Product Reviews

Motherhood, New Mom, Pregnancy, Product Reviews, Sponsored
Mommy Reads: What To Expect Books
- 6:45 am
- 8 Comments
- by Adanna Dill
Back in January of 2010, Mr. Rattles ran out for a pregnancy test. What I remember most was the both of us standing in the hallway outside of the bathroom as we waited for the results that would change our lives. That night we learned that The Princess Fairy was on her way and our parenting journey began. We agreed not to tell anyone until it was confirmed by my doctor and we were past the questionable first trimester but in true girl fashion I snuck off and texted my best friend. Of course, I couldn’t hide this from her. She was excited that I was going to be a mommy too and within the next few days she texting me reminders to get some prenatal vitamins ASAP and get my hands on What to Expect® When You’re Expecting. According to her, it is the unofficial bible for first time moms. I ordered the book and signed up to be part of the awesome community online and I started to feel more confident on my pregnancy journey.

Every question that I had, I was able to find an answer to in this book but my favorite chapter which I probably read at least 6 times was Labor and Delivery. I wanted to be as knowledgeable as possible when that time came and thanks to What to Expect® When You’re Expecting, I knew all the meanings of the lingo such as Bloody Show, Mucus Plug and everything about the different stages of labor. I ended up having an incredible delivery and I attribute that to being very informed on labor.

Two years later, I was pregnant again, this time with The Super Knight. Although, I wasn’t a first time mom anymore due to pregnant brain I had forgotten a lot of what to expect (see what I did there) and so I pulled out What to Expect® When You’re Expecting and flipped through each time I had a question. This time around, I not only got involved with the online community but I downloaded the mobile apps. I loved that both Mr. Rattles and I could keep track of The Super Knight’s progress on our mobile devices and see how big he was. It made the journey much more exciting.

A bit more mature and with two kids to care for, I thought it was important to educate myself further about motherhood and babies so I decided to look into other books in the series. My son was a different baby than my daughter was and I felt very confused at times.

For some reason, I was really nervous about going into the second year with my son, our family was experiencing lots of changes. My daughter was going out to Pre-K full-time and as close as they are I knew it would be a tough transition for him. What to Expect® the Second Year gave me an education of caring for him from age 12 to 24 months.

With his second birthday only 2 weeks away, we are at the last end of the second year journey (Yay!). There were so many moments that I had to reach for What to Expect® the Second Year during the past 12 months. The topic that I had bookmarked was behavior because I really needed answers as to why he obsessed with playing with the doors as much as I was obsessed with him not squeezing his precious little fingers or why he would suddenly became extra clingy, or why he ignored me whenever I told him NO. I look him these days and I am so proud of the almost 2 year old he is with his big curiosity of the world around him and hunger to learn new things. With everything that I’ve learned and having the experience of parenting for almost 5 years, I feel really confident moving into what I am going to call the Terrific Two’s with him.

I’ve been paying things forward telling all my girlfriends about the What to Expect® book series. I even lost track of my original copy of What to Expect® When You’re Expecting having lent it out so many times. I was grateful to receive new copies of all three books last month. Oh, let me tell you there is a What to Expect® movie and it’s so good. I had some serious belly laughs watching the movie with my husband.

Did you read the What to Expect® series? Which book was your favorite?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Family Travel, Motherhood, Product Reviews, Sponsored
Family Trip: Kids Packing List
- 5:51 am
- 9 Comments
- by Adanna Dill
When I was a kid, I always looked forward to summers because they meant long days of play, no school, fun with my cousins and travel. Whenever, my mom planned a summer trip I would get really excited about going away. I was eager to see and experience new places and meet new people. Now, that I am an adult that haven’t change. One of the things that I know for sure, is that summer travel is fun but the anticipation building up to the trip is the best part. Now, that my daughter is growing older I want her to enjoy the build up and get her excited for our family trip in the next few weeks by packing early and using this fun kids packing list. We all know that for a trip with kids we need to pack clothes, shoes and toiletries. I’m not going to bore you with that but instead share 5 things to pack that will build up your child’s anticipation for the trip and make your family trip super fun and memorable for your children:

1. A Cuddle Buddy

If you leave home without a cuddle buddy for your child, you may as well forget about enjoying your vacation. When I was a kid my cuddle buddy’s was aptly named Travel, I know it’s not a very creative name but he was my little bit of warmth and home wherever I went. I’m not ashamed to admit that I traveled with him until I was 15 years old. If I ever felt homesick, I could count on him for a hug. Your child’s cuddle buddy should be an appropriate size for travel and of course, soft. My daughter’s cuddle buddy is her ballerina doll, Zoey.

2. Activity/Coloring Books

It’s no secret that kids get bored pretty easily. They’re going to need something to keep them entertained while on route to your vacation destination whether you’re traveling by car or plane. Stocking up on activity books will be a great way to do this. Back in April, when we went to Philadelphia for a day trip, the Princess Fairy received a new activity pack in the car that morning and she was really excited. The Super Knight wanted in on the action as well so for our next trip in July, I will get him a coloring book with jumbo crayons.

3. A Travel Companion

Not to be confused with a travel buddy whose role is to provide emotional support. A travel companion will be a source of entertainment and fun for your child wherever you go. This will be a fun and creative way to keep your child occupied.

The Princess Fairy’s travel companion for this summer, is LEGO® JUNIORS suitcases. I decided to gift her the suitcases early to get her excited for her trip and to determine if these suitcases would fit the bill as the perfect travel companion for my little lady.

We received these suitcases about a month ago and I’ve given her the chance to play with them only twice as I don’t want to take away the thrill from our actual trip but I want to get her excited enough to play with them again. As a mom of two, I can’t always play with my girl as I want to as I have to care for both her and her brother and I love that LEGO® JUNIORS suitcase is easy enough that she can build them without our help.

She has both the fire suitcase and the supermarket suitcase. They were both really fun for her to build and play with. Her favorite was surprisingly the fire suitcase and she loved putting out fires with her helicopter and motorcycle.

Also, I enjoy seeing her develop her problem solving and critical thinking skills as well as her ability to follow instructions as she builds her LEGO® JUNIORS.

4. Books

More than likely, if your kids are little they may not know much about the place that you are traveling to for your family trip. A fun way to get them excited is to get them age appropriate books about the place they are going to. Since we are focused on our goals in our Read 1K Book Club, we will of course pack books. You can find books at your library, the Children’s librarian at my local branch always have great suggestions so I would suggest that you ask a librarian or you can read reviews online. The plus is that books are light and can fit in just about any luggage.

5. A travel Journal

A travel journal is really important for kids to keep so they can record memories or other important historical facts that they learn while on your family trip. As I volunteered at my daughter’s school last year, I noticed that almost every grade gave kids assignments based on sharing their summer vacations with the class. Recording cool discoveries at a museum or sketches of scenic sights will be handy for these assignments when your kids return to school in the fall.

What would you add to this fun kids packing list?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Product Reviews
5 Reasons We Love The Micro Maxi Kick Scooter
- 9:39 am
- 4 Comments
- by Adanna Dill
Last summer, my daughter spent all of her days riding her bicycle and running through sprinklers at the playground. This year, it’s still too early for sprinklers but she’s ditched her bicycle for her Micro Maxi Kick Scooter. The Micro Maxi Scooter is really awesome and here are 5 Reasons you and your kids would love it:

1.Tall Kid’s Scooter

If you have a tall child like my daughter, then you need a scooter that can grow with her. The handlebar on this scooter is adjustable and can be customized to your child’s height for optimal comfort. It’s safe to say that she will be able to ride this scooter for the next few years as she continues to grow.

2. Great Investment

This scooter is a great investment because it can be used by children as young as 3 and adjusted to fit a 10-year-old. That’s 7 years of not having to buy another scooter!

3. Easy Assembly

Assembly is really easy. The Micro Maxi comes in two pieces. You simply snap the handlebar into the base and ride off. This feature is very convenient when we’re on the go because I can easily store the scooter in the bag at the bottom of the stroller if she doesn’t feel like riding (rare) and put it back together as soon as she does.

4. Smooth Ride

The Micro Maxi steering is very easy and the board is very wide, so it’s easy for her to ride with comfort and ease. The brake at the back is easy to use, my daughter mastered it really quickly and I love how the scooter stops without compromising her balance. Also, the Micro Maxi scooter rides smoothly on most surfaces. She usually rides to the park on the sidewalk, street and around the playground with ease on it.

5. Great Quality and Cool Design

Aesthetically, it’s beautifully designed scooter. She has the pink but I’ve seen kids in my neighborhood with many different colors.The product quality is impressive, I don’t anticipate that there will be any rusting or that this scooter can be damaged easily. It’s very sturdy and not as flimsy as many of the similar scooters or more popular brands.

Are you buying your kids scooters this summer? Are your kids into scooters or bicycles?