YOU TAKEOVER TUESDAY: Timing Is Key {GIVEAWAY}

It's YOU TAKEOVER TUESDAY and today's question comes from Mariella in Tacoma, WA.  She e-mailed:

Dear AFOMFT, My best friend is pregnant with her first baby and her shower is next month.  I don't have kids yet so I bought a few things off her registry and some cute outfits that I'm going to put in the baby tub she wants but I'd really like to get her something cool to include too.  Is there anything that you can recommend that a new mom may not know she needs but probably shouldn't live without? 

This question is right up my alley.  Before I had kids, I picked the cutest things off the registry to give at showers but since Gabrielle and Alaina turned my world upside down (in a good way!), my perspective has totally changed.  Now I like to try to include with a few practical items that will make the mom-to-be's life that much easier once her bundle of joy arrives.  And the one thing that's always on my go-to shower gift list?  The ITZBEEN Baby Care Timer.

Having a newborn (let alone two or more!) in the house pretty much turns your brain to mush.  Combine the crazy post-pregnancy hormones with the lack of sleep and retaining any information pretty much becomes impossible.  And considering keeping track of when your baby last pooped, ate and slept is what your world revolves around in those first few weeks, having no short-term memory becomes a big problem.  And that's why the ITZBEEN Baby Care Timer rocks.

Developed by a new mom and dad who found themselves sleep-deprived and needing help to remember baby care details, this handy gadget features four different timers that start counting with the touch of a button.  Each counter is clearly marked for its purpose - a diaper for changing, a bottle for feeding, Z's for sleeping and a star for whatever else you need to keep track of (the last dose of medicine, amount of tummy time, etc.).  There's also a nursing reminder on the bottom so you can keep track of which side you fed your baby from last, as well as timer alarms you can set in case you need to be alerted when your baby needs to be fed again, woken up from a nap, etc.  You'll never wonder how long it's been (ITZBEEN, get it?) again.  This timer truly becomes your brain!
When my girls came home from the hospital, I tried to use a notebook to keep track of everything they did but there were lots of times I would forget to write something down or I scribbled a notation in the middle of the night that I couldn't read 10 minutes later.  With the ITZBEEN Baby Care Timer, you have everything spelled out for you on a digital display.  Plus, it's got a clip on the back so you don't forget it.  I used mine all the time to remind me when it was time to pump again or give my girls their reflex medicine.  The timer is also back lit, so I'd use it as a flashlight in their dark nursery too.  It was bright enough to keep me from tripping over the ottoman to their glider but not so bright that it woke them up.  Like, I said.  A life saver.

I thought I'd be done with the ITZBEEN Baby Care Timer once the girls got older but I still find uses for it even as they get closer and closer to turning two.  How long have they been napping?  When is their time out over?  How much TV have they been watching?  Just set the timer and you're all set.  And I'm sure it will come in really helpful once we start trying to potty train this fall.

The only drawback about this product for me was that that I only had one timer for twins.  I really should have bought another one since the girls rarely stayed on the same schedule but I just never got around to it.  Multiple mamas-to-be are in luck, though, because they now come in a twin-pack that's less expensive than buying two separate ones.

So Mariella, if you want to get your friend a practical gift that will make her first months as a new mom easier, my vote goes to the ITZBEEN Baby Care Timer.  For less than $25, you'll be giving her a gift she'll be oh so grateful for once her little one arrives - her sanity!

And one lucky AFOMFT reader is going to score an ITZBEEN Baby Care Timer of their very own.  To enter, visit the ITZBEEN website and post a comment here telling me which feature on the timer you think you'll use most (this is mandatory).  For additional entries:

• Subscribe to AFOMFT or let us know you are a subscriber
• "Like" AFOMFT on Facebook -- http://tinyurl.com/AFOMFTFBFAN
• Ask your friends to "like" AFOMFT on Facebook by sending them this link - http://tinyurl.com/AFOMFTFBFAN - and post a comment here with the names of each one who does.  You'll earn one entry per new friend who "likes" our page and names will be cross-checked. 
• Follow AFOMFT on Twitter (@AFOMFT or click the birdie icon on the sidebar) and tweet this post by clicking the graphic above or this giveaway:  Win a newborn care essential - the ITZBEEN Baby Care Timer from @AFOMFT - http://tinyurl.com/AFOMFT
• Click here to vote for AFOMFT on Top Baby Blogs and post a comment here that you did - .  You can vote once per day per computer so if you vote every day or on different computers, be sure to post one comment for each one.
• Grab our button and put it on your blog or website and post a link here showing us.
• Blog about AFOMFT or this giveaway (worth 2 entries so please post two comments) and post a link to the post.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry (two if you've blogged about the giveaway) and make sure to include a link to your tweet, blog post, etc. All entries must be posted on AFOMFT as a direct comment to this post.  Comments on Facebook will not count as entries.  This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada and ends May 25th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and announced on AFOMFT on May 26th. If the winner doesn't contact AFOMFT within 48 hours, a new drawing will be held so be sure to check back to see if you've won!

If you'd like help from A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS or want to share something fabulous you've found, we want to hear from you!  Have a party theme but want help finding decorations?  Just redecorated your kid's room and want to show it off?  Shoot me an e-mail at afomft@gmail.com if you're on the hunt for the perfect product and just can't find it or if there's something you love and want to share. We'll do our best to help out and every reader featured on YOU TAKEOVER TUESDAY will receive a special gift from AFOMFT. What are you waiting for? Hit us up!

Images: ITZBEEN