Virtual Baby Shower Giveaway 2020

by Jessica Martin-Weber
This post made possible by GooseWaddle

When I was expecting my first baby I lived over a thousand miles from my parents and most of my friends and knew very few people where I lived. With a difficult pregnancy, I felt very isolated and alone during my pregnancy and in many ways cut off from those I knew and loved with the exception of my husband. Near the end of my pregnancy but early enough I could still travel, I was able to go to my parents for a baby shower but due to work schedules and financial constraints I had to go alone. I wanted desperately to share and celebrate our new baby with friends and family but obstacle after obstacle made that difficult to do all together. After I gave birth, my mother came and visited but there was never an opportunity for even some of the people in our lives to be together with us to enjoy our sweet girl.

Years later when I was expecting again, we were even farther from many of our friends and family. We had moved, many of them had moved, and there was a global crisis with the coronavirus pandemic that made traveling a dangerous option. The distance that separated us all was magnified by the pandemic. Thankfully, technology had created other ways to connect. Zoom, Facebook meet, and other platforms were used daily for school, work, and yes, even baby showers.

 

See our virtual baby shower planning guide here and get our free downloadable checklist to help you out!

 

Having a baby during a global crisis like a pandemic can be stressful, isolating, and an overwhelming experience. I struggled to hold onto my joy about my coming baby and grieved the loss of many aspects of having a new baby even as I was grateful I wasn’t grieving the loss of loved ones to COVID-19. Holding that tension of gratitude during what should be a happy time overshadowed by stress and uncertainty was difficult. My best friend who had been at my previous 3 births couldn’t make it here for this one, our family couldn’t travel, there would be no gathering and cake to introduce her to everyone, and no late pregnancy day out with friends. 

But we could FaceTime, Zoom call, and Facebook meet. 

 

Here’s a guide to help you be mindful on how you can introduce your new baby safely while social distancing. 

 

For many, in person get togethers are more challenging, pandemic or not. We move more often for education and work, our schedules are more busy, we have more community online than ever, and too often we are socially distanced from those we would share and celebrate major life events with. Including announcing, introducing, and celebrating our new family members.

 

(Are you social distancing and pregnant? Here’s what you need to know.)

 

From a virtual pregnancy announcement to a virtual baby shower, connecting with our people across time zones and distance isn’t only possible, it can be ideal. Whether you’re sharing with just a few close family members or a large circle of online friends there are so many possibilities. Your big kids can be virtually present for a prenatal appointment to hear the heartbeat or see belly mapping, your parents may join via FaceTime for an ultrasound, your best friend could help you craft your baby registry over Zoom, and your sister-in-law could throw you a baby shower… all from the other side of town or the other side of the world.

You can even invite people to your birth (up to you!) thanks to online streaming options- we did! 

 

(You can watch here.)

 

We’re throwing a virtual baby shower of our own… for everyone! We’ll show off our own new baby, share tips and planning resources, and have lots of gifts to give others thanks to some incredible sponsors that want to help us all have a virtually wonderful time celebrating our little ones. 

 

Looking for a fun way to virtually announce your pregnancy? See these ideas from My Baby’s Heartbeat Bear.

 

Thanks to GooseWaddle and our other sponsors for wanting to help make this time special for our family and yours and for helping us offer other virtual opportunities. Be looking for more info on the Virtual Newborn and Postpartum summit, a virtual breastfeeding class, supportive partner workshop, and more.

Join us for The Leaky Boob Virtual Baby Shower, Thursday, August 14, 2020, 11am Pacific.

 

___________________________________

Our first listings to give away are products from our featured sponsor, GooseWaddle!

Five lucky winners will get the chance to win one of these products:

 

 

The Knit Blanket ($30) is a perfect welcome gift for a new baby. Designed in the softest fabrics it gets softer and softer with each use. Winner’s choice of lavender, pink, blue, white, or grey. Made with 100% Polyester and is 30″ x 40″

 

 

 

The Basil Bear Appliqué Baby Blanket ($45) is oh-so-soft and the perfect welcome gift for a new baby. Double sided featuring a little bear playing with a butterfly and a leafy green pattern on the other side. Designed in the softest pile fabric with just the right amount of fill – and sure to be the ooh-ahh item at the next shower! Made with 100% Polyester and is 2 ply 30″ x 40″

 

Elegantly designed 2 Pack Receiving Blanket ($40) in a lightweight jersey as soft as your favorite tee. Perfect for swaddling, nursing, warming, burping, wiping, tummy time or a carrier cover, as needed. The 2pk set features a character with sentimental saying and a coordinating allover pattern. Made with 100% Polyester jersey and dimensions are 30″ x 40″

 

 

Made with the softest silicone and natural oak wood this Teether ($25) is perfect for soothing those sore gums. An easy to fasten clasp this teether can be snapped to any bib or piece of clothing ensuring it is available when needed. Winner’s choice of lavender, pink, blue, or green. It’s total length comes to 7.5″ 

 

 

 

Our new bear plush just sits quietly… ready to snuggle! Our newest GooseWaddle Super Soft Plush Bear – Basil ($40) is super squishy soft and perfect for any nursery!  Designed with slim legs, easy to grab ears and embroidered features for safe playtime fun, our new bear plush sits quietly… ready to snuggle! Made with 100% polyester and it 15″ while sitting.

 

 

 

 

GooseWaddle is also offering a coupon to their whole site! Get 30% off by using their code: BABY

 

___________________________________

Up next we have items from our friends at My Baby’s Heartbeat Bear, Pura Stainless, and Bets & Emy to give away but before we jump right in we want to take a moment and thank Andaluz Waterbirth Center for sponsoring this upcoming livestream. They’ve been here for me for the past two pregnancies and I can’t thank them enough for all that they’ve done for me!

 

To join us in celebrating all babies tune in for The Leaky Boob Virtual Baby Shower on Thursday, August 14, 2020, 11am Pacific.

 

 

 

 

My Baby’s Heartbeat Bear: 8 kits, 8 winners

 

 

 

The Rainbow Keepsake Kit ($44.99) includes a 13-15″ Heartbeat Animal of winners’ choice, an easy-to-use heart-shaped recorder, and a beautiful rainbow themed box. Customize your kit with a rainbow bow tie, rainbow tutu, or both for an extra special reveal. 

 

 

 

Pura Stainless: Gift Set, choice of 5 oz or 11 oz

 

The Kiki 50z Starter Set ($44.99) is recommended for infants 0-18 months old. This set contains two 5oz infant bottles with silicone sleeves and Slow-Flow Natural Vent Nipples™, plus additional components. Comes with an aqua color sleeve and winner’s choice of green, pink, or grey for the second bottle. 

 

 

The Kiki 11oz Starter Set ($49.99), recommended for infants between 3-18 months, includes two 11oz infant bottles with silicone sleeves and Medium-Flow Natural Vent Nipples™, plus additional components. Comes with an aqua color sleeve and winner’s choice of green, pink, or grey for the second bottle. 

 

 

 

 

Bets & Emy: 3 boxes of 720 Baby Wipes

 

 

Bets & Emy wipes contain just 99.9% water & 0.1% citrus extract, with no fragrances, oils or parabens. Winner will receive 3 boxes of 720 wipes (12 packs of 60 in each which is about $47 worth of Bets & Emy wipes). 

 

 

 

___________________________________

Next up we have:

 

Crane: a Droplet Humidifier that includes a Vapor Pad Tray, and a Top Fill Humidifier

The Droplet Humidifier ($44.99) creates an ultrasonic cool mist which increases moisture in the air for easier breathing and a good night’s sleep. It’s capable of effectively humidifying small and medium rooms up to 500 square feet. And now it comes with a new feature, a Vapor Pad Tray!

The mist output of the Top Fill Humidifier ($69.99) runs for over 24-hours in a large size room and it works as a diffuser for essential oils and vapor liquids. Crane’s top fill ultrasonic cool mist humidifier and aromatherapy diffuser provides up to 500 sq. ft. of coverage and 24 hours of soothing moisture to help relieve the effects of dryness and congestion, helping you and your family to breathe easy and sleep through the night peacefully.

 

 

Überlube: 50 ml Bottle to each winner, 10 winners

High-end luxury lubricant. Instead of just being slippery, Überlube (50 ml bottle: $18) is designed to transfer sensation while reducing friction. It feels amazingly silky and performs as long as you’re using it. When Überlube stops being manipulated, it starts to dissipate, leaving skin soft and moisturized, never wet or sticky. 

 

 

Loloma: Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

Nature’s Purest Moisturizer does more than just moisturize, this soothing Loloma ($32) is a lullaby in a lotion. Our naturally processed pure virgin coconut oil has a light scent and is refined with a highly absorbant texture that leaves your skin highly nourished and velvety smooth. Coconut oil is a total multi-tasker – add to a bath soak, apply it to your hair as a mask, or use it on your cuticles to replenish lost moisture from hand-washing. 100% organic, free of harmful chemicals, it’s coconut oil in its purest form. 

 

 

___________________________________

And last but not least:

 

Contours Baby:

one Cocoon Buckle-Tie Carrier ($79.99), winner’s choice of 3 styles

 

 

Milkies, by Fairhaven Health:

Milkies Milk-Saver, Milkies Milk-Saver On-The-Go, and Milkies Milk Trays (total retail value: $66), 3 winners get all 3 products

 

 

 

Bamboobies:

Washable Nursing Pads and Drink Mixes: Energy Boost and Lactation Support (total retail value: $33), 3 winners get all 3 products

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#TLBsafekids 2017 – a Giveaway to Inspire and Support

Keeping our kids safe is quite a daunting task. They start out so little, so vulnerable, and though they are amazingly resilient and life comes across as a force with a seeming will of its own, at least babies can’t get themselves into trouble – they’re immobile.

But as they gain mobility, and curiosity grows inside them, each new stage of development has a way of keeping their parents on their toes. How do we balance allowing them to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity, with keeping them safe from dangers lurking around every corner? If we slack on the one side they’ll get hurt! But if we slack the other way, we’ll hold them back.

Put that under things you never thought you’d worry about when you became a parent. This parenting thing was going to be challenging, of course, but frightening? We didn’t see that coming.

But I can tell you this much: those fears are healthy, and so is your desire to allow your kid to explore. Your emotions and your brain may seem like they’re pitted against each other, but in reality you need both to parent well. Because deep down you already know that you can’t completely shield your child from getting hurt, and you also know that hurt, to a degree, is a great teacher. Who ever learned how to walk without falling a hundred times? It’s par for the course, and you are a better parent for allowing your child to learn how to walk even though they will get hurt. And you are an even better parent if you demonstrate to them that you believe in them, comfort them when they’re frustrated and overwhelmed, and encourage them to try again when they’re ready.

We, the parents, have got this, modeling how we can use both our brains and our hearts.

We can learn about developmental milestones form experts, and everyday experiences from others just like us. And there are a ton of tools available to make our life easier, and products designed by people who care about child safety. #TLBsafekids 2017 is featuring several of these products, from brands that were created out of a desire we share with them: making the world a safer place for our kids.

A huge thanks to Diono, Pura Stainless, and Crane for supporting parents and their kids year-round, and for supporting #TLBsafekids 2017 for the next few weeks. Check out their featured products below and enter the giveaway for your chance to win all of them!

 

Diono

The radian rXT All-In-One Convertible Car Seat, retail value: $359.99

Your child’s security is our top priority. We engineered our radian® rXT with premium, innovative features like a steel alloy frame, aluminum reinforced sidewalls, energy absorbing EPS foam and a reinforced adjustable head support to keep your little one protected and comfortable. 

 

Pura Stainless


Pura Kiki Stainless Steel Bottles, retail value: $24.99

100% plastic-free, NonToxic Certified stainless steel bottles that grow with your child from infancy through grade school.

 

Crane

 

Crane Drop Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier, retail value: $54.99

Get relief from dryness in style with a Crane Drop Humidifier. Featuring an award winning design and top rated performance, Crane’s Drop Shape Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifiers provide up to 24 hours of soothing moisture to help relieve the effects of dryness and congestion, helping you and your Family to breathe easy and sleep through the night peacefully. Crane’s Drop design complements any home’s decor. Not only are Crane Drop Humidifiers stylish, but they are easy to use, whisper quiet, more efficient than a household light bulb, and include a built-in auto-shut-off feature that engages when the water tank is empty to ensure safety. The moisture that humidifiers add to dry air also help alleviate many common nuisances brought on by winter heating such as static electricity, peeling wallpaper, shrinking wood, and cracks in paint and furniture.
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Focusing on the Safety of Our Children – #TLBsafekids 2017

#TLBsafekids 2017 is made possible thanks to Title Sponsor: Diono

Every parent’s first job is to tend to their child’s health. Every parent is aware of all the ways that they could let their children down. All the ways that they could fail at protecting their children’s health. All the ways that they are likely to screw up their kid(s).

As a mother to 6, almost 7, here are a few things that I wish I had known when I first became a mother:

First off, it’s normal to worry about the safety of our children. Yes, there are unhealthy levels of worry that can lead us to thinking that maybe the best thing to do is to move to a remote area of Montana and never leave the homestead – which is why we need people around us to help us stay within a healthy level of worry. But being concerned for the wellbeing of our children is a good thing. It means we care about them, and we want good things for them.

Second, we will screw up our kid(s). My kids like to point out how everyone is unique in their own way – that weird isn’t bad because we’re all weird in our own way. And while I agree with them and nod my head, in my mind that translates to “we’re all screwed up in our own way.” And the most likely people to have screwed us up? Family. Namely, our parents. But not exclusively. Siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins, all have the honor of being in the position of screwing us up too. Moving to Montana is probably sounding even better right about now isn’t it? Except that if I’m the only one left to influence my child, guess who’s the only one left to screw them up? That’s right. I am. You are. Time will tell just how much time our children will end up needing to spend in therapy – and I’m not joking about that, so far 2 of ours have needed it and we’re big believers in therapy – but in the meantime, all of us parents are just trying to do our best to not screw up our children too much.

Third, we need information. Which means that we need to be able to ask the questions that we have. Which means that we also need to feel safe in asking those questions. That has been one of my primary goals in shaping The Leaky Boob community: to make it a safe place for moms to find information, encouragement, and support, in a judgment-free space. There are no stupid questions. There are only questions needing answers. And a safe space to admit the mistakes we’ve made.

And as first-time parents, we have a LOT of questions needing answers. Second-time parents too! And even seventh-time parents.

As a mom of 6, soon to be 7, you might think that I have it all figured out! But I don’t. There are some things that I’ve learned, sure, but each of my children has proven to me that what makes them unique requires me to adapt my parenting to fit their mould, and not the other way around. Just because one of my kids thought it was a good idea to stuff peas in their nose doesn’t mean that they all will. Just because one of my children seemed to understood the theory of relativity at 12 months doesn’t mean that they all will. And I’m joking about my 12 month old being a super genius. The point is, even I’m still learning, things are changing, new information is regularly becoming available, and I still need a safe space to ask my questions too.

So for the next 3 weeks, The Leaky Boob community is going to have a special focus on safety in a campaign that I like to call #TLBsafekids. And we’re going to talk about all the things that could potentially threaten the health of our little ones. I’ll spare you a list because it basically includes pretty much everything. Which is why we really need a space to be able to talk about it all.

 

Join our private Facebook group #TLBsafekids, check out and follow our team of brave campaign ambassadors below on social, and show some love to the wonderful campaign sponsors below who care very much about the safety of our kids.

 

____________________________________

#TLBsafekids 2017 Campaign Ambassadors

 

Hello Everyone! My name is Amber. I have 3 beautiful girls: 4, 2 and 4 months. My husband is an over the road truck driver and I am a registered nurse. I am currently not working but am a stay at home mom. My oldest just started preschool, so we are trying to get used to a more structured schedule. I am very excited to be a part of this opportunity!

I live in a small town called Glencoe, in Minnesota. I am originally from Colorado.

You can find Amber on Instagram.

 

Hey everyone! I’m Brianda and I LOVE The Leaky Boob – it’s been a huge resource as a mom. We live in Woodstock, GA, a small suburb of Atlanta. My husband Reid and I have three littles… Olivia (2 years old), Owen (7 months old) and Benjamin (7 months old). Life with a toddler and twins is absolute chaos but I truly love it.

You can find Brianda on Instagram.

 

 

 

Hello Everyone, I’m D’Andra from the great state of Texas and the best city, Dallas, lol !!!!

I have only my 9 month Old Princess, Miss. Emorie Dakota, 3 fur babies, and a Man Child I call Husband  😂 😂 😂

I’m obsessed with natural parenting and learning about different things for my baby to try.

You can find D’Andra on Instagram.

 

 

I’m Leah. I have a 3yr old daughter, HER (Hannah Elizabeth), a 1yr old son, SIR (Saul Isaiah), 2 babies in heaven and I’m currently a little over 14 weeks pregnant! I’m the head Nurse of a missionary organization, but from July to January/Feburary I’m a SAHM. My husband is a part of the Ministry as well. I look forward to connecting with you all on social! I am from NJ but currently live in Lancaster county PA.

You can find Leah on Instagram.

 

 

Hi! I’m Micah. I live in So Cal with my 4 kids (10, 5, 3, 20 months) and boyfriend.

I’ve been a SAHM since the baby was born but I will be going back to work starting Monday at one of our local coffee shops. I’m super excited about it because I’ll still have a pretty flexible schedule for kid stuff.

You can find Micah on Instagram and Twitter.

 

 

 

Hey guys, I am Ophelia. I am a SAHM to my two little guys. Noah is 3, and Joseph is 20 months old. We are from Alabama, and we LOVE being outside. Both boys love getting dirty, as do I. #boymom

You can find Ophelia on Instagram.

 

 

 

____________________________________

#TLBsafekids 2017 Sponsors

 

Title Sponsor: Diono

Here at Diono we’ve made it our passion to lovingly engineer ideas that are all about safety and smiles. So, whether it’s a big day out or a little trip around the corner, we’ve thought of all the things you’ll need. Find out more here

 

Pura Stainless

100% plastic-free, NonToxic Certified stainless steel bottles that grow with your child from infancy through grade school. Find out more here

 

Crane

Here at Crane, we put “Design for Better Living” into everything we do. We started with a few designs in 2005 and continued to grow each year, working towards solving your indoor needs. Crane products are designed with efficiency, function and style in mind. We love to be creative with colors, designs and we know our products will bring comfort and smiles to your home!

Crane humidifiers help add humidity to any room in your home and will help relieve congestion to keep your family healthy. Any room in your home can be warm and cozy when you have a Crane space heater at your side. Air pollutants are everywhere; Crane air purifiers help eliminate dust, pollen, pet dander and smoke, leaving germ free air in your home. Sometimes you just need a cool breeze, and Crane fans let you direct fresh air into any room you need, whenever you need it.

Find out more here