Final snowstorm of the winter...oop I mean first day of Spring!

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Just when we thought we were ready for spring, mother nature sent us a quick reminder that just because we’re ready, doesn’t mean that she is! I had my fingers crossed that this week was going to be the first of the spring weather we’ve been expecting. I had just put away their Moncler and Canada goose jackets, ready to shift their wardrobes into spring; so ready to just take the girls out to the park without having to lug around extra scarves, gloves, and hats so they don’t get too cold. Lone and behold, we are hit with another big snowstorm!

 

 Though, as much as we all like to express how inconvenient a snow storm is for us adults, we can’t deny that a snow day for the kids is something they wait on all winter. To be honest, I felt like a child myself when I heard that of the severity of the storm.  Knowing the girls would have a snow day it gave me an excuse to take the day off as well to spend it with them. So my husband and I gave in to the weather, and cancelled all the plans we had for our day allowing our entire family a day of fun in the snow! And what a day it was, thanks to Toby. Our world had been blanketed with enough snow to all the snow things that our girls love. We had snowball fights, built forts, and even a snowman, which of course, the girls named Olaf (how original). It’s funny how kids never seem to realize how cold it is when they’re playing in the snow. They play and play until their cheeks are all rosy, and their snot is running down the little noses. Thankfully their coats were not put away too far, and we still had their Sorel boots in the closet, which assured me despite their looks, they were kept especially warm in their snow-ready clothes. How un-expectantly grateful I was to have this snow day with the entire family. It’s a great opportunity for us grown-ups to feel like kids again and roll around with our little ones; to remember what it’s like to have so much fun in the snow that you don’t even feel you’re cold until you come inside. And my most treasured part of a day like yesterday, is when everyone is back in their pajamas, dry from the icy snow, sipping Swiss Miss hot chocolate to warm our hearts while telling stories to my little snowbunnies!

Enjoying family time with my girls with Ivory

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This post is sponsored by Ivory. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Inrachelshoes.

Like many of the women of our world today who are both working and being a mom and wife, it’s easy to find ourselves running around from one thing to another. Whether it be dropping the kids off at school, grocery shopping, or picking up the dry cleaning, I think it’s safe to say  as women, we have many responsibilities to fulfill leaving us ever so busy without us even realizing it! Through the strong love we have for those who are important in our lives, we have an intrinsic obligation to Go! Go! Go! and constantly strive and work so hard to keep those who are around us safe, happy and well. From the world looking in, we mothers can seem like superwomen, and yes, while we do have super hero qualities, we are worrywarts! Naturally, I want the best for my two girls; I am always trying make sure that whatever products we are using are pure and natural at best, to say the least. Though, when I find a brand I can trust and believe in, it leaves me a great deal less to be worrying and thinking about. It allows me the mental space in my mind to really enjoy the small moments.

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One of the simplest most treasured moments in my day is when I get to spend the quality time of bathing my two girls. They both have very sensitive skin, especially my little one, and I used to always find myself worrying about the products I would use to bath them, that maybe the ingredients were too strong, or contained additives or scents that would irritate their skin. It was until I discovered Ivory for instance, a brand I can trust my girls with giving me the peace of mind whenever I was washing them. When I purchase any of their products, I know I will be bathing my girls with the most caring, gentle cleansers designed to seriously clean with sensitivity. Their ingredients are chosen carefully, reassuring me that I make the right decisions for my family.  Ivory’s products allow me to be invested in just spending a carefree quality bath time.  We’ve recently been using Ivory’s Original Body Wash and Original 3-bar, both are free of dyes and heavy perfumes, which is perfect for sensitive skin. I’ve also enjoyed using the Ivory Free & Gentle Body Wash with Pear & Sandalwood, as it smells amazing and includes the #1 Dermatologist-Recommended moisturizing ingredient.

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We need to realize life for its simpler pleasures and Ivory makes it easy for me to fill my life with moments that really matter!

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Eucerin Baby products for my daughter's Ezcema!

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This post is sponsored by Eucerin Baby. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Inrachelshoes.

Living in New York City you always have to deal with the winter blues.  The winters feel very long and always very cold.  It also wreaks havoc on my daughter's skin.  They dry up extremely fast and once that happens, my daughter's start scratching.  With the scratching and the irriating itch, ezcema is no fun for them!  Being indoors in the winter causes dry skin from the increased dry air during the winter.  Using Eurcerin's Baby Line during the winter helps keep my duaghter's skin in check. It's the number one brand recommended by pediatricians for baby's skin during the wintertime.  Here's five tips I stick by when it comes to keeping my daughter's eczema in check:

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I make sure my girls wear 100% organic cotton clothing because other types of clothing with chemicals end up making my daughters itchy and scratchy, which only makes their eczema worse.  Wearing 100% organic cotton helps prevent any flare-ups, but if it does come I make sure I have the Eurcerin Eczema Instant Therapy Creme in handy.  It instantly calms and relieves minor skin irrations and itching if there are any flare-ups whether it's wearing certain clothes that they're sensitive too or just constant scratching.

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I only use detergents that are fragrance free, dye-free, and hypoallergenic.  I only use liquids over powder so there is less chance of residue (which might react with my daughter's sensitive skin) and I also do an extra rinse in the washing machine just to make sure all the detergent is gone.  This decreases the chance of any of my daughter's clothes causing any itchiness or sensitivity after being washed.

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One of the things I like to do if my girls have to go out and play in the winter is I put lotion on their hands, face, and neck.  Those are the parts that are sometimes not covered and I want to make sure there is some sort of hydration and protection from the outside.  For that, I use Eurcerin's Baby Lotion which has Pro-Vitamin B5 & Natural Shea Butter which hydrates and soothes my girl's skin.  I put it on a few times a day just to make sure their skin is always protected from the outside.

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I always have a humidifier in my daughters room.  In the winters, their room can get especially dry while they're sleeping because of the increased heat.  A humidifier helps in keeping their room higher in moisture levels reducing dryness and itchiness  

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Most important for my girls is always after they take a bath or a shower in the winter (but works in all seasons too!) I would use Eucerin Baby Eczema Relief Body Creme on their skin right away, especially the areas where the eczema is strongest.  Usually after a shower, my girl's skin gets dry very fast and it's important to put the body creme right away.  It comes formulated with natural oatmeal which is clinically proven to significantly help hydrate and sooth any irritated skin.  It's fragrance, dye, and steroid free and the natural formula is what helps sooth any sensitive red skin.

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It's important to rely on a brand that I know will do two things - protect and treat my daughter's ezcema flare-ups and itchy dry skin and is safe to use.  All Eucerin Baby products are hypoallergenic and free of paraben, dyes, drying alcohols, and fragrance.  I always trust them to be the solution to my daughters ezcema and the protector to my daughter's delicate skin.

Make sure to join our giveaway on Instagram!  I will be giving out some Eurcerin Baby products to 1 winner on Wednesday 2/28/2018!  Visit me on instagram @inrachelshoes to learn more!

First Snow storm of 2018!

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Boy was it cold and windy and snowy!  Over here in Queens, we got close to 10 inches and schools were closed so the girls obviously had to go out to enjoy the snow.  They didn't stay out too long (the wind was blowing up to 40 mph)  but I was able to take some photos of their fun.  It's important to always bundle your girls in the best coats, gloves, scarves, and hats.  Also put the best boots on them too!  Here's some gear I recommend for your little ones when they need to battle the outdoors to build that snowman!

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Pampers Easy Ups Helping My Little One to get Potty Trained!

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Potty training your little one is an exciting but challenging task for many parents. There will be accidents and there will be frustration on both the parent and your child. With Pampers Easy Ups, the process becomes a whole lot easier! Comfort and absorption are the most important things when it comes to potty training and Pampers Easy Ups delivers that in spades which is probably why they’ve been awarded the 2017 Best New Product.

They're super soft and with a 360° stretchy waistband – it's almost like cotton underwear! My daughter loves the feeling of being a 'grown up' and wearing 'grown up' underwear gives my daughter the confidence in being able to walk over to the potty and easily pull up and down when she has to go. After a few initial tries she learned how to pull up and down with ease. With the ease comes less frustration pulling down Pampers Easy Ups, she sometimes goes without even me knowing! That was my favorite moment of this entire potty training experience, the moment my daughter was already finished and pulled up her own Easy Ups without ever having to tell me!


Accidents will happen in the beginning and making sure training diapers can easily absorb is a very big thing. Pampers Easy Ups have exclusive Extra Absorb Channels™, which provide great protection against leaks anytime during the day and even at night when they sleep. With Dual Leak-Guard Barriers™ around the legs, it can also prevent leaks when they roll around in bed or being active. And when that accident does happen, disposing of Easy Ups is extremely easy by just tearing it at the sides!


Thanks to Pampers for partnering with me on this post. You can learn more about Pampers Easy Ups and read more at https://www.pampers.com/en-us/diapers-wipes/pampers-easy-ups-trainers-for-girls.
 

Bought the winter coats out... but still a bit warm!

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One of the pleasures of this winter in NYC is that the weather has been pretty mild for December.  We had our winter coats all ready but we didn't need it.  Nonetheless we went back to our favorite area in Brooklyn to have some fun before it starts to really get cold.  The sun was out so I got a good view of lower Manhattan also.  Next up...SNOW!  (I hope).

Last days of summer... at their favorite park!

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First day of school has come and gone but the weekend still feels like summer.  So how about a final foray at their favorite park in 80+ degree weather?  A lot of sweat, swinging, and chasing was involved and both got their fill of their last days of summer.  But it seems like it'll be hot again next week... I'm sure these two won't mind.

A stroll in Williamsburg...

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Both of us had a day off so we decided to take a drive to Williamsburg and decided to spend a day with the girls and appreciate all the fun wall art in Brooklyn.