How to improve meal time with your Toddler

I've learned a lot about how to make meal time with my toddler go more smoothly. I'm no expert, but I have caught on to a few things that make our meal time more relaxing and enjoyable.

1. Give your toddler choices. Whenever Aiden starts throwing a fit at dinner and food starts to fly, I try to put myself in his shoes. He can't communicate exactly what he wants, which is frustrating. He has control over very little in his life. He wants what he wants and he wants it now. When I think about him as a tiny person and consider how he is feeling, it helps me to deal with his tantrums. He isn't just being mean and making a mess for me because it's fun for him. He is doing his best to communicate something that is going on in his brain. Because of that I always find it better to give him choices. I let him pick which color spoon he wants to use. I let him pick if he wants to use a spoon or a fork or heck, even both at the same time. I use divided plates to give him options on what he gets to eat first so he feels he has some control over the meal I've stuck in front of him to eat. I even let him choose a toy to keep with him on his tray. Fun placemats can make meal time more fun too. We are currently using this one.

2. Make meals a fun family bonding time. Sit down at the table together and actually include your toddler in the meal. Serve him what you're serving. Involve him in conversations and don't talk over him! Children pick up more than you think and they know when they aren't being included. I've noticed that if my husband and I are talking back and forth or if we are on our phones (which we try not to be) that Aiden starts getting frustrated. He wants to be included. I know that meal time is always going to be an important family time in our house so why not set that precedent now.

3. Use products that are Toddler friendly. That means two things: easy to use and easy to clean. Here are a few products that have made my life easier at meal time...

Fun feeding Fork & Spoon set (Pictured above)
These utensils are easy for little hands to hold. They are contoured and easy to grasp even with messy fingers. They are also fun, bright color, which is always important and they are BPA free! I have washed these many times over the last few months and they are durable too. They are my go to utensils for Aiden right now!

Garden Fresh Storage Pots These little storage pots have been a life saver for me. I use them to store any fresh veggie or fruit purees I make. They are also great for dipping sauces or storing leftovers. I've taken yogurt to-go in these as well as homemade applesauce and fresh blueberries for snacking. I love that they come with lids to seal in and preserve flavors and nutrients. These are freezer, dishwasher and microwave safe and hold approximately 2 fl. oz. each.

Ezpz Mini Mat This mat is pure genius. I love that it is a divided plate, but one that STICKS to any surface including a high chair tray or table! Gone are the days of my toddler throwing his plate (and all it's contents) on the ground. I have the mini mat, which is tailored to a baby. The plate is divided with purpose...the eyes and smile of the plate are portion sizes perfect for your infant/toddler 4 months and up. I have my eye on the happy mat, which is geared more toward toddlers 9 months and up as the portion sizes are catered to toddlers. It is also easy to pack up for travel and it comes with a reusable bag you can pop in your diaper bag.

What other tips do you have for making meal time with your little one more fun for everyone?

*I was given these product for free in exchange for a review, but all opinions are my own.

Baby See, Baby Do

Aiden is now 14 months old. This age is definitely an adventure. Aiden studies everything so intently and wants to to everything we are doing. Aiden see, Aiden do. He sees me with a comb and immediately he wants to brush his hair. He sees me blow my nose and he wants a tissue to try it too. He has seen us put his shoes and socks on so now he wants to "help." Most recently he has developed a love for brushing his teeth. He now requests to brush his teeth every time we walk into the bathroom or he sees his toothbrush. "Br, Br, Br..." That means it's time to brush.

Since he didn't start getting teeth until he turned one, I hadn't had to get him a toothbrush so when the time came to get one I had no idea what kind to buy. Thankfully I received Nuby's 4 Stage Baby Oral Care System just in time. It comes with 4 different stages of brushes perfectly designed to help your baby with each stage of oral development. We are currently using the Stage 3 brush, which is made of silicone and acts as both a teether and tooth brush for my teething baby. It is easy for Aiden to hold himself and is great on his gums and new teeth. I add a little of Tom's Toddler toothpaste and Aiden will brush and brush and brush.

Now if only we could get him to figure out the difference between what he uses to brush his hair and his teeth. This sometimes causes an issue. Haha.

When did you start brushing your baby's teeth? 

*I was given this product for free in exchange for a review, but all opinions are my own.

All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth (and then some)

My little guy is a little late to the teething game. He starting popping his first tooth just a day before his first birthday. But now we are playing catch up and he is popping teeth like I pop sour patch kids at the movie theater. Thankfully, NUBY launched a new range of teethers on Amazon just in time for Aiden to test his new chompers on.

Aiden's favorite teether of the three is the Fruity Chew. We got the Orange and since my son loves all things fruit he "Mmmmms" as he chews on this teether. The handle makes it easy to grasp and it is great for him to chew on. I have even put this in the fridge to let it chill before giving him and he loves to chomp on it.

His next favorite is the Spin N Teether because it is not only is a teether, it's entertainment while he chews. He has tested out all the chewing surfaces of this toy and the chewy edges are perfect for him to bite. I love how there are multiple chewing surfaces for his ever changing gums.

Lastly, there's the Farm Animals Soothe-a-Loop. This one is his least favorite of the three, but he still enjoys it more due to the animals on it than the actual teething surfaces. I do feel like this one is the easiest to keep tabs on due to it's size. We took this with us on a long car trip and Aiden was able to hold it and keep track of it himself throughout our trip.

If you are looking for a new teether for your little one to try or you are looking for a little something extra for your little one's stocking the links to the teethers I mentioned are below:

Farm Animals Soothe-a-Loop
Fruity Chews
Spin N Teether

I did receive these items free as part of the Nuby Parent Blogger Program, but all opinions are my own!

Tales from the changing table

Ever since Aiden was a teeny, tiny newborn he has loved his changing table. It is what my husband and I lovingly refer to as his "happy place." He is a pretty content little man, but if he is ever upset, a quick trip to his changing table will fix that.

It was probably his changing table where we first saw him smile and I know it is where we first heard him laugh. It is the place that he makes the most noise and even if he is on the verge of falling asleep, he becomes wide eyed and bushy tailed as soon as we lay him down to change him. For some reason this kid just loves his changing table...and being naked.

Teething is upon us (dun dun duh) which can make for a fussy baby. Aiden's changing table along with some amazing teething toys have helped make this process easier on us as new parents. There are so many different teething toys out there that it's hard to know which ones to invest in. I've seen teething toys that resemble fake food like hot dogs and cheeseburgers (Ew), teething toys that look like a dog's chew toy (no thank you) and honestly I just want teething toys that work and help my little guy feel better. So I decided to try the Nuby 3 Stage Teether Set.

Right now Aiden doesn't have any teeth that have cut through and the doctor said he could be teething until he is 9 months old before ever even cutting a tooth...oh joy! This Nuby teething set comes with three different teethers and all natural teether wipes. Each of the teethers targets a different area of your baby's mouth. The stage 1 teether is amazing and targets the front of the mouth where the first teeth come in and is designed to massage a baby's delicate gums. It is also very easy for tiny baby hands to grip!

I have tried several other teethers and Aiden's favorites are Sophie the Giraffe and the MAM Mini Cooler from Target. This Nuby set is becoming a quick favorite as well. I love that each teether included in this set has a specific purpose to help out those poor teething babes because let's be real...teething is not fun for anyone involved. So the motto of this post is: find your baby's "happy place" and a good teether and just keep them in said happy place with that toy until teething is officially over.  It sounds good in theory, right?

Does your baby have a "happy place?"

What are some of your favorite teething toys?

You can find the Nuby 3 Stage Teether Set here.

I did receive this item free as part of the Nuby Parent Blogger Program, but all opinions are my own!

The Perfect Valentine Shirt for your little one {The Blue Envelope Shop Review}

I am so excited to be sharing the story behind a new children's apparel line called The Blue Envelope with you today! First of all, how cute is this "L is for Love" shirt? It is one of many adorable and fresh designs in their new line.

The material of the shirt is so soft and the design is modern and fun. I was immediately in love with this company after reading about their story. Both girls who run the company have young kids who they call their miracle babies. Their company started off designing custom invitations (which are also incredible) and since having kids have been inspired to create children's apparel. Their desire is to "be inspired by the imaginations of little ones."

"We hope that through our new line we can encourage your little ones to be dreamers and believers that anything is possible." -The Blue Envelope

Looking at their apparel you can tell they really mean what they say. Their shirts are designed with meaning and heart. I love their Inspirational Alphabet tees and am definitely going to look into getting Aiden one of their Inspirational Number tees for his first birthday! And of course, if you are looking for a Valentine's day shirt for your little one, look no further...

Connect with The Blue Envelope:
Etsy Shop

Facebook

Instagram

Rocking a Muumuu like my Mom...

I remember a few months back reading the book Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy and laughing hysterically when she was talking about her strong desire to wear a muumuu. You get to the point in your pregnancy when you just want to be super comfortable, hence her wanting a muumuu. I was looking at some pictures recently of my mom when she was pregnant with me. She could rock a muumuu I tell ya...

So when eShakti contacted me about reviewing a dress I picked the most muumuu like dress I could find because it just sounded fantastic. I received my dress in in the mail, added a skinny belt and wore it out that night. It is the most comfortable dress ever especially for a pregnant gal.

The material is breathable, the pattern and detailing is fun and makes me feel like my mom totally could have worn this dress when she was pregnant with me. My other favorite thing about this dress is that it has pockets. Who doesn't love a dress with pockets?

eShakti does a great job customizing orders. I requested the length of the dress be knee length, which was longer than the actual dress shown on their website and I love how it turned out.

 So here's the question of the day...would you rock a muumuu?

You can get 10% off your eShakti order now through 9/19 by using the code: nestfulofloves

To connect with eShakti you can like them on Facebook or check out their Pinterest page

While I did receive this dress for free, all opinions are my own.

A few things helping to make me feel pretty (oh so pretty)

one: Bare Minerals blush. This blush is a two in one (compatible) and I love it. It has a pink ice blush on one side and a bronzer on the other side. You can use them both together or individually. Jessica Simpson calls this kind of thing a "Twofer"...two for one.
two: Beehive Necklace from Charming Charlie. I love the look of this necklace because it looks like a beehive. It came in a set with matching earrings.
three: Peach Kiss Baby Lips by Maybelline. My sweet friend Courtney made me a pampering kit for my birthday and this was in the kit. All I have to say is thank you Courtney. This is now going to be a regular purchase of mine!
four: Headbands from Charlotte Russe. I had been looking everywhere for inexpensive headbands with a little bling and walking into Charlotte Russe and seeing these made me a happy girl.

Another thing that is helping my look lately is the HANAair Professional Hair Dryer. I was recently contacted by Misikko to test out their HANAair Professional Hair Dryer who claims to have the best blow dryers so I was happy to test that out for myself. My former hair dryer was the cheapest Revlon hair dryer that money could buy, but it did the job...or so I thought. If you can't already tell, my hair is super thick and curly and it usually takes me at least 25 minutes to dry it completely followed by having to flat iron it and then add some curl with my curling iron...quite a long process, which is why I usually just let my hair air dry.

I tested out this hair dryer and was excited at how quickly I was able to dry my hair. It took me under 15 minutes to dry my hair! Other things I liked about the hair dryer:
-Long cord, which I find handy when I want to walk around while drying my hair
-Quiet
-Light weight
-3 heat settings
-Left my hair feeling smooth
-Left my hair with less frizz than my old hair dryer

The packaging of this hair dryer was another perk. I felt like I was receiving the royal treatment when I opened the box and found chocolates, a new hair brush, a heat proof pouch and much more. I'm so excited to replace my old hair dryer with this one! If you are in the market for a new hair dryer this one did not disappoint. Check out the Misikko facebook page for hair advice and giveaways of their most popular products.

What is helping make you feel pretty lately??

*While I did receive this product for free, as always my opinions are my own!