n.c. baby blog's Tip of the Week

I'm going to try and do a tip of the week! Whether its baby related, being money savvy, or just a random thought of mine, Im going to see how it goes! If you have any good tips, email them to me at ncbabyblog@gmail.com

Tip #1: GET OUT YOUR VIDEO CAMERA. TODAY.

When was the last time you got out your REAL video camera? I'm not talking about iphone video cameras, or randomly on your ipad. Im talking the real deal???

When {B} was born, I was really good about taking actual videos of him. I stayed pretty good with filming him the first year of his life. Now slowly, I have definitely taken a slow down on the recording, and when I wanted to make a video of the first 2 years of his life, I had a hard time finding actual good footage of him closer to 2 years! I treasure the videos I have of him when he was teeny tiny, with his big blue eyes and drool running down his chin; but are we getting those silly words on film? What about those funny habits he or she picked up from you? Have you gotten them singing their favorite song? I think when it comes down to it, those are the things we are going to want to hold close to our hearts in the long run.

So I challenge you to get out your video camera today! Are you going swimming? Take the big camera with you! Going to the park? Maybe you will get something funny on camera! You  just never know. And in 10 years from today, you might write me an email, thanking me for the challenge. Because these are the times we don't want to forget!

What to Expect When You're Expecting Review & GIVEAWAY~ 2 WINNERS!

There is nothing better than having an instruction manual for new things, and this is exactly what the What to Expect series is for us as parents! When I got pregnant with {B}, I IMMEDIATELY drove to Wal-Mart and picked up a copy of What to Expect When You're Expecting. I had heard from my best friends that this was the best of the best of pregnancy books, and that I HAD to have it. This book would be my pregnancy bible...from those first stages where your baby is only the size of a poppyseed, to the first kick, to the Braxton Hicks contractions, to that minute when your sweet little bundle miraculously makes it's way into the world, continuing on with nursing or bottle feeding your baby, and post-natal care for the both of you. Having twins??? Covered. What about my husband, how will he know what to do when I'm not feeling well? And how will he possibly know how to be ready for a baby? Page 472. It's all in there.

                                                          (a few of my own maternity pics)

I will never forge one day when I was pregnant, and the palms of my hands were bright red! I couldn't think of anything I had done to irritate them or make them that way, so I grabbed my What to Expect Book and looked it up. And there was my answer: the estrogen in my body can increase the redness in the palms of my hands! I'm telling you, it is ALL in there!

There are SO many Pregnancy and child books out there, WHY should I choose the What to Expect Series?

-The What to Expect books are the most trusted, best selling pregnancy and childcare guides. According to USA Today, 93% of all pregnant mothers who read a pregnancy guide read What To Expect When You're Expecting. The series has been described as the bible of American pregnancy.

-Over 1.5 million monthly unique visitors to WhatToExpect.com: second-largest audience of moms-to-be online! 

What happens after I have my baby? 


Great news! What To Expect the First Year is the all in one, month by month guide that clearly explains everything you need to know about that first amazing year with your new baby!

Uh Oh...one year old is turning 2...tell me there is another book???

You are in luck! What to expect the 2nd year is the much of the same amazing answers you need in caring for that toddler. Keeping your toddler safe and healthy, all while helping them talk , to managing temper tantrums.

I would highly recommend these books to anyone who is pregnant or has a young toddler. It is so great to have a hard copy of everything you need to know, right there when you need it. And you just never know when your hands might turn bright red. :)

Also, don't forget to check out the What to Expect Website that has insane amounts of helpful information, contests, giveaways and more!

The folks at What to Expect and I have teamed up to bring you an amazing giveaway! TWO of my readers will win a set of all 3 What to Expect books: What to Expect When You're Expecting, What to Expect the First Year, and What to Expect the Second Year! 

ENTER TO WIN! There are TWO Mandatory 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: Tell me which of these books would be most helpful to you or a friend right now?

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

3) Follow n.c. baby blog on facebook

4) Follow What to Expect on Facebook

5) Share this link on Facebook or Tweet about the giveaway ( 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) Pin any picture from this post to Pinterest! Leave the link to you pin.

8) Enter any other of my 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 7/21 at 11:59 pm EST. Giveaway is open to U.S. and CANADA residents only.  2 Winners 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 What to Expect.com for providing samples and the giveaway prize!


What to Expect provided samples for my review and the giveaway prizes for my readers. No other compensation was recieved. All opinions are 100 percent my own.

Kidorable: Review & FREE shipping!!!

Getting kids to clean up their toys is hard, let along cleaning up their clothes! Kidorable makes clean up time fun with their adorable hanger sets for boys and girls!

 From ladybugs, to frogs, to princesses and more! Kidorable has hanger sets for every type of kid. Your child will love hanging up their clothes on these hand painted, hand carved and unique hangers. Suddenly cleaning up clothes just got more fun! These hangers also make a great gift! This is certainly a gift that will be used over and over again. The hangers range in size from newborn to three years, and four years and up.

We were sent the set of 6 Transportation Hangers for toddlers to review! Let me just tell you that {B} is obsessed with these hangers. In fact, he really thinks they are toys and not hangers. He will ask to play with the hangers every day and drives and flies them around like cars and planes. Upon arrival at our new home in Iowa, I finally got a chance to use them as hangers instead of toys, and they are so great. They are so sturdy and durable! I am used to hanging {B}'s clothes on those plastic hangers that come on the clothes from the stores, so this was a HUGE step up for us! The clothes slide right on and don't slip down or off. They are so darling and painted with exceptional detail. I will definitely be buying more of these hangers!

Starting July 1st, Kidorable is offering FREE SHIPPING on every order through July 8th in celebration of our nation's birthday! Take advantage of this offer to snag some awesome hangers of your own! Use code JULY4TH at checkout.

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

Get Excited!

Hey friends, sorry I have been MIA the past few weeks. I have currently moved from North Carolina all the way to Iowa, and I am now just getting access to the internet. Not fun. Just wanted to get you excited about a new review and giveaway I have coming up! I am a big fan of the What to Expect Series, and I hope you will be too! Head on over HERE to check out what's in store. Stay tuned! :)

Winner Announced!

The winner of the My First Crayola Prize Pack is...

#169- LauraJJ

Thanks SO much everyone for entering! We had a great response to this giveaway and I hope to have many more great ones coming up! Don't forget to enter the Jefferies Socks giveaway for a chance to win a grab bag of socks in your choice of gender/size!

Kidorable Backpacks Review & Promotion- 20% OFF through May 31!

You probably remember my Kidorable reviews from earlier this year and last. We are huge Kidorable fans at our house, and lucky for us there is an awesome promotion going on right now through the end of May that you are not going to want to miss!

Kidorable makes adorable clothing and accessories for children. From boots, umbrellas, raincoats, mittens and scarves, each item is made with super high-quality, with children in mind. We have reviewed their rainboots in the past, and we have loved them! They have held up so great over the past year, I can't wait to buy more as {B} gets older.

We were just sent the Frog Kids Backpack to review in conjunction with this promotion! When I opened the backpack, I was immediately in love. It was the perfect size for a toddler, so cute, and so practical! When I first got it I thought it might be too small, but after putting it on {B}, and watching the things he put inside it, my doubts were ceased. He fit his lovey, his sippy cup, 2 small stuffed animals and some crayons inside it on his first try. He was SO excited that he has his OWN bag to put his own toys and treats in! And I am so excited for our outings now... he can carry his own gear! :) There are a few pockets as well, inside and out. And the thing I love most about this backpack is the frog that is attached to the zipper, making it very easy for a younger toddler to have access to the inside of his bag. Check out a few of the other styles they have as well!

These backpacks are perfect for the beach, the pool, the park, school, or just everyday play. Right now Kidorable is offering 20% OFF all of their kids backpacks with the code BACKPACK99 at checkout. Place the backpack in the cart first, before applying the code BACKPACK99. This promotion cannot be combined with any other offers.


BUY IT: Head on over to Kidorable and enter BACKPACK99 at checkout! Enjoy!

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

Jefferies Socks- Review & Giveaway

If you don't remember the amazing review for Jefferies Socks I was able to do last year here on n.c. baby blog, then you are in luck! Because I was able to review for them again, and this time was even better than the first!

Jefferies Socks is based in Burlington, North Carolina ( which is not too far from where I live!) and has so many fun and unique things to offer for men, women, children, and baby alike. As I mentioned before, finding affordable, high quality socks is a huge chore for me. Especially for children. Either there are disney characters plastered all over them, they are too thin, too tight, or just plain boring, finding socks can be quite the pain. Well, look no further, because Jefferies Socks has something for everyone. Simple, fun, classy, you name it.

They also have these adorable crochet booties for babies that are a new addition to the other socks that they offer! In my opinion, there is nothing more important than keeping a new baby or infant in comfortable, warm clothing, and socks should not be overlooked. Each set of booties are HAND CROCHETED by someone, and each set are soft, sweet, and not to mention, simply adorable. They even have cute ones for boys, which like I always say, are hard to come by!

We were sent a few more big boy socks to try out for our review. I of course had to ask for the Transportation Triple Treat set of 3 socks, since {B} is in a choo choo and cars phase. We also reviewed a low-cut sock in the Rough & Tough Low Cut Triple Treat set. These are for your hard-core little skater boy! I love the funky and trendy patterns, {B} is like one of the big boys now. :)

These are only a few of the many, many types of socks Jefferies Socks has to offer! From lace, to fashion tights, to organic, seamless, active, and holiday sets, this company is truly one of a kind.

Buy It: Head on over to Socks in Stock (Jefferies Socks e-retailer) to buy any of these socks, and see all of their varieties!

Win It! Jefferies Socks has generously offered one of my readers a grab bag of socks (similar to what I recieved!) in their choice of gender and size! (NB-10 yrs old) A $30 VALUE!!!

ENTER TO WIN! There are TWO Mandatory 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: Like Jefferies Socks on Facebook and tell them n.c. baby blog sent you!

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

3) Follow n.c. baby blog on facebook

4) Follow Jefferies Socks on Twitter

5) Share this link on Facebook or Tweet about the giveaway ( 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) Pin any picture from this post to Pinterest! Leave the link to you pin.

8) Enter any other of my 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 6/10 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 Jefferies Socks for providing samples and the giveaway prize!


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