Go With the Flow with the Breastflow Starter Set!

             Hey folks! How to feed your baby is one of the most important decisions you can make as a new parent. I won't get into the whole breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding argument because I have done both. Plus, I think we can all agree that the bottom line is that baby is happy, healthy, and growing. With that being said, let's talk bottles today!

             There are sooo many bottles out there to choose from now that finding one that is right for your baby can be overwhelming enough, especially if you're a first time parent. That is one bonus of the technological age we live in: Being able to read reviews online from other parents who have already tried products we are interested in. John and I researched and tried LOTS of things before and after we had our first daughter, cloth diapers, wipes, and bottles were no exception. So, I hope that today's review of the Breastflow Starter Set bottles from The First Years helps you out in your own journey into parenthood!

Some info on the Breastflow Starter Set:

·Unlike traditional nipples, baby uses suction and compression, just like breastfeeding

·Supports every combination of breastfeeding and formula feeding

·2-in-1 silicone nipple works like your breast, letting your baby instinctively control the flow

·Designed to help reduce colic symptoms, gas & spit up

·Two 5oz. bottles with slow flow nipple; two 9oz. bottles with medium flow nipple

·Bottle cover fits onto bottle base, to help keep it within reach

·Works with breastmilk and formula

·Wide neck design for easy filling

·Easy to assemble and clean

·Starter Set includes full-size bottle & nipple brush

·BPA-Free

·Dishwasher-safe

            Sounds pretty great, right? Here are some notes from our experience* with the bottles:

*First of all, this would make the perfect baby shower gift, especially if you're not sure if the recipient is planning on formula or breastfeeding.

*The nipples on these bottles are definitely the closest in design I've seen to breastfeeding out of any other bottle. The Breastflow bottles would be great for caregivers to use in place of the breast of working moms. OR, they would be handy for new breastfeeding moms who may need a “nipple break” (been there!) since the nipple design is so similar to breastfeeding and should lessen confusion for newborns.

*The Breastflow bottles only go up to medium flow nipples (from what I have seen), but by that point your baby can graduate to faster flow bottles/nipples and should be old enough that he/she won't have any issues with nipple confusion if you're still breastfeeding.

*I really like that the baby has more control over the milk flow, also like breastfeeding.

*The design of the two nipple pieces fitting together is neat because you can simply pinch the sides to let the milk that fills up in the outer nipple back into the bottle so none gets wasted!

*On a personal note (and you can read why I'm mentioning this at the end), I would suggest graduating to a faster flow bottle once your baby is really sucking it down because of the way the outer nipple “squishes down”. If they're sucking that hard it makes it to where the outer nipple forms to their mouth weird. Plus, they're probably going to be frustrated and may not finish before they're actually done from being tired from working so hard!

*We will definitely be using these if/when we have another baby. I wish we had come across them sooner with Ripley since we supplemented for so long! Needless to say, I highly recommend them to any new parent.

*It may look complicated putting the Breastflow bottles together at first, but I assure you it isn't as bad as it looks as far as assembly and cleaning go, especially compared to our Dr.Brown's bottles! As if the design of these bottles isn't awesome enough, they are also...

*Insanely affordable! You can purchase your own Breastflow Starter Set on Amazon for only $15.11!!! I couldn't believe it either!

             If you're looking for a bottle set that is as close to breastfeeding as possible or simply want to prevent gas and fussiness in your baby, again, I highly recommend the Breastflow Starter Set. Plus you can't beat the price!

*Full disclosure, we only used the 9 oz bottle with the medium flow nipple once with Ripley because, as predicted, it was just too slow for her since she has been off the breast for a few months now.

*Mixed Bag Mama received complimentary products in order to facilitate her review. No other compensation was received. Regardless, all opinions are her own and may differ from your own.

Super Undies Bedwetting Pants Giveaway

Welcome to the Super Undies Bedwetting Pants Giveaway!

Hosted By: Mixed Bag Mama

 Sponsored By: Super Undies

            Do you have a child who still experiences nighttime accidents? Chances are if you're here, you do. I think we can both agree that they just plain stink for both you and (if not even more) for your child, especially if they're older or have been potty trained through the day for awhile. 

            It's no fun as a parent having to strip their bed every morning and doing a special/extra load of laundry to wash their sheets and night clothes, not to mention cleaning up a distraught, wet, cold child. Speaking of distraught children, not only is it uncomfortable for the child, it can hurt their self-esteem and feel embarrassing too.

            Enter Super Undies to save the day! (Or night, in this case.) Super Undies Bedwetting Pants may be just the thing you and your child need to keep him/her dry overnight and happy in the morning! You can learn more about them on their website above or read Mixed Bag Mama's review. 

             One lucky winner will receive their own pair of Super Undies Bedwetting Pants in his/her choice of color/print, size, and microfiber or cotton. Simply enter the Giveaway Tools form below for your chance to win! Only your email is required to enter (only used to contact the giveaway winner), but the more entries you have, the better your chances are of winning. Good luck!

Entry-Form

Mixed Bag Mama and all participating bloggers were not compensated for this post or responsible for prize shipment. Winner will receive their prize directly from the sponsor. This giveaway is not associated with any social media platforms, including, but not limited to, Facebook Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Keep Kids Dry at Night with Super Undies Bedwetting Pants (Review)

             Hey folks! If you're reading this, you probably have heard of or already use cloth diapers and/or trainers. But, did you know there are cloth bedwetting pants on the market now too? I'm super excited to share Super Undies Bedwetting Pants with you today!

             Chances are if you're reading this, you too have a child who has accidents at night. I think we can both agree that they just plain suck for both you and (if not even more) for your child, especially if they're older or been potty trained through the day for awhile. It's no fun as a parent having to strip their bed every morning and doing a special/extra load of laundry to wash their sheets and night clothes, not to mention cleaning up a distraught, wet, cold child. Speaking of distraught children, not only is it uncomfortable for the child, it can hurt their self-esteem and feel embarrassing too.

            Enter Super Undies to save the day! (Or night, in this case.) Even if you don't currently or have never used cloth diapers or trainers before, you can still make the switch to their cloth Bedwetting Pants! Here's a few good reasons to start off with:

*Cost savings. The initial price of $32.95 for a pair of Bedwetting Pants may put you off, but consider how much it is costing you to buy disposables each month! (You can read more on that at the link above on Super Undies' website.)

*You can use them for multiple children, if the need arises.

*They come in multiple sizes, so even if you have an older child who is still experiencing nighttime accidents, chances are Super Undies has a size for him/her as well! (Bedwetting Pants largest size is designed for 9-13 year olds.)

*You can choose from microfiber or cotton for the absorbent layers. (Personally, I like this option as microfiber tends to break both of my girls out, even if it's not directly touching their skin...Which is not recommended anyways!)

*There are also multiple prints and colors to choose from, so you're sure to find one that your child will actually enjoy wearing!

             So, now that you know a little more about Super Undies' Bedwetting Pants in general, here are some notes from our personal experience with them:

*Myka (who will be 4 in less than a month) did not do well with regular cloth training pants when she was going through regular potty training, but she loves these! She calls them “diaper panties”, but hey, as long as she wears them and likes them, I don't care what she calls them! They are definitely “Myka approved” as she requests them every night. She likes the rainbow print and was SO excited when we got them in the mail! Seriously. I've never seen a kid so excited about underwear in my life!

*We've had these for about a month and they have worked better than I expected thus far. We haven't had any issues with wet beds (or kid). We even had a disposable leak one night when I didn't get around to washing these one day!

*Super Undies recommends at least two pairs of Bedwetting Pants so you're not having to wash them ALL the time and I have to agree with this suggestion, especially if you have a child who still wets the bed regularly.

*I was concerned about this fraying at first, but it doesn't seem to have frayed any further or be causing any problems. I have a hunch it's “normal” after the first few washes.

*I was also not crazy about the built-in insert (we chose cotton) at first because I usually don't care for them in regular cloth diapers. Plus, I was worried it wouldn't get as clean. However, it's ended up not being a big deal and still gets plenty clean if you wash it according to directions and turn your Bedwetting Pants inside out.

*I was also having some stink issues at first, even after rinsing them out right away before washing, soaking them in vinegar, AND washing. However, we recently changed detergents and I haven't noticed any lingering, funky smells since then. So, perhaps I just wasn't using enough detergent before?

*I (and I think Myka) like that Bedwetting Pants are really soft and not scratchy like disposables.

*As far as fit, they are a little big/bulky on Myka, but she is at the very bottom of the age/weight range on our size 2 pants, which are recommended for 4-6 year olds. Again, they are still working well as we haven't had any leaks.

*Super Undies Bedwetting Pants are about the same price as an All-in-One or pocket diaper, maybe a little more, BUT, you obviously need way less of them!

             You can check out and purchase your own pair of Super Undies Bedwetting Pants on their website as well as utilize their potty training resources! Be sure to stay up-to-date with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Last, but not least, don't forget to head over to the giveaway page for a chance to win your own pair of Bedwetting Pants!

Easy to Grow Plants

             Hey folks! I imagine if you are reading this, you have probably read a similar post/list of this nature before, right? There are plenty of them out there on the interwebs, I'm sure, and, to be honest, I don't know what all most of them include on their own list. So, with that being said, here is my own list of easy to grow plants/fruits/herbs/veggies, from my experience. I apologize if they are repeats of what you have read in the past, but...I guess if you've read them in other posts, that means they really are easy to grow*, right? :)

 Monster butternut squash and a volunteer growing ON the garage!

1. Squash/Gourds. Seriously. Squash of any sort! Pumpkins, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, etc. We had volunteer butternut squash this year and even it has performed beautifully compared to the butternuts I actually planted on purpose. All of our vines are still growing and producing like crazy, even at the end of September here in Indiana! So much so that I am selling our extras.
   
   
   
   There's another one hiding in there too.

Pumpkins are also stupid easy to grow. We also have volunteer pumpkin vines that have already

given us 4 pumpkins of decent size. I'm sure you could sell them to locals for fall decoration.

Plus, I don't have experience to go on personally yet, but, I'm sure pie pumpkins are just as easy

to grow and, in our area, you can sell for about $1/pumpkin! That may not seem like a lot, but

hey, if it's a volunteer, you're making money off of it regardless! Plus, pie pumpkins are smaller

than “normal” pumpkins, if you are not familiar with them, so that's a pretty good price, imo.

Spaghetti squash is pretty easy to grow as well, from our first year experience with it, at least.

But...While it's produced somewhat decently, so far, John thinks we may have over-fertilized it

because the leaves have been getting all, well, bleh and yellowish. But, I still say it requires

minimal work, therefore stays on this list. (Note: This is one of the things we planted “later” in

the season, so that may be part of it.)

I'm not sure if these would fall into this family or not, but cucumbers grow like crazy too!

2. Tomatoes. I always thought tomatoes were hard to grow, for some reason. But, after this first year of trying them out for myself, they really aren't. Yes, it is highly suggested you put tomato cages up around your plants, but other than that, they will do their own thing...Even if you don't put tomato cages up and let them grow along the ground! Yes, they will be fine if you let them grow along the ground. However...(There's always a “however”, isn't there?) I've been picking my tomatoes early while they're still green because we've had so many squash bugs eating them up! So, don't let your squash grow next to them and they should be ok? We haven't had as many problems with our Roma tomatoes as our regular ones, for whatever reason.
   
   
   
    Can you see the bean pods hiding in there?

2. Black Beans. This is the first time I've tried to grow any kind of beans. Black beans are the ONLY kind of beans I will actually eat, so we threw some in the ground when we re-planted our squash and gourds and they're doing awesome! Even with some pumpkin vines kind of taking over some of the plants, they still seem to be doing well. Plus, I found out they're super easy when it comes to harvesting. There's no magical signs to look for when they're ready, exactly. You literally just leave them on the plant until the shells get all dry and papery! (Other bean varieties may be like this too, but again, these are the only kind I've ever personally grown.)
   
   
   
   
   
3. Bell peppers. Mmm, mm! I love me some bell peppers. This is my first time growing these too and they've been super easy. No problems with pests or anything. I even waited too long to plant a few transplants from the store and they still ended up growing and producing well...And are still going strong!
   
   
   
    Volunteer spinach
   
   
4. Spinach. Spinach can actually get a little crazy. Again, we were super lazy with our garden at the beginning of summer for various reasons and some things went to waste, to be totally honest, and spinach was one of them. Long story short, we actually had some volunteer spinach pop up from when we removed the plants that had bolted/gone to seed. So that was pretty cool. Plus, spinach doesn't take long to grow, you can grow it in the fall (it's actually better to plant it when it starts getting cooler out), and it will keep growing until it just gets too darn cold for it!
   
   
   
   
   
5. Chamomile. Yah, chamomile isn't a veggie, but hey, that's why I said plants in the title. ;) 1) It grows easily. 2) We transplanted some outside from indoor starts and they went cray-cray! Needless to say, I've been enjoying my sleepy-time chamomile tea at night.

(I'm not sure what happened to my numbering, but I could not fix it to save my life, so no, you're not crazy. There are 6 plants listed, not 5.)

*By “easy to grow”, I'm referring to plants that A) Grow like crazy by themselves B) And/or are volunteers and grow like crazy and/or C) Require minimal weeding to still grow like crazy with minimal “babying”.

Chances are, we've “met”, right? I'm lazy. I love my gardens, but...I simply don't have time or determination to weed the things every or every other day...Or every week, for that matter. The squash patch is getting out of hand, but it's to the point where I don't care. I'll just trample down the weeds in-between the plants and it will be fine, right? Yah, that's the kind of gardener I am!

             What are your favorite things to grow?

Give Back to Mother Earth with a Cloth Diaper Giveaway!

            Hey folks! Who doesn't love online shopping these days, right? It can come in especially handy for parents, even more so when you have newborns...or are in the late stages of pregnancy and just don't feel like leaving the house!

Mixed Bag Mama was compensated for this post. Regardless, all opinions are my own. This giveaway is a partnership with Nakturnal, with a prize of a gift certificate.

             If you plan on or already use cloth diapers, you have probably already discovered that you pretty much have to order them online, unless you are fortunate enough to live near a brick and mortar retailer. With that being said, have you heard of Diapers.com? Chances are you probably have at some point through the grapevine if you are expecting or already have children. But, did you know they don't just sell disposable diapers, but cloth diapers as well? 

 

             Diapers.com carries a number of name brand cloth diapers, including Thirsties, Rumparooz, and even Grovia! Even if you're not sure what brand you like yet, but have an idea of what style of diaper you would like to try, you are sure to find something that fits your preference and budget. They offer just about every type of cloth diaper you can think of, including all-in-ones, pocket diapers, flats and prefolds, and more. As you can imagine, Diapers.com also offers plenty of diapering accessories, such as wipes, diaper pails, and rash creams, as well as other baby necessities, including clothing, bottles, and bath products. 

 

             If you are new to cloth diapering or feeling a little overwhelmed by all of the options, you can check out my Cloth Diaper Confusion page. You can also type in “cloth diapers” in the “Search This Blog” area on the right hand side for more informative posts and reviews. Also be sure to check out some of my own personal favorite cloth diaper blogs, such as Maman Loup's Den (she has some great newborn cloth diaper reviews!), Zephyr Hill, and Mama Banana's Adventures!

             Are you ready to take the plunge on cloth diapering or wanting to build your existing stash? If so, be sure to enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a $50 gift card! Open to U.S. residents 18 years of age and older.

Entry-Form

This post is in accordance with FTC regulations and guidelines. This giveaway is not endorsed by or affiliated with any social media platform, including, but not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Please note this gift card will not cover any applicable customs charges or extra taxes on international orders.)

Wet/Dry Everything Bag Review

             Hey folks! I have a confession to make: I'm a bit of a bag hoarder. It doesn't really matter what kind, either: backpacks, purses, plastic grocery bags, reusable plastic bags, you name it. You can never have too many bags, right? Needless to say, when I was recently offered the opportunity to facilitate my addiction further by reviewing a Wet/Dry Everything Bag from Yummi Pouch, I jumped on the chance.

             Bags come in super handy when you have kids, no matter how many. You pretty much need at least one if you plan on going anywhere out of the house with them. Let's face it: Kids come with lots of stuff. Now that I have two kids, I'm finding that extra on-the-go storage is especially handy. All of that aside, I love a good all-purpose, reusable bag and the Everything Bags fits the bill.

*Comes in two bright, fun chevron prints.

*Generous size. At 12” x 16”, you can fit a LOT in these! In the picture below, I had 3 cloth diapers and a big rocks and minerals book (that Myka was obsessed with for several days) in it for our day trip to the lake...And there was room to spare!

*Folds up nice and small, so you can save room in your diaper bag or wherever you happen to keep the Everything Bag when you're not using it.

*Dries really fast! I filled it up with a few inches of water to test its water resistance out. That being said, I wouldn't put anything sopping wet in it. But as far as my original point, I flipped it inside out and it was completely dry in about an hour!

*It's a great price! Depending on where you order yours from, you can get it for $7.99 or $9.99. Either way, it's a steal for as big as the bag is and the fact that you can use it as a wet bag for cloth diapers!

*So many uses! As you can imagine, you can put just about anything you want in these bags: diapers, extra clothes, snacks, toys, books, etc. I can't wait to use it for swimsuits after playing at the splash pad next year!

*Wish it had a handle! That is the one “regret” I have about the Everything Bag. Perhaps they'll add one in the future. It would come in handy to at least have a little loop, snap handle to hang it up by.

             You can purchase your own Wet/Dry Everything Bag on Revelae Kids or Amazon. Stay up-to-date with Revelae Kids on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

*Mixed Bag Mama received this product in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received. Opinions may differ from your own.

Fall Word Page

Monday: Autumn
Tuesday: Leaves
Wednesday: Chill
Thursday: Pumpkins
Friday: Apples
Saturday: Halloween
Sunday: Thanksgiving

My Thoughts on Recycling & Composting...

Photo Credits

             Hey folks! I thought I would talk about something today that is near and dear to my heart, though I don't talk about it much, if ever: recycling. Well, that and composting. They kind of go hand-in-hand, if you think about it. Buckle up...

             I've been meaning to write a post about recycling for awhile. Though it may surprise you (or not), I'm not one of those people who jumps on board the recycling band wagon just to fill up post space around Earth Day. I'm a hardcore hippie. (Well, maybe not, but for all intents and purposes in this case, let's just go with that!) I have found recycling fascinating since I first learned about it in school. Sadly, back in those times, it was still a somewhat foreign concept and not a widely made practice like it is (for the most part) nowadays.

Photo Credits

             Why do I find recycling so interesting? First of all, I've always been a nature lover. That love has grown into many more things that I find so exciting as an adult: hiking, growing my own food, feeding my leftovers to our chickens, recycling, etc. Being a nature lover, I naturally want to help out Mother Earth as much as possible so that she “keeps on trucking” for a long time after I'm gone for future generations. Recycling is one of the more obvious/well known ways to help Mother Nature out.

             As we're all aware, making products (especially packaging!) takes a lot of resources from the Earth. If you don't already know, you can read some alarming statistics HERE about how much waste (that could be recycled) we make each year, how much energy it costs to make the original products with and without the recycled goods, etc. Kind of hard to believe, right? So why wouldn't we do something relatively easy to help keep our Earth cleaner and more sustainable for future generations? If you're not sure where your local recycling center is, try searching for both trash AND recycling in your county of residence. You should be able to come up with something!

Photo Credits

             You know what else Americans waste a ridiculous amount of? Food! You know what's extra sad about this? A lot of it could be used for other things! Besides recycling the packaging, of course (see above. Ha ha), you can save food scraps and start a compost pile! Which in turn helps your garden out, and by you growing more of your own food you're not buying as much (less packaging used), you're more likely to eat it (since you grew it yourself), AND less gas you're using to drive to the store! It's a win-win-win-win situation. That's a lot of winning. (Charlie Sheen would be so proud. Ha!)

             You can compost all sorts of things and it shouldn't be as intimidating as some people make it seem. As long as you have a good ratio of brown matter (cardboard, fruit waste, leaves, newspaper, etc.) to green matter (grass clippings, coffee grounds, weeds, livestock manure, food waste, etc) you should be good; roughly a 25-30:1 ratio. As far as food waste goes, if it's a whole food of some sort (i.e. fruits, veggies, eggs), you can probably compost the “waste”. Pretty cool, right?

Photo Credits

            Hope I didn't get too preachy on you guys today. :) If you find you have a recycling program/center near you, I encourage you to at least learn more about it. More and more places are making it easier and easier for people to recycle so that they will! Plus, it usually doesn't cost much, if anything. As far as composting...If that's not your thing (i.e. You don't have a garden!) you know what they say: One man's trash is another man's treasure. There are so many online swap groups nowadays, you may just be able to find a neighbor or someone else close by who may want your food scraps!

Here Comes Baby Giveaway

Here Comes Baby Giveaway! Over $708 in Prizes!

Sponsored By: 

Nested Bean, Sebamed, Royal Rascals, Vacucraft, Pink Polka Dot Boutique, Lily Method, Bellema, Nursery Necessities, Lil' Sidekick, Bjingles, Ikkletots, Newbie Shade and BumpBar

Hosted By: Love, Mrs. Mommy

Co-Hosted By: Coupons and Freebies Mom / A Wandering Vine / Everyday Gizmos Sweeps & Views MomJunky / Daily Deals from a Nerd Mom / Mama Hippie

1 Lucky Winner Will Receive Over $708 worth of baby goodies!!

Plus, 5 out of the 13 prizes are Winner's Choice! Details are listed under the descriptions...

Nested Bean 

Nested Bean was formed with a purpose of helping parents care for their newborns with intuitive, medically backed, and the safest products. The Zen Swaddle and Zen Sack incorporates TouchSense technology. TouchSense technology imparts a calming pressure (like a mother resting her hand on their baby's chest), by using lightly weighted areas. This triggers a self-soothing response in the nervous system. Such a technique is proven to help regulate stress by stabilizing heart rate, blood pressure and reducing levels of cortisol. Winner has their pick of either a Zen Swaddle or Zen Sack in their choice of size, up to a $44.99 RV!

Sebamed

Sebamed is sold in over 85 countries and has changed the lives of people from all over the world. If you’re dealing with rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, acne, sensitive skin, or just looking to maintain healthy skin, Sebamed offers a variety of collections. Each line serves its own purpose and is formulated to the same pH level of 5.5, whether it’s their classic collection for sensitive skin, or their baby care, anti-aging, or acne lines. From hydrating lotions that soothe irritated skin to facial toners that continue a youthful glow, Sebamed has the type of skin care products you are looking for. Winner will receive a Complete Sebamed Baby Gift Package with a $62.99 RV!

Royal Rascals 

This is the #1 safest rear view mirror for rear facing baby seat. It's easy to install onto your cars rear seat headrest and it's fully adjustable with tilt and turn function and anti-judder mount. This baby care mirror is also in safety yellow for greater LPV detection, as your peripheral vision is drawn to yellow quicker than any other color. Grab your baby's reflection at a glance without dragging your attention off the road for more than a moment. Winner will receive this mirror along with a free Baby On Board sign, a $21.99 RV!

Vacucraft

Vacucraft Inc makes environmentally conscientious food storage products and have developed a food processor for babies called the Green Baby. The goal is to make it easier and cheaper to prepare fresh food than purchase ready-made pasteurized baby foods. With a press of the button it steams, cooks, and then purees the food in pulse mode. The parts they use are all BPA free Tritan and are stain and crack proof. Green Baby comes with a set of 6, 4 oz. vacuum seal containers. Winner will receive the Green Baby, a $200 RV!

Pink Polka Dot Boutique

The Pink Polka Dot Boutique has been creating custom nursery bedding and baby products since 2010. They offer a wonderful variety of many styles from your traditional baby bedding and nursery prints, to the new modern look. They offer everything from the essentials of getting your nursery started, through the growing ages of years to come. There are even gift baskets and sets to send those loved ones for every special occasion. Winner will receive a custom-made changing pad cover from their choice of fabric, a $25 RV!

Lily Method 

The Lily Method process was developed by Dr. Alene D’Alesio, a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist and mother of four girls who all loved pacifiers. After struggling to wean her first daughter, she knew there had to be an easier way. From that experience came this patented Pacifier Weaning System that has been tested and perfected over the past 5 years! For ages 6+ months and it's BPA and latex-free! Winner will receive the Lily Method, a $19.99 RV! Check out my review here!

Bellema 

​Bellema is committed to providing superior quality breast pumps and breastfeeding accessories to enhance a mothers nursing experience. Their designs and development are backed by a dedicated R&D team that includes over 20 experts! By combining years of expertise and reputation, they have gained trust from nursing mothers around the world. Winner will receive a Bellema Professional Care Effective Double Electric Breast Pump, a $199.99 RV!

Nursery Necessities

Nursery Necessities offers premium baby products that are designed to provide comfort to infants while also offering hassle-free solutions for parents and caregivers. They even offer a one-year, no hassle money-back guarantee! Winner will receive the Nail Whale, a $13.99 RV. Check out my review here!

Lil' Sidekick 

Lil’ Sidekick can adjust to secure any item, from a small crayon to a large stuffed animal and it quickly secures to anything (such as a stroller, car seat, baby carrier, high chair, and grocery cart). Lil’ Sidekick is made of a safe, durable, and FDA approved material right here in the USA. It’s dishwasher safe, can be cleaned on the go, and be used as a teether. Winner will receive a Lil' Sidekick in their choice of color (blue, pink, charcoal, or green), a $10.95 RV!

Bjingles 

The Bjingles Baby Heartbeat Monitor is a wonderful way to listen and record your baby's first movements. This set comes with two headphones, perfect for you and your significant other to listen to your baby together. Plus, you can play your favorite jingles to your baby. The perfect way for you and your family to bond with your baby before he/she arrives. Winner will receive a Bjingles Baby Heartbeat Monitor, a $49.99 RV! Check out my review here!

Ikkletots 

Ikkletots Bandana Bibs are a contemporary and colorful solution for drooling and teething babies! These highly absorbent bibs are soft, comfortable and very functional. Thanks to the adjustable snaps and generous size, these bibs are ideal for babies and toddlers. Winner will receive their choice of either gender neutral or girl style bibs, a $16.99 RV!

Newbie Shade

Newbie Shade is a family-owned and operated company that came into existence due to their desire to shade their new little baby girl from the bright California sun. This shade is fully compatible with infant, convertible, and all-in-one car seats. It provides full shade coverage, while still allowing for the use of a backseat mirror attached to the center seat. Winner will receive their choice of Newbie Shade, a $25 RV! Check out my review here!

BumpBar 

BumpBar is an obstetrician formulated pregnancy nutrition bar. It’s non-gmo, certified gluten-free, vegan, preservative free and contains folic acid, calcium, and iron! A healthy way to get the nutrients you need for both you and your baby. Winner will receive a 4-pack of BumpBars, a $16.99 RV! Check out my review here!

Open To US - Must be 18+ to enter 

Giveaway Dates ~ 9/16 12:01 AM EST through 10/16 11:59 PM EST Good Luck!
 

Entry-Form

Disclosure: Love, Mrs. Mommy and all participating bloggers are not held responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill their prize obligations. Love, Mrs. Mommy received free product and/or nominal compensation to facilitate the above-mentioned reviews. This giveaway is in no way endorsed or sponsored by Facebook or any other social media site. The winner will be randomly drawn by Giveaway Tools and will be notified by email. The winner has 48 hours to reply before a new winner will be drawn. If you would like to participate in an event like this please contact LoveMrsMommy (at) gmail (dot) com.

Big Book of Cloth Diaper Savings Giveaway

Do you use cloth diapers or are thinking about using them?

 The Big Book of Cloth Diaper Savings has 38 shops with exclusive deals that can help save you money! Read Latched On Mom's review of this valuable coupon book HERE. 

Would you like to win a copy (PDF) of The Big Book of Cloth Diaper Savings?

Enter using the form below! Open to US & Canada. Must be 18 years of age or older. Void where prohibited. Giveaway will run from 9/15/16-9/30/16. Winner will be announced on this post as well as emailed. You will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be drawn. 

Entry-Form

Latched On Mom and other participating bloggers did not receive compensation to promote this giveaway. Prize fulfillment is sponsor's responsibility.  This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or associated with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or any other social media. If you have any questions, or have a product you'd like for me to review, please email latchedonmom@gmail.com

Homeschool Update: Rocks Theme & Current Struggles

             Hey folks! It's been awhile again since I've done any homeschooling updates. I'm hoping to change that in the future, but I just don't know, to be honest. Myka seems to have the same thought processes as her dad and just when I think I have them figured out, something changes. She loves doing “school stuff” and requests it all the time, but it's been so frustrating for me lately, especially since I don't think the same way she does. But, as many challenges as we (I?) have been having with “school stuff” lately, that's probably a can of worms for a different post.

             I was so excited to start our newest theme in our nature-based homeschool preschool curriculum, rocks, because it's something that Myka has been really into for awhile. (I'm guessing rocks are something that a lot of kids her age are interested in too.) The excitement seemed to have quickly fizzled out, though. At least faster than I thought it would have. She suddenly became re-interested in all things dinosaurs after only a few days of working on rocks, which is great since they are somewhat related, but...I want to get through rocks first, especially because I don't have “dino school” ready! Anyways, I'm getting off subject again...

            Since our nature-based curriculum is all about hands-on activities, we started out by collecting some rocks. I already went through the theme and wrote down what activities I thought Myka would enjoy beforehand, so I both let her pick out rocks she liked and tried to find some that would be good for other activities in the theme (i.e. flat rocks) when we took a family walk down to the creek. She loves playing there. I only wish it weren't so buggy so we could play longer! Come on, autumn!

             The next day I let her wash her rocks outside...which she was surprisingly into. I gave her some items to help in her washing endeavors, including a shammy cloth, nail scrubber brush, and dish towel (which was supposed to be for drying. * sigh * I was stupid and gave her a good one!).

             After she washed her rocks, I set up a bin with rocks, water, and animal figurines that like or live in water. This started off outside, but, she was so enamored with it I had to move it indoors because she was on antibiotics at the time and I was afraid she would burn to a crisp! She played with the water bin for several hours. Seriously. I couldn't believe it! She even played with it for several days afterward too! (She never plays with anything that long, let alone without me “helping” her.)

             I remembered a YouTube video John had come across that the three of us watched about a week or two before we started on rocks. So, we made some crystals. As it turns out, they're pretty easy to make! Not exactly rocks, but Myka loves science experiments (which I love) and it ties in closely enough for an almost 4 year old, in my opinion. This first batch was made with borax crystals and the second was made from Epsom salts. Can you believe that all it takes to make both is boiling water and borax or Epsom salts?! Pretty cool, right?

             She also did some rock painting, which was actually kind of difficult to get her to do. Silly me thought it would be a handy activity for her to do while I made dinner or washed dishes while she sat and painted at the kitchen table. But no, I needed to “help”. I did, eventually, somehow get her to do it on her own after I told her she needed to paint them to use in a game, but...She couldn't paint any more rocks while one side of her first rock was drying. She had to wait for it to dry first. * sigh * I did talk her and my mom, while she visited over Labor Day weekend, to paint some more together while I washed dishes. 

We also colored on hot rocks with crayons, which turned out neater than I had expected!

               We also did some rock counting involving toilet paper tubes, which I did not get pictures of. I know she knows 1-5, if not more, but we tried to do numbers 1-10. (Which John swears she knows.) It's so hard to tell what she knows and what she doesn't at this age, more than I thought it would be for multiple reasons that I won't go into right now. Besides the fact that I was sitting there with her and helping, I tried to make it easier for her by both printing the actual number and corresponding dots for how many rocks needed to go in each tube. She did ok, but I think she could do better if she paid attention more, in this case, to the dots corresponding to the number of rocks she had/needed.

             Like I said, I just don't know. I know she wants to learn, but at this point in time I'm just not sure the best way to go about it. Sometimes I feel like our downfall is my lack of patience and other times I feel like it's her lack of attention span and answering questions honestly. I know part of it's an age thing for her. I can't help but think, though, that my impatience with her, which I AM working on and getting better at, is that I know she is smarter than she lets on. So then that makes me even more impatient that she doesn't show it and that I feel like I don't know best how to “get through to her”, if that makes sense. 

             I try to keep our themes to 2-3 weeks long and I feel like we're already getting behind, through no fault of her own. I have just been busy with farm animals, garden, and household stuff and finding it hard to keep up with school work, though I want and know I need to make a better effort. We've had our “rock” library books for at least 3 or 4 weeks, so we'll be needing to take them back soon, so I really should get on that. Other than that, I would like to at least do the painted rock treasure hunt before we end things and move on to dinosaurs. (Think an Easter egg hunt except with rocks.)

             Are any of you doing homeschool preschool? What challenges are you coming across?