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Review: #KABRITA Toddler Formula (Thanks #MomsMeet!)

Abby H.

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Recently I received a neat little box on my porch from Kabrita and Moms Meet.

It contained a canister of KABRITA Goat Milk Toddler Formula and fruit & yogurt pouches.

Immediately, Lil’ Man snagged one of the three pouches (well, not until I got this photo), and he retreated to the table to enjoy it. I gave the mixed berry to Itty Bittums, and she gobbled it up!

In the afternoon, I gave her a bottle of the Goat Milk Toddler Formula after she had some puffs and banana slices. She loved it, and I loved that it didn’t give her a rumbly tummy or gas. She’s got a sensitive tummy, and we had tried countless formulas to find one that made her tummy happy. Now that she’s getting older and is branching out to table foods, we are finding that some cow’s milk based products don’t agree with her.

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Someone did not want their photo taken today while enjoying her “milkies” as we call them

That is not the case with the KABRITA Goat Milk Toddler Formula! She is a happy little girl, and I’m a happy mommy! It’s super easy to mix up- Just one scoop per ounce of water. There is a handy little scoop in the canister.

What I love about the fruit & yogurt pouches is that they are great cold, frozen or at room temp. They come in three yummy flavors:Banana and Natural Vanilla Bean, Mixed Berry, and Mango Peach. I toss them in the freezer and slip one into Lil’ Man’s lunch bag, by lunch time, it’s nice and slushy! A perfect, healthy way to finish up lunch.

Did you know that Kabrita has a trial offer? You can learn more about it here.

Disclosure: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product.

Rocking out with #MusicTogether & #MomsMeet! (Review and Giveaway)

Abby H.12 Comments

Recently Moms Meet (the awesome sampling company I’ve mentioned here) gave me the opportunity to take the kids to a free Music Together class. Lil’ Man loves music. He loves to dance and sing and play instruments (We have a box of small instruments like a xylophone, maracas,  and other percussion instruments), so I was excited to take the kids to experience all that Music Together has to offer.

IMG_2174We visited Music Together in North Park (but there are other classes in San Diego, including some in Eastern San Diego County) with Miss Gina. Kids and parents participate together, so everyone signs, plays instruments, and dances. It’s so awesome to see everyone playing and learning together.

Everyone sits in a big circle, and follows the class leader. There was a mix of sing-along, dance (with scarves, a family favorite), and towards the end of the class, there was a jam session where everyone got to pick an instrument from a large box and play and dance to their hearts content.

IMG_2108If your little has the wiggles or is too small to sit still for 45 minutes, don’t fret! Kids are encouraged to get up and dance around while they sing! IMG_2115 Music Together classes are aimed at those aged 0-5 years, but don’t worry, Moms and dads will have fun too!

Lil’ Man and Bitty Bird both had an  incredible time! They enjoyed the music, instruments, even the scarves (Birdie just crinkled hers up and rubbed it on her face- it was very soft). We’ll definitely being going back soon!

Each semester of Music Together tuition comes access to your classes, along with a CD and a songbook! Some Music Together locations offer additional perks.

ThHelloEverybodyAppPromo-forTeachersey both really enjoyed the song Hello Everybody. Your kids can enjoy it too. Download the  “Hello Everybody” app (free) to get eight Music Together songs that you can listen and sing along to, whether you’re at home or on the go. Our sing-along feature lets you show or hide on-screen lyrics, plus you can control the volume of the vocals—or turn them off to hear an instrumental-only track and make up your own words. Use your device’s camera to make your own family music videos and share them with your friends. The app also includes a digital version of one of our award-winning Singalong Storybooks, Hello, Everybody, based on the beloved “Hello Song.”

I’m so excited that Music Together has offered a free class for newcomers to their program. To sign up for your free class, click here.

Singalong Storybooks - Hey Diddle Diddle - GiftSetAnd I’ve got an awesome giveaway too! Enter to win a Hey, Diddle, Diddle Singalong Storybook Gift Set!

This adorable gift set includes: the Hey, Diddle, Diddle Singalong Storybook in your choice hardcover or board book, an ultra-soft 9” black-and-white Mary Meyer cow named Sweet Constance (age-rating: 0+), two egg shakers, and a digital download of the song “Hey, Diddle, Diddle.”

To enter to win, just leave a comment with your kids favorite song to sing! I’ll choose a winner on November 30th. This gift set would make a great holiday gift!

Thanks to Moms Meet and Music Together for giving us the opportunity to attend a class to facilitate this review. I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product.

Our Frugal Halloween Costume Adventure!

Abby H.1 Comment

Rewind to this conversation a few months ago:

ME: “Henry, what do you want to be for Halloween?”
HENRY: “A Pirate Penguin!”
ME: 0_0
Henry: “You know, Mommy a Penguin that’s a pirate! Like Pingu! NUG NUG!!”
FIN

Yeah, so I set out to create a Pirate Penguin Costume. First I was going to make a penguin costume from scratch, but after pricing out fabric and questioning whether or not I’d be sane at the end of the process, I bought this penguin hoodie and a pair of black pants. He will wear both of these items again and again until they no longer fit, whereas, he’d probably only wear the costume I had originally designed and sketched just once.

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Modeling the jacket Miami Vice Style

Next came the question of the pirate part. I scoured thrift stores for two months looking for the PERFECT coat to pirate-ize. Luckily for me (and Henry), I found this amazing dark teal velvet ladies jacket at AmVets for only $4.95. It’s a size 6 Petite, which is perfect. In it’s original life, it had a short Mandarin collar and single breast front with 5 large buttons.

To fully embrace the pirate-ness of this jacket, we first had to take it in so it fit. We lopped off 4 inches of sleeve length from each arm, and then put a dart in the back.

 

 

IMG_1584Working with velvet and satin lining isn’t easy, but I used these awesome Wonder Clips and the fabric stayed in place without a problem. These clips are perfect for taking in or up garments. They have built in seam allowance marking, and they can clamp together large or bulky fabrics (and in my case, slippery ones too).

 

I like these clips much better than my usual sewing pins- The bottom of the clip is flat, so I don’t worry about the bottom of the fabric scrunching up, and I didn’t stab my self while sewing (something that occurs every time I sew a garment that is pinned together and I’ve been sewing for 20 years)!Screen Shot 2015-10-26 at 10.34.18 PM After we had taken in the back and the sleeves it was time to crank up the pirate-ness of this jacket.

We spray painted rayon lace with antique gold spray paint. We pinned the lace pieces to foam core board, sprayed the lace, and once it was dry sewed it on the cuffs. For the lace on the front, we applied it using fusible web. We did this instead of sewing it down because the jacket has pockets in the front that could not be accessed if the trim was sewn on.

I hot glued acrylic gems over top of the existing buttons. And there you have it- A Pirate coat, fit for a penguin!

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NUG NUG! (Pirate hat not shown in photo)

We used additional accessories that we had laying around the house: Pirate Hat, sash belt, velvet pouch, and no pirate kit is complete without a telescoping spyglass (it was a birthday gift).

There you go! A complete costume for less than $40.00

Hoodie: $16.24
Pants: $6.00
Coat: $4.95

All of the additional supplies (lace, spray paint, acrylic jewels, sewing notions) we already had on-hand.

I’d love to hear about and see your DIY Halloween creations! Leave me a comment (and a photo)!
I received the Wonder Clips free to facilitate a review. All Opinions are my own. I received no finanacial compensation to review them.

Review: The Minbie Bottle

Abby H.

IMG_1506Recently, I was lucky enough to try out the Minbie Bottle. Ok, well, I didn’t try it, but Birdy here did.

I told ya’ll here that I have IGT, and that means we supplement with formula and donor milk, because my body simply doesn’t make enough milk.

Minbie is a high quality soft silicone baby’s bottle teat with revolutionized design-functionality that nurtures a newborn’s instinctive breastfeeding technique. Bird took to the bottle right away. The nipple is soft and looks most like a mother’s nipple. It makes it easier for her to transition between me and the bottle.

The product is the result of 10 years R&D by and Australian Mom, who was frustrated with the inadequacies of the functionality of generic bottle teat on the market when she had children, with the bottles taking over breastfeeding rather then supporting a baby’s ability to breastfeed well.

Minbie nurtures a newborn’s ability to breastfeed by allowing newborns to bottle-feed with the instinctive feeding technique that they are born with.
Minbie supports a newborn’s digestion by helping to release natural digestive enzymes. This supports a baby’s sleep too.
Minbie matches breast and bottle feeding techniques.

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One passed out panda!

Want more info about Minbie? Here is what some Aussy mums have been saying about the product recently. Thanks to Minbie for hooking us up with this great bottle. I was not compensated financially for this review, however, I did receive a free bottle and an extra nipple to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

Babywearing: Getting stuff done with the Mamaway Ring Sling Baby Carrier!

Abby H.

I’m a baby wearing mama. Why? Well first off, both my kiddos did really well being close to me. They slept well, and were less fussy when I was wearing them, in contrast to the times when they were in their stroller or carseat. There is something to be said for the comfort of being close to Mommy.

IMG_0880Secondly, you can get more stuff done when you are baby wearing. You aren’t trapped in the room with the baby swing or whatever contrivance the kiddo is chilling in. Washing dishes, folding laundry, doing crafts with Lil’ Man. All of these things are possible while baby wearing.

Recently I got the chance to try out a new ring sling from the cool folks at Mamaway. Their ring sling is made fron 100% Pima Cotton, so it’s super comfy, breathable and machine washable!

Mamaway Ring Sling is an all-around baby carrier perfect for your newborn. The right fit and customizable shape gives your baby the perfect comfort, snugness and love they deserve. Position your baby any way you want; upright or lying down, in front, on your hip or behind your back. Ideal for hands-free cuddles- as you can see from my photos in this post.

IMG_0878You can also nurse your kidlet in this sling too, which is a plus in my book! While this ring sling can hold up to 100 pounds, I don’t think I’ll still be toting around Birdy when she’s that big!

Screen Shot 2015-09-05 at 7.21.23 PMI chose the striped “Cesar Salad” Color because I’m trying to keep everything gender neutral. I’m just not into pink. The rings are STRONG, and there is a little pocket in the sling too- perfect for stowing a few things (like my sunglasses!). This is a must have, and would make a great Baby shower gift!

I was given a free Mamaway Ring Sling to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own and I received no financial compensation for this review.

Getting Crafty at Home: Play Dough!

Abby H.1 Comment

This is another “Don’t eat this” recipe, but it’s oodles of fun to make and play with!

Play doh can get expensive, especially when the kids mix the colors or leave the lid off, and you are constantly having to replenish the supply.  The following recipe is super easy to make, and most of you have the ingredients in the house. I don’t recommend having the kids help you make this recipe.

Play Dough/Doh

Ingredients:

  • 1c flour
  • 1c warm water
  • 1/2c salt
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil (you can also use melted coconut oil)
  • 1 Tablespoon cream of tartar (optional, but it makes the dough last longer)
  • Food Coloring (I use Wilton Gel Food Coloring– it’s less messy)

Directions:

  1. Mix dry ingredients together, set aside.
  2. In a sauce pan, combine water, oil, and food coloring, stir over low heat.
  3. Add dry ingredients and stir until combined. cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring continuously.
  4. Turn dough onto cutting board, and when warm to the touch, knead for 2-3 minutes until dough is elastic.
  5. Store in zip-loc bags or air tight containers.

I made 5 batches last week, each one a different color for Lil’ Man and his buddies to play with!

Screen Shot 2015-04-10 at 10.59.00 AMI’ve made other recipes, including one with conditioner and corn starch (smells nice, but it’s super sticky and gets stuck to EVERYTHING), and by far, this is my favorite recipe. It lasts a long time, doesn’t get moldy (that’s important), and doesn’t dry out INSTANTLY if you leave it out.

 

Screen Shot 2015-04-10 at 10.59.06 AMYes, the brown Play Dough looks like poop! But the kids don’t care- they were mostly concerned with having brown, so they could have dirt play dough for their cars.

You can also add glitter if you’d like. Some recipes recommend that you add essential oil or scent, but with littler kids, I do not recommend that, it will just encourage them to eat it.

Here are a few of the Play Dough toy sets that Lil’ Man loves:

We also use cookie cutters, a garlic press, potato masher, and whatever fun looking kitchen gadgets we find at the thrift stores or the 99 Cents Store.