Boogie Wipes-By Far the Favorite of the Group

Boogie Wipes, what are those? Only the best invention around! We love their slogan line too, "Snot your average wipe."

With allergies and colds in full bloom, all the kids noses are runny and crusty! Boogie Wipes feel so good on your nose, we used them ourselves. Boogie Wipes "are the latest innovation in a moist wipe product for busy moms, dads & kids. With added saline, they offer quick, gentle, effective relief of stuck on Boogies caused by the common cold & allergies."

These wipes have

• a unique formula that moisturizes with added vitamin E, aloe and chamomile

They are

• hypoallergenic
• alcohol free
• gentle enough for all ages
• lightly scented

We loved everything about these Boogie Wipes. Isn't everyone sick of torturing their child with rough kleenex, paper towels or napkins (pretty much anything you can get your hands on) when your child has a runny or crusty nose? My baby cried every time I would try and wipe her nose. It became all red and puffy, I then gave up and let the poor girl keep her crustys! Until I found Boogie Wipes. They are so soft, Grayce actually seemed to enjoy when I used them on her face. As if they soothed her red and puffy nose. The special formula in these wipes helped get the crusty boogies off her nose and face with no effort at all! At first I was skeptical, and thought that something that is scented could not be good for my baby. With the first use I was proven wrong. Grayce has very sensitive skin and these wipes did not affect her skin in a negative way at all. They have a very fresh scent and they even come in grape too.

The moms that came up with this product have run into a gold mine! So, go out and buy your Boogie Wipes! Right now you can get them online at the Boogie Wipes site for $3.99 (well worth it) or at Thriftway, Fred Meyer, Kroger & Rite Aid. In the fall you can find them at Babies R Us, Walmart and Meijer.

ENJOY!

Evenflo Simple Step Safety Gate

This gate is by Evenflo, called the Simple Step. Let me first give some information about the gate. It is pressure mounted and is safe for doorways, hallways and the bottom of stairs. You can guy this gate through this blog, at BabyAge.

We really liked this gate. Overall it was sturdy, lightweight and of good value.

Pros:

• We liked that it was pressure mounted, this meant no hardware to install and made for very easy, quick installation. It fit the bottom of our stairs, where one side is a wall and the other a banister.
  
• It included a 6" extension panel which allowed for installation in wider than normal spaces.
• There is a one-hand slide lock that easily opens and closes the gate. The lock is also color coded, so you know for sure if it is locked.
• The gate swings open for easy walk through, no climbing over stubborn, hard to open gates! What is really great is that it swings both ways!
  
• We found the installation instructions very easy to follow, you really did not even need them, the gate was so easy to install.
• What we really loved, for the installation challenged, there is an installation demo online!
  
• We felt that this gate was very sturdy for our daughter and our cats! The several children that often crawl around my house were not happy that it was there, but it definitely stopped them from going up the stairs.
• This gate was very easy to clean, just wipe with a wet cloth. It comes in a natural taupe color, rather than hard to keep clean white.
  
• It is very reasonably priced, you can buy it for about $35.
  

Cons:

• The number one problem with this gate is that it is not suitable for the top of the stairs. I wish it were.
• Where we found it to be great for my daughter and some of the others, it did not seem a good fit for taller, heavier, older children. It states it is suitable for ages 6-24M, we felt that it is probably only suitable up to about 18M. The older, taller and heavier babies were able to push it over.
• While we love the swing gate, the opening is not very wide. While most can fit through it with ease, there are some that have to walk sideways through it to fit.

We felt that the cons of the Evenflo Simple Step gate are minimal and the pros definitely outweigh them! Aside from the fact that when the gate is closed, my fat cat can't fit through the bars, I would buy the Evenflo Simple Step gate again and recommend it to others.

Diaper Rash Creams

I have several diaper rash creams to discuss. Boy, I bet everyone is super excited!

Boudreaux's Butt Paste

I thought that this diaper rash cream was great. And I love the name! It is used to treat and prevent diaper rash. Out of all the other creams I tried, this was the easiest to clean off your fingers. Just wiping the excess onto your babies diaper did the trick and did not leave your finger full of goo. The scent was also very pleasing. I am still using it and my baby is diaper rash free! It seems to block wetness and stays strong. Several other creams seemed to lose their power if you didn't change baby's diaper ASAP! This comes in many, many convenient sizes-including one time use travel sizes and is pretty reasonably priced. You can buy a 1 oz tube for about $2.99 at most drug or grocery stores. It clearly states on the packages that it was once only used for diaper rash and has now started to be used by bikers, truckers and hikers to prevent chaffing and to guard against wetness. I can tell you that this is very true. My husband is in school and on the side he waits tables. It took a lot of coaxing, but he finally agreed to try it-you know where...Needless to say, he is still using it. Check out the website! If you would like a free sample, send a 6 x 9 self addressed stamped envelope ($1.34) to Boudreaux's Butt Paste
1600 Brian Drive
Columbus IN 47201

Triple Paste

I would definitely rate this the #1 diaper rash cream to use if you are trying to heal stubborn diaper rash. It is medicated and used to only be available from your pediatrician or from hospitals. Now you can find it most drug/grocery stores. It is also used to prevent your baby from getting diaper rash but is a little pricey and I found that if there is no rash, the others work just fine. It is around $10 for a 2oz tube. I can not stress enough, if your baby has diaper rash this is the best to use to get rid of it! My baby had the worst diaper rash I had ever seen and I tried all the other creams, which worked pretty well to prevent but not to treat. Triple Paste cleared it up in about 2 days.

Aveeno & Earth's Best

I am all about natural and organic. However, in this case, I would definitely choose the others. I do like both of these because they are fragrance free and hypoallergenic. Which is a huge plus when you have baby with sensitive skin. Both worked just fine. However, neither washed off very well and seemed to lose their power as time went on. The Earth's Best became very, very watery in the tube. They are moderately priced, between $5 & $8 for about a 4 oz tube. I am not saying these aren't good products, however, I would recommend the previous two creams before these two.

Summer Infant Grooming Kit

Ever want to have all your babies grooming needs in one little kit? Well, then this is the product for you. Summer Infant has come out with a brand new product called Baby's Health & Grooming Kit.

This kit has it all! It includes a comb, brush, nail clippers, emery boards, a nasal aspirator, digital thermometer, a medicine spoon & dropper, alcohol swabs and an emergency info card-all together in a great little hard case. The case holds everything in its own little compartment and is very easy to open and close.

I found the Baby's Health & Grooming Kit to be very helpful.

1. I love the comb because it has a big handle and is easy to hold. Most combs I find for baby are so tiny that I have a hard time holding it. It was great to get the tangles out of the hair on the back of Grayce's head, since she rolls around and creates what my mom calls "cotton candy" hair.

2. The brush was great to smooth down any fly aways and seemed to make Grayce's hair super silky and smooth.

3. The nail clippers were great too. I am not a big fan of the safety clippers for baby because you really can not see what you are doing. I have been using plain old clippers until I got the Baby's Health & Grooming Kit by Summer Infant. The act as regular clippers, you can actually see what you are doing. But they also have larger "handles" so big adult fingers can hold them easily. I have never had a problem with these clippers clipping too close or cutting babies skin.

4. I was not a big fan of the emery boards. They worked great on my finger nails though! They were a little too rough for Grayce's tiny, thin nails. I think the idea of emery boards is great, sometimes babies nails are too short to cut but still sharp. However, these did not work so well.

5. I found the nasal aspirator to be a little too big for Grayce's nostrils. However, when she gets older I really think this will be great to have.

6. The digital thermometer worked really well. I found it to be really accurate and very easy to use.

7. I loved the medicine spoon and dropper. Even though most medicines come with these things, using your own makes it much easier to wash. I found the measurements to be very accurate. The dropper works great and when your baby is old enough for spoons, it was easy to use and did not get medicine all over the place.

8. Summer Infant included in this kit alcohol swabs. I never had to use them but they would definitely come in handy when you need to clean a cut or something. Doctor's go both ways on this, when Grayce was born they told me to use alcohol swabs to clean her belly button, my friends doctor told her not to. So, whatever you decide to do, if you need the alcohol swabs, you have them right in your Baby's Health & Grooming Kit.

9. Finally, your kit includes an emergency info card, which everyone could use. It included spots for all the important information. I would not keep it in the kit but probably put it on my fridge or some place else that was more accessible.

I would definitely recommend Baby's Health & Grooming Kit by Summer Infant.

Green Festival

This weekend was Green Festival at Navy Pier in Chicago. There are several more in larger cities, so check out the website. Green Festival is a "forum to explore and build sustainable solutions for our communities and the environment." This festival is all about education. You will find environmental speakers, eco-fashion, non-profit groups and green companies. There is an entire section on the green baby, called the green kids zone. I found this event to be really helpful in finding ways to live a better, healthier life. Not to mention all the awesome samples being handed out and all the yummy organic food to taste. If you are raising a baby, or even if you're not, this is the fest for you. One great product that I sampled is a stain eraser. You can find it at http://www.naturallycleanlife.com It is all natural, non toxic and biodegradable. I actually used it on my carpet to remove some sort of unidentifiable stain. It worked great, and I don't have to worry about my pets or my baby getting the chemicals on their paws or hands! I have also been corresponding with Dori, founder of the first midwest organic baby food company Maddy's Organic Meals and even though I did not get to meet her, my daughter was able to sample some her all organic baby food. I sampled it too :) Grayce and I loved it and can't wait to order some.

Bottom line, check it out and if you have a chance to attend an upcoming Green Festival, definitely go!

My Favorite Baby

Could I ever love someone so much? Who knew that this little girl could bring so much to my life and surprise me every day! I am sitting here, with Grayce who is testing out her voice...by screaming, and thinking "Wow, this noise does not bother me at all...in fact, I love it!" I used to be the person in the restaraunts or stores that wondered why parents could not control their children. Now I know, those screaming children were not being naughty-they were talking! However, I still believe there are parents that let their children run a muck no matter where they are.

Grayce is the love of my life! As much as I don't want to wake up at the crack of dawn, I don't want my husband to go get her out of her crib, because I want to be the first thing she sees in the morning. And I can't wait to see that big gummy smile as I peer over the crib. The excitement she experiences is unparalleled. If only we could all get so excited when we see a bird wandering through our yard.

My husband and I know how blessed we are and hope that others know how blessed they are with their little one.

Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs (CFL's)

I read this great article on www.seventhgeneration.com , if you are interested in learning about CFL's, you should check it out. It gives a lot of insight to the benefits of using these energy saving bulbs.

Here is the link...
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/learn/news/bright-idea-hitting-safety-switch-compact-fluorescent-bulbs

Infantino 2 in 1 Shopping Cart Cover/Highchair Cover

I know, you are all thinking "oh great, another baby company trying to sell something I don't need." That is what I thought too. In fact, I got two of these shopping cart/highchair covers for my shower and I returned them. Now, I find myself going to the grocery store and wishing that I had one of those covers. Not only so my baby does not come in contact with all the germs on the cart, but so she is comfortable too. And when my husband and I go to restaraunts, I think the same thing. I end up shoving a blanket around my daughter so she doesn't flop over and is comfy!

http://www.infantino.com

Infantino has come up with the best of the two products! It is a 2 in1 Shopping Cart/Highchair Cover. I have been using this product for about a month now and I love it. Several Moms from my discussion group have similiar ones that are a different brand and are made of plastic. They are envious of my plush, stylish cover! Until I think of a better format, I think I will stick with the pros and cons way of reviewing products. I only found 1 con to this cover and a ton of pros, these are listed below...

Cons:

1. The Infantino 2 in 1 Shopping Cart/Highchair Cover is a little bulky and hard to fit in a diaper bag.

Pros:

1. Everyone loves 2 in 1! It has duel purposes in one handy cover. You can use it to cover shopping cart seats and to cover highchairs. It even stretches over the entire seat!

2. It provides superior protection from dirt and grime. It has Microban protection, which inhibits the growth of odor causing bacteria.

3. It is so soft and comfy! The padding provides protection against sharp edges on highchairs and carts.

4. It has large pockets to hold just about anything you need it to. Put a bottle in it, your cell phone, car keys or some snacks!

5. There are several loops attached that you can hang toys from. Every child loves to play with stuff, why not fill your shopping trip with smiles and giggles rather than frowns and screams!

6. This is great, it is machine washable! Let your child get food or drool on it, that is okay! Throw it in the wash and it is as good as new!

7. I love the design. There are so many to choose from. Of course they have the "kid" themed covers with circus animals and fish, but they also have the stylish, more adult looking covers. I have a very stylish cover-it is tan with cream, grey and light blue cirles with fun stenciled looking flowers.

8. And of course, you can't forget the price...it is very inexpensive! Depending on the type you choose, you can get one for around $29.99. Who can beat that? What a great price.

This Infantino 2 in 1 Shopping Cart/Highchair Cover is definitely worth buying. I think this would be a great gift for new moms (or dads)!

Baby Bjorn Synergy Carrier

I recently received an infant carrier from Baby Bjorn-the model is called Synergy. I have been using it for about a month now and I really like it, Grayce seems to like it too!

I found several pros to this item with only a few cons.

Cons:

It is very pricey, retailing for $159.99. However, if you are out and about a lot, it is definitely worth the price!

It comes in black and white. I received the white version of it and I think that the color is just not practical. It is washable though. I would like to see a larger variety of colors.

My husband and I both found it extremely difficult to figure out how to put it on and fasten all the straps correctly. It took us about a half hour trying to figure it out. It does come with insturctions, however, they are not very easy to follow. Once we figured it out, every time got easier.

Pros:

This carrier is breathable! It is made of a soft, breathable 3D mesh. My baby never seemed to get hot and uncomfortable in it. The same goes for me, usually with these type of carriers you get hot and sweaty and all around uncomfortable. Not with the Baby Bjorn Synergy! We both stayed cool, even as we were walking or just doing housework.

There is a lower back support attached to this carrier as well as padded shoulder straps. I felt that it did provide maximum support for me while carrying my 15lb baby-you can carry up to 26lbs in Baby Bjorn Synergy carrier! My shoulders never hurt while using this carrier, even after our 2 hour walks through the forest.

It is extremely adjustable. It was very easy to switch users. My husband and I both used this carrier and never had a problem with the fit.

I thought one of the best features was that the front is removable. It is very easy to put baby in and take out. If your baby falls asleep while in this carrier, you can simply remove the front and ease her into her crib or car seat without having to lift her up and wake her.

Of course, a great feature to this was that it is machine washable. With it being white, we washed it a lot. It never lost its shape and did not shrink. It did not become dingy either.

Overall, this is a great product. Easy to travel with and great for you and baby to stay close while still being active. I would recommend Baby Bjorn Synergy Carrier and will definitely be sharing it with my friends!

Organic Cleaning

Everyone is looking for ways to make their home cleaner and healthier. Especially for the little one that is crawling around on your floors! This is where Babyganics comes in. You can purchase these products online and are relatively inexpensive. These products are non-toxic and safe for use around children and pets. They are 100% natural and organic with no hidden ingredients. You may think that because there are no harsh chemicals that it does not clean well. Try it out and you will see, these products are 100% effective in getting the grime out of your tub, the stuck on food off your cabinets and the streaks/fingerprints off your windows and mirrors. They offer an unscented line and a lavender scent. The lavender is so appealing and fresh, I almost wanted to use it as a room freshener!

There is no need to worry about washing your kitchen floor and having your baby crawl around on it, then put her fingers in her mouth and get sick from the chemicals. There are no chemicals, no dyes, no pollutants and is VOC free. There is no reason to worry when you clean your windows that your baby is breathing in chemicals that are hurting her lungs and affecting her breathing. These products are completely safe.

Looking to go green and become healthier? Take the first step and purchase these products! An added bonus, they do not test on animals! Wow, this company and its products receive an A+ in my book.