Travelin' Toddler Gift Guide Day 7: Carry those tots with the Rockin' Baby Sling + #Giveaway

Disclosure: I have received this product in exchange for my honest review.  The opinions are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

If you read along, you know that I love babywearing!  When people ask me what carrier they should get, I can never come up with just one answer.  Every different style has a purpose.  If someone says they are looking for something quick, easy and fits in their diaper bag I usually suggest a ring sling.  Today we are bringing you not only a great ring sling but also a way to help out mothers in need.

Rockin' Baby Slings is on a mission to provide mothers in Haiti with slings and educate them on their importance.  For every sling they sell, one is given to a mother in Haiti.  This sling will allow her to nurture, bond and breastfeed her child while continue to do the work that is required to support her family.  You know how much babywearing helps you in your day to day, so just imagine how much it will help these mothers.

The Rockin' Baby Sling is one size fits most. I am 120lb, 5'3 and the tail hits above knee level.  It is made from 100% sturdy cotton and has a great zipper pocket to hold your essentials.  The sling that we are trying out today is their Hero Sling in a bright orange with red sling rings.  Nugget is pretty heavy and the sling's fabric is supportive and distributes the weight evenly.

You are able to purchase your own Hero sling and support the mission to get these slings to mother's in Haiti by visiting Rockin' Baby's website.  My Jordanian Nugget is also giving away one for the holidays!

Check our the rest of the Travelin' Toddler Gift Guide here.

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Travelin' Toddler Gift Guide Day 6: Dress that Tot to Travel w/ RockMe + a #Giveaway

Disclosure: I have received this product in exchange for an honest review.  The opinions are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

I know when I am getting ready to go on a big trip I always think about what I am going to wear while traveling.  I want comfort and functionality and most of the time I end up looking like a slob.  Don't do that to your little one.  They can travel in style with Rock Me's great collection of essential wardrobe items for that Tot on-the-go.

When I am thinking about how to dress Nugget, I want something that will: 1. Keep him warm, 2. Be easy to change a diaper in 3. Be comfortable for him.  I prefer two piece outfits because they look best but sometimes pants and an active baby can be a real struggle.  There is also that issue of when you pick up your baby, their back and stomach show in two piece outfits.

Rock Me has created a BRILLIANT solution to this problem and basically made the ideal travel outfit for little ones.  Rock Me outfits have no snap, zippers or buttons and have all the benefits of a one piece with the look and style of a two piece. They are made of the softest cotton. Better yet, these one-piece separates are designed, created and manufactured in the USA.

So what makes Rock Me so special?  The Rock Me "seperates" are only open in the back.  The pants are connected to the top with a seperate piece of fabric that is different than the shirt.  This is how they made a one-piece that still looks like a two piece.  Hard to explain, but the video shows you how it works.

The sizing is generous.  Nugget typically wears a 12 or 18 months in Carters.  He has room to grow in the 9-12 month Rock Me.   He is about 30 inches tall and 22lbs.  Rock Me makes a great gift for your little traveler and gives the parent a break from the constant reinserting of the legs in the leg holes (yes, this outfit stops that!)

You are able to purchase Rock Me in select stores or on their website. They would love for you to sign up for their newsletter and check them out on Facebook.  We are giving away a One Piece wonder for the holidays, as well.

Check out the whole holiday Gift guide here!

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Travelin' Toddler Gift Guide Day 5: HALO Cable Knit SleepSack + #Giveaway

Disclosure: I have received a HALO SleepSack in exchange for my review.  The opinions are 100% my own.

Our family loves HALO SleepSacks.  We have tried the micro-fleece, the cotton and today we are reviewing the cable-knit.  Although every SleepSack would make a perfect gift, I think this one is just a little fancier and therefore making my Gift Guide this year.  What better present for your little one than safe sleepwear and a comfy blanket all in one.  I love the SleepSacks for traveling because you don't' have to fumble with a blanket on the plane saving your baby from all the germs that can be picked up from a dropped blanket.

HALO Innovation's SleepSack wearable blankets have become the standard for hospital nurseries and parents alike.  In fact, 1,000 hospital nurseries use the HALO SleepSack Swaddle instead of blanket through the HALO Safer Way to Sleep Initiative.  HALO Innovations also offers free Safe Sleep Practices kits to childbirth educations to help further the cause of SIDS prevention.

What is SIDS?  This is the sudden death of an infant less than 1 year of age that occurs suddenly and unexpectedly.  There is a type of sleep related  SIDS that is associated with airway obstruction in the sleep environment caused by suffocation by soft bedding, another person rolling on the infant, becoming wedged between two object, or strangulation.  To counteract these dangers, we need to create a safe sleep environment for our little ones.

Safe Sleep Practices begin with:

ALWAYS

• Place baby to sleep on his or her back at nap time and at night time.
• Use a crib that meets current safety standards with a firm mattress that fits snuggly and is covered with only a tight-fitting crib sheet.
• Remove all soft bedding and toys from your baby’s sleep area (this includes loose blankets, bumpers, pillows and positioners). The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests using a wearable blanket instead of loose blankets to keep your baby warm.
• Offer a pacifier when putting baby to sleep. If breastfeeding, introduce pacifier after one month or after breastfeeding has been established.
• Breastfeed, if possible, but when finished, put your baby back to sleep in his or her separate safe sleep area alongside your bed.

NEVER

• Never put your baby to sleep on any soft surface
• Never dress your baby too warmly for sleep; keep room temperature 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Never allow anyone to smoke around your baby or take your baby into a room or car where someone has recently smoked.

Make sure that you are providing a Safe Sleep environment for your baby.  Ditch the blankets and pick up a HALO cable knit SleepSack today!  They are available at Amazon and Target.com.  My Jordanian Nugget is also giving away one for the holiday, too.

You can stay up to date with HALO on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!

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Travelin' Toddler Gift Guide Day 4: Yoomi Feeding System + #Giveaway

Disclosure: I have received this product in exchange for my honest review.  The opinions are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

If you travel with your baby, you have probably come across the dilemma of how to heat up their milk.  I breastfeed and still have to offer a bottle sometimes in the car and the only way to offer it would be cold.  Well, I came across a product that will make sure that your baby is always given warm milk.   This is very convenient if you baby will just not take their milk cold.  This amazing product is the Yoomi feeding system.

When you open the Yoomi, you will find a cap, easi-latch nipple, collar, bottle, warmer and the pod.  They are able to be used separately, or together to create the feeding system.  After going through the steps to charge your warmer, your Yoomi will heat your milk to the exact temperature of breast milk.  So how does it work?

The part of the Yoomi that will warm the breast milk or formula is the warmer.  You place the warmer in the pod and put it into the microwave for 60 seconds.  You then give that pod a shake to see if you can hear the warmer.  If you can, then you shake for a full 30 seconds and heat for another 30 seconds.  Remove the pod from the microwave and shake for another 10 seconds.  This will charge your Yoomi for the first time.  You are able to recharge your Yoomi by using this same Heat, Shake, Heat method.  After you have charged your warmer, you will need to let it cool before using.  You can either let it sit for 75 minutes or place it in a cold bowl of water for 20 minutes.  This was the only inconvenient part I found using this system, but if you were preparing to travel, this wouldn't really matter because you would just plan ahead of time.

After you have cooled the warmer you can put it in the nipple and screw on the bottle full of milk.  You press the red button firmly and wait to feel the heat.  Wait 30 seconds and then flip the bottle over, wait another 30 seconds and you are good to go on feeding. 

So did it really work?  I tested the water prior to adding to the bottle and after.  This was the before:

The water was 66 degrees and cold to the touch.  This was after:

The water coming out got up as high as 83 degrees and was definitely more pleasant temperature.  I bet the water was actually warmer but I didn't have a good way of measuring it since such a small amount comes out of the nipple.

So here is my overall opinion:

The Yoomi is solving a big problem that many parents have.  Yes, you could just get your child used to cold milk, but there will still be babies that scream and refuse to eat it.  I see this being very useful for car rides where you don't want to stop to nurse or for airports when your little one may be too distracted to nurse.  Want to pick up an Yoomi feeding system?  Use coupon code MODERNMUMMY to receive 15% off anything on their website.  You can also enter to win a full system below! 

There are just two concerns I have.  I wish I could use it as soon as I am done recharging it.  If I let it cool on its own, 75 minutes is a long time.  Another is the weight.  The warmer is pretty heavy and when you are wrangling a crazy octopus baby, it could be inconvenient.  

The pros definitely outweigh the cons and I still think that it is near magical how it heats up the liquid so quickly.  What do you think?  Have you heard of the Yoomi?  If this a product that you would use?  Would it make your life easier?  Tell me below.

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Growing Up Safely with Dreambaby® w/ #Giveaway

Disclosure: I have received these products to faciliate my review.  The opinions are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

We weren't prepared for it as I am sure most parents aren't.  The day your baby starts to crawl.  Everything in your house becomes a danger and babyproofing becomes a very overwhelming experience.  Where do you begin?  What do you actually need?  I was just sitting on Amazon, staring in shock at a cart full of latches, locks and gates that totaled over $300.  So instead of buying every babyproofing product out there, I did what every other well meaning parent should while they figure out this babyproofing thing...I set up baby jail.

After a confined area was established and I was able to calm down a bit about Nugget choking on everything in our house, busting his head on the large rock in our living room or having the TV topple over on to him, I got to thinking about what I really needed to make this house safe.  I teamed with Dreambaby® to give Nugget a great place to play and roam.  I started with this check list and went around my house to fix any hazards.

So I started at the top and with my babyproofing kit in hand we went around and made sure the whole house was safe.

1. Are all cabinets and drawers secured?  We used the multi-purpose latches to secure these.  There is no adhesive required and they are very simple for an adult to accesss.

2.  We added outlet covers to all open outlets.  We then added additional covers to outlets that had plugs plugged in.

3. We really don't have to worry about Nugget getting his fingers caught in the doors, but we added the door jams anyway.

4. Adding the corner cushions was top priority.  Our furniture has sharp corners every where.  Every corner got a corner cushion.

5.  Blind cords, extension cords, and anything else dangling was tied up or removed.

6. All of our doors already had secure locks.  When Nugget starts to walk we will add an additional device to make it harder to open the doors.

7.  The stove got a lock on it and we are able to set up gates to keep Nugget out of the kitchen while cooking.

8.  We choose to use a rubber ducky to monitor Nugget's bath temperature.  It is simple and effective in ensuring the proper temperature.

9.  We just had our tub refinished and had a non-slip surface added.  Otherwise we would have added a mat.

10.  We got a nice little night light to make sure that I don't fall while putting Nugget back to bed.  Nugget's sound machine already had a night light on it.

11.  We live in a ranch style house so we do not have steps.  The door to the basement is gated off to make sure that Nugget doesn't get to it.

12.  Our house is to small to move furniture away from the windows but we did rearrange the furniture in efforts to make it safer for Nugget to play.

As Nugget becomes more mobile, we will have to make tweeks and changes to this.  But the Home Safety Value pack is a great place to start.  Dreambaby® will be giving away a great starter kit to get your home baby proofed just in time for the holidays!  

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Travelin' Toddler Gift Guide Day 3: Pediped

Disclosure: I have received a pair of Pediped shoes to faciliate this review.  The opinions are 100% my own and they may differ from that of yours.

No outfit is complete without an awesome pair of shoes, right?!  Nugget doesn't need shoes yet,  but your can't be a stylin' traveler without a whole ensemble.  We have teamed with Pediped to make sure your little ones feet are properly soled for your travels.  Pediped is the next best thing to bare feet with their soft leather soles.  This will allow your baby to feel the floor while they are learning to walk.  Your baby is encouraged to stay in the Originals for as long as possible.

Sizing is super important to the comfort and health of your child's foot. As is the type of shoe that your little one wears.  Don't know your child's size?  Pediped offers several ways to make sure you buy the correct shoes for your child.

So why Pediped? They are very light, which is great for an active baby.  They are breathable because of the way the sole is stiched to the upper shoe.  They also offer an entire line to grow with your child.  They are also very easy to get on and off.

Nugget is trying out the Henry Originals in this post.  They are a great winter boot for him.  I wanted something a little bit thicker than socks but still ideal for his feet to grow and move.  The inside is nice and soft and the outer is study.  It is attached to a very flexible sole.  They have a velcro closure which makes them incredibly easy to get on and off.  Nugget was pretty interested in them since this was the first time he had  real shoes on his foot.  He is not yet walking, but they definitely gave him more traction in his crawl.

Do you need a great new pair of shoes for your little one for the holidays?  Pediped is giving away a pair of your choice to one lucky winner!  Enter below!

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Travelin' Toddler Gift Guide Day 2: Feeding on the go with Elliot Depot, Nuby and Little Green Pouch.

Disclosure: I have received these products in exchange for my honest review. The opinions are 100% my own.

Nugget is still at that age where I can pass off things that he needs as gifts, which is why this is within the gift guide.  Food is fun though, so this would make a great gift for any toddler.  Day 2 of the Travelin' Toddler Gift Guide is a great package of items that will help you feed your baby on the go at almost any stage of life.  This giveaway consists of 4 Little Green Pouches, a Nuby Easy Wipe Bib, Takeya Green Leaf Bento Box and Bento vegetable cutters from Elliot Depot!

Let's start with the Takeya Green Leaf Bento Box and Veggie Cutters.  I never pinned myself as a Bento mom but this may have changed that.  These great little boxes are separated to provide a variety of items for your little ones and can be closed with a snapping lid to keep everything contained while on the go.  Nugget, even though he is only 8 months old, eats a wide variety of food.  This made me really excited to try out the Bento box method of serving food.  I put Nugget up in his high chair while I prepared the fun shapes with the Bento veggie cutters.  

 I prepared two different bentos: one with fresh veggie and mini sandwiches and another with more traditional baby snacks.  Typically I have an issue feeding Nugget while out since we do baby-led-weaning.  With these great little boxes, I can pack it full of fun easy to pick up foods, snap it close and throw it in my diaper bag and be good to go.

You are able to get these Bento boxes and the Bento veggie cutters at Elliot Depot.  If you like their Facebook page and place a order during the month of December, they will send you a FREE Wonder Towel!  Three lucky readers will win a set of the larger Bento Box and Bento cutters!

Although I love to let Nugget feed himself, Dufda prefers to feed him purees.  From the other moms that I know, a lot of them do a mix of purees and baby-led weaing while feeding their little one.  He has taken it upon himself to make fresh baby food at home.  Little Green Pouch has come up with a great product that will make taking your homemade purees on-the-go with you.  

These pouches are reusable, dishwasher safe, refillable and freezable.  You can save a ton of money versus buying baby food pouches in the store and you will use substantially less waste.  

The top of this pouch has a very heavy duty zipper that your baby will not be able to rip open.  Open the zipper, fill with your favorite puree and you have healthy, fresh baby food on the go.

You are able to connect with Little Green Pouch on Facebook and Twitter.  If you would like to purchase your own pouches, head over to their website.  One lucky winner will win their own set of four pouches!

With all this food, we need to keep our messy eaters clean while out and about.  The perfect way to do this is the Easy Clean Bib by Nuby.

These bibs are easy to wipe off or rinse in the sink and dry in a snap.  Do you see that pocket on the bottom?  It is a Baby-Led weaning must have!  Nugget picks up a lot of food that never makes it into his mouth.  That pocket keeps it from falling on his lap.

This bib is perfect to take with you if you aren't able to wash or just keep in your diaper bag because you can reuse it several times.  You can buy the Easy Clean Bibs at JC Penny's and Blain's Farm and Fleet.  You can also enter to win a set of two below! 

Are you connected to Nuby?

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Check out the other Travelin' Toddler Holiday Gift Guide Giveaways here!

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Travelin' Toddler Gift Guide Day 1: Little Pim and Hugg-A-Planet Giveaway

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for my honest review.  The opinions are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

To kick off the Travelin' Toddler Gift Guide, I thought we should start with a great gift that would prepare your little one for travel anywhere and everywhere.  If you just can't wait for all the giveaways to go live, check out the rest of the gift guide here.  Little Pim Language videos are just what you need to give your child the gift of a second language.  

Children have the ability to pick up multiple languages much easier than that of adults.  In our household, Nugget is spoken to in Arabic during the day by his dad and English at night while I am home.  I am not sure how his language will evolve over time but I want to make every effort to promote his learning of both languages.  With Little Pim, we are able to watch videos that are not only helping Nugget learn but also teaching me the language he will speak with his dad.  The videos are geared around the Entertainment Immersion Method® and are separated into 5 minute segments to keep the attention of young children.  The animation or actors are helping you along the way to make learning the language easier.

You are able to choose to run the DVDs in several ways to help with the learning process.  We started with subtitles and then removed them later as we got more familiar.  What I like about Little Pim, that is different than other language learning programs I have tried is that they teach you relevant phrases.  You won't be learning about elephants jumping over pink cars here.  Where is the banana? There is the banana. Are you hungry? Let's eat a banana.  Very simple, but you are still formulating sentences.

If you are stopping at Toys R' Us on your holiday shopping, which I bet you are, Little Pim Discovery sets are available in store.  The have French, Chinese and Spanish available!

With Little Pim you will be able to learn about 360 words and phrases which gives you a great start on becoming familiar with that language.  Along with the DVDs, you can add in books, flashcards and CDs to keep the learning going where ever you may be.

Paired with the Little Pim Language DVDs is a Hugg-a-Planet Pocket Earth.  These two items would make a great gift for your little traveler.  You can teach them a new language and show them all the countries where that language is spoken.  The Hugg-a-Planet Earth is a soft globe that doubles as an educational toy and a great travel companion.  It has a hidden pocket that will hold anything small you would want in reach while traveling.   It is perfect for a plane ride to keep children occupied during play time and comfy during nap time.  

Nugget at 8 months loves to roll the Earth back and forth because it is light and soft.  Children as young as 2 are able to start learning geography!  Show them where you are traveling and ask them to recall the information.  Keep your Hugg-a-Planet on hand to reference places in the news with your children.  All around it is a great toy and gift for anyone!

Would you like to purchase this gift set?  You can get Little Pim products here.  Use coupon code LPHOLIDAY for 20% the whole website.  Head over to Hugg-a-Planet and use the coupon code NUGGET for 10% off your purchase!

You can also enter to win both below!

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Road Trip Tips from Little Passports!

Tomorrow kicks off the Travelin' Toddler Gift Guide.  So before we get to the gifts, why not start out with some tips from Little Passports (who are in your gift guide!)

Making the best of a road trip with Little Passports Travel Tips

“Are we there yet?” was a term coined by the family road trip! While new technology and toys may have silenced backseat conversations, spending time together in the car can still be a great opportunity for family bonding and learning. Even if you plan on bringing the latest gadget to pass the time, try saving them for the end of your trip when everyone is tired and cranky!

Here are some ideas from Little Passports that are sure to make the time fly by (or at least go by a little faster):

Save your most recent Little Passports delivery from Sam and Sofia for your road trip so your kids to learn and explore during the car ride.

Say goodbye to your trusted GPS! Bring back the memory of car trips as a kid and use a map! The night before your trip bring out an actual map (if you can find one!) to show your intended route to your child. Even better, copy the map and pull out a highlighter so your child can follow along – and let you know when you missed a turn.

Build in time for pit stops – and if time allows, make short stops that incorporate fun activities along the way. Everyone will need a bathroom break and a meal, but if that happens at a place right off the highway and near playground it can be better for everyone! The kids will get fed – and burn off some energy.

Hit up a dollar store before you leave and stock up on small toys and activities to give to your kids along the way. Every hour let your child choose a surprise – a great incentive for good behavior! You can even wrap the toys for an added element of excitement.

Use this link to make your next road trip educational: Little Passports Travel Tips 

Teddy Bear Making with Nugget

Disclosure: I received a Build-a-Bear gift card to facilitate this review.  The opinions are 100% my own.

Who doesn't love a teddy bear?  Stuffed animals are probably Nugget's favorite thing to play with.  I also love them because he can roll around with them and not get hurt.  I am sure, as a little boy, Nugget is going to be into making and building things.  This is why I couldn't wait to take him to make his own teddy bear.

Build-a-Bear is the ultimate toy making experience.  You get to construct your new furry friend from choosing your teddy to taking them home.  Build-a-Bear had lot of different options from a raccoon to a snowman, they even had a German Shepherd.  We stuck with the tried and true teddy bear.

The different animals that you can pick range in price from $10-$25.  You then add additional clothes and accessories from there.  When you choose the animal it is just the shell.  Next you get in line to have your friend stuffed.  This was really fun!  

The employees are Build-a-Bear were great! I watched them interacting with the kids while they were stuffing the bears and they had a whole routine to make the experience special.  Nugget can't stand or step yet, so when the team member asked if Nugget wanted to help push the stuffing into the bear, he decided sitting would be the best way to assist the lady.  After your teddy is stuffed, you grab a heart and (I hope I get this right) kiss it so your bear is loved, rubbed it so your bear is warm, and rubbed it on your tummy so your bear is never hungry.  I am sure I missed something, but it was so cute watching everyone so excited to put their hearts in the bear.

After you are done stuffing your bear, you need to prepare your new friend to get dressed by doing the only logical thing possible...giving teddy a bath.  They have a cute bath station set up with little brushes for the kids.

Next up, we went shopping to dress Nugget's new friend.  They have quite the selection of bear clothes and accessories.  

They even had a wheelchair and crutches if you wanted to make a "Get Well" bear!  In addition to your everyday street clothes, Build-a-Bear had costumes, Steeler's gear, military uniforms, and seasonal holiday wear.  With all the clothes, you are able to add shoes, hats, glasses....and get this...they even have bear boxers!  After you choose the clothes, you go to the Dressing Room to deck out your bear. 

 Now that your bear is all dressed and ready to go...He needs a name! There are several computers set up that allow you to scan the tag on your bear to get started making their birth certificate.  You enter some simple information and pick up your printed certificate at checkout.  Nugget named his teddy Dabdoob, Arabic for teddy bear.

Big or small, Build-a-Bear is a great treat for anyone.  It is way more fun than just going to the store and buying a toy.  The different clothes and accessories create longevity by allowing you to change up the teddy from time to time thus keeping your child's interest.  From their website I learned that they also offer birthday parties for 6 or more kids.  How fun would that be?  Head over to their website to check out all the different teddies they offer and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to stay up on all things Build-a-Bear!