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  • Blog
  • About Me
    • Contact
    • Subscribe to our List Serves!
    • Press Page - Travel
    • Hire Me!
    • DIY Hair Inspo!
    • Privacy Policy & Disclaimers
  • Family Travel + Momcations
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    • Day Trips & Weekend Getaways from NYC
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Giveaway:  $280 in Nine Naturals Pregnancy Safe Personal Products

11/26/2014

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Welcome to our week-long giveaway organized by Willy B Mum and co-hosted with a fabulous group of mommy bloggers from across the United States and Canada.
Great giveaway of Nine Naturals pregnancy-safe shampoos and personal products through US-Japan Fam
We are very excited to be giving away toxic-free goodies from Brooklyn (New York) based company Nine Naturals. Forward-thinking Nine Naturals make personal products which are smart and safe for moms and moms-to-be. They craft their products using only natural and organic ingredients, which include shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, deodorant, body wash, sunscreen and lip balm.

For a health conscious mother or mother-to-be, most of us are well aware as to the dangers of eating genetically modified foods and foods sprayed with pesticides. We are aware of the dangers of drinking coffee, consuming alcohol, or smoking during pregnancy, and so many other things. However, not a lot of attention is spent on the dangers of slathering disease-causing chemicals and endocrine disruptors on our bodies, which are found in most mainstream personal products. Especially, as these are used on a daily basis!

The skin is the largest organ, and it aptly absorbs whatever is put on it very quickly, traveling into the blood stream, moving around the body, and of course this can affect a fragile fetus growing inside.

So What is Available and Safe to use during pregnancy?

Great giveaway of Nine Naturals pregnancy-safe shampoos and personal products through US-Japan Fam
Nine Naturals are 100% plant-based products, which are free of all the nasties one wants to avoid like, sulfates, parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances and artificial preservatives.

All Nine Naturals products are derived from nature, there is absolutely nothing artificial in their formulas. Additionally, all the ingredients have been pre-screened to make sure that they are safe for Mom and Baby, which is very assuring. Nine Naturals also happily disclose all additives that they use, and we love that, as most companies do not tell you what they are putting in their products.

We appreciate that Nine Naturals offer an unscented body butter, because let's face it, certain smells are a hit or BIG miss during pregnancy! Other essential oil based fragrances that are used in Nine Natural products have been formulated to ease common pregnancy complaints like morning sickness and fatigue - so thoughtful!

The Nine Naturals website is also filled to the brim with information like their handy explanation of all ingredients used in their products which you can see HERE.

You can order Nine Naturals from their website easily. Free shipping is contributed on all USA orders of $50+, a 10% off coupon is emailed to you if you sign up for their email list, and they offer a $5 sample set to try their shampoo and conditioner (just in case you want to try it first).
Great giveaway of Nine Naturals pregnancy-safe shampoos and personal products through US-Japan Fam
Nine Naturals is a caring small company, who are focused on making a mother's pregnancy that little bit less stressful but don't take our word for it, visit their website and check out their energy for yourself!

Giveaway Time!!
Thanks to Nine Naturals for offering this very generous prize!

One grand prize winner will win the full line of products from Nine Naturals valued at $280, including:
  • Citrus + Mint Nourishing Shampoo
  • Restorative Deep Conditioner Mandarin + Ginger Unscented moisturizing
  • Vanilla + Geranium Regenerative Belly Butter
  • Citrus + Geranium Soothing Body Wash
  • Repairing Body Balm
  • Natural Unscented Deodorant
  • Natural Sunscreen SPF32
  • Simply Natural Lip Balm
  • Gift Set Case

While, 5 additional winners will win a body balm, valued at $15.

If you are, fingers crossed, one of the winners, Nine Naturals will send out the prize to you direct from their warehouse. This giveaway starts at midnight on Wednesday November the 26th, ending on Tuesday December the 2nd at midnight EST. It is open to the USA and Canada only.

Good Luck, and thanks for stopping by US-Japan Fam! (Enter in the Rafflecopter box below)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclaimer: The participating blogs, and Willy B Mum are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill their prizes.
 
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Review:  Crawling Crew Tights for Babies & Toddlers

11/26/2014

2 Comments

 
I am all about gender equality, for adults and children alike. I mean, who says dolls and the color pink are just for girls? Not me! I am that mom who buys her toddler boy jeggings from the girls department. I do draw the line at sparkles and ruffles, though...

Anyway, you see where I'm coming from? So, when I came across these adorable gender neutral tights, I jumped at the chance to try them out! Crawling Crew tights are both fashionable and practical - throw them on under pants as an extra layer in winter so ankles aren't exposed when their pants hike up when being carried or sitting down! GENIUS! Or, throw them on under that adorable pair of shorts that you couldn't bare packing away for the season! Of course they also be paired well with a skirt, dress, or even a onesie!
US-Japan Fam review of Crawling Crew gender neutral baby and toddler tights
Another reason Crawling Crew tights are awesome? They have little grippees on the knees and soles of the feet! They're not super duper grippy like the rubber strips on socks, but they're just enough to give your lil' one a bit more traction than regular tights or socks (my guy still slipped a bit when climbing up and jumping around on our wooden coffee table, but he's used to romping around here barefoot). They're great for crawlers as the tights help protect their delicate knees, and the grippees will help them get a bit of traction. Crawling Crew tights also have an extra layer of soft terry material on the inside of the knees and soles of the feet!
US-Japan Fam review of Crawling Crew gender neutral baby and toddler tights
They're stretchy with a soft waistband that stays up without cutting into big ol' baby and toddler bellies. They're made of 85% cotton, 10% polyamide, and 5% elastane, and are Oeko-Tex® certified (meaning they use only materials that are safe for you, your child, and the environment).

The only problem? They're just so darn cute you won't want to cover them up!! Check out my guy throwing a tantrum (below right) when I told him we had to put his jeans on. HA!
US-Japan Fam review of Crawling Crew gender neutral baby and toddler tights
Crawling Crew was created by a husband and wife, both from Europe where it's the norm for girls and boys to wear tights. When they had a baby boy over here in the states, they couldn't find any gender neutral tights for him and boom, Crawling Crew was born!

I'm a sucker for businesses run by moms or families, and I love Crawling Crew's company policies as well:  free shipping on all orders, and easy size exchange or full refund within 30 days! So, hop on over to their website and check out their full line of adorable tights! They'd make a great gift or stocking stuffer this holiday season!! Enter code
"DMXFLF15" for 15% off your order!!

Does your little one wear tights, leg warmers, or crawling knee pads? Share your favorites below!

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.

2 Comments

Giveaway: Tickets to Little Swappies' next NYC Swaps

11/25/2014

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I've said it before and I'll say it again: I LOVE LITTLE SWAPPIES!!! Seriously though, it's the best. But wait, you've never heard of Little Swappies? Let me clue you in (you can thank me later)...
US-Japan Fam is giving away a ticket to the next Little Swappies swap to 2 winners! Enter now!
Photo Credit: Lara Levine Photography
Little Swappies is a chidlren's swap event held in Manhattan and Brooklyn - you bring some gently used baby, children's, or maternity clothes, toys, books, etc and then you go in the swap room and fill up your bag with goodies you find that others have brought. Here are some reasons I love Little Swappies so much:

  • FREE BABYSITTING!!
That's right! They have a free child care corner where they have music, crafts, etc.

  • FREE STROLLER CLEANING!!
Just drop off your stroller and by the time the swap is over you'll pick it up all vacuumed and spiffed up! Goodbye leaf debris and 2 week old animal cracker crumbs!!

  • SAVE GREEN & BE GREEN!!
Yes, by joining in a Little Swappies event, you're allowing your children's items to be reused by another family - part of that reduce / reuse / recycle mantra we learned back in elementary school! In turn you can reuse someone else's stuff, and lets face it, other than being green you'll save tons of money by not buying all that stuff new!

  • CHECK OUT THE LATEST & GREATEST PRODUCTS
Outside of the swap room, you'll find table after table of great vendors - both local and national - showing off their new products, apps, you name it. It's a great chance to see what's out there, get some free samples, and be the cool mom at play group who knows what's up!!

  • FEEL THE RUSH!!
If you're like me, the rush of adrenaline when those swap doors open really adds to the fun of the whole experience. It's not like it's a room full of pushy and elbowing parents, it's much more friendly than that, but still there is competition in the air as everyone quickly makes their way to the age-appropriate table to grab up the best goods first!

  • HAVE FUN!!
With raffles, music, coffee (YES!!), gift bags, arts & crafts... it's just all around good family fun, I promise!!
US-Japan Fam is giving away a ticket to the next Little Swappies swap to 2 winners! Enter now!
Photo Credit: Sofia Lyyn Photography and Little Swappies

OK, so now you're like, GET ME TO THE NEXT LITTLE SWAPPIES EVENT NOW!!! Am I right? Well, you're in luck, there are TWO coming up!!!

MANHATTAN* (
Philip Berley Preschool of the Arts @ 121 West 19th Street):
Sunday, December 7, 2014
10 AM -12 PM
*Anyone who buys a ticket to the 12/7 Manhattan swap is automatically entered to win a lunch date with
Ryan Serhant from Bravo TV's Million Dollar Listing NYC!

BROOKLYN (Williamsburg Northside School @
152 North 5th Street)
Saturday, January 24, 2014
10 AM - 12 PM


But wait, there's more!! I'm giving away a ticket to Little Swappies ($20) to TWO lucky winners! The winners will have their choice of either the Manhattan or Brooklyn event. How awesome is that!? Go on, enter in the rafflecopter box below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Giveaway:  Dandelion CD for Toddlers & Preschoolers

11/18/2014

22 Comments

 
Just like his mother and father, my son has a great love of music. He started dancing to the beat in my womb and hasn't stopped since! Because he and I both love dancing, I most often play my favorite top 40 stuff that gets us jammin'. You know, "Happy", "Blurred Lines", that kinda stuff. Though, now that he's a toddler I should probably start worrying about lyrics and the message behind them. We've recently really gotten into the biggies in the kiddie music industry such as Laurie Berkner Band - just TRY to turn off the "We Are The Dinosaurs" song while my son is marching around to it, I dare you!

Looking for more kid-friendly music we can just pop on as background music while we're playing together, or down the road sit down and talk about the meaning of their lyrics, I recently came across Growing Sound, which has produced 16 or so CDs based on
the latest research in social & emotional development. Each CD has a different focus; things such as Self Control, Friendship & Social Awareness, Confidence,
Mindfulness, and much more.

I got my  hands on Growing Sound's latest CD, Dandelion Songs for Developing Toddlers and Early Preschoolers, featuring Demi Mays (and Friends).
US-Japan Fam reviews Growing Sounds' Dandelion CD - Songs for Developing Toddlers and Early Preschoolers
"Dandelion is a collection of songs that capture and celebrate the day to day joys in a toddler’s life and how they interact with the parents and caregivers that love and teach them as they grow." Featuring songs such as "Cause I Love It", "Wipe it Away", "Make a Face", and "Baby Animal Song", Dandelion is engaging and beautifully sung music that my little guy and I can both enjoy. It's fun, but chill, not something that is likely to get your toddler all hyped up, making it a safe listen any time of day or night! And it comes with a lyrics booklet so you can study up and sing along in no time! With lyrics such as "My mouth is for the things I drink and eat - water, food and treat. Everything else stays out - Only food in my mouth!", you can see how it's cute and silly, while at the same time teaching our little ones important lessons!
You can see Growing Sound's entire CD collection (including Dandelion) here, view lyrics, and listen to clips from all the songs. You can purchase the CD ($9.99) or individual songs ($0.99 each) on cdbaby.com, iTunes, and Amazon... BUT...

I'm giving away FIVE free downloads of the entire Dandelion CD!!!

Enter to win in the rafflecopter box below - this giveaway is not limited to US residents, but you must be 18 or over to enter. The giveaway will end at 11:59PM EST, Tuesday November 25, and winners will be notified by e-mail. They'll have 24 hours to reply in order to receive the download code before another winner will be chosen. GOOD LUCK!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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.
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$750 Value Fabulous Fall Giveaway

11/12/2014

1 Comment

 
From a portable crib to fleece footies and a diaper bag, this $750 value giveaway we've partnered up with Green Scene Mom on has seriously got it all! One jackpot winner will definitely be experience Christmas (or Hanukkah or Kwanza or...) early this year!! Each of the sponsoring brands offer niche and innovative products for moms, kids and families to make life simpler, inspire creativity, and encourage natural living. Enter below for the chance to win this amazing prize package!
US-Japan Fam and Green Scene Mom $750 Value Fabulous Fall Giveaway
Jackpot Prize Package:
Guava Family Lotus Everywhere Crib - $249.95
Lina.j Diaper Bag - $119
Boom Boom Prints $50 Gift Card
NuRoo Nursing Scarf & Swaddler - $55
Yummi Pouch Reusable Food Pouches & Snack Bags set of 3 - $33
OLLI+LIME 50 pack Triangle Wall Decals - $20
Baby Covee 4-in-1 Convertible Baby Blanket - $50
Endangered Species Color Me Eco Pak - $14.99
Buttons Diapers Pail Liner - $16
Magnificent Baby Smart Little Bear Fleece Footie - $49.95
Blooming Bath Baby Bath - $39.99
Tegu 14-Piece Tints magnetic wooden blocks - $35
b.box Diaper Wallet - $34.95

This giveaway is running til November 23 and is open to United States entries who have a US mailing address.

Enter to win in the rafflecoptor box below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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LifebankUSA Peace of Mind Graco 4ever™ 4-in-1 Car Seat Giveaway

11/11/2014

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Insurance. For most people it's something you don't really think twice about. If you have the means, you pony up and get it because the alternative is scary as hell. Medical insurance, life insurance, home owner's or renter's insurance, car insurance, even your money is insured in the bank. But how about your children. Are they insured? There are a few options here. One being signing up for life insurance at birth because they won't qualify for one if they are ever diagnosed with a whole slew of disorders or illnesses. Another kind of insurance for not just your children but also for you and your partner? Banking your child's cord blood and placenta.
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Stem cells have life saving and life changing properties for that child, siblings, and parents, and the uses are growing year by year. Now, they're used to treat 80 types of blood-related and genetic diseases including leukemia. But in the future? Who knows! There is hope that one day in the not too distant future stem cells will be able to treat Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, and to restore the ability to walk to those with severe spinal cord injuries.

It’s been shown that using a higher number of stem cells in a transplant leads to better engraftment and survival. Did you know that you can preserve significantly more of your baby’s stem cells by adding placenta blood banking to your cord blood collection? This is what LifebankUSA brings to the field. Only LifebankUSA has the proprietary technology to offer placenta blood banking with cord blood banking to expectant parents. They are also the only company in the world to release placenta stem cell units for transplant.

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So here's where you get the chance to not only reach out for more information from LifebankUSA, but to also enter to win one of 3 Graco 4ever™ 4-in-1 Car Seats! Just click here and enter your contact info for a chance to win. Contest ends December 21, 2014.
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This is a sponsored post, but opinions are my own and not swayed by compensation of any kind. I limit sponsored posts to companies that meet my moral standards and I feel I can really stand behind (hey, I'm not a sell out!). As always, take my posts with a grain of salt and please be sure to do your research to come to your own informed decision for anything regarding you and your baby!
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    About  ME:

    I'm a NYC metro area mom blogger living in NJ with my Japanese husband & our 3 kids (twins + 1), focusing on fun and honest product and travel reviews, helping busy parents find the best for their families! Find what you need in the menu bar or search section above!

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