An Exciting Announcement + $50 Tiny Prints Giveaway

Remember when I wrote this post about my brother-in-law and his wife, my amazing new sister-in-law, and how I said that I hoped someday we'd live near them so my littles could play with their cousins?  Well, it's happening!  They just moved into their first home only a half an hour from us and are expecting their first baby!  I'm going to be an aunt!  Lulu's going to have a little cousin to buddy around with!  Come October, I will be holding my first...

wait for it....

wait for it...

 

 niece!

  

We're so, so thrilled! 

And remember this post about dealing with baby fever?  Well, I left out the biggest way I'm currently coping - having a niece or nephew to look forward to!  I am just excited about this little one as I was about my pregnancy with my daughter.  I'll have a baby to cuddle, Lulu will have a playmate, etc.  All the things that I was lamenting about missing as we wait until the right time for another child.  I'm also loving talking pregnancy and baby with my sister-in-law.  Maybe someday we'll be able to be pregnant at the same time.

We just found out the sex of our little niece yesterday and I think it's only fitting that I have a little baby themed giveaway to celebrate!  Tiny Prints is offering a $50 credit to one lucky winner!  Why is Tiny Prints baby related?  Because they have a gorgeous assortment of baby shower invitations and birth announcements.  Of course, I have no say in my little niece's birth announcement, but I will be planning a baby shower for my sister-in-law this fall.  It will be the first shower I've ever thrown - baby or bridal - and I am so excited.  I've already been thinking of theme ideas.  Right now, I'm loving this chalkboard theme:

 invitation

message for baby

thank you note

There are also matching gift tags and address labels!  If you've ever been on Pinterest, I'm sure you're aware that there are also a million ideas for chalkboard party decor.  Of course, I'll probably change my mind a million times before the shower theme is set in stone, but there are a ton of other options out there.  All I know is that it has to be darling and girlie for my sweet niece.  Babies are such a blessing and love that our culture has big celebrations for a baby still in the womb (and for the pregnant mamas that are taking part in the miracle of life).

Now for the mini blog celebration for this little one!  Enter below on the Rafflecopter.  Please read the terms and conditions before entering.  Contest ends 5/18.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is a sponsored giveaway.  I will receive $50 to Tiny Prints in exchange for posting the giveaway.  The opinions (and the niece!) all 100% mine.  See disclosure policy.

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

It's been a while since I've posted about cloth diapering.  It's still going great in our home and I'm starting to look at cloth potty training pants, since Lucia has started using the potty once in a while.  Now that we have been cloth diapering for nearly a year and a half, I want to address one of the biggest debates in cloth diapering: hook-and-loop closures* or snaps.  Because our cloth diaper stash has been cobbled together from various diaper sales, ebay and Craig's List purchases, we have some of each.  We've gone back and forth between preferring one, then the other since before Lucia was born: 

Initially (before Lucia was born), I was drawn to SNAPS because they would last longer.  Most of what I learned about cloth diapers was from reading the experiences of other bloggers (and look at me now, contributing to this!). My main concern with cloth diapering was cost, so I downplayed any cons of snaps that I read about in relation to the longevity factor.  We knew then that we wanted a large family and were looking for diapers that would last for several babies each.                              

With a newborn, David showed an immediate preference for HOOK-AND-LOOP because he couldn't snap the snaps with his large hands without pinching her. Hook and loop also seems better for smaller babies, especially when using one-size diapers because it's more "customizable"; sometimes one snap is too loose and the next a bit too tight.  We also were not only new to cloth diapering, we were new parents, so anything that made diapering even just a tiny bit quicker or easier was appreciated. 

Once we got the hang of cloth diapering (and parenting) and Lucia grew a bit, we started to notice some of the drawbacks of HOOK-AND LOOP closures.  Even if we remembered to stick the hook-and-loop tabs down before putting them in the laundry, they often still stuck to other diapers and cloth wipes, which resulted in a huge tangled mess and diaper pilling (the "fuzzy" look that makes clothes look worn).  Still, we continued to prefer hook-and-loop closures for the time-saving aspect and lack of accidental pinching involved.  (During this time I once accidentally pinched Lucia with my nails while snapping her diaper during the middle of the night and left a scratch that bled.  I felt like the world's worst mother.) However, the preference wasn't strong and if there was a great sale price on snaps, I didn't think twice about getting them.  (If there was the option, I would still choose hook-and-loop.)

When Lucia was about nine months, we noticed that some of the HOOK-AND-LOOP closures were starting to wear and weren't quite as "sticky".  At this point, we've ultimately decided to stick with them because Lucia is so darn wiggly during diaper changes that we don't have an extra 20 seconds to snap all the snaps. (This has only become more pronounced not that she can walk away from a diaper change.)  I've also heard of many moms replacing the hook-and-loop closures themselves to get extra wear out of their diapers and I imagine that the cost for more hook-and-loop material at the craft store is negligible.  I got a sewing machine for Christmas and  assume that sewing on some little aplix squares would be a good beginner's project.

Lucia is now able to take off the hook-and-loop closures, but we almost always have pants or bloomers over her diaper so it hasn't been much of an issue.  I really prefer sized diapers, although we do have many "one sized" ones, so aplix on the smaller sizes and snaps on the larger ones seem like the best option for us.  She's started using the potty sporadically, which I hope means she'll be potty trained early (she's17 months) so we won't have much longer in diapers.  In fact, at this point, I'm really looking into training pants that can be pulled up and down, which would be much easier for getting her on and off the potty quickly.  

I took a quick survey of some of my readers to ask which they preferred, and it seems that I'm in the minority as a hook-and-loop fan (although a few other agreed with me that they preferred them for newborns).  To give you more perspectives, here's what some other cloth diapering mamas have to say:

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. 

Anne: 

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.

Amy:

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!

Jeniffer:

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).

Rochelle: 

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.

Elizabeth: 

I prefer snaps because my son learned how to undo the hook-and-loop closure at about 6 months old.

Bethany:

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.

Cat: 

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. 

*If you aren't familiar with cloth diapering lingo, hook-and-loop closures is the generic term for the more commonly known brand names Velcro and Aplix.   

If you cloth diaper, I'd love to hear how you weigh in on this issue.  What are the advantages and drawbacks that you've seen of each closure?  Do you have a clear cut preference?  If one is a little cheaper than the other, would you pay the higher price for your preference?

(Guest Post) Keeping everyone happy: the summer movie

The summer is never an easy period as a parent. When the children have free time, finding something to occupy them is no easy feat. Fortunately, there are a few easy options that offer peace and quiet, whilst also offering a fun and relaxing experience for parents too.

I am, of course, referring to a visit to your local cinema. It’s no coincidence that the biggest films come out in the summer. Using this to your advantage, you can occupy the family for a day watching a fun and exciting movie. The only question left to ask, then, is what to see?

Epic

If you're looking for something that's engaging and funny, yet appealing to people of all ages, then you should take a look at the latest Epic trailer. Epic is the latest film from the people behind the likes of Rio, Robots and Ice Age; all popular and successful family-friendly films in the past. If you've seen any of these in the past, you may already be aware of the appropriate entertainment that seems prevalent in Epic.

Epic, as the trailer shows, is a classic tale of good versus evil. Its themes are simple to grasp, yet the movie offers plenty of depth and excitement. It is intense without being violent, and it also knows when to be funny and offer some simple, old fashioned and humorous entertainment. These are the kind of aspects that appeal to all ages. This doesn't just refer to the children either; if you're planning to go along with them, it’s only fair you get to watch a film that you can thoroughly enjoy as well.

If you're looking for the perfect family day out, the cinema is definitely it. Yet that requires the perfect film. If you're planning on spending some time at your local cinema this summer, be sure to look out for Epic as it could be a genuine crowd pleaser.

This post is a sponsored guest post. See disclosure policy.