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This baby carrier cover might be my favorite baby This baby carrier cover might be my favorite baby item yet! The cover is made using a pattern by @mossbagbaby (or you can order a cover already made by them) and my MIL’s amazing sewing skills. I figured this would be something we’d use in the fall, but we had an exceptionally chilly spring this year and it ended up being perfect for baseball season! It has been so helpful for keeping Sophie warm and cozy and safe from the wind without juggling a large blanket. We get compliments on it all the time too. 

@mossbagbaby is a Native- and women-owned business - go check them out!
Bring on fruit picking season! We try to take adva Bring on fruit picking season! We try to take advantage of all the u-pick fruit in our area from strawberries at the beginning of summer to apples in the fall (with things like blackberries, blueberries, peaches, and more in between). Here are some ideas of what you can do with your u-pick fruit:

ALL the dessert recipes (cakes, cobblers, pies, etc)
Canning (jams, jellies, applesauce - last year we canned the most delicious peach lemonade concentrate and we will definitely be making more) 
Freezing in batches for future baking 
Pre-made smoothie blends in the freezer 
Dehydrating in the oven 
Eating fresh (obviously) 

What’s your favorite way to use large amounts of fresh fruit?
Looking for something fun to do with your kids thi Looking for something fun to do with your kids this summer? @columbus.bounce is back in Columbus all summer long at @polarisfashionplace! @funbox is the world’s largest bounce park with 25,000 square feet of nonstop fun.

The kids loved the obstacle course and the slides the best, but they definitely made sure to check out every activity area. We had so much fun and they’re already asking to go back. 

Tip: buy your tickets online to save and secure your time slot. Timed entry = less crowds 🙌🏻
#AD It’s officially grilling season, so you know #AD It’s officially grilling season, so you know all the BBQ and grilling recipes are getting added to our weekly meal plans. And if you’re looking for the perfect side to go with your grilled meat + veggies, @main_st_bistro Baked Macaroni & Cheese is a no brainer. It’s so cheesy and delicious, and heats in just 5 minutes in the microwave or 20 minutes in the oven. We just pop ours in the oven before cooking everything else on the grill and it’s all ready around the same time!

You can find Main St Bistro’s Macaroni & Cheese in the refrigerated section of your grocer’s meat department. Celebrate National Macaroni & Cheese Day on July 14th with Main St Bistro – visit mainstbistro.com/macaroniandcheese to enter for a chance to win a year’s supply of their amazing mac and cheese! (Link in bio) 

#mainstbistro
I filmed this a few weeks ago before school let ou I filmed this a few weeks ago before school let out for summer. We all survived my husband’s first 24-hour shift at the FD after having him home for 12 weeks on paternity leave. I packed 3 school lunches, pumped twice, fed baby a bottle, and got everyone where they needed to be. Late, but we made it. I also treated myself to an iced coffee because why not? 

Loungewear set is the Aria collection from @kindredbravely. It’s so cute and buttery soft, and definitely the way to go when I’m juggling an early morning and getting kids out the door. Use the code WEARLOVEWANDERS15 to get 15% off your @kindredbravely order. (affiliate)

#kindredbravelypartner
Date night in. #sponsored We had a rare non-baseba Date night in. #sponsored We had a rare non-baseball evening, so we fed the kids an early dinner and sent them outside to play, baby fell asleep for her evening nap and Jamie cooked us some bacon-wrapped filets for dinner. 

@main_st_bistro Baked Macaroni & Cheese is always a winner when it comes to choosing a side dish. It heats in just 5 minutes in the microwave or 20 minutes in the oven and it’s delicious either way. It’s one of my favorite ways to elevate date night dinner without having to leave the house. You can find Main St Bistro’s Macaroni & Cheese in the refrigerated section of your grocer’s meat department.

Celebrate National Macaroni & Cheese Day on July 14th with Main St Bistro – visit mainstbistro.com/macaroniandcheese to enter for a chance to win a year’s supply of their amazing mac and cheese! (Link in bio)

#mainstbistro
Giving myself grace in this season of motherhood a Giving myself grace in this season of motherhood and trying to find some sort of balance in the chaos. If you’ve been following along in my stories, I started going to classes at @otflewiscenter a couple times a week. I was a little intimidated at first, but the instructors have been fantastic, everyone has been really friendly and welcoming, and it’s been easy enough to go at my own pace whenever I need to (which is basically the entire time 🤣). Here’s to getting back on track!

If you’re in the Columbus area, let me know if you want to go to a class together! You can also use the link in my bio get your first 3 classes for free to try them out.

@orangetheory 

#orangetheory #orangetheoryfitness #thrivegroup #OTFEveryReason #2momsmedia
We’ve had a lot of rainy/chilly days this spring We’ve had a lot of rainy/chilly days this spring, which always puts me in the mood for a cozy meal. #ad It doesn’t get any cozier than a bowl of steaming hot Jook, which is Chinese rice porridge/congee. Think of it like the Chinese version of chicken noodle soup. Your grandma makes you chicken noodle soup, my grandmother makes me Jook. You can make it with either uncooked or leftover rice, just adjust the ingredients as needed. I’m using @ricelandfoods long grain white rice for this recipe - it’s Gluten-free, Non-GMO, Cholesterol-Free and Sodium-free, plus we eat a lot of rice as a family and it’s incredible versatile for everything we make.

Homemade Jook (makes 4 servings):

1 c Riceland white rice
6-8 c chicken stock or water
3 in ginger, peeled and grated
4 Tbsp Chinese cooking wine
Salt (to taste)
Chicken, cooked and shredded

Add rice, 6c liquid, ginger, cooking wine and salt to a boil. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally so the rice doesn’t stick/burn to the bottom of the pot. Add more liquid as it cooks if the congee starts to look too dry. Once it is done, turn off the heat, add in the cooked chicken and cover for 20 minutes. This allows the congee to thicken more. Then you can add more liquid to achieve your desired consistency, if needed, and add additional salt to taste.

Toppings are optional, but can include: eggs (poached, soft boiled, 100 year old etc), chili oil or chili crisp, green onions, sesame oil, furikake

You can find Riceland rice here: https://www.riceland.com/locator?utm_source=social&utm_medium=riceland-mems&utm_campaign=kimberly-barnes&utm_id=May-paid

#EveryMealWithRiceland #RicelandFoods
I always felt like it was a given that I’d breas I always felt like it was a given that I’d breastfeed my babies, never expecting it to be as hard as it has been . #sponsored I’m exclusively pumping again (for the third time), but this time with a low supply so we’re supplementing with formula. Choosing @byheart infant formula was probably the easiest decision I’ve had to make this entire feeding journey. It’s made with certified-clean* ingredients like organic, grass-fed whole milk - never skim, organic coconut oil and organic prebiotics. ByHeart’s patented protein blend gets the closest to breastmilk and they do it all with no GMOs, soy, corn syrup, palm oil, gluten or artificial growth hormones. I’m so thankful to have a formula with all-in-one benefits I can give my baby confidently alongside our breastfeeding journey. 

Visit ByHeart.com to learn more! 

*Based on Clean Label Project, Purity Award certification 

#ByHeartPartner
Navigating devices and technology with our kids is Navigating devices and technology with our kids is definitely a journey. #BarkAd We got our tween a Bark Phone for the summer so he can have a little more freedom  but still stay safely connected with us. @barktechnologies parent control app allows us to monitor content, manage screen time, and block certain apps and websites. For us, that means no social media but still giving him access to games and the ability to check the scores of his favorite teams. And you can adjust restrictions as your child gets older. As parents, we get alerts for potential risks, including bullying and depression. Plus there’s location tracking through GPS so we know where he is at all times. 

If you’re exploring phones for your tween or teen, definitely check out the Bark Phone. It’s digital freedom with a safety net. 

🔗 is in my bio!

#boymom #childsafety #digitalparenting #internetsafety #kidsonline #parenting #techparenting #screentime #safeonline #socialmediasafety

Wear Love Wanders

kid's style | travel | life inspiration

Why and Whale Subscription Box

March 26, 2018      favorite things, reviews      8 Comments

This blog post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

I’m often asked about how I find small shops to buy from. There are a few different ways I go about it. One is by checking out where our friends on Instagram are shopping. Don’t underestimate the power of a tag in a photo. And we have some very stylish IG friends with the cutest kiddos. I also like to tell people that once you find a shop whose style you love, head over to their Instagram page. Check out what other items people are pairing with the shop’s clothes. Looking at photos from one shop will lead you to another shop, and then another, and then down the rabbit hole you go. Another simple way to discover small shops is through a subscription box like Why and Whale.

A review of the Why and Whale subscription box - a monthly box full of small shop goodies | Wear Love Wanders I received this box for free in exchange for this review. All words are completely my own. 

So how does it work? Once you’ve signed up, a box of small shop goodies will arrive at your door each month. Why and Whale’s boxes include 3-6 items that have a total value of more than $59. And every box includes something to wear, something to play with and something to try. I love that it’s a variety of different things instead of just one category like clothes. You can tailor your box according to your child’s gender and age. The boxes go from 6-12 months all the way up to 6 years old.

Want to check out what was in our box we got this fall? (p.s. this packaging is super cute!)

A review of the Why and Whale subscription box - a monthly box full of small shop goodies | Wear Love Wanders
We got a 6-12 month boy box for Caleb. It included all of this:

A review of the Why and Whale subscription box - a monthly box full of small shop goodies | Wear Love Wanders
A tee from Prefresh Apparel, which fits Caleb perfectly and is super cute. It retails for $32.

A review of the Why and Whale subscription box - a monthly box full of small shop goodies | Wear Love Wanders
Mummy peg doll from Turtles and Tiaras, which retails for $7.50. Caleb puts everything in his mouth, so it’s not quite the best toy for him at this age. But I’m hoping it won’t take long for him to grow out of that habit. Plus, Liam thinks the mummy is great, so I’m pretty sure this mummy is here to stay.

A review of the Why and Whale subscription box - a monthly box full of small shop goodies | Wear Love Wanders
Brown bear ears from Opposite of Far. These ears are too big for Caleb right now (they’re generally recommended for kids 3+), but they’re definitely something he can grow into. Also, since the ears come with a ribbon closure, they’ll probably fit soon since I can adjust the sizing. Opposite of Far ears cost $22.

A review of the Why and Whale subscription box - a monthly box full of small shop goodies | Wear Love Wanders
Bat sippy cup from Bitten. These cost around $14.

A review of the Why and Whale subscription box - a monthly box full of small shop goodies | Wear Love Wanders
Overall, I’m super pleased with our box. The tee is the perfect size for Caleb, plus it’s super cute. We’re just beginning the sippy cup stage now, so the bat cup works well for us also. The bat wings make it easy for Caleb to hold on to. Our family loves Opposite of Far, so even though this isn’t a new brand to us, I’m more than happy to add something new to our collection of masks, ears and tails. I love the mummy peg doll and think he’s adorable. Although I’m a little disappointed Caleb will have to wait to be able to play with him, I have no doubt that he’ll become a playtime regular in the near future.

We received four items in the box that total $75.50. The month-to-month plan costs $59, with a discount if you prepay for more boxes at once. So you can see that the Why and Whale box was a pretty great deal. No matter what plan you choose, you’re still getting the products for less than you would if you purchased each item individually from their respective shops. You can also stop, cancel or restart your subscription at any time.

A review of the Why and Whale subscription box - a monthly box full of small shop goodies | Wear Love Wanders
Opposite of Far was the only brand that we’ve purchased from before. I’ve heard of Prefresh, but I’ve never bought any of their shirts. And our Why and Whale box introduced me to two new brands/products that I didn’t know about. What I really like about Why and Whale is that they work with some of the bigger names in the small shop world like Whistle & Flute, Savage Seeds, Slumberkins and Bannor Toys. So you’re not just getting things from random shops in your box, but rather a curated box of cool products and popular brands.

Not interested in a monthly box? That’s okay too! Why and Whale actually has a few of their favorite products that you can purchase individually and without a subscription. You can shop those items here. And if you’re curious as to what’s been included in past boxes, you can check out the photos on their Instagram page.

A review of the Why and Whale subscription box - a monthly box full of small shop goodies | Wear Love Wanders

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Comments

  1. Shannon says

    March 26, 2018 at 5:54 pm

    This is adorable! I hadn’t heard of them before! Great to know!

    Reply
  2. Lauren Seitz says

    March 26, 2018 at 6:07 pm

    These are adorable! This would be a great gift as well! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  3. Julie says

    March 26, 2018 at 6:07 pm

    The bat sippy cup is super adorable! It definitely is perfect for a little boy to use.

    Reply
  4. Meghan V says

    March 26, 2018 at 8:32 pm

    I’ve never heard of this before and I love it! What a cute idea and that bat cup is just adorable. I think my boys would love this.

    Reply
  5. Helen says

    March 26, 2018 at 11:45 pm

    I love shopping small! This is awesome! And that bat sippy cup is so cute!

    Reply
  6. Kat says

    March 27, 2018 at 6:13 pm

    I never thought of subscription boxes as a way to try new, small brands. That’s a good point. I think the products that came in this one. Such a cute box!

    Reply
  7. Toni says

    March 28, 2018 at 5:38 pm

    I’ve never heard about Why & Whale before! This is definitely something that I need to check out!!

    Reply
  8. Amanda says

    March 28, 2018 at 11:29 pm

    OK! I need this. I had no idea this even existed! What a cool thing for kiddos and such an affordable price for all that it’s worth!

    Reply

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wear_love_wanders_family

Life has an interesting way of writing itself, whether it's the story you intended all along or a crazy ride that caught you by surprise. Welcome to my little writing corner where I combine my love for kids fashion, our growing family and traveling with kids (or without).

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Easy Shredded Rotisserie Chicken Sliders#AD For The Big Game, I’m all about small bites and easy recipes. That extends to dessert too! Grab a cooler or a large bowl with ice and fill it with frozen treats from @target like @klondikeofficial ice cream sandwiches, @goodhumor_icecream cookies & cream bars, @magnumicecream double caramel bars and a bowl of @yassofroyo vanilla bean Poppables. Or grab some @breyers or @benjerry and serve up some sundaes for the biggest football Sunday of the year.   I’ve linked some of our favorites on my LTK!   #Football #IceCream #GameDaySundaes #TargetPartner #Target  Follow my shop @wearlovewanders on the @shop.LTK app to shop this post and get my exclusive app-only content!  #liketkit #LTKParties #LTKFamily #LTKSeasonal @shop.ltk https://liketk.it/52dIO#AD For The Big Game, I’m all about small bites and easy recipes. That extends to dessert too! Grab a cooler or a large bowl with ice and fill it with frozen treats from @target like @klondikeofficial ice cream sandwiches, @goodhumor_icecream cookies & cream bars, @magnumicecream double caramel bars and a bowl of @yassofroyo vanilla bean Poppables. Or grab some @breyers or @benjerry and serve up some sundaes for the biggest football Sunday of the year.   I’ve linked some of our favorites on my LTK!   #Football #IceCream #GameDaySundaes #TargetPartner #Target  Follow my shop @wearlovewanders on the @shop.LTK app to shop this post and get my exclusive app-only content!  #liketkit #LTKParties #LTKFamily #LTKSeasonal @shop.ltk https://liketk.it/52dIO
#AD For The Big Game, I’m all about small bites and easy recipes. That extends to dessert too! Grab a cooler or a large bowl with ice and fill it with frozen treats from @target like @klondikeofficial ice cream sandwiches, @goodhumor_icecream cookies & cream bars, @magnumicecream double caramel bars and a bowl of @yassofroyo vanilla bean Poppables. Or grab some @breyers or @benjerry and serve up some sundaes for the biggest football Sunday of the year.   I’ve linked some of our favorites on my LTK!   #Football #IceCream #GameDaySundaes #TargetPartner #Target  Follow my shop @wearlovewanders on the @shop.LTK app to shop this post and get my exclusive app-only content!  #liketkit #LTKParties #LTKFamily #LTKSeasonal @shop.ltk https://liketk.it/52dIO#AD Need a fun holiday activity with your family? Grab some of your favorite ice cream flavors and  frozen treats and have a snowman sundae-making contest! We went with @breyers natural vanilla and @reeses peanut butter and @benjerry chocolate chip cookie dough and Half Baked, plus all the fun holiday sprinkles and other toppings.  I linked some of our favorite ice cream flavors at @target for you on my LTK.  #Winter #Snowman #IceCreamSnowmanChallenge #TargetPartner #Target  Follow my shop @wearlovewanders on the @shopLTK app to shop this post and get my exclusive app-only content!  #liketkit #LTKKids #LTKFamily #LTKHoliday @shop.ltk https://liketk.it/4ZZBS#AD Need a fun holiday activity with your family? Grab some of your favorite ice cream flavors and  frozen treats and have a snowman sundae-making contest! We went with @breyers natural vanilla and @reeses peanut butter and @benjerry chocolate chip cookie dough and Half Baked, plus all the fun holiday sprinkles and other toppings.  I linked some of our favorite ice cream flavors at @target for you on my LTK.  #Winter #Snowman #IceCreamSnowmanChallenge #TargetPartner #Target  Follow my shop @wearlovewanders on the @shopLTK app to shop this post and get my exclusive app-only content!  #liketkit #LTKKids #LTKFamily #LTKHoliday @shop.ltk https://liketk.it/4ZZBS
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