Baby Dickey » Reviews

CSN Stores has everything!

babydickey — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:49:39 +0000

I shop online. A lot. When I get stressed, shopping is my therapy–it probably shouldn’t be, haha, but it works! As a mom, it’s a bit harder to get out of the house to run errands… that’s why I <3 shopping online. And that’s why I love sites like CSN stores. They have everything! From mama stuff, to baby stuff, to home stuff like bedroom furniture sets. I could spend ~~hours~~ days on there.

Of course, my life is centered around Ryan, so he’s mainly who I shop for. I reallllly want to get him a wagon. And not just any wagon, but the same one we had as kids… this nice, wooden Radio Flyer one:

It’s a litttttle expensive though, so maybe it’ll be a Christmas present. Or birthday present! I know the two or only 2 days apart, but I said I’d never combine gifts, that poor kid, lol.

CSN Stores is sending us the Baby Bjorn Babysitter Toy… we have the Babysitter and have always thought, man that’d be so much cooler if it had a toy bar! We’ve tried creating our own but nothing stayed. Well OF COURSE Baby Bjorn makes their own!!! Maybe this will keep Ryan occupied for a bit longer while he’s playing in his chair

So be on the lookout for my review (and super cute pictures of Ryan)! Until then, check out alllll the stuff at CSN Stores!

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Ryan asks, "Are your hands clean?"

babydickey — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:57:40 +0000

Call us paranoid, call us new parents… but Steve and I have been totally paranoid about all the hands touching and grabbing Ryan. We’re always asking people to wash their hands–I think that is especially important for newborns. Particularly when they’re born in the winter flu season like Ryan was. And I believe it worked–Ryan is 6.5 months old and has never been sick, not even the slightest bit! Okay, Divas N Babes may have helped a little bit too.

Divas N Babes is an online boutique for, you guessed it, divas and their babes This shop was started when new mama Tonjia wanted a way to deal with the new mom-me (mom clothes can be so frumpy!) and the mom-voice (um, can you please not touch my child with your who-knows-where-they’ve-been hands?). Tonjia was an assistant professor pre-babies and as a SAHM, people were always asking her when she was going back to work.… SO Divas N Babes was born! I love stories like that and I love supporting mom-made businesses!

Tonjia is a babywearer so they have awesome slings and mei teis as well as great stuff for mom and baby. Where does my story fit in? One little outfit that was the result of Tonjia’s new mom-voice.…

The PERFECT little onesie that says “Are Your Hands Clean?” It’s great when we’re going to be out around large crowds or even just small groups that we know will all want to hold Ryan. This way, we don’t have to sound rude or make the moment awkward by telling people to wash their hands first. Who doesn’t make their kid do all their dirty work? Haha. Besides, who could say no to his adorable lil face? (In this picture, it was just after bath time and right before bed time–he was NOT in picture mood. I had to bribe him by flashing my hand at him above the camera, lol).

Divas N Babes is a great company and you can interact with them (and get special offers!) on twitter and facebook.

AND something else that makes them so wonderful??? They donated one of these onesies to my fundraiser for Cora’s Story! A huge THANK YOU to Divas N Babes!

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Tommee Tippee Summer Tour

babydickey — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:22:23 +0000

I was selected by the Mom Bloggers Club and Tommee Tippee to participate in their Summer Tour! Tommee Tippee is the number-one brand of infant and toddler feeding products in Great Britain. Today they can be found in 45 countries around the world! Their products are so popular because parents are involved in the creation process–making products that are inspired by nature and designed to solve a need. I was sent an Explora Spill-Proof Water Bottle, Non-Slip Easy Mat and Weaning Bowl with Spoon:

Spill-Proof Water Bottle: Tommee Tippee has a whole line of drinking cups for every age. This water bottle is a stage 4. Ryan won’t use it for a bit, but I’m excited to have it! It’s BPA-free (as are all the products), holds 12 oz, and is dishwasher safe. Their cups are spill-proof and leak-proof = great for every mom! They’re also designed with specific grips for little fingers

Weaning Bowl: This is a set that comes with 2 (stackable) bowls, a lid and a spoon. The spoon fits in the lid for easy packing. They’re dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe and are a great size for hungry lil monsters. The spoon is small and soft–Ryan isn’t eating solids yet, but he loves chewing on this spoon!

Easi-Mat: AWESOME. This mat sticks to a table surface and holds your bowls in place. It helps prevent spills, slips and tosses. Having a baby has required me to learn how to do MANY things one-handed. I can imagine that feeding him will be no different. It’s wonderful that this mat holds the bowl in place so I can scoop food out without it sliding all over. Plus, when Ryan eats solo, he won’t have that issue either = no mess all over the floor for mama! It has a little release tab too that you just pull on to get the bowl off when you’re done. It’s a soft little mat that just rolls right up. The only thing I DON’T like about this mat is that the material is a MAGNET for hair. And we have 2 cats. Yea. But I suppose if I didn’t keep it on the family room floor as a TOY for Ryan at the moment, I wouldn’t have that issue, haha

Pretty soon that’ll be Ryan having that much fun with his Tommee Tippee stuff I really like the Tommee Tippee products because they come in bright, cute colors and they just make sense–they’re useful and definitely handy.

From now to July 23rd, buy any one Explora item (cups and toddler feeding) and get the 2nd 50% off at babiesrus.com (online or in-store). You can now find Tommee Tippee products at Babies R Us, Toys R Us and online at babiesrus.com.

Don’t miss any of their exciting news and offers! You can like them on facebook and follow them on twitter!

*disclosure: I received these products for free from Tommee Tippee as a member of the Mom Bloggers Club. All opinions are my own, yours may differ.*

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We compost, do you?

babydickey — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 14:48:35 +0000

We’re all about being green, recycling, and all that good jazz. We’ve had gardens in the past, but we’re in a new house and didn’t have time to set one up this year. However, we DID start composting. My hubby made a nice little compost pile in our backyard.…

Pretty, right? Okay, okay, it’s an eye-sore. I know. Can someone tell my hubby that? But what to do… we want to compost, we want it for our garden next year, we love putting waste to use.

TA-DA! Clean Air Gardening came through for us. Remember my post awhile back about the kitchen composter they sent us? Yea, they saved our kitchen too! This time we were lucky enough to review their NEW Spin Bin Compost Tumbler.

It’s made from recycled plastic right here in the US and holds 60 gallons. I love that it has lids on both ends so it doesn’t matter which side is up–easy access. Plus, the lids lock to help keep animals away–an issue we had with our open air compost pile!!!

I know what you’re thinking–doesn’t compost need oxygen? That’s the same thing my hubby was worried about. Have no fear! The Spin Bin has plenty of ventilation slots. There are also holes to stick in a thermometer to get an accurate temperature reading–the dark color helps absorb sunlight to keep it nice and warm.

New to composting? The Spin Bin seriously couldn’t make it any easier. It was really easy to put together and there are even composting instructions under the lid!

Overall, it’s sturdy and well-made, looks MUCH better in our backyard, and composts quickly with the spin action, ventilation and heat. LOVE IT! I hated dumping waste in our open air one–it was hard to keep aerated too. But this one has helped a ton!

Clean Air Gardening also has all the accessories: compost thermometer, composting booklet, compost activator, etc. So head there for ALL your green gardening needs! You can buy your own Spin Bin compost tumbler for $169.99.

Do you compost? Or would you like to start? If you have any questions about it feel free to ask away! I love sharing and helping others become more green If you have any compost tips, feel free to share those here too!

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must have: iced coffee in the summer time

babydickey — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 02:05:06 +0000

I love my coffee. I have a cup every morning–especially now that we have a baby and sleep is hard to come by, coffee is a must. But sometimes in the summertime it’s so grossly hot and humid out, I can’t stand to drink something HOT. My wallet was starting to hurt a bit with all the iced coffees from Starbucks :/ Remember we got one of those handy dandy Keurig coffee brewers? Well GREAT NEWS! They just came out with ICED DRINKS! They heard me and they answered

*NEW Brew Over Ice K-Cups
*Based on popular hot versions
*Coffee: French Vanilla and Nantucket Blend (both from Green Mountain)
*Iced tea: Half and Half (black tea and lemonade) and Southern Sweet Tea (plus the other 4 that were introduced last summer: Sweet Lemon Black Tea, Sweet Peach Black Tea, Sweet Raspberry Black Tea, and Black Unsweetened Tea) — all from Celestial Seasonings

I was sent a variety pack to try out.. my favorite of course is the French Vanilla. And I was SUPER skeptical… I wondered what made it different from the regular K-Cups. And I was worried about how it’d taste because a lot of the ice melts when you make it. But–it is FULL of flavor. In my opinion, it had more flavor than the regular K-Cups for hot coffee. It was delicious and I plan on buying more. Steve likes it too (he likes anything that keeps me from Starbucks, haha).

There are so many flavors I’d love to try from Keurig… the single cup brewer is perfect for us because we’re rarely home at the same time and never finish a pot of coffee. Yum, writing about this right now makes me want to go make a cup, haha. But at 9pm I better not So go to Keurig and check out all the gourmet coffees and teas!

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laws of illusion

babydickey — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 02:48:48 +0000

I’M GOING TO LILITH FAIR! Yep, July 17th, I’ll be there. I love Sarah McLachlan. She hasn’t had a studio album out in 7 years. SEVEN! So when her long-awaited, new album hit stores June 15th, I was really excited. It’s called Laws of Illusion and “Loving You Is Easy” is the first single from the CD.

Tracks:
1 — Awakenings
2 — Illusions of Bliss
3 — Loving You Is Easy
4 — Changes
5 — Forgiveness
6 — Rivers of Love
7 — Love Come
8 — Out of Tune
9 — Heartbreak
10 — Don’t Give Up On Us
11 — U Want Me 2
12 — Bring On The Wonder

I love this new CD… I love everything of Sarah’s. She has a distinctive voice and you can always tell when it’s her voice coming over the radio. I love singing along–when I’m driving in the car alone, of course, haha. I could never hit those notes like Sarah!

This CD is mellow and relaxing… just like all of Sarah’s stuff. It’s perfect background music or bubble bath music! It’s nice for my lil guy Ryan too because I know he won’t pick up any bad words from it and it’s a nice way to calm down at the end of the day.

Did you know that every one of Sarah’s (yea, we’re on a first name basis) albums has been certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum by the RIAA and she’s had over 20 million career sales to date. If you want to see when she’ll be performing near you, check out all the Lilith Fair tour dates!

Find the Laws Of Illusion on Amazon for $10.99. You can also find Sarah on twitter and facebook.

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I found a Father's Day Gift! Tees2match!

babydickey — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:18:51 +0000

Steve’s first Father’s Day is coming up! I think that’s a pretty big deal and of course I want to get him something that involves his son… but what haven’t I already given him? I found this shop on etsy called Tees2match: where clothes make a family connection and found the PERFECT thing.

Steve has an odd sense of humor… he’s a goofy guy. He makes me laugh all the time. That’s why he’s absolutely going to love this… he’s getting a shirt that says “Old Block” and Ryan is getting a shirt that says “Chip”–get it?!?! LOVE IT!

I think it’s too funny and I can’t wait to see Steve and Ryan out in public wearing these. After Father’s Day, I’ll be sure to get a picture of them and post it here The shirts are brown with cream colored lettering… they look great! Her shop (she also has a website: tees2match.com) has mother/son or daughter and father/son or daughter shirts. Another of my favorites is the adult “Paparazzi” shirt (or “Mamarazzi” for the mom) with the “Celebrity” shirt for your child–who isn’t constantly taking a million pictures of their baby?!

There’s also Groupie and Rockstar, Believe and Miracles Happen, Love Bird and Free Bird and more! I love them all… but especially the humor behind the Chip off the Old Block set. I can hardly wait until Father’s Day to give this to him!

What other pairs would go well together on parent/child t-shirts?? I’m not creative enough… how about Milk Mama and Boob Monster or Monkey (adult) and Monkey See, Monkey Do (child)… what are your ideas? What are your plans for Father’s Day (and gifts)?

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Paci Plushies review

babydickey — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:00:51 +0000

Paci Plushies: hush the fussies — what a great idea! Paci Plushies are pacifier holders… little plush stuffed animals that attach to the paci, making it easier to find.

~first (and only) paci holder that works with name brand pacifiers
~a flexible silicone Hug Ring allows it to attach to most pacis
~machine washable
~boosts baby’s motor skills: grasping and feeling the soft plush
~6 in long, 4 oz in weight: great for a baby to handle
~becomes a toy!
~awesome gift for a new mom/baby

Go here for a list of all the pacifiers that are compatible with the Paci Plushies!

A friend of ours had given us some pacifiers attached to little stuffed animals… just like Paci Plushies, except you couldn’t change the pacifier. You were stuck with the one included. So those didn’t work for us at all because Ryan didn’t like those pacis! I’ve heard that lots of babies are super picky about their pacifiers and usually stick to one favorite. Lucky for us, Ryan’s favorite was the first kind we tried–the Nuk that was given to us at the hospital. And that is why Paci Plushies are a great hit in this house! The Plushies do come with a pacifier (which Ryan actually kind of liked, surprisingly), but it is easily removed and you just stick in your own!

Not only do these make it easier for ME to find Ryan’s pacifiers, but they make it easier for HIM! He pulls his paci out of his mouth quite often and has trouble getting it back in or dropping it. The Paci Plushies are a larger target and easier for him to hold… he can pick it up more easily than just his paci. They have lots of cute animals to choose from and different packages for boys, girls or gender neutral and a “first year” or complete set (seen below).

No worries, these are BPA and Phthalate free! And another awesome thing: 100% of wholesale proceeds from “Lovie the Lamb” goes to a charity. Check out Ryan with his “Milo the Monkey” and his own Nuk paci:

You can buy them on the Paci Plushies website or find them on Amazon ($13.99 for one). Paci Plushies very generously donated their product to my fundraiser for Cora!!! See who won the Paci Plushies here!

*I was sent 3 Paci Plushies for review and was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own, yours may differ.*

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Bday Event: organic skincare

babydickey — Wed, 26 May 2010 02:01:15 +0000

Protection from the sun is important–especially for an infant’s sensitive skin. There has been quite a bit of buzz lately over the study that many sunscreens may be accelerating cancer (almost HALF of the 500 popular sunscreen products!) That’s just plain scary. It cites the reason as the inclusion of vitamin A, which is supposed to be an anti-aging ingredient. All the more reason to use all natural products, eh?!

Sunscreen on a baby is controversial… most say you can’t use ANY under 6 months of age. Ryan is 5 months and I wanted to take him swimming the other day. Of course I covered him and used a wide brimmed hat and bought the pool floaty with a big shade screen. But that can’t stop all of the sun… and I felt that a little bit on sunscreen would be better than a little bit of sunburn. Thankfully, we were sent the Alba Botanica natural sunscreen for kids. It’s rated a 2 on the cosmetics database (ratings of 0–2 are considered safe). This lotion is paraben-free, 100% vegetarian and hypo-allergenic with high levels of UVA and UVB protection. It’s tear-free, ultra water resistant and all of Alba’s natural products are made with vitamins, plant emollients and therapeutic botanicals. Having to use sunscreen on a 5 month old, I felt a bit more at ease with a product like this! And Ryan did wonderfully

For the mamas and the papas out there, we also received a Moisture Plus Lotion with SPF 15 from Avalon Organics. They make products that are organically enriched to nourish and hydrate skin. The moisturizer contains organic coconut, borage and falx oils to repair and nourish and vitamin E and white tea to defend against free radical damage. This is what I used when Ryan and I went swimming–it worked great! It doesn’t feel heavy or sticky. However, it is, disappointingly, rated a 5 on the cosmetics database so I personally probably wouldn’t purchase it again. Avalon does have a number of products though that rate in the safe range of 0–2.

They carry many other great products–especially ones for Baby, like shampoo, massage oil, lotion, diaper balm, and baby powder!

You can buy Avalon Organics products on Amazon or check if your local stores carry them. You can also find the Alba Botanica products on Amazon!

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Bday Event: Organicville Foods

babydickey — Tue, 25 May 2010 02:32:21 +0000

As most of you probably know by now, we’re made a great attempt to buy all our food organic. It was my husband’s initial doing and I jumped on board. We had the opportunity to review some products from Organicville Foods and couldn’t wait! Just in time for summer time and grilling out with friends:)

First, we got the Stone Ground Organic Mustard — YUM! It’s certified organic, vegan, gluten free, and contains no added sugar. It’s made of water, organic vinegar, organic mustard seeds, salt and organic spices. That’s it! We enjoyed it and it’s definitely something we’d buy again.

Next, we got the Orange Cranberry Organic Vinaigrette. Steve was super excited about this–he eats a salad almost every day. Again, it’s certified organic, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and contains no added sugar. “A refreshing marriage of citrus and tart flavors…” Steve picked this flavor out and it’s not something I normally would have gone for, but now I think it’s my new favorite (go figure). I’m a picky eater and I tend to stick with what I know I like (ranch, haha), but this makes my salad more… light and refreshing and delicious!

They also make salsa, BBQ sauce, ketchup, and teriyaki sauces. I’d love to try them all! Lucky for us one grocery store in our town carries Organicville products. You can click here to see if your town has any in stock!

You can find yummy recipes on their site and submit your own… and even suggest new flavors or products you’d like to see them make! Their products are also available on Amazon.

Find Organicville on Twitter and Facebook!

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