in at 7 or 8 pounds. Lucky for me the infant positioner, Snuggin Go also thought of that.

All I could picture was the two week old baby with his head flopped to the side sitting in the swing…. in a position that looks so uncomfortable, your neck immediately gets a kink in it. Since I still have a a little bit of time before my bundle of joy is scheduled to arrive, my friend was gracious enough to let us test out the Snuggin Go with her newborn (aka baby V) and see if it really helped at all.

We tested in the swing, the bouncy, and the car seat. In each instance Baby V looked as snug as a bug and didn’t have that painfully “help me” look. Its super easy to set up .. simply place the Snuggin Go in the device and gently plop baby on top. There is a square section on top for baby’s head to stay propped up. Best of all its still roomy enough where it doesn’t look like you have your newborn in a vice. I will admit- Baby V is a naturally happy baby to begin with, however I’m sure he was quite pleased with the quality of the soft fabric around his body.

Baby B will definitely be utilizing the Snuggin Go as he embarks in the wonderful world of swings, bouncies, and car seats. While I didn’t try with my friend’s borrowed newborn, I will also attempt to see how the Snuggin Go does on a Boppy too. Stay tuned !!!

Some info on Snuggin Go:

- Can help prevent life threatening airway complications in infants

- Crash safety tested using the government's car safety standard

- Is considered a SIDS reducing product

DISCLOSURE: This item was sent to me for review.

Future Music Lover in the Making ...

2010-04-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

With all the "new age" baby stuff that is on the market now, its hard not to want to try everything- especially the different devices to stimulate your baby in the womb. My little man seems to LOVE music.. and by love I mean practice breakdancing in my uterus.

I was out to dinner with my mom and aunt when the music started blaring, as soon as the thumps kicked in from the bass, the baby immediately reacted. He was moving around so much that my aunt was able to feel him for the first time. There have been many other instance here and there where the music has been blasting and it instantaneously jump started the baby to "bust a move" which is why as soon as I heard about the Bellybuds, I wanted in.

Bellybuds are wearable speakers (bellyphones) that can be plugged right into my ipod (or any mp3 player). The best part is the Bellybuds come with a device that allows me to plug in my earphones in too... so baby and I can listen to music at the same time. The speakers have a hydrogel adhesive that sticks right to my belly. I prefer to use the speakers right on my belly, but you can definitely attach them over your clothes. There are 2 cords, you use 1 if you just want baby to hear and you use the second one if you would also like to listen. Set up takes about 10 seconds and is SOOOO easy!

While many moms-to-be talk about playing Beethoven and Mozart, I'm more of a contemporary-- we'll say "hip" mom-- and would much rather have a little Dave Matthews Band, Pink, Rascal Flatts, Sons of Leon, etc. Yes my baby boy rocks out to Guns N' Roses and will be able to recognize The Beatles songs at birth. I'm a firm believer in music diversity and I'm able to pass along my passion for music before he is even here with these Bellybuds!!

BEST PART !!! As you all know, my in-laws live about 15 hours away and my sister is away at college (needless to say, not hangin' home unless she's on break). With this nifty little device, anyone can record a message and send it to me, then I upload into my ipod and play the message for the baby! Its like they are right here with him and I'm sure he will be able to recognize their voices even though they aren't talking to me everyday.

I'm traveling for business and will be away from my husband for a few days, which is such a bummer. This trip we were able to record his voice and upload it so while I'm sitting in my hotel room (or on the plane) we can still hear his voice!! They came with a cute little pouch that easily stores the buds on their "dock". I would definitely recommend anyone who is a big music lover OR has relatives out of state to test these puppies out!

Some info from Bellybuds:
- A stylish and convenient way to bond with your baby in utero, while at home or on the go

-Bellybuds have a fixed, maximum sound level strong enough to penetrate to the womb. They reach the baby at a decibel level roughly equivalent to a casual conversation and lower than a mother's heartbeat.

- Easily stored in the included "dock" and placed in the accompanying pouch for portability and safe keeping.

- The bellybuds bellyphones Deluxe Pack is an excellent pregnancy or baby shower gift and is available for suggested retail price of $49.99

Disclosure: This item was sent to me for review

Is this really a symptom?

2010-04-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

When you first tell people you are pregnant (and for the duration of your pregnancy) you hear all about the "symptoms" of pregnancy. No two women are alike and most of the time you hear the general.. morning sickness, back ache, stretch marks, headaches, etc. Luckily for all of you I started this blog when most said I was in the "honeymoon" stage of my pregnancy so you missed hearing about my morning sickness and migraines that lasted for days on end.

I thought I was pretty much in the clear until I hit my third trimester. Sure there are going to be back aches and heartburn full speed ahead, but I've been prepping with pillows and extra strength Tums. Besides at almost 22 weeks I was feeling great .. until we got a heat wave in April and the temperature hit 90 degrees!

I was at the kitchen sink washing and cutting veggies for dinner and all of a sudden there was ringing in my ears. The ringing was familiar, that sound I get whenever I go for bloodwork right before I know I'm going to pass out. I turned quickly to plop on the kitchen floor and manged to utter a few words to my husband before I went down. No worries .. he was able to catch me before I hit the floor :) Of course I called the doctor and they figured it was from the heat (must make sure I stay hydrated) but before I hung up with the midwife she advised me not to be alarmed fainting "can be a symptom of pregnancy"

Are you kidding me??!!?? Now that I FINALLY have an appetite and don't dry heave for the first 30 minutes of my day .. I have to worry about passing out as my replacement symptom! Not to mention I'm due in August so there will be MANY hot days to follow. So even after reading Jenny McCarthy's Baby Laughs book I was blinded by the possibility that fainting can be a symptom of pregnancy. I'm thinking about sending her an email to see if she can add fainting to an appendix of the book since she seemed to have covered everything else (I'll let you know about delivery once I get there) with the finest detail and forewarning.

In the meantime I'm just going to have to be EXTRA careful about making sure I'm snacking all day and drinking plenty of water and Gatorade.

Here are some tips to avoid fainting during pregnancy:

-Make sure you are eating enough: Try to keep you r blood sugar from getting too low by eating small, frequent meals during the day instead of three large ones. Carry healthy snacks so you can eat when you get hungry (I love Kashi bars)

- Don't stand up too fast: Avoid springing up from your chair or bed. When you're lying down, sit up slowly and stay sitting for a few minutes with your legs dangling over the side of the bed or couch. Then slowly rise from sitting to standing.

-Stay hydrated: Stay well hydrated by drinking eight to ten glasses of water a day — more if you're exercising or if it's hot.

-Don't let yourself get overheated: If you feel dizzy when you get too hot, avoid stuffy crowded places and dress in layers so you can shed clothes as necessary. Take warm showers or baths instead of hot ones, and try to keep the bathroom cool.

What’s in a name anyway?

2010-04-08T06:08:00.000-07:00

I’m sure I am not alone and many women can relate with having their kids names picked out since they were 8 .. okay maybe 12. I figured it would be smooth sailing as far as picking a name once I had a baby since I have had my favorite names since I was in 6^th grade. Well for those of you who read my post about finding out the sex of the baby (if you haven’t .. go check it out Those in favor of surprises.. please sit down) you know that this was something my husband and I greatly disagreed on. Well .. big disagreement #2 .. THE NAME. I have always loved a particular boy’s name. It just so happens, my mother in law also loved the name and used it for my husband. Most people would think perfect .. you’ll have a junior, a lot of men want to name their first son after themselves so its win win situation. No not for me .. not for this wife. My husband REFUSES to name our son after him. I even suggested giving the baby a different middle name so my husband can avoid the Jr. element and the initials would also serve as a cute nickname. No luck.

So we spent weeks .. months even researching names. We bought the book of 100,001 Baby Names when I first found out I was pregnant before we even knew we had a little boy on the way. Of course in my mind I figured yeah we’ll look at the book but at the end of the day I love this name and I’m sure that’s what we’ll use. I couldn’t have been further from reality. My husband and I went back and forth making lists of names we liked and not being able to match one name on each other’s list. We then decided to put the name search on hold so we didn’t end in a feud every night and hoped once we found out the baby’s gender it would inspire us to get our creative juices flowing on the same page (go ahead … let out a chuckle).

After it was official .. we are having a boy! .. it was time to hit the pavement again on the name train. I tried to “promote” my name suggestion, but my husband was not having it. I am even guilty of trying to form an alliance with my mother-in-law and convince her to convince him that we should use his name. Now as luck would have it, I happen to have the mother-in-law everyone dreams of who never buds in or pushes us to do anything so there was no chance of a gang up on my husband. She told us whatever we chose for a name would be wonderful.

I like Italian names, which my husband hates and thinks are too “ethnic” while he likes all .. odd names- or at least odd to me. We FINALLY agreed that we wanted something different but not over the top. I also didn’t want something that was in the top names for the past 10 years. There are so many “different” names that we liked but have recently become popular .. Carter, Jayden, Gavin, Ethan, Aiden, Chase, Logan , etc etc .. this name game just hit a new level!

So here we are sitting every night going through 100,001 names in that baby book that I swear lists the same name 1,000 times. Then hop on the computer to see what names we haven’t already looked though. And at the end of the night we end in “he’s just not going to have a name!” and stop the search.

So tell me .. what are your name suggestions!!?? How long did it take you to find a name?? And did you agree on the name with your significant other or did one of you pick it and the other one dealt with it??

The drive, the wait, the result!

2010-04-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to the day of the BIG ultrasound! My husband and I both took the day off of work so we could go to the ultrasound in the morning and spend the rest of the day looking at baby stuff and probably buy a thing or two. My appointment was 9:30 am so going to bed was nearly impossible the night before. We got up nice and early and got ready. The entire morning I felt nauseous .. like that feeling you have when you are little and you know you’re in trouble. We stopped at the convenience store on the way so I can grab an orange juice and make sure this baby was ready to move. Unfortunately oj after freshly brushed teeth and a nervous knotted stomach isn’t a great combo, so I decided 2 sips would have to do to get the baby moving. My husband was just as nervous as we drove the 15 or so minutes to the doctor’s office.

The entire time all I could think about was the health of the baby. Since we declined all of the screenings and tests, this would technically be the first time we would see our baby and know if everything was healthy. At this point I was also convinced the baby was a girl. EVERYONE was saying boy at the beginning, with the exception of a few so I convinced myself everyone is most of the time wrong and we have a little girl, I tried to prep my husband .. “you know I REALLY think it’s a girl” but it didn’t matter at that point. We didn’t care if they said boy or girl we just wanted to hear HEALTHY!

We’re at the office!

We sat in the waiting room for maybe 5-10 minutes. The woman performing the ultrasound (Chris) brought my husband into the room as I did what every pregnant woman does every 10 or so minutes .. use the restroom. I was so excited/nervous/excited I couldn’t even pee. After what seemed like hours of thinking of waterfalls and listening to the water run I finally handled business and was ready to see my baby!

My husband was in a chair to my left, the ultrasound machine and Chris were to my right, and there was a big flatscreen television straight ahead where we can watch the ultrasound. She lathered up my belly with that cool jelly, put the wand under my belly button, and BOOOMMM our baby was on the screen sucking its thumb

. The cutest baby and cutest thumb sucking I have ever seen in my entire life. My husband and I just stared in amazement with our mouths wide open at the little miracle we created. The baby definitely didn’t need ANY of that oj because it was ALL over the place… from thumb sucking to both hands up (touchdown position) to flipping .. literal FLIPS! Chris was so sweet and relaxing, she hummed lullabies as she moved the wand around and did her different measurements. We let her know we DID want to know the sex and she told us we had a “mover and a shaker” in there and asked the baby to hold still for a sec so she could get a picture. Suddenly the baby flipped and a butt was on the screen. I immediately knew what I was looking at while my husband waited for the description from Chris. I also noticed there was “nothing” there .. until she moved the wand a smidge and I saw a “something” followed by Chris saying “and there’s a penis”. IT was a BOY !! We made a BOY! My husband’s face lit up the entire room, he was floored. I was shocked as I thought of the select few that stuck to their guns and said it was a boy when everyone was flopping that it could be a girl.

Throughout the rest of the ultrasound we were able to see his liver, kidneys, 4 chambers of his heart, brain, bladder, stomach, 2 feet, 2 hands, 10 fingers, 10 toes, spine, and he showed us his butt (and goods) about 4 times. We were also able to hear his heartbeat (first time for my husband), see his heart beating, blood flowing, and nutrients going to him from the placenta. It was without a doubt the most amazing thing I ever witnessed and the best visit by far because it was followed up by an “everything looks perfect and he looks healthy” a whole 10.5 oz!!

And yes as soon as we left the doctor’s office we went right to the store. My husband bought not one but TWO bats and balls, a talking King Julian from the movie Madagascar , and a Yankee outfit. Can’t wait to meet my little man!!

Those in favor of surprises.. please sit down

2010-04-06T15:24:00.001-07:00

I’m a girl who loves surprises. I never peeked at Christmas presents because that ruined the fun in opening, I never snooped if I suspected a surprise party, and I could hold out for just about any gift or surprise event. Before I was pregnant I always knew I would want the same surprise regarding the baby’s sex. I couldn’t understand people who went to find out if they were having a boy or girl… after all where was the “surprise” in that? Then once the baby was born there was no “IT’S A BOY!” or “IT’S A GIRL!” .. its more of a “Yes, it was a boy at 20 weeks and now he’s here”. So naturally when I found out I was pregnant I figured I would go for the BIG ultrasound to see the baby and make sure everything was healthy, but make sure the doctor knew I did not want to know the sex. My husband had other intentions …

After what seemed like a never ending battle, my husband finally “convinced” me into finding out the gender. Although I always dreamed of that moment after you give birth when the doctor announces for the first time if you have a daughter or son, I decided since I will be experiencing so much with the baby throughout the rest of my pregnancy, this was something I could let my husband experience. His valid arguments of course were getting the baby’s room ready-not having to use a gender neutral motif and having the option to go to the store and know if we should be looking at ballerina tutus or baseball bats. So he sold me on not being surprised about the baby’s sex. The appointment was scheduled, and the wait to know we were having a little boy or little girl seemed like the longest three weeks of my life.

Blockbuster Express and Cheap Date Night

2010-03-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

The Cheap Date Challenge with Blockbuster Express was a perfect opportunity to see how "thrifty" I really am. With a baby on the way and a husband that is way too attached to our leather sofa, I foresee many cheap date nights with Blockbuster in our near future!!

The Blockbuster Express kiosk takes cheap to a new level with $1 rentals .. that's right one-dollar for the movie of your choice! Best of all you're not playing Russian roulette, you can see the selection online at http://blockbusterexpress.com/ and pick it up at your local kiosk. There's no fumbling around for your Movie Club card, all you need is your email address, zip code, and bank card.

Best of all, I get to share a Buy 1 get 1 FREE movie code with you !!!

FREE CODE 5G13B27 (Code is valid thru 3/31/2010.

When you rent a movie at the regular price, you'll receive the
first night's rental on a second movie FREE. Extra night charges and taxes
apply. May not be combined with any other offer. Rental terms and conditions
apply. Not valid at Blockbuster store locations.)

What a sweet deal! But we're not finished yet! While you're at the kiosk picking out your free movie you might as well take a stroll down a few aisles in the grocery store because no date night is complete without food!!

Just because we've decided to do this "Cheap Date Night" doesn't mean we have to sacrifice food, flavor, or that zesty flare from restaurant meals.

Tonight we're serving five star quality Penne Alla Vodka at a fraction of the price- Under $25 !

Start by melting 1 stick butter and adding 5 cloves of garlic minced and 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper. Saute for 2 minutes, then add 3/4 cup vodka. Add 1 can crushed tomatoes, fresh chopped parsley, and salt & pepper. Cook for 20 minutes and add 1/2 pint of cream (8oz) at the last 5 minutes. Boil water for penne while sauce is cooking. Mix sauce with penne and top with parmesan cheese. Add a nice loaf of Italian bread for extra dipping pleasure and BAAMMM you are done! Fast, delicious, and did I mention this entire meal was $9 !! Break out that bottle of wine you have collecting dust, light some candles, and put on Sirius XM LOVE channel 23- seriously could Martha Stewart do better than you right now? I don't think so!

I had so much fun with my cheap date night and I want to hear all about YOUR cheap date night too !!

I received a gift card from Collective Bias for participating in the Cheap Date Night promotion for Blockbuster Express

Why a Blog?

2010-03-17T16:47:00.000-07:00

Ahh the first post EVER. Always such an indecisive moment- why a blog? Do you start off with something obvious and witty like blogging is quickly becoming the main link to society and media. Or throw a little history in there like my mom has been blogging for about a year now and is always talking about the fab events and connections that come along with it. This is a monumental moment though, my first blog, my first post, the first look that the blogging world has of me. Guess I'll go with history and my mom since she is the reason I have a blog... plus she rocks so you can't really go wrong there right?

So my mom has been on me like white on rice to get my own blog going since I have such a strong desire for networking, PR, marketing, and the gift of gab. WE (I say we because yes it was a dual effort) decided that I need to stop dragging my feet and finally get into it, especially since I'm now expecting my first child!

My husband's family is from out of state so realistically, blogging would be a great way to keep them involved in my pregnancy (besides the weekly updates I send to everyone- this week baby is the size of mango- whoo hoo!) and meet a lot of blogger moms!

BUT I didn't want a blog JUST about being pregnant. I mean of course my pregnancy right now is the biggest most life changing event I have gone through to date (outside of getting married, graduating college, purchasing a house, etc) and mainly because its not over in a day. This is something that is going on day after day after day after .. well you get the point. I wanted something that I could use for me that encompassed everything I am .. expecting mom, wife, daughter, sister, niece, aunt, friend, student, shopper, worker, fashionista, or whoever else I am that day! I have much to say- as I'm sure most bloggers do, but I LOVE LOVE hearing other people's comments and opinions!

My life is pretty comical and more like an inexperienced game of beer pong rather than a box of chocolates. It has a bunch of victories, a few defeats, many moments of embarrassment, unconditional support, and it always ends in some kind of dance! I hope you enjoy my posts!!