Mimi's Babies - Review and Giveaway

"...whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

Where to start?? Mimi's Babies is one of my favorite online retailers for babies! Maybe it's because she is local to me, maybe because she openly shares that she uses her talents to bring honor and glory to the Lord....but mostly because her items are so stinkin' adorable!!   

The Ladies Behind Mimi's Babies

Creating special gifts for your special babies is the goal of Mimi’s Babies. They want to bring a sentimental touch to gift giving and share the love that is given with a handmade piece.  Mimi and Charissa have teamed up to create Mimi's Babies.  Mimi has been sewing for over 35 years. Over the years, she has created everything from Buggy Buddies to a Civil War era blouse. Mimi loves to create.  Charissa has been crocheting for over 20 years. Over the years, she also learned how to knit. She enjoys creating dishcloths and baby items. Blankets, dishcloths, and hats are her specialty. Charissa loves to make one of a kind baby gifts.  Mimi’s Babies is a proud member of the EtsyKids team, EtsyMom team, and the D Listers.

My Review

I'm pretty sure I could go on and on (and on and on) about Mimi's Babies, but I'll try to keep it short and sweet!  I came across Mimi's Babies over a year ago on a friend's blog. I won a Buggy Buddy on the blog and Mimi herself delivered it!  She was so sweet, and Sydney & I both LOVED the Buggy Buddy!  A little while after that, my sister offered to photograph some of Mimi's Babies items.  I got to see several hats, headbands, and flip flops up close.  Let me be the first to tell you that these items may be handmade, but they are EXCELLENT quality, very sturdy items!  I've bought new hats and flip flops for Sydney, and even a newborn hat for a friend.  I have never been disappointed with anything I've ordered!  Charissa and Mimi are awesome to work with as well.  As with most Etsy store owners, they are willing to work with you to create the special item you are looking for.  Ok, so now that you know how much I love them, I want to share some pictures with you - please be sure to visit their Etsy store HERE to see their full selection!

This is Sydney around her 1st Birthday in the "Sydney Beanie"

This is Sydney at almost 2 years in the SAME beanie, just different clip!

I mean, How could you not love these cute things (the hats, not the kids - though the kids are pretty lovable haha) ???  If you are like me, and you love them - you will want to keep reading because one lucky ready is going to win a VERY special gift from Mimi's Babies!

GIVEAWAY

Mimi's Babies is offering 1 lucky winner this adorable headband and crib shoes set!!  I would love to win this set for myself, but I'm glad that one of my readers will get to win it!  I know whoever wins will fall in love with Mimi's Babies just like I did!

How to Enter:

(1 entry) - Tell me how your favorite item from Mimi's Babies Etsy store

(1 entry) - Follow So Mommy by Google Friend Connect

(1 entry) - Follow Mimi's Babies on Twitter HERE

(1 entry) - 'Like' Mimi's Babies on Facebook HERE (Feel free to tell her So Mommy sent you!)

(1 entry) - Share this giveaway on Facebook - Tag So Mommy in it so that I see it (click the lock button and change to everyone to do this).

**Giveaway will end March 18, 2011 at 5 p.m. CST.  Winner will be drawn by a random number generator and contacted by email.  If winner doesn't respond in 48 hours, another winner will be drawn.** 

**No compensation was received for this review.** 

Lady Lullaby - "Midnight Lullaby"

A little about Jane and "Midnight Lullaby"

Jane Roman Pittis a folk singer who has a 40-year legacy in the folk music world.  She is a mother and a grandmother herself. She has recorded a beautiful lullaby record, "Midnight Lullaby," that includes covers of this generation's favorite contemporary songwriters, including Wilco, Sade, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan and The Dixie Chicks. Her album was created to be a soothing collection of songs for mommy and baby! 

Here is how "Midnight Lullaby" was created:

"To get ready for the arrival of my granddaughter, Annalise, I started collecting lullabies. Since the beginning of human communication, singing lullabies has been a way to give comfort. The cultures, languages, and musical styles may vary, but the message is the same: “I love you very much, I’m here, and please go to sleep now because I’m really tired!” From the hundreds of wonderful lullabies that I found from all around the world, I created "Midnight Lullaby" by choosing a collection of beautiful new bedtime songs by contemporary songwriters."

My Review

As a mom, I get tired of listening to some of Sydney's lullaby CD's, but I usually tolerate them if she likes them (especially on long trips in the car).  I definitely prefer the modern day lullaby CD's made with parents in mind over the kids only lullaby CDs.  We have a few modern day lullaby CDs (You may remember my review awhile back for Cradle Rock CDs).  I enjoy those, but I have often wished that they had words with the music so that I could easily sing along (I have a habit of forgetting words).  So I was very glad to see-well, hear- that "Midnight Lullaby" had words with the music!  I'll be honest, I did recognize many of the songwriters, but very few of the songs themselves so I still can't sing along.  But I have a feeling I'll be singing along soon enough with baby #2 on the way!  Jane's vocals, along with the musicians, definitely creates a soothing atmosphere for going to sleep! 

Be sure to check out Lady Lullaby's Blog (here) and Facebook page (here).
You can also listen to previews of the CD here!

**I received a copy of "Midnight Lullaby" in exchange for my honest review.  No other compensation was received.**

Can building blocks be educational?

I was contacted awhile back by Scott, from Smart Blocks, Inc. about reviewing a new educational toy.  Since I am planning to homeschool Sydney, I thought this would be a great start to helping her learn in a fun environment. 

About Smarcks Smart Blocks
Smarcks Smart Blocks is a set of building blocks, much like the Lego Duplo blocks in size and shape, but completely different!  These blocks combine your child's love of building with learning things such as colors, counting, spelling, music, and even math!  The complete set, which we were able to try, consists of 70 non-talking blocks and 19 talking blocks. The starter set includes the 70 non-talking blocks and the talking Blue Color Block. The other talking blocks are sold in sets of 3.  You can view the sets HERE. 

Starting at age 1, you can use the talking Color Blocks to teach about colors and good manners by using statements such as, "I am a block that’s green, and I am never mean.” You can use your judgement as to when your child is ready to start learning the next set all the way up to the Math Blocks which helps your child learn to add and subtract.  Be sure to visit the Technology page to see how the building sets work.  The Puzzle Secrets page will show you ways to find hidden puzzles (secret animations that are found by placing the blocks differently).

My Review
Scott has been extremely helpful with my review, from giving me updates on how his kids are using the blocks to sharing the link to the new blog.  I felt very confident about this product from the start.  I could tell that this product was created especially for kids enjoyment and learning.  I like toys with a purpose!  Sydney started to enjoy blocks around the same time as Scott contacted me, so I was pretty sure this would be a hit with her. I was right!  As soon as we opened the box, she was ready to build.  We played with all of the sets, but her favorite set is definitely the Music and Dancing Lights set.  She loves to see if she can make them sing and light up.  Now that you know how great Sydney thinks these blocks are, I'll tell you my thoughts on them!

After opening the blocks, my first thought (as a cheap, uh frugal mom) was that these were probably VERY expensive.  So I got on the website to check it out.  The starter set is only $29.95, which is very reasonable if you ask me.  The 6 talking block sets cost $19.95 each, which seems a little expensive, but you definitely don't have to buy them all at the same time...and you can always add them to your child's birthday or Christmas wish list!  After I realized that the prices weren't bad, I started reading more and more about the talking blocks.  You definitely have to read the instructions with the talking blocks in order to help your child learn how to use them.  I really like the idea behind these blocks, and I can't wait to help teach Sydney more with them; however, if you are a parent that doesn't want to take the time to "learn" about the blocks first - this is probably not a product for you.  Yes, your child can build with them and get the talking blocks to make sounds, but they won't get the full learning experience without your help!  I will admit that I have been a little frustrated with the blocks at times, but after I go back and refresh my memory on how each set works, I realize that I was missing something.  Honestly, Sydney does better with some of them than I do!

Overall, this is a great product!  The price is reasonable, and it can be a great help in teaching your child.  I just want you to be forewarned that you as a parent will have to do some learning with your child on this one...which I don't think is a bad thing.  This gives parents a toy to enjoy with young children!  I could definitely say a lot more about these blocks, so if you want to hear more about my experience - email me at somommy247@gmail.com.

Helpful Links:

Smarcks Website

Talking Building Blocks Blog

**Thanks to Scott and Smarcks for allowing me to try this product in exchange for my review.  Feel free to email me at somommy247@gmail.com if you have any questions for me about my experience with these blocks.**

Biddy Belly for Tummy Time

Biddy Belly

The Biddy Belly was developed by Robin Tacchetti, a Physical Therapist who is also a mother of three. The idea came to her after observing all three of her babies struggle with Tummy Time. Being a Physical Therapist, she knew how important Tummy Time was for muscle development. However, she was unable to keep her babies from getting frustrated and crying when they were in the prone position.

     Despite Robin's repeated attempts to turn the babies on their bellies, all three of her children developed flat spots on the back of their heads. She knew there had to be a better way to develop their muscles and reach their gross motor milestones within the normal time frame. She put her physical therapy and Mom knowledge together along with consultations from pediatricians and the "Biddy Belly" was born!

Marie and Madelyn's Review

Overall the Biddy Belly seemed like a fun product.  It was really nice to be able to attach toys to the giraffe's head because Madelyn always pushes the toy out of reach.  It was also nice that you can change them out so they don't get bored playing with the same thing.  The other thing that we liked was that it did help her learn to put more weight on her hands.   

The main con to it is that it does not allow them to practice rolling since they are on an incline and there are the "guardrails," but that isn't the intention of the Biddy Belly - it is to help them master pushing up.  The mirror under the giraffe's head was hidden by the giraffe's head a lot of the time, so Madelyn didn't really get to enjoy it much.  Also, there are toys in the giraffe's ears can't be reached by the baby, but do allow the parents to play with them and get their attention.

(*Note from Heather - Once your baby has mastered pushing themselves up, you should put them on flat surfaces more often to let them practice rolling.)

Review Kristy, Mom of 2

"We love the biddy belly tummy time mat. We had tried other tummy time mats but our son did not like them. He would get easily frustrated on them because he was bored or could not completely push himself up. He loves the biddy belly because the mirror keeps him entertained. He is also able to use his arms to completely push himself up so he does not get so easily frustrated. My two year old also loves to play with the biddy belly and tells everyone it is her giraffe".  

A few points from me...of course :)

The Biddy Belly costs $39.99, which seems a little pricey to me, but I decided to look into prices and most flat tummy time mats were between $17 and $40 as well.  I guess I'm just cheap (I did get most of Sydney's stuff as hand-me-downs from my sister)! 

I REALLY like that the cover can be taken off and machine washed.  Sydney had reflux when she was little, so washable was a must!  I like that the product was created by a Physical Therapist mom who put a lot of thought into tummy time!  For most babies, tummy time is not enjoyable at first.  The Biddy Belly helps them learn to push themselves up better than flat mats because it puts their arms in the "ready position" to do so!

I did want to mention the mirror on the Biddy Belly.  If ou look at it as a mirror, you might be disappointed, but it isn't supposed to be an actual mirror.  It is reflective material to give your baby something extra to look at.  True mirrors need hard backings, which you wouldn't really want on this product.  Who would want their baby playing on something hard?

Also, Robin was very helpful through the whole process!  If you buy a Biddy Belly and have any problems or questions, I'm sure she would be more than happy to try to help you!

Rockin' Green - An Update

A lot of you read my post about Rockin' Green Cloth Diaper and Laundry Detergent at the beginning of January (see HERE if you missed it).  My review was not very favorable, and Rockin' Green contacted me to see if they could send me a different type of the Rockin' Green to see if it helped.  Of course I agreed.  If a company is willing to help me find a different scent/type that may be better, I am more than glad to let them try to prove me wrong in my initial opinion!  I am not here to be biased, but to try products and tell my readers about them.  I try to be as honest as possible in my reviews (without being rude).  If you ever have a different opinion than me, feel free to let me know in the comments!  I like to read other opinions!

So...How did Rockin' Green do this time?

For the first review, I received the "Rage Against the Rasperries" scent in the Classic Rock formula, but for this review they sent the "Bare Naked Babies" (the unscented formula) in Classic Rock and in Soft Rock.  After my problems last time, I only washed a few diapers the first time with the Classic Rock formula, and I didn't have any of the problems as I did before!  No rashes, no bad smells!  So the next time I washed a normal load of diapers (as soon as I put in the detergent I was a little worried that I should have done another small load)...but again no rashes, no bad smells!  I also used the Soft rock formula twice as well and have still had no problems like before!   It did still clean the diapers really well!

So, I'm guessing my daughters rashes had something to do with the scented formulas.  I have almost always used Free & Clear detergent with her, so I didn't know that she would have issues with fragrances.  I still don't know why the diapers smelled so bad after being soiled on my first few tries with Rockin' Green - I may never know, but I do know that it did not happen after 4 loads of diapers this time! 

I would like to say that Rockin' Green impressed me with their customer service and willingness to help me find a formula that worked for me.  There aren't many companies out there that still try to make the customer happy!  I do recommend buying some sample packs before you buy a huge pack of detergent - you know, just in case you have my troubles and don't know it!

Sammy, the Little Broken Shell by Carol Hamblet Adams

“Sammy, the Little Broken Shell” was written by Carol Hamblet Adams and Illustrated by Linda Clearwater.  This is a longer book, suitable for ages 4 and up I would think (unless you just have a patient toddler that loves stories).  In the book, Sammy the seashell, shows how good he is at sports and how many friends he has.  One day he gets his shell broken saving his sister, and all but one of his friends makes fun of him.  He later proves that his broken shell made him who he was and made him able to help someone else in need. 

I thought this was a very cute book about how important it is to be yourself, and also teaches kids that it hurts others’ feelings if we make fun of them. The book includes some easy discussion questions at the end so that you can get your child talking about the situation and how they would have handled it.  It is a great way to start talking to your child about bullying!  We all know it happens, but many of us have trouble knowing how to discuss it with our kids.  This book can definitely help with that!  The pictures in the book are very colorful.  Sydney loves to look at the book, but isn’t patient enough for the full story yet.  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with a young child!

**I received this book from Harvest House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.**

March Madness!

First off, WINNERS!

Skoy Cloth winners - Savayla and Flutterbynature

Itty Bitty Laylah Love - Emmanjake

Congratulations!  I'll be emailing you three soon!

March Madness!

Well, actually it was February madness thanks to our internet provider.  Open Range decided to re-organize their towers so that our internet box HAD to be in our nursery to work.  And we don't have Wi-Fi on our main computer and my laptop needs a new battery, so we were just out-of-luck according to them.  (Thanks for the help, right? haha)..Well, we ended up calling Charter and using them again, even though I said I'd never go back when we cancelled a couple of years ago! Charter is still very much annoying - if you call, you can't get the same deals as online, but if you sign up online they won't waive the installation fee (they had nothing to install at my house, my husband does IT work and prefers to do it himself).  The Charter installation guy showed up AN HOUR early...which normally would have been fine, but the dogs were still loose in the house and Sydney was asleep.  All of the barking woke her up, which made me a not-so-happy pregnant mommy, but at least we finally have internet!

Virtual Baby Shower: What Every Mom Wants

As most of you know (but may have forgotten haha), I'm pregnant with daughter #2!  Since I'm due April 17th, I decided to do something special for the month of March!!  I'm going to do a "Virtual Baby Shower" and focus on reviewing items that new moms need (or want).  I thought this would be a great time to focus on the little babies!  As always, not everyone will agree with my opinions, so feel free to add your comments and experiences as well!  When I was a new mom, I was always glad to read helpful reviews and the comments from other moms.  If you think my opinion is completely wrong, feel free to say so, but please remember to be nice about it!  I will not allow rude comments (I don't think we will have this problem-I'm just putting it out there).  I hope you all will tell the expecting or new moms you know about my blog-I want this month to be an extremely helpful month for them. 

Due to my internet issues, I will be posting some of my not-infant-related product reviews as well, but for the most part the reviews will focus on mom and baby.  Look for giveaways throughout the month as well!!