New mommas! I know it’s hard, girl. The sleepless nights. The endless laundry. The human attached to your boob twenty-four-seven. The bottles that pile up to be cleaned. The adjusting to your new life with baby. The trying to do it all AT ONCE. It’s HARD. Like, REAL HARD.
But, I have good news for you. The dust WILL settle. The sleep will come – and in a short time you won’t be able to even remember your life before your little one. It’s like they were already in your heart forever and you just had to wait for them to get here. I’m not crying – you’re crying! Geez. Boy, do I love my babies and all the blessings they have brought me in life! Okay, so back to the recap as I wipe away my tears.
I have even more good news for you! This weekend I was lucky enough to attend The 2nd Annual Chicago Baby Show at Navy Pier on a media pass. This allowed me to get lots of one-on-one time with all the vendors and hear all about the latest and greatest in baby gear, gadgets, wraps, snacks and more.
I even left with some cool swag that I’ll be giving away to a few lucky readers! Check out all these goodies below!
One of the first booths I visited was a brand staple for my family when my babies were babies (not that long ago). Boppy Support for all Momkind. Boppy’s are a must for new moms. I had both the nursing pillow and newborn lounger, which I used every day for at least a year for both my babies. They have other great products, accessories, cozy carriers, and the cutest slip covers you’ve ever seen. Not going to lie, I had several covers because babies vomit and spit up a lot and I didn’t want to do laundry every day. Lazy, I know, but when you’re a zombie you do what you have to do. Boppy has a new product out, a teething scarf, which was an instant hit and already won a Mom’s Choice Award. It’s an infinity scarf that serves as an accessory, cover up for nursing, and easy grip teether made from food-grade silicon. The nice lady at the booth modeled it for my readers! Very cute, and cozy for baby!
Next up, I chatted with the ladies at the Motherlove® Nurturing Life booth. Motherlove products are recommended by healthcare professionals and trusted by mothers everywhere. The products are self-care for moms and contain herbs that are traditionally and effectively used worldwide to support breast milk supply. Their line carries Sitz Bath Spray, pregnant belly salve to help with stretch marks, and their most popular product: Motherlove Nipple Cream. Breastfeeding moms – can I get an amen! Side note: nipple cream is becoming a popular lip balm on dry lips during winter. I’ve tried it – it works. Just sayin’. You can check out their whole line at Motherlove.
After I divulged that I sometimes use nipple cream (no judging) on my lips, I went over to the Inspired Start booth and was really impressed with what they’ve created. They are the only baby food designed to introduce eight common allergens. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology says allergenic foods can be introduced just like other solid foods, around 4-6 months of age. Early allergen introduction, or just early introduction, is a new term — one that has emerged over the last couple of years as a response to new research. Early introduction is the process of feeding a potentially allergenic food to infants early on in their immune system development and on a consistent basis as they continue to grow and develop.
They come in cute easy to carry pouches (BPA free) and are available on Amazon Prime. So smart!
One of my last stops was at the SNOO Sleeper booth. All I can say is, “WOW”! This sleeper is all the rage with celebs and baby sleep gurus alike. It was created by the author of Happiest Baby on the Block, Dr. Harvey Karp (a.k.a. The Baby Whisperer). If you’re a mom you’ve read or at least heard of his book. It was my baby bible when I had my first son and his advice was solid. SNOO Smart Sleeper is a bassinet that applies Dr. Karp’s popular 5 S’s soothing techniques, giving your baby a perfect 4th Trimester for safe and happy sleep.
SNOO is the only bed that boosts sleep 1-2+ hours by soothing babies with the constant rumbly sound and gentle rocking they loved in the womb. SNOO also “hears” your baby’s cries and automatically responds with 5 levels of gradually stronger white noise and motion to find the best level to soothe fussing. It comes with a special swaddle for safe sleeping, different attachments for incline, and even has an app to control the controls (of course it does!). It does come with a hefty price tag, but you have to ask yourself – is you and your baby’s sleep worth it? I’d say so.
Some other notable (I mean, they all were awesome) vendors were one of my other favorites, Mable’s Labels
If you don’t use these yet, trust me you will. If your baby goes to daycare or when they are older and start schooling – everything must be labeled. What better way to personalize or showcase your little one’s personality then with Mabel’s labels. AND, you can get 20% off site wide using the code:US182DOQ561C from now until December 31, 2018.
My new friends at Líllé Baby, on the Goldbug, Pura, Inspired Start (who I talked about above), and Itzy Ritzy were kind enough to donate some of their favorite products among moms for a giveaway! The Líllé Baby tie the knot wrap includes unique, innovative features that simplifies placing carrier on and improves comfort. The on the Goldbug 4 in 1 privacy scarf is a multi-use scarf, nursing cover, shopping cart cover & car seat canopy. The Pura stainless steel bottle is unbreakable, dishwasher safe, non toxic, no plastics! They have a line for the whole family, but I have a bottle for you! Inspired start gave a cute little snack bag and a pouch of their uniquily formulated organic baby food. Finally the Itzy Ritzy snack bag is perfect for moms on the go!
How to ENTER:
- Follow on IG at hollydays_chicago.
- Share this post on Facebook.
- Tag your new mom friends or soon-to-be moms.
Each action is an entry!
First come first serve on the raffle items, there are 5 to give away! I have a few other samples I can throw in each as a surprise gift too!
Winner will be chosen Tuesday, September 4th.
