Company: Universal Home Studios Entertainment
Item Reviewed: Have not reviewed this title yet
Item Given Away: Babies DVD
Start Date: August 27
End Date: September 10

Babies travels the globe following 4 children from vastly different corners of the world in their first year of life, featuring babies from Namibia, Japan, Mongolia and the U.S.  The documentary is a life-affirming and universal celebration of the innocence and magic of babies, proving that that if you surround a baby with love it doesn’t matter what culture you’re from or what child-rearing practices you follow.

Babies will exclusively be sold at Target on August 29th and it is already available on Video On Demand.

I have the opportunity to giveaway one copy of Babies to one Dirty Shirt reader. Please see rules below to enter to win today!

Giveaway

• MAIN RULE – Tell me in comment what the last movie you saw was. (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
• 1 Extra Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed or by email (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
• 1 Extra Entry – Follow me on Twitter (button in header) and let me know your Twitter name in a separate comment.
• 1 Extra Entry – Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste – @Jentifa is giving away a copy of the adorable BABIES DVD! Check it out here http://bit.ly/azkOac. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.
• 1 Extra Entry – Friend me on Google Friend Connect on sidebar and leave a separate comment that you did.
• 2 Extra Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog.

This giveaway will run through midnight on September 10, with winner being announced the morning of September 11. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Company: PunFlay
Item Reviewed: Baby Explorer App

PunFlay is the all new exclusive portal to showcase the iPhone and Web Games developed by the Media Lab of Emantras.

mLab is a high adrenalin ‘techno-creative’ outfit focused in creating fun and unique iPhone Apps, Web and Social Games apart from the ventures and expertise in animation and user design. It is a part of a global digital learning company called Emantras (headquartered in California, USA), PunFlay came into being using the creative and technology prowess it had in its workforce and as a means of meaningful self expression on the Web and iPhone.

Baby Explorer

• So, your baby’s growing fast and you are discovering something new with her/him every day. You realize that your baby’s hand-eye coordination is getting better, and she/he has begun recognizing bright colors. Your tiny tot is even responding to noise stimulation by trying to turn towards the source. Isn’t this the perfect time to introduce your tiny tot to Baby Explorer?
• Baby Explorer, a unique app by Emantras, was created to satisfy the development needs of toddlers from 3 months and above. The app makes use of bright colors to appeal to your child who begins distinguishing among bold colors by her/his fifth month. A spring loaded butterfly and a wheel help your little one’s hand-eye coordination. And four push buttons that quack, ring, squeak and whistle are all aimed at stimulating your baby’s auditory center.
• Baby Explorer will fuel your child’s fascination with its high contrast colors and designs, and excite their curiosity with fun activities (like cracking open an egg/ tracking rings) and animations (a leaping frog). And you can breathe easy knowing that this is one toy they won’t be able to swallow!

Features:

• High contrast colors
• Baby-friendly sounds to stimulate auditory senses
• Tracking rings to encourage spotting and tracking
• Spring-loaded butterfly and wheel to improve hand-eye coordination
• Fun activities that excite curiosity and exploration
• Toy parts are not small enough to swallow
• Portable and allows for easy storage

My Thoughts

While my toddler is a tad bit too old for this app she still loves playing with it and listening to the sounds each press on the iPad make. Just last night she spent half an hour making everything move and laughing along while she played. But the real test was letting my friends 10 month old play around on it. She loved the sounds and the colors and even clapped a little at the bubbles. She seemed to really enjoy herself as she adventured on and made things move. Perfect for a baby! And toddlers will love it too Click here to get it today!

Authors: Tracy Raver and Kelley Ryden
Item Reviewed: Sleeping Beauties: Newborns in Dreamland

Tracy Raver and Kelley Ryden’s photographs of babies at rest, nestled in soft surroundings, are pure magic. After airing on the Today Show in September 2009, Raver’s portraits of sleeping babies caused a national sensation – people cannot get enough of these slumbering babes! In Sleeping Beauties: Newborns in Dreamland, Raver’s lens has captured newborns as they inhabit that magical place – a world where past and future dreams come together in an ethereal realm. In most instances, the babies portrayed are brand new, on their way home for the very first time. It is in this state of newness, of transition from their warm cocoon of the past nine months to their journey of a new life, that she captures them as they slumber, dream, and awaken to their new surroundings.

Sisters Tracy Raver and Kelley Ryden are professional photographers who have helped to launch a new genre of studio photography: newborn baby portraiture. Forgoing elaborate props or artificial contrivances, their minimalist approach allows the emphasis to be on the newborns, resulting in a Zen-like simplicity that offers a glimpse of the grace and innocence that we all possess when we first enter the world.

My Thoughts

If ever there was a book that can just melt your heart it is this one! Baby after baby in the most beautiful settings, while off in dreamland, to me there isn’t anything better! The images are stunning, the babies adorable and I have to say that these two sisters have a great eye for simple beauty! I love babies, and this book would make an excellent gift for a soon-to-be mom, an experienced mom or a grandmother! I HIGHLY recommend everyone take a peek inside Sleeping Beauties: Newborns in Dreamland, you will fall in love!

The Dream Baby Cable Lock keeps children safe by preventing them from opening cabinets, deterring stroller theft and securing a multitude of items with its cable loop. For kids who are able to unlock traditional safety locks, the Cable Lock utilizes a built-in combination locking system.

The Dream Baby No Tools-No Screws Safety Kit is a 35-piece set of child accessories that doesn’t require any tools for installation.  The set includes outlet plugs, corner protectors and various locks and latches designed to keep children safe in nurseries, daycares, or at home.  It is also ideal for both homeowners and renters who are concerned with maintaining their cabinets, drawers, appliances and other pieces of furniture.

Dream Baby is making this job easier than ever with the Dream Baby Cable Lock and Dream Baby No Tools-No Screws Safety Kit.

The new Cable Lock was designed with the child who has learned how to unlock the traditional safety lock in mind. With its clever built in combination locking system that parents can change at any time, no child will be able to open the DREAM BABY® Cable Lock. The Cable Lock has an adjustable cable length that can be adjusted to mushroom shaped knobs or D-shaped handles.  The Cable Lock is also a great stroller lock, so for those times you need to rush into a shop with limited access or lots of stairs, simply loop the cable through the stroller’s wheels or handlebar and secure it to a larger object nearby like a bench or gate or bike rack so that it can not be stolen, but remember to never leave a child unattended.

The features on the Cable Lock make it easy to operate and secure in place. Equipped with a trigger and cable release button, adjusting the cable to a cabinet’s knobs or handles is made easy. To properly place the cable lock in place, you hold the trigger button and pull the cable around the item that you want to secure and then loop it around and click the cable back into the locking point. The dials can then be scrambled to any numbers and the cable will remain locked until the proper three digit code is set to open.  Resetting the combination is easy and convenient.

The No Tools – No Screws Dream Baby 35 piece Safety Kit is a must have if you have little ones in your home. Not only is it easy to use but it is perfect if you are a renter, no damage is done to cabinets and doors. The kit contains the following:

• Multi-Purpose Latch
• Outlet Plugs – prevents children from sticking object into outlets
• Adhesive Double Lock – fastens into position with a strong bonding tape
• Secure-A-Lock – prevents curious toddlers from opening cabinets
• Corner Protectors – prevents bumps and bruises from sharp table or counter corners
• Angle Locks – prevents child from opening drawers
• Door Stopper – Stops doors from slamming and pinching fingers
• Appliance Latch – stops a child from opening an appliance

You can buy the Safety Kit and Cable Lock from Amazon.com.

I have used both of these products in my home and I feel so much better knowing that my toddler will be deterred when trying to open doors, cabinets and even the toilet lid. Safety is of the utmost importance when it comes to children and I recommend these products to those that need help securing their home.

Over a decade ago, Baby Einstein was founded by Julie Clark, a mom who wanted to share her love of humanities with her baby. Her intent was to create products that offered interactive experiences for her and her daughter to discover the world together. While Baby Einstein has grown over the years, this same philosophy is at the heart of everything that we do. All of our products are designed to encourage discovery and inspire new ways for parents and little ones to interact.

Baby Einstein offers a wide range of developmentally appropriate products for babies and toddlers. What makes Baby Einstein products unlike any other is that they are created from a baby’s point-of-view and incorporate a unique combination of real world objects, music, art, language, poetry and nature — providing you an opportunity to introduce your baby to the world around them in playful and enriching ways. This simple principle is the foundation for The Baby Einstein Company and its products.

My toddler is fascinated by animals, especially at Sea World and Disney’s Animal Kingdom! She is filled with such excitement every time she sees a whale or a giraffe, and loves to feed the sting rays and sea lions. I know how important this is to her and for me I am thrilled to see her happy and growing up and I love that these are new experiences for her each time we see these animals, even if she has seen them before. In celebration of young children’s fascination with animals and in honor of World Animal Day, Baby Einstein created World Animal Adventure, the newest DVD from Baby Einstein.

The World Animal Adventure DVD, which debuts September 29, brings animals from around the world home to your baby, presenting dozens of playful animals in their natural habitats. Set to original world music specially orchestrated for little ears, the DVD includes fun baby animal puppet shows and animals from each of the seven continents. The DVD also presents a Grow with Me feature, offering a second viewing mode with content that changes as your baby grows so that you can get more out of the DVD.

My daughter got such a thrill out of the DVD, every time a new animal was on the screen she would laugh and clap and when she saw one that she knew she would tell me what it was. I love seeing her so excited about something and am so proud of how she is growing. She is also a huge puppet show fan, her siblings put on shows for her all the time, and she was rooted to her seat while she was watching the ones on the DVD. My favorite feature to this DVD is the fact that it grows as she does.

Along with World Animal Adventure, Baby Einstein will be introducing a number of new developments this Fall like an updated home page, a new blog site, YouTube channel, and Twitter page. You can learn more about these new features and other Baby Einstein DVDs and CDs by logging on to www.babyeinstein.com.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Baby Einstein and received a World Animal Adventure DVD to facilitate my candid review.

One guitar and one voice pondering coziness, dreams, and nighttime. An album of simple, soothing lullabies for children of all ages.

• Dandelion
• Carry On Crickets
• Hush
• Sleepy Town
• In the Land of Dreams
• Cocooned in My Blanket
• Listen to Your Heart
• Among the Green Leaves
• Hello Night
• Sleep Tight
• Rest
• All the Little Children

After discovering her passion for music via a piano in the common room of a schoolhouse in Colorado, Kesang Marstrand knew that it would be an inseparable part her life. As a teen, she entertained the hope of one day becoming a classical pianist and composer, but her family’s move to New York City while she was in high school prompted her to exchange the piano for the ever-more-mobile acoustic guitar.

I love it when I run across a new artist that has a voice that speaks to me and I have found that in Kesang Marstrand. Her Hello Night album, a collection of original lullabies for children, is a great CD to play while your children are settling down for the night. Kesang has a voice that is perfect for the softness that is required in lullabies.

I backtracked a bit and listened to some of her first album, Bodega Rose, and found that she has a Norah Jones / Jane Monheit style voice which I love! Perfect album  for me and Hello Night is the perfect album for my children. I played it for my toddler one night when I was having trouble getting her to calm down for the evening and she actually stopped moving around and let me just sit next to her while we listened to the beautiful lullabies, she was asleep by the third song. It worked, and after she fell asleep I sat there listening to the rest of the song in a very peaceful state.

I highly recommend getting this CD, not just for your children but for you as well. Beautiful music by a beautiful voice!

And I have a copy to giveaway to one lucky Dirty Shirt reader. See rules below to enter today!

Giveaway

• MAIN RULE – Tell me in comments what your favorite style of music is. (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
• 1 Extra Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed or by email (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry – Favorite The Dirty Shirt in Technorati and leave your name (I will be checking) in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry – Follow me on Twitter (button in subscribe section on on the right sidebar) and let me know your Twitter name in a separate comment.
• 1 Extra Entry – Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste – @Jentifa is giving away a copy of Hello Night Lullabies for Children! Check it out here http://tinyurl.com/mzkfjy. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.
• 2 Extra Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog.

This giveaway will run through midnight on October 6, with winner being announced the morning of October 7. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Reinforce the loving bond between you and your child with touch and play. Nurturing touch within a family is the foundation for healthy child development.

In Mommy, Draw Stars on my Tummy, “touch-play” activities are combined with catchy rhymes and tunes, which you and your child will enjoy together, again and again.

In just ten minutes a day you can incorporate healthy and loving “touch-play” activities in your life and discover an array of benefits:

• Comfort, calm and connect with your child in a loving way.
• Stimulate development in a nurturing environment.
• Laugh, have fun, and feed your child’s imagination.
• Teach your child to experience and learn about “good touch” in a playful way.
• Create a happier, healthier family.

This book is a genius approach to teaching your child. With my daughter, her senses are heightened and she wants to learn all about new things and after reading this book and doing the activities together I see that she interacts more with me. She loves singing along with the songs in the book and has learned so much. Her favorite song is Dancing Leaves and she loves to sing along, rather loudly, and when she is done she starts laughing, she just cracks me up. She loves the interaction of my making swirls on her back and always wants me to “dance” on her back. I am so thrilled with this book and I really recommend it to everyone looking for that special, close bond with their children. Here is a little information about what you can find in this wonderful book and about the brilliant author:

• Rhymes – This section consists of five rhymes. A couple are newly created for this book and some are well-known or re-written to well-known verses, like Five Little Caterpillars. Each rhyme has an added set of tips on how to engage your child or to add variety to the rhyme according to your child’s development stage.
• Games – Five games are included in this book that can be done anywhere and anytime. Tips are added to each of the games as well to engage your child and for variety.
• Songs – The five songs are written to the tunes of familiar songs and the all familiar ‘Itsy, Bitsy Spider’ song is included here as well.
• Stories – ‘Dreamland’ and ‘Thank You, Flower’ are the titles of the two stories in this section. They’re short and easy to read stories with wonderful and fun hand routines to follow along on your child’s back.

Martine Groeneveld is a registered nurse, licensed massage therapists, certified infant massage instructor and mother of two young girls. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing and psychology  and a National Board Certification in massage therapy in The Netherlands. Martine has written articles as a freelance writer and has published in national nursing and massage media.

A native of Holland, Martine has over 12 years of experience in traditional and alternative health care, with five years  teaching baby and child massage. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two daughters, where she runs her company My Mini Massage.

Carrying newborns and infants requires a lot of care and can have an impact on their early growth. At Bean Pod, we have designed slings that offer infants a safe, natural, and comfortable ride.

Sling carriers are the most natural way to carry a baby. Your baby’s body will sit and curve in the sling, wrapped in the same position and with the same support as he or she was in the womb.

It is particularly important to use a sling for the first 3 months of a child’s life (or even longer for premature babies) to promote natural spinal development during this time. Carrying a baby younger than 3 months vertically may put unwanted pressure on his or her spine and may affect the child’s development. Also, some carriers are designed to carry a child in a way that forces the child to spread its legs apart. This is also not ideal for the undeveloped spine, pelvis and thigh bones of the child.

I recently got the opportunity to test out and review the Sling in the beautiful fabric you see here and I love it. My daughter still struggles with a slight weight problem that she had from birth and she is still able to be carried around in a sling. I really wish I knew about the importance of slings when she was a baby because I most definitely would have worn a sling from the very beginning. Now I enjoy carrying her on my hip and with the help of this sling I am able to do so without any strain to my back or shoulders.

I am really impressed with the fabric used with Bean Pod slings. Not only is it sturdy but like the Japanese floral print I received, it is just beautiful. I recommend this sling to everyone.

The unique features of Bean Pod slings:

• our slings are padded on the shoulder to cushion the weight of the baby and reduce the strain on the carrier’s shoulder
• one side of the sling is sewn in a green color to make it easy to know which side to pull/release in order to adjust the tension of the sling
• the detachable pouch comes with a clip that can be easily hooked on the rings or the eye inside the shoulder pad for easy access of keys, wallets, pacifiers, etc
• all our slings are made with 100% cotton to minimize skin irritation for your baby.  Rings are no-weld constructed solid aluminum rings and are tested to hold up to 250 pounds
• unlike pouch slings, the size of our slings can be adjusted with the rings to accommodate the size of growing babies and different carrying positions
• our sling fabrics are fashionable and funky

And thanks to the wonderful woman behind Bean Pod Slings I am able to offer my readers the chance to win one of their own Bean Pod Sling in any fabric. Just see rules below to enter today!

Giveaway

• MAIN RULE – Explore the different designs on the Bean Pod website and find your favorite pattern and come back and tell me in comments what it is. (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
• 1 Extra Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed or by email (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry – Favorite The Dirty Shirt in Technorati and leave your name (I will be checking) in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry – Follow me on Twitter (button in subscribe section on on the right sidebar) and let me know your Twitter name in a separate comment.
• 1 Extra Entry – Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste – @Jentifa is giving away a Bean Pod Baby Sling. Check it out here http://tinyurl.com/r59odf. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.
• 2 Extra Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog and to the Bean Pod website.

This giveaway will run through midnight on August 25, with winner being announced the morning of August 26. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

eebee’s adventures are designed to engage you and your baby with rich play experiences that provide powerful lessons that memorizing letters, numbers, colors and shapes simply can and do not.

I have reviewed eebee DVDs in the past and they are my daughters favorite shows to watch. Almost every morning she asks for eebee shows to be put on, so when I was asked to review the eebee hand puppet I was so excited because I couldn’t wait to see my toddlers reaction to it.

She absolutely loved it. I unwrapped it and laid it next to her while she was watching TV and when she looked over she screamed and picked it up and hugged it. My favorite thing though is to watch her reaction to it when my son puts on little shows for her or interacts with her.

She carries the puppet with her everywhere and sticks her hands out of her playhouse and makes eebee say hello to everyone. Then she breaks down in a fit of giggles. I love seeing her play with eebee and she is always laughing.

And guess what? I have the opportunity to give one of my Dirty Shirt readers a huggable, tuggable and kissable eebee hand puppet to share with your child. Please see rules below to enter to win…

Giveaway

• MAIN RULE – Tell me in comments who you would give this to if you are the winner. (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
• 1 Extra Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed or by email (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry – Favorite The Dirty Shirt in Technorati and leave your name (I will be checking) in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry – Follow me on Twitter (button in subscribe section on on the right sidebar) and let me know your Twitter name in a separate comment.
• 1 Extra Entry – Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste – @Jentifa is giving away a eebee Hand Puppet. Check it out here http://tinyurl.com/lw9tpp. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.
• 2 Extra Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog and to the eebee website.

This giveaway will run through midnight on August 20, with winner being announced the morning of August 21. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

My goal started simple: To create a cute and modern version of the ruffled diaper cover or baby bloomer that was such a staple of my childhood wardrobe. The line is fun, hip & feminine, made of 100% cotton with quality construction. We designed our brand to include multiple colors and patterns which can be mixed-and-matched in order to make the lives of busy moms a little easier.

My family and I are very strong in our faith and run our business accordingly. We follow the golden rule: “do unto others as you would have done unto you.” Values and ethics are imperative to our business and we will do everything in our power to do the “right thing.” We are very grateful for the opportunity to work with so many amazing people across the globe and are equally grateful for your business!

Baby is a RuffleButt baby, not my daughter.

I have recently had the pleasure of reviewing a pair of the Woven Grape RuffleButts and I just love them. I love all the frills and ruffles dressing little girls up, it is the reason why I wanted a girl so badly, and I have been blessed with two. My toddler looks oh so cute in her RuffleButts and I love that they actually stay up on her waist yet they are loose for her to move around in, and boy does she like to move around. And my friends and neighbors just love these! I took my daughter to the park the other day in them and got a lot of compliments on her ruffles, and was asked twice where to get them.

So I sent them over to RuffleButts.com which if I may say you should go check out as well. They have great colors in the RuffleButts, my personal favorites are the Dancing Dots and the Pink Retro, as well as swing tops and peasant tops and ruffled hoodies. Their clothes are just absolutely adorable, and I can’t wait to get more.