First month favorites - baby products

 

I just thought I'd throw together a quick post with some of my favorite baby items from the first month!!

1. Itzbeen pocket nanny -  After the first two weeks of writing every waking moment down (feedings, diaper changes, naps, etc.) I was so happy to switch to this little timer.  It has four different timers on it (feedings, diaper changes, naps, and an extra - which I use for her zantac) as well as slide bar at the bottom which lets you know which side of your chest they started on during the last feeding.  You simply push the button to restart the timer each time you complete the "task."  It completely takes those panic moments of "have I not fed her in 5 hours..." "wait, did i change her diaper 2 hours ago or was it longer than that" and eliminates the need to really clock watch.  I even take it with me when we go places...its tiny so it fits easily in the side pockets of my diaper bag.  I used this with Addie and was so excited to pull it back out for Kate.

2. Aden and Anais swaddle blankets - These are my "go-to blankets"...especially given that Kate is a summer baby.  These lightweight blankets are perfect for covering her up when we are out and about or just a small blanket to lay over her legs while she is in her swing.  I've also found it really handy as a burp cloth or a nursing cover when I'm in a bind.  While they are labeled swaddle blankets...I can't attest to how well they do in that arena as we are tied to the swaddle blankets that have the velcro closures on them...but these little blankets are a "must have".  They also fold up very compactly so they are perfect for keeping in your diaper bag too!

3. Fisher Price Rock 'N Play Sleeper - This has been a lifesaver for us...and I often wonder how we survived Addie's first months without it!!  Kate loves to sleep on me or the hubs (which is fine except when laundry begins to pile up around me) but we can usually get her to take a decent nap here as well.  It folds up very easily and the insert is really easy to wash...I also LOVE that it isn't a huge consumer of space in my home.

4. Hooter Hider - I'd say this is pretty much a must for breastfeeding mommas...I have two - one in the diaper bag for when we are out and about and another next to our coffee table...for those moments where you are in the middle of nursing and someone decides to drop by.  They totally give me the privacy I need amidst a nosy toddler or a crowd and I feel completely covered!

Cloth Diapers - 21 months in review

*I have not been paid on incentivized in any way by any of the products listed below - these opinions are my own**

I posted a while back here about our decision to use cloth diapering and how it works in our house.  I am happy to report that we are 21 months in and still using cloth diapers.  We've  had a few changes and I wanted to share some of our "work-arounds" for what I believe are pretty common issues you might face the longer you go with a cloth diapering system...

Smell - It happens...you forget to wash them on that second day, they accidentally get left in a diaper bag...whatever the case may be...the strong smell of amonia starts and you can't seem to get rid of it.  It happened to us so I looked for a product that could help resolve this and am happy to share that Rockin' Green's Funk Rock Amonia Bouncer does just the trick.  You can buy it on Amazon and I'm sure a host of other places and one overnight soak...or even 30 minute soak on a front loader and the amonia smell is GONE.  Like it stays gone...until you miss another cycle.  I've used it time and time again and am in love!!  I'm still using Vaska, which I blogged about here, for the routine washings and am still thrilled with the results I'm getting (as info - Target is no longer carrying Vaska but I am able to get it through Alice - which is pretty cool online store for a bunch of things other than just Vaska).

Stains - Nothing works better than some sunshine to get those stains out.  I am happy to report that while Addie's diapers may not be as bright as they were when we first brought them home, they really don't have any major stains.  I try to hang them on the line when I can but haven't been able to do it much lately (more like once a month) but it still does an awesome job of getting rid of the stains.

Leaks - At about 14 months, we started to notice that most nights she was leaking through her cloth diap - we purchased some liners and they definitely helped but added alot of bulk to her diaper.  We decided it would be better at night to switch her to a disposable and that has definitely resolved the problem.  We are also using the disposables during her naptime at school because of the same problem. The liners definitely resolve this problem but we just decided it made the diaper a little too big for our girl to be comfortable.

Durability - We've had zero problems with her diapers holding up....all of the snaps are still in place and the cloth looks great (a few areas look a little worn on the liner but thats it).  The outside of the diaper still looks brand new and Addie still seems perfectly comfortable in them!  I totally expect us to be able to use these again for future babies.  As I blogged about in my first cloth diaper post...we chose the BumGenius Elementals and I would totally recommend these to any one in the market for a good all-in-one cloth diaper.

Using them in Day Care - Since I wrote my last post, Addie has started going full-time to pre-school/daycare.  When looking for the right school, some of the places would not accept cloth diapers...which was a total negative in my book....but lucky for us - our first choice of schools was actually totally cool with the idea of cloth diapers.  All they asked us to provide was a separate diaper pail (I picked up this one off Amazon) and disposable plastic liners for the diaper pail and each used diaper (I buy the cheap 4 gallon trash bags from just about anywhere).  They still follow the same standards when changing her and we just bring home the used diapers every day from school.  It's really been a breeze and they've been totally accommodating!!

Whew...ok, so that was alot of information.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions at all....seriously y'all...cloth diapering is not that much extra work.  It takes about as much time as it would for me to run out to the store and buy disposables on the regular!!

Also, please feel free to comment below on any successes or failures you've experienced with cloth diapers!!

Happy Monday....

toddler product review - gyro bowl

I have to admit....I knew nothing about this bowl until Addie received it as a gift but I'm totally sold on this thing...especially because Addie's love of cheerios runs deep...and my love of cheerios all over my floor...all.the.time - not so much.

So...here are my thoughts a few months in -

Product name: Gryo Bowl

Price: $8.99 on Amazon

Product Description: A bowl designed for those spill-prone tots that insist on carrying their own snacks around.  The bowl when used correctly and held by the rim, spins as the toddler moves to prevent those treats from spilling out of the center bowl.

Pros: This is definitely better than your common snack container at keeping snacks in when open.  Addie thinks its fun to hold and I love the idea that keeps those unintentional snack spills off the floor.

Cons: If you have a kid thats determined to make a mess...they can figure out how to hold the inner bowl in place and still spill everything on the floor....no worries - I'm sure it will still be followed by that ever-innocent "ooppsss"...intentional spills always are in my house:)

Would I buy again or give to a friend?: Yes, its a fun and novel gift that does save your floor a bit...but its not fool proof!

**I have not been paid or in any way incentivized for this review - these opinions are my own**

Have I told you how much I LOVE Tiny Prints...

If I haven't told you lately, I should have.  I've been hooked on Tiny Prints since the day I received my "Save the Date" cards in the mail for my wedding.  I used Tiny Prints' wedding invitation company, Wedding Paper Divas and was awed and impressed with their selection, ease of ordering, and most importantly quality.  So, using them for all of the other important moments in our life was a no-brainer.

Which brings me to the subject of Christmas cards...and y'all it's November, which means Christmas is less than 2 months away and its time to get working on Christmas cards.  I've entrusted Tiny Prints with our Christmas cards for the past 2 years and have been 100% satisfied.  So, onto my fun finds for the current year...we are still working on getting "the family pic," which will likely lead to my choice.

I also highly recommend their matching labels to add another special touch to your coveted holiday greetings.  Last year I ordered labels that actually had a picture in the ornament and was uber impressed with how clearly it came out...despite being small.  I too figured it was a MUCH cheaper route than the customized picture postage stamps.  

We also started a new tradition last year of ordering from Tiny Prints a glossy easel of each years' Christmas Card.  My plan is to display these around the house as a fun memento of Christmas' past.  And with that said..I suppose I should share what our Christmas cards have looked like the past two years...

2009 card and an example of the easel 

2010 card

Happy Christmas card shopping!!

**In the interest of full disclosure - In exchange for this post, Tiny Prints has offered me up some free Christmas cards but that has in NO way influenced my thoughts and opinions expressed above.  I have always been 100% satisfied with the quality of their products!**

Cloth Diapering

**These product opinions are my own - I have not been paid or incentivized in any way to share them**

One of my first few posts...way back when...I wrote about the small steps we take in our house to try and reduce our trash output with cloth diapering being one of those things.  I'm hoping to lay out what we do and how we do it in this post but you may want to read this in sections as this is a really long post!!  Also, I've tried to link up to several other blogs that also have great cloth diapering info too!!

Making the choice:  Considering diapers are a huge source of waste that is going into our shrinking landfill capacity, cloth diapering was one way we felt we could reduce the amount of trash our home generates.  The hubs and I also have SUPER sensitive skin and were both cloth diapered as babies due to pretty severe reactions to disposables.  I know times have changed and disposables have come a long way but I still had a hard time imagining the chemicals that are used in some disposables resting against my girl's tush on a daily basis.  However, cloth diapers are not all rainbows and butterflies, and they certainly aren't free although some consumer experts estimate that you could save anywhere from $1,200 to $3,000 using cloth diapers vs. disposables.

All in Ones, Pockets, or Pre Folds??:  I read a lot of websites about the pros and cons of cloth diapering and did some research on which type of cloth diaper (all in one, pockets, prefolds) would work best for us.  Based on what I found, the hubs and I selected the all in ones mainly because of their ease of use.  I wanted a brand with organic cotton and also preferred the snap closure versus velcro because I felt the snaps would hold up over the years (I am hoping to get at least 2 kids through these diapers and from what I've read that's entirely possible).  I found everything I was looking for in the Bum Genius Elementals, which are also great because they are a "grow with me" style diaper that are designed to fit children from 7 lbs to 35 lbs by simply adjusting the snaps.  We've been successfully using these for 8 months and other than the incredibly long drying time (about an hour and a half) I have 0 complaints.  I love that the cotton used in these diapers is organic and we've had no issues with diaper rash or leaking (other than when operator error is involved).  They come in all sorts of fun colors and often times eliminate my need for a diaper cover under Addie's sun dresses.  They are a tad bit bulkier than disposables but we haven't found it to create any issues when it comes to clothes fitting or hampering her ability to get around.  A few of my blog friends are a bit more adventurous than myself and have used various types and brand of cloth diapers so check out Natalie, over at From Corporate to Domestic here and Mrs Eye Can See, over at the The Juice is Worth the Squeeze here for more info on different types and brands of cloth diapers.  I also follow Rachel, over at Tales of a Monkey, a Bit, and a Bean, who's had great success with the G Diapers and has a wonderful post all about them here.

What do I need to do this?  We started with 12 cloth diapers, 48 cloth wipes, a box of Country Save detergent, a diaper pail, two Kissaluv diaper pail liners, and a diaper sprayer that attaches to the side of the toilet.  While I was home with Addie, the 12 cloth diapers worked well but after returning to work, I purchased 12 more and 24 seems to really work well for us.  We split our purchases between Cotton Babies and Diaper Junction, both online cloth diaper stores and had wonderful experiences with both!  I estimate that our total up front costs were about $650.

What worked and what didn't:

Bum Genius Elementals - LOVE these - they have worked wonderfully and I hope these will last until we are no longer diapering little bambinos.

just the diaper

Kissaluvs Cloth Wipes - These wipes are the perfect size and have a soft side as well as a more abrasive side for dirty butts.  These wash great and get thrown into the pail with the diapers.  We keep a small water bottle sprayer next to the diaper changing station the I use to wet the cloth wipe.  I also use the California Baby diaper spray on those "tough diapers" to help prevent any irritation.

Country Save Detergent - This is the detergent I started with and really had no complaints.  It seemed to work fairly well however, after coming across Vaska detergent one day while shopping at Target, I switched to Vaska for all of my laundering needs.  I've been happier with the Vaska and I personally prefer a liquid detergent to a powder detergent so this is what we're currently using!

Diaper Pail - not much to say here, the flip top is nice and does seem to hold the oders in well.

Kissaluvs Antibacterial Diaper Pail Liners - These are very sturdy and have held up very well despite cycling through the wash with the diapers.  I do recommend owning at least two of these so you always have a liner in the pail - even when you're washing a load.

Diaper Sprayer - This was not such a big hit in our house.  After receiving the kit, we found one of the pieces was defective, which the manufacturer quickly replaced however, this is not sturdy and could easily lead to flooding your whole bathroom if you're not careful with the water cutoff.  We actually don't ever use this either - see below in the "laundering" section for how we get all of the dirtiness out.

Laundering:  Whenever I tell people that we are cloth diapering this is always the topic of conversation that arises.  And personally, I expected much worse...but it really hasn't been bad.  Obviously the wet diapers are a non issue and I just throw those in the diaper pail and go on with it.  For those that are dirtied, the treatment is slightly different.  Depending on what Addie's been eating, some diapers we can simply shake off and put in the pail but others require slightly more work.  For those, I usually turn the diaper upside down so the cloth liner is facing the water in the toilet and let it soak out for about 30 minutes.  Generally speaking, after about 30 minutes I can pull the diaper out of the toilet (by grabbing the exterior liner which has not been in the toilet water) and shake gently to remove any remnants.  I then place the diaper in the pail until it comes time to do the wash.  I wash the dirty diapers every other day and have not had any problems with that schedule thus far.  To wash, I simply empty out the diaper pail liner into the washing machine, set it on "normal" and also add a "prewash" and "extra rinse" cycle.  This cycle lasts about an hour and 20 minutes and I then remove the diapers and either hang on the line for the sun to work its magic or if the weather is not cooperating I throw them in the dryer for about an hour and a half.  And when I say the sun works magic...I mean it does...it removes all of those stains on the diaper - its crazy!  After pulling the diaps off the line, they can be a bit stiff but a couple of minutes in the dryer will soften them right up!

Please, please feel free to comment on your experiences or share any favorites you have when it comes to cloth diapering - I'd love to hear about it!!  I'm hoping to be a little more adventurous when it comes to baby #2 and maybe try some of the pockets and prefolds.

Product Review - McCormicks Recipe Inspirations

With both me and the hubs working full time and the hubs in school, we are lucky to get cereal down for dinner at night so I'm totally game for anything thats easy to make and actually tastes like a real, thought-out, homecooked meal.  So, while perusing the grocery store aisles this weekend - which by the way I try to avoid because it always results in random things in my cart - I came across these McCormicks recipe inspirations packets, which consist of just the right amount of spices and seasonings necessary to make the recipe provided on the back.  I LOVE any and all things Mexican so the Quesadilla casserole was a no brainer for me.  I made this for dinner last night and here's what we found:

Product name: McCormicks Recipe Inspirations - Quesadilla Casserole

Price: $1.99 at Harris Teeter for the spice pack.  I estimate the total cost of ALL of the ingredients, including the spice pack would run you about $16.  This meal has a serving size of 8 - so that's about $2 per serving.
Easy to make: Yes - The times on the package were right on - 25 minute prep time and 15 minutes to cook.  I also REALLY liked that the ingredients were pretty basic and the directions were super simple - ground beef, onion, black beans, corn, tortillas, green chiles, tomato sauce, and cheese.  Even the spices included in the pack were pretty basic - next time I will just use these spices from my pantry.  

Success or Failure: success - even the hubs who really enjoys fancy stuff loved this and told me it was "a keeper" - I rarely get that!  This recipe will be a staple in my book.

Pros:  This dish was very easy and quick to put together and we LOVED the recipe and the end result.  I really like the idea behind these spice packages, especially if you have a recipe that uses spices or seasonings that you would otherwise not keep on hand.  I also love that everything was already measured out so you just pretty much dumped everything together and your chances of putting too much or too little of something were slim - again, a great time savings.  

Cons:  I feel like I'm always listing "pricey" as the con in my reviews.  However, if you already have these ingredients on hand, $1.99 for perfectly measured portions might be a little much!  However, finding a wonderful recipe thats easy to make is worth $1.99 to me and if this recipe had required something I don't usually keep on hand - this would have been perfect.

Other info:  In case you decide to pick this up and try I thought I'd share that I made this recipe as prescribed with the exception of leaving the canned corn undrained.  In looking at the consistency before adding the corn, I thought it would be too watery to leave the juice in so I did drain the juice off the corn and I think that was the right decision.  Also, each of the spice packets are individually sealed and labeled which I thought was great in the event there was something you didn't want to add and hold onto for later use.

Would I buy again or buy for a friend? Yes - not this recipe because I now have it and I keep all of these spices and seasonings on hand.  However, I am eager to try some of the other recipe inspirations they have!

Product Review - California Baby Sunscreen

Disclaimer - I was NOT paid or incentivized in ANY way to write this review - I just like passing along what does and doesn't work for us!

Seeing as though this weekend marks the unofficial start to summer - I thought I'd start off with a product review of some baby sunscreen, thats also great for us grown-ups (especially if you have sensitive skin) to use as well.

Product name: California Baby Sunscreen

Price: $18.59 at Target online (see link above - this price is comparable to what I paid to buy it in the store)

Gender: neutral

Easy to use: Yes - I really really liked the consistency of this lotion - It was thick enough that it didn't make a mess but was absorbed by the skin very quickly with no greasy residue (a huge plus in my book).  It left the skin feeling VERY soft and there was no trademark "white" left behind.  Putting it on Addie's face was a bit difficult but they also make a sunscreen stick (which I have not tried) that would probably be easier for facial application on your wee one.

Success or Failure: success - we love it!

Age she started using it: 6 months - we had no need for it earlier as Addie was an October baby so it really wasn't hard to keep her out of the sun for the first 6 months (which is what is recommended by the docs) but check with your pediatrician, as always, as to when its ok to use this

Age she stopped using it: hhhmm...I'm going to go with 16 - when she decides shes too cool to go to the beach with me or wear sunscreen so she can get the maximum sun exposure (if shes anything like me!)

Pros:  As I mentioned above, this stuff goes on VERY well for a sunscreen and after about 2 hours in the sun, there was NO evidence that we had been out there so I feel pretty confident that the sunscreen  is doing its job.  California Baby is know for their wholistic all-natural products that are great for babies and adults with sensitive skin and this product is no exception.  I did purchase the water resistant variety as we will be spending a good portion of our summer pool side and at the beach so that was a "must" for us.  This product does not contain alot of the harmful chemicals that are found in alot of other sunscreens, even those made specifically for babies.  There is alot of great information out there concerning sunscreens and depending on your needs and skin type - what might just work best for you. 

Cons:  Simply put - this stuff is not cheap.  As the lady at Target scanned it through she must have caught a glimpse of the price because she stopped - looked at the bottle in her hand - looked back at the register screen - looked at me - to which I nodded my head and said "yeah, that really is the price."  She shook her head and placed it in the bag.

Other info:  This post is only meant to be a product review so I won't give the "and..always wear sunscreen (anyone remember the baz luhrman song? ha!)" speal.  But, my friend Cheryl over at Nap Time is the New Happy Hour, posted a very moving and informative series of posts here and here about the benefits of protecting yourself and your baby from the sun as well as some wonderful ideas and products - you really should check it out - it was a great reminder of just how important this stuff is!!!

Would I buy again or buy for a friend? Yes - I'm one of those people that tends to get somewhat set in my ways and when I find something I like and that works I'm very hesitant to change.  So, this will become a staple in the beach/pool bag!

Baby Product Review - Wubbanub Pacifiers

**I have not been paid or in any other way incentivized for this review.  These opinions are my own**
  I've linked up with Amanda over at Serenity Now for the weekend blog party read!!  Hop over and join in on the fun:)

Addie and her duck

Addie has been a paci baby almost from the start.  We learned in our parenting classes that we should not introduce the paci until they were at least 4 weeks old to prevent any kind of nipple confusion if we were breastfeeding and so, the hubs and I requested the hospital staff not give her a paci and outside of some I received at a shower, didn't have any in our house.  We quickly realized though, if we wanted to get any sleep at all, we were going to have to give Addie the paci and she loved it from day 1.  So, we caved about 1 week in and only had one bad BF experience (which I still don't know if it was the paci or just a coincidence) and after that, it was smooth rolling.  So, at Starbucks one morning after S and I had been up almost every 2 hours returning the paci to our dear darlings mouth so she could sleep, Lis introduced us to the wubbanub.  I was in total awe - how could I have missed that in everything baby I had been looking at for the past 11 months??  I immediately went home and ordered a few and its been bliss ever since!

Product name: Wubbanub Pacifier

Price: $9.99 at Babies R Us

Gender: neutral

Easy to clean: Yes and No.  The stuffed animal on the end is easy to clean by just throwing it through the wash.  But, then you have to clean the paci end, and of course, because of the stuffed animal, you can't sterilize:(

Success or Failure: Huge success!!

Age she started using it: 6 weeks

Age she stopped using it: Still going strong at 6 1/2 months

Pros:  Addie seriously adores these little pacis.  She gets so excited about them, and has to have hers before she goes to bed at night.  I love that they have the stuffed animal on the end for a couple of reasons:
* Once Addie gained control of her hands she no longer needs us to give her the paci back in the middle  of the night because she can always find the stuffed animal
* Due to their size, they don't easily fall out of the crib and they are hard to lose and easy to find in a diaper bag
* It provides that "security" feel because she can hold onto and pull the stuffed animal against her chest
* It's so darn cute to see her with what looks like a stuffed animal hanging out of her mouth 
* Some mornings I find her awake and playing with the stuffed animal in her crib.
Prior to purchasing the wubbanubs, we lost pacis ALL.THE.TIME and those things start to add up.  These obviously cost way more than a normal paci but I'm pretty sure we've made our money back.

Cons:  Like I noted above, you can't really sterilize these things like I'd like to and they are much easier to throw across the room with the stuffed animal on the end.  In hind sight, we may have waited until Addie was about 2 or 3 months to start using them - it may have been a little early at first.  But, from the beginning she has loved the stuffed animal.

Other info:  These pacis come in all different kinds of stuffed animals.  We have two ducks (go figure, right:)) and two elephants but they are all adorable.  It is a soothie paci on the end so if you're baby isn't a fan of that type of paci, this probably won't be a good fit.  Also, I'm VERY sensitive to the SIDS issue (scares me to death) and Addie doesn't have any extras in her crib.  But, pacifiers are shown to reduce the risk of SIDS and the stuffed animal, in my opinion, isn't big enough that she could smother her face in it. So, we're ok with putting her down with it at night, although I did have some reservations at first.

Would I buy again or buy for a friend? Yes - we love these and thankfully because they are so big we have managed to not lose any of the 4 we bought when Addie was 6 weeks old.  They also make adorable shower gifts!


J

Product Review - Laser Hair Removal

Back in my single days, I was overly obsessed with my appearance (spent hours at the gym and was in constant search of magic hair and make-up products) - not that I no longer care what I look like, but I'm more concerned with making it out of the door on time and in one piece than making sure every strand of hair is in place.  So, needless to say, when my roommate told me about the laser hair removal treatments she having, I thought it was just what I needed.  You see, I have very dark hair that is unfortunately, very coarse - which of course means, that I have to shave often and I usually suffer from those nasty ingrown hairs:(  So, the idea of having a few laser treatments and never dealing with the hair or shaving issue again, sounded like a dream come true.  I decided to start with my armpits because they were without fail the worst area for ingrown hairs and I'm glad I didn't go much further.  The results lasted for about 2 years - here are the details:

the laser machine

Product Name: Laser Hair Removal (via Sona Medspa)

Price: Around $550 for 5 sessions of underarm hair removal

Product Description:  Laser hair removal is a process that involves a laser (well, duh ;)) that they pass over the skin, which acts to burn the hair follicle.  It took about 45 seconds per armpit and felt like 1,000 tweezers tweezing out my underarm hair at once (its not comfortable to say the least).  They do offer some gel you can put on the area that acts as a topical anesthetic but its still very uncomfortable.  Prior to attending the session, you can have absolutely NO sun exposure to the area for 30 days prior to and there is also a long list of medications that you can't be on while having the treatments (nor can you be pregnant).  The procedure was performed by an RN in a very relaxing, spa-type setting and despite the pain of the procedure, it was a nice experience.  After the procedure, your hair will start to fall out about 2 weeks later and generally starts to grow back in about 2 months.  The hair that returns is patchy and generally much finer in texture.  They recommend 5 sessions because hair apparently grows in cycles so the goal is that at the end of all of the sessions they will have eradicated all of the hair that grows during the different cycles.  According to the hype, while you may not have permanent hair removal, you will have permanent hair reduction.  

Pros:  Hhhmmm...lets see, at the beginning I had great success and only had to shave my underarms about once a month.  There was barely any hair there and the hair that was there was very fine.  The spa setting was also nice.

Cons:  Well the short story is this - every.inch.of.hair.has.returned!  I'm not even kidding, even the ingrown hairs are back and I'm only 5 years out from my treatments.  In all honesty, the first two years went well but after that it has been a steady regression to the hairy days of past - bummer.  For the price, I really thought that although it may not get rid of all of that hair forever, it would at least change the texture and lessen the amount so that I could enjoy life without ingrown hairs.  A girl can dream...right?!

Would I buy again or give to a friend? No - not for the price...or the pain.

J

Product Review - Vaska Laundry Detergent

**I have not been paid or in any other way incentivized - these opinions are my own**

Prior to Addie's arrival, I had always been a sale shopper when it came to laundry detergent and was not committed to any particular brand.  This all changed, of course, when Addie arrived and we knew we would either need to use a baby type detergent or a "free and clear" solution from one of the big brands.  So, we started using the Method Free and Clear which worked well with everyone's skin but it really seemed to be fading out our clothes and making everything very rough.  I couldn't get down with that, so I started looking for different brands and happened upon Vaska one day at Target.  I read the bottle and it looked great on the bottle, it was very earth-friendly and claimed to be safe for babies so I picked up a bottle and figured I'd look into it once I got home and if everything looked good, I'd give it a go.  Here's what I found:

Product Name: Vaska Herbatergent "Free and clear"

Price: $15.99 for 64 load bottle

Product Description: This product uses real herbs and botanical cleansing agents for performance stain removal and freshness and was created and started by Julia Fry, a fashion designer, whos passion for textiles inspired her to create a botanical cleaning solution.  Vaska does not contain Nonylphenol ethoxylates, (NPEs), chlorine, phosphates, alcohol, optical brighteners, animal products, EPA priority pollutants, or dyes and has been tested by the Fashion Institute of Technology and compared to name brands such as Tide and is found to have the same stain removing power as other, less eco-friendly brands.  Even its packaging is earth-friendly, using post-consumer recycled plastic in its bottles.  There is a great article here that goes into greater depth about this product.  

Pros:  It's earth friendly and does a great job washing my clothes.  It is "free and clear" of all dyes and perfumes but still has a nice clean scent to it.  It leaves clothes feeling soft (I don't use any fabric softener) and lets clothes hold their color.  It's also baby friendly and I have had no problems at all washing Addie's clothes in this.

Cons:  It's a bit pricey for laundry detergent and the consistency of the detergent is a bit watery although that doesn't effect the cleaning power of this stuff, just caught me off guard a little.

Would I buy again or give to a friend: Yes, I am a convert and will use this from here on out!

Happy laundering!!

J

Baby Product Review - Evenflo Exersauser

she was trying to tell us how much she loves it!

Addie is absolutely loving her exersauser right now so I thought it might be good to blog about all of the different baby items we've had success with and those things we haven't had success with - starting with her exersauser.  These reviews are solely my opinion and not influenced in any way and are products we have bought for our daughter.  I clearly remember being 6 months pregnant and so overwhelmed when it came time to figuring out what we were going to need around here when she finally made her arrival.  So, heres hoping that someone might get some use of my successes and failures with various baby products.

Product name: Evenflo Exersauser Triple Fun Jungle

Price: $119.99 at Babies R Us

Gender: neutral

Easy to clean: Yep!

Success or Failure: Huge success

Age she started using it: 4 months

Age she stopped using it: still going strong at 5 1/2 months

Ease of assembly: I certainly don't give it an A in this department.  I gave up after about 30 minutes of working on it and my husband spent about another 45 minutes before he had it put together.  It's alot to put together and so it just takes some time and patience.

Pros:  I love all of the bright colors as they really seem to catch Addie's attention.  It also moves up and down-not johnny jump up style but enough to keep her entertained when she wants to bounce - which she loves to do.  The seat moves in a complete circle so she can play with all of the different things - which she does.  It has several things that either light up or play music so that also keeps her more entertained than the norm.  It also has 3 different height adjustments so I feel confident that it will grow with her - which is wonderful!

Cons:  Like I said earlier, it takes a little longer than I would have hoped to put together.

Entertainment Time:  Addie gets bored after about 20 minutes - pretty much once she's spent about 5 minutes at each toy she's ready for a change of scenery.

Other info:  This exersauser actually comes with a tummy time type mat that they can start using much earlier and actually progresses to a table/entertainment center when they start to stand.  The latter part had some safety concerns in the reviews I read but the mat and the exersauser are great!

Would I buy again or buy for a friend? Yes - my mom actually bought it for her best friends' daughter's baby shower!

J