Should Companies Stop Selling Crib Bumpers?

by Kate on May 16th, 2012  |  5 Comments  |  Shopping

This morning’s TODAY Show included an investigative report style story about crib bumpers. We know the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends not using crib bumpers, the City of Chicago has banned the sale of bumpers and now the CDC notes an increase in baby’s suffocating and urges parents to keep cribs empty.

Regardless of the warnings, manufacturers continue to make crib bumpers, stores continue to sell them and parents continue to use them. I’ll admit Max’s Stokke Sleepi Mini has the corresponding bumper in it but when he moves to the full size Sleepi he’ll have custom bumper-less sheets similar to the Skip Hop Complete Sheet.

Where does the safety concern end? Should companies stop selling baby blankets because we know it’s unsafe for a baby to sleep with a loose blanket? Is this a situation where doctors and experts need to do their best to educate parents who can decide for themselves what to use? Maybe time will tell and safety concerns will prevail and our kids will laugh when we tell them we used crib bumpers the same way we’re shocked when our parents tell us they didn’t use car seats.

What’s your take? Should companies stop making crib bumpers? Should stores stop selling them? Or is this a decision best left to parents to decide?

Here’s the Rossen Report from this morning. Check it out and tell us your thoughts in the comments.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

BabyCenter Big Day Out {ERGObaby Giveaway}

by Kate on May 16th, 2012  |  5 Comments  |  Life

This Saturday, May 19 is the second annual BabyCenter BIG Day Out. The idea is to encourage families to get outside and have some fun. We all know kids need to get outside and play and the facts are that kids these days are spending too much time indoors.

As part of the Big Day Out, the BabyCenter blog is hosting awesome giveaways. In fact, my latest post is a review and giveaway for THREE ERGObaby Original Baby Carriers. Go, quick, enter to win! And, for a fourth chance to win, visit the ERGObaby blog.

My three year old and I are ready to go with the
ERGObaby Original in Outback.

In addition to daily giveaways of outside fun gear, the BabyCenter Community is all hands on deck for the Big Day Out.

Get Outside. Have fun!

Max Daniel: Luxurious Baby Throw {Review}

by Kate on May 15th, 2012  |  5 Comments  |  Baby, Reviews

Max Daniel is soft, chic and luxurious… no, I’m not talking about my son Max Daniel. I’m talking about the baby blanket by Max Daniel Designs. Shortly after Max was born an in-the-know reader told me about Max Daniel the blanket company. I am obviously biased towards this company since it shares a fabulous name with my son, but I was excited to discover that the blankets are fabulous. Max Daniel Designs is a family-owned and operated business based in Los Angeles that has been making cuddly things since 2003. In addition to baby throws and security blankets, Max Daniel also sells adult throws.

Animal Print Baby Throw

My Max Daniel has been cuddling up with the Blue Giraffe Baby Throw.

This is not your average baby blanket. It’s incredibly lush and thick because it is made of double sided plush material. It’s easily the thickest baby blanket we own, but it’s so cuddly that baby will enjoy it even in warmer weather. (Like Max does now in Alabama.) The blanket measures 32 by 36 inches and has a shiny satin trim.

The look of the blanket is definitely distinctive and special- we took Max’s two month pictures while laying on the blanket – and we love the variety of animal prints. There are great choices for girls, boys and gender-neutral surprise babies, too. The Blue Giraffe print has the patterned plush on both sides, but other designs have solid rosebud plush on the reverse.

If you’re looking for a more subtle or simple design (or if animal print just isn’t your thing), check out the Rosebud and Satin blankets.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… The Max Daniel Baby Throw is a super luxurious baby gift that any child would be lucky to own. It’s soft, plush, and perfect for cuddling.I absolutely adore it – and not just because it has a great name. It’s an investment that baby will enjoy for years and years.

Or Not to Buy… The Baby Throw is definitely more expensive than your average blanket. If you can’t splurge on it, we suggest trying the smaller sized Security Blanket which is made of the same material.

Shop! Max Daniel Baby Throw Blankets are $70 for Animal Prints and $58 for Rosebuds and Satin. Security Blankets are $26. Purchase directly from Max Daniel or shop our affiliate Amazon.

Thanks to Max Daniel for sending Max Daniel a blanket.

JumpSport iBounce Kids Trampoline {Review & Giveaway}

by Kate on May 14th, 2012  |  5 Comments  |  Giveaways, Reviews, Toys

My kids are crazy. Crazy in a good, active, healthy kind of way so I am always looking for new avenues for them to use some of their energy and get exercise. With summer just around the corner, the challenge is now more important than ever as they’ll be home all day and we’ll be dealing with unpredictable weather. The JumpSport iBounce Kid’s Trampoline is an awesome solution that keeps them entertained and active. And just when you thought the kids trampoline couldn’t get any better, JumpSport added  the amazing Tablet Mount and Hop-A-Long with Rompity Roo DVD.

JumpSport iBounce Kid’s Trampoline Bundle

Let your little ones entertain themselves with a smile on their face! The JumpSport Kid’s trampoline is a fun and engaging way for toddlers to exercise! Their personal-sized trampoline will provide them with years of fun, safe and energetic bouncing. This is something they will use every day and it is easily assembled in as little as 15 minutes!

The bungee cords provide a soft and lively bounce while the handle bar adds stability so little ones can work on their balance and motor skills. With a JumpSport iBounce Tablet Mount, your kids will be able to exercise while watching the Hop-Along with RompyRoo video — also available as an eBook on most platforms. Let the grand adventures begin!

Included with bundle:

  • JumpSport iBounce™ Kids Trampoline
  • JumpSport iBounce™ Tablet Mount
  • Hop-A-Long with RompidyRoo™ DVD

Jumping on the iBounce Trampoline

I don’t think I can possibly use words to describe how much fun my kids have bouncing on the trampoline. Instead, I’ll share this series of photos of my 3 year old getting her jump on.

Does she look like a pink dressed blur? That’s because she’s moving, moving, moving! Awesome. This girl has an endless amount of energy and when she’s not occupied she uses that energy for evil (i.e. drawing on the walls, waking her sleeping brother, or scaling the pantry). I love setting her up with the Hop-a-Long with RompidyRoo movie and knowing that she’ll be active and safe for awhile.

iBounce Kids Trampoline with RompidyRoo Review

Assembly. The trampoline comes unassembled, which I will admit made me a little nervous. I mean, my kids are going to jump on it so if its not assembled correctly they’ll take a tumble. Luckily, the directions were straightforward and together my husband and I had it assembled in about 20 minutes.

Trampoline. The trampoline is a triangle shape that’s intended for kids 2 to 5 years old. The trampoline is made of a steel frame and elastic cords and has an 80 pound weight limit. The weight limit is impressive for the little trampoline, but I’ll admit I’m bummed to be well over the limit. I want to bounce, too! The trampoline is lightweight and easy to move from room to room. It fits well into a corner in one of our rooms and it’s taken up less space than I imagined.

Tablet Mount. One of the unique features of this bundle is the inclusion of a Tablet Mount so your child can follow along an interactive workout featuring the kangaroo RompidyRoo or any other program on your tablet. The mount is compatible with iPads, Kindle and Nook tablets in landscape mode. It doesn’t fit as easily with the iPad case on our iPad, but it’s doable.

RompidyRoo DVD. The fun little movie to get kids bouncing comes in DVD form, so we downloaded it to our iPad so the kids can watch it on the trampoline. You can see a preview of the movie here. In addition to encouraging activity, the movie incorporates basic counting so your tot will exercise her brain, too.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… The iBounce Kids Trampoline with Tablet Mount and DVD is a great way to get kids moving this summer. The weather can be unpredictable, but you can encourage bouncing and exercise with the Trampoline inside. The Tablet Mount is an awesome addition to the Trampoline because kids can watch the RumpidyRoo DVD or other shows that keep them entertained and moving.

Or Not to Buy… Our iPad has a thick protector on it that makes it heavier and wider so takes a little effort to make it fit in the tablet holder. After some active bouncing and jumping, it does tend to fall over to the side. It wouldn’t be an issue without the case, but we don’t trust our kids with an iPad without a case!

Shop! The JumpSport iBounce Kids Trampoline Bundle with Tablet Mount and RumpidyRoo DVD has a recommended price of $150. It’s currently available from our affiliate, Amazon, for $130.

Win! JumpSport iBounce Kid’s Trampoline Bundle with Tablet Mount and DVD!

How to Enter: Visit JumpSport and leave a comment with your favorite feature of the iBounce.

Earn Extra Entries – valid only after completing the first required entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.

  • Share this post on Facebook or give us a shout out on our wall.
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    Win a JumpSport iBounce Kids Trampoline bundle @TheShoppingMama bit.ly/LJQysv
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Giveaway ends May 25. Open to US residents only.

Mother’s Day 2012

by Kate on May 13th, 2012  |  5 Comments  |  Life

Today I re-read the beautiful essay on motherhood called Goodbye Dr. Spock by Anna Quindlen, I was struck by one passage in particular. (And, as it turns out, even though it was written years ago, the essay lends a great perspective to discussion of this week’s TIME Magazine cover.) Quindlen writes:

But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while [raising children]. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them, sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.

This is particularly meaningful to me today as I think about all that has happened in the past year. One year ago today:

My husband was deployed. Back “downrange” after a short R&R visit and an emergency Red Cross-sponsored visit when my dad transferred to hospice care.

My dad was five days away from dying.

We thought our family was complete. Max didn’t exist. Not even in my dreams.

July 2011

Life changes in the blink of an eye. Or takes on a direction you never imagined over the course of a year. If this year has taught me anything it’s that I need to do a better job of living in the moment. I need to treasure the doing and being with my family. Every moment. Every day. Because this? Now? Will be gone before I even know it.

Mother’s Day 2012

***

Happy Mother’s Day, mamas.

We’re Moving

by Kate on May 11th, 2012  |  5 Comments  |  Life

We’re moving. Again. We knew it was coming as we were in Montgomery only for a year while my husband was attending a military school. (For the record, this makes our third move in three years.) Even though we knew it was coming, it’s taken me a while to wrap my head around the reality of where we’re going.

My husband and I spent countless hours speculating where we’d be headed this summer. We talked DC, Colorado, back to Florida, and Germany. And, still, when the official word came that we will be moving to Germany I was in shock. Total shock.

Initially I was really excited about returning to Germany. We lived there for several years and my son was born there. (For anyone familiar, we were stationed at Spangdahlem before and will be going to Ramstein Air Base this time.) I loved it when we were there, but the idea of moving with a 5 year old, 3 year old and infant is beyond intimidating. It’s just so.far.away. So far. As time has passed and the move has become more of a reality I’m getting increasingly sad (for lack of a better word).

Selfishly, I’m sad that I’ll miss out on many professional opportunities. I’ve already had to turn down my dream blog job, and I’ll miss countless trips, conferences and get togethers that are oh so important for networking. But, more importantly, I’m sad for my family. I’m sad my kids will be living an ocean and very expensive plane tickets away from their grandparents.

I am trying to be excited, but at the moment it’s really hard. I’m sure the moment we land in Germany I’ll be thrilled. It really is an amazing opportunity for my entire family and I can’t wait for our European adventures.

Boba Introduces New Babywearing Accessories

by Kate on May 10th, 2012  |  5 Comments  |  Shopping

Boba, makers of the great Boba Wrap and Boba Carrier, have just introduced several new accessories to the Boba family. Take a look and let us know what you think.

Boba Mini

My daughter loves to do all things just like mommy and babywearing is no exception. She has a flimsy little pink thing that is nothing like a real baby carrier, though, so I love the idea of giving her an upgrade to the Boba Mini ($29.95). Made for carrying dolls and animals, the Boba Mini matches the Boba Carrier 3G Classic Collection and is made with 100% cotton.

Teething Pads

Teething Pads ($20) are clearly created with babies in mind. As you know, they chew on everything in sight. These pads are 100% cotton and cover the shoulder straps of the Boba Baby Carrier. Baby will gnaw on 100% organic cotton free of dyes or chemicals and your pretty carrier will be protected from baby slobber. Win-win.

Carrier Stuff Sack

The Carrier Stuff Sack ($15) is designed to hold and protect your Boba Baby Carrier when not in use. Roll up your carrier, place it in the sack and toss it in the car or place it near the door so it’s always ready to go. The Stuff Sacks match the Boba patterns and are a super practical storage for your Carrier.

Shop! Visit BobaFamily.com to shop these accessories and Boba Wraps and Boba Baby Carriers.

A Match Made on Four Wheels {Sponsored Video}

by Kate on May 10th, 2012  |  5 Comments  |  Shopping

Bike life: A boy on a bike meets a girl on a bike story. This video from Schwinn is, in a word, darling. Watch it and tell me it doesn’t make you smile.

Go ahead. Watch it. I’ll wait…

So cute, right?

It makes me want to strap bike helmets on the whole fam and go for a ride. As you know I’m trying (trying!) to get in shape with a couch to 5k program, but that has turned into a solo activity. And on the occasions when the whole family does go for a run (or walk), the kids ride in a stroller so they don’t get any activity themselves. I love the idea of all of us riding bikes together – we’d get to enjoy one another, get fresh air AND everyone would get some much needed exercise. Even young kids can get in on the action with training wheels. And as my mom proved by recently buying herself a bike: you’re never too old to enjoy a bike ride. (No offense, mom.) Truth be told, I’m jealous. I’d love some new wheels. Hmmm, maybe I just thought of a good Mother’s Day gift!

Shop! Find your bike. 

This post is sponsored by Schwinn.

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