rainy days giveaways {day 5}: guzzie + Guss

CONTEST CLOSED!  Congratulations to Xing Zheng - she has won a guzzie + Guss "Pimp My Ride" stroller accessory pack!

Day 5 of our Rainy Days Giveaways features local Vancouver, BC stroller company, guzzie + Guss!

Finding the perfect stroller is definitely exciting but can end up feeling like a chore.  Familiar questions will pop up in your head:  How much should/can we spend?  Is the stroller compatible with our car seat?  Does the stroller come with a cup holder?  Is everything an add-on cost?

Vancouver stroller manufacturer guzzie + Guss strive to make the best product on the market at the most affordable prices.  Combining over 30 years of product development and market experience, guzzie + Guss offers everything from strollers and stroller accessories to high chairs, safety gear and toys.  They even have  universal car seat adapters for each of their stroller's models which makes it easier for parents to choose whichever car seat they desire.

guzzie + Guss G+G 051 Denman Stroller. 
Image courtesy of guzzie + Guss

G+G 1+1 Gabriola Stroller
Image courtesy of guzzie + Guss

In the past few months, we have been struggling with a toddler who hates sitting in his stroller and loves to take off when we're not looking.  With a baby on the way and a toddler who refuses to sit in his stroller, I figured the option that made the most sense was a stroller board.  I was set on getting a BuggyBoard because I thought it was the only stroller board on the market when I came across guzzie + Guss' G+G 001 Universal Stroller Hitch.  Life. Saver.

G+G 001 Universal Stroller Hitch
Image courtesy of guzzie + Guss

{The Review}

The Universal Stroller Hitch is truly universal.  It attached perfectly to our Maxi-Cosi Foray and Perle strollers and, despite the fact that my hitch didn't come with instructions, I was able to attach it with just viewing the instructional video below and off we went!

Lil J and Miss S enjoying the guzzie + Guss stroller board!

The Universal Stroller Hitch also features two adjustable knobs which allows a user to adjust and tighten the angle of the platform.  For times where you are not using the hitch, you can simply fold it up and attach it to the stroller bar handle with the strap provided.

I found that the Universal Stroller Hitch was very sturdy and easy to maneuver.  There have been a couple times where it would get stuck in a certain position if I was backing up and turning the stroller around simultaneously {eg: exciting an elevator}, but with a few quick back-and-forth movements of the stroller, we were able to get the stroller hitch to re-adjust itself without having to do it manually.

Our son not only loves the stroller hitch, he actually asks to ride it.  No more running after a runaway toddler or struggling to strap him into his stroller!  A bonus?  His sister loves to push the stroller with her brother yelling "Beep beep, beep beep!".

{Win It!}

guzzie + Guss is giving away a "Pimp My Ride" accessory pack to one lucky winner!  The accessory pack includes a rain cover, universal cup holder, stroller insert pad and their stuffed animal mascots {combined value of $120 CND}.  The giveaway is open to Vancouver, BC and Lower Mainland residents only and ends at 9pm PST on April 13, 2012.

The views expressed in this review are my own and do not represent the opinions or views of guzzie + Guss. Note that {swank}mama does not accept responsibility for sponsors that do not fulfill their giveaway duties.

rainy days giveaways {day 4}: Modern Mama

CONTEST CLOSED!  Congratulations to Lee-Anne Gin - our winner of the Modern Mama Perks Card!!

If you haven't heard of Modern Mama by now, you are about to be hooked.  Hooked on parties, get togethers and events that you can... *gasp*.....bring your little ones to.

Founded in 2008 by mama of three Connie Peters, Modern Mama has been bringing stylish and informative events to the Edmonton and Calgary areas and, most recently, Vancouver.  Events include:

• Mama Needs a Babysitter - a chance to meet local sitters face-to-face in a social environment.
• Infant and Child CPR Session
• Stylish events such as Mama at the Hair Salon and Essentials of Skin Care at Sephora
• Mini-Mixers - introduces you to other moms interested in establishing a playgroup in your area
• And much more!

Beauty Basics at Sephora - Vancouver.  Images courtesy of modernmama.com

If that wasn't enough, Modern Mama also has a yearly Membership Perks Card which offers discounts at local Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary stores and Modern Mama events.  The cost is $35 and also includes national perks for mamas residing outside of the three Modern Mama cities.

Modern Mama also offers a licensing option of their brand in your community.  Becoming a Modern Mama Community Director means working part-time at your own pace while being at home with your kids.  You can even bring your kids to Modern Mama events!  A few responsibilities of Modern Mama's Community Directors include:

• Creating events based on a semester schedule based on Modern Mama's model
• Building a community in person and online using social media and blogging
• Growing a membership base and maintaining regular newsletters
• And more!

For more information on potential licensing opportunities with Modern Mama, you can visit their website and fill out their form.

{Win It!}

Modern Mama is generously donating a Membership Perks Card to one lucky winner!  Please see the Rafflecopter entry form below. The giveaway is open to Canadian residents only and ends at 9pm PST on April 12, 2012.

The views expressed in this review are my own and do not represent the opinions or views of Modern Mama or Modern Mama Vancouver. Note that {swank}mama does not accept responsibility for sponsors that do not fulfill their giveaway duties.

public pool insecurities

This weekend Lil J has his very first swimming lesson!  He has always been a water baby and loves taking baths and going to the pools, so I figured why not?  Plus, he'll be able to save Mommy if she falls in the deep end because...well...Mommy can't swim.

While I can't wait to see his face once he steps foot in the pool, there are a few things that I'm not looking forward to.  Number 1 on the list is going to the public pool.  I can't stand public pools.  They stink, they're dirty and they're disgusting.  I'm going to wear my flip flops on the deck and no one can stop me.  I have disturbing childhood memories of tip-toeing around the change room with naked, middle-aged women prancing around, and me trying to avoid spit stains and other people's hair on the floor.  Yuck.

This is what I wish the pool would look like....

The second thing that I am on the fence about is sporting a bikini.  It won't be a maternity bikini - just my pre-pregnancy ones.  At 30 weeks pregnant, I'm praying that I can still squeeze my butt into the bottoms.  I have a feeling that sporting a bikini this late in my pregnancy will be pretty empowering.  Keeping a positive attitude about the situation.

Might have been a good idea to invest in one of these maternity bikinis:

Image courtesy of ingridandisabel.com

And it shouldn't be all about me!  What about the sweet little boy who is about to learn how to swim {and save his Mommy from sharks}?  The day should be all about him and the excitement that he is going to learn something new.  But those grimy pool floors.......

wordless wednesday: superstars {linky}

This is one of my fav pics from our recent trip to LA.  We just arrived at the airport and Lil J was looking all Hollywood :)

Please feel free to link up your Wordless Wednesday posts below, leave a comment & say hi {not mandatory}.  Thanks!

rainy days giveaways {day 3}: bobs and LoLo

CONTEST CLOSED!  Congratulations to Stacy Lowe - our lucky winner of the Bobs & LoLo CD/DVD Prize Pack!

To celebrate day 3 of our Rainy Days Giveaways, we have partnered up with kid favourite duo Bobs & LoLo!

Bobs & LoLo are dedicated to connecting kids to the natural world with music, movement, and make-believe.  Robyn Hardy {Bobs} and Lorraine Pond {LoLo} both grew up on Vancouver Island and share a mutual passion of working with kids and teaching them the love of creativity and harmony through music.  Over the years, they have released a number of popular CDs and DVDs and are featured on the Canadian children's channel, Treehouse.  Their enthusiasm, talent and catchy songs are a favourite of children and parents alike.

I've had the honour of seeing Bobs & LoLo at a couple of their mini concerts around town.  The first one was at a local Gap store when Lil J was a few months old and they were so popular, I could see parents pushing their kids past others just so they could be in the front!  Talk about star power!

In addition to holding mini concerts around the city, Bobs & LoLo also perform in elementary schools across Canada and the United States to rave review from everyone in the audience!  Booking inquiries can be directed to Eran Norton at booking@bobsandLoLo.com.

Here is a video of Bobs & LoLo singing their popular song "Raindrop Pop".  Perfect for our Rainy Days Giveaways!!

{Win It!}

Bobs and LoLo are generously donating a CD/DVD package including their 2012 JUNO nominated album Connecting the Dots and their award-winning musical DVD On Your Feet to one lucky winner!  Please see the Rafflecopter entry form below. The giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents and ends at 9pm PST on April 11, 2012.


The views expressed in this review are my own and do not represent the opinions or views of Bobs and LoLo. Note that {swank}mama does not accept responsibility for sponsors that do not fulfill their giveaway duties.

dear lil j: mr. independent

33 Months

Dear Lil J:

Last night was day 4 of sleeping in your big boy bed and guess what?!  You slept the entire night in your own bed - all by yourself!  This is such a milestone since Mommy and Daddy have been letting you sleep in our bed for the last.... 6-8 months....possibly longer. 

I have to admit that the first night was hard for me because I've gotten so used to falling asleep with you beside me.  It must have been a case of separation anxiety on my part.  You handled it so much better!  Of course there were the excuses {"I want more milk" or "I want Daddy" or "I want other bed"} to try to get out of the room, but I had to stand my ground and stick to my guns.  So far there hasn't been too much yelling or screaming, and we're still following our bedtime routine of talking about our days, reading a bedtime story {you read to me more than I do to you right now} and watching a few of your favourite clips on "your" iPad {you ask for Chuggington, Bob the Builder and Thomas at the moment}.



In your lil' monster bed!

 You also have a mind of your own and you're not afraid to speak it.  The other night you told me you wanted Daddy and I told you that he was in the bathroom.  Because of your smarts {which of course you got from me!} and your sharp hearing, you weren't fooled and told me, "No, he's not in bathroom.  He's in the kitchen."  So much for fooling you.

This morning was another great example of your confidence and willingness to speak your mind.  As we were getting ready to leave the house for school, you kept asking for Gong Gong {Grandpa}.  I told you that he was sleeping and you told me, "No, he's not sleeping.  He's at home.  Let's find Gong Gong."  I let Gong Gong know that you've been asking for him for the last two days and he was so happy!

Also, the past few days of dropping you off at school have been a breeze!  You used to cry when I left you but now I let you bring your favourite car of the day so that you can show your friends.  Now you look so happy and proud, and you hug and kiss me goodbye and off you go!

You are also very independent.  At 33 months, you are already dressing and undressing yourself, putting on your own socks, underwear, pants, tops, shoes and jacket.  Actually, you've been doing this for a few months already.  Now I guess all I need to do is teach you how to tie shoe laces!

You're doing great baby!  Keep up the good work!

Love,
Mommy

rainy days giveaways {day 2}: raspberry kids

Day 2 of our Rainy Days Giveaways features local Vancouver online retailer, Raspberry Kids!

Sue Sinclair, owner of Raspberry Kids, abandoned her corporate life after having her two kids in favour of opening her own business.  The result?  A highly successful online retail company specializing in only the best brands and products for kids.

I love how Raspberry Kids' website is extremely user-friendly and easy to navigate.  Everything and anything that you are looking for has been itemized accordingly, including sections for the new and sale items.

Once you have filled your cyber shopping cart with goodies, Raspberry Kids offers numerous ways to place your order including:

•  shopping online
•  ordering by phone @ 1.888.950.KIDS (5437)
•  shop in person or pick up at their local Vancouver warehouse located at #504 - 1540 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver, BC.  Email shopping@rasberrykids.com to schedule an appointment - last minute inquiries will be accomodated

Some of the fab products that you can find at Raspberry Kids include:

Educo Creative Cookery Club - $139.99 CAD

3 Sprouts Storage Box - $25.99 CAD

 

Vapur Flexible Water Bottle "Fun Size" 2 Pack - $20.99 CAD

It's clear that loyal Raspberry Kids customers love coming back - as evident by their testimonials and diverse customer base.  Customer service excellence is something they strive for every day and is a huge part of their success.  Purchases from Raspberry Kids will be shipped virtually anywhere in the world and shipping prices can be found here.

{Win It!}

Raspberry Kids has kindly offered to donate a So Young Mother Cooler Bag in Brown Birds to a lucky Vancouver resident!  You must be available to pick up the bag from their warehouse located at #504 - 1540 West 2nd Avenue in Vancouver.  Please see the Rafflecopter entry form below.  The giveaway is open to Vancouver {Lower Mainland}, BC residents only and ends at 9pm PST on April 10, 2012. 

The views expressed in this review are my own and do not represent the opinions or views of Raspberry Kids.  Note that {swank}mama does not accept responsibility for sponsors that do not fulfill their giveaway duties.

out of the mouth of: lil j {little white lies}

Last night was day 3 of Lil J falling asleep in his big boy bed.  He was trying to think of all sorts of excuses to get out of bed from "I want other bed" to "I want milk".  Another one of the excuses he used was "I want Daddy!".  To that, I responded:

"Daddy's in the bathroom right now".  I figured Lil J would believe me because he knows when Daddy's in the bathroom, we don't bother him.

Lil J:  "No not in bathroom.  He's in the kitchen"

Me:  silence

Lil J:  "Daddy not in bathroom.  He's in the kitchen Mama"

What??!!  I thought a kid had to be at least 7 before white lies or "tricking" them wouldn't work anymore.  I remember I used to believe everything that came out of my mom's mouth.  Then again, I was a gullible kid.  Lil J is only 2 1/2 and I can't trick him?  Guess I'll have to think of another tactic *sigh*

Were you ever able to get your kids to believe your white lies?

monday giveaway linky {3/26 - 3/30}

Time to link up your giveaways!

This linky will stay open until this Friday, March 30th.

In the "Link Title" box, please submit your giveaways in the following format:

"Name of Giveaway - Country {End Date}"

Please leave a comment after you have linked your giveaway and don't forget to check out my current giveaways!

rainy days giveaways {day 1}: GumDrops Wet Weather Boutique

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CONTEST CLOSED!  Congratulations to Lee-Anne Gin who has won a Hatley Grover Rain Coat from GumDrops Wet Weather Boutique!

To launch our Rainy Days Giveaway, we have partnered up with local Vancouver retailer GumDrops Wet Weather Boutique!

Located on fashionable West 4th Avenue, GumDrops is a boutique store specializing in wet weather wear for the whole family.  'Weather' {no pun intended!} you're on the market for the perfect rain boots, a new rain jacket or the most stylish umbrella on the block, GumDrops is guaranteed to have what you're looking for.

You can find a variety of items at GumDrops including Hunter's, Cheeky Umbrellas, Havaianas and, of course, Hatley. They also feature their own house brand {cleverly labeled GumDrops} which consists of jackets and boots for the whole family.  Also on hand are the friendly and knowledgeable GumDrops staff to help you personalize your wet weather purchase!

Purchases at GumDrops include in-store {2029 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC} and online with multiple shipping options including in-store pick-up.

GumDrops generously donated a Hatley Grover Raincoat for Lil J {and Mommy!} to review.

We personally love the soft terry towel lining on the inside of the jacket and the light-weight, water resistant outer shell.  The jacket was very flexible and easy for Lil J to move around in.  Although Lil J is only 2 1/2, we opted for a size 4T to give him plenty of room to grow into.  The "Super" Grover design on the jacket is super cute, as well as 100% PVC free.

{Win It!}

GumDrops is offering one of our local Vancouver readers a chance to win a Hatley Grover Raincoat!  You must be able to pick up the coat in store at 2029 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC.  Please see the Rafflecopter entry form below.  The giveaway is open to Vancouver, BC residents only and ends at 9pm PST on April 9, 2012. 

The views expressed in this review are my own and do not represent the opinions or views of GumDrops Wet Weather Boutique.  Note that {swank}mama does not accept responsibility for sponsors that do not fulfill their giveaway duties.

the journey 2.0: entering the final stretch

THIRD trimester!!

Wow really?!

Where did time fly?  According to Baby Center, I only have 77 more days to go.  That sounds like a lot but it's just a little over two months.  Crazy.  And I have so much to do.  Like plan Miss S's belated birthday party, clean the house, paint the house {hopefully!}.........and the list goes on and on.  Yes, you could definitely say I'm in full nesting mode.  Weirdly enough, this didn't happen when I was pregnant with Lil J so it's nice to experience something different.

In preparation for our house clean and "new" furniture {purchased from Craigslist}, I've been constantly nagging my husband over the past couple months to make sure that he puts our new wardrobe up in our room so that he can clear his clothes out of Lil J's room.  I have to admit, with our growing family, we are running out of room even though we have three bedrooms.  There is never enough room!

Surprisingly, my husband started bringing up all the pieces of the wardrobe from our downstairs foyer last night.  I'd post pictures of our large foyer but they are not pretty.  In fact, it's pretty much become a storage area.  At 9:25pm, he asked me if it was too late to start putting together the wardrobe in our room.  Ummmm yes........I was just getting ready to put Lil J and myself to bed!  We decided to do it on the weekend instead.

So we're progressing and things seem to be on it's way to being done.  Now I just have to encourage hubby to put up our over-the-range microwave which has been sitting in its box since I purchased it at Christmastime.  Sigh.

Did you go through a nesting phase while you were pregnant?

wordless wednesday: smiles {linky}

Photo via Instagram @swankmama

Please feel free to link up your Wordless Wednesday posts below, leave a comment & say hi {not mandatory}.  Thanks!

{swank}review & giveaway: CityGrips - 3 Winners!

CONTEST CLOSED!  Congratulations to our 3 winners - Stevie MooreBabies, Teresa Kirts and Francine Fogel who have each won their choice of a CityGrips stroller handlebar cover!

We have been using the same stroller for almost 3 years and the wear & tear on the stroller's rubber/foamy handle has definitely taken a beating.  It also looks rather....unattractive.  Case in point:

Thankfully, I came across a company called CityGrips which carries a range of stylish stroller handlebar grip covers for either your double bar or single bar handle strollers.  The quality of CityGrips are amazing and is priced just right at $12.95 {plus free shipping!}.  As if the price wasn't incentive enough, here are a few highlights of CityGrips:

•  Protects your hands from unwanted germs
•  Machine washable and easy to attach/remove
•  Safeguards your stroller's handlebars from dirt and frequent wear and tear
•  Personalizes your stroller and makes it easier to spot {especially in a sea of strollers at Disneyland!!}

CityGrips also covered up the wear and tear on our stroller's handlebars:

And looked equally stylish on our umbrella stroller.  Below is a picture of the exact CityGrip we have on the stroller:

I love the feel of CityGrips and the fact that they can be removed whenever they need washing.  I wish I had known about these before our handlebar became damaged but am glad that there is a product out there that can cover up such damages in a fashionable way!

Here are some other fantastic styles from CityGrips:

{Win It!}

CityGrips is giving us an amazing opportunity to give away one stroller handlebar grip cover to three lucky winners!  The winner will be able to choose their own choice and pattern of CityGrips {$12.95 value}.  Please see the Rafflecopter entry form below.  The giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only and ends at 9pm PST on April 4, 2012. 

The views expressed in this review are my own and do not represent the opinions or views of CityGrips.  Note that {swank}mama does not accept responsibility for sponsors that do not fulfill their giveaway duties.

the journey 2.0: an unexpected visitor

My husband and I had an interesting weekend:

On Friday, we were too exhausted from our recent LA vacation that we retired early.

On Saturday, I had my fourth ultrasound to make sure baby was growing normally {of course baby is growing normally!}.  He/she measured a bit small in the last two ultrasounds but that doesn't really come as a surprise to me.  Hubby and I both have a slim build and I'm pretty sure the same thing happened when I was pregnant with Lil J as well.

After the ultrasound, we headed to our neighbourhood Costco where we relished on the samples that were being handed out {remember Costco samples as a kid?  It was like a meal in itself!}.  Hubby and I both had a sample of thai soup which I loved and he hated.  He took two bites and threw it out while I downed the entire {small} container.  Yum, I thought.

So I thought.

We then headed over to my mother-in-law's to drop Lil J off for a birthday party.  I was feeling hungry again and got a bite to eat.  Then we were off to the mall to look for a present for the birthday boy.  I started to feel hot and a bit sick.  At first, I wrote the feeling off to exhaustion and pregnancy symptoms.  My stomach was rumbling so I thought I was still hungry.  I ate a bun but didn't feel any better.  In fact, I felt worse.  I begged my husband to drive me home and continue his shopping later {did I say his shopping?}.

As soon as I got home I took a quick nap and woke up feeling hungry again.  So I ate.  Then I got Lil J ready for bed and as soon as he fell asleep, I knew.  The closest thing to me was a garbage bin and I just hurled.  And hurled.

Yep.  I had food poisoning and so did my husband.  Luckily for him, his case was milder than mine.  My immediate thought was the baby.  Was baby okay?  Why isn't baby moving?  I gently moved my tummy around to get a reaction...a kick..anything!  At first nothing happened...then about 5 minutes later, baby started kicking, rolling - you name it.  Whew!  I quickly Googled "food poisoning while pregnant" and found out that there was nothing I could do.  As long as I was able to hold liquids down in the next 24 hours, baby and I would be fine.  Whew! 

Did you go through a similar experience during your pregnancy?  What did you do?

out of the mouth of: daddy g

Last night we were heading out to see my parents for my mother's birthday which is about 20 minutes away from our house.  I had just finished buckling Lil J in his car seat when I realized I needed to use the bathroom.  I told my hubby that I had to quickly run into the house for yet another bathroom break and this was his response:

"Can't you just wait until we get there?"

I'm almost 29 weeks pregnant.  Did you really just ask that??!

Has your partner or significant other said anything crazy while you were pregnant?

monday giveaway linky {3/19 - 3/23}

Time to link up your giveaways!

This linky will stay open until this Friday, March 23rd.

In the "Link Title" box, please submit your giveaways in the following format:

"Name of Giveaway - Country {End Date}"

Please leave a comment after you have linked your giveaway and don't forget to check out my current giveaways!

advice from a non-mom

My husband and I are constantly tackling Lil J's ever changing toddlerhood mannerisms and phases.  One day he'll be super polite and other days he takes on the persona of a tyrant.

I was mentioning to one of my girlfriends {who, for the record, does not have any kids} that Lil J just started a phase where he will purposely nudge or brush against another kid as they walk by.  Sometimes he does it to adults too but they just brush it off and laugh because....well when a two year-old does it, it's kind of cute.  Each time this happens, I let Lil J know in a very stern voice that it is wrong and not okay.  He apologizes and then it happens again.  Obviously this always happens in public so I'm not going to create a huge scene but by the time we get home, he's not going to remember what he did.

My girlfriend asked if I put him in "time out".  I told her no because we're out in public...and how would that really work anyways?  She said to put him in a corner or on the stairs and just make him sit there for two minutes.  Really?  Make a toddler sit in one place for two minutes while we're out in a non-familiar surrounding?  Not gonna happen.  I wonder if maybe she was talking about doing it at home but that would kind of defeat the purpose since the incident would be long forgotten by Lil J and he truly wouldn't understand why he was being punished if it was hours after the fact.

Did my girlfriend overstep her boundaries in saying this?  What does she really know about having a little kid around?  I know she babysits her nieces and nephews but let's get real.  It's different when they're not your own kids. 

I wonder why I feel so offended.  I know my girlfriend was probably just trying to help out but it sort of came out the wrong way.  How do you deal with disciplining your kids in a public setting?

Rainy Days Giveaways!!

We are very excited to announce {swank}mama's Rainy Days Giveaways starting March 26, 2012 -  week-long giveaway extravaganza celebrating Vancouver's infamous rainy weather!

If you live in the Vancouver area or have ever visited the city then you already know that Vancouver is known for it's wet and rainy days.  There is not a day that goes by where you don't hear someone complaining about the weather - which usually consists of rain and low temperatures this time of year.  So we thought, instead of complaining, why not "celebrate" it?!  We have teamed up with a number of local companies and Vancouverites to bring you a variety of giveaways - one per day.

The following companies will be participating in {swank}mama's Rainy Days Giveaways:

• Gumdrops {2029 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC}
• guzzie + Guss
• Modern Mama 
• Bobs and LoLo
• It's to Die 4 and Erin Ireland
• Raspberry Kids 
• Bopomo Pictures {2631 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC}

Each giveaway will be open for two weeks and will be available to be entered via Rafflecopter.  Please check back for updates!