Bathtime Favourites - aacua towel

A friend of mine mentioned this towel to me after she saw it in a magazine. Both she and I LOVE our Babyswaddler towels (see my post on it in Bathtime Favourites), but are also equally interested in this one as well.

The aacua towel is a 4 in 1 towel. Like the Babyswaddler it ties around your neck like an apron so you have both hands free for baby. It keeps you dry and makes transferring your little one from the tub to the change table easy. It also converts to a swaddler to keep little one nice and warm after the bath. Lastly, it grows with your little one as it also converts into a toddler hooded towel. It is made out of 100% cotton terry cloth material and is machine washable. It comes in white with a variety of trim colours.

Check out this new product at www.maamam.com.

Feeding Favourites - Mally Bibs

Andrea shares another fave of hers - Mally Bibs. Another mom, Steph, also sent me this product last year, but I thought I would post Andrea's comments as well. It must be a good one...

"We have just started feeding J solid foods and I bought this terrific leather bib at the One of A Kind Craft Show in Toronto last Spring. It is leather so after each meal you just give it a wipe or a rinse and it is ready to go for the next meal. It also attaches with a magnet so it goes on and off very quickly. I also like the magnet because it sticks to the side of my fridge so I always know where the bib is. They are a little expensive but I think worth the cost. I have used mine every day for the last month."

Check out their products at www.mallybibs.com/catalog/bibs

Thanks Andrea, I also saw these at The One of a Kind Show and was tempted to purchase one for the new bambino. Will have to wait and see what I have - boy or girl!

Feeding Favourites - Moja Creations

On www.ecobabybuys.com today there was a neat product made by Moja Creations - Reusable Snack and Sandwich Bags.

From their site:

"The perfect option to ‘Go Green’ in a fun and stylish way! These eco-friendly snack bags and sandwich wraps are a better alternative to plastic baggies and are great for children of all ages!

Each set includes:

1 Snack Bag – 4.5” by 6.5”
1 Sandwich Bag – 6.5” by 6.5”
1 Sandwich Wrap – 13.5” by 13.5”

Use the bags with just about any snack food – dry cereal, veggies slices, pretzels, cookies, fruit, or whatever is for lunch that day! When not being used for snacks they also work great for toys, craft supplies, crayons, and so much more. The snack bag and sandwich bag close with a full strip of Velcro so food stays put. The sandwich wrap has been designed to work with sandwiches of all sizes and is completely adjustable with Velcro tabs on each side. When open flat it even doubles as a placemat.

Items are lined with a food-safe nylon which contains no lead, phthalates, or BPA. Nylon is water-resistant, antimicrobial, and washer/dryer safe. No chemical coating means safe snacking for little ones! See picture for nylon colors for each fabric.

Cleaning Instructions: Shake out crumbs and wipe down for a quick clean-up. When extra dirty rinse with soapy water and let dry or toss into the washer. Items are dryer safe but air drying helps them last longer and helps the planet!

All items are handmade by Moja Creations – started in February 2009 with the mission of creating a unique item that would not only be fun to use but help the planet we have expanded our line to include snack bags, sandwich wraps, cloth napkins, insulated lunch totes, coffee sleeves and more!"

That about sums the product up! I like anything that is reusable, has a funky design and is new and unique. I ended up picking up the boy set and look forward to them arriving. They were on sale today for $16.20 for the set of 3 but they usually sell for $27.

You can check them out at www.etsy.com/shop/MojaCreations

Just for Moms - Discount Websites

I have recently come across three new discount baby/kid websites. Not a good thing for me ;)

Here they are:

www.minibargainz.com
www.hippobargains.com
www.ecobabybuys.com

All have a daily product on discount for a great price. Check them out and see if you can get into as much trouble as I do!

You can also find all of the discount websites that I know about by clicking on them on the right hand side of my page.

Bedtime Favourites - Bebe Bella Designs

H loves his blankies, especially those minky ones with the little raised dots. I found this company, Bebe Bella Designs (again through my discount websites) that makes a variety of blankets in different sizes (baby, toddler, and adult), plus other neat accessories for your little one (hats, slippers, clothing, pillowcases, etc.).

Today I purchased H a pillowcase for his new big boy bed that is made out of that same material. Originally I thought the price was a bit steep $30 and that I could make one myself for less, but then I saw this note on their website that until January 31st they are having a sale of 62% off on their Minky Chenille Baby Blankets (reg. $50 on for $19) and their Standard Pillowcases. So, with that I ended up getting the pillowcase for just $11.40 - WOW! The shipping was only $7.50, so my entire order came to less than $19 - super savings!

Check out Bebe Bella's great products at www.bebebelladesigns.com

Feeding Favourites - Tie Chair

Here is another neat product that I came across on my discount websites. It is called a Tie Chair and takes the place of a highchair. The website says that it is ideal for travelling as it fits easily into a diaper bag and is great for places where you cannot get a highchair. The Tie Chair is made completely out of fabric with no plastic or metal buckles. It is also machine washable! It comes in a variety of fabrics and can be tied either in the front or the back. It sells for $38.

I have no experience with this chair, but thought it would be a neat gift for that mom who just seems to have everything. Have any of you ever heard of it?

You can find out more about the Tie Chair by visiting:
http://www.tiechair.com

Other Favourites - Potty Praiser Underwear

We are not ready yet to start potty training but I saw these today on one of my baby discount websites and it caught my attention. The Potty Praiser Training System is a pair of underwear with a hemp liner that absorbs but makes the child feel cool if they have gone pee. The neat thing about this system is that it comes with a non-toxic pen that your child can draw on the liner or the underwear and the drawing will disappear if it gets wet. They say this will encourage the child to use the potty and check to see if their drawing is still there. They are a Canadian company and the underwear (plus two liners and pen) sell for $32.99. Right now they are on sale on www.babyhalfoff.com for $16.50. They come in two colours: pink or grey and three sizes small, medium and large.

Not sure how these work, but I thought they were a neat idea and eco-friendly. Check them out at http://www.kinderspiritcreations.com/products and let us know what you think!

Other Favourites - Coryzalia for Kids

Andrea shares another new favourite of hers...

"J just experienced his first cold. He wasn't too affected by it but was really congested at night. I picked up this herbal product called Coryzalia for Kids at the grocery store pharmacy. It comes individually packaged doses which you just squeeze into your child's mouth. They must swallow the medicine. I don't think it is effective if you add it to a liquid or food. However, there is no taste so J had no issue taking it. It worked great. We did the recommended 3 doses for 2 days and then only 1 dose at bedtime on the third day and he was feeling fine the following day. This company also has a teething herbal medication which my sister-in-law highly recommends. We haven't dealt with teeth yet so I cannot say if that product is good or not."

http://boiron.ca/en/products/children/coryzalia-children/

Thanks Andrea! I have also used the teething medicine after another mom recommended it a few months back. I will try this one out the next time H has a cold (hopefully later than sooner!)

Other Favourites - Pippalily Sling

A long time ago Maureen sent me another one of her faves and I forgot to post it (sorry Maureen). It is her Pippalily Sling and she says it is awesome. I have tried a few slings and carriers, but was never a fan, but many moms out there cannot live without their slings.

When I went to The One of a Kind show this December, I saw this product there and remembered hearing a lot about it, not just from Maureen.

Tonight I visited their website and was very impressed. Number 1 they are a Canadian company. Also, not only do they sell slings, but diaper clutches, adorable mink blankets (Hs favourite type), nursing covers, swaddlers and straps to hold losable items like Sophie, snack cups and sippy cups. I loved the fabrics and I found the prices to be somewhat reasonable. The one thing that really caught my eye were the Gift Sets - for just $75 you can get a diaper clutch (that holds 4 diapers, travel wipes and your bank card and a lip gloss), a mink blanket and a strap - all in coordinating fabrics.

I find right now, carrying around a diaper bag is pretty useless when all I really need is a couple of diapers and some wipes just in case - so I would LOVE the diaper clutch. I think that I am going to wait for baby #2 (see if it is a boy or girl) and then purchase one of these sets for myself. Even though I am not interested in the actual sling, thank you Maureen for introducing me to the company!

Winter Favourites - Gordini Mini G Toddler Mitts

OK, I never thought that I would be this excited about mitts - but I have found "The IT Mitt!"

How many of you out there have a hard time getting your little one's thumb into their mitt? Then these are the mitts for you!!!

Just yesterday we found H these mitts at MEC that have a full side zip all the way from the wrist to the tip of the little finger. This makes putting the mitt on and getting the thumb in 100x easier!!!!! You just slide their hand in sideways, make sure the thumb is in and zip - DONE! They come in xx-small, x-small, small, medium and large. The xx-small is just right (even a bit big for H). They are waterproof and have a leather palm, which makes holding onto a hockey stick or a shovel a breeze (also important features needed for this household).

If you are struggling with your little one's mitts, then look no further, head out to MEC and for just $11.50 - all of your problems will be solved (ok well most of them)!

Bathtime Favourite - Suction Bath Mat

The other day a friend asked for some suggestions on how to make bathtime easier for them since her son had just outgrown his baby bath but is not yet ready to sit all by himself in the tub. I of course recommended the Jolly Jumper Bath Ring which I could not have lived without, but then let her know that they are banned here in Canada. Anyways, this got me to thinking about what I use now for H.

I tried those stick-on non-slip decals for the bottom of the tub, but I found that they didn't stick that well and H was still slipping in the bath between where I put them. I then found the best thing in the world - a suction cup bath mat that basically covers the entire bottom of the tub. Now he can move around, play and stand up without any worries. Another nice thing about this product is that you just pull it up to clean underneath it instead of having those pesky things in the way and collecting dirt on their edges.

This has got to be one of my all time bath faves, that really takes the worry about getting hurt in the tub.

I purchased mine from Zellers for no more than $15 and once it starts to look a bit dingy, it is not that expensive to replace.

The one pictured here is made by Rubbermaid. Mine is a softer rubber, while this one looks a bit tougher, but you get the idea.

Feeding Favourites - Baby Cubes

Andrea shares one of her favourites:

"I decided to make my own baby food and found this product called Baby Cubes which you can buy at Toys R Us. They are great because you can store your homemade baby food in the freezer. They are individual containers that have an attached lid so you don't have to go looking for lids. Also they are great for taking on the road. Just pop one in your diaper bag and there are no dishes to take along, just a spoon. They don't seem to leak either. They come in a package of 8 and I have 8 boxes of them. Dishwasher and microwave safe as well.
http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=3696281"

Thanks Andrea! I have seen these and often wondered about them. With H I used an ice cube tray and then just transferred them to freezer bags, but am thinking these might be a bit easier. I will check them out the next time I am at ToysRUs.