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Friday, April 24, 2015

10 Must Have Baby Items

This post contains affiliate links.  Purchasing something from one of the links does not cost you any extra, but it helps support this blog.  All products in this post are highly recommended by me and, I did not receive compensation for promoting them.

I've tried many different baby products over the last 7 years and 4 babies.  This is a list of 10 items that I would definitely buy again if I had the chance.


Fisher Price Space Saver High Chair

We didn't have any room for a high chair at our old house so I had to get a space saver instead of a traditional high chair.  I'm SOOO glad I did!  It reclines back for young infants, has a 5 point harness, straps onto a chair easily, and the tray slides close enough to the baby that they can't climb out.  The cover wipes clean and can easily be removed to throw in the washing machine.  It also converts to a booster seat although with 4 kids in 7 years, I haven't had the chance to try out that feature yet.  Traditional high chairs with the same features are often twice as expensive as the space saver high chair.



Mam Pacifiers

These are hands-down my favorite pacifiers.  I tried quite a few different ones with Princess, but these were the best.  They come in tons of cute designs and were the only pacifiers that didn't cause irritation around the mouth due to the drool factor.  They have dimples on the underside and holes for airflow.  Little Man's skin was super-sensitive as a baby so the Mam Air Pacifiers were perfect for him with their open design. 



Avent Bottles

The wide mouths on Avent bottles make it easy to mix up a bottle with one hand without dumping formula all over the counter.  The wide design also make the bottles much easier to clean than standard size bottles.  I like that the nipples have numbers right on them to indicate the flow of the nipple so there's no guesswork.  The measurements on the side are also easy to read. 



Baby Einstein Jumper

We started out with an exersaucer, but were able to use my sister's jumperoo for the last two babies (Little Dude is still using it!).  I liked the jumperoo MUCH better than the exersaucer.  It folds up when not in use, has four different height adjustments, and the hanging toys can easily be switched out for different ones.  My kids seemed to like the motion of the jumperoo better than the exersaucer plus the jumperoo isn't as noisy when a baby is jumping in it. 




Bumbo Seat and Tray

I love how lightweight and supportive the Bumbo seat is.  My kids were able to use this from a few months of age.  When we were going somewhere that I knew didn't have a high chair or place to put the baby, I'd throw this in the car to take along.  The tray is small and lightweight as well so it was easy to bring that too. 



Munchkin Traveling Flash Cards


I got these when Princess was little and have used them with all four of my kids.  Babies love flipping the durable pages and chewing on the handle.  Little Man learned all of his letters, colors, shapes, and numbers from this just by looking at it everyday with me, and Star is on her way to learning them too.  I love that the pages can be written on with a dry-erase marker and then wiped clean.  My kids loved tracing the objects on the pages which helped them learn better.  This set of flash cards is great for when you're out and about, and you can easily use baby links through the handle to make sure it doesn't get lost. 



Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes

This is a super cute toy and all of my kids, my nieces and nephews, and everyone else I've ever seen with it has loved it.  It plays classical music so it's not annoying to have to listen to it for long periods of time.  Of course, my favorite feature is the volume control :)



Swaddle Blankets

My all-time favorite swaddle blankets are the large flannel ones my aunt has made for each of my kids, but muslin blankets come in second.  They're lightweight so baby won't get too warm and have just enough stretch in them to easily get a tight swaddle.  I also used them all last summer to throw over the carseat when we were out in the sunshine.     



Lingerie Bag

Baby socks are tiny.  They can easily get lost in the wash so to keep from having to buy new socks every few weeks or so, throw the dirty socks in a lingerie bag and wash them in that. 



Baby Food Grinder

I keep one of these in the car and one at home because they make it so easy to feed the baby whatever we're eating.  Just grind it up, add some liquids if it's thick and you have homemade baby food in just a few minutes. 



What are some of your must-haves for babies?



Thursday, April 16, 2015

"Grace of God" Dvd Review and Giveaway

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising"): Many thanks to the Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.  Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

 
 
 
About the movie:
Having lost his faith many years ago, Detective Bill Broadly is called to investigate the disappearance of the local church's collection plate. As he questions its various church members, rumors swirl as more congregants learn about the theft. When one unexpected church-goer confesses to stealing the funds, the confession resurrects Broadly's views on God, and helps him see that through faith and belief there really is rebirth and redemption.
99 Minutes // Genre: Family, Inspirational // Rating:  NR 
Stars:
•       John Ratzenberger 
                (“Cheers,” WALL-E, Toy Story)
•       Erin Bethea 
                (Fireproof, Letters to God)
•       Lorenzo Lamas
                (“The Bold and the Beautiful,” “Falcon Crest”)

Right from the start of the movie, I had a character pegged as the suspect.  The movie's description said that the thief was an "unexpected church-goer" so I had a few people I thought it also might be, but when the thief finally came clean, I was surprised.  The movie kept me guessing the whole time and had a storyline that was easy to follow, yet interesting with lots of twists and turns.  I enjoyed this movie and can't wait to watch it again with Hubby.  

I wasn't really sure how the tagline "a story of Easter redemption" fit the movie, but the message was still really good.  The perception of Christianity in the movie was spot on.  I also enjoyed the humor in the story line. 

If you're not the winner of the giveaway, you can still buy your own copy of the dvd at Walmart.     

How would you like your own copy of Grace of God?  Enter to win on the Rafflecopter widget below.

This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada.  If you've already won this dvd in a different giveaway, you are not eligible to win it again.  All entries will be verified so play nice!  The winner will be emailed and their name will be displayed on the Rafflecopter widget.
 
 
 

Saturday, April 11, 2015

"The Adventures of Pajama Girl" Review and Giveaway

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising"): Many thanks to the Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.  Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.



About the book:
A cute, illustrated story about a girl's imagination and her magical pajamas. In this adventure, Ellie's cupcake pajamas pave the way for she and her Sis to take a journey to a land filled with all kinds of sweet treats. Their journey quickly turns into an adventure to help the Cupcake Queen find the missing sprinkles needed for her coronation ceremony. In searching for the missing sprinkles, Ellie and Sis uncover a life lesson that is important for every child to learn.


My girls were super excited when we received The Adventures of Pajama Girl and the Coronation of the Cupcake Queen in the mail...anything that involves princesses is pretty high on their list.  :)

The book teaches that stealing is wrong and also about forgiveness.  The lessons were taught in a way that was fun and entertaining.  I also love that the lead character, Elli, prayed for a sweet dream before she went to bed and ended up having such a fun one.  Princess is sometimes upset about having bad dreams and this gave her the idea to pray about it every night.  My girls loved the artwork in the book, and Princess enjoyed reading it to her little sister.

I do wish the book was written in prose instead of in poem form since it doesn't flow very well sometimes, but other than that, the book was perfect.


About the author: 
Sandra Hagee Parker lives in San Antonio with her husband, Ryan, and their daughters, Olivia and Elliana - the original pajama girls. A practicing attorney, Sandy is also a part of the music ministry at Cornerstone Church where she and her husband are leaders. When not working or writing, Sandy enjoys traveling with her family and mastering the art of making Pancakes a la Pajama Girl with her two girls.
How would you like your own hardcover copy of The Adventures of Pajama Girl?  Enter to win on the Rafflecopter widget below.

This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada.  If you've already won this book in a different giveaway, you are not eligible to win it again.  All entries will be verified so play nice!  The winner will be emailed and their name will be displayed on the Rafflecopter widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Wednesday, April 1, 2015

"Whatever Wanda" Review and Giveaway

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising"): Many thanks to the Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.  Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.


About the book:
Wanda is in serious need of an attitude adjustment!  She doesn't want to accompany her family to the Rubber Duck Days Festival, and once there, she won't participate in any of the events or join in with her friends.  Soon Wanda receives some helpful advice and learns that "sometimes you have to believe something will be great before it actually is.  Being positive is a choice that makes everything better, not to mention, a whole lot more fun!"


Sometimes, my kids have attitude problems.  And, as dear Hubby pointed out one day, there's a pretty good chance they inherited them from me. 

Ouch.

When I sat down to read Whatever Wanda with the kids, I really appreciated the message.  It was easy for my kids to understand what the book was saying about bad attitudes and how to fix them plus, I got a good reminder of how to work on my own attitude problem. 

Whatever Wanda has a great story line and adorable artwork.  It's definitely a must have for our bookshelf!  I also plan to look for the other books in the Shine Bright series (Can't Wait Willow and Must-Have Marvin) and will be utilizing the many resources available for kids and adults on the Shine Bright Kids website such as posters, coloring sheets, reward charts, and more!



About the author: 
Christy Ziglar, financial planner, mother of twins, and niece of legendary motivator and the world's original optimist, Zig Ziglar, is bringing the same timeless wisdom and ageless advice to an entirely new, younger audience through her Shine Bright Kids picture book series.



How would you like your own copy of Whatever Wanda?  Enter to win on the Rafflecopter widget below.

This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada.  If you've already won this book in a different giveaway, you are not eligible to win it again.  All entries will be verified so play nice!  The winner will be emailed and their name will be displayed on the Rafflecopter widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  



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