Little Miss Bows and Bands

Did you know Canada..  I love head bands, wear them all the time, but do you know what I don't like, that pain behind your ears where the head band pushes too hard, but if it didn't do that then the head band would slip off wouldn't it.  Then I learned about these beautiful headbands from Little Miss Bows and Bands.

Handmade Baby to Adult accessories made with love by Farah, her head bands fit perfect, I've never had a slip and her hair ties leave your hair dent free and double as fashionable bracelets when not in use, how cool is that!  With heat sealed to avoid fraying, these ties and bands will last for ever and even with daily use they are still keeping their shape.  No more pain behind the ears from a too tight head band either.

Coming in a huge range of colours, you can have a band for every look and every occasion.  That's not all Farah has to offer either, she has sweet tutus, cute clips, gorgeous wedding wear and more!

Don't forget little mister either, Farah offers cute ties, suspenders and funky bow ties for the little man in your life, perfect for pictures!

Visit Little Miss Bows and Bands on Facebook to see everything she has to offer!

Walmart Canada lends moms a helping hand #PGmom #PampersMom

Did you know Canada..  Since August, Walmart Canada and P&G began sponsoring a series of prenatal programs in hospitals and community centres countrywide by providing soon-to-be parents with special gift bags with Pampers product.

The reusable Walmart gift bags include a package of Pampers Swaddlers, the number one choice of Canadian parents for newborns, a sample of Pampers wipes and an educational pamphlet. This program is reaching 55,000 new moms from coast to coast, providing helpful tips on everything from how to secure a car seat to birth plans.

When I was pregnant with my twins I had a sudden moment of OMG, I don't know ANYTHING about babies!  I'm an only child and while I did more than my fair share of baby sitting and even worked at the Boys & Girls Club, I didn't know anything about taking care of a newborn.  All those car seat rules seemed impossible to understand and when someone mentioned a birthing plan, I had no idea what my options were let alone what I wanted.

My husband and I took a prenatal class and I am sooooo glad we did.  Included in the class was a hospital tour and that's what I really needed, you can look up a lot of info online but every hospital runs different, everyone has a different story and knowing how your birth is going to go is a big stress reliever when worrying about the big day.  If you are expecting for the first time or moved to a new area since having your first, I really recommend joining a prenatal class through your hospital (if you plan on birthing in one) they really put you at ease of what's expected of you, what you should be asking them for, what your options are and more.

At my hospital we were provided a few pampers diapers to get us going, but we needed to bring our own to get us through the stay and that's not something everyone might think of, so my biggest tip when planning for the big day is find out everything you can about your hospital's procedures, it will make your visit a lot less stressful too if hubby or gramma doesn't have to run out getting things you should have brought.

We are so excited to give our readers a chance to win a prenatal pack with Pampers and Walmart Canada!  Enter below for your chance to win: 

•  $50 gift card to Walmart Canada 
•  Pampers Swaddlers Newborn 
•  Sample of Pampers wipes 
•  Educational pamphlet courtesy of Pampers & Walmart 
• Canada 
•  Reusable bag from Pampers & Walmart Canada

Good luck Canada!

Giveaway

The Newborn Nesting Event is happening at @SearsCA #SearsBabysRoom

Did you know Canada..  if you have a baby room to plan, now is the time to head to Sears Canada!  Happening September 6-18, 2013 if you spend $200+ on anything Baby (baby gear, baby furniture and infant fashions) you receive a cash card.

So if you spend the following amount on almost any* nursery items you get:
$200 and get a $25 cash card
$300 and get a $50 cash card
$400 and get a $100 cash card

This cash card works similarly to a gift card and you’ll have from October
7-31 to redeem it at Sears! Available at Sears locations across Canada excluding Vancouver.

*Excludes items ending in 0.97, Carter's and OshKosh

In Vancouver only Sears customers can save 15% on all* nursery furniture, baby gear and infant fashions!

*Again, excludes items ending in 0.97, Carter's and OshKosh

I learned a lot between my twins and my newest little man and if you are wondering hmmmm... am I really going to use that, who sees it anyways, or he only uses it for a couple months is it really worth it? These are my nursery must haves..

• bassinet - yes, it's only good for 2-5 months depending on the bassinet itself and the baby, but when you bring that TINY baby home you will feel terrible putting them in that huge crib.  And even if you tell yourself you won't, you likely WILL want the baby in your room at least the first 2-4 weeks.
• theme - you really want to make the nursery, well, look like a nursery! Even if you don't think so now it will be special to you and a huge part of your memories when you look back on your little one's infant stage and here we like to think of the nursery as stepping into another world, I love walking into Lucas' room :)  A theme is also nice for friends and family who want to by you a gift, knowing our theme was monkeys people had fun buying us monkey related items :)
• chair - doesn't have to be rocking, gliding or anything else, but you do need somewhere to sit, even if you're not nursing you'll be thankful for that chair in the middle of the night for cuddles, somewhere to sit while you worry about them if they have a stuffy nose
• change table - perfect for storage and perfect for dressing in the morning and at night, we don't run upstairs for every diaper change but it's great for saving your back while you wrestle your little one into their clothes :)
• crib (of course) - make sure you are comfortable with it, try reaching in when viewing it in store, find out how many different heights the mattress goes, make sure you really love it

Those are my must haves, what are yours?  Let us know in the comments!

To celebrate all things nursery, Sears is giving away a beautiful three (3)-piece nursery from the brand Stork Craft and includes a crib, change table and side table/chest for storage, an $800 value!  Enter below for your chance to win and good luck!

Giveaway

Philips AVENT Natural Essentials Set #AVENTmomsCA

Did you know Canada..  we are very excited to be an AVENTmom - we are huge fans of their products, I used AVENT bottles, sterilizer and more with my twins and we have been enjoying the Philips AVENT Natural Essentials Set with our new little man!

Philips AVENT is a leader in parenting and baby products. The Philips AVENT product range includes breastfeeding, bottle feeding, toddler feeding, baby monitors and newborn gifts.

The Philips AVENT Natural Essentials Set provides the help parents need for safe, easy feeding and sterilizing. This set includes two 4-ounce and two 9-ounce BPA-free bottles featuring a clinically proven anti-colic valve within the nipple that reduces colic for less air in baby’s tummy and a more comfortable feeding experience. The set also includes an express microwave sterilizer which cleans bottles in just two minutes. Finally it includes two newborn silicone Soothie pacifiers to calm newborns while respecting the shape of their growing mouths and a rounded-head bottle brush that helps clean every inch of baby's feeding supplies.

All pieces in this set are BPA-free, and the bottles and nipples are interchangeable with other Natural Philips AVENT bottles or nipples.

I love the express microwave sterilizer, easy to use, nice to clean many bottles at once (perfect for busy families like ours!), and really appreciated the set coming with the rounded-head bottle brush - a must have and perfect to not have to buy one separately!

You can see this little man likes the bottles too!  Comfortable for Mom to hold, easy to stick in the diaper bag or purse while on the go, never any leaks either!

What a beautiful gift for a baby shower, or easy for a new Mom to pick up everything she needs in one box.

To celebrate joining #AVENTmoms we have a sweet giveaway for our readers!  Enter below for your chance to win this beautiful gift from Philips AVENT!

Giveaway

Canadian Made - Skights

Did you know Canada..  this summer has been a bit... off.. hasn't it?  Cooler than normal (except for the one crazy heat wave), we've been getting chilly at evening baseball games and in the shade, it's been making it hard to dress my busy baby.

That was, until I heard about Skights!  Mommy owned and Canadian Made, Skights are awesome!  Protecting from knees to toes, they keep my little man warm and toasty and protect his legs and toes as he gears up for crawling and rolls around the floor.  I remember when my twins first started army crawling we found a trail of blood all the way down the hall where my little guy had cut his "push off" toe.  We tried in vain to keep him in socks, but he always kicked them off or took them off, we usually found the sock in his mouth instead of on his foot protecting his toe!

I was so, so impressed with how well Skights fit and stayed on, even with my crazy little man kicking and rolling.  The knees are padded which is perfect for my almost crawler, and they are SO. CUTE!

Available is 6 cute colours - I think they compliment so many outfits perfectly! Skights are stylish, and don't interfere with whatever your little man it wearing!  You still have access to the diaper, doesn't effect potty training and washed perfect!

You can learn even more about Skights by following them on Facebook, Twitter and checking out this article on Together Moms! We are so excited to offer a Skights giveaway to our readers so they can see for themselves!  Enter below for your chance to win 2 pairs of Skights - one size small and one size large!

Giveaway

Watch as I share my diaper story! @Pampers #PGmom

Did you know Canada..  I've had a secret since the beginning of June that I have been dying to share with you all, and now I can.  My little man (who you will now know is named Lucas) and I made a video with Pampers!


We had a camera crew here at the house for an entire day, with a director, sound guy, camera guys and a technician, along with a very awesome Pampers Rep and it was truly the coolest thing EVER!  This super friendly crew helped me tell my diaper story, why we love and will only use Pampers Swaddlers for baby Lucas, and allowed me to share some tips for new Moms that will be experiencing the same things.

3 other P&G Moms had this same secret, there was also Sarah Lynn, real mom and blogger, watch as she plays and explores with her little girl Hannah. Watch her video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmkYNcOasP4

A potty training journey with real mom and blogger Tammy Mitchell and her active two-year-old son, Oakley. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vaSLhTmFvo

Rachel Cleland, real mom and blogger, watch as she joins 500,000 Canadian parents in the Pampers Village community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsq0GLqCF9E

And then ME real mom and blogger Stacey Kazmir and her little guy Lucas sharing tips for new moms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwAioEcw4qY

I would LOVE for you to watch all our videos, comment if you can and to celebrate, we have an amazing giveaway open to our Canadian readers!  This Pampers family giveaway is valued at approx $110 and include Newborn Pampers Swaddlers, size 4 Cruisers, Easy Ups (Boys & Girls – 3/4) and a Pampers Reward from Gifts to Grow—two HBC Canada onesies (0-3mo & 3-6 mo)!

Giveaway

We have a tooth!

Did you know Canada..  our little man sprouted his first tooth this weekend, and you know what that means - LOTS OF SCREAMING!

Our usually happy go lucky little dude has been a scream machine since the tooth arrived and can't be easily consoled, but unlike when the twins were babes, this time I was prepared!  I had heard from a couple friends about the magic of Amber necklaces, but I admit I was a little skeptical.  I had a chat with the owner of Momma Goose, who carries over 35 styles and colours of genuine Baltic Amber Teething necklaces and knew I had to try it for myself!

Amber is a fossilized tree resin that contains "succinic acid" which when released into the skin provided anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.

This means pain relief and a reduction of inflammation in the gums.

How it works is when the amber is worn against the skin, the warmth of the skin allows the amber to release trace amounts of the succinic acid and provide relief.

We noticed a definite improvement from when he was wearing the necklace vs when he wasn't.  Easy to put on and take off, cute to look at (check out all these beautiful options), and I love this safety feature - a breakaway clasp - so if it ever did get snagged it just pops apart and doesn't break either!

I look forward to continued use of the Amber necklace and it's benefits, no one wants their little one to be in pain!  Did you used an Amber necklace for your little one?

Happy Canada Day, eh?

Did you know Canada.. from our family to yours, Happy Canada Day!  Enjoy your day, be proud of your nation and support your neighbour.

Shaidee

Did you know Canada..  just in time for summer, we've learned about a new protect to protect your little one while in a baby carrier.

If you have used a baby carrier you know that the biggest downfall is that there is no easy way to protect the baby's head, neck and arms from the sun.  Even with a hat the neck is often exposed and it becomes tricky to stay outside for too long.

But now, there's the Shaidee!  Cool and comfortable, it's light weight, one size fits all and compatible with most carriers and slings!

Wind resistant and machine washable, this breathable product does it all!

My little man and I have been using it and we receive a compliment from strangers every time we are out!  There is simply nothing else like Shaidee out there on the market and what a fantastic baby shower gift this summer for an expectant Mom!

Another fantastic Canadian product!

Teach My, Award Winning Learning kits

Did you know Canada..  we have been having fun introducing our little man to a new product - Teach My Baby Learning Kit.

Teach My, Award Winning Learning kits are developed my Canadian Christy Cook.  The kits are designed to have all your learning tools in one box.  Instead of buying a puzzle here, a flashcard there, a book somewhere else you can buy one kit, have everything together all in one box and they all match.  The box alone is a fantastic idea to keep all your teaching tools together instead of strewn about the house as they often were with my older boys.

We've been checking out the Teach My Baby Learning Kit and even at four months old we have been having lots of fun.  The kit includes...

• 12 One Piece Puzzles
• 6 Two Piece Puzzles
• 6 Touch and Feel Flashcards
• 6 Mirrored Flashcards
• 6 Mirrored Nesting Blocks
• 5 Finger Puppets
• 4 Board Books
• 1 Double-Sided Storyboard
• Teaching Guide
• Storage case

My little man already loves the finger puppets and touch and feel flashcards, we've been having fun reading the books too.  They've also been great tools to have my older boys work on their reading by reading to the baby - what a win-win!

Very interactive, cute, durable and stores so well, we are so happy with this kit.  I know we will be purchasing the Toddler and Preschooler kits as our little man grows.  What a fantastic gift idea for a baby shower, birth of a child, birthday or just a special present for the start of summer.

Kits are available for purchase at Walmart.ca, Staples.ca, Amazon.ca and teachmy.com!  We also have a fun surprise for our readers, enter below for your chance to win a Teach My Kit (a $39.99 value!).

Giveaway

Seventh Generation and cleaning green

Did you know Canada..  According to a recent survey, 93% of Canadians would choose green versions of household cleaning products (NMI 2012)!

Thankfully there are now products like those from Seventh Generation.  Seventh Generation is designed with the environment, and you and your family’s health in mind.  Seventh Generation’s impressive roster including diapers, plant-based cleaners for the kitchen, bathroom and laundry, and plant-based baby and personal care for the whole family.

I love their products for the bathroom, especially the toilet bowl clean, so many of them are so stinky and powerful, I had one that the kids refused to use the bathroom for ours afterwards it smells so chemically.  Using the Seventh Generation clean has been so much easier, it cleans well and doesn't leave stinky chemical smells behind.

You know we are all things baby here and have enjoyed trying their line up of baby products.  Their baby wipes are free of chlorine processing, fragrances & dyes, alcohol and they are hypoallergenic.  It's great to know you are taking the best care of your baby's skin as you can.  They are also soft and do the job as you expect.

They also have a nice baby wash series with shampoo, wash, bubble bath and lotion.  It includes a nice fresh and very light scent.  It contains no parabens, phthalates, or synthetic fragrances and is hypoallergenic.  Works great, no residue and we came out clean and sweet on the other end. :-)

Do you choose green products for your home?

Armani, Holt Renfrew & Free The Children

Did you know Canada..  A baby’s blanket is a symbol of warmth, love and security and a mother’s love for her child is universal.  Just in time for this Mother's Day Holt Renfrew is working with Armani to reach its goal of raising $100,000 for Free The Children.

Armani has created the most beautiful baby blanket exclusively for Holt Renfrew, with the proceeds of this blanket going to support Kenyan newborns and mamas in need via Free The Children.

Free The Children is an international charity and educational partner. Founded in 1995 by international activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children believes in a world where young people are free to achieve their fullest potential, and empowers youth to remove barriers that prevent them from being active local and global citizens.

As you can see, every little one will love this very cozy blanket and every Mama (and Mama to be) would love to receive one this Mother's Day.  Accompany it with a note about who else is benefiting from this blanket and it will warm everyone's heart.

Available on-line and in stores as of May 3rd, get your quickly as once they are gone they're gone and there is only a limited number available.

Coming in a beautiful box, and in four different colour options, this will be a gift to remember this Mother's Day!

Ddrops for the whole family!

Did you know Canada..  I take my family's health seriously and that includes taking vitamins.  Through my pregnancy and now post-partum I am on a lot of vitamins to get and stay healthy for my kids.

One of those vitamins I take is D.  Vitamin D is a natural building block for the repair and maintenance of the body.  Essential for development and continued health of bones and teeth, it was plays an important role in maintaining the health of your immune system, cardiovascular system and brain and central nervous system.

 You might shrug and say it comes from the sun though - but you would be surprised to know vitamin D is not made in winter sunshine, in shade or through clothing.  Sunscreen (which is VERY important) also reduces vitamin D production.  In fact, 1.1 MILLION Canadians are vitamin D deficient!

Thankfully Canadian company Ddrops covers the whole family with their award-winning Ddrops line up.  All preservative-free and just 1 drop per dose, it's so simple to take.

Since birth our newest addition has been taking Baby Ddrops 400 IU - designed for breast-fed babies and very easy to administer.

I've just recently introduced my older boys to Ddrops Booster 600 IU - this new dose of 600 IU/drop matches Health Canada's Recommended Dietary Allowance.  It's tasteless, sugar-free, the boys think it's kinda fun, it doesn't get dropped on the floor 5 times before it makes it into their mouth, love it!

For me, I take Ddrops 1000 IU - easy to take, with my current big line-up of pills I love that this is just a simple drop and I know I'm taking care of me.

I love what an open, supportive and fun company Ddrops is, you can find them on Twitter and Facebook, always available to answer questions, they support pregnant Moms, breast-feeding Moms, they share crafts and educational resources on the Ddrops Booster profiles - what an awesome company to be supporting while they take care of your needs.

We have an awesome surprise for our Canadian readers!  Enter below for your chance to be one of two winners to receive two Ddrop products of your choice, so your whole family can enjoy the benefits of vitamin D!

Giveaway

Sensitive skin laundry regimen #PGmom

Did you know Canada..  with a new baby in the house, my life is laundry, laundry, laundry.  Especially as we just upgraded to his 3-6 month clothes this past week (oh my gosh, how is this happening already?! so sad!).

Making sure the products we use are gentle enough for baby skin, but still making his clothes clean and fresh are VERY important to me.  Hubby's skin doesn't seem to like products with a lot of perfume, and my Mom has very sensitive skin, so we are very conscience of what we use, don't want any rashy kids!

I LOVE being a P&G Mom, being introduced to all of their products and learning how Tide, Downy and Bounce have joined forces to provide a laundry regimen that’s gentle enough for sensitive skin - this is something I needed to know about!  We were already using Tide Free & Gentle Liquid Detergent that has been specially designed for sensitive skin. It’s made with no dyes or perfumes and is dermatologist tested to provide your fabrics with a great clean that’s gentle on your skin.  Now I also know about Ultra Downy Free & Sensitive Liquid Softener - free from dyes, perfumes, and worries, it is the leading “free” fabric softener that’s also 100 per cent dermatologist tested so you can focus on enjoying fabrics that are wonderfully soft with less static and fewer wrinkles.  And then my new favourite product - Bounce Free & Sensitive Dryer Sheets so we can enjoy the softness and static protection of regular dryer sheets without perfumes or dyes, love it for my babe!!!!

In fact just this morning I picked up more Tide Free & Gentle Liquid Detergent and Bounce Free & Sensitive Dryer Sheets at Walmart, two products I absolutely never want to run out of.

We want one lucky reader to experience this sensitive skin laundry regimen from Tide, Downy and Bounce for themselves!  Enter below for your chance to win these 3 products, I know you will love them as much as I do!  If you don't have any sensitive skin worries at home, what a beautiful gift for a new Mom as well, trust me, she will appreciate it!

Giveaway

Posterjack

Did you know Canada..  well of course you know we have a new little man in the house, 6 weeks old now.  When he was just a week old I took him over to a friends house where she took the SWEETEST photos of my little guy, they are so beautiful  I stare at them everyday.  One in particular was my favourite, and so I was SO excited to work with Posterjack.ca on a review to check out their service and get a print of our babe for the wall.

First up, Posterjack.ca offers the COOLEST services, all made from their Toronto location (get this, they actually produce more photo art than any other company in Canada!).  Not only can you get the more usual photo enlargements and mounted prints, but you can also get a canvas like I did, METAL prints (how cool is this?!), gorgeous acrylic prints, peel n' stick - I could redo all the wall art in the whole house with Posterjack's services!  The hardest part would be picking what photos I wanted.

Knowing I wanted to print this specific picture of my newborn I didn't have that problem this time, I decided on canvas because I thought it would really stand out and it's something different than other pictures we have on the wall.  So all I had to do was select Canvas Prints on Posterjack.ca - upload my image, pick a size and I was good to go!  I really liked the features on Posterjack that let me know my image quality was excellent, I could crop the photo right there if I wanted to, everything was very simple yet robust - not an easy combination!

Checking out was simple and talk about fabulous customer service - my image was just the right fit for the canvas, if any of the picture wrapped around the frame part of the baby's head would be cut off.  Posterjack emailed me to let me know about this and gave me options on how to do the wrap around frame, including the option they thought was best.  This means they actually LOOKED at my picture, they made sure something crazy didn't happen like just doing it and sending me an awful looking picture, I was so, SO very pleased with the fact they they obviously don't just run off the next project in the queue, they actually look at your photo, let you know if something isn't going to work, and give you options on how to make it look the best, THIS is customer service.  So I choose for them to use a mirror image of picture for the wrap around frame, and it looks fantastic!

When this arrived, my heart stopped, I was so happy, as any of my Facebook friends can attest, I posted about it immediately, praising my friend for the photo, Posterjack for the great work.  This canvas print will be on my wall for the rest of my life, I will always cherish this image of my baby boy, and thank you so much to Posterjack for making it happen, having amazing customer service and quality products.

Easy to hang, quality job done, I couldn't be happier!

I can't wait to order more prints in the future, would love to try a metal or acrylic print, what a great talking piece for your home! Truly, a work of art!

Cord Blood Storage in Canada

Did you know Canada..  with the recent birth of my new little one I read up a lot about Cord Blood Storage in Canada.

Although cord blood storage is still a relatively new process, I hear about many families looking into it these days.  I can see that the benefits of cord blood storage are especially important for families that have a heritage of mixed ethnicities.  Unlike bone marrow transplants, cord blood can be a suitable transplant for people of all genetics.  Families with a history of certain conditions also stand to benefit from cord blood storage, and if your doctor knows your family’s history you will likely be encouraged to consider the benefits of cord blood.


For effective storage and development, cord blood stem cells must be banked using a cord blood program such as Insception Lifebank.  The cord blood collection process is painless, poses no risk to you or your baby’s health, and in no way interferes with your baby’s birth.

Great news - to help make the cost a little easier for you, Insception is offering $100 coupons for its cord blood storage services, which you can redeem by registering with the Insception Lifebank cord blood program. Very easy to do - all you need to provide to obtain a coupon is your name and your baby’s due date (this is so the storage facility has time to reserve a spot for your cord blood sample).  Your coupon is then personalized using your expected due date, which also sets an expiration date for 10 days after the scheduled birth, so in other words, if you do get the coupon, make use of it sooner than later.



Cord blood is a rich source of viable stem cells which are used in clinical trial tests for advancements in possible treatments of several conditions.  Cord blood stem cells have been used to test potential new treatments for conditions such as Type 1 Diabetes, cerebral palsy, autism, spinal cord injuries and dozens of others.  It's a big decision to make as part of your birthing plan, which ever way you decide is best for your family, I am happy we have these options in Canada available to us.

Did you consider storing cord blood as part of your birthing plan?


I was compensated for this sponsored post made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. Coupons for this promotion are available to Canadian residents only. American registrations are welcome but unfortunately do not qualify for the coupons.

He's here!

Did you know Canada..  I just wanted to let you know my new little man is here!

Born Jan 31st in the afternoon, he is perfect and we are so very happy!

Planning for the days ahead

Did you know Canada..  I am having a baby in TWO days!  That is, of course, if he doesn't decide to come before, and at this point, I would love it if he just goes with the plan.

Suddenly today I am having a few "Oh my goodness, I'm having a baby, I don't feel prepared" moments.  It's not the baby I'm not prepared for, it's the two children I already have!  When I had the boys I had all the time in the world.  No other responsibilities to anyone, it didn't matter how long I was staying in the hospital, or what day the baby came.  But now with 5 year olds there is school, hockey, cooking classes, we have 2 dogs at home that need to be cared for, bags to be packed, toys to be packed and more.

So today I find myself online shopping kids toy stores for Valentine's Day ideas, because that's coming up quick!  I also wanted to get the boys a small present for when the baby comes home, to celebrate them becoming big brothers.  I am also making a big shopping list for hubby to get in extra school lunches and snacks tomorrow, making lists and more lists about what's happening when, who has what car and thinking about what if's and, well, everything!

This is a day I am very grateful for the world we live in now, shopping on the internet, smart phones to keep in touch with family and friends, delivery men and video games to keep the boys busy while Mom freaks out.

How did you prepare your older children for a new baby's arrival?  Especially if you had a longer stay in the hospital.

Create your Registry with Sears The Baby's Room - #SearsBabysRoom

Did you know Canada..  when I had my twins 5 years ago things were so shocking with the idea of twins, the constant Doctor's appointments, we had to move to a bigger place, we had just gotten married before becoming pregnant, I never ended up making a registry or having a baby shower.

With number 3 on the way I knew I really wanted to experience all that this time though.  There was so much we needed because we either had items made for twins, or what we had we got rid of  things that had been used to hard, or things like car seats were now expired, etc..  So my first stop was the Sears website to create my registry.

It's very simple to head to the Gift Registry section of the Sears website, select the Baby Registry, click create and follow a simple 6 step process of filling out all your info and you are on your way!

The best part of course is adding all the items to your registry, here are a few of my must haves I put on my own registry..

• * Themed decor items like a lamp, we got the "Monkey'n'Around" Lamp
• * Bottles, Drying Racks and a Sterlizer
• * Bath tub, Wash cloths, Towels and shampoo/body wash
• * Monitors and Baby Gates
• One thing I wouldn't add a lot of is clothes.  People will often just pick whatever outfits they want for you, whether you want them or not..haha.. 

For more inspiration visit Sears special Tips section!

To add products to your registry from Sears.ca, you simply browse the site and click the Add to Registry link below the Add to Card button.  If needed it will ask you to log in to your registry and you're good to go!  You can then view your registry or continue "shopping" to add more items to your registry.

This can also be done in store by using the helpful kiosk in The Baby's Room section, fill out the form and meet with a Sears representative who will give you a scanner so you can go through The Baby's Room and scan the UPC codes of the items you wish to add to your registry.

The registry can be updated any time in store or online.  I found it nice to sit at home and browse my registry and Sears.ca to change some things around, update the quantity of items.  Remember you are going to likely want more than one pack of wash clothes, towels, soothers, etc..

When completing the process online I received cards in the mail a few days later to insert into the baby shower invites so friends and family knew where to find my registry online and in store.

Sears Canada’s Baby Registry also has the unique “Waiting Game” contest. It’s an amazing opportunity to win the value of everything on your registry! Just create your registry as we described above, and then correctly guess your baby’s arrival date! The date can be changed up to two times, at least 60 days prior to the “guesstimated” original date.  If the baby does indeed arrive on the guessed date, the winners will be awarded coupons equivalent to the net amount of items purchased off of the registry.  The most recent winner won just over $3000 to spend back in the Baby’s Room!

With Sears Baby Days happening RIGHT NOW until January 24th, it's the best time to create your registry and get shopping. You’ll find 15% off all cribs, strollers, travel systems, travel accessories, nursery furniture, high chairs, boosters, playards, bouncers and swings, and 20% off all humidifiers, monitors, carriers, gates and Halo sleepsacks!  Check your local flyers for even more savings!

More good news from Sears, The Baby’s Room has been certified by PTPA (Parent Tested Parent Approved) and they are running a fun contest to celebrate!  Until January 31st, shoppers can win the Spot the Seal contest by taking a picture of themselves in-store (with the seal!) and sharing the photo on Twitter or PTPA’s facebook page.  When using Twitter be sure to tag @PTPA & use the #SpotTheSeal hashtag to be entered into the contest!  You’ll be able to find the seal in The Baby’s Room area of Sears locations all across Canada!

There are 3 weekly $100 gift cards to be won and an amazing Grand Prize consisting of Stork Craft Carrara nursery (two cribs and a two-drawer change table!), Tfal Steamer & Blender, Angel Care Movement & Sound monitor and a Crane Animal Shaped humidifier!!  A value of $929.95!

So many great reasons to visit your local Sears store this month, if you have a little one on the way create your registry, enter the Waiting Game, take advantage of Sears Baby Days Sale and enter the Spot the Seal contest!

Disclosure: I am part of the Sears – The Baby’s RoomAmbassador program with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Back at it!

Did you know Canada..  I'm back after an extended Holiday break, kids are back at school this morning and hubby is back at work.

Anyone else feel like Christmas was months ago???  Especially here, as we have spent the past week getting the house ready for our new baby on the way.

On that note, if I disappear for a week or more, that means it's baby time!  Our new little one will be joining us at the end of the month, but of course, babies are unpredictable and could make an earlier appearance. I'm not sure if I will get to the blog right away, and I will be in the hospital for a few days as well, but keep watch on Twitter for some baby news!!!

Stay tuned this week for some great info, news, and giveaways!!

Happy 2013!!