Just a little bit about Baby Carriers

  Today I would like to share a little about baby carriers. There are so many  types of baby carriers out there and there are different reasons for liking each of them. I currently own 4. My husband thinks this is a lot. Ha Silly husband. It really is a small stash, and mine have not been super expensive. I have an Ergo Original Starburst, LilleBaby Complete All Seasons Seahorse, a Beco Ring Sling, and an Infantino Sync comfort wrap carrier in Floral Burst. 

  Of these carriers I had the Infantino Sync first. It retails for $39.99 and is suited for 8-36 pounds, this carrier has been discontinued by the manufacturer but is still available in some places. It offers 4 carrying options infant carry on front, front carry facing in, hip carry, and back carry facing in. It is a buckle wrap, meaning there is an adjustable waist belt with buckle. Attached to the front of the belt are the two sides of the wrap. You simply put each side over your shoulders wrap under your arms around then cross in front, wrap around to tie in the back. After tying  spread out the crossed sections in the front for maximum coverage. Some people find this easier than a straight forward wrap, but it does not offer as many options for ways to wrap it.

  I find the Sync to be very comfortable and easy to use. I find it most useful with infants and young babies. Older babies and toddlers are a little too wiggly and can push away from the parent causing the crossed sections to separate and not hold them in. It does have a 36 pound weight limit but for me it does not last that long, and I have big babies. I still found it to be a worthwhile buy because of the low price point and how useful it is in the beginning few months. It is especially helpful now that we have four kids because I can hold the baby as much as she wants and still give attention to and get things done with the three older ones.

My next carrier purchase was the Ergo Starburst. I had a few other soft structured carriers that were inexpensive and served their purpose before purchasing my Ergo. Then I went to the zoo with my niece who had recently received an Ergo for a baby gift. At the time I had three kids and the youngest was 6 months older than her son. She started telling me how much she enjoyed being able to carry him and not worry if he would get tired of walking or being in the stroller. She had also had less expensive carriers but they started to be uncomfortable with the weight. After trying on the Ergo in comparison to the others it almost felt like she wasn't carrying him. I have to agree the quality makes a huge difference. The Ergo retails for $120 and is suited for 7- 45 pounds. Infants need to have the infant insert until they have more head control and their legs are comfortable in the seated position creating an "M" shape.

The shoulder straps on the Ergo are well padded, they provide a lot of support and make a big difference in parent comfort when carrying older or larger babies. It also has a wide waist band for comfort, a pocket that I can fit my wallet in, and a hood with snaps that attach to the shoulders. Ergo has a new Adapt carrier that is adjustable so it does not need an infant insert.

My next carrier purchase was the Beco Ring Sling. I was able to get this at a discount because I purchased the babywearing box last year from Baby Guy Box. The boxes are different each month and I have loved each one I have purchased. The Beco Ring Sling retails for $55 and mine is a beautiful blue. Beco pre-threads the sling through the rings so it is ready to put on and make minor adjustments for you and baby to be comfortable. They use a white thread on one edge and orange thread on the other edge to help you know whether you are pulling on the top or bottom rail when adjusting your sling. The fabric is strong and sturdy but does not get too hot. It is also easy to clean! I found this carrier to be very comfortable, easy to use and I keep it hanging on a hook in my kitchen for easy access. 

  My last baby carrier purchase, so far, was my LilleBaby All Seasons Seahorse. This Lille retails for $150 and I purchased during the 29% off sale so I got a great deal! This carrier is a beautiful teal and has white seahorses printed on it. Because it is the All Seasons version it has a zip down panel that reveals mesh. This allows for a good deal of airflow to keep the temperature in the carrier down. Sometimes it can get quite hot when you and your baby are snuggled up to each other walking around all day in the middle of summer. The mesh panel in this carrier is a life saver. I also like that I can just zip the panel up and still have a carrier suited for colder months. The Lille has well padded shoulder straps, a wide waist band and a hood all very similar to the Ergo. The Lille also has a lumbar support. I have back pain anyway and it is particular noticeable after a day of babywearing. The lumbar support certainly helps to lessen the pain that can be caused by carrying all the babies. I did wear my two year old while I was pregnant with our newest baby and used the lumbar support as a belly support. I centered it under my belly and I was comfortable while carrying my 36 pound boy around so he could have some mommy snuggles and I could get some housework done. Because if I didn't do it when I had the energy and motivation to do it it wasn't gong to get done at all.

There are some other baby carriers I would like to try

Lenny Lamb makes some beautiful wraps that they make into ergonomic carriers, a buckle Onbu, wrap ties and others. Those three I would particularly like to try.

I have never tried a Tula. Tula also makes a Coast carrier that has a large mesh center panel I would like to try.

I would like the LilleBaby Airflow and I'd like to try their toddler size carriers.

I am also particularly interested in trying a few Kinderpack carriers.

There are facebook groups for babywearing to share the love and to buy, sell, and trade carriers. If you use a b/s/t page make sure it is a page that uses a feedback page as well. These pages have strict rules for listing and interaction guidelines.

Amazon is also a great place to purchase baby carriers if you know what one you want.

A few random giveaways I found today

$1000 giveaway for Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance fans

$300 Amazon Gift Card

Earth Mama Angel Baby Bundle of Suds

Big Kahuna Flyin Hawaiian Coffee Giveaway

Mama + Mini Giveaway

Summer Stroller Safety and Recommendation and Giveaways

ScaryMommy has written a post about a study of how hot strollers can get when we cover them. Even when using a lightweight"breathable" fabric like muslin the temperature can rise dramatically and quickly. This makes for a dangerous environment for our children especially the small babies we are most likely to do this with trying to protect them from the sun and help them nap.

There are ways to help make this situation safer. You can cover your child from the sun and keep the space at a safe temperature. My stroller has a mesh back panel, and the parent window in the top is mesh. I can open the cover on the window and it will let the rising hot air escape. I still recommend a Clip on Fan to help keep the air moving. It will keep a steady breeze on your baby and keep the hot air moving out.

I love my stroller and am so disappointed that it is discontinued so it is less available now. I think it is just the best double stroller out there. There are of course many double strollers I have not tried. When I picked the Baby Trend double Navigator I had a list of things I was looking for and I found them all in this stroller. I was looking for a double stroller that would fit 2 car seats. I did not have twins but my niece had her son 6 months after I had mine and we spend a lot of time together. I wanted the seats to recline individually, and have separate canopies. I wanted the stroller to have both child trays and parent tray. I wanted a good sized accessible storage basket. I wanted it to be easy to maneuver with the children in it. We tested it in the store and my husband said it was good but not as good as he thought it would be with the bicycle style tires. Then I pointed out that all the tires were low, mostly flat even. After that he was sold. Finally even though I was looking for a jogging stroller I wanted 4 wheels. It was very important to my husband that it had 4 wheels. 

The 4 wheel configuration turned out to be good for me too. Because of the setup of the wheels this stroller has a larger footrest than most strollers. I am able to use the footrest as a seat! It is nice to have a seat without having to carry anything extra. Each of the seats has a 50 pound weight limit. This comes in super handy now that we have 4 kids, especially when we go to a zoo or amusement park or anywhere that we are out all day. We usually start out the day with the older two or three walking. By the end of the day hubby and I are carrying the younger two and the older two are riding. Our 6 year old weighs about 45 pounds so we still have a little while before she outgrows the seat limit.

This stroller also has a built in speaker, you can plug in your Ipod or other MP3 player and listen while you jog. I can not comment on how well the speakers work because I have never used them, I do not use an MP3 player. This stroller is great whether you are looking for a travel system for a new child, or a travel system for twins it is a great choice. You can also purchase the stroller and carseat(s) separately if you aren't sure yet how many you want or which color. The seats are on Amazon in Carbon, Kailey, Phantom, Onyx, Elixer, and Picante. I always recommend getting an additional base for other cars you will use the car seats in.I can't tell you how many times I have almost forgotten to buckle the seat into the car after buckling the baby in because I was in the habit of it being in the base in my car. It is worth the extra $30 to not take the chance.

Now for some giveaways I have found today. I am going to try to include links to whatever giveaways I can find that day in each blog post. Or at least to the best giveaways I find that day. Here are my favorites so far today. I hope you enjoy them all as much as I do.

4Moms Onyx Collection Giveaway - Giveaway updated daily this link will only work on 7/25/2016

Diono Parent's Day Giveaway
the new Diono Dreamliner Travel Bassinet



A Munchkin Luna Gate and Giftcard Giveaway



Lugz Drifet LX for Ladies



Sam's Club Parent's Day Giveaway
Choose Fun with Mom or Fun with Dad


$400 value prize pack of culinary items for the best summer cookout
Including a glass water bottle, bamboo cutting board, 2 spice grinders, and so much more



Little Remedies Little Wins Giveaway



Disclosure: the only links that I can earn any income from are the Amazon links and ads. The giveaways I share because I think they are fun I do not receive anything in return for sharing them.

July 22 Giveaways!!

I love giveaways. I don't win very often  but they are fun anyway. Here are just a few of the giveaways that I have seen this week.

Who wants some new, fun sleep pants? This is a good one 24 winners! Different level winners will receive between 1 and eleven pairs of randomly chosen sleep pants. Some of the designs are shown below. The Wonder Woman pants are my favorite, but I like them all.

• 1st Prize: 1 (One) winner will receive one of each sleep pant design for a total of 11 pairs of sleep pants!
• 2nd Prize: 2 (Two) winners will each receive 5 pairs of sleep pants!
• 3rd Prize: 5 (Five) winners will each receive 3 pairs of sleep pants!
• 4th Prize: 16 (Sixteen) winners will each receive 1 pair of sleep pants!

$175 Target Giftcard from DropPrice Here  (I do receive additional entries from use of this link)

Here is a giveaway that everyone can appreciate! $100 to your PayPal account!!

The Stauffer Home blog likes to do giveaways while her family is on vacation. This year one of the giveaways is $100 to the winner's PayPal account.

enter Here

Win A weekend in San Diego. Share a photo or video of where you seek out summer flavor. Enter Here

Enter Daily with a photo of your favorite ways to eat Jarlsberg Cheese. Weekly prizes, the prize this week is a Big Green Egg Grill.

Michigan Savings is giving away a ceramic hair straightener brush, Entries accepted here.

The following giveaways all end within a week of today

A $50 gift certificate to Tinysoles.com They make high quality, super adorable kids shoes.

$150 Target Giftcard and learn about DropPrice where moms can drop the price of great children's items. Enter Here

A one month subscription box from Brickloot to learn more go Here

Other than the one link which I can earn additional entries for I do not receive any income from links in this blog. The only income eligible links are the ads that are not directly in this post.

July 2016 BabyGuyBox, Baby Box

I have ordered a few of The Baby Guy Box boxes in the last year. I have not ordered in a few months but I did get one as a baby gift from my aunt for our newest baby born June 29th. I am super happy with the items in this box. New curated boxes are available monthly https://www.babyguybox.com/ Follow their facebook page for updates https://www.facebook.com/babyguybox/?fref=ts

Edit

I forgot to mention that this month's box sponsor is Crane Humidifiers. Three random box buyers will win a Crane smartDROP humidifier!

The box cost $39.99 which included shipping.

I am going to start with the Ubbi changing mat. I used it as the background for the other product pictures. This changing pad comes in beautiful colors mine is a bright turquoise blue. The mat is a great size and thickness. I would say it is similar to a thin yoga mat. It is squishy and comfortable for the baby without being too thick to fold easily. It is phthalate free and easy to clean with just a wipe. It folds to one sixth of it's full size, making it perfect to fit in any diaper bag or reasonable purse. It folds quite flat so it would also fit nicely in the back of seat pocket in the car.

 As you can see the folded size is slightly larger than my outstretched hand. I have not measured the mat but compared to my hand I'm going to estimate the folded size to be 8 x 6 inches.

This mat retails for $9.99 and is available here - https://www.bluum.com/changing-mat.html

Like many women I love shoes. But I am able to pass up buying new shoes because I won't wear them enough, they cost too much or my children will just steal them and lose them around the house, in separate locations of course. What I have trouble passing up is a good water bottle. We drink a lot of water and carry it with us everywhere. When we go to King's Island or the Columbus Zoo we buy one refillable cup for our family. The kids like the lemonade and my husband like soda with his meals. I bring my own water bottle for refilling. Walking around in the heat chasing kids I do not need any sugary, carbonated, dehydrating drinks. Especially as often as I am either pregnant or nursing I need as much water as I can get.

The bottle included in the baby box this month is the Surf bottle from EcoVessel. I love it! Surf is a 22 oz glass bottle which can be purchased with either a wide mouth loop top or a flip straw top. The one in the box came with the wide mouth loop top. Personally I prefer to drink from a smaller spout so I won't spill while driving or when the kids are jumping around etc. Also the kids make less of a mess with a smaller opening. I have also noticed that when using a straw bottle/cup I tend to drink more water. I think it is because I can continue to do other things while drinking. Anyway I will be ordering the flip straw top for my bottle so I can love it more. 

 It is super easy to carry with wide mouth loop top a few fingers fit easily in the loop or you can hook a carabiner on there and attach to your stroller. This bottle will also fit in most cup holders. It is a glass bottle with an attractive silicone sleeve. The bottom of the sleeve is thick, they call it a "Drop Shield protective base."

The Surf bottle with loop top retails for $19.95 and is available here - http://www.ecovessel.com/surf-recycled-glass-water-bottle-with-wide-mouth-loop-top-22-oz/

it is $21.95 to order with the straw top - http://www.ecovessel.com/surf-sport-recycled-glass-water-bottle-with-flip-straw-top-22-oz/

As I mentioned I will be ordering the replacement top for mine which retails for $6.95 - http://www.ecovessel.com/surf-flip-straw-top-with-silicone-straw/

Dapple Naturally Clean Nursery Spray is the next item. I am really enjoying it as well. I am not the biggest fan of the smell of this spray, although labeled Sweet Lemon it also uses grapefruit essential oil. But the smell is not strong and dissipates quickly! With four children there are plenty of surfaces in this home that need deodorized and purified. This spray does the job simply and quickly, which is always a plus.

This retails for $5.99 here - http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=31650296&cp=&parentPage=search

It is listed on this page as being 24 oz my bottle is 16.9 and the bottle pictured says 16.9 So if you order it I would expect 16.9 oz. Don't be dissappointed though because it goes a long way.

Happy Baby organic rice cakes carrot flavor. My 6 year old is in a phase of not thinking she will like anything new. So of course she looked at these and said "No thanks." I told her she had to try them before I would get her anything else. She reluctantly did and piped up with an enthusiastic "Yum!" I was pretty happy with that reaction, though not surprised. Happy Baby makes some great products and my kids all love carrots. If you are looking for healthier alternative to chips I think this is a good one.

These retail for $3.99 here - http://shop.happyfamilybrands.com/Happy-Munchies--Rice-Cakes-Carrot/p/HFB-003133&c=HappyFamily@Baby@Snacks@HappyMunchies

You can purchase the 10 pack with free shipping for $27.35 here - https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Baby-Organic-Cakes-Carrot/dp/B0092NQ1BS/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1469029548&sr=8-2&keywords=happy+baby+organic+rice+cakes+carrot

The Sun Bug by Luv Bug wearable sun protection. This is a moisture-wicking blanket with built in hood. This can also be used as a child's beach towel it is 29.5 x 39 inches. I have not yet used it while out and about but I know that I will love it when we do. It is UPF 50+ making it great protection especially for our youngest who is too young for sunscreen lotions. Ours came in this beautiful turquoise blues that is an almost perfect match for the changing mat we received. 

Although I have not used it out in the sun yet I have used it around the house. Our sweet baby does not like to sleep unless she is being snuggled or she is swaddled aka a baby burrito. One day recently all my receiving blankets were either in the wash or had just been dirtied. I grabbed this and swaddled her with it. Although it is a little large for swaddling a newborn it is lightweight and breathable so she was comfortable in it. I used the little hood on her head to keep it from getting too cold when I turned on the air conditioner in the bedroom. This has the perfect amount of stretch to keep her comfortable while keeping her from kicking it off when she does wake up.   

This retails for $29.99 and is available in 6 colors here - https://www.luvbugcompany.com/collections/sun-protection-blanket

I am ending with this product because it is the only product that I will not be using. The TipMeNot is made to help your baby learn to hold a bottle. It is made of high quality FDA approved silicone. Silicone is great for teething babies, I have read that when finished with the bottle some babies play with and chew on the leaves of the TipMeNot.

This retails for $15.99 and is available here, on sale at the time of this post for $13.49- http://tipmenot.com/individuals/

or on Amazon where there are, at this time, 39 reviews and 9 answered questions. - https://www.amazon.com/TipMeNot-Learning-Teether-Propping-Pacifier/dp/B011WMMX4K

Based on the prices I found for these products the value of this box was $85.90

With a box price of $39.99 the value gained by buying the box is $45.91

I think that is a pretty good deal.

I did not receive any compensation for this post nor do I get anything from the links I posted. I just included where I happened to find the products when I searched for them.

Giveaways!

  I have never hosted a giveaway. I do like to enter them and have won a few things here and there. I have recently started following Dorky's Deals on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/dorkysdeals , they host or cohost many giveaways. If entering giveaways is something you like to do you may want to add them to your list of people to follow. Many of the giveaways including visiting other facebook pages for entries so you may find others to follow while entering. Sometimes they are the co-hosts of the giveaways and sometimes the sponsoring companies.

  I have found companies that carry things I think Andrew would like and he is hard to buy for. I have also started following some pages to get ideas for activities with the kids. I have found some really interesting pages in the last few weeks of following Dorky's Deals.

I will share some of the giveaways here to give you an idea of the kinds of items they giveaway. Also if you go to any of these links there should be a list of links on the right with many other giveaways.


A Fourth of July giveaway with 3 winner packages

http://dorkysdeals.com/2016/06/05/happy-4th-july-giveaway/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=postplanner&utm_source=facebook.com



Ending today 6/21/2016 An Ipad Air


http://dorkysdeals.com/2016/05/31/ipad-air/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=postplanner&utm_source=facebook.com




Baby moccasins So cute

http://dorkysdeals.com/2016/06/20/freshly-picked-moccasins-giveaway-74-us/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=postplanner&utm_source=facebook.com

Fresh Apple Pie

   



    I mentioned this pie in a previous post. I was really excited to make these. We were visiting my Grandpa and Andrew asked about the apple trees in his back yard. Grandpa hadn't tried them so he didn't know if they were good or not. Andrew picked one and it was delicious. Of course then all the kids wanted one. Mia picked the biggest one on the tree. I immediately tasted apple pie when I ate mine. I said they were even sweet enough I could try a no sugar added one. Andrew said "No, you put sugar in pie." There is sugar in these, a lot of sugar. I am going to try some no sugar added or sugar substitutes to make one for Grandpa because he is diabetic.

    I will be making more of these soon and taking more pictures of the crust process so I can give more detailed descriptions on that. I learned from watching and helping my Grandma so many of the current directions are "Until it is right."

    I leave the peel on my apples because more of the vitamins are in the peel, and once they are cooked they are soft and I don't find them noticeable. You are welcome to peel yours. I used about 6-7 medium apples for a small pie, 10ish for a medium pie and about 14 for a large pie.

Filling Ingredients
Enough apples for your size pie
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Butter
Sugar
Brown Sugar
Pie Crust

Pie Crust Ingredients
Flour
Butter Flavor Crisco
Cold Water it must be cold or it won't be "right"

    For the Crust hand mix one to two cups of crisco with an equal amount of flour to start. When you are done mixing the lumps should be pea size. If they are too small add crisco, too large add flour. Continue until pea size.

    Sprinkle small amounts or water and mix until you have one solid ball. There should be some flakiness to the crust if you try kneading it. Then you know you will have a buttery flaky crust.

    Grease your pan, roll out the crust and line the pan with it.

Filling

Core and quarter apples, or quarter and core depending on your tools.

Thin slice the apples and randomly place in pan.

I like to overfill especially when using fresh apples they will shrink some during baking.

I ended up having a bit extra and put another apple in this pan.

Now you will want to mix the about half a stick of butter with about 2 tablespoons each of sugar and brown sugar, also add a pinch of nutmeg and one flat tablespoon of cinnamon.

the nutmeg, about a quarter size sprinkle on the palm

The butter mixture should be semi solid. Break into bits and set randomly atop the apples in the pan. As it bakes it will melt through all the apples. When done with the butter mix roll out and place the top crust on the pan. Squish the edges with your fingers, a fork, a spoon whatever works for you to get a seal and whatever pretty design you like. then cut off the overhanging edges.

 I like to add a dusting of sugar to the top crust to add a little sparkle and crunch. You can use your preference of cream, butter, egg white, water, or a spritz of cooking spray to lightly wet the crust then sprinkle on about a teaspoon of sugar. Which sugar is also up to you, I have used regular granulated sugar most of the time. I have recently bought sugar in the raw because of the larger pieces for a more obvious sparkle. 

There is regular granulated sugar on this pie.

Place in oven preheated to 400 degrees for 30 minutes

After 30 minutes turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake another 30 minutes.

I ran out of crisco when mixing this crust so it is a bit dryer than my usual, hence the cracks. Cream, butter or egg whites will result in a slightly more brown crust. The egg whites will also give it a bit of a gleam. I took the shortcut and spritzed with cooking spray on this pie. 

These pies turned out amazing. This is the second time this week I made them. The first ones were so good the kids were so excited to have this one that this happened as soon as we got home from picking up Mia from school.

My husband is a butter freak so I will be experimenting with other ingredients soon for the crust. I want to try coconut oil personally because it is sooooo good. If there is anyone who lives near me I would love to have some taste testers. I want to test out some gluten free, sugar free, and some other dietary need recipes because everyone should be able to have dessert, no I mean delicious dessert!

I do not get any money or free items from any brands I may have mentioned. I use the names of the items I use, that is all. 

Support World Suicide Prevention Day

 

  This will be a relatively short blog today. I just want to help bring awareness to an important cause.

    World Suicide Prevention Day 2015 is September 10. It coincides with National Suicide Prevention Week, in America, September 7-13. To Write Love On Her Arms is a suicide awareness and prevention organization they are trying to raise money for World Suicide Prevention Day all of which will go toward treatment and recovery. More information on this organization and their campaigns including "We'll See You Tomorrow" is available here.

    My niece Brandi Bell has started a fund raising page to support this organization. She has been affected by the suicide of friends. She aims to help eliminate suicide and to help those who are struggling to find the help and sometimes just a nice listening ear that they need. Her fundraising page is available here.

    I receive no kickback of any kind from this I just want to help get the word out. Any donation of any size would be very much appreciated.

  Have a good day everybody and