As a mom, we are always looking for products that are healthy and harmless for our babies and children, from the laundry detergent down to the ingredients we put in our food.  So, you could imagine how excited I was to learn that there was a haircare line just for babies and children, that is gentle and chemical free.  

Megan Gage, founder of Hot Tot sent me over a few samples to try out and I couldn’t wait to use them on my son.

With the humidity and heat, my son’s wavy hair tends to look unruly and frizzy, so the first sample I tried was the Styling Gel , which is said to keep curls soft and in place and fights frizz and flyaways.  Upon putting it on his hair I noticed that the texture wasn’t sticky and had a nice clean smell to it (which he loved!). Once it was applied and settled, it left a nice shine without giving his hair a stiff look.

Wanting to try out the rest of the line, I spritzed his hair with some water (which, I must say washed out easily with no cakey residue) and applied the Structure Whip to give him a little funky ‘do. Which he loved and didn’t seem to mind me putting on because (again) of its pleasure smell.

All in all, Hot Tot is a great product to try the company donates a portion of their proceeds to several different charities, including Save the Children, CASA and Ronald McDonald House.

Hot Tot products are all priced under $20 and can be purchased at premium boutiques or from their website www.hottot.com.

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In honor of Breastfeeding Week, I thought I’ll take you back to a previous post on Why I Love Breastfeeding:

I have posted several times about my advocacy for breastfeeding, but moms I didn’t always feel that way.

At first, breastfeeding seemed like a choir, a choir that caused me to leak, squirt and chaff.  Sorry to have painted that vivid picture, but moms-to-be you need to know. Also getting my son to latch on was indeed a task in its itself. Ok, so maybe “love” is a strong word for the title of this post, but by reading on you will understand.

Take it from me, its a road that not every moms ventures, but if you do, then this post is for you.

Read: Need Support? Find The Milk Truck 

So here are my 10 reasons why I loved to breastfeed my son.

1. Instant Weight Loss: Forget the gym, I was able to loss 10 pounds in just a few short weeks of breastfeeding.

2. Talk About Multitasking:  With the help of my My Breastfriend, a cool nursing pillow, I was able to sip on water, chat on the phone and read a book.

3. Instant Bonding Moments: I loved gazing into my son’s eyes, playing with his toes and holding his hands while breastfeeding.  Sorry Dads!

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Celebrity event planner turned author, Ava Carroll-Brown presents to us “Where IS Your Mother?: A Simple And Suggestive Guide To The Basics of Proper Etiquette and Simple Grace” (Amazon.com).

At first glance to the title of the book, I was not sure how it read, but after reading cover to cover I now know that Where IS Your Mother? is something that you hear yourself asking a toddler with conviction.  Its normally a question asked when a child is acting out of hand or is rude to his/her peers and adults.  So, if you ever wondered if there was a book to raising the perfect child, then look no further, this is the book for you. By following the basic etiquette mentioned by the author your child will get noticed…in a good way.  

What I love about Carroll-Brown’s guide is that it is geared towards young, old, children, teen and adults. She reminds you of basic day-to-day etiquette tips, such as, the proper way to setting a table, what to do with your napkin, when one should bring a gift and how to get children to behave at dinner.

Did you know that it is not appropriate to light a candle before 6pm?  Carrol-Brown tells you why in one of my favorite chapters titled “The Six O’Clock Candle Rule.”  The author also reminds us in the chapter titled “Table Taboos” the “no sharing at the dinner table” policy, this is something that we see displayed commonly in our home and in restaurants, but its clearly a big no-no.  This guide is a great go-to reference for “all ages and all walks of life.”   View Post

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You did what? Bad Mommy. Just Kidding.

As Moms, we worry, and sometimes by worrying we compare and comparing leaves us nowhere. Comparing our parenting skills and lil ones to another family just makes us feeling blah, and seriously for what? No one kid is alike and not every household should be run the same. Imagine? How boring would that be. Come on, lighten up and enjoy these most precious moments with your kids.

Admittingly, I am derserving of the “stressed-out-first-time-mommy” award, but by knowing I am not alone in this thing called mommyhood, makes it all the better.

1. You Are A Great Mommy.  Don’t underestimate yourself, you are doing great as a mom. Just ask your kids, they’ll tell you or if they are to young actually tell you, then they’ll show you. First time, second or third time mommies are always second guessing themselves, but just remember that every kid is different and that is what makes us all unique.

2. Your Child Will Reach That Milestone.  If you could only hear me 9 months ago, when I was wishing and hoping that my son (now 19 months) would walk and act like that the other kids his age. Here’s that comparison thing again. Now that my little tot is no longer crawling, but running makes me wish for those days when all he wanted was mommy.

3. Your Baby Will Not Fall Behind If He Misses A Day Of Pre-K.  Parents these days feel that they need to include their kids in structured activities, but its ok to stay at home and chill.  He can learn by playing at home just the same.

4. My Toddler Still Uses A Binky.  In most cases toddler use pacifiers for comfort and they will eventually stop asking for it.  In the meantime, try a substitute such as a small blanket. View Post

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After years of struggling to become parents, Giuliana and Bill Rancic are taking it one day at a time.

The reality TV stars opened up to their viewers last season about starting a family via the difficult process of in vitro fertilization. But their frustration with the process and Giuliana’s tragic miscarriage open their eyes and led them thinking positive and began “looking at all options when it comes to children, whether it’s surrogacy or adoption,” Bill, 40, said during a recent interview.

The couple promised that the new season of their reality show,Giuliana & Bill, will be less focused on their quest to start a family.

Giuliana & Bill airs Monday at 8 p.m. (EST) on Style Network.

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