How many times have you found yourself in the car, at the doctor’s office, or even the grocery store and your toddler suddenly becomes bored and unruly?  (Me?  Never!  My child is a perfect angel…100% of the time!  Cough-cough—HA!)  

If only there was a simple solution…

This is the adorable (and convenient AND functional) Traveling Tots Art Tote! 

Favorite seller: TAGLineDesigns
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TAGLineDesigns
Esty feedback rating: 171, 100% positive
What she sells:  Traveling Tots Art Tote, FELT Art Totes, Nursing Covers, Baby/Toddler Blankets and Fabric Bookmarks
Custom requests: yes

“The Traveling Tots Art Tote comes with crayons, chalk, paper and chalk mat. As a special touch, I have included some paper cut outs for your little one to glue to their hearts content. Just add a glue stick, it will fit! You can swap anything in this tote for something or add them all. Crayons, Markers, Chalk, Glue Stick, etc. You can put paper cut-outs, stickers and other things behind the pad of paper for even MORE FUN! “

The thought that went into this design is what drew us in right away!  Anything that is made by moms with our kiddos in mind gets two thumbs up from The Mom Squad (especially something that will keep our kiddos quiet in the car or on a plane!)

To add to the excitement, TAGLineDesigns has graciously offered one of our readers the chance to win one of her Traveling Tots Art Totes! 

How to enter:

Check out her etsy site and tell us which of her adorable products you love and why! 
We will draw a winner on Friday, November 12th!

Tags: baby gifts, baby shower, BBwB, bye bye with baby, child, children, contest, etsy, etsy.com, family, family traveling, giveaway, handmade, kids, toddler, traveling, traveling with children, traveling with kids

Congrats to our photo contest winners!  If your child is one of the winners, please email us so that we can EMAIL you a gift card from amazon.com!  

Our Grand Prize winner is: Annabelle with 51 votes!
Our 5 Runners-up are posted below:

Congrats to everyone!!  Thanks for voting and entering – we loved seeing your CUTE kids!

::Michelle
The Mom Squad

****************************************************
                                     JUST TO CLAIRFY
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We are working on a blog relating to safety and car seats,
PLEASE understand that the photos in this contest were not
taken while a car was moving so the photos DO NOT IN ANY
WAY represent a “correct” or “incorrect” way to buckle a
child into a car seat!  *Please* refrain from making comments
about correct or incorrect car seat usage – the comments have
been coming off as hurtful or judgemental (though I hope that
is no ones intention!)  If you’d like to suggest resources for our
blog, please email themomsquad@byebyewithbaby.com

Tags: contest, giveaway, kids in cars, traveling with kids

Hey everyone!  Just wanted to restate the rules for voting!   You are allowed to comment (though it DOES NOT COUNT as a vote) – Please keep this a friendly competition!  The kiddo with the most votes will get an amazon giftcard (okay, so their parents will get the amazon gift card…) — the next FIVE runners-up will win Target giftcards!!  Goodluck to all of you!: Voting will begin first thing Monday morning (literally, 12AM central) August 30, 2010 and is open to any Facebook fan of Bye Bye with Baby.  There is no limit on fans or votes; asking your family and friends to vote for your child is acceptable and encouraged.  Voting is open from Monday through Sunday, September 5, 2010, coming to a close at 12 MIDNIGHT (central).

VOTING TIMELINE

To vote for your favorite, simply “like” the photo of the child you choose in the labeled contest album.  Voters are allowed like as many photos as they want.

To share our Fan page with others, simply click “Suggest to Friends” underneath our default photo.  You can choose who you’d like to send an invitation to, however you cannot add a personal message this way.  If you would like to share our page with your friends but also mention for them to vote for your child, we suggest you post a status message with a link to our fan page by typing @bye-bye with baby (right after you type @b it should list friends/pages that start with b, continue typing until you find bye-bye with baby or select us right away from the list) and YOU MUST CLICK IT FROM THE DROP DOWN LIST to add our page in the message.  This will “tag” our page and directly link to it.

To directly see the facebook photo album where all photos are located, click here.

Tags: byebyewithbaby.com, contest, family friendly search engine, giveaway, nursing room locator

Planning a few more trips with the little kids now that your big kids will be back in school?  We’ve got a great travel-accessory (that actually spans as wide an age range you can imagine!) – it’s a product called The Little Lasso and it will end the days of playing fetch with your child’s accessories! 

The Little Lasso simply prevents the constant bending over to pick up what your child is dropping (on accident OR ON PURPOSE if your child is anything like my son Babe ) 

You can get pretty creative with its uses: sippy cups, toys, blankets… just about anything you can think of that your little one could pitch over the side of a shopping cart, stroller, high chair, car seat, and even the sling!  For your school-aged kids, it’s a cute accessory to clip onto the backpack to hold a water bottle for field trips and even daily use!

For your chance to win a Little Lasso of your own, visit their website www.thelittlelasso.com
and comment our blog telling us how YOU would put it to use and what your favorite fabric design is!  We will use random.org to draw a lucky winner (and you can choose the fabric design you want!)

You can follow the Little Lasso for deals and updates here on FACEBOOK & TWITTER.

***********Contest Closed****************

Tags: contest, giveaway, little lasso, sippy cup holder, toy holder

Welcome to our first spotlight for “Back to School Week” at Bye Bye with Baby!  We are so excited to share our great back to school suggestions and recommendations…and the best part of course are the giveaways!  Without further ado…let’s get to it!

One of the most important (and difficult) aspects of sending the kiddos back to school is trying to find adorable and AFFORADABLE clothing for them to wear!  If you are like me, you would rather skip the back-to-school crowds in the department stores and do most of your shopping from the comfort of your own home.  This is where Mamadeesboutique comes to the rescue!  Have a little girl?  Great!  Have a little boy?  Even better!  Mamadeesboutique carries adorable and affordable handmade clothing for your little darlings!  She has a wide range of sizes (from infant all the way to 7 toddler) and a variety of styles and colors.   Mamadee loves custom requests, so if you can dream it, she can make it!

Favorite seller:  www.etsy.com/shop/Mamadeesboutique
Etsy feedback rating:  19, 100% positive
What she sells:  “Awesomely cute handmade appliquéd onesies and t-shirts for your baby or toddler!”  She also hand makes and sells toys and COSTUMES!
Custom requests:  YES!  It’s their specialty!

*********GIVE AWAY DETAILS*********

In the mood for a shopping spree?  Dora, the owner of Mamadeesboutique , has graciously offered to host today’s Back to School giveaway!  One lucky blog reader will have the opportunity to select ANY 1 item from Mamadeesboutique’s Etsy shop! 

To enter, stop by the shop:  www.etsy.com/shop/Mamadeesboutique  and comment below which item YOU want to see your kiddo wearing on his/her first day of school.  We will use Random.org to select the lucky winner!

Be sure to add Mamadeesboutique to your facebook!        www.facebook.com/mamadeesboutique

~Gina
The Mom Squad

****CONTEST CLOSED******

Tags: applique, back to school, custom onesie, giveaway, handmade, kid tee shirt, onesie

How about a random contest?!  We thought it might be fun to play a game – just comment with your answers (it will be interesting to read them all!) and we’ll use random.org to send one of you guys something great!

You can just post the number and your answer in the comment box below!

1.  What are the three baby/child-related things closest to you right now?

2.  When is the last time you changed a diaper?

3.  What dish makes your kitchen sink fill up the fastest? (ie: cup, plate..)

4.  How many days (out of a week) do you feel as though you have completed household duties and you have free-time?

5.   If you could go on a Disney vacation with the family or a weekend getaway with your spouse – which would you choose and why?

Tags: baby, BBwB, bye bye with baby, children, contest, diaper, dishes, family, free-time, giveaway, household, kids, vacation

I was chatting online with a new mom (and friend) the other day, and she was asking me about my shopping cart cover.  I gave her the name of the company where I purchased mine, but when I took a look at their shop, I noticed that they were closed/on vacation mode.  Knowing she would want something ASAP, I did a little searching and came across what I have found to literally be the best thing since sliced bread, lol!  (Let’s put it this way, I sent her an e-mail JUST to let her know how amazing I thought her product was!)  I passed the info along to my mommy friend and she purchased the cover that very same night.  Since then, she has received it, used it, and LOVED it!  I contacted Amanda at Practical Designs and told her that I would like to write a blog about her shop.  She was extremely sweet and actually offered to host a giveaway!  One of our lucky blog followers will have the opportunity to win one of her “Practical Designs!”  Stay tuned for more details at the end of the blog! 

Favorite seller:  www.etsy.com/shop/PracticalDesigns
Etsy feedback rating:  101, 100% positive
What she sells:  Boutique-style shopping cart covers and diaper clutches—Amanda welcomes custom requests.  If you don’t see a print you like, or if you have your own material, simply convo her to work out the details!
Custom requests:  YES

So what makes Practical Designs better than the rest?  Well…let me tell you!  The first thing to catch my eye when searching for a cart cover is price.  At this time, Practical Designs has her covers listed at (Are you ready for this one?)  $36.00!  (It should be known that cart covers of this caliber typically sell for upwards of $50-$60!)

Not only are they affordable, but they are PRACTICAL!  Amanda, a SAHM of 2 small children, became exhausted with trying to find “the perfect” cart cover and decided to design her own…just the way she wanted.  These covers are plush, washable, they include a seat strap, A SIPPY CUP POCKET (Hello?!  Does anyone else find that as awesome as I do?!) and a PILLOW!  (How many of you have taken your little ones shopping only to have this happen: 

Problem solved! 

I cannot stress enough how wonderful a shopping cart cover is.  Anyone out there who has one already can attest to their greatness…and I think they would also agree that theirs would be 100% BETTER with a sippy cup pocket and a pillow!  If you are in the market for a cover, or would like to upgrade the one you may already have, I HIGHLY recommend Practical Designs! 

*****************Giveaway Deets*********************

To go along with our traveling theme, Practical Designs has generously offered one of their adorable (and stylish!) diaper clutches to one of our lucky readers!  A diaper clutch is a handy accessory to any purse or diaper bag!  It holds about 3 diapers, a travel wipes case, and even has room for a couple of baggies for those “uh-oh” moments!  These are AWESOME when you are traveling!  Instead of carrying your entire baby arsenal into the gas station for a diaper change, you can just grab your cute little clutch and have everything you need right at your fingertips!  Is your peanut already potty trained?  Use the clutch to carry an extra set of clothes and some wipes for little sticky fingers!

To enter this week’s giveaway, we want to know what you love/don’t love about shopping cart covers.  Comment with your answer below.  We will use random.org at the end of the week to select a winner!

~~~I wanted to add, Amanda is going to be adding more to her shop this weekend.  So be sure to check back to see her new fabrics!~~~

Tags: baby, baby boutique, baby gifts, baby shower, child, contest, custom baby, diaper change, diaper changing locations, etsy, etsy.com, family, family traveling, giveaway, handmade, toddler

We’re trying to abide by facebook rules about contests/giveaways from here on out!   When we get the urge to do a quick contest, we’ll have to host it on our blog (but we’ll post on facebook that it’s going on… dont worry!)

And yes – we have the urge to do a giveaway RIGHT NOW! 

Our website is great tool to help make plans for road trips- and our iPhone app will be EXCELLENT when you’re on the road (we’re working on it…. it will be here soon!!)  With summer fast approaching and many of you going on vacations, we were wondering how many of you plan ahead!  Tell us how often you make PLANNED stops on roadtrips with the kids or if you just decide stop when the baby starts crying!  Your comment will get your name entered in a drawing for a Taggie blanket!  We will draw a winner later tonight!!

::Michelle
The Mom Squad

Tags: BBwB, bye bye with baby, contest, giveaway, Taggies

***Congratulations to our winner, Amanda Manz!!***  

If you entered our giveaway last week for the organizer from Shannon (our favorite Thirty One Gifts consultant!) and you were sad to hear that you didn’t win…. You’ll be pleased to know we have a NEW contest starting today!

Shannon has been generous enough to share a bag our blog readers made TONS of comments about – the skirt purse!  This is an incredibly popular purse so we thought it would be a great Mother’s Day giveaway!!  EVERY mother I know deserves something cute and sassy – what better than an interchangeable bag with TONS of cute patterns?!

This purse comes in solid black or brown AND you can add as many different “skirts” to change out the look of your purse as you want!  It’s like having multiple purses but you don’t have to empty out one to fill up another!

To enter this giveaway, tell us which fabric pattern you like best!  (The skirt purses are pictured below)

Click through to see the catalog online (skirt purses are on page 27)

• Black/Petals and Stems
• Red W/ Tan Roses
• Spiral Swirl
• Hampton in Taupe
• Hampton in Black
• Mod Dot
• Paparazzi Dot
• Pixie Pink Medallion
• Earl Grey BlossomMake sure to add Stunning Bags on Facebook if you’re interested in purchasing (or becoming a consultant!)  The contest ends this Sunday, (Mother’s Day!) so tell the ladies you know (and your HUSBANDS TOO!) to come enter!  The winner also gets to choose the skirt they want! 
  

  Stunning Bags on Facebook

  

  The Stunning Bags Website

*if you would like to be contacted by Stunning Bags about additional offers and giveaways, please make a note of it in your post and we will relay your contact information.

Tags: contest, giveaway, stunning bags

If you’re thinking that it’s a better idea to skip sleep than to wake up early… think again! 

Preparing for our first expo was an extremely fun (and EXTREMELY tiring) experience.  Thank goodness the three of us who went on this trip in particular can function seemingly well on little to no sleep!  Across the entire trip as a whole, we probably averaged somewhere around 3 hours of sleep per night (some nights we had no sleep, so I’ve taken that into account as well.) 

But alas, the convention was a success – due in part to gallons of coffee and the ability to Hulu episodes of The Office when we had to stay awake just a few more hours in the hotel… 

We officially launched our website on Saturday morning and introduced hundreds of parents in Cleveland to our amazing FREE service!!  If you haven’t done so already, go check out www.byebyewithbaby.com — to find what you need when you’re out, simply type in your zip code, choose a search radius (5, 10, 25, 50, or 100 miles), and filter your results by category from the drop-down menu.  Nursing/Breastfeeding rooms, Urgent Care Centers, Changing Tables, Family-Friendly Restaurants, Clean Gas Stations, Grocery/Drugstores, Maternity/Nursing/Baby Boutiques, AND specific family-related information in any U.S. Airport!

We wanted to share some photos of our launch party with you guys, so enjoy the following – then go browse our website!  Many listings will be upgrading in the coming weeks (this means coupons and deals for you!!) so stay tuned, follow us on Facebook & Twitter!!
 

BBwB on Twitter

BBwB on Facebook

Mom Squad members Candy & Gina at the airport Friday morning!

Candy, Gina, & BBwB owner Michelle at the expo booth!

Our "owl nest" displaying our pens, postcards, and luggage tags!

Our hourly giveaways were Mom"ie"mergency kits!

Our giveaway the first day!

Owl hat, key fob, hooded towel, burp cloth, and bows! What a great prize!!

Big giveaway the 2nd day - Bow Basket & Nursing cover, nursing pads, & Milk Bands bracelet!

Like some of those giveaway items?  Here’s where you can find them!
 
Momm”ie”mergency kits (the owl bags) made by:
DowntownGirlDesigns – www.downtowngirldesigns.etsy.com

Knit sleepy owl hat made by:
Termiknitter – www.etsy.com/shop/termiknitter

Hooded Towel, Key Fob Wristlet, Owl burp cloth made by:
LBdesigns – www.etsy.com/shop/lbdesignsshop

All bows (used in both days giveaways):
Sweetness Bows – www.sweetnessbows.etsy.com

Tags: baby, BBwB, bows, bye bye with baby, child, contests, convention, etsy, etsy.com, expo, giveaway, handmade, knit hat, mother, nursing, owl, udder covers