***CLOSED***Giveaway-Welcoming Home A New Baby

***Disclosure-As a Britax Latina Blogger/Advisory Member (and in partnership with Mami Innovative Media), this is part of sponsored outreach.  All opinions expressed are my own based on my personal experience.

The month of December is very special to me.  3 years ago, we were expecting our daughter Lil Bit.

We were so excited.  At 14 weeks, I almost lost my beautiful baby.  At that time, the only thing I could do to protect my baby was rest.  Everything was out of my hands.  She has been a little miracle.  Mamis and Papis become different when they become parents.  We become so protective.  We will do anything for our little ones.  In anticipation for her birth, we had everything set up and ready to go.

I am so glad we did, because she had to be taken out early.  It was a very scary time for us but we were ready to meet our little one.  Papi got the car seat and properly installed it in our truck.  We knew we needed to have the car seat in order to bring her home.  After everything, we had gone through keeping her safe has always been a priority.  Car seat safety is very important and should be a priority to parents with infant babies.  Here are some reasons for having your infant in a car seat:

absorb crash forces

-absorbs the force of a crash
-keeps your infant's head and neck secure
-surrounds your infant's body with protection

I am so thankful we have not, knock on wood, been in a serious car accident.  But I know that my baby girl is protected.  I know that my Britax car seat has SafeCell Impact protection.  Just recently, my best friend had a baby and I didn't hesitate to recommend the Britax line of products.  When looking online I saw there are 2 new car seats, the new Britax B-Safe 35 Elite and B-Safe 35 infant car seats.

-The B-Safe 35 Elite and B-Safe 35 feature the Britax SafeCell Impact Protection system, which surrounds an infant with safety technologies that work together to provide the ultimate in crash protection.
-Britax designed both the B-Safe 35 Elite and B-Safe 35 to install with ease, featuring the SafeCenter LATCH Installation
-The new infant car seats are assembled in the U.S.A. with global components.  Offered in sleek neutrals beginning in December 2014, and in bright, bold colors as a baby-registry ready “Shower Collection” in early 2015. The B-Safe 35 Elite in nine fashions and B-Safe 35 in six fashions will be available online and at independent and major retailers.

Thanks to Britax, Independentmami readers get a chance to win one of the new Britax infant carseats - B-Safe 35 Elite or B-Safe 35

SafeCell Impact Protection is an integrated system of safety components that work together to protect your child beyond the established standards. Including our Impact Absorbing Base, Impact Stabilizing Steel Frame, and Complete Side Impact Protection PLUS, SafeCell means your child is surrounded in best-in-class safety.

SafeCell Complete Side Impact Protection PLUS gives your child an advanced layer of protection with an energy-absorbing head restraint designed to keep your baby’s head and neck extra secure.

SafeCell Impact Absorbing Base reduces the potential for injury by compressing to absorb crash energy.

- See more at: http://www.britaxusa.com/car-seats/b-safe-35-elite#sthash.yZ2SglSR.dpuf

As a Britax Latina Blogger/Advisory Board Member (and in partnership with Mami Innovative Media), this post is part of a sponsored outreach.  All opinions expressed are my own based on my personal experience.  - See more at: http://www.independentmami.net/2014/11/giveaway-safely-traveling-booster-seat.html#sthash.QO7P1Cbf.dpuf

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(1) winner will be randomly selected and they will win one of the new infant Britax carseats - B-Safe 35 Elite (MSRP $249.99) or B-Safe 35 (MSRP $209.99).  **Britax WILL CHOOSE WHAT CARSEAT, WHAT COLOR AND PATTERN TO SEND TO THE GIVEAWAY WINNER. The giveaway winner will receive their carseat AFTER JANUARY 2015 - more than likely towards near the end of January 2015.**  The winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize.  US only.  Independentmami has the right to disqualify any entry and fulfillment of the product is from  the sponsor.

Riding Safe Con Britax

Sponsored Post Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as a Safe Con Britax Member and Blogger. As always, all opinions, ideas, and stories stated here are clearly my own.

Thanks to Britax for hosting myself and my fellow Safe Con Britax members at their new headquarters.

Last year, we visited and toured the old headquarters.  (If you missed it, here is my post Britax-Latina Advisory Launching Event.)  My daughter was only 5 months when I made this trip and I learned so much about how Britax was helping keep my daughter safe in our vehicle.  She is now 20 months, getting into everything, and starting to test the waters of terrible 2's.  But one thing has not changed, she is still riding safe in her Britax Advocate 70-G3.  Britax continues to look for ways of making their product safer for our kids.  They also look for ways of making their products better - better and easier to use.

Have you ever tried to install a car seat?  How hard was it?  I remember it use to be so hard.  Britax car seats have LATCH connectors that make installing a car easy as pushing a button.  They are also equipped with a tethering system that minimizes and reduces crash force in case of an accident.  Britax now has the ClickTight Installation System.

Britax ClickTight is so easy to use and install.  The car seat is not moving or going anywhere.  How safe is your car seat installed?  Did you know about all this?  I did not.  But now I do and am sharing it with you.  See that is the main reason I am glad that I am a part of the Safe Con Britax group of mommy bloggers.

I get to learn and then pass this knowledge on to you.  I want all of our babies to be safe.  I know my Lil Bit is riding Safe con Britax (safe with Britax) every time she is safely buckled in her car seat.

I am a mother of 2 and it scares me to think how many babies are not riding safe everyday.  I can sleep better at night knowing that the technology that Britax is using and has placed in all their products will continue to keep my Lil Bit safe everyday.

 When you installed your car seat, what was the hardest part?  Did you have a hard time?  What system does your car seat have?

Britax ClickTight Installation System

This is a sponsored post as a Britax Latina Advisory Board Member and Blogger. As always, all opinions, ideas, and stories stated here are clearly my own.

Our babies' and kids' safety is so important to us as parents.  So as parents we want the best safety features for the products we use with our children.  Car seat safety is very important to me.

BRITAX is incorporating the ClickTight Installation System in select seats (Frontier 90 & Pinnacle 90)beginning May 2013.  What is the ClickTight Installation System?

The ClickTight Installation System is a series of components engineered to simplify the process of securing your child’s car seat into your vehicle using the vehicle seat belt instead of the lower anchors that are a part of the LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children).

The ClickTight Installation System simultaneously tensions and locks the vehicle seat belt. The result is both a tight and secure installation using the vehicle seat belt. 

What are the benefits?

Installing a seat that features ClickTight alleviates both the confusion and stress that may come along with installing your child’s car seat. More specifically, ClickTight overcomes issues related to:
Lower anchor weight limitations in your vehicle

Achieving a tight installation

Determining which type of seat belt stsem is in your vehicle

Lower Anchor Weight Limitations

Lower anchors are a part of the LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren). All vehicles have a lower anchor weight limit. That means when your child’s weight exceeds the weight restrictions or limits, the car seat should no longer be installed using the lower anchors. Instead you must install it using the vehicle seat belt system. Be sure to read your vehicle owner’s manual to confirm weight restrictions or limits for your vehicle.
The BRITAX ClickTight Installation System allows you to easily achieve a safe and secure installation using the vehicle seat belt throughout the life of the seat, in harness mode, without having to worry about your child’s weight.
Easily Achieving a Tight Installation

When installed correctly, a car seat should not move more than one inch side-to-side or front-to-back at the belt path. A car seat that is not installed tightly leaves your child vulnerable to injury in the event of a crash.

The BRITAX ClickTight Installation System allows you to easily achieve a safe and secure installation each and every time.* No shoving, kneeing, yanking, or tugging required.

Vehicle Seat Belt Systems

Locking latchplate, switchable latchplate, sliding latchplate, automatic locking retractor, switchable retractor, emergency locking retractor – any of these sound familiar to you?
Traditionally, installing a car seat using the vehicle seat belt requires you to know what type of seat belt systems are in your vehicle; there may be different installation instructions depending on the type of seat belt system you’re using.
The ClickTight Installation System eliminates that confusion. Regardless of what type of vehicle seat belt system is in your vehicle, car seats featuring ClickTight can be installed safely, securely, and easily every time.*

For more information, visit www.britaxusa.com

Ford Inflatable Seat Belts #NAIAS

Have you heard of inflatable seat belts?  I had not heard of them either and yes, they do exist.

• Ford introduced the auto industry’s first-ever production inflatable seat belts, which are designed to provide additional protection for rear seat occupants, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to head, chest and neck injuries
• Ford’s inflatable rear seat belts debuted on the 2011 Ford Explorer
• Ford’s inflatable rear seat belts spread crash forces over five times more area of the body than conventional seat belts; this helps reduce pressure on the chest and helps control head and neck motion for rear seat passengers

(source: http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=31360)

So not only will your family be protected by them wearing a seat belt but now they will have the protection of their own air bag.  The air bag opens like a regular air bag would and protects the area from the shoulder down to the waist.  In an impact, the head would hit the air bag in the seat belt.

Check out this demonstration:

Accident-(This is me acting as if I was in an accident for visual effect...lol)

I like the extra protection.  The inflatable seat belts have been tested with car seats and boosters, and are safe to use.  It was not uncomfortable.  In an accident, who is really going to be caring about comfort, right? Safety is the key.

***Disclosure-I was invited to attend the 2013 FORD NAIAS Digital Summit.  These are my own experiences I am sharing with you, any and all opinions are my own, honest opinions.

BRITAX ANNOUNCES VOLUNTARY SAFETY RECALL ON SELECT BRITAX CONVERTIBLE CAR SEATS

Britax Recall- Do not panic...stop, look at this picture and find your manufactured date, and model numbers.  Now look below to see if your model number is one of the ones included in this recall.  Lil Bit's is...

BRITAX Boulevard 70-G3, Pavilion 70-G3, and Advocate 70-G3 Convertible Car Seats. The recall includes BRITAX Boulevard 70-G3, Pavilion 70-G3, and Advocate 70-G3 Convertible Car Seats manufactured between June 1, 2012 and August 31, 2012 for Model Numbers: E9LJ91A, E9LJ91M, E9LJ91S, E9LJ92E, E9LJ93P, E9LJ93S, E9LK91A, E9LK31A, E9LK31Q, E9LK32D, E9LK32Z, E9LK33Q, E9LL11A, E9LL11Q, E9LL12D, E9LL12Z, E9LG81A, E9LG83N, E9LG83P, E9LG83X, E9LG83Y, E9LL21A, E9LL23P, E9LL23Y

On the BRITAX Boulevard 70-G3, Pavilion 70-G3, and Advocate 70-G3 Convertible Car Seats, HUGS (Harness Ultra-Guard System) Chest Pads are affixed to the seat shell to ensure proper positioning and provide resistance to the forward movement of your child in a crash, reducing the risk of head injury.

The affected Boulevard 70-G3, Pavilion 70-G3, and Advocate 70-G3 Convertible Car Seats were manufactured with this enhanced harness system that incorporated a softer more pliable, non-toxic HUGS pad intended to provide increased performance and comfort. BRITAX has received reports that some children chew or bite on the pads and have bitten off small pieces of the pads which could present a choking hazard, especially in infants.
To address this issue, BRITAX is providing a remedy kit that contains two replacement HUGS Pads that are made from a firmer material that will not break apart when children chew or bite the HUGS Pads and an instruction sheet for replacing the pads. Confirm whether your Boulevard 70-G3, Pavilion 70-G3, or Advocate 70-G3 Convertible Car Seat is affected by verifying the model number and date of manufacture.
To check if a car seat is affected consumer can visit www.BritaxConvertibleRecall.com
If consumers have not yet received their remedy kit and have concerns that their child may bite the HUGS pads, the HUGS pads can be removed and the car seat can be safely used until replacement pads are received. As always please ensure that proper harness tensioning is achieved. For any questions, contact our Customer Service Department at 1-888-427-4829.
Once consumers have received the remedy kit, Britax strongly recommends that you replace the HUGS Pads to ensure maximum performance of the seat.
Consumers who have not registered their product or need to verify existing registration should contact the BRITAX information line, toll free at (888) 427-4829 between 8:30 am - 4:45 pm (EST) Monday – Thursday, between 8:30 am - 3:45 pm (EST) on Friday or visit www.britaxusa.com (see “Safety Notice” link). Detailed instructions for this safety update will be available online at www. BritaxUSA.com/support/safety-notices.

***Disclosure-I am a Britax Latina Ambassador.  No compensation was received.  Informational post.

BRITAX Back Seat Mirror and Vehicle Seat Protector Giveaway***CLOSED

Britax makes great car seats and strollers with your safety in mind.  And now they make wonderful accessories. You would not want your accessories to be trajectories or the cause of your car seat failing.

The BRITAX Back Seat Mirror provides a view of your rear-facing baby at any angle while allowing installation to adjacent vehicle head restraints. The shatter-proof, extra large mirror is convex to reflect a head-to-toe view of baby. The adjustable attachment straps allow the mirror to securely attach to most vehicle head restraints, while its soft-feel frame design has a sleek, modern look.


MSRP (USD) $19.99

The BRITAX Vehicle Seat Protector-

Engineered, non-slip material for best-in-class car seat crash performance


Crash tested and approved for use with BRITAX car seats

Raised edges to catch spills and debris for easy clean-up

Designed for full coverage of the car seat base to minimize vehicle seat indentations

Front seat guard protects the front of the vehicle seat from child’s shoes

Waterproof and easy to clean

LATCH compatible

MSRP (USD) $29.99

How to enter:

1)  "Like" the Britax Los Lleva Seguros Facebook Page (1 entry-leave facebook name)
2)  Follow @SafeConBritax on Twitter (1 entry-leave twitter handle)
3)  Facebook Share. (1 entry/per share/per day-must leave link)
4)  Tweet. (1 entry/per tweet/per day-must leave link)

Enter to #win @SafeConBritax Mirror & Seat Protector ($50 value) @independentmami #giveaway ends 9/17 http://tinyurl.com/8wz98wu
This giveaway ends 9/17/12 at 8 am.  1 winner will be randomly selected.  US only.  You must leave your email in the comment.  The winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize.  Good Luck.

***Disclosure-This is a sponsored giveaway as a Britax Latina Advisory Board Member and Blogger. As always, all opinions, ideas, and stories stated here are clearly my own.

Happy Buckled Baby~Safe Con Britax

So as we are in a rush to jump in the car once again because we are always in a hurry and have some place to go, when we try to put Lil Bit in her car seat, and she says uh, ah! Nope, she's not having it! Pick me up, pick me up, pick me up!  What do we do?
We have been having lots of this, and it even makes us not want to go anywhere.  I want her to be safe.  I do not want to drive off the rode from all the freaking crying that doesn't let me concentrate on the road.  You would think someone is murdering her.

Well first of all, here is what we won't do:

-We will not carry her in our laps, just because she wants to cry about having to be safely buckled in her Britax B-Safe car seat. 

I recently saw a lady with a little girl between 2-4 yrs old.  She had her daughter sitting in the middle console which she used as her own personal seat.  I could not believe that the person driving, maybe a mom, sitter, grandma, etc?, was fine with this. 

We will put Lil Bit's safety first, and will find creative ways to keep her amused:

-Car seat 1st-Before we load the car, we buckle her in the car seat and carry it to the car.  She seems to like this alot because she associates the car seat with a trip out of the house.  This may only work for babies 25 lbs and under but doing it this way has really helped us.  Trying to carry her to the car and then putting her in, is no success.  She wants to grab on for dear life and not let go.

-Food-My daughter seems to be very happy and preoccupied when you hand her food.  Not anything she can choke on, just something to keep her busy.  Whether it be a cup with juice, her bottle, a piece of fruit or veggie, can make any ride to anywhere very bearable for anyone driving.

-Back seat rider-We always try to have someone ride in the back with her.  Her seat is rear-facing.  So she is staring at the black, leather seat thinking she is all alone.  She does not like being alone.  So someone rides in the back to keep her company.  My son loves entertaining her with his cell phone ringtones.  He has this one, Lil Bit's favorite, that we all dance to in the truck.  And if she starts crying, we start singing the beat out loud.

-Planned trips-We try to limit car seat rides so she won't be frustrated.  So I try to plan trips and outtings, around her feedings and nap schedule.  I know this is impossible but it makes a whole lot of difference, when you have a happy baby rather than an uphappy baby sitting in their car seat.

-Find what works for you-I asked everyone for advice on how to get my baby happy.  Everyone kept telling me they were shocked that she wouldn't fall asleep in the car seat or after awhile just stop crying while on car rides.  And nope, the longer we took, the longer she cried, and it didn't stop until we physically got her out of the car seat.  Every baby is different, so find what works for you.  If anything else, do like I did, try these suggested tips first, and tweek them for whatever works for you.

***Disclosure- This post is my entry at a chance to win a gc.  I am a Britax Latina Advisory Board Member and Blogger. As always, all opinions, ideas, and stories stated here are clearly my own.  For more information on Britax products, head over to www.britaxusa.com.

Latch it up

Did you know that there is free help for us to make safe choices about car seats and to help us use car seats properly for maximum safety?  I previously blogged about this but if you missed it here is very important information.

If you are a new parent or like me that I have not used a car seat in years, get your questions answered.  Times have changed are technology has gotten better and better.  There are so many resources for us to use.

Check out Child Car Safety.  The Ad Council and the NHTSA have created this site with all the resources parents need to keep their smallest passengers safe.  Find your local inspection station, watch instructional videos, and even take a fun quiz!

NHTSA has a Facebook page where parents can learn about everything from LATCH to locating inspection offices.

On Twitter an actual safety expert mans the @ChildSeatSafety account. They answer any questions that parents have about child passenger safety. This is such a unique resource from a government agency!

***Disclosure- No compensation was received.  Informational post only.