I love the convenience of drink boxes and pouches but hate the mess. I always take a big swig before I give them to my son hoping to avoid a mess when he squeezes. Inevitably, I end up cleaning a sticky trail of juice leading from the kitchen over to the family room. Ugh!

Now with Dwink, the universal drink box holder, I don’t have to get on my hands and knees to clean up the juice trail anymore. I love that it so versatile. You can use it with small and large juice boxes, soy milk boxes and drink pouches. Dwink comes in bright, fun colors so kids think it is fun to use and the handles make it easy for little hands to hold on to. Best of all it sells for under $5.00 at www.mydwinkbox.com.

Bibs really are a fantastic invention. Without them you would have to constantly change your baby’s top all day long. Although a bib really is a necessity for drooling babies, have you ever worried whether its really safe snapped or tied around your baby’s neck? I know I did and so did Molly of Bibs and Match. She worried about her babies sleeping with their bibs on. But like most other moms I know, she didn’t want to wake her sleeping babies to take their bibs off when they fell asleep. Could they be strangled by the bib tied around their neck or suffocated if it flipped up on their face? These worries led her to design adorable onsies and matching bibs that snap on to keep your baby safe.

The onsies and bibs are made of 100% cotton and are super soft to the touch and since safety is the number one concern, all the dyes used are non-toxic. The bibs snap right on the onsie at the neck, so it’s like the bib is part of the shirt, meaning no more worries about strangualtion. The sides of the bib snap to the shirt so it won’t flip up in baby’s face, either. And since they don’t tie or velcro around the neck, they’re more comfortable for baby; nothing rubbing baby’s neck or trapping all that drool right under baby’s chin which can be very irritating. Currently the onsies and bibs are available with cute little monsters on them, which would be great for boys and girls, alike. Best of all, these bibs don’t cover your baby’s cute outfit. The design on the bib completely lines up with the design on the shirt so it blends in with the design or if you choose a coordinating bib, it give the shirt an all new look.

Win it! Thanks to Bibs and Match, we’ve got a 3 piece set in size 6-9 months to give away (just like the set pictured above). There’s also a matching pacifier holder that attaches using the side snaps. To win, visit Bibs and Match and have a look around. Comeback here and leave a comment telling me your favorite feature of the bibs and onsies they sell by Midnight on August 19th. You can get an extra entry if you subscribe to our email newsletter (be sure to submit an extra comment to let me know you’re a new subscriber). Make sure you leave your email address so we can contact you if you’re the lucky winner. The winner will be chosen randomly and contacted by email. The prize will only be shipped to US addresses. Good luck!

You’ve gotta visit Your Little Sweet Pea if you are thinking of decorating a nursery or child’s room. They carry a huge selection of baby and children’s bedding for both boys and girls.

Your Little Sweet Pea started as an professional interior design company so they “strive to keep the themes and styles of bedding and accessories up to date with the lastest trends and choose styles that are timeless.” In addition to bedding, they offer anything else you can think of to help decorate your child’s room from comfy overstuffed chairs and matching wall frames to fabric storage bins. There is no need to look anywhere else when searching for the perfect items to fill your room.

And if you need any help designing your room, Your Little Sweet Pea can do that too. All you have to do is let them know what you like and what you want in your room. A professional interior designer will do everything for you from planning the layout and furniture placement right down to choosing the paint colors for your new room.

Their prices are very affordable and are 10% off MSRP but you can use code FIVEOFF to get $5 of any purchase of $35 or more to save even more.

Win it! Your Little Sweet Pea is giving away a cute little dress and shirt to a lucky winner. Both dress and shirt are cotton and sized 18-24 months.

To win, just visit Your Little Sweet Pea and browse around their site. Come back and leave me a comment telling me your favorite item. Please leave your comment before midnight on August 14th. I will choose the winner Friday August 15th. Open only to people with a US mailing address. Good Luck.

I love Etsy! You can find anything you’re looking for and tons more you didn’t expect to find. My favorite Etsy store right now is Frank and Me. Everything at Frank and Me is handmade by Lauren (Frank’s mom) with one goal, it has to please Frank. The blankets and little swipers have to be soft enough, the boo boo packs comforting enough, and the blankie capes fun enough to make Frank (and your child) happy.

Everything at Frank and Me is made with the softest materials. We got the blankie cape and I was immediately impressed. This really could be baby’s favorite blankie turned into a cool cape for play. It has soft minky on one side and a soft patterned flannel on the other. My favorite part is the unique closure. One side tucks in the other so it will come off easily and quickly if it gets caught or pulled. Little Bug was so thrilled with his cape, he didn’t take it off for the first few days and wore it every where we went. We’ve also played super hero almost everyday, since. I’m always “the bad robot” and of course he is always the super hero chasing me and yelling “gotcha bad robot!” The cape really sparks his imagination and helps him get into character and makes role playing so much fun!

Be sure to check out all the other great products at Frank and Me like the Burp Monsters. These adorable little monsters make great burp cloths but are cute enough and soft enough to be baby’s favorite lovey. Order from Frank and Me during the month of August and you’ll get free shipping in the US or $5.00 of international shipping with the code totsmag.

Children can begin potty training at the age of 12 months all the way up to 4 years. That’s a huge range! How do you know when it’s the right time to start working with your child? Well, you need to watch for certain signs like emotional readiness and the ability to control bladder and bowels, to recognize the need to go, and to communicate the need to go.

Studies have shown there are many benefits to signing with your baby. As young as 9 months old, a baby often knows what she wants but can’t communicate it to mommy and daddy causing lots of frustration on both sides. By teaching your baby very simple signs like eat and drink, she can easily tell you what she wants, long before she can talk, reducing frustration and raising self-esteem and self-confidence.

Baby Signs is leading the efforts to help parents sign with their babies and now they have come up with the Potty Training Kit to help you potty train your baby at an earlier age. Many children are ready to potty train as early as 18 months but just aren’t able to communicate well enough to make potty training a success. That’s where the Baby Signs Potty Training Kit comes in. Each kit includes a book for mom and dad to help guide you through the potty training process and has diagrams of signs you can teach to your baby. There’s also a DVD for baby to watch to teach her 5 potty signs and introduce her to potty training, a lift-the-flap book for baby to read, and stickers to help reinforce what a great job baby is doing. The kit has a cute potty train theme all children will love so it comes with a wooden train whistle for baby to blow when she needs to go potty or successfully goes on the potty! This kit is sure to make potty training your youngster easy and fun!

Win it! Win your own potty training kit. Visit Baby Signs and check out all their great products. Comeback and leave me a comment about your favorite product. Be sure to leave your email so I can contact you if you are the winner. This giveaway will end August 5th at midnight. I will email the winner on August 6th. This giveaway is open to people with mailing addresses in the US and Canada only. Good luck!

This is my first ever Bloggy Giveaway Carnival and I’ve decided to giveaway the new Phineas and Ferb DVD. Actually, it’s so new, it hasn’t been released yet! But Tuesday morning, I’ll be headed to Target to get two copies, one to keep and one for the lucky person who wins this giveaway.

If you’ve never seen Disney Channel’s Phineas and Ferb, you’re missing some good family fun. It’s summer vacation and Phineas and Ferb, two stepbrothers, come up with all kinds of outrageous activities to keep them busy like building a rollercoaster or becoming one hit wonders in a day. Their antics drive their sister, Candace, crazy and she spends her summer trying to bust them but something always happens to clean up all the evidence just before Mom arrives. Then there’s Perry, the family’s pet platypus, who’s secret identity is a secret agent. Perry always manages to thwart the plans of his evil nemesis, Dr. Doofenshmirtz, but in doing so also manages to unwittingly remove any evidence of the boys’ daily adventures.

This series is great for kids and adults alike. Lots of fun for the kids and some humor that will go right over their heads that only the adults will get (like references to things that happened in the “90s). I usually don’t mind the kids shows on TV but this is one I really like and look forward to when it comes on.

Win it!!! Leave only one comment below before 8:00 am eastern time on Friday July 1. Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Friday, Aug. 1. I will only ship to US addresses. Thanks for visiting.

I’ve been MIA the past few days because I’ve been potty training my son. We’ve been trying to potty train on and off for a year now with no luck. Little Bug has shown zero interest and gets down right upset when the word potty is mentioned. But with preschool looming right around the corner and the mandatory requirement that he be potty trained (or at least making good progress at it), I stepped up my efforts to get him going on the potty. My last ditch effort was to take up the rug, put a thick comforter on the couch and just let him go diaperless! Of course, I had to keep a very watchful eye (so not much time for blogging). But, so far, it seems to have paid off. He started off with three accidents on the floor but they were easily cleaned. The fourth time he had to go, he sat on the potty all on his own, started going and then called for me to see! He and I both were so excited and proud! He seems to have figured it out! Only two accidents in the past two days!

But now that he is a big boy and no longer in his diapers, I am faced with all new worries and have to say it was so much easier when he was in diapers. I need to remember to remind him to go potty and when we go out I need to worry about things like always figuring out where the closest restroom is and how to protect him from all the germs on the toilet in public restrooms. Yuck! And it not just his bottom I am worried about but his hands, too, because like lots of other kids he needs to hold on to the seat to keep from falling in. That’s were Green and Clean Potty Covers come in. Unlike other potty covers, the Green and Clean potty covers really are oversized so they completely cover the toilet seat and then some to protect both bottoms and hands. They are also nice and thick, unlike those skimpy, thin covers you find in public restrooms. They have adhesive strips to hold them in place so they won’t slip off when you put them on. They don’t have a plastic layer on them like other brands, so you may need to wipe the seat if the person before you sprinkled when they tinkled. But since there’s not plastic you don’t have to feel guilty about using a disposal cover and harming the environment since they are made of 100% cotton and will be quickly degraded.

Stock up since you’ll be using lots and lots. They are just $6.95 for 10 at One Step Ahead.

When I was contacted recently by ABC Gift Boutique to review their potty training diaper cakes, I was quite intrigued. I’ve seen lots of beautiful diaper cakes but I’d never heard of a potty training diaper cake. I must say, I was quite impressed.

The potty training diaper cakes include everything you need to get your toddler started potty training including diapers, toilet paper, Pull-Ups, big boy underwear and a box of Kandoo wipes. At the bottom is a book about potty training to help introduce the potty training concept to your child. To top it all off, the cake topper is a toy for your toddler to receive once she has reached her potty training goal. A list of potty training resources for mom and dad is also included. You can get the potty training diaper cakes with some of your favorite characters on them, including Lightening McQueen (Cars), Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego Go, and in a princess theme.

We all know that potty training can be a trying experience for for both toddler and parents so many parents give a gift to encourage potty training. A potty training cake would make an excellent gift from mom and dad (or grandma and grandpa, for that matter) to get your toddler excited about the potty training process. Just think how surprised your toddler would be to receive this!

Visit ABC Gift Boutique to see their potty training diaper cakes. Be sure to mention that you heard about ABC Gift Boutique here at Tots Magazine to get 5% off your order through December 31, 2008.

I have an awesome giveaway today! I recently reviewed a personalized name book from Frecklebox which my son and I absolutely loved, er, still love! (Click here to read the review). The My Name is… personalized book isn’t like other name books that just include your child’s name in the story, your child’s name is actually spelled out in each of the beautiful photos. For example, on one page lady bugs spell his/her name and on another page its spelled out by stars in the night sky. This book is so well done! Frecklebox has two other personalized name books as well, Hiphop Howie and his pal, in which your child becomes the main character of this book full of rhymes and …goes to the zoo, which is about a trip to the zoo and includes wonderful photos of zoo animals with you child’s name hidden in the in the photo for them to find. Frecklebox creates lots of other personalized products, too, including their new coloring book, Color Me… Each page has a fun design and your childs name to color.

Win it! Frecklebox is generously giving away one hard cover book of your choice and one coloring book. To win, visit Frecklebox and have a look around. Comeback here and leave a comment telling me your favorite Frecklebox item by Midnight on July 23rd. Make sure you leave your email address so we can contact you if you’re the lucky winner. The winner will be chosen randomly and contacted by email on July 24th. Good luck!

In case you didn’t know, the newest Backyardigans DVD, The Backyardigans: Mighty Match-Up!, was released last week. Its just as good as the other Backyardigans DVDs with four entertaining stories and lots of fun music. My son and I have watched it so many times that I could probably recite it word for word already! The episodes on this DVD are: Match on Mt. Olympus, The Great Dolphin Race, Ranch Hands From Outer Space and Caveman’s Best Friend.

Win it! In case you haven’t rushed out to buy this DVD for your child yet, I’m giving you a chance to get it for free! All you have to do is subscribe to our email newsletter by Midnight on July 23, 2008. If you’ve already subscribed, well, then you’re already entered. We’ll pick a random winner and notify the winner by email. Open to US residents.

Note: You must subscribe to our email newsletter (upper right corner) to enter. Leaving a comment will not get you entered.

SafetyTats are temporary tattoos for your child personalized with your cell phone number (see our review from June here). SafetyTats were invented by a mom trying to keep her children safe and what a brilliant idea! Now, SafetyTat is giving you the opportunity to win your own pack of 30 personalized SafetyTats.

To win: Visit the SafetyTat site.  Comeback and leave me a comment telling me which style you would choose if you are the winner.  Do this before midnight (EDST) on July 21st.  Make sure you leave your email so we can contact you. The winner will be randomly chosen and contacted by email on July 22st. Good luck!

Although my full time job now is being a mommy, I have a Ph.D. in science and know all about those little “germies” that can make you and your family really sick. That’s why I get really freaked out when I go grocery shopping with my son and think about all the germs he could be exposed to when I put him in the shopping cart. They might look clean (or maybe they don’t) but they are really covered with all kinds of germs that cause colds and flus. When my son was an infant, I kept him in his car seat so he never touched the cart. He quickly outgrew his infant carrier and I just shuddered at the thought of putting him in the cart and him mouthing the disgusting push bar that everyone else had put their dirty hands on. So I started looking for a shopping cart cover to protect him. I came across cart covers that covered just the front and back, leaving the sides exposed. Others had to be tied on or were made of multiple pieces which seemed too hard to use when your arms are already full with your baby. I decided on the Clean Shopper shopping cart cover and have been absolutely thrilled with it.

The clean shopper is so easy to use. It is one piece and slips on easily with one hand so no need to put baby down. It covers the whole seat; front, back and sides, so your baby is completely protected from all those germs that could make him sick. Not only does the Clean Shopper protect babies and toddlers, but it makes them so much more comfortable. In fact, the first time I used it with my son, he cuddled up with his teddy and went right to sleep. Boy, that was a great shopping trip! The Clean Shopper is made from quilted, cotton fabric to help pad baby. It has two pockets on the sides to hold sippies or grocery lists and two loops to hook toys on to keep baby entertained. It also comes with a safety strap to keep your child secure in the seat. It is machine washable and holds up well washing after washing and when not in use can be stored in the carrying tote that comes with it. The Clean Shopper fits wooden restaurant high chairs, too. so no need to buy a separate cover.

Visit the Clean Shopper website to see all the great fabrics these covers come in and see the other useful products they offer, like the traveling ABCs shown in the photo above. Clip them on the loops for your baby to play with or to help your toddler learn to associate foods that start with each letter. Enjoy 15% off your order when you check out with the code TOTS.

It’s not easy to get your children to write thank you notes but maybe it would be a little bit easier with these adorable note cards from Dani Notes.

Dani Notes is a mom-owned company that specializes in creating fun and stylish, personalized stationery for everyone in your family. There are so many great kids designs to choose from including a rocket flying high through the stars to a sweet, fluffy, pink sheep. And there are plenty of designs for mom, too. I love the brown owl and the little bird designs for myself.

Each set of flat note cards and matching colored envelopes comes in a plastic case tied with a ribbon making them great for gift giving. I also love the idea of ordering matching stickers and enclosure cards. Put them in or on your gift and eliminate the need to buy expensive cards for the countless number of B-day parties your kids are invited too. You’ll be left with more money to spend on the gift or keep in your pocket, whichever you choose.

Visit Dani Notes and see the large variety of designs for yourself. You can get a set of 25 note cards for only $28.00 so they are very reasonably priced. Be sure to use the code TOTSMAG4U to get 10% of your order.

Win it! Dani Notes is giving one lucky Tots Mag reader a set of note cards with matching stickers. Visit the Dani Notes website and have a look around. Comeback here and leave me a comment telling me which design you would pick to be on your note cards and stickers if you are lucky enough to be the winner. Do this before midnight on July 13th and make sure you leave your email so we can contact you. The winner will be randomly choosen and contacted by email on July 14th.

Looking for a unique baby or children’s gift? Well, check out these adorable batik tee shirts.

I absolutely love them! These shirts are all hand-dyed here in the USA by Batik by Nancy. In case you don’t know anything about Batik (I had no clue), the design is painted with hot wax and then the shirt is dyed. Since each is individually painted and dyed, no two are alike. They really are a work of art!

Check out the selection of batik tee shirts and onsies at Pink Gorillas. Use code BATIK2008 and you’ll get free shipping until July 31.

We moms have so many things to worry about everyday to keep baby safe and since everything baby touches seems to go straight into her mouth, toys are at the top of the list. With the recent reports that many plastic toys are painted with paint containing lead, it’s nice to know there is one toy that baby can put in her mouth that you won’t have to worry about. Sophie the Giraffe is made in France where it’s been a favorite since the 1960’s. This cute toy is made from 100% natural rubber so it’s not only safe for baby but environmentally friendly, too. Sophie is decorated with food paint so you don’t have to worry when it ends up in baby’s mouth. In fact, when used as a teething toy, Sophie’s ears, horns, and nose will sooth baby’s hurting gums. This toy is easy for baby to grip and squeaks when squeezed for endless hours of worry free entertainment.

Every mom knows the necessity of packing a spare change of clothes for baby. You can’t prevent spills and leaks, but you can at least be prepared. And BabySpareWear has made it even easier to be ready.

For baby, there’s the Fashion Fix. Inside the reusable zippered case are two tees (one short-sleeve and one long sleeve) and coordinating pants. The clothes are well made from a soft, lightweight cotton that will feel great on baby’s soft skin and won’t weigh down your diaper bag. The matte clear vinyl case has a pocket for wipes and an extra diaper so you’ll have everything you need to make your babe presentable again in a tote you can easily grab and take. When you’ve got baby looking and smelling fresh again, store the soiled clothes in the back pocket. BabySpareWear also makes a more compact version, the mini makeover, so you can keep a spare outfit in your glove compartment or purse.

There’s even a travel kit for toddlers. Made from the same lightweight, soft cotton as the baby clothes, the toddler travel kit is perfect to keep on hand when you child is potty training. Make sure to get several extras to send with your child when he/she heads off to daycare or preschool since most require at least one change of clothes. The vinyl bag has a pocket and a hanging loop for hands free transport. Also features a small rubber I.D. tag for your child’s name.

Want your own BabySpareWear kit? Win a $25.00 gift certificate (valid on purchases of at least $25.00). Visit BabySpareWear and decide on your favorite kit and color. Comeback here and leave a comment by Midnight on July 6th. Make sure you leave your email address so we can contact you if you’re the lucky winner. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced on July 7th. Good luck!

If you want a SpareWear kit now or don’t win the gift certificate, use code totsmag for 10% off any order until Sept. 30, 2008.

Babies are so adorable in hats and I just found the sweetest hand-knitted hats at the Etsy shop, NinisHandmade’s Shop. Check out this Hershey Kisses cupcake newborn hat. It’s made using baby soft yarn in the shape of a cupcake and has felt kisses sewn on by hand. So cute!!

I also love this pink cupcake hat for for toddlers. It’s covered with sprinkles and even has a cherry on top.

Visit NinisHandmade Shop to get one of these treats for your little sweety and be sure to check out all of her other handknitted items, including her new baby blankets(they look super soft). Nini is offering 10% off to TotsMag readers. Be sure to convo her before you purchase to get your discount.

I wish I had found the Baby light and clip when my son was an infant. He would never hold still to have his nails clipped so we waited till he fell asleep to cut them. So of course, it took two of us to get the job done; my husband to hold the flashlight and me to clip. Even then, we were lucky to get two or three toenails clipped in one night. My son’s has the most sensitive feet and he would wake up when I started touching them. Needless to say, I dreaded cutting his toenails so I usually waited until they were so long and icky that I would have been so embarrassed if anybody saw them.

Then I found the Baby light and clip. Its so simple its genius! Its a baby sized nail clipper with a small light built in. The light is just bright enough that you can see baby’s nails but its not too bright to disturb baby’s sleep. The nail clippings are also caught inside of the clipper’s case so there are no sharp nails left behind in baby’s bed. Now there is no huge production to cut my son’s nails. It hasn’t solved my son’s ticklish foot issue but now I can slip in easily and quietly by myself and trim a couple of nails before he wakes up.

You can order your Baby light and clip from Mom4life. This online store is owned by a mom and who has a passion for helping other moms. She offers lots of wonderful products with terrific customer service. Plus when you order from Mom4life, your order always ships for free (and she includes a small gift with your order).

If your kid is like mine, he or she begs to have tattoos up and down his arm. Well, we’ve found a tattoo you’ll be happy to “ink” your child with. Safetytats are temporary tattoos that have fun designs your child will love printed with your cell phone number. They were developed by a mom to reconnect you with your child in case of an emergency. SafetyTats are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers who are too young to have memorized mom and dad’s phone numbers.

They have lots of great designs to choose from for girls and boys and in case you have one of each, they have a mixed pack so you won’t need to buy two packs. They’ve even have tats to alert of health issues, like peanut allergies, autism, and diabetes.

We all know how quickly a child can dart away and in a crowd can easily get lost. But if you child is wearing Safetytat, at least you’ll have a little peace of mind knowing that who ever stops to help her will know how to contact you.

Looking for a great gift that toddlers, moms, and dads will all love? Give a My Name is… personalized name book from Frecklebox. My son recently received a My Name is… book and he can’t get enough of it! He was astounded to find his name on every page spelled out by things made by Mother Nature, like the stars in a night time sky or ladybugs on a big green leaf. Now everyday, he asks to read “his” book. We read it so many times the first day that my little Bugaboo learned to spell his name!

The My Name is… book is different than other name books. It doesn’t just include your child’s name in the storyline; the story is your childs’ name. Your child will have so much fun learning to spell his name and you’ll love looking at the stunning photos.

Frecklebox’s books are made to be durable and can handle your toddler’s rough treatment. Ours looks great despite being slept on everynight for the past week (this is how we can gauge if a toy is a hit or not; if he likes it it gets to sleep with him alongside Bear and Panda). You can order your personalized book with either a hard or softcover. We received the softcover book and I was so surprised by the quality. It’s not your ordinary softcover book! The photos are printed on heavy glossy paper, then coated to create a beautiful sheen and long lasting durability. Frecklebox takes pride in their products and takes the extra time to make sure their products will last.

Be sure to visit Frecklebox to see a sample of this book online and check out their other great products. Enter coupon code totsmag10 to get 10% off your purchase.