Reviews

Pull-Ups First Flush Ambassador Check-In

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“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Pull-Ups. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

As I mentioned recently, I’m pretty stoked to be a Pull-Ups First Flush Ambassador. It’s awesome working with brands we truly love, and since Pull-Ups were so great with our two boys, we know they’ll be a vital tool in potty training E, too. She is a full-on toddler now and Pull-Ups are a great way to introduce the idea of underwear to her with still having the safety net of absorbency for any accidents that happen in the early stages.

The designs on the Pull-Ups are great – pink with polka dots and Minnie Mouse’s face, which E definitely noticed and pointed at when I first showed her the Pull-Up. Fun designs definitely make an impact on how accepting kids will be of trying something new, so we appreciate that Huggies makes both the boy & girl Pull-Ups with fun, familiar characters on them.

Pull-Ups have amazing features to them, three of which really stand out to me:

When there are inevitably accidents in the beginning part of potty training, it’s comforting to know that there are extra-absorbent spots in the most important areas.

These are SO easy to pull up and down, and the elasticity also provides a nice snug fit.

SO, SO, SO important to still be able to open the Pull-Up on the sides – I love that this feature is included!

One tip that is important to remember when potty training is to make sure your child isn’t wearing clothes that make going more difficult. Pants with buttons should be avoided. When you’re around the house, you can just let your child run around with a shirt and their Pull-Up on to make it even easier!

Huggies doesn’t just provide products to help parents with potty training, though. Be sure and check out all the different tools and resources they offer, too, available on the Big Kid Academy via the Pull-Ups website, Facebook page, and Twitter page. These make it even easier to start potty training and celebrate milestones!

There’s also a Big Kid App available on Apple and Android smart phones. The app offer videos and songs and a Big Kid checklist to help your little one in his or her nighttime routine. I have an iPhone and love the app – it’s nice that I’ve got something right at my fingertips no matter if we’re home or visiting grandparents out of town!

Huggies Slip-Ons are Perfect for Toddlers Always On-The-Move!

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“I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Huggies. I received product samples to facilitate my review and to thank me for my participation.”

We are in full-fledged toddler mode in our house. E is 18 months old and runs around the house constantly, whether it’s to transfer her baby dolls from their crib to their strollers, or to chase after her two big brothers. Regardless of what the instance is, she does not want to sit still… which means diaper changes can be a real challenge!

Thankfully HUGGIES has a great solution for busy babies and toddlers – Little Movers Slip-On Diapers! I’ve got a link to a coupon for these, too, by the way – $1 off (or $1.50 off if you share a link with three friends)! Just click here to access the coupon.

These diapers don’t require any opening or adjusting – you just slip them on, meaning your child doesn’t even have to lay down.

The Little Movers Slip-On Diapers are made with stretchy sides, so they provide a great fit without adjustment- they slip on easily and off easily, too. Last night was a perfect moment for me to test out just how effective these diapers are. E was busy looking at a book and could not be bothered to lay down for a diaper change – but it was really easy to have her step into the diaper.

What I love is that you don’t lose the benefits of traditional diapers. These have Leak Lock Protection, which absorb wetness and lock it away from your baby’s skin. I wondered the question I think many of you are thinking too… what happens when they have a dirty diaper?

Easy – the sides can be opened like traditional diapers for those instances when you need to do so.

We love these diapers – they provide us with a really quick diaper-changing experience. E is used to stepping into her pants and shorts, so she is happy to step into her diaper and we don’t get the fussing that we do sometimes when we lay her down for a diaper change. The fit and absorbency are both top-notch, and we’d definitely recommend them to other families with babies who are standing and walking.

Here’s a commercial for the Slip-Ons to give you an even better idea of how they work:

Don’t forget, to access a coupon for these diapers just click here!

I’m a Pull-Ups First Flush Ambassador!

Note: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Pull-Ups. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

I can still remember when our oldest son (who is now 6) was potty training. It was honestly one of the more stressful parenting moments I’ve experienced, and I may have been pretty certain at one point or another that it was just never going to happen. Of course, it finally did, and then it was a much easier process with our now-4-year-old. But of course with the birth of baby E we entered back into the realm of diapers, and now potty training is looming in the near future. It’s not nearly as intimidating (especially because I hear that girls are MUCH easier to potty train than boys. PLEASE let that be true!) because we’ve been through the tunnel and have made it to the light, so we know we’ll get there… but also because now we’re aware of great resources to help us along the way. We know that patience is key, because if you or your child starts getting frustrated with the process it can lead to setbacks and regression. Being consistent but relaxed about the process will make it more pleasant and effective.

With both the boys, Huggies Pull-Ups were a vital part of the potty training process, and we know that’ll be the case with E, too. If you’re not familiar with them, Pull-Ups are training pants for toddlers that are designed to look and fit more like underwear- kids can pull them up and down while still having the absorbency to catch any accidents!

Although we’d heard of and used Pull-Ups, I didn’t know about the Huggies Pull-Ups site and all it had to offer, like their Potty Training Fun-damentals (you can even print out a potty chart to get your child excited about keeping track of their progress). But more than that, parents can gain tips along the way, like this (which I never would’ve thought of!):

Take a test run. Parents shouldn’t assume their child knows how to put on or take off pants. With each new outfit, there should be practice time. Children will be more willing to go to the potty if they are confident they can undress with confidence.

I’m SO excited to be a Pull-Ups Ambassador, because Pull-Ups are a product I really believe in after having experienced how well they work for our kids, and I’m impressed with all their site has to offer. There are so many resources available on the Big Kid Academy (via thePull-Ups website, like I mentioned), but also on their Facebook and Twitter pages. E loves to dance, so I know we’ll be using the Potty Dance songs to get her excited about potty training!

I hope you’ll keep up with our potty training adventures – I’ll be back over the next several weeks with a few more posts that will be helpful for you as you think about potty training your little ones!

Spring Style with OshKosh B’gosh

Note: I participated in an Influencer Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for OshKosh B’gosh. I received a gift card to facilitate my shopping trip and to thank me for participating.

We love OshKosh B’gosh for all three of our kids (who, if you don’t remember, are 6, 4, and 1). Our boys always think their t-shirts are really cool, and I always find a million adorable outfits for baby E. We don’t have one in our city, but thankfully my mother-in-law does. Almost every time we go visit we manage to make it over and do a little shopping at the OshKosh store.

Spring is almost here in Texas (well, it’s already here some days, with winter days in between) so we’re starting to think about a warmer-weather wardrobe for the kids – not to mention the fact that they’re all three growing like weeds! My mother-in-law, Michelle, graciously agreed to help me with this post and took on the task of shopping for the grandkids (which, let me tell you, she’s a pro at!).

One thing I love about OshKosh B’gosh stores is that your money can really go a long way. They always have sales, and when you find coupons too your savings really add up quickly. Did I mention I have a GREAT coupon to share with you in this post? Yes, I know, I’m wonderful like that. Anyway, back to what I was saying – OshKosh clothes are well-made AND affordable. They hold up well to the wear and tear of energetic little boys, they wash and dry well, and we get a lot of use out of them. Of course, they’re also well-designed too, which can be really hard to find when you’re shopping kids’ clothes! Check out the boys tees wall, for instance – they have a ton of options to choose from!

Michelle texted me the pictures above and we let the boys pick their favorites to purchase. They each picked by themselves without knowing what the other had selected, and they both picked the exact same three shirts as their favorites.

These will be really great for wearing to school. I love the colors on all three of them. The boys also got some new jeans (badly needed! The speed at which they manage to get holes in knees of pants is astounding), some dress shirts, and PJs:

Michelle got the two pairs of PJs on the left in the picture above. I love how the cars and rockets go up onto the shirts from the pants – so creative!

Of course, there’s no way baby E got left out from getting new clothes. While it’s a lot of fun shopping for the boys, it’s admittedly MUCH more fun shopping for girls’ clothes. Check out the photo below – I love every outfit on that rack. OshKosh B’gosh does a great job of providing separates that coordinate really well together and stand alone well, too.

I love how the polka dots on the skirt coordinate with the dots on the shirt, and the little pink bow just adds the perfect sweet touch to it all.

Adorable denim dress – the ruffles provide a nice detail, and the nautical-inspired belt is right on trend for the spring. It would be really easy to swap the belt out with a strip of grosgrain ribbon to create a new look that coordinates with other accessories, too.

Last but not least, these two shirts are fresh and airy, perfect for spring – and they both pair great with the shorts and silver sandals. These outfits are great for little ones but are so stylish that I kind of wish they made them in adult sizes too!

Now that you’ve seen all these great spring looks from OshKosh B’gosh I’m sure you’re chomping at the bit to do a little shopping of your own, right? Well, here’s where that coupon I mentioned earlier comes into play:

Simply spend $30 or more and you’ll get 20% off! And if you don’t have a store near you (you can check here for store locations), don’t fret – the coupon is good online, too. It expires March 12, 2014.

Happy Shopping!

Inject Some Color into Your Dinner Routine With Novogratz Dinnerware

Note: We received plates to facilitate our review. We were not compensated monetarily. All opinions are honest and are our own.

We have had solid-colored dishes since getting married ten years ago. We started out with teal, navy, and yellow, but over the years we’ve accumulated other colors. I love our dishes but have been looking for a way to freshen things up… when along comes the Novogratz dinnerware collection to save the day.

We have the dinner and salad plates shown above – aren’t they fun? Brian and I love modern design and the kids think the design is great, too, so they’re an all-around hit. But my favorite part is all the color. Virtually any color you have in your current dishes are represented in the Novogratz line, which made it incredibly easy for us to incorporate a fun new look at dinner.

Don’t the plates look great with our yellow, red, and navy pieces? They look great blended with our solid plates, too:

Of course, what good is amazing style if you can’t afford it, right? Thankfully the Novogratz dinnerware collection is completely affordable. It’s offered at Macy’s and costs only $9-$29 per piece – lovely! Personally, I think I may have to get their melamine popcorn tub for movie night.

Be sure and check out their complete line of offerings on Macy’s and add some color and fun to your dinner table!

You Can Win Big at Chuck E Cheese’s!

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Note: We received guest passes to facilitate our trip to Chuck E Cheese’s. All opinions in this post are honest and are my own.

Our kids adore going to Chuck E Cheese’s, so they were thrilled when we told them we were going to meet some friends there this past weekend. They think the pizza is really good, and of course their favorite part is playing games and winning tickets.

Right now Chuck E Cheese’s is running a “Let the Good Times Rip!” in-store game where parents can get excited about winning prizes, too! To play, just peel off the game piece on your 18-ounce adult-size cup to see what you won. You could win a $5,000 Disney® Cruise Line Vacation, XBox One™ Console, Razor Crazy Cart™, PlayStation® 4 Console, Chuck E. Cheese’s gift cards, board games, tickets and more. This in-store game is going on now until March 31st so don’t miss out!

The kids had fun peeling off their game pieces to see what they won – we all got extra tickets, which is always a good thing!

Be sure and pop in to play the game before March 31 – don’t forget, every cup has a prize! And of course, while you’re there you and your family can get in some great quality time and good food.

Eco-Friendly with Style Galore from FLOR

Note: We received FLOR Upcycle carpet squares to facilitate our review. We were not compensated monetarily for this post. All opinions are honest and are entirely those of myself and my family. I am a huge FLOR fan, and was prior to any review experience with the company.

We’ve been in our new house now for almost 8 months now. It always takes me a while to feel settled in to a new house, but adding finishing touches like frames on the wall and curtains on the window have made it feel more homey to me. And since we’ve got tile floors in the house (which is a big change after having had carpet pretty much all my life!), we’ve discovered that adding rugs is a great solution. It warms the space up, it provides soft spaces for the kids to play, and it absorbs sound so that our open floor plan and high ceilings don’t result in a cavernous feeling.

I’ve written before about how much we love FLOR carpet squares for our family. It was over six months ago that I wrote about our FLOR rug in the living room, and we still adore it. It’s plush and soft, and has held up extremely well to the kids and to our large Labrador/Golden Retriever mix.

Well, now FLOR has released their new Spring Collection, and there’s yet another reason to love these squares – they’re eco-friendly! I was particularly drawn to the Upcycle line. The striped design is modern and fun, and it’s created from random strands of recycled nylon yarns, so it’s as beautiful as it is earth-aware. The pattern and durability make this style a go-to for active spaces, which is why we decided to put it in our play area. The low pile is great for playing and for easy vacuuming.

The amber-hued stripe has flecks of gold that catch in the sunlight, adding a subtle sparkle to our rug that gives it a little something special. We loved the idea of alternating the direction of the squares to give the rug even more interest, and we think it looks great in the play area! The kids love it.

Of course, there are other amazing designs in the 2014 Spring Collection from FLOR – I was thisclose to going with the Ambrosia squares – don’t they look great under a dining table?

Be sure and take a look at the other offerings in the new collection – I was so impressed with all the different options. I really can’t speak highly enough of FLOR squares – we recommend them to family and friends, and they’ll always be my first go-to for floor coverings. Now I just need to figure out which room needs a FLOR rug next. :)

Diamond Candles Provide Quality & Element of Surprise

Note: I received a Diamond Candle to facilitate my review. All opinions are honest and are my own.

I love candles. I love the ambiance they provide, the way the scent wafts through the house, and how you can almost set the mood for the house by which aroma you select. So, of course, when I was offered the opportunity to review a Diamond Candle, I said sure!

I was impressed off the bat with the packaging. It’s simple and clean, and the box is an ingenious way to keep the candle safe and still easily accessible – just fold out the corners and the candle slips right out!

I thought the design of the candle itself was really well done, too. It’s simple and modern looking, and doesn’t take away from the look of the candle when you have it out on the counter.

This is no ordinary candle, though… the back of the candle explains how each one contains a ring! If you look on the left side of the candle you can see a circle not far from my thumb. That is where a small gold foil pouch was positioned, and within the pouch was a ring waiting to be discovered.

The rings are what really set Diamond Candles apart from others out there, but I can honestly say that the candles alone are worth the purchase. They’re a good quality (all-natural soy candles), the scent is really nice and they don’t burn too quickly. Which I guess can be a problem if you’re impatient and want your ring out NOW, but I like knowing that my investment in a candle will last me a while.

The boys thought it was really cool that there was a ring hidden in the candle. Not that they’re interested in jewelry, but they thought of it like a treasure hunt and couldn’t wait to see what ring I got. I have to say I was a little curious myself, because there are some rings that are worth up to $5,000!

Eventually the candle burned down enough that we were able to get out the ring, and here’s what I ended up with:

Being 100% honest, this ring isn’t my style and isn’t anything I’d ever wear, but that’s not even a problem because there are Facebook pages where women go to exchange their rings. These candles are a phenomenon, and I didn’t realize just how popular they were until doing a little research for this post! I can understand why, though. Like I mentioned, the candles are good candles – but you get the added benefit of a fun surprise waiting for you… and who couldn’t use a little surprise now and then?

Diamond Candles retail for $24.95 each, which is comparable to other high-quality candles I’ve seen on the market. And to me it’s worth it to invest in a good candle; my friend had issues with her air conditioner filter getting dirty EXTREMELY fast, and found out it was from cheap candles she had tried burning in her house. The way candles affect your quality of air is something worth considering. Not to mention that the scents from Diamond Candles are really good! I know I’ll be purchasing a Cinnamon Roll candle for the holidays!

Britax Booster – Parkway SGL 2013 • Continuing Car Safety for Kids!

Note: We received the Britax Parkway SGL 2013 to facilitate our review. All opinions in this post are honest and are entirely our own. We are huge Britax fans and have purchased two Britax seats for our kids prior to this review.

I have always been very aware of car seat safety for my kids, and J has still been in his five-point harness Britax Marathon seat up until very recently (can I just say that I love that the Britax seats have such a high weight limit? We’ve definitely gotten our money’s worth with the seats). He started kindergarten this week, which I’m still slightly in denial about, and he asked us multiple times about switching to a “big kid” seat. We knew we wanted to get him a booster, but to be honest the switch from a five-point harness made me a little nervous. So, after a lot of research we learned what we already knew – the Britax Parkway SGL 2013 has the features we want that make the booster incredibly safe and functional.

First off, if you’ve looked into booster seats at all you know there are two kinds – those with backs, and those without. We wanted one with a back, which the Parkway has… BUT you can also remove the back and use it as a backless booster. I love this, because that means this can be the seat he’s in until he’s big enough to not need a booster anymore. It’s just another way that Britax shows their value, in my opinion. I’ll talk about the features in a minute, which are what really impress us… but the sheer length of time you’re able to use Britax seats is enough on its own to make these worthwhile.

Now let’s talk about features. This is no ordinary booster – it’s SO well designed for safety and for easy use.

• ISOFLEX Flexible Lower LATCH Connection System secures the booster seat to the vehicle in seconds from either side of the booster seat with two clicks and a pull. ISOFLEX prevents the booster seat from becoming a projectile when not in use, and stabilizes it during a crash. This was SO easy to do. Brian placed the seat in the car, as you can see above, and then he used the two LATCH straps to connect to our anchors in the car:

And then – without having to climb into the seat and awkwardly shove his knee into it – he just easily pulled the strap on each side, heard the clicks, and voila! the seat was securely anchored.
• Base with SafeCell Technology designed to keep your child safe and secure in a crash by compressing and significantly lowering the center of gravity, reducing the forward movement of the car seat.
• SecureGuard works with the vehicle safety belt to prevent the child from sliding under the lap-belt portion of the safety belt (submarining) during impact, thus minimizing the risk of abdominal injury. We love this feature, too – the shoulder guide keeps the top strap where it needs to be, but there’s also the SecureGuard “hook” – for lack of a better term – that slips over the lap-belt and keeps it in place over your child’s legs rather than on their abdomen, (the soft abdomen is not safe placement in the instance of a crash, so this is really an awesome feature). Of course, since the SecureGuard is between your child’s legs, it also serves to help keep them from slipping down underneath the lap belt.

Shoulder Strap Guide

SecureGuard

Some other great Parkway SGL 2013 features include:

120-pound Weight Capacity for safety and comfort as your child grows
Quick- Adjust Head Restraint easily adjusts the head restraint from the front of the seat for a more comfortable fit and enhanced safety (this is SO easy to move up and down as needed, just by squeezing a handle on the back of the head restraint)
High Density Comfort Foam (under removable cover) provides an extra layer of padding to cushion your child
Easy-Remove Cover allows easy cleaning (no more wrangling it off in the inevitable instance of a spill!)
Color-Coded Vehicle Belt Guides provide clear indication of the positioning of the vehicle lap and shoulder belt
True Side Impact Protection distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion, contains the head and body, and keeps the head, neck and spine “in true” or aligned, to limit injury
Armrests provide a natural and comfortable place to rest arms
Retractable Cup Holders are designed to hold children’s cups and snacks (J’s FAVORITE feature of the seat… he also likes to hide toys in the cup holders and then stick them back into the booster)
Removable Back allows the booster seat to easily convert to a backless booster while maintaining safety of SecureGuard
MSRP (USD) $159.99 – You can buy it on Amazon for $119.99, though!

We weren’t surprised at all to find that we loved this booster. It gives me the peace of mind, and J the sense of independence – a perfect balance. We will always be a Britax family when it comes to car seats for our kiddos.

Back-To-School Style is Easy with Kohl’s!

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Note: I received a Kohl’s gift card to facilitate our review. All opinions are honest and are my own.

With the latest must-have looks and home essentials available at an incredible value, Kohl’s makes it easy and affordable to update back-to-school wardrobes, organize dorm rooms and outfit first apartments. Of course, in our house we’re prepping for our first true “back-to-school” experience, with our oldest son starting kindergarten. Kohl’s was the perfect spot for us to pick up new clothes to start off the school year in style! At his age, the graphic tees are the biggest hit – and we found a ton that he really liked:

Every single shirt was on sale, which allowed us to get a lot for our money. I also got him a pair of grey shorts and two pairs of jeans (BOGO free!) so we walked out with a huge selection of clothes that he’ll be glad to have for school (he IS going to wear his Ninja Turtles shirt a little earlier for his birthday party, though!). We did get one other thing, the perfect accessory for kindergarten:

A Batman watch! He is looking forward to wearing it and we’re saving it for the big day.

Of course, you can shop for all ages at Kohl’s – beyond clothing for kids, teens, and young adults you can also find dorm necessities and accessories! I love when you can shop for the whole family in just one store. It makes things SO much more efficient! Of course, at Kohl’s you save money, too. Kohl’s offers shoppers a variety of ways to get values on the brands they love. Kohl’s Cash (we earned $20 in Kohl’s cash on our trip), coupons and Kohl’s Charge card discounts can be used in conjunction with sales events to maximize savings. Keep up with Kohl’s on Facebook, too, for all sorts of style tips and latest store happenings.

Organize With Style – Stackable Storage from Bankers Box

Note: I received boxes to try out in order to facilitate my review. I was not compensated monetarily for this post. All opinions are honest and are my own.

It’s been about a month since we moved into our new house, and we’re still settling. Moving with three kids 5 & under is a lot more time-intensive and exhausting than moving with one 6-month-old, like we did at our last move. Little by little, though, we’re making the house feel like home. We have much more space, which has been wonderful – and we’re figuring out ways to be organized and start off on a good foot.

One thing that we’ve used and love are the new stackable storage boxes from Bankers Box. We first became familiar with the brand for their file boxes, which were great for moving important files and keeping them safe. But now they’ve expanded their line of storage to include beautiful, functional storage for other areas of the home. These boxes are a smartly-designed system that really maximizes your storage space for the home. They’re also made from 60 percent recycled content, so they’re environmentally friendly!

We received under-bed and medium storage boxes to try out, and I immediately put the under-bed boxes to use in the boys’ room. They’re perfect for storing extra blankets under the boys’ bunk bed!

The handles are reinforced and the boxes are very sturdy.

And as you can see, the pattern on the box is great. It’s a little more feminine, but the boys didn’t mind it because it’s black and white. These boxes are attractive, which make them a great option to use in any room of the house.

The windows in the box make it SO easy to tell what is inside:

And they fit neatly under my kids’ beds:

I really love these boxes, and I’m planning to use the medium-sized boxes for storage in our bedroom and closet. If you’re looking for storage that is functional AND stylish, be sure and check out the Bankers Boxes for home organization. There are a variety of sizes available on Amazon.com.

Kid-Friendly Style with FLOR Carpet Tiles

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Note: We received FLOR carpet tiles to facilitate our review. We were not compensated monetarily. All opinions in this post are honest and are my own.

Since getting married, Brian and I have always enjoyed decorating the space in which we live. We share a modern aesthetic, which has made the process pretty fun for us. When our kids came along, we were still able to keep the style we like by picking furniture with clean, straight lines.

Of course, as we all know, kids do make it harder to keep things clean. We’ve had to be particular in the fabric we picked for our couch, for instance, because we knew spills would inevitably grace its surface. And at our old house, the beige carpet was SO hard to keep clean! It was constantly spotted from some spill or another, but it would’ve been too expensive to recarpet the whole house, so we just cleaned it as best we could.

We were really thankful to find a new house with tile in the main living areas, though, and we’ve been in the new house about a month. There are a few downsides to tile, though. It’s a hard surface, for one thing. And kids fall down a lot. Especially babies learning to walk… and little boys who love to wrestle. So, yeah, tile has the potential for disaster. Another negative to tile is that it can make the house seem… echo-y, for lack of a better word. Moving in couches and chairs and other soft surfaces helps with this, but we knew what the real solution to both of our tile-related problems would be – a rug.

We knew we wanted a rug around the couch, so that our feet could have a cozy spot to land, and so that if kids roll off the couch, they come in contact with something soft. It would also really ground the sofa in the room, and add a little color (which we love!) to the decor. Of course, rugs can come with a lot of the same problems as carpet. They’re big, they’re expensive, and if you spill something on one you really just have to deal with it unless you want to buy a whole new rug. We also, in our searching, had a hard time finding a rug that was the color scheme we wanted for our space – blues and greens, and certain shades of these blues and greens, at that.

Enter FLOR – the perfect solution. If you haven’t heard of them before, they’re a system of carpet tiles that you (easily) assemble with adhesive dots to create a rug (or even wall-to-wall carpeting) of any size. Each tile is 19.7″ square, so a grid of 12 squares makes about a 5’x7′ rug. I looked at all the different styles – there are a LOT – and decided that the slightly shaggy Rake Me Over style was perfect for us. There were tons of colors to pick from, too, which made me happy. I knew I wanted blues and greens, but wasn’t sure about the layout. FLOR makes it really easy with a customization tool that lets you play with your layout sooooo easily. I had a lot of fun with it!

Once I figured out the layout, it generated the list of which squares we needed. I saved my design to my account, which made it really easy for laying out the tiles when they arrived. They came in two boxes, neatly stacked inside:

And we also got adhesive dots, and instructions (which you really don’t even need – it’s very intuitive to put the rug together):

You can see in the next photo how large the dots are – and they’ve got lines to make it really easy to put them exactly where they need to go:

You can also see all our squares ready to be laid out:

Here’s a side view of one of the tiles – love the shaggy texture!

I referred to my design and it took mere minutes to lay it out on the floor.

Then, all I did was lift up each corner where two or more squares met and install a dot:

So, so, so easy to do, and voila! A beautiful rug that compliments our living room perfectly.

Of course, beyond the ease of installation and the customization options, FLOR tiles are SO kid-friendly! Let’s say our 4-year-old spills his red juice on one of the tiles and stains it. Rather than having to replace a whole rug, we’d just need to pop up one square and spend less than $20 to have our rug looking like new again. And I say they’re kid-friendly… but really they’re Christi-friendly, too. We had some FLOR tiles in the dining area of our old house, and I spilled HOT PINK craft paint all over one tile. It was so nice to just replace the tile and not have to spend a lot of money to make it look good again.

FLOR has more than just solid-colored tiles, though. They have patterns galore, and you could really have a field day with different designs. As for us, we’re loving our rug! Be sure and check out flor.com, and play around with the customization tool to make a rug that’s perfect for your space.

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