Fresh Food Is Better for Baby. Let Munchkin Help.

I bought the Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder a couple months ago to try out on my baby boy and I finally broke it out of the packaging this week. What a success--he absolutely loved it! 
          

Now, I wont lie, it was a little gross watching the soft banana ooze out of the net but it was so satisfying watching my little guy enjoy fresh foods. It took him all of 5 seconds to figure out that there was food in the "pacifier" before he latched on and got to business! (My boy is already a fat kid at heart! He loves food) I'm going to try to put some mango or melon in the net and see how that works out (it works great with super soft fruits & veggies). 

The one down-side to this product is that it's a little bit of a hassle to clean. The banana that was left in the netting was gooey and hard to get out of the stitching that holds the net together. It took me about 5 minutes to clean by hand (I could tell as soon as I opened the feeder and glanced inside that a spin through the dish washer would not do the trick.) Five minutes as a mom with an infant is too long to spend cleaning one item...I will, however, be sucking it up and dealing with having to clean it because it is such a great little product from every other angle. 

You can find this little feeder at CVS, Walgreens, Target, Babies"R"Us, etc and will only run you about $8.00. Happy Feeding!

4 THINGS EVERY MOM FINDS OUT...AFTER THE FACT

1. Anything Will Do As A Chew Toy. Save Your Money.

Yes, that is my son's ipad holder. :) Teethers? He can't be bothered with them.

2. Anything Soft = Stuffed Animal

 All babies want comfort. When mommy & daddy aren't available, anything soft will do. Stuffed animals are cute but not necessary. The blue polka-dot thingy he is holding came with a play mat I bought him. Its suppose to be a tummy time pillow. My boy wouldn't let this thing go for 2-3 weeks.

3.Fancy Toys Aren't Necessary OR Necessarily Wanted 

That my friends, is a bonafide, vintage-style rattle. As you can see, my son was enchanted. lol. On top of the fact that this toy will only run you about $4.00, the other great thing is that the solid handle will help with your baby's hand dexterity. 

4. Hand Mittens DO NOT Work...

^^socks on hands and not on feet-- imagine that. :) ^^

... Especially on little, new born hands. Unless you give birth to a 12 lb. baby (& God bless you if you do!) those mittens will not fit snugly enough around your baby's wrist. It's best you use socks. The elastic on socks is much more reliable.

Baby Snug and Activity Tray

What I love about the Mamas and Papas Baby Snug Seat and the activity tray (sold separately)is that it promotes independent sitting for your baby and (a big bonus) promotes socializing! When your beautiful bundle is at that age that they cant sit on their own, crawl, etc., where are they usually? That's right, on mommy's hip. While that is great strength training for you moms, it puts a damper on baby's socializing if there are other babies around. The booster seat allows for you to put baby down on the ground, putting him right where the action is. Look at the picture below; it is probably the first "play date" RJ and his cousin had together. It was too cute.

What if there aren't any other babies around? The Mamas and Papas Baby Snug seat is good for your baby's development anyway. The inner seat (removable for when your baby is big enough to sit up on his/her own) gives baby the support he needs to sit without you holding or propping him! This is where the activity tray transforms from cool to outright amazing; the activity tray will keep your little one distracted, all-the-while stimulating his/her brain through color, texture, noise, fun! And while all of that is going on, baby's muscles are growing stronger from sitting in the upright position!

The Baby Snug also comes in different colors (I bought RJ teal at Babies"R"Us). The whole kit-and-caboodle will run you about $80!

Happy Shopping! 

Website of The Month: Baby First TV

For this month, my favorite website is Baby First TV. Baby first not only is its own TV channel, focused on the development of newborns to toddlers, but it has an amazing website to boot. You can watch videos with your little one, play games, learn more about their TV channel, ipad and ipod apps, you can order DVDS, toys, the works! 

Studies show that the brain of a baby can absorb so much more than the mind of an adolescent or adult. Why not take advantage of it? Baby First is made to help you do just that! Check out the link to the website that I have posted for you on the right hand side. 

Happy Learning!

SIT & STROLL BY LILLY GOLD

I'm sure you remember how I raved about the Orbit G2 stroller and I'm still in love with it. (I'm actually about to buy the 'Next Step' system now that my little one is not so little.) Anyways, I bought the Lilly Gold 5-in-1 stroller because it was recommended by my mother-in-law (she used it with all 5 of her children) for traveling purposes; this is a FAA-certified stroller which means that airlines will allow it onto their planes!

Let me tell you, this stroller is so versatile and I LOVE it! It has a wide seat and neck support pillow attachment so baby is comfortable even on long trips. The wheels tuck into the bottom of the seat and release with the simple pull of a lever. The steering handles slide into and out of the top of the stroller just as easy as the wheels do. The picture below was taken off the Lilly Gold website and shows how the stroller/car seat can be used.

Now that my household has two strollers, one stroller is in my husband's car and one is in my SUV. The Lilly Gold stroller is an excellent purchase (it will run you back about $350) if you plan on traveling with your little one or just enjoy the simplicity of all-in-one type products. 

Happy Strolling! 

5 MOMMY MUST-HAVES FOR SUMMER

Living in Texas, Summer, for me, is a far cry from comfortable. The humidity, the weather of 100+ degrees, the unacceptable way the sun beams down on my head all day, the mosquitos...you get the point.  

I have put together a short lists of tried&true products you should add to your baby bag this summer to make your baby's summer a little more comfortable. Bug repellent, breezy blankets, and a few other easy to store, inexpensive products. Happy shopping.

#1 BabyGanics Shoo Fly Bye Insect Repellent

This will run you back about $9.00. Can be found at Target & Babies'R'Us.

#2  Kids' Crocs Littles

Depending on the design, these adorable Crocs will set you back $20-35

#3 Aiden + Anais Swaddle Cloths

Check out the Aden + Anais website for the most variety; Get a 4-pack for $50

#4 Stroller/Car Seat Netting

The Babies'R'Us brand is only $6!

#5 California Baby After Sun Aloe Vera Cream

Target and Babies'R'Us sale this brand & this product runs about $13 ;Check the California Baby website for their other great products.

AVENT BREAST PUMP:: TRIED + TRUE

First, let me say, before I tell you how much I like this pump: The Avent brand pump was the only pump I tried so I cant say how great of a product it is up against its competitors BUT I was so satisfied with this pump that I had no desire to try another pump out. (I hear that that is a normal occurrence in the mommy world.)

Anyways, the pump is electric and can also be used manually. This double pump allows you to pump both breasts simultaneously (a great help for the 100% of moms who don't want to spend all day pumping and storing milk!)It's super easy to put together and the instructions are simple and to the point. Yes! This pump also has memory! This means that you can manually pump until you figure out the speed and suction strength you are comfortable at, pump at that desired rate for 3 or 4 pumps, hit the blue button on the pump handle, and the machine will mimic what you were doing! Even after you turn the machine off, when you're ready to pump again it pumps at your desired rate automatically. Now, how cool is that?

The Avent Double Breast Pump also comes with these nice suction pads that also work as massagers for your breast as you pump; it actually feels pretty good (especially if you have to pump multiple times a day to keep up with your baby's appetite.Your boobs can get pretty sore). It also comes with two starter, 4-ounce bottles that may be great for most babies but, if you have a baby with an amazon appetite like my child who went from 4-ounces to 8-ounces in a matter of a month and a half, you may need to buy bigger bottles from the beginning! 

I bought mine at Babies"R"Us but I no longer see it on their website or on the Avent brand site. Avent does have another breast pump with the same name so, I think, it's safe to say that the pump has just been given a cosmetic makeover. The pump will set you back $251.

The down side to this product is that, besides the machine that powers everything, the pump breaks into a lot of different pieces (more things to clean and keep track of), and small amounts of milk gets lost in between the plastic and suction cup ( a bummer for moms who don't produce a lot of milk in the first place. Hey, the little milk loss could be one good gulp for baby!) Anyways, I still love my pump. :)  

Bottom Line: good investment, good quality, good purchase.