Magnolia Mamas : Oh Baby

Showing posts with label Oh Baby. Show all posts

Monday, December 5, 2016

Keeping it Clean with WaterWipes {Giveaway}

This post was sponsored by WaterWipes as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Earlier this year I professed my love for a new favorite wipe - WaterWipes. Who knew that one could get so excited about a wipe? As a mom you realize pretty quickly though a good wipe can make or break your entire motherly existence.

Well... maybe not so dramatic, but listen no one likes poopy hands right?

A wipe has to be just right so it's not even a thought in your day. It works for you, does a great job at what it does, and let's you and your baby roll on happily with the rest of your day. For us the wipe that has graced our diaper bags the most has been WaterWipes.

WHY I LOVE THEM
Baby Cute has super sensitive skin. She continuously battles eczema, and I love that WaterWipes contain just what they say they do - water! Made up of 99.9% pure Irish water, and 0.1% grapefruit seed extract, they are chemical FREE.

Between eating solids (which can get quite messy with this little one!), and diaper changes we are using wipes all. day. long. That much wiping can be so tough on new baby skin, and especially for a baby with sensitive skin. WaterWipes have proven to be durable and effective without any of the harsh chemicals that can irritate her skin.

Plus I love the moisturized feeling they seem to leave behind on that cute tush. Even from the first use, I was able to tell that Baby Cute's skin seemed to feel smoother and more moisturized in comparison to other wipes.

WHERE TO BUY
Aside from just all around being a great wipe, I love that I am able to get WaterWipes straight to my doorstep! WaterWipes are available at a variety of locations, but I was beyond excited to learn that I could order them for a great price from Walmart.com.

If there is one thing I love more than a great wipe, it's being able to shop with ease for said great wipe without having to leave the comforts of my home. With three little ones underfoot, convenience will always win.

EXCITING GIVEAWAY

Because we love WaterWipes so much we are partnering with Walmart.com, some other amazing bloggers, and I-C for a fun giveaway. Now through November 9th, enter for a chance to win one of 5 $100 Walmart gift cards.

I-C will randomly select the winner from all program entries and facilitate fulfillment of the winning prizes (5 winners).

As a parent, what item(s) helps you get through your day with ease?

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Safety with Style

This weekend contained a mix of knocking things off the never ending "honey-do" list, and fun fall activities. From the soccer fields to fixing some of our landscaping to ending up running into Carrie Beth's family at our favorite apple orchard - it was a busy one.

Not to mention this busy little bee turned eight months old this weekend as well. I feel like she was just born yesterday - how is she already eight months old??

And priority one this weekend was baby-proofing.

Baby Cute has been on the move for quite sometime now. Every day she is one step closer to walking. She reminds me so much of Cute when he was this age - always wanting to be on the go and always on a mission to get on two feet as much as he could. I know I am going to blink and that tiny little baby of mine will be running across these floors.

Baby proofing is one of those tasks that I know is necessary, but that I put off for as long as possible. Those big cumbersome gates and those squishy foamy things attached to every corner in your home - I just feel like it all deters from my whole home decor vision.

Sure that vision might currently look like it was designed by a drunken mini human that recently had a major shopping spree at the local Toys 'R Us and ran around with a crayon or two in their hands, but still.

Know what I don't see gracing the pages of the Pottery Barn catalog - a wonderfully decorated room complete with coffee table squishy edge guard or the latest in door hardware fashioning plastic knob protectors.

But it couldn't be put off any longer. We live in a tough house to baby proof. We built this home before kids were in play and not once did it cross our minds how many little obstacles we were creating for ourselves and our little ones in the future.

We have four different stair cases, all with different needs when it comes to attaching baby gates. It's been a challenge to say the least.

And Baby Cute has most definitely found her way to the stair cases.

She crawl/walks her little self over to her favorite one (the one right by our front entry), and takes a little pause to make sure you are watching (or not watching).

And in two seconds she makes her move.

It doesn't take her long to make her way up, and it usually gives me a huge heart attack when she decides to take a peek back at you.

She has yet to lose her balance, but still, her need to make sure you are watching her accomplishment sends my anxiety through the roof.

We had some metal gates up with The Cutes, but they were tough to install and sometimes they fell, which wasn't kind to either the person they fell on or the floors. I was so excited when I learned of a local company in our area that distributes nationwide - The Stair Barrier. The Stair Barrier creates safety gates for babies and pets that are not only easy to install, but also take style into account.

I loved that The Stair Barrier gates were easy to install as well as un-install when you needed. Whether we are moving furniture or hosting an event that wouldn't require gates, I liked the idea that I could roll it to the side or take it away with just a few easy clicks.

Not to mention they offer a wide variety of options - banister to banister, wall to banister, outdoor, and wall to wall options (coming soon!). After browsing through all the stylish options available, I opted to try the neutral khaki colored banister to banister option for my front stair case.

I wanted to see how it worked first before buying the remaining three needed, and it is the first thing you see when you walk in my front door.

One of my favorite things about The Stair Barrier is that it can also be personalized. I thought about doing one with our name, but then saw they had a Welcome Patch one and decided to order that one since it would be seen right when you arrive in our home.

Now here's the tricky part. I realized my stairs are uniquely designed and somewhat have an issue when installing gates. The wrought iron spindles and the placement of our baluster prevent us from installing gates correctly. The fabric of The Stair Barrier doesn't sit flush with our stair because of this design flaw.

However, the gate still works with our staircase otherwise, and Baby Cute seems quite perturbed by that.

Overall the whole installation process was super easy, and with just a few clicks and a quick strap adjustment our gates were up and running. I wish all baby proofing were so easy!

With The Stair Barrier being so easy to put up and take down, I can also see us taking this with us to other places where we might need a gate. Either when we travel or to grandparents homes who might not already have gates in place (especially when they only need them for an hour here or an hour there).

Just another quick click or two, and its all rolled up and ready to go to take with us. Our sweet Baby Cute will be protected no matter where we go!

While Baby Cute's been unhappy she could no longer make the ~~dangerous~~ amazingly fun trek up the stairs, The Stair Barrier gate has been such a wonderful addition to our home (and our sanity), that she couldn't stay mad for long.

She's her normal happy - much safer - self, and mommy can now concentrate her ~~anxiety~~ efforts in other baby proofing nightmares around our home...like that four sided stone fireplace that sits in our living room (eek!)

Do you have any stylish baby proofing solutions for your home? What tricks or products have you found that work best?

**We were given a gate from The Stair Barrier to review for this post. All thoughts and opinions are our own. **

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Sleep Easy with The Baby Sleep Site

Today let's talk about sleep. Or for most parents of little ones - the lack there of.

Way back in the days when being a mommy was just a blissful thought and dream, I thought I pictured life with the most perfect little newborn peacefully sleeping in my arms all days, and dreaming gracefully all night. All night.

Fast forward a bit, and a after becoming a few years older and wiser, my pregnant self knew when I became a parent that I would no longer be able to sleep in on weekends, and for a few short weeks I might have to get up one, maybe twice, through the night to feed my hungry, cuddly newborn.

Now fast forward many more years, not to mention many more children, and my current self is laughing at my former naive, albeit well rested, self.

While I give birth to some awesomely cute, and incredibly laid back babies, sleepers they are not. Cute gave me a run for my money in the sleep department, and at age five he still occasionally decides to partake in an all night party.

L.C. was my dream baby in the sleep department. She slept out the gate, and until this past Spring was a champion sleeper. Then she decided why sleep when your brother down the hall is obviously having an awesome time down the hall at 2a.m.? She also decided napping was for babies and she wasn't about to do anything of the sort.

"Wait, you want me to sleep? What about all the fun things that happen at 2:45a.m.? I can't be the only one missing out!"

Baby Cute seemed like your typical baby, and surprised me when right around two months she began sleeping through the night. Personally, I considered this a major win considering the other two were still waking up. Right around four months of age she went through the dreaded "4 Month Sleep Regression". Oh my. Right around the time we went on our beach vacation she learned to roll over in her sleep, army crawl, and began teething to the point she stopped sucking her fingers/using a paci. Throw sleeping in a new place for the majority of the summer and it has been the recipe for sleeping disaster.

This mommy has been worn out. Getting up somewhere between 3-6 times on average a night has taken its toll. I knew something needed to change - and fast - so when I was approached by The Baby Sleep Site, I jumped at the chance to get some expert advice.

The Baby Sleep Site is the brain child of mother of two, Nicole Johnson. After being up all night with her own children, she created a wonderful resource of information for parents to go to obtain sleep advice. From chats, to parents stories, to e-books, and a plethora of other wonderful resources, The Baby Sleep Site is such a useful tool in helping you learn and get advice on how to get your household back to sleep.

After looking up some information on the site for myself (including this great article on 4 Month Sleep Regression), I decided to check out some of their advice services. After browsing the different sleep plans available, it was determined that the Custom Express Sleep Plan was my best option. I needed something tailored to my own situation as well as something that gave me the independence to implement on my own. I also love that the option to get more extensive one on one consulting would still be available if I needed it.

I signed up, and after filling out a detailed sleep assessment, I able to obtain the advice I needed. I customized my plan to Baby Cute since I felt like she was the one most thrown off lately. The assessment took was very thorough on asking questions regarding her sleep situation, lifestyle, and habits, as well as taking into account the others in the household.

Overall the assessment took less than 10 minutes to fill out. I was able to list both my concerns as well as my goals for her sleep situation, and felt confident the experts were going to give me advice tailored to my sleep needs. My number one short term goal is to get Baby Cute to sleep on her own.

After completing the sleep assessment, I received a customized sleep plan. Immediately, I went over the suggestions. While some were things I had been trying, other portions of the plan were things I hadn't thought of yet. It is filled with great advice as well as suggestions on schedules - fitting within our lifestyle needs.

For the last few weeks, I've implemented the advice and tried to adhere as much as possible to the schedule. It's been tough with back to school throwing things off, but we've started to get our routine down.

One of my favorite suggestions for Baby Cute was introducing a lovey blanket to her sleep routine so that she could learn to self soothe more. She is really starting to get attached to it and looks so sweet snuggling it.

Already we've made some good progress, and Baby Cute is able to sleep in her room for naps, and somewhat get herself to sleep on her own at night in our own room. I know its a continuous process, but I am very excited that we seem to be on the right path.

I've also tried to utilize The Baby Sleep Site for tips and techniques for the rest of the house, and many of the suggestions I've found have been working wonders. The Baby Sleep Site Facebook page has been a great source of help, and a fun way to interact with both experts as well as other parents experiencing some of the same issues.

Sleep deprived and desperate for a restful change, The Baby Sleep Site has become a wonderful source of support. I am looking forward to continuing our sleep plan, and for our house to be resting much easier in the future ahead.

Our lovely friends at The Baby Sleep Site want you to get back to sleep too. They are giving two lucky readers the chance to win a Baby Sleep Site package. The package includes:

(1) Express Sleep Plan
A 2-Month Membership

To enter simply answer the question in the comment section below. Enter the Rafflecopter for additional entries. Winners will be drawn randomly and announced on Tuesday, August 30th.

What sleeping tips or tricks do you have for parents of little ones? What areas of sleep do you wish your children would improve in?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To learn more about The Baby Sleep Site:

**We were given services from The Baby Sleep Site in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are our own. **

Monday, August 8, 2016

WaterWipes Review {Giveaway}

This post was sponsored by WaterWipes as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review.

As a parent, you are continuously trying to make good decisions in regards to your child and their well being. Each day you make what seems like a million little choices that affect your tiny humans and their needs. We want to give them the best, make sure they are always safe, and hope that even down to the tiniest of issues the right choice was made.

I remember walking into Babies "R" Us for the first time years ago. Carrie Beth, already being the mom of two little ones, was kind enough to help me with my baby registry. I walked in and was in sheer awe of all the baby products available. Overwhelmed was an understatement, and thank goodness she was there to point me towards what I needed. I mean who knew there were 4,368 different options of pacifiers??

I'm kidding.

Sort of.

Luckily, as I got my mommy feet underneath me, I've figured out just what products I like the most and my trips to Babies "R" Us are a breeze. Recently, I was given the opportunity to give WaterWipes a try and let me tell you - life changing!

WaterWipes are a chemical free baby wipe and literally are only made up of (surprise, surprise) - WATER! The wipes consist of 99.9% pure Irish water and 0.1% grapefruit seed extract. With out all the harsh chemicals, I've found that the WaterWipes not only leave Baby Cute's skin feeling amazing, but that she also feels better and complains less when I wipe her.

I've mentioned a few times that she continuously battles with bad eczema, and she would sometimes get fussy when I would wipe her tushy, hands, or face. I felt awful! Her skin is always so dry, and the chemicals of regular wipes sometimes wouldn't feel the greatest, but it's hard to avoid using a wipe in certain situations. I love that the WaterWipes aren't harsh to the touch, leave her feeling fresh and clean, and are a safe all natural option for her sweet baby skin.

I purchase my WaterWipes at Babies "R" Us, but they are located at most major retailers. They are super easy to find - usually in the diaper section of the store, but I've also seen them sprinkled throughout specialty aisles.

They can be purchased as singular refills, we resealable tops, or in larger packs.

Babies "R" Us keeps WaterWipes pretty well stocked, and we usually swing in for refills when we need or grab a couple of packs on our regularly scheduled trips.

One of my favorite things to do is place my order online for store pick up so its just a quick in and out with my cute sidekicks.

We've given WaterWipes a whirl in just about every scenario possible - three messy kids and two in diapers lends to lots of quality controls testing. I couldn't be more pleased with WaterWipes, and love knowing that I'm using a safe natural product on the most precious things in the world to me.

In partnership with Babies "R" Us, I-C is hosting a giveaway where five lucky readers will win a $100 gift card to the store. The giveaway will be open until August 18th, and you can enter below. I-C will randomly select winners from all program entries and will facilitate fulfillment of the winning prizes (5 winners).

To learn more about WaterWipes and finding a retailer near you:

What baby product have you discovered you can't live without?

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Joovy Caboose Graphite {Review}

One of my biggest challenges since I became a mom of three is feeling as though I haven't found a rhythm. I wake up each day and think,

"Today is going to be a great day! Everything I do will go smoothly and everyone will have a big huge smile on their faces. Let's do this!".

Shortly after - usually somewhere between the moment those sweet first sips of caffeine hit my tongue and the time I hear the screeches of two children fighting over the same toy, followed by the wails of my formerly sleeping infant because they have voices of high pitched ~~hyenas~~ angels when they scream - I falter slightly in this thinking.

I realize I am outnumbered 3 to 1. I have two hands and three lovely little humans to fill them. Each day has it ebbs and flows, and I wouldn't change this season of life for anything.

I do try my best to control anything that can make my days go smoother, and eventually get into that rhythm I am seeking. This includes finding the best baby gear. The last thing I want to think about during my day is how to change the batteries in that favorite bouncer, or adjust the straps in our carseat. I want my gear to be easy, convenient, and after thought it my day.

Finding the best stroller has been one of my top priorities. Mr. Cute teases me that I am the Stroller Queen of the South. I can huff at that, but he's not far off. We have 8 strollers currently residing in our garage. Eight. Yikes!

Again, outnumbered 3 to 1, so I need my stroller to be a lot of things - safe, easy, lightweight, have a lot of storage, the ability to make me dinner... Well, that's wishful thinking, but you get the idea.

Today I am going to talk about my ninth addition (because what's one more when you have eight?), and what quite possibly be the answer to make all of my stroller dreams come true.

I was recently given the opportunity to try the Joovy Caboose Graphite, and let me just tell you - get excited!

THE SKINNY
The Joovy Caboose Graphite is unlike any double stroller I've owned. This tandem designed stroller is compact in size (about the size of most single strollers I've owned), and at only 28 lbs fairly lightweight, yet can hold two children very easily.

One of my biggest complaints about double strollers has always been the size. The Joovy Caboose Graphite allows me to easily maneuver through doorways, stores, maintain my lane on the sidewalk, and takes up minimal space in my trunk.

ASSEMBLY
From box to first stroll, the Joovy Caboose Graphite took mere minutes to assemble. The stroller frame and seating came already assembled. All straps were in place and all remaining parts came with quick easy to read instructions.

With just a few clicks, and a quick pop on of some wheels we were off and rolling.

VERSATILITY
I think my absolute favorite feature of the Joovy Caboose Graphite is how versatile it is. My older two children have fierce independent streaks. They don't always like the idea of being contained in a stroller, and being strapped in is apparently the toddler equivalent to jail.

The Caboose is unique in that it can be arranged so many different ways to best suit both your needs and your child's sense of independence.

It can be set up for:

Two seated areas (one on the front and one on the back).

One seated area and one standing area. A platform is attached to the back that can hold up to 45 lbs.

One seated infant in a reclined position (front; ages 3-6 months), one standing (back)
One seated or standing area (back), and one infant carrier.

Two front facing seated areas (with additional purchase of Joovy Rear Seat)

I was so impressed with the ease of being able to switch back and forth between the different seating options. The infant carrier attachment was just a quick snap and change from the cup holder, and fit any infant carrier. Any.

That means not buying any special travel system stroller to fit your specific infant car seat. Amazing!

It fit my infant carrier easily, and already had the straps conveniently stored on the stroller itself in organized pockets to lock the infant seat down securely in place.

I loved not having to worry about locating and carrying an extra part around to do this!

And needless to say my "need to be free" children loved that they could stand as we strolled, and loved getting to peek through at one another from the coveted rear seat - it's the little things people.

STORAGE
Storage is key for any mom, no matter how many children you have. That stroller basket is coveted space and needs to be able to hold anything and everything I might need for my day.

I found the Joovy Caboose Graphite's storage space to work well for what I need. I was able to easily access small items from the side and larger items from under the seated area. I would say the only downfall is that they child sitting on the back seat would have to get up to do this.

{Messy toddler fingers prints not included.}

The snack tray area is a great size and perfect for holding drinks, snacks, and anything else little toddler hands might need to get to or store on their stroll.

Overall I've been extremely pleased with the Joovy Caboose Graphite. I love that for this stage of life, I've found a stroller that can make my day a little bit easier and make my children a little bit happier.

Finding that rhythm in the little things will helps me create a greater rhythm in all things - at least until the next meltdown occurs over that coveted Paw Patrol toy I only have one of. No stroller can help with that.

** I was gifted this stroller from Joovy in exchange for a review. All thoughts and general awesome opinions are my own. **

Magnolia Mamas

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