My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow Review: Oh Baby Baby! Registry Event

Oh Baby Baby! I just gave birth to our third child, Baby L. on 11/1 and in honor of her birth, I have teamed up with Buddy Doo's Adventure-Roos & Little Angel on a Mission to feature some of our absolute must-have baby & mama items!

Today Features:

About My Brest Friend (source: www.mybrestfriend.com)

The first pillow specifically designed for breastfeeding. My Brest Friend was developed in a “laboratory” of new moms, babies, and breastfeeding experts who set out to do what no one had done before: create a pillow whose sole purpose was to answer all the needs of breastfeeding moms and babies. Spearheading the effort was inventor Andrew Zenoff, a bachelor who proved that sometimes the best ideas come from those who have just enough distance from a problem to imagine solutions that have never been considered before.First, Andrew and his team compiled a list of every complaint breastfeeding moms could think of with the existing pillows. The list ranged from lower back pain due to improper support, to poor latch-on, to babies “rolling” inward or away during the feeding due to using U-shaped pillows. This began a lengthy cycle of design and test, followed by redesign and retest until we had built over 50 prototypes in a single year. We poked, prodded, raised, lowered, tightened, loosened, shifted and adorned until, at last, we had a pillow that our mom testers loved so much, they couldn’t find a single way to improve upon it. Then, and only then, did we introduce My Brest Friend to mothers everywhere.16 years later: the pillow loved around the worldToday My Brest Friend’s patented wrap-around design has made fans in over 33 countries where it is sold, as well as being used in hundreds of NIC units and birthing hospitals. It is the #1 choice of lactation consultants and consistently earns raves among nursing mothers, many of whom tell us our pillow has helped them achieve longer holding and feeding cycles with their babies. My Brest Friend has helped millions of moms breastfeed their babies. Our stylish new prints and fabrics make My Brest Friend the perfect item to register for or give as a gift.

S.M.M. Review

Allergy Buyers Club Down Comforter Review & #Giveaway

Winter is quickly closing in on us and here in Chicago it is already COLD, COLD, COLD! When it's cold out I make sure we have our nice warm down comforter on the bed for keeping toasty on those cold nights. Read below a review by my friend at Open Hands of a wonderful down comforter and enter to win one of your own!

Brrr....baby it's cold outside!! Well, at least in our neck of the woods. There are some things I absolutely adore about this time of year. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite Holidays, pumpkin in any dessert is my absolute favorite, celebrating the birth of Christ and so much more. However...I am not a fan of the cold; but if it's going to be cold , I don't want to complain ; I want to find the perks of it. So...

Hot cocoa, fuzzy socks and snuggling up under a warm blanket. You may remember that a few weeks ago we were introduced to the company Allergy Buyers Club, you can read our initial review here. Allergy Buyers Club has a great variety of products, and we were sent a new comforter for our bed. Now, Hubs and I have been married for a little over 9 years now and we've had our share of comforters. Our favorite though was a down comforter we invested in years ago...sadly it went missing (I'm pretty sure it was "kidnapped" by a house guest...but that would be a story for another day). SO , I was thrilled when the Restful Nights- All Natural Down Comforter showed up on our doorstep.

Day 1: Pinterest Challenge - Kids Turkey Craft

We all know how fun it is to "pin" all over Pinterest, but how many of those ideas can the average person actually replicate? I mean, I have tried a handful of pins and can admit I have about a 50% success rate. Who really has the time to make some of that stuff?! Do the moms stay up all night or lock their children up while doing it?! Are there people whose only job is to create pin worthy crafts and recipes with the sole purpose of making the rest of us feel like failures half the time?!

With this on my mind. I've decided to challenge myself (while taking care of 2 toddlers and a newborn) and see how successful I can be at completing my favorite pins. I haven't picked a particular time frame for this challenge but the idea is to cross different types of pins (ie kids crafts, home remedies, recipes) and report back my success or failure here on the blog.

So, enjoy the ride, it's sure to be a bumpy one!

To start off, I selected something easy and fun to do with the kids and perfect for this time of year:

Turkey decorations!

Click here to see the pin.

Basically, the supplies are:

• Toilet paper roll (I used paper towel roll cut in half)
• Paper plate
• Brown, red, orange, yellow paint
• Construction paper
• Craft googly eyes

Directions:

1. Paint toilet paper roll brown for turkey head/ body
2. Cut paper plate in half and paint it yellow, red, orange for the turkeys tail
3. Let both dry and glue two googly eyes near top of toilet paper roll.
4. Cut out triangle from orange or yellow construction paper and glue under eyes for beak.
5. Glue back of body/head to front of tail (paper plate).

Experience:

Both kids easily painted the body/head brown. Then, they enjoyed painting the tails anyway they wished. The only limitation I gave them was the colors they could use. Otherwise, they both freely painted the tail and made it uniquely theirs. Once finished, we let them dry. We didn't have any craft googly eyes so I just painted the eyes on with white paint and made the centers the colors of the kids eyes. I also decided to paint yellow legs and feet on them for added fun.

Outcome:

I think this was a success as the kids are just shy of 2 and 4 years old so they aren't exactly painting experts but they really loved it!

Improvements?

The only thing I would do I'd trim down the paper towel roll halves a little so the tail would stick out above them, but otherwise it looks pretty close to me!

Verdict:

Enjoy today's post? Make sure you check back often for the next Pinterest Pass or Fail!

Also, while you are here, please take just a moment and vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs! Thanks so much!

 

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Velata Raclette Fondue Review & #Giveaway

The holidays are upon us and with that comes the fun (and burden) of entertaining. I always find the biggest challenge is planning a meal that's fun for everyone yet doesn't require me to spend all night in the kitchen, away from the fun. Below is a review and giveaway of a great kitchen appliance for entertaining by my friend at Open Hands!

The Holidays are all about bringing people together, and I truly believe one of the best ways to connect with someone is over a meal. Think about it...a first date and you're so careful about what you order, how big of bites you take, you pray that nothing is stuck between your teeth. Then it happens, you're married and you eat your meal laughing without a care in the world of how that food gets in your mouth. Right? That's what happens when we are comfortable with someone, we can enjoy a meal and have fun ; with no nerves.

So, I love having people over for meals. I just think its a great way to connect & I love to entertain. So I was really excited to see that Velata has come out with a new product to make entertaining even more fun. You might remember a little over a year ago I did a review for this great company and their fondue warmers. You can read that review here. Consultant Anna Lessard, has been kind enough to work with me again and share this fabulous new Velata Raclette with us.

If you didn't watch that video, stop reading and go watch! Really, you must see this thing in action. .....

 

Ok, now that you're back, let me tell you. This thing really is great. When I first saw the video above it kind of reminded me of the Melting Pot, which is one of our favorite places to eat; but the nearest one is over an hour away so we just really don't have the chance to go. To be able to have this experience at home, sounded perfect to me!

 

Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil #Giveaway

Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil Giveaway

32 OZ Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil   Coconut Oil is great for a ton of things!  From cooking to nursing a baby, it has versatile uses all over your home.  Below is a giveaway of Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil hosted by my blogger friend at Little Angel on a Mission.  Be sure to read her full review and enter to win some of your own!

A while back, Little Angel on a Mission received a 32 oz jar of the Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil to review. She absolutely loved it and now has the chance to giveaway a jar to one lucky reader!! You can read her review here. 
•       Tropical Traditions Home Page: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com
•       Gold Label Product Page: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/virgin_coconut_oil.htm
•       What is Virgin Coconut Oil: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/what_is_virgin_coconut_oil.htm
•       How to Use Coconut Oil: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/how-to-use-coconut-oil.htm

Enter to win below!

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Connect with Tropical Traditions: Facebook|Twitter|Pinterest|Google+
Purchase here online.  

Disclaimer: If this is a product review, I received a free sample to facilitate my review. No monetary compensation was provided. All opinions are completely my own. My participation is voluntary. I am disclosing in accordance with FTC 16 CFR Part 255. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR Part 255:"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. “If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.”
*Savy Mommy Moments did not receive any form of compensation for posting and promoting this review/giveaway.

Go Mama Go Designs Review & #Giveaway: Oh Baby Baby! Registry Event!

Oh Baby Baby! I just gave birth to our third child, Baby L. on 11/1 and in honor of her birth, I have teamed up with Buddy Doo's Adventure-Roos & Little Angel on a Mission to feature some of our absolute must-have baby & mama items!

Today Features:

Our Mission: Educating parents about crib bumper safety...

Go Mama Go Designs was started by moms armed with a mission to create a safe, cozy sleep environment for infants. We also believe that you don't have to compromise fashion for safety!

Go Mama Go Designs 

Giveaway Winners!

Congratulations!!

Lansinoh Nursing Prize Pack: JLin M.

Gladditudes Mommy Bag: Taleah

Free Birds/Chuck E. Cheese: Jennifer T.

If you see your name above, be sure to check your e-mail.  I do send out verifications.  You often aren't required to respond, but it's nice to be sure the address and prize choice you entered is correct.  Also, if you didn't supply your address or prize selection, I will need you to provide them.

Make sure you enter all of the current live giveaways!

Baby Comfy Nose Review & #Giveaway! Oh Baby Baby Registry Event!

Oh Baby Baby! I just gave birth to our third child, Baby L. on 11/1 and in honor of her birth, I have teamed up with Buddy Doo's Adventure-Roos & Little Angel on a Mission to feature some of our absolute must-have baby & mama items!

Today Features:

Personally, baby boogers drive me crazy! As soon as I see they are up there and stuffing up my little ones nose, I HAVE to get them out. However, I detest those little aspirators that won't even get them to budge and the baby always hates! It never ends with a booger exiting their nose, but rather with me and baby in tears! Read below a review by my friend at Little Angel on a Mission about a revolutionary new product that makes boogie extraction a breeze for mommy and baby!

Deliver Your Holiday Cards On Time with Cardstore.com

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Cardstore. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.
It's that time of year again, the Holidays, and if you are anything like me getting cute, personalized holiday cards to all your family and friends is a bittersweet experience. To be honest, out of the last five years, I've only managed to get them out before Christmas once and the other time they turned into New Years cards! So, when I was introduced to Cardstore.com, I was thrilled to find out what they offer and how they can help me through the daunting task this year.
They not only offer a huge selection of holiday themed cards as well as any other occasion, but they also offer an easy to use addressing and mailing service that will send your personalized cards directly to your loved ones! Can it get easier than that?!
Want to learn more? Visit Cardstore.com today and start your holiday cards!
From 11/14 – 11/20 Cardstore is offering $20 off your $50 order, and from 11/21 – 11/26 Cardstore is offering 30% off Holiday cards!

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Tiny Love My Nature Pals Stroll Review & #Giveaway: Oh Baby Baby! Registry Event!

Oh Baby Baby! I just gave birth to our third child, Baby L. on 11/1 and in honor of her birth, I have teamed up with Buddy Doo's Adventure-Roos & Little Angel on a Mission to feature some of our absolute must-have baby & mama items!

Today Features:

About Tiny Love (source: www.tinylove.com)

Who are we?
Tiny Love® is a multiple award-winning global toy and baby product manufacturer which was founded in 1991 by Shoshi and Isaac Oren, entrepreneurs who had built the largest chain of baby supplies and toy stores in Israel. They began branching out into the field of developmental toys by focusing on creating toys and accessories to promote and maximize baby’s development from birth through 12 months. Today, our products are distributed in more than 50 countries worldwide.
Continuous support of parents and babies
We believe that when a baby is born a parent is born as well. Just like babies grow and develop, so do parents evolve and change. Our high-quality products are aimed at helping parents fulfill their role in their baby's life. Furthermore, our team is made up of parents who have personal hands-on experience with the needs of parents and their babies, because they've gone through the same things. We believe that this helps us become a trusted partner to parents worldwide.
Striving to ongoing innovation and originality
Tiny Love® strives to ongoing innovation and originality. Among the company's products you will find innovative crib mobiles and the flagship Gymini® line. In fact, Tiny Love® is the proud inventor of the Gymini® Activity Mat. The company launched the very first Gymini® in 1993 and the first electronic mobile in 2002. In 2010, the company entered the light gear category with it's Gymini® Bouncer and has launched new products in this exciting category.
We believe that development can be fun
Every one of our products is designed to meet the needs of both parents and their babies, stimulating babies‘ senses and helping parents enjoy the time they spend with their babies. Our aim is to help encourage baby's development through enjoyable playtime, stimulating features and fun toys.
We work with the experts
Tiny Love has a team of experts in child development and developmental toys that guides our creative team through the process of inventing new products.We are always on the lookout for the next developmental toys that will stimulate your baby's skills and senses and help you enjoy your time together during those first immensely exciting years. Quality & Safety are top on our list of priorities and all our products meet the most rigorous safety standards.

S.M.M. Review

source: www.tinylove.com

Beba Bean Review & #Giveaway! Oh Baby Baby! Registry Event!

Oh Baby Baby! I just gave birth to our third child, Baby L. on 11/1 and in honor of her birth, I have teamed up with Buddy Doo's Adventure-Roos & Little Angel on a Mission to feature some of our absolute must-have baby & mama items!

Today Features:

When someone has a baby, it can be difficult to decide and find the perfect gift to send. Flowers are okay, but honestly it's kind of like giving someone who has a new human to care for something else to take care of. Fruit baskets are good too, but what new parents really love are cute new things for baby! Check out the below review and giveaway of Baba Bean by my blogger friend at Little Angel on a Mission!

Free Birds & Chuck E. Cheese Review & #Giveaway!

I just love Thanksgiving and this holiday season there is a fun new movie that has been released, Free Birds! This awesome movie has paired up with Chuck E. Cheese to bring you some awesome promotions!

About

The buddy comedy stars pizza-loving Reggie, voiced by Owen Wilson, and Jake, voiced by Woody Harrelson as a turkey tag-team intent on taking turkeys off the Thanksgiving menu. It also happens to be Chuck E. Cheese’s big-screen debut.

In turn, Chuck E. Cheese’s locations will feature exclusive Free Birds merchandise and activities as part of the company’s fall in-store promotion. From collectable Rock-N-Wristbands available with any pizza purchase deal and printable activities for the kids to Chuck E.’s Movie Matchup Sweepstakes for free prizes, there are lots of fun and exciting activities surrounding the partnership!

Rock-N-Wristbands
Just in time for the holidays, “Free Birds” stars two turkeys from opposite sides of the track who must put aside their differences and team up to travel back in time to change the course of history – and get turkey off the menu for good. Jake and Reggie love pizza, and we're sure your family does, too! Show your “Free Birds” support by collecting Rock-N-Wristbands in stores now! Collect all four with any pizza purchase deal at Chuck E. Cheese’s this fall featuring Chuck E., his guitar, and Jake and Reggie from the “Free Birds” movie in theaters Nov. 1!

“Free Birds” and Chuck E. Cheese’s Activities
If you’re in need of some indoor activities for your little turkeys as the weather gets cooler, check out these Free Birds inspired connect the dots, word search, maze and coloring  sheets from Chuck E. Cheese’s. Additionally, with the help of special “Free Birds” and Chuck E. Cheese’s Rewards Calendars, if the kids set – and stick with – new fall goals like gobbling up those veggies and saying thanks, they can receive 10 free tokens for their hard work when completed.

Additional Resources
For additional resources, exclusive video content and information about current promotions involving Chuck E. Cheese’s and “Free Birds,” fans can visit www.chuckecheese.com/wristbands or connect with Chuck E. Cheese’s on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and foursquare. Fans can also gobble up all things “Free Birds” by following the #FreeBirds hashtag or visiting the movie’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels.

S.M.M. Review

 We received a really fun Free Birds themed package!  It included: 

• Free Birds Movie Poster
• 2 FB Turkey Hats
• 4 passes to Free Birds Movie
• 2 Chuck E. Cheese passes
• 4 FB Rock-N-Wristbands

Immediately upon opening up the box, my kids went wild over the Turkey Hats!  And to be honest, so did Savy Daddy and I.  The hats are really made nicely and easily fit on kids/adults heads! They have been a hit ever since receiving them!

Savy Daddy and Big N., also took full advantage of the movie passes and went to see Free Birds! Before they left, Big N. picked out his favorite Rock-N-Wristband to wear and was super excited that it featured one of the main characters!  As for the movie,  Big N. really loved it and came home telling me all about the funny parts and quoting some of it! Savy Daddy said it had some really funny lines and kept him amused which was a bonus for a kids themed movie! Overall, they both really enjoyed the comedy, characters and theme of the movie, as well as the fact that it was the perfect length at just an hour and a half long.  I am pretty sure Big N's favorite part was the pizza in the movie.

As for the Chuck E. Cheese passes, since Baby L. was born on 11/1/13, we haven't had a chance to go as we want to limit the germs we bring into our home.  We will likely use the passes early next year when she is bigger and can handle anything better.  But, we really look forward to going to Chuck E. Cheese because they have a ton of fun stuff for our kids to do.  You can check it out here!

Learn More: Exclusive video content and information about current promotions involving Chuck E. Cheese’s and “Free Birds,” you can visit www.chuckecheese.com/wristbands or connect with Chuck E. Cheese’s on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and foursquare. Fans can also gobble up all things “Free Birds” by following the #FreeBirds hashtag or visiting the movie’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels.

Check out the move trailer below!

Win: One luck fan will win 2 movie passes to see the Free Birds movie, 1 Chuck E. Cheese pass good for one large pizza, four drinks and 30 tokens, and two exclusive Free Birds Rock-N-Wristbands! Giveaway Ends 11/18/13 at 11:59pm CST.  Open to U.S. Residents Only.

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*No other blogs, except Savy Mommy Moments, were compensated for posting or promoting this review and giveaway.  Prize fulfillment is the responsibility of the sponsor and not this blog*

The first ten days..

Well, it's been 11 days since Baby L. entered our crazy life! After having two previous babies in the last four years, I figured this one would be easy. Haha!
It hasn't been too bad, but so far we have encountered:

• Fairly quick labor and delivery (7 hours)
• Baby born with cord wrapped very tight (daddy didn't get to cut this time since it was an emergency) which led to delay in initial response cries (cue panicky mommy) and slightly lower APGAR scores 7/9.
• Largest baby born at 8# 6oz.
• Baby born with most amount of hair! Full head and almost jet black!
• Baby who refuses to sleep anywhere except attached to mommy. Thank you Moby Wrap! Prayed for sleep..
• Breast milk jaundice. Yellow baby! Prayed for poop..
• Very slow weight gain (our current battle). Goodbye sleep that we prayed for...now we must wake her up every two hours.
• Four year old with major anxiety that we will leave in the middle of the night again. Bedtime is fun...
• Two year old with a 48 hour fever which led to baby and mommy quarantine. Super daddy to the rescue!

Other than that we have enjoyed lots of hugs, kisses, a big sister who adores her baby sister to the moon and back and a big brother who doesn't want to hold his new baby sister but admits he still likes her.

All in all, it's not going exactly as expected but we love our bigger family and every single day together is a new and exciting adventure.

Next week, I'll tackle being home alone ALL DAY with three kids under 4!

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Allergy Buyers Club Dyson DC34 Handheld Review and #Giveaway

 

It's quickly approaching that time of year again...winter and with it comes lots of sniffles and dusty, stale surfaces inside your home. No one has time to lug out the big ole vacuum every day to keep things clean. Wouldn't it be nice to have something smaller to help keep your home clean and healthy? Read below about the Allergy Buyers Club and the Dyson DC34 Handheld Vacuum from my blogger friend at Open Hands.

 

Since 1998, Allergy Buyers Club has specialized in allergy relief products. Their best in class products are natural, green and hypoallergenic. They appeal to all those who wish to have a clean, healthy home that is free of pollutants.

When I was introduced to Allergy Buyers Club, I was incredibly impressed with the wide variety of products. They offer water filters, mattresses and more.

Shrinx Belly Postpartum Wrap Review & #Giveaway: Day 17: Oh Baby Baby! Registry Event!

Oh Baby Baby!  I am expecting my 3rd child any day now and in honor of this upcoming birth, I have teamed up with Buddy Doo's Adventure-Roos & Little Angel on a Mission to feature some of our absolute must-have baby & mama items!

Day Seventeen Features:

What's the first thing you want to do after having a baby, that well, isn't directly involving said baby (because we all know snuggles is #1-3 on that list!).  For me, it was to lose the baby weight.  Honestly, I haven't lost much of it still, but I'm blaming it on the 6 month period where Buddy Doo didn't sleep more than 10 hours a week.  I'll let you reread that sentence again.  That's less than two hours a day....and he didn't sleep more than 20-30 minutes at a time.  Remember THAT when you're upset that your child keeps waking every two hours (but then goes right back to sleep).  Needless to say that lack of sleep didn't do well with my metabolism or weight loss. Boo.

Skinny POP Popcorn #Giveaway!! YUM!

We just love, love, love Skinny Pop in our house! It's so important to me, as a mother and wife, to provide my family with snack items that don't contain artificial ingredients or chemicals! I mean, it's popcorn! What would you need other than maybe the popcorn and a little salt?!
Skinny Pop Giveaway

Hosted by: Little Angel on a Mission

Sponsored by: Skinny Pop

You can read Little Angel on a Mission's review on the Skinny Pop she received here.

If you love popcorn this giveaway is for you!

Skinny Pop is offering ONE case of popcorn to one lucky reader!

This giveaway starts on 11/02/13 and is open to US residents. 18+

Fill out the Giveaway Tool below to enter to win.

Good luck to everyone!

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*Little Angel on a Mission and all participating blogs are not responsible for prize fulfillment. This giveaway is not associated with any social media outlet. This blog did not receive any form of compensation in exchange for posting and promoting this review.*