Wordless Wednesday: Busted!

by Kate on September 21st, 2010  |  5 Comments  |  Weekly Features, Wordless Wednesday

The kids were out for a harmless joy ride the other afternoon. But, apparently, they were speeding. So they got pulled over. Luckily, the nice officer let them go with a warning.

Child Passenger Safety Week

by Kate on September 21st, 2010  |  5 Comments  |  Parenting

September 19 – 25 is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Child Passenger Safety Week. During the week, parents and caregivers are encouraged to check your car seats to make sure they are install correctly and being used properly. I totally admit that I get a little lazy about adjusting the straps properly on both my kids – so this week is a welcome reminder about the importance of proper car seat use.

Did You Know?

  • According to a NHTSA study, 3 out of 4 kids are not as secure in the car as they should be because their car seats are not being used correctly.
  • Car crashes are the leading cause of death of children ages 3 to 14?
  • An estimated 8,959 lives were saved by child restraints from 1975 to 2008.
  • You can register your child seat and receive notification of defects and recalls.

Get Your Seat Checked!

September 25 is National Seat Check Saturday and you can search by your zip code to find a child safety seat inspection station near you. Certified technicians will inspect your child safety seat and show you how to correctly install and use it.

Connect! This week is important to focus on the importance of child safety, but you should connect with the NHTSA’s Child Passenger Safety on Facebook and Twitter for year round updates and news.

You may also enjoy reading Malia’s post: 10 Things I Didn’t Know About Car Seats.

The Funky Bee: A Unique Boutique (Gift Certificate Giveaway)

by Kate on September 21st, 2010  |  5 Comments  |  Baby Shopping Guide, Giveaways

I am so excited to introduce The Funky Bee, a unique boutique! I have to tell you that I feel like a very proud friend right now because The Funky Bee is the brainchild of my friend Jenny. She clearly has more talent packed into her pinkie than I do in my whole body because I absolutely love every single thing she’s created and developed for her boutique.

The Funky Bee embroidered onesies have been my go-to baby gift lately because they are high quality, unique, personalized and totally affordable. But, before we get to the baby goodies and the reason The Funky Bee is included in the Baby Shopping Guide, let’s look at some of the other fun stuff you can find in the boutique.

Halloween Tees

With Halloween just around the corner, I have to share the most perfect Halloween tee and tutu set. The Little Miss Spider tee can be embroidered with your little one’s name and the coordinating black and purple tutu is just perfection. I love the high quality stitching and details on the tee, like the small pink bow on the spider. (Notice my daughter’s matching pink bow on her head? It’s even monogrammed!)

And now is the time to shop because all the Halloween tees and onesies are on sale and marked down to ridiculously affordable prices: most tees and onesies are only $10.99 including personalization!

Birthday Tees and Plates

I love personalized tees to celebrate a birthday and have made it a bit of a tradition for each of my kids to wear a special shirt on their big day. I love the simple Birthday Number Tee for a birthday, and the Party Time Tutu & Tee is a must for a girls’ birthday celebration.

Another fun way to celebrate is with a personalized Birthday Plate & Bowl. It’s a fun and totally practical gift because you can use it on the big birthday and then year round.

Perfect Baby Gift

As I mentioned, personalized onesies from The Funky Bee have been my favorite new baby gift lately. At $15.50, the onesies are extremely affordable and I love giving personalized gifts featuring baby’s name. The Funky Bee has a great selection of personalized onesies, and you can design it to your preference by choosing the fabrics and font on the shirt. Here are a few of the best designs for baby gifts.

Because Jenny is the mom of two boys, she’s looking out for you moms of boys and has a great selection of personalized boy tees.

Shop! The Funky Bee is a wonderfully affordable and fun source for personalized clothing and gifts. In addition to great clothing and gifts for kids, The Funky Bee also has some goodies for mamas, too, so make sure you browse around and enjoy all the boutique has to offer. Jenny is always adding new designs and offering great deals – so visit often.

Win! A $25 Gift Certificate to The Funky Bee!

How to Enter: Visit The Funky Bee and take a look around. Leave a comment with something you’d like to get if you win.

Bonus Entries – valid only after completing the first required entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.

  • “Like” The Funky Bee on Facebook
  • Follow The Shopping Mama on Twitter and tweet this giveaway. You may do this every day, just leave the link when you do.
    Win a $25 Gift Certificate to The Funky Bee – an awesomely affordable unique boutique http://bit.ly/d4Ffqf
  • Like The Shopping Mama on Facebook. Leave an extra comment if you share this on your Facebook. (You can click the blue Share button below.)
  • Subscribe to The Shopping Mama in email or RSS

Giveaway ends October 6. Open to US mailing addresses only.

Disclosure:  Thanks to The Funky Bee for providing the giveaway prize and being generous with adorable samples for my fit model. Opinions are my own. Others may have a different experience.

Celebrate Fall with a Sidral Mundet Twitter Party (+ Win an iPod Touch!)

by Kate on September 20th, 2010  |  5 Comments  |  Blogging

I’ve teamed up with Emilie from Baby Loving Mama to celebrate the first day of fall with a Twitter party to talk fall entertaining and the delicious apple soda Sidral Mundet.

Join us Wednesday night, the first evening of fall, to talk all about fall entertaining and learn about Sidral Mundet. And, what’s a party without prizes? We have some awesome goodies up for grabs and will award 10 prizes, including an iPod Touch and iPod Shuffle!

About Sidral Mundet

Sidral Mundet’s, popular apple-flavored soft drink from Mexico has a great taste that comes from real apples and not artificial flavorings. Made with natural apple juice, natural sugar and no artificial flavors or colors, Sidral Mundet boasts a unique and delicious taste.

Today Sidral Mundet is among the best known brands in Mexico and one with great tradition. Mundet still maintains its high quality, which has been endorsed by Mexican mothers who give their children Sidral when they are sick to provide hydration. Since Mundet’s flavor comes from real apples and apple juice, the drink is pasteurized which gives it taste as well as health benefits.

You can keep up with Sidral Mundet on Facebook and Twitter, as well as check out the website (which has an English translation).

The Party Details!

What? Sidral Mundet Twitter Party to Celebrate Fall

How to Join the fun: Make sure you follow @SidralMundet, @BabyLovingMama & @TheShoppingMama and use #Mundet in every tweet to be eligible to win. Use Tweet Deck or Tweet Grid with #Mundet in the search term to follow along and join the conversation.

When: September 22nd, 9 PM – 10 PM Eastern (8pm – 9pm Central, 7PM – 8 PM Mountain, 6 PM – 7 PM Pacific)

Prizes: iPod Touch 8GB, iPod Shuffle 2GB, and 8 Sidral Mundet Gift Packs

RSVP

RSVP on the linky with your Twitter to let us know you plan to attend! If you RSVP and send a tweet about the Twitter party, you are eligible to win pre-party prizes. (This is not required to win prizes during the party.)

Join me for @sidralmundet Fall Twitter Party 9/22 at 9pm EST to win great prizes including an iPod Touch! #mundet RSVP: http://bit.ly/aFA6cM

We look forward to chatting fall entertaining, parties and food with you Wednesday night!

The fine print: Entrants must meet the following requirements to be eligible for prizing – Age 18+, US/Canada residence (no Quebec), Following @sidralmundet, Use #mundet in tweet

Breastfeeding: Pumping at Work

by Malia on September 20th, 2010  |  5 Comments  |  Life, Parenting

When I returned to work after my three months of maternity leave, I was determined to continue breastfeeding. I had struggled through my first two months of breastfeeding and things were just starting to smooth out. I wasn’t going to let work ruin that. Once back working I learned it can be really hard to find time to pump.

Fitting In Pumping

Work was often so busy and staffing so short that I would miss pumping sessions or find myself pumping at my desk while answering the phone, working on the computer and praying that no one would need emergency medication. Women do some impressive things to fit in pumping. A friend of mine used to carpool with a woman who would pump while driving to and from work on the highway. She would be driving along, one hand steering, one hand holding the breast shield, and completely ignoring the tooting horns of the passing truck drivers. Other women I’ve known have huffed it across campus to pump several times a day or sneaked away during layovers while working in the airlines.

How about you? Do you have any great pumping at work stories? What steps have you taken to make things work?

Helpful Things I Learned

  • To save time and keep your pumping private: store the breast shields and connecting parts in a clean plastic bag in the refrigerator with the milk. This way you can reuse them through the day without having to wash them every time. I always worried about how clean the sink at work was too. It was nicer to wash at home.
  • Have a book, smart phone, or something to read while pumping. Nothing puts a damper on let down like sitting in a quiet room staring at the pump waiting for your milk to flow.
  • It’s okay if you don’t pump at work as often as you breastfeed at home. Your breasts and milk production will adjust. I was so relieved when I learned this. Get as close as you can and nurse exclusively when you are home.
  • Forgive yourself. It’s okay if you supplement sometimes. I always produced too little when I pumped and I struggled with feeling like a failure every time I pumped. (In case you didn’t know, baby can get significantly more from your breast than the pump can.)

What tricks have you learned or what advice do you have for other moms?

***

This post is sponsored by Bravado! Designs – whose new and improved website has valuable breastfeeding information, including advice from experts about pumping.

Bravado! is celebrating its brand new website design with a Fall Breastfeeding & Back-to-Work sweepstakes with over $500 worth of prizes. Visit Bravado, register and win!

{image: theparentingmagazine.com}

mamaRoo Giveaway: Not Your Mama’s Infant Seat

by Kate on September 20th, 2010  |  5 Comments  |  Baby Shopping Guide, Giveaways

The first time I laid my eyes on the awesome 4moms mamaRoo at the ABC Kids Expo last year, I was immediately disappointed my children were too old to use it. And then I briefly contemplated whether a baby seat is reason enough to have another child because I wanted so badly to give the mamaRoo a new home. But just because I don’t need a mamaRoo I still get to give one a new home – in your house with this Baby Shopping Guide giveaway.

Meet the mamaRoo

Like all 4moms products, the mamaRoo is truly remarkable.
From planning to production, it was shaped by the expertise of designers, doctors, nurses, and most importantly, hundreds of parents. Our team used motion sensors to measure the movements of real moms and dads as they soothed their babies, and guess what we found? Parents don’t vibrate like bouncy seats or swing like swings. They bounce and sway. So we built the mamaRoo
to do just that – to move “like you do.”
This isn’t just another infant seat. It’s our baby. And we made it for yours.

It’s clear the mamaRoo is not your mama’s baby swing, but it is the 4moms take on the baby swing. Check out this video to learn more about the thinking behind the unique design.

More Than an Infant Seat

The mamaRoo is described as an Infant Seat, but that simple description truly doesn’t do it justice. The mamaRoo have five unique motions that combine going  up and down AND side to side to mimic real life movements. You know, like the mama bounce we all instinctively do to calm our babies? The motions can be adjusted in five different speeds so you can tone it down to calm baby to sleep or crank it up a bit to keep a playful baby happy.

I love that the mamaRoo also makes white noise to help soothe a baby. It makes five different nature sounds and you can even plug in your MP3 player to help baby rock out. Or sleep like a rock. You decide.

To stimulate baby, the mamaRoo has a toy mobile with 3 removable plush toy balls. One side of the ball features classic works of arts and the other side is black and white, perfect for infants who can’t yet see colors.

The seat of the mamaRoo is a good-sized seat for chubbier infants, and can be used for babies up to 25 pounds. It can also recline or sit more upright depending on your needs.

Shop! The 4moms mamaRoo Infant Seat available in six colors for $200 and can be purchased online at our affiliate Magic Beans (with free shipping!).

Win! A 4moms mamaRoo Infant Seat!

How to Enter: Check out the mamaRoo and leave a comment with your favorite feature.

Bonus Entries – valid only after completing the first required entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.

Giveaway ends October 6. Open to US mailing addresses only.

Disclosure:  Thanks to 4moms for the giveaway prize. Opinions are my own. Others may have a different experience.

Green Toys Goes Baby with My First Green Toys

by Kate on September 17th, 2010  |  5 Comments  |  Baby Shopping Guide, Reviews, Toys

Shopping for toys for the littlest of kids can be daunting – the overbearing colors, flashing lights and loud noises. And then, of course, there’s the safety factor. Without question, every toy (whether a giant doll, teething ring or blocks) will end up in baby’s mouth as they explore, teeth and then (like my 22 month old) disobey. Thankfully, a leader in green toys has tackled the issue by offering a few products that are appropriate for babies as well as safe, eco-friendly and 100% mama-friendly.My First Green Toys from Green Toys are appropriate for children as young as six months and are good, green fun.

My First Green Toys

Like all Green Toys, the three products designed specifically for younger kids are made from recycled milk jugs and created with safety in mind. The toys contain no BPA, Phthalates or PVC and are even dishwasher safe for easy clean up. My First Green Toys include the Block Set, Stacker and Tugboat as well as a collection of BPA-free Feeding Products.

Block Set

Green Toys™ Blocks are the world’s most environmentally friendly basic building set. All 18 boldly colored blocks are oversized and lightweight, making it super easy for tiny hands to stack and unstack. This unique block set includes a variety of shapes for building castles, towers, or any imaginative structure budding architects can dream up. Most importantly, Green Toys Blocks are safe. No BPA, PVC, phthalates or external coatings, but plenty of Good Green Fun™. These blocks are made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic milk containers that save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Packaged using only recycled and recyclable materials and printed with soy inks.

The 18 piece block set is a great first block set for baby, and equally entertaining for older kids who are more adept at building. The pieces are large and chunky, easy for little hands to manipulate, and colorful without being loud. Of course, the Blocks rely totally on baby’s imagination and don’t require batteries. Both my children have enjoying building towers, making tunnels and actually entertain themselves for a while playing with the Blocks. Babies will probably enjoy grasping and gumming the baby-safe block material long before they have the motor skills to actually build something, but mom can rest easy knowing they’re safe.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… My First Green Toys are a great choice for eco-friendly and baby-friendly toys. The Block Set is a great option and will probably get years of use from little ones, and we think the Stacker is a perfect baby gift as it likely get more use from baby earlier than the Blocks.

Or Not to Buy… I’d love for the My First Green Toys selection to expand and offer teethers and more products appropriate for the youngest babies. They need some green fun, too.

Shop! You can purchase Green Toys online at shop.greentoys.com and Amazon. Green Toys My First Blocks Set is $25, the Stacker is $14, and the Tug Boat (available in Red, Yellow and Blue) is only $13.


Disclosure: Green Toys provided a sample product. Opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

TGIF: Coupons, Sales, Discounts & News

by Kate on September 17th, 2010  |  5 Comments  |  Deal & News Roundup, Weekly Features

Movies on Demand – Save Money & Sanity

If you’re like me, getting out of the house to watch a movie is a major production – between the hassle of getting and paying for a babysitter, making all the necessary arrangements and spending a fortune… The process is almost as complicated as the actual movie production. And, frankly, renting a movie from a video store is nearly as daunting between lines, late fees and all the good movies being gone by the time I get there. Luckily, there’s another alternative that we’ve been enjoying more and more in my house – for both adult movies in the evening for a cheap, easy version of date night and as a special treat for the kids. Movies On Demand on cable is like having a video store in your living room because it allows digital cable customers to use their remote controls to instantly rent a movie without leaving home.

One of the best features is the selection of hit – and totally current – movies. For example, Letters to Juliet was released on DVD on Tuesday and available on Movies on Demand the same day. Do you think I can convince my husband to watch it tonight? (Click to see a preview of Letters to Juliet.)

Great Sales & Savings!

Tea Collection Free Shipping ends tonight! Shop now and check out our favorites for fall.

LeapFrog.com Sale: Get $10 off any order of $50 or more with code SUMMER10. Shop for the Tag Junior, Leapster Explorer and other educational toys and consoles – they make great holiday gifts. Ends September 20.

ShooShoos Clearance Sale: Buy any regular priced item and get any clearance Smiley style shoe for $15 and any clearance Soft Sole shoe for $10.

Fantasy Jewelry Box Sale: Up to 75% off sale at fantasyjewelrybox.com.  Also, get 20% off sitewide (sale items included) with the code SEMIANN20 through September 19.

Vera Bradley Sale: Reversible Tote just $29 (reg. $65), plus Free Shipping on orders over $100. Ends Sunday.

Exclusive Discount Codes

Basq: Save 20% with SHOPPINGMAMA20 at basqnyc.com. Expires October 31.

Citizenpip: Save 10% with code shoppingmama10. (Check out the Starter Lunch Kit Review)

The Crazy Dazy: 10% off with code SHOPPINGMAMA.

Private Sale Sites

(Click link for an invitation)

* Zulily: Bobux shoes, Baby Spare Wear, Nest Boys and Nest Girls clothing. Cash Back Tip – click through ShopAtHome.com for 6% rebate on your purchase.

* The Mini Social: Positively Organic – colorful and 100% organic children’s clothes, Melissa & Doug toys (art easel pictured right), AmyKathryn diaper bags.

* Totsy: Pamela Halloween Tutus, Under the Nile organic clothes, Baby Aspen Baby Gifts,

* HauteLook: InCharacter baby and children’s Halloween costumes, Diaper Dude.

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