**I participated in a Blog Blast on behalf of Mom Central for Urbini. I received information from Urbini to facilitate my post as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Once I became a mom, I was turning to friends, family, books and blogs as resources for advice and insight about motherhood and the best way to care for my new baby. I specifically remember stressing about what kind of car seat to get for my newborn baby and wish I had a resource at the time that helped give me some direction. 

That's why I was thrilled to learn more about Mom Voyage and wish it had been around sooner for me as a new parent. Mom voyage is a dynamic new blog, launched by Urbini, that features posts from mom bloggers around the world about pregnancy, birth, and raising young children! I think it's a great way to get a global prospective on things like how different cultures name their babies, how they celebrate pregnancies, what their take is on maternity leave and so many other mom-inspired topics! 

As a mom, I've been impressed with all this blog has to offer and would definitely recommend checking it out!

You can connect with Urbini on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. 

**This post was sponsored by Johnson's Baby and TheMotherhood. I was compensated for my time, however all opinions are my own.

As a mom of three little ones, their safety is of the utmost importance to me! I want to give them the very best start in life, and when it comes to the products I'm using on them...I want them to be safe and gentle. That's why I was thrilled to learn that Johnson's Baby has listened to the moms who had concerns over the ingredients in their products. They stand by the fact that their products have always been safe, but took a stand and changed their formulas to give moms everywhere, peace of mind. 

They've met their 2013 Safety and Care Commitment to remove formaldehyde-releasing preservatives and reduce trace of 1.4 dioxane from all of their baby products, everywhere in the world!! Additionally, for most of their new and improved product, they have also removed parabens! The new and improved products will continue to roll out onto shelves. You can learn more about their policies and timeline at SafetyandCareCommitment.com. 

As the new products hit shelves, Johnson's Baby is launching a heartfelt campaign called "Your Promise is Our Promise" as a way to express their ongoing commitment to moms. Just as moms make promises to their children, Johnson's Baby also makes promises so moms don't have to worry about the products they use on their kids. 

To share this commitment, they've created an inspiring story through the "Our Promise" video which can be viewed on Youtube and below. It is an open letter to moms showing their scientists and their families coming together to build an origami stork mobile, symbolizing the delivery of their promise to always listen to moms. 


I watched this video and was very touched by the idea behind it and the commitment Johnson's Baby has made to moms everywhere! It makes me appreciate this company even more and gives me peace of mind that they really do care for their customers and the little ones using their products! My favorite part was reading the promises written on the origami cranes. It really makes me think about the promises I make to my kids to keep them safe and to use products that give them the very best start in life and gives me comfort knowing that Johnson's Baby has listened to moms like me!

The video concept was inspired by a Japanese legend that folding 1,000 origami cranes will results in a wish granted and a promise fulfilled, which is thought to be a big labor of love. Changing their products was their labor of love for moms and babies, but they used storks in their video because they represent the delivery of babies, and the hopes and promises of families.

**The products for this review were provided at no cost to me. However, all opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way. 

One of my favorite things to watch is when my kids play "house"! It is so fun to see them modeling after mommy and daddy as they care for their dolls...bathe them, feed them, stroll them, etc. Through the years it's been a great way for them to learn how to be a great big brother or sister. It all starts with imaginative play, which is why I try to encourage it any way I can..including finding them dolls they love!

Nenuco, one of Europe's most prestigious doll makers, has crafted a line of soft-body baby dolls so that young children everywhere can practice feeding, bathing, dressing and all-around nurturing in preparation for when mommy brings home a new sibling. 

For those who have been readers here for a while, you've read what a big fan I am of this brand! They hail from parent company Famosa, a Spanish toy company that has crafted high-quality dolls with engaging and unique features for the past 50 years! We have always been more than impressed with the dolls we've reviewed, and were excited to learn of new additions this summer! We were sent a couple of them to review!

When My Little Nenuco and My First Nenuco Kisses arrived, my kids (and me) were excited to check them out and start playing!

My First Nenuco Kisses was the first to get opened! Kaelyn can read, so when she read the box and that this doll kisses your cheek...she couldn't wait to get her hands on her! Out of the box we were impressed with the quality of our new Nenuco doll. Once again, they did not disappoint! This doll is made extremely well and is something I know will hold up well to a lot of use! 

This blue-eyed bundle of love is absolutely adorable too! She comes dressed in a cute pink & white striped top with pink-dotted pajama bottoms complete with matching striped footsies! 

Of course, the neatest part about her is that she gives you sweet baby kisses when you bring her close to your face and squeeze her foot. You can feel it kind of suctioning your skin a little bit. So sweet!! Kaelyn absolutely adores this and carries this doll around with her wherever she's at!

The My Little Nenuco doll is also very cute and is equally as well made! What we love about this doll is that she has a sweet baby smell! My kids love to smell her!! It makes it fun for them to cuddle and kiss her too! 

Her body is soft which is nice, especially for younger kids. It feels like a real baby and arrives dressed in an adorable animal design onesie, hat, shoes and attached pacifier!! I appreciate that this doll comes with everything to make her look and feel like a real baby. 

Overall we've been extremely happy with both dolls from Nenuco and would recommend them to anyone with young children! Grownups can also follow Nenuco on social media sites Facebook, YouTube and Twitter! For an added interactive experience, log onto the brand website at NenucoFamosa.com/us for free games, coloring pages, puzzles and parent sections too! 

Buy It: You can purchase My Little Nenuco doll for $12.99 and My First Nenuco Kisses doll for $19.99! For the quality and features, these prices are amazing!!

*The products for this review were provided by Summer Infant.  All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way

Infant Travel Bed

Jake and I love to travel, and with family spread out in Iowa, Colorado, and California we do a lot of it!  We always try to take as little as possible to make getting around easier, but with a little one we’ve learned that there really is no such thing as traveling ‘light’.  It always amazes me how much you need for such a little person!  I love when I find products that help make traveling easier, and Summer Infant’s Travel Bed is definitely one of those products.

The travel bed arrived folded up with the carry strap attached.  I was really impressed at how compact it was and how comfortable it was to carry.  Setting it up was so simple, just undo the Velcro attachment and unfold.  I love the neutral, modern colors and the quality of the materials.  Not only would this bed be great for traveling, but also for diaper changes on the go (especially for those squirmy little ones…the toy bar and the sides help keep your little one content and contained!)    

The bed comes with a premium mattress and a removable, washable sheet.  Also, the fabric on the sides and bottom allow it to be wiped clean with damp cloth and soap when needed.  I really appreciate that they have made it not only convenient to carry on the go, but also easy to clean. Another feature of the bed are the padded, structured side supports, which help prevent baby from rolling out.

The toy bar is another feature I really like about this bed.  It’s simple, but has just enough to keep baby entertained and content.  It easily detaches so you can choose when to use it/not use it.
   

I think this travel bed is a really great product for families on-the-go.  It is lightweight yet still sturdy, very portable, and great quality.  I love that instead of tearing down/setting up the pack-and-play, you can just grab this small, super portable bed instead!  Whether you’re flying to your destination or traveling in the car, this bed can easily be taken with you and make things a little more convenient! 

Sooth and Vibe

When we're out and about with Aliyah, it can be hard to soothe her to sleep when naptime hits. I've discovered that playing music or calming sounds on my phone will help, which means I'm often trying to creatively rig up my phone in the stroller or holding it over the car seat while on the road (don’t worry, not when I'm the one driving of course!). Summer Infant provides a great solution to this little issue with their portable Sooth and Vibe.

The Soothe and Vibe is a small, battery powered unit that can attach to baby’s car seat or stroller to help comfort your little one on-the-go.  The vibrations combined with the unit’s white noise, lullaby and heart beat sounds will help baby stay calm during a long commute or when you’re stuck out and about during naptime.  

There are two attachment options: hook and loops or retractable clips, both allow you to attach and detach the unit very easily. I love that I can quickly take it from my diaper bag, to car seat, to stroller when needed.  The retractable clips allow you to attach the unit to most infant items including cribs, bassinets, play yards, etc. 

The Sooth and Vibe plays 5 songs/sound and has adjustable volume and vibration speeds.  One feature I appreciate is the automatic 20-minute shutoff; it’s nice not having to worry about leaving it on and cause the batteries to wear out!  

Summer Infant has created two great on-the-go products.  If you are looking for ways to make getting out and about with your little one a little easier, I would definitely recommend checking out them out!

Buy It:  The Infant Travel Bed and Soothe & Vibe can be purchased online at SummerInfant.com