philips

Improving Our Air Quality with the Philips Series 2000i Connected Air Purifier

August 27, 2018 by Kathryn 9 Comments

I’ve suffered from mild to moderate environmental allergies for as long as I can remember. And when my oldest two boys were born, I soon learned they had inherited the same occasional allergic outbreaks that I faced.

Living in the country, there are all kind of allergy triggers to face. From pollen to dust to mold, keeping our house as free of allergens as possible is no easy task.

In fact, recently we’ve increased the potential allergens in our house even more…with a new puppy and kitten! [Read more…]

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

June 8, 2018 by Kathryn 7 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…]

Four Ways to Reduce Baby’s Colic Symptoms-Giveaway

April 11, 2018 by Kathryn 14 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.

Through raising and breastfeeding three babies, I’ve been lucky that none of my boys have suffered too much from colic. Aside from some slight fussiness, they were all good-natured and healthy babies.

But of the three of them, Cormac has definitely been the one with the most digestive issues. From constant hiccups to spitting up unusually large volumes of milk, I’ve made more than one trip to the doctor about my unique youngest son!

That’s why I’ve incorporated some ways to help minimize any colic symptoms that might appear. If you want to help your little one feel better when his stomach is sore, these are the techniques that have been working for me: [Read more…]

Teaching My Baby to Take a Bottle with 3 Simple Techniques-Giveaway

November 30, 2017 by Kathryn 17 Comments

Disclosure: I am part of the PTPA 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.

Shortly after Baby Cormac was born, my husband and I began preparing for our first night out without our little one. We have season tickets to the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra and the concert on November 18 featured Tanya Tagaq, a performance I knew that I had to see. So, I used my Philips Avent Comfort Manual Pump to stock up on milk and got my Philips Avent Natural Bottles ready for our baby.

When the big day rolled around, I saddled my sister with instructions and headed out the door feeling excited, but apprehensive. My husband had tried to get Baby Cormac to take a bottle a few weeks ago when I was running errands, and our little darling hadn’t been very enthusiastic about it. But my sister, in addition to having three girls of her own, is also a nurse. I was confident that her skills combined with our Philips Avent Natural bottles would keep our baby fed.

Imagine my surprise when I got home and learned that my baby had slept the entire three hours we were away! My sister and I were both a little disappointed that she hadn’t been able to try feeding him, but I decided that to make our next excursion easier, I would start trying to give Baby Cormac a bottle a little more often. And these are the three techniques I’ve been using to increase my chances of success! [Read more…]

Track Baby’s Health with the Philips Avent Smart Ear Thermometer-Giveaway

November 2, 2017 by Kathryn 53 Comments

Disclosure: I am part of the PTPA 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.

As if on a schedule, Saskatoon got its first real snowfall late in the evening on October 31, as we were heading home from a night of trick-or-treating. And while I’m excited about Baby Cormac experiencing his first winter, I’m also worried about him experiencing his first winter colds!

In fact, he’s had a bit of a stuffy nose the last few days and I’ve been carefully watching to see if his congestion gets worse or if he develops a cough or fever. That’s why I’m so grateful to have the Philips Avent Smart Ear Thermometer in the house! [Read more…]

Preparing for Occasional Bottle Feeding with the Philips Avent Comfort Breast Pump

October 10, 2017 by Kathryn 16 Comments

Disclosure: I am part of the PTPA 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.

Having a new baby again after almost ten years since my last has been so much fun. Once again, I’m getting back into a routine of breastfeeding, naps and interacting with my little one as he grows and changes.

I’m passionate about the importance of breastfeeding and until I’m confident that my baby is well-established with nursing, I won’t introduce a bottle. But now that Cormac is at the two-month mark, I’m pretty confident that I can occasionally give him a bottle without turning him off the breast.

[Read more…]

Our Family is Smiling Brighter Thanks to Philips Sonicare! #SonicareSmile

August 25, 2014 by Kathryn 25 Comments

About two weeks ago, Philips Sonicare challenged my boys and I to change our smiles with the help of the new Sonicare DiamondClean adult toothbrush and the Sonicare for Kids power toothbrush. In just two weeks, the brushes promised to improve our smiles and as a family that’s had plenty of dental concerns already, that was a claim we couldn’t wait to put to the test!

My boys loved the Sonicare for Kids toothbrush from the very first use and with its kid-friendly design, it’s easy to see why! Since young children can have trouble brushing properly, using an electric toothbrush just makes sense since the brush provides a much more thorough clean. My boys had already been using electric toothbrushes but I could tell from the way they reacted to this one that the feeling was completely different. Both boys spent quite a bit of time giggling about how much the toothbrush tickled!

But that tickling is helping to remove up to 75% more plaque than a manual toothbrush with 500 brush strokes per second, and so as much as Zackary and Benjamin enjoyed the new toothbrush, I think I enjoyed it even more because every time they brushed their teeth, I knew they were getting the best clean possible. And with a built-in timer that gradually increases to the two-minute mark to help kids learn how long to brush, I knew they weren’t rushing the job either. [Read more…]

Getting Ready to Show Off Our Family’s Sonicare Smiles #SonicareSmile

August 4, 2014 by Kathryn 3 Comments

I’ve shared stories before of my boys’ issues with childhood caries and how it caused me to ensure that I am always proactive about Zackary and Benjamin’s dental health. The effort seems to be paying off because at their last checkup, both boys came out cavity-free! All the same, I know that they don’t always brush as well as they should and that’s why I’m so excited to be taking part in the #SonicareSmile campaign to see how Philips Sonicare toothbrushes can change my family’s smiles over the next two weeks.

To help us on our mission, we received the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean adult toothbrush and the new Philips Sonicare For Kids children’s toothbrush to review. The adult brush boasts advanced features including special diamond-shaped bristles for better whitening, a head designed for ultimate plaque removal and a unique charger case. And the children’s toothbrush offers a fun customizable front cover, an easy-grip handle and a KidTimer that gradually teaches kids to brush longer. We also received extra heads for the toothbrush so that both boys could test it out. As an added bonus, having to brush at separate times eliminated the usual argument they have about who finished brushing first! [Read more…]