My husband and I had a few things in mind when looking for a stroller for our daughter. We wanted something that was easy to push around, good quality, and also reasonably priced. The Graco LiteRider meets all of these conditions and it also has a few other nice touches as well. We have an older child and so I’ve had some experience with strollers in the past. Our first stroller was comfortable enough for the passenger but I would struggle while pushing it. We bought a lighter stroller to replace the first one but it was poor quality and fell apart by the time our first child was barely two. This time we wanted to buy something lightweight but that was also durable.

The Graco Literider seems to be a lot more durable than our previous lightweight stroller. It is very easy to push around and comes with a reasonable price tag. There are also a few extras such as cup holders and a plastic tray. My only complain would be that the cup holders are not big enough for all cups. Overall though we are pleased with the Graco Literider and I would have no hesitation recommending it to others.

Disclosure : I have not received any compensation for writing this content and I have no material connection to the brands, topics and/or products that are mentioned herein.

I had researched a few options before deciding on the Fisher Price Rainforest high chair. At that time, we were having our first child and so I wasn’t really sure what to look for at first. I thought it would just be the case of picking one that was reasonably priced and looked nice. I read a bit though and found that there is a lot more to consider with this type of item; it needs to be not only comfortable for the child but most important of all it needs to be safe.

During my internet search I came across the some positive reviews for the Rainforest chair. It seemed to tick all the boxes and overall customers seemed very pleased with this product. I also liked the fact that it was made by Fisher Price as this is such a well respected brand name. When the chair arrived we wasted no time and were delighted to find that our son took to it straight away. He usually gets upset when we introduce something new into his life but he liked the look of the Rainforest chair; high praise indeed.

This is a great product but if I had to make one criticism it would be that the tray is a bit large and so needs to be washed by hand – not a big deal. Generally speaking thought it is very easy to clean and overall a great item that I’d recommend.

Disclosure : I have not received any compensation for writing this content and I have no material connection to the brands, topics and/or products that are mentioned herein.

I remembered three years ago, I was really pleased with our purchase of the Graco TotBloc. It was the first playpen that my two year old (at that time) has been willing to stay in for any length of time. We did buy another similar item a few months back (not naming any names) but this turned out to be a big mistake as my daughter took an instant dislike to it. This Graco playpen is bigger though and he seems to feel less confined.

I also felt that the Graco TotBloc is handy for parents because of its portability. We sometimes leave our daughter with his grandparents for the night and the fact that the playpen was easy to pack away in a carry case meant it was easy to transport. When my daughter had grown too old for the playpen, we had it stored away easily or hand it over to be used by any of his future cousins. It is a bit heavy but manageable; just make sure you don’t strain your back. Overall, this playpen is something that I’d recommend to any parent looking for a safe place to keep their kids.

I’m always excited about sharing great deals, free stuff and giveaways with my readers. Here’s another easy-to-participate contest which definitely wouldn’t take much of your time. Details below:

This Mother’s day, 20 lucky moms will win $25 each in Nuddle money to purchase a blanket of their choice.

Nuddle, Nuddle Kids, and Nuddle Baby (Nap  + Cuddle = Nuddle) is the most luxurious, warm, comfortable & functional lounging blanket you will ever own. This double-sided, super-plush blanket was designed with an exclusive foot pocket, outer hand pouch and openings to keep your hands free (to read, type, snack or just nap!). How cool is that!

Here’s How You Can Win $25 worth of Nuddle money:
From now Until Mother’s Day Just log on to “Nuddle Blanket” on Facebook and become a “fan” and tell them your perfect way to get cozy – you will be automatically entered in the Mother’s Day Raffle.

 *Winners will be announced May 10th*

Good luck mommies!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

I’m pretty excited to run this giveaway as there are products for everyone in the family ~ Baby/Child, Mom and Dad. Check out what you can win for your family below:

Le Baby Inc., Hair Gel Designed for Babies & Children courtesy of www.lebabyinc.com

Le Baby hair gel is a styling gel free of harsh chemicals meant to define wispy curls and tackle unruly after-nap hair. While the concept of baby hairstyling products might seem a little child-beauty-pageant to some, for many moms and dads it’s a must-have diaper bag accessory. From taming those wild fly-aways to smoothing frizzies, Le Baby hair gel works on all hair types and is hypoallergenic for sensitive skin. Whatever your child’s hair type, Le Baby will make combing and styling a cinch. The unique formulas leave hair shiny, healthy looking and more manageable.

Retail Cost: $9.95

PowerHouse Hit The Deck For Moms and Dads, courtesy of  www.powerhouseperformancecoaching.com/

Trying to lose weight? Short on time? Looking for cardio and strength training all in one workout? Trouble managing your stress? Need a convenient workout at home or on the road?

PowerHouse Hit The Deck™ is the answer — one box has it all! Set the timer, draw your first card, and do as many repetitions as you can. When the timer beeps, draw your next card! Simple, easy, effective: a cardiovascular AND strength training workout at the same time, as well as an effective tool to combat stress and the Cortisol Crisis™.

Retail Value : $19.95

Hey Dude Aftershave For The Man of The House, courtesy of  http://www.heydudeskincare.com

Hey Dude Skincare ™ is a line of men’s skin care products designed to give today’s man the essential tools he needs to combat the natural effects of aging and external conditions upon his face and body. Made from high quality organic ingredients like hyaluronic acid and essential nutrients, Hey Dude Skin Care products perform the most vital of functions to help a man protect, repair, and maintain his skin – Functions that include moisturizing and cleansing deeply into the cellular level of a man’s facial skin.

 Hey Dude Aftershave contains seaweed extracts that combine with the proteins of the outer layer of the skin and the hair, forming protective moisturizing complexes. Efficient hydration enhances the skin’s natural ability to repair itself. Seaweed extracts decrease the irritation caused by shaving and depilation. Aftershave calms and moisturizes, as well as reduces skin redness and razor burn.

Retail Price : $19.00

LashFood For Moms, courtesy of  www.lashfood.com

LashFood is formulated with the highest grade all natural ingredients available, and is designed to condition, repair, restore, and create longer healthier and more beautiful eyelashes and eyebrows.

LashFood’s breakthrough natural ingredients, including Biotin an essential vitamin, Arginine a natural amino acid, and herbal extracts, helps promote the natural growth and strength of eyelashes and eyebrows. The result: your lashes become thicker, darker, and longer with this revolutionary conditioner.

LashFood retails for $129.00 and will last up to 5 months.

WIN THEM ALL! :  You can enter to win this whole package of awesome products worth more than $150 by following the requirements below:

• One mandatory entry – Tell us why you want to win all the above products
• Two additional entries – Tweet this giveaway and leave your twitter thread here. You can do this everyday until the contest closes.
• Three additional entries – Add this blog to your blogroll and leave your blog url in the comment section here.
• Giveaway is open to US and Canada shipping address only.
• Giveaway closes on 22nd March 2010 and a winner will be picked using Random.org. We will not be emailing winners, so please make sure you subscribe to our feed or check back here for the winner announcement post.

Disclosure of Material Connection : http://cmp.ly/0

As the world continues to grow in its collective development towards awareness and enlightenment, more and more people are beginning to understand and appreciate the effect of the synthetic products that science has so easily made available to us for our own convenience. Ergo, we live in an age of plastics and silicone. There is enough plastic out there to kill us all and we still continue producing more and more synthetic material, as we tend to sacrifice health for comfort and ease. All of this is okay with us as long as it is all about us, but when it comes to our children, we need to sit up and think about what we are exposing our children to.

Children love their toys, and as we all know, they spend most of their active hours, and almost all of their inactive (sleeping) hours in the company of toys like teddy bears, balls, dolls and such. Therefore, it would be a good idea to have a long, hard look at the material that these toys are made out of, which most of the time, if not all of the time, is plastic and other such synthetic, man made material.

Plastics can leach out easily. Being made from petroleum, plastics are toxic to the human body, and therefore these plastic toys pose a potential threat especially in case of small children, who tend to put anything and everything they can lay their hands on, into their mouths. Sigmund Freud describes this stage of childhood as the oral stage, when a child is fascinated by the feel of things inside his or her mouth, and uses the mouth as a means of exploring most of the objects he or she may come across.

Synthetic dyes contain chemicals and metals, which may be absorbed through the skin or inhaled in the form of fumes. The infamous lead poisoning fracas due to the cheap Chinese toys which was recently in the news is a prime example of this harmful nature of anything that is synthetic.

Many companies are now producing organic toys. These toys are made of natural, recyclable and biodegradable materials like wood, organic cotton and such. Not only are these toys safe in terms of toxicity (or the lack of it, actually) but they are also environment friendly as they are easily disposed of and degraded during biological and natural processes. Therefore, health and environment go hand in hand.

In conjunction with its 15th year of producing award-winning DVDs and products for children, Brainy Baby® announced  that it will be giving away a free Brainy Baby DVD to each household across the country to help better expose infants and preschoolers to concepts like ABCs, music, shapes and colors.

Due to the success of the initial campaign roll-out in Dawson County, GA, Brainy Baby is now expanding the DVD Give-Away to help support parents and children on a national level. According to a recent article in the Dawson County News, Laura Crews, a Pre-K teacher at Kilough Elementary School began using the DVD’s in a pilot program for her class. “The DVD’s hold their attention and relate to the things they know,” Crews said. “The kids are enraptured by them. I use the Brainy Baby line of DVD’s with my own kids and even the DVD on Sign Language (Talking Hands) keeps the attention of my 8-year old,” she says.

Created by a team of early childhood educators and using a time tested and proven method of introducing and reinforcing preschool concepts, Brainy Baby DVDs have won more than 60 awards and offer a highly effective supplemental tutorial for parents who have children entering kindergarten. “We are constantly hearing from parents that kids are learning at an early age” says Fedoruk. “It’s all about teach and repeat, teach and repeat, and then review. Our DVD’s emulate this teaching method. That’s how children learn.”

The DVDs depict fun, live action scenes of real kids and objects from everyday life. Brainy Baby DVD’s expose children to basic preschool concepts like the alphabet, numbers, shapes and colors. Brainy Baby encourages parents to watch the DVD’s with their children so that concepts and images that are presented can be reviewed together and reinforced through verbal communication.

To take advantage of the FREE DVD campaign, participants must choose one DVD from a selection of four of Brainy Baby’s most popular titles (ABCs, Music, Laugh & Learn, or Shapes & Colors). The DVD’s are FREE; participants only have to pay $6.95 for shipping and handling. For additional information and details about the FREE DVD GIVEAWAY, visit www.myfreebrainybaby.com

About The Brainy Baby Company

For 15 years, The Brainy Baby Company has been a pioneer and leader in DVDs, Books, Games and Toys for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. The award-winning line of videos, CDs, books, games, and toys introduce educational subjects such as letters, shapes, animals, art and music. Brainy Baby® videos feature multi-ethnic children, toe-tapping original music, nursery rhymes and instrumental classics. In fact, Brainy Baby DVDs have won over 60 awards including Dr. Toy’s Top 100 Best Children’s Product, the Dove Foundation’s Seal of Approval, Parenting Magazine’s Top Videos of the Year, and more. For more information about The Brainy Baby Company, visit www.brainybaby.com

For Ages: 1+
Made In: USA
Manufacturer: Holgate Toys
Dimensions: ea block 1-3/4″

Did you know that by the time babies are a year old, they should be able to play stacking or balancing games? Thus, the Holgate Baby Blocks would make the perfect  toy to help your baby develop her creativity, hand-eye coordination as well as build fine motor skills.

Each set contains six blocks made from hard maple wood and on each side of the blocks, there are pictures, numbers and alphabets. The rounded edges of the blocks received a two thumbs up from me as a great safety feature for babies. There are numerous ways to play with these blocks but for the younger babies, you can start off by stacking them up towerlike and letting your baby knock them down.  My 18 months old niece had a blast with these blocks as she was already able to sort them by colors. We have also started teaching her to recognize some of the pictures and when she grows older, we will use these blocks to teach her simple three letter words.

Overall, I would highly recommend these Made in USA Holgate Baby Blocks as they make delightful and educational toys for babies and toddlers alike.  Get yours today from NMC Toys!