With all the scary information about crib safety I was lost as to where to find a great pillow for my son. I know he isn’t supposed to be using one just yet, but I will admit to cheating a bit and giving him one now that he’s reached a year. I am happy to report that the madii & dyl Teenii Tot pillow was a perfect addition to my son’s crib.

Designed to meet the luxe needs of today’s conscious parents and their savvy tots, the Madii & Dyl range came about when mother of two, Jackie was unable to find products that met the sensitive needs of her children. From there she created a line of products that where Hypoallergenic,  all natural and chemical free. All things that any mom would want for their child.

The Teenii Tot pillow ($49) is made for toddlers and walkers. Tur distinctive wave design conforms to the child’s head offering proper neck support and spine alignment. The Self-ventilating cores provide maximum air flow, keeping the child cool and comfortable. Perfect for allergy sufferers, it is the only pillow that can be washed and never change its shape. It makes a great beginning pillow for you child.

Madii & dyl also makes the Sookie Babe pillow ($39) for newborns, and The Mini Me ($59) for a child of 4 plus years. Each pillow has a special design will be a perfect fit for any child of that age. My son had flat head, so the Sookie babe which is designed to prevent flat head would’ve been great.

When you feel ready to put a pillow in your child’s crib I think any of these would be a good choice. The special designs and the fact that they are made chemical free can allow you, as a parent to sleep soundly at night too, knowing that your child is safe, and sleeping comfortably.

Travel beds – especially space-saving one – become imperative when the holidays roll around. Get a jump on your holiday travel planning now with our top picks for the best travel beds for babies.

KidCo PeaPod

The PeaPod is a pop-out, pop-up tent. Available in two sizes, the PeaPod comes with an inflated sleeping pad (self-inflating in some models) and a ventilated, enclosed space for your child to sleep. The PeaPod is one of my favorite travel beds and here’s why: 1) It’s portable. The PeaPod folds up similar to your car sunshade into a compact size that easily fits into suitcases, trunks and overhead compartments. It also opens in mere seconds. 2) It’s enclosed. When the entire family is sleeping in the same room, it’s a little hard when my 1-year-old can pop his head out of the travel crib and check out his surroundings at any hour of the day or night. The zippered panels of the PeaPod keep him from being distracted by his new surroundings which make it easier for him (and us!) to sleep. 3) It’s versatile. I recently took the PeaPod with me on a trip to Yosemite and was amazed at its versatility. My son slept in it every night in our VW van, used it as a play tent on the grass at the Ahwahnee while we picniced and took an afternoon nap on the sandy bank of the Merced while we lounged by the river. Visit www.kidco.com to see the different sizes, colors and mattress options.

BabyBjorn Travel Light

Travel crib, pack-n-play, portacrib – whatever you call it, many parents are used to lugging one around when traveling with baby. BabyBjorn made this easier. Their Travel Crib Light took the basic pack-n-play and made it lighter (only 11 lbs compared to the 25-35 lbs of traditional pack-n-plays), more compact (19″ x 24″ x 6″), and much easier to set-up and take down (no locking sides to battle with). The frame sets up in just ONE step (well, two if you count pushing the mattress down) and in about 30 seconds.  The mattress is not bulky, but is plush enough to provide a comfortable cushion which is good since the mattress does rest directly on the floor. The wider base keeps the Bjorn Travel Crib Light steady and sturdy despite being lightweight, and the mesh sides allow for easy airflow. The Travel Crib Light can be used from newborns up to about a 3-year-old depending on the size of your child (the mattress size is 24″ x 41″ x 4″). Visit Bjorn at www.babybjorn.com to learn more and purchase.

philandteds Nest

I’ve written about the Nest here before. For the right age baby and travel circumstances, the Nest is in incredible 2-in-1 bassinet and suitcase. The pop-up bassinet is easy to assemble in seconds and provides a safe and soft sleeping area for babies up to 9 months or 20 lbs. When you’re ready to travel, fold down the bassinet and slip it into the included travel bag that has a second compartment on the other side to hold clothes, diapers, blankets and more. Especially for overnight trips, the Nest allows you to save space, forgo the diaper bag and make do with just one bag for all your baby’s needs. Unpacked, the Nest is also lightweight weighing in at 5.5 lbs. The bag will undoubtedly get heavier if you’re loading the other side with clothes, toys and other necessities, but the total weigh will still likely beat the heft required to lug most traditional pack-n-plays. Visit philandteds.com to learn more and purchase.

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Mommies With Style was not paid for this review. Samples were provided by the companies to facilitate the review.

Kate Bayless is a writer, editor and one day dreams of traveling without baby gear. Her work has appeared in Parents, American Baby, Fit Pregnancy, iVillage and other publications. Visit her at www.katebayless.com or @katebayless.

When:  September 13, 8 pm ET
Hosts: @DisneyBaby @WhitneyMWS @ClassyMommy @VeraSweeney @AudreyMcClellan
What:  We’ll be talking about Disney Baby’s newly launched nursery line.  With prizes, of course!

This is one of those moments I have baby fever because these new nursery options from Disney Baby are too adorable and I’m wishing I had them as an option when my boys were babies! 

These Disney baby bedding essentials have five on-trend colors and thems with whimsical prints inspired by favorite Disney characters: Mickey, Minnie, Winnie the Pooh, Pooh & Piglet and the 101 Dalmations.  They are adorable! 

 The 75-piece collection is available exclusively at Babies “R” Us and includes sheets, receiving blankets, mobiles, storage items, wall décor, changing pad covers, nightlights, soft rattles, gift sets and more. Each item in the Disney Baby bedding essentials collection can be purchased separately. 

We’ll be talking all about it and giving away some great prizes!  No RSVP needed, just be sure to follow your hosts @DisneyBaby @WhitneyMWS @ClassyMommy @VeraSweeney @AudreyMcClellan
and chat along with us using the #DisneyBaby hashtag!

For an extra safety step, both the Snooze Wrap and the Snooze Sack have Sleep Stabilizer Tabs^™ which attach to the SoothTIME’s special Snooze Sheet™  to comfortably secure baby in the pediatrician-recommended back sleep position without loose blankets or wedges. The Snooze Sheet comes in a playard or crib size ($15.98).

–Nancy Johnson Horn

If you don’t know what zulily is, it gives parents daily deals on unique and hot brands at up to 70% off retail prices.  I’ve already bought a lot of things for my kids, myself and as gifts on the site.

So when I was invited to meet the staff at an event in NYC last month, I had to go! I spoke to President and CEO Darrell Cavens, who used to be an executive for Blue Nile.  I was very impressed when he told me he wouldn’t put anything on zulily that he wouldn’t buy for his own family. He co-founded zulily to introduce parents to high quality boutique brands at significant discounts.


zulily’s past sales include Cybex, Little Maven, Melissa & Doug, Graco, Lassig, Wall Candy Arts, Maxi-Cosi, Quinny, Petit Lem and dozens more.  They find great buys from lots of brands and work with them to ship their products to you. You place your order, it comes to Zulily’s warehouse and ships out to you.  Shopping events last 72 hours . . . then they’re gone! New brands move in and get their three days on the site. Each weekday, they offer at least five limited-time shopping events. I had mentioned to Amy, the Marketing Manager, that I was so sorry to have missed Larrivo ( I love their nursing camis) and a few days later, they were back on the site. Probably a coincidence, but I was able to snap up a few gorgeous items! I’m hoping to see a lot more nursing clothes on the site.While I adore the great bargains for kids, I also like that there’s usually something for mamas on the site too.  Another thing I like, you can search by categories now  – events, age and gender. Which is great when you are shopping for your children or yourself.

So, check out zulily.com – here’s my referral link.

Thank you to zulily for providing a gift card so I can check out even more great deals on their site.

More than diapers at Diapers.com?  I was curious to see how the site had grown since my last child potty trained and was pleasantly surprised at how much their offering had expanded since the last time I ordered.

I placed a big order for several products, none of which was diapers!  I got toys for my kids for Christmas, clothes and skin care products for my kids.  In searching for various products, I was able to find everything I was looking for.  Check out the array of Legos they offer!  (My kids are so into Legos right now, I was impressed with their selection.)

I also ordered this adorable Tea Collection Lion Double Decker Tee.  Then I was out of hand soap so I hopped over to body care and ordered several bottles of Burts Beeds Hand Soap.  Bottom line being that their offering has moved beyond diapers and their prices are competitive.  (Free shipping over $49!)

Just to give you an example the vast assortment of products you can buy for your family’s needs, check out this random assortment of products you can buy on Diapers.com:

Bravado Designs Nursing Tank - $49

Fisher Price IxL Learning System - $89.99

Basq Cucumber Tea Eye Gel - $24

3-pack of EPT Pregnancy Stick Tests - $13.99

Lego City Seaplane - $9.49

Shipping is free when your order is over $49 and no joke, my order came in a day and a half. They promise 1-2 day shipping and I placed my order late one night. It came not the next day but early the following morning; roughly 36 hours.

Giveaway: One lucky reader from Mommies with Style will win a $200 gift certificate to Diapers.com!  Comment below to enter.

This giveaway ends after Sunday, December 12th – one winner will be selected at random after that time.

Disclosure:  I was given compensated and given a credit to spend at Diapers.com to facilitate this post.

Even though I am 30 I have this weird obsession with all things extremely soft, and that includes blankets and stuffed animals (yes, this 30 year old likes stuffed animals). When we started getting ready for our new addition I was on the hunt for the softest blanket. As a matter of fact, I still have the Pooh Blanket that was in my crib when I was born, so I want to give our little one some great blanket options to choose from to make his decision for his favorite. One blanket I was excited to try was My Blankee , which is a luxury brand of receiving blanket. I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

With tons of blankets to choose from I had a heck of a time deciding which one I wanted for our little man. They have tons of patterns and styles, but in the end I chose the Tigger Velour Blanket ($40) in baby blue. This blanket is 100% Microfiber Polyester, Hypoallergenic, machine washable (because what mom has time to dry clean blankets??), and made in the USA! The blanket is so soft, and I love the silky edges. It also will be nice and warm for the winter months we having coming. Definitely something to think about when having a winter baby.

Celebrities also love My Blankee! I mean if it’s good enough for Jennifer Lopez and Gwen Stefani, then I think our little guy will like it just fine.

I am doing my best not to steal this blanket for myself. It’s kind of a joke in our house that I want all of his soft stuffed animals and blankets. The instructions DO say for the mother to sleep with the blanket to give it her scent…I think that’s a perfect idea! I will be sure to give that a try!

I was provided with a My Blankee for the purposes of this review. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The event also showcased a Dream Nursery exhibition, a Spa corner, and seminars led by Carley Roney, editor-in-chief of TheBump.com on surviving NYC mommyhood, and Dr. Alan Greene, author of Feeding Baby Green, as well as from Cord Blood Registry. A percentage of sales was donated KIDS, and Healthy Child, Healthy World, and the Max Cure Foundation.

Standouts included Lansinoh’s electric Affinity Breast Pump (the milk NEVER will back up into the tubing), Britax ‘s fabulous B Ready Stroller (that can take a second seat) and Next Generation Convertible Car Seats, phil and teds’ Nest Baby Bed, Delta Juvenile’s Products’ new eco friendly storage line, Belabumbum Maternity’s delicious maternity and nursing pajamas, and Glamourmom’s gorgeous nursing and maternity tanks.

Magnificent Baby showed off their fabulous magnetic baby clothes, we’re huge fans of their new Whales pattern, which comes in boy, girl and unisex versions. We loved iCandy’s Peach Blossom Stroller — You can have two seats and it folds up so compactly – take off the seats and you can even swing the chassis over your shoulder   Companies also represented were UppaBaby, Dapple Baby, Plum Organics, BabyJogger, Think King, Simplesse, Buy Buy Baby, Babies R Us and many more.

Click here to see more photos from the event.

Writer received complimentary admission and a media gift bag. Photos supplied by Big City Moms and Magnificent Baby.

Giggle Better Basics Organic Swaddle Blankets (set of 2) – these are my go-to swaddle blankets for newborns. The blankets are uber-soft, organic and come in a two-pack with one white and one pink or blue blanket depending on the set that you buy. These blankets have an overlock stitch to finish the edges which makes them ideal for swaddling since there isn’t a thick piece of trim to add bulk to your newborn’s swaddle, and the 100% organic cotton blankets have the perfect amount of stretch to get a snug swaddle. At 30″ x 30″ they are the perfect size for newborns, though older kids will like them too. Case in point? My 4-year-old still uses his original Giggle blanket as his favorite snuggly.

2 pack for $34 from giggle.com in blue or pink

Petunia Picklebottom Swaddling Blanket (set of 3) – Once my babes start putting on some weight and height, I move to the Swaddling Blankets by Petunia Picklebottom. Available in a trio of adorable prints, Petunia’s Swaddle Blankets are made from 100% organic cotton and again offer the perfect stretchiness for getting the perfect swaddle. The blankets in the boy set include geometric shapes in a palette of chocolate, olive and sky while the girl set uses hues of rose, chocolate and olive to feature modern floral patterns. For the tactile-inclined, the Petunia blankets also include coordinated trim, a logo tag and washing instruction tag to rub, twist and wrap fingers around.

3 pack for $79 from petunia.com in girl or boy print

Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe – Though it’s not exactly a blanket, I’ve also become fond of Kiddopatomus’ SwaddleMe for its ease of use. My kids loved to be swaddled but teaching the swaddling technique to grandparents or babysitters wasn’t always successful.  The SwaddleMe makes swaddling foolproof. Put the baby’s legs in the bottom pouch and fold over the two arm flaps, securing the SwaddleMe closed with the velcro tabs – done! The SwaddleMe also comes in a variety of solid and print microfleece, cotton knit, cotton fleece, bamboo and luxe velboa fabrics. In addition, Kiddopotamus makes a SwaddleMe Traveler with separate leg holes for easily swaddling your baby in the car seat or stroller as well as the SwaddleMe in preemie sizes.

1 for about $10-$12 depending on the color, print and fabric

Happy swaddling!

With a WrapADoodle you don’t have to wind any fabric round and round the baby; just simply tuck her in the fabric pocket and tie together the sides for an instant swaddle.  Each WrapADoodle is made to fit babies up to 4 months, though since Gianna is such a peanut she was able to fit well into her 5th month.  Hers is made of the cutest brown cotton flannel covered in colorful animals – the Whales, Fish, Turtles, Giraffes design.  In fact, each WrapADoodle is made with 100% cotton flannel and there are 9 adorable prints from which to choose.  And they wash wonderfully well!

You can also order a matching BurpADoodle burp cloth made of the exact fabric as the WrapADoodle.  BurpADoodles are a great size burp cloth that look a heck of a lot cuter on your shoulder than the white cloth diapers which most of us resort to.  They are sold individually or as a gift set.

WrapADoodles can be ordered directly from their website for $39.99 and make great baby shower gifts.  Mention Mommies with Style when you order and you’ll receive a matching BurpADoodle for free!

Samples of the WrapADoodle and BurpADoodle were provided for review on Mommies with Style.