Ergobaby 360 Carrier featured at Baby Bloggy Boot Camp

I recently checked out the new Ergobaby 360 carrier at Baby Bloggy Boot Camp. This post is written by me on behalf of Liz Lange and Ergobaby. Product was provided.

Ergobaby 360 Carrier featured at Baby Bloggy Bootcamp

Two things I absolutely love are babywearing and blogging. So when these two came together at Baby Bloggy Boot Camp hosted by the SITS Girls I knew I wanted to attend. Since I was already attending Women Get Social, coming in a few hours early wouldn’t be a big deal. Plus I got a sneak peek at the new Ergo 360 baby carrier and some other amazing products.

Baby Bloggy Boot Camp (#BabyBBC) was an informative mini blog conference that featured sessions on creating compelling content for moms, sponsored content tips and authentic story-telling. Each session was lead by bloggers in-the-know about what brands want and what readers want to see.

And in those 3 hours I learned a lot about how I can improve my own brand (this blog) and really deliver what my readers want to see. I’ve already seen an amazing change in how I view my blog and how I approach each and every post I share. [Read more…]

5 Ways to Make Your Morning Routine Easier

Tracking Pixel

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Waterpik.

5 Ways to Make Your Morning Routine Easier

I’ve never been one for morning routines. Having children has changed things and everything I do in the morning as part of my routine just seemed like it was taking a lot of time. So I looked into how to make your morning routine easier and tried to implement it into my own morning routine.

The first thing I needed to do was consolidate whatever I could from my routine. Now normally I brush my teeth in the shower thinking that saves time… totally doesn’t save time. I also floss as I’m trying to dry off and using mouthwash as I’m brushing my hair. All this gets me is tangled up on the days I actually do shower, and with crazy hair on the days I don’t (I’m a mom. I work from home. Sometimes days go by…).

But I’ve finally done it. I’ve created an efficient morning routine that I can stick with. Even when I don’t shower. And I feel better about my ability to get things done before we head out the door. [Read more…]

5 Places to Take Kids When It’s Raining

Are you going insane right now frantically thinking about how to entertain your kids after days and days of rainfall? Well surprisingly, right now here in San Diego we’re going through the same thing.

Because we live in sunny So Cal we normally don’t have to deal with rain but we desperately needed it. So instead of cursing at the fact that it is raining, I’m embracing it and figuring out places to take the kids when it’s raining. Because we all have to stay sane.

I was kinda surprised when asking my friends that there weren’t too many places to take them but if we got creative, alternate locations could totally work. And? A few of them are free! [Read more…]

Hawaii-Inspired Pasta Puttanesca with Seared Ahi Recipe

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and its advertiser. #ChooseSmart

pasta puttanesca with seared ahi

February is the month of love. And this month I plan on making sure my husband knows exactly how much I appreciate him. While we don’t have a lot of time to go out together one-on-one anymore, I can create a great evening just for the two of us with a special recipe inspired by our favorite places to travel: Hawaii and Italy.

We’ve both loved Hawaii since we were dating and took a trip there with my family. Then we went again for our Honeymoon. And again with our two kids two years ago. The culture, the ambiance, the relaxation. It all screams the perfect vacation to us.

We’re also very interested in exploring and going on adventures and Hawaii is a great place for just that. But so is another country I’ve come to love after traveling there together when I was pregnant with our son. That special place is Italy. So in the spirit of the month of love I’ve combined our two favorite places to travel into this one dish. [Read more…]

5 Ways to Comfort a Sick Child

Disclaimer - Review Posts
5 ways to comfort a sick child

One of the worst things to deal with as a parent is seeing your child sick. The only thing you can think about are ways to make them feel better. And having ways to comfort a sick child can be quite helpful in these situations.

There’s a routine I go about when trying to comfort my kids when they are sick. Doing things that are familiar to them seems to make them the most comfortable.

That’s all I want for my sickies, for them to feel comfortable and secure knowing that mama’s going to take care of them. So here’s how I do it… [Read more…]

Enjoying a Mom’s Night In with Mrs T’s Pierogies

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Millennial Central Consulting for Mrs. T’s Pierogies. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Mrs T pierogies with friends

About once a month or so my friends and I make a point to get together and enjoy a little adult company sans kids. And about every other time we choose to have a mom’s night in as opposed to a mom’s night out.

When it’s my turn to host I always want to serve a dish that just about anyone can eat and that’s simple and versatile. So when I was asked to try Mrs T’s pierogies with my friends I was excited to try it out! Surprisingly I had never tried pierogies but am always looking for new foods.

Not only did Mrs. T’s pierogies turn out to be super easy to make but they’re also very tasty. The perfect comfort food for a mom’s night in. And great with a glass of wine. [Read more…]

What Bugs You Out? Learning About Bugs

This post brought to you by The Orkin Ecologist. All opinions are 100% mine.

Insects. Bugs. Creepy, crawly creatures. Some people fear them, but my son loves them.

We know that every creature has its place on the planet — whether they harm people or property, or help the environment thrive. So when my son started to get interested in the bugs around us I had no choice but to suck it up and start learning more about our small, multi legged neighbors.

The only problem is that sometimes I’m just too bugged out to want to help find specimens for him to study. And one arachnid in particular makes me jump. [Read more…]

Wear Awesome Light Up Shoes and other Halloween Safety Tips

halloween safety tips stride rite 2

Since my kids were old enough to speak I lost the power to choose what they dressed up as for Halloween. But the one thing I do have say about is the safety of the costumes they choose.

I have a few guidelines for their costumes and since they’re still fairly young I haven’t had too much of a problem getting them to go along with what I say. These Halloween safety tips have helped me with easing my mind about the fact that my kids are out after dark.

And I think that they also help the kids realize how important it is to be aware of where they are and how visible they are to others out as well.

halloween safety tips stride rite running in shoes

Halloween Safety Tips

1. Wear bright clothing

When choosing a Halloween costume try and make sure that there are some bright components to the outfit. Whether you add reflective tape to the costume after it’s on or you purchase a brightly colored outfit, having something visible to others in the dark can help make sure people know that your kid is there.

2. Find some light up shoes

Halloween is always a fun night out with the kids, but it’s important to stay safe as well! Stride Rite has shoes that incorporate today’s latest light up technology so they are visible at night as your child runs from house to house. Or you can string on some glow sticks onto your kids shoes! 

3.  Use a flashlight

When walking the neighborhood let your kids use flashlights to lead the way. Not only will this help their visibility and help with trips and falls but it’s also super fun!

4. Ditch the masks

A child’s visibility is greatly reduced when they are wearing a mask. So if you have a small child, consider costumes without masks to help make their evening as enjoyable as possible.

5. Have a plan

Make sure to talk to your children before you head off to trick-or-treat. Let them know the plan for the evening, where you’ll be going, and what the rules are. By making sure the kids know what’s going on everyone will have a great time!

halloween safety tips stride rite butterfly

Since my daughter chose to be a butterfly this week (and designed her own costume!) we were very excite to receive these adorable Disney Wish Lights Ariel shoes. They match her costume perfectly!

Plus I know that these shoes will last a lot longer than just a few weeks even with all of the running around and jumping she does. Stride Rite shoes are our go-to shoe brand and have been since the kids first started walking.

Along with the Wish Lights shoes my daughter will be wearing, my son will be wearing his favorite green Saucony shoes with his lizard costume. Comfortable, flexible, and durable! Everything we need in a children’s shoe brand.

halloween safety tips stride rite butterfly costume

How do you keep your children safe on Halloween?

My Favorite Thing: Thumbs Up Wine Finder App

Thumbs Up Wine Finder App My Favorite Thing

Oh wine! Glorious wine! You are always center stage at any mom’s night in I host and the mamas are always appreciative. Especially when I host the My Favorite Things mom’s night in event I have every few months.

And this month, front and center, was wine. Because my favorite thing this month is the awesome wine app that helps you shop for wine whether you’re at home or in the store! The Thumbs Up Wine Finder app is pretty darn awesome and I was so excited when I chatted with the folks behind the app to find that they wanted to gift a few app codes to my guests as my favorite thing.

An added bonus? They sent us wine to enjoy at the party!  [Read more…]

5 Reasons to Drink Water For Kids

This article is sponsored by Nestlé® Pure Life® Purified Water

Growing up I always heard that if I drink enough water my skin would stay clear. So I drank water like crazy. Vanity will get you everywhere when you’re talking to a teenager, right?

As the mom of two young kids I’m constantly worrying if my children drinking enough water. From their constant requests for juice or milk to the fact that everywhere we go they have the option to choose sugary drinks over water I just hope that I’m doing the best I can when I push water first. Keeping kids hydrated is important.

My daughter is awesome at choosing water. She has no problem taking her bottle of water with her everywhere and drinking it when thirsty throughout the day. However my son prefers milk and always chooses it over water. So I’ve begun researching the importance of hydration.

What I’ve found has reaffirmed my belief that water should be their first choice in drink. And I really hope that as they grow up they’ll realize just how great water really is. And not just because it leaves you with fabulous skin.

5 Reasons to Drink Water For Kids

[Read more…]



© A Crafty Spoonful - All Rights Reserved
It is OK to use one of my photos provided a link back and/or proper credit is given. It is NOT ok to copy and paste a whole post including instructions. Please do not remove watermarks or alter images in any way. Please contact me with any questions at danielle@acraftyspoonful.com

.