If you purchase the travel system before February 4, 2012, you can get a FREE Britax Infant Carrier ($129.99 value) when you use promo code TGT46D3X at checkout. For additional savings, apply promo code TGTHTT5Z for an additional 10% off your order too. Your total should be around $325 at checkout including tax (if you have a Target RED Card, you’ll save an additional 5% too which will drop your total to $311).

Their last deal sold out quick, and you can find it here.

Fast forward three and a half years. Baby sister is here, without any further shopping an entire wardrobe awaited my new baby. Great, since we are on a budget, but here’s where the mom guilt sets in. While I was sad when my oldest out grew baby clothes and couldn’t fit into the newest fashions I saw in a store, I can barely look at baby clothes these days because I know we don’t need a single thing. My poor second child is doomed to live a life of hand-me-downs.

Please don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of the cost effective and green sentiment. But how will I ever justify buying new things for poor sweet baby girl. Sure she has a few filler pieces from friends and family, and I had to buy some warm items for her since her sister was three months old in the summer time… but it’s not the same.

Mom Guilt!

So when I was asked to shop CookiesKids.com specifically for my baby girl I was excited to have a reason to buy things specifically for S. Yeay – something to ease my guilt. At least for today.

Having never shopped CookiesKids.com before, the first thing I noticed is that the site has TONS of stuff. Like wow! And the prices are great (even justifiable for second-kid syndrome). Since there are so many options, I was a big fan of the “view all” feature. Of course, the page was super long, but that was so much better than scrolling through page after page. You can also narrow your choice with the selection tools. (I will warn you that in the baby section, narrowing by size is a little wonky. There are several different ways to say the same size and they each pull up different items. So it took a bit of extra work.)

These are just a few of the drool-worthy selections I considered for S. See everything else I considered in my Google+ gallery.

Another problem I found shopping for a baby was the lack of a size chart. I have a big baby (13.15 lbs at her two-month appointment). So, while she is still just three months, she has actually out grown a few 3-6 month outfits. I even had her in a 6-9 month outfit today. It isn’t every outfit, just those that run small, but it makes it hard to shop for her without a size chart. There are size charts available for bigger kids, just not in the baby section.

I found these to-die-for shoes that would be ADORABLE, but I just don’t get shoes for babies that can walk. And too bad for me, the biggest they come in is a 3. Since K didn’t start walking until 14 months, that’s way too small. But wow are they cute.

After way too much debate, I chose these two outfits for S in size 6-9 months with the hope that they will run on the small side.

Since I love a good deal, I did a quick search for a coupon code before placing my order. Yeay, I found one for $5 off an order (HappyHoliday through 1/31/12) and another for free shipping plus 5% off orders over $50 (JanDeal). Also I realized I could get 2.5% back from Ebates. And here’s a hot tip, CookiesKids has a referral program. If you sign up for CookiesKids.com through my referral link we will BOTH get $10 to shop! (Yes, the coupon codes can be combined with Cookies credit – I did it.) So be sure to sign up with my referral link so I can earn more clothes for baby girl.

Of course, while I was shopping for S, I had to take a quick peak at clothes for K and I could not resist buying these oh-so-perfect Strawberry Shortcake PJs for my Strawberry fan.

So how did I do with sizes? Purchasing the 6-9 months for my 3 month old was the right call. The purple outfit is a perfect fit now (14 weeks old). The pants are a bit long, but the top is just right (maybe even a little snug). There is no way she will be able to wear this by the time she is six months old. The little purple skirt will probably fit longer, so after the outfit is too small I’ll pair it with something else. The pink outfit is bigger, it fits now but there is room to grow too (especially in the pants). I really like the the onesie in the pink outfit because it has a soft stretch to it, so it will fit for a while certainly through the cooler months.

Most of all, I am excited that I have two brand new, fancy outfits for baby girl to wear. Doesn’t she look adorable?!

Disclosure – This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Your baby loves to be close to you, to feel your heartbeat and rest against you. Arguably the most recommended hands-free carrier, the ERGObaby gives you continuous connection, a fabulous feeling of freedom, and security knowing your baby is safe. And now introducing the ERGObaby Options Carrier, which enables you to change the look of your carrier in a snap. Wear the black ERGObaby Carrier as it is, or wear it with one of the three included stylish covers for some extra personality. Match your carrier to your mood, to your dress, to your diaper bag…4 baby carriers in one. Who doesn’t love to have Options?

They also have the ERGObaby Doll Carrier in Hawaiian print for $13.99 today too (normally $25).

If you’re not familiar with the Woot site, they sell one item a day until it sells out. They are now owned by Amazon, and we have purchased from them many times over the years.

Features:

• 1.5” Color LCD screen
• Infrared night vision
• High sensitivity microphone
• 3 Polyphonic lullabies
• Communicate remotely with two-way communication
• Complete with room temperature monitor
• 1.8Hz DECT technology
• Data Encryption for security
• Five LED alerts for noise level
• Up to 490 meter range with “out-of-range” warning
• Rechargeable battery (Parent Unit)
• ECO mode
• Baby unit includes support stand

Check out the deal here.

Our Ultimate Changing Table features a versatile combination of open and closed storage to maximize your organization options.

• 41.5″ wide x 19″ deep x 41″ high
• Expertly crafted with a solid wood frame.
• Equipped with a roomy top, an adjustable shelf and three small drawers.
• Each adjustable shelf can accommodate three medium or large Sabrina Baskets (sold separately).
• Use with our Changing Pad (sold separately).
• Our exclusive finishes are applied by hand for exceptional richness, durability and depth of color.

Check it out here.

Update: Use coupon code TGTHTT5Z for an additional10% off.

The new Baby’s Bouncer in the HowNowBrownCow fashion for Target is a great value bouncer with toys, a cute character fashion and calming vibrations. It features soft fabric with a comfortable seat plus a toybar with fun bat & spin play for baby. 2 colorful paddles with vegetables from the garden spin around the toybar and the center piglet holds a little chick for fun bat-and-grab play, all on a toybar that easily removes to get baby in and out. The pad is machine washable, include a 3-pt. restraint and there are non-skid feet to keep it in one place.

Check it out here.

• Comfort Zone Digital Monitor – $20.40+tax
• AdapTable High Chair – $20.40+tax
• Vantage Booster Car Seat -$20.40+tax

Fisher-Price is proud to introduce the new EZ Bundle 4-in-1 Baby System, which is actually 4 functional items in 1 convenient space saving bundle (Infant Seat + Infant Swing + High Chair + Toddler Chair). Utilizing Snap Fit Technology, the Fisher-Price EZ Bundle is an innovative Grow-With-Me system that is Space Saving for Less Clutter! The EZ Bundle 4-in-1 Baby System provides Mom with everything she needs for the daytime care of her Baby. One universal seat easily snaps into the four different platforms.

Check out the deal on eBay here.

The best deal seems to be on the Boulevard 70 Convertible Car Seat in Onyx which is currently priced at $215.99 (list $319.99) and ships for free. After you add it to your cart, make sure you add the FREE  travel cart as well and the price will be automatically reduced at checkout.

For more information head over here.

Check it out at Target here.

Check it out at Target here.

If you’re new to Zulily you can sign-up for a free account here, or if you already have a Zulily account, you can find the deals here.

But if you prefer to listen to the current hits while baby reaps the benefits of listening to lullabies and classical music, then you will love Lullabelly. Lullabelly is a prenatal music belt that lets you load music onto your MP3 player, plug in your player and let your baby reap the benefits of listening to music in utero.

Not having any Mozart or Bach on hand, I loaded my MP3 player with Jack Johnson and Bubble. (The Jack Johnson CD was what I used to play for K when she was a baby, and it is still the CD I pop in to calm her down when she is sick or having a rough day.)  Wearing the music belt around the house, I have to admit I felt a little goofy, especially when K told me I had a zipper on my panties (I guess she thought the band was part of my panties). But after a while I forgot I was wearing it, and so did K.

I was surprised at first that you can’t hear the music at all when wearing the Lullabelly. After I thought about it, it made sense because if I could hear it, it would be way too loud for my baby. But for moms who want to listen to the tunes, Lullabelly includes a splitter, so you can hook up headphones and listen to the music at the same time you play it for your baby. The really clever thing is that it also has a special volume control for the baby speakers, so you can listen as loud as you want and keep it nice and quite for baby.

I have a super sensitive baby belly, I can’t stand the pants that come up over my bump or anything rubbing it, so I found the bulky wires and such a bit annoying on my belly after a while. The little pouch that holds your MP3 player is padded on the outside, but not on the belly side, and if I had one suggestion it would be to add some padding for the belly side.

Overall, it is a cool gadget. It is so easy to wear, and if my baby benefits I am all for it.

The Lullabelly music belt is available on Amazon for $55. It is super soft and comes in five colors; Sky Blue, Apple Green, Princess Pink, Sunshine Yellow, and Chocolate Brown Mint.

Enter to win The Suburban Mom’s Virtual Baby Shower Giveaway valued at more than $500 here!!!

Disclosure – I received a Lullabelly to facilitate this review, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

For baby #2, I already anticipate the second-child syndrome of having to be flexible around big sister’s activities. From preschool pick up to dance class, I’ll be dragging this kiddo through sister’s world. After all, I can’t well keep a busy three year old home with me all of the time – we’d all go nuts!

In the beginning, the infant car seat will be her perch. But soon enough she will need more entertainment than just me rocking her. Dreading a baby wanting to crawl around dirty floors (ick), I know I will need somewhere to put her. Check out the solution I found.

The KidCo Go-Pod Portable Activity Center from One Step Ahead is an activity center on the go. It is lightweight (7 lbs) and folds easily, making it the perfect place to plop the baby for some play time while we wait for Sis. Can’t you see us waiting in the dance studio lobby playing happily while mom watches big Sis dance? Ahhhhh, one can hope it will be this simple, right?

Another great use for this portable wonder is on playdates to visit big sister’s friends, or traveling when bringing along an entire swing or exersauser is outs the question. Really the possibilities for use go on and on…

Of course nothing lasts forever, and the product recommends for use from 4 months and up to 26 lbs or the baby starts walking. I fear it will be a sad day when it is time to retire this handy contraption, but isn’t it always a sad day when they move on from stage to stage and old toys are left behind?

Features I love:

• Protective floor mat – no touching an icky floor with little toes
• A cup holder and a snack holder – will put snacks in a cup so I don’t have to clean holders
• 5 loops for attaching toys – yeay, no picking up toys that have been thrown on the floor
• Carrying bag with shoulder strap makes it super easy to take on the go – easy peasy fold too
• 4 adjustable height positions to accommodate your growing baby – see picture above that shows poll in highest position

Overall, this is a nifty contraption. The only con that I have noticed is that it takes some serious finger pressure to adjust the height, but since that isn’t something you will do often it isn’t that big of a deal. Besides, you really wouldn’t want little fingers adjusting the height, so just and FYI more than a con.

The KidCo Go-Pod Portable Activity Center is available from One Step Ahead for $49.95. If you have never shopped from One Step Ahead, you should really check it out. The company carries all kinds of solutions for babies that I have never seen anywhere else, all kinds of great stuff.

I am excited that One Step Ahead is participating in The Suburban Mom’s Virtual Baby Shower. In addition to all of the other fabulous prizes, the winner will win a KidCo Go-Pod Portable Activity Center!

Enter to win The Suburban Mom’s Virtual Baby Shower Giveaway valued at more than $550 here!!!

Disclosure - I received the KidCo Go-Pod Portable Activity Center to facilitate this review and one is being provided for the winner, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I want to continue encourage the excitement about being a big sister and make sure K still feels special when the baby comes, so when I discovered “The Super, Incredible Big Sister” by I See Me, I had to have it for K.

We have one other personalized book for K, and she loves it. But while it is really cute because it is personalized it is very simple and looks exactly like the personalized books I had as a kid. This book blows the other personalized book out of the water. This book looks like it was made with today’s technology, not the ’80s. It is beautiful.

With full-color pages, my daughter’s name is not only incorporated into the text of the story but also into the graphics. It is truly a keepsake book my daughter will have forever, not to mention that it is a cute story too. As a bonus, it also comes with a “Best Big Sister” medal too.

The one drawback to the “big sister” and “little brother” books is that both the big sibling and the new baby’s names are incorporated into the story – so you have to know the new baby’s name before ordering the book. It worked out for us because we happened to settle on a name just before I discovered the book, but it does complicate purchasing it before the a baby arrives for those who are undecided on the new baby’s name.

I See Me offers several other personalized books in addition to the “big sister” and “little brother” books including “My Very Own Name,” “My Very Own Fairy Tale,” “My Very Own Pirate Tale” and more. After seeing how gorgeous this book is, I expect us to be the proud owners of a couple of other titles too.

There are 13 titles available from I See Me books that range in price from $24.95 – $39.95 depending on the title. (The big sister/big brother books are $29.95). I can’t speak highly enough about the quality of these books. I think the Fairy Tale book might find its way under our Christmas tree this year!

Disclosure – I received an I See Me book to facilitate this review and one is being provided to the winner, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Years ago, I was highly impressed the first time I saw a Magic Bullet demonstration and now the people behind that cool product have created a version just for making baby food — the Baby Bullet.

The Original Baby Bullet™ is more than a blender – it’s a 22-piece comprehensive baby food making system designed to make mom’s life easier while ensuring baby begins life eating the healthiest, most nutrient-rich all-natural foods. Jarred baby food is much more expensive than homemade food and typically contains unhealthy sugars, preservatives and fillers (even when it’s labeled organic). With The Original Baby Bullet™, moms are in full control of every ingredient that goes into their baby’s food. Fresh is always best!

With the Baby Bullet system you receive the entire 22-piece set that includes everything you need to make baby food at home; The Power Base, The Cross Blade and Flat Blade, Two Short Cups, The Batchbowl, Six Storage Cups with Date-Dial lids, The Batch Tray, The Soft-Tip Spatula, The Original Baby Bullet™ User Guide and Cookbook, Pocket Nutritionist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsAF2Qlyfro

Not only is it practical, it’s cute too. (My husband, the gadget man, has added the Baby Bullet to our registry!)

The Baby Bullet is available from Target for $59.99.

I am so excited that Baby Bullet is participating in The Suburban Mom’s Virtual Baby Shower. In addition to all of the other fabulous prizes, the winner will receive a Baby Bullet System.

Enter to win The Suburban Mom’s Virtual Baby Shower Giveaway valued at more than $550 here!!!

PLUS – In addition to the Baby Bullet included in the Virtual Baby Shower Giveaway, I am giving away a second unit here. That’s right, I am giving away two Baby Bullets!

Disclosure – Although the Baby Bullets are being provided by the company, no compensation was provided to me and all of my thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Check out the deal at Britax while still available here.

First, you have to know that I am picky about strollers. With K I went through no less than 8 strollers – most returned within just a a few days of purchase, some I ended up stuck with as they collected dust in our garage. Since I know more this time around, being an experienced mom and all, I performed all of my usual “tests” on the Britax B-Ready, and I am happy to say it has passed my series of tests.

Check out my video review.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SngkGkdndZ4

Product Features -

• For use with children from birth when using infant car seat, bassinet or second seat. For babies six months and up when just using top seat only.
• Reversible top seat with 3 recline positions
• Large canopy with sun-visor and ventilation window
• Click & Go integrated infant car seat adapter
• Simple fold with automatic chassis lock
• No re-thread, adjustable, 5-point harness and head pad
• Comfort ride 4-point suspension
• Converts to in-line double stroller
• Large underseat storage
• Adjustable handle height with comfort grip
• One-step, linked parking brake with indicator
• Removable storage bag with insulated drink holders

As you can see in the video, there is a lot to love about this stroller. From the versatility to accommodate one or two kids in 14 configurations to the HUGE storage basket with multiple access points for your gear this stroller is outfitted with all the bells and whistles. The one-touch break system, even has a color visual so you can know with one glance whether the lock is on or not. Another thing to love in the Florida heat is no air-filled tires — so no worry of a flat tire on your kids’ ride!

Unfortunately, no product is perfect. For me the biggest con of this stroller is the lack of a child tray accessory. Let’s face it, your kids will eat and need entertainment in the stroller. I have fallen in love with the child tray on my current stroller. The B-Ready offers a bar (comes with the stroller), which I like OR snack cups (additional), but they can’t be used a the same time. I believe there are some universal snack cups that can be used with the stroller, but I haven’t gotten them yet. A small con to work around, but worth mentioning.

The other con is the width of the wheels and weight of the stroller. Both features make the stroller extra stable, and I appreciate the need for them, but it does make maneuvering though a narrow store a bit tricky. The stroller weighs 26 lbs, so it does take two hands to lift it into your car, but if I can do it, so can you. And let’s be real, the stroller is ready for two kids size and weight make sense.

Whether you are having your first or your second child, the Britax B-Ready is a great stroller that will grow with your child(ren). The stroller has an MSRP of $499.99, but it is available on Amazon for $399.99. In my opinion, you can skip the bassinet feature and just use one of the infant car seats (which is much more versatile), which you will need for the car anyway. There are two options for infant carriers to use with the B-Ready, the Chaperone and the B-Safe. We have decided we are going to go with the B-Safe for baby #2.

Disclosure – I received a Britax B-Ready to facilitate this review, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.