Baby Gear

While I wanted something to clean my newborn’s bottom with, I didn’t want all the alcohol that comes with many wipes on the market. I have made my own wipes, but with three kids I need a lot of wipes every day.
Pampers Sensitive Wipes seem to be the best choice for me.

I want something gentle to wipe the baby’s face with and also the occasional dirty feet of my older two, as well as clean the bottom well. I was afraid this would be too thin or delicate, but it stood up. This is also fragrence free, which is great.
We keep them by the changing stations, in the kitchen for food messes and in our diaper bag. Buy them in bulk like we do!

newborns, baby gear, baby wipes, pampers sensitive wipes

There are a ton of bibs on the market today, but they are usually the same old thing. Dabib is different, it has a unique “scrunch collar” that minimizes leakage of liquids and solid foods onto the baby’s clothing. Any mother knows this means less stains on clothing and that means less laundry! Dabib is made with super absorbent micro fiber terry front and a waterproof back.

DaBib was just chosen by San Francisco Daily Candy edition as one of only five MUST have items for new moms. In order to celebrate, www.dabib.com is offering a coupon for reviewing baby gear readers, 10% off purchase with code MOM2008 but it expires on June 30 so act fast. Also, order 3 or more bibs and get free standard shipping (continental US only).

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I loved personalized things as a child and now so do my kids. They only want to use the cups with their names on it, or their name tooth brushes and always look for personalized items when we are out.
It was great when my twins were learning their letters and then to spell things, because they recognized the letters in their name.

Olive Kids has great things for children of all ages and one of them is personalized placemats for children. Olive Kids placemats are thick, durable and will withstand being used over and over again by children. They measure 12” x 18” and are made with heavyweight laminate for easy clean-up.

They have the cutest patterns to chose from. Trains, outer space, Under construction, tea party, pirates, race cars, butterfly, sand castle, flower, holiday and many, many more!

At $9.99 they make perfect birthday or holiday gifts and you can get a few for each child. They even have a five pack of assorted mats. They are a great alternative to the character-based entertainment licenses. They have more classic designs that kids all love.

They also have other personalized items like personalized clocks, gorgeous name and art prints, floor pillows and book marks. These are great for decorating a child’s room or nursery or for gifts. Check out Olive kids today, I am sure you will find many things that will keep you going back!
What are your children’s favorite personalized items?

Olive Kids, personalized gifts, personalized placements, gifts for kids

Since I am still new to breastfeeding, sometimes I find it a little difficult. Especially when I am out in public. Where do I breastfeed that is safe, and private? How do I nurse without my breastfeeding pillows? Also, how can I keep myself covered while in public? These are all commonly asked questions by other nursing mothers, I have recently discovered. When I came across the breastfeeding bonnet by MoBoleez, I knew I wanted to try it.

MoBoleez was founded by a nursing mother of two (you know how I love to support mom owned businesses!) who wanted to design something unique for the breastfeeding mom. This 70% bamboo and 30% cotton hat fits perfectly on baby’s head but has a large, floppy brim to cover mom’s breast. The hats come in pink, blue, green, cream and red, and each has a very cute designs on the top and a “hi mummy” on the brim for mom.
The hat is much softer then I thought and it held up well after a trip in the washing machine.

I have a cover up that I use to breastfeed in public but with warmer weather approaching, I think it would be hot for both me and K. I love the idea of this hat, it keeps the sun out of the baby’s face and gives me the privacy I want. Great idea and well executed.
Go order one today for yourself or as a great baby shower gift!

MoBoleez, breastfeeding, breastfeeding in public, nursing, nursing in public, nursing cover ups, baby gear, breastfeeding gear, new mom gifts

When I had my lactation consultant come to the house for help, she mentioned Medela had just come out with a hands free pump. I love my Medela swing pump but I would love to have my hands free to do things like check email, make breakfast for my kids and answer the phone.
The hands free model interested me.

Medela freestyle is the only hands free double-electric rechargeable breastpump on the market. It offers freedom to all the mothers attached to the pump, literally.
It comes with the pump, SoftFit™ breastshields, 4 collection containers with lids, rechargeable battery, carry bag with removable cooler, cooling element, power cord, hands-free kit with two size straps and bra adapters, waist belt with extension piece, instructions and a information guide.
It is not cheap, but a good pump never is.

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When I found out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to breastfeed. I had tried to breastfeed the twins but with having two babies coupled with complications after my C-section, I didn’t go longer then a few days. This time I wanted to be prepared and that meant a new breast pump, so I went out and researched all the pumps and I chose what I hoped was the best one for my needs, the Medela Swing pump.

The Swing is a great compact pump, I love how small and efficient it is! It operates in two modes, using a patented 2 Phase Expression technology designed to mimic the way babies feed naturally. The first phase is a let down mode like how the baby “nibbles” on the breast, and the second is a nursing mode that uses slower, longer and stronger pulses of suction. It has two buttons that let you easily control how strong the suction is.
One of the things I was looking for was a pump that was Bisphenol A-free and the Medela Swing Pump is one of the only ones that are Bisphenol A- free on the market today.
It comes with a great little carrying bag and two bottles for your expressed milk. This swing is so quiet and compact I used it on the NJ turnpike last weekend while three kids slept in the back!
Don’t worry, I wasn’t driving!

This is a great pump with a great price tag, $125.00, (check Amazon often I have seen it go even lower!). It has great reviews on Amazon, and it is so easy to use.

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Breastfeeding has been a little challenging to say the least. The baby and I have had to work at it. Getting comfortable for me was one of the hardest things to do. I would find myself with backaches and tension in my shoulders from feeding him improperly. Enter the appropriately named My Brest Friend deluxe pillow and all of that is gone.

Every parent has a boppy and the boppy has its place, to help hold the baby or for the baby who is new to sitting up alone, but the Brest Friend pillow is specially designed for breastfeeding. It has a wrap around design that helped to support me and my aching back so much, especially when I nurse at night in bed. It has a velcro adjustable strap that you can adjust with one hand and arm rests for your arms. The pocket is wonderful to keep my utterly yours breast pillow and a burp cloth handy.

Don’t get me started on the fabric, it is soft and wonderful! There are so many fabric types and patterns to chose from. If it gets dirty just take off the slip cover and throw it into the wash it will come out as good as when you put it in. I love this pillow and I credit it and the web site support on breastfeeding with really helping me with nursing. If you know someone who is breastfeeding or you are planning on it, I highly recommend this great pillow.
You, your baby and your back will thank me!

breastfeeding, nursing, breastfeeding pillows, my brest friend, nursing support, breastfeeding support. baby gifts, baby gear, baby gear reviews, new moms

A lot has happened in the five years since I have had kids. I found out early in my pregnancy that everything my kids had when they were babies from bottles to rubber ducks were laden with BPAs. I was suddenly on the hunt for new bottles and pacifiers for our new baby. Green to grow was one of the companies I found with BPA-free bottles.

Green to Grow was founded last year and makes exclusively BPA-free infant and toddler feeding products. Instead they are made from PES plastic, which gives them a natural golden color. They make 5 oz and 10 oz regular or wide neck bottles from PES plastic and medical-grade silicone, made in Taiwan.
The first thing I noticed about these bottles were how cute they were with fruit faces on the front of them. They are easy to use and clean without valves or other intricate parts. They range in price from $7.49 to $10.49.
You can feel good about buy these bottles because not only are they safe for your baby, but they are made with 100% recycled packaging, soy inks, and 1% of annual profits going to environmental causes!

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My baby was not ready to come out on his own so my son was born via c-section last week. Kevin Eric was 9 lbs 2 oz 19.25 inches long and is an amazing baby. He is a good eater and since I am breastfeeding that is even more important because I am a novice at it. I can see how many women give up on breastfeeding because it can be a frustrating, tiring experience. I can use any help I can get with breastfeeding and I have found some products that are very helpful and some that are not so helpful.

The Utterly Yours Breast pillow is one of the great products. The breast pillow is designed for women with larger breasts (who doesn’t have large breasts while breastfeeding?!) for support while nursing. The utterly yours breast pillow is a comfortable, wedge-shaped piece of memory foam that holds your breast in position so you can use your hands to position baby properly. It is so easy to use and it has a cover that is machine washable. It comes in cup sizes C to I.

Not only do I love it because it is a mom invented product, but because it really does work. I love mine so much I want to get an additional one, so I can have one upstairs and downstairs! It is so great it even won an iparenting media award! This really is an amazing product for all new moms, and it makes a great shower or new baby gift!

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If I don’t go into labor sooner, I will be having this baby via c-section this morning. Since I won’t be around for a while, while I take care of my newborn and five year old twins, I decided to share with you some of my favorite baby gear. Here are some reviews on things that I cannot live without and things I know you will enjoy:

I love this monitor and will use it for years, they are not just for newborns!

There is nothing like a good swaddling baby blanket.

This nest egg has helped me sleep at night which is a luxury when you are nine months pregnant. I think it will be a great help with breastfeeding too. Go get your own with the coupon, even if you are not pregnant this is great for kids or for travel!

We are trying to be more green in our house and what better timing then when a new baby comes!?

I love these products for Mom. The names and packaging are so cute that I would buy them for that alone! They really smell good too.

I think this is great for the summer. I know I would have to get it if I lived in a state that was hot all year round.

I love this thermometer and couldn’t live without it. Plus it is so much cheaper then it was new to the market and I bought it!

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I know I am germ phobic but c’mon grocery carts and universal high chairs are so gross. You can see how well they clean them (never) and it is enough trying to keep a baby healthy at home. Not to mention kids will put anything into their mouths even the bar of a cart, especially when they are teething. That is why I was so excited to try out the Clean Shopper.

The Clean Shopper is a universal and original shopping cart cover for babies and toddlers. You know the ones that everyone at your grocery store has but you? They are made with 100% cotton-quilted fabric and has two built-in side pockets for storing anything you or your baby will need. Each also has two loops for attaching toys. I was also surprised to find how many fabric choices and prints there are!
They are very well made and are one piece so it is easy to put on by yourself. It also held up to a washing with no shrinking. They also sell a super soft clean shopper that is 40% fluffier than the original clean shopper!
I wish I knew about the twin clean shopper when I had my twins, I never found anything like that and believe me, I looked!

Looking for more ideas? They offer many other products like the clean changer, the clean diner which fits on public high chairs (although the clean shopper works well on these too!) and the clean burper. The clean burper is a fabulous over sized burp cloth that is thick and absorbent. This also held up to a washing well and are shaped perfectly for over the shoulder burping.

Go check out their great products for yourself but they also make great baby shower or new baby gifts!

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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!

I turn down many things that people want me to review for various reasons, then there are some web sites that I see that I would love to review and I know how lucky I am to get the chance. The American Terry Co. is one of those web sites. Everything they have is amazing and I am now a true believer in American Terry Co.

The new baby box is enough to make me want four more babies. It comes with a generous sized terry hooded towel, toddler bib, a cloth for burps or to us as a wash cloth, an adorable rubber ducky all packed in a sweet vintage suitcase that I know I will use again and again. All of it was in the “wink” print which is perfect for those mothers who don’t know the sex of their baby. All the products are made with Turkish terry and are the most soft and absorbent 100% cotton I have felt.

They have many other gift sets choices, these beach buckets are going to be my go to gift for all the toddlers in my life, they are a perfect! If you think all they have is children’s products you would be wrong, they have colorful robes for babies, teens, men and women. They also have custom embroidery! Everyone loves a gift with their names, logo or monogram on it. Check out their web site and you will find great gift ideas for baby shower, kid’s birthdays or even pick out a plush robe for your spouse for Valentine’s Day!
Also check out their new organic line due out in February.

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When I was pregnant with my twins I made the decision to nurse them as long as I could. I had various complications after my emergency c-section, so nursing them was not as easy as I had hoped it would be and lasted only days. This pregnancy I know that again, I will try and nurse as long as I can. I am a modest person though, so the thought of nursing in public makes me stress. I don’t want to be so exposed, it will still be cold here in NJ when the baby is born so how do I cut down on my exposure?

If you have the same concerns, have I got the product for you! Bebe au Lait has the most gorgeous nursing covers you have ever seen. A product born from a mother’s frustration over the nursing covers on the market when she was breastfeeding her children. She designed her own “hooter hiders” and instantly they became a hit. They come in so many fabric choices that are perfect for any chic mother!

You connect the straps for your comfort level, place the cover over your head and you have a type of nursing apron. The neckline has boning in it so you can easily view your baby while nursing. Best of all, wash and dry as you would any of your delicates.
What a surprise when I found out all of the covers have a terry cloth corner for clean ups and a small-item storage pocket for my chapstick and other things I can never live without!
This product is perfect for all breastfeeding moms who want a little more coverage, it is stylish folds down neatly into any diaper bag and mine hasn’t wrinkled yet. They now also carry a luxe silk version for occasions when you want a more formal cover and a 100% certified organic nursing cover, something for everyone. Go pick one up today!

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