Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best finds here!!

[qtiekiki]

Does anyone have the A+A dream blanket? How do you like it? I had been using the swaddling blanket for naps and bedtime, so I thought the blanket might be better since it has more layers and still breathable.

 

[KtIceRN]

Date: 7/1/2010 1:04:23 PM
Author: qtiekiki
Does anyone have the A+A dream blanket? How do you like it? I had been using the swaddling blanket for naps and bedtime, so I thought the blanket might be better since it has more layers and still breathable.

Qtiekiki, I have the dream blanket and I love it. I have been using it for about 2 weeks and Jake seems to really like it. It is a great weight but still breathable. I got the monkey print....so cute!

I also wanted to share J''s favorite toy. He is completely in love with it!

Winkle

 

[janinegirly]

Re:

Janine
I have that exact blanket.  I used it a few times at the park, mostly for J to lie on while M is playing in the playground.  I like it a lot.  It''s water resistance, so it wouldn''t get wet from grass or spill.  It has a little bit of weight to it, so it doesn''t get blown up by the wind.  You can''t really see it from the picture, but there are three seams (don''t know if I am using the right word) that run through the blanket, making it very easy to fold.  I like that a lot, so I can fold it quickly.  I also like that it come with the carrying strap, and not a separate bag to put the blanket it.  And it''s not really a blanket.  The material is more like a diaper changing pad.  I plan to use it at the beach when we go.

So we just got this blanket (JJ Cole Essentials in green - same color at qtiekiki) and it's great!! I recommend it to anyone needing this sort of product. I bought it at diapers.com but was able use bing cash back to bring it down a few more bucks (but not sure how much longer the bing program is around).

 

[Mara]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

Janine I have a blanket like that --a gift from a vendor... and it is something I never would have used before baby, but now it's awesome. It is waterproof on one side, and fleece on the other and folds up and carrys as a pack. I love it for grassy trips.

Moms...question!!

All the toys we have so far have been given to us from friends and have gotten us to 5.5 months. But I want to get one or two toys that can help further J's development and interest... he is pretty curious and a fast learner. I don't want a bunch of toys around, so I'd like something that does 'multiple' things if possible and something he can use around now (aka 6m+) until hopefully almost one year old. Any suggestions? I don't mind paying a lot for something GOOD but don't want 4 toys to do what 1 can if possible. Something with music, spinny things, blocks or balls, or anything like that all on one toy? Wooden would be preferred if possible instead of plastic.

Any recs sooo appreciated. Thanks!

 

[miraclesrule]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

Mara,

My daughter got something like your describing for Veda. She started really being able to use it at 6 months and is still loving it at 9 1/2. It raises as well so now Veda can pull up and walk around it, which is helping with the balance/walking development. I'll have to ask her what the heck that thing is called. It's musical, I know that.

I'll be over there tonight, so hopefully I will remember to ask her or write it down.

 

[KtIceRN]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

Janine I have a blanket like that --a gift from a vendor... and it is something I never would have used before baby, but now it's awesome. It is waterproof on one side, and fleece on the other and folds up and carrys as a pack. I love it for grassy trips.

Moms...question!!

All the toys we have so far have been given to us from friends and have gotten us to 5.5 months. But I want to get one or two toys that can help further J's development and interest... he is pretty curious and a fast learner. I don't want a bunch of toys around, so I'd like something that does 'multiple' things if possible and something he can use around now (aka 6m+) until hopefully almost one year old. Any suggestions? I don't mind paying a lot for something GOOD but don't want 4 toys to do what 1 can if possible. Something with music, spinny things, blocks or balls, or anything like that all on one toy? Wooden would be preferred if possible instead of plastic.

Any recs sooo appreciated. Thanks!

Mara,

I think the Skwish toy from Manhatton Toy might be perfect for what you are looking for. It is wooden and the balls move and make noise when shaken plus it is pliable so he can tug on it and chew on it. I got Jake one from Amazon but I did see them at BRU as well.
I am going to try to attach a picture.

 

[MustangGal]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

Mara, we got this for Kyle around 6 months once he could sit up http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.js ... Id=2293345 You just leave the legs off and put it on the floor when they're little, then around 10 months I stuck the legs on and he could pull up on it. At 17 months he still plays with it, and there's lots of learning and it even has a Spanish mode too.

 

[qtiekiki]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

Mara
For an all-in-one, I was going to suggest the Leapfrog Learn and Groove Table that MG suggested too. Or VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker.
I also like bead maze activity cube, but it doesn't hold the baby's interest as much as the lights and sounds. It's a good toy to grow into though, when they are older with better hand/fingers control.

 

[ChinaCat]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

Mara- The musical table recommended above is a great one. We got it for O when he was around 6 months and we never actually took the legs off of it. He was pulling to stand already so he could stand up and bang on it all day long. He STILL plays with it at almost 11 months. It counts, recites ABC's, has music, says colors and things like "up/down" or "off/on" when you press certain buttons or slide things, and you can switch it all to Spanish.

Let me think of what else.

 

[Mara]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

thanks ladies...i'll check out the table!!

 

[cara]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

OK ladies, question for Boon highchair lovers, how is it on carpet? Yes our dining nook is carpeted in our rental. We probably woln't actually be moving the chair around *too* much, and I don't expect the wheels to work well I just want to know if they will be more hassle than they are worth. I really want something easy to keep clean, with no fabric and crevasses for food catching (since the carpet will be enough of an issue), and we have a pint-size dishwasher so the modest tray size appeals to me. Though it is a bit pricy. I also looked at the Fisher Price Space Saver booster seat, which is reasonable and comes in an all-plastic version, but we also have only 3 chairs left of our dining set (on its last legs! but we are holding off on replacing it until we move) so a free standing high chair might be useful. Maybe the ikea highchair if not the boon. Any other suggestions?

 

[Lanie]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

Oh my word...I just googled Boon Flair high chair since I've been seeing that name tossed around. I can't believe how much they are. Really???? I mean REALLY???? If there's anyone out there who has one and LOVES it, I need to hear about it.

 

[ChinaCat]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

Lanie you will get LOTS of people that love the Boon Flair high chair.

I got the Tripp Trapp which is very cool looking and WILL be a great investment in the long run as it turns into a toddler/kid chair BUT I wish I'd gone with the Boon Flair. The Tripp Trapp is hard to keep clean and the tray is way too big for the dishwasher.

I do think that the Ikea one is a good substitution. I think Mandarine has them for her twins. We have the Fisher Price Space Saver at my parents house and it's great. We just have fabric nice dining room chairs, but no kitchen chairs so it's totally impractical for us.

Plus you really don't use them or the first few months, so you can wait and see what you'll need when the time comes. We used the Bumbo for a long while before I stuck him in the high chair.

ETA: And yes I asked on PS and yes everyone told me to get the Boon Flair. I let DH pick.

 

[Mara]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

ditto waiting if you are so inclined.

J has been eating solids for about a month now and we just feed him strapped into the bouncer. he doesn't like sitting straight up yet, so i figure we'll keep doing that til we have to figure something out. but the ikea one is what we are leaning towards, i think it's like $20.

though i did see the tie chairs on babysteals yesterday and was tempted but i'd have to do like crazy sailor knots to keep J in it!

 

[cara]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

Lanie, somewhere in this massive thread there is an ode to the Boon. I think Tacori started the trend, but others have followed...

OK, I think waiting is the right call on the high chair. Bringing me to...

Any bouncer recs? What should it do? Trying to fill out the registry, and bouncer does seem like something that will be used early. Also undecided on the swing - so expensive they are!

 

[NovemberBride]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

Cara,

We have the Fisher-Price Rainforest Bouncer and it is one of the things that we have used the most. I like this one better than all the others because it has lights, music and action (little animals that move up and down). I don't think the ones that just have the toys hanging off them will hold a baby's attention as long as this one. DD is now 8 months old and this is the only thing that we started using at birth that we are still using.

I would gladly have paid 5x what it cost and it would have been worth every penny. When DD was a newborn, she slept in the bouncer (or swing) for all naps and part of many nights. It was also a great place to put her when I just needed a break or to fold laundry or something because she didn't like laying flat on her back. I have also used it for her to sit in while I shower if DH is not around. It's lightweight and I just carry it in to the bathroom while I get ready.

FWIW, I also loved our swing and although she only used it until about 5 months, it was definitely worth it for me. We had the Fisher-Price My Little Lamb Swing. We probably used both the bouncer and the swing daily for the first 5 months Don't get me wrong, we held DD a lot, but she hated being flat on her back and when they can't sit up you don't have that many options.

If I were concerned abotu space or $ and could only pick one, it would be the bouncer for its portability, the swings pretty much stay where you set them up, but we moved the bouncer all over the house daily and it's light enough I actually moved it while carrying DD.

 

[Mara]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

i don't remember which bouncer we have by name, but it's the same one that a lot of other PS'ers seem to have, with the retro woodland animals on a brown background. he slept the first week in it for naps and nighttime as we wanted him slightly upright due to some reflux issues. i was just happy we didn't wait on getting one, and it vibrated which totally helped put him to sleep that first week.

we have the my little lamb swing (seems like a lot of people do as well) that was lent to us from a friend. both were priceless at times, but J never liked anything CONSISTENTLY. one week he'd love the bouncer then the next he'd SCREAM if we put him in it. same with the swing. we had just keep switching it up. he also spent a lot of time curled up in the boppy in the first 2 months, he liked napping in it next to me on the couch.

from talking to other moms too it seems like it can depend on your kiddo as to what they like vs not. i knew i wanted a bouncer since it was portable as NB says, i carry it into other rooms with J in it. also now that he is eating solids, that is where i feed him as we don't have a high chair yet. he is big though so he will outgrow it maybe in another month or so. same with the swing. if you can borrow a swing, i'd go that route because some moms told me their kids hated it and others said their kids loved it and it's about $120..so not cheap. whereas the bouncer was $25.

 

[KimberlyH]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

Cara, J was too little to sit in her bouncer when she was born, and she never slept anywhere but on/with me and in her packn'n'play, but once she was big enough her bouncer became a great thing. It's the only big item, size-wise, we have in our house for her. She sits in it in the mornings while my husband cleans the kitchen and I shower and again at dinner. We're going to buy her a highchair soon, because she's starting to get bored being so low at the dinner table and is trying to work her way out of the chair. My sister loved her swing, we've been perfectly fine without one, haven't missed it or wished we had one.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

I STILL love my boon

 

[lovinsparkles]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

Any bouncer recs? What should it do? Trying to fill out the registry, and bouncer does seem like something that will be used early. Also undecided on the swing - so expensive they are!

We have loved our Baby Bjorn bouncer. http://www.amazon.com/BABYBJ%C3%96RN-Ba ... 024&sr=1-4
Not cheap, but it's organic/non-toxic. It's not electric either, so while they're little before they can bounce themselves you have to use your foot to bounce them, but we do that while we use the computer and it works well. You can buy a toy bar too, that she likes. We get a lot of use out of it and it's a great place to set baby while we're doing things.

We also have the elaborate Fisher Price Zen swing and our baby has never liked it. We have a lot better results bouncing with her on an exercise ball ($20) which we've used from day one. I wouldn't buy the swing again, at least not without trying one out first. HTH!

 

[fieryred33143]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

Lanie, somewhere in this massive thread there is an ode to the Boon. I think Tacori started the trend, but others have followed...

OK, I think waiting is the right call on the high chair. Bringing me to...

Any bouncer recs? What should it do? Trying to fill out the registry, and bouncer does seem like something that will be used early. Also undecided on the swing - so expensive they are!

Sophia hated the bouncer. We registered for FP but received a Pooh one (I think Evenflo) and a Brightstars one. Both were inexpensive and did what bouncers do.

As for a swing, I did not register for one but received a no frills Evenflo one. It was cheap and had no toys. We LOVED it.

 

[cdt1101]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

I STILL love my boon

I LOVE our boon and have to thank you for the rec

Seriously my kid is soooooooooo messy and at this point (14 month) he feeds himself 99% of the time. I cannot imagine having to clean a high chair w/ cushions/crevices. Other than looking super sleek, the boon is just SO easy to clean! I would say it is the best purchase I made so far.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

I STILL love my boon

I LOVE our boon and have to thank you for the rec

Seriously my kid is soooooooooo messy and at this point (14 month) he feeds himself 99% of the time. I cannot imagine having to clean a high chair w/ cushions/crevices. Other than looking super sleek, the boon is just SO easy to clean! I would say it is the best purchase I made so far.

I am SO glad! I actually just convinced my friend to register for it. She is a total clean freak and would have HATED the cheapie with the giant plastic cushion she originally registered for.

 

[blushingbride]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

Hi Mommies! Question about the Bumbo - should it be a "must have" on my registry? Just wondering if any of you have one and if you found it useful. I'm debating this one right now.

Thanks!

 

[MustangGal]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

Hi Mommies! Question about the Bumbo - should it be a "must have" on my registry? Just wondering if any of you have one and if you found it useful. I'm debating this one right now.

Thanks!

It depends... some babies don't do well in it, but Kyle LOVED his. I've now loaned it out to 2 more babies that also loved it. They're a bit pricey for what it is, but if no one buys it off your registry you can find them on Craigslist for less than $20.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

BB, everyone I know raves about it, but they haven't had particularly chunky babies. That's the one complaint I've heard-that if your kid has chubby thighs s/he might have problems with the leg holes. I've got it on my registry, but I know I can get one at my local kids consignment shop or on CL for $15-$20 vs $42 at BRU. So I'm holding out for a new one from the registry (which I'll return for credit ) but I will almost certainly end up buying it new.

 

[blushingbride]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

Thanks MG and HH - I'll definitely add it, but here's the other question. Since I'm having twins, do you think it makes sense to have two of them? I'm thinking probably, but trying not to double up if it's not necessary on certain things.

 

[fieryred33143]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

BB-I didn't like it. Sophia was ok in it but it wasn't really useful for us. She learned to sit up pretty early so by the time we could use it (when her head was stable) she preferred sitting on her own. Plus she has chunky legs

I would buy it used if you can find it. Too bad I can't send you mine. We've only used it a handful of times and it's just sitting in the closet.

 

[blushingbride]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

Awe, thanks Fiery! I ended up putting two on my registry. I'll wait to see if someone buys it and if not, I might just get one to try.

 

[NovemberBride]

Re: Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best

Bumbo was only useful for us for about a month. Olivia is a tiny baby, so size wasn't the problem. The problem is that she would arch her back and throw herself backwards and since there are no straps and the back is very low, there was a real danger of her being able to throw herself out of it and get seriously hurt. I have heard the same thing from a lot of moms. Also, you are only supposed to use it on the ground. I can't imagine sitting on the ground to feed her. Personally, I would not get one knowing what I know now.