The Photographer's Wife Parenting, Disney, Travel, Reviews & Other Randomness

Not to get all sappy or anything, but did anyone else sit back at certain events BEFORE they had kids and wonder what it would be like when you had your kids there in the future? Of course, holidays are time when that happens, but a big one for me was the few times we would go to our local park for the big 4th of July fireworks event. Brett and I would be in our chairs stuffing our faces with delicious food and see all the kids running around and having fun. I think this mostly stands out to me because the last time we went, we were in the process of trying to conceive, so my mind was consumed with future baby Svenson activities.

We didn’t go in 2012 because Trent was less than a month old and last year’s event got rained out. So we were pretty excited to be going this year with a beautiful forecast. At first, we weren’t going to go if it was just going to be us 3, thinking Trent would get bored and antsy. But luckily, Brett’s sister and her friend and all the kids decided to come too and we even added some pool time and barbecue beforehand…it was such a great day!

Trent is such a good sharer…he would always take 2 chips out of the bag…one for him and one for me. “Here, mom…I know you like Doritos!”

With full bellies and water-logged children in tow, we ventured to the fireworks. Our city offers free bus rides that run continuously from a nearby office building, making it easier to get in and out of the park. Trent sat there so well the entire time, looking out the window and being patient…I had never seen anything like it haha!

Brett led the way and found us a perfect spot. We don’t really need to see what’s on the stage and you can hear it from everywhere…Brett just made sure we had a good fireworks spot and a good path to get back to the buses on the way out.

We put the blankets down and opened up our chairs and Trent was ready to run around and play. His auntie just bought him this muscle shirt and what a perfect opportunity to wear it than celebrating America in the South lol!

He did not want to stop running and playing to take a photo with mommy. Looks like we already embarrass him…

The big kids came back with balloons and popsicles and I was so happy that Trent’s cousin remembered him because that boy was over-the-moon happy with his balloon and popsicle.

This next photo has to be one of my new favorites. He was so happy running around with the big kids…even though they were making sure not to run into him and knock him over, he still felt like he was part of the game and ran around and around our little area over and over. Even after all the kids sat down because they were tired, Trent was still ready to play more.

‘murica.

Brett ventured towards the stage to get a different viewpoint. You can see all the vendors lined up behind all the people.

The fireworks started at 9:45, and while they were no where near the level we have come to expect from Disney, they lasted a good 15 minutes and Trent watched the entire time.

Of course, on our way out, we didn’t pick the best bus line to be in…but we still only waited in line about 20 minutes for a bus. Someone offered Trent and I a set of seats - score for being pregnant and carrying a toddler!

We got home late, but Trent the party animal was still awake. It was a wonderful day and Trent had the best time. I hope you had a great day celebrating too!

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway for an iFrogz Tadpole portable bluetooth speaker!

 

Trent and I walk to the park all the time. It’s about an 8-10 minute walk from our house, which is just enough time for me to get a good bit of exercise in and for him to stay put in the stroller before he’s itching to get out. It would be nice to listen to music while walking, but I wouldn’t dare use head or earphones while walking or running with Trent. I like being able to hear any cars coming our way or any sounds he makes.

This was also true when Brett and I would run together with Trent. We liked listening to music, but we also wanted to be safe and be able to communicate with each other without headphones blocking the sound.

We have found a great product to help with that and so much more…the iFrogz Tadpole!

The iFrogz tadpole:

• Convenient: Ultra-small and powerful, the Tadpole delivers big sound everywhere you go.
• Long-Lasting: Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery powers over two hours of continuous play.
• Versatile: The Tadpole is compatible with all Bluetooth 3.0 devices

The iFrogz Tadpole is the ultra-small, super-portable solution to mobile music. It delivers big sound from a tiny package; and with its ability to clip onto keys, purses, belts, and more, the Tadpole brings the party where no other speaker has gone before. Its lithium-ion battery can power over two hours of continuous play and a simple micro-USB charging port makes recharging a snap. And with a variety of fresh colors to choose from, there’s a Tadpole that’s perfect for every style.

It uses Bluetooth 3.0, allowing up to 100 meters of distance before disconnecting from your smartphone. But if it does happen to disconnect, you can just press the button on the Tadpole to reconnect and your smartphone automatically does the rest!

In contrast to a larger bluetooth speaker that would be great for parties and larger spaces, the Tadpole is perfect for a more personal listening experience…because not everyone wants the world to hear their music. It’s battery provides up to 3 hours of music, allowing plenty of time for many uses:

-Working out: Perhaps you are working out with a friend and want to be able to hear each other, or you want to be safer while running in a neighborhood or with a child, or you just want the music as background noise but still want to hear what’s going on around you. It’s definitely a safer way to workout outside…hiking, cycling, running, etc. You can clip it to your clothes or your jogging stroller.

-Cleaning: I can bring it from room to room and still be able to hear it no matter what I’m cleaning. When I use the large stereo in the living room, I am not able to hear it when I’m cleaning all the way in the bathroom with the water on.

-Yard work: Clip it onto you and you’ll be able to hear your music all over the yard and while using lawn equipment. It has a 1-watt speaker inside, so it is loud enough to be heard over the roar of a lawnmower if you have it clipped close to you.

-Listening while baby is asleep: You can keep your music close and low while relaxing without waking up those around you.

-On-the-go: The Tadpole can clip to your purse or keys and go with you anywhere!

-Pranks: I’m not sure if I’m the only one who is this bad, but you could hide the Tadpole and play tricks on people! I’ll let you come up with your own creative ideas for that one!

-For kids: Trent has enjoyed walking around with the Tadpole and dancing to his favorite songs, while Brett or I control the music from our phones!

At just $19.99, the iFrogz Tadpole is an affordable and fun device with so many uses!

To learn more, see color options and accessories and to Buy, you can visit the iFrogz website.

***GIVEAWAY!***

FIVE lucky readers will win an iFogz Tadpole!

Prize: 1 iFrogz Tadpole

Eligibility: Worldwide

Ends: Sunday July 20, 2025 at 11:59 pm EST

How to enter: Use the Rafflecopter form below! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

I received this product in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own and honest. Thanks for reading!

 

I’m sorry everyone…I’ve been really slacking on the baby updates this time around. We’ve taken one progress photo and a few maternity photos at Disney World…and that’s it. The nursery is still a mess and we haven’t even painted it yet.

“We’re not ignoring you baby girl…we’re just really bad with timing this time around, so don’t surprise us with a super early arrival ok?”

I had my shower at work this past week. I don’t normally post too many work details here, but I just have to tell you how amazing my boss is at party-planning. In the 2 years I’ve been here, she’s had to do three wedding showers and 1 baby shower and she can turn a conference room into another world when you walk in.

There was lots of delicious food and it was nice to see everyone come by for a visit. Even Brett and Trent joined us

One of the items on our Baby Registry is a Baby Jogger City Select Double Stroller, so everyone pitched in to make a little mobile with photos of me and the stroller and money to go towards the stroller. Such a cute idea!

I’m so happy to work with such wonderful people. It was also nice enjoying all the leftovers the next day!

 

Our house is becoming quite the technology-driven location. We’ve got more tablets than people, new phones, laptops of years gone by, and a different way of watching tv on each one of our 3 tvs. It sounds like a lot, but technology has gotten so much easier and makes things much easier as well.

We love being outside and having music playing while outside, whether it’s just our little family hanging out in the pool or a big birthday party, which is why I was so glad to have the opportunity to try the Kinivo Digital Wireless Bluetooth Speaker!

This little speaker packs a punch! It’s small, but delivers amazing sound.

Product Features

• Wireless Bluetooth speaker seamlessly streams music from bluetooth-capable smartphones, tablets, and computers
• Class-D amplifier provides high output sound performance; Speaker features bass boost, volume control, and forward/reverse buttons
• Included 3.5mm audio cable allows use with iPods or other non-Bluetooth devices; Features suspension-cone speaker drivers with passive subwoofer
• Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides up to 5 hours of wireless music; Includes USB charging cable for use while battery is charging
• Sleek, portable design; Measures 8 inches wide by 3 inches high by 2.25 inches deep; a small footprint to seamlessly blend into your surroundings or pop into a bag for travel-while still providing rich, clear sound
• 1 year limited hardware warranty
• Ideal for indoors and outdoors

Device compatibility

• - iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S and 5, all iPads
• - Android smartphones - HTC, All Droids, Samsung
• - Blackberry smartphones
• - Tablets like Galaxy Nexus, Samsung
• - All Bluetooth (A2DP) capable devices
• - All MP3 players, CD players, Laptops, Tablets and Other Music Devices with a 3.5mm audio socket

What’s in the Box

• - Kinivo BTX350 digital wireless Bluetooth speaker with built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
• - USB Charging Cable
• - 3.5mm Audio Cable
• - User manual

 

With Brett being home during the day, he got to be the first one to try it out and he even called me at work to let me know how great it was and how it would be perfect to use during Trent’s birthday party.

There are no wires and it can connect wirelessly to your device (i.e. our phones). We placed it on our back porch facing out towards the yard, connected it to Brett’s phone and streamed music for everyone to enjoy during the party. The next day, we even brought it outside to listen to music while we swam in the pool. No matter where you were in the yard, you could hear the music perfectly…clear and loud.

While writing this review, we also took a trip to the beach and brought along our Kinivo speaker. It’s a perfect speaker for the beach. We had a few teenagers with us, who of course all have phones and plenty of music to play, so they just connected to the speaker and played music for all of us. We could hear it over the wind and waves crystal clear.

No matter where we were in our little section of the beach, the speaker stayed connected to the phones. Even while Trent was sleeping and everyone else was in the water, I moved it closer to me and enjoyed the music while relaxing with my toes in the sand.

Anything you play on your phone can play through the speaker, so whether you prefer your downloaded music, Pandora or even the new Amazon music library, you can customize your listening experience. We just chose a playlist from Amazon and let it play without having to do anything else with it the rest of the time. We also really like how our phone lock screens turn into a remote for the device without having to actually go into an app or anything.

I can see the Kinivo Bluetooth speaker becoming a much-used item in our house…gatherings with friends, outdoor barbecues and pool time, and even cleaning the house (not a fun time, but made bearable with the addition of good music). It’s lightweight and convenient, so you can bring it pretty much anywhere!

To learn more and buy, check out the Kinivo website!

You can also buy on Amazon!

 

I received this product in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own and honest. Thanks for reading!

 

On Saturday, we took another trip to Grayton Beach State Park (see our last trip here), ending with dinner at Red Robin. We wanted to make at least one more beach trip before the baby comes, and this was a beautiful day to do it. It was extremely hot, I may have gotten a bit burnt, but it was a fun day. Here are some photos from that day…and a video at the end too!

And a video too!