Mamas & Papas, a baby gear brand in the UK brand that recently was launched in the United States, has created a fleet of lightweight strollers that are perfect for situations where flexibility is important. All Mamas & Papas lightweight strollers also feature an over-the-shoulder carrying strap for when the stroller is folded and in transit.
Mamas & Papas has 29 years experience in baby transport and a design team that has evolved the quality and style to a new performance to bring you these new lightweight umbrella strollers.
Trip – This stroller offers vented side panels and is the must-have getaway product.
Tour – Increased seat padding and a deeper recline will ensure comfort during longer journeys
Voyage – Features an integrated sun visor and sun canopy, quilted seat and removable toddler pillow and chest pads for extra comfort, this stroller is the highlight of the new Mamas & Papas lightweight stroller range.
Cruise – Perfect for everyday use, this stroller features a five-position recline, adjustable foot rest, easypeek canopy window and additional storage pockets.
Trek – Featuring a simple seat recline system, little ones have the option to nap while on the move.
I absolutely love the Trip in Apple or Blueberry, the Cruise in Purple and the Trek in Blueberry or Raspberry!
BUY IT:
You can purchase these strollers on Babies R Us.
Like Mamas & Papas on Facebook and Follow Mamas & Papas on Twitter to stay up to date on all their happenings.
DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: By posting this post I am automatically entered for a chance to win 1 of 5 Mamas & Papas lightweight strollers that the Mom Bloggers Club is giving away this month. They will randomly choose 5 winners on December 16. Over 1000 moms expressed interest in this opp. and it was narrowed down to a much smaller team of 100 of which I am proud to be a part of.
I received the Purple Dream HunBaba Mei Tai Baby Carrier for free to test and review and when it arrived it was even more gorgeous in person than in the pictures. Coming all the way from Hungary it only took two weeks to get to me. HunBaba was so kind as to updating me about where the package was because the tracking number wasn't auto updating and gave me a status of "Origin Post is Preparing Shipment" throughout its shipping.
I love babywearing! I also love trying out and having different baby carriers. I couldn't wait to try this one out! Since this is my very first Mei Tai carrier I was not familiar with putting it on or how to use it. It came with a very helpful DVD with a powerpoint slide show to walk me through the process of both front and back carry. These carriers are based on traditional Chinese soft baby carriers that can be used as front packs, back packs, and hip carriers. Unlike the traditional carriers though this one has a hood that folds up and over the baby's head so that it is protected from the elements and also supports the baby's head while it sleeps. The Ergo baby carrier has a similar hood they call a sleeping hood. This is an awesome feature that is especially wonderful for here in Oregon where it rains a whole bunch in the winter months. It can also be used as a shade to keep out the sun. I would be careful though that you check on your baby every once in a while while the hood is up to make sure baby is safely breathing. The hood has beautiful embroidery on it and can be adjusted as baby grows with the extensions with snaps.
You can wear it with babies from 3 months to toddlers in both front and back carry positions. I tried out the front carry with my daughter Zari and the back carry with my daughter Teela. This carrier is exceptionally comfortable both ways and distributes the baby's weight evenly. I love the front carry the best because I could kiss Zari's head and it was very much like she was hugging me. Zari loves this carrier and fell asleep in it right away. Teela wanted to be in it again once she was out :) She thought it was a wonderful way of getting a piggy back ride. I am very petite, but was still able to back carry my two and a half year old daughter comfortably in it. It was fairly easy to put on both ways although I thought the front carry was easier since you can see what you are doing. I also liked the front carry better because the straps didn't feel like they were going to slide off. I tried a different way of tying them for the back carry and since I am small I crossed them in front and it worked better for me and was still holding Teela securely. In the picture above I have the Hunbaba the way the CD told me to wear it.
There are only a few downsides to the HunBaba Mei Tai baby carrier that I have found. It is pricey costing $99 plus roughly $25 shipping from Hungary. Also, the straps are very long and the whole thing can be a little cumbersome especially when trying to pack it for trips in a diaper bag.
It is; however, constructed very well and has reinforced padded straps for sturdiness and durability. The shoulder straps are 200 cm+ long for differences in body types. The waist strap can be rolled up to shorten the body of the carrier for little babies and the body is contoured instead of square like some Mei Tais. All in all, it is so worth getting and the craftsmanship is superior than anything I have tried before! The HunBaba would be a great baby shower gift or Christmas gift for someone.
Here is someone doing the Lexi Twist with the Hunbaba Mei Tai:
WIN IT:
Marti has generously offered a HunBaba Mei Tai Baby Carrier of the winner's choice to giveaway to one of my readers.
Mandatory:
1. Go to the HunBaba website and tell me by commenting on this post which HunBaba you like the best.
2. Fan/Like me on facebook and write something on my wall. (1 extra entry)
3. Blog about this giveaway on your blog and provide me with the link. Make sure you have the link to this post and HunBaba in your blog entry or it won't count. (2 extra entries)
4. Grab My Button (see sidebar to the left) AND/OR Put My Blog URL in Your Blogroll - Leave Your Link. (1 extra entry)
5. Technorati my blog and let me know your link. (1 extra entry)
Make sure you leave me your email in all posts so that I can contact you. If you subscribed, blogged about this, listed it, commented on another post, or faved me on Momfaves leave 2 entries saying you did. This contest ends on Friday December 31, 2010 at midnight (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada). This Giveaway is open to all 18 years and over Worldwide!!
DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to HunBaba for sending me a Purple Dream HunBaba Mei Tai Baby Carrier, information about the carrier and this giveaway for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.
"The Tummy Talk pregnancy book is a complete all-in-one album, scrapbook, and keepsake journal you can use from the moment you get the good news until your baby’s first homecoming. It provides every mom-to-be and new family the perfect opportunity to create and preserve the once-in-a-lifetime moments of your precious pregnancy."
I received Tummy Talk and was pleasantly surprised to see how wonderfully made this keepsake book was. I chose the "This Little Pinky" color which is a mauve. I love the faux suede cover and little Swarovski crystal jewel that is placed in between the words and picture stamped on the front. It has pockets to place letters and other precious papers, places to put photos and write down items of importance from pregnancy cravings to prenatal checkup information. Photos will be well preserved because the pages are made from acid free and lignin free, heavy-weight paper. It is also well laid out with tabs to help separate the 5 main sections. I am excited to fill the 105 unique color pages with my thoughts, memories, and keepsakes for this pregnancy.
They have 6 colors, but two are on backorder until the end of November.
*Mint Green
*This Little Pinky
*Peaches and Cream
*Binky Blue
*Silverspoon Gray (backorder)
*White Snow (backorder)
BUY IT:
These are great for giving to your expecting friends at baby showers or just as a gift for the mom-to-be. Purchase it from Tummy Talk at $74.99.
WIN IT:
Angela from Tummy Talk has generously offered another Tummy Talk pregnancy book for one of my readers to win.
Mandatory:
1. Go to the Tummy Talk website and tell me by commenting on this post what color of Tummy Talk pregnancy book you would love to get.
2. Fan/Like me on facebook and write something on my wall. (1 extra entry)
3. Blog about this giveaway on your blog and provide me with the link. Make sure you have the link to this post and Tummy Talk in your blog entry or it won't count. (2 extra entries)
4. Grab My Button (see sidebar to the left) AND/OR Put My Blog URL in Your Blogroll - Leave Your Link. (1 extra entry)
5. Technorati my blog and let me know your link. (1 extra entry)
11. Tweet this: @finamoon WIN A Tummy Talk Pregnancy Keepsake Book #giveaway http://bit.ly/b9Vtxz (Daily Extras are Available)
Make sure you leave me your email in all posts so that I can contact you. If you subscribed, blogged about this, listed it, commented on another post, or faved me on Momfaves leave 2 entries saying you did. This contest ends on Friday October 29, 2010 at midnight (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada). This Giveaway is open to all 18 years and over in the U.S. Only!!
DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to ChicExecs, a company which was created to promote small business campaigns, I was able to let you know about this product. Tummy Talk provided me with the Tummy Talk pregnancy book for free to try and review. This giveaway is also provided free from Tummy Talk. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.
Even though this baby will be my 5th child I have been thinking about having a baby shower. Who doesn't love getting gifts and having parties?? I want to throw a great party before the birth of my baby if I can pull it off. So, I have tried to do my homework on what exactly makes a great baby shower and I have come up with 10 tips. So, here they are:
1. Who, What, Where, When?: These simple questions should be answered before anything else happens in the planning process. Everything else will fall into place once the who, what, where, and when is decided. A great idea is to make a time line of what is going to happen in sequence at the party so you have a idea of the order of things.
2. Budget it out: You don't want to overspend on things. Make a budget of what you are willing to spend on everything and stick to it.
3. Pick a Theme: It is the theme of the party that makes the party special and all your own. This creates the layout and background for the decorations, food, games, party favors, cards, etc. Just don't overdo it!
4. Invitations: Go to these great online places to find cute baby shower invitations: Tiny Prints Baby Shower Invitations and Pear Tree Greetings Baby Shower Invitations. Also, if your feeling crafty you can make your own. Create a guest list of who you are wanting to invite. Are you going to invite just women or is your party going to include men too?
5. Party Decorations: Party Decorations come in all shapes and sizes. We have balloons, streamers, Diaper Cakes, table toppers, center pieces, etc. The list goes on. Also, don't forget the disposable plates, cups, and utensils...these can be decorations or decorated too.
6. Party Food: You can either plan on making the food yourself or have it catered. You don't have to serve a large meal...instead have a lot of different types of finger foods. Or another fun alternative plan is having a potluck or a "BabyQ", LOL!
7. Games and Festivities: Games help bring the guests and guest of honor together to mingle and possibly learn a few new things about each other. From guessing: the gender, size of the momma's tummy, how many safety pins in a jar, etc. to playing baby bingo, diapering dolly races, trivia, or charades. There are a lot of baby and momma-to-be themed games out there on the web. Make a list of your favorites and how they are played.
8. Party Swag Bags: Give your guests a little something they can remember your party by! Party favors are great, but most of the time get overlooked or under appreciated because of quality and under-use. Pick something or more than one something that you know all of your guests would love and use often...like a kitchen gadget or maybe a homemade magnet with a picture of your pregnant self and them to take home and place on their fridge. Don't forget that crafts the guests can take home can be fun at the party too!
9. Wrap It Up: Know how you are going to end the party and to politely tell the guests that it is time to wrap up the party and go home before you start. Know who is going to help with cleanup and how you are going to get the guest of honor and gifts home if the party was elsewhere. Also, find out where the extra leftover food is going to go.
10. Thank You Cards: When the party is done and over thank you cards are such a nice thought. While opening the gifts from your party have someone write down what you get and who it is from so you will know who to thank for what and who the gifts were from. Whether they gave a gift or not we want everyone that attended to know that we are grateful for them coming too so don't forget to send thank you cards to those people too. Tiny Prints and Pear Tree Greetings are great places to find very cute Thank You Cards online. Also, if your feeling crafty you can make your own.
DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Tiny Prints blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 Tiny Prints Gift Code plus 25 FREE Tiny Prints Greeting cards (valued at $149.75). For more information on how you can participate, CLICK HERE.
I was recently sent a package of sample stationery cards from Paper Culture to look at and review. They have a wide selection of baby announcements, baby shower invitations, birthday invitations, and moving announcements. They will soon also have holiday cards, graduation announcements and invitations and more stationery products to help celebrate life’s great events! They truly offer personalized stationery cards for the unique person you are and the unique person your sending to. You can have one card to be the same as the rest or customize them all to have individual personal messages. There are so many designs to choose from.
Paper Culture is very eco friendly. These modern, but elegant stationery cards are beautifully printed on the highest quality 100% post consumer recycled cardstock. Not only are their stationery cards eco-friendly, but all their envelopes and packaging are made from recycled paper and they are all wind power generated. They are also committed to promote causes that are close to the ideals of their founders and their community with their Paper Culture Cares Organization.
They also have a "Mail & Message" service where they will stuff, address, stamp and mail your cards AND print a different personal message on every card if you choose. "Mail & Message" service is free until January 1, 2010. They are taking 15% off orders of $75 or more now until August 31st, 2009! So don't delay! Get out your Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Birthday, etc. cards today!!
If you are having a bridal shower, wedding, baby shower, baby blessing, baby christening, religious celebration, corporate party, or anniversary soon or know someone who is you should really check out Favors by Lisa. They specialize in a vast array of favors for almost every occasion. In their sale section I even saw Christmas favors too. They also have jewelry and fancy packaging to put it all into.
I received a lovely hand woven buri fan. These paddle fans are a must for a hot summer-time event. I tried it out and it fans wonderfully and is very well made! These are eco-friendly because they are made from the leaves of the buri palm and intricately woven into a beautiful fan.
