You zoom zoom? We zoom zoomed this past month in a fancy-schmancy new Mazda CX-9 crossover SUV with seating for 7. After reading about and hearing from friends for so long how fun and engaging Mazdas are to drive, we had high expectations, and the CX-9 didn’t disappoint. It was quiet, big {but not too big}, and powerful enough that it was super fun to cruise in, whether it was around town or on long trips. 
Here’s what we learned from our week of zoom zooming in luxury:
Leanne
Adorable baby fashion from Carter’s
This post is sponsored by Carter’s; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
I think we can all agree that shopping for baby clothes is really fun. Really, what's cuter than miniature clothing? If you are you looking to create a versatile and well-rounded baby wardrobe for your little one, you’re in the right place. Check out our list of baby fashion, essentials, and accessories that can take you all the way through baby’s first year…and beyond! 
Essential #1 The Original Bodysuit by Carter’s
I was really sad when baby grew out of her first matching sisters outfit or her dress she wore in her 3 month pictures was a bit too short, but I just wasn’t prepared to be sad over growing out of a bodysuit. But, when you think of it, these baby essentials get the most use of anything in their little wardrobes. My baby girl wore The Original Bodysuit under absolutely everything for her entire first year and we had multiple packs in every size from newborn to 12mo. Even to this very day she wears an 12mo sleeveless bodysuit under many of her dresses because it’s just so easy and convenient. 
I will fully admit I kept one of these bodysuits in the smallest sizes, and that I put two bodysuits on the kids’ dolls because I just couldn’t bear to part with them all, but I did pass along as many as I could part with of the dozens we had. Sharing the goodness of one of my favorite baby must-haves makes me really happy, which is why I always visit Carter's and pick up a pack of The Original Bodysuits for new babies.
DIY miniature pot rack from champagne muselet for Lundby dollhouses
A muselet (French: myz.le) is a wire cage that fits over the cork of a bottle of champagne, sparkling wine, or beer to prevent the cork from emerging under the pressure of the carbonated contents.
We ended up with a muselet from a local hard cider a few months back, and after it was removed from the bottle, I set it in my windowsill while I debated what I could make it into. I've seen cute little chairs for fairy gardens made out of muselet and I considered making my own. But, then one day I decided my Lundby dollhouse needed a pot rack and went looking for supplies and found the muselet just waiting to become a lighted pot rack for the house.
Want to make your own miniature pot rack for your dollhouse? It's super easy, doesn't require many supplies, and the end result is really adorable! 
Meet our new robot baby, bObsweep
Have you ever looked around your house and thought "I wonder if a robot would be able to get around that"? No? Well, then you probably don't have a robot baby in the house like we do.
Meet Bob, AKA bObsweep PetHair, the newest member of the family. 
We've been robot-proofing over the last few days and I can now say that a robot would easily be able to navigate around our living areas without any problem at all. Before becoming a mom I honestly never thought I would have a robotic vacuum – I mean, really, how hard is it to run a vacuum by yourself? I'm all for outsourcing whatever I can, but do you really need that chore automated?
I'm here to tell you, yes, I definitely need that automated. You see, vacuuming has slowly been slipping down the list of chores since baby arrived. Sometimes it would be 2 weeks before I would look around at our wool rug and realize how bad it looked. Our awesome thick wool rug is super soft and cozy, but the bad part is that the wool fibers lift up in between vacuuming sessions, making it look like we have a short-haired dog in the house that sheds like crazy.
You can make a difference if you Lift Your Voice
When I think of my biggest wishes for my daughters, at the top of that list is that they always understand that their voices are powerful. Their voices unfortunately have the power to hurt others, but they can have the power to make someone feel loved and special. It’s up to them to use their voices for good. And, just like they can choose whether to use their voices to hurt or to help, their voices also have the ability to make a real difference in the world. 
Melody Ellison™, the newest BeForever™ doll from American Girl, is learning the power of her voice and has arrived just in time for my daughters to really learn from her unique story. Her story is full of life lessons that give us a glimpse back into our past as well as ways to empower our girls to make a difference in the future.
Darigold Farmalicious tour at Coldstream Farms in Deming, WA
It’s just after noon on a beautiful August day and I’m traipsing through countryside, photographing cows, taking in the beautiful scenery, enjoying the company of some of my favorite local bloggers, and feeling at one with nature in so many ways. Thanks to Darigold, I’m getting my first real introduction to farm life while learning about the innermost workings of a family-run dairy farm at Coldstream Farms in Deming, Washington, and honestly, it’s just a lot more nature than I’m used to. But, in some ways it oddly feels like home. 
Anyone who knows me is laughing really hard because no one has ever mistaken me for someone who was cut out for farming. Urban farming even sometimes seems like too much work for me, so when you add in the fact that I’m notoriously squeamish and I prefer to not get dirty, it is abundantly clear that farm life was really never in the cards for me. 
Back to School with AT&T deals
It’s back to school time, and your shopping lists probably look a little like mine do. First, the office supply store, then some clothing basics mix and match separates at the local mall, after that there is backpack shopping at the kids’ store with all three kids, then heading out for a special trip to the organizing store for some lunchbox accessories, and… I’m already glazing over just thinking about all my back to school errands. So, for my own sanity, I needed to add a fun stop for back to school.
For the fun stuff that will actually get them excited about back to school, look no further than AT&T. 
By now you know that the AT&T store carries everything you need to make the most of your mobile devices, and back to school time means everyone is going to be a whole lot more mobile with school schedules, sports, and extracurricular activities. Whether you are looking for a new smartphone so you can keep in touch, speakers for a dorm room, a tablet so they can do homework when they can’t be at a computer, or an activity tracker to keep up with all those extra steps they will be racking up on campus, AT&T has you covered. 
Ready to start the fun back to school shopping? Here are just a few great deals for back to school:
Britax Frontier ClickTight Harness to Booster Seat review
It’s a big time in our house! Baby girl has finally reached a really big milestone: she outgrew her infant seat and it’s now time to switch her to a rear facing convertible seat.
But, the problem is that we have three young children in car seats and we own a compact sedan. Knowing what a tight fit the infant car seat had been, I was dreading moving her to an even bigger seat because it was clear it just wasn’t going to work. We looked into numerous convertible seats to transition her to, but they were all just too big.
It began to look like we had two options: 1) buy a new car, or 2) switch my almost 6 year old to a booster seat. Obviously, neither option appealed to me. So, I began to research anything and everything to fit three across in our compact sedan.
When I found the Britax Frontier ClickTight, I realized that it just might be the best of all worlds – a 5 point harness that converts to a booster seat and is slim enough to fit in a compact car easily. With the dimensions of 19" W x 36" H x 21" D at its maximum and only 28” H at minimum, it’s one of the slimmer car seats we found anywhere, and by far the slimmest with the features we were looking for. Add in the fact that it converts and can be used by my son until he no longer needs a seat and it’s the clear choice.
As soon it arrived, the kids went crazy celebrating their “big switch”.
Sorry, baby girl. This is your brother’s seat. Your new-to-you Britax convertible seat will hopefully be just as exciting.
Embrace the magic with Pete’s Dragon – in theaters this week
When I think of my own childhood, I definitely wouldn’t describe it as magical. Sure, it was a good childhood, and I have some really awesome memories, but it was always rooted in reality. Since I was the fourth of five children, it meant that if the older siblings figured out something, I did to. I honestly never remember believing in Santa, in fairies {tooth or otherwise}, or anything else that would be described as magical, and I knew that there were some serious limitations to our finances that meant sometimes we went without.
In parenting my own children now, I’m experiencing the magic of childhood through them. And, I’m always surprised by how that magic really makes everything more fun. It’s not that I now believe in Santa or fairies or that I don’t worry about finances anymore, but there is something really amazing about watching the magic of childhood right in front of you, and it makes me long for that type of magic in my everyday life. 
So, when choosing films, TV shows, and books to read with my kids, I always struggle with the balance between reality and fantasy. I figure they have their whole lives to explore reality, so while they are young I am very much enjoying exploring fantasy with them in ways I never did as a child. But, because I’m an adult, over-the-top fantasy and make believe is hard to get into, so this means walking a fine line between the two worlds and finding things we can all enjoy together. 
Since my son is obsessed with dragons and both kids love magic and adventure, I knew they would be thrilled to see “Pete’s Dragon” at the Seattle media preview. But, even though I knew the kids would love it, I honestly wasn’t expecting that much from the film. Maybe this is because I was picturing a very cartoonish dragon based on the quick previews I had seen, and I was thinking it was going to be one of the movies that leaned too far toward fantasy for my liking.
