Good Nights with HALO Sleep Set ~ Giveaway
Baby’s coming! And with him… sleepless nights. For me, at least. He will be sleeping soundly (I hope!).
With my first son, I couldn’t even find a crib set that didn’t come with huge, puffy bumpers. Sure, it’s adorable when everything matches and you have all that softness around the bed. But it’s actually unsafe for the baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends not using a crib bumper.
Now, HALO Innovations introduces the Safe Sleep Crib SetTM designed to create an attractive and safe sleep environment for babies. “Too often parents ‘overdress’ the crib with quilt and bumpers, both of which can pose a breathing threat for baby,” said Bill Schmid, founder of Halo Innovations.
Their new Crib Set is the perfect answer for moms searching for nursery decor with no bumper.
The five-piece HALOSafe Sleep Crib Set includes a HALO SleepSack wearable blanket, SleepSack Swaddle, two coordinating crib sheets in cotton jersey, and a matching crib skirt. The snug fitting crib sheets add to the safety of the crib set (never have loose bedding with infants in the crib).
Now, I think it’s much better to have TWO sleeping outfits included in a crib set than to have a puffy (unsafe) crib bumper! The patterns are cute – My Dog Sam (pictured above – what my new little one will be sleeping in!), Friendly Caterpillar and more! They come in several color choices to complement most nursery decor.
For more sleep safety tips and product info, “Like” HALO on Facebook, Follow HALO on Pinterest, and Follow HALO on Twitter.
BUY IT: The new HALO Safe Sleep Crib Sets are available on amazon.com and babiesrus.com.
WIN IT: One reader gets their choice of HALO Sleep Crib Set in blue, green, or pink! ARV $115. Enter in the Rafflecopter form below!
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Safe Sunshine with UVSkinz ~ Giveaway
Today I’m thrilled to give you a review and giveaway from my May Sponsor, UVSkinz, and a peek into company founder, Rhonda Sparks’ mission for UVSkinz!
A Year With Mom and Dad: What inspires you?
Rhonda Sparks: It is extremely inspiring to see the ‘light bulbs’ going on for parents that understand the importance of sun protection, and who absolutely love the peace-of-mind and efficiencies our products bring. I love knowing we are helping families protect their loved ones from the potential dangers of the sun!
AYWMD: What’s your favorite part about what you do? The most challenging?
RS: Favorite part is working with my team to make WOW experiences for our customers. Our mantra in the office is to ‘exceed the customer’s expectations’ … give them something they weren’t expecting! The most challenging aspect of what I do is managing cash flow and budgeting.
AYWMD: How do you incorporate your children/family into your business?
RS: I run all of our designs by our kids to get their opinions and I also listen to ideas they have. I also use our younger kids as fit models and catalog and website models. The joke in the office is that I had more kids because I needed more models for the company – ha!
AYWMD: Do you have a favorite quote or idea that motivates you?
RS: “Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” – Lewis Carroll
AYWMD: What do you most want people to know about you and your mission with UVSkinz?
RS: That we are more than just a fashion company, trying to make money. We have a mission to ‘get all kids covered!’ across the world and our goal is to touch each of our customers (and potential customers) with our passion and commitment to education about the importance of sun protection. We don’t measure the dollars that we earn, but the potential lives we save with each unit sold.
Thanks, Rhonda!
UVSkinz is truly about more than making money – Rhonda is personally motivated by life experiences (she lost her husband to melanoma at 32 years old) to educate consumers about the need for adequate sun protection.
95% of skin cancer is preventable! And, when children get a sunburn, they double their risk of skin cancer as an adult. So, let’s prevent and protect!
The baby / kids’ lines from UVSkinz have fun prints and styles so kids will want to “Live in their Skinz.” My favorites are the UVSkinz Combos - short, shirt, and hat sets that coordinate! Check out my little dude in his Surf Set!
With UVSkinz UV protective clothing, my son doesn’t need as much sunscreen on, cutting down on chemical exposure. Plus, it doesn’t wash off like sunscreen does! And, UVSkinz are perfect for the pool because they are chlorine-resistant!
UVSkinz are designed with a comfy fit, not a skin tight fit, which makes them easy on/off clothing for kids – they feel silky and smooth and slide right over kids’ heads! Check out more great features of UVSkinz:
Last year, after reviewing the baby sunwear from UVSkinz, I got hubby and myself each a UVSkinz shirt and am happy to say none of us got sunburnt at all last year!
BUY IT: Check out the baby, kids, and adult lines from UVSkinz – get your whole family protected from the sun this summer!
DISCOUNT:
Just for my readers!! 25% off UVSkinz orders through June 30, 2012! CODE: UVAYMD25
FREE SHIRT: May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, UVSkinz pitches in with their Save a Baby’s Skin campaign. EVERY purchase in May receives a FREE Baby Skinz shirt! Also UVSkinz is donating thousands of UVSkinz swim shirts to maternity wards and pediatrians across the country! I told you they were more than a business! It’s truly a giving operation!
WIN IT: Discounts and free shirts aren’t enough? One lucky reader wins a UVSkinz shirt of choice (baby, kids’ or adult!). ARV $25-39! Enter in the Rafflecopter form below!
Funshine! Real Kids Shades ~ Giveaway *CLOSED
All my son wants to do is “go ow-side, pway few minutes?” The sunshine, green grass, and warm weather are calling him!
Besides gearing him up with protective sunwear, I also endeavor to keep a pair of sunglasses on him!
We know all about protecting our skin from the sun’s harmful rays. But the eyes are an area we often overlook when sending our kids outside to play!
The American Academy of Ophthalmology says, “Like your skin, your eyes never recover from UV exposure,” and, ”exposure to bright sunlight increases the risk of developing cataracts, macular degeneration, and growths on the eye, including malignancies.”
Never recover? That hit me hard, when I think that my children have to live with whatever eyesight damage I allow while they are young.
I see a lot of TOY sunglasses in stores – cheaply made, with super-dark lenses that fall out easily. These kinds of toy glasses do not offer children much sun protection. That’s why this summer my son will be wearing cool new shade from Real Kids Shades.
At RKS, they use science to create kids’ sunglasses that fit well (wrap-around styles that protect all angles of the eyes), are impact resistant, and block out 100% of UV rays.
I love how each pair comes with comfortable velcro straps that keep the glasses on children’s heads (or at least around their neck should they fall off!). It’s definitely hard to teach toddlers to keep their glasses on, my son always wants to shove his up on his forehead like he’s one of the “cool kids!” But if you lead by example and wear your sunglasses, and are persistent (start with small time increments of having them stay on!), your child will eventually grow accustomed to the feeling and forget they are wearing them. We would have our son wear them around the house once in a while so he got used to the idea.
Real Kids Shades started in 2002 when the founders could not find quality, comfortable, fashionable sunglasses for their own children. Now, a decade later, they are working with Prevent Blindness America to educate the public on the importance of protecting children’s eyes.
Real Kids Shades makes sunglasses for kids from birth up to 12 years old. They have several styles and a huge variety of colors and prints! The sizing of glases spans a range of years, so if you take care of them, you can make these glasses last a few summers. And my favorite part about RKS? If your child wears presciption glasses, many of the RKS frames can be fitted for prescription lenses!!
WIN IT: TWO readers will win their choice of shades from Real Kids Shades! ARV $15-20. Enter in the Rafflecopter form below!
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5 Important Ways To Protect Your Family
There are certain topics we’d rather avoid as parents. But what if “the worst thing” happened to your or your spouse? Or not even “the worst” but a medical condition, financial situation, or other disaster? Here’s five important ways you can protect your family:
1. Create a will – Although of course a will is important for distributing assets, the most important reason (to my mind) to have a will is so you can specify who will be your children’s guardians should you pass.
2. Choose a guardian wisely – If you don’t specify who will take guardianship of your children, the courts decide. And aren’t you the best person to make that decision? Choose someone who fits your lifestyle and values and who will raise your kids according to your expectations.
3. Buy health insurance – Okay, so we’re off the topic of dying, but still, serious illness and injuries can be financially debilitating. Even pregnancy and childbirth – reason to rejoice – can set a family back thousands of dollars. You can find afforable health plans online that will cover your family and protect your financial welfare in times of health crisis. Medical debt is a leading cause of bankruptcy in our country. It’s stressful enough to have a parent seriously ill, but to have to worry about financial loss too adds yet another burden.
4. Have an emergency plan – In order to stay calm, you need to have a plan for emergency situations. Determine where you will evacuate to if necessary. Outline steps for reuniting if separated. Keep recent photos of your children, ID, and important papers ready to grab easily.
5. Teach your children to be safe – Kids can memorize easily and early – have them learn their name, address, phone number, and how to call 9-1-1 as soon as possible. Teach them where they can go for safety. Talk openly about dangers and discuss how they would react to various situations.
These are uneasy topics, but they are ones parents must consider and prepare for in order to protect their children and family.
What other important steps do you take to be sure your family is protected?
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