Momfluence Summer Guide!

Looking for some great products to make your summer that much more fun and enjoyable? Looking to pamper yourself while the kids are off at camp? Or maybe you’re dealing with summer bumps and bruises. Momfluence has collected some reviews of great products that you need to know about! Check out what our reviewers had to say about these great summer finds. And don’t forget to stop by the Momfluence member giveaways listed at the bottom for some summer winning!

Featured Products

FishBites Swimmies: Spending time in the water is one of the most fun and exciting parts of summer. FishBites Swimmies by Swimways is a great solution to give the little ones the extra security they need in the pool, in a fun and exciting way.

Delsey Helium Fusion Carryon: If you are hitting the road or flying the skies this summer for your family vacation, the Delsey Helium Fusion carry-on offers a lightweight solution for packing your travel essentials.

Do Something Daily Calendar: Tired of hearing the kids say they have nothing to do? The Do Something Daily Calendar offers fun and exciting suggestions for things to do on each and every day of the year. Make memories with your family, every day!

Perlabella Pearls: Want to combat some of the wrinkles caused by sun damage? Perlabella’s Retinol solution helps to fight the signs of aging the can be caused by excessive sun exposure and other factors.

More Summer Fun

• iTurtle
• Playdoh Spaghetti Factory
• Submergency
• Nerf NFL Pro Grip Football
• Super Soaker 50
• Boochie Game
• Good for the Kids
• Talking to Toddlers
• Two Belles and a Bead Engraved Necklace
• Cardstore
• Jumeau Handbags
• Staphaseptic

Member Reviews/Giveaways

• Bonggamom – $50 Tiny Prints Gift Certificate
• IceFairy’s Treasure Chest – KiNeSYS, Purex 3-in-1, and more
• Eccentric, Eclectic Woman – Bra Barrette, Skipping Hippos
• Riding With No Hands – 20 Piece Rubbermaid Set
• Consumer Queen – FurBuster
• Plus Size Mommy Giant Hershey Bar, Zensoy, and more
• Mommy Not Guilty – Kids Banz Sunglasses
• Robyn’s Online World – Kodak Digital Frame
• Simply Being Mommy – EA Sports Active
• Lattes and Life – Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs and Parent’s Choice formula
• Motherhood Moment – Summer Fun
• A Simple Kinda Life – Summer Soiree of Giveaways
• From Cribs to Car Keys – EcoStore $25 gift certificate and more
• Miscellaneous Finds 4 U – Tiny Prints and more

All Momfluence guide reviews are product-provided, featured positions were purchased by vendors. Member reviews and giveaways are not associated with Momfluence.

Find Gifts for Dad on Mom Central’s Father’s Day Gift Guide!

Still stumped for a gift for Father’s Day? My father is the hardest person to shop for; every holiday I find myself scattering all over the place trying to come up with something to give my father that he will actually like. Sure, while I know he will “like” anything I give him because I’m his daughter and all, it’s still a wonderful feeling when you’ve finally found the perfect gift that you know that the giftee is going to be over the moon about! And now not only do I have one difficult man to shop for, I have two!

So if you’re in the same position as I am, you definitely need to check out Mom Central’s Father’s Day Gift Guide! It is full of a bunch of really great gifts that encompass pretty much every type of male personality you can imagine, making it easy to find a great gift for that special man in your life, despite his tastes! The gift guide has gifts for all price ranges from over $100 to under $25, making it extremely affordable to get that perfect gift!

The tent to the right sleeps 7 people and is the exact tent that me and the man were looking out a few weeks ago when we started to think about camping season and when we were going to go this year and I also found something that I know that my father would love–he transformed his basement into a fully stocked bar a few years ago and Gourmet Gift Baskets has this awesome(!) basket full of microbeers! Both of these gifts and other phenomenal choices are all over at the Mom Central Father’s Day Gift Guide so be sure to check it out so you can pick out the perfect gift in time for Father’s Day on June 21st!

Help Name the Comforts Brand FireFly & Win a $10,000 Scholarship to Help Fund Your Child’s Education

Comforts has always provided the very best baby formula possible for your baby, containing all of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients your baby needs for his/her baby’s first year; the formula is fortified with iron and contains the lipids DHA and ARA, the two lipids associated with infant’s mental and visual development. Best of all, Comforts baby formula contains many of the ingredients found naturally in mother’s breast milk, so if you are a new mother who would prefer to breast feed and need a break from nursing and pumping due to sensitivity, if you have trouble lactating, or if you are weening your baby off of your breast and onto formula, this is the perfect formula. Comforts is fortified with choline, contains lactose, and contains the nutrients that help develop the immune system, all of which are found naturally in a mother’s breast milk.

Comforts is running an awesome contest! They are asking for moms and dads across America to help name their Brand FireFly and in doing so, you have the chance to win a $10,000 college scholarship to help fund your child’s college education. This is definitely a worthy cause, since it can potentially help save money on your child’s future education and as we see university prices rise every year, chances are parents are going to need all the help they can get when funding their child’s education.

You can enter the contest online by visiting Comforts for Baby. You must include all of the information requested on the online entry form, including your name for the Comforts FireFly, in 25 characters or less. Every time I look at the Comforts firefly the name Daisy pops into my head; it’s just a really cute name, even though the firefly looks as if it could be a boy firefly… Have a better idea for the Comforts firefly? You should enter the contest!

The winner will be announced online after September 21, 2009, good luck!

SiteWarming for New Parenting Information Site, Mamapedia

It’s 2:00 a.m. and your three month old is crying…a lot. You’re a first time mother, and while you’ve got a ton of questions, you called your mom at 2:00 in the morning last night about that crazy looking diaper, so you’d really like to get through this one on your own.

But where can you turn?

Mamapedia is a new parenting information site that takes the wisdom of thousands and thousands of moms and makes is searchable! You can head to the computer with that screaming infant in your arms and type,

“Why does my baby cry so much at night?”

And this is what you’ll find – an article about a mom who asked a question titled “Sleepless Nights with a 13 week old” and the responses of forty-four moms. You can read those forty-four answers while bouncing your baby, and with a little luck by the time you are through your infant will be fast asleep and you will feel better as well.

To launch this new mom resource, the Momfluence network and Resourceful Mommy are throwing a party. Join us on Twitter this Friday, May 8th, from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. eastern time along with mom experts in a variety of parenting areas: multiples, kid crafting, health and safety, potty training, home schooling and more!

During the party, details about a “What Can I Learn Today?” contest will be revealed…along with the incredible grand prize.

Join Us – RSVP!

This event brought to you by Momfluence: rocking the cradle and shaping the world.

Stop Training Sitters, Put Everyone on the Same Page with By The Book

Every parent will continually be faced with the decision of who they are going to leave their children with when they need a sitter. Many parents have experienced “parent guilt” when leaving their children with a sitter, but there is a great book out that will eliminate any discomforts, doubts, and second thoughts you may have about leaving your children with anyone.

Karen Berg’s By The Book puts parents, their sitter, and their children all on the same page by outlining your child’s daily routine and how they should react to certain circumstances. It is a book full of adorably illustrated pages with the space you need to fill in everything your sitter needs to know about your family and taking care of your children. It comes equipped with pages about how to handle disciplinary actions, what to do in case of an emergency, what to do in case your child is sick, and a page where you can fill in where your sitter can reach you throughout the time they are with your children.

Because of By The Book, you will never be plagued by having to re-write sitter notes or already leave the house and remember that you forgot to tell your sitter something very important. You will never feel as if you have left your child in incapable hands because you know that you gave your sitter everything they need throughout the time you’re gone, and you won’t find yourself calling home every five minutes. By The Book makes it extremely easy to keep all of the pertinent information about your child, their routine, and what to do in case of an emergency all in one place.

By The Book is great for anyone taking care of your children, including babysitters, nannies, work at home moms, moms who work outside of the home, single fathers, grandparents, children with special needs, and so on. You can purchase By The Book in hardcover as well as refills for the book on their website. As a special bonus, you will receive 25% off of your purchase of a hardcover copy of By The Book by using promotional code BTBK7757.

Chic Fashion Question: Bridesmaid Gifts

Ally wrote~ “I’m having a September wedding. What are some fashionable, fun and not too expensive ideas for bridesmaid gifts that are popular right now?”

The classic bridesmaid gift is something that she can wear on the day of the wedding and enjoy after the event. Make sure you enclose a personal note to each one telling them how much it means to you to have them involved in your special day.

After the dress is hung in the closet and the shoes packed away, you want them to have a gift they can use for years to come. Anything monogrammed is nice, but will need to be ordered well in advance. Themed gifts are cute for destination weddings, but long term may not be practical. Combination gifts are popular this year. A make-up bag filled with lip gloss and perfume, a pocket mirror inside a chic evening bag or cozy slippers and a bathrobe definitely show you took extra time to plan a memorable gift.

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Beth is the Editor in Chief of Chic Galleria, a natural extension of her experience in retail sales and special personality – a sincerity that continues to attract business owners, designers, artists, and a plethora of wonderful readers. This veteran school teacher loves to make others feel special, and Chic Galleria is just one of her favorite places to do just that.

What’s in Your Easter Basket?

Easter Sunday is already just one day away. I know a lot of parents will most likely be up late tonight making their children’s Easter baskets, but I went a little Easter basket crazy a few days ago. If I do say so myself, the two baskets I put together for my stepchildren came out great!

What are in your Easter baskets this year? Here’s a picture of the two I made up, do you think I went a little overboard?

Of course our baskets contain the mandatory extreme levels of sugar, which you can’t see because they are buried with a variety of small (and not so small) toys and Easter basket stuffers. Each basket contains one book by Leslie Patricelli, Baby Happy Baby Sad and Higher! Higher! [review here.] They also contain large metallic eggs full of Peeps and Hershey Kisses, candy necklaces and bracelets, Play Doh, two plush toys; one is a small bunny and another is a small bear with bunny ears, both toys are holding small bags of jelly beans, and both basket also contain a My Little Pony.

Don’t forget to check out Amazon MP3’s MP3 of the Day this Sunday to download 150 Fun Songs for Kids for just $0.99. 150 sing-a-long songs are sure to be a huge hit with your kids!

What is the Easter bunny bringing your kids this year? If you already have your Easter baskets done, feel free to share a picture with us!

Easy Easter Craft: Cone Cup Bunny

While Easter is certainly the time to fill baskets for our children with enough candy to put a grown person into a full sugar coma, a book or two, or some small toys or other festive items, it is also a great time to give our children the opportunity to get a little creative as well!

Here is an easy-to-do craft for young children that will definitely be taken out for years to come and used either as a knickknack to decorate an end table or coffee table or even an Easter dinner table centerpiece.

You will need:

• Paper cone cups or construction paper
• Additional construction paper in two colors
• Scissors
• White craft glue
• 2 wiggle eyes
• Craft paint or markers

1. If using cone cups, skip down to step number 2. If using construction paper, roll 2 pieces into cone shapes and glue or tape in place. Trim ends so that cones will stand freely on the table.

2. Take one cone and cut the pointed end off, about 2” from the tip.

3. Add some glue to the narrow end of the cone that you just cut. Insert the other cone; tip first, into the narrow end of the cut cone.

4. Cut two ears from construction paper, about 4” long. You may also cut two more narrow ears from another colored construction paper for the inner ear.

5. Glue the ears inside the top cone.

6. Cut a triangle nose and 6 thin strips for whiskers from construction paper.

7. Use wiggle eyes, nose, whiskers and a square of white paper for the teeth to decorate the rabbit’s face.

8. Cut a simple bow tie from construction paper and glue to the neck area, where the two cones meet.

9. Cut out a long oval (about 2.5” long) and cut it in half to create the bunny’s feet. Use marker or paint to add paw prints. Glue to the front of the bottom
cone.

10. Cut a strip of construction paper for the arms, long enough to go around the cones. Glue to the back of the bunny and wrap them around each other in the front and glue in place.

11. Cut an Easter egg shape from a piece of construction paper, decorate it with markers or paint if you like. Glue behind the arms so that it looks like your bunny is carrying it.

12. Fill top of head with Easter grass and some jelly beans or any other assorted small candies.

Adorable, Non-Toxic, All Natural Plush Toys for Baby & Child

We all want the very best for our children but many parents, while making sure you are providing them with the necessities they need as well as the best care, the best educational devices and so on, some areas are often overlooked–including toys.

With the amount of recalls of children-related items in the past few years alone, it is becoming more and more apparent that parents must start thinking twice about the activities and toys we provide our children with. While it is surely impossible to know what many manufacturers are putting in and on the toys we are buying in stores all over the country, we do have other options. We can start purchasing from companies that embrace all natural, organic materials; materials that will not pose any harm to children and infants who will undoubtedly form a bond and have a long connection with their toys.

My Natural is a Brooklyn-based company that has recently launched a complete, 100% natural line of cotton plush toys. The new My Natural line was created using environmentally-friendly, non-toxic materials including natural materials used for its coloring, so there is no need to worry about anything when giving it to your child, especially infants due to them always putting pretty much everything in their mouths.

The My Natural line is made up of four Teeny Tots, that stand at ten inches and include a monkey, dog, bear, and a rabbit. My Natural plush toys are sold exclusively at Target.

Another wonderful company specializing in organic cotton toys for children is miYim. The miYim frog, Baby Ben, pictured to the right is made from certified organic cotton and his overalls are made from natural hemp. Even the packaging Baby Ben is packaged in, a cardboard gift box, is recycled and can also be reused for just about anything! Baby Ben is part of the Fairytale Plush Collection. miYim also carries a line of infant accessories and once you see them, they will immediately become a need-to-have item for your baby.

Both of these companies do amazing work for ensuring a safe, non-toxic, chemical-free environment as well as the home environment of all families who welcome their plush toys into their home. These plush toys are completely and utterly adorable and not only will your children fall in love with them, so will you. They are beyond cute and ever since I have laid eyes on both of these organic plush toys, I fell in love with them.

Bella Sara Expands Line with Treasures Series & Mini Horses Collection

Attention, all parents with horse-loving young girls, I have a treat for you! If you have never heard of or introduced your young girls to the magical, whimsical, safe and adventurous world of Bella Sara, now is the time to do so.

Bella Sara is the leading trading card product ever created for girls ages five to twelve. The World of Bella Sara is a magical place full of beauty and joy that offers positive, inspirational messages from horses from North of North. Selling over 80 million cards to date, Bella Sara is expanding their line even further with two new exciting features for girls who love Bella Sara.

Not only are Bella Sara trading cards horse-themed, you can now start collecting, trading, displaying, and cherishing miniature, palm-sized velvety horses from the Bella Sara Miniatures Series 1 Collection. These horses are absolutely adorable and brings your children a three-dimensional toy to complement their collectible cards. Each miniature horse is just $1.99 and will be available March 3.

Also available March 3 is the eighth series in the Bella Sara line, Bella Sara Treasures. Treasures features rare jewels, educational amazing natural wonders and historical artifacts, and magical items. It also brings new elements to the Bella Sara website, www.BellaSara.com, with more printable activities, bonus codes, coloring pages, wallpapers, a Bella Sara poster, and jigsaw puzzles.

With each miniature horse and pack of playing cards, you receive a code to redeem online. The Bella Sara website offers fans of the trading cards a safe, private online experience where your children can play Bella Sara and North of North-themed games and create their own magical world.

From February 27 through April 30, BellaSara.com is giving fans a chance to win an exciting Treasure Hunt Party of their very own! So make sure you head on over to their website and enter for your chance to win.

The World of Bella Sara is simply extraordinary and your young girls are sure to fall in love with it and the entire collection. Bella Sara products are available on BellaSara.com, Target. Wal-Mart, Toys R US, KMart, Barnes & Noble, Block Buster, among other places.

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