Who here has an electric toothbrush?? I've had one for about a year or so and I love mine! And full disclosure: My mom gave it to me hahaha I wasn't going to pass up a FREE electric toothbrush ya know?
 
Then I saw Smile Brilliant came out with their own version! You guys know how much I LOVE their teeth whitening system, seriously the best one, and I was eagerly saving up my pennies to get their brush!
 
When they contacted me for a trial of their toothbrush, I kid you not I danced in the car! My kids thought I was NUTS hahaha **Post does contain affiliate links and I was given the product in exchange for a review, all opinions are 100% my own**

I love this toothbrush!!! I'm not saying it lightly either. I love this toothbrush, it is seriously awesome and designed so well to help your oral health!
 
We all know that electric toothbrushes are better for oral care than manual brushes which is why I grabbed my old one before my mom gave it away and it has dramatically helped my teeth. I had an Oral-B SonicCare toothbrush, and now with the CariPRO Ultrasonic Toothbrush my teeth have never been better. This brush comes with 5 modes of brushing! Did you even know that there could be MODES? I love especially that it comes with a "Sensitive" mode because some days my teeth are just extra sensitive and they need to be cleaned with a little less vigor.

One of the features is that when you turn it on, it stays on for 2 minutes with pauses every 30 seconds. It's designed this way to give each quadrant of the mouth the time and cleaning it needs to be fully cleaned! No more needing to sing the Happy BIrthday song or setting a timer for it; the toothbrush does all the thinking for you.
 
The battery life is amazing! I plugged it in and didn't need to recharge it for over a week! The toothbrush heads can be purchased separately as well so buying the actual toothbrush only once is required, then all you need are new heads! I like their designed heads because I felt like they get my WHOLE mouth clean. Sometimes with these tiny brush heads it's questionable if it's all getting cleaned or not.
 
Wanna know the best part? I'M GIVING ONE AWAY!! That's right friends, I'm giving away one FREE CariPRO Ultrasonic Toothbrush to one of you!! Click the link below to enter to win!! 
GIVEAWAY LINK

If you have any other questions about the toothbrush that I didn't answer, check out their FAQs for some great info as well! And for those of you that don't want to wait to get your hands on one of these toothbrushes I have a discount code for you! 20% OFF the toothbrush which is HUGE guys!! Use code: ourhappilyeverafterblog20 Good luck to you all!!

30 years of life have happened for me. I initially thought I'd do one of those "30 in 30" things but I decided to just put out some musings I've had instead.

I am not super woman.

There. I said it! I am incapable of doing all of the things I'm "supposed to do"!
 
And that's ok!
 
It's ok to not do all of the things. For example: this October we didn't do a pumpkin patch, carve pumpkins,  or anything super fall related other than Trick or Treat. And my kids are still ok. So my mom guilt can take a backseat for that thank goodness.

 I have to listen to my intuition/gut more often than my guilt or what others say. I don't know if any of you have this happen to you, but I've learned to mostly be able to say "No" or "I can't right now". We're heading into the crazy busy season and I've already had to say that a couple times to keep my sanity.  Or if there's a situation that doesn't feel right, I have to listen to that feeling and follow through.
 
It's ok to put yourself first sometimes. As a wife and mother I am constantly giving and giving and sometimes I literally have nothing left.

For me, one of the ways I put myself first is getting my hair done. I only get it done maybe twice a year but I feel so good afterwards. I feel so incandescently happy!  See this Instagram post for more of that musing!
 
It's ok to feel emotions.
Feeling sad is ok.
Feeling happy is ok.
Feeling angry is ok.
Feeling exhausted is ok.
You have to give yourself permission to feel your feelings or you can not heal. More often than not we're told to "pull yourself up by the bootstraps and get on with it" and that's good advice for the most part! But for some of us, hearing that just makes the guilt worse. I agree that we have to move on BUT everyone has their own pace and we have to find ours and do what's best for ourselves and our families.
 
It's never too late to start your dream!
It took me far too long to finally just start doing what I wanted to do: Open my own t-shirt and vinyl business! I've always wanted to make shirts at an affordable rate for ALL sizes and design my own stuff and it has been such a fun blessing for me!

It has helped my mental health in so many ways to create custom things for people! It's stretched my imagination and skills set. I've learned new things and can't wait to see  what next year has in store for the shop!

Life is good! Even when it sucks, which we all know it does on occasion, it is good!

I have my gorgeous girls, my amazing and supportive husband, my little business, a home, a working car, etc etc. How can I not see the good even dealing with the gross??

30 years old. I remember thinking 30 was so old and wise and you'd have it all figured out by now. BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA oh how I was wrong, but also how much better it is than I thought! As I say goodbye to my 20s and welcome the next decade I'm excited to watch certain parts of my life end and new ones start. So here's to turning 30 and what a fun decade it will be!

So it's well-known around these parts that I am not a beauty expert. I mean I barely started wearing makeup at all just last year! But since beginning this "beauty journey" if you will, I have found a few things that I think are "Mom Hacks"!
 
First, Maskcara makeup

And no, I actually don't sell it hahaha so this is not a self plug or anything! I just happen to really love the product and I think it's one of the best hacks out there. It's essentially fool-proof and has a guide to help you. Plus it lasts forever as long as you apply it correctly and don't overdo your look. The point of Maskcara is to enhance your natural beauty, not mask it ;) (Get it, get it??)
 
Second, Maybelline Matte Ink Lip Colors

Influenster introduced me to these magic tubes of color and I love them soooooo much! They stay on through food, drink, sweat (mostly, there is a limit but it takes a lot!), AND you can put chapstick over it if you feel that they're getting dry (mine rarely do for reference) 
 
Third, Smille Brilliant Teeth Whitening

Remember this post? Well seriously, its sooooo easy and fast to whiten your teeth! I can grab my favorite book, or whiten while I do laundry, dishes, cleaning. I've done it all while whitening my teeth hahaha My kids always know when I'm doing it too because I sounds funny with my "retainers" in!
 
Fourth, Micellar water!

 This makeup remover stuff is magical!
I went through a bunch of different ones before I finally 
found this one and it made my skin so soft!
Plus it takes everything off with minimal effort
and no scrubbing which is awesome.
I personally love the Garnier brand but I think most of them are super similar ;) 
 
And because I love you so much,
Smile Brilliant is giving away another teeth whitening kit!!!
Click the link below to enter!!
 
https://www.smilebrilliant.com/g/ourhappilyeverafterblog

I swear 2017 just flew by! SO here's our year in review! (I love doing these so I can see how far we've come in a year!)
 
January

The girls got their new-to-them bunkbeds and they have LOVED sleeping in them ever since! I talked more in depth about my PPD/PPA and how it's changed/developed in the last 2 years.
 
February

I tried to get a handle on our house and the clutter which helped my mental health so much! And we made our master bedroom a little more homey. I still need to fill those empty spots haha

March

I was given a Canon T3i from my brother and so I just started taking pictures of everything hahaha My Canon Rebel had died and I was in mourning and he took pity on me especially since he never used the camera anyways hahaha I also became a Dating Divas affiliate
 
April

This was a big month for us since Aunt Haley got married!! It was a fun and crazy day with quite a good story to go with it. We love Jason and the girls have taken to him. We also got some family pictures taken before the wedding so that I had some of the girls in their adorable dresses we bought for the wedding. Rory had a farm field trip for preschool and Jade got to join too! Yes that's Jade milking a cow hahaha she loved it!
 
 May

Alyx came to visit and she "forced me" into doing a boudoir session with her while she was here
and it was incredible and a HUGE self esteem booster for me! I attended my first LDS Blogger event which was amazing and funI enjoyed a nice simple Mother's Day and Rory finished her first (and only) year of preschool. I shed many tears realizing she would be off to kindergarten soon
but I had to wait an entire 2 months until then hahaha
 
June

Andrew and Rory each celebrated a birthday, Andrew (28) and Rory (5) and we went to Costco for Andrew's and then took Rory school supply shopping for hers. I took a leap and dyed my hair teal. This was something I have always wanted to do but it took some serious self-esteem boosting to actually DO IT. It also helps when your best friend is a complete enabler  and has a wonderful husband that flies you out for a girls weekend! Thankfully Alyx was willing to destroy an extra shirt for the teal hair cause! Plus who doesn't love freezing in Pacifica CA when it's over 100* back in AZ?! 
 
July

We took a trip to South Carolina to visit Andrew's uncle (whom we affectionately call "Unkie") and aunt and the girls had a blast! We went over 4th of July so we did a HUGE display of fireworks in their front yard and thanks to their quick thinking of ear protection the girls weren't freaked out by it. And the biggest thing that happened was Rory starting school!! This has been a game changer for us because Rory and I enjoy our time together but we flourish with time apart. Plus she loves school and her teacher and she's just blossoming.
 
August

We threw my mom an epic Harry Potter Birthday Party for her 50th! I found the most amazing salon in Queen Creek where I was able to get my hair to be the shade I was dreaming of! Jade turned 3 and we took her to Build a Bear and had her binki put inside the unicorn she picked! It was a rough transition for about 2 nights and then she was over it thank goodness.
 
September

We took our big family Disneyland trip! It was such a fun time and we loved it all! We especially loved seeing the Bowlers cuz it had been years since Andrew and I had seen my aunt and uncle and 2 of their kids. (They had 2 more kids since the last time we saw them hahaha) I also discovered this amazing store in Gilbert called Rod Works and I fell in love with that clock and the measuring conversions chart and HAD to buy them for my kitchen gallery wall! I mean they fit perfectly don't they?!
 
October

October was FULL! Alyx came to visit again and this time, she brought the whole family! We realized that she and I have travelled to visit each other BUT our families had never actually met in person! So the guys had a blast with the kiddos while Alyx and I handled some photography sessions (I was assisting, NOT taking!!). We had a fantastic time playing with all the kids and  we can't wait til we can do another fun trip altogether! I talked about the positive part of social media and the amazing friends I have found. I celebrated my 29th birthday (Golden Birthday even!) and we hosted Halloween again and the women folk stayed to hand out candy while the amazing, wonderful, dedicated, lovely fathers took the children around the neighborhood!
 
November

I'm one of those that puts up Christmas as soon as Halloween is over. It's just who I am. The girls love it though and the magic of the whole season starts. My mom and I were able to go to Time Out for Women in Phoenix. I was part of the volunteer staff at the event  and it's an experience I'm not likely to forget. I put a video up here for you that describes my experience  as I told it on Instagram Stories (which, if you don't already follow me you really should hahaha  more things happen on IG than here on the blog!) It was a very spiritual and fun thing to do and I hope I can do it again this coming year! Rory had her Primary program right before Thanksgiving, and we had Pie Night (which is a Wilson family tradition the Saturday before Thanksgiving, to have as much pie as you want so you don't feel jipped on actual Thanksgiving when you're too full from the other awesome food). Andrew and I were able to go do sealings at the Mesa Temple after Thanksgiving  AND I had my first paid photography sessions, WHAT! I made Andrew pose for me a bit so I could get my settings right, he's so handsome! 
 
December

My lovely friends how are you all?? I feel like the days are just flying by am I right?! Soon it will be the new year and I just can't believe how fast it's going!
 
A couple months ago I was talking to my friend Alyx about something via Marco Polo (visual walkie talkie app) and I was like "EW! My teeth look soooo yellow when I wear red lipstick!" and I have discovered that I LOVE a bold lip color. I wasn't too happy about it cuz yellow teeth are gross am I right?
 
So I was ecstatic when Smile Brilliant contacted me for this post!
*I received product complimentary but all opinions are 100% my own*

They are a teeth whitening company that deals in whitening systems! They're perfect for us busy moms if I do say so myself! Whitening sessions themselves can be anywhere from 45 minutes up to 3 hours! Totally depending on your preference, time schedule, and teeth sensitivity. 

Now I don't know about you but I absolutely hate going to the dentist. Like it makes me cringe. So doing a whitening treatment in my home sounded wonderful, only one problem - I'm not a dental professional!  What if I messed it up?? Guys, this is fool-proof. They literally send you everything you need with perfectly clear instructions. Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.

I received my box with the things needed to make my impressions (I'm sparing you the process pictures cuz NO ONE needs to see that haha) and it was super fun and painless. I sent my impressions in and within 2 weeks had my custom trays for my teeth!

I noticed a difference after just 2 sessions! My teeth were whiter and weren't staining as easily (cuz you KNOW I'm not giving my Dr Pepper up no ma'am!) and it was so simple to do!

The recommended thing to do is to do it before bed. Makes sense right? Don't want to stain too much after doing a session. However, this doesn't always work out to be the best time. I did most of mine at night before just like it suggested BUT I also did a few during the day during naptime (and currently as I type this post I have them going hahaha). Soooooo easy! And each syringe has enough for at least 3-4 sessions each. Guys this system is so generous in giving you bang for your buck.

I got the sensitive system because even after getting my wisdom teeth pulled, I experience a little nerve sensitivity and such still. So I wanted to be extra careful with my whitening techniques! And I mean LOOK at this before and after!

For a fraction of the cost of a whitening at the dentist! And I can do it in the comfort of my own home, in my pajamas while watching Outdaughtered or some other form of entertainment when no one is bugging me for something hahaha

And you lucky ducks are in for such a treat! The amazing team at Smile Brilliant is giving away a system for ONE OF YOU!! Enter below to win!! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!
 www.smilebrilliant.com/g/ourhappilyeverafterblog
 
And for all of you that want to try this right now I have a coupon code for you!! 10% off!
Just enter ourhappilyeverafterblog10 when you check out ;) 
 Tooth Whitening Gel

So after realizing how much I loved having fun hair, and after it had grown out/faded quite a bit, I decided to get it refreshed by a professional that knew what she was doing haha I got so lucky and found Michelle from Shea Madison Salon right here in Queen Creek AZ!
 
She was amazing and so sweet and fun. Best part? She's been a hair technician for over 17 years, a color correction teacher for over 4 AND specializes in colored hair, as in FUN colored hair! AND she's super affordable. (also, this is NOT sponsored at all, I just really want to share with you how awesome she is!) 
 
Here's my before:

Golly it was bad huh? We had such a fun time during the whole process which also only took about 3 hours (color me shocked! See what I did there? Punny!) And after sharing everything on IG stories (which you should really follow me cuz I'm "hilariously real" or so I've been told)

Here's my after:

I look like a real mermaid/unicorn/fairy/fantastical creature! I fall more in love with it everyday. And I'm going back to her before our Disneyland trip in a few weeks just to make sure I look as magical as the place I'm visiting! If you're local to AZ, check out Michelle AND the opther amazing ladies in the little studio!
 
Also, here's after about 3 washes:

STILL super vibrant and amazing! (I'm also using my own DIY colored conditioner - see my FB page and there's a video!) 

Yes friends. It's now gone.

Sorry for the ridiculous glare on my glasses. Such is the fate of growing old hahahahahaha anyways!

For those that don't know, my hair was halfway down my back and now is super short. Just like it was in high school. Andrew calls it the "classic Ali look".

I for one, love it. It's now super easy to manage and doesn't get in my way. Woot!!