Coming Up...

Thank you to everyone who participated in the baby product reviews and giveaways! There are still a few open so be sure you enter.

Coming up in April I'm going to be reviewing some fun summer items. Want to know my pick for a nursing swimsuit? Which sunscreen works best? Of course I'll have some giveaways tucked in there too. One of the reviews will be from CSN Stores. They sell everything from kids beds to barstools and more. Check back for the start of the summer series soon!

Of course there will still be Muffin Tin Mondays, homeschool updates, cute baby pictures and more. :)

Thanks for reading.

Cozy Sleeping Bag from aden + anais

If you've been around my blog for very long, you know that I love aden + anais products! We got to try out their new cozy sleeping bag recently and have another to giveaway. The cozy sleeping bag is made of four layers of breathable muslin cotton and comes in cute prints. Wearable blankets are great for keeping little ones warm without risking suffocating them - these are especially nice because they are a natural breathable fiber. Some of the fleece ones we have seem to make the baby too warm.

Esther likes her sleep blanket. (Don't worry, she doesn't really sleep on a pillow.) I wish we had two of them because she spits up and I'm always trying to quickly do laundry so that she can wear it. The sleeping bag is soft, thick and just warm enough. A nice detail is that the zipper starts at the neck and closes down at the bottom so the zipper doesn't get in her face. I like that there is plenty of room around the neck and arms too. The sleeping bag has gotten a couple of snags in it, but I think that's just because of the type of soft quilty fabric its made of.

Would you like to win a cozy sleeping bag? Leave a comment on this post to enter the giveaway, being sure to include your email address. For extra entries you can:

-become a fan of aden +anais on facebook

-follow my blog

-subscribe to my blog by email

-blog about the giveaway, linking back here and to aden + anais

Leave a comment for each entry. I'll close the giveaway on March 30 at midnight and use random.org to choose a winner. The winner will get their choice of print and size; this can be shipped anywhere in the US and Canada. Thanks for stopping by!

I received this product for review with no compensation. The opinions are all my own.

*Giveaway now closed. Congrats to "K"!*

Muffin Tin Monday - Green

I know, super lame Muffin Tin Monday today. We're still trying to get over being sick and Esther had a doctor appoinment this morning. The theme was "green" so we had a quick guacamole snack. I also had green pickles in the house, but I didn't think they went well with guacamole. Julia's snack wasn't even green, she prefers plain salsa. She insisted that I take a picture of hers but then wouldn't smile for me. She's still a cutie anyway.

Here's my quick and easy guacamole recipe. Its one of those recipes that doesn't have exact measurements, but its good any way you make it. This makes a great healthy snack - Lucy loves guacamole and will even eat it with a spoon.

avocado - mash

garlic clove or two - press

dash of lime juice

salt

salsa - several spoonfuls

Mix up and enjoy.

(Don't forget about Bake and Take Day coming up next week!)

Ergo Heart to Heart Infant Insert Review

I love my Ergo carrier! I got it when Julia was just over a year old. She enjoyed riding on my back when we took walks or went to places like the apple orchard. The Ergo is comfortable to wear and distributes the weight nicely across my shoulders and waist. With our newest little family member on the way I was curious about the infant insert. Ergo sent me their new Heart to Heart Insert for review.

The insert is designed to promote healthy maturation of the spine by holding baby in an upright position while supporting her legs and hips. Certain baby carriers that put babies in a hanging position can actually be dangerous for a baby's spinal development. There is an interesting article here with some great photo illustrations on the topic. Putting a baby in the Heart to Heart Infant Insert keeps him or her in a safe position.

Putting Esther in the insert was easy enough. She felt secure and her legs were tucked up in a good position. The strap that snaps across the baby is adjustable, but mine doesn't stay tight. Its tight enough to serve its purpose though. The first time I put her in, she had not developed good neck control yet and I felt like she flopped forward too much, tucking her head in to her chest. I tried her in the carrier again recently and felt like she did much better.

I have a fairly small frame and felt like the Ergo was pretty bulky on my front. It didn't work well for wearing Esther around the house - trying to bend over or sit down with it on was difficult. For someone bigger than me it might not be a problem. Wearing her outside in the Ergo where I am mostly standing was great - I use it when going for a walk or just watching the girls play. It is comfortable to wear for a long period of time. I love that the Esther is up by my face and can peek out of the carrier and look around.

As it warms up here and we are outside more often I'm sure the Ergo and Heart to Heart Insert will get lots of use. Another great accessory to have are the sucking pads. Esther isn't old enough to need these yet, but eventually we will use them. The sucking pads are designed to wrap around the straps of the Ergo where your baby tries to teeth on it. They are stretchy and a nice big size. The pads are 100% cotton and washable - definitely a necessity if you are using the Ergo with a little one.

One of my favorite cloth diaper stores, Abby's Lane, carries the insert and sucking pads with free shipping. Tell her I sent you if you decide to shop there. :) Let me know if you have other questions about the insert, I know some of you have been waiting for this review! Thanks Ergo!