Baby Gear

There are a few things I look for in a baby blanket: soft, large enough to swaddle and well made. If it comes in a great pattern, is loved by celebrities or is made in the USA, that is all gravy. In my experience all babies love a good swaddle and finding the right blanket for the job is the key to some sleep. For you AND the baby!

I will save you the trouble of searching, I found a great swaddling blanket at swaddledesigns.com. the great people at swaddle designs were kind enough to send me three products to review from their company, the ultimate receiving blanket, the baby lovie and the baby burpies.
The first thing I noticed about all of them were how soft and well made they were! They all took a test drive in my washing machine and came out perfect.

Did you miss the chapter on swaddling in your baby book? Have no fear, swaddling instructions are sewn on the blanket! Perfect for Grandmas or Dads who often forget just how to do it!
Swaddling is so important for sleeping better, reducing the risk of SIDS and reducing colic.
Any baby would be attached to this lovie with its soft satin border and satin back. Remember to order more then one so you can rotate one into the wash! The baby burpie is a generous size and very absorbent, a must have in a burp cloth!
I love this ultimate receiving blanket so much I will be ordering more.
The fabric choices are amazing and perfect for any new mother and this is a gift any new mother would love.

swaddle designs, ultimate receiving blanket, swaddlers, SIDS, reducing SIDS risk, infants, baby gifts, new baby, baby registry, baby gear, receiving blankets, new moms, how to swaddle, baby shower gifts

Britax car seats are still one of the best around. They are costly, but very popular for their safety and name. There is a Britax sale going on now at Amazon.com and other web sites. Britax car seats, strollers and other gear are discounted up to 20%, which is a really good deal for a brand that rarely goes on sale! Babycenter.com has all britax on sale for 15% off which is not as good, but you can pick the fabric choices you want.

These are the regular prices for these car seats for comparison:
Few Regular Prices:

Marathon: around $269.

Roundabout: around $219.

Boulevard: around $300.

Decathlon: around $285.

Companion (infant seat): around $200

Check out sale prices on amazon.com, babyage.com and babyuniverse.com for all of these car seats.

Before I had kids I thought I would never let them watch TV and I would certainly not let them watch TV when they were babies! Why would I do that?
Then I had twins.
I stayed home with them all day long while my husband worked long hours and I needed to do things for myself like shower and brush my teeth. I purchased a few Baby Einstein videos and put my babies in front of the TV. Where before they could care less about the screen, now they were mesmerized. They loved it and I could finally clean my body.

These days the debate of children and TV continue. Should children under two watch any television? Is television appropriate for children of any age? I believe some television is OK for my kids. I don’t think television is a baby sitter for your kids or should be replaced with book reading, arts and crafts or parent/child time. I monitor what my children watch and limit their viewing to about 45 minutes per day.
These are the same things that the people at Baby Einstein believe too. They believe that their videos for children should be interactive. You should watch the videos with your children and engage them. Talk about what your child is seeing, point out things in your home that they have in the videos, get up and dance and sing with your baby. It is a great way to bond with yoru child and get the most out of the dvds.

You can check out www.babyeinstein.com for more ideas on the best way to watch their terrific, award winning videos with your baby.

Baby Einstein, Baby Einstein dvds, children and tv, TV and kids, parenting, parenting children, moms, SAHM, babies, infants, toddlers

I wanted to potty train my kids in the summer for obvious reasons, I knew there were going to be accidents and I figured the less clothes they had on the better.
Of course, they were not ready to train in the summer but as soon as it turned cold and grey here in New Jersey the kids were all ready and able to learn to use the potty.
I wanted to keep them warm but not sweat me out of the house at the same time. I bought the kids these baby leg warmers.

Not only are they adorable but they kept my children’s legs warm and I didn’t have to pull any pants down in our rush to get onto the potty.

After they were potty trained they worked very well with all of my daughter’s skirts and we even did a little flashdancer tribute and put them on over some stretch pants.

They are a good idea for babies learning to crawl also, no more bruised knees!

potty training, babylegs, leg warmers for kids, toddlers, kids

On February 1, 2008, Evenflo announced a voluntary safety recall of the Discovery Infant Car Seat models 390, 391, 534,and 552. These seats have been sold since April 2005 and have sold over one million units. The recall results from tests performed by Evenflo in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The recall is in effect because the car seat could become separated from its base in high impact side collisions. Evenflo will provide these car seat owners with a free supplemental dual-hook fastener that keeps the seat better attached to the base. If you own one of these models, call Evenflo at 800-356-2229 or visit www.evenflo.com/Discovery for more information or to get your replacement part.

More recalls can be found here.

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We all know babies and kids come with a lot of gear, not to mention toys. I have had to put a ban on all stuffed animals early on in my kid’s life. I am about to ban all new toys from entering this house because we just have so much. Some are favorites that are used day after day, others were not a big hit and have been sent to the basement for a garage sale.
What if your kids got to try out a toy before you bought it? Or what if you could rotate toys every month so they always have something new to play with?

That is the idea behind the new service babyplays which is a toy rental company. Think of it like a netflix for toys. Here is how it works, you select one of the four plans they have, then select as many toys to add to your wish list as you like.
You will receive toys from your wish list within a few days and you can keep the toys for 30 days or longer. When you are ready to get some fresh toys, place the toys that you wish to return back then drop off at any UPS location, when they receive your returned toys, they send out the next ones you have in your wish list.
They say they Clorox wipe all toys once they come back and replace the batteries. The toys they have are for infants up to five years old.

I am not sure about this service, I would feel like I have to clean the toys as soon as I got them. I know my kids would love having new toys every month but would that just add to the “gimme” mentality and short attention spans that kids seem to have these days?
Plus, would you be willing to pay $36.99 a month for it?
Is this new service a good thing or another expense?

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It seems like I see more and more all terrain strollers out every day. I often wonder what makes a stroller all terrain and who really would need one. Then I remember the time we took our Maclaren out in the woods to an animal refuge and how hard it was to maneuver off the road and go on bridges and I realized there is a market for these types of strollers.

They are easy to push because they have larger wheels then regular strollers. This makes it easier to “off road it” with the baby. They are perfect for boardwalks, gravel paths, beaches or hiking paths. Some even can hold heavier children then regular strollers. That makes them more economical because you can use them longer. A few are compatible with infant car seats too!

They do have a few down sides though. Most all terrains are for babies six months and up so you cannot use them for infants. They also are bulky and depending what kind of car you have, you may have to take the front wheel off to get it into your trunk. You also will have to fill the tires once they go flat. They also look like jogging strollers but are not made for that, so check with the company web site before you purchase one.
If you are still considering an all terrain stroller here are some brands to look at:

Tike Tech ATX All-Terrain Stroller

EasyWalker SKY All Terrain Stroller

BOB Revolution All-Terrain Stroller

strollers, all terrain strollers, baby registry, toddlers, infants, kids

I love to support mom owned businesses and when I come across one that I think has amazing products, I like to scream about it from the rooftops. That is what I found with Babybam.

Jody a mom who has two children with a milk allergy and sensitive skin was frustrated with the lack of “cute” and “pure” apparel on the market for infants. She did her own research and came across bamboo a natural hypo-allergenic and antibacterial fabric. It is soft and doesn’t shrink like cotton.
I received a bamboo and cotton pajama that may be the softest baby pajama I have ever felt. It is natural in color using no bleach or dye and has their catch phrase on the front, dream, believe, giggle. Baby Bam also offers towels, washcloths, onesies, pants and organic soaps for baby.

Go check out babybamcollection.com and pick out something wonderful for your little one that is eco-friendly. They have great gift ideas for showers and for new baby gifts!

How many new strollers can come out a year? It seems like every time I turn around I see a new “it” stroller. I guess even in motherhood you can never keep up! This new stroller from Silver Cross is no exception. It is stylish and perfect for infants all the way through toddlerhood.

The Dazzle is sleek and modern, perfect for urban moms. It is ultra lightweight at a little over fifteen pounds, has ergonomic comfort grip handles, single handed folding system (which is SO important) and a hidden shopping basket. It comes in various colors like black, neon pink, tangerine or blue.
At $299.00 it is pricey for not a lot of bells and whistles, but if you are trying to be in the “cool mom crowd” maybe you can buy your way in with this.

Babies are so cute and cuddly but kids sure can produce some gross things from their bodies! There are some things moms know they cannot live without like diapers, wipes, washcloths and burp cloths for those big messes babies can make. Some of these things are great as is, but others could use a little improving, like burp cloths, I wish I knew about the burp catcher when I had my twins, but I am not prepared for this new baby!

The burp catcher was invented by a Mom (as all great things are!) and a re a new and improved form of a burp cloth. Burp Catcher has an ingenious pocket that hangs open to catch baby’s spit up before it hits your new sweater, carpet or someone else! They come in fleece or flannel and a ton of colors and patterns to chose from.
Go pick one up for yourself or for a baby gift.
Every mother will love this!