I could sit and watch my kids play all day if I had the time. It's so neat seeing them use their imaginations, be creative and have fun! I am always looking for high quality, open-ended products that encourage them to play in this way...which is why I love HABA!

Found nationwide in over 1,000 U.S. specialty retail stores, catalogs and websites, HABA products have been recognized with German and American awards including Parents' Choice, National Parenting Center, Creative Child, Dr. Toy and The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. They are a name parents know and trust...one that provides both fun and education for children of all ages.

As many of you probably know from past posts I've written, we are a huge fan of HABA toys. The quality and open-ended play they provide is top notch, which is why I was excited to learn we were going to have the opportunity to review a couple of their new products.

New in 2012, we were sent the Moover Doll Pram and Salad Bowl in Summer Charm.

Kaden is all about pretend play in the kitchen, which is why the Salad Bowl in Summer Charm caught his eye right away! Not only was it play food (one of his FAVORITES!), but he sees me eating salad almost every day for lunch, so this was something he had seen and could pretend he was doing as well now!

As we pulled the contents out of the box, I was amazed with the quality of both the food and the salad bowl. The salad bowl is shatterproof and made of melamine. It's incredibly durable and something that could easily be used with real food as well - it's that realistic!

Kaden was tickled to have such a real looking bowl (not the typical plastic you usually see with play dishes). He was also very excited to see the yummy veggies. I have come across different felt play food before, and these are definitely steps above the rest. The 5 felt veggies included in this set are once again, of superior quality! They are not something that will tear or fray...they were definitely made to last!

Kaelyn and Kaden both have enjoyed throwing together a delicious salad with green olive slices, salad leaves, mushroom slices and white onion rings and tomato and serving them to their stuffed animals, dolls, friends and family members.  It has been a joy to watch!

We were also sent the Moover Doll Pram to review. This arrived packaged nicely in a box. When I learned more about the Moover, I thought of it as being the typical wooden toy that would have many pieces to put together. Thankfully, I couldn't have been more wrong!

In fact, the Moover Doll Pram is ready to go right out of the box...no assembly required! I was thrilled! As a busy mom, I don't have a lot of time to spend putting things together, so I appreciated the fact that it was already done for me!

Kaelyn loves playing with her dolls and stuffed animals and has always wanted a stroller of some type to stroll them around the house in. She was beyond excited to see this Doll Pram and got her baby in it right away!

I absolutely love the quality! Made of high-quality birch veneer, it's sturdy and something that could easily be passed down from generation to generation! The classic, yet modern design is timeless and it's so adorable with the heart shaped window. I just love the detail that went into making it! 

The size is smaller than I had expected which was a nice surprise as well. It's big enough for both Kaelyn and Kaden to push around, yet small enough that it doesn't take a lot of room either. It's perfect! Both kids have enjoyed pushing their dolls around in it...doing the same thing they've seen me do with their baby brother in his stroller. They tuck their babies into the pram so they can sleep and enjoy the stroll. I love watching as they imitate our behavior, which is so essential for a young child to do.

We have been thrilled with the Moover Doll Pram. It's already provided hours of fun, and I know will be used for years to come. New for 2012 are four other sturdy Moover baby and toddler toys.  Just check them out:

Moover Baby Walker ~ $85.49

Moover Baby Truck ~ $85.49

Moover Dump Truck ~ $116.99

Moover Rocking Horse ~ $161.99

Buy It: You can purchase the Moover Doll Pram for $116.99 and the Salad Bowl in Summer Charm for $13.49.

Win It: One very lucky reader is going to win a HABA Moover toy of their choice! (Open to US Only!) Just enter my Rafflecopter giveaway below... (if you don't see the Rafflecopter form, click here).

Starting April 13th, P&G has been inviting women to visit Olay's Facebook page to sign an online declaration that their mom is their "Beauty by Example". When asked to help get the word out about this wonderful campaign, I couldn't have been more excited!  What better way to recognize the beautiful women in our lives who have done so much?! From the moment I learned more about it, I knew I wanted to participate and share about it with all of you.

My mom is one of the most beautiful people I know, inside and out! She has been such a wonderful example throughout my life...not just as a mom and wife, but also through her faith in God! I look up to her in so many ways and feel incredibly blessed to call her my mom. She is supportive, encouraging, loving, and truly one of my best friends. I know she is there for me no matter what and hope to be the same kind of mother to my own children that she has been for my brothers and I! Words cannot express how grateful I am to have her as my mom...she is loved and appreciated not just this Mother's Day, but every day of the year.

My Mom

How about you? Is your mom your "Beauty by Example" - beautiful inside and out and an inspiration in many ways?! If so, you can visit Olay's Facebook page and sign the online declaration as well. In honor of every person that participates, P&G is donating one ounce of Olay product, up to one million ounces, to look good feel better - a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the self-esteem and quality of life of women undergoing treatment for cancer. What a wonderful cause!

Win It: One very lucky reader is going to win an Olay Products Prize Pack like the one I received (US Only)! Just enter my Rafflecopter giveaway below... (if you don't see the Rafflecopter form, click here)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


**This is a sponsored post through TheMotherhood.**

Wordless Wednesday usually ends up passing by before I remember to post a picture (this week was no different :))...so every once in a while, I like to post a picture of something I'm thankful for as a Thankful Thursday post! One of life's greatest blessings is my kids...so today I decided to post a recent pic of each of them. Love them to pieces!

One of the things all parents with an infant know, is that they need their diapers changed a lot...and when I say a lot, I mean at least 10-15 times a day! There are times my 5 month old will need his diaper changed 3 times in just one hour! That's a lot of diapers, and also a lot of wipes! The problem with many of the wipes we find in stores is that they can easily irritate a babies sensitive skin with wiping that many times each day. I hate the idea of making Caysen's skin uncomfortable and am always on the lookout for a better way to keep him clean without irritating his delicate skin.

Thankfully, two parents have found a way! They have created a new way to go about the daily diaper change using water instead of wipes. The Rinse Hopper gets baby's bottom clean without the chemicals and wiping. When I first learned about this product, I was very interested in learning more and couldn't have been happier to learn we were going to have the opportunity to review it.

When The Rinse Hopper arrived, I was immediately impressed with the quality as well as the size. This is durable, easy to keep clean and something that will last us a long time! The size also makes it easy to keep in the tub or near by for when we need it.

One of my first thoughts is that the Rinse Hopper looks a lot like a baby bath, but a little bit smaller. The difference though, is that it has carefully placed drainage holes so all unpleasantries quickly wash down the drain! What a fantastic idea! It could easily be used as a bath tub for your little one as well if you're looking to wash them up quickly.

The Rinse Hopper makes it possible to get little one's bottoms clean, all while using water and no more baby wipes! This is much better for Caysen, great on our wallet, and environmentally friendly as well!

After reading more about the product online, I was excited to give it a try. I found the Rinse Hopper couldn't have been easier to use...in just three easy steps we had Caysen's bottom clean. The first time I put it in the sink (I typically put it in the bathtub, however).

Once I have Caysen's diaper off and have removed as much of the mess as possible, I place him in the Rinse Hopper, raise his shirt and pour or spray warm water on the messy area until clean (I always test the water temp first!). I then simply dry him off with a clean, dry towel and put a new diaper on him. It's really that easy.

 

We don't have a sink near his changing station so that's the one down side to the Rinse Hopper, however the fact that we're able to get him clean without making him sore and raw with wipes is definitely worth it. I've enjoyed using it and he seems to like it too! :)

You can view this video from their site which shows exactly how easy it is to use!





Designed for newborns up to 18 months, the Rinse Hopper is definitely a product I'd recommend checking out to parents who would like an alternative to baby wipes and use something more gentle on their little one's bottom.

Buy It: You can purchase the Rinse Hopper for $39.95. 

Win It: One very lucky reader is going to win a Rinse Hopper (Open to US Only!) Just enter my Rafflecopter giveaway below... (if you don't see the Rafflecopter form, click here)