review – Page 18 – Luv Saving Money

I Attended The Mother of All Baby Showers in Pittsburgh and Boy (or Girl) Was It Ever

I received free VIP ticket to the event. Also received free products and samples while attending the event. No other compensation has been received. Any opinions expressed are my own. This giveaway is sponsored by LuvSavingMoney.com and not the businesses mentioned in this post.

I’m a mom of 4. My children range in age from 4 to 15 years old. I was invited to attend The Mother of All Baby Showers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on July 27. The Mother of All Baby Showers is geared towards those expecting up to parents of preschool age children. My hubby and I have completed our family so I wondered what info I could get out of attending The Mother of All Baby Showers. The answer would be, opening my eyes to the resources, products, and information out there in my area. Even for a mom of 4 like me.

My hubby and I received a VIP couples ticket to go. VIP tickets allowed us entry into the MOABS 30 minutes before general ticket holders. When we walked in we were greeted warmly by the staff. It was hard deciding where to start. There were so many tables with vendors available to talk to. Everything from services, to products, to clothing, and even food. I could highlight all the vendors but this blog post would turn into a small novel rather than an easy to read post lol.

As my hubby and I walked around checking things out and talking to people. The first service that really jumped out to me was Jeremiah’s Place. Lisa Perry MPM and Executive Director of Jeremiah’s Place was so nice to talk to. As she told me about the services they provide at Jeremiah’s Place I just thought “Yes, yes we need this! Why aren’t there more places like Jeremiah’s Place!”

You can get plenty of info on their site but it’s Pittsburgh’s only crisis nursery providing FREE childcare for children ages 0-6 yrs for a few hours for up to a few days depending on the situation. It could be used when a parent is hospitalized, when you need someone to watch a child for an interview, when a parent just needs a break, homelessness, domestic violence situations and more. If you’re in the Pittsburgh area definitely check out Jeremiah’s place or donate. You can call or visit to do an intake with them so when you do need them they’ll have your info.

When I talked to Lisa you could just tell how caring she is and how passionate she is about the services they provide.

Twitter: @jeremiahsplace

Facebook: facebook.com/jeremiahsplace

The next service that really stuck out to me was from First Comes Love in Pittsburgh. Daria Minton is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She provides workshops for “Bringing Baby Home”, “Emotion Coaching” and “7 Principles” workshop for couples.

I spoke with her and her husband at The Mother of All Baby Showers. They were super sweet people. Definitely someone I would feel confident calling when in need of these services.

Check out First Comes Love Pittsburgh for services and locations.

Find First Comes Love on Facebook: facebook.com/firstcomeslovepgh

If you’re a parent in Pittsburgh you’re gonna want to know about Kidsburgh.org a resource for parents to find everything kid related in Pittsburgh: playgrounds, child care centers, events, and more. They also have an app for those living in or visiting the Pittsburgh area to help you find things in your part of Pittsburgh!

Twitter: @KidsburghPgh

Facebook: facebook.com/KidsburghPgh

Instagram: instagram.com/KidsburghPgh

At the Mother of All Baby Showers Pittsburgh attendees could take advantage of free chair or table massages provided by ELEMENTS Massage from Wexford, PA. Even after a few hours of giving massages and dealing with the droves of people they still were smiling and happy to help.

Facebook: facebook.com/ElementsMassageWexford

Twitter: @ElementsMassage

Instagram: instagram.com/elementstherapeuticmassage

Of course there was all the new products and services from companies like DIONO, Combi, Baby K’tan, Enfamil, Goldfish Swim School, and so many more. It was cool to see the newest things on the market, be able to touch and try, and ask questions to the experts. The women I talked to from DIONO was very helpful in helping me understand the best types of car seat for my 4 yr old and why. I was ready to put her in a booster but her taking the time with me really opened my eyes.

Oh and speaking of experts they had several speakers you could listen to. Experts in their field for everything from pregnancy to the working parent.

Of course, I can’t talk about The Mother of All Baby Showers without talking about the $20,000 in giveaways they did. Everyone was given door prize tickets when they walked in. They called numbers throughout the evening with people winning everything from gift baskets, to strollers, car seats, and gift certificates.

As a VIP ticket holder I also received an amazing VIP swag bag with a Baby K’tan diaper bag absolutely stuffed with things from treats, coupons, baby items, formula, a travel wipe warmer, pens, and other swag. Y’all I looked up that baby K’tan diaper bag. It retails for $50 just by itself! VIP couple tickets were $60. With all the things it was stuffed with and all the things you got to try and experience I would absolutely say buying the VIP ticket is totally worth it!

Check out the Mother of All Baby Showers site to see if a MOABS is coming to your area! I’m gonna leave you with a few more pics from MOABS Pittsburgh at Heinz field. I will definitely go back next year if they come back to Pittsburgh!

Oh and one more thing. Because they were all so generous and I got some awesome stuff for babies I’m gonna do a giveaway for my LuvSavingMoney readers. I’m going to give you some swag too!

GIVEAWAY

1 Luv Saving Money reader will win some MOABS swag that includes

The Bump reusable tote
DIONO travel wipe warmer
Dr Brown’s natural flow Options 4 oz bottle
Dr Brown’s 0-6 month pacifier 2 pack (blue)
bib
digital thermometer
Camilia Homeopathic teething relief
Babee Talk stroller toy
coupons and samples

The Mother of All Baby Showers

Brickfest Live in Monroeville Pennsylvania

I received free tickets from US Family Guide to attend Brickfest Live in Monroeville, PA to complete this post. No other compensation was received.

We are definitely a LEGO family. Any LEGO event that comes within a 50 mile radius, we’re there. Actually I heard about them opening a LEGOland near Philadelphia and my hubby and I were considering a trip with the family .

LEGOs spark creativity, problem solving, pre-engineering skills, and more for little ones. And heck, I enjoy creating with them with the kids. Brickfest Live at the Monroeville Convention Center was the perfect place for our LEGO loving family to have fun for all ages.

We got there about 15 minutes late but we got right in. The staff was friendly and entry was pretty streamlined. We were greeted by Woody from Toy Story built entirely out of LEGO bricks.

LEGO Toy Story

The brick pit was made up to look like a swimming pool. The kids played for a while in there. They had tables set up around it so if the kids created something they could put it on a table to display for the day.

LEGO play pit

There were impressive LEGO sculptures from the Pittsburgh area adult LEGO user group and several builds in the monochrome build sections, and glow-in-the dark build sections. Here are just some of the favorites we had:

There was so much to do. The kids got to try out some LEGO video games in the gaming section, we got to play LEGO mini-golf, We got to meet several characters, they did plenty of builds, and watched some LEGO car drag races.

Another area the kids really enjoyed was the Make-A-Wish area. They had Star Wars characters there. For a small donation the kids got to choose a Nerf gun and shoot at Star Wars characters. The staff there was super nice and very patient with the kids. They let me take several pictures. Even though they were being shot at repeatedly with nerf guns they were all smiles. I was more than happy to donate to such a great cause and the kids had a good time.

We always have a good time at these Brickfest Live! events. It’s hours of family fun . If you ever get the chance, I definitely recommend it.

NuNaturals Sugar Free Products Part of a Healthier Daily Routine + a Giveaway!

I received a sampling of NuNaturals products at no cost. Any opinions expressed are my own.

A few years ago I discovered NuNaturals products. In that time they’ve added more products, added new flavors, and helped me to live healthier. I’ve never been a fan of sugar substitutes. They all tasted funny to me. NuNaturals is different. Probably my favorite products still are the NuStevia liquids. They come in a variety of flavors (and unflavored) and are alcohol free.

I love my coffee but I’d drink 2 or 3 cups a day and I just had to have my flavored creamer. Flavored creamer, of course, has lots of sugar and some fat in it. Not exactly the healthiest. When I started trying to make changes to have healthier diet, that’s one thing I knew I could change. The NuNaturals Vanilla Alcohol Free Liquid NuStevia was a great substitute. I was able to drink my coffee black or with a splash of unsweetened almond milk then a few drops of the liquid NuStevia. Tastes so good without the sugar.

The sugar free cocoa syrup is another favorite of my family. I make chocolate milk for the kids with it and they don’t know the difference between that and regular chocolate syrup. They put it on their ice cream too. So if you’ve been looking for a sugar free topping to put on your sugar free ice cream the sugar free cocoa syrup is it. A great way to give kids the flavor they love without the sugar!

I’ve introduced NuNaturals products to my diabetic friends too and they love it. NuNaturals products taste great and help you make healthier choices when sweetening your every day items. I love to put the the Lemon, vanilla, or orange liquid alcohol free NuStevia in my plain greek yogurt for a healthier and tasty protein snack. The cocoa syrup is great for that too! A good choice for those doing the 21 Day Fix like me.

Check out some of my recipe posts using NuNatural Products:

Drink Recipe: Vodka Collins or Virgin Collins

Breakfast Recipe: Gluten-Free Vanilla Ginger Pancakes

NuNaturals.com is offering 15% off site wide for Luv Saving Money readers using code: BLG1217 expires December 31, 2017

GIVEAWAY

4 Luv Saving Money reader will win a NuNaturals prize pack that includes:

– 1 bottle of Vanilla Alcohol free liquid NuStevia

– 1 bottle of sugar free cocoa syrup

– 1 package of NuNaturals cocoa powder

– 50 ct package of NuStevia No-Carbs Stevia packets

– + 1 surprise bonus item

Total value of each prize pack is $70!

NuNaturals Summer 2017 Giveaway

Enter to Win $150 To Spend On Evgie Wall Decals

This post is brought to you by EvgieNev. All opinions are my own.

Are you expecting a baby? Or is it just time to change up the decorations in your child’s room? You are going to love all of these designs from EvgieNev!

EvgieNev makes it easy to order beautiful AND removable wall decals! They are easy to apply, and to remove when you are ready for a new look. Your kids will love them. It could be exactly what you ned to finish your nursery!

EvgieNev can also do custom decals of pretty much whatever you can think of! They can adjust colors, sizes – if you can image it they can do it!

All the elements come separately and can be arrange any way you’d like. You can even order custom colors. And a FREE testing decal is included.

The vinyl decals from EvgieNev are made of top-quality matte vinyl. Perfect to decorate and add your personal touch to any space or switch themes in child’s room.

Check out their reviews – they do an amazing job and I know you are going to love them!

Here are a few our our favorite designs!

Amazing Ocean Friends

It’s like you are on an underwater adventure! Unbelievable Sea Creatures with Submarine Monkeys, Cats Scuba Divers and Sunken Pirate Ship!

Adorable Teddy Bears

The cutest Teddies in the World. Not just plush toys sitting quietly around, they are trendy and curious animals doing all kinds of tricks enlightening your nursery room: climbing a tree, flying on a balloon, resting up high on a branch, playing hide and seek.

TeePee camp Wall Decals

Stunning Pioneer Time wall decals theme featuring First Nation playing camp with TeePee, Canoe, friendly Black Bear, Campfire and Eagle, set on natural landscape and surrounded by Mountains, Clouds and Stars, this is a very warm illustrative setup promoting empathy and imagination of play time while highlighting Indigenous People history and spirit!

Sugarloaf Mountain with Animals of South America

Armadillo family, Blue Macaw and Anteater with Monkeys and Jaguar in our new Children Nursery Wall Decals setup in Rio-De-Janeiro, South America surrounding.

Arctic and Antarctic Animals and Polar Friends

Polar Friends is new amazing addition to their collection of Children Wall Decals for nursery illustrating Penguins having fun and Polar Mama Bear with Cub and two famous Whales, on the background of ocean with icebergs and mountains.

Tropical Nursery with Exotic Rain-forests and Animals Baby Nursery

Spectacular nursery Wall Decals scene highlighting Tropical Animals of the Exotic Rain-Forest, one of the most popular set it is handmade using Top-Quality Matte Vinyl and perfect to decorate and add your personal touches to any space or room.

Custom Flag Name Outer Space Wall Decals

Mind-blowing Outer Space wall decals theme featuring Custom Flag Name with space-walking Anstronauts, spaceship, aliens, asteroids and dots to create constellations. Elements come separately and can be arrange any way you’d like.

More Reasons to Shop at Evgie.com

100% SATISFACTION – If it turns you don’t love your decal you may ship it back, and they will refund your money.
FREE test decal for you to practice on and EASY Step-by-step detailed instructions.
They can adjust the decal size larger or smaller and add additional colors. Contact them for pricing.
They offer custom designs. If you have an idea in mind of a custom design, let them know.

So now that you have seen some of the awesome new decals being offered right now at EvgieNev are you ready for a chance to win a set of your own? Enter using the form below for your chance to win $150 to spend on decals from EvgieNev! Good luck!

Dates: Ends July 27, 2017 at 1159pm EST.

Open Worldwide (please note if you are outside of the US or Canada you will have to pay the difference in shipping.)

Entry -Form

Let The Kids Stay Active Even On a Rainy Day with Funslides Carpet Skate Park

I received free admission to FunSlides Carpet Skatepark through US Family Guide in order to complete a review. Any opinions expressed are my own.

We’ve been to Fun Slides Carpet Skatepark in the past but it was when they still had the Greensburg location. So when we had the chance to try the location in Pittsburgh, the kids were pretty excited. This time around my daughter was old enough to give it ago. We love Funslides for a rainy or cold day boredom buster. It’s something different to do, get the kids away from electronics, and gets them active.

Funslides Carpet Skatepark outfits you with Funslide skates that allow you to slide along the carpets and down the ramps. They also have body slides you can use like my middle son in the picture above. They also had smaller ones we referred to as “butt scoots”to sit and go down the ramps. There were ramps of different sizes for beginners to more experienced.

Funslide skates velcro right over your shoes

They also had a dodgeball court, a timed challenge course (think ninja warrior-esque), and a bounce house. Those areas needed additional ticket purchases to use them. The dodgeball we were not able to use due to a birthday party on the same day. We went on a Saturday which was pretty busy. If you have the opportunity, going on a weekday is a little less busy.

Even without that the kids were able to entertain themselves for nearly 2 hours before they started running out of steam.

Funslides Carpet Skatepark is fun place to book your kids birthday parties. Even preteens have a blast at Funslides. You can also book STEM field trips for grades 3-5. Your school or homeschool group can learn Isaac’s 3 Laws of Motion, the force of friction, balanced forces vs unbalanced forces, and more. Book your class STEM field trip

I even tried out some of the ramps. I got a little braver as I got more and more used to it. Some of the ramps seemed steep to me! The older boys loved it. The littler ones stood for the smaller ramps and used the body slides or “butt scoots” for the bigger ramps.

LIMITED TIME – EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS OFFER FOR MY READERS!! Just mention BLOG16 and my blog upon booking or arrival!!
$4 off per skater up to 5 skaters & free spectator passes for non skating adults.
$25 off party and
10% off a STEM field trip (up to $100).