Enter The Bubblebum booster seat!

This neat, colorful, and fun booster seat is totally portable and perfect for those times when a bigger traditional booster isn’t available or an option. These times may include going on vacation, riding in a taxi, rental car, or bus, or just keeping one in your back seat or trunk for emergencies or for a spare. We love keeping ours in my husband’s car, which has a much smaller backseat. He keeps one traditional car seat installed at all times, and then can bring out the Bubble Bum when he needs it if two of my children ride in his car. Some people use three Bubblebum’s in a row in a very small backseat because of its narrow profile.

The Bubblebum is small and light, so you can easily pack it on an airplane or in a school bag. It is easily inflated and is held securely in place with the car seat belt restraints. My kids enjoy sitting on it as it is cushioned and soft. And the best part is that The Bubblebum meets ALL US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and also has been tested and approved to European Standards as well! Please note The Bubblebum is suitable for children ages 4-11 years who weigh 40-80lbs and should be used only with a 3 point car seat belt. Learn more here about safety and see The Bubblebum in action! (This is a great video that has some helpful info about why using a booster is important.)

At an affordable $39.99, it’s so worthwhile to keep one (or two!) in your car for emergencies, vacations, and more.

Recently featured in Glamour’s September issue under “hottest trends,” Tiny Tags offers necklaces and bracelets customized with your favorite names, initials, dates, and more. These simple and elegant pieces are made of 14k gold filled, which will not chip or tarnish and will wear like solid 14k gold. You can add a Swarovski crystal to your necklace or bracelet to add a little extra sparkle, too!

These pieces make perfect gifts for your mom, grandmom, sister, or friend. Of course, you deserve to wear one, too! Feel free to drop a hint to someone you love to gift you one of these gorgeous, customized necklaces.

Place your order by December 11th and guarantee your customized creation will arrive by Christmas. Please use code “holidays” to receive 20% off, good until 12/11.

One item that I have been trying out recently that has been helping me with my crazy days in transit is the Snoozeshade. This innovative product was developed by a mom in the UK who had a similar problem toting around her child during the day in her carrier never seemed to work too well. She created the Snoozeshade to help create a dark, un-obtrusive environment to help her baby sleep more soundly and comfortably.

Though my daughter generally doesn’t sleep well in her infant carrier, I tried out the Snoozeshade last week while toting her to preschool to drop off my son. The halls of the school were loud and crazy, yet my daughter was sleeping peacefully inside her carrier with the Snoozeshade on. I love the zipper feature that allows me to peek inside to see if she is sleeping or awake. The Snoozeshade helps with the various lighting changes from the transition out of the car in the bright sun to inside. The Snoozeshade accommodates almost all baby carriers and has Velcro tabs to help secure it to the carrier. It’s also available as a cover for your stroller or twin. It’s simple and easy to take on and take off, and is made of a breathable, washable fabric. As a bonus, the Snoozeshade has an SPF of 50+, perfect to guard your child from the harsh rays of the sun. It also helps to block out insects, too!

If you are a mom like me juggling multiple children, or you just have a child that gets distracted easily when you want them to sleep on the go, definitely give the Snoozeshade a try! Check out their channel on Youtube for more info!

So when I had my third child, I was looking for a carrier or wrap that would solve all of these issues and make me a dedicated wrap wearer. I found it with the Baby K’tan!

Baby K’tan is a soft sling that works like a wrap, but without all of the wrapping. It is made of two loops of cotton which are connected by a third smaller loop called the Back Support Band. These loops are the foundation for many different positions that you can carry your child in. It’s sort of a cross between a soft sling and a traditional baby carrier.

Since my daughter is only 2 months old, I have only tried the Kangaroo position with her in the Baby K’tan. (However, there are six different positions you can use with your Baby K’tan!) When I tried using it for the first time , I followed the easy-to-use instructions in the manual. There are lots of pictures to help support you when learning how to use your Baby K’tan, as well as videos online! I found the Baby K’tan soft and supportive on my back, and my daughter was comfortable and well supported. I also like that it is made of a breathable cotton, which is great for the hot summer weather we are having right now.

As a nice bonus, the Baby K’tan comes in a matching pouch and has a matching newborn cap as well. These are little details that make this carrier even more special!

The Baby K’tan is sized, making the fit more comfortable for your body. It is also machine washable which makes spit up incidents easy to deal with!

If you are looking for a great, versatile carrier that has the functionality of a wrap but the support and ease of a traditional front carrier, check out the Baby K’tan. Please use code MWS10 on the Baby K’tan site for 10% off through August 31st!

With my first two children, we had a basic audio monitor and thought it was fine. I thought, at the time, that a video monitor was a frivolous purchase and not necessary. But after using the Slim&Secure video monitor, I have changed my tune. There are a number of reasons why.

We have been having my daughter sleep in her crib in her room from day one. With my other two children, I kept them in the bassinet, partly for convenience, but also because I wanted to be able to see them. This time, though, because of this video monitor, I have the confidence and peace of mind to leave her in her room. I can see and hear exactly what is happening with a crystal clear picture (in color, no less!) and crisp sound. Even in the dark at night, the picture changes to night view in black and white and is super clear and very easy to see. I never have to sneak into my daughters room to check in on her, I can just look at my monitor! (And I can see a much better picture on the monitor in the dark than I can if I were to sneak in the room!) Also, unlike my audio monitor, I have yet to have any interruption or cross-signal with my cordless phone or other electronic devices.

Some of the features that make this particular video monitor a great one include:

• 2.4 GHz digital technology for amazing picture quality and reception
• a large 2.5″ LCD screen, with bright color display during the daytime, and crisp black and white night vision
• Rechargeable batteries
• a super-light weight, easily portable, sleek-looking parents unit with belt-clip and stand
• conveniences like a screen that automatically turns off when not in use to save batteries and visual sound lights
• an A/C powered camera that can be wall-mounted or can be placed on a table top
• the capability to add up to 3 more cameras and easily switch between camera views on your parent handheld. This is great for use in other kids rooms or other areas of your house

All of these features add up to a great video  monitor that allows me to feel confident that my daughter is safe and happy in her crib. Check out the Slim&Secure color video monitor by Summer Infant as well as some of the other video monitors and great products that they offer for babies and kids.

I learned it was a Nap Nanny, a product designed to comfort babies and improve infant sleep. The Nap Nanny takes the best attributes from all of those other products you can put your baby in — like the shape and contour of an infant carrier, the softness of your favorite baby blanket, the recline of a bouncy seat, and the firmness and stability of a mattress — and combines them into one great product.

I have been using the Nap Nanny with my daughter now for two weeks, and she prefers laying and sleeping in the Nap Nanny over all the other products I used with my sons (the swing, bouncy, car seat, etc) I think she finds it extremely comfortable. She (so far!) is the best sleeper of my three children, and while I’m sure the Nap Nanny isn’t the only reason she is a great sleeper, I’m sure using it is helping. She is doing 4-5 hour stretches at night and is a great sleeper during the day, too. I anticipate her continuing to use the Nap Nanny throughout her first year (and possibly beyond!) to help her relax and sleep well.

The Nap Nanny is made with an extremely soft minky dot fabric and has a waterproof liner to protect the foam core. You can easily remove the minky cover to wash it with the zipper closure. The Nap Nanny has a safety harness so you can buckle your baby in and know they can’t roll out or slip out of it. It comes in a number of different colors and designs to fit your personality or nursery style. You can also purchase a travel bag for it if you would like to take it on the go with you.

This is a great product for any mom seeking a safe and comfortable sleep solution for their baby.

I was provided with a sample of the Nap Nanny to review with my daughter. As always, all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

At the hospital:

• A couple of weeks ago I wrote about my excitement over wearing my dearjohnnies designer hospital gown. I had planned to wear the gown while laboring, but my nurse suggested I save it for after I give birth when I have visitors. I ended up going this route and wearing the gown on day two in the hospital, which was a great idea since I looked and felt much nicer and fresher in my new gown than the ugly (and big) hospital gowns. I also got great use of the dearjohnnies robe when I was laboring and afterwards.
• We don’t always think of the dad-to-be when we head to the hospital, but the day you give birth is equally as exciting to them. My husband got to wear Daddy Scrubs while at the hospital as comfortable and cute lounge wear that also celebrated him becoming a dad again. Daddy Scrubs carries a ton of great gifts for an expectant dad, including hats, t-shirts, scrubs, sweatshirts, and a nice book store that has a ton of books for dad and baby. Daddy Scrubs make a great Father’s Day gift idea, too! Enjoy free ground shipping for orders over $40.

Coming home:

• After two boys and my basic gray and black Graco car seat, I was excited to freshen up my carrier with a pretty car seat cover for my daughter. I looked online for the perfect cover, and found it at hipncozy. These covers are gorgeous yet affordable. I splurged and bought not only the car seat cover, but a matching head rest, shoulder strap covers, and blanket. We are definitely in style when heading out!
• I am working diligently at getting my daughter on a schedule. I know it’s hard to do with a newborn, but I am using the Itzbeen, a great little device that keeps track of your last diaper change, feeding, sleep or awake time, and more. With a simple push of a button, you can keep track of how long “itzbeen” since the last time your child was changed, etc. I love that you can set an alarm if too much time has elapsed. I also like the night light and back-lit features for use at night. What a great product for the first few weeks/months at home!
• My daughter seems to love her paci already. A friend recommended I try WubbaNubs, adorable little critters that permanently hold a soothie pacifier in place. They are so cute, and are really functional in that they keep the paci from falling. My daughter can grab onto the little animal, too, like a little lovey. They have tons of cute little critters to choose from.

More to come in the next couple of weeks with some of the other products I am trying out! Stay tuned!

Thanks to Daddy Scrubs and dearjohnnies for samples to try out. The other products mentioned in this review were purchased. As always, all opinions are my own.

These gorgeous hair accessories are not only beautiful and well-made, but they are super comfortable for babies and kids of all ages because they are fully lined in velvet. They have an “easy-on” pinch clip style and they won’t snag, pull, or break hair, something that I am concerned about with a newborn baby girl. They are made with kid-safe, non-toxic glue, which is also super-important.

Some of the accessories that I look forward to trying soon with my little girl include:

-  The adorable Cory headband, which comes in various sizes from newborns through big girls

- Clipettes, which are modern grosgrain ribbon prints and bows. This value-priced line also has an easy-on pinch clip style, are fully lined and have an added non-slip grip for a soft yet secure hold.

- Various baby bows, which are incredibly soft and promise to stay in my daughters hair (even if she doesn’t have much… which, according to my level of heartburn, she should have a ton!). I love the beautiful Abby bow and the sweet Tilly Butterfly bow and can’t wait to try them out!

No Slippy Hair Clippy also makes a line of hair accessories for older girls, teens, and women, which are equally beautiful, functional, and stylish.  I have a feeling I am going to be using a lot of these hair accessories from now on!

Also, stay tuned for another post after I have my baby about my experience with No Slippy Hair Clippy!

I was looking at pictures of myself from my last two births, and honestly, that big, gross, ugly hospital gown couldn’t have made me look any worse. I understand childbirth may not be the most glamorous time for a woman’s appearance, but really, those hospital gowns don’t fit, expose everything, and don’t do anything to make you feel special on your extra-special day.

Enter dearjohnnies designer hospital gowns. These beautiful gowns are soft, well-fitting, beautiful, and are hospital friendly with snaps on the sleeves and down the back, allowing easy access for breastfeeding, IV lines, etc. They are perfect to wear while laboring and giving birth, afterwards, or at home for ease and comfort. I plan to wear mine when I labor and deliver so I look and feel as good as I can!

The gowns are made of 100% cotton in a number of beautiful prints, trimmed with grosgrain ribbon. dearjohnnies also makes coordinating robes made of cozy, yet lightweight, 100% cotton flannel, trimmed with fabric from their pretty Wellesley Collection. The robes are perfect to wear while laboring and walking, for added warmth and comfort, or just for additional coverage. Monogramming is available on the robes as well as every piece in their collection!

Each gown is sized so that you have the perfect fit (instead of the huge, unisex hospital gown that always seems to be open or falling off).Sizes include XS, S/M, and L/XL.

Celebrities love dearjohnnies and have many wonderful things to say about them. dearjohnnies also make great gifts for any mom-to-be, and come wrapped in a ready-to-gift bag.

I am so excited to meet my new baby and the first step when I get to the hospital will be to put my dearjohnnies gown on. I can’t wait!

I was provided with a complimentary dearjohnnies gown and robe for the purpose of this review. As always, all opinions expressed here are my own.

Recently I was super excited to come across Name Bubbles, an incredible, durable product to easily label anything your kids use and lose. The labels are not only diswasher, laundry, and microwave safe, but they are colorful and cute and actually enhance the look of your belongings! They have a simple press-and-stick application, so there is no ironing and no mess!

I got to try their camp pack for each of my boys, which is perfect for the upcoming camp season. The camp pack includes 109 labels in a variety of styles and colors, and all of the labels resist sunscreen and bug spray. I can easily label my boys clothing with the Bubble Itz, adorable and colorful circular labels that stick on to clothing tags or directly on the clothes. Bubble Toes are great for making sure my kids water shoes and sneakers come home with them each day. And the variety of sizes of other labels are perfect for backpacks, lunch boxes, and other gear.

The best two things about Name Bubbles that set them apart from other similar types of companies is their variety of great looking and colorful styles to choose from, as well as the opportunity to put your phone number or address on some of the smaller clothing labels. When I use the Name Bubbles on my kids clothes, I actually feel like I am enhancing their clothes instead of marking them up with something ugly or something hard-to-read.

You can also use Name Bubbles to alert others of allergy or medical needs, on your luggage instead of a traditional luggage tag, and on your baby bottles and sippy cups (check out the adorable designs!)

Now is the perfect time to stock up on these fun and super-functional labels which you will find yourself using all of the time… from sports to school to camp and everything in between! Place an order of $50 or more and receive free shipping! No code necessary.

I received complementary samples for this review from Name Bubbles, however, as always, all opinions are my own.