Book Review: THE HAPPIEST BABY GUIDE TO GREAT SLEEP: Simple Solutions for Kids from Birth to 5 Years by Dr. Harvey Karp

I love this...it is like an E-Z instruction book for parents AND babies!  I received a book from One2One Network recently to review by Harvey Karp, M.D. and boy I wish I had The Happiest Baby Guide To Great Sleep Simple Solutions for Kids from Birth to 5 Years a few years ago when my daughter was a baby.  I had to cobble together my own plan by hook and crook.  Thank goodness I ended up with a good sleeper but, wow, having Dr. Karp's book would have made it a bunch easier for me. You are really lucky...Glamamama is kind of jealous but I will tell you more anyway because I know how hard it is as a mom.  I am hoping I can help other moms avoid some of the sleep pitfalls that my friends fell into.

Dr. Karp has some simple but effective techniques.  They are very easy to learn and use in your own home.  No special expensive equipment needed either.  You will learn about the key set of techniques, it's called the "5 S's": swaddling, side or stomach position, shushing, swinging, and sucking. Those five actions re-create the atmosphere in the womb or what Dr. Karp calls the "fourth trimester."





Dr. Karp gives you super simple steps which incorporate the 5S's to get your child to start sleeping great quickly.  That is what we all truly want, I know we agree on that. When the kids sleep well, we sleep well..yay...everyone is happy.  Dr. Harvey Karp has made doctors applaud and parents cheer with his simple but effective solutions to centuries-old problems such as colic and tantrums. Now, in THE HAPPIEST BABY GUIDE TO GREAT SLEEP: Simple Solutions for Kids from Birth to 5 Years (William Morrow Paperback; On-Sale: March 19, 2013; $15.99; ISBN: 9780062113320), Dr. Karp solves the #1 problem plaguing new parents: pure exhaustion.  We all know it, right?  

Dr. Karp’s has some fascinating insights like:

• Train brand new babies to sleep better: Infants can be taught to sleep at least one extra hour from the first weeks of life! Dr. Karp shows how to safely increase baby sleep in just days.

• The best white noise and which ones to avoid: Low pitched and rumbling white noise is the holy grail for good sleep...even with teething...for all babies. Advantage:  Mom and Dad can sleep too!

• Always wake a sleeping baby: Babies must learn how to self-soothe. The best way to teach babies how to fall back to sleep—when they rouse in the middle of the night—is to wake them a tiny bit just as they’re being put into bed.

• All the Benefits and none of the risks of swaddling: Swaddling totally improves a new baby’s sleep.  Smart moms like you should do it and Dr. Karp will teach you how to do it properly and safely.

• Blackout those computer, tv and smartphone screens: Staring at bright screens at night can really do a number on a toddler and a parent’s sleep.

• E-Z “no-cry” tips that end infant and toddler bedtime struggles in less than a week!

With The Happiest Baby Guide To Great Sleep, you can erase from your mind all those horror stories you have heard about months of sleep deprivation.  Forget about your baby having to cry themselves to sleep. Backed by compelling science, common sense and decades of experience, Dr. Karp’s landmark guide pretty much revolutionizes how millions of children will be drifting off to dreamland including your own baby and toddlers. You can order The Happiest Baby Guide To Great Sleep book here.
 
I am participating in a book review campaign with One2One Network. I received this book from Harper Collins for the purposes of reviewing it. I have not received compensation. My participation in the campaign enters me into a drawing for a gift card. All opinions stated are my own.

#Woolitewashed In Home Boutique Party #wooliteer

I was recently invited to host a Woolite Washed In Home Boutique Clothing Swap & Sampling party through my membership with Crowdtap. I love Woolite and have used it for years so I knew it would be easy and natural for me to introduce friends and family to the great laundry products that Woolite has. I recently started using both the Woolite Everyday and Woolite Dark formulas so I was able to share my personal experiences.  Woolite made it easy for me to share too by providing me with free samples for each guest that included a coupon as well on their next purchase.

I emailed and texted a bunch of my friends an invite to gather up some of their beautiful dresses, pants, skirts, shorts and other clothing items that are gorgeous but just never worked for them personally and to come to my house for a Woolite Clothing Swap.  I asked for each person to bring at least four items to trade or swap.  We were going to have a fun clothing swap courtesy of Woolite and we did it this past weekend.

I picked up a few bottles of nice wine and some luxe chocolates from a beautiful store in my area....2 Chicks With Chocolate.  Aren't the chocolates just gorgeous??  I made a few appetizers but tried to keep it simple with finger foods. I love some of the fun items they have at Trader Joes like the wontons and Thai Chicken. Fun and easy for the hostess!!

I set up a portable clothing rack and let everyone hang up their pieces (I set up a bunch of hangers for the ladies that needed them) It was fun because everyone brought different styles and seasons so it added a lot of variety.  We all found a few cute items to trade and everyone was thrilled.  It was nice to be able to have Julie be able to enjoy that beautiful dress that I bought last year that I wore once on my cruise...yay!

I shared with the girls that I have started to use Woolite Darks for jeans to really preserve them better.  It kills me to pay $90+ for jeans but they fit so well.  By using Woolite, it keeps them nicer, with less fading and better color so it reduces that guilty feeling, you know what I mean?  I really feel like the Woolite protects my jeans...they even stay softer. Don't you hate when jeans get crunchy? Not with Woolite.  The girls couldn't believe how great my black jeans looked....told them I just wash in Woolite and they stay nice and dark.

Woolite Everyday formula works great for everything else and I am not just talking about bathing suits.  I find my clothes look and feel better when I wash them in Woolite versus regular detergents.   All the ladies were excited to go home with some great new items plus a free sample of Woolite with a coupon.

Crowdtap has some great opportunities like this and more. You can join yourself and learn more here.  You can get more tips from Woolite on their website or through their Facebook page.  You can tweet to Woolite as well, they are on Twitter too!  You can see what they have pinned on Pinterest as well and follow their boards.  Share some of your ideas on fashion and washing with Woolite if you get a chance.

Disclaimer:  I received free samples of Woolite through Crowdtap. I was also provided with a giftcard towards party supplies.  As always, my opinion is my own.

Review and Personal Experience: The Fast Metabolism Diet #FastMetabolismDiet

#FastMetabolismDiet 

This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/FastMetabolismDiet. I received a copy of the book and an app from SheSpeaks in order to post a review for my readers.  As always, my opinions are my own.

I have been pretty steady with my weight (not too bad...) this winter but everyone can use a little help as bikini season approaches, Glamamama included. My weight never stays totally on target, but jeez, whose does?  Oh, I forgot, Heidi Klum, lol!

 I was a little bit excited when I heard from She Speaks that I was chosen to participate in a review for The Fast Metabolism Diet by the famous Haylie Pomroy.  You can pre-order The Fast Metabolism Diet now too! It is not any kind of fad diet, which I really liked right off the hopper. You might have heard Haylie on Dr. Oz or several other shows. She really has some solid ideas that are reasonable and can be incorporated into real life. The main idea is getting you out of poor eating habits like drinking coffee, eating foods loaded with sugar and even those sugar substitutes.  Haylie has you eating lots of healthy vegetables (recipes included!) and drinking lots of water to flush out the junk.  That is the key...real life.  It really is easy to follow. She has everything set up in phases...from exercise to the recipes.  If I can do it you can do it!

I love that The Fast Metabolism Diet includes 4 weeks of healthy meal plans (easy to make ahead too...she is conscious of us busy, working mamas!) and more than 50 recipes.  Good recipes too.  The recipes include options for vegetarians, organic and even people on gluten-free diets.  

I started about a week ago and it has been going pretty well. I have lost 2 pounds so far and I feel really good.  I want to let you know that I do get to the gym regularly which I think helps alot. The book actually suggests adding movement to the plan so at least I had that part under my belt already.  I do a crazy boot camp regimen on Saturday mornings and a mix of weights, pilates, boot-camp type regimens on Monday, Wednesday and Thursdays.  Gotta keep it honest. I think the best way to do it is a mix of activity along with the clean eating plan that Hayley recommends.  I will keep you all updated with my progress. You can learn more about the book on The Fast Metabolism Diet FAQ Page.

I found the iphone app to be helpful as well.  It really made my planning a lot easier. You can get more information on The Fast Metabolism Diet app here.

You can get more information by following Haylie and The Fast Metabolism Diet on the website, Facebook and Twitter:

• http://www.fastmetabolismdiet.com/
• Facebook
• Twitter 

4/29/13 UPDATE
I have been doing really well. Several of my friends are in it with me and that helps too!  I have lost 6 pounds so far and I feel much more energetic.  The recipes have been keeping me going and helping a lot. I think the diet is a huge part of the whole fitness plan.  I love the smoothies especially now that it is getting warmer too.  Of course I have been keeping steady with gym classes/workouts 4 days a week too.  I love the smoothies especially now that it is getting warmer too. 

Dial Kids Body & Hair Wash Review Giveaway and Sweepstakes

Purex Insiders recently sent me a bottle of their new Dial Kids Body and Hair Wash to try out.  I love that Dial put together a new kids line of body washes with such a nice variety of wonderful but gentle scents.  They have three varieties of washes which work for young toddlers up to those tweens who still enjoy the cool scents. 

The Dial Kids Peachy Clean Tear Free is great for the tiniest toddlers. Its tear-free formula was developed with kids in mind by pediatric dermatologists. I love that that the Dial Kids Body & Hair Wash products have no additional dyes or added parabens. Who needs those anyway?  Great for kids ages 2 and up, this body wash won't irritate kids' sensitive skin. Plus, kids love the gentle peachy scent and I love that it is tear free! When my little one was younger that kind of product was so hard to find.  Lucky you...easy to find everywhere.  Now that she is older we are looking forward to both the fun varieties of Watery Melon and Berry Cool but those are two varieties that are meant for older kids 6+.  Even though she is older, she still enjoys fun scents.  Dial Kids Body & Hair Wash is truly affordable and seem to be easy on my child's hair.  

As you can see from the picture above on top we received the Watery Melon variety. It smells yummy, comes in a good sized bottle, and is gentle enough that we had no complaints   Enter my giveaway below and you'll be able to choose either a free bottle of Dial Kids Peachy Clean Tear Free or Watery Melon or Berry Cool, which aren't tear free and are recommended for kiddos 6+.

Enter the Dial Kids Sweepstakes One lucky winner will receive $1,000, while 250 second placewinners get to try NEW NEW Dial® Kids Body & Hair Wash for FREE!
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Disclaimer: Dial and Purex Insiders and Dial provided me with a product for review. As always, all opinions are my own.