Fab {Target} Finds Friday

Happy Friday! I'm so glad it's Friday, and I'm really looking forward to the weekend thanks to having an extra day "off." The return to reality after the holidays was rough, so the three day break is much needed!

I've been participating in Friday Favorites for years, but this year, I'm starting something new: Fab Finds Friday. Here, I'll be sharing my favorite finds from stores, websites, and small shops. It probably won't be every single week, but I'm aiming for twice a month!

I usually stop at Target each week to pick up the little extras (cleaning supplies, pet items, healthcare and beauty items, etc). I also hoard gift cards I receive to Target, and use them to pick up items as I see them. Over the past two weeks, I found some great clearance deals, and some cute seasonal items in the Target Dollar Spot, and decided to share them with you for my first Fab Finds Friday!

How To Help Your Baby Sleep Better With Little Ones

This post is sponsored by Little Ones and we received product in exchange for this honest review.

Our fifth baby will be celebrating his first birthday in just a few short months, and he still isn’t sleeping well! Needless to say, this mom of five is exhausted. I knew something needed to change - SOON - and I had to find a sleep method that would help Coen sleep better!

After having four other children you would think I would have figured this sleep thing out by now. Coen, however, is our first fussy baby, so this is new territory. I have a few theories about why he isn’t sleeping well: 1) I walked so much during my pregnancy that he got used to the constant rocking motion, and needs it to fall asleep. 2) He’s our fifth and final baby, and is very spoiled by his siblings and the rest of our family. Everybody wants to hold him all the time! No matter the cause, I’m tired, he’s tired, and we need to get some sleep!

That’s exactly why I turned to Little Ones for help! Little Ones is an online sleep program that gives you detailed sleep and feeding schedules based on your baby’s age, along with lots of information on sleeping, nutrition, self-settling methods, and much more. We’ve been using it for a few weeks, and we’re starting to see some progress! Here’s why you should consider Little Ones to help your baby (and you) sleep better...

How To Set Up A Shared Bedroom For A New Baby And Their Older Sibling

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #StayConnectedwithVTech #CollectiveBias

When we found out our fifth baby was on the way, it was a huge surprise! With 6 people living in a 3 bedroom home, room sharing was a given, and we knew we had to rearrange our room configuration to include a 7th family member. We ended up adding a bedroom to our basement, letting our teenager move into that room, and turning his former bedroom into a shared bedroom for our new baby and our 5 year old!

Although our newborn would be sleeping in a bassinet in our bedroom for the first 6 months, just like our other children did, we still needed to set up a safe space for diaper changes, clothing changes, playtime, and daytime naps. We put a lot of thought into our two youngest boys' shared bedroom, and it worked out well! Our baby has slept in his crib a few times at night, but we're getting ready to transition him to the room full time very soon.

While we were setting up a shared bedroom for our boys, we focused on three key factors: safety, comfort, and function. There were 5 1/2 years between our baby and his older brother, so we had to make sure our 5 year old still felt special, and our newborn was completely safe. With the help of fun multi-age toys, comfortable play areas, safe beds, and a video baby monitor, we're able to ensure that the transition to full-time room sharing is as easy as possible!

Every Baby Is Different - Coen's Story

This post is sponsored by Evivo but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Our fifth baby was a BIG surprise! My husband and I adjusted quickly to the news, and figured what’s one more when we already had four?!?  Our kids ranged in age from 5 through 14, and had been through it all, including a very surprising post-birth diagnosis of Down syndrome. We were experienced parents, and nothing could throw us off our parenting game. Of course we had this under control! 

Or so we thought. Everybody assured us that baby #5 would be the easiest one, but they were wrong. Baby #5 turned out to be a very fussy baby who had feeding issues. It was our first unhappy baby, and we were feeling very stressed. He cried for hours each day, and nothing we did helped. For the first time ever, I was an exhausted new mom, and I felt a tinge of postpartum depression sneaking in. 

Sometimes as a parent, you just have to follow your gut. I KNEW there was something wrong with my sweet baby. I successfully breastfed three other babies, including one that I was told couldn’t breastfeed because of his diagnosis. I was an experienced breastfeeder, and I wasn’t doing anything different. It was up to me to figure out what was going on.

What I Bought on Amazon + An Awesome Amazon Tip

Oh, Amazon Prime! It's no wonder so many people are fans. Their selection, pricing, and super fast shipping speed can't be beat! Amazon took over my household, and they're pretty much taking over the world!

We're big Amazon Prime fans! We buy so much from them on a monthly basis - gifts and necessities. I even use Amazon as my "store" of choice when I'm running low on a household item and don't want to drag 5 kids to an actual store!

We bought 21 things from Amazon in June, but I'm not going to list them all. Some of them were wedding gifts off of an Amazon registry, some of them were gifts for friends and family, and I have no business or interest in discussing the blade attachment my husband bought for our weed wacker! (Just keeping it real.)

Check out the Amazon Prime purchases I made in June, and keep reading to find out an awesome way to save if you are a special needs family...

Diapering Essentials For At Home and On The Go

I received some of the items below as a complimentary gift. As always, I only share the items I truly love!

During the first year of your baby's life, you're going to be changing a LOT of diapers! Stocking up on diapering essentials can be overwhelming at first because there are so many brands and so many types of products. There are many products you won't need, but also quite a few products that will make this messy job quick and easy to do!

I have five children, and my diapering essentials list changed with each baby. Some products were simply a waste of money, and I never bought them again. I also discovered new products over the course of 14 1/2 years of parenthood. If you have the basics - diapers and wipes - you're set, but some extras just make the job easier!

Stock your changing area with these must have diapering essentials:

Water Beads & Soap Foam Sensory Bin - A Sensory Play Experience for Kids of All Ages

It's the first weekend of Summer, the weather is beautiful, and we're so excited to be outside! The only problem is our hose is temporarily out of commision, so water activities are a no go right now. Cooling down with a Water Beads & Soap Foam Sensory Bin was a fun alternative!

My kids are obsessed with water beads! I don't really blame them. They really are fun to play with. There's a reason they put them in gel masks now! ;) Plus they are super inexpensive, and a little goes a long way!

We are big fans of sensory play, and I'm a proponent of letting kids get messy and learn through play. Play really does matter, and introducing sensory experiences at a young age is really important. Sensory play helps kids learn with all of their senses, AND helps them work on their motor skills! Water Beads are a super cool sensory bin filler, and even babies can play (with supervision). Supercharging it with foam soap makes this bin extra fun!

Baby #5 Is Here!

Hello, blog world! I've been MIA...but for a good reason. Baby #5 is finally here! I'm going to ease back into blogging by introducing you to our newest little love!

Technically, he has been here for 2 1/2 weeks. But as you can imagine, life with 5 kids is not the easiest, and I had a really tough delivery, so I'm still recovering. I've been working on this post for a week...that should give you an indication on what life is like with a 14 year old, 12 year old, 7 year old, 5 year old who has special needs, and a newborn who just wants to nurse ALL THE TIME! 

My hands are full, and I'm exhausted, but my heart is even fuller. Our sweet, surprise son fits in perfectly with our family. We are so in love with our newest family member! (On that note, WHAT should I change my blog name to? Adding his name to the mix is a bit excessive, so I've been brainstorming. I'm trying to incorporate our family and Down syndrome into the new blog name, but my brain isn't functioning at full capacity just yet - thank goodness for caffeine! If you have any ideas, please let me know!)

Now, onto the introduction...

On The Go Meals for Littles with Nuby + Giveaway

Disclosure: As a Nuby Parent Blogger, I received this product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are 100% my own. 

Life with four kids is busy! We spend our days driving from schools to appointments to activities to playdates with friends. That schedule is daunting enough for one child, but when you multiply it by four, life gets a bit chaotic!

As the youngest of four, Liam quickly grew accustomed to our on the go lifestyle. With three older siblings with full schedules, he didn't have much of a choice. Part of that lifestyle includes eating meals on the go.

I'm not one to rely on fast food, so I'm constantly searching for products that will keep up with us on our busiest days. Liam is not a fan of sandwiches, so I need to pack hot food for him, which makes it a bit more difficult. Thanks to the Insulated Stainless Steel Thermos from Nuby, I now have an easy, portable solution!

The Nuby Insulated Stainless Steel Thermos is incredibly versatile! The 15 oz jar, which is ideal for kids age 4 months and up, keeps food warm for up to 6 hours or keeps food cold for up to 7 hours. It's BPA free, always cool to the touch, and it won't leave water rings on furniture, which makes it a safe addition to any young child's lunchbox!

The Insulated Stainless Steel Thermos from Nuby stores dry food separately, and it includes a folding spoon, which is stored inside the cap. That is a great feature for the mom (ME!) who always forgets to pack utensils!

 

The Nuby Insulated Stainless Steel Thermos fits perfectly inside Liam's lunchbox! When I pair it with our favorite Nuby Clik-it™ Flip-it™ Stainless Steel Insulated Cup with 360° Straw, cheese, a piece of fruit, and a little treat, he ends up with a healthy, balanced meal on the go!

So what does Liam love to eat out of his Nuby Insulated Stainless Steel Thermos?

HOT FOOD:

• Macaroni and Cheese
• Pasta
• Rice
• Soup 
• Mashed Potatoes
• Chili (with lots of beans)
• Chicken Nuggets
• Scrambled Eggs
• Oatmeal
• French Toast Sticks or Waffle Sticks

COLD FOOD:

• Yogurt
• Applesauce 
• Jello
• Pudding
• Cottage Cheese

We LOVE the Insulated Stainless Steel Thermos from Nuby and use it several times a week! You can purchase one of your own at Babies R Us. If you are a busy mom on the go with young children, this is a great product for you!

GIVEAWAY!!!

I am giving away ONE Nuby Insulated Stainless Steel Thermos to one of my readers! Giveaway will end on January 14th, 2017, at 12:00 AM EST. Winner will be chosen randomly and notified the following day. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post telling me what you would put in this thermos. For additional entries, visit me on Instagram tomorrow morning! 

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Thanks to Nuby for making meals on the go so easy!

Keeping Cool with Nuby: The Quest for the Perfect Straw Cup

When you become a parent your life changes drastically. You suddenly care about things you never expected to care about. Every parent quickly finds out that finding the perfect cup for their child becomes an extremely important mission!

Parents want a toddler cup that is easy for their child to use, easy to wash and most importantly, LEAK-PROOF! Most cups claim to be leak-proof but seasoned parents know that it's a lie! The search for the perfect cup is like searching for the Holy Grail. It takes a lot of trial and error but once you find the perfect one you just want to shout out the news!

I've been a parent for 11 years now and we have tried an abundance of cups. Some I  loved, some were okay and some were so awful that they never got used again. Let me just say that cups back when my son was a baby were nothing like cups today. Even though I have 4 kids under my wing now and 11 years of experience, I still search for the perfect cup for my toddler! My overflowing cabinet full of duds is proof of that.

I recently discovered a new favorite which I now consider THE perfect straw cup: the Nuby Insulated Stainless Steel No-Spill Flip-It with 360 Weighed Straw! 

When I received this cup to review I decided to put it to the ultimate test by taking it to the beach for our family vacation! Not only did I want to see if this cup was truly No-Spill but I also wanted to see if it would keep drinks cool for up to 10 hours like it claimed. What better place to test that theory out than on a hot beach?

There are a few features worth noting that makes this cup stand out above the rest! The Easy Grip handles make it easy for tiny hands to hold the cup. This cup has a SoftFlex Flip-It straw. This soft silicone straw is gentle and ideal for toddlers who are teething. The unique flip top cap flips over the straw so the straw stays clean and sanitary when the cup isn't in use. The weighted 360 straw, which is my favorite feature, allows your child to drink from any angle which ensures that they will get every last drop!

Liam happily offered to check the leak-proof status of the cup by shaking it as hard as he possibly could while it was filled with milk and it passed his test. This cup is truly leak-proof! How does it work? The No-Spill design with the Touch-flo valve inside the spout helps prevent spills from occurring.  The Clik-it feature is the most unique. When you put on the lid and hear the click you know the cup is locked!

The insulated feature on this cup keeps the cup from sweating and it claims to keep drinks cool for up to 10 hours. I was interested to see how well this cup kept drinks cool so Liam used it each day on the beach.  The longest he went without completely emptying his cup was 5 hours. The cup often sat in direct sunlight and every time I checked the drink felt cool.

 

 Once we arrived home I tested the insulation factor again. I filled up the cup with cold water just before I went to bed, sat it on the counter overnight and I tested the temperature 9 hours later. Still cool! This cup is perfect for travel OR a busy life on the go!

Although this cup is ideal for all toddlers I highly recommend it for children who have special needs. The handles make it easy for those often extra tiny or weak hands to grip the cup and the weighted straw really helps kids who haven't figured out what position they need to hold a straw cup in just yet. All of those features make it the perfect cup for a child who has Down syndrome. Plus did you know that kids who have Down syndrome should use a straw cup because the use of a straw helps strengthen the muscles in the mouth which are later used for speech?

The Nuby Insulated Stainless Steel No-Spill Flip-It with 360 Weighted Straw cup quickly became my new favorite! I loved it so much that I purchased another one for Liam's lunch box. I know for certain that his drink will stay cool until snack time and that he will be able to use the cup confidently without any help from his teachers. That gives me one less thing to worry about when I send him to his first day of school tomorrow! 

This BPA FREE 7.5 oz Nuby cup is part of the Active Sipeez series which is ideal for kids 12 months and older.  The cup is available in Blue, Pink or Green and can be purchased at Babies R Us.

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DISCLOSURE: As a Nuby Parent Blogger I received this product for review but all opinions are 100% my own.