Hot Mama In The City

Do you know that your car has a cabin filter? Because I didn't until I heard of FRAM FreshBreeze cabin air filters. I knew our cars had air filters under the engine but I had no clue about cabin air filters. What are cabin air filters for? Cabin air filters help filter out road dust and pollen that flows through your car's air-conditioning, heating and ventilation system.




{Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and FRAM #cbias #SocialFabric}

Want to inspire creativity and encourage imaginative playtime for children? Then look no further than Puppet Monsters – the new, adorable, wearable stuffed toy with interchangeable parts. The possibilities are endless! These fun, furry friends let kids express themselves by dressing up and even performing as their favorite Puppet Monster.

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{Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I received item in exchange for my review. All opinions are of my own.}

Zoobies offers mufti-functional and fun plush toys. Zoobie Pets are the perfect combination of a plush toy, comfy pillow and cozy blanket. Blanket Pets are perfect for all ages and come in many different characters.

Spring is here and with the blooming flowers and April showers brings a new wardrobe for the kids. Spring time in South Texas calls for some beautiful and warm days. Alex and Alexa have everything you need to style your kids from head to toe in the cutest, coolest and latest kids fashions. Spring time is a great time to wear pretty dresses and stylish shorts and tops.

I had a look at the Alex and Alexa site and fell in love with their large selection of designer kids wear that included Stella McCartney, Ralph Lauren, Burberry and so many more. I've gathered a few of my favorites for the kids.

1. Stella McCartney Kids Ruby Pinafore Dress. I absolutely adore this dress!
2. Love Made Love Floral Stripe Dress is a perfect combination of Stripes and Floral.
3. Diesel Denim Strappy Playsuit. A great casual outfit for any day of the week.
4. Livly Green Peplum Dress. This apple green pretty dress is perfect for parties and other special occasions
5. Mayoral Stripe Skirt Dress is perfect for spring and summer with it's red,white and blue colors.

1.  Dolce & Gabbana Multi Print One-Piece Swimsuit
2. Dolce & Gabbana Fruit Print One-Piece Swimsuit
3. Joules Stripe Bow Hairband
4. Zatchels Gold and Pink Leather Satchel
5. Mini Rodini Stripe & Frill Swimsuit
6. Holster St Tropez Jelly Sandals

1. SOOKIbaby Pirate Print Tee
2. Munster Kids Space Tee
3. Mayoral Pack of Two Tees
4. Moschino Velcro Canvas Trainer Sneakers
5. Ikks Sketch Shorts
6. SOOKIbaby Stripe Jersey Shorts

Kidorable offers adorable and fashionable rain coats, rain boots and other accessories for kids. With their many styles and characters there's something to fit any child's personality and style. From matching rain coats, boots and umbrella to matching knit scarves, hats and gloves, or just a cute beach towel; your kids will look fashionable in any weather.

These toys from Hasbro would make any little princess very happy. They're cute, fun and interactive. Emma Lee was extremely excited to receive a Baby Alive Doll, My Little Pony and a FurReal Friend. She was over the moon when we opened the box and she saw what was inside. She loves her other Baby Alive dolls and is always asking for more. She has a few My Little Pony pets that she adores and a FurReal pet has been on her wishlist since she saw some a few months ago at the store.

The bracelet vintage collection from Kivelli Baby has such pretty bracelets for any princess. With the variety they offer, your princess will find the perfect bracelet to match their style and personality. And if your princess is anything like my Emma Lee, she'll love wearing it everyday.







{Disclosure: This review and giveaway is sponsored by Kivelli Baby. I was sent the item to facilitate my review. All opinions are of my own.}

Bump-i-doodles are pillows with personality that are destined to become your child’s favorite nap-time companion! The kids recently received the Bitty Toby Turtle cushion from Bump-i-doodle. Toby Turtle is simply adorable! He makes for a great cuddle buddy. Bump-i-doodle friend's are floor cushions that are made from ultra-plush fabric with soft fleece accent.

My Snuggle Bunny is a new book from I See Me! Within this beautifully illustrated storybook, An adorable snuggle bunny counts 10 ways that it loves your child. Emma Lee loves reading books and she was excited to receive this personalized gift set that includes the Snuggle Bunny book and a very soft and cuddly bunny.

I grew up playing with wooden Tinkertoys from K'NEX and I would enjoy playing with them for long periods of time. These toy's bring back so many fun childhood memories and now I get to share those memories with my kids. Emma Lee and Maddox have lots of fun playing with this Tinkertoy building set and are excellent toys to help improve their fine motor skills.

Recently I attended a teleconference about potty training with Dr.Cotton and Jeannette. There was so much great information shared along with useful tips and debunking those myths about potty training. Including one very important piece advice, Make potty training a Family Affair: Get friends and family members involved in the process, asking others for support is a great way to go.

Dr.Cotton Bio
Dr. Alberto Andres Cotton is a well-respected Miami based pediatrician with 17 years of experience. He began his career in medicine in Buenos Aires, Argentina where he graduated from the University of Buenos Aires, and then started his own private practice. Dr. Cotton continued to work in different capacities in the medical field while in Argentina. Some of his notable achievements are working with the Miami Children’s Hospital Haiti Medical Relief Tea where he was voluntarily deployed to provide assistance, and being featured on Univision’s top morning show Despierta América to share his expertise on health related topics.

Jeannette Kaplun Bio
An award-winning journalist and internationally recognized parenting expert, Jeannette Kaplun has over 17 years of experience on TV, radio, online media and as a published author and conference speaker. Born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in Chile, Jeannette is truly bilingual and bicultural.

Here are a few questions and answers from the teleconference.

• At what age should I start to worry that my child is not yet potty trained?

Dr. Cotton: It is a very interesting question. There is no age to worry in particular. There is no adult that wets the bed. What does it mean that potty training deals with maturity? Because it has to do with maturity. For example, we cannot ask a 5-month-old babe to walk or talk because they are not mentally prepared. Well, this is similar to potty training. If the child is not mentally ready, they will not be able to go to the restroom even if you persist or if the daycare tells you they should be ready. They will not have control over it. You cannot force it upon your child either his mind, nervous system, and/or bladder is not ready. More or less around the age of 3 and a half, the American Pediatric Association does not worry yet. If there is a sign that the child began potty training but is still not successful, we give them time. There is no age or limit. By the age of 5, he/she should be able to control his/her urine at least.

• If a child is not truly verbal (a few words only) but understands direction and communicates with gestures, grunts, etc is it ok to begin the potty training?

Dr. Cotton: To be able to talk is not necessarily needed as long as they use some type of communication to show that they are ready. You have to pay attention to your child because every child is unique; therefore, if you see that your child cannot speak yet they go to the restroom, then they are ready.

• In regards to potty training boys, do you introduce the potty to them standing up or sitting down?

Dr. Cotton: Every family is different. A lot of the stuff in training comes from watching the dad or their mom. Therefore, if the boy watches their dad standing up they will usually learn standing up. Also, there are some children that need to be more relaxed like if they go do number two they are usually relaxed and pee right after. Every family is different;  therefore, every child is taught differently. There is no correct way so either way is fine.

• How normal is regression after potty training?

Dr. Cotton: It is very normal. Like I said before, you shouldn’t get mad at your child. It can happen that your child reverts at a moment of stress. If at that time he cannot control his urine, he will most likely revert so he/she can advance later on.

Jeannette Kaplun: Also, if a sibling is on their way, it is very normal to see regression. Whenever there is stress or change in the child’s life you can expect some kind of regression. Sometimes it’s an accident.

Dr. Cotton: Potty Training is a stress for the child. The family has to take it as a game so that the child becomes calm. If it is already a stress on their shoulders and we apply more pressure on them, they will get worse. At times, children begin to stutter due to the stress. Stuttering from being nervous is totally normal.

I received my second order of Nutrisystem meals this week and I lost 1 pound which is awesome after gaining 2 pounds in week 4 and not gaining or losing in week 5 because I didn't have any meals. I think losing 1 pound and my food arriving in the middle of the week is great. I'm very excited to get back on track. Starting to feel more energized and excited as the week goes on. 

Some of the dinner meals I was looking forward to receiving were the Beef & Wedge Potatoes and Chicken & Dumplings. Both meals are Diabetic friendly and full of flavor and not to mention quick and easy to prepare.

"Calling all meat and potatoes lovers—food the way your Ma used to make it! In this hearty, mouth-watering dinner, tender beef is slow-cooked with thick potato wedges in a rich, savory gravy accented with a hint of wine and flavorful spices. Mushrooms, green beans and fire-grilled corn round out the flavors of this satisfying entrée. This is comfort food with definite homestyle flair."

  "This old fashioned favorite is comfort food at its best! White meat chicken is combined with light, tender dumplings and carrots in a rich, savory chicken gravy. This is a substantial, soul-satisfying dish with homemade flavor and goodness."