I always said I would have at *least* 3 kids. I actually always wanted 4. However, after Sawyer (my second child) I decided I was done. I still liked the idea of 3 or 4 children, but I did not want to go through pregnancy/ nursing/ the baby phase / etc. all over again.
So, since I had decided that I didn’t want to have any more we got rid of almost all of our baby stuff that we had saved.
Well, just a couple of weeks after throwing away a big bulk of baby stuff (including our crib), we found out that I was pregnant again. Surprise! I guess God planned on me having 3 babies after all!
While I was a little bummed about some of the stuff that I had gotten rid of, I was excited to shop for a baby again. (I am never not excited about shopping!)
Sawyer is now 2 1/2, so it had been a couple of years since I bought baby stuff. There were a lot of new products that I had not seen or got a chance to use with my other two, so I was excited to try some new stuff out with baby # 3!
When I reached out to my Instagram followers and asked about their *must-have* baby products a large majority of them mentioned the Dockatot. I had seen the Dockatot before (who hasn’t?), but I feel like within the last couple years it has definitely gotten more popular. However, I was honestly surprised to hear people say that it was one of their must-have products. I was always curious about it, and since so many people suggested it I was really intrigued to try it for myself!
DOCKATOT
We received our Dockatot Deluxe just a couple weeks ago. I have been putting it in bed with me and that’s where I’ll lay Capri down after I nurse her into a deep sleep. It has honestly been the only thing that has made co-sleeping with a newborn feel comfortable + safe. I was always hesitant about co-sleeping with newborns. (They’re so tiny and fragile!) I’ve tried a few other sleepers and bassinets in the past, and honestly the Dockatot along with the Rock-n-Play are the only things my kids have slept in comfortably! I like switching off between the two because it’s nice to switch up her position. I think the Dockatot will make transitioning to the crib (much later on) a lot easier. The Dockatot comes in two sizes (Deluxe for 0-8 Months, Grand 9-36 months). You definitely want get the appropriate size for your baby, because the size is what makes it so comfortable for your little one.
Now, I do know there are some similar items to the Dockatot for a lot cheaper. From what I’ve heard, most do not have the bottom support that the Dockatot has. I could see that compromising some of the child’s comfort. I also feel like the bottom support is what makes it more of a sleeper than a pillow. Ya know? And as we usually find out, “you get what you pay for.” So, keep that in mind!
You can get $10 off a Dockatot with my referral link: Dockatot
BINXY BABY HAMMOCK
Another item that I had seen around but never got a chance to try with my other two was the cart hammock by Binxy. I was a little hesitant to try it, because it didn’t really look safe- HOWEVER, let me tell you the honest truth, it really is super safe!! It goes a lot deeper than it looks in photos. (Imagine an actual hammock, but with more support/structure!)
I tried this for the first time about a week ago and I actually LOVE it. It is so much easier to use this than an infant carrier, which is heavy and takes up a ton of room in the cart. It’s truly genius! I usually wear my kiddos out when they’re infants, but there’s almost always a reason that I need to set them down for something (adjust my carrier, go to the bathroom, etc.) so this is perfect for me! It can also hold your carseat for you if you decide you want to bring that also. It can actually hold up to 50 pounds! It can be used until you baby is 6-8 months old. (Up until they can start sitting up on their own.)
You can get 10% off a Binxy hammock with my referral link: Binxy Hammock
OLLIE SWADDLE
The third item that I recently received for baby Capri that I had not used in the past is the Ollie baby swaddle. Now, I am not a huge fan of swaddling. Mostly because I have always sucked at it. Logan was always the one to swaddle Cash & Sawyer, and I usually would have him re-do it if he did it too tight.
Thankfully I was able to easily swaddle Capri with the Ollie, and it took me like 10 seconds. It’s made from custom moisture-wicking material to reduce the risk of overheating, and it has velcro on the sides. I like that the velcro makes it easy to adjust if needed.
This is SO much easier than dealing with a swaddling blanket. Capri was super cozy in it. She obviously approves as well! I really love the Ollie + Dockatot combo. I received the Dockatot before the Ollie and I would have to lay out a blanket in the Dockatot to swaddle her (which was a pain), but this swaddle makes it so much easier!
You can get 10% off an Ollie swaddle with my referral link: Ollie Swaddle
Trying these new items was really fun and I truly love all 3 of them. I am excited to try more new things as Capri gets older!
While I did receive these items in turn for a review, it was not technically necessary that I leave a positive review! However, I honestly do love all 3 products! Capri is only 5 weeks old, so we definitely have a lot of use left in these items. I will report back if my mind changes on anything. 😉
Use my referral links to get a discount on these items!
Dockatot ($10 off!)
Binxy Hammock (10% off!)
Ollie Swaddle (10% off!)
xx
Britt’s List Of Unique Baby Gifts
I’ve gathered up some of my favorite baby items for this blog post.
WARNING: This post may cause baby fever.
I don’t think I want another baby, but damn, this stuff is so cute it sure makes me consider having one more!!
BURRITO BABY SWADDLES
As if you didn’t want to eat up a new baby already, this will make it even harder to resist! These burrito baby swaddles are hilarious and adorable. SHOP HERE by Mirando Brand
PERSONALIZED BLOCKS & UNIQUE WOODEN TEETHERS/TOYS
Little Sapling Toys has the cutest selection of wooden teethers, toys, and blocks. Personalized blocks that spell baby’s name would be a lifelong keepsake. I really like the idea of finding a teether that fits perfectly with the family, for example the guitar for musicians, the castle for Disney lovers, the airplane for a pilot’s baby, etc. There’s seriously SO many cute ones to choose from!! SHOP HERE by Little Sapling Toys
SLUMBER SLOTHS
Who doesn’t love sloths? Exactly. These super soft, handmade sloths are perfect for little ones to cuddle with. And they’re super duper adorable. SHOP HERE by Slumberkins
MILESTONE BLANKETS
These milestone blankets by BatzKids are such a great way to photograph and treasure those special milestones. There’s so many to choose from, including age blankets, monthly milestones, first holidays, and even a monthly pregnancy blanket. SHOP HERE by BatzKids
MILESTONE CARDS
Another great product to track milestones are these milestone cards! There’s a lot to choose from, and they are all super cute. SHOP HERE by Milestone
DOCKATOT
If you haven’t heard of DockATot yet, then you’re missing out! (From what I hear, at least.) I always read rave reviews about this product. Basically, this little spot is designed to help your baby sleep like…well…a baby! I wish I had known about it with my littles. SHOP HERE by DockATot
SHOPPING CART HAMMOCK
I’m not going to lie, these shopping cart hammocks look too good to be true! What a great little invention. Putting a car seat in the front of a shopping cart is frowned upon because it can be dangerous, and putting it in the back takes up the entire cart. I would have loved one of these when my kids were little! SHOP HERE by Binxy Baby
MOSES BASKET
I am obsessed with these Moses baskets! They are seriously the perfect little spot for a new baby to sleep. Bassinets take up a lot of room, and are hard to move around. I would have loved one of these for my babies. SHOP HERE by Plum + Sparrow
BABY BOOK
Baby books have been around for forever, but they’ve never been as cute as they are today! These adorable Baby’s First Year books are so unique and modern. SHOP HERE by Lucy Darling
MULTI-USE NURSING COVER
I actually own a Covered Goods nursing cover, and still use it even though I am done nursing! This cover not only acts as a traditional nursing cover, but it also functions has a carseat cover, shopping cart cover, and a scarf! SHOP HERE by Covered Goods
BABY WRAP
Baby-wearing is a new-mom NECESSITY! I didn’t master the art of baby-wearing with Cash, mostly because I didn’t find a carrier that I loved/felt comfortable with. Thankfully I discovered Solly Baby wraps before having Sawyer, and it ended up being a lifesaver! I love that it’s very lightweight and breathable, and holds baby super close and snug to your body. SHOP HERE by Solly Baby
These are my favorite unique gifts. I hope this came in handy with your registry or the next baby shower you’ll be attending! I’m sure I’m missing some other amazing unique gifts on here, so if there’s any that you recommend, LET ME KNOW!!
xx
Britt
Healthy, Fresh Baby Food Delivered To Your Door
I’ve started to see a lot of these meal delivery services start to pop up, and they all look really great, I’m interested in trying them…but I worry that my kids won’t like anything that’s included.
I was just introduced to a local company called Mini Fresh, which is similar to those meal delivery services that I mentioned, BUT they actually cater to babies, kids, and moms! My favorite thing about the company is the fact that they offer 100% organic food, and it’s all FRESH. They guarantee delivery twice a week, and everything is delivered within 5 hours of being cooked and packaged.
They are located in Phoenix and deliver locally at the moment, but they plan on expanding, so hopefully they can make it to your area soon if you aren’t in the Phoenix area!
Read more about their mission HERE.
I tried a bite of everything that was delivered, and it was all really tasty. (And I swear I’m not just saying that!!!) Those energy bites are full of so many great ingredients, but when I read them before tasting it I thought to myself “that cannot taste good…”, but it actually did. It tasted GREAT! And my kids thought they were cookies. Ha!
I gave the kids these trays for an early morning breakfast picnic. I heated up the veggie quiche (which was delicious) on a separate plate and then put it back in the tray.
That little oat bit (top right corner) was my personal favorite (lol), I took a bite and wanted the whole thing.
Give them a try if you’re an AZ local! Click HERE to browse their website.
Beautycon Box Review
I have always been interested in those monthly beauty box subscriptions, I just never pulled the trigger on signing up for one. There are a lot of different ones to chose from, which makes it hard to decide which one to choose!
I recently received my first beauty box, and it was from Beautycon. I was pleasantly surprised by the full size products, and the variety of items inside.
The box includes name brands such as Too Faced, Garnier, and L’oreal.
My favorite items were the Lippie Stick by ColourPop, the bronzer by Too Faced, and the highlighter by Artist Couture. I truly loved every item in the box though, and will use every single product.
Another goodie that came in the box was this botanic fiber facial mask , which was so refreshing! I think I’m going to have to stock up on these.
While I don’t have any other subscription boxes to compare it to, I do think that this one stands out among the ones I’ve heard about as far as the brands & sizes of products it offers.
The cool thing about getting a beauty box is that is likes a little surprise for yourself! You know it’s coming, but you don’t know exactly what will be inside.
If you decide to grab a box for yourself, be sure to use my code BRITTKAVWINTER for 15% off your total.
Click HERE to check out their website.
This post was sponsored by Beatycon.
The Terrible Thing That Keeps Happening To Small Businesses
Something really bad is happening to small businesses, primarily children’s clothing brands that have gained popularity through Instagram.
As most of you know, for the last two years I have owned a small business called Root Avenue. Root Avenue’s main product is children’s graphic t-shirts. When I first opened shop I started off with 5 designs, that I created myself in photoshop. Root’s first big ‘hit’ was our Pretty Fly For A Small Fry raglan. Before I released this design I searched all over the internet to see if anyone else had an item with this phrase. I searched hashtags, Pinterest, Etsy, Google, etc, and it was nowhere to be found. Within weeks of releasing this shirt I started to see copies being made. They started to pop up in the hashtag on Instagram, and in Etsy shops. I was furious that people were ripping me off, and I eventually had to invest in trademarking this phrase so that I had legal grounds for reporting knock-offs.
As a small business every single sale is a huge deal for me and my income. Every time a copy is made, it takes away from my business. Yes, even if it’s made for personal use. Copying a small business is the exact opposite of being supportive.
Taking the time to report every single replica became part of my daily schedule. It took away from time that I could have been doing productive things for myself and my company.
Then came the knock-offs from *China. (*I do not want to write the name of the website, so I will be referencing “China” instead. I do not want to help promote this wholesale website in any way.) The first time someone notified me that my design was being sold on this popular Chinese wholesale website, my heart dropped and it felt like someone punched me in the gut.
Reporting “copy cats” was one thing. China is a whole other level. Once an item has been copied by China, you not only have to worry about the Chinese wholesaler, but you have to worry about THEIR supplier, as well as boutiques that buy in bulk from them.
There are also “Buy-In” groups on Facebook, where women go in on buying in bulk from this website. I understand that some women don’t even know that they are buying knock-offs. HOWEVER, I believe that a majority know exactly what they are buying. Some even have the nerve to go to these groups and post photos from small businesses pages and ask if it can be found on the Chinese wholesale website.
All of this is a HUGE problem. Copying is directly effecting small businesses, and it is stealing! Stealing from business owners who have worked their butt off creating, designing, promoting, and running their business. All to be ripped away from them because of GREED.
I have seen people say things such as, “Well, you should be flattered that they like your product enough to copy it!”
To me, this is the same thing as someone getting robbed, and then be told, “Well, you should be flattered that they liked your stuff enough to steal it!”
Because that is exactly what copying is. It’s STEALING.
Being copied is one of the most discouraging thing for business owners to deal with. Even with trademarks and copyrights, it is extremely difficult to track down and remove all of the replicas. Not to mention the amount of frustration it causes and time it consumes.
Wondering how to be able to tell the original from the replica?? Here are few helpful tips.
How to find out where the original came from:
HASHTAGS
If the item is something that is easily searched, such as a phrase on t-shirt, I recommend browsing Instagram hashtags. This allows you to go back and see when it was used first and which company started it. There are some generic phrases that are hard to claim, but you can at least see if a design was replicated. (Font/placement/garment/etc.)
PHOTO
The photos on the Chinese wholesale website all look very similar. Here’s some examples. Now, it can be very hard to tell sometimes. The Chinese wholesale website will often steal the small business’s photos. This screen shot is straight from the Chinese wholesale website. The three photos that have a picture of a child were all stolen from the original makers. So, just because you see a picture of a child wearing the item does not mean that is the actual item you are buying. Photos of my children are being used by the Chinese wholesale website, as well as by boutiques who have purchased from them.
PRICE
If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Many “crafters” will charge very low prices just to make the sale, and because they will purchase a very cheap blank. A “custom” t-shirt, for example, might be sold for $10 because they purchased a blank shirt from somewhere like Walmart, & used their vinyl cutter to make the design. Ripping off designs means they don’t have to work hard on being creative or promoting a business, they can just copy someone else and make a quick buck.
Boutiques selling children’s sets (example: shirt, bloomers, bow ) for $13-$20 were most likely bought from China. Many sets on the Chinese wholesale website are being sold at prices as low as $4. (If that doesn’t scream sweatshop, I don’t know what does!) Now, figuring out if the item is a knock off is another thing, but a little research can usually help you determine it’s authenticity.
The photo above is a great example of what you get when you buy a knock-off from China. Check out the spelling errors on the shirt.
The originals can be found here:
Headband | Shirt | Leg Warmers | Adorable Baby Model
END THE DEMAND
Whether it be a friend making a copy, or contributing to a bulk buy-in, THIS is the type of thing that needs to STOP NOW. If we can work together to end the DEMAND, then we can hopefully eventually end the SUPPLY.
I know this might seem like a lot of information, and I understand that this might not resinate with a lot of people that it doesn’t directly effect. I just want to get this information out there, and if this stops even one person from buying or making a knock-off, then I would be happy.
When you buy from the original maker, you are helping support a family and a dream.
SUPPORT CREATIVITY AND THE ORIGNAL!
#supportlocal #buyhandmade #shopsmall #makesmallbig
Side note, yes, I do buy things made in China. I have even purchased things (such as tape, and paper clips) from the Chinese wholesale website. I want to be clear that I am not saying that all things made in China are bad, I am simply stating that there is a huge problem with creators being ripped off by them.
10 Children’s Brands To Follow On Instagram
If you have kids and haven’t found the children’s clothing/accessory world that exists on Instagram, then you are definitely missing out! I absolutely love discovering new clothing brands online, especially one’s for my little humans.
From shoes, to rompers, to headwear, there is no shortage of amazing and unique brands on Instagram.
I’m going to share a handful of my favorites. If I shared ALL of my favorites, we would be here all day.
Let’s start with the little feet!
SHOE SHOPS:
Potato Feet carries the cutest moccasins & booties, in a wide variety of colors and patterns. I absolutely love these shoes because they slide on so easily, and they STAY on. Their quality is amazing, and will last for as long as long as they fit your your kiddo’s feet!
Piper Finn Footwear has the most adorable leather oxfords for children. I want one in every pattern for my kids! Sawyer has the polkadot ones, and they are one of my favorites on her.
Urbemm carries leather goods, including the most amazing leather boots for kids. Why do kids get to hog all the good stuff??
CLOTHING SHOPS:
Rad Revolution is another one of my all time favorite shops. Everything is designed by the owner, Mallory, and she is constantly coming out with new [and adorable] items. Rad Revolution carries pants, hoodies, bonnets, swimmers, and, my personal favorite, ROMPERS!
Little Urban Apparel has unique and quality pieces that are just darling! (I don’t usually talk like that…but, ‘darling’ is seriously the best way to describe this brand!!!)
Vivie & Ash makes the cutest peplum tops, bloomers, and dresses for little ladies. I seriously think Sawyer needs one of everything from this shop!
TOYS:
Cuddle and Kind has the most adorable hand knit dolls. Dolls come in two different sizes, and they have a variety of different characters to choose from. One of the things that I love about this company is that for every dolls sold, they provide 10 meals to a child in need.
Little Sapling Toys makes wooden toys for babies and toddlers. They sell everything from blocks & teethers, to furniture. I ran into the owners at Disneyland last year, and they are very sweet!
ACCESSORIES:
Noxx is known for their wide variety of handmade beanies. They also carrie headbands, scarves, blankets, and burp clothes.
George Hats has the cutest selection of trucker hats & sun hats for little dudes! (Girls could totally rock these also.) I love the patterns they offer!
Let me know what some of your favorite small shops to follow are!
Like I said, I love to discover new shops!