Way to a healthier me

So, as some of you know, I had the pleasure of testing out the Zaggora HotPants, and I mentioned that I would be doing T25 by beachbody. I have joined a 90 day challenge group and it has been tough, I survived the first week...barely. The second week I struggled then I fell off the wagon :(. So I am back on track with working out, adding in some walks with friends pushing a stroller and walking with other mommies who have the same goals as me is certainly helpful! I don't feel like I have lost much weight yet, and my non weight goals are not being met, but it is a work in progress and I know it will be a long road to get to where I want and need to be. So for now I will continue to watch what I eat, cutting my meals in half as compared to what I used to eat and continue to try and add in more fruits and veggies. If there are any readers out there on this same type of weight loss and health journey, I'd love to hear from you!

Upcoming Posts

Upcoming Posts: *update zaggora/T25 weight loss track and trip to a healthier me :) *Daddy Scrubs *backpack tags *Bert and Bratt Portable Steralizer-posted :)

Sippy Cup Name labels

Today's review...Kidaroo Crew Labels! Kidaroo Crew SippyGrab labels are a fantastic option for parents looking for a reusable label for sippy cups or bottles. These labels are a write on label so you can personalize it, and even erase mistakes or use them with a different name next time if you needed to all with a permanent marker!

 

These labels come with several different 3-d designs, I got a purple one for my daughter that says "shop" on one side with rings and purses on it and on the other side is the space to write her name. Each package is a set of two labels, they are dishwasher safe, reusable, and can be boiled to make the label permanent ( thought this didn't appear to be the case when I boiled ours according to the directions on the package- it is ok though I don't mind re-labeling them!)

 

The second set I got was for my son and it is a basketball theme, it says "hoops" on one side with basketballs and has the space for his name on the back. Our package even came with the marker needed to write their names!

 

Each package has the directions on how to use the labels, erasing mistakes, making the name "permanent" and washing instructions.

 

Why I like these labels:

*easy to use

*reusable

*they fit literally every sippy in our home including but not limited to....Playtex, nuby, Tommee Tippee, Thermos, mOmma and the bottles I had on hand- Tommee Tippee.

*the material helps little hands grip the sippy better, especially when wet.

 

 

What I don't like:

*the labels are supposed to be made permanent by boiling and following the directions, however in our case, I followed them to a T and they were not permanent.

*were a little difficult to remove from larger sippy such as Tommee Tippee because it needs to be stretched over the top or base for removal and I had trouble getting my fat little fingers under the label to remove them.

 

 

Overall, I really liked these labels and I would suggest them to anyone looking for an easy to use label for sippy cups or bottles. These are also very affordable at $5.95 per package, they are super sensible for kids in daycare or any setting where there are multiple kids and sippy cups, especially since there are only so many different ones out there!

 

**thank you to Kidaroo Crew for sending me these labels for review. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts are my own.**

 

A great allergy kit!

Do you have allergies, severe allergies? Does someone you know and love suffer from severe food allergies, especially a little one in your life? Our 3 year old has severe food allergies, she has anaphylactic reactions to peanuts and tree nuts along with a few other few items that cause reactions that are a little less worrisome(hives). As a result we have been searching for items that she can wear or carry that let other caregivers (preschool teachers, friends parents, dance teachers, day care providers to name a few) that she has severe allergies. On my hunt for items like an alert bracelet I found a company called AllerMates and they specialize in all things allergies! Lucky for us, they provided us with some products to review here on our blog and to share with all of you!

This is the kit that we got, it contained a Wheat Gluten free lunch box and reusable snack bag, a multi-charm allergy alert bracelet, individual peanut, nut and wheat allergy bracelets, and two sets of label stickers one for gluten free and one for no nuts.

This lunch bag is the perfect size for a child's lunch and it is labeled right on it "I'm wheat gluten free." This label is visible right on the bag and makes anyone who sees your child's bag aware that they should not consume wheat gluten. The lunch box also had a reusable zippered snack bag that was labeled gluten free as well, this is the perfect size for a small snack like Gluten free pretzels, cookies, cereals or other loose snack.

Then there are these fantastic label stickers, we have one that says "proud to be wheat gluten free", and one that says "I'm not nuts, just allergic to them!" you can put these onto packages such as a sandwich bag, snacks you may send for the entire class, or your child could even wear them if they were going on a field trip or something and this would be a very visible label of their allergies to make someone who may not know your child or be the usual teacher (example- a parent volunteer on the trip etc.).

 

This is the AllerMates multi-allergy alert bracelet. This bracelet has snaps to keep it on the child and has several tags that can be placed on the bracelet to customize it to your child. This bracelet is a fantastic option if you have a child with several different allergies including food allergies, medicine allergies and several other options. Extra buttons can be purchased through the website which cover some of the less common allergies, the most common allergy buttons are included in this kit, nuts, peanuts, egg, wheat, dairy and asthma.

 

These are the individual bracelets that show a single allergy on each bracelet. These are a great option for a child who may only have one or two allergies or medical issues they need a bracelet for. There are several options on their website covering many different allergies, each allergy has it's own special character - Wheat gluten is Professor Wheatley! These are really cute and silly characters that make something that can be very scary for kids, parents and caregivers a little less scary.

 These are two pictures of my three year old wearing the multi-allergy alert bracelet. On the smallest snap setting it fits her wrist and on the largest it fit mine, these will fit most any kids and some adults with smaller wrists. We really like this specific line of allergy awareness products because of the bright colors, fun characters and the fact that the bracelets can be worn together or as the multi-allergy. Please visit the AllerMates website for their entire line of allergy related products including EpiPen cases.


**Thank you to AllerMate for providing us with these products for review. I was not compensated for this review and all of the thoughts are my own and I only recommend products that we believe would be beneficial to my readers.**

Maine's crazy weather

So we went from it feeling like fall over the past few days to hot and humid yesterday including tornado warnings, and right now I hear a major storm brewing!!! I keep hearing rumbles of thunder, that means I must sign off for at least now and let nature runs its course. Season changes in Maine are beautiful, however it makes dressing and preparing for the weather darn near impossible!! I hope everyone out there is having a great day and that your weather isn't as unpredictable as ours is!

HappyTot Organic Foods

Hi all!!! Today I am posting a review of Happy Tot organic foods. Thank you to Happy Tot for sending me the product to review and to share with my MOPS group!

 These pouches are an absolute favorite in my home. My kids (ages 17 months and 3 years) love the fruit and veggie pouches, I love the fact that these have fruits and veggies in them AND Greek yogurt! Although they have a fair amount of sugar in them, this brand in particular seems to have the lowest sugar levels of the ones we have purchased recently. These pouches make perfect on the go snacks, I keep them in the diaper bag, the dance bag and in the winter I will even likely leave a few in the car!

These are also the perfect snacks for our older MOPS kids, the ones who can handle them without supervision, they are packed with healthy goodness, they are organic and they are delicious! All of the MOPS testers gave it a thumbs up!

 

In this selection we have some great items for the younger crowd including, yogurt melts in a variety of flavors, veggie puffs, and rice cakes. HappyYogis- Happy Tots yogurt melts come in a variety of flavors and include coconut milk yogurt melts which are an excellent item for kids who can't have traditional dairy products! My son loved the yogurt melts and he had a lot of fun making messes with the perfect little yogurt dots!

 

We have also tried the rice cakes, which are actually beet rice cakes and these are the perfect size for little hands. They are also a great grab and go snack that is healthy and uses organic fruits and vegetables hidden in a snack the little guys recognize!

 

Overall, our families reaction to Happy Tot Organics line of snacks and foods have been fantastic! We love the portability of all the items, the only container that was not resealable was the package for the rice cakes. All of the others have caps, tops or zipper closures which make it possible for them to be shoved into a diaper bag on a moments notice and not worry about it spilling everywhere!

 

Our MOPS mommies and kids love the products too! They are the perfect snacks to keep on hand for hungry little monkeys! From the littlest ones who are just trying food for the first time to our happy toddlers, these snacks make a great option for our kids. We loved that they are organic, use healthy ingredients and have great portability!

 

**Thank you so much to Happy Tot for sending us product to review! We were not compensated in any way for this review and all comments are truthful and based on our own opinions of the products. I was very happy to have enough product to share with our MOPS group!**

Sleep Buddy Sleep trainer

Today we will be reviewing the SleepBuddy Complete sleep system. This product was developed by a mom, to help other mom's that struggle with little one's who are not very good sleepers or who have had some sleep regression as was our case!

Laura Swartz, the creator of the Sleep Buddy is not only a very creative mom, but she is also a sleep consultant! You can find her at Healthy Happy Sleep, and she would love to help you and your child through your sleepless nights. Let me tell you though, the SleepBuddy is a great place to start!!

A few months back my normally happy, fantastic sleeping 3 year old decided that she was no longer going to take a nap, and that her day would start promptly at 4am. WEEEEEELLLLL....NOT IN MY HOUSE!!!! I tried bribery ( take a nap and we will go get an ice cream), I tried trickery (let's take a "rest"), and then I found the SleepBuddy. It came in a super cute gift wrapped box that my toddler was very excited to rip open!

Perfectly wrapped, and that is how it came!!!

A little letter from the owner welcoming us to the SleepBuddy family!

Princess tearing into her SleepBuddy!!

 

Upon opening the box you find the contents, everything that you will need to run the system including a story book to introduce the kiddos to the sleep trainer, a reward chart and a guide to set up and use of the trainer.

 

 

I love that this is programmable to one nap including start and finish, and bedtime to awake time. The way the sleep buddy works is that when it glows blue you are to stay in bed, when it turns white it is ok to get out of bed. In our house, the fact that it glows blue shows my daughter that it is time to go to bed or nap, the point is for them to stay in bed until the light turns off.

The story that comes with the SleepBuddy explains what it is in a way that kids understand and introduces them to this new gadget that will be in their room! My daughter loves to look and see if her special night light is on or off and is very proud to announce that she stays in bed until the light was off. If by chance she is up before it is off, she tells me why and it is usually to use the potty, ahh the life of a three year old!

This is the sleep buddy in the off or white setting.

 

This is the sleep buddy on, glowing in a lovely and light shade of blue. It allows just enough light to be the perfect night light but not so much light that it keeps her awake.

 

Overall, we love this product. Once my daughter understood the purpose of it and the fact that we could put stickers on the chart when she stays in her bed until the light turns off, made her happy, sticker charts seem to work as great motivators in our home. Once she gets an entire row on the chart full she will be allowed to pick a prize, usually an option for dessert or a trip for ice cream. I hope that other families who struggle with toddlers who won't sleep will try out the SleepBuddy and find that it is a fantastic tool to add in sleep training!

 

**A special thank you to the makers of the SleepBuddy for sending me this item to review. I was in no way compensated for this post and I only recommend items that I feel have made a difference in our home/lifestyle and would be of use to my readers.**

Just a sneak peek!!

some upcoming reviews I have to write:

*SleepBuddy Sleep trainer- this will be done this afternoon I hope :) Posted today!
*Happytot Organic Foods- Posted
*Allermates allergy alert items- Posted
*update zaggora/T25 weight loss track and trip to a healthier me :)
*Daddy Scrubs
*Kidaroo Crew cup labels
*backpack tags

Other exciting things-
I will be posting a giveaway for a fantastic pair of the BePe slippers courtesy of BePe Baby!!!