Ivy Van Dusen

7/15/2019 No sweet note{s}

7/10/2019 No sweet note{s}

24 random things about life lately and turning 24:

1. My birthday was on Father's day this year! It happens every 7 (?) or so years.

2. My cute mom got this sign for my birthday! (okay so maybe it was more for Jack's birthday which was the next day, considering it is a lego-themed sign but still!)

3. 24 has always been a number I've liked! In 5th grade we were all assigned a number for the year based on where we were in the class ABC order and I was #24!

4. Kody took me on a little staycation getaway in Scottsdale a few days after my birthday and it was the BEST. I love little getaways like that! So much fun. Time alone with my hubby, hot tubs, night swimming, yummy food/drinks and getting to sleep in?? Seriously the best gift anyone could get me. Will try and post more about that later!

5. We are currently in the process of moving from Utah to Arizona (more on that later too), and everything lately is nuts!

6. We are staying with my parents while we find a place of our own and even though things are crazy (and totally cramped), being at their house is so fun!! I missed them so much.

7. Finding a decent, affordable place to rent is easy. I have found like 15. Getting ahold of property managers and actually getting the rental? NEAR IMPOSSIBLE. We have had such a hard time finding a place to live.

8. BUT we actually got lucky found our new place today and I am so pumped!!! It is so cute and bright and in our price range and I just love it. I called the realtor literally like 45 minutes after it was listed (early in the morning) and somehow was able to be the first one to see it even though it became super popular. Also, it is a HOUSE, not an apartment which I am so beyond excited about. All of our married life we have been in little apartments and now it feels like we are in the big leagues! It is a little house, but it is a cute house and it will be our HOME for the next while! So. so. so. excited.

9. 2 years ago I went into labor ON my 22nd birthday. I didn't get PF Changs birthday dinner, but I did get a baby!! Best birthday weekend ever.

10. Kody & I are soooo not used to the sun/heat. In the past 3 weeks we have both gotten totally sick from the sun! In california a few weeks ago I got suburned pretty bad and ended up feeling like I had the flu for the entire next day. Kody had the same thing happen a few days ago. Nobody else got sick so I don't think it was viral/anything contagious, it was just awful! Living in Utah for 6 years and then moving to Arizona in the summer can mess you up for a bit and we definitely need to be more careful.

11. I am in SUCH a workout funk lately.

12. The other night we watched the movie on Netflix with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston (forgot what it was called but you probably know what I'm talking about) and I LOVED it! So cute, so funny, so dumb and so my-type-of-movie.

13. We are going up to June Lake, California next week for the 4th and I'm so excited.

14. The 4th of July is one of the best days of the year (second only to Christmas). It is so casual and fun! I love anything-America and I love summertime so it is just great.

15. Ever since becoming a mom I have the HARDEST time reading the news. Especially when ithe stories involve children. A sweet little girl went missing in Utah a few weeks ago and I was in such a sad mood for a few days and just couldn't shake it. The talk about late-term abortion (or abortion as a whole really), the innocent little kids down at the border...just all of that makes me so, so, so sad lately and it is almost like it physically hurts to see it all going on. Every night I just have to take a minute to squeeze my sweet little Jack and thank God that he is in my arms, safe and loved.

16. Speaking of Jack, I just straight up L O V E that kid. Have I mentioned that before?

17. I got a new journal and started writing in it again! Whenever my life gets crazy, writing things down helps me tremendously. Writing in my journal (or even on this blog) helps me see things so much clearer and helps me organize my thoughts :)

18. Something I really want to do lately is find new mom friends (or non-mom friends)! Moving is hard in a lot of ways, one of them being social. I took Jack to a little playdate with a girl his age (the daughter of a girl I didn't know toooo well) this week and it was so fun!!! Good friends are the best.

19. Kody's sister, Kati is also moving from Utah to Arizona which makes me so happy! We just love her (and her husband and cute dogs) and it will be awesome living by them again.

20. I need to go to the temple. I have been sooooo bad at it since I've had Jack. In Utah it was almost impossible to go because we didn't have babysitters for Jack so I rarely did. Now that we live with my parents I have no excuse!!!

21. Some days I feel older than 24. Like I have been married for 20 years and am a super experienced mom, etc. But at the same time I think it's absolute nuts that I'm 24 because in my mind I feel like I'm a child. Every now and then when I'm at places like Chick Fil A when and go to ask for a refil, for a split second I feel like none of the workers will pay attention to me because I'm just a little kid. Then I'm like "wait a second! i'm a grown-a woman!!" and it's kind of a funny feeling.

22. I LOVE living with my mo and getting to hang out with her everyday! I have dreamt of lunch dates with her and Jack for so long.

23. I have been doing some work for my dad since moving here (he's a general contractor and I have been wanting to work for him so long but have lived too far away to do so). Super exciting things are in the works!!! :)

24. I am just so excited to be 24 and am ready to make this the BEST YEAR of my life so far :)

xo

7/10/2019 No sweet note{s}

Today I am super excited to be teaming up again with Smile Brilliant (check out my last video with them here)! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When Kody and I got married and started living together, I remember he has an electric toothbrush and I was so jealous of it! I remember seeing commercials for them and wanting one so badly. They always caught my eye at the store and even my dentist recommended them. After doing my research I just felt like they were way too expensive for our budget so I just kind of gave up and continued using my $3 disposable toothbrush.

As the years went by I started to do different things for my teeth. Thanks to Smile Brilliant I have been able to whiten my teeth from home. I also invested in a water flosser and have started to see a dentist for regular teeth cleanings and check-ups.

BUT, I still was using the cheap, manual toothbrushes from the grocery store.

Until recently.

I started using the cariPRO Ultrasonic Electric Toothbrush a little while back. I was absolutely ecstatic when I saw the package in my mailbox. I brought it in and started using it right away!

There are 5 different modes you can use (unlike so many toothbrushes I have seen that only have one)- clean, white, massage, gum care and sensitive. Over the past few weeks I have been able to try all 5. Most of the time for normal brushing (2x/day), I like to use the cleaning setting. About 3 times a week at night I use whitening. And on days when I use my whitening trays from Smile Brilliant, I like to use the sensitive setting which is great for sensitive teeth (like mine). Every now and then I also like to use the massaging and gum care settings. Healthy gums are SO important.

The toothbrush even uses a smart timer to let you know when to move to a different spot in your mouth. 30 seconds for the lower right side, 30 seconds for the lower left, 30 seconds for the upper right and 30 seconds for the upper left, for a total of 2 minutes (the recommended brushing time). It comes with a charging dock and the charge lasts up to 30 days and I can attest to that. We recently moved and while we have been staying at my parents house, I haven't charged it once. It is amazing!

One of my favorite things about this toothbrush is the price. You know I don't ever buy anything that isn't a deal. The toothbrushes that are comparable to the cariPRO often run at over $200. After reading a variety of reviews, it is clear that this is the very best toothbrush at that price point. It removes 7x (!) more plaque than a normal toothbrush. I didn't realize how bad my other toothbrushes were until I started using this one. The toothbrush heads are also super simple to replace and very reasonably priced.

Right now Smile Brilliant is hosting a giveaway and will be giving away a toothbrush to one of my readers! Simply click here to enter.

You can also use code ivylauren20 for 20% off your toothbrush!

Whew, okay. Never thought I'd write an entire post about a toothbrush but here we are! This thing is absolutely amazing and I'd recommend it to anyone. Have a happy week!

6/18/2019 No sweet note{s}

ABOUT ME

Follow Me!

Labels

Blog Archive

Popular Posts