Product Review: Baby Items

Hey everyone, I'm back with my second installment of "product reviews".  I haven't done this since January, can you believe it was that long ago?  I sure can't.  Today I'm talking about all things baby!  Most of these are items that made my life SO much easier when I had kids and now that I've had two, I know these are products I would either try again or ones I could live without.  So, let's get started.

First off this swing:  

I admit, both of my boys are great sleepers.  Liam was sleeping through the night at five weeks.  I'm not sure exactly how old Dallas was when he slept through the night, but I'm sure it was somewhere around that same time.  From day one I had a bedtime routine, (which my sister has asked me to blog about and one day I will) but this swing was a game changer for us.  I let them sleep in the swing and then once they were too big, I moved them into their crib.  When Dallas was born we had a swing that only used batteries.  That is the worst idea ever in my opinion.  We ended up going through so many size D batteries in the first week of his life because it just burned through them like nothing I've ever seen.  So we bought rechargeable batteries and a charger.  We still had to change batteries in the middle of the night!  We were already awake enough with a newborn, who wanted to get up to tend to a swing too?  Not me.  So we returned that swing and bought this one.  Both boys have logged so many hours in this thing, I will be sad when the day comes to get rid of it.

Pros: swings baby in two directions, folds up fairly small for storage, seat comes off to also use as a "bouncy seat", plays music and sounds, plugs in

Cons: it's a little bulky when you have the swing out so you have to make sure you have the room for it

Recommend?: Highly

Alyssa's Star Rating: 5 out of 5 (go get you one!!)

Next are these blankets: 

The first two are swaddling blankets, first a heavier weight cotton flannel blend and then a lighter weight.  I'm a firm believer in swaddling.  I think it helps baby to sleep MUCH better and it makes them feel warm and cozy.  The third blanket is a "lovie".  Again, from day one, I placed a lovie next to each of the boys heads. And I'm not exaggerating here.  These lovies were purchased while I was pregnant and were placed in the hospital bag.  I know "they" say that babies shouldn't have blankets near them when sleeping, but it was never in a place where they would have an issue.  (I'm not a doctor and don't take responsibility for others and how they use blankets, so please use your best judgement here.) I would simply place it next to the boys so they could feel the soft satin edges or I wold lay it flat and then lay their heads on the blanket.  All of these blankets hold up amazing well in the washer.  Liam has one of each of the swaddling blankets and two lovies he is almost two and they look great.  (Except for one lovie that we lost, sad day.) Dallas has two of the flannel type blankets and two lovies.  He is almost four.  They still look brand new. "Nuff said! 

Pros: long lasting, machine washable, soft, large so they will last years while your child grows, great price for the length of use

Cons: if you are super picky with patterns and colors you may have to wait and check the site often for new ones

Recommended: Highly

Alyssa's Star Rating: 5 out of 5

Ok, so now I have something that I didn't necessarily love, but I want to share the good, the bad and the ugly here.  It's a sound machine, specifically this one: 

While I was searching for a picture I noticed a few changes, so maybe the company has updated the machine since I bought mine and it works better.  Where this one is green, ours was blue.  Where this one says "my baby" on the top, ours was plain. We started using this and at first I thought it was great.  You could position the reflection above the baby's bed and give him something to look at.  This eliminated the need for a mobile on the crib.  It has plenty of sound choices too, which is great.  However, after a few months of using this it would make a grinding sound while the "disks" were spinning.  So I exchanged it because I thought Dallas would start sleeping terribly without his beloved sound machine.  Then it happened again, so I exchanged it again. It happened about three more times before I decided we needed a different plan of action.  We had an old iPod so we loaded it up with sweet lullaby tunes and played it on shuffle all night via a docking station.  Once Liam was born, Dallas was happy to give his sound machine to his little brother and now Liam is going on two years of using it.  

Pros: it works, sometimes!  There are different sounds and different light displays to choose from, it's small so it's easy to travel with

Cons: it doesn't work, sometimes!  The sounds are just continuous, no variety 

Recommend?: No

Alyssa's Star Rating: 1 out of 5

Last but not least...

Now, this is also not the exact system we have, but the fact that Babies R Us still sells the same type of system after four years speaks volumes!  We have used this (again) for both boys and it's great.  A life saver, if you will.  We can push this stroller easily on any terrain.  To the park, grass, mulch, gravel, dirt, concrete, etc. You name it, it goes! And it's not that pricey either.  

Pros: where do I begin...sturdy, easy to fold, gender neutral, long lasting, easy to push, all-terrain, now includes mp3 speakers! 

Cons: it is a little heavy when you first try it, but you get the hang of it quickly

Recommend?: Highly

Alyssa's Star Rating: 5 out of 5

Do you have a favorite product you would like me to review?  Do you have a "category" you would like me to cover?  Share below in the comments! 

My Boys

This may not be the type of post you'd expect from me, but it's something that is important to me to document, so I am.  After all, this blog isn't just for my readers (how few of them I have anyway) it's also a chance for me to document some great moments in our family.

Dallas and Liam have done a little bit of "modeling".  They have profiles with a free agency out of Green Bay, WI and they have booked several jobs with Shopko.  In fact, Liam is currently on the front page for the baby items.  Between the two of them, they have been in about 10 ads.  I'm proud of them!  They love hamming it up for the camera and although sometimes it takes awhile for the photographers to get "the shot", it happens and they look super cute each time.  Dallas loves to get the ad and look through it to find himself or his brother and Liam, well he just thinks it's some other fun thing that we do and I'm okay with that.  If at any time they seem like they aren't that into it, we will stop.  I will never pressure my kids to do anything they don't want to do, even if it's something I want to live vicariously through them while they do it.  

So, the other day I got an email from the company mentioning that we should update their profiles pictures.  I took the boys outside and snapped a few photos of them and here are the results.  I am posting these here because I don't want to forget this age.  They are almost 4 and almost 2 and they are boys from head to toe. These are straight out of my camera, not edited.  But they show their personalities and I love that.  

First, Liam (because in life his oldest bro gets to do everything first, so today it's Liam's turn!) Liam has little red spots on his face from drooling due to teething and chewing on everything.  He has a silly smile and he is so busy all the time.  He wants to do everything his brother does, so Dallas is the one making him laugh in these pictures or making him look at the camera.  Liam is super strong and something I don't think he knows his own strength!  We say he will be the one in sports and will be the first one in the emergency room with a broken bone, that better not happen for another 18 years though!  I have a feeling he will push the limits in life, whether or not they are meant to be pushed.  He is going to be successful at so much, I just know it.  He is stubborn and wants what he wants right. now.  He likes to climb and jump and run.  He loves to be outside and his absolute favorite thing is to swing.

Now, on to Dallas.  He is smart and kind.  He has a big heart and always cares about other people.  He helps me out around the house whenever I ask.  He is organized and he likes things to be just so.  He gets a little to rough with his brother at times, but he notices quickly when that happens and is even quicker to apologize.  He is a gentle soul with a lot of love to give and I think he's going to do some big things in this world.  I think he will make an impact on people's lives.  He remind me to slow down and enjoy life's little treasures.  That we don't always have to rush through this life at  lightning fast speed.  We are pretty sure he's going to excel in school and learning will come easy to him.  

I love these two boys and I'm so thankful to be their mom.  I'm lucky to have them, impatient at times, learning each day, and find myself loving them more and more even when I thought that wasn't possible. Being a mom is the. greatest. gift. ever.  Okay, enough with the sappy-talk! 

Monthly Meal Plan #2

I completely let it slip my mind to post my meal plan for this month!  I actually can't even believe that it's April 9th already.  I used the calendar I found in February over at 505design since it worked great and was easy to edit.  I also like the "notes" section on the bottom in case I need to jot something down that I have to grab from the store.  So, without further ado, here it is:

(Click here to view on Pinterest)

A few things to note:

1.  Most of these recipes are either from Pinterest (more specifically from this board) or meals I have tried before and liked, so they became my go-to meals.

2.  Yes, we eat a lot of chicken, but I usually make it differently so we aren't tired of it.  It's healthy and we almost always have some on hand, so it's easy for me.

3.  Just like other meal plans I have done, I don't hold myself to this menu.  If we skip a day or I don't feel like cooking, I circle that day and move on to a different one.  Also, weather in Wisconsin is hit or miss these days, so if I have a grilling recipe and the weather doesn't cooperate that day, I have no choice but to go to something else.  I'll usually pick a fast meal that day like breakfast for dinner or spaghetti.

4.  Which brings me to my next point.  Breakfast for dinner has become a fast favorite for my boys.  I don't put exactly what I'll make for that day because we always have an abundance of breakfast choices on hand. So, it could be eggs, bacon and toast, french toast, omelets, waffles, pancakes, etc.  I will make a quick choice that day and cook it up.

5.  If you choose to make any of these recipes, please share in the comments what you thought and what changes you may make!  Also, share your favorite meals below, I'm always looking for new ideas.

Happy Planning!

Swoon worthy #2

So waaaay back in March :) I started a series called Swoon worthy.  Don't remember it?  Click here.

Today I'm back with the second installment of this series, so I guess that means this is officially a series!

Wahoo!

So, let's get this party stated, shall we?

1.  Last time I mentioned the Nike Fuel Band, well I found something a bit more affordable and I actually got to see this one in action, in person.  A teacher at the YMCA was wearing it one day and it caught my eye, I asked her about it, she let me see it and told me how to use it in literally 2 minutes.  So easy!  So I started hunting and found one online I'm planning to purchase next week!  I know last time I said I don't usually pull the trigger on such expensive items but I have good reason this time.  The last few times I ran, my phone died.  I have the Runtastic app on my phone and I use that in conjunction with music.  Well, about 15-20 minutes into the run, my phone died.  And not just once, every time (ok, so it was about 3 times, but still!) Talk about frustrating!  I know I have a short battery life, but I'm holding out until my upgrade to get a new phone.  So, here's what I'm swooning over and excited to purchase.  Oh, and I'm sure if you know me, you'll assume that I'll be getting the awesome teal colored band, and you would be correct. I'm also thinking that bright pink band will be fun in the future, if I use this a lot and want to switch it up sometimes.! So, I guess this awesome product will be doubling as a fashion accessory?  Fine by me!

2. This shirt had me at "you're"!  I love it, it's funny and it's from my new favorite tee shirt company.  I need some fun new comfy tees since that pretty much what I live in year round.  Skreened has super soft shirts that make you feel like you are in your pajamas all day. This link is not for the exact shirt I found the first time I did a search, but it's close.  You can actually create your one shirt on their site, which I think is great.  They have amazing customer service, which is ALWAYS a plus in my book.

3. Okay, so the next item isn't for me.  It's for my kids.  They always wear my glasses and Dallas has asked (more than 10 times) if he can have his own pair of glasses.  Wouldn't these look SO cute on him?  If you said no, you are not right!  Liam also tries to wear my glasses and he has bent them the wrong way on numerous occasions, so at this price I think a pair for each kid is in order.  I also think a little photo shoot with books books and more books, a cute button up sweater and these glasses would be perfection.

4. This is nerdy.  But this is true life people.  I have been looking for a cursive font cartridge for my Cricut machine for a while now.  I think this is as close as I will get....

5.  Finally I am loving this.  My closet will be getting a makeover in a few months and I am hoping I can recreate something like this for it.  I don't wear a lot of jewelry these days, since my kids think it's fun to pull on it when I do.  So, I have paired down on a lot of what I have and this organization system would work great for me.  I like that it looks rustic too, so maybe I'll try my hand at distressing something!  I'll share all the details (if it turns out!)

World Autism Awareness Day

I had plans to post my monthly meal plan here today, but there is something bigger than food on my mind today.

Today is a day to raise awareness for autism. I don't know a lot about this neurological disorder and I don't personally know a lot of people with it, but I still want to take part in raising awareness. My sister on the other hand, received her degree in Elementary and Special Education. She worked as an in-home autism therapist while in college. I have heard many stories from her about what she has learned and I have asked her question just out of curiosity. My sister has participated in the "Walk 4 Autism" the last couple years and I had the pleasure of joining her two years ago and will be doing so again this year. Throughout the walk, there are signs with facts about autism and I'd like to share some of those overwhelming facts with you. I feel like it's important to take part in activities that benefit others even if you don't know someone directly who was affected by the cause.  I also feel like opening up your mind and learning about those "issues" is important as well.

Disclaimer: I found some of these facts just by googling "what is autism" and I remembered some of them from the walk.  So I hope they are current and correct. If not please feel free to correct me by commenting below with a source to your information.

1. Autism affects 1 in 68 children and 1 in 42 boys.
2. Autism is the fastest growing development disability in the US
3. Boys are almost five times more likely to have autism than girls
4. The disorder can range from mild to highly disabling
5. Autism is just a different type of personality, it's not always a problem

So, if you find yourself asking the question "how can I raise awareness?" Here's how!

You can wear blue today! That's so simple, everyone has to have some blue in their closet! Put it on:)

You can "light it up blue".  Simply buy a blue light bulb from many participating retailers and put it in a lamp or in your porch light. The retailers *should be* donating a portion of the sales to Autism Speaks! I got mine at Walmart, but I'm pretty sure the home improvement stores are selling them as well.

You can also change your profile picture on Twitter or Facebook to blue. Just follow this link to complete this easy step to show your support.

You can click here to find a walk near you.

I wish I would have been on top of my game and posted this yesterday so you all had a chance to buy a light bulb or wear blue this morning when you were getting ready for work, but I wasn't. However, the entire month of April is Autism Awareness month, so go ahead and participate tomorrow, or the next day or the next!! Let's make difference, let's raise awareness, let's teach each other something and most importantly let's support those fighting their battle against autism.

I would also like to take the time to thank those, like my sister, who spend time working with children affected by autism. And to the parents who have a child with autism, I commend you. Being a parent is tough! The hardest job on the planet if you ask me.  Being a parent to a child with any disorder is something only the strongest of people are given the chance to do.

The things you learn

The other day I posted a status on my Facebook page that said something like "The things you learn when you're a mom".  And it got me thinking about how much you really learn when you become a parent.  It's a never ending class and to be honest I hope it doesn't ever end. Or I hope I get to a point where I get to share my knowledge with my kids. Wouldn't that be ironic, teaching my kids about things that they actually taught me about?  Yes, they are too young now to understand what I've learned or to take interest in the things I've found out in these last (almost) four years.

Wow! FOUR years, I am coming up on the four year mark of being a stay at home mom. April of 2010 I quit my job as a many to twin boys to get ready for the arrival of my own little boy. That means in April, I will celebrate that anniversary. Then in May I celebrate being a mom for four years and again in June, I get to celebrate being a mom to two children for two years. That's just crazy to me!  So, here's a list of just a few of the things I have learned.

source

1. Every child is SO different from the next. We have two children (which you know) they are complete opposites. It's outrageous to me everyday the different characteristics they have. They have the same parents, they are the same sex, even born in the same season, just two years and three weeks apart. Yet, they different. Sometimes the same, but not often! This is how I learn so many different things. Dallas taught me so much about being a first time mom, he taught me how to be selfless, patient, compassionate. Liam has taught me how to be tough, how to be EXTRA patient, how to face fears. However, they both taught me how to love unconditionally, how to share my heart equally, how not to judge people, how much sleep you don't need (and how much coffee you do!) along with so many other things.

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2. Sickness: blah! I hate when my kiddos are sick. I swear, Dallas was sick ONE time before the age of three. I get so sad when they are sick. I feel bad for them, I wish I could take all their pain for them when they are sick.  It's not only impetigo (which I JUST learned about a few weeks ago, what the heck is that?!?!) strep, sinus infections, ear infections, etc. It's also sensitive skin, eczema, bug bites, stubbed toes, slivers, peeling skin.  Things we have to learn how to take care of as we go. Test out hundreds of different lotions and creams, how to distract while we get slivers out, how to make it exciting when they need a band aid.

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3. Car seats, where to even begin. I'm not an expert but here are some things you may want to research if you need a car seat, if you have a car seat, if you think buying a used car seat is a good idea. First, they expire!!! Who knew??!! Yep, sure do! They all have a sticker or an imprint on them with an expiration date and a manufactured date. It's true, check yours out! Second, there are LAWS about when your child can be forward facing. Rear facing is of course the safest way, the longer, the better, even with bent/crossed legs...still the safest. Next, the placement of your child's head is important. Meaning how high up on their seat their head is. The chest strap is also important when it comes to placement!  Oh and the straps aren't supposed to be twisted...just saying.  Fourth, winter jackets are a no no when it comes to car seats. I never knew this until this winter. I watched a few videos and learned why...scary stuff! And last, Graco recalled a billion million buckles on their seats. That's just awesome because we have two Graco seats. It's annoying, but they are doing what they can to fix it. Will I buy another Graco seat? Probably not. Will this make them go out of business? Probably not. Can it happen to any manufacturer? Probably.  I just have a sour taste in my mouth from the experience and will avoid them if possible. Anyway, I've learned from all of this and much much more that the car seat is important to me and I like to buy ones that not only look cool but that they are also super safe for my boys. You don't have to spend hundreds of dollar, but you should at least be doing some research on that pretty bright yellow and grey seat that looks cool before you buy it second hand off craigslist from someone you never met.  Oh and PS: and car seat in any kind of accident, even just a fender bender, SHOULD be replaced.

Here's just one helpful link
Here's one about wearing winter jackets in the seat

4.  How to love. Before I had kids, I loved. I loved my family, some friends too. Now that I have kids I really truly know what love is. I know unconditional love. I've seen my kids get hurt  and then turn around  and forgive so quickly. Even when I still hurt for them, they are long past being hurt. I need to start reacting how they do to people who don't always make them 100% happy. I have high expectations for others and sometimes they fall short. I don't know if this is due to how I was raised or if it's something I've acquired in my "Grown up years".  My parents have always stood by my side and  never given up on me. They had expectations for me and I hope I met or exceeded those expectations. I try to do the right thing. Always. I try to please others. I always worry about what other people think or me and I wonder why other people don't think that way. Why wouldn't you want others to be impressed with you? Why wouldn't you want them to look at you as a parent and admire the way you handle situations? That's what my kids are teaching me. It doesn't always matter what people think of you, we all have bad days where we are not impressive. What matters at the end of the day is that we are happy, healthy and family.  If other people hurt our feelings or make is mad, that's okay. It happens and we move on. The world is still turning and we are still alive.  We can't control other people....

What have you learned from your kids?

I've got the whole world...

...on my wall!

Back story:  I had a great idea for a birthday present for my husband three years ago.  Yes, you read that right.  Three years.  I wanted to mount a large world map on the wall and mark each place he has been (either during his time in the Navy or during work).  So, I headed to a local store that sells teaching supplies called The Learning Shop and picked up world map and a map of the US.  They were about $10 each.  And then I...did nothing!  See, I had this grand idea to make the maps looks old.  I looked up every possible way to do this and it just didn't seem like I would be able to.  I either had to put them in the oven, which wouldn't work because my maps were BIG.  My oven was not.  Or I had to use stain, which meant outside and it was either too cold out when I remembered to do it or I was pregnant and didn't want to ask Michael to make his own gift.  So, after three years I found new maps at Costco, $10 for a set of two, larger, laminated maps.  This seemed like the better option for me.  They would hold up longer because they were laminated and they were bigger, so they would take up the large wall space we had available.  I skipped the idea of making them look old.

Fast forward six months, because I am forgetful like to mull things over, and here we are!  Guess who helped with his own birthday present?  What took me so long this time?  Well, I couldn't figure out an inexpensive way to actually hang the maps.  Here were my dilemmas  this time. A: I didn't want the pins to go into the wall in case we actually move someday and are left with approximately 10 millions holes in the wall to cover.  and 2: I wanted to be able to keep the map and pins (hopefully) in tact if we did in fact move one day!

So, I sent in a question to a site called Craftaholics Anonymous and the readers responded with some great ideas.  The one I went with was to buy foam board from the hardware store, adhere the map to that and then attach the foam board to the wall.  Here's how it went down (or up):

 I gathered our supplies: the map, the foam board, spray adhesive, double sided 

tape, a knife (not pictured) and Velcro (not pictured)

We put the double sided tape on all of the edges of the map and strips down the center

We rolled the map up so the tape was on the outside

We sprayed some of the adhesive spray onto the foam board (about 6 inches at a time) and 

then unrolled the map 

While we were unrolling it, we slid yard stick (also not pictured) along the front of the map to make sure the map was smooth and flat and we pulled the backside of the tape off as well

Here it is attached to the foam

Then my husband used a knife to cut the excess foam board off

Then we added Velcro to the back in multiple places and...

Put it on the wall! 

Here's the world map.  We followed the same exact process and it worked so well for us! 

(Don't mind the missing trim, this is our basement and it's still in the final steps of being completed)

Now, who wants to guess how long it will take me to add all the pins to the places we have been?  Yes, now we will have pins where Michael has been and where we have been as a family.  I'm lucky he isn't a picky husband who doesn't mind helping with or sharing his birthday present!

Did you find this post helpful?  Pin this image to Pinterest!

Cost breakdown: 

Map: $5 (each)

Foam Board: $10 (I needed one for each map since mine were so large, but with smaller maps you could use one piece of foam for two maps)

Tape: already had

Velcro: already had

Adhesive Spray: already had

Yard Stick: already had

Knife: already had

So, I spent $15 per map, $30 for both.  If you didn't have most of these items on had, I'm guessing you would spend maybe $40-$50 on both maps?