I have searched high and low, all the way to China and Europe to find a thick warm good quality sleeping bag for Alexis and Audrey. I've bought the down alternative bags from China and they were just terribly cheap. It kept Alexis warm but the one size fit all was just too big for her and it made me nervous.
I finally found Baby DeeDee which I LOVE. It keeps Audrey (now 1) warm and safe. Surprisingly, she seems to sleep better now so YAY!! Although Audrey is 1, she is still not ready for a blanket. She gets tangled in it and it upsets her.
Sleep Sack Pros:
1. There is a large size plastic zipper so its super easy and safe to zip. Since its big, it's super fast and easy to zip up or down in different positions.
2. There are also buttons on the shoulder which for my husband, he loves. He wants to just "drop" the baby into her sack....men.
3. Soft and comfy - It seems to get softer the more you wash it. Nice and thick, the baby wakes up with warm hands which warms mommy's heart.
4. I ordered from their website and it ships FAST.
5. Size options - there are 3 sizes so you're not stuck with a super long bag. If your baby is a mover, a bag too big just wakes them up and no parent wants that.
Sleep Sack Cons:
1. Expensive - I think it's a bit on the expensive side. The large size goes up to $48. Items like this, I normally buy 2 so I can rotate and wash. However, when you buy 2, they cost close to $100 and that can get a bit too much. I've invested in 1 so far so I'm tempted to try to make just having 1 work instead of buying another bag for convenience.
2. Availability - It's not yet sold in major retailers like Babies R Us or Buy Buy Baby so you don't get to tough and feel just yet. The baby boutiques around me and just not easy to get to with kids. Normally, they are located downtown or in the city and no mom wants to deal with finding parking, paying for parking, and dragging 2 babies depending on how far you had to park to get to a boutique. So, its online shopping for me for now.
3. No organic option - not that big of a deal but seems like a good idea?
I also got the sleep kicker for my 3 year old. I'm not 100% satisfied with the warmth of it yet. I would like a material like the sleep sack for her as she still seems to be cold and again, won't keep on a blanket. This search continues.
Audrey got the baby sleepsie:
Sleepsie Pros:
1. Warm
2. Easy diaper access. A separate zipper around the legs so baby stays warm and dressed during diaper changes.
3. Super soft
4. CUTE!
Sleepsie Cons:
1. A little too tight. My daughter is 12 months old and I bought her the 12-18 months and there is no way she will last another 3 months in this size. She's not a big girl, she's only 17.5 lbs and its pretty snug on her. There isn't too much room for her to grow in length through 18 months either so I think their sizing needs to be adjusted and offer more in between sizes to keep the snug.
2. Footsies - the slip guard they put on the bottom of the footing does not work on hardwood or tile. Baby still slips around. I recommend bigger rubber dots on the bottom. Also, if the sizing got adjusted with a smaller range, it would fit better on the foot area without the extra room to grow which will allow the footing to work better. This is a big con for me because its a safety issue and also this is the age where they are learning to stand and walk.
Overall, LOVE the sleep sack. Still looking for a better sleep solution for my 3 yo, and the sleepsie needs a bit of refinement and it'll be perfect!
Friday, November 13, 2015
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Beware the public bathrooms!
So, I thought after my 3 year old was fully potty trained, life would be easier. WRONG!
Instead, now I worry about those nasty bathrooms in parks, restaurants, airports, and malls. Or what about the lack of bathrooms?
I sit in pretty bad traffic everyday with my commute and Alexis always picks the most perfect location to absolutely "HAVE TO GO NOW MOMMY!" moments. You know, like the moment you just merged onto the freeway after the metering lights, cut across 4 lanes into carpool, and then BAM! She has to go.
Or, when we just sat down at one of the old not so sure how you passed inspection restaurants but the food is oh so good so you go anyways and your kid has to go potty.
Well, those situations has happened more than enough times so I've determined the real reason why I have an SUV. And all parents should know this, so your kid can go potty in the trunk! Yes, the trunk of my car has now turned into a port-a-potty. Before you say gross, let me explain how this works.
What you will need:
1. Portable potty (which I don't recommend for the car) or Ikea's children's potty.
2. Portable potty liners with ties so you can seal it.
3. Wipes (us parents probably have 3 packages in the car anyways)
4. Tinted windows
5. Rubber cargo mats
6. Hand Sanitizer
Alexis currently is the perfect height for my trunk. After some trial and error, this has been the most practical and clean way to go about it.
1. Always have your potty pre-lined. You may not have time to get it ready when your child HAS to go. I put them in right after I toss out the old one.
2. Place the potty in the middle of the trunk and have it face out so when your child sits down, she's facing the door.
3. Place your child in the trunk and get them set up to go.
4. Once they sit down, determine how much privacy your child needs. If you need to, close the trunk. Stand outside the car but make sure your child can see you and you can see them. This is why you need to position the potty so they can see you and feel safe.
5. Once they are done, make you sure instruct them NOT to get up. You need to help them get up because sometimes the liner sticks to them and you risk spillage. GROSS
6. Help them get dressed and tie up the bag while your child is still in the trunk. This will keep them safe from running around the parking lot or where ever you pull over while you clean up.
7. Throw away bag if there is somewhere to dispose it and reline. If there is no where to dispose it, keep the tied up and triple sealed bag in the potty. This will happen. For the exact reason, I use the full size potty so I have somewhere to keep the waste in case of situations like this. The portable potties do not allow you to store this in emergencies and you're stuck with this bag. Don't litter!
Ikea's potty has been perfect. We used it in the house to train and now we moved it into the cars. If they are going in the trunk, you want stability and the full size Ikea potties do just that. Baby Bjorn makes a similar one but much more expensive.
If you don't have an SUV, I open both doors from the same side and place the potty in between. This creates a temporary privacy wall.
SAFETY TIP: When you get out of the car to use the potty, roll a window down. You don't want to get locked out of the car or lock your child in the car. Do this regardless of how smart you think your car is. Yes, I know most cars don't lock if the key is still in the car. But, if your key is low in battery which it happened to my husband once, the door can still accidentally lock. Luckily, he had no child with him.
Instead, now I worry about those nasty bathrooms in parks, restaurants, airports, and malls. Or what about the lack of bathrooms?
I sit in pretty bad traffic everyday with my commute and Alexis always picks the most perfect location to absolutely "HAVE TO GO NOW MOMMY!" moments. You know, like the moment you just merged onto the freeway after the metering lights, cut across 4 lanes into carpool, and then BAM! She has to go.
Or, when we just sat down at one of the old not so sure how you passed inspection restaurants but the food is oh so good so you go anyways and your kid has to go potty.
Well, those situations has happened more than enough times so I've determined the real reason why I have an SUV. And all parents should know this, so your kid can go potty in the trunk! Yes, the trunk of my car has now turned into a port-a-potty. Before you say gross, let me explain how this works.
What you will need:
1. Portable potty (which I don't recommend for the car) or Ikea's children's potty.
2. Portable potty liners with ties so you can seal it.
3. Wipes (us parents probably have 3 packages in the car anyways)
4. Tinted windows
5. Rubber cargo mats
6. Hand Sanitizer
Alexis currently is the perfect height for my trunk. After some trial and error, this has been the most practical and clean way to go about it.
1. Always have your potty pre-lined. You may not have time to get it ready when your child HAS to go. I put them in right after I toss out the old one.
2. Place the potty in the middle of the trunk and have it face out so when your child sits down, she's facing the door.
3. Place your child in the trunk and get them set up to go.
4. Once they sit down, determine how much privacy your child needs. If you need to, close the trunk. Stand outside the car but make sure your child can see you and you can see them. This is why you need to position the potty so they can see you and feel safe.
5. Once they are done, make you sure instruct them NOT to get up. You need to help them get up because sometimes the liner sticks to them and you risk spillage. GROSS
6. Help them get dressed and tie up the bag while your child is still in the trunk. This will keep them safe from running around the parking lot or where ever you pull over while you clean up.
7. Throw away bag if there is somewhere to dispose it and reline. If there is no where to dispose it, keep the tied up and triple sealed bag in the potty. This will happen. For the exact reason, I use the full size potty so I have somewhere to keep the waste in case of situations like this. The portable potties do not allow you to store this in emergencies and you're stuck with this bag. Don't litter!
Ikea's potty has been perfect. We used it in the house to train and now we moved it into the cars. If they are going in the trunk, you want stability and the full size Ikea potties do just that. Baby Bjorn makes a similar one but much more expensive.
If you don't have an SUV, I open both doors from the same side and place the potty in between. This creates a temporary privacy wall.
SAFETY TIP: When you get out of the car to use the potty, roll a window down. You don't want to get locked out of the car or lock your child in the car. Do this regardless of how smart you think your car is. Yes, I know most cars don't lock if the key is still in the car. But, if your key is low in battery which it happened to my husband once, the door can still accidentally lock. Luckily, he had no child with him.
I'm back!!! And so much to review
I had to take a break as the past couple of months have been hectic with planning Audrey's 1st birthday and work. However, I'm ready to get back to reviewing more items that I have discovered over the past couple of months.
Here are the ones to look forward to shortly:
1. Prepping for winter and how to keep those babies warm.
2. Sleep Sacks
3. Car seat update
4. Baby Food maker/prepping/storing
5. Rainy season hacks
6. Thought it was easier after they are potty training? Beware the nasty public bathrooms!
7. Softest kids clothes
Here are the ones to look forward to shortly:
1. Prepping for winter and how to keep those babies warm.
2. Sleep Sacks
3. Car seat update
4. Baby Food maker/prepping/storing
5. Rainy season hacks
6. Thought it was easier after they are potty training? Beware the nasty public bathrooms!
7. Softest kids clothes
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