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New from Graco – FastAction Fold Jogger Click Connect Stroller

May 012013

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Graco.

Last week the boys and I headed over to Ft. Worth and met up with some other blogging mamas. Graco sent all of us their new FastAction Fold Jogger Click Connect Stroller to try out. Brittany, from Naturally Estes, was our gracious hostess and educator for the morning.

When we got to the park (after we got a little lost), I walked over to where all the other girls were and jokingly commented that it was like a stroller club where everyone had the same stroller. Brittany added some fun to our pavilion by writing the event hashtag in sidewalk chalk and adding some cute bunting banners. We got to just hang out for a bit and eat a delicious lunch from Zoe’s Kitchen. Then, we got down to business and Brittany gave us a demo of all of the stroller’s features and how it worked. Which, I have to say, is really intuitive and simple.

I, of course, procrastinated and didn’t even take the stroller out of the box until the morning of the event. I’m only telling you that to tell you that it was super easy to put together. It really involved popping the wheels on and child and parent trays on, and doing a few snaps. So easy! This stroller has a lot of great features, but right off the bat I had a few favorites. First, it has a holder for your smartphone/iPod in the middle of the parent tray. It makes it so it’s visible, but safely secured so it won’t fall or get lost. (The only thing I was a little sad about, was that my iPhone5 wouldn’t fit into it in the vertical position.)

Second, I loved that the FastAction Fold Jogger offers a really great mix of features from both a jogging/all-terrain stroller and a classic stroller. It is definitely built with a very sturdy frame. It has big rubber air-filled wheels and the option to lock the front wheel for added control while jogging. The stroller has a great large basket for storage on the bottom and even a pocket to tuck away the jogging safety strap so it’s not just hanging there. For convenience, it works seamlessly with the Graco Click Connect infant car seat to create a travel system. It has an awesome parent tray with 2 deep cup holders, a covered storage compartment, and the aforementioned smartphone cradle. The child’s tray also has a cup holder and can pivot open or be completely removed for easy entry/exit and cleaning.

The Graco SnugRide Click Connect 35 Infant Car Seat is one of my favorite infant car seats. Its easy to use and, again, intuitive. It has a large sun canopy that will meet with the sun canopy on the stroller to completely cover the baby if you want it to. Securing the car seat into the stroller is so easy, too. The stroller has a great reclining seat that you just squeeze and move up or down. If you are putting the car seat in, you put it all the way down. With Click Connect you then just put the car seat into the stroller, listen for the clicks and then you know it’s secure. Getting the car seat back out is as easy as squeezing the handle on the back of the car seat and lifting it out of the stroller. When you are done using the stroller the best part is the one-handed FastAction Fold. You just grab the fabric handle in the middle of the seat and pull up. In one movement, the stroller folds in on itself, rests on the front wheel and a kickstand that pops out when you’re folding, and the stroller will also lock.

{via Julie Harding Photography}

We all had a great time putting our new strollers to use and learning more about its features! The Graco FastAction Fold Jogger Click Connect Stroller is definitely one of my favorites. It’s really a great cross between my first two strollers I ever had – a Graco travel system and a heavy duty jogging stroller.

Graco’s NEW jogger is the ultimate crossover stroller, combining all the comfort and convenience features of a traditional stroller (FastAction Fold and Click Connect Technology) with performance and maneuverability of an all-terrain jogger.

As an added bonus, Graco’s innovative one-second, one-hand FastAction™ fold automatically locks & is self-standing.

This post is sponsored by Graco.

Posted by Tamara on May 1, 2013 baby, reviews 6 Responses »

BJ’s Restaurant – Party for Two! {or Five} #BJsRestaurants #PMedia

Apr 172013

The other night we got to go to dinner at one of my favorite places to eat, BJ’sRestaurant! (Their Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Salad with awesome balsamic glaze is what made me a fan – it’s SO good!) Anyway, we were offered the chance to go to our local restaurant and experience their new Party for Two deal. Ideally it would be a date night, but instead it was a party of five (small children, hello.)

So my four favorite people and I headed out for dinner. Our local BJ’s restaurant is in Plano, TX and is always buzzing but doesn’t take long to get seated. (Which is great when you have kids.) We knew we wanted to try the Party for Two, but we took a quick look at the menu anyway. We ordered up an appetizer to keep everyone happy while we waited on the “real” food. The Santa Fe Spring Rolls were awesome for everyone – enough flavor, but not too spicy for the kids.

Nick wanted his favorite, so the kids and I decided to order the Party for Two for ourselves. The Party for Two is only $19.95 and includes soup or salad for two people, a medium pizza, and BJ’s Restaurant’s famous Pizookie for dessert. We got 2 house salads with Italian dressing – one for me and the kids split the other one.

For the pizza, you can get any BJ’s Restaurant Signature Pizza that you like, but we went with the deep dish that BJ’s Restaurant is known for. The Buffalo Chicken Pizza in their menu looked amazing so I decided I wanted that on my side of the pizza. We’ve been trying a dairy-free diet for Hanna for the past couple of months but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy pizza too. We ordered double pepperoni, no cheese on the other half of the pizza. The kids loved it!

My pizza was so good! BJ’s Restaurant menu says it’s, “For Buffalo Chicken Wing lovers! Diced celery, red onions and grilled chicken breast marinated in hot and spicy buffalo sauce, drizzled with ranch dressing and buffalo sauce.” Really, really, good.

The pizza was a really good size, too. We all had a couple of pieces, including Nick, who wanted to try one, and we still had a few pieces left over. Then came the best part… The Pizookie! What’s a Pizookie, you ask? It’s a really big ode-to-deep-dish style cookie that’s topped with 2 big scoops of ice cream. You get to pick between Chocolate Chunk, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Peanut Butter or Oatmeal Raisin Walnut. We decided on the Peanut Butter, ice cream on the side.

The Pizookie was so yummy! It had whole peanut pieces baked right into it. The only thing that maybe could have made it even more amazing would have been a drizzle of chocolate. (Peanut Butter and Chocolate – yes, please!) I’m sure if I would have asked they would have brought me some. But, we were too busy gobbling it down.

We had such a nice family night at BJ’s Restaurant. Good food and great company always makes for a nice dinner! We went to our local restaurant, but the Party for Two deal is happening at all BJ’s Brewhouse Restaurants from March 18 – April 29, 2013. I would definitely recommend BJ’s Restaurant for your next date night or even family outing!

Want to connect with BJ’s Restaurant? Keep up to date on all their delish food and great deals!

BJ’s Restaurant Website | BJ’s Restaurant on Twitter | BJ’s Restaurant on Facebook

BJ’s Restaurant on Pinterest | BJ’s Restaurant on Google+

Disclosure: This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Bj’s Restaurants but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #Bjsrestaurants http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO

Posted by Tamara on April 17, 2013 food, reviews 9 Responses »

Social Shopping with The Find App

Apr 082013

I recently had the chance to review the Find app, a pretty cool shopping application for your phone. Find allows you to share mobile photos of your purchases. It then automatically links your pics to the item online so others can purchase your great finds! You can even meet new friends who have similar shopping interests, and enter weekly giveaways just for uploading your pictures.

My favorite thing is discovering other people’s purchases and adding them to my wishlist. There are so many things that I’ve saved to my computer as bookmarks, yet I end up forgetting about them most of the time. With Find, you have your own wishlist page where you can save photos as direct links to purchase pages. When you’re ready to purchase, just go to the wishlist page, select the item, and hit the find tab in the top right corner of the picture. You’re taken directly to the item’s website. Viola, it’s that simple!

When you make purchases, you can take photos of what you bought and upload them to your profile. Friends can see past purchases in your profile, and since Find automatically adds links to your uploaded images, your friends can buy anything they see in your profile!

I was able to explore other people’s profiles and add quite a few things to my wishlist. People post all kinds of amazing things, from clothing items, to home goods and lots of stuff for kids.

I do want to mention that in the beginning I had a few technical difficulties. When I tried to post pictures to the app, it wouldn’t work. I got an error message every time, but within a few days it seemed to fix itself. The other issue was not being able to invite people to the app. On some apps when you connect to Facebook, it pulls your friends list up and you can send invitations. This app doesn’t let you do that, but hopefully it’s a feature that they will add in the future.

With that being said, I love everything else about Find. It’s great to be able to share my purchases with other people. I’m also a fan of how the personal profile works.

Find is giving away a $100 gift card every week to one of its users! To qualify, you have to have posted at least once that week and have 3 or more followers. For each find you post each week will give you an extra entry into the weekly giveaway.

You can download Find in the app store for free: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/finds/id593238150?mt=8

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of the Finds mobile app. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Posted by Ashley on April 8, 2013 app, reviews, tech, technology Tagged with: shopping app, social shopping No Responses »

Seraphine Maternity and Nursing Clothes {Review & Giveaway} #BabyLove

Mar 262013

When I was initially asked to do a review for maternity clothes I was a little nervous, because “good” maternity clothes really are hard to find. I’ve got a maternity clothes checklist of items I like to have with each pregnancy, and it usually takes me about half of the pregnancy to find the perfect pieces that both fit great and can grow with me.

I looked on Seraphine’s website and found great maternity and nursing clothes right away. It didn’t take long at all to pick something I thought would fit into my maternity must haves. I chose an awesome pair of full panel leggings ( I like the way full panel makes my belly look) and I choose an amazing maternity/nursing shirt. The price point is a little on the higher side, but I strongly believe you get what you pay for. After wearing the items, I have no doubt that they’ll last me through pregnancy and nursing.

Let’s start with the Jersey Popper Nursing Top, which I have to say is amazing (I know I said that already, but it’s really worth two amazings). As soon as I put it on, I felt a little sexy (which I’ve never felt during pregnancy) and that automatically gave me a boost of confidence that I greatly needed.

You can dress it up or down. I’ve worn it with everything from an expensive pair of ballet flats to a pair of Toms to a pair of Uggs and it still looked great. The neckline was perfect – I’m a little busty and like to keep the ladies under wraps. It laid perfectly from collar bone to collar bone with a little droop at the shoulder. It has this amazing snap button detail going down the side of the arm which allows easy access for nursing mothers and makes the shirt look even more stylish. The sleeves run about three quarters of the way down the arm and have a great wing-like effect.

The length of a maternity shirt is one of the key parts that makes the difference between a good maternity shirt and a great maternity shirt. This one goes to about the mid thigh, with a little scrunching detail on the sides. You can wash it with like colors, and it gets even softer after a few washes. Overall, I give this shirt a 10 out of 10. I highly recommend this shirt as a must have for every maternity wardrobe.

Now let’s talk about the Seamless Leggings – the number one must have for a perfect maternity wardrobe. Every expectant mother should have a few pair. The material on these leggings is amazing, very breathable and stretchy, and they almost have a matte look to them.

The fit is something that I am always concerned about with leggings, especially in what I call the “danger area.” Anyone who wears leggings will know what I’m talking about – even more so in full panel maternity leggings. Luckily, the “danger area” is not something you have to worry about with these leggings. The fit is to die for. The panel covers my belly perfectly and I have plenty of room to grow. The leggings never fall down or get loose and scrunchy at the knees. They stay in place very well. You can wear these leggings with anything. They are very versatile and best of all, they’re cozy. I highly suggest adding a few pairs of these to every maternity wardrobe.

I completely love Seraphine’s clothing. I can’t wait to add some more pieces to my wardrobe.

Buy It

Visit SeraphineMaternity.com to buy great maternity and nursing clothes!

Win It

One lucky reader will win a $100 Gift Card to Seraphine Maternity!

Visit Seraphine Maternity and leave me a comment letting me know what you would love to have!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received product in order to facilitate this review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Posted by Ashley on March 26, 2013 baby, Baby Love, blog event, fashion, giveaways, reviews Tagged with: baby, clothing, fashion, maternity, nursing 23 Responses »

Keeping The Bed Dry With GoodNites Bed Mats

Mar 222013

Once my oldest was potty trained there was no turning back, it was the easiest thing ever with her. With my son it’s been a different story. We’re still working on the whole daytime bathroom issue along with nighttime wetness. All kids are different when it comes to their bladders. For some they successfully potty train and never have another issue. Others do great during the day, but still have bedwetting challenges.

There’s something important to know about bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis), a lot of parents think that it’s something that they can train their child not to do. But, that’s not the case. Your child will stay dry overnight when their bladder has grown big enough to hold urine for the long period of time that they are sleeping, as well as when their nerve signals to the brain mature. They need to have the ability to wake up and realize they need to go to the bathroom when their bladder is full. For some kids the brain / bladder connection takes longer than others.

Personally, my son struggles bedwetting. He normally wears a pullup or diaper to bed, but sometimes it’s just not enough. He’ll wake up in the middle of the night or the morning and be soaked, along with his bedding. It’s frustrating and upsetting for everyone. In the middle of the night he’s tired and just wants to get back to sleep, and if it’s the morning getting him and bedding all cleaned up while trying to get my daughter ready for school makes for a super crazy morning. We got a package of GoodNites Bed Mats to see if they could help ease some of the bedwetting challenges that we face. Check out my video to see what I thought of them and how they work:
As you can see, I really love GoodNites Bed Mats! I think if bedwetting is something that your child is struggling with the bed mats can make both of your lives easier. I happy to say that I’m a GoodNites Ambassador! I’ll be bringing you a few more posts in the upcoming months to let you know how we’ve been doing with bedwetting and using the GoodNites Bed Mats, as well as more information and tips about bedwetting.

To get more information about GoodNites and bedwetting vist GoodNites online. If you’d like to try GoodNites Bed Mats for yourself be sure to grab this $2 off coupon!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of GoodNites. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Posted by Tamara on March 22, 2013 after these messages... we'll be right back!, Ambassador, kids, Parenting, reviews Tagged with: bed mats, bedwetting, GoodNites 2 Responses »

Quality And Savings With SIMPLY RIGHT Baby Care Products #SimplyRightBabyCare

Mar 222013

I’m normally pretty picky when it comes to diapers for my babies. I’ve never been one to buy store brand diapers. I’ve tried them and never really liked the feel of them even if they did work. That said, things add up and sometimes you need to look for a more cost effective option, but try not to sacrifice quality at the same time. I’m always willing to try something new, because who knows, I just might find something I love. So, I decided to give SIMPLY RIGHT diapers and wipes from Sam’s Club a shot.

Right off the bat, the biggest appeal to me was that Sam’s members on average saved up to $392 a year on diapers and wipes. That’s a big chunk of change right there! I figured if I could save that much on a necessity then I should definitely give them a chance. When I pulled the diapers out of the package the first thing that struck me was the print on the diapers – an adorable jungle animal theme. They were super cute. They felt soft to the touch, not quite fabric-like, but still soft. I also noticed that they didn’t have any scent to them. (Fragrance added to diapers is one thing I really don’t like. I want to smell my baby, not his diaper!)

When it was time to change Liam’s next diaper I made sure I had the SIMPLY RIGHT diapers and wipes ready to go. The wipes come in a resealable soft pack which I love for travel, keeping in the car and tossing in the diaper bag. I’d consider the wipes a medium thickness and they have a quilted/raised square pattern on them. They were also unscented (thank you!) which made me feel comfortable using them on my baby’s sensitive skin. They got the job done without a problem. I still have my favorite wipes, but I’d definitely consider buying these with as much as we go through wipes around here.

After I got him all cleaned up it was time to put the new SIMPLY RIGHT diaper on him. The diapers are thin and give a trim fit, but have a super absorbent core. They also have a ruching/elastic area in the back to keep those messy diaper explosions from happening. They are fitted and have great stretchy adjustable tabs. As you can see, we got a great fit from them. I don’t know about you, but that extra $392 saved sounds really appealing to me and we wouldn’t have to give up quality diapers and wipes to get it.

Want to give them a try for yourself? For a FREE sample of SIMPLY RIGHT™ diapers or wipes, visit http://simplyrightbabycare.com/sample.html today!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of SIMPLY RIGHT™ Baby Care Products.

Posted by Tamara on March 22, 2013 baby, reviews 1 Response »

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