Moms Don't Get Sick Days: Why I Chose to Ask an Expert Today!

Today's conversation is sponsored by Samsung via MomTrends.

It was bound to happen... and for the first time since I had D, it happened today.

Y'all... Today, I woke up with a sore throat, a scratchy feeling in my ears, a slight fever, and an overall BLAH feeling. Oh, freaking no. My life is busy, as is, there's no time for being sick. Moms don't get sick days! It's just like an unspoken rule or something, we literally can not be sick.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do... but I knew I had to act fast. I'm sure you can relate, mom life doesn't leave much time for contemplating decisions. With a toddler bouncing around in bed with me and growling like a wild animal, I knew it was time to start the day... whether or not I felt up to it or not. So I made my plan and executed it, almost flawlessly, may I add.

The first thing I did was gargle with salt water and make myself a cup of honey-lemon tea.

Next, I knew I had to see a doctor, but wasn't sure how I was going to swing that with Miss Crazy Pants in tow. Then I remembered, I can just use my phone! Samsung Health makes it all easy as pie.

So...instead of trying to get myself and D dressed & put together for an in-person Doctor's visit, I was able to consult with a qualified physician from the comfort of my couch using Ask an Expert on my Samsung S6 Edge. I can't even begin to tell you what a relief this was.

I didn't have to worry about D catching something while waiting for me to be seen at a local urgent care, because we were literally able to watch her shows while I waited to be "seen" by the doctor.

I love how convenient Asking an Expert was, I literally just pressed a few buttons, chose who I would see, and then waited a few minutes until it was time... and of course, D had to say hello and help me discuss my symptoms.

Then... He told me to take it easy, get some rest, and make sure I'm getting plenty of Vitamin C. HA! And while I wish I could do all of that, it simply isn't going to be happening any time soon, at least while I have D in my care. So I amped up the vitamin C and we did our very best to take it easy today, which still included lots of time playing and chasing my tiny boss around the house.

While I'm not feeling a hundred percent myself yet, I think I'm on the road to recovery and I'm thankful I was able to Ask an Expert and confirm it was just a common cold without even having to leave my house.

Are you feeling a little under the weather or maybe your sweet pea is breaking out in a rash? If you're a Samsung user, here's some good news (even though I'm sure you're stressing):  you can see a doctor easily, just like I did! PLUS, I have a discount code you can use, save $10 when you use the code 'SAMSUNG24'! But just so ya know, this expires 3/31/18.

Disclaimer: Compensation for this post was provided to me by Samsung via MomTrends. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Samsung or MomTrends. Ask an Expert (Online Doctor Visits) is a service offered through Samsung Health that helps you easily connect to medical and wellness experts from your phone. Samsung Health requires a compatible Android phone and a Samsung account. The Online Doctor Visits service is available in the U.S., except in Arkansas. The service is not for people suffering from medical emergencies or serious life-threatening conditions.  If you have a serious medical concern, please call 911 or proceed to the nearest emergency department.

Keep the Music Going with Google Chromecast Audio

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Lately I've been wanting to do a little more dancing, a little more tapping of my foot to the beat, a little bit more singing along with the music... maybe it's because I'm just so blissfully happy most days or maybe it's because it makes Delainey light up and grin bigger than anything. Either way, jamming out to The Lumineers while I'm organizing her room then heading out to rest on the hammock listening to classics like The Beatles, we like having music with us. Plus, I just think it's the coolest we've already bonded over music and she can't even speak yet... but I'm kind of biased because I think every thing she does is the coolest.

Speaking of the coolest, I'm sharing the coolest new gadget in our home with you today. It's our new way of jamming. Instead of hauling our speakers, phone, and/or stereo system around the house, we've upgraded our music listening  in our home with the Google Chromecast Audio.

It's a bit like having a stereo system installed everywhere in your house, all connected to your phone. So simple to connect, just one little wire plugged into your speaker, and you're jamming.

The sound quality is so much better than bluetooth too. I can use my speaker when I'm inside with D and have it connected to my husband's phone, even if he's all the way in the backyard doing yard work. It all works over our wi-fi so it's great quality and isn't interrupted when we step out of the room, which is just what we need since we're running from room to room trying to entertain our little princess.

The best part about the Chromecast Audio though, is the room-to-room connect-ability it offers. I love that I can have one of our Chromecasts in D's room and the other in the living room and our house sounds like a concert is bellowing through it. The sound is so clean and crisp, it's glorious and I love that I can use any speaker to connect! That means each room in my house will eventually have it's own little Chromecast and speaker, because why not? Every room needs to be ready to rock!

With that said, what do you think of the Chromecast Audio? What feature of the Chromecast Audio do you find the most intriguing? Also, I'm curious, which app will you start using with your new "sound system" first? I'm already a huge fan of Pandora but I may check out Google Play Music, I've heard great things! I can't wait to hear what you say!

How to Create a Website Quickly and Easily using GoDaddy GoCentral!

A promotional item was provided to me for today’s discussion. The host for this event is Still Blonde after all these Years.

If you follow me on social media, you may have noticed I have a little bit of a shopping problem for Delainey. I am absolutely obsessed with cute clothes for the teeny tiny little girl, especially handmade clothes. I guess my hubby caught on to my obsession and instead of giving me cash to purchase more clothes for Valentine's Day, he bought me a sewing machine to start making her clothes... and that, my friends, is true love, at least in this crafty girl's mind.

With that said, I'm hoping to not only make clothes for Delainey, I aspire to open a little handmade boutique once all is said and done. I'm super excited about the possibilities and since I'm so keen on all things online boutique related, I obviously wanted to look into how easy it would be to start operating my own little business online. That's where GoDaddy GoCentral Website Builder comes into the picture...

This handy little GoDaddy tool is the easiest way to get a little boutique up and running, in my opinion. I'm still working on the details of my actual business, like uhhh, what am I going to sew and what will the real name of the business be officially...? But luckily, I know how I'm going to build the best boutique website possible and instead of keeping my little secret on how I was able to accomplish all to myself, I just had to share it with you!

Are you wanting to open your own online boutique? Maybe you are wanting to start selling those clay figurines you began crafting in 2016... or those pillows you sewed together for a friend, those could become a business too - The possibilities are as endless as your creativity. We'll go ahead and do a little step by step showing you how you can build a business page using GoCentral website builder to make the whole process easier, because I know sometimes things get a little confusing! But go ahead and snag your free trial NOW before the offer expires on April 11th!

Click here to find out which website builder will work best for you. I went with the Business page because I plan on using it for my possible business. If you're wanting to go more with a family update page, the personal page would be a breeze for you... but really, all of the GoDaddy templates are easy to use!

With that said, let's start walking you through the fun of opening our little online boutique... I guess time will tell what I'll be carrying in-stores, but our website will certainly look sweet!

You'll go here and be sure to score your free trial!

Next, choose a website design from all of the beautiful options.

Once you choose your design, take some time to play with it. Customizing colors, fonts, photos, directions of wording, etc. I ended up adding in all kinds of detail photos, editing my contact information, rewording the header, etc. The steps for doing this are super easy, you really just click on the item and the website builder will walk you through it, even mentioning when you should resize a photo for better quality! I mean... could it get any easier than that?

While I'm no internet guru, I do feel like I've created an amazing little boutique website... and the best part is? I did it in under an hour and I can't wait to share items in my store, when that day comes. I was able to add tabs, insert a little listing for my store, personalize almost the entire site, optimize my SEO, and so much more and it was so easy!

I will say, I do know a little HTML and was expecting to have to bring out the techy brain to be able to create something this beautiful, but I didn't have to get techy at all - I made this entire website by just clicking around and following instructions... and THAT is amazing.

For now my little boutique is a work in progress, a dream, but soon enough it will become my little boutique and all I have to do is hit publish to make that a reality!

It's that easy. So tell me, what kind of website will you use GoDaddy GoCentral Website Builder to create? I think my blog may be getting a make over soon as well and you better believe I'll be turning to GoDaddy to rebuild our page when I'm ready! Are you ready to take the next step? Click here and you'll recieve a 1 month free trial of GoDaddy’s GoCentral Website Builder to try for yourself! I promise, you'll love it.


*The Free Trial is an opportunity for you to use a GoDaddy product free of charge for one (1) month, beginning on the date that you accept the Free Trial offer. The Free Trial will expire one (1) month from the date you accept the Free Trial offer, regardless of whether or not you use the product during the Free Trial period. Free trial not available in all markets and this offer expires on April 10th, 2017.*

The Hair Dryer Has Been Reinvented and YOU Will Love It!

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free. 

A hair dryer is just a hair dryer, or so you thought. I felt the same way, until I had this powerful little hair tool in my hand. The game has changed, styling your hair just got a little easier, and we have Dyson to thank.

The Dyson Supersonic hair dryer has reinvented the standard hair dryer with a unique digital motor for fast and balanced drying. It even has a thermistor that helps protect your hair from heat damage and a monitor that checks the temperature every 20 seconds, keeping your hair safe and beautiful! Plus, this beauty has three magnetic styling attachments- making it easier to style every type of hair. This is the hair dryer reinvented and it's definitely my new favorite beauty accessory.

As a new mom, just gaining a second of freedom here or there while my baby plays with a toy, I can say I didn't use to have the time to devote to styling my hair perfectly every morning. Now with my Dyson Supersonic hair dryer and it's ultra-fast drying capabilities, I'm ready to go when Delainey is ready to play.

Another reason this dryer is mama friendly? It's acoustically tuned. While that sounds like it may play music well, that isn't the case. The powerful motor is actually tuned to produce one inaudible frequency and it's enveloped by a vibration reduction system, making this dryer quiet enough to not wake the baby when you just need to feel clean after a long day. I love the fact that I'm able to use this dryer without having to worry about waking the tiny little monster--that makes getting ready for our first date night out since having her a more reasonable idea.

Whether your using the highest or lowest of the three speeds this hair dryer offers or boosting it to the highest of the four heat levels, you'll really appreciate how this dryer feels like it was made for you... helping to shape your hair into the perfect style, quickly and reliably. I know I love my new Dyson Supersonic hair dryer and I think you will too.

Microsoft Surface Pro: the Perfect Tablet for a Blogger on the Go + Huge Savings & Giveaway

As a blogger I'm always working whenever I get a chance, especially now that Delainey is in the picture. Whether I'm trying to respond to emails while I'm at an appointment for Delainey or I'm writing a random post while we are in the car running errands, it literally never stops. The second she falls asleep I do my best to get to work and spend hours late at night working on projects, don't get me wrong... I'm so lucky that I get to do what I love and share everything I find beautiful with you, but sometimes it gets a little difficult to find the time to get it all finished, especially because lately I've been doing most of my work mobile.

Lugging my laptop around has worked out okay and occasionally using my phone to get work finished has proved satisfactory, but this year I've decided to treat myself and I've added a Microsoft Surface Pro to my Christmas list of things to buy for myself.

Why a Surface Pro? It's lightweight, portable, and lightening-fast... everything a blogging gal could ever need! I love that I can use it as a tablet when I'm out and then when I come home it can convert into a laptop, offering the best of both worlds. So if you are trying to decide what you want for Christmas this year and you are seeking some flexibility with your technology, maybe a Surface Pro should be on the top of your list as well or if you want to treat yourself click here and save $150 on Microsoft Surface Pro 4 i5 128GB (this offer is only good through 12/24)!

Want to know the best part? YOU have the chance to win a $500 Microsoft Gift Card to put towards your Surface Pro purchase (or whatever else you desire)! Want to put your name "in the hat"? Use the rafflecopter form below to enter to win:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is a Fashionista Event and a promotional item was provided to me. Hosts for this event are Still Blonde after all these Years and ModlyChic

Learn About the App: IFTTT & How It Can Simplify Your Life!

As a mama, I've learned that if I want to get anything accomplished I need to find some shortcuts. Instead of trying to speed home every afternoon or cutting a diaper change short, I've decided to try and make things I do anyways a little simpler with "IFTTT" or "If this, then that" - the app.

While initially setting up my applets took a little bit of time, now I don't have to take 3 actions to share my twitter photos on Instagram, because the app does that for me.

IFTTT lets you do more with the services you love and applets within the app help you bring together services you love. From pairing your Insta with your Twitter to pairing your phones GPS with your lighting system, IFTTT has so many applets that can help you. So, with that said, here's some ways you should be using IFTTT in your life.

1. Automatically wish your friends a Happy Birthday on Facebook - Ever felt like a total jerk because you ignored the notification for a buddy's birthday and never took a minute to write on their wall? Use IFTTT and you'll never have that happen again. Just sign up to send well wishes and the applet will do it for you!

2. Share Instagram photos to Twitter as a photo (not a link) - THIS is literally the reason why I originally started using IFTTT. It may seem lazy but it's nice, as a "momtog", to share photos on Instagram and have them share directly to my most beloved social media platform, twitter. If you love both Insta and Twitter as much as I do, then this is a useful applet for you.

3. Be your own weather person, know when it's going to pour - Don't fret about whether it'll rain or not tomorrow... IFTTT will let you know. Just sign up for a notification and you'll always know if it's going to rain!

4. No worries when dealing with photo storage - Using google drive, back up your Android photos and never worry about having to transfer photos to an external or deleting extras. As a mama with a passion for photographing her baby, this was a huge reason I fell in love with IFTTT.

5. Hit the lights without lifting a finger - If you have the Hue system, which I talk about here, then you have to check out the IFTTT applets that sync up with the lights! You can change your lights to blue lights when it's raining, have your lights automatically turn off when you leave home, press a button to make hue lights color loop and more. I'm obsessed with playing with my lights and IFTTT has made them even cooler!

6. Keep track of everything with Trello - Whether you've heard of Trello before or not, now is the time to start using this app and paired with IFTTT, you'll never forget anything again! I love using this app to keep track of upcoming assignments, appointments, and fun stuff too. The coolest part is I can label an email with a specific label and IFTTT will create a card in Trello for that event. Making time for everything just got a little easier.

15 Animated Movies You Must Watch on an Epson Home Cinema Projector

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

Sometimes you just need a little extra when it comes to items in your life. I can recall a time, in the not so distant past, when the quality of picture from even the nicest TV couldn't compare to the quality of images displayed on our current HDTV models. Now we have so many options, like smart TVs, handheld devices, and even nifty, 1080p projectors.

While I'm not necessarily a techie, I do know a good projector when I see one and I've been eyeing the ultra-bright Epson Home Cinema Projector. It literally brings the movie theater to your living room, which means you can watch the game on your wall on Sunday night and be able to see every play in vivid detail. You can use the projector as a satellite box, a gaming console, or even pair it with a streaming device and watch your favorite TV show.

Not only can you watch whatever you want on this little gadget, this projector is super lightweight and portable, meaning you can easily share the fun with your friends and family - if you choose! Want to learn more about the projector and all of its features? Click here and be prepared to add this beauty to your holiday wish list!

Speaking of your holiday wish list, I think it's important you add a few amazing animated movies to your list - for your viewing pleasure! These 15 animated movies listed below you must see on a projector, they are just too awesome not to experience in their full glory!

15 animated movies you MUST watch on a home projector:


1. The Little Mermaid

2. Finding Nemo

3. Inside Out

4. Coraline

5. Up

6. Beauty & The Beast

7. The Little Prince

8. The Emperor's New Groove

9. The Princess & The Frog

10. Monsters Inc.

11. The Lion King

12. Fantasia

13. Zootopia

14. Nightmare Before Christmas

15. Toy Story

One Case, Endless Possibilities: The New OtterBox uniVerse Case

You can now expand your phone's capabilities simply by changing the case! With modules built into the new OtterBox uniVERSE Case System, you'll likely never need to invest in another little computer gadget again!

One case with endless possibilities! You can use this case to turn the little slot on the bottom into a variety of different items - batteries, card readers, speakers, camera lenses and more without ever having to remove the case for any reason.

If you're the photographer type, you can use the OtterBox uniVerse case to attach your phone to a variety of different photo-friendly accessories! From a large flash drive to tripod, you'll be able to have the perfect photo and photo storage options plug right into your phone.

If you're using the photographic capabilities on your phone for other purposes, on a job site for example, the thermal camera may be the perfect accessory to help you track down things like insulation issues or something similar!

Do you run your own business? The OtterBox uniVerse is the perfect case to conduct business and process transactions! With the option to attach several different card readers you'll be able to sell anything while on the go and with an attachable Bluetooth mobile speaker you can rock out in between your customer's purchases!

Not only can the OtterBox uniVerse case be used as a tool for your business, it has an ultra-slim and sleek design perfect for anyone! It's easy to install and with a screen bumper, the raised beveled edge helps protect your touchscreen from any damage! While the case is only made for iPhones, I'm hopeful that one day I'll be able to join in on the fun of having an OtterBox uniVerse for my Samsung! Can you picture yourself using this fancy new case? Be sure to check it out at Best Buy today!

Score an Epic Deal on The BEST Gift for Dads: The Samsung Gear VR!

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Looking for the perfect gift for the father figure in your life for Father's Day? Look no further, Best Buy has you covered with the latest and greatest technology! You can gift the man in your life the ultimate experience with the Samsung Gear VR, bringing you 360 degree virtual adventures that are out of this world!

From getting lost in Yosemite to diving with the sharks, Discovery VR content brings the entire world to your eyes - literally! Escaping to another place and time is as easy as snapping your Galaxy smartphone into your Samsung Gear VR! I'm super excited about this fact because I already own the S6 Edge+ but if you aren't a Galaxy user yet, I've got awesome news for you...

You can score a FREE Samsung Gear VR (including $50 worth of virtual reality content) when you buy or lease & activate any of the awesome new Samsung Galaxy phones! If you want the new, waterproof S7 or S7 edge that you've seen champagne being poured all over then it's time to upgrade! If you're into my style of phone, the S6 edge or edge+ are just as amazing as the 7, they just can't be submerged in your aquarium on purpose!

It doesn't matter which phone you decide to get for you or the deserving dude in your life, but now is the time to upgrade with a deal like this offered at Best Buy! Act quickly though, the offer is only good through June 18th, online or in stores!

Don't miss your chance to explore the world with your favorite father figure; get excited because mobile virtual reality has arrived and it's affordable!

Take the chance to be at the center of your favorite game, stargaze and wonder around while looking up at the Northern Lights, spend time inside of a Hollywood movie, socialize with your best friends, and so much more! It's time for you to let your new Samsung Gear VR drop you both right into the action! Click here to learn more about the deal on the VR before it's too late.

So tell me, where will you go first with your new gadget? I'm so excited to hear all about what you would love to experience first in the comments below!