Sharing the New LEGO DUPLO Toddler Toys at a LEGO DUPLO Party! #LEGODUPLOplay

I love being a LEGO DUPLO Play Ambassador not just because my boys love LEGO but also because I get to be the first to learn about all the newest products available for children. Recently, LEGO DUPLO released a line of Toddler building sets and not only did I get to be one of the first to learn about them, I even had the chance to share the products with friends at a LEGO DUPLO party!

The new line of toys includes a Toddler Starter Building Set, Toddler Build and Pull Along set and Toddler Build and Play Cubes set perfect for combining fun and learning for little ones that are experiencing LEGO DUPLO for the first time. I received one of each of the new toys, a Brick Box and two Bricks and Books sets along with a fabulous party kit full of activities and games to help make my get-together unforgettable. And since the LEGO brick recently celebrated its 55th Birthday, I decided to have my party then. What better day could there be to share new LEGO DUPLO products with others?

kids eating at lego duplo party [Read more...]

Playtex Mealtime Bowls Make Eating More Fun for Kids-Giveaway

For the last year, I’ve been sharing information about all my very favourite Playtex products as part of my role as a Playtex Mommyville Featured Expert. From the much-beloved Diaper Genie Elite (have you entered to win one yet?) to the handy Twist ‘n Click Snacker for mess-free snacking on the road, there are just so many Playtex products that are essentials in our household.

playtex mealtime bowlsOne of our very favourite Playtex lines is the Playtex Mealtime tableware and the bowls we received to review recently were no exception. My boys love their Playtex Mealtime plates and cutlery so they were very excited to use their new matching bowls!

We received a set of three Playtex Mealtime Bowls to review. As usual, Zackary claimed the bowl featuring a car and Benjamin wanted the bowl with a cheery dinosaur. The very next morning, both boys insisted on using the bowls for their breakfast cereal.

The boys found the design of the bowls appealing but for me, the big highlight of these bowls was the non-slip grip on the bottom. I like this feature on the plates as well but it’s even more necessary with bowls since my boys tend to tip them over a little more easily and since a spilled bowl usually results in a bigger mess than a spilled plate. [Read more...]

Teething Tips For Irritable Infants from Earth’s Best Organic-Giveaway

Teething is one of those events that can be relatively easy for some babies and absolutely agonizing for others. When my boys were younger, they tended to get three or four teeth at one time so teething was not all that pleasant for them. I tried a few different things to soothe their gums and help the teeth break through, but it was a bit of a stressful time for them and for me. My boys are done teething now but if you have a little one that’s drooling, fussing and showing other telltale signs of teething, don’t despair! Earth’s Best Organic has some great tips for making teething easier for mom and baby!
earth's best toddler biscuits

  • Offer a hard snack: giving your baby a hard snack to gnaw on can be very soothing for their growing teeth. Earth’s Best Organic Toddler Biscuits are made from organic wheat and organic barley. Perfectly sized for little hands to hold, they are a good source of calcium and have an appealing texture for baby’s changing mouth. Firm rubber teething rings are also good choices.
  • Make sure to dry excessive drool: drooling during teething can lead to rashes around the mouth and neck. Use bibs, change your baby’s shirt often and dry drool as often as possible to prevent rashing.

[Read more...]

Sharing My Favourite Earth’s Best Organic Product-Giveaway

Having been a member of the Earth’s Best Blogger program for two rounds now, I’ve had the chance to try all kinds of great Earth’s Best Organic items. From cookies to smoothies to diapers, the company has more fabulous eco-friendly products than I would have believed!

earth's best flushable wipesThere are lots of Earth’s Best products that have become favourites in our house. My oldest son loves the Earth’s Best Organic Sesame Street Fruit and Yoghurt Smoothies. My youngest always cheers when I give him Earth’s Best Organic Letter of the Day Cookies. But my personal favourite product of everything we’ve received so far is the Earth’s Best Organic TOTS Flushable Wipes. [Read more...]

Little Kids Can Feel Big When They Eat with Playtex Mealtime Toddler Utensils-Giveaway

Benjamin prides himself on being a big boy but when it comes to mealtime, that can cause problems since he wants to use the same dishware, cutlery and cups as everyone else. And as hard as he tries, our standard plates, forks and glasses are just too big and unwieldy for his little mouth. Fortunately, Playtex Mommyville came to the rescue by sending me a set of the Playtex Mealtime Toddler Utensils to review. I had high hopes that this cute toddler-sized cutlery would satisfy my son’s need for independence and still let him eat with ease.

playtex mealtime toddler utensilsThe Playtex Toddler Utensils are designed so that they are the right size for little hands but still nice and sturdy like adult cutlery. Benjamin loved the fat blue handles of his special fork and spoon and I was happy to see that he seemed to find the cutlery an acceptable choice for a “big boy.”

At our next meal, I served Benjamin his dinner with his new fork and spoon. I liked the safety features of the fork; it had rounded ends so that my independent eater wouldn’t accidentally poke himself and because the ends of the cutlery were still made of stainless steel, he was able to use them confidently just as he had with the large metal cutlery. One of my pet peeves is when children’s cutlery is made of flimsy plastic that makes it hard for a child to scoop up their meal. The Playtex Toddler Utensils didn’t have that problem! [Read more...]

New Earth’s Best Organic Fruit and Grain Purees are Filling and Delicious-Giveaway

It’s time for something new from Earth’s Best Organic! I’ve loved the Earth’s Best products that my boys and I have tried over the last few months and last month a brand new favourite hit the shelves. Earth’s Best Organic Fruit and Grain Purees are a blend of organic fruit and hearty whole grains in the handy portable and squeezable pouches that I love. We received a few of the Fruit and Grain Purees to test out and I was excited to see how my boys would like them.

earth's best organic fruit and grain pureesThe purees come in four different varieties: Apple Peach Oatmeal, Apple Plum Kamut, Banana Raspberry Brown Rice and Pear Apricot Barley. Ironically, my youngest, who is closest to the baby age, absolutely refuses to eat pureed fruit. But my oldest absolutely loves it and he especially loves being able to suck it out of the pouches when he wants a quick snack. He tried the Banana Raspberry Brown Rice puree and proclaimed it delicious! [Read more...]

Make Your Toddler’s Mealtime Less Messy with Playtex Mealtime Plates-Giveaway

When Benjamin was first starting to eat at the table with the family, I ran into one of the biggest pitfalls of the independent younger child. While Benjamin wanted to sit up and eat just like his big brother, he didn’t quite have the dexterity to do so very neatly quite yet. And that meant two things. A lot of food ended up spilled on the table. And a lot of plates ended up tipped onto the floor.

playtex mealtime plates in packagePlaytex understands how that fiercely independent little toddler feels, but they also want to make sure that a child learning to eat on his own doesn’t mean hours of extra cleaning for Mom! That’s why they created products like the Playtex Mealtime Plates and as a Playtex Mommyville Featured Expert, I got to review a set of plates recently and see if they improved our mealtime messes. [Read more...]

Tips for Feeding Your Toddler from Earth’s Best Organic

baby and appleFeeding a toddler is nothing if not interesting! Whether you’re trying to convince your picky princess to try a new food or are dealing with a fussy son’s tendency to throw most of his food on the floor, adventurous doesn’t even begin to cover the experience. But this isn’t just the time when children learn to feed themselves, it’s also the time when they develops healthy eating habits that will last their whole lives.

As my regular readers will know, I am an Earth’s Best Blogger and one of the perks of the program is that I get to share great articles and resources from Earth’s Best with my readers. To help get you through this important stage of your child’s development, Earth’s Best Organic has a great article with some tips and guidelines for feeding your toddler. I liked the idea of making food more attractive to toddlers by arranging bite-sized pieces in a fun pattern. I was also surprised to learn that the four most common deficiencies in toddlers are iron, folate, zinc and calcium. While iron deficiency is something that I hear quite a bit about, I have to admit that I didn’t really expect many toddlers to have calcium deficiencies!

The article can be found on the Earth’s Best website and is a must-read for any mother of a toddler. Nutritionist Sue Gilbert wrote the article and she really knows her topic! I appreciated having guidelines about what actually constitutes a serving for a toddler and knowing exactly how much of the different food groups a toddler needs every day. Check it out for yourself and get some great tips for making the adventure of feeding your toddler a little easier!