Baby Gear

I loved personalized things as a child and now so do my kids. They only want to use the cups with their names on it, or their name tooth brushes and always look for personalized items when we are out.
It was great when my twins were learning their letters and then to spell things, because they recognized the letters in their name.

Olive Kids has great things for children of all ages and one of them is personalized placemats for children. Olive Kids placemats are thick, durable and will withstand being used over and over again by children. They measure 12” x 18” and are made with heavyweight laminate for easy clean-up.

They have the cutest patterns to chose from. Trains, outer space, Under construction, tea party, pirates, race cars, butterfly, sand castle, flower, holiday and many, many more!

At $9.99 they make perfect birthday or holiday gifts and you can get a few for each child. They even have a five pack of assorted mats. They are a great alternative to the character-based entertainment licenses. They have more classic designs that kids all love.

They also have other personalized items like personalized clocks, gorgeous name and art prints, floor pillows and book marks. These are great for decorating a child’s room or nursery or for gifts. Check out Olive kids today, I am sure you will find many things that will keep you going back!
What are your children’s favorite personalized items?

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There are many nice baby blankets on the market today. Some companies have great fabrics and colors for their blankets. I have searched around for a great blanket for my kids on more then one occasion. It has to be soft, well made and made with a great fabric. What if I told you that you could design your own blanket for your baby just the way you want it?

Myubby is a great company that produces made to order custom baby blankets! By using their blanket builder, You can choose from more than 50 unique fabric styles and color/print options, 11 poly satin edging colors or stitch options and, custom ubby personalization features and add-ons.

It is simple and so much fun to build your own blanket. First you decide if you want your blanket to be one or two sided. Then you pick your fabric and color. After that you pick what color you want your satin edging to be and which stitch style. Finally you can add an inscription up to 54 characters or a monogram and of course, the embroidery color and style.
After that the good people of myubby start making your 35″x45″ blanket and they will ship within 2-3 weeks of receipt of order. If you need it faster, they can ship it out in 6 business days for a small added fee.

I can tell you that the myubby blankets are so soft and sweet. It held up great in a washing and I know it will be my son’s favorite blanket in no time flat. Perfect for a new baby gift. Give a myubby blanket for a shower gift too, they also have gift certificates available.
So go, and make a beautiful blanket as unique as your child is.

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I love that the trend these days is not just towards great baby gear, but great mommy gear as well. Designers are realizing that moms are the ones carrying the big diaper bags with cartoons on it and pushing the clunky strollers and they are changing the designs, making things more stylish and trendy. Mom inventors are leading this new trend, and thank goodness for that!

Goober Baby is no stranger to this idea. Goober Baby is the inspired offspring of two moms who wanted stylish everyday items to care for new little ones. They make awesome products like the Goober tote, a tote for the dads, gift sets and changing mats. Each come in great, bold modern colors and styles, perfect for moms! I had the pleasure to review the tote bag which is a great item for smaller things that tend to ‘disappear” in the bottom of your diaper bag or purse. It is great for things that can leak like lotions or medicine. I think it is great for transporting wet or messy clothes too. Don’t just use it for the diaper bag use it for your makeup or toiletries when you travel!

The change purse is perfect for when you want to run out of the door without the big diaper bag. Just the right size for a few diapers and some wipes. Goober baby has some of the greatest things for moms that they never knew they needed!
Thank you Goober baby!

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A couple of months ago I was lucky enough to win a terrific blanket from the Cariboo company. The Cariboo company along with Puretec™ New Zealand have created the first 100% wool nursery blanket, the Cariboo Earth Puretec Blanket. I didn’t know what to do with this beautiful blanket, It is such a luxurious baby item, should I really use it for my baby who may spit up or, worse yet, poop on it?

This blanket is so soft and really feels lightweight, but is very warm. It is not a typical scratchy wool blanket. The blankets come in
five colors: natural (the one I have), chocolate, blue, sage and pink. They are 100% natural, completely hypo-allergenic, eco dye colored, anti-itch, formaldehyde free, naturally fire-retardant and environmentally sustainable. This one measures 30 x 30. The Cariboo company also makes a larger blanket that measures 44 x 48 and is $159.95.

This is not a cheap blanket at $99.99. The cream colored blanket is so soft looking as well as soft to the touch (important when you are buiying a blanket for your baby!) and the chocolate color is so rich looking. Those are my two favorite colors of this blanket, but the pink, blue or sage are great baby gift colors. The quality is worth it if you can afford it or it can make a great baby shower gift, even if you chip in with someone! Any mother would like this blanket for their baby.

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I love simple, fun board books as much as my children do. I love the sturdiness of board books for toddlers too!
This is why I find the Hippo board books by Jane Yolen so Great. Each book: One Hippo Hops, Sad, Mad and Glad hippos and Hip Hippos are written with playful rhymes. They teach about the world of numbers, colors and feelings.
The illustrations are beautiful and the simplicity of the story. Each edition has been designed to appeal to the imagination of infants and toddlers.
geared for children ages 0-4 years old these make great gifts. Check all of these great books out on amazon.

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As my family and I try to live greener and be more environmentally friendly, every week I am trying to find new earth friendly items to replace the ones I use in my home. This goes for not only what we put onto our bodies, but what we wash our bodies and our kids with as well. I love Method brand cleaners, I use them throughout my home, and was thrilled when they launched their new baby and kid line.

Method now makes great baby washes, 3 in 1 shampoo, body wash, baby lotion and diaper cream. They come in yummy fragrances like crisp apple and fuzzy peach. They smell so good you are going to want to eat your kids up after their bath! The packaging is in true Method fashion-awesome. The rice milk and mallow baby wash has a top that is for rinsing baby off!

The products are very gentle on baby and kid skin and are never made with numbing agents, phthalates or parabens. They are 99% natural and pediatrician tested. What could be better then that?
Find the entire line of Method products in your local Target, Whole Foods, Babies R Us or online.
If you are in the New York area go visit their pop up store in SoHo. From May 13 – June 7 stop by and visit their aroma stations and they are trading you one free method product for all your old toxic cleaning products!
Go method, go clean!

Online between now and June 30, method will give you 20% off! Just enter the promotion code advocatebaby at checkout!

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Since I am still new to breastfeeding, sometimes I find it a little difficult. Especially when I am out in public. Where do I breastfeed that is safe, and private? How do I nurse without my breastfeeding pillows? Also, how can I keep myself covered while in public? These are all commonly asked questions by other nursing mothers, I have recently discovered. When I came across the breastfeeding bonnet by MoBoleez, I knew I wanted to try it.

MoBoleez was founded by a nursing mother of two (you know how I love to support mom owned businesses!) who wanted to design something unique for the breastfeeding mom. This 70% bamboo and 30% cotton hat fits perfectly on baby’s head but has a large, floppy brim to cover mom’s breast. The hats come in pink, blue, green, cream and red, and each has a very cute designs on the top and a “hi mummy” on the brim for mom.
The hat is much softer then I thought and it held up well after a trip in the washing machine.

I have a cover up that I use to breastfeed in public but with warmer weather approaching, I think it would be hot for both me and K. I love the idea of this hat, it keeps the sun out of the baby’s face and gives me the privacy I want. Great idea and well executed.
Go order one today for yourself or as a great baby shower gift!

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With my newest baby I am not looking for quantity of clothing, since we are already busting at the closets with the other two kids, but quality. I want clothing that is soft for my baby and earth friendly. A few choice pieces is great for us, as we all know how quickly babies grow out of clothing! The great people at Kate Quinn organics were nice enough to send me a few pieces of clothing for my baby and I am in love.

Kate Quinn organics makes stylish clothing and they are made from the finest 100% certified organic fabrics. The clothing is super soft, and made from all-natural, organically produced cotton certified by Control Union Certifications. Plus, all the clothing has been certified Fair Trade.

Surely I cannot be the only one that thinks babies look so cute in kimono tops? My son is wearing the peacock onesie right now and I love it!
They don’t just offer baby clothing, they have accessories and clothing for toddlers as well. They also offer blankets and hooded towels. If you are buying a gift and are not sure about the sizing, they now offer gift certificates.
Plus women’s clothing is coming soon! I can’t wait for that.

I love this clothing for my children and I know you will too. It washes well and holds up to a busy baby. Although, I do suggest buying a size up because my son is only two months old and almost out of the 3-6 month size onesie.

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When I had my lactation consultant come to the house for help, she mentioned Medela had just come out with a hands free pump. I love my Medela swing pump but I would love to have my hands free to do things like check email, make breakfast for my kids and answer the phone.
The hands free model interested me.

Medela freestyle is the only hands free double-electric rechargeable breastpump on the market. It offers freedom to all the mothers attached to the pump, literally.
It comes with the pump, SoftFit™ breastshields, 4 collection containers with lids, rechargeable battery, carry bag with removable cooler, cooling element, power cord, hands-free kit with two size straps and bra adapters, waist belt with extension piece, instructions and a information guide.
It is not cheap, but a good pump never is.

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There are many cute things for girls these days. Of course, everyone knows it is easier to buy clothes for a girl then a boy, it just seems like there is more out there. When you find something cute, you have to stick with it because you don’t know where you will find it again! Baby Bling is one of those things.

Bling Baby has great * bling* items for boys. The great people at Bling Baby sent my son a cute onesie with his name in bling. It is adorable on and we love it. They also sell hats, pacifier clips and burp cloths with bling on them. I may be biased though, because I love personalized items for babies and kids. Get a shirt with your child’s name on it or their nickname.
They don’t just have items for boys though, check out all they have for girls. These shoes alone make me want to have another baby!
Go get your baby some bling!

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Washing a baby can be…challenging. I always feel like I have to hold the baby in the baby bath tub with one hand while I wash with the other. Getting more soap or a new washcloth can be difficult with one hand. I liked my baby bath tub but when I found the washPOD, I knew I had found something great.

The washPod is a new concept for newborn bathing. It is a European type of baby bath, designed to be a “secure and warm environment, similar to that inside a mother’s womb”. It is vertical as opposed to horizontal and the3 design holds the baby upright.
It is smaller then a traditional tub so it uses less water, which is terrific. The bottom is cushioned so K’s bottom was comfortably paced and he did not slip around.
He loves his bath in the washpod, especially since he is submerged more then a traditional bath so he is warmer.

The WashPOD also has cushioned handles so you can carry it even when it is filled with water, someting I could not do with our other bath, once it was filled it was too heavy and bulky to move. It also comes with stickers to help make the appropriate water level, which should be a few inches under the baby’s arm pits when immersed.

Although it did take me awhile to “learn” how to wash the baby in the POD, I really love it. It is compact, easy to store and perfect for babies 0-6 months. This will make a terrific gift for your next baby shower.

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Thank you all for entering our Sleep Baby CD giveaway, the CD is really great and I am happy I have one to giveaway. I really have enjoyed reading all your sleep tips for baby and I learned many great tips and tricks.
Keep reading reviewing baby gear and parenting our children for more great gear reviews, parenting news and giveaways!

Congratulations to Samantha #28, our Sleep Baby CD winner!