This event is brought you by our exclusive event sponsor: A Mother’s Boutique!

I was seriously prepared to suffer through another nine months of maternity clothing that fit poorly and was less-than-inspiring. Then I discovered so many great brands that actually know how to make a growing mama look and feel great! Everly Grey is one of those brands! With sophisticated prints and contemporary style features, Everly Grey brings pregnant mamas back into the fashion scene!

I have found this Sophia Maxi dress (pictured above) absolutely comfortable to wear! The soft heather grey fabric drapes nicely and flows as you walk. While a bit dressy maybe for a “house dress” it is great for chasing a toddler around because it’s so stretchy! This is a column dress, not a typical A-line so I’d recommend sizing up if you are curvy on bottom (I had to! ha ha!)! The braided shoulder straps and tie on belt add subtle detailing. (ARV $74). Check out another favorite outfit of mine – both from Everly Grey. The Madison top in Marine, has a sweet side bow, fluttery sleeves, and a casual burnout stripe detail. This top is light as air, perfect for humid summer days ahead! (ARV $50).

Paired with these crisp-white, cropped Carrie pants, you have a summer hit! The sateen cotton crop pants have a wide elastic panel in the back that is very stretchy. Two faux back pockets give a bit of interest, and the front will ride lower under your belly when you’re bigger. These pants are so great, I wish they carried them in more colors! (ARV $64).

Don’t miss checking out Everly Grey, the hot, up & coming maternity label with a wide array of easy-to-wear fabrics and styles. The look of Everly Grey is based on weaving feminine and modern prints with a tranquil ease in styling that makes the brand relatable to all women.

WIN IT: One lucky reader wins this beautiful Madison top in Marine color! ARV $50! Enter in the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GIVEAWAY RULES: Open in US. 18+ to enter/win. Winner will be emailed directly and have 48 hours to respond to claim their prize! Ends 11:59 on May 22, 2012. Fulfillment handled by Everly Grey. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook.

Thanks to Everly Grey for sending a items for review and offering a giveaway! All opinions are my own and 100% honest!

He finally mastered saying the word “circus” just in time for our night out at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Dragon show! We arrived early, and were lucky to meet the Ringmaster himself, and his sidekick, Apollo!

We spent some time with the animals and their trainers during the Meet & Greet segment – although our son was a bit frightened when he saw how big elephants are up close!

He loved the All-Access floor show (anyone with a ticket can go the hour before the main event!). We saw clowns, acrobats, trick dogs and ponies, an elephant painting, and more! We even got clown noses, that my son still loves trying to put on! Then it was time for the show! The Dragon show follows the story of Apollo as he tries to see the Dragon by showing he has Heart, Wisdom, and Strength like the Dragon!

Our son sat mesmerized by the many displays – from flying trapeze artists that made my heart stop, to swiftly galloping horses with amazing riders, to lion tamers. Every part was thrilling to watch. And we were impressed at the Ringmaster’s singing voice! The last part was the Sphere of Steel where eight motorcycles ride around inside what seemed a very small steel globe! At this event, our son started laughing and clapping and cheering – he really loves his vehicles!

This was my first time at the circus too, and our family really enjoyed the show! A few of the song choices, I thought inappropriate for an “all ages” show, however. And the show is quite long (nearly 2 hours) so just be aware kids will be out long past bedtime if you see an evening show like we did. Have you been to the circus or other live event with your children?

Thanks to Feld Entertainment for sending us tickets to see the show! All opinions are honest and 100% my own.

but is really found in

the hands that brush hair off the forehead, wipe tears from cheeks, or help little hands reach beyond their grasp,

the arms that hold, hug, reach, carry,

the womb that grows, feeds, protects, stretches beyond what we believe possible (like love),

the feet that pace through endless nights, run to keep up with the toddler,

the lap where stories are told, wrongs are remedied,

the ears that listen for a baby’s cry, or hear a child’s rambling stories,

the eyes that watch baby’s first step, blink back tears of sorrow or joy,

the lips that kiss, and shush, and sing,

these are all the little ways

in which love is embodied.

© 2012 Julie Kieras

Side benefit: when people babysit, he tells them what comes next (although he certainly tries to drag things out by asking to “play a few minutes?” and “read ‘nother book!”).

He calls all bedtime “nappy time,” even though the nap time routine is generally much simpler and shorter.

First, a bath – “tubby time!” He gets about fifteen minutes to play in the tub with his toys, bath books, and get soaped up and cleaned. He’s already learning to use the washie to clean his arms and belly and face! And we’ve finally mastered “lean back” so we can rinse his hair off with cups of water. If he gets water in his eyes, we taught him to “blink, blink, blink” which is more effective than rubbing and getting soap in his eyes. (We learned that at swim lessons last year!).

Tubby time is often followed by a run around the upstairs bedrooms and hallway with a hooded towel floating behind him – he really likes this part! Then we corral him and get him to brush his teeth. ”Make circles! Stick out your tongue! Rinse!” We try to teach the finer points of dental hygiene early! And believe me, he lets us know if we forgot to put “soap” on his brush!

Diaper and pajamas on! Then the fun begins – oh there are so many ways our little guy tries to distract us. But wehold firm (we have a soft spot for cuteness though!). We keep things calm and get him into the rocking chair for book time.

He’ll let us read books as long as possible, but generally we read about 3-5 board books a night. His favorites include: Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, anything from the BabyLit series, Katy and the Big Snow, All About Turtles, and usually his latest library books. Usually I read, but sometimes if I have his laundry or diapers to put away, Daddy does the honors while Mommy straightens up (I hate leaving him in a disheveled room for the night!).

Then it’s time for “Rock an’ Sing” – generally done by Mommy. He now has learned to lay quietly and usually “tries” to sleep as pictured here with his hands under his cheek. We turn on the Moosie Light (by Kinderglo), turn off the lights, and wait for the “stars come out” (our glow in the dark ceiling stickers). Then I sing. He loves being sung to – “Jesus Loves Me,” “Rock-A-Bye Baby,” “Lullaby and Goodnight,” “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God,” “Isn’t He Wonderful,” “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” Occasionally an oddball song will get thrown in at his request – like ”London Bridges” or “I Like to Eat Apples and Bananas”!

He usually doesn’t fall asleep in my arms anymore, so I put him in his crib with his many animal friends. Meet (left to right): Turtle, Turtle Pillow, Snoodle, Rabbit (Thumper), Froggie, Mickey, Sleepie Sheep…and sometimes more!

I give him his Lion Lovey – a little worse for the wear – and two sherpa/flannel wipes he also uses as lovies, and tuck him in. Recently, a new part of the routine got added, leftover from the weeks of soothing post-binky-weaning: He calls it “Sing in the Crib” where he lays down, and I rub his back and sing one or two more songs while he lays there. This has worked really well to get him to go to sleep quietly. Then I put on his lullaby music and say goodnight.

It might sound like a long routine, but unless bathtime or booktime goes longer than usual, it’s about thirty minutes; if we get home late from somewhere we just shorten everything up! And that’s the rhythm of our house at bedtime!

What’s your bedtime routine for your children? I’m especially curious to hear routines for kids of different ages! Either blog about it and link up in a comment, or tell me in your comment!

I’ve been reaching for my “easy” diapers lately when I’m too tired to chase him! Get the diaper on and off him quick! A great new “easy” diaper for me is the bumGenius FreeTime!

The bumGeniusFreeTime diaper is an all-in-one, one-size cloth diaper many cloth diapering mamas have been waiting to see.

If you are familiar with bumGenius4.0 Pockets and the Flip Diaper System, you will note many similar features in the BG FreeTime. I have grown fond of all my Cotton Babies products!

This All-in-One diaper has two sewn in flaps similar to the Flip Stay-Dry Inserts. One is sewn down at the front, and one is sewn down at the back. Then they overlap to form two layers, or fold each flap under for three or even four layers. I like this concept because you can create extra layers where you need them.

The outer shell of the FreeTime is nearly identical to the bumGenius4.0. I thought it fit more trimly though. The one-size aspect of the diaper is very much the same with three levels of snaps that give you three different sizes. My son, at 28 lbs, wears these either on the medium or large setting – depending on if I add any extra stuffing under the inserts for nap or bedtime.

The FreeTime comes with snaps or hook and loop closures; I chose the hook and loop so I’d get the fastest diaper change option out there!

For me, I find the laundering of All-in-Ones to be the most deterring factor to getting more. They need to be line-dried to protect the PUL covers, and of course, this takes longer. However, the flaps can fold out, helping with dry time; if I pull mine out of the wash before I go to bed, they are dry by morning.

At $19.95 each, (about $2 more than a regular bumGenius pocket), it’s a little pricier to build your stash with all-in-ones, but they are a handy diaper to have at least a few in your overall stash, because they are so convenient.

Find the bumGenius FreeTime at cloth diapering stores like Thanks, Mama! A family-owned cloth diaper / natural parenting store in Boston, MA. Since the Thanks Mama team uses many of the products they sell in their own lives, they give their customers a vast store of knowledge, helping you find practical and economial solutions!

WIN IT: One lucky reader gets a BG FreeTime diaper in color of choice (from available stock) ARV $19.95. Enter in the Rafflecopter form below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

GIVEAWAY RULES: Open US. 18+ to enter/win.  Winner will be emailed directly and have 48 hours to respond to claim their prize! Ends 11:59 on May 21, 2012. Fulfillment handled by Thanks, Mama. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook.

Thanks you Thanks, Mama for sending a diaper to review and offering a giveaway prize. All opinions are my own and 100% honest.

It’s not about the cover mom’s choice to breastfeed longer than most. Or to breastfeed without a nursing cover. Or be photographed while breastfeeding. It’s not about her, really. It’s about the poor perception of breastfeeding this photo creates.

I don’t believe this photo represents the true concept and reasons for breastfeeding.

I don’t believe it represents how I personally feel as a breastfeeding mama.

I don’t believe it supports moms who breastfeed (no matter how long).

I don’t believe it creates cultural acceptance of breastfeeding in our US culture that sexualizes women’s body parts and cannot see beyond that to the natural, biological purpose of breastfeeding.

I don’t believe it accurately captures how the majority of most women breastfeed (guess what, it’s not with a bold stare and a bared chest!).

I don’t believe it portrays breastfeeding as a natural and normal way to nurture and feed your baby.

In a culture that fails breastfeeding mothers, creating negative and highly sensationalized publicity around breastfeeding will not get you into my Hall of Fame. Sorry.

So… who IS my breastfeeding hero?

…the mom who tries anything to reduce the pain of breastfeeding so she can continue.

…the mom who attempts, even if she fails.

…the mom who suceeds no matter for how long.

…the mom who can’t or isn’t interested in breastfeeding but doesn’t tear down the idea for other people who are.

…the mom who blogs or talks about her breastfeeding experiences with other moms to gain and give support and information.

…the anyone who doesn’t whisper, giggle, blush, look askance at a mother breastfeeding in public (or try to arrest them for public exposure).

…the companies that provide special rooms for nursing moms to pump or feed their child (especially if they are labeled with the global icon for breastfeeding, NOT with a bottle! LOL!).

…the fashion designers who are starting to understand moms would like functional AND fashionable nursingwear for the 6 weeks, 6 months or longer they breastfeed!

…the lactation consultants, nurses, doctors, and breastfeeding specialist who stay well-educated on the topic and dispel common breastfeeding myths.

…the dads, brothers, friends who support moms who breastfeed (whether by keeping other children occupied while she nurses, telling her she’s doing a great job, giving hugs, doing a few chores since breastfeeding takes quantities of time, giving mom some extra time to sleep, making sure she is well-nourished… there are so many ways to support a breastfeeding mama!).

My breastfeeding hero, in fact, just might be YOU! It’s all of us when we come together to positively and purposefully support breastfeeding women!

Who is your breastfeeding hero? Comment or write a post and link up here:

This hop is hosted by Erin of The Slacker Mom and co-hosted by Marah of Happiness Redefined and Lori from The Gnome’s Mom.

…she tells you she’s going to have you “write that in your journal” when you do something funny

…she corrects your grammar before you’re even two years old

…she explains how words can function as both nouns and verbs when you are confused by her using “train” as a verb (and ignores the blank stare you give her)

…she happily recounts your quoting Alice in Wonderland when Daddy gets home from work

…she can’t wait to read more BabyLit titles to you at bedtime

Yes, it’s true, we’ve been immersed in a new set of classics over here, thanks to BabyLit!

This series is genius, and I wish I had thought of it myself!

Much like the previous two titles in the BabyLit series, Little Miss Bronte’s Jane Eyre is a “counting primer” that details the scenes from this classic piece of literature beautifully! The illustrations beautifully fit the time period of the story and are finely detailed. Your child will count through the basic framework of the story of “One Governess” and her Mr. Rochester.

I was pleased to see the Baby Lit Little Master Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland departs from counting into the world of colors! My son struggled recognizing certain colors, and I fully believe reading this book helped him recognize a the similar colors like black, brown, and purple! (He’s still figuring out yellow!). You can actually retell the Alice story right from the White Rabbit, through the colorful bottles Alice finds (my son loves when I read the labels “Blech!” and “Ick!”), and of course the Red Hearts. (And, I know, Wonderland can be a terrifying tale, but it’s easy to boil it down to just the fun details with this picture book!).

The other day, my son was playing nearby and I heard him quoting the Blue Caterpillar, saying, “Whooo are Youuu?” It was so funny to know he’d learned that from our reading!

Reading the classics to your child becomes exciting and refreshing with the BabyLit series, and will cultivate an interest for quality literature while they are young. Each BabyLit title is a heavy duty board book that retails for just $9.99, and is perfect as a gift item (I would’ve wanted these before I had children, honestly, they are that clever!).

What do you think of these classic literature picture books?

WIN IT: One reader receives a copy of each of these BabyLit titles! ARV $20! To enter leave any topic-related comment below! All generic comments like “Enter me” or “I want to win” will be disqualified.

GIVEAWAY RULES: Open in US only. Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm May 18, 2012. Winner will be emailed directly and have 48 hours to reply to claim their prize. Prize fulfilled by Gibbs-Smith.

Thanks to Gibbs-Smith for providing review copies and also offering a giveaway! All opinions are 100% my own.

Yes, we decided when our son turned two, we would dispense with the binky. I was nervous. I kept telling myself it would be okay because he only used the binky for sleeping, and was fine without it the rest of the day.

We talked about it with our son for weeks… how he was a big boy. He didn’t need the binky. Binkies are for little babies… oh and he bobbed his little blonde head, “yes, yes, yes, Mommy.”

Then. One night, we had him gather up all his binkies and put them in a bag. (It’s still in my bathroom drawer – who is more attached!?). With extra rocking and singing and loving, we put him to bed.

The crying ensued. And the next night. And the third night, he was fine. Phew – we breathed a sigh of relief as for three or four days, he went to sleep with nary a fuss.

Then. It was like he’d been waiting for us to bring the binkies back and when he realized that wasn’t happening, a full-scale meltdown began. We began about 3-4 weeks of complete sobbing whenever I put him down for a nap or bedtime. It was heart-wrenching because it wasn’t angry or defiant sobbing, it was pure baby-sadness sobbing. He never asked for his binky. But, unless he was teething (we wondered but to date NO new teeth have appeared), I am pretty sure the lack of a binky was the issue.

One thing we tried was giving him a transitional object – we had received an adorable sleeping frog plushie from miYim Simply Organic toys, at just the perfect time! We talked about how Froggie slept without a binky and so could he!

I don’t know if our son was impressed by that or not. But one thing’s for sure, he does love his little animals, and he welcomed Froggie into the herd with love. (And possibly a few nibbles on Froggie’s leg!).

We finally saw the hystrionics at bedtime die down. We’ll never know what made our son stop crying for his binky. Probably just time. Still, we were happy to have little Froggie to bridge the gap.

I love the muted colors of miYim’s plush collection - the colors are from their Pure Water Wash process, derived from natural plants and minerals. And, all their toys and infant products are made with certified organic cotton. So the only thing touching baby’s skin is gentle, organic materials!

The miYim Simply Organic line includes licensed plushies from Disney, Dr. Suess, Jane Goodall and more! The infant line includes lovey blankets, rattles and other nursery items! Find miYim brand organic toys at major baby retailers online and in stores! Prices range from $12-22.

How did you get your child to give up their binky?

WIN IT: One reader gets their own miYim plush toy – choice from the miYim FairyTale Plush Line! ARV $21. Enter in the Rafflecopter form below!

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GIVEAWAY RULES: Open US. 18+ to enter/win.  Winner will be emailed directly and have 48 hours to respond to claim their prize! Ends 11:59 on May 17, 2012. Fulfillment handled by miYim. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook.

Thanks to miYim Simply Organic for sending an item for review and offering a giveaway! All opinions are my own and 100% honest!

US only giveaway

Among the fun things I get to do as a blogger is meet and greet the companies behind the products – which I did about a month or so ago at a media brunch sponsored by BRITAX . They showcased all their new colors and features (and fed us yummy food).

I’m relatively new to the BRITAX brand, but I was impressed by the sturdy construction and the attention to both safety details and comfort/usage details.

BRITAX gave me a B-Ready stroller and the BRITAX Chaperone infant carrier car seat to review. And I likey, likey!

First – the car seat… now we don’t have little Baby 2.0 yet to fully test it out but there are some features I already love! For one, the rebound bar attached to the base – a rebound bar is an important safety feature – in the event of a crash, it will keep the carrier from rebounding into the back of the car seat:

Also, the generous canopy to protect baby from sun, wind, rain… I told my son his baby brother would ride in there, and he was trying to figure out where, exactly, is this “baby brother”!

And… it’s compatible with all the BRITAX strollers using the integrated CLICK & GO adapter system, plus with other stroller brands using the BRITAX adapter strap (which is included! So thoughtful!).

Which leads me to… the amazing BRITAX B-Ready stroller system. Where do I start? First – the frame – simple, sleek and wait till you see what it can do:

For your first baby, see, you can pop on the BRITAX infant carrier right on the front. Click!

(Did you have twins? The B-Ready can handle TWO infant carriers top and bottom!).

When your first baby grows out of the carrier, pop the carrier off, pop the stroller seat back on. Voila – regular baby stroller. The seat on the 2012 model has 4 recline angles!

Oh, you’re ready to have another baby? (Me too!). Guess what? Add a backseat! (Sold Separately). YES! And then pop that baby carrier back on the front, and you have toddler and baby rolling along in style!

My son LOVES sitting in his backseat ride:

Guess what else – babies grow up… soon we’ll have TWO toddlers and that regular stroller seat can go back on the front and the BRITAX B-Ready is once again ready for a two-toddler stroll.

Oh my goodness – does it get better? YES! When you have a toddler riding up front and preschooler who doesn’t want to sit in a stroller seat behind… Get the new Stroller Board for the back and your youngster can hop on and off for a ride to rest their still-young legs. How cool is that?

Other awesome features:

• Simple Fold with Automatic Chassis Lock
• One-step linked brake locks both rear wheels with one step
• All-Wheel Suspension for a smooth ride
• Removable storage bag with insulated drink holders
• Included accessories: adult cup-holder, rain cover, CLICK & GO BRITAX infant car seat adapters

So… it’s fair to say I’m BRITAX’s new “biggest fan” – we’ve taken this stroller out on many-a walk now, and I am delighted with the one-handed steering capabilities – I can steer WHILE holding and drinking my cup of coffee – that is how smooth and responsive this stroller rides!

If you’re gearing up for baby, check out the BRITAX line of strollers and car seats.

And you simply MUST check out the BRITAX Registry Rewards program - it’s a no-brainer to earn a FREE $319.99 BRITAX Boulevard Car Seat… all you do is create a registry (like you haven’t already!), then receive as a gift or purchase yourself 1 eligible product from each of 5 categories (Stroller, Car Seat, Baby Carrier, Large Accessory, and Small Accessory) on the New Parent Checklist. There’s a submission process to claim your free car seat – read about it by clicking the link above! It’s a great way to earn a free car seat!

Now for the big news! Who wants to WIN IT? Yes, BRITAX has partnered with me to give away a BRITAX B-Ready stroller system to one of my readers!! ARV $499.99. Enter in the Rafflecopter form below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

GIVEAWAY RULES: Open US/CAN. 18+ to enter/win.  Winner will be emailed directly and have 48 hours to respond to claim their prize! Ends 11:59 on June 4, 2012. Fulfillment handled by Britax. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook.

Thanks to BRITAX for sending the stroller and car seat for review and offering this GREAT giveaway! All opinions are my own and 100% honest.

Multi-tasking doesn’t always work well when I’m trying to type, talk, entertain a toddler and more! Holding the handset between my shoulder and ear is uncomfortable! I find myself just holding the phone and talking, not doing much else – what a waste of time, right? Talk and work, I say!

When I was invited to try the VTech LS6475-3 hands-free phone system, I was thrilled at the hands-free idea (also our phones kept dying, hanging up on people after about three minutes – not cool!).

We got our new phones (two handsets and a headset with multiple earpieces!) set up and charging in minutes. I’ve been using the phones regularly (we try to use landlines when we’re home to save our limited cell phone minutes), and it’s been so convenient!

I’m quite a busy mom (I’m sure you can relate), with a toddler, blogging, cleaning, cooking…and our house has three floors if you include the basement so I am always running up and down. Having a hands-free phone like the VTech LS6475-3 has been useful for me to talk and carry baskets of laundry up and downstairs, (or my son) without having to juggle a phone handset too!

My favorite feature is how the hands free device comes as both an earpiece and a headband with multiple over the ear and over the head wearing styles. I liked the headband best because it keeps everything in place.

The VTech LS6475-3 design is a modern silver and black; it even “talks” to you, letting you know who is calling. That’s helpful so I know whether I have to rush to answer, or if it’s a telemarketer I let it go to voicemail.

Other great features:

• Sleek design and blue backlit keypad/display (chic!)
• Expandable – add up to 12 handsets and 2 headsets
• Push to Talk – use like walkie-talkies to the other handsets
• Interference Free – won’t affect your wireless connection
• Digital Answering Service – up to 14 minutes of recording time

We have been enjoying our new VTech LS6475-3 phone system! It’s saved me time from not having to call people back when the phone dies, and money from not using cell phones as often in the house! Check out the VTech Facebook page and Twitter feed!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of VTech and received a product sample to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and 100% honest.