Purex Baby detergent (Review & Giveaway) and the Purex Oh Baby! Sweepstakes

Did you know that Purex makes a detergent that is made for baby clothes? I wish it was around when my last child was a baby. I remember buying brands made for baby clothes and freaking out over the insane cost!

Purex Baby detergent is hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested and formulated to be extra gentle on your little one’s sensitive skin. Purex Baby detergent leaves your baby’s clothes smelling fresh and clean, and won’t harm the flame resistance of sleepwear.

Although my kids are no longer babies, my oldest daughter has highly sensitive skin and Purex Baby has been perfect for her. She does not have any reactions to it and we all love the subtle scent it leaves behind. I know that I will be giving this product to new parents as a shower gift instead of the brands that cost triple the amount. You can find Purex Baby detergent at many retailers nationwide.

Right now you can enter the Purex Oh Baby! Sweepstakes filled with great prizes. Three grand prize winners will each receive $500 plus 250 additional winners get FREE Purex Baby detergent.

Giveaway: 3 lucky Momfiles readers will win a coupon good for one FREE bottle of Purex Baby detergent. Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on December 28, 2012. Three winners will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

I received products samples for review purposes and was supplied with FREE product coupons to give away. All thoughts/opinions are always my own.

Fisher-Price Moments of Joy Sweepstakes | $100 gift card giveaway

How many of you have those special little moments captured on your phone or camera of your little ones that are just too cute to keep to yourself? Of course, we all do! I am happy to introduce a new sharing site that is from a name we all know very well, Fisher-Price has launched their Moments of Joy site and wants you to join in on the fun.

Fisher-Price Moments of Joy is a place designed for parents, grandparents and anyone who loves the little ones and wants to share those precious moments in photographs or video. It is so easy to use and you can log in with your Facebook or Instagram account. All you do is choose a photo and add a title and caption. You can see what the finished product looks like here. How cute is that? I have uploaded over a dozen photos and really enjoy looking at all the cute ones other people have added. There is even a "love" button which I have utilized a lot! You can leave photo comments and even share photos on Facebook, Twitter or by email. It's almost like a social media site for the under 5 crowd!

This is one of the sweet photos I uploaded to the Moments of Joy site of a one-year-old William and his birthday smash cake. Look at those yummy cheeks and arms!

Right now, Fisher-Price is having a sweepstakes that will run from November 27- December 20 that you will be automatically entered in just for uploading a photo or video. The Fisher-Price Moments of Joy Sweepstakes will include five weekly winners selected at random to receive a $100 gift card each, and one grand prize winner selected at random to win up to $1,000 of Fisher-Price toys! I know you have those candid, sweet, silly moments to share right now! To be eligible, you must be the age of majority in your state of residence and a legal resident of the U.S. or the District of Columbia.  You can review the Official Rules for the sweepstakes to learn the other requirements for entry by visiting here.   

To help celebrate the launch of the Moments of Joy site, one very lucky Momfiles reader will win a $100 gift card!! How exciting is that?! Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on December 14, 2012. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Be sure to follow giveaway rules in Rafflecopter. Good luck!

I received compensation to spread the word about Fisher-Price Moments of Joy. All thoughts/opinions are my own, as always.

Sock Ons for babies

I got to check out one of the neatest little baby items around. They are called Sock Ons. They are a unique way of keeping your little ones socks on! Now where on earth were these when all of my kids were babies? What a great idea these are. I remember very well how often I was having to put socks back on the kids' tiny little feet when they were babies.

Sock Ons come in so many wonderful colors including Red, Orange, Lemon, Lime, Turquoise, Blueberry, Grape, Chocolate and Charcoal (Sized 0-6m and 6-12m). I think these would make a cool baby shower gift. I received a sample and gave it to my good friend who is expecting twins next month. She had never seen anything like it before. Check out Sock Ons on the web, Facebook and you can find retailers  here.

What’s in Every Mom’s Beach Bag? {Giveaway}

**Contest Closed**
Winner #135 kathy pease

We are in the thick of the summer and most of us are packing up the family and heading for the beach. Of course if you are a mom you pack as if you are going away for the entire summer, especially when you have babies or small children. You plan for those "just in case" moments as well as the usual drinks, snacks and entertainment items. We are going to the beach in a couple weeks and I have already started my checklist. Of course I know I will overdo it as always but hey, a mom must be prepared! Check out some of these products below that are great for throwing into your beach bag (or bags if you are like me!)

USANA Usanimals vitamins: Usanimals comes in fun animal shapes while providing a phytonutrient blend of blackberry, cranberry, raspberry, and wild blueberry fruit flavors. The vitamins contain a comprehensive array of antioxidants, and minerals, in amounts designed especially for active, growing children.

Smart for Life protein bars: Eliminates post-exercise hunger, so you gain muscle not fat. Supports healthy cardiovascular function, helps promote weight loss, boosts metabolism and controls hunger.

Inky Perfume: Used after showering or as a pick-me-up during those hot summer days, these body sprays refresh and revive the senses, with just the right amount of scent. The Tattooed by Inky collection offers 5 distinctive scents for every personality---two men’s, two women’s, and one unisex. Inky is available at Big Lots and Target stores.

Star Rock for Kids CD: A CD of fun and age-appropriate music that is perfectly “in tune” with the whole family, featuring hits from past decades and today. Beyond being a rockin’ CD series sung completely by kids, Star Rock for Kids! Presents an exceptional opportunity for budding singers to show off their talent and realize their dream by becoming a “Star Rock Kid” and appearing on the next CD.

Kids-EEZE Allergy Soft Chews: Kids-EEZE® is a children’s symptom reliever specially formulated to ease the symptoms of hay fever and upper respiratory allergies. The convenient chew form makes dosing easy with no measuring or messes.

BornFree Eco Classic bottle: BornFree leak proof BPA-Free baby bottles come in plastic or glass and feature an innovative venting system designed to promote ActiveFlow™ and help minimize the painful symptoms of colic. After use, the bottles can be returned to BornFree where they will be recycled into other products such as toys and furniture.

Medifast Parmesan Cheese Puffs: Provides just the right balance of fiber and high-quality protein to keep you feeling full and satisfied, plus your daily requirement of 24 vitamins and minerals!
____________________________________

Giveaway:
How would you like to win all of these *items? All you have to do is tell us what top five beach essentials you would pack for baby. Please leave your list of five products in the comment section as your mandatory entry.

If you would like additional entries you can do any or all of the following:

~ Follow Momfiles via Google Friend Connect
~ "like" Momfiles, Medifast, StarRock for Kids, Smart for Life, Kid-EEZE, BornFree, USANA
(each one counts as a separate entry)
~ Follow Momfiles, USANA, BornFree, Medifast, Smart for Life, StarRock for Kids, Kid-EEZE on Twitter (each one counts as a separate entry)
~ Tweet this giveaway (once daily):

Win some great goodies from @momfiles to put in your #beach bag http://tinyurl.com/3wmjhfd #giveaway

Note: Prize quantity or variety may vary from what is pictured.

This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on August 3, 2011 at 9:00 pm EST. One winner will will be chosen at random and contacted via email. Please leave your email address in your comment if you do not have a Blogger Profile. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post

From princess to diva?

I remember when little girls were referred to as princesses. They would be decked out in pink with ruffles and glitter. They were all things sweet and innocent. Of course times change...people change. Now parents refer to little girls (even babies) as a diva. If you look up the definition of the word diva you will find out that it means a celebrated female singer. Ladies like Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston or Mariah Carey are great examples of a diva. The word "diva" is also used negatively, to describe a celebrity in film or music who is extremely demanding and fussy when it comes to their personal needs or wants.

Now tell me something. Why on earth does a 6 month old baby girl need to be referred to as a diva? Am I missing something here? Little sweet girls are being called a diva like it is a badge of honor. I am not judging you if you do this so please don't get me wrong. I just need some understanding.

What are your thoughts?

Wordless Wednesday | 1974

This was taken on my first birthday.

Flashback Friday

This one never gets old...

Car seat safety rules make my head hurt

I have seen it everywhere today- CNN, Headline News, e-newsletters, Facebook and Twitter. The American Academy of Pediatrics announced a new car seat policy. This one really has me scratching my head. The new AAP Car Seat Safety Guidelines suggests you keep your child in a rear-facing safety seat until age 2. Although this does not apply to my now 3 year old, it still concerned me. There were so many comments for and against this policy. I almost wonder if I did the wrong thing by flipping my little guy's seat when he was a year old. After all, I did it with his sisters and everything was fine. Then I read through some of the comments where moms were saying their 3 year old was still rear facing! I was also reading where a child should be in a safety seat until they are 8 or 4'9". Wow, I guess I better tune up my skills since so much has changed since I had the girls! It looks like William will be in a car seat for a long time. Maybe I need to consult with the Car Seat Lady. What are your thoughts?

365 Everyday Value™ Baby Diaper review

Whole Foods Market launched a spanking-new version of the 365 Everyday Value™ Baby Diaper line earlier this year and sent me a package to try out. The first thing I noticed was that the package said chlorine-free. This made me wonder what the heck I have been putting on my kid all this time! William is in a size 6 and I found that it fit pretty well. I liked how stretchy the closures were and also how well they fit around the leg area. I noticed that these diapers are completely white (no cartoons on them). 365 Everyday Value™ Baby Diapers are made with chlorine free materials, are hypo-allergenic, latex free, and contain no perfumes or dyes making them a safer, healthier choice for your tot and the environment. They are priced at $9.99 which is $2 less than the previous rate. This really makes affording these diapers easier. I really like the fact that they carried the same quantity of diapers per package comparing to the other diaper brands~That was a big plus for me! I really wish we had a Whole Foods location near my city. I would have loved to try out the training pants.

Be sure the check Whole Foods market out on the web, Twitter and Facebook for updates.

Disclosure: I received no compensation for my review, all opinion are my own as always.

Halo SleepSack Swaddle Giveaway

**Contest Closed**
Winner is #17 Shelly- Congratulations!

I received this sweet little 2-in-1 wearable blanket/swaddle blanket from a mom blog gift that came to me in the mail. I don't have a little newborn to use it on so I decided it would be great to give it away to someone who can use it. It's cream in color and is made of a fleece material in newborn size. It's perfect for the cooler weather that is coming (if it has not already gotten to your neck of the woods). I loved using a swaddle blanket with William when he was teeny tiny.

If you would like to win this please leave a relevant comment to this post.
If you would like an additional entry you can "like" Momfiles on Facebook .

Follow Momfiles on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway (once daily): Enter @momfiles to win a Halo SleepSack Swaddle Blanket http://blog.momfiles.com/2010/10/halo-sleepsack-swaddle-giveaway.html #giveaway

Be sure to leave an individual comment per entry method.

Contest is open to US Residents only. Please leave your email address if you do not have a Blogger profile. Contest ends on October 20, 2010 at 9:00 pm EST. Good luck!

Flashback Friday

This was taken when the little guy was about 14 months old. Look at those cheeks! Of course Milo (Wi-wo) is never far behind. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Bummis diaper and baby items giveaway

**Contest Closed**
Winner is #76 SCMOMOF2BOYS

Being a mom blogger, I am very lucky to receive some really nice items in the mail from time to time. FedEx, UPS and USPS, I LOVE YOU! The other day I received a package by surprise from one of the companies I am working with. They sent a nice selection of baby and toddler items. Obviously I no longer have a little baby but boy do I wish I did! I got one of the Bummis Easy Fit cloth diapers in a lemon yellow color (one size fits all). If I had it to do all over again I honestly think I would go with cloth. This diaper is super high quality and comes in some gorgeous colors.

They retail around $18-$20 each and since I don't have a use for it I would love to give it away to someone who can get some use out of it! I am also going to include a few other items like a sippy cup, bottle, a bottle of Harmonic baby Aromatic Massage oil and a couple of other goodies in this giveaway. This all is a retail value of over $45.

How to enter: All you have to do is leave a comment relative to this post, it's that simple!

You can also Tweet or Facebook this giveaway (twice daily), add the Momfiles button to your blog, or follow me on Twitter or through Networked Blogs to gain additional entries. Be sure to leave an individual comment per entry method. Here is an example of a Tweet you are welcome to use: ~Bummis diaper and baby items #giveaway @momfiles http://blog.momfiles.com/2010/07/bummis-diaper-and-baby-items-giveaway.html

This giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only and will end on August 2, 2010 at 9:00 PM EST. Winner will be chosen via random.org. I am giving these items away for no compensation from anyone whatsoever. Good luck!

Parent's Choice can save you $$

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PBM Products.
All opinions are 100% mine.

It is no secret that I am a formula feeding mom. Not all of us are cut out to breastfeed so we have to do our research to find the right formula to feed our baby. I used the Formula Finder and compared what we used for William and found that he would have taken the Premium, Milk-based or Organic type of formula. Out of curiosity I even checked out the Savings Calculator and here is what I found out when I compared what we used and spent to what we could have saved using the Parent's Choice brand.

Savings / Year** : $634.91
Savings / Month** : $52.18
Savings / Day** : $1.74
Savings / Bottle : $0.43

This was really surprising and made me think of all the things I would have done with the savings. I could have purchased diapers and also could have added some money in William's savings fund.
You can sign up for a free sample here and you can choose from 3 types (the Parent's Choice Premium, Advantage or Gentle Formulas). Believe me, if I had to do it all over again Parent's Choice would be what I would go with. It would be nice to be able to purchase formula that would not break the bank!

I'm not ready give it up yet

There are some items that parents believe to be a must with babies. Granted William is no longer a baby but now a toddler, there is still use for certain thing right? For instance, you still use the carseat, stroller, playpen and several other things. The one thing I still use is the changing table. Most people think it's a waste but I LOVE it. I had one that I used for both girls and bought one when I was expecting William. I love being able to store and organize his diapers, wipes, powder and all kinds of bath related and miscellaneous items. It has been the most useful piece of equipment we purchased.

Now what do you do when it gets to this point?

Man, I just don't want to get rid of this just yet! Will has outgrown this changing table by a couple inches. Y'all better not be making fun of me :P

Getting rid of stuff, maybe

I was perusing through the baby aisle today and was checking out all the neat gadgets and cool things they make for babies/toddlers today. There is something for everything, it's really amazing. I was looking at a few things that I have/had for William that technically we could have easily lived without...baby wipes warmer, bottle warmer with cooler attached, infant swing, crib toys and the list goes on. Funny thing is we barely even used that stuff or used them for a very short time! I am considering doing the EBay thing as I have seen a lot of parents do. I guess the idea of all the time it will take to gather, inventory, photograph and list it all makes me not want to do it. I have a whole storage closet under the stairs downstairs filled with baby stuff. Why do I keep it?? I feel like I am not quite ready to part with certain things.

**on another note...I wanted to welcome Tanyetta back to the blog world!

I'm an outcast

Out of all the moms I know personally, online or in any other way I seem to be the ONLY one that formula fed my babies. I never one time had the urge to breastfeed. I have been looked down on for not breastfeeding. I just don't get it. Okay, that's it...just had to let that one out ;-)

Feed your baby fat

I took little William for his 15 month check-up. He is developing perfectly on target and is doing all the things that are expected at this age. There was only one concern, his weight. It turns out that my once chubby baby dubbed "the Michelin baby" or "baby Sumo" is now in the 30th percentile for weight (22.9 lbs). I really do not know how percentiles work but I know it is on the low end. Maybe it is because he is in the 80th percentile for height. It's really funny that every person that sees William seems to think he is really big for his age but according to his doctor he is a bit on the thin side.

She even provided me with some literature on ways to pump up the calories by incorporating concentrated fats. These fats include butter, margarine, cheese, vegetable oil, mayonnaise, sour cream and cream cheese. I wish my doctor told me that I could have those things! Thankfully his pediatrician is very thorough and she assured me there is nothing to worry about and that he is just burning off calories from being so active. I probably should be glad that he is not on a restricted diet. So now William can eat anything he wants and then some! Lucky little fella!

Wild Willie

Today is the day!

I am so excited that today is finally the day that my dear friend Tanyetta will have her baby! I am waiting anxiously with my cellphone attached to my body at all times to hear the news. Since she is on Cali time I am forced to wait even longer. I can't wait to welcome baby McKoy to the world! You should check out the sweet letter she wrote to her baby :) This baby will be a part of an awesome family, that's for sure!!

Random baby moment

William was rolling around in his walker and I noticed things got a little quiet. The reason why is because the little fella was knocked out! Amazing how babies can sleep in any position and then it's back to business as usual. Now let a grown-up sleep an inch out of the normal and it's chiropractor to the rescue!!

I scooped him up and put him in his crib to snooze comfortably :)