We all want our kids to wear clothes as adorable as our kids are, right? Well, have I got the shop for you!! Kozie Kidz has the CUTEST accessories EVER!!! Seriously... no joke! Check the adorable monkey hat and leg warmers we just got from them: I tried to get my little monkey to pose for a picture, but he had other things on his agenda... Namely, tearing the hat off his head and eating the buttons! haha!! but I think he'll get used to it?? Or maybe I'll make use of those braids and tie it tight around his chin! :)
Anyway, Kozie Kidz is an online store in Canada selling adooooooorable hats and accessories for children ages preemie through 6 years. Whether you're looking for a baby shower gift or just something cute and unique to add to your little one's wardrobe, you've got to check them out! Kozie Kidz is offering my readers a 20% discount on orders over $25 with the code "japanfam" (expires December 13, 2013). And don't miss your chance to win your very own monkey hat and leg warmers from Kozie Kidz, as well as 8 other great prizes (jackpot valued over $300!!!) - enter my Great Winter Baby & Toddler Gear Giveaway today (ends Dec. 4)! **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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We all know you cannot put a blanket in the crib with your little one, so how to keep them warm throughout the cold winter nights? There are a number of sleep sacks out there on the market, but I just came across one that really stood out as functional and totally adorable - the Badaboum Sleep Sack! I really love how thick and comfy Badaboum's sleep sack is, and it has plenty of wiggle room in there. My little guy has no problem rolling around, sitting, and even standing in it! One thing I especially liked about it over another sleep sack that we have is the snaps on the shoulders. This means you don't have to stuff your little one's arm through the tiny arm holes! Much easier!! Also, the zipper goes all the way down the side and around the bottom, so you could potentially do a diaper change without taking the sleep sack off. It's easy to keep clean too - just throw it in the washer and dryer and poof - it's good to go! They offer two sizes: 0-6 months and 6-24 months, and just the one unisex design (cute little clouds) for now. Enter to win one of these sleep sacks (and 8 other awesome products - $300+ Value Jackpot!) in my Great Winter Baby & Toddler Gear Giveaway (ending December 4!) **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.
The ability of stem cells to save lives via cord blood banking has proven successful for replacing abnormal or diseased cells, and treating life-threatening blood disorders such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. In fact, since 1988 stem cell transplants have been used to treat some 80 diseases. Through cord blood banking, you can collect and preserve potentially lifesaving stem cells, and in doing so could one day save the life of your child or a blood relative. You can bank even more stem cells by collecting them from two usable sources of stem cell-rich blood: the umbilical cord and the placenta. This service is called Placental and Cord Blood Banking, and it's available only from LifebankUSA. As the only company that offers cord blood, placenta blood and tissue banking -- and the first to release placenta-derived stem cells for a successful transplant -- New Jersey-based LifebankUSA is a technological leader that is pioneering key medical innovations in the field. LifebankUSA is currently holding a giveaway on Facebook. Three lucky winners will each receive one Britax Marathon 70-G3 Car Seat ($260 value)! ENTER HERE for your chance to win!! Giveaway ends December 31, 2013. Sponsored Post Disclosure: Opinions are my own and not swayed by compensation of any kind. This was a sponsored post, but I limit such posts to companies that meet my moral standards and I feel I can really stand behind (hey, I'm not a sell out!).
With winter fast approaching, and here already in some regions, we are so excited to bring you this awesome giveaway featuring NINE essential products for getting your baby or toddler through the season. Enter through the rafflecoptor box below (US residents 18 and over only please) - one lucky winner will get all 9 products (jackpot valued at over $300)!!! Throughout the two weeks of the giveaway, you can gain extra entry points with daily tweeting, pinning, and facebook sharing. Our hosts will also be posting reviews and product highlights along the way (links will be added below as they go live), so be sure to follow us all to stay in the loop! Before you enter, please take a moment to "meet" our blogging co-hosts and sponsoring companies! Blogger Co-Hosts: A big thanks to my awesome mommy co-hosts: Kristin @ My Strange Family, Elizabeth @ MommieDe Blog, Christine @ Brunch with my Baby, and Stephanie @ Football, Food & Motherhood! Go check out their blogs! Sponsors & Prizes: Ruum American Kids Wear will be giving away a $100 gift card to shop their site. They carry clothes and accessories for babies through boys and girls' size 14. From sweaters to shoes to ear muffs you can find tons of good stuff at Ruum for your child's winter (or spring, or summer, or fall...) wardrobe! See Kristin's review here! 7 A.M. Enfant has included a pair of their brand new Bee Warmmuffs in our giveaway! This one isn't technically for the baby, but it'll keep the hands of whoever's pushing the little one's stroller around toasty warm!! See Kristin's review here! Badaboum will be contributing one of their thick, cozy, cute sleep sacks for the winner. A safe alternative to a blanket in the crib, these unisex sleep sacks have plenty of wiggle room and are easy to get on and off - offering snaps on the shoulders and a zipper down the side and around the bottom. Our winner will have a choice between two sizes: 0-6 months and 6-24 months. See my review here! Kissy Kissy products are well known for their trademark softness using Peruvian Pima cotton. They will be contributing either a Kissy Kissy Romper or Pant Set based upon the winner's child's size and gender. The winner will have a choice between sizes: 0-24 months. See Elizabeth's review here! Crane has offered our winner their choice of cool-mist humidifier: either a sleek and stylish Drop Humidifier or an Adorable Humidifier (frog, cat, duck, owl, oh my gosh the list goes on!!). Using a cool-mist humidifier is a must for baby and parents alike, especially in the winter. Keeping baby's room the optimal level of humidity will both lower their susceptibility to illness and keep them more comfortable when the unavoidable cold does strike. See my review here! Kozie Kidz is giving away the most adorable sock monkey hat and leg warmers to our winner! Your little one will be snuggly warm, ridiculously adorable, and the envy of his or her play group! See my review here! Joan DuRocher Baby (jdbaby) has contributed a pair of her cute handmade fleece slippers to the giveaway. With a non-slip sole, these will keep little one's tootsies warm and make slipper wearing fun! Winner will be able to choose from an assortment of great designs! Read Elizabeth's review here! The Eczema Company carries various lines of skincare, clothing and accessories for children and adults with eczema and other skin conditions. But the Sweet Knee On the Spot balm in our giveaway is perfect for keeping anyone moisturized through the brutal winter months. In a stick form, it's super portable and great for on-the-go no-mess application. See my review here! Boogie Wipes offers our winner two 30-count packs of their awesome boogie wipes!! These saline wipes are much gentler on your little one's nose than regular tissues because of their moistness - perfect for tackling those winter cold-crusted button noses! They come in Fresh, Grape, or unscented. See Elizabeth's review here! Pretty awesome giveaway huh?? So, what are you waiting for - ENTER to win NOW!!! ^_^
Feeding my almost 11 month old is a challenge, to say the least. We introduced "solids" at around 6.5 months and he did well with me spoon feeding him for several months. But as he's gotten older, he's getting more independent and this becomes apparent at meal time as well! He fights the spoon unless I keep giving him exciting things to play with to distract him. When I give him real food to pick up and eat with his hands, it just ends up on the floor, which is fine, but we do need some to get in his mouth!! One thing I've found that's been working have been those food pouches, but unfortunately the pre-packaged ones are super expensive. So, I've found a great solution!! BooginHead Squeez'Ems are reusable food pouches that you fill yourself! You can fill them with your homemade or store bought baby food, yogurt, oatmeal, whatever! If your little one can manage without making a mess, just hand the pouch over and watch the food get sucked down the hatchet in record time. If they're not yet capable, you can hold the pouch for them, or you can squeeze into a spoon. These are awesome for mealtime while you're out and about because they eliminate the need for bowls and spoons and for the most part napkins! Here's my little guy demo-ing the Squeez'Ems: BooginHead Squeez'Ems are BPA, PVC & Phthalate free, come in one piece to eliminate lost parts, are freezer, microwave and top rack dishwasher safe, and perfect for lunch boxes and travel! The top part is rather large and super easy to fill. After you're done, rinse it out and hand wash it or throw it in the dishwasher and you're ready to fill again! What are you waiting for? Get a 2 pack here today! :) **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.
I'll admit it, I miss my clubbing days. The loud music, the lights, the dancing all night, the FUN! Sure, I can dance around with my little guy in the apartment, but it's just not the same. But, I found a solution to my woes... Baby Loves Disco!! What is Baby Loves Disco, you ask? Well, I couldn't say it better myself so let's take a blurb straight from their site: "For the past 8 years, Baby Loves Disco has been transforming the hippest night clubs across the world into child proof discos as toddlers, pre-schoolers and parents looking for a break from the routine playground circuit let loose for some post naptime, pre-dinner fun. Make no mistake, this is NOT the Mickey Mouse club, and Barney is Banned. Baby loves disco is an afternoon dance party featuring real music spun and mixed by real djs blending classic disco tunes From the 70s, & 80s with today’s hottest dance tunes…..guaranteed to get those little booties moving and grooving." (from Baby Loves Disco website) I'd heard about them years ago, long before having kids, and thought it was such a neat idea. Then I saw them on the Shark Tank a few weeks ago and the interest was re-ignited. Checked their schedule and low and behold they were coming to town!! The line down the block told me this was gonna be something (it was a sold out show, with several birthday parties included)... Their sponsors were lined up in the hallway giving away free samples and brochures, everyone from Happy Family to New York Life Insurance! The bar, which had the booze flowing (for some parents too much perhaps? haha), was also lined with kid-friendly snacks, which were unfortunately not so healthy but definitely kid-pleasers. Pop tarts, pb&j banana sandwiches, cereal, muffins, pita and hummus, chips and salsa, juice pouches from Honest Kids... The music was a bit loud, and I slightly regretted not having a pair of those baby hearing protector earmuffs that you see little Blue Ivy sporting at her mom and dad's concerts! But it definitely wasn't as loud as a regular club, I know this because my ears were not ringing when we left! haha!! Phew! They had a lot of fun dance games such as "Freeze Dance" (see above video), "Family Dance Off", "Cha Cha Slide", "YMCA" etc! The music was RIGHT up my ally playing top 40 dance music with a few oldies but goodies in there like Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody". Here's me and my baby gettin' our grooves on: Baby Loves Disco is for ages 6 months and up, so they have a little designated "crawl zone" for the wee ones! They also had 2 changing tables set up by the bathrooms, with wipes! It was a full house, but not packed like a regular club night would be. There was definitely plenty of space to jump around and even let my 10 month old toddle around in the bubbles without getting trampled. So, to recap, Baby Loves Disco is pretty darn awesome. If you aren't a fan of dancing and music, then maybe this won't be on your to-do list. But for me it was a great way to enjoy the fun of clubbing but in a family-friendly way that your kids can enjoy, especially the 3 years and up kiddies - they were all LOVING it!!!
And I have to say, it was refreshing to come out of there sober, with no hang over or ringing ears, in the day light - and not the harsh daylight of the next morning! haha! Yay for Baby Loves Disco! ^_^ It was bad, then it was good, and now it's bad again. Ha! I could stop there, but maybe some of you want some more details (crying and sleeping totals are for the 24 hour period from bedtime through next day's 2 naps, also I should add they're totals for the baby, not me, haha): DAY 1 = HORRIFIC!! Total Crying in Crib: 6.5 hours Total Sleep: 11.5 hours DAY 2 = MUCH better! Total Crying in Crib: 1.5 hours Total Sleep: 9 hrs (boycotted 2nd nap) DAY 3 = NOW we're talking!! ^_^ Total Crying in Crib: 40 minutes Total Sleep: 14 hours (not a peep from 8pm-6:30am) DAY 4 = Gooooooood! Total Crying in Crib: 1 hour Total Sleep: 13 hours (slept 8pm-7am with just a couple of peeps) DAY 5 = Back to Exhaustion. Total Crying in Crib: 7 hours Total Sleep: 12 hours DAY 6 = Better... Total Crying in Crib: 2.5 hours Total Sleep: 10 hours DAY 7: Sucky suck mc. suck alot Total Crying in Crib: 5.5 hours Total Sleep: 10.5 hours (boycotted 2nd nap) So, looking at his total time sleeping he is WAAAAAAY sleep deprived. He slept through the night 2 times out of the week. We're not doing so well... He's developed a cold with some pretty major congestion, and 2 bottom teeth are trying to bust through (his 7th and 8th teeth), so I'm hoping once these 2 issues are through he'll be sleeping through the night regularly and getting his much needed cumulative 14-15 hours of sleep. After all this, I'm definitely not going to revert back to letting him pass out at the breast, even when he's not feeling 100%. If he's really miserable I will comfort him in other ways, but not by co-sleeping and not at the breast. We will get through this... soon... fingers crossed!!! @_@
Are you raising your child bilingually in languages native to you and your partner? Did you study a language and want your child to learn it as well? Do you only speak English but want your little one to have an additional language under his or her belt? Do you want to have fun learning a language together with your child? If you answered YES to any or all of the above, I have a totally awesome company to introduce you to... Little Pim!!
Founded by Julia Pimsleur Levine (daughter of Dr. Paul Pimsleur - created the Pimsleur Method), Little Pim is a language learning system geared toward children ages 0-6 (the prime time for language acquisition). It's a complete at-home program (DVDs, books, flashcards, and CDs) that helps children acquire a new vocabulary and a near-native accent! You can choose from the following languages: Spanish, French, Chinese, Italian, German, Japanese, Arabic, Hebrew, Russian,English, Portuguese. My husband is Japanese, but works a LOT so we worry that my son doesn't get enough Japanese exposure. My Japanese is conversational at best, but I don't want to use it with him much because I don't want to pass along my bad grammar and accent. Suffice it to say I was SUPER excited to try out Little Pim's Japanese pak.
I know I know, the AAP recommends no screen time before 2 years old. And for the most part I adhere to that. But I have 2 exceptions: 1) when mama is REALLY sick (i.e. flu, mastitis, etc), and 2) when it's for the purpose of having foreign language exposure! So, Little Pim certainly falls into this 2nd category! We've been watching it together, as it's done in a way that gives you time to repeat the words and phrases and engage your child. It's really fun! But for the sake of taking pictures, he was on his own for a while and look how into it he is!! I promise you, it's not just because it's TV. He couldn't give a rats you know what about Baby Einstein or the nightly news! haha!
Now that you have fallen in love with Little Pim as much as I have, enter to win a 3-pak dvd set below (language of your choice)!!
If you can't wait, or if you don't win (boo-hoo!), you can get 20% off all products on the Little Pim website with the promo code "LPHOLIDAY" (hooray!!!). You can also find Chinese, French, and Spanish Discovery Sets in Toys R Us nationwide. Oh yeah, did I mention what an AWESOME Christmas (or Hanukkah) gift this would be!?!? Follow Little Pim for news and promotions (FYI, these are included for extra entry points in giveaway)! Little Pim Website Without further ado, the GIVEAWAY!! (Enter in the Rafflecopter box below, US Residents over 18 only please)
**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.
We last left off with little one napping from 5:40 til 8pm Friday night and I was worried since 8pm was supposed to be his bedtime. I took my mom's advice and kept him up til 11pm. He was happy and playing independently, not cranky, so all was good. He went down at 11pm and only cried for about 2 minutes! Woohoooo!! He slept straight from 11pm to 6:30am, half-waking and letting out little cries or whimpers, but never standing up or totally waking up. He finally stood up crying at 6:30am, but that wasn't enough sleep so I moved to the couch and let him cry, for an hour! He passed out around 7:30am and slept for another hour, after which he woke up and I took him out for breakfast and play time. Saturday's day time naps were totally screwed up since we were out all day. Dana of the Sleep Sense Program would totally boo-boo me, cuz she says you have to be really strict the first few weeks of sleep training with a set routine and they have to fall asleep in their own crib by themselves at the same time every day and night. But, you know what, everybody's gotta make it work and fit their lives however best they can. Frankly, I cannot just give up my life for this, and hopefully my baby will still learn to sooth himself to sleep. For the first nap of the day, he passed out in his stroller and slept for one hour, which is great for him as of lately. I'm fine with him passing out in the stroller, the main habit I'm trying to break is needing a booby to fall asleep! But the second nap, ohhhhh boy. Clearly we waited too long and he was overtired. He was screaming in the stroller for a while, so I gave up and put him in the carrier. But that didn't work either, he was content and living it up in there. Time ticked on and finally it was 7pm by the time his eyelids were getting heavy and looking like sleep was near. But we were still out and I didn't want to run into the same issue as the previous day with a really late nap, that could turn into a habit! So I kept him up. Singing, talking excitedly, boop-boop-booping in his face! He wasn't upset, but he obviously wanted to sleep. I told him it was his punishment for not taking a nap earlier. #MomOfTheYear We got home at 7:50, did our bed time routine which is same as usual except with the added key phrases of "night night" and "sleepy time". I put him in bed at 8:05pm and he cried for all of 10 seconds!! and then... HE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!!! From 8pm til 6:30am - hooooooooorah!!!! I could hear him rustling about changing positions and such, but not a single cry or whimper! Is it possible he's learned to fall back asleep by himself already??? Or just a lucky night? He hasn't done this or anything close to this in about 5 months. OH. MY. GOD!! Now... if this can continue and I can just make myself go to bed earlier I will be one friggin' happy mama!!! Boy oh boy, this kid is gonna be tough to break. Mommy just might break first! Here's how the first night and the first day with nap training went... 8-8:45 PM - crying Bedtime at 8pm, cried 45 minutes and then passed out in a kneeling position up against the crib. I laid him down and he slept for 4 hours. YAY!! GOOD START!!! I go to bed around 11am, regretting this delay... 8:45 PM - 1 AM - sleeping like an angel!! 1 - 2:40 AM - crying Awake and crying for a while (I hid under the covers and he didn't realize I was in the room). After 20-30 minutes he would go silent, I would peak out of my covers and see him passed (kneeling leaning against the rail). I lay him down. He wakes up crying. Repeat the cycle about 4 times. Finally I decide to just leave him sleeping like that. At 2:40 he's finally sleeping. Ugh. 2:40 - 6 AM - sleeping 6 - 8 AM - crying Wakes and cries for half an hour. I decide maybe he's hungry so I nurse him but make sure he doesn't fall asleep at the breast (this is the #1 sleep prop we're trying to break the habit of). Put him back in his crib at 6:40 awake. He cries for another hour and a half. 8-10 AM - sleeping Glorious sleep for both of us!! He wakes up super happy and adorable, thank goodness he doesn't hate me... yet... mommy needs a coffee! after taking care of my exploding booby (the one that didn't see action at 6:30am)! haha! But now I have a dilemma. The schedule I'm trying to get him on is 8pm-8am sleep, with naps at 10:45 AM and 3:15 PM. But he just woke up at 10 AM... hmmm... so we altered a bit... 12 - 1:10 PM and 1:30 - 2 PM - crying At 1:10 he fell asleep, against the rail AGAIN but he was not getting good sleep as you can see in the video below, he kept sitting up and falling forward, in a twilight kinda sleep poor guy. But he woke when I tried to lay him down 20 minutes later. Sleep Sense says if baby wakes from a nap in less than 1 hour, try to get them to fall asleep again but if they won't after 25 minutes or so give up. Well, that's what I did at 2pm, just in time to make our 2:15pm co-op class! Somehow he was a good boy in class, there's always lots of fun distractions for him, it's only at home he's a cranky pants! 2-4 PM - awake & decent mood
4-5:40 PM - crying I was sure he would go right down for a nap after our very energetic class! But, no such luck. 5:40 PM - 8 PM - great nap!! Unfortunately, this SCREWS us for tonight... he's supposed to be going down for the night now. Instead he's waking up from an amazing nap. No idea what I'm supposed to do. This sleep training this is for the friggin birds. UGH!! I just woke him up at 8 and he was happy and hugged me super tight. I guess I'll just let him play til around 10:30pm?? |
About ME:I'm a NYC metro area mom blogger living in NJ with my Japanese husband & our 3 kids (twins plus 1), focusing on fun and honest product and travel reviews, saving moms time finding the best for their families! Find what you need in the menu bar or search section above! Categories
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