I have this awesome sister-in-law who is seriously stylish.  Every time I go shopping with her, she teaches me something new about fashion.  Most of the time we’re shopping, I feel like I’m on the show “What Not to Wear” and camera crews are going to jump out at me at any moment, whisking me away with this sister-in-law of mine to give me a fashion makeover, forcing me out of my usual flip-flops and ponytails.  It hasn’t happened yet, but I’m banking on it happening someday.  There are two accessories she has talked to me about for several years:  headbandsand belts.  She explained that both are an easy way to add a “pop” of color, spicing up even my most dreary outfits.

I think this sister-in-law of mine would be excited to see that today we’re featuring BOTH of those accessories, through the company

Vintage Rose Wraps

selling their adorable headbands and belts at 50% Off!!

Check out how cute these are:

The headbands come in one-size -fits-all {the belts one-size-fits-most}, soft cotton fabric with an easy tie to help secure them in place.

So Carrie, my lovely fashionista sister-in-law, I’m going to purchase a couple of these for myself and knock your accessorizing socks off when we see each other again!

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 ‘Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read.’

~ Marilyn Jager Adams, child development expert

In our family, we do a lot of reading.  Some of my favorite moments I have as a mom is when I get to watch Caleb read to his two little sisters.  He feels so important being able to be a “big” brother, and they hang on his every word.  I’m an avid reader too, and love it when I can find a parenting book that is written in an interesting way, introducing new ideas and techniques to help me with the daily struggles of motherhood.

Today’s deal is featuring

 PeachTree Publishers

who specializes in quality children’s books, from picture books to young adult fiction and nonfiction; consumer references in health, education, and parenting; and regional guide books about the American South, where the company is based.

“Our mission is to create books that captivate and educate young and old readers alike, with well-crafted words and pictures.”

I personally am so excited to read this one:

{because I’ll be honest, sometimes I will do almost anything to avoid taking my kids out on errands with me because it can be so un-enjoyable}

and I can’t wait for Caleb to read this one:

{because he says his little sister who copies everything he does is “annoying” and this looks like it might change his perspective}

and there’s even one for my future psychologist husband:

{who I’m sure will start diagnosing our own children pretty soon.}

Leave a comment:  Which book are you excited to read??

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*****Also, don’t forget to enter both giveaways going on right now!!

Enter HERE

and

HERE

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Dinnertime is pretty much the definition of chaos, am I right?  Everyone is tired and hungry, and there’s only so much I can do to make everyone happy while I’m creating a culinary masterpiece…..also known as, boiling water for mac & cheese.  My husband and I try to teach our kids to not being wasteful, so we do our best to keep the lights turned off.  But I find I’m constantly being interrupted from my cooking by Leah, who’s requesting for her light to be turned on so that she can grab one toy or another.  Each time I help her, I wait to turn the light off behind her, only to be interrupted a minute later to turn it on and off again.  How am I supposed to create a scrumtrulescently delicious meal with all of these distractions?

When I saw the awesome glow-in-the-dark lightswitch extender by

KidSwitch,

I knew that it would provide Leah with more independence, which would then allow me to channel my inner Julia Child with one less interruption.  Bon appetit!

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Let’s keep going on these giveaways, shall we??

The next giveaway for today is one:

Safe T Sleep Ltd.

Sleepwrap!!

These awesome sleepwraps are perfect for traveling!!  After spending 4 days in hotels during our Christmas vacation, this would have been so handy to have.  It keeps your little one secure to prevent from rolling over, while also allowing normal movement and comfort so they can sleep, and you can rest easy in those hotel beds knowing they are safe with you.  Perfect!!

Here’s a little video with June and I, demonstrating how to use the Safe T Sleep Sleepwrap:

To enter this giveaway:

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Yes my dear friends, the fun is BACK!!

I love hosting these giveaways, because nothing gets me more excited than getting to find out who the randomly selected winner is.  Even though I don’t know most of you who enter personally, I still get pumped up to announce the name!  I guess it’s a good thing I’m not the host of American Idol or Miss America because the excitement of announcing those winners would probably put me into cardiac arrest.

Okay so to start off the week on a good note, Baby Half Off is offering not just one, but TWO giveaways!!

First up:

One Mumi & Bubi Solid Starter Kit!!

These awesome trays are ideal for freezing homemade baby pureed food and food for older babies too!!  I love that you can freeze up to 42 cubes at once, saving time and space in the freezer with the stackable trays.  I can’t wait to use these when June starts solid foods!!

Included in the giveaway are:

• 2 premium baby food freezing trays with lids (42 cubes for maximum storage)
• step-by-step e-guide with 27 recipes to get you started

To enter this giveaway:

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As new parents, we unfortunately spent too many days and nights in a hospital room with Caleb.  Those were some difficult times, and it was the kindness of others that got us through and provided comfort.

Sue Berk was inspired by her own daughter Rachael’s 8-week NICU stay to create

Scripture Blankets and Blankies

as a thoughtful way to encourage others during a difficult time.  Of course, difficult times aren’t the only time when these blankets would be great to give to someone you care about.  They’d be perfect to celebrate the birth of a new baby, or other special days.

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One of the many things that I felt like I had sacrificed {even though these were sacrifices that were totally worth it to me!} when I became a mom was the ability to not “look” like a mom.  I traded in my cute clothes for ones that I wasn’t concerned about getting spit up on….or even worse…..which has happened many times in my 6 1/2 years of motherhood.  Shudder.

My first diaper bag was the generic black one that was given to us by the hospital.  I didn’t really care what we used, and had pretty much surrendered the idea that I was going to live as a fashionable mother.  If barf and poop were going to be the name of the game, why not just own it??

But as the years have gone on, I’ve found that I can achieve a balance.  And that it’s actually really important for me to find it, so that I remember who I am, that I can be both a mother to messy kids but not live in Frump City.  I decided that I may not be able to completely alter my wardrobe because of finances, but I could start with something.

And I decided that it should start with a really cute diaper bag.  So if you’ve been in the same boat that I’ve been in, and you’re searching for something to change you back to the stylish lady you once were, while still handling a possibly messy child, look no further.

Today’s deal over at Baby Half Off is by

Kalencom

featuring their adorable diaper bags!!

Kalencom’s Laminated Single Buckle Diaper Bag has a magnetic clip that keeps the top flap closed.  The laminated outer layer makes clean up a snap!  Roomy interior with pockets.  Shoulder length straps.  2 outside pockets.  Matching insulated bottle bag.  Coordinating zippered pouch.  Large fold-out padded changing pad.  Kalencom Diaper Bags are AZO free. We use no Phthalates/DEHP, DBP, or BOP in our PVC. 14?x6?x11?

So let’s get our style back, ladies!!

***LEAVE A COMMENT

What are your favorite features when it comes to a diaper bag??

{Mine is making sure it has a LOT of pockets and is easily washable!!}

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Today’s deal is featuring

Mobi

and we had the opportunity to try out a couple of their awesome products!!

First up,

the super-cool

MobiCam Digital Monitoring System,

featuring our night-owl baby June playing an accordian:

The coolest feature for us was that while Ben & I were watching a movie,

we were able to switch back and forth to see what June was up to by hooking up the monitor to our TV!!

And second,

the TempTalk, Multi-Lingual Talking Thermometer,

featuring me showing you how healthy I am:

I love how quickly this took my temperature and how easy it was to use.

Plus, 6 different languages!!!

Where have both of these products been all of my life???  I love them.  They have awesome features that help make parenting just a little easier.  Fabulous!

Thanks Mobi!!

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As a mom who breastfed all three of my children, there were times when I needed to nurse but wasn’t able to.  Whether I was driving in the car, or in the middle of the check-out aisle at the grocery store, I definitely remember moments of discomfort and a little bit of panic, crossing my fingers that my nursing pads would do an adequate job until I could get to a place where I was able to feed my baby.

Today’s deal is featuring

Milkies Milk Savers!!

An awesome product that was created to allow breastfeeding moms to nurse anywhere, eliminating leaks and uncomfortable nursing pads.  Created by registered nurses, the Milk Saver is portable and thin enough so that it isn’t noticeable under clothing.  It is BPA/phthalate-free, and extremely eco-friendly by providing a way to avoid using the other disposable products.  Perfect for working moms, or even for just those moments where you’re unable to breastfeed right when you need to.

As an added bonus, we’re so excited that one of the co-founders of Milkies, Helen Anderson, RN, CLE has graciously offered to answer any questions that our Baby Half Off fans have about Milkies, and is hosting a nursing Q&A!!!

***Please join us Next Friday, Jan 27th at 11 Am (mst) on Facebook and Twitter

for the discussion!!

Invite your friends!!

Read on to get to know Helen and find out how Milkies came to be created:

Helen Anderson, RN, CLE

Co-Founder of Milkies

www.MyMilkies.com

Helen Anderson founded Milkies alongside her mother, Renee Callanan. Together, the mother-daughter team created a patented product, The Milk Saver, which enables breastfeeding mothers to collect milk from the non-nursing side during a breastfeeding or pumping session.

By trade, Helen is a Registered Nurse (RN) and Certified Lactation Educator (CLE).

Helen came up with the idea for Milkies while breastfeeding her youngest son, Henry. At the time she noticed a lot of milk leaking from the non-nursing breast. She was collecting that milk with costly disposable nursing pads and simply throwing away the milk after each feeding. Rather that toss the “liquid gold,” she thought there should be a way to collect it and use it later. When she couldn’t find a milk collection product on the market, she and her mom decided to invent one. Thus, in 2007, Milkies was born.  The Milk-Saver collects milk from the non-nursing side during the breastfeeding session, making it easy to collect and store breast milk than pumping alone.

“We take a lot of pride in the fact that we help breastfeeding moms maximize their milk supply and build their confidence,” says Helen. “Milkies truly is about making a positive impact on moms, babies and the environment. We manufacture locally to our Oregon offices and we buy carbon offsets for every shipment, decreasing our impact on our environment is part of every decision. The Milk-Saver can be recycled in 2 ways- clean it and give to a friend of place it at the curb with other plastics. 

We are making a positive impact on the world with our products, I was able to collect and donate more than 220 ounces of milk.  Other moms have collected and donated over 400 ounces.  Using a Milk-Saver can significantly increase the amount of milk you are able to store.”  Milkies encourages moms to donate their extra breast milk to a local milk bank when possible.

“The Milkies Mission is really about good information. Every parent wants the best for their baby, we want the help families provide that in a way that fits in a busy lifestyle.”

Helen lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two sons (pictured). She is an advocate for the Human Milk Banking Association of America and is committed to the cause of raising considerate and thoughtful children.

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