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JPMA Baby Safety Tips: Safe Sleep Basics

We teamed up with our friends at JPMA to share some safe sleep basics!

Safe Sleep Basics

You have been waiting to meet baby for nine months. You purchased the best baby gear, carefully decorated the nursery, and stocked up on diapers and baby wipes. But, despite all this preparation, you’re feeling a little overwhelmed now that baby is here.

One of the main safety areas most parents are concerned with is a safe sleep environment. After all, this is the one place baby is typically apart from you. Here are a few answers to some common new parent sleep questions to ease the uncertainty:

Can my baby sleep anywhere the first few months? The safest place for an infant to sleep is in a crib that is JPMA certified, which means it meets government AND industry standards. The practice of bed sharing with your infant, is controversial, a personal decision and one that should not be taken lightly. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons, and consider room sharing as a safer alternative.

Is it safe for my baby to sleep on her tummy?

Healthy infants should always sleep on their backs, unless otherwise advised by a pediatrician. Also, baby should always sleep in a full-sized crib that meets Federal and ASTM standards. Make sure baby’s crib is a safe sleep environment by removing all blankets, toys and pillows.

So, what can I do with all the blankets and toys I received as gifts?

Although you should never put extra blankets and toys inside the crib, you can still use them to liven up the nursery. Hang your beautiful blankets on the wall as art until your child can use them in their toddler bed. Use decorative pillows to support your back and legs while using a rocker or glider. Use that blanket for tummy time. Let baby play safely with toys under adult supervision, but keep the toys out of the crib.

How long should my baby sleep?

Infants sleep an average of 16 hours per day, which is a total of 8 hours during the night and another 8 hours spaced out throughout the day. Remember that all babies are different and your child could sleep two hours more or less than the average 16 hours.

Can I use my family’s heirloom crib? Although that heirloom crib holds sentimental value, age is a factor in the safety of any crib. At a minimum, the CPSC recommends that you not use a crib that is older than 10 years. Most crib complaints involve secondhand or used cribs misassembled or modified with makeshift hardware. Homemade remedies or fixes to cribs are NOT a safe alternative.

Did you know manufacturers often post or attach instructions to the mattress platform so they are easy to find when the crib is re-assembled for later use? Instructions can also be found on the manufacturer’s website.

JPMA is helping educate parents and caregivers on the importance of safely choosing and using the right baby products for your family. Learn more safety tips for cribs and other baby products at www.babysafetmonth.org.

Best Zip-Up Baby Swaddle

by Gugu Guru 2 Comments

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and that seems to be the case for our top baby swaddle pick, the Love to Dream Swaddle. When founder Hana-Lia Krawchuk had her first child, she quickly realized that he slept better with his arms up, out of the constraint of the baby swaddle; after much research and reading, she found that medical science suggests that babies really can sleep better if they have access to their hands for self-soothing. Using her skills as an experienced fashion designer, Hana spent many hours, days and weeks refining, simplifying, sampling and resampling the very first version of the signature Love to Dream Swaddle UP baby swaddle. By the following year, Swaddle UP hit the stores, and the Love To Dream story had begun.

So, what makes the Love to Dream Swaddle UP Original baby swaddle different than other baby swaddles? Simply put, the Love To Dream Swaddle UP Original is the only zip-up swaddle that allows babies to sleep in the natural position with hands safely up in the wings. Allowing babies to sleep safely with their arms up may actually help babies sleep better – and when babies sleep more soundly, the whole house does! This baby swaddle is revolutionary for helping babies sleep longer and more soundly. For, the way babies settle themselves to sleep is by sucking on their hands and gently rubbing their cheeks; this is called self-soothing, and this helps baby fall back asleep, and makes for a better sleep for parents as well. By having their hands safely out of the swaddle, babies can help themselves self soothe back to sleep.

Love to Dream has recently released their limited edition Swaddle UP Rainbow pattern created to celebrate Rainbow Babies. $5 from every purchase will be donated to First Candle, a charity dedicated to reducing SIDS and providing bereavement support for families.

A baby swaddle is also known for keeping babies feeling snug, as they did in the womb, and the Love to Dream Swaddle UP mimics that feeling as well. The snug fit over the torso makes babies feel secure, as in the womb, and helps to calm their natural startle reflex. From waist down a hip-healthy design allowing hips and legs to flex naturally, so baby can comfortably move around without the worry of anything near baby’s face, such as a blanket. Since their hands are covered, but accessible, the Swaddle UP baby swaddle is ideal for babies with sharp little fingernails since they can soothe themselves by rubbing their cheeks without the worry of scratching themselves. Parents love the Swaddle UP Original because it allows for babies to have access to their little hands and can suck on them, rub their hands on their face, and thus self-soothe.

Love to Dream didn’t just consider parents when creating Swaddle UP baby swaddles, however, they also created it to make life easy on the family, too! The Love to Dream Swaddle UP baby swaddles feature a genius two-way zipper for easy diaper changes; this means you don’t need to take the baby out of the baby swaddle for those dreaded middle of the night diaper changes – simply zipper and you’re good to go back to sleep. Plus, a traditional baby swaddle can be a little tricky to master at times, which means you run the risk of someone swaddling the baby incorrectly; however, the Swaddle UP baby swaddle is easy to put on and off for family members, babysitters and others. There is no learning curve as with traditional swaddling with a blanket, and there are no worries about unraveling when baby sleeps.

Love to Dream not only makes baby swaddles for infants, but can grow with your child as well. The Love To Dream Swaddle UP™ 50/50 (Stage 2) features zip-off wings, so as baby gets older and doesn’t need to be as tightly swaddled, they can have their hands free; and the Love To Dream Sleep Suit and Sleep Bag (Stage 3) of the Love To Dream sleep system are a safe way your toddler can sleep without getting overheated or worry about blankets. If you’re going to be adding swaddle blankets to your baby registry, skip the traditional blanket and opt for the Love to Dream Swaddle UP baby swaddle, as it will not only help baby sleep better, but make your life easier, too!

Find the Love to Dream Swaddle at Target here.

You can find Love to Dream on Instagram and Facebook, too. Looking for the best diaper pail to add to your registry? See why we love the Dékor Diaper Pail.

The Ollie Swaddle Brand Introduces Dailies

by Gugu Guru 4 Comments

As they say, “necessity is the mother of invention,” and in the case of The Ollie Swaddle, a mother did indeed invent a unique swaddle blanket because she knew it was necessary in order to help her baby thrive. The Ollie World, started by a single foster mom, knew that if she could get her foster son to sleep better at night, it would help him flourish and thrive. She was a woman on a mission, and with the help of a pediatric neuro-developmental psychologist, she invented the unique Ollie Swaddle.

On the tail of its massive success, the Ollie Swaddle creator has now created Dailies moisture wicking bodysuits to keep baby cool and dry over the warm summer months.

Dailies: The Smarter Bodysuits

Bodysuits are ubiquitous in the early days of any child’s life: they’re comfortable for babies and easy to put on and deal with diaper changes, for parents and caregivers. But not all bodysuits are created equal. Dailies go a step further from the standard cotton bodysuit by bringing science into the mix.

A baby’s body isn’t yet set up to regulate temperature perfectly and their small size means that they can quickly become overheated. The exceptionally soft, custom patented moisture-wicking fabric in the new Dailies brings moisture away from the skin and through to the top of the fabric where it evaporates, leaving the skin dry and baby cool and comfy.

Other benefits?

Wicking moisture away from skin surface reduces rashes and irritations;
Helping to regulate temperate and reduce the risk of overheating.
Special thread that is woven into the fabric ensures durability and integrity of the fabric, through many wears and washes. All of which is designed to help baby flourish.

Available as basic bodysuits and in a wrap style, in three of the same colors as the Ollie Swaddle (sky, lavender and stone), the Dailies will become the staple clothing item that parents will rely on to keep baby safe, dry and comfortable.

Dailies use the same patented fabrics as the swaddle, fabrics that have been awarded the Children’s Safety Product Certificate, as well as the Standard 100 by Oeko Tex certification, which is a strict globally standardized, independent testing performed on materials.

SHOP THE OLLIE WORLD DAILIES AND SWADDLES >>

More about The Ollie Swaddle

What makes The Ollie Swaddle unique? Since it was created with the guidance of Ollie’s pediatric neuro-developmental psychologist, both the mental and physical aspects of the swaddle were addressed in creation and development of the swaddle. Because of the gentle way the swaddle wraps baby, yet with a comforting pressure, it eases the transition for baby from womb to real world. Because of its snug comfort, The Ollie Swaddle will help decrease irritability and fussiness and increase the ability for baby to self soothe and calm themselves down to fall back asleep.

With custom designed moisture-wicking fabric to reduce the risk of overheating, your baby will sleep more soundly and comfortably. Need to change a diaper? No worry, diaper changes made accessible via opening at the bottom. And, unlike most baby products, because of the velcro closures, this swaddle will grow with your baby, so no need to buy in different sizes as they grow.

One of the main reasons The Ollie Swaddle was created was because a baby was having trouble sleeping for long periods, therefore, not giving their body time to rest, heal, and grow. With The Ollie Swaddle, a baby will be able to not only sleep for longer periods of time, giving their body time to healthily grow, since they will be getting the important sleep every baby needs. A well rested baby tends to eat better, therefore, by using The Ollie Swaddle and giving babies a chance for rest, it is allowing them to flourish and thrive in all capacities.

Furthermore, because of its unique design, the swaddle decreases the risk of hip dysplasia, as it is never too tight, yet always comforting. The Ollie Swaddle helps regulate a baby’s temperature, which will also help them sleep better. With so many swaddle blankets on the market, it can be overwhelming to pick one to use; however, considering all of the significant benefits of The Ollie Swaddle, it is plain to see why a parent would always pick one!

Check out our other swaddles we love!

Creating a Safe and Sleep-Friendly Nursery

by Gugu Guru Leave a Comment

Ready to create a safe and sleep-friendly nursery for your baby? Today’s guest post is by Kim West, LCSW-C, The Sleep Lady; read on to learn how to create a safe and sleep-friendly nursery for your little one.

When I was expecting my first child I began to dream of making our extra bedroom into a nursery for our firstborn. I thought about the color of the walls, the fabrics I preferred, and where to position the furniture. My initial thoughts were not about creating a safe and sleep-friendly nursery, to be honest with you! That came later. But really, it is far more important than where the dresser goes!

There are a few key ways you can make your baby’s nursery safe AND sleep-enhancing. Safety always comes first, so let’s start there.

Safety Tips

● Choose a firm mattress, topped with a snugly-fitted, smooth sheet. Avoid bumpers as they can be a safety hazard.

● Maintain an uncluttered sleep surface: no pillows, loose blankets or toys in the sleep space.

● Insist on a non-smoking environment for your child’s sleep space.

● Check that there are no cords, hanging picture frames or art, house plants, or other items within 3 feet of your child’s crib or sleep space.

Making a Sleep-Friendly Environment

● Keep it Dark: Consider adding blackout curtains or blinds to your child’s windows. A newborn’s internal clock is not developed yet so we have to be their external clock by making their room dark when it’s time to sleep. Along with following a soothing bedtime routine, a dark room will help your newborn’s body to secrete melatonin, the drowsy making hormone, and get ready for sleep.

● Use a White-Noise Machine: White noise is very soothing and helpful for babies because it is similar to the noise they hear for months inside the womb. It also drowns out outside noises such as toddlers playing or activity outside the home. When shopping for a device consider one with multiple sound options and that works continuously throughout the night.

● Set a Comfortable Temperature: Often we overlook the nursery’s temperature but this is an important factor for your child’s sleep. In general, we all sleep better in cool temps and, because babies are unable to regulate their body temperature entirely, they are dependent on us to set the environment for them. This includes their clothing as well. The thermostat should be between 68-72 degrees. If needed, utilize a fan or AC unit in the summer as well as keeping the curtains closed during the day to block the hot sun from warming up the room. Instead of a blanket, use a wearable blanket or sleep bag to keep your baby warm and safe.

Soothing Surroundings for Easier Sleep
Go ahead and enjoy making your nursery as lovely as possible. But, remember the main point of the nursery is for your baby’s sleep!

● Use Soft Colors: Choose soft, neutral, or pale colors for the decor.

● Dim the Lights: A night-light may come in handy for a late-night check-in and installing a dimmer on a lamp may help while nursing or for changing a diaper as unobtrusively as possible.

● Remove Toys: While mobiles are beautiful to look at over a crib, they can be overly stimulating, particularly when done in bright colors. Consider using one over a pack-n-play or bassinet when your child is awake. Also, keeping the room tidy and uncluttered will help keep distractions down once your baby becomes alert of his surroundings. With this in mind, keep exciting and favorite toys out of his line of sight while in his sleep space.

Setting up a safe and sleep-friendly nursery is not too hard to do and it goes a long way toward helping your child get the sleep he needs.

Sleep Time Essential: The Love To Dream™ Swaddle UP

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It’s no secret that babies love to be swaddled, as it helps them feel snug, as if they’re still in the womb. The Love to Dream Swaddle UP was invented by a mother who couldn’t find the perfect swaddle blanket on the market, so she took to creating one herself. The Swaddle UP is a totally unique design, and parents love it for so many reasons. Its features are lengthy, and Love to Dream considered not only the baby’s sleepytime needs, but the needs of the entire family, as well. Read on to learn more about the Love to Dream Swaddle UP and why it’s a sleep time essential item.

Love to Dream realized that traditional swaddling is often difficult for new parents to master, and often the swaddle unravels throughout the night, which leads to baby “escaping” and waking up! Love To Dream™ has revolutionized swaddling so that everyone can swaddle correctly, every time, so babies will have a safer, more comfortable sleep. Love To Dream’s Swaddle UP is the only zip-up swaddle that allows the baby to sleep in a more natural position with arms UP.

Babies naturally want to sleep with their arms up near their faces for self-soothing (sucking on their hands and touching their faces, which helps babies to sleep better and longer), however traditional blanket swaddling forces their arms down or across their chest. To conquer this, Love To Dream™ created one-of-a-kind sleep products for every chapter of a young child’s life. The snug fit makes your baby feel secure & helps to calm their natural startle reflex.

Love to Dream also considered families while creating the Swaddle UP and wanted to make the sleep time experience as stress-free as possible. The Swaddle UP helps parents swaddle their baby quickly and safely every time and eliminates excess loose fabric in the crib. Plus, the genius two-way zipper for easy diaper changes and hip-healthy design allows hips and legs to flex naturally.

From the waist down, a hip-healthy design allowing hips and legs to flex naturally, so baby can comfortably move around without the worry of anything near baby’s face, such as a blanket. Since their hands are covered, but accessible, the Swaddle UP baby swaddle is ideal for babies with sharp little fingernails since they can soothe themselves by rubbing their cheeks without the worry of scratching themselves.

When your baby begins to outgrow the Swaddle UP and is ready to move on to the next phase, its time for the Swaddle UP 50/50 Transition Swaddle. This style is designed to gently help babies adapt from a swaddle towards the arms-free independence of a sleep bag – and it is the perfect transition from any type of swaddle, not just the Love To Dream. The Love to Dream Swaddle UP and Transition Bag are must-have sleep time essentials for any baby; with a ton of patterns and colors, they are a perfect baby shower gift, too!

Thank you to Love to Dream for making this sponsored post possible!

[QUIZ] What Bassinet is Perfect for YOU?

by Gugu Guru Leave a Comment

Discover your perfect baby bassinet by taking this quiz and answering some quick questions about your lifestyle and style.

Safety Finalist List: JPMA 2020

by Christine Swearingen Leave a Comment

The safety finalist list from the JPMA 2020 Innovation Awards is here! JPMA featured the top safety products for baby. We are highlighting them below, starting with the winner for 2020!

WINNER! Yun Yun AI Baby Monitor Corporation Cubo AI Baby Monitor Cubo AI is a smart baby monitor with artificial intelligence that safeguards babies and toddlers with a design detecting and alerting parents if their little one’s face is covered so that parents can step in to help. Cubo AI was co-created with a pediatrician with over 15 years of experience and various experts in artificial intelligence. The most popular innovative features include: Proactive Covered Face, Cry-Detection, and Rollover Alert; Danger Zone Alert for both babies and toddlers; Automatic Photo Capture for Baby’s First Moments; In-App Digital Scrapbook. Cubo also has a 1080pHD camera for both daylight and night vision, 18-hour playback, two-way audio, three camera stands to grow with your baby, a night light, and temperature and humidity detection. Get it here>>

Safety Finalist: Smart Beat Smart Beat is the video baby monitor with breath detection, featuring camera-based Biovision™ monitoring. Smart Beat’s ultra-HD camera can identify more than 16 million individual shades of color. It can track small movements like the inhale and exhale of a swaddled newborn. Smart Beat alerts parents if: breathing is too fast or too slow or stops. …all without any invasive technologies. Smart Beat is as safe as taking a picture. Real-time and historical breathing rate charts, and a chart displaying a waveform of every inhale and exhale. Any time breathing becomes irregular, video is automatically recorded. Smart Beat pans and tilts, giving parents a 355-degree view of the room. It also features two-way audio and remote access. Smart Beat also offers parents’ Lock Down mode, which takes the video feed off the grid, accessible only to users physically in the home. Get it here>>

Safety Finalist: Malarkey Kids Crib Chomper Teething Rail Crib Guard Is your baby in beaver mode? If your little one is making a meal of you crib then look no further. The Malarkey Kids Crib Chomper is the smart crib rail guard. It protects your baby from ingesting paint, wood as well as from damaging little teeth. The Crib Chomper features soft, padded, drool absorbent fabric + a layer of textured, chewy food-grade silicone to protect both baby and crib. Fits most standard and convertible crib rails. Simply fold fabric over with silicone side facing up & secure hook and loop around crib rails. Watch the Malarkey website for the launch!

Safety Finalist: iBaby Labs iBaby i2 iBaby i2 is an adorably designed smart baby monitor that is jam-packed with leading features and technology. This includes contact-free real-time breathing detection that measures your baby’s BPM at a fraction of the cost of breathing devices. Using an app-based subscription model, iBaby i2 allows parents the freedom to choose breathing detection as needed. Also included is the newest H.265 chip that compresses file size and bandwidth to provide the highest quality video and audio in the industry without lags or delays. Designed with flexible baby-safe silicone, i2 gives parents countless versatile placement options like mounting on a wall, wrapping on a lamp or placing on any flat surface. And with the addition of an external battery, i2 is portable and travel-friendly. Watch the iBaby Labs website for the launch!

The Ultimate Target Baby Registry

by Gugu Guru 3 Comments

Today we are bringing you the ultimate Target baby registry. We searched Target for our favorite baby products and collected them for you. The best part of the Target baby registry is the fabulous welcome kit full of goodies for mom and baby that you can pick up at Target Guest Services when you create a registry in-store or online. Target also has an awesome 15% completion discount on everything left on your registry (the only kicker is it’s only good until eight weeks before baby’s expected arrival).

Let’s start with the nursery. Likely a room you will be spending a lot of time in as baby grows, it’s important to make sure this is a functional, comfortable place.

Next up is feeding. Whether you’re breastfeeding, bottle feeding, pumping, or a combination of the 3, Target has what you need.

We love to keep it simple for Health & Wellness: a bath tub, bathing essentials, a grooming kit, and simple diaper needs.

Baby Gear is a category that is worth the splurge! These items will help you manage the chaos of life with a newborn, making life simpler and easier.

Clothing is the most fun baby product category and one of our favorites! Target is full of amazing options to fit every stage of babyhood.

So many options for baby Play, it can be hard to narrow it down. We picked some of our favorites, but Target has many more great baby toys.

We can’t forget about the Parents! Target has your needs covered too!

In the baby world, there are many “nice to have” items that aren’t a necessity but can make your life easier. These are some of our favs.

Did we miss anything? What are your favorite registry items from Target? Let us know!

More Gugu Picks:
Home Care and Organization Picks
Summer Travel Must Haves
Best Nursing Pillows: Gugu Picks

This post contains affiliate links.

What’s New on Gugu: February 5, 2020

by Abby Ludwig Leave a Comment

Calling all last-minute Valentine’s Day shoppers! Below are some great gift ideas for your loved ones with V-Day right around the corner! Coming in at all different price points, these gifts are sure to wow your little loves and big babes! Be sure to share any of your favorite gift ideas with us as well. We love hearing from our Village!

For a number of our other favorites, please check out our Explore page!

Honey Bug’s Valentine’s Day Boxes: These adorable gift boxes from Honey Bug are the perfect gift for your little ones to celebrate our holiday of hearts. While their Valentine’s Day Boxes are flying off the shelf, we also love their standard gift boxes, which are curated by the Honey Bug mamas. These boxes are unique and will truly stand out amongst the monotony of the same baby gifts!

4moms mamaRoo Sleep Bassinet: The long-awaited sleep bassinet from 4moms has finally arrived! What better gift to give than the gift of sleep?! Featuring 5 unique movements, you can control any movement or sound via the app. This is a safe sleep environment and can help keep your little one safe in your room until they reach 25 lbs or can push up on their hands/knees (whichever comes first).

UPPAbaby VISTA V2 and CRUZ V2: The newest version of the UPPAbaby VISTA and CRUZ have finally arrived! Both strollers have been updated with seat/harness improvements, suspension upgrades (SO excited about this!) and wheel upgrades as well as a more compact fold for the CRUZ V2. The VISTA V2 has also updated it’s canopy. While definitely an investment, both strollers will hold up for years and throughout multiple children! A great Valentine’s Day gift for yourself or baby!

Hooray Heroes Personalized Books: Nothing warms a parent’s heart more than a personalized gift. Turn on the water works this Valentine’s Day by securing these amazingly adorable books for Mom or Dad. You can truly personalize the characters and the storyline to fit your needs. Plus they are super high quality and will last for years!

Copper Pearl ‘XOXO’ Collection: Available in time for Valentine’s Day, we love how adorable (and gender-neutral!) this ‘XOXO’ collection is from Copper Pearl. Available in a swaddle blanket, hat, and multi-use cover there is something for everyone! If gender-neutral isn’t your style, check out the Lola print too!

Please note that these opinions are 100% my own and I have not received any products in exchange for placement in What’s New on Gugu! As an Amazon Associate Gugu Guru may earn from qualifying purchases.

Like what you see? Check out some other What’s New on Gugu posts:

What’s New on Gugu: December 11. 2019

What’s New on Gugu: January 15, 2020

What’s New on Gugu: January 22, 2020

What’s New on Gugu: January 29, 2020

by Abby Ludwig Leave a Comment

This week we are highlighting a number of multifunctional products for parents and babes alike! Some are great options for the nursery, while others will make feeding and playtime easier. All of these are great gifts for expectant parents and products that we expect to make a huge splash in the baby industry. Check them out today!

For a number of our other favorites, please check out our Explore page!

Giving Cradle: We love to highlight companies that give back. Giving Cradle’s biggest goal is that all mothers and newborns “have equal access to a healthy start.” They have launched a variety of products and donation opportunities, which help moms in South Asia with access to medical and care items for their newborns. Plus, they are about to launch their beautiful cradle, a safe cradle made of bamboo, breathable mesh, and removable washable fabric. Proceeds from every cradle purchase will benefit these moms and babies.

Unilove 3 in 1 Feed Me Booster: A line of high quality products, we are super excited about Unilove’s Feed Me Booster. This multifunctional 3-in-1 booster can be used on a chair, the floor, or as an armchair. It can also be used with or without the tray! The tray swivels and the seat folds flat for easy storage/travel. Also, the height is adjustable to help reach any table. Check them out today!

Regalo MyPlayMat: The MyPlayMat from Regalo will be your new lightweight and foldable best friend! Great for both indoors and outdoors, this playmat will give your little one ample space to move around for tummy time, early crawling, and beyond! While especially great for small spaces, this mat will find a place in any home. It is also super easy to clean and comes with two different patterns.

The Baby Dream Machine: The Baby Dream Machine is an amazing 5 in 1 product, which serves as a night light, sound machine, cool-mist humidifier, aromatherapy, and red light therapy. All of these modes are designed to help your little one get full nights of peaceful sleep (which means you get peaceful nights of sleep, too!). Plus it is a super cute design and will fit into any nursery!

Novogratz Kids Collection: Late last year Novogratz launched their own Kids + Baby furniture line, perfect for high style budget-friendly parents! Their crib options are simplistic and beautiful. We are also going gaga over their bookcases, which add a huge design pop while adding storage for under $100!

Please note that these opinions are 100% my own and I have not received any products in exchange for placement in What’s New on Gugu! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Like what you see? Check out some other What’s New on Gugu posts:

What’s New on Gugu: December 4, 2019

What’s New on Gugu: December 11. 2019

What’s New on Gugu: January 15, 2020

What’s New on Gugu: January 22, 2020