Tag Archives: review

My Happy Pillow: A Fun Way for Kids to Show Emotions

A toddler’s emotions are about as stable as nitroglycerin in a monster truck rally. I’m assuming we all have our days, but for kids, it’s just routine. Lucky us, huh? If only we could get in our kid’s mind to know how they’re feeling when they can’t or won’t say it themselves.

Enter My Happy Pillow! They are a small, family-owned business making fun and adorable animal pillows with dual expressions. One side has the animals in their happy state, and the other has them mad/sad/bored/scared depending on which animal you have.

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The pillows allow kids (and adults) to express their feelings without saying a word. Your kids can show their feelings by revealing a certain side of the pillow and then we know if it’s playtime or bedtime/cheer up time/hold close time/keep your distance time!

What makes My Happy Pillow extra special is that these pillows were created by a precious 6 year old girl who wanted a way to express her feelings. It’s like getting inside information for what kids want from a kid! This was something I had to try with Avery, and was ecstatic when they agreed to send me one of their pillows for review. I even had a kind note from Wendy upon opening the package.

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And then a not-so-kind Sunny the Bear showed his face….

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I quickly flipped him over so we all could be happy though!

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Phew! The stitching and fabric is all high quality and soft to touch. Both extremely important for a pillow and for kids who like to “test” the durability of their toys.

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If you were wondering, Sunny passed the test. In order to show her acceptance, she brought him to her favorite chair for a big a hug…

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….and even let him sit there! Obviously, this made him happy.

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Avery still hasn’t caught on to using pillows when sleeping in her crib. Despite our efforts at putting him in there at night, he always ends up on the floor along with anything else we put in there. But when on her blanket pallet, she enjoys cuddling close to her bear pillow.

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And, after taking too many pictures and testing her patience, I’d say she learned how to express her feelings without saying a word.

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Loud and clear!

Since a lot of my time is spent in the kitchen dealing with food prep, Avery found a wonderful way to keep me company and stay comfortable on the hard floor. Pillows are great for more than just your head!

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Of course, as I posted on Instagram, Sunny makes a perfect pillow too.

As you can see, we’re enjoying our fun and emotional pillow over here, and I’d say it’s worth picking up one (or several) for your family too. I think we all need a wordless way to show our feelings, so why not make it fun with a pillow?

My Happy Pillow currently has Sunny the Bear and Zee the Monkey for purchase, but have a panda, dog, lion, and giraffe you can pre-order now. Check them out here. For a better look, here’s the graphic from their About Us page with all of the animals and story of how they got started.

My Happy Pillow

I have a feeling your kids will love these pillows just like Avery since one of their kind created them. It’s genius! We all like the pillow and Avery has it with her every day now. I can’t find anything bad to say except that I really wish they would come out with a turtle pillow.

So, Isabella, if you’re reading this, please please PLEASE make a turtle pillow! I’ll be your first customer!

Make sure to keep up to date with My Happy Pillow and like them on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram.

Which pillow do you think your kids could use the most?

What about you?

Any other animals you’d like to see created by My Happy Pillow?

A Healthy Start With #TheNewSweet of Zevia

Zevia has been the only soda in our home for many years. I’ve reviewed their delicious drinks in the past and explained why it being a healthy treat is not the only thing that makes it so special in our home.

Recently, Avery had her first try of #TheNewSweet that is Zevia and now we have a small family of Zevia lovers! She literally reaches for the stuff whenever it’s in sight!

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So what is “#TheNewSweet” all about? Here are the details directly from the satisfyingly refreshing soda company itself:

Zevia is s naturally sweetened, zero calorie soda in 15 delicious flavors! They’ve asked me to put a fresh spin on my old routine in honor of Spring! Get in on the fun on twitter.com/zevia & instagram.com/zevialife by tagging them & #TheNewSweet. Head to the gallery to peep the party! Zevia.com/TheNewSweet

Here in Texas, Spring turns into Summer in an instant, which means it gets a little warm. And by “warm” I mean VERY HOT! With Avery running around and keeping active indoors and out, she needs to stay hydrated with plenty of water and energized with nutritious food.

Since she was born, we’ve only given her healthy food I made and she will eat steamed veggies without a fuss……usually (she’s still a toddler!). Carrots are viewed as a treat to her and I’m proud at how well she does when it comes to eating healthy.

Thanks to my wife, she still gets the unbeatable breast milk to drink as well as water. But now, after playing outside and needing a nice treat, I’ve started sharing a Zevia with her. Since Avery just started having liquids other than breast milk and water, we never had a routine to give a “fresh spin” to, instead this is the routine.

So far she’s tried their Grape and Strawberry sodas as well as their brand new Tonic Water. It’s a great way to make a healthy adult beverage or something fun for the kids. Like, for instance, mixing with another flavor like Strawberry because we all know how fun it is to mix things!

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At least it is in this house. Avery has been loving this combo lately. Just a 50/50 mix and some ice and you’re good to go.

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No one wants to spend too much time inside when it’s nice outside, so I prefer to keep it simple. Of course, on a rainy day, Zevia has plenty of recipes to try on their site.

And it’s not just drinks, you can bake with it for a healthy treat to eat too! I even have a recipe for Cherry Cola Protein Bread I suggest you try. Just make sure you top off everyone’s drinks before using the last can!

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From Spring right into Summer, we’ll be keeping healthy and happy with #TheNewSweet of Zevia. So when Avery is giving me “the look”…

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Before Zevia

…I know it’s time for a healthy treat like Zevia to keep things cool and calm. Judging from her cheeky grin, I’d say it’s working!

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After Zevia

Don’t forget to show how you’re enjoying #TheNewSweet of Zevia and share it on Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag! Make sure to check back here soon to read my review of Zevia’s new Tonic Water and a chance to win free Zevia for yourself and your family…..if you want to share! 🙂

Soft Star Shoes Child Rambler Review: Growing Happy Feet

Soft Star Shoes have become a family favorite in the ‘Going’ household. First, I became a proud ambassador, then I reviewed their RunAmoc Moc3’s, then they sent Avery the awesome pair of Child Ramblers that I’m reviewing today, and I have a review of their Dash RunAmoc shoes coming soon!

All of this, plus Going Mom just received the coolest Mother’s Day gift from the coolest husband ever; a pair of Soft Star Shoes Solstice Sandals. So, yeah, we’re rockin’ the Soft Star life over here and our feet couldn’t be happier!

Soft Star Shoes has a neat design-your-own area for their adult and kids’ shoes, but I went with their Flamingo/Nutmeg color combo since my wife and I liked the colors and figured they’d go with more of the clothes Avery has.

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Before they wear shoes, kids have a natural movement pattern and are able to move around freely. Giving feet freedom is important since the early years of a kids’ life is when their body is rapidly changing.

Shoes that allow freedom for feet to grow and develop naturally is of the utmost importance, and that’s exactly what Soft Star Shoes provides. Check out their informative link with healthy footwear tips and research-based info on why the right shoe is so important for your little one.

The Ramblers have a minimal design that allows feet the freedom to move around, are slip-resistant, handcrafted in the USA with high quality materials, and flexible without arch support that forces feet into a “molding”. How flexible, you ask? This flexible…

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And their rubber soles allow for play on all types of surfaces, indoor or out, without the need to be concerned about slipping.

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The ease of putting them on your child will depend on two big things; their age and the current weather. At Avery’s age, she does everything she can to NOT help you get her dressed, and if it’s hot/humid outside, that only makes it worse.

Thankfully, the elastic ankle closure on these makes it easier to get on and off than most other shoes we’ve tried. Once they’re on, they stay snug but comfortable. She never complained about having them on, even for extended periods. I’d like to think it helps that she looks up to (literally) and wants to wear Soft Star Shoes like her Daddy.

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The Ramblers fit her feet quite well with a little room to grow. When she is ready for bigger shoes, Soft Star has plenty of sizing options including baby (0-12 months), child (1-5 years), youth (5-12 years), and adult (12-150 years). The fact that she keeps them on while in her stroller on the way to the playground says a lot, trust me!

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When playing, Avery can easily run around and even kick the soccer ball without issue.

The shoes we tried before these would all be off in a minute, so it’s obvious these are her favorite, even if she can’t say it yet. Hey, actions speak louder than words, right? And she knows what shoes to grab when getting read to lift weights with daddy.

She sure does make me proud! After wearing her Ramblers outside in the dirt, mulch, and grass, as well as inside our home, they still look brand new. No threads coming undone or huge scrapes, even after climbing up and down the concrete at the playground.

Avery on playground with SSS

She tripped on the cracks in those rocks more times than I can remember, but the shoes still stayed on and showed no signs of wear. We love Avery’s Soft Star Shoes, and besides being difficult to put at first (you figure it out fast), these are the only shoes we use now. Avery seems happy to roam about to discover new things in her Ramblers, like how sticks taste.

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Or just what in the world Daddy is trying to show her now….

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The soft natural leather, non-toxic colors, and hardy but flexible soles make for an awesome shoe for kids or adults and will ensure happy feet stay happy.

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A big thanks to Soft Star Shoes for sending our precious girl these lovely shoes. I can’t recommend these shoes enough, and think their entire line has something for everyone. Check out their site and get your family’s feet ready to play hard, play safe, and keep it natural this summer.

After you find your perfect pair, make sure to take plenty of pictures and enter their monthly Fan Photo Contest to win $50 towards your next shoe purchase.

Now, excuse me while I test out my Dash RunAmocs with Avery.

soft star shoes

Have you heard of Soft Star Shoes?

Do you have any of your own?

Try out their Design-Your-Own feature and let me know what style and colors you like best.