Drool Baby  Expo is one of my VERY favorite events all year, and I’m very excited to be attending again this year.  Actually, who am I KIDDING?  Like I’d miss it……

This year I do not want YOU to miss it.  I’m giving away ONE VIP TICKET and ONE VALUE TICKET (perfect for a spouse or companion).

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When I speak at events around the country, I try to inform people of how to make better choices when buying and where their money should go.  I break the categories of products down, but I also think there are 6 definite products where your money should be invested:  car seat, stroller, breast pump, mattress, diapers, and baby carrier.  These are products that will get more use than most or where higher degrees of safety is needed, so investing the bulk of your  hard-earned cash in these 6 categories is pretty important…at least in my opinion.

Since it’s almost Mother’s Day, I thought I’d cover these for one lucky mom, so I contacted a few friends and they agreed to help me out.

Car Seat:

Why not just use the Clek Foonf?  Suitable from 6 months until 65 pounds, with an unbelievable rear-facing weight limit of 50 pounds, the Foonf is one of my favorite car seats on the market.  With it’s REACT technology and GreenGuard Certified fabrics, there’s safety in the mechanics and the fabrics touching your nugget’s skin.  Check out  my IN-DEPTH VIDEO REVIEW for more info!!

Stroller:

I’m a big fan of UPPAbaby, so I shot them a note.  The UPPAbaby Cruz is their newest entry in their line of strollers and it’s a great option for people who want a lighter-weight stroller with style and durability.  Suitable from birth through 50 pounds, the Cruz offers a reversible seat, amazing sun protection, suspension in all 4 wheels, a compact fold, and much more–all in a 22 pound stroller.

Breast Pump:

It’s no secret around here that I am a big Hygeia fan and advocate.  It’s shareable, recyclable, efficient, quiet, and the LBI has a rechargeable battery so you’re not tethered to a wall.  It’s my number one recommended pump, and I want you to nail it. So, my friends at Hygeia have donated the Enjoye LBI pump for the lucky winner of this contest.

Mattress:

Too many people spend insane amounts of money on the crib and don’t think twice about buying a lesser-quality mattress.  Guess what your baby (hopefully) sleeps on??  Not the crib.  Investing in a quality, non-toxic mattress is paramount to me and I reached out to naturalmat.  Made of organic coconut coir and lambswool, the coco mat is one of the highest-quality mattresses made.  The wool is also soaked in a mixture of lemon, lavender, and eucalyptus, which makes it anti-dustmite.  No synthetic materials means no worries for the parent or baby, and I am THRILLED that they have generously offered the coco mat for the giveaway.  Let that nugget sleep in non-toxic comfort, and you’ll (hopefully) sleep better as well.

Diapers:

People often overlook this category when allocating money for baby essentials, but diapers aren’t cheap.  If you’re doing disposable, hybrid, or cloth, make sure you’re well-stocked.  One tip for buying cloth diapers is to buy a couple each month before you deliver to help break up the cost.  I normally don’t get into cloth diapers on my site (I send people to Dirty Diaper Laundry for information), but I recently attended the Great Cloth Diaper Change in Denver and got to hang out with the wonderful team at Rumparooz.  I *might* have even worn a very oversized version of their diaper.  I’m just sayin.  Their diapers are terrific, come in a TON of great prints, and have patented double inner gussets to combat leaks and blowouts.  Angry Baby LOVES his.

This set of Rumparooz includes:

• One-size Rumparooz Snap pocket diaper in Dexter

• One-size Rumparooz Snap pocket diaper in Quinn

• One-size Rumparooz Aplix pocket diaper in Crimson

• One-size Rumparooz Aplix pocket diaper in Pumpkin

• One-size Rumparooz Snap pocket diaper in Peacock

• One-size Rumparooz Snap pocket diaper in Phantom

• Kanga Care wet bag in Dexter

• Kanga Care wet bag in Quinn

Baby Carrier:

There are many reasons to love babywearing, but one sticks out:  because it’s my favorite feeling EVER to have a sleeping baby strapped to my chest.  It’s like nature’s Valium.  I miss wearing babies all the time, and I never pass up the opportunity to wear a kiddo.  Boba absolutely nails it in the carrier department, so I’m thrilled to offer a Boba 3G to round-out my product selection.  It’s comfortable, it’s easy-to-use, and it’s cute.

So let’s break this down:

UPPAbaby Cruz

Clek Foonf

Hygeia Enjoye LBI

Naturalmat Coco Mat

Boba 3G

Rumparooz Bundle

I think you’ve got your bases covered.  This is a package worth nearly $2,000.  As always, if you win something you cannot use PLEASE donate or gift it to someone who can.  Spread.  The.  Love.

I’m VERY excited to offer these products I’ve hand-picked for one lucky mother to win.  Hopefully this will ease the stress of parenthood for one lucky family.   Have a GREAT week and a wonderful Mother’s Day.  Details to enter contest are below.  GOOD LUCK!!  Contest begins May 6th and ends at MIDNIGHT on Sunday, May 12th.

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Weighing in at a lovely 14.5 pounds, the Snap 4 is a lightweight option that gives you a smooth ride and many features you’d expect in a heavier stroller.  Suitable from birth-44 pounds, the Valco Baby Snap 4 has a terrific recline and nice-sized seat.  Like other Valco strollers, the Snap 4 also features their harness which requires that you push it down before it unsnaps, which means little hands have a harder time Houdini-ing out of the stroller.

The canopy is large and has their ExpandaHood panel built in, which allows you to expand the canopy with a simple unzip.  The canopy also has a couple peek-a-boo windows, so you can always keep an eye on your little troublemaker.  Another great feature is the Vogue hood, which allows you to choose from one of 9 colors to switch up your color scheme!

The generous undercarriage bag allows you to stow plenty of things you might need to carry around with you, or a dog…whichever you prefer.  The wheels are foam and there is no wheel-based suspension, but it actually has a fairly smooth ride.  The handle is not height-adjustable, but the height is set at a nice height and angle to accommodate people of various heights.  The brake is also engaged and released by stepping down, so it’s great for flip-flops.

The fold is one-handed, and quite compact to boot.  There’s a gray button on the left side that you press in and then you squeeze the gray handle trigger.  It simply folds right down and has an automatic lock on the chassis.  The Snap 4 also uses Valco’s Clean Fold technology–which means the stroller folds inward instead of outward, and helps keep the seat from getting dirty.  For transport there’s a handle, but there’s also a GREAT shoulder strap which allows you to tote it around like a boss.  Using a separate adaptor, you can snap your infant car seat right on top, which makes this a pretty terrific little travel system.

Overall, the Valco Baby Snap 4 is a great little stroller.  No crazy bells and whistles, no crazy gadgets–just good stroller-making.  At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.  The Valco Baby Snap 4 is available at Magic Beans for $279.99.

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I flew away to the UK along with Rebecca Gruber from POPSUGAR, Nicole Feliciano from Mom Trends, and one of my absolute favorite people in the business, Elisabeth Bergoo from Regal Lager (America’s CYBEX distributor).  We did a bit of sightseeing the day prior to the event, including a trip on the London Eye, and I had photo missions of my own to accomplish (which you’ve seen if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook–Royal Guard Selfies FTW).

Jeremy Scott (from aforementioned Britney video and the awesome ADIDAS shoes with wings Teddy Bears on the tongues, amongst many other things) and CYBEX have teamed up to launch a set of prints with a Food Fight theme that launch this summer in Europe and the US.  Covering the existing line of CYBEX products (including the Callisto, Onyx, 2.GO Carrier, and Aton), the print is a very fun mix of foods going AT IT against a bright blue background.  I’d seen images prior to the event, and was concerned the print was going to be overwhelming and too busy.  In-person, I am happy to say it’s TOTALLY fun and gender-neutral.

The party took place at Shoreditch Studios in London, and was definitely the place to be seen that night.  The drinks were terrific (and I had them ALL–thank you very much) and the food was based on the print with pretzels, popcorn, and sliders (giving you something to soak up those CYBEX Mules that I had about 40 of).   At the party I was also able to catch up with Martin and Johannes, the owners of CYBEX.  They’re great guys and VERY enthusiastic about the industry and this new collaboration.  It’s about time a manufacturer just went full out and made a really cool print for kids.  I’m excited to see how this line does once it hits our shores in a few months.

I had a blast, and cannot thank CYBEX enough for including me.

***Disclaimer:  I was not paid for this post, but CYBEX covered all of my travel expenses to and from London***

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The biggest buzz at last year’s ABC Kids Expo was the launch of the UPPAbaby Mesa infant car seat.  This is UPPAbaby’s first time to launch something outside of the stroller world, but they have completely nailed it.  Below is my video review from the actual show and a few pics with details about the UPPAbaby Mesa.

But first, a few points:

–Compatible, for now, with the UPPAbaby Vista and Cruz strollers (the Vista adapters are included with the Mesa)

–Weight of the Mesa (without base) is 11.3 lbs

–Suitable from 4-35 lbs and up to 32 inches

–Infant insert for low birthweight babies weighing 4-11 lbs

–Available in 4 colors (tangerine, teal, wheat, and black)

–The Mesa’s SmartSecure installation system allows for a proper installation in 10-30 seconds.  Seriously.  I can do it sitting down.

The UPPAbaby Mesa launches in June and retails for $279.99 (which isn’t bad, considering you won’t have to buy adapters for UPPAbaby strollers), and is available for pre-order at Magic Beans.

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What is this technology?  Watch the video below.

Imagine installing a forward-facing car seat using a car’s seatbelt and minimal effort. A belt-tensioning plate pops up from the frame of the Britax Frontier 90 or Pinnacle, you thread the seatbelt across and buckle, and then press the plate down. That’s it. No pulling. No tugging. It’s that simple. The Britax Frontier 90 is a game-changer in the way seats are installed, and will be terrific news for elderly or disabled users who might have problems with traditional installation.

The Britax Frontier 90 and Pinnacle will both be tremendous once the new LATCH weight limits change, and this Click Tight technology will allow for a nearly foolproof installation every time. You still get the same high harness slots of the Frontier with a whopping 90 pound weight limit in harness mode, and the Pinnacle has the SICT Technolgy built into the sides. A new feature in both seats is the inclusion of Britax SafeCell technology, which is basically a honeycomb under the seat which lowers center of gravity and absorbs crash forces in a collision.

The Britax Frontier 90 and Pinnacle  launch in late Spring.

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Snatched: (noun) a six-week fitness education intensive slash total body makeover (Text from Mark Fisher)

This is where I get very personal.

A little over four years ago something happened to me. Something that made me feel unattractive, disgusting, and completely horrible about myself. Without getting into it, I went into a fairly bad depression for over a year, and it’s something I still deal with on occasion. It’s awful to think that one event or one person could make somebody feel so completely worthless, especially to someone who was nearly thirty years old at the time, but it happened. To try to focus my negative energy and feelings of complete despair, I threw myself into my work: working as a personal shopper at a baby store.

This event was what kickstarted my career. I loved helping people and what I did, don’t get me wrong, but I KNEW that if I became an authority in my field that people would value me again—and they did. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE what I do—and I never expected to. Honestly. It was a survival job, and ended up being about SURVIVAL in every way possible: physically, financially, and emotionally. I felt self-worth again after over a year of feeling like the human incarnation of Eeyore. I have stumbled upon the coolest and most rewarding career EVER, and there’s not a day that goes by that I am not grateful. I thank all of YOU for this, as you guys are truly what keeps me going.

But to keep going on, it’s time to make time for myself. I give, and will continue to give, FIVE BILLIONTY percent of myself to what I do. Right now I’m exhausted. I’m burnt-out. I’m spread incredibly thin. I’m still having a blast, but I am so busy and invested that I don’t feel like “Jamie” anymore—and that’s scary. I need to find a way back to that.

Snatched at Mark Fisher Fitness is going to be my ticket.

Over the next six weeks I’ll be working out 5 days a week, monitoring EVERYTHING I eat (190 grams of protein a day?? no alcohol??  whaaaaat???), and focusing on my own needs. In turn, I’m positive that this will give me the much-needed energy boost that I crave. Along the way, I’ll be sharing my progress and pics of smoothies. I know you’re excited about that.

I’m CRAAAAAAZY backed-up with product right now. So, to phil&teds, Mountain Buggy, Valco, Diono, Chicco, Maclaren, and several other companies whose boxes are sitting in my apartment right now: I apologize (I also apologize to my roommates). Trust me, the reviews will come out. They’ll kick-ass because there’s some great sh*t in my apartment right now. I just need time to ground myself. I love you all. I mean it.

I’ll still continue with my traveling and speaking engagements with Bump Club, Gearapalooza, and other groups.  I’ll be in Boston soon for another event with Magic Beans. I just received my first assignments for BabyTalk Magazine, which I am SUPER pumped about, and my weekly column with allParenting will continue. I’ll still be contributing to StrollerTraffic, and hopefully I’ll have some news for you all soon regarding another project I have to be quiet about right now. Facebook will be my focus “work-wise” from here on out, at least for the next six weeks. While I work on myself, let’s work on expanding THIS community. I’m OBSESSED with you all, so let’s really nail it.

I need to relax.

I need to feel healthy.

I need to feel like me again.

To Mark, Brian, Kyle, and the rest of the Ninja Clubhouse staff: get ready. Hold me accountable. Kick my ass. Help me find myself again. I’m already blessed that you’re my friends and family, now I want to witness firsthand what you’ve already done for so many others who’ve taken Snatched. Change me. Center me. All who take Snatched come to you because we need a change—it’s more than exercise and diet. It’s something deeper. Help us figure out what that is.

I’ll see you Tuesday at 4:30.

To my community here: get ready. YOU hold me accountable as well. We all know I’ll need your encouragement as I embark on this overhaul. At 34 I am going to try to hit restart on my life.

Let’s do this.

I love you all.

The post Why I Am Getting Snatched appeared first on Baby Guy Gear Guide.

I saw the Nuna Zaaz while in New Zealand, and when I found out the company was finally going to be peddling their wares here in the USA, I was so excited to get to play with this chair a bit more. Now I am excited for everyone to have the chance to buy it.

First thing that matters: is it easy to clean? YES. Yes it is. Featuring a foam pad with no seams or creases, the seat is incredibly easy to wipe-down as well as being comfortable for your little muncher. The tray is dishwasher-safe (and will actually fit in the dishwasher and not take all the space), and can detach for eating directly at the table. The 5-point-harness is also easy to pop out to clean using a plastic “key” located on the back of the chair–you simply push it in the slots where the harnesses are secured and the straps pop out. This also allows for easy conversion of the harness from a 5-pt to a 3-pt.

The Nuna Zaaz is also height-adjustable, and uses a lever in the footrest to adjust. Speaking of adjusting, it is truly a chair that grows with your child. Six months-220 pounds. That’s a LOT of bang for your buck.

The Nuna Zaaz is available now from Magic Beans and other retailers for $249.99. It’s awesome. Seriously. The Zaaz is, without a doubt, in my top 5 high chairs currently on the market.

Now enter to win one

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The Nuna Leaf is suitable from birth-over 100 lbs.  Depending on what you read, the weight limit maxes out around 120-133 lbs.  Using a side-to-side swaying motion (much like a leaf falling from a tree–shocker how that happens, right?), the Nuna Leaf is a smooth and relaxing place for kiddos to hang out.  My nieces are 2 1/2 years old and LOVE hanging out in it.  In fact, we might need a second Leaf because the ladies have “disagreements” over who gets to sit in it.  The seat pad is made of organic textiles, and the seat itself is ventilated for airflow.  It’s a seat for the floor with no crazy bells and whistles–and none are needed.  Great design, terrific quality, and hypnotic movement.  It doesn’t require a lot of writing, so let’s take a looksie at the Nuna Leaf.

Why NOT put my sister in the review as well????

The Nuna Leaf retails for $219.99 and is available from Magic Beans.  Support small and specialty retail, folks

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