Rave & Review

Muddy Buddy by Tuffo

“For when your little buddy is, you guessed it, muddy”

 

April showers bring May flowers, but those showers also bring puddles.  Lots and lots of puddles that are just begging to be jumped in, stomped on and splashed through.  If you have a little puddle jumper, you need a Muddy Buddy to get you through until those May rays slowly begin to heat things up.  And then after that, a Muddy Buddy is the perfect solution for all your Summer and Fall adventures – both indoors and out.

These super lightweight and waterproof zip-up coveralls keep your adorable tot’s togs free from all things filthy, all without restricting your little ones movement or weighing them down.  With their brimmed hoods and completely waterproof seams, Muddy Buddy’s make perfect rainsuits and are excellent mud barriers for gardening, biking, nature walks and more.  I hadn’t even thought of taking the Muddy Buddy indoors until the packaging suggested it, but I am really excited to try that out once baby is ready for legitimate arts and crafts and not just random mess making, which I know is a fine line, but I hope I recognize once she’s crossed it.  I’m picturing her “helping” paint the playroom – probably some horrible shade of pink – while wearing the Muddy Buddy and it’s almost enough for me to not care what color she picks.  Almost.

We tried the 2T Muddy Buddy on three kids ranging in age from 10 months to 3 ½ and although it was really large on the youngest, the oldest could still use it even though he’s in a 5T in other clothing, especially when paired with his low rubber boots to compensate for his longer legs.  I love that the Muddy Buddy isn’t form fitting and can be used over any number of clothing layers which makes it perfect for all seasons and all builds.  The only sizing issue I had was that my family breeds long-limbed children and I wish the sleeves had a bit more length.  Although I’m pretty sure I won’t wish that once we do use it for craft time where long sleeves are always avoided, it might be nice for rain use.

Speaking of sleeves, adding a Velcro-able wrist closure in addition to the elastic to accommodate different sized wrists would be my other suggestion to Tuffo on how to improve upon the design.  Since the sizing is generous, I found the wrist elastic to be a bit too loose on the younger kids and it would be nice to have the option of cinching them down when necessary.  I might regret that when trying to do a quick coverall change in muddy conditions, but it would be nice for inclement weather.   

Things I’m Raving About:

• Reinforced seat and knees are super strong and able to handle all sorts of high jinks, even the kind you warned them not to do.
• The double zipper action makes for easy and mess free changes – no over-the-head maneuvering required.
• Generous sizing means that baby’s going to have this Buddy for a while.
• Machine washable, because the Muddy Buddy was created by parents.  Real parents who hate laundry as much as you do.
• Ridiculously lightweight and portable.  It weighs just about nothing and even comes in a handy carrying bag, so even when your Buddy is Muddy, your car doesn’t have to be.
• Multiple uses means it actually will get used, which is so rare for children’s gear!

As Spring is finally here in the Northwest, I am so excited for my little gardening helper to have a completely waterproof and mess proof suit to trudge around in while Mama grows our groceries.  I might even let her hold the hose, providing there’s no one else within hose shot of her.  That is, unless Muddy Buddy makes suits in Mama and Daddy sizes.

Random Rave: I love the Muddy Buddy as a makeshift snowsuit during the winter months as well.  Just dress up your little one in layers of their non-waterproof cold weather gear and then top with the Muddy Buddy to keep them warm and dry without the huge ticket price of traditional snowsuits.  In a climate that gets only a small amount of snow each year, a designated snowsuit is not nearly as practical as wind stopping fleece topped with a Muddy Buddy.  And I’m all about practical.      

http://www.tuffo.com/ 
 
Price: $30, which is about what I would expect for a rainsuit, but seems low when you figure that it’s also incredibly useful for craft time, snow, mud and more.

Looks: Without a kid in it, it’s a horrible bright yellow rainsuit.  But once you get a kid all zipped up with just their grin peeking out, it is heart-meltingly adorable.  You know, from a completely unbiased Mom’s perspective. 

Overall:  Great multi-use and multi-seasonal suit for all sorts of shenanigans. 

Thank you to Tuffo for sending us this little Buddy to keep us warm, dry and comfortable - in all seasons.

Perfect Mother's Day Pick - Personalized Jewelry by Danielle Stevens

Before I was a mom, I used to love things monogrammed with my initials.  But, it seems like the day my daughter was born, my initials seemed much less important to me.  I was no longer defined by my own name, but rather who I was in the world: a mother.  After a long search for a charm that I could engrave with my baby’s initials, I finally gave up and decided that I would wait until I just happened upon something, because it felt like there was nothing out there that seemed quite right.  And, seven months later I happened upon Danielle Stevens’ line of initial necklaces that ended my search for good. 

But, don’t get me wrong, Danielle Steven’s does more than make monogrammed jewelry – they have a full line of necklaces, earrings and bracelets that is a cross between funky and classic, and entirely beautiful.  And as much as I love their entire line, I just keep coming back to the Engraved Jewelry.  They are simple, understated and elegant and they go with just about outfit you can put together.  Barely making it out of sweats now that baby arrived?  You will be happy to know that dressing up is not required.  Which is good because any necklace for a new mom that involves dressing up is as good as a dust collector, right?

Are initials not your thing?  Hubby (or you) can get you a Zodiac necklace with either your astrological sign or your baby’s for a fun new take on personalized jewelry.  They are all gorgeous and I love them all, which is great because I can’t remember what sign is my baby’s.  Which leads me to my one suggestion to the web designers at Danielle Stevens, and that would be to add a Zodiac chart on the site that spells out what dates each of the signs are for.  Please, take pity on poor hubby.  There’s no amount of apologizing that can make up for a wrong astrological sign necklace being wrapped up for Mother’s Day.  Completely unfair, but completely true.

Intricate and delicate patterns combined with beautiful jewels and fresh designs make Danielle Steven’s collection my newest obsession, and I am in good company.  Countless celebrities have recently been seen flaunting their Danielle Stevens jewelry and it was recently seen on American Idol worn by Lil Rounds.  Now, I’m not an American Idol fan (which is very un-American of me to admit) but I am a fan of Danielle Steven’s beautiful line of necklaces, bracelets and earrings and think you will be, too.  Check out Danielle Steven’s website and choose your favorite piece.  You can save it to your wishlist or really help hubby out and email your favorites directly to his inbox.  Or you could just send hubby directly to:
http://www.daniellestevens.com/
 
Price: $42 (Zodiac) to $85 (Engraved with quartz drop and pearls), which makes them incredibly reasonable and way nicer than anything you can pick up at a mall jeweler. 

Looks: Gorgeous, striking and elegant.  Just like you.  (Hey hubby, I just wrote your card for you).

Overall:  Perfect for any mom whether this is her first Mother’s Day or her 50th.  The one drawback?  You have to plan ahead for personalized jewelry and allow 2-3 weeks for anything engraved.  The Zodiac necklaces are a good option if hubby procrastinates like I do. 

Phil&Teds MeToo Portable Highchair

For when parents need to be portable

I’ll admit it, I didn’t think we needed a portable highchair for baby.  Most restaurants we go to have loaners that they start offering you as soon as you walk in, so I just assumed we would use theirs when we dined.  Hubby was insistent and embarked on a multi-store and website hunt that eventually ended with us registering for Phil and Ted’s MeToo for our baby shower.  It was purchased for us by a man, and it was the one thing that came out of the package the night of the shower once hubby saw the pile of loot that our family and friends bestowed on our baby.  Coincidence?  I don’t think so. 

To be honest, once I saw the MeToo, I didn’t want to admit that I hadn’t thought it necessary.  It comes in a compact and shallow box that is inches smaller than I had expected, considering the bulky masses of traditional hook-on high chairs.  How it can fit into that shallow box is what sets it apart from all the other travel highchairs on the market, and what makes it so incredibly useful when on the go with baby.  The MeToo has a sturdy fabric seat that is sewn onto a thick U shaped high-quality aluminum frame that connects to the table by way of C shaped clamps.  The clamps have a dense foam covered screw mount that doesn't mar tables and holds the seat securely onto the table.  When not in use, the seat collapses into itself and the metal table clamps pivot to lay completely flat, taking up minimal space in the diaper bag or stroller.  As incredibly nice as that is, what really makes the seat portable is how light the whole thing is, even given the heavy weight materials used.  In the super scientific “lift tests” we performed, the MeToo was substantially lighter and much more portable than other models. 

Okay, so it wasn’t scientific at all, in fact we have zero data to support our findings, but you’re just going to have to trust me on this.  Lighter, more compact and much more portable all means that it is much more likely to be used, of which I do have proof.  We take it with us almost everywhere, including when we travel.  On a recent trip to Spain and Morocco, we found the MeToo portable highchair to be indispensable since there were no highchairs available at any of the cafes or restaurants we went to.   That’s right, it made a transatlantic flight with us and I would bring it again.  You know how once you get to your destination you regret half the things you packed?  Those cute black flats that have no arch support?  Yeah, you’re gonna regret those.   But, not the MeToo, you won’t. 

The only issue we have found is that sometimes the MeToo doesn’t fit on odd shaped tables that are extra thick or have aprons that are extra close to the edge of the table (vertical trim pieces on the underside of farm-style tables).  So far we have found two restaurants we can’t use the MeToo at, which isn’t too bad considering we have used it in three different continents.  I have heard rumblings that there is a new Phil&Teds portable highchair model that has a different clamp design more reminiscent of a lobster than a screw on clamp style.  Not sure if the new design would solve these issues, since I haven’t actually seen it in person, but it might be worth checking into.  One thing I would like to see Phil&Teds do in the future is to add a carrying bag or cover, as that would make the chair more portable and easier to fit in a diaper bag without the clamps becoming intertwined with the diaper bag contents as well as being more sanitary since the chair will likely come into contact with large amounts of pureed foods and sticky finger foods.

Speaking of sticky, I found the MeToo to be very easy to wipe clean with a damp rag or scrub out with a soapy mixture as needed.  Even though for safety reasons the seat isn’t able to be removed from the metal frame and clamps, it was easy to surface clean.   It dries incredibly quick and is ready for use again in no time, which is great because you won’t want to be without it for long. 
 
http://www.philandteds.com/ to see their New Zealand stock and drool over all the items that they don’t ship to the US, or you could do yourself a favor and just go to Amazon.com to buy

Price: $50, which is a bit more than other portable high chairs, but you’re paying for the compact size and lightweight design which makes it money well spent.

Looks: Clean and simple design perfection.

Overall:  It’s portable, lightweight and brings baby right up to the action, which is far superior to the sticky loaner highchairs at most establishments. 

Exergen Temporal Scanner Review and Giveaway

Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer

There are so many things that I never realized I was going to need as a new parent.  I guess I just assumed that we already had two people living in the house, what was the big deal about adding one more?  Sure, baby would need a bed, a car seat and small collection of miscellaneous baby gear.  But, one thing I absolutely never planned on was getting a new thermometer.  Ours worked fine, right?  When we started to feel sick, we could get the thermometer out and use the number for bragging rights, mostly.     

Now fast forward a few short weeks…. It was the middle of the night and my newborn baby was wailing as if she was being tortured, which really wasn’t like her at all (I know, lucky).  I went to kiss her forehead and realized she was really hot, so I raced through the house to find an arguably more scientific method of gauging temperature.  I came back with a fist full of thermometers and began to take her temperature very methodically, trying each one using every means endorsed by the packaging and comparing the readings.  Immediately I was concerned about the range of readings I was getting. 

She was three degrees off from normal on one, and over 102 on two others.  Yet another thermometer had her at a normal reading.   After all the testing was done I was even more confused than before.  Had she not been under 4 weeks, I might have given her Tylenol and snuggled her back to sleep, but I had read my literature.  I knew that babies that young should be watched carefully when running temperatures that high.  Having never really cared for an infant this young, I began to question if I was doing it right - did it stay in her mouth long enough?  Was she wiggling when I took it under arm?

I finally caved and called her pediatrician, reaching the after hours help line and requesting a doctor call me back.  He called back a few minutes later and we went over my findings.  Did you do an oral reading?  Yep, as best I could.  Did you do an underarm?  Yep, tried that, too.  Did you do a rectal reading?  Wait… a what?!?  I hadn’t realized that people still took rectal readings, let alone were endorsed by medical professionals.  I guess I had just thought it was a dated medical practice and not something I would ever have to do.  The doctor talked me through it over the phone, and although traumatized permanently, I had the number for him. 

But now I was even more confused since this number was much higher than the other thermometer readings were.  I questioned why this one was so high, and the doctor explained that rectal readings have a different scale than oral or underarm.  I checked the packages of all the thermometers and not one made this distinction clear.  In fact, not one even mentioned a difference whatsoever.  Seriously, there had to be a better way.  I thought we supposed to have hover cars by now but this is still the most scientific method for gauging temperature? 

The next morning I made a doctors appointment and took baby in, hoping to get a real scientific measurement of her fever. While there I asked what they would recommend for future nighttime scares.  “Rectal”, they answered.  They saw my look and followed it up with “or you could get a forehead scanner”.  Wait a minute… a forehead scanner?!?  A forehead scanner exists on the market yet I had to do a rectal reading the night before?  Oh, the horror. 

  It turns out that forehead scanners not only exist, they are readily available.  Temporal Artery Scanners are infrared thermometers that work by taking a noninvasive reading from the temporal artery (located on the temple, naturally).  They are made by Exergen and available nationally at Wal-Mart, Babies R Us, Walgreens, Costco, and available at www.exergen.com I could tell you all about them in my non-existent medical background, or I can quote the manufacturer.  I think the choice is easy and my feelings won’t be hurt if you prefer to read the following:

What is the Exergen TemporalScanner™?
The Exergen TemporalScanner™is the world’s first infrared thermometer designed to measure body temperature by taking a reading from the temporal artery. The patented technology employs an infrared sensor that accurately registers body temperature to within +0.2º F—a much more accurate means of taking the temperature than any other way including oral, rectal, axillary (under the arm) and tympanic (in the ear). It is also the least invasive method, depending upon a gentle sweep over a patient’s forehead.

What does the TemporalScanner™ measure?
The TemporalScanner captures naturally emitted heat from the skin over the temporal artery, taking 1,000 readings per second, and selecting the most accurate. With its patented Arterial Heat Balance system, the TemporalScanner measures ambient temperatures, mathematically replaces the small temperature loss from cooling at the skin, and displays an accurate arterial temperature.

Why is it more accurate than measuring ear temperature?
Ear thermometers are considered inaccurate by medical professionals because the positioning of the probe in the ear canal is inconsistent, thus creating varied readings that frequently result in missing fevers. The gentle scan across the forehead, reading the temporal artery, is more accurate and comfortable for the user. A Harvard Medical School study has proven that the TemporalScanner is more accurate than ear thermometers.

All of this makes it perfect for babies, active toddlers, kids and more.  I’m sure you see why hospitals all over the country are using this same technology.  It’s quick (less than 2 seconds) and it’s easy (a press of a button and a quick scan of the forehead and temple – no need to turn off!) and it’s affordable ($39.99 to $49.99 at select stores) and it works for all ages.  It’s not a hover car, but while they work on those, we can all enjoy the peace of mind that comes from having a reliable, easy and accurate thermometer.

Random Rave:  Know what’s even better than being able to take a quick and easy scan of a baby that doesn’t feel well?  Being able to take a quick and easy scan of a baby while they are sleeping.  Seriously, no need to wake a sick baby means that everyone gets more sleep.  I was also thrilled to find that the Exergen Temporal Scanner comes with a fabulous User Guide that gives tips and tricks for taking temperatures, and even gives specific criteria for evaluating your readings.  Clearly, someone was thinking.  You can also read the User Guide Here.

www.exergen.com

See stockists at http://www.exergen.com/medical/TAT/tatconsumerpage.htm

Price: $39.99 to $49.99 at select stores

Looks: Hi-techy with a little Star Trekky, and baby’s new favorite toy.

Overall:  Second to a hover car, far superior to traditional thermometers.

And now for the Giveaway...