Somedays…..

momandkidsWe all have those days when we feel like a failure as a mom and the the only thing we want to do is crawl into bed and sleep. It’s normal, especially when the house is a wreck, dinner is burnt, and the kids are hyper.

Even more so when it’s just been a bad day all around, the kids haven’t listened, you’ve yelled at kids and now you feel terrible. It happens to the best of us.

Thing is, our kids won’t remember the days that we got annoyed or stressed out. They’ll remember the summer trips to the beach, the rainy day indoor picnics, and late night snacks while watching a movie with your older ones. They aren’t going to remember the times you got frustrated because the milk spilling was the last straw on a stressful day.

Motherhood is all about the little moments, it’s about being there for your children and just loving them. But we aren’t perfect. It’s ok to mess up or get annoyed. It doesn’t make us a failure or a bad mom. It just makes us human. So next time your day goes terribly wrong, don’t stay mad at yourself. Just go hug your kids and remember that tomorrow is a new day.

Saving Money on Baby Clothing

bebe

Buying clothing for your growing little one can turn into an incredibly expensive necessity. Most parents these days don’t have hundreds of dollars to throw away. It’s important to find ways to save money on baby needs while still being able to give your kids adorable clothing.

Consignment Stores: Sell your old baby clothing and products to a consignment store like Once Upon a Child. You’ll get money back, get rid of old unneeded items, and be able to buy the new clothing items that your child needs.

Sale sections: Take for example, The Tea Collection. Their adorable high quality clothing is perfect for all little ones. While their clothing is well worth the prices, take advantage of their sale sections. Their baby girl and baby boy sales both offer a wide variety of  baby clothing at discounted prices.

E-mail offers: Sign up for company newsletters. Many companies often send out free shipping, 20% off  (or more) coupons, free sample deals and more. Lands End is a great example of a company who does this.

What are your tips to save money on baby clothing?

Isabelle Grace Jewelry

Isabelle Grace Jewelry offers elegant, timeless  jewelry hand-made in the USA. Their bracelets, necklaces and earrings are made locally from quality materials and by expert jewelers. They are not only beautiful and well-made, but also well priced and affordable.

They offer a large selection of items from a ready-to-ship bracelet for as low at $20, or a gorgeous, custom-made necklace for around $100.

I was sent the stunning Alicia Necklace. Besides the personal touches for me being that my daughter’s name is Alicia and my birth stone is peridot, I love this necklace for its simple shimmer and beauty. I have worn it almost daily since I received it as it goes with almost every outfit and jewelry combination.

AN-2T

The 34″ necklace contains peridot beads and is interspersed with sterling silver accents. You also have the option of choosing 14k gold instead of silver.  I find the cost of $68 to be appropriate for this beauty.

 

You can order from Isabelle Grace Jewelry directly.

Get Your Kids Outside!

Group Of Children Running In Park

Summer is here and while most kids would love to sit around and play video games; it’s time we got the kids moving! Childhood obesity is on the rise and while this is partly caused by lack of healthy food, it’s also a cause of raising a generation of kids who want to play nothing but video games.

My boys got used to watching more TV in the winter, and come spring they were anxious to get outside. At the same time, several of them also would have been content to stay inside all summer and watch Spider Man and Arthur. As a mom, I want to see my kids active and happy. I want to hear them running around in the backyard, playing cowboys and indians, pirates, pioneers, or Harry Potter.

You don’t have to cut out TV completely, just get your kids outside. Cut back on the movies and video games a little, start slowly and gradually decrease their time limits more and more.

What are your tricks to getting kids outside? Do your kids love the great outdoors? Or are they bigger fans of TV and video games?

The Mountain® America’s Greenest T-Shirt Company™

The Mountain® tee shirts provide an adorable avenue for kids and adults to show their love of nature, animals, and the environment.

Made from cotton and organic reactive dyes, you can choose from an expansive selection of full-shirt prints including household pets, aquatic animals, zoo life, dinosaurs, science fiction and fantasy creatures and much more!

My daughter and I were sent a matching pair of tee shirts in the Cats Cradle print. The shirt has a purple background and features a black cat in what looks like a baby sling. I am a babywearing mamma, so this shirt definitely gets my seal of approval. It has also become by daughter’s FAVORITE shirt! She pets the cat and says “meow meow” while bending her head down and kissing it. She wears it as a nightshirt around the house, or pairs it with some jeans when going out.

Preshrunk 100% Cotton Heavyweight Tees

While Alicia’s shirt is a little long being a size larger than what she currently wears, it does fit her well and is very comfortable to move in. My shirt is also comfortable as it breathes well and there isn’t the usual harsh chemical smell you typically find on clothing with dark dyes. I love how eco-conscious the company is, and that they are a US company who makes and ships from the USA.

At an affordable $14 for the child’s shirt and $20.00-$30.00 for the adult (including plus sizes), I am going to stock up on a variety of animals for us!

 

 

Five Tips to Get Kids to Sleep Easier

sleepingOne of the biggest challenges as a parent is getting your child to sleep easier. Somedays it can be a nightmare just to get them to sleep. Other times it’s a piece of cake, but as a mom of eight here are my tips to help get kids to sleep easier.

Cut back on the sugar- This may be obvious, but cut back on the sugar. Kids hyped up on sugar will not fall asleep. Not only is alot of sugar, not very good for kids but it’ll make your job as a parent a nightmare. So cut back. Give them healthier alternatives such as grapes,

 Sing to them- You don’t have to be Mariah Carey, just sing a simple lullaby or two. I’ve been singing to my children since I had my oldest. They love it and it’s a sure way to get them drifting off in a few minutes.

Read to them and cuddleCuddling with your kids is a great way to show them that you love them and to get them to calm, and settle down. Plus the majority of kids would love to fall asleep to the sound of mum or dad’s voice.

Music- Maybe it’s obvious, but music is the one big thing that will get my youngest son to sleep. Mumford and Sons or a soothing lullaby from Beethoven will have him down in a ten minutes tops.

Lavender- Lavender essential oil sprinkled on pillows and blankets is a soothing, natural way to calm kids wild nerves. It’s the only thing that works for one rowdy little child of mine.

What do you do to get your children to sleep faster?

Up to 60% Off at The Children’s Place!

sale

Here at The Fashionable Bambino we love The Children’s Place. All of their clothing is so well made and affordable. Not to mention their newest collection for summer is utterly adorable. With plenty of vibrant prints, charming, but kid friendly styles and everything you could possibly need for your child’s summer wardrobe, they have it all. From baby up to kids size 14.

sunshine

Sunshine Graphic Tank $4.99 (Regular $8.50)

Their baby girl collection features stripes, tropical colors, and funky graphics that will look charming on your little princess this summer. The girls summer collection is all peace, love, and flower inspired. The colors stand out and girls will love mixing and matching everything. The options are endless!

 

touchdown

Touchdown Tank $4.99 (Regular $7.50)

The baby boy collection is all charm and sports inspired. With plenty of bold colors and styles that even dad will love. The boys collection is made with comfort and class in mind. Although boys will love how “cool” the styles are. No fuss. Just simple, plain good old fashioned sports fun is the general theme.

Be sure to check out their new summer 2013 collection instore and online at: www.childrensplace.com

Is Taking Your Kids Shopping Really Worth It?

ban

None of us want to be that mom, and by that mom I mean the mom dragging screaming kids through the store.

Not only do you disturb other customers, but at the same time you stress yourself as a mom out and potentially irritate tired kids even more.

The question is, is it worth it to take young children shopping? Or do we just wait until daddy comes home or grandma is available to babysit?

Like everything, shopping with kids has its pros and cons. On the one hand shopping with kids is stressful, a ton of work, incredibly nerve wracking, and often you encounter tantrums from hungry, fussy kids.

On the other hand, shopping without kids requires that you either make late night shopping trips, find a sitter; which lets be honest, who wants to pay someone to babysit when you could simply bring the kids. OR waiting for daddy to either go shopping or watch the kids.

Fact of the matter is, you have to do what is right for your family. If you have a newborn, let daddy do the shopping. Sometimes as a mom you have to learn when to give in and when to pick your battles. Sometimes your kids will behave and you’ll actually have a blast shopping with little ones. Othertimes it will be a complete disaster.

There really is no right or wrong answer here. Just go with what works for you at this season in your life. Just remember that as a mom, you only get to baby your kids for a short time. So love them, and all the little inconveniences now.

Justice In-store and Online Flash Sale!

image

Justice, one of the United States most famous girls clothing stores is having a storewide sale where you can get 40% off your entire purchase up until Monday June 3rd. You can also get an extra 20% off every item.

We compiled a collage of our top picks from Justice for this summer and let me tell you, the savings are amazing. They have everything from gifts for the birthday girl this summer, to adorable clothing for tweens and elementary school girls. Most of their clothing is completely fashion forward and age appropriate for little girls. Girls all over love the Justice brand and it really isn’t surprising.

justice

Watercolor Kitty Graphic Tee (Regular $18.90, now $9.07)
Colorblock One Piece Swimsuit (Regular $39.90 now $19.15)
Mid-thigh Denim Shorts (Regular $32.90 now $15.79)
Graphic Heart Tank and Vest (Regular $32.90 now $15.79)
Cameo Embellished Printed Skirt (Regular $39.90 now $14.39)
Stripe Loop Green and Grey Cover Up (Regular $27.90 now $13.39)
Dream Graphic Flowing Tank (Regular $26.90 now $12.91)
Soft Pink Bermuda Shorts (Regular $34.90 now $16.75)
Blue and White Ruffle Dress (Regular $37.90 now $17.27)

Difrax Pacifiers

Fashionable Media Review Policy: The featured product for this review was provided to me, at no cost, by the
manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing.  Opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.

Pacifiers come in many shapes, sizes, colors, and styles.  Finding the right one for your baby can be very difficult.  With my first born, I used the one that the hospital had provided.  Luckily, he always liked it and I didn’t need to try a million different other ones.  With my daughter, though, she is quite picky.  I had to try three different brands to finally find the one she liked.  Some of the pacifiers were too hard, some weren’t the right shape, and some just looked weird on her face.  Difrax pacifiers have a unique 3-stage system in their pacifier designs to accommodate children from birth to 18 months.  Their pacifiers were designed to cater to each of the child’s development stage.

pacifier3

Difrax pacifiers come in either the Classic or Orthodontic style.  The teat of the Classic pacifier is round and similar to a nipple.  It is for babies who like to turn the pacifier around in their mouths.  The Orthodontic style stimulates the development of the palate and the muscles of the jaw and mouth.  I found that my daughter liked the Classic style better since I’m breastfeeding her and the nipple is similar to what she is used to.

pacifier2

I think it’s great that the Difrax pacifiers come in three different age ranges.  The first stage is 0-6 months and it has the softest nipple texture and the nipple and shield are scaled down.  The middle stage is 6-18 months.  These pacifiers are a little firmer and the Orthodontic styles not only soothes, but stimulates the development of the palate, tongue, and jaw muscles.  I think that is great!  I remember when my son was a year old the doctor recommended us to take away his pacifier because his palate was not developing correctly.  The Orthodontic pacifier would have been great for him.  I will definitely be switching to that one for my daughter so she does not develop those problems.  The final stage is 18+ months.  On these pacifiers the nipple is solid so it is less satisfying to a child.  This helps prepare the child to be weaned from pacifier use.

pacifier1

Difrax pacifiers have a unique butterfly shape that allow the nose to be free.  They also have holes to allow extra air to help prevent skin irritation.  They come in many different fun colors and are BPA-free.  They are available for purchase at Babies R Us.  I would definitely recommend Difrax pacifiers.  I love that they have three different stages and come in two different styles to fit your specific child.

pacifier4

I would suggest heading to their website for a free download of “The Giving Up Your Pacifier” book.  It is filled with stories, games, and activities to get your child to relinquish their pacifier in 15 days.  It is super cute!

www.difraxusa.com

Related Posts with Thumbnails