Monday, April 25, 2011

BabySteals- Petunia Picklebottom sale TODAY!

If you are in the market for a Petunia Picklebottom diaper bag or clutch, today would be the day to buy one! Baby Steals has multiple bags for up to 50% off TODAY only, and they are going fast! Head on over to BabySteals.com now to get yours! Here is my favorite one they have on sale today. I have a similar one and it's to die for! Especially as baby gets older and you dont have to carry around so much baby stuff.Just thought I would send along the info. Hope it helps someone out! :) Happy Monday.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Baby Urbana Cushy Closer- Review+Giveaway!

I have got another mom-invented, awesome product to share with you today!



The Cushy Closer was invented by 2 sisters who needed something to muffle the sound of the doorknob so they could check on their sleeping babies! There is something about the turn of a doorknob, or that awfully dreaded "click" you hear when you open a door that can wake baby from the deepest sleep. Well, this is where the Cushy Closer comes in handy! The Cushy Closer is attached around 2 doorknobs, and wraps snugly around the door to muffle the sound of the door opening and closing. No more trying to sneak in and out of baby's room, this is the perfect solution! Here is some info I got from the Baby Urabana website:

The Cushy Closer Door Cushion:

-Allows quiet entry and exit while checking on sleeping children (without turning the knob/handle)
-Helps prevent young children or adults from being accidentally locked in or out (bathrooms, bedrooms, house, etc.)
-Snug fit helps muffle door sounds (slamming, rattling, closing) while allowing the door to close completely

The Cushy Closer comes in a variety of colors, patterns, and textures! I had a really hard time deciding, but went with the French Blue with Brown Stripes Cushy Closer. It matches {B}'s nursery bedding perfectly!


{please don't judge my gold, retro doorknob thats been here since the 80's}

What do I love most about the Cushy Closer?

-Well, it works! I haven't taken it off the door to {B}'s room since I got it, and don't intend to.
-{B} has not woken from a nap since I have started using this! I am a paranoid mommy and I do check on him at least once while he is napping.
-inexpensive...these little necessities are only $9.95! Talk about the perfect baby shower gift!
-did I mention adorable? There are so many varieties and colors, you will for sure be able to find something that matches any room!

...Really, I can't find anything I don't like about it. Its the perfect solution..."the best little product you never knew you needed" as said by SIL of Baby Urabana. :)

Want one of your very one? Baby Urabana is offering one reader TWO Cushy Closers in the style of their choice!

Enter this Giveaway! You must complete the mandatory entry before completing any other entries! All other entries are optional, but the more you complete, the better chance you have at winning! Leave one comment per entry and a way for me to contact you if you win.

1) Mandatory: Go to the Baby Urbana website and tell me which Cushy Closer is your favorite!You MUST do this in order to be eligible!

2) Follow n.c. baby blog (or tell me if you aleady do)

3) Follow n.c. baby blog on facebook

4) Share this giveaway (link) on Facebook ( you can do this once daily!)

5) Blog about this giveaway and leave your link so I can find it! (+3 entries, leave 3 comments)

6) Purchase anything from Baby Urbana during the giveaway period (+5 entries, leave 5 comments)

7) Enter any of my other CURRENT giveaways ( 1 entry for each giveaway entered)

8) Subscribe to n.c. baby blog via email (on right side of blog)

9) Add my n.c. baby blog button to your blog! (+3 entries, leave 3 comments!)

GOOD LUCK!!! Giveaway will close 5/6 at 11:59 pm EST. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Winner will be picked the following day by Random.org and will be emailed and announced on the blog. Winner has 48 hours to confirm their prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Thank you to Baby Urbana for providing the sample and the giveaway prize!

Baby Urbana provided samples for my review and the prizes for my readers. No other compensation was recieved. All opinions are 100 percent my own.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Little Green Books- Review + Giveaway!


Since Earth Day is coming up on the 22nd, I wanted to do something "green" to celebrate! :) I found this great series "Little Green Books" by Simon and Schuster's Publishing that makes children's books out of recycled materials! The books are all about recycling, being eco-friendly, and teach kids about the benefits of being green! I was able to review 4 of their books: Santa Claus is Green, I can Save the Ocean, What Do You See?, and the Adventures of an Aluminum Can.


Santa Claus is Green!

In the spirit of Christmas giving, Santa shows boys and girls that they can give to others while giving back to the Earth — and have fun while they’re doing it! Included is a list of 12 ideas for a green Christmas, like wrap presents in comics or decorated paper bags or maps; it also comes with a sheet of recycled stickers!



What Do You See? This rhyming text entices younger readers to guess which endangered species is hiding beneath each flap! What child doesn’t like a lift the flap book? {B} had a great time lifting the flaps (while of course trying to rip them out of the book.) I loved the illustrations in this book, they were so creative and unique! Plus this one is made from 100% recycled material.



I Can Save the Ocean! This story is about a little green monster named Max who loves the ocean. When he learns that his underwater friends are being hurt by pollution, he comes up with a plan to save the ocean! Again, the illustrations are adorable and in the back of the book, there is a glossary that teaches your children new words!



The Adventures of an Aluminum Can


This story is a diary of an aluminum can as it travels from the manufacturing line, to a store shelf, to a little girl's home, and then to a garbage can and recycling plant! It eventually emerges into a....wait for it....baseball bat! This is a great book to teach children about recycling and where their old water bottles are going after they recycle them!

Earth Day is April 22, 2011. Here are a few tips from Little Green Books that you can do every day to save energy and be green!

Print it twice. Don’t throw away paper you’ve printed off from the computer. Turn it over and put it back in the printer’s paper tray. Now you can print on the other side.

Fold it up. Fold up a reusable lightweight bag and take it with you to the store, library, school, or wherever you might need a bag. This way you won’t have to use a plastic bag to carry your things.

Let the sunshine in . Before turning on a light, open blinds and drapes to let in sunlight from the windows. Use natural light instead of electricity as much as possible.



You can also visit the Little Green Blog for recipes and daily tips, or their website to play some fun games!

Win it: Simon and Schuster have generously offered to give 1 n.c. baby blog reader ALL 4 books that I was able to review!!! Retails $24.00

ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY: You must complete the mandatory entry before completing any other entries! All other entries are optional, but the more you complete, the better chance you have at winning! Leave one comment per entry.

1) Mandatory: Head on over to the Little Green Books website and tell me which other book/books interest you!

2) Like Simon & Schuster (little green books publisher) on Facebook

3) Follow n.c. baby blog (or tell me if you aleady do)

4) Follow n.c. baby blog on facebook

5)Share this link on Facebook ( you can do this once daily!)

6) Blog about this giveaway and leave your link so I can find it! (+3 entries, leave 3 comments)

7)Purchase anything from Little Green Books during the giveaway period (+5 entries, leave 5 comments)

8)Enter any of my other CURRENT giveaways ( 1 entry for each giveaway entered)

9)Subscribe to n.c. baby blog via email ( on right side of blog)

10) Add my n.c. baby blog button to your blog! (+3 entries, leave 3 comments!)

GOOD LUCK!!! Giveaway will close 5/3 at 11:59 pm EST. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Winner will be picked the following day by Random.org and will be emailed and announced on the blog. Winner has 48 hours to confirm their prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Thank you to Little Green Books for providing the sample and the giveaway prize!

Simon and Schuster publishing provided samples for my review and the prize for my readers. No other compensation was recieved. All opinions are 100 percent my own.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Inchbug Orbit Labels- Review + Giveaway!

Ever since I had a baby, I have become more aware and concerned about germs. I never really considered myself to be a "germophobe" but apparantly, now that I have B, I really am. When I think about him going to nursery at church, or going to preschool where germs are at full force, I just cringe! Kids are constantly picking up each others sippy cups, bottles, etc. and it's no wonder our babies and kids are sick all year round. I know that germs and colds are inevitable, but why not try to slow it all down?

When I found out about Inchubug Orbit labels, I fell in love with this idea. Inchbug Orbit labels were designed to solve this problem in a cute, simple, and fun way for kids and parents alike. They work fabulous on drink containers such as sippys, bottles, water bottles, as well as baby treat and food containers. Parents can even use them on their own household items or water bottles. Inchbug Orbit Labels are an elastic band that “orbit” just about any drink or snack container. While the labels were originally designed for a standard size 4 oz baby bottle, their flexible nature allows them to fit just about anything. Kids like them because they can come in their favorite colors with any name or nickname customized for them. Parents like them because it’s a simple, low cost way to monitor the eating/drinking items for their children. The Orbit labels are reusable, and are made to withstand the rigors of daily dishwashing, microwaving, boiling, and sterilizing. They fit snugly to their container so kids can't remove them, and are virtually indestructable. They come in 8 different colors, and have different little icons you can add to them as well.

I chose the Kiwi Green labels and did the 2 lines customized for B's sippy cups. I love how they turned out!

I love the Inchbug Orbit labels for their cuteness and practicality and am so lucky to get to share their product with one of you! Check out the Inchbug website to see their other great and innovative products.

Buy it: Orbit labels retail $12.95 for a set of 4 labels. This is such a great idea for a baby shower or birthday gift!

Win it: Inchbug has generously offered one n.c. baby blog reader a Gift Card to Inchbug for a one or two line custom Orbit Labels pack with FREE shipping (4 labels in color of choice!)

**WINNER MUST "LIKE" INCHBUG ON FACEBOOK TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE GIFT CARD**

ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY: You must complete the mandatory entry before completing any other entries! All other entries are optional, but the more you complete, the better chance you have at winning! Leave one comment per entry and a way for me to contact you if you win.

1) Mandatory: Follow Inchbug on facebook. You MUST do this in order to be eligible!

2) Follow n.c. baby blog via google friends connect (or tell me if you aleady do)

3) Follow n.c. baby blog on facebook

4) Share this link on Facebook ( you can do this once daily!)

5) Blog about this giveaway and leave your link so I can find it! (+3 entries, leave 3 comments)

6) Follow Inchbug on Twitter and tweet this giveaway! (you can do this once daily!)

7) Purchase anything from Inchbug during the giveaway period (+5 entries, leave 5 comments)

8) Enter any of my other CURRENT giveaways ( 1 entry for each giveaway entered)

9) Subscribe to n.c. baby blog via email (on right side of blog)

10) Add my n.c. baby blog button to your blog! (+3 entries, leave 3 comments!)

GOOD LUCK!!! Giveaway will close 5/1 at 11:59 pm EST. Giveaway is open to U.S. and CANADA residents only. Winner will be picked the following day by Random.org and will be emailed and announced on the blog. Winner has 48 hours to confirm their prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Thank you to Inchbug for providing the sample and the giveaway prize!

Inchbug provided samples for my review and the prize for my readers. No other compensation was recieved. All opinions are 100 percent my own.

Dabib winner announced...

The winner for the Dabib is......



#31 Clauss House


Congrats Ashley! Winner has 48 hours to claim her prize, otherwise I will have to pick a new winner. Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway, and stay tuned for some great new giveaways coming up!

Monday, April 4, 2011

Softplay baby and childrens books- Review and Giveaway!

We love reading at our house and it seems I can never get enough books for {B}. I think we go through all of his books at least once daily! I highly encourage starting babies reading at an early age, but I have found at times that I wish books were lighter, smaller, and easier for babies to handle. Thats why I contacted SoftPlay! SoftPlay makes books especially for tiny hands. SoftPlay makes soft cloth books that help develop essential motor skills and early language development for baby. The bright colors, familiar shapes, and animal pictures hold baby's attention and encourage learning new words and phrases. Each book has a plastic take-along ring as an added bonus for easy attachment to carseats, strollers, shopping carts, or wherever baby might want to read while they are on the go!







I was sent 3 book sets to review (12 books!)






-Baby's First Cloth Books




When I first opened the boxes of the books I was sent to review, I was really surprised at how soft they were! No need to worry about baby dropping the books on baby's face during a diaper change, or getting a papercut, or even a scratch! These are so soft, adorable, and are surface washable. I also love how the words encourage baby to learn new words, colors, and animals. {B} can't get enough of them and is continually bringing them over to me to read to him! I love the fact that they have the ring on them as well, so nice to be able to clip them to his stroller, and he can't throw them out like he likes to do with everything! If you don't have any of these books, you are definitely missing out. They are perfect for the beginning reader and also could make a GREAT baby shower gift!


























Buy Them: These book sets that I reviewed are currently available for a very limited time only at Costco and Sam's Club.




WIN THEM! SoftPlay has generously offered one lucky reader of n.c. baby blog ALL 3 sets of books that I was able to review ( 12 Books total!)


ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY: This giveaway has TWO required entries! You must complete the mandatory entries before completing any other entries! All other entries are optional, but the more you complete, the better chance you have at winning! Leave one comment per entry.




1) Mandatory Entry: Head on over to the SoftPlay Facebook page and Like them!




2) Mandatory Entry: Go over to the SoftPlay Website and tell me what other books you like!






3) Follow n.c. baby blog (or tell me if you aleady do)












5) Share this link on Facebook or Twitter ( you can do both of these once daily!)






6) Blog about this giveaway and leave your link so I can find it! (+3 entries, leave 3 comments)










8) Enter any of my other CURRENT giveaways ( 1 entry for each giveaway entered)






9) Subscribe to n.c. baby blog via email ( on right side of blog)






10) Add my n.c. baby blog button to your blog! (+3 entries, leave 3 comments!)




GOOD LUCK!!! Giveaway will close 4/22 at 11:59 pm EST. Giveaway is open to U.S. and CANADA residents only. Winner will be picked the following day by Random.org and will be emailed and announced on the blog. Winner has 48 hours to confirm their prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Thank you to SoftPlay for providing the samples and the giveaway prize!




SoftPlay provided samples for my review and the prize for my readers. No other compensation was recieved. All opinions are 100 percent my own.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

the Boogie Wipes giveaway winner is...

The winner of the Boogie Wipes is... #11...CJ .... Congrats!!!!


I believe this is Cassandra Fugal (by looking at your blog and facebook?) but I do not have an email address or way to contact you, so please email me at ncbabyblog{at}gmail{dot}com or leave a comment in this post with your email address to claim your prize. If I don't hear from you within 48 hours I will have to pick a new winner. And to all readers, just for future reference, please leave a way to contact you if you enter the giveaways! It makes it a lot easier for me so I dont have to track you down and you dont miss out on awesome prizes!! Thanks so much yall! I appreciate you reading and entering the giveaways! And thanks to Boogie Wipes for providing the samples and giveaway prizes!