BBox

Disclaimer: This products in this post were provided to me at no cost, however, all words and opinions are my own. 

This post may contain affiliate links.

If you have kiddos you likely have kid products galore, but I hope this post can help you pare down  in the area of sippy cups. With my oldest two there weren't many options because they were born in 1810 so there were like two types of cups on the market, not a lot of options. But man, once baby three came along and now baby four...get out of here, there are soooooo many different options out there now. Many look neat in theory but don't end up living up to their promises but today I'm going to show you one that you need want to try. Its that good. Of all the sippy cups we have, I have two favorites. I've even trashed a few because they just didn't do it for me but this one is in my top favorite two (I'll show you the other one next week). 

Its by BBox, now I had never heard of this brand prior to being introduced to this cup and I'm not quite sure why because this cup is amazing. 

A few noteworthy features include:

Flip top: You can easily open and close the top to protect the straw when not in use

Leak proof: This is one cup that truly is leak free, every sippy I've seen claims this but few truly are leak proof, this one lives up to the promise of no mess.

360 use: No matter how your child tilts (or doesn't tilt) this cup it will still work. It has this long flexible weighted straw inside to allow your kiddo to get liquid regardless of the angle they are holding the cup at.

Source

And its cute! Now go check out BBox (this cup comes in a rainbow of colors!) and let me know what you think of their products when you try them for yourselves! Happy Tuesday, friends. Xx

Snacking on-the-go

Full Disclosure: The products in this post were provided to me at no cost, however all words and opinions are my own.

If your toddler is anything like mine, you stay prepped on your outings with an arsenal of goodies to tame the wild that inevitably comes during errand running. My diaper bag weighs about 4,376 pounds because I carry so much to keep her entertained, happy, and not grabbing everything within her reach. The struggles.

But not only does my little one want a snack when the time comes, she wants to do it herself. And that's just her personality. Always has been. She wants to do nearly everything herself. 

I started her on solids at around seven months old and she let me feed her for less than a week before she wanted to do it herself - so I let her because why not?! It made her happy and now she's awesome using utensils, well, relatively speaking. And she's awesome at keeping Samantha fed as well because I mean, come on, who could resist those puppy eyes. Literally. Puppy Eyes.

So when it comes to snacking on-the-go it's the same; she wants to do it herself. And after a few incidents of her spilling a box of raisins or dumping her crackers, I knew there had to be a product out there that could help. Enter; Ubbi. They have such cute products and the one that caught my eye immediately was their Tweet Snack Container. It's adorable (shaped like a bird), comes in fun colors (red, green, hot pink, robin's egg blue, and orange), and it's functional. 

The top is where the magic is; kids can get their hands in the container to reach their treats but the design prevents treats from falling out as well as kids from pulling out a massive handful at a time. 

And then there's the lid that snaps closed to keep snacks fresh. It latches well enough that it stays closed and opens easy enough that my 15 month old can flip it open when she decides it's snack time at the splash pad.

This is by far one of my favorite kid products I've used to date. We use our tweet snack containers everywhere; at home, in the car, in stores, you name it. 

They're available on Amazon or Buy Buy Baby. Check 'em out! And stay tuned because these will be included in an awesome giveaway coming up. Happy Thursday, friends!

Nuby Giveaway!

Happy weekend, friends! I've missed you all - we've had a busy couple of weeks with our international move but we are starting to get kiiiiiiinda settled and by 'settled' I mean we have a house filled to the brim with boxes, we'll get there I'm sure. 

Today I want to show you a super nifty gadget that as parents we've all thought "someone should make that." It's Nuby's Keepeez Cup Accessory. Have you ever been out shopping and given your little one their sippy cup just to hear it crash to the ground moments later? The worst, right? Because they want it back but now it's dirty and gross. Well with the Keepeez Cup Accessory there's no worry about rouge cups. One end of it attaches to your kiddo's sippy cup and the other end to the shopping cart (or high chair, or car seat, etc). The end that attached to your cup easily snaps on and off for you but it's trickier for the babe so there's no worry about them unbuckling it. We've used this on shopping trips, at mealtimes, and even when I'm wearing her in my Tula (even Ari has worn her as shown below) I'll just clip one end to a strap on my Tula and the other to the cup and boom! You're good to go!

And guess what, guys? Nuby wants to give one of YOU their Keepeez Cup Accessory! You will seriously love it! Just head over to my Instagram page for details on how to enter, it's super easy! 

Stay tuned, beautiful people because I'll be back next week with more fantastic Nuby products to show you such as the Feeding Bowls with Long Handle Spoons as well as the Fun Feeding Section Plate . And the Keepeez Cup Accessory is coming to Amazon this July! Just click the links to learn more and come back here next week to see our products in action with a full review. 

Now head on over to Instagram and enter to win! Best of luck. 

Full Disclosure: As a Nuby Parent Blogger I've been provided with the products mentioned in this post at no cost, however all words and opinions are my own.  

Doing Our Best

Some days I complete and put away countless loads of laundry, crochet a scarf, make my own soap, run four miles, do my nails, and clean the floors thrice (true story). And other days I shove the baby's leftovers from lunch in my mouth as I attempt to unload the dishwasher with the littlest on my hip, deem dinner a "fend for yourself" event, and eventually make it into the shower at midnight just to realise I forgot to use soap whilst in said shower. It happens, folks. 

Avery absolutely hates napping and that greatly diminishes my productivity on days when she protests. Which is most days. And it probably doesn't help the situation that I co-sleep. Which, I don't mind and actually prefer, but during the day I'd like for her to be able to nap in her crib so I can get certain things done or have a few minutes alone.

So I began a little nap routine where we eat brunch, then wash up, then go to her room, and I read her a book, nurse her then put her in her crib. We're good up until the "put her in her crib" part. Girlfriend has none of it. She'll either just start playing or crying. I refuse to let her cry-it-out despite Seth being in the old school "let her cry" camp although he's never done it either (easier said than done, huh babe?). I just can't do it. Everything in me tells me it's wrong (wrong for me, no judgement on others) because it just doesn't feel right. And I guess that's nature's design working, right? We are born to have a certain physical and emotional response to our offspring crying. To react to it. To help them. To soothe them. And even big, tough, Seth questioned me when the other day I put her in her crib and she started to fuss but I needed to pee so I walked into our bathroom and he said, "Don't let her cry!" 

Whoa there big man! I thought you were in the cry it out camp! 

Apparently he talks a good game but when he actually hears her cry he quickly changes his mind. I reassured him that I was simply going pee so she cried for all of 60 seconds. But still. I felt awful.

All this to say, after trying to pat, lull, shh, sing Av to sleep for two and a half hours she finally fell asleep, two feet from her crib, in my arms, while I sat in the chair nursing her. 

And you know, when I was trying to get her to sleep alone I felt so bad for her. I'd pick her up and comfort her each time she fussed then put her back down then she'd fuss so I'd pick her back up and I felt so guilty that I wasn't just nursing her to sleep like I normally do. I imagined she was so confused and just wanted to feel safe and warm and able to nap which for her meant being with me. And when she finally fell asleep in my arms she was finally happy and so was I. I've always had an attachment parenting style but I think maybe because I have one that's almost in college I find myself even more extreme with it nowadays. I just know how fast time goes. I've lived it. I look at my 16 year old and think, "Dude. I just had you like a year ago." But no, in less than two years he'll be off to college. 

So when I don't get to shower until midnight and the laundry is piling up I try my best not to stress about it because I'm never gonna say, "Boy, I wish I would've spent less time with Avery and more time keeping my house spotless." Nope. Instead, one day I'm gonna miss that she's perpetually attached to my hip and wants snuggles all day long. Because one day she too is gonna be 16, and I can't get this time back. 

So to any fellow moms that find themselves in a similar situation, you're not alone. You're doing you're best. Follow your instincts rather than ignoring them. They're there for a reason. And know that you will never regret all this time you are spending with your littles. And for the moms that have no problem letting their littles cry it out, you're not alone either. You, too, are doing your best. And the same way I don't let anyone make me feel bad for parenting the way that feels right in my heart, you shouldn't either. We are all doing what works for us and our families. 

Now I've gotta go - it's nap time, and my baby needs me.

Blog, Blog, Blog

We get our household goods delivered to us first thing tomorrow morning and I feel like I'm six years old and it's Christmas Eve. Though I'm sure the excitement is only felt by me and Seth, which is understandable because when you have a house with your furniture in it and pictures of loved ones on the wall you tend to not understand how tough it is to come home to a nearly empty house everyday.

Perhaps I'm materialistic or perhaps I'm just human. Either way, I like things - tangible things. I don't need things, I won't be miserable without things, but I like things - material things. I want things, I work for things, I check my bank statement and think about how many things I can buy according to my balance. We're not talking shopaholic status here or anything, I'm just talking about a love of things.

And surprisingly I'm not a pack-rat, by any means. I'm actually the complete opposite - I LOVE throwing things away. Like not in a wasteful way, but I love going through the "junk drawer" in the kitchen and tossing out papers we no longer need. I love going into my closet, or the kids' closets and getting rid of clothes or shoes that are too small, or worn out, or no longer in style. I love cleaning. I love order. I love seeing that I have found a trash bag worth of stuff to take out of the house - it gives me a high, in a sense. I feel happier, I feel lighter, I feel cleaner, and I can breath easier. What does that mean? Well, I could sit here and "shrink" myself all day, and sometimes I do, but I think I already know what my need to rid my home of clutter means - and I'm okay with it.

I just like nice things. I've always had nice things. My parents worked very hard to be able to give me and my brother nice things. I never wanted as a child. If I was at the store and wanted something it was safe to say that I was coming home with it. I never remember a time when my parents struggled like most couples starting off do. Nope, my parents were past that stage by the time I could form lasting memories. And yet, somehow, they were able to raise me to be a well-rounded, appreciative adult.

There were some bumps along the way of course; everyone has those. I went through my rebellious stage and I'm certain I gave each of my parents a few gray hairs during my teenage years. Nevertheless, I ended up okay.

A lot of parents seem to think that their child(ren) need(s) to be a saint, a scholar, have a twenty year plan, understand the world, appreciate the little things in life and love unconditionally by the time they graduate high school. And these same parents seem to think that if their child(ren) lack(s) any one of those qualities, then they must've failed as parents. But the truth is, a parents' work never stops. Your words of wisdom (and even words you wish you could take back) stick with us forever. We never forget. We may act, sometimes, like we have forgotten. We may, at times, speak as if you were never there for us. We may even make you question whether or not you imagined our entire childhood and that we were, instead, actually raised by a pack of wolves. And some of us may not show you we've grasped the lessons we've learned or lessons you taught us. But eventually we get it - eventually we grow up to be the amazing person you intended to send out into the world.

And for each of us the reason for the seemingly sudden awakening of a productive life will be different. For some of us it will seem to be becoming parents ourselves that help us make the change to being better people. For some of us it will seem to be losing a loved one that makes us really cherish life. But just know that while it may seem to be a single incident that changes us, that is far from the case.

We never changed. That thoughtful, understanding person that we seemed to become after having a child was always deep within us. We may have rarely showed you that we had that side to us, but we did. And you, our parents, are the ones to thank for that.

And some children may never seem to learn. Some may live a life in and out of prison. Some may have children and be an absentee parent. Some may disrespect their parents, or take advantage of their parents. Some may show you, with their actions, that you failed as a parent - but this isn't the case. Deep down, the lessons you've taught your children are with them. Deep down they know you raised them well, or as well as you could.

As parents, we all do our best. Even if it doesn't seem that way at times. From the drug addict who doesn't have food in the house for their children to the parents like mine, who gave me everything I could have ever wanted - they all try their best. And their best may change from month to month or year to year - and that's okay. Because no matter what, you taught your children brilliant lessons that only you could teach. And because of that, we become who we are. And regardless of what we may show through our actions, none of you have failed as parents.