Thank you so much to all our birthday party guests!! Our Birthday Bash for Connor and Seven Dogs and a Baby was a huge success. I am a bit pooped out but it was all worth it and I can't wait till next year (though I wont enjoy my baby getting any older!!).
We will be announcing the winners of the door prizes here shortly but be patient as there are a lot of prizes to award over the next week, but we will announce the whole list when its all finished on the blog. Keep in mind that once you get your winning email you will have five days to respond to claim your prize. So check those junk folders just encase ladies!
Our great thank you cards were provided by Announcements Galore! With everything from great shower and birthday invitations to really amazing wedding invitations, and with the Uprint option you can get a design for $40. Though remeber Uprint designs only include a high quality jpg of your design for you to print yourself, no actual card stock or printed layouts. I personally love this option as I am lucky enough to have a photo printer, and I can just load up the design, hit print and away we go! For a wedding invitation especially thats an amazing deal!
Announcements Galore does not just offer cards, but you can get some pretty cool photo magnets and of course one of our favorites the keepsake collages. I try to make collage or photo book for every six month's of Connor's life.. and honestly sometimes its a big pain in the butt, and with the multiple discount option (three or more collages are $15 each) they would make for a great christmas or even mother's day gifts. I ended up buying everyone in the family a photo calender and collage for Connor at Christmas, and believe me I wish I would have known about Announcements Galore's pricing then as I spent WAY more than that.. even with a coupon!
Our card is made from the Block and Dots party invitations though I did highly consider the One Is Fun invitations as well!
Announcements Galore is currently having two specials at the moment. The first one requires you to order bridal or baby shower invitations and you will get a separate coupon for 20% off so the bride/mommy to be to order her own cards. And invitations and graduation announcements are currrently 15% off with the coupon code : 15GRADUATE
Monday, April 28, 2008
A big thanks to all our party guests from Seven Dogs and Annoucements Galore
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Thank you Sweet Baby Designs!
I just wanted to take a moment to thank Sweet Baby Designs for the great invitations she made us for both our blog party and real party! Both cards had the same design minus the party details and boy they were cute!
Sweet Baby Designs offers invitations, birthday cards, shower cards, and of course holiday cards! You can have your designs printed and mailed to you or you can option like we did to get the design emailed to you and you can print it yourself.
Sweet Baby Designs is currently moving to a new storefront but they will resume taking orders after May 5th!
Blog Bash - The last party game of the birthday bash!! Robeez Tredz
Connor's birthday has come and gone faster than I would ever had imagined. Ive been working so hard on this blog party and his real party it seems like I blinked and it was over. Though he isn't quite walking on his own yet I suspect we will be taking those first independent steps here fairly soon and with summer here in the south we will be spending a lot of time outdoors. Up till now he has worn his classic Robeez almost every day around the house and out and about, but now that we are faced with playing at the park and in the grass its time to graduate into something a bit more outdoor friendly.
No fear about loosing our beloved Robeez! Robeez Tredz offer all the same great features in the classic Robeez but with outdoor friendly soles. If you want to see our full review you can see our past review of Robeez Tredz and the classic Robeez HERE.
Robeez has offered to give away two pairs of their awesome Robeez Tredz to two winners. One Boy and One Girl! You can choose your own size, style, and color!
The party yesterday went great, and last second I decided I was going to make balloon animals for our party guests. Though I think I was pretty successful, some of the kids were less than impressed and wanted to know exactly what sort of animal these balloons were supposed to be. hrmf..
To enter :
- Make sure you've read the rules and signed up for Connor's First Birthday Bash! Sign Mr Linky and make an intro post on your blog if your a blogger or if your not just visit five blogs on Mr Linky and sign the comments on the main post.
- Now here's the fun part! Party! Instead of leaving a comment to enter this time email your answers to contestsatsevendogs@gmail.com with the title "Robeez Tredz". Please make sure you mention in your email if you want to win the boy or girl Robeez. This Contest Ends May 4th.
Blog Bash - Barebabies is a mother's dream come true!
Barebabies believes it's never to early to pamper. WIth an array of products from the "hottest" names in the juvenile goods industry, Barebabies pampers moms and babies everywhere!
One stop shopping is offered from everything from gear including strollers, high chairs, bouncers and walkers, car seats, carriers, and even bikes, trikes and vehicles. Shop for furniture and bedding and any and every baby essential including breastfeeding needs, bottles, toys, diapers and diaper bags and more!
I've been drooling over their store for months, but when I came across their trike selection I seriously did a major happy dance. I have had almost a life long obsession with Kettler children's products and I have always known when I had kids the first major purchase I had to get for them would be a Kettler Trike. The bright colors, solid build, and great line of accessories has always left me wanting one for myself, but sadly I think I outgrew them about 25 years ago.
Connor finally received his Kettler Air Navigator from Barebabies only a few weeks before his party. I was actually a little hesitant to open the box at first. I've been waiting so long to get this trike that I was a bit worried it might not live up to all the expectations Ive been putting on it all this time. After only a few minutes of assembly I knew right away that it was everything I had hoped for and more!
The Kettler Air Navigator is incredibly well made and fully adjustable from a one year old to a five year old. Connor is still just a bit too young to ride it on his own, but with the help of an add on seatbelt and the push bar, we can ride all over the yard and road and he thinks he is doing it all himself!
Well to make a long story short, I ended up deciding on an Kettler Air Navigator. The super big wheels is perfect for our super bumpy driveway, and it comes complete with a push handle so you can push when your little one gives out (or can't reach yet!). It took me only a few minutes to put it together, which was really surprising as I was sure it would come in a zillion pieces! Once it was all together I sat back and admired my new Trike (ok Connor's new trike!) and you know what.. its worth it.. and a zillion times more. Even our super bumpy driveway and road is no match for the Kettler Air Navigator's large wheels, unless hard plastic wheels the addition of the super large
Since we have pushed it around the yard and up and down the driveway, I am still waiting to get our seatbelt attachment so I can take Connor out on the road without fear of him falling, but I can 100% happily say that my "special" trike lives up to all of the hype! Super solid in construction, I am sure this Trike will outlive me unless I have a herd of boys to abuse it, and the many accessories that are available, including a seatbelt, bell, and front basket gives you a bit more flexibility than other trikes. Though honestly my favorite feature is the tandem ability. If you end up having two children in the right age range for the Kettler you can easily buy an tandem addition which easily expands your Kettler Trike into a two seater (or even a three seater with two tandem additions!!)
Barebabies offers a large range of Kettler Products in their online store.
Barebabies actually sells most all the products I reviewed this week including the Wheely Bug, Mutsy Spider Strollers (still on sale just a few more days!!), the Loft Rocker, the Natural Mat, and those great Kushies toys!!
Seeing as Connor's dad just got his acceptance into the police academy this week (still just pending one last doctors visit), I need to start saving my money to get Connor the Instep Police Petal Car, how cool would that be?
Shipping is free on orders over $99 at Barebabies!
Blog Bash - Wheely Bug
Connor got a lot of great gifts over his birthday, and though we disagree on which one is the best one, he has picked his best toy for the year hands down.
The Wheely Bug by Prince Lionheart is so far the best ride on toy we have yet to try. Connor's first reaction was a bit on the "this looks cool but what do I do with it?" side of the spectrum, but that didn't last long.
The Wheely Bug has become his favorite past time, though he has not quite mastered his Wheely Bug riding skills, he drags it around the house, leans on it and pushes himself, and of course begs for anyone that walks past to push him around on it. You'd think he was on a roller coaster with all the screaming going on.
As for the toy itself, we have several other ride ons, and though I think ride ons are one of the funnest toys for children in the 1-3 age group my biggest complaint has always been, up till now, that they just don't have any sort of steering function. I always end up rescuing Connor from every corner, turn, and piece of furniture in the house as though he is good at going forward and even backwards if he gets stuck there is really no way for him to turn a ride on around unless he physically gets off the ride on and drags it over (which in most cases he will not do.. he just screams).
The Wheely Bug however not only goes forward and backwards but in any direction you can imagine, set on four casters it can turn in any direction. The only downfall to that is it adds to a bit of trickiness for a new rider to master, but once they can maneuver around anything in their way and not even think about having to alert mom for help (aka scream at the top of your lungs).
Children will enjoy the bright colors, patterns, and soft texture of the Wheely Bug but parents should really enjoy how incredibly well made these toy are!! Its seems of late all you hear about is horribly made toys that either break or contain something awful in them. You won't find anything about the Wheely Bug cheaply made. Designed for industrial use ( aka daycare centers or lots of traffic ) The Wheely Bug sits on top of a solid wood base and has four very heavy duty casters. The top half of the Wheely Bug is made of dense foam core with a synthetic leather cover. If a diaper leaks or a sippy cup disaster happens don't worry it will just wipe clean.
Wheely Bugs are best when used on sooth surfaces. We have tried it on carpet and though it does still work on carpet its pretty hard to push, though on our hardwood and tile surfaces its hard to beat. Wheely Bugs are not great outdoor toys as over time the casters will start to break down on bumpy surfaces. Though you can get replacements, I choose to use those plastic ride ons outside and the Wheely Bug inside. (Its far to nice to mess up outside anyways!!)
Wheely Bug comes in two sizes, a small size for 1.5 + year olds and a larger size for 3+ year olds. We have tried both sizes out and they are both great, however, I do recommend even if you have a smaller child to go test out both sizes in person if possible!
All in all even though its a bit pricey in comparison to other ride ons, I think its well worth its investment, and the Wheely Bug is certainly made well enough to be passed down to the next generation or shared across several children.
The Wheely Bug is available on Amazon!
Happy Birthday Connor!
Happy birthday my beautiful little man. As much as I tried to fight it, your growing up. It seems like it was just a few minutes ago you were sitting in that plastic basket they bring you to my room at the hospital, and I was staring at you wondering how on earth I got so lucky as to have you.
I can't wait for the upcoming year, I'm still waiting on those first steps, and the first time you say Mommy (grr Why did you have to say Dada first?!). I love you Connor!
For those of you that attended his birthday party thank you so much for coming and sharing in our big day, for those of you on the blog that are sharing with us online we are just as grateful!
Enjoy the last day of the party, Don't forget that today is the last day to enter for the door prizes on the main post. The rest of the party games will expire throughout the week, just check the posts for each exp date. Our last game will be posted today and it should be fun!
Love,
Angela & Connor
Connor's First Birthday Blog Bash!
Connor is finally turning one year old (sob)!! Come join us for the celebrations, games, and giveaways as we celebrate Connor growing up, way too fast if I might add!
The Birthday Bash is open to Bloggers and non Bloggers there are just a few simple rules to join in the fun!
For Bloggers :
- Post the banner in your sidebar for the length of the party. The code for the banner is below!
- To make this fun go back on your blog and post about the party including a link inviting everyone to join. Please feel free to introduce yourself and your kids, send Connor a birthday message, host your own giveaway, and/or just be creative! Once you have done that sign Mr Linky below with a direct link to that post as the url. Please only one Mr Linky signature per person.
- Thats it! Make sure you check back each day for giveaways and games!
- Visit at least five of the blogs posted on Mr Linky and check out their party posts. Leave a comment on each post, make sure you leave me a way to reach you on your posts, ie a email address.
- Once you've done that come back to this post and leave a comment stating which blogs you visited and a little about yourself!
- Thats it! Make sure you come back each day for giveaways and games!
Connor's Birthday Bash Prize List :
Current Prizes :
- Nina and Tom - $50 gift certificate to one winner! - Nina and Tom is one our favorite designers in baby and children's tshirts! They offer a (mostly but soon to be totally) organic line of clothing that is made entirely here in the US! Some of our favorites include the "I'm this many tshirt" and the "Comfy shorts" thus far those are the only shorts that I have found that actually fit my teenie man's little waist.
- Braincandy - Tshirt and DVD to one winner! - Braincandy is one of the best DVD series for developing minds. Featuring an unusual cast of "parts" Braincandy explores the senses in a way I have never seen till now. Truly eye candy their DVDs are beautiful and educational.
- Umi Shoes - a pair of Pram or Prewalkers to one lucky winner - Umi is one of our favorite shoes for small feet. I would wear them myself if my feet were just a tiny bit smaller. Simply stunning shoes that will make your child stand out anywhere they walk (or crawl).
- Riley Roos - Two pairs of Sandals to two lucky winners! - Riley Roos come in a fun selection of styles and colors as well as being soo incredibly soft on those precious little feet. A perfect and very affordable shoe for the toddler set!
- Peppers and Pollywogs - Five Winners! - The ultimate guide to planning and hosting your child's birthday party. Without it I would have been lost in planning Connor's first birthday party!
- Snapfish - Gift Cards to four lucky winners! - Snapfish is a great place to not only make photo copies from all those great digital prints you have, but I highly recommend that you check out their photo books which is my personal favorite.
- Robeez Tredz - Two Pairs to Two Winners, one boy, one girl! - Made famous by their amazing soft soled shoes that are not only adorable but nearly impossible for the child to remove. I personally keep a pair in my diaper bag at all times and use them like I would socks. Robeez Tredz are the new toddler version that not only has many of the same great features of their soft soles but now sports a new outdoor safe sole as well as an extended size range for toddlers!
- Pediped - Two winners! One 0-6m boy, One size 10 girl! From crib shoes to kindergarten, Pediped offers a line of shoes that will take your child from the bassinet to his or her first day of school! Incredibly stylish with very flexible soles, perfect for those developing feet and fashion conscious mommies.
- Deglingos - One Winner - Some of our favorite plush friends! Each of the Delingos clan is made from a great assortment of fabrics that gives them a look and a feel unlike anything else I have seen! We love them all so much I'd have a hard time picking our favorite but Connor is awfully fond of Molos which happens to sound a lot like Melos!
- Happy Panda Baby - FOUR Winners!! - Happy Panda has generously donated four $25 gift certificates. Happy Panda carries an adorable selection of clothing for the "tall and large" baby. Though smaller babies will also love Pam's clothing please check out the sizing chart as they run big. We especially love the panda pants and panda onesies!
- Huggies Clean Team Products - The ENTIRE line of Clean Team Products sponsored by Huggies Clean Team! If you didn't know about Clean Team in the past, its a great line of baby, toddler, and kid friendly bath and "clean up" products including some great smelling shampoos! (I LOVE The blue melon!)
- Bibi and Mimi - One Winner! - Bimi and Mimi offers an adorable line of soft soled shoes and matching apparel! We especially love their line of socks including the stripe baby socks! They are giving away one pair of their Monkey soft sole shoes in size 18-24m
- Announcements Galore - One Winner! - Announcements Galore offers a gorgous selection of fully customizable invitations, announcements and collages and many of their designs you can choose to have them printed or print them yourself! They are offering one custom collage to one winner!
- Baby Love Slings - One Winner - A toddler sling in a beautiful blue print. It was ment for a birthday present for Connor but we'd love to give it to one of our readers. We always love to share! The perfect present for a toddler or young child that grew up in his or her own sling and now wants to pamper some of their own toys/stuffed animals.
- Lobotome - One Winner - MomMe Daily Planner a great fill in the blanks weekly planner for busy moms!
- Gelaskins - Two Winners -The coolest way to protect your electronics! I have two ipod nano (gen 3) covers to give away!
- An assortment of books - I'm going to be giving away an assortment of ARC books from my collection. There will be at least two winners possibly more depending on how many participants we have! Each winner will be given a choice of books to choose from until we have given away the entire stash, one book per winner.
The giveaway for the Door Prizes will end on April 27th and will be awarded the following week. Each party game will run on a standard one week entry so some of them may run a bit longer.
That brings us to Mr. Linky!
Check out all the great giveaways!!
Connor's Birthday Bash is underway! With all the excitement don't forget to enter the great giveaways we are offering this week as well as check out all the great vendors!
- Pampers - Diapers and Wipes - Ends April 23rd!
- Sher's Wares - Baby/Children's Bracelet - Ends April 23rd!
- Taggies - Big Taggie Blanket - Ends April 24th
- Funkie Baby - Bib & Go Mat - Ends April 25th
- Huggies Cleanteam - The FULL line of cleanteam products!!! - Ends April 27th
- Bloggy Giveaways - Book Giveaway - Ends April 27th
- Nina and Tom - $50 Gift Certificate!! - Ends April 28th
- Riley Roos - Scavenger Hunt - Ends April 28th
- Pediped - Shoes Giveaway - Ends April 29th
- Deglingos - Suprise Giveaway - Ends April 29th
- Fine Art of Family - Silver Locket - $190 value - Ends April 30th
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Blog Bash - Is your baby a Happy Panda?
Happy Panda is the big and tall store for babies! We've already met several babies much much younger than Connor who dwarf him in size and stature. All that baby chub cuteness is adorable but I can't even tell you how many times I have heard them complain about the fact that they have to buy their darling 6 month olds toddler sized clothing, and how they are missing out on all the cute baby attire.
Well don't fear all my beautiful little budda baby readers. Happy Panda is a line of clothing specifically designed for those larger babies while still retaining all the cuteness and softness babies need. Connor is currently in a size 12-18m and he is currently fitting into a size 12m in theHappy Panda line. Though he can still squeeze into the 6-12m they are getting a bit snug in the crotch area this week (He had a big growth spurt over the last week so he is taller just not thicker yet! lol)
I personally love how incredibly the Happy Panda onesies and lap tshirts are!! They not only feel great but they wash up just as well! I can't even tell you how often I've been soo excited about a onesie, only to throw it in the wash and it come out looking like its been worn 30 times instead of twice. Connor has a Happy Panda onesie in black and its been through the wash several times with absolutely no fading or piling on the fabric, and though I love black shirts on him I usually avoid them due to the fact that they tend to fade after a wash or two. You can just imagine how pleased I was when it didn't happen this time!
My favorite piece of the entire line though is their great little cotton pants. Connor has been impossible to get into pants from the very beginning as his small waist line makes most pants sag off his bottom. Usually the only solution is to order his pants two sizes too small and he ends up looking like he is wearing capris. We ordered one size down in the Happy Panda Pants, and when we got our pants from Happy Panda not only did they fit perfectly but the length for once was JUST right!
Happy Panda is now offering diaper cakes complete with pandas!! :)
Happy Panda has given us several gift certificates to use as part of our blog party! Two of them will go as door prizes, but two lucky winners will have a chance to win a $20 gift certificate for playing today's game!
Connor's birthday party is today and the guests have started to arrive!! Unfortunately they came without name tags, and as much as I interrogate them for their names no one is talking. Can you name our party guests (the names can be fictional or their actual names)??
To enter :
- Make sure you've read the rules and signed up for Connor's First Birthday Bash! If your a blogger, its simple put the banner in your sidebar and make a post about the party on your site, then sign Mr Linky with the posts link. If your not a blogger just go and visit five of the blogs on the Mr Linky list and make a comment on each one, come back here and make sure you enter all the contests!!
- Now here's the fun part! To enter this giveaway come up with names for our party guests! I will give bonus points to those of you that can actually tell me the "real name.. aka the manufacturer's name" for each party guest as well. I will pick a winner at random to be fair, but I will give extra credit entries for those of you who know who made, and what they are called, each stuffed animal. I've given you the answer to two of them in previous posts... the other ones are coming up in future reviews. Email your answers to contestsatsevendogs@gmail.com with the subject "party guests contest". This contest will end May 3rd!
Blog Bash - Mhome Loft Rocker
Connor from the beginning has been all about his baby chairs, though we have had several, a vibrating chair, two separate bouncing chairs, all of them were great for diffrent reasons but I have to admit that it does get a little old at times looking at those baby themed chairs all over your house.
The Mhome Loft Rocker from Inglesia combines function and great looks in a way that both mom and baby will be super happy! Thought it may not have all the battery operated madness that some of the bouncy chairs may have, it certainly looks to be super comfortable and you can appreciate eco-friendlyness (and pocketbook friendlyness) of the baby powered rocking feature. As your baby kicks the rocker rocks.. simple! One aspect that really sets this rocker apart from the crowd is its adjustable back rest. With a simple adjustment on the back of the chair you can easily move the backrest from an almost flat position to a completely upright position. 
Along with its stunningly good looks, those of you who are space challenged like we are (ie a small house) will love the fact that it is super easy to store the Mhome Loft Rocker. Just lay it flat and it will fit almost anywhere. I personally store it under my coffee table or tucked into the side of the closet. It does lay flat enough that it will fit under most cribs and beds as well. For those of you that have ever tried to pack a bouncy chair into a car on a trip will praise the fact that you can easily stash it on top of the luggage.
This rocker is rated for children up to 20lbs Connor is currently at about 18.5 lbs and the rocker is showing no signs of stress. I'd venture to say you could use it much longer than that but don't hold me to that.
Personally we love the Aqua but the rocker comes in red, black, aqua, and orange. With a price of around of $120 and its extreme versatility and travel friendly build, Id say thats quite the bargain!!
The Mhome Loft Rocker is available at Mystrollers!!!
Friday, April 25, 2008
Blog Bash - Mutsy Spider
There are so many things I wish I had known before Connor was born that I know now, and the diffrence between a good stroller and a cheap stroller is really one of them.
When I was preparing for Connor I did a lot of stroller research, I actually ended up getting a really expensive (at least to my standards) travel system as the car seat had exceptionally good safety reviews. I only wish I had known now much I would hate the matching stroller and that there were other options available other than just the generic travel system. For what I had my grandmother pay towards that stroller and car seat combo I could have invested in a really great stroller and bought the car seat separately.
Well to make a long story short I have gone through several strollers none of which have quite made me a happy camper and the investment at this point would have bought me a really great luxury stroller instead of a bunch of "ho hum" contraptions.
I had my eye on the Mutsy Spider almost from the beginning and I dismissed it as its not quite as small as an umbrella stroller and it didn't have a car seat adapter, but I couldnt help coming back to it as I LOVE the look of the stroller, as well as the color options, and I had heard some great stuff about it from friends who live in larger cities who see it much more often than down here.
Its three wheel design, and great color choices makes it highly desirable from a fashion standpoint, but what I didn't realize is just how much of a difference a quality stroller would make in my daily life. Our last stroller though it was a pretty fancy umbrella stroller was difficult to steer, impossible to use on rough surfaces (way too bumpy of a ride for the road in front of our house), and lacked absolutely any style. My new Mutsy Spider in ocean blue however is everything I wanted in a stroller and much much more. That super clean looking three wheel design actually adds the incredible ability to turn the stroller with a flick of a finger, I can literally steer our stroller with my elbow while in the middle of a busy mall without even hesitation as to if I am headed in the right direction, my old stroller would not turn so easily so many times we ended up doing a big circle just to change directions in a store or a mall. The other issues we have had with strollers in the past is the height of the handles, I am very short and Connor's dad is tall, a stroller that will fit me nicely ends up forcing him to almost bend down to push it so there was never a happy medium. All of the Mutsy strollers not just the spider offer adjustable handle bars. Honestly I actually am most comfortable on the highest setting as well though Connor's family constantly stealing him for weekend overnight trips they have enjoyed the adjust ability as well. Some other features that really impressed me :
- Adjustable harness heights, this stroller like many car seats features the ability to move the harness up and down (through slats in the stroller) to fit your child's height and age range. Its especially nice for the little ones like mine!
- A flip up foot rest, when your child is still small you do not have to worry about their legs dangling uncomfortably off the end of the stroller, the Mutsy Spider offers a flip up foot rest so even little ones are comfortable!
- A recline setting, I found this unusual for a stroller in this size range. Though it will not recline totally flat it does recline enough that a sleeping toddler is more than comfortable! The sunshade also is wide enough that it offers full coverage even in a recline.
- A basket!! This is SOO unusual in strollers of similar sizes. Though its not as generous (see complaints below) as a full sized stroller's basket it does the job and its a nice added bonus.
- I have to admit, its also really nice to have people run you down just to ask you "What kind of stroller is that and where did you get it?!".
All in all the Mutsy Spider certainly held up to all my expectations as well as exceeded them in many cases!! If the Spider is this great I can only imagine how amazing it must be to own one of their larger models. I dream of owning the Mutsy 4 Rider one day.. talk about a stroller that meets all your needs and exceeds them. For any of you that own it.. I'm jealous!
If you are not familuar with Mutsy you really need to check out their new high chair and booster seat line as well. The Musty Easygrow and Mutsy Grow Up not only come in a yummy selection of colors but are one of the most fashion friendly feeding accessories you will find. The Musty Easygrow is also one of the first fully adjustable high chairs I have seen in a compact metal frame. For those of you mod mommies out there, I promise you will be drooling on your monitor when you check out all the great color combos!
Can't resist Mutsy? Barebabies offers the entire line of Mutsy products!! The Mutsy Spider is on sale right now for $149!!! There is only a few more days left on the sale so if you want one.. RUN over there right now!! (Thats $100 off the regular price!!!)
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Ugly Dolls have arrived at the party!
™,® and © 2008, Pretty Ugly, LLC. All Rights ReservedThe Ugly Dolls showed up ready to throw down on the playground! I've been a huge fan of Ugly Dolls since I first saw one on a coworker's desk several years ago. I immediately wanted to snatch it up and take off running out of the building, but instead I just ended up making a sad face and asking if he would please part with him. Sadly the puppy dog face didn't work and up till now I've never owned one myself, though when I decided that Connor was defently having a birthday party online I knew I HAD to invite them! Something about their soft fleece almost pillow like bodies and the whole pound dog look they have going for them is heartwarming. With those big eyes you just wanna take them all home.
Ugly Dolls come in an array of great products including stationary, a card game, books and even clip ons.. but I think there is just something you can't touch with the plush Ugly Dolls, its immediately comforting to hug one!
Personally I am a huge fan of Big Toe, he's blue for one and a bit on the chubby side but he is always looking out for his other Ugly Doll friends. He's Connor's favorite as well and I am sure Big Toe will be looking after my little man for years to come.
Visiting the Ugly Doll web page is similar to entering your own little cartoon world. Super interactive there is lots to see and do, and a surprise with every click. If you have a few minutes its totally worth it just to visit them and wander around for a few minutes.
Ugly Dolls has been so generous that they donated several Ugly Dolls to give away. For this giveaway we are offering one
Connor's Birthday Bash is still underway. I will be giving away a Toodee Doll to one lucky winner. I may just have a bonus suprise giveaway for those readers participating in the birthday bash too!
To enter :
- Leave a comment on this post. Go check out all of the characters at Ugly Dolls. Come back here and tell us which is your favorite and why you identify with them!
- No "i want to win" stuff without a little effort (and I do mean little!)
- Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com) We have had to disqualify a lot of potential winners as of late as many people do not have emails available in their profiles or leave anonymous posts without any way to contact you.
- Please US entries only.
- To get extra credit :
- For an extra entry :
- Bloggers - Blog about this contest and leave me the link on your comment, or add me to your sidebar and let me know its there.
- Non Bloggers (or bloggers) subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed and earn another entry!
- One extra credit per person. Please post your extra credit in a separate post.
- This contest will end May 1st at midnight!
Blog Bash - ProtectaBub
With summer pretty much here, down in the south, I wanted to make sure we addressed this before it gets any hotter.
Before you send all those adorable little munchkins out into the sun with those super cute oh so adorable tiny bathing suits on, think for just a second.
Sun cancer is no joke and though some of you may be blessed with that beautiful easily to tan, slow to burn skin, don't be fooled into thinking that protects you from UV damage! If you know your little one will be having a long day in the sun I have a great suggestion!
Protect-a-Bub must have been listening to my grandmother and her long lectures about suntans and skin cancer when they created their great, and really cute, line of children's swimsuits and sun shades. Personally no matter how long I stay in the sun I do not really tan.. I mostly just glow in the dark because I am so fair skinned. Connor looks like he has inherited my ability to scare woodland creatures in the dark (because your so white) sort of complexion. I'm sure that will mean he will also carry our families increased risk of skin cancer, so protecting his skin is super important to me!
Protect-a-Bub has a great section dedicated to sun safety. Go check it out!
Its no big deal as Protect-a-Bub sells the CUTEST little two piece swimsuits that are specially designed to protect against harmful UV rays all the while your little one will look like they are ready for a hard day of surfing. I ordered Connor the navy/turquoise suit and wow is it cute. It's attractive enough that on our summer trips down to see the grandparents in Florida we can easily go from the beach to dinner without worrying about a change of clothes. The best part is the fact that it protects against 98% of those icky UV rays, so I don't have to be constantly worried about his sun exposure and we can just enjoy his first year in the water without worry.
Protect-a-Bub swimsuits are available in sizes that fit 0 to 9 yrs old!
Along with great swimsuits Protect-a-Bub also sales some great sunshade products including a extra large sunshade add on for your stroller. After our last day at the Zoo and my strollers small built in sunshade, I may just have to try one of those out for myself!!
Protect-a-Bub is offering our readers 10% off on all orders through their online store. Just use code : protect4spring to receive the discount!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Blog Bash - Deglingos
Deglingos are arguably one of the coolest stuffed friends around. They look a bit like they were invented in the laboratories of a crazed seamstress, the diffrent types of fabrics and materials used to make each one leaves this former seamstress a bit dizzy. Each Deglingos is a virtual playground for the senses, from bright colors, textures, diffrent fabrics, and their unique look they certainly leave a great first impression.
I had a really hard time choosing a favorite from the collection, though in the end I think I've settled on Molos the lobster as our current favorite. I have to admit his name, as simular as it is to Connor's beloved chihuahua Melos, was our first attractant but once he arrived he left me and Connor both squealing for joy! I just love the the contrast between the corridorroys that make up his body and pincers along with those great crazy eyes and rope feelers. Though he may not be classically cute.. you can't help to fall in love with all his quirks.
Though I had planned on including him in Connor's birthday presents I did let Connor sneak a peak a few days ago.. and he sat on the floor for a good half hour talking to and petting his new found friend. They were seen later in the day, Connor dragging him by his pincher around the house. I think thats safe to say that a new friendship has been made. I will reunite them on Saturday at the birthday party.
We don't want to leave all the other Deglingos out as all of them would make great friends, and personally we would welcome them all home with us, and we love Ratos with his great little overalls, mismatched sized ears, and that little tattoo on his left arm you end up seeing something new every time you pick him up! We would love to have a Pikos as well, but for those of you with children under 3 both Pikos and Chikos are only rated for 3 and up. The rest of the Deglingos crew are more than happy to play with the 3 and under crowd! I've heard a rumor it was because Pikos and Chikos are not morning people... but others have said it might be because of some smaller threads. I am still leaning towards the morning theory.
We had a castaway infiltrated or camp with the arrival of Molos. He must be punished and I've decided that the proper punishment for him would be to offer him as a prize! Hehe!
Deglingos has donated a Deglingos of your very own as a giveaway. Our little infiltrator is available to one lucky Birthday Bash participant! Its a surprise as to who he is.. but I promise you will be pleased.
To enter :
- Make sure you've read the rules and signed up for Connor's First Birthday Bash! If your a blogger, its simple put the banner in your sidebar and make a post about the party on your site, then sign Mr Linky with the posts link. If your not a blogger just go and visit five of the blogs on the Mr Linky list and make a comment on each one, come back here and make sure you enter all the contests!!
- Now here's the fun part! Party! To enter this giveaway go visit Deglingos take a look at all of the Deglingos crew! Come back and tell us which Deglingos that you think is the stowaway that is now being offered as part of this giveaway! The winner will be randomly selected from the valid entries. This giveaway will end on April 30th!
Blog Bash : Natural Mat
When I was shopping for crib mattresses I saw a lot of diffrent types, from the awful super cheap ones that are a big piece of foam covered in plastic to full on spring mattresses much like whats on your adult bed. In general they went from awful to ok, but none of them were something I really would want to sleep on myself. Connor's mattress is somewhere in the lesser of two evils, its the most supportive one I could find in my price range but its still nothing to write home about. At the time I honestly thought I had found the best I could in the range of crib and toddler mattresses, that was until I found out about the Natural Mat.
The Natural Mat was created originally for boats. It was created in Devon, England by Mark Tremlett and Peter Tindall, two sailors who were frustrated by the quality of mattresses made for boats. Once Mark had his first child shortly after he learned much like I did that a decent baby mattress is non existent and Natural Mat expanded into the baby market, lucky for us! The best part is there are no plastics, chemicals, or PVC found in any natural mat, only organic raw materials some of which you might never have thought of when it comes to mattresses!
The Natural Mat line in the US includes :
- The Mohair Mat - The most luxurious in the Natural Mat line, made from made from five layers of organic goodness including mohair fleece, coconut husks, and horsehair along with their signature pure cotton cover this mattress is fit for royalty. You may be thinking to yourself, horse hair?!, but horsehair is actually one of the most historically desirable ingredients in a mattress. Up till the invention of the coil spring it was actually the most commonly used mattress ingredient and is incredibly long lasting. Many horsehair mattresses are passed down through several generations with only the covers and outside tickings changed they are so durable. Even the Queen of England is said to sleep on one, so truely it is a mattress fit for a king! I myself would kill to own one, I can't even imagine how amazing it must be to have one as a baby!
- The Latex Mat - For babies with eczema this would be a dream mattress, between the natural latex core and the lambswool dust mites, also known and attributed to flaring up eczema, have no chance with this mattress! Super supportive and hypoallergenic its especially nice for babies with respiratory conditions or allergies. Connor suffers from what appears to be eczema around his ankles and arms, I can't help to wonder if this would help.
- The Coco Mat - I am putting this one on our ultimate wish list. We received a small cutout of this mattress and from the moment I took it out of the package I was so impressed. Incredibly soft and 100x more supportive than Connor's current mattress (which by the way was towards the top of the line in the mattress selections at the major retailer that we purchased it from), this mattress leaves me wishing I had one of my own. I can only imagine how wonderful the other two mattresses must be if this one left such an impression me. With a coco core sandwiched by two lambswool layers it offers great dust mite protection as well as impressive support. Now I just have to convince Connor's dad that we really need one. Heh.
All in all the Natural Mat is not a cheap mattress solution, but if you take in account that your child spends almost half of their time (and even more as a newborn) sleeping and most children stay in their crib mattresses well into the toddler years, can you imagine how many yucky chemicals you are exposing your child to daily, as well as to the extended amounts of time! With families just starting out who plan on having multiple children, the materials used in the Natural Mat historically are much more durable than materials used in more commonly available crib mattresses, so I'd be tempted to say that you'd actually save money in the long run as one mat should last you through several children. Though I have not tested this theory, I'd certainly be willing to bet on it!For those of you that are interested in organic crib bedding Natural Mat also offers a great line of organic sheets and mattress protectors that will leave even the most Crunchy Mama satisfied!
The Natural Mat is available at BareBabies! Visit barebabies.com and use the code actnm10off to get 10% off your Natural Mat purchase!!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Blog Bash - KangarooBoo Review
KangarooBoo offers a virtual smorgus board full of deliciously fun toys and baby care items. I've been spending what seems like hours browsing their toy selections and I just can't find one single thing I do not want..
I LOVE wooden toys, something about the simple nature and soft lines of organically based toys is so comforting. Giving a child a beautiful toy and leaving the rest for their imagination to grow without the use of batteries is a gift all its own. Not that I am knocking plastic battery powered toys at all, but its nice to sometimes have some toys that leave you some of the play up to you! Kangraboo has a huge assortment of wooden toys made all over the world. I especially love the fact that you can search by "where the toy was made".
We got a Plan Toys Twisted Form for Connor's birthday and it make look small and simple but its design is ingenious!! Instead of fixed shapes each of the shapes twists to make a whole new shape. I thought Connor would have difficulty with this ide