Baby Gear

We live quite a distance from our family and friends so we traveled with our children all the time from the time the babies were a week old. We wanted something to bring with us to put the kids in or help when it was just me and the two babies at a friend or family members home who maybe didn’t have baby “equipment”.
Luckily for us, the Fisher Price Take Along Swing just came onto the market a month after our kids were born.

This was one of my favorite baby products. It was light, easy to fold up and carry and fit great in the back of my small SUV.
It has two toys that when you pull activate songs and lights. The music wasn’t too annoying as with some baby items. It takes 4 C batteries which need to be changed often as is the case with swings. Get rechargable batteries!

It is designed for up to 25lbs which I loved. My kids grew too long for the swing before they even hit the weight limit. The swing was terrific help getting them to sleep in strange places, like on vacation.

My one con with this swing was it was a little hard getting the babies in and out of it. You kind of have to swing them in and under the top bar and I have bumped their heads on occasion on it. (Sorry kids!) As they got heavier this process got harder!

I love this product, I thought it was worth its weight in gold.
Make that platinum!

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When you are looking for clothes for a new baby, nothing beats a great layette set. It has everything you need for your little one. It also is a fantastic gift idea for a baby shower or a new baby gift. Today I am giving away FIVE First Impression Layette sets sold exclusively at Macy’s!

First Impressions is a brand I trust when it comes to shopping for my babies. They make adorable clothes nweborn up to 9 months. This particular layette set will be delivered right to your door complete with a cuddly coverall, two bodysuits, a pair of pants, a cap and a bib. Available in gender neutral assorted colors and patterns: yellow, khaki and teal. They are 100% cotton and machine washable.
Sold in store and online as an everyday value, regular price $19.98 per set.
I have FIVE sets to giveaway to lucky Reviewing Baby Gear readers! You cannot pick the size but you will win either a
0-3 months, 3-6 months or 6-9 months set.
Perfect for expectant moms or for a baby gift!

Win It: Leave a comment here telling me what is your favorite baby gift to give.

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4. Enter my WeeSqueak shoes giveaway

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Contest will end 7/24/09 at 11:59 EST. A winner will be chosen via random.org
US only!

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We hear it all the time, we must read to our children as much as possible from the time they are infants. My baby is only interested in turning the pages right now so we talk about the pictures instead of read the book. My six year old twins though, have just learned to read and love reading book after book to us and themselves!
I have just the books for babies or your eager readers:

Duck! Rabbit! is my children’s new favorite book. They think it is hilarious that some people see a duck and other a rabbit (I am in the rabbit camp). A very cute and easy to read book for every age. The illustrations are simple and vibrant. I think this is an instant classic and one we read over and over. Check out the web site to vote on whether you see a duck or a rabbit, videos, print a poster, videos and a teachers guide.

Little Oink is another one of our favorites. We already love Little Hoot and this newest book is just as good. Little Oink is a clean freak but his parents only want him to clean, clean, clean. What is a little pig to do?
The illustrations are adorable and again, this is a perfect book for new readers. Visit the site for mask templates, pin the tail on Little Oink, sticker sheets, songs, videos and teacher guide.

I want to know what books are your children’s favorites?

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I have recently come across great cotton burp cloths. Zebi baby has a great collection of 14×21 soft cotton burp cloths. They are not ordinary burp cloths, they are made with beautiful fabric patterns with a vintage feel. They are perfect for a boy or a girl or a picky mom.
The bucket of burpies I received came with three burpies in a 1 gallon reusable pail. Use the pail for a diaper caddy or for art supplies! We use our to house small baby toys and baby K loves to dump the toys out and put them all back in over and over.

Zebi baby also makes kerchief bibs with are so cute for any aspiring cowboy or cowgirl. They are made with the same great vintage fabric and are perfect for collecting all that drool without being so long that it hinders crawling. Use them instead of bibs for older children!
Also check out their bibs, diaper covers, pants, organic tees and mom and me matching aprons. My daughter and I have to get the matching aprons for all of our baking that we do. So cute!
If you are looking for something for your fur baby, you will love their chenille dog kerchiefs.

These are great gift ideas, new baby or shower gifts. I love my bucket of burpies and every mother knows you can never have enough burp cloths!

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Ju-Ju-Be diaper bags are just as gorgeous as they are truly practical. Using the latest technology in anti-stick and anti-microbial coatings, these bags are treated so they clean up easily and fight germs! The great people at Ju-Ju-Be think of everything like light colored linings of the bags so you can quickly find your stuff.
There are even pockets with Thinsulate to keep your bottles and sippy cups cool. And with pockets galore, there is always room for your “stuff”.

The Be Prepared bag is THE bag to carry when you need to pack a lot. Perfect for an overnight bag, twins or you just like to be prepared (rim shot!) this is the bag for you.
The Be Spicy, great for all of the essentials. There’s a pocket for everything you can imagine and a comfortable shoulder strap. This bag also has crumb drains to get rid of all those crumbs that are always in the bottom of your bag!
I love my reversible Be Light diaper bag for quick trips out and days when I don’t want to lug a big bag around.
Both of these diaper bags come with stroller clips and with a memory foam changing pad that matches the bag. All hardware is customized metal and all bags have lots of cute details like fun jewels on the zipper pulls and stars on the labels. Ju-Ju-Be bags are machine washable.

There are a variety of different prints and solids to suit every taste, and even a few new patterns!

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When you are pregnant for the first or fourth time, you know there is a lot of things you need for a baby. Infants may be small but they can take over your house with their “stuff”. Some things you need for day to day living and some baby gear is a luxury. Besides diapers, wipes and clothing, a baby monitor is very necessary.

When I had my twins I received a baby monitor as a shower gift. We were living in a apartment and the traditional monitor was OK, although I would get to hear the occasional phone conversations of my neighbors that the monitor picked up. Now that I am pregnant again I wanted a monitor that allowed me to see the baby now that we are mostly downstairs during the day and the baby’s room is upstairs.
I had the pleasure of reviewing Summer Infant Day and Night Handheld Video Monitor. This 900 MHz monitor blows away my old traditional monitor. This portable handheld unit is perfect for moving around the house and still being able to see your baby. There are also traditional sound lights that visually show baby’s level of activity. There are nighttime LED lights on the camera that makes the baby fully visible both day and night!
The video monitor has batteries or you can use it with an AC adapter. It also has a kickstand which is perfect for me to view it while I am doing dishes, using the computer or watching TV.

Don’t get this monitor just for a new infant, I would have loved this for my twins when they first transitioned into their toddler beds. It would have saved me countless trips upstairs to see what they were up to. Parents love this monitor, go ahead and read the reviews yourself. This is one of my new favorite baby products to tell all parents about.

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If you’re looking for a unique baby shower gift I think I have found one for you. Swanky Blooms has come up with a very cute idea in their Baby Bouquets. Each Baby Bouquet is handmade to look like a bunch of baby flowers, but made of quality baby clothes selected with a layette list in mind, carefully rolled to look like blooms, to make a unique baby shower gift to welcome new baby and impress parents.

The Baby Bouquets double as a Baby Shower centerpiece and are a creative alternative to fresh new baby flowers or diaper cakes.

How cute is this baby bouquet? This comes with 1 32 x 30 inch super soft cotton blanket 1 blue/printed sleep n’ play long sleeve body suit 1 yellow sleep gown 1 blue short sleeve onesie 1 green short sleeve onesie 1 hat with a patch 1 trimmed bib with embroidery lion 4 matching washcloths Blue pants 1 yellow hat 1 trimmed bib with patch 1 short sleeve yellow tee with a lion patch 2 pairs of soft booties and 2 pairs of scratch mittens

With our Baby Bouquets you get flowers for the new mom and precious clothes for new baby, not to mention all the oohhs and aahhhs.

Want even more?… Make sure to check out their baby gift baskets, gift sets and unique gift ideas for siblings and twins or the new and fun baby cupcakes made from onesies and the unique gift bouquets for other special occasions, made with fun and surprising things like towels and kitchen linens, it’s like giving A gift within a gift.

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As a mother I love giving and receiving special and unique gifts for children. They are always the gifts you remember where and who they came from and keep them for years and years. Lisa Callanan and Christina Tedesco met through their two little girls and decided to start a business together: 2 Little Stars.

The great women at 2 Little Stars can create a gift that is unique and personal to your own ““little star.” From personalized shirts, burp cloths, fabric headbands and gift sets you will have no problem picking out an item or pattern to suit the child in your life. 2 Little Stars offers a variety of choices that are so stylish you will want them all. They have everything from dots and flower patterns to stripes and sports themes.

We were lucky enough to try out the Ryan tag blanket. It is so soft and adorable I want one of my own! My baby loves it and uses it for nap time and play time! This is perfect for traveling or for Grandma’s house. It held up to a washing and is a generous size at 18″X18″.

I already have my eye on the adult initial tees, the kid’s personalized shirts and the initial pony tail holders for my daughter! Check out 2 Little Stars and tell me what your favorite item is from their site.

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There are not many things I needed this pregnancy. I saved all the twin’s old things and gear and besides a few things that couldn’t be saved, I have most everything I need. One thing I didn’t have last pregnancy and I wish I did, was a pregnancy planner. I had so many doctor’s appointments, ultrasounds and testing plus I was working full time, it would have come in very handy. I got one now though, and I couldn’t love it more.

The nice people at Braelynbountybug.com sent me one of their terrific pregnancy planners for my pregnancy. The prego planner is loaded with great tools and is organizing heaven for a person like me. It has a twelve month undated calendar, space for all of your doctor’s business cards, space for notes you need to make for yourself, and space for all of the information you need for forty weeks of pregnancy.
I especially love the sections, they have sections for all of your OB/Midwife information, pediatrician, labor and delivery including a space for notes from your birthing class. They also have a handy checklist of everything you need for your little one’s arrival, and even a space for you to write down what gifts you received and from whom. It even has a pocket in the back which I love for all of my lab forms that I have to carry around until my appointments!

The planner comes in three different styles and is only $38.00. I can’t think of any way I could improve this product! You may want to also check out their tot tags. I think this is an amazing resource for all expecting moms and I will be using it even for the first few moments of the baby’s life with pediatrician appointments, checkups etc. I will suggest this for all newly pregnant moms.

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Having twins as my first children, I have a lot of baby and kid “stuff” around this house. I kept everything so now I have to go through toys, clothes and books for my baby. Which do you keep and what do you giveaway? Some things do not last or don’t hold my baby’s attention like they did with my twins.

My twins have always loved Baby Einstein books, music, toys and movies since they were babies. They watched their first DVD when they were about 9 months old and now baby K is about to see his first Baby Einstein.
Can you believe Baby Einstein is ten years old?! To celebrate Mom Central sent me a Baby Einstein 10th Anniversary collection to review.
I was so happy to receive the new Special Edition Baby Mozart™ DVD, the Baby Einstein Touch and Feel Baby Animals board book, and the Lullaby Classics CD. I enjoyed sharing this package with my kids which is a wonderful addition to our growing Baby Einstein library!

Even my five year olds, who are lovers of The Little Einsteins, are interested in seeing the movies again.
I highly recommend Baby Einstein products if you want to introduce your child to the wonderful and soothing sounds of classical music, while providing her with colorful and engaging visuals. It makes for great quality time that you will both enjoy. This is a great gift idea for the holidays or for a new baby.

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Last year for Christmas I was six months pregnant. My mother gave me a gift she happen to stumble upon at a department store. It was the Homedics Sounds Spa Lullaby.

The SoundSpa Lullaby is a must have for every new mom. It is a small device that projects rotating images onto baby’s ceiling or can turn to project the images on thw wall! It also plays a variety of relaxing sounds or songs.
The sound quality is amazing, it has a clear and ‘real’ sound.

The projector brightness can be set to high or low and the volume is completely adjustable. Other options include no projection (which we use often because my baby sleeps on his stomach or side right now), playing a sound effect instead of a song, and adjustable projection location. The best part is, if you want the music or sound to turn off there is a timer setting!
Changing options is as easy as pushing a button on top of the device or adjusting a dial on the side of the device.

Sounds and sound effects include Twinkle, Twinkle, Rock-A-Bye-Baby, Lullaby and Goodnight, rain, ocean, and a heartbeat. It comes with three image discs of fish, stars, and animals.
Priced at just $29, this is a must have for all new moms or moms with children who have a hard time falling or staying asleep. White noise does wonders for that!

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I love personalized items for my kids. I think when you can find something as original as your kids you should get it, because that is not easy to find. Enter Little Cupcakes Company, a unique clothing and accessory store for the little ones in your life.

Little Cupcakes Company offers the cutest personalized shirts I have seen, I am in love with the owl shirt for my baby boy!
Not in the market for a personalized shirt? How about a personalized plate for the special days in your child’s life, barrettes, belts or an oilcloth apron? There are so many gift ideas on this site, you will find something for everyone on your list.

I was lucky enough to try a birthday shirt, and it is adorable. You can tell it is very well made and held up nicely to a washing. These shirts are a great idea for a child’s birthday and beyond!
Check this store out for your holiday gifts, but you have to order by December 12th to make sure it will deliver in time for Christmas!

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Headed up by mom of three, Diane Zissu, Baby Smart is a company that provides great baby and toddler-friendly products. The Cooshee changer is one of those products.

The Cooshee Changer is a micro-cell foam with anti-bacterial integral skin for the “healthiest” changing surface. It has high sides so the baby cannot roll out easily. It doesn’t get as cold as a traditional changing pad and the best part is, no need for covers anymore! No buying and washing covers, this can just be cleaned easily with a quick wipe down with a baby wipe!
It is very lightweight and waterproof, comes in five color options and is recommended for ages birth-three.
This is perfect for an extra changing station downstairs of your house or when you travel.

The Cooshee booster hybak has a high back design that provides proper seating posture, comfort and stabillity. It has low arm rests so the child can come right up to the table. It is soft and comfortable and easy to wipe messes away! This is perfect to bring to restaurants instead of using their sticky, germy seats. It comes in five color choices and is for children 2 1/2 and up.

These BabySmart items along with the booster classic seat and the tubguard are perfect a baby shower gift, to buy for traveling, for first time moms or to leave an extra set at Grandma’s house.

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Are you looking for a fun holiday gift idea for that little (or not so little) kid in your life? I have the perfect gift idea for kids 3 and up: the PlasmaCar.
The PlasmaCar is propelled by weight distribution. Simply by turning the steering wheel, the PlasmaCar moves. No peddling. No power needed except the power you supply! To make the PlasmaCar move, you simply wiggle the steering wheel back and forth.
The PlasmaCar easily reverses by turning the steering wheel 180 degrees. The seat and the foot rests are rubber so the rider doesn’t slip.

If you are looking for a safe ride- on toy that doesn’t have an age or weight limit (up to 220lbs), you’ve got to get the PlasmaCar! It is so easy to steer and is faster than I thought it would be. It is also lightweight so a child can easily carry it.
You can tell how well made this product is from the minute you take it out of the box, this is one toy that will last!
I love the PlasmaCar for indoor play during the winter months, it is a great way to get kids moving and exercising inside the house.
Don’t believe me how great this toy is? Check out all the great reviews on Amazon.

This is a fantastic gift idea for the upcoming holidays! It comes in many great, vibrant colors and will not break the bank (it is on sale right now at Amazon and qualifies for free shipping!).

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Bumkins Finer Baby Products was founded in 1989 and was started to provide and alternative to the disposable diaper. The company started with the All in One cloth diaper. Now Bumkins Finer Baby Products has expanded its product line into bibs, aprons, smocks and more.

Bumkins Super Bibs are PVC, BPA, Phthalate & Vinyl Free and they are made in the USA. Also, the velcro that most bibs are a square on each part but with Bumkins, one side has a strip, which means you can adjust the size to fit your child. The bibs are waterproof and easy to clean….just wipe down!
Mom Bloggers Club offered me the chance to review the embroidered with Cat-In-The-Hat’s Thing One and Thing Two characters, the plush and fluffy baby bunting. It is made of snuggly polyester sherpa and the hood is lined with cotton interlock in an adorable polka dot print. It is very warm and cozy for baby. This would have been perfect for my twins!

You can check out the entire Dr. Seuss line here which includes clothing, waterproof bibs and gift sets. Great for holiday gifts for all the babies on your list this year!

Bumkins Grinchmas Gift and Contest! With any Bumkins Dr. Seuss Purchase receive Free Grinch Superbib and automatically be entered to win a four pack of Dr.Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas Ornaments! Just enter grinch08 at checkout to receive your complimentary bib.

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