Save up to 30% on Classic Brands, Furrino, and Sauder furniture
Save up to 30% on Zinus furniture
Save up to 30% on Casper and other brands of mattresses
Save up to 35% on Bissell floorcare
Save up to 40% on kitchen essentials from Le Creuset, Pyrex, Corelle and more
Save up to 50% on Instant Pot products
Save up to 30% on Cuisinart appliances and cookware
Save up to 37% on Ninja kitchen products
Save up to 30% on Arts & Crafts sets for kids
Save up to 30% on Barbie & Hot Wheels.
Save up to 40% on Fashion Dolls and Accessories from brands like L.O.L. Surprise!, Calico Critters and Journey Girls
Save up to 30% on NERF Toys
Save up to 30% on Playskool, Sesame Street and Littlest Pet Shop toys
Save up to 30% on toys from Marvel, Star Wars and more
Save up to 30% on toys from Melissa & Doug, V-Tech, Battat, Hape and more
Save up to 30% on Outdoor and Ride-on products
Save up to 30% on games from Magic the Gathering, Exploding Kittens and more
Save up to 30% on STEM toys and building sets
Save 15% on AmScope Microscopes for Kids
Amazon Prime Day is upon us! Let’s think of it as “black Friday,” in October! It features over a million deals across virtually every category of products.
This is my fourth year covering Prime Day and it can be majorly overwhelming for everyone. So here’s the lay of the land:
Amazon Prime Day starts at midnight on October 13th and goes until Midnight October 14th.
I’ll be posting deals all day both days on my Facebook Deals Group. Also in my Facebook Amazon Deals Group you can search products that I’ll be posting in the search bar to see if there’s anything you’re looking for in particular. If you do have a specific request, please comment on the pinned Amazon Prime Post and I’ll go in search for what you’re looking for!
You’ll find all the Amazon Prime Day Deals on this Amazon Prime Day Post once the event begins! Keep checking back here and on my Facebook Amazon Deals Group to get all the updates because deals move fast and you don’t want to miss them!
WHAT KIND OF DEALS CAN I FIND ON AMAZON PRIME DAY
If you plan to spend more than $40 on Prime Day, Amazon is offering a $10 promotional credit if you purchase a $40 Amazon gift card or reload your own Amazon gift card balance with $40 or more. You'll be able to spend that $10 credit anytime before November 29, and it's pretty much free money. (this deal is not live until Amazon Prime Day Starts)
Amazon Devices
Save 60% on Amazon's most popular smart speaker, The Amazon Echo 3rd Gen, just $18.99 (this deal is currently available).
Save up to $80 on Echo Show devices. Get the Echo Show 5 for $44.99 (this deal is currently available), Echo show 8 for $64.99, and Echo Show (2nd Gen) for $149.99
Take Alexa on the road with echo auto now with Auto Mode in the Alexa App and Start My Commute features, just $19.99.
Fire TV Edition Smart TVs start at just $79.99. Get the Insignia 32 Inch Smart HD TV Fire TV Edition for $109 and the Toshiba 43 Inch Smart 4k UHD Fire TV for $209
Save up to 45% on Fire tablets. Get the Fire HD 10 for $79.99 and Fire 8 Kids Edition tablet for $79.99
Save 30% on Ring Video Doorbell devices and get Ring Video Doorbell Pro for $169.99
Amazon Subscriptions and Rentals (Kindle, Audible, Movies)
Audible: Save $50 on your first year! We love audible! Massive selections of books!
Kindle: 50% off your first 6 months of Kindle!
Amazon Kids: Unlimited access to thousands of kid-friendly books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, games and premium kid’s skills. 3 Month Plan for .99 cents!
Amazon Warehouse Deals: On Past Amazon Prime Days, Amazon offered 20% off Warehouse deals in a bunch of categories. Warehouse deals are often open box or dented box returns. check them all out here
Save up to 30% on Arts & Crafts sets for kids
Save up to 30% on Barbie & Hot Wheels.
Save up to 40% on Fashion Dolls and Accessories from brands like L.O.L. Surprise!, Calico Critters and Journey Girls
Save up to 30% on NERF Toys
Save up to 30% on Playskool, Sesame Street and Littlest Pet Shop toys
Save up to 30% on toys from Marvel, Star Wars and more
Save up to 30% on toys from Melissa & Doug, V-Tech, Battat, Hape and more
Save up to 30% on Outdoor and Ride-on products
Save up to 30% on games from Magic the Gathering, Exploding Kittens and more
Save up to 30% on STEM toys and building sets
Save 15% on AmScope Microscopes for Kids
avoid cold and flu season with babies and kids
Last winter we barely survived cold and flu season. Our baby got 5 ear infections in 4 months! It was torture for him and for us because since he didn’t talk we had no idea he was suffering! I’m still having mommy guilt. So after speaking to lots of doctors, here are the most essential items to get through cold and flu season with kids with your sanity intact.
Little Remedies Nasal Spray - After ear infection #5 last year, we took the baby to an ENT specialist. She told us about saline solution. She told us to spray his nose in the morning and night to avoid ear infections. She said if he got a cold, then to spray every 4 hours. It worked. We haven’t had an ear infection since! Fingers crossed for this year.
Dr. Formulated Probiotics - My friend is a pediatrician and told us to load up our kids on probiotics to ward off the colds and flu. We’ve been giving our kids probiotics since birth, (apparently it helps to ward off colic!) but now that that they’re a little bit older, these probiotics were highly recommended and highly rated and my kids love them. They’re delicious. My sons think they’re treats and I’ve had a few when my probiotics run out. I use the adult version of the kids and love them.
Elderberry Syrup - Our doctor recommended this as a preventative measure to avoid colds as well as shorten symptoms should your kid actually get a cold.. With one in preschool, we’ve really seen great results. We give it bout 3 times a week to both kids (ages 1.5 and 3.5)
Zarbees - EVERYONE recommends this for kids coughs. Does every kids coughs go on for months or just mine? We love Zarbees. LOVE! It can tackle even the worst cough and if your kid is older than 2 they make one that helps them sleep as well. Your medicine cabinet needs to include Zarbees.
Infant or Baby Motrin and Tylenol - Additionally, when fevers get high, we use infant or baby Motrin and Tylenol. For some reason we bought a ton of this last year and never thought we would go through it all, but sure enough, our kids got hit hard last year, so just stocked up again for this winter.
Here’s hoping our preventative measures this year will make it a much better cold and flu season!
Other Amazing Products for Cold And Flu Season
Best Books For Potty Training
We are in the middle of the potty training “journey.” Since I’m the first to attempt this, my moms group friends asked me to put together my favorite potty training books geared toward the child that we used before and during this process. I’d thought I’d share with you.
THE POTTY BOOK – FOR BOYS
If you are only buying one book, this one is our favorite. As soon as we started reading it, I saw the wheels turning in my 2.5 year old’s head that he truly identified with the feelings and experiences the little boy Henry was going through. They make one for each gender. My son’s babysitter told me it was the best book she’s ever read on potty training and she’s been babysitting for 25 years!
POTTY
This is also a favorite in our house and amongst my friends. We started reading this book a few months before we started training, just to gauge his interest in the potty and get him thinking about it.
Here are the others we got and thought were great:
ONCE UPON A POTTY
POTTY SUPERHERO: GET READY FOR BIG BOY PANTS
P IS FOR POTTY!
LETS GO POTTY, ELMO
DANIEL TIGER GOES POTTY
THE NEW POTTY
WHERE'S THE POOP?
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THE POTTY TRAIN
Chugga chugga poo poo! I mean come on! Perfection!
VEGETABLES IN UNDERWEAR
OTHER POTTY ESSENTIALS
Baby Registry Must Haves
Handheld Vacuum - Kids are messy. Newflash, right? I literally use this cordless handheld vacuum no less than 6 times a day. There is always food on the floor after every meal, dirt, leaves carried in from outside, you name it, it's on my floor. Why didn't a mom tell me to register for one of these way in advance . Get this for every new mom in your life and put a post it on it that just reads TRUST ME! This Black and Decker one is nothing short of amazing.
Black Out Curtains - Sleep. Precious, precious sleep. When my son was born is was all I could think about, when i wasn't stressing over milk production and my recovery. Why no one told me this little trick about babies and sleeping is beyond me but I need to pass along. Caveat: This won't help within the first 3 months when babies are eating around the clock. But around 5 or 6 months, create an environment that sustains a sleeping body! These black out curtains are a best seller!
October means Halloween and my 2 year old has loves seeing silly faced pumpkins in stores. So I wanted to find stories about pumpkins to start getting him excited for Halloween. I ordered a bunch of Halloween books and wanted to share my thoughts here!
I Love You, Little Pumpkin! – My Mother gave my son this book last Halloween – a year later he still reads it and loves it. He read it all year long! There are a number of flaps for him to lift and he loves the padded cloth Pumpkin on the front. Best for 1 – 3 year olds.
Where Is Baby’s Pumpkin? – This book is a great one for toddlers who love to lift flaps to keep them engaged! My son was really into it last Halloween and would point to it after he woke up from his nap. It’s great for 6 months to 4 years as it has some shiny and glittery elements so as they grow older they’re always seeing new things.
The Itsy Bitsy Pumpkin – This best seller goes perfectly with the Itsy Bitsy Spider Tune and my son loved that I would sing the book in a tune he knew. It’s a super quick read, so you can read it a few times. We do that anyway in my house! And fits a toddlers attention span. It has lots of colors and bright scenes and their illustrations are amazing. A true must have toddler Halloween book! Perfect for ages 2-4.
Little Blue Truck’s Halloween – This just came out this year, so we had to get it because I have a toddler who is very into the Little Blue Truck series. This book is so cute and it does have lift the flaps, which are always a big hit so even if your little one doesn’t know the original Blue Truck book, they will still be into it. This is ideal for a 2-4 year old.
Room on the Broom For your preschool to 7 year old crowd this is a HUGE hit. 1000 people on amazon having given it rave reviews. Great ryhmes, wonderful illustrations and a good message about working together to save your friends!
The Spooky Wheels on the Bus Once again another book that you can sing to the tune of a favorite childhood song. It’s funny and classic at the same time. But what’s great it introduces new sounds the bus makes with a Halloween twist! It’s perfect for ages 3-5 but my 2 year old loved it since he knows the song and loves to make all the sounds while we sing!
Halloween Hustle – It’s a really cute book with a cute store and high quality pages meaning they’re not that easy to rip. Never thought that would go into a book review of mine, but with kids, it’s very important. It’s loaded with really colorful illustrations and great fit for laps (another thing I never considered before kids!) Perfect for ages 3-7.
Creepy Carrots! I absolutely love this book. I’ve read complaints that it’s not scary enough – um, hello, it’s a PICTURE BOOK FOR CHILDREN! It is clever and unexpected and the illustrations are gorgeous. It’s perfect for 4-8 year olds.
Jerry Seinfeld Halloween Oh just look at that illustration of Jerry Seinfeld on the front! I love him, so I wanted to read it selfishly for myself! It’s a vibrantly illustrated picture book for kids that’s every bit as fun for adults. I ended up reading every page and laughing out loud.
Are you heading to a baby shower and don't have a kid or have zero idea what to bring? I’ve been there. Oh I have so been there. Of course there is the baby registry but if you’re like me, you wait until the very last minute and everything has been taken and the only thing left is the breast pump! I wasn’t about to get the woman a breast pump!
Here's my list of things you can be sure the expectant mom did not register for but will absolutely need.
At every baby shower, gifts are geared toward the newborn – the clothes, hats and toys and books. Who doesn’t love all those tiny things. But you’re only a newborn for three months. And babies need a whole lot of stuff after that.
Umbrella Stroller - A lot of moms spend a lot of time researching the perfect hero stroller. I spent an embarrassing amount of time. But they don't realize that they need an umbrella stroller, perfect for travel and going to places where maybe a big super stroller isn't ideal. These are light, easily collapsible and can be stored away easily along your travels. We love this Maclaren which is great because it reclines (which is a must have.) And I've borrowed this one before and loved it!
Mat – here’s something you don’t think of when you’re pregnant: the baby will eventually sit up and because they have no core they will fall over. A lot. Therefore, around month 4, this new mom will need a soft space for baby to roll over and land. Moms will usually go out and buy the letter or number punch out mat, but don't do that. Food and other junk gets caught in them and they’re impossible to clean. Instead, get the expectant mom this reversible mat, super easy to clean and store away. I never had a single friend or read a single registry list that included a mat. But trust me, right around the corner your new mom friend will be so glad you’ve already taken care of this purchase for her.
Baby Gate - Moms don't realize just how mobile this baby will become in a short time. You need a gate to contain them when you're busy making dinner or going to the restroom. We used this one and loved it. Has activities to keep the baby occupied. This is also a popular one according to mom friends.
Starting Solids - when babies start eating solids, it's a whole new day. I was super intimidated and thankfully my husband knew how to operate a food processor so we were able to make home made purees for every meal. A lot of moms I know prefer to make their own food because you know where it came from and what exactly is in it. We used this food processor to purree our steamed veggies and fruits when our son first started eating. If I literally never thought of starting solids when I was pregnant, so didn't register for anything! I know I"m not hte only pregnany woman who did that. So let's take away the stress and get this new momma everything she needs. We obsessively love these bibs. We’ve used it now for 3 years. You can easily toss in the dishwasher and catches all the food coming out of the mouth. These soft spoons are small and perfect for new eaters.. As they get used to eating and swallowing and are looking for bigger portions, we switched to these utensils. The easy grip allows for them to teach themselves how to eat when they become age appropriate. You also want to get dishes the baby can’t pick up and toss over the side of the high chair (we learned that the hard way!) Below are the the perfect plates and bowls for new eaters into toddler years.
Baby sun hats – in a few short months this baby is gonna hit the pool and beach. Get your new mom already ready to enjoy the sun with sun hats! This one is 360 and covers that neck, it’s the one we’ve used for both our kids.
Walking toys - This is super popular walking toy and one our sons both use! Has an activity center as well to keep them entertained when they need a break from zooming around.
Before I gave birth, I read countless articles on what to pack in your childbirth hospital bag. Looking back, I feel like they were written by people who never had a baby!
You do not want to over pack and drag this giant bag into the hospital. Remember you will be in labor, trying to breath through contractions. And your partner will be freaking out. So here are the essentials:
Maternity essentials to survive labor and delivery:
Cute Hospital Gown – A lot of stuff comes out of you when you’re pushing. Now think of the used gowns the hospital gives you– no thank you. Trust me, get a gownie. Tons of different colors/pattern options. My husband got me a really cute delivery gown from Gownies. Do I look cute? Oh and I'm sitting on the ball. I got so many compliments on it from nurses and other labor-ers! Don’t spend a fortune on a gown.
Phone charger – If you get an epidural you’re not moving from your bed, so get a charger cord that is extra long to reach from the outlet to wherever your bed is. A long cord for the iphone and here’s one for the Android. You have to keep every one up to date on what is happening.
Ipad or Kindle: My labor was 37 hours – And I didn’t know to bring my iPad or Kindle Fire . So the hours felt much longer with zero entertainment.
A maternity or nursing bra – I wore an underwire for 37 hours of labor and after everyone was like “why did you do that…” Maybe because no one told me not too. FYI underwire is terrible for you if you’re going to breastfeed because it can cause mastitis. Try this great maternity/nursing bra.
Shower caddy – not for the shower, but to have at the table next to you or on your hospital bed. Keep anything you want nearby! No one told me to bring one but I got this one for my next so in case my husband is a asleep or has left to get something to eat and I can’t get up, I’ll have everything like my phone, ipad, books etc within arms reach.
Labor Ball – have your husband pump when you arrive! Learn from our mistake!
Lip balm – my lips were so chapped I was going crazy! Hospitals are dry! I wish someone told me to bring this!
Non skid socks – Get these for after you deliver and you don’t want have to bend over to put on shoes or do anything.
Ear plugs – if you’re getting a moments rest, take it! Or maybe you have to share a room. I got these amazing ear plugs before I gave birth. They were a lifesaver.
Snacks– I brought these snack packs filled with yummy goodnessbut then I wasn’t allowed to eat for 37 hours. Thankfully they saved my husband so bring some even if only for your partner depending how your labor goes. If you don’t like nuts, Amazon has TONS of snack pack options!
Soft, comfortable pants – After you give birth, you’ll want a few pairs. You will look 5-6 months pregnant a few weeks after you deliver. I packed regular shirts but soft pants I lived in for months! Amazon has a ton of options. I liked pants I could go out in and they didn’t look like pajamas, but I probably did sleep in them.
Disposable under pants – you never knew these existed until now, but they will quickly become your best friend. I loved these underpants and I ordered extra before I gave birth to have when I got home. You will use them for a week or two or in my case 3. Also I grabbed a bunch from the hospital on my way out the door! Then I got these cotton from Haines to wear the weeks after. I think I wore them for like 3 months before I switched back to my cute regular ones.
Hello fellow pregnant ladies! Have you found when researching all things pregnancy (it's ok you can admit it here! You google every. single. Thing about pregnancy.. So do I. So do all of us pregnant ladies) that everything you read about pregnancy is so lovely and heavenly. As I head closer and closer to labor and delivery I've decided to share a list of things you will not see elsewhere, because Mommy Friends does not sugar coat pregnancy! We're here to tell you the truth. We're here to tell you everything!
Here is my list of real pregnancy must haves:
Pre-natal Vitamins: Yes this one is super obvious. But I'll admit as my due date gets closer I've gotten less disciplined about taking them. Isn't the baby already cooked? Big mistake. When I skipped, I noticed my energy dive. so i'm back on them until the finish line. This is my favorite pre-natal vitamin. it has everything you need. In the first trimester they made me nauseous, so I took these gummy smarty pants prenatal ones until second trimester.
Probiotics - Probiotics are amazing for you throughout pregnancy. I especially needed them because I was super constipated, like nothing I've ever seen. I used this powder probiotics. By the way if constipation is your problem, email me and I'll give you the list of everything I did and ate!
Glass Bottles - I did tons of research on water in plastic bottles for developing brains. It scared me. I was super neurotic so I drank filtered water and only used glass bottles to carry the water around. These bottles were my favorite.
Stretchy Comfy Pants - These pants are amazing. Please don't go another pregnant day without them. I live in these.
Bobo Oat Bars - I started eating these bars the day I found out I was pregnant and have eaten them for the past 9 months. They're in my hospital bag already! They're delicious, come in many flavors and easy to pack in my purse in case I find myself suddenly starving >> classic 3rd trimester problem.
Floss - No one warns you about what happens to your gums and teeth during pregnancy. Your teeth get weak and your gums get all messed up. Please floss! Don't be like me who learned the hard way. Three weeks away from birth and my tooth broke. Take care of your gums and floss.
Bigger Bras - Find a great breast measuring place near you and get bigger bras. My breasts grew like the second I got pregnant.
Slide In shoes - I have asked so many strangers to tie my shoes on the streets of New York City, it's ridiculous. These have saved my life the past month, so there's no bending and begging for help.
Dr. Teals Foot Soak - Later in your pregnancy, you get bigger and your feet have to carry more weight. Soak them nightly. And this one has lavender to help relax. Self care is vital in the waning weeks of pregnancy.
Chocolate Chips - I kept these in bags and drawers, because back off I'm pregnant!
Tennis Balls - Lower back issues? Pop one of these under your lower back muscles and roll around to make your muscles feel so amazing.
Bump Support Band - I got one of these bands two weeks ago as the big bump was becoming to much for my back and pelvis muscles.. So this helps by supporting my bump so my back doesn't have to.
From the second I found out I was pregnant, I started researching every single thing to register for, buy, feed, etc for my son! I’m talking everything. I quickly became the go to resource for all my trying, expecting and new parent friends. I started to share the excel spread sheet that turned into a google doc that got passed around and around. So I decided to make the answers to everyone’s common questions and product recommendations easier to discover and put together this blog. I’m happy that what started out as my baby product obsession is helping so many other parents in the same position I was.
My goal is to help as many new parents as possible and to maintain the authentic voice of my original excel spreadsheet, except without all the tabs!
