On being prepared for #2. {a giveaway!}

  I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Chicco. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

  We're about 3 months away from having a newborn in the house again and that is starting to sink in for us. We have been talking a lot lately about what this baby might be like. Honestly? We're guessing he might be a little high maintenance. Caleb was the easiest baby from the moment he was born. He rarely cried, sleep like a dream, nursed perfectly, the who shebang. We really, really lucked out as first time parents and skipped the stressful things like sleepless nights, feeding troubles, and witching hours. 
  But we can't be so lucky the second time around, right? And that's ok! But I think the thought of having a baby even slightly less easy than Caleb has us wanting to be more prepared. Especially for things like feeding.
  I haven't really talked much about breastfeeding Caleb because I think it's extremely personal and I never want to be another aggressive voice added to the breast vs bottle vs formula argument. Feeding your baby is amazing, however you choose to do it! 
  That said, I lucked out with Caleb. He nursed perfectly from the very beginning and we never had any of the pain or struggles lots of moms talk about. When he was 4 weeks old, we gave him his first pumped bottle and he loved that, too. So, for his first 12 months, I nursed him and pumped pretty consistently {I had some irrational anxiety that I needed to build a big stockpile 'just in case', which was silly since I'm a stay at home mom and ended up having some 250oz frozen}. If I was around, we nursed. If I wasn't, he had a bottled of pumped milk. Around 11 months, he started biting me and hardly eating at all so we stopped nursing and started using our frozen stash exclusively, slowly mixing in whole milk until we transitioned completely at 12 months. 
  Anyways, I mentioned all of that because we really did luck out. It was awesome that Caleb easily took a bottle, any bottle, when I wasn't around. We never had to shop around for special slow flow ones or anything like that. We honestly just used whatever came with my breast pump or what had been gifted to us at my shower. 
  But all babies aren't the same! I want to be so much more prepared that this kiddo could come out a little picky or needing some more assistance with feeding. And that's why I so love the brand new Chicco NaturalFit. They're designed to meet the exact needs and grow with your baby over time- aka taking out all the guesswork for me! Bonus? They guaruntee you're baby will love them or you get your money back. Yes, please.
   Chicco is such a trusted brand, and so many moms I know and look up to use Chicco consistently for lots of their baby needs. And since I know pretty much zero about baby bottle needs, I love how Chicco NaturalFit breaks it down into stages for me: 

STAGE 1- NEWBORN FLOW:

• The nipple is uniquely shaped; it’s at an angle to help prevent gas bubbles and avoid colic. If you’ve ever had a colic-y baby, you know this is a super important feature.
• It also has two anti-colic valves that aid in reducing air ingestion, gas, and spit up. I’ve had a few projectile vomiting moments with babies I could have certainly done without.
• The angle is also wider than other bottles, helping your newborn with their newly learned latch, and allowing their little necks to stay safe in the right position.
• The bottles are available in both 5 oz. and 8 oz. sizes.

STAGE 2- ADJUSTABLE FLOW (SLOW, MEDIUM, or FAST):

• Because of the baby’s changing feeding styles, the angled nipple is no longer needed and a straight nipple replaces it.
• These bottles are used starting at about 4 months, when babies have better head and neck control, and typically, no more colic.
• The adjustable flow nipples allow Mom to find the best speed for feeding specific to her baby, and to accommodate to baby’s growing appetite.
• These bottles are available in 8 oz. sizes.

STAGE 3- FAST FLOW

• Used for older babies with stronger suction abilities.
• The base of the nipple is smaller and less rounded so baby is able to have a tighter lip connection with the bottle.
• As baby grows, their suction power becomes more efficient and therefore a longer nipple helps aid in the best swallowing patterns.
• These bottles are available in 11 oz. sizes with a fast flow nipple. You can also get Y-Cut nipples sold separately.

  Overall, we're feeling more prepared for this baby, at least as far as feeding goes! Having the Chicco NaturalFit gift set gives a great starting point for being able to grow with out little guy's needs- whatever they end up being! And you can win some for yourself!!  
*I-C will randomly select 18 winners from all tiered program entries and will handle fulfillment of the winning prizes.

Chicco Natural Fit Contest!

Chicco:: Website // Facebook // Twitter //

#ChiccoNaturalFit #IC #ad

{2014} Holiday Gift Guide GIVEAWAY!

   So, it's November. No more putting off your holiday shopping! If you haven't already, be sure to check out the Holiday Gift Guide and take advantage of all the great coupon codes {I have!}. And now, for the best part- the Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway! 13 of my favorite shops have teamed up to offer you some of their best goodies- and there is something for everyone. Babies. Tea drinkers. Home decor lovers. Holiday gifts. Fashion pieces. Journalers. SO MANY GREAT THINGS! And so many ways to enter! The giveaway is open until November 20th and one lucky reader will win EVERYTHING pictured above! Yay! 

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Alex & Ally. {giveaway}

{Caleb helped me out and folded the bib back to show off the super soft and absorbent terry cloth!}

  I am SO excited about this giveaway- and I've been dying to finally get it up on the blog! Unless you live under a rock, you know that Etsy has some of the cutest baby goods. One of my absolute favorite baby shops from Etsy is Alex & Ally! Let me explain- I really don't like most trendy baby things. Mocs? Leggings with arrows all over them? Tight little knotted knit hats? Not really into those things. But I can get behind cute and functional things! Every baby needs a bib. And most need a paci. Lord knows my child uses both! 

  Caleb's favorite pacis are these little MAM ones. Unlike the popular Soothie brand, they are tiny and not bulky, which equals getting lost SO easily. Enter the lifesaving pacifier clip. Seriously. Since Ally send this our way, we've yet to lose another pacifier! Hashtag mom life struggles. 

  And let's talk about those bibs. I couldn't tell from the Etsy listings, but they are SO large. Perfectly oversized. Maybe your kid doesn't spit up. {rude} But my child is a master spitter and we go through those tiny little cotton bibs that come with all those cute outfits like no one's business- they're not super absorbent and they're kind of tiny. But I can't get enough of these bibs. The perfect size, super cute patterns, and legit able to soak up all that nasty spit up. 

  And to make room for Fall patterns, Alex & Ally are having an awesome sale on their whole shop! You better believe I've already stocked up on more goodies for myself {they should be in my mailbox any day now!} and you have to head over and checked out what's left {things are going fast!}.

  Ok, now for the good stuff. You can win yourself one of these adorable {and practical!} pacifier clips! And don't even tell me you don't need one because your baby doesn't use a pacifier. Does you baby use teething toys? Or put toys in their mouth at all? Um, these awesome clips can be used on Sophie the Giraffe and other toys! Because we all know how annoying the baby throws-mom picks up cycle is! So, enter to win your own and be sure to stop by Alex & Ally to snag yourself some sale goodies! 

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Handmade baby. {giveaway}

  Happy Tuesday! Do you hear the extra pep in my voice? It's because Justin took yesterday off from work and it was awesome. He was gone all weekend on a golf trip and yesterday was perfect for easing us all back into the work week. And of course I never turn down an excuse to visit my favorite brunch place. 

  But anyways. Where was I? Oh yes, happy Tuesday! And it is happy because I have a kick ass {can I say ass on here? I say yes.} giveaway for you. Guys, I don't usually bite for these big group giveaways, but this one was too fun to pass up. Except now I'm wishing I had passed it up so that I could enter it. Shoot. Why am I just now realizing that?! But you can enter and win! Actually, two of you can win! 

  I've teamed up with 6 bloggers and 6 awesome shops- check out all the goodies! {no seriously, go check them out!!}. Baby shoes, banners, holy gorgeous quilts {seriously, they may be my fav!}, canvas art, stationary, and baby headbands- so many fun goodies for any new mom! Or really, anyone. We all know someone who's knocked up, right? 

Feather Feet

Lemony Stitch

Madly Wish

Unique Photo Crafts

Paperelli

The Golden Polka Dot

Remember when I said I had teamed up with SIX other bloggers to let TWO of you win items from the shops above?  These ladies are all young moms who also love to share their hearts & creativity on their blogs {I say also with a grain of salt, because am I really all that creative?!}.  Make sure you check out their sites for some amazing inspiration!

The DIY Village * Sweet Rose Studio * Tomorrow With a Smile * Sew Woodsy * Lines Across * Polish & Pipsqueaks * Christina?s Adventures

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Baby book. {Brella Baby review & giveaway}

  For the past few months, I've been on the hunt for the perfect baby book. Journaling and keeping mementos from important life things are pretty important to me {hi! I'm a blogger!}- so I really wanted to find the perfect book for baby boy's first year. I don't love the ones in stores and find a lot of the online ones a bit cheesy. Most are either really cheap looking or ridiculously expensive. I really wanted one that had room for notes, but also places to store pictures and keepsakes from baby boy's first year. Enter Brella Baby.

You guys. I am in love with this baby book.

 Holly sent me the Charlie in Aqua. And I really, really love it. Let's chat about what makes it so great. Besides being really cute {I mean, look at those graphics! Adorable.}, it's really functional. The soft cover book is post-bound, which means that not only is it sturdy, I can also rearrange the pages or add more over time. It comes with 30 archive quality pages to fill in things like family trees, growth notes over baby's first year, hand and footprints, and notes about pregnancy. But my favorite part? {that was missing from most other books} It has 20 {TWENTY!} protected, top loaded pages for adding photographs, cards, or any other keepsake. I plan on adding sonogram photos, special cards from showers, etc to those pages. And, in case I run out or want to add in some journal pages, Brella Baby offers packs to add to the book. Since I have a feeling those last few weeks waiting for this guy to make his appearance are going to be long, that seems like the perfect time to start filling out his baby book. I plan on keeping it on the table next to our yet-to-arrive glider in the nursery- that way it will be handy during late night feedings or when we're just rocking and something comes to mind that I don't want to forget. I can only imagine how special this book is going become to me over the next year!

  Another great thing about Brella Baby? They have some adorable nursery prints, too! Holly sent me two and I'm so excited to give one away to you! 

   When Justin saw this one, he chuckled a little bit and said he loved it. I know the whole Keep Calm thing has been done to death, but is there anything more perfect for those witching hours when literally all you can do is keep calm and rock on?? I can't wait to hang this on wall by our nursery glider {again, yet-to-arrive! So much is hinging on that chair!}, next to a fun print we were gifted at our shower. Really, how perfect, right?

   And I'm giving away this sweet print to one of you! I love this poem and think it's so true. It would make the perfect addition {and reminder} in any nursery. Our babies are only babies for a short time, and I love this reminder to soak it up. 

Here's a little bit about Sarah and Holly, the creative minds {and friends since childhood!} behind Brella Baby:
   Tired of the over-abundance of bad design in the baby world, we set out to make something for our little people that we would love. We love beautiful, simple, modern design. And we love a good deal, and so we hope you will find Brella Baby to be all of those things! Named after our first born children, Bradley and Ella, Brella Baby is inspired by their little lives and how radically they have changed ours.

 Amen and amen. There is a lot of bad design in baby world, especially when it comes to baby books! And I can tell you first hand that the ladies behind Brella Baby are super sweet and easy to work with. To prove it? Not only did they give me a print to give to one of you, they're also offering a 20% discount on anything in their shop until Friday by using coupon code 20WITHASMILE. You guys. That means you can snag yourself the most adorable baby book for barely more than $30! If you're in the market for a baby book {or shower gift!} you have to get yourself one. I promise you, you'll love it. It really is perfect. I already plan on buying one for a gift and keeping it on my radar for the tons of baby showers on my horizon. It takes a lot to impress me, but I can't say enough good things about this book! 

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Golden Hour Revelry. {giveaway}

  Can we all just say a collective amen for being done with Monday? I'm excited to share a new favorite etsy shop with you today- Golden Hour Revelry! I try to really only highlight shops that I truly do love, and this one is no exception. Not only is everything in the shop so pretty and fun, it is all really affordable. Sometimes I feel like party frill is a bit overpriced, but these goodies are spot on for any budget. Look for yourself! Liz is the creative mind behind Golden Hour Revelry and she just started up her new venture. She so sweetly sent me the prettiest Fringe Party Garland in mint for our upcoming Valentine's/Gender Reveal party and some extra cute Sparkle Heart Cake toppers. 

I am dying to put them to good use on our dessert table! And I love the garland so much, it just might find its way into the nursery. And guys, the garland is only $6.00. Perfect, right? To celebrate her shop's grand opening, Liz is giving away an adorable Sparkle Dot Garland {in pink} just in time for Valentine's Day! And, in case you're not the lucky winner, she is also offering all With a Smile readers 25% your entire order from her shop. That means you could get yourself the cutest fringe garland for less than $5. Come on. That's a steal! Anyways...I'll let Liz {and her photos!} do the rest of the talking...

I am suuuuper excited to be featured on Tomorrow With A Smile! Thank you Katie for having me!

I'm Liz Davis, a visual merchandiser, prop stylist, hand-maker, and party decorator in Philadelphia, PA. Just last week I opened Golden Hour Revelry - my Etsy shop for all kinds of fun handmade party frill. The shop highlights a collection of my personal faves and best selling party decorations. All of my frills are handmade in my Queen Village apartment. Except in the summer - in the summer I make them on our sunny rooftop! I get inspiration from lots of sources: magazines, pinterest, a ridiculous amount of blogs, and my day job as a visual specialist at J.Crew. 

Parties are my absolute favorite. Ask any of my friends - when I have a party my first instinct is to invite everyone. Like absolutely everyone I know. This means that the guest list usually starts around 150 and then my awesome husband (the logical one) pares it down to people who will actually fit in our apartment! 

I started Golden Hour Revelry as a creative outlet, of course, but also as a way to connect with fellow party lovers. I love helping to create events that stand out with beautiful handmade frills. I know that the way you decorate your space for a party creates the atmosphere of awesomeness that all your guests feel as soon as they walk in! So I've put together a shop where you can find that special something to set your party apart and make it more special. This month I'm starting with lots of garlands and festive cake and cupcake toppers. Check out my shop and see what I mean... and enjoy 25% off with code GRANDOPENING.

I also offer party design services in the Philadelphia area. Email me at goldenhourrevelry@gmail.com for more info. And follow along on instagram @goldenhourrevelry! Thanks for taking a peek!

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Fall Must-Haves. {CoffeeInBed}

{be sure to check out TheSeptemberTree giveaway winner here}

  This week's Fall Must-Haves is one of my favorites. I'm kind of in love with gorgeous prints these days and Mike from coffeeinbed has some amazing ones. I'm most impressed with his art because of the work that goes into linocut block printing. Mike hand-cuts each block to make his prints- and they really are stunning. He sent me two of my favorites from his shop- Forest Ferns and Mason Jar Firefly. 

   First of all, I was leery of the prints being bent in the mail. That's happened to me before. But Mike did a great job padding and packaging them so that they were in great shape. And they are just as gorgeous and high quality as the photos in his shop make them seem. Even the hubs commented on them- which is saying a lot for a guy who never notices things. 

  I love how simple the Forest Ferns plant is- doesn't it fit perfectly on my Fall mantle? But I'm pretty partial to the Firefly print- I mean, aren't you?? I can think of a million different rooms in my house to put it. BUT! It's not for me! It's for one lucky reader :) 

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Christmas favorites {a giveaway}.

Happy monday!  How about a giveaway to make your day even better than its aimed to be?! I'm teaming up with Emily and Kaitlyn for one of my favorite giveaways ever.  Its chock full of Christmas favorites...

Eek...do you see all of that good stuff? Candles, chocolates, nail polish, adorable earrings...a starbucks gift card. Seriously, so much good stuff!

First, go check out those lovely ladies. They are super sweet and have the cutest blogs! Then, come back here and enter your booty in this giveaway! :) 

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