Tag: baby

5 Myths About Babies Sleeping Through the Night

5 Myths About Babies Sleeping Through the Night

by Nicole Johnson, Founder and Lead Consultant at

The Baby Sleep Site®

When you bring your beautiful baby home for the first time, it seems like anyone and everyone has a piece of advice for you to follow. From what diapers to buy to what sleep sack to buy. Some advice is fantastic! Obviously, some pieces of equipment you are going to need, like strollers, the best Moses baskets and cribs, which as a new time parent you may need advice on. You can find the top baby travel system on Amazon, with reviews on Strollerbuzz if you’re struggling. Some advice will make you say ‘huh?’ You will learn the “nod and smile” very quickly as a new parent and figure out for yourself what advice to keep and what to file away for never.

As a sleep consultant, I can share with you the 5 most common myths about your baby sleeping through the night – however, my myths are not proven to work, you might want to speak to a professional baby sleep consultant who specializes in baby’s sleeping patterns to be confident they will work. I can share with you the 5 most common myths about your baby sleeping through the night:

5 Myths About Babies Sleeping Through The Night

One quick note that when people sometimes say their baby ‘sleeps through the night’ they may technically mean just 5 hours of sleep without waking and without feedings. However, if you’re ike me, you’re wondering when babies will actually sleep ALL night…8-10 (or even 12) hours of uninterrupted sleep. For the purposes of this article, we’ll use that second, and most-coveted, definition.

  1. “Keep your baby awake a lot during the day; then, she will sleep through the night.” When your baby is tired, she will sleep, right? Even though it might seem to make sense that keeping a baby awake for long stretches during the day would help her sleep better at night, it generally doesn’t work that way. It’s counterintuitive, but true, that if your baby is overly tired before bed, she will have a harder time falling asleep and staying asleep. Remember, better naps = better night sleep.
  2. “Your baby isn’t sleeping through the night yet? It’s probably because you’re breastfeeding.” I think this myth exists because formula takes longer for babies’ tummies to digest, and breastmilk digests fairly quickly. However, this does not mean that formula-fed babies automatically sleep better than breastfed babies – I’ve worked with plenty of parents whose formula-feeding babies are not sleeping through the night. Although some bottles are definitely better than others, using one type of bottle will not make your baby sleep through the night either. They can affect things like gas and bloating though, so you check the ratings of bottles and other baby products at mommyhood101.
  3. “All babies can sleep through the night by .” Yes, a small percentage of babies will sleep through the night early, but in my experience, most babies will take several months and it has nothing to do with a specific age or weight. We have worked with thousands of parents and I promise not all of them suddenly let us know their baby sleeps all night at the same age or weight. Not even close!
  4. “If you feed your baby solids, he’ll sleep through the night.” Sure! If your baby is only waking out of hunger, it might follow that more food would mean more sleep. But, in my experience, hunger is only one of many reasons babies wake at night. There is no meaningful connection between feeding a baby solid foods and having her sleep through the night.
  5. “Your baby still isn’t sleeping through the night?? MY baby started sleeping through the night when she was 4 minutes old!” Some parents seem to rub it in that their baby slept all night from a young age! And while some of those claims are true (some 8 week old babies really do sleep 8 straight hours at night), they often aren’t. For starters, a parent who makes a claim like this could be using a different definition of ‘sleeping through the night’ than you are (see above). Additionally, they might also be straight up lying about it. Many parents take it as a reflection of their own parenting skills whether their baby is sleeping well and if they aren’t, they don’t want to admit they “failed.”

In the end, all babies will sleep through the night…eventually. Although some of these myths aren’t true, it doesn’t mean you can’t establish healthy sleep habits from a young age. Maybe your 4 month old won’t sleep 8-12 hours straight, but she surely shouldn’t wake up every two hours, either. You know your baby best and if it feels like a “sleep problem” it probably is. So find a reputed baby sleep consultant online.

Nicole Johnson is a married mother of two wonderful boys and owner of The Baby Sleep Site. When her eldest son was born, he had a lot of sleep problems – he would wake every one or two hours, all night long! She got busy and thoroughly researched literature and scientific reports until she became an expert in sleep methods, scheduling routines, baby developmental needs, and more. She overcame her son’s sleeping issues in a way that matched her own parenting style, and knew it was her mission to help other tired parents “find their child’s sleep”. If you have your own sleep issues, Nicole and her team at The Baby Sleep Site® can help! Download the popular free guide, 5 Ways To Help Your Child Sleep Through The Night, to get started today.

Thanks a Latte Giveaway

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Sponsored by: Discovery Toys (Angela)

Enter for your chance to win a $45 Shopping Spree at Angela’s Discovery Toys 

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Toasty toes with Stonz

Who is Stonz

Stonz was created by a mom who loved being outside with her kids. However, she was quickly frustrated by her toddler’s wardrobe malfunctions and the need for a solution to keep him warm.

In 2004 Stonz Booties was launched and has continued to thrive in making innovative warm gear for babies and kids. Stonz is functional, durable, and adorably fashionable.

 

Stonz Products

Toddler Booties

(up to 3 years)

My daughter is approaching 12 months and will be facing her first Ohio winter. Since birth she has been super sensitive to the cold so I knew I needed to find warm shoes for her, especially since she will be walking in snow.

Stonz booties are definitely innovative and I think once you go Stonz you’ll never go back! The shape of the shoe is more like a mitten for the foot. It has a large opening and is super spacious inside. My daughter always curls her toes when I put shoes on, making it next to impossible to put her feet completely in. Even with curled toes, I can quickly slip Stonz on and get her feet flat.

Rather than laces, Stonz booties has two adjustable toggles; one on the ankle and one on the top. It makes for a snug perfect fit every time and keeps shoes on! Not to mention it saves time on wrangling toddlers to tie shoes. While wearing my daughter in the carrier or pushing her in the stroller, I was worry free about her shoes falling off.

The bottom of the boots are made with soft, skid-resistant rubber. It is flexible enough to allow those developing feet feel the ground for balance but durable enough to protect from outside elements.

Stonz booties are made with a cold and wind resistant 600D nylon and lined with a warm fleece. I love these boots are so versatile. They can be worn during chilly rainy seasons as well as freezing cold winter days. Since the shoes are adjustable, it is easy to layer up or down. My daughter was able to wear her booties with just tights as well as over her winter snow suit.

Stonz also sells Linerz that can be added for extra warmth. These are especially great for playing in the snow or long exposure to cold.

All of their booties are specially designed to follow the fashion of your little one. Stonz provides a plethora of different styles such as animals, colors, patterns, and cartoons. We chose the gray booties with a simple bird on the side. The only down side is the design gets squeezed and distorted when the elastic is tightened. I probably would have chosen a solid color or pattern if I had known

 

Overall I was very impressed with Stonz booties! I loved how easy they were to put on but did not run the risk of falling off. Even being made with durable warm fabrics, they remained adorable and in my daughter’s style.

Scout Winter Bootz

For my 2.5 year old son we chose Stonz’s scout winter boots. I will admit at first I was confused at which shoe to get. The 5T-9T through me off, I was correlating it to clothes sizing and thought my son would be too small for these shoes. However, after I used their handy shoe sizing chart I realized it just means shoe sizes 5-9. My son is currently a 7 and we bought him an 8. He can comfortably wear them but has some space to grow into them this winter.

Scout Winter Bootz come in four color options; green, blue, pink, and gray. My son quickly chose the lime green which was a perfect match for his winter and rain coat.

I might be brain washing him into liking green. Or he just gets his great taste from his mama!

We fell in love with these bootz instantly after opening them up. They are wonderful quality with 600D nylon and warm fuzzy fleece. The bottom has a slip resistant sole that is durable and flexible.

The wide opening makes it a breeze to put on and fit pant legs inside the boot.  Rather than laces. an elastic velcro assure a tight snug fit.

Stonz states they are made to keep feet warm up to -22 degrees Fahrenheit. I honestly hope to never be outside when it is that cold but I do know these are Canadian made and Canadians know cold!

We played outside in the ran when it was just over 50 degrees. My son ended up begging me to take his coat off because he was hot. I’ve actually read up on it and found research showing that cold feet can weaken your immune system, thus getting sick more during winter seasons. I’m happy to know my kids’ feet will be staying toasty this winter in Stonz.

Probably the best feature is Stonz boots are lighter than an iPhone!

I was amazed to see my son run fairly normal in his boots; not that awkward clunky march kids do all winter. He was definitely comfortable playing and didn’t slow down from heavy overweight boots. Stonz boots are flexible enough to let his ankles move freely while the elastic straps keep his boots on securely.

Stonz bootz are a great option for your toddler who is active rain or shine..or snow and wind. They protect their feet from the elements while being light enough for them to play freely!

More from Stonz

Yes! Stonz makes products not just for feet! They also make warm, easy slip on mittens to assure your child is warm from finger to toes!

With winter around the corner don’t be caught off guard with icy rain and freezing temperatures. Keep those little toes nice and toasty with durable but light Stonz boots.

Keep your eyes peeled on MamatheFox for a Stonz boots giveaway coming soon!!

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Body Safe, Baby Safe

I’m always on the hunt for organic body products that I can use on myself, but more importantly on my babies. I believe that it is very important to know what we put onto our skin. We are delicate humans and we were not created to be using all the nasty, chemical filled products that sit on the store shelf.

 


That is why I am loving Yorba Organics.

 

About Yorba

This company believes that people are precious. They care about what goes into a product and onto your body. ‘Yorba thinks that every family should be able to enjoy the natural products they need to live a healthy and balanced life.’ They do this by putting their trust in nature and not in chemicals and synthetics.

Every ingredient that Yorba uses is ethically sourced and sustainably wild-harvested. This ensures that only the purest, most organic natural ingredients are being placed into their products. All of the ingredients are GMO free too. The ingredients used in their products are ALL harvested sustainably in support of uplifting impoverished communities. Some of their partnerships (below) are a testament to this.

Each of their products contains at least one of the ingredients shown. These are the ingredients that are sustainably harvested; many of which come from remote corners of the earth. You can find more information about each ingredient on the Yorba website.

Below you will see the certifications and endorsements that Yorba takes very seriously. With a goal to become carbon neutral, they do their “very best to ensure that the products you buy from them are sustainably sourced, ethically manufactured and above all, safe to use daily.” You can find more information on each of these organizations here on their website.

 

 

 

One of the first differences I noticed when I started using the Yorba products was the color of their creams and lotions. Everything is colored an orange-tan color; much different than the products I’m so used to using. At first I was a little concerned – “Are these expired?”, I thought. But then I realized why they were ALL colored this way – their products are real! They are using pure ingredients so of course their products aren’t going to be stark white like most other lotions and creams. This really put me at ease. I knew from the beginning that their products were legit.

Stretch Mark Cream

I just had baby number two on September 29 and let me tell you, stretch mark cream was a necessity while I was pregnant. With my first child I used a brand of cream that was very oily. It literally stained everything it touched; I had to make sure I wore old clothes I didn’t care much about when putting it on. Quite the annoyance.

This cream though, has no oily feel at all. It’s comparable to lotion or body butter – pretty thick. It rubs on super well and soaks into the skin perfectly. I don’t even need to wash my hands after using it! I totally recommend this Stretch Mark Cream to any soon to be mamas.

Baby Foam Bath

My son loves this baby foam bath. We put it in his bath and he absolutely loves the bubbles. He even started to eat the bubbles at one point! I did ask him stop eating the soap but was not at all worried. I trust the ingredients!

The foam creates a lot of suds which makes bath time even more fun for baby. Simply pump the bottle a few times under the running water and watch the suds form!

The smell of the foam is very attractive. Many different oils are used in the foam which creates the yummy scent. Marula is the key ingredient and is perfect for all skin types. It is very mild and gentle – just what we want for our babies!

Baby Wash and Shampoo

This stuff rocks. When we took my son out of the bath the first thing I noticed was his hair. It was drying perfectly; seriously his hair was so soft and fluffy! I love how the shampoo and body wash are combined into one product. Why buy them separately when you can get them together!

Diaper Cream

I was very interested in how the diaper cream was going to work. My son gets a rash where the diaper rubs his inner thigh and it is always so hard to get rid of. We’ve tried multiple diaper creams, oils, and powders and nothing seems to clear it up. After using the Yorba diaper cream for about a week and a half, his rash has cleared up! I’m seriously so impressed!! The Mafura butter, a key ingredient, is easily absorbed by the skin creating a fast acting cream. 

We cloth diaper in our house and finding a cream that is safe to use with cloth has proved to be quite the struggle. This Yorba diaper cream is zinc – free so it is 100% cloth diaper safe. Love it!!

Body Lotion

My husband used the body lotion before I got a chance to and let me tell ya, he loves it. His first comment about it was the color, which I briefly explained to him and he gladly accepted. As he was rubbing the lotion on his hands he mentioned to me that he got way too much. The amount he used was about the size of a nickel – a pretty normal about of lotion. But this lotion is powerful stuff! He was rubbing it onto his forearms because he had too much of it. The lotion is super absorbent and very hydrating. Hubby only had to use it twice before seeing a noticeable difference in his chapped hands!

 

Yorba products are seriously perfect for any family – kids or no kids. If you are looking to switch your hygiene products to a more natural and organic option, I totally recommend the Yorba line. Their products are so worth it. Check out their website for even more body safe, baby safe products!

 

 

Connect with Yorba

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May not be combined with other promo codes. Orders of $50 or more after discount are eligible for Free Ground Shipping. Expires October 31st, 2017.

Discover Fun with Discovery Toys

As an educator and mom I am always looking on sites like umkytoys for the right toys.

The mama in me looks for safe toys that are attractive and versatile. Toys need to do more than one thing and spark imaginative play. I want my kids to want to play with their toys, and I want them to play for a while.

Mama needs her coffee time!

As an educator, I look for toys that strengthen my child’s skills and development. I want them to contribute to my kids growth and challenge them to do, think, or feel.

My husband wants high quality products and our money’s worth. He does not want toys breaking…aka hearts breaking, not to mention they need to last through the years of being hand me downed to the next kid.

If it was up to him, our kids would be playing in cardboard boxes, because lets be honest, most kids love the packaging the most.

With the holiday and birthday season approaching I started researching gifts for our kids that would meet our high standards.

That is when I came across Discovery Toys and began reading about their perfect blend of fun, educational, and quality.

Who is Discovery Toys?

Discovery Toys has been in business for over 35 years and has gained a trusted reputation of providing premium quality toys. They are dedicated to designing toys that promote kid-power learning through play. Discovery Toys cover ages birth to 8 years and each toy is designed to teach, play, and inspire. Their mission is to provide engaging toys that assist parents and teachers with educating through play. The goal is to inspire a love for learning in children and adults.

Levels of Learning

These toys are unique as they combine multiple levels of learning in every toy.

  1. Products support multiple skills and learning pathways
  2. Products grow with your child
  3. Products support a varies of learning styles (audio, visual, and kinesthetic)

Special Needs

Since discovery toys are so versatile they are great for supporting children with special needs. Their toy catalogue is actually labeled with an Autism symbol that corresponds with the specific learning each toy supports. They also provide a very useful guide to help consumers select the correct product for their child’s needs.

I found this chart to be extremely helpful for any parent. As we watch our kids grow we notice their strengths and weakness in development. My son is a big kinesthetic learner and strong communicatively and cognitively. However, as a strong willed stubborned toddler he could improve his social skills and some fine motor tasks. My 12 month old is very visual and just starting to reach some cognitive milestones. I used this guide to help me choose the right toys to help grow and strengthen the needs of my littles.

Shopping Made Easy

I think my favorite thing about Discovery Toys, besides the toys themselves, is the catalogue setup. It’s perfectly color coded, organized, and supportive of parents’ choices. It’s almost as if a teacher is shopping with you explaining the benefits of each toy.

At the front of the catalogue they provide a table of context of each type of play. Their toys are grouped accordingly and each page is clearly marked.

They provide a key for their autism and special needs toys. Each letter corresponds with the specific learning the toy supports.

Also included are indicators of exclusive Discovery Toys, best sellers, and award winners.

If you are searching for a specific age rage, they provide a index by age. However, most of their toys will grow with your child beyond the listed age.

Our New Favorite Toys

As you can imagine, it was hard to choose just a few toys for our kids! There is a great desire to buy everything I think would interest my children, or be a possible teaching tool! If I followed my desire I would have every toy in the book. So I settled for 3.

All three toys are BPA free and included a tiny informational booklet. It provides a number of ways to play and educate using the given toy.

Heartbeat M.D

This best seller Discovery Toy was my no brainer. My son is getting more and more creative with his imaginative play and I am loving every minute of it. I recently started searching for a doctor kit when my son started using his tool kit for doctor play.

I give him points for creativity!

Normally I would just let it go and be satisfied with him using his tools for multiple purposes. But after a scarring visit to a hospital, while living overseas, I wanted him to get familiar with doctor tools. My goal was to play doctor enough times that he would begin to know the intention of each tool and be comfortable with medical exams.

My problem was trying to find doctor kits that weren’t outrageous colors or extremely flimsy. The Heartbeat M.D met my expectations.

The tools are a nice weight and great quality. My son’s imagination was immediately sparked as we practiced using each tool.

My educational expectations were even exceeded as I realized doctor play helped him learn to take turns, improve his focus, and communicate his feelings. Not to mention, we worked on being gentle when his little sister joined in as a patient.

 

With the help of baby dolls, doctor play can also be an independent quite play activity. We currently only have one extremely old doll but she made due.

If you have an animal lover, doctor kits are also awesome for veterinary play. We don’t have any live pets to practice on but we do have plenty of stuffed animals.

This toy is suggested for ages starting at 3 years and has won two awards!

Measure Up! Cups

A staple childhood toy has got to be stacking cups. They are versatile, durable, and grow with your child. Cups are great for stacking, playing in sensory bins, pouring in the bath tub, stamping, nesting, and so much more.

I loved that both my toddler and baby were engaged with Measure Up! Cups and developmentally benefited from their play. While my daughter was learning cause and effect of knocking down a tower, my son was experimenting with volume and getting a grasp on relational sizing.

When I received Measure Up! Cups I was curious how Discovery toys had worked to improve such a timeless toy.

The first thing I noticed was the ridged edges. This is to help prevent accidental suffocation, a risk I didn’t even know came with stacking cups. The ridges also help to stabilize the cups when being stacked and make for great castle turrets.

Each cup is numbered on the inside and outside and looks great when numerically arranged or sequentially placed in a circle to make a clock face. The numbers are also written in English, Spanish, and French and include corresponding dots. The bottom of the cups has stamped animals that correlate with the cups size. Cup 12 has an elephant while cup 1 has a butterfly. Measure Up! Cups are designed to be volumetrically proportional and are a great teaching tool for math concepts.

Discovery Toys suggests Measure Up! Cups for children from 12 Months to primary school. This toy has won three awards including the Family Choice Award.

Rainfall Rattle

I was instantly drawn to this rattle for my daughter and knew it would meet her interests. My daughter loves music and always chooses the egg shakers in the instrument box.

The rainfall rattle is a multi sensory experience as little ones watch and hear a stream of colorful beads falling. My daughter was drawn to the moving rainbow of colors and watching the effects of her shaking.

The rattle fits in little hands and is great for shaking, tipping, and rolling. Surprisingly it made for a fun toy for not only my daughter but my toddler too.

My son enjoyed experimenting with the pace of beads by how quickly he turned the rattle. He was so focused on getting every bead through the eight layers to the end.

As an educator, I also found this toy to be a soothing quiet break. My very energetic son often struggles with getting over stimulated and needing an outlet to gain control. Watching the cascading beads glistening in the sun has been a wonderful resource.

The rainfall rattle is suggested for 9 months to toddler age and has won one award.

 

But don’t just take my word for it, Discovery Toys has a wide variety of toys that meet the needs of any child.

Discovery Toys® products are available through our independent Educational Consultants in the United States and Canada. Our Educational Consultants are trained to help you select the appropriate products for the children in your lives, to take orders, to share the Discovery Toys income opportunity, to help you plan a party, and to answer any questions you may have.”

If you want to learn more about these Discovery Toys products contact Angela (The Expert!) through her website or by emailing angelakraemer_discoverytoys@yahoo.com. She is not an average pushy sales rep, rather a mom who loves discovery toys so much that she starting to sell them and spread the word.

Reach out if you want to host a party so you can get some awesome hosting rewards too! Can’t hurt, right?

 

Connect with Discovery Toys

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Irresistible ikiki Shoes

Transition is pretty much happening everyday when you have little ones. Weather is changing, milestones are being hit, likes/dislikes are developing, and in my extended family, babies are always being born.

It’s hard to keep up.

So when fall weather hit out of no where, I realized I was in a pinch for new kid shoes. We needed to transition out of easy slip on sandals back to socks and sneakers.

As a mother of two, sneakers are my worst nightmare.

Thats four pairs of socks, four wrestling matches to squeeze feet in shoes, and four races to tie shoes before the feet run away.

My daughter is transitioning into walking so this fall I knew she would need a good pair of solid walking shoes. While my son is transitioning into an opinionated “three-anger” and pretty much controls what he wears and when he wears it.

So with fall rolling in I was scared leaving the house was going to start taking 3 hours.

Then I found ikiki shoes!

Who is ikiki Shoes?

A dad with growing kids came up with ikiki shoes in 2009. He was actually an engineer looking for shoes that were healthy and fun for kids, and not just shrunken adult shoes. He understood kid feet are in the most important developmental stage of life, and therefore needed the correct support and design. ikiki has reimagined kid’s shoes and has used the best materials to make their products breathable, comfortable, and fun.

Squeaky Shoes?

Before you freak out, please promise to read on. ikiki shoes have built in squeakers.

While living in China, I saw kids wearing squeaker shoes daily. At first I didn’t get it. Why would you want to hear that all day?

Then I saw it in action.


New walkers smiling from ear to ear as they heard the squeaking. It actually is a genius educational tool. It teaches kids cause and effect which is big milestone for littles.  The squeak is also providing a multi sensory activity for walkers; feeling feet walk while hearing squeaking in unison. I don’t think I’ve every seen my daughter smile so big than when she first wore her ikiki’s. As I held her hands and she jumped, the squeaking brought giggles and entertainment.

It also provides a safety measure. I remember seeing a mom turn around to talk to her friend and her daughter taking off. Immediately the mother heard the quickening of squeaks and turned around to chase her little one back to safety. These shoes are great for in stores and parks when you are trying to multitask. Rather than looking for groceries and watching kids, you can actually look at what you are buying while listening to your child’s actions.

 Adjustable Squeaker

Like I said, squeaker shoes are no new invention. However, ikiki shoes are built with a patent-pending adjustable squeaker design. With a simple flip of a switch you, or your child, can turn the squeaks off. So when heading to the library or movie theater, or you just need a bit of quiet, ikiki shoes can be silenced.

I liked that it was simple to turn the squeaks on and off. My 2.5 year old son figured it out within minutes of wearing his new shoes. He established his own set of rules of when he wanted the squeaks on and off. When he’s jumping and “working out” he sits down and turns those puppies on and has a wonderful squeaking time. During his imaginative play time or when grandpa’s around he chooses to keep them off. I liked that during this transition of needing control, my son has something he is in control of.

As for my newly walking daughter, we just leave her ikiki’s on because what is cuter than a tottering baby?

A tottering baby laughing at herself squeaking.

Shoe Tech

As I said before, ikiki shoes were engineered around children’s feet.

The soles are very light weight and soft, making them flexible and comfortable. The rubber bottoms protect their little feet while also allowing children to feel the ground; helping to develop balance and stability. Each sole has a different pop of color, making it easier to match the correct foot to the correct shoe.

The website provides a wonderful printable sizing guide. Included is detailed directions, an accuracy check, and scale. It was simple and quick to measure my kids’ feet and the shoes ended up being very true to size.

Kids’ Foot Sizing Chart

The actual materials making up ikiki shoes are breathable and durable. The unique high top design offers padded support for little ankles without hugging too tight. The insides are smooth making slipping on shoes a breeze, while the outsides provides extra protection for toes and heels.

My son is a wild child always looking for adventure. These shoes have held up not just through every day use but also scooter riding, playing sports, and adventuring by our local park’s creek. While reading through some ikiki reviews, I read one consumer’s fear of the shoes being too flimsy for outside. ikiki actually encouraged her to try the shoes for outside play and offered another pair if they got ruined.

The truth is, healthy kid shoes should feel light weight and flexible. ikiki has mastered just that by engineering high quality developmentally appropriate shoes for your kids’ growing feet.

EASY to put on

My favorite feature of ikiki shoes is how easy they are. These are the first shoes my son has ever independently put on!

A serious miracle!

The backs have large easy pull on loops which can actually be used. These are far from the normal wimpy loops that slip right out of your fingers.

The best part is the wide opening velcro which provides plenty of wiggle room to pop feet in. Since velcro can be adjusted, you can still make the roomy shoes tight enough for safe walking.

Appealing Characters 

ikiki didn’t just design shoes for the different needs of adolescent feet, they also created unique styles to accentuate the personality of your little ones. ikiki shoes are visually appealing with bright colors and friendly characters. Each pair doubles as a fun character friend that is as unique as your child. Their website includes bios for each character helping your little one choose his or her ikikis.

For the first time I let my son choose his own shoes. It was a much debated processes as we went through and read about each character. He eventually decided on Prince Kairu, a competitive frog working towards being the first amphibious Olympic swimmer. He loved the medal Kairu had won in his bio picture and the fact he could help him jump to victory.

For me it was a struggle to narrow it down but I finally chose Patty Potamus for my daughter, a dancing hippo ballerina that has a taste for finer things. Not to mention, we loved they were glittery and matched her favorite hippo toy.

 

Thanks to our ikiki shoes leaving the house this fall is going to be quick and simple. We finally have shoes that are made for developing walking feet while also appeasing our independent free spirited child.

 


Connect with ikiki

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BabyComfy Care Giveaway

Hosted by: MamatheFox.com

Sponsored by: Baby Comfy Care

Enter for your chance to win: 1 BabyComfy Kit Essentials Set

$40 value

Open to: US

 

The days are shorter, the temps are cooler. It’s time for fall break! This giveaway hop is hosted by Savings in Seconds. Enjoy the giveaways at the blogs linked below. The event runs from September 21-October 3. Good luck!
Note: Savings in Seconds and participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations.



Color Me Lucky Giveaway

Hosted by: MamatheFox

Sponsored by: Binxy Baby

Enter for your chance to win: (1) Binxy Baby hammock of your choice

Open to: US

 

Welcome to the Color Me Lucky Giveaway Hop! Be sure to come back daily to get your daily entries to increase your chances of winning. Scroll down under the form to find more awesome giveaways to enter.

 

Head over to Binxy Baby to see what they have to offer

 

 

 

Visit all the blogs below to enter more giveaways!

Warm and Fuzzy about FuzziBunz

Hey fluff love Mamas!

How is your cloth diapering going?

When we moved back to America we switched to cloth diapers since we finally had a washer machine connected to the hot water. I’ve enjoyed testing MamatheFox’s stash of cloth diapers to figure out which brands I like best, not to mention which ones my husband can correctly put on.

Recently while reading blogs and searching Pinterest for cloth diaper information I stumbled upon FuzziBunz diapers. I was immediately hooked by their prices and the frequency of sales. I loved their unique vibrant prints and realized these were different from most cloth diapers.

 

Why FuzziBunz is Different?

  • Easily replaceable elastics

FuzziBunz has a longer lifespan because you can replace the elastic. Diapers are equipped with Fantastic Elastic which are easily replaceable using a button-hole system. Replacement elastic is extremely affordable. To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised! I mean replacing the elastic is pretty much giving your diaper a second life, so I expected it to be kind of pricey. Each replacement kit comes with 3 pieces of hole elastic and cost $1.50.

  • One size adjustable diaper

I’ve tried a lot of different brands of one size adjustable diapers. Some include snaps on the front which make for quick, but sometimes confusing, adjustments. I’ve also tried diapers equipped with a bra like elastic system in the legs. Those were so tight I literally had to use pliers to adjust my diapers. FuzziBunz elastic attaches to the adjustment buttons in each leg and on the waistband. A custom fit is made easy and can quickly be readjusted. FuzziBunz also provides an adjustment sizing guide and tutorial to help you get started.

  • 3 Point Leak Protection

Recently FuzziBunz refined their diapers creating a 3 point leak protection system. Their seams are are reinforced with new technology to prevent wetness leaking through. The first time my daughter wore this diaper she had a mega blow out. My father-in-law wrestled with a fussy baby for over 30 minutes with no resolve. I didn’t even know she had pooped until I went to change her diaper before a feeding. The leg holes are equipped with thick seams that keep moisture in but are still comfortable and moveable.

Inserts are pre-prepped and pre-shrunk in order to prevent abnormalities after the first washes. I loved how dense and high quality the organic hemp/cotton blend felt. It worked great alone during the day and paired well with a booster at night. I like the blend option as the cotton quickly absorbs moisture while the hemp retains moisture under pressure.

An additional treatment was added to the outer cover fabric to help make it more water resistant. To me, the outer cover resembles a soft cotton swimsuit. It definitely has a stronger water resistant feel and has protection against any wicking. An added bonus is the array of prints and solids. Their 2017 line is pretty top notch with a variety of different styles.

  • Polar Fleece Lining

You know the phrase “soft as a baby’s bottom?”

Well FuzziBunz’s polar fleece lining might be softer. The white lining was super comfortable on baby, especially around the legs and waist where it is tighter. I like to make my diapers a bit tighter mostly because my little one is on the squishier side. The extra polar fleece padding around the seams kept her leakproof while not leaving any indents on her skin.

  • Resources

I love how much information and support FuzziBunz gives to parents starting cloth diapers. I know when I made the switch I was completely overwhelmed. Everyone has different opinions, methods, and systems and it was so hard to remember what to do and when. The FuzziBunz website provides a resource center for how to get started and how to maintain a healthy cloth diapering system.

Getting Started

Care and Use Guide

Why Cloth Diapers

Sizing Information

How to Strip Your Diapers

  • Variety of Products

FuzziBunz provides almost everything you need to get started with cloth diapering. They offer first year bundles that also include free accessories to get you started.  You also have the option to buy diapers individually. They actually make three different types:

  1. All in One
  2. FuzziBunz Adjustable First Year(7-25LBS)
  3. One Size (10-40LBS)

In addition, FuziBunz sells:

  1. Cloth Pads
  2. Microfiver Inserts
  3. Replacement Elastic
  4. Pre-Wash Detergent
  5. Hanging Diaper Pails
  6. Organic hemp/cotton inserts
  7. Diaper totes
  8. Nursing Pads

Overall, I was extremely impressed with FuzziBunz adjustment features and 3 point leak protection. We can all agree babies are not one size fits all, so why should their diapers be? So whether you are looking for a new brand to try out or you are just getting started with cloth, I highly encourage you to try out FuzziBunz’s affordable, adjustable, diapers!

 

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