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Most parents (nowadays) know how AWESOME baby leg warmers are. My tot has been in them since he came home from the hospital. And most of you know I’ve posted a pic or two of him sleeping as cozy as can be in his favorite blue pair.
So it should come as no surprise that I was OOBER excited to be contacted by My Little Legs to review their products.
Leg warmers are more than just plain ‘ol cute. They’re practical. Especially for us cloth diapering and/or potty training moms. With cloth diapers, it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to find pants that fit comfortably around the bulky fabric. For those in the potty training phase, expecting your tot to “hold it” while you get their clothes off is unreasonable, at best. Leggings keep them warm in their semi-naked state YEAR ROUND.
Now, back to My Little Legs. After browsing their website, it became obvious that these were more than your standard super-center bought leggings. They’re stylish! Imagine that. Leggings you’d actually like your tot to be seen in.
We tried their sports themed leggings…OOBER CUTE! And what’s more, they sent a matching hat.
My Little Legs is owned by two bargain hunting moms (just like us) who want to offer the best baby products at the most reasonable prices. Coming in at just $7.50 per pair, THEY SUCCEEDED!
The leggings are made from a poly/cotton/spandex blend which allows them to accommodate the chubbier infant thighs and the skinniest toddler legs. They are approximately 12″ long- perfect to grow with your tot.
They are stylish, comfortable, practical, DURABLE and economical. Who could ask for more?
I know I’ll be back for more. After all, what’s cuter than a tot in candy cane stripped leggings on Christmas morning? On second thought, perhaps I’ll buy SEVERAL pairs. Check out their AWESOME savings on multiple orders.
Like what you see? The generous ladies at My Little Legs is giving a 4 PACK OF LEGGING, winners choice, to ONE LUCKY SPEAK JANE SPEAK FAN!
Click HERE to enter. Good Luck.
ear Guide: My Little Legs
BURPIE BUNDLES BIBS
As a mom who has gone through GALLONS of stain remover in the last two years, I can tell you there is NOTHING more valuable when it comes to your tots meal time supplies than a quality bib. Most are either so thick your tot can’t get their arms around it, or so thin they fall apart and/or fail to clasp after a week of use.
So it came as a COMPLETE shock when I stumbled across a bib from Burpie Bundles that was cute, easy to use and, most of all, DURABLE.
Each bib is handcrafted using quilting quality cotton fabric topped with clear vinyl and finished with color-coordinated binding. The front easily wipes clean with a damp cloth, and the back of each bib is cottony soft for those extra messy meals when my tot eats in the buff. There’s a generous front pocket to catch any food that misses your tots mouth, and a quality hook and latch closure behind the neck.
These bibs are easy to put on, but not easy enough that your tot can rip it right off. The sturdy hook and latch closure insures the bib stays where momma put it. My tot was so impressed he decided to wear it about the house this afternoon- it’s super bib baby!
Which was fine by me, as there was PLENTY of neck room.
And, being the product obsessed momma I am, I was extremely impressed with the construction of these bibs. Despite being handcrafted, each bib is sewn to perfection. There is not a single mis-stitch, or random thread to be seen.
I was so impressed that they’ll be my GO TO shower gift for all bundles of joy to be. You’ve been warned!
Like what you see? CLICK HERE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A SET (2) OF BIBS FROM BURPIE BUNDLES.
-Jane
**Disclaimer: This product review was made possible by Burpie Bundles. I was not compensated for this review other than a product sample provided by Burpie Bundles. All opinions are 100% mine.**
EPISENCIAL SKIN CARE 3-STEP SYSTEM
Skin care is a HIGH priority in our home, as both my tot and myself suffer from extremely sensitive skin. Neither of us can handle heavily perfumed or synthetic products regardless of their so-called “hypoallergenic” formulas. Doing so almost certainly flares the ‘ol eczema and leaves our skin looking more fowl-like than human.
So the fabulous folks behind Episencial Skin Care recently sent me their Three Step System to try. Its a combo kit containing generously sized bottles of sunscreen, body wash and soothing cream.
Since we were heading to the pool, I thought today would be an EXCELLENT day to give them a try. Each bottle is beautifully designed in the familiar Eric Carle style, which my tot LOVED. He was far more interested in the bottles than the actual product. They each open and close easily, which is OOBER important when your hands are slippery, and your tot has a case of the squirms.
Sunny Sunscreen- SPF 35 with both UVA and UVB protection. The lotion itself is extremely thick, which I like to think helps it remain on my tots skin through his countless dips in and out of the pool. Its not greasy at all, and reminds me of body butter in texture. The balanced, transparent formula left my tots skin completely protected. Its a mineral based, fragrance free, organic lotion which means we had no fear of breaking out in mystery rashes after using the product. After an hour and a half at the pool my tots skin was sunburn free which left this momma OOBER IMPRESSED!
The Good: Doesn’t smell like a pina colada, non-greasy, transparent, organic, doctor reccommended
The Not-So-Good: VERY thick but it still spreads easily
Playful Wash- After a day in the water we hoped right into the bath to wash off the chlorine and yuckiness that accompanies a community pool. The Playful Wash is a 2-in-1 shampoo + body gel formula, which to me meant LESS TIME scrub-a-dubbing. After lathering my tot up the formula rinsed off with just two full cups of water. His hair was left feeling silky, his body felt soft and clean, and this momma was HAPPY it didn’t seem to bother his eyes when I washed his face.
The Good: Organic, doctor and hospital recommended, EWG top rated for safety, light citrus scent, rich lather
The Not-So-Good: I can’t think of a single thing.
Soothing Cream- A tot massage has been part of our night time routine since we brought our bundle of joy home from the hospital. NOTHING soothes a baby more than feeling the loving strokes of a parents hand gently massaging the stress of the day away (yes, tots have stress too). The Soothing Cream is specially formulated for tots with itchy, bothered skin. The organic formula is not too thick, but not too thin. It spreads evenly and absorbed quickly. Better still, his PJ’s went on easily, without that sticky lotion-y feel other brands leave behind.
The Good: Organic, balanced, doctor recommended, EWG top rated for safety, goes on easy, non-greasy, absorbed quickly
The Not-So-Good: No scent. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t want a perfumed baby, but a light all-natural scent would be nice at the end of the day.
THE LITTLEST LEARNERS REVIEW
My followers already know what a junkie I am for wooden children’s toys. Nothing beats their ability to inspire creativity and imagination in our tots- especially when compared to the plastic monstrosities you find in most department stores. That’s why I LOVE receiving wooden toys from small independent companies to review. Not only does it spread the word about their craft, but it gives me (AND YOU) an opportunity to see the latest and greatest in the world of educational wooden toys for our tots!
This week The Littlest Learners sent my tot a Montesorri and Waldorf inspired matching game. I was SUPER excited to try the game, and test my tots ability to successfully match the colored pegs. Just after breakfast I broke out the game, and though my tot’s been quite grumpy from teething all week, he had a blast exploring his new toy.
The kit came with 6 dolls and 6 matching cups painted in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. When matched together they are approximately 2.5 inches tall, and comes with a handy drawstring tote for storage and travel. Each doll and cup are painted in AP-certified non-toxic water colors and are sealed with a mixture of beeswax and olive oil- FANTASTIC news since my tot is still mouthing his toys.
The toy aims to teach your tot the colors of the rainbow, all while increasing hand-eye coordination. My tot was EXTREMELY focused as he placed the pegs in the cup, and DID NOT want any help from momma. Although he didn’t quite match the correct colors, I was proud to watch him focus on the placement of the pegs.
The toy is relatively small when separated, so I’d recommend supervising your tot as they play. Though the toy is simple in construction and design, its ability to increase my tot’s focus and determination is unsurpassed- so much so that he screamed for 5 minutes when it was time to move on to a different activity. Any time a tot can be challenged during play increases their developmental response to the activity. This toy definitely provides such stimulation!
I would HIGHLY recommend the peg matching game from The Littlest Learners, or any other toy they produce. Such standards in early childhood development toys is HARD TO FIND!
You can find more information about The Littlest Learners by:
Visiting their ETSY page
Following them on Facebook
Following them on Instagram via @thelittlestlearners
-Jane
To WIN A PEG MATCHING GAME from The Littlest Learners click here to enter this weeks giveaway!
THE PREPPY OWL BOUTIQUE REVIEW
I recently received a few Eco-friendly reusable sandwich and snack bags to try from The Preppy Owl Boutique. If your like me, and go through box after box of disposable plastic sandwich and snack bags, you’ll find these bags to be genius.
Each bag is guarenteed to contain no PVC, no Phthalate, no BPA, and no Lead. And if that’s not enough, using a nylon liner insures your food never comes into contact with polyurethane as it would with a PUL liner. The bags are handmade with a stylish (and dare I say trendy) cotton exterior and a water-resistant nylon liner. They stay closed with a hook and loop (Velcro) closure.
All of that sounds impressive, but I still wondered how they’d compare to a standard disposable zip-top bag. So I put them to the ultimate toddler test. I filled the bags to their capacity, cinched them closed and handed them to my tot. After an hour of shaking them, throwing them across the room, and opening and re-closing the bags, their contents remained safely tucked inside. Like I said, GENIUS!
They easily wiped clean with a damp cloth, and take up next to no space in my kitchen drawer. I love that I no longer have to use plastic bags for snacks, and diaper bag essentials. Since my tot is still a bit young for sandwiches, I replaced the hidious plastic bag containing diapers and wipes that sits at the bottom of my purse with a new stylish eco-friendly alternitive.
The options are limitless with these bags. Diapers, wipes, snacks, ointments, medications, YOU NAME IT! I even thought they’d make a great “Dinner Out Rescue Kit”. I simply placed a few crayons and scrap paper in the snack size bag for those times when your tot is in less than a cooperative mood at dinner (yeah, we have a lot of those moments).
I couldn’t find any real cons to these bags. Though they are handmade, they are professionally sewn, with NO visible imperfections. Cute, stylish, and practical- I would DEFINITELY recommend you order a stash of theseeco-friendly snack and sandwich bags!
-Jane
WANT TO WIN TWO (2) SETS OF THE PREPPY OWL BOUTIQUE SANDWICH AND SNACK BAGS?
Want more information? You can find The Preppy Owl Boutique on ETSY.com
**Disclaimer: This product review was made possible by The Preppy Owl Boutique. I was not compensated for this review other than a product sample provided by The Preppy Owl Boutique. All opinions are 100% mine.**
SMILING TREE TOYS REVIEW
When we first discovered we were expecting we’d stay up late at night laying out our parental expectations with one another. We’d discuss what we’d feed our tot, how we’d dress him, what schools we’d eventually send him to, and of course what toys he’s play with. At the top of our list was natural, organic, wooden toys that would stimulate his mind without overstimulating our living environment. As he’s grown we’ve been surprised at how difficult it is to find quality wooden toys, both locally and online. Even harder is finding quality wooden toys that don’t come stamped “made in [insert country I can't pronounce]“. I prefer to buy my tots toys from people who are producing quality handmade products from sustainable resources that are individually inspected, packaged with attention to detail, and delivered without passing 5 ports of call.
Thanks to Justin and Kathleen at Smiling Tree Toys my tot recently got his paws on such a fabulous toy, and without a doubt it was LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT!
Both mommy and baby were delighted by the trendy, yet earth friendly packaging. While I couldn’t wait to take photos of the cute (and handy) storage bag, my tot couldn’t wait to tear into it.
How cute and practical is this handy tote?
It didn’t take him long to realize what he had been given (you know, because he’s a genius). So we immediately began setting up and playing with our new wooden penguin shaped bowling game.
Heavy as the peices are, they are still a bit too thin to stand on plush carpet, so we took our game to the coffee table. It seemed like a smart idea until I noticed the ball started leaving ding’s in the tables finish. So…
…to the foyer we went. He played for 45 minutes with this set, and again for 20 minutes later in the evening. And we all know what that means. WINNER!
We LOVED the penguin bowling set, but fell in love with Smiling Tree Toys even more. Not only do they use sustainable resources, make the toys BY HAND in their OWN WORKSHOP, but a portion of each sale is donated to various Peace Corp projects.
Now, I don’t know about you, but could you possibly buy your tots toys from a better company?
You can find Smiling Tree Toys on Etsy
on their blog, www.smilingtreetoys.blogspot.com
and on Facebook www.facebook.com/smilingtreetoys (hello coupons!)
Like what you see? Click here to ENTER THIS WEEKS GIVEAWAY where you can win you’re own Smiling Tree Toys WOODEN PENGUIN BOWLING SET!
ImseVimse Flushable Liners
At 15 months, my tot is still too young to potty train, but old enough to make a massive mess in his diaper. Since we are a cloth diapering family, cleaning up said mess often results in a “I did it last time” debate between mommy and daddy.
So a few weeks ago I went on a diaper liner search for toddlers. We tried several brands, and went though A LOT of diaper wash solution, but finally we found THE PERFECT DIAPER LINER.
Imse Vimse makes a toddler diaper liner that will catch anything your tot can, um, throw at it! These flushable liners are used between the diaper and the baby’s skin, letting moisture pass through to the diaper while preventing solids to soak into the diaper, which will take the mess out of washing your cloth diapers. Just flush away the mess, and spend more time with your tot instead of dunking diapers. They are large enough to cover the entire diaper, something we’ve missed since our tot outgrew the last liner brand. These bio-degradable flushable liners are an all natural paper product; they are unbleached and biodegradable.
For around $8 you get 100 toddler sized liners, which will last about a month or so in our house. Can we say ECONOMICAL!
-Jane
BUDDY FRUITS
Lets be honest. Providing quality, nutritious snacks for your tot when you’re on the run is difficult. I will admit that my tot has had the occasional french fry or chicken nugget to pacify him when we’re out for an extending shopping trip. I know its less than healthy, but being the mom of a toddler means you’ll do just about anything to keep them calm around strangers.
That’s where this miracle product comes in. Its called BUDDY FRUITS. Its an all natural, preservative free fruit puree that comes in a handy, mess-free bottle. All I have to do is open the lid, and my tot sucks out all of the nutricious fruit without any need for a wet wipe!
Click here for a coupon!
These ingenious little packets of sanity were less than $1 at my local super center. I hope you enjoy them as much as we have!
-Jane
A BOXED PRODUCT WORTH TRYING
We rarely prepare pre-packaged carbohydrate, preservative laden foods in our home. Instead, I almost always prefer to prepare those “childhood” favorites from scratch. HOWEVER, when I passed by the new Kraft Veggie Mac & Cheese at the market I had to try it.
Its pasta made from veggies…and it TASTES THE SAME! I was amazed, and I didn’t feel bad serving it to my tot. Organic? Not in the slightest. But its better than the original Kraft Mac & Cheese, and my tot WILL EAT IT, which makes this momma SUPER HAPPY!
Give it a try! If your a classic kid at heart, who can’t get enough of the gooey cheesy goodness, then I know you’ll LOVE IT!
-Jane
BUMGENIUS CLOTH DIAPER REVIEW
With so many cloth diaper choices today, one can become overwhelmed. If you know you want the convenience of an AIO (All-In-One) diaper, but are unsure on the brand, order bumGenius 3.0. You cannot get a better diaper for the money. They hold up to rigorous washes, have excellent, strong closures and come in several cute colors. They are extremely leak proof, with an average wear time of 3 hours or more. They are also very easy to use, just like a disposable. They fit well for a cloth diaper. The fit trim is great under cloths. One negative is their drying time. Therefore, they work best if you line dry. An order of 12-15 will easily last two days.
Pros:
Cute Colors
Strong Closure (velcro)
Absorbent
No Leaks at Gussets
Trim Cut
True to size
Cons:
LONG drying time
Sized (you’ll have to reorder as baby grows)
Average Price: $15.00 (although with a bit of searching you can find them as low as $10.00)
GREAT DIAPER FOR A WIGGLY BABY! Check out this video…
bumGenius-demo-high-320
KUSHIES WRAP
Cute as a button, but you get what you pay for here. The Kushies Diaper Wrap comes in a cute taffeta or duckie pattern, and even features ruffles along the leg gussets. Though they contain the messes, even bf poo, they wear out rather quickly. The hook and loop closure is more along the line of craft velcro, rather than industrial strength. If you are short on cash and need good covers these will work temporarily. Those we tried barely made it through 4 months, washing twice weekly. Also, if you use these on an older baby they will be more than able to pull them off, since the closure isn’t very strong.
Average Price: $6.00
Pros:
Cute patterns
Contain mess
Leg gussets
True to size
Cons:
Wear out quickly
Weak closure
Sizing:
Infant 10-22 lbs.
Toddler 22-45 lbs.
BUMKINS AIO
A VERY cheap alternative to pricier cloth All-In-One’s, Bumkins offer convenience and durability for far less than other AIOs.
Average Price $12.00
Pros:
Wash well
Cute patterns
Contain messes (even BF poo)
True to size
Cons:
Bulky
Awkward fit
If you are budget shopping for AIOs these are a good option. If you have a heavy wetter, or use them at night I suggest a booster just in case. That said, I used one on a recent outing that went longer than expected. Without a booster the diaper contained all the mess for upwards of 4 hours. I do find them a bit bulky under clothes, so perhaps these diapers work best with a cute set of BabyLegs to show off their cute prints. I mentioned an Awkward fit just because the diaper itself is stiff and unforgiving.
Find them at: http://www.bumkins.com/all-in-one-cloth-diaper.html
