giveaway – Sarah Bregel

There is nothing I love more than helping hook mamas up with awesome products while also introducing a wonderful business that is dedicated to supporting them. That’s why I’m reeeeeally excited about this giveaway.

I have long been wanting to do another giveaway, since The Mediocre Mama hit 2,000 followers ::mini wave in celebration::, but I’m even more excited because this giveaway happens to fall during World Breastfeeding Week, too. Woohoo!

Udderly Hot Mama is a clothing line specifically dedicated to nursing and pumping mamas. How cool is that? Now, way back when I was nursing (like 2 months ago… dammit, don’t get emo, don’t get emo!) I basically wore a nursing bra and a t-shirt or one of the same two nursing tank tops every day. It was… alright. But there were times when I definitely wanted to look a little more put together. I usually erred on the side of comfort, though, because comfort and easy access are crucial when your boobs are in high demand.

http://www.udderlyhotmama.com

The greater public doesn’t always do that much to support nursing mothers. The world we live in is just not that psyched on seeing women’s breasts doing what nature intended them to do. It’s not uncommon to hear about women getting kicked out of restaurants, pools, or literally have their babies dragged away from them… for nursing. WHAT? I know… but it’s true.

Even the boldest nursers sometimes feel conspicuous while breastfeeding. I tried my best to be bold the second time around. I nursed any damn place my baby needed to nurse and I didn’t use a cover or a towel or hide in a bathroom stall. I just nursed when my baby got hungry. But there were a handful of times I felt the stares. There were also times when I really wished my postpartum belly wasn’t hanging out because of a poor outfit choice.

Needless to say, when I come across a business that is actually working for the breastfeeding mother, to make her life easier and to help her in her breastfeeding journey, I get a little excited.

Also… I may or may not have gotten myself into a situation, once… or possibly twice, where I had to take my entire outfit off in order to nurse my baby (once I realized there was no possible way to get my boob out of there). It’s just what happens when you aren’t used to getting dressed up, get overly excited at the thought and totally space out on the whole, need-to-get-your-boob-out-in-a-hurry-situation- the exact reason why you never dress up in the first place.

The reason Udderly Hot Mama is so awesome and the subject of our World Breastfeeding Week giveaway is because the clothes are designed to make a mama comfortable, stylish and obviously, accessible to her little one. They’ve been featured in US weekly, Celebrity Parents, Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine and various news outlets. And in our opinion, they’re worthy of all the attention.

The front of every top easily pulls down so you can nurse your baby. But the coolest part of this clothing line has to be the undercover flap that lays on top of your breastbone and provides a little extra coverage so you don’t have to feel like your entire breast is exposed each time you nurse. The flap easily snaps off so you can remove it at any time, like perhaps if you don’t give a rats ass about extra coverage, or when you are done nursing altogether.

Here is the shirt we are giving away! Isn’t it cute? Read more about it on the site (and it’s hidden features!).

Now, listen closely because here are the rules.

All you have to do to enter is the following:

1. FOLLOW: Make sure you are following both Udderly Hot Mama and The Mediocre Mama on Facebook.

2. COMMENT AND TAG: Leave a comment on this blog, on the giveaway post on The Mediocre Mama’s Facebook page (or both) and TAG A BREASTFEEDING, PUMPING OR SOON TO BE BF-ING OR PUMPING PAL!

3. SHARE: Share the giveaway post via Facebook.

That’s it! 3 steps! 1, 2, 3! Don’t skip any! I can’t way to give this lovely clothing item to one deserving mama bear. Good luck everyone and Happy World Breastfeeding Week!

The winner will be chosen exactly 1 week from today on August 12th, at 12 PM and Udderly Hot Mama will hook you up ASAP.

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The #AsLongAsYouCanStandIt Challenge

April 13, 2015April 13, 2015 Sarah Bregel

I recently got back from a 3 night/4 day trip with my family. It was wonderful in many ways. Minus sleeping arrangements… apparently it’s not a good idea to have four people sharing a hotel room without another room to shove the sleeping baby in. We could get away with this with one kid… kind of. But I guess these days we will have to shell out for a suite even on shorter trips. Between my husband’s snoring (sorry, hunny) and the kid waking up the baby and baby waking up the kid, there wasn’t much restfulness going on on this trip which I suppose is to be expected at this juncture. But there was a lot of eating and drinking and not much working out. Riding bikes and walking, yeah. But sweaty exercise, not really. I did get to the gym one day, but, felt rushed, per usual and didn’t do my best.

Having a kid who didn’t sleep for the better part of a year who continues to be tough upon every milestone and a energetic 5-year-old… and a husband who travels and my love of food and wine and inability to workout at a moment’s notice… has seriously taken it’s toll on how healthy I feel (or don’t feel). Not to mention, I’m still nursing a baby which although they SAY burns up a ton of calories, it also makes me hungrier and groggier, sometimes. Yes, nursing burns calories. But it also can make your body hold onto extra weight because it knows you are still feeding another human. THIS IS WHAT I’VE READ, OKAY. Let’s not argue. Just let me have my believes that my body is not doomed. BTW… this is about as body-UNpositive as I’ll get. I am totally on board with respecting my body as wonderful and amazing having housed two babies, even if it’s not in prime, tip-top condition currently. But with that being said, I’m needing some extra energy and to feel lighter and healthier. I figure a lot of parents out there may be feeling the same, so I hope we can do this together.

I decided I’m going booze-free for 30 days (this doesn’t mean you have to chose this challenge in order to participate, btw. I don’t know why you would unless you need red-wine-detox as badly as I do). Here’s my regret face after I posted this on Facebook yesterday on the car ride home.

This... is gonna suck. — This… is gonna suck.

The challenge will run for 30 days, starting TODAY, April 13th, 2015. Here’s what it will look like:

1) Pick your goal or goals. For example, my goal is going to be to attempt not drinking for 30 days (yikes) and eat clean(er). I also want to get to yoga or the gym 3 days/week. That one is SO much harder than it sounds right now with a baby that won’t let me out of his sight and screams bloody murder when I try to leave him at the gym stay-and-play. They should call it stay-and-scream-until-we-call-your-mother-on-the-intercom-who’s-crying-because-she-doesn’t-get-to-workout-AGAIN.

2) Post an inspiration shot (or MANY) on Instagram or FB and tag @TheMediocreMama (make sure you are following) and hashtag #AsLongAsYouCanStandIt. OR post on Facebook to The Mediocre Mama fan page and hashtag #AsLongAsYouCanStandIt. These photos will be your entries in the challenge. I’ll be posting tons of pics so you can follow my example. A note about this postings- they do not have to be “LOOK HOW GOOD I DID TODAY!” although those posts are fine, too! But I’m looking for REAL inspiration. Like, “ugh, here’s how much I want wine today and this happened that was crappy and DAMMIT ALL TO HELL!” Tell your struggles, your story, whether it’s work, kids, traveling hubby. What makes this challenge tough for you but why is it important for you to feel good and be your best you?

3) For extra entries, share, share away!! Always tag @TheMediocreMama and use the #AsLongAsYouCanStandIt hashtag to document your challenge.

PRIZES: I’m going to pick three winners. The person who inspires us the most with his/her or her genuine, real life struggles/accomplishments will get a $50 TARGET GIFT CARD! The more you post, the better your odds. I will also pick two other winners with prize packages to be announced at a later date.

Remember, you don’t have to go for a full 30 days- this challenge is shaped by YOU. What do you want to get out of it? It could be as simple as “I’m going to watch less TV” or “I’m going to put my phone away at 5 PM.” It could even be “I’m going to be more mindful” or “be kind to myself.” This is YOUR challenge. Just be sure to document it and hashtag away! Now get going and let me know you are participating by commenting on this post or on Facebook. Get a friend to do it with you so you can encourage one another to stick to your goals. Complaining encouraged!! Good luck!! #AsLongAsYouCanStandIt

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ZIPADEE-ZIP REVIEW & GIVEAWAY

February 9, 2015April 4, 2015 Sarah Bregel

As you all know, major sleep issues hit my family hard in recent months. But apparently, I’m not nearly as alone as I have felt since entering NO SLEEP LAND. I always knew the world was filled with sleep-deprived parents, but man, I felt like the depths of my baby’s sleep issues were the worst I’d ever heard. It seems a lot of you are in my same boat, though, and while it makes me feel a teeny bit better, my heart goes out to each and every person who confessed to me, either publically or privately, that they are in their own personal sleep hell. It truly is so hard and I am so sorry. You know I feel your pain.

Anyway, apparently I’ve also been sleeping under a rock (or tossing any turning under one) but I didn’t know about a product called the Zipadee-Zip by Sleeping Baby Inc. until very recently. What is a Zipadee-Zip you ask? Well I’ll tell you. It’s a wearable blanket that aids the swaddle transition and is safe for baby to roll in. Now, my uber-alert Tenny never wanted to be swaddled in the first place. But I thought, we’re tried everything else, might as well try the zippy! Note: The Zipadee-zip goes up to 24m but there is also a hands-free option called “The Flying Squirrel” for bigger (12m+) babes.

A Cozy Fleece Zippy that is great for sleeping if you live in a cooler climate. These are great with just a diaper underneath. They also make great wearable blankets for stroller, car and baby carrier rides as a baby can easily be buckled in while wearing one. Retails for $38.95

While I was worried about T not having his hands free in case he wanted to suck his fingers (something he’s never done before, at least while trying to get to sleep) he didn’t seem to mind having them under his zippy. He could still move around and get comfortable. We typically put him in a big purple sleep sack that used to belong to his sister, but sleep was really hit or miss in that, too. He woke up a lot and I worried about how much he could really move and shift in it now that he’s a pro-roller. A lot of times, he seemed frustrated in the sack, so something more movable for this guy seemed like a pretty good solution.

The first night Tenny slept in his Zippy, miraculously, he did his longest stretch ever! Now I don’t want to be deceptive. We have also been working with a gentle sleep coach, but still, he’d been waking 2-3 times a night on the regular. So when I was pretty blown away at this change. No, actually… I thought it was a fluke. Now, he has routinely been waking up only once a night to nurse then going right back to sleep while wearing his zippy. It’s pretty amazing. While I can’t totally explain it, I think it has to do with the fact that his arms and legs are snug inside his zippy so he doesn’t wake himself up as much, but he can also move and shift around when he needs to.

FullSizeRender (25) — A well-rested Tenny after napping in his Zipadee-zip!

So without further ado, I’d like to give one of these amazing sleep-helpers away to one of you all in hopes that it will help your baby and you sleep!

All you have to do to enter is:

1) Like The Mediocre Mama on Facebook and leave a comment either here or on Facebook about why you (or someone you plan on giving it to) need a zipadee-zip!

2) Share this page directly from the blog OR via the giveaway link on Facebook.

3) Like Sleeping Baby Inc- home of the ZipadeeZip on Facebook.

GIVEAWAY CLOSES FRIDAY, 2/13/15 AT 9 AM.

Now everyone can’t be a winner… BUT if you head over to Sleeping Baby Inc., you can enter the coupon code “SLEEP” for $2 off a zippy of your choice anyway!

Find them on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and be sure to like them on Facebook to enter their monthly giveaway!

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this product review and the opinions here are 100% my own. If you wish to contact me about a product review or a sponsored post, email Sarah.bregel@gmail.com.

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1,000+ Followers Giveaway!

August 13, 2014August 13, 2014 Sarah Bregel

As promised, giveaway time is here!!! I’m super excited because I’ve never done a giveaway on this site before and I really wanted to have one as a thank you to you all for supporting my writing efforts on this site, as well as the other sites I write for. If I didn’t get encouragement from readers on Facebook and Twitter and on this blog, I probably would not be so passionate about sharing my parenting failings and dilemmas. But I really love doing it so THANK YOU for allowing me to. THANK YOU for following and THANK YOU for not boo-ing me out of town (although, on occasion, some of you have, but that’s okay!!)

Wanna find out what I’m giving away? Okay, here it is.

First up, we have this beautiful print 8×10 by my mama friend and artist “Miranda Makes”. Check out her beautiful Etsy shop, House of Love. This print is a part of her “transportation series” and I just picked one up over at our local Amuse Toy store in Baltimore to decorate my son’s nursery! It sells on Etsy for $20 but our lucky winner gets one just for being so awesome PRINT

Next up! I Heart My Little A-holes by the witty and hilariously self-depricating, Karen Alpert who writes at Baby Sideburns. I LOVE THIS WOMAN. If you don’t follow her page on facebook do it RIGHT NOW. I’m so excited to give a copy of her book to you!

I Heart My Little A-holes by Karen Alpert

Last but not least, we have a packet of stick-on labels from Kidecals! These are pretty awesome. I use them for labeling things in my kitchen mostly, but the possibilities endless. They are personalized labels that are dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer safe! Plus they stick to any surface. You can use them on clothing, backpacks, toys, devices…you name it.

All you have to do to enter is…

“LIKE” The Mediocre Mama on Facebook (make sure you are liking not from a business or community page, but from a personal account, otherwise facebook will not count your “like”.
“LIKE” and share this giveaway directly from Facebook.

Good luck!!! Thanks to all who enter and to our wonderful contributors. Please go check out their products! I’ll be picking a winner at 2 pm next Wednesday, August 20th, 2014 .

Tag: giveaway

Giveaway: Introducing Udderly Hot Mama in honor of World Breastfeeding Week

The #AsLongAsYouCanStandIt Challenge

ZIPADEE-ZIP REVIEW & GIVEAWAY

1,000+ Followers Giveaway!

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