Follow-Up to Brands Featured in 2016 Sponsored Posts

Happy Monday friends! How was your weekend?? Winter storm Jupiter was supposed to cripple our area here in Northeast Kansas for days, but we ended up dodging the bullet and only experienced a couple of hours of drizzly freezing rain Sunday morning. My parents were able to hit the road just a few hours after they originally planned to, and though it makes me so sad every time to see them leave, I’m thankful they were able to get out of here safely. Now I’m gearing up to squeeze my sister and niece tomorrow, so it’s going to be a fun week!

Today’s post is inspired by my blogging friend Chelsea after seeing her write a follow-up post to a product she’d written a sponsored post about months ago. I was genuinely interested in reading her follow-up because I remembered her writing the original post, and as I reader I thought this was such a great way to gain trust and be transparent in a time when sponsored content is so prevalent in blogging and social media.

I tried to note all of the brands that I wrote sponsored content for in 2016, and I’d love to do a quick follow-up of each. If you’d like a follow-up report to a brand that I originally wrote about but that I didn’t list below, please don’t hesitate to let me know. 🙂

Old Spice

Jamie used his products for as long as they lasted. I was excited to give him that toolbox of products when he came home from his deployment! He still uses the toolbox to hold some of his gym equipment, and he wears his head buff constantly when he’s working in the yard or exercising.

dapperbag

I get compliments on this bag constantly, and people are always shocked to hear that it’s a diaper bag. I love that I can wear it on my shoulder or as a backpack. The backpack option is crucial when handling both girls. I wish the top of it zipped closed since I wear it on my back all the time, but it still secures closed very well, so this hasn’t been an issue. The bag itself is a bit heavy because it’s made of real genuine leather, but it’s still very comfortable to wear, especially as a backpack. As expected, the leather has gotten better with age and still looks beautiful after 10 straight months of use (I’ve worn it every day!). I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this brand of bags! Bonus: I know the co-owner and she and her family have worked so hard to make these bags perfect! They’re definitely worthy of your support via a purchase. 🙂

Gerber Lil Beanies

While Sadie absolutely loves these Lil Beanies, Hadley won’t touch them anymore because she now thinks they’re baby food. 🙂

Paula’s Choice

This was the first more “upscale” line of skin care that I’d ever used, and I loved it. I was able to go without makeup for most of the time that I used it. In my opinion, it’s doesn’t hold a candle to Rodan + Field’s skincare though. I would still recommend Paula’s Choice though if R + F is out of your price range.

David’s Bridal

Working with this company both times this year was a dream. The ladies on the other end of our communication were so friendly and easy to work with. They were so generous in making my visions for both looks come to fruition. I would  highly recommend David’s Bridal and their online shop for any of your date night, semi formal, or formal needs. (Cocktail dress | Formal dress)

Tide

If you come to my house, you’ll see a bottle of Tide on top of my washing machine 24/7. We’re loyal to this brand and have been for six years. I only bought a couple more bottles of the Purclean because it was a bit more expensive than what I normally buy, but I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it again for the heavenly lavender scent alone!

LuLaRoe

Oh my gosh, give me all the leggings and Perfect tees! I would seriously live in my black leggings if that were socially acceptable. 🙂 I also just love my perfect tee and wear it constantly! I have worn my Carly dress and Irma tunic a half dozen times each, but I haven’t worn the printed leggings much. I’ve decided that I just can’t do the bold printed leggings thing. I think it looks super cute on others, but not so much on me. 🙂

Golden Tote

I don’t like saying this about a company I worked with, but I’m not sure I would recommend Golden Tote anymore. It was super fun to do once for the surprise factor, but I’m not sure I would pay to do it again. I thought that I really liked the clothes they sent my way, and while they were SPOT ON with sizing (wow!), I don’t regularly wear any of the pieces they sent me. In hindsight, they feel a bit cheap and aren’t my style.

Freshly Picked

Everybody knows the DeSpains love Freshly Picked. We have for years and will continue to put our girls in their shoes for as long as we can. 🙂

Annie Selke

I’m actually snuggled up in Hadley’s Annie Selke fleece blanket as I type this. I was actually just telling my mom that I debated buying one for everyone in our family for Christmas, but money just doesn’t grow on trees quite that way. 🙂 Best fleece blanket in the entire world! Still love the rug (so easy to clean and keep looking great), and I’m still convinced we’ll never have a throw pillow nicer than our Annie Selke one. This brand is quite pricey which keeps me from being able to order more products, but I’m constantly drooling over their products in their emails! I would recommend this brand SO FAST because the quality is honestly worth every single penny if you’re up for the splurge. I can almost 100% guarantee you won’t be sorry!

Diapers.com

We don’t go anywhere without someone complimenting the girls and their coats that I snagged from this site. Love them so much! So easy to wash and wear. The only thing that would make Diapers.com better would be if they offered free shipping. A lot of the products they offer can also be offered on Amazon, so I usually only purchase via Diapers.com if the price is cheaper than Amazon (which it frequently is after coupon codes and sales).

Vicks

We still run this humidifier with its coordinating products almost every night in one of the girls’ rooms! It started leaking recently, but after Jamie cleaned it it started running again perfectly. Our favorite products from the Vicks wellness kit we received were the humidifier, the VapoPads, and the humidity percentage reader. So helpful!

NatureMade

I still take their vitamins, so two thumbs up. 🙂

GivingAssistant.Org

I love how easy this site makes it to earn cash back. If I’m browsing a website that offers cash back via Giving Assistant, a little box pops up in the right hand of my screen that activates my ability to earn cash back. So easy. If you don’t have a cash back program that you use and you shop online, I’d recommend creating an account with Giving Assistant!