Baby Archives - Page 2 of 4

Keep an Eye Out With The Baby Touch WiFi Video Monitor

March 10, 2015 by Beeb Leave a Comment

Sample provided.

Baby monitors have become incredibly high-tech in the 21st Century. No longer are you limited to listening to the sounds of baby’s nursery through a crackling walkie-talkie – now with the easy availability of video monitors, you can see what’s going on in real time. It really wasn’t very long ago that I was using a dial-up Internet connection and watching the choppiest, postage-stamp-sized videos, so I am continually amazed by how fast technology has evolved!

The Baby Touch WiFi Video Monitor from Summer Infant takes this to yet another level. This isn’t just a standalone video monitor – it’s also an Internet Viewing System, which means you can also view the video stream from your smartphone, computer, or tablet. The set comes with one video camera and one touchscreen, handheld video monitor. The monitor includes two-way communication, and can be moved around to any room of the house with you.

The video camera itself can be watched in the daytime and at night or in low light, controlled remotely to turn left or right, move up and down or zoom in, with its video encrypted for peace of mind. If you’re not at home, you can also use the Summer Link WiFi app for viewing video with the ability to receive alerts on your phone. This is great for giving parents peace of mind if the kids are with Grandma while they go on a dinner date, or if one parent is traveling and just wants to check in.

Baby reads the video monitor instructions

The baby helps us read the video monitor instructions 😉

I brought this over for my cousin and her family to try out, and they were super excited about all the features. They’d been wanting to upgrade to a video monitor, and this is perfect for letting Baby J play in the living room while his mom cooks in the kitchen, since she’ll be able to keep an eye on him. Our big helper “Read” the directions for us while sitting in his new Summer Infant Bentwood High Chair!

The Baby Touch WiFi Video Monitor & Internet Viewing System retails for $299.99 and is available at major retailers and online; visit Summer Infant on Twitter and Facebook for more on the company and their products.

Sitting Pretty With The Bentwood High Chair

March 6, 2015 by Beeb Leave a Comment

Product provided.

There are baby products that are made of plastic and meant to be discarded after the children leave diapers. And then there are higher quality items that are more of an heirloom piece – the kind that adapts with your children as they grow and can be kept around. I’d say that the Bentwood High Chair by Summer Infant falls into the latter category.

With a solid wood frame and comfortable cushioned pads, this high chair is meant to be both durable and attractive. The initial assembly time of this high chair is pretty reasonable, and once it’s all put together, it’s fully adaptable to whatever stage your child is in, from birth up to 50 pounds, so you can use it again and again – it comes with a newborn insert to accommodate your little one at their youngest, complete with an adorable teddy bear motif:

As your child grows, just remove the newborn insert to convert it to “Big Boy Mode”:

Of course, the high chair comes with a safety harness to keep its precious cargo secure.

I thought this high chair would be great for our cousin’s family, so I brought this over for Baby J, who sat right down for snacktime!

His parents are already Summer Infant fans, and this just solidified it. They loved the high chair and couldn’t believe how much it could do – it really has a lot of features. You can adjust the high chair up, down, as well as recline, use it with the snack tray or remove it to push the chair up to a table as a booster seat. You can store the snack tray on the back of the high chair to get it out of the way – it takes a little maneuvering to pop the tray pieces out and set them into place, although I wonder if that might get easier with use.

When not in use, the high chair folds up halfway so you can slide it out of the way, which is always nice.

This little man gives the Bentwood High Chair a big thumbs-up! You can snag one for yourself online or at Buy Buy Baby for $179.99.

Learn more about the Bentwood High Chair and other items by visiting Summer Infant on Facebook and Twitter!

Philips AVENT Audio Baby Monitor: A Great Baby Shower Gift

January 24, 2015 by Beeb Leave a Comment

Sample provided.

A baby monitor is one of those standard items that most parents receive during baby showers or soon after the infant arrives. Philips AVENT is a trusted brand that has been around for 30 years, so I was anxious to check out their Audio Baby Monitor for my cousin’s child, Baby J.

The Philips AVENT Audio Baby Monitor is a modern upgrade on a classic piece of equipment found in almost every nursery. I brought it over to Grandma’s house to investigate a little further, and it got enthusiastic reviews from the whole family, including my aunt and Grandma, who called it “Amazing”. Given that Grandma has literally decades of experience with babies, she knows a thing or two about baby products and how they’ve changed over the years; an endorsement from her tells me this is a truly quality piece of equipment!

So, what makes this an improvement over older models? For starters, this can be used in any room – Baby J’s old monitor was stationary. This can be carried around with you, so you’re not tethered; it can even be taken outside – it has a range of up to 330 meters, depending on surroundings.

The Philips AVENT Audio Baby Monitor also has an array of other features including two way communication, so your baby can hear you talking back to them. It also includes a temperature readout, so you can keep an eye on how warm or cool baby’s room is.

The Audio Baby Monitor also comes complete with data encryption, alleviating another modern problem: Remember that episode of Modern Family where the baby monitor was picking up conversations from the neighbor’s monitor? Well, you won’t have to worry about that with the DECT technology on this unit.

Some items never go out of style; The Philips AVENT Audio Baby Monitor is a great example of a classic product that has adapted to present-day needs and incorporated helpful new features as technology improves. It has a suggested retail price of $149.99 and is available at retailers such as Walmart, Babies “R” Us and Amazon.com.

Namely Newborns Personalized Gifts are Precious Indeed!

December 5, 2014 by Heather Heyer 1 Comment

Sample provided.A friend of mine recently adopted a super sweet joyful little baby boy. What a gift this was to her and I wanted to celebrate with her with something unique that would last a life time! What a perfect opportunity I have to create something that is specially personalized with Namely Newborns Personalized Gifts.

Namely Newborns has a wonderful inventory of everything that you could need for baby and the parents to be. I spent a lot of time exploring their online store to find that perfect gift. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for exactly but I knew I would find “That Gift” when I saw it. Many things caught my eye from diaper bags to dolls, the possibilities were endless and the result would be a personalized one of a kind gift.

There were so many things to choose from and I really love all of the natural cotton and organic gifts that are available from Namely Newborns. I narrowed my search down to an animal theme to match his nursery and there it was!… The cutest EVER elephant tummy time play mat to have personalized with his full name. Oh! That thing is cute! I also wanted him to have what I call, a “Lovey” and was able to find the matching elephant to have personalized with his little nickname.

It was well packaged and presented for shipping. I was over the moon in love with the set I received! The elephant tummy mat and little lovey melted my heart when I felt how soft they were. The quality was exceptional and they even included a little card for me to fill out with my congratulations.

My friend received these precious gifts from me and got a little misty with sentiment and appreciation. “This is the most special gift I have ever received.” To me, that was the biggest gift, to know that she loved it. Thank you Namely Newborns for a job well done.

Visit Namely Newborns at Namelynewborns.com

Highly recommended by a MomStart mom.

MommyMeds App: Free Until December 1st!

November 20, 2014 by Beeb 1 Comment

This is a partnered post. This post is for informational purposes only; always consult with a doctor for medical advice.

Expectant mothers have a lot on their mind – and a lot to be mindful of. The list of “Do this” and “Don’t do that” seems to be endless for pregnant women! That’s why the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center’s InfantRisk Center has launched a new app and accompanying website, MommyMeds. The app serves as a resource for mommies-to-be, providing lists of appropriate drugs for conditions while pregnant or breastfeeding plus safety ratings for over 20,000 medications and vitamins, with a convenient barcode scanner built in. The app was created with help from Thomas Hale, R.Ph.,Ph.D., a leading expert in perinatal pharmacology.

A healthy mom makes a healthy baby,” InfantRisk Center Executive Director, Dr. Hale said. “There’s almost always something a pregnant mother can use safely, and we want to promote that with a variety of useful tools and information.”

MommyMeds is available for both Android and iOS; and until December 1st, it will be available free in the iTunes App Store! Afterwards, it will be available in both iTunes and the Google Play store for $1.99.

Happy Buffet, Happy Baby!

November 13, 2014 by Beeb 1 Comment

Samples provided.

Last month, I hosted a Halloween-themed bachelorette party. This wasn’t your typical bachelorette party in any sense: The bride-to-be brought her grandchildren, ages 5 and 1, along for the celebration, and we had a fun, family-friendly night playing candy corn bingo, watching Mickey Mouse with the little ones, and enjoying all the Halloween snacks that I had made, like mummy hot dogs and spider deviled eggs! And since we had little ones in attendance, I thought it would be fun to set out a special kid’s menu. And who better to provide the snacks than Happy Family?

The Halloween kiddie menu consisted of all kinds of seasonal treats from the Happy Baby and Happy Tot lines – let’s take a look at what was served:

Pumpkin, Apple, Peach & Cinnamon Squeeze Pouches: What could be more perfect for a Halloween party than a pumpkin treat? These were a big hit – apparently, the youngest guest was given one of these pouches, inhaled the contents immediately, and then was all disappointed that it was gone, looking at her mom as if to say, “What, that’s it? I don’t get another?!” Momma was just trying to pace her, otherwise she might have eaten up all the pumpkin squeezy pouches in no time! 😉

Apple, Spinach & Kale Squeeze Pouches: These would be perfect for Thanksgiving, don’t you think? FYI, these pouches can be warmed up – it’s not necessary, but if you want to switch things up, you can place the pouch in a bowl of hot water to heat up before serving.

No buffet is complete without a little variety, so I also included a few other fun squeeze pouch flavors:

Happy Baby Grains Homestyle Meals – Banana, Plum, Sweet Potato & Oats
Happy Baby Grains Homestyle Meals – Apple, Raspberry, Amaranth, and Kale

This line of pouches is meant to make it easy to introduce whole grains into baby’s diet.

Happy Tot Fiber & Protein – Pear, Raspberry, Butternut Squash & Carrot Fruit and Veggie Blend
Happy Tot Fiber & Protein – Pear, Blueberry & Spinach Fruit and Veggie Blend

These snacks are aimed at the slightly older set, providing your toddler with 3 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein.

Finally, I rounded out my boo-fet with these brand new Happy Yogis, melt-in-your-mouth snacks made from fruit and freeze-dried organic greek yogurt. Packed with probiotics and 2 grams of protein, these are meant to be a transitional first snack because they dissolve easily in baby’s mouth.

After enjoying the Happy Baby selections during the party, I packed up a few bags with the leftover pouches and snacks to send home with the guests. It was a huge hit with both the kiddos and the moms – so the next time you’re throwing a party where young guests will be in attendance, make to stock up on Happy Baby and Happy Tot!

Happy Baby: Organic Snacks For Little Ones

September 28, 2014 by Beeb Leave a Comment

Samples provided.

Did you know that September is National Organic Harvest Month? And there are organic options available for the whole family: Happy Baby is a leading provider of organic foods for babies and toddlers. All of their foods are packaged in easy, grab-and-go premade portions, so all you have to do is toss them into a diaper bag and hey presto! You’ve got organic snacks available for your little one anywhere you go. Our family are already fans of Happy Baby – my cousin loves the products for her 12 month old because of the convenience – so I thought I’d share a few of our top picks:

Happy Puffs:

Happy Puffs come in a lightweight, convenient canister that is very portable; perfect for metering out a few puffs at a time to babies and toddlers while you’re on the move. These Purple Carrot & Blueberry puffs are also gluten free!

Happy Munchies:

Happy Munchies are light little rice cakes that come in flavors like Blueberry & Beet. Designed for ages 7 months and up, these are meant to help older babies learn how to eat with their fingers.

Squeeze Pouches:

Happy Baby has a number of convenient squeezy pouches for ages 7 months plus that are lightweight and easy to take along wherever you’re going. Once you’ve opened them, just pop them into the fridge and make sure you use them within 24 hours:

Super Acai White Grape & Apple with Super Grain Salba: This pouch is worth a 1/2 cup serving of fruit!
Greek Yogurt: I received the Peachy Keen and Super Strawberry flavors from this line, both of which are a source of calcium and vitamin D.
Hearty Meals: These are a fun collection of savory meals that come in flavors like Ratatouille; “Mama Grain”, a mix of apples, peach, banana, brown rice, oats and quinoa; “Chick Chick”, a blend of chicken, veg and quinoa; and “Gobble Gobble”, a mixture of turkey, veg, fruit and quinoa that would be perfect for baby at Thanksgiving! These pouches can be heated in hot water if desired, but it’s not necessary.

Visit HappyFamilyBrands.com to order these products online or locate a store near you. The site also includes resources and tips for age appropriate feeding.

Graco 4Ever VS Graco Milestone – Video Comparison

August 25, 2014 by momicles Leave a Comment

If you get in a car with your child, you have to have a car seat. Which one do you buy? Is it worth the money? Is there really a seat that can transition from babyhood to big kid? What do you get when you spend the extra money? Our friends at Graco sent me 2 car seats to do a side by side comparison for you. You can watch my video comparison/review here.

I was actually in the car seat market myself and trying to decide between the Graco Milestone and the newly released Graco 4Ever. These two seats are extremely similar. This is Graco, so you can rest assured that both seats have undergone strenuous testing for both safety and durability. Especially living in the South, I was happy to see both seats are approved for extreme car interior temperatures. They are both side impact tested, and one of my favorite perks is that neither seat is ginormous. I don’t know if you could fit three of these across in a a car, but they are more narrow than some of the competitor seats. Here are some more features BOTH the Graco 4Ever and the Graco Milestone have:

Rear Facing 5 Point Harness
Simply Safe Adjust Harness Systmem (One hand, no rethread, height adjustment)
InRight LATCH System (one second attachment)
Washable Covers
Recline Indicator Labels
Harness Storage (for when using as booster)

Graco Milestone Car Seat

After seeing all of these features, you can tell why I honestly can recommend either of the seats to anyone. You will have a happy, secure child with either seat. I especially love the easy to remove and wash covers and the no rethread height adjustment. Now for the differences. At a MSRP of $229.99, the Graco Milestone is approved for use in children 5 lbs-100 lbs. It works as a rear-facing 5 point harness for infants 5 – 40 lbs, a forward facing 5 point harness for children 20-65 lbs, and a belt positioning booster for children 30 – 100 lbs. There is one detachable cupholder and a red line indicator to help you with the level of the seat during installation.

Graco 4Ever Car Seat

At a MSRP of $299.99, the Graco 4Ever car seat is more expensive, but does offer more product. The 4Ever seat is actually approved for use for children 4 lbs – 120 lbs. The 4Ever actually transitions one additional time as compared to the Milestone. The back of the seat actually comes off transforming the car seat into a backless belt postioning booster. That is in addition to the other seat set ups also offered by the Milestone. The 4Ever car seat has 6 levels of recline. It also has an air bubble level indicator which I find to be much more helpful during the installation process. There are also 2 cupholders on the 4Ever as opposed to the one on the Milestone. In our family, it seems like you need two – one for drinks and one for toys!

I truly do not think you can go wrong purchasing either seat. I personally like the 4Ever a little better. I like the added cupholder and transition into the backless booster. Graco’s intent was to create a car seat that could last for 10 years, and I really think they’ve done it. Not only is the seat designed to transition through the 10 years of stages that your child will go through, but the 4ever car seats do not expire until 10 years after their manufacture date. For more information, feel free to visit Graco online.

Stokke Scoot Stroller Review

July 26, 2014 by Beeb 1 Comment

Stokke Scoot stroller provided for review.

During a recent family gathering, I brought over a Stokke Scoot stroller as a gift for my cousin, who has an 11-month-old baby. The Scoot is an “Urban” stroller with a plethora of features, including easy-to-maneuver wheels, plenty of storage space and even a cupholder; and yet, the stroller remains light and compact, easily folding up to transport during times that you don’t need to push it.

I figured my family would probably like it, and they ended up being a even more thrilled than I expected. Not only were they very impressed with all of the features, but Stokke was known to them as being a very quality stroller brand. So it ended up being an even better pick than I thought! Let me run you through a few of the features that make this such a winner:

Collapsible:

One of the worst things about having a stroller is how much space it takes up. The Stokke Scoot folds up, so you can store it with much more ease, tucking it into a corner.

Rain Shield:

Don’t let the sunshine in these photos fool you: We live in Oregon. It rains here a lot, so I know the family will get a lot of use out of this rain shield attachment!

Mosquito Net:

The Scoot also includes a mosquito net attachment, so you can keep baby’s sensitive skin protected – this is a great idea, because I got eaten alive by mosquitoes a few weeks ago when I was in Alabama and I still have some bite marks! You don’t need your baby dealing with that nonsense!

Adjustable:

The hood expands and contracts; the seat can be turned to face towards the rear or the front; the child can sit up, or recline back when you adjust the bottom; and the handle goes up and down. (Mom is short and dad is tall, so I’m sure that will come in handy!) You can also adjust the height of the footrest as baby grows, and move the seat up or down to sit your child at a table without having to fuss with finding a high chair.

Convenient:

When it comes to cupholders and storage, Stokke has you covered!

Safety:

The Stokke Scoot has a five-point harness for safety, reflective touches for nighttime use, a one-step brake, and quality construction. Here is Mr. Bear demonstrating how snugly your baby can sit in the Scoot:

There was some assembly involved with this; the stroller comes with an extensive manual showing you how to put it together. The least intuitive seemed to be the rain hood, which was the attachment that we had the hardest time figuring out how to get on correctly. As far as I can see, figuring out how to put it together is the only downside to this product, but you’re going to encounter that with pretty much every baby item you buy, whether it’s a stroller or something else. In all, I’d say the Stokke Scoot is versatile, attractive, and top-of-the-line. As my aunt remarked: “This is like the Cadillac of strollers!”

The Stokke Scoot retails for $499 – click here to locate a store near you!

Baby Depot at Burlington: Gift Shopping Made Easy

April 10, 2014 by Beeb 12 Comments

Gift basket provided for review.

I’ve always been a big fan of gift baskets, and I usually enjoy scouring stores for the perfect items and creating my own unique basket. Sometimes, this can be challenging: The last time I hosted a baby shower, I remember that the gift selection in my local stores was a bit limited. I wish we’d had a Baby Depot at Burlington here, because that would have made things a lot easier!

We all know the Burlington Coat Factory, but I wasn’t previously familiar with the Baby Depot at Burlington, which boasts a great selection of products for mommies and infants with great sale prices. To give me an idea of what they carry, they sent over this adorable gift basket filled with examples of the items you’ll find there:

Isn’t that adorable? I had requested a gift basket for a baby girl since I am shopping for someone I know that is expecting. Talk about making my life easier – with everything I need for a great gift in one basket, this takes all the legwork out of shopping! Let me give you a closer look at what’s inside this basket, since it’s jam-packed with useful essentials:

This Bright Starts mobile is full of fun toys to catch baby’s attention!

I’m not sure what I love more: The heart-meltingly-cute duckie towel, or this baby blanket, which is made from the world’s softest material!

Here’s a cute little baby bib, some handy washcloths, and a neat little Winnie-The-Pooh keepsake pillow where you can jot down baby’s birth date, time, and other important info.

These small items make perfect gift basket fillers because of their compact size and usefulness! Here we have a Minnie Mouse rattle & teething set, a baby bottle cleaning brush, a “Baby on Board!” sign for your car, a hair brush and comb set, Johnson’s classic baby wash, traditional pacifiers, and an awesome “Pacifier Thermometer” that takes baby’s temperature. How smart is that?!

This is an adorable set of baby socks and a fun, colorful rattle!

I told you there was a ton of stuff hidden in this basket! Here’s another baby binky along with a set of bottles – great gifts for a first-time mom.

Finally, we have this Exersaucer door jumper, perfect for keeping baby entertained!

I love this gift basket, because it’s so adorable and packed with very useful essentials – why drive from store to store looking for baby shower gifts when you can find it all in one place?

For more on the Baby Depot at Burlington, click here to visit their website.

« Previous Page