The Original Co-Zee (with a cameo from the Car Seat Canopy)

When I was pregnant, I got this email from Destination Maternity reading FREE CAR SEAT CANOPY.... All I had to pay was shipping.  Of course, you later find out that the shipping is like 15 dollars... I tried to find out exactly what it is currently, but you have to go almost all the way through checkout to find out.  I mean, you feel like you're getting a really good deal when you see that they normally charge $49.95 for this thing!  So, naturally, I got one. 

 

                      ^ Not mine, I just didn't have a good photo of the entire thing

^^^ This was mine at our first dinner out, and a ride on the SunRail train with my nieces

It's a perfectly acceptable product, just a lot of fabric for the 95 degree Florida summer weather my son was born into.  It was great for keeping him covered while sleeping and if I didn't want strangers messing with him, lol. The problem was, when you flip it up quickly it covers the handle of the carseat, and you don't always want to carry it with the cover down.  We used it for 2 or 3 months, and my husband hated it.  I tried using a blanket, namely the Aden and Anais because it was breathable, but I found myself fumbling with it and dropping it all the time. 

So there's the back story... Now you'll know why I was very excited when I saw this product that I had never seen before (and I am constantly in baby stores...). This product was not in Buy Buy Baby or Babies R' Us, but a lesser-known baby store that shall remain unnamed because I haven't spent a dime there as a result of them catering only to international tourists... Seriously, nothing like being completely ignored when you're about to pop, or out for the first time alone with a brand new baby. It just stinks that it's the closest baby store to my house, and the selection is truly a m a z i n g.  Anyway, sorry for the rant.  I present: The Original CO-ZEE.

 I found it on Amazon and decided to give it a try.  It attaches with plastic rings to the shade visor of a stroller or infant carrier car seat. Not only is it much thinner fabric and a lot less of it, the fabric is also SPF 40.  It has strings that can be tied to handles (mostly useful when rear facing) and velcro strips down the front so that it can be rolled to different heights. That feature is the least helpful part.  I'd actually probably prefer it without the velcro.  It doesn't hold as well as it could, and I haven't been in a situation yet when the halfway height did any good at all. I am so glad I took a chance on this product, and it's one of the reasons I wanted to start this blog.  I had no idea it existed!

 

 In use for a nap, you can see the velcro pretty well here ^^^

  

^Flipped up, not in use

 

I often tie the strings around the stroller tray to give him shade.

 

He was not happy that day, but you can see the roll-up feature in use

Pros: fabric isn't too thick and has SPF, no back piece of fabric like the Car Seat Canopy, doesn't obstruct handle for carrying when not in use, can also be used on strollers, handy tie strings on the ends can help with positioning
Cons: velcro roll-up feature isn't so great, a little pricy at $29.99

Hope this was helpful! Thanks for reading!

The Gro Egg

This next product is something we stumbled upon out of necessity, and it was EXACTLY what I was looking for. We live in Florida, and my son's room stays 3-5 degrees warmer than the rest of the house, which I was already concerned with.  When our first coolsnap hit, I discovered his room also gets much colder than the rest of the house, and panicked when his little hands felt like icicles one morning. We love our Samsung SafeView monitor, but sadly, it does not display the room temperature, like some others do.  I Googled around and came up with this- the Gro Egg room thermometer.

It lights up four different colors to display, not only the room temperature, but also how appropriate it is for your little one.  I had heard that a cooler room can help prevent SIDS, but I was very surprised to see how chilly the recommended temperatures were! 

It turns blue when the room is too cool, red when the room is too warm, yellow for ideal, and orange for acceptable. It also displays a happy face when yellow and orange, and a sad face when blue and red. We usually keep our house at 74, but the Gro Egg turns red as soon as it hits 75.  I wasn't too sure about all this when we got it, but believe it or not, my baby sleeps very well in the recommended yellow zone (61-67). It's not feasible to keep the house that cool in the Florida warmth, so that only happened in the winter. We cool the house to keep him in the orange zone, which is pretty close to what we prefer anyway. 

Pros: user friendly (no programming, only one button), easy to read and understand, not battery-operated, has a nice nightlight glow (we needed a nightlight anyway!), easily moved if you need to take it to a caretaker, 

Cons: placement limited to length of cord/access to outlet, not really necessary if your monitor tells you the temperature, if you disagree with the temperature ranges, you'll have to get used to the red light and just read the temperature display, hubby doesn't like that the button is on the bottom. 

Overall, I am so happy we bought this product.  It gives me peace of mind that I'm providing an appropriate temperature for my son to sleep in. You may or may not need it, but now you have the facts! 

Thanks for reading!

Our FAVORITE Board Book

I just love this book so much, I HAVE to share it with you! Right after my son was born and we were adjusting to life as new parents, we stumbled upon this book in a store: The Boss Baby, by Marla Frazee.  I quickly flipped through it and gushed at how cute it was.  We were in a hurry so I didn't buy it, but later I couldn't stop thinking about it. Amazon to the rescue! Two days later, it was mine. It was the first book I read to my baby, and we've read it countless times since. 

What makes this book so special, is that it is exactly our life at this moment! The author compares the baby to a high-powered executive, and it all ties together in an adorably funny way. There aren't too many words on each page for the baby to get bored, and you don't have to do any silly voices for your baby to enjoy it. The illustrations are perfect. They make me laugh, and keep my baby's attention.  I love to point to the baby and say "That's YOU!"  As he and our family grow, this book will be a special part of our memories and bedtime routine.  Do yourself a favor and check it out! 

My Baby by Homedics SoundSpa On-the-Go

This blog has been the victim of almost 9 months of procrastination, which I struggle with on a daily basis.  When I do feel ready to work on something, my other crippling issues are indecision and over-thinking. I had done my intro post, but where to go from there?  I've had a running list of products to review, and I had already gathered photos I have of us using them, but which do I review first?!?  Then yesterday, I picked up my diaper bag to leave and was immediately startled by the sound of a beating heart. I knew right then that I had to review the singular flaw in the My Baby by Homedics SoundSpa On-the-Go. 

At home we put my son to bed with white noise.  If you aren't familiar with it, it ranges from static to waves, and helps drown out noises that might startle the baby during sleep.  My son has a very hard time sleeping without it.  If we ever need him to wake up, all we have to do is turn off the sound machine and he wakes up instantly.  We use this little guy at home and are very satisfied with it. I can elaborate if anyone is interested :-)

We've done some traveling with our baby, and were not sure what access we would have to electrical outlets, so I was thrilled when I saw the portable version! It's about the size of your hand, and can clip onto the infant car seat, stroller, or anything else you'd like. It has 4 different sounds including static, heartbeat, lullaby, and ocean waves (our favorite). You can control the volume and set a timer as well.  It takes 3 aaa batteries to operate and they do last overnight, 2 nights if you don't use it during the day. I think on our last trip we changed the batteries 3 times in the week.
Pros: small, easy to operate, clips on, inexpensive (about 10 bucks)
Cons: NO LOCK BUTTON
That's it! That's the only con for me. Yes, it's conveniently portable, but be prepared to be constantly turning it on by accident! On our last trip, my husband started to remove one battery to prevent it, but then you have to unscrew the backplate, and remember where you put that tiny battery. It has a little red light that some may not like, but it doesn't bother us at all.

 Overall, I would still recommend this product.  As someone who takes my baby wherever I go, it's a nice option to have when baby needs white noise. I have not seen many other products available like it. There are apps available for phones and tablets, but that hasn't worked for us because you have to leave your phone where the baby is, and hope that you don't get a call. (Also: battery life)

     

Thanks for reading!

BEWARE: Beginner Blogger!

My pickiness is more of a curse, than a blessing, but I have little control over it. Eating is the worst. Your toddler probably eats a better variety than I do. I will never declare myself an expert on anything, but I have a lot to say! Since the birth of my son, I have found myself constantly explaining the pros and cons of many lesser-known baby products I've found, and the idea for this blog was born. (No pun intended, but hey- it works!) I love to shop, save, and make life easier.  I'm a sucker for gadgets and gizmos...and The Little Mermaid, for that matter. I'm an elementary school teacher (1st-2nd) by trade, but currently on leave to be with my infant son. You could say my pickiness makes it impossible to imagine anyone but me caring for him at this stage...  Thankfully, my hard-working husband made it possible, and I'm loving every second of it.  Please read and enjoy, but don't be too hard on me if you disagree..or if I make mistakes-- I am sleep-deprived (Bring on the run-ons!). Feel free to pin and share!