ByKay Mei Tai Classic

9456374375_50dc96416b_bByKay started at owner Kay’s kitchen table as she tried to design herself a ergonomic baby carrier that was not only high quality but also trendy. Little did she know that her project of creating her own carrier in 2005 would result into the international company it is today.

ByKay truly has every carrier you could imagine in the trendiest colors made of the highest quality fabrics.

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Connect with ByKay

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If you are new to Mei Tais like I was, let me break it down for you. A Mei Tai is a simple two shouldered baby carrier that has a strap that ties around your waist and a panel of fabric to support baby. This is the perfect carrier for all ages, newborn to toddler.  Mei Tais are designed after a traditional Asian baby carrier and are by far the easiest to use!

The ByKay Mei Tai Classic is the first Mei Tai I have tried and I instantly fell in love. Mei Tais are elegant and simple, they give you the beautiful look of wrapping like with a woven, along with the design of a soft structure carrier minus 20161205_131304-editthe buckles. Don’t get me wrong, I love my SSC but hate having resize it for when my husband wears it. That’s the beauty of a Mei Tai, size doesn’t matter, I can get a great fit and so can my husband without having to make a ton of adjustments. Like I said, I adore the look of a woven wrap, but I have never tried one and to be honest I am intimidated by them. I love that I can get the look of a woven without the learning curve needed.

I’m drawn to how versatile and comfortable Mei Tais are. I get great back support and that the wider straps evenly distribute the weight. Spread the shoulder straps wide on your shoulders and back for a balanced and comfortable fit.20161205_131531-edit

I love nothing more than a cozy front carry and a ByKay Mei Tai can easily be the first carrier you put your newborn in. This carrier will grow with you as your child grows. I loved to front carry my daughter when she was super tiny and still do to this day. When they say a carrier is “sprinkled with sleepy dust” that statement is true for my daughter. I can easilybykay-mei-tai-classic get her to nap, with a cozy front carry, while we are on the go.

Once your baby is able to sit by themselves you can use the back carry position. Learning to get your child from the front to the back can take a little practice, but I feel that learning with a Mei Tai is easier than with any other carrier. Back carrying is great for when your child wants to look around a little more. I often back carry when we go for walks or if my daughter needs extra cuddles while I’m trying to get my housework done.

My new favorite carry is a hip carry. I never thought you could do a 20161205_132358-editcomfortable hip carry in anything other than  a ring sling until I tried a hip carry in my ByKay Mei Tai. Not only do I love the look of this hip carry, it’s super comfortable for myself and my daughter.

20161205_132645-editYour ByKay Mei Tai comes with a booklet that will explain how to safely wear your newborn, how to move your child from front to back and how to do a hip carry, along with step by step photos, which I found extremely helpful.

ByKay is dedicated to the idea that everyone can Carry Their Love. Keeping moms and dads close to their babies to take full advantages for babywearing including skin contact and security while keeping it practical. ByKay has a complete range of ergonomic baby carriers, so there is the perfect fit for everyone.

Shape Mags for Kids

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The hottest toy in the Fox house for 2016 was Shape Mags – the magnetic bricks perfect for all ages. I have recently seen magnetic tiles for sale in stores and online. It peaked my interest for several reasons. First off they looked super fun! Colorful items and magnetic things are top forms of attraction for all toddlers. They can build fine motor skills, develop critical thinking skills, and sharpen math skills. Then I noticed there are tons of brands and companies making these tiles so I knew I needed to take a step back and see which brand is worth the investment.

I have come to the conclusion that Shape Mags are the top choice for all families for several key reasons.

  1. Shape Mags feature many shapes and styles other brands do not offer (“L-shapes, windows, people, several types of triangles…” allowing for a broader variety of creations
  2. Shape Mags are perfect for building STEM skills
  3. Shape Mags come with a lifetime replacement warranty.
  4. Shape Mags are easy for small children to hold and figure out, but interesting enough to truly engage older children.

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My husband is a scientist and loves Shape Mags. He see’s how interactive they are and all the benefits which a child can gain while playing with them. We love that Shape Mags show that magnets have positive and negative charges. This show’s children some of the initial fundamentals to a science.  This peeks interest to a child in a way they can see and feel. They are able to see the magnets pull together and push apart. They can see the cause and reaction in a real and tangible way.

These toys are safe and fun for the while family. With tons of shapes and sizes of mags, you are sure to have hours and hours of entertainment. I know that when I sit down and start playing with them I get addicted! I have such a fun time playing with them. I have even noticed that I am still playing with them after my kids walked about to another toy! I just cannot help myself, it brings out your creative side. Your curious nature in a safe and engaging environment.

Connect with Shape Mags:

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Fun things to create using Shape Mags:

  1. Castle for Elsa and Anna
  2. Jail for Joker and other Bad Guys
  3. Maze for Chase and Skye to race through
  4. Tower for Rapunzel
  5. Carnival for Little People
  6. House for Peppa and George
  7. A Shopkins city

Encourage your children to use their favorite characters with their Shape Mags

iTunes Gift Card Giveaway

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This is a sponsored post, however, the opinions are my own.

Illumination has captivated audiences all over the world with the beloved hits Despicable Me, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, Despicable Me 2 and Minions, now the second-highest-grossing animated movie in history. Following the release of this summer’s comedy blockbuster The Secret Life of Pets, Illumination presents Sing this holiday season.

 

The event film stars Academy Award® winners Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon, alongside Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton and Grammy Award-nominated Tori Kelly.

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Set in a world like ours but entirely inhabited by animals, Sing stars Buster Moon (McConaughey), a dapper koala who presides over a once-grand theater that has fallen on hard times. Buster is an eternal—some might even say delusional—optimist who loves his theater above all and will do anything to preserve it. Now faced with the crumbling of his life’s ambition, he has one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory by producing the world’s greatest singing competition.

 

Five lead contestants emerge: Mike (MacFarlane), a mouse who croons as smoothly as he cons; Meena (Kelly), a timid teenage elephant with an enormous case of stage fright; Rosita (Witherspoon), an overtaxed mother run ragged tending a litter of 25 piglets; Johnny (Egerton), a young gangster gorilla looking to break free of his family’s felonies; and Ash (Johansson), a punk-rock porcupine struggling to shed her arrogant boyfriend and go solo.

 

Each arrives under Buster’s marquee believing that this is their shot to change the course of their life. And as Buster coaches each of his contestants closer and closer to the grand finale, he starts to learn that maybe the theater isn’t the only thing that is in need of saving.

You can hire your own marquee if you have a special event coming up like the one in ‘Sing’, just look at at crestmarquees.co.uk for Marquee Hire West Midlands, or if you’re not located in the UK then there are plenty of other marquee hire companies suited to your location.

 

Featuring more than 65 hit songs, Sing is produced by Meledandri and his longtime collaborator Janet Healy. Together, they have produced all of Illumination’s films since the studio’s inception. Released by Universal Pictures, Sing arrives in theaters on December 21, 2016. www.singmovie.com

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Sing hits theaters December 21. Get your tickets today on Fandango!

Check out this awesome giveaway brought to you by SING!

One (1) winner receives:

$25 iTunes gift card to download the Official Soundtrack

Headphones

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Open to US mailing addresses only

Prizing and samples courtesy of Universal Pictures

SING – In Theaters December 21

Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | #SingMovie

Kiss Me If You Can Giveaway Hop Sign Up

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Theme – open
Minimum prize value of $10. Must be a new item.
Date: 2/1 – 2/14
Start time: February 1 – 9:00 am EST
End time: February 14 – 11:59 pm EST
Winner(s) must be drawn on or by 2/15. Events must be open to US entrants.

Adding your link means you agree to the following terms:
Your post must include the following:

The full HTML which will be provided by email.
A clear form of entry (a giveaway form or a blog comment)
The giveaway hops image (in HTML and also included by attachment to the email)
The linky must be included in your post (code will be sent in email)
You must submit your URL to your giveaway by 1/31/2016 11:00pm EST
Your giveaway item(s) have a value of $10.
Must include disclosure included in email
A Link to the host: MamatheFox https://mamathefox.com
Send any questions to mamathefox@gmail.com

If you sign up and can no longer participate please let me know so I can remove you from the linky.

Frosty Beginnings Giveaway Hop Sign Up

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Theme – open
Minimum prize value of $10. Must be a new item.
Date: January 15-31
Start time: January 15 – 9:00 am EST
End time: January 31 – 11:59 pm EST
Winner(s) must be drawn on or by 2/1. Events must be open to US entrants.

Adding your link means you agree to the following terms:
Your post must include the following:

The full HTML which will be provided by email.
A clear form of entry (a giveaway form or a blog comment)
The giveaway hops image (in HTML and also included by attachment to the email)
The linky must be included in your post (code will be sent in email)
You must submit your URL to your giveaway by 1/14/2016 11:00pm EST
Your giveaway item(s) have a value of $10.
Must include disclosure included in email
A Link to the host: MamatheFox https://mamathefox.com
Send any questions to mamathefox@gmail.com

If you sign up and can no longer participate please let me know so I can remove you from the linky.

Phoenix Baby Giveaway

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Enter for your chance to win (1) Go To 2-in-1 infant car seat station and high chair from Phoenix Baby

Welcome to the Winter is Coming Giveaway Hop

Brought to you by: The Kids Did It  & The Mommy Island

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MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations. 

Phoenix Baby Go To Review

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We all take a night here and there to enjoy a restaurant-cooked meal, am I right?! With kids, going out to eat can be a challenge. Where will baby sit? Are there high chairs there? Will baby have to sit on my lap? Where are we going to put the car seat? Should we bring the stroller in? All parents have these thoughts before walking into a restaurant with an infant. Well, you can stop the questions and check out the Phoenix Baby GoTo. This foldable, collapsable high chair and car seat station will change the way you eat out. Leave it in the trunk of your car and pull it out when you get to a restaurant, set it up quickly, and enjoy a dinner with the family! The GoTo is the perfect product for parents on the go or someone with a small home.

 

 

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Phoenix Baby makes sure their products are safe for your baby by working closely with pediatricians, engineers, and child development experts. Keep your baby protected from the germs of a restaurant high chair and bring your own. The GoTo is lightweight, portable, and easy to fold; perfect to bring along to vacations, restaurants, or even camping. It’s a great alternative to a high chair at home, great for small houses!

The GoTo has a storage compartment on the back where you can store bibs, cups, utensils, or whatever you need! The safety straps on the chair are great for every infant; what kid doesn’t move and squirm while their sitting?! While my son was in the chair he was moving around so much, and even sliding down towards the leg holes. I am very grateful I had him strapped in to ensure his safety. The grips on the bottom of the four legs are an awesome safety feature too. They really do work, when trying to slide the chair on our dining room floor it literally would not move; I had to pick it up in order to move it.

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Phoenix Baby is dedicated to developing the safest and most innovative products that stand the test of time.

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When using the GoTo with our table it seems to have worked pretty well. I didn’t put food in front of my baby, I spoon fed him. But I did put his water cup on the table and he was able to grab it and pull it to him. The chair came up to the table and he was at a good height. An aspect of the chair that I really like is the little space between baby’s chest and the edge of the chair. When he would drop his water cup it landed in the pocket space and didn’t fall on the floor. It wasn’t a big deal if it fell on the floor at our home, but if we were in a restaurant I for sure would not want it falling on the ground. It is a very innovative aspect of the high chair. In the picture below you can see the three different sections of the chair. Number 1 is the back – store whatever you need and whatever will fit. Number 2 is where baby sits; and number 3 is the extra “drop zone” space that catches what baby drops.

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Although I found it very difficult to lock the chair into place, Phoenix Baby did well in creating a safe product. I have full confidence that the chair and stand will not collapse. The legs pull out pretty easily but getting the locking mechanism to the ‘locked’ position was a challenge. Once I opened and closed the chair a few times I got the hang of how it needed to lock and it was no problem. I do appreciate the difficult-ness of locking the chair because that tells me that it’s safe. If it is that hard to lock then how much harder will it be to collapse – impossible it seems! The buttons on the side that hold up the leg holes are also difficult to snap; but again I feel very confident that they won’t unsnap by chance. The safety features have this mom’s approval!

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When baby is younger (or even sleeping in the carrier) you can use the chair as a stand for their car seat. All you need to do is unsnap the leg hole flap, unclip the chair back, and lay them flat. You now have a sturdy, square, table-level car seat holder! This is such a good resource to have when baby is little. My husband and I could have used this multiple times we went to restaurants a few months ago. We could have avoided putting our son on the table or using a chair and watching closely that the car seat didn’t fall off! There is even a clip so you can secure the car seat; ensuring complete and total safety.

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The Phoenix Baby GoTo is such an awesome product. I look forward to using it in the future with our son and with future babies! It is safe, smart, and really easy to use.

E-cloth Giveaway

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Enter for your chance to win (1) Home Starter Kit from E-cloth

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Thank you for stopping by the Home for the Holidays giveaway hop hosted by The Anti-June Cleaver and Our Piece of Earth.

We have teamed up with an amazing group of bloggers to bring you a lot of fantastic of prizes to kick off the holiday season. After you have entered my giveaway, be sure to visit the linky below for more great prizes.

The Anti-June Cleaver, Our Piece of Earth, and the rest of the bloggers participating in the Home for the Holidays giveaway hop are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations.

Sophie La Giraffe Giveaway

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Enter for your chance to win (1) Holiday Ornament Set from Sophie Le Giraffe!

 

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Welcome to the 2nd Annual Santa’s Coming to Town Giveaway Hop hosted by Karen’s Got Mail & Capturing the Moment! I have teamed up with a fantastic group of bloggers to share some awesome giveaways with our readers. Be sure to hop around to the participating blogs listed below and enter some fabulous giveaways, all of which are worth a minimum of $25!

Disclosure: Karen’s Got Mail, Capturing the Moment and the Santa’s Coming to Town Giveaway Hop participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill their prize obligations. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and any other social media are not affiliated with this giveaway.