Baby Products Archives - Page 5 of 20

How to pack the perfect carry-on for baby

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SkinCareForBaby #CollectiveBias Our kids go just about everywhere with us, and that includes when our adventures take us out of state by plane, train, and automobile. This go-anywhere, do-anything lifestyle started with our first baby when she was just days old. Even back then we’d have parents come up to us incredulous that we were able to travel with baby and now that our family size has increased their curiosity has only grown.

And I always tell them that traveling with babies was one of the best things we ever did. Not only did it make them more adaptable and flexible, it also made it easier to keep our adventurous side, which makes us all happier. The kids are growing up seeing things others only dream of and we’re spending some really awesome quality time together starting from day one.

My first tip for traveling with baby is that preparation goes a long way. Before we ever set off with baby, we read a ton and played out all of our worst-case scenarios. There were a few missteps along the way but for the most part we were prepared for just about everything that has come up, and even when we weren't, we were able to approach it with a roll-with-it kind of attitude knowing that you can't account for every emergency.

If you are a new parent wondering about the logistics of traveling with baby, you can relax because we are giving you a peek into our carry-on for baby. This is exactly what we'll be packing for our cross-country trip with kiddos this month, and has worked well for us on all of our adventures. Are you ready to start? Great, let's break down our packing list by category: food & snacks, soothing & comfort, playtime, clothing, changing, and just for parents.

Oribel introduces 2 new PortaPlay items {pre-order and save 15% off}

Do you remember my review of the awesome PortaPlay from Oribel that I posted last year? It’s still one of my most favorite “baby” items we’ve ever had, and I love it even more now than I did when it first arrived. See that tree NOT getting mauled by my 10 month old? Thank you, … Read more

Relax, there’s still time to score the perfect gift thanks to the Kmart Fab 15 Toys

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of the Role Mommy Writers Network and Kmart. All opinions are 100% my own.

Are you still shopping for the holidays? Yeah, me too. This year has been really hard for me to cross off my list while still working and doing all the school and family obligations, and I'm way behind with just days to go.

The fact that I'm running behind isn't really the surprise, it’s who is still left on my list that is the crazy part. It's not the usual hard to buy for group of teenagers and those that have everything, it's the kids. You know, the normally easy to buy for kids that I usually have gifts for back in June. Those kids are still on my list. Every time I’ve gone to shop for them, I’ve started doubting my choices worrying that it’s not the perfect gift and I've left with nothing. And, it’s not just nieces and nephews that I’m second guessing myself on. Would you be surprised that I still don't even have Santa presents for my own children? Yep, it's true. Santa might be a big 'ole letdown this year because of my lack of planning and the fact that I've been struggling to find where to start looking for the vague gift ideas they gave the big guy. Are you scared for me?

Don't worry, because Kmart is coming to my rescue, again. Kmart boasts ridiculously awesome toys and games for kids of all ages and stages, and that means that I can find everything I need in one place. But, what if I get overwhelmed when I walk in the toy section and see all those awesome choices? That’s where the Kmart Fab 15 Holiday Toy List comes in.

The complete guide to storing and organizing children’s clothing: hand-me-downs, outgrown clothing, and long term storage

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ZiplocSavesSpace #CollectiveBias I love the spread of ages of my children in most instances. I love that the three of them are incredibly close friends, but just enough apart in age so that they each have their own time to shine in their different stages. Really, the only time the age difference bothers me is when I’m packing, storing, and then keeping track of all these different sized clothes, blankets, and seasonal gear. But, as miserable as running my own personal small children’s boutique can be at times, there is nothing sweeter than knowing that all of my children wore a beloved item, or when I realize how many memories are in those tiny clothes they are handing down. Stories of places we’ve been together, people that gave us the clothes who are no longer with us, or simply amazing memories we’ve made while the kids were wearing the items. That makes it all worth it in the end.

Ready to get started organizing all your little ones’ clothing? Great!

One Big Happy Holiday: celebrating the magic of the season with Gymboree

I have always loved Christmas. The lights, the sounds, the events… everything. But, now with three little kiddos soaking up all the possibilities of the season, the holidays are positively magical. Of course there are the big events that everyone loves, like the pictures with Santa and taking a spin on the holiday carousel, but I think I love the small moments even more. Nothing can top our dance parties as we trim the tree and decorate, matching Gymmies by the fire, or sitting under the tree telling holiday stories. As much as I know the kids love the big stuff, it’s going to be all those little things that they remember most as our family traditions. Gymboree knows that life is full of happy moments, and they launched the One Big Happy campaign that encourages every family to celebrate the special moments, no matter the size.

Finally, you have doctors on your schedule with Amwell. You will never again have to Google symptoms and mom-diagnose or sit in an ER all night. No need to rearrange your schedule to make the only appointment available or waiting weeks without getting seen. And, no piling kids into the car and sitting in traffic, no masks to cover coughs or hand sanitizer to keep healthy kids healthy, and no keeping kids entertained while in the waiting room or in the office before the doctor has time to see you.

Keep an eye on what matters most with the Samsung SmartCam HD

Do you ever wish you could see inside your home when you’re not in it? Or maybe you wish you could see upstairs in your house while hanging out downstairs? If so, you should definitely check out Samsung’s newest smart home solution, the SmartCam HD Pro.

Designed for the security conscious as well as those who need to check on kids, pets, businesses, or deliveries from afar, the Samsung SmartCam HD Pro is as versatile as they get. A 1080p Full HD camera that can be linked to your smartphone wirelessly through the Samsung app, the SmartCam allows you to see everything in striking clarity, remotely.

Chicco NaturalFit® Advanced Feeding & Soothing System grows with baby

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Chicco. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for my participation. When I was pregnant with my first child, I was on a forum with other expecting moms where we would share our excitement and fears about motherhood. Of all the things that stressed us out about bringing our children into the world, one of the main concerns was feeding our children. Even though we were a mixed group with about half planning on breastfeeding and the others planning on formula, we all agreed that finding a bottle that would work for us and for baby was top of our list of must-haves.

Fast forward 7 years and now all of those ladies I met in the pregnancy forum are experienced moms of more than one child. But, do you want to know the one thing we message each other about the most often? Bottles. Crazy, right? Whether it’s concerns about baby not taking a bottle for girls night out or it’s a big life event such as returning to work or health issues, all of us have struggled with finding the perfect bottle at some point.

We’ve traded bottle brands to try, we’ve shared pictures of our kids using different types, and we’ve ranted about more bottles than I can count. So, when I found Chicco NaturalFit® recently and loved what I saw, you can bet I shared it with the group.

3-in-1 PortaPlay convertible activity center from Oribel

With my older two kids I had every baby gadget, gizmo, or new fad that came on the market. And then I gave most of it away to family and friends thinking we were done with the baby stage. So, when we found out we were expecting baby #3 last year, I had many people ask if we wanted our stuff back, but I knew they were still using it so I said I would let them know when we were ready for it.

As it turns out, I haven’t asked for any of it back. And, for the most part, I haven’t missed all the baby stuff. I call my new parenting style “minimal”, and it’s actually been quite awesome not having to find places to store all the extra stuff before, during, and after we need it.

For that reason, Oribel is my favorite new baby gear company, hands down. Instead of buying a baby item that lasts a matter of weeks, their baby gear is designed to grow with baby through multiple stages helping you truly go minimal.

Back to school with Gymboree – Let’s Color Together

You know how all kids go through various stages and it’s easier to connect with them at certain times? About two years ago my sweet girl was going through a stage that left me frazzled by the end of the day. What I realized was that we needed something for just the two of us, and it was going to be even more crucial as she started school full-time. There were three main criteria I needed to address: 1) The activity had to have no rules that I needed to enforce since I was the enforcer the rest of the day. 2) It had to be something that wasn’t extra work for me so I didn’t have to plan, execute, and then deal with clean up. And 3) It had to be something we both enjoyed that allowed us to reconnect so that we could weather this stage we were both going through.

One day it hit me that the answer to reconnecting with my daughter was through art. We both love just about every type of art and we both find it relaxing, so it was the perfect solution for getting us both to enjoy each other’s company and rediscover how much fun we have together. Since that day we’ve worked side by side to draw, paint with water colors, sew, and even build together on our doll house we’re renovating… and it has been amazing for all of us.