Baby Shower - BePe Baby

I learned about BePe Baby and their amazing slippers about two years ago. They are the only slippers I buy and my daughter loves them! I first fell in love with the idea of them when I read that the toddler slippers had non-skid bottoms and my daughter was just starting to walk. I gave them a try and discovered that they were exactly what I needed. They are cute and functional.

Here is my daughter last year wearing her slippers.

My daughter has owned several pairs and we are all set for this winter with a perfect purple pair in Pebbles (purple is her favorite color). So when I learned that we would be welcoming a baby boy this December I reached out to BePe Baby to see if I could check out the Baby Booties, since we had never used them before. The company is amazing to work with and quickly had a pair in the mail to me.

My heart melted when I opened the package. They are so tiny! I forgot how tiny baby feet are! The booties are incredibly soft. They have a elastic around the heel to keep the slippers on (I do remember my daughter always managing to kick her socks off) and the fleece on the bottom is just oh so soft.

BePe Baby booties and slippers are all handcrafted in the USA. You can tell that a great deal of thought has gone into the design and that a great deal of love goes into each and every pair. I can speak for their amazing quality as my daughter has worn the same slippers every day from November to March and they didn't rip or tear. These slippers are adorable and affordable.

BePe Baby has a great selection of booties and slippers for babies, toddlers, and kids up to about age 5. They also have other products like legwarmers, hats, and bibs. I can't recommend them enough. And they have a bargain basket that is always full of adorable stuff at even lower prices. You can't beat it!

You can visit their website to check out all the fun colors and patterns. You can also visit them on Facebook and Twitter for news about sales, coupon codes, and new items.

Special Coupon Code! Use the code mommadrama between now and October 1st for 20% off your order!

Kidorbable - Fabulous Coupon Code!

My family is a huge fan of Kidorable products. We have everything from backpacks to raincoats to hats and gloves. But perhaps the most used items in our home are the perfectly adorable hooded towels. My daughter immediately became a huge fan when she received her first towel from Kidorable, the Lotus Flower. We have since added to the collection with the ladybug and the dinosaur. She looks forward to picking out which towel she will use after her bath. My favorite is probably the dinosaur because she stomps through the hall, roaring as she approaches her room. Too cute!

I have been really pleased with the hooded towels. they are very cute and let my daughter's imagination run wild. They make bath time a little more fun. And we have been using them on a regular basis for over a year and they are still in great shape. They wrap right around my daughter and get her nice and dry.

So I was very excited to learn that Kidorable decided to improve a product that I felt was already pretty great. While keeping their adorable design they have made the towel even softer by adding a layer of super soft velour. I was lucky enough to receive one of the new designs to check out for myself!

As soon as I pulled the mermaid towel out of the packaging I could notice a difference. It really is softer and lighter. Even my daughter said it felt softer on her skin after her bath. And it most definitely kept it's adorableness!

 

Now here is the great news for you! From September 15th - 30th you can get 20% off your entire order when you purchase one of the cotton hooded towels! Just use the code DRYOFF33 when you check out. 

Cooking Made Easy with Progresso and #MyBlogSpark

Back to School often means back to the craziness! For moms, juggling school, work, sports, and all the other events happening this time of year can be daunting. Add in having to get dinner on the table and you could have down right impossible. Luckily, Progresso had busy moms in mind when they created their Recipe Starters Cooking Sauces.

Basically, these sauces create a delicious base to then create a full family meal. They even provide you with tons of great recipe ideas to get you started on creating new recipes or cutting corners with old family favorites. You can visit their website to get a taste of the many recipes they've created. They even have a spot for those who have tried them to leave ratings and reviews. I always rely on the reviews of others to let me know if it's something I want to try or not. I tend to look for recipes with minimal ingredients, preferably things I have on hand, quick prep time, and delicious results!

Here are the five delicious flavors that you can look for in your soup aisle:

• Creamy Parmesan Basil: This creamy, full-bodied and indulgent sauce that was inspired by alfredo and creamy pesto sauces can be used to make dishes such as Crispy Garlic-Parmesan Chicken, Creamy Chicken Alfredo, Basil Chicken Ravioli Carbonara and Basil Chicken Thai Noodle
• Creamy Roasted Garlic with Chicken Stock: With caramelized, roasted chicken broth, garlic and a touch of cream, this stock is perfect for dishes such as Creamy Lemon Chicken, Chicken Pot Pie and Chicken Enchiladas
• Fire Roasted Tomato: A medium-thick tomato sauce, accompanied by flavors of roasted, caramelized tomatoes, oregano and bell peppers, which can be used as a great way to begin creating  Pulled Chicken Sandwiches, Easy Weeknight Chicken Parmesan, Cheese-stuffed Mini Meat Loaves and Mole Tacos
• Creamy Portabella Mushroom: Creamy and highly indulgent, this smooth sauce is rich with sautéed Portabella mushrooms,  giving you any easy way to start delicious dishes like Easy Weeknight Beef Stroganoff, Steak and Mushroom Sandwich and Tetrazzini
• Creamy Three Cheese: Rich and creamy with a blend of yellow and white cheeses, and a savory background of chicken stock, onion, garlic and cracked pepper, this is a great way to satisfy cheese lovers with Easy Weeknight Bacon Mac & Cheese, Twice-Baked Potato Pizza and Cheesy Egg Breakfast Tacos

I received a fabulous kit from Progresso through MyBlogSpark that was filled with everything I needed to create a delicious family meal. The kit came complete with two cans of Recipe Starters, a $10 gift card to purchase other ingredients, 5 recipes to get me started, a baking dish, measuring cups, and a sauce scraper. Now all I had to do was get to work!

We decided to make the Creamy Lemon Chicken using the Roasted Garlic recipe starter. It came out delicious! It was so easy and only required one pan (I love meals like that!). My husband and I were very pleased with the robust flavor, moist chicken, and leftovers!

Click HERE to find a printable coupon for $.65 off of one can of Progresso Recipe Starters!

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Disclosure:  The information, products and Progresso™ Recipe Starters™ gift packs were provided by Progresso through MyBlogSpark.

We're Having a Baby Shower!

I am so excited to be having a second baby. It hasn't been the easiest road to get here, but here we are! To help share in the excitement I am going to be doing a week long event where I will share with you some great companies and products. I am thrilled with the companies that wanted to take part in this event. From top name brands to small businesses, they each have something to offer a new mom and new baby.

We will kick this fun event off on Monday! You don't want to miss it!

Glamorous Glasses By Barbara Johansen Newman

Bobbie and Joanie are best friends and best cousins, and they do everything together. So when Joanie has to get glasses, Bobbie figures she’ll get them, too—especially once she discovers the fabulous frames on display at the eyeglasses store. Meanwhile, Joanie has the opposite reaction. Glasses make her feel different and look different. And they’re uncomfortable. So the ever-resourceful Bobbie comes up with a perfect plan to make both of them happy. Illustrations full of rich, comical details enhance this story about friendship and a classic childhood experience.

My daughter and I had a great time reading this book, but what I found the most interesting was what inspired this story. This story is actually based on real events that happened in the life of the author. There really was a Bobbie (that was Barbara Johnson Newman's nickname) and her cousin, Joanie. 

I think that this story rings true for lots of kids. I remember as a child desperately wanting everything I didn't have. This included glasses. I even failed a vision test just so that I could get them! Then once I had them my mother could never get me to wear them. Ahhh, kids!

This book brings a great deal of humor to a very real feeling that lots of kids get. Kids who don't need glasses want them and kids who do sometimes I don't want to wear them. And to have a best friend who gets glasses makes it even more intriguing to the other friend. But these two friends start to realize that seeing clearly may be what's most important after all!

You can visit Barbara Johansen Newman's website and learn more about this fun book! You can also play some fun games (there's even one where you can decorate a pair of glasses.... cool!).

BuyCostumes.com Review

It's official... the kids are back in school! To me that's the official kick off to the fall season. I am so ready for fall. I can't wait to decorate with my pumpkins and simmer some applesauce in the crock pot after a day of apple picking. The sights and smells of fall are the best. And I adore the brisk weather where you can get away with jeans and a sweatshirt. And perhaps the highlight of the season... Halloween!

Halloween is right around the corner and most of us are busy planning and plotting a great costume. I was really looking forward to this Halloween because I was going to get a great costume for our family's Halloween party. But... now I will be 8 months pregnant and not fitting into anything. So I am living vicariously through my daughter this year.

As most of my readers know, Halloween has been on our radar for months. We have been talking and planning... thinking about costumes and trick-or-treating. This may have been a mistake because she asks almost every day if it's time for Halloween yet. Well, at least we are getting closer!

BuyCostumes.com is a great place to go to find the perfect Halloween costume. They have a wide selection of costumes for babies, kids, teens and adults. Whether you are looking for something specific or just for some inspiration this is a great place to start.

My daughter is on a huge Disney Princess kick. So we were given the wonderful opportunity to check out one of the costumes offered by BuyCostumes.com for review. We chose Tiana from The Princess and the Frog.

I am very pleased with this costume. It arrived quickly and in great condition. My daughter was super anxious to put it on and fell in love with it immediately. I feel like the costume is a good quality. It came as three pieces - a headband, under skirt, and dress. We ordered up a size and got a small (4-6x) and it fits really nicely. It has a pendant with Tiana's picture in the flower, which my daughter loves.

My experience with BuyCostumes.com was very positive and I would definitely recommend you check them out this season to see all the great costumes they have to offer at affordable prices.

Baby Update!

I saw this cute little questionnaire over Little BGCG and thought it would be fun to do! It will also help me bring you all up to date on baby happenings.

How Far Along: 25 weeks!

Due Date: December 24th (but c-section will be scheduled about one week before - yay! I will be home for Christmas! I think that's the only thing making the idea of a c-section bearable)

Boy or girl: Boy

Currently craving: Carbs! All I want to eat is carbs. The more pasta the better. Oh, and pancakes... yummm! French toast.. sounds good to me!

Currently Avoiding: Pretty much all meat. I've been eating it but haven't been wanting it. And the thought of it uncooked makes me feel sick.

Weight: I wouldn't have told you that before I was pregnant!  

Belly button status: Still in

Sleep grade: I am always tired! I sleep for 11 hours at night and wake up exhausted. I want to nap in the afternoons. Where is the second trimester burst of energy?

Recent Crazy Dream:  Oh gosh, I know I've had some! I've even woken up and shared them with my husband. But of course, now I can't remember any of them.

Evidence of pregnancy brain: Well, the fact that I can't remember any of my dreams. I've been forgetting a lot of stuff lately.

Symptoms?: I think I am finally over the nauseous feeling. Now my biggest struggles are the pure exhaustion and the aches and pains. My back is already bothering me, and when I have a really active day (like when we went to Sesame Place - I don't recommend it to pregnant mommas!) my legs and feet ache!

Health: Everything seems good! We had a couple of scares with the cervix length, but I have been checked several times and all seems to be good. They also sent me for an early glucose test since I failed with my daughter and she was so big, but I passed the early one. I will go for the regular one at 28 weeks.  

Movement: Thankfully he is active! I started to feel him at about 19 weeks and around 21 weeks he had strong kicks. Then I started to feel him a lot less and got worried. But the doctor reassured me it was still early and he was still small. Now at 25 weeks I feel him throughout the entire day!

Names: How does Baby Boy sound? That's pretty much where we are. He doesn't have a name but we are working on it!

Any Appointments?: Oh tons! We've had regular check ups, the anatomy scan, a CVS for genetic testing, extra ultra sounds for cervix measurements. 

Any baby related purchases?: Guilty. Carter's had some great sales so we got some cute outfits.

Best thing to happen in the past week/ Worst:

Best: Having a good check up on Tuesday..

Worst: Luckily it's been a good week! No major complaints.

Almost Naked Animals - DVD Review

On September 25, 2012
Volume 1 of Almost Naked Animals

will be available on DVD!

Almost Naked Animals is one of the top-ranked animated shows for kids 6-11 years old. It can be found on the Cartoon Network here in the US and on YTV in Canada. The episodes run every weekday and last about 22 minutes. Each episode includes 2 11-minute segments full of fun!

The Almost Naked Animals is a group of very quirky characters with big personalities. Perhaps the most appealing feature of these animals to kids is the fact that they are wearing their underwear. But they are a truly loveable group that doesn't always seem to have their act together and personalities that sometimes clash. The Banana Cabana never has a dull moment with these characters in charge.

This show is definitely geared towards kids with it's humor. I would definitely imagine the 6-11 year olds laughing it up throughout the show. But as an adult it wasn't a bad show to watch. It had some adult humor that wasn't inappropriate, but may have been over the kids head. So it is something parents could watch with their kids.

Now here's some exciting news for fans of the show. On September 25th you will be able to join an online community at AlmostNakedAnimals.com. There you will be able to play an exciting game, Cabana Craze, where you can run the Banana Cabana as some of your favorite characters from the show! You will also be able to get great gear featuring the Almost Naked Animals! With t-shirts, notebooks, tote bags and more available at a new online store!

I would recommend that you check out Almost Naked Animals and get a glimpse of the fun for yourself. And get ready because season 3 will be kicking off soon!

*I received products to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

A Laurie Berkner Christmas - Coming October 30th!

 Laurie Berkner

A Laurie Berkner Christmas 

Two Tomatoes Records 

GET THE SEASON STARTED WITH

A LAURIE BERKNER CHRISTMAS OCTOBER 30th!

“The undisputed queen of kindie rock.” – USA Today

Best-selling, award-winning children’s recording artist Laurie Berkner will kick off the holiday season with the release of her first-ever Christmas album, A Laurie Berkner Christmas (Two Tomatoes Records/Razor & Tie) October 30th.  The album features fifteen traditional holiday and seasonal songs, three of which are original tracks: “Santa’s Coming To My House Tonight,” “Candy Cane Jane” and  “Christmas Lights.”

Laurie is joined by bandmates Susie Lampert (keyboards), Adam Bernstein (bass) and Bob Golden (drums, percussion) as well as other talented musicians including acclaimed recording artists Brady Rymer and Elizabeth Mitchell.

Says Laurie, “Christmas has always been one of my favorite holidays. I have actually wanted to make this album for a long time, as so many of my memories of being a kid at Christmastime center around music!  All of the songs I chose for this recording remind me of those family times when we shared a lot of playfulness and love through music.  Now that I have my own family, we sing carols together every year.  While there are many holidays that we celebrate, I still get a little thrill when I see the lights go up and we sing our first Christmas song of the season together.”

Laurie also recorded a song for Hanukkah especially for fans who celebrate that holiday.  “Candle Chase” will be available exclusively as a digital download on all digital providers such as iTunes and Amazon MP3 the same day as the album release on October 30th.

The Laurie Berkner Band has received tremendous critical acclaim. Entertainment Weekly proclaimed “Her voice is so rich, so textured, so full of flavor . . . you can almost see and taste everything as she delivers it.”  Parenting Magazine dubbed her “The Pied Piper of preschool” while Time Magazine lauded Laurie as “A kind of sippy-cup Sheryl Crow.”

A former preschool music teacher by day and indie rocker by night, Laurie Berkner started selling her music over ten years ago out of her living room on her own label, Two Tomatoes Records.  Laurie was the first artist to ever appear in music videos on Nick Jr., Nickelodeon’s 24-hour educational, commercial-free preschool network,and is featured in nearly all of the episodes of the channel’s Jack’s Big Music Show.

A Laurie Berkner ChristmasTrack Listing

Jingle Bells

Santa’s Coming To My House Tonight

Little Drummer Boy

I Saw Three Ships

Candy Cane Jane

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Children Go Where I Send Thee (featuring Brady Rymer)

Silent Night (featuring Elizabeth Mitchell)

Christmas Lights

Christmas Is Coming

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

Jolly Old St. Nicholas

Frosty The Snowman

White Christmas

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

I think it's safe to say that Laurie Berkner has groupies and we're one of them. My daughter adores her music and we rock out to it on an almost daily basis. What I love about her music is that it's totally tolerable for adults. She offers enough variety that you aren't stuck listening to the same 2 or 3 songs on repeat. Her songs are catchy... I definitely catch myself signing along.... and they're fun.

This CD is great! We are big Christmas people in this house and we start this Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving as we deck our halls. I love that some of these songs are old classics while some were new to me. This is a CD that I will gladly play this holiday season to keep my little one is spirit!

* I received a promotional copy of this CD. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.