One thing you should know about me is that I'm a pretty down-to-earth mom. I no longer paint the town red wearing 4-inch wedge sandals (with a 20 lb. tot, can we say death trap?!) or spend countless hours in front of the mirror perfecting my hair, which will inevitably be tussled by my son's chubby fingers. I hardly wear makeup these days - unless you count tinted moisturizer with SPF - and I've traded the frilly, dressed to the nines working wardrobe for more practical, functional SAHM attire. Yoga pants, jeans, tees. I've become much more simplistic. I guess it just kinda goes with the territory.
But the one thing I missed with my ensembles was jewelry. Sure, I always wear my wedding rings. But I'm a girly girl at heart and I missed the feminity of necklaces and bracelets. Not that I have a huge collection of expensive baubles. There are several more casual necklaces I own and adore but am hesitant to wear. After all, I can count on having them yanked about and slobbered upon. I worry not only about breakage but safety. What if some of the detailing came off in his mouth? The thought was too stressful, too risky, so I shelved the "jewels" away with the intent to dig them out in several years once we had survived the oral fixation stage. Until then, I longed for a way to feel stylish and accessorize without the fear of choking hazards.
I knew I wasn't the only mom out there with this same problem. But thankfully, a couple of mompreneurs have developed a solution for the rest of us. Kendra and Amy of Smart Mom LLC, inspired by babies who like to tug on jewelry, invented Teething Bling. The original, patent-pending Teething Bling product line includes donut and heart-shaped pendants, coordinating bangles and even keychains (we all know how babies are attracted to the clinkity-clank of keys!) in a variety of solid hues and patterns. Stylish for mom and safe for babies!
We use only the highest-quality, phthalate-free, federally approved silicone in our Teething Bling™ line. The material is non-toxic, latex-free, food–safe, even dishwasher-friendly! It is the same silicone used in many other popular teething products and SGS test reports are available upon request. Although we stress that this is adult jewelry not intended for children to wear, all of our pendants come with a breakaway clasp as an added safety feature.This is one product that you can file under the "Why Didn't I Think Of That?" category. Simple yet ingenious. Not hard to see why celebrity moms like Tori Spelling and Angela Bassett have been spotted wearing Teething Bling pendants.
Smart Mom also knows how to give back to the community. A percentage of all retail sales go to http://www.curesearch.org/ and http://www.dressforsuccess.org/. They have also partnered with Scott and Renee Baio to help raise awareness about the importance of expanded newborn testing for metabolic disorders.
I was fortunate enough to win the Jade donut pendant, pictured below, in a giveaway here:
Now, Nate may have just turned one, but he is still unable to resist the temptation to chew on anything within his grasp. I decided to wear it for the first time during our semiweekly grocery store outing.
My first observation was the color - a subdued, speckled blue/green shade. It was cute but no one could ever guess its purpose. Unless they were a fellow Teething Bling mama, of course. The material was pliable, not plastic-y. And the cord had enough length to give me the option of wrapping it twice for a choker style or leaving it long for a more boho look. Me likey versatility.
The moment I placed Nate in the shopping cart, he took notice of the Bling. He immediately grabbed it and checked it out, turning it around and looking at both sides inquisitively. Of course, it didn't take long for it to make its way to his mouth. He chewed on it and shook it vigorously with excitement as I traipsed the aisles, placing the essentials in our basket. The pendant was long enough that I hardly noticed he was playing with it at all. The cord was very comfortable around my neck and didn't chafe the skin as he tugged on it relentlessly. The only times I had to remove it from his grasp was when I had to reach up to a top shelf or bend down to a bottom shelf. Best of all, I didn't once have to consfiscate it after being dropped on the filthy grocery store floor. This made for a happy baby and a happy mommy.
Normally, after 15 minutes or so, my little guy has had enough and fusses to get out of the cart and be held. But the pendant held his attention throughout our entire 30-minute errand. Perhaps this was because it was "shiny and new" but it certainly exceeded my expectations. It also held up well to his eight chompers. I could see some indentations in the pendant if I looked close enough but the speckled design hid them well.
Since then, I've worn my Bling on several quick jaunts and each time, it provided a safe distraction for Nate so I could shop in peace. No temper tantrums from sheer boredom. Any mom could tell you how invaluable that is. And its so cute that I just might wear it beyond the teething phase.
Bottom line: I would recommend Teething Bling to any mom searching for an affordable, safe teething toy for their baby. It would also make a great baby shower gift for those expecting mamas!
BUY IT: Teething Bling can be purchased from the Smart Mom website or any one of its online or retail partners worldwide. Prices range from $13/each for a bangle to $16/each for a keychain to $20/each for a pendant. Gift sets are available for $35/each.
DELECTABLE DEAL: For the month of August, the Peridot pendants (shown above) and matching bangles are 50% off! Pendants are $9.50/each and bangles are $6.30/each.
As if that's not enough to convince you, a portion from every sale this month will go to http://www.baileybaioangelfoundation.com/.
Disclaimer: As I mentioned, I won a Smart Mom pendant as part of a blog giveaway. I was not in any way compensated for this post.
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