SPIN IT, TWIST IT, SHAKE IT

My family and I are headed to San Francisco this weekend for a wedding. While I was packing I started thinking about how much STUFF little kids require. My baby girl is 10 months, so she really only needs food and a couple small toys. As kids grow, it seems like the toys just get bigger!

I kind of can’t wait for my little one to be old enough for a “Find It” toy. Check out how cool these are! It’d be perfect for a car ride or plane ride. While it is a game, it’s a game that your children can play by themselves. You can join in on the fun though, if you want. It also isn’t messy….no little pieces to pick up or chase down the aisle on a plane!

Depending on what theme you choose, there are endless little goodies your kids will find inside. Just SPIN IT, TWIST IT, SHAKE IT and start searching! Kids will have so much fun seeing all the little surprises and trying to be the first to find a giraffe, soccer ball, or necklace. You could even time them so that they can try to beat their previous score. Be creative.  

You can find all of these fun FIND IT toys today in the new and improved Zoolu! Baby Boutique. WOOHOO! We hope you like it!

Pack ‘n Play! The Fight is OVER!

Do you fight with your play yard/pack ‘n play when you go to pack it up for a trip? Well, last weekend I decided I wanted to get away for the weekend and I knew I’d need our pack ‘n play. The last time my husband packed it up, I could hear him saying not so nice words to the poor pack ‘n play. It can’t help it that the company decided to make a bag that DOESN’T FIT THE PRODUCT. Seriously, people? I walked out and giggled at my husband and then it hit me! I forgot I had bought one of THESE. That’s actually a lie…it was given to me by my fabulous boss before my little sweat pea had arrived. My husband thinks it’s the greatest gift so far. If you’re sick of stuffing your pack ‘n play into a bag that just doesn’t work, buy a play yard bag!

The Travel Play Yard/Pack ‘n Play bag is a Zoolu! exclusive. This is why Zoolu! should be your favorite baby boutique. We are always thinking of ways to make your life easier! There is a clear window to put your personal information, but I might take ours to my local embroider and have our last name put on it. I’m a fan of monogramming and any other forms personalization’s. This bag is so durable and made of canvas. It has a side pocket for metal bars as well as sheets. It also has a long strap that you can attach, making it easier to carry! You can wear it like a backpack which is great when it’s just me and the little one. We all know how important it is to have two hands free!

Here’s a plus! I LOVE products that have multiple purposes. Once your kids don’t need the pack ‘n play, you can use this bag for sporting equipment or even just as a large duffle bag for whatever you like!

Buy one now in your favorite color!

White Noise Machines

Have you seen the latest noise machine in the baby boutique? Cloud B’s Mimicking Monkey is soooo cute!

White noise machines are huge at my house. The baby has one and so do we. I also have a fan in the guest room for when people visit. I can not fall asleep without some sound. It’s not the noise machines fault either (some will argue with me). I have ALWAYS needed noise…a TV, a fan, ocean waves, birds chirping. You know, anything pleasant that can put me into a deep sleep. Lord knows I need all the beauty sleep I can get!

The Mimicking Monkey might be the next big baby shower gift. You can record your voice! My little one is experiencing some separation anxiety and if she hears my voice, I think it would help sooth her to sleep. I love that you can read a monkey story and it will play it back for the child. If I still had a newborn, I’d probably record the vacuum going because as soon as I would turn it on, BG would fall asleep! Crazy, I know!

Buy one today for your little one or that next baby shower you’ll be attending this summer! Are you pregnant? Why not add it to your registry. Click here to start your registry.

Mimicking Monkey features:

• Plays three unique sounds for fun and sleep - Monkey fun, angel falls, lullaby
• Records voices over all sound option
• 30 minute sleep timer
• Velcro hands for securing to cribs and strollers
• 2 AA batteries included
• Illustrated storybook and adoption certificate

Have a happy day!

Mom, I'm soooooooooooo bored!

It's almost that time of year when the kids are out of school and you're pulling your hair out because you are running out of things to do with your antsy kids. Right? Some might say I can't relate (yet) because my little one is just 8 months old. I still pull my hair out somedays though because I worry about little BG getting bored.

Anywho, what are some of your favorite summer activities that keep your children entertained? How do you beat the boredom blues? My baby can't even talk yet and even I don't want to hear "Mom, I'm bored!" My response would probably be "here's a rag, go dust." Haha. Just kidding! I'm starting to sound like a mean mommy!

Ok ok, I came across THIS and I think many of you may love this idea! A BORED JAR! If you're a crafter, you could make a really pretty jar to leave on the counter. If you're not crafty, have no fear! Just take a spaghetti jar and put your activities onto strips of paper. It's all the same in the end anyway. :)


Here's an example from Shaydes of LifeIncluded in the "bored jar" are some "terribles" as well as exciting things to do. My terrible would definitely be "go dust your room". hehe One of my fun activities would be to go get ice cream. The idea is that whatever the paper says, you have to do it no matter what. So, if its go get ice cream make sure you're able to drop what you're doing too.

Here are some other ideas for your jar...
Play with chalk
Read
Exercise
Water plants
Write a letter to Grandma and Grandpa
Set the table for dinner
Listen to music
Take a nap

And here are some ideas for jars!






This last one is my favorite! I found it over at Becoming Martha. She takes this to a whole new level! I love how she wrote her activities on popsicle sticks. Plus, my heart thumps for cute little owls. Hoot hoot!



So, how do you combat boredom?

Melissa & Doug Review

I have always admired talented people, especially the ones that love kids, not that I don’t (I have a bunch of them) but I don’t think of myself as a kid person. They are the ones that get down on the floor and PLAY, they lose track of time, they truly have fun pretending they are a horse, a doctor, a princess etc. That’s just not me. Believe me, I try, but I am always thinking that there is something that I need to be doing so I spend that quality time trying to get my little angels to play on their own. I have found a solution in toys from Melissa and Doug. Because we are very busy, have a lot of kids and are constantly on the move, we like toys that are fun and engaging, educational and sometimes more important, something they can do on their own, whatever age they may be.

We currently own many Melissa and Doug floor puzzles, which are durable and doable for both our littlest and oldest (like the human body floor puzzle)…depending on the puzzle. AND, they keep my 4 year old busy on the kitchen floor (check out the giant fire truck puzzle), while I make dinner because she can do it herself and is thrilled that she doesn’t need mom’s help. We have been so impressed with these puzzles that we give them as birthday gifts.

We are also huge fans of Melissa and Doug’s travel games. We have worn out our Flip to Win Bingo, that we keep in a seat pocket in the car. There are no pens to lose, no mess to be made. It has been durable, doable and fun! Again, this is something that keeps all age groups in the car happy and I don’t need to schlep pens and paper for fun, it’s already in the car. As they get a bit older, there is the license plate game, as well as hang man, which we plan to purchase for our summer road trip for our 6 and 8 year old.

I cringe when I see my kids dragging out the arts and crafts. Just say “paint” and my blood pressure starts to go up. I like the idea of all the crafts, but four kids can pack a punch in the mess department, if you know what I mean. As a solution, we have taken to stamping. Melissa and Doug have fabulous stamping kits that are big enough for little hands to hold and use to make a picture they are proud of, with a mom that stays sane during the process.

We have never once been disappointed with anything we have purchased from Melissa and Doug. It’s become my personal ‘go to’ brand for gifts and what I recommend to new parents looking for great toys. One last confession, I don’t send Melissa and Doug products to anyone who ever sent us loud or messy toys. Instead, I get revenge with even louder toys.

JJ Cole Blanket

“Tummy time”….if my BG could talk she would scream “NOOOOO"!!!!” She can't stand tummy time. Really, I can't stand it either because I know how unhappy it makes my baby girl. There is one thing though that makes it a little better for me....I always lay a blanket down, even in my own home, when BG is on the floor. Between the spit up and drool, I was adding a lot of blankets to my already huge laundry pile. This quickly ended when I found the JJ Cole travel blanket!

I honestly can’t say enough good things about this blanket.We literally use it every.single.day. Now when BG spits up all I have to do is quickly wipe it up since the blanket is water-resistant. It’s the easiest thing to clean. I also love how padded it is. The other plus is that it folds up small so you can throw it in a closet when you’re cleaning up or grab it when you’re running out the door.

Although we mainly use the blanket for tummy/play time, I look forward to using it when the weather gets warmer because when BG isn’t sitting in her Fem * high chair, she will be rolling around on the JJ Cole blanket!

Now you can donate those big bulky comforters to the Good Will and buy one of these. It’s almost Spring, so you might as well start cleaning out that linen closet. While you’re at it add a cute, affordable and PRACTICAL blanket that the entire family can use! I know the Fourth of July is a ways off still, but wouldn’t this be perfect!?

Stop by your favorite baby boutique today and buy one for you…..and your best friend!

Do you own one of these fabulous blankets? If you do, where have you used yours?

Fem* One2Stay Chair ~ WELCOME TO AMERICA!

One of the cool things about being in the military is that most of us have lived in many different states and countries. While living in Germany I noticed many cool baby products that I wished were in America. America definitely has the best products, but Europe has quite a few that would be very popular over here. One being the Fem* (Fem-star) High Chair.

A long long time ago when I kept my personal blog updated, I documented my pregnancy. It was so fun sharing with all of my close friends and family my ever growing belly even though I was overseas. Anyway, if you followed my blog, you probably remember me telling you about the high chair we bought. It was our FIRST baby purchase. My husband and I were so excited! Ok, I was probably more excited, but still. At first I thought it looked a little silly and maybe a little “campy”, but that’s because it’s “euro” as I like to call it. I received so many emails asking where these high chairs could be found. I had a very sad response – you’re out of luck unless you want to have it shipped to you from the Netherlands!

Guess what folks! The 2011 Fem* chair has been approved to US standards and will be sold exclusively at Zoolu!!! Yay! Now everyone that was lusting over MY high chair can have one.

Why is this high chair so great, you ask? We take ours everywhere with us - restaurants, the park, friends houses and soon we will be taking it to my Mom and Dad’s house. At first the chair was a little stiff to open, but now it opens so easily. I love that my Fem* is so lightweight (about 4lbs), can be kept in your car and scoots right up to a restaurant table. I even sit my baby in it when I’m sitting at my desk so she can play and be at eye level with me. Once the weather gets nicer and there is music in the park I will DEFINITELY be bringing my Fem*. I know it sounds silly, but I love when people ask me about the high chair. “Oh, I got it in Europe….” I’m ok with bragging a little here and there!

There are pictures and product information on Zoolu!, but here are some more for you. In the picture with the chocolate-covered strawberries it’s hard to tell, but my little one is sitting in the chair. She is 5 months old and has PLENTY of room to grow in to the chair. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Click HERE to pre-order your Fem* One2Stay Chair. You’ll be the talk of the town, I promise!

phil&teds SALE – 20% off ALL Strollers and Stroller Accessories!

What is a party without a HUGE SALE on one of our most popular brands of strollers!?!  The phil&teds inline strollers are the go-to stroller for expanding families…and they are now 20% off at Zoolu!  Whether you are out and about running errands with just one child, or spending the day at Disneyland with the whole family – this stroller easily adapts from being a single stroller to a double stroller – all with one click!

     

The minute I found out I was pregnant with my second child, I knew we just had to have the phil&teds stroller!  I promptly sold my Graco travel system and started saving my pennies – and I am so glad that I did!  The stroller easily adapts from carrying an infant/toddler combo to two toddlers…making getting around with our two young boys VERY easy.  Two years later, we are still using this stroller everywhere we go.  The flexibility and durability, without the double-wide bulk, has made this one of our best baby purchases to date!

For four days only, Zoolu! has all phil&teds strollers and stroller accessories marked down 20%!  And with free shipping for all items $75+, you won’t be stuck paying an arm and a leg for shipping either!  Don’t just run…sprint over to Zoolu! today – as these are sure to fly off the shelves! 

 

Rockabye Baby!

....or it is Rockabye Mommy? Seriously, the Rockabye Baby! CDs really do rock. When I first received these I didn't really understand the concept. I was imagining a CD like Kidz-Bop....you know, the CD's where young kids sing popular songs? I was actually a little excited to hear kids singing Bob Marley songs...I figured I'd sound like a halfway decent singer with kids in the background! Even though I was super excited to sing away, I didn't understand the "lullaby" part. How could a bunch of teeny boppers put my baby to sleep?

Fortunately, for BG, I was so wrong...Am I the only one that was confused until I listened to the CD's? Please tell me I'm not! Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Bob Marley is even better than I could have imagined. Every song is instrumental and sound so sweet. I’m a little embarrassed at how much I love all these so called baby products for MYSELF! I quickly copied all 8 of my CD's onto my iPod and now BG has sweet lullaby music playing during naptime. My favorites are Bob Marley, Cold Play and the Rolling Stones. My husbands favorites are The Beatles and Journey. These CD's will definitely be added to my "musts" for baby shower gifts for the DAD. Sometimes I feel bad for the Dads because they always get forgotten. What Dad wouldn't love a little Rolling Stones music playing in the nursery? These might even be good CD's to leave at Grandma and Grandpa’s so that you can show them how cool nursery music be :)