When the press release for Spa Baby came through in my email, I was instantly curious about this new way (new to me, anyway) of bathing a baby.  I giggled at first and the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to experience it for myself.  The timing was perfect, as baby Teagan had just made her arrival and I received the Spa Baby tub to try out.

The above photo is Teagan between 5 and 6 months old.  I’m posting snapshots of her bath in our Spa Baby from a video that I had taken.  I ultimately decided that I didn’t want to post the video of me bathing her.  You can see a baby being bathed in a Spa Baby Tub on the Spa Baby website here if you would like.

I had mixed feelings about the tub, at first.  I had trouble getting Teagan to settle into the tub.  She was kicking her legs a lot and I had to wait for her to calm down a bit before washing her.  When she finally did calm down, things went much more smoothly.  I don’t believe that it’s because she didn’t “like” the tub, it’s that she’s not used to taking baths.  It’s freezing here in the Midwest and I tend to do a lot more sponge bathing until the weather warms up.

The Spa Baby website has great tips that I highly recommend following if you have purchased or are planning on purchasing one of these European-style baby bath tubs.

My own tips would be to use a shampoo, conditioner and/or body wash from a pump.  It’s much easier for you to hold on to the baby (if the baby is smaller and can slip around easier) and pump the wash into your hand.  What I did was use body wash and squeeze a bit into the water before I put the baby in and I just used that to wash her up.  As you can see, she doesn’t have much hair, so no need to go crazy with shampoo at this point.

Roll your sleeves up ahead of time or wear a short-sleeved shirt!  As you can see from my photo, I had a long sleeve shirt on and mid-bath, tried to roll it up.  It wasn’t all that easy because I was trying to hold on to the baby from slipping everywhere.  You really have to get a good grip on the baby  because they do slip around.

Wear a terry-cloth bathrobe or drape a towel over the front of you for when you’re ready to take the baby out of the tub (so you don’t get soaked and so you can quickly warm the baby).  Have another towel ready to throw over the baby.

The tub is like a bucket, the sides are higher around the baby and so is the water, so you do need to be more hands-on with a tub like this than with your basic baby tub.  Preparation is key.

Again, the Spa Baby website has excellent tips that you should read before bathing your baby in the tub.

Overall, I do like the Spa Baby tub.  I like that it keeps her warmer than sitting up in standard baby bathtub.  I think if you use it often enough, the baby really enjoys the bath and you become much more comfortable and in control.  I do think this would make a really fun, unique shower gift for someone.

A great thing about this tub is that it’s made from a safe and non-toxic plastic (polypropylene).  No polycarbonate, no bisphenol-A, and has no paint (per the Spa Baby website).

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I have had the opportunity to try out a new product from The Natural Baby Company; GroBaby All Natural Baby Wipes and I happen to really like them.

I have used a handful of different brands of baby wipes over the past four years, so this comparison is quite easy.  These wipes are very soft, with almost a satin-like feel to them.  In my opinion, they have the perfect amount of moisture to clean baby’s bottom.   I really feel like I’m “cleaning” her bottom.  I guess that’s hard to describe but I just feel like she’s truly clean after I wipe her.  Because of the softness and the solution on the wipes, I don’t feel like these wipes are irritating her skin.  I suppose you’ll just have to use them yourself to see what I mean. 

According to the description on The Natural Baby Company website, these wipes are made from Ingeo™ Fibers (a man-made fiber derived from 100% natural renewable resources).  The reason these wipes are appealing to me is because I used all of the popular brand baby products with my first child and I promised myself that this time around, I would try to do better for the baby and for the environment.  This is a step in the right direction.

GroBaby wipes are available online ($5.99 for a pack of 80 wipes) and at select retailers (hopefully there is a Whole Foods near you).

For more information on GroBaby products, check them out on Facebook and Twitter.

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We recently added the following LeapFrog products to our ever-growing collection:

Zippity

Zippity is quite popular with my preschooler right now.  It is very easy for her to grasp the concept of how this gaming system works.  She gets to use her whole body, which is a plus because I swear, the kid never stops moving.  I like it that she’s on her feet playing the game, rather than staring at the screen while sitting on the couch.  This is an excellent gaming system for kids around the ages of 4 and up.

I am somewhat of a technology snob and pay attention to graphics.  The graphics and animation of the games for this system are exceptional, in my opinion.  I am pleased with the look and feel of Zippity.  Good job on this one, LeapFrog!

(Picture of Hailey using Zippity coming soon)

My Pal Scout/Violet

Pictured above is My Pal Violet.  Cute, cute, cute!  We love this puppy.  Once again, LeapFrog has outdone themselves with technology.  Violet and Scout can be connected to your computer via USB cable and personalized.  I’m not kidding, we walk around the house everyday singing the little tunes that come from this puppy.  Violet says our baby’s name (which grabs her attention); she sings personalized songs (for instance, right now, Violet likes the color black and meatballs are her favorite food.  For a while, it was bacon).  I absolutely love that you can connect and change options any time you want.  This is a stuffed animal that is worth having around.

(Teagan and Violet)

Tag Junior Book Pal

I’ve been itching to use our Tag Junior with the baby.  I can’t wait to see her chubby hands wrapped around this chubby reader.  Even our preschooler enjoys the Tag Junior but ultimately, her favorite is the regular Tag reader and books.  Tag Junior is less pen-like, compared to the regular Tag Reader.  It is much easier for babies/toddlers to grasp in their little, uncoordinated hands.  The board books are just the right size for the smaller hands, too.

(Picture of the girls using Tag Junior coming soon)

Before I close, I will also mention that LeapFrog has the technology to tell you what your child is doing/learning.  It’s just a matter of connecting your LeapFrog products to your computer and checking out the LeapFrog Learning Path that gathers information from the activities your child does on his/her LeapFrog products and calculates their progress.  This is a fantastic, educational tool.

As far as I’m concerned, LeapFrog is blowing their competition out of the water with their quality and technology.  I love that I’m able to experience these learning products with my kids!  They have been such a huge part of our lives.  Thank you, LeapFrog, for taking the time to make products that will make a difference in a child’s life in the future.

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I have used three different Epson All-in-One printers over the past several years and quite honestly, none of them have failed me.  I have owned and used other name brand printers and they’ve been alright but truthfully, I have preferred the Epson All-in-One printers over anything else that I’ve used.  I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to try them out.

Besides the Epson WorkForce 610, I have used the Epson Stylus CX8400 and the Epson Artisan 800.  All three are considered “all-in-one”, which means they are a printer, scanner, copier and fax machine all in one unit.  The WorkForce and Artisan both have WiFi capability, so you can connect wirelessly.  This is one of my favorite features, as I’m not always in a position to connect the printer directly to my laptop.

I worked on several projects over the holidays and was quite pleased with the WorkForce 610.  My projects printed out quickly and the quality of the print was not compromised.  Although, I do prefer the Artisan over the WorkForce for photo projects.  I also really like these printers because of their ease of use.  They’re sleek and the technology is there.  I believe all of the printers I have mentioned here retail for under $200 (with the use of mail-in or instant rebates).

For you iPhone and iPod Touch users, Epson has an app called “iPrint”.  Print directly from your device to your wireless printer.

If you’re in the market for a new printer, I would recommend checking out the WorkForce 610 or one of the other Epson All-in-One printers.

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She sits and watches the ballet DVD in awe of the beautiful ballerinas and then practices her ballet steps along with the students from the NYC Ballet’s School of American Ballet.

You can purchase Prima Princessa Presents The Nutcracker from Amazon for around $10 or so.

A perfect holiday gift for your little princess. 

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I am pleasantly surprised at the CafePress site revamp.  It’s clean and much more pleasing to the eye.  I don’t mind clicking around and checking out all of the fun designs and unique gift ideas.  In my opinion, it’s a lot less generic than it used to be.  They’ve definitely caught up with the times.

Here’s an excellent last-minute gift idea for you.  Go to CafePress and create a customized ornament.  I just created two ornaments (with a promo code that was graciously offered to me by CafePress) for someone very special in my life.  I can’t wait until she opens them!  I have a feeling there will be smiles and happy tears when she lays her eyes on them.  I am really looking forward to checking them out, too.  I don’t doubt the quality will be great, as I have seen other products from CafePress in the past.

Real quick, I’m just going to say that whatever it is that you want to customize, they’ve got it.  Apparel, ornaments, Sigg bottles, stationery, etc.  I’m happy that I’ve been reacquainted with this online store and I’m pleased to direct you their way.

Don’t pass up CafePress this holiday season.  You may be surprised at what unique gifts you can come up with and the person you’re giving the gift to could quite possibly say that you’ve given them the “best gift ever”.

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Aren’t they pretty?  These glass bottles (MSRP 9 oz. bottle: $14.49) with colorful silicone covers are from Lifefactory (BPA, phthalate, and PVC free).  We received one to try out with our newbie.  I never used a glass bottle with our first child, so I was all about trying one out with our second.  Honestly, we use the vent system bottles that we purchased but our Lifefactory bottle is in the rotation.  As a matter of fact, when said second child is old enough to walk around and feed herself, we will most likely give her the glass bottle, as our other bottles tend to be a bit leaky.  The silicone cover is nice for gripping and also protects the glass bottle.

We’re totally down with the Lifefactory Silicone Teether.  It’s definitely my favorite.  These teethers (MSRP $6.99) are BPA, phthalate, PVC, and latex free.  You can freeze or refrigerate them.  They are bendable and easy for baby to grip.  Like I said, it’s my favorite.  You can purchase them online or at a retailer near you.  Here is a list of Lifefactory retailers

I think this company’s products are completely worth checking out.

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Since it’s the gift-giving season, I’ve been compiling my list of gift ideas for my preschooler.  Top on my list was an art desk, because she is always busy creating masterpieces with her markers and crayons.  Guess where all of her drawing tools and artwork is?  On our dining room table.  So, when I was offered the Step2 Master Activity Desk (MSRP $80), you bet I jumped on the chance to check it out and talk about it.

I’m stoked.  This art desk is the perfect solution for us.  There is a place for all of her markers, crayons, paper and her precious artwork.  Her very own space to imagine and create and I get my dining room table back.  Perfect.

The desk also makes her feel “important”.  I work from home and she watches me at my desk.  Having her very own desk gives her a sense of importance and independence.  Hopefully it will help keep her creative juices flowing.  We may have a budding artist on our hands.

Next up is educational gaming.  We’ve got a Leapster2 ($80) and she plays with it quite often.  Her favorite game to play is Wall-E.  We’re pretty huge LeapFrog fans here in this house.  Excellent products.  You’ll hear me talk about them more in an upcoming post.

We also have a tiny sprout who was born this past summer.  She’s just discovering the world around her.  She’s starting to enjoy looking at and playing with toys.  We don’t have this exact product but we do have something similar that she loves to “talk” to.  It is K’s Kids School Bus and Finger Puppets Set (MSRP $35).

It’s fun to put on the animal finger puppets that we have and entertain our five month old.  If anything can get her to “talk”, it’s these finger puppets.  I think I need to get the K’s Kids School Bus and Finger Puppets Set.  I’m pretty sure she would dig it.

If you think your kid is pretty creative, or creative enough to win a year’s worth of free toys, you could consider entering the Imagination Nation Contest.  1st place price is free toys for a year (up to $2,400).  The 2nd and 3rd place toys aren’t too shabby either.

So, what are you shopping for this gift-giving season?

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I was recently on a mission to find picture frame ornaments but not just any picture frame ornaments.  I wanted simple, small wooden frames that we could decorate.  I went to several stores and couldn’t find what I was looking for.  I told Eric about it and he came up with this ingenious idea – make them ourselves out of popsicle sticks.

Well, duh.

I just so happen to have had some small sticks leftover from a project we did a couple of years ago.  So, I had our four year old color some of the popsicle sticks.  We then glued them together, making a small square (about 2″ x 2″).  She decorated the colored sticks with some holiday stickers and I tied a string (actually, some holiday ribbon) around the frames to hang on the tree.  This is what our homemade frames look like:

Very cute.  Very four-year-old-looking.  I love them to pieces.

See the two furry things in the frames?  Those are our two fabulous kitties, Indie and Ollie.  We recently lost both of them (just over a month apart).  So, this was a very important project for me.  It’s going to be a different Christmas without them around.  I’m thrilled that we completed our project and our furbabies now have a place on our Christmas tree.

We encourage you to make some homemade ornaments this year.  When you pull them out of the Christmas bin next year, you’ll have a lovely memory to look back on.

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My iPhone keeps me company while I’m feeding the baby or swaying her to sleep.  It also provides entertainment to my four year old when she’s restless.  Half of the apps I have are for me and half are for her.  Not to mention I have at least three movies loaded and some episodes of Blues Clues.

Now that I’ve professed my geeky love for my phone, I’ve got to tell you about a couple of new apps that were just released.  They are here just in time for the holiday and they are HOT.

If you don’t know who the Grinch is, or the adorable people from Who-ville, then I guess you’ve been living under a rock.  Two new notable iPhone apps are all about the Grinch and we can’t get enough.

The first one that I fully abuse every day is the Dr Seuss Camera – The Grinch Edition ($2.99 at the iTunes app store (app store > photography > Dr. Seuss camera – The Grinch Edition)).  Here are some of the holidayriffic photos I’ve taken since downloading the app:

They are scaled down in size here but the originals are easily greeting card size.  I have been showing them off to friends and family and I have about a thousand more where these came from.  It’s too fun and we all get a good laugh.

Next on the holiday list is Grinchmas ($1.99 at the app store (app store > games > Grinchmas)).  You can be nice or you can be naughty in this one.  Throw snowballs or presents at the Who’s houses, depending on your mood.  Don’t worry, we’re pretty sure no Who’s were injured while playing the game.

Here are a couple of screenshots of the light-hearted Grinchmas app:

These two apps are available for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Soon I’ll post a list of the other apps we enjoy…hopefully, if you have an iPod Touch or iPhone, they will keep your kids entertained on the long trips to visit family and friends for the holidays.  I know they will work like a charm for me!

Thanks to Oceanhouse Media for providing me with promo codes for these two apps.  They would have been well worth it to purchase!

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