Mommy Must Have: Quality shoes for kiddos - See Kai Run

Some fun shoes and plenty of options
to match any outfit!

Fun, functional and comfy!

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I read somewhere that shoes were not a good idea until around age 1 and walking. Before then, they may be cute, but their feet are still developing and shoes aren't a natural thing for the kids.

However, living in the desert, feet still need covering! That's where soft-soled shoes come into play! My daughter's first shoes are in a memory display, and they were the most beautiful shoes by See Kai Run, from their line "smaller."

I like that they have various types of shoes and so we've pretty much stuck with this brand shoes for both kids. The shoes are cute, functional and the shoe "type" grows with the child's development.

Saving those first "Smaller" shoes by See Kai Run.

In addition they carry some sandles, dressy shoes, "sneakers" and even some boots at times! I love that they keep some classic styles but always have something new out there! Knowing that they change things up, I've even purchased the "same" shoe in two sizes because I loved them so much!

See Kai Run shoes definitely are a "must have" in my book!

They have the "Smaller" line for up to age 24 months and non-walkers

For early walkers their line is called "See Kai Run," and

For Big Kids, they have a nice line and variety of shoes in the line, Kai.








Buy a pair for your little one at See Kai Run.


This post is part of the Mommy Must Have Series. Read more and possibly win some prizes, by clicking here.

Pink shoes can be for sport too!

Comfy cozy athletic shoes for little boys too!

Disclosure: I was given shoes to review in exchange for this post but it does not change my view or impact what I write.

Mommy Must Have - Soft, WAHM custom cloth diapers:

Cloth diapers are not only eco-friendly, they are fun AND functional. Cloth diapers come in a variety of options. From the old-school flats or prefolds to today's waterproof all in ones... There really are endless options.

Five years ago I bought my first cloth diaper. In fact, cloth diapering was one of my first parenting decisions. I wasn't sure if I'd breastfeed, but I knew I'd use cloth. My skin is sensitive and I wanted to put the best on my baby's bottom!

I purchased a variety of diapers and one of the first was from Kiera at Made with Love Diapers. I loved her options and I loved that I was supporting another mom with my purchase. It has been just over 4.5 years since I purchased a diaper from her and she's a maker I've come to trust. I like to order diapers for pregnant friends (who are open to cloth, and I generally assume everyone can use a few back up, just in case!), and Made with Love Cloth Diapers are some of the top ones.

Made with Love Cloth Diapers really are great - lots of options, stylish, and great customer service. 

For one of our lucky Mommy Must Have with Attached Moms winners will get an awesome diaper from Made with Love Cloth Diapers!

Specifications:

One Size Fits Most 10-35 pounds
2 Step Adjustable Rise 
Organic Cotton & Bamboo
Snap In Soaker for Quick Drying
Retail Value $21
Learn more at www.madewithlovediapers.com 

Visit them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MadewithLoveDiapers

Buy the Diapers at www.ecocheeksboutique.com/etsy

Mommy Must Have a Quality Carrier - Boba review

Those who have followed this blog know that I'm a strong advocate of baby wearing. Baby wearing has a multitude of benefits, and coming into International Baby wearing Week, many moms will be telling you all about those benefits, which include:

• bonding
• convenience
• having use of your hands for say another kid, or shopping, or (the list goes on)
• breastfeeding (baby is near for prolactin and for convenience, and a built in cover if one desires privacy
• helping baby sleep

5'10 skinny man with 2 year old on a hike.

The fact is there are a lot of carriers out there. Many will do the above, but not all are easy to use and not all are good for baby OR mom (dad/caregiver).

Boba has some specific benefits. I like that me, being short and stout, can wear it and we can easily adjust it within seconds for my husband who is tall and lean to wear it.

Boba has a higher shell than other soft structured carriers - this is great because my husband likes to take our 2 year old out hiking and he (as in the 2 year old) likes to walk up and then sleep on the way down. It also works nicely for our 4.5 year old as well.

I'm working on learning the foot straps, but I've seen them in use and it makes sense. You can see in the photo here that my daughter isn't in a full sitting position, so for a long day out, this would be beneficial. I know that since my daughter wasn't walking until 14 months, we had some time when this would have been especially nice to have!

From Boba Family website:

Boba is a Soft Structured Carrier (SSC) that is intended for babies and children between 7-45lbs. Boba offers several innovative features not seen on other carriers:

The foot straps attached to the waist belt keep older children comfortable while enabling a healthy sitting position. The footstraps not only give tired little legs a rest, but support the legs in a flexed abducted (froglike) position which naturally tilts the pelvis, fills out the hip sockets and aligns the spine.

The new infant conversion option allows you to use the Boba Carrier 3G with babies over 7lbs. The best part is that there is absolutely no insert or accessory needed! Simply follow the instruction booklet included with your Boba Carrier to learn how to use the new Boba Carrier 3G for your newborn.

Boba has a few extra inches of height to keep your center of gravity closer to your body and support your little one’s back. The Boba Carrier 3G is approximately 2-3”  higher than other soft structured carriers.

The new 3G design is made to fit parents of all shapes and sizes without purchasing an extension belt or accessory. All straps are fully adjustable, and elastic bands are provided so you can comfortably tuck the straps away once you have the carrier adjusted for you and your child.  

You can see the same carrier on someone under 5' tall and extra padding, um, ah... fluffy and someone thin and tall. It works nicely and I love that it is comfortable.

Even my husband, who at first didn't see a difference, LOVED this carrier. He indicated it was much easier to hike with our two year old on his back, especially the support that the higher shell offered when our son fell asleep.


This is part of the Mommy Must Have Series. Read more reviews on great items and enter giveaways here.

Disclosure: I received a Boba to review for this series. This does not impact my opinion or what I write here.

Mommy Must Have... Reviews, giveaways and a guide for parents

Mommy Must Have .... 

Time in a day,

Presence of mind,

a group of supportive friends,  and

Enough love in her heart to make it through the day.

Sometimes it is hard to know what those MUST have items are! AttachedMoms.com and A little Bit of Everything picked a few of their favorites and are excited to share them with you!

The first must have is a great system for organizing. Why not check out an Organizing Utility Tote by Thirty-one Gifts.

One of the basics supplies out there is soap. It Is Well Soap is family-made from a very loving family based in Phoenix.

The next must have is a baby carrier. Babies need that touch and mommy will have things to get done. Unfortunately some of those take a hand or two and a baby carrier like the Boba is a wonderful option!

The next must have is great shoes for the kiddos! See Kai Run offers cute shoes for both boys and girls, and their crib shoes are a definite must have!

Once your kiddos start eating food, it will be important to introduce them to fruits and vegetables. Copy-Kids DVD is a great way to help that picky toddler see other kids enjoy vegetables and likely get your kiddo on the route to good eating as well!

Now, don't forget about aunt flow! I tell you, even with TANDEM nursing on demand, I had less than 6 weeks between post-partum flow and aunt flow. To get yourself covered, consider reusable mama cloth. Really, it works awesome! MotherMoonPads are top of the line!

When baby is here, and perhaps elimination communication isn't cut out for your family, may I suggest cloth diapers? There are tons of options out there from upcycled t-shirts on the "old fashioned" prefolds to factory made waterproof diapers. Right in between that you have work-at-home-mom made diapers. One of my favorites is Made With Love Diapers.

Finally, kiddos know that mama needs relaxing, and one great way to relax is with a pedicure. Well sometimes getting that time alone isn't possible so kiddos can join in with the fun with Piggy Paint!

And to carry all your stuff, you need a nice bag. Fans of Attached Moms are eligible for a free gift from Thirty-One gifts with Amanda McMahon, Independent Consultant!


In the end, don't forget that a good mom isn't defined by the things she has or how together she appears. Just be the best mommy you can be and your kiddos will appreciate it :)

Thanks again for following this event! Feel free to use those share buttons!

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Copy-Kids - A mommy must have -

Whether your child is a "good" eater or not, there are times when eating vegetables becomes a chore for kids. Here in my house, it seems to be on just about any given day - it could be because the kids are too busy, it could be because they're in the mood for something else, or it could be because they don't "like" something.

I really believe that we need to introduce vegetables to children early on. We did baby led weaning for the most part and this helped introduce our kids early on, but it doesn't mean our kids say yes to every fruit or vegetable every day!

We were lucky enough to receive a copy of Copy-Kids: Eat your Fruits and Vegetables DVD earlier this year and even months later, we pull this movie out to watch. Sometimes the kiddos even ask for it... and then it means they HAVE to eat the bell pepper like an apple like one of the kiddos on the dvd. I guess sometimes positive peer pressure is just worth while. Visit my previous review here.

Buy the Copy-Kids DVD here!

This is part of the Mommy Must Have Review and Giveaway series. Find out more here! You may just win a copy for yourself!



Copy Kids Info
Copy-Kids has won another children's excellence award:
Parent Tested, Parent Approved

Copy-Kids is approved by the USDA and added to their Education and Training Materials Database for pre-school nutrition:


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Girls, gender roles and "man" fields: Book review

How can we unlock the brilliance of our girl children if we use stereotypes and gender roles from the beginning?

I received some answers and more questions to this question when reading Unlocking Your Brilliance: Smart Strategies for Women to Thrive in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math "

First, I have to say that for college, I went to a pretty good engineering school, but went there not knowing what an engineer "does." It was nearby and I had a scholarship. I was liberal arts undeclared and finished up with a BS in Social Sciences and BA in Scientific and Technical Communications. I had engineering roommates, but girls were out numbered three to one, as the engineering fields were and still are male-dominated.

As a parent of two young children (boy and girl) I really feel it is important to not pigeon hole children into gender-specific roles. It happens SOOO young. My daughter can be an engineer (like her father) or a beautician or a mechanic. My son could be any of those as well! When we talk to children about life, we shouldn't assume that a girl "can't" do something and we should be just as encouraging to girls as we are to boys and vice versa. If they have the drive, they can succeed.

The book goes deeper and for current women in engineering fields (or any math dominated fields) and discusses tactics on how to overcome obstacles, such as: "holding your head high" and for moms especially, "having it all."

Disclosure: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for the review. However, this does not impact my view or what I post here!

Giveaway and Review: Copy-Kids Eat your Fruits and Vegetables

Peer pressure works. We know this, the wonderful people behind Copy-Kids eat fruits and veggies have come up with a "duh why didn't I think of that" concept - kids watching kids eat veggies... cause kids to eat veggies.

I will first disclose that YES, my kids do eat veggies. But, my almost 2 year old has become more picky each day and is full of the word, "no." When I opened up the movie and saw that it was basically 12 sessions (each 7 minutes) of watching kids eat various veggies, I thought there was no way my 4 year old would last - after all, she had just requested to watch a different show. However, once I put it on, both of my kids watched the show... AND ate vegetables. Without saying anything, I put a bowl of raw carrots and broccoli in a bowl. The first session was kids eating peppers. My daughter was eating broccoli. I found a bell pepper, sliced it up, put it in the bowl... both kids went for the pepper. Soon I had to bring out another bowl for more veggies. By the second chapter, my 4 year old was fully engrossed, asking questions about the kids (mostly how old they were), and requesting various fruits and veggies to watch (and then eat). My son was also interested and ate more than his share of snack!

I'd say this was a hit. Subliminal messaging for a non-veggie eater or just fun alternative to cartoons if mom needs a few minutes to say... wipe up a mess or fold some laundry... No guilt in this, right!

Eat your: Apples – Avocado – Banana – Bell Pepper – Blueberries – Broccoli – Carrots – Cucumber – Orange – Raspberries – Strawberries – Tomato

After the kids watched 10 out of the 12, I went to the extras and was happy to see an interview with Dr. Jay Gordon, confirming what we know - kids need veggies to grow strong and not only do WE need to be role models, but we also need to start it young and be consistent.

See a trailer here and know that if you don't win the giveaway below... You can order your own with confidence!

Awards:

Dr. Toy: http://www.drtoy.com/product-view/?productid=119

MACT: http://www.award-winning-healthy-child-products.com/2012/03/19/copy-kids-wins-the-prestigious-mact-excellence-award/



Disclosure Statement: The views here are my own. While I was given a free copy of the DVD to review and one to use as a giveaway, it in no way influenced my opinion or views posted here.