Lately in my house life is about pirates. Playing with pirate playmobil, watching Jake and the Never Land Pirates on Disney Jr and imaginary play with pirates (who somehow always end up driving some truck through the sand).
We received the delivery after a long day of playing, swimming and eating dinner out but when Dominic saw the picture on the box waiting on the front step there was no way we were going straight to bed. “Pirate mommy, play mommy, pirate!”
The box was ripped open in 2 seconds. Okay well about 5 minutes as it was packaged well and I had a 2 year old jumping all excited, a 2 month old wanting to be fed and just go to bed and me with a pair of scissor jabbing through packing tape. Daddy was driving in his own car since we had two vehicles at dinner. His car is without air conditioning but sometimes I think about trading my air conditioning for being able to play my music as loud as I want or having extreme quiet while I drive without 2 littles in the back! and…..I have gotten off track of this posts topic 😉
The pirate ship was assembled with little hands eagerly “helping” and there were many shrieks of excitement. Luckily it did not take long for daddy to put together.
Dominic immediately was intrigued that he could actually ride on it. On he got and away he went! To the kitchen to get his nightime bottle! He was quite creative and found a nice little holder for his bottle on the front of the ship.
This pirate ship has been a toy of interest since it came through our front door. With the seat of the ship lifting up and allowing for some storage of small toys underneath it I am continually finding new things that have been hidden inside. It continues to amaze me how kids can put something somewhere and a week later go right back and remember where they had “hidden” it.
I am also a big fan of toys that “grow” with the child. Baby girl, 6 months, is already enjoying leaning against it as she learns to stand. I can see her sitting on it in another 4-5 months and her big brother pushing her around!
Disclaimer: The Play n Scoot Pirate Ship was sent to me. I did not purchase the product. I was not compensated in any other manner for this review and post and all opinions are my own!
So if you know my family at all or have been an avid blog reader you know that we are an active babywearing family. We have snuggled with babe in numerous ways with slings, wraps and soft structured carriers since the day we brought him home from the hospital. At 15 months he still loves to be snuggled close to use on our outings in between his running and exploring. We recently made a weekend family trip to the Eastern Townships & Montreal. Our trip included the wonderful Granby Zoo, where you can read about our adventures here, and fun at the Biodome in Montreal.
When packing to go away with a baby or toddler there are many things you need to bring with you. Especially when staying in a hotel and need to bring “extra” things like a playpen. Sure there are things we sometimes compromise and leave behind but a baby carrier is NEVER one of them for this family.
Thanks to Ergo & Fulton Sales we received a lovely Performance Ergo Carrier in a vibrant “Spring Green” colour to take with us on our explorations of the Granby Zoo & Montreal Biodome. When you are in a busy place with a babe who wants to see all the action at your eye level baby wearing is definitely the way to go. With a tot who is now over 25lbs we carried him comfortably throughout the zoo and the biodome, as well as the streets of Montreal!
Here are some of the fab features that the Ergo Sport Performance has:
*the Sport Performance is 1/3 lighter than their “standard” carrier. It sports mesh lining and increases the breathability of wearing your baby for long periods compared to the “standard” ergo.
*With a durable outer layer, it truly seems that this carrier will have a great extended life! I look forward to reporting back on how much we still love this carrier after we build our basket ball team 😉
*Comfortable shoulder straps! Really! Wearing a heavier baby or toddler of extended period of time can be hard on your back or shoulders at times if not properly made or worn correctly. This carrier is truly comfortable for wearing hours on end. It encourages and enables proper posture and supports baby well.
*Chest strap is on a slider to enable easy adjusting. This is a great and easy feature when I am wearing babe on my back. However, I do find it a challenge at times to adjust this strap when babe is on my front (and the strap is therefore across my shoulder blades). I am not sure if it’s because I am fairly broad here or whether I would have a small challenge no matter what. As a yoga instructor I do find myself fairly flexible though 😉 The challenge for me is to slide this strap down far enough so its well below my neck and then be able to tighten it. This is truly the only small issue I have when wearing the carrier. When I am on my own I can jiggle it down with some patience. When my lovely husband is with me he quickly ensures it is in a comfortable place for me….thanks babe! I have tried both colours (the blue/grey combo and this one) and find the green/black combo warm to wear when outside for long periods of time. The blue/grey combo is lined with grey mesh inside (instead of the black) and find it more comfortable when outside in the sun and warm weather.
Baby D loved staying close to us in the Ergo (and we loved it to being in such a busy place like the zoo with a 15 month old who can already run….fast!) and getting to see all the animals and scenery at our height. He truly got a better view of everything and got a full experience out of the zoo. His favourite? Definitely the African Safari!
I even got my father in law to try out the Ergo. He was a babywearing virgin until he tried on the Ergo. After much reassurance that Dominic was completely comfortable (don’t worry a babe will tell you when they are not!) and that he was safe, the two of them enjoyed the zoo together.
We also hit the Biodome in Montreal for a day after a sleep over in Montreal exploring the city and all it has to offer. Full disclosure if you read my blog you will know that we love Montreal, travel their often and really do call it a home away from home!
We have tried many many many carriers and this is one that we usually always have in the car and it comes along everywhere with us. It does take up more room than something like a ring sling that you can just throw into your diaper bag but with the weight of a small toddler and the ability for my husband and I to both wear him easily (or other family members) it is very hand to have on hand when out and about.
Have you heard what is coming out and new at Ergo? They will be offering their Ergo Carriers in Petunia Pickle Bottom prints!
I have had a Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag that I have used since baby D was born and we have gotten a lot of use out of it and it’s stylish! The fabric has lasted extremely well and is very durable.
Have you checked out Fulton Sales on Facebook to stay up to date with the latest and greatest products they have to offer? You know what else is cool? Once Fulton Sales hits 2500 fans on facebook they will be having some great giveaways via various bloggers across Canada. Guess what?! We will be one of them!! Please go and check out their website, “like” their facbeook page and send them some love!
I married into a basketball family. When you are raised as a hockey girl this is a big change! My father in law coached university basketball for years, mother in law spent many of weekends in gymnasiums and my husband and brother in law played for years. I can sort of dribble a ball, but have been known to “double dribble” a time or two. I played basketball in elementary school but it was mostly because we needed enough players to make a team. I will never forget the game where I aggressively charged right into some poor girl and then felt bad so I apologized!
I have yet to see the spectacle of the Harlem Globetrotters, but have been told from many, including my husband that it is definitely great family entertainment. I am excited as part of the PTPA team to have the opportunity to see them live in action in April with my family and some friends.
Thanks to Eco Bebe Boutique for providing us with the Planet Wise Wet Bag for review and offering you a chance to win a $50 gift certificate towards their online store!
To Enter:
1. Comment below telling me what you would use the Planet Wise Wet Bag for.
Extra Entries
Comment (FOR ENTRY TO COUNT PLEASE LEAVE EXTRA COMMENT)
*email subscribe to my blog and leave a comment telling me that you have done so (or that you already do!).
*become a fan of Little Lotus Yoga on facebook and leave a comment to inform me.
*blog about this giveaway with links back to this post and leave a comment to inform me.
*tweet about this giveaway (after following us all) using the following: @amandadegrace & @littlelotus yoga are having a @ecobebeboutique #giveaway! enter here:
Contest closes Friday January 28th at 11:59p.m. a winner will be drawn via random.org and announced the next day. The winner will be notified via email and it will be announced on this blog. Giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents. Winners will be contacted via email and have 48 hours to respond. If no response with 48 hours a new winner will be drawn.
I would like to thank Eco Bebe Boutique for providing me with the product for review. All opinions in this blog post are 100% mine and no money compensation was received in exchange for this review
So Victoria from Pippalily sent me one of her new products for review. It is the Simply on Board Toy Strap that has recently been picked up by Babies ‘R’ Us as a new product that they sell. I really liked the Pippalily Pouch Sling that I had reviewed earlier in the summer so I was more than happy to work with them again and test out the Toy Strap. Two straps come in a package, and we received a black with white polka dots and a black strap.
The product is designed for infants to toddlers and its made up of a piece of fabric with strong velcro on each end. One end being for the toy or object you would like to hold onto and the other end being available to secure to the stroller, car seat, shopping cart, etc. The strap is 100% cotton and is lead free.
We used the product while babe was in the stroller and while he was in a wrap or sling as a way to keep his toys close, especially now as he likes to chew on everything with teeth preparing to appear 🙂 The clip is not recommended for soothers. I would love to see a redesign of the product and be able to use with pacifiers. Since baby boy will now take a pacifier it is handy to being able to keep it attached to him while out and about so it does not touch any dirty floors. The strap will however hold on to sippy cups and water bottles ensuring they stay close by.
The toy is also able to attach onto car seats but since we had the lovely Rae of Charteuse Industries inspect our car seats and learn that toys strapped onto the car seat, hanging around the car seat (even if from a door, back of a chair, etc.) are not recommended from a safety point of view. So unfortunatley we did not try the product out on our car seat to see how babe would of reacted, how low it would of hung, etc.
I like that you get two straps in a package and they come in other great colours of pink, green and blue. It will be interesting to see as baby boy grows and gets stonger if he can take apart the strap as its velcro. I am thinking that a strong toddler may be able to undo the velcro. We have other similar clips that we really enjoy as we can attach them to our child’s clothing, therefore a favourite teether or toy is always close by. I tried to attach the strap to baby boys wrist but he wasn’t very impressed with my creativity 😉
We will continue to enjoy the straps on our stroller and look forward to see how Simply on Board grows and continues to offer in the future.
note: the straps came with a little white tagged attached that had the material description on it. This came off after 3 days of use. This can be a potential choking hazard as young babies like to eat the strap. I suggest you remove this before use. As well I have noticed that the thread holding the velcro has begun to come loose. But like all toys and straps its important that you inspect them on a regular basis.
I never thought I would say that I was in love with a change pad, but this one had me at hello!! Thanks to Silly Pants I had the wonderful opportunity to review the Patemm Change Pad, and it get a lot of use with Dominic, 12 weeks old. Oh boy, did it ever get good use when he finally had a bowel movement after 6 days of none 😉
My diaper bag comes with a change mat attached to it, but the Patemm is so revolutionary that I will continue to bring it along and use it ALL THE TIME! Patemm coins their mat as the “patemm® pad- a smart, stylish and practical solution to the diaper bag.” Do they ever live up to it! What I loved the most about this change pad is that I could take the mat on outings, with a cloth diaper and change of clothes stuffed in one of the pockets. I didn’t have to carry a big diaper bag if I didn’t want to. Everything I needed was right there.When finished changing I could put the dirty diaper in one of the pockets and continue on with my day. That being said I would advise that you don’t be forgetful like us and leave a cloth diaper full of pee inside the pocket for 2 days. IT WILL STINK! The good news? I put the mat in the sink with a little bit of dish soap and cleaned it right up, smell and all. I would like to see some of the pockets designed a little larger to be able to fit more of my cloth diapering accessories. It would fit a few disposables no problem, with wipes, cream, etc. but I found it hard to carry more than one prefold and cover without making it too bulky. When going out for the day I need to bring a few prefolds and an extra cover and would be unable to do so if I was just taking the mat with me. A pocket that was wider and deeper would have solved this for our cloth diapering need.
This is the first change pad I have ever seen that is round. My little guy could move his arms and legs as much as he wanted and never did I have to worry that he would touch whatever dirt was around us when we were out. No I am not one of those moms who worry about a little dirt on the grocery cart, but I am one of those moms who will put her child on the floor and change them anywhere!
Dominic on the Patemm Pad
The mat is soooo simple to fold up, check it out here No matter what way you fold it up you just pull the handle over it and you are ready to go! There are 4 handles so no matter how you fold it up there is a handle right there ready to go! Did I mention you can fold it up with one hand while holding a squirmy baby?! I know, impressive!
And you know what? The mat is multi-purpose! Use it as a carry all for crafts, or items for when you go out with your child. Going to a restaurant or to your oldest childs ballet class? Bring the mat along with some crayons, paper, cars, etc. and your children have an instant place to play! Some kind of hook on the pad or another way to attach it to the outside of diaper bags (for example would have been helpful when our diaper bag was full and we still wanted to bring it on an overnight trip) or when we just wanted to take the pad and were out with the stroller.
The Patemm has a price point of $55+, depending on the pattern and colour you choose, and in my opinion is worth every penny. If you weren’t planning on using this mat as a diaper bag when going on short outings then it may be a little high price. However, if like us, you use the mat to put your baby items in when going on short outings (ie: walk, grocery store, etc.) then I believe its worth the cost. This item has become a staple in our baby items that we carry everywhere with us. I am so glad that I discovered this wonderful item while still on my first child! I know it will be used over and over again with the next ones to come! The next time I have to buy a baby gift this will be it.
A Giveaway!
Guess what?! The wonderful people @ Silly Pants have offered a Patemm Pad to one lucky reader! This is a great opportunity to add this wonderful accessory to your must have baby items!
To Enter:
1. Comment below, after visiting Patemm Pad , and tell me what you like the most about the Patemm.
2. Join the Patemm facebook page by “liking” them and tell them that Namaste Mommy sent you!
Extra Entries (remember to leave a comment for each extra entry)
*email subscribe to my blog and leave a comment telling me that you have done so (or that you already do!).
*become a fan of Little Lotus Yoga on facebook and leave a comment to inform me.
*blog about this giveaway with links back to this post and leave a comment to inform me.
*tweet about this giveaway (after following us all) using the following: @amandadegrace & @littlelotus yoga are having a @patemm #giveaway! enter here: http://ow.ly/2oWHz
Contest closes Friday September 3rd at 11:59p.m. a winner will be drawn via random.org and announced on Saturday September 4th. The winner will be notified via email and it will be announced on this blog. Giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents. Winners will be contacted via email and have 48 hours to respond. If no response with 48 hours a new winner will be drawn. Product will be mailed directly to you from Silly Pants.
I would like to thank Silly Pants for providing me with the Patemm Pad for review. All opinions in this blog post are 100% mine and no money compensation was received in exchange for this review
Thanks to the wonderful Victoria, owner and founder of Pippalily, I had the opportunity to try out their pippalily sling and what a great opportunity it was. I had tried pouch slings in the past and never was a huge fan. Either it wasn’t very comfortable to wear for long periods or the fabric or pattern did not appeal to me to wear it to special events (ie: weddings, birthday parties) and to everyday activities.
Victoria created the Pippalily sling out of a necessity, knowing first hand how mothers need to be hands free at times if they hope to get anything done! When Victoria’s first child was born, a natural born cuddler and loved to be held (what baby doesn’t!) she used her sling all the time. However, for those who wear a baby carrier every single day you come to appreciate quality fabric and design as it does become part of your fashion, and Victoria wanted just that! I know from personal experience that there are many days that I will throw on whatever top if I know I will be looking great with my carrier on 😉
Pipalilly’s mission states that they are “committed to launching products that add value to parent’s lives, of course with an element of style!” There are great styles available to choose from and trust me when I say its hard to choose just one! I have had several compliments on the “look” of my sling and do feel extremely yummy while wearing it 🙂
Comfort
The Pippalily sling is extremely comforatable. With a wide band that comes across your shoulder the weight is well-distributed throughout creating comfort even when worn for hours! Not only was it comfortable for mommy it was comfortable for baby. He loved being close to me and being able to see around when he was awake in the sling.
Versatility
With Pippalily’s pouch sling you have the option of wearing baby in the infant position, infant position with peek a boo, front carry position or on the hip. My babe, 11 weeks, loved the peek a boo position for when we were out and about and when he got tired he liked being tucked all the way in. I love how I am still able to nurse while wearing the sling, especially for those first few months when he seems to nurse around the clock! I am able to continue shopping, walking, etc while nursing at the same time! The sling is adaptable for infants to young tots ensuring you do not need to buy mulitple products. This product was only tested on my babe from 7 to 11 weeks. However, I would have no problem, and probably will at some point, like another Pippalily to add to my babywearing stash! They are just too beautiful to resist!
A Giveaway!
Pippalily has offered one lucky reader a Pippalily Sling! How awesome is that!!! The winner will choose their colour and size.
To Enter:
1. Comment below, after visiting Pippalily, and tell me what other products they offer.
2. Join the Pippalily Facebook page by “liking” them and tell them that Namaste Mommy sent you!
Extra Entries (remember to leave a comment for each extra entry)
*email subscribe to my blog and leave a comment telling me that you have done so (or that you already do!).
*become a fan of Little Lotus Yoga on facebook and leave a comment to inform me.
*blog about this giveaway with links back to this post and leave a comment to inform me.
*tweet about this giveaway (after following us all) using the following: @amandadegrace & @littlelotus yoga are having a #giveaway for a @pippalily sling! http://ow.ly/2oX8O
Contest closes Friday September 3rd at 11:59p.m. a winner will be drawn via random.org and announced on Saturday September 4th. The winner will be notified via email and it will be announced on this blog. Giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents.
I would like to thank the Pippalily for providing me with their sling for review. All opinions in this blog post are 100% mine and no money compensation was received in exchange for this review
As you may already know I am a huge fan of babywearing. Not only is it a great way to bond with your child but you are also able to be hands free and can continue with your daily tasks with babe in tow. You become very attuned to your childs needs (and I am NOT saying you are not attuned to your childs needs if you don’t babywear), build a loving and trustful relationship along the way and your baby enjoys being snuggled up against you just like how they were so comfy growing inside you for the last 9 months.
I had the wonderful opportunity of reviewing the Cuddly Wrap, Baby Blanket & Burp Cloths that were sent to me from Peapod Creations. Baby boy who is now 9 weeks old (I shed a tear as I say that….9 weeks already!!) was the ultimate tester as we snuggled in the wrap, he peuked and spit up on the burp clothes and played and snuggled with the blanket.
Cuddly Wrap
The Cuddly Wrap may look confusing to some upon looking at it as it’s one gigantically long piece of fabric but once you tie it up a few times it becomes super easy. I would get quite the looks when taking out the wrap and tying it on in parking lots, restaurants, the movie theatre and many other places. They would look in awe as I would tie it up quickly, easily but baby boy in it and carry on with whatever I was doing.
One Size Fits All! It’s SOOOO SOFT! Canadian Made!
The one wrap fits all shapes and sizes. Both my husband and I could wear it comfortably, along with grandparents and caregivers. The Cuddly Wrap is good for newborns all the way to toddlers. A lot of baby carriers come with an extra insert for an infant and some are not appropriate until 4-5 months so it was nice to have one wrap that all could use. Since baby boy is only 9 weeks I cannot attest to carrying an older child in the wrap but carries with older babies and toddlers are demonstrated in the fantastic and informative cd and booklet that the wrap came with. There are a few different carries that can be done with the wrap for newborns and small infants and all were very comfortable to wear and carry my babe. The carries were simple to learn and left me hands free to write this blog post, empty the dishwasher and prep for dinner. The fabric is very lightweight and comes in an array of colours (we chose the beautiful sage colour) however I did find it too hot to warm on some of the 30+ weather days we have had in Ottawa, Canada the past few weeks. The body heat that was generated between boy and myself was more than enough without adding in a layer of any fabric! Baby Boy always fell asleep in the Cuddly Wrap and was quite cozy snuggled against me. It stopped almost all fussiness no matter where we were. Babe found it so comfy that there were a few times he fell asleep in it for 3 hours at a time. It was these long stretches of wearing it I found that it would begin to lose its tightness and he would slowly move lower on my body. At no time was this a danger as he was still tied tightly in the wrap but he was no longer on the top of my chest but slightly below it. That was after 3 hours of wearing though, with grocery shopping, few bus rides, walking, etc. Once the material was stretched out during that time of wearing it would then need to be re-tied. That being said I did not nurse the boy in the wrap as I would have had to stretch it out slightly to feed him in the Classic Cuddle position and then it would have been too loose for carrying. Since we took the Cuddly Wrap everywhere with us a little storage bag for it would have been an added benefit that would have been greatly appreciated. However, we easily stored it in our diaper bag when it was not in use. The Cuddly Wrap comes with a dvd and instructions in english, french and spanish that are extremely easy to follow. All the videos are also available on their website. Trust me that once you learn the tying it will become second nature and you won’t even think about how to tie the wrap up!
Blanket
The Peapod Creations blanket is also ooooohhhh sooooo soft! With its 100% organic cotton was perfect against my sweet babies delicate skin. It is double layered and reversible, allowing you to use the other side if you don’t want anybody to see that spit up milk 😉 With it being 32″ square it would be great for swaddling newborns, however as I mentioned baby boy is now 9 weeks and growing so fast that he was too big to be swaddled in this blanket. I wish we would have had this sweet blanket for the first few weeks of swaddling. He did enjoy playing on it and cuddling with mom and dad. We have spent many days and nights snuggled up as a family with this soft blanket. It also has a neat little pocket that you can place your soother in, a little toy, etc. It comes in blue, pink, red and sage green so there is a variety of colours to choose from, as with the Cuddly Wrap. After several washes the colour has not faded one bit and Grandma even made a comment on how soft the blanket was! If it makes Grandma approval you know it’s a great product!
Burp Cloth
The burp clothes also come four colours (red, blue, pink and sage green) and I loved how all four come in the package. If you are a mom you know that you go through a lot of burp clothes! With its 100% organic cotton we knew everyime it touched our babies skin that it was not causing any harm, and we wiped up a lot of spit up! Its reversible and double layered, so lasted through many uses before needing to be washed. It stayed nicely on our shoulder with its kidney shape when burping the boy, unlike some other cloths that seem to find their way off your shoulder just as you need it the most! These as well saw their fair share of washes and still look and feel like brand new.
You can also read about the Cuddly Wrap and see the PTPA award here.
A Giveaway!
Peapod Creations has offered one lucky reader a package of a Cuddly Wrap, Peapod Blanket AND Burp Cloths! How awesome is that!!!
To Enter:
1. Comment below, after visiting Peapod Creations website and tell me what benefits the Cuddly Wrap offers that you like best!
2. Subscribe to my blog and leave a comment telling me that you have done so (or that you already do!).
Extra Entries
*become a fan of Peapod Creations on facebook and leave a comment to inform me.
*become a fan of Little Lotus Yoga on facebook and leave a comment to inform me.
*blog about this giveaway with links back to this post and leave a comment to inform me.
*tweet about this giveaway (after following us all) using tbe following: @amandadegrace & @littlelotus yoga are giving away the @PTPA winning Cuddly Wrap enter here: http://ow.ly/2dvRD
Contest closes Friday August 6th at 11:59p.m. a winner will be drawn via random.org and announced on Saturday August 7th. The winner will be notified via email and it will be announced on this blog. Giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents.
I would like to thank the Peapod Creations for giving me their PTPA award winning Cuddly Wrap for review. All opinions in this blog post are 100% mine and no money compensation was received in exchange for this review.
**Giveaway Now Closed. Congrats to comment #12- Crystal!
True Random Number Generator 12
**Giveaway Now Closed** Congrats to comment #12- Crystal!
Namaste Mommy 