Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world.  The fabric made from it is known for its softness and has anti-microbial properties.  Bamboo is also the favorite food of Panda Bears.  It was only natural (just like the product), given all of the above for Planet Fred to make BamBoo Bears.

These adorable plush bears, are safe for all ages.  (My 13 year old loves it, she right away claimed it and slept with it the first night it arrived!)  Coming in BamBoo Blue and Pink-a-Boo colors, they are a wonderful gift to celebrate a baby's arrival. 

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Earth’s Best is celebrating a special milestone in 2010—it’s 25th birthday! Founded in 1985, Earth’s Best was started with a simple “wish” - to keep potentially harmful pesticides out of the earth and children’s food supply. For 25 years, Earth’s Best has realized that “wish” and has provided millions of babies with pure, simple, organic foods to grow up on. The line has even expanded to also include organic infant formula, TenderCare® Chlorine-Free Diapers and Wipes, baby body care and home cleaning products made with organic ingredients, making it the gold standard for parents who seek products that are better for their babies and for the environment.
 

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Bakugan: Battle Brawlers is the first video game based on the smash hit Bakugan toys, card game and anime show.  Released October 20, 2009, this has been a raving hit among tweens who play video games.  While this game likely appeals to boys more than girls, Amber my 13 year old daughter (who is decidedly very ungirly), got a chance to review this on the Nintendo DS platform and this is what she said about it:

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It's been 12 years since I've had to feed a baby in my home.

I admit to being a rebel and having formula fed Amber. Not because I couldn't produce sufficient milk, not because she wouldn't latch, and not because I was working.

I never felt guilty having done it, had no problems bonding with my child and interestingly enough, out of all the children that she grew up with in the family and in church groups, she was healthiest (and the only one formula fed!) out of all of them.

That aside, formula is obviously more expensive then breast feeding, and while it was a choice I made, it's a necessity for others. And the cost can add up, especially if it was one you weren't anticipating in advance.

Even though we could afford formula, I always chose to purchase the "off brand". The nutritional value was the same, and hey I'm pretty smart, I know that the name brands plug the hospitals with freebies to get families to use their products, and I wasn't buying it (lol, pun intended).

Store brand formula is safe, contains all the nutritional requirements set by the FDA  and can save you up to 50% vs. buying the name brand. Do you want to learn how much you can save? Check out the savings calculator at www.parentschoiceformula.com

PBM Products, the largest U.S. supplier of store-brand formula, is offering you discount coupons that can be used to purchase store-brand formulas at Walgreens, Babies “R” Us, Kroger and dozens of other leading stores. You need only to fill out a quick form and the coupons will be on their way.

To enter the giveaway leave a comment telling me your favorite store to buy baby formula at.

For extra entries (the above must be done first) you can:

In an unofficial polling of moms and dads that I did (some seasoned parents, some brand new), the question was asked: What are the features you look for or would like to see in a diaper bag?

Survey says......
Moms:

• Worn over the shoulder
• Plenty of Pockets
• Included Changing Pad
• Insulated Bottle Holder

• No Frills
• Backpack style

The Mrs. Smith's Diaper Bag converts to a backpack by using its own shoulder strap. Simply unhook the messenger strap and remove the shoulder pad. Thread the strap through the loop behind documents pouch. Attach hooks to the D-clips at the bottom of the back of the bag and size accordingly.

It has dedicated places for your keys, cell phone, sunglasses, credit cards, cash, ID and water bottle.

A full size washable changing pad is located in the bag’s flap.

Two bottles and one sippy cup can be accommodated in their own insulated holders.

6 different patterns are available including Classic Black which the dads won't mind carrying!

Perhaps the most unique thing about Mrs. Smith's Diaper Bags over any other kind has to be the bottom pullout drawer. I have never seen anything like it. This would be the ultimate diaper bag pick for traveling.

If you aren't convinced that these bags are worth their weight in gold, let me tell you a story....

When Amber was not quite a year old, we decided to pull up and take to the air and visit my grandparents in Europe. At the time I had a vinyl, pastel green diaper bag emblazoned with animals. Not exactly classified as chic in the fashion world. I couldn't possibly find myself traipsing around with that bag on my shoulder. So I decided to buy a regular handbag that I could use instead of a dedicated diaper bag. Big.Mistake. 12 take offs and landings and 8 hour flights do not work well with a bag that is not organized nor made to hold things like bottles, pacifiers and lotions. If only Mrs. Smith had been around then!

3 Plane Changes + Feeding in an Airport Terminal + Acrobatic Diaper Changing in the Claustrophobic Bathroom all with a Mrs. Smith's Diaper Bag = Priceless

These bags will be useful long after you no longer need a diaper bag too. I actually plan to use the Classic Black bag as my carry on when we travel next. The drawer on the bottom will be handy for those quick things we tend to use all the time on flights, like chewing gum, books, and my mp3 player. I won't have to dig through anything and it will be right there for me.

To enter the giveaway visit Mrssmithsbags.com and tell me which pattern you would choose.

For extra entries (the above must be done first) you can:
 
1. Become a fan of Mrs. Smith's Diaper Bags on Facebook
2. Become a fan of Three Different Directions on Facebook

This giveaway will end on November 4, 2009 at 11:59 pm cst and open to U.S. and Canadian Residents (no PO Boxes) ages 18+. The winner will be chosen by random.org and will be e-mailed. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the e-mail or an alternate winner will be chosen. By entering this giveaway you are stating that you have read my **About Reviews and Privacy/Rules declaration and agree to them.

I received a complimentary Diaper Bag from  Mrs. Smith prior to writing this post.

I was very excited to have the chance to review the Learning Curve Lamaze Space Symphony Motion Gym, and add it to the infant side of our church nursery, which is where our newborns to walkers are cared for.

I was a bit worried at first when I saw the packaging that I would need to
"hire" my geeky tech savvy Hubby to help me put it together, but really it was quite simple to assemble.

We only had an older plastic toy where objects hang down to stimulate the babies, so this was a great product to introduce and see what reaction we received from them.

From the Learning Curve Website:

The Lamaze Space Symphony Motion Gym is loaded with features for baby to explore. Motorized arches sway back and forth to bring the hanging toys to life. Modes include motion with music, or with white noise. Gym has a soft mat with bright space graphics and pattern arms.

I note that the "white noise" setting is actually more of a chime sound, you can see and somewhat hear (the sound isn't great sorry, there is some background noise with the children in the next room, you may have to turn your volume up), the Lamaze Space Symphony Motion Gym below.  It will give you a bit of an idea of how it works.  I first have it stationary, then in Mode 2 which is the "music", and then switch it to Mode 1 which is the white noise/chime setting.

The toy rocket was also reached for quite a bit, and I think the character faces were entertaining in general for the little eyes.

The children enjoyed using the Lamaze Space Symphony Motion Gym, even without the swaying motion.  We had one particular baby boy who is about 5 months old, spend quite a bit of time amusing himself with it.  When mom came to get him, she commented on what a great addition it was to the nursery.  Overall the workers said that the babies were engaged longer with this gym than they have been with previous toys.

The pros to this product (besides of course it's developmental value) are:

* The mat can be machine washed (air dry).  With infants this is a must, even more so in a place where multiple children may be using it.
* It has an auto shut off feature in both modes.  While it should be turned off for optimum battery conservation, it's nice that if you need to pick baby up for whatever reason and don't have an extra hand to turn it off, depending on what mode it's in it will shut off in 5 to 15 minutes.
* It's easy to take apart and put back together.  If you want to transport it to Grandma's place it is not a hassle.

Features I wish it had:

* A motion mode without music or the ability to change the volume.  In a busy nursery with many different activities, children napping, others being read to and so forth, it is a little overwhelming to have the music playing if you want the motion action on the gym.  Alternatively the ability to change the volume would be nice say if it were being used while a get together is going on or Mom and Dad are watching t.v., etc.

I would recommend this product if you are looking to make a purchase like this for your own baby or if you need to buy a gift for an infant for a shower or holiday.  The Lamaze Space Symphony Motion Gym is available at Learning Curve.com for $59.99.

On behalf of myself and the children in our church nursery, thank you Learning Curve for this fun, new addition to our facility.

 

Earth Baby is a company that uses certified organic ingredients for baby skin care. Using OleoSphere technology these pediatrician recommended products use botanicals and the result is pure joy.

OleoSphere technology allows targeted delivery of natural nutrients in safflower oil in the skin.  This bit of science was the winner of the Frost & Sulliven Technology Innovation of the Year Award in the category of personal care application.  That's just a short explanation of it, I'll leave the details to the experts, and if you click on the link above, it explains it really well.

Earth Baby  is a safe and hypoallergenic way to care for the delicate skin of little ones.

I was sent the Diaper Rash Cream and the Mommy 'N Me Refreshing Mist to review.

The Diaper Rash Cream is nice and thick, so it is easy to apply.  There is no "mediciney" smell to it at all.  It isn't fragrance free, but if one can smell something it is light and doesn't turn your senses.  Since this is going on sensitive skin, it's good to note that it doesn't contain phthalates.

Most of the families that bring their children to the church nursery bring their own supplies, but sometimes we can't find them in the bags, or in the rush of the morning they were left at home.  When we need to use the products we have on hand, it's important to me that while we have these little ones in our care that we only use safe products on them, and Earth Baby Diaper Rash Cream fits that bill.  I can't say how it performs on an extended case of diaper rash as I haven't been able to use it daily on one specific "bottom", but it goes on well and provides a nice barrier to protect the skin.

 

Now as if babies didn't smell good enough already, Earth Baby's Mommy 'N Me Refreshing Mist will make you want to cuddle for even longer!  If I'm not mistaken Earth Baby managed to somehow tap into that baby scent gland and bottle it.  Needless to say, if I had a little one this would be sprayed on them probably more than necessary.  As it is, I've been spraying myself with it, just because the scent is so delightful.  What a wonderful way to end a diaper change or bath, by spritzing a little of this on your tiny bundle.  Of course it is entirely safe, just make sure to avoid the facial area when spraying.

To add to the impressive science of Earth Baby's products and their safe use, Earth Baby is committed to giving a portion of profits to charities to support orphaned children, medical missions that provide free surgery to needy children, and the endangered Tarsier monkey species, the smallest monkeys in the world.  Another good reason to support this company, the products are  made in the U.S.A.

Providing hair and skin prodcuts for all baby needs, Earth Baby has got you covered (from hair to heinies!).

Earth Baby is generously sponsoring a giveaway for one of my readers to receive a Mommy 'N Me Refreshing Mist ($13.50 value).

To enter Follow Earth Baby Organics on twitter and leave a comment here that you did and your user name.  Alternately if you don't "tweet" and have a Facebook account, you can become a fan of theirs.   If you do both, leave two comments, and you're entered twice!

For extra entries you can (please leave a new comment for each additional entry):

1. Follow Me on twitter and tweet this giveaway (this can be done daily!) simply tweet "@threedifferent @babyorganics Earth Baby giveaway! Win Mommy 'N Me Mist at Three Different Directions. http://bit.ly/17vSZh"
2. Visit Earth Baby and tell me another product (other than the two reviewed) that you would be interested in.
3. Subscribe to my feed via reader or email
4. Follow my blog publicly
5. Add my button to your blog
6. Post about this giveaway on your blog and link back to it

This giveaway will end on October 12, 2009 at 11:59 pm cst and is opento U.S. and Canadian Residents ages 18+. The winner will be chosen byrandom.org and will be e-mailed. The winner will have 48 hours torespond to the e-mail or an alternate winner will be chosen. Byentering this giveaway you are stating that you have read my **About Reviews and my Privacy/Rules statements and agree to them.

I was given the opportunity to review this product because of my membership at The Product Review Place.

This creative invention has testimonial approvals by pediatricians on its effects of eliminating rashes and keeping tiny necks clean from sour milk.

So this all sounds wonderful, but does it work? I thought a good place to try it would be in our church nursery, which I am a coordinator of. All those hungry babies with those cute adorable outfits on, no mom wants those to get soiled with sour milk! You know what, the Scrunch Bottle Bib worked great! I only wish I had a product like this when Amber was little.

Another really nice thing about the Scrunch Bottle Bib is that because of its Velcro closure, it fits virtually every bottle size. It's made of 100% cotton and is reversible so you can get double duty out of it and is machine washable (which we know is very important for moms!)

You can use this with newborn infants and up, it comes in a variety of colors and at $7.99 retail price it's affordable and a great gift for a baby shower!

You can purchase them at www.ScrunchBottleBib.com and until August 1, 2009 they are offering a 10% discount off your entire order with Coupon Code BOSPR616

So pick a few up if you are expecting or know someone who is and you want to surprise them with a unique and practical gift.

Please read **About Reviews at the bottom of this page.

Jennifer Edison the "auntie-preneur" who invented the Scrunch Bottle Bib is giving one of my readers a Scrunch Bottle Bib. (In a Green/Yellow color)

To enter the givewaway:

Visit Scrunch Bottle Bib and comment with what your favorite feature of the product is.

This entry must be completed for all extra entries to count.

For extra entries you can:

1. Sign up for my RSS feed via e-mail or reader
2. Place my button on your blog
3. Follow me on twitter and tweet this giveaway (this can be done daily)
4. Blog about this giveaway leaving a link back to me and ScrunchBottleBib.com

Contest is open to U.S. and Canadian residents ages 18+ and will end at 11:59 pm cst July 7, 2009. Winner will be contacted by e-mail.