Rave & Review

Tike Tech CX3 Stroller Review and Giveaway!

When we first found out we were going to be parents, hubby and I absolutely agreed that a stroller was where we would spend most of our baby budget.  There were a couple of good reasons behind the decision, but our first thought was that the stroller really was for us as a family, and getting one that was of high quality meant that we would actually want to use it. 

The ultimate goal was to find one that was easy to use, comfortable for extended distances, and was able to grow with us – all without completely obliterating our buggy budget.  We finally settled on a travel system that worked with our car seat, but looking back now, I really wish Tike Tech had released their new 2009 line two years early! 

We’ve all seen them; strollers that cost more than my first car (seriously), and come with fancy schmancy features like speakers and rims that would make my current car green with envy.  But, $1,000 + for a stroller?  Not on my life. 

What if I told you that you could get a seriously awesome Tike Tech jogging stroller for between $200 and $350 that came loaded with features and handled better than the so-called premium stroller brands?  It’s absolutely true - the Tike Tech line offers a full line of jogging, city and performance strollers with truly reasonable price tags. 

A few months ago I first noticed that something was a little off with our stroller.  Every time I would run with baby or pick up speed to cross the street, or even just to quickstep it out of the rain, the left front wheel began to rattle and shake, causing the whole buggy to vibrate violently until I slowed to a walk.  I didn’t think much of it the first few times it happened, but then when it happened numerous times a day during Stroller Strides, it began to get really hard to control unless I was merely leisurely walking.  It was hubby who first made the connection between the stroller shudder and the swivel wheels, and he suggested we search for a fixed wheel jogger for the daily Stroller Strides beating.

I found the Tike Tech line and was so excited to see that they offered so many options for an active stroller, and had numerous features to choose between.  Since I’m not a runner by nature, I really didn’t need a full-on jogging stroller for daily use and realized I was looking more for an all terrain buggy that could easily convert between swivel and fixed wheel settings.  When I found out Tike Tech had an all-terrain City stroller, I was dying to try it.

As the name suggests, the CityX3 is a three wheeled stroller that is perfect for around town and more.  With wheels that can handle virtually any terrain paired with Tike Tech’s exclusive Frame Dampening IFD Shox, you get one of the smoothest and most fluid handling strollers that I have ever used.  The bigger tires and the front wheel that swivels allow you to make 360 degree turns with almost no effort at all. 

In fact, we have found that you can actually make those 360 degree turns one handed, while holding a steaming Pumpkin Spice Latte in the other.  One handed operation has become a feature that is absolutely crucial to me the older my daughter gets.  Between the unpredictability of a toddler and every parent’s need to multi-task while strolling, being able to have one hand free really does make all the difference in the world. 

Don’t be fooled by the Tike Tech City X3 name, this little stroller can handle both big cities and the big beautiful ‘burbs.  The Tike Tech CityX3 is one part jogging stroller, one part all-terrain sport stroller and then a little of the traditional travel system thrown in to maximize the stroller’s usability.  Since it has a shorter frame and a smaller footprint, the CX3 is perfect for crowded spaces that can’t handle a full jogger, but big enough to grow with your child and give you maximum freedom to roam.  And, you can roam just about anywhere you can imagine, since the Tike Tech CX3 is ultra portable and, with the easy push button release wheels, folds compactly for travel.   

Most expectant parents are steered from baby joggers while stroller shopping, with clerks recommending that babies be 6 months + before rolling the sportier stroller varieties.  All sound advice, if in fact the jogging stroller you’re considering doesn’t adapt for use with newborns.  The Tike Tech company has absolutely changed my mind that jogging strollers are just for toddler and up by offering an additional car seat adaptor that allows you to click your child’s car seat onto the stroller and go.  They even stock an optional bassinet attachment that converts your sport stroller into a pram beautifully, replacing the need to own more than one stroller.  In the picture above we are taking full advantage of the awesome 60lb weight limit and letting a small reviewer rest his legs while we talk at a local art fair. 

Features I’m Raving About: Luxury for baby.  With a padded seat and back support, one handed recline adjustment and a silky smooth ride, the Tike Tech is really the way to roll in ultimate comfort.  It comes standard with special features that any baby or parent can appreciate, like a padded 5 point harness, mesh storage pockets on the seat sides for baby’s snacks and toys and the removable canopy for rain and sun. 

Speaking of raving, the Tike Tech canopy extends far lower than any other sporty stroller I have seen, which is perfect for Seattle’s unpredictable weather.  The canopy is also multi-positional and offers a “moon roof” with cover for easy viewing of your little one.  This is one of my favorite features since I am constantly trying to “wait out” the rain and refuse to go to the trouble of attaching a rain cover unless I’m in a full fledged downpour.  The Tike Tech’s extra large canopy is perfect for simply saving me the hassle all together, since the large coverage area means I have never needed a full rain cover for any Seattle storm.

Since hubby and I are both tall, we really appreciate the fact that the Tike Tech handle is fully adjustable in both directions, allowing for the greatest range of handlebar heights I have ever seen.  Whether you are in the extra tall range, have a short stature, or find yourself in the middle of the old height bell curve, the Tike Tech is a surprisingly good fit all around.  For couples who have a huge height difference, you will be happy to note that the handlebar adjustment is not only exceptional in range, it is also incredibly quick to adjust on the go.

But, my favorite feature by far would have to be the height of the Tike Tech stroller seat.  The extra tall stroller frame brings baby right up into the action and makes it easier to interact with her on the go.  As a super duper added bonus, we love that we can simply wheel our daughter up to dining tables while we are out and still leave her strapped into the Tike Tech City X3 to eat with us at the table, with no need for an additional booster or high chair.  Probably not a feature that was fully intended, but sometimes it’s the unexpected that you appreciate the most!

If you are a jogger, speed walker, or merely an all terrain walker, you should seriously consider the Tike Tech CX3 as a great single stroller option.  When you add up the savings of not having to purchase two (or more) strollers, the Tike Tech is well worth the already reasonable price.  If you still need convincing, just consider it a gift to yourself that will keep you healthy, active and adventure ready… a gift baby is sure to appreciate too. 

Specifications from the Tike Tech website:
Stand Up: 35"L x 24"W x 37-45"H
(front to back wheel)
Folded (w/o wheels): 32.5"L x 18.5"W x 16.5"H
Folded (w/ wheels): 32.5"L x 24"W x 18.5"H
Door Pass Through: 24"
Frame: Aluminum
Weight (w/o wheels): 20 LBS
Weight (w/ wheels): 26 LBS
Weight Capacity: 60 LBS
Width: 24"
Handle height (ground to handle): 37-45"
Wheels: 12" air / wide track slick tread
Seat back height: 21.5"
Head room (inside canopy): 25"

http://www.tiketech.com/

And now for the Giveaway...

One extremely lucky Rave and Review readers will win a Tike Tech CX3 of their very own ($330 ARV) from Tike Tech's new stroller stock!  To enter to win the Giveaway, just visit Tike Tech Strollers and comment below with your favorite Tike Tech Stroller model (other than the City X3 reviewed here), favorite Tike Tech feature, or something you learned about the company that you're excited to share.  Sorry, no color choice available, but you're in luck because all the color choices are beautiful!

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review - link at top right sidebar (2 extra entries, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway using @raveandreview and @tiketech after following us both! (1 entry for daily tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway or the 2009 Holiday Gift Guide with links to this post and www.raveandreview.com (1 extra entry)

4) Place my logo or link in your sidebar on your blog or website (2 extra entries, must have an active link to www.raveandreview.com)

5) Sport the 2009 Holiday Gift Guide logo on your blog or website - HTML code in right sidebar (2 extra entries, must have an active link to www.raveandreview.com)

6) Share this post on Facebook (1 extra entry)

7) Email love. Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne@raveandreview.com for two bonus entries (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

8) Comment love. Enter any of my other Giveaways or comment on any non-giveaway post.

9) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs: just click this link to vote daily! (1 entry for daily)

10) Extra credit: Watch above imbedded YouTube video and comment with a feature profiled in the review that you're excited about (1 super duper bonus entry) 

On December 13th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email

 A big thank you to Tike Tech Strollers for making our family adventure ready with their new Tike Tech City X3 Stroller.  No type of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

 

Madeline Turns 70 and We’re Having a Giveaway to Celebrate

Who doesn’t love an anniversary celebration?  We’re marking the 70th anniversary of Ludwig Bemelmans’ Madeline, the book that first introduced the world to one of the most beloved characters of all time, by hosting a giveaway in her honor.  Even if you’ve never had the pleasure of reading one of the classic Madeline stories yourself, you are sure to recognize the main character, Madeline herself, all dressed up in her blue school girl uniform and ready for adventure. 

The same Madeline your parents and grandparents grew up reading has absolutely stood the test of time.  She has been one of the most adored literary characters for generations, made famous first by the books and then by a number of plush dolls and accessories available in the Madeline line. 

Kids Preferred has recently released my favorite Madeline yet, a limited edition 70th Anniversary doll in honor of her big birthday and she is just as adorable as ever.  We were thrilled to get a chance to review the 70th Anniversary Madeline and introduce our family to one of my absolute favorite characters growing up. 

Her trademark blue coat and yellow hat has been replaced by a blue Parisian party dress and a satin ribbon in her hair, but she still has the same sweet smile and even has the famous appendix scar from the books.  She is adorable and cuddly and ready to delight both doll collectors and children of all ages.  Her party dress is removable and other outfits and accessories can be purchased, ensuring hours of play and make believe for years to come.  At 13.5” tall, she is perfect for either display or play, and one of our favorite choices this holiday season.  Paired with a copy of one of Ludwig Bemelmans’ classic tales, Madeline is the perfect timeless gift for any young girl on your list. 

Besides the fact that she doesn’t look a day over 9, it’s hard to believe that Madeline is actually 70 years old and still continues to grow in popularity with every passing decade.  The timeless stories and classic appeal of Madeline is what has kept her so popular for the past 70 years, and will ensure that she’s still delighting girls of all ages over 70 years from now.

http://www.kidspreferred.com/

Price: $30

Buy it: The 70th Anniversary Madeline Doll is available at specialty shops and boutiques, as well as select online retailers such as www.liveandlearn.com and www.ticastoys.com or direct from the Kids Preferred website.

And now for the Giveaway...

One lucky Rave and Review readers will win a Madeline toy of their choice!  To enter to win the Giveaway, just visit Kids Preferred and view their selection of Madeline toys and comment below with whether you would like to win the 70th Anniversary Madeline, Dressable Madeline or the Madeline (9") or Genevieve (8") beanie and whose day you are going to make if you win. All items are available at the above retailers as well as specialty shops near you.

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

This giveaway is closed.  Thank you to all who entered and congratulations to Heidi B. who won the 70th Anniversary Madeline!

 A big thank you to Kids Preferred for encouraging us to read together and play together by offering their 70th Anniversary Edition Madeline Doll and book.  No type of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

 

Bones Bicycle Rack by Saris Cycling Group

When my wife and I first got our bicycles, we had a lot of our friends laughing at us.  Not for the fact that we were riding, but because our bikes were so different.  She on her Electra Townie, and me on my full suspension mountain bike, we definitely turned a few heads.  After a few months of this ridicule and once the realization hit me that the most dirt my mountain bike had seen was a long driveway, I ended up trading it in for a road bike. 

Unfortunately, this didn’t solve all of our mismatched bike problems.  Much worse than a few snickers was the fact that taking our bikes anywhere by car was next to impossible with the two very different sized frames.  At least it was until we found the Bones 3 by Saris that helped expand our biking area dramatically.

Anyone who has gone bike shopping recently will agree that there is a staggering amount of bikes available, and they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Even a casual observer would note that not every bike is going to fit nicely onto a standard fixed frame car mounted rack, especially when there is more than one bike to tow.

Sure, you could spend hundreds of dollars getting a roof rack and all the attachments, but that adds up quickly and doesn’t seem worth it when you just need to transport two bikes for a few weekends here and there. Besides the fact that it’s difficult to get heavier bikes on roof racks (*ahem, Electra*), it also permanently changes your car‘s appearance, which doesn‘t appeal to everyone. For the spur-of-the-moment biker who prefers being able to go through a drive through with low height clearance, or for someone who needs to pull into a garage, the trunk mounted rack is absolutely the way to go.

The problem we found with most trunk racks is that if you have two very different kinds of bikes to mount, there is a very good possibility one of them isn’t going to fit right. The first rack we tried had my bike nice and straight across the back while the Townie, with it’s step through frame, was tilted up at a crazy and rather unsafe angle. At that moment, my wife refused to let her beloved bike ride tandem with mine and we were relegated to biking directly from home if we were going to ride at all.

We’re lucky to live in an area that is highly populated with bike trails and lanes and can easily get to most of them within an hour of biking without a problem. But, with small children in tow we were all of a sudden a lot less mobile now that we needed to avoid heavily congested roads.  For long jaunts, we ran the risk of the kiddos being finished biking before we even reached the trailhead.

For us, finding an easy to use rear trunk was becoming more of a necessity and we began our search to find the perfect solution. We needed a strong and sturdy frame rack that could hold the weight of the Townie as well as my road bike and our daughter’s little frame bikes, and we needed that rack to adjust in numerous ways to accommodate all three at once.  We needed quick installation and removal to keep us as spontaneous as possible, with no damage to either set of wheels.  The Saris Cycling Group’s Bones 3 Rack was the only rack we found with all of these features and more, and it came with the added bonus of delivering this high functionality with style to spare.

The heart of the Bones 3 Bicycle Rack by Saris is an aluminum center tube with grooves all around it.  Mounted to the tube are arch shaped legs which work with these grooves to fit practically any vehicle, from SUVs to sedans and station wagons, and even on cars with a spoiler. The multitude of grooves allow you to move each leg independently to almost any angle to get the fit perfect for your vehicle.  In addition each mounting leg has a rubber foot to insure you don’t scratch your car in the process.

Once you get the rack mounted and it’s time to load up your bikes you’ll see another area where the Bones 3 really shines.  Each bike has its own specific place to sit with rubber lined channels with their own set of ratchet straps. Once again, each arm can be mounted at different angles to make sure everything fits perfectly. If your bike is still hard to mount – like a step through frame -  there are even straps on the sides of the arms that allow you to mount to your seat post so your bike will stay level and secure, no matter what the shape.

   

Bones 3 Bicycle Rack features and pictures, courtesy of the Saris Cycling Group website:

Injection-molded arms and legs are the strongest on the market.
Articulated rubber feet to protect the finish on your vehicle.
Built with 100% recyclable, non-rusting materials.
Ratcheting anti-sway straps secure and stabilize bikes.
Arc-based design fits over most spoilers,and separates bikes on different levels.
No overhead lifting, twisting, balancing or hefting required, so you can save your energy for the ride.

Saris Community and Advocacy:

You gotta love a company that gives back, and Saris Cycling Group gives back in a big way.  This is only a partial list of the campaigns and community involvement programs Saris belongs to:

• Prevent Child Abuse Wisconsin
• Boys & Girls Club of Dane County
• Wisconsin Off Road Series
• Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival
• Camba Festival of the Trails
• 12 Hours of Blue Mound
• Insane Terrain Challenge
• L'Alpe Bl'Huez Time Trial

Advocacy Efforts

• Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
• Dream Bikes
• Alliance for Biking and Walking
• Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals
• Bikes Belong

How could you not love a company like Saris?  Innovative designs, tried and true functionality and a commitment to leaving the world a better place simply speaks for itself.  Click any of the above links to get involved with a cause that moves you!

Price: $130 for 2 bikes, $160 for the 3 bike rack and they come in a variety of colors

http://www.saris.com/

 
  

CuteyBaby Wall Decals - Review and Giveaway!

Everyone knows that I love customized and personalized products.  When those products are made especially for my daughter, well, I just can’t resist.  This is evidenced in the fact that my daughter is only 16 months old and already has 2 murals custom painted just for her.  So, when CuteyBaby contacted me and asked me to do a review of their custom vinyl wall decals, of course I said yes.

For a few months now I had been looking for some bird decals that could compliment the family tree wall mural my sister had done in my daughter’s bedroom and hadn’t found anything that looked quite right.  I emailed and asked CuteyBaby if they had any bird designs available, and to my surprise, they offered to create custom bird decals just for us.  They went to work designing a sheet of Feathered Friends as well as doing up a sheet of their Pirate themed decals for the custom painted pirate “scrog pit” that is just off our living room.

As if it wasn’t enough to create a custom sheet just for us, CuteyBaby went the extra step of requesting images and dimensions of the murals so they could design the sheets to scale – talk about wonderful customer service!  When the preliminary designs were complete, I got a picture emailed to me that showed the vinyl decals superimposed into the mural images I had sent.

Within days, I was accepting a tubular package of their rolled decals with excitement and was busy planning where to place them.  The sheet of birds comes in a roll of 40+ bluebirds, robins, orioles, and doves in three different sizes and facing both directions on the sheet for maximum options when placing them in your room.  The pirate themed sheet contains a large pirate ship, island (complete with palm trees, treasure chests, fish bones and more) and then some waves, flags, swords, and a treasure map for guiding your explorer. 

Not only are the finished decals adorable, I was really happy with the heavy weight of the vinyl that the CuteyBaby company uses in their creations, since fragile and kids room are never, ever used in the same sentence.  The CuteyBaby instructions suggest a flat wall or minimal texturing for best adhesion, but they give instructions for applying the decals to walls with minimal to medium contouring.  Our walls are done with a standard wall texturing, so we knew they might not adhere quite as well as if they were entirely smooth.  We found they actually stuck really well to the wall but were still incredibly easy to peel off and reposition as needed with no marks left on the wall. 

I think that it’s awesome that the CuteyBaby decals are removable since kids are constantly changing their mind and their decorations and it makes it easy to have the art grow with your child and always keep things fresh.  For kids that change rooms often, or are unable to paint their rooms, this is a great and low-cost option for personalizing their space.  Even better, older kids could easily help with the decal placement since they are so easy to use – just peel and stick to the wall!

Keep in mind that the fact that these decals are peelable means that the really little kids can easily rip them off walls if you let them.  That fact didn’t bother us at all since the decals were going to be placed high enough up in our daughter’s room for them to be unreachable and unpeelable, but definitely keep that in mind if you’re looking for a baby safe decal design.  We did find that she was unable to remove the extra birds we stuck down low to her dresser since the finish is so smooth it adhered completely along all edges.  We still had no problem repositioning them, but her little fingers didn’t stand a chance, and now her dresser looks extra cute.

If you’re looking for temporary or permanent flair for your kid’s room, you should definitely check out CuteyBaby designs and pick one that fits your theme.  If you don’t see exactly what you’re looking for, keep in mind that CuteyBaby welcomes customized orders as well as personalized decals for a minimal fee.

Price: $25 for small 12″ x 29″ sheet of pre-cut wall decals, $49 for a large 12″ x 48″ sheet of pre-cut wall decals

http://www.cuteybaby.com/

And now for the Giveaway...

One lucky Rave and Review readers will win a set of 12"x48" CuteyBaby vinyl wall decals!  To enter to win the Giveaway, just visit CuteyBaby and comment below with the CuteyBaby design you would like to win.

On December 4th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email

Sorry, this Giveaway is CLOSED!  Nicole has won the Jingle Jangle Decals!

A big thank you to CuteyBaby  for adding the best kind of flair to baby's walls - the removable and repositionable kind!  No type of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

MSR Mutha Hubba HP Tent

Every year around this time I can’t help but wonder where summer went.  It always seems like I had this great list of activities I was going to do; I had all these plans to get outside more and make the best of the good weather that never came to be. Now as fall is fully upon us and the days are increasingly blustery and chilly, I can’t help but feel the regret of opportunity lost. Thankfully, the folks over at our local favorite outdoor company, MSR, have felt this pain, too, and come up with a great solution to the dreaded end of the summer.  With the addition of their new HP series to their line of Hubba tents, MSR promises to keep you toasty while camping all throughout the shoulder season.

The original line of Hubba tents, which are available in one person (Hubba), two person (Hubba Hubba), and three person (Mutha Hubba), were some of the first tents to use a hubbed pole design. This is a design feature where the poles attach to each other in a hub in order to maximize space inside the tent while still providing a strong and light structure. These tents are well known for being extremely tough and durable, especially in the harshest of conditions. Now, with the addition of the HP versions, MSR has managed to make the Hubba series of tents even tougher.

The most notable difference in the Hubba HP versions is that nearly every spot made of mesh on the normal tent body has been replaced with a super soft and almost silky fabric. This fabric is so fine and lightweight that it actually weighs less than the mesh it is replacing, while adding numerous other benefits. The main advantage this change of fabric provides is that the tent body is much more of a solid wall than a standard mesh tent, so you end up with a lot more protection from the elements as well as a lot better heat retention.  The result is a warmer and more insulated tent that can withstand just about all that the Northwest’s mild climate can throw at you and probably a good portion of why Backpacker Magazine named the Hubba series its recommended tent for the East Coast campers.

How much warmer can a lighter fabric be you ask? While we may lack hard facts and figures, we have anecdotes to spare. Recently, on a Youth Group weekend hike up to some nearby alpine lakes, the group was faced with weather that was much colder than anyone had anticipated.  While some were grumbling about the cold temperatures, especially once the temperatures dropped overnight, I was secretly excited to perform the ultimate test of the Mutha Hubba HP.

The first morning of the campout, everyone was sharing stories of the freezing cold night, but not a word was heard from the Mutha Hubba gang.  In fact, all occupants of the Mutha Hubba HP tent had kept warm all through the night, apparently oblivious to the teeth chattering in the neighboring tents. 

If you’re like most people I know, you only own one tent, and it fits your outdoorsman style.  Some campers I know are fair-weather friends, lacing up their hiking boots only after the temperatures rise above 75 degrees, but others I know are outdoor sleepers by nature and look for any excuse to pop a tent on their back and climb a mountain or two.  If you’re a camper of the first kind, you might be fine with an exclusively mesh tent, like the regular line of Hubba tents, but if you’re more like the latter, the Mutha Hubba HP tent is the answer to extending your summer and thus your camping season. 

Summer campers should be warned though, on our first outing with the Mutha Hubba HP this summer we made the mistake of putting the rain fly on our tent too early in the day, and then when we went to lie down for a midday nap, our tent was at least 10-20 degrees warmer than everyone else’s. So much so that we had everyone jumping from tent to tent to compare. While it was warm in all the tents, the Mutha Hubba HP was definitely the warmest. The next day we were able to leave the rain fly off during the day to allow more ventilation to make it more manageable, but it was still warmer than our campmate’s tents.  Another option is to pitch your Hubba HP tent with just the rain fly and optional footprint for the ultimate in lightweight minimalist protection, which is another way to expand the usefulness of your tent.  Unfortunately my wife refuses to go this route as it lacks the full fledged bug protection she insists upon. 

Some other features we appreciate are the included gear lofts and multiple side pockets in the Mutha Hubba HP which allows you to store all your little odds and ends out of the way.  Anyone that has ever camped with a baby (or my wife) knows this goes a long way in making your tent feel bigger.  Paired with the hubbed poles that allow for maximum headroom by creating almost vertical walls and the bright fabrics that give the impression of space, the Hubba line feels exceptionally roomy. 

Both the Hubba Hubbaand Mutha Hubba have two doors with vestibules so your dirty boots and backpacks can stay away from your sleeping bag while still being protected from the elements. And then, in what is possibly the most ingenious feature we’ve seen on a tent that really seems pretty basic is that the set up instructions for the tent are clearly sewn on the lid flap of the stuff sack for the tent.  Brilliant, really.

Specifications of the Mutha Hubba HP from the MSR website:

Capacity	3
Minimum Weight	6 lbs 4 oz / 2850 g
Packaged Weight	6 lbs 13 oz / 3090 g
Fly with Footprint Weight	4 lbs 13 oz / 2200 g
Floor Area	40 sq. ft / 3.7 sq. m
Vestibule Area	14 (7 + 7) sq. ft / 1.35 (.675 + .675) sq. m
Tent Volume	105 cu. ft / 2945 liters
Vestibule Volume	22 (11 + 11) cu. ft / 623 (311.5 + 311.5) liters
Interior Peak Height	46 in / 117 cm
Packed Size	19 x 8 in / 47 x 20 cm
Number of Doors	2
Freestanding	Yes
Number of Poles	3 DAC
Number of Stakes	12
Fly Fabric	20D x 330T ripstop nylon 66 1000mm polyurethane & silicone coated
Canopy Fabric	20D x 330T ripstop nylon 66 & DWR
Mesh Type	20D polyester mesh
Floor Fabric	40D x 238T ripstop nylon 6 10000mm polyurethane & DWR coated
Country of Origin	Made In Taiwan

http://cascadedesigns.com/MSR

Price: $550 for the Mutha Hubba HP reviewed here, $400 for the Mutha Hubba regular series.

Overall: With a range of tent sizes as well as options for any climate, MSR Hubba series tents have got you covered.

Maclaren Beginning... For Mama and Baby Giveaway

At the Baby Show NYC a few weeks back, I had the pleasure of meeting the wonderful reps from Maclaren and seeing their new line of Maclaren Beginning bath and body care products.  Beginning holistic care products are a premium line designed to pamper both mother and baby with natural and organic ingredients.

From massage oils and bath products to aromatherapy and candles, the Beginning line feels like a day at a high-end salon each time you open them.  What makes the Beginning line unique is that it is for both mama and baby, allowing you to share in the experience of their natural indulgence together.  All of the products are made in England and almost the entire line is made with certified organic ingredients for even the most delicate baby skin.   

The Mother product line is designed to be used through pregnancy and in the post partum stages, but I would contend that these products will make it into your pampering routine for years to come.  The complete line includes bath milk, alleviating leg lotion, belly balm, massage oil, bath elixir, and a facial mist. 

As the mom of a one year old I don’t get much time for pampering, much less hours of leisurely going through a beauty routine, but I found the product line to be easy to fit into my jam packed schedule.  Even the busiest of us has time for taking care of our skin, but the truth is that most moms just don’t do enough of it.  The Beginning holistic care Mother’s products are great because each of the pieces of the product line are not built into a regimen, but rather are designed to enhance your current beauty routine one product as a time. 

For pregnancy I would have loved the belly balm, massage oil and the leg cream, especially towards the end of the 9 months when I was becoming more and more uncomfortable.  But, now that I’m a mom and I know the true meaning of “exhausted”, I am absolutely loving the Beginning facial mist and the bath & shower elixir, which makes even a quick shower and face wash feel like a beauty treatment.

Baby got to try out a small sampling of the Beginning line as well, and she loves it, especially the cylindrical packaging the travel kit comes in.  At first she thought it was a toy to stack other toys on top of, but then realized that the lid opened to reveal sweet smelling products just for her.  Now, she will ask for her Baby products by bringing me the travel kit and pointing. 

The Baby line includes massage oil, bath milk, room mist, dusting powder, nappy change balm, and delicate soap.  My daughter’s favorite is the massage oil, which I love, because then I get extra baby snuggles and usually kisses.  Hubby and I attended a class when our daughter was a newborn where they gave the basics of baby massage and all the benefits for parents and children, so I was really excited to try some of what we learned out with a relaxing and fragrant oil that baby really likes. 

I have to say that my absolute favorite thing in the line would be the comforting room spray that is designed to be sprayed in baby’s bedroom or nursery.  The idea behind it is that not only does it smell great, but it also infuses the air with aromatic fragrances to help baby soothe and relax.  Babies’ sense of smell is one of their first ways they learn about the world, and having something consistent and familiar that can remind them of home even when they can’t be there seems brilliant to me.  For a family that travels frequently as we do, I am really excited to be able to take just one small bottle with us wherever we go that will make just about anywhere feel more like home.   

With a complete line of products for both baby and mama, you are bound to find one or two that can add a little calm and a little harmony into the every day.  Visit http://www.maclarenbaby.com/us/ to see and purchase the whole Beginning line.  Select Beginning products are also available at these fine stores: edenhome.com, diapers.com and abesmarket.com

And now for the Giveaway...

Two lucky Rave and Review readers will win one of the two Maclaren Beginning Travel Kits reviewed here.  To enter to win the Giveaway, just comment below with your favorite Beginning by Maclaren product or something you would love to try in one of the sets!

On December 1st at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email

Sorry, this Giveaway is CLOSED!  Congratulations to our two winners - Laura and Melanie, your sets are on the way!

A big thank you to Maclaren for introducing us to their new bath and beauty line and for offering this fabulous giveaway to our readers.  No type of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

 

Animal Planet Wooden Dino Playland Giveaway

Any parent who has ever watched their living room slowly become engulfed in kids’ toys knows that the absolute best toys are the ones that are big enough to bring hours of fun and creative play, but then break down compactly when playtime is over.  The Animal Planet Wooden Dino Playland is my favorite pick in this category of building toys, and something that is sure to make your little adventurer’s day.

The Dinosaur Playland is created by sliding the painted interlocking wooden sections into each other to create three tiers of fun dinosaur play.  The really great thing about the Wooden Dinosaur Playland is that building the playset is almost as fun as actually playing with the completed habitat.  The instructions were easy to follow and the pieces were easy to fit together, but it should be noted that it does have 9 pieces in addition to a fold out mat to set up, so the little ones will need a bit of help. 

The set comes with two plastic dinosaur figures so it’s all ready for play as soon as you put it together.  I had thought that my daughter would most likely repurpose the Dino Playland for use with her large collection of pink and girly figures, but was really surprised by how much she loved the two dinosaurs that came with the set.  In fact, she made everyone give the dinosaurs kisses when she found them in the box and amused us all night by snuggling with the hard plastic dinosaurs as if they were plush.  I guess the reaction was good enough, because now I catch her giving the dinos kisses and hugs all the time when she’s playing with them. 

If she does decide she’s not into dinosaurs, or if someone someday breaks her heart and tells her dinosaurs aren’t really big on kisses, the Dino Playland could easily be used with just about any figures or animals in the toy box.  The graphics on the wooden habitat pieces are designed to look like a prehistoric jungle with rock walls, caves, trees, vines and other vegetation, but aren’t overtly dinosaur specific with the exception of a few small dinos painted into the design.  A little imagination could make the Dinosaur Playland a lion’s den or perhaps a modern day jungle scene and I don’t think anyone would call foul.  However, if you want to expand your dinosaur world, Animal Planet makes numerous other prehistoric sets and dinosaurs to add to the Jurassic Jungle. 

One of my favorite features of the Dinosaur Playland is open-ended aspect and the fact that all the pieces can be configured in multiple different ways.  By piecing the set together based on shape alone, I was able to create over 3 completely different habitats in just a few minutes by disregarding the instructions.  In all fairness, my habitat creations were probably nowhere near as cool as the intended configuration, but that’s never bothered me a bit.  I imagine that a creative kiddo could come up with numerous other designs by either using all the pieces or just utilizing some and could be entertained for hours.  

After we saw the Dino Playland and realized what a great idea it was, we started noticing other wooden playsets in stores and were shocked at their prices.  Even sets that were made of lesser quality wood and thinner pieces were up to three times more expensive.  These other sets were also not nearly as sturdy as the Dinosaur Playland when assembled, and most didn’t come with any figures at all.  Ease of storing, learning while building, quality components and great opportunities for creative play all combine to make the Animal Planet Wooden Dino Playland one of our top picks for 2009. 

Dimensions: 16”L x 13” W x 21.5” H assembled.

http://animal.discovery.com/

Price: $35 ARV, but is on sale for a limited time at Toys R Us for $25

This Giveaway is closed.  Thank you to all who entered and congratulations to Jamie who has won the Wooden Dino Playset!

A big thank you to Animal Planet for offering their Dinosaur Playland to be reviewed along with this fabulous giveaway to our readers.  No type of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

 

CARES - The Child Aviation Restraint System

With the Holiday travel season quickly approaching, I’ve gotten a ton of emails from readers asking for travel tips for flying with young children.  Many have asked what I would recommend after your child graduates from being a lap child and into having their own grownup seat while traveling by plane.  My recommendation, of course, would be the CARES Child Aviation Restraint System that secures your child into the airline seat while flying without having to carry their bulky car seat onto the plane.

So, how does the CARES toddler harness work?  Instead of one single lap belt on a standard airline seat, the CARES harness creates a 4 point restraint harness, similar to the restraints used in car seats, that secures your child for the duration of the flight.  To use, you just attach the looped strap to the seat back and adjust so that the harness is a bit above shoulder height, then you thread the airplane seatbelt through both sides of the harness and buckle securely before snapping the breastbone clasp together. 

The CARES restraint feels really secure and sturdy, which it should since it’s made of the same industrial-strength webbing as a typical safety belt.  The CARES safety harness is engineered and manufactured by AmSafe Aviation, a leading manufacturer of airline seatbelts whose motto is “innovation in motion”.  Innovation, indeed.

Instead of a bulky and heavy car seat or booster chair, the CARES safety harness can be easily carried in a carryon or large purse, comes in its own lightweight carrying bag, and weighs just one pound.  One pound that will save you having to fight to get a huge car seat through security only to drag it along with you and your little one around the airport.  And then once on the plane, the lightweight and flexible CARES safety belt is much easier to maneuver in tight spaces and get connected to and removed from an airline seat in a hurry.  The CARES is simple to use, easy to install and remove within seconds and is certified to be as safe as an automobile restraint system for air travel.  For those of you that will need your child’s car seat once you land, you can simply check the seat as luggage when you arrive and have the airline worry about getting it across the airport!

For families that fly without car seats and simply use the lap belt provided, the CARES can offer a peace of mind that lap belts cannot, especially for young toddlers or children who can never seem to get their lap belts tight enough to secure them.  As an added bonus, I have found that active toddlers are much easier to contain when they are strapped in securely using their CARES harness and are unable to twist out of their seats.  Our daughter doesn’t mind the CARES safety harness at all, which may be partially because she has never tasted the full freedom of movement that a single lap belt would offer.  But I think the other portion of it is that she is very used to the idea that when we sit in a seat and travel we always have a harness securing us in for safety, and at this point she doesn’t question it.  

The Child Aviation Restraint System is the only harness type child aviation safety restraint ever certified for airplane travel by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and states this certification very visibly on the CARES harness in case there are flight attendants who are unfamiliar with CARES.  In fact, the FAA encourages parents to secure their children in restraints appropriate for their weight and size.  In this case, the CARES restraint system is recommended for children over 1 year old and weighing 22-44 pounds.

The Federal Aviation Administration strongly urges you to secure your child in an appropriate restraint based on weight and size. Turbulence can happen with little or no warning. And when it does, the safest place for your child is in a Certified Restraint System.
~The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Random Raves: Are you wondering what you can use your CARES for when you’re not traveling?  The CARES restraint system is not certified for use in motor vehicles, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it on other, non-moving, seatbelted objects (i.e. high chairs, seats, and more).  We attached ours to our daughter’s very much outgrown infant bouncy seat* in order to keep her from wiggling out of the provided lap belt and toppling over backwards.  I only had to witness her do this once before I demanded a better solution, and that solution came in a very unlikely place.  Instead of retiring her old seat and fighting with an active toddler while trying to shower and get ready for the day, now we strap her into the bouncy seat with the CARES harness securing her and she knows that it is quiet time.  Where we used to get squirming and squealing, now we have a relaxed toddler who sings us songs while we get ready.  Seriously, is there any better way to start your day?

http://www.kidsflysafe.com/

* The “very much outgrown bouncy seat” refers much more to age than size and weight, and we do not recommend parents put children in items that are not size and weight appropriate for their little ones.

A big thank you to CARES for saving our sanity when we travel and, as an added bonus, for offering a better way to start our mornings.  No type of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.