Dreft Baby Detergent

 

Babies have soft and sensitive skin so it is  important to pre wash your infants clothing and linens before using.

Dreft laundry detergent is specifically designed to clean baby clothing. Using a "regular" detergent for baby can irritate babies skin causing rashes and hives. The ingredients are hypo-allergenic and contain no harsh chemicals. Babies that wear clothing washed with Dreft are less likely to develop skin irritations.

Specially formulated for the unique needs of baby items, Dreft has been helping mothers clean baby clothes for over 75 years.  Dreft is the baby laundry detergent brand most recommended by pediatricians.

Dreft does not leave a lime scum deposit nor does it contain harsh chemicals such as bleach, it is suitable for fine washables such as silk or wool as well as flame resistant fabrics.

I've been using Dreft for Jack's clothing, blankie and bedding.   Jack has ezyma prone skin and Dreft did not cause any skin irritation. Not only did Dreft leave his items super soft, they smell great!


TIP Skip the fabric softener. Dreft has ingredients that soften the fabrics, so there is no need to add fabric softener. Fabric softeners reduce the flame resistance of garments.

THE GIVEAWAY

Dreft has generously donated a prize pack for one lucky winner that includes a Dreft product of your choosing (power, liquid or high-efficiency for HE washers), a cozy soft baby blanket, and a cuddly teddy bear.

MANDATORY ENTRY

Visit DREFT and leave me a comment with one laundry tip from their site. (3 entries)

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES

* "Like" My Life As A Mommy on Facebook  (2 entries)

* Follow our blog via Google Friend Connector (2 entries)

* Post our blog button (available at the bottom of this page) on your blog and include a link to blog (2 entries)

* Tweet about this giveaway (1x daily) include a link (2 entries)
"Win a Dreft Gift Basket @mamajoto3 Enter at www.joannabotelho.blogspot.com! "

***PLEASE LEAVE A SEPERATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY (eg. IF IT'S WORTH 3 ENRTIES, LEAVE 3 INDENTICAL COMMENTS) AND PROVIDE A EMAIL ADDRESS (SO YOU BE CONTACTED IF YOU WIN)

 IF YOU DO NOT FOLLOW OUR BLOG***

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT 11:59PM ON JULY 31st

EARTH MAMA ANGEL BABY REVIEW

Concerned with the recent news that Johnston's and Johnston's and other products contain cancer causing chemicals I started to search for ORGANIC baby toiletries.  

I found Earth Mama ♥ Angel Baby and FELL IN LOVE!

 

All Earth Mama ♥ Angel Baby products are:

•100% Organically Preserved

•Clinically tested, Hypoallergenic

•No Artificial Fragrances or Dyes

•Cruelty-Free

•Toxin-Free

•Certified Vegan

 

The Angel Baby Lotion smells like an orange creamsicle. Jack smelled so delicious I couldn't resist kissing him all day. The natural ingredients made me feel good about using it on his eczema prone gentle skin because as we know much of what we put on our baby can be absorbed through the body's largest organ – the skin!

The Angel Bottom Balm is their best selling salve that is clinically tested and safely battles existing diaper rash and protects against flare ups. It also soothes itchy cradle cap, bug bites, scrapes, chicken pox, minor rashes, burns and, yes, more scrapes.

HOW DOES YOUR SKIN PRODUCTS RATE?

Gather some of the most common pregnancy and baby care products you use regularly on your pregnant body or on your baby.  Enter it into the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics' Skin Deep database  to find out what toxicity rating it has. You might be surprised. Visit HERE for more info.

STAY TUNED UNTIL TOMORROW FOR YOUR CHANCE TO ENTER IN AN EARTH MAMA ANGEL BABY GIVEAWAY!!!!!!

Sonic Alert Review and Giveaway!!!!

Are you a deep sleeper?

My husband is! He has slept through many beeping alarm clocks, ringing phones and a screaming baby only a few feet away. Until now....

The Sonic Boom Alarm Clock and AM / FM Radio with Super Shaker™ - SBR350ss   at 113 db  is one of the loudest alarm clocks on the market. The Sonic Boom Alarm clock comes equipped with a bed shaker, which is placed between the box spring and the mattress to vibrate the bed. 

The SBR350ss features a large, easy to read (1.8”) display and bed vibrating unit, with the added feature of an AM / FM radio so you can wake to your favorite program. 

 

The Sonic Boom Alarm Clock is also great for kids who have trouble getting up for school. Sonic Alert also features alarm clocks designed for kids.

The bed shaker feature has been a blessing to us. The vibration wakes my husband and I without any noise that would wake up our baby {who sleeps in our room}.  This way we can get ready before the baby.... we all know how precious that extra time when baby sleeps is.

              GIVEAWAY CLOSED

GIVEAWAY TIME!  

Enter to WIN

your own Sonic Alert Alarm clock!

Just  visit sonicalert.com  and 
comment below what your favorite product is.

For extra entries:

- you can  tweet about the giveaway daily.... just leave a comment below with a link
- add my button to your blog (found at the bottom of the page).... just leave a comment below with a link 

Please remember to leave your e-mail if you don't follow our blog. Giveaway end 4/26/10.

        

PAMPERS HAS

COME A LONG

WAY SINCE THE 1960'S

Jack testing out the New Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max

Pampers has given me an opportunity to review their New Pampers Cruiser With Dry Max and let you know all about them. I used the diapers for one week and I'm  impressed!

Pampers claims that the new diapers are 20% thinner..... I didn't think 20% would be a big difference but the new diapers feel very thin not to mention how soft they are!

Good news for babies especially in hotter weather.

The new diaper design also helps families reduce their impact on the environment by containing 10 percent less material weight so if you can't use cloth diapers it's a smart alternative. Switching to Pampers with Dry Max could together throw away the weight of 1 billion less diapers every three years!

I put a diaper to the test.

This diaper is  holding 1000ml of water!

After pressing firmly on the diaper, the paper towel was completly dry!

Even though Jack would rather not wear a diaper at all, the New Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max definently didn't slow him down and his favourite characters are a bonus.

Snow Stroller

Have you ever wanted to take your baby or toddler out for a walk in the snow or on the ice rink? Now you can!

This week I got to try out our new  super cool Snow Stroller.We've kept the Snow Stroller in our van for a while waiting for it to snow so we can finally try it out. We took it on our mini winter family getaway. The Snow Stroller has a compact fold and took up very little room in the van.  My husband couldn't wait to try it first. It pushed like a dream on snow and it was so much fun to be able to go for an off-road walk through the snow with the baby.

We got the Starter Model which is simple and economic yet features

• a nylon three-way safety harness
• lightweight
• stainless steel tubing construction
• foot rest
• tested to hold up to 110 lbs
• easily foldable to put in your trunk or storage

 However if you're going to be spending alot of time outdoors in the snow, Snow Strollers has a Deluxe Plus Model which features

• reclining padded seat
• wraparound boot
• large canopy
• fiber-board backed seat to provide the ultimate in back support
• all the features of the Starter Model

Want to WIN a Snow Stroller?

Go to SnowStroller.ca to enter

Giveaway Ends Feb. 15th

                Follow Snow Stroller on Twitter

Pampers to launch an all New high-performance diaper!

Pampers  Swaddlers   and   Cruisers  with   Dry  Max  are  the brand’s new high performance diapers and the biggest innovation for the Pampers brand in the last 25 years. Pampers Diapers invented the Dry Max technology and applied it to the current Swaddlers and Cruisers core, which allows the diaper to be thinner than before. This game-changing diaper – Pampers’ driest ever – helps lock wetness in for up to 12 hours and its less bulky design helps give flexibility and comfort – perfect for all of babies’ play.

The new diaper design also helps families reduce their impact on the environment by containing 10 percent less material weight. In fact, if current North American Pampers Swaddlers and Cruisers users switched to the new Pampers Cruisers Diapers with Dry Max diaper, they could together throw away the weight of 1 billion less diapers every three years (based on 08/09 volume for Swaddlers/Cruisers).

Starting February12 January29th Pampers.com will be giving away a FREE 3-pack sample to parents....so don't forget to sign up! If getting a free 3 pack sample isn't sweet enough, if your sample includes a  Team USA diaper your  baby will WIN a year supply of diapers!

"LET THE GAMES BEGIN!"

Pampers have officially announced new Pampers Swaddlers & Cruisers with Dry Max and the brands partnership with 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Athletes: 2006 Olympic gold medal speedskater, Chad Hedrick and 2007 World Skeleton Champion, Noelle Pikus-Pace! To celebrate the launch of the brand’s first-ever high performance diaper, Pampers will be outfitting Team USA athletes and their families, with branded Team USA Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max as they head to Vancouver for the Olympic Winter Games. Pampers will be supplying  New Pampers Cruisers Diapers with Dry Max to all Team USA athletes traveling to Vancouver with their babies in tow.

Chad and Noelle will be documenting and sharing their experiences (along with their family’s experiences) from the Games in Vancouver, through photos and video that will be posted on Pampers.com.

Want your baby to be a part of the revolutionary New diaper launch? Parents will have the ability, beginning February 12, to upload a video of their baby crawling from left to right, and randomly selected videos will be compiled into a Pampers Cruisers Diapers with Dry Max "Baby Relay" commercial which will air during closing day of the Olympic Winter Games, giving babies a chance to showcase their own playful ability in the same forum as the most elite athletes.

The new Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max officially hits shelves in March!

Leg Huggers from Agoo

Jack loves the design!

I was so excited when I received the cutest Eco-Friendly  LEG HUGGERS  from AGOO®  These cute leg warmers are made from Bamboo are Breathable, Antibacterial, UV Protective, Odor Resistant, Stain Resistant, Wicks Away Moisture, Grown without Pesticides, are Soft and Comfortable (Not to mention Super Cute!) I love that LEG HUGGERS are also made for boys in adorable boyish patterns.  Jack is 10 months old and is very active and the LEG HUGGERS  allow me to easily change his diaper as sleepers with snaps take way too long for his liking.  They are also great as an extra warm layer under pants and jumpers in the cold weather to keep his chubby little legs warm.

AGOO® has  LEG HUGGERS in many stylish designs for baby girls and boys. They also offer an amazing selection of baby and childrens clothing.
AGOO® has uniquely styled comfortable athletic wear for urban kids. AGOO® is currently  having a fabulous 60% off sale with free shipping on orders over $50 and a chance to win a $100 shopping spree just for joining their newsletter!

If you're on Facebook, you can also join the

LEG HUGGERS    fanpage.

         Stay tuned to find out how you can WIN your own pair!

Lovable Labels

 

                                         

The busier our life gets the more things we lose. I've been planning on labeling the boys things but just never got around doing it. Lovable labels made it so easy! I wasn't sure whose name to use as the boys share most of their things and clothing and shoes get passed on and re-labelling seems like a pain. I used our last name and everything got labeled. Alex's school and lunch bag got metal tags. His lunch containers and sippy cup got cute dishwasher and microwave safe labels. (I tested them in the dishwasher and microwave and the labels were as good as new).

Coffee mugs and lunch containers for my husband and I got labeled now nothing should get lost at work either. I just thought of labeling my baked goodies containers....with bake sales and Christmas parties I've lost many great storage containers. The labels are fabulous on clothing and since it's winter weather that means gloves, hats, mittens, gloves, scarves, boots, snowpants, snow suits, jackets and/or parkas. All that means kids lose plenty. The clothing DOTS easily stick to clothing and are machine washable (I also had a hard time believing so I had to test it....and once again the promise was kept). I've also labelled my sons stay at school shoes with the fun shoe labels that have a protective layer so I'm sure they'll stay put too. I also got a hold of my husband hockey equipment .... as I know that stuff can get expensive fast if lost. Not only are Lovable Labels practical and fun... as I was looking through my sons school newsletter yesterday I noticed an ad from Lovable Labels and learned that this wonderful company works to help raise funds for schools just like my sons. You can contact Lovable Labels to find out how to raise funds for your school. Just for the holidays they have added great holiday packages that you can WIN!!!

Check out my LOVABLE LABELS GIVEAWAY blog on how you can WIN your own personalized labels.

                                               http://www.lovablelabels.ca/

Our Favourite Book

I read to the kids often. We've read many books together but my  boys are always excited about "Green Eggs And Ham" by Dr. Seuss, it is a classic for us. At age 4 Alex read it.  I was sure he had it memoriezed.  He would struggle with a few words so I was sure he must be reading! In amazement I listened as he read his first book to his brothers and me. We've read it so much I can say it in my sleep. We've read it in many different places but never with a fox or in a box.

You should read it.

You do not like this book .

So you say.

Read it! Read it!

And you may.

hoppop diaper bag / booster seat

I love any BABY product that can do double duty. That's why I LOVE this diaper bag that turns into a booster seat. Now instead of using unsanitary boosters at restaurants or lugging your own heavy and bulky seat all you need is this diaper bag.

My Top Favourite Baby Products

After having three babies, I went through many many baby products here are a few of my all-time favourites:

   HOTSLINGS

    http://www.hotslings.com/

I love my HOTSLING! I wish I had discovered this product with my first two babies. I bought the HOTSLING with my third baby who suffered with Infant Reflux and always wanted to be carried. I had a Snugli but that quickly caused neck pain. It was also very bulky. This product takes no more space than a receiving blanket. It looks fabulous and stylish. It is very comfortable to wear. Can be used for comfortable discrete breastfeeding. It is not adjustable and comes in many sizes therefore I don't recommend purchasing before the baby arrives. My baby Jack is happy and we both love the bonding.

              AVEENO BABY

AVEENO BABY daily Lotion  is the only moisturizer I use for my children.  It is fragrant free and is very gentle on my baby's sensitive eczema prone  skin. It contains natural colloidal oatmeal blended with rich emollients to soothe and moisturize your baby's delicate, dry skin protecting it from chapping, cracking and roughness due to dryness. I also love all the other products AVEENO BABY makes especially the diaper rash cream that quickly gets rid of a diaper rash usually with just one use. I've always trusted Johnson's & Johnson's for my family's skin I just find AVEENO much gentler.

              JOLLY JUMPER CUDDLE BAG

This product was a life saver. It was the only place my newborn baby would nap. It comes with a comfy Head Hugger.  I was able to easily move it from car seat to swing to his bouncy chair to stroller.  There was no need for a bulky snowsuit as the plush CUDDLE BAG was very warm. The Cuddle Bag with Head Hugger has been tested to Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, and excelled in all tests (213.1), achieving the same level of safety as if there were nothing between the baby and the infant car seat. Making it safer that putting a baby in a car seat with bulky clothes or a snowsuit. I have washed this product many times and it has kept its softness and shape. I would say this great item is a must for winter babies.

         
          LANSINOH

 LANSINOH was my best friend during my breast feeding days. After trying AVENT and Johnson's & Johnson's breast pads, the LANSINOH breast pads were the softest most absorbent and thinnest ones I've tried. I liked how they were individually wrapped and the adhesive stayed put to my bra without ruining it.  When it came to cracked, sore and bleeding nipples LANSINOH LANOLIN was the best relief. Lansinoh Brand Lanolin is the only lanolin available that contains no preservatives or additives of any kind, so it does not have to be removed before breastfeeding. It also works great on  cracked and dry heels for mom.

BORN FREE FORMULA DISPENCER

A must for any formula fed baby on the go. I wish I had this with my first baby as carrying large formula cans was inconvenient and measuring when you're on the go was annoying. I tried pre measuring formula in zip-lock bags but that was messy. The BPA Free Born Free Formula Dispenser

holds formula for three 9 oz feeds. Flip top for one hand opening and pouring. Making a bottle when I'm out is now a breeze.


               MUNCHKIN FRESH FOOD FEEDER

Some babies like mine want to be independent very early and enjoy feeding themselves. Instead of fighting with your little one over the spoon, he can now feed himself without the risk of choking. This award-winning product allows your baby to enjoy lots of delicious foods. Simply put a piece of fruit, vegetables or meat into the mesh bag and snap shut. Your baby can chew, suck and enjoy all the whole food goodness and taste, with only the tiniest, digestible pieces coming through. I do wish this product was easier to clean. Food gets stuck in the mesh seams and is very difficult to clean but the joy on my baby's face because he can feed himself a banana or a sweet potato is well worth it. It is inexpensive though so it can be replaced often.

           CRANE PENGUIN COOL MIST HUMIDIFIER

The Crane Adorable Penguin 1 Gallon Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier is an adorable child friendly design with a whisper quiet operation that supports easy breathing and instant relief from year round heating and cooling. Equipped with an auto-off function when the water tank is empty, a variable humidity control and a removable water tank for easy carrying and filling.The Crane Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier offers refreshing air to dry rooms with up to 11 hours running time per tank filling. It has provided my sons relief from coughs and congestion and allowed them to breath easier especially through the night.

LEARNING CURVE BABY MASSAGING ACTION THEETER

A must have for any teething baby.  Gentle vibrations and multi-textures offer relief for first teeth. Easier for baby to hold than a cold teether.  Massaging effect relieves sore gums when baby bites on the bright star. It's powered by a small long-life battery that's sealed inside so it can be immersed in water for easy cleaning. It has a handle for an easy grip for baby and a rattle at the bottom to keep baby entertained. I'm so glad my best friend recommended this product because my baby loves it.

{ Most of these items can be purchased @ MY STORE at the top of the page}

Boycotting Philips AVENT

Six years ago when I was expecting my first child, I chose Philips AVENT for all my feeding needs. I got the breast pump, bottles, pacifiers, breast pads, sippy cups, bottle liners, breast shells and other feeding products. I was very happy with the brand.  I liked how most of the items were interchangeable and how easy it was to clean . I used the products for my first two boys.   AVENT was one of the most expensive brands at the time and I was sure it was because they were the best.  I learned the awful truth on the news about BPA product recalls and Philips AVENT was on the list. My two year old Eric was still using bottles and I immediately tossed them and replaced them with glass ones.

Bis-phenol A (BPA) is a chemical contained in polycarbonate plastic and some synthetic resins and pesticides.




BPA is a synthetic oestrogen, meaning it acts similarly to that hormone and can disrupt how the human body's hormonal systems work. It has been linked to reproductive cancers, diabetes and other hormone-related diseases. Some scientists believe BPA may also be linked to trends including:

- increased abnormal penis development in males
- earlier sexual development in females
- increases in developmental diseases such as ADHD and   autism
- increased child obesity
- decreased sperm count

- increased rates of breast and prostate cancer.

I was so upset when I heard about AVENT using plastics that were so unsafe for my children. Heating or cooling polycarbonate plastic to extreme temperatures speeds up its deterioration, so that more BPA ends up in the contents of the bottle or container. I sterilized all products for the first six months for the boys. I thought I was doing the best for my children to prevent germs and bacteria and boy was I wrong. 

AVENT did nothing when I had finally reached a human voice. No apology, no refund, not even a coupon was offered. I learned a few major stores (i.e. London Drugs, Toys R Us, Zellers) did recall BPA products and offered BPA free products in exchange, however the response was large and stopped the exchange within days. I didn't make it.  Trusting and supporting a company who cares so little about the babies who they put at risk was very disappointing to me. I vowed to NEVER USE PHILIPS AVENT products again!