186 people entered this giveaway, with 325 entries in all. The winning entry is #146, which is Ashley Turicik.
Congrats Ashley, I’m sending you an email now!
I talked about Zoe b Organic last month when I reviewed their fantastic anti-plastic dishes. Zoe b is also the U.S. distributor for Natursutten pacifiers, and they sent me both a Natursutten pacifier and a Zoe b Organic Sleepy Hat.
Natursutten pacifiers are unique, natural rubber pacifiers. Interestingly enough, the protein that can provoke a latex allergy is eliminated during production.
The pacifier’s box is made from FSC certified cardboard, printed with non-toxic soy ink colors and has a window made from corn starch. A small sticker made from rock closes each box. They’ve avoided extra plastic, cardboard and redundant double wrapping.
With a NATURSUTTEN pacifier, you avoid:
• Allergy causing substances
• Artificial color
• Cancer causing substances
• Hormone disturbing substances
• Chemical softeners
• Parabens, PVC and phthalates
NATURSUTTEN pacifiers are softer than silicone, and are very hygienic because they are molded in one piece without joints or cracks where dirt and bacteria can accumulate.
Zoe B’s FAQs answers questions like “why is the shield so big” and “why should I pay more for rubber.” They say that yes, your baby should look like Maggie Simpson. This made me laugh out loud since my husband pointed out that our son totally looked (and sounded!) like her! Pacifiers retail for $7.95 each and are available in several sizes and styles.
Zoe b’s Sleepy Hat is a totally unique hat with a flip-down mask that blocks out light and visual stimulation.
Andrea Verity, the mom originally behind the Sleepy Hat, used to have a lot of trouble getting her son, Ethan, to take naps, especially when they were traveling or visiting family. Starting around 3 months of age, he was much more interested in being awake then going to sleep, no matter how tired he was. Then she used a baby hat to cover her son’s eyes. It instantly cut her exhausting and frustrating sleep-time routine from thirty minutes to five! It also prevented Ethan from waking prematurely. But, after using the regular hat to get Ethan to fall asleep for just a few days, she began to see the need for a better-designed product than a regular baby hat. First, the hat that they were using didn’t have a contour for the nose. Second, it had become stretched, leaving a gap at the eyes and allowing light to come in. Third, she didn’t like having to pull on the hat and shift its position on Ethan’s head, in order to cover his eyes. Finally, they would get funny expressions from people passing by who were wondering why Ethan’s eyes were covered. She wanted a product that would communicate that her baby was having a nap.
After searching for something that fit their needs and coming up empty-handed, Andrea decided to make it herself. Eventually she came up with a hat that looked great, functioned well, and was safe to use. She gave the hat a flip-down mask so that the hat stayed in one place whether the baby was awake or asleep. Finally, she added the graphic of closed eyelashes on the flip-down mask so that others would know that baby was asleep.
We know that some babies fall asleep on their own without fussing. But most do not. Andrea made the Sleepy Hat available to other parents so that they could get some downtime, too.
The hat is designed for babies 3-9 months old, who are able to pull it off if it bothers them. The adjustable top knot and breathable fabric help ensure your baby’s safety, but this product is really designed to block out light & stimulation while you’re on the go and watching your baby.
Hats are made in the U.S.A. and retail for $16.99 each!
Giveaway: One reader will receive a Natursutten pacifier (ARV $7.95) and a Zoe b Organic Sleepy Hat (ARV $16.99.) Combined retail value is $24.94.
This post is inspired by Sarah at For the Love of Naps’ post about Finding JOY during a car appointment gone bad.
She wrote about a quick oil change appointment turning into 4ish hours of waiting with 2 kids at a car dealership, and having the best of her come out, with patience arriving from places she didn’t know existed.
The post really struck a chord with me because I almost felt like I could have written it myself. We spent pretty much two full weekends in October hunting for a new (to us) car for my hubby, and I spent a lot of time in car dealership waiting rooms with the kids.
Some dealerships had toys, which was fan-freaking-tastic, but my kids actually spent a half hour or more playing with a fire hydrant outside of one, pretending it had hoses and they were putting out fires! I admit that I did a little bit of e-mail checking and Tweeting from my phone, but it was actually nice to just sit and focus on my kids, with nothing else to do.
After the first dealership, I made sure I had some ones in my purse for bribes snacks from the snack machines when the going got a little tough (hee hee!) Aside from a few moments, the kids were actually quite good and quite patient, and sometimes I think their behavior is a reflection of my attitude. When I’m exasperated & short, they act up, making me more exasperated and short with them. When I can find that patience from places I didn’t know existed ( 😀 ) they tend to be better behaved.
While I was very glad when the car purchase was done, I missed being able to sit and watch my kids, and just drink the moment in. When I’m at home, I’m stressed about a long list of things I need to do. I’ve tried really hard to let things go, but it’s just not in my nature. When I started writing lists, I was able to stop obsessing quite as much, but I still tend to constantly be thinking about laundry, dishes, trash, bills, vacuuming, mopping, etc. etc. It is very, very difficult for me to just sit and play with my kids, even when making a conscious effort to focus on only them, and not the 10,000 things I need to be doing.
I think this is why I really enjoy taking them to the park. Even though it’s only recently become slightly less stressful (trying to keep my eyes on both kids & keep my son from getting hurt since he’s still pretty little), they are just so full of excitement, and the dishes are too far to call my name!!
I’ve told myself time and time again that I am not going to look back on my children’s childhoods and think “Gee, I wish I had done more laundry!” Sometimes I feel like I am wishing my kids’ childhoods away when I am overwhelmed and counting the minutes until bedtime. Thank you Sarah for reminding me to find the joy in the little things!
After several duplicate entries were removed, 367 people entered this giveaway, with 871 entries in all.
The winning entry is #280 which is Maria Ivey. Congrats! I’m sending you an email so you can claim your prize!
I’ve been talking about co-sleeping for a while, including my story, why I’ve wanted an Arm’s Reach co-sleeper, and why co-sleeping experts endorse Arm’s Reach. Please view those posts for all the details, as I won’t repeat them here!
Maria wants to live in a world where cloth diapers are the norm and moms can make parenting choices without judgement. When she’s not chasing her 18, 14 and 11-year old kids around, you might find her checking out the latest gadgets, organizing something (again) or exercising in the fresh air. Read More »
