Baby & Kid Stuff

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, then you will know that one of our favorite baby products when Trent was a newborn was the zCush Baby Nap Mat. Now, we have used it for Aubrey every single day since she has been home. I am the world’s worst baby transferor…I can’t move a baby from one spot to another without waking them up, so the nap mat has saved me plenty of times!

I originally shared my love for zCush with a photo of Trent in his zCush in an unsponsored post, and since then we have worked together with zCush to bring you several giveaways…they are so awesome and we appreciate them partnering with us to bring you guys something to win!

See our previous posts HERE, HERE and HERE.

Well, today I am back with another fun giveaway to celebrate several new zCush designs! They recently introduced four new designs: Hot Pink Chenille (my favorite!), Grey Chenille, Yellow Cotton Owl, and Blue Cotton Monkey.

Aubrey got to test out these new designs in order to bring you some photos. I would ask her what she thought of them, but we just couldn’t stop her from sleeping on the job

I’m also excited to announce that you can now also just purchase an individual nap mat cover, so you can have a backup in case one gets dirty and is in the wash! Babies make messes, so this is so smart!

All of the nap mats have a side zipper, which makes getting baby in and out much easier. The zipper on the bottom allows you to remove the nap mat cover in order to be washed.

zCush has 5 recommended uses for the Baby Nap Mat: For baby’s naptime, holding and safely passing your baby to others, playing with baby in the comfort of your home or on a picnic blanket, cozily feeding baby on the sofa or the park bench, and easily changing baby’s diaper during daytime or in the middle of the night. As with any baby product, please only use as recommended.

 

To learn more and/or purchase the zCush Baby Nap Mat, visit the zCush website. (Also available on Amazon)

Get social with zCush:

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***GIVEAWAY!***

Prize: 1 zCush Baby Nap Mat

Eligibility: US Only

Ends: Wednesday, September 24, 2025 at 11:59 pm EST

How to enter: Use the Rafflecopter form below!

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We were so excited to have the opportunity to try another fun toy from Kidzlane (see our last review here)! This time, we received the Giant Piano Mat!

So, I might be showing my age here, but the second I heard “Giant Piano Mat” what immediately came to my mind was the scene in the movie “Big” where Tom Hanks comes across the giant piano in the store and proceeds to play on it.

Who wouldn’t want a giant piano mat!? While the one from Kidzlane isn’t as large as the one in the movie Big, it’s definitely more convenient and has a ton more features!

• 4 modes - Play, Record & Playback, Demo-mode with 7 pre recorded demo songs,
• 10 selectable musical instrument sounds- Guitar, Piano, Clarinet, Trumpet, Saxophone, Violin, Banjo, Accordion, Harp, and Xylophone,
• 17 black and white keyboard keys, Adjustable volume, Automatic “power off” system,
• Jumbo Size! 59″ x 24″, Made of heavy duty vinyl material

Trent really liked this toy. As soon as we opened it, he was running across it, back and forth, back and forth. Then he realized there were other buttons and proceeded to play all the instruments, too. We could barely capture him in the photo because he was going back and forth so fast!

You can also record your musical creation and play it back when you’re done.

What we really liked as parents was the ability to adjust the volume, so Trent could still play without the noise being overwhelming.

It can also be folded up to store in smaller spaces.

Of course, we also love how this toy promotes both musical fun and exercise.

Trent knows how to open it up, turn it on, play all the features, then turn it off, fold it back up and put it back. It’s super easy! Even if the power is left on, it comes with an automatic “power-off” system, so the batteries won’t be wasted.

Crazy Hair Don’t Care shirt: from Zulily

The material is very durable, so this toy will surely last a long time!

 

To learn more and purchase the KidzLane Giant Piano Mat, visit the Amazon Product Page here.

 

Thank you to KidzLane for providing this toy for review. All opinions are my own and honest. Thanks for reading!

 

I can see it now…

I’m totally going to be one of those moms that keeps EVERYTHING that my kids make, but I won’t have the time or ideas to organize any of it. I already have a small pile from Trent and one coloring page on the fridge…and he’s only 2!

I’m sure other moms can understand this dilemma, if you can even call it that. So why not encourage your child’s creativity and find a way to make something more out of a drawing…with Budsies!

Budsies takes your child’s artwork and turns it into a custom plush toy!

Since Trent is a bit young to create his own, Brett took over and drew a silly creation to have turned into a Budsies….a “Cat-erpillar” - I don’t know where he comes up with this stuff, but I was impressed!

We uploaded our creation to the Budsies site and within a few weeks, we had our very own stuffed “Cat-erpillar” toy!

This wasn’t a small toy that vaguely looked like the drawing…it was large and the details were perfect and exactly like the drawing. From the eye color to the number of feet…it was the same!

It was almost as big as Trent!

I was impressed with the quality of our Budsies. The fabric was soft (and hypoallergenic!) and the it was very well stitched. It can definitely stand up to the crazy playtime of a toddler!

Trent loves his new Budsies!

I can definitely see us getting Budsies made in the future when Trent and Aubrey can create their own. They would be so excited to draw something and have it turned into something they can hold and play with…as would any child, I’m sure!

The order process is super simple…it may take your child longer to decide what to draw!

They can make a custom Budsies out of pretty much anything…including people! What a great gift idea for a birthday, anniversary, retirement, Christmas, etc. How funny is this one of Jillian Michaels?!

If you need ideas to get the creativity flowing, Budsies also has a page of starter templates on their website to help get your child started. It couldn’t be easier! What a fun idea and definitely a great way to amaze your child!

 

To learn more about Budsies and to Buy, visit their website here.

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I received this product in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own and honest. Thanks for reading!

 

One of Brett’s most popular photography packages is the Baby Plan…where parents can get professional photos of their baby as a newborn then at 3, 6 and 9 months, and then finally, 1 year old.

Of course, we are no strangers to personally taking progress photos. I took pregnancy progress photos with Trent and some with Aubrey, and we also took a monthly photo of Trent through his first year. We hope to take a weekly photo of Aubrey!

The possibilities are endless with progress photos! First day of school for each grade, pregnancy months, child months/weeks/years, anniversaries….it’s always so fun to look back on the progress no matter what it is.

Pretty in Polka Dots has just the product to help you take any kind of progress photo for kids…Baby Age Blocks!

What makes Baby Age Blocks from Pretty in Polka Dots different:

1. We PRINT directly on our blocks with a flatbed printer. Our blocks are more vivid, clean, safe, & permanent that any other on the market (no more peeling stickers or chipping paint!). We purchased this printer recently solely for this purpose (though it has opened other markets for us). We do all of the work and printing in our home (myself, my husband and my littler helpers – 3 children under 4… EEK!)

2. We cut, sand & inspect every one of our blocks by hand to make sure they’re perfectly safe for babies and of the best quality.

3. We gift wrap every set of blocks and include an optional hand written note if requested. We are also now branching into the world of wholesale and offering retail packaging when required.

4. Because we print, our blocks are COMPLETELY customizable. On our website, we let our customers select their own colors, font outlines, block finishes & more.

 

Of course, we just had to use these blocks for Aubrey’s progress photos! Look who is 1 week old today!

What we really like about these blocks is that the letters and numbers are printed directly onto the blocks…they aren’t stickers, so that means no peeling! The use of UV stable ink means these blocks will last a lifetime.

These blocks come in a variety of color options.

We chose blocks in Primary Colors, but because of their special printing process, the blocks can be customizable to match décor, favorite colors, etc.

The blocks are made from solid “poplar” hardwood with permanent UV Printed letters and numbers. The two smaller number blocks are 2.5 inch cubes. The larger word block features the words: weeks, months, years, and grade. It is 2.5in x 2.5in x 5in.

What you get on the blocks:

• Word Block: weeks, months, years, grade
• Number Block 1: 0,1,2,3,4,5
• Number Block 2: 0,1,2,6,7,8
• Expansion Block: 3,4,5,6,7,8 (optional)

NOTE: The number 6 is also number 9 when turned over

With the expansion block, your options are endless! It allows for extended number combinations with the Baby Age Blocks from 0-99. The typical Baby Age Block set without the expansion blocks can only go from 0-32 before begging to skip number combinations such as 33, 34, 43, 44 and so on.

Pretty in Polka Dots sends these Baby Age Blocks in the cutest wrapping, making them ready to given as a gift – perfect as a baby shower gift, for a photographer or for parents, to name a few. Shipping was incredibly fast, too!

Pretty in Polka Dots also offers some other unique items:

Personalized Name Blocks

Baby Announcement Blocks

Wood Plank Picture Frames

 

To learn more about Pretty in Polka Dots and to Buy, visit their website here.

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**Special Promo Code**

Use Code THEPHOTOGRAPHERSWIFE for 10% off your order of Baby Age Blocks (valid for 1 month)!

Giveaway!

***GIVEAWAY!***

Lucky you! Korie, the owner of Pretty in Polka Dots, has kindly offered for one lucky reader to win a set of Baby Age Blocks in the color of your choice!

Prize: 1 set of Baby Age Blocks in your choice of color

Eligibility: Worldwide

Ends: Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 11:59 pm EST

How to enter: Use the Rafflecopter form below!

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received this product in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own and honest. Thanks for reading!

 

No matter where you live or what the temperature is, a nice, soft blanket is always a good thing to have around for your newborn. It’s also easy to get carried away with baby items, so it’s also nice to have items that perform double duty. That was the goal with the Twinkles of Joy Musical Baby Blanket!

The creators of the Twinkles of Joy Blanket dedicated the last two years to create the first interactive, washable baby blanket that enhances infants and toddlers early cognitive development and motor skills. Working along with some of the leading neuroscientists in their field, their design team is the first to integrate neuroscience technology into classically designed baby receiving blankets and security blankets. This new technology is crafted into each item and provides very gentle stimulation for both infants and toddlers by combining light, touch, music, color and sound as well as comfort.

All Twinkles of Joy products are:

• Extensively child product safety tested and approved to meet worldwide standards
• Machine washable and dryer safe
• Long lasting battery life of 2 years or more
• Our technology is patented in China and patent pending in the US and Canada

Each Twinkles of Joy Blanket comes designed with a button to press to play music to entertain baby.

We received the Hearts Luxe Blanket, which has a subtle heart design all over it. It is a pretty large blanket compared to other baby blankets I’ve seen. The material is super soft….why don’t they make these in my size?!

The Twinkles of Joy Baby Blanket is a great addition to your baby’s nursery!

 

***Special Promo Code***

Now through September 30th, you can get 20% off your order of a Twinkles of Joy Blanket! Just use code Q7O1097S5KK during checkout at http://shop.merdyinc.com/

 

I received this item in exchange for sharing this promo code. Thanks for reading!