About the company: Diono consistently earns high ratings from industry experts and families around the world for all of their products.  They are committed to providing car seat safety to families everywhere with innovative and advanced travel solutions. Their first product was in 1999 called the Mighty-Tite, the first and only seatbelt tightener.  In 2005, they introduced the Radian Car Seat, the first steel-reinforced folding car seat that makes travel and storage more convenient than ever. In 2008, they were one of Inc 500’s fastest growing U.S. companies and today they have more than 100 product offerings across 54 countries, with offices in seven. 

When I had Baby Skibbles, her safety was my top priority.  We had what I considered a great infant car seat, but as Baby Skibbles is growing bigger, we knew that we would need a convertible car seat soon.  I, at that time, had no idea about Diono or that there were options for me to only purchase one car seat from birth to the end of booster years. With minimal research done, I quickly learned that Diono was the highly sought after car seat for (most) parents.  Mention Energy absorbing foam, 5 point harness, LATCH installation, rear facing tether, side impact protection, and award winning car seat to any mom and you are guaranteed to spark her attention.

Photo Credit- Diono

We also quickly took notice of the clearly printed safety and warning instructions on the Diono. I love that some of the proper seating instructions are printed right on the sides of the seat so that I have a quick reminder of proper positioning when the time comes without always having to bring the manual out.

Photo Credit: Diono

Installation was a breeze.  There is a detachable base that is necessary for rear facing the car seat, but all your have to do is insert and lock into plan.  Then, the manual explains what the best method is for securing the car seat.  It goes in depth with pictures to detail for nine types of installation including multiple forward and rear facing options (LATCH option available), as well as aircraft and booster options.

photo credit: Diono

(courtesy of Diono)

• Full steel frame and aluminum reinforced sides for unmatched safety
• Comfortably seats rear-facing children from 5-45 lbs, forward-facing children from 20-80 lbs in a 5-point harness, then converts to a booster for children up to 120 lbs.
• Unique SuperLATCH system that makes installation easy
• It also fits 3 across in a mid-size vehicle, folds flat for travel and is FAA certified
• NCAP crash tested, the industry benchmark for verifying child seat performance in severe accident conditions

• Infant body support cushions and memory foam for added comfort
• Energy absorbing EPS foam and side impact protection provides added safety
• Safestop® energy-absorbing harness
• Additional forward-facing recline position to accommodate different types of contoured vehicle seats, 12-position adjustable headrest, 5 shoulder and 3 buckle positions deliver a comfortable ride.
• Rear-facing tether capability
• LATCH installation up to 80 lbs
• Expandable sides and long seat bottom allow proper leg support
• Low-sitting profile makes it easy for your child to board
• Angled cup holder keeps a variety of drinks upright and within easy reach
• Cover is machine washable and dryable
• Rubber bottom grips for no-slip installation
• 10 year life

BUY IT: The Diono Radian RXT Car Seat retails for $340 US, but is currently on sale on Amazon for $260!  Just click on the link below to view the Amazon site or make a purchase. To see other retailers that carry the seat or Ultra Mat, just visit the Diono website HERE.

WIN IT: One lucky reader is going to win their own Diono Ultra Mat just like the one reviewed! Just fill out the form below. This giveaway will end on 10/9/13 at 1:00am EST. Open to US residents only.

Step 2: From the PicMonkey home page, click “Edit A Photo”, then locate the photo that you will be using as the background for your game. This photo can literally be anything; a cute background, a photo, a solid background…whatever you’d like! Once you have located the image you will be using click on it once, then click “choose”

Step 3: Once you have pulled up your image, click “Overlays” then “Geometric” to pull up the various shapes. This shape will be used as the portion of your game that will contain the text. I always go for the square but you could use whichever shape you’d like.

Step 4: Adjust your shape so that it fills the amount of space on your background that you would like to reserve for text. I covered almost the entire background so that I would have plenty of space to right. You will then need to change the color to white -or another color of your choosing- and then adjust the fade until you reach your desired transparency.

Step 5: Once you have done the steps above, click on the “Basic Edits” function, then click “Resize”.

Step 6: This is the step that may take you a few extra minutes to accomplish because it will require some Googling on your part. When you print out your game you will want to make sure that you have adjusted your game image to the appropriate size for printing. I decided to print my games on 8 1/2 X 11 sheets of cardstock to make it easier for everyone participating to write down their answers. By doing a simple Google search for “8 1/2 X 11 Size in Pixels” I was able to find that I needed to adjust my images size to 2550X3300 so that when I printed everything would be just the right size!

Step 7: Now it’s time to add your text in! This is the heart and soul of the tutorial because its your game! You could do whatever you’d like – “How Well Do YOU Know The Bride?” “Famous Couples Match Up” “Who Said It?”. The possibilities are endless! Decide which game you’re going to start of with and then click on the text icon on PicMonkey, choose your font, click “Add Text”, then get to creating! You can add as many text boxes as you’d like, change up the fonts, the colors, and the sizes! The choice is completely yours.

Step 8: Once you have finished adding in all of your text, it’s time to save your project!! Start by clicking the “Save” button at the top of your webpage.

Once you have clicked “Save” you will be redirected to a second save page where you can then change the title and change it to/from a JPG to/from a PNG. Once you’ve done that, save it to your computer!

When you’re ready to print out your games you can do so in many different manners. You could visit your local craft store or print shop and pick up some high quality paper and print from home or you could take the file to a print shop and have them do it for you!

Check out the games that I created for my bridal shower coming up in January! I can’t wait to see what my guests come up with for their answers!

Please consider voting for us on Top Mommy Blogs. Just takes one click and helps us be able to bring you more & better giveaways! Thanks.

About the company: Merino Kids is an award winning textile company from New Zealand that uses 100% natural fibers in their sleepwear for newborns, babies, infants, and toddlers. Founded in 2003, it is now one of the global leaders in using natural fibers for young children. Their mission is to make a difference in the lives of families with young children, to help parents feel good about the choices they make, and know they are getting the safest, functional, innovative, and beautiful products. 

Merino Kids sleep sack is the #1 top-selling merino sleep sack worldwide.  It’s created from Superfine Merino wool, 100% natural, itch-free, and allergy-safe.  There is also an organic cotton layer for extra durability. Because of their design, babies don’t wake up cold, nor do they overheat.  It is naturally designed to absorb and release moisture to create a safe micro-climate.  It’s made so babies have freedom to move but can’t slip underneath or wiggle out.
Two sizes are available 0-2 and 2-4 years old, as well as winter-weight models for cooler temperatures.

It also features a patented safety belt aperture that enables your little to wear their sleep sack in the car seat or stroller without removing.

It’s machine washable and naturally fire-resistant (rated low fire risk without chemicals)

BUY IT: The Merino Kids Sleep Sacks start at $129.99, but are currently on sale for $99.99.  To make a purchase you can go HERE.

WIN IT: One lucky reader is going to win their own sleep sack (organic cotton currently unavailable)! Just fill out the form below. This giveaway will end on 10/4/13 at 1:00am EST. Open to US residents only.

Please consider voting for us on Top Mommy Blogs. Just takes one click and helps us be able to bring you more & better giveaways! Thanks.

Entry-Form

About the company: Ryobi is one of the world’s largest and most innovative power tool manufacturers, specializing in making pro-featured power tools truly affordable. Millions of contractors, homeowners, and hobbyists make Ryobi the brand of choice for this reason. They offer more than ever before all backed by a 30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee and a 3-Year Limited Warranty.  Products are exclusively sold through The Home Depot. 

We took it out of the box and got everything ready for set up. It’s extremely compact which is great for storage when you are not using it.

Next came the hose set up.  It was so simple to figure out. We’ve used it a few times now and never had any problems with leaks, kinks, or anything else.  I love that theres a “bungy cord strap” to hold the hose in place when not in use, again for ease while in storage. The hose reaches an amazing 25 feet! The nozzle itself has five different options including: 0 degrees, 25 degrees, 40 degrees, Long-Range Soap, and Short-Range Soap.

It features clearly marked soap, gas, and oil containers.  It comes with the oil to start and once that was in we were ready to test it out.  Andrew started it up and I was completely shocked with how quiet it was.  I expected something much louder, but you could barely hear it from around the corner of the house.

• Powered by a 187 cc Honda engine
• Idle down technology for better fuel efficiency
• 5-in-1 nozzle for easy spray-pattern changes
• 25 ft. Power Flex hose bends like rope for easy management
• Maintenance free aluminum pump
• On-board detergent tank
• On-board accessory storage
• 3 year warranty
• Roll cage frame design keeps engine protected in rough conditions
• Consider using with an EZ clean surface cleaner for fast and easy cleaning of large areas
• 30 day guarantee
• MFG Model # : RY80940
• MFG Part # : RY80940

BUY IT: The Ryobi 3100psi Honda Engine Gas Pressue Washer with Idle Down retails at $399.00 and can be purchased directly from the Home Depot or on Amazon.

Please consider voting for us on Top Mommy Blogs. Just takes one click and helps us be able to bring you more & better giveaways! Thanks.

 

About the company: Kidsme has grown since 1989, but their mission has always stayed the same. Using their children to inspire and motivate them, they create innovative, fun, easy-to-use products.  Their products encourage special moments between parents and children to Discover, learn, and play together. The founder of Kidsme needed a solution to allowing his child to proactively self-feed with worrying about choking. He created the Kidsme Food Feeder from that experience!

No matter how you feed your child, you have probably started out worrying that they are going to choke. For us, especially doing baby-led weaning, I was completely trusting in her ability to self-feed, but some things were just harder for her to grasp in the beginning.  I wish I knew then about the Kidsme self feeder.  It’s absolutely wonderful.  Now that baby Skibbles is 9 months, I was a bit concerned about how I was going to review this because we haven’t used a feeder like this in a few months.  Luckily, one night, she was super fussy and both Andrew and I knew it was her teeth.  He saw the food feeder laying on the counter and suggested that we put some ice inside to help with teething.  So we did.  And the next hour was amazing.  She literally sat on the floor or crawled around with it in her mouth for the next hour!  I was literally shocked.  She would even get mad if I grabbed it to put more ice inside! Not only that, but we put some frozen fruit inside and she ate that right up too!  It’s been awesome for teething more than any other teether we have.

I love that there is a cap on this feeder.  Not only does it make sure the cap and what’s inside stay clean during travel, but the cap can actually double as a small cup.  Perfect for her little hands.

 There’s also a secure snap lock that is extremely easy for me to use, but stays locked every time she has tried to open it.  I’m really impressed with the sac being removable as well. It’s made cleaning a breeze!

Skibbles has really enjoyed her Kidsme Food Feeder!

The picture below explains a few more of the awesome features and why it’s just an amazing food feeder (better than the ones you have probably seen on the market)!  We loves ours and hope you do too!

BUY IT: The Kidsme Food Feeder comes in two sizes small and large and is available on Amazon by clicking on the picture below! They even have replacement sacs if needed!

WIN IT: One lucky reader is going to win their own! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway will end on 9/22/13 at 1:00am EST. Open to US residents only.

Please consider voting for us on Top Mommy Blogs. Just takes one click and helps us be able to bring you more & better giveaways! Thanks.

About the companies:
–Balance Bar was founded in 1992 as one of the originators of energy bars by a group of sports enthusiasts, scientists, and others in Santa Barbara, CA.  Over the last 20+ years they have added several flavors, styles, and formats of energy bars to make nutrition easy and delicious for everyone.  Their original purpose remains the same: to help create balance. 

-Itzy Ritzy believes that parenting in style is possible.  Their line of modern, multi-purpose products provide solutions to everyday challenges. They believe their job is done when YOU get your job done in a stylish, exciting, and refreshingly simple way. 

While I don’t have any school age children, I know how hard packing lunches can be since I do it for Andrew every day.  Packing for children is even harder though.  You want to make sure you are providing nutrition and variety at the same time.  Balance Bar and Itzy Ritzy are here to help! With an astounding 79% of parents packing their children’s lunches, I’m sure you would love the help too!

Balance Bar is celebrating the new school year with their brand new product Balance Bar mini energy bars and partnered with Macaroni Kid to survey parents and come up with some amazing tips!  So as back to school season is getting ready to or has just begun for you here’s a few of them:
-Do a run through to get your kids prepared for their new school routine.
-Plan a menu and let your kid pick a few of the options they would like to see in their lunchbox (Balance Bar mini energy bars are a great snack!)
-Clean out their closets!  Nothing gets you more ready for smooth mornings like a little organization
-Start them on a good sleep routine early to get prepared for waking up earlier
-Set goals to help keep them motivated for the new school year

Itzy Ritzy sent their Snack Happened(TM) Reusable Snack Bag.  Before I knew about reusable bags, we went through so many disposable ones and I always felt so bad.  Luckily, Itzy Ritzy makes an amazing bag.  It’s thicker and seems more durable than others I have tried in the past.  It’s bright and fun colored but stylish at the same time.  Great for keeping crackers, fruit, sandwiches, and even Balance Bar mini energy bars too! They are even machine washable to cleaning -and reusing- is easy.

BUY IT: Balance Bars can be found in a number of stores such as Target, Wal-mart, CVS, Whole Foods and more. Find your closest location by going HERE. Itzy Ritzy products are sold in Babies R Us and BuyBuy Baby, along with a few other retailers.  Find them all HERE or click on the Amazon link below to order now.

WIN IT: One lucky reader is going to win their own package just like I reviewed here! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway will end on 9/7/13 at 12:00am EST. Open to US residents only.

Please consider voting for us on Top Mommy Blogs. Just takes one click and helps us be able to bring you more & better giveaways! Thanks.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Baby Skibbles & I at the entrance of the event

Saturday was “VIP” day and I was so lucky to attend the Birth Without Fear breakfast hosted by Nuroo and Earth Mama Angel Baby.  Baby Skibbles and I went with our real life blogger friend Miranda and Baby2.0 from Princess Among Superheroes.  I got there expecting to have brunch and listen to January, founder of Birth Without Fear, speak.  What I got was so much more impactful than I realized.  January didn’t get up and speak.  Instead, she came over, sat down, and listened to each of us.  It was amazing.  She held my daughter, we took selfies, and it was just an incredible time (more than I could have asked for). I was disappointed all the other VIP events were sold out before I could snag tickets, but I will be stalking the page if they decide to come back next year for these VIP options.

Baby Skibbles, January (Birth Without Fear) and I during the VIP Breakfast

Sunday was the big day.  We got to the hotel and luckily skipped the long line since we had gotten out bracelets the day before.  It was packed!!  Over 400 people were there!  Vendors, and brands, giveaways galore.  It was sensory overload for both Baby Skibbles & I. There was a nursing lounge, diaper changing room, babywearing lounge, cloth diapering resource area and more. The vendors were amazing.  There were cloth diaper stores,  placenta encapsulation services, organic beauty products, essential oils, and so much more.  Like I said, I could write a book!

BECO in the Babywearing Lounge with his BecoBuddies&Babies

Baby Skibbles and I with Alex from BECO and January from Birth Without Fear

Alyssa from The Mommy Dialogues doing a Babywearing 101 seminar

And EVERYWHERE you went, you saw babywearing, and fluffy butts, and breastfeeding. Moms, breastfeeding their newborns, and infants, and TODDLERS in public without fear that someone was going to say something.  All smiling at each other because, FINALLY, we were at an event that OUR views were the majority.

January, Birth Without Fear, speaking (and Baby Skibbles)

January from Birth Without Fear and Jessica from The Leaky B@@B were the two featured speakers.  Both made me laugh.  And both made me cry. It was amazing, powerful, and I sat intently in the front row and on the floor at the front and listened.  Taking in every.single.word that these two icons in the  breastfeeding world have become.  And I learned.  About supporting each other and defending my rights and that even I need to continue nursing in public to normalize this beautiful gift we’ve been given.  More to come on these speakers in another post! 

Jessica, The Leaky B@@B, speaking.

There was a lunch break and some friends and I met up and had lunch at an awesome little place called Cosi.  The food was so yummy.  I had a chicken, tomato, basil, and mozzarella sandwich with raspberry lemonade and chicken tortilla soup!

I even won a prize!! Jamie Grayson “The Baby Guy NYC” was there to give out all the prizes! I won an adorable outfit and towel from Kushies! Of course I did a photo opp with him afterwards!

My Prize I won from Kushies along with my MommyCon Swag Bag

Baby Skibbles & I (on the left), with TheBabyGuyNYC (center), and Miranda & Baby 2.0 from Princess Among Superheroes

Lastly, I was so excited to get a shot with Xza, founder of The Mommy Dialogues and the reason this is all happening.  I still don’t know which amazing lady from The Mommy Dialogues commented on my post on the PregBuzz app over a year ago, letting me know about their awesome site, but I’m forever grateful they did and for Xza making this all possible.

I’ve already heard they are planning to come back to Philly next year and it’s slated to be 3 TIMES BIGGER!  Until then…I’m planning on how to make it to another one!  If MommyCon is coming near you and you have been debating.  Just stop.  Go buy your ticket, NOW!

**Individual posts will come later this week about how the MommyCon speakers touched me.  Check back in!