Still loving Boon!

Its no secret how much I love Boon's products. You can see our past Boon reviews here. Back in January we did a review for Boon's infant feeding line and I think its just about time we revisit Boon's feeding products as Connor has graduated into the big boy line.

Boon offers two options for toddler feeding utensils and honestly I am having a hard time deciding which I like better.

Boon Benders are a flexible alternative for babies learning to eat with utensils for the first time. The head of the spoon and fork both bend inwards (in either direction) which will give your baby the upper hand when it comes to getting those peas from the plate to the mouth! Great for left or right handed babies you can bend the head inwards in either direction. Connor actually has had the most luck with these utensils as just last week he got his first pea successfully from the plate to the mouth with no spillage. Talk about one happy baby. The only real disadvantage to that flexible head is if they are attempting to stab at their food the angle is off so they are best for a dipping action. The Boon Benders are the best choice from the Boon line for introducing utensils!


Boon Modware is in my opinion the prettier of the two utensil options from Boon. They have a ultra modern attractive design and are super sturdy. Connor actually prefers the Boon Modware over the Benders if given an option though he has had slightly less luck with these so far. He has had luck using them to stab at his food and routinely "stabs" his soft pastas with the fork and get them into his mouth with ease. They are also great for dipping into soft food items, such as apple sauce, as the food sticks to them fairly well. Connor is still in the midst of teething and he loves to chew on the thick handles, though this is not at all what they are attended to be used for, he has yet to damage them as they are quite sturdy. For an older toddler who already has some grasp of using utensils they would be quite ideal as the thick handle is easy to hold onto for little hands and they will take quite a beating from an older child.


The Boon Fluid is a mother's dream come true in the land of sippy cups. My biggest complaint on sippy cups is having to take them apart every time I clean them to make sure you get those blasted valves clean. If you somehow forget or dad is in charge of cleaning the sippy cups one night you end up with a wet nasty moldy valve which is just plain gross, and just thinking about Connor ending up drinking out of an accidentally moldy sippy cup.. ugg, yuck. The Boon Fluid is totally valve free and it doesn't leak! Its super easy to clean and the lid just pops on and off. Really the only compliant we have about it is its not really super easy for a younger baby to use as the spout is short so Connor at first had a bit of a hard time learning to suck out of it. He has it mastered now and its my favorite cup to take on overnight trips as its the easiest to clean.

The Boon Groovy has to be the coolest feeding dish I have seen yet. I am so in love with it I wish they made it in adult sizes. The main dish is divided into two circles which we use as a main course and vegetable/fruit divider. I find it incredibly helpful trying to decide how much to portion out for Connor and it keeps runny foods from mixing. Once your child is a bit older it comes with two tiny add on dishes that serve as dipping containers which work out perfectly for ketchup or bbq sauce or even as tiny desert containers for apple sauce or pudding. The add on containers can be positioned onto any side of the dish so you can put the appropriate sauces with the right side of the plate. Perfect if your child likes BBQ sauce with their nuggets but ketchup with their fries. The entire bottom surface of the Boon Groovy is rubber coated so though it won't totally prevent the plate from hitting the floor it certainly gives you a few more seconds to reach it possibly in time. Connor has recently decided that his way of telling me he is "done" is to throw the plate on the floor... The Boon Groovy has on more than one occasion slowed him down far enough that I was able to catch it before it ended up on the floor. Saving me some valuable mopping time!

Last but not least at all. I reviewed the Snack Ball several months ago. See the review here. Its a necessity in your diaper bag from the moment your child starts eating cereals or other small snacks. Once your child is old enough to hold a bowl it becomes a great snack container that the child can hold themselves and eat directly out of. We are still using ours to hold pre dinner snacks when we go out to eat or traveling snacks when we are out and about. I haven't left the house without it from the moment we got ours.

All of the items I have mentioned in this review from Boon are BPA free!

Boon has given me a Snack Ball to give away to one of our readers!!!

To enter :

• Leave a comment on this post. Check out Boon and tell us which product from their entire line are you most excited about and why.
  
• Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com) We have had to disqualify a lot of potential winners as of late as many people do not have emails available in their profiles or leave anonymous posts without any way to contact you.
• Please US entries only.
• To get extra credit :
• For an extra entry :
• Bloggers - Blog about this contest and leave me the link on your comment, or add me to your sidebar and let me know its there.
• Non Bloggers (or bloggers) subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed and earn another entry!
• One extra credit per person. Please post your extra credit in a separate post.
• This contest will end June 2nd at midnight!

Am I the only one that has no clue what to feed a toddler?

The Toddler Cafe
by Jennifer Carden

I have never been more lost than when Connor moved past baby foods and into the world of adult foods. I am not an amazing cook and my experience with feeding toddlers is limited. Usually if I am dining with little people present it seems all the ever eat is mac and cheese. Not that I have anything against mac and cheese its tasty and easy to make but seriously a child cannot survive just on mac and cheese right?

My first few weeks attempting to feed Connor an real meal three times a day was awkward to say the least. I can easily get his portions right and make sure he gets enough of his basic food groups but growing up as a picky eater myself my challenge has always been introducing enough into his diet that he does not end up stuck eating just a handful of things like his father and I both were guilty of... my first attempts were sad to say the least. I'm not sure exactly how many variations you can make with pasta with random vegetables but I am fairly sure I have made them all.

I came across the The Toddler Cafe while looking for a cookbook that would offer me some simple and more "exotic" menu options to offer Connor that consisted of something other than just frozen veggies and ready made dishes. The recipe that really caught my attention was the Pumpkin Pockets. They are basically large pumpkin and cream cheese raviolis, but what excited me is Connor was obsessed with pumpkin in baby food form and I have been desperately looking for something healthy to add to his diet that would include his beloved pumpkin other than the typical pumpkin deserts.

The other recipes that we have tried so far and loved were the Pucker-up Psghetti and the Waffle Grilled Cheese. Pucker-up Psghetti is the PERFECT recipe for the younger set who may not be good yet at eating by themselves. Connor LOVES spaghetti but I hate the clean up. Pucker-up Psghetti does not include any pasta sauce so there is nothing to stain and it has a slight zing to it that keeps Connor interested. Of all the recipes though the Waffle Grilled Cheese we use on a regular basis. Grilled Cheese has always been a big family favorite around here but I hate the cleanup. We had an old waffle iron that has not seen the light of day in years and now it has a regular job as a grilled cheese maker. Connor loves the texture on the sandwiches too!

The Toddler Cafe is a great resource for experienced and new moms who are looking for a new way to mix up their families dinnertime habits. The recipes are fun and simple and so far nothing has taken us more than 20 minutes to prepare start to finish. All of the recipes are simple enough that a preschooler could help with most if not all of the prep work as well! I'm not expert chef and so far its been super simple and there are tons of great pictures to keep you motivated. For those of us with picky eaters, there are tips with each recipe as well that will help you convince your kids to eat them as well!

Our next recipe we are looking to tackle will be the Squashed Potato Pancakes... they look delicious and I just bought the squash today!

The Toddler Cafe is available through Chronicle Books as well as on Amazon!

Check out Jennifer's blog about The Toddler Cafe too and The Toddler Cafe website!

I scream.. you scream.. we all scream for Ice Cream!!

Blooming-Babies was sooo excited about this new Ice Cream set from Melissa and Doug they were practically bouncing when they asked me to feature it. I totally see why when the set arrived I was practically foaming at the mouth and I actually did consider licking that mint chocolate chip ice cream just to see if it actually tasted like it.. OMG yum... This set looks so realistic that it will leave you screaming to go to the ice cream parlor. I'm just warning you now!

I honestly never knew a wood toy could look so incredibly yummy.. or lifelike. Did you see that great Sushi set they also offer at Blooming-Babies?? How incredibly cool is that?


Blooming-Babies also offers some of our FAVORITE products including PSA Custom Stamper, by far one of my favorite stationary products known to man... ever piece of mail leaving my house is stamped with my PSA. As well as Your Baby Can Read videos. If you have not experienced this set before now, seriously its a must have for children between the ages of 0- till the time they are fluent readers. I also HIGHLY recommend Your Baby Can Read for children who may be a bit slow on the reading skills. The best part is its actually really enjoyable to watch for both parents and kids. Connor loves his so much he will actually stop playing with his toys to watch it... and don't even get me started on the flash cards. I honestly never knew a set of flash cards (that come with each dvd) could stop a 9 month old in their tracks. I actually use mine to distract him when he is getting crabby either in public or at home.. and not only is he learning something but he really loves them. The slide out feature on flash cards is really unique as well.

If you have ever experienced a wiggly toddler at the dinner table, distractions while your getting their dinner ready (especially at interestedly) are really a lifesaver. Blooming-Babies great selection of place mats are not only awesome as they will protect your table from spills but they are totally interactive. All of them are safe to be written on with Dry Erase markers. My grandmother would love this place mat as you know proper dinner skills are key, at least she says so, to finding a good husband or getting a good job. I'm not so sure thats really the case but it certainly is a nice skill to have so you wont look like a fool at your first big corporate dinner or that first formal dinner with the new boyfriend/girlfriend/mother in laws house. I've been there...

Blooming-Babies is offering 10% off to all of our readers use code : sevendogs10
The coupon expires July 3rd, 2008!

Blooming-Babies is also giving away an Ice Cream set to one lucky reader!

To enter :

• Leave a comment on this post. Check out Blooming-Babies and visit their playtime section and check out the great play food they offer. Come back here and tell us which play food is your favorite.
  
• No "i want to win" stuff without a little effort (and I do mean little!)
• Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com) We have had to disqualify a lot of potential winners as of late as many people do not have emails available in their profiles or leave anonymous posts without any way to contact you.
• Please US entries only.
• To get extra credit :
• For an extra entry :
• Bloggers - Blog about this contest and leave me the link on your comment, or add me to your sidebar and let me know its there.
• Non Bloggers (or bloggers) subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed and earn another entry!
• One extra credit per person. Please post your extra credit in a separate post.
• This contest will end May 10th at midnight!

Blog Bash - Mutsy Spider

There are so many things I wish I had known before Connor was born that I know now, and the diffrence between a good stroller and a cheap stroller is really one of them.

When I was preparing for Connor I did a lot of stroller research, I actually ended up getting a really expensive (at least to my standards) travel system as the car seat had exceptionally good safety reviews. I only wish I had known now much I would hate the matching stroller and that there were other options available other than just the generic travel system. For what I had my grandmother pay towards that stroller and car seat combo I could have invested in a really great stroller and bought the car seat separately.

Well to make a long story short I have gone through several strollers none of which have quite made me a happy camper and the investment at this point would have bought me a really great luxury stroller instead of a bunch of "ho hum" contraptions.

I had my eye on the Mutsy Spider almost from the beginning and I dismissed it as its not quite as small as an umbrella stroller and it didn't have a car seat adapter, but I couldnt help coming back to it as I LOVE the look of the stroller, as well as the color options, and I had heard some great stuff about it from friends who live in larger cities who see it much more often than down here.

Its three wheel design, and great color choices makes it highly desirable from a fashion standpoint, but what I didn't realize is just how much of a difference a quality stroller would make in my daily life. Our last stroller though it was a pretty fancy umbrella stroller was difficult to steer, impossible to use on rough surfaces (way too bumpy of a ride for the road in front of our house), and lacked absolutely any style. My new Mutsy Spider in ocean blue however is everything I wanted in a stroller and much much more. That super clean looking three wheel design actually adds the incredible ability to turn the stroller with a flick of a finger, I can literally steer our stroller with my elbow while in the middle of a busy mall without even hesitation as to if I am headed in the right direction, my old stroller would not turn so easily so many times we ended up doing a big circle just to change directions in a store or a mall. The other issues we have had with strollers in the past is the height of the handles, I am very short and Connor's dad is tall, a stroller that will fit me nicely ends up forcing him to almost bend down to push it so there was never a happy medium. All of the Mutsy strollers not just the spider offer adjustable handle bars. Honestly I actually am most comfortable on the highest setting as well though Connor's family constantly stealing him for weekend overnight trips they have enjoyed the adjust ability as well. Some other features that really impressed me :

• Adjustable harness heights, this stroller like many car seats features the ability to move the harness up and down (through slats in the stroller) to fit your child's height and age range. Its especially nice for the little ones like mine!
  
• A flip up foot rest, when your child is still small you do not have to worry about their legs dangling uncomfortably off the end of the stroller, the Mutsy Spider offers a flip up foot rest so even little ones are comfortable!
  
• A recline setting, I found this unusual for a stroller in this size range. Though it will not recline totally flat it does recline enough that a sleeping toddler is more than comfortable! The sunshade also is wide enough that it offers full coverage even in a recline.
  
• A basket!! This is SOO unusual in strollers of similar sizes. Though its not as generous (see complaints below) as a full sized stroller's basket it does the job and its a nice added bonus.
  
• I have to admit, its also really nice to have people run you down just to ask you "What kind of stroller is that and where did you get it?!".
  

I can say there are only really two small complaints I have about the Mutsy and believe me I wouldn't even dare think about giving it up in exchange for two very minor flaws. The first thing I noticed in our first outing was the sunshade would not fold down all the way to cover Connor's eyes completely from the sun. If Connor was not so short this would not be an issue, but he sits much farther down in the stroller than an average baby of his age and the coverage is not as good for him. This could be easily fixed with an additional sunshade, I just have not gotten around to buying one (from an outside company). The other issue is though I consider the fact that the Mutsy Spider has a basket underneath a luxury as most strollers in this size range do not, its a bit tight against the stroller so it will not fit my diaper bag. It does however fit purses, our small changing pack, and other smaller things. Its also a great place to store those emergency toys. I honestly can't complain too much about it as it would be hard to find another stroller in the same size/design with one at all.

All in all the Mutsy Spider certainly held up to all my expectations as well as exceeded them in many cases!! If the Spider is this great I can only imagine how amazing it must be to own one of their larger models. I dream of owning the Mutsy 4 Rider one day.. talk about a stroller that meets all your needs and exceeds them. For any of you that own it.. I'm jealous!

If you are not familuar with Mutsy you really need to check out their new high chair and booster seat line as well. The Musty Easygrow and Mutsy Grow Up not only come in a yummy selection of colors but are one of the most fashion friendly feeding accessories you will find. The Musty Easygrow is also one of the first fully adjustable high chairs I have seen in a compact metal frame. For those of you mod mommies out there, I promise you will be drooling on your monitor when you check out all the great color combos!

Can't resist Mutsy? Barebabies offers the entire line of Mutsy products!! The Mutsy Spider is on sale right now for $149!!! There is only a few more days left on the sale so if you want one.. RUN over there right now!! (Thats $100 off the regular price!!!)

Blog Bash - Trembimbi Dinnerware

Oh the rare occasion there are times where I really really... really want to steal Connor's stuff and this is one of them.

Why eat with plain ole boring dishes, cups and utensils when eating can be as fun as playing with your toys?

Trebimbi's Puppets Club dinnerware items turns eating and table time into an adventure. Even the pickiest of eaters will want to come to the table to join in the fun.

Personally I am a huge fan of the cup, those little feet and his fat little face makes me want to use him myself!!

Though Connor may be too young still to eat with a fork or a knife, we do get a lot of use out of the plate and are working on how to use the cup. I especially appreciate how large and deep the dish is for little hands. Its great for working on learning how to eat with a spoon as it gives him lots of room to push the food around and creates a nice barrier to keep the food in.

I was a bit concerned about the quality of the utensils as every plastic handled fork or knife I have ever had up till now have been cheaply made, but I am really impressed to say that they are really nicely done and the little faces on the utensils is a fun touch!

For those of you that are concerned about BPA and safe eating and drinking products for your babies and toddlers you will be very glad to hear that the Puppet Club is made from polypropylene and stainless steel so its totally safe and BPA free!

Trembimbi products are available at BareBabies.com!

Barebabies is offering 10% off all Trembimbi products to our readers. Use the code : actnm10off

Feeding Review : Thermos Foogo!

I'm still on the quest to eliminate BPA out of Connor's life and Thermo's new Foogo line of sippy and food storage containers designed for babies and toddlers is fabulous!

The Foogo Sippy cup is the closest to traditional type sippys we have seen in a stainless steel - dpa free model. With a traditional style spout its a super easy transition for children already using a similar type sippy cup. Fully insulated it keeps drinks cold up to 6 hours, which by the way, is AWESOME for day trips. The only disadvantage to this is it adds some weight to the sippy cup itself so Connor has a bit of a hard time holding this sippy cup for long periods of time by himself (at 9 months mind you), an older child shouldn't have any issues or even notice the difference. The spout itself is "soft" but still rigid, Connor has no problems using the spout and unlike some of the other sippy cups we have tried in many cases I've had to remove the valves at least temporarily when he first started using the cup to help him adjust.. He got this one right off the bat with no help from mom. I have also not noticed any dripping even with the cup turned upside down!


Along with sippy cups the Foogo line also includes a toddler straw cup as well as a food jar. I almost hate to admit but the Foogo straw cup has been my recent companion to college with me as I do not own a stainless steel cup of my own and I love its sleek design! It holds about 12 ounces of liquid and I'm happy to report that the drinks I leave with in the afternoon are still cold in the evening as class is finishing. No one has yet to notice that the cup is actually a toddler cup (thank goodness.. lol) and I've actually gotten several compliments on my cute cup. The lid opens with just a touch of a button which is designed for the ease of young hands.. but I actually love it preferred to other cups I have owned in the past that have a screw top lid.

The last addition to the Foogo line is the food jar. Though much bigger than a baby food jar, you might find it a big harder to fit into that diaper bag its great for car trips and even your own lunch (yes yes.. I have used it for my soup on these cold days we have had lately...) It hold 10oz of food which is quite generous and you can easily fit a whole days worth of food (for a a younger baby) or a large meal for a toddler. If I know we are going to be gone most of the day I go ahead and put Connor's lunch and dinner inside and I know they will still be fresh when its time to eat. Like both the cups it will keep cold items cold for 7 hours as well as warm items warm for 5 hours.

I have to say the best part about the Foogo line is they are all dishwasher safe (Id recommend top rack though) which is unusual from a stainless line. Not to mention the entire line is BPA free, the lid and bottom is made of polypropylene and the sippy spout is made of Thermoplastic Elastomer.. all of which in my book are Aok.

Feeding Review : Safe Sippy

Made by KidBasix the Safe Sippy is a great option if your looking for a sippy cup that is free from Bisphenol A, phthalates and DEHA (They are certified!). Priced at about $14.95 its not awful on the wallet either.

Made from Stainless Steel and polypropylene this cup sports a thermoplastic soft rubber cover that protects it from dents, scratches and well just makes it look prettier. Connor actually prefers holding on to the soft plastic shell vs the cold stainless steel.

The handles are removable and rotate able (even with the cup is screwed closed) which is great for adjusting it for Connor, who currently is just beginning to use sippy cups and sometimes needs a little help. I had heard some parents did not like the angled sippy spout but we found it much easier to use and manipulate than a traditional strait flat spout. Connor picked the cup up and could use it within seconds without any help or direction from me, which is fabulous. For a stainless steel cup it is light and easy to hold which is great for the little ones.

On the leak factor I give this cup a 4 out of 5 stars.. its not 100% leak proof but it is spill proof. To get this cup to leak we had to turn it upside down and shake it and it would slowly drip.. not enough to bother me especially with our hardwood floors I find that more than acceptable. Connor has thrown this cup across the room in more than more occasion and we only suffered a few drops of milk on the floor.

Though you can wash this in the top rack of the dishwasher it is not recommend that you do so with stainless steel cups. We did one pass in the dishwasher and the cup was not worst for wear... but we plan on hand washing it under most circumstances. Unless you forget and leave the cup to get all funky just a quick rinse and soap should be all you need (not a huge sacrifice to keep your baby from digesting anymore harmful chemicals than possible!!)

Want one?
Visit Safe Sippy and check out their store locater for a list of online stores as well as local stores that carry their products!

Feeding Review : Burp Catcher

Ever been sitting in a restaurant or some other public place holding your adorable little munchkin and before you know it something warm is running down your back?

This happened to my dad just a few weeks ago when Connor went to stay with them for the weekend. He ended up with Connor's dinner down his shirt for most of the evening.

Burpcatcher is a great new burp cloth design that is not only beautiful to look at but solves that problem of baby yack down the back. Connor has not been a huge spit up baby but the few times its happened its been at the most inconvenient embarrassing times possible, needless to say with this burp cloth in my diaper bag that will no longer be the case. If we are not at home and don't want to risk wearing a milk/pasta/peas back decoration its certainly worth it to have one of these handy.

Want one? You can buy one the many beautiful Burpcatcher designs directly from their webpage!

Baby Food Review : Jack's Harvest

These beautiful little hearts were Connor's dinner earlier this week. They look too pretty to eat almost! Connor on the other hand did not think so, he devoured them in record time.

If your worried about what goes into your babies stomach, Jack's Harvest will make even the pickiest mom feel good. Made from 100% organic ingredients in a certified organic kitchen by a Chef who is a mom herself all of their foods are a great option.

Their food selection varies per season as since all of their foods are organic the selection of foods depends on what is in season. Seeing as all of the veggies and fruits used are hand selected by the Jack's Harvest moms at their local farmer's market you can be sure only the best and freshest foods are used. My favorite part is there are NO fillers, preservatives, or sugar and salt added to any of their baby foods.

All of their foods arrive at your doorstep frozen in these beautiful little heart shaped cubes ready to defrost and serve. Connor recieved a pacakge of More Peas Please, Lip Smacking Sweet Potatoes, Butternut Squash-ed Apples, Peek-a-boo pumpkin pear, and a Veg out Potatoes and Broccoli. What shown is the Lip Smacking Sweet Potatoes and More Peas Please, I tried both of them and honestly I wish I could bring Heather home with me to make some of these sweet potatoes in an adult version (they are SOO yummy!!).

Want some of your own? Visit Jack's Harvest and browse through their great selections.

The best part! Connie & Heather are offering one reader a Jack's Pack of your choice!

To enter :

• Leave a comment on this post. Go visit Jack's Harvest and tell me which of their current offerings sound yummy to you. No "i want to win" stuff without a little effort (and I do mean little!)
  
• Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com)
• Please US entries only.
  
• To get extra credit :
• For an extra entry :
• Bloggers - Blog about this contest and leave me the link on your comment, or add me to your sidebar and let me know its there.
• Non Bloggers (or bloggers) subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed and earn another entry!
  
• One extra credit per person. Please post your extra credit in a separate post.
  
• This contest will end Feb 16th at midnight!

Feeding Review : Kiddopotamus Bibbity & Tiny Diner

Kiddopotamus is known for its great SwaddleMe wraps but did you know they also made awesome bibs and feeding products?

Connor is notorious about wearing his lunch in his lap. The Bibbity is great for catching those crumbs and once he is done eating I just give it a good rinse in the sink and hang it off the back of his chair and we are good to go. The bib is generously sized without being overwhelming so you could use this all the way through the toddler years. I LOVE the way it adjust (no Velcro.. just little tabs which are surprisingly great and wash better than Velcro)





I became intrested in the Tiny Diner after my aunt scolded me for letting Connor eat off the table in a resteruant (... I did wipe it off first) She kept leaving disposable placemats in my diaper bag as some sort of hint. The disposable mats are great but they take up alot of space in the diaper bag and they tend to wrinkle up. The Tiny Diner rolls up, stores easily, and of course is reusable so you do not have to feel bad about throwing away all those disposables. It actually forms a bit of a tray that helps keep the food where it should be really well! We use ourI actually became interested in the Tiny Diner after my aunt scolded me for letting Connor eat off the table in as at home and on the go and love the fact that it has suction cups to keep it in place as well as a catch bin which helps our little messy man contain his spills.




The Bibbity and Tiny Diner are both PVC, latex and lead free. Both are super soft, waterproof, and easily washable. Both roll up for easy storage in your diaper bag (or bib drawer!) They both come in blue, pink and green!

Want them?

The Bibbity and Tiny Diner are both available on Amazon and in most major retailers (like Babies R Us!). You may also buy them in my online store!

Feeding Review : Babylicious Messy Bib

Oh the joys of solids.. I don't know about the rest of you guys but I personally really like for my son's clothes to be stain free. Connor on the other hand could care less as long as I let him "do it himself" he is a happy camper (regardless of if doing it himself means scooping the sweet potatoes up with his sleeves).

Babylicious already makes a fabulous line of stylish (but surprisingly affordable) baby bedding and this bib is no exception. I think everyone knows by now that Polka Dots are by far my favorite which of course was its first appeal, but the Get Messy Bib is for just that.. getting messy!

We are in the mist of doing a baby food review (more later on that!) and the Get Messy Bib has been holding its own against all the baby food Connor can throw (literally) at it. The best part... no stains on those precious sleeves and much much less cleanup. Its so much easier to was the bib vs the baby.. its only too bad it doesn't come with a full face shield too! (just kidding)

The Get Messy Bib comes in two diffrent colors, groovy blue dots and pink dots. The best part is you dont have to go searching for that special boutiqe to buy it! At $13.99 I think one shirt saved from stains is well worth that (especially if your comparing that to those expensive name brand baby shirts that seem to be more expensive than my own clothes!)

If sleeved bibs are not your thing, you can still get the non sleeved version too!

Want one? Buy the Get Messy Bib on Amazon.com! Visit Babylicious as well!

Feeding Review : Silikids

Silikids

Before Connor was born I thought very little about Silicone, Plastic, or Polycarbonate. (Other than from a work perspective as silicone is everywhere when you work at a hospital!)

After he was born I found myself worrying about all sorts of things, including the affects of Polycarbonate (found in plastic bottles) on his little body. Admittedly though I was intimidated by switching to glass bottles from the standpoint of price and the fact that glass breaks, and Connor is not gentle on his bottles at all.

In the first six months Connor rarely used a bottle as we were still breastfeeding but as he started to wean himself I decided it was time to revisit the glass bottle debate and started doing some research. Thats when I happened across Silikids!

Silikids offers an array of fun and colorful Silicone products for babies. Including bibs, knee pads (for crawlers.. I really want a set!), and these glass bottle sleeves. The sleeves were just what I was looking for as they not only look cool (I especially LOVE the dots), but they protect the bottle from daily life, including those ocassional drops. They are very reasonably priced at $10 for the 4oz and $12 for the 8oz as you not only get a Siliskin but you also get a EvenFlo glass bottle!

We have been toting around our Silikid bottle & Siliskin for a few weeks now and I am happy to report both are still doing great even with Connor's new obsession of throwing his bottle once he is done (onto the hardwood floors I may add). What I love most about the glass bottle is that it comes clean so much easier than my cheap plastic bottles, not to mention no stinky bottle if it doesn't get cleaned right away. The Siliskin is easy to remove and reapply and I just throw both in the dishwasher after each use!

Want one?

Visit Silikids and check out their online shop!

Feeding Review : Boon Products & Giveaway

I'm excited to start our new series reviews covering different aspects of baby care. Since Connor is in an in between stage of baby food and table foods I'm so excited that our first review has a little of both. Our first review of the new feeding series of course goes to Boon!

Even before Connor was born I did a lot of research on baby products and I will be honest I love function but looks are important to me as well. I have always been a big fan of streamline/modern baby products and Boon offers both! Honestly the only thing I would change about their products is more color choices (orange is just not my favorite color... only second least to yellow) but I will forgive their orange as their is real beauty in simplicity.

Boon Squirt :

Honestly I requested this item out of pure curiosity. It looks almost like an alien device more than a feeding spoon! The top half is a rubber bulb and the bottom half is a plastic clear spoon. You unscrew the two pieces and put your baby food inside, and every time you squeeze the bulb a surprisingly perfect amount of baby food dispenses and tada your ready to eat. It is super easy to use and I think even a big brother or big sister could master this better than they could even the old fashioned method. The real beauty though comes in its portability. It is soo much easier (as I found out today first hand) to whip out a preloaded spoon with food inside and start feeding (especially in the car!) than to try to maneuver a jar of food, spoon, wipes (in my case) and do all this without making a total mess. I successfully fed Connor today while in the backseat with him in the car seat and we didn't even make a mess! Overall this is a great product for on the go (and at home) honestly the only two things I can say that I disliked was two small things. The spoon size is a bit too big for Connor. Mind you he is a very small guy so for an average sized baby this would not be an issue and even with Connor it is doable we just had to take two tries at each bite. Also when you squeeze the bulb depending on the type of baby food you get a tiny tiny bit of splatter, honestly the traditional method is MUCH messier so I'm not sure I can honestly say that's a negative but I did want to bring some attention to it.
Boon Snack Ball :

I was excited about this product but its fairly basic so I didn't think I would be as a fan as I really am. The snack ball is very simple in design.. the top rotates to the side to expose the goodies inside (its not so easy that a baby could do it themselves which is nice, as you wont have cheerios all over the house when you least expect it) Otherwise the two halves screw apart for easy cleaning. I adore this product for two reasons.. previously I used zip locks to carry around snacks and without fail they ended up as crushed bits in my diaper bag.. now there is no fear of powered cereals. We have also found that the treat ball is also a GREAT toy. Connor loves to shake it, roll it, chase it around, and with snackies inside it sounds like a rattle. This has saved my butt on several occasions in the short amount of time I've had it. For the price you would pay for this it is worth it for its weight in zip locks alone. Using this verses disposable items is also earth friendly! For 6.49 even the budget friendly mom cannot complain. Just a little note.. once your child is a little older they can eat their own snacks directly from the ball.. the opening is just the right size for smaller hands.

Want one?

You can buy the Snack Ball & Squirt on Amazon or you can buy them directly through Boon!

Here is the best part...

Boon is offering a Snack Ball & Squirt to one lucky winner!

Enter to Win :

• Leave a comment on this post. Go visit Boon. Tell me which products are your favorite and/or are you most likely to buy. No "i want to win" stuff without a little effort (and I do mean little!)
  
• Make sure there is a way for me to contact you (be it leave me your email address on the post if you dont want to leave it in the comment.
• To get extra credit :
• For 2 extra entries - blog about my contest on your webpage and add a link to this blog.
• For 5 extra entries - put a link to my webpage in your sidebar.
• This contest will end Jan 13th at midnight!