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Boon makes an adorable little snack container called the Boon Snack Ball which I recently purchased now that my son is old enough to eat Cheerios and Gerber Puffs.  The Boon Snack Ball is a complete sphere with a small, circular lid at the top that slides to the side to open.  The Boon also unscrews into 2 pieces for adding snacks.  This snack ball is for babies 9 months and up.  It retails for just under $7.

I’ll admit it: I purchased this snack ball based completely off of it’s looks.  It’s the cutest snack container I’ve ever seen!  The design and colors are very modern and unique.   I purchased the orange and blue model (I’m a little partial to these colors…just look at my logo!)  I love having a hard-sided container to carry his snacks in.  I had been using Ziploc bags for his snacks, but of course they get crushed easily when in his diaper bag.  The Boon is also fairly compact in size, which is perfect for throwing in the diaper bag or a purse without taking up a lot of space.  It also easily fits into the cup holder on the stroller, and is easy for little hands to hold.  I would estimate that this snack holder can hold about 1/2 cup of snacks.  Not huge, but perfect for little day trips where you don’t need a lot on hand.  I also like that the lid is attached so it won’t get lost.  You can also rest assured knowing that this snack holder is safe for baby, being that Boon products are completely free of BPA and phthalates.  It is also dishwasher safe.

There are a few things that could be improved on the Boon Snack Ball.  First of all, the price of roughly $7 may seem a high for the size.  Also, the size may be a little small for people with toddlers who are needing something that holds more.  However, I’ve found it to be the perfect size for baby.  It would be great if Boon offered a few different sizes. 

Here is a quick breakdown of the pros and cons:

Pros:  Cute design and colors, hard-sided, attached lid that slides, easy to add snacks, nice size for small hands and compact use, BPA free, dishwasher safe

Cons: Price, may be too small for some uses

Overall, I would say I am into the Boon Snack Ball.  It’s cute and it’s very functional, especially when space is an issue.

What do you think of the Boon Snack Ball?

After visiting my son’s pediatrician at his 9 month appointment, she told me that my son was a “trained night crier”.  She came to this conclusion after I told her my son wakes several times during the middle of the night, but not because he is hungry.  I try to feed him but he simply pacifies himself to sleep, only to repeat the cycle several times a night.  At 9 months old, he should easily be able to sleep through the night without waking.  However, I knew that in order to break my “trained night crier” from his bad habit I would have to put on my poker face.  Sure enough, my doctor gave me information on how to teach my son to sleep better using the cry it out method. 

Let me tell you, I was less than thrilled about this.  Despite the fact that my son has a horrible time falling asleep for naps, and hasn’t slept through the night since he was born, I was still reluctant to bite the bullet and start this type of sleep training.  I have had mixed feelings about the cry it out method.  At about 5 months of age, we started sleep training our son, and he actually learned to fall asleep on his own at night.  This was a huge relief that solved a lot of our bedtime woes.  However, it did not cure his middle of the night waking, and definitely didn’t fix his passion for fighting nap-time. 

As he grew older and learned to roll over and crawl, he eventually lost his knack to settle himself to sleep at night.  And ever since then I’ve resorted to lying next to him until he fell asleep, and then tiptoeing out of the room and hoping I didn’t wake him.  My husband suggested many times that we try letting him cry it out so he could learn to put himself to sleep, but I just didn’t have the heart for it, or the motivation. 

So when my doctor gave me a reality check at the 9 month appointment, I knew it was time for me to suck it up and teach my son good sleeping habits.  If I didn’t do it now at 9 months, it would only get worse and harder with time.  So after scouring over the handout she gave me and reading a lot of posts on the internet, I decided to start slow and implement the method for his nap times at the beginning.  It is much easier to listen to a crying baby during the day as opposed to the middle of the night.  And my hope is that by learning to put himself to sleep for naps, he will learn to put himself back to sleep when he wakes in the middle of the night. 

So here is the plan.  I do the normal sleep routine when I see he’s getting sleepy, and then lay him in crib awake.  When he cries, I only check on him every 5 to 10 minutes, soothe him for only a minute without picking him up, and then leave the room again.  I repeat this until he goes to sleep.  Like I said, I did this with him before at 5 months, and it is easier said than done!  My pediatrician said it will take 3 or 4 days for him to learn, but the pamphlet said up to 2 weeks.  I will chronicle his progress below.

Thus begins my adventure of the trained night crier versus the cry it out method:

Day 1

• Nap 1:  60 minutes to fall asleep.  Not as bad as I was picturing for the first try.
• Nap 2:  30 minutes to fall asleep.
• Nighttime:  Only woke up once in the middle of the night!  A rarity!

Day 2

• Nap 1:  10 minutes to fall asleep.  Barely even cried!  It can’t be working this fast, can it?
• Nap 2:  90 minutes to fall asleep.  I though after his first nap today that he already had the hang of it, but I was sadly mistaken.  Only napped for 30 minutes.
• Nighttime:  Woke twice during the middle of the night, but was able to get him to go back to sleep without even picking him up.

Day 3

• Nap 1:  45 minutes to fall asleep.  Slept 1-1/2 hours.
• Nap 2:  45 minutes to fall asleep.  Slept 40 minutes.
• Nighttime:  Woke twice.

Day 4

• Nap 1:  2 minutes to fall asleep.  He barely even fussed!  Slept 1-1/2 hours.
• Nap 2: Less than 10 minutes to fall asleep.  Slept 30 minutes.
• Nap 3:  20 minutes to fall asleep, but barely cried.  Slept 30 minutes.
• Nighttime:  Woke twice.

Day 5

• Nap 1:  Less than 20 minutes to fall asleep.
• Nap 2:  Slept in the car.
• Nighttime:  Woke twice.

Day 6

• Nap 1:  Slept at church.
• Nap 2: Fell asleep with no fuss!  Slept almost 3 hours.
• Nighttime:  Woke twice

Day 7

• Nap 1:  Fell asleep with no fuss for the second time!  This is great!  Slept 1-1/2 hours.
• Nap 2:  Had a rough time again: 3o minutes to fall asleep. 🙁  But slept 1-1/2 hours.
• Nighttime:  Woke twice

Day 8

• Nap 1:  20 minutes to fall asleep.  Slept 45 minutes.
• Nap 2: Fell asleep with no fuss.  Slept 1 hour 45 minutes.
• Nighttime: Woke 3 times.

Day 9

• Nap 1: Fell asleep with no fuss.
• Nap 2:  No fussing again!
• Nighttime:  Woke twice

So it took a little over a week for him to go a full day of falling asleep with no fussing.  Not too bad!  There were only a couple days where he cried a lot, and the amount of fussing dropped off pretty quickly.  It still hasn’t really crossed over into his nighttime waking as he still usually wakes twice a night, but I would definitely say it has been worth it anyways.  Nap-time is so much easier on both of us now.  He doesn’t fight sleep like he used to and he still usually takes nice, long naps.  It’s a win-win. 

Although I was extremely hesitant to try the cry-it-out method, it has proved to be the right choice in my certain situation.  With that said, the cry-it-out method isn’t necessarily for everyone.  There are a lot of extreme opinions out there about it.  The main thing is to simply trust your gut when dealing with baby’s sleep issues.  No two babies are the same and what worked for one won’t necessarily work for the other.  I’m just happy that the doctor’s solution has so far turned out to be a good one.

Have you used the cry it out method for baby?  What is your experience?

Is your baby nursery lacking something that you just can’t quite get your fingers on?  I may have just discovered the answer by accident!  You need to “go green” and add a plant!  Such a simple addition will quickly add color and life that you may not have even realized the nursery was missing.

The other day I got tired of my little crawler getting into a tall potted plant we kept in the living room.  After knocking it over a few times, I knew it was time to remove it from the scene.  As a temporary fix, I took the plant to the room in the house with the most available floor space; the baby nursery.  After haphazardly throwing it in the corner by the crib, I soon realized that it looked pretty good in it’s new space.  In fact, it looked amazing, like it was made to be in the nursery all along.  And it has stayed there ever since.  It has added a whole new dimension, and life, to the nursery. [continue reading…]

I was recently given the opportunity to review Baby BanZ for myself after writing about infant sunglasses in a previous post.  I received them just in time to try them out on our 9-month old over a long weekend of camping.  So thank you Baby Banz for allowing me to give your product a test run!

Baby BanZ offers a wide variety of sunglasses and other sun products for both babies and kids.  Baby BanZ sunglasses are for ages 0-2, while Kidz BanZ are for ages 2-5.  There are many color and style options to choose from, so you’re sure to find a style and color that is perfect and unique for baby.  Polarized lenses are available, and the lenses can even be swapped out if your child requires prescription lenses.  Baby BanZ sunglasses retail from $17-$19.99. 

The sunglasses arrived via USPS on my front doorstep within a week’s time.  There was no packing material in the box, but the sunglasses were protected in a clear case.  Since the sunglasses are made of shatterproof materials, packing wasn’t really necessary anyways.

The sample I received are the Baby Adventure BanZ in Midnight Black.  Upon inspection, there are a few key things that set these sunglasses apart from other infant sunglasses I have seen.  First of all, the neoprene strap widens at the back of the head which helps keep the glasses in place.  There is also a silicone nose piece built in to the frame which assures a proper, comfortable fit.  The adjuster on these sunglasses also make this product unique.  Instead of the Velcro adjuster being located in the back, it is located on the side.  The Velcro strap loops through the frame and folds back upon itself, which is a great design for getting the perfect fit on baby’s head.  This type of strap also makes it difficult for baby to undo the Velcro and pull the glasses off, which I’ve found to be a critical flaw in my iplay sunglasses.  The frames are clear, though colored, polycarbonate and the lenses offer 100% UV protection. 

Now for the real test: wearability!  We couldn’t have received these sunglasses with any better timing, having planned an extended weekend of camping.  We were outdoors and in the sun for several days, so the sunglasses got a lot of testing right from the start.  My son has always been “top of the charts” for his age, so I was afraid the frames might be too narrow for his face.  However, I found the frames to fit very well; not too small and not too big.  The location and design of the Velcro adjuster made getting the perfect fit so much easier than other baby sunglasses I’ve tried.  And the wide neoprene band kept them on his face no matter what we did, even after putting his hat on and off throughout the day.  They seemed to be comfortable for him to wear.  There was very minimal grabbing at them.  And on top of being wearable, they are fashionable!  We got so many compliments from other impressed campers!  I was overall very happy using the Baby BanZ, and my son seemed to feel the same way.

There are only a few things I would change about the Baby BanZ.  First of all, the price tag is higher than any other infant sunglasses I’ve seen.  However, you do get what you pay for!  These sunglasses are well worth it if you intend to get good use of them in the sun.  I would like to see the frames come in solid colors versus being clear.  This is strictly a cosmetic thing, I know, but I think solid colors look better and are more vibrant.  Another problem I had was I found scratches on the lens after only a few days of use.  As with any baby item, wear and tear is going to happen, especially on something like sunglasses.  I just didn’t expect to see scratches so soon.  One last thing I noticed was that the silicone nose and brow bridge left indents on my son’s face after use.  This is definitely not a safety hazard, but it did make me wonder if they were uncomfortable.   It is a possibility, however, that I simply needed to loosen the Velcro.

With that said, one of the things that impressed me the most about Baby BanZ is the warranty.  Each pair of sunglasses is backed by a 6 month warranty for any defect in the materials or workmanship.  Scratches are not covered by the warranty. 

Here is a quick breakdown of the pros and cons of Baby BanZ sunglasses:

Pros:  100% UV protection, shatter-proof, wide-banded neoprene strap and silicone nose bridge keep glasses in place, convenient side Velcro adjuster, 6 month warranty, fashionable, many styles and colors, can be used with prescription lenses

Cons:  Price, leaves lines on face

Baby BanZ have officially become my sunglasses of choice for my son.  They are by far the best I have used, and I would say they are definitely worth the money.  IntoBaby is into Baby BanZ!

******NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN YOUR OWN BABY BANZ!******

Baby BanZ is giving away one free pair of sunglasses in the color of your choice!  Enter the giveaway now by doing the following:

• Required:  Leave a comment including your favorite Baby BanZ style, size, and color- Can be viewed here
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• Earn 2 extra entries:  Write a post on your blog linking to this page and to the Baby BanZ website and post the URL in the comments

CONTEST RULES:

• All entries must be submitted by midnight on June 15th, 2010.  No late entries will be accepted.
• Winner will be chosen at random using the generator at Random.org
• Winner will be contacted via email the morning of June 16th, 2010
• Winner must respond within 48 hours or the prize will be forfeited
• This contest is open to U.S. residents only

Come back and visit us again soon at IntoBaby!

My son had his 9 month well-child check the other day.  He is very healthy and his growth chart is looking great!  He is 95th percentile for height!  However, there was one thing we had to address; his circumcision.  For some reason, he has formed penile adhesions where the skin has grown back together.  I hadn’t really noticed it, but my husband definitely did, and the doctor confirmed as well.

Luckily, there seems to be a fairly easy solution.  Apparently a simple application of a low dose steroid cream to the adhesions may be the cure.  All I have to do is apply it twice a day for a month, and according to our doctor, this almost always fixes the problem.  If not, my son will probably have to have surgery, so I am hoping it works!

With that said, after only 5 days of usage, I can already see the skin on the adhesions thinning out.  Can it really be working this fast?  I’m feeling optimistic that the cream will work completely and that surgery won’t be necessary.

If you’re concerned your baby may have penile adhesions, make sure you bring it up to the pediatrician at the next visit.  They may be able to prescribe a steroid cream and avoid surgery.  But whatever you do, don’t go purchase a steroid cream and use it on your baby without talking with your pediatrician first.

We used some other creams as well after it seemed to work well. This stuff worked well for all sorts of skin issues(dryness, eczema,…etc) 

I’ll keep you posted!

Do you have a baby that has/had penile adhesions?  What worked for you?

Also, it may seem like a long way off, but have you started thinking about your options for your child’s education? Make sure you read about why homeschooling is an amazing option, even if you are a working parent!

Want to save money by making your own Boppy pillow but don’t like to sew (or don’t know how)?  No problem!  This is what I like to call the “Cheater’s Boppy”, because you really don’t have to make anything yourself.  A normal Boppy costs about $40.  A Cheater Boppy, on the other hand, will cost you less than half of a normal Boppy, but still look and feel like the real thing!  Follow these steps to make your own: [continue reading…]

After purchasing the Evenflo Comfi Fast-Flow nipples for my glass Evenflo bottles and being very disappointed, I decided to count my losses and stick with the classic Evenflo nipples instead.  Since I never had any problems with the classic slow-flow nipples, I figured I could upgrade to the classic fast-flow and not have any problems.  I was so confident that I purchased five 4-packs at $2.49 a piece. 

Big mistake!  Although the shape of the nipple is the same classic design, I absolutely despise this nipple!  Instead of having a simple hole at the top, the fast-flow nipple has a large “X” cut into the silicone.  This nipple is supposed to be for babies 6 months and older.  However, it makes my 9 month old choke.  I figured he just needed to get used to the different flow, but he would scream at the top of his lungs every time I tried to feed him using this nipple. 

Another problem I had when using the fast-flow nipple was leaking.  For some reason, no matter how tight or loose I made the collar, milk came pouring out from underneath.  I never had this problem with the slow-flow nipples and since the nipples have the same design I’m not exactly sure what the cause was.  I just know that this was enough reason for me to abandon the fast-flow and return to using the slow-flow.  The slow-flow nipples take longer for my son to finish an 8-ounce bottle, but he eats happily and his shirt doesn’t get soaked in the process. 

So with that said, I wouldn’t waste money on the Evenflo Classic Fast-Flow Nipples!  I have 3 unopened packages.  If you have had better luck with them, or would like to give them a try, leave a comment or contact me.

In the meantime, I’m still searching for a fast-flow nipple that works well with the Evenflo glass bottles.

What nipples do you find to work well with the Evenflo Classic Glass Nursers?

I am finally ditching the nursing bra and trading up for some normalcy again!  After almost 9 months of breastfeeding I’ve found that my old pre-pregnancy bras just don’t fit the same anymore.  They’re too small, and some are just too worn.  In fact, I split one almost in half the first time I wore it!  Plus the cups are too small, and I think I even walked around in public with one of my nipples having fallen out of the cup without me knowing.  Embarrassing!  So it was more than time for some new bras!

But here was the challenge: money!  Ever since I quit my job to stay home with our son, my husband and I have tried to be very conscious of our spending.  To the point where I downgraded from my regular hair conditioner to save a measly dollar.  So we are pretty serious about cutting where we can! 

With that said, I knew bra shopping would be a challenge since bras are so ungodly expensive.  So instead of going to Victoria’s Secret, or even JCPenney, we went on the quest of finding a bra at Walmart.  I have never been a huge fan of Walmart, but we have recently become fans of Super Walmart because it’s the cheapest place to do our one-stop shopping.  However, I was a little skeptical about what their bras would be like. 

Luckily, Walmart proved me wrong, and I found two bras that were not only in our budget, but cute and comfortable at the same time.  Thank you, Hanes, for making a great bra for only $12!  I purchased one with underwire in white, and one without in hot pink.  There is something about buying a new bra that lifts my spirits (not to mention other things).  I am so happy with the fit and the material that I don’t know if I’ll need to spend $35 on a new bra again!

I am only beginning to rebuild my post-partum bra collection.  Two just isn’t going to cut it, but it’s a good start. 

Have you tried the Hanes line of bras?  What do you think?  Do you have any recommendations for a great, low cost bra?

Who can resist a baby wearing sunglasses?  Not only are they outrageously cute, they are practical in that they protect sensitive little eyes from the bright sunlight.  We recently purchased the iplay Infant Sunglasses in navy blue for our son.  The sunglasses come with a flexible, wrap-around band and flexible frames to help insure a comfortable fit for baby.  The band velcros in the back to help adjust to the size of baby’s head.  The shaded lenses are 100% UVA and UVB protective.  The iplay sunglasses retail for $8.99 and come in a wide variety of colors.

There are a lot of positive things about the iplay sunglasses.  First of all, the frames are a good fit for baby’s face.  They aren’t too small or too big.  The bridge of the nose fits comfortably and they hug the face comfortably.  The neoprene strap is soft and the velcro makes the sizing easy to adjust.  The overall design is great for either a boy or girl.  The first time my son wore these sunglasses, I thought he would  be bothered by them and try to pull them off.  However, they seemed to fit him comfortably and he wears them with no protest.  He loves wearing them and I love the fact that his eyes are protected from the bright sun and UV rays.  And on top of all of this, the price was great!

The one thing I wish was different about this sunglasses is the location of the velcro.  Although it functions fine, I would rather have a design more like the Baby Banz sunglasses where the adjustable velcro is located on the side versus the back.  This side adjuster also folds on itself so it keeps any exposed velcro from scratching baby’s head.  I also believe this design would make it easier to adjust when the glasses are being worn.  I also like how the Baby Banz sunglasses have a wider strap at the back of the head to help keep the strap from slipping as easily.  Due to these factors, I believe Baby Banz might be a better choice than the iplay Infant Sunglasses, and if I could go back I would probably purchase them instead.  However, Baby Banz are about twice as expensive as the iplay.

In considering all of these factors, I believe the iplay Infant Sunglasses are a great product and would recommend them.  They are a good fit, comfortable, and a more economical choice.  However, if you are wiling to spend a little more, I believe that the Baby Banz sunglasses are probably the best overall choice for infant sunglasses.

What baby sunglasses do you find to be the best?  Why?