Summer Weight Zippadee-Zip Giveaway

The Baby Sleep Solution on Warm Nights: The Summer Weight Zippadee-Zip by Sleeping Baby

Whether you are a mom of one or a mom to many, sleep is a topic you cannot run from. When baby sleeps, mommy sleeps. And all is well with the world.

As a mommy of three, I love sharing tips that have helped make my life easier. There are only a handful of items that I'd grab if my house were on fire, and I am confident enough to say that this item is one of them.

Lucy is my baby girl. After having two boys, she is definitely the princess in our home. And from day one, she acted like one. She hated the swaddle (I'm pretty sure she thought she was being put in a straight jacket) but also had a strong moro relflex (you know when baby suddenly flails her arms like she is falling and wakes herself up crying). My husband and I would pull out all the tricks; sound machine, dark room, swaddle, shushing, swinging, etc. And the second we put our head on the pillow, she would arch her back and start to cry. Lucy was up every hour. She was restless, tired and never slept longer than 45 minutes. We were desperate and willing to do anything to help baby sleep. After eight long weeks, way too much coffee and tirelessly scanning through online mommy support groups, I kept coming across the name Zipadee-Zip and was excited to find a product unlike anything I had seen before.

The Zipadee-Zip is wearable blanket. But it differs from other sleep sacks because the hands and feet are closed in. The Zipadee-Zip makes baby feel secure enough to stifle their moro reflex, but still allows them to roll around, sleep with their hands above their head and even sit up, crawl and move about their crib.

My daughter Lucy is now eleven months old. And she sleeps like an angel. Her Zipadee-zip is her best buddy. When I pull it out of her drawer she immediately cuddles it to her face, closes her eyes and gives me a ear to ear smile. The key is SHE KNOWS IT IS SLEEP TIME WHEN I PULL OUT HER ZIPPY. And for this reason, I am forever indebted to Sleeping Baby and Stephanie Parker, the creator of this amazing product. The Zipadee-Zip helps Lucy self soothe and she is able to put herself back to sleep when she wakes up throughout the night.

So often, sleep experts and pediatricians emphasize how important it is to stick to a sleep routine and have specific cues for baby to understand when it is time for a nap or time to go to sleep for the night. The Zipadee-Zip has been just that for little Lucy. And I am so grateful.


Stephanie and her crew at Sleeping Baby have just debuted their newest version of the Zipadee-Zip, the Summer Weight Zipadee-Zip. It is a summer weight version that is lighter and more breathable for baby girl during hot or humid evenings. The fabric is thinner and cooler for baby when it's warm. I'm so excited for Lucy to use her new ladybug Zippadee-Zip this summer to keep her comfy and snuggly without having to cover her in blankets or worry about her getting overheated.

Here are some of the things Lucy likes best about her Zippadee-Zip:

1. SLEEP - it helped her transition from the swaddle and taught her to self soothe, making her a happy sleeping baby.

2. Travel - Lucy knows it's time to sleep when she sees her Zippadee-Zip, which encourages her normal sleep routine even if we are traveling in a car, plane or just staying over night at Nana's.

3. Germ Free - While traveling on planes, or walking in the door from a long day at the park or museum, Lucy can go straight into her Zippadee-Zip and I know she won't be transferring germs from the day into her mouth because her little fingers are covered up.

4. Carseat Compatible - The Zippadee-Zip is shaped like a starfish allowing Lucy to be safely buckled while wearing it. This has saved us on long carrides because she knows after a bout of crying that once I pull out her Zippadee-Zip and put her back into her carseat, she can self soothe and fall peacefully asleep.

5. Safety - The use of loose bedding materials such as blankets and pillows have been attributed to an increased risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Sydrome). The Zippadee-Zip allows Lucy to sleep with her wearable blanket without having to be covered by a loose one. It has also been so helpful when baby is sick. During nights when Lucy is feverish, it is perect to be able to put her in just a diaper and zip her up in her Zippadee-Zip without worrying that she'll be chilly or overheated.

We thank you Sleeping Baby!!

 

Do you want to win a free Zipadee-Zip?!!! Sleeping Baby is giving you a chance to win one for free, just by following these three simple steps:

1. Like Zipadee-Zip Slumber Sacks and Thanks for this crazy beautiful life on Facebook.

2. Sign up to follow my blog by email: Thanks for this crazy beautiful life.

3. Visit www.sleepingbaby.com to pick your favorite Zipadee-Zip and post it as a comment under this review. 

Yes, we do check before announcing a winner :) If you do not win, and you would like to purchase a new Zipadee-Zip, please feel free to use this code: SLEEP at checkout for $2 off your next order. 

 Sleeping Baby Website: http://www.sleepingbaby.com

     Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zipadeezip-Slumber-Sacks-wwwzipadeezipcom/140978145992706

    Twitter: http://twitter.com/ZipadeeZip

    Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ZipadeeZip

Delicious & Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Today was the day after day light savings and the kids were dragging all day long. It was the perfect day for chocolate, the perfect day for baking. I'd been wanting to try a recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod. Maria's whole wheat oatmeal chocoloate chip cookies are made with coconut oil. I'd never tried a chocolate chip cookie recipe that used only whole wheat flour (and it turned out so YUMMY!). And I'm new to baking with coconut oil and I'm sold! The combination of whole wheat flour moistoned by the coconut oil, add old fashoined oats, chocolate and a little sea salt...this recipe is to die for!

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Made with Coconut Oil

ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, softened (not melted)
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Sea salt, for sprinkling on cookies

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together softened coconut oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat until smooth. Add in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.

4. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Don't overmix. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips by hand.

5. Form the cookie dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons of dough. Place on prepared baking sheet, 2-inches apart. Flaten the tops of each cookie just slightly with the soft side of your thumb and sprinkle it with sea salt. Bake for 13 minutes or until cookies are slightly golden around the edges and soft in the center. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

These cookies are still delicious after sitting out for 2 days, but if you've got any left over after that, I recommend sticking them in the freezer. 

I hope you enjoy these cookies that deliver the perfect combination of sweet and salty. 

Brothers

I've caught myself tearing up multiple times over this dang commercial. If you haven't seen it, I recommend you take the 30 seconds to watch it. The resemblance that the boys have to my Jack and Nate is uncanny. It's priceless. 

I was curious to see if they'd enjoy watching it together. So over their waffles and orange juice this morning, they must of watched it a dozen times. They thought it was hilarious that someone took  "a video of them when they are daddies." When I asked Jack if he liked it, he told me "Nathan and I will always need each other." Dear Lord, hand me the tissues! '-)

Homie's Got Some Moves

Homie's got some moves...

Embracing Change

Every morning my four-year-old crawls into bed with me to cuddle while the sun rises.

Today, after a few minutes of impatience, for the first time, he decided that he would make himself breakfast.

After a few minutes passed, intrigued, I pulled myself out of bed, curious to see what I'd find him doing; only to discover a sweet little boy helping himself to Sunday morning cartoons and a donut.

You'd think the fact that he's grown four inches in the past three months would allow me to accept that my once chubby toddler is now a independent, growing boy. But it definitely seems easier for him to embrace the fact that he is a "big" boy than it is for his Momma.

As his baby brother napped today, we made chocolate chip cookies while enjoying one another's company. We laughed and teased while I answered the endless rounds of questions he had about the world. I am so proud and honored to share these special little moments with my "big" boy. He is becoming a person I relate to and truly have fun sharing time with.

It's bizarre being a mommy. Once you've finally accepted that you are the mother to this adorable little being, you blink, and they're grown. You never quite have the time to embrace or get used to any one phase. 

And so, with this season of growth, my new focus will be to embrace the change, cherish the sweet cuddles and kisses, encourage the "little" person he is becoming, and guide him steadily as we make our way together through this crazy beautiful life.

Enjoy the little things

Experiencing tragedy always reminds us what's important.
And after a day like today, I am forced to count my blessings. 
God has a way of doing that to us.
I truly believe that it's amongst the dark times, that we are ultimately faced with the choice to rejoice in the little things or wallow in our sorrows. 

As the traumatic visions flashed my television this afternoon, I was reminded of 9/11 and that we cannot allow the terrorists to win. For if we allow the tragedy to darken our days, we are only granting the killers a power over our lives.

Very little is needed to make a happy life. And that's the beauty. Each day is a gift. As cliche as it sounds, take a moment to give a kind word, smile, dance with your husband, hold hands, laugh with your kids, and remember it's these little things that are truly significant and matter the most. 

Sweet dreams and God bless you.

Top Ten Reasons 3-Year-Old T Ball Is Worth It

So yes, I am that mom. The one that gets overly enthusiastic at the prospect of my 3-year-old little boy playing sports. Every season, I try to convince my husband, who not only played semi-pro but also works as a sportscaster, that our kid is old enough to play and can handle it.

And as usual, (shhh, don't tell him) he was probably right. I may have been a bit over zealous. To get the whole family up and out of the door on a Saturday morning before 8am, there's got to be quite a love for the game. Sacrificing our Saturdays, utterly exhausted and usually covered in mud and sweat...makes one ask the question, was it worth it?

Well, our first season of T Ball is under our belts and looking back, there were a few pretty awesome moments that I have to say made it well worth it for me....

1) Watching my son hit the baseball for the first time on the field and subsequently running to the pitcher's mound instead of first base.

2) Witnessing my sweet 3-year-old be part of a team 
and truly loving his teammates.

3) Hot, Venti Starbucks.

4) Hearing our little player talk about how excited he is 
for his next game.

5) Our little buddy catching his first ground ball, 
only to throw it randomly to the dugout.

6) Crying after the next game because 

he didn't catch a ground ball.

7) Watching him field his own hit 

(awesome buddy, awesome).

8) Midway through the season, our little player tells us, "Mom, Dad, do you know what my favorite part of T Ball is?!   -The Snacks!!"

9) Battling my 1-year-old (the entire game) from running out on the field and playing with his big brother.

10) And last but not least, experiencing my athlete husband's unending patience while teaching his 3-year-old son how to play (with little retention) but even more so, the pride and excitement they share for the love of the game and each other.