I was thrilled when Christine asked me to try the SleepJoy ViscoFresh Memory Foam mattress topper. I was not sleeping well and was tossing and turning all night long. Yet, I was a bit reluctant because Tom and I have tried several mattress toppers and were not happy with any of them; they consequently have become “floor toppers” for the grandkids to sleep on when they spend the night!

When the mattress came I opened it and let it air out some before putting the cover and sheets on. I loved the tea tree odor; it was pleasant and went away within days. The memory foam uses renewable, plant-based ingredients and is hypoallergenic and anti-microbial. Truly, a “green” foam!

The 300 Thread Count Cotton Skirted Fiberbed we received with the topper is the perfect topper cover. It definitely added an extra layer of comfort, better than down because it does not mash down, and I know it will also protect the mattress topper itself. I was thrilled that the mesh side panels were actually long enough to hug the mattress and tuck under nicely, with material to spare. Oh, if only fitted sheets were as long!

We have given this mattress topper the test and to our delight, we found the hardest thing for us to get used to was the unbelievable comfort and restful sleep we have been getting! No more sore hips, shoulders or stiff necks!

Benefited review

My sister found that Pampers Swaddlers were the best for her newborn and now she uses Pampers Cruisers. Here’s her story::

There are probably several different answers and opinions to this question but if you want my experienced opinion, YES, I think Pampers Swaddlers are the best diaper, especially for a newborn!

When we had our first son, we used whatever we had on hand, diapers that the hospital sent us home with and what we were given at my baby shower. All of which included a wide variety of brands from Huggies to Pampers to no-name brands. I remember my frustration as I nursed my son Alex and then within minutes he would have a major blowout! I had to make sure that I always carried a second outfit ’cause inevitably he would need to be changed after a feeding because these stupid diapers would leak a huge mess.

Being a new mommy I had no idea that the cause of blowouts were due to what brand of diaper I used. I just assumed that all diapers were created equal, but that is just not the case. I started to pay closer attention to what I would use and concluded that Pampers Swaddlers were by far the best brand… he would never leak! Once I discovered that I never went back!

Now, we use Pampers Cruisers for our son Isaac. Pampers diapers really are the best brand for us!

Part of the reason why love what I do, here at From Dates to Diapers, is that I have the opportunity to help bless others! Epson sent me the Stylus NX400 All-In-One to review, so I passed it along to my sister, Sara, knowing that she was without a printer of any kind. Following is what she had to say about this wonder-machine that can be purchased for less than $70!

Thanks to Epson (and Christine) I have been given a gift of a brand new printer. I was in dire need of a new one and this Epson Stylus NX400 is definitely going to exceed all of my printing, scanning and copying needs.

With the image enhancing tools and Epson’s exclusive DURABrite Ultra ink, this printer is an excellent solution for printing important documents, photos, invitations, cards, announcements and other creative projects to be smudge, water and fade resistant on all types of paper and the ink dries instantly!

One of my favorite features is the large tilt LCD screen for selecting photos to print without even using my computer, plus it’s super easy to use. I can take a picture of my boys then insert my memory stick in the NX400, which supports all popular memory formats, and my photo is printed in as little as 26 seconds!

Not only is the speed and ease a convenience but the quality is truly amazing! The Epson Stylus NX400 offers impressive print and copy speeds, printing up to 34 pages per minute for black and color text documents plus it’s super quiet.

Included is a fun and easy to use software for designing greeting cards, invitations, calendars, photo albums and more. I’m definitely going to be using this printer quite a bit capturing my family memories and creating personalized gifts!

Thanks again Epson!

Being that I do not have a furry pet who would allow me to do more than an occasional rub of her head, I passed along some wonderful pet products to my friend Mindy. Here’s what she had to say about the FURminator products I sent her way.

Love your pet, hate the shedding?

I most certainly do! We adopted our sweet shepherd mix Bailey 15 months ago during the height of the winter cold when all of her thick black fur was “reluctant” to fall out. We thought, hey, this is great! We’ve got a dog that doesn’t shed! No sooner did the weather start turning warmer than Bailey’s coat began to shed vigorously, leaving our precious home covered in dog hair from top to bottom and leaving me running for my swifter and vacuum! We tried two types of bristle brushes and a comb recommended to us by a groomer, but nothing seemed to do the trick. We changed her food and started supplementing her diet with Omega 3 & 6 oils, but because of her breed and her skin allergies, Bailey still left her thin black top coat and thick gray undercoat everywhere. I just couldn’t keep on top of it and with a brand new baby at home demanding all of my time, I was frustrated! Knowing that our baby would soon be crawling, and not wanting the floors to be filthy, we even considered giving Bailey away. But…we loved our pet, just not her shedding!

Knowing our frustrations and love for our pup, my friend and mommy blogger, Christine, offered us the FURminator deShedding products to sample. We are certainly very grateful! The FURminator line of products includes a deShedding Shampoo, a waterless spray-on shampoo, a deShedding Solution, deShedding dog treats, and a deShedding tool. We were eager to try out the tool and once we started brushing Bailey we were amazed! My husband’s exact words were, “This thing rocks!” With most dog brushes hair flies everywhere during brushing, but the FURminator deShedding tool collects it neatly, allowing you to remove it and place it in the garbage. Also, it doesn’t leave hair all over your clothes after a brushing session! It pulls out the undercoat easily and without much pressure. Bailey didn’t seem to mind it at all!

The waterless shampoo was simple and easy to use. We simply sprayed it on, rubbed it in, and towel dried Bailey’s fur. It seemed to loosen all of the dirt and grime she had collected from our backyard (an unlandscaped dirty mess). It was disgusting to see how much ick she was harboring in her fur. Her coat shined afterwards and she smelled clean and fresh. (No wet dog smell!) She loves the deShedding dog treats and even made off with the bag when I wasn’t looking! We have yet to try the shampoo and solution because let’s face it, bathing the dog in the tub is a huge ordeal…but once we decide to undertake that task…I’m confident we’ll be equally impressed with those two products as we were with the others.

While I’m not sure that the products reduced Bailey’s shedding up to 90% as the company claims, it did make her shedding much more manageable! It is the best brushing tool that we have used on her and we recommend it to any dog owner that is desperate to get rid of all that hair!

Go check out all of the great products that are available at FURminator.com and check out how you can win the a FURminator deShedding tool, for your own furry pet, at Mommies United.

I am a self-proclaimed blanket hog. Cuddly baby blankets, homemade and handknit blankets, soft blankets, warm blankets – If it’s a blanket, I have to have it! So, when Alex Casey Baby sent me their Green and Chocolate blanket, I flipped! Believe it or not though, I decided to spread the love with my sister, Sara, who shares my obsession.

Here’s what she had to say about this adorable blanket…

I don’t believe that any baby (or mommy) can have too many blankets! I always have plenty on hand, all around my house. My sister gave me this adorable reversible blanket that I was extremely happy to add to my collection. It’s one of the few that I now have that is not only practical, but oh-so adorable. Not only does my son use it, but I love to cuddle up with him and have this blanket comfortably cover both of us. There are few blankets as cute as this chocolate brown and green – the color combination really pops! I love it!