Quick Favs - Travel Changer

The Pronto Travel Changer is the very best changer I've come across. Compact enough for a diaper bag/backpack/stroller, just enough pockets for the essentials (wipes, diapers, etc.). Perfect for changing in the park, in the airport, or - God forbid - an airplane bathroom. At $30 it's a little expensive, but totally worth it.

Alert! $10 Pajamas at Gymboree!

OK - I'll admit it. Occasionally... once in a while... indeed very, very rarely, I am a sucker for a sale. Usually the same sale.

About 3-4 times a year Gymboree has their big baby sale. Everything over $20 is marked down to $20. Everything $10 - $19.75 is marked down to $10. Plus you get Gymbucks which are always fun.

I LOVE the Gymboree pajamas. They are 100% cotton, super soft and they wear well (wash after wash after wash). At $10 a set ($8 if you remember to bring that 20% off Gymboree coupon you got in the mail) you can't beat the price. In fact, stock up for winter because you won't find a better price (until the next time they run the Baby Sale).

They also have some other really cute things for fall. Like this great little fleece-lined faux fur bunny jacket ($20 or $16 with the coupon).

They also just launched a monkey collection for little girls (3m - 5T). The colors are classic adult fall colors (burnt orange, yellow)...that is to say they are ugly, but they'll hide a lot of fall playground grime. The monkeys are pretty cute and Tot #1 pretty much refuses to wear anything else.

Good tip - if your local Gymboree store is out of stock on the size or style you want, ask them to order it for you from the warehouse. After about 5 minutes on the phone, they will arrange for it to be sent directly to you and you won't have to pay shipping (if you mention that you got the direct mail piece they'll give you the 20% off as well).

Quick Favs - High Chair to Go

Hands down my favorite travel/spare highchair. It actually folds even more compactly and one of the straps becomes a handle. Great for playdates, keeping in the trunk for restaurants, or for Grandma's house - especially if she lives in an apartment or just doesn't want the enormous highchair kickin' around her kitchen when you're not there. We often take this out to restaurants for our 9m old Tot #2 to use since it gives the back support (and security) that the restaurant high chairs seem to lack. Tot #1 also loves to sit in it to eat, draw, play playdoh or watch Grandma bake. Oh yeah - it's also $19.99!

My Favorite Books - Slide and Peek! by Amazing Baby

The tots both love this book. It is fun to read and easy for big chunky fingers to move since the sliders go in a circular pattern instead or up/down or side/side. Unlike most of the other touchy-feely baby books, it is almost indestructible. Now I just have to keep Tot #1 from stealing it out of Tot #2's book basket...

Quick Favs - Oh my achin' knees!

If these bath kneelers EVER come back in stock on Amazon (I've been waiting for my 2nd set for the in-laws house for 2 months) order them!  They are the best ones I've tried.  They are extra cushy and even have a removable insert in the upper part so you can use on a tub with sliding doors.  They come in 5 colors (the four shown plus graphite).  They are totally worth $35.

Quick Favs - Travel Bouncer

I LOVE this travel bouncer from One Step Ahead.  It has all the features of a regular boucner (vibration, music, etc.), easily folds/unfolds, stows in a handy carrying bag and is light enough to schlepp to a playdate a 1/4 mile away (or throw in the back seat of your car).  This was key for Tot #2 at Tot #1's playdates.  Also, at $39.95 you can't beat the price!

Review: Boon Squirt feeding spoon

Ah, Boon.  Beautiful contemporary design.  Continued botched execution.  Ok, so that could be the review right there.  Here is the long version.

The Boon Squirt spoon is a great concept.  A spoon that self fills so you don't have to keep dipping it into the baby food jar.  Brilliant!  

Except: a) you need two hands to unscrew it or fill it or take the storage cap off the spoon part, b) you can only fill it with very smooth foods (i.e. 1st foods), c) you need to use a spoon to get the baby food into the Squirt, and d) if you're serving cereal you'll need to mix it in a bowl with a spoon then load it in the Squirt.  When you have a hungry baby howling for dinner a) and b) are deal breakers.  Also, if you do the math, c) and d) just made more dirty dishes for you. 

Again, it is always easier to find faults in something versus design it perfectly.  I just wish Boon would put these concepts or models in front of a focus group of moms before they bring them to market so they could engineer around these pitfalls.  Then what was a great, innovative concept could really be a solid meal changing invention (no pun intended).  Instead it is just another baby spoon in the back of the drawer.

Review: Phil&Ted Wriggle Wrapper

The Need:  Something small enough to fit in a purse/diaperbag that can substitute for a highchair.

The Solution: The Wriggle Wrapper 

(no, that's not me in the photo, this is stock footage)

I just ordered the P&T Wriggle Wrapper and LOVE it.  It is a simple, compact solution for wrangling a squirmy baby/small toddler. This is a great solution for when a kid who is too small for a high chair, no high chair is available or when the high chair in question is, well, questionable. 

We used it in a restaurant for breakfast, in an airport lounge, sitting at the table reading the paper and just about anywhere else we could think of.  For all the on-lap applications it was great.  Easy to put on (even one handed), easy to adjust, comfortable for the tot (who is psyched to be sitting on your lap AND at the table) and easy to wipe clean.

Apparently you can also use it alone on a chair or as a substitute for a crib/bedrail, but we haven't (and probably won't) test those options out.  For the "hand's free" option alone it has more than earned it's keep.  I would put this on my "must have" list for parents of 2 under 2.

Sale! Land of Nod and Stokke Cribs

I love Stokke Cribs and I love Land of Nod.  And I love that Stokke Cribs are on sale at Land of Nod for $200 off!!

Get your ass to the gym! (just kidding)

So almost every mom I know (and a lot of dads) are struggling to get back in shape after having a baby.  I should preface this with the fact that I don't love the gym.  Not bad, just expensive, time consuming and impossible to do with kids (unless you have a gym with kid care and even then, ew....).  I figured for the $150/month that I saved in dropping my gym membership, over a few months I could get some great gear to stay in shape.  Here's the short list of what I bought and love.

The Strollometer - $35 - $50

In addition to having a great back story about how the company came about and excellent customer service, they have a great product.  It is basically a pedometer, but it judges your distance based on the number of times your stroller wheel rotates.  It gives you just the right number of stats - speed (current, max, ave), trip distance, trip time, daily mileage, temp and time.  Its a great incentive to walk a few more blocks to hit that next mile.  Its also rewarding at the end of the day to realize how far you walked.

TRX - $169.95

This was a reco from my husband's trainer who uses this with clients in the park or at the gym. It is a great one piece "gym" that you can use any where and fits in a 9" x 5" bag that you can throw in the closet.  All you need is a solid door that closes, backyard swing set rig, big tree branch or pull-up bar in the park.  The workout is simple enough for beginners and adjustable for someone more advanced.  Plus you can do a little and still feel the results.  Or do a lot and be very, very sore.  Great for a mini workout while the tots nap.

">The Pilates Body by Brooke Siler - $12.98

If you've ever taken a Pilates class this is a great primer/refresher.  With ratings on each pose from Beginner to Very Advanced it is easy to find something that will work for you.  It is meant to be done as a longer sequence of poses, but it is a great book to keep around the playroom so you can get a few poses in while you play with the tots.  It asks for a good degree of body awareness and visualization which is fantastic for true fans of Pilates, but if you're truly a beginner this might not be a good choice for you.