 Little Bowtique by Christine was started a year ago by, as the name suggests, Christine! A stay at home mom in Brooklyn, she started selling her own hand-made hair bows, hair clips, and headbands for little girls and has now branched out to making tutus, costumes, party favors and center pieces for children's parties, first birthday outfits, and custom slippers and crib shoes, as well as selling boutique children's clothing. She stays up-to-date with the latest trends and takes custom orders as well.  These little black crochet sneakers are 1 of 11 awesome baby products in the jackpot of my Baby Bonanza Giveaway ending September 18. You gotta be in it to win it, so enter here today!!
 
2 Comments
I'm been breastfeeding my little guy for over 8 months now. I'm not gonna lie, the first month or two was not easy. Whewwwwwwwwwww not easy at ALL!! But after the awkwardness and difficulty and pain passed, it has been super duper easy peasy and I feel so lucky to be able to do it. I work at home, so I have only pumped a handful of times, and I have a tiny stash in the freezer for "just in case" scenarios. Nobody told me how to store milk, I had to google the time limit, but other than that I just kinda winged it on labeling them. Here's my stash:  Not high tech, and definitely not aesthetically pleasing! But, I'm not doing this on a daily basis like so many moms out there are. For those moms, I would love to introduce a really cool and cute way to label your milk (and formula) - meet Eepples MilkCharms!!  You dial in the day or the hour (on opposite sides of each charm), hang it on the bottle, and you're done! No more messing around with tape or sticky notes or guessing which bottle to grab next. They're BPA/phthalate free, made of polypropylene and silicone, dishwasher safe, recyclable, and UL tested. And so darn cute!! You can buy a pack of 3 today for $15 here, or you can enter to win a pack (along with 10 other awesome baby products valued at over $250) in my Baby Bonanza Giveaway ending Sept 18 - enter here!! And because you must be as curious as I was - what is up with the name "Eepples"?? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Do you remember that Raffi song "I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas. I like to ate, ate, ate aypples and baynaynays. I like to eet, eet, eet eepples and beeneenees"? Well, that's where it's from! And now that song is stuck in your head for the rest of the week... You're welcome! lol ^_^ (For some more Raffi & Full House nostalgia, enjoy!)
I don't make my baby food (except for breast milk!). I tried once, avocado, and Kenzo gagged and spat it out and that was that. Back to the store bought baby food. But have you read the ingredients in the big brands we've grown up hearing about? Gerber, for example, even the "organic" ones, have TONS of ingredients that have no place being in there. Not cool. Thankfully there are a handful of brands out there that keep it real and make me feel a little less guilty (or not guilty at all!!) about feeding them to my baby. One of those such awesome brands is Happy Family. Launched in 2006 by Shazi (yay!! another momtrepreneur!!), Happy Family has grown quickly in popularity and the number of products, now offering pouches of baby food (from simple first foods to combos to homestyle and hearty meals), baby cereals (some with pre- and probiotics), Greek yogurt, and various snacks such as puffs and rice cakes. Here are some of the goodies I picked up for my lil' guy:   Just look at these ingredients! None of that "I can't even pronounce that word let alone know what it is" BS! It was our first experience with a pouch. I love the idea for on-the-go eating. I'm not ready to just give the pouch to my little guy cuz I know he'll just squeeze it all over himself, but it'll be a great option as he gets older. What I did instead was squeeze the food directly into the spoon, saving me having to wash a bowl later - hoorah!    Full disclosure, Kenzo has yet to turn away any food he's given, so I wasn't surprised that he slurped this stuff down like a champ. But I gave it a try myself and yummy, I'd eat it! ^_^ Happy baby, happy mommy... Happy Family! You can pick up Happy Family products at most grocery stores or Diapers.com or wherever! OR you can win a $25 prize pack of their goodies along with 10 other awesome baby products ($250 value) in my Baby Bonanza Giveaway - enter here! Disclaimer: Although I did receive these products free of charge, I was not compensated in any other way to do this product review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and completely unbiased.
I waited til my lil' guy was 6 months to introduce solids. We went straight to pureed veggies on the tip of a regular baby spoon and had no issues. No tongue push, no refusal to eat, no mess! But from what I've heard, this isn't usually the case. Many moms start solids way earlier, sometimes even in the first couple of months via a bit of rice cereal in the bottle to try and get baby to sleep through the night. Others start spoon feeding around 4 or 5 months with very thin rice cereal. I can't even imagine how difficult it would be to spoon feed that to an itty bitty baby who only has the instinct to suck. I guess I'm not the only one who saw a problem with that. Flowspoon was developed to help introduce semi-solids to babies age 4-7 months and help them transition from bottle or breast to spoon with less mess and less air (i.e. less reflux).  The design is really unique and makes you go "Why didn't someone think of this sooner??" *Face Palm* It's literally a nipple-spoon hybrid, though it's hard plastic rather than a soft nipple, and it's BPA/Phthalate free. Even the handle is creative with it's twist that makes holding and using it super comfortable. Unfortunately at 8 months and already used to spoon feeding, my little man didn't qualify as a tester for Flowspoon, so I recruited a mommy friend of mine who was just introducing her 5 monther to rice cereal. She'd had just 4 feedings prior which were all extremely messy and not incredibly productive - she only got a couple of mini-spoonfuls in before being refused further entrance. So we were both really anxious and curious to see how Flowspoon would measure up!   This precious little munchkin took to it right away. It was pretty incredible to watch her suck away skillfully from the spoon! I'm not gonna lie, there was still a bit of a mess - she would leak a bit of rice back out when mommy went for refills! But her mom was amazed by how much more she was eating than with a regular baby spoon. She thought maybe it was just coincidence, and that she was just getting the hang of solids in general, so she went back to a regular spoon for the next feeding and wouldn't you know, it was back to the teeny tiny messy slurps and then done. Switched back to the Flowspoon and success - tons of rice down the hatchet!! See for yourself: You can order a Flowspoon today for $7.95 or you can win one along with 10 other awesome baby products in my Baby Bonanza Giveaway - enter here! Disclaimer: Although I did receive this product free of charge, I was not compensated in any other way to do this product review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and completely unbiased.
Teeth - they sure make for a beautiful smile once they're all in, but in the mean time, boy are they trouble!! My lil' guy has been teething for the past 3 months and has 4 teeth to show for it, but the fun is faaaaar from over! If you missed my previous post about the joys of teething, check it out here. Luckily for us, there are a slew of products and home remedies to help us deal with teething. From a dab of whiskey on the gums (um, no thanks!) to frozen washcloths to the million of teething toys, you've got your options! I reviewed a few different teethers back in June (see it here), and was excited to hear about this new one from the makers of the oh-so-popular Baby Banana Training Toothbrush (if you don't have one of those yourself, you certainly know someone who does - it's right up there with Sophie the Giraffe as far as baby must-haves go!). Anyway, Baby Banana Brushes has just come out with 2 new teethers: the Sharky Brush and the Octo-Brush. Both are teether / toothbrush combos which help stimulate your baby's gums and curiosity!  The Octo-Brush is made from dishwasher and freezer safe medical grade silicone and is BPA /phthalate / lead / toxin free (phew!!). I did the sniff test and it passed - no scary chemical or plasticy smell! It also surprised me by having a really soft and pliable rubbery feeling rather than hard plastic. It's got lots of different textures and bumps for baby to explore with teeth, tongue, gums, and little fingers. And I love the two loops which let you attach a pacifier clip or similar device (my baby can't be the only one who likes to chuck toys from his stroller, crib, and high chair!!).  Here's my little 8 monther checking out his new toy:    Kenzo had an easy time holding and manipulating it, sucking and chewing, and yes, tossing it across the room - only to chase after it and chew it some more! Nice bonus - it is teaching baby healthy oral habits (those tentacles can reach farther into the mouth than traditional teethers, but pose no chocking risk even to newborns) and will hopefully make the transition to a traditional toothbrush around the age of 3 years a much easier process. There you have it - Baby tested and baby approved - We have a winner with the Octo-Brush ^_^ You can your very own Octo-Brush here on Amazon for $8.23 or you can win one along with 10 other awesome baby products in my Baby Bonanza Giveaway - enter here!! Disclaimer: Although I did receive this product free of charge, I was not compensated in any other way to do this product review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and completely unbiased.
My husband and I learned the swaddle basics from the kind nurses in the hospital. Their technique was the awe-inspiring kind that can only be mastered after swaddling thousands of babies a month for years. I mean seriously, here's our 5-hour old munchkin lookin' oh so cozy and snug in his lil' burrito:  Don't mind me, I hadn't slept in nearly 60 hours and just pushed an 8 pounder out my hoo-ha! Unfortunately, most new moms don't have that kind of swaddling skill. My burrito looked more like a soft taco. Luckily, I had the "Happiest Baby on the Block" DVD waiting for me, which taught me the MAGIC of the 5-S's, including a pretty easy swaddle that I could actually do, about half of the time... hmph.So, we quickly switched over to the Halo and Kiddopotamus sleepsacks, which are popular and easy alternatives to using a receiving blanket burrito-style. But they have their own imperfections, of course. The velcro is LOUD and can startle your baby awake. I also found my baby often managed to wiggle his way down somehow so that the swaddle was covering part of his face, including his nose and mouth - scary! He also usually, no matter how tightly I strapped him in there, managed to get his arms up and out of the swaddle and would then proceed to wake himself up with his uncontrollable flailing arms. It wasn't til my lil' man was out of the swaddling stage that I came across SwaddleTee and I'm kicking myself that I hadn't found it sooner!! It was designed by mom (yay for momtrepreneurs!!!), Marisa Cox, after being frustrated with various swaddles on the market. She went through a year and a half of product development using feedback from other moms, pediatricians, and doulas to perfect the SwaddleTee. Here are just a few of the totally awesome aspects of the SwaddleTee:
  Awesome, right?? Step aside Halo, there's a new swaddle in town!! You can order your own SwaddleTee for $29.99 here today OR you can enter my Baby Bonanza Giveaway to win one of these SwaddleTees as well as 10 other awesome baby products (jackpot's total value is $250!!). Giveaway ends September 18!
The Summer is ending - BOOOO! But cheer up - we've got a FABULOUS giveaway for moms and dads and to-be's!! 11 awesome baby products worth a total of over $250 going to ONE WINNER!! Whoop whoop!! I'd like to thank my co-hosts: We're Parents, Parents and the City, Willy B Mum, and Meg-in-Training for their support throughout the giveaway - go check out their awesome blogs!      The giveaway will last 2 weeks (starting today and ending Wednesday Sept 18 at midnight) and you can keep earning entries with daily tweeting, pinning, and sharing on Facebook! Keep checking in daily for posts with company highlights and reviews of each prize (I'll be adding links below to each sponsor's box as reviews go live - or you can see them all here on my main blog page). Enter the giveaway in the Rafflecopter box at the bottom (you must be over 18 and a US resident), but first, let's meet our fabulous... Sponsors & Prizes:  Bitybean is a comfortable and convenient child carrier. Weighing in at just 8 oz, it compresses into a pouch the size of a child’s water bottle! Receiving one, our winner will be able to comfortably front and back carry their 8-40 pound child from the age of 3 months! **Read my product review HERE**  Miny Moe's diaper and nursing pad samplers give you 6 brands in each pack, so new parents can quickly find the best brand for baby and mama! What a unique and helpful baby shower gift! Our winner will receive a 30 count diaper sampler including 5 diapers from each of the following 6 brands: Honest, Pampers, Huggies, Luvs, Target Up & Up, and Walmart Parent's Choice. The winner can choose the size: Newborn, 1, or 3. **Read my product review HERE**  Happy Family has contributed an amazing prize pack of their yummy organic baby foods, including Happy Bellies (baby cereal), Happy Munchies (rice cakes), Happy Baby (baby food and yogurt pouches), and Happy Puffs (melt in your mouth finger foods)! What a fun (and healthy, and HAPPY) selection to help you start your little one on solids! **Read my product review HERE**  Little Bowtique by Christine will send a pair of these adooooooorable hand-crochet baby booties (size 0-3, black) to our winner! Boy or girl, this baby is going to be kickin' it in cuteness!! **Read my product highlight post HERE**  With its unique over-the-head design, SwaddleTee is the kind of swaddle that every baby needs and every parent wants - safe, silent and secure. And if you're the winner of this giveaway, it's yours for free! It won't come undone in the middle of the night, and the rip of velcro won't startle your baby awake! **Read my product highlight post HERE**  The MilkCharm from Eepples is a pumping mother's dream, but our winner won't have to dream about it - she'll get her very own set! Just dial in the day (and time if you want to be exact), hang the MilkCharm on the bottle, and you're good to go! No more dealing with tape and sharpies or sticky notes! Bonus - how cute are they!? **Read my product highlight HERE**  Lil' Melon baby knee pads are made with a light-weight cotton blend that is soft, stretchy, breathable, and durable for padding. Strategic ventilation slits are placed on the backside of the baby knee pads for maximum comfort. With a pair of these, our winner's little one will be crawlin' and cruisin' in style with well protected knees! **Read my product review HERE**  Melzy Baby will let the winner choose between one of their two awesome products: the Blowout Blocker or the Soaker Stopper. Beyond having really fun names, they get the job done, saving you middle of the night clothes and bedding changes and on-the-go embarrassment and mess! Hoorah! **Read my product highlight HERE**  Our winner will also receive a 5-pack of these handmade flannel and minky burp clothes from BlueStitchBaby. The clothes are 10"x17" in size, gender neutral, and soft as can be! **Read my product highlight HERE**  Octo-Brush by Baby Banana Brushes, maker of the super popular Baby Banana training toothbrush, is another goody in the winner's jackpot! The brand new Octo-Brush is an exciting combination of a teether and a toothbrush in one, with large, durable, soft “token” bristles that help young teethers soothe their sore gums. What's more, it is completely non-toxic and non-allergenic. **Read my product review HERE**  Flowspoon is the first and only baby spoon designed to effortlessly transition baby from bottle or breast to spoon feeding (at around 4-7 months). Our winner will receive one of these Flowspoons, which minimizes the introduction of air that may aggravate reflux and is much less messy than traditional baby spoons! BPA and phthalate free! **Read my product review & see my demo HERE** Now that you've seen the prizes, I know you're all chomping at the bit! So... on your mark, get set, GO!!!!!!!
|
 
About Me ^_^I'm a NYC metro area mom blogger living in NJ with my Japanese husband & our 3 kids (twins plus 1). This blog is chock full of product reviews, family travel guides, and giveaways galore! It's also home to Bay Ridge Families, and several guides focused on kid-friendly activities and guides to South Brooklyn, Hudson Valley, and New Jersey, as well as family-friendly destinations beyond the NYC area (check the menu bar!)  
 Categories
All
Archives
March 2023
|
RSS Feed
Proudly powered by Weebly
