Smart Kids, Bright Futures #Giveaway

smart-kids-bright-futures
The Smart Kids, Bright Futures Giveaway has begun! Smart Playrooms is all about encouraging creative and independent play to complement your child's schooling. The Westchester and CT-based duo of teachers organizes amazing, smart playrooms for families and businesses and wants to combine their love of teaching with their support of amazing businesses. Join us in this exciting giveaway to encourage families to get active, have fun, and support creative play!

30 amazing brands have come together to give you a chance to win ALL of these awesome products!

  • ONE LUCKY WINNER will receive a grand prize package of 30 prizes!
  • Open to U.S. residents only.
  • Everyone who enters the giveaway will receive something special after the giveaway as a thank you.
  • The giveaway will run from October 16th to November 4th.
  • Entering is easy and can be done below via our Rafflecopter.
Below the entry widget are all the prizes!

REMEMBER….the more points you earn the better chance you have to win! The Rafflecopter entry widget is below.

Please share with friends and family and good luck!

Scroll below the entry form to get more info on our wonderful sponsors and prizes! We encourage you to check them out!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Prizes:

So what are the AMAZING prizes? Here are the Participating Brands (Giveaway Open to U.S. residents only):
Smart Playrooms
smartplayrooms
Smart Playrooms is owned and operated by two teachers with many years of classroom experience and expertise. They bring the most effective classroom organization techniques and learning strategies into your home. The Smart Playrooms System includes nine learning centers from pretend play, games, music and movement, building, to a literacy center and more.
Using the most effective classroom organization techniques and learning strategies, Smart Playrooms will design and organize your play area to encourage creative, independent play. Watch your children play with the toys that you already own, instead of getting bored and constantly asking for new ones.
Green Eyed Nutrition
greeneyed
Feeding your family well and ensuring that everyone is meeting their nutritonal needs can be difficult at times. Sometimes we just need a little help to get things organized. A family nutrition consult by a registered dietitian-nutritionist is what you need. During this one hour consult we'll assess where your family eating habits are, do some troubleshooting and put together a simple meal plan that is healthy and easy to prepare. Healthy snack ideas and recipes are included.
Swanling Innovations Inc
swanling
The Swanling® Slumber Swan™ is the perfect gift for both boys and girls. The Swanling® Swan is made from the softest materials and will soon become your child’s best friend. The small and medium size swans are equipped with a gentle and soothing rattle, all of the swans have child safe eyes.
The Swanling® Slumber Swan™ is also made to attach to the Slumber Sleeper™, a 3-in-1 safe sleep solution. It is a mattress protector, fitted sheet and sleep sack all in one. It is designed to help keep your baby safe, warm and centered. Although the sheet allows older children to move freely and change sleep positions, the Slumber Sleeper™ unique design helps facilitate back sleeping and helps keep baby centered while in the crib, two important components of safe sleep for babies, and you get the added benefit of easily keeping an eye on them without adjusting your baby monitor frequently.
Cardiff Products
cardiff1
Nothing is worse than a sore neck from sleeping uncomfortably in the back seat of a car. Avoid the dreaded head bob (or if multiple kids are in the back — the head bump) with the Cardiff Booster Seat Headrest. This revolutionary, new device provides support and comfort for a child asleep in a moving vehicle. Its thoughtful design can also accommodate users of all sizes. By attaching to your vehicle’s existing headrest with a simple, universal mount, the Booster Seat Headrest provides lateral support to keep a child’s head and body upright; comfortably aligned in the seat as they sleep. If the kids catch a good nap while in the car they will be well-rested and not cranky!
Order Out Of Chaos OOOC Our Academic Planner: A Tool for Time Management keeps students on task, on time and on track. It's unique design allows students to first "see" their available blocks of time during the school week so they can plan when they will get their assignments done and learn to manage their time. http://www.orderoochaos.com Southwest Beverages sippity Sippity® hot cocoa mix has been scientifically designed and uniquely blended into a dry mix form that contains all the ingredients necessary for you to enjoy the ultimate hot cocoa beverage experience. All of our ingredients are premium quality selected from the best American suppliers. All products are 100 % gluten free and 99.9 % caffeine free. Easy Microwavable. For diet conscious consumers, our low calorie, Sippity Lite® products offer the same great taste as our Sippity® sugar blends flavors but less than 2 grams of sugar per serving. Available in 6 delicious gourmet flavors: chocolate, chocolate marshmallow, chocolate cinnamon, pumpkin spice, chocolate peppermint and chocolate raspberry. http://www.southwestbeverages.com DFM Stationery DFM DFM Stationery offers everything from personalized stationery to birth announcements, Holiday cards, and many other gift/hostess items! Winner receives 25 personalized notecards from any of the lines that are shown on the website which can be found on the Brand's page. http://www.dfmstationery.com ZizzyBee Bags zizzybee ZizzyBee Bags are handy, compact, reusable, washable storage bags convenient for every part of your life. The neat freak in your family will love that they help you store and organize just about anything! From diapers/wipes, make-up and sports gear, to even purse clutter these trendy bags makes organization easy and they’re see-through so you can easily find what you’re looking for. Reduce single-use bag waste while keeping life’s clutter cleaned up. With two eco-friendly bag sizes to choose from, ZizzyBee Bags are a perfect fit for storage and organizational needs. www.zizzybeebags.com Hello Beach hellobeach Our lightweight tote is made of half mesh, so the sand shakes right out. The perfect bag for shell seekers! The top half is 100 cotton, while the bottom half is made of durable woven mesh. Unlike traditional bulky bags and plastic buckets, our totes fold small to conveniently fit in luggage for airline travel to oversea destinations. Created by a mom and hand sewn in the USA! Eco-friendly and Reusable. http://www.hello-beach.com Jumbo Dog Artbooks jumbodog Jumbo Dog will offer $100 off of any order of a glass or hardcover book. We take your children's art and other mementos and create beautiful coffee table books. At Jumbo Dog, we think there’s a better way to enjoy all those precious items you’ve saved. We scan and photograph your child’s artwork and mementos and create beautiful, custom glass or hard cover books, designed to last a lifetime. http://jumbodogartbooks.com/ Pello pello The pello is a luxe floor pillow with a patented, distinct, donut shape (34” circumference) with raised edges (7” on the sides), ultra-soft plush brushed poly and cotton fabrics and a padded center that benefits a child at all stages of development. It is machine-washable, can be thrown into the dryer, and is durable and portable for mothers on the go. Every pello has two side handles enabling it to be folded in half like a taco and easily portable. Each pello also includes a pocket (6.5” x 6.5”) with a loop inside to hold baby items. In addition, loops on the side of the pello keep toys at bay. http://mypello.com/ Jangala Tribal Warriors Jangala-giveaway-graphic Jangala Tribal Warriors: Living, Growing and Learning From The Heart is the first book of a series designed to increase children’s capacity to handle their feelings and conflicts while building healthy and strong relationships. The concepts are based on positive psychology, Nurtured Heart® language and rational thinking skill building. Two of the younger characters, Nina and Gabby get entangled in a conflict that stemmed from teasing and we learn how the entire tribe stands together to make change for the better in their Jangala -a magical rainforest where peaceful, loving communities and tribes are the norm and expectation. http://www.jangalatribalwarriors.com Fun Wraps funwraps Fun Wraps are one of a kind, kid-friendly compression bandages with an easy starter loop and velcro closure. Perfect for athletic, active kids with funky fresh style. Keep them in lockers, backpacks and first aid kits. Serious Support. Serious Style. http://www.funwrapsbsi.com/ Sleeping Baby sleepingbaby The Flying Squirrel PJ was created due to a demand for a product to follow the size LARGE Zipadee-Zip! This cute eLOVEphant designed PJ is made from a soft, breathable cotton blend fabric. This Pajama is designed to go up to size 5T and has the same general shape as the Zipadee-Zip BUT has OPTIONAL HAND AND FOOT COVERINGS! The fit is designed to be baggy…kind of like MC Hammer Pants! :) This allows a little one to wear them for a long time and to enable you to pull down the wrist and ankle cuffs over the hands and feet to turn them into hand coverings and socks for bed-time! They can then be rolled back for play time! http://www.sleepingbaby.com The Minkey by Olie olie The Minkey by Olie is a patented one in all winter garment for all babies and toddlers, it is one garment that combines gloves, scarf, and hat all in one! The Minkey is very easy to use you simply pull on the Minkey over the child's head just like a baklava hat and it will keep the child's head, ears, neck, throat, arms and the hands warm and dry. The amazing thing about the Minkey is that it stays on even though your child doesn't want it to so no more lost gloves, no more lost hats and no more cold and grumpy children. The Minkey keeps your child warm and dry all winter long in just one piece. http://www.theolie.com Star Kids Snack & Play Travel Tray starkids
Star Kids Products is an innovative children’s product manufacturer that specializes in making fun and safe products for busy, traveling families. We specialize in safe and easy-to-clean products to make life easier when traveling with children whether via car on road trips, railroad or by plane.
spbang
spbang
spbang's unique, durable and environmentally friendly snack bags are crafted with food safe material that contains no lead, no BPA and no phthalates. Imagine having the material used normally for hard food storage containers in the form of a soft bag. The best part is you can put them on the bottom rack of your dishwasher daily and they come out sparkling clean. Whether they are in your kids lunchboxes, storing crayons, on a plane or at the pool/beach, they are perfect for families on the go!
Jinja Jewelry
jinja
Jinja Jewelry draws inspiration for its beautiful, high quality, handmade coral and silver jewelry from local and global trends in affordable jewelry and accessories. The best ideas are carefully crafted into an eclectic line of jewelry using local beach coral for necklaces, bracelets, and rings along with silver, rhodium, and semiprecious stones. Each piece of beautiful Jinja Jewelry is lovingly hand crafted by the people in Bali through a difficult and time consuming process for your wearing pleasure.
Diaper Bag Dailies
diaperbag
Diaper Bag Dailies revolutionizes the way diaper bags are packed. They're a "crib sheet" for parenthood! We prep, you schlep! Everything you need in a prepacked kit. Just add baby! Winner receives a bundle of essentials for your diaper bag including diapers, wipes, onesie, nail files, tissues, and more.
Rockin' Green
rockingreen
Rockin’ Green is made for families that care about taking care of themselves and the Earth. We can all do our part for the environment while doing something good for ourselves. Rockin’ Green products are made with a biodegradable plant-based and petroleum-free surfactant. They are septic and grey-water safe. They are never tested on animals. www.rockingreensoap.com Rock-a-Thigh Baby RTB Made in USA, eco-friendly, thigh-length socks (like legwarmers with feet). Rock-a-Thighs are a fashionable alternative to girl tights and are "THE socks that stay on!" Rock-a-Thighs are available in many different designs and in six sizes ranging from 0-6m up to 6-8yr. http://www.RTBsocks.com PunkinWrap punkinwrap   The PunkinLinks and PunkinSnaps function as a baby-safe clip to attach toys to baby gear and were designed to work with the PunkinWrap to keep it linked to virtually any baby transportation system. The links and snaps are BPA, PVC, PET, and Phthalate free so they are safe for baby to play with and even chew on as a teether. They are also made for various uses so parents can get creative with them! They are made in the USA and come in gift-boxed packages of 12 PunkinLinks and 4 PunkinSnaps so you can gift to any parent. http://www.punkinwrap.com Baby Dipper babydipper The patented Baby Dipper bowl means true one-handed feeding of infants and toddlers. The unique combination of features includes a non-slip base, a triangular shape, and a slanted interior surface that leads to a spoon-shaped corner for collecting the food. Parents have a free hand while feeding an infants (or more). Toddlers learn easily how to feed themselves when they do not have to chase the food in the bowl and the bowl across the table. The Baby Dipper bowl also assists older children or even adults who have difficulties feeding themselves. http://www.babydipper.com Wristy Buddy wristy Wristy Buddy is a one piece teething wristband comprised of a wristband with an absorbent animal in the center, a textured teething attachment, and a satin attachment. Wristy Buddy is designed for babies that are teething that haven't developed the motor skills to hold traditional teething objects. Babies that can't grasp toys can manipulate Wristy Buddy. Wristy Buddy is made of absorbent materials to help keep little faces and clothing dry. Its various textures and colors engage and stimulate. It is easily accessible to your teething baby and is more sanitary than traditional teething objects. http://www.wristybuddy.com GourGanics gourganics GourGanics is a local organic salsa and simmer sauce made by a Fairfield, CT mom using organic produce grown in Connecticut and New York. It's extra thick and specially created not only to be eaten right out of the jar as a salsa, but to be used in cooking as a delicious simmer sauce. http://www.gourganics.com TrueMoon truemoon A kit preparing girls for their first moon cycle, complete with tips for parents, fun, factual information, a dry erase chart, carry case, girl's first keepsake, and organic tampons. http://www.mytruemoon.com Pee-kaboo Potty Sticker peekaboo The pee-kaboo reusable potty training sticker is a unique and fun way to potty train your child and helps you overcome the ultimate potty training obstacle-actually getting your child to want to use the potty again and again. Simply place your pee-kaboo reusable potty training sticker in the base of a flat-bottomed portable potty seat and watch what happens. Each time your child successfully uses the potty, "peekaboo!", a charming image magically appears. Your child is instantly rewarded for their efforts and is excited to use the potty again! "I want to see the butterfly", your child exclaims. Sure, you say, all you have to do is pee-pee in the potty and peekaboo! - No more begging your child to go to the potty, and no more trips to the store for costly rewards. Just potty training transformed from trying to triumphant! http://peekaboopottysticker.com ChicoBag chicobag Take your commitment to a reusable lifestyle one step further by replacing your single-use sandwich bags with Snack Time rePETe! Each Snack Time set includes three reusable snack and sandwich bags that feature a fold-over, hook-and-loop closure system that expands to fit a full-size sandwich, or folds over for smaller snack items. The reusable bags feature a food-safe, water and stain resistant liner that makes for easy cleaning. Each reusable snack pouch is machine washable and complete with a stylish, subtle print. Made of 78% recycled content. http://www.chicobag.com/ Baby Jack Blankets babyjack Babies develop cognitively, socially and emotionally through sensory play. Baby Jack and Company designed an educational print that teaches the alphabet, numbers 1-10, shapes and colors in a primary color palette. This sensory tag blanket is a great educational tool and provides entertainment and comfort in a security blanket. http://babyjackblankets.com Castle & Bay Sphinx Personal Lounger castleandbay Bridging the gap between inflatables and hard chairs the compact two-piece Sphinx Personal Lounger is perfect for the student at home or in the dorm, it is great for the beach/pool, for the meditator, the sunbather, and the traveler. It allow you to read comfortable on your stomach, lounge on your backside, use it as a chair, a lap tray or as a kick board in the water. The Sphinx has a cup holder, cooler/storage and stows in its own mesh carry bag with a shoulder strap. Take it with you anywhere, it easily fits in your beach bag or your suitcase. It only weighs 2 lbs., takes 12 breaths to inflate and deflates to the size of a loaf of bread. http://www.castleandbay.com

Sponsors:

A web site/blog for moms who have their own businesses. Includes a newsletter and on line marketplace for moms to list their service or product. http://www.VentureMom.com Parenting newsletter, website and blog for local families in Fairfield County featuring events, activities, information, reviews and giveaways for parents. http://westport.macaronikid.com Mommy blog that focuses on breastfeeding, birth, natural living. http://afulfilledmommy.net Savory Savings is all about green living, fashion, parenting and just being fun! Join us for reviews, giveaways and more! http://www.savorysavings.com Life of a Southern Mom features product reviews, giveaways, recipes and anything mommy-hood related. http://www.lifeofasouthernmom.com Welcome to Sweetly Made (Just for you). The three of us are here to share organizational tips, business reviews, giveaways, DIY craft ideas, fun activities for kids, travel ideas, personalized Christmas stockings and more. http://www.sweetlymadejustforyou.com/ The Make Our Own Network is a group which offers a variety of services to national brands, small businesses, bloggers, and marketing/pr groups. Each member of our team is qualified and dedicated to providing support to each other as well as the companies we work with. We are writers, web designers, social media experts, bloggers, and most importantly our own unique kind of online family. http://www.makeourownnetwork.com Lifestyle blog with tips on everyday tips, recipes, health and weight loss advice and so much more http://www.mylifeisajourney.com Army Wife & Mommy is my blog about life, parenting, crafting, product reviews, giveaways, and anything else that catches my fancy! http://www.armywifeandmommy.com Stories of a family of 7. http://kerrificonline.blogspot.com I am a busy lady who takes on too many projects while trying to manage the chaos I call my life. I blog about my life as a mom, wife, business owner,homeschool mom, obsessive organizer,etiquette guru, fitness newbie, and any other title I decide to give myself. http://thepalmettoqueen.blogspot.com My name is Kathy and I'm a blogger at Kathy's Savings. I've been married for 5 years and I have 2 daughters. I love to blog about recipes, crafts, giveaways, reviews and so much more! http://kathyssavings.com   We are the "Fru-gals!" We strive to bring you the very best Contests, Reviews, Deals, Freebies, Coupons, and Exclusive blog giveaways that are available on the world wide web every single day! We strongly believe in being frugal, and stretching your hard-earned dollars to the max! Sit back and enjoy saving! http://www.frugals.ca We're a parenting and lifestyle resource site that offers gift guides and reviews on all things baby, tots, family travel, beauty, fashion and more. http://www.thenaptimereviewer.com My name is Polly. My blog consist of my life, kids, fitness, military and reviews and giveaways and just trying to live a healthy lifestyle/ ecofriendly !! http://www.sewfatty.com A site for, about, and by mamas! We bring breaks to mamas every day in the form of recipes, coupons, ways to save money, and ways to relax. We also feature reviews, giveaways, and just FUN! Because every mama deserves a break, every day! http://www.mamabreak.com I post reviews and giveaways! http://www.dnbustersplace.com New Age Mama is a blog dedicated to finding you the best products on the market for your home and family. We search the internet so you don't have to. Find reviews, giveaways, freebies and more! http://newagemama.blogspot.com Hi my name is Jennifer Miller, I am a blogger. I am interested in your site. I have been married to my husband since 2007 and I am a Mother of two children - A Five year old girl named Jordyn, and a Three year old boy named Jayce and we are currently trying for baby #3. I do reviews and giveaways. http://mommyyof2babies-introduction.blogspot.com Everything is always GREEN at Brittleby's Corner! As a mom, I think life should be simple and organic ~ going green is not as hard as it seems. See all the wonderful natural products I have discovered and even some I have made. http://brittlebyscorner.com/ Kaisy Daisy's Corner is a well rounded blog. It has post about health, beauty, food and family - a little bit of everything. http://kswederski.com/
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability. Winner(s) will be contacted by email 48 hours after the giveaway ends. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send us an email: giselle@socialmedia22.com. Smart Playrooms is not liable for any of the products given away.
Once the giveaway is over, the brands shown above may send you an email with an exclusive offer as a thank you for entering.

SportsTek: Another Chance to #Win

I wrote a couple weeks ago about my awesome 4-in-one headlamp, and how it is such an asset to my life after dark (Yes, I am writing a book- My Life [After Dark]). It really is an amazing light and the winner from my giveaway is ecstatic.

If you are a paranormal investigator, if you camp, if you have an emergency kit, or if you are ever awake when it is dark- you seriously need this. Read my review here! I'll even be sharing soon exactly how I use my light on expeditions!

I know you all wish you had one this here, but lucky for you, there is another chance to win one of these amazing lights.

SportsTek has updated their amazing 4-in-1 Headlamp and is holding a sweepstakes to give one to 3 very lucky night-timers (valued at $99.95)!

The new and improved version displays the SportsTek logo, redesigned clips, and has redesigned packaging!

To enter, plug in your email address. Seriously, that simple. There are additional entries available if you share your unique URL as well!

Enter Here! The winners will be announced November 10th.

Halloween Extravaganza!

Halloween is coming. If you have been around me and this blog for long, you know how much I love Halloween. My husband does too, and so does Tbomb. I'm sure Kodabug will, but she doesn't know what is going on yet. We have a lot going on now, especially with the Mr turning 30 next week, a bigfoot expedition this weekend, and a Halloween event next week. I still wanted to celebrate Halloween on the blog, so I'm bringing you a collection of past Halloween posts from The Palmetto Queen. I hope you enjoy! Please feel free to share any thing you would like to see me cover here on the blog!






















Dare to be Healthier

I don't know about you guys, but I'm in for it when someone dares me to do something. If I'm dared, I must do it. Maybe that's something I'm holding on to from my teenage years, or maybe it's human nature. Sadly, taking care of myself is no different than crazy teenage dares.

I know I need to drink a certain number of glasses of water a day, but do I do it? NO! My husband recently dared me to drink 8 glasses a day for a week. He had been telling me how much better I would fee, but that made no difference. He dared me, and I did it. It is the same for going to the doctor. My mother had been on me about going to the cardiologist and I wouldn't even make a doctor's appointment. I really dislike going to the doctor (I guess I have more ways like a teenager). Then she dared me. Guess what I did 2 minutes later? Yep, made an appointment!

I must not be the only person like this because United Healthcare has started a "We Dare You To Share" campaign. Each month there are different dares to complete that involve sharing information, fitness challenges, and testing your knowledge (I got the question right!). In October, you are dared to show a photo of your walking shoes. I'll be sure to this weekend, since we have a bigfoot expedition (wahoo!)

With the fitness challenge, you are dared to log your time spent exercising. I started logging my time today and look forward to seeing where I stand as the challenge progresses.


By completing these challenges, you are entered to win some amazing prizes. Each challenge has a grand prize winner and a weekly winner. The prizes include $400 sporting goods gift certificate, $25 gift card, and a Kindle Fire HDX 16G Tablet. The entry is easy, just complete a challenge. Be sure to read the entry rules. 

Follow the Dare

While you are completing the challenges is the perfect time to study up on your health care options. 

United Healthcare is a great option if you need to purchase an individual healthcare plan. I used to have it because small businesses are better able to help their employees secure health insurance. The options they offer are amazing, especially tied with a health savings account. I thought it was cool that they offered incentives and discounts for preventative care. In fact, if I had not become a stay (work) at home mom, I would still have them!

I dare you to participate in this challenge! 

Formula Made My Baby Happy #Giveaway


Disclaimer: The product, gift cards, survey results and information have been provided by Perrigo Nutritionals Store Brand Formula.





When Tbomb was born, I had my heart set on breast feeding. For about a week, I would feed about every hour. I was exhausted. I was at a loss. I didn't think that he should feed that much. Worse than that, he cried like he was hungry constantly and when I would feed him, it hurt so so so bad. That pain is still in my memory, even 4 years later. 

When Tbomb was a week old, a tragedy in my eyes turned into a blessing. I took him for his check up. His doctor knew something was wrong and asked how I was doing. I told him about my cesarean incision hurting soo bad. When he took a look at it, he demanded I be admitted to the hospital. I knew the nurse forgot to give me an antibiotic, but didn't know until later that it almost killed me. I was admitted to the hospital for 10 days, on IV (picline) antibiotics or a month, and a wound vac for 3 months. It was torture, but I'm here to see my little guy growing up and now I have Kodabug. 

I insisted that I had to go home before the hospital and he agreed. I fed Tbomb one last time, crying the whole time. You see, I knew I he had to have formula while mommy was away. My husband got me settled at the hospital and went back to be with our son. My mother in law fixed a bottle and Tbomb ate like he had been starving. When they told me this, I knew the answer. My husband and I decided to just give up. But, this ended up being the best thing we could do. When Kodabug was born, we knew the answer. I had been afraid this would happen. My body just didn't produce enough milk, just like my mom's and her mom's. 

For a while, this changed me. I felt defeated, like a failure. Then, one day it hit me, I was doing what was best for my baby. That made it okay. 

Infant Formula Made in the U.S.A
I told you all that to tell you this. It doesn't matter why you choose to use formula. Maybe you need to supplement, maybe you are like me, or maybe you just don't want to breast feed. It's your choice and you don't have to feel like you are letting your child down. You also don't have to sell your child to afford formula (believe me, I've thought that). I want to take this time to share about store brand formula. It is just as good of quality as the other brands. There are laws that govern this. (Information: Here)

With my Kodabug just turning one, a niece turning one this week, and a nephew due in December, formula has been discussed in my circles a lot lately. It was perfect timing when Perrigo Nutritionals contacted me with this information. I'm so happy to be able to pass along information and answer questions. 

Mom Questions

Being moms, we know there are so many questions about every issue involving our babies. I feel like I may have over analyzed many things and asked too many questions sometimes. But, I just remind myself that I'm taking care of my baby, so "too many questions" is jut not possible. 

Did you know that pediatricians have reported the top 3 types of questions parents ask them. With 97% of parents asking questions about feeding, pediatricians have reported that feeding is the number one concern for 52% of parents. This is followed closely by "pooping" and sleeping. 

Pediatricians were asked about store brand formulas. 71% believe that all infant formulas are basically the same. So, this many pediatricians believe that brand doesn't matter. That's pretty shocking! While they agree on the benefits of breastfeeding, they also agree that formula feeding is a safe and nutritious option. 

The FDA strictly regulates formula. So, store brands and national brands are comparable and meet FDA standards. Did you know that switching to a store brand can save the average family $600 a year without compromising quality??! Shocking huh!

My biggest question was if feeding formula instead of breastfeeding would harm my child. Really, it was about the studies showing the benefits of breastfeeding. It wasn't fair that I was forced to feed formula and my son would suffer. His pediatrician quickly put me at ease and talked to me about the studies and what they meant. 

I'm no doctor or scientist, but I do not see any difference in my children and breast fed babies. 

Win a $25 gift card from Perrigo Nutritionals!

Comment below for your chance to win! I'd love to hear what your biggest question was as a new mom (or mom again). Winner will be chosen randomly October 23. 

Birthday Party Success, Thanks to Shindigz!

Disclaimer: I received samples to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own.

Last month, we celebrated Tbomb's 4th birthday and Kodabug's 1st birthday. Since they are both September babies, we decided to have one party. Tbomb chose the theme. We had a Bigfoot theme, which tested my patience, but was well received! I have a few posts that I will be sharing about this party, but first I want to share about the amazing company that made this party very special.

The peanut butter icing was falling off, but it tasted yummy!
Shindigz is a family owned party supplier that wants to help you have the most successful party possible! They provided me with a gift card to purchase party supplies with. I was truly amazed at the prices!

I ordered:
David Tutera Chalk Pens
Camouflage Chunky Candles
Premium Tulle 6" Emerald Green
Brown Plastic Table Cover (2)
"Sweet at One" Molded Candle
Dessert Decorator (Wilton's)
Sweet Baby Feet Napkins
Mini Monkey Coloring Books
11" Black Crystal Latex Balloons
Monkey Pinata
Convert A Pinata Kit
Crayons (package of 8 boxes)
Footprints lollipos (3 boxes of 12)
Pinata Filler
Custom Treat Bags

With these supplies, I decorated cakes (first time ever), created high chair decor, decorated the tables, created treat bags, kept the kids entertained, made a hair bow, created "chalk board balloons" that flew away, and created a bigfoot baby! That is a lot of projects from one shipment! I will be sharing more tips and DIY directions throughout the week, finishing with all the amazing-ness of the party!



Shindigz is an amazing company to work with. Their customer service is phenomenal and they really care about what they do. The variety of items on their site will impress anyone.

I really love the DIY projects and party ideas they have posted throughout the site.

Shindigz has kept me sane, organized, and happy this party season. They are now my go to party supplier (believe me, that is a lot of supplies).

I can't wait to plan next year's super hero party with them! (Yes, I know- I plan early!)



Posts to come: 

Birthday DIYs (high chair decor, party bow, simple cake decor, etc.)
Birthday tips for multiple kid party
Awesome Birthday Themes
Partying With Sasquatch Overview
How to always be prepared for an event or party!