Time For Change - Hope You Will Join Me

Change can be good but a little scary.  I have been debating for a month or so now about switching to a paid service for my blog.  I also really wanted my own domain name that was all mine.  Finally, I have done it.  I have moved to a new site at www.4theloveofmommy.com.  I hope all my loyal readers will join me on the next chapter of fun and I hope to see you all there!

Jessica
4 The Love of Mommy

Summer Fun for Baby

Summer is such a great time for all.  The weather is perfect and great for outdoor play and travel.  I love the summer as I get so much more time to spend with my kids and we get to do a whole host of things we can't do when the snow is on the ground.  This summer is exciting for my youngest as he has finally got enough teeth to actually enjoy eating all of the wonderful fresh fruit that summer brings with it.  The larger variety means less work for me actually as whatever I bring for my older kids, he can have too.  He was (and still is) exclusively breastfed until he was 7 months old as he just wasn't ready for any foods but now he eats like a trooper.

He will pretty much eat anything small enough and soft enough on his own.  Finger foods are great especially when I am out and about with all 4 of my munchkins.  Ripe, fresh fruits like peaches, pears, cantaloupe or kiwi are great for all of my kids.  Disney baby has lots of great things for taking food on the go like bibs, bottles and sippy cups. The learner sippy cup is a great addition to my on the go products.  It is the only one my little man will drink from at all.  I really think the small size and easy to hold handles are the reason he loves it so much.

For some great summer baby-friendly recipes that are sure to please even the pickiest of kids, check this out.

Don't forget to use sunscreen (as long as baby is over the 6 month mark) and hats like this which I love (I have it in blue) and cute outfits like the one my little man is wearing from the Disney Baby collection at Walmart and most of all enjoy the summer and get out with your little ones and have fun!

Fallsview Indoor Waterpark

I don't know about your kids, but my kids love the water and everything about it.  We spend most of our summer holidays around the water in any way we can.  We visit the kids' aunt in Michigan and go out on her boat on the lake, we go to the city run pools and splash parks and this year, we have a tiny kiddie pool in our minuscule backyard just for those really hot days so the kids can cool off.

But I think the most fun will be our planned trip to Fallsview Indoor Waterpark for a day of fun with all the kids.  We already have a trip to Niagara Falls planned for September, so I think we may just throw this in as well.

Now all of you are in luck, I have been given a special discount rate that I can pass on to all of you, my loyal readers.  If you use the link found on my page (look for the waterpark picture), you will only pay $34.95 (plus tax, sorry that's the governments fault) instead of $44.95 (plus tax), that's a $10 savings! **Please note when you click on the link, the price you see already has the taxes in**

So pack your bathing suits up and head on over to Fallsview Indoor Waterpark for a day of fun for the whole family.

Disclosure:  I am a brand ambassador for Fallsview Indoor Waterpark and as such I receive special perks but as always my opinions are my own.

My First Day at the Spa with @Glamagals

As another school year came to a close, I was really wracking my brain as to what special thing I could do with my only daughter as she graduated this year from grade 5 and will be making her way to middle school next year.  I really wanted to do something great to mark the occasion and that is where Glama Gal Tween Spa came in.

As you may remember, I am a Glambassador for the Glama Gal Tween Spa and we were lucky enough to indulge in a my first day at the spa package for my daughter and 3 of her friends to celebrate their graduation from elementary school to the new and exciting challenge of middle school.  I thought that this would be the best way to celebrate with a few girlfriends over some spa treatments.  This package includes a manicure and pedicure and an edible chocolate facial. The girls were also given ice cream, a chocolate cupcake and the famous Glama Gal pinkitinis!  They were pampered and given such amazing attention from our wonderful hostesses Jen and Brooke.  This was definitely one day that won't soon be forgotten.  I also have to say the Oakville location is absolutely amazing! It seems really deceiving from the outside at it looks super small but it is really huge inside.  They have two floors and the girls were taken upstairs for all of their fun.  It is wonderfully pink and so cute and I just love the whole Glama Gal colour scheme. I secretly want this for my bedroom but I am pretty sure my husband would have something to say about it.

If I wasn't already totally in love with Glama Gal and all that they stand for, this experience has made me totally head over heels.  I could not get over the absolute 110% attention that the girls got. They played music all the girls loved and wanted to hear and they were all singing at the tops of their lungs. Okay so was I but I couldn't help myself.  The mood in the spa itself was just so relaxing but fun. I will never forget all the giggles and laughter of all the girls as they talked about 1 Direction and Katy Perry and of course how awful Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus have become.

They giggled almost the whole entire time we were there. It was such a wonderful day for all of the girls and I can't thank Laura and Josie enough for such a wonderful business they have.  I asked Jocelyn to write a little something about her experience as I think it's important that you also hear it from her:

"My experience at Glama Gal was amazing! It was a way to hang out with my friends and have fun all at the same time. First we got to eat some ice cream and get pedicures done (the bath bombs smell amazing). Then we got to drink some pinkatinis (pink lemonade) and get manicures. Finally we got an edible chocolate

facial (although I wouldn't eat it after it’s been on your face). It was so fun! It was only an hour and a half but I wish it never ended. My friend Hannah loved it so much that she’s going back again for their summer camp. My friend Alycia said that it was the best experience of her life. My BFF Laurana said that she had fun and thought it was very relaxing. And me? Well, this was an amazing experience that brought out my true self. When I’m

at Glama Gal I feel like I can do anything and can be myself. Glama Gal has always brought out the best in me and it always will. Glama Gal stands for everything that is good and what I believe in. They encourage you to believe in yourself and be yourself. They stand for inner beauty and inner beauty only. That is why I love Glama Gal. Thank you Laura, Josie and Glama Gal!" 

Glama Gal really outdid all of my expectations and I am sure they lived up to all the ones that Jocelyn had in her head.  I was so glad to have been able to do this for her so she could celebrate and pretty big milestone.  Brooke and Jen were absolutely amazing with all of the girls.

They were attentive and everything was all about them.  All of the girls can't wait to go back again and I will most definitely be taking Jocelyn back.  I am thinking since her birthday is Christmas Day, what better than a day at the spa for her birthday party this year!  Thank you Glama Gal Tween Spa for making this day one they will never forget.

Disclosure: As a Glambassador, I receive special perks but as always the opinions expressed are always my own.

I'm a Disney Baby Mom Ambassador!

I am so excited to tell you that I am a Disney Baby Mom!  This is exciting news for me and the family as we have always been huge Disney fans in my house and I can't wait to bring you exciting news, product reviews and giveaways. I could not be happier to be a Disney Baby Mom!

Ingenuity Baby Base 2 in 1 in Aqua #Review

I received this product for review and the first thing I can tell you is that it is lightweight and easily maneuverable.  I mean you can carry this thing with one finger.  I am sure my 10 month old could carry it.  Although it is very lightweight, it is very sturdy. You can tell that it is really well-made and the quality is great.  The versatility of this product is wonderful too.  It's size and the fact that it is lightweight, means that we can take it with us everywhere.  I can bring it out with us to restaurants, friends houses and to family get-togethers without too much space or effort expended.

I also loved he fact that all the straps that you need to attach the seat to a chair are fully integrated into the seat.  There is a compartment under the seat that holds the straps so that when you travel with it, they will always be with seat.

This was a big thing for me as I have had other seats like this and I was forever losing the straps. Attaching the seat to one of my dining chairs took only about 5 minutes and it is super secure and doesn't move at all.  The only issue is that if you don't put a little weight on the chair when you secure the bottom strap is that it does come undone.  As soon as I put my weight on the chair and pulled the strap, that thing isn't going anywhere!

I really love the fact that my youngest can now sit at the table with us for meals instead of beside us. The fact that I can now get rid of my cumbersome, huge old style high-chair and replace it with something that won't take up a lot of space as I have a really small kitchen space is a big plus as well.

Although this seat does resemble a Bumbo, it is nothing like it.  I have a Bumbo and I hate it.  I sent away for the recall because of the missing straps and now I can't even get his chunky thighs in the seat, let alone do up the straps. The Ingenuity seat has ample thigh space and his legs fit nicely with room to spare and I don't feel like it's too tight around him at all.  The other great space saver is the fact that the food/play tray is fully integrated into the seat.

It slides in under the seat for storage and can easily be pulled out at any time to use.  The only thing I found was if baby was in the seat the tray was a little harder to get out probably due to the extra weight pushing down on the seat.

I love that this seat will grow with him too.  The foam insert comes out as he gets older to give him more room and we can use it as a booster seat for when he just needs a little bit more height at the table. The other great thing with this seat is that it is super easy to clean.

My son absolutely loves being at the table with us.  He can interact with the whole family and feel like he is a part of what is going on at the table now. The seat is high enough to reach my table without any trouble and he can reach to feed himself easily.

Since all of the parts come apart, you can get all of the seat clean for the next time you use it. My only issue was that the foam insert is now stained since we had spaghetti.  I am sure that over time the stains will eventually wash off but for now, you can tell that we had spaghetti. The spaghetti didn't however stain the white part of the chair or the tray which is awesome.

Overall, I am completely in love with this seat and I love that baby is sitting with us at the table.  I am also happy to be rid of my huge high-chair that was taking up so much space in my small kitchen. I also love that this will be the only seat I will need until he no longer needs a seat at the table which will save me money in the long run as well and we all know that as parents saving money is a great thing.

I think that anyone with a small eating space will love this seat.  The other great thing is this seat is perfect for playtime as well as it can help baby stay sitting up while playing independently on the floor.  I am using it as a seat for eating as he is already moving and won't just stay in the seat to play but I wish I had had this seat when he was wanting to sit up and play but couldn't quite do it on his own yet as it would have been perfect for him.

This seat is perfect for my family and for my youngest babe.  He loves eating with us now instead of being so far away from all of us in his highchair.  I recommend this chair for any of you with little ones ready to sit with you and I know that I will be able to use this right through until my little man is big enough to reach the table without a booster.  Ingenuity really hit the mark with this seat which will be available at Toys R Us in Canada, mid-July.

You can visit Kids II webpage here as well as their Facebook page here.

Canada's Wonderland

We are at Wonderland today for the Blogger event! Wait for all the fun pictures and post after all of our fun!