Baby Dipper review AND GIVEAWAY!!

I was skeptical. How could it possibly, actually work? We had previously purchased TWO suction cupped products designed to stick to the table and the were made of FAIL expensive FAIL.

Baby Dipper is a triangular shaped bowl with a contoured inside guiding food to the lowest point where the spoon rests. Gravity! What a novel idea! There isn't a suction cupped base but a thick non-slip base.....really, it works, I was surprised. Genius.

She invented this after having twins and knowing there was a need for one hand feeding. Not only does this work well for one hand feeding, it works GREAT for the toddler, who just HAS to feed themselves! Easy to use, easy to wash and gives Zealand a sense of accomplishment, when he can clear his own bowl of grits (his favorite....hey, we ARE in the South!).

Now, how can someone invent such a WONDERFUL product while taking care of twins (now 2 sets of twins) and I can't even get bothered to shower every day?! Anyway...

Did I mention the SET is ONLY $9.99?! Yep, it comes with the spoon too!!

Pick them up at Babydipper.com OR use your swagbucks and buy them from Amazon!

Win a set for yourself here!
Thank you Barbara!!

Contest will end: January 10th

Mandatory entry:
Follow Baby Dipper on Twitter

Additional Entries:
Fan Baby Dipper on FB
Follow Baby Dipper's blog
Add my button to your blog
Subscribe to my blog via email
Follow my blog
Follow me on twitter
TWEET! (once per day)

Disclaimer: Baby Dipper sent me a product for review. I was not paid for my opinions, they are mine and solely mine. kthxbai

It's Hip Hop, Baby! Review and GIVEAWAY!!

I was a sent an It's Hip Hop, Baby! CD and DVD after contacting the company through twitter and telling them HOW much Zealand loved music! The minute we received the package, I tore through it and put in the DVD. Zealand was in a trance for 20 minutes. He didn't really participate because he was so transfixed on these children dancing and singing all over the TV, the first time! The 2nd time (back to back being played, by request) he danced ALL over the family room! Both the CD and the DVD that was sent have GREAT songs like: Head Shoulders Knees & Toes, If you're Happy and You Know It and Hip Hop Alphabet! These songs are geared toward getting your toddler on their feet, moving and grooving and (gasp) exercising! These have great beats, encouraging repetition and rhyme, following instructions and dance and movement.
The children look like they really are having fun!

Shop for their ALL of their DVD and CDs here!

OR

It's Hip Hop, Baby! has offered a DVD to YOU!
They are offering their second DVD, Get Healthy Get Fit!

Giveaway open to US
Ends: 12/30

Mandatory Entry:
Go to It's Hip Hop, Baby! and tell me one of the celebrities that endorse this product!

Additional entries:
Follow It's Hip Hop, Baby! on twitter
Follow It's Hip Hop, Baby! on their blog
Follow me on twitter
Follow my blog
Subscribe to my blog via email
Tweet once a day


Disclaimer: I was sent a DVD and a CD to review and report my honest view and opinions.

Zealand's Carnival Extravaganza!

Well, it's over. Weeks of planning, painting and lamenting and I am exhausted. I think everyone had a great time....at least I hope they did. We had a bean bag toss, a ring toss, a duck scoop, bowling, face painting and an arts and crafts table. I had polaroid film and took pictures of each guest/child in the picture banner. I ordered pizza and made nachos and cheese. Christian made cherry popcorn balls and we offered cotton candy and potato chips. Party favors were carnival stickers, big top sippy cups and mini popcorn balls. I hand made and strung 100 pennants and made a faux ticket booth. If you have any questions about how anything was made, I would love to share with you how I did it all! Enjoy! I am off to rest!

A day at the pumpkin patch

I am very much aware that I have been withholding valuable, precious pictures from you. I have possibly the world's worst camera. It eats batteries like candy and has a temperament of a toddler. I'm not sure I could pay someone to take it. So without further adieu....our day at the pumpkin patch.
Disclaimer: Zealand did/would not nap prior to our arrival and therefore was almost totally unamused by anything except the dump trucks at the sand playground.

weehuggers review AND GIVEAWAY!! CLOSED

I'm always excited to test out new diapers. There has to be something that's bigger and better being made every moment! I approached weehuggers AIO to do a review/giveaway with them, and they were more than compliant!

Let me start with the packaging. An adorable heart shaped paper clip attached to a plastic baggy with loop tabs was in with my diaper. A very cute and personal touch, which I haven't seen with ANY other diaper.

I pre-washed the diaper only once (cold rinse, hot wash, cold rinse) before I let Zealand do the first test run. I am not a fan of hook and loop for the most part because of how Bum Genius' laundry tabs shrivel and cause the hook to loop on everything in the wash....errr. I liked how wee huggers doesn't have a laundry tab yet a removable tab cover...although I KNOW I will lose them and then not be happy. (Customer service will send you new tabs if you lose yours!!) Let me tell you, trying to get the tabs off the hook hand...is HARD! They say they have a kung-fu grip, well believe it!( My mom who has a bad wrist from falling last year and osteoporosis from breast cancer and cannot work this diaper, so I hope that means Zealand can't either!) I hang dry my diaper covers and shells, which is something you will need AT LEAST 48 hours to do with this bamboo diaper.

We were sent a large as Zealand is about 26ish pounds. I'm always leery of larges because Zealand is such a small, large KWIM? But his weight DOES fall into their large category. My mom was in town for the first reveal, and she commented on how it hung in his tooshie area. And it really did! He looked like a bug butt:) I was initially disappointed, going into our second trial. I pulled it up high and wrapped it around snug....much better. He still has a small bug butt, but I think it's because he has lots of room to grow into this diaper. (I think we need a medium) Definetly measure before you decide what size!

We took this diaper for a test run to Walmart (I know...don't get me started on that). Zealand changed into this diaper at 8:00am and played at the house before we headed to breakfast and to the store. By the time we got home, it was 1:00pm. He had leaked straight through. This could be for one or two reasons. 1. I used a crappy Free and Clear detergent that made my diapers stinky/ammonia-y and leak or 2. Because of the bamboo outer shell, these are not made to last much longer than 3 hours.

I love the gussets. REAL gussets. He hasn't had a bowel movement yet...of course he won't till after the review is up, (murphy's law) :) I also love the waterproof bamboo PUL, not polyester or vinyl feeling, but nice and soft. Before today I would have placed this diaper as 5th or 6th place. Now that I have fixed the bug butt somewhat, I can really see the potential and now place it 2nd or 3rd for a DAYTIME diaper!!



I like it better OVERALL than Wonderworks, Happy Baby, Bumkins, Bella Bottoms and Bamboo Bums
I like it better for EASE TO PUT ON/FIT than knickernappie, Fuzzi Bunz OS, Bella Bottoms, Happy Baby and Bamboo Bums (because it IS velcro)
I like it better CONSTRUCTION wise than Bum Genius 3.0 velcro, Fuzzi Bunz OS, Bumkins, Bella Bottoms and Bamboo Bums (no stuffing or covers needed)


Final synopsis:
Super cute! Super strong hook/loop! Super soft! NOT a nighttime diaper and not intended to be worn for a long amount of time. Easy to use with no snaps. Takes a LONG time to dry because of bamboo. Considerably trimmer than other diapers on the market. Great price for bamboo AIO.

My final HONEST opinion on cloth diapers in general:
I look for ease when I look to BUY diapers. I want one that I know when DH grabs it, it will last whatever we have going. I don't want to have to second guess or pack extra clothes. I don't like having alot of sized diapers because I have two babies in diapers! I like to throw in a couple of one size diapers in my diaper bag and not have to worry who I will need to change while we are out. I like to have my diapers transpose from day to night with ease. Don't get me wrong, I have my fair share of sized diapers and my fair share of diapers I don't trust at night. Sometimes I'm a bad mom, but hey, I have two babies, usually one on each hip WHILE pushing a cart, WHILE grocery shopping, so I forget to change a diaper or two. Sometimes they go 5 hours. My mission is to find the best ALL AROUND diaper, not the best make-do for now and watch the clock so we don't go over 3 hours and have a leak diaper.

Wanna Win one?!

Mandatory entry:
Go to the weehuggers site and tell me your favorite color

Additional entries: (leave 1 comment PER entry)
Follow my blog
Follow me on twitter
Grab my NEW button for your blog
Follow weehuggers on twitter

TWEET this giveaway!

Contest will end Monday September 7th during cloth diaper chat!

eebee's adventures review AND GIVEAWAY!! CLOSED

That's Zealand with his puppet, mesmerized by eebee's adventures. He DOES not watch TV or movies, to the point where we turned off our cable. He's just too busy. Sometimes something will catch his eye and he will sit and watch for a minute, then quickly goes back to playing. I have 100's of movies for him and I even invested in Your Baby Can Read (at full price mind you) and he could care less about all of them. I know it is a good thing, but sometimes Mama wants a babysitter KWIM?

Here's the interview on what eebees is all about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4efUIpNJXKw


So here I am, with that puppet on my hand, you can see the computer cord on the right hand side if the pic, I took the puppet off for a second to tweet, and he pitched a fit! He really cares for these movies even though they seem really babyish for him. The lady kinda weirds me out, I think its the lack of music and talking, since eebee only babbles. These movies make me feel like a bad parent because they make playing with a purpose so super easy to do! I have since started more purposeful play and will be blogging about that a lot....thanks to eebee. These movies are hands on, and use household products to engage and teach infants and toddlers. Zealand loves it and I think besides Roly Poly Ollie, this might be his favorite thing to watch. The theme song it stuck in my head and has been since we starting watching it.....that is good marketing right?! I recommend the movies to not only watch WITH your child, but to MIMIC what they are doing. Be a HANDS ON PARENT!!

eebee's adventures have offered one of my readers a chance to win a 3 pack of DVDs!
retail valued at $48.45

Enter here to win:

Mandatory entry:
1.Follow @eebeebaby on twitter and tweet this giveaway!
(leave your status link as your comment)

Additional entries:
2.Request to be a fan of eebee's adventures on FB
3. Follow my blog
4. Subscribe to my blog
5. Follow me on twitter (leave your twitter ID)
6. Tell me something you do/or will do as purposeful play!
7. Tweet as often as you like for as many entries as you want...just leave your status as a comment

Make sure your email is visible in your blogger account
Can't wait to read your responses!!!

Giveaway will end Sunday August 16th at noonish
Winner will be contacted and have 48 hours to respond or a new Mom will be very happy:)

I received 3 eebee's adventures movies and an adorable puppet for the review

Build-A-Bear review AND GIVEAWAY!!

Out with the old! In with the new! Well, for a day anyway:) As you can see as soon as I opened the box with the Build-A-Bear, Zealand introduced it to Owl. Bear went with us everywhere that day, Owl under one arm and Bear under the other. In the bed for nap time and off to the store and 2 doctor's appointments. I'm sorta glad Bear didn't follow everywhere in the days to come because it made for hard to manage trips that included hand holding!

Build-A-Bear is new for me, I've never been in one of their stores although I definitely know all about them and the concept. I had been wanting to go this summer, once I heard that they now have a specialty owl for the release of Harry Potter but we don't have one in town, so I haven't made it into their store yet! Zealand has PLENTY of stuffed animals, and I assure you, this is no lie, this is the ONLY animal that has caught his attention other than his beloved Owl. Maybe because is has clothes and shoes? Or the fact that is it really quite adorable? Made well? All of the above probably.

For the month of August Build-A-Bear if running a $29.99 promotion. Get ANY bear, ANY hanging outfit and shoes. That's more than I would spend on a bear normally, but I know there are some DIE HARD Build-A-Bear enthusiasts and that this is a great deal in terms of Build-A-Bear deals!!!

Wanna win one?
Build-A-Bear has offered YOU my readers a chance to get your own dressed bear similar to Zealand's!!

Main entry:
1. Follow Build-A-Bear on twitter and tweet that you saw them @zealandsmom (leave your status link as a comment)

Additional entries:
2. Become a facebook fan of Build-A-Bear
3. Follow my blog
4. Put my button on your blog
5. Follow me on twitter
6. Subscribe to my RSS feeds
7. Tell me who you would give the bear to?
8. Any constructive criticism for my blog?

Contest ends Wednesday August 19th at noonish EST
Winners are chosen through random.org
Winner will be emailed and have 48 hours to respond. If no response, I will chose a new winner.

Build-A-Bear sent me a bear for the review.