Nanny to Mommy

Midnight, shmidnight.

This year you can celebrate as a family and still have time for a parents-only party with a whole new set of New Year’s Eve countdowns, available only on Netflix, designed for preschoolers, tweens and everyone in between. You choose when to say goodnight, and kids choose how to celebrate with their favorite characters.

We had a great year. You worked your booty off on the blog and had the most productive year yet. Hubby had a great year too and got promoted to a great high profile store. He is learning so much and happy for the experience. Sweet Pea is doing great in school. Her teachers always talk about how social and smart she is. Peanut is your bouncing baby toddler now. You can't believe how much he has grown in a year.

 

 

 

We did some great things as a family. We went to White Water, Dragon*Con, strawberry picking, and to the lake more than a few times. We had a great vacation in Panama City Beach, FL with the whole family. SweetPea started dance and you couldn't be more proud of her. She turned five this year and that is just crazy. You celebrated your 8 year wedding anniversary too.

I received complimentary products to provide this review. All opinions are my own.

As you may remember I did an unboxing of the Ecocentric Mom Pregnant Box. Once they saw I wasn't pregnant, they decided to send me just the mom box for this month's unboxing. Ecocentric Mom Subscription Boxes not only have a pregnancy and mom box, but also one for mom & baby.


What I love about Ecocentric Mom subscription boxes is they have researched everything to only include the best, healthiest products for you and your family. You also get an item that is a "keeper", something that can't be "used up" and what is more eco than that!

Here's what came in this month's box:

I received complimentary products from Nutrisystem to provide this post. All opinions are my own.

I know I mentioned last week that we were going to go to The Varsity on Christmas Eve, but it has been very rainy in Georgia with flash flood watches so we decided to stay at my in-laws and have a nice steak dinner. I still can't believe my father-in-law went to the grocery store that morning.

This post contains referral links.

Our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide is now complete! If you would like to see who made the list, please click 'Read More' below. We are gearing up for our annual Baby Shower Gift Guide and if you would like to participate, please contact Diana.n.chastain@gmail.com.

 

If you would like to see our review policy, please feel free to check out our media kit. Here is an example of our 2014 Holiday Gift Guide and 2015 Baby Shower Gift Guide. Thanks!

I received complimentary products to provide this post. All opinions are my own.

 

"AdoramaPix helps people turn their digital photographs from abstract computer files into beautiful keepsakes designed to last a lifetime. Their contemporary metal prints capture memories in rich color and vibrant detail. Because your images are infused right into the metal, and not painted on the surface, their metal prints are extremely durable. Not only will your metal image be water and weather proof, but scratch resistant as well. You can even clean it with glass cleaner. Your memories deserve to live in true, archival luxury with AdoramaPix metal prints."

 

I received complimentary products from FreedomPop to provide this post. All opinions are my own.

Have you heard of FreedomPop? Shoppers can simply skip the "deals” from major mobile carriers and big box stores and instead rack up hundreds of dollars in savings with free voice, text and data each month. My sister is the world's worst about keeping a phone on, but with FreedomPop she can have an affordable plan so we can always keep in touch.

 

FreedomPop, the completely free mobile services provider, today announced its Holiday deals which include smartphones for as low as $40, bundled with its completely free mobile data, text and voice services for life. FreedomPop offers any user 500 MB of data, 500 texts and 500 voice minutes completely free each month. Users can also earn free data by completing various surveys. Here are just some of the Holiday offers:

I received complimentary products from Nutrisystem to provide this post. All opinions are my own.

 

Monday we started the week off with dance of course where they had a Santa and Peanut actually sat in his lap! Both were scared when we went before. SweetPea said she would have sat in his lap (even though she was scared) if she knew there were candy canes. LOL

 

 

This week has was SweetPea's last week of school before Winter Break and we all went as a family to her Christmas Party on Friday, then we took the kiddos to see The Good Dinosaur which was a GREAT movie and I seriously suggest taking your kiddos to see it.

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

I received complimentary products to provide this post. All opinions are my own.

Movie night is a staple in our house. And one of the HOT movies of the season is Minions Movie and with good reason! It is hilarious! We recently received the opportunity to have a Minions Movie Night thanks to PEEPS & COMPANY®.!

 

 

 Besides making my kids obsessed with bananas (BANANA!), the Minion movie was hilarious in all the right places making you fall in love with their quirkiness all the more. What made our Minion Movie Night super special was the PEEPS® Banana Crème Flavored Minion we enjoyed as well. First of all they smelled great and my kiddos devoured almost before I could snap a few pics.

 

I love that they have so many recognizable characters like Marvel Avengers, Disney Princesses, and other Disney characters. I thought it would be cute when we go to Dragon*Con this coming up year (yes, we already have our pre-reg tickets), if we all had some cool color changing t-shirts from Del Sol. So here is what I got everyone:

I am a LeapFrog Mom Ambassador and receive complimentary products as such. All opinions are my own.

We LOVE our LeapFrog LeapTV! LeapTV is an educational gaming system that combines body-motion, traditional gaming, and educational content for a good-for-them gaming experience that gets kids up and active while they learn core skills across reading, mathematics, science, and problem solving. My daughter has learned SO MUCH since we first received it to review.

The LeapTV makes an awesome holiday gift for kids, especially at the new low price point of only $59.99! PLUS there are TONS of new games this year that you will want to check out:

These products are featured in our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide.

There is no higher value than simply showing your loved ones that you care. Love Cooking Company was created to inspire more loving moments, which are made possible through our unique products that help you easily create special dishes. They recognize that every moment in the kitchen counts. That’s why we’ve created collections of unique bake ware and tools to make the process easier and more fun. From prep to serve, we’re with you every step of the way to make sure your dish is a success.

About What I Received:

 Nanny to Mommy is a member of the Netflix #StreamTeam and receives complimentary products as such. All opinions are her own.

12 Reasons To Spread the Netflix Love This Holiday Season

I received complimentary products to provide this post. All opinions are my own.

We love all things Disney and pop up books in our house. Who doesn't, right? My daughter recently had a Disney Princess themed Birthday Party and a ton of fun was had by all. I recently received the opportunity to review a BEAUTIFUL pop-up book by Insight Editions called "Disney Princess: A Magical Pop-Up World" by  Matthew Reinhart .


Starring the timeless characters that have made the Disney Princess films a treasured part of pop culture and animation history, this visually stunning volume is packed with intricately designed pop-ups, transformative scenes, and many other surprises. With state-of-the-art paper engineering and beautifully rendered illustrations, Disney Princess: A Magical Pop-Up World brings these castles and characters brilliantly to life, capturing the magical worlds that have enthralled audiences for decades.

You can see for yourself how GORGEOUS this book is below:

 

The Good Dinosaur is the biggest movie for children right now. They are going crazy over the humor, love, cute characters, and touching storyline. Disney has a way of winning the hearts of children and adults everywhere with their creative animated films. To celebrate the release of The Good Dinosaur, The Hopping Bloggers has teamed up with the best bloggers around to bring to you this ultimate The Good Dinosaur prize package! Each blogger donated to the cost of the package and the prizes will be shipped to you individually from Amazon.com. One lucky winner will receive this prize package, which is valued at over $100! 

You are entering to win the following: 

It’s almost the most wonderful time of the year which means... Christmas card time! Share your festive Christmas cards/photos featuring your baby with #MyChristmasBaby and we’ll select three winners to win a $100 prepaid card! As a fun bonus, any cards/photos including MAM pacifiers, bottles, teethers, toothbrushes and/or sippy cups will be entered to win one of three $100 vouchers to shopmambaby.com. Enter HERE to WIN!

Don’t celebrate Christmas or send out Christmas cards? Share a cute seasonal/holiday photo featuring your LO as a comment below or on our wall to participate!

 

Welcome to the Snuggle Nest Surround XL from Baby Delight Giveaway, hosted by Thrifty Nifty Mommy and Viva Veltoro

 

The New Snuggle Nest Surround XL is designed to offer a greater sense of security for newborns when co-sleeping with parents. The new extended length and slightly narrowed foot area offers a comfortable space for your baby, and a sleeker profile in the adult bed. The Snuggle Nest Surround XL is comprised of two rigid, vented wall units at each end, which help to block adult bedding and create an exclusive sleeping area for baby. Two flexible side panels built into the soft quilted cover, are filled with thick structural mesh, and allow easy and comfortable access to baby, while forming an air barrier from adult bodies and bedding. Also included are a firm mattress with a wraparound sheet and optional 1.5” incline wedge. By placing the Snuggle Nest against the headboard of the adult bed, infants are more removed from the “rollover zone’ and bedding. For additional comfort and soothing, a Sound & Light unit is included, featuring music and familiar womb sounds, as well as a soft light for nighttime checks on baby. The Snuggle Nest folds quickly and compactly for handy portability for parents on the go. Not for use in cribs or bassinets.

I See Me has a wonderful assortment of Holiday items as well as wonderful personalized books. They have two newest books that are a great. My 12 Days of Christmas and My Sing-Along Book and Personalized Music. They also have an adorable selection of ornaments.

I received complimentary products from Nutrisystem to provide this post. All opinions are my own.
This week we celebrated my daughter's 5th birthday. You can see her birthday story and more HERE. She was the reason I started this blog, she is my rainbow baby, she is my sweet angel, and it is still so surreal that she is FIVE.

 

 

A pleasant surprise I received this week: A Nutribear! Very exciting to receive my "reward" for losing 20 pounds and I still can't believe I have done it. Starting this journey through this time of the year has been one of the most challenging things I have done.

Thank you to Oriental Trading for providing products to help make my daughter's day so special.

SweetPea's had her 5th birthday party this past Saturday. I can NOT believe she turned FIVE on Wednesday! Where did the time go? My mother-in-law was super sweet and let us host the shindig at her house. And I was fortunate to be able to work with Oriental Trading again for all the wonderful decorations.



I brought all of SweetPea's dress up dresses, so all the little girls could wear a dress of their own. SweetPea wanted to wear her Sleeping Cutie dress from GreatPretenders because "it's pink and sparkly". Whoever would have thought I would have such a girly girl.

I have been sharing my #OOTD (outfit of the day) on Instagram and I have noticed that a lot of you have been loving the looks as well. Let me start out with the leggings. They are my favorite piece I was sent. They are so soft and I LOVE the pattern. I was honestly nervous about wearing the leggings being the curvy girl that I am, but paired with Irma - the whole outfit is perfect. Irma is the type of top I'm wearing in the picture below. I even convinced my sister-in-law to jump on the LuLaRoe Leggings wagon.

Our group consists mostly of my kids and my sister-in-law's kiddos, but we do have a few mutual friends and we all like to get together whenever we can. Which was harder this time of year, but it was nice that we were able to make it work. I love the items we received from Bright Starts.

Welcome to the Combi Infant Shuttle Travel System Giveaway, hosted by Thrifty Nifty Mommy and Viva Veltoro
 

Do you have a new baby on the way? If so, a quality travel system is probably at the top of your wish list. The Combi Shuttle Travel System combines the classic Shuttle Infant Car Seat with the Shuttle Stroller to create a comfortable and convenient solution for busy families. The infant car seat provides deep side wings with True-Safe side impact protection for safe crash force distribution and a built-in anti-rebound bar to minimize rotational forces in front and rear collisions. Installation of this car seat is a breeze with built-in lock-offs, wide belt paths, level indicators, and premium push button LATCH connectors. When on the go, attach the infant car seat to the Shuttle stroller, which features a one-step linked brake, a one-hand self-standing fold, an extended canopy with peek-a-boo window, and removable child and parent cup holders. Keep essential items stored within reach with the large canopy pocket and easy-to-access basket.

Join the movement to encourage girls' early interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and exploration. Let's validate our girls’ interests in these subjects from an early age, and celebrate their opportunity to grow up and make a difference in STEM fields where women are underrepresented today.

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

If you read my blog regularly, then you know that I have two young kiddos. And I think that anyone who has little children needs to protect their phone with a good case and screen protector.


My phone is my livelihood, so I can't have it be broken. I recently put a glass screen protector on my phone and I think they are the greatest thing ever invented. I received the opportunity to review one from intelliARMOR and I knew I wanted my sister-in-law to test it out because she has the WORST luck with cracking her screen.

It's that time of year...Holiday Baking Season! Whether you are participating in a cookie exchange, bringing sweets to your kiddos class, or giving the gift of good cheer, there are so many simple recipes to be found. I recently made some Holiday Blossom Cookies with sprinkles baked right in for my daughter's ornament trail at school. My daughter thinks they taste fantastic. And I have Betty Crocker to thank.

 

 

When my husband and I lived in a teeny, tiny apartment, way back before we had kids, I use to make cookies for everyone I knew. Cookies say someone really cares.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Goodwill of North Georgia for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

My husband and I have this tradition, well it's not a tradition because we have missed a few years now. But before my son came along, we would clean out our entire house while my husband was using his last vacation of the year from work. We loved it because it made room for new items that we might be getting as well as got us a nice little tax deduction because we always donated to Goodwill of North Georgia.

I have some simple tips to clear out items that are no longer needed:

Enter to WIN!

I received complimentary products to provide this review. All opinions are our own.

I love animals. Who doesn't? And so do my kiddos. I recently shared my furbabies' story of how he is dealing with illness. Last year, my daughter and son received ASPCA rescue pets and this year I am excited to share with them tales of inspiration that are feature in the new book series "ASPCA kids: Rescue Readers".


Studio Fun International, a Reader's Digest company, has partnered with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA®), the first animal welfare organization in North American and the nation's leading voice for animals.

I received complimentary products from Nutrisystem to provide this post. All opinions are my own.

 

I started the week out with a stomach bug including fever. Yuck. Hubby was on vacation this week and we had made a schedule of what we wanted to do every day to make his time off work productive. But I ruined it the first day. Thankfully it was just a 24 hour bug. On Tuesday we went to go get our Christmas tree since it was suppose to rain all week.

 

 

Hubby was on vacation, so we cleaned out our room because over the weekend we bought a new bedroom set and mattress. It was WAY over due though. Our old one was an old 70's water bed frame. It even had the mirrors.

 

Nanny to Mommy received complimentary products to provide this review. All opinions are our own.

Tis' the time of the year to get your Holiday Day Baking on! Did you know today is National Cookie Day? I love making cookies with my littles. Holiday baking can be hectic for many, and Krusteaz is here to help, offering high quality and easy-to-bake cookie mixes - saving you time in the kitchen and making more time for you to spend with family this holiday season.

It's the holiday season and for many it's the most joyful time of the year. Pet lovers can add a little extra joy to their holiday season by bringing a new pet home. Whether it’s a puppy or kitten, adult dog or cat, becoming a pet parent is an experience everyone should enjoy, and the holiday season is the perfect time for pet lovers to open their hearts and homes to a new family member.

It is rich in antioxidants, making it an awesome anti-inflammatory ingredient. It contains caffeine, which draws out excess moisture from your skin, causing it to look and feel smoother and firmer. In this scrub, coffee acts as a mild exfoliant, removing dead skin cells and exposing fresh, soft skin. Here, we combine coffee with moisturizing, skin-soothing avocado oil and a bit of sea salt for an extra exfoliating kick.

LaBosh loves giving back and helping other women. They are proud to donate a portion of our profits to the A21 non-profit organization. A21 helps women that have been sold into human trafficking be reunited with their families and loved ones.

Enter to WIN!

I love the Shark brand and was excited to receive the opportunity to try their new Shark Rocket Powerhead. My daughter loves our new vacuum. Besides the fact that she says, "It's pretty", she actually wants to vacuum with our new Shark Rocket Powerhead. More power to you, girl! ;D Weighing only 9 lbs, not including the cord (only 1 while in motion), now my almost 5 year old daughter can help tackle the vacuuming too.

These products are featured in our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide.
 

Nothing quite celebrates the feeling of the holiday season like an engrossing and wonderful book. Grab the kids, a cozy blanket, some hot chocolate and get ready to be charmed by The Night the Lights Went Out on Christmas by award-winning singer-songwriter Ellis Paul.

About The Night The Lights Went Out On Christmas:

This review and giveaway was made possible by Connect Influencer Management and Luvs. I was compensated for my participation in this campaign, but all opinions are 100% mine.

Have you ever been send a text and you are swiping through your emojis, then you keep swiping and swiping because you realize the one you want just isn't there. As a mom, I have this issue a LOT! Sometimes you just don't want to text it out, but you need to give a visual somehow. That's where the Momoji Keyboard by Luvs comes in. With this app, you can easily express all the emotions that come with real life parenting.

These products are featured in our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide.

I don't know about you, but I am terrible about printing off my pictures. But I LOVE photo gifts! Especially quality canvas prints. So I was very excited to receive the opportunity to review a canvas print from CanvasPop. CanvasPop is an online printing company with a huge passion for quality art, photography and home décor.


I love that you can print photos from Facebook, Instagram, or upload from your computer. You can also select an option for them to edit the crop to best fit your needs. They also will send you a picture of your print to make sure it looks great on canvas. They also supply the hardware needed to hang your canvas, which is simply amazing because I know as soon as I receive my canvas print I can hang it on my wall.

These products are featured in our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide.

My daughter is getting ready for LEGOS. Which I am very excited for. I recently did an unboxing of a LEGO subscription box, but in passing I heard through the grapevine that she might be getting a LEGO castle for Christmas. Who knows if this is true, but if she does I want to be prepared. Have you ever stepped on a LEGO? Then you know why storage is important. Insert Box4Blox.

These products are featured in our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide.

I love Aurorae Yoga! They make very quality products at awesome prices. I have been on a weightloss journey and trying my hand at a little yoga. So when Aurorae Yoga asked to be included in my Holiday Gift Guide, I was very excited to see some of the other products they offer. I did a review of a Microfiber Towels earlier this year. And this time I was sent a Aurorae Yoga Mat Tote Bag & Paradise Package Soy Candle Gift Set to review.