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America, Uncategorized

🇺🇸 Faith & Freedom Friday 🇺🇸 9/11/20

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No better day then September 11th to share some patriotic, American made products and America loving businesses! And August was my birthday month so of course those who know me well stuck with my America theme! 🇺🇸

So many things to share so let’s get to it!

I’ve been hinting for months that I wanted Fox Nation and thankfully my husband actually listened. 😜 He signed me up for the subscription and I love it! I’ve watched a bunch of different shows/documentaries myself, but my son and I love Brian Kilmeade’s ‘What Made America Great’. Such an interesting and informative show. We’ve learned so much about our great nation. I had no idea the history behind the Vice Presidents house or the secret room in Mount Rushmore, and all the secrets hidden throughout the White House ….. episodes are short and we binge watch a few at a time. Especially great for teaching kids about our country in a fun way.

With my subscription came my next read….

I’m so excited to start this one! Great reviews and I recently watched the Dan Bongino podcast in which he interviewed Hannity about this book and it so timely. I just finished Dan Crenshaw’s book….

I can’t say enough good things about this book! So much good stuff on the current outrage culture, accountability and the softening of America. And before we move on from books I also got this one as a birthday present….

I love following Harris on Instagram. He cracks me up with his hats and airplane posts, and has so much good stuff to say. And his wife & daughters are absolutely gorgeous 💕 This one isn’t a really long read so I’m thinking it’s next for me.

As I previously mentioned we’ve added to our arsenal and with that decided to join the NRA. The free gift we chose with membership was the NRA pocket knife. Since I was little I’ve had a pocket knife obsession. I always had one in my pocket and would carve my initials in trees as I would climb to the top. I think I’ve passed that obsession on to my son and I’m usually stealing his to have one in my purse or my car. This one is small and can easily fit in my pocket or purse. Two downsides to this one though…1) the box says Made in China 😠 and 2) no clip to stick it on my jeans. So I’m in the market for my own (so I can give my son his back) that’s just the right size with a clip to attach to my waist band. Recommendations welcomed!

Next is another coffee company. Erin and I are both coffee lovers. So she knew she couldn’t go wrong with buying me coffee for my birthday. This coffee has been on my list to try as it is a veteran owned and operated company . Plus the packaging says it’s coffee for people who love America, and clearly that’s me🙋🏼‍♀️ This is the light roast and it is perfect!

Last for this post I want to share the new shirts both Erin and I ordered. We found an Etsy shop named Threadrock that makes some great patriotic gear out of NY. They have a ton of other stuff too but we were looking for some Thin Blue Line shirts. These are great quality, soft, women’s fit and shipped super quick. Erin ordered hers first and told me about it, I ordered and it arrived within 3 days.

I have so many more great products to share in the weeks ahead! We’ve had companies reach out to us about their products we should try and friends recommending businesses as well. So stay tuned there’s more to come and keep sending those recommendations our way!

~Elena 💕

America, Uncategorized

Faith & Freedom Friday 🇺🇸

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Not too long ago I read American Crusade by Pete Hegseth. I caught a clip of him promoting it on air and knew it was a book I needed to read. I’ve gifted it to others, lent it out and recommend it to anyone who truly loves America. I finished the book and felt so strongly about being fierce in showing just how much I love America. There’s so much divisiveness right now but surely people can’t hate you or criticize you for loving America right?! Well that’s not really true these days, I don’t feel love for America from my neighbors, from people I see on Facebook, people on the streets, people on the news…but you know what – that’s their problem not mine.

Reading that book started me on this whole buy & support America crusade. I’ve bought an unknown 😬 amount of hats, shirts, jewelry and various home decor items all sporting the flag and red white & blue. And I want more! I want to show my pride for our country every day. And I’m not the only one. I lent the book to Erin and shortly after she was finished she began redecorating her home in red, white & blue 😂 I promise you it’s addictive. It will get you fired up and Americanism will be your new motto! 🇺🇸

As I’ve said before I have a tiny addiction to graphic t-shirts and tank tops. I recently ordered one and was hoping to have it for July fourth but it came late. I still love it and have already worn it a few times. I’m trying to support businesses other than the usual Amazon, and also making sure things are made in the USA. This company is also veteran owned & operated👏🏻. There are so many great things on their site! They even have patriotic masks, swimsuits and a monthly shirt subscription club.

https://www.aafnation.com/

And of course my awesome teardrop necklace is from Beads by Bella and for only $8!!!

We’ve been talking a lot about being able to protect ourselves. We don’t need to make up crazy scenarios because we are inundated with them on the news daily. Pregnant woman and husband attacked while trying to pull out of a restaurant, lady attacked in an airport, flight attendant attacked, people having to defend their homes and businesses…it’s like we’re living in a crazy end of the world movie. I’m sure you all heard the 911 call of the mother who couldn’t drive with her child in the car because ‘mostly peaceful’ protestors were banging on her car, blocking her and then trying to get in & on her car. It’s terrifying and as a mother it brought me to tears listening to her voice crack as she begged for someone to help. The thought of not being able to protect my kids, of my kids being scared in the backseat is heartbreaking. We have guns and plan to carry but some scenarios obviously don’t call for shooting people ….as much as I may want to 😬. So we need alternative measures. What can you really do in this situation? I know the laws are different in each state and I also know if my family is in danger I want to do what I can to protect us. So I ordered pepper spray to keep in my car & purse. Not only did I order pepper spray but I ordered a patriotic spray bottle made in America! It’s a really cute little bottle, which is why I immediately gathered my children around to explain it is not a toy. My parents had given me one of these little bottles when I was in college, it’s definitely a must have for young women especially!

https://www.sabrered.com/pepper-spray-and-personal-safety-products

Some days I look online and I feel a little angry that others aren’t as outraged as I am about what’s going on in the world. Why are we all so quiet about it? Why are we just sitting quietly while cities are being destroyed and cops are being beaten physically and verbally? I want to step away, take a break from the news but at the same time I want to be outraged because none of it is ok. Our families recently went on a mini beach vacation together. We can’t go too far because CT has travel restrictions but we chose a beach a couple hours away. Every day as we set up our spot Erin immediately put two American flags on each side of us. It was like our own US embassy on this sprawling beach of college kids and families. We got some side eye and glares but most of all we got tons of thank yous! 👏🏻 People walked by us and some even went out of their way to say thank you and let us know how nice it was to see those flags blowing in the breeze. Many agreed that now more than ever we need to show our love for America. So we may not be able to speak up too much but we can show our love, support and pride for our country Every Single Day! 🇺🇸

~Elena 💖🇺🇸

America, Uncategorized

Faith & Freedom Friday 7/10/20 🇺🇸

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It’s Friday!!! 👏🏻🎉

After last weeks post I am so excited to keep going with this. I loved seeing all the likes, comments and messages we recieved especially those of you who shared some businesses with us. I started a list of all the businesses mentioned and will be sharing them in the weeks ahead, so keep them coming!!

This week I’m sharing a few of my favorite things……

I’m a lover of graphic tees and order them nonstop…. my husband can attest, lol. I know most ladies own their own Cricut machines and make whatever they want, but I have yet to jump on that train. And also I’m the least craftiest person in all the land. So I am constantly ordering them online. Facebook being the stalker that it is constantly shares sponsored posts with me full of graphic tees that are all from China. Which then prompts me to check Amazon and once again – China and also terrible quality. So Etsy has been my go-to lately and the shirt I’m sharing today is my absolute favorite!

This was ordered from SassWithClassCo, it was shipped the next day and arrived super fast. The best part was that I was able to choose size and fit. Most of the time I go to place an order and unisex is the only option and everything runs big, not here. So much to choose from, all of the shirts are so cute, and I love supporting these small businesses! They have so many shirts I love and I’m sure you’ll love them too. https://www.etsy.com/shop/SassWithClassCo

Also, check out my flag necklace made by my girl @bella.beadss #America

https://www.instagram.com/beadssbybella/

Which brings me to my next share for today. I love all things red, white and blue! 🇺🇸 We have flags all over the house…. inside & out, and my husband knows the way to my heart. So for Mother’s Day he surprised me with a large wooden flag for our patio from Buffalo Reclaimed Flag Co. It is so solid and absolutely gorgeous!

They come in all different styles & sizes, we even have a smaller one in our upstairs hall.

All of their items are handmade in the USA, this is a family owned company, they offer a military/first responder discount -AND I noticed on the website they are having a huge sale right now so head there and check it out! https://buffaloreclaimed.com/

Last but not least for today, before the craziness that is 2020 began both my husband and I got our carry permits (Erin’s is in the works as well). We all support the 2nd amendment and plan to head to the range to practice, educate ourselves and protect our families. If you don’t live in a cave you are aware that people filing for gun permits and the number of people purchasing firearms has skyrocketed! It’s truly an amazing thing and says a lot about how Americans are feeling. We’ve made a few purchases in the last few months including a gun safe or two. But this little box I’m sharing is my first!!! https://www.smith-wesson.com/

I’m so excited to practice, find the best holster and maybe add to my collection. Smith & Wesson is of course a well known American manufacturer but I had no idea their corporate office was right around the corner from me in Springfield Mass! So as we embark on this journey feel free to share with us the best products around as we welcome input from those of you who are way more versed than us!

As I said last week, we really want to put America first and make sure our money goes to businesses we believe in, so let us know what’s out there and invite others to do the same!

~Elena ❤️🤍💙

Home

Super Easy Stain Trick!!! 🧺

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My oldest has started cooking more these days and especially enjoys making breakfast for everyone. It really does make mornings easier so I can workout early and when I’m finished breakfast is ready, as opposed to the usual begging for food the moment I walk into the kitchen…before I’ve even had coffee ☕️😳 And she’s even getting better at cleaning up after herself which is a definite win!

Last week after she finished cooking she realized she had this round stain on the front of a new Vineyard Vines T-shirt she had just gotten a week or so before. After much thought we figured the stain was from closing the Pam spray by pushing the can against her stomach to pop the lid in place. And we all know how nearly impossible it is to get grease or oil stains out of clothing!!! 😳 And this stain was super noticeable!

Here’s what we were dealing with:

And this was after I had spot treated and washed the shirt twice with laundry stain removers. At this point I figured we were out of luck and she can just wear the shirt around the house, but she was pretty upset about it. Then I decided to give a quick online search and see what other stain remedies I can find as a final attempt. I read articles and watched videos, and I was overwhelmed. I read about everything from aloe vera to baking soda with vinegar and even WD40. I wasn’t looking for a big ordeal with seventeen steps, just an easy cleaning hack with products I already had at hand.

A few articles I read mentioned plain old Dawn soap. I figured it couldn’t hurt to try. So I rubbed Dawn dish soap (which by the way I get at the dollar store because the small container is perfect size for filling up the pump by my kitchen sink!) all over the stain and let it sit for about 3 hours.

After a few hours I did a quick warm wash cycle in the washer and then hung the shirt to dry. At this point it was too wet to tell if it had worked. But later that evening when it was mostly dry….🥳🤩 success!!! Totally gone!

I love super easy remedies like this!! And the best part is it even works after the garment had been washed multiple times, because sometimes you don’t notice those stains right away.

📍Another good one is boiling hot water for berry stains. And yes it absolutely works! My daughter had gotten blueberry stains on a white dress once when she was dressed for a special occasion. A quick google search and I read to just pour boiling hot water right into the stain and poof 💨 it disappears right before your eyes!!

I would love to know what other simple stain removing hacks people have tried! Comment or message us and let us know!

~Elena 💖

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Product Review: Tom & Sheri’s Iron in a Bottle 👕👚

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I’m not a huge fan of ironing. Well that’s not entirely true. I thoroughly enjoy the actual act of ironing. It’s kind of relaxing and I’m a bit of a perfectionist so seeing the wrinkles completely gone really feels satisfying (⬅️my preteen uses that word all the time 🙄). Ok but seriously, if I start ironing I get into it and want all the clothing items at once to make them look perfect. But the actual chore of taking the ironing board out and warming up the iron for one item often when I’m hurrying to get out the door- drives me insane. Because it usually happens that it’s last minute that I change my outfit and what I want is wrinkled, or I see my kids dressed in something that they must’ve had rolled up in a ball in the corner under their bed 😳

Recently I saw a few people mention this clothing wrinkle releaser spray. After a few mentions I finally googled it and watched a little video on QVC that had me a little intrigued. I bit the bullet and ordered. Here’s the link:

Wrinkle Releaser Spray

I purchased the combo which included the large bottle with sprayer and the travel size. I tried it a few times myself and was seriously amazed!! Let me first say that I ordered this myself and paid full price and I am not someone who is easily impressed by things. For me to share something it has to really be awesome. So after trying it myself I asked the kids to each get something really wrinkle from their room and give it a try.

Here we go:

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByoYPFHFE3U/?igshid=rr41ai45kurg

This is our first ever video share so go easy on us 😂. My littles were a bit camera shy but my oldest loves the spotlight 🎥lol. And I hate seeing myself and hearing the sound of my voice 🙈🙉

Seriously try this product, it is such a time saver!! My only notes are that once you spray the item shake the fabric and stretch it a bit to get the wrinkles out. If it’s really wrinkled you may have to do it a couple of times. The item will then be a tiny bit damp but dries quickly and smells like fresh, clean laundry!

Try it and let me know what you think!!!

~Elena 💖

Fitness, Home

Anyone else read on the treadmill? 🏃‍♀️ 📖

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It’s no secret that I love to read, I’m kind of obsessed. I feel like there are so many books I need to get to and just not enough time in life to read them all. I’ve written about how I read everywhere…in bed, in the car, waiting rooms, kids practices, pickup lines, traveling, seriously I bring a book everywhere! I’m even rubbing off on those around me. My daughter came home today excited to tell me about two new books she got at the library and I even bullied Erin into becoming a reader 💁🏼‍♀️ 🤣 But my family thought it was nuts a while back when I told them I’d been reading on the treadmill 🏃‍♀️

I don’t think it’s that crazy. I mean I’m in one spot and I speed walk more than I run anyway. But I was having difficulty propping my book or e-reader up in place. I knew there had to be something out there that worked with a treadmill and other workout machines. So I found this on Amazon:

Here’s the link: Treadmill holder for iPad/Books

This is a game changer!! I can use it to hold actual books, magazines or my iPad/Nook/Kindle whatever it is I’m using to read with at the moment. And if you’re not a reader but need to catch up on some Netflix shows while you workout, well then this works for you too. It is two sided and each side has a different sized lip for different machines and/or depending on what you’re using it to hold. No matter how fast I go or how high I incline this stays put! And it comes in different colors, but I ordered the clear so I can see through it and still read my time & stats. And it’s under $20 🙌🏻

I can watch a show on the iPad or get into a good book and not even realize I’ve been on the treadmill for almost an hour! And when I’m reading no one bothers me at the gym 🤣 #homegym 😜

~Elena 💖

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Ok, I went ahead and tried Brandless for all those wondering if it’s as good as those ads we keep seeing!!

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In my mission to organize my house and make things better & more efficient, I’m choosing something different every few weeks that I need to work on. Recently I bought a new utensil crock for my counter because the one I had was way too small and overcrowded!

I had my eyes on the Le Creuset one in white, the larger size. Unfortunately I’m too cheap to spend the $72 Macy’s was asking for something that simply holds things on my counter. It’s currently on sale for $50 but still 🤷‍♀️ So in searching I found another one! This one is a tad bigger than that one and perfect!! It’s the Martha Stewart utensil crock and it comes with a wooden divider that can be used at the top or squeezed down into the bottom if that works better for you. AND It’s on sale for $22👏🏻 so here’s the link:

https://www.macys.com/shop/product/martha-stewart-collection-ceramic-tool-crock-created-for-macys?ID=6373281

Now that I got the holder I needed, my utensils looked all mismatched ….which means I need to buy more things of course! So like everyone else I’ve been seeing the ads for Brandless. The reviews look good and the prices can’t be beat so I decided to got for it. I ordered a box of 8 things and I think my total was like $27, which is amazing! They came quick and I was so impressed with the packaging and how nice they all looked. So far everything I’ve used seems like great quality and for $3 per item you just can’t go wrong. If my kids break it or accidentally burn a utensil then I don’t feel bad about having to throw it away and get a new one.

When you go on the website there are tons of other products as well ….from home goods & snacks to toiletries & baby products. And seriously for the price tag it’s worth trying different things and seeing what’s a keeper, I will definitely be ordering again!

Before

After 🙌🏻

And how nice are they?!?!!

https://brandless.com/

~Elena 💖

Home

Organizing, Cleaning & Decluttering

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Every year one of my new years goals is to organize and declutter around my home. I’m sure I’m not the only one who adds this to New Years Resolutions ……and I’m also sure I’m not the only one who doesn’t get done as much as I intend. We moved in to our current home coming upon 3 years and although it was move in ready, I still have a lot I want to do to make it ours. And I’m always looking for ways to make things work better and more efficiently for my family. But there are some tasks that just seem daunting and tedious, therefore I put them off and try to avoid them as much as possible. Right now decluttering is all the rage. My FB feed is full of ‘if it doesn’t bring you joy get rid of it,’ apparently everyone’s doing it. I don’t have time for that. If everyone’s doing it there is a 99.9% chance I’m not, lol! But seriously though, I know what areas of my home I need to work on to better organize, clean out and/or declutter but getting to them is another story!

Last week I started with my linen closet which I’ve been putting off forever. The problem is that my kids are in and out of there getting towels for showers or sheets to build forts. They don’t really care about the mess they leave behind when they get out what they need. Which means my neatly folded piles are all over the place and things are shoved back in without any care. Every so often I attempt to tidy up the closet but in actuality I pull out a pile or two, refold and put them back in without doing the entire closet. This time I decided to pull everything out and throw it on my bed that way there was no turning back, no cheating and I’d be forced to do it all. I took out all the crappy towels to use as rags, made a pile we don’t need to donate and decided to make room under each kids bathroom sink for their own pile of towels. This way they have no reason to even be in that closet…wishful thinking! I even got rid of all the remaining crib and toddler sheets, finally! Here’s my before and after pics, let’s hope I can keep it this tidy for a while.

Before/After

This week I worked on my kitchen drawers and my jewelry. Let’s start with my kitchen utensil drawers which I’m so embarrassed to share. 🙈 They are super long and don’t have any dividers, so that and the constant opening & closing make it chaos. Recently at Bed, Bath & Beyond I stumbled upon the Madesmart collection of products and I was in love. I bought a few small, individual trays to organize my junk and silverware drawers a little better but I didn’t realize how much stuff they actually carried until I went online. I came across the large expandable utensil trays and ordered 2 of the grey with 2 BBB coupons. They expand all the way and fit perfectly in my drawers vertically. They are amazing! The expandable ends pop in and out and fix in place with plastic pegs like the little pegs on the back of a baseball cap, so you can set it exactly where you need it and it locks in place. Now nothing moves when I open & close my drawers, and everything has its place!

Before
After
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/madesmart-reg-expandable-utensil-tray-in-white-grey/1013843864

Last but no least, my favorite item EVER was for organizing my every day jewelry. I have a freestanding jewelry armoire so in theory everything should be nice and organized. 🙄Not true!! But the jewelry that I wear most often, I tend to toss on top so I can easily grab it the next day. Well …..it was getting a bit out of control! I hate digging through the drawers especially if I’m in a rush so more often I’ll just leave the house with out any more than my watch and rings on. Recently I was eying the Lauren Conrad jewelry organizers at Kohls but wasn’t looking to pay $36-$50. I was online last week and they finally went on sale! So I ordered the blush pink double jewelry bar and tray for under $15. There were about three different styles and a couple of colors, but I really love the two bars so I have one for watches and one for bracelets. This way I can keep the jewelry I’m wearing lately right on top to grab, then seasonally I can switch out from what’s in the drawers. And it just looks so pretty!💕

Before
After

https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-3373044/lc-lauren-conrad-gray-double-jewelry-bar-tray.jsp

I know it’s daunting and hard to get started, but pick one thing a week and I promise once you start you’ll be on a roll!!

Not sure what to tackle next….pantry, closets, we shall see. But now that I’ve lit the fire and started, I’m excited so stay tuned!!

~Elena 💖

Home, Uncategorized

It’s Tuesday!!

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My kids watch these silly YouTube shows about life hacks all the time. Most of the things they share are just dumb and I often wonder why people even think of trying these things. But once in a while they’ll show me something and I’m like….hmmmm why didn’t I think of that!

So today’s Tuesday trick is my idea of a life hack! I watch the news every morning on my iPad while I make my kids lunches, in the evening while I’m making dinner I usually put whatever Netflix show I’m catching up on or even randomly throughout the day when I’m doing dishes or baking, something is on the iPad on the kitchen counter. I just finished Netflix ‘You’ and recently started ‘The Killing’ on Amazon Prime Video….sooooo good! But some days there is so much stuff on the counter that the IPad is either in the way or so out of the way I can’t see it.

At my last IKEA trip I bought this little tablet stand which is inexpensive and perfect. But still it takes up space and often gets pushed back so far that I can’t see it around whatever it is I’m doing. I started googling and checking Amazon for some device to mount the iPad. But I’ve seen them mounted in kitchens and I don’t want anything permanent that will get in my way. Plus I cook & bake ALOT so I need my counter as open as possible without obstructions. I also don’t really want to spend fifty bucks or more on something I may not like or even use very often, or what if it doesn’t work for the space I have. I don’t know what made me do it but I opened my corner cabinet and decided to perch the stand I got from ikea inside the door …and perfection! It worked!!! Now it hangs perfectly in the corner, plus it’s not permanent so I take it down whenever I need to move it or the kids want to borrow it. Problem solved! Keep in mind this will only work if your iPad or tablet is in a case so it doesn’t slip. Mine is in an inexpensive rubber case from Five Below so it stays right in place. And I take it down at night because I don’t trust the cat 🐈😂

I’m not kidding it’s perfect. Go spend $3.50 and get this little stand from Ikea!!

~Elena 💕

Home, Uncategorized

Tuesday Tip- Love this product! These guard strips are keeping me from being a maniac at bedtime!

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If you have a little one that you plan to or have recently moved to a big kid bed or even one that just sleeps like a wild hyena ..then this is for you!!

My 6 year old is all about being a big kid like her siblings. She doesn’t want to do or have anything that makes her look like a baby compared to them. Not too long ago we removed the guard rail from her twin bed which has made me a maniac at ensuring all wooden parts of her bed are covered with something!! I mean really anything I can shove in or over the wood was getting the job done. So at nighttime I would take ALL the blankets and stuffed animals to cram around her bed. It was seriously a giant mound of all the soft things. I’m really not a total nutcase. This one sleeps like I would imagine the roadrunner would sleep. She moves, twists and spins so much even the cat gets caught up 🤣

So I’m basically terrified of her falling out and getting hurt. To be honest she doesn’t really fall out of her bed or at least hasn’t in a long time. She manages to stay up there somehow …but I’m still terrified because there was this one time she did fall out during the night and needed stitches.

So I did some research and stumbled upon the furniture guards people use around their houses on coffee tables, fireplaces etc. for baby proofing. I figured why not try it for her bed. They were really inexpensive and so easy to apply. Here’s what I ordered:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0734JX7YQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_1i2tCbJEN7WNS

The guards came with a bunch of other baby-proofing items free (super sweet) but we didn’t need them. The guard strip is so easy to apply and use wherever you need it. I was able to cut it to the length of her bed frame and attach it myself. I added the double sided sticky tape that came in the package to both sides of the guard strip, peeled off the paper and stuck it to the bed. It went on easily and hasn’t moved since I first applied it a few weeks ago. It’s soft and foamy, makes us all sleep better at night!

(There are plenty of others on Amazon as well and different colors, you can see I chose black)

~Elena 💕