Toddler

The ONLY Car Seat You Ever Need to Buy

I participated in this sponsored campaign about the Evenflo Symphony DXL on behalf of One2One Network. All opinions stated are my own. #EvenfloPlatinum

Evenflo: A Brand Moms Trust

When it comes to gear for our kids, we all have brands we love and trust. One of those in our house is Evenflo. I had an Evenflo stroller when Abby was a baby. I used a couple of different carriers, back when she was still small enough for me to carry around. We used a ton of their toddler feeding products. This is definitely a brand I feel confident in, and that has grown with us from the time Abby was an infant to now, as a 4 year old. [Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on February 8, 2015 Filed Under: Parenting | No Comments

How to Bathe a Toddler in 3 Simple Steps – #MomHumor

“Having a two-year-old is like having a blender without a lid.” – Jerry Seinfeld… Have you ever struggled with bathing a baby? I remember the first time I had to give Abby a bath – she was so tiny, so fragile, and I was so nervous. I got the brand new little baby bathtub out, filled it with water, decided it was too hot so I added cold water, then decided it was too cold – so I dumped it out and started again, lol. I had thought that bathing a newborn was nerve-wracking, but little did I know – a toddler is a WAY bigger challenge! So, here are my tips on how to bath a toddler in 3 simple steps….

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on November 21, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 4 Comments

3 New Ways to Teach Kids Building Skills – #Megabloksparty

Mega Bloks First Builders party time… You know how much I love to entertain, right? From summer pool parties to holiday dinners – and all of the playdates, game nights, and impromptu get-togethers in between – Having our house full of friends and family is what makes me happy. And – I loooove when I get a chance to host a great event like this one from Mom Select, where I get to share great new gear with Abby’s friends – We recently had the opportunity to have a Mega Bloks First Builders playdate party, and the kiddos had a blast! Take a peek, and check out some of cool new toys for toddlers from Mega Bloks that are fun, and teach great building, spelling, and motor skills…

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 18, 2012 Filed Under: Fun Stuff | 1 Comment

How to Change a Squirmy Baby

“Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn’t music.” – William Stafford… It’s funny. Everyone thinks that the infant days are the hardest. And yes, they are exhausting… The total lack of sleep, the stress of feeding time, and if it’s your first baby it takes awhile to build confidence in what you’re doing – that baby is so teeny tiny! But those first few months pass by in a blur, and it gets easier. Now that my little one is a toddler {she just turned 2 at the end of July} – I’m starting to miss those Baby-Days. You know – where if you set her on a blanket on the floor, she was still there even if you turned away for 2 seconds. {Unlike a toddler who is attempting to climb into the fish tank, or some other equally fun activity, as soon as you so much as blink….} Even once they’re slightly mobile, you can keep baby safe and occupied in a bouncy seat, playpen, or a saucer with bells and whistles to push. But not so much with a toddler – they are MOVERS. Our little dog Deuce follows Abby all day, and they explore every inch of this house like they’re Lewis & Clark on an adventure to find, touch, and examine every.single.item. in their path. Ah, motherhood…..

“Having a two-year-old is like having a blender that you don’t have the top for.” – Jerry Seinfeld

As you can see – turning your back for even a moment can lead to total shenanigans when you’ve got a little mover around. She’s learned how to open the sliding glass door that leads to the patio {I installed an alarm, so I’ll know. But she thinks that the alarm is super funny, so it doesn’t stop her. I just can’t win…} – I heard the beeping, but in less than a minute she’d used her toddler super powers to find the one spot of mud in the whole garden. Lovely. But – she was smiling, so I decided to just roll with it and let her mud it up. I try to pick my battles wisely. With an adventurous toddler, you’ll have a rough life if you can’t laugh most it off each day, am I right?

“You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.” – Franklin P Jones

Once your baby starts getting mobile – diaper changes start getting tougher! No worries – Huggies comes to the rescue with another Smart Mom Solution – Slip-On style diapers. Abby has started the whole potty training adventure already – but we’re still using Pull-Ups. But before we started this phase, the Slip-Ons from Huggies were seriously a life saver. They’re actually really similar to the ease of getting Pull-Ups on and off – as you see in the video, you can put them on the traditional way, if your little one wants to lay down and hold still {right, lol} – or you can just grab ’em, slip ’em on, and pull ’em up fast. How helpful is that, right?

Take the Huggies – Easy-On, Easy-Off Challenge

If you’re ready to try out the Huggies Slip-On diapers too, check out this fun new way to save big – Click through to the Easy-On, Easy-Off Challenge tab on the Huggies Facebook page. You can “Check In” there each time you do a diaper change, or even sign up to check in via text message. Once you’ve done 5 squirmy baby diaper change check-ins, you’ll get a free coupon to help you try out the new Slip-On diapers, so you can see how much easier they make your daily diaper time. You will love them, promise. Once I used them, I wondered how I’d been getting along without them – seriously. Motherhood is a challenge – we need all of the help we can get!

Huggies Slip-On Diapers – A Smart Mom Solution

Huggies^® Slip-On^® Diapers were made with squirmy babies in mind, providing stretchy sides to let you quickly slip on the diaper for a close, comfy fit and trusted leakage protection. Plus, they have easy open tabs so they are easy to take off, making changing easy for you and your squirmy little one.

{Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Huggies via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Huggies.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on August 27, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

Fold & Go Dollhouse Giveaway Package

Welcome to our “Fold & Go” Giveaway Event!… Enter to Win an absolutely adorable Fold & Go” Dollhouse AND the Copy-Kids Eat Fruit and Vegetables DVD! This is one of my families fave DVD’s – Abby is totally absorbed in it every time, and it teaches such great lessons. Very cute. One super lucky winner takes it all – A $70 package!

Two flexible wooden play figures live in this house, complete with eleven pieces of wooden furniture. The dollhouse opens for easy access and folds closed for convenient storage.

Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables is an awesome DVD just for kids! It has an amazing concept of getting kids to eat their vegetables by watching and copying other kids!

We want to say a special thanks to our WONDERFUL Sponsors: Nite Nite Moon and Copy-Kids as well as all of the AWESOME Blogs for making this giveaway possible!

Wait!!! Thinking you don’t have a kiddo interested in Dollhouse?
Have a little boy? How about a “Fold & Go” Doll Barnyard?Now that the older kids are in school, the smaller kids will need something to do? How about entering to win one of these amazing Play & Go giveaways? Just enter on the Rafflecopter form below! AND, the best part is you CAN enter both – how cool is that?!

This two-story barn is stocked with seven realistic plastic farm animals, a wooden ladder and a folding corral. Chunky handles let you take this little bit of “country” wherever you go! Enter HERE for the “Fold & Go”Barn! Both of these giveaways will end 8/29 at 11:59 pm EST! US residents only. Enter on the Rafflecopter Below and Good Luck Everyone!
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Posted by Meagan Paullin on August 25, 2012 Filed Under: Giveaways | 18 Comments

The Busy Moms Guide to Potty Training a Toddler

Potty training toddler tips…. So, if you’ve been reading for awhile, you know that we’ve been working on potty training with Abby for a while now. She just turned two a few weeks ago, and we started potty training a few months before that. If you want to see where we started with potty training, and how to kep potty training fun, read the previous post full of our tips. And now, 3 months into potty training, I’ll share what we’ve learned along the way so far – what works, the tools and resources we found helpful, and the products that rock the most. We’re all busy moms, right? So hopefully you can learn from me, and save yourself the time and hassle of figuring it all out on your own….

Tips and tools for successful potty training

Potty training is a challenge – that’s for sure! And I think that the best tip I can offer for anyone who is just getting started is to make sure you wait until your child tells you it’s time… Abby started telling us when she was wet, or had, as she calls it, “Stinky pants.” She’d even bring us a diaper and say, “Change it?” I figured that meant she was ready to get her own big girl potty chair, right? Lol. We use the Arm & Hammer 3-In-1 Potty Seat, and I couldn’t be more happy with it – I love that it comes with baking soda freshener pouches, and can be used as a step stool when she transitions to the real potty. We’re also big fans of Tidy Tots to make cleaning the potty chair super simple. None of us have time to clean the potty chair all day, so these will help you a ton! Once you’ve got the right gear, here are a few more resources and tips to help you get started:

Potty Break: I absolutely LOVE the tools and tips on the Pull-Ups website – things like the Potty Break app, where you can schedule in your potty breaks for the day, and a little alarm will go off to remind you it’s time to take your toddler to the bathroom to sit on their seat. As busy moms, it can be tough to remember on your own sometimes on crazy days! Once we used this to get into a routine, Abby started being much more comfortable, and started to actually “go” when we went in there. Awesome.
Character Call: Another super fun idea on Pull-Ups.com is the character call – schedule your kiddo’s favorite Disney character to give them a call on your cell phone, and either Cinderella or Mater will call them with a message of encouragement! Super fun, and we’ve done these several times, whenever Abby hits a new milestone.
Stickers: We made a big chart for Abby to chart her progress – if she uses the potty successfully, she gets to put a sticker on her chart. This girl LOVES her stickers, so this is super exciting for her, and really works great at motivating her, and making her feel like she’s doing a good job at this new adventure in potty training.
Clothing: As kids learn to use the potty chair on their own, make sure they have clothes that are easy to get undone by themselves, so they can undo buttons or buckles quickly when it’s time to go. Find more tips like this on the Potty Training Checklist too.

And another big thing to remember – Be Patient! Every kiddo learns at their own pace. There is no right or wrong, so don’t let any other “judgy” moms get you down. As long as your child is making progress, and you’re both still smiling, then you’re doing it right. Pinky promise!

Where are we at now?

Right now, we’re doing pretty darn good. Abby knows when it’s time to go potty. She’ll tell me “Potty time momma!” and run into the bathroom. Sometimes I think that she just wants to go for fun, but most of the time she’s successful and gets that big ol’ grin when we get to put a sticker on her chart. We’re using the Pull-Ups diapers for her, the Pull-Up Training Pants most of the time. We just stated trying the Pull-Ups Training Pants with Cool Alert, and those seem like they’re really helping Abby learn when she’s gone in her diaper. And the Night-time Training Pants rock for bedtime. What I like most about Pull-Ups is that they’re kind of a hybrid – they can pull up and down just like big girl pants, but they still have tabs on the sides if I need them for big messes, or when she’s being super squirmy. Love ’em.

Tell me – what are YOUR best potty training tips? Share ’em in the comments! And be sure to check out my Potty Training Tips board on Pinterest too!

{Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Pull-Ups. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating. Photo Credit.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on August 8, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

Turn a Diaper Wipes Holder into a Cosmetics Bag for Mom

Chic and modern accessories created for women & babies. Mom-designed with today’s active lifestyle in mind…. Baby gear is cute, right? So darn cute actually, that you probably bought double the amount of baby stuff you actually needed when you were in those early days. I remember thinking that it seemed totally logical to have a fully stocked diaper bag for dad, and two for me – {a mini for quick trips out, and a full size for day trips} – even though we both work from home…. What was I thinking?? Lol. But it’s not totally your fault – it’s also partly due to the barrage of marketing that you face as a new mom – it can be super hard to wade through that and figure out exactly what it is you truly need. And that is why I’m here to share the first of a new series of posts to show you some great products that are worth your bucks – things that easily transition from baby, to toddler, and then into pieces that you can use yourself too! Ready? Ok – first product is from one of my FAVE brands: Buti-Bag.

The Bunvelope from Buti-Bag

This is such a smart solution – which is how you know it was invented by a mom, right? Yep, the Buti-Bag line of super trendy gear was started by a totally awesome chick named Nicole, {who I was lucky enough to get to meet and hang out with a bit at Reviewer’s Retreat recently} – read a little more about how her quest for a bag that could hold diaper essentials that was not only smart and versatile, but stylish too, led her to start her company. Love it. And I love all of her products too – here are a few reasons why:

Prints: Baby patterns and character designs are cute, but I’m more of a fan of modern prints. I had a super tough time finding gear to match the decor of my home, or diaper bag accessories that could transition to my purse without screaming “MOM OF A BABY” – which is why I absolutely adore all of the prints and materials that are used in all of Buti-Bag’s products.
USA: All Buti-Bag products are made right here in the USA. We all complain about how hard that is to find these days, so make sure to show this great company some support!
Multi-Taskers: I love, love, LOVE that since these don’t look like a baby product {although there are so many cute prints you’re sure to find the perfect one to match your theme} – so you can totally use them after that first year or two. They’re made so well that they last that long too!

So, well-made products created right here in the USA, in gorgeous fabrics and trims, that give you more than your money’s worth by pulling double duty after baby gets bigger? How much better can you get, honestly?

Trendy Diaper Wipes Case that looks sleek in your bag

Abby is almost 2, and we’ve started the potty training phase, but are still using Pull-Ups – which means I still haul a diaper bag with us when we’ll be away for more than a couple of hours. But I also like to have a stash of supplies in my regular purse – because as you know, an accident can happen even when you’re only out of the house for 5 minutes. But since I want something that can stay in my purse all the time, I want something that still looks cute – It’s embarrassing to finally get a girls night out, and have the waiter at a trendy new club see your nursery-rhyme covered wipes holder in your bag. Ugh. So I love that this just looks like a cute make-up bag or clutch.

Turn a Diaper Wipes Holder into a make-up bag for mom

As Abby gets bigger – I’ll be able to use this fun holder for my cosmetics… Which is what I’ve been doing when I travel. I love that I can have the wipes in the little resealable envelope – perfect for removing cosmetics – and it fits a surprisingly big selection of my fave pretty products. This makes it absolutely perfect for heading out to the gym, or traveling by plane. And – remember when I said it’s really well made? Well, the pics above were taken just a few days ago, but I’ve been using this bag for a few months. I throw it in my bag with TONS of other junk, toss it in the wash when needed, and it’s still looking new and crisp. This little Bunvelope rocks.

The Buti-Bag Co – Structure with Style

As you can see – the selection of prints and patterns is just perfect. The product line also includes the Bundle bag, super soft blankets, accessories like the Binkmeister, and the most stinkin’ adorable little iron-on bell bottoms you’ll ever find. {Stay tuned for Abby’s fashion shoot for back to school to show those off too!}

Shop the Buti-Bag selection of mom-designed modern accessories for moms and babies today – Sign up for their email to stay updated on new products and promotions too!

{Disclaimer: As a consultant working with Mompact.com to support women in business, I receive a complimentary sample from Buti-Bag to review and share with you. Only the best products make it onto this site. All photos, opinions, and over-use of the words like “amazing” and “awesome” are my own. Love this brand!}