Baby Let's Shop

Sustainable Soothers

2012-01-16T09:13:00.001-08:00

All my kids have had soothers when they were babies. I got lucky with my first two boys and they gave them up on their own before they turned one year. No weaning required, just cold turkey, their choice. So of course toddler K is just under two years and still in love with his "nene". K always loved his soother but really had a hard time keeping it in his mouth until he was one year, that's when his love really blossomed. Having a toddler with a soother is costing me a lot of money!! K has a pacifier in his mouth a majority of the day and night, we are trying to break him from his daytime habit but his night time habit is the worst. When he is about to fall asleep sometimes he chews on it and rips chunks out of it. We used to use Gumdrop's and at first I really liked them but they are made of hard plastic in the inside and they can crack if squeezed or played with too much. Once the biting started K would bite chunks out of the silicone nipple and try to eat it, yuck! Then I bought some Wubbanubs, at first I loved them because he could find them at night time without fully waking. But the Soothie brand soothers were not any better and he started biting chunks out of the nipple on these ones as well. At $15 a Wubbanub this was not going to work for me either. When Hevea offered me the chance to try out one of their pacifiers I was excited. I have seen them in stores but didn't know how they would hold up to K and I was worried about spending more money on what could turn out to be another cheap quality soother. Hevea's pacifiers are 100% natural rubber (which is a natural material), are biodegradable, BPA free, PVC free and phylate free. The soothers themselves are packaged in plastic to keep out germs, the outer packaging is a recycled, biodegradable cardboard pr thick paper packaging, even the inside has a super cute pattern that is a cute added touch. Their pacifiers are ergonomically shaped to fit your child's face, accommodating both their nose and chin. They have both anatomical and orthodontic nipples to choose from and come in two sizes; 0-3 months and 3+months (3-36months). Instead of tacky designs and sayings they are adorned with small adorable cut outs of flowers, cars, crowns, stars and moons. We chose the the Round, Crown in 3+ months. As it turns out the quality is amazing as well as the customer service of both the US and Canadian distributors. The first soother I received seemed to have had a defect maybe, after a couple of weeks a tear appeared in the top layer of the side of the nipple. It didn't pierce through the whole nipple itself, just a layer of the rubber which you could then peel off. I contacted Hevea in the US directly as I didn't know who the Canadian distributor was. I sent a picture and explained my problem and was promptly responded too. They were willing to replace it for me but since I live in Canada I was directed to the Canadian distributor, Bug in a Rug Canada , who also was willing to replace it for me and did so immediately. Absolutely astounding customer service. The new pacifier has been in commission for a month now and no rips or tears, I have since bought a couple of back ups and they also have no rips or tears. Biting and teeth pulling have nothing on this bad boy!! I have finally found a soother that withstand the wrath of K. Not only that but the whole on the back end of the nipple is so small that he can no longer put his finger in the whole and pull the nipple inside of itself and bite it back out, another favorite night time activity to keep himself awake at night that drives me insane. Just like K I love our Hevea Pacifiers and would recommend them to any parent looking for a good soother.

To solve our problem of loosing soothers in bed at night I now attach our Hevea Pacifier to our taggie blankets (from Mod Tod Designs and Snug Tugs) with the extra extender piece from our Toy Saver looped through one of the tags and the other end attached to our soother. If anyone would like me to post a video explaining this be sure to leave a comment and let me know. ;)

Hevea Pacifiers retails for $10 CAD and can be purchased in Canada online at Bug In a Rug and in the US at Hevea USA.

I am in love!! His name is Jeremy, he's in a band and he plays guitar!

2012-01-10T10:33:00.000-08:00

Here at Baby Let's Shop we get asked to review a lot of children's music. In fact I turn a lot of it down. When it comes to children's music I cannot stand a lot of it. After 14 years of kids music droning through my house there is only so much I can tolerate. Let 's be honest, just because your kids like it doesn't mean you want to sit through hours and hours of the same mind numbing music. But Jeremy Plays Guitar is not your usual children's music. I actually came across the album Use Your Words online, after listening to a sample I was hooked. All day long I sang "House Rules". It really stuck with me, I drove my kids nuts because I only knew the first line but I sung it over and over all day long for weeks. House Rules, now this was really something I could get behind. I liked house rules, I wanted and needed house rules. And a catchy tune too?? Sign me up I was sold. I quickly made arrangements to get my hands on a copy and anxiously stalked the mailbox for it's arrival. Upon arrival I immediately uploaded it to my itunes so I could put it on my ipod for the car and popped the cd into our dvd player (where I play cds in the living room) so we could listen to it over and over. Jeremy Plays Guitar was a hit with everyone except for teen C but lets face it unless you are a character in a video game Teen C is not impressed by you at all. (That and teens are not really the target audience of this album haha) Toddler K has always loved music so he was an easy sell. Kindergardener L is the critic lately and he was sold! And now I have a partner to sing House Rules with and it's even better now that I know more than one line! Not only is the music catchy and enjoyable but all the songs really teach your child about house rules, it's ok to be wrong, taking turns, being different, using your words, dealing with our feelings, making mistakes, being silly, liking different things than others/allergies, meeting new friends, sensitivity to sounds etc, controlling your temper, emotions and more!! I can honestly say that I really enjoy each and every song on the album and could listen to them all again and again and we do!! You can check out the album here and have a listen for yourself. I'm sure you will love them just as much as us. I only hope we will be seeing a new album soon!

Jeremy Plays Guitar retails for $13.99US and can be purchased from their US based website here. Don't forget to check out their facebook, twitter and youtube either and tell them Baby Let's Shop sent you!!

Happy New Year 2012!!

2012-01-01T18:28:00.001-08:00

From all of us to all of you

2011-12-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

Some last minute ideas from Hallmark

2011-12-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

Looking for that last minute Christmas gift then head over to Hallmark and check out their Christmas selection. We've got a few items ourselves that we are going to give as gifts this year that are sure to be a big hit!

Hallmark's Recordable Storybooks now come in an assortment Christmas stories to choose from just for the holidays. My sister is in town and she doesn't get to see the kids very often so she is going to record them Santa Claus Is Coming To Town so they can enjoy hearing her tell them a story whenever they miss her. It took us a while to figure out the recording but after a few minutes we got it all worked out and it sounds great!! Well aside from her lack of enthusiasm monotone teenage voice reading the story haha!! They also carry an assortment of non-holiday related options as well.

All Holiday recordable retail for $29.95 and can be purchased at your local Hallmark store.

K is a huge dog lover so Jingles The Husky Pup Interactive Storybook and Story Buddy is going under the tree for him! Complete with a hardcover story book of Jingle and a stuffed dog that barks when you read his story. This is definitely super cute. I am not one for noise making toys and books but this one I will make an exception for. They have a few different options to choose from for the Interactive Storybook and Story Buddy's if Jingles isn't what you're after.

Edited to add * Now that Christmas is over this dog and story is a little frustrating as Jingle does not always respond to his story book cues and you must repeat the sentence numerous times some times.*

All Interactive Storybook and Story Buddy's retail for $29.95 and can be purchased at your local Hallmark store.

I think you're beautiful

2011-12-14T00:44:00.000-08:00

Check out this cute little Ju-Ju-Be "commercial" Ah I love it!! And there is a sneak peak at one of Spring's new print re-color! Do you see it?

Hello Ju-ju-Be! from JuJuBeTV on Vimeo.

Wanna go for a swim?

2011-12-07T20:29:00.000-08:00

Because we cloth diaper it only seems natural that we would choose a reusable swim diaper in stead of disposable ones. We originally had a Bummis Swimmi which we actually weren't big fans of, the thick velcro waist band was just not for us. This summer we had the opportunity to try out the AppleCheeks Swim Diaper and size one Storage Sac. I chose the swim diaper in Siesta Key a gorgeous baby blue and the Storage Sac in Chocolate a deep dark brown. I was pleasantly surprised when they arrived.

The swim diaper was very "loose" material, not structured at all. I was a bit confused by it but really a swim diaper is only meant to hold in poop not pee, I mean common who are we kidding everyone is peeing in the water. I love the fact that the swim diaper has snaps, I am a snaps girl for sure, I loathe velcro for diapers. Because of the snaps I was able to get a wonderful fit on Toddler K. The diaper was not bulky at all nor was it bunched up around the waist. Also because the material is so light and airy it didn't seem like he was in so many layers when I put his swimsuit over top. On nice hot days when dried outside the diaper dried very quickly. I originally thought I would need more that one swim diaper because we spent the whole summer camping but with the quick drying time one was perfect. Though I still want more, haha!! The swim diaper comes in two sizes. Size 1 fits approximately 7lbs - 20lbs and size 2 fits approximately 18lbs to 40lbs. It also comes in 3 colors; the Siesta Key (baby blue), Mojito (light green) and Samoan Sunset (pink).

The Storage Sac was just as nice. Originally I was apprehensive as I am not a huge fan of drawstring wet bags, some don't work very well and the fabric often gets sucked into the little drawstring "toggle" making it nearly impossible to close all the way. I had no such problems with this one, it closed very smoothly and tightly. I've only ever used it for wet swim suits or soiled clothes but it has never leaked on me yet. The Storage Sac comes in 2 different sizes. Size 1 is 15.5" high/ 11" wide/ 3" deep. Size 2 is 25" high/ 20.5" wide/ 4.5" deep. It also comes in 2 different colors Chocolate (brown) and St Lucia (blue).

Washing for both the swim diaper and wetbag is simple and easy, I just pop them in the wash with the rest of my kids clothes and hang them to dry. Another thing I love about AppleCheeks is that the owners and designers, Ilana Grostern and Amy Appleton, are both Canadian women . Their products are also manufactured in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Overall I love both the AppleCheeks Swim Diaper and Storage Sac and there is not one thing I dislike about either one.

AppleCheeks Swim Diaper retails for $19CAD and the size one Storage Sac retails for $13CAD. They can both be purchased at AppleCheeks online Canadian shop or see here for a list of Canadian retailers. See here for a list of retailers in the US.

Glow Crazy Distance Doodler

2011-12-07T14:38:00.000-08:00

We recently tested out the Glow Crazy Distance Doodler. Glow Crazy markets glow in the dark drawing products for kids, the Distance Doodler came with a Dual Beam Glow Hand, 2 large sheets of glow paper which stick to walls or surfaces in your home, 4 stencils, and a fun tip booklet. How the Distance Doodler works; you put the reusable (I use this term loosely) glow paper on a wall, door or other flat surface, turn out the light and use your Dual Glow Beam to "draw" on the paper to your hearts content. The drawing glows when you aim the "flashlight" and after a bit disappears so you can draw again. I would say this review was a little hit and miss for us. L really enjoyed the Glow Crazy and stayed in his room for quite a bit so that part was a big hit for us. What I didn't like? The glow paper didn't stick very well at all and I tried it in a few places. It wouldn't stick to any of the doors or walls I tried it on and I ended up having to tape it up to make it stay. When it fell down the sticky side adhered to the "glow stuff" on the front of the paper and it came off when I pulled the paper straight and re-stuck it back up. So only parts of the paper worked after that. We are also not a huge fan of the fact that you will need to buy another kit after your paper gets ruined. Glow Crazy does have a few other products though such as the Glow To Go and Doodle Dome that we think would be a better purchase. Although we have not tested them personally they eliminate the pesky paper that was the only thing we did not like about the product. The Glow To Go has a reusable "laptop" type product with "boards" inside that you can write on with the glow pen. The Doodle Dome is a large tent that your child can go inside of and write.

Glow Crazy products can be purchased in Canada at Walmart, Zellers, Toys R Us and Canadian Tire. They retail from $20-$30. In the US they can be purchased from their US based website.

Youtube is back!!

2011-11-22T21:20:00.000-08:00

So that went well.......not. After stupidly closing our Youtube account, deactivating our incorrect Google account and unsuccessfully trying to reactivate our Youtube account under the correct Google account we are finally back in business. I guess it used to work but in September Youtube disabled the reactivation of accounts so we had to choose a different user name and reopen another account and channel, so not only did we have to reload all of our videos (except 2 which are lost forever boo) we had to reset all our settings and the whole look of our channel. We lost all our favorites and have to re-add all of our subscriptions. Also lost our monetization so hopefully our views jump up enough to get that back. So here is our new channel, go subscribe now please!! More reviews to come this week!!

Our Youtube will temporarily be down

2011-11-16T14:58:00.001-08:00

So I'm taking down my Youtube account for a bit so please don't be alarmed if any of our videos aren't working for a bit. Hopefully if all goes well all should be resolved later today or tomorrow at the latest. It's driving me nuts signing and signing out when updating the blog and youtube as I accidentally unknowingly linked our youtube up to the wrong Google account. So this may go well or horribly wrong!! Wish me luck :)

September 2011 Luxe Box Unboxing

2011-11-15T23:19:00.000-08:00

My September Luxe Box contained the following

~Pur Minerals Mineral Glow 3.4g
(retail would be equivalent too $6.71)

~Moroccan Oil 25ml
(retails for $15.00)

~Laura Mercier Perfecting Water Rich 10ml
(retail would be $1.90)

~Mereadesso Face and Neck Toning Gel 7ml
(retail would be $16.80)

So my Luxe Box this month retailed at $40.41!

Luxe Box by Loose Button costs $12 CAD/ monthly, $36 CAD/ quarterly and $120 CAD/ yearly. Boxes are mailed out on the 15 of each month and this service is only available in Canada.

Pur Minerals and City Lips Review

2011-11-14T22:39:00.000-08:00

Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Foundation Make Up comes in 10 different shades and retails for $26US and can be purchased directly from their US based web site, they ship to both US and Canada. Or in Canada at eBeauty for $29.50 CAD with free shipping.

City Lips Lip Plumping Treatment retails for $32
US and can be purchased at their US based website, they ship to both US and Canada.

Where is my camera??!!

2011-11-13T22:12:00.000-08:00

So I have a couple of Luxe Box unboxing videos and a Glymm box unboxing video as well as a couple of other review videos to post (I know I am so behind!!) but I cannot find my camera ANYWHERE!! I think K made off with it somewhere.....he was eyeing it up the other day. Hmmmm gonna spend the day looking for it tomorrow. So annoyed right now!! :( Hopefully I find it soon.

Envirosax Deal!

2011-11-10T15:01:00.000-08:00

Mama's Retreat has Envirosax on sale for half price!! These make a great alternative to wrapping paper and gift bags for this holiday season!! You can check out our past reviews here.

Coupon Crazy!!!

2011-11-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

I used to be coupon crazy way before all this extreme couponing became big. About 6-8 years ago I was a coupon queen! But then I moved in with the daddy and he was embarrassed by my couponing and after a lot of nagging I quit. I am jumping back in though. All the shows have made me miss it!! And really who couldn't afford to save a few dollars? The rules have changed a bit in some stores but I am determined to get back on track. One website I recently found and love is Frugal Edmonton Mama. I don't live in Edmonton but there is a ton of Canadian info on that site from coupons, to stores that allow stacking and their rules and all the sweet deals that she is getting. Are you coupon crazy? Got any tips and hints? Good websites for info? Printable or mailable coupons? Coupon trains? Anything? Post it here!

Brandsaver Coupons

2011-11-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

Brandsaver has new coupons up! You can only order 32 at a time but you can go through more than once to get them all if you trade coupons or if you need more than the 32 you are allowed. It also shows you which ones you already ordered so that's a helpful little feature. Though it won't let you order more of the same coupons. Here is a list of what's available

Save $1 Always Infinity

Save $.50 Bounce

Save $1 Bounty

Save $15 Braun Shaver

Save $1.50 Cascade Action Packs

Save $1 Charmin Save $2 Covergirl

Save $2 Clairol Hair Products

Save $5 WUB 2 Clairol Hair Products

Save $8 Crest Whitestrips

FREE Crest Toothpaste WUB 2 Crest or Oral B Toothbrushes

Save $.50 Crest or Oral B Kids Paste

Save $1 Dawn

Save $1 Downy (Specific scents)

Save $.75 Any Downy Product

Save $2 Duracell Batteries

Save $3 Duracell NimH Batteries

Save $5 Nimh Battery Charger Kit

Save $2.50 WUB 2 Charmin, Bounty etc.

Save $4 WUB Febreze Fabric Refresher + Other Product

Save $1 Any Febreze Product

Save $2 Any 2 Febreze Products

Save $4 Febreze Home Collection Products

Save $.50 ANY Gain Product

Save $3 Any 2 Gain Products

Save $2 Fusion Proglide Razor

Save $2 Gillette Disposable Razors

Save $2 Gillette Bodywash/Deodorant

Save $1 Gillette Shave Gel

Save $1 Head and Shoulders

Save $2.50 WUB 2 Head and Shoulders

Save $.50 Herbal Essences

Save $.75 Herbal Essences Styling Product

Save $3 Any Size Iams Dog Food

Save $.50 Iams Wet Food

Save $3 Any Size Iams Dry Food Cat

Save $2 Metamucil Products

Save $.50 Mr. Clean Eraser

Save $1.50 WUB 2 Mr. Clean Products

Save $2 Nyquil Cold and Flu

Save $5 Olay Save $2 Olay Cleanser

Save $2 Olay Body Product

Save $1 Old Spice

Save $3 WUB 2 Old Spice Products

Save $3 Oral B Zooth Battery brush

Save $10 Oral B Battery Brush

Save $5 WUB Diapers x 2

Save $2.50 WUB Pampers and Wipes

Save $2 WUB Pampers Diapers

Save $1 WUB Pantene

Save $2 WUB 2 Pantene Products

Save $2 Pantene Specialty Products

Save $1 WUB 2 Pepto Bismol Products

Save $.50 Pringles

Save $1 Pro Health for Me Rinse

Save $1 Puffs

Save $3 Secret Clinical

Save $10 Swiffer Sweeper Vac

Save $1.50 Swiffer Refills

Save $1.50 Swiffer Starter Kit

Save $1 Swiffer Dust and Shine

Save $2 Any Tide Deodorant

Save $1 Tide Washing Machine Cleaner

Save $1.50 Tide Stain Release

Save $.50 Tide to Go Save $5 Venus WUB Cartridges

Save $2 Venus Disposable Razors

Save $2 Vicks Baby Rub

Have a good source for Canadian coupons or a good site for trading or coupon trains? Please feel free to post below.

Buggy Guard Deal!!!

2011-11-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

Mama's Retreat has the Buggy Guard for only $15.99!! What a great deal! These babies are normally $30!! If you don't know what the Buggy Guard is check out our past review here.

Happy Halloween!!

2011-10-31T22:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween from all of us at Baby Let's Shop!! Hope you all had a great night!!

Trick or Treat

2011-10-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Baby Let's Shop is part of Hallmark's Press Pause Panel and we had the opportunity to get a look at some of Hallmark's Halloween items. Our favorite item is this sweet candy/ treat holder. The Hocus Pocus Treat Presenter looks like a spell book and has a different spooky saying every time you open it up to give out a treat. We've replaced our boring old treat bowl with this sweet book. Not only is it fun for trick or treaters but our kids are really getting a kick out of opening it and hearing the different sayings. I'm sure they will be fighting over handing out our treats this year.

Check out Hallmark's website for a demo of the Hocus Pocus Treat Presenter.

The Hocus Pocus Treat Presenter retails for $19.95 CAD and can be purchased on special right now for only $14.95 at your local Hallmark store.

When Pirates change occupation

2011-10-12T23:24:00.000-07:00

For the past 2 years I have lived with a pirate. He's bossy, demanding and sometimes plain rude. But he's cute and he calls me a princess so I let him stay. :) Then one day after a few incidents where the neighbors had the local fire fighters come on a false alarm, my pirate announced that he would like to be a fireman and if I could get him a costume. I welcomed the change and set out to buy a firefighter costume. Now one would think this is a simple task but it is not. Even during Halloween I couldn't find one decent firefighter costume. Wait let me explain. I actually did find quite a few but not good quality ones. I don't just want this costume to hold up to one glorious night of candy collection. I need one that could very well be worn daily for the next two years (granted it still fits). After months of searching I came up empty handed so I was thrilled when Halloweencostumes.com contacted us and asked us if our 4 year old tester would review one of their costumes!! When we first checked out their website we were surprised at the choices. Not only did they have a fire fighter costume but they had many too choose from from toddler too adult!! Men and woman too! The kids options also had a few different versions at different price points which was really nice. We ended up choosing one that looked very similar to the fire fighters in our town which L was ecstatic about! The costume we chose was the Kids Fire Fighter Costume and includes a plastic helmet, coveralls and a jacket. I was worried about buying online and getting the wrong size but hey have size charts for all their products and a helpful "how to measure" guide. I got L all measure up and added a few inches for good measure and chose the size 6 option. The only thing about the sizing that bothered me was that when I got the costume it was listed as size 4-6 not just size 6, if I had known that I would have chosen the next size up. The costume is a perfect fit but it would have fit for much longer had I chosen the 6-8 which was listed as an 8. I don't remember the exact time line but I do remember that shipping was super fast! The day it arrived L could not have been more excited to open that box. We were all blown away at the quality and detail of the costume!! The costume itself is made out of a sturdy canvas or similar fabric, the zipper hardware is top quality as is the jacket hooks (it actually hooks up in the front!! like a real fireman's jacket!), there are even thumb holes on the jacket sleeves! Here is the websites description

"The authentic costume includes a brown jacket made from a cotton, leatheroid and polyester blend. It zips up the front as well as buttons with the bronze hooks. Working pockets are located on each side of the jacket while yellow and reflective silver accents line the jacket across the torso and sleeves. The matching overall pants have the same yellow and reflective silver accents across the bottom. Working pockets are also located on the sides along with brown holsters. The overalls have red, adjustable straps just like a real firefighter. The included fireman's helmet is made out of plastic and is black with yellow accents. A fire chief logo is attached to the front. It has a circumference between 17 1/2" - 21 1/2" with an interior size adjuster for the perfect fit. Also available in an adult size! "

L has worn this costume almost daily for months and it still looks fabulous. He even had the opportunity to wear it to our local fire station and all the firemen there were really impressed. HalloweenCostumes.com has an amazing selection of costumes from infant to adult at all price points there is something for everyone. If you are still on the lookout for a costume you are sure to find what you are looking for there and at a price you can afford too.

Check out www.HalloweenCostumes.com for your costume needs today! They ship to both US and Canada and have a variety of costumes at every price point!!

Tiny AND functional

2011-10-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

A few years back I reviewed the Breastfeeding Buddy. It was a handy little invention and I still carried it around in my diaper bag until recently. It has since been replaced in my bag with the Canadian made Baby Trip Clip. A similar product but this one offers so much more! I always loved the Breastfeeding Buddy but I did wish sometimes that it was adjustable and am thrilled to see that the Baby Trip Clip is!! Being adjustable has made it so much more of a functional product! This tiny strip of fabric is a nursing cover, a bib, a soother leash, a toy leash and a blanket saver and more all in one!! Attach both ends to a blanket and put around your neck for a nursing cover. Take two or more and attach to your stroller and blanket for a quick sun shade or just so you don't loose babies blanket when out for a walk. Attach one end to a favorite toy or soother and the other end to your little one's stroller or clothes and never loose that toy or soother again. Have you ever gone to a restaurant and forgotten a bib? Just clip the ends to a napkin and adjust the size for baby and place around his neck for an instant bib! Clip both ends to a sunhat and under babies chin to keep the hat on their head. Even clip both ends to the back of your skinny ones pants to keep their pants up if they don't have an adjustable waistband. I seriously love this product! It's cheap, small and so versatile. It comes in a variety of fun prints and can be washed and hung up to dry if it gets dirty. Baby K is not a big fan of having the Baby Trip Clip clipped to him and he is able to take it off if he pulls hard enough but he is not a fan of having anything clipped to him. By clipping things to his blanket or his stroller instead we were able to not loose his soother or toys on a recent out of town trip. The only think I would consider changing on the Baby Trip Clip is maybe using metal hardware in stead of plastic but I think the plastic clips are easier for one handed use so that is probably why they went that way. I definitely recommend the Baby Trip Clip though and think it is a must have staple in every moms diaper bag.

The Baby Trip Clip retails for approximately $15CAD and can be purchased in Canada at Everything Baby or the following stores or in the US on Amazon.

August 2011 Luxe Box by Loose Button Unboxing

2011-09-05T09:36:00.000-07:00

My August Luxe Box contained the following
~Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Make Up in Tan
(After checking the website I see they sent me the travel size this retails for $20!!)
~City Lips by City Cosmetics Lip Plumping Treatment
(link shows 3 pack, I received one so retails $13.33)
~Proclaim Cocoa Butter Hand & Body Lotion
(couldn't find brand website but 3 oz $1.69 at Sally Beauty)
~Calvin Klein Forbidden Euphoria Fragrance
(WOW! I received 1 oz which retails $45 at Sephora!!)
~Handmade Pearl and Moonstone earrings by Sheyna
(these pretties retail for $16!! And she was featured by Oprah!)

So basically my Luxe Box this month retailed at approx $97!!!! That is definitely a steal!!!

Luxe Box by Loose Button costs $12 CAD/ monthly, $36 CAD/ quarterly and $120 CAD/ yearly. Boxes are mailed out on the 15 of each month and this service is only available in Canada.

Ju-Ju-Be BeQuick and BeSet Round Up

2011-09-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Check out our round up of Ju-Ju-Be BeQuicks and BeSet pieces and uses for them.

Past related reviews
Ju-Ju-Be Between

DaysAgo Digital Day Timer

Nasal Aspirators

Itzbeen

Ju-Ju-Be BeQuicks retail for $17CAD and BeSets retail for $40CAD and can be purchased in Canada at Everything Baby and in the US at Shop Ju-Ju-Be.

Ju-Ju-Be Fall Reveals!!

2011-09-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again for Ju-Ju-Be Reveals!! Yay we are so excited! This fall has brought some exciting new prints and bags!

First up is Jungle Maze

Amid random rubble of ancient ruins, the
camouflaged hunters wait in anticipation.
Garbed in grassy shades of aged greens and
dusty olives, they silently stalk their plumed
prey. A fleet flickering from afar turns into a
sudden flash of Arabian orange, as the
winged passerine darts across the leafy
canopy. The wait becomes worthwhile as
the hunters take aim and shoot … capturing
crystal clear photographs before wandering
back into the jungle maze.

Next up is Safari Stripes

Every ear stays perked and
alert as the herd pensively
pauses at the water’s edge.
Nimble necks bow to
drink. Rippling water
reflects rippling muscles
tensed and ready to flee if
needed. Satiated and
satisfied the majestic
animals mingle and take
safety in numbers.
Comfort in the herd
comes as stripe blends into
stripe and, to a predator’s
eyes, the individuals
become one continuous
whole.

Then there is the most anticipated begged for laptop bags!! Oh yay!! Check out the GigaBe (for larger laptops)

and MicraBe!!

Then for some little extras there is also "Share the love cards" (JJB business cards to pass out to people who have asked where on earth you got your gorgeous bag)

And a little something almost every Pink Lady has lusted over from time to time these sweet little JJB hats that pop up in pictures from time to time

For some better closeups of prints or action shots be sure to head on over to Ju-Ju-Be's blog and check them all out!!!

Our newest fluff love

2011-06-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

Kawaii pocket diapers retail for $7.25 CAD and up. They can be purchased from their Canadian based online shop, they ship to both Canada and the US.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T23:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all the daddy's out there and daddy's to be. Hope everyone had a great day. We had a lazy but good day. Left me thinking about how much I miss my dad (RIP).

Notice the difference with Febreze

2011-06-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

Febreze NOTICEables mail in rebate here (expires 06/30/12)

Febreze NOTICEables retail for Single Warmer: $3.49 CAD, Dual Warmer: $5.99 CAD, Single Refills: $5.99 CAD, Dual Refills: $ 9.99 CAD. They can be purchased at Walmart or your local grocery store in both US and Canada.

Camping with cloth: What we are bringing

2011-05-21T01:38:00.000-07:00

We are going camping tomorrow morning for the first time as a family and in our new to us trailer yay!! I've gone back and forth about whether or not to do cloth or disposables and I have decided that I feel more comfortable with cloth. I researched a lot on the best way and kept coming back to prefolds and covers. Ugh the dreaded prefold, my mom used prefolds with me when I was a baby. Prefolds and pins, she quit. She actually talked me out of cloth diapering my two eldest before we both knew how far cloth has come. But things are different now and more advanced. There are fancy covers and folds and snappis etc. I've heard that it might be easier to clean prefolds and covers by hand if I really need too. Also by leaving my pockets at home I can have clean diapers ready when I get home. Prefolds and covers are also considerably cheaper than disposables and cheaper than my pockets! Also since we bought the trailer and plan on camping all summer buying a set of "camping diapers" is not an insane idea. I was planning on doing a video for what we were bringing with us for our first "Camping with Cloth" trip but in all the excitement of packing and planning etc I have lost my voice so a video is a no-go. So I took some pictures and they are not the best but they will have to do.

This is everything packed up. Originally I thought the plastic bin would be big enough for it all but after I washed all the prefolds they fluffed up way too big to fit with all the little extras. I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't pleased to have a reason to bring my new Ju-Ju-Be Marvelous Mums BFF that the boys bought me for Mother's Day with me.

Inside my BFF I have
~an empty spray bottle from Dollarama for my home made wipe solution
~Mini Organics Nappy Diaper Balm-I was sent this for review but I can't use it with my regular diapers so I thought I would try it with the prefolds.
~Jamtots Hanging Wet Bag in Orca
~Rockin' Green sample
~3 Snappis- free with purchase of prefolds from Kawaii
~MonkeyFootDesigns wet bag Large 14x16 in Lagoon
~KangaSac wet bag
~Quilters Nappies travel wipes
~also not in pic but I am bringing my regular diaper cream, Baby Bottom Better

~Weehuggers snap diaper cover in Roundabout size 2
~Thirsties snap Duo Wraps diaper cover in Cool Stripes and Blackbirds size 2
~12 Rearz
~1 Rearz Flair (snap on prefold) size medium
~6 Osocozy Unbleached prefolds size large 2
~12 Kawaii

Prefolds from left to right
Rearz, Rearz Flair (snap on prefold), Osocozy, Kawaii

I had bought some other covers off a lady on Facebook but I can't remember the name of them right now and we were also planning on making a wash bucket but never had time for this trip. Maybe the covers will arrive for our next trip and we will have the bucket done. I watched a ton of youtube videos on folding and using prefolds so hopefully I remember some of it since we won't have internet access out in the bush haha!! Anyways I have stayed up waaaaay too long to get this post done and must get some rest before I have to get up in a few hours. Wish me luck!! Reviews on everything here and more upon our return. Let me know if you have any tips or questions.

A wiser wipe

2011-05-19T00:31:00.000-07:00

Wysi Wipes retail for $12.99CAD for a bag of 100. They are also sold in bags of 12 and 500. Please see their online store here, they ship to both US and Canada. You can also contact them for a retailer in your area.

I finally bought a washer

2011-04-26T15:10:00.001-07:00

So I finally settled on a washer and even talked the daddy into buying me a new dryer too. YAY!! I settled on the LG WM2901HVA. I liked the 4.5 cu ft capacity, the ability to add extra water and the wash/rinse optimizer which senses soap in the machine and keeps rinsing till it's gone. Sadly it doesn't arrive till Friday though. So do any of you cloth diapering mamas have this machine?? How do you like it? I'm feeling a tad buyers remorse because of the water saving issue and my fluff. Ease my mind mamas. Please!

OH NO! My washer died!!

2011-04-17T22:53:00.000-07:00

Our washing machine died!! Help! I have a family of 5, 4 boys and mama and we cloth diaper. Suggestions? Would love to here from the cloth diapering mamas...

New Reese Minis may be small but they are a BIG hit!!

2011-04-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

Reese Minis retail for $4.19 CAD for a 210g pouch and $2.99 CAD for a 130g pouch. They can be purchased at mass, grocery, drug and convinced stores on both US and Canada.

Never loose a toy again!

2011-03-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

The Toy Saver retails for $8US and can be purchased at their US based online store, they ship to both US and Canada.

See here for our review on the Mod Tod Designs tag blanket seen in this video.

Potty Product Round Up

2011-03-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

It's that time again for another Potty Product Round Up. Preschooler L is done potty learning. So this may be the last Potty Product Round Up for a long time.

Gone are the days of potties in the living room and even potties in the bathroom. I'm enjoying it immensely and so is the daddy. The product we have to thank for that is our new Family Seat!! The Family Seat replaces your regular toilet seat and turns it into a built in, kid proof, potty seat. It is a quick 5 minute install which the daddy handled with ease. The seat is a top of the line heavy duty MDF toilet seat that stands up well to the weight of a larger man (hehe sorry daddy) The sturdy silver hardware instead of plastic hinges is a nice added touch of a more high end toilet seat. There are two "seats" the adult seat and a child seat built into the lid, released by a child seat lock. Say goodbye to tripping over half full potties and cleaning potties. I love this seat!! The seat is quite heavy so it does slam if you let it drop but the fact is that it is so heavy is because it is a quality product, this is not your cheap $10 toilet seat. The only real issue we have run into is that we had to push the lid of the toilet tank back as the lid sometimes falls forward onto preschooler L but this is a trade in I'm willing to take to have my bathroom back. This new seat also helped us figure out the mystery of why there was always a puddle of pee around our toilet. For a while I was convinced that the toilet was leaking at the base but it turns out that L is peeing under the seat and down the toilet tank. There is a large space between the two seats and this made it more obvious when L was peeing under the seat because there are two seats he ends up peeing on the adult seat instead of down the front of the tank. Now that we know there is a problem we can work on trying to solve it. Cleaning it really only takes an extra 30 seconds on top of the time it would normally take to clean a toilet. It does have a higher price tag of $60 but it's actually quite reasonable when you consider a decent toilet seat costs $30 and some of the cheapest potties and toilet potty seats retail for $30. Another fun detail is that it is available in a variety of colors but we went with white as we were looking to have our adult bathroom look back.

The Family Seat retails for $60CAD please see here for a list of retailers and distributors, in Canada you can contact TDM Canada for a list of retailers near you.

For out and about I really don't like to drag around a small potty seat, I have enough to carry around and I can't always hold L up on the toilet now with a new baby in tote. Solution? Gotta Go Mitts, now you may initially scoff at these mommy invented disposable toilet mitts but don't knock them till you've tried them. There will come a day where you will wish you had these babies in your diaper bag or purse. I am a definite public toilet seat germ-a-phob and cringe at the thought of my guy touching that nasty seat to hold himself up, never mind that when he first started to stand up to pee his favorite thing to do was profusely rub his hands on the side of the bowl while he was peeing. These Gotta Go Mitts slip on in a second and protect your child from touching all those lovely toilet germs. They fit kids age 2-7 and come in a package of 20. But they are not just for toilets, they are also great for messy crafts and eating messy foods, how many times have you given your child a popsicle or ice cream and their hands are instantly covered in a soupy mess. We also like using them for arts and crafts as sometimes things get a bit messy and L hates having his hands covered in marker, paint etc. These little babies have come in handy a few times!!

Gotta Go Mitts retails for $3.99US per package and are cheaper the more packages you buy, they can be purchased from their online US based website, right now there is free shipping. They ship to both US and Canada.

At night time I was keeping L in a double stuffed Perfect Size Medium Fuzzi Bunz Pocket Diaper. I have been pressed to find a washable night time soaker that can withstand a large amount of toddler pee so L we stuck with what worked. L really was only peeing once in a blue moon and it is usually first thing in the morning because he was either too tired or too lazy to get up and pee sometimes he just went. We had a few leaks but it was easily solved by tightening the snaps and folding our second stuffer in half to create 3 layers of microfiber at the front of the diaper. L is now officially diaper free at night time now with the once in a blue moon accident but we are doing great! Fuzzi Bunz are definitely still our top pick for cloth diapers, you have seen our review in the past and soon we will be posting another in depth review on them soon as we have been cloth diapering baby K in them since he was 1 month old so stay tuned for that.

Fuzzi Bunz Perfect Size Pocket Diapers retail for @$25 CAD/US see here for a list of retailers in your area.

Nasal Aspirator Round Up

2011-03-04T01:18:00.000-08:00

HydraSense Nasal Aspirator Plus retails for $22CAD and can be purchased at Walmart in both US and Canada. Or in Canada at Shoppers Drug Mart.
www.hydrasense.ca

Baby Comfy Nose retails for $14.99US and can be purchased at www.babycomfynose.com (ships to both US and Canada)

Kashi saves the day!!

2011-03-04T00:45:00.000-08:00

It's been snowing here a lot lately and so much that Canada Post has been failing to even bother with package deliveries by truck so I've been getting a few package notices marked for 2 days earlier which means I have to drive to the local Shoppers Drug Mart to get my packages. Now normally if we are going to be out of the house for more than a few hours I make the boys pack a snack but this particular day I hadn't planned on being so long. After a busy day of running around I had to make a stop at the post office to pick up yet another package and then a few more errands before we could make it home to make supper and the kids were getting restless. Thankfully the package I picked up was from Kashi! Upon arriving back at my car I eagerly opened the package to find Kashi's New Soft-Baked Bars in Ripe Strawberry and Blackberry! I quickly read the box and scoured the nutritional value and ingredients. Score! I was thrilled because all the kids could eat this, even 12 month old baby K. With a teenager, a preschooler and a baby it isn't very often that I can find one snack that they all can eat and all like but these Soft-Baked Bars fit the bill. Teen C chose the strawberry and the youngest two had the blackberry. It was an all out success!! The only 2 issues I ran into was number one; preschooler L wanted to eat them all and it was right before dinner so when I said no he was less than thrilled. Number two; because we are a cloth family I rarely have wet wipes on me anymore and lets just say I don't recommend giving these to a baby in your brand new car seat if you want it too stay clean. Haha!! After three kids I should just give up on the idea that I might have anything clean but a woman can dream can't she? I just want to thank Kashi for saving the day and to let everyone know that I plan on stocking up on these babies and maybe keeping a pack in the glove box for emergency outings that were poorly planned.

Kashi Soft-Baked Bars retail for $3.99 and can be purchased at Whole Foods and other local grocery stores in your area in both US and Canada.

Send-a-Story books for Valentines Day

2011-02-13T11:35:00.000-08:00

Send-a-Story books retail for $5.99CAD and $4.99US. They can be purchased at Amazon.ca in Canada and Amazon.com in the US, or check your local book store.

BabyHawk review

2011-02-12T09:13:00.000-08:00

Be sure to check out their website for a lot of great instructional videos on how to wear their carriers also!!

*Yikes!! please note that in the excitement of our first video(s) I accidentally put the strap over my son's legs!! The strap should go under the leg!! Oops!*

BabyHawk Mei Tai Baby Carriers retail for @$80-$100US/CAD and can be purchased directly from BabyHawk's US based online shop or see here for a list of retailers near you.

Email issues/ Is Gmail professional?

2011-01-30T12:54:00.000-08:00

So all my computer problems of lately have me thinking if I should get a Gmail account for the blog. I used to have a Hotmail account but recently switched over to a Shaw account because I thought it would be more professional. But now that I keep having to send away my computer I only have limited access online to my emails. I cannot access any of my folders or emails more than a few days old. It's very frustrating to say the least. A few people have suggested I switch to Gmail. Do you think that Gmail comes across more professional than Hotmail? I just recently switched over to Shaw and am still trying to redirect people over from my Hotmail to my Shaw. If I switch again I will be trying to redirect people from both my Hotmail and Shaw to Gmail, ugh. Any thoughts here? Do you think Gmail is professional? Should I make the switch?

Making some changes

2011-01-29T09:49:00.000-08:00

Well we have the teens computer up and running but without our mac we still don't have access to all our reviews and emails so we thought we'd take the opportunity to make some changes around here. Hopefully everything will be back to normal soon. Still waiting on the estimate on the mac so we're not sure how long this will last yet. Thanks for your patience.

Uh Oh!! Please stay tuned!!

2011-01-27T08:59:00.000-08:00

We've been having a lot of computer problems lately. Please be patient with us while we get this sorted out. First our mac broke and we had to get it replaced, then the teens pc went ( we do a lot of pc only testing on this one) and now my new mac has a broken screen and has been sent away for an estimate. Sadly all of my pre-written reviews are on the mac so this is putting a bit of a cramp in posting. But please stay tuned we have a lot of really great reviews coming. Just to give you a sneak peak we have BabyHawk, Rockin Green, a Get In Shape feature with some great work out games, an update on Fuzzi Bunz One size and our regular diapering routine, another Potty Product Round Up (including the Family Seat), Leap Frog Explorer, some great Kashi products and so much more!! We've also been toying with the idea of doing some Youtube vlog reviews as sometimes seeing the product and how it works is so much better. We also thought that kids books would be great for video reviews as I like to pick my kids books based on not only story but the illustration and detail play a big part in it for me. So what are your thoughts? Would you like to see video reviews? What upcoming review are you most excited about? What would you like to see us review in the future? Talk to us!!

2011-01-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

2010-12-25T10:15:00.000-08:00

A sweet little link for your bink

2010-11-23T18:33:00.000-08:00

One baby item we use daily and just love is our Bink Link, in fact we love it so much we have 2!! A Bink Link is a fashionable soother clip made of a colorfast cord, wooden beads and lead and paint free metal clip. It was created by a mom who saw a need for a cute soother clip that would be safe enough for little ones and not easily break. On one of our Bink Links I keep a soother attached and use it for when we are in the car or when I am carrying baby K in a baby carrier. It's nice because I always know that I have a soother when I am going out and never have to search the house for one. When K is crying in his car seat I am able to reach behind me and feel for the Bink Link and put the soother back in his mouth with little trouble (though I don't recommend this while driving unless you are also one of those one hand on the wheel and one hand in the backseat pro drivers haha jk) Also if K feels up to it he can find the soother himself and put it in his own mouth. When he is in the baby carrier I don't have to fish between us for the soother I always know where it is. On our second Bink Link I keep a little wooden toy so I can clip it to K while he is in the car seat or shopping cart cover and never have to worry about loosing the toy and it keeps him happily entertained. Even though Bink Link is not a teething toy, baby K LOVES to chew his Bink Link and would happily chew on one for hours without a toy or soother if we would let him. It has held up great to all the chewing, no paint has come off and it still looks great. Bink Links have been tested for safety and comply with all ASTM standards and is CPSIA safe. They are definitely top quality and we could not live without ours. The only problem I have ever run into is that K can sometimes pull them straight off his clothes and the one with the toy on it he has recently pulled so hard that all the beads came flying off!! (He was really reefing quite hard on the thing!!) I think it was just a freak incident though as we use the soother one all the time and it is fully intact and I have quite a few friends who have them and have not had a problem. It has been pointed out to me on more than one occasion that baby K is freakishly strong for a baby, really he is. :O So unless you also have a freakishly strong baby I wouldn't worry. Because the cord just came un-knotted I should be able to put it back together as I do have all the pieces, luckily I was right there when it happened and was able to scoop them all up before he ate one or we lost one. I will comment back when I have a free minute to try and fix it but it should really be a quick fix. Bink Links come in 15 different color patterns; they have boy, girl and neutral choices. We have Skully and Gumball and they are both super cute and really vibrant, I'm lusting after the super cute Grape one we've come across online but they don't look like Bink Link carries it anymore. :( Do you have a favorite? Let us know what it is!!

Bink Links retail for approx $15 US/CAD they can be purchased directly from their US based store or see here for a list of retailers in both Canada and the US.

*UPDATE- We have been contacted by the new owners of Bink Link about the Bink Link baby K broke. (they have kept the business in the family ) Kathi has told me that her "six foot four and two hundred fifty pounds of muscle can't pull the Bink Links apart. I do think that was a freak accident. That is not a common problem and no baby should be able to do that. We recommend parents inspect them before each use in case something is wrong with one of them. In any event, we are ALWAYS happy to replace any Bink Link that breaks at no cost." Thanks Kathi!!!*

Going paperless in the kitchen

2010-11-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

In the past few years we have been trying to go more green little by little. One of the decisions we have made is to get rid of paper towels and napkins. At first I didn't think we could and the daddy was dead set against the idea but now it seems so long ago that we even used or bought paper towels/napkins, except for the occasional kids birthday party. If you are deciding to go paperless in the kitchen you need to have a plan that works for your family. We have a large supply of face cloths for the kids already that I use for wiping off messy hands and faces. I went out and bought even more dish cloths and towels as well as cloth napkins. For us more is always better. I like to have a large supply so we never run out. We have two drawers in our dining room off the kitchen counter; one is for face cloths and one for all the kitchen cloths (cloths, towels, napkins). I buy white kitchen cloths and towels so if the kids are helping me sort it's easier. When the kitchen cloths start to get nasty and stained I take a fabric marker and mark them with a B and we use them for cleaning the bathroom or rags for anything else undesirable, I keep these ones in a closet across from the bathroom. I have just been buying our facecloths and kitchen cloths in a big cheap package from Walmart, we also have some cloth napkins from Superstore. I just buy whatever is the cheapest and looks nice. One of the problems I ran into was we are a large family and we generate a large amount of laundry so the cloths always seemed to get lost in the laundry pile. I needed a solution that didn't take up any space, that everyone could follow, was easy, worked well and looked good too. I saw some ladies online raving about Sweet Slings Kitchen Wet Bags and after checking out her Hyenacart I knew I had to have a couple.

I purchased 2 bags with a kitchen friendly theme; one with apples and one black and white one with knives, forks and spoons. Usually after using a cloth we hang them up to dry and when they have dried we throw them downstairs to go into the laundry. Now when they are dry we put them in a Sweet Slings Kitchen Wet Bag hanging in the kitchen, when the bag is full I take it down to the laundry room and dump the cloths out straight into the washer and add in some towels to make a full load. I replace the bag in the kitchen with the second clean wet bag. On Sweet Slings hyena cart they show the bag being hung on the stove handle but I tried that and everyone in the house complained so I have moved it to out freezer door which is on the bottom of our fridge. This seems to be a better solution for everyone as it's not in the way of the stove drawer and I think it also looks better. I am so happy with this system, it's made using cloth work so much better for us and I LOVE my new wet bags. We have the wet bags have two button snap tab handles for hanging and they are 13"x 20", they come in many sizes, style and patterns, they also wash very well and still look fabulous many washes later. Preschool L recently had a party and I think almost every mom at the party asked me about them. I am mulling over getting another one for the bathroom cleaning cloths and one for the side of crib for night time changes, I just need to decide on prints.

Sweet Slings Kitchen Wet Bags retail for $18.00US and can be purchased through their Hyenacart, Etsy or Lilypad Landing all three links can be found here. Sweet Slings also sells wetbags for diapers, diaper stashers, unpaper towels and more. Be sure to "like" Sweet Slings on Facebook you can get notified of all their contests and sales. If you have any questions on our paperless set up or how we do things please drop us a comment and we'd be happy to answer.

BuggyGuard; if you love it, lock it

2010-10-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

For those who are out and about with their strollers often or how about those chariot lovers, I have an awesome find for you. You need to check out the BuggyGuard, this handy little gadget is a lock for your stroller. There are 4 different characters; a panda, a monkey, a hippo and a pig.

Each character is equipped with a four foot long cable and a three number combination lock. The lock attaches to a stationary bar on your stroller by velcro and the cable locks the stroller to itself, another stroller or a stationary object. We currently are in the market for a new stroller so I was lucky enough to have a friend with her own baby boutique who allowed me to test the BuggyGaurd on a large variety of strollers. We found that some of the bars on the stroller were not round which made the installation of the guard itself not as tight because it's shaped for a round bar but it still worked well, it was also not possible to attach the front wheel to the back wheel on any of the strollers while the animal was attached to a bar. We were able to attach both the front wheels together or both the back wheels together, this option though didn't make us very happy though as technically someone could tilt the stroller onto the two unlocked wheels and push your stroller away. However the option of locking the stroller to a stationary object would work great. I really could have used the BuggyGuard when we last went to Vancouver, one of their malls has a little train that rides around the mall but you have to leave your stroller behind and hope it's still their when you get back. This would have been great to lock our stroller to a nearby bench instead of quilting someone's dad to push it to the place you get off the train for us, haha. I can also see it coming in handy for those stroller walks that end up at a coffee shop where your stroller is to big and cumbersome to bring inside. The lock can permanently stay attached to your stroller and you get to set your own lock code but remember it because there is no way to reset the number.

The BuggyGuard retails for $30CAD and can be purchased at Dear-Born Baby a Canadian online store or see here for a list of retailers in your area.

Mmmmmm peanut butter happiness

2010-10-06T16:04:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmm peanut butter......Don't you love it? Peanut Butter is a hot commodity in our home. I go to Costco about twice a month at least and each time I have to pick up 2 large jars of Kraft Peanut Butter because it goes so fast! The biggest offenders in our home are the daddy and preschooler L. The daddy globs it on like it's going out of style and I've many a times walked in on that man hiding in the kitchen eating a spoon full of peanut butter, ok let's face it sometime there was no spoon involved. Preschool L on the other hand is definitely heading in his daddy's footsteps, he would eat peanut butter sandwiches or toast for every meal if you let him. Teen C is also guilty of eating his fair share of peanut butter. I love peanut butter as well but not as much as the boys here do, my favorite would be a thick peanut butter and raspberry jam sandwich.......or 3 haha. I was ecstatic when I heard about Kraft's new Whipped Peanut Butter & Dip and even more thrilled to try it out. When it arrived I've never seen so much excitement over a jar of peanut butter before, I actually had to hide it! This new peanut butter looks and tastes like regular peanut butter but it has a more lighter, airy, whipped texture. We have been having fun experimenting and eating it with different things, crackers, fruit, using it as a dip and a spread. Our favorite so far is cut up granny smith apples dipped in whipped peanut butter. I'm eating some right now in fact. Another great idea would be using it as an icing for cupcakes or cake for your little peanut butter lovers birthday party assuming none of the other children have allergies. You could also just use it for sandwiches but really it's much more fun to be creative and leave the regular peanut butter for boring old sandwiches. Kraft Whipped Peanut Butter & Dip gets a huge thumbs up from everyone here at Baby Let's Shop and it will be taking a new permanent place on our grocery list from now on.
New Kraft Whipped Peanut Butter & Dip can be found in your local grocery store and retails for $5.99CAD for a 750g jar, look for it with the white lid and stock up because it won't last long in a house full of peanut butter lovers!

Update from the mama

2010-09-23T07:57:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to post a little shout out to my readers about my absence of late. I've recently had to take in my computer thanks to preschool L who can't and won't keep his grubby little hands off of my laptop which has led to it needing to be fixed. Because everything that runs the blog is on my laptop and now that my laptop has returned I have to manually find and restore all my files etc this has caused a kink in running the blog. Also please remember that this is a mama run blog and sometimes life happens which makes it hard to keep up with everything. I've hit a little postpartum slump but am aware of it and am currently working on it. Things should return to their regular business with a lot of reviews coming up. Sorry and thank you for understanding. Please stay tuned and keep your eyes open for some great reviews!

Save your milk effortlessly

2010-08-25T13:46:00.000-07:00

Whether you hate pumping, don't have the time or are just too darn lazy the Milk-Saver by Milkies will surely be your new best friend. I fall into the category of all of the above; I don't enjoy pumping, I'm always so busy and when I do have the time I am just too lazy to do it. The Milk-Saver is an ingenious product; simply insert the Milk-Saver into your bra on the side you are not nursing on and position your nipple into the hole. While the Milk-Saver seems very large and uncomfortable it is surprisingly very unnoticeable in your bra for both you and others viewing you. When you feed your baby on one side you will naturally let down on both sides, normally this results in wet breast pads or a wet shirt on your non-nursing side but with the Milk-Saver you will now be catching this milk and you will be able to freeze it for later. Some women let down up to 4 ounces per session which is often wasted milk. I really enjoy using my Milk-Saver because it is literally a no effort required product. You only really need to remember two important things #1 to put on the Milk-Saver before you start babies feed and #2 please, please I cannot stress this enough, do not forget that you are wearing the Milk-Saver!! I cannot tell you how many times I have forgotten that I was wearing it (because it is so light and comfortable) and have stood up and bent over and dumped milk EVERYWHERE! On my laptop, on the baby, on the floor! The plastic case that comes with the Milk-Saver keeps it clean and germ free while not in use but also acts as a stand to hold the saver upright after use so no milk spills out while you get ready to store it. The Milk-Saver can hold up to 2.1 ounces at a time. To clean it you can wash it with hot soapy water, boil it or even run it through your dishwasher. I love my Milk-Saver so much I even talked my girlfriend into buying one too, she now also loves her Milk-Saver. Now I can't prove it but I swear the Milk-Saver helped improve my friends milk supply, she was struggling with a low milk supply and it was very important for her to pump a lot and save milk to feed her baby with because she wasn't always getting what she needed out of a feeding so using the Milk-Saver seemed like a no brainer and helped my friend collect her milk without the extra work of always pumping. I think that instead of her bra and nursing pads stifling her milk flow the Milk-Saver almost seemed to encourage the natural flow of her milk. Now again I am not an expert on the subject and I have no proof but I personally believe that it helped her but either way it didn't hurt. She now by the way has a fully established milk supply and her baby is growing like a weed. Sometimes while using the Milk-Saver you will get a lot of milk and sometimes none or very little, I find though that usually if you use the saver all day through every feed and keep filling up the same bottle in the fridge you can freeze the bottle at the end of the day. Depending on your supply or where you are in breastfeeding you may have more than one bottle or less. If you don't have enough for a bottle or forget to use your saver every feed you can also use the milk for using in making baby food, or maybe your baby has a clogged tear duct or plugged nose? Breast milk is a natural cure for both these things. No matter what you choose to do with the extra milk you are saving now at least you are saving it for something instead of ruining yet another shirt. ;)

The Milk-Saver retails for $25.95US for a single pack and $44.95US for a double pack. They can be purchased directly from their US based online store or see here for a list of retailers in both the US and Canada.

Nursing in comfort and style

2010-08-23T18:17:00.000-07:00

First off let's kick things off by discussing comfort, breastfeeding is often spent with many hours sitting in one position sometimes even in the wee hour of the night and it is important for both mom and baby to be comfortable which calls for a good breastfeeding pillow. With my first, teen C, I was told just a regular old pillow would do the trick and while it does work nothing compares to the comfort of a pillow made just for nursing. With L I had a Jolly Jumper babysitter (boppy knockoff) and although at first I loved it I now loathe that pillow. It is actually pretty hard compared to most other nursing pillows on the market. It's also too small once your little one is no longer a newborn. This time around I am happily using my LittleStar Boutique nursing pillow.

Some things I am loving about this pillow are;

size- it is a generous size that could definitely take you into the extended breastfeeding years if you choose too.
comfort- besides being large this pillow is also plush and soft, I'm sure with use over time it will get even softer.
fabric choices- there are 13 gorgeous designer fabric options. I have the Olive Ancanthus which looks stunning on my white couch. I used to have to hide my breastfeeding pillow because it was so ugly but this one is so beautiful that it even fits in with my decor.
Canadian made- all LittleStar Boutique products are made right here in Canada!!!
longevity/ flexibility- one size fits all, makes a fantastic tummy time aid and can be used to help baby sit up.

Each pillow comes with a lavender sachet which is great for putting in your dresser or babies to lightly scent your clothes, or even keeping in your diaper bag. I gave my sachet to my sister because I am allergic to lavender though. The pillows are filled with hypoallergenic polyester. The covers come off for easy washing and the pillow itself is also machine washable. LittleStar Boutique also has some other great looking products that we've been drooling over; check out their Door Hushers and Tether Straps! You can view their online catalog here to see all their products.

The LittleStar Boutique nursing pillow retails for $65CAD and can be purchased through LittleStar Boutique directly; to purchase or for a list of retailers in your area please contact Monica at info@littlestarboutique.com /1-877-789-4655. Stay tuned for the opening of their website, we've been anxiously awaiting the grand opening!

Breastfeeding Awareness Month

2010-08-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month and what better way to wrap it up than by talking about some of the breastfeeding products that I have been using with baby K and what I love and don't love. We have a lot of great products too write about so stay tuned for our nursing product round up.

Here you go!

2010-07-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

Recently I was lucky enough to receive an Oh Plah! for review and I LOVE it! Are you wondering what on earth an Oh Plah! is? Oh Plah! (a french term for "here you go") is a teething cuff/bracelet for mom to wear made of medical grade thermoplastic that is phthalates, BPA and heavy metal free. It meets or exceeds all current safety standards for both the US and Canada so it's completely safe for for all babes and kids. Thermoplastic was a fantastic choice to make these bracelets out of because it is a recyclable material that won't loose it's shape over time or change, it will always looks the same as the day you got it. You cannot put your Oh Plah! in the dishwasher or boil it but it is bacteria resistant and all it will ever need is a quick wash in the sink with soap and water if you feel the need. You can freeze it though if you need something cool for baby to chew. My Oh Plah! is a wonderful hot pink (my favorite color!) with a flower; there are 6 different colors to choose from with 3 different designs. The Oh Plah! is very light and comfortable as a bracelet, it really could be dressed up or down. Baby K took to it right away and happily chewed away at it as soon as I gave it to him, even preschooler L loved playing with it and happily twisted and turned it and even wore it for a while too. I've only had the Oh Plah! for a short while but it's already come in handy keeping either K or L happy in public more than once. I really like how simple it is to pull off my bracelet and pass it to an unhappy babe or child in the backseat while I am driving without having to dig through my diaper bag and take my eyes off the road. Also because it is a one size fits all bracelet I find it hard too loose and it often winds up on K's wrist instead of the floor so it's easy to retrieve and give back to him. Not only is the Oh Plah! a beautiful and convenient teether/toy but the packaging is great also. The Oh Plah! comes in a cute little chinese style take out box surrounded by pretty crinkled paper strips. The outer packaging is a sheet of card stock like paper containing the name and info about the product but it slips off and turns around and on the other side is a gorgeous wrapping paper design making the Oh Plah! instantly gift-able. The packaging is also entirely recyclable. When you are done with Oh Plah! you can pass it off to a friend or send it back to Roundhouse (the makers of Oh Plah!) to be recycled, they will even pay your shipping.

Oh Plah! retails for $20US see here for a list of retailers in the US or the contact info for TDM Canada (Canadian Distributor) for an up to date list of Canadian retailers.

Clean with the power of green

2010-07-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

Recently we've been using Sunlight Green Clean laundry soap and I love it! It works just as well as our regular laundry soap (Tide Free) but Green Clean contains plant based ingredients and is biodegradable. It's also super concentrated so it uses up to 40% less packaging, 25% less water in the manufacturing process, 27% less corrugate and 40% less diesel. So not only is is a green product but it was made green too. I have always been the type to use less soap than the package tells you so I was surprised by the small amount of soap required for a load with this new product. Sunlight Green Clean come in 4 scents; Citrus Fresh, Wild Lavender, Orchid Blossom and Free and Clear. It also comes in two sizes 946ml (32 loads) and 2.83L (96 loads). I tried out the Free and Clear 946ml, I am not big on scented laundry detergents I like my clothes to come out smelling clean and not like soap and they do with Green Clean. Green Clean is specially formulated for HE front loaders but can still be used in top loaders. The formula was created specifically for sensitive skin so it contains no drying alcohol, dyes, fragrances or enzymes, this also makes it a fabulous laundry soap for babies things as well. As a mom this is great as I want to use and buy only one laundry soap for everyone and everything in my household and you can with this soap.

Sunlight Green Clean laundry soap retails for $6.97CAD and can be purchased in both US and Canada at your local Walmart or most local grocery stores. Canadians can also score a $2 off coupon here.

When you want a fresh dishwasher

2010-07-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

Before we redid our kitchen and bought a new dishwasher our old one stunk, literally. It had a foul odor lingering of old food I suppose that had somehow made it in and a funkyness that I can only assume was from water sitting inside it closed. I was thrilled to get a new dishwasher and even more excited when I found out about Affresh Dishwasher Cleaner. When you use Affresh once a month it eliminates odor-causing residue and prevents new ones from forming. Affresh Dishwasher Cleaner contains large dishwasher tabs that you run through your washer empty; one in the soap tray and one either in the extra soap tray or bottom of the dishwasher. Just insert the tabs and run on the hottest and heaviest setting and voila a clean smelling dishwasher. Because our dishwasher is brand new we had to wait a bit before we could try out Affresh but once I noticed a funk arising I happily ran an empty load with Affresh. Upon opening the dishwasher door a lemony scent filled the air, C didn't like the smell but I don't mind it. It also comes back a little with later loads. My only complaint would be that we can no longer put our Klean Kanteen's in the dishwasher, the first few times I used my insulted KK coffee mug at Starbucks I was sure they had screwed up my order and even after them remaking it my drink still tasted funny. After a few days I figured it out. Somehow the stainless steel was leaching the scent from the Affresh tabs, which have a pleasant smell but not a pleasant taste. So now we wash our KK by hand, our other dishes seem fine and were not affected by the scent. Overall this is a great product and much needed if you use your dishwasher a lot. I am a bit annoyed that I can't wash our KK's in the dishwasher now as we do have quite a few for every member in our household but I guess it's a small price to pay for a funk-free dishwasher.

Affresh Dishwasher Cleaner comes in a package of 6 tabs for a 3 months supply and retails for $8.99CAD, it can be purchased from any of the following retailers listed here.

HAAPY CANADA DAY!!

2010-07-01T11:58:00.000-07:00

Wen you need to wash your hair

2010-06-29T12:30:00.000-07:00

When I was offered the chance to try out Wen's Cleansing Conditioner I was excited. Wen's Cleansing Conditioner was created by Los Angeles based, celebrity stylist Chaz Dean. Wen is a revolutionary new product that combines shampoo, conditioner, deep-conditioner, detangler and leave-in conditioner but without all the harsh damaging ingredients found in regular shampoo. It claims to leave your hair more healthy, shiny and less frizzy. My first time using Wen proved that it's always important to read instructions on new products, even shampoo's. I, being a firm believer in using a dime sized amount in bathroom products, was blown away by the amount of shampoo I needed to put in my hair but no matter how much I put in my shampoo did not lather? After a quick read of the instructions and a very conveniently timed infomercial I learned that is is normal to use up to 16 pumps or more of Wen (the more the better), depending on hair length and thickness and that it is not supposed to lather, it is in fact the same harsh chemicals in shampoo that cause it too lather. Wen is scented in a sweet almond mint which although I hate mint, it smells very fresh and seems to help waken you up in that first morning shower. The first week with Wen was great, my hair was less frizzy, more shiny and even more manageable but after that week my hair just seemed to get more greasy. I really wanted to like Wen, I liked the idea a lot and loved the results I saw on the infomercial and online but unfortunately for me my hair didn't seem to like Wen. I gave the cleansing conditioner a few different tries but every time I reached the 2-3 week mark I HAD to breakdown and wash my hair with regular shampoo, my hair was just so gross. Around that mark my hair just started to get weighted down at the top and my roots and bangs got very greasy looking. My hair is very thick and I have a lot of it so I'm not sure if this is why I couldn't get Wen to work for me but sadly it's just a no go for me for everyday use but for every once in a while or even as a leave in conditioner on my ends though it is ok. I plan to try it out on L next so I'll let you know if I get better results on his hair.

If you'd like to try out Wen for yourself you can purchase a 30 day kit from their online website for only $29.95US/CAD, there is a both US and Canada site. The kit includes Wen's Cleansing Conditioner, Styling Creme and ReMoist Intensive Hair Repair Mask, if you order now you'll also receive 2 free bonus items; Wen's Texture Balm and Wide Tooth Shower Comb. (please note that we have only tested out the Cleansing Conditioner) Wen also has a 60 day money back guarantee.

Wear your love for all to see

2010-06-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

Before L and K I used to wear a lot of jewelry, I mean a lot. I really embraced the whole gypsy, big jewelry look and really decked myself all out maybe even a little too much at times. But then I had L and my busy jewelry days were behind me. Now that L is older and K is still young I have started wearing jewelry again but nothing too busy. I used to wear my "mama" tag and my favorite starfish necklace that teen C bought me for Mother's Day a couple of years back but I recently traded them in for a sweet deal I found on Baby Half Off. Baby Half Off is similar to Babysteals and Kidsteals if you are familiar with them, they offer a product (or a few products) a day at a highly discounted price until they are sold out. Recently Baby Half Off featured jewelry by StephieMc Designs. StephieMc Designs has a gorgeous line of handmade personalized hand stamped jewelry and her work is nothing less than gorgeous. Personalized jewelry is very big right now especially for mamas sporting their children's names. StephieMc has quite a few different styles which makes choosing one very difficult but because I am not sure if I am done having kids I knew that I need an option that I could add another name to later just in case. I ended up ordering her extra tiny tags that are normally used for adding to an existing necklace. Tiny Tags are sweet little sterling silver tags are hand cut, hand filed and shaped, hand stamped and brushed to a satin finish. The edges of each tag have been gently hammered to add texture. I was able to order 3 tags for a great price of $5 each, with shipping my order was only around $20. I bought a tag for each C, L and K and used an existing chain I already had. I cannot tell you how pleased I am with my tags. They are beautiful and well made and I get compliments on them almost every time I leave my house. I love the simplicity of the tags and because they are so small and simple I can wear them all the time and not worry too much about them hurting baby K when I am holding him close. Since the day my tags have arrived I have not taken them off even in the shower and they show no signs of wear, they are definitely top quality.

If you would like to get your own personalized little treasure be sure to check out StephieMc Designs on Etsy, she ships to both US and Canada. Please note that the tags I bought from BHO can only be purchased in her shop with an additional purchase and each tag retails for $10 each.

The Grill Daddy for your daddy

2010-06-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

Grilling season is here and every daddy LOVES to grill, it's like caveman instinct to them to start fire and cook food. Whether you are looking for a belated Father's Day git or just want to show some love to that special fire seeking guy in your life the Grill Daddy fits the bill. The Daddy is in love with his barbeque, he loves it so much he even bbq's in the winter long after he should have packed away his tongs. One painstaking task has always been cleaning the grill and we are always buying different brushes and cleaners trying out new ones or just needing to replace ones that didn't hold up well or make the cut. The Grill Daddy is a fantastic grill cleaner, you preheat your grill and the Grill Daddy cleans and sanitizes your grill through the power of steam! What makes the grill daddy different from other grill cleaners the daddy has tried is the built in water reservoir to help steam your grill clean and cuts your regular cleaning time down too. It also comes with stainless steel brush heads that are easily removable and also dishwasher safe. This is definitely a step up from the run of the mill grill cleaners sold at local stores.
The Grill Daddy retails for $19.95US and can be purchased online here, they ship to both US and Canada.

Happy Father's Day!!

2010-06-20T09:03:00.000-07:00

Music for your growing belly

2010-06-04T12:20:00.000-07:00

Bonding with your baby is important and it doesn't have to begin at birth, it can begin while baby is still in utero. While I was still pregnant with K I loved the Bellysonic for just this reason. The Bellysonic is a lightweight organic sherpa cotton stereo speaker pouch, it has two low output headphone apeakers, detachable headphone splitter, adjustable strap and is made in the USA. Using my own mp3 player (Ipod Shuffle) the Bellysonic strapped to my belly and played my music to baby K through the small headphone speakers aimed at my belly while I listened with my headphones. The Bellysonic is extremely comfortable and can be worn over or under your clothing, It's also machine washable if you remove the inner workings. I wasn't the only one who loved the Bellysonic though, so did toddler L. He was able to listen along with baby K with his own kid friendly Leap Frog headphones and he really enjoyed his special bonding time with his soon to be baby brother. I really liked that you had the option to use your own mp3 player and choose any music you wanted rather than a unit with preloaded music that you cannot change. We listened to an assortment of music, but our favorites were Rockabye Baby Nirvana, More Beatles and Pink Floyd (stay tuned for review on these great cd's). I still often play these cd's for the boys when we are having a rough day and it seems to calm everyone down. I'm not sure if they remember listening to the music together but I of course do and I have fond memories of the three of us (one still in utero) together lying down, relaxing and listening to the music.
The Bellysonic retails for $69.95 US and can be purchased at the US based Bellysonic online store, they ship to both US and Canada.

Dealing with death

2010-05-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

We recently had to deal with the death of our close friend's daughter, it was tragic to say the least. The difficult part was explaining the death to toddler L. A week before the incident L's fish had died so at least he was somewhat prepared. Unfortunately explaining the death of a person is a bit different than a fish. We flushed the fish so he knew where the fish was and that he wasn't coming back, our friend's daughter was another story. When we were offered the chance to review the book Where do we go? : The Good Grief Book by James F. Weinsier we jumped at the chance. Due to our personal stance on religion we were a little worried about how the book would be presented but we were pleasantly surprised by the books ability to blend with most different religious and spiritual views. The book does not address a specific religious view and is very open which we liked. Though this book unfortunately did not help us to explain death to 3 year old L it did open up conversation and imagination for where you might go after death and what it might be like. The pictures (illustrated by Cliff Beaman) are very detailed and L loved pouring over every detail and discussing what was going on. Even after we were done reading the book he sat with it for hours and is still immersed in it days later. While we are still dealing with the most random questions that really seem to have no good answers for, at least this fabulous book can help us too answer some of them and leave L with some good thoughts about a bad situation.

Where do we go? : The Good Grief Book by James F. Weinsier retails for $12.95US and can be purchased at Amazon.com or through Books Plus by calling 1-877-630-8998, they ship to both US and Canada.

Zeddy's Diapers and Training Pants/ Great diapers at Zellers!!

2010-05-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

Toddler L is now out of diapers during the day but he still wears diapers at bedtime so we were happy to try out Zeddy's Frisky Frog Training Pants. These are basically Zeller s brand of pull-up's but cheaper. First off we love the price difference, these are much cheaper than the Huggies or Pampers version. We were though a little confused by the sizing; L is normally a size 4 in diapers and in these he was a 2T-3T. The difference in size though makes sense though when you take into consideration the weight. Zeddy's size 2T-3T is for under 34 lbs and Pampers Easy Ups (which we used to use) size 4 is for 16-34 lbs, they both contain 44 diapers though. So aside from the sizing seeming different on the package (though they really aren't) the price is the great part. Zeddy's diapers and training pants start at $12.99CAD while the name brand ones retail at $17.99!!! So we already have you know hooked by the price don't we? Now on to the training diaper itself, these to me are great because they are not covered with cartoon characters (I really hate that!) they have the alphabet and music note on the front and the big seller for me; on the back it says "back side back side". How many times have you asked your hubby to help out and he's put on the training pants backwards?! The diapers come in unisex while the training pants come in boys or girls. Performance wise they are very absorbent and hold up well but I would not really recommend them for night time use. We used them at night and they were hit and miss on leaking but I think that is because training diapers are meant to be peed in and then taken off, not rolled around in all night. Also because L didn't pee every night we would use the same diaper for multiple nights if it was still dry and that did stretch it out a bit. I had L's little girlfriend try out the Zeddy's b/c she is still in diapers and her mom found that they held up very well. They also have the tear away sides like the name brand training pants which is nice. Another observation is they don't have that jelly build up after sitting in pee for a bit like some other brands. I really wish we had known about Zeddy's Training Pants when we were going through a few bags of Pampers a week!! These are great training pants and you just can't beat the price!! We 100% recommend these diapers and training pants to anyone who uses disposables!!Zeddy's Teeny Tadpole diapers and Frisky Frog Training Pants retail starting at $12.99CAD for a mega bag and $14.99CAD for a larger club pack, they can be purchased at your local Zellers all across Canada.

Breath easy

2010-05-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

Even though winter has ended and spring has sprung, we are still at that yucky in between seasons stage where one day it's gorgeous and the next day you want to turn the heat back on. This can really mess with your system and for some of us we end up stuffy and congested though we are not quite sick. Over the winter I received a Vick's GermFree Warm Mist Humidifier and boy do I love that baby!! During the winter months it was a blessing to have and it still is. This humidifier is a giant but for me it's just one more reason to love it, because of it's large size it's able to house two water tanks that equal to a 2 gallon capacity so you never run out of water in the middle of the night or early morning hours. Pure, sanitized warm mist kills up to 99.999% germs, mold and bacteria in the water helping to prevent you and your little ones from getting more sick or just helping you get better. It also has a patented germicidal ultraviolet chamber and promotes better breathing everyday. It also has a small little reservoir for Vick's VapoSteam, the great thing is this is it removes for easy cleaning. This humidifier comes complete with an on/off button, humidity control and 3 lights that let you know when the unit is on, when you need to refill the tanks and replace the UV bulb. The Vick's GermFree Warm Mist Humidifier definitely is the mother of all humidifiers. There is not a thing missing from it and it really has been a life saver this winter and this spring. It has been especially great since the arrival of baby K who has been congested and stuffed up since birth though is finally getting better. It's been a huge help clearing baby K's stuffed up nose at night so he can breath and sleep easier which has helped us all get some much needed rest.

The Vick's GermFree Warm Mist Humidifier retails for $90US and can be purchased at Walmart in the US or Canada.

Canadian Family's Top 53 Mommy Blogs

2010-05-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

Check it out!! We made the cut! A big thanks to Canadian Family Magazine online for adding us to their Top 53 Mommy Blogs list, we are thrilled to be on it. Canadian Family is a great magazine (they also have a great online website as well) and we read it every month so we are thrilled to be on this list!! We also want to say hello to those who stopped by after seeing us on the list, we hope you'll come back as their are many more reviews to be posted soon.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!

2010-05-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

Because my child's "Safety" does come "1st"

2010-04-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

I am one of those mom's who gets looked at oddly by other parents because I still have my 3 1/2 year old rear facing in the car. That's right you heard me, I paid more for my car seat than some other cheaper models out there because my I had the option to keep my child rear facing past 20 lbs and the age of 1 year. I have even gotten into a huge debate with my local Starbuck's barista over the comfort level and safety of my child (started by him of course). So yes I feel a little strongly about having my son rear facing and I was a little upset when L hit the 30 lb rear facing limit of his car seat. That's why I am loving L's new car seat the Safety 1st Complete Air Convertible Car Seat with it's rear facing limit of a whopping 40 lbs!! The Air Protect also has an innovative safety feature of protecting your child's head in the event of a side impact crash by diverting crash forces away from your child's head. The Side Impact Technology is adjustable along with the seats shoulder slots for the 5 point harness. The headrest and harness height is easily and quickly changed with 2 adjustment levers above the headrest. Another great feature of this seat is it's removable drink holder that can be placed on either side of the seat, this has to be L's favorite feature as his old seat did not have a cup holder. In a pinch the holder could most likely hold snacks, it is also easy to remove and clean. This 5 point harness convertible car seat is rear facing from 5-40lbs (19"-40") and forward facing from 22-50lbs (34"-45"). Also the angle of the seat offers L a more generous amount of leg room than his previous seat did. It comes in 2 stylish color options at most stores; a brown and burnt orange and a black and grey. (At Walmart they sell a black and red option) Because of the headrest the seat-cover looks deceptively hard to remove for cleaning purposes but thanks to L having an accident in his seat the other day I had the lovely privilege of having to remove the cover and straps for a thorough cleaning. I admit this was a task I was not looking forward too but the instructions in the car seat manual were pretty straight forward and taking the cover and straps off were simple. For cleaning the cover they recommend you hand wash and air dry and to only spot clean the straps. I personally chose to wash the cover on the hand wash cycle in my washer and hang dry and it turned out great. It did though take a couple of days for the cover to completely dry so make sure you don't need to go anywhere for a few days before you wash your cover. As for the straps and buckle I soaked them in a bucket with a little Dawn dish soap and rinsed and hung them to dry, they also turned out great. Putting the seat back together was just as easy as taking it apart once you figured out the straps. Now L's seat looks good as new and pee free which is always nice. The only issue I have with this seat is that they state it should not be tethered while rear facing while some other seats on the market state that they must be tethered while rear facing. I am not quite sure what the difference is but infant seats aren't tethered rear facing so I'm sure it's just the way this particular seat works. However, we really are loving this new seat and now I can be comforted by my need to have my son rear facing for at least another 10lbs. (Take that hairy Starbuck's dude!!)

The Safety 1st Complete Air Convertible Car Seat retails for $269 CAD and can be purchased from BabiesRUs in both Canada and the US as well as Walmart in both Canada and US.

*please note that I really have no problem with parents who choose to turn their children forward facing at 20lbs/1 year, I believe that it is a personal choice and each individual parents choice to make and really shouldn't be anyone else's business or concern*

Being green while living the dream

2010-04-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

Remember when you used to fantasize about meeting Mr Right, getting married, having a house and kids? I bet you didn't think about the endless pile of dirty laundry, the millions of errands you would be running almost daily with the screaming kids in the back of your vehicle, the daily house cleaning, the cooking, the grocery shopping trips filled with fighting and crying........That's where LTDchix come in. LTD stands for Living The Dream and they sell shirts and reusable shopping bags sporting cute designs of all those mom dreams we are all living!! Designs include laundry mom, mini-can mom, cleaning mom, cooking mom, referee mom, shopping mom and work out mom. I love my LTDchix shopping bags. They always get a compliment at the check out line. I have them in the shopping mom design and they really do sum up my shopping outings; pushing an overflowing grocery cart surrounded by bickering kids!!

LTDchix shopping bags retail at $3US each and can be purchased at their US based online store, they do ship to both the US and Canada.

What's in L's closet??

2010-04-11T17:57:00.001-07:00

Rebel Ink Baby was the invention of 2 parents inspired by their 2 children. This line of clothes ranging in sizes from birth to 5T is not your run of the mill cutesy line of kids apparel but more of a rocker inspired line. Printed mostly on black or white the line boasts some funny and sometimes out there saying and graphics. Toddler L proudly wears his "Beastie Babies Fight For Your Right To Potty" shirt. The shirt is very good quality and still looks brand new after many, many trips through both the washer and dryer, the black has not faded at all and the graphics and words still look as good as the first wear.
Rebel Ink Baby is having a sale right now and all white and yellow onesies and shirts are only $10-$18US, items can be purchased from their US based online store. They ship to both US and Canada or see here for a list of retailers in both the US and Canada.

Uncommonly Cute has a line of shirts, onesies and shoes from birth to size 6 with graphics and sayings as witty as ones you would find on an adult shirt without being offensive. All graphics have the option of being on a onesie, short sleeve or long sleeve. Some of our favorites are "your mom will love me" and "king of the little people". Right now with the birth of his little brother K, L is loving his "Big Brother" shirt and wears it till it's filthy and we can convince him to take it off for a wash. This shirt has definitely held up well to some wear and tear and multiple washings!! I only wish the sizing was a little bigger as 3 year old L is quickly outgrowing his size 4 shirt.
Uncommonly Cute's onesies and short sleeve shirts retail at $23US and the long sleeve shirts retail at $25US, items can be purchased from their US based online store. They ship to both US and Canada or see here for a list of retailers in both the US and Canada.

Petit Patapon is a bit pricey for kids clothes and I am not a fan of all their clothes but they do have some cute items that are our style and their items are good quality. In fact I like the girls line better than the boys but unfortunately I only have boys. The shirt and jeans we have from the line are very true to size and may even be a bit larger compared to similar brands. L's jeans from Petit Patapon are very different from the other jeans he owns, they are made of a very thin organic cotton denim and are so soft and luxurious and they even have an adjustable waist band which is a big must with my skinny boys. But for over $40 for a shirt and over $50 for pants I'm not sure I would shell out that kind of money for everyday clothes for my rowdy boys but maybe I would for a special occasion outfit. Petit Patapon ranges in size from birth to size 12.

Petit Patapon ranges in price from approximately $40US and up, items can be purchased from their US based online store. They ship to both US and Canada.

One of my absolutely favorite shirts of L's is from Tiny Revolutionary. Tiny Revolutionary is an organic t-shirt line encouraging kids to express their individuality and make a difference in the world. This is our kind of company. Their super soft organic cotton shirts hold messages of peace, love, be kind to animals and save the earth. L has the recycle love too and it's so nice. The more I wash and dry it, the softer it gets and it always looks good. Tiny Revolutionary's tees range in size from 3 months to adult. In fact I love L's shirt so much I am thinking of buying one of their "Peace, Love, Haiti" shirts for myself. 15% of the profits for this shirt go to For This One- an organization working to bring relief and resources to the children of the earthquake in Haiti.

Tiny Revolutionary onesies and tees range in price from $25-40US, items can be purchased from their US based online store. They ship to both US and Canada. Enter code FRSHIP right now for free shipping!

Laundry made simple

2010-03-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

Purex Complete 3 in 1 Laundry Sheets are a new laundry product that really should have been invented a long time ago. Purex Complete 3 in 1 Laundry Sheets contain laundry soap, fabric softener and an anti static dryer sheet all in one sheet. They come in 2 scents Spring Oasis and Tropical Escape. I am not so good with a lot of scented items therefore I was not a good tester for this one. I use an unscented laundry soap for all my families clothes and can't wait for Purex to come out with a scent free version. So I enlisted preteen C to test out this product. Being a preteen in charge of his own laundry C really was the perfect tester for Purex Complete 3 in 1 Laundry Sheets. Preteens are often very forgetful and anything with extra steps usually falls by the waist-side. C was happy to test out the sheets and found them easy and even fun to use, no measuring and all you have to remember is to put the sheet in at the start of the wash and your done. Purex Complete 3 in 1 Laundry Sheets make laundry a breeze, just fill the washer with your load of laundry and no matter the size just pop in 1 sheet, when the washer is complete transfer the whole load sheet and all to the dryer. What could be more simple? So easy even a teen can do it, haha!! Even better because the sheets are scented it adds a nice touch to a smelly teen boy. This really is a great product for anyone but especially helpful for getting your kids involved in doing their own laundry and your also helping them be more earth friendly as this is a sustainable product using less water, less packaging and less weight to transport which reduces vehicle emissions. Purex Complete 3 in 1 Laundry Sheets comes in 2 sizes; a starter kit with reusable plastic container and 20 sheets or a refill kit with 20 sheets.

Purex Complete 3 in 1 Laundry sheets retail for approx $5 CAD and can be purchased at Superstore in Canada or at most other local grocery stores across both Canada and the US.

The Safe Sporter

2010-02-24T10:51:00.000-08:00

We were big fans of the Safe Sippy when it first came out so we were thrilled to find out that now Kid Basix has come out with a sports bottle for the older crowd. Check out the new Safe Sporter, it comes in 2 sizes 12 oz and 16 oz with 3 colors available in each size. Just like the Safe Sippy it is also stainless steel and BPA free. Some features include a mud cap for keeping the spout clean when not in use, pull spout that is easy to open, wide mouth opening for easy cleaning and fits ice cubes too, TPR sleeve which is nice as the stainless steel gets very cold when cold liquid is inside (the sleeve helps little ones get a good grip on the bottle without getting too chilly) and plastic "coaster" bottom. L tested out the 12 oz and loved it though he has a hard time with the mud cap, it is a bit tight for him and he is unable to open it on his own but has no problem with the pull spout. He can open the spout, close it and close the mud cap all on his own. The pull spout is made of a softer plastic that L decided to chew on within 3 mins of using his Sporter. This at first made the non-spill pull spout a leaky mess but I was able to try to mold it back into shape and after a trip through the dishwasher it seems to have shrunk a tad so that it is spill proof once again. (Yes it is dishwasher friendly!) It doesn't look as new but it does the job and L has not chewed the spout since. The Safe Sporter fits in your vehicles cup holders and still fits nicely into most diaper bag bottle pockets. Preteen C and I used the 16 oz and we both really enjoyed it. C was able to take it to his sporting events and not have to worry about it leaking in his bag and because of it's mature look no one even second guessed it as a toddlers bottle. You can't put carbonated beverages or pulpy juices in it but water, milk and non-pulpy juice is a go and it's really all we ever put in our bottles.
The Safe Sporter 12 oz retails for $14.95 US and the 16 oz retails for $15.95 US it can be purchased from their US based online store and they ship to both US and Canada or see here for a retailer near you in both the US or Canada.

eta a note from Bret @ Kid Basix: FYI, we are changing the spout to a harder material (and design) so that kids who are chewers can’t mangle the spout. We’ve had a couple other reports and decided to be proactive and make the spout in a harder material. These will be out by summer, along with some other great redesigned features that will improve the bottle.

Applesauce on the go?

2010-02-20T09:29:00.000-08:00

L is the kind of kid who never stops eating. He is always hungry, no matter how much you feed him. So not only am I always on the hunt for healthy snacks but ones that travel well without a mess are a must for us as we are always out and about. When we were offered the chance to sample Go Go Squeez, an applesauce product for on the go we were excited. I did worry about the mess as applesauce just doesn't seem like a mess free travel food. Go Go Squeez comes in a re-sealable pouch and contains the equivalent of one serving of fruit. The pouch has a little straw type spout with a lid that your child can suck the applesauce out of. It contains 100% fruit with no added sugar and is also Kosher certified. The first time I gave it to the boys I sat them at the table and surprisingly this product really is mess free. Not only that but they both LOVED it, even preteen C. The part I enjoyed the best was that L actually sat quietly at the table without getting up for 20 mins slowly enjoying his Go Go Squeez. Ah the joy of peace and quiet in a content toddler. I now have no problem giving L a pouch in his car seat when we are out and about because I don't have to worry about the mess, their is no chance that he would even waste any by not letting it get to his belly. Go Go Squeez comes in 5 kids pleasing flavors; appleapple, applebanana, applecinnamon, applepeach and applestrawberry.

Go Go Squeez retails for $2.99US for a box of 4 or $0.99US for a single pouch and can be purchased at any Whole Foods in the US or in Quebec at Sobeys/IGA and Jean Coutu Pharmacies. Both US and Canada can purchase online at Amazon and MyBrands.

Our early surprise and our newest tester!!

2010-02-18T11:47:00.001-08:00

Welcome to our newest little tester baby K, born to the mama on Valentine's Day 2 1/2 weeks early no doubt. K is a little boy and he weighs 7lbs 5oz. Mama and baby K are at home resting but reviews will be back up and running shortly.

WINNER ANNOUNCED FOR AMON MATERNITY GIVEAWAY!!!

2010-02-10T11:59:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to "billie the girl"!! You have won a $50 GC to Amon Maternity!! Please check your email on details about your prize.

It's my potty and I'll go if I want to

2010-02-08T10:47:00.000-08:00

So we're coming to the end of potty learning here, potty learning with boys is usually a long journey but we finally see the light and have gone a few weeks without accidents here. Now we just have night time to worry about. We have stopped buying disposables and We thought we'd touch base again with some more potty products that we are using. Don't forget to check out our past potty product line ups here and here.

The Potty Song cd-
Every time L successfully pees or poops on the potty or the toilet we play this cd and I let him play it as many times as he wants just as incentive. Usually he only wants to play it a few times which is good for me. L is enthralled with this cd not only does it praise him for using the potty but it also knows his name!! The song is catchy and easy to learn, you can even sing the song to them if you are somewhere without the cd. I love the fact that the song is a reward without it being candy or a material object that you constantly have to give the child and really what is a better reward than praise and self esteem?

The Potty Song cd retails for $9.95US or $5.95US for an MP3 download and can be purchased directly from their US based website, they ship to both US and Canada.

Aaah Toilet Paper Foam-
Sometimes only a wet wipe will do the job but what if you are all out of wet wipes? Aaah Toilet Paper Foam is a small dispenser of liquid that foams up and turns your toilet paper into the wet wipe you need. It's fragrance free and completely flushable unlike some wipes. It also last longer than a package of wipes and helps use less toilet paper b/c of the moisture you are getting cleaner results faster than with just plain toilet paper. The travel size also takes up less room in your diaper bag and there is no chance of it drying out like wipes.

Aaah's Toilet Paper Foam Personal Clean Package retails for only $9.95US (plus s/h) or purchase the 8oz for $7.95US or the 1.6oz (travel) for $4.95US. US and Canada can both purchase from their US based website ByeByeDry.com.

Kandoo Flushable Toilet Wipes-
I never thought that I would waste money on wipes after we were done with diapers but here we are and I am buying them and using them. Actually I originally got the wipes for free with a coupon, when you purchased a pack of Pampers you got the Kandoo wipes for free. I had a ton if coupons so I stocked up and put them away. Can I just say how happy I am that I did this? When it came time to need them I was happy that they were still freshly sealed and moist. Gone were the days of using half a roll of toilet paper to try to remove the glue type poop from your little one's behind. I've never had to use more than one wipe which is good b/c they recommend that you do not try to flush more than 2 wipes at a time. I've started buying them in the larger refill packs eliminating the purchase of the plastic wipe tub. I find the tub to be a waste of money as the wipes seem to instantly dry up in them which is surprising because my Pampers wipes don't have this problem unless they have been sitting for a long time and Kandoo is made by Pampers. So I just stick to the re-sealable package and it works just fine for us and is portable enough for the diaper bag too.

Kandoo Wipes retail for $3.99CAD and can be purchased at Walmart in both US and Canada.

A Potty For Me by Karen Katz-
This is a lift-the-flap instruction manual on how to use the potty. This sweet little book is about a little girl who gets a new potty from her mommy and all about her learning to use the potty. It addresses diapers and accidents and how even mommy uses the potty too. It also talks about wearing big kid pants and how proud you will feel when you finally use the potty.
A Potty For Me by Karen Katz retails for $8.99CAD and can be purchased at Chapters.Indigo in Canada and Barnes and Noble in the US.

I Love My Potty by Lara Jones-
This little girl talks about all the fun and silly things that she can do with her potty from wearing it as a hat, carrying her toys, it can be a car, a ,drum, a cozy seat. But sometimes it's just a place to go potty. :)

I Love My Potty by Lara Jones retails for $.53CAD and can be purchased used at Amazon.ca in Canada or Amazon.com in the US.

The Gas We Pass (The Story of Farts) by Shinta Cho-
If you loved Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi from our last potty round-up you will love The Gas We Pass. This book of course is all about farts which L just loves being a typical boy. Big farts, little farts, smelly farts, scentless farts, animal farts, people farts; this book has it covered. It talks about eating and your digestive system and why we fart. If easily offended this book might not be for you but in an all boy household here it really is hard to be offended.

The Gas We Pass (The Story of Farts) by Shinta Cho retails for $10.25CAD and can be purchased at Chapters.Indigo in Canada and Barnes and Noble in the US.

Belly support for your ever growing baby belly GIVEAWAY CLOSED!!!

2010-02-06T18:16:00.000-08:00

When I first started wearing my Amon Maternity Band it seemed a bit snug and awkward. I was glad that Amon Maternity had advised me to pick a size up when I was confused between 2 sizes. At first I wasn't sure if the band was for me. It was a learning experience due to my muffin top that most women are cursed with I was unsure where and how to wear the band. I figured out for me it worked best if I wore the band over my muffin (hehe) and under my underpants. (I've been wearing boy shorts lately due to comfort so different underwear might hit you in a different spot.) I found that this eliminated the band rolling up and having to readjust it every time I had to pee, which is quite frequently. I also found that after a few weeks my very high belly started to sit a bit lower and the band became increasingly more comfortable. I think that fact that I was carrying so high in the beginning was the reason for the initial discomfort, after all this is more of a support band than a cover your belly band. In fact I know that the lower my belly sits the more I enjoy my band and look forward to wearing it. As I near the and of my pregnancy I find myself reaching for my band more and more especially on days I know I will be out and about all day with plenty of errands to run. The Amon Band features an extra wide, under tummy support with an expandable tummy section for your varying pregnancy size, back support panel and breathable microfiber fabric. Sizes range from small to X-large and it comes in 3 colors; black, white and nude. The band is machine washable and hang to dry. Amon Maternity also carries full support pregnancy briefs, skivvies and even bodyshapers for postpartum wear.

The Amon Maternity Band retails for $25US and can be purchased directly from their online US based store, they ship to both US and Canada or see here for a list of retailers near you.

One lucky Baby Let's Shop reader will receive a gift certificate redeemable at Amon Maternity's online store for $50!! Just post a comment and let us know what product or products you are most interested and why, please remember to include your email address. The winner will be chosen at random on February 10/2010 10am PST. The winner will be contacted by Amon Maternity with details on how to claim their prize, the prize must be redeemed by February 15 2010. Contest open to US and Canada residents.

Finding the perfect cloth diaper

2010-02-05T15:29:00.000-08:00

We've spent the past year or so testing out various cloth diapers and finding out our likes and dislikes. L has spent most of his diapering days in disposables because I wasn't sure I could handle the commitment of cloth but after trying out many brands I feel more confident about going cloth the next time around. Recently we've been lucky enough to have the opportunity to test out both Fuzzi Bunz Perfect Size diapers and One Size diapers. These are the first pocket diapers we have tried and we absolutely love them. They are the reason we have made the final choice to cloth diaper the next babe. Fuzzi Bunz are available in a large selection of colors and prints with both boy, girl and gender neutral choices.

The Fuzzi Bunz Perfect Size diapers are available in 6 different sizes to find a perfect fit for your little one. Sizes range from xs, small, medium, large, petite, xl fitting from 4lbs-45+lbs; now that it quite the range. Features include fleece inside, back pocket with super absorbent insert, adjustable snaps for both the leg and waist area, soft waterproof outer PUL layer in color or print, leg elastic and side snaps.

Fuzzi Bunz One Size diapers include the same features as the Perfect Fit but one size fits from xs(4lbs)- L(30+lbs) and also have an adjustable elastic and button waistband and leg holes to customize the best fit. They even offer an online One Size diaper sizing guide for help on getting the right fit. The elastic is also numbered by the button holes ensuring the right fit. When sizing for a smaller babe though the diaper does tend to get a bit bulky, this bulkiness does go away as the babe gets bigger and sizing changes.

I really loved both options but have decided to go with the Perfect Size for the next babe and have already stocked up on some. They were easy to use and not a lot of extra steps involved. They are both machine washable and dry-able, though you can hang them up to dry if you choose. I've had them sit too long before washing before and they have not fallen apart when I had to wash them and strip them a few extra times. ( I have had some other brands fall apart due to this) Fuzzi Bunz come with a microterry insert that are stuffed into the open pocket at the back of the diaper. Once they are dry you can pre-stuff them before you put them away making diaper changes a bit faster. For overnight use you can add an extra insert (purchased separately) for extra absorbency if you find your little one pees more at night. The One Size diapers come with both a large and small insert for different sizing. When it comes time to wash your diapers the inserts usually fall out easily when you give them a quick shake over the washer. Rarely do you have to dirty your hands by pulling things apart for wash like some other brands. We also have not experienced any side leakage from these diapers once we upgraded to two inserts at night. If you are ready to give up on cloth diapering I suggest you try out Fuzzi Bunz, they are a breeze to use and we just love them!

Fuzzi Funz Perfect Size retail for $23.95 CAD and the Fuzzi Bunz One Size retail for $25.95CAD. In the US you can purchase your Fuzzi Bunz straight from the US based FuzziBunzOnline.com or in Canada you can purchase yours at Forbabywithlove.ca, they don't have a lot left right now but they are having a sale that you can save 25% with the code "iloveu" until February 14. They have great service and it's where I stocked up on my Fuzzi Bunz. ;) Or you can search here for a retailer in your area.

Ju-Ju-Be new print re-color preview!!

2010-01-19T19:47:00.000-08:00

Check it out Ju-Ju-Be has just revealed their new print re-coloration called Dizzy Daisies, a re-coloration of Zany Zinnias done in a gorgeous blue, green and purple colorway. Oh and we are swooning over the gorgeous lilac lining and zippers!!! Dizzy Daisies will be available early March in the Spring One shipment on the Packabe, Between, Be Major, Be Rich, Be Thrifty, Business Be, Be Quick, Paci-Pod, Fuel Cell, Be Tagged and “The Mystery Bag!!!" What to get, what to get????

Are you on Facebook??

2010-01-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

Love our blog? Become a fan on Facebook! Don't forget to tell your friends too. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Baby-Lets-Shop

It really is just wonderful!!

2010-01-13T20:57:00.000-08:00

I am in LOVE with Mama Mio's OMega Wonder-Full Rescue Balm. At first I wasn't really sure what I was going to use it for. It does claim to have a million uses but I always am leery of these claims on products. I have a full size for home use and a travel size which I carry around in my diaper bag. This stuff is definitely my new go to miracle cream. I have been using it lately on L a lot especially due to the cold weather and living in a very dry climate. Now that L is potty learning and regularly using the toilet he washes his hands a lot, really a lot doesn't even begin to describe it. L likes to soap himself up from the tips of his fingers to his armpits most days and quite frequently during the day. This has resulted in a nasty carpet burn looking rash on his arms. Wonder-Full Balm has been a life saver in making this nasty rash go away, just a small amount rubbed into his arms and after a day or two the rash is gone. Another issue I've had with L is even though we avoid most outdoor activities with him with the cold weather we've been having, L seems to get quite red cheeked even just going from the house to the heated car and back. It's a chapped type of red cheek that stays for days and looks just awful. All I have to do is rub some Wonder-Full Balm on him before he goes to bed at night and in the morning the red cheek is gone. I've even used it on a few bad breakouts that I've picked at due to some nasty pregnancy hormones and they've cleared up quite nicely too. Other uses that Mama Mio claims this balm is great for range from lip balm, cuticle cream, dry rough heels and elbows, healing burns and even a cure for eczema. The longer you have this product the more uses you will find for it. It's unquestionably a purchase that you won't regret.

Mama Mio's OMega Wonder-Full Rescue Balm retails for $26 US, which seems high but a little does go a long way. It can be purchased directly from their online store and they offer free worldwide shipping. Or in Canada you can always check out The Bay. (Also stay tuned for some more Mama Mio reviews)

To have loved and lost

2010-01-11T22:20:00.001-08:00

Over the years I have had the displeasure of using many, many mediocre straighteners. My first encounter with Paul Brown's Ceramic Ion Flat Iron was an eye opener. I plugged it in turned it on and chose my desired heat setting, normally I would wait about 5-15 min for other brands of flat irons to warm up. Curious but not smart I touched the plate (not recommended), wow surprisingly the hot iron was already hot and after a quick swipe though my super thick hair it proved ready to use in only seconds! What once took 30 min to straighten had now been drastically cut down to 5 min. As a SAHM I need all the extra time I can get and this straightener seemed like a gift from above. The Paul Brown Ceramic Ion Flat Iron has many heat settings ranging from 266-410 degrees F. While it's not recommended to straighten your hair on really high heat, the higher the heat the quicker it took to get the job done. I love the ability to control the heat setting as well as the fact that there is an on/off switch both luxuries that not all flat irons have. Also because of the size of this straightener being thinner than some it is less cumbersome and easier to handle. It also leaves your hair feeling smoother and healthier. After a few weeks of use I happily packed up my old flat iron and welcomed a permanent spot in my bathroom for my Paul Brown. I thought Paul and I would live happily ever after.....sadly though one day while using my iron the plates melted right out of the iron!! I have no idea what caused this to happen but it was a sad day for me and I'm still trying to get over it! What's even worse than that is I have been unable to reach anyone at Paul Brown who seems to care about my flat iron or any info about getting a replacement for mine. I'm not sure if what happened to my iron is common or just a fluke, a close friend of mine has had the same flat iron for years without a problem and uses hers daily which leads me to believe that maybe it might not be a regular occurrence but still I am unsure. I am upset that mine only lasted a few months but I am even more disappointed at the lack of customer service from Paul Brown.
The Paul Brown Ceramic Ion Flat Iron retails for approximately $150CAD and can be purchased at a hair salon that carries Paul Brown in your area.

Sigg is back and better than ever

2010-01-07T10:22:00.001-08:00

Recently we got the chance to try out Sigg's new improved bottles and we are impressed. The new internal coatings fulfill FDA requirements which means no BPA or lead and they are 100% recyclable. We have the Wild Crocs 0.4L bottle with a kid's top. We've found that as long as the lid is closed the bottle does not leak, it will of course leak if you hold it upside down while the lid is open and spout is turned but this is why the kid's top would be more appropriate for a toddler or older child. At first I didn't think that toddler L would be able to master the lid because you have to twist the spout to open it but after a week or so he had it all figured out on his own. The bottles are also single walled which makes the outside cold to the touch with a cold liquid inside, you can always purchase covers for them but we opted not too as L is getting older he is getting used to his sippies being a bit colder and who wants to cover up those super cute crocodiles? Sigg's bottles are also dishwasher safe but they do recommend hand washing.

We purchased a Sigg Cleaning Brush Set which come with a large scrubber and a small scrubber. My only complaint with Sigg's scrubber set is the price tag, ouch $20!! (This may just be the store we found them at though as they seem reasonably cheaper online, hmmmm) But the fact that the scrubbers are also dishwasher safe helped the pain go away. We only use the scrubbers for our Sigg and we can maintain their cleanliness by putting them in the dishwasher which means we don't have to keep replacing them.

We also have been testing out Sigg's Aluminum Boxes. It has been great for filling up with an assortment of snacks or even big enough for a lunch when we're out all day. For food items that we don't want touching each other we use silicone cupcake holders which are great for holding little snacks. We love that this container works for a bunch of little snack items or is also big enough for a sandwich and a snack or two. They'd also be handy for storing other items that are not food related as well but we love them for food. These are also machine washable but we also choose to wash these by hand.

Sigg's kids bottles retail for $17.99US and up depending on size. The Sigg Cleaning Brush Set retails for $11.99US and the Aluminum Boxes retail at $24.99US and up depending on color and size. In the US they can be purchased directly from their US based online store and in Canada they can be purchased at any of the following larger retailers such as Home Outfitters, Roots (select stores), London Drugs and Whole Foods as well as some other smaller stores so keep your eyes open!

2009-12-24T01:30:00.001-08:00

Baby Let's Shop's Must Have Baby Picks

2009-12-21T20:01:00.000-08:00

With another baby on the way I'm always thinking about what we still have from the past kids that were a hit, what we still need to buy and what we need more of. The great thing about writing this blog is that I have had the wonderful opportunity to be in the loop about great new products and often even get to test them out. Recently we've been scouring our archives to find those couldn't live without baby items that we have reviewed. (We actually found so many that we may have to do a part 2 list for toddler products.) For now though here is our list of must have baby items that we plan on using again and even in some cases buying more of.

Babylegs- [review] Ahh babylegs!! We admit when we first heard about them we were very skeptical but had to buy a few when we found a good sale. 3 years later we have 8 pairs of babylegs in toddler L's rotation. We have been using them since he was a few months old and still do today. They were so handy in the early months with just a onesie and the babylegs to keep the legs warm, diapers changes were made a breeze. We've recently snagged a few more pairs on Babysteals (ok 10 more pairs *blush* I know I have a problem but they were such a good deal!) to put away for the new babe and a couple extras for L's stocking.

Cuddlywrap- [review] This carrier is so soft and stretchy, it's the first carrier that really made me love to carry L around for hours. I love the closeness and the flexibility of it. I wore it religiously till L got too heavy for it and started to make it sag. I'm looking forward to wearing it again.

Wet Happened Wet Bags- [review] Again another item we used from when L was little and still use today. Great for cloth diapers, dirty outfits after a diaper blowout, and even the pool.

Wisey Baby Play Mat Bag- [review] Gotta love this handy bag/playmat. Fabulous for throwing a few toys in and bringing to a friends house for instant tummy time and a soft place to place your babe.

Aden and Anais Swaddling Wraps- [review] Just when I had given up all hope on finding a swaddling wrap big enough to contain my squirmy little man, in walked Aden and Anais to save the day. These lightweight muslin wraps are a generous size for swaddling and still great years later as a light sheet in the crib or toddler bed. (We also recently scored a second set of these babies of Babysteals, gotta love Babysteals.)

Health Pod- [review] We cannot tell you how much of a life saver the Health Pod is especially if you have a little one with health issues or even just gets sick a lot. It's often difficult as a mom to remember every little detail of your child's medical history especially when something traumatic happens. This little baby has proven to me time and time again just how useful it is. We've already got our hands on a second one for the new baby and it's already stored safely away in my hospital diaper bag.

Itzbeen- [review] the Itzbeen timer has been another great lifesaver in our house. I never used it for diaper changes or feedings but for doling out medicine to a sick child this little baby works as my brain when my brain doesn't want to keep up due to lack of sleep.

Ju-Ju-Be diaper bags and other products-[review here and here] Ok seriously do I even need to explain this one?? Check out our past reviews and stay tuned for more in the future. I carry at least one to five Ju-Ju-Be products with me every single day. The features and quality of their products just cannot be beat and I feel like a traitor even using another brand diaper bag for a day. No matter how many bags I try out I always stray back to Ju-Ju-Be. I dread the day I no longer need a diaper bag.

Day Ago Digital Timer- [review] Stick one of these little timers on anything from food to medicine and know how long it's been sitting around or how long since your last dose in the case of medicine.

Solana Swaddle Wrap- [review] Another generously sized swaddle wrap, light, breezy and airy. Sure wouldn't mind getting our hands on a few more of these babies.

Pump Ease- [review] There is nothing better than hands free pumping. We didn't get our Pump Ease until near the end of our pumping career last time and it was a wonderful thing and we are looking forward to hands free pumping from the beginning this time.

Bummas- [review] These reusable wipes are great for drying a wet bottom, using as wet wipes or even cleaning a boogie nose. I will be glad to have these Bummas from birth this time around as I always stray away from store bought wet wipes for the first little while as my babies tend to be born with an extra sensitive bottom.

Secure2Me- [review] Never use your little one's blanket again with this handy little blanket. Complete with a set of 4 clips to clip onto your stroller, car seat or even baby carrier. They have light, airy, solar-veil summer ones and warm, fuzzy, soft, minky ones for winter too. We have a nice winter one but hope to try out the solar-veil option too.

Belly Lafs Grippees- [review] We can't wait to bathe our new little one with these mitts with little grippees on them ensuring you don't drop that slippery little wet bundle. Aah stress be gone.

Let's build some fun

2009-12-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

We are big Lego fans here at Baby Let's Shop. I remember having the most giant Lego collection when I was little which sadly went to my younger brothers and sister when I moved out. Now preteen C is working on his giant Lego collection. When little L was offered the chance to try out Lego's My First Lego Fire Fighter Building Set we happily jumped at the chance. Now we must point out that this set is for ages 4-7 and not recommended for under 3 years of age. L has just recently turned 3 and did receive the set shortly before his 3rd birthday but he has always been good with very small pieces and we have not had any issues with him swallowing random small items. This Lego set was no exception with L, he did great with the Lego and though it did take him a couple of days to figure out how to put the pieces together he was very determined and is now Lego crazy building everything he can think of. Though at 3 they don't look much like they should and he has yet to master following instructions or building the fire set without the help of someone. This is definitely a great little starter set to peak the interest of a future Lego lover. It has unquestionably blossomed a huge love in Lego for L and he is forever trying to raid his big brother's stash and eyeing up all the sets in the stores. Lego is also remarkably easy to keep clean, we have have in the past put our Lego in a mesh laundry bag on the top rack of our dishwasher. It's also the type of gift that children never seem to tire of and young and old still enjoy it, I mean come on admit it sometimes it's still fun to sit down with the kids and build your own masterpiece.
The Lego Fire Fighter Building Set retails for $12.99 CAD and can be purchased directly from the online Lego Shop, they ship to both US and Canada. While your there check out all the other sets too.

We love SAMi and you will too

2009-11-23T22:38:00.000-08:00

SAMi's flip-a- face and flip-a-shape books published by Blue Apple Books are well loved and adored by both L and myself. Their bright colorful hardcover pages are inviting and engaging. The pages are cut out giving you a glimpse of the next page and sparking the imagination to wonder what it could be lurking on the flip side. The books are simple with only one word per page which are great for the littles all the way up to an early reader who may be easily frustrated by too many words on a page. We have quite a few books by the author including Baby Animals, Baby Talk, Big Little, Colors, Play and Yum.

Aside from books SAMi also has other items in their line that are just as wonderful as their books; we also have their cardboard Flip-a-face nesting blocks with familiar pictures of animals and little people from their books. For cardboard they are remarkably sturdy and have held up well to the rough play of my little maniac L.

We also have their Flip-a-Face cards Same? Different? and Look Baby! These large cards, again featuring people and animals from their book series, encourage matching skills and stimulates your babe. The Look Baby! set contains both black and white and color cards. The Same? Different? set contains people with an assorted variety of looks that are all similar but not identical. For example one pair of people may have glasses but one pair of glasses might be purple and the other pair green. Though we haven't completely got the hang of using these cards the intended way yet they are still a huge hit and are played with often.

SAMi's books and other products retail starting at around $10CAD and up. They can be purchased in Canada at Amazon.ca and in the US at Amazon.com.

Watergeeks Bottles

2009-11-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

This past school year C was using the WaterGeeks Insulated Stainless Steel 24oz bottle. This bottle is a generous size compared to the other stainless steel water bottles on the market. It has a removable tea strainer that originally confused C but once he realized what it was for and that it was removable all was fine. We both really loved that the bottle is double walled for both hot and cold drinks and that because of this feature there is no need for a cover as you cannot feel the temperature through the bottle. Some other great features;

- available in 4 great colors: stainless, black, pink, blue
- wide mouth for ice cubes, small mouth for drinking
- made with unlined, 18/0, food grade stainless steel
- ergonomic, curved design
- lightweight, easy to carry
- non-leaching and BPA-FREE

Lately I have been using the bottle a lot when I take L and C to a local indoor playground once a week. On these days I always hit up Starbucks before we get there, usually I have a coffee but since I have been pregnant I have been opting for Strawberry Blended Lemonades as I don't think my baby is too fond of coffee. I love that the bottle is big enough to accommodate a Venti and that my drink stays cold all day long. The double size lid option is great as the smaller size is perfect for my straw. The wide mouth easily fits a cleaning brush after in case I forget to clean it out right away so I am not left with a crusty residue that won't wash out. Watergeeks recommend that you wash by hand but ours has gone through the washing machine many a times and is still as good as the day we got it. All in all these are great bottles and I would love to try out some of the others, especially the kids version.

WaterGeeks Insulated Stainless Steel 24oz bottle retails for $19.95 CAD and can be purchased in Canada at O'Baby Organics a Canadian based store in Surrey, BC. They also sell a variety of other Watergeeks products.

Much awaited update

2009-11-10T11:47:00.000-08:00

Ok I know it seems as though I have been neglecting my blog but with good reason. As you know I am pregnant, around 23 weeks to be exact. I have been diagnosed by my midwife with extreme exhaustion, not only the blog but most of the other aspects of my daily life have fallen by the waist side. We have also started homeschooling this year so not only am I home all day with 3 year old tester L but now 12 yr old tester C is here all day adding to my daily stress. This has been a great decision for our family but it has changed our daily schedule and has taken some time to smooth out and feel normal for us. But as of lately things have picked up and I am starting to feel back to my old self. My house and family life and finally almost back on track and I need to get back to the blog. The reviews and emails are piling up. So hopefully over the next few weeks I will be back on track. Thanks for understanding.

The season for bugs and all things crawlie

2009-07-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

Kids are odd; C is not a huge fan of bugs at all in the least, in fact he is often terrified by them but he could not have been happier to receive the Bug Book and Bottle and Bugs Fandex by Workman Publishing. Paired together these two products make way for a great afternoon of bug finding, gathering and identifying. I had planned on making a day for the two boys together to go out and have some bug finding fun together but before I could C showed up with a friend begging to take the products out and go on their own bug hunt. Their bug hunting went fantastically and the two boys were solidly into it for close to a week which is an eternity in tween boy time.

The Bug Book and Bottle comes with a plastic container with holes in the lid to gather and keep your bugs in, a magnifier, bug identification chart, bug journal (to record all of your finds) and the bug book. The Bug Book is filled with with 47 fascinating bugs inside, how to catch, identify and care for insects and other creepy crawlies. The only flaw that C noted with the Bug Bottle was that he wished the lid would stay on more tightly so he taped it shut.

The Bugs Fandex consists of 50 die-cut cards on a fan-deck. The top of each card is a giant creepy picture of each bug and below and on the reverse are interesting facts about each bug. Overall these are two fabulous products to keep your bored kids busy this summer.

The Bug Book and Bottle retails for $13.68 CAD and the Bugs Fandex retails for $10.79 CAD they can both be purchased at Chapters.Indigo.ca in Canada and Barnes and Noble in the US.

Bath time stress no more

2009-07-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

The thought of bathing a newborn in a tub makes me so nervous. Those squirmy tiny little delicate bodies, never mind adding soap and water to the mix making them oh ever so slippery. Then add a tub over water that you hope to not drop them into. Yes I know I have had 2 kids already but the newborn bath is a scary little game for many mothers no matter how many babes they have. Well fear no more moms, Belly Laf's Grippee's are here to save the day. These adult sized bath mitts not only help wash your little one with it's ultra soft 100% biodegradable, antibacterial and hypoallergenic bamboo fabric but the little rubberized grippee's on the mitts help you hold on to that slippery little package making bath time a breeze so you can enjoy that special one on one time instead of stressing about it. I absolutely love these bath mitts and cannot wait to use them with my future babe. Belly Laf's also has MiniMitts for the older babes. Made of the same eco-friendly bamboo fabric as the Grippee's; MiniMitt's are thumbless easy on/off wash mitt's aimed at the 2-5 age group to help encourage good hygiene skills. L being at the very independent 2 year old stage loves his MiniMitt's. They make him feel like a big kid and he loves have the option at doing things himself and bathing himself is no different. Both the Grippee's and MiniMitt's are adorned with cute and friendly looking creatures of the sea such as Rocko the Crab, Zippo the Blowfish, Echo the Whale, Glo the Jellyfish and Cosmo the Starfish; they are all made of colorful geometric shapes combined together to create characters that appeal to children and hold their attention. They are also machine washer and dryer friendly.

Belly Laf's Grippee's retail at $16.95 US and the MiniMitt's retail at $9.95 US. You can purchase them through their online US based store, the ship to both US and Canada. Also whenever you purchase a Belly Laf product, Belly LAf will donate 10% of the profits to the Hide & Seek Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises money for research into deadly childhood diseases.

Bling to teeth on, fashion at it's best

2009-07-13T10:45:00.000-07:00

I used to wear a lot of jewelry; I couldn't leave the house with out some earrings, a necklace or two and maybe some bracelets. Having L though put an end to my jewelry wearing days though. First it was too much of a hassle, then he was grabby and now everything is his according to him. One product I really love and came in handy was Smart Mom Teething Bling. Smart Mom makes safe jewelry for mamas to wear and their teething babes to chew on. I have the donut shaped pendant and bangle in Jade and they are very stylish no one would even know that they are teething toys in disguise. Even when L was passed the teething stage he was happily kept occupied playing with my bangle or pendant. All Smart Mom Teething Bling products are non-toxic, phthalate, BPA, PVC and lead free and all pendants come with a breakaway clasp. They are easily washed with soap and water if they do get dirty or you are worried about germs. I've had mine for quite a while now and they still look as good as new. Smart Mom also carries heart shaped pendants, keychains, onesies, gift sets and gift cards. They are available in a variety of colors and even patterns.
Smart Mom Teething Bling donut shaped pendants retail starting at $19.10 US (right now though they have red,white and blue pendants sale for $9.50 US on their website), the bangles retail at $12.75 US. They can be purchased online at their US based website and yes they do ship to both US and Canada or see here for a list of retailers in the US or Canada.

Stay tuned..........

2009-06-26T23:27:00.000-07:00

Please stay tuned for our upcoming review of the Fleurville Re-Run Lark Diaper bag in Geobot Chocolate Teal supplied to us by All Modern Baby. All Modern Baby is a modern children's furniture site that carries a variety of products including Maclaren baby carriers and Stokke Tripp Trapp high chairs and much more. They are a US based store but they offer shipping to both US and Canada.

Robeez all grown up

2009-06-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

Now that Summer is here that means new shoes for the kids. I like to have two pairs for the little ones; one nice pair and one for play. Right now though L only has one as he has outgrown his play pair and we are still looking for a suitable replacement. One requirement I have always looked for is a flexible sole, which are sometimes difficult to find in local stores once they hit the toddler years. We are currently loving L's new Robeez Tredz loafers. Tredz are the newest Robeez for older tots with a flexible yet sturdy sole in sizes 3-7US. I'm very fond of the sweet little old man type loafer we chose, they are a bit dressy but have held up great to outdoor play too. Because they are his only shoes at the moment he has been wearing them out to play quite a bit, running around in the grass, playing in his friends sandbox and they have even gotten a little wet yet they are still holding up strong and still look brand new which is surprising b/c of their suede like texture. They also have some sportier styles too that I have been eyeing up. I really love the Biker H&L-Ocean Blue, L would go crazy over the little motorcycle on the side but unfortunately they are sold out in his size. They are a bit pricier than your regular old Walmart shoe but they are well worth the extra cash as Robeez are top quality and usually last through a few kids before they wear out. As for washing Tredz are spot clean only with mild detergent and a damp cloth and air dry, that sounds simple enough. We are unquestionably Robeez lovers for good now.

Robeez Tredz retail for $41.95 CAD and can be purchased at Robeez.com in the US and Robeez.ca in Canada. Check out their website now for their Summer Sale! Also when you buy 2 pairs or more, you receive free shipping.

Not all books need words

2009-06-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

Being loosely inspired by Waldorf learning, putting an emphasis on the seasons is very important to us in our home. I try to draw attention to the changing of seasons and magical changes outdoors. We read a lot of seasonally inspired books and have a lot of nature inspired toys. We recently received a gorgeous set of seasonal books by Gerda Muller. This set of four picture books are a lovely way to inspire creativity and imagination in your little one. Each book contains it's own season (Spring, Summer, Winter and Autumn) packed full of detailed drawings of activities or nature from each season. It's such a nice change of pace having some picture books in the house. We like to curl up together somewhere cozy and talk about the scenes on each page. We discuss the weather, the animals, the people and what they are doing. We talk about them in relation to our life as well, how our weather or the nature outside our home is the same or different, about the things we do in each season and how they might be the same or different as the people in the book. The most wonderful thing about these books as that the story is always different, there are always new things to discover and new stories to tell. We also separate our books by season and keep off season books put away till the appropriate season, I find this adds to the magic of the books and keeps the little ones more engaged and interested.If you are looking for some creative ways to introduce the Season's to your kids or even just hoping to get some picture books this set is a definite must.
Spring, Summer, Winter and Autumn by Gerda Muller must be purchased separately and retail each for @$10 US/CAD they can be purchased at Amazon.com in the US and at Chapters.Indigo in Canada.

Express yourself and have fun doing it

2009-06-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

Sticklers have got to be one of our top fun reviews. Everyone wanted to be in one this one. Sticklers, made by Sakura of America, are a fantastic new craft idea that consist of metallic colored die-cut outline stickers in gold or silver that come with special pens to color inside the outline. The pens are very "liquidy" and the liquid helps to cover the surface in side the metallic outline. There are many different colors and types of pens to choose from, types include Souffle (3D opaque ink) and Glaze (glossy transparent ink). The great fun about Sticklers is they can be stuck almost anywhere you can think of. Some idea include dog tags, handmade cards, gift tags, luggage tags, cell phones, cameras, laptops, computer mouse, gift boxes, gift bags, metal tins, cardboard boxes, picture frames, notebooks, ornaments.....the possibilities are endless. Everyone who came over to the house just had to get in on this review from young kids to adults, Sticklers were a big hit with everyone. I put my Sticklers on my cell phone, my laptop hard plastic cover, the daddy's cellphone, notebooks, gift tags, cards....The sticklers were easy to remove off these items if you decided you no longer wanted them there too. Just peel of the sticker portion and use your fingernail to scratch off the ink. The only time I had a hard time removing it was from my laptop case so just in case it might be a good idea to do a test spot on something just in case you might be stuck with it forever. I loved the idea of being able to decorate my cell phone, which is white so it turned out fabulous, better than the daddy's blue cellphone. My cell doesn't have fancy cover plates so I can now decorate it as I please. Because it's a cell phone though and gets used quite a bit and banged up against other things in your bag the sticklers do rub off after a while but they did stay for quite a while and you can always do some touching up. The daddy on the other hand was not impressed by our dressing up his phone so he was happy that it came right off, hmmmph men.

Sticklers kits retail at $6.99US and can be purchased directly from their US based online store, they ship to both US and Canada. Or you can use their store locator to find a retailer near you.

Surprise!!!!!!!!

2009-06-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

So after a few month's of trying we are PREGNANT!!

What a sweet baby belly!! I would like to say it's mine but alas it's not. I'm not quite that pregnant yet. Now you can all why we have been having a few months of slack posting as we have been so busy! But things are slowing down and are getting back to normal as will the blog. Thanks for hanging in there with us. So let the pregnancy and maternity product reviews start rolling in!!

2009-06-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

Your new mighty little helper

2009-06-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

I'm sure some of you remember our glowing review on Think King's Soft Buggy Cup, in fact our review was even mentioned on one of our fav reads,Ohdeedoh, (thanks ohdeedoh!). We are still crazy about our Buggy Cup and it's still gets used almost daily and it's still looks brand new. Now Think King has a new product out; the Mighty Buggy Hook. The Mighty Buggy Hook are two hooks that velcro on to the handle bars of your stroller for carrying your diaper bag or other bags such as groceries and such. They are very solid and rugged looking and not as delicate as the other stroller clips on the market which is a plus for anyone who is looking for something more durable looking. Maybe your hubby is looking for something more manly? One issue I sometimes have with the other stroller hooks on the market is that they require two hands to clip your bag off and on. The Mighty Buggy Hook's ingenious design requires little to no effort to put your bag off and on. Just line the hooks up with your d-ring or other loop for attaching to stroller and it slides right on, to remove you can just grab your bag and pull up and it slides right off, no muss, no fuss, no clips, nothing. Grocery bags or other totes are just as simple just slide the handle over the hook and remove when done, simple.
Think King's Mighty Buggy Hook's retail at $14.99US for a two pack and can be purchased at their website, they ship to both US and Canada.

We're Back!!

2009-06-08T09:56:00.000-07:00

Yes we are back!! Things have been pretty slack here at Baby Let's Shop and we are sorry for that. We have been planning our elopement and it was taking over our lives leaving not much time for anything else. But the good news is all is said and done and the daddy and I are officially MARRIED!! We took a lovely trip to the Dominican Republic just us and the two boys and got married on the beach. It was wonderful and gorgeous. But I am so happy to be home and get life back on track though it's been a little difficult to get a jump start on regular old life again. All I need now for married life to be official is my wedding certificate so I can officially change my last name on all my id. Oh and to change the boys last names and then I'm finally done. Aaaah!! The pressure of the wedding is finally off and the pressure of the blog is back on. :D

Michael Recycle/ teaching kids the importance of going green

2009-04-23T08:50:00.000-07:00

"There once was a town called Abberdoo-Rimey, Where garbage was left to grow rotten and slimy" but not to worry Michael Recycle is here to save the day. Michael Recycle by Ellie Bethel is a fabulous book for teaching your children about recycling. Michael is a recycling superhero who flies around from city to town teaching people how to and the importance of recycling. This book has been a great help in our household teaching L why and how we recycle. The story is told in rhyme which is great for drawing the kids in and holding there attention. The illustrations are beautiful large full colored pages, each page is full of excitement. At the end of the story are some going green tips for kids about recycling, turning things off when not in use like lights and water etc, composting, lessening your paper trail and more. Even preteen C enjoyed this book and has read it to L quite a few times. This is a must get book for parents wanting to introduce recycling and going green at their level.
Michael Recycle by Ellie Bethel retails for @ $15 CAD and can be purchased at Amazon.com in the US and Chapters.Indigo in Canada.

Stainless Steel Bento's! yay!

2009-04-22T16:19:00.000-07:00

I have been a huge fan of bento box's and have lusted after them for awhile. I even am a little embarrassed to admit that I stalk websites dedicated to bento box pictures. But with all the BPA warnings lately I have been trying to eliminate plastic in our house wherever possible. A lot of the bento's out there are plastic and most do not have the number on the bottom telling you if the plastic is safe or not. So I have been waiting for a stainless bento to fall into my lap. Luckily for me (and you) there is now a fabulous Canadian based online store The Tickle Trunk, don't let the name fool you, this is not Mr Dress Up's tickle trunk of costumes but a tickle trunk of stainless steel products. Oh yes it is my heaven! We have spent the past few months testing out some great products from The Tickle Trunk; food storage container (SC01), food storage container 3 (SCo3), food storage container 4 (SCo4) and food storage container 140ml (SC07). Basically the three products except for SC07 are stainless steel bento's in 3 different sizes. The SC01 and SC03 are the perfect size for a toddler lunch and the larger one is perfect for an older child with a larger appetite.

C takes the larger SC04 (the larger version of the SC03) to school and finds it perfect for his sandwich's and some snacks, his only complaint is that the top level is quite shallow. He can only put a sandwich in the bottom and the top level is limited to the items it can hold. But I find that is you cut the sandwich in half sometimes you can stack it which leaves some extra room beside the sandwich for more food.

The other bento's (SC01 and SC03) I use for L (and sometimes myself), I find them just perfect for packing him a nice sized lunch on long trips away from the house during the day. I find that you can pack a lot into these little babies especially for toddlers because their portions are so small that you can fit more of a variety of items in. Likewise I have noticed that L eats more when I pack one of his bentos that he usually would at home, I think he enjoys the novelty of them, hmmm... maybe I should start using them at home too. I bought some silicone baking cups for dividing different items inside the tin so that they don't touch and stay tight and compact with a variety of different choices packed in together. They work great and make his lunch extra cute with their fun bright colors. You could also use the cups with the larger bento but since it's for C, I don't use them b/c the amount that fits in a cup will not satisfy him. I am still searching for a better option for dividing items for him.

We also use the smaller SC07 because this has a silicone seal it's great for more than just dry items, we love to pack yogurt in it if we know it will be eaten right away. L is yogurt crazy! I love that I don't have to buy individually packaged yogurts which are a waste and so pricey and that I don't have worry about leaks in my precious JJB.

My only complaint would be that these products all need to be hand washed (except for the bottom of the SCo7), as you all know I hate hand washing anything, but it's not really that much of a task as C washes his own because he makes his own lunch and L only uses his about once or twice a week because we don't miss lunch at home very often. Often they only need a quick rinse because we don't put in very messy items and we don't leave them sitting around to long when they are dirty. I love that they are reusable and eliminate the use of plastic bags from my kids lunches. I also don't have to worry about BPA because they are stainless steel. The different latches on each container have also made for a fun new way for L to learn a new skill. As an added bonus I am teaching my children about the importance of reusable items, having less waste and doing their part to help save the planet.
All the items reviewed above retail from $7-10 CAD (wow!! talk about a good deal!) are available at The Tickle Trunk though they are based in Canada they ship to both US and Canada. While you're there check out the rest of their great products from stainless steel water bottles, ice cube trays, dish's, cups, cutlery and more.