Nanny to Mommy

This post and giveaway were made possible by iConnect and Dreft. I was compensated for my participation in this campaign, but all opinions are 100% mine.

Hands down babies are messy. There are no questions about that. It's a given. But did you know that studies have shown that smashing, throwing, and playing with food can actually help babies learn? And science has confirmed what kids seem to instinctively know, that playing in the dirt and mud is fun! But did you know that it actually helps soothe, calm and relax children! But really, playing with mud can make kids happier!

I remember trying to keep my daughter away from the messy activities. I remember the first time we went to the lake and it rained, but she had a blast playing in the mud! Her favorite thing to do is still make mud pies. I learned better with baby #2. My son lives to get messy, he always has. And I would say that he was always my happier baby.

Pigskin Rapture: Four Days in the Life of Texas Football by Mac Engel and Ron Jenkins is a first-ever, one-of-a-kind, 360 degree look at the athletic and cultural phenomenon that is Texas football, and launched the new Lone Star Books imprint this fall. In a magical four-day period in autumn 2015, both of Texas’s NFL teams played at home on different days (Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans and New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys), a major high school rivalry was set for Friday night in West Texas (Midland Lee at Odessa Permian), and a fierce regional rivalry came to the Cotton Bowl on Saturday afternoon (Oklahoma vs. Texas).

Pigskin Rapture captures not just the action on the field, but all of the sights, sounds, and smells of a state smitten with football:

This conversation is sponsored by Boudreaux’s Butt Paste. All opinions are my own.

There is nothing like a smiling baby. My little man is two now, but he always has a smile on his face. We are working on potty training, but it hasn't been easy. He is still in diapers most of the time and not very willing to participate in the potty training process. He will even hide his mess from us. With all of that going on, I want to keep him smiling.

Photo by Kelly Creamer Photography

According to a 2016 survey by Boudreaux’s Butt Paste, 82% of respondents wish they had more ideas on how to prevent diaper rash. Boudreaux’s Butt Paste is a powerful and fast acting diaper rash prevention product yet is free of the harsh butt-irritating ingredients like Parabens, Preservatives, Dyes, Phthalates, and Talc ingredients included in some diaper rash ointments.

We are very excited to bring you another awesome giveaway and help announce the 2016 Fall Green Scene Mom Award Winners, hosted by Mommy Scene and celebrating Eco-friendly product design and creative innovation. Award winning products include natural body products, universal baby gear, essentials for moms, and items for solving problems and making family life with kids easier.

Enter to win a fabulous collection of prizes! Open to US entries and ends 11/20/16.

Green Scene Mom Award Prize Collection

At Hilltop Christmas Tree Farms, they know how important it is to have the perfect Christmas tree for your festive celebrations. Hilltop is a family run business delivering fresh aromatic Christmas Trees direct to your door throughout Continental USA and Canada. You choose the date, they harvest your tree and UPS promises to deliver!

Adam and Natalie Stone established Hilltop Christmas Tree farms more than 20 years ago, producing beautiful, fragrant Fraser and Balsam Fir trees - the two most popular festive firs on the market. Based out of Florenceville-Bristol in New Brunswick, Canada, Adam and Natalie now own several large tree farms in the province and Hilltop Christmas Tree Farms and are the second largest producers in New Brunswick Province.