Yes, I am a sucker for a new and interesting product.  But, when I came across The Buggy Bubble (www.buggybubble.com) I was amazed at this invention and certainly wasn’t prepared to be bombarded by complete strangers practically begging me to buy it right off of me.

It is an all-in-one protective infant car seat cover.  It slips comfortably over your car seat and provides just the right amount of air circulation along with protection from the elements.  It is certified as 50+UPF and covers over 98% of the sun’s harmful rays.  The cover is also water resistant so you are basically covered with all types of weather.

 Not only is it functional it is practical and just looks really cool.

Everywhere I went people would stop me to ask where they could buy this product and even offered me some money to take mine right off of the bucket.

There is a zipper in the front that makes easy access to your child so that the whole Bubble doesn’t need to be removed, which is great because you don’t have to worry about waking your baby.  The pop up structured frame makes it a snap to open and close.

My favorite part of it is that it doesn’t blow in my sons face like some of the other shields - which truthfully does not make a walk all that enjoyable.  It is really the perfect all in one protective sheild for your car seat. 

I love my Buggy Bubble and suggest that you run, don’t walk to pick up your Bubble today.

Retailers are listed on their website:

www.buggybubble.com

With only a few weeks left of summer break, you should be thinking about getting prepared for back to school. Lovable Labels has a great Back to School label pack available with all the essential labels you will need for labeling your items for school. It includes the following items:

60 Slimline Labels
15 Regular Sticker Labels
48 Press n’ Stick Clothing DOTS
16 Shoe Labels
2 Mini-Metal Tags
BONUS: 5 Binder Stickers

They also have wrist bands for medical and allergy alerts which are a fantastic idea and could save your child’s life!

To find out more about Lovable Labels and see all their products available, visit www.lovablelabels.ca

So, my son just turned two

I guess he’s growing up and there is nothing I can do about it! 

Planning his party was a no-brainer.  I had been to Orange Dot (www.orangedotinc.com) a few months ago and knew right than and there that it would be the perfect spot.  And it certainly was.

Having 27 children and about 50 adults doesn’t give you too many options that can acomodate that many people.  Orange Dot, being over 3000 square feet offered up more than enough room.

The staff were amazing.  They were helpful from the minute we got there.   Setting up the food, plates, party hats and just ensuring everything that we needed to organize was taken care of was such a treat for Mom and Dad.  It’s nice to feel as though you can take some time to sit back and watch your child and interact with them at their party. 

The room was set up wonderfully for a birthday party.  There were balls, nets, a jumping castle, riding toys, blocks, gymnastic activities, books, houses -you name it, there was something for everyone.

Before I knew it, lunch time had arrived and once again the staff made it so easy and enjoyable for me that I was actually able to sit down and enjoy some pizza with my son.  I didn’t have to lift a finger.  I had brought matches and a knife for the cake, but they were all prepared with the essentials that I didn’t even have to take them out of my diaper bag.  One less thing to worry about.

All of the kids had a wonderful time, and the parents were equally impressed.

Most importantly, the Birthday Boy had a blast and really, that’s all that mattered to us.

Check out their website for classes or to book your birthday party - your child will thank you for it!

www.orangedotinc.com

Developed out of necessity by a fashion designer/new mom as she was frustrated with the constant asking whether or not her new baby was a boy or girl, even though dressed in pink from head to toe! So this savvy mom created her own line of fabulous bows for babies and toddlers and named it after her inspiration, her daughter, Angel Lily. Check out this wonderful collection of posh and pretty bows for your little angel.

Visit www.angellily.ca

Teaching your child to do something educational can sometimes be (well, let’s be honest) a pain and often very difficult.  So it’s nice to come across something that makes it fun. 

 I came across The Little Stamp Company (www.littlestamp.com) and was eager to order my fun stamp. What you receive is a signature stamp.  And it is just that.  A stamp with your child’s name written out in dots which gives them the opportunity to trace out their name and become familiar with it.  It is offered in a large dot font, which makes it very child friendly.  

You are given choices of upper or lower case, ink color and what name you would like on it. So I tested it out on my son who is just starting to show interest in writing.  He had a blast with the stamp.  He has become familiar with his name and was excited to see it stamped out.  Than he spent over half an hour (which in parent time seems like an eternity) tracing out the letters of his name.  It’s a win-win situation for everyone. This stamp would also make a fantastic birthday gift – I’ve never seen anything like this out there.  And I’m out there! 

Take a look at their website (www.littlestamp.com).  Not only is the owner of the company a mom, Lee-Ann is also a teacher so this product has been well thought out and is extremely efficient is helping along the process of helping your child learn to print. 

Stamps away!

What a perfect way to treat your guests.  Chocolate.   And even better – personalize it!  I’m all about the personalization.

I just recently had my second baby (or some like to say toddler, he was 9.1lbs) and wanted to do something a little bit different for the centrepieces.  Enter Creative Gifts by Heather – www.creativegiftsbyheather.com.  I chose to put sand buckets in the centre of the table and fill it with craft paper and attach balloons to the handles.  But what to fill it with?  Ah, yes, the chocolates- it was a no brainer.  Heather was so accommodating and put a lot of thought into what should be on the sticker she suggested just doing a baby carriage because all the text I wanted on it wouldn’t look visually pleasing.  I really appreciated her input. 

Her website is filled with many other wonderful ideas: votive candles, washcloth lollipops, favour tags etc.  It is a great resource for birthdays, anniversaries, babies, and any other occasion that you are looking to make unique.  It’s nice to have something that gets a reaction from your guests.“Where did you find these?”  I love knowing that I’ve done something that people haven’t seen before.  It gives me a sense of accomplishment.  Okay, so pushing a 9.1lb baby should also give me a sense of accomplishment but you get the idea.

Check out Heather’s website for many more great ideas and contact her, because she has so many fantastic ideas and is a great person to make suggestions for your next celebration.www.creativegiftsbyheather.com

All I can say is – YUMMMMMMY!If you are looking for something unique to serve at your next function, Twisted Sisters (www.twistedsisters.ca) is your answer. What could be better than a salty treat dipped in some chocolate? Twisted Sisters are gourmet pretzels dipped in a variety of different chocolates and than sprinkled with all of the very best and tastiest goodies you can imagine. To name just a few (and please try and contain your saliva for the very end) Oreo pieces, Peppermint pieces, Peanut Butter Crunch, Smarties, Brownies and my personal favourite Coloured Sprinkles.

They would certainly create quite a stir as part of any centrepiece and would be welcomed graciously as a gift by anyone who has a sweet tooth - and let’s be honest we all do.

The boxes that they come in are decorated so elegantly that it looks like a gift from Tiffany’s. But it’s even better – because you get to eat what’s inside. They customize your orders and even offer pick up and delivery – it really doesn’t get easier than that.

Twisted Sisters will also accommodate customized orders so you can get exactly what your heart desires.

What I enjoyed most about Twisted Sisters is that it is a company comprised of two sisters love and enjoyment of being chocoholics to create such personalized and tasty treats.

The only complaint I have, is that my keyboard is now completely covered in chocolate because I couldn’t even wait to finish typing this to munch away on my coloured sprinkle pretzel.

Order yours today for yourself or as a gift at www.twistedsisters.ca

Try explaining to a 21 month old that he’s going to be a big brother.  Not easy.  Yes, he knows Mommy’s tummy is bigger and she’s much slower than she use to be – but he doesn’t really understand it.  My son, like most children love when I make a HUGE deal out of anything.  I wanted to find something that would encourage this transition that was about to happen in 7 short weeks.

            I came across Belly Babies www.bellybabies.ca and found the perfect shirt for this occasion.  All of their products are 100% cotton, have reinforced soft and comfortable openings, wash fantastic and most importantly are absolutely adorable.  They have unusual and unique characters on the clothing that makes it fun for children.  I opted for Luca, the cute little penguin with the saying Big Brother underneath it.  I knew that when I put it on him, he wouldn’t think much of it – but the reaction he would get would be priceless.            We went shopping that day and as I talked up the shirt as much as possible he began to actually hold out his chest to show complete strangers who in turn gave him exactly the response he wanted.  ‘OH MY, YOU ARE GOING TO BE A BIG BROTHER?  I BET YOU ARE GOING TO BE A WONDERFUL BIG BROTHER….yada…yada…yada…’              Belly Babies also sells short sleeve onesies, long sleeve onesies, gowns, caps – anything your baby or child will need.  They are a nice change from the plain white shirts with the typical characters that every child owns.  They will certainly be the talk of the playground.            I’m just upset I didn’t find this shirt four months ago – it would’ve been the perfect way to announce my pregnancy.  Well, maybe for baby # 3. (insert gulp from husband here).            Take a look at their website – they also have great gift ideas – www.bellybabies.ca            As a special offer to Canadian Momz readers Belly Babies is offering the following promotion:

Anyone who places an order with us before May 31st will receive free shipping (In Canada only).  They just need to email us through the website (contact us page) with their order and ”Canadian Momz” in the subject heading.

I hate to admit it but I am a neat freak.  Yes, yes, how can this be possible when you have a 21-month-old running around your house?  I’m learning, but it’s taking some time.  Well, maybe I don’t have to.I have tried every tactic in the book and every bib on the market and nothing has satisfied both my son and myself. 

Than while at the Babytime Show I came across something that might just do the trick.  Smicko’z is my new best friend! www.smickoz.com

Designed for moms just like me and kids who love to mess the outfits that you have worked so hard to co-ordinate they are the perfect combination of function and style.  Not only are they practical they are really, really cool.  I was sick and tired of the bibs that my son would rip off of his neck and refuse to wear and they never washed well always leaving food caked in the creases.  Smicko’z is the answer to my prayers.  They tie up in the back (genius) and come in a variety of different colors and styles.   My son likes to put it on while I’m preparing dinner to act as if he’s the chef’s assistant and happily sits in his booster chair and gobbles down his dinner without the aggravating argument of “You have to wear a bib, because Mommy spent a lot of money on that shirt, that’s why”.           

They wash really well and come in so many different fabric swatches that while you’re picking one up for your kids, you can certainly find one to buy as a gift.  It’s nice not to have to do 5 loads of laundry a day anymore. 

www.smickoz.com

There is nothing worse than receiving a monotonous birthday card from the dollar store.  It gets a bit boring after opening a couple dozen cards that are all the same.  Having a child who loves to draw, and I am yet to meet one who doesn’t is a great way to get them involved in designing a card for their friend’s birthday.

I came across Craft Caravan (www.craftcaravan.com) and ordered a package of their ANYTIME CARD KIT.  You receive:

• 8 brightly coloured cards (4 colors) and matching envelopes. Papers are 30% Post Consumer waste, elemental chlorine free and acid free
• 8 colourful “AnyTime” non-toxic Message Stickers
• 32 colourful non-toxic Mini Stickers to compliment Message Stickers
• 16 paper ribbons
• 16 printed decorating papers
• 16 foam decorating shapes
• Non-toxic glitter glue

I thought this would be a great way to involve my two year old son in his friend Evan’s birthday gift.  He had such a great time designing the card with all of the stickers, glitter and various shapes and papers.  It didn’t look as professional as the $7.00 store bought cards, but you know what – it was better, it was priceless.  From one child to another I know that Evan will have appreciated that card much better than the cheesy ones out there. 

            It was also a great afternoon project for the two of us to have some fun together.   My husband’s 34^th birthday is coming up -  I know that my son will have a great time making a card for Daddy.  Hey wait, I don’t think there is an age limit on them, Mommy will have a great time too!

            Take a look at their website for a ton of various “crafty” activities.

www.craftcaravan.com