Reviews

Protecting My Boys During Days Outside with New Banana Boat Simply Protect Kids

June 22, 2018 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

Summer has arrived early in Saskatchewan this year, and I couldn’t be happier about it! We’ve spent the warm weather planting trees, building our deck and watching our boys’ sports games. But all our time outdoors means that sunscreen is a must!

This year, Banana Boat gave me the chance to test out its new Simply Protect Kids sunscreen, and it sounded like it would be a great choice for my outdoor-loving boys. So, when both my older boys ended up with sports tournaments on the same weekend, I made sure the sunscreen was packed in our bag before we left the house.

This fabulous new Banana Boat Simply Protect sunscreen is a creamy lotion that feature 25% fewer ingredients, including no parabens, oxybenzone or added fragrances and oils. It provides broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection, and even boasts a tear-free formula that’s gentle on little eyes. [Read more…]

Must-Have New Products for Moms this Summer

June 19, 2018 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

One of the things that I love most about being a blogger is getting to check out some of the newest and hottest products for families each season. And this summer, I’ve discovered some great must-haves for moms. Whether you love heading outdoors as soon as the weather warms up, or catching up on some much-needed sleep, this round-up has something for you!

For the Outdoorsy Mom

If you love spending your time in the great outdoors and already have a campsite booked for your family’s summer vacation, the Pouch Couch is for you! This innovative and comfortable lounger can be used in just minutes after being waved in the air to fill it. Then kick back and relax at your campsite or on the beach. Best of all, it’s waterproof and packs into a small, easy-to-transport pouch! Find the Pouch Couch in a variety of colours at amazon.ca. [Read more…]

First-Time Pumping with the Philips Avent Comfort Double Electric Breast Pump-Giveaway

June 8, 2018 by Kathryn 6 Comments

Disclosure: I am part of the PTPA Media Brand Ambassador Program with Philips Avent and I received Compensation as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

For the last few months, Cormac has delved into the wonderful world of real food. Even though he’s still adorably toothless, he’s gone from pureed meat and vegetables to soft pieces of cooked food in record time…and loved everything he’s tasted!

But despite his fondness for everything from pasta to pickles, he also still loves to breastfeed. And I’m more than okay with that! I’ve always been a fan of extended nursing, mostly because I loved that bonding moment with my children so much. And if Cormac is anything like his older brothers, he’ll be breastfeeding for quite a few months yet.

That means that when I’m not home to feed Cormac, I want to have breastmilk ready for him in a bottle. When I first gave birth, I used the Philips Avent Comfort Manual Breast Pump to express milk, and I loved its lightweight design and how easy it was to use.

But I wondered if pumping could be even easier, and so I was thrilled when Philips Avent let me test out the Comfort Double Electric Breast Pump as well! I’d never used an electric breast pump before, but I’d heard some great things from friends and family.
[Read more…]

MegaFood Baby & Me Supplements Help Keep Moms and Babies Healthy-Giveaway

May 3, 2018 by Kathryn 13 Comments

When I was pregnant with Cormac, I got a little bit obsessed with proper nutrition. I took both a prenatal vitamin and an Omega-3 supplement. I also tried to eat as healthily as possible, though it wasn’t easy considering my huge cravings for sugar!

The hardest thing about taking my vitamins was how they upset my stomach. I was often nauseous for about half an hour afterwards, even though I was eating a meal at the same time. So, I was very excited to learn about MegaFood Baby & Me supplements. Not only are they packed with all the nutrition pregnant and breastfeeding women need, they’re also designed to be less likely to cause nausea the way some other supplements do!

So, what makes the Baby & Me products different? The secret is whole foods. The supplements are all made with whole food products (like Vitamin C from oranges and Vitamin A from carrots), which means that they’re less likely to lead to an upset stomach since they are digested in a way that’s similar to the body processing real food. [Read more…]

Get Kids Dreaming of Adventure with Travel Books from Lonely Planet Kids-Giveaway

April 23, 2018 by Kathryn 46 Comments

My family is a wee bit travel obsessed. In fact, on one occasion, we managed to fit eleven different trips into a single year! So, it goes without saying that we’re always daydreaming about our next vacation.

That’s why I’m so excited about getting to review some of the new children’s book titles from Lonely Planet Kids, distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books! These kids travel books are perfect for introducing children to the wonders of other countries, languages and ways of travel.

First Words: Japanese

I thought this would be a great book for introducing my older boys to some first words in another language, but it ended up being even better for Baby Cormac! The book features sturdy poster board pages and the proper pronunciation for a variety of basic words in Japanese. I like reading it out loud to Cormac so that he can develop an ear for other languages. And he loves looking at the simple, vibrant pictures on every page! [Read more…]

Winter is More Fun with New Play Sets from Playmobil-Giveaway

March 15, 2018 by Kathryn 86 Comments

One of the things that I love most about Playmobil is how the company has a play set to suit every child’s interests. From camping sets to hockey rinks, children can create fun scenarios about all their favourite activities. In fact, the first Playmobil set my animal-loving middle son ever owned was a horse and stable set that he chose and bought with his birthday money!

OF course, with snow still covering the ground and ski season in full swing, winter-themed play sets are pretty popular right now. And so, I was thrilled when my boys got the chance to review the brand new Playmobil Ski Lodge set!

[Read more…]

Say Goodbye to Litter Box Sadness with the PetSafe ScoopFree Litter Box System-Giveaway

February 14, 2018 by Kathryn 120 Comments

After talking about it for quite some time, our little family recently decided to add another member to our family. One of the reasons we’d been excited to buy an acreage was the fact we’d finally have to room to add a pet to our family. And when we saw an adorable Bengal kitten available in our area, we couldn’t resist him!

Having a kitten in the house is a lot of fun, but if there’s one thing about cats that’s no fun at all, it’s cleaning a litter box. So, when PetSafe Canada gave me the chance to review its innovative ScoopFree litter box, I was delighted.

This litter box is designed to make dealing with cat waste as pleasant of an experience as it can possibly be. First, we put the disposable cardboard box in place under the litter box top. Then we added the included Blue Crystal Litter and plugged in the device. [Read more…]

Pregnant, Breastfeeding or Trying to Conceive, You’ll Want To Try the nourished babe App-Giveaway

February 8, 2018 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

Being pregnant again after so many years since my last baby was an interesting experience. Having “been there, done that” before, I had a pretty good idea of how I wanted pregnancy to go. I took my prenatal vitamin, along with an Omega-3 supplement, religiously. I indulged in prenatal massages. I tried my best to stay flexible with light yoga a few times a week.

But with two older boys in the house, a husband with an inconsistent schedule and the inevitable cravings of pregnancy, I had a surprisingly hard time making sure I was eating a healthy diet! Unlike my other two pregnancies, I had intense sugar cravings when carrying Cormac. And heartburn often had me skipping meals as well. [Read more…]