Rave & Review

For Your Valentine - Giddy Giddy Accessories

Giddy Giddy Accessories and Clip Holders

“Giddy Giddy Goodies”

Seriously, kids stuff is getting cuter by the minute.  All day long women with grown kids come up and say “they didn’t have that when my kids were little,” wistfully while checking out what new accessory baby is rocking that day.  Giddy Giddy clips and accessories are some of the cutest of the bunch, and something I am so glad that they did make when my kiddos were little.  Giddy Giddy products are the kind of cute that you just might want if you didn’t have children at all.  Timeless yet trendy designs that aren’t just for babies and toddlers, but rather will last through the years as your children grow.

They make a delectable assortment of hair clips that range from flowers to animals to foods, and each one has the same great “no-slip” design that utilizes felt to increase the clip’s traction, even in the thinnest of hair.  I have the world’s second thinnest hair; beat only slightly by my newborn daughter, so I speak from experience when I say that most “no-slip” clips fall far short of what they promise.  Giddy Giddy clips are the first that I wasn’t able to shake free from the teeniest tiniest pinch of hair, and the first that didn’t hurt when pulled out without opening the clip portion, both of which are extremely important when dealing with fine baby hair and her propensity to mess up any sort of hairdo I can create.  I know these clips are for children, but I can’t help it; I love wearing Giddy Giddy clips myself.  They look great, stay in all day, and don’t hurt a bit when baby pulls them out of my hair.  Brilliant.    

But, my newest favorite Giddy Giddy product is their clip holders, which solves the dilemma of where to put all their adorable hair clips in the most stylish of ways.  Small and compact, their hand stitched plush clip holders hang on the wall and take up minimal space but add maximum cuteness.   They all have two 20 inch long coordinating ribbons dangling down that you can clip most metal and plastic clips and pins to and are finished by a sewn in “S” hook for all sorts of other accessories.  Since baby has such a large collection of adorable pacifier attachers, we connect hers to her clip holder as well, keeping all of her flair in one spot. 

The clips and holders are hand crafted with layers of felt and are soft and durable, even when faced with baby’s unique ability to destroy lower quality items by finding loose stitching which causes them to unravel prematurely.  Giddy Giddy accessories not only pass the high quality thread test, they pass with extremely high marks since I wasn’t able to find any loose ends at all, even when I enlisted the help of baby’s expertly trained eye. 

Giddy Giddy accessories are the kind of cute that you only wish you could create, complete with stylish designs and high-quality fabrics.  They come in a wide variety of designs and all of them are adorable; the hardest part really will be picking just one.  Which is good, because you’re going to want more than one.

 

http://www.giddygiddy.com/

or you can see a list of their retailers here

Price: $8 - $10 for clips, $30 for the holder

Functionality: Great for wearing, great for storing

Looks: In a word, adorable

Overall: 4.5 marks out of 5, losing only a half of a point for price because even I would pay more for designs this cute and practical.

SleepyWrap Baby Carrier

“A Snuggly Sleep Solution”

I would have never, ever figured out how to use the SleepyWrap without the instructions.  So, even though it just about killed me, I didn’t even try my normal first use without reading approach.  I read up on the instructions on the way to our destination and by the time we got to the Urban Craft Uprising, I had it down.  Unfortunately, the first time I was trying it was on a cold and rainy day (here I go perpetuating Seattle’s bad rap) and I probably should have thought ahead.  Even though I am 5’10”, I still had to have hubby hold the ends while I wrapped myself up so the long ends didn’t drag on the ground as I tied.  Although the wrap is fully machine washable – I repeat, fully machine washable – I really don’t want to launder it each time I use it outdoors, so it made sense to have an assistant initially and then learn how to wrap without help.  I found that even with the rain and yuckiness, I got it all wrapped and was ready to put baby in much quicker than I thought I would be, especially for a first try.

We woke baby from her nap to put her in the carrier, and she gave us the wild-eyed, slightly suspicious look of an infant who can’t understand why you woke them.  I wriggled baby down into the wrap one side at a time and then pulled the bottom up around her and over her back.  She didn’t seem to mind at all, now fully roused and smiling away.  Immediately I was surprised by how light she felt all wrapped up, roughly half of her actual weight.  Because it distributes baby’s weight so well across both shoulders and your hips it feels really good on - nothing digs in, pinches or chafes.  The SleepyWrap has a little bit of stretch in the fabric, giving it a bouncy feeling as baby’s weight shifts as you walk, all of which had a spring-like affect on your gait. 

The SleepyWrap is essentially just a really long strip of fabric tapering at both ends that you tie tightly around your torso in a series of “x” shapes before putting your babe inside.  Really, it is the fabric that it is made from that makes it noteworthy, and why we're raving about it today.  The SleepyWrap fabric is incredibly soft and just the right amount of stretch, which means that it holds its position after tying it and putting baby in, unlike other wraps that stretch out while using them and then end up loose and baggy. 

I love the way you tie the SleepyWrap tight against your body and then stretch it away to fit baby inside, instead of having to estimate baby’s size and leave room while tying, which was one of my biggest concerns of wrapping.  I explained these features to hubby as I demonstrated how to use the Wrap as sleep carrier and tucked one of the shoulder loops over the back of her head, securing her whole body.  Surprisingly, baby didn’t mind at all, even in her now playful mood.  She snuggled into the Wrap, her little hand holding firmly to my necklace as promptly fell asleep.  And she kept on sleeping.  We walked aisle by aisle through the maze of urban crafters for almost two hours and she didn’t stir once, even though almost every booth was met with excited cries of “ooh, a baby” or my favorite – “look at those cheeks!” 

When she finally did wake up she was starving, and I decided to try the nursing cover properties of the SleepyWrap instead of taking her out for feeding.  I got ready for nursing and stretched the shoulder pieces over baby’s head to cover us both while she ate.  I found that although the SleepyWrap was the first carrier that was full coverage enough for us, the shoulder pieces were too restrictive behind baby’s head when left tied as tight as SleepyWrap recommends.  Baby’s not too particular about too many things, but you and those within a two block radius will hear about it if you mess with her meals. 

In the end, I used the Sweet Baby Nursing Cover over the SleepyWrap instead of removing her completely and still thought it worked out pretty well.  The next few tries at using the SleepyWrap for nursing were much more successful as I experimented with different Wrap techniques, but still baby would prefer not to be restrained in any way while eating.  We are still working at using it without the nursing cover as I think it would be so incredibly convenient if we could go without, and it’s getting easier each time.  Eventually we will have it down, but I think it would have been even easier if we had been SleepyWrap breastfeeding from birth.  In the meantime, I still am holding out hope that you can teach an old baby new tricks.   

Although baby hasn’t completely come around to using the SleepyWrap for nursing, she absolutely adores it for long walks and days on the town.  Our favorite hold is the facing in cuddle hold, or the “Love Your Baby Hold” because you can make best use of the Sleepy Straps when baby inevitably falls asleep.  I love that the SleepyWrap is fully adjustable and the fact that the success ratio of babies that prefer this method of babywearing is bound to be higher because of it.  Because you can make unlimited adjustments, it is much more likely that you and your baby will find something that you both agree on. 

This is the best kind of “one size fits all” products, since it can accommodate any size frame or build.  Which means that you can wrap over anything – tank tops, sweaters, puffy coats, without having two sizes of wraps.  Likewise, if hubby was down for wrapping (I’m still working on him) we could share one Sleepy Wrap since it is one size fits all. 

In true “one size fits all” fashion, the SleepyWrap can also accommodate a large range in child sizes as well, ranging from newborn to toddler.  I especially love that the SleepyWrap can be used with either baby’s legs snuggled into the Wrap or exposed, and can be switched easily even while wearing.  Even brand new babies can ride SleepyWrap style because the unique Sleepy Straps support the head before baby can without requiring a special infant insert, which makes it one of the most versatile carriers on the market.  Since you can do a sling style carry as well as an upright carry (back, side or front), it really is two carriers in one, and twice as likely your baby will enjoy the SleepyWrap. 

Their website says you can use the Wrap “as long as you both feel comfortable” and even shows a woman carrying a school-aged child in a wrap, which in theory would work, but I would think you would need to do a side or hip carry otherwise it would be pretty awkward to carry a larger child.  Their website says you can do a side or hip carry, but I couldn’t find much instruction on how to wrap for a side carry.  I would imagine you wrap it in the front and then shimmy it to one side or the other before you put baby in. 

The variety of holds and the weight reduction benefits of the SleepyWrap make it perfect for babies from birth until a year and a half, which is even a bit longer than the SleepyWrap website recommends.  With its equal weight distribution and the fact that baby feels so much lighter, it really is the perfect Wrap for all day use.  The only real complaint I have, if this is considered a complaint at all, is the appearance of wrapping in general.  Because the fabrics best for wraps such as SleepyWrap are typically plain they are not the most sleek and stylish baby carriers, but it’s hard to fault them for something that is unpreventable, especially when the functionality far outweighs the superficial appearance of wrapping. 

Although wrapping is not for everyone, hubby included, those who are interested in wrapping should definitely try the SleepyWrap, pronto.  You and your baby will never be closer and more snug that when you are SleepyWrapping.  We have used our SleepyWrap while snowshoeing, backpacking, winter sports and more and love that it offers freedom of movement as well as comfort for both babywearer and baby.

http://www.sleepywrap.com/

Price: $39, which makes it one of the most inexpensive carriers I have seen, but is not a reflection the quality of the SleepyWrap at all.  Highly recommended to babywearers, both by Rave and Review and by Parent Tested Parent Approved, which has awarded the Sleepy Wrap their coveted PTPA winners badge!

A huge thank you to SleepyWrap for sending their amazing wrap and making it comfortable to babywear on the go.  No type of monetary compensation was received for this Rave Review.

Piggy Platter by Smarty Parents

Piggy Platter “Because we all know kids can be….messy”

Not a Thanksgiving goes by where someone in the family doesn’t mention a specific incident involving my brother and a fort of mashed potatoes filled with gravy and the ultimate collapse of said fort walls as my brother began to eat.  Over 20 years ago, but still the story persists.  Whether it is nature or nurture, the kids in my family tend to be messy eaters.  It is not uncommon for there to be food strewn about the whole table with only clean spots where plates once were when everyone gets up to clear their dishes.  At one point it was threatened that the kids table would forever move outside if anymore white tablecloths were ruined as a result of us eating in proximity to the adults and fine linens.  Not only have my siblings and I all successfully moved from the kids table – yahoo! – we now have our own young children to ensure that the tradition of messy eaters will endure for generations to come.  Which is why the new tradition in my family is going to be the use of Piggy Platters.  They are designed specifically for families like mine who enjoy each other’s company but hate the clean up after we all get together.

The Piggy Platter is a rectangular shaped piece of molded plastic that has a slightly raised edge on the top for handling small spills, has a detachable rubber spill guard in the front and is complete with an anti-slip gasket under the rim of the Platter to hold it in place.  Why no suction cups, you ask?
Quoted Text from the Piggy Platter website:
We did consider suction cups, but not for long! Any suction cup product we purchased didn’t work on our wood table, nor, on a different surface, beyond two uses after putting them in the dishwasher. We wanted to be sure and give parents the option of cleaning their Piggy Platter in the dishwasher!
It may not secure on to the table as well as if suction cups were used, but I was actually happy that the Platter did not have suction cups.  Mostly because I have a wood table that I don’t want suction cup rings embedded in, and also because sometimes I put the Piggy Platter over my tablecloth, which wouldn’t work at all with suction cups. 

Before I saw one in person I was half expecting these Platters to be a flimsy plastic placemat or maybe just a little bit thicker, as I am becoming somewhat pessimistic about the quality of children’s gear throughout the years.  But, I was pleased to find the Piggy Platter has a heavy duty design that was made to last through generations.  It is fully dishwasher safe and super easy to clean up, which means that you will actually use it - daily.  I don’t know about you, but I have been burnt in the past by “dishwasher safe” items only to find that they are too large to fit in my standard dishwasher, but I was happy to note that the Platter fit very nicely and didn’t have to take up the diagonal measurement of the dishwasher, thus leaving room for a full load of dishes. 

For all you parents out there lamenting what your child’s gear has done to your décor, Piggy Platters are clear, which means that if they don’t match, you’re doing something wrong.  They come in “colors” but the colored portion is just around the very edge of the Platter, so even if it was a horrible match for your household colors, it wouldn’t be too noticeable.  However, I did go with white as I prefer to change out my color scheme periodically. 

Marketed as a potential learning product, the Piggy Platter website shows numerous options for engaging your children as they eat and for encouraging learning.  They offer pre-made colorful learning sheets for purchase with the Platter, but they also offer templates and guides for creating your own free learning material, which I am completely thrilled about.  I am a huge fan of combining eating with learning and the Piggy Platter is no exception.  After viewing the website that showed the learning material used with the Platter, I incorrectly assumed that the learning material would be encased in the Platter itself and at first I was surprised that it wasn’t.  I was incredibly relieved when I saw that the learning material simply rests underneath the Platter without interfering with the slip-proof gasket rim.  This means that I (and my kiddos) are much more likely to renew the material every once in a while, and it also means that I don’t have to disassemble the Platter every time I wash it.  All parents reading this are breathing a collective sigh of relief. 

The first thing I did upon opening the Piggy Platter was to run it through the dishwasher to see how it held up after a good scrubbing.  It washed up as good as new, with no clouding or discoloring of the clear surface at all.  Since my dishwasher doesn’t ever fully dry our dishes, I placed the Platter on the counter to dry the rest of the way before I put it away and in the few hours it was sitting on the countertop, hubby and I used it as a prep surface numerous times.  It was perfect for making PB&Js for lunches as well as using it as an anti-slip surface under our baby food mill.  I loved it so much as a prep surface that we now set it out by the toaster when it’s not being used at the table so we can butter our toast without having to waste paper towels and napkins.  That’s right, we went Green on you. 

The only issue I had with the Piggy Platter at all was getting the hang of attaching the “gutter” or spill guard to the front of the Platter.  Once I read the instructions on the website with their tips for getting a good fit I’ve had no trouble, but at first I couldn’t get it to stay in very securely.  Here are their tips for ensuring a proper fit:

1. Turn the Platter upside down on your counter
2. Wet your thumb/fingers with water
3. Place one end of the gutter into its slot
4. Push and slide your into thumb/fingers across the gutter length-wise

While on their website I found a few other uses for the Piggy Platter that I am really excited to try out: using it as a craft mat, a finger painting platter and for my favorite, the Play Doh Platter.  With so many uses, you will never need to put it away!

http://smartyparents.com/

Price: $29, which is more than a standard placemat, but the fact that it is multi useful and just might save you the space of storing an art easel, a craft table and more makes up for the larger price. 

Functionality: Great, sure to be a parent favorite.

Looks:  It’s clear, which means it’s awesome.

Rating: 5 out of 5 marks, for an awesome multi purpose design that combines learning and eating – what’s not to love? 

Snuggle Me'z Infant Car Seat Snuggler

Snuggle Me’z - “A Mom-Made Snuggle System”

Six days after baby was born we were victims of the most heinous of crimes – a baby blanket theft.  My baby’s new Pearly Grey owl blanket was snatched – stolen right from in front of a Circuit City in broad daylight, presumably by a fellow mother, and witnessed by two employees who were not about to be heroes.  Baby didn’t care, but hubby and I did.  How did this happen?  What can we do to prevent blanket thefts?  And, perhaps most perplexing of all – what kind of person steals a baby blanket?   

And while that last question will forever remain a mystery to us, we did come up with a solution for keeping thieving hands away from our baby’s adorable accessories.  It started as a necessity and now it’s down to a science; we tie everything to her car seat.  Poor baby’s seat even has flair to spare, and she doesn’t seem to mind a bit.

I found Snuggle Me’z by chance, searching for an even better solution to the attachable car seat blanket and we couldn’t wait to try it out.  And, lucky for us, it arrived at the perfect time.  Baby’s replacement owl blanket (complete with sewn in ribbon loops this time for easy attaching) was perfect for the summer and early fall, but was definitely too thin for the coming Washington winter, and winter seemed like it was coming a bit early this year.  Designed to attach by elastic around any infant car seat, Snuggle Me’z consists of a completely reversible baby bundler that zips down the front for easy access and has an attached blanket that can be placed in between the handle and the car seat shade to completely cocoon baby in the seat without the blanket ever touching baby at all.  Ah, brilliance!

It was our trial run – a windy, rainy Seattle day, the kind that gives credence to all the weather related misconceptions of our beautiful hometown.  Baby was strapped in, zipped up and ready to go.  We were the stars of the sidewalk that day and very much enjoying our first brush with fame.  My Snuggle Me’z was attracting all sorts of attention and not just from those you would expect.  Nearly everyone we met on our trial run out with the Snuggle Me’z stopped and commented.  Passersby would nudge their companions as we walked by, nodding at us and smiling, spreading like a wave down the sidewalk.  At one point, after I had handed out the bulk of my business cards to curious onlookers, it dawned on me – this might be the best advertising my website has seen all year!  I think what makes it such a conversation piece is the high quality and beautiful fabrics used.  They have a range of fabrics available from classic designs to more modern prints, and all of them are gorgeous.  We have the “Claire” Snuggle Me’z and get so many compliments on it from nearly everyone we meet. 

At first, hubby and I agreed that the Snuggle Me’z was perfect for outdoor excursions, but that we’d take it off for car rides and for indoor use.  But, then we saw how much better baby sleeps while fully bundled – evidenced by the fact that I am currently writing this with two hands.  So, we decided that we would just keep it on until the weather got warmer or baby decided she had had enough.  And that was over four weeks ago and counting.  Baby is still allowing it to be zipped up over 99% of the time; in fact, she seems to have grown rather attached to it.  When she is in a particularly good mood she likes to hide her eyes by ducking her head to the side of the car seat and then popping up in a peek-a-boo fashion.  One thing hubby absolutely loves about the Snuggle Me’z is the fact that baby seems to understand that she doesn’t get out of her seat until you unzip the cover, which means that she doesn’t lunge forward as much to get out of her seat after we arrive at our destination.  I’ll admit it is awfully cute when she sees you go for the zipper and her legs start kicking underneath the Snuggle Me’z and she leans into your hands to get out. 

One thing we have noticed is that the elastic is so secure that after enough zip ins and zip outs, the fabric begins to migrate an inch or two towards the base of the seat because the base is smaller on our particular car seat model.  But, the nature of “one size fits all” products is that there are slight adjustments every owner will have to take in order to get the perfect fit.  Ours is that we pull up each time we zip her in, and voila, problem solved.  The only real issue I have with the Snuggle Me’z is that I wish the blanket could be removed with snaps, zippers or buttons.  Because backseat space is at a premium in our compact car, when hubby is driving there is almost no room for the seat itself, which means that it takes all of my strength to wedge it into the car with the rolled up blanket attached at the seat’s biggest dimension.  The Snuggle Me’z is used every day, pretty much all day, but the blanket is only used periodically for long naps, outdoor trips and when it’s raining or snowing on our trek to and from the car so it would be nice to have the option of going without.  Although the detachable blanket would be nice, the things I love about the cover by far outweigh that one tiny modification I would make.

I particularly like that the Snuggle Me’z is completely reversible, which is always a huge bonus to me – it’s like having two covers in one, which, for the space conscious is far better than having two covers in two.  And, in the event we have a boy someday, hopefully he won’t be too angry about the pink floral print as long as it’s facing inward while he’s using it.  I also really like the loop attachment on the outside of the Snuggle Me’z for attaching pacifiers and toys.  Like I said, we like to tie things to our baby, so this is just a natural progression of her flair to spare.  An added bonus that I found while using the Snuggle Me’z is that the cover creates a pocket around baby that is perfect for stuffing an extra blanket or jacket into for warmth when it is freezing outside.

I absolutely love our Snuggle Me’z and would highly recommend it to those in moderate to cold climates as a way to keep baby dry, comfortable, and snuggled throughout the colder months.  I always laugh when people who don’t even have babies say they want a Snuggle Me’z, but by far the most popular comment we have heard from people of all ages is “I wish they had those in my size”.  Don’t we all.

www.snugglemez.com

Price: $98, which is on the higher side of infant bundlers, but factoring in the reversible function and the fact that it makes baby so much more portable and happy during the fall and winter months, I would say it’s definitely worth it.  **Bonus Rave and Review readers can use the code “raveandreview” for a 15% discount and free shipping on the Snuggle Me’z website**

Functionality: Great!  Solves the problem of the tied on blanket and more.

Looks: Fabulously chic.  Be prepared to befriend everyone you meet. 

Rating: 4.5 marks out of 5, losing a half of a point only for price. 

Rant - To All Ornament Storage Designers

"Forget building a better mousetrap - design a better ornament storage solution... please"

Okay, so it's only January 4th and here I am posting my first rant of the year.  I'm just feeling like such a Scrooge this year, glad the holidays are over but shaking my head in awe at what they managed to do to my house in a few short weeks.  Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas.  I love making ornaments, I love hanging the ornaments on the tree and admiring them throughout the holiday.  But I despise putting the ornaments away come January.  Throughout the years I have tried so many ornament storage "solutions" and still have yet to find an ornament storage case that I can actually endorse.  

Almost every ornament storage chest is designed the same way - a big rectangular box with cardboard grids that divide the layers into identically sized ornament sqaures ostensibly designed for the glass bulb-style ornaments.  Whoever designed that first ornament storage chest must have had the worst copyright lawyer of all time, because every other chest that was made after has the exact same design.  Why is it that all ornament storage cases are only designed to hold identically sized big glass bulbs?  I have yet to meet someone that only has glass bulbs, let alone someone who has identically sized glass bulbs throughout their tree.  Most trees are beautiful because the ornaments tell a story - remember that year Freddy was into basketball?  Look at Joey's little handprints...  Unique ornaments, unique sizes, unique shapes.

Growing up, my mom was an ornament fiend, which apparently I inherited.  Every year she would drag out the boxes of store-bought and kiddo designed ornaments and we would open all the individual boxes and hang the ornaments on the tree.  And then every January we would put all those little itty bitty ornaments back into their respective boxes to be put in the holiday bin for next year.  For decades my mom did this, and she must have had the patience of a saint, because not once did I hear a complaint about decorating or undecorating from her.  Although, in my defense, I do think those store bought ornaments have evolved into the most ridiculously packaged items of all time with their huge boxes, plastic trays and bubble wrap, and sometimes all three.  And, don't even get me started on the lack of standardization and the fact that every single ornament has a different sized box, which means that the Christmas bins are impossible to pack as nicely as my Tetris-loving self would like.

In addition to all the store-bought ornaments I took with me when I left home and the few we buy each year, we also make ornaments.  Come December 1st, hubby, kiddo and I churn out ornaments at an alarming rate, so much so that our tree can only handle a portion of our ornaments each year.  Sometimes the ornaments are painted, sometimes they are made of FIMO, but never, ever do they fit in "one size fits all" storage.  So, every year January 2nd rolls around and you will find me knee deep in tissue paper and bubble wrap individually wrapping ornaments.  Yuck.  I think I have one more Christmas in me before I call the whole thing off and we get tasteless glittery glass bulbs that I can toss into an ornament chest with cardboard dividers and snap the whole thing shut in minutes flat.  Kidding, kidding.  But, I have one more Christmas in me until I teach the kiddo to wrap and then it's her job from here on out.  I'll decorate, she'll undecorate.  It's only fair.  

So, here's my plea to you - create a better ornament storage solution.  Please.  I will even help you.  It must have the following:  rubber, plastic or other cleanable outer surface, ornament dividers of different sizes hopefully made of materials that have at least minimal cushioning properties and it must have a few (or a lot, if you're going for bonus points) pouches made of fabric, felt or bubble wrap for the most prized ornaments to spend the other 11 months of the year in.  And it should be decently affordable.  As incentive, I will guarantee you one loyal customer.