Couture Clip Luxe Toy Holder

Olivia is just entering the stage where she is learning to grasp and hold onto her toys.  She is absolutely in love with her Sophie the Giraffe and a few other rattles.  However, her grip is not very tight yet and she drops her toys all the time.  This poses a problem when she is in her carseat, riding in the ergo, or in the stroller.  If she drops her toy on the ground, that's it, game over.  Thankfully, I was sent a Couture Clip Luxe Toy Holder for review.  This came in great handy for our girls trip to the Oregon Coast!

We were sent the Couture Clip Luxe Toy Holder in Pink Organic Cotton.  It came packaged on a lovely card with a logo, ready for gift-giving.  

It has a little, linen label (say that five times fast!) and the tether is hand stitched onto the strap for durability.  The fabric is a beautiful organic pointelle knit cotton.  It's super soft!  

The clip has soft plastic teeth on the inside which is super nice because then it doesn't damage any of the cute clothes you hook it onto and helps to grip better so the clip isn't pulled loose.

Sophie is right at home with her new Couture Clip.  She didn't want to get lost.

Olivia and Sophie played in the carseat nicely without being thrown overboard (or out the window, if you have an active toddler.)  This is also great because you don't have to reach around in the backseat for the toy your baby has dropped, enabling you to keep your eyes on the road!

Sophie got to go on walks on the beach with Olivia and I without the risk of being washed away with the tide or being stolen by a hungry seagull.  They really will eat anything!  Pardon the picture of Sophie looking like she is at the gallows.  It was worth it not to lose her.  It doesn't look quite so odd when your child is actively chewing on the toy instead of sleeping. Hehe!

Sophie got to go with us to Cannon Beach, Oregon and see the famous Haystack Rock.

At the end of each day, Sophie was with her girl Miss Olivia.  They had a great time on vacation and thanks to our Couture Clip Luxe Toy Holder, Sophie made it safely home to Idaho!  

If you have a Sophie (or another loved toy) that needs Couture Clip for a friend, you can get 25% off now with this coupon code BML25. The toy holders come in organic cotton, faux suede, knit cashmere and upcycled knit cashmere and range in price from $20-$29.  Couture Clip also makes luxe binkie holders, bows and pouches for gift-giving.   Show them some love and stay up-to-date by following on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!  Thank you Couture Clip!

Le Bibble Bottle Bibs Review and Giveaway

If you have ever bottle-fed a baby, you know what the potential is for a huge, leaky mess.  Sometimes, you need a mop just to clean up after a feeding.  Le Bibble's baby bottle bib prevents the inevitable after-bottle outfit change, for sure!  

This unique item slips right over the top of the bottle and sits on the neck under the bottle rim.  It easily catches all the dribbles from your baby's leaky mouth during her bottle-feeding.  

The durable elastic collar holds it right where it needs to be and the super-soft organic cotton underlay is very absorbant, keeping your baby and their pretty little outfit, clean and dry!  If you have an excessive dribbler, use Le Bibble with the cotton underlay close to the baby's mouth and rotate the bottle bib as needed.  

It can be used to eliminate bottle confusion at daycare by setting your infant's bottle apart from the rest.  It would also work for sippy cups as well in the same way.  The bright, eye-catching fabric can help baby learn to hold her own bottle and the looped tag can add extra sensory interest, too.  It comes in tons of fun prints and retailing at $9.95 each, or 3 for $27, Le Bibble makes a great shower gift for that mom-to-be! 

Livvy really loved playing with Le Bibble while it was on her bottle.  She is normally breastfed, so she only gets a bottle once and a while when I pump.  I put Le Bibble to the test...it definitely did what it was supposed to and mopped the milk off her chin, when she was actually using the bottle in its intended fashion, to eat.  However, once she was finished she became more interested in chewing on the bottle nipple than drinking it and was also giving me these huge grins while I was taking her picture.  Needless to say, open mouthed smiles with a mouth full of milk makes for a messy baby.  Le Bibble or no Le Bibble.  

Let the cute baby pictures commence!

 

Le Bibble is "future-friendly" as well.  It is made from US grown certified organic cotton, locally made in the USA and packages are labeled using EarthFirst PLA. And one of my favorite things about Le Bibble is that a portion of all proceeds go to help women, children and babies in need.  I love a company that gives back!

Bottom line...I love this unique product, it is both fun and functional.  Like Le Bibble's motto.  Funfunctional!

Michelle, the professional organizer behind the creation of this ingenious product and owner of her company, is generously offering my readers a giveaway for two Le Bibble Bottle Bibs.  Thank you Michelle! Please checkout her Facebook page HERE and become a fan, follow her on twitter HERE and follow her Pins on Pinterest HERE.    

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The product for this review was provided to me by the company.  All opinions expressed are my own. Others who may use the product may have different opinions.

Citrus Lane Review and Giveaway

It seems that there is a new trend in online shopping. The subscription box company.  Citrus Lane, a monthly care package for parents, is one such company.  Each month has a new theme with a new set of products.  You receive 4-5 products in each box based on your child's age and gender.  There are no paid product placements and each product is recommended and reviewed by real moms, so you know you are getting a good thing!  The service costs $25 a month and is available in a 3 month subscription for $75, a 6 month subscription for $125 (1 month free,) and a 12 month subscription for $250 (2 months free).  

I was recently sent Citrus Lane's July box for review.  This month's theme was Bon Voyage.  It came in a nifty cardboard box with a bright yellow label.  Upon opening and digging through the yellow tissue, I found a slew of awesome things!  

We received:   

1-Tiny Love Harry the Hippo Stroller toy valued at $7.99

This Cute hippo is very bright and cheery.  He has a lobster claw to attach to a car seat or stroller and when you pull on him, he vibrates and rattles.  Any baby would love this!

2-Chewbeads Bangle valued at $14.50 

This is my favorite from this box!  This bangle is made from silicone and is very soft and squishy.  Perfect for a teething baby.

3-California Baby Travel Set valued at $7.50 (including a coupon for 10% off a travel caddy at californiababy.com)

We are already a California baby family, so I was super excited to have this travel kit for the diaper bag!

4-Dapple On-the-Go Baby Laundry Detergent-6 packets valued at $1.99

This would be great for washing a soiled outfit when you are away from home at a hotel, camping, etc.  One packet will clean a sink full of dirty baby duds!  Best of all it is fragrance-free, paraben-free and free of common baby allergens such as soy and nut derivatives.  

5-Me4Kidz Diaper Bag Buddy valued at $5.95

This little travel box is filled with first-aid and diaper-changing essentials and contains items such as disposable diaper sacks, antiseptic wipes, bandages, and a thermometer.  

6-Sincerely Inc 10 free Postagrams valued at $10.00

This coupon allows you to download a free app and make your own personalized Postagram right from your mobile phone and send it anywhere around the globe.  How cool is that?

Each Citrus Lane box comes with this cool card that tells you a bit about each of the products, their values and where you can find them.  

Citrus Lane works with these awesome brands.  In their week-long Pop-Up Shop, you can purchase a number of the great items found in this months box separately.  You can follow Citrus Lane on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest.  

As a special treat for my readers, Citrus Lane is offering a 10% discount code good until 8/14.  Please enter Code 10BLOG at checkout.  They are also kind enough to offer a giveaway for one free month of Citrus Lane.  Please see their official rules below. 

Citrus Lane Giveaway Official Rules

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The product for this review was provided to me by the company. I do not accept monetary compensation for reviewing products.  All opinions expressed are my own. Others who may use the product may have different opinions.  I am a Citrus Lane affiliate.  If you click on the link, I receive a referral credit for their boxes.   

Sew Sweet Tag Blankie & Tag Monster Review and Giveaway

I was thrilled with the opportunity to review the new Night Owl Tag Blankie and Spike Tag Monster from Sew Sweet with Olivia.  Sew Sweet is a company based out of Canada that makes personalized baby blankets, birthday blankets, pillowcases and tag blankies.  The awesome bonus part?  They are all handmade!  So you know that every item is made especially for your little one!

When we opened our package, the first thing I noticed about these blankies was their vivid color and how super-soft they are.  The ribbons are very bright and silky.  Olivia is into chewing on her blankies right now, and with the snuggly texture and buttery-softness of the minky, these blankies are perfect for her.  

The "Night Owl" design is very cute, with bright yellow, orange, turquoise and brown owls.  The ribbons coordinate perfectly with the owl design.  

The Tag Blankie is huge!  It measures 16" x 16" and retails for $20 CAD with name embroidered and $15 CAD without.  The ribbons will be great for Livvy's sensory development and help with her hand-eye coordination as she tries to get them in her mouth!

The white bubble-dot minky side is personalized with Olivia's name in orange embroidery.  

This is the "Curlz" font.  You can also pick from five other fonts when personalizing your blankie.

Olivia loves her Night Owl Tag Blankie!  I put it in her hands and she immediately started chewing on it!

This is the Spike Tag Monster.  Spike is made from Minky just like the Tag Blankie and I think it is just as cute!  I love the little ribbon teeth and the cyclops eye (made from felt.) There are also three other Tag Monster designs available to choose from.  All Tag Monsters retail for $20 CAD.

Olivia chewed on the ribbon tags straight away.  She loves Spike too!

Sew Sweet recommends hand-washing the Tag Blankie and Tag Monster in cold water and not bleaching or ironing them.  You can follow Sew Sweet on  Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest and get the latest information on new products and sales.  P.S-A little birdie told me that football and baseball shaped blankies will soon be available (also in pink,) as well as another more girly blanket.  We can't wait to try out what comes next!

Our Sew Sweet blankies are just what their logo says...handmade, personalized, and loved!  Thank you Sew Sweet!

Sew Sweet has generously offered up a Tag Blankie or Tag Monster to my readers as a giveaway.

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 The product for this review was provided to me by the company. I do not accept monetary compensation for reviewing products.  All opinions expressed are my own. Others who may use the product may have different opinions.

Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bottle and Chewthers Review and Giveaway

Introducing the bottle to a breastfed baby can be a stressful time for parents and little one alike.  As a mother, all sorts of questions run through your mind.  How will my baby react?  What if she doesn't like the bottle?  Will she like the bottle too much and reject the breast?  Will she take in air and get a belly ache?  These are all common concerns.  Tommee Tippee's newest line, Closer to Nature, has answers.  Scientifically designed to be the closest thing to breastfeeding, the Closer to Nature bottles provide a comfortable, stress-free experience for mom and baby.

I received a Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature 3 pack of 9 oz. bottles with slow flow nipples, in an exclusive Babies R Us Collection print to try with Olivia. This set retails at Babies R Us for $22.99.  

The Closer to Nature bottle has indentations to make it easy for the baby's hands to grip the bottle.  It is BPA and Phthalate free, so it's safe for your little one.

The wide nipple mimics the natural feel, flex and stretch movement of breastfeeding and makes it easier to latch thereby enabling you to successfully and simultaneously breastfeed and bottle feed.  You can change out the nipple as your baby grows and requires a faster flow.  Nipples are available in slow, medium, fast and variable flow designs.  

The anti-colic, anti-gas Advanced Easi-vent lets baby drink without a vacuum effect & prevents nipple collapse and leaking.

This unique, ultra-sensitive valve helps prevents the baby from swallowing air by allowing the air trapped in the bottle to pass through the lid and thus preventing gas, colic and fussiness. 

I am still breastfeeding Olivia, but we would like to give her a bottle of pumped milk every now and then so she won't reject the bottle when we decide to wean.  

She latched on to this bottle much quicker than the first bottle we ever gave her, so I considered that a good sign.  However the nipple kept collapsing on it and I'd have to pull it out of her mouth to let the air out.  I finally decided to take the lid off to check out the valve for the air vent and found it was stuck shut.  The instructions for the bottle say to make sure the valve is able to open and close properly, so I squeezed it and it still wouldn't open.  I then decided to blow air into it from the outside.  After that, it functioned properly.  I think it must have just dried shut when I washed it.  We had no problems with nipple collapse after I fixed the valve and Livvy fell asleep when her bottle was empty!

I am glad we were given the opportunity to try out the Closer to Nature Bottles.  They work really well, and as far as I can tell, perform in every aspect that the manufacturer says they will.  We will definitely continue to use them!

Tommee Tippee's website provides breastfeeding support and advice on topics such as going back to work, and what Dad can do to help. It also offers The Day Baby Was Born, a free service that gathers information and compiles it into a digital storybook about the day your child was born.

Tommee Tippee's Closer to Nature line has 4 stages of Chewthers, teething toys designed by a pediatric dentist to help support muscle coordination, lip seal and jaw development.  They also help alleviate the pain of teething and the textured surfaces help care for fragile new teeth.  I was given a Stage 2 and Stage 3 Chewther for review.  

The Stage 2 Chewther is for ages 4 months + and helps prepare your baby to chew pureed foods.  Just what she needs to get ready for her first feeding!  It is very oddly shaped, and I worried about it gagging my baby, but when I put it in Livvy's mouth, she started biting on it and smiling all the while.  She is just a bit too young to get this Chewther to her mouth by herself, but she holds it in her hand when I put it there, and I am sure that as her coordination gets better, she will be able to do it on her own.  

The Stage 3 Chewther is for ages 6 months + and helps prepare your baby to chew mushy foods.  It looks just like a set of brightly-colored keys, and we all know how much babies love chewing on keys!  I have no doubt that the Stage 3 Chewther will be a good replacement for our dirty, germy car keys when Olivia gets to that age.  The keys look like they might be hard, but after touching them, they have a nice, rubbery texture to them that feels soft enough for baby's mouth.  Tommee Tippee's Chewthers are BPA-free and come in bright colors that are appealing to baby.  Pink and Purple for girls and Blue and Green for boys or gender neutral.  They retail for $6.99 at Babies R Us.  

Tommee Tippee also offers a full line of breastfeeding and bottle feeding supplies, pacifiers and toddler feeding products.

Tommee Tippee has graciously offered Baby Mama Loves' readers a chance to win a set of two Chewthers of the winner's choice.  

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The product for this review was provided to me by the company. I do not accept monetary compensation for reviewing products.  All opinions expressed are my own. Others who may use the product may have different opinions.

Bambino Toy Bags

We have a baby.  She has a diaper bag.  You know that, as a parent, you have to shove all different kinds of things into the bag when you go out.  Outfits, diapers, wipes, burp rags, toys, binky, bottle, blankets, etc.  This list goes on.  After you shove the diaper bag full of all this stuff, how do you get to the things on the bottom?  You have to unpack the whole thing.  Time consuming and not a pleasant prospect when you are faced with a diaper blow-out on a nasty changing table in a public restroom!   

Enter the Bambino Toy Bag, a great storage and organizational tool for kids and parents alike.  You can pack this 12.5" by 12.5" bag full of the small things that clutter up your diaper bag and prevent you from getting to the things you need the most...diapers!  Just pack, zip and throw on top.  

Made from a white, stretchy, polyester mesh with laminated cotton trim, the Bambino Toy Bag is very durable.

  It is a 100% eco-friendly, reusable storage bag containing no phthalates or lead.  It is a great alternative to a plastic storage bag, which is unsafe for small kids.  And did I say Machine-Washable?  That is a must have for any parent!

It has a zippered closure and a durable carrying handle made from the same laminated cotton as the trim. 

  

And of course a silky tag that all babies and kids love!

The Bambino Toy Bag was invented and designed by a single mom, Lisa Heydet, who wanted to smooth the transition for her children back and forth from their dad's house by allowing them to take their favorite toys.  These bags work great for all the myriad little toys that children acquire.  Here the bag is shown holding about 1/4 of my son's GoGo Crazybones collection.  This is excellent for him as he has to take these things everywhere!  It also has my husband's stamp of approval.  When I showed it to him he loved the idea and thought it was well worth the 20 bucks for three bags.  I wonder if he will store his hunting stuff in them? 

So there you have it.  Mama approved, kid approved, and most importantly....dad approved.  Bambino Toy Bags are a winning idea!  They come in green trim, or pink trim and are sold in packs of 3 for $19.99.  You can purchase them at the Bambino Toy Bag website HERE.  You can checkout their Facebook page HERE.  And you can follow them on Twitter HERE.

And as a special treat, the company is sharing a code for free shipping when you purchase your bags.  Please use promo code FREESHIP at checkout.

The product for this review was provided to me by the company. I do not accept monetary compensation for reviewing products.  All opinions expressed are my own. Others who may use the product may have different opinions.