Snapfish - Buy One Get One!

Snapfish is having a deal:

"Get a FREE Express Classic Photo Book when you buy one. Create picture-perfect photo books in just minutes. It’s fun and easy, but this offer expires March 9. Use coupon code SPRINGBOOK at checkout.*"


I use Snapfish all the time and have created several photo books.

Black Out Curtains

So I needed a little help with nap time. I decided to try black out curtains and see if a darker room meant longer naps.

I ordered these curtains from...you guessed it...Amazon. Once again, that's where I found the best price.The company that makes them is Best Home Fashion and, as with everything else, there were mixed reviews about these curtains. But once again, I took a flying leap and tried them out.

Here are the results:
These photos were taken at 10:00 am on a very bright and sunny day.

 

  

As you can see, some light does come in. Especially from the sides and bottom.  The room is quite a bit darker, to the point where my video monitor goes into night mode. Am I totally happy with the results? No, I would like the room to be a bit darker. Am I going to return them? No, I'm going to keep them because they were a good price, do help quite a bit and they are nice. They don't look like your typical heave black out curtain. They look much more like a good quality drapery, and they have a nice soft texture to them. Let's face it...I put a lot of time and money into making an adorable nursery for my first born. I'm not going to ruin that by putting up some hideous curtains. 

So overall, would I recommend these? Well, I think it depends on what you are looking for. If you are really looking for a DARK room, then no. If you are looking for a darker room with a nice looking curtain, then yes.

Udder Covers - FREE!

I belong to the Planning Family e-mail and today they sent out a great deal! You can get a FREE $32 breastfeeding cover from Udder Covers. Enter the code FAMILY2010 and all you have to pay is the shipping!

They were running a deal like this a few weeks ago, except you got a gift set (udder cover, breastfeeding bracelet and nursing pad) for $5 plus shipping. I am not currently breastfeeding but felt it was too good a deal to pass up. I can either use it for my next baby, or give it as a shower/baby gift. They are a great quality and come in some really nice patterns. Don't miss out on this great deal!!

Summer Infant Super Wide Gate

I have a wide opening (about 6 feet) from my living room to my kitchen. My husband and I had already decided that the family room would be our baby's main play room because it's the only carpeted room on the first floor. So I needed to find a good, sturdy gate to put across the opening.

I did a lot of research and read a ton of reviews. I finally settled on the Sure and Secure Super Wide Custom Fit Gate. Most of the reviews about his product were very positive. However, I did read several complaints about the installation of the gate. It does have to be bolted to the doorway and some people said they had trouble getting it secure. Some also complained that the bolt ripped out of the wall making an ugly hole and a useless gate.

With the negative reviews in mind I still decided to go with the majority and purchase the gate. I am very happy that I did. I can't say much about the installation because my husband did it. But he did it within an hour and with no curse words! So it couldn't have been that bad.

The gate is very sturdy. We have had it up for about a month now. My daughter pulls herself up on it and it feels secure. It's also attractive to look at with the beige and brown colors. I like that it has a mesh panel rather than bars because I know my daughters limbs would be flying through bars.

It's a very large gate and totally adjustable. For our opening we only needed to use one panel (it comes with 2) and the gate.

My only complaint is that I wish it had a foot pedal to open the gate. The latch is on the top and is easy to use, but when carrying a baby it's just easier to use your foot to open it than your hand. But you can certainly open it with just one hand.

Now here is the shocking news. You have probably noticed that I advertise for Amazon all the time. This is because 90% of the time I find the best deals there. And they offer free shipping on purchases over $25 that are shipped from them (outside sellers typically charge shipping). But this time around I did not find the best deal at Amazon, I found it at Walmart. Walmart didn't have free shipping, but it cost me a DOLLAR to ship it. How insane is that?? I have heard they have great shipping prices, but wow! So I will provide two links... one to Walmart and one to Amazon. You can make your own decision about who you would like to buy from.

And here is a picture of it all set up in my house and my little one holding on!

Lamaze - My First Fishbowl

I LOVE this toy and so does my daughter. It's absolutely adorable.

The bowl is very bright and colorful. It has a fabric texture as well as a plastic one for the front and back of the fishbowl. The plastic area actually has water in and some little fish that float about in the water.

The inside of the bowl is big enough to fit the four sea creatures that it comes with. Each creature has different texture materials and make different noises. The fish jingles, the crab crinkles, the oyster squeaks and the octopus doesn't make a sound but has a silky feel to it.

My daughter loves to take each fish out and chew on it. She also gets some throwing practice in by tossing the fish around.

It's also small enough to throw in the diaper bag when going somewhere. And it doesn't make a lot of noise!! This is crucial to me as most of her toys sing and ring and ding all day long. No batteries and she still loves it!

It's a great quality product at a good price. I really don't have any complaints about this toy!

Baby Einstein Tunnel

My first review! Yay! Ok, those who have read my past posts may have seen the one where I talked about getting the Baby Einstein Animal Exploration Tunnel.

I saw it when I was browsing on Amazon and right away knew I was interested in getting it for my baby.

When it came time for me to purchase it (I waited in the hopes that we would get it for Christmas and then didn't) it was totally unavailable. I looked EVERYWHERE! We even contacted the company and they told us it was discontinued.

I finally found it on Craig's List and jumped on the opportunity to buy it. I was hesitant because it was listed as "gently used" and I didn't know what to expect. It came in great condition but I still would have preferred to have purchased it new.

Why I like this product:
It's a nice size (about 4 feet long) and very appealing to the eye. There are lots of bright colors creating animal scenes on the sides, top and bottom.

The inside bottom piece is a little padded. Very soft for those fast crawling knees.

There are toys that can be hung along the top (such as a red bird that tweets, a sun that rattles and linking chains). You can choose to put them up, take them down and move them around. You could also add other toys if you were crafty and creative and found a way to attach them to the small loops that the other toys are designed to attach to.

There are things to touch and feel along the bottom as you play or crawl inside. It has leaves that are attached but can be lifted and crinkled. A really great tactile addition.

You can see into the tunnel. The sides are partly mesh so you can see your little one when they are inside playing.

What I don't like about this product:
It's not as stable as I would like it to be. When my daughter rolls around inside she flips it over. This is a really minor complaint and easily fixable...just flip it back the right way.

I am really happy with this product. My daughter is 9 months old and she loves to crawl through and take the toys down and play with them. My friends daughter is slightly over the age of 2 and she also has a blast with it. I think it will be a long lasting favorite.

Here is a picture of her enjoying her tunnel.



The tunnel is now available again through many sites. As usual, Amazon is among the lowest priced retailers. They also provide great customer service, even when ordering through a second party (which seems to be the only option with this tunnel).

Reviews!

Ok, I've decided to take my blog in a little bit of a new direction. Don't worry... you will still get to hear me go on and on about the every day life of this momma! But I am going to do something that I feel will contribute to the world of new mommies everywhere.

You all know I LOVE to shop. I spend WAY too much time, money and effort researching and purchasing. With that said, I almost never buy anything on impulse. I really do look around for reviews and the best possible price I can get. Most moms do not have time for this.... so I am coming to your rescue!!

I am going to start reviewing some of the very best products I have found and ways to find them at the best price! I hope that these reviews will help make shopping a little easier and more fun for the mom on the run.

So keep your eyes open for the first review.... and let me know how I do.

What's Your Name?

I'm always looking at the milestone charts and guidelines online. Right around now my daughter should be starting to respond to her name. So today I spent a large portion of my time calling her by name to see if she would respond. While I was doing this (and she wasn't responding) I remembered that I rarely call her by her name. I call her bug 90% of the time and then the rest of the time she's babe, sweetie and occasionally her actual name. Great. My child thinks her name is bug. What have I done??

3 Months and Counting!

I have less than 3 months until my baby girl turns 1!! How and when did that happen???

Ok, so I certainly do not want to rush time. I am having way too much fun with my little bug. She is at an awesome age right now where she wants to play and snuggle with me... and she gives the best baby kisses!! And while is MUCH bigger than she was when she was born.. she is still my little peanut.

BUT.... I LOVE to plan parties. In another life I would totally be a wedding planner or something like that. And what better reason in there to throw a party than a baby's FIRST BIRTHDAY!! Let the planning begin!!

I am looking for ideas about what people have done or seen done to make this birthday awesome! Yes, I know she won't remember it. Yes, I know it's more for me and my husband. And yes, I am on a budget (lets not get too crazy....). But I want it to be cute and have fabulous little touches.

I'm thinking about having a cupcake theme. I want to make a GIANT cupcake shaped cake.. and then also have a cupcake tree. Any ideas to go along with this?

I also saw somewhere that hey had little rubber duckies that were pink and had the number 1 on them. Cute!


Ok, I'm open to any and every idea!!