This post is going to be short and sweet and to the point.  I *LOVE* the Medela Freestyle Breastpump.  I have been putting it to good use for the past six weeks and I couldn’t be happier.  It’s super convenient and really does a great job.  I’m thrilled with my purchase.  I bought it brand new from a seller on eBay and got one helluva deal on it.

Highly recommended by this breastfeeding mother!

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We received the Mutsy growup! seat for review and we like it.  It’s “cushy” for lack of a better descriptive word.  So, it’s softer and seems more comfortable than some of the other plastic booster seats on the market.

Hailey is modeling the growup! below.  She’s 3 1/2, so she’s really just about too big for the seat but kids up to age 4 can use it.

Luckily, we will still get a lot of use out of this seat with our next baby.  We were always big fans of using a booster right at the table with Hailey instead of a highchair.  It saved us a lot of space in our small dining area.  We’re an on-the-go family, so the growup! will travel with us when baby is ready to sit up in a chair to eat.

Mutsy has been in business since 1937.  The company started under the name of “Mutsaerts”.  They have always manufactured pushchairs (buggies and strollers).  I have been watching the timeline slideshow of the company’s history and it’s pretty cool to see those old fashioned buggies from then and now.

Check out their line of strollers and (s)eating when you have a chance!

*If you’re interested in purchasing a growup!, you can do so and receive a 10% discount at Goore’s online store.  Enter code psphmu at checkout.

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It’s my turn now! 

This is Squirt.  As soon as the yet-to-be-born, nameless baby girl is ready to start “eating” more solid foods, Squirt will come in handy.  I’m a mama on the go.  It’s just a given that this all-in-one feeding spoon will be a staple in the diaper bag.

Next up: Benders.  Those tiny hands are really going to dig these “adaptable utensils”.  She’ll start gaining her eating independence with the use of Boon’s Benders.

We dig Boon products because they are fresh and modern.  Many retail stores have picked up the brand, so you can generally find their products on store shelves or online.

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I will just start out by saying nursing my first child was a big, BIG disappointment for me and I have regretted that it didn’t work out for us ever since.  It’s been three and a half years.  With baby number two on the way, I’m about to get my do-over.

My main focus this entire pregnancy has been on how I can be completely successful nursing this baby.  I even took a breastfeeding class.  When I think of breastfeeding products, Medela is the first company that comes to mind.  I knew right after I had my first daughter that Medela products were top of the line, unfortunately, I did not give them a fair chance.  I purchased an Ameda breastpump that I was completely unhappy with.  My daughter was a preemie and spent the first week of her life in the hospital NICU.  Luckily, I was able to test the hospital grade Medela breastpumps there and swore that after I had another baby, I would stick with Medela.

I have heard so many good things about the Medela Freestyle breastpump and I’m about ready to make my purchase.  Of course, this time around, we’re going to establish a good nursing routine before anything else is introduced.  I can’t afford not to.  So, within the next month, I will be stocking up on my nurisng gear.  Who do I turn to first?  Medela, of course.  They have a line of intimate apparel, specifically for maternity and nursing.

Medela recently sent me their new Nursing Camisole for consideration.  I’m having a mid-summer baby, so you can bet this camisole will get some good use!

The feel of the Cami is very soft and stretchy (and sturdy).  It’s made of a bamboo/cotton blend.  It has a drop-cup design and has an extra layer of fabric, where it counts the most.  The camisole also works with the Freestyle breastpump, so hopefully I’ll get my chance to try them out together.

Next on the list, of course, are bottles.  There will come a point where daddy and big sister want to help feed the baby and I don’t want to take that away from them.  I will gladly give them the chance to bond with our newest family member.  I have several Medela Breastmilk Bottle Sets on hand, including a few 5 oz. and 8 oz. bottles.  It’s no secret, Medela has always been BPA-free and this is something that I do take quite seriously.

So, when the time is right, I will put these bottles to good use.

I still feel like I have much to learn and research about the world of breastfeeding but honestly, I’m not as concerned about it this time.  I am crossing all of my T’s and dotting all of my I’s before the little one arrives and I know that things will work out swimmingly this time.

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We like juice.  We think that AquaJuice is a pretty cool idea.  We’ve given juice to our kiddo for a couple of years now and always dilute it with water.  AquaJuice saves that extra step.

Here are the 8 oz. glass facts:

Less sugar, no high fructose corn syrup, no added sugar, no artificial sweetners, full serving of fruit and Vitamin C.

Right now, AquaJuice comes in three flavors: Fruit Punch, Apple and Strawberry Kiwi.  We have tried the apple flavor and like it.

So, if you are juice drinkers, we definitely think it’s worth checking out.

We’d like to give one of our readers a free 52 oz. bottle.  Just leave us a comment on this post to enter.  We’ll contact the winner via email on Thursday the 12th (check your spam!)

*Pssst: you can also go and print out a buy one, get one free coupon via Welch’s website.

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I’ve never been one to follow a weight-loss program. I suppose that could be why I have the weight concerns that I do today. Although, I have become increasingly more interested in the Weight Watchers program. I recently discovered that they have some pretty neat online tools to make balancing your eating habits a pretty simple task. I’m all about the simple.

Weight Watchers now has this “Snack Widget” that you can get for your desktop or embed into your website, which allows you to simply type in a snack food that you want and the widget will produce a variety of Weight Watchers snacks to choose from instead.

Check it out for yourself here:

You can get this widget HERE.

You can find Weight Watchers on Facebook (I just became a fan) where they offer free recipes and great weight watching tips. You can also find a lot of great healthy eating information on their website HERE.

Like I said, the closer we get to celebrating the holidays, the harder it is to eat sensibly when you’re faced with all of those fabulous goodies.  Keep Weight Watchers in mind when you head out to that next holiday party.  Know that they have a great online resource that you can turn to when you need a boost in confidence and some healthy eating tips.

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The Bug Pod.  MSRP $34.99

Saucer Stay-put Divided Plate.  MSRP $5.99

Boon products should be on your holiday list for expectant, new parents and even seasoned parents with the younger humans.

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There are three things that everyone (including parents) aspires to be these days. It really is very simple. People want to be: 1) Eco-friendy, 2) Healthy, 3) Hip and/or cool.  If you said otherwise I wouldn’t believe you.

So to be those three things, all you need to do is hydrate yourself with nature’s finest. That’s right, just drink water. More specifically, the right water.

You need to drink Tap’d NY water.

Tap’d NY doesn’t hide the fact that all they really do is “purify and bottle New York City’s famous tap water, leaving out the malarkey and far journey included in other bottled waters.” Basically, there is no BS with Tap’d NY. The water in their bottles isn’t from exotic sources (like Fiji) and doesn’t pretend to come from springs, mountain streams, or other pristine locations. It is (after all) just water, like any other water.

Instead, Tap’d NY hopes that you (yes, you) will refill and reuse your bottle a few times before finally recycling it. Sure, you could reuse the bottle from any other brand of bottled water and we hope you do too. Better yet, buy a Tap’d NY Sigg bottle and reuse it until you break it or lose it at the beach. Tap’d NY isn’t trying to change the world… well, actually they are.

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Fruit Roll-ups have been around for as long as I can remember. You can quote me on that because I just checked my trusty fact-checker, Wikipedia and as always, they have confirmed my thoughts. Fruit Roll-ups have been around since 1981 and that, folks, would make my statement correct. I would have been about 4 years old and that is about as far back as my memory goes.

I’ve always loved their fruity, chewy goodness. Our toddler has just recently started enjoying them and I was thrilled to find out that now you can customize them. Yes, like everything these days, Fruit Roll-ups has an interactive website where you can create and place an order for a personalized batch of pectin-based sweetness. These would make a great birthday party treat. Order a box (or two) in advance and give them out as party favors.

Since we like Fruit Roll-ups so much, we thought we’d give you a chance to win a box for yourself. That’s right – a box of 30 personalized Fruit Roll-ups (MSRP $30). We have THREE “My Fruit Roll-ups” gift codes to give away to THREE winners.

TO ENTER:

Send and email to parentsphere [at] gmail [dot] com with “Fruit Roll-up” as the subject line. In the body of your email, tell us something like what your favorite flavor Fruit Roll-up is. Contest ends on Thursday, June 12th. The winner will be chosen randomly and notified via email.

Good luck!

a PS note: If you place an order with My Fruit Roll-ups by June 13th (Friday), enter code “GRAD08″ at checkout for $8 off of your order. Send your new grad off to school with a box of his or her own personalized Fruit Roll-ups!

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TO ENTER:

Send an email to mumsthewurd[at]gmail[dot]com with your name and mailing address. We’ll send out the coupons on Thursday morning so you should have plenty of time to redeem them.

Good luck!

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