Tag Archives: philips avent

Happy 2 YEAR Anniversary to Baby Doodah!

Can you believe it?!? This lil ole blog is officially 2 years old (actually as of yesterday).

When Emmett was born, I got an idea in my brain that I would launch a blog, but I was really nervous because I had started numerous blogs in the past that fallen flat. I gave up! I stopped writing and started thinking I didn’t have enough content. However, when having Emmett a whole new world opened up to me, I had (obviously) never been a parent before and could now share my experiences and I could also feature the other blogs and articles that I was learning from.

That’s how it started out, and I loved it! I still do, but now we’re even bigger. I talk about a huge variety of things, from stuff about my little Baby Doodah, to recipes, my tips and tricks as a new mom, how I’m coping with Binge Eating Disorder, or even tips for specific things like Potty training a toddler. I’ve learned a lot in the 2 years that I’ve been doing this, and I have enjoyed every moment of it.

If you look back or read some of my older posts, you can see that my writing style and photo quality has changed, in a good way. I’ve grown personally, as a mom and a writer, but also professionally. Now, I not only look at this little corner of the blog world as my place to share about my family, but also to provide tips or recommendations to others who may be going through something similar.

I’ve always loved writing. My best friend in grade school and I used to sit and write out fictional stories, mainly about the Little Mermaid (because it was huge back then), but we made up our own twists and turns. I wrote, she illustrated – we had fun! Throughout the years I forgot that love for writing, but I am really glad I found it again.

Nothing brings me more joy than sitting down with a hot idea, that is just dying to be written. It feels so good to have this place. I am truly honored that you stop by and read what I write. Knowing that there are people who genuinely care about what I have to say is a very moving thing.

I thank you from the very bottom of my heart!!

And to thank you, I have teamed up with Philips AVENT to offer you a pretty freakin’ (if I do say so myself) giveaway.

Here’s what’s included: A Philips AVENT Single Electric Comfort Breast pump and Philips AVENT Breast Milk Storage Bags. And because I really REALLY love you guys, I am also going to be giving away a $50 Visa Gift Card.

One lucky winner will win all three items. So, please, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter to win! Contest ends 9/26/14. I will announce the winner on Monday, 9/29/14.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

I also want to mention that Philips AVENT will be having a 30th Birthday Twitter party, hosted by Philips AVENT, and Kerri Jablonski of @IamtheMaven, tonight (9/16/14) from 8pm – 9 pm. We’re going to be celebrating Philips AVENT’s 30th birthday party, you can follow along using the hashtag #AVENTparents for a chance to win prizes, hear advice and share your parenting stories. I hope to see you there!

Emmett-Day Care

Birthdays all around!! Woohoo! Let’s celebrate!!

Your turn!

How do you usually celebrate your birthday?

Do you have a favorite memory from the past two years of Baby Doodah!?

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With Eyes and Ears Everywhere, Dad is SuperDad

Thank you to Philips AVENT for supplying me Philips AVENT Digital Video Baby Monitor to try out, all opinions of the product are my own.

With Father’s Day around the corner, I wanted to share what makes Seamus an awesome dad!

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From the moment Emmett was born, Seamus has been a hand’s on dad. He had never really had contact with an infant as small, delicate or young as Emmett and was slightly nervous when it came to holding him, changing and just overall baby care. But he took to it like a professional.

The very first diaper that Emmett needed changing, Seamus handled. It was the first diaper he had ever changed! I stood by, and gave gentle assistance from the background, but overall Seamus did amazingly. That was just the very first amazing thing that my husband, Emmett’s father, did.

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He was so encouraging while I nursed, because I seriously struggled to stick with it. I wanted to give up on Emmett’s second night, he was cluster feeding and all I wanted was rest. Seamus was so sweet and so gentle with his encouragement, and reminders that it wouldn’t be like this forever, and he was right. Emmett and I got the hang of it and made it through 6 exclusive months breastfeeding, and 14 months total, before E decided he was ready to give up the boob.

Seamus has always been willing to get up with Emmett in the middle of the night, to change a diaper, comfort or give a bottle of pumped breastmilk. However, sometimes when your baby cries, you just never know whether they are awake and crying or if they’re crying out in their sleep. The Philips AVENT Digital Video Baby Monitor (affliate link) does an amazing job of allowing you to look in on your baby without barging into the room when it’s unnecessary. Not only does the Philips AVENT Digital Video Baby Monitor have a color display, but it can also switch to night vision, so that you can see in the middle of the night. I’ve got to be honest, it’s A LOT of fun looking in and seeing Emmett and how he’s sleeping.

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Seamus is also always willing to show Emmett what he’s doing and why he’s doing it. For instance, if he’s putting something together or hanging up a picture, he will take the time to show Emmett. It is obvious how much Emmett is learning from this! Now, if Emmett sees a screwdriver laying around, he will grab it, find a screw and pretend he’s doing the work. It’s adorable and is showing us how much is brain is absorbing.

Whether Emmett is asking for a hug, or needs a good cuddle, Seamus is always giving the affection away freely. It’s obvious how much little E loves his daddy. I love walking in on them on the couch – Emmett curled under Seamus’ arm, squeezed in tight (this happens frequently). They are the loves of my life!

Thanks again to Philips AVENT for supplying my family with a video monitor to try out!

Your turn!

What makes your guy a great dad?

Have you, or do you plan to use a video monitor when you have a baby?

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If you want to start your Monday off on a generous foot and want to support cancer research, donate to my ride. I’m riding for Roswell Park Cancer Institute and their Ride for Roswell. Anything will help me reach my goal, and further advance cancer research. Just click HERE to donate.

Stocking Stuffers for the Toddler in Your Life

Who doesn’t love stocking stuffers?

Does anyone else just LOVE their stocking? I enjoy getting gifts, and opening them with family, but after all of the hoopla of those gifts is complete, you still have your stocking. My parents have always ensured that our stockings were full of lovely little trinkets to enjoy opening and using. It’s because of this, that I want to fill Emmett’s stocking up with loads of fun little stocking stuffers!

The top 10 greatest stocking stuffers for your toddler

Pacifiers! Not all babies love them, but Emmett does and I can think of no better stocking stuffer then several of these bad boys. Emmett’s favorite are the Philips Avent Classic Pacifier, he’s used the Philips Avent brand binkies since he was born and has not rejected them once. I love them because they have all sorts of fun designs, and they seem to come up with new ones quite frequently.

stocking-stuffersConsidering Emmett can lose a binkie like a cat loses cat toys, we’ll throw in several different containers of them.

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Fizzy Bath Colors – I know that not all kids love baths, but Emmett really does (other than getting his face washed), so I got him these Sesame Street Fizzy Bath Color Tablets. I thought it would add a fun little element to bath time!

Coloring Books and Crayons   Emmett is still in the “I like to eat crayons, not color” phase of toddler-hood, but he’s getting better at using them to just draw. I want that to flourish, so I plan on getting him a cute Elmo coloring book (since he loves Elmo), and a pack of chubby Crayola crayons.

Ornament – This may not seem like a great toddler gift now, but Seamus and I plan on getting Emmett an ornament every year. When he’s much older, my hope is that each one will mean something very special to him since Seamus and I will have chosen each one with care.

Musical Instruments – Not a real, grown-up sized one, but something child-sized and fun. I’m really liking this Harmonica, as an option.

Monster Hands Temporary Tattoos – These look like so much fun! E might be a little young for them right now, but in a couple of months, they’ll be perfect!

Sticker Book – Emmett loves animals of all kinds, so this Busy Kids Sticker Book Farm Animals, is right up his alley.

Finger Paint and Paper – I know they use paint at day care, but we have yet to use any of it at home. I really want to get Emmett some of these, so that we can start playing with them at home.

Alphabet Magnets – I loved having these around as a college student, so having them in our house now, to leave messages to Emmett or Seamus, will be so much fun.

Socks – Everyone always needs socks, and they’re a fun little thing to add to Emmett’s stocking. He may not enjoy them as much as I will, but that’s okay, I can be a wee bit selfish. 😉

Alright, that’s a peek into what we’ll be filling Emmett’s stocking with this year. I cannot wait to go through it with him!

Your turn!

What are some of your all time favorite stocking stuffers?

What stocking stuffers are you placing in your child’s stocking this year?

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Disclosure: Philips Avent supplied me with multiple versions of their Pacifier to review, however all opinions are 100% my own. I have loved Philips Avent products since before Emmett was born, you can read some of my other reviews here.

Our Favorite Things: 9 to 12 Months

Emmett’s Favorite Things!

This is a bit delayed, seeing as Emmett is already 13.5 months old, but I am finally getting around to it. We had quite a few favorites this time around and I’m excited to share them all with you!

Philips AVENT BPA Free Contemporary Freeflow Pacifier

I know this may seem like a silly one to start with but in Emmett’s world, this is one of THE most important things to him. You’re probably wondering what made us choose to go with Philips AVENT, right? Well, we chose Philips AVENT for his bottles and we loved them so it made sense to give their pacifiers a try. He loved them from the very first time we put them in his mouth, when he was just a few days old. However, they did not become his love until in his 11 month. Now, he uses one everyday, most of the day. These are great because they’re made of silicone so it is nearly impossible for the nipple to be bitten off, I’ve tried and can’t with a mouthful of teeth. They are also designed for breath-ability, so there are little air vents around it so that baby’s saliva doesn’t just sit behind it and irritate the skin. Plus they have fun little designs on the base of them, while not an important feature for baby, momma might care. 😉 If you’re looking for a pacifier for your babe, I highly recommend Philips AVENT’s.

Fisher-Price EZ Clean High Chair, Coco Sorbet

We continue to LOVE this high chair! We have this Fisher-Price chair in the Luv U Zoo design and it has stood up to the beatings Emmett has given it. The cloth cover is removable and washable, so anytime Emmett decides to take a bite of yogurt and then spit it out on his high chair, it’s no big deal, we just take it off and pop it in the washer. The tray is easily connected and removed, I’ve done it with one available hand before and it is very sturdy. Since we live in an apartment we slide it to and from the table daily and it has not shown any signs of wear. It’s current $84 price point, makes it well worth the purchase!

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Boppy Nursing Pillow with Slipcover

This has once again made our favorite things list (this is the 4th time). It has been an amazing tool for breastfeeding, and I am comfortable saying that without it, I’m not sure how successful Emmett and I would have been. There are tons and tons of options out their for breastfeeding pillows but I truly believe that Boppys are one of the best. Our pillow and its slipcover have stood the test of time (13.5 months and counting) and many many washes. Oh and in case you’re curious, we have the sweet pea slipcover and it’s very cute!

Philips AVENT Toddler Spout and Philips AVENT Natural Drinking Cups

I swear that I do not work for Philips AVENT, nor is this a sponsored post, I just adore their products. Every Philips AVENT item we’ve purchased has lived up to it’s hype. We wanted a sippy cup that would provide a nice flow for Emmett but not just leak if dumped over. So many sippys out there, that don’t leak, require the baby to suck really hard to get any fluid out. Would you want to work that hard to get any liquid out?  With the Toddler Spout cups, it is absolutely leak proof until he sucks, but it requires as much suction as you would need to use a straw.

The Natural Drinking cups are great because they begin to prepare the toddler for drinking out of a normal cup but are leak proof until you tip it back and the toddler’s nose presses on the center circle. Emmett’s still learning how to drink using one of these, but it the perfect transition cup. I highly recommend both!

Philips AVENT BPA Free Classic Polypropylene Bottles

These made a previous list but Emmett continues to use one bottle a day at day care. The bottles have shown no sign of wear and we’ve not had one broken or cracked nipple in the entire time that Emmett has been using them (12 months). I learned about these bottles as a nanny and loved them enough to bring them into my home for Emmett, I continue to love them and will use them with any future children.

Pampers Cruisers

We  loved the Pampers Swaddlers and because of a recommendation from a friend we tried the Pampers Cruisers. We have not been disappointed. They work and fit as well as the Swaddlers. We will be sticking with them until he grows out of them.

Philips AVENT DECT Baby Monitor

Yes, another Philips AVENT product. Every single product I have of theirs is awesome, so we just keep buying more. Make excellent products and you end up with loyal customers. When I was still pregnant, we debated getting a video monitor, Seamus wanted one, I saw no reason for one. Emmett’s room is 20 feet away and at the first sound of distress I’d be charging in there. I eventually convinced Seamus to see my side and we started our search for a baby monitor and after looking over a ton of reviews, the Philips AVENT DECT Baby Monitor won out. It is affordable, and picks up every little creak or crack in his room. I NEVER felt like I was missing anything by not having a video monitor. This monitor has some seriously awesome features too, you can turn down the sensitivity so that it doesn’t run constantly and will only turn on at the first sound it hears. When I say it picks up everything, I am not lying. If he rolls over or sighs, it picks it up. The end that sits in the baby’s room does not have a rechargeable battery but you can leave it plugged in or you can use  batteries in it as a back-up. The parent end is rechargeable and the battery life on that sucker is amazing, I’m talking days. We’ve never struggled with interference or any sort of feedback and we’re going on 14 months of use. If you’re like me and don’t see a reason for the video monitor, check out this Philips AVENT product.

 Your turn!

What were some of your favorites for you children when they were 9 to 12 months old?

Please feel free to check out my other Favorite Things posts, 0 to 3 Months3 to 6 Months and 6 to 9 Months.

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