Baby NHL Fans!! GIVEAWAY

Don't you just love when you go shopping and find that "great find" amongst all the other stuff - doesnt it give you just some degree of satisfaction??

Well I went to The Baby Show a little while back and amongst all booths I found a gem!!! We all love to buy NHL, NFL and MLB gear for out little one's to help chear on our (or our husbands, in my case) favorite teams and when they win, don't you or your husbands attirbute it to their good luck charm all geared up? That's how it works in my household! If Frankie is wearing his San Francisco jersey and the 49ers win (PS I am shocked I even know the name of their team), of course it's because Frankie wore his lucky jersey that day.

It's a company called FirstTimeFan and they carry all sorts of NHL and CFL products for babies: pacifiers, sippy cups, bottles and 5 piece dinner sets with your favorite NHL or CFL team on it. Most places I find that carries this stuff is from the US and either they dont ship to Canada or you have to pay an exorbitant amount of money in shipping, brokerage and duties. I know a lot of my friends are HUGE Leaf fans and here is the place to get kids of all ages something fun.
Don't worry NFL and MLB fans, they haven't forgotten about you, the owner of the company told me that he has recently acquired the licenses for both and will have new teams his lineup soon (when I get word of when it is arriving I will post on my Babylish Advice FB page). I am definitely not a sports fan, but I have to say, I was very excited by this news!

Wouldn't this make the best gift for those huge fan friends of yours????

Thank you to our friends at FirstTimeFan, they are giving away an amazing Vancouver Canucks 5 Piece Dinner Set to one lucky reader. Here's how to enter:

1. 'like' Babylish Advice on Facebook or on http://www.babylishadvice.com/  (if you havent done so already)
2. Sign up for the Babylish newsletter on http://www.babylishadvice.com/ (if you havent done so already)
3. Email me at tkrajden@gmail.com to let me know you have done all three
*ALL ARE WELCOME TO ENTER!!!

Contest Closes January 25th at 5:00pm. I will announce the winner on my Babylish Advice FB page so keep your eyes peeled.

Website: http://www.firsttimefan.com/

Good luck
T
xo

A Natural Way to Help Ease Cold and Flu Season - GIVEAWAY

As mom's we all dread the cold and flu season and it seems that everyone is looking for natural remedies to get your child (and well lets face it, ourselves as well) through it. Below are a few options that I have tried and/or was recommended to use, however some of these products are only available in the US or are available online, but I know a lot of my Canadian readers travel over the border, so stock up!

All Natural Xlear Kids Nasal Spray: I read up quite a bit on this product and think it is wonderful because it isn't your regular saline spray. No joke, I tried this product on myself for a series of days when I was not feeling great and didnt end up with a full blown cold. I obviously dont know, but I suspect its beacuse of this spray - here's why:
- it contains xylitol (as well as saline) which is an all natural sugar that soothes and moistens the nose and clears the bad bacteria in your nose that causes flu's, cold's and ear infections
- For all you moms with older kids that bring home all sorts of viruses from school and then, like a good older brother or sister, share it with their new sibling, this is great for you as this product is good for ALL ages including newborns
- a preventative measure that can be taken multiple times a day

Price: $6.99 US
Where to Buy: Vitamin Shoppes, Health Shoppes and Whole Foods

Hyland's Nighttime Cold n' Cough 4 Kids: From what I understand, there is a stigma attached to giving your young little one's cough medicine, so that is why so many moms are opting for all natural products that help with cold symptoms, but don't have the side effects as cold medications. Although I have not been able to try this product out yet (it's for kids age 2 and up and Frankie is only 1), I have been told by MANY friends that this is a fantastic product that helps treat coughs, runny noses, sore throats, sneezing and congestion which leads to sleepless nights. First off, for my Canadian readers, Hyland's is a very well known US brand and apparently has an amazing all natural teething remedy. Second, this product contains Chamomile which helps soothe the child prior to bed and lastly, it tastes pretty good and doesnt contain sugar (yup I tried it myself). I have looked up reviews on this product and have seen nothing but positive things said from other mom's.

Price: $7.99
Where to Buy: CVS, Rite Aid, Whole Foods

Mobi Dual Scan Ear and Forehead Thermometer: I think most of you can relate when I say that I dread taking my child's temperature. All the products that I previously used have to sit in the same spot for 10 seconds in order to get an accurate reading. Frankie can't sit for more than 5 seconds never mind with a thermometer up his ... well you know. I was introduced to this thermometer and  LOVE it. There are so many amazing features and the BEST feature of all .. it takes a reading in 2 seconds. All you have to do is put the thermometer on the child's temple, push the button and in 2 seconds you have a reading!! Here are the other great features of this product:
- it stores up to 20 previous readings with the date and time so you can track your child's fever (such a great idea)
- it has a little flashlight built into it so you dont have to wake up your child in the middle of the night to take their temperature (brilliant)
- when you store it in it's base, it will tell you the room temperature
- converts easily into an ear thermometer
- optional voice readout

Price: $34.95
Where to Buy: http://www.getmobi.com/

Boogie Wipes: Winter just began and I have already gone through double digits of the Boogie Wipe Packs! I use these anytime Frankie has a stuffed and runny nose. These are all natural wipes that use a saline solution to dissolve the boogies. With the amount of times I wipe his nose in a given day, his nose should be bright red and raw (which happens to us when we have a cold), but this is never the case because these wipes are soooo soft. They come in a whole bunch of great scents: fresh scent (which is my favorite - try it out you will agree), grape, mint and unscented. I ALWAYS carry a pack of these in Frankie's knapsack especially during winter.

Price: $3.50 US / $5.00-$5.50 CND
Where to Buy: Babies R Us, Target, Rexall, Loblaws

Thanks to all these great companies, I am giving away to one of my lucky readers, a gift pack which includes all of these amazing items. Here is how to enter (it's easy):

1. 'like' my Babylish Advice page on Facebook if you havent done so already
2. sign up for my newsletter on my blog (found on the right side) if you havent done so already
3. email me at tkrajden@gmail.com to let me know you have done both

For those of you who do not have a Facebook page, don't fret, you can still enter to win!!! Just signup for my newsletter on my blog and when you send me the email, just give me a heads up.

The contest will be running from Monday January 9th until Sunday January 14th at noon. I will be drawing the name of one lucky winner through random.org and I will send out an email to the lucky person and announce it on my Facebook page. Best of luck

Don't get stuck hating cold and flu season
T.
xo

The Cake Smash Photo Shoot

Talk about fun ... this was by far one of the most fun moments for both my husband and I and Frankie. I kept seeing pictures all over Facebook of these amazing cake smash photo sessions and inquired about the photographer. Once I only heard great things, I immediately booked my photo session for Frankie's first birthday (obviously knowing me, I booked this months before his birthday). After spending weeks trying to figure out what he was going to wear (I can't believe I am actually admitting that), the day finally arrived!

Hope (she is the photographer) from h2photo showed up with all her gear, set up in my living room and we were ready to go. First she took a few pictures of my husband and I with Frankie to get him comfortable with the camera and then we gave him the cake. I built this moment up in my head for so long thinking he would just destroy the cake (as he does with everything else) and I am pretty sure he was just confused. He touched it ever so gently to make sure it wasnt a toy and then he took one finger, swiped the icing, tried it and continued to just to eat the icing. Luckily, Hope had a few tricks up her sleeve and he started getting into the cake and then had sooooo much fun playing with it.

I am sure you all can agree that the worst part of getting a photo shoot done is waiting to see the pictures!!! Within a day or two, Hope sends you a "sneak peak" of your pictures and then within a few weeks (depending on how busy she is) she will send you the rest of the pictures. I absolutely fell inlove with all the pictures she took so I purchased the entire disc from her which was extra, but sooooo worth it.

I thought she did such a wonderful job and was so easy to work with that I bought a close friend a cake smash photoshoot for her son's first birthday. If your looking for a fun, unique gift, here it is! This one will last a lifetime!!!

Hope is so sweet, she is offering my readers a special deal:
On location Cake Smash $100 session fee + $30 cake + $100 for 2 digital images = Regularly $230. For Babylish Readers $130
In Studio Cake Smash $50 session fee + $30 cake + $100 for 2 digital image = Regularly $180. For Babylish Readers $80

Here are a bunch of the pictures of the cake smash (it was hard to choose just one)

Company Name: h2photo

Contact: Hope Hanson-Baker

Email: hope@h2photo.ca

Phone number: 416-702-4165

                                                        Happy 1st birthday to your little ones
                                                                              T.
                                                                              xo

More Great Toys for 1 + Year Olds!

Yup, another post about toys!!! You know you have a problem when you tell your husband you will happily go out and grab something for the both of you for lunch and stop at three toy stores along the way. I just can't help myself, im addicted (my poor husband).

Below are a bunch more great finds:

Bruin Stackable Cups: by far Frankie's favorite toy (of the month really). Who knew there were so many things you could do with stacking cups! Obviously, he loves when I stack them and he knocks them down, but even better, he finds it funny when we both put a cup over our mouths and yell into it and he recently realized that if you put a small plastic ball into one the cups and shake it, it makes a really loud noise that for some reason is hilarious to him! Where to buy: Toys R Us - $10

Summer Bath Bubble Machine: A true gem! We all know that all kids love bubbles and some brilliant person came up with idea of making a bubble machine for the bath - as if bath time wasnt fun enough ;) Small note, buy an extra bottle of bubbles, the one they provide is small and you go through it quick! Where to Buy: Lil' Niblets or Toys R Us $15

(again not my child)

Jump Start Trampoline: I bought this for my nephew to keep at my parents house probably about 5 or 6 years ago and well its still standing (shocking considering I assembled it) and now everytime we go to visit my parents, he just loves to play on the trampoline. It is for ages 3 and up, but he holds onto the bars when he is jumping and I stand right behind him making sure he doesnt let go. Do yourselves all a favor and have Masterminds assemble it for you! Where to Buy: Masterminds $70

Alex Rub a Dub Stickers for the Tub: I just got these for Frankie the other day and he loves them. Each letter is made of a light foam and once they are wet, they stick to the tub wall. Where to Buy: Indigo $14.99

Kidz Delight Tech Trio: I have been on the ultimate search to find a tv converter that looks similar to the one's we use and finally I found it. It still makes noises when you hit the buttons, but at least it doesnt have a head and eyes on it! The Smartphone and iPod are great, you click on the icons as if you were on the real deal and they make noises and light up. Where to Buy: http://www.overstock.com/ $35

Bruin Electric Keyboard with Mic: Now this is a fun toy!!! Frankie will put his mouth right up to the mic and sing. Has a great keyboard and a lot of pre-programmed songs. Where to Buy: Toys R Us $30

Little Tikes Discover Sounds Sports Center: My sister-in-law gave this to me a little while back (I thought he would love it, but sadly he was too young for it) and he recently figured it out, well part of it.  He has learned that when you put the basketball through the hoop, you will hear cheers and music starts to play. That's when he starts to clap and then starts dancing to the music (no joke). He has yet to figure out the baseball part ... in due time. Where to Buy: Toys R Us $40

Playskool Cookie Monster: I love to buy this as gifts because it is such a fun toy for 1 year olds. I brought this toy out when a bunch of kids were at my house and they all surrounded it. Besides the fact that he is so super cute, he talks to you and counts when you feed him cookies (sadly he only counts up to three so not the best for older kids). When you feed him, the cookies end up in his knapsack so you dont lose them. Where to Buy: Toys R Us $35

B. Parum Pum Pum: Words can not express the love I have for this toy. This toy has provided hours of fun for Frankie because he just loves musical instruments and this one comes with a whole bunch of them. He has learned how to take off and put on the lid (which he does at least 16 times a day), he loves to walk around with the lid and the drum stick and make noise and he likes to share the shakers with me. Now if he could only learn how to put all the items back into the drum ;) Where to Buy: Oink Oink $50

GoGo Caterpillar: I found this toy at The Baby Time Show and brought it home for Frankie to try. You push the caterpillar's back down and then he just takes off - no batteries to replace!! I was actually quite shocked at the power this guy has once he gets going! Now that Frankie is walking, he likes to chase it. Where to Buy: http://www.discoverytoys.com/web/guest/home $25

Just in time for Hanukkah and Christmas

T.

xo

My Top 13 Favorite Books for Babies and Toddlers

When Frankie was born, my siblings bought him a ton of books to fill our very empty bookshelf in his room. I read in multiple mom books and magazines that you should introduce your child to books at an early age, so when Frankie was only a few months old I tried reading to him, but wouldnt even last past a few pages before he started to squirm or cry. I gave up for a little while and then after a few months went by and he was able to sit on his own, I put a bunch of books infront of him and he started flipping over the pages. Now he hands me the books to read to him. Here is a list of some of our favorite books:

Peek-a-who? by Nina Laden: This is by far Frankie's favorite book. Obviously I know this one by heart, but he just loves when I bring out this book. This was a hand-me-down from my sister and I hope she never asks for it back. It has a mirror at the end and when he flips the page, he kisses the mirror

You are my cupcake by Joyce Wan: We were given this book as a gift from a very special friend and I was instantly drawn in by the animation. The book is beyond cute and has all our favorite names we call our kids

Noisy Peekaboo Books by DK: A new find and an AMAZING one at that. I think I have bought all the editions. These make an amazing gift. Each book is about baby not being able to find something and you have to open each flap to find where the missing object is and under one flap when lifted makes the noise of the object. Frankie loves going through all the flaps and then finding the one that makes the noise

Clap Your Hands: Elmo in 3D, what more do I need to say :) A puppet book where you clap Elmo's hands with every page. I haven't given this to Frankie yet, I am saving it for the plane but I can only imagine his reaction. I bought this book for my neice a few years back and she loved it.

Touch and Feel Farm and Touch and Feel Zoo by Dwell Studios: Who knew that Dwell Studios makes books and great books at that. There are a few more, but these two are touch and feel but with different textures than the usual touch and feel books

123 Sesame Street 12 Pack: A cute collection that comes in a great case with 12 little mini board books with all different Sesame Street characters

My Belly Button by Melanie O'Brien: This was a fun find at the Baby Time Show. Every time you flip the page, the babies belly button appears on each page and you push the belly button and she giggles and giggles and giggles which makes Frankie giggle - too cute

Rocker Babies Wear Jeans by Michelle Sinclair Colman: A fun rocker book! This book totally suits me because Frankie is always in Rocker clothes. We got this one as a gift and it is just the cutest book. It incorporates Rocker with Baby

Up, Down, Round and Round! by Justine Smith: So much to do inside this book, pull things, move things and best of all there are big pop out pictures

Baby Boo! - This is great for babies and for toddlers - another amazing hand-me-down from my sister. Great baby expressions and you can really have fun with this book through being animated with your baby. At the end there is a little mirror which again, Frankie loves to kiss

Little Puppy - Finger Puppet Book: I love the finger puppet books, the reaction I get is hilarious. It's as if he cant figure out how the puppy is moving. The puppet goes through to every page and is fun for the kids

Barnyard Bath by Sandra Boyton: A great bath book. If these bath time books are not in the tub when he gets in, he cries. This one comes with a wash cloth and teaches children about bath time

Bath Time by Sandra Boyton: Another fav that I know off by heart "hey hey what do you say, its time to take a bath today ..." Frankie always hands me this book to read to him in the bath (2 or 3 times hence why I know the book off by heart). At the end the you squeeze the piggy's nose and it makes a funny noise and Frankie kisses him.

If anyone has any book recommendations, feel free to post them on my Babylish Advice Facebook page or comment below. I hope your kids love the suggestions.

T.
xo

Great Toddler and Baby Apps

By popular request, here are some of Frankie's favorite apps (in no particular order):

1. Old MacDonald HD by Duck Duck Moose:  Such a fun app! While the Old MacDonald song plays, your child touches (or if your child is like Frankie, he will just hit) the animal they are signing about and it does something fun or funny

2. Wheels on the Bus HD by Duck Duck Moose: The same app as Old MacDonald but with the song Wheels on the Bus

3. SoundTchLite (free): By far one of Frankie's favorite apps, so good i uploaded it to my iphone as well. There are a whole bunch of animated animals, instruments, trucks etc on the front page and when you touch one of them, real pictures come up and make a noise. If you keep touching the same picture, a new picture will come up.
4. Elmo loves ABCs: I love this app!! It is really for slightly older kids however Elmo talks to you and Frankie lights up when he Elmo comes on. When you push the arrow button on the bottom of the screen, it plays different scenes from Sesame Street

5. AlphaBaby Free: if your child is anything like mine and loves to hit the ipad than this is a great app for them. Every time you touch the screen a letter or number pops up and a voice says it outloud

6. Baby Einstein: Great for the airplane - its really for iphones but i put it on my ipad and just hit the 2x button to make it full screen. Fun games and Baby Einstein videos to watch

7. Elmos Monster Maker: I think this is such a fun app! Fun furry faceless monsters that talk to you and you put funny faces and accessories on them. Once you are done you can play with them

8. KidsSongs: Such a fun app with your childs favorite songs. I tried the free one but there was only one song, well worth it to buy the full version. You can touch all different parts of the scene and it will move along with the music

9. BabyFirst TV: This app has a bunch of different animated "shows" dedicated to little kids. Keeps them entertained for a little while.

10. Talking Baby Hippo (free): If you say something to the Hippo he will repeat what you say in a funny voice. Try hitting the hippo (not sure that is a great lesson but i think they are too young to learn that) and he does funny things!

11. Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Animal Sounds for Baby (free): a great app to learn about animals and has fun songs while you touch the different animals

12. Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Where's Puppy's Nose (free): you touch differnent parts of the puppy and a voice tells you what part you just touched - great for learning new words. Also there are some fun songs!

13. Treehouse: you have to subscribe monthly to get the programs, but great for the airplane when they want to watch some of their favorite shows - sadly there is no Wiggles :(

If anyone has any recommendations about apps, please feel free to post them on my Facebook Babylish Advice page or comment underneath. I hope you all like my suggestions - Frankie surely does

T.
xo

Everyone Loves Comfy Pajamas - GIVEAWAY

Sure there are a lot of places to get pajamas, but I find with most of these places, the material is just so cheap and scratchy (not to name names ... Old Navy and Gap). Let's be honest, if we wouldnt sleep in that material, why would you want to put your kids in it! Worst part is that I still pay $20 + for a pair and they are a necessity.
As a side note, I did decide to get a pair on sale, I was so excited that I found pj's for $10 at Gap and then after "trying" to put Frankie in them, realized that they were on sale for a reason... NOBODY WANTED THEM. The arms had this band on it which was part of the design (a cute one at that), and I could barely get Frankie's arms through. I swear they must have been cutting off the circulation in his arms.

I didnt realize how uncomfortable the material of these pajama's were until I bought a pair from Boker & Laila at The Baby Time Show. I slowly walked past the booth thinking I already have a bunch of pj's for Frankie and that I didnt need more for the time being, but the adorable patterns drew me in. I then felt the pajamas and was truly amazed at how unbelievably soft the material was (it is 100% cotton) and I loved that all the pj's were tagless top and bottom. I was and still am hooked!

Now it's time for you to get hooked!! Our friends at Boker & Laila are giving away one pair of pajamas of your choice (up to a $30 value) to one of my lucky readers. Here's how to enter:

1. 'like' the Babylish Advice fan page on Facebook or on my blog
2. 'like' the Boker and Laila's fan page on Facebook
3. sign up for the Babylish Advice newsletter
4. email me at tkrajden@gmail.com letting me know you have done all three

Contest closes Friday December 2nd at 4:00pm and the winner will announced on my Babylish Advice Facebook page. The winner will be chosen through Random.org. GOOD LUCK!!!

Lucky for us, they have been so generous and are offering all my readers 20% off when you place an order from now until January 15, 2012. Just enter promo code TER20 when you checkout. I promise, you will love these pajama's!!!! I recommend ordering one size up.

Another side note: a friend of mine recently mentioned that she has been looking for plain black onesie's for months and has not been able to find them anywhere. When I was looking on the Boker & Laila website, I noticed that they have an entire line of them in a whole bunch of great colours. Sizes range from 3 months to 24 months.

Check them out at http://www.bokerandlaila.com/

T.
xo