Baby Brain Reviews

Versatile baby blanket from Rain or Shine Kids.

2010-08-24T21:09:00.000-07:00

From The Baby Gizmo Co. & Ratedbymom.com

My favorite baby/toddler blanket is hands down our fleece blanket from Rain or Shine Kids. These adorable blankets are generously sized for babies at 29″ x 40″. They have so many uses which is why they are our favorite blanket. When your baby needs some extra warmth in their infant car seat carrier the blanket can be tied to the sides keeping it secure whether in the car or out and about. This is the only blanket I feel comfortable using in the stroller since I can tie it on and feel confident it won’t be getting tossed or end up in the wheels. The Rain or Shine Kids blanket is also the only blanket I can use with my baby carrier. Once you tie it to the straps your baby will be warm and cozy and I even use the extra flap to help shade my baby and coax her into sleeping.

If you tie the straps together the blanket makes a great nursing cover. Have no worries on drizzly or snowy days because the blanket’s backing is water resistant. This water resistant backing makes it a great play mat for outdoors. The Rain or Shine Kids blanket is the lightest blanket for the cold weather. They also make an all weather WooBee blanket that will keep your little one warm in any weather. For the summers they make an ultralight organic cotton blanket that will keep your kids cool and protected from the sun with a UPF rating of 30+.

Woombie: Your new favorite swaddler!

2010-08-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

From The Baby Gizmo Co. & Ratedbymom.com

At 4 months my daughter decided 45 minute naps were long enough. I however disagreed and thus began my search for tips, tricks, and tools that would help her sleep longer. I tried patting her back, rocking her, swaddling her but nothing worked until I found the Woombie. Her first nap in the woombie lasted over 2 hours long!

The Woombie is a swaddler made of a cotton and spandex blend encouraging baby to softly stretch extremities as needed, just like in the womb. The Woombie comforts, softly confines arms & gently compresses baby’s unique curves to hug baby… preventing startling issues, face scratching, overheating. The Woombie is also a great alternative to loose blankets preventing dangerous situations where the blanket could cover a baby’s face.

My daughter loves the original but for babies that NEED their arms out they also sell a convertible swaddler that allows for arms in, one arm in, or both out depending on what your child wants. There is also a leggings version available which is great for use in bouncers, swings, and strollers. A convertible leggings version will be out in September for maximum customization for your child. The Woombie is available in over 25 different colors and styles.

The Woombie retails between $27 and $29 but right now you can find them as low as $12 in the clearance section of Woombie’s site.

Happy World Breastfeeding Week!

2010-08-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

From The Baby Gizmo Co. & Ratedbymom.com

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) organizes the World Breastfeeding Week annually for August 1st to August 7th. The goal of the week as well as for WABA as a whole is to “Protect, Promote, and Support Breastfeeding Worldwide.” In the spirit of the week here are some of our favorite breastfeeding accessories.

Breastpads
Our favorite disposable pads are Lansinoh’s ultra thin pads. However cloth pads will save you money and are more comfortable to boot. Our favorites are the invisipadz from AmazPadz. These pads are huge, super soft and will soak up anything but are sewn just right so they are invisible under your clothing. Perfect. They come in a range of colors and styles. Just email shop@amazpadz.com to put in your custom order.

Nursing Pillow
There are quite a few contenders in this area the most famous being the Boppy and My Breast Friend. I own both and use them all the time and they are great pillows but our favorite is Theraline’s Original Nursing Pillow or as its affectionately called the “Big V.” The Original Theraline Maternity & Nursing Pillow has a filling made up of millions of micro beads that are light as a feather. This amazing filling conforms to the shape of your body, no matter what position you are in… whether lying down or sitting up and it always remains firmly in place without giving way. All of these features make it an ideal nursing pillow as well as a great maternity pillow for sleeping. We love our baby products to do double duty and that’s just what you get here.

Nursing stool
We used the Medela Nursing Stool. It’s hard to imagine such a little stool can make such a big difference but believe us it does. Using this stool relieves so much pressure off our your legs, back, arms and shoulders. The stool also promotes good positioning for your baby which means a good latch and no more sore nipples. Hallelujah!

Manual Breastpump
Our favorite is the Medela Harmony Breastpump. Even if you own or plan on registering for an electric pump I would still highly recommend a manual pump. The Harmony travels so much smaller and lighter. There are no cords or batteries or large backpacks. Its also great for those early days when your milk comes in and you don’t need a full pump but you do need to relieve the pressure before your baby latches on. The Harmony is set apart from other manual pumps because of its 2-Phase Expression® technology– a dual pumping pattern that comes closer than ever to the way a baby naturally breastfeeds.

Lanolin cream
Lanolin cream is a Godsend in those first few days with your newborn. Lanolin naturally soothes and heals sore and cracked nipples. Since its all natural it does not need to be removed before breastfeeding. If you are allergic to wool you unfortunately will not be able to use Lanolin. Our favorite is Lansinoh since its pure lanolin making it safe for baby. Be careful of other brands that add moisturizers since you may have to wipe it off before nursing. While your husband is making a midnight run to the store for the Lanolin cream you can use your own breastmilk in the meantime. Breastmilk also has a lot of soothing and healing qualities. You never need to clean or dry off your nipples after a feeding. Actually rubbing the milk around the affected area and then allowing time to air dry is recommended and will do wonders for sore nipples.

Nursing cover
If you have a baby who is tolerant of being covered by a blanket while nursing then you can find a nursing cover useful in public. Two of our favorites are the B alboa Baby and Bebe au Lait nursing covers. They both have structured reinforced necklines so you can make eye contact with your baby while feeding yet not put on a show. The tie is also adjustable to fit the cover just right. Balboa Baby has a convenient pocket included in front and Bebe au Lait features pockets on the inside for nursing pads or other essentials. The styles are very fashionable and will fit right in with any wardrobe or diaper bag. If your baby refuses to be covered by a blanket or cover there are some very clever alternatives like the Moboleez Breastfeeding Hats or Baby Bond Couture.

You may hear the cash register going off in your head with so many accessories being listed but take comfort in all the money you are saving by not having to buy formula every week.

Your kid’s favorite yogurt snacks make a great frozen treat.

2010-08-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

From The Baby Gizmo Co. & Ratedbymom.com
Frozen deserts are a must in my house during the hot summer months and I just found my new favorite for the kids and maybe for me too. I noticed on the box of our favorite tubed yogurt that you can toss them in the freezer for a frozen yogurt snack. Genius! I decided to go for it last week and now the lil critter’s can’t get enough. Easy to eat and shockingly not that messy or maybe that’s just because the kids eat them so quickly.

Here are some of our favorites:

Stoneyfield yokids squeezers. These are our absolute favorite since they are organic, have 25% less sugar than the leading kids’ yogurt, and are yummy. The available flavors are cheery, beery and strawberry.

Yoplait Simply GoGurt. Easier on the budget since it’s not organic but still free from artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners. Available in Strawberry and Mixed Berry.

Horizon Tuberz. A yummy and organic yogurt available in Surfin’ Strawberry, Blueberry Wave, Strawberry Lemonade Squeeze and Sour Apple Spray.

Spotlight Product Review: Valco Baby Hitch Hiker

2010-08-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

From The Baby Gizmo Co. & Ratedbymom.com

The best stroller accessory to have is the Valco Baby Hitch Hiker. The Hitch Hiker takes your favorite single stroller and transforms it into a double. The Hitch Hiker fits a large variety of strollers from cheap umbrella to Baby Jogger’s City Mini to an all terrain stroller like Bumbleride’s Indie . This board can even fit some side by side doubles meaning you can stroll with three kids and still fit through doorways. And, of course, the Hitch Hiker works great with all of Valco Baby’s strollers!

The board has 2 small wheels similar to scooter wheels that give the board a smooth ride at the mall or on even sidewalks. It even rode across grass with ease however it was a pretty bumpy ride across cracked sidewalks. The board sits up nice and high off the ground so even the tallest parents won’t be kicking it.

The Valco Baby folks have thought of everything when it came to designing this board. There are two brackets that install easily onto your stroller frame. These pieces stay on the stroller even when the board is not in use. The board then easily slides into these brackets and you are ready to go in seconds. Time to fold you stroller back up? No problem the board slides out just as easily with the push of two safety tabs. If your lil bugger is jumping on and off while you stroll you can hinge the board up and use the included clip to keep it out of your way and bring it back down when he is ready to ride again. This board fits so many strollers because of all the adjustment options Valco Baby gave the user. There is an adjustment for the width of the stroller legs, the angle of the board, and the length of the arms which determine the distance of the board to the stroller. The board doesn’t block the function of the rear breaks but it does however block your access to the foot brake. It may be a bit inconvenient at times to bend down and use your hand to break the stroller but there are more then enough pluses to overlook this minus.

Valco Baby recommends the child riding on the Hitch Hiker be over 2 years old. However it will probably fit kids 2.5 or 3 better since they are a bit taller and more coordinated. This board will continue to grow with your child from toddlerhood on with a 66 lb weight limit. We love this ride along board for its universal design, easy installation and smooth ride. We love it most of all because it saves us from having to buy a sit n stand stroller.

Wet bags are a mom’s best friend

2010-08-14T15:50:00.000-07:00

From The Baby Gizmo Co. & Ratedbymom.com

Wet bags are an ultra convenient bag made of a waterproof PUL or polyurethane laminate. Think of all the great uses for a waterproof bag: wet swimsuits, sweaty gym clothes, dirty shoes, potty training accidents when you are out and about, small wet bags even make great lunch bags. These bags contain all the icky, smelly messes we have to deal with but manage to come out of the dryer sparkling clean and ready for the next battle. That’s right these bags can be thrown in both the washer and dryer on your normal cycle, they couldn’t possibly be anymore convenient. There are several dozens of brands to choose from. Most cloth diaper companies make their own wetbags but if you want some personalization there are plenty of stay at home moms selling wetbags on etsy and hyenacart that can even use your favorite fabric. Here are our favorite brands:

Bummis: They make a small and medium size both of which are great sizes for travelling. They fold up nice and small so you can store them anywhere until you need them. I love the strap with the convenient snap so you can attach it to anything you want. One of my favorite uses lately is to store a small changing pad, a travel pack of wipes and a couple of diapers and hang it on the handle of my stroller. I no longer need to bring a diaper bag with me on long walks in the neighborhood. This bag also has a zipper to contain everything so if someone makes a messy diaper and there isn’t a garbage in site I can throw it back in the bag to contain the stink. Fabulous! Check them out at bummis.com

Planet Wise: This company specializes in wet bags. Its what they do and they do it well. These bags are in two layers, an inside layer of the waterproof PUL and an outside layer of gorgeous fabrics. They offer so many prints you are bound to find one to fit your style. They also have bags that have two compartments; one for dry items and the second larger compartment for wet or dirty items. These w et/dry bags come in two sizes: large or extra large. Their more traditional wetbags come in small, medium and large . They also have a brand new product out called the swim bag. Its large like a beach bag but is waterproof and machine washable making those trips to swim lessons just a little bit drier. Check them out at planetwiseinc.com

Sweet Slings: The name is confusing but its because Shanna, mom of three, started out making slings and soon moved on from there. She still makes slings but my absolute favorite item in her shop are her kitchen wet bags. Why do you need a wet bag in the kitchen? Well in an effort to go green we have begun using birdseye cloth towels in the kitchen to reduce our paper towel use (which I am loving by the way). Shanna has brilliantly designed her wet bags to hang from the oven door. Now I can take a towel wipe down my self-feeding one year old, high chair, floor, tv and whatever else she managed to fling food onto and throw it in the wet bag for laundry day. The zipper does a great job of preventing all those wet towels from stinky up your kitchen. Shanna’s fabric choices are endless, literally. If she doesn’t have a fabric for you then suggest one, her customer service is fantastic. Like the planet wise bags there are two layers but sewn in such a way that the PUL layer will not have to be stuffed back into the bag after washing. These bags also work great in the bathroom for washcloths after bathtime. Check them out at sweetslings.net

We love our wet bags for their ability to look so clean and stylish while doing the dirty work for us mamas.