Babies Gotta Have It

My friend Laurie from prenatal yoga is a chemical engineer.  One afternoon during a playdate in the park we started talking about bottles and BPA and all that. Here’s what she said:

“I’m a chemical engineer.  Plastic creeps me out.  I’m using glass bottles.”

Even two years ago when I was breastfeeding my baby and pumping at night, glass bottles weren’t easy to come by.  In fact, they were hard enough to find that despite Laurie’s warning, I went with BPA free plastic bottles.  And I felt good with that choice.  But amazing sites like Sprout Baby are now making it easy to find all kinds of green and eco-friendly products for baby,  including the next generation of BPA free glass bottles.

Check out my video from April of 2008 and Sprout Baby’s informative post for clear and sobering information regarding BPA and its potential risks to your infant’s health.  Scary stuff.  But the really good news is that the product selection for BPA and polycarbonate free feeding is just getting bigger and bigger and more and more cool!

Sprout Baby sent me two of their way cool new glass bottles to check out and I gotta say, I love them.  The Wee Go Glass Baby Bottle pictured at left is just plain awesome.   This neat bottle comes with a silicone sleeve (available in six fun colors on Sprout Baby) which is free of plastics and 100%  non-toxic.  Of course, everyone is concerned about glass bottles falling to the ground and breaking.  This protective sleeve helps prevent that outcome and also keeps the bottle from crashing into your iPhone in your diaper bag.  And get this, you can boil and dishwash the bottle and the sleeve…together!  This super tactile sleeve makes it easier to hold the bottle and also just feels cool–a sensation that won’t be lost on your infant.  The nipple is also silicone and non-toxic, and the plastic ring, plug and cap contain no polycarbonates and are food grade, FDA approved and recyclable.  Oh and they’re comitted to minimal packaging too.  What you see is pretty much what you get. Woo Hoo!

So the plastic bottles I did end up using were made by the company Born Free, and they worked really well for us.  Now, Born Free also has glass bottles available with their unique smooth flow valve that helps reduce colic and ear infections.  If your baby has these problems, I’d definitely check out this bottle.  The Born Free valve system worked really well for my baby and we didn’t have colic or ear infection problems at all.  According to their literature, this valve system is also good for breast fed babies who are being introduced to bottle feeding, because the steady flow of liquid it provides is very similar to breast feeding.  Born Free also offers silicone sleeves for added protection and grip-ability.

And..thanks to the generous folks at Sprout Baby, one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader will win one of each of these bottles–Bottles of Joy!  Want to enter?  Read on!

To Enter the Sprout Baby Bottles of Joy Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Swing by Sprout Baby and browse their wonderful selection of eco-friendly and green baby products.  Come back and tell me which product other than the glass bottles you’d like to try.  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of eight entries per person.

• Follow me on Twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Tweet this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste):  Creeped out by BPA? Win glass Bottles of Joy from @SproutBabyClub & @BabiesGottaHavT! http://tinyurl.com/ykn6ryk
• Follow Sprout Baby on Twitter - just click here!
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Sunday December 6th and ends on Wednesday December 16th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Thursday December 17th,  Random.org will select the winner,  and I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering!

Disclosure: Sprout Baby provided me with two bottles to review and two bottles for the winner of this giveaway.  I was not compensated in any way for this post. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

UPDATE!  We have a winner!  Random.org says “Result:  36″.  Congratulations Sarah!  Thanks so much to everyone who entered!

So it’s Black Friday. I love Black Friday.  Maybe I’m the only one.  But my mother and grandmother and I have always enjoyed a big shopping day on the day after Thanksgiving.  When I was small we went to a wonderful downtown department store called Hess’s in Allentown, PA  (sadly no longer in existence) and dined at a restaurant inside the store!  I remember eating french fries and drinking vanilla cokes while very glamorous models strode by our table wearing clothes you could actually buy right there at Hess’s.  My mother is so committed to Black Friday and the amazing door busters that she once waited in line at 5:30 am to get a free ten dollar gift card…in a wheelchair!  She had broken her leg while hiking and insisted that my brother and I wheel her there in the freezing pre-dawn madness of late November anyway.

But I understand that we may be alone in this view.  I am aware that the mall on the day after Thanksgiving can be something of a nightmare.  I love to shop as much as the next gal, but I do feel that we may be going a wee bit overboard in our holiday purchasing these days.  At least in my family.  My mother also used to say “Well, you know, the Kennedys just write each other poems for Christmas!”  Needless to say, the Kennedy kids probably weren’t really lacking for socks and underwear and Ataris so poems probably were okay by them.  I thought that was a horrible idea at the time.  Now, I start to wonder…

I’ve been on the quest for some gift options that won’t contribute to the stuffification of my tiny apartment and might even give a little bit back to the world.  Now I’m not saying I want to get rid of Christmas presents entirely…but maybe I can pepper in a few greener, more generous, gifts as well.   Want to join me?

Check out Oxfam America Unwrapped.  I totally love this idea and I totally love this site.  Oxfam America is an international relief and development program, dedicated to creating lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and injustice.  Among leading humanitarian organizations, they are unique in that they are completely independent and accept no government money or money from any other sources that would compromise their ability to speak frankly about injustice.  How awesome is that?

So go to Oxfam America Unwrapped, and you can buy gifts that will truly help those who need it most–and still stay within your budget!  For only $12 you can contribute much needed soap to stop the spread of disease and keep a child healthy.  $18 buys a pack of seeds or mosquito nets.  For $20 you can contribute two school uniforms or irrigate a farmers’ fields for two months.  And those are just a few of the gifts available for under $25 (the selection is really super fun and I just have to mention that I’m totally giving my brother manure for Christmas this year).  When you buy a gift from Oxfam Gifts, your recipient gets a card with an image of your specific gift, and your donation profoundly affects the lives of people around  the globe.  Check out the Gifts in Action page on the Oxfam America Unwrapped site to see just how these donations help people in over 100 countries worldwide.

Manure for your little brother.  Chicks for your favorite Chicks.  Yeah, that’s something baby’s definitely gotta have.

Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Oxfam America Unwrapped and received a credit for a gift on the Oxfam site.

In New York City the Holiday decorations go up immediately after the Halloween ones come down.  This seems a little quick to me.  But when you do the math…well, suffice it to say that as of today there are only 33 days until Christmas.  I’ve said it in the past but I’m a total sucker for the holidays.  I love the decorations.  I love the shopping.  I love the baked goods.  I love it.

I also really do enjoy writing and sending…and even more than that receiving holiday cards.  Now for years I bucked the trend and insisted on hand writing individual notes to everyone.  But eventually this just got to be ridiculous.  So I settled for what I hoped were very funny and rather creative form letters (still kind of makes me cringe to confess that).  I am a bit saddened, though, by the fact that it seems fewer and fewer famlies are sending out holiday cards at all.  I know everyone is busy at this time of year.  But I think holiday cards are really really special and worth moving closer to the top of the December priority  list.  I for one love looking at photos of couples and babies and pets.  I love reading about your kids soccer seasons and science fair projects.  And I think there is real value in making contact with far-flung friends and family.  Even if it’s only once a year.

So maybe writing a  holiday letter is just not going to happen with all that you have going on this year.  Why not consider a photo card?  There are wonderful websites out there that make creating beautiful and creative photo holiday cards really easy!  Consider a collage card, with snaps from throughout the year.  Maybe you don’t have time to write about all everything you did, but the photos are a wonderful way to share those events anyway!

I have recently become acquainted with Paperspring.com — a site that offers beautiful personalized photo holiday cards as well as birth announcements, invitations, personalized stationery, digital name art and more, printed on (and this is what really excites me) 100% recycled cardstock.  Paperspring has made a genuine commitment to green printing.  Read all about their soy inks, lower VOC compounds in their cleaning products, low waste printing, and recycling efforts here.

And did I mention they have oodles of delicious holiday designs to choose from?  They do.  And did I mention all shipping from Paperspring.com is free?  It is.  Oh and did I mention that you can get 20% off all holiday card orders between now and December 6th with the code HOLIDAYCARD? You can.

So listen.  No more excuses.  No more delays.  Go back through all those digital pics you took this year, find some fun and funny and delightful ones, and make some holiday cards and then send one to me because I want to get some friggin mail this holiday season.  Don’t worry if you’re not all wearing Santa hats and looking like a GAP ad.  Don’t worry if the light is kind of dim or Aidan has pudding on his face or Grandma is asleep in the background.  For the record, that’s the holiday card that I totally want to see!

Need another little shove in the right direction?  Paperspring.com is offering one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader a $60 Gift Certificate to their site!  Want to enter?  Read on!

To Enter the Paperspring.com Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Check out the selection of beautiful photo cards on Paperspring.com. Come back and leave a comment saying which style you’d choose if you won!  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of eight entries per person.

• Follow Paperspring on Twitter - just click this link!
• Follow me on Twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Tweet this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste):  @Paperspring and @BabiesGottaHavT love photo holiday cards! Win a $60 Gift Certificate today! http://tinyurl.com/y8ttdp3
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Sunday November 22nd and ends on Sunday December 6th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Monday December 7th (still plenty of time to get your cards out!),  Random.org will select the winner I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering! Disclosure: Paperspring.com has provided the $60 gift certificate to the winner of this giveaway and also a $60 gift certificate to me to thank me for my time reviewing their products and hosting this giveaway. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

UPDATE! We have a winner!  Random.org says “Result: 56″  Congratulations Manjari!  Thanks to everyone who entered!

As the holiday season approaches, I know I am going to be scouring the stores and the web for wonderful toys that will impact my little gal and the earth she inhabits equally well.  I am a huge fan of Sprig Toys! Their toys foster battery-free creativity in our children and the Story Builders Playsets are no exception.  These toys encourage storytelling and imaginative play, and the fact that they’re made of 100% recycled paperboard (printed with non-toxic water-based ink) and recycled sprig wood is just the pink stripe on the candy cane as far as I’m concerned.

These neat sets combine board books, puzzles, and sturdy 3-D paper dolls and buildings all in a compact, easy to take on the go package.  In addition to “Little Red Riding Hood” playset featured in the video also check out “The Three Little Pigs.”

Babies Bottom Line: Watch the video.  The Bean had a great time playing with the Little Red Riding Hood Story Builder board book and play set.  And Mama loves that it’s eco-friendly, non-toxic, and great for travel.

Disclosure: Sprig Toys sent me this product to review.  I was not compensated in any way for this post. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

“No Nasty Chemicals.” What’s not to like about that?  I’ve talked about the all-natural, non-toxic baby, personal and household care products from Ecostore USA in the past.  And now, I’ve tried a whole bunch more. Check out the video to learn more…and the secrets of the Eco Village in New Zealand are finally revealed!

You know you want to try some of these products!  In honor of the arrival of Ecostore products at Duane Reade Pharmacies near you and the opening of the new Duane Reade in Herald Square on October 23rd, one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader will win a $25 ecommerce Gift Certificate to do just that!  Thank you Ecostore USA! Want to enter?  Read on!

To Enter the Ecostore USA $25 Gift Certificate Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Watch my video review and check out the Ecostore USA website.  Browse around, come back and leave a comment on this post letting me know which product or products you’d choose if you won the $25 ecommerce gift certificate.  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of seven entries per person.

• Follow me on twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Twitter this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste):  Ecostore USA is coming to Duane Reade Pharmacies! No Nasty Chemicals! Win a $25 gift certificate @BabiesGottaHavT http://tinyurl.com/ygtkaln
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Monday October 19th and ends on Monday November 2nd at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Tuesday November 3rd,  Random.org will select the winner I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering! Disclosure: Ecostore USA sent me all of the products shown in the video to review and they are providing the $25 gift certificate for the winner of the giveaway.  I was not compensated in any way for this post. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

Update: We have a winner.  Random.org says “Result: 1“  Congratulations Kim!  Thanks so much to everyone who entered!

We toured our first preschool last Saturday. I was choking back tears the whole time like a total sap.  And I so didn’t think I was going to be an emotional wreck about the Bean starting preschool.  I really thought I was cool with it.  Wrong.

When I profiled the awesome eco-friendly reusable lunch kits from Citizenpip in my Back to Preschool Post last month, I fessed up to the fact that imagining my little girl eating lunch at school was enough to make me weep.  Maybe I’m just having flash-backs to when I threw away my retainer with my lunch garbage…twice! But when I finally have to embrace the fact that it’s time to send the Bean out into the world with a nut-free, waste-free, as organic-as-I-can-muster lunch, I’m so glad to have a lunch kit that is up to the job. Citizenpip’s reusable lunch kits are eco-friendly, muck-free (i.e. no BPA, PVC, Phthalates or anything else you don’t want mingling with your kid’s hummus), easy for wee ones to open, and dishwasher safe.

Citizenpip was started by a mom of three boys who believes that even a small change, like eliminating one family’s contribution of plastic baggies to landfills over the course of a child’s education, can make a difference.  But she also wanted a safe, practical, and cool bag for her kids to use.  She couldn’t find a lunch kit that satisfied her needs.  So she created one.  Complete with an insulated lunch box, matching stainless steel fork and spoon set, and cloth napkins. I think the results are pretty great.

Buy It! Baby’s gotta have a lunchbox now?  Use coupon code babiesgotta10 when you purchase a Citizenpip Reusable Lunch Kit between now and October 31st for ten percent off any order over $40!

Win It! Wanna take one of these lunch kits for a test drive?  You know you do.   Christine from Citizenpip has offered one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader a Square Meal Kit!  Yippee!

To Enter the Citizenpip Reusable Lunch Kit Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Take a swing by Citizenpip and check out the Square Meal Lunch Kit.  Come back and leave a comment on this post sharing which style (Yum, Eat or Tasty) you’d choose if you won.  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of seven entries per person.

• Follow me on twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Twitter this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste): I just entered to win a Citizenpip Reusable Lunch Kit @BabiesGottaHavT Enter today! http://tinyurl.com/yb6vkxr
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S. addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Wednesday September 30th and ends on Wednesday October 14th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Thursday October 15th,  Random.org will select the winner I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering!

UPDATE! Random.org says…Result: 77  Congratulations Jamie!  Hope you love your Citizenpip Lunch Kit!

Ok so we were handed down the most adorable baby clothes.  I expounded upon my love of hand-me-down clothes in a video back in May of 2008.  They were, and continue to be, the best.

But then your little beauty does the unthinkable.  She (or he of course) grows out of her clothes! And suddenly you have tubs of too-big clothes your wee one has yet to wear mingling with tubs of outgrown clothes, and heartbreaking as it is to say goodbye to that teeny tiny baby layette, you risk suffocating in an avalanche of rompers if you don’t pay it forward. So what are you gonna do with all those groovy duds?

Try a clothing swap! Get together with your moms group or the daycare parents or the other gals you met at pre-natal yoga.  The more the merrier.  And honestly, you’ll want women with kids of all ages so that there’s a big selection of sizes.  Spread out all those delicious outfits on sofas and chairs, and go for it.  Anything unclaimed by the time you’ve downed your iced lattes goes to goodwill.  Voila. You have closet space again.  Let me say, my friend Anna has demonstrated that this works for grown-ups too!  While you’re at it, bring all the clothes you’re done with, spread them out in the bedroom and Mama leaves with a few new pieces too!

And if you’re in the NYC area, man do I have a clothing swap for you!  Clear your day on Saturday October 3rd, pile those gently used, freshly washed baby clothes in a cloth bag, and head down to the Metropolitan Pavilion, North Pavilion (110 West 19th St.).  Clothing Swap Inc. founder Suzanne Agasi will be on hand as will McGreeny himself, Josh Dorfman host of the Sundance Channel’s “The Lazy Environmentalist.” No admission will be charged, however all swappers must register in advance and bring at least on article of children’s clothing (Newborn to age 12) to swap (click HERE to register).  There is no limit to the number of clothes or accessories attendees can cram back into their cloth bags to take home in exchange.  And all “swappers” will take home samples of GreenWorks Natural Laundry Detergent.  So that’s cool.

Green.  Free.  Fun. Clothing swaps.  Now that’s something baby’s totally gotta have.

If I learned anything from the Babies Gotta Have It Online Baby Shower, it’s that you guys are as eager as I am to surround your babies with eco-friendly products.  From bamboo onesies and all-natural baby wash to sustainably made toys and organic cotton crib sheets, today’s Mamas are going green.  And  we’re always on the hunt for a great source to find these products at a price that’s right.

Well Mama Greenies, I’ve got the site for you.  All Modern Baby will make you drool non-toxic saliva until you need to wipe it off your laptop with a bamboo nursing pad.  Their products are beyond gorgeous.  The modern furniture is contemporary but not so out-there that you can’t imagine it in your home.  The fabrics are to die for.  And the selection of unique toys is so beyond what you’d find at Target.  I saw this Eames Elephant at a super fancy store in the Meatpacking District (one of those stores that makes you think, “I totally don’t have on the awesome pair of shoes I would need to enter this establishment”) and fell in love.  I love that I can buy it at All Modern and not have to worry that my wardrobe is only outlet chic.

But don’t go thinking that  All Modern Baby only offers three hundred dollar splurges.  The collection of Eco-Friendly Toys is remarkably affordable.  Honestly, I was surprised just how affordable.  Looking for a birthday present for one of the six million parties your ultra-social toddler has been invited to?  Just visit All Modern Baby, click on the “Go Green” button in the upper right hand corner, and you’re buying eco-friendly in seconds.  75 of the green toys offered are $30 or less!

Green baby products. All natural.  All safe.  All cool.  All Modern.

And here’s the cool part…the swell folks at All Modern Baby are giving away one of their super eco-friendly toys, the 50 Piece Block Set by Wonderworld, to one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader!  Building blocks are a definite must have.  And you know and I know that they’re going in the mouth before they go into a tower.  This beautiful blocks set is made from eco-friendly rubberwood and painted with non-toxic water-based paints.  For ages 2 and up.

To Enter the All Modern Baby Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Take a swing by All Modern Baby and check out their extensive offering of Eco-Friendly Baby and Toddler products.  Come back and leave me a comment on this post sharing which product, besides the Wonderworld Wooden Block Set is your favorite.  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of seven entries per person.

• Follow me on twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Twitter this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste): @BabiesGottaHavT is giving away an eco-friendly block set from All Modern Baby Enter today! http://tinyurl.com/qcecjs
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  and Canadian addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Wednesday  September 16th and ends on Wednesday September 30th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Thursday October 1st,  Random.org will select the winner I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering!

UPDATE! We have a winner!  Random.org says… Result: 49 Congratulations Kristin L.!  I hope you love your blocks set.  And thank you to everyone who entered!

It’s my baby girl’s second birthday.

And to celebrate, we are going to shower you and that sweet baby you’re dreaming about, loving from afar, or holding in your arms right now!  You’ve seen the videos. You’ve drooled over the products.  Today is the day to enter!  I’m so glad you’re here.

Talk about the best of both worlds…a baby shower with hundreds of dollars worth of wonderful products, but no silly games. I do wish I had some cake though…

I just want to say a big thank you again to all of the wonderful companies that have contributed items to the first ever Babies Gotta Have It Online Baby Shower Giveaway.

Here again, is everything that the winner of this unbelievable giveaway will receive:

Babies Gotta Bathe

• The Eco Store’s Aromatherapy Baby Moisturizer and Baby Shampoo (see my 7/6/09 post)
  
• Miessence Baby Cream Wash from Ely Organics (see my 2/9/09 post)
  
• The Entire Line of Baby Care Products from Earth Baby Organics (see my 7/6/09 post)
  
• No Slip Charlie Fingerless Baby Bathing Gloves (see my 6/10/08 post)
  
• Natural Laundry Detergent and Stain Remover from Clorox Green Works (see my 7/6/09 post)

Babies Gotta Eat

• The Portable Cutlery Set from No Plastic (see my post from 5/12/09)
  
• Minky Bib and Utensil Set from Happy Babee and Beeyond (see my post from 10/14/08)
  
• Bibs N Burps Set from Wow Baby (see  my post from 6/18/09)
  
• Baby Dipper Bowl and Spoon Set from Baby Dipper (see my post from 11/17/08 )

Beyond Your Birthday Suit

• Infant and Toddler Clothes by Hanes
• A Bamboo Onesie from Bamboo Couture (see my post from 4/18/09)
  
• A Baby Blanket of your choice from Lilitah (see my post from 7/9/09)
  
• The Handkerchief Bonnet, The Baby’s First Haircut Bag, Embroidered Burp Cloths and The Tooth Fairy Pillow from Little Journeys Baby World
• A Bamboo Fitted Crib Sheet and Bamboo Baby Washcloths from Bamboobino

Shift Into Gear

• The No Throw Baby Bottle Tether
• About Childbirth, About Breastfeeding, and About Newborn Care, the 3 DVD Set, from Laugh and Learn (see my post from 1/22/09)
  
• The Comfort Select Performance Dual Auto-Cycling Breast Pump from Evenflo (see my post from 4/28/09)
  
• The Complete Air Convertible Car Seat by Safety 1st

Playing  With My Baby

• Lubies Plush Toys
• Fruit Stained Natural Wooden Stacker by Ticki Tacki Toys (see my post from 4/18/09)
  
• That Baby CD and DVD by OyBaby (see my post from 6/30/08)

To Enter the

Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: First, watch all of the videos featuring the products included in the giveaway.  When you’re done, return to this post and leave a comment telling me 1. Who is this baby that you want to shower with beautiful things and why & 2. Which product you are the most excited about winning and why. This is a huge prize package, so entries that don’t provide complete answers to parts 1 and 2 will be discounted.  And it’s absolutely wonderful to want to win this for your very own baby!  One who is here or one who is on the way! Tell me a little bit about you and your babe!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of seven entries per person.

• Follow me on twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Twitter this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste): @BabiesGottaHavT is hosting an Online Baby Shower! Enter to win today! http://tinyurl.com/mfdmwl
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Sunday August 9th and ends on Sunday August 30th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Monday August 31st,  Random.org will select the winner I’ll email you immediately. After my baby called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my baby, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering!

Update! We have a winner! Random.org selected number 249! Congratulations Danielle Donohue! Hope you and your baby love being showered! Thank you so much to everyone who entered!

Welcome to the 5th and final installation in the Babies Gotta Have It Online Baby Shower Video Series, “Playing With My Baby.” It’s time to have some fun with your little one!

Featuring…

• Lubies Plush Toys
• Fruit Stained Natural Wooden Stacker by Ticki Tacki Toys (see my post from 4/18/09)
• That Baby CD and DVD by OyBaby (see my post from 6/30/08)