
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
An Exciting Announcement + $50 Tiny Prints Giveaway

Monday, May 20, 2013
Mombo Nursing Pillow: 3+ Baby Products in One?
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Comfort and Harmony for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Lucia and I are going on 18 months of nursing! When she was born, my goal was at least a year and I'm so happy that we've continued past that point. Nursing has been easy for us from the start, something I know is not the case for all mothers. I've been reflecting recently on what made nursing work so well for us, and while a large part of it was out of my control - I was blessed with a little one with a good latch from the beginning and who was a good eater, my milk came in fine and I hade adequate supply, etc. - there were definitely things I did that made the learning process smoother. I read several books about breastfeeding beforehand and went to a breastfeeding class. David attended the class with me and I had him read the parts of the books that talked about the importance of a husband's support. We also got a few products to help with breastfeeding, including a nursing cover and a nursing pillow.
Our nursing pillow played a huge part in finding a comfortable hold and being able to nurse in those first few tiring months. It also served as a great pillow for tummy time. I was intrigued to find out recently that there are now nursing pillows with some extra bells and whistles. I was sent a mombo nursing pillow to test out and I absolutely love it! Here's why:
- Mombo has a two-sided design called Firm2Soft™. The firm side gives much needed support for mama and her sweet nursling. The soft side is super comfy for baby to rest against or to use for tummy time. Super simple concept but makes a world of difference!
- It has a small vibration piece that can be turned on and slipped inside the pillow for resting baby. Do I need to tell you that babies LOVE vibration?

- It's multi-functional! I'm mentioned time and time again on my blog that I'm all about multi-functional baby items. Baby gear tends to take up a ton of space, so if I can find something that takes the roll of a few different items, I'm all over it (for the cost savings as well as space savings!). Living in a small apartment for the first seven months of Lucia's life and currently sharing a house with my parents, I'm very aware of products that will serve the purpose of many products but only take the space of one. Babies usually only like those vibrating bouncers for the first 4-6 months and I can definitely see this taking the place of one.
- It has darling covers. I love two-sided cover we were sent. One side well elephants (my FAVORITE animal) and the other side a soft green.
Lucia's a bit old to need the nursing pillow to nurse (she now nurses standing up, upside down, while doing yoga, etc.) but she still loved to sit and lay on the soft side of the pillow. I can't wait to get the entire nursing experience with the pillow down the road.

Since Lulu was born, my mom's go-to baby gift has been a nursing pillow because she was amazed at how useful it was (I guess they weren't around when I was a babe). When she came out to stay with us after Lucia was born, she used it all the time to hold Lucia (obviously not to nurse!) because it was so much more comfortable for her. I'm excited to tell her that I know of an even better, more versatile nursing pillow for her to spoil expecting moms with!
You can find out more about the mombo and other Comfort & Harmony products by following Comfort & Harmony on Facebook and Comfort & Harmony on Twitter. Mombos are only available at Babies 'R' Us but are so worth a special trip there to grab one for your baby or the expectant mama you know!
Are you ready for sandals?
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tree Hut for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Summer is coming up...and it actually feels like it's already here. Somehow, here in Colorado, we seemed to skip spring altogether and went from a late, late winter (snow day on May 1st) to tempertures in the high 80s. I don't really mind missing spring because I love summer. You know what summer means? Sandals!
To me, summer style means natural style. Minimal make up, hair thrown up to stay out of the way during warm weather adventures, comfy maxi dresses and skirts, shorts and capris that can be thrown on quickly so as to get outside and into the beautiful weather as quickly as possible. Tanks tops and floral prints. I'm dreaming of time on the beach and outfits like this:

Too bad I don't live anywhere near an ocean or have plans to visit one this summer. If you're anything like me, your feet might not be ready for sandal weather either. After the dry, dry winters here, my feet are always dry and cracked. Perhaps it's time to try Tree Hut foot cream and Tree Hut foot scrub.
Tree Hut products are made with Certified Organic Shea Butter, which is known for its skin repairing & moisturizing, anti-aging, and elasticity promoting properties. A few other bonuses: Tree Hut products are paraben free, made in the US, and not tested on animals. Sounds like a company that I would feel comfortable supporting!
Tree Hut foot scrub and cream, as well as Tree Hut hand cream, is available at Walmart stores nationwide. To learn more about the company like Tree Hut on Facebook or follow Tree Hut on Twitter.
Cloth Diapers: Hook and Loop vs. Snaps
Amy:
I much prefer snaps to velcro because I never remember to secure the velcro before putting it in the wash (who wants to handle a soiled diaper that much?) and things always come out ratty and tattered from being snagged by the velcro.
Aplix (hook-and-loop) diapers are easier to get a better fit with, and they also are easier to "sell" other people (daycare providers, dads, grandmas, babysitters, etc.) to use them. "See? They're just like a disposable!" Snap diapers are better because they last longer (aplix eventually wears), so if you're planning on using them for more than one child, they make more sense. Plus, no diaper chains coming out of the laundry!
Carolynne:
I love snaps. They are easy to use and keep everything locked in.
In the early months, aplix covers give much better fit and leak protection. They are also a good choice when cloth diapering multiples, because they can be very different sizes and you need those in between waist measurements not allowed for with snaps. When they become toddlers, aplix is an open invite to remove the diaper, so we always use snaps. I've never had a toddler remove a snapped diaper, but I've had one get off a disposable that was duck-taped on!
I prefer snaps because they usually last longer. Hook-and-loop closures (at least the ones I've used) start showing their wear after a month or so of washing. I have never had a fit problem (one of the reasons I've heard for hook and loop over snaps), but I also stagger snaps if there are two rows. Snaps are also harder for babies to undo...my firstborn figured out how to undo her hook and loop diapers at five months old!
Jamie:
After 15 months hook-and-loop has worn and are now very easy for my [daughter] to remove. The worn hook-and-loop sometimes will get caught and come loose on clothing, risking major leaks. I now prefer snaps for their durability and longevity. Especially when your baby is old enough to pull off their diaper (which happens quicker than you think).
I prefer snaps to hook-and-loop for the above mentioned reasons. I hate taking my covers out and having a line of diapers chained together. Highly annoying. Also, now that my twins are 19 months, taking off their diaper has been Oh Such Fun for them; they have yet to remove a snap diaper.
I prefer snaps because my son learned how to undo the hook-and-loop closure at about 6 months old.
I prefer snaps for the longevity of them, but I also have a couple Velcro because diapering a 14 month old has become a wiggle fest!
Caitlyn:
I've never tried hook-and-loop to be honest. When I was researching what type of diapers to use, I saw a lot I moms talk about the hook and loop wearing out. Snaps seemed sturdier to me so I went with that. Also? Replacing snaps seemed easier than replacing hook and loop if need be.
I like snaps for the durability and also because we use flushable liners. We have one hook and loop cover--which I do like--but the liner gets caught on the velcro sometimes when I'm trying to put it on the wiggly baby.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
(Guest Post) Keeping everyone happy: the summer movie












