So we juice everyday and lately, I've been committing to only juicing organic produce. Groupon has a deal for $5 and you get $10 at Whole Foods! You're only allowed to buy one but not bad, its like getting 1 free apple, haha.
I know Whole Foods is expensive, but they do have great produce!
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Babysitters and Las Madres
This may be more of me complaining than a review. My husband and I don't have a babysitter, period. I've tried Care.com and it was TERRIBLE. The credentials of the people on there are completely bogus. I was desperate to find an at home nanny when my daughter was born and tried Care.com. People with 15+ years showed up at the interview and didn't even know how to hold a baby. I had one lady bring her other 2 kids with her to the interview. I asked her who was going to take her of her own children when she was at my house with my daughter and she replied "I will most likely bring them with me. They are great with children and very caring". That is great your children are well behaved as they are screaming and running around my office during this interview, I'm not sure I want you to turn my house into a child care center when I'm paying a premium to have you come to my house to watch my newborn.
Fast forward 2 years later, we still can't leave Alexis with anyone but her daycare and my parents. I just can't imagine trusting someone of the internet to come over to my house that I don't know to watch my daughter for a couple of hours. My biggest fear is that I'm going to return home and my baby isn't there. Maybe I have trust issues but our daughter is my husband and I's world.
Recently, I joined Las Madres for Working Moms and I love the events they have. It sounds like we're currently working on a babysitting co-op. I can't wait! People I know, people with kids around the same age, and parents that are just as focused on their children's world as we are. I'm really excited for this to get going. I always thought it would be a great idea to have one night off a night and a group of parents rotate. We all drop off the kids at one house while to parents go on date night. I'll probably suggest it to my Las Madres parents and hear their feedback. I highly suggest joining your local Las Madres group for activities and support. There aren't many activities for working parent's schedule. This group has helped me a lot and its only been a month.
Fast forward 2 years later, we still can't leave Alexis with anyone but her daycare and my parents. I just can't imagine trusting someone of the internet to come over to my house that I don't know to watch my daughter for a couple of hours. My biggest fear is that I'm going to return home and my baby isn't there. Maybe I have trust issues but our daughter is my husband and I's world.
Recently, I joined Las Madres for Working Moms and I love the events they have. It sounds like we're currently working on a babysitting co-op. I can't wait! People I know, people with kids around the same age, and parents that are just as focused on their children's world as we are. I'm really excited for this to get going. I always thought it would be a great idea to have one night off a night and a group of parents rotate. We all drop off the kids at one house while to parents go on date night. I'll probably suggest it to my Las Madres parents and hear their feedback. I highly suggest joining your local Las Madres group for activities and support. There aren't many activities for working parent's schedule. This group has helped me a lot and its only been a month.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Our First Giveaway!!!!
This year I will be attending and blogging about this year's MommyCon in San Francisco! I'm super excited as it will also be my birthday so it'll be a nice day to spend in the city with my family.
So, for all parents and expectant parents, please come join me at MommyCon San Francisco on April 12th from 10am to 5pm at the Wyndham Parc 55. You can also get more information at http://mommy-con.com
I wish I had known about this when I was expecting but its like a bridal faire for parents on natural choices for their babies. There is a wealth amount of information on car seats, diapering, BABY WEARING, etc.
It'll be my first time so I'm super excited to bring Alexis even though she's 2 to learn more and have her roam around in a child friendly environment!
So for the giveaway, I'll be giving away a pair of tickets! To enter for the drawing, all you have to do is this:
1. Follow me on twitter @productmomblog and @mommyconusa
2. Like our Facebook page Product Mom Blog and MommyConUSA
3. Follow us on Instagram @productmom and @mommycon
Leave a comment on this post that you have entered. Drawing will be done March 15th and announced March 17th!!
For those that don't win or want to buy more tickets, you can get 10% off with this code: PRODUCTMOM14
So, for all parents and expectant parents, please come join me at MommyCon San Francisco on April 12th from 10am to 5pm at the Wyndham Parc 55. You can also get more information at http://mommy-con.com
I wish I had known about this when I was expecting but its like a bridal faire for parents on natural choices for their babies. There is a wealth amount of information on car seats, diapering, BABY WEARING, etc.
It'll be my first time so I'm super excited to bring Alexis even though she's 2 to learn more and have her roam around in a child friendly environment!
So for the giveaway, I'll be giving away a pair of tickets! To enter for the drawing, all you have to do is this:
1. Follow me on twitter @productmomblog and @mommyconusa
2. Like our Facebook page Product Mom Blog and MommyConUSA
3. Follow us on Instagram @productmom and @mommycon
Leave a comment on this post that you have entered. Drawing will be done March 15th and announced March 17th!!
For those that don't win or want to buy more tickets, you can get 10% off with this code: PRODUCTMOM14
Monday, February 10, 2014
Baby Loves Disco!!
Yesterday, I took Alexis to a Baby Loves Disco event in San Francisco. It was kind of a last minute thing with the weather and I wasn't sure I wanted to do the hour drive in a storm. Luckily, when Sunday morning rolled around, it wasn't too bad.
A fellow mommy friend of mine (which happens to be a great dancer) introduced this event to me. I am so thankful that she did because it is probably to date, the BEST experience I've had with my daughter. So much so that my husband is currently upset with me because I gave him the wrong date to take off of work and he missed it. If you have a shy child, don't worry. My little one went to town dancing for 2 hours that I was shocked that she lasted through the whole thing. They have great music, fun games, healthy snacks, face painting, balloon making, toys, diaper changing station, and more for kids to enjoy. All this is included in the ticket price ($15/walking person). It was at a club that I used to go to before I was a mom. The place sure looks different sober. Back to the kids, it really got my kid moving and it was safe and clean for her to roam around. She was free to express herself and had a blast. She was singing all night and this morning, I couldn't get her up to go to daycare.
I'm hoping my dancing mommy friend can start one in San Jose where we are located. I wish this could be a weekly thing for the Bay Area but in the meantime, they are doing it monthly. Check your area to see if they come to your area. My friend and I carpooled to the city so it wasn't so bad. Please let me know if anyone of you would like to join us for the next Baby Loves Disco in San Francisco on March 9th!
www.babylovesdisco.com
A fellow mommy friend of mine (which happens to be a great dancer) introduced this event to me. I am so thankful that she did because it is probably to date, the BEST experience I've had with my daughter. So much so that my husband is currently upset with me because I gave him the wrong date to take off of work and he missed it. If you have a shy child, don't worry. My little one went to town dancing for 2 hours that I was shocked that she lasted through the whole thing. They have great music, fun games, healthy snacks, face painting, balloon making, toys, diaper changing station, and more for kids to enjoy. All this is included in the ticket price ($15/walking person). It was at a club that I used to go to before I was a mom. The place sure looks different sober. Back to the kids, it really got my kid moving and it was safe and clean for her to roam around. She was free to express herself and had a blast. She was singing all night and this morning, I couldn't get her up to go to daycare.
I'm hoping my dancing mommy friend can start one in San Jose where we are located. I wish this could be a weekly thing for the Bay Area but in the meantime, they are doing it monthly. Check your area to see if they come to your area. My friend and I carpooled to the city so it wasn't so bad. Please let me know if anyone of you would like to join us for the next Baby Loves Disco in San Francisco on March 9th!
www.babylovesdisco.com
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Dr Brown bottles
When I was pregnant with my daughter, I didn't know and do much research on bottles. I knew of Avent, Dr. Brown, and Platex. Well, at least those were the ones that stuck in my head. I went on to register for Dr. Brown because I liked the idea of the air venting to prevent throw ups or the baby ingesting air with her milk. I didn't think too much about all the parts that went into this bottle or cleaning it. My only requirement was that it came in the glass option and if plastic, it was BPA free.
Throughout the year, I've heard nothing but bad things about Dr. Brown. I should correct myself, I hear 1 repeated bad comment about Dr. Brown and it was that there were too many parts and too much work to clean. I heard store employees over and over again deter new moms and scare them. Seemed like all the bad opinions were never about how well the bottle actually worked for the baby. So, I figure I write my experience even though my daughter has long stopped using the bottle.
I wasn't able to breastfeed Alexis. So, she was always on the bottle from day one. I did pump for 1 year and fed her breast milk as much as my body could produce. We used Medela bottles and Dr. Brown at the beginning. With the Medela bottles, Alexis throw up twice. With the Dr. Brown bottles, she's never thrown up. You often hear about burping and burp clothes. We had none of that. She didn't burp and she didn't throw up. (of course, my daughter is a farter. She'll hate me for writing this when she gets older). I honestly don't believe my daughter is extra special and didn't need to burp because she burps like crazy now on her own (and then giggles at herself). I think it was the Dr. Brown bottles that prevented her from ingesting air therefore reducing the need for her to burp. Here are my advice/suggestions that may help with feeding newborns to babies:
1. Feed your child at a 45 degree angle
2. Instead of using the fast flow nipples, use the slower ones. Be patient, let your baby take her time to drink. Take the feeding times and a close bonding time with your child.
3. Warm the milk/breast milk always
4. When feeding your child, always make sure that the nipple is filled with milk. I would tip the bottle over first to fill the nipple up before putting it in her mouth.
And of course, BREAST IS BEST. I don't need to go into this, we all know this. But for those moms that are struggling, here is my advice from my traumatizing experience - do your best and don't stress yourself out. Stressing will lower your production. Everyone's body is different, your best is the best for your baby.
So, I like Dr. Brown bottles. There is a lot of parts to clean but the parts are also replaceable so you don't have to buy new bottles. Just new parts.
Throughout the year, I've heard nothing but bad things about Dr. Brown. I should correct myself, I hear 1 repeated bad comment about Dr. Brown and it was that there were too many parts and too much work to clean. I heard store employees over and over again deter new moms and scare them. Seemed like all the bad opinions were never about how well the bottle actually worked for the baby. So, I figure I write my experience even though my daughter has long stopped using the bottle.
I wasn't able to breastfeed Alexis. So, she was always on the bottle from day one. I did pump for 1 year and fed her breast milk as much as my body could produce. We used Medela bottles and Dr. Brown at the beginning. With the Medela bottles, Alexis throw up twice. With the Dr. Brown bottles, she's never thrown up. You often hear about burping and burp clothes. We had none of that. She didn't burp and she didn't throw up. (of course, my daughter is a farter. She'll hate me for writing this when she gets older). I honestly don't believe my daughter is extra special and didn't need to burp because she burps like crazy now on her own (and then giggles at herself). I think it was the Dr. Brown bottles that prevented her from ingesting air therefore reducing the need for her to burp. Here are my advice/suggestions that may help with feeding newborns to babies:
1. Feed your child at a 45 degree angle
2. Instead of using the fast flow nipples, use the slower ones. Be patient, let your baby take her time to drink. Take the feeding times and a close bonding time with your child.
3. Warm the milk/breast milk always
4. When feeding your child, always make sure that the nipple is filled with milk. I would tip the bottle over first to fill the nipple up before putting it in her mouth.
And of course, BREAST IS BEST. I don't need to go into this, we all know this. But for those moms that are struggling, here is my advice from my traumatizing experience - do your best and don't stress yourself out. Stressing will lower your production. Everyone's body is different, your best is the best for your baby.
So, I like Dr. Brown bottles. There is a lot of parts to clean but the parts are also replaceable so you don't have to buy new bottles. Just new parts.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Orbit Baby
This post is for those new mommies or soon to be mommies out there. If you are expecting, you probably are now shopping and doing your research on the best stroller out there. There are MANY MANY strollers and MANY high end strollers. So, I guess the question is, are they worth it? Or is it a status thing. Well, I did my research and some are status strollers but one stroller stood out among the others to me that's at no compare. So, I didn't even have something comparable to price it at. That is the Orbit Stroller. I have the G2, I should rephrase, I have the ENTIRE line of Orbit Baby products. They now have a G3 stroller out which seems even better. When the new frame came out, I was devasted because I really wanted the new brake system (mine did break once and Orbit sent me a new one. That is not a typo, they sent me a Brand New one), and the double cup holder. But, I found out that all my G2 products are compatible with the new G3 frame so maybe I'll get a new one later?
My review will be about the G2 but the concept of this stroller is simple and the same. Here is why I love this brand:
1. The main thing that sets this brand apart, the ROTATING BASE! It makes it easy to switch car seats among 2 cars with out installing each time (life saver!). It saved my back from a lot of pain (I have a bad back from getting hit by a drunk driver). It makes the daily use of the stroller available in every situation so far. Airport, restaurant, travel, city life, parks, shopping, EVERYTHING!
2. The customer service/warranty on this is not a joke. They have live people that help you! If you are lucky enough to be in the Bay Area, you can actually go to their actual office. They will fix your stroller or replace if necessary.
3. Its light weight and easy to fold (one hand). You know when people are waiting for your parking spot thinking "This family is going to take forever to load their baby and stroller", they are often surprised how fast we are. In fact, I've had people thank me for being so fast but it was because of the stroller.
4. Grows with your child and family. We got the bassinet and it was a life saver. I took Alexis to work with me for 5 weeks and she slept in the bassinet at work. Then, you can switch to the toddler seat and you can use it for another 3 to 4 years. If your family grows in the meantime, you can get the attachment to use as a double stroller and the kickboard for older kids.
5. The biggest one - The toddler car seat goes on the stroller base. Yes, its heavy. But think about when you have to travel. Why bring 2? Now, you only have to bring 1 seat to use as your car seat and your stroller seat.
The cons which have all been fixed with the G3:
1. The brake system. Not flip flop friendly and wasn't very durable. But, looks like they have fixed it and its much more durable by looks. I don't know about actual use.
2. 1 cup holder on the G2 with no option for add on. The G3 has 2 cup holders
3. Storage on the G2 is not practical. Its extremely small especially for the areas that no longer provide shopping bags. Before the change, I used to use it as a diaper bag. The good thing was that the pod completely comes out so you don't have the empty out your stroller before folding it. Just take out the pod and empty it later. The new G3 has a huge cargo area but I think you have to empty it before folding.
The price on this stroller is really comparable if not less than the Bugaboo and Stokke. We are a family that have bought 2 more strollers for multiple uses. We have a Bob for running and sporting event and we have an umbrella stroller for those places that we don't want to take our nice stroller like the beach and amusement parks. I was not going to park my Orbit stroller at Disneyland for others to take. Take my MacClaren and I'll be mad but take my Orbit, I'll have a breakdown.
www.orbitbaby.com
We've been stopped so many times with people asking us about our stroller. When people see it in action, they freak out. I've had so many parents with Bugaboos regret getting it because they lost the versatility and ease of the Orbit because they went for the look and status. One dad asked me "Why didn't you get the Bugaboo?" and I said "I buy things for the use and what it does. Not because of what other people will think about my stroller, even if it was the ugliest stroller in the world. It fits my families need and makes my life easy. I have enough work with a baby, if I was going to pay for something, it better make my life easier." He replied "Yea, we wish we got the Orbit".
My review will be about the G2 but the concept of this stroller is simple and the same. Here is why I love this brand:
1. The main thing that sets this brand apart, the ROTATING BASE! It makes it easy to switch car seats among 2 cars with out installing each time (life saver!). It saved my back from a lot of pain (I have a bad back from getting hit by a drunk driver). It makes the daily use of the stroller available in every situation so far. Airport, restaurant, travel, city life, parks, shopping, EVERYTHING!
2. The customer service/warranty on this is not a joke. They have live people that help you! If you are lucky enough to be in the Bay Area, you can actually go to their actual office. They will fix your stroller or replace if necessary.
3. Its light weight and easy to fold (one hand). You know when people are waiting for your parking spot thinking "This family is going to take forever to load their baby and stroller", they are often surprised how fast we are. In fact, I've had people thank me for being so fast but it was because of the stroller.
4. Grows with your child and family. We got the bassinet and it was a life saver. I took Alexis to work with me for 5 weeks and she slept in the bassinet at work. Then, you can switch to the toddler seat and you can use it for another 3 to 4 years. If your family grows in the meantime, you can get the attachment to use as a double stroller and the kickboard for older kids.
5. The biggest one - The toddler car seat goes on the stroller base. Yes, its heavy. But think about when you have to travel. Why bring 2? Now, you only have to bring 1 seat to use as your car seat and your stroller seat.
The cons which have all been fixed with the G3:
1. The brake system. Not flip flop friendly and wasn't very durable. But, looks like they have fixed it and its much more durable by looks. I don't know about actual use.
2. 1 cup holder on the G2 with no option for add on. The G3 has 2 cup holders
3. Storage on the G2 is not practical. Its extremely small especially for the areas that no longer provide shopping bags. Before the change, I used to use it as a diaper bag. The good thing was that the pod completely comes out so you don't have the empty out your stroller before folding it. Just take out the pod and empty it later. The new G3 has a huge cargo area but I think you have to empty it before folding.
The price on this stroller is really comparable if not less than the Bugaboo and Stokke. We are a family that have bought 2 more strollers for multiple uses. We have a Bob for running and sporting event and we have an umbrella stroller for those places that we don't want to take our nice stroller like the beach and amusement parks. I was not going to park my Orbit stroller at Disneyland for others to take. Take my MacClaren and I'll be mad but take my Orbit, I'll have a breakdown.
www.orbitbaby.com
We've been stopped so many times with people asking us about our stroller. When people see it in action, they freak out. I've had so many parents with Bugaboos regret getting it because they lost the versatility and ease of the Orbit because they went for the look and status. One dad asked me "Why didn't you get the Bugaboo?" and I said "I buy things for the use and what it does. Not because of what other people will think about my stroller, even if it was the ugliest stroller in the world. It fits my families need and makes my life easy. I have enough work with a baby, if I was going to pay for something, it better make my life easier." He replied "Yea, we wish we got the Orbit".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)