New Leesa Mattress

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY LEESA BUT THE WORDS AND THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN:

I have to start off by saying I'm very particular when it comes to sleeping comfortably, specifically a mattress and pillow. So a couple weeks ago we upgraded our mattress & we couldn't be more happy that we did! Oh and the girls are also obsessed! They all want to sleep with us now so we might have to be upgrading their mattresses soon too!

Leesa recently improved the top layer of foam and now keeps you cooler with the perfect amount of hug and bounce. We have seriously been sleeping better than ever! The fact that it is able to keep me cool throughout the night is a huge bonus, because, hello hormones. Am I right mamas? Also, I personally love that Leesa has minimal motion transfer so it doesn't wake up my husband when I get out of bed in the middle of the night if I need to tend to one of the girls! The mattress does not sink or make any noise what so ever! Huge difference from our previous.

Also, their pillow is wonderful, doesn't flatten out and most importantly supports my neck all night long. It is beautifully designed and very comfortable. I have to say, this pillow would be a dreamy gift for anyone this holiday season! See what I did there ;)

Lastly, I wanted to share some back story on my experience with the Leesa customer service team: At times that newborn haze rolls around... When ordering my mattress I accidentally ordered the wrong size! #mombrain And of course I did not realize this until after it was delivered! Anyway, I contacted their customer service, explained that it was completely my mistake & guys they made the exchange process SO easy! They even arranged for pickup! I'm still so impressed with how they handled everything and streamlined my next shipment. I really can't recommend this company enough!

The wonderful folks at Leesa have been so generous to give me a discount code for all of you to use at www.leesa.com!
Use special discount code: RAISINGLITTLEWOMEN for $160 off any mattress!

Wishing you a blessed and restful holiday season!

xx
Belinda

DYI Natural Deodorant

Ever since my mom was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer, stage 3, nearly four years ago, I really began taking note of everything I was putting in and on my body. And most conventional deodorants contain toxic ingredients such as aluminum chlorohydrate, parabens, propylene glycol and triclosan, among other questionable ones. Of course none of us want to smell bad, but antiperspirants block sweat pores and prevent natural detoxification.  So here's yet another reason why I can't live without my oils.

It's actually really simple to make an effective all natural deodorant, here are the 6 ingredients: 

• Organic coconut oil is a great moisturizer, has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, and it feels great on your skin

• Grapefruit essential oil has Vitamin C, has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, and smells great

• Melaleuca essential oil is great on skin irritations and has cleansing properties

• Lavendar is also great on skin and smells amazing

• Baking soda helps absorb orders, and it too has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties

• Arrowroot starch which gives your deodorant a nice consistency   

What you will need:

 3 tbsp of organic coconut oil 

15 drops of Grapefruit

10 drops of Lavender

10 drops of Melaleuca 

2 tbsp of Arrowroot

2 tbsp of Baking Soda

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a spoon. I then transfer it all to a 4oz canning jar that have those sealing lids. It may seem like a little bit but this batch usually last me about two months which is perfect for me. Note, coconut oils hardens at room temperature and you don't want to keep it in direct sunlight either because it can become too watery, so I usually just store it in my bathroom medicine cabinet. You can also mix and match other essential oils, such as Cedarwood or Bergamont, that have similar properties to find the perfect aroma for you! And just in case you were wondering, YES this all natural deodorant is edible! ;)

Fresh Start

Happy New Year!

So it has literally been forever since I last blogged & I do have several sessions from last year that I would like to show you all...

As most of you might know, this past November life got a whole lot sweeter for our family when we welcomed our healthy baby girl Eléa Elise. She has brought us so much joy and completes us. We are all smitten with her over here.

But guess what? I miss having all of you in front of my camera! I am happy to announce that I'm returning from my maternity. I will start booking for February but a very limited amount of sessions each month so that I can offer the best customer service possible.

ALSO, I'll be giving away a session to celebrate my return :) It will all take place on my Instagram account @belindalovephoto! Make sure your following us & repost the appropriate photo with the hashtag #blpfreshstart

Giveaway details:

• LIKE original photo in Instagram found @belindalovephoto
• Be following @belindalovephoto
• REPOST original photo with the hashtag #blpfreshstart + tag @belindalovephoto
• Tag a friend in comments that you think might be interested in giveaway. Tag additional friends (one tag per comment please) for extra entries
• Due to the nature of the giveaway, profiles must be set to PUBLIC so that I can verify all steps were followed. THAT IS IT!
• Winner will receive credit towards a 30 minute photo session with option to upgrade to a Full 60 minute session to be used before the end of April 2016. Location must be within 25 miles from 90241.

>>> Winner will be announced Monday February 8th! GOOD LUCK!

Alex + Priscilla // Downtown Los Angeles Portraits

Twenty-fifteen started with an amazing couple in downtown Los Angeles. Literally we went out on New Years day! So much fun with these two love birds <3

Currently residing in San Francisco, Priscilla, an L.A. native, will always be an "Angelino" ;)

Here are some of my favorites...

We began at Union Station:

  

After a quick wardrobe change, we headed to a rooftop. 

Can I just say the chemistry between these two is undeniable!

 I loved documenting their love...

 

 

Carlos + Vanessa // Los Angeles Engagement