#Review and #Giveaway for Llama's Bowtique

 

 When I found out I was having a little girl, I knew I would eventually be thrust into the world of bows and baubles. Of course, that's not a bad thing. I loved being girly and having lots of bows and jewelry as a little girl myself! Fuss had quite a bit of hair when she was born but it was all very fine and wouldn't hold anything in it. So, we ended up with lots of head bands like this one. (P.S. Don't you love those cheeks?)




By Thanksgiving this year (when she was 19 months old), Fuss's hair had grown out quite a bit and she was finally able to wear little bows in it.

She still only had what my dad liked to call "sprinklers" because her bottom hair wouldn't reach anywhere near to being put in the ties. These small/medium bows were perfect for that age! She still wears her little corkers but not as often as she likes to pick out each bow.

The quality of these bows (and bow holders) is excellent! I have gotten bows from other vendors as well as been given bows as gifts only to have them fall apart after one use because of too little glue holding them on the clip. I haven't had that problem with bows from Llama's. As a matter of fact, I accidentally WASHED one of the Llama's bows after sticking it in a coat pocket for "safe" keeping. (Can't you tell that worked so well?) I was surprised when I took it out of the washer and it was still completely intact AND still looked great! I compared it to the identical bow that had not been run through a wash/dry cycle. As you can see, the only difference is that the corker on the left has bunched a little around itself. All I had to do was unwrap the curls, and the washed bow (on the left compared to the original on the right) was good as new.

The new Llama's Bows also have this great no-slip grip added. It helps keep the bows from sliding out of fine baby hair. Fuss has a lot of fine hair so this extra grip is very helpful. Especially since, once it starts sliding out, she cries, "Oh no! Bow back!" LOL. This way I don't have too much to worry about.

To the right, is an example of one of the bow holders that Nikki sells. These are all but one of our actual Llama's Bows. The Dora bow was a custom order for Fuss's birthday party and matched her outfit perfectly!  Nikki also has headbands and "piggy toes" barefoot sandals for sale in her shop. She is great when ordering custom items as well.

For the giveaway, simply enter below. This giveaway will be open from 12 a.m. May 6 through 12 a.m. on May 20.

Happy Future Wipe Liniment Review

I received this sample from Happy Future to review as part of a sampler package. Since Fuss has been starting to PL, we have been staying away from cloth wipes in favor of toilet paper and disposable wipes. However, she recently had a few days where she didn't want to use the potty at all. No problemo!

Then, she decided apple juice was her drink of choice for the day. I knew better, but in order to keep the peace I gave her 4 (sippy) cups of apple juice. Oh, dear... LOL. The following day, Fuss pooped SOOOOOOO many times we could barely get a clean diaper on her before she filled it again! I ended up using her cloth wipes with the stickiest poop with the Liniment on them. It worked really well!

The liniment is the consistency of runny lotion. This actually makes it really great for squirting on the wipe before wiping baby's bottom. You can also squirt it directly on baby to loosen super stuck "stuff." I used both methods depending on my needs at the time. The liniment is also a great protectant! It coats the skin very lightly with the natural oils it is made from. I think it would make a great nail/cuticle conditioner! LOL. Fuss had no reaction to this liniment, nor did she mind when I put it on her directly. As opposed to sprays, she didn't seem to notice this on her. Sometimes when I spray her she will jump and giggle as the spray hits her. The liniment at least kept her in one place on the changing table.




Also, as with all Happy Future products, the liniment is certified organic!

I'm very glad I had the opportunity to review this product for BunnyBerry and Happy Future! Do you have any questions or concerns I missed? Let me know in the comments!

Today was the Day

I took Fuss out to Wal-Mart (or Hell-Mart, however you choose to see it) this evening to pick out her new bedding. She is in her toddler bed now, so she gets to make the "big girl" decision of how she wants her room decorated! I put her in the buggy (shopping cart for those non-hillbillies) and wheel her over to the shelf of sheets.

She immediately points to Dora and yells loud enough for the rest of the store to hear, "DORA!!!!"

Then I tell her, "You can pick out your sheets for your bed, for 'Fuss's' bed. Which ones do you want? You can pick one: Fairies, Princess, Dora, or Minnie." I pointed at each one in turn. This is met with a very intense look and a "Hmmm." She studies them carefully. I see her look at Minnie, but her attention doesn't stay there long. She looks at the Disney Fairies. Same story. It's all down to the Disney Princesses or Dora.

She looks at me, pointing, and asks, "Princess?"

My reply? "If you want Princess on your bed, you can get it. It's going on YOUR BED. So, are you sure you want Princess? You pick."

She stands there another few minutes. I can see her thinking this over and looking from one to the other, back and forth. "Dora?" she says.

"If that's what you want, you can have it. You pick one: Dora or Princess."

"DORA!" she yells, not quite so loud this time, as she points to the Dora sheets.

"Are you sure?" I ask her. She responds with a smile and a nod and repeats Dora. "Okay, we'll get Dora!"

Yes, I actually had the above conversation with my not-yet-2-year-old. She had actually picked the Dora set out online before we went to Wal-Mart and HUGGED my laptop going "Awwww, Dora!" the second she saw it. Do I believe she understood everything I said to her? Not quite everything, but it was enough that she knew she could choose for herself. I admit, it was really interesting watching her make the decision when she could see the prints right there in front of her. Online, she could have cared less about the princesses. In real life, it was a completely different matter! Not to mention, as we walked through the rest of the store, she would point to Disney Princesses and go "Princess!" just as often as she would point to Dora. Apparently, this was a really difficult decision! In another couple years we will probably be changing her room to princess stuff from Dora, but for now she's happy (and hugged her sheets on the way out of the store) and that's all that really matters.

**And, in case you were wondering, last night Fuss slept in her toddler bed all night! She didn't wake up at all until almost 9:30 this morning. Of course, the second she woke up today, I heard "Mommy" and the patter of little feet running to the door. Her door was not latched, so she opened it and ran to her kitchen to play. Nap time wasn't quite so easy, though. She got up twice before I finally rocked her to sleep and placed her in the bed.

Goodbye, Baby...Hello, Toddler!

Okay, I know officially that Fuss is already a toddler. She's past 1 and walking. However, she was still in her crib. I figured as long as she wasn't climbing out, I wasn't going to transition her to the toddler bed setting (we have a convertible crib that goes all the way to a full size bed). She was great until recently. A couple weeks ago she started pulling herself up on the railing. Then, she would try to get her foot up over the railing. No big deal. She couldn't even potentially reach.

But in the last 2 weeks, she has gained another tooth AND at least 1" in height. I didn't think anything of it. Until today. This morning Fuss pulled up and put her foot over the railing on her crib! Had I not been standing right there, she would have fallen on her head. Joy. Now it's time to get the side rail out and set up her toddler-stage bed.

Personally, I am NOT ready for this. I am not ready for Fuss to get out of bed on her own in the middle of the night and come get mommy and daddy. I am not ready for her to be up at God-knows-what-hour in the morning running through the house. *I* am not ready. But she is. So, as usual, we follow her lead.


Now, to convince Daddy it needs done today....

Cherished Style Carrier Review

Post-Christmas shopping tired her out. She curled right in and stopped crying the second I put her here.

I have had the pleasure, through starting this blog, to meet Jasmine Julian who is a mommy of 4 and a the mind behind Cherished Style. While on my trip to NY at Thanksgiving, I was able to meet up with her and chat. She was generous enough to give me one of her Mai Tai style carriers to test out and review. I had only used my home-made Moby wrap up to this point when I needed to carry Fuss around with me, but she had outgrown its use. Everything in her shop is made-to-order, and my Mai Tai was no exception. All I asked was that it be gender neutral and match my diaper bag which was brown with lime green piping. This is what she came up with! The green matched the piping/interior of my diaper bag EXACTLY, sight unseen!

She has two styles of this carrier. Mine is her "old style" which works great for older children. This one gives Fuss a great safe-feeling seat compared to some others we have seen.

The second style is much more trim (as you can see in the photo on the left) compared to the "old" style. This one is ideal for newborns and younger children. I think you would also be able to wear a larger baby in this one as well since the construction on these carriers is excellent. Honestly, you would be hard-pressed to find a comparably made carrier below $100 retail.

Pocket

Rain hood clipped to D-Rings

One of my favorite features of this carrier is the little pocket on the front. This is a great place to put your keys, tissues, or any other small items you may need access to quickly. It has a snap to keep things from falling out and getting lost in the shuffle. The rain hood fits really well inside this pocket when not in use as well. Second favorite? The rain hood! It just snaps on to the carrier and you fold it up and over baby, loop through the D-Rings at the shoulders, and snap. The D-Rings are also very handy for toys or clipping other small items to. They are very strong and work great with "links" or carabiners. If you aren't using the rain hood, it snaps off and you can use the hood snaps to fold the upper part of the carrier down for a better view for your little one.

Finally, unlike many carriers, the straps are well-padded but not too thick. Before I knew how bad they were for babies, I used a Bjorn to get some relief from Fuss's crying by wearing her around the house. I could only manage this for about 20 minutes before my shoulders were being cut into and my back was aching so badly I could barely move. And that was with a 5 pound baby!! With this carrier, I don't have either problem! I can easily wear Fuss for 2+ hours while out shopping and not have any side effects. The straps are wide enough that they spread the weight across the whole shoulder, and the criss-cross used in the back gives support as well as weight distribution throughout your whole body.

Jasmine makes an addition to her carrier that will work for TWINS! Here is a photo of Jasmine wearing her 2 youngest to show how it would work:

Here, she has the carrier strapped on with a front carry, then the twin addition is simply clipped onto the hiking-grade buckles with extra webbing across Mom's shoulders and tied on the bottom! Neat, huh?

Jasmine doesn't just make carriers, though, she also makes diaper bags (great for cloth mamas because they have like 10 interior and exterior pockets and can even be made with customizable pocket inserts!), nursing covers, and children's doll carriers. She's also been working hard on a new soft structured carrier.

Head over to Life With My Littles and be sure to enter her #BirthdayBlessingsBash for a chance to win a $25 gift card for Cherished Style from Jasmine and me! Don't forget to stop by Cherished Style LLC on Facebook and thank Jasmine for her generous gift!

In parting, I will leave you with a few photos of both the front and back carry with Fuss and me. By the way, ignore Fuss in a couple of those, she *HATES* the back carry! LOL. I also apologize for the "MySpace" style shots. I only had my MIL take one because that's all the time we had. These are the best I could do.

The Teething Monster Returns

Ugh! I'm ready to pull all my hair out! I hate resorting to keeping Fuss on medications like Tylenol all day long, but at this point, that's all that's helping! Granted, I think we were a little worse than normal recently because I took her amber necklace off for a bath and forgot to put it back on her for a couple days. That definitely makes the teething worse (at least in my opinion). Poor thing has been waking up at night 3-4 times, sometimes crying, sometimes screaming, and often NOT going back to sleep on her own with or without her pacifier. She then wakes up between 8 and 10 a.m. and is up until 9 p.m. WITHOUT a nap. After 2 days of little sleep during the night and a non-napping toddler, I'm exhausted!

I have used every trick I know of to help her pain. She's eaten Popsicles, soft foods, and cold foods. She's chewed on everything from her hands to a vibrating teether. We have used Hyland's Teething Tablets and Gel - These seem to give a little relief because she'll go play after getting one or the other. And we've used Orajel. My last resort (aside from the amber necklace) is the medication. I hate feeling like I'm one of those moms who continues to wish away their kid's childhood, but I really do wish teething was over! I only want the next 4-5 months to be done so we get more than a week's break from the agony I know Fuss is experiencing. It is very heart-wrenching when your not-quite-2-year-old comes to you and says, "Hurt, Mommy." You ask, "Where?" She points to her mouth and says, "Teeth." The worst part is there's nothing more you can do to help her. :-(

Keepsake Baby Plate

I received this beautiful Keepsake Plate from Community Service Systems/Original Baby Plate to review. I LOVE the idea of the plate having all the "essential" information in one place for you: Name, birth date, time of birth, birth weight, and location. The craftsmanship on this plate is impeccable! It is porcelain and you can  have the text/photo done in either pink or blue. Who would have guessed, right? Personally, I think the blue is much more appealing.

My only hang-up about this purchase would be that there is no option to get a different mode of display. It comes with an attractive but very cheaply-made plastic stand. This wouldn't be a problem if you didn't have a CHILD in your home! I would prefer to see something more substantial, preferably a hanger, for use as a display. In all honesty, I have a 16-month-old who thinks she is a monkey! If I had this on a stand or table anywhere NEAR her, she would climb up and grab it (then proceed to fling it to the floor, enjoying the shattering sound as it hits). I understand the company's desire to save money. However, it would be nice to at least have an OPTION available to change the type of display stand you want: Plastic (no cost), Metal (maybe $1-2 more), and Hanging ($2 or so more).

I have considered ordering one for my Fuss (and any subsequent child, to be fair), but I don't have a place out of reach enough to put the plate on display to justify the $40 price tag at this time. I think the plate is adorable!! It just isn't very practical.

**Originally posted by me 8/14/11 at Bunny Berry Blog**

Happy Future Delicate Cleansing Gel Shower and Bath

I received several samples from Happy Future several weeks ago. One of which was the Delicate Cleansing Gel Shower and Bath. This cleanser is appropriate for both hair and body, which is always a plus in my book! It easily compares to the Johnson & Johnson Hair and Body cleanser. It produces a lot less bubbles/suds, however, it cleans as well if not better. I would compare the texture and color of the cleanser to honey. It's like a watered-down honey when you pour it out! Admittedly, I don't care for the smell right out of the bottle but it leaves behind no scent except that of a clean baby. This is probably one of the easiest rinsing cleansers I have used on Fuss as well. So far, the only downfall is that her hair tends to be a little more static-prone when I use the Happy Future as compared to any other shampoo. Not really a "flaw" per se, I just hate for her to have frizzy hair. Most products she has at least a small reaction to as either a slight rash or itching. Fuss had NO REACTION AT ALL to the HF products! I was amazed! I also tried out another of their products on myself (review to come) and I had no reaction! All-in-all, I would highly recommend this product line to anyone who has a super-sensitive baby. I think this would be great with eczema or similar skin conditions. (Fuss also has eczema, and I used the HF during an exacerbation to help calm her skin.)

A little more about the ingredients can be found HERE. A few notable things about Happy Future: -Made in France
-Hypoallergenic
-No Nut Oils
-Certified Organic
-Paraben-free
-USDA approved!

For the products I have used so far, I really love them! I am sure I'm not going to be disappointed with the rest of the product line!

You can also follow Happy Future on Facebook or Twitter to keep up with the latest on their product line!

Getting Ready for a Trip!

We will all be visiting my dad in the next week...well, a little more since it will be Thanksgiving. We're all very excited. Fuss even picked out her own luggage (a Dora the Explorer suitcase) at Sears. She dragged that thing all through the mall afterward!

So, I will be traveling with my cloth diapers on an extended trip. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. I'm trying to avoid washing them while at my dad's, so I have figured out that if I use sposies on the trip up and back, I have enough diapers to last the whole trip without washing. My only issue is finding a good wet bag to use while there. It has to prevent stink and hold ALL of my diapers!

Any suggestions?

The only suggestion I have so far is the WeeHuggers Laundry Bag.

Punkin Butt Prefolds and Diaper Pins

Audrey over at Punkin-Butt sent me a Newborn size prefold and a set of 2 diaper pins. Since my Fuss is no longer a newborn, I couldn't use the prefold as a full diaper on her. However, I was able to use it as a doubler in my Flips and as an insert in my pocket diapers and Fuss's new trainers. One thing I noticed right away about the prefold I was sent was the color. It was white. Not that there is anything wrong with white prefolds...they work exactly the same as the natural/unbleached ones. It's just that, well, generally unbleached is better for the environment. Then, I did some research and found this on Audrey's site: "Concerned about chlorine bleach?  Our white prefolds are whitened with Hydrogen Peroxide instead of Chlorine Bleach making them a healthy alternative to traditionally bleached prefolds for the earth, the manufacturers and your baby!" Pretty cool, huh?! It is quite absorbent and has worked really well as an insert in Fuss's Happy Heiny trainer. The prices are really great on these as well at under $2 a piece, making them excellent for someone on a budget. Here is a comparison pic of my toddler prefold (unbleached) and the newborn prefold from Punkin Butt.

I used the diaper pins on my toddler sized prefolds with the Bikini Twist. The pins have a slide-down brass cap that is attached to the pin and keeps it closed so baby doesn't get hurt. Once it is on, it's NOT coming off! Being that I'm not used to using pins, I found them a little harder to use than other methods. BUT they held great and I think that, given practice, I could get them on much tighter than I did on my first few tries. The brass cover was really easy to pop up so the pin could be opened, adding no extra time to the diaper change in that respect. Fuss was being cooperative while I tried these (thankfully), so I didn't stick her or myself in the process! LOL. These are a great option, though, and I am glad that I have them in my cloth diapering arsenal in a pinch! 

Are there any other questions you might have about the diapers or pins that I haven't answered? Leave me a comment!

Happy Heiny's Heiny Spray Review

You read that right: Heiny Spray! So, what exactly is it? Complicated answer: "A unique, all natural and organic spray which will gently cleanse and refresh the entire diaper area with no harsh chemicals." ~Happy Heinys Heiny Spray bottle. *Side note, you can also find the ingredient list at the link!* Simple answer: Something to spray on your baby's butt as an alternative to mainstream wipes and is often used with cloth wipes or wash cloths.

I have used this spray with both "normal" wipes (name-brand disposables) and with my infant wash cloths that double as cloth wipes. First thing I noticed, or maybe I should say didn't notice, was that there is NO FRAGRANCE. For a Mommy with asthma and a baby with sensitive skin, this is a true blessing. The second thing I noticed was the width of the spray. There was a full and wide spray from the fingertip sprayer, allowing me a better coverage area than other fingertip sprayers I have used. Why is that such a good thing? Peanut butter poop. For those unfamiliar with the many consistencies of baby poop, peanut butter poop is exactly what it sounds like. It's poop that is the same thickness and consistency of peanut butter. Gross? Yes. Normal? Most definitely. Really annoying to deal with? Absolutely! Disposable wipes have a very difficult time removing said poop from baby's bottom without serious elbow grease and possible irritation of your little one's sensitive skin. Adding the Heiny Spray helped 1,000 times! Instead of an average of about 8 wipes, I was able to cut back to around 4, and remove all the poop without making my daughter's skin raw. While using the cloth wipes, I could choose to spray the cloth or my daughter. Honestly, the spray works best when applied directly to baby's bottom.

It worked very well for us and I was pleased with the lack of reaction from my daughter's sensitive skin. The bottle is large, and I have barely made a dent in it even after using it for more than 2 weeks with my daughter teething. It helps keep her irritation free and I can only assume feels very refreshing when applied based on my daughter's reaction with each use!

Oh! I almost forgot...I also used the spray to sanitize my daughter's thermometer since the Heiny Spray is also anti-bacterial. :) Further questions? Comments? Drop me a line!

**Original post by me can be found HERE**