{Holiday Gift Giveaway #20} BabyBjorn Baby Carrier Active

BabyBjorn is one of the top competitors when it comes to comfortable baby carriers. They have a nice variety of front carriers that are designed to cater to a mom's specific needs, and it was obvious to me from my first visit to their website that it is very important to them that their customers find the perfect baby carrier for their lifestyle. Check out their comparison guide and take the Which Baby Carrier is Right For Me? quiz, and you'll find the carrier suited especially to you and your little one. Baby carrier shopping can be overwhelming, right? Well, BabyBjorn takes the work out of it!

I took the quiz myself - it asks the important questions that need to be addressed when looking for a good carrier like:

• Will you only be carrying your child only in infancy or do you want to wear him or her as long as possible (25 lbs or up)?
• Will you be carrying your child for short periods or long periods of time?
• What is your height?

My daughter is 23 pounds, so I knew a special baby carrier would be needed. My quiz result told me that the Baby Carrier Active was the right carrier for me, and after reading the specifications and information about it, I knew that the quiz was right-on.

BabyBjorn Baby Carrier Active Review

The BabyBjorn Baby Carrier active is made for moms like me who want to carry their children as long as possible. Some kids just want to be carried, and I figure that if they want to stay a baby for a little bit longer, it's a good thing! Anyway, it has excellent lumbar support and padded shoulder straps, and can carry babies from newborn to 26 pounds.


How it works: You really cannot find a better how-to demonstration than the one on the BabyBjorn website! It includes photos for every step and is very easy to follow.

What I love:

• The style and color selection!
• It does distribute weight evenly and, with a little adjusting, you can make it so that most of the weight is carried using your back rather than your shoulders.
• The carrier comes in two pieces, the front and the back. It all snaps together easily with color-coded parts.

• It is machine-washable.
• It is very sturdy with great lumbar support and carries babies up to 26 pounds.

• The instructions are very clear and are printed on the inside of the carrier, so you don't have to try to keep tabs on a booklet (yay!).
• Child can face front or back.
  

My Experience:

Finding an adjustment that made it comfortable to carry a 23-pound toddler facing out was not easy. I'm thinking Emma is about at her limit for being carried in a front pack facing out. It reminds me unpleasantly of being pregnant in the last trimester. ;-) My husband probably could handle it, but not me. Because it is adjustable around the middle in two places (not the shoulder straps themselves), I had to make it pretty tight around my rib cage to get it at a comfortable carrying position. I definitely won't be carrying Emma facing out anymore. This is not the carrier's fault at all.

I'm not able to test the facing out carry position on a lighter baby (yet), but I'm very sure that it would be more comfortable carrying a smaller, lighter child.

Now when I turned Emma around and had her face inward toward me, like I normally carry her in my arms, that was a totally different story. It was very comfortable! Emma was comfortable, too - she rested her head against my chest and was really enjoying the bonding time. This is a child who won't sit still for two seconds - she liked it! I was delighted as well because her weight is carried just at the right place on my back and I found myself relaxing while walking around with her. I can see myself strolling through the mall carrying her that way, or maybe trying to soothe her to sleep while we're out.

I've decided I need to start bringing this carrier with me whenever we go anywhere because if she gets tired, I can always pull out the BabyBjorn. I can tell you right now that this is a lot more comfortable than carrying her with just my arms would be. I've seen enough toddlers poop out (hardy har) on a walk or a shopping trip to know that this would be very useful to a lot of moms.

Conclusion: This is the nicest baby carrier I've come across so far in terms of design, ease of adjusting, style, and general comfort, and I would recommend it without hesitation! My recommendations would be that moms of infants to one year olds enjoy the ability to wear their children facing in or out, and moms of heavier children like mine (probably 20-26 pounds) plan on wearing their children facing inward. I think this is an especially good purchase for a mom of a newborn because they'll be able to wear their baby for a very long time and will get a lot of use out of it! Moms of heavier babies who are active often (hiking, shopping all the time, etc) and want to carry their growing children should also be able to get a lot of use out of the BabyBjorn.

Buy it!

The BabyBjorn Baby Carrier Active is available in a variety of attractive color combinations and retails for about $129.99. Right now you can buy the black/red baby carrier active from Amazon.com for only $92.50 (free shipping, too!).

The Baby Carrier Active can also be bought organic!

Giveaway Closed!

Prize info: One lucky commenter will win an orange/black BabyBjorn Baby Carrier Active just like mine! Open to US and Canada!

How To Enter (mandatory): Visit BabyBjorn and tell me in a comment what else you would like to own!

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BabyBjorn Baby Carrier #Giveaway - Win a BabyBjorn Baby Carrier Active! http://bit.ly/59J07b @kindred_spirit

Giveaway will be closed on December 15 at midnight and winner notified by email - good luck, everyone!

Disclosure: The review product(s) were sent to me free of charge by the company or manufacturer in exchange for an honest review. This review is 100% my own content, my own true experiences with the product(s), and my own opinion. :-)

See full review, giveaway, and disclosure policy here.

Playskool Explore 'N Grow Busy Ball Popper Review

My 18-month-old daughter, Emma, loves balls. She always has! I think it has something to do with my basketball-playin' husband always kicking a ball around. She must be like him, you know. ;-) She even sits in her carseat in the back of our vehicle with a basketball in her lap, happy as a little lark. It was her first word, too. "Ball!" Yes, she's definitely a lover of the circular.

Playskool has a couple great lines of learning toys for babies and toddlers - Busy Basics and Explore 'N Grow. When I was offered the opportunity to review Playskool's Explore 'N Grow Busy Ball Popper, I was excited. I knew it would be the perfect toy for Emma. And I was right! Check out our thoughts...

Recommended Ages: 9 months and up.

Retail Price: $24.99

What it Does: "Get silly with poppin’, droppin’ colored balls! Pump the plunger and drop the balls onto the spiral track. When they reach the bottom, look out – the balls pop out the top! Giggles are guaranteed with 8 lively songs to help keep the fun rolling along. And later, when baby’s a bit older, there’s even more fun to be had by chasing after the bright, busy balls!"
Learning Opportunity: Encourages toddler interaction by popping balls out of the chute. A definite learning opportunity! Children will wonder how it works and enjoy placing the balls at the top of the chute and watching them roll down the tube. Too much fun and lots going on!

Video Review/Demo:

A Mom's Thoughts:

This toy is WAAAY too much fun! It's one of my favorites of Emma's toys because it's unpredictable and I love watching her expression as she plays with it. She was a little bit scared at first (it's fairly loud, a little quieter than a vacuum probably), but gradually became less afraid because it was just too fascinating to stay away from. She absolutely loves putting the balls down the chute and chasing after the balls when they pop out the top. There are five balls and every time you push the little happy head/button down, while the balls come popping out, a different tune plays. Sometimes the balls go back down the chute only to pop out the top again, and sometimes they pop out all over the place so that you have to go running for them. You'd think it would be annoying, but it's not at all! It would be totally boring if it was so perfect and predictable that the balls only went in circles. I think that this toy is well-designed and will hold interest well.

What I don't like:

This is a pretty loud toy. But it's so much fun, no one cares. :-)

Conclusion:

Emma and I give the Busy Ball Popper two little thumbs up and two big thumbs up! We love it and recommend it!

Buy it!

The Playskool Busy Ball Popper retails for $24.99 and is available at most stores like Target, Walmart, and Toys R Us.

Special Deal Alert!

You can get a $5.00 coupon off this toy and coupons off many others at the Playskool website!

If you have a moment, leave a comment -
It'll make me jump up and down for joy! :-)

Playskool Busy Basics Step Start Walk 'N Ride Review

Are you like me, wanting to buy your child every cool new toy you come across? Especially when you know it's something that that helps them learn something new. You're excited about their first steps and immediately you know you must find them a push toy (or, like me, let them push boxes around the house - lol). Then they start eyeing another child's bike or toy car and you want them to have their own as well. Every new stage and learning experience is so much fun for you both!

Playskool has a couple great lines of toys - Busy Basics and Explore 'N Grow. Emma has had the opportunity to play with the Playskool Busy Basics Step Start Walk 'N Ride, thanks to the great folks at Playskool. Here are our thoughts on this toy...

PlaySkool Recommended Age: 9 - 36 months

Retail Price: $19.99

Purpose: Two extremely fun toys in one! It's a convertible push toy and a ride-on toy.

Learning Opportunity: Encourages toddlers to walk by offering them something fun to push, and teaches them necessary motor skills when riding. Also features many little attached toys that make noise and can be turned, twisted, rolled, and pushed (see video review for my personal demo).

Video Review/Demo:

Please ignore the very end of this video, lol

A Mom's Thoughts:

I like this toy - it's most attractive feature is the fact that it's convertible and two toys in one. I would recommend this especially for younger toddlers who are just learning to walk so they can easily enjoy it as a push toy, then later enjoy it as a ride-on toy. It's nice that it's lower to the ground than many ride-on toys I've come across - you won't have to worry so much about little ones toppling over on it. The add-on toys (things that make noise when you spin them, twist them, etc) are very cool, too. I thought they were great choices and a lot of fun for a baby.

Watch the video review above and see how much my 18-month-old loves this push toy!

What I don't like:

Okay, I have to mention this. Somehow I smashed my finger when I was converting it from push toy to ride-on toy and it hurt. My finger throbbed for a long time, and so I know it smashed pretty hard. I'm a klutz, but I would be very careful with little ones around when you're converting it (and watch those fingers!). Before you let your toddler play with it, make sure that it snaps into place so that it can't be moved by little fingers. It should be safe that way. Other than the finger-smashing incident, I have no other complaints and I do like this toy.

Conclusion:

Emma and I both think this toy is a lot of fun, and we especially love the fact that it's convertible. I would recommend it for babies and toddlers that are still unsteadily walking and need a little support, and can enjoy being pushed around while in the ride-on mode. I think they would get the most use out of it. So anywhere between 6 and 15 months, depending on the stage your child is in.

Buy it!

This toy retails for $19.99 and is available at most stores like Target, Walmart, and Toys R Us. I think that's a pretty sweet deal for such a versatile toy.

Special Deal Alert!

You can get a $5.00 coupon off at the Playskool website!

If you have a moment, leave a comment -
It'll make me jump up and down for joy! :-)

Guest Review: Cotton Babies bumGenius Bamboo Cloth Diaper and Wipes

This is a guest review by Erin of Connected2Christ

Over this year, I've discovered so many wonderful benefits of bamboo such as 100% biodegradable, sustainable, and it also grows super fast making it a renewable resource! Bamboo is also extremely soft, absorbent and very breathable so it's great for keeping your baby cool, dry and comfortable especially when it's hot out.

I was given the opportunity by Cotton Babies to review a bumGenius DELUXE Bamboo Fitted Cloth Diaper as well as a couple of the bumGenius bamboo wipes.
The wipes, though made from Bamboo, I found not as soft and as absorbent as the flannel ones I've used. I would possibly use these for other things but not on my daughter's sensitive bottom. Note that I was recommended to try fabric softener but have not been able to as of yet since I normally don't usually use it as it's built into my laundry detergent. See more reviews of these wipes at Cotton Babies!

I found the diaper super soft to the touch and I'm sure my daughter really enjoys wearing it. The things I like about this diaper are as follows:

* It's naturally stretchy making it the perfect fit for your growing baby
* It's available in sizes extra small ( 6-12lbs) to Large (20-30lbs)
*They are super absorbent, we've had no leaks at all!
* Velcro closure, great for children learning to potty train!
* Not as bulky as other cloth diapers my daughter has worn!

A few issues I've had with the diaper...

* Because they are super absorbent, I've had to run these in the dry cycle 3-4 times

*These run a little small, so I would recommend getting the next size up

* Velcro closures - not good for babies that tend to take off their diapers, I would recommend using a diaper cover!

I'm still on the search for the perfect cloth diapers and supplies. I hope my review will benefit someone in someway as I know lots of other people are also on this search. See more reviews of the bumGenius bamboo diapers at Cotton Babies!

These diapers and wipes retail for 12.95 each at Cotton Babies. Why not check out their site to see all the other products they have to offer?

♥ Erin, when she's not chasing her sweet little girl Melody around the house, blogs over at Connected2Christ. Go check her blog out! She has some great giveaways, reviews, and is a wonderful person to get to know. :-)


All items reviewed were sent for free by the company or manufacturer in exchange for an honest review.

If you have a moment, leave a comment -
It'll make me jump up and down for joy! :-)

Cloud B Dozy Dolphin on the Go ♥ Review

I've been an admirer of Cloud B products ever since I discovered them about two years ago. Cloud B is a company dedicated to helping moms put their children to sleep. They are most popular for their soft stuffed toys made especially for babies and toddlers that soothe little ones to sleep with sound, colorful dim lights, gentle vibration, or calming scents.

They also carry soft swaddler and sleep bag gift sets! I love the looks of these, though I haven't tried them myself yet.

Cool fact: Cloud B is "dedicated to providing less fortunate children the quality sleep they deserve through product donations and financial contributions to charitable organizations nationwide."

Thanks to Cloud B, I was able to review the Dozy Dolphin on the Go. What is extra special about this cuddly dolphin is that it is made of bamboo fabric! You know how I feel about bamboo, right? I think it's superior to any other fabric, and would use it exclusively for everything if I could. Bamboo fabric is hypoallergenic, odor-resistant, antibacterial, 100% biodegradable - and super soft!

The Dozy Dolphin Also Features:

• A removable sound-maker (I don't know what else to call it) that plays four different types of sounds: dolphins playing, whale songs, tranquil melody, and ocean waves.
  
• Volume control.
• You can choose which sound you want to hear anytime.
  
• Sound can be set to play for 23 minutes or 45 minutes long.
  
• Velcro strap lets you attach it to the crib slats or car seats and strollers.
• One eye is open and one is closed, which I thought added to it's unique cuteness.

I LOVE the sound selection for the Dozy Dolphin. The sound of the waves crashing is so much better than regular white noise! I was even tempted to steal it for myself. ;-) All of the sounds make me miss the ocean, really. I also like that you can remove the sound machine so that the toy becomes instantly more cuddly.

Given the fact that this stuffed animal is made of bamboo, is very well-made, and the functions of the sound machine, I think it's well-worth it's price of $23.00.

I definitely recommend this, and all Cloud B products. Their products are loved by kids of all ages. The Dozy Dolphin is an especially thoughtful gift for a new mom, though. :-)

You can buy the Dozy Dolphin from Cloud B for $23.00. Click here to find a retailer near you or buy it at the Cloud B website.

If you have a moment, leave a comment -
It'll make me jump up and down for joy! :-)

Admiral Road Designs Review {Giveaway Closed}

Today I want to introduce you to Admiral Road Designs. This company, founded by two moms, carries some of the most whimsical and imaginative children's tees, scarves, and blankets I've ever come across! I'm sure that once you've browsed their collection, you'll feel that you've come upon a treasure, as I have. :-)

Their most popular products are their personalized fleece kids' blankets and their one-of-a-kind "treasure" tees. The Treasure Tees are so cute - each tee features a different toy sewn into it, making each one different. Their blankets (oh so cozy-looking!) come in all different sizes, even big sizes for adults.

Cool Fact: Celebrities like Julia Roberts and Teri Hatcher have Admiral Road Blankets!

All blankets are handmade in Canada using non-pill fleece, 100% polyester and are completely machine washable. Treasure Tees are made in North America, too!

Admiral Road Designs sent me a collection of their Aardvark Scarves to review. They are sooo much fun for kids, and I was pleasantly suprised at how soft they are!

At 50 inches long (60 inches for big kids) and 6 inches wide, I think the size is perfect, too. My daughter is 18 months old and the scarves can be wrapped easily around her shoulders to keep her warm. I had quite a time taking a photo of her with the scarf around her neck because she's such a busy little bee, lol. She looks so adorable in them, though. :-) I think the little monkey and kitten scarves are the cutest. I didn't receive those two to review, but I'm thinking I need to complete our collection...

In conclusion, Admiral Road Designs has my devoted admiration. :-) I love their designs and would love to work with them again - as a customer and blogger!

Follow the Admiral Road Designs blog
Become a Facebook Fan
Follow them on Twitter (@admiralroad)




You can buy the Aardvark Scarves for $12.00 each at Admiral Road Designs! Oh, and don't miss out on their ADORABLE gift baskets! I seriously haven't seen better gift baskets anywhere.

Admiral Road Designs is generously giving away a set of six scarves ($75 value!) to one lucky winner!

Open to US and Canada.

How To Enter (mandatory): Visit Admiral Road Designs and tell me what else you would like to own! Please leave your email address in your comment so I can let you know if you win!

Extra Entries (Optional) (Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry)

• Follow the Admiral Road Designs blog (+1 extra entry)
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  #Giveaway Win a set of children's scarves from @admiralroad designs worth $75! http://bit.ly/3ctIWv Ends 11/24 @kindred_spirit
  

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Giveaway will be closed on November 24 at midnight and winner notified by email - good luck, everyone!

Disclaimer: This product was provided free of charge to me by the company or manufacturer in exchange for an honest review. This review is 100% my own content and my own opinion, and I was not reimbursed in any other way for this post.

See complete rules and disclaimers regarding giveaways here.

If you have a moment, leave a comment -
It'll make me jump up and down for joy! :-)

{Holiday Gift Giveaway #3} Fairy-Gram Princess Review and Giveaway

Welcome to Day 3 of the 2009 Holiday Gift Giveaway Extravaganza at A Kindred Spirit's Thoughts!

One of my favorite childhood memories is when my mom took my sister and I to a place where we got to spend hours just "dressing up" in fancy clothes. We had so much fun! But at the end of the day, we had to leave and I had only my memories. And a video, thanks to my mom. But what if I could have taken a costume home with me and played dress-up every day? And a real fairy princess costume? Only spoiled rich girls get those, right? ;-)

Not anymore! Not when a wonderful mom-owned business like Fairy-Gram exists!

What is a Fairy-Gram?

A special gift brought by the fairies for your little princess, that's what a fairy-gram is! :-) To be exact, a fairy-gram is a lovely fairy outfit sent right to your front door. It consists of:

A Fairy Tutu
Fairy Wings
A Fairy Ribbon Wand
A Glittering Fairy Halo (with a gorgeous trail of ribbons)
Two Butterfly Clips

All of this for $35.95, and each fairy outfit fits children from toddler age to about eight years! You can double check the measurements for your child here.

Watch my video review of the Fairy-Gram below:

As you saw in the above video, it was a delight opening my Fairy-Gram box. I found all of the pieces to be well-made, and it's obvious that much thought was put into every detail. You can tell that they are made especially to make a child very happy. Any little girl who received one of these would feel just like a fairytale princess. The tutu is even filled with flower petals!

There are quite a few colors to pick from when choosing a Fairy-Gram of your own: hot pink, lavender, lemon, soft pink, white, green, rainbow, and turquoise. I requested turquoise because my little red-head looks so sweet in blue. I have to tell you that I was SO pleased when I received it in the mail - the turquoise color is even more vibrant and beautiful in real life!

I'm going to let you draw your own conclusion from my photos. :-) If you want some special pictures of your little one, this is an affordable and delightful way to get them! (Note that this is not the entire outfit - my toddler is young enough to feel that anything that mommy puts on her that is unnecessary, whether it be gorgeous or not, should come off. What is missing is the halo crown and the two butterfly clippies.)

Buy it!

You can buy a complete fairy outfit from Fairy-Gram for only $35.95!

Interview Alert!

Find out more about Shona, the mom behind Fairy-Gram. :-)

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your family: I'm a SAHM of 2 children. My daughter, Eire (pronounced "Air-ra", is 5 years old and just started Kindergarten. My son, TC, is 3 years old. I'm from London, England but currently live in California.

Your fairy-grams are adorable! What inspired you to start this business? My daughter. From age 2+, she was always in an outfit, from princesses to ballerina’s to fairies. Fairies were her favorite but I found it difficult to buy a complete fairy outfit as a gift for her friends. I had to buy individual pieces and gift wrap them myself to make a complete gift package. That's when Fairy-Gram.com was founded. Directly from the heart of a 5 year old little girl, packaged as a gift by a loving mom.

Which fairy-gram is your favorite? My favorite color is purple so I'll go with the purple one. But really, they are all gorgeous!

Do you make everything included in the fairy-gram yourself? The outfits aren't made by me but I package everything myself. I put each Fairy-Gram together myself by hand to ensure the presentation is as wonderful and joyful for a child to open as it is to wear.

Are there any honors or accomplishments you are proud of? My children are what I'm most proud of. I'm a mom first. Always.

Tell us one little-known or interesting fact about you. :-) I was a cast member with Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance for 3 1/2 years before I had kids!

And now for a...

One lucky winner is going to win a Fairy-Gram of their own!
Us Only, please.

How To Enter (mandatory): Visit www.fairy-gram.com and tell me which Fairy-Gram you want to win! Please leave your email address in your comment so I can let you know if you win!

Extra Entries (Optional) (Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry)

• Leave a comment about the interview with Shona (+1 extra entry)
  
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• Tweet this giveaway once and/or share on Facebook (+1 extra entry) Copy/Paste this:
  

  Fairy-Gram #Giveaway - Win a complete fairy princess dress-up outfit w/tutu http://bit.ly/39Sw0D @fairy_gram @kindred_spirit (ends 11/24)
  

• Grab my 2009 Holiday Gift Giveaway Extravaganza button and put it in your sidebar! (+2 extra entries!)
  
  
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Giveaway will be closed on November 24 at midnight and winner notified by email - good luck, everyone!

Disclaimer: This product was provided free of charge to me by Fairy-Gram in exchange for an honest review.

See complete rules and disclaimers regarding giveaways here.