When I found out I was pregnant with my first baby, I knew I needed to have the most chic and hip baby gear.  I was so excited to discover Rockin’ Baby slings and pouches.  Did you know that baby-wearing reduces crying and fussiness up to 43% during the day and 51% at night according to a report in Pediatrics Journal?  Carrying your newborn and toddler in a sling, pouch or any type of carrier has been something mothers around the world have been doing for centuries.  Rockin’ Baby pouches and slings are for the fashion forward moms and dads  who don’t mind making a statement while carrying their babies.  The  natural breathable fabrics offered are colorful, funky and beautiful.

The pouch is a single loop of fabric that you put over your head. They are fully adjustable and reversible. They can be adjusted to four different sizes via hidden zippers before they are put on and usually reverse from a print pattern side to a very dad-friendly, solid color. The pouch is a good choice if you would like to put it at a setting, leave it, and go.  Rockin’ Baby also offers the most gorgeous organic fabrics out there.  Think organic means neutral, drab or brown?  Think again!  I am using one of their organic pouches, pictured on the left.  Click here for more details on this exquisite  pouch.  I have been using a Rockin’ Baby pouch for the past three years now and I love it.  The pouch stays in my diaper bag when I’m not toting a kid!

The sling is one long piece of fabric that you loop through rings at one end. You can adjust the sling while you are wearing it by pulling on the tail or sides of the tail.  After three years of only having experience with a pouch my husband and I were able to try out the sling, pictured right.  There is a lot of fabric to work with so sizing can be adjusted greatly.  Being 5′2 choosing a pouch size meant my husband who is 6′4 could not use it as well, this is not the case with the sling.  There is enough fabric to fit either me or my husband. I was happily surprised to find that the rings are super easy to adjust and it creates a super snug fit.  Slings are also available in organic fabric.  Both the sling and pouch have convenient pockets to hold onto keys, sunglasses or whatever you need to stash away for the quick dash to the store.

Rockin’ Baby is offering one reader the chance to win their choice of sling or pouch in the fabric pictured on the right (click here to see more views of this fabric)! To enter check out their website and read even more reasons why baby carrying is so great, browse their wide selection of fabrics and leave a comment here on which one you like!

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Contest ends February 15. 2010 at Midnight PST.  Winner will be chosen by Random.org and emailed.  If they do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Special thanks to Rockin’ Baby for providing samples.

After a year of being potty trained, I’m pretty tired of emptying my daughter’s Boon potty receptacle.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved that potty, but she’s older now and it’s time to move up in the world.  It is time for her to grow up and start using the big potty.  I already have the Bumbo potty seat ready and waiting, but how can she reach it?  She needs a real boost to get up to the potty and finally I have found the perfect step stool.  Kabooster offers a high quality wooden stool that even has handles to help with their balance.   The step stool is the perfect height for my newly turned 3 year old.  She can now climb up and go potty, get down and flush, all by herself.  It’s great for her, as she has gained more confidence and independence, and it is fantastic for me because I’ve been cut out of the clean up equation completely.  The stool has taken on other purposes, as she can easily carry it around by the handles.  She can use it to reach places and things that she couldn’t before, which has been a good and bad thing.  It has definitely taken my house monitoring to a new level, making sure potential harmful objects are WAY out of her reach.  All in all, the Kabooster step stool get two thumbs up from us.

Purchase your own at Kabooster for $49.95.  The stool comes with a 10 year replacement warranty.   No need to worry about the quality though as they are made from superior grade birch hardwood.  Learn about personalizing your stool here.

Peppy Pottier

Once my daughter became a toddler, I found the need to carry bandages in my bag at all times. I recently found Ouchies, who makes some very fun designs for older kids as well as toddlers. These fun bandages allow older kids and toddlers to add some spice to the boring old skin colored ones we grew up with. Originally just in older kids prints, Ouchies recently came out with prints for younger kids too. Their Mr. Men & Little Miss line has “Boyz”, “Girlz” and “Every 1″ designs to choose from. Leaving the hardest decision to be which one to choose.

I’ve recently had an interesting spin on my daughter’s boo boo’s. She loves her Ouchies bandages so much that she insists that she put one on for the smallest of scratches. Sometimes her “scratches” are simply drawings from her markers and she pretends to cry as she runs to get another Ouchies bandage. It cracks me up, but at the same time, I love that she won’t fight me to properly cover her wounds in order to heal when she really has one. She used to rip bandages off after about ten minutes, but she’ll keep these on as long as I tell her that it needs to stay there.

Check out all of Ouchies bandages here and hide your kids wounds, not their style.

So I know half the country is stuck in snow still, but it’s time to start thinking about the upcoming seasons.  There’s no other article of clothing that gets me more in the mood for sunshine than bathing suits.  I first came across Azul Swimwear at Fred Segal, which we all know carries top of the heap product lines.  The sizes run from infant to teenager (6 months – 16), and products ranging from swim suits to cover up dresses.  Grab up some suits at half the retail price during their Hautelook sale.  Hurry because these sample sale sites sell out quick!

There are a lot of reasons to shop at Paper Culture.  They offer everything from baby arrival announcements and baby shower invitations to holiday cards and stationary.  All of the goods are 100% eco friendly.  The cards and envelopes are 100% post-consumer recycled and the packages are made from recycled paper, no plastic shrink wrapping.  As if that wasn’t enough, their designs are so super cute and modern.

Now here’s a great reason to buy your Valentine’s Day cards from Paper Culture: 100% of all proceeds are donated to Haiti Relief.  To see all their fantastic Valentine’s Day designs, go to www.PaperCulture.com.  Send your personalized cards out and give an extra gift to the Haitians.

Baby hair can be quite difficult to manage and I know this first hand.  It can be thin or thick, frizzy or fly away, and, my gosh, what their hair can look like post-nap.  Le Baby hair gel offers a unique product that I think most moms can appreciate.  If you’re a lucky one and your kid’s hair lays perfectly normal, you can still use Le Baby to style the hair.  A fun mohawk or a polished bob may be in your child’s future, as is all the rage in Hollywood.  This product is free of harsh chemicals, hypoallergenic, free of parabens and sulfates.  It is not tested on animals and it’s fragrance free.  All in all, perfect for the most sensitive of baby and kid scalps.

My problem: My daughter has beautiful yet unruly curly hair.  Her wispy and winding hair can sometimes drive me mad.  The curls take on a life of their own and show no signs of being tamed.  Hark! I hear an angel!  It is Le Baby swooping in to save her loopy locks.  I love this gel.  It gives her defined curls that are soft to the touch, no sticky-turn-hard gel here.  Even after the worst nap or hat hair, I can save the curls and we can scoot directly out into the judging public.

Energetic Endorser : notice the lovely coiffure

Purchase your own Le Baby here for $9.95.

Hatley is having a winter sale going right now with items up to 25% off, with free shipping on orders over $50.  Even better, 20% of their online sales is being donated to Haiti relief efforts.  It is important to not forget that Haiti still needs our help.  It can be easy to make early donations and go on with your life, but the people of Haiti can not.  They need as much help as we can give as the ongoing struggle for relief continues.  Click here and do your part. Come on, you know you love to shop.

Thank you to Scholastic for the amazing giveaway.  To purchase your own DVDs, click on over here.  Congratulations to the winner, Veronica L!  Winner has been emailed.

Robeez is having a huge sale, boys and girls shoes up to 50% off!  Click on over to Robeez now to cash in on the savings!  Buy 2 pairs, get free shipping as well!  Hurry because sizes are running out and limited!

When I received our Sarah’s Silks in the mail and popped them out of the box, my two little girls were immediately drawn to the rainbow of colors.  At Sarah’s Silks they believe in the magic of creative play and so do I!   Many of the toys we own that light up and  make noise  are great and some  are also educational, but the simplicity of Sarah’s Silks allows my kids to use their imagination at full force.  We had the privilege to try out their original play silks, which are 35×35 inch squared that come in a wide variety of colors, as well as the rainbow Silkscape which is 9 feet by 3 feet.  Sarah’s silks are for girls and boys alike, offering dress up outfits for both as well as silk parachutes, soft swords and string games among many other choices.  I personally love how these silks encourage open-ended, imaginative play.  Even my one year old loves them for playing peek-a-boo.

Test Baby: wearing her Jasmine outfit (left) and her red carpet gown (right).  Click on the photos for instructions on how to create these outfits with Sarah’s Silks.

Sarah’s Silks is offering a great giveaway! Three winners can win one duet (pictured below) of:

1. Heart Streamer with Rainbow Mini Silk
2. Pink Unicorn Wand with Rose Mini-Playsilk
3. Lavender Unicorn Wand with Purple Mini-Playsilk

Visit Sarah’s Silks online retail site by clicking here to see all the other great stuff they have to offer.  To Enter the giveaway leave a comment about which item you like the best! Also, please enjoy 10% off any online purchase until February 28, 2010 with code intheknow (can be combined with other specials).

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1. Leave a comment with your ideas on how to play with the silks
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Contest ends February 8. 2010 at Midnight PST.  Winner will be chosen by Random.org and emailed.  If they do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Special thanks to Sarah’s Silks for providing samples.

If you’re like me and you like to cook, you probably have recipes everywhere.  Mine are stuck in folders, with no rhyme or reason.  I’m a very organized person so I have decided it is time to tackle my recipe piles.  This task has been made easy because of Galison. I love how you can use various items to keep your kitchen in check, and they all match with super cute designs.  A must have for any mommy master chef.

Kitchen Collage Recipe Binder $22 for a three ring binder, 40 recipe sheets, 4 conversion charts, 8 pocket tab dividers.  You can download more recipe sheets for free!!

Recipe Box $15 for a hinged lid box with 8 tab dividers, 50 blank recipe cards, can use standard index cards for refills, or download more for free.

Kitchen Sticky Notes $10 for 8 sticky pads of varying sizes (60 pages each)… great for shopping!

Order a shirt from Shirtisfly and they will donate 50% of all orders (through 2/14) to help Haiti.  The money will be sent to Doctors Without Borders, which is a critical organization right now for the relief effort in Haiti.  Doctors Without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization working in more than 60 countries to assist people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe.  Right now they are concentrating on Haiti, and need our support.  The shirts come in sizes for men and women; some even come in child sizes (3-6 months – 4T).

So here’s my problem.  My heart beats like a frightened little bird everyday, all day.  It beats so fast it’s hard for me to catch my breath at times.  Perk: fast metabolism, Penalty: feels like a large toddler sitting on my lungs.  Despite my relay-racing heart, I still need a pick me up through out the day.  Coffee for me is totally out of the question.  Any energy booster based highly on caffeine will send me into a world of anxiety and pain.

So where do I turn?  First I tried plain liquid Vitamin B Complex, which does help, but I needed something more.  That is when I discovered FRS Healthy Energy.  This low calorie energy beverage contains a small amount of caffeine.  Caffeine is crucial because it helps with the absorption of the active ingredients (nutrients), much like it does in your Tylenol.   This drink not only boosts your energy levels, but it also supports your immune system… and all without that trademark energy drink CRASH AND BURN.  FRS contains a patented blend of Quercetin and Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, and E).  What is Quercetin you ask?

Let’s start from the beginning, FRS (free radical scavenger, a.k.a antioxidant) was first formulated as a general health drink by doctors researching antioxidants and their power.  Well during the study, the doctors were astonished to hear about the amazing energy boost and fatigue decrease in their patients.  Now FRS is being used as a healthy athletic performance enhancer by hundreds of pro and Olympic athletes.  The sustained energy is coming from Quercetin, a natural antioxidant found in certain foods.  Quercetin has been clinically shown in multiple scientific studies to boost energy, increase endurance, improve focus, and increase power output.  Scientists believe that this antioxidant powerhouse works by mimicking the effects of exercise on the body’s mitochondria… still undergoing study on humans.  As I stated before, Quercetin is found in common foods like blueberries and apples, but to get the amount in FRS, you’d have to eat 40 apples.  Now, I like apples, but that’s pushing it.

So it seems I have found my life preserver in a sea I was previously drowning in.  FRS kicks my butt into high gear without the shaky hands, headaches, and crashes.  I drink them twice a day, once in the morning and again in the late afternoon when I start to feel my energy waiver.  I also drink them before a run or any other type of endurance workout. On my really bad days, I opt for the FRS chews which contain an even smaller amount of caffeine.

FRS may not be for everyone, but I certainly give it two thumbs up.  I found FRS at my local grocery store but you can place your orders online.

Mamas Mood Lifters cards are heaven sent.  This deck of cards is for those times in your life when you just wish you could run away from the situation.  You know those situations, you’re at a restaurant with your family enjoying a nice meal and then your toddler decides to flip out because they are bored.  Or when you are at the grocery store and your young one feels like using the aisles as their own personal playground.  When these moments arrive, and they inevitably will,  just whip these cards out!

Each card contains an inspirational quote to read, so that you can reflect and take a deep breath.  Underneath the wise and calming quote is an activity you can do with your child in that very moment, right in the store or at the restaurant.  The idea is to distract them, if one card doesn’t work simply choose another or better yet, allow your child to pick one out so they feel as though they have some control over the situation.  I know that when I am out and about running errands with my young children I am out to conquer those lines at the bank or the store and I am absolutely not in the mindset for play.  These cards do the work for me, while we are out shopping and my girls are screaming at me from the cart I just grab Mamas Mood Lifters from my bag and read the card that says “Cheers! Pour a pretend or real drink for your child.  Make toasts.  Toast to all things that make you happy.  Here’s to the birds in the trees!  Hurray for peanut butter!  Celebrate recent accomplishments.”   This diffuses the situation as me and my girls toast to fruit snacks and sleeping through the night!  If I am terribly frazzled the inspirational quote at the top helps ease my frantic state “When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky. -Buddha”

These cards come in a deck of 32 and are printed on recycled paper.  They come in a white cotton pouch so you can easily keep them in your bag.  Please visit Mamas Mood Lifters and pick up your deck today!

Special thanks to Marlene at Mamas Mood Lifters for providing a sample deck.

Congratulations to Lily K. and Sarah H. you are the winners!   Thank you so much to Shannon at Goldilocks Barrettes for a great giveaway!  Visit her shop to pick up some cute accessories for your little girls.  The winners have been emailed.