For the Kids

This and That for Kids Spring 2016 Collection Review

February 8, 2016 by Laura Tucker 23 Comments

I received these products at no cost to facilitate my review. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are completely my own.

Hip hip hooray! Spring is right around the corner! It may only be February, but I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel with all of this “winter” coldness. Cold weather can be a real bummer sometimes, and who needs that kind of negativity in their life? Am I right?! This brings me to reason #5639 that I love living in south Alabama. We get snow basically never, and I’m fine with that! I love spring, though. Spring brings a promise of new life, and that’s one of the reasons I love it so much!

Ahh, spring time. The foliage starts turning green again, flowers begin to bloom, Easter candy hits the store shelves (‘sup, Cadbury eggs!) and pastels start creeping back out of our closets. It’s a glorious time, really.

I absolutely love pulling out all of our warmer-weather clothing. Now that I have a little girl to dress up, I’m having even more fun! When I’m looking for the cutest kids clothing for any season, I always turn to This and That for Kids. Remember that gorgeous hand smocked turkey bishop dress I featured this past Fall? This and That for Kids is where it’s at! Their clothing is seriously the cutest! Their Spring 2016 collection definitely does not disappoint, either. I’m going to have to put in a word with the Easter bunny this year to bring my baby some more of that smocked sweetness for sure!…

Do Your Kids Tend to Lose Their Stuff? Mabel’s Labels Can Help!

February 4, 2016 by Laura Tucker 2 Comments

Affiliate links are included in this post. I received these products at no cost to facilitate my review. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are completely my own.

Picture this: Your child comes home from school without their lunch box. You assume that they just left it in their cubby or at their desk at school, so you remind your child to check the next day. Your child never finds their lunch box. It was unknowingly placed in the lost and found box in the office that neither of you even knew existed. It stays there for months, and then it is ultimately donated or thrown away because no one knew who it belonged to.

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Sad story, right? But how many times does something similar to this actually happen? Most parents can probably think of numerous times that their child has lost something. And if we’re perfectly honest here, I can think of a few times where I was the one that lost something that belonged to my daughter, Taralynn. We can all be forgetful sometimes!

My daughter is currently 8 months old. She is not old enough to lose things on purpose, but she has definitely had things turn up missing before. She is at the age where throwing things on the floor, kicking off shoes and socks, and swapping toys with others is just part of her daily routine. It is so easy for her bottles and juice cups to wind up thrown across the floor without me even noticing. I’m also really bad about setting something down and never picking it back up. This is definitely not a good habit to have when you’re in a public place!

That’s where Mabel’s Labels comes in to save the day, folks! Mabel’s Labels understands that sometimes things just get lost, and sometimes we’re forgetful and leave things sitting around for others to find. They’ve come up with a clever (and super cute) solution to help those lost items return to their owners. And it’s SO much nicer than getting out the ol’ black magic marker and tagging all of your items with your initials!

Mabel’s Labels come in numerous sizes and super adorable themes. They even make labels for different purposes, such as iron-on clothing labels, shoe labels, organizational stickers for the household, and even scan and store stickers! (I’m fighting the urge to go through all of my closets and label EVERYTHING, y’all!)

I was sent a pack of 45 personalized peel-and-stick labels to review. They are such a perfect way to help this scatter-brained mama worry less about accidentally leaving things where they don’t belong. They’re even dish washer and microwave safe, so I know they’ll last a long time!

My daughter does not attend day care, but I can imagine that these labels would be extremely useful in that type of setting. No more wondering about what cup or snack container belongs to what kid! As my daughter grows older and becomes more independent, I can definitely see her taking after her mama and leaving her cups/toys laying around at our church or at a friends house and neglecting to pick them up. With these labels on all of her items, they’ll have no problem finding their way back to us. What a relief!

You can purchase these fabulous labels that I’ve reviewed for just $21.00 for a pack of 45. Be sure to check out all of their other labels and combo packages while you’re at it! And as if Mabel’s Labels wasn’t already awesome enough, they offer FREE US shipping on all orders. No expiration date, and no minimum! Click the banner below to visit their site and start customizing your own labels!

The Cutest Kids Tops come from Enchanted by Ellie!

January 28, 2016 by Laura Tucker 40 Comments

I received these products at no cost to facilitate my review. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are completely my own.

Friends, I must tell you about this insanely adorable Etsy shop I stumbled upon recently! (And just in time for Valentine’s Day, too!) Enchanted by Ellie has the cutest selection of tees and everything glitter for infants, children and even moms! If the part where I mentioned “glitter” wasn’t enough to have you sold, maybe a peek at some of their apparel will. Hello, monogram cuteness! You are definitely calling my name!

Warning: Clicking on these pictures will probably cause you to fall in love and suffer from uncontrollable urges to purchase everything at once. Trust me.

Oh my goodness, I seriously want them all! I mean, not just for my daughter, either. I want to wear them myself! (The shop owner takes custom order requests, so if you mamas want your own glitter mermaid shirt, there’s certainly nothing stopping you, and I definitely would not judge because I’d rock one, too!) 😉

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10 Valentine’s Day Picks for Babies and Toddlers!

January 18, 2016 by Laura Tucker 4 Comments

I love Valentine’s Day. It’s not something I’ve ever really celebrated very much in the past, but I love any occasion to get to put an emphasis on celebrating love. I love love. I have a wonderful husband that I am madly in love with, and I have a beautiful baby girl that I get to shower with lots of snuggles and, well, love!

Since I’ve got a little sweetheart to shop for this Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d share with you some of my top Valentine’s Day gift picks for babies and toddlers that are as sweet as sugar and are a great way to say “I love you”!…

6 Things to Consider Before Cloth Diapering

January 10, 2016 by Laura Tucker 2 Comments

If you’ve been following Southern Made Simple for a while, you probably know that I am a cloth diaper lover. I’ve made a few posts in the past reviewing different cloth diaper brands and inserts that I love. (You can view a few different posts here.) But if you’re new to this site, and especially if you’re new to cloth diapering all together, I want to wholeheartedly welcome you!

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Dirty Paci Got You Down? MAM Pacifier Wipes to the Rescue! – Review

January 7, 2016 by Laura Tucker 30 Comments

I received these products at no cost to facilitate my review. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are completely my own.

We’ve all been there. Your child’s pacifier has fallen on the floor and you’re frantically trying to find your way to a restroom to wash it off so your poor baby doesn’t contract some horrible disease you’ve made up in your mind. I think there comes a point where you become a little more lenient about putting a paci that fell on your own carpet in your own home back into their mouths, but there are serious and legitimate situations where you need to be very cautious about putting a germ-y pacifier back into their mouth.

Maybe your child dropped their paci on the floor of the bathroom, or perhaps it fell into the dirt at the ballpark. Maybe another child decided to share their slobber and paci-swap with your child. MAYBE your baby was fussy so you dragged a paci out from the bottom of your diaper bag only to discover it’s covered in lint and cheerio crumbs. Yeah, I’ve seen plenty a crusty paci creeping from the abyss of my diaper bag a time or two. It ain’t pretty.

But worry no more, fellow members of the crusty paci club! MAM, (my FAVORITE pacifier brand of all time) just made our lives as parents so much easier! They recently launched MAM pacifier wipes to help us combat those nasty germs and keep our baby’s pacifiers clean. They come in a resealable (thank you!) and portable package that fits perfectly in any diaper bag.

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ThredUp Unboxing – Smocked Clothing Haul

December 31, 2015 by Laura Tucker 3 Comments

I shared this on my personal Facebook page recently, and many people were very intrigued with what ThredUp is and how to score awesome deals on clothing like I did in this video. I recently wrote a blog post that gives you the skinny on this awesome company, and I even shared how YOU can snag $20 to shop with for free! You can read more about that here: –> 5 Reasons Why ThredUp is Awesome + $20 Credit for Readers

In this particular unboxing, I scored a good bit of smocked clothing for my daughter. This piqued a lot of interest, so I wanted to show you how I search and find exactly what I’m looking for. You may be asking yourself why in the world anyone would care about smocked clothing. What’s so special about it?…

Microfiber vs. Hemp Cloth Diaper Inserts – A Buttons Cloth Diaper Review

December 14, 2015 by Laura Tucker 4 Comments

I received these products at no cost to facilitate my review. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are completely my own.

When people express interest in cloth diapering and start doing their research, they often are surprised at how many different options there are when it comes to styles and inserts. Prefolds, AIO’s, AI2’s, snaps, hook & loop, microfiber, bamboo, cotton, fleece, hemp, etc. It seems like it goes on and on. It can certainly be overwhelming if you let it! I mean, we all want what’s best for our baby. How in the world do we know where to even begin and what to choose?!

When I started getting really serious about cloth diapering, I decided to break it down and learn about 2-3 different things each day over the course of around 2 weeks. I found it to be so much easier that way. No information overload! I was really interested in the natural fibers as I learned that they are typically more absorbent and are safe to use against the skin. However, once I started building my stash I very quickly accumulated mostly microfiber inserts. I feel that I wound up with more microfiber because, frankly, they’re cheaper. I became a little off-put by the natural inserts because they’re a good bit pricier. But friends, let me just tell you. Having some natural insert options in your stash is WONDERFUL!

I have a little cloth diaper confession to make. I have been cloth diapering my child since she was 1 month old. I’ve been a member of numerous Facebook support/chat groups regarding cloth diapering, and I’ve done a lot of research on using cloth during the daytime and nighttime. However, I’ve never cloth diapered my child at night. Why? Because I’ve been too scared to do it. I was scared because I felt that typically people have the most issues with leakage at night. I had such a good fit and good daytime routine with my diapers that I didn’t want anything to steal my thunder. I didn’t want to become frustrated with any aspect with cloth because I love it so much. That’s why I never did it at night. I was scared of losing my fire for cloth because of the chance of leaks. Phew, I’m glad I got that off of my chest! Perhaps there are some other cloth diapering parents that are in the same boat as me. If that’s the case, I urge you to go ahead and try it!

I’m also pumped to share how I took that leap and am jumping for joy on the nighttime side…with no leaks!

I received a very special package from Buttons Diapers. I must note that I’ve always loved their packaging. It makes me think of that line in the song, “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music. You know, “brown paper packages tied up with string…these are a few of my favorite things!” 😉

I received a hemp/cotton nighttime doubler and a microfiber nighttime doubler, both in size small. I also received a one size diaper cover in peony. It’s a gorgeous color, and I have always loved the fit of Buttons diapers. You can read more about my love for Buttons here.

Now, before I get started with the review of the inserts and the diaper, let me share with you a few differences that I personally have found between microfiber and hemp in general:

The Buttons brand nighttime doubler inserts are designed to snap into your diaper with a daytime insert snapped on top like so:

Microfiber vs. Hemp Cloth Diaper Inserts - A Buttons Cloth Diaper Review

In this photo I am using the microfiber nighttime doubler with a microfiber daytime insert on top.

Check out this awesome video from Amy over at Buttons Diapers! She explains the microfiber doublers in great detail!

Since this was our first time ever using cloth at night, I was definitely nervous! I trust Buttons cloth diapers more than most other diapers in my stash during the day time. If I was going to use cloth at night, I felt peace knowing we were using one of the best brands! We started with the microfiber doubler and a microfiber daytime insert on top. The microfiber doubler has 6 absorbent layers and the daytime insert has 4 layers. Each time we put on the diaper, I found the fit to be pretty bulky. This was expected, though. Most night time diapers require more inserts/fabric, so that butt is going to be extra fluffy! I found the fit to still be great around the legs, which I was so happy to see. My concern came with the elastic at the very top of the back of the diaper. Because the inserts were pretty bulky, they created a tiny gap between the elastic and my daughter’s skin. My first thought was that this was going to leak, but I decided to continue to put my trust into Buttons and really put these inserts to the test!

My baby typically sleeps throughout the entire night. I was nervous that she’d wake up feeling wet, but she slept beautifully and we woke up with ABSOLUTELY NO LEAKS! I got pretty excited, but I wanted to be sure I didn’t just get really lucky on our first try. We then tried out the hemp/cotton doubler. I was expecting the hemp/cotton insert to be a little more trim than the microfiber insert, but it seemed to be roughly the same thickness. I am guessing that this is because it is a hemp/cotton blend and not solely hemp. The hemp insert is made with 5 layers of natural fabric to ensure maximum absorbency. My daughter slept beautifully again, and with no leaks!

I have found that we get a better fit with the doublers when we let out completely all of the rise settings. She normally wears it on a medium rise setting. I don’t feel that this is supposed to work this way, but it worked fine for us, so we’ll continue to do it that way. I’m just excited that we’ve found a nighttime solution that has worked for us! I even feel a little spoiled that we’ve had no leak issues at all. Thanks, Buttons! 😀

As far as preferring one over the other, I feel that the jury is still out. There’s things about the microfiber inserts that I love, and there’s things about the hemp inserts that I love. I don’t love how long the hemp inserts take to dry. I choose to air dry my inserts, and they take a good day and a half to dry when hanging indoors. The microfiber inserts take far less time. The hemp/cotton inserts also require more initial prepping. Natural fibers require 6-8 washes before becoming fully absorbent, while microfiber only takes 3-4 initial wash cycles. While I feel that both were very absorbent and got the job done, I do feel more confident that the hemp inserts absorb more liquid. I think both inserts are necessary to any stash, but I definitely recommend the hemp/cotton doublers!

You can purchase Buttons Diapers and inserts by visiting their website here.

The nighttime doublers are available to purchase in a single or double pack. Microfiber nighttime inserts start out at just $5 and the hemp/cotton nighttime inserts start at $9.75! They also have a beautiful collection of covers. Prints are $12.50 and solid colors are $11.

Can we talk about how cute this newly released “Jack Frost” print is?! This would be a perfect holiday gift for your little one! 😉

Microfiber vs. Hemp Cloth Diaper Inserts – A Buttons Cloth Diaper Review

What’s in My Diaper Bag? {Diaper Bag Essentials for the First 6 Months}

December 9, 2015 by Laura Tucker 1 Comment

Diaper Bag Essentials First 6 Months

A dear friend of mine bought me this beautiful Vera Bradley diaper bag just a few weeks after I found out we were having a little girl. (Thanks, Victoria!) I was so eager to start filling it when nesting set in, but I had no idea where to even begin! It really wasn’t even necessary to start filling it until after I brought the baby home from the hospital, but you just couldn’t tell me that! 😉

I put together a little list of 15 things that I ALWAYS kept in my diaper bag for the first 6 months after my daughter was born. It’s not an exhaustive list by any means, but these are just a few of my top picks. Some are more age specific for newborns, and a few are more for babies closer to 4-6 months, but I thought this might be a helpful guide for other parents that are nesting and want to get a head start on packing their bags!

Diapers & Wipes
- This one is pretty obvious. I won’t bore you with details on this one, but I will share that I try to keep 7-8 diapers in my bag at all times. That number can vary depending on how long we will be out of the house, but I’ve personally found 7-8 to be a comfortable number. I WILL say this, though: Have you SEEN how cute the diaper prints are from The Honest company?! I am crazy about that Anchors and Stripes print! You don’t see prints that cute when you open up a box of Huggies, that’s for sure!
Changing Pad
- Most diaper bags actually come with one of these. You may not get a TON of use out of this, but you’ll definitely want one. Who knows, you just may wind up having to change a baby on a dirty floor or in the grass. Trust me, stuff like that just happens! You’ll want to be able to lay your baby down on a clean and soft surface when changing. If you don’t want to carry around a changing pad, consider getting a few disposable ones like these: Munchkin Arm and Hammer Disposable Changing Pads. They’re easy to use, and you just toss when you’re done with them!
Change of clothing
- I don’t want to be too blunt here, but spit-up happens. Vomit happens. Spills happen, and blow outs happen. They just do. ESPECIALLY when you’re out and about. You’ll want to make sure you have a full change of clothing with you on hand for when those moments sneak up on you. Don’t forget the socks! Nothing is worse than when you’re changing your baby’s diaper and they plop their foot (WITH a sock on) right into their dirty diaper in a split second while you’re changing them. That happens, too. Best to be prepared! 🙂
Burp Cloth
- Remember when I said spit happens? It definitely does. Especially in the first 4 months. It tends to taper off a little bit, but you still definitely need a burp cloth at 6 months. Really, you could probably use two of them. In my opinion, these Gerber Prefold Cloth Diapers work really well. They’re not the cutest, but they’re absorbent and nobody’s feelings will get hurt if they get ruined or if they get left somewhere. That also happens!
Extra Bib
- You really won’t need these for the first month, but once the baby starts spitting up more frequently, it’s nice to have a bid to help protect their shirt. You’ll especially want to keep a bib when your baby begins teething (hellooooo, drool!) and when they start eating solids. Babies are NOT neat eaters!
Medicine Bag
- I personally like to keep a little ziploc bag filled with a couple different things that my baby may need. I’ll share with you what I keep in mine, but I am not implying in any way that you should use these things. That’s totally your call on what you should give your child. You know your baby best! 🙂
  - Diaper Rash Cream. We’ve used a few different brands, but we’re really liking Pinxav (Pronounced pink salve) right now! Thanks, big sis!
  - Teething Tablets (We really like Hyland’s Natural Baby Teething Tablets
  - Baby Orajel
  - Baby Tylenol (for emergencies only)
  - Suction bulb (aka: the snot sucker)
  - Thermometer
Pacifier & extra pacifier clip
- Your baby may or may not take a paci. (Do you call them pacis? I personally call them binks..short for binky!) However, you just might have one that is seemingly forever devoted to the bink. She’s brand loyal, too! We don’t leave the house without our MAM pacifiers. I personally like to keep an extra one or two in my bag, because these have a tendency to get lost frequently. It’s also wise to have an extra pacifier clip on hand. It’s torture having to constantly pick up a binky that has been dropped or thrown across the room!
Pacifier/Toy Wipes
- I always keep a package of Pacifier Wipes on hand. They’re perfect for cleaning dirty pacifiers and toys that have been dropped on the floor, or even cleaning a dirty area that you may not want your baby to touch.
Teething toy
- You really won’t need this for the first couple of months. Once baby starts teething, though, you’ll want to keep a few on hand. Teething is different for all babies. Some babies start super early, and others start a little late. We started right around 4 months. I have a detailed post on our favorite teething toys. You can read more about our top picks here.
Breast pump + a few accessories
- If you are breastfeeding your little one, I highly recommend carrying a hand pump with you in case you are ever in a situation where you cannot feed your baby right away but you need to express your milk. I always kept the Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump with an extra bottle in my diaper bag. It’s easy to use and doesn’t take up a ton of space, which is great!
- As a breast feeder, you’re very likely to leak a little. If you don’t leak, count your lucky stars! I always kept some extra nursing pads on hand to prevent any leakage from showing through. I really liked to use reusable nursing pads, but disposable pads are also a great option. It might be a good idea to throw a little tube of lanolin in your bag to help soothe sore nipples.
- Clip-itz Nursing Cover Clips were super handy for me. I never wanted to purchase a whole nursing cover because they take up SO much room in a diaper bag and can be a pain to fold neatly. These little clips allow you to turn any blanket into a nursing cover so that you can nurse comfortable anywhere, plus they take up VERY little room.
Formula & Water Bottle
- If your baby takes formula, you’ll definitely want to have a Formula Dispenser on hand. These little contraptions perfectly portion out your formula so that you can easily pour them into a bottle for quick and easy feedings.
- Water bottle – You’ll need to have one or two of these on hand so that you can mix your formula. It’s best to use purified water or water that has been boiled.
- I love to keep these little Enfamil Single Serve Packets on hand in case we run out of formula in our dispenser, or if we ever need to do a small feeding in between normal feedings. These little Enfamil nursettes are also really nice to keep on hand. They’re already pre-mixed, so they can drink them straight from the bottle if we’re ever in a pinch.
Germ-X
- Because germs. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
Bio-hazard Bag
- I’m totally laughing as I type this. They’re not actually bio-hazard bags, but that’s what my husband and I call them. They’re really just disposable dirty diaper baggies to throw away dirty diapers in. They’re also really good for storing soiled clothing (remember when I said blow out’s happen?). They’re basically just a glorified plastic grocery store bag, but they’re super compact and come in a fancy little dispenser. All in all, they’re just nice to have.
Snacks
- This is another item that you will not need until baby has started eating solids, which is usually around 5-6 months. We’re pretty conservative with the amount of snacks we let our little one munch on during the day, but they’re great when we’re out and about the the baby starts getting a little fussy. We really like Happy Baby Organic Greek Yogurt Bites!
Bottle
- Whether your baby is drinking breast milk, water, juice or formula, you’ll want to have a bottle of some sort on hand. If your baby is exclusively breast fed, you may not find this necessary until they begin taking juice. We absolutely love these Philips Avent Bottles. You’ll want to make sure you find a bottle that works well with your little one, and that you get a nipple with an appropriate flow level for their age.

I hope you find this list of diaper bag essentials for the first 6 months helpful when preparing for your baby! Do you have any other diaper bag essentials you couldn’t live without? I’d love for you to share about them below in the comments!

Southern Made Simple is a part of several affiliate advertising programs. This means that if you click and/or make a purchase through certain links on this site or any related social media platforms (including Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest), I may make a commission from that click and/or purchase. Although I participate in these programs and have sponsored posts, all opinions are my own.

Oribel Portaplay Activity Center Review

November 25, 2015 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

Oribel Portaplay Activity Center Review

Some serious baby fun is going on RIGHT NOW over on Stuff Parents Need!

It’s amazing how fast babies grow. People tried to warn me that it would happen in the blink of an eye, but you don’t really begin to believe them until it starts happening to you. I’ve ugly cried quite a few times already when putting up clothes and toys that my baby has already outgrown. She’s just 6 months old, y’all!

We’ve traded those tears for smiles, though! We had the chance to review an AWESOME baby activity center that grows with your child. I won’t be putting this table away for a few years, because she’ll still be using it up until age 5. Seriously! (I’ll still probably ugly cry when it’s time to put it away, but at least it will be a while!) 😉

We’re guest posting about it over on Stuff Parents Need right now! You can see our full review and more pictures of our little love bug here. Head on over and take a look!

For the Kids

I received these products at no cost to facilitate my review. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are completely my own.

Affiliate links are included in this post. I received these products at no cost to facilitate my review. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are completely my own.

I received these products at no cost to facilitate my review. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are completely my own.

I received these products at no cost to facilitate my review. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are completely my own.

I received these products at no cost to facilitate my review. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are completely my own.

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