This is a partnered post sponsored by Luvs. All opinions are my own.
At this time of year, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, we’re all thinking about who and what we are thankful for. With that in mind, it was the perfect time for me to have a #WhatULuv party with friends.
Luvs generously provided diapers, decor and sippy cups for the party, so I decided to come up with green, purple and white foods to keep with the theme.
If you’ve got older kids, you probably remember very clearly how life changed once your babies started crawling. Our three kiddos are all VERY mobile, but my nephew, who is nearly 9 months, will be crawling before we know it – so in his honor (and for all you other mommas out there with little ones), here’s a survival guide for getting through the transition to mobility:
1. Set up safe areas. When your baby starts moving, he’ll want to explore! We found that the best compromise for us was getting a large play yard (we got one with six panels that we could set up in a variety of shapes). We put it in the living room so that our son could cruise along the front edge of our couch and had a wide area with different toys set up around it. The panels allowed for us to link toys to the walls, too, so he had lots of different things to move to and play with. This way he didn’t feel too contained, and I wasn’t worried about what he might be getting into!
2. Buy diapers that will stay in place as your baby moves. Diaper leaks are NO FUN (especially if it’s a dirty diaper – EW!) so it’s crucial that you get the right diapers. Huggies are a great option – only Huggies diapers have a stretchy SnugFit Waistband to help the diapers stay in place like no other diaper. The unique contoured shape provides a comfortable fit and stays in place as babies move and play. We also love that Huggies have new and improved Leak Lock, which provides the protection and security you need between diaper changes. The double grip strips provide a comfy fit that lasts a long time. The DryTouch liner is another great feature that’s part of the Huggies “Moving Baby System,” so your baby stays dry as they move around and explore! Bargain tip: Sam’s Club members will save $3.00 instantly at check out until July 17th!
3. Keep the floors clean. When you’ve got a crawling baby in the house, it’s more important than ever to keep the floors clean. Mop and vacuum more frequently than you normally would so that those little hands pick up less germs as they move around! You also don’t want them finding any crumbs, pieces of grass, or anything else to put in their mouths (because we all know everything ends up going into their mouths)!
I hope these tips help your little mover get going safely – and help to give you peace of mind as they get mobile!
This is a compensated post in partnership with Dreft. All opinions are honest and are my own.
As a mom of three kids, I’ve gone through my fair share of Dreft – and I’m betting all of you other moms out there can say the same thing. It’s always been my go-to detergent for my babies because of how gentle it is, and I recommend it to all my friends that are moms-to-be.
Parenthood and babyhood is messy, but those messy and imperfect moments are often the most memorable – don’t you agree? Thanks to Dreft, parents can embrace the mess of #amazinghood. Dreft celebrates babies and parenting and, well, the #amazinghood of motherhood. I got the chance to host a gathering with a couple of my mom friends recently to talk about what we think the most amazing part of motherhood is – and I got to share Dreft goodies with them, too.
My friend Aimee said she thinks the most amazing part of being a parent is watching her kids play pretend, and seeing where their imaginations take them. Sarah said she loves watching her kids grow into their personalities. I love seeing my kids do things for others without being prompted – seeing kindness and thoughtfulness in them really makes me feel like I’m doing my job as a parent!
It was great to get together and chat about parenting, and I got some fun pink snacks to enjoy, too.
Like I mentioned, I got to share Dreft goodies with my friends, too – check out all they got to take home in their goody bags:
My good friend has an adorable baby boy, and they’ve used Huggies® from the get-go. I knew they’d be glad to get some new Huggies Little Snugglers Diapers to help keep their newborn’s perfect skin clean and healthy. Since I can remember how quickly babies go through diapers, I went to Sam’s Club to get a big box (204!) that should last them a while.
Little Snugglers have a GentleAbsorb Liner with a tiny, soft pillows that provide a cushiony layer of protection between your baby’s skin and the mess, and a color-changing wetness indicator to let you know when your baby’s diaper is ready to be changed. There’s a softer outer cover that’s breathable, and an improved pocketed waistband that keeps all the mess where you want it and helps you avoid blowouts!
Huggies also has Natural Care Wipes that provide a gentle clean for your baby’s naturally perfect skin. Huggies Natural Care® Wipes with TripleClean Layers are thick enough to handle any mess, with a texture that’s soft against your baby’s skin. They have triple clean layers, they’re hypoallergenic, fragrance, and alcohol free, with a touch of aloe and Vitamin E.
Check out this great deal! Buy any two Little Snugglers diapers and/or Natural Care wipes and get a $10 Sam’s Club e-gift card by following these instructions: Buy any two packages of Little Snugglers diapers and/or Natural Care wipes between 5/9/16-6/30/16, snap a photo of your receipt and email/text it to Huggies@ by 7/15/16. You will receive a code and instructions within minutes to get your $10 Sam’s Club e-gift card. You will also get $3 in instant savings off Huggies Diapers at Sam’s Club from 5/11-6/4!
Note: My sister-in-law received an Infanttech Smart Thermometer to facilitate this post.
If there’s anything you can remember from the early days of parenthood, it’s probably the overarching feeling of needing to protect your baby in every way possible.
When your child gets sick for the first time, it can be a totally overwhelming feeling. And every degree of fever can be an added level of stress. I can remember several times setting my alarm to wake up periodically through the night to check the kids’ temperature and see if they needed medicine.
The infanttech smarttemp is wearable technology in a different way than one might traditionally think of it; it’s an adhesive thermometer that connects via Bluetooth to your smart phone.
The smarttemp is easy to use – just download the free smartphone app, place the thermometer under your baby’s arm with the included adhesive pad, and monitor your baby’s temperature from your phone. You’ll receive alerts if your baby’s temperature rises, so you can have the comfort of knowing your baby’s temperature is being monitored even while you sleep.
You can find the smarttemp on the infanttech site, at Kohl’s, or on Amazon, too.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NurseryMusts #CollectiveBias
I have lots of friends having babies lately – it seems like it comes in cycles, doesn’t it? With lots of baby showers to shop for, I’ve been trying to get creative with the gifts I give, and I love the idea I’m sharing with you today.
My friend who just had her baby boy also has a two-year-old little girl; this means she has two in diapers, which as you moms know adds up to a LOT of diapers! I knew a Diaper Genie would be perfect for her, so I headed off to Target to grab that and look for a few other things to go with it. Target is our favorite store to shop at – our whole family loves to go – and it’s a one-stop shop for baby gear, too. We had baby registries there with all three of our kids!
We got our Diaper Genie back in 2007 when my first son was born, and I was amazed with all the features the Diaper Genie Complete offers now. It really is the most advanced system yet; it has an ultimate odor lock system that features a 7-layer refill bag with a double Air-Tite clamp. It also includes a carbon filter that really helps absorb diaper odors to keep them from spreading out into your room.
It also has a hands-free system. Yes, you still have to touch the diaper (we can dream, right, moms?) but you just use your foot to press a pedal and open the top, so you drop the diaper right in. SO easy!
Changing the bag on the Diaper Genie is easier than ever, too – you just open the front tilt bin to pull it out.
So, as I mentioned, I knew going to Target to get the Diaper Genie. Next, I just needed to figure out what else to include. I decided to get a bottle, and since she’s nursing I thought the Playtex Baby VentAire bottle would be perfect. The “Most Like Mom” NaturaLatch nipple mimics the breast to help babies latch on naturally, so it promotes easy switching between breast and bottle feeding. It’s also got a unique anti-colic bottom vent, and the angled design helps prevent ear infections.
I got the bottle and then a few cute onesies and a burp cloth to round out my gift! Then it was just time to get home and put it all together.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SnugHugs #CollectiveBias
One of my good friends at work had a baby a few weeks ago, and we’re planning a baby shower. I’m having way too much fun helping with it – I created onesie-shaped invitations (complete with little bow ties to go with our theme) – and I’ve made a really adorable diaper wreath that will be a great welcoming feature as people arrive.
Diaper cakes have been really popular for a long time now – I’ve made, and received, my fair share of them. I think they’re really fun and can make a perfect table centerpiece, but with this shower I wanted to do something a little more unique.
Diaper wreaths are great on several levels: they, like I mentioned, are placed on the front door and welcome guests to the party. Another pro? The diapers are easy to remove and use. And unlike a diaper cake, you don’t have to find a big surface to store the wreath on when you take it home.
The best part about diaper wreaths, though, is they’re SO easy to make! You just need a few supplies:
Now let’s get on to how to assemble the wreath!
You’ve probably seen my recent Pregnancy & Baby posts featuring products for new moms – with my new nephew being born in October, babies are on my brain.
Our gift to my sister-in-law was actually a diaper bag, which I think is arguably one of the most important things to get when you have a baby – there’s so much to bring along with you, especially when you’re dealing with a newborn.
Equally important to the diaper bag is the contents of the diaper bag. It can be a little overwhelming at first trying to figure out what you really need to include and what’s not that crucial, so I decided to put a list together showcasing five must-haves for the perfect diaper bag.
Kiiiiind of a no-brainer, especially considering that the name of the bag is a diaper bag. Make sure you have plenty, especially in the first few months. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you go through them in the early stages!
Huggies Little Snugglers are a perfect option. They have GentleAbsorb liner and wetness indicator, which has tiny pillows that provide a cushiony layer of protection between your baby’s skin and moisture. For new babies, these are great because they have an umbilical cord cut-out that protects belly buttons as they heal. And you don’t have to worry about leaks – Leak Lock protects for up to 12 hours, and there’s a pocketed back waistband to help keep runny messes inside.
I found a great deal on these at Sam’s Club, which is a great place to stock up since you know you’re going to need a lot!
Check out how many came in the box – that’ll last you a while, even with a ton of diaper changes!
I received the Lansinoh Double Electric Breast Pump to facilitate this post. All opinions are honest and are my own.
When I had E, I used – and loved – the Lansinoh Affinity Double Breast Pump. That model has since been discontinued, but since I loved it so much I had no doubt my sister-in-law Lauren would love their current pump, too.
I received a Pack ‘n Play to facilitate this post. All opinions are honest and are my own.
Our Pack ‘n Play was one of the most-used items we owned with each of our three kids – and now that our daughter is three we’ve just recently retired hers; it’s definitely baby gear that goes well beyond the newborn stage.
I received samples of Dreft cleaning supplies to facilitate this post. All opinions are honest and my own.
When I was pregnant with our first son back in 2007 I remember learning early on that I should wash all our baby clothes with Dreft since it was formulated especially with newborn’s sensitive skin in mind.
Now Dreft has expanded beyond just laundry detergent to a line of baby-safe cleaning products.
Their all purpose cleaner and wipes are great for keeping surfaces clean before your baby accesses them, and the odor eliminator will definitely come in handy with all those stinky diapers {amiright?}.
You can find the cleaner, wipes and odor eliminator in stores nationwide, and online too.
I received an MBP853CONNECT2 monitor to facilitate this review. All opinions are honest and are my own.
Before I had kids, I had no idea how wonderful monitors are. Before I had to literally crawl out of my son’s nursery to avoid waking him up after checking on him, I didn’t realize how nice it would be to have a way to check in on your baby from the other room.
Now our kids are 8, 6, and 3 – and I still use the monitor to check on them! So, since I fully appreciate the need for a good monitor, I knew my sister-in-law Lauren would need one. The Motorola MBP853CONNECT2 has all sorts of features that parents will love.
The monitor retails for $309.00 and comes with: