#Graco15ForMe Event and Little Lounger Review

As someone who suffers from social phobia and panic disorder, I did something this week that was completely out of my element.  I had received an invitation to attend a Graco party in Atlanta, two hours away from my tiny town in North Carolina.  I thought about turning it down, but the opportunity to be one of the first to learn about a new product and to have a chance to connect with other bloggers in my niche?  I couldn't pass it up!

So, we went.  I say "we" because Matt ended up having the day off of work and wanted to drive me. Apparently the idea of me driving all the way to Atlanta by myself was out of the question.  I love this man! The babies were in daycare, so it was a nice, peaceful drive - almost a mini-vacation for us.  We listened to actual music, had real conversation, and didn't have to stop every ten minutes for potty breaks or diaper changes.

The Graco Event was hosted by Krystyn, the owner of Really, Are You Serious?.  I had such a good time mingling with other bloggers and even met a few from blogs I follow - Kecia from Southern Girl Ramblings and Kat from Generations of Savings.

We learned about the ways that the Graco Little Lounger can create valuable time for mothers with babies. How the Little Lounger can give moms 15 minutes of time just for them. There was an amazing yoga instructor, Meryl Arnett from Sacred Thread Yoga, who showed us several relaxing yoga moves perfect for moms.  My favorite was the Three Part breathing exercise.  Basically, you sit with your back straight, take a slow deep breath that completely fills your belly, and then slowly exhale all the way out.  Next, you take another deep breath to fill your belly and ribs and then slowly exhale.  The last breath should fill your belly, ribs, and chest.  Just the couple of minutes to "breathe" had me so relaxed and happy again - I can see why it's so awesome for moms!

But the most important part of the event was to learn about Graco's Little Lounger, a fantastic 2-in-1 product. In rocking seat mode, you can calm baby with the gentle back and forth motion of the rocking seat.  There are also Rocking Locks at the bottom to turn the rocker into a vibrating seat.  With a 3-point harness and  sweet little toy bar, you can safely put your baby inside and get something done! At $79.99, a Little Lounger would make a great baby shower gift - not too pricey but still a great baby item.

After the event, we were each given a Graco Little Lounger to bring home and check out for ourselves.  The model I received is from the Caraway Collection, an absolutely beautiful gender neutral pattern with soft greens and blues with a gorgeous swirly leaf pattern.

Set-up was a breeze - I think it took about 5 minutes from box to rock.  You do have to assemble it, but like I said, it was simple and very straightforward.  The only thing I had trouble with was figuring out how to get the vibrating piece attached to the seat... but then I looked at the instructions and had a complete "duh!" moment.  Turns out I was trying to stick it on upside down.   (reminder: Clueless Momma here lol)

Not knowing the technical terms for all the pieces, I'll just say that the rocking bars snapped right into the cradle bars and the seat connects right to that.  After struggling to put together a play yard and a crib, I'd say this is one of the easiest pieces of baby gear I've ever worked with. 

Kaya even approves:

I was able to put her in there and walk away for a few minutes - Granted, I washed some dishes so it wasn't exactly "me time" but I'm telling ya, the chance to scrub a few bottles in silence is amazing!  She didn't like laying in it flat, but there is a small lever on the side that allows you to recline (or incline) your baby to their perfect comfort level so after I lifted her up a bit she was happy as could be!

Key Features:
2-in-1: Rocking Seat + Vibrating Lounger
Rock Locks™ transform the rocker  into a stationary vibrating lounger
Multi-position recline makes it easy to keep baby comfortable
Toy bar with two soft toys keeps baby entertained
3-point harness keeps baby secure

Graco's Little Lounger is only available at select retailers: Babies R Us, Buy Buy Baby, and Target.

It comes in three different patterns, all of which are gender neutral:

Available from Target:

Little Lounger in Dakota

Exclusively at buybuyBaby:

Little Lounger in Astoria

Only from Babies R Us:

Little Lounger in Caraway

To connect with Graco, you can find them on Facebook and Twitter:

**I received a Graco Little Lounger in Caraway and compensation for attending this event and blogging about it.  All opinions are my own.**