I have never been a vitamin person. I’m pretty sure I was done being a “Flintstone Kid” before I was 8. Sure, they contain things to help us grow big and strong and stay healthy.. It just wasn’t my thing. Then I got pregnant with my first son.
If you’ve ever had a baby (which.. reading this blog I’m sure many of you have..) you know that from day one they tell you “Make sure you take a prenatal vitamin!” and if you’ve been trying to get pregnant, they probably instructed you to start prior to achieving pregnancy. My pregnancy was no different. So, off to the store I went. Hesitantly, but always willing to do the best for my baby. What I came home with was a giant vitamin pill that tasted awful and I could barely swallow. I choked them down as often as I could.. but sadly, it definitely wasn’t every day.. Most days, but not all.
The moment I was done breastfeeding my son, I stopped choking down the giant vitamin. Want to know what happened? I got sick. Colds. Flu. I hadn’t been sick throughout that entire pregnancy or infancy. I went back to the giant prenatal vitamin only to see my immune system functional again!! I never stopped taking it from that point on. Pregnant, breastfeeding or not!
Sure, I still wasn’t perfect about taking them. They still tasted gross and I never did figure out how to swallow it without gagging… But I felt better when taking the vitamins, so I knew it was worth it! Then I got an opportunity that I had to jump at.
PreMama Prenatal Vitamins. All of the amazing benefits of my other pill, in an unflavored powder I could mix into my drink of choice and not have to choke down! WHAT?!?! Yes, please!!!
PreMama has many benefits for women. Especially pregnant and breastfeeding women. Containing one of the highest concentrated levels of vitamin B6 (30mg), a special iron (Ferrochel® ferrous bisglycinate chelate) designed to maximize absorption and minimize unpleasant iron-supplement-side-effects, exceptional levels of folic acid (800 mcg of Quatrefolic® folate), plant based DHA and ALA vitamins (That’s right! It’s vegetarian!) and even vitamin B12 to help promote energy metabolism.
All fabulous things, right? Want to know what is most fabulous? I have been adding them to my morning drinks, be that a mocha, a hot cocoa, tea.. And not once have I tasted it (I got the PreMama Essentials Taste-Free) or had to choke it down. The individual packets make it convenient to take with me if I need to. I can even add it to a bowl of oatmeal if I want!
I have been using PreMama for a few weeks now and have nothing but great things to say about it! I know that I’m getting the vitamins I need and I’m no longer struggling or dreading taking them. I highly recommend PreMama for anyone who is pregnant, breastfeeding, thinking about getting pregnant, could possibly get pregnant, or really.. Any woman of childbearing age that would benefit from a quality multi-vitamin.
Now is your chance! Would you like to try a 30-Day supply of PreMama? They have graciously provided one of you the opportunity to win one!
Go to the PreMama website and tell me, what is one benefit of PreMama you are most interested in?
Note: I received PreMama Essentials from PreMama and BSM Media. I was not paid for my review and my opinions are my own.
We have always been baby wearers. While I love strollers and definitely believe there is quite a useful purpose for strollers, there is always a time when my children want nothing more than to be held or carried. Usually when I’m trying to get something done or need both of my hands. Finding the right carrier has been a nightmare. Just when you think you find the perfect carrier, that moment comes when you are required to wear it for more than 30 minutes and instantly realize how terrible it is. With our youngest son, we realized quickly how important a good carrier was going to be.
Our youngest son has some gross motor delays. He has laxity of the ligaments in his hips and ankles as well as hypotonia. He’s 22.5 months old now and his little legs give out after 30 minutes of being on them. He still can’t run and he prefers not to wear shoes as it seems difficult to lift the weight of the shoe. Combine all of this and together you get a toddler who requires being carried or in a stroller a lot.
This is where a good carrier is so critical. If he is tired or doesn’t feel well, his legs just refuse to work. Then he gets clingy. I often need to wear him around the house just to manage to get anything done or spend time with my older kids. He also has to go to physical therapy weekly and afterwards is worn out. The carrier allows us to still accomplish things even after a long physical therapy appointment. As you can imagine.. with all of this carrying going on, it takes a lot of effort to find one that can comfortably work. I was given the opportunity recently to use theBoba Carrier 3G. I was very excited to try it out! The first day I used it I was a little nervous. It definitely had more adjustable clips than my other carrier. I put it on, adjusted it to fit me just right and then grabbed our son. He wasn’t feeling well and his legs were particular bothersome, so I strapped him in onto my back. I was instantly impressed by how easily I could get him onto my back and adjusted by myself. I have some practice with this from other carriers, but I usually find myself having to wiggle and jiggle him into it properly. However, with this carrier it seemed quite natural. The height of the carrier also supported his back nicely and the width of the seat made sure that his legs were in the appropriate position. I also immediately noticed how easily the chest clip was height adjustable. It slides up and down on the piping of the carrier. Very easy to adjust. Within 10 minutes of being in the carrier, he was sound asleep and not flopping around at all. I carried him around in it for about two hours and didn’t have any shoulder discomfort or back pain.
We have used the carrier a lot since receiving it. Around the house. To the park. A two mile family walk. We even used it to get him to and from his recent MRI’s. Because of his age, his MRI’s had to be done under general anesthesia, so once he awoke, he was very clingy, tired and weak. I put the Boba Carrier on, snuggled him into it on the front position and he calmed down quickly. It managed to get a lot of compliments from the nursing staff, too. Our Boba Carrier is the “Tweet” print and it was definitely popular. There are a lot of features about this carrier that I think are extremely useful! For instance, it comes with these optional foot stirrups that hold your child’s foot. This helps them not feel like they are “dangling” and gives them a place to put their feet other than on your hips. I also love that it can be an infant carrier without the use of an insert! While I don’t have a small infant right now, that would definitely be useful. Add to that all the fun prints, (I really want to get my husband the Diaper Dude Special Edition Pinstripe!) it’s quite an amazing carrier.
Another thing that makes this carrier fabulous is all the zipped storage. There is a zipper pocket that holds the hood, and when the hood is out it makes a fabulous place to store things in. At the bottom of the carrier, on the lumbar support there is another zipper pocket. This made the best place to put my drivers license and debit cards. Nothing bulky, for sure, but it allows me to not bring our whole diaper bag when I take him to physical therapy.
After about a month of using this carrier, I can’t find anything really bad about it. It is comfortable to wear for long lengths of time. It adjusts easily and gets a near perfect fit because of all of it’s individual adjustable straps. The excess straps roll up neatly and are well secured by a fold over elastic cover. My only downside is this: It is not recommended to be machine washed. Spot cleaning is preferred. Normally this isn’t a huge issue for a carrier, but there are times when you really just need to deep clean them. Either it’s covered in dirt or it falls on a bathroom floor. (Not that I did that last one or anything.. Nope.) That said, for reasons I will not admit to actually doing.. (read: bathroom floor.. shhh!!) I did throw it into the wash on a hand wash cycle and air dried it. It washed well. The straps actually managed to stay in the positions I had adjusted them to and the fabric washed really well! It even dried quickly! So, while not recommended.. it is possible to wash if you must.
The Boba 3G accommodates a wide range of people. It fits heights from 5’0-6’3 and has a waist band range from 25″-58″. As I stated before, there are so many adjustable areas to achieve the perfect fit for you. The body of the carrier also rises 2-3″ higher than most other brands, as well. This means it supports babies better and for longer. It also has high grade military buckles, so you can rest assure that even if you are carrying the maximum 45 pound weight, your child will be safe. (The carrier also starts at 7 pounds! That is small enough for most newborns!)
All in all, I really love this carrier. I love the height of it. I love the quality of it. I love the comfort of it. It was equally comfortable in both front and back carrying positions and for long term wearing. I highly recommend this carrier.
How many of you use carrier’s on a regular basis for your babies? What made you decide to purchase the carrier that you use? How many of you own Boba carriers? What is your favorite feature of the carrier?
Enter for your chance to win a Boba Baby Carrier, a Boba Wrap or a Boba Air! All products can be seen at www.bobafamily.com. With Boba products it is easier than ever to enjoy Freedom Together as a family and Boba wants YOU to get a chance to use their products. To enter to win, “Like” them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
Note: Boba Carriers provided the Boba 3G in “Tweet” print for me to review. This is not a paid review and the opinions expressed are my own. The giveaway is provided to you by Boba Carriers, NOT by The Diaper Bag Confessions.
It all started with an addiction to giraffes and a desire to get my toddler weaned. You see, we were bed-sharers. Our toddler slept soundly snuggled right between us.. so long as his “breast friends” weren’t far away. When I decided to wean, I knew our only solution was to move him into his own bed. I had to make this bed as welcoming and desirable to him as possible. So, I went on a hunt. He loves “PhiePhie’s” as many of you have seen. So, I knew that having giraffes integrated into his new bed would be critical. I found the perfect thing. A simple white sheet with adorable giraffes all over it. We ran to our local boutique and bought it. Upon simply opening it, I knew it was amazing. Made from muslin, it was quite possibly the softest sheet I have ever held. After washing it? Even more soft. The brand? Aden + Anais. I was hooked instantly, in fact, my toddler refuses to sleep on any other sheet – so when I was given the opportunity to review a few of their products, I jumped at it.
Aden + Anais is everywhere right now. Rightfully so! What mom doesn’t want her baby wrapped in the softest, lightest, breathable blanket? Especially one that also comes in sweet prints. I asked some of my readers if they had used A+A blankets for their babies. The response was amazing. Several of them even sent me pictures. Sweet babies snuggled in adorable blankets.
(They also were kind enough to give me permission to share these sweet babies with you all! Enjoy! Baby E, Baby M and Baby G.)
When the box arrived, I was thrilled. My children are almost as addicted to blankets as I am to baby gear, so they were just as excited as I was. We washed the blankets and quickly got them into use. A Dream Blanket that my 4-year-old immediately claimed and a Sleeping Bag perfectly sized for my 22-month-old. I am completely in love with the Dream Blanket. In fact, I instantly threw a glance towards my husband and said “We need this!! A big one!” (They have big ones, by the way! The Daydream Blanket!) Four layers of ridiculously soft muslin. I could melt into that blanket. Clearly, so could my son.. because he did. Blissfully to sleep, snuggled up with it. When he awoke the next morning, still wrapped in his blanket, I asked him if he liked it. His reply was simple and quite matter of fact.. “Yes! Can I get more? Do they have one with fire trucks?” Two weeks later and I have to fight him to let me wash it. He makes me promise to give it back once it’s done. And, while they don’t have fire trucks.. they do have monsters. He might be just as happy about that.
The Sleeping Bag had me worried. Our toddler is almost 2 and while he is less mobile than most kids his age, he is still mobile. How would he react to having his legs confined within a blanket all night long? However, after I had washed it, he grabbed it from me and kept attempting to put his arms in the holes.. so I became hopeful. His typical sleep routine goes something like this — Sleep.. toss and turn in order to kick feet out from under blanket.. roll over and go back to sleep — His first night in the Sleeping Bag was no different, however when he attempted to kick his feet out from under the blanket, he couldn’t. I panicked for a moment and then I remember something amazing about this Sleeping Bag. It zips from the top down. I quickly went to him, raised the zipper enough for his feet to peek out and he drifted blissfully back to sleep. This actually made me love the blanket more, as typically I would have to go cover his feet back up before I went to bed to assure he stayed warm enough at night. Instead, just letting them peek out of the Sleeping Bag meant that as he rolled over and adjusted himself in his sleep, his feet migrated themselves back into the Sleeping Bag and thus, remained warm at night. I also love that it’s light weight and airy.. but managed to keep him cozy and warm! It also, surprisingly, didn’t limit his mobility as much as I thought it would. While a little more difficult, he was still able to move around the crib.
Along with the blankets came two bottles. You see, Aden + Anais doesn’t just make blankets. They have a fabulous line of baby skin care products. Wait, I take that back. Family skin care products. The A+A “mum+bub” collection. While formulated to be gentle enough for baby’s fragile skin.. they are just as fabulous for everyone else in the house. It is exactly as the bottle says “Made for baby. Designed for you.”
We are a family of eczema sufferers and have always been loyal to one brand of skin care products. It was the only brand that has thus far kept my children’s skin soft and free of rashes. This would test my loyalty to that other brand. They sent both the ultra gentle lotion and the hair+body wash. I was nervous, but seeing how natural it was I decided to give it a go. I tried the lotion on myself first. Let me just say that I have never smelled anything so good. I don’t like heavily perfumed things but I do enjoy smelling nicely. This had just enough scent to it that it was noticeable, but not so much that you turn heads. The only thing better than the smell was how soft it made my skin. My hands went from feeling like cardboard to feeling like satin.. and without any sort of residue being left behind on them. I loved it. After a few days of using the lotion on myself, I decided it would be worth trying out on my toddler. His skin is sensitive, but not as much as his brothers’ so he was the best person to try it on. I opened up the hair+body wash and got excited to try it on him. Following his bath, his skin was so smooth. Again, it was like the lotion.. his skin felt like satin. Also like the lotion, he smelled so good. I am sure that the smell is attributed to an ingredient like “fresh, fermented pawpaw fruit” but I choose to believe that the smell comes from my favorite ingredient on the list: LOVE. (No joke. It’s on the ingredient list. More products should contain LOVE, just saying..)
Aden + Anais is a household name for so many moms. So many products to help make life with a new baby a little more natural. A little softer. A little cozier. Now I can enjoy them for more than just blankets. I look forward to filling our home with more Aden+Anais, especially more of their mum+bub products! (.. and perhaps a Daydream blanket.. preferably in “branch out“..)
How many of you have used A+A products? If you have, which product is your favorite? If you haven’t yet had the chance to use A+A products, which products on their site would you be most interested in trying out?
Note: This post is my honest opinion of Aden+Anais products. I was not paid to write this blog post, nor was my opinion swayed in any way. The products reviewed were provided to me by Aden+Anais.
I feel like I’ve written this post a million times and honestly, I probably have. Everyone asks about them. The cute and brightly colored leg warmers that I put on my kids. “They make those for boys..?” They ask. Yes, yes they do. “They are so cute! What are they?” — the question that almost always follows the first. What are they? They are BabyLegs legwarmers. They make them for both girls and boys and their selections are constantly changing. I love these adorable splashes of color.
We have been using the “original size” BabyLegs for our boys for many years. They are very functional, especially in our Northwest climates. Even in the summer months, our temperatures can vary dramatically from the morning to the evening. Our days tend to start out cold, heat up.. and then drastically cool down. BabyLegs have helped me add and subtract a layer without much effort. They have also helped facilitate potty training.. allowing my boys to roam pants free, while still providing some coverage.
Sometime between when I had my middle son and my youngest, BabyLegs released “Newborn BabyLegs” –which I had to stock up on once I got pregnant with my youngest. He was born at the end of July and as much as he was born in a “hot” month.. he was still a newborn and still needed some added coverage. They proved to be perfect for that, covering up his tiny little legs while he relaxed in a onesie. They also worked very well paired with our favorite diapers. I look back at them now, folded up nicely in his drawer of socks, and I can’t even remember when he was so tiny. Now that he is out of them, I will sometimes slide my iPhone into one to keep it protected from scratches. It works perfectly.
Making our collection of newborn babylegs seem miniscule is our collection of the standard leg warmers. All of our children wear them. All of our children love them! Our oldest is 7, while he hates that they are called BabyLegs, he really loves to wear them. He tends to like wearing simple polo shirts in varying colors, so he often adds BabyLegs in a complimentary pattern to keep his arms warm when it’s a little colder outside. He refuses to wear them on his legs, but he doesn’t really need them on his legs anymore. He enjoys being able to pull them on and off as he feels he needs them, and they look like nothing more than a long sleeved shirt layered under a polo. They give him the opportunity to add a little personality to his daily wardrobe, too, which is critical for a little boy who loves to express himself. He also loves the holiday specific BabyLegs that come out frequently.
Our middle son loves BabyLegs regardless of what they are called. He wants to wear them on his arms and legs sometimes multiple pairs on one limb. This has prompted me to buy multiple pairs of the same pattern. As much as he would love to wear green and brown argyle with some bright blue fish, I just can’t always let him leave the house like that. He also has severe eczema which often leaves his arms looking rather wounded. He hated to go out in public because people would look at his arms and hands. He may only be 4, but he is well aware when people are staring. (Take note, people: It is not okay to stare at a child. I don’t care what you think is wrong with them!! They notice.. and you make them more self-conscious than any child should ever be!) He figured out that if he put BabyLegs over his arms, people didn’t notice his “owies” — and he was right. He no longer hated going out. While he liked that it took the attention off his arms, as his parents we loved that it took his attention off of scratching his arms. It created a bit of a buffer between him and his fragile skin.. giving it a bit more of a chance to heal.
The youngest of the group is also a huge fan of the BabyLegs. Like I said above, he has been wearing them since he was a newborn. With him, the biggest advantage they have given us is that he has a hard time pulling them off! He has a habit of removing his socks the instant they are put on his feet. However, if I put a pair of BabyLegs over his socks.. not only can he not get the BabyLeg off.. but he also can’t manage to get the sock off! (Most of the time, that is..) He is also hypersensitive to the cold, so BabyLegs have allowed us to give him an extra layer under many of his clothes without over heating him. For this we like to use their thinner, more breathable BabyCool! BabyLegs. His favorite pair of BabyLegs is currently his giraffe print pair (Or, to him.. his “PhiePhie” legs) — Not only does it add to his outfits and keep him a little warmer, but they keep him entertained. He loves PhiePhie, so dressing like a PhiePhie is more than thrilling to him.
You should all go check out BabyLegs! I don’t know any parent, of a boy or a girl, who uses them and hasn’t loved them for one reason or another. They make great “knee protectors” for crawlers. Provide children (and adults, even..) of any age with an extra layer of coverage from the cold or from the sun. They have many different options. From a bug repellent style to team colors. UV Protection to coordinating socks, even. You won’t be disappointed. Add a little more color to your child’s wardrobe. A little more flare.
After you go check out the BabyLegs site, come back and tell me what your favorite pair is and why!
Note: This is my honest opinion. I was not paid to write this review. We love BabyLegs and have for many years. We hope that you will love them as much as we do!
If there is one thing I have purchased more than strollers, it is car seats. Oh my goodness. We have owned our fair share of car seats. Between the transition from infant seat, to convertible seat, to booster.. between 3 kids, it has been quite the investment and quite the process of finding just the right one for us.
With our first, it was a process of elimination. We started out buying the most common brand of infant car seat on the market at the time. Our research showed it was safe and we liked the print. That’s enough, right? Wrong. We used that car seat for 6 months. After some trial and error, intense research and a few returns, we found a brand that was cutting edge at the time. Some of the highest safety ratings, fairly stylish.. a little more expensive but not so much to make you want to run the other way laughing. We loved that brand. We loved that brand so much that for many years following, we always went straight to that brand.. never really questioning it. Then the baby gear industry started getting smart and informative about toxins in baby products. That brand we loved so much? Well, it was less than stellar in the realm of toxins. (Though, they are now getting better!) So many car seats on the market use Brominated Flame Retardants (BFR’s). These Flame retardants are shown to be toxic to humans. Our children and babies are breathing these in? They are in so many children’s products from car seats to mattresses. It’s sad, really. When researching new car seats, I realized that there are better options out there. I did not have to put my children in chemical laden car seats. They did not have to inhale toxic flame retardants every time I put them in their car seat.
Eventually, we replaced all of our children’s car seats. We didn’t go replacing all of their car seats simply because I was made aware of the harsh chemicals that covered them.. but we were rear-ended last fall and had no choice but to replace all the car seats. Being aware of the chemical issue made our choice a little easier. We went with car seats that are safety recommended, good quality, and free of BFR’s. We replaced both of our convertible car seats with the Orbit Baby Toddler Car Seat G2. Our two youngest children are small for their ages. Our 21-month-old is not even 20 pounds and our 4-year-old is 32 pounds. This means that they will be in whatever car seat we choose for them for a long time. The Orbit Baby Toddler Car Seat G2 has a weight rating of 15-35 pounds rear facing and 25-65 pounds forward facing and up to 53″. This seat was perfect for my children. Technically, my 4-year-old could still rear face, though, we have him forward facing.
I am happy to say that, even though our two children are of greatly varying sizes, both of them fit into this seat perfectly. They are both comfortable. They are both happy. They are both secure and safe. The Orbit Baby Toddler Car Seat G2 was easy to install, for the most part. We do not own the Orbit Baby Stroller G2 and we don’t have to switch the car seat in and out of our vehicle at all, so getting the base was not necessary. (You can use the Orbit’s signature rotating base for a rear facing Toddler Car Seat G2 and even use the car seat on the stroller frame! It’s a great feature.) Even without the ease of using the base, the car seat’s latch system attachment didn’t require that much effort for my husband. The seat was easy to figure out and the harnesses were easy to adjust even after installation.
The Orbit Baby Toddler Car Seat G2 is not wide, either. The last car seats we had were incredibly wide, which is nice for the child inside, I guess, but it’s not very friendly for everyone around the car seat. Haha. We have both of our Orbit’s installed in our mini van’s center row bucket seats and they do not eat into the aisle way at all. This is critical, as our oldest is seated in the 3rd row and has to get into and out of our van on a daily basis for school drop off and pick up. Not being wide is not a downside for the child in the seat, though. There is still plenty of room in the seat. At least for my children. They sit well. They don’t feel squished or crammed into the seat.
The fabrics on the Orbit Baby Toddler Car Seat G2 are amazing. A nice durable base fabric with a plush microfiber upper fabric, headrest and side wings. Not only is the fabric nice and plush, but it has been incredibly easy to clean, too. Our 4-year-old has had a few instances of getting sick in the car and you’d never know it! For those who really want to ensure their car seat is clean, and naturally so, Orbit Baby also makes a Baby Gear Spa Kit.
Bottom line, once we found the Orbit Baby Toddler Car Seat G2, we had found what we had been looking for for many years. Safety. Quality. Stylish Design. Non-Toxic. This car seat has made me very content with my purchase and very at ease about putting my children in them every day. Price-wise, it may not be the cheapest car seat on the market with a price tag of $380 MSRP, however it does compete with some of the other convertible car seats that don’t manage to provide you with the non-toxic features that you receive from the Orbit. This product is well worth it. Should our family ever expand again, the Orbit Baby Infant Car Seat is number one on our list of car seats.
Tell me.. were you aware of the amount of chemicals in our children’s products? Was this an issue or a deciding factor in any of your purchases? What are some of your favorite “green” brands?
Note: This is my honest opinion. I was not paid to write this review. I bought this product and I loved it, so I wanted to share that love with you.
As you may have seen in my previous blog post, I was having a stroller dilemma. While I loved my stroller dearly, it was becoming common place and well, this mama doesn’t necessarily like being common. After I wrote that post, I was presented with an amazing offer from the wonderful people at Stokke. Inspired by my post, they offered me the fabulous Stokke Xplory with a Sibling Board! I was stunned. Amazed. What an exciting opportunity from such a prestigious company.
When the stroller arrived, I turned into a near-replica of my children on Christmas morning. I think my smile reached from ear to ear and my heart was jumping out of my chest. My husband took the opportunity to point out that I am officially a baby gear nerd. I prefer the term guru.. he argues that. “You know how you used to give me a hard time about all the tech gadgets I buy? Wanting the newest.. latest and greatest? Well, that is you now. Only, with baby gear.” What?? No. “Wait!” I said, “This is for the kids! Not for me!” His reply was true. I hate to admit it.. “This is for you. You want this. The kids just get the reward from it..” Ugh. Why did he have to be right? He’s not supposed to be right! However, I knew something he didn’t know. He was about to geek out over this stroller just as much as I.
We got the boxes home and immediately unpacked them. How could I have this stroller sitting within my grasp and not set it up right away?? So we moved the boxes into our living room and my husband began assembling. The assembly was not difficult. In fact, it was relatively straight forward and easy to follow. Attaching the Sibling Board was extremely easy as well.
Our first observations of the stroller were the quality. This is definitely a product that is worth its price. It’s durable and sturdy. Not at all flimsy or cheaply made. The fabrics are outstanding. I have had many strollers since becoming a mom over 7 years ago, and the Xplory has, in my opinion, the best quality of fabrics that I have ever seen. It is also gorgeous fabric. The Xplory they sent was Black Milange. The color option that I was in love with from their site. It did not disappoint. It’s gorgeous. When you also consider that it is completely removable and washable/replaceable fabric, it makes it even more wonderful. If you are not new to this parenting business, you know that kids get strollers dirty. Often very dirty. And they do not make strollers easy to clean. Except this one. They even make different fabric options that are seasonally appropriate. A summer and winter kit. That’s how easily removable their fabrics are.
Another plus for the Xplory is their branding. While they definitely have their branding on the stroller and it is visible, it’s not plastered all over the stroller in a distracting sort of way. It adds to the style and design of the stroller rather than detracts from it. Just enough branding to call out what it is. They also use their branding in a resourceful way, as well. The branding on the seat hood is reflective. This is extremely useful.
So, outside of the form of the Xplory is the actual function of it. We put our toddler in the seat. He immediately loved the lap bar. In fact, he started using it as a drum. Self entertainment. Woo! He fit into the seat well. It hugged in the right places, had enough room for much more growth. He loves being able to face us, but he didn’t mind facing forward, either. The best test of its maneuverability was inside of a Gymboree store. For being a infant/children’s clothing store, they sure aren’t very stroller friendly! However, this stroller managed to move between the tables and racks smoothly. The hood can unzip to allow additional airflow and it also has an extension on it that can be pulled forward to make the hood cover more area. It’s all quite functional.
While the ease of movement is an amazing part of this stroller, the height-adjustable seat is probably the best function about it. It really does have a wide range of height options. From a low, fairly standard stroller level – to a high, nearly eye to eye level. The highest level is my favorite, as well as our toddler’s favorite. I think he enjoys being able to see a lot more of the world around him while walking around. I enjoy how the height of the seat makes it easier to see him, entertain him.. and it even makes it more effective inside stores, as it clears the table displays a bit easier than other strollers. I haven’t yet tried pushing it up to a table, but I can definitely see how it would be a nice options for use when out at restaurants. Especially if you don’t want to have to park your stroller elsewhere. It wouldn’t take up any more room than a restaurant highchair and would probably allow your child to reach the table with more ease. I will try this soon. Likely at a Starbucks. Haha.
The Sibling Board also has great form and function. Like I said earlier, it was easily attached to the stroller and just as easily detached. When attached, it folds up nicely when not in use and is secured by a strong magnet to the stroller frame. I’m impressed. The magnet keeps the board securely fastened while the stroller is in use, the only time the board “falls” is if gravity pulls it towards the ground. Like, when loading the stroller into the car. Haha. Nothing to complain about at all, though. The board has plenty of foot space for a child’s feet and doesn’t take up much room. Our 4-year-old loves the Sibling Board as well. He calls it his “Brother board” and loves that he can easily hold onto the handle bar while riding. Even with our 4-year-old on the Sibling Board, the entire stroller moves with ease. It pivots nicely and is quite narrow. The only real downside about the sibling board is that it cannot be used while also using a cup-holder.. but that is a small price to pay if it means not listening to a 4-year-old complain about their tired feet. The board does stick out a little farther than the board on our other stroller.. but not in an awkward sort of way. When I first saw it I thought to myself, “Well, that might be a little difficult to walk behind..” but oddly enough, it was more natural than I thought. I haven’t kicked it yet!
I was slightly concerned about the lack of basket space underneath. After all, I am known for my shopping habits and I often shop without my husband. Where on earth will I put all of my bags? Well, let me tell you. I was skeptical when my husband attached the shopper bag onto the front of the stroller. See, the Xplory doesn’t have a basket, but it comes with a zippered bag that sits on the front “foot” of the stroller. The shopper bag looked decent in size and had nice magnetized pockets and a was completely enclosed by a zipper — but would it really manage to hold enough? When we took it out shopping, my skepticism ceased. I’m amazed at how much that bag can hold. And because of the zipper, it holds it securely. The shopper bag is also easily removed, so if we did have to park the stroller for some reason, we could leave everything inside the bag and just take the whole thing with us. That is genius. Now I really wish we’d had this stroller with us in Disneyland.
So, the bottom line. Stokke definitely got this one right. The Xplory does not disappoint. It is just as functional as it is stylish, which is amazing for something that is setting the bar for modern style in the stroller market. It’s not bulky. It’s not heavy. Though, it is sturdy and durable. This stroller is beyond simply adjustable, I would almost say it has “customizable positioning.” The high quality, easily cleaned or replaced fabric options add to the modern style and chic nature of it.. and let me be honest, the fact that I don’t see them every time I turn around makes this stroller a favorite by far. There was one time while out shopping we saw another Xplory, a green one, and that couple seemed just as shocked to see ours as we were to see theirs. Haha. That says something.
I understand that the Xplory is not within everyone’s stroller budget. It is a premium stroller with a very premium price point. That said, if it is within your budget – it will far succeed your expectations. Thank you, Stokke.. especially Charlotte, for this amazing and unexpected opportunity. I can’t wait to see all the places our Stokke Xplory can take us.
What do you all think of the Xplory? What about the other Stokke products?
Note: This opinion is all my own. While the Stroller was given to me by Stokke, I was not paid to write this review. It is my honest opinion about the stroller. My family loves this stroller and we want to share that love with you.
Sleep is not something that my household does very well. My husband is a very loud snorer.. which he kindly decided to pass on to all of our children. This means not only are they not sleeping well, but I’m not sleeping at all. We’ve tried many things.. but typically, the only thing that seemed to work is for me to frequently kick him with a kind-but-sleep-deprived reminder. “YOU’RE SNORING! ROLL OVER!” Yep. I can’t say that this really works, but it’s the best I can do. Until recently.
I’ve always been a huge fan of the Nook Sleep Systems products. They are modern, stylish, free of harsh chemicals and very practical. Washable. Water resistant. Anti-microbial (again, without harmful chemicals!) and soft. Oh my goodness are they soft. However, I’ve never managed to take the plunge to buy one. I’ve tried to convince my husband of their worth on numerous occasions. There is a local boutique here that we love and they have Nook products on display in an abundance. I figured, with the allergies plaguing our family and the lack of sleep going on.. it may be a good investment, right? My husband was less convinced than I.. so I kept trying. Then, an amazing thing happened. Nook Sleep Systems did a Facebook Fan Week giveaway — and I won. A Nook Sleep Systems pillow and a knit blanket. What happened next should not surprise anyone. The package arrived, I unpacked it and showed the husband.. and he took it. That’s right, folks. The man who was unconvinced suddenly had a change of heart. What resulted surprised even me, though.
The first night of opening the pillow, my husband gushed over it’s “squishy-ness.” He tossed it on the bed and laid down. He didn’t get back up. He melted into the pillow and slept the night away. Without snoring. Do you know what this means? It means I got to sleep, also. Without kicking him! I was completely shocked. We (well, we adults, anyway..) were well rested and quite happy about our new pillow. Yes, I won the pillow.. but in the end, the lack of snoring was the real win for me.
Following that fabulous night of sleep, I unwrapped the new blanket that they sent with the pillow. It was so soft. For a thickly woven knit blanket, it was surprisingly breathable and soft. I set it down in our playroom for our toddler. He loves blankets. He has an attachment to soft blankets, especially. I wasn’t sure how he would like this blanket considering it wasn’t the fluffy, minky-type blanket he tends to love – but he surprised me. He grabbed the blanket, gathered it into a small pile on the floor and then plopped himself down on it. He looked oddly exactly like his father the night before on the pillow.
These two instances have made me a Nook Sleep Systems believer. I now don’t just love them for their attractiveness and the idea of it.. but for the function and actual success of it. The most important part, though, is that my husband is now a believer. I have caught him looking online at their body pillow, mattresses, playmat and children’s lounge chair. I anticipate many more Nook Sleep System products in our house. You should all go look at the Nook Sleep Systems site and tell me, which of their products do you think would best suit your family!
Note: This opinion is all my own. I was not paid to write this review. My family loves these products and we want to share that love with you.
I’ve sat here many times attempting this post, only to quickly realize how difficult it is to put into words my love for a diaper. No, I am not excited about any poop filled diaper. In fact, most diapers instill fear in me. If you have ever experienced a blow-out you know this fear. However, I am googoo over gDiapers.
I tell the world about my love for these diapers all the time. When my friends are expecting, I show them my diapers. (I’ve converted quite a few, too!) I tell them how easy they are to use. How simple it is to change. How not traditional they are. I am amazed by how many people still think that cloth diapering involves plastics covers and pins. Yes, you can still use those methods.. but why when you don’t have to? When you have something that is as convenient as a disposable diaper, without the guilt.
I often volunteer, when given the opportunity, to work in the gDiaper booths at trade-shows. Telling people about gDiapers is simple there. I show off my baby’s g-Clad bum and then talk about how simple it all is. I am able to answer new parents’ anxiety-filled poop questions. Tell them about how gDiapers has helped reduce my carbon footprint. I get to explain about my kids’ sensitive skin and how gDiaper’s has never given them a rash. I get to brag about how I have never had a blow-out in our gDiapers and I can explain all the differences in using gDiapers with their flushable/biodegradable/compostable insert, using gDiapers with their cloth insert –or– using plain old disposable diapers. (Currently, I am a biodegradable only user. I did cloth inserts with my middle son.. and my first son was a ‘sposie kid. Eep! I know the ins and outs of it all) Yet, to write it all out here? The words don’t flow. So, I am going to attempt to SHOW you how wonderful, adorable and simple gDiapers are. If there is one thing I have a lot of, it’s pictures of my kids in g’s.
Starting Out Tiny..
Let’s start with the TinyG’s. Rated for Newborns (Or, more accurately 6-10 lbs) these diapers are all one piece with a soft cotton exterior lined with a water resistant lining. Please observe, gDiapers all close in the back. While this takes a little getting used to with a wiggly, squishy newborn.. you will thank them for it as your child gets older and can start attempting to remove diapers that close in the front. (Trust me..) They recommend that these newborn diapers only be used with the biodegradable liner. Which, for newborn poop, I recommend using that particular liner anyway. There are snaps in the front to allow you to lower the rise as to not get in the way of a drying/healing umbilical cord and they are so sweet to look at. All of the TinyG’s come in this print and I couldn’t get enough of it. My baby was in the TinyG’s for longer than most (about 3.5 months) but he was less than 6 lbs at birth and only 8 lbs when I moved him into the smalls.
Some babies will never wear the TinyG’s, but if you can get your baby in them, even for a short amount of time, I recommend it. It is a wonderful way to get into the routine of gDiapering and a great learning tool. You can get the TinyG’s in packs of 6 or you will find them in the gBaby Bundle. (The gBaby Bundle is, in my opinion, the best value.. even if you don’t use the Tiny’s for long. You get 12 TinyG’s, 6 size smalls and 80 of the Biodegradable Refills.)
Getting Bigger:
As you Transition into the small gPants, (Small gPants rated from 8-14 lbs) there is a little bit more of a learning curve, as you will now have 3 pieces to your diaper. The soft and adorable cotton exterior, a nylon snap-in liner (or “pouch” as they are often referred to.. Each diaper comes with this pouch but you can buy extra) and then your choice of cloth or biodegradable insert. While this might seem slightly intimidating or complicated, it is definitely not. I typically pre-prepped all of my diapers and then switched them out at each change. If he was just wet, I would simply toss or flush the biodegradable insert, let the diaper and snap-in liner dry out and put a new diaper on him until the next change when I would go back to the previous diaper. Often only using 2-3 diaper exteriors and snap-in inserts per day.That is, unless I wanted to put him into a different color. Which, sometimes happened often. Especially during the summer when I used his diapers as part of his outfits. I think the thing I loved most during this period of time, compared to when my oldest son wore disposables at this age, is that I never had an outfit ruined by “blow-out” — My g’s have always contained the mess and protected his clothes. (Unless of course, I was 1/2 awake and put the diaper on wrong. But, that never happened. Nooo..) I kept my babies in small gPants (I have gDiapered two babies) until they reached about 12 pounds.
Growing Up:
The transition from Small to Medium was a little bit more interesting. Width wise, my baby still needed the small.. but length wise, the rise was too short. (Medium gPants are rated from 13-28 lbs) Thanks to the amazing community of gParents, I was guided into the “Small to Medium Transition Phase” of using a size Medium gPant (The cloth exterior..) with a size Small snap-in liner and biodegradable insert. This worked perfectly until he was about 14.5 pounds and able to fit the Medium snap-in liner more appropriately. The practice, by this point, will be second nature and there is no difference in gPants from Small through Extra-Large except that the Small gPants have a thinner waist band than the Medium, Large and Extra-Large. I’ll be honest, though. I have never used anything larger than the size Medium. When my first gDiapered baby was ready to potty train, he was only 25 pounds and still in Mediums at 2.5 years old.
An Addictive Collection:
Now that I’ve explained the basics, Let me talk about my addiction. As if the cute array or colors aren’t enough, gDiapers releases Limited Edition gPants and also gStyles Sets (that are also Limited in production) Often, these styles sell out promptly which has caused me to be “victim” of a lack of adorable gPant on a couple occasions. Often, they will throw out hints here and there on their Facebook Page to let you know that these diapers are coming soon, so I often plan accordingly to budget in one or two of them.
While these Limited Edition diapers have an excellent re-sale value, I have never been able to part with mine. I mean, what if I had another baby?? The thought of not having these adorable diapers makes me sad. You’d be surprised that, while all gPants have adorable names (Most appropriately starting with g’s..) most people will call out the name of a Limited Edition or a gStyle faster than you can even remember what your child’s name is. It’s a slightly (okay, not slightly..) addicting diaper obsession.
There are SO many amazing things about gDiapers that I can’t even begin to tell you all of them on a simple (yet adorable..) blog post, so I definitely urge you to go to the gDiapers site to see what they are all about. The community is strong and helpful. The staff is amazing.. and most of all, you will see that g’s are, above all other gWords, Genuine..
If you have any questions about gDiapers, if you use gDiapers, or just want to tell me how adorably cute these things are… Feel free to comment here. gDiapers quickly became more than just a purchase for me. They became a passion.
Note: These products were not provided to me. We bought them, we love them, our children love them, so I am showing them to you in the hope that you will love them too.
My husband is, and always has been, a technology guru. He has worked in the IT field since he could legally work. He wrote his first program at the age of 3 and has always kept up on all the latest and greatest. I always knew that when we had kids, technology would be a mainstay in their lives.
Our home, unlike many of our friends, is not one without a television, or with restricted television. Pair that with my husband’s “latest and greatest” attitude about tech, and my home is full of button-mashing gaming systems and play-til-your-eyes-bleed tablets. The only thing we both agreed upon was that we will not be buying any hand held gaming consoles for our children. No Nintendo DS. No PSP or PSVita. Why, you ask? Because I want my children to grow to enjoy educational stimulation.
With this in mind, we combined my desire for education and my husband’s desire for tech and invested in LeapFrog toys. Over the years, we have had many of them. Most recently, though, we bought our kids the LeapFrog LeapPad’s and I only wish they had been around earlier.
The LeapPad is portable and durable. I throw them into the diaper bag to keep the older boys entertained during doctors appointments, long drives, anything that they may need to sit and be quiet for any length of time. Let’s face it, I am raising 3 boys. If I can find something to keep them sitting and quiet for longer than 3 minutes and it’s going to teach them something at the same time?? Sold.
I am pleased by the abundance of games that they make for the LeapPad. All educational, by the way. Yet, also all very appealing to my children. From their favorite Disney characters to an animated pencil, they have drawn my children into the games and allowed them to enjoy learning. Sometimes they realize they are learning, other times, they have no clue. You even have the convenience of buying App cards for the LeapFrog App store and just downloading games straight onto the LeapPad.
We bought our first LeapPad a month before my oldest started Kindergarten. He was on the verge of knowing how to read, but wasn’t quite there yet. By the time Kindergarten began, he was reading full speed ahead. Now in first grade, he is well above the reading level he should be, and above a lot of the students in his class.
Before we bought the second LeapPad. Our youngest played with the Leapster Explorer.
We bought our second LeapPad about 6 months later, right before we left on a short road trip to attend a funeral. We knew we would need to keep our 3-year-old entertained in the car and he had always loved playing with his brother’s LeapPad, so we knew it would be an investment worth making. He is not-yet-four and is already able to write his name and learning the basics of reading. I am not a mom who tries to push advancements on my kids.. so everything he is learning is more than likely learned from the games he plays on his LeapPad. (As much as I’d love to take credit..)
LeapFrog has since released a new LeapPad, the LeapPad2. I can guarantee you that both of my boys will be getting one for Christmas this year. My oldest will be 7 and my middle son will be almost 4 and I know that it will be one of the best things we can buy for them. Learning without feeling like you’re learning. Reading and enjoying it. (How many boys actually enjoy reading anymore? Not many. A sad but true statistic.) It’s well worth its $99 price tag.
If you’ve never thought about the LeapFrog brand of toys, I highly suggest it. If you have a child of preschool through elementary school age, I definitely recommend looking into the LeapPad. Don’t fall back on the “but I have an iPad that my child uses already” argument. So do we. It still doesn’t compare to the value we have seen come from the LeapPad.
Note: These products were not provided to me. We bought them, we love them, our children love them, so I am showing them to you in the hope that you will love them too.
It has been no secret to anyone who knows my baby, that very early on in life, he became infatuated with owls. While he loves pretty much any owl baby toy in existence, his favorite owl has, and probably always will be, the Skip*Hop Hug & Hide Owl that was given to him at my baby shower. We expanded his owl collection… but really, we expanded our Skip*Hop collection. We even found ourselves looking for more of the Skip*Hop owls that we already had, but came in different colors at Pottery Barn Kids.
The size of the gym isn’t too incredibly large, but it definitely isn’t small. It gave the baby the right amount of space to roll around a bit, and enough different toys to keep him occupied long enough for me to get things done. Our baby is rather small for his age and has some gross motor delays, so this activity gym also acted as a means of physical exercise for him when he really wasn’t capable of much. It even inspired him to sit for longer periods of time without the assistance of a baby seat.
The quality of the Skip*Hop products is wonderful. Most are washable, and trust me, in a house with three boys, our Skip*Hop toys have had numerous turns in the washing machine. I have only had one product not really make it back into rotation after the washing machine, and that was the cow mirror that says it is machine washable, but it contains a squeaker inside that seems to retain water after being washed — and for 2 days following, any time you squeaked it, water would squish out. Yuck. I removed it from rotation and got the rabbit version..The cow version was a favorite of the baby’s, and the quality was amazing.. just needed to avoid washing it. The rabbit found his home on the anti-rebound bar of our car seat.
The Activity gym is no exception to the durability of the Skip*Hop toys. It has been thrown around, stored, tossed in a closet and thrown in the back of our car for 2 weeks during our recent move. The washable pieces have been washed a few times, and it has been well chewed, gnawed and sucked on. It is still pristine!
I love this product so much, I am having a hard time deciding if I can part with it or not. We are sitting in limbo about whether or not our family is done expanding.. and until I know for sure, one way or another, I don’t want to give it up. So, now that our baby is 14 months old and past the baby gym phase, I have it sitting in our closet, knowing that if I need it again, even years from now, it will still be just as pristine as it was for him. And all the little tree friends hanging from it, the owls our baby loves so much? He gets regular use out of them still. They squeak and rattle and entertain him still. Some of them will find their way into his memory box. A token of his babyhood for him to share with his kids. I bet they will still be just as perfect then as they are now.
If you are in the market for an activity gym, or really any baby toy, definitely go look at the Skip*Hop line of products. I hope you and your baby love them as much as me and my baby do! As our baby gets older, and our other kids are in school, we have started expanding into Skip*Hops other lines of products, too, like the ZOO Dinosaur Lunch box that our oldest son proudly trots with him to school every day.
Note: These products were not provided to me. We bought them, our children love them, so I am showing them to you in the hope that you will love them too.
