This poor kid still has no idea what is about to hit him here in the next couple of days.  He is oblivious to the fact he is about to meet his little sister and share a room with her.  We wanted to do something special for his new room and allow him to pick out what he wanted his decor to be.  Now, since the two kids will be sharing a room for the time being I was a little worried that his side of the room wouldn’t mesh with her side of the room, but I  think it all turned out okay in the end.  He loves all little boy things like trucks, robots, trains, race cars and airplanes.  He decided to go with airplanes!

We found his bedding at BeyondBedding.com.  The Red, White and Blue Vintage Aviator Airplane Children’s Bedding Set was perfect for his new twin bed.  The 4 piece set includes the comforter, pillow sham, bed skirt and valance.  I thought that it was reasonably priced at $99.99.  We ended up not using the valance because the window is right next to the crib and her bedding is pink and brown.  In addition to the bedding set you can purchase more accessories like a hamper and some wall decals to match the decor.

We found the adorable airplane kites at Costco of all places and didn’t get them for his bedroom originally.  My husband thought to hang them up above his bed and TJ absolutely loves them.  We can pull them down for kite flying on a windy day!  The framed pictures on the wall are an original print from the Winnie the Pooh movie that I got while I was on my LA trip last year.

My mom made the new crib bedding for baby girl.  We haven’t finished all the little touches yet, but when we do I will be sure to post and show you her side of the room.

What kind of decor did you choose for your nursery?

A huge thank you to BeyondBedding.com who provided the comforter set featured in this post.  This review is my honest opinion and is not influenced by any other source.

As many of you know, and others can guess from my tagline, I love shoes!  I am more of a practical person when it comes to shoes, but once I find a brand I love, I stick with them.  This is the case when it comes to Jambu.  I have done a couple of reviews of their shoes in the past and I was very excited when they asked if I wanted to do another one for the Spring 2012 line that is currently out on their website.

Jambu is an environmentally friendly shoe company that packs in a lot of style.  They make their shoes out of recycled rubber. Jambu footwear has many different styles of shoes to choose from.  From “bare feet” designs to a stylish dressy shoe, Jambu has a little of everything.  They even offer a vegan line of shoes where the entire line is 100% animal friendly. These styles also all come with an eco-friendly rubber outsole and a memory foam footbed. The vegan styles come in womens wedges, flats, mary janes, and sandals.  I have a pair of their All Terrra designs that I reviewed last fall that I absolutely love.  I also have a pair of sneakers that I wear all the time!  I still get complement whenever I wear them.

This time I wanted to try out their “bare feet” designs so I got a pair of Dune Mesh in black for the summer!  I would show you a picture of them on my feet, but seeing as how I am 38 weeks pregnant and the weather was about 90 degrees over the past few days, I am so swollen that all shoes look terrible on me.  You are going to have to take my word for it that these shoes are adorable and fit nicely with socks or without socks.  They are perfect for taking a stroll on the beach or for doing a lot of walking.  In addition to the black you can also find the Dune Mesh in Taupe and Brown.  I think these look great with some shorts as well as with jeans.  Here are some more from their Spring 2012 Lineup that I love:

I love these Bare Feet shoes from Jambu.  You can feel the breeze but still be covered up when you wear these!

These sporty Wedge shoes are very stylish as well as comfortable.  I know a lot of moms who will appreciate this one!

Jambu also has a kids line.  Check out these “Kitty” shoes for little girls:

I would love to have these for my little girl in a couple of years!

There is nothing better than finding an adorable pair of shoes that is also eco-friendly.  Jambu has many different styles to choose from.  Be sure to check them out at Jambu.com!

This product review was made possible by Jambu.  I was not compensated for this review other than a product sample.  All opinions are 100% mine.

I am still in denial that baby girl is going to be here next week!  I am so looking forward to not being pregnant ever again!  Reality is starting to set in, however, because I haven’t been getting much sleep lately.   The lack of sleep for the first few months is something that I am not looking forward to.  I am fortunate to be off from school for the summer, but still I do have a three year old that still needs taking care of in addition to my newborn.  I am going to be sleep deprived!

I remember the sleep deprivation with TJ.  Trying to remember when the last time I fed him or changed his diaper became a chore, especially if I forgot to write it down.  I knew there had to be a better way.  I first saw the ITZBEEN baby care timer in a store when TJ was about a year old and thought to myself that if I ever was pregnant again, this would be the first thing I would buy.

So… what is a pocket nanny?  The ITZBEEN Baby Care Timer is a multi-purpose tool that helps you remember the basic details of baby care. ITZBEEN has four timers that count up with the touch of a button…so you will always know how long it’s been since the last diaper change or feeding or nap!  You can even program the last timer for whatever you need, medication maybe.

ITZBEEN™ Baby Care Timer was developed by a new mom and dad who found themselves sleep-deprived and needing help to remember baby care details, such as when their baby last ate or napped. They tried charts and journals, but thought there had to be a better way. So, they created the ITZBEEN™: a multi-purpose nursery tool that helps new parents remember the basic details of baby care. The ITZBEEN™ has four timers that count up with the touch of a button, and a host of other helpful features, all designed with the needs of a new parent in mind.

If you are a breastfeeding mom, there is even a little reminder switch letting you now what side your newborn nursed on during the last feeding.  I haven’t had to use the timers yet, but I can tell you that the nightlight feature and the clock on the ITZBEEN have been a lifesaver over the past month.  I often check it when I get up in the middle of the night for those frequent bathroom breaks that pregnant women have.  I don’t want to wake up the hubby, so I just take my ITZBEEN with me to the restroom to find out what time it is.  If it is already so helpful before the baby comes, just think at how helpful it is going to be afterwards.

The suggested retail price of the ITZBEEN Pocket Nanny is $24.99 and can be purchased at stores nationwide and at their website.  It has been awarded a 2007 Juvenile Products Manufacturing Associations Innovation Award, and a 2007 iParenting Media Award for Best Baby Care Product.

Want to win one for yourself?

Win It

One (1) lucky reader will win an ITZBEEN Pocket Nanny in their choice of color (blue, pink or green).

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This giveaway will end at midnight on  May 14.  
Open to US residents only.  Good Luck!

A huge thank you to ITZBEEN who provided the product featured in this post.  This review is my honest opinion and is not influenced by any other source.

As we all know, babies are expensive.  The first time around we made sure that the products we bought for our firstborn would work for any additional children we might decide to have to help defray costs.  Our stroller is a grey/blue that works for boys and girls.  Our car seats are black and are gender neutral, and our diaper bag is brown and would work again for either a boy or a girl.  We really have everything we need for this new baby.  That is until I set my eyes on this:

It captured my heart when I opened it and saw this…

… the little bit of pink/purple sealed the deal.  I wanted this bag.  The problem?  I already have a diaper bag that is in good shape and would work fine.  I decided (after talking to my husband) that this one time I could splurge and buy the bag so I ordered it online and about a month later it came!  I absolutely adore it (if you couldn’t tell). The Satchel diaper bag comes in several different patterns that any mom would love.  My husband also said that it wasn’t too girlie for him to carry around if he needed to as well!

JJ Cole Collections has been making stylish baby products for parents for over 14 years.  We love the stylish look of JJ Cole and have several of their products including the Diaper & Wipes Caddy and the Hamper in brown.  These products look great in our nursery and work well with our gender neutral theme that we have going on since our kids are sharing a room for the time being.

I have also fallen in love with JJ Cole Collections Broadway Stroller, but then again there is the whole “we don’t need another stroller we already have a nice one,” thing to worry about. (Hey, he gave in on the diaper bag so there is still hope out there right?)

Recently, JJ Cole Collections sent me a set of Muslin Blankets in Primrose to welcome our new baby girl next month.  I remember finding muslin blankets towards the end of TJ’s swaddling days.  Muslin blankets are wonderful because they become softer after every wash and they are lightweight and breathable.  I was a little skeptical at first, but its true!  I couldn’t believe how soft the blankets get after being repeatedly washed.  These JJ Cole muslin blankets are fantastic because they are very large.  At 48 in x 48 in, you can still swaddle larger babies and older babies.  I know we tried to swaddle TJ until he was about a year old.  He loved it, but finding swaddle blankets that large is very difficult.  I love these blankets because you can use them for more than just swaddling.  They can be a receiving blanket, a blanket you can throw on the floor for baby to lay on, or a blanket to cover your infant seat when baby is sleeping.  Check out how large these are:

I love the pink design.  They also have a blue design that would work great for boys or if the mommy your buying for is keeping the gender a secret.  You can purchase the Muslin Blanket set at stores nationwide as well as on JJ Cole Collection’s website for $21.95 for a set of two.

Want to win a set for yourself?

Win It

One (1) lucky reader will win their choice of Primrose or Jacks Muslin Blanket set from JJ Cole Collections!

a Rafflecopter giveawa

This giveaway will end at midnight on  May 11.  
Open to US residents only.  Good Luck!

A huge thank you to JJ Cole Collections who provided the Muslin Blanket set featured in this post.  This review is my honest opinion and is not influenced by any other source.

I had to save my favorite baby item for last!  What a wonderful couple of months we had here at A Mom’s Impression.  I loved bringing all of these wonderful baby items to you with amazing giveaways as well.  All of these products are going to make welcoming baby girl in May so much easier.  I do have a couple of more products that I will share this month, but for my grand finale, I am bringing you the baby item I could not possibly live without!

When TJ was born, I didn’t really know what to expect.  I was a first time mom, and really in our family he was the first newborn.  I didn’t know what products I would use, so I did a little research.  This is how I decided to blog about product reviews.  I knew from my research that I needed to get a breastfeeding pillow, and the Boppy received the most accolades so I decided to put that one on our registry.

While breastfeeding didn’t work out as planned (I ended up pumping the entire time), I couldn’t have lived without the Boppy.  We had TJ laying in the Boppy everywhere.  When we went on the plane to visit my family, the Boppy came with us.  When TJ needed some extra support, we would run and get the Boppy.  At the hospital when I was trying to breastfeed, the Boppy was an essential item that helped me get through it.  When he was on our laps, we used the Boppy to support his little head!  This product is very versatile and practical which probably has something to do with it winning the the number one baby product for the 9^th time by readers of American Baby magazine!

The Boppy has been around for a little while, but what I love about this company is that they are always updating their products and improving them.  The Boppy Pillow used to have to be thrown in the wash in order to get it clean, now they have removable covers in a very large assortment of fabrics and designs to choose from.  With TJ, I got a “Three peas in a pod” design that was adorable!  I also went and purchased a spare cover for when I was washing his usual one.  Boppy recently created a travel pillow for moms on the go!  I wish I had that for our plane trips with the baby, but I do know that the original Boppy also travels well.  I also have a couple of other Boppy products that I love, the body pillow and these pads that save my changing pad from having to be washed about 4 times a day!  I really couldn’t live without them! Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find them this time around.

For little girls arrival, Boppy was kind enough to send me a Boppy pillow with an additional slipcover.  I had such a hard time picking out what slipcover I wanted because of all the options available.  I think there are over 25 different covers that you can find for your Boppy.  I wanted something very girlie this time around so I picked out the Soft Pink Stripes Signiture Slipcover. This cover features brown and pink stripes on one side and soft pink minky fabric on the other.  Perfect for any little girl!

I love the pink owl print that came with my Boppy Pillow.  It is exactly what I wanted, very girlie!  Last time I gave birth I made my husband run home and grab the Boppy Pillow.  This time I know better and will be packing it in our suitcase for our trip to the hospital.  I will make room!

So… now that you know why you need this pillow, here is your chance to win one for yourself!

Win It

One (1) lucky reader will win a Boppy Pillow and their choice of slipcover from Boppy!

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This giveaway will end at midnight on April 20. Winner will be picked from Random.org. 
Open to US residents only.  Good Luck!

A huge thank you to Boppy who provided the products featured in this post.  This review is my honest opinion and is not influenced by any other source.

Tea Collection has been one of my favorite children’s clothing sites since we reviewed some boy pieces last year.  Their boy collection is something all moms with boys should check out because it is stylish and trendy and they have a large collection for boys (most moms of boys will agree that usually the boy selection at stores and websites are lacking).  When I started the Virtual Baby Shower I knew that I wanted to feature Tea Collection and this time all the cute girl baby products that they offer.  I wasn’t disappointed.

I love the Asian influence of the collection that we were sent.  We received the Share Joy Gift Boxed Set with two bodysuits in their Tori and Akita prints and a pair of pants to go along with them.  They also have a boy version of the boxed set!  These pieces are practical as well as being adorable!  I know with TJ, we had him in bodysuits most of the time.  They are comfortable for baby and there is easy access to diaper changes.  I think TJ wore about 4 of them a day!

The set was packaged beautifully in a gift box making it a fantastic baby shower gift!

I also fell in love with this Chinese Jacket!  I am planing on purchasing this for baby girl’s Easter outfit next year (always planing ahead).  This jacket will go with about everything that a little girl has.  It can go with a pair of jeans or as a cover-up for a cute dress.

The adorableness doesn’t end there.  Tea collection also send us a couple of dresses for baby girl from their new collection.  I have fallen in love with this one:

I had never seen anything like this for a little girl.  This adorable dress is very pretty and perfect for church or a special event.  It is an Ikat, something I hadn’t heard of before Tea Collection.  Here is a description from their website:

Ikats are dyed in individual strands and woven together into vibrant patterns. We were blown away by the beauty, technique and variety of ikats we saw in Ubud, Bali’s cultural and art center. Just to blow you away, we embellished this ikat printed lawn dress with neon pink ornate flower embroidery.

I wish this picture did this piece justice, but you are going to have to trust me that it is amazing!

So, what are you waiting for?  Head on over to Tea Collection and check out all their clothing for the little boy or girl in your life!

Want to win a gift card for yourself?  Check out this amazing giveaway!

Win It

One (1) lucky reader will win a $100 GC to Tea Collection!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 This giveaway will end at midnight on April 16. Winner will be picked from Random.org. 
Open to US residents only.  Good Luck!

A huge thank you to Tea Collection who provided the products featured in this post.  This review is my honest opinion and is not influenced by any other source.

I am having so much fun finding girl outfits this time around.  Lets all admit, when it comes to adorableness, the girls have it covered.  It is so much harder finding cute boy outfits.  Because it is my last child, I want to go all out in the frilly, girlie outfits, especially the pink!  While Zutano has some of the most adorable outfits for boys, I had to make sure I had some girl outfits from them as well.

For my readers who are not familiar with Zutano children’s clothing they are a children’s clothing boutique created by an artist in New York after giving birth to her daughter.  She wanted to create stylish prints for her daughter to wear.  Zutano has expanded their Baby and Toddler line to introduce a product line just for newborns and preemies, Itzy Bitzy.  These clothes are designed especially to fit newborns and preemies.  They offer two sizes, newborn and 0-3 months.  All you need to do is find the product you want, click on it and all of the print families are shown that you can pick from. They offer onesies, hats, blankets, gown, footies and much more in every print family. They even have crib bedding for the nursery available in two different prints.

We were sent a blanket, bodysuit, hat, and pants for our little ones new arrival.  I absolutely adore them!  They are all made from 100% certified organic cotton, and they are super soft!  The hat and pants are gender neutral and come from the sunset print family.  The bodysuit is from the petal pink line, and the blanket has an adorable owl print on it.

Here is a close up of the blanket print:

I can’t wait to wrap up baby girl in this adorable, soft blanket.  The owls are perfect for the gender neutral playroom/nursery that I will be putting together shortly (hopefully before she gets here).

Check out this amazing new print that they just introduced!  I think these elephants are perfect for little boys or girls.  There is such a wide range, and a lot to choose from at Zutano.  Be sure to check them out for a great baby shower gift!

Buy It:

You can purchase Zutano clothing on their website here.

Win It:

One lucky reader will win a $75 gift card to Zutano. 

How to Enter:

To enter visit Zutano and tell me what your favorite print family is. (You must complete this entry before any of the bonus entries)

Bonus Entries:

• Do you remember picking out your child’s take home outfit? If so, what did it look like?
• Follow me on Twitter and Tweet: Win a $75 Gift Card to Zutano Children’s Clothing Boutique@AMomsImpression http://wyn.cc/jdc5h (You may enter daily, just leave a comment with each Tweet’s link)
• Follow me on facebook
• Blog about this giveaway (Please leave a link to your post)
• Grab my Button and post it on your blog
• Subscribe to A Mom’s Impression by Email (2 Entries, please leave 2 comments: Please remember to confirm your subscription)

Please leave a comment about each entry, include a valid email address or you may contact me directly with your contact information. This giveaway will end at midnight on April 6. Winner will be picked from Random.org. 
Open to US residents only.  Good Luck!

A huge thank you to Zutano who provided the products featured in this post.  This review is my honest opinion and is not influenced by any other source.

It has been several months now that I have tested out the Brother P-Touch Label maker.  I started out with a durability test in August that highlighted how strong the labels are.  I put the labels through several tests to determine the strength, and was amazed by what I found.  This past January, I shared my storage room makeover with all of my fancy labels on my shelves.  I now have an organized storage room ready to go when my newest child arrives in May! I know it is going to save a lot of time finding exactly what I need when I need it.

Well, it has been several months since the makeover and I am ready to give my final thoughts about the Brother P-Touch label maker.  I have been using label makers for quite some time.  When I was a bookkeeper in a restaurant, I used a label maker to keep all of our employee files labeled and organized.  I used a label maker in my first small business labeling all of the stock that I kept in my basement.  I use a label maker in my classroom to keep my binders organized and all of my school supplies organized. I have used several different makes and models and can tell you from experience that the label maker from Brother is the best one that I have used thus far.  The labels have been on my storage shelves for about 6 months and they look like I just placed them there.  The labels on my binders have not peeled back on the corners and I touch them almost every week day.  The coating on the labels make sure that they are stuck and stay stuck on whatever it has been placed on.

I am extremely happy with this label maker and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for one.

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Brother P-Touch and received a product and gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

My husband and I are a little health conscious.  Well, okay, my husband is and I just kinda follow along.  We try to eat a healthy balanced diet, but sometimes when eating out it becomes more and more difficult.  While we cook mostly at home, we do enjoy treating ourselves every once in a while.  We were very curious when we heard about LongHorn Steakhouse’s new menu that includes five meals all for under 500 calories.  It features five satisfying steakhouse meals, including fresh steak, chicken or fish entrees, all fewer than 500 calories when paired with steamed vegetables or green beans and a side salad.

We had never eaten at a LongHorn Steakhouse before and were pleasantly surprised by the service and atmosphere that we experienced.  Our server was very helpful and polite and was very patient with our 3 year old toddler.  We ordered the Sierra Chicken off of the Flavorful under 500 menu and another sandwich to share.  The chicken was cooked to perfection as well as the vegetable side dish.  My husband loved the vegetables and probably could have eaten a plateful.  I thought the chicken was cooked well and tasted great, I just wished it had a little more spice to it.

Overall we were very happy with our visit to LongHorn and will be visiting again shortly.  The service and food were very delightful and the attention they paid all of their guests was appreciated.  I want to go back and try out their steaks because if they can cook chicken this well, they probably have wonderful steaks!

If you are counting your calories be sure to check out the 5 menu items on the “Flavorful Under 500″ menu.  It is a delicious way to keep yourself on your diet!

Win It

One (1) lucky winner will receive a $15 gift card to LongHorn Steakhouse.

How to Enter:

Leave a comment and tell me which of the Flavorful Under 500 you most want to try!

Bonus Entries:

• Follow me on Twitter and Tweet: Win A LongHorn Steakhouse Gift Card @AMomsImpression http://amomsimpression.com/?p=6548 (You may enter daily, just leave a comment with each Tweet’s link)
• Like A Mom’s Impression on Facebook
• Blog about this giveaway (Please leave a link to your post)
• Grab my Button and post it on your blog.
• Subscribe to A Mom’s Impression by Email (2 Entries, please leave 2 comments: Please remember to confirm your subscription)
• Comment on any non-giveaway post on A Mom’s Impression. (just tell me what post you commented on)

Please leave a comment about each entry, include a valid email address or you may contact me directly with your contact information.
Open to US residents only. This giveaway will end at midnight on April 5. Winners will be picked from Random.org. 
Good Luck!

This product review was made possible by LongHorn Steakhouse.  I received a gift card to facilitate my review. All opinions are 100% mine.

There is a new sole on the block!  The all new Spring/Summer 2012 line of shoes from pediped features a new improved slip resistant leather sole on its Originals line of shoes.  What does this mean?  Check out my video as I explain the features of the new sole:

pediped is a favorite shoe of celebrity moms for their kids…Heidi Klum, Jen Garner, Halle Berry, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Tiffani Thiessen, Pink, Isla Fisher, Nancy O’Dell and more and I can tell you why!  They are adorable as well as developmentally appropriate for children’s growing feet. Here is a little bit more about the company:

pediped^® footwear was founded in 2004 by Angela and Brian Edgeworth in their quest for the perfect soft-soled shoe for their first daughter. Exceptional quality, unsurpassed comfort and distinctive styling have made the award winning company the fastest-growing children’s footwear brand in the United States. pediped^® footwear has been awarded the American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Acceptance for the promotion of healthy foot development, and preeminent orthopedic medical professionals, Dr. Mininder S. Kocher and Dr. Thomas W. Vorderer, deem pediped shoes an excellent choice for parents/caregivers who want their children’s feet to develop naturally and healthily. In 2011 Earnshaw’s, the premier media resource serving the children’s market recognized pediped® with Earnshaw’s Earnie Awards for Company of the Year and Best Footwear.

pediped^® footwear is sold in over 3000 stores in the United States and 40 countries worldwide with an offering of more than 120  designs for boys and girls between their three lines, Originals®, Grip ‘n’ Go™ and Flex®. Originals® (soft-soled shoes for newborns to age 2), Grip ‘n’ Go™ (thin rubber-soled shoes for children ages 9 months to 3 years) and Flex® (rubber-soled shoes for children 1 to 8 years) are available in EU sizes ranging from 17 to 33.

I love this company and  their philanthropic involvement focused on helping children. In 2010, pediped established the pediped Foundation to support children around the globe. The foundation has donated over $1,000,000 in products and monetary support since the launch of the foundation. They not only care about your child’s feet, they care about children around the world!

For more information, visit www.pediped.com. You can also sign up to become a pediped Insider on their website to be the first to know about special promotions, new product introductions and more. Also be sure follow pediped on Facebook at facebook.com/pedipedfootwear.

A huge thank you goes out to pediped for being a part of our Virtual Baby Shower and sending us a pair of shoes for my little girl!  I was not compensated for this giveaway other than a product sample. All opinions are 100% mine.