Parenting Choices & a $100 Babies "R" Us Gift Card Giveaway!

This post was sponsored by WaterWipes as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review.

It's interesting how your life changes when you find out you're expecting your first child. You go from caring about things like what time you are meeting your friends for a drink to worrying about taking your prenatal and doing kick counts. I went from looking at racks of clothes for myself and fun new gadgets to picking out "future lady nerd" onesies and buying stacks of wooden blocks for her to play with... I'm not complaining, I'm so blessed to experience these changes; it's just funny how quickly your whole world begins to revolve around one tiny growing human and even funnier to realize you'll always be wrapped around their little finger, for the rest of your life.

The Cutest Accessories for You & Your Baby: Copper Pearl is Where You Need to Shop!

Thanks to Copper Pearl for sending over these adorable items to include in my Baby Shower Gift Guide, regardless all opinions expressed below are my own.

Keeping my little girl stylish and safe through out every stage in her life is definitely one of my goals as a first time mama. While I want her to be safe I also want my babe to have the cutest, newest, and best version of almost everything... that's kind of what being a parent is all about, wanting the best for our kids and doing everything we can to hopefully provide the best in life for our kiddos... Right?

With that said, I've found the cutest, newest style of bibs via Copper Pearl and I'm absolutely obsessed! They are so stylish, they almost count more as accessories than bibs but they are so functional and I'm so happy that little Delainey will be rocking an adorable bandana bib instead of the traditional style.

Whenever I showed these adorable bibs to my sister, who had my niece a few years ago, she was overjoyed to find out about the new, stylish bibs on the market. While Copper Pearl has ALL kinds of adorable prints to choose from I opted for the bold, adorable Jewel bib set! I'm thinking her next set of these cute little bibs will either be the Rosie set because it includes a little purple mermaid looking bib along with a collection of other patterns, but I'll be honest, I've also got my eye on the more gender neutral Pacific set that includes a shark bib as well as some other fun, nautical inspired prints. Have you taken a look at the Copper Pearl bibs yet? Which print is your favorite?

While Copper Pearl has some of the cutest bibs for babies, I feel the need to mention that they also make some other amazing products. From crib sheets, to wash cloths, to multi-use covers... I'm obsessed with all the cuteness in their shop! Lucky for me and Delainey, they sent over the cutest multi-use cover I've ever laid my eyes on.

These little car seat, nursing, cart, and just straight cuddly covers are the best, they are so soft and they also come in a wide variety of patterns making one for everyone's personal style. I received the "classic" pattern and I adore it and can't wait to rock it as a scarf, throw it over myself while I'm feeding D, and then put it over her carseat whenever we need to run an errand. It's that versatile... I'll be able to use it in all these ways in one trip out of the house. Now do you see why I love it so much?

Now that I have a handful of bibs and an adorable 3-in-1 cover from Copper Pearl, I now want everything in their store...but don't let my husband know, we're on a spending watch after a few shopping sprees while I've been "nesting". HA! Click on over to Copper Pearl and let me know which items you love the most, I can't wait to hear all about your favs in the comments below!

Interested in finding more awesome items for babies and new mamas?
Click here to check out my Baby Shower Gift Guide!

20 Must-Read Children's Books: You'll Want to Add All of These to Your Baby's Bookshelf!

As I mentioned recently, I'm super excited to share my love of books with our little miss. I'm sure I'm not the only parent that's eager to read to their child and watch their wonder of books blossom, so today I want to share a great little list of books for any baby to enjoy with their parents!

Whether you want to read a book about little creatures who love cookies or a book about how much you love your little one, there's a little bit of everything included in this list! With beautiful illustrations and creative tales, you and your little one are going to love this collection of good, clean books and since most of them can be bought as "board books", they are tough enough that your little one can handle them without a worry!

Go ahead and buy one, two, or maybe even a few of these awesome books... I've linked all of them below so you can easily find them and stock up your babe's library!

1. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff

2. The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin

3. How Do I love you? by Marion Dane Bauer

4. A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na

5. The Swing by Robert Louis Stevenson

6. I'll See you in the Morning by Mike Jolley

7. Numbers by Orla Kiley

8. A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni

9. Gaston (and Friends) by Kelly DiPucchio

10. The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood

11. Ten Tiny Tickles by Karen Katz

12. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

13. The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

14. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr

15. Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin

16. I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa Mccourt

17. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

18. The Hiccupotamus by Aaron Zenz

19. Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton

 20. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

That's TWENTY different books you can add to your kiddo's library and I guarantee you'll love each book every time you read it. If you are already a parent, I'd love to hear what your favorite children's book is and why it's your favorite in the comments below!

Interested in finding more awesome items for babies and new mamas?
Click here to check out my Baby Shower Gift Guide!

The Cutest Clothes For Little Explorers: Baby Bear Outfitters

Thanks to Baby Bear Outfitters for sending over these cute pieces of clothing to include in my Baby Shower Gift Guide, regardless all opinions expressed below are my own.

If you've been following the blog lately you may have came to the realization with all of the items I've been sharing that I'm a bit of a clothes hoarder when it comes to Delainey... but can you blame me with all of the cute items available for little girls? There's plenty of pink in her wardrobe and possibly WAY too much gold, especially if you ask my hubs... but I think she could use a few more items!

While she has such a great collection of clothing and it's all worth talking about, you really will understand my addiction to tiny pieces of cuteness when you check out Baby Bear Outfitters. Let me warn you, you are going to want to snag a few pieces of clothing for your little one's wardrobe (or maybe the next bestie of yours that is expecting) - it's all so cute, you won't be able to resist!

Baby Bear Outfitters offers a wide variety of everything adorable, so it was really tough to narrow down what to include in my gift guide! I finally decided a mommy & me set seemed like the perfect addition as well as a very special gown just for our princess to wear when she's "brand sparkling new" in the world!

The mommy & me set from Baby Bear Outfitters is the perfect mixture of adorable and comfortable, everything a new mama & baby could want! This mama bear is in love with her new set and while my baby bear still has a little bit longer left in my belly, I'm so excited to have her rocking this adorable onesie in just a handful of weeks! I imagine these additions to our wardrobes will get regular use, because what could be cuter?

Well, I think I know maybe one item in her wardrobe that is cuter... her "Brand Sparkling New" pink gown! This little beauty is going to be one of her first and most fashionable get-ups to wear once she makes her appearance in the world. With a gorgeous gold detail printed on a perfectly feminine gown, she will be the talk of the town once she arrives and dawns this beauty and I wouldn't want it any other way! Paired with a headband made to match, I'm in love with this super comfortable addition to her wardrobe and can't wait to share photos of her in it while we are at the hospital.

While these few items are just the cutest, I can't help but checking out Baby Bear Outfitters Etsy shop and planning what I'll buy little Delainey next. Chloe is the girl behind the shop and she's actually a wedding photographer based out of Utah who started her shop after making a few items for her little bundle of joy and the adventure of Baby Bear Outfitters began there. With her great love for the outdoors and a good adventure, her shop blossomed into the inspiring beauty it is today - full of creations made for people with a similar mindset. Plus, if you're looking for something customized, give her a shout - she's a creative genius capable of making your dreamy visions into a reality.

So tell me, are you a mama on the hunt for an adorable outfit? Click on over to Baby Bear Outfitters and you'll find some of the most trendy and fashionable items to add to your little one's wardrobe. I'd love it if you let me know which item in her shop is your favorite in the comments below, it may just end up in Delainey's closet next!

Interested in finding more awesome items for babies and new mamas?
Click here to check out my Baby Shower Gift Guide!

A Baby Shower Gift Everyone Will Love: I See Me! Personalized Children's Books

Thanks to I See Me! for sending over these adorable, customized items to include in my baby shower gift guide,
regardless all opinions expressed below are my own.

Ever since I can remember, books are something I've always been pretty fond of. Story time was my favorite time of the day in Pre-K and I've been a bit of an over-buyer when it comes to trips to the book store. My husband has always been the same way, story time with his mom was something he looked forward to and when he grew up he found a sense of comfort in books. While there are plenty of amazing hobbies to have, reading is one of my favorites that we share and one that I really want to encourage Delainey to partake in. We can't make her have a specific hobby, we plan to read to her often and hopefully influence her to love books just as much as we do.

We have a growing collection of books in her library already and we even asked guests that attended our baby shower this weekend to bring a book instead of a card, which greatly expanded her library! She now has some of the classics, an amazing amount of new books, and even a few books I've never even heard of but look forward to reading with her!

While we have an amazing stash of books now, I have a feeling I know which ones will always be her favorites... Her personalized Snuggle Bunny book and her personalized ABC What I can be book! How do I know these books will be loved so dearly? They are books specially written about her made by I See Me!

The Snuggle Bunny book actually came as part of a set that includes the most adorable snuggly bunny stuffed animal and a placemat that's equally as cute. The story is all about the 10 different ways this cute little bunny loves your child, with their name sprinkled through out the book and beautiful illustrations to match!

Whether your son's name is Jacob or your daughter's name is Hannah, you'll be able to have to book customized to include their adorable name and it'll be one of their favorite night time stories for life. My little niece was gifted this book by my grandmother and it's one she constantly grabs to read at night, even though she's 3 years old and has read it almost every night since she was born. Plus, Snuggles (her little bunny) is her favorite stuffed animal that she owns... I can't wait until Delainey is here and we get to share the snuggly love with her too!

The other personalized book we ordered for Delainey explores different careers while also teaching her the alphabet in a fun way that includes her name on nearly every page! Whether she wants to be a gardener, a musician, a novelist, or a dentist, this book is a fun way to teach her while encouraging her to be whatever she wants to be and will be perfect for any little curious kiddo in your life!

I love that as she gets older she can recognize her name in random spots through out the book and learn to think creatively about who she will be when she's bigger. It's such a fun book and one that I think I may order for my niece as well so she can have another amazing book from I See Me!

While these two books are amazing, I suggest you take a look at the other options you can customize for your little one! If you want to get your little girl a personalized book about being a super incredible big sister or your niece a book about how she can change the world, I See Me! has the most amazing options and at a great price they make the perfect and most thoughtful Baby Shower Gift! They don't just make books either, your little one can get everything from a personalized lunchbox to coloring books and growth charts that have their name!

Plus, I See Me! is celebrating their 15th year anniversary of the book that started it all! You can get the 15th Anniversary Edition of My Very Own Name this year and celebrate with them!

So click here and check out the great selection, if you find something you just love, let me know what it is in the comments below... plus be sure to sign up here and receive their coupons in your email so you can score an awesome discount on your next purchase! I know I signed up right away, because I'll definitely be investing in a few more of these cute personalized books before Delainey arrives. As I said, I want her to love reading and having a huge stash of books is the perfect way to instill that!

Be sure to follow I See Me! on social media:
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Google+

Interested in finding more awesome items for babies and new mamas?
Click here to check out my Baby Shower Gift Guide!

Keep Your Babe Healthy with a TemporalScanner Thermometer

Thanks to EXERGEN for sending over this super convenient thermometer and making my adjustment into mom life a little easier,
regardless all opinions expressed below are my own.

No one plans for their little one to get sick, it's just not something any expectant or new parent wants to even think about... but it happens. I hope we never have to deal with a sick child, but there's a good possibility that she may some day get a cold and while I'm not looking forward to that day, I want to be prepared if (or when) it happens. I'm being rational though and I'm not going overboard and stocking our medicine cabinet full of infant meds, but I am going to make sure I know if my little babe has a bug immeadiately with the help of our fancy new TemporalScanner thermometer from EXERGEN.

What exactly is a TemporalScanner thermometer? It's a super accurate, non-invasive way to gauge my little darling's health, all from the comfort of our couch. There's not much I know about being a parent yet, but one thing I do know is that I want to keep my girl as comfortable as possible, especially if she isn't feeling well. I'm so glad to say that taking her temperature is just one less thing I have to worry about once she arrives and I think most expectant (or new) parents want that comfort as well!

One great thing about the thermometer is that if the bug spreads, I can use it to find out hubby's temperature and my own just as easily as I can find hers. It's a family friendly device and won't make any of us feel uncomfortable. With patented software and a quick swipe across the forehead, we can all accurately find out if we are feverish or not in just seconds flat!

Want to get your hands on one of these fancy new thermometers for your little one or maybe you want to invest in a worthwhile Baby Shower Gift that a mama-to-be can really get some use out of? The TemporalScanner thermometer is a great option for all mamas and can be found at several big box retailers! Get more information about the thermometer here!

Interested in finding more awesome items for babies and new mamas?
Click here to check out my Baby Shower Gift Guide!

Bambo Nature is This Ecofriendly Mamas First Disposable Diaper Choice!

Big THANKS to Bambo Nature for sending over these awesome, ecofriendly diapers to include in my Baby Shower Gift Guide, regardless all opinions expressed below are my own.

Motherhood is an adventure already, one I'm totally excited (and a bit nervous) to be partaking in. With so many decisions to make, a bucket full of surprises, and rewarding moments galore, my journey into motherhood has already been challenging and amazing and I imagine once Delainey arrives all of these decisions, surprises, and rewarding moments will multiply by millions and I can't wait...

With that said, making simple decisions while pregnant has been interesting... will we use this kind of pacifier or that kind? Will we choose the right pediatrician? What makes a pediatrician the right one anyways? Does she really need a swing, a bouncer, a pack & play, and a rock n' play? Will we adhere to standard vaccination schedules or choose to delay? There are SO many decisions we've had to make already and many more to make in the future, but one that really had me pondering was which disposable diaper is the best to use...?

It's true, we actually plan on cloth diapering a lot of the time (as I mentioned in my recent post about saving the environment), except we will be using disposables her first few weeks and anytime we go outside the home! So making sure we have the right disposables for her first diaper changes at home and all of the adventures we plan on taking her on is a pretty important decision. No one wants a blow out within the first few hours they bring their precious little baby home... or on their first trip to Target with their newborn in tow! We also wanted to make sure we chose a brand that is guaranteed skin-friendly, certified healthy, and guaranteed quality.

That's why after some intensive research we went with Bambo Nature. With the perfect fit for her tiny newborn frame, a super thin design, and NO phthalates, heavy metals, chlorine, formaldehyde, or other substances known to be harmful to her health or the environment, it's easy to see why Bambo Nature was the best choice!

I'm happy to say these ultra-soft diapers are still eco-friendly so while we won't be cloth diapering all-the-time, we are still doing our part to save the earth - one diaper at a time! Plus, with the capability to absorb so much in their unique 3-layer design while still remaining "top-dry", over-hydration won't ever be a problem for our girl - even after multiple wettings! So that means less diaper changes while still keeping our babe dry... what more could a mama ask for?

Bambo Nature doesn't just specialize in amazing disposable diapers though, they make baby wipes that are just as awesome, as well as training pants for your growing kiddo and they are launching a skincare line soon!

So tell me, are you looking for the perfect diaper for your little one? Look no further, Bambo Nature is the answer! Find out more about this amazing, natural brand and buy your first package (or subscribe and save) here.

Interested in finding more awesome items for babies and new mamas?
Click here to check out my Baby Shower Gift Guide!

Find Inspiration for Your Baby's Nursery & Give Back with Lorena Canals Rugs

Big Thanks to Lorena Canals for sending over this beautiful rug to include in my Baby Shower Gift Guide,
regardless all opinions expressed below are completely my own!

Getting Delainey's room together has been an adventure and we're not even closed to finished yet... We went from thinking we were going with a "Where the Wild Things Are" theme whenever we first found out we were expecting to deciding on a feminine mermaid theme once we knew our babe was a girl. We've went through a handful of different color schemes, because let's face it, I can be a bit indecisive at times. We've looked at a variety of furniture and finally decided on the pieces that we needed to be a part of her room; but one I item I knew was perfect from the get go, oddly enough, was the rug I found from Lorena Canals. Adding one of the washable rugs they make is a must for any nursery or children's room!

While it's true that most rugs for kiddos are soft and they are often used for tummy time, these beauties are washable and similar to a blanket in many ways yet they stay put and add the perfect stylish touch to any kid-friendly room! Plus, they get major bonus points from this mama to be because they fit in most standard washing machines! So there really are no worries when baby has a little spit up mishap during playtime, all you have to do is toss the rug into the wash during nap time and it'll be clean and ready for round two of playtime before baby even wakes up!

With a classic design that'll match her room through out the years, our Lorena Canals Mix Ramlal rug is going to be the perfect addition to all the changes her room undergoes through out the years. I love it's simple coloring and the fact it's uniquely made, just like all of their rugs... plus, since it's washable we don't have to worry about mishaps with finger paint or other fun adventures while she grows!

These rugs obviously aren't just your plain ol' big box store option though... Lorena Canals rugs undergo an extensive handmade elaboration process based on the selection of the best raw materials, the use of only natural dyes, the control of non-child labor in the production process, and the compliance of quality and safety standards for children - making these beauties even more unique!

The best part about Lorena Canals rugs though, is the fact the company provides schooling for children in Northern India! With the purchase of a Lorena Canals rug, you will help a child attend school. Lorena Canals believes that education is the key to mobility and vital to breaking the poverty cycle so they give back whenever possible. So not only are you rewarding your babe with an awesome new rug when you buy a Lorena Canals rug, you're rewarding another child with an education!

Sold in over 30 countries and promoted by so many amazing people including one of my favorite celebs, Chrissy Teigen, Lorena Canal rugs are the answer to spicing up the look of your nursery, no matter what them you choose.

Are you decorating your little darling's room in a pineapple theme? They have a rug for that.

What about a desert theme? They have a cactus rug you'll be gaga over.

With Ombre rugs in shades of emerald and coral to lavender blends, it was a little difficult to narrow down my choice between all of the beautiful options... but the classic look of the Mix Ramlal rug was the perfect choice for us and our nursery that I'll be officially unveiling soon! Are you looking for inspiration for your nursery? Check out these adorable baby rooms enhanced by a gorgeous Lorena Canals rug and leave me a little message sharing your favorite look in the comments below!

Interested in finding more awesome items for babies and new mamas?
Click here to check out my Baby Shower Gift Guide!